Sonic CD for Sega CD
Review #12115
Sonic CD
The one with a weird soundtrack
Gameplay
Plays like Sonic 1, but with the spin move from Sonic 2. Some of the most severe momentum based movement in any platformer. Feels great with the bounce pads and the long running segments, but is not good for precision platforming. Still, there's a lot to like, which is true for all the 2D Sonic titles. If you like one, you'll like them all.
Level Design
The stages feel huge. Tall, anyway. I envision them as a big square with almost as much verticality as horizontal space. In other words, they're very short levels which encourage exploration but don't reward it in any meaningful way. Collect enough rings and you can enter a secret stage that plays like the worst Mario Kart racer ever made. Technically impressive, but terrible to play.
Theme
Same as all Sonic games. But with a cutscene on the title screen. I like the time travel plot device, where you revisit stages in different time periods - past, present, bad future and good future.
Art Style
Mixed bag, but still good. Backgrounds have some nice details but a darker color palette and dithering effects drag things down a tad. Sonic 2 is still the benchmark for this franchise.
Audio
Weird soundtrack for a Sonic game, but lovely CD-quality music. Music is orchestral and soft, even with the air guitar and other instruments. The Japanese soundtrack is even weirder, but sounds more "video gamey" because it uses techno/synth sounds. I prefer the US soundtrack but neither is truly amazing.
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