The argument over what is more important – gameplay or graphics – is always one that has baffled me. The games that stay with us for life, alongside the current demand for remastered titles, should be all the evidence we need to know that gameplay wins every time. If graphics were truly more important, then every game on PS4 would be better than anything from PlayStation's first three consoles. That just isn't the case.
This is why almost 30 years later, the original Sonic the Hedgehog games on Sega Genesis are still my favorite of all time. The levels, the music, the bosses – it all harmonized perfectly. It's a controversial opinion that I am well-aware is rooted in the fact I grew up on Sonic, but for me, those games were far superior to the Mario equivalents on the Super Nintendo at the time. Even though I am still a loyal member of Camp Sonic, credit to the plumber for outdoing the hedgehog in almost every arena since then.
OG Sonic Is Undefeated
Thinking back to those original Sonic games, I could still reel off most of the level names, hum the tunes from those levels, and play through them right now as if it was 1993 all over again. However, just because my memories of those early Sonic games are fond ones doesn't mean every part of them filled me with joy. On the contrary, arriving on certain levels still fills me with dread to this day. Despite many candidates, there is no stage I've feared more – as a five-year-old or as a 30-year-old – than Sonic the Hedgehog's Labyrinth Zone.
For those unfamiliar with the nightmare-inducing level, its players are tasked with guiding Sonic through a myriad of tunnels, as the zone's name implies. However, many of those tunnels are submerged underwater. Herein lies the main issue and what scared me so much as a child. Unlike most characters in early games featuring underwater levels, Sonic was unable to hold his breath indefinitely. Spend too much time beneath the surface and time would eventually run out.
That Damn Countdown
The worst part about that element was the countdown timer. When Sonic would reach his final five seconds of oxygen, ominous music would begin to play and become increasingly panicked with every passing moment. It was bad enough that I would desperately be trying to find the next tunnel in which Sonic could break the surface, or another big bubble to tide him over. Add the music into the mix and another life had already been lost. I still wake up in a cold sweat from time to time with the image of a drowned Sonic dropping out of the bottom of my screen.
To anyone who has never played Sonic the Hedgehog or its Labyrinth Zone – this probably all sounds horrible. However, it's one of the many reasons why the original Sonic games were so popular and have stood the test of time. Most developers can create a game that invokes joy in its players. It takes something more, however, to make players feel an array of emotions. Even more so 30 years ago when developers had a lot less to work with. I might have been a child at the time (and hated Sega for it), but in hindsight, I appreciate the effort put into levels like Labyrinth Zone and realize it's why I still play those games today.