Sonic ERaZor 7

Link: https://shc.zone/entries/contest2024/1012

This is one of the best entries in the contest AND is undoubtedly the one that feels the most well presented an polished, with only Sonic 1 South Island Expedition (formerly Definitive) coming in second place. Initially I wasn’t quite sure what could possibly be added to Sonic ERaZor, but having played it, I am extremely glad it was updated.

The biggest change of this version VS any previous ones is the Casual/Frantic game mode split, which I found quite a good idea in general.

I played Frantic my first time. I believed that as a person who enjoys hard games and as someone who has played the previous versions, that was the best choice. Bear in mind that my experience will be colored by that fact. Going hard mode first also provided a nice enjoyable difficulty spike — by the time all levels (including the secrets) were done, I was sitting at 115 deaths total.

If you’re for some reason reading this before playing the game, this is your sign to go and check it out, as the review below will contain spoilers.

Let’s go stage by stage here, as the game warrants it with its gameplay narrative of every level being slightly different.

Tutorial Place + Uberhub + Options

I am of the perhaps unpopular opinion that hubs generally add a LOT to the game. Presentation matters, and hubs make progression feel all that much more special. Having a “home base” of sorts and seeing it develop as you complete the game feels great, and I think this hub is wonderfully done! It’s simple and to the point, yet packs enough secrets to make it worth exploring.

The tutorial is nice, understandable and easy to follow (as it always was), and the options menu is also good.

One thing I’ll particularly commend is the inclusion of a mode that reduces screen flashes. I’m glad this idea is starting to pick up!

Night Hill Place / Green Hill Place

Night Hill is the intro stage of the game, and perhaps the simplest and the weakest. Still, I think the waterfall platforming challenge here is a nice and gradual way to show how the game works.

I’m not a fan of the crab boss. It’s one of the two bosses that fall into the trap of “oh no, it’s just bullets flying everywhere for no reason”. It just pushes you to tank the hits you take. You could try to avoid the bullets perfectly, but there’s no real fun in that. Thankfully, most other bosses are much better.

After you defeat the crab, you get… The best moment. Of the game.

Picture this.

The crab pushes you back, and you realize you’re back in Green Hill. You think the red is just a stylistic choice, and continue playing as normal.

Wow, this game is so “cinematic” with its black bars, you think. Though it seems like the bars are a little big, aren’t they?

Wait. Oh shit.

Oh shit!

And now your heart is racing as you try your best to outrun certain death as your vision is crushed into a mere pinhole. This is wonderful. Just like DalekSam’s now-classic music playing its triumphant reprise.

The boss is quite good as well. It’s once again a variation of the wrecking ball, but it’s quite well done.

Except for the bottomless pit right after.

Special Place / Unreal Place

Even though these are separated by two levels in game, I’ll concatenate their sections into one as I don’t have much to say on them separately.

They’re not as energetic as the main game, but serve as a nice break. A little long, but it’s easy to get in the zone and relax while maneuvering around the blocks (and sometimes losing some of your progress).

That said, I feel like in Special Place specifically there is one too few checkpoints to be found. Definitely seems like the last section is a bit too long in proportion.

Ruined Place

The first level that really took a LONG time to complete on Frantic mode. This level has this dynamic of the first half being essentially a mission to grab as many rings as possible, and then the second section mercilessly drains all of them as you try not to hit spikes.

Or floors!

I died quite a lot here, needless to say. It’s definitely one of the three biggest challenges of the game, and quite early on.

The way it is designed does paint it into a corner in terms of checkpoints. You kind of can not separate it in half as then that dynamic is completely lost, but then the run up to the section where you died gets abnormally long. Oh well.

Labyrinthy Place

It’s alright. And home of some great gags in quick succession (the “=P” monitor and the meme you see once you break the Robotnik monitor in that one spot :V)

I feel like one thing was lost in terms of communication, though.

During the level, you can hear regular rhythmic noises. I’ve heard similar noises in Sandopolis, and I assumed it was a door closing somewhere ahead. Then I finished the first water section and was faced by a pole-looking door. I then assumed it was too late and jumped into the pit to try again.

It took me a few tries to realize that this door is broken with a jump dash, something that’s not done anywhere else in the game.

Probably could be fixed by introducing one such pole near the start of the level to make you learn how to break it.

Scar Night Place / Star Agony Place

The first part is nice and relaxing, even if it is kind of a nothing burger in the grand scheme of things. The bomb boss is also the second boss of the game I’d consider outright badly designed. I never actually managed to figure out how the fans and bullets interact, so on my end this was just a bunch of bullets going in completely random directions with no rhyme or reason.

Didn’t feel bad facetanking it either, just like the crab.

The following section I enjoyed quite a lot, and it’s one of the three that really challenge you. That said, a few more notes here:

• It took me a while to understand the controls. And even now, I have no idea what the chain clanking sound even means. Is it to signify Sonic can’t move anymore? Is it some sort of charge?
• The new move, while a new addition, has an extremely nasty interaction with the respawn mechanism. It will launch you into walls straight after you respawn, and you will sometimes lose double or triple rings per death. I also actually timed out at one point here! All part of the fun, of course.

Finalor Place

Finalor is weird. It’s awesome, and it’s also home to odd missteps:

• The run up to the boss is extremely long, and for a game that prides itself on instant respawns, it’s oddly present on every restart of the boss;
• The last hit of the boss, unlike the others, repels you extremely far, leaving you with no control on whether you’ll land into a projectile or not.

Selbi has stated that the whole level was supposed to be a middle finger to the player, but it’s too fun to be a middle finger. Its shortcomings, therefore, just come across as baffling omissions instead. Like, at this point. Come on. Just do the one extra step and make it into a level that can be wholeheartedly labeled as well designed.

That said, overall I think the level is quite good, and the escape sequence is brilliant. I got chills when I realized the escape sequence brings you back to the tutorial — a great book-end to the hack!

And as I said. I loved it when the Big Sonic 1 Capsule exploded into a Suspiciously MarkeyJester Shaped rocket.

Uberhub’s End

This is the new level you unlock once you finish the game in Frantic mode.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere here and how disorienting it all was. (I did in fact accidentally go back to the very start at some point)

It wasn’t that difficult, it was just. Menacing. Great stuff.

Unlockables and Secrets

Beating all of the levels lends you some nice unlockables. Like, seriously. Who could forget the piss filter?

There are quite a lot of secrets as well, even some that are gated behind these unlockables. In particular, I’m really glad the source code was released.

I haven’t played through the game in True-BS mode, though. Maybe one day? Place Place Place?

Trophies awarded

• Professor Pickle Trophy - Most Entertaining
  • I enjoyed this a lot!
• Silver Trophy - Most Improved
  • Last time this entry participated in a Hacking Contest was back in 2012, and it sure shows.
• Eosian Sphere Trophy - Best New Level Object or Gimmick
  • Black bars! Closing in on you!
• Tails Trophy - 2nd Place