Sonic Gems Collection - IGN (original) (raw)

The games industry split the gaming populace in two back in the early 90s. It seemed like gamers were either "Mario dudes" or "Sonic dudes," which of course, depended entirely on your system of choice. If you found yourself planted in camp SEGA, then you saw Sonic the Hedgehog as your digital mascot of preference. Faster and "cooler" than Nintendo's chubby plumber, Sonic quickly established himself as the hippest character to ever grace a 16-bit console.
So when SEGA released its first Sonic compilation, Sonic Mega Collection, fans of the blue-hued speed demon snatched it up. Lucky for them, Mega Collection offered enough Sonic goodness to conjure a mean case of nostalgia. Regardless, fans wanted more. Sure, they got a chance to revisit the first three Sonic the Hedgehog games, as well as Sonic & Knuckles, but where was Sonic CD? Where were all those other Sonic titles?

Apparently, they were all hiding in Sonic Gems Collection, the second compilation to come from SEGA starring its most cherished and well-known character. Fans will greatly appreciate that Sonic CD made the cut this time, as well as a few other noticeable additions, including Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters. In addition to these three games, which together form Mega Collection's main attraction, there are six Sonic Game Gear titles and two unlockable games as well.

Not a bad list of games by any stretch. But how do they stack up to today's paltformers, fighters and racing games? Apart from diehard Sonic nuts, will anyone else want to buy Sonic Gems Collection? The answer is maybe. Thing is, if you didn't like Sonic to begin with, you really won't like it today. Modern games put these SEGA classics to shame in terms of visual and aural presentation. And as far as gameplay goes, you're either a Sonic fan or you're not. Simple as that.

Then again, Mega Collection features two games, Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters that certain US gamers may have missed. Sonic the Fighters, for one, never saw a home release and never swept through US arcades. Sonic R, while somewhat clunky in terms of execution, shipped for the Sega Saturn but never really found an audience. Combined, these titles provide a non-nostalgic reason to check out Gems Collection. The two "secret" unlockable games, Vectorman 1 and 2 both offered some of the best platform action of the 16-bit era.

The Main Course

If you owned a Sega CD, you probably bought Sonic CD. Truth be told, it was one of the best things about the system. Even on Gems Collection, it's still the title that stands out most. Boasting wicked-cool level design (or crack-headed, depending on who you ask), Sonic CD still holds its own against modern platformers. It starred Sonic alone, so he didn't need to share the limelight. It took everything that made the original Sonic great, namely funky level design and a vicious sense of speed, and turned it up a notch.

Plus, it added a new dimension to the Sonic Formula: exploration. By incorporating a new time-travel dynamic, Sonic could jet to past and future versions of whatever level he was on. This opened a bunch of opportunities and really lent the game a whole new layer of depth. Instead of simply finding the quickest route through a level, which is what most players did in a Sonic game, they spent time learning the ins-and-outs of every stage in a totally different way. Perhaps coolest of all, players could only get the really good ending by traveling back in time and completing certain objectives. Doing things in the past would, of course, affect the way a level looked in the preset, offering an even greater incentive.

Sonic CD on Gems Collection is a near-perfect port of the original. Obviously, everything has been kept the same. It looks and sounds better than most Sonic games, due to enhanced graphic and audio effects afforded by the CD peripheral. Plus, there's that groovy animated intro and awesome soundtrack that helped solidify Sonic CD as one of the best games in the Sonic series. Fans of the original will definitely enjoy playing through it again, even if it's just for nostalgia. Bottom line is that it's still just as fun as it ever was. And in case you missed it, it's a great example of a Sonic (and Sega CD) title done right.

Sonic R, while lacking the finely-tuned mechanics of Sonic CD, has its own appeal. To start, it's not a straightforward driving game. Sonic and friends don't jump into a series of karts and throttle down the track. Instead, most everyone in the game runs. Sonic, of course, runs, as does Tails and Knuckles. Amy and Dr. Eggman, on the other hand, cheat and use vehicles. Characters raced down the track, through hoops and turns, collecting rings and power-ups. The objective was to reach the finish line first, obviously, but also to find ways of collecting as much stuff, be it Sonic Tokens, Chaos Emeralds or Rings, before taking first place. This involved finding all manners of shortcuts and secret detours by deviating from the established tracks.

Sonic R represented a funky mixture of good ideas and poor implementation. Collecting stuff is fun if you like that kind of thing, and racing too. But if a game's main appeal is racing (or just driving for that matter) it had better control well. And that's where Sonic R drops the ball. It features a cast of characters racing on foot but adopts a traditional driving mechanics. As a result, the game just controls funny. Still, it's pretty fun and boasts truly unique soundtrack. And if you liked it the original on the Sega Saturn, there's a good chance you'll like this version. But don't expect any improvements to gameplay with the new version.

Lastly, Sonic the Fighters plays like a streamlined version of the original Virtua Fighter. Players could select from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, as well as Fang, Bean, Espio and Bark. Most people won't recognize the second half of that list, unless they're totally in love with Sonic the Fighters. And honestly, only people totally in love with Sonic will get the most out of this game. Not that it's a terrible fighter, mind you, only that it's a very simple one. If you're expecting a wide assortment of moves and 200-hit combos, prepare to be disappointed. The selection of playable characters isn't too shabby, but each character's list of moves leaves something to be desired... like better moves.

Each character features around eight techniques, along with a punch, kick and barrier. Characters can also trigger Hyper Mode, which strengthens attacks and reveals "secret" moves. And that really is about it. During fights, it's far too easy to use one or two moves to squash most opponents, and the lack of intricate combos doesn't help matters. Regarding visuals and sound, the game looked pretty decent at the time but doesn't look so hot now, of course.

The Side Dishes

In addition to the three main titles, Gems Collection includes six Game Gear games, including: Tails' Sky Patrol, Tails Adventures, Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic Pinball. None of these games were particularly stellar to begin with, but it's cool to see them all on one disk. Still, none of these games looks good on a large TV screen. You can actually switch between two different view modes, but opting for the "original" perspective shrinks the screen considerably while blowing it up plain looks bad.

Then again, if you're the type of gamer who loved these games on the Game Gear, then maybe you want to play them again. Even still, you'd probably be better off dusting your old handheld and finding those old games. Sure, the Game Gear offerings present an array of gameplay experiences from platforming to pinball, but none is exceptional. Each should be considered as a bonus or supplement to the main three games only.

The two unlockable games in Gems Collection, Vecorman and Vectorman 2, both feature awesome gameplay. Unlike the Game Gear titles, the Vectorman series represents the pinnacle of 16-bit gaming. They looked and played great when they first hit the marketplace in the mid 90s, and the thankfully the latter remains true today. Combining awesome boss battles and action sequences with brilliant platforming elements, both Vectorman and its sequel are worth playing through again.

Verdict

In the end, Sonic Gems Collection is a decent compilation, even though it’s not as solid as Sonic Mega Collection. At a bargain price of 29 bucks, however, Sonic CD and Vectorman 1 and 2 make for a worthy purchase for fans or anyone who may have missed them the first time around. As for the Game Gear titles, certain gamers will see the appeal but many will not. Rent this one if you’re unsure.