Sonic Origins review – Running up that Emerald Hill

A sonic boom in the distance. A blue blur racing into view. A genius inventor gone rogue and shoving adorable animals into robot shells and then unleashing them upon the world. Sonic the Hedgehog’s basic formula is as evergreen as can be, a formula for speedy platforming that has stood the test of time and rarely been equaled, let alone bettered. All of which explains why Sega dips into its library of Megadrive games so often.

The latest compilation is Sonic Origins, a collection of games given a 21st Century makeover, and includes heavyweight titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It’s good stuff at a basic level, a reminder that no matter how old or young you are, Sonic the Hedgehog’s high-speed chaos, pitted against Dr. Robotnik, still feels as fresh today as it was back when Sonic’s cartoon theme proclaimed the spiky speedster to be the fastest thing alive. Good times!

When it comes to upgrades, this version of Sonic’s greatest hits is definitely tuned to appeal to an audience that wants to experience the hedgehog at his best in a beginner-friendly package. Beyond the widescreen update and vibrant colors that really pop on an OLED display, each game now has beautifully animated cutscenes that drop in some quick exposition. Meanwhile, young gamers can bulldoze their way through stages in the Anniversary mode edition of these games thanks to infinite lives – removing an obstacle that will have their parents spitting out their morning coffee when they see it in action.

“Back in my day,” they’ll spout as their heads instantly turn grey, “we had limited lives! And no controller! We had to shout at our TV screens for a K-TV competition, and whoever was playing Sonic was the worst! I never won a Megadrive!”

K-TV mental trauma aside (South African kids of the 90s will understand), one really appealing modernisation effort of this collection is Mission mode. This essentially creates a delightful flow of constant speed and action between all four games, remixing challenges that even Sonic veterans will find themselves sweating over, just so that they can get digital kudos. It’s an interesting addition to the Sonic formula, but it also highlights how the compilation does feel like a barebones collection of classic 16-bit velocity.

Make no mistake, playing any of these Sonic games shows just how well they’ve aged, as each level is a perfect one-two punch of speed and challenge that makes for digestible content. Sega at the height of its popularity was unbeatable, but Sonic Origins doesn’t do more than provide a satisfactory nostalgia trip for fans. Sure the museum is great if you like seeing design documents and other extras from the Sonic Team production offices, but for a game that was supposedly rebuilt in an entirely new engine, it’s odd that there isn’t more meat on its bones.

Sonic Origins looks great in widescreen thanks to the Retro Engine, but it’s the bare minimum at play here. In a world where Sonic Mania exists–which shows just how brilliant the Sonic formula can be when a dedicated team revamps classic content and adds new ideas to the mix–Sonic Origins plays it a little too safe. It’s a basic Sonic experience, and one that has seen some controversy due to at least one developer on the game bemoaning its final state, claiming that the studio was barred from implementing “major fixes” before Origins was released.

I will admit that with my version on PS5, I’ve yet to encounter a single bug and everything plays smoothly. I’ve had no game-breaking issues or glitches at all, but if one of the developers threads together a story about Sega mucking things up behind the scenes, then that’s worrying.

Despite the controversy, I’m still having a blast with Sonic Origins. The games have aged beautifully, the soundtrack still slaps–even without Michael Jackson’s involvement–and Sonic’s speed feels better than ever on a widescreen TV. This likely won’t be the last time Sega resurrects the classic blue blur for a new release. Still, Sonic Origins does a competent job at setting the stage for a new generation to experience speed, chili dogs, and unrivaled speed. It’s a great collection of retro Sonic games, but it needs to be more than just a rehash of the classics when numerous other (and cheaper) Sonic alternatives exist.