Sonic CD

"Arguably the best Sonic game ever made...arguably.."

Ah...Sonic CD. Just the mere remainder of this game makes me glad to have owned a Sega CD. Why else would I have bought this game THREE times throughout my life??

Back to the Sonic

The plot goes like this: Eggman (Robotnik to U.S. fans) is trying to take control of Little Planet, a planet where time has no meaning, as it arrives in its monthly transition on the planet the Sonic universe takes place on. In addition, he has taken capture of Amy Rose through his newest creation, Metal Sonic. Needless to say, Sonic isn't going to sit around and let Eggman get away with this, so off he goes to stop Robotnik, save Amy Rose, and restore order to the Little Planet.

Along the way, Sonic will have to collect seven Time Stones, the game's Chaos Emeralds, as well as go back in the past and stop Robotnik's contraptions from ruining the future of each of the seven zones: Palmtree Panic, Collision Chaos, Tidal Tempest, Quartz Quadrant, Wacky Workbench, Stardust Speedway, and finally, Metallic Madness, the token machinery zone at the end of every action Sonic game.

Sonic 1 1/2

Originally made after Sonic 1, and in production around the same time as Sonic 2, Sonic CD was pushed back to a later date so that Sonic 2 could reap in sales for Sega. This explains the old Sonic 1 sprite used throughout the game. It's kind of distracting, actually, because the colorful, beautiful zone foregrounds and backgrounds make Sonic look even older than he should. Aside from that, the graphics are pretty good, though it's nothing the Genesis couldn't have handled. The anime intro and closing also look nice, though they are a little too short, in my opinion. The 3-D special stages are ok, too.

The audio, however, is a different story. Along with the classic Sonic sounds we all know and love (like the infamous ring sound), we also have well-composed, crystal clear music, both in the U.S. and Japanese versions. The Japanese soundtrack, however, is better in my opinion: the U.S. music doesn't fit quite the mood in some levels (save Metallic Madness). Oh well...at least they kept in the past music, IMHO the best music in the game.

Then there's the usual, solid Sonic controls. Sonic jumps and runs just like he always has, though his Spin Dash doesn't seem as useful as it should. The Super Peel Out is also pretty lame, as you can be hurt during it. But, as I said before, the controls are solid for the most part.

Overall, the game pretty much plays EXACTLY like Sonic 1, with one exception: time traveling. Sonic can use signs labeled ''past'' and ''future'' to travel between the past, present, and future of the first two acts of every zone. Too bad Sonic Team didn't work with this a little more: there's not much difference between the past, present, and future of most acts aside from color and the number of enemies, usually. The only exception is the water level Tidal Tempest, where the water level is at different levels depending on where you travel (higher in the future, lower in the past). Oh well, you can't blame them for trying.

Sonic the Savior

Sonic CD is pretty much Sonic 1 with slightly different level layouts, better graphics, CD-quality music, 3-D bonus stages, a save feature, and more extras (like a time attack mode, a sort of art gallery, and pencil sketches). If you can stand the loading times, and the lack of originality in level designs (as well as the U.S. music), you'll find a fun, rewarding Sonic game. How much you like Sonic CD depends on how much you love Sonic: if you're a die-hard freak like me, you'll want to go out and buy a Sega CD and Sonic CD just to play this (it's the reason I bought a Sega CD ^_~). Casual Sonic fans, however, might just want to stick to their 16-bit and 128-bit Sonic games instead. They aren't missing out on much.

As for me...I LOVE THIS GAME!! Despite its faults, it's still my favorite Sonic game. Sonic Adventures 1 and 2 don't even come CLOSE to this.

Graphics (7/10): Beautiful, colorful backgrounds and level designs. Still looks like it could have been done on Genesis, though, save the anime intro and ending.
Sound and Music (6/10 for U.S., 9/10 for Japanese): Classic Sonic sfx, and great, crystal-clear music. U.S. music could be better...
Control (9/10): If it wasn't for the lame Spin Dash, this would have gotten a perfect score.
Gameplay (10/10): Run around, collect 7 token items, and battle bosses at the end of each zone...classic Sonic gameplay.
Replay (8/10): The seven zones are fun to play, and the secrets locked within the game will make you want to come back for more. And if you own the Japanese/European version, so might the music ^_~

Overall (9/10): Arguably the best Sonic game ever, though only a true, die-hard Sonic fan will probably tell you that. Sonic Team's finest Sonic effort.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/13/02, Updated 10/13/02