Tails' Skypatrol

Tails' Skypatrol is a 1995 horizontal-scrolling shooter video game published in Japan by Sega for the Game Gear. It is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and one of two Game Gear games to star Sonic's sidekick Tails. The player controls the titular character in his quest to stop the evil witch Witchcart before she conquerors an island and turns its inhabitants into crystals. Gameplay involves shooting enemies, collecting power-ups, and defeating bosses.

 

Skypatrol was developed by Japan System House with assistance from SIMS, a part-owned subsidiary of Sega at the time. It was in development as an educational game for a cancelled handheld system, before being moved to the Game Gear due to its similar hardware architecture. It did not feature the Sonic branding until it was presented to Sega, which requested the main character be replaced with Tails. Skypatrol received largely negative reviews, with critics focusing specifically on its high difficulty and poor controls. It has been re-released through Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2004) and Sonic Gems Collection (2005).