If you open and exit this review 20 times, you'll unlock my review for Blue Spheres.
There was a long stretch where Sonic Mega Collection was my go-to way to play through the classic Genesis series, and I have a lot of fond memories of me loafing around my dorm room with my GameCube hooked up to my tiny CRT, just running through Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the millionth time. Loading it up again today for the first time in nearly 20 years, it's not surprising to me that every save slot for that game is filled up, played to 100% completion, with every combination of characters possible. I had a lot of time on my hands.
I still make enough time to go back and play these once or twice a year, and seeing as I've made the absolutely insane commitment to play every Sonic the Hedgehog game (that I am physically able to before the Sonic rot becomes terminal and fully cannibalizes my brain), I figured I should throw Mega Collection and the other compilations onto the pile and see how they stack up against each other.
Well, I've been busy breaking down each compilation with highly corrosive materials, mixing them in beakers and testing them with specially designed strips to indicate their purity, and the results are in: Sonic Mega Collection is (probably) the best one (maybe.) To date, I've tested Gems Collection, Sonic Jam, Origins Plus, and I've dabbled with the PlayStation 2 release of Mega Collection Plus, and all of them are in their own ways more compromised than vanilla Mega Collection. And yeah, I probably could've figured that out without a visit from the cops and the fine folks at the Department of Environmental Quality. Sure, just playing these games would've been "safer" and wouldn't have resulted in an "ecological disaster" or the production of "radiological material..." Whatever.
Mega Collection is a pretty straight-forward package, a real "has all his fingers and toes" release that gives you exactly what you want. The Genesis trilogy of games runs perfectly fine, I didn't encounter any more bugs than I would during a normal playthrough of these games on Genesis hardware, and while there is some audio cues here and there which don't sound quite right, it's nothing as egregious as Sonic Jam. Probably the biggest downside to actually playing these versions of Sonic 1-3 is using the GameCube controller, but if you're the sort of person who, in the year 2024, decides to play through the original Sonic games on GameCube hardware specifically, then an aftermarket controller with a proper d-pad won't set you back much and you're probably crazy enough to already have one.
Unlocking additional games - including Flicky and Ristar - however, is a total hassle. You have to boot up specific games a certain number of times before additional games will unlock, and I have no idea who thought that was a good idea, but they should be frozen and preserved until future generations develop the level of technology necessary for truly understanding their brain. Practically, if you wanted to unlock everything fast you could just keep backing in and out, but a more sensible way to do this would be unlocking new games for completing old ones. Or just have them all unlocked from the start. Really no reason not to.
Full manuals are also included for each game but navigating them is a chore and the scan quality is just low enough that they become difficult to read on a CRT. The included gallery of Archie Sonic comic covers is also hard to look at, but I did have a decent time flicking through these and remembering all the good and bad that was Archie Sonic. Did you know there's an issue where an evil Sonic (who wears a leather jacket so you know he's bad) transports himself to Sonic's world and enacts a master plan to make Sonic have too many girlfriends by kissing all the pretty ladies he can find, and then in the next couple stories Sonic's whole problem is he doesn't know how to manage a polycule? Well now you do. I put that knowledge in your head.
There's definitely better ways to play these games. I'd easily recommend Sonic 3: AIR or Sonic 3: Complete, for example, but if you're wanting something official and physical, Mega Collection is a decent package that does right by the included games. Plus, you can look at comic covers and remember they interrupted the main story to do a two-part Guardians of the Galaxy parody and that Knuckles was green for some reason.
There was a long stretch where Sonic Mega Collection was my go-to way to play through the classic Genesis series, and I have a lot of fond memories of me loafing around my dorm room with my GameCube hooked up to my tiny CRT, just running through Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the millionth time. Loading it up again today for the first time in nearly 20 years, it's not surprising to me that every save slot for that game is filled up, played to 100% completion, with every combination of characters possible. I had a lot of time on my hands.
I still make enough time to go back and play these once or twice a year, and seeing as I've made the absolutely insane commitment to play every Sonic the Hedgehog game (that I am physically able to before the Sonic rot becomes terminal and fully cannibalizes my brain), I figured I should throw Mega Collection and the other compilations onto the pile and see how they stack up against each other.
Well, I've been busy breaking down each compilation with highly corrosive materials, mixing them in beakers and testing them with specially designed strips to indicate their purity, and the results are in: Sonic Mega Collection is (probably) the best one (maybe.) To date, I've tested Gems Collection, Sonic Jam, Origins Plus, and I've dabbled with the PlayStation 2 release of Mega Collection Plus, and all of them are in their own ways more compromised than vanilla Mega Collection. And yeah, I probably could've figured that out without a visit from the cops and the fine folks at the Department of Environmental Quality. Sure, just playing these games would've been "safer" and wouldn't have resulted in an "ecological disaster" or the production of "radiological material..." Whatever.
Mega Collection is a pretty straight-forward package, a real "has all his fingers and toes" release that gives you exactly what you want. The Genesis trilogy of games runs perfectly fine, I didn't encounter any more bugs than I would during a normal playthrough of these games on Genesis hardware, and while there is some audio cues here and there which don't sound quite right, it's nothing as egregious as Sonic Jam. Probably the biggest downside to actually playing these versions of Sonic 1-3 is using the GameCube controller, but if you're the sort of person who, in the year 2024, decides to play through the original Sonic games on GameCube hardware specifically, then an aftermarket controller with a proper d-pad won't set you back much and you're probably crazy enough to already have one.
Unlocking additional games - including Flicky and Ristar - however, is a total hassle. You have to boot up specific games a certain number of times before additional games will unlock, and I have no idea who thought that was a good idea, but they should be frozen and preserved until future generations develop the level of technology necessary for truly understanding their brain. Practically, if you wanted to unlock everything fast you could just keep backing in and out, but a more sensible way to do this would be unlocking new games for completing old ones. Or just have them all unlocked from the start. Really no reason not to.
Full manuals are also included for each game but navigating them is a chore and the scan quality is just low enough that they become difficult to read on a CRT. The included gallery of Archie Sonic comic covers is also hard to look at, but I did have a decent time flicking through these and remembering all the good and bad that was Archie Sonic. Did you know there's an issue where an evil Sonic (who wears a leather jacket so you know he's bad) transports himself to Sonic's world and enacts a master plan to make Sonic have too many girlfriends by kissing all the pretty ladies he can find, and then in the next couple stories Sonic's whole problem is he doesn't know how to manage a polycule? Well now you do. I put that knowledge in your head.
There's definitely better ways to play these games. I'd easily recommend Sonic 3: AIR or Sonic 3: Complete, for example, but if you're wanting something official and physical, Mega Collection is a decent package that does right by the included games. Plus, you can look at comic covers and remember they interrupted the main story to do a two-part Guardians of the Galaxy parody and that Knuckles was green for some reason.
yess!!
The best way to play the original trilogy back before company's made remasters or collections.
Just a solid bundle, with some neat choices like Sonic 3D blast, and Sonic Pinball
Just a solid bundle, with some neat choices like Sonic 3D blast, and Sonic Pinball
All of the Sonic games in one mega game plus redone and better music for all? Heck yeah!
This was worth $50
they didn't have to go as hard as they did with the music for this port
Individually the games are a good collection and all, but the music for the menus is such a fantastic little bow on top of it.
There's... A lotta games on here. I have played almost none of them.
Plenty of good Sonic games to choose from for history's sake but...everyone's said it before but it is nevertheless worthwhile saying: The extras menu for this collection is one of the most beautiful selections put together by Sonic Team/SEGA.
Going through so much concept art, designs for characters used in press releases is so fascinating to see what they changed for Sonic and all the other characters as the years went by, along with insight from Sonic Team themselves is genuinely enlightening as someone that loves seeing the people behind the games maybe more than the games themselves.
This collection also offers many comic book covers and even some entire comic books from the then long running "Archie" comic series. Flipping through, seeing the wildly varying artstyles, being able to really zoom in and take in every detail...all the while the most beguiling melody ever put in a video game is playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUUS6JIRQ0
You feel like all the emotions, the peaks and valleys you've went through, flood your mind and tug on your heartstrings. This Extras section is a wonderful little museum, going back and forth from playing the games to mulling over the concept arts/the character reference sheets/the Archie comics just brings back that childlike curiosity in me.
Thank you Sonic Team for putting this together, I know that you have gotten a lot of flak...even I've given you that flak...but you view Sonic as more than just a Mascot for a big game publishing entity, you view him as the rings of a tree stump, showing how you began, and how far you've come, and how much further you can go.
I wish Sonic Team all the best. I wish you the best for reading through this (probably overly) sentimental review/look back.
Going through so much concept art, designs for characters used in press releases is so fascinating to see what they changed for Sonic and all the other characters as the years went by, along with insight from Sonic Team themselves is genuinely enlightening as someone that loves seeing the people behind the games maybe more than the games themselves.
This collection also offers many comic book covers and even some entire comic books from the then long running "Archie" comic series. Flipping through, seeing the wildly varying artstyles, being able to really zoom in and take in every detail...all the while the most beguiling melody ever put in a video game is playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUUS6JIRQ0
You feel like all the emotions, the peaks and valleys you've went through, flood your mind and tug on your heartstrings. This Extras section is a wonderful little museum, going back and forth from playing the games to mulling over the concept arts/the character reference sheets/the Archie comics just brings back that childlike curiosity in me.
Thank you Sonic Team for putting this together, I know that you have gotten a lot of flak...even I've given you that flak...but you view Sonic as more than just a Mascot for a big game publishing entity, you view him as the rings of a tree stump, showing how you began, and how far you've come, and how much further you can go.
I wish Sonic Team all the best. I wish you the best for reading through this (probably overly) sentimental review/look back.
A rock solid collection, even without the extra Game Gear games. The presentation here is a lot better than the Plus version.
This is the collection I am using to play the classic Sonic games because I dislike the plan Sega has for Origins and Sega's controversial decisions with that collection in particular though I as of right now I haven't played it so I can't say if things are better now or not. Besides that and back to this collection in hand, this is a nostalgic game for me and I had this copy on my shelf since I was eight and I have to say that the music and emulation are really awesome and capture the genesis really well! Also, I think the museum is really cool and I remember watching the few movies in the collection and admittedly I watched the trailer for Sonic Adventure 2 Battle the most though I never got the chance to got it then, I now own it on PC however! :D
Back to the review though, One thing I could say negatively is I felt the way to unlock games like Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Ristar to be really strict for some odd reason but I won't dock points for it though I wish this collection was in the oven for a little longer for games like Sonic CD, SegaSonic, and Knuckles Chaotix.
Besides that this is an excellent collection and I really recommend that you play this collection over Origins even if Origins is newer.
Back to the review though, One thing I could say negatively is I felt the way to unlock games like Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Ristar to be really strict for some odd reason but I won't dock points for it though I wish this collection was in the oven for a little longer for games like Sonic CD, SegaSonic, and Knuckles Chaotix.
Besides that this is an excellent collection and I really recommend that you play this collection over Origins even if Origins is newer.
great collection of games that I used to waste a ton of time on but still make no progress
This is one of those time that putting a bunch of games together actually works out, I mainly played this version for the spinball but the mean bean machine was fun too.
The perfect encapsulation of Sonic's Genesis days
yet another compilation title done right. The game selection is great, the mega drive emulator is great, the bonus materials are great, the presentation is great, If you need a way to play the original sonic games, this is definitely as good a way as any to get into the series with as it contains everything you'd need to get started. One of the best compilation titles.
the game selection is great and the menus are super stylish and ohhhh dont get me started on the extras menu music
Other then the unlock requirements for the games it is an overall solid way to play the classics and the music is just the cherry on top.
A great collection that includes all of Sonic's iconic Sega Genesis titles. Sonic Spinball is there too I guess.
Not enough Cheese and Chocola
Joguei tem muito tempo, mas lembro que gostei de ter esse gostinho dos jogos antigos do Sonic.
Some amazing games, some dogshit games, nice menus, a lot of extras, pretty decent value
this collection made me appreciate sonic as a kid, and 3d blast.
the way i grew up with the classic sonic/sega games. i was so young i never really understood what i was doing but running around all 3 sonic games were a blast and fucking around with games like sonic spinball and Flicky were very fun. the presentation is top noch, this collection include so much goodies like comic art, illustrations, and legacy trailers. this collection has so much style, presentation and contend that's well worth the money. only problem is that you can save in older games like sonic 1 and 2, otherwise a perfect collection.
the people that made the menus for this retro game collection did not need to go that hard... but they did. respect.
This collection has so much good stuff in it. It has all of the great early Sonic games, which allowed me to understand how the series started, as well as some of the middle entries and then some random assortment of games. I liked playing them all and getting a feel of how they would change between entries.
A great collection of great games. The games in the collection work flawlessly. This collection also has a ton of great extras such as trailers and comic covers that are interesting to look at. One of the best game collections ever made as there was a lot of effort put into this collection.
cool
This is one of only a few games where I will usually idle to let the opening play out. The music, and the presentation of this collection in general, is just that good.
But featuring the standalone versions of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, with the combined game being an unlockable, was an idiotic move in hindsight.
But featuring the standalone versions of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, with the combined game being an unlockable, was an idiotic move in hindsight.
Time and time again, I try to play Sonic games. It just never works out. They're always unfun. This is no exception. 2D Sonic games give me physical pain. I don't want to play a game where I can't see where I'm going. Oh yeah, it's so fun to consistently get flung blindly in to walls and have the momentum of the game keep crashing down to a halt.
The gold standard for compilation games