Line #6 VideoGame/SonicDrift


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6	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sonicdrift01.jpg]]
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8	->''"Why the hell am I in a car?"''
9	-->--'''Sonic''''s thoughts on ''Drift'' in ''WebAnimation/SonicShorts'', Vol. 2
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11	The ''Sonic Drift'' duology is a series of SpinOff drift-racing games released for the Creator/{{Sega}} UsefulNotes/GameGear, starring [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog true blue and company.]]
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13	The first entry, released in 1994, was a ''very'' basic kart racer, with four playable stars: Sonic, Tails, Amy (the first time she was ever playable) and Dr. Eggman (also the first time he was ever playable). Rings could be collected to activate each character's special attack (speed boost, jump, ect.). Gameplay wise, it is more or less Sega's answer to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'' (with a bit of ''VideoGame/PolePosition'' thrown into the mix) -- it even has a map on the screen a la the original outing (but inexplicably put on the top of it rather than the bottom). Prior to being ported to ''[[CompilationRerelease Sonic Mega Collection Plus]]'' and ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure DX'', this game [[NoExportForYou never saw the light of day in the U.S. or Europe]].
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15	However, the following year it did receive a follow-up, the aptly named ''Sonic Drift 2'', which did make it overseas ([[SequelFirst and curiously retained the numeral in the U.S.]]). This game expanded upon the original by adding more playable characters, tracks, course variety, and smarter A.I. ([[RubberBandAI perhaps too smart]]).
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17	A FanRemake helmed by the man behind the ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble16Bit Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit]]'' remake, Noah Copeland, is [[https://gamejolt.com/games/sonicdrift16bit/859428 currently in development]], reimagining ''Drift'' and ''Drift 2'' in the same vein as his previous effort.
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19	!!Tropes:
20	* AstralFinale: The last two tracks of the Blue GP, Milky Way and Death Egg, are set in outer space; with the latter having the players racing on the surface of the Death Egg itself.
21	* BalancePowerSkillGimmick:
22	** Tails was the Balance character, having neither weaknesses nor strengths; Sonic was the Power, having good speed but poor handling; Amy was the Skill, having good acceleration but poor speed; and Eggman was the Gimmick, having poor acceleration but good speed. In ''Drift 2'', Knuckles became a variant Balance, with average stats and both attack and dodge abilities; Fang the Sniper and Metal Sonic are both variant Power characters; Fang's vehicle has nearly identical stats to Sonic (but with his Oil Ball attack replacing Sonic's boost), while Metal Sonic [[MinMaxing takes Sonic's strengths and weaknesses to even further extremes]].
23	** For their {{Special A\|ttack}}bilities, however, the lineup changed subtly. Tails's Jump imitates the spring item, allowing him to avoid obstacles and protect him from disruption, keeping the Balance spot; Sonic uses the Dash, which takes his high speed and lets him go even faster, keeping the Power slot; Eggman uses Mines that deal CollisionDamage and cost the opponent rings, which makes him the Skill character; Amy's Heart Attack [[InterfaceScrew disrupts their controls and slows them down]], an effect unique to her in the first game, making her the Gimmick.
24	* BigStormEpisode: ''Drift 2'' has Rainy Savannah, which serves as the second track of the White GP. Thanks to its theme -- being a huge African grassy plain -- it also overlaps with JungleJapes.
25	* ButtMonkey: The first game has alternate endings for each character. Sonic becomes this in all endings except his own, where he is either mocked by Robotnik (and [[SoreLoser promptly chases him in a fit of rage]]), mildly annoyed that Tails won, or forced to back off Amy's request for love.
26	* CasinoPark: ''Drift 2'' has Casino Night, which serves as the fourth track of the Purple GP.
27	* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Speedup monitors are red, Invincibility monitors are blue. The sequel adds a Jump monitor (yellow) and a throwable mine trap (black).
28	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: Along with the RubberBandAI, the computer racers in the second game have unlimited powerups, and abuse it to high heaven. Sonic and Metal Sonic in particular are pretty much in perpetual boost mode, which is a big problem [[MinMaxing given how powerful the latter's is]].
29	* CoolBike: Unlike most of the other racers who use karts, Fang uses the Marvellous Queen: his speedy hoverbike from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble'' that often [[CallBack featured in his boss battles]].
30	* CoolCar: As you'd expect from a MascotRacer, pretty much everyone (barring the aforementioned Fang, [[CoolBike who instead uses his hoverbike]]) gets one to use, here. Special mention goes to Sonic's Cyclone (a sleek sports car with a look based on his trademark red and white sneakers), Tails' Whirlwind S7 (a self-built kit car based on the real-life [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_7 Caterham Seven]]), Knuckles' Tempest (a 4WD off-road truck resembling a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys_MB Willys Jeep]]) and Metal Sonic's Blue Devil (an aerodynamic rocket-propelled car).
31	* DeathMountain: ''Drift 2'' has Dark Valley, which serves as the third track of the Purple GP and first track of the Blue GP. Falling off the edge of the track results in a claw having to put your car back on it.
32	* EternalEngine: The original game has Scrap Brain Zone, which serves as the sixth and final track of all three [=GPs=]. ''Drift 2'' has Iron Ruin, which serves as the sixth and final track of the Purple GP, and Death Egg, which serves as the sixth and final track of the Blue GP.
33	* GimmickLevel: Emerald Ocean in ''Drift 2''. The whole track is over the sea, so you need to keep your speed over 40% to avoid falling in. Uniquely, you get directly dropped down onto the water with a robot arm to do a rolling start at the beginning, which is something none of the other tracks have.
34	* GirlsHaveCooties: Amy's SpecialAttack is to blow a heart-shaped kiss at someone, which slows them down and alters their controls if they touch it.
35	* [[GoKartingWithBowser Go-Karting with Eggman]]: Dr. Robotnik holds no qualms about participating in a racing tournament with Sonic and friends, and neither do Metal Sonic and Fang.
36	* GreenHillZone: The original Green Hill Zone, no less, appears as the first track in all three GP's of the first game (only differing in layout). ''Drift 2'' has Emerald Hill Zone, which appears as the first track of the Purple GP, and the sixth and final track of the White GP.
37	* InconsistentSpelling: Knuckles is referred to by his correct name in the supplementary materials for the second game, but is misspelled as "Knucles" in-game due to letter limitations; much like him having to be referred to as "K.T.E." in the life indicator for ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''. Similarly, Metal Sonic's name is shortened to "M. Sonic".
38	* InterfaceScrew:
39	** The R Ball in ''Drift 2'' reverses the controls for a couple seconds.
40	** One course (Balloon Panic) replaces the monitors with balloons that cause an entirely different set of effects, some of which are harmful.
41	* JungleJapes: Rainy Savannah in ''Drift 2'' combines this with BigStormEpisode, being a wide-open African plain that's periodically lit up with lightning flashes and has rain puddles that can make you skid out.
42	* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The [[KillSat Death Egg]]'s appearance in the Milky Way track of ''Drift 2''. [[spoiler:Guess where the following track takes place?]]
43	* MythologyGag: Tails drives a self-built kit car based on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_7 Caterham Seven]] in both games. It is something of a canon trait that Tails has a preference for the brand, as he appeared with one in a secret illustration in ''Sonic CD'' and owned one in a prior obscure manga.
44	* NostalgiaLevel: The tracks in ''Drift 1'' are all set in levels from ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 Sonic 1]]''. Likewise, many tracks in ''Drift 2'' are from the sequels: including [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Emerald Hill, Casino Night, Hill Top and Mystic Cave]], and [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Ice Cap and Death Egg]]. In a more indirect fashion, Iron Ruin is stated to be what's left of the old [[EternalEngine Scrap Brain Zone]] from the first game: some time after Eggman abandoned the complex and left it to rot following his retreat at the end.
45	* OilSlick: Fang's special move in ''Drift 2'' is to toss oil balls that cause enemy racers to skid out upon contact.
46	* ProjectileKiss: This is Amy's special move, which slows enemy racers down and reverses their controls.
47	* RecurringRiff: [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD "Sonic — You Can Do Anything"]] is the invincibility theme in ''Drift 1''. ''Drift 2'' uses the ''VideoGame/{{Sonic 3\|andKnuckles}}'' invincibility theme instead.
48	* PromotedToPlayable: ''Drift 2'' was the first game where you could play as the entire RoguesGallery of the ''Sonic'' series at the time. Most notably Eggman and Metal Sonic, but also Fang the Hunter; whose other playable appearance wouldn't be until ''VideoGame/SonicTheFighters'' the following year.
49	* RubberBandAI: Abused constantly by the sequel, and it isn't subtle either since you can tell from a glance at the map when 2nd place magically accelerates. Winning a race frequently comes down to [[LuckBasedMission dumb luck]].
50	* SentientVehicle: Amy's car, the Breeze, has eyes and is described as having a mind of its own. It looks like something out of classic western animation.
51	* ShiftingSandLand: ''Drift 2'' has Desert Road, which serves as the fifth track of the Purple GP, and the first track of the White GP. The former requires you to race three laps, while the latter is a linear course.
52	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: ''Drift 2'' has Ice Cap, which serves as the third track of the White GP.
53	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: In both games, Amy is the only female racer.
54	* SoreLoser: In both games, the poor sap in fourth place in the overall standings will be very displeased about it, with their reactions ranging from looking despondent (Tails, Amy) or irritated (Sonic, Fang) to furious (Knuckles, Eggman) and outright breaking down in a cloud of steam (Metal Sonic). Whoever finishes in second and third on the flags/podium won't be much happier, either; especially in the first game.
55	* SuddenNameChange: The game itself had no alterations in localization, which led a few Western fans at the time to wonder why [[DubNameChange Robotnik and Nack]] were suddenly called Eggman and Fang. Slightly averted in that [[AllThereInTheManual the English manual]] explains that [[HandWave Dr. Robotnik goes under "The Eggman" as his race title]].
56	* ThemeNaming: Like Sonic's plane, the Tornado, the character cars are nearly all named after types of weather, mostly windstorms. Sonic's car is the Cyclone, Tails's is the MTP-01 Whirlwind (the MTP-02 Whirlwind S7 in ''Drift 2''), Eggman's modified Eggmobile is called the Egg Typhoon, and Amy's car is the Breeze. In ''Drift 2'', Knuckles's vehicle extends the theme with its name, Tempest, but Fang and Metal Sonic break the theme with their vehicles, the Marvellous Queen and Blue Devil.
57	* TrueFinalBoss: Finishing in first place on every race on the Blue GP in ''Drift 2'' pits your character in a one-on-one final race on the Death Egg, against the "leader" of the opposing alignment. If you're playing as one of the four heroes (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Amy), you face Eggman. If you're one of the three villains (Eggman, Fang or Metal Sonic), you instead go up against Sonic. For this race only, the usual background music is replaced by a remix of the boss theme from ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''.
58	* UndergroundLevel: ''Drift 2'' has Mystic Cave and Quake Cave, which are both long, winding courses set entirely in underground tunnels riddled with stalagmites on the track. Mystic Cave serves as the fifth track of the White GP, while Quake Cave serves as the second track of the Blue GP.

Context VideoGame / SonicDrift