Sonic Mega Collection Plus Review

Who’d have thought it? Sonic the Hedgehog, unashamedly one of the ‘old guard’ of computer game culture, enjoyed a stellar return to popular form in 2004. Spurred on by a new cartoon series and the critically derided Sonic Heroes (which topped the UK charts for months on end), it seemed that a re-release of the GameCube Sonic Mega Collection was on the cards for PS2 and Xbox late in the year to capitalise on the resurgence. ‘Only’ months later, Mega Collection Plus finds its way to European shores and the classic titles that near-defined video games for a generation of gamers find themselves before a new generation.

Despite all the recent titles, such as Heroes and the Sonic Advance titles on GBA, Mega Collection Plus proves that Sega have quite simply never bettered their original high-octane platforming series, as it appeared on the Megadrive. The exact opposite of rival Mario in every way, Sonic is all about bounding, leaping and spinning; all at the same time, and at 100 miles per hour. Everything that made Sonic great at the time remains exemplary – the fast pace, the sensation of building speed and zipping through the intricately designed stages, the fantastically defining soundtrack – everything. The weighty feel of Sonic as he pushes up to speed and screeches to a halt; as he jumps from platform to platform and bounces off spring pads; as he majestically swoops through loops and segues from running to spinning with uncompromising speed and grace – all of this which later games could not manage to achieve, the classic titles pull off with ease and style.

Quite a range of titles are presented in this collection. Each of the classic Megadrive games are presented in their full glory, replete with Sonic & Knuckles ‘lock-on’ variants (although strangely the lock-on games are hidden away and must be unlocked). Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remains, arguably, the finest of these games, however each one retains the charm and style that set them apart from other contemporary platformers, be it the irrepressible soundtracks, the wonderfully designed bosses or the ever-entertaining special stages (while the Sonic games were never famous for their difficulty pitch, the challenge of collecting all the Chaos Emeralds remains tight and satisfying). Also included from the Megadrive era are a few interesting curios in the form of Sonic Spinball, the Sonic-themed pinball game, Sonic 3D: Flickies Island, the isometric platformer from Travellers Tales, and Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, the puzzle game given a Sonic face-lift which is now probably better known under its original name of Puyo Pop. While the former 2 probably earn their place as extras and are unlikely to source a great deal of interest other than through curiosity (Sonic 3D has aged particularly, failing as it does to capture the frenetic joy of Sonic and lacking in the stylistic charm of its original cousins), Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine remains furiously addictive and challenging and well worth inclusion in this collection.

There are also a number of other Sonic games collected – namely the full gamut of Game Gear Sonic titles. They are an interesting insight into how Sega supported its one-time handheld system – interesting, that is, to see that they did not support it too well. Indeed, the phrase ‘second fiddle’ springs instantly to mind when playing these games, lacking as they do the trademark velocity of Sonic and the imaginative and complex design of the Megadrive games’ zones despite mimicking them almost entirely. Most of the titles prove to be little more than nostalgia trips at the best of times and in many cases have aged so terribly that it almost seems difficult to believe that the Sonic the Hedgehog brand was stamped onto them – Sonic Drift now appears as the lame attempt to cash in on the critical success of Mario Kart that it is, while Sonic Labyrinth is a bizarre isometric experiment best left forgotten. Many of these games epitomise the situation that Sega found themselves in during the mid-90s, supporting both the Megadrive (clearly their primary system) while at the same time a significant Master System base still existed which craved Sonic with envious eyes. The lower resolutions, reduced colours and massively reduced numbers of sprites on screen in zones often poached directly from the classic titles compare most unfavourably with their bigger brothers, more so now than ever. While they retain a certain level of playability (indeed, it would be unfair to call all of them complete failures as games, Sonic the Hedgehog in particular managing to retain some composure), they should be considered as little more than nostalgia fodder.

But what of what’s missing? Derision will no doubt be levelled at the fact that, once again, Sonic CD does not find a place on a Sonic compilation title. Also missing is 32X title Knuckles Chaotix, a title the vast majority of people will never have had the chance to play. Despite this, it’s hard to complain at the breadth of titles on offer in this compilation, representing as it does, the largest collection of Sonic games yet seen – also included are a couple of other Megadrive classic titles including Flicky, Comix Zone, The Ooze and Ristar, all fine choices from the Megadrive back-catalogue and interestingly enjoyable inclusions (even if their method of unlocking is exasperatingly derivative, requiring the player to start and quit out of certain games upwards of 20 or 30 times before the hidden games become available).

Extras (as if the ensemble cast already presented was not enough) come in the form of some character art, a few movies and the entire back-catalogue of Sonic the Comic – perhaps not as comprehensive a selection of features, oddities and rarities as seen in the likes of Sonic Jam, but a hearty selection none the less. The inclusion of the comic series is odd, but none the less welcome and is sure to please collectors and younger players alike.

Throw all of this together on one disk and you’ve got easily one of the most appealing collections of old games ever devised. Those who purchased Mega Collection on the GameCube will be miffed but for PS2 and Xbox owners this is an essential purchase. The emulation of the games is nigh-on perfect (although pedants will note that sound emulation is a little off) and save states are even offered should you wish to stop playing before you finish (how did we ever do it all in one sitting before?). There’s virtually nothing to complain about here and Sonic Mega Collection Plus comes highly recommended – glowing praise for classic Sonic? Who’d have thought it?