SONIC 3D: FLICKIES’ ISLAND

MEGA DRIVE/SATURN, 1996

Sonic’s Mega Drive swansong was an isometric platformer developed by Traveller’s Tales that employed pre-rendered CGI sprites – a style that had been popularised by Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Country a couple of years prior. Sonic was tasked with rescuing Flickies and leading them to various exits, a gameplay mechanic borrowed from Sega’s 1984 arcade release Flicky. The Saturn release was a late replacement for the cancelled Sonic X-treme and sports improved visuals as well as a brand-new polygonal special stage designed by Sonic Team.