It's alright. I had some fun exploring the huge levels
honestly not a fan of the level design in this game, though i do like both the american and the japanese soundtrack! and metal sonic is pretty sick too
Sonic Mania > Sonic CD > 1, 2, 3&Knuckles
Everything except the level design is peak.
Really good when you ain't got an asshole in your ear tellin you it's ass
Dazzling level artstyle!!!
7.2/10
It's fine, I guess? I liked the usage of time travel and the mechanics of using it, special stages were whatever, I enjoyed metal but I wished they showed up a bit more in the game.
The level design is really weird af imo.
It's better than 1 but I enjoyed 2 more
It's fine, I guess? I liked the usage of time travel and the mechanics of using it, special stages were whatever, I enjoyed metal but I wished they showed up a bit more in the game.
The level design is really weird af imo.
It's better than 1 but I enjoyed 2 more
Even to this day, Sonic CD stands out from its Genesis companions, but where once that difference came from how elusive it was—only having a few scattered ports and being included in some random collections— and how few actually managed to even play it when compared to the rest, as it became more easily available during the seventh generation, now it’s because the mythos surrounding it seems to be a space more about disputes than agreements, a far cry from the rest of the original series. I’m not saying that there’s a set of absolute truths surrounding the other games, in fact I myself find hard to love Sonic 2 as much as so many, many others do, but there’s a certain consensus regarding all of those 3 games (& Knuckles) that seems to be lacking over at Sega CD Land.
There seem to be as many enjoyers of the game as there are detractors, and this division of opinions is very much visible to outsiders of the series, and that’s exactly why for the longest time I was both very interested… and weary of Sonic CD. Even so many years later, with its past that once was present behind and now facing the futures, the game is still surrounded by a mysterious aura, or at least it was to me: enveloped in uncertainty, a game so seemingly strange and unique, surrounded by positives and negatives from both sides…
… and yet, the one that ended up captivating my heart.
Despite my best wishes and attempts, I found it incredibly hard to actively enjoy both Sonic 1 and 2, I still wouldn’t call them terrible games under no circumstances, but their low points and my gripes seemed to made it game that I consistently liked, with only some net positives being completely clear… With Sonic CD, I’d end quicker by saying what I didn’t like, in fact yeah, let’s get that out of the way!:
Even tho it has some incredibly interesting ideas and the laser mechanic, Metallic Madness is easily the lowest point of the game, it’s where the game gets closer to the lowest point of some of the past games’ zones, and where much of what I liked from the rest of the experience seems to be missing a bit; it also shares the same problem with Sonic 1 on how actually 100 precenting it doesn’t grant much of an active reward aside of getting the true ending (sort of, we’ll get to that) and…. Uh… I guess some acts share similar design and I wished there was more of a difference in some temporal variations?... Yeah I don’t know I got nothing else… and I could have never seen that coming.
My Sonic Genesis experience has been filled with buts and wishes to be able to love it more, but now I arrive at Sonic CD and from start to finish the only thing I could find myself feeling was… joy, the way I could just gleefully smile while traversing Whacky Workbench, being completely fascinated at the sights and sounds in Palmtree Panic, the feeling of peace and realization at getting my first good future in Collision Chaos; from a first glance Sonic CD doesn’t seem that distinct when compared to the likes of 2 — or even 1 for that matter—, but it’s when playing that the differences shine.
Sonic games always incentivized replays and getting to know the pathing and mastery of its controls, but CD rewards knowledge even beyond that: levels feel MASSIVE, so expansive and open ended that no matter the way you go, you’re most likely going the right way, and it always feels like that. Every single zone is always so damn fun to explore, so many interesting to surprises to discover that it never feels as if you are going around circles or that you are somewhere you shouldn’t be and it’s this exploration that gets tested in the Past version of the stages since you’ll need to find Robotnik’s machine somewhere. What awes me the most it’s how, for a game with so many moving parts (both literally and figuratively), it never slows down, it’s here where I’ve reached the highest speeds more-so than in any other game, dodging and dashing, making use both of the spin dash and the super peel out in different scenarios and situations, and even when the game slows you down, it never feels as it stops you in your tracks and actively makes you wait or do precision platforming for which Sonic isn’t designed for (maybe aside of Metallic Madness), Sonic CD knows what it is and what it wants to do, and does so while looking beautiful.
All zones look incredible, they share a borderline abstract look that gets amplified in the future versions, the good going always for a softer more celebratory look while the bad futures create this overtly and violently mechanical feeling, one that can be seeing again in almost all of the Act 3s; it translates the ideas of the Robotnik’s conquest of this small planet to a tea, and seeing the much more natural, organic look of the past versions and seeing far more free animal where once robots stood it’s not only the perfect way to push players to get the good futures without saying any words, it outright looks incredible. The sprites and sights are a marvel to behold, and they really feel like actual, interesting places, places with history that have been subject to change and thanks to you can improve and hold a much brighter future… and I haven’t even talked about the music! I’ve been utterly lovestruck by the original JP/EU soundtrack, no matter what song, so matter what jingle, it never misses, a perfect dance of techno mixed with the most perfect of ideas to evoke feelings on the player, details like how the themes from the past feel a liiiiittle bit more compressed or how the power-up music ends just as the power-up finishes taking effect are so obvious yet wonderful I can’t stop loving them, easily one of my favorite OST I’ve had the pleasure to listen in a long time. Compliments to the original soundtrack used to be accompanied by a jab to the American OST, but honestly… I also like that too! Nost as much as the Japanese and European one, that’s for sure, but the American goes for a much more atmospheric feeling that it’s appropriate and works super well, the fact this game basically created to amazing soundtracks in one is the funniest yet fitting showcase of how this is a experience that goes the extra mile in every conceivable way, even when it’s not necessary…
A complaint that I’ve seen being predicated by some people over on discussions and even video-analysis is how you don’t really need to engage with the time travel in any capacity to beat the game or complete it to get the true ending, and that is true, but now I cannot scratch the felling that, maybe… that was the point. For how much I’ve talked about it, the past and futures of each of the two first acts of every Zone aren’t required in any way, they aren’t mandatory, and you can ignore them if you choose too, but I found it extremely hard to simply because of how compelling they are: getting to a stop sign and managing to find a way to achieve high enough speeds to time travel its fun on its own, but even beyond that, getting to see how a Zone was before Robotnik completely destroyed it, managing to impact it and actively foil its plans to achieve a better future, or to just witness the bad future or jump across space and time is such a creatively strong decision, it incentivizes speed, it incentivizes exploration, it generates wonder, and the fact that all of that it’s options isn’t a reason to complain, but instead to be marveled at the sheer amount of work at display and the open ended nature of Sonic CD, and it works, it works so incredibly well that I played it yet again after beating it just to try out different paths and time travels, something I had never done with a Sonic game so soon, but with this one I just couldn’t resists, helped in great part by the short nature of the game itself.
CD clicks in a way very few games of this series manage to do with me, a game which even its special stages manage to be a fun time worth mentioning (and far more 3D than 3D Blast honestly!); trying different, challenging ideas to a base formula doesn’t always work, but Sonic CD uses them to expand a world and create a beyond unique adventure, one that starts and ends with beautiful animations, and that across its many levels it just kept me wishing for it to keep going a little bit more, not attempt more unique albeit easy boss battles, to see more of Metal and Amy; Sonic CD is more than an experiment, it’s this world and character taken to it’s most open-ended and crazy potential, and seeing be a reality alone it’s worth admiring, but for it to be so good and inspiring while doing it is on a whole other level.
Sonic CD is easy to love for some, but also easy to dislike for others, it’s a strange game with a ton of ideas that don’t click for some, but honestly, I think it’s quite fitting, a game that attempts so many interesting concepts that gambles between a good future and a bad one, and it ended up getting a mix of some considering how people looks at it in so many different ways. And yet, it keeps on going, and I’m happy to say that at least for me, it creates a future worth fighting for.
Also, I know I’ve been complaining about Metal Madness quite a lot, but it’s all forgiven honestly, why you ask? Because it has this! Not other zone has peak character design! Look at it! LOOK AT IT! THE PUREST OF BOIS! LONG MAY LIVE MINI-SONIC!
There seem to be as many enjoyers of the game as there are detractors, and this division of opinions is very much visible to outsiders of the series, and that’s exactly why for the longest time I was both very interested… and weary of Sonic CD. Even so many years later, with its past that once was present behind and now facing the futures, the game is still surrounded by a mysterious aura, or at least it was to me: enveloped in uncertainty, a game so seemingly strange and unique, surrounded by positives and negatives from both sides…
… and yet, the one that ended up captivating my heart.
Despite my best wishes and attempts, I found it incredibly hard to actively enjoy both Sonic 1 and 2, I still wouldn’t call them terrible games under no circumstances, but their low points and my gripes seemed to made it game that I consistently liked, with only some net positives being completely clear… With Sonic CD, I’d end quicker by saying what I didn’t like, in fact yeah, let’s get that out of the way!:
Even tho it has some incredibly interesting ideas and the laser mechanic, Metallic Madness is easily the lowest point of the game, it’s where the game gets closer to the lowest point of some of the past games’ zones, and where much of what I liked from the rest of the experience seems to be missing a bit; it also shares the same problem with Sonic 1 on how actually 100 precenting it doesn’t grant much of an active reward aside of getting the true ending (sort of, we’ll get to that) and…. Uh… I guess some acts share similar design and I wished there was more of a difference in some temporal variations?... Yeah I don’t know I got nothing else… and I could have never seen that coming.
My Sonic Genesis experience has been filled with buts and wishes to be able to love it more, but now I arrive at Sonic CD and from start to finish the only thing I could find myself feeling was… joy, the way I could just gleefully smile while traversing Whacky Workbench, being completely fascinated at the sights and sounds in Palmtree Panic, the feeling of peace and realization at getting my first good future in Collision Chaos; from a first glance Sonic CD doesn’t seem that distinct when compared to the likes of 2 — or even 1 for that matter—, but it’s when playing that the differences shine.
Sonic games always incentivized replays and getting to know the pathing and mastery of its controls, but CD rewards knowledge even beyond that: levels feel MASSIVE, so expansive and open ended that no matter the way you go, you’re most likely going the right way, and it always feels like that. Every single zone is always so damn fun to explore, so many interesting to surprises to discover that it never feels as if you are going around circles or that you are somewhere you shouldn’t be and it’s this exploration that gets tested in the Past version of the stages since you’ll need to find Robotnik’s machine somewhere. What awes me the most it’s how, for a game with so many moving parts (both literally and figuratively), it never slows down, it’s here where I’ve reached the highest speeds more-so than in any other game, dodging and dashing, making use both of the spin dash and the super peel out in different scenarios and situations, and even when the game slows you down, it never feels as it stops you in your tracks and actively makes you wait or do precision platforming for which Sonic isn’t designed for (maybe aside of Metallic Madness), Sonic CD knows what it is and what it wants to do, and does so while looking beautiful.
All zones look incredible, they share a borderline abstract look that gets amplified in the future versions, the good going always for a softer more celebratory look while the bad futures create this overtly and violently mechanical feeling, one that can be seeing again in almost all of the Act 3s; it translates the ideas of the Robotnik’s conquest of this small planet to a tea, and seeing the much more natural, organic look of the past versions and seeing far more free animal where once robots stood it’s not only the perfect way to push players to get the good futures without saying any words, it outright looks incredible. The sprites and sights are a marvel to behold, and they really feel like actual, interesting places, places with history that have been subject to change and thanks to you can improve and hold a much brighter future… and I haven’t even talked about the music! I’ve been utterly lovestruck by the original JP/EU soundtrack, no matter what song, so matter what jingle, it never misses, a perfect dance of techno mixed with the most perfect of ideas to evoke feelings on the player, details like how the themes from the past feel a liiiiittle bit more compressed or how the power-up music ends just as the power-up finishes taking effect are so obvious yet wonderful I can’t stop loving them, easily one of my favorite OST I’ve had the pleasure to listen in a long time. Compliments to the original soundtrack used to be accompanied by a jab to the American OST, but honestly… I also like that too! Nost as much as the Japanese and European one, that’s for sure, but the American goes for a much more atmospheric feeling that it’s appropriate and works super well, the fact this game basically created to amazing soundtracks in one is the funniest yet fitting showcase of how this is a experience that goes the extra mile in every conceivable way, even when it’s not necessary…
A complaint that I’ve seen being predicated by some people over on discussions and even video-analysis is how you don’t really need to engage with the time travel in any capacity to beat the game or complete it to get the true ending, and that is true, but now I cannot scratch the felling that, maybe… that was the point. For how much I’ve talked about it, the past and futures of each of the two first acts of every Zone aren’t required in any way, they aren’t mandatory, and you can ignore them if you choose too, but I found it extremely hard to simply because of how compelling they are: getting to a stop sign and managing to find a way to achieve high enough speeds to time travel its fun on its own, but even beyond that, getting to see how a Zone was before Robotnik completely destroyed it, managing to impact it and actively foil its plans to achieve a better future, or to just witness the bad future or jump across space and time is such a creatively strong decision, it incentivizes speed, it incentivizes exploration, it generates wonder, and the fact that all of that it’s options isn’t a reason to complain, but instead to be marveled at the sheer amount of work at display and the open ended nature of Sonic CD, and it works, it works so incredibly well that I played it yet again after beating it just to try out different paths and time travels, something I had never done with a Sonic game so soon, but with this one I just couldn’t resists, helped in great part by the short nature of the game itself.
CD clicks in a way very few games of this series manage to do with me, a game which even its special stages manage to be a fun time worth mentioning (and far more 3D than 3D Blast honestly!); trying different, challenging ideas to a base formula doesn’t always work, but Sonic CD uses them to expand a world and create a beyond unique adventure, one that starts and ends with beautiful animations, and that across its many levels it just kept me wishing for it to keep going a little bit more, not attempt more unique albeit easy boss battles, to see more of Metal and Amy; Sonic CD is more than an experiment, it’s this world and character taken to it’s most open-ended and crazy potential, and seeing be a reality alone it’s worth admiring, but for it to be so good and inspiring while doing it is on a whole other level.
Sonic CD is easy to love for some, but also easy to dislike for others, it’s a strange game with a ton of ideas that don’t click for some, but honestly, I think it’s quite fitting, a game that attempts so many interesting concepts that gambles between a good future and a bad one, and it ended up getting a mix of some considering how people looks at it in so many different ways. And yet, it keeps on going, and I’m happy to say that at least for me, it creates a future worth fighting for.
Also, I know I’ve been complaining about Metal Madness quite a lot, but it’s all forgiven honestly, why you ask? Because it has this! Not other zone has peak character design! Look at it! LOOK AT IT! THE PUREST OF BOIS! LONG MAY LIVE MINI-SONIC!
Acting technically as Sonic 3 for the franchise, this game brought some new and unique mechanics to the franchise, most notable is the time travel mechanic which utilized sonic's speed. However it gets tedious to find the perfect stretch of level to preform time travel, and the level design of the zones are a downgrade from sonic 2. The most notable thing this game did was introduce Amy and Metal sonic
Easily the best classic sonic game I've ever played. Sporting a phenomenal ost, insanely fun and creative zones, and a killer sense of style, this sonic game is like no other and I can't ever get enough of it!
Definitely the most unique game out of the classic Sonic games. Also, arguably one of the best soundtracks in all of gaming: the Japanese soundtrack.
Sonic CD but slightly better. not that that means much
One of the best soundtracks in gaming history, some of the best pixel-art aesthetics in gaming history, I've re-listened to this game's soundtrack probably hundreds of times now, it's pure bliss to the ears.
The visuals too are wonderful, and the variety you get from all the different versions of levels available!
Unfortunately, the level design is quite weak. The game is more heavily reliant on verticality and exploration, but Sonic doesn't really fit that sort of gameplay. The level design had to be compromised so he can reach so high and low instead of giving Sonic a new ability to deal with the stages.
It's definitely much more fun on replay and, is a very fun game in general, it's just not on the same level as the other genesis era 2D sonic games, discounting sonic 1
The visuals too are wonderful, and the variety you get from all the different versions of levels available!
Unfortunately, the level design is quite weak. The game is more heavily reliant on verticality and exploration, but Sonic doesn't really fit that sort of gameplay. The level design had to be compromised so he can reach so high and low instead of giving Sonic a new ability to deal with the stages.
It's definitely much more fun on replay and, is a very fun game in general, it's just not on the same level as the other genesis era 2D sonic games, discounting sonic 1
Played this game solely for the JP soundtrack, its still so good
7/10
7/10
Never played this one past the first couple of stages but I finally sat down to play it all and its a goody. I like the games set up with exploration as a focus helping it set itself apart from the other genesis titles and it makes running through the levels in time trial real fun.
This games got a vibe and its graphics are the peak for the genesis era. It's really fun to see the different eras of the levels through the different eras tilesets and backgrounds. The soundtrack helps continue the good vibes (or bad if you're in the future and haven't broken robotnik's shit yet) and both versions of the soundtracks are good for their own different reasons.
Only cons I really have for the gameplay side are the super peel out feels very useless compared to just spin dashing (except for like 1 skip trick) and the bosses are super weak. They're not misrable to fight against (except the pinball table boss) but they're super simple and don't really do much. One of the bosses will literally die in three hits and the final boss isn't a final boss. Just another eggman mech thing that really sucks. At least Metal Sonic is cool but even he doesn't last long.
Special stages are also the best in the genesis games. Fuck the trippy spinny stage, fuck that halfpipe, and fuck blue spheres, this is where it's at. Great modern port with tons of extras and that opening is still a joy to see.
Overall, good game. Liked it a lot more than I was expecting.
This games got a vibe and its graphics are the peak for the genesis era. It's really fun to see the different eras of the levels through the different eras tilesets and backgrounds. The soundtrack helps continue the good vibes (or bad if you're in the future and haven't broken robotnik's shit yet) and both versions of the soundtracks are good for their own different reasons.
Only cons I really have for the gameplay side are the super peel out feels very useless compared to just spin dashing (except for like 1 skip trick) and the bosses are super weak. They're not misrable to fight against (except the pinball table boss) but they're super simple and don't really do much. One of the bosses will literally die in three hits and the final boss isn't a final boss. Just another eggman mech thing that really sucks. At least Metal Sonic is cool but even he doesn't last long.
Special stages are also the best in the genesis games. Fuck the trippy spinny stage, fuck that halfpipe, and fuck blue spheres, this is where it's at. Great modern port with tons of extras and that opening is still a joy to see.
Overall, good game. Liked it a lot more than I was expecting.
Can someone tell me why everyone loves this game? If you say "the music" you should stop talking immediately
na primeira jogatina é legal
depois vc broxa muito muito
depois vc broxa muito muito
As my first sprawl into the Sonic franchise, i had a pretty good time with this one. OST is a banger (like every Sega game ever). Time travel mechanic with past and future versions of stages is a mechanic i would like to implemented in other games. CD is great what more can i say. Now to play Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
/Played through the Sonic Origins Collection/
/Played through the Sonic Origins Collection/
Sonic CD repete o que Sonic 1 fez só que pior, o level design é muito mal arquitetado, cheio de adições desnecessárias e que afetam o dinamismo do jogo
Mas pra mim de longe o problema desse jogo é os Special Stages, que são tão ruins quanto os do Sonic 1, chega á ser estressante.
Mas pra mim de longe o problema desse jogo é os Special Stages, que são tão ruins quanto os do Sonic 1, chega á ser estressante.
It's good
The best one
Los últimos 2 niveles son horribles.
Abandoned due to a rather unfortunate factor. This port is fucking broken for whatever reason. I ran it on my PC, and no matter what I've tried, it always runs WAAAAAAAAY faster than usual (I even changed HZs for the record). So my Plan B; the Steam Deck! And it results in a black screen. I even tried that GE Proton or whatever it's called. STILL no dice. I probably could get this port running if I really tried, but at this point I'll just buy it on Xbox 360. No regrets.
Not as good as people make it look.
This is MY fucked up piece of shit of a game. Whitehead fixed a lot of the programming errors of the original but ensured it was still a fucked up game. I respect the hell out of it. Still mad SEGA took it off the steam store post Origins. The port’s UI is just nicer, even if Origins’ is effectively a straight port of the Whitehead version.
Still no fox sidekick but hey really cool robot and female Sonic!
does it work as a sonic game???? no...
but it's still really good, you just gotta get in the exploration mindset. would've worked fine with like, any other IP tho. also the OST bangs???
but it's still really good, you just gotta get in the exploration mindset. would've worked fine with like, any other IP tho. also the OST bangs???
lol
Solid mechanics but the level design is a bit all over the place, the time traveling is pretty charming specially for the time this game came out, but going for the generators is tedious, the timestones can skip the hassle but then you miss out on the time traveling aspect, just overall a mixed bag with some fun ideas
Japan OST >>> Western OST (except for tidal tempest)
Japan OST >>> Western OST (except for tidal tempest)
Sonic CD is a different take on classic Sonic level design and exploration that I think works overall. Zones are complex with multiple paths to explore, not to mention the past and future variants of zones which add even more replayability. Special stages are fun, the JP soundtrack is fantastic, and the levels are enjoyable if a bit too short (Palmtree Panic and Quartz Quadrant come to mind). Bosses are a bit more gimmicky this time and can be a bit tedious or boring to fight, but are fun overall. The time travel mechanic can also be a bit annoying when you're trying to speed through a level and suddenly have to juggle your time to make sure you don't get sent to the future or past. I'd say Sonic CD is worth your time, although unfortunately you can only play it through Sonic Origins now if you didn't own it prior to that game's release.