Sonic Origins – Review
Our Score: 8/10
In Sonic Origins relive the classic adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD in this new remaster. The speedy blue hedgehog has been around for over 30 years and what better way to celebrate such a life. Sonic Origins is a collection that brings back the original titles that made Sonic the beloved hero he is known to be.
Blast from the Past
Sonic Origins is the greatest we’ve ever seen in these classics, to put it simply. You can play the upgraded 16:9 anniversary editions of each game or the original 4:3 ones. New features are also included in the anniversary editions. For instance, Super Sonic and the spin dash are now available in Sonic 1. And the drop dash from Sonic Mania is included in all games. Additionally, unless you play the original versions, keeping track of your lives and caring about game overs are no longer things. This really improves the experience. Especially for the first game. Being able to play the game with few consequences when you die is quite wonderful. Because including lives in games is a holdover from a bygone era of gaming that is no longer fun for most casual players.
During gameplay, the lives slot has been replaced by coins. You get them through completing Missions in the main menu or receiving what would typically be an additional life. If you fail, you can spend them to try again to harvest emeralds in special levels, which is such a lovely variation. As long as you have the coin, getting numerous chances to get it right is a pleasant difference from losing access to these regions and having to find a way back to them. When you have more opportunities, even the dreadful special stages from the first game are bearable. The changes made to each game are generally not earth-shattering, but they are welcome and help Sonic Origins’ games stand out from all other iterations.
Bringing New Life
One of my favorite things about Sonic Origins is the amount of charm it incorporates. Every game now has an animated intro and outro, giving some context to what is happening in each title. It’s small, but one of the consistently best parts of Sonic the Hedgehog from the beginning has been cartoons with him featured. That is completely true here.
Additionally, a new Museum section houses a wealth of content for longtime fans to look into. There’s an extensive library of sounds and music, images, and movies to watch. You unlock them through in-game means or purchase them with Coins you have earned. These are great rewards to keep you coming back to see what you have unlocked. And it even has the Sonic Mania Adventures cartoon. Which is essentially the next part of the story after these games. There is enough juicy content here for Sonic fans to truly fulfill themselves.
Final Verdict
Sonic Origins is the best way to experience the classic Sonic titles in all their glory with modern improvements. If missed playing this game from your childhood, then this is a no brainer.
