Sonic Classic Collection

10 Review to this product

• 

  J. Johnson
  August 31st, 2010 on 11:44 am

  Rating

  This is like the best. I bought the game a few days ago, and haven’t put it down yet! This game also brought back memories from my childhood. This is the best for gamers from the 90′s.
• 

  Well, BLEEP You Too
  August 31st, 2010 on 4:01 pm

  Rating

  After the failed attempt to bring The Sega Genesis Sonic classic in 2006 on Game Boy Advance with Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, Sega finally got it right with Sonic classics collection for the DS.
  
  Unlike Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, The graphics stay unmodified and stay true to the original game. However there are 2 modifications, which aren’t that big of a deal.

  A. In the originals, When you got the Running Sneaker prize box, The music would play at a faster speed. Now, it’s also at a higher pitch.
  
  B. No 2 player options in Sonic 2 or sonic 3
  
  AT least with this release, the game play and graphics stay true to their original Format

  PROS
  
  1. Sonic 2 and 3 with Knuckles come pre-unlocked, where as in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, you have to unlock them.
  
  2. Save feature. Save, Exit out and start back up again
  
  3. Unmodified game play and graphics

  CONS
  
  1. Sonic 3 without Knuckles – This was not needed. See, On sonic 3 without, You can be Sonic and tails together or 1 or the other. With Knuckles, you still have them as an option – Knuckles is just a new 4th option. So to put both with and without Knuckles is kinda a waste when Sonic Spinball or the Blue Sphere mini-game should have taken Sonic 3′s (Without Knuckles) place instead.

  2. Genesis Sonic titles only. Unlike Sonic Mega Collection Plus, That has Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Sega Master System titles, which were eventually re-issued as Sega Game gear titles. Considering a Disc probably holds more than a DS cartridge, this is an understandable con, but a con nonetheless.
  
  3. No 2 player options in Sonic 2 or sonic 3. They could have made it possible via DS download play
  
  4. Only the touch screen pauses the game – Kinda hard to get used to not pushing Start to pause.
  
  5. Save feature requires you to start the entire stage over. Sonic Mega Collection Plus allows you start back up at the specific spot you saved at

  With that being said, 4 Classic Sonic games on The DS, What more can you ask for?
• 

  Sandy D. Lamison
  September 1st, 2010 on 5:03 am

  Rating

  The young kids of today need to have this game! They need to see what Sonic was all about back in the day.
  
  Get this for your kid! Seriously! I love these games. I have them all for the Genesis console. Now it’s very
  
  nice that I can take Sonic anywhere! When playing this game on my DS it reminded me when, I was playing Sonic
  
  on Game Gear. That’s the next thing that Sega should do. Put all the Sonic games from Game Gear in one game! I
  
  would surely buy that game! I only have one complaint. The sound effects are off. When you spindash multiple times
  
  the sound gets weird. When you get running shoes, the music changes key. (music buff) The bonus stages to get the emeralds
  
  are buggy. When you turn it acts weird. Those are the only complaints I have. I know it’s difficult to get it right but
  
  at least Sega left the games in its original format. Thank you Sega for rereleasing these games.
• 

  K. Frisch
  September 2nd, 2010 on 3:05 am

  Rating

  Though Sonic’s original Genesis adventures have been packaged together numerous times in the past, this is the first time that these classic platformers have all been in the same place on a handheld system. With Sonic the Hedgehog 4 launching later this year, no doubt many Sonic fans will be wanting to revisit the original games, and Sonic Classic Collection provides a fantastic way to do so on the go.

  Included in the collection are Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. In addition, the two lock-on versions of Sonic 2 and 3 are included, so one can play as Knuckles in those games as well, which is a welcome inclusion. Sadly, the multiplayer player modes have been stripped out of all the games. Admittedly, multiplayer was never a major focus in the original Sonic games, but not even being able to have someone jump in as Tails in Sonic 2 is a bit disappointing.

  Another frequently asked question is whether or not the original level select codes work. The answer, sadly, is no. It would seem that, while the codes can in fact still be activated, there is no way to access the level select menus themselves after doing so. This might be a deal breaker for certain fans, but it’s an omission that many likely won’t care about.

  As for the classic games themselves, things are fairly solid. It must be said that the ports are not perfect. Framerate issues are present. It has to be said because they are there. However, they are very slight and after playing for a minute or two, they become nearly unnoticeable. Sonic 1 seems to chug the most for some reason. Overall, the games run fast and smooth, which is a vast improvement over the disaster that was Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis.

  In order to make the games fit on the screen, SEGA had to mess with the graphics. They use two solutions in game. First, the view has been cropped in a little, allowing it to scroll side to side slightly to frame a good view. Second, similar to the Classic NES series on the GBA, every few lines of pixels have been removed, causing all the graphics to appear slightly shorter. It’s subtle, and a few distortions are visible, but when running at full speed, the compromises are nearly unnoticeable.

  The sounds and music made the jump to DS just fine. Music sounds nearly spot on to the original Genesis titles, with only slight subtle differences appearing in a couple of songs. Sound effects are quiet faithful as well, but like the music, tiny oddities sometimes occur. Occasionally a sound effect will loop in an odd way that doesn’t quite match the original. Overall, the games still sound like themselves, and only the pickiest of fans will notice the changes.

  Beyond the actual games, Sonic Classic Collection is a bit sparse on extra features. It features a small photo gallery where artwork of Sonic characters can be viewed. This is somewhat interesting, but really is only worth looking at once. Beyond that, it’s just the classic games and that’s all. All the games have now been fitted with individual save functions, which is very handy. Oddly, all the menu buttons are mapped to the touch screen alone, so pausing and saving must done there, and the start button does nothing. This is not a big issue, but it takes a little getting used to, since the start button is nearly universally used for pausing.

  Overall, Sonic’s original adventures are lengthy and diverse, and having them all on one cart means getting some serious bang for your buck. Are they absolutely perfect representations? No. However, the problems are so slight that many likely won’t even notice or care. If you’re a classic Sonic fan looking for a portable fix, or if you’ve never had a chance to play these games and see why Sonic is so famous today, Sonic Classic Collection could not be more highly recommended.
• 

  April Chavez
  September 3rd, 2010 on 8:16 am

  Rating

  I prefer for someone to buy this game. This game is the original sonic game.
• 

  Elias L. Blondeau
  September 3rd, 2010 on 9:58 am

  Rating

  I’m going to keep this review short and sweet, because if I don’t, I’ll begin to reminisce about how much I love these games, and
  
  how I was rocking these games on the Genesis when I was eight years old while all the other kids were playing their PS2′s and Gamecubes,
  
  and… ah, darn it, I’m starting.

  Okay, listen folks: in terms of sheer bang for your buck, this is an EXPLOSION for your buck. You get four of the best Sonic games ever
  
  created (1, 2, 3, and Sonic and Knuckles), plus the add-on feature that lets you play through 2 and 3 with Knuckles. Sure, you also get
  
  an illustration gallery with old-school Sonic art, but that’s just an extraneous add-on that takes about thirty seconds to skim through.

  Unlike the disastrous GBA port of “Sonic the Hedgehog”, which took a classic and added in a bunch of stuff that had absolutely NO beeswax
  
  being in there, as well as completely effed up the physics of the original, these ports are almost flawless. As soon as you begin Green
  
  Hill Zone 1 in “StH”, you’ll feel right at home if you’ve ever played these game before. Plus, they’re all on the DS, so you can play
  
  them anytime you want to (yes, I KNOW that some of the Sonic games were released on the PSP, but let’s face it: a lot more people have a
  
  DS than they do a PSP), as well as save your game on 1,2 and Knuckles, which is lifesaver when you tumble into a lava pit or spin-dash into
  
  a wall of spikes.

  My only minor gripe is the fact that, because of the compression required to fit these four games onto the DS, there can be occasional slow-down
  
  when there’s a lot going on on-screen. The only really noticeable spot for me was a section in Chemical Zone Act 2, where water was rising and I
  
  had to escape from drowning by jumping on these moving stair/platform-things. At that point, the gameplay suddenly slowed by at least three-quarters speed, which made the moment all that much more tense. But other than that, there’re really no faults to be found in these ports.

  At the end of the day, you’re getting four definitive side-scrolling games, all wrapped up in a nice little package, along with the ability
  
  to play them all wherever and whenever you want (goodbye, sad, depressing and boring funerals!). Whether you’re a seasoned Sonic vet or a curious
  
  kid who’s never played these games before, this is thirty dollars you’ll never regret spending (y’know, unless you break the game on accident
  
  and can’t get your money back; in that case, it’s thirty dollars down the drain.)

  Graphics (based upon the fact that it’s a Genesis game): A-

  Sound (based upon the fact that it’s a Genesis game): A+

  Gameplay (NOT based upon the fact that it’s a Genesis game): A+

  OVERALL: A+ (Buy or Die)
• 

  Jessie C.
  September 3rd, 2010 on 10:52 pm

  Rating

  Sonic Classic Collection has Sonic The Hedgehog 1-3, Sonic and Knuckles, the lock-on versions of Sonic 2 and 3 featuring Knuckles, and a small gallery of illustrations. All four games look and play really well, and are for the most part really good ports of the Genesis games.

  The games do have a few small flaws:
  
  -A few of the sound effects seemed to have suffered in quality, and in a couple places they overlap and sound rather strange.
  
  -There are a few frame rate issues, particularly in the Metropolis Zone of Sonic 2. However, the Genesis games had some slow down too, so it could be from that rather than from the port.
  
  -There are also a few graphical glitches, most of them minor, such as a small section of pixels briefly changing colors when the screen scrolls up or down really fast. The worst thing I’ve seen so far is in the special stages of Sonic 3/Sonic and Knuckles, where the tiles on the floor will sometimes scroll in a jerky fashion
  
  - To pause, you have to tap a button on the touch screen. Start doesn’t seem to do anything. This isn’t so much a flaw, but it is a bit annoying when you want to pause and forget that start doesn’t work anymore.

  Overall, I don’t think these flaws really hurt any of the games, and I’d recommend this collection to anyone who wants to play Sonic on the go!
• 

  Big Hack
  September 5th, 2010 on 12:49 am

  Rating

  It’s finally nice to see these games released on a handheld that replicates the original SEGA Genesis perfectly. This collection includes the games Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic & Knuckles with their respective lock-on games as well. The original music is retained.

  They did make a few changes which did tick me off:

  1. The original multiplayer feature in Sonic 2, 3 and in the lock-on have been disabled.
  
  2. In order to pause the game, you must select pause on the touch screen (can’t use debug or cheats).
  
  3. You cannot custom configure the buttons.

  Aside from these problems, this is a great port for a portable system (much better than that Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis for Gameboy Advance, which was horrible!). If you wanna take classic Sonic on the go, this game won’t let you down.
• 

  Ivalee Marchant
  September 5th, 2010 on 1:16 am

  Rating

  This is a very good buy for this game. My Grandchildren have enjoyed playing it. You can’t beat the price.
• 

  Michael Kerner
  September 5th, 2010 on 6:54 am

  Rating

  There is no doubt about Sonic The Hedgehog, and the joy that Sega has given him all throughout his lifetime. It has honestly been nearly 20 years since we’ve seen the bluest blur and the speed demon he has made himself show. While his days in the 3-D world haven’t been as honestly strong on the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 on his games like Sonic & The Black Knight, Sonic Adventure from the Gamecube and Sega’s Dreamcast days, and other titles. Still, when it comes down to his classics from the Sega Genesis days, they always have a great home with the hard core gamer. That has been shown so many times, and it is right here again for the DS whenever you deeply need a little taste of the original blue speed.

  Sonic Classic Collection for the Nintendo DS, brings in Sonic from his original Sega Genesis days, now into a full light on the Nintendo DS. The game features the first 4 great Sonic speed titles, Sonic 1, Sonic 2, the dynamic Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (which hard to believe the late Michael Jackson a.k.a King Of Pop, had composed the music for but chose not to want credit for it,) and Sonic & Knuckles. The gameplay also features the excitement of Tails, as he makes his way through the action on Sonic 2 & Sonic 3, as well as Knuckles the Echidna with the hidden gameplay when you play him during Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The graphics are not bad, but try to being back the classic gameplay that was showcased well from Sonic Genesis era, but the gameplay from all of the classic levels of the game from the circus-themed Carnival Night Zone of Sonic 3, to the very first time you’ve played with Knuckles in the Mushroom Hill Zone. The control is very simple and easy to master through each of the challenging levels of gameplay, even when you go through the clever and quick-witted bonus levels like the 3-D sphere zones from Sonic & Knuckles & Sonic 3. But overall, you definitely get that classic feeling overall of why Sonic has been here to bring in that need for speed against Dr. Robotnik that has been 20 years of madness.

  All in all, if you’ve never even played any of the classic games from Sonic’s original era than Sonic Classic Collection would be a great buy for the Nintendo DS. If you don’t own the Wii or have anyway of downloading those great games online, it would be a great addition for your DS library. I loved these games years ago when I owned the classic Sega Genesis, and I know as a hard core gamer that Sonic’s beginnings are definitely always worth the money.

  Graphics: B

  Sound: B 1/2+

  Control: B+

  Fun & Enjoyment: B

  Overall: B