Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos is a 1993 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower in their quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, who has stolen them to construct nuclear weapons. Gameplay involves running through stages, collecting rings, and defeating enemies. It is largely based on the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is thus considered a follow-up to that game. Chaos is the first Sonic game for the Master System and Game Gear to feature Tails as a separate playable character with his own unique abilities.
Developed by Japanese studio Aspect, Chaos is the first original Sonic game made for a handheld, instead of a port or remake of an existing game. Aspect used the knowledge gained from its work on previous Sonic games while designing Chaos to make it more expansive and faster than its predecessors. Chaos received a generally positive reception initially, with its levels and gameplay being praised; however, in retrospect it has gained a more average response for its unimpressive presentation and lackluster level design, alongside its slow framerate. A direct sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble, was released in 1994.
Gameplay
thumb|left|Sonic in the game's final level, Electric Egg Zone
In Sonic Chaos, players control one of two characters—Sonic the Hedgehog or his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower—and must complete each of the game's six worlds in a quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from the evil scientist Dr. Robotnik, who plots to use them to rule the world. Each world, referred to as "zones" in-game, is made up of three levels, called "acts", the third one consisting of a boss fight against one of Robotnik's henchbots, or Robotnik himself in the final zone. Chaos is largely based on the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is thus considered a follow-up or successor to that game. Aspect used the experience it received for its work on previous Sonic games while designing Chaos to make it more expansive and faster than its predecessors, in addition to improving the quality of the visuals. Chaos is both the first portable Sonic game and the first to feature Tails as a separate playable character with his own unique abilities. In Japan, it was titled Sonic & Tails. In 2009, the 60 Hz Brazilian release was digitally released for the Virtual Console on the Wii in North America and Japan. Sonic Chaos is also included in the blue-colored model of the Game Gear Micro in 2020, alongside Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tale, and Baku Baku Animal. It was also released along with the other 11 Game Gear Sonic games on Sonic Origins Plus in 2023.
Reception and legacy
In the United States, it was the top-selling Game Gear game in January 1994.
Sonic Chaos initially received a positive response from publications. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly commented that the Game Gear version retains all the elements that made the 16-bit Sonic games fun to play. They also praised the graphics and the ability to play as Tails. Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A− and wrote that the game may be enjoyable for younger children.
In later years, Chaos was met with a more average reception. Nintendo Life criticized the Master System version for being a generally uninspired game, criticizing its difficulty for being too easy and its level designs for being bland and mediocre.
A fan-made remake of Sonic Chaos was announced in 2018, and a demo was released in August 2018. It features 16-bit era-styled graphics, as well as new game mechanics and boss fights. VG247 described the project as "incredibly well produced" and wrote it could "pass for the next project from Sega after Sonic Mania."