Even though Sonic Mega Collection lacks the appearance of Sonic CD, it still delivers a plethora of awesome classics.
There are many games to be seen in this compilation, so let’s begin with the basics. You’ll find the original Mega Drive classics, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles, (amidst a few others) straight out of the box. Below are some brief thoughts on each one:
Sonic the Hedgehog - Ah, the very first one. The one that sent him soaring. Basic gameplay formulas are debuted here, alongside old school enemies and ye old “wrecking ball” boss. Old school at its highest altitude.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - The sequel to the first. Every mechanic is improved upon in every imaginable way, and it even introduces Sonic’s long-time buddy, Miles “Tails” Prower.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Perhaps THE best Sonic title manufactured to date. A flawless combination of superb graphics, BGM, replaybility, and, of course, the perfect gameplay we only dreamed about.
Sonic & Knuckles - Now you get to play as Sonic’s rival, Knuckles! Very similar in performance to Sonic 3, although it has you drooling for more…
And speaking of “more”, there’s plenty of it in Mega Collection. Besides playing the original classics, you can also play the spin-off titles Sonic Spinball (a pinball variant, featuring Sonic as the pinball) and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine (somewhat of a Tetris-style game with some Sonic flavor). Not to mention you can also try out the Mega Drive version of Sonic 3D Blast. All of the titles mentioned above are available from the start.
But that’s not all. If you have the time (and the patience) one can also unlock other games. These games range from Ristar the Shooting Star to Sonic 3 & Knuckles (my personal favorite). In order to unlock these bonuses, you’ll have to log into and out of a game several times before it finally appears playable on the “Games” screen. Even though this gimmick is somewhat annoying, it forcefully adds extra replay value, as there is no other way to unlock them.
We are now aware of the game content, but what is the overall content in Sonic Mega Collection? In addition to the “Games” screen, you’ll also meet an “Extras” screen, a “Manuals” screen, and an “Options” screen. The “Extras” screen is a really cool place. If you travel here, you’ll be able to choose from five different movies, several character descriptions with their accompanying character art, and dozens of viewable comic book covers (you can even flip through virtual pages of some of them). The “Manuals” screen is self-explanatory. From here you can view the original instructions that came with each game.
Finally, we have the “Options” screen. Nothing really special here, but it allows you to configure a few of the game’s settings. If you want to, you can select the Credits and take a nice little snooze.
Moving on to presentation, Sonic Mega Collection displays fresh graphical quality within the various menus we discussed above. Besides the fact that the actual games are restored masterfully, the menus aren’t too flashy and they get the job done. As far as sound quality goes, the menu music is suave and relaxing. And, just like the graphical restoration, the audio present within the Mega Drive games are restored beautifully. (Note: Menu visual quality and visual restoration account for the “graphical” score, and menu audio quality and audio restoration account for the game’s “sound” score.)
On a negative note, many folks have been complaining that the Sega CD classic, Sonic CD, wasn’t added into the compilation. I wish it was included myself. Sonic CD was a masterpiece whose reputation rivaled that of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and it would have made an excellent Sonic collection even better. But hey, if you’re that down about it, you can purchase Sonic Gems Collection instead.
With so many different games to play and so many things to do, Mega Collection garners strong replayability. Whether you’re a Sonic fanatic or not, you won’t want to put this one down. Don’t be surprised if you play until three o’clock in the morning. You’ll be hooked. It’s old school at its very best. And even though Sonic Mega Collection lacks the appearance of Sonic CD, it still delivers a plethora of awesome classics that should never be forgotten.