Issue 88

Issue 88 is the eighty-eighth edition of Sonic the Comic. Released on the 2nd of October 1996 at the price of £1.20, the issue contains four original stories (two of them new) as well as several features and a pin-up of Elliot from NiGHTS Into Dreams.

Strips

Sonic the Hedgehog

The Ultimate Nightmare is a complete story written and drawn by Nigel Kitching, coloured by Andy Pritchett and lettered by Tom Frame. Sonic and the Chaotix Crew have discovered that Super Sonic is slowly escaping the Omni-Viewer, despite Charmy Bee already knowing. They're distracted when they pick up a box owned by Lightmare that gives Chaotix nightmares. Sonic is left to stop Lord Sidewinder and his gang from capturing Super Sonic. When Bio-Hazard vomits on his boss, the villains leave but reveal that Nack the Weasel is somehow responsible.

Knuckles the Echidna

The Good, The Bad and The Echidna is a 4-part story by Kitchiing, Nigel Dobbyn and Elitta Fell. Knuckles is in a Backwater prison cell where Deputy Krouch accuses him of trying to kill Rooster. Later, Knuckles is dragged off to be lynched by Boss Krouch's men but is rescued by the return of the town's sheriff.

Tails

Small Change is a complete story by Lew Stringer, with art from Roberto Corona and Steve White, letters by Frame. Grimer's cousin Slimy is sick of being ignored and has invented a reducing ray to turn Tails into a tiny fox. The hero is forced to battle a spider before destroying Slimy's Hulko-Droid from the inside.

Sonic's World

Future Shock is a 3-part story written by Stringer, drawn by Corona, coloured by Pritchett and lettered by Frame. The Future Sonic has led the Freedom Fighters right to Doctor Robotnik. However, the dictator reveals that the hedgehog is just an aging clone of Sonic. The clone defects and seeks out Sonic, with the pair of hedgehogs freeing their friends from the Troopers. Soon after, the clone bursts into energy.

Features

Megadroid hosts the Control Zone and looks forward to next fortnight's Hallowe'en issue with the return of Decap Attack. There's plenty of movement in the Sega Charts, with Olympic Summer Games moving to the top of the Mega Drive chart, Brutal: Paws of Fury being the new Mega-CD leader and The Lion King doing the same fo the Game Gear. Mortal Kombat 3 is a new entry in first place on the Saturn chart.

This issue's Review Zone is a Sega PC special, with the first page hyping up gaming on personal computers. To accompany this, PC re-releases are covered by an unknown reviewer; Ecco the Dolphin receives 94% and Comix Zone scores lower with 82%. The Pixel Zone features computer artwork with the artists receving a pack of Crayola Mini Stampers 2.

The Q Zone begins with the final part of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 revisited, with a guide on how to catch the Chaos Emeralds in the 8-bit version (despite being accompanied by Mega Drive screenshots). Sonic the Hedgehog 3 begins on the next page, starting with the first two Zones.

Speedlines features letters about Virtua Cop 2, an original Hallowe'en story and homemade computer games. Printed letters won Boomers a Sega Mega Hog Tag.