Tails Adventure, also known as Tails Adventures (テイルスアドベンチャー Teirusu Adobencha?) in Japan, is an action-adventure video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series released for the Sega Game Gear in 1995. Like many Game Gear titles, the game was developed by Aspect. It is the third Sonic spin-off game to star Miles "Tails" Prower as the main character without Sonic.
Depending on the Japanese and international version of the game, Tails Adventure is either a prequel or continuation of the Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis. The game mixes traditional platforming and role-playing elements, as Tails is using different items and abilities, as well piloting his creations Remote Robot and Sea Fox, to travel across Cocoa Island to liberate it from the Battle Kukku Empire. Like many Sonic games for the Game Gear, Tails Adventure has been ported onto numerous compilation titles and other games as an unlockable game. It later received a re-release on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.
Plot
Title screen of Tails Adventure.
Like many Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Game Gear, Tails Adventure's storyline differs slightly depending on the region.
Western
Having parted ways from Sonic for a little vacation time from their adventures, Tails has traveled to his favorite holiday spot called "Tails Island". While taking a little rest in the forest however, Tails was awoken as a loud noise was heard and the forest got set ablaze. Spotting a flying fortress in the horizon attacking the island, Tails discovered an army of birds sweeping the island. Having no time to figure out what these birds were up to, Tails set off on his own to save the island and its inhabitants.[1]
Japanese
Taking place before the first meeting of Sonic and Tails, the story takes place on Cocoa Island, a tiny, beautiful island resting atop coral reefs where the Chaos Emeralds are said to have been hidden since ancient times. It is also the place, where Tails lives in his own research lab located on the south side of the island.[2]
One day, Tails was enjoying an afternoon nap under the shade of the green forest near his house until an explosion echoed through the forest. Waking up, Tails found the forest in flames while Flicky arrives, shouting about the arrival of the Battle Kukku Empire. The leader of the imperialistic empire, Great Battle Kukku XV is looking for Chaos Emeralds to conquer the world and has sent a battalion of his troops around the island.[2] Spotting the silhouette of a giant mecha in flames, Tails mustered up all his courage to stand up against this threat and set off on his first adventure.[2]
Gameplay
An in-game screenshot of the game, in Poloy Forest, the first playable level.
Tails Adventure is a 2D side-scrolling action game based around puzzle-solving and exploration. The game branches off from the traditional high-speed gameplay of the Sonic games and focuses on collecting items and backtracking in Stages. Tails is the playable character of this game; he can walk around at medium speed and jump short distances. The height of the jump is proportional to how long the player holds the Jump button down. He can look up to make screen pan upwards to the overhead area and crouch to avoid enemy attacks and pan the screen downwards to the area below. Tails can also slowly push rocks and Springs and walk up low walls by pulling himself up from ledges. On ledges, the player can climb back by pressing down on the D-pad.
Tails can perform his trademark Heli-Tails to move through midair. His flight is limited to the Flight Gauge on the left side of the screen (which appears when using Heli-Tails) which drains while in flight. When the gauge empties, Tails falls down and the Flight Gauge refills itself afterwards. At the beginning of the game, the Flight Gauge only lasts for three seconds, but it can be extended by collecting Chaos Emeralds to last a maximum of fifteen seconds.
Tails can defend himself with a range of different items while on the ground on in midair, and can be equipped with up to four items, although only one can be used at the time. These items include a Hammer, various types of bombs, and character medallions, which allow him to perform additional actions, such as Spin Dashing or punching. During gameplay, the player can switch items while pausing the game.
Tails' health is measured numerically by the monitor-based health meter in the top left corner of the screen. Getting hit by enemies or hazards decreases the health meter while collecting Rings replenishes it. Should the health meter hit zero, the player receives a Game Over and is sent back to the title screen to start the game over. At the beginning of the game, the health meter has only ten points. However, it can be extended by collecting Chaos Emeralds to a maximum of ninety-nine. If Tails falls off-screen, the player gets send back to the overworld map.
Controls
| Button formation | Movement |
|---|---|
 left and right
| Walking/Running/Pushing |
| up
| Looking up |
| down
| Crouch |
| Jump |
| Using item |
| up + press down
| Heli-Tails |
| up + press down +
| Dropping bombs while flying |
| Start button | Pauses the game. |
| Start + left/right
| Pauses the game, switches item. |
| Button formation | Movement |
|---|---|
| left and right
| Walking/Pushing |
|
| Jump |
| up + press down
| Flying |
| Button formation | Movement |
|---|---|
|
| Moving |
|
| Using item |
|
| Reversing Sea Fox's orientation |
Items
- Rings: Small Rings pop out randomly after breaking stone barriers or defeating enemies. Rings refill the health meter, but if the player do not touch them, they eventually disappear. Occasionally, they can be found lying around in hidden sections.
- Chaos Emeralds: Six differently-colored Chaos Emeralds are hidden throught the game: red, green, purple, white, blue, and yellow. Collecting an Emerald extends Tails' health meter by ten points and his Flight Gauge by a few seconds. Getting five Emeralds prior to the sixth increases the health meter to its maximum of ninety-nine. Chaos Emeralds cannot be equipped, as they are always active.
Equippable items
Tails Adventure has twenty-six items to collect, each serving a different purpose. They are found in the Stages and picking them up saves them in the game. It can afterwards be equipped in the Tails' House. Most items are necessary to proceed with the game, while others are only optional.
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Regular Bomb | Useful against enemies and stone barriers. Blows up when it hits something.[3] |
 | Large Bomb | Blows up all enemies on screen. Detonates several seconds after it is placed.[3] |
 | Remote Bomb | After you throw the bomb, trigger it by pressing . Useful for sending through small spaces and doorways as the bomb slides towards targets.[3]
|
 | Napalm Bomb | Useful against enemies several feet off the ground. You can also use it against obstacles such as dense grass. Shoot flames into the air when it hits the ground.[3] |
 | Triple Bomb | A very powerful version of the Regular Bomb.[3] |
 | Wrench | Use this object to activate a machine.[3] |
 | Helmet | Deflects enemy fire and knocks enemies off the screen. Hold to activate.[3]
|
 | Hammer | Smash enemies and stone barriers.[3] |
 | Teleport Device | Use this to go directly to Tails' House. Very convenient when you are down to one Ring and need to get out of a dangerous spot fast.[3] |
 | Night Vision | A necessary item in dark places. See your surroundings using infra-red technology.[3] |
 | Speed Boots | Make Tails run or fly at super speeds! Hold the LEFT or RIGHT and press to make Tails run. While Tails is running, press twice to make him fly at a speed even Sonic would blink at.[3]
|
 | Super Glove | Pick up heavy objects with this powerful item. Hold the in the direction of the item, and press . Press the LEFT or RIGHT to carry the object, to set the object down, and to throw the object.[3]
|
 | Fang | No activation necessary! This is your good luck item. Just select this to take with you on the adventure. Your chances of finding a ring after defeating an enemy increase when you have this item.[3] |
 | Knuckles | Punch your opponents just like Knuckles! For a series of punches, press repeatedly.[3]
|
 | Sonic | You can use the Sonic item to do the famous Spin Dash. First, Hold to turn into a spinning ball. Hold LEFT or RIGHT, then let go of to smash through barriers with this item![3]
|
 | Item Radar | Use this object to help you locate hidden items.[3] |
 | Radio (misspelled as "Raido" in game) | Set the music for the game while you play. Each time you press a different tune plays.[3]
|
Remote Robot
Tails piloting Remote Robot in Polly Mountain 1.
One of the central tools in Tails Adventure is the Remote Robot, a small robotic fox created by Tails. The Remote Robot can squeeze through narrow tunnels or exclusive sections that Tails cannot to collect items, activate switches or other tasks. The Remote Robot is also equitable item that the player can choose.
The player activates the Remote Robot by pressing . Tails then becomes invulnerable to harm while the player takes control of the Remote Robot. To take control of Tails again, the player must call the Remote Robot back by pressing . On its own, the Remote Robot can push small rocks around and fly around without time limit (unlike Tails). However, the Remote Robot does not have any offensive abilities and will go back to Tails instantly should it take damage.
Sea Fox
The Sea Fox is a mini-submarine previously seen in Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble. In this game, the Remote Robot can transform into the Sea Fox when the player enters underwater or flight-themed Stages. In gameplay, the player can control the Sea Fox in all eight directions and uses weapons. It also uses the same health meter system as Tails.
When controling the Sea Fox for the first time, the player has Vulcan Gun equiped. Alongside Vulcan Gun, there are eight collectiable items that can be equipped to the Sea Fox in the separated Dock room of Tails' House.
Equippable items
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Proton Torpedo | Launch this powerful torpedo to attack enemies in front of you.[4] |
 | Vulcan Gun | Blast enemies with this cannon. Press repeatedly for a barrage.[4]
|
 | Extra Speed | Hold to build up speed. Let go of and press to make the Sea Fox do a super jump.[4]
|
 | Extra Armor | When you use this item, a force field appears around the Sea Fox, protecting it from all attacks.[4] |
 | Anti-air Missile | Use this to attack enemies above you. You can also use this missile to blast barriers overhead.[4] |
 | Spark | Electrifies the water around your Sea Fox, sending all enemies running off screen and clearing all mines.[4] |
 | Mine | Use this for attacking enemies and blasting barriers below.[4] |
 | Rocket Booster | Use this item to fly.[4] |
Gimmicks and obstacles
|
Characters
Playable characters
Non-playable characters
Enemies
Bosses
- Kukku Walker
- Battle Kukku XVI (Polly Mountain 1)
- Mecha Golem 5-gou (Cavern Island)
- Kukku Cruiser
- Mecha Golem 5-gou (Volcanic Tunnel)
- Doctor Fukurokov
- Battle Kukku XVI (Battle Fortress)
- Great Battle Kukku
Stages
The map screen displaying locations of the Cocoa Island.
Tails Adventure has a total of twelve Stages, all set around Cocoa Island. Each Stage is a non-linear area separate into different sections, with several of them having multiple exits leading to other sections or the next Stage. The player's destination is decided from an overhead map screen, where a flashing point shows an accessible Stage. From the start (aside from Tails' House), the player can only enter Poloy Forest. However, multiple Stages later become available after clearing more Stages.
Certain Stages are not available on the map, and pathways leading to them are usually blocked by obstacles insurmountable until the required item to break them has been obtained (this usually leads to necessary backtracking). Several Stages have boss battles which declare themselves cleared once their boss is defeated. All the Stages in order are:
- Poloy Forest
- Volcanic Tunnel
- Polly Mountain 1
- Lake Rocky
- Cavern Island
- Green Island
- Caron Forest
- Lake Crystal
- Polly Mountain 2
- Coco Island
- Battle Fortress (1 & 2)
Tails' House
The hub-area of Tails' House in the beginning of the game.
The separate submarine lab menu of Tails' House.
Located on the south shore of Cocoa Island is Tails' House, a sub area for the player to equip collected items among other things. Here, there are four options to choose from on the top screen:
- EQUIP: The player progresses into the list of items picked up by Tails. Each item can be selected with the
and picked up with . The player can only carry four items at the time which are shown on the bottom of the screen. Items which are not collected yet are listed as names without icons but cannot be chosen. The player can return to the main hub menu by pressing .
- DOCK: The separate menu for equipping items to the Sea Fox. Choosing EQUIP here leads to the separate list of items collected for the Sea Fox. Like in the previous section, only four items can be equipped. To return to this section, the player has to press . Should the player choose READY, the Remote Robot transforms into the Sea Fox and the player can enter Lake Rocky or the Battle Fortress. This option is not available if the player does not have the Remote Robot. By choosing EXIT, the player returns to the main menu.
- CONT: Tails Adventure supports the password system to resume a game. After progressing with the game, the player can enter this menu to see the password screen which displays sixteen characters in different formations. Write them down. To resume a game, select CONTINUE from the title screen. On the Password screen, highlight a character space with and press repeatedly until the desired character appears. You can also press repeatedly to cycle backwards. Repeat this process until the password is entered, then press Start to return to Tails' House.
- EXIT: Returns to the map screen.
Reception
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.25/10[5] |
| GamePro | 4/5[6] |
| Nintendo World Report | 5/10[7] |
Tails Adventure received generally positive reviews after its release. Electronic Gaming Monthly described it as "a solid adventure game", complimenting it for its colorful and sharp graphics, massive length, numerous secret areas, and similarity to the Super Mario series.[5] GamePro gave it a positive review, praising the detailed and colorful graphics, the controls, and the music. However, the magazine also gave it an overall negative assessment due to the lack of speed in comparison to most Sonic games, commenting that "Snails' adventures would be more like it."[6] In the 195 December issue, Sega Power magazine rated the game as a 7.4 out of 10,[8] while Sega Pro gave a score of 85 in November 1995.[9]
Critics felt Tails Adventure was too similar to other platform games, and its slow pace made it weaker than other Sonic offerings. Famitsu felt it lacked any surprising elements and was disappointed it was much more standard than other Sonic games.[10] Mean Machines Sega agreed, calling it "decidedly unoriginal", but believed secret areas and a steep learning curve made it interesting enough to continue playing.[11] Mean Machines Sega felt some of the background textures repeated too much and Famitsu criticized the screen's narrow field of vision.[12][13] 1UP.com called Tails Adventure and Tails Skypatrol "the bottom of the barrel [...] nigh-unplayable portable titles from an era best forgotten."[14]
In later compilation titles and re-releases, the game received mixed reviews. Morgan Sleeper of NintendoLife gave a positive review for its Nintendo 3DS re-release, stating it being an "odd game out in the Game Gear's Sonic lineup, but it makes a sound case for its unique identity".[15] Neal Ronaghan of Nintendo World Report criticized the game for being woefully hampered by the system’s limitations and uninspired design,[7] while Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer described it as "intolerable" for all but a few moments, noting in particular that the health bar could be obscured by walls.[16] Ryan Davis of Gamespot described Tails Adventure as a "generic and vaguely European 2D side-scroller that severely slows down Miles Prower's gait and arms him with bombs that he throws at enemies".[17]
In March 2014, GamesRadar nominated Tails Adventure as the 21th best Sega Game Gear game of all time, describing it as a "slower, more puzzle-oriented side-scroller than the games he usually co-starred in."[18]
Re-releases
Tails Adventure was featured as an unlockable game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. To unlock it, the player has to collecting all 130 Emblems with all the playable characters. The game was also included in Sonic Gems Collection. Along with many Game Gear titles, Sega re-released Tails Adventure for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.[19]
Comic adaptation
The front cover of Sonic Universe #17.
In June 2010, the Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comics spin-off series, Sonic Universe had a four issue adaption based on Tails Adenture which went by the title "The Tails Adventure". The comic's storyline involves Tails taking Antoine D'Coolette and Bunnie D'Coolette to the Cocoa Island on their honeymoon after their wedding.
The story arc follows loosely the video game. The storyline also marked the first appearance of the Battle Bird Armada, who had only been mentioned briefly by certain characters in the comic series.
Cheat codes
- Final password: By inserting the code "ADE6-AA2A-51A6-6D13", the player unlocks every Stage and item with all the bosses defeated, except for the final boss.
Staff
- Producer: Katsuhiro Hasegawa ("K.Hasegawa")
- Director: Katsuhiro Hasegawa ("K.Hasegawa")
- Game Designers: M.Simamura, O.Kodera
- Artists: Nobuhiko Honda ("N.Honda"), Shinichi Higashi ("S.Higashi")
- Programmers: Kazuyuki Oikawa ("K.Oikawa"), Hiroyuki Saigusa ("H.Saigusa"), Yoshiaki Makishima ("Y.Makishima")
- Sound Composer: Kojiro Mikusa ("K.Mixa")
- Special Thanks to: Tadashi Ihoroi ("T.Ihoroi"), P.Tezuka, Hisayoshi Yoshida ("H.Yoshida"), R.Fujimura, Ryoichi Hasegawa ("R.Hasegawa"), Osamu Nakazato ("O.Nakazato"), T.Kojima
- Presented by: Sega
Trivia
- Although Tails Adventure is the second Sonic game to feature Tails as the main character in western territories, Tails Skypatrol predates Tails Adventure by almost half a year, but was not originally released outside the Japan on its original platform. Tails and the Music Maker, the first game to star Tails as a title character, was released September 1994.
- Both the Japanese and international version of Tails Adventure are mostly the same. The Japanese title for the game (Tails Adventures) on the title screen is left intact instead of being changed to the western title. The only exceptions are the translation of the game's items and locations, which are named differently in the western release and the music on the password screen.
- Included amongst the various items, the Hammer bearing a surprising resemblance to the Piko Piko Hammer. Curiously, Tails Adventure was released half a year before Sonic the Fighters where the Piko Piko Hammer made its debut.
- In the game listing in Sonic Generations, the game is referred to as Tails' Adventure.
References
- ↑ Tails Adventures (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction manual pg. 3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tails Adventures (Sega Game Gear) Japanese instruction manual pgs. 4-6.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Tails Adventure (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction manual pgs. 13-16.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Tails Adventure (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction manual pgs. 16-17.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Review Crew: Tails' Adventure. EGM Media, LLC. January 1996. 48.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 ProReview: Tails' Adventures. International Data Group. February 1996. 80.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ronaghan, Neal (26 June 2013). Tails Adventure. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
- ↑ Sega Power review. Future Publishing. December 1995.
- ↑ . Paragon Publishing. November 1995.
- ↑ http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title_review&title_id=16045
- ↑ "Game Gear Review: Tails Adventures". Mega Machines Sega. No. 37. November 1995. pp. 78–79.
- ↑ "Game Gear Review: Tails Adventures". Mega Machines Sega. No. 37. November 1995. pp. 78–79.
- ↑ http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title_review&title_id=16045
- ↑ Parish, Jeremy (August 16, 2005). Review: Sonic Gems Collection. 1UP.com.. Retrieved on 10 May 2019.
- ↑ Sleeper, Morgan (27 June 2013). Review: Tails Adventure. Nintendo Life. Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
- ↑ Bramwell, Tom (6 October 2005). Sonic Gems Collection review. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
- ↑ Davis, Ryan (6 October 2005). Sonic Gems Collection Review. Gamespot. Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
- ↑ Best Sega Game Gear games of all time. GamesRadar (6 March 2014). Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
- ↑ Game Gear in Nintendo 3DS eShop: Three New Titles!. Sega Blogs (20 June 2013). Retrieved on 16 May 2016.
External links
- Tails Adventures at official website of Sonic Gems Collection release (Japanese)
- Tails Adventure at Sega's official minisite of Virtual Console re-release (Japanese)
- Tails Adventure at Nintendo's official website of Virtual Console re-release
- Tails Adventures at Nintendo's official website of Virtual Console re-release (Japanese)
- Tails Adventure at The GHZ
- Tails Adventure at MobyGames
- Tails Adventure at GameFAQs
- Tails Adventures at SMS Power!
