A new port of the Sega CD original makes its way to current-gen systems, PC, and mobile platforms.
Today, Sega officially announced that a port of Sonic CD will be making its way not only to Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Steam, but also to iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile devices later this year. Sonic CD once again pits the eponymous hedgehog against Dr. Eggman (or Robotnik) in a battle across time as Sonic travels through past, present, and future versions of levels to recover the Time Stones.
Despite being one of the most fondly remembered 2D Sonic games, Sonic CD has never quite received a proper port. The PC and more recent GameCube and PlayStation 2 ports all carried some small differences from the original, including changes to sound and water effects as well as distorted visuals caused by stretching. However, later ports featured enhanced and extended versions of the Sega CD's animated full-motion video intro and endings.
North American versions of Sonic CD also featured a different soundtrack from the Japanese and European versions when they were originally released, but that will change with the upcoming port, which will carry only the Japanese soundtrack. In addition, the new port will also have proper widescreen support that required Sonic Team--and a yet-to-be-named independent developer--to go back and rework some of the original physics so that they would work properly in the new screen format.
As to whether or not the FMV sequences will also be enhanced in some form, Sega representatives said only that they would be pulling from the original source. Finally, at this stage in development, Sonic CD also features two filters--one that displays the original in its pixelated glory and another that tries to smooth out those pixels--but that might change before its final release.
In GameSpot's brief time with an XBLA demo that will be playable at this weekend's Penny Arcade Expo, the game appeared fairly accurate to the original, and the Japanese soundtrack was already in place. Sonic CD is set for release later this year.
I am error.
Pardon my French but who gives a rat's ass what soundtrack they use? It's Sonic CD, one of the most obscure and overlooked Sonic games ever to exist, and one of the best in my opinion. It's going to be available for download and that's more than enough for me, insta-buy.
Im buying this but i wish let again bring the whole sonic out i mean every game of sonic since 2D Days since they a lot miss in the sonic collection last time
O.k. Sega. Listen up. Here's your chance to really do something extra special for all of the Sonic Fans and Fans of this particular version of this game. Include the option to choose between the U.S. Soundtrack and the Japanese Soundtrack. I listened to both and honestly the U.S. one is better even though I like some of the tracks from the Japanese version. You'll really cater to fans across the globe by offering this. Please here my cry!!!
@garland51 Hmm...that's why Super Meat Boy was canceled for Wiiware :(... They should do something about that. I doubt it's because the Wii can't handle it (seriously?), I think it's because of the Wii Shop servers.
@Super-Poke-Bros, @Smithers2286, @Freezezzy, & @Blaketoberfest: The biggest reason why it isn't coming over to Wii is because of Nintendo's 40 MB size limit for downloadable games on Virtual Console &/or Wiiware. Sonic CD is definitely more than 40 MB's long (we're talking about MB's in the hundreds for Sega CD/Mega CD games). So, if anything, blame Nintendo for that & for not making their machine more powerful enough with enough RAM in their system to handle the game properly.
i hope theres an option to choose between the japanese soundtrack and the american soundtrack. i played both versions of the game when they both originally came out in their respective territories. i know im a minority here but despite hearing the japanese soundtrack first, i ended up liking the modified american soundtrack much more. the soundtrack might not seem like a big deal to most these days but back in the days of the sega/mega cd and tg16/pc engine cd-rom days, video game music was a pretty big deal so to me it would heavily determine my choice to buy this or not if both soundtracks were included. personally i would prefer only the american soundtrack to be in there but i say include both just to be fair to the fans of the japanese soundtrack. back when this game first came out, there were heavy debates regarding which soundtrack was better so itd be fair to include them both.
I just can't wait to play this and listen to the classic EU/JP soundtrack. This is THE Sonic game!
ace, I was a massive Sonic fan when I was little and this news is awesome... my parents never bought me a sega CD so I've never played it
Im done with Sonic since Sonic 3 for Mega Drive. What they did with this character is very very sad.
I appreciate re-releasing old classics so that everyone can play them again, but why can't SEGA just sort it out? Sonic needs to properly be re-invented, instead of re-hashed and put with a Werewolf etc. Sonic STILL remains my favourite game ever, I've still got my old Mega-Drive and absolutely love it. But the series has been trampled in to the ground. Screw the Olympic games, screw the HD remakes.. Make a decent Sonic game and I will be there in a shot. I miss the blue hedgehog, the only good games are the old ones :(
Glad to finally see a modern rerelease of one of the least advertised true Sonic games that people should definitely play.
Well, the Japanese soundtrack of the game is much better than the american one! Glad to know SEGA will relaunch the decent version only ; )
I lost my copy of Sonic CD for the PC years ago. Good to know that PSN is getting it. Now...about SA2...
I'm still eagerly awaiting a Sonic Adventure 2 port/update, but a standalone version of Sonic CD is actually more surprising and welcome to me. It's fairly easy and fast to play through the original, but the worlds really are enormous, and add on top of that traveling into the future and past versions of each stage and you'll never experience the same game each play-through. Can't wait!
after of all sonic games i never play sonic cd but i will be getting this because i got money this spend
I might buy this, the game is fun and has a decent challenge to it. Hard to believe it's been almost twenty years since it was released. This and Sonic Generations could be a good year for the old blue hedgehog.
Sonic 4 needs to be finished... That's the main reason why I didn't buy it. It was unfinished and probably due to the bad support of it, will never be either. If I had to choose, I think Sonic Generations is a much better game. Speaking of which, when will we actually see that one? I'd like to hope that they've already finished Sonic CD for PSN and the 360 by now. I'd like to see it by the end of the year with the new graphics in place. Personally, if they tried to make it look as pixellated as it looks in these videos, they can keep it.
As long as this port is true to the original, and not like the disgrace that was Sonic 4, I'm all over this.
This is a definite buy for me. This is the only old school Sonic game I've never played, and I've always heard great things about it. I'll get it on PS3 and, depending on how I like it, I may get it for my Android so I can play it on the go.
never played it but i now own every sonic game on the genesis no thanks to xbox live and now this? OH YEAH! CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!
I've never played this, although I've always wanted to since I love the oldschool sonic games. This will be a definite download.
Why this isn't on WiiWare just baffles me. If the Wii can play Genesis games via Virtual Console, shouldn't it run Sonic CD as well? I can understand Sonic Generations not being brought over to the Wii, but this is truly questionable.
I wasn't going to get this because I already have it for the Sega CD, but since it's going to have the Japanese soundtrack, I might just get it.
Nice to see a non-shooting game gettin' some love around here. Without games like these, the gaming world would be extremely boring.
Hopefully they don't add those awful "Sega Vintage" menus in this game. Those menus ruined Sonic 3 & Knuckles on XBLA, you can only play with savestates rather than the original genesis feature.
This is my most played Sonic game. I think it's probably the best one as well. And it has one of the best "boss fights" in the form of the racing level with Metal Sonic. It is an essential part to my nostalgia of the Sega CD. Can not wait.
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