Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Dr.エッグマンのミーンマシーン^[1], Dokutā Egguman no mīn bīn mashīn^?, lit. "Dr. Eggman's Mean Bean Machine") is a puzzle video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Compile and published by Sega, being a loose adaptation of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine for the Sega Mega Drive, which in turn is based on the animated series, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. It was released for the Sega Game Gear and Master System in late 1993 and 1994. Like its Sega Mega Drive counterpart, the game is based on the Game Gear port of Sega's C-2 version of the Japanese puzzle game, Puyo Puyo.

The game's story and gameplay are very similar to its Sega Mega Drive counterpart, but with the version-exclusive Puzzle Mode. Similarly, the 8-bit version of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine has also received numerous ports and re-releases.

Plot[]

At his fortress, Dr. Robotnik shows his minions, Scratch and Grounder, the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine, a device he has created that allows him to turn the beans of Beanville into robots, so that he can get rid of all music and fun on Mobius. Robotnik then orders his minions to catch more beans and bring them into the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine.

It is in this moment where the player attacks Robotnik's dungeons where he keeps his captured beans. However, these dungeons are guarded by Robotnik's henchbots, who start to attack the playable character. After defeating the henchbots, Robotnik himself faces the player, though he is defeated anyway. After the doctor's defeat, the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine is destroyed and all beans are freed.

Gameplay[]

Like in the Sega Genesis version, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is a puzzle video game, which plays similar to Puyo Puyo. The gameplay takes place in two different boards named "dungeons."^[2] The left dungeon is controlled by the player, while the right one is controlled by either a second player or an AI.

The main goal of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is to fill the opponent's dungeon so that they cannot play anymore. Each player will be given two beans in pairs, which will fall until they touch ground. Beans come in different colors, which are red, yellow, green, blue, and pink. When four or more beans of the same color touch each other, they will disappear and go to the opponent's dungeon in the form of refugee beans, which can only be disposed of by making neighboring groups of colored beans disappear. The player can also make chain reactions to make more beans disappear, and as such drop more refugee beans in the opponent's dungeon. Once one of the players is unable to drop more beans, the other player will win.

Controls[]

Button formation	Movement
left/right	Move Beans
/	Rotate Beans
down	Drop Beans faster
PAUSE	Pause

Characters[]

Non-playable characters[]

• Has Bean

Bosses[]

1. Arms
2. Frankly
3. Humpty
4. Coconuts
5. Davy Sprocket
6. Dynamight
7. Skweel
8. Grounder
9. Spike
10. Sir Ffuzzy-Logik
11. Dragon Breath
12. Scratch
13. Dr. Robotnik

Modes[]

Scenario Mode[]

Scenario Mode works as the game's story mode. It is where the player fights against Robotnik's henchbots. This mode is for one player only.

Scenario Mode is composed on thirteen stages, each of them having the player fighting against an AI. If the player managed to win the stage, they will mode to the following one. However, if they lose, they will be taken to a Continue screen, where they will have ten seconds to decide whether of not to restart the stage. The opponents featured in this mode are as follows:

Stage no.	Opponent	Image	Puyo Puyo counterpart(s)	Password
1	Arms		Draco Centauros	N/A
2	Frankly		Suketoudara
3	Humpty		Sukiyapodes
4	Coconuts		Harpy
5	Davy Sprocket		Sasoriman
6	Skweel		Panotty
7	Dynamight		Zombie
8	Grounder		Witch
9	Spike		Zoh Daimaoh
10	Sir Ffuzzy-Logik		Schezo Wegey
11	Dragon Breath		Minotaur
12	Scratch		Rulue
13	Dr. Robotnik		Satan

Gear-to-Gear Mode[]

Gear-to-Gear Mode is an extra competition mode of the game. It is played by having each player's Sega Game Gear connected with a Gear-to-Gear. Gear-to-Gear Mode is largely similar to Scenario Mode.

Puzzle Mode[]

Puzzle Mode is a mode exclusive to the 8-bit version of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. This mode consists of thirty challenges where the player must solve different puzzles using the game's core gameplay mechanics. When pausing a challenge, the player is given the option to quit the Puzzle Mode. Completing a challenge gives a password that lets the player continue from that point when restarting the game. Completing all thirty challenges makes the end credits roll. The list of lessons are as follows:

No.	Lesson	Password
1	Eliminate all red beans.	N/A
2	Eliminate 10 beans at a time.
3	Eliminate all red beans.
4	Eliminate 3 waves of beans.
5	Let 10 pairs drop in.
6	Eliminate 11 beans at a time.
7	Eliminate 4 waves of beans.
8	Eliminate all beans.
9	Eliminate all blue beans.
10	Eliminate all beans.
11	Eliminate 5 waves of beans.
12	Eliminate all beans.
13	Eliminate 4 waves of beans.
14	Eliminate refugee beans.
15	Eliminate 5 waves of beans.
16	Eliminate 9 beans at a time.
17	Eliminate 4 waves of beans.
18	Eliminate 5 waves of beans.
19	Eliminate all red beans.
20	Eliminate all beans.
21	Eliminate 18 waves of beans.
22	Eliminate all red beans.
23	Eliminate all red beans.
24	Eliminate 11 waves of beans.
25	Eliminate 18 beans at a time.
26	Eliminate 18 beans at a time.
27	Eliminate all blue beans.
28	Eliminate 5 waves of beans.
29	Eliminate 5 waves of beans.
30	Eliminate 7 waves of beans.
N/A	Ending

Version differences[]

• Slight visual changes are made in the Sega Master System version. This includes wider menu backgrounds and extended cutscene images.
• The machinery-themed tiles featured in Stages 8-13 are replaced with the standard rock tiles in the Sega Master System.
• The credits screen in the Game Gear version has a blue background, while the Master System version has a black background.

Reception[]

Much like its 16-bit counterpart, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine received positive reviews. Sega Magazine praised the Sega Game Gear version for its presentation, playability and challenge, and concluding the game as being "brilliantly executed and great fun to play."^[5] GamePro described it as absorbing and complex, and pointed it out for having easy controls to use and learn.^[3]

For the game's Nintendo 3DS re-release, Neal Ronaghan of Nintendo World Report gave the Game Gear version an 8 out of 10, praising its addicting and fun puzzle gameplay, but also noted that it can be hard to play in its original resolution.^[4] For the game's multiplayer mode, Ron DelVillano of Nintendo Life stated that "sharing the frustration among pals can be fun, and there's little more satisfying than performing a crushing combo that subsequently dumps a bunch of beans into your friend's column, then laughing right in their face as you parade in victory." He criticized the game's graphics for being outdated, but also praised the gameplay for remaining fresh nearly 20 years after its initial release.^[6]

Re-releases[]

The Game Gear version of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine has been included as an additional game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003) which can be unlocked after collecting 130 Emblems and clearing ten missions. The Game Gear version of the game is also included in Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2004).

In 2003, Sega of America released the Game Gear version of the game for mobile platforms under the Sega Mobile label. Also, in 2013, the Game Gear version was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS at the price of 300 points.^[7]

The Game Gear version was later playable in the 2023 compilation, Sonic Origins Plus.

Image	Game	Platform	Description
	Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut	Nintendo GameCube PC	Featured as an unlockable mini-game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut in 2003. To unlock it, the player must collect 80 Emblems.
	Sonic Adventure 2-Pack	Nintendo GameCube	Featured as an unlockable mini-game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.
	Sonic Mega Collection Plus	PC PlayStation 2 Xbox	Released in 2004.
	Sonic PC Collection	PC	Featured as an unlockable mini-game in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut in 2009.
	Sonic Origins Plus	PlayStation 4Xbox OneNintendo SwitchXbox Series X/SPlayStation 5PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)	The Game Gear version was added to this re-release of Sonic Origins, which released on June 23, 2023.

Staff[]

• Producers: Max Taylor, Masamitsu Niitani (Moo Niitani)
• Directors: Katsuhiro Hasegawa (Hase), Masanobu Tsukamoto (M. Tsukamoto)
• Planner: Kazu&Kozu
• Programmers: Tadashi Eda (E.D.A.), Wahaha, Nattoh
• Designers: Hisato Fukumoto (7LY Big King), Nobuhiko Honda (Noburin), AAA↲, Takako Kawaguchi (Choko), U·D·K, Max Taylor, Brian Ransom, Dave Albert, Tokifuru Morita
• Sound programmers: Masayuki Nagao (Nagao'N'Gee), Masanori Hikichi (Hiki), Haruyo Oguro (Lotty), David Javelosa
• Special thanks: Tsuka-P, 16Bit Staff

©1993 Sega™
©1993 Compile

Trivia[]

• The description for this game in Sonic Origins Plus states "Sonic joins Has Bean, the hero of Beanville, to thwart Dr. Robotnik's evil machinations.", despite Sonic having no visible role in the game. This may imply that the player is actually controlling Sonic's actions throughout the game.

References[]

External links[]

• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at the official Nintendo 3DS re-release website
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine at The GHZ