A Gem In The Rough?
There is no doubt of the influence that Sonic the Hedgehog had on popular gaming. He helped catapult Sega from being under the shadow of the far more popular Nintendo to being its direct rival. If you were a gamer, then you knew of the legendary Nintendo Vs Sega or Sonic Vs Mario debates. While Nintendo won the console war in the end, the legacy of Sonic lives on through recent releases such as Sonic Rivals, or the next-gen Sonic the Hedgehog. However, to experience Sonics past, one must track down a copy of the original games, illegally download the ROMs, or acquire one of the recently released compilations, in this case, Sonic Gems Collection.
A word to the wise though, this compilation is more for the hardcore Sonic fan. If you want to play any of the original Sonic games (i.e. Sonic 2 or 3), you’ll need to get yourself a copy of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. The major difference between that disc and this disc is that this disc features three of the rarest and most difficult to find Sonic games ever released, as well as several GameGear titles. These three are Sonic CD, Sonic R and Sonic Championship (or Sonic the Fighters). Sonic CD is probably the most popular of three major games. Despite released for the flop that was the Sega CD, fans highly regard this game as being one of the franchises defining moments. And it’s not hard to see why. The level design is great, and the game in general is a lot of fun to play. It’s also interesting to note that this is the first Sonic game to actually feature animated cutscenes. However, there are some problems which undermine the experience of this game. While this game controversially features the American soundtrack over the more popular Japanese soundtrack, that’s a debate for the fans. The main problem with this game is that it feels slow. While I’ve never actually played the original Sonic CD, compared to other Sonic games, this one just doesn’t feel as fast. But that’s only a small problem, generally, the game is great.
The second major game to be released is Sonic R. Released for the Sega Saturn, the game is essentially a racer. However, it’s not in the same type of racer that Sonic Drift (the sequel to which is present on this disc), as this racer is all about foot-racing. You select from a variety of Sonic characters), and race along five tracks. Along the way, you collect tokens and gems in order to unlock extra characters. While it may sound dull, it’s really not. Each character has their own special ability, such as Knuckles being able to use his patented gliding move, or Tails being able to fly.
Again, there are some flaws within the game. The main one is that it just feels…boring. You can practically beat the whole game on easy, as there aren’t any extra rewards for beating the game on higher difficulties. There are also some minor control issues, which thankfully don’t make the game much of a hassle. Five tracks also aren’t enough, especially if you race on them constantly. As well as this, there isn’t much else to do after you beat the game. There aren’t any extra cups, or even the ability to have two-player tournaments. Conversely, the soundtrack is quite good, and the copy of the game is emulated from the PC variant of the game, meaning that we get a better running game than the one on the Saturn.
Finally, we come to the last major game, Sonic The Fighters. You may not have heard of this game, as it’s the first time it’s ever been released on a console. Plus, it’s also quite hard to find an arcade version of this. To define this game simply, it would be “Virtua Fighter: Sonic Edition” (apt, seeing as VF and STF share the same developer). You select from one of eight characters, and you fight it out amongst your favourite Sonic characters. Ever wanted to see who would win in a fight between Sonic or Tails? Now’s your chance. If you’ve ever played Sega’s legendary Virtua Fighter, then you’ll easily feel right at home with this game. The control scheme matches the classic VF scheme, and thankfully, removes the insane amount of depth that the former has. An interesting feature is the Barrier system, which replaces the VF “Guard”. After holding down the barrier button, you guard any attacks, though they can easily be destroyed with a simple four-hit combo. Once you’ve exhausted your supply of Barriers for the fight, then you’ll need to be on your own. This is a great way to alleviate excessive guarding (or turtling). There aren’t any real flaws within this game. The soundtrack is so-so, but the real problem comes in the form of the games final boss, Metal-Sonic. Cheap, fast, and annoying as hell, he’ll come close to making you destroy your controllers. But if you haven’t gotten that part yet, you’ll find that this is an enjoyable game. Aside from these games, there are several additional Game-Gear and Mega-Drive games, most of which have been featured in the directors cut edition of Sonic Adventure as unlockables. For the most part, some of these games aren’t too bad, but don’t be expecting much. The Mega-Drive games are the most disappointing of all. While we do get to play Vectorman and its sequel, PAL users miss out on playing the complete trilogy of one of the greatest beat’em up scrollers ever, Streets of Rage. While the NTSC version has these games removed because of the series’ violence, the fact that we (PAL) don’t get them also is just as sad. This is a shame, because they are some of the greatest games to be released for the Mega-Drive.
Finally, the museum mode returns, and is better than ever. Basically, you can unlock more stuff for it by playing through the games, and not just booting up/shutting down the games as you would in Sonic Mega Collection Plus. Items such as movies and artwork are available by achieving certain accomplishments, but the real prize is the game demos. Here, you can play through the final boss fights of select Sonic games, however, under a strict time-limit. Beating them before time runs out also allows you to play the full game, again, until time runs out. While it takes a lot of work to get to unlock them, this feature is great for those who’ve never seen the final bosses for these games.
Graphically, the game varies. The menus are well presented, and the quality of the imagery is also as good. When it comes to the games though, they vary based on the console they were made for. Sonic R and Sonic The Fighters look good for their time, and Sonic CD looks just as good as one of the older Sonic games. The others are also alright, given the limitations of the Game Gear.
Again, the game varies aurally. In the menus, the music isn’t too bad, but you won’t be taking too much notice of it. The soundtracks to the three major Sonic games aren’t too bad, but you’ll possibly get tired of the bleeps and bloops if you’ve been raised on the soundtracks current-gen games. Even more so with the Game-Gear games.
Overall, this is an essential buy for any self-deserving Sonic fan. For new-comers, it’s more recommended that they purchase Sonic Mega Collection Plus. While the three major games are great, they aren’t exactly the greatest games (excluding one) of the Sonic franchise. The addition of the Game Gear games is nice, but the quality of them makes it feel like it was an afterthought. Even nicer was the addition of other Mega Drive games, but the removal of the Streets of Rage games is just pointless. The game is presented greatly, but you might want to ignore the menu music. Definitely worth the buy if you’re a hardcore Sonic fan. Otherwise, try before you buy.