Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Sonic CD
European Instruction manual
Developer(s)	Sonic Team Blit Software and Christian Whitehead (2011 ver.)
Publisher(s)	Sega SoftKey (PC)
Designer(s)	Naoto Ōshima (Director) Yasushi Yamaguchi (Special Stage Design)
Artist(s)	Kazuyuki Hoshino (Character Design/Visual Designer/Special Stage Design)
Composer(s)	Yukifumi Makino (Sound Director) Japan/EU version: Naofumi Hataya Masafumi Ogata US version: Spencer Nilsen David J. Young
Engine	Retro Engine (2011 ver.)
Platform(s)	Mega-CD, Windows 9x, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 (Japan and Europe only), Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Steam
Release date(s)	September 23, 1993 Mega-CD JP September 23, 1993 EU October, 1993 NA November 19, 1993 Windows 9x JP August 9, 1996 NA September 26, 1996 EU October 3, 1996 XBLA December 14, 2011 PlayStation Network (PS3 only) EU December 14, 2011 NA December 20, 2011 Android December 14, 2011 iOS December 15, 2011 Steam January 19, 2012 Windows Phone TBA 2012
Genre(s)	Platformer
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ACB: G Apple: 4+ ESRB: K-A (Windows version) (1995)/E (Xbox Live Arcade) VRC: GA
Media/distribution	CD-ROM
System requirements Windows 95, 75 MHz Pentium CPU, SVGA, 2X CD-ROM, 15 MB hard disk space

Sonic the Hedgehog CD (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグCD, Sonikku za Hejjihoggu Shī Dī), or Sonic CD, is a 1993 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team for the Mega-CD/Sega CD. It marked the first official appearance of the characters Metal Sonic and Amy Rose. It was released by Sega in Japan on September 23, 1993, in Europe in October 1993, and in North America on November 19, 1993. The game has been critically acclaimed since release.

The game was later ported to the PC in 1996 and was later included as part of the Sonic Gems Collection compilation in 2005 for PlayStation 2 and GameCube. An enhanced port was released on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, iOS and Android in December 2011, and for PC on January 19, 2012. A Windows Phone version is expected Q1 2012.

Gameplay

Players control Sonic as he speeds his way to end of each level, using his spin attack to fight against Dr. Robotnik's badniks. Along the way, Sonic can collect rings, which can protect him if is he hit by an enemy or obstacle, as well as items such as shields, invincibility and speed shoes. Sonic's gameplay remains similar to that of Sonic the Hedgehog but with the addition of the Spin Dash and the Super Peel Out, which lets him zoom into a quick speed from a standing point, either in a rolling or running position. The Super Peel Out is faster than the Spin Dash, but leaves Sonic more vulnerable. Each of the game's seven zones consists of three acts; two main levels and a boss level.

The main gameplay mechanic that sets Sonic CD apart from other Sonic games, is the ability to travel to different periods of time within each level. By hitting posts labeled "past" or "future" and running at a consistently fast speed for a few seconds, Sonic can move between past, present and future versions of each level (with the exception of boss levels, which always take place in the future), containing different layouts with changes to placement and frequency of enemies and obstacles. By default, traveling to the future upon entering a level will take Sonic to a "bad future", a progression of the current level into a dystopic future where rampant industrialization has taken hold, bringing with it themes of neglect and decay into the scenery; The robots which have thus been working for a long time with apparently no mantainence exhibit signs of degradation such as lower performance, missing functionality and a worn-out appearance. However, if the player travels to the past and destroys a "robot generator" hidden somewhere in the level, returning to the future will take Sonic to a "good future", an utopic technogaian timeline where technology and nature are symbiotically fused into a sustainable, colourful environment. Gameplay-wise, the destruction of the "robot generator" in the past meant that there are no robots to be found in the future, with only the level's own hazards serving as obstacles. If a "good future" is achieved in both acts of a zone, the boss level will take place in the "good future" as well, otherwise it will take place in the "bad future".

Similar to Sonic the Hedgehog, if a player has more than 50 rings by the end of the act, a giant ring appears that can take Sonic to a Special Stage if he jumps into it. On a three-dimensional plane, the player has a short amount of time to destroy several purple UFOs floating around the level. Time is rapidly reduced if the player runs through water, though a blue UFO which appears when time is running out can grant extra time if destroyed. If the player is able to destroy all the purple UFOs before the time runs out, a Time Stone is earned. A good ending can be achieved by collecting all seven Time Stones, or by achieving a "good future" in every act. The player will also automatically achieve a "good future" in any level if all the Time Stones have been collected.

Sonic CD contains a "backup save", using the internal Mega-CD memory or a backup RAM cartridge. The game saves after the end of each third act (after which, a new level begins) and records the best times of the player in the time attack mode. In the 2011 port, the game is saved at the end of each act. The game also features an instant game over scenario, in which Sonic will leap off the screen and instantly end the game regardless of lives if he is left alone for three minutes without the game being paused.

For the 2011 port, players are also able to control Miles "Tails" Prower after clearing the game once. Just like Sonic, he can use the spin attack, spin dash, along with his ability to fly by spinning his tails like helicopter rotors, but is unable to use the Super Peel Out and cannot be used to earn achievements. Players also have the option to utilise the Spin Dash physics from Sonic 2.

Plot

Sonic and Amy Rose arrive in Never Lake where the fabled Miracle Planet/Little Planet is said to appear on the last month of every year. They arrive to find the planet tethered to a mountain by a chain and completely covered in metal. Sonic realizes this is the work of his arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik, who is using the planet's unique time properties to make it his own base. Furthermore, Robotnik has created a robotic counterpart of Sonic named Metal Sonic, who kidnaps Amy. Sonic must traverse the Little Planet and collect the Time Stones, seven jewels capable of altering the passage of time itself, in order to save Amy, destroy Metal Sonic, and free the Little Planet from Robotnik's control.

Development

Gameplay of Sonic CD, in the 5th Round, Wacky Workbench.

Following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, Lead Programmer Yuji Naka had grown dissatisfied with the rigid corporate policies at Sega and moved to the United States to work with the Sega Technical Institute, along with several members of Sonic Team, to develop Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile in Japan, a separate development team headed by Sonic creator Naoto Ohshima handled development on Sonic CD. This game and Sonic 2 were initially intended to be one and the same, but during development, Sonic CD evolved into a vastly different type of game. The game is the first in the series to feature animated cutscenes, which were produced by Toei Animation, with co-operation with Studio Junio.

Sonic Boom

There are two different soundtracks for the game, one which was used for the Japanese and PAL (European) releases of the game, and another completely different soundtrack used for the North American version of the game, as well as later European ports of the game. The Japanese soundtrack was composed by Naofumi Hataya & Masafumi Ogata, and featured songs by Keiko Utoku. The songs were entitled "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" (known also as "Toot Toot Sonic Warrior", composed by Masafumi Ogata) and "Cosmic Eternity - Believe in Yourself" (composed by Naofumi Hataya). The boss music for the Japanese version was also noted for sampling the song "Work That Sucker To Death" by '70s American artists Xavier, Bootsy Collins, and George Clinton. The North American version was delayed a few months to have a new soundtrack composed by Spencer Nilsen, who did other Sega CD soundtracks as well as some early Sega Saturn soundtracks. All the music (save for the "Past" tunes, which were in synth PCM audio rather than Red Book CD Audio) was replaced, and the theme tunes were replaced with "Sonic Boom", performed by Pastiche (Sandy Cressman, Jenny Meltzer and Becky West). Some songs from the Japanese soundtrack have seen remixes in certain 8-bit Sonic titles. The 2011 re-release of the game will feature the Japanese/European soundtrack. Although the inclusion of the North American soundtrack was initially uncertain due to licensing issues it was later revealed that the US soundtrack is included, with the option to switch between the two soundtracks. However, both "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" and "Cosmic Eternity - Believe in Yourself" have been replaced by instrumental versions as the rights to the lyrics belonged to Casey Rankin, who passed away in 2009. A 20th Anniversary soundtrack CD was released in Japan on November 23, 2011, featuring remastered versions of the Japanese/European soundtrack, with the inclusion of "Sonic Boom", and special remixes by Cash Cash, Jun Senoue and Crush 40.

Alternate versions and ports

Retail

Sonic CD was ported to PC CD-ROM in 1996, marking Sonic's debut on the PC under the Sega PC brand. This version was released in Japan on August 9, 1996, in North America on August 26, 1996, and in Europe on October 3, 1996. This version contains the complete FMV animated intro and ending sequence, and all versions of the game, including the Japanese version, uses the North American soundtrack. An error in this version meant that special stages ran at roughly double the speed they were intended for. This port is currently only compatible with older versions of Windows, although some unofficial patches allow the game to be played on later versions.

Sonic CD was released as part of the Sonic Gems Collection compilation released for Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2005. This version is ported from the PC version with some enhancements regarding the game's frame rate and action speed (with no frame rate slow-down), though features some minor emulation errors. As a result of the game being ported from the PC version, it contained a considerable amount of graphical flaws such as gaping holes in the background of Palmtree Panic's Bad Future, Zone 1; a lack of colour in the water from Tidal Tempest; Quartz Quadrant's Present's crystals being in the wrong layer; Wacky Workbench's ceiling distorting/corrupting; Stardust Speedway's Bad Future containing static lightning inverted and, finally, layers missing in some of the special stages. The PS2 version also made rotating the planet in "Play Music" inoperable due to incorrect button mappings. While the Japanese version still uses the same soundtrack as the JP/EU Mega-CD version, the European version of the game utilises the North American soundtrack. This version also included higher quality versions of the animated intro and ending sequences than those featured on the Mega-CD version, although the ending movie appeared to lag and hiccup at points.

Digital releases

On August 23, 2011, a blog post by Microsoft's Larry Hyrb listed Sonic CD as an Xbox Live Arcade title to be made playable at PAX Prime 2011. On August 25, 2011, Sega announced it would also be bringing the game to PlayStation Network, PC, iOS, Windows Phone and Android devices. The port was developed from scratch using the "Retro Engine" created by independent developer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead, who originally produced a proof of concept video of the game running on the iPhone in 2009. This engine allows improvements to be made to the game, including widescreen graphics and the option to utilise spin-dash physics from Sonic 2. Players will also be able to unlock Tails as a playable character. The port also features both the original Japanese/European soundtrack and the American soundtrack, as well as achievement and trophy support and iOS features. The game was released on Xbox Live Arcade and the European PlayStation Network on December 14, 2011, followed by the iOS App Store and Android Market on December 15, 2011 and the North American PlayStation Network on December 20, 2011. The PC version was released on the 19th of January, 2012. A Windows Phone version will be released in Q1 2012. Prior to the game's release, Android gaming tablets purchased from GameStop from November 2011 contained the full game.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	100%
GameStats	10 of 10
Review scores
Publication	Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly	8.5 of 10 (Mega-CD)
GamePro	(Mega-CD)
GameSpot	8.5 of 10 (PSN)
IGN	8.5 of 10 (Xbox Live)
Official Xbox Magazine	9.0 of 10 (Xbox Live)
Destructoid	9.0 of 10 (Xbox Live)
Sega-16	10 of 10 (Mega-CD)
Sega Force Mega	85% (Mega-CD)
ViceoJuegos	97 of 100 (Mega-CD)
Awards Entity Award Electronic Gaming Monthly Best Sega CD Game of 1993

Reviews for Mega-CD version of Sonic CD received critical acclaim, with a consensus that it was one of the best games for the Sega Mega-CD. The game was praised for its innovative time-travel based gameplay, presentation and music. Despite this critical acclaim, the game failed to emulate the commercial success of the Mega Drive Sonic games, due to the unpopularity of the Mega-CD.^{[citation needed]}

Sonic CD was awarded Best Sega CD Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly. In May 2009, Gamepro listed Sonic CD as one of the Top 20 Best Platformers: 1989 to 2009, ranking the game in 12th place. GamesRadar listed Sonic CD as the 67th best game of all time.

The 2011 iOS version of Sonic CD is the highest rated Sonic game on Metacritic with a score of 95 out of 100 (#2 iOS game of 2011), while the XBLA version has a score of 88 out of 100. IGN praised the 2011 rerelease, scoring 8.5 for the XBLA version and 9.0 for the iOS version. GamesRadar gave the game 9/10, mentioning that the iPhone version conversion in particular is "incredible". Sonic CD hit the number one spot on PSN Top Sellers for December 2011.

Legacy

The story of Sonic CD was adapted in issues 26 to 28 of Egmont Fleetway's Sonic the Comic magazine in the UK, where Metal Sonic was renamed Metallix. The game's story was also adapted in issue #25 of Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series.

Two characters introduced in the game, Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, are featured in many later games in the Sonic series. Metal Sonic later appears as the main villain in 2003's Sonic Heroes, as well as making appearances in various spin-offs in the series. Metal Sonic will reappear as a key villain in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, whose story will link to that of Sonic CD's. Amy Rose has also gone on to become a character in many subsequent games as well.

For Sonic's 20th Anniversary, Sega released Sonic Generations, a game that remade aspects of various past games from the franchise. It features a remake of the Sonic CD boss battle against Metal Sonic, set in the bad future of Stardust Speedway. In the Nintendo 3DS version, the battle takes place in a Sonic the Hedgehog 2 themed "Casino Night" level which contains a faithful design of Stardust Speedway.

External links

• Sonic CD at Sega.com
• Sonic CD at Xbox.com
• Sonic CD at PlayStation.com