| Sonic Origins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Sonic Team[a] |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Director | Katsuyuki Shigihara |
| Producers |
|
| Artist | Tyson Hesse |
| Writer | Ian Flynn |
| Composers | Jun Senoue Tee Lopes |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Engine | Retro Engine |
| Platforms | |
| Release | June 23, 2022 Sonic Origins Plus June 23, 2023 |
| Genre | Platform |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Sonic Origins[b] is a 2022video game compilation developed bySonic Team and published bySega. It featuresremasters of the first fourplatform games in theSonic the Hedgehog series—Sonic the Hedgehog (1991),Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992),Sonic CD (1993), andSonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)—originally released for theSega Genesis and theSega CD. The games are playable in their original format and a newwidescreen "anniversary mode".Origins adds additionalgame modes and missions, which allow players to unlock content in a museum.
Origins was conceived following the release of the2020Sonic film. Due to the influx of new fans,Sonic Team headTakashi Iizuka wanted to make the olderSonic games available on modern hardware. The remasters ofSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic 2, andSonic CD are based on theRetro Engine-developedremakes released between 2011 and 2013, while Simon Thomley and his studio Headcannon, who worked onSonic Mania (2017), developed the remaster ofSonic 3 & Knuckles.Jun Senoue replaced a portion of theSonic 3 soundtrack, following speculation of licensing problems arising fromMichael Jackson'sinvolvement withSonic 3.
Origins was released digitally for theNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Windows,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022, the series' 31st anniversary. It received favorable reviews; critics praised the enhancements and presentation, but criticized thedownloadable content (DLC), replaced music inSonic 3, lack of features, and additional bugs not present in the original games. An expanded version adding new playable characters and the 12Game GearSonic games,Sonic Origins Plus, was releasedphysically and as DLC for the original on June 23, 2023.
Sonic Originscompiles andremasters the first fourplatform games inSega'sSonic the Hedgehog series—Sonic the Hedgehog (1991),Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992),Sonic CD (1993), andSonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)—originally released for theSega Genesis and theSega CD.[2] The player controlsSonic the Hedgehog,Miles "Tails" Prower, andKnuckles the Echidna as they attempt to stopDoctor Eggman from stealing theChaos Emeralds. They traverseside-scrollinglevels at high speeds while collectingrings, defeating enemies andbosses, and finding secrets.[3][4] Unlike the originals, the player can control Tails and Knuckles in most games.[3][4]
Origins features two gameplay styles for each game, both using theRetro Engine version: "classic mode" presents the games in their original4:3 aspect ratio with no gameplay changes, while "anniversary mode" features support forwidescreen displays, replaceslives with coins,[3] and allows Sonic to use the "drop dash" fromSonic Mania.[5] A "story mode" allows players to play through the four games sequentially as Sonic, with Tails joining him inSonic 2 andSonic 3 & Knuckles, in anniversary mode, with newanimatedcutscenes that bridge their stories, which are also seen when launching for the first time or clearing each game in either mode, respectively. When played through this mode, the games are in chronological story order, meaning thatCD is played in between1 and2, rather than after.[6] New modes include aboss rush mode; a mirror mode that reverses the level layouts; and a mission mode featuring 60 additional standalone challenges, such as collecting a target number of rings within a time limit or reaching the goal without destroying any enemies. The "Blue Spheres"minigame fromSonic 3 & Knuckles is also included, along with an all-new version calledNew Blue Spheres, which adds additional sphere types fromSonic Mania (2017).[6]
An in-game museum allows players to view a collection of music, artwork, and videos, including theSonic Mania Adventures animated shorts originally released in 2018.[7] Players can unlock additional museum content, such as music arrangements from later games, concept art, and cutscene animatics, by completing in-gameachievements or spending coins earned through gameplay. Coins can also be spent on additional attempts inSpecial Stages while in anniversary mode.[2] Players whopre-ordered the game started with 100 Coins and mirror mode unlocked, which is available after clearing each game for the first time. Menu aesthetics, a set of 11 harder missions, and tracks fromSonic Spinball (1993),Knuckles' Chaotix (1995) andSonic 3D Blast (1996) for the museum music player were released asdownloadable content (DLC), later being incorporated intoSonic Origins Plus.[8]
Sonic Origins was conceived alongsideSonic Colors: Ultimate (2021) following the release of the2020Sonic film. Because the film brought many new fans,Sonic Team headTakashi Iizuka wanted to make olderSonic games available on modern formats.[9] Iizuka noted that though they are frequently rereleased viaemulation, they felt "retro" on modern displays due to their 4:3 aspect ratios; he wantedOrigins to modernize them with widescreen support and new features to appeal to both new and longtime fans.[10]Sonic Mania encouraged Sonic Team that there was still an audience for 2DSonic games and the series' 30th anniversary provided the "perfect" opportunity to develop a compilation.[11]
The compilation was developed internally at Sega, which handled the presentation and consolidation of the included games.[12] The remasters ofSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic 2, andSonic CD are based on theremakes made in theRetro Engine released between 2011 and 2013;[1] Evening Star'sChristian Whitehead, creator of the Retro Engine, updated it to allow the remakes to run in a compilation.[13] TheOrigins team prioritized the mainSonic series, so they did not consider including other 2DSonic games, such as those released for theGame Gear,Knuckles' Chaotix, and theSonic Advance series.[11]Powerhouse Animation Studios produced the new cutscenes with longtimeSonic artistTyson Hesse,[14] with a script written bySonic comic book writerIan Flynn and featuring arranged music bySonic Mania composer Tee Lopes.[15]
Simon Thomley and his studio Headcannon, who worked on the Retro Engine remakes andSonic Mania, developed theOrigins remaster ofSonic 3 & Knuckles.[12] Thomley said he was contracted to develop the remaster separately fromOrigins.[16] The compilation marksSonic 3 & Knuckles' first rerelease since 2011,[17] following speculation that soundtrack licensing problems arising fromMichael Jackson'sinvolvement withSonic 3 were preventing new releases.[2] As Sega was unable to use the soundtrack forOrigins, Sonic Team composerJun Senoue rearranged several tracks originally written forSonic 3 prior to Jackson's involvement; they were previously featured in the 1997Sonic & Knuckles Collection forWindows.[18][19]
Thomley said he and the Headcannon team were unhappy with the version ofOrigins that Sega released, and that it did not represent Headcannon's work. He said they developed theSonic 3 & Knuckles remaster undercrunch conditions for a strict deadline, that Sega would not delay it, and that Sega had introducedbugs when integrating it inOrigins. According to Thomley, the Headcannon team "were outsiders creating a separate project that was then wrangled into something entirely different".[20]
Sonic Origins was announced during a livestream commemorating theSonic franchise's 30th anniversary on May 27, 2021,[17] and was released on June 23, 2022—the series' 31st anniversary—for theNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, Windows,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S.[2] Prior to release, Sega delisted the existing versions of the games from most digital stores.[21] The move received criticism onvideo game preservation grounds and for preventing consumers from choosing their preferred versions.[22] It was compared toRockstar Games delistingGrand Theft Auto games before the release of the compilationGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021), a decision that was reversed following backlash.[23]
On March 23, 2023, Sega announced an expanded version,Sonic Origins Plus, released on June 23, 2023, the game's first anniversary. The new content, which was released as both a physical edition and as downloadable content for the digital version, addsAmy Rose as a playable character, along withemulations of all 12Sonic games for theGame Gear:Sonic the Hedgehog,Sonic the Hedgehog 2,Sonic Chaos,Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble,Sonic Spinball,Sonic Blast,Sonic Labyrinth,Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine,Sonic Drift,Sonic Drift 2,Tails' Skypatrol, andTails Adventure. The expansion also makes Knuckles playable inSonic CD.Plus includes all of the previously released downloadable content, which was delisted from individual sale followingPlus's release.[24] The physical release includes a reversible cover and 20-page art book, as well as a downloadable code of thePlus upgrade pack.[25]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (NS) 74/100[26] (PC) 72/100[27] (PS4) 72/100[28] (PS5) 78/100[29] (XSXS) 75/100[30] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 6.5/10[31] |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[32] |
| GameSpot | 7/10[33] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5[34] |
| Nintendo Life |   [35] |
| Nintendo World Report | 6/10[36] |
| Push Square | [37] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[38] |
| VentureBeat |  [39] |
According toreview aggregator websiteMetacritic,Sonic Origins received "mixed or average" reviews for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows, it received "generally favorable reviews" for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.[26][27][28][29][30]
Zoey Handley ofDestructoid felt that the compilation was lacking and lamented the lack of more substantial additions, writing: "The whole idea behind the new collection was apparently to 'modernize' the games; moving them into a new engine rather than simply emulating them. If that's the case, why stop with widescreen?"[31] Brian Shea ofGame Informer, by contrast, praised the enhancements made to the Anniversary mode, writing, "TheSonic Origins package is terrific overall... Having the best versions of the classic Sonic saga in one bundle is supremely satisfying."[32] Heidi Kemps (GameSpot) and Stephen Tailby (Push Square) felt that while the additions made to the compilation justified the purchase for fans, its lackluster presentation and unnecessary downloadable content hinderedOrigins' overall quality.[33][37]
Kemps noted that "even the recreations of the games themselves have some issues, with strange bugs that weren't present in the originals".[33] John Linneman ofEurogamer also criticized the bugs, stating "most aren't game breaking, but the sheer number of them impact the overall experience", specifically mentioning a recurring bug inSonic 2 that made Tails get stuck as the player progresses through the level.[40] Jacob Bukacek ofHardcore Gamer felt that the new versions "aren't all that much better than the originals" and that the compilation "doesn't manage to justify the price tag".[34] TJ Denzer ofShacknews was more forgiving, praising the added museum, Boss Rush mode, tight controls, and remaster quality, but disliked the lack of multiple saves and console commands.[38]
Sam Machkovech ofArs Technica criticized the downloadable content, lack of a rewind or save state option, and the delisting of the existing versions from most digital stores, calling it "a tragic example of good classics ruined by greed".[41] Regarding the game's lack of bonus content,VentureBeat's Mike Minotti wrote that "compared to, say, the 3D explorable world with its multiple media museums fromSonic Jam, it's a bit bare", but concluded that "a few oddities aside, these are fantastic remasters. Even if you're a Sonic fan who already owns these games in other compilations,Origins is worth it."[39]
Sonic 3's replaced music received criticism.[42][43][44]Destructoid said the replacement tracks "just feel wrong" and were inconsistent with the rest of the soundtrack,[31] andArs Technica said they did not compare well to the original tracks.[41]Game Informer felt they stripped the levels of their nostalgic feel, but that replacing the music was better than omittingSonic 3 entirely.[32]
