Sonic Mega Collection Plus

"A good collection, but it does have several bad games."

Sonic is one of video games' most memorable and exciting characters. He has been in some of the greatest platformers and gave Mario and Nintendo a run for their money. While Mario, Zelda, and other series have compilations, Sonic does not. That changes with the Sonic Mega Collection. While the thought of a Sonic compilation was a great idea, most of the games on the disc, such as Sonic 3-D Blast, were not very good. However, the good games that are on the disc are the timeless classics, such as the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic Mega Collection Plus also features the Sonic games from the Game Gear.

Graphics:
The graphics of each game are an exact replica of their original releases. Everything is easy to see and filled with vibrant colors. The animation is good in every game and the Game Gear games look and animate great. The frame-rate rarely slows. A great job overall on every game.

Control:
Most of the games have great control, but several games come up short. Sonic 3-D Blast is difficult to control, even with the analog stick. Sonic Labyrinth is also difficult to control and the response is sluggish at best. Sonic Drift has terrible turning. Most of the games, however, have near flawless control. Sonic can roll and jump with tremendous speed. Slowing down Sonic is easier than it sounds.

Game Selection:
This collection as a whole is not very strong, but it does have four classics and several good games. Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3, and the spin-off Sonic and Knuckles are the reasons why I recommend this compilation. These games featured the blinding speed and platforming that made the Sonic series revered. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and Sonic Spinball are not timeless classics, but are good games and can get addictive. Sonic 3-D Blast is not a good game due to its awful controls.

Sonic Mega Collection Plus also contains the Sonic games from the Game Gear. Most of them are good, but Sonic Labyrinth and Sonic Drift both exhibit bad controls. Turning in Sonic Drift is nearly impossible to master. This collection also features unlockable games.

Audio:
The music in all of the games are great. This is why I love playing classic games again. The music is great and will provide a dose of nostalgia to long-time Sega fans. The sound effects are also excellent and accurate to the action. Some of the Game Gear games, however, did not transition well.

Overall:
This is a good collection overall. It does contain the classic side scrollers and several other good games, but several of the games, such as Sonic 3-D Blast and Sonic Drift, are not good at all.

Score: 7 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/03/07