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Sonic the Hedgehog CD (or Sonic CD) is a 2011 remastered version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog CD released for the Sega CD. The version was developed by Christian Whitehead and published by Sega. It was released digitally on multiple platforms including PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, iOS and Android on December 2011, and later on Steam and Windows Phone the following year.

The port was later added to the Sega Forever service on 1 February 2018 for both mobile platforms.

Development

When Sega announced which of their games they would like to release in the iOS App Store, Christian Whitehead showcased a concept demo of the game being played on his iPod touch in 2009.[2] The port is not a direct emulation of the original Mega-CD version but rather, it was developed from scratch using Whitehead's "Retro Engine". He then contacted Sega to tell them about his release plans.

Gameplay

New features

  • With the capabilities of the Retro Engine, the game runs at a consistent 60 FPS, supports widescreen and online leaderboards.
  • Miles "Tails" Prower is an unlockable playable character who has his moveset from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
  • Both the Japanese and American soundtracks of the game are included, with the player having the option to switch from one soundtrack to the other. All stage tracks loop properly.
    • The American tracks have been extended somewhat, using cues from the Sonic Boom album.
    • The Japanese tracks use sound files from the 510 prototype of the Mega CD version between loops.
    • The Japanese themes Sonic - You Can Do Anything and Cosmic Eternity - Believe in Yourself were replaced with instrumental versions due to Casey Rankin's death in 2009, making Sega unable to obtain the rights to the lyrics in time for the game's release.
  • The player can switch to using the Spin Dash from the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games (e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3). This also changes the camera from the original version's speed-based camera with the original Spin Dash and the character-centered camera as with other Mega Drive/Genesis games for the more common Spin Dash.

Changes

  • In Palmtree Panic, the floating platform at the beginning with rings on it falls down after the player stands on it, whereas in the original, it stayed in place.
  • In Collision Chaos, sound effects have being added when using the pinball flippers.
  • There's a chime before the underwater countdown begins (much like the Genesis/Mega Drive titles).
  • In Tidal Tempest, the air bubbles spawn slightly higher. In the Mega CD version the player could grab them just by standing on top of the bubble vent, but in this version he/she has to jump to reach them, like in the Genesis/Mega Drive titles.
  • At the beginning of Quartz Quadrant Zone 3 in the Good Future, the missing Sonic monitor icon from the CD Sonic 510 beta has been restored.
  • In Stardust Speedway, the spotlights in the background in the present move fluidly and do not flicker.
  • During the Metal Sonic race at Stardust Speedway, the Bad Future theme always plays in the background, regardless of which soundtrack is chosen.
  • During the Time Attack Mode, Amy Rose does not show up at the end of Stardust Speedway; she was instead replaced by a flower capsule, most likely to save time.
  • During the final battle against Dr. Robotnik, two "light beams" have been added to each side, which are akin to the ones at the Final Zone, Wing Fortress Zone, and Flying Battery Zone.
  • The final boss now has smooth animation sequences, most notably during the attack with only three "wedges" left. In the original, he jumped between still frames while a loud mechanical sound played with each shift as he rotated; now, the rotation is smooth and Robotnik appears to "float" while using it.
  • The UFOs that carry the Speed Shoes power-up in the Special Stage have been recolored blue, most likely to better differentiate between the purple ones, which carry the Ring power-up. In the original, this difference was only visible from a short distance, with gold stripes indicating rings and silver having the Speed Shoes.
  • In the Special Stages, the "warning" sound effect signifying low time starts at 4 seconds remaining, as opposed to the original's 14 seconds.
  • Sonic kicks up dust clouds when he skids, as he does in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and future games.
  • Rather than pulling further ahead of Sonic when going fast or charging a dash move, the camera stays centered on him like in the Genesis/Mega Drive games, unless Original Spin Dash style is enabled.
  • The time taken for time travelling is actually a bit longer. Some objects that activated warping in the original Mega CD game do not do so in this remake.
  • The Stage Select menu and Sound Test can no longer be accessed by code. Instead, they have to be unlocked in the same manner as the D.A. Garden and Visual Mode.
    • The FM portion of the Sound Test is now PCM. All "past" tracks have been moved to "D.A.", along with the rest of the soundtrack.
  • While the debug mode is enabled, power-up monitors can be used more than once.
    • Ring objects are now available to be placed, unlike the original.
    • There is no background music that plays after the "S" monitor has been struck.
  • When the Japanese soundtrack is enabled, the song that plays in the Time Attack menu is completely different than the one in the original game. However, the song is not entirely new: it is an instrumental remake of "Brand-new World" from Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix, a CD that was released in 1994 to accompany the original edition of the game.
  • Entering the code "PCM: 32, DA: 8" on the Sound Test briefly shows a mock-up image of "Desert Dazzle", a stage that was once planned for the remake. It also enables Tails while choosing a stage from the Stage Select menu.
  • Rather than the Time Attack theme being used after entering the code for accessing hidden pictures, the Quartz Quadrant Good Future theme plays instead.
  • In order to access the Special Stage Time Attack, the player has to select the "Next" icon, rather than pushing left.
  • Certain mobile versions of the game have haptic or "rumble" feedback.

Tails gameplay differences

  • Tails cannot use the Super Peel-Out.
  • The opening cutscene has been disabled.
  • Rather than a voice clip being used after getting a 1-Up, the Time Stone/Badnik Teleporter sound effect is used instead.
  • Amy Rose is entirely absent from Tails' gameplay.
    • As such, neither she or Metal Sonic will show up at Collision Chaos Zone 1, and the spin tunnel path is opened by default.
    • She has been replaced by a flower capsule at Stardust Speedway Zone 3, much like the Time Attack mode.
  • As with the opening, the ending cutscene was also removed, and replaced with a credits screen. Unlike Sonic's game, which lists the staff who worked on the original version, this one lists the staff who worked on the remastered version.
  • There is no penalty for standing idle for three minutes as Tails.

Achievements

These are the achievements and trophies for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Steam versions of Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

Image Name Description Trophy Class Gamescore
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - 88 Miles Per Hour 88 Miles per Hour Travel through time. Bronze 5
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Just one hug is enough Just one hug is enough Get a hug from Amy. Bronze 5
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Paradise Found Paradise Found Complete a zone in the Good Future. Bronze 5
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Take the High Road Take the High Road Pass the upper Signpost in Collision Chaos Zone 2. Bronze 10
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - King of the Rings King of the Rings Collect 200 Rings. Silver 10
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Statue Savior Statue Savior Find the angel statue in Wacky Workbench. Bronze 10
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Heavy Metal Heavy Metal Defeat Metal Sonic without getting hurt. Bronze 15
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - All Stages Clear! All Stages Clear! Finish the game. Silver 15
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Treasure Hunter Treasure Hunter Collect all the Time Stones. Gold 20
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Dr. Eggman Got Served Dr. Eggman Got Served Destroy Dr. Eggman's final machine. Bronze 30
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Just In Time! Just in Time! Complete the Time Attack mode in under 25 minutes. Silver 35
Sonic the Hedgehog CD achievement - Savior of the Planet Savior of the Planet Destroy all the robot teleporters and Metal Sonic holograms in the past. Silver 40

Reception

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 84% (X360)[3]
78% (PS3)[3]
Metacritic 93% (iOS)[4]
Review scores
Publication Score
Destructoid 9.0/10 (X360)[5]
GameSpot 8.5/10 (PS3)[6]
IGN 8.5/10 (X360)[7]
Official Xbox Magazine (US) 9.0/10 (X360)[8]

The 2011 re-release of Sonic the Hedgehog CD received positive reviews with Metacritic assigning the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and iOS versions 80/100 (based on 12 reviews),[9] 82/100 (based on 20 reviews)[10] and 93/100.[11] The iOS version became the highest rated Sonic game on the website as well as being the website's second-highest rated iOS game of 2011 (losing only to World of Goo);[12]

IGN praised the 2011 rerelease, scoring 8.5 for the XBLA version and 9.0 for the iOS version.[7][13] GamesRadar gave the game 9/10, mentioning that the iPhone version conversion in particular is "incredible".[14] Sonic CD hit the number one spot on PSN Top Sellers for December 2011.[15] In March 2013 the game was nominated for and won the Windows Phone Game of the Year category of the Pocket Gamer Awards.[16]

Trivia

  • Some of the achievements for this game bear distinct references:
    • The achievement name "Paradise Found" is a parody of the 17th Century poem "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. When Sonic achieves a Good Future in any of the zones (via destroying the Metal Sonic projectors and Eggman's Machines, he is essentially "founding" a paradise for the future of that zone.
    • The achievement named "88 Miles Per Hour" is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future. The name derives from the fact that the DeLorean time machine in the movie needs to go at a speed of 88 miles per hour in order to time travel.
  • In the 2011 re-release, the animated cutscenes are cropped to have a 16:9 appearance if the game is played in widescreen HD. However, if the game is played in 4:3 SD format, the cutscenes will appear in their original format.
  • There was originally going to be an extra boss that would only have been accessible after the player had collected all of the Time Stones, but it was ultimately scrapped.
  • It is possible to clear Stardust Speedway Zone 3 without letting Amy hug Sonic. To do so, Sonic must dodge Amy long enough to charge a Spin Dash. If Amy tries to hug Sonic while doing this, she will bounce off. Release then the Spin Dash and dodge Amy until the results screen shows up. With this method, it is possible to complete the game without the achievement "Just one hug is enough".

Videos


References

  1. LordDullahan (8 July 2013). Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I and II are Now Available on OUYA! Sonic CD to follow.. SEGA Blog. Sega. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013.
  2. Sonic CD Demonstration
  3. 3.0 3.1 Sonic CD. GameRankings. Retrieved on 10 September 2012.
  4. http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/sonic-cd
  5. North, Dale (2011-12-15). Review: Sonic CD -Destructoid. Destructoid. Retrieved on 2011-12-21.
  6. Kemps, Heidi (2012-01-03). Sonic CD Reviews - GameSpot.com. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-23.
  7. 7.0 7.1 DeVries, Jack (2011-12-16). Sonic CD Review - Xbox 360 Review at IGN. IGN. Retrieved on 2011-12-21.
  8. Rudden, Dave (2011-12-19). Official Xbox Magazine | Sonic CD review. Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-21.
  9. Sonic CD - PlayStation 3. Metacritic. Retrieved on 10 April 2015.
  10. Sonic CD - Xbox 360. Metacritic. Retrieved on 10 April 2015.
  11. Sonic CD - iOS. Metacritic. Retrieved on 10 April 2015.
  12. 25 Best iPhone and iPad Games of 2011. Metacritic (2012-12-31). Retrieved on 2013-01-09.
  13. Sonic CD Review - IGN. Uk.wireless.ign.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-09.
  14. Sonic CD Review. GamesRadar (2011-12-16). Retrieved on 2013-01-09.
  15. PSN Top Sellers: Sonic CD Races to the Top in December 2011 – PlayStation Blog. Blog.us.playstation.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-09.
  16. http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/pgawards2013

External links


Main article · Staff · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Re-releases (Windows 95, 2011)
Sonic the Hedgehog mobile games
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