Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to speed with us in this review of Sonic Origins and the recent add-on pack Plus
Since the official announcement of the release date, which took place last year, the collection dedicated to the origins of the cute and very fast blue hedgehog has immediately captured the attention of several fans. It could not be otherwise, since we are talking about a remastered recreation of the first four titles dedicated to the famous mascot of SEGA. Recently the package has further expanded with the addition of a DLC of extra content which have certainly made the collection even more complete. So, without further ado, let’s find out together in this review what Sonic Origins and its recent Plus package have in store for us.
The origins of the myth | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
Let’s get straight to the heart of this review by exploring the main course offered by this Sonic Origins Plus, or the first four titles of the famous saga originally released on Sega Genesis and Sega CD in the first half of the 90s. Specifically we talk about Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD and finally Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles. Upon starting, we will be greeted by a colorful main menu, in which it is possible to select one of these four titles at will and immediately start playing in Classical o Anniversary.
The first reproduces the games faithfully to the originalswith a resolution in 4:3 (therefore with side bands, whose internal textures will also be customizable from the options) and a gameplay in all respects taken from the past. The second instead readjusts the titles to work with resolution in 16:9 that allows you to play in full screen, and makes some small changes to basically make the experience more accessible. An example is the elimination of lives (and the consequent possibility of having to start the game over again due to a game over), or the addition of special coins that allow, if necessary, to retry the extra levels.
Apart from the aforementioned modifications of the Anniversary mode, whether you opt for one or the other mode, in any case, know that the essence of the gameplay that made these historic titles famous is still there, unchanged over time but only polished for the occasion. This means that fans of the series can go without fail, but, at the same time, that if the style of play proposed by the latter has never particularly met your personal tastes in the past, you will hardly find good motivations in this collection to change your mind.
Some restoration | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
If it is certainly not the first time that SEGA presents the titles mentioned in the previous paragraph of this review, it is at the same time undeniable how the Japanese software house wanted to create, with Sonic Origins Plus, the best possible solution to be able to play them again. The care taken in the restoration of the titles is one of the details that immediately catches the eye once you start playing. This is particularly noticeable when playing in Anniversary mode, where painstaking polishing work has been done to allow the look and feel to shine even on modern TVs, whilst remaining true to the 2D style of the era.
Even the choice to offer alternate modes such as a classic “boss rush” (which allows you to face all the bosses of a given chapter in a row), or the possibility of playing some special stages (such as that of the blue spheres of Sonic 3) can only make users happy, expanding pleasantly the play offer, already in itself quite varied thanks to the possibility of playing almost all the episodes in the role of other characters such as Tails e Knuckles. Impossible not to mention the wonderful cutscenes that welcome us at the start of each of the four titles (in Anniversary mode), made with a quality cartoon style and really nice to look at.
New Content | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
We now come to the additional content proposed by the Sonic Origins Plus package, already briefly mentioned earlier in the course of this review. Let’s start by saying that it is in all respects a paid DLC released last June 23 (that is exactly one year after the release of the base game) which you will find already included if you purchase the collection after that date, while those who already own it will be able to get it at the price of € 10.99.
It will add the ability to play as Knuckles in Sonic CD and Amy Rose in all four proposed titles. Both of these novelties offer new and largely unedited approaches to adventures, thanks above all to the powers of the characters. The other additional content of this DLC package consists of the beauty of 12 titles from the Game Gear era, the then SEGA portable console, for which we will make a more in-depth discussion in the next paragraph.
A portable hedgehog | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
Perhaps the most substantial addition of this DLC, also mentioned in the previous paragraph of this review, are the 12 Game Gear games, now playable in Sonic Origins Plus. Specifically, the list of titles is as follows: Sonic the Hedgehog; Sonic the Hedgehog 2; Sonic Chaos; Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine; Sonic Drift; Sonic Spinball; Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble; Sonic Drift 2; Tails’ Skypatrol; Tails Adventure; Sonic Labyrinth; Sonic Blast.
While it is true that, on the one hand, this list certainly represents a substantial addition, on the other hand, just start any of the aforementioned titles to immediately realize some details. Let’s start by saying that these are mostly niche titles, ed even the most noteworthy of the list still feel the weight of the years in a decidedly greater way than the four titles of the basic collection. This is evident from the gameplay point of view but it is even more so from the graphic one, also because, as already mentioned, we are talking about games released on a portable console produced in the 90s. It also doesn’t help that such titles are proposed simply in emulated formand therefore devoid of all those small precautions mentioned above which made the appearance and use of the four basic chapters on modern TVs much more pleasant.
On the other hand die-hard fans of the series and retrogaming enthusiasts may still appreciate these new additions a lot and we must also take into account that nostalgia and personal tastes always play a fundamental role, even more so in these cases. Having said that, the fact remains that the effective impact of these 12 titles on the finished product is undeniably lower than the four sacred monsters contained in the basic collection, making them in fact an addition almost more in the name of historical value than to the playful offer in self.
A night at the museum | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
We cannot close this Sonic Origins Plus review without mentioning the remaining content offered in addition to the aforementioned games. Yes, because the celebratory nature of this collection is also clearly evident from the inclusion of a rather generous amount of special content related to the story of the saga. There will be a dedicated mode, called Museo, in which we will be able to unlock them and consult them at will. The amount of elements is really satisfying and includes a selection of movies, music, illustrations, sketches, but also digital re-propositions of artwork and the famous manuals at the time contained in the game packs. Many of these elements then they will be unlocked by spending tokensor a currency obtainable by completing various missions in the game.
Flying through memories | Review: Sonic Origins Plus
As can be seen from this review, Sonic Origins Plus represents in all respects one of the best starting points if you don’t know the saga and want to dive into an in-depth journey to discover the origins of the famous blue hedgehog (perhaps in preparation for the brand new chapter recently announced). The extra contents of the recent DLC make up on balance nice additions but rather marginal when compared with the main course of the collection. That said, they certainly contribute to making the collection truly complete, as well as potentially unmissable for true fans eager to rediscover the golden age of the series. However, if the gameplay of the saga has never met your personal tastes, in all probability this collection will not make you change your mind.
Have you already played this collection? Will you buy the additional package? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to techgameworld.com for all the news dedicated to the world of video games. To buy video games at a discounted price, we advise you to take a look at the Kinguin catalogue.
Plus points
- The origins of Sonic in a definitive and still highly enjoyable collection…
- The additions of the Plus Pack make the collection truly definitive…
- Lots of extra content to unlock in the museum
Points against
- … but if you are not a fan of the gameplay of the series, you will hardly change your mind
- … but on Game Gear titles, quantity trumps quality