It’s funny, I almost thought my first hot take on Backloggd would be that I thought Sonic CD was better than Sonic 2. I realized I didn’t agree with that opinion, but I’m sorry, Sonic CD is so close to what makes Sonic 2 a great game. It has a basic story premise for an early era Sonic game, creative levels with wonderfully quirky mechanics, and a fun vibe overall that makes it easy to want to go back to. In terms of replay value, I would pick this over Sonic 2 even though I like Sonic 2 more. Sonic CD just radiates the power of speed, and it’s clearly attuned to what Sonic is capable of. This is a game that the character deserves and it honors his core characteristics even without saying anything.
Where Sonic CD struggles is, for starters, with its music, considering the national differences between the OG and western release versions. It just doesn’t have the classic tone to the first game or the epic urgency of Sonic 2. Also a hindrance is the overbearing final boss battle from Metallic Madness Act 3. I can’t help but wish for the simplicity and straightforwardness of Sonic 2’s final boss battle, for in Sonic CD it relies on complicated mechanics and a slow start following up to a slow climax. A bummer, because this game is almost better than Sonic 2, but I can’t quite give it that honor.
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Where Sonic CD struggles is, for starters, with its music, considering the national differences between the OG and western release versions. It just doesn’t have the classic tone to the first game or the epic urgency of Sonic 2. Also a hindrance is the overbearing final boss battle from Metallic Madness Act 3. I can’t help but wish for the simplicity and straightforwardness of Sonic 2’s final boss battle, for in Sonic CD it relies on complicated mechanics and a slow start following up to a slow climax. A bummer, because this game is almost better than Sonic 2, but I can’t quite give it that honor.
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