Sonic CD Review

Sonic CD is a game that was made back in the Blue Blurs golden days and has recently been released for the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Some notable points in Sonic CD is the introduction of two characters who would become regulars in the Sonic world, Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, and the ability to travel through time.

The gameplay is what you would expect for a classic Sonic game. The speed is fast, but in this case there is a greater emphasis on jumping style platforming than speed. The Environmental design is nice and very pleasing to look at and the music is very catchy. Lastly, the Robotnik boss fights are fun and you unlock Tails, Sonic’s trusty sidekick, when you beat the game.

These normally come standard for a Sonic game of this time but Sonic CD has it’s own twists; Sonic CD has a time travel mechanic. It works rather simply; as you pass through a time gate, you gain the ability to jump forward or backward through time. Generally the idea is to travel to the past to destroy a robot production machine, travel to the present, and then travel further into the good future you have created. It’s great that this is entirely optional. You can simply run through each level; doing this will provide you with the good ending. The time traveling also provides a nice way to tweak and alter the levels, creating a greater emphasis on platforming. It is entirely possible to backtrack through the levels and try each tweaks.

While Amy doesn’t really add much to the game, Metal Sonic has its' own boss battle in the best way possible. What better way to take on the attempted recreation of Sonic than by racing him? The race is both challenging and entertaining. Sonic also knows a new move that doesn’t appear in later games called the “Super Peel Out”. This move is basically a Spin Dash but with two differences: the first is that it is faster than a Spin Dash and the second is that it won’t have you in a rolling attack, making you vulnerable to enemies if you are not careful. To make the Super Peel Out viable, the max speed of the Spin Dash is reduced. This version of Sonic CD has both the US Soundtrack as well as the Japanese Soundtrack which you can change in the main menu and are both worth listening to.

Sonic CD in the end is a great Sonic game that features the fun parts of games from the past like challenging gameplay, great music, and a bright and colourful art design. Sonic CD is one game that stands the test of time.

Overall Rating:
7.5/10