We just can't have a break from the original Sonic collection of games. Sonic 1, 2 and 3 were released on Switch , Xbox and PS5 back in 2022 from a set called Sonic Origins. It would include a "remastered" 16:9 aspect ratio of the game running on a new engine. However the engine was separate from the actual game itself. For this reason you did not have any extra lives which was a welcome change for the old Sonic titles, but sady the collection was not without it's issues. From audio problems, where most in game sound would be mono for whatever reason, to graphical and gameplay bugs. So many problems in fact that in now deleted tweets the game developers lashed out at Sega for not allowing them enough time to complete the game, and rushing it out for Sonic's birthday back in June 2021 (if I had a dollar every time a Sonic game gets rushed out in time for his birthday) but looks like it's happening again with Sonic Origins round 2, Sonic Origins Plus. What's so great about this new collection anyway?
Physical Problems
For the first time, the Sonic Origins collection is released in Physical Edition, but - there's a catch. While the game is indeed physical and disc or cart based, people have discovered that the bonus DLC will be but a separate download code included inside a box for the PLUS content. This is not the same approach as Sonic Mania from 2017. When that got remastered, as Sonic Mania Plus, we had the disc or cart included in the box along with all the bonus DLC in the actual base game. That was worth paying the odd $50 for the upgraded version. Depending on what version you got the Xbox and PS5 version had a nice lenticular cover, and the Japanese version included a bonus art book and Soundtrack CD.
I played Sonic Origins originally when it first came out back in 2022 and I paid a full priced $60 for that garbage. Almost within moments I started noticing wacky audio problems and glitches during the gameplay that weren't present in the original versions, such as a glitch where Tails would be stuck repeatedly from behind and he would just be jumping around for the whole stage, they did patch that bug but there are still many other issues that have not yet been fixed, and it looks like they still haven't been fixed for this new collection either.
Amy Can't Save This Game
Sorry, Amy fans. Amy can't save this game. Didn't ask. Amy was announced to be a playable character in Sonic Origins Plus for whatever reason. No Shadow? Peh. That's not fair. Apparently there was going to be more characters in Sonic Origins first time round but they rushed the game and released it without any. Now you can play as Knuckles in Sonic CD as well which was not available in the original edition. But even so, it didn't need an entire re-release for just an additional character with a full price game tag.
Game Gear Games Have Audio Issues
Many online users have been discovering that the included Game Gear Games have audio issues, similar to the original Audio issues in Sonic Origins. Which looks many like the team didn't actually fix anything. Also, these game gear games were all originally released on Sonic Adventure DX - Director's Cut on the Gamecube. Or, you can get SADX on Xbox for about $20 and it would feature all the Game Gear games included in this collection anyway for much less of a price and a better emulated version.
No "Sonic Mania"
There just seems to be no care at all for this already cursed Sonic Origins Plus collection. The Sonic Origins series was a disaster to begin with and still remains to be so. Unfortunately, Game Gear and Amy can't save this set especially. I think asking for $60 for a basic re-release of a game that doesn't really need to be re-released is a big scam. Sonic Origins Plus is fraudulent and I have no interest in getting this new version.
As I said earlier, Sonic Adventure DX is a much better deal than this. With the same Game Gear games included.
Sonic Origins Plus comes out on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch on June 23 2023.
Another thing that's a problem with the game is the gameplay glitches and bugs I've been having with Sonic 3 & Knuckles's Blue Sphere special stages. I swear it never happened to me before who's played the original on Mega Collection version many times in the past, but I somehow discovered that my gameplay controls never responds when I'm trying to collect the blue spheres in all directions, and it somehow throws me out of the game by touching the red spheres by random (I swear this is no joke, it happens everytime I try to go back to the special stages to go collect all of the blue spheres and avoiding the red spheres, and for some weird reason, it still screws me up very badly, messing up my chances of ever getting the damn blue spheres and getting super finicky with my controls). I swear SEGA is obviously doing this on purpose, just to troll & hate on the Sonic fans for wanting more Sonic Mania Plus sequels after Christian Whitehead, Simon Thomley and Tee Lopes made it awesome. It's a crying shame, I tell ya. Anybody else have that same damn problem too or is it just me?
Another thing that's a problem with the game is the gameplay glitches and bugs I've been having with Sonic 3 & Knuckles's Blue Sphere special stages. I swear it never happened to me before who's played the original on Mega Collection version many times in the past, but I somehow discovered that my gameplay controls never responds when I'm trying to collect the blue spheres in all directions, and it somehow throws me out of the game by touching the red spheres by random (I swear this is no joke, it happens everytime I try to go back to the special stages to go collect all of the blue spheres and avoiding the red spheres, and for some weird reason, it still screws me up very badly, messing up my chances of ever getting the damn blue spheres and getting super finicky with my controls). I swear SEGA is obviously doing this on purpose, just to troll & hate on the Sonic fans for wanting more Sonic Mania Plus sequels after Christian Whitehead, Simon Thomley and Tee Lopes made it awesome. It's a crying shame, I tell ya. Anybody else have that same damn problem too or is it just me?
ReplyDeleteIt's stupid to expect Shadow in this when Amy is actually in Sonic Origins already and has classic-era sprites to take reference from
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