- Pronouns
- He/Him
Release Date: June 23, 2022
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam & Epic Games Store) - Base is Digital Only, Plus is Physical/Digital
Price: $39.99 (Standard/Plus), $44.99 (Digital Deluxe), $9.99 (Plus Expansion Pack)
Number of Players: Single System (1-2)
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: SEGA, Headcannon
Genre: Action, Platformer, Adventure
Game File Size: 3.6 GB (Standard), 3.8 GB (Digital Deluxe)
Supported Languages: American English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
Sonic Origins is a compilation of classic Sonic titles originally released on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive. Blast through Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles with new features and plenty of bonus content.
These aren’t just emulated ports - all the games in this collection are updated versions of the classic games. The versions of Sonic 1, 2 and CD included in this collection are based on the 2011 and 2013 Retro Engine remakes done by Christian “Taxman” Whitehead and Simon “Stealth” Thomley of Headcanon. Headcannon has returned to develop the new remake of Sonic 3 and Knuckles found in this collection, also in Retro Engine. All other aspects of the title have been developed in-house at SEGA.
You can play each game in one of two modes. Classic Mode mimics the original format of each game with a 4:3 aspect ratio and a lives/continues system. Anniversary Mode presents each game in a 16:9 aspect ratio, infinite lives, coins replacing lives that can be used to retry special stages, and allows Sonic to perform the Drop Dash move from Sonic Mania. Like in the prior Retro Engine remakes, you can play as either Sonic or Tails in CD* or as Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles in the other three titles.
Want to play all the games in one continuous adventure? Try out Story Mode, featuring new cutscenes animated by Powerhouse Animation Studios with Tyson Hesse and written by Sonic comic writer Ian Flynn. Or try out some of the additional modes each game provides. Boss Rush lets you take on all of Dr. Eggman’s diabolical contraptions. The unlockable mirror mode reverses all of the act layouts - hope your muscle memory doesn’t get in the way!
*Sonic Origins Plus adds Knuckles to Sonic CD - see below for details.
Beyond the games themselves, Sonic Origins packs in a Mission Mode, tasking you with clearing certain objectives. Clearing these missions rewards coins based on the Rank you receive. As previously mentioned, these coins can be spent in Anniversary Mode to retry failed special stages, but they can also be used to purchase artwork, music, and videos in the museum.
The museum contains a bevy of content, from a full sound test to concept art and other illustrations. It even contains all six episodes of the Sonic Mania Adventures web series.
The star of the show is the brand new remake of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, marking its first rerelease since 2011. Alongside the enhancements and additional features the other game received, this remake features lots of new touches to polish up the original experience. From new sprites and animations to a full screen competition mode during time trials and additional Blue Spheres stages, this remake is a labor of love by a dedicated team (well, that was the intent, anyway). So, why hasn't the game been rereleased since 2011, you might be wondering? The other Sonic games got ports all throughout the 2010s, after all. While there is no confirmed reason, speculation revolves around select pieces of music from the game.
Not all of Sonic 3’s music was composed in-house - Michael Jackson and his sound team, including his music director Brad Buxer, was hired by SEGA to compose some of the tracks. However, Jackson would go uncredited for his work - some say due to the emerging allegations of child sexual abuse, others due to Jackson being unhappy with how the Genesis made his music sound. The music used bears resemblance to other tracks - Ice Cap was derived from Hard Times, a then-unreleased track from Buxer’s band the Jetzons, Carnival Night resembles Jam, and the end credits theme would be the basis for Stranger in Moscow according to Buxer.
The 1997 Sonic & Knuckles Collection on PC would feature some of the tracks replaced by different songs - including but not limited to Carnival Night, Ice Cap, Launch Base, and the ending theme. It was speculated that all of the tracks that were replaced were done by Jackson and his sound team. The discovery of a Sonic 3 prototype containing the “replacement” tracks paints a fuller picture - SEGA composers wrote some songs prior to Jackson’s involvement, then Jackson and his music team composed new tracks which replaced the SEGA compositions, and finally SEGA reused the original tracks for the Sonic & Knuckles Collection to avoid any legal issues. It is speculated that, after Jackson’s death, licensing issues with the tracks kept SEGA from rereleasing the game further.
The solution SEGA has taken for Sonic Origins is to replace the Jackson tracks with their equivalents from the Sonic 3 prototype/Sonic & Knuckles Collection. Most of the replacement tracks are lifted directly from the Sonic 3 prototype, while a few other tracks (namely Carnival Night and Launch Base) were rearranged to better match their Sonic & Knuckles Collection counterparts. Meanwhile, an unused theme from the prototype has been repurposed for the New Blue Spheres mode. There’s also a new Super Sonic theme, which is, uh…interesting. Yeah, let’s call it that.
Beyond the standard $40 release, Sonic Origins features a digital deluxe version, two DLC packs at $4 a pop, and even a pre-order bonus. The concept was mocked, both for having DLC and a digital deluxe version for a classic compilation in the first place and because of SEGA’s poor attempt at explaining what came with which purchase. I’m going to break it down and explain, for those interested:
- The Premium Fun Pack contains various additions, including harder missions, letterbox backgrounds, and various animations and camera controls for the Menu Islands.
- The Classic Music Pack adds music from Sonic Spinball, Knuckles’ Chaotix, and Sonic 3D Blast to the museum’s music player.
- The Digital Deluxe Edition contains all the features from the prior two packs except for the letterbox background.
- Regardless of whether you got the Standard Edition or the Digital Deluxe Edition, pre-ordering the game (labeled as the “Start Dash Pack”) gets you 100 additional coins, unlocks the mirror mode from the start, and the letterbox background otherwise exclusive to the Premium Fun Pack.
One year to the day after the base release (and after many ratings board leaks), Sonic Origins is getting a much-needed upgrade. Sonic Origins Plus is an updated re-release that adds new content both to the existing games and to the collection as a whole:
- Amy Rose is now a playable character in all four games with a brand new, hammer-swinging moveset.
- Knuckles is now playable in Sonic CD, including some exclusive routes.
- All 12 Sonic Game Gear games are available as bonus games!
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Sonic Chaos
- Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
- Sonic Drift
- Sonic Drift 2
- Sonic Spinball
- Tails Adventure
- Sonic Labyrinth
- Sonic Blast
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- Tails' Skypatrol
Unlike with the main games, these are not recreated in a new engine, instead being standard emulated re-releases. No Master System versions, unfortunately.
- All of the content from the previous DLC (the Premium Fun Pack and the Classic Music Pack, and by proxy the content of Digital Deluxe Edition) are included.
Sonic Origins Web Manual
MetaCritic: 78 (PS5 version) | 75 (Xbox Series) | 72 (Nintendo Switch)
OpenCritic: 77 | Strong
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