Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Developer(s)	Compile, Sega Technical Institute (16-bit only)
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Yoji Ishii & Noriyoshi Oba (Producer) T
Engine	Puyo Puyo
Platform(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Virtual Console
Release date(s)	NA December, 1993 EU January, 1994 Master System EU July 26, 1994
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single Player / Double Player / Endless / Puzzle Mode (8-bit versions only)
Rating(s)	VRC General Audiences(GA)
Media/distribution	Cartridge

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, also known as Dr. Robotnik and His Mean Bean Machine in parts of Europe, is a Puyo Puyo game released for the Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, and the Sega Master System. Set in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog universe, it is the first Western Puyo Puyo release, and features Dr. Robotnik wanting to turn the beans of Beanville into robot slaves. This is also one of the very few Sonic the Hedgehog series games in which Sonic does not appear at all. The Mega Drive version was re-released in Sonic Compilation for Mega Drive, Sonic Mega Collection for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, Sonic Mega Collection Plus for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2004; which also contains the Game Gear version, and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (also known as SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in Europe) for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2009.

Plot

Dr. Robotnik has hatched a plan to ensure that no music or fun remains on Mobius. To do this, he kidnaps the jolly citizens of Beanville and stuffs them into a giant roboticizing machine called the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine (hence the name, Mean Bean Machine), so that they become devious little robot slaves, as well as getting rid of them. The instruction manual states that the disappearing Beans are sent to the Mean Bean Machine, regardless of which character does this. The game ends after a face-off with Robotnik.

Gameplay

in-game screenshot of the last level of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.

The game is played with two opponents, each controlling one of two grids. Beans fall from the top in groups of two, coming in various colours and one pair falling each "turn". The player must attempt to arrange the beans into groups of at least four beans all of the same color; should they do this, the beans in the group will disappear.

Players must also contend with clear, or 'refugee' beans which are deposited in the player's grid by their opponent removing larger chains of beans. If a player is able to cause a chain reaction by removing one set of beans, and hence causing another set to group and disappear, and so on, the resultant number of refugees deposited will be far higher. Refugee beans cannot be removed by being arranged into groups of four; the only way to remove them is to remove normal beans adjacent to the refugee. A player can attempt to send refugees to their opponent in order to frustrate their attempts to remove beans. The player whose screen fills up with beans first loses.

The game has three main modes. Scenario Mode has the player going through thirteen levels facing against Robotnik's badniks (which include Scratch, Grounder, Coconuts, and various badniks from the first episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog) before facing off against Robotnik himself. As the game is played, Robotnik's henchmen become increasingly skilled and beans begin to fall faster, making it more difficult to arrange them into desirable configurations. Upon the completion of a level, the game gives the player a password enabling them to start from that point in the game next time they play. Exercise Mode allows the player to play without a CPU opponent, with gameplay going faster as the game goes on. Another player may join in at any time. 1P vs 2P Mode allows two players to compete against each other. The Game Gear version of the game also features Puzzle Mode, in which players must use a limited supply of beans to clear a screen.

Bosses

There are a total of 13 bosses in the Scenario Mode of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. The first twelve are divided into three tiers: Easy, Normal, and Hard, with Robotnik as the final boss.

• Stage 1: Arms; a UFO-shaped robot who, as his name implies, has long arms.
• Stage 2: Frankly; a large Frankenstein-like robot who can shake the screen when dropping beans.
• Stage 3: Humpty; a robot with a shell who has a band-aid he will pick at if he's losing.
• Stage 4: Coconuts; a robot monkey who is Dr. Robotnik's janitor, but claims to be his favorite badnik.
• Stage 5: Davy Sprocket; a pioneer who is searching for trouble.
• Stage 6: Skweel; a "road hog" with wheels for legs and a big appetite.
• Stage 7: Dynamight; a dynamite-shaped robot who loves blowing things up.
• Stage 8: Grounder; one of Dr. Robotnik's robots than can drill and is his "tool of the trade".
• Stage 9: Spike; a rebellious robot who loves spikes.
• Stage 10: Sir Ffuzzy-Logik; a knight-like robot who talks in Old English and carries a trident.
• Stage 11: Dragon Breath; a dragonoid robot who has fiery breath.
• Stage 12: Scratch; a chicken robot who is Dr. Robotnik's right hand man.
• Stage 13: Dr. Robotnik; the deranged mastermind who created the Mean Bean Machine.

Music

The music used in the Mega Drive version of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine are an assortment of remixes from the original Puyo Puyo game as well as having its own soundtrack. These include:

• The Title Theme uses minor chords from the beginning part of Memories of Puyo Puyo.
• The Password music is Memories of Puyo Puyo (but not the full-length song).
• The VS Mode music is Final of Puyo Puyo (without the intro).
• The Panic music is a remix of Final of Puyo Puyo.
• Dr. Robotnik's Intermission music is a looping segment from Brave of Puyo Puyo.
• Exercise Mode uses Sticker of Puyo Puyo.
• The Cast music is Theme of Puyo Puyo.
• The Credits music is Sunset of Puyo Puyo.
• The Game Over music is a minor-chord segment remix of Sticker of Puyo Puyo.

A few tracks that were unused from the game include renditions of Theme of Puyo Puyo, Brave of Puyo Puyo, the original Puyo Puyo win fanfare, an arrangement of the BGM in Stages 9–12, and a fast-paced arrangement of Dr. Robotnik's BGM. Unlike Kirby's Avalanche, where the only original music was Warning of Puyo Puyo, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is the only western release of Puyo Puyo game to feature music from the original Puyo Puyo game.

Releases

The game was released in November 1993 for North America markets. The game was never released as a standalone game in Japan. Compile declined the opportunity most likely because the game was too similar to the popular Puyo Puyo, whose sequel was, at the time, already in development (Puyo Puyo Tsu).^{[citation needed]} When the game finally reached Japan, thanks to Sonic Mega Collection, it became known in that country as "Dr. Eggman's Mean Bean Machine".

An 8-bit version was also released for the Sega Master System and the Game Gear in 1993, which featured similar game play, but also included a "Puzzle Mode", in which the player must clear a series of flashing beans amidst a large pile.

On December 11, 2006, Sega released the game on the Wii's Virtual Console, at a price of 800 Wii Points.^[1]

The game's latest appearance is in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Reception

The game, released for the Game Gear, received positive reviews. The Mega Drive/Genesis versions both received an industry standard 76%.

Reception
Review scores
Publication	Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly	76%
GamePro	100%
IGN	75%

References

1. ^ Parish, Jeremy (2006-10-31). "Wii Virtual Console Lineup Unveiled". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3154811. Retrieved 2006-11-01. 

External links

• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at Game Rankings
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at MobyGames
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at The Internet Movie Database