Sonic Origins Critic Reviews

Sonic Origins is a fantastic celebration of 30 years of SEGA's spiky blue mascot, offering four of the best platformers money can buy and chucking in a bunch of great extras that long-time fans can appreciate. Regardless of where the Blue Blur head next, Sonic Origins is a reminder of just how damn good these timeless classics are.

Sonic Origins is a definitive anniversary title that delivers everything I want from a series’ remaster. While a few more customization options and restored songs would’ve put it over the top, technical updates polish these four emeralds for a new generation.

Sonic Origins takes us back to that time where it had strong competition from Nintendo's Mario Bros. This time we have four games adapted for this gen and the ability to play it with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. This is the best way to enjoy these classics.

Each Sonic game presented here in Sonic Origins has something that makes it stand out from the rest. But they all share a certain magic that means we return to them, time and time again, year after year; that's why this collection exists, after all. And it's thanks to this collection that yet more players, young and old, are going to be able to enjoy these classics. Hardcore Sonic fans will rue the music changes in Sonic 3, for sure, but everything else new or tweaked here is for the better. Sonic's 3D offerings over the years have been sketchy at best, but as long as we can still enjoy his origins, we'll love him regardless.

These games look great and play better than they ever have in HD. But what else do you get? As far as extras, not a ton. You do get a small museum mode, a boss rush, and some bonus missions. But compared to, say, the 3D explorable world with its multiple media museums from Sonic Jam, it’s a bit bare. But, hey, I’m not really here for bonuses. I’m here for those four games. And a few oddities aside, these are fantastic remasters. Even if you’re a Sonic fan who already owns these games in other compilations, Origins is worth it.

Sonic Origins is the Sonic anthology that Sonic the Hedgehog fans, including myself, have been waiting for years to play. Being able to play the classic Sonic titles in their original glory AND in an updated fashion thanks to Anniversary Mode should make newer players’ journeys less perilous than the journeys we had on our Sega Genesis in the 90s. Sonic is more forgiving than ever. You’ll be hit with all the nostalgia from Sonic 1, 2, 3, and CD, although some of the content has been changed. I only wish that this content was taken one step further: More playable content and animations, please!

Sonic Origins brings great versions of legendary games from the Mega Drive era, Sonic 1, Sonic 2 Sonic 3 & Knuckles and even Sonic CDs are finally playable on the big screens again, with a lot of additional content and quality of life changes that old-school fans will appreciate. A couple of minor issues will eventually be patched but the only thing we can’t forgive is what they did with Sonic 3's music.

A near perfect collection of the first four Sonic games, which can be played in remastered or classic mode. It also includes a lot of other modes like missions, boss rush and mirror modes.

While the music changes and audio mishaps are disappointing, the Sonic Origins package is terrific overall. Having the best versions of the classic Sonic saga in one bundle is supremely satisfying, and Anniversary Mode’s enhancements make the experience of playing through them more enjoyable than ever before. Even in a gaming landscape where most of these games are already available to download on every platform, Sonic Origins is a worthwhile package.

Sonic Origins does justice to Sonic's legacy, telling his story through its distinctive game mechanics and new animations that refresh the iconic formula. The games feel the way you remember them, with perhaps more precise controls. The different game modes in Sonic Origins will allow you to get out of the routine and give yourself a moment of fun and nostalgia.

Sonic Origins is a must-have collection for fans old and new of the lightning-fast SEGA icon. The collection is designed to pay homage to and celebrate the beloved blue hedgehog, as well as to readjust the visual presentation without sacrificing the exquisitely vintage taste of the classic. The work of revising the original format in 16: 9 is nothing short of commendable, while the content offer - which offers different and intriguing replayability solutions - seemed abundant and adequate to the list price. The only blemish on the operation in our opinion is the decision to package some additional content in the form of paid DLC. A very questionable distribution choice which, however, given the cost at which it is proposed, we feel we can partly justify.

While I have my qualms with the way the graphical presentation is handled during gameplay, I have to commend Sonic Origins for delivering on its promise. It’s a great collection, and one that got me passionate about the series again — immediately after playing, I downloaded Sonic Mania, Sonic Colors, and Sonic Forces to keep riding this high. With any luck, Sega continues the trend with other classics.

While it’s not quite what I had hoped for, Sonic Origins is one of the best ways to play Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The sprite art looks fantastic in widescreen and extras like animated cutscenes bookending each game are a delight.

As a compilation, it's not as complete as we would have loved, but what you get here is a pretty solid update to classic games. Good control, vibrant graphics and some interesting extras keep our interest.

It’s hard not to feel the rush of nostalgia as Sonic and friends race through the Green Hill Zone – and I mean that in a good way. If you can ignore everything that came after these games – some good, lots of bad – and just focus on what’s here, it’s not hard to understand how these games became so iconic, and why Sega has spent so many years chasing after these same highs. The four games in Sonic Origins are clearly some of the best platformers the early ‘90s have to offer, and there are just enough tweaks and additions that even if you’ve given up on the series ever reaching these highs again, there’s still ample reason to revisit them one more time.

Sonic Collection is not only a (guess what?) collection of the first games featuring the blue hedgehog and friends cleverly remastered and with an improved gameplay, but it’s also a long platformer – if we consider the Story mode which will take us by hand through all four chapters – which I would recommend also to those who are unfamiliar with the franchise and are simply looking for a fun and fast paced game with colorful graphics and an awesome level design where there’s always something new to discover. Highly recommended both for Sonic lovers and newcomers.

Sonic Origins is not only an excellent trip down memory lane for fans of the series, it’s also the perfect entry point for those looking to play them for the very first time. The games are all as beautiful as ever and control like a dream. There are also a plethora of bonus goodies that celebrate the iconic artwork and music of the platforming series. While it’s easy to get caught up in arguments about the current direction of the Sonic IP, Sonic Origins is a refreshing reminder that the original games are among the best 2D platformers ever made.

Sonic Origins isn't a comprehensive collection of Sonic games, as some of the 16-bit entries are missing. It also isn't the definitive version of these games, especially since the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems to be the sticking point for re-releases. What you have are four games that add a good deal of quality-of-life changes without changing anything else that made the Sonic games classics in the first place. If you can get over the initial asking price and confusion over the versions and are a fan of the older Sonic games, this one is worth a spin.

Sonic Origins is a collection of classic Sonic games at their best. Extras such as missions, animated cut-scenes and Sonic 3 & Knuckles "remastered" in 16:9 also appeal mainly to those who already know the original games. However, the price is very high for what the package offers and is far from being a definitive collection.

The four games contained in Sonic Origins are excellent. More than 30 years later, they've aged quite well, and Sonic Origins is the best possible way to revisit them, or play them for the very first time. Playing all four games, I was taken aback by how Sonic Team was able to make each game feel distinctive. However, after all the reissues some of these games seen, long-time Sonic fans will have to decide if the collection's extras and changes are worth the price of admission. Of course, now that Sonic Origins has been released, I sincerely hope that Sega offers similar packages for other Sonic games. If the company ever decides to give the Sonic Advance games a similar treatment, I'll be first in line.