Mmm … nostalgia. Sonic Gems Collection was released almost as an afterthought to Sonic Mega Collection. Whereas Sonic Mega Collection had the majority of the classic Sonic games, it missed the big one: Sonic CD.

The simple fact is, Sonic CD was a rarity. When it came out, surely it was easily found. But with Mega CD gone and no ports available, it seemed Sonic CD was lost to the ages. Until now.

Sonic CD was released just after the first Sonic game came out on the Mega Drive. It was the pilot game for the Mega CD, the Mega Drive's CD drive. It took an interesting turn-the ability to time travel. Each level had three different versions: Past, Present and Future. The idea was to travel between the time zones to find and destroy a machine maker. The end-of-level boss fights would change, depending on whether or not you could destroy that machine maker.
Sonic CD also introduced Sonic's nemesis: Metal Sonic. The games best point was a race between the two for the right to survive. The loser got annihilated by a laser cannon. Ouch. The game also introduced Amy Rose, a now regular character. Simply put, it probably did more for the series than it was ever given credit.

Gameplay-wise, it was solid. High-speed action, relying on your reflexes. Classic Sonic gameplay here ... And now it's available to play on Sonic Gems Collection.

But surely, they aren't asking £20 for an ancient port-are they? Well no. It's another compilation ... but Sonic Mega Collection pretty much covered every classic sonic game. So what's here? The rarities, that's what. Sonic the Fighters gets a chance on the home consoles for the first time, and Sonic R appears on the current generation. Sweet. The compilation also features a few other Sega classics-most notably, Streets of Rage 1 and 2. So, are the ports good?

Sonic CD. As above, THE classic Sonic game. Also of note, the game featured an Anime introduction, which has been left intact here. In comparison to the later Sonic games, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, it really isn't up to scratch anymore. But if you want to know where it all came from, forget Sonic 1-this is where it started. Any serious Sonic fan will want to have played through CD at some point.

Sonic the Fighters. Oh dear ... this game hasn't enjoyed a good history. As fighting games go, it really isn't all that complex. That isn't to say that it isn't one hell of a challenge, though. Frankly, an incredible attempt on Sega's part. Considering what technology they had to work with, to produce a game like this is nothing short of amazing. Hardcore fighter fans will find it falling short, but Sonic fans or just casual gamers will have a blast with this. That said, I still haven't beaten Metal Sonic.

Sonic R. Ah ... crap. Sonic Team must've been going for a completest look here. Sonic R is, simply put, bad. It uses the same graphics as Sonic the Fighters, but loses a lot of the clean, smooth animation. That, coupled with bad controls and terrible music, kills the game. It's not fun to play at all. This is only for the hardcore Sonic fans. Hell, I consider myself hardcore, and I have a hard time enjoying Sonic R. Not his proudest moment ...

And the rest. Sonic Team's thrown a whole bunch of memorabilia in here too. It's fun to look through it, but if you've got Sonic Mega Collection, it isn't really anything you haven't seen before. So, Sonic Gems Collection or Sonic Mega Collection? If you're looking for the larger and better library of games ... then Sonic Mega Collection. But Gems Collection holds that elusive Sonic CD ... decisions, decisions, eh?

Content: 6. Past Sonic CD and Fighters, there isn't much here.

Presentation: 7. Clear, simple. Poor choice of music, though ... Unfortunately, there's some poor load times between menus.

Overall: 5. Unless you're out to play Sonic CD or Fighters, steer clear of this one.

Rent or Buy: Probably get Sonic CD done in a rental ... and Sonic the Fighters is always good for a quick pick up and play. So, rent. Unless you're after a complete Sonic Collection-in which case, buy.

Dec 27, 2005 | 0 comments
Tim Canty