tommy_lop's Full Review: Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube
Well with Mega Man anniversary collection reviewed I guess I should review my first ever classic complication for the cube. Sonic Mega Collection was one of the reasons why I bought a cube, I wanted it so I could play the first Sonic the hedgehog game. While the Sonic Mega Collection has some classic Sonic titles, it also has a few titles that aren’t really worth mentioning. But for 20 dollars this is a great purchase.
In the early 90’s Sega was releasing a new console called the genesis, there master system was a complete flop, and was slaughtered by the NES. However there new console was going to be twice has powerful and out before Nintendo SNES, but that wouldn’t be enough to boost sales they needed a good game to go with it. A game that would say that we can do Mario, better. That game would be Sonic the hedgehog, while it started with the Mario formula it added something new to it. Serious Speed has Sonic would go so fast that the gamers would sometimes have to fight in order to keep control of him, while Mario World for the SNES was a more involved game play, Sonic was still a fun ride and started the biggest console war of all time.
The Sonic Mega Collection lets Sega fans relive a few of those moments, and a few I am sure they would rather forget. It also let’s Nintendo fan’s know a few of the things they where missing while they where playing with Mario and Link. Surprisingly 10 years ago if you told me that one day a Sonic game would be on a Nintendo console I would have told you where crazy. Man I guess this is a crazy would isn’t it.
Menus.
Like all complication packs there are going to be menu’s the Sonic Mega Collection has some easy to use menus. The main menu is separated into games, options, extras, and manuals. Pretty standard stuff, when clicked on a sub menu in a from of a big sign let’s you access the different sub menus. It’s easy to understand nothing really tricky to know about it.
Games.
Here are the main games that are available in this collection, there are other that are unlock able by starting each game 50 times to kill a little save file that is stored on the memory card.
The games have basically the same story line your Sonic the hedgehog a hero who fights the evil Dr. Robotnick and his creations. He has kidnapped a bunch of little animals and put them in side little capsules has well has evil robots. Your job is to free the animals and then kick some Robotnick butt.
Well I’ll separate the main games in to two categories, the games that you want to play, and the games only a die heart Sonic fanboy could love. I will also put links to my full reviews of these games.
Games that you want to play
Sonic 1
The original Sonic the hedge hog blasted into the scenes displaying graphics and frame rate that could only be described has average. However it did have some serious speed that made the game fun. Has Sonic could run so fast that if the player wasn’t paying attention he could run into obstacles. The game is fun and it’s great if your looking for the reason why the hedgehog became so popular.
Sonic 2.
Sonic 2 came out with better far better color platelet and frame rate then the original had. Add in it had not just more stages but longer then the original and you can see why some gamers call it the best game in Sonic’s history. Well that is of course if you don’t count in that obnoxious tow tailed fox named Tails that runs behind Sonic to seriously mess him up. It’s bad enough to wish you could set a pack of British hounds on the idiotic fox.
Sonic 3.
Sonic 3 came out and added yet another character by the name of Knuckels to the group. Unfortunately he wasn’t there to help you, he has stolen all of Sonics Choas emeralds and has set traps through out the island. While this game is probably the easiest in the Sonic series mainly because it’s short, and there is a save file in it. But it’s also the best if you ask me, mainly because of the save file.. The graphics in this game aren’t just improved but rather there over hauled has Sonic now has a completely new sprite.
Sonic and Knuckels
This one was more of an expansion of Sonic 3 then it was a sequel. In fact Sonic 3 could somehow fit in the Sonic and Knuckels cartridge and you could play has Knuckels in Sonic 3. It let you play through both games has a big adventure and gave the game a save file, which is Sonic and Knuckels big downfall because by it’s self there is no save file and it’s mega frustrating to think of going through one game without saving. The game takes place right after Sonic 3 and still has Sonic and Knuckels fighting it out on the same island, and the difficulty of this game starts out hard right from the get go. Defiantly not the first Sonic game I would get into.
The games only a Sonic fanboy could love.
Sonic Spinball
Ok so maybe I am being a bit harsh when it comes to Sonic Spinball being in the category of a game only a Sonic fan could love. Has it has some pretty good pinball boards and a lot of clever ideas when it comes to the mixing the game of pinball and a sonic game together. But put in the fact that it’s mega difficult, the stages are linear, and there is no save quickly makes this one a drag to play.
Sonic 3d Blast.
Sonic 3d blast proves just how bad a Sonic game can be has it combines the game play of a Sega Arcade game called Flicky and Sonic together. The goal of the game is to stomp on robots and collect little birdies and hauled them to the exit ring. But the bad controls that make Sonic has easy to control has an 18-wheeler who has all it’s tires flat. Add in that the stage design is just plane bland and uninspired makes it so you can easily get lost. Trust me this is one where you want to spend the 20 minutes of just sitting there starting the game 50 times so you can get past it.
Dr. Robotnicks mean bean machine.
If the name doesn’t say suck then nothing else will with this uninspired Tetris clone. While the actual puzzle design is only average what brings down the game is the A.I. Of the computer opponent. Rather then start off easy so you can get the basics of the game, right away the computer AI was hammering be with tons of combo’s. And this was on easy by the way, after a few dozen tries of trying to beat the first guy I gave up. This one is a bomb.
Unlockables.
There are unlovable games most of them though are just little bonus games that are included on the Sonic and Knuckles cartridge. These will include Sonic 3 and Knuckels, Sonic 2 with Knuckels, and of course blue sphere mini game. There is also Flicky which is the game that Sonic 3d blast is based off it’s a fun little diversion (a lot more fun then 3d blast), but it’s nothing really memorable, this can be unlocked by having Sonic 2 adventure blast on your memory card, or by killing a few of the game files. The last one is some game called Risestar that I haven’t gotten to yet which can be unlocked by killing all the game saved files. Am I to lazy to sit there and just unlock these games by starting them over and over again, you better believe I am. I’ll unlock it someday, I hope.
Emulation.
The games are emulated perfectly on the gamecube. There is little slow down, fuzzyniess in the screen or distorting of the characters. Which is great because all the PC versions of Sonic seem to be lacking in this area and it’s good to see a good port of Sonic’s classic 2d games.
Extras.
Besides the unlock able games the collection has all the instruction booklets scanned into it with a wanabe Adobe acrobat form. Which means you’ll have to zoom into full in order to make out anything that it’s saying, but it’s the thought that counts.
There is also a full issue of Sonic the hedgehog comics that has been scanned in a similar way. Has well has well has all 200 something Sonic comic covers that have been scanned into the disc. There are also post cards, phone cards, and animation sheets with all the characters on it. There is also a history of sonic movie, has well has a preview of his 2nd GBA game and Sonic battle 2 for the GCN. It also has the beginning of Sonic CD, and a remix ending (they put both endings into one ending) of Sonic CD. Unfortunately Sega didn’t put the game that went in between them in. I heard they ran out of room on the disc, my thought would have been killed some of the comic book covers that no one but the die hearts would really care about. And if you had to off a game I don’t think anyone would complain if Sonic 3d blast got whacked for Sonic CD either.
Things Sega could have done to make the game better.
Rather then adding in Sonic CD there was a few things that Sega could have done. I heard that the Japansese also got in Comix Zone with there mega collection. While Comix zone is not the greatest game ever made it’s a better game then Sonic 3d blast and would have been a great if a bit pointless extra. But the main thing that disappointed me was there was no saves in this game other then Sonic 3. Now I understand that back in the day that the cartridges had to have battery saves. And this cost money for Sega to do, so most of the Sonic games didn’t have them, but now day it’s gone on memory cards, which is my memory and money to use. This not only would have helped with the long quest that Sonic 2 dishes out but would actually make Sonic Spinball more playable if they added it in. I add the fact that they didn’t had a save in to lazyness and not cost.
Final Recommendation.
With the now 20 dollar prize tag from it being on the player choice collection Sonic Mega Collection is a good deal. With 4 great Sonic games, 1 that could have been good, and 2 that are better left untouched. If you liked the original speedy platfomring action of the first 4 games then this game is for you. Don’t care for Sonic then you’d better skip it.
SONIC MEGA COLLECTION - Nintendo Gamecube DescriptionA blast from the past!!! The world's cutest prickly is back in the SONIC MEGA COLLECTION for the...More at BradianGames.com
Seven classic Sonic games Unlockable bonus games Extras mode featuring Sonic movies, Platforms: GameCube, ESRB Rating: EveryoneMore at Amazon Marketplace
Take a trip back in time with the character that redefined video games in Sonic Mega Collection for the Nintendo GameCube. Sonic Mega Collection is pa...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.