[Let’s Play] Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebook 1: Metal City Mayhem

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; telling the others he’s the real Sonic the Hedgehog.

242
The other hedgehogs look at him in surprise. ‘No!’ they chorus, ‘I’m the original Sonic the Hedgehog!’ Each one glares at the others. Sonic can attack one of them, hoping his original speed and energy will give him an advantage (turn to 169) or he can ask if any of them have a keycard for the door (turn to 208).

Sonic decides to ask if any of them have a keycard for the door and goes to section 208. One of the Sonics says yes and shakes Sonic’s hand. Not wanting to give the wrong impression to the other Sonics by attacking the impostor, he calls to the other two hedgehogs for help and goes to section 248.

248
‘Ow! Help me! This guy’s a robot!’ shouts Sonic, trying to pull his hand free of the iron Sonic’s handshake. With a huge effort he tugs it free – and the robot’s hand comes away with it, trailing oil and cables over the floor. The other two Sonics take one look, and all three leap into spin attacks, pulverizing the fake hedgehog so much that there’s nothing left but a pile of scrap on the floor.

‘Nice one, guys,’ says Sonic. ‘Well, that leaves three of us.’ He notices the keycard lying on the floor, and puts it on the computer. ‘The real Sonic can use that when he’s the only one left.’ He’s feeling a little confused now – is he actually the original, or one of the duplicates who thinks he’s the original? Sonic’s not sure any more. He shakes his head and tries to think of another test. He can ask the others about Botman (turn to 58), look at them to see if he can spot any mistakes or differences in their appearances (turn to 270), or challenge them to a race (turn to 186).

Sonic decides to challenge them to a race and head to section 186.

Rolling the die and adding Sonic’s Speed yields a total of 10, so he succeeds this time and goes to section 31.

31
Sonic begins to edge slightly ahead of the others – a centimetre, then another. He’s moving into the lead! The hedgehog on his left makes an extra effort to catch up, pounding its legs faster and faster as its face gets more and more purple – and suddenly it explodes. Steam jets from pipes in its neck and oil spurts out, splattering the room and getting in Sonic’s eyes as he jumps to avoid the body of the fake Sonic. When he looks back, the other remaining Sonic is diving towards the middle of the room, grabbing for the keycard. Does Sonic leap in with a super-sonic spin attack (turn to 5) or watch what the other does (turn to 145)?

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

I think it's time to attack. 1/2 vote for killing the robot with the keycard.

[Thaluikhain]

Attack.

(Apparently this is post 80001 of In the Trenches)

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; leaping in with a super-sonic spin attack.

5
The two Sonics smash together with incredible force. All you can see is a blue blur of whirling limbs. Muffled thuds and oofs can be heard as the two pound each other into submission. Finally the ruckus quiets down, and the dust clears. One Sonic is standing with his foot on the head of the other one. But how can you tell if the winner is our Sonic, or the impostor?

‘How can you tell WHAT!?’ exclaims the hedgehog. ‘Look, goggle-eyes, you’ve been watching me since I started this adventure – you should know by now whether it’s me or not. You mean you actually got me confused with those fakes? And just as I was starting to credit you with some brains. If you don’t think it’s really me, then just close the book and go to bed right now.’ He pauses for a second. ‘Made your mind up? Good. Now let’s go and find Robotnik.’ He picks up the keycard from the floor, slips it into the slot by the door, and dashes off down the corridor.

There’s no door at the other end. Instead, the tunnel comes out into the open air, in a huge arena filled with weird scientific apparatus that looks like it came off the set of an old Frankenstein movie. Generators spark, valves flash, pistons pop and flasks bubble with odd-coloured liquids. It’s all very melodramatic indeed. The whole thing is surrounded by tall pylons, pointing up into the blue sky – and Sonic can just see the chaos emerald on the very top of one of them.

In the middle of all the equipment is the villainous figure of Dr Robotnik himself. ‘Aha! My special guest!’ he exclaims, and flips a huge switch. Sonic finds himself surrounded by a force-field. Robotnik flips another switch, and the roof of the cloud chamber room opens and the clouds pour upwards into the sky, which begins to darken. A few drops of rain spatter down, then suddenly a jagged streak of lightning arcs down from the sky, striking one of the pylons around the equipment. Massive blue sparks fly between the machines, and Robotnik’s moustache stands on end.

‘You’re just in time to witness my ultimate triumph, you hapless hedgehog!’ screams the mad scientist. ‘My final victory over everything that’s cute and fluffy and horrible on the planet Mobius, starting with your beloved Green Hill Zone! Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!’

Sonic knows that his best chance is when the mad doctor is laughing, because he’s distracted. The heroic hedgehog’s first problem has to be escaping from the force-field. He can spin-attack it, trying to batter a way through (turn to 159). He can rip out any wires around him (turn to 256). He can try to jump over the force-field (turn to 195). Or if he has a gold cord from the gold robot, he can use that as a lasso (turn to 170).

Sonic has a gold cord from the gold robot. Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Try lasso-ing.

[deaddmwalking]

Yeah, special options that only exist if we have the right equipment seem like the best options. Let's use the gold cord.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; using the gold cord as a lasso.

170
Sonic takes the gold cable from his pocket. It’s thin but strong enough to hold his weight. He quickly ties a noose in one end, whirls it around his head and throws it up at one of the pylons at the edge of the arena. The noose hooks itself over the top of one of one of the pylons. Sonic tugs to make sure it’s on tightly, then half-jumps and half-climbs it, swinging over the top of the force-field and into the arena itself. He’s free! The cable shakes itself loose and lands back in his pocket. Turn to 117.



117
The sky is filling with dark clouds and the rain is growing heavier and heavier. Lightning shoots across the sky, lancing towards earth to hit Robotnik’s equipment which is flickering and glowing. The mad genius himself is climbing into his Egg-o-matic, laughing like an idiot. Something else is happening: some of the machines are starting to move, and even parts of the building are shifting and griding together. It could be the force of the storm, but Sonic doubts it. This must be Robotnik’s master-plan coming into action, and there’s only one person who can stop it. Sonic is faced by one of the most difficult choices he’s had to make; he has to get this right! Does he attack Robotnik in the Egg-o-matic (turn to 86), smash the machines and equipment in the arena (turn to 198), go for the chaos emerald (turn to 29), or just try to escape (turn to 218)?

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for the chaos emerald.

[JourneymanN00b]

Going for the chaos emerald.

29
Sonic looks around for something long enough to reach up to the chaos emerald on the pylon, but can’t find anything to climb or anything to throw. Suddenly he notices a large button on top of one of the machines. It looks like one of Robotnik’s springs – maybe it’ll work like one. He scrambles onto the machine, leaps into the spring, and is catapulted high into the air. It worked! Sonic aims himself towards the emerald, but with the wind and the rain it’s hard to be accurate. Roll on Sonic’s Coolness, to beat an 8. If he make the roll, turn to 246. Otherwise he misses completely and lands outside the building – turn to 148.

Rolling the die and adding Sonic’s Coolness yields a total of 7, so he misses completely and lands outside the building.

148
Something strange is happening. Standing outside it, Sonic watches the star-shaped building twist and turn, as if it was caught in an earthquake or a massive snake was trapped inside. Strange machines whine and groan. Sections of the building twist over and rotate, forming new shapes and fitting back in different positions. The whole building is changing, not into a different building, but something else, covered in a silvery, shiny metal. Then, with a slow and sinister creaking and hissing of hydraulics, the building stands up. It looks like an enormous metal Robotnik but it must be a kilometre high. Its massive head is lost in the dark clouds above and bolts of lightning flash around its enormous shoulders. It wobbles for a moment, finding its balance, then takes a step forward. The whole city shakes; machines fall over and tall buildings begin to crumble.

‘It’s the platinum robot – the Technobot!’ breathes Sonic. ‘It’s just like level six of Botman!’

Slowly the massive machine raises its foot for another step, and Sonic realizes two things – it’s heading towards the Green Hill Zone, and if he doesn’t move fast, it’s going to tread on him! The heroic hedgehog can dodge the foot and jump onto it as the Technobot strides past (turn to 276); he can dodge and let the Technobot stride past on its way towards the Green Hill Zone (turn to 65); or, if he has the gold cable from the gold robot; he can run ahead and make a tripwire (turn to 202).

Sonic has the gold cable from the gold robot. Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

Oof. Snake Eyes on that roll? That's pretty brutal. Dice can be a fickle bitch!

I'm for trying the trip wire. 3/4 vote for that.

[Thaluikhain]

In that it requires an item, yeah, try tripwire.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; running ahead and making a tripwire.

202
Sonic dashes ahead of the mighty monolith, wrapping one end of the gold cable round the base of a crane and the other round a pipe sticking out of the ground. If he’s judged it right, the Technobot will put a foot down right here, and will trip as it takes another step. The ground shakes violently as the foot lands just where he expected. It dwarfs Sonic and crushes half a building with its toes.

‘Wow!’ the hedgehog thinks, ‘I wouldn’t want to have to find shoes to fit that!’

The robot raises its foot for another step – and it catches on the cable. For a second it’s a battle between the two, then the cable snaps with a twang. Sonic can either leap onto the giant foot (turn to 276), or follow the robot as it heads towards the Green Hill Zone (turn to 65).

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 1
RINGS: 5
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)
Ren-egg-ade cartridge
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge

[Thaluikhain]

Leap on the foot.

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote registered; leaping onto the giant foot.

276


Sonic grabs the edge of the robot’s boot (size 23,000, extra-extra-wide fitting) and hauls himself onto it. It’s a bumpy ride and the hedgehog has to hang on with all his might not to be shaken off. As he hangs on, he looks around and notices a dark patch by the Technobot’s ankle. He crawls closer and sees it’s not a patch, it’s a hole leading inside the robot. He can guess who made from the gnawed teethmarks around the edge, the trademark of another Boombox tunnel. The foot lands and Sonic dashes for the safety of the hole. He makes it before it lifts off again, and hangs onto the side for safety. A piece of paper wraps round his hands – it’s fixed to the inside of the tunnel, and Sonic recognizes the blueprints of the star-shaped building that Boombox found. There’s a note attached, which reads as follows:

‘Dear Sonic, I left this here because it might be useful for you. The X marks where you are now. Love, Boombox.
P.S. press the button.’

Sonic spots a red button underneath the plans. He presses it and a hidden door slides open, revealing a small compartment. Sonic jumps in, the door closes and the compartment starts to move upwards – it’s a lift! Does Sonic look at the blueprints (133), or stay alert in case he’s attacked (turn to 250)?

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Look at blueprints and accept the ambush.

[deaddmwalking]

Works for me.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; looking at the blueprints.

133
The blueprints are wet and muddy, but still readable. They’re of the star-shaped building, not the robot, but by turning the plans upside down and squinting, Sonic can just about guess where things should be now. There’s a big ‘X’ by the bottom of a lift-shaft, and as far as he can work out the lift goes all the way to the top of the Technobot, stopping four times along the way. The plans don’t show what’s at each stop, but some information is better than none and Sonic is grateful to his absent pal. Turn to 250.



250
The lift shudders and sways with every step of the giant Technobot, and Sonic is thrown from one side to the other. He can still hear the crash of the thunder from outside, mixed with the thudding and clanking of the robot. A moment later the lift stops and its doors open. It leads out to a small store-room of some kind, with shelves covered in odd items: a vacuum-tube computer, boxes of transistors, a jar of moustache wax, a half-built robot made of wood, and thirty six pairs of black trousers with an eighty-inch waist. There are also four items within Sonic’s reach, but he can only grab two of them (one in each hand) before the lift doors close. What does he pick?

     A short black cable with small plugs at both ends?     Turn to 63
     A box of cartridges?     Turn to 8
     Some kind of control device?     Turn to 47
     One of Robotnik’s power-up computers?     Turn to 297

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

We have various cartridges already, hopefully we don't need more, so...control device and a power up computer?

[deaddmwalking]

I'm not sure if we have the cartridge(s) we need and they've been useful, and a cord with plugs on both ends sounds like there may be a use. Likely a control device would be most helpful; not sure if the power-up might be bad to use. But I don't have a strong sense either way. Control Device and Power-Up are fine, but I wouldn't mind taking the cable instead of the power-up computer if anyone else thinks that might help more.

[JourneymanN00b]

Picking the control device and one of Robotnik’s power-up computers.

47
The control device is made of shiny metal, with a red button in the middle of it. Engraved in the metal are the words ‘Air Taxi Caller’. It might be important, so Sonic pockets it (write this down). Now turn back to 250 to choose another item or, if Sonic has chosen two already, turn to 165.

Sonic will now choose one of Robotnik’s power-up computers.

297
Sonic cracks open the monitor. Inside are ten gold rings, which he eagerly pockets (write them down). Now turn back to 250 to choose a second item or, if you have two already, turn to 165.

Sonic already chose two items.

165
The lift doors close and it judders and shakes upwards. Sonic peers at the blueprints, trying to work out where he’s going, but it’s impossible to tell. The lift stops with a jolt. The doors open to reveal a corridor, with flickering neon lights on the ceiling and a door at the end. Between Sonic and the door are Boombox and Dancer, and between them and the door is a large silver robot, its arms raised to attack. The two animals look terrified. They haven’t noticed Sonic yet. Sonic doesn’t know how soon the lift will set off again, and it’s the only way to get to the top of the Technobot, where the controls are. He can throw something at the robot to distract it (turn to 27), he can spin-attack the robot (turn to 109), or he can wait and hope that his friends escape on their own (turn to 163).

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 1
RINGS: 15
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)
Ren-egg-ade cartridge
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge
Air Taxi Caller

[deaddmwalking]

I feel like Spin Attack has been the most reliable. Not sure we have anything to throw. 1/2 vote for spin attack.

[Thaluikhain]

I'm worried that spin attacking will involve leaving the elevator and it going off without us, so I vote to throw something.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; throwing something at the robot to distract it won by a 1-0.5 vote.

27
Choose which item Sonic will throw from the ones on his list, and cross it off. Sonic hurls the object down the corridor, trying to bounce if off a wall, to distract the robot’s attention and let Boombox and Dancer run past. At that moment the Technobot lurches, and the missile is now heading for the ceiling. It’s going to miss! Sonic watches as the missile bounces off the ceiling and ricochets down, hitting the robot on its chest and knocking the cartridge out onto the floor. It freezes for a second and Boombox and Dancer dash past it and through the door beyond. Boombox looks back for a second.

‘Great shot, man!’ he shouts. ‘You’re a real hero. Hey, catch this!’ and he tosses a strange device down the corridor, to land in Sonic’s open hands. ‘It’s a lightning attractor!’ shouts the rat. ‘Just press the butt–’ and the lift doors close, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Turn to section 163.



163
The doors slam shut and the lift jerks upwards. Sonic can feel it swinging from side to side with each step of the Technobot, and keeps his fingers crossed that its cable doesn’t snap. Suddenly the lift stops and its lights flicker and go out. In the darkness, Sonic can just hear the faint sound of the doors opening, but it’s as dark outside as it is inside and he can see nothing at all. Does he stay in the swaying lift (turn to 153) or take a chance and jump into whatever is outside (turn to 291)?

Please make your votes on what to throw at the robot and what to do next by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 1
RINGS: 15
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)
Ren-egg-ade cartridge
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge
Air Taxi Caller
Lightning Attractor

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for staying in.

Also...hmmm...do we need an Eggs-ecute cartridge? Half vote for throwing that.