When it comes to creating levels, Sonic can be a tricky character to design for. Exploration is often a key part of the platform game genre, and the 16-bit Sonic games in particular are known for having some fairly large, sprawling stages. But with Sonic’s sense of speed in mind, slowing down and checking out every route is something that many players won’t be inclined to do – some might even say it goes against the point of the game. This has been a design conundrum since the very beginning of the series, so how are those things reconciled?
“Level design for 2D Sonic games requires application of a core design philosophy – do not create any situation where ‘you cannot proceed if you make a mistake’. It sounds obvious as a fundamental rule, but it is also one of the factors that causes stress when thinking about creating the gameplay experience,” explains Iizuka, going back to the early days of the series. “2D Sonic games are not about carefully moving through the world. We want people to run through at high speed and have a fun time, so the whole ‘you cannot progress if you make a mistake’ philosophy was taken to heart and level design was approached so that ‘even if you fail, there is a different path forward.’” Indeed, often the kind of exploration you do in a Sonic game is accidental – you’ll be aiming for bonuses and an easy ride in the stage’s upper reaches, only to fall and discover an alternative route. “That’s why we created such a complicated level design with upper and lower routes, much more complicated than many other titles,” Iizuka confirms.