‘Sonic Origins’ Switch Review: A Great Introduction To ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ For Newer Players

Games ‘Sonic Origins’ Switch Review: A Great Introduction To ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ For Newer Players Ollie Barder Contributor Forbes Games Reviews Contributor Group Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Jun 26, 2022, 06:14am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The new Anniversary mode in ‘Sonic Origins’ offers a new widescreen layout and infinite lives. Sega What with the recent Sonic the Hedgehog movies doing so well at the box office, it was somewhat inevitable that we would get a gaming collection like this.

However, Sonic Origins hasn’t phoned it in and is actually pretty great. Sonic Origins comprises of four Sonic games, the original Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic CD , Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 . You can either play them in widescreen Anniversary mode (shown above), with infinite lives, or in Classic mode (shown below) that has a 4:3 aspect ratio and with a limited number of lives.

This is actually quite a shrewd setup, as it means that newer players can slam through the four games in Anniversary mode and then try their skills at how the games were originally intended with Classic mode later on. You also get a Boss Rush mode and a new Mission Mode, which allows you to play through the games back-to-back. To bookend each game there is also lovely animation by Tyson Hesse and his team, and again his work never disappoints, and it fits wonderfully here.

The Classic mode shows the game in the original 4:3 aspect ratio and has limited lives. Sega MORE FOR YOU ‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2 Finally Has An Actual 2021 Release Date Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Not A Sure Thing, Says Director ‘Genshin Impact’ Still Refuses To Increase Anniversary Rewards, Despite Fan Outcry That said, the original and entirely amazing animated opening for Sonic CD is still the stuff of legend. Not least because it looks so lovely now in HD.

Sonic CD is also notable (shown below), because it’s widely and correctly regarded as being one of the best games in the Sonic series. It also tends to get overlooked when retro ports of the other games are release. After all, we have plenty of options to play the regular Sonic the Hedgehog games, so the inclusion of Sonic CD definitely makes Sonic Origins a little bit special.

This is the issue really, there are lot of ways to play the Sonic the Hedgehog games. From the Sega Ages releases to the Mega Drive setup for Nintendo Switch Online, and let’s not forget the excellent Sonic Mania . Sonic Mania is worth mentioning here as well, as this was very much a labour of love for all involved.

So it is no big surprise that it looks and plays beautifully. Sonic Mania also retained the difficulty of the original Sonic games and it’s here that I get back to Sonic Origins . The fan favorite ‘Sonic CD’ is also included in ‘Sonic Origins’.

Sega Yes, there is a proper Classic mode for each of these games, but the reality is that this collection is squarely aimed at newcomers to the Sonic series. This is no bad thing, and I am all for introducing a whole new generation to a high-speed blue hedgehog with a golden ring addiction, but the Anniversary mode setup takes a lot away from what made mastering these games so compelling. I get that Sonic Origins is meant for kids hooked on Minecraft and itching for a classic pixel art fix, especially after the recent films.

However, I think that retaining more of the challenge would have been good. Overall, Sonic Origins is an excellent collection of games to introduce newer players to what made Sonic the Hedgehog so interesting and unique. However, after Sonic Mania it does feel a bit of a step down with the reduced difficulty.

Sonic Origins Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC Developer: Sonic Team Publisher: Sega Released: June 23rd 2022 Price: $39. 99 Score: 8/10 Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Follow me on Twitter , Facebook and YouTube .

I also manage Mecha Damashii and do toy reviews over at hobbylink. tv . Read my Forbes blog here .

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