LogFAQs > #950474761

#28. Sonic CD (Sega CD, 1993)
Did you catch I had a Sega CD game on my list when I posted my distro way back when? Also, about time I have a Sonic game on my list, right? I wonder if this is the only one Ill have, hmm? Its funny, I had a list of my favorite Sonic games in order for a long time, but I feel like that has gone out the window with this list, as have all of my prior lists really, Ive made (like my fav games of the decade, etc). No consistency, man.

Sonic CD. I originally played on PC actually, one of my favorites as a kid. I remember the insanely long loading times, but more specifically, when that animated intro first played, and Sonic Boom, one of the best Sonic tracks of all time if not THE best, started playing-BOOM, man. The Sonic SatAM cartoon was big at the time and that really well animated intro with that incredible music -it was all a perfect storm of awesome. Ill also take this moment to talk about the music, and how the US version is the superior music (though maybe nostalgia bias?) and I love that each stage has 3 or 4 different versions of the stages song for the Past, Present, Future, and Good Future versions.

Oh yeah! This is a Sonic game about TIME TRAVEL! The gimmick here is you can activate a Past or Future signpost by running past it- then if you maintain a high speed for about 7 seconds, you warp to the Past or Future -after a little cutscene where Sonic blast offs against a green starfield- and reappear on the spot. This changes the level layout and opens up new areas, changes the enemy types and behaviors, and you see that levels design in either the Past or Future! Since a big part of Sonic games have always been to me, all about the replay value in running alternate routes- high, medium, low usually- here, you have those options across 3 different time lines, so you can always find new paths to take! Naturally, the speed is important too, since you need to build up speed after hitting signposts- and sometimes it is easy and given to you, like a left and right bumper right next to each other but sometimes you need to do some reactive platforming, or go around holding your signpost storage until you find a good spot for it. Generally, I remember always wanting to be in the Past, because in the Present or Future you would come across these busted machines in each level- if you visited that site in the Past, you would encounter a floating and active electric hamburger! Destroying it will kill all robots in all timelines of the act, and give you a Good Future at the end of the level. Get a good future in Acts 1 and 2 to play the Boss Act 3 in a Good Future which is just a pallet swap with different music, but that was a neat reward I thought. If you get all Good Futures you get the good ending! I also want to note that while none of the bosses are particularly inspired, they feature a really goddamn creepy Robotnik laugh against really creepy boss music. Which gets even creepier if you get a game over.



Or, you can get all the Chaos E- TIME STONES! The special stages in this game are really fascinating. The special stages in Sonic Mania are based on these. You run around in a 3D Perspective, camera behind Sonic, and try to destroy all the UFOs in a level, avoiding bumpers, water hazards that reduce time, pitfalls, and trying to not freakout against a trippy-ass sky. These looked amazing at the time. Getting all these also results in the good ending, but you might not get to see the Good Futures.



Anyway, I love the level design in this game, if you love branching paths, this has an incredible amount, though the rewards may not be as good as other Sonic games. I have a love-hate relationship with Wacky Workbench, a level with a floor that bounces you all over the place. The feeling of speed is very good in this game. If you really care about being able to maintain a constant good speed in Sonic games, I think youll like this one more. For me, Sonic games have never been just about going as fast as you can, but this has more of that than others. It added the awesome peel out, basically a spindash that you do with Up+A, instead of down, and sonic will do a Figure-8 feet dash -its faster than the spindash but doesnt kill enemies. Its rad.

So besides Sonic Boom, the other really radical thing about this game is the Stardust Speedway level, the penultimate level. I love the US Present music in this stage, and the design looks like a massive trombone explosion in space (in the Present), and it culminates in a race to the death against Metal Sonic (his first appearance) while Robotnik chases you both down with a death laser. Whoever crosses the finish line first, closes down the door on the other, leaving them standing there helplessly until Robotnik death lasers them. So cool man. A fantastic underlooked Sonic game.





Next Up: This isn't a game, it's a goddamn book! What do you have to do, READ to beat the levels?


---

~Wigs~ 3-Time Consecutive Fantasy B8 Baseball Champion
2015 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION NEW YORK METS