Sonic is (well, was) definitely Sega’s mascot. His franchise probably received the most attention, always producing games that improved from the previous one. Until Sonic Spinball. The game was enjoyable but it was a setback compared to other Sonic games on the Sega Genesis.

Graphics: 5/10

Yes, the rating might seem quite low, but that’s because the graphics are rather disappointing even with respect to other Sega games.

When compared to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was released the same year, the graphics in Sonic Spinball are rather bland. Sonic himself looks barely better than his Game Gear self – even Sonic the Hedgehog 1 looked better. His color is duller, there are several lags in his movement – especially when doing unusual actions like rowing in a barrel – and his expressions (death, impatience) are unoriginal.

The levels themselves are rather dark and lack details. Be it the Toxic Caves, the plant level, inside the Veg-o Machine or the final level, you will really feel like you are trapped inside a machine from which you can’t escape. Now the “front” part of the level is good, especially in the plant and Veg-o machine levels. You get to see all those pistons moving you around, along with flippers you sometimes have to move around in order to reach higher altitudes. However the backgrounds, especially in the Toxic Caves, are simply dark; Sonic the Hedgehog 1 for Game Gear had more details.

The few enemies you will come across in the machines are also unimaginative. In the Toxic Caves you will see big, er, head-like structures on which you must bounce several times in order to defeat. The second level has those ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING mechanical chicken flying around.

However Robotnik was given a little attention and his various forms. From a giant spider to his duplication into lava-spewing faces, he probably received the most graphical attention in the whole game. You can always recognize his face; you can see him entirely in his final form, where his weather socks will keep you from hitting him. I liked his Veg-o machine; finally you see how he transforms the poor people of Sonic’s world into evil robots.

Another (and the only other one) graphical success can be found in the bonus levels at the end of each zone (accessible anytime? By the number of rings you collect? I can’t remember). You see Sonic’s reflection and his hands holding the flippers where you must destroy certain things in the pinball machine in order to gain more points. THAT didn’t have any lag, which was much appreciated. The pinball ball had a realistic-ish size and the movements were fluid.

Music: 6/10

Although better in comparison than graphics, the music is still sub par with other Sonic games.

One of the main problems is the lack of variety. There are only 4 zones in the game, the bonus round and the boss theme. While the Toxic Caves theme is memorable, the other themes won’t get stuck in your head. The 3^rd level (the Veg-o machine) was much too synthesized, a little like the bonus round in Cool Spot for the Super Nintendo. That being said, the boss theme, while also highly synthesized, did have an enjoyable beat to it.

On their side the sound effects, with respect to the whole game, were actually done well. Other than the annoying chicken in the second level, the sounds were actually realistic. The flippers sound genuine, getting an emerald sounds almost like the one you get in Sonic 3 (getting the final emerald has a different sounds, which I found appropriate) and other sounds just sound appropriate: the “steam” pushing you up in the second level (or the planks you “destroy” to get the emeralds), the rowing sound in your barrel in the Toxic Caves or the cart run where you can get rings.

Addictiveness: 8/10

If you like pinball games then Sonic Spinball is definitely the game for you.

Of course, as with all Sonic games your goal is to defeat Robotnik in order to advance to the next level, but it’s done in quite an original way for the time – even the only Kirby, er, “pool game” I tried wasn’t as enjoyable.

You can’t complete the game by merely flipping your flippers. You will have some walking (and even spin dashing) to do in order to get the several emeralds that will give you access to the boss room – unless, of course, you can find the glitches that make that research futile (find the speedrun to see what I’m talking about). Also, if you want extra points, you can collect many rings; you even get a substantial bonus if you can collect them all (and it IS possible, unlike more Sonic games where you can get them all only if you walk through walls). That will require quite a bit of exploration, and it won’t be easy as levels like the Veg-o machine look the same all over.

Also, thanks to their smooth designs, the bonus levels will hook you even more. Despite their obstacles they are manageable and you can complete them to get more points.

Story: 5/10

It’s not the scenario of the century but there is a thread more visible than most Sonic games before Sonic 2.

Robotnik has once again intruded in Sonic’s world to wreak havoc. This time, he robotized the inhabitants with the dreaded Veg-o Machine and trapped them inside infernal pinball machines. You need to save them!

Depth: 4/10

While the structure of the game is interesting, it unfortunately doesn’t offer much.

As I said above there are only 4 levels, and completing the regular game is actually quite easy. You do need to explore to find the emeralds but the levels are so small that it won’t take you much time to find them.

Difficulty: 6/10

The difficulty level is actually quite balanced.

The Toxic Caves is definitely the easiest ones; should you fall between the flippers (or on either side) you can fall onto something that will save you – that’s actually how you can the first few emeralds. But starting in the second level, and especially in the Veg-o machine, you get at most one chance to avoid instant death. Most of the time, you will fall in the lava/ into the cogs and die.

The bosses are challenging but not impossible, at least before the final zone. That one proved to be quite frustrating; if you fail to hit Robotnik quickly enough he will deploy his weather socks and expel you from the boss room. I’ve never been able to complete the game without savestates so I could have a better control of my movements and finally destroy him.

I think that the largest challenge is the bonus level. Since the playing space is so small there is no room for mistake – you have only 3 tries. And since there are plenty of obstacles bouncing you off you will need to master those flippers very well – you can’t control the ball like you control Sonic during the regular gameplay.