There are ways in which the more things change, the more they stay the same. Friday nights in the 90s were often spent searching for something to watch — picking something from hundreds of titles.
This didn’t happen on a TV screen with Netflix. It meant going into the small town centre with some change and choosing a video from Barry’s.
We had some great rentals from Barry’s throughout the 90s, and in this set of reactions we’re going to look back on a few of them.
Home Alone (1990)
We go back to the 90s and rent the film that has become a Christmas tradition.
Hook (1991)
This one was considered a disappointment back in 1991 — but was that fair?
Jurassic Park (1993)
For many, this was the first time we saw CGI. The film that aimed to make you believe dinosaurs were back.
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
This film dominated at Barry’s. I remember seven copies, and they were all sold out.
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
A film my brother still quotes. Jim Carrey was everywhere in the 1990s, and this was one of his most famous.
Casper (1995)
Always wondered why there were never more of these.
It’s 1995. Another one of our friends is talking games. Gone was Sonic the Comic; this friend and I swapped Computer and Video Games, the monthly magazine covering everything in gaming. I read that thing cover to cover. Demo disks weren’t really a thing yet, so the magazine was our main way of seeing what was coming and getting advice on which games were worth our time and parents money.
On this particular day, the conversation turned to Sonic.
My friend had Sonic & Knuckles, and when you locked on the other Sonic games, you got more Sonic. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested — of course I was — but the gaming landscape was changing, and thanks to that magazine, we both knew it.
Console generation shifts in the 90s and early 00s weren’t small. Today, a new PlayStation or Xbox might make things look a little sharper. Back then, the changes were seismic. We were entering the 3D era.
So, back to Sonic Origins. This was my first proper opportunity to play Sonic 3 & Knuckles — the complete Sonic 3 experience, the lock‑on cartridge my friend had talked about back then. It was also my chance to finally play Sonic CD.
Sonic Reactions
Retro Reaction isn’t really a review thread. It’s more about how replaying these old games made me feel. I’m sure each of these will get their own reaction blog in the future, but to sum it up:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Revisiting this felt like catching up with an old friend. Through muscle memory, the first two zones were easy enough. Labyrinth Zone, though, was a different story. Thankfully, modern save states help. I said I liked old games — never that I was any good at them.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
I found a new appreciation for this one. I finally get what the fuss was about. I was stuck for ages in Chemical Plant where the water rises. Once again, never claimed to be a master at these.
Sonic CD
I liked finally being able to play this. But was it the classic people made it out to be? I found it closer to Sonic 1 than Sonic 2. Definitely one to explore in more detail another time. I did enjoy the boss race against Metal Sonic, though.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
I’d played this before via a DS collection, but it ran a bit slow there. Here, all together in one package, the game is tied with Sonic 2 for me.
Meanwhile, in 1995
In that same magazine, I remember looking over an advert for FIFA that used photos. I wondered aloud: when would graphics get so good you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference?
“That’s easy,” my friend replied. “When the Sega Saturn comes out.”
If you’ve stuck with this set so far, you’ll know about my winding journey to play Sonic games. But that’s only half the story. You see, as a child of the 1990s, Sonic was everywhere. No, the Jim Carrey movie was not the start of Sonic Mania. Far from it.
Back in the 1990s my Nan allowed us one magazine each. My Dad suggested The Tree of Knowledge, and for a few years the monthly encyclopedia was what I got. But it was noticed that these magazines were mostly only skimmed. I wanted Sonic the Comic.
This ran from 1993 to 2002. Though I only followed the earlier years, it adapted stories from the Sonic games — including the elusive Sonic CD. This is how I learned about characters like Tails, Knuckles, and Amy well before ever playing those games.
Well, there and Channel 4. Because much like Super Mario before him (yes, I also loved The Super Mario Super Show), Sonic and Tails were granted their own TV show: The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. I didn’t like it as much as the Mario shows — that whine of “I’m waiting” was a bit much even for a kid — but I still watched it religiously.
I still vividly remember Dr. Robotnik going into hibernation in Sonic the Comic. He was inside a big egg. The story was to be continued in the next issue… only to find that this was all a way for Sonic the Comic to adopt the same Robotnik design as the TV series. Some of the letters to the comic slated that change, but for me it was my first real experience with a cliffhanger in a comic story.
This might all sound like I was a bit obsessed with these games. I thought I was — in only the way a child can be. Then 2022 rolled around. It was announced that the games were returning, rebuilt for modern platforms. In the form of Sonic Origins, I finally got to play those four Mega Drive greats… and Sonic CD, a game I had wanted to get my hands on for some time.
I sidelined whatever big RPG I was playing at the time. Because I could now play some Sonic.
I finally had access to Sonic with enough time to get a bit further. That darn Labyrinth Zone with the bubbles and the time limit.
Speaking of time limits — that’s exactly what I had. This wasn’t my system, and I had a SNES that I played to death (and there’ll be plenty more about that in the coming weeks). So whatever games my brother wanted to play took priority.
I’ve never been a football fan, but when it wasn’t two‑player fighting or wrestling games (loved them), my brother would be playing FIFA. Which meant no matter what Sonic level you were on, if his mates turned up, it was FIFA time.
His Mega Drive did, however, have a copy of the Sonic sequel, Sonic 2, and that one was two‑player. The odd thing is, I’ve played this game since, and today I see it as the amazing game it is.
Back then, Emerald Hill just didn’t seem as good or as iconic as Green Hill Zone. Sonic was faster but didn’t feel as controllable. Maybe I was having Zool flashbacks. In truth, had I spent more time with Sonic 2, I’d probably have appreciated it much earlier.
But… FIFA.
Of course, I’d played my Master System version of Sonic 2 years before — the one with the hand glider. I was also well up on Sonic lore, because in the midst of Sonic mania there was a TV show and a comic. I’ve always been a little bit gaming‑obsessed.
I remember finishing Tanglewood and immediately heading online to state that this 2018 Sega Mega Drive game belongs alongside the greats. I stand by it.
The game from Big Evil Corporation is so well designed, especially with its pixel art. On first glance it would be easy to mistake it for a Sonic clone, or an attempt at another mascot platformer. But that’s not the case. It’s a platform puzzler.
Nymn, a creature that looks a lot like a fox (if I remember rightly it’s set on another planet), has to rescue Fuzzls by rolling them back to their nests much like balls of yarn. Once in the nest, the Fuzzls grant you a temporary power that can be used to solve more puzzles and save more Fuzzls.
There is no real combat in the game. The monsters are all part of the puzzle and can be trapped. The platforming elements share their DNA with those mascot platformers mentioned earlier, but the puzzles are more in line with something like Lemmings.
I find it truly astonishing that a system released over thirty‑five years ago is still capable of providing new games like this. It’s not a high‑score chase, or a platformer based on skill or speed. It is its own experience entirely. It reminded me of everything I loved about the Mega Drive era.
Coded by Matt Phillips in assembly language specifically for the Mega Drive, games like this are why the real gaming era will never die.
Tanglewood is available on most major platforms, Evercade and of course the Mega Drive
This was one of those occasions where I fell for the hype. The games magazines insisted Zool was a Sonic killer, throwing out scores as high as 95%. Launching around the same time as Sonic 2, it gave Amiga fans something to look forward to.
In truth, even back then I wasn’t looking for a Sonic killer—I just wanted a Sonic alternative. Nintendo had Super Mario, Sega had Sonic. What about us Amiga owners? Adult me now knows the Amiga had many other strengths. It’s the machine I credit for introducing me to the skills I use daily, including the ones I’m using to write this very blog.
It’s not like the machine couldn’t do strong arcade gaming either. I remember playing a lot of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat on the system. The only downside, of course, was those floppy disks—changing them every match. There are definitely more reactions to come from this computer system.
But back to Zool. I’m perhaps overly harsh here because my expectations didn’t meet reality. Zool looked good—really good—but five minutes controlling the Ninja from the Nth Dimension made it clear this wasn’t Sonic.
Like Sonic, it was fast-paced. But unlike Sonic, Zool was a nightmare to control. I could never quite see where I needed to jump, so certain death happened far more often than I’d like. It also had one of those collector objectives where you needed to gather a set number of items before moving to the next level.
I played it quite a lot. Then things changed again. I soon switched back to console gaming—this time a SNES. My brother had a new system too: the Sega Mega Drive. And guess what game came with it.
I immediately went into bragging mode down the street. I have a Sega and it’s better than yours. Yes, I was that naïve and that big‑headed as a kid.
But my Sonic looked different to Steve’s. He ran through Green Hill Zone, sure — but the layout was different. And then came the Bridge Zone, not Marble Zone. The music in this game was great too. The Bridge and Jungle Zone themes especially had me humming along without even realising.
Was it perfect? No. But I didn’t care. This was my version of Sonic and it was awesome. And honestly, I still love this Master System version. Long‑time readers will know I have a lot of respect for Sega’s Master System anyway.
This console was so cool that if you started it without a game in the slot, you got Alex Kidd. There’s a reaction for the future.
The reaction from down the street to our Master System, though, was more: “That’s nice… anyway, back to Steve’s.”
Sonic on Master System is one of the few games I’ve actually completed. But this console opened the door to so many games I still play today — Disney’s great platformers like Jungle Book, Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion, and of course more Sonic titles.
Here in the UK, the Master System was actually more popular than the NES.
But time moved on, and eventually it was time for me to plunge into the 16‑bit era. Would this finally mean the Sega Mega Drive? For my brother, yes. My choice, though, was another brand big in the UK. I got myself a Commodore Amiga.
It had its own mascot platformer at the time — and its name was Zool.
Long‑term readers may recall my very biased feelings about this place in Skegness. Butlins is hallowed ground for this family. Butlins can do no wrong.
Yes, the rose tint is real — but that’s coming from a guy who writes more about the past than the present. Today’s version is nothing like the place I loved in the 90s: the monorail, the outdoor pool, and of course the kids’ clubs we all adored.
I’ve witnessed the magic this place holds myself, and I’ve seen that same magic spark in the nephews.
During a performance of Rock Theatre, one nephew had already left, worn out after the day’s activities. Then a message came over the speakers: “We need to pause this show due to technical difficulties.” Common enough, but the kids had seen it — the crack in the Butlins experience. And once you see one crack, you start spotting more. The queue wrapped around the whole shop, and then for swimming, and then the bar. That’s three. The splash fountains not starting on time, half the fairground rides closed. The cracks are there.
Butlins isn’t alone in having them. But unlike, say, the mighty Disney, it’s not quite as good at hiding them. Some of those cracks were more obvious because of the heatwave — an unusual stretch of good weather. Others, I suspect, were down to being understaffed. And you have to wonder if that’s a choice… and if it is, whether it needs a rethink.
But for this year, the kids had a great time. The place remains special, largely untarnished, and I’ll be doing everything I can not to see the cracks. I’m rooting for you, Butlins — even though I know that’s an uphill battle once the kids get older.
The Butlins magic belongs to childhood. There will always be a last dance with the Skyline Gang — we just don’t know when. Don’t look for those cracks, kids. Not yet.
The year is 1991, and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Nintendo are proudly showing off their latest Mario installment — a game already being talked about as one of the greatest of all time. They’re demonstrating how gorgeous it looks, how many colours they can squeeze onto the screen, and how polished their platforming formula has become.
But the real crowd‑puller is over at the Sega stand.
Sega’s blue mascot is front and centre, and this new game has blast processing. It’s everything Mario wasn’t. Mario was slower, deliberate, full of secrets and atmosphere. This thing? It was fast, loud, had a soundtrack that slapped, and — let’s be honest — it was cool.
Sega were right in Nintendo’s face, practically shouting: “Have a load of that!” As Street Fighter once declared: Here comes a new challenger.
Fast‑forward to nineteen‑ninety‑something and my mate Steve has a new games system. A system with blast processing. For what feels like forever, Steve becomes the most popular kid down our row.
When it finally cycled round to my turn, I could just about finish Green Hill Zone. But Marble Zone? Instant kills everywhere. I longed to see what was waiting on that next level.
I could go on here about what’s widely regarded as one of the best games ever made — but it’s all been said before. What I will admit is that my brother and I pestered and pestered until we finally got ourselves a Sega.
We were successful… with a small caveat.
We opened our Sega, and yes, it had Sonic. But it wasn’t the Sega Mega Drive we thought we were getting. It was a Sega Master System.
Last month Sega’s mascot turned 35 years old, which is the sort of milestone that instantly makes you feel ancient. Thinking back to the Sonic games of the 1990s, there isn’t much I can add that hasn’t already been said. So… we won’t. And we will.
For this next Reaction set, I’m talking you through my Sonic journey. As a fan of mascot platformers in the 90s, this was the start of a long-running obsession — and my route to Sonic was about as straightforward as one of those time‑travel stages on Sonic CD.
Here’s what’s coming up.
Sonic The Hedgehog at a mate’s house
It’s the early 1990s and a friend down the road has a Mega Drive — plus a game unlike anything my Master System or Amiga had ever seen. This was my first glimpse of Sega’s flagship speedster.
We have Sonic at home
Eventually we get a Sega… but it’s a Sega Master System. The good news: it comes with Sonic. The 8‑bit Sonic. Sounds like a downgrade? My reaction might not be what you expect.
We have Sonic at home
By this point I’m more of a “computer guy”, so my Sonic substitute arrives on floppy disks. It’s supposed to match Sega’s mascot beat‑for‑beat, but the fast‑paced action comes with loading screens.
Sonic on my brother’s Mega Drive
My brother gets a Mega Drive, which means I finally get proper access to Sonic — and, for the first time, the sequel.
Sonic Overload
From Sonic the Comic and the TV series to swapping issues of Computer and Video Games magazine, the Sonic universe expands fast. There are still Sonic games we haven’t even played yet.
Sonic Origins
Finally, as an adult, I played through the Sonic Origins collection on modern hardware. Does it deliver the Retro Reaction you’d expect?
