Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Sonic CD for short) is a platform video game created by Sega. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released for the Sega CD game console in 1993. In chronological order it is after the first game and "before the sequel." The game involves the use of a time travel system that allows Sonic to travel to both the past and the future in a level. Each zone has four variants: the "past," the "present," the "good future," and the "bad future." Each has different graphics, music, enemies, and obstacles. The game introduces two characters to the Sonic the Hedgehog series: Amy Rose, a pink female hedgehog who is in love with Sonic, and Metal Sonic, an evil robotic version of Sonic.

Sonic CD
North American logo
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Director(s)	Naoto Ohshima
Producer(s)	Minoru Kanari Makoto Oshitani
Programmer(s)	Matsuhide Mizoguchi
Artist(s)	Hiroyuki Kawaguchi
Composer(s)	Original: Naofumi Hataya Masafumi Ogata North American version: Spencer Nilsen David Young Mark Crew
Series	Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s)	Sega CD, Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Android, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Windows Phone, Ouya, Apple TV, Fire TV
Release	September 23, 1993 Sega CD JP: September 23, 1993 EU: October 1993 NA: November 1993 Microsoft Windows JP: August 9, 1996 NA: September 26, 1996 EU: October 3, 1996 Android, PS3, Xbox 360 WW: December 14, 2011 iOS WW: December 15, 2011 Windows Phone WW: November 14, 2012 Apple TV WW: March 31, 2016
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

Sonic CD is similar to the original game; the player goes through lots of levels called "zones" to battle Dr. Robotnik every 3 acts. This game adds time travel; Sonic can hit a time post and keep running fast to go to the past or future. To make a good future, the player must explore each zone's past version to find a generator and destroy it.

Development

Release and translation

Sonic CD was released in Japan on September 23, 1993.^[1] It was released in Europe in October 1993.^[2] The game was released in North America in November 1993.^[3]

Remake

In 2011, for the 20th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, indie game developer Christian Whitehead made a new version of the game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, iOS and Android.^[4] The port was a success, and Whitehead was later asked by Sega to remake Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 for mobile devices. Whitehead would go on to help make Sonic Mania. Those ports of 1, 2 and CD would be used in Sonic Origins.^[source?]

Reception

Reception (Sega CD)
Review scores Publication Score CVG 85/100[2] EGM 9, 9, 8, 8[5][a] GamePro 5/5[6] Electronic Games 92%[7] Sega Magazine 87/100[8] Sega Pro 90%[9] Sega Force Mega 85%[10] Entertainment Weekly A-[11]
Award Publication Award Electronic Gaming Monthly Best Sega CD Game of 1993[12]

Sonic CD received a lot of praise.^[7][9][12] The Sega CD version sold more than 1.5 million copies. It sold more copies than any other game on the Sega CD.^[13][14]

The graphics and sound were praised. Electronic Games said that the game looked similar to older games. They said it did not use the Sega CD's special features very much. However, they said that this did not make the game worse. They said the music was what made Sonic CD "stand above the crowd".^[7] The reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) said the game's animated cinematics and sound were good. however, they said that the frame rate decreases during special stages.^[5]

The gameplay was liked. Sega Pro said the bigger environments and the time travel added to the replay value. They said that "the more you play Sonic CD the better it gets". However, they said they felt the game was too easy.^[9] In its debut issue, Sega Magazine said Sonic CD could be "a classic". They said the originality in the special stages and time travel was great.^[8]

Notes

1. EGM provided four scores from individual reviewers.