Sonic Mega Collection
Encyclopedia
is a video game compilation
for the Nintendo GameCube
.
The compilation contains twelve to fourteen games depending on the region, all originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
console. Ten of the included games are installments of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, while the remaining two to four games are only related to the series by company.
Sonic Mega Collection has received positive critical reception, being commended for its large library of titles for its cheap market price.
, Sonic the Hedgehog 3
, Sonic & Knuckles
and its two expansions, Knuckles in Sonic 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles; Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball
, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
, the minigame Blue Sphere, Flicky
, and Ristar
. The Ooze
and Comix Zone
are only available in the Japanese version.
Additionally, this game contained a split screen, two-player mode, where two players, as Sonic and Tails, simultaneously compete to clear each Act in the fastest time possible. The two-player version of the game features three Zones split into two Acts each.
subsidiary Sonic Team
and published by Sega. Director Yojiro Ogawa stated in an interview with GameSpy
that the compilation was meant to introduce younger gamers to the original games in the Sonic series. The 1995 Genesis game Vectorman
(unrelated to the series) was planned for inclusion in Sonic Mega Collection along with its sequel, but was ultimately pushed back to the 2005 rarities compilation Sonic Gems Collection so that Sonic Mega Collection could focus on the core games. Rare Sonic games Sonic CD and Sonic Drift
were also planned to be included, but the former was deferred to Sonic Gems Collection and the latter appeared in Sonic Mega Collection Plus.
and Xbox
consoles. A PC
version was also released in Europe and North America. This edition includes the addition of six Game Gear
games, the two games that were included in the Japanese version of Sonic Mega Collection (The Ooze and Comix Zone), new artwork and movies, a new in-game menu, and a mid-game saving feature. It is, however, missing six Sonic Game Gear games that were included (along with the six included in this collection) in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, but they would later appear in Sonic Gems Collection. In addition, only the final Japanese revision of the original Sonic the Hedgehog is included. The PC version was released on March 9, 2007
in North America. The localization for this version of the game is the European Localization. The original packaging says CD-ROM, but it is in fact a DVD-ROM; it will not play in a CD-ROM-only drive. The European packaging is correctly labelled. The PC version was re-released in 2009 as part of Sonic PC Collection.
The following Game Gear games were added:
Reviews for Sonic Mega Collection Plus were also positive. Chris Baker of GameSpy decided that "despite its exclusions, though, Collection' s large selection of titles for $19.99 is a tough thing not to recommend to anyone who calls himself a gamer. Even if a few of the games undeniably suck." Hilary Goldstein of IGN declared that "you can't find a better deal than 20 games for 20 dollars," and that "while not every Sonic game is a winner, the majority are. These games, though old, are superior to Sega's more recent 3D Sonic offerings." Aceinet of GameZone, while praising the compilation overall as "a nearly complete package of classic Sonic games," was critical of the emulation of the Game Gear games, saying that "while the emulation is spot-on for the games, having to put up with a black bar around the screen could be upsetting to some." Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com assured readers that "even with its shortcomings, it's still one of the most value-packed classic compilations available for any system -- as long as you like Sonic." Game Informer suggested that "if you grew up with these games, they're still a joy to play," and that "new converts to the Sonic fold will get a great introduction to the 'hog's history." GMR Magazine concluded that "if you're new to Sonic, for 20 bucks you really can't go wrong."
Product bundling
Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
.
The compilation contains twelve to fourteen games depending on the region, all originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
console. Ten of the included games are installments of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, while the remaining two to four games are only related to the series by company.
Sonic Mega Collection has received positive critical reception, being commended for its large library of titles for its cheap market price.
Overview
Sonic Mega Collection features twelve to fourteen complete games in one retail unit: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
, Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994...
, Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
and its two expansions, Knuckles in Sonic 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles; Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball is an adventure pinball game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993 and later ported to the Game Gear and Master System in 1995.The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move...
, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
-External links:* at Game Rankings* at The Internet Movie Database...
, the minigame Blue Sphere, Flicky
Flicky
Flicky is an arcade game made by Sega. First released in arcades in 1984, Flicky was also released at the time for the SG-1000, and then ported to the MSX and Japanese computers Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM-7 and NEC PC-8801. It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991...
, and Ristar
Ristar
Ristar, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis in 1995. A Sega Game Gear version, which features different levels than the Mega Drive version, was also released in the same year.The game stars a humanoid cartoon star...
. The Ooze
The Ooze
The Ooze is a video game developed by Sega Technical Institute and released in 1995 for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. In the game, players take the role of a slimy puddle of liquid and face off against various enemies and obstacles.-Plot:...
and Comix Zone
Comix Zone
Comix Zone is a arcade-style action game. The game's unique feature is that it is set within the panels of a comic book. Each level consists of two pages and secrets are discovered by shredding the paper and revealing items. The unique dialogue is rendered within talk bubbles with the typical...
are only available in the Japanese version.
Sonic the Hedgehog
In Sonic the Hedgehog, the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik (known as Doctor Eggman in the original Japanese release) is capturing innocent animals and transforming them into rogue robots. Sonic the Hedgehog, the protagonist of the game, must fight these robots, rescue the trapped animals and put an end to Dr. Robotnik's plot. The player must avoid traps and crazed robots while leading Sonic through six hazardous levels (known as Zones in the series), each split into three "acts". A battle against Dr. Robotnik is held at the end of each third act. Sonic loses a life if he takes damage without holding any rings, (items he must collect in the levels) or if he takes over ten minutes to complete an act.Sonic the Hedgehog 2
In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Dr. Robotnik, returns, again bent on world domination. Sonic and his new sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, must stop Robotnik from discovering the Chaos Emeralds and completing his new weapon, the "Death Egg". The player must avoid traps and Badniks (Robotnik's robots) while guiding Sonic and Tails through ten different Zones (each split into two Acts) in a similar manner to the original game.Additionally, this game contained a split screen, two-player mode, where two players, as Sonic and Tails, simultaneously compete to clear each Act in the fastest time possible. The two-player version of the game features three Zones split into two Acts each.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg has lost its ability to fly after crash-landing on the Floating Island, and only the power of the Chaos Emeralds can repair the ship. To obtain the Emeralds, he fools their guardian Knuckles the Echidna, convincing him that Sonic and Tails are thieves who want to steal the Emeralds. The player must dodge Badniks and traps set by Knuckles, collect Rings and uncover the Chaos Emeralds while guiding Sonic and his sidekick Tails through six different Zones, trailing the deranged scientist Dr. Robotnik. In the game's two-player mode, each player can control Sonic, Tails or Knuckles and compete to clear each Zone in the fastest time possible.Sonic & Knuckles
In Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic attempts to find the Chaos Emeralds hidden on the Floating Island after crashing Robotnik's Death Egg into a volcano, while Knuckles is equally determined to stop him by any means necessary. The player, as either Sonic or Knuckles, must collect Rings, avoid Badniks and escape traps as the antagonist, Dr. Robotnik, initiates another plot to take over the world.Sonic 3D Flickies' Island
In Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic travels to Flicky Island only to find that Dr. Robotnik has turned the mysterious birds known as Flickies into vicious robots. Sonic must rescue the Flickies and foil Dr. Robotnik's plot. The player must defeat enemies and rescue the Flickies inside by bringing them back to their own dimension through the use of giant Rings. Gameplay was vastly different from the previous four Sonic games, with it playing out on an isometric plane. Once freed from the insides of an enemy, the Flicky will follow Sonic obediently or scatter if they or Sonic is attacked by an enemy.Sonic Spinball
In Sonic Spinball, the deranged scientist Dr. Robotnik is once again turning the animals of Mobius into robots using a monstrous contraption named the Veg-O-Fortress. The protagonist, Sonic, must penetrate the Veg-O-Fortress's pinball-style defense systems, free the animals, collect the Chaos Emeralds that power the Fortress and put a stop to Robotnik's plot. The player must use Sonic as a pinball and navigate through the Veg-O-Fortress by uncovering sealed passageways, collecting Chaos Emeralds and avoiding deadly traps. Up to four players can take turns to control Sonic. But the players have to alternately take turnes, in other words who ever has the most points at the end of the game/level wins!Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
In Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Dr. Robotnik is turning the citizens of Beanville into devious robots in a bid to rid the world of Mobius of music and fun forever. An unseen protagonist must now unite the beans and help them escape while defeating Robotnik's wily henchmen. During gameplay, beans drop from the top of a dungeon in pairs. When two beans of the same color touch, they will link. The player must remove beans from the dungeon by linking four of the same colored beans together. Creating chain reactions can deal a blow against the computer-controlled opponent.Development
As with the games included, Sonic Mega Collection was developed by SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
subsidiary Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
and published by Sega. Director Yojiro Ogawa stated in an interview with GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
that the compilation was meant to introduce younger gamers to the original games in the Sonic series. The 1995 Genesis game Vectorman
Vectorman
Vectorman is a series of run and gun platform games developed by BlueSky Software and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was released on October 24, 1995 in North America and on November 30, 1995 in Europe...
(unrelated to the series) was planned for inclusion in Sonic Mega Collection along with its sequel, but was ultimately pushed back to the 2005 rarities compilation Sonic Gems Collection so that Sonic Mega Collection could focus on the core games. Rare Sonic games Sonic CD and Sonic Drift
Sonic Drift
The Sonic Drift games were a series of two racing games that featured characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released for the Sega Game Gear in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and later re-released many years later in several other compilations.-Sonic Drift:Sonic Drift is a kart racing...
were also planned to be included, but the former was deferred to Sonic Gems Collection and the latter appeared in Sonic Mega Collection Plus.
Sonic Mega Collection Plus
Sonic Mega Collection Plus is an update of Sonic Mega Collection for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
consoles. A PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
version was also released in Europe and North America. This edition includes the addition of six Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
games, the two games that were included in the Japanese version of Sonic Mega Collection (The Ooze and Comix Zone), new artwork and movies, a new in-game menu, and a mid-game saving feature. It is, however, missing six Sonic Game Gear games that were included (along with the six included in this collection) in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, but they would later appear in Sonic Gems Collection. In addition, only the final Japanese revision of the original Sonic the Hedgehog is included. The PC version was released on March 9, 2007
2007 in video gaming
-Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI...
in North America. The localization for this version of the game is the European Localization. The original packaging says CD-ROM, but it is in fact a DVD-ROM; it will not play in a CD-ROM-only drive. The European packaging is correctly labelled. The PC version was re-released in 2009 as part of Sonic PC Collection.
The following Game Gear games were added:
- Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)The game's soundtrack was composed by chiptune musician Yuzo Koshiro. He adapted several pieces of music from the original 16-bit version, while the rest of the soundtrack consisted of his own original music. One of his original pieces, the "Bridge Zone" theme, was later sampled in Janet Jackson's...
- Sonic ChaosSonic ChaosSonic Chaos is a platform game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1993...
- Sonic DriftSonic DriftThe Sonic Drift games were a series of two racing games that featured characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released for the Sega Game Gear in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and later re-released many years later in several other compilations.-Sonic Drift:Sonic Drift is a kart racing...
- Sonic LabyrinthSonic LabyrinthSonic Labyrinth is a puzzle-come-platform game for the Sega Game Gear, released 17 November 1995 in Japan and in 1995 in North America and Europe. It is also playable on Sonic Adventure DX and in the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. The game features isometric 3D...
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean MachineDr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine-External links:* at Game Rankings* at The Internet Movie Database...
- Sonic BlastSonic BlastSonic Blast is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Sega Game Gear. It is known as G Sonic in Japan. It was released in December 1996 for both North American and European markets...
Reception
Reviews for Sonic Mega Collection were generally favorable. Louis Bedigian of GameZone praised the controls as "top-notch" including that "even the thumbstick is usable, and it works flawlessly." Game Informer declared Sonic Mega Collection to be "perhaps the best compilation ever." Fran Mirabella of IGN christened the compilation as "a wonderful little collection that, while not perfect, is a great value." Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot suggested that "if you're fiending for Sonic the Hedgehog and either don't have or are unwilling to drag out a dusty Genesis from the closet, don't hesitate to give it a shot." However, Johnny Liu of Game Revolution advised "just blowing the dust off the old Genesis, because there isn't enough good extra stuff here." Nintendo Power described Sonic Mega Collection as "the ultimate compilation of Sonic adventures."Reviews for Sonic Mega Collection Plus were also positive. Chris Baker of GameSpy decided that "despite its exclusions, though, Collection