Tails Adventure

Tails Adventure, known in Japan as Tails Adventures (Japanese: テイルスアドベンチャー Teirusu Adobenchā) is a videogame developed by Aspect and distributed by Sega in 1995 for the videogame console Sega Game Gear. It is the first spin-off game of the Sonic series to mix platforming and role-playing game elements. It was the second and last game in which Tails is without Sonic, although it is the first that was not only released in Japan. The game does not follow the plotline of other games in the Sonic series, and the game's plot is different in the Japanese and Western versions of the game. It is a prequel to the series starred by Tails in the Japanese version. Basically, Tails must save an island from a threat, getting objects and Chaos Emeralds that he obtains during his passage. It has since been rereleased on Sonic Gems Collection.

Storyline (Japanese)
In the southern Pacific, there exists a tiny island that cannot be found on any map: Cocoa Island, a beautiful little paradise that rests atop a coral reef. It's said that the legendary Chaos Emeralds rest here... And so did the hero of our story, once upon a time before he met his speedy blue idol. The following events take place prior to Tails' first encounter with Sonic:

It's a sunny afternoon on Cocoa Island, and Miles "Tails" Prower is taking a nap just outside his research lab, Tails House. His slumber is interrupted by a huge explosion, and before Tails can say "stop, drop, and roll" the whole place is ablaze. A frantic Flicky reports the bad news to a confused Tails: the imperial Battle Kukku Army has invaded Cocoa Island. The dictator Great Battle Kukku 15th has discovered the Chaos Emeralds on the island, and intends to use them to conquer the entire world. Tails is the only one who can put a stop to the imperial army.

Storyline (Western)
Sonic and Tails are the best of friends but after their last adventure the two decide to go separate ways for a while. Tails comes across an island while going solo and decides to spend a holiday there for a while, dubbing the island "Tails Island".

He is resting peacefully when he is awoken by a large explosion. A Flicky reports to Tails that an army of birds has invaded the island.

Gameplay
Contrary to the classic speedy gameplay in the Sonic series, Tails Adventures is a puzzle-based platformer with a strong emphasis on item collecting and backtracking, like a side-scrolling action RPG. Some even say the gameplay resembles that of Metroid, among other aspects as well.

Tails can walk, jump, duck, look up, fly, hang on ledges, and throw all manner of bombs. His health is measured numerically by a Ring Item Box at the top left corner of the screen. HP is replenished by collecting Rings, which can be found by blowing up rocks or defeating enemies. He starts with 10 HP, but that number maxes out at 99 when all six Chaos Emeralds have been collected. His air time is limited by the flight gauge, which starts at about 3 seconds and maxes out at about 15.

In total there are 12 stages to complete. There are 26 items to collect over the course of the game. Each one serves a different purpose, but Tails can only bring 4 items with him into any stage. Knowing which ones to bring along is a matter of tactic.

Essential to complete the game in most parts however is the Remote Robot. (AKA Mecha Tails in Japan) The Remote Robot is a tiny, all-terrain robot modeled on Tails who can squeeze into a lot of places Tails himself can't. When using Remote Robot, Tails stands in place while player control is switched to the vehicle. The Remote Robot can walk, jump, fly, and squeeze into tiny places, but if it takes damage from an enemy or a blue laser, it will automatically return to Tails. Nearly all of the game's puzzles involve maneuvering the robot to open the path for Tails himself.

Under water, the Remote Robot changes into the Sea Fox, the small submarine (from Sonic Triple Trouble) that moves in much the same way that the Remote Robot does. (And unlike most of the other Sonic games, oxygen is unlimited because when Tails is in the Sea Fox, he can breathe underwater.)

Battle Kukku Army
The Battle Kukku Army are an army of birds that invade Cocoa Island who invade the island to snag the Chaos Emeralds hidden on the island. Tails battles the army and after he defeats their leader, the birds surrender. The Battle Kukku Army consists of uniformed birds, somewhat intelligent robot drones and advanced machinery. The Battle Kukku Army lives on a huge flying fortress that posed as an island throughout most of Tails Adventure.

Notable dubious members of the Battle Kukku Army include:

Grand Battle Kukku 15th
The dictator-like leader of the army. He is larger than most Kukkus, and is the final boss of the game battled in his flying fortress. He fights by throwing bombs all around him and throwing Tails himself if the fox gets too close.

Battle Kukku 16th AKA Speedy
The son of Grand Battle Kukku 15th and Tails' Rival. Speedy is a quick green Kukku who, despite his natural and fast aerial skills, sometimes wears armor equipped with an energy gun and a jet engine that lets him take even faster flight. He appears as a boss twice throughout the game, first on Pori Pori Mountain and then in the flying fortress just before the player faces his father.

Dr. Fukurokov
The army's main scientist. He is the first boss of the flying fortress, but does not actually fight, as he instead lets his defensive machinery take care of Tails. His tendency to overlook little details is his greatest weakness.