Sonic Megathread

[JimNakajima]

Weighing in on the Sonic CD discussion, my relationship with the game is funny.

I love essentially everything about Sonic CD. The spectacular music, the introduction of Amy and Metal Sonic, the vibrant colors in the levels, the time travel mechanic encouraging exploration before 3&K would go on to do the same thing, the animated cutscenes, etc. CD is everything you'd want out of Sonic.

Notice how I didn't say Sonic game, and how I neglected to mention the gameplay in that mini spiel? For everything I love about CD, playing it is not one of those things. The levels send you up down and all around way too much. There isn't tight platforming like any of the other classic games, it's just a constant zig-zag, and then the level ends. Cool.

On one hand, I think the vastly different level design (in comparison to the other games) works to the game's strength... thematically. You're on a different planet (dare I say, a little one), so the geography being nothing like Sonic 1's makes sense. I would even say the wacky level design also gives the setting a natural feeling, rather than a gamey one. The levels contain so many twists and turns that have no rhyme or reason to them, much like how nature does in real life. When you let plants grow uninhibited, they go all over the place, and that's how the design philosophy for CD's levels feel. Unfortunately, in practice, it feels awkward to play.

Even with all its faults, though, CD is a cool game.

 

[Ikagura]

Does anyone else like it when Metal Sonic is more of an evil replica of Sonic, sharing his cocky attitude instead of the usual angry robot? (Like in the OVA, for example)View attachment 123269View attachment 123270

I like Mecha Sonic from 3&K but I wish Sonic Adventure's Mecha Sonic Mk3 was used...

On the other hand I need to redo Sonic Time Twisted someday

 

[trickybus]

MAKE THE CHAO GARDEN SPIN-OFF GAME YOU COWARD

Post automatically merged: Oct 30, 2025

Bring back the fishing minigames

I will fight you

Post automatically merged: Oct 30, 2025

GOD THIS!!! I finally let the chao garden bug bite me this year and I am amazed at just how attached I've gotten to these little dudes. Sega is sitting on a bonafide gold mine if they get their shit together!!!

This is quite literally Takashi Iizuka's fault. He acknowledges that the chao garden is the most requested feature but refuses to do anything about it.

 

[evercaptor]

so many images are not viewble in my region lol

Post automatically merged: Oct 31, 2025

Notice how I didn't say Sonic game, and how I neglected to mention the gameplay in that mini spiel? For everything I love about CD, playing it is not one of those things. The levels send you up down and all around way too much. There isn't tight platforming like any of the other classic games, it's just a constant zig-zag, and then the level ends. Cool.

On one hand, I think the vastly different level design (in comparison to the other games) works to the game's strength... thematically. You're on a different planet (dare I say, a little one), so the geography being nothing like Sonic 1's makes sense. I would even say the wacky level design also gives the setting a natural feeling, rather than a gamey one. The levels contain so many twists and turns that have no rhyme or reason to them, much like how nature does in real life. When you let plants grow uninhibited, they go all over the place, and that's how the design philosophy for CD's levels feel. Unfortunately, in practice, it feels awkward to play.

Even with all its faults, though, CD is a cool game.

Have you played the time trials to unlock the extras in Sonic CD? having beaten them (a few times now in various formats) I think I'd disagree with you about the level design being too zig-zagging. There are absolutely lines you can take that provide you with some very expedient paths to the end of a level, multiple per level in some cases, that have that smooth flow rewarding skill.

With regards to exploration, I really wouldn't look to praise 3&K too highly about this personally, because it falls very much into the "top path vs bottom path" mentality that Sonic 2 adopted. by the time you're in Hydrocity Act 2, Unless there's a path that i simply haven't taken in years becasue i'm so aquainted with the game and my own muscle memory, i don't think there even is a second path to take through the zone. It's just not that game's strength and it's also obviously not something they were targetting so you also can't fault them for it.

Does anyone else like it when Metal Sonic is more of an evil replica of Sonic, sharing his cocky attitude instead of the usual angry robot? (Like in the OVA, for example)

huge agree

 

[ThunderBoy]

so many images are not viewble in my region lol

Images from Imgur

 

[JimNakajima]

so many images are not viewble in my region lol

Post automatically merged: Oct 31, 2025

Have you played the time trials to unlock the extras in Sonic CD? having beaten them (a few times now in various formats) I think I'd disagree with you about the level design being too zig-zagging. There are absolutely lines you can take that provide you with some very expedient paths to the end of a level, multiple per level in some cases, that have that smooth flow rewarding skill.

With regards to exploration, I really wouldn't look to praise 3&K too highly about this personally, because it falls very much into the "top path vs bottom path" mentality that Sonic 2 adopted. by the time you're in Hydrocity Act 2, Unless there's a path that i simply haven't taken in years becasue i'm so aquainted with the game and my own muscle memory, i don't think there even is a second path to take through the zone. It's just not that game's strength and it's also obviously not something they were targetting so you also can't fault them for it.


huge agree

I haven't actually given the time trials a shot, but I'll make sure to check them out the next time I play the game! I've tried many times to appreciate the game on a deeper level because there's so much I deeply love about it. Again, playing it just isn't one of those things (yet). I'll definitely go in with a more open mind whenever I sit down and play the game again.

I do slightly agree with your point on 3&K, though. Don't get me wrong, I love the game, and its sprawling level design. However, the explorative aspect does definitely taper off the further you go, and the levels end up just being big more than anything else. Not sure if that makes sense. I do still find it fun to take different paths when I can, though, that's one of my favorite aspects of Sonic.

 

[Naltic]

Is it true that Sonic is not as popular in Japan as it is outside of it? I heard this was the case, but never questioned it —so is it true?

 

[Ikagura]

Is it true that Sonic is not as popular in Japan as it is outside of it? I heard this was the case, but never questioned it —so is it true?

I see cases where it's true and cases where Sonic is still fairly popular like how people recognise him by his blue design.

Then again it may have changed between epoch.

 

[Mubashureta]

What yall think of the master system sonic 1 port and the other sonic master system games along side with the game gear games?

 

[Ikagura]

What y'all think of the master system sonic 1 port and the other sonic master system games along side with the game gear games?

I think they have interesting ideas but I've always had a hard time with 8-bits Sonic simply because I feel like they're not Sonic games but with Sonic put into it.

 

[mrrgrrgrr]

What yall think of the master system sonic 1 port and the other sonic master system games along side with the game gear games?

I think they're fun games in their own right. I really like Sonic 1 on the Master System, and Sonic Triple Trouble is a great Game Gear game. Sonic Triple Trouble has a fan made Sega Master System port, for anyone interested.

But as much as I like them, I wouldn't play them over the 16-bit games. These days it feels like most people play the 8-bit Sonic games out of curiosity more than anything.

 

[Miles Miles]

Is it true that Sonic is not as popular in Japan as it is outside of it? I heard this was the case, but never questioned it —so is it true?

It's true. Sonic was never that popular in Japan.

 

[Ikagura]

I think they're fun games in their own right. I really like Sonic 1 on the Master System, and Sonic Triple Trouble is a great Game Gear game. Sonic Triple Trouble has a fan made Sega Master System port, for anyone interested.

I'm glad GG2SMS exists since the screen crunch makes some harder to enjoy. I need to redo Ristar with that SMS port.

But as much as I like them, I wouldn't play them over the 16-bit games. These days it feels like most people play the 8-bit Sonic games out of curiosity more than anything.

Most of the time the 8-bits version of a 16-bits game was made for owners of the previous system that weren't rich enough to be able to purchase the next gen hardware. It's why Brazil got a ton of 8-bits version of games that never saw any other releases (such as Street Fighter II' on the SMS).

Sonic 1 8-bits is more or less following the same path as Sonic 16-bits (albeit with some changes and added levels like Bridge Zone) whereas Sonic 2 is its own thing. Sonic 3 (and & Knuckles) never got its own 8-bits adaption, probably because by 1994 the 8-bits were too old to warrant making a port.

I can understand why Sonic Chaos and Triple Troubles (Sonic & Tails 1&2 in Japan) are cult favourite because it has introduced Fang the Sniper among other elements.

Here's the full list of GG and SMS Sonic games:

 

[evercaptor]

I'm glad GG2SMS exists since the screen crunch makes some harder to enjoy. I need to redo Ristar with that SMS port.


Most of the time the 8-bits version of a 16-bits game was made for owners of the previous system that weren't rich enough to be able to purchase the next gen hardware. It's why Brazil got a ton of 8-bits version of games that never saw any other releases (such as Street Fighter II' on the SMS).

Sonic 1 8-bits is more or less following the same path as Sonic 16-bits (albeit with some changes and added levels like Bridge Zone) whereas Sonic 2 is its own thing. Sonic 3 (and & Knuckles) never got its own 8-bits adaption, probably because by 1994 the 8-bits were too old to warrant making a port.

I can understand why Sonic Chaos and Triple Troubles (Sonic & Tails 1&2 in Japan) are cult favourite because it has introduced Fang the Sniper among other elements.

Here's the full list of GG and SMS Sonic games:
View attachment 124721

i need to play the master system sonics at some point. i'd have done it sooner but it always seems to be the game gear ports on the compilations.

 

[JimNakajima]

Is it true that Sonic is not as popular in Japan as it is outside of it? I heard this was the case, but never questioned it —so is it true?

He was designed to appeal to the west iirc. So, yeah, not too popular in Japan. They're always trying to find ways to boost Sonic's popularity over there. In fact, I think Frontiers was the first time in a long while that Sonic actually made a significant splash in Japan.

 

[Ikagura]

i need to play the master system sonics at some point. i'd have done it sooner but it always seems to be the game gear ports on the compilations.

I don't understand either, SA1 and Sonic Gems had these too.

Maybe to save up on disk space?

 

[JimNakajima]

I don't understand either, SA1 and Sonic Gems had these too.

Maybe to save up on disk space?

From what I've gathered, the reason simply seems to be that Sega hasn't developed a Master System emulator. Why? Who knows. Could be a question of consistency as well, since not every Game Gear Sonic game has a Master System version.

 

[PacGuy]

I like me some sonic. I'm in fellas

 

[Ikagura]

From what I've gathered, the reason simply seems to be that Sega hasn't developed a Master System emulator. Why? Who knows. Could be a question of consistency as well, since not every Game Gear Sonic game has a Master System version.

I don't know how emulation was really in the early 00's but I cannot accept that making a 8-bits home console one would've been that hard.

Sonic 1 and 2 on the SMS are better because of the lack of screen crunch.

 

[evercaptor]

I don't know how emulation was really in the early 00's but I cannot accept that making a 8-bits home console one would've been that hard.

Sonic 1 and 2 on the SMS are better because of the lack of screen crunch.

I definitely had an 8-bit emulator for deamcast (unofficial) so it wasn't impossible by any means. And they had emulator working on the Saturn didn't they? with Sonic Jam?

 

[PacGuy]

Some of the more recent Yakuza games have had sms games playable. Like Yakuza:Gaiden for example

 

[Ikagura]

I definitely had an 8-bit emulator for deamcast (unofficial) so it wasn't impossible by any means.

That's interesting. Now the question is about accuracy (aka no lags)

And they had emulator working on the Saturn didn't they? with Sonic Jam?

I read that this wasn't emulation but actually running in a custom engine (so that's why the sound effects are weird).

According to the Wikipedia page:

Unlike later Sonic collections, Sonic Jam does not use a Genesis emulator; the games are true ports, and all are nearly identical to the original Genesis releases, with the exception of minor bug fixes.

Source https://web.archive.org/web/20141114182605/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1954&tab=review


According to Sonic Retro (https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Jam)

Unlike later compilations, Sonic Jam does not emulate Mega Drive hardware - the games have been re-written for the Saturn, though behave almost identically to their original counterparts. It is especially beneficial to PAL users, as the games have been optimised for 50Hz refresh rates (the original PAL versions perform 17.5% slower than their NTSC counterparts and contain borders, as little optimisation work was done between the two versions).

Post automatically merged: Nov 4, 2025

I don't often brag but I can say that I've actually completed Sonic 3 & Knuckles in Sonic Jam on the real hardware

 

[Langoblian]

Is it true that Sonic is not as popular in Japan as it is outside of it? I heard this was the case, but never questioned it —so is it true?

If I remember correctly, in Japan he's more recognizable from his appearances as a mascot than he is as a game character, especially after the classic era. There's been a couple games in the series that did pretty decently there in sales, (Sonic Heroes and Sonic Frontiers) but most of the other games or the movies don't seem to be held in too high of an interest there.

 

[ThatOneLum]

What yall think of the master system sonic 1 port and the other sonic master system games along side with the game gear games?

8-bit sonic games are pretty awesome in most cases, but I'm willing to admit it's mostly only cool if you've only got other master system titles to compare them to.

With the higher-speed games, there's not much reason to return to them unless you're a fan of the character in a more slow-paced platforming game.

 

[JustLooking456]

I love Sonic he's awesome.