Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is an 1993 Sega Genesis video game, being an interesting Spin Off of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series—or in this case, a spinoff of DiC's Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series. Wheras most Sonic games are typical platformers, this game is, of all things, a puzzle game—or specifically, an American mock-up of the japanese puzzle classic Puyo Puyo!

The plot is centered around AOSTH's Dr. Robotnik, who, in an attempt to guarantee no fun or music on Mobius, kidnaps the citizens of Beanville to be thrown into a Roboticizer-esque device, the eponymous Mean Bean-Steaming Machine, to be converted into robotic slaves for the doctor. Unfortunately, Sonic himself is nowhere to be found, so you, the player, must take up the noble deed of bringing down Dr. Robotnik's scheme, but not before beating his mooks in their bean puzzle games!

Despite getting top billing, you do NOT get to play as Dr. Robotnik in this game. Gamers would have to wait until Sonic Adventure 2 before gamers could play as him, and it would be another few years before he got his own fangame to himself, Super Robotnik Land.

Compare Sonic Spinball, which is a Spin Off game very loosely based on Sat AM Sonic the Hedgehog. Also compare "Kirby's Avalanche" for the SNES, which was another Puyo Puyo mockup.

Tropes used in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine include:
  • Ascended Extra: The majority of enemies you face in this game were minor characters in the pilot episode for Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ("Sonic Search And Smash Squad"). Most of them aren't even granted real names or speaking roles outside this game.
  • Body Horror: The beans being turned into robots via the Mean Bean Machine.
  • The Cameo: Scratch and Grounder make background appearances initially, and you get to challenge both of them later, as well as Coconuts. Many characters from the Adventures of Sonic pilot appear as boss characters in this game.
  • Collapsing Lair: What happens to Robotnik's lab when you defeat him.
  • Compilation Rerelease: Is a staple of many Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog collections.
  • Dolled-Up Installment
  • Easter Egg: If you press buttons on the title screen, you can make some of the letters jump.
  • Everything's Better with Monkeys: Coconuts.
  • Evil Laugh: Wait long enough on the Game Over screen, and Robotnik delivers a grainy one—he also does this if you lose during the final battle against him.
  • Mecha-Mooks: Robotnik's minions.
  • Nintendo Hard: Especially if you manage to get as far as Robotnik.
    • Justified, since a unique password function was added to this version of the game, the difficulty has been upped slightly.
  • No Fourth Wall: Yes, YOU, the player, are really the one who has to save the day. No sign of Sonic anywhere.
  • Oh Crap: Most of the opponents do a variation of this when their area begins to overfill.
  • Pun: The first robot you fight isn't above making a crack about his extendable arms.
    • Every single enemy does this in their banter to some extent.
  • Punny Name: Has Bean, the little guy who sticks in the middle of the gameplay columns.
  • Slasher Smile: Most enemies bear a particularly evil grin whenever you're on the losing end.
  • Songs in the Key of Panic: A particularly frantic one is used whenever you overstack your beans. Especially effective since it is remixed from the final boss theme from the original Puyo Puyo.
  • Toothy Bird: Scratch, when he shows an Evil Grin whenever he gets the upper hand over you.
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