Hello! I have the next entry in Retro Revival, where I discuss the classic games that have been given another chance on modern platforms. These can be in the form of HD remasters, emulated ports and roms that are part of collections. This week, I will be covering Sonic Origins, a collection of the original 2D platformers, remastered with new features and special content. This was brought to modern systems through Retro-Engine, releasing across all platforms.
Disclaimer: the games discussed in this feature have been purchased by me, so the opinions given within are my own. There has been no sponsorship of content within this feature. Links to the different versions of the game will be provided at the bottom of this feature where possible.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. For this release, I will be discussing the general gameplay experience for the base game, then discuss the expansion before going into some history, providing my personal thoughts on it as a whole at the end.
SONIC ORIGINS
Released in 2022 following the success of the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, SEGA and Sonic Team worked with Studio Headcannon to create Sonic Origins. This was created to be the ultimate celebration of the original run of 2D Sonic games, containing Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic 2 and capping off with Sonic 3 & Knuckles. These games have been fully remastered using the Retro Engine, creating true widescreen versions of these classic games.
In this package, there are two distinct play modes that players can enjoy, with Anniversary and Classic modes to select from. The Classic mode lets players enjoy the games in the original aspect ratio, with the original mechanics characters and lives. This offers as close to an original experience as possible for players. All four of the titles are playable in this mode, retaining their unique gameplay elements, with the ability to save progress.
Then we have the Anniversary mode, which offers a fully remastered version of all games. In this mode, players are able to experience these classics in a variety of new ways. The first is the introduction of brand new cutscenes, animated to tell the story that connects the games. This is followed by the introduction of upgraded gameplay mechanics, allowing Sonic to use all his skills across the series including the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania.
Players can also play most games as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, with the ability to have Sonic and Tails team up in some of them. There is a save file for each character, letting players freely play the game at their own pace. In Anniversary mode, the lives are replaced with coins, which are collected by getting 100 rings, completing challenges and hitting what would be life monitors. Coins replacing lives gives players infinite retries, with there being no definitive game over.
These coins come in very handy during play and outside of the game. In the special stages, if the player is unable to complete it and get a chaos emerald, they will be able to use a coin, letting them try the stage again. This can be done until either the player clears the special stage, or run out of coins and get kicked out. Away from the games, the coins are used to buy items from the special museum, which contains music, art and more.
If the player clears a game in anniversary mode, they will unlock Mirror Mode, which lets players play the entire game in reverse. This increases the replay value of the games, allowing players to experience them in an entirely new way. Then there are the other extra modes, like the Mission mode, where players will take on special challenges to get a ranking. The successful completion of missions gives the player coins to add to their total number.
The player can also challenge all of the bosses for each game, via the Boss Rush mode, where they will be given three lives to clear all bosses. This is a time trial mode, where the best time that the player gets will be added to the records. The last mode is Story, which stitches all of the games together, allowing the player to experience the game as a single complete experience. Story Mode follows the chronological order of games, playing as Sonic.
All of the games in the collection, for both Anniversary and Classic mode have rankings of each Act. There is also a leaderboard for Boss Rush and Mirror Mode, recording the best times for the player to add to the rankings. The inclusion of rankings and online leaderboards is a great choice, allowing all players to test their skills and compete. This can be a great introduction for those who may want to enter the Speedrunning scene for Sonic the Hedgehog.
When released, there were special DLC packs released as optional bonuses. These packs included additional wallpapers for the Classic Mode screens, special character animations and new missions. There was also a special pack that unlocked Mirror Mode at the start, making them accessible without clearing the games. Last is the Classic Sound Pack, containing music packs from Sonic Spinball, Knuckles’ Chaotix and Sonic 3D Blast.
SONIC ORIGINS PLUS
Released one year after Origins, SEGA released Sonic Origins Plus, a special enhanced version of the game. This was released as a special physical release, consisting of the game and a code for the PLUS content. It was also released as an expansion for the digital version, or as a special complete release. This new expansion brings all of the content that was released with Origins, containing all DLC, alongside additional content exclusive to this version.
The first and biggest addition is making Classic Amy Rose a playable character, with her own special abilities and super/hyper forms in Sonic 2 and 3. She has also been added to various elements of the game, with special sprite work that has been created for her. Classic Amy can use her Piko Piko Hammer, having a hammer dash that lets her run while swinging. She can also use the hammer when she jumps, expanding her jump ability.
Amy can be played in all games, giving players a brand new way to experience the classics. The Sonic CD game has also been updated, allowing Knuckles to be played. With this inclusion, there are new routes that have been added to the game, making it feel new and unique once again. All of the playable characters are now accessible across all games. This lets players take on the challenges of all four adventures across the game.
Then we have the special Game Gear collection, which contains all 12 of the Sonic games that were released on SEGA’s full color handheld system. These games are all emulated using a proprietary emulator made for this expansion. The stand out games here are Sonic the Hedgehog/Sonic 2 8-bit, as well as Sonic Chaos. Then there are the less popular releases like Tails’ Skypatrol and Sonic Labyrinth, which are fun but are vastly different.
Included with the Game Gear collection are Sonic Drift, Drift 2 and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, which offer 2 player gameplay. These games can be played in local multiplayer, allowing two players to enjoy these games. When playing in the two player modes, a second screen will appear for the player, emulating the link play capabilities that the original game gear possessed. This allows new players to experience these classic titles.
The expansion also includes updates to the games, with fixes to the Drop Dash, adding the original Knuckles in Sonic 2 screen and general changes. There is also a special celebration image, called the Surprise Illustration which is unlocked by completing challenges. The challenges to unlock the Surprise Illustration are tied to the Game Gear, Knuckles in Sonic CD and Amy Rose. Completion of the image gives a coin reward and details on all game cheat codes.
Personal Thoughts
Over the years, there have been many compilations and collections featuring Sonic the Hedgehog. These include Sonic Jam, Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Classic Collection, containing the classic games, often with Sonic CD excluded. But there was a period where Sonic 3 & Knuckles was missing from collections, which was speculated to be due to legal disputes. These issues were related with some music featured in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
While these issues have not been remedied, SEGA pushed forward with Sonic Origins, replacing the Mega Drive/Genesis music with remastered versions of Prototype music. This did lead to some negative responses, due to the popularity of the original soundtrack of the game. The overall quality of the replaced music doesn’t match that of the original or the Beta, but it is a serviceable replacement. Due to this, it is now possible to play all of these games in a single collection.
I abstained from picking up the original release of Sonic Origins, as I waited for a physical release. When the physical Origins Plus was released, I picked it up and was initially disappointed that the expansion was a code. However, this wasn’t that big of an issue as the content can be shared, with the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation allowing additional systems to use it. It is also possible to pick up the expansion if the game is used or buying digitally.
With the inclusion of the three modes, Anniversary, Classic and Story, this gives players multiple ways to experience these classic titles. Then there is Mirror Mode, which provides a brand new way to play, taking the familiar stages and making them feel fresh. One of my favourite additions was Classic Amy, which felt long overdue for her to be in a 2D Sonic game. She fits perfectly in these games, with her design being adapted from her Sonic CD appearance.
One of the first things I did when I picked up Sonic Origins Plus, was to play through all of the games as Classic Amy. This was a whole new experience for me, being able to play as a character that I had only ever seen in rom hacks. She has been given an excellent toolkit, taking her unique traits into account like the hammer, which extends to her super form. In Sonic 3, Amy can throw endless hammers in Super form, but all 14 emeralds are needed.
I had wanted to play as her in an official capacity, so this was one of the driving factors behind getting this. Then there is the inclusion of the Game Gear titles, as many of them are excellent by themselves, even if some suffer from screen crunch. This is an unfortunate issue that was unavoidable, as many of the games were reworked versions of SEGA Master System games. But they play just as well, even if there are some sound hiccups.
This is the definitive celebration of the classic 2D era of Sonic the Hedgehog, offering players the best possible way to play these classics. What makes this collection so important, is the fact that it is the first time ever that all games have been released together. It also marks the first time since 2010 that Sonic 3 & Knuckles was on consoles. However, the game was available for a while on Steam, being removed when Origins was announced.
If you are a longtime fan, a late adopter or are entirely new to classic Sonic games, this is highly recommended. The collection is rather inexpensive in a physical format, but the digital version can be a little more costly. If you pick up the physical version, depending on the region you get, there will be special reverse sleeves. These are based on the original box art for Sonic the Hedgehog, with the design based on the PAL, NA and JPN regional version of the game.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems covering forgotten games, more Retro Revival features and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.
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