Jess' Cool Forum

Aw yeah, Sonic CD. I own the original US Mega CD Release, the PC port via Sonic Gems Collection on the Gamecube, The Retro Engine remake on Android and PC and recently via Sonic Origins. It's funny. I played this game way after i got introduced to the series via Sonic 3 & Knuckles as a kid. And even then i always disliked the more exploratory level design this took from the first game.

But. I cannot ignore how much it's very strong Art Direction and how it has influenced my tastes growing up. Even if i only came to discover the original soundtrack on the web years after playing it via Gems Collection, The general look of the games environments, it's themes of time travel, ranging from Eggman's Detartrated and unkept dystopian future to Sonic's vibrant and optimistic merge of Technology and Nature are ones i often think about when i conduct any fan works related to the blue hedgehog.

I love Sonic CD. I catch myself listening to the remix album that was made during the time of the original release, take a listen to this!

Funnily enough, Sonic CD is the one Sonic game I have the most memories of playing as a kid out of the Sonic games.

One year for Christmas, I was looking at games to get, and I decided I wanted to get the Sonic Gems Collection for the Gamecube. I know now that there were better Sonic game collections out there, but I had fun with what I got!

I remember working hard at playing that game and actually getting all the time stones, getting all the good futures, beating the game, and getting to the end where the reward was a different cutscene at the end and the words "You're Cool" on screen.

I felt really good about that, honestly partially because my older brother had talked about never being able to beat it, so it was like, a, "hey! i did something my older brother couldn't do!!!" sorta moment.

...it's kinda the only sonic game I've actually beaten out of the classic Sonic games, though, so I think the joke's on me lmao.

Sonic CD is one of my favourite games in the franchise. It's rather polarising within the Sonic community, but I've always loved the game's focus on exploration and non-linear level design. Additionally, the game has a strong aesthetic; the music in both versions of the game is wonderful and the level art is great. The only thing I would change about it is to remove the time limit.

I've always had a soft spot for Sonic CD. Granted, it was the first Sonic game I fully played through, so perhaps much of its impact on me came from being such an introductory exposure. Regardless, I'm still pretty fond of it, cool visuals and music and all, even if I liked the gameplay less the last time I played it. Plus I've only ever managed one Good Ending run, and that was with copious level resetting on the special stages. Though I am better at playing through this one than I am at 1, 2, and 3&K.

And my answer to "JP Soundtrack or US soundtrack?": yes.