Tails' Sky Patrol



Tails' Sky Patrol is a game released for the Game Gear in 1995, and only in Japan (prior to being ported to compilations). It features Sonic's pal Miles "Tails" Prower, in the first of two Spin Off games the lovable fox cub recieved. In this game, Tails shoots a ring to grab things, and must save an island from the evil Witchcart, a witch who rides in a mine cart and turns trespassers into crystals.

Tropes used:
 * A Day in The Limelight: One of two spinoff games the lovable fox cub got for himself.
 * And I Must Scream: Although it's not shown in game, the story mentions that Witchcart turns trespassers into crystals.
 * Anticlimax Boss: While the final boss, Witchcart herself, is by no means a cakewalk (it's possible to get a cheap hit that'll quickly knock you onto the floor if you're not careful), she is comparitavely easy in contrast to the previous bosses and can be defeated the most quickly.
 * Balloonacy: Once in a while you'll have to grab a balloon to help you reach a area Tails would die trying to reach otherwise due to Tails being unable to stop moving left.
 * Beneath the Earth: The first part of the third stage is set in a cavern (which is suspiciously similar in appearance to Mystic Cave Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2).
 * Evil Witch: Witchcart.
 * Excuse Plot: Witchcart is turning intruders on an island into crystals, and Tails has to stop her and her minions. Go at it.
 * Girls Have Cooties: Carroieta's main attack is blowing kisses.
 * Green Hill Zone: The training area at the beginning.
 * Invincibility Power Up: An invincibility power-up exists in the game, but it lasts such a short time that it's borderline useless.
 * The Lost Woods: Level 3
 * Mecha Mooks
 * Meaningless Lives: The game gives you infinite continues, which in some way compensates for its grueling difficulty.
 * Nintendo Hard: Even though the game is surprisingly short (only five levels), you will have a hard time beating it. Among the factors that make it hard include the claustrophobic stage design, the constantly moving screen and Tails' floaty controls, which leaves very little room for error, and not to mention that if you touch ANY surface beyond an item, you will die. The lack of a save or password function in the non-Gems Collection versions make this game only beatable by the most dedicated gamers, and with this in mind, it's no surprise why this game didn't get released outside of japan...
 * No Export for You: Prior to being included in Sonic Adventure DX and Sonic Gems Collection, the latter of which mercifully grants a save state feature, making the game much more feasible to win.
 * One Hit Point Wonder: Tails, although this applies to him touching any surface beyond items or contraptions. An airborne hit will usually just stun him, although that often leads to crashing into a nearby surface.
 * Power Up Food: Tails periodically needs to eat mint candies in order to fuel his flight meter.
 * Rail Shooter: A bizarre mix of this and platformer elements.
 * Spin Off
 * Stock Animal Diet: Carroietta fires carrots as missiles.
 * Taken for Granite: Tails is threatened with this.
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Mints are powerups in this game. His original character bio states that Tails loves mints.