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Retro Reaction 3.0: 90s in Film
Barry’s Video ShopThere 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.
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Retro Reaction 2.6 Sonic Origins
Computer and Video Games, 1995It’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 1995In 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.”
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
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Retro Reaction 2.5 Sonic Obsession
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.
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Retro Reaction 2.4 My brother gets 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.
More on those next time.
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Retro Reaction 2.3 There is no Sonic only Zool
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.
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Retro Reaction 2.2 – We Have Sonic at Home
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.
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Retro Reaction 2.1 Sonic at Steve’s House
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.
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Retro Reaction 2.0 My Sonic Journey
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? -
Atari Set 1.6 Cybermorph (Jaguar)
Get ready to hear the words “Where did you learn to fly” a lot. This was a showcase game for the Atari Jaguar — Atari’s last console. It’s a 3D flying game about collecting things and shooting things. The issue is… Nintendo had already released Starfox on the, at that point, much older SNES.
Nintendo had cheated slightly by including the FX chip in the cartridge to keep the SNES competitive with Sega’s add‑ons. This, I think, proved to be the best strategy. So at the time, Cybermorph, with its flat 3D shapes, didn’t really impress. Its lack of soundtrack didn’t help either.
Playing today on the Atari 50 Collection, I find I’m playing a relic I should like. The formula that goes all the way back to the 2600 is there — it’s present. It is, after all, a space shooter. But that’s the issue: I wanted to like it. Of the Jaguar games I’ve played, I think Tempest 2000 is probably the better example.
We’re now at the point where the PSX is around the corner. The writing was on the wall for Atari. But going full circle on our retro revivals… Atari is not dead. You can go to Amazon right now and buy a 2600, and the games are available in multiple formats.
But for now, Reaction leaves Atari at the Jaguar. I’ll catch you in the next one.
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Atari Set 1.5 Tempest 2000 (Atari Jaguar)
We’re jumping forward this time for Atari. The year is 1994, and Atari are trying to re‑enter the console market with the Atari Jaguar. This console was marketed as 64‑bit, though that would be disputed — it used two 32‑bit processors. Its controller also let it down. Atari had chosen a telephone‑keypad‑like thing, something I think must have been inspired by the 2600’s old rival, the Intellivision.
I’ve only ever seen one Atari Jaguar up close — at a market when I was a teenager. I didn’t have the cash to get one, and to be honest, by the mid‑1990s the Atari name had been out of the console limelight for a good few years.
The market at this time was the latter end of the 16‑bit generation. We were only a year away from Sony entering the gaming landscape and changing things forever.
This all brings me to Tempest 2000, arguably one of the only must‑have titles on the Atari Jaguar. Much like the 2600’s best, it went back to what Atari did well: a high‑score chase.
You just blast the baddies before they reach the top of the 3D shape. At its core, the gameplay is close to the 1981 original — but now with 3D visuals and CD‑quality sound.
It’s worth bearing in mind that arcades were still going strong at this point. The PSX hadn’t arrived yet with its catalogue of near‑arcade‑perfect ports, and the high‑score chase was still very much a thing.
It’s worth a play now, but the easiest way is through the Atari 50 Collection. Jaguars today can be expensive, and I’ve rarely spotted one in the wild.
