- Original Release: 23rd September 1993
- Developer: Sega
- Publisher: Sega
- Original Platform: Mega Drive CD
- Version Played: Retro Engine (Xbox Series S)
Developed alongside Sonic 2, Sonic CD is sort of an “alternative sequel” to Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic CD definitely had ambition, with time travel and exploration playing a prominent role and utilising the abilities of the Mega CD to include some enhanced effects, music and even some short animated cutscenes.
Sonic CD has two separate soundtracks. Which one is better is a matter of preference, as they’re both great. The levels however, are another story. All the levels in Sonic CD are a confusing mess, both visually and in terms of layout. It can often be difficulty to see which elements can be interacted with and which are background/foreground features.
The time travel is an interesting concept. Each level had four layouts: Present, Future and Past are the main ones, but if you destroy a robot transporter in the level, you will unlock the “good” future. While this is ambitious and sounds great, most people will just end up fumbling around the different versions, and a single mistimed touch of the controller can make travelling to a different timezone fail and mess up the current run. It ends up making the game too complex and confusing.
Sonic CD is really not fun to play at all, and I was glad when it was over.
Where to get
Mega Drive CD
- Sonic Gems Collection (GameCube/PS2)
Other Versions
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Saddened by the Sonic CD hate on here. I grew up with it so it has a nostalgia bonus for me, I see why people wouldn’t like it.
Still hate the UFO special stages though. Thank goodness Origins let’s you retry
Sonic CD is a game which has some interesting ideas, but fumbles the execution in most aspects of its level design.
Like with the time travel aspect. Originally it was supposed to change the level layout dynamically in real-time as Sonic ran past the Past/Future posts, but that proved to be impossible to pull off with the Mega CD’s slow loading times. So instead we got this separation of level variants with a lengthy loading sequence inbetween, that makes the mechanic a drag that grinds the game’s pacing to a halt.
Sonic CD is a game with big ambitions that ultimately couldn’t be lived up to with the actual game itself… Which is kind of Sonic Team’s career in a nutshell really.
I actually really liked CD when I played it back in 2014. It’s chaotic and messy, but really fun to explore and discover.
It is hard to argue against its detractors though, as most of the things they dislike about the game are also things that I fully agree with. They just don’t bother me in the same way.