Wasting no time capitalising on its second smash-hit live-action video game adaptation, Sega reaches its pristine, puffy white gloves into its content bucket, pulling out Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 (& Knuckles), and Sonic CD and bundling them all together as Sonic Origins, a $US40 ($56) “remastered” package launching June 23 across all consoles.
Not quite a remaster, never a remake, Sonic Origins is a collection of older games compiled so they can be played with sights and sounds accurate to their original release or, with a little software wizardry, with enhanced bells and whistles, like a full-screen mode or the ability to switch to updated music. For those seeking greater challenges, Origins includes new, optional missions in each game. Completing them awards currency that can unlock items in the game’s museum section.
And for those who’d rather just run around like a maniac, there’s an Anniversary mode with unlimited lives and full-screen support. This shall be a domain of my 10-year-old twins, and if you ever see one of my online handles playing it rest assured it’s them.
The best thing about the Sonic Origins reveal is the lovely animated trailer. Using the same frenetic style introduced when Sonic Mania was first released, the animation captures the spirit of the series as perfectly as possible.
Just keep an eye out for Sonic Origin’s somewhat tricky purchase plan. $US40 ($56) gets you the digital standard version of the game, which sounds like pretty straightforward ports. Add $US5 ($7) and you get the digital deluxe version, which adds:
- Bonus “Difficult” Missions
- Letterbox Backgrounds
- Exclusive Tracks from Mega Drive Titles
As well as three additional, underexplained features described as “Characters in Main Menu,” “Character Animation in Music Playback,” and the ever-mysterious “Island Camera.”
One day every game will sell its optional features à la carte and we’ll all be incredibly confused. Until then, gonna watch this trailer again.
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