So… Sonic Eraser. Let’s get this out of the way: I'm not in this one. In fact, this game features two Sonics (and more importantly, zero Eggmans), pitting the hedgehog against himself as an opponent. Bah! As if one Sonic wasn't bad enough!

The game was launched in 1991 over Japan’s Sega Meganet — a digital download service for the Mega Drive’s Game Toshokan. That’s right: a downloadable game, in 1991. Revolutionary tech, squandered on a puzzle game that I'm not even in!

Anyway, it’s a puzzle game. You match shapes, they disappear, you trigger combos — standard stuff. When you do well in versus mode, your Sonic actually punches the other player’s Sonic to disrupt them. Let me repeat that: Sonic punches Sonic. They could’ve made the second character me. I was RIGHT THERE. Believe me, I would have gladly volunteered to punch Sonic!

There are four modes of play — not that any of them involved my majestic presence:

• Round Mode: 40 levels of puzzles. Clear them in under three minutes per round or hit A + C to surrender in shame.
• Normal Mode: Endless mode where the game just keeps speeding up until your reflexes give out. I suppose it’s decent training for dodging my traps.
• Doubt Mode: Adds “lie blocks” that mutate into white squares and ruin your plans. At last, something I can approve of — deception!
• Block Mode: Lets you stack clusters sky-high and set off cascading chain reactions. The one mode where actual destruction feels encouraged.

Honestly? It’s a functional puzzle game. Not bad. But the insult of omission still stings. Two identical blue hedgehogs? Why not let players choose between Sonic and, say, a handsome mustachioed genius? Hmmm?

Still… I have to admit… watching Sonic hit himself is pretty funny. Let's see it again!