Game Gear

Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos

Sonic Chaos takes that winning Sonic formula, makes it new and interesting with a few variations, and comes up with yet another great Sonic cart. Although it's not as tough as some of the other Sonic adventures, it's still a cart that fans of the hogmeister are gonna wanna roll with.

Also on the less-challenging side, but equally impressive technically, is Sonic Chaos ($44.99), for Sega's handheld Game Gear. Once again, the basic Sonic setup is in place: Playing as either Sonic or his pal Tails the Fox, players spin and bop their way across funky, robot-infested landscapes. The on-screen characters are huge, making this the perfect game to buy your 7- year-old for that next long car trip.

Despite these few issues, this is a highly enjoyable portable experience, which is worth the cost in batteries just to see what Sonic's designers can do when they are thrown a curveball like the Game Gear.

Dr. Robotnik's after emeralds and Sonic's after rings. Some things never change. Tails is around in this one too, but only Sonic can reach the emerald-laden levels.

Unlike the first Sonic on the Game Gear, you can even continue your game after you've exhausted your lives. As good as Sonic Chaos is, it still shares a few flaws with the first game. The speed is very inconsistent, alternating between medium speed and near slow motion. And in later stages, it's too easy to fall off the bottom of the screen, resulting in instant death. But if you found the first Game Gear Sonic to be lacking, give this one a try. It's a major improvement.

This is the ideal way to play Sonic on the go. The graphics are crystal clear and the game plays like a 16-bit title. Definitely recommended.