Memory Lane #4: Sonic Boom! Sonic CD is now 25 years old
And so we meet again once more, readers. Welcome to the fourth issue of GBAtemp’s “Memory Lane” series, where we discuss influential and nostalgic games and hardware that have reached an anniversary milestone. In this installment, we’ll be talking about a game that has gone from being a niche cult classic, to something beloved, and is now considered merely ‘okay’ these days. Exactly 25 years ago saw the release of Sonic CD, the black sheep of the classic Sonic series of old school platformers starring the blue blur. An American release would follow on November 19, 1993, which would see the soundtrack replaced by new songs, including the title theme, of which has become instantly recognizable for most series fans.
If you couldn’t tell by the name, Sonic CD released as a system seller for the Sega CD addon. Sonic 1 had become a mega-hit and helped propel SEGA into an era where they were considered an equal to Nintendo. Now, it was time for a follow up. The development team from the first game had split off and gone with Yuji Naka over to the United States to work on what would become Sonic 2, while the team in Japan also prepared to make Sonic 2 as well. However, events transpired which lead to the games splitting, with Sonic CD keeping the time travel mechanic and trying new things, and Sonic 2 focusing on refining Sonic 1's formula and creating a faster paced game.
Thanks to this split, we got two 2D Sonic games one after the other. Sonic CD was due for a release a bit closer to Sonic 2's, but delays pushed it towards the following year. You can still see how there's many elements from Sonic 1 (rather than its sequel) still entrenched in the gameplay, such as a much different spindash, or the slower overall pace of things. On top of that, you have the time travelling mechanic, where you can switch between the past, present, and future, each of which have slightly different level layouts and wildly colorful and detailed designs. As opposed to later entries, Sonic CD isn't about finishing the level quickly, and is instead based upon exploring a level to find out secret areas and paths by switching time periods to destroy Dr. Robotnik's robot generator machines hidden in each act. Doing so would grant you a "Good Future", saving the world and preventing it from a dark timeline where robots and devastation would rule.
Due to the extra processing power of the Sega CD, Sonic CD was able to make use of FMVs and high quality music. This resulted in a highly memorable soundtrack with energetic tunes, which would alternate depending on what part of the level you were in, with three tracks per "stage"; normal, good future, and bad future. The American release decided to overhaul most of the songs with compositions by Spencer Nilsen, creating contentious debates that continue on to this day over which region had the better OST. Where previous Sonic games had a simple title screen with Sonic confidently wagging his finger to players, CD took things further, and had an entire animated cutscene as the intro, stunning those saw it.
In 2005, fans had a new way to experience Sonic CD--through the GameCube's Sonic Gems Collection. It was included for the first time in a compilation pack with other more niche Sonic games alongside Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters. During this time, message boards, gaming communities and chatrooms of the early 2000s held Sonic CD in high regard, even claiming it to be the best Sonic game ever. This created a level of hype and demand for a modern day port of the game, due to so many people wanting to experience such a beloved "masterpiece". Christian Whitehead, also known as Taxman, gave the fans what they wanted, when he created a remastered version of the game for consoles, PC, and mobile.
However, times have changed, and with the release of Sonic Mania and the rise of nostalgia for Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the common consensus of today seems to consider CD to just be mediocre, and perhaps even overrated. It's been two decades and a half since this game hit the market, and it clearly left its mark on history, influencing future Sonic games, bringing fans together to see it re-released, and giving us Metal Sonic and Amy, two characters who have been mainstays in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. And all of this started way back on September 23, 1993.
What are your thoughts? Did you play this at launch on a real Sega CD, or did you experience it on the GameCube or older PC port? Were you lucky enough for the Taxman version to be the first one you played? And do you think Sonic CD still holds up to this day? USA or Japanese soundtrack, which is better?! Let us know in the comments below!
If you liked this article, and would like to see more of these anniversary celebrations in the future, be sure to comment as well, and mention which game you'd like to see featured in future threads!
