| Tails' Skypatrol | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers |
|
| Publisher | Sega |
| Composer | Chikayo Fukuda |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Platform | Game Gear |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Scrolling shooter |
Tails' Skypatrol[a] is a 1995 horizontallyscrolling shootervideo game developed by Japan System House and published bySega for theGame Gear. It is a spin-off of theSonic the Hedgehog franchise, and one of two Game Gear games to star Sonic's sidekickTails. The player controls the titular character in his quest to stop the evil witch Witchcart before she conquers an island and turns its inhabitants into crystals. Gameplay involves shooting enemies, collecting power-ups, and defeating bosses.
Skypatrol was developed by Japan System House with assistance fromSIMS, a part-owned subsidiary of Sega at the time. It was in development as an educational game for a cancelled handheld system, before being moved to the Game Gear. It did not feature theSonic branding until it was presented to Sega, which requested the main character be replaced with Tails.Skypatrol received mixed reviews, with critics focusing specifically on its high difficulty and poor controls. It has been re-released throughSonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003),Sonic Gems Collection (2005), andSonic Origins Plus (2023).
Tails' Skypatrol is ahorizontal-scrolling shooter set within theSonic the Hedgehog universe. Its plot involves Sonic's sidekick,Miles "Tails" Prower, traveling to a tropical island to stop the villainous Witchcart, who has turned its inhabitants into crystals.[1] Tails flies by spinning his two tails,[2] is always flying, and can be maneuvered up and down to avoid obstacles and left and right to slow down or speed up. Collecting mint candies replenishes Tails' constantly-depleting flight meter. If Tails is hit by an enemy, he falls toward the ground and the player must recover. Touching a level's environment will cost the player a life.[1] Tails' uses a gold ring as a weapon that can be thrown to defeat enemies, bypass traps, and retrieve items.[3]
There are five scrolling levels to traverse, which vary in difficulty and take place in locations such as forests and castles.[1] Levels conclude with a boss fight against one of Witchcart's henchmen. The player has unlimited continues and will begin at the start of that particular stage after losing all of their lives.[1]
Tails' Skypatrol was developed by Japan System House (JSH), a company known for its work on 8-bit conversions ofSega games throughout the early 1990s, with assistance from part-owned Sega subsidiarySIMS.[1] JSH initially developed the game not as part of theSonic the Hedgehog franchise. The game was originally intended as a launch title for an unreleased handheld console, which used original characters and had a more educational focus. When the system was cancelled, the company chose to remake the game for theGame Gear, a handheld that posed similar hardware specifications and the same screen resolution. Upon completion, it was presented to Sega, which requested that the main character be replaced with Tails.[1] Along withTails Adventure, it is one of twoSonic the Hedgehog games on the Game Gear to star Tails.[4]
Tails' Skypatrol was released in Japan on April 28, 1995.[5] It is included as an unlockable extra inSonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003), alongside eleven otherSonic Game Gear games, which also marks the game's first release outside Japan.[6][7] The 2005 compilationSonic Gems Collection includesTails' Skypatrol and several otherSonic and Sega games.[8] It was also part of the 2023 compilationSonic Origins Plus.[9]
Japan System House, who had by then renamed themselves Biox, later sought to port the game toGame Boy Color while replacing allSonic elements with original characters. While the port was completed, under the nameBoon Boon Kabun, it was ultimately cancelled due to unspecified contractual reasons.[10]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Famitsu | 5/10, 6/10, 6/10, 5/10[11][12] |
| Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) | 6.5/10[13] |
Tails' Skypatrol received largely unfavorable reviews. Upon release, a reviewer forSega Saturn Magazine found it to be among the weakest entries in theSonic series, particularly for its poor controls and harsh difficulty. However, they commented that its drastically-different gameplay made it a unique and interesting game on its own.[13] In reviewing the game's inclusion inSonic Gems Collection, Louis Bedigian stated thatTails' Skypatrol is "the most interesting of these [included Game Gear games], as it’s entirely airborne with Tails collecting rings and solving simple puzzles."[14]1Up.com's Jeremy Parish called the game andTails Adventure "garbage that I wouldn't even want to play on Game Gear, let alone onGameCube."[15]
Retrospectively,Tails' Skypatrol reception has been similar.USgamer rankedTails' Skypatrol 26th of 28 Sonic the Hedgehog series games, above only the 2006 video gameSonic the Hedgehog and 2005'sShadow the Hedgehog. Reviewer Nadia Oxford called the game "adorable", but difficult to control with the large sprites used in the game, similar to other titles for the Game Gear. The editor ofUSgamer, in the same list, called the game "a pretty obvious cash-in on the brand".[7] Writing forRetro Gamer, Kim Wild stated that the game's awkward controls and camera angle made playing the game frustrating.[16] Jim McGrath ofHardcore Gaming 101 was more positive about the game. He gave credence to the game's high difficulty because of the nature of Tails'hitbox and poor teaching in the "training" level, but also stated "there's something to enjoy" for players who get used to the game. Chungus had praise for the game's graphics and sound, but was critical of the game's short length and repetitiveboss fights. He called the game as a whole "a decent romp that’s worth checking out for fans of Tails and the curious".[1]
