History VideoGame / SonicTheHedgehogSpinball

* ComicBookAdaptation: In issue #6 of [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog the Archie comic]]. The pair of kangaroos (featured in the Lava Powerhouse) reappeared in a later issue as a literal KangarooCourt.

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic SatAM]]'' ever got to a licensed game based on the series: it has the cartoon's characteristic DarkerAndEdgier tone, and explicitly animated roboticization [[https://youtu.be/fOOvnsn0zW0?t=503 directly modeled on the method Robotnik used in the cartoon.]] In the {{Bonus Stage}}s, Princess Sally and several other Freedom Fighters make cameo appearances alongside, oddly enough, Scratch, from the LighterAndSofter ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. This makes it one of only two ''Sonic'' games to feature any characters from an animated adaptation, the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' which explicitly follows the canon of ''Adventures''.

* CanonWelding: Though the game is a [[LooseCanon standalone title]], it was clearly designed to reference the entire franchise [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness as it existed at the time]]. That said, the game's art style and general presentation are primarily based on ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' animated series, while characters from that cartoon and ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' make cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds.

* CompositeCharacter: Robotnik would look no different than his appearance in the games, if not for the fact that his uniform takes inspiration from his '[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]]'' counterpart. This is even clearer in this [[http://www.theemeraldstarpost.co.uk/TESP/GameInfo/PHP/Removed/Spin_Fortress.jpg concept artwork]] for the game.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Taking cues from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', ''Spinball'' is noticeably darker than the rest of the ''Sonic'' games, bordering on nightmare-inducing at times. The actual process of animals getting roboticized is shown more explicitly here than any other game by far, and it looks [[PainfulTransformation incredibly painful]]. Additionally, many enemies are ''[[SurrealHorror very creepy]]'', such as Scorpius, the first stage boss. It's a giant robotic scorpion with Robotnik's head, that lets out [[HellIsThatNoise inhuman screams]] [[https://youtu.be/SqR23N_2AQA?t=101 every time you hit it.]]

* WidgetSeries: The game is arguably among the weirdest (and creepiest) games in the overbearingly Japanese ''Sonic'' franchise, but it was actually put together by an American team - hence the ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]]'' influences and the dark vibe. This WHAT status was actually used in the game's marketing in Japan; ''Spinball'' was [[GratuitousEnglish heralded]] as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3fjPux-86o AMERIKKANO FANKAY AKSHON!]]" "[[http://info.sonicretro.org/images/5/5d/Spinball-box-jap.jpg from U.S.A.]]"

** The [=SatAM=] episode "Game Guy" had a pinball-themed deathtrap with a one-way ticket to [[SealedRoomInTheMiddleOfNowhere The Void.]] Sonic was put into a transparent ball, set onto the playfield, and told that hitting ''his'' bumpers would keep the Void sealed, but hitting the Robotnik bumpers would open it. Naturally, Robotnik himself took control of the flippers...

* CanonWelding: Though the game is a [[LooseCanon standalone title,]] it was clearly designed to reference the entire Sonic franchise [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness as it existed at the time.]] That said, the game's art-style and general presentation are primarily based on ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' animated series, while characters from that cartoon and ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' make cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds.
* ChekhovsVolcano: Mount Mobius is a volcano in a videogame. [[RuleOfDrama You should know that it's going to erupt.]]
* CollapsingLair: After the final stage, Robotnik's Veg-o-fortress collapses as Mount Mobius erupts.

* CompositeCharacter: Robotnik would look no different than his appearance in the games, if not for the fact that his uniform takes inspiration from his '[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]]' counterpart. This is even clearer in this [[http://www.theemeraldstarpost.co.uk/TESP/GameInfo/PHP/Removed/Spin_Fortress.jpg concept artwork]] for the game.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Taking cues from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', ''Spinball'' is noticeably darker than the rest of the Sonic games, bordering on [[NightmareFuel nightmare-inducing]] at times. The actual process of animals getting roboticized is shown more explicitly here than any other game by far, and it looks [[PainfulTransformation incredibly painful.]] Additionally, many enemies are ''[[SurrealHorror very creepy]]'', such as Scorpius, the first stage boss. It's a giant robotic scorpion with Robotnik's head, that lets out [[HellIsThatNoise inhuman screams]] [[https://youtu.be/SqR23N_2AQA?t=101 every time you hit it.]]

* DisneyVillainDeath: Both Sonic and Robotnik end up free-falling through the sky at the end. Tails catches Sonic with his newly-repaired plane, leaving Robotnik to plummet [[DeathByIrony into his exploding fortress.]] (Subverted, of course, since Robotnik has famously [[JokerImmunity survived worse]].)

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: There are sixteen Chaos Emeralds in the game. At the time, the Chaos Emeralds were only gameplay gimmicks: in ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog1'' there were only six of them, ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' [[{{Retcon}} retconned another one into existence]], ''Videogame/SonicTheFighters'' ([[ApprovalOfGod which was directly approved by Yuji Naka]]) featured eight, and ''Videogame/SonicCD'' features seven Time Stones, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute which look exactly like Chaos Emeralds,]] which were retconned ''again'' to have time-altering powers in ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''.

* {{Expy}}: The Machine stage was created based on concept art for Cyber City Zone (or more famously, Genocide City Zone), a zone cut from the development of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2.''

* CanonWelding: Though game is a [[LooseCanon standalone title,]] it was clearly designed to reference the entire Sonic franchise [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness as it existed at the time.]] That said, the game's art-style and general presentation are primarily based on ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' animated series, while characters from that cartoon and ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' make cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds.

* LooseCanon: Loose to the point that it's not clear at all if ''Spinball'' fits in '''any''' [[AlternateContinuity existing continuity]]. Dr. Robotnik has a design closest to Classic Eggman and the Veg-O-Fortress scheme is just like something he'd do in the games, but the characters and art direction feel like a weird mashup of the classic series with either the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Archie]] comics or the ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog Adventures]]'' and [[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]] cartoons, complete with their respective characters (who explicitly do ''not'' exist in the main Sonic continuity) making cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds. On top of that, there are a total of 16 Chaos Emeralds instead of 7 (although it could just be the same ones slipping away between rounds), and they look completely different than usual. Additionally, ''Spinball'' is the only game in the entire series where the setting is explicitly called Mobius.[[note]]Not counting DolledUpInstallment ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' or mentions in the English-localized manuals of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble Sonic Triple Trouble]]'' or the non-canon ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogPromoComic.[[/note]]

** There are sixteen Chaos Emeralds in the game. At the time, the Chaos Emeralds were only gameplay gimmicks: in ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog1'' there were only six of them, ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' [[{{Retcon}} retconned another one into existence]], ''Videogame/SonicTheFighters'' ([[ApprovalOfGod which was directly approved by Yuji Naka]]) featured eight, and ''Videogame/SonicCD'' features seven Time Stones, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute which look exactly like Chaos Emeralds,]] which were retconned ''again'' to have time-altering powers in ''Videogame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''.

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic SatAM]] ever got to a licensed game based on the cartoon: it has the cartoon's characteristic DarkerAndEdgier tone, and explicitly animated roboticization [[https://youtu.be/fOOvnsn0zW0?t=503 directly modeled on the method Robotnik used in the cartoon.]] In the {{Bonus Stage}}s, Princess Sally and several other Freedom Fighters make cameo appearances alongside, oddly enough, Scratch, from the LighterAndSofter ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. This makes it one of only two ''Sonic'' games to feature any characters from an animated adaptation, the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' which explicitly follows the canon of ''Adventures''.

* AutobotsRockOut: The last level's music is pretty [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJoTiMSf7vw hardcore]], even for a Sonic game.
** Actually, all of the stage music is very industrial as well as the boss music. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Zzb1yu_x4 This]] is probably the most bass heavy piece of music in the history of the series.

* BonusStage: One exists between every level, and there are some within the levels if you are able to collect all of the rings.
* BossArenaIdiocy: The ''entire game''. All those convenient pinball mechanisms? Part of Robotnik's Pinball Defense System, [[AllThereInTheManual as stated in the manual]]. Which he designed and built despite the fact that Sonic's signature ability has been curling into a ball since the very first game. Even official sources, namely the Museum section of ''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'', snark at Robotnik's reasoning.

* ChekhovsVolcano: Not just that, but it's the entire goal of the game.
* CollapsingLair: The final stage, "The Showdown".

* CompositeCharacter: Robotnik mostly resembles his game design, but many of his facial expressions are in line with his ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog Adventures]]'' counterpart and his uniform takes inspiration from his '[[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]]' counterpart. The latter is even clearer in this [[http://www.theemeraldstarpost.co.uk/TESP/GameInfo/PHP/Removed/Spin_Fortress.jpg concept artwork]] for the game.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Taking cues from ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', ''Spinball'' is noticeably darker than the rest of the Sonic games, bordering on [[NightmareFuel nightmare-inducing]] at times. The actual process of animals getting roboticized is shown more explicitly here than any other game by far, and it looks [[PainfulTransformation incredibly painful.]] Additionally, many enemies are ''[[SurrealHorror very creepy]]'', such as Scorpius, the first stage boss. It's a giant robotic scorpion with Robotnik's head, that lets out [[HellIsThatNoise inhuman screams]] every time you hit it.

* EternalEngine: The Machine, the third level.

* LooseCanon: Loose to the point that it's not clear at all if ''Spinball'' fits in '''any''' [[AlternateContinuity existing continuity]]. Dr. Robotnik has a design closest to Classic Eggman and the Veg-O-Fortress scheme is just like something he'd do in the games, but the characters and art direction feel like a weird mashup of the classic series with either the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Archie]] comics or the ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog Adventures]]'' and [[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]] cartoons, complete with their respective characters making cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds. On top of that, there are a total of 16 Chaos Emeralds instead of 7 (although it could just be the same ones slipping away between rounds), and they look completely different than usual. Additionally, ''Spinball'' is the only game in the entire series where the setting is explicitly called Mobius.[[note]]Not counting DolledUpInstallment ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' or mentions in the English-localized manuals of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble Sonic Triple Trouble]]''.[[/note]]

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic SatAM]] ever got to a licensed game based on the cartoon: it has the cartoon's characteristic DarkerAndEdgier tone, and explicitly animated roboticization [[https://youtu.be/fOOvnsn0zW0?t=503 directly modeled on the method Robotnik used in the cartoon.]] In the {{Bonus Stage}}s, Princess Sally and several other Freedom Fighters make cameo appearances alongside, oddly enough, Scratch, from the LighterAndsofter ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. This makes it one of only two ''Sonic'' games to feature any characters from an animated adaptation, the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' which explicitly follows the canon of ''Adventures''.

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a VolcanoLair built on Mt. Mobius which turns animals into Badniks [[IndustrializedEvil on an industrial scale]]. Per usual, [[CaptainCrash Tails' plane is shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go in solo.

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic SatAM]] ever got to a licensed game based on the cartoon: Princess Sally and the other Freedom Fighters, plus Scratch from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', make brief (and unexplained) cameos during ''Spinball'''s {{Bonus Stage}}s. It is also one of few ''Sonic'' games to feature {{Canon Immigrant}}s from an animated adaptation, the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' which explicitly follows the canon of ''Adventures''.

** Also goes in reverse: Scratch from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' makes a cameo in one of the bonus stages.
** The [=SatAM=] episode "Game Guy" had a pinball-themed deathtrap with a one-way ticket to The Void. Sonic was put into a plastic ball, set onto the playfield, and told that hitting ''his'' bumpers would keep the Void sealed, but hitting the Robotnik bumpers would open it. Naturally, Robotnik himself took control of the flippers...

* DarkerAndEdgier: Noticeably darker than the main series games at the time, even bordering on nightmare-inducing at times (like Scorpius, the first stage boss that's a giant robot scorpion with Robotnik's head, that lets out inhuman screams as you hit it). And the animals being turned into robots is shown more explicitly here than any other game by far.

* LooseCanon: Loose to the point that it's not clear at all if ''Spinball'' fits in '''any''' [[AlternateContinuity existing continuity]]. Dr. Robotnik has a design closest to Classic Eggman and the Veg-O-Fortress scheme is just like something he'd do in the games, but the characters and art direction feel like a weird mashup of the classic series with either the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Archie]] comics or the ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog Adventures]]'' and [[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM]] cartoons, complete with their respective characters making cameo appearances in the bonus pinball rounds. On top of that, there are a total of 16 Chaos Emeralds instead of 7 (although it could just be the same ones slipping away between rounds), and they look completely different than usual. Additionally, ''Spinball'' is the only game in the entire series where the setting is Mobius.[[note]]Not counting DolledUpInstallment ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' or mentions in the English-localized manuals of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble Sonic Triple Trouble]]''.[[/note]]

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a VolcanoLair built on Mt. Mobius which turns animals into Badniks on [[IndustrializedEvil an industrial scale]]. Per usual, [[CaptainCrash Tails' plane is shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go solo.

Its gameplay is derived from the requisite [[PinballZone pinball-themed level]] found in most ''Sonic'' titles. There are four levels to the game, all reminiscent of giant multi-tiered pinball tables, with Sonic as the ball. The standard platforming action used in earlier Sonic games is limited here, as the blue hedgehog's movement is mainly controlled by flippers. Sonic only stands upright when on a flat surface, although the player can still use his jump ability and Spin Dash to reach some areas in a hurry. In each level, Sonic must collect all of the Chaos Emeralds, which will give him access to the BossRoom.

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' ever got to a licensed game based on the cartoon: Princess Sally and the other Freedom Fighters, plus Scratch from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', make brief (and unexplained) cameos during ''Spinball'''s {{Bonus Stage}}s. It is also one of few ''Sonic'' games to feature characters from an animated adaptation, the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'' which explicitly follows the canon of ''Adventures''.

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a VolcanoLair built on Mt. Mobius which turns animals into Badniks on [[IndustrializedEvil an industrial scale]]. As per usual, [[CaptainCrash Tails' plane is shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go solo.

''Sonic Spinball'', sometimes called ''Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball'', is a [[DigitalPinballTable pinball game]] spinoff (no pun intended) of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''. It was originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis/[=Mega Drive=] in 1993 as a hold-over for ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', along with a UsefulNotes/GameGear (and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in Europe) version. Notably, this game was not produced by Creator/SonicTeam but rather by Sega's America-based Creator/SegaTechnicalInstitute (the same team that developed games such as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''VideoGame/KidChameleon'', ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' and ''The Ooze'').

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a VolcanoLair built on Mt. Mobius which turns animals into Badniks on an industrial scale. As per usual, [[CaptainCrash Tails' plane is shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go solo.

''Sonic Spinball'', sometimes called ''Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball'', is a [[DigitalPinballTable pinball game]] spinoff (no pun intended) of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''. It was originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis/[=Mega Drive=] in 1993 as a hold-over for ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', along with a UsefulNotes/GameGear (and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in Europe) version. Its gameplay is derived from the requisite [[PinballZone pinball-themed level]] found in most ''Sonic'' titles. Notably, this spin-off was not produced by Creator/SonicTeam, but rather by Sega's America-based Creator/SegaTechnicalInstitute (the same team that developed games such as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''VideoGame/KidChameleon'', ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' and ''The Ooze'').

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a VolcanoLair built on Mt. Mobius which turns animals into Badniks on an industrial scale. As per usual, [[CaptainCrash Tails' plane is shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go solo. There are four stages to the game, all reminiscent of giant multi-tiered pinball tables, with Sonic as the ball. The standard platforming action used in earlier Sonic games is limited here, as the blue hedgehog's movement is mainly controlled by flippers, although the player can still use his jump ability and Spin Dash to reach some areas in a hurry. In each stage, Sonic must find all of the Chaos Emeralds in a level, which will give him access to the BossRoom.

''Sonic Spinball'', sometimes called ''Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball'', is a [[DigitalPinballTable pinball game]] spinoff (no pun intended) of the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games. It was originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis/[=Mega Drive=] in 1993 as a hold-over for ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', and later also made for the UsefulNotes/GameGear (and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in Europe). Its gameplay is derived from the requisite [[PinballZone pinball-themed level]] found in most ''Sonic'' titles. Notably, this spin-off was not produced by Creator/SonicTeam, but rather by Sega's America-based Creator/SegaTechnicalInstitute (the same team that developed games such as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''VideoGame/KidChameleon'', ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' and ''The Ooze'').

The plot involves Sonic and Tails on a mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Veg-O-Fortress, a diabolical contraption built on Mt. Mobius that aims to robotize the animals of Planet Mobius. As per usual, Tails' plane is [[CaptainCrash shot down]], and Sonic is forced to go solo. There are four stages to the game, all reminiscent of giant multi-tiered pinball tables, with Sonic as the ball. The standard platforming action used in earlier Sonic games is limited here, as the blue hedgehog's movement is mainly controlled by flippers, although the player can still use his Spin Dash attack to reach some areas in a hurry. In each stage, Sonic must find all of the Chaos Emeralds in a level, which will give him access to the BossRoom.

Incidentally, this is the closest fans of ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' ever got to a licensed game based on the cartoon: Princess Sally and the other Freedom Fighters, plus Scratch from ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'', make brief cameos during ''Spinball'''s {{Bonus Stage}}s. It is also one of few ''Sonic'' games to feature characters from an animated adaptation (the other being ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'', which follows the canon of ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'').

* BewareMyStingerTail: Scorpius, the boss of the Toxic Caves.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Noticably darker than the main series games at the time, even bordering on nightmare-inducing at times (like Scorpius, the first stage boss that's a giant robot scorpion with Robotnik's head, that lets out inhuman screams as you hit it). And the animals being turned into robots is shown more explicitly here than any other game by far.

* OffModel: Robotnik looks like a giant in the final fight, being several times larger than Sonic, but in the ending they're around the same size.

''Sonic Spinball'', sometimes called ''Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball'', is a [[DigitalPinballTable pinball game]] spinoff (no pun intended) of the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' games. It was originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis/[=Mega Drive=] in 1993 as a hold-over for ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', and later also made for the UsefulNotes/GameGear (and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in Europe). Its gameplay is derived from the requisite [[PinballZone pinball-themed level]] found in most ''Sonic'' titles. Notably, this spin-off was not produced by Creator/SonicTeam, but rather by Sega's America-based Creator/SegaTechnicalInstitute (the same team that developed games such as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''VideoGame/KidChameleon'', ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' and ''The Ooze'').

* ReplacedTheThemeTune: Creator/SegaTechnicalInstitute, who developed the game, used a remix of the ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' theme for the title screen, assuming it was owned by Creator/{{Sega}}. In reality, the first game's music was owned by the game's composer, Masato Nakamura, and the team likely would've been sued had they used it. The team found this out shortly before the game was scheduled to be shipped, so Howard Drossin quickly (as in, ''that night'') made a replacement tune and re-dumped the cart. However, this was done during the manufacturing process, resulting in the original version accidentally seeping into the North American market in ''very'' limited quantities.

* SensoryAbuse: The infamous Options menu theme.

* SensoryAbuse: The options menu music is rather infamous for this.

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Spinball_title_485.png]]

* BossArenaIdiocy: The ''entire game''. All those convenient pinball mechanisms? Part of Robotnik's Pinball Defense System, [[AllThereInTheManual as stated in the manual]]. Which he designed and built despite the fact that Sonic's signature ability has been curling into a ball since the very first game. Even official sources, namely the Museum section of ''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'', snarks at Robotnik's reasoning.

* {{Expy}}: The Machine stage was created based on concept art for Cyber City Zone (or more famously Genocide City Zone), a zone cut from the development of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2.''

---> '''Lava Powerhouse:''' "BOGUS DUDE..." \\
'''The Machine:''' ''(ScareChord)'' "BIG MISTAKE" \\

* NintendoHard. The game is basically four gigantic pinball tables (all of them tough as hell, especially the last one) that all have to be beaten with '''no continues or passwords.''' Good luck with that.
** The port included in the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance iteration of ''[[CompilationRerelease Sega Smash Pack]]'' is almost exactly the same as the original version (the only difference is the sound). This means [[CameraScrew the levels have not been adjusted for the GBA's smaller screen resolution]]. Also, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the ending is slightly glitched]].