Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
| Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine | |
|---|---|
 Title Screen (Mega Drive version) | |
| Developer | Compile Sega Technical Institute |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platforms | Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii Virtual Console, Mega Drive Mini |
| Players | 1-2 players |
| Release date | Mega Drive
Master System
Game Gear
GameCube (Sonic Mega Collection)
Xbox (Sonic Mega Collection Plus)
Playstation 2 (Sonic Mega Collection Plus)
Microsoft Windows (Sonic Mega Collection Plus)
Wii Virtual Console
Mega Drive Mini
|
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is Sega's localized version of Puyo Puyo (1992) using characters from the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. The game, released in 1993, features Dr. Robotnik as the main antagonist, challenging players to engage in fast-paced puzzle battles against his robotic minions by matching colorful beans in a Tetris-like fashion.
Story
The evil Dr. Robotnik has hatched yet another plan to ensure that no music or fun remains on Mobius. To do this, he kidnaps the citizens of Beanville and stuffs them into a machine called the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine, turning them into robot slaves. The player, a citizen of Beanville named Has Bean (a renamed Carbuncle), must now defeat each of the robot guards and Robotnik himself to foil his evil plans.
Stages
Unlike Puyo Puyo, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine gives players a password after each stage so they can continue (or start) from any point in the story mode. There are 13 stages.
Easy levels
- Arms - A weak red UFO shaped badnik with long stretchy arms. Plays like Draco Centauros.
- Frankly - A purple macho bot who likes to smile. Plays like Suketoudara, and shakes the board like Zoh Daimaoh.
- Humpty - A shy robot based off Humpty Dumpty, who will peel at the bandage on his face when worried. Plays like Sukiyapodes.
- Coconuts - A monkey who claims to be Robotnik's favorite robot, but is always put on sanitation duty. He still does his best to capture Sonic any chance he gets, and is a recurring character in the TV series. Plays like Harpy.
Normal levels
- Davy Sprocket - A pioneer-based bot who's always searching for trouble and adventure. Plays like Sasoriman.
- Skweel - A snobby pig on wheels who's a literal road hog, arguably the most hated. Plays like Panotty.
- Dynamight - A TNT–based badnik with an "explosive" personality. Plays like Zombie.
- Grounder - The successor to Dr. Robotnik's Burrobots. This specific Grounder is a failed clone of another robot, Scratch, and was placed on Robotnik's "Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad" alongside him. He isn't very smart, much like his partner. He is a recurring character in the series. Plays like Witch.
Hard levels
- Spike - A fat rebellious robot who insults fellow badniks. Plays like Zoh Daimaoh, though he doesn't shake the board like Frankly and Dragon Breath.
- Sir Ffuzzy-Logik - A scary-looking knight who carries a trident. Plays like Schezo Wegey, which is odd since they're both old fashion warriors.
- Dragon Breath - A reptile bot who teases or holds rivalry toward Ffuzzy-Logik, they could be possibly be friends though. Plays like Minotaur.
- Scratch - Robotnik's right-hand Badnik. He is Grounder's partner in the S.S.S.S.S. Squad, and is the smarter of the two, though this doesn't say a lot considering his own stupidity. He is a recurring character in the TV series. Plays like Rulue.
Final level
- Dr. Robotnik - The demented doctor himself. He thrives on pain and suffering, and hates joy, fun, and most of all, his nemesis Sonic the Hedgehog. Fed up with his minions' incompetence, he decides he has to "do his own dirty work and blend those beans" himself. Plays like Satan.
Passwords
These are passwords that can be used to start at any stage in the scenario mode on the specified difficulty.
Easy difficulty
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 - Frankly |  
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| Stage 3 - Humpty |   
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| Stage 4 - Coconuts | 
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| Stage 5 - Davy Sprocket | 
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| Stage 6 - Skweel |
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| Stage 7 - Dynamight |
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| Stage 8 - Grounder |
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| Stage 9 - Spike |
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| Stage 10 - Sir Ffuzzy-Logik |
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| Stage 11 - Dragon Breath |
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| Stage 12 - Scratch |
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| Stage 13 - Dr. Robotnik |
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Normal difficulty
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 - Frankly |
|
| Stage 3 - Humpty |
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| Stage 4 - Coconuts |
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| Stage 5 - Davy Sprocket |
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| Stage 6 - Skweel |
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| Stage 7 - Dynamight |
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| Stage 8 - Grounder |
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| Stage 9 - Spike |
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| Stage 10 - Sir Ffuzzy-Logik |
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| Stage 11 - Dragon Breath |
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| Stage 12 - Scratch |
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| Stage 13 - Dr. Robotnik |
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Hard difficulty
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 - Frankly |
|
| Stage 3 - Humpty |
|
| Stage 4 - Coconuts |
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| Stage 5 - Davy Sprocket |
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| Stage 6 - Skweel |
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| Stage 7 - Dynamight |
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| Stage 8 - Grounder |
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| Stage 9 - Spike |
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| Stage 10 - Sir Ffuzzy-Logik |
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| Stage 11 - Dragon Breath |
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| Stage 12 - Scratch |
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| Stage 13 - Dr. Robotnik |
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Hardest difficulty
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 - Frankly |
|
| Stage 3 - Humpty |
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| Stage 4 - Coconuts |
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| Stage 5 - Davy Sprocket |
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| Stage 6 - Skweel |
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| Stage 7 - Dynamight |
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| Stage 8 - Grounder |
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| Stage 9 - Spike |
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| Stage 10 - Sir Ffuzzy-Logik |
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| Stage 11 - Dragon Breath |
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| Stage 12 - Scratch |
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| Stage 13 - Dr. Robotnik |
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Development
The success of Sonic the Hedgehog resulted in an increase of Mega Drive sales and boosted Sega's popularity. During Sonic's popularity in the early 1990s, two Sonic cartoons were created by DIC Entertainment (which was later folded into Cookie Jar Entertainment, then later folded into WildBrain, formerly known as DHX Media). One was light-hearted, while the other was more serious in tone. The characters from the light-hearted cartoon, Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog, would be used in Mean Bean Machine to replace the Puyo Puyo characters.
Trivia
- This game retains the AI glitch from Puyo Puyo (1992)'s original arcade and Mega Drive versions. Holding left or right on Controller 2 will disable the AI's ability to manually drop pieces.
- Five songs from the original game can be heard. The two-player competitive mode uses the theme "Final of Puyo Puyo," the practice mode and game over screen, albeit shortened for the latter, uses "Sticker of Puyo Puyo," the cutscene before the battle with Dr. Robotnik uses "Brave of Puyo Puyo" like in the original, the password entry screen uses "Memories of Puyo Puyo", and the character roll uses an altered version of "Theme of Puyo Puyo."
- Interestingly, the original "Theme of Puyo Puyo" can be found in the game's data.
- Arle's graphics in the original Puyo Puyo (1992) must be loaded alongside the dialogue boxes. As such, the developers left her sprites in, and chose not to draw them during pre-battle cutscenes. There is also a set of Harpy sprites, as well as Lesson/Endless Mode graphics, VS difficulty sprites, the "PAUSE" graphic from the original, the original game over screen, the original victory and loss graphics from VS mode, the original high score screen, the original font, and a credit counter from the arcade version.
- This game is one of the selections on the Sega Mega Drive Mini in North America (as Sega Genesis Mini) and Europe, replacing Puyo Puyo (1992). Switching the system language of the North American/European version of the system to Japanese, Traditional Chinese or Korean replaces this game with its overseas counterpart. The latter game is a part of the Asian version of the console. Interestingly, when M2, the creators of the Mini's emulator, localized SEGA Ages Puyo Puyo, they did not include Mean Bean Machine at all.
- The Mean Bean Machine is a boss in the video game Sonic Mania in act 2 of the Chemical Plant Zone. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Mighty or Ray (with the latter two added in Sonic Mania Plus) will be forced into a Mean Bean match against Dr. Robotnik, with the loser being dropped into a spike pit. This mode is identical to the original Puyo Puyo, meaning offsetting is not possible. The match also plays a remixed version of "Final of Puyo Puyo."
- It can also be played as an unlockable mode, if 21 of the 32 total medals are obtained. The background of the unlockable mode is based on the background of Puyo Puyo's Endless Mode.
- The 2022 film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 references the game with a coffee shop called the "Mean Bean" serving as a hideout for Robotnik.
- In Sonic Origins Plus, the Game Gear version included as DLC has its flavor text when selecting the game suggest that the player is in fact Sonic himself, taking a role similar to Arle in the original Puyo Puyo.
- The Sonic the Hedgehog themed LEGO set, Tails' Adventure Boat, includes a LEGO piece printed with an image depicting the battle with Dr. Robotnik from this game, with Dr. Robotnik's portrait now based on his LEGO Minifigure seen in other Sonic the Hedgehog themed sets. Has Bean and various colored Beans can be seen as well.
External links
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at Sonic Retro.