Sonic the Hedgehog CD
Sonic the Hedgehog CD or
Sonic CD (as it is known in
Europe and
North America) is a
platform game in the
Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed and published by
Sega. It was released for the
Sega Mega CD in
Japan on
September 23,
1993, in Europe in October
1993, and finally for the
Sega CD in North America on
November 19,
1993. The game was later ported to the PC. According to the Prima's Official Strategy Guide of
Sonic Advance 2, many people consider this game the best of the
Sonic the Hedgehog series.
After the release of
Sonic the Hedgehog, Lead Programmer
Yuji Naka had grown dissatisfied with the rigid corporate policies at
Sega, so he moved to America to work with the
Sega Technical Institute. Incidentally, a large number of the original design team of Sonic also left for America, to help instructing the American developers. With half of Sonic Team and two of its most important creators present, the
Sega Technical Institute eventually got the job to develop
Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Meanwhile in Japan,
Sonic CD was handled by a separate development team, headed by Sonic creator
Naoto Ohshima. Initially, as revealed in interviews and magazine clippings [
1],
Sonic CD, and
Sonic 2 for the
Mega Drive/Genesis,
Master System and
Game Gear were all supposed to be the same game. However, during development,
Sonic CD evolved into a vastly different type of game. Eventually, the gameplay of
Sonic 2 would be favoured for the future games, but this explains why the theme and handling of
Sonic CD are different, as well as the use of
Sonic 1's sprites for Sonic. The time posts also had pseudo-3D sprites similar to the
Knuckles' Chaotix title screen.
Sonic CD was released after
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 but before
Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Some fans believe the story of Sonic CD either takes place before
Sonic 2 or after
Sonic & Knuckles due to the misconception that
Sonic 3 takes place where Sonic 2 left off, but in actuality, the Japanese manual states that there was some time in between games. However, due to considerable delays, it is apparent that
Sonic CD was supposed to launch at the same time, if not before,
Sonic 2.
For one month out of every year, a tiny planet appears in the skies above Never Lake. The mysterious Little Planet is home to seven miraculous gems that control the passage of time. When these Time Stones awaken, deserts revert to jungles and polluted waters become pure again. Intrigued by the unusual power of these stones,
Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik sets his sights on Little Planet. As soon as it appears in the sky, he chains it to a nearby mountain, and, utilizing the planet's lack of boundaries on time, conquers the past so that he controls the future.
Sonic the Hedgehog, meanwhile, is on his way to Never Lake, completely unaware of Eggman's latest ambition. Our blue hero arrives on the shores of the lake and is shocked to see the legendary Little Planet chained to the local terrain. It doesn't take him three guesses to figure out the perpetrator of this deed, so he dashes up one of the chains to free the planet and throw a wrench into his rival's latest scheme. Unfortunately, Eggman has been clued in to his enemy's arrival, and preparations have already been made.
Meanwhile, a young girl hedgehog named
Amy Rose (aka Rosy the Rascal) is lured to Little Planet by a card reading that told her of a destined encounter with Sonic. Once there, Amy becomes the perfect target for Eggman to make sure he's got Sonic's attention and to show off his latest, most sophisticated creation to date: Metal Sonic. This robot duplicate of the hedgehog hero was designed to match Sonic's every move and even surpass his own namesake speed. This deadly new rival kidnaps Amy in front of Sonic's very eyes, then escapes with his prize to Eggman's base.
Now, Sonic must gather the Time Stones before Dr. Eggman can, defeat Eggman and Metal Sonic, and save Amy Rose.
The game's key element is the manner in which the player can travel to 4 different versions of each
level in 3 different time periods. This is accomplished by speed posts scattered around the level, bearing the labels "Past", and "Future". After running through one of these posts, the player has to run at top speed for a few seconds without stopping to travel into the respective time period. As in most Sonic games of this era, every stage has three "Acts" (Although they are called "Zones" in this game, see below), the third of which always takes place in the future. If Sonic destroys Dr. Eggman's machine in the past in the first two acts of a stage, he will then travel to the different "Good Future" with no enemies. By completing all the good futures or by collecting the 7 Time Stones in the Special Stages, Sonic will finish the game with the good ending.
The game itself has Sonic feeling generally more sluggish than normal. The spin dash he does is different to that of
Sonic 2's; the position he takes in both games is different. A new move was added to complement the spin dash: the Super Peel-Out (AKA Strike Dash). The Super Peel-Out, performed in a manner much the reverse of the spin dash, by pressing up and any trigger button, causes Sonic to "spin-charge" in position until the player releases the button, at which point he speeds off. The difference between the spindash and the Super Peelout is the spindash damages enemies who get in its way, due to Sonic's curled attacking pose; the Super Peelout, whilst quicker to charge up than the spin dash, does no damage, instead leaving Sonic vulnerable to attack (however, this can be foiled by pressing down immediately after performing the super peelout, sending sonic into a roll that is just as fast as the super peelout as well as making him invulnerable to enemy attack).
While leaving the game idle for more than a few seconds makes Sonic tap his foot impatiently (a common practice in
Sonic games), leaving the game idle for 3 minutes causes Sonic (via a digitized voice clip) to say "I'm outta here!", followed by Sonic jumping off the screen while giving the player a nasty look and the player receiving a Game Over.
What would typically be called a "Zone" in other Sonic games is called a "Round" in
Sonic CD. Likewise, an "Act" now becomes a "Zone". In total there are seven rounds to complete, each in three different time zones.
Palmtree Panic
A tropical level, with mountains and waterfalls in the background, as is typical of the first level in a
Sonic game. At the end of zone one, Amy can be seen waiting for Sonic. In zone three, Dr. Eggman attacks in a mechanical walker that has two bumpers for hands. It has red bumpers in the bad future and pink bumpers in the good future. After being hit three times, Eggman flies away on a jetpack (instead of his egg-o-matic).
Collision Chaos
This is one of the traditional pinball-esque levels found often in
Sonic games. There many springs and bumpers, especially near the end of the first two zones. The land can be seen upside-down at the top of the stage. At the beginning of this level, Metal Sonic kidnaps Amy, thus beginning Sonic's quest to get her back. In zone three, Sonic must make it to the top of a pinball table while avoiding the explosive orbs that Dr. Eggman drops.
Tidal Tempest
A water-filled level near a volcanically active area. When underwater, Sonic has to breathe in air from large bubbles so that he will not drown (as is common in
Sonic games). This level has many platforms and passageways, and currents that blow Sonic through the water. In zone three, the player must chase Dr. Eggman around in a repeating maze, (much like the boss in the Labyrinth Zone in
Sonic the Hedgehog) and hit him four times. A wall will open and the player will be submerged underwater. Eggman is surrounded by air bubbles while flying back and forth, trying to fire upon the player. These air bubbles serve to keep Sonic alive, but at the same time prevent him from making a direct hit on Dr. Eggman's ship.
Quartz Quadrant
Quartz Quadrant appears to be a marshy, jungle-like area with an abundance of mineral deposits and a great deal of mining activity. It is a busy location with conveyor belts and platforms abound. There are distinct inside and outside areas in this round. Inside is a cavernous mineral mine, with numerous crystal deposits. Outside, the land is marshy with thick vegetation in some eras. In zone three, Sonic runs on a conveyer belt while Dr. Eggman drops bomb on him. Sonic cannot attack directly. However, the friction of the belt against Eggman's machine will eventually destroy it.
Wacky Workbench
A power plant round located in a canyon. It features flashing floors that launch Sonic to incredible heights when touched. Sonic has to traverse this area using moving platforms, some spinning, and various platforms that bounce up and down on the flashing floor. There are also ice jets that may freeze Sonic for a while, or electric sparks from exposed wires that cause damage. Zone three features a multi-leveled tower where the player fights Dr. Eggman. During the battle, there is a pit in the middle of the floor (except for the first floor) with some spikes and a platform on either side. The player must jump to the other platform once the ground falls.
Stardust Speedway
One of the fastest rounds in
Sonic's history. Stardust Speedway is a highway above an enormous city that features many loop-de-loops, zig zags, and junctions (reminiscent of
Star Light zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog). Spotlights are shining everywhere. In the present, the speedways resemble the keys, horns, and pipes of a trumpet. The city appears to be situated near or on the water. Depending on the orientation of certain panels, Sonic will either walk normally in the foreground, or walk in the background. In the center of the round in act two there is an enormous structure that changes appearance depending on the time period in which the player is present. At the end of zone three, Sonic races against metal sonic, with Dr. Eggman following behind with a powerful laser which causes instant death if touched. If victorious, Metal Sonic is destroyed and Sonic finally rescues Amy.
Metallic Madness
Eggman's base on the Little Planet. There are many spikes, traps, springs and platforms in this level. Near the end of zone two, special laser beams will miniaturize Sonic, and he must make his way through small passageways. Zone three is the final boss, preceded by a battle against firefly robots, and the only bottomless pit in the entire game.
Metal Sonic's penultimate form in
Sonic Heroes, Metal Madness, may have been inspired by this level's name. Upon reaching zone three, Dr. Eggman then battles Sonic in a pod surrounded by four blades that he fires at Sonic. Every time he is hit, he loses a blade and the remaining blades begin to rotate more quickly. At the end, Amy will race towards Sonic and the screen will turn white and go to the ending credits. If Sonic has not collected all seven Time Stones, the player sees the ending where Eggman escapes and Sonic throws a rock at him and he explodes. If you have all 7 Time Stones then you see the true ending, in which Dr. Eggman does not escape, but Little Planet vanishes in a sparkling shower of stars resembling Sonic's face, in thanks of what he did to save them. However, in the original Japanese ending, good or bad, both parts are shown.
Sonic CD's US and Japanese versions feature two different soundtracks. Europe uses the original soundtrack. The Japanese soundtrack was composed by
Naofumi Hataya, and featured songs by
Keiko Utoku. The songs were entitled "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" (infamously nicknamed "Toot Toot Sonic Warrior" by Sonic fans) and "Cosmic Eternity - Believe In Yourself".
The US 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
PCM audio rather than
Red Book CD Audio) was replaced, and new themes were composed. The new theme was "Sonic Boom", performed by Pastiche (Sandy Cressman, Jenny Meltzer and Becky West). Both the opening and ending had similar lyrics but different instrumentation. This is called the "Special Edition" soundtrack.The intro and ending
FMV sequences were slightly re-edited to fit in time with the respective music. Since then, every re-release of the game in the US exclusively has this soundtrack, including both the PC version and the one in
Sonic Gems Collection (the latter having the Japanese soundtrack in Japan but with the slightly altered programming of the US version's); apparently due to licensing issues, the Japanese soundtrack has never made it to the States. However, it has surfaced in
Sonic Screensaver and
Sonic Jam, making it seem to be a faulty argument.
Most fans say that the changes were completely unnecessary. In fact, the last development version of Sonic CD (after the Japanese release), which was running on American NTSC systems, contained the Japanese soundtrack completely intact [
2] [
3], indicating that at one point in localization, the soundtrack wasn't considered for revision.
A version available for the
personal computer was released in Japan on
August 9,
1996, with a North American version in
August 26,
1996, and a European version in
October 3,
1996. Among the most noteworthy changes of this version was the fact that the entire
FMV animated intro and ending sequence is available for this version. The Mega-CD version only had a truncated version of the intro and ending sequence. The Japanese version of the game had its manual translated from the US version, and all versions had the US soundtrack, with the "Past" tunes converted to normal CD tracks.
Due to the design of
Microsoft DirectX in Windows NT-based machines (namely,
Windows NT,
Windows 2000, and
Windows XP), the installation program for the game can crash. While this can be worked around (usually by using compatibility modes in Windows XP, which rarely works on Sonic CD's installer), the program will still not execute. Using a
third-party patch written by a member of the Sonic community, Sonic CD will run on the latest versions of Windows. This patch apparently overrides the
checksum, as any Audio CD can be used in place of the original Sonic CD disc for Maximum Installations (
first FAQ here).
While the DirectX version of Sonic CD for PC is the most common version, it is not the first version of Sonic CD for PC. The original version of Sonic CD for PC was powered using Dino libraries, an Intel-developed precursor to DirectX. This version of Sonic CD was never individually sold at retail, it was only sold with Packard Bell computers as a pre-installed game. Upon the release of DirectX 3, Sega ported the Dino dependencies to DirectX calls and released Sonic CD in its DirectX form.
In addition to the PC port,
Sonic CD is part of the
Nintendo GameCube (and, in Japan and Europe,
PlayStation 2) compilation
Sonic Gems Collection. This version is, in turn, ported from the PC version with some enhancements regarding the game's framerate and action speed (with no framerate slow-down). The soundtrack in this version depends on the region, though European versions of the game contain the American soundtrack (unlike previous European releases which featured the Japanese soundtrack). There are, however, some features the Gems Collection version lacks compared to the PC one; in particular, the Gems Collection edition's Tidal Tempest water is transparent, instead of tinted green.
"R2" is Sonic CD's biggest mystery; each Sonic game of this era has at least one. R2 is the nickname for a possible cut level. When using the level select cheat, each level is labeled "Round" and then a number. For instance, Palmtree Panic is "Round 1." However, when Round 2 is picked, the game skips immediately to Round 3, Collision Chaos.
There are two big theories on this missing Round, called Round 2 or R2 because unlike other cut levels such as
Sonic 2's Hidden Palace or Desert Level, there are no screenshots of the level in question and its design is not known.
One (older) theory is that it is the mythical Dust Hill also associated with the
Sonic 2 Beta and its Desert level, linked via shared ideas across the two teams working simultaneously on Sonic CD and Sonic 2. This theory is based on the loading screen's world map, which contains a Cactus and Desert like area. Since all of the included levels match up to areas on this map, and there is no desert level in Sonic CD, some have thought this to mean a desert level was once included. There are in fact 3 un-allocated areas on the map, a jungle, a large green building and the desert area, a theory is that all were once allocated, one to a supposed final level 'Final Fever'.
Another theory is the Rusty Ruin theory. The name 'Rusty Ruin' is taken from
Sonic 3D Blast, it is the name of the second Zone. The developers
Traveller's Tales have a habit of re-using concept sketches in their games some believe that Rusty Ruin based on the Round 2, or at least the cut ruin level. In Sonic CD, The animated cutscene that acts as the game's ending animation shows Sonic in all of the game's levels, plus one additional level: Sonic runs through a series of ruins and escapes a cockroach-like robot. All of the animations for the other levels are very specific, showing correct badiks and locations. It is theorised that this is Round 2.
Sonic CD has remarkable similarities to Sonic 1, including the level order, which matches, except for the Marble Zone, which has no counterpart, leading to another theory that a marble level was included.
No theory has ever been confirmed by Sega or the former team members.
|
The better-known of Tails' two appearances in Sonic CD. |
*When accessing the debug mode of
Sonic CD, a secret picture of
Tails will appear in the game. The car (resembling a
Lotus Seven) next to Tails is a possible reference to
Sonic Drift.Plus, there is text that uses the
Sonic 1 font.
*When playing the game on Sega CD on a past level, where all the music is pre-loaded, the CD drive's spindle will spin down after a short time because it is not reading anything. This creates a glitch when the player finishes the level or heads back to the present; the CD has to be spun up again, the laser tracked, and then the appropriate music played. This process takes a good 7–8 seconds. But since the software is not factoring this in, it leaves with the transition/end music getting cut off 2 seconds in, or not played at all.
*In addition to the change of soundtrack the U.S. version also replaced Amy Rose's name in the manual with that of
Princess Sally to garner support for the television show, despite the fact that the Princess Sally character was already established as a completely different looking and separate character (this was fixed in the PC version instruction manual).
Sonic CD marked the first official appearance of both
Metal Sonic and
Amy Rose.The Moskito Badnik is Also in
Knuckles Chaotix and
Sonic Triple Trouble which also features the Peel out maneuver and other features in Sonic CD.
*It is often rumoured that
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was to incorporate a time travel function similar to
Sonic CD at one point or another. These rumors likely stemmed from the fact that at one point in time, Sonic CD was actually referred to as "Sonic 2 CD" early in development. To perpetuate this theory, a beta version of
Sonic 2 had similar characteristics to other levels in the main game, specifically Wood Zone and Metropolis Zone, thus speculating "Past" and "Future" versions
(see screenshots here). In addition, the beta had a "futuristic" point marker programmed into it
(sixth row here). Recently a concept image of a badnik confirmed the time travel element planned for Sonic 2.
Sonic Mega Collection for the Nintendo GameCube (and later for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 as
Sonic Mega Collection Plus, though that is not applicable) included, in the extra section, both the intro and good ending FMV sequences from Sonic CD. These videos are also available in
Sonic Jam for Sega Saturn.
* Sonic Cult discovered an early photograph of
Sonic Mega Collection's title screen, revealing that Sonic CD was supposed to appear, at one stage, on the collection.
*This was the first Sonic game to include
centiseconds in the time as opposed to just
minutes and
seconds (another game was
Super 32X's
Chaotix).
*When Sonic dies and starts to fall off-screen, the games animations continue to play as opposed to the other 16-bit games, where the entire game freezes during the death sequence.
*The game uses standard
Red Book audio for the background and intro music, so can be played in any CD player or other device that will play CD audio.
*The
FMV content—including the hidden pencil test—is available in
AVI format on the game disc and can be easily navigated to via the CD's filesystem. The Sonic Screensaver's pictures and music can be accessed in a similar manner.
*The version of
Sonic CD found in
Sonic Gems Collection is in fact a port of the PC version. This is likely because to emulate the Sega CD original, Sega would have to emulate both the Mega Drive/Genesis processors in addition to the new processors for the Sega CD—which might have been difficult, if not impossible for GameCube and PlayStation 2 hardware to do at full speed. As a result of the PC port,
Sonic CD on
Sonic Gems Collection features audio converted from 11
kHz WAV for all its sound effects (which is noticeably lower quality than the other games included), as well as the high-color versions of the intro and ending videos; however, it also is missing certain effects present in both the Sega CD and PC version, such as transparent water in Tidal Tempest Zone, or fades of any sort. There are other mistakes as well, such as the background of Stardust Speedway's Bad Future containing static lightning in reverse, and the sound effects not registering properly for the Stardust Speedway boss. You can also tell it is a port of the PC version because it says it is copyrighted in 1993 and 1996 on the title screen.
*Issue #25 of the Archie comic book features a cover story loosely based on
Sonic CD.
* Tails makes 2 appearances in
Sonic CD: his appearance in the hidden picture, and another, less obvious place. In the unlockable "D.A. Garden" mode (known as "Play Music" in the PC version) there are several animations in front of the rotating Little Planet (birds flying, metal sonic, etc.) Occasionally Tails's biplane, the Tornado, will fly across the screen.
*
Sonic CD page at
The GHZ - contains info, screenshots and a basic walkthrough.
*
Sonic CD on GameFaqs - info, walkthrough, reader reviews.
