Compilations in the Sonic series

This article covers the number of compilations in the Sonic series.

Dreamcast Collection

Main article: Dreamcast Collection

Dreamcast Collection compilation of four Dreamcast titles; Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5: Part 2, Crazy Taxi and Sega Bass Fishing, released for Xbox 360 and the PC on February 22, 2011 in North America and February 25, 2011 in Europe.^[1] These games are also being released individually for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam.

Sega Mega Drive Collection/Sega Genesis Collection

Main article: Sega Genesis Collection

A compilation of 28 Mega Drive/Genesis games released for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are included.

Sonic & Garfield Pack

Main article: Sonic & Garfield Pack

Contains the PC versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, alongside Garfield: Caught in the Act and Baku Baku Animal.

Sonic & Knuckles Collection

Sonic & Knuckles Collection is a Sonic the Hedgehog compilation game for Microsoft Windows-based PCs, released in 1997.^[2] The collection includes: Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Blue Sphere. The European and North American versions of the collection also includes Sonic the Screensaver which the player can customize Windows with Sonic themes, wallpapers, icons, and music from Sonic 1, 2, 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, and the Japanese soundtrack of Sonic CD in 11 kHz WAV format. However, in Japan, Sonic & Knuckles Collection and Sonic the Screensaver were released separately, on the same day. Some tracks from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 were replaced for undisclosed reasons.

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

Main article: Sonic Adventure

The Director's Cut version of Sonic Adventure features 12 unlockable Game Gear titles from the Sonic franchise: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Chaos, Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble, Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic Spinball, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Blast, Tails' Skypatrol, and Tails Adventure. Six of these titles later appear in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, with the other six later appearing in Sonic Gems Collection. It also features Metal Sonic as a playable character.

Sonic Classic Collection

Sonic Classic Collection is a video game compilation for the Nintendo DS developed by The Creative Assembly Australia, under supervision by Sega Australia and Sega of Europe, which is a collection of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. The compilation was officially announced on December 2, 2009 by Sega of America and was released March 2, 2010, although news of this compilation first broke when it was classified by the Australian Government's OFLC.^[3] It features two extra lock-on modes from the originals, which allows the player to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and to play the complete version of Sonic 3 (titled "Knuckles in Sonic 3" as opposed to the original "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" title).^[4] Sonic 1, 2 and Knuckles (without lock-on) receive the addition of a save option; while players can "save anywhere" as billed, they must restart the act in which they saved. The collection also includes a gallery of images.^[5]

Sonic Compilation

Sonic Compilation is a video game compilation released in 1995 for the Sega Mega Drive containing three previously released Sonic titles: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. In 1997, the Genesis version was released in North America under the name Sonic Classics 3 in 1 (making it the final Sonic game released for the console). Sonic Compilation was the first collection of multiple Sonic games on one cartridge. In some locations, it was bundled with the Mega Drive console during its later years. The three games appear in exactly the same form as in their original release. The only new content is a game selection menu, controlled by using the left and right directions on the D-pad and new sprite renderings of the box art for each of the three games. The menu was changed in later released versions. Once a game is selected, players are not able to go back to the menu unless the console is reset or turned off and on again. This game is one of two that, when "locked on" with Sonic & Knuckles, will enable players to play the entire Blue Sphere game, instead of just one level. The other game that enables this is the standalone version of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic Gems Collection

Sonic Gems Collection is a compilation of some of the more obscure titles from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series: Sonic CD, Sonic the Fighters and Sonic R, as well as six Sonic-based Sega Game Gear titles. The North American and European versions also include the two Vectorman games instead of questions, whilst the Japanese version featured instead the Streets of Rage trilogy and Bonanza Bros.. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 in Japan on August 11, 2005 and in Europe on September 30, 2005. In North America, only the GameCube version was released on August 16, 2005.

SegaSonic the Hedgehog was expected to be included on the collection, but Yuji Naka stated in an interview that it was omitted due to the original game being controlled by a trackball.^[6] Knuckles' Chaotix was also originally intended to appear, but did not for unknown reasons (interestingly though, a whole art section of the game still appears in the museum). Content also differs between the Japanese and Western versions, such as the omission of the Streets of Rage and Bonanza Bros. games from the Western version in order to obtain a lower ESRB rating. The European version also uses the American soundtrack for Sonic CD.

Reviews of Sonic Gems Collection were mostly positive, with most of the praise due to the inclusion of Sonic CD. Opinions were mixed on the remaining content in the compilation. It sold very well and the GameCube version received Player's Choice status.

Due to technical difficulties with the Sega Saturn code, the PC version of Sonic R was used instead (although the manual artwork of the Saturn version was included).

Sonic Jam

Sonic explores Sonic Jam's overworld, in which missions can be performed.

Sonic Jam (ソニック ジャム^?) is a compilation of titles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was released for Sega Saturn in Japan on June 20, 1997, in North America on July 31, 1997 and in Europe on the 28th of August 1997. By selecting Sonic & Knuckles, the player can use the "lock-on technology" from its original cartridge version in order to link up to the other three games in the collection, making the following games also playable: Knuckles in Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Blue Sphere.

Sonic Jam also included customized versions of the games, with redesigned levels with varying levels of difficulty. When played in "Original" mode, the games are identical to their original Mega Drive/Genesis releases. "Normal" difficulty adds extra rings and alters other aspects of the design to remove some of the challenge (these versions of the levels are used when playing Sonic Jam's Time Attack feature). "Easy" difficulty removes certain stages entirely, making the game much easier to complete. Also implemented into Sonic Jam was the option to use Sonic's signature move, the Spin Dash in Sonic the Hedgehog (on any of the above difficulties); originally, it did not debut until Sonic 2. There were also fixes of some glitches, particularly in Sonic 3. The games were not simply direct emulations like in later compilations, but rather elaborate ports to utilize the Saturn hardware.

The compilation also includes a 3D "Sonic World", which allows players to access virtual museums featuring Sonic the Hedgehog history, art, music and advertisements, as well as remastered and uncut animation sequences from Sonic CD. Sonic World functioned as both a hub for the extras and as its own game, utilizing missions such as ring-collecting, reaching markers, or finding Miles "Tails" Prower. Completing all the missions would unlock the credits for Sonic Jam.

A licensed Game.com version by Tiger exists and features black-and-white versions of Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, and except for the colorized Sonic The Hedgehog, they are very different from the Mega Drive/Genesis originals. Curiously, this version's box art features the same render found on that of Sonic R.

Sonic Mega Collection

Main article: Sonic Mega Collection

A compilation released for Nintendo GameCube and later PlayStation 2 and Xbox as Sonic Mega Collection Plus, containing all the Sonic games released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, including their lock-on combinations, as well as a few other Mega Drive titles. The Plus edition also contains six Game Gear titles.

Sonic PC Collection

Sonic PC Collection is a Europe and Australia/New Zealand exclusive compilation of Sonic the Hedgehog games originally developed by Sonic Team. It only includes Sonic games previously released on PC for Windows XP/2000; there are no exclusive games present, and games originally released as double CD-ROMs remain as is.

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection/Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection

Main article: Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

A collection of 40 Mega Drive/Genesis titles, as well as 9 unlockable Arcade and Master System titles, which can be played with optional widescreen ratios and HD smoothing. The game contains all the main Sonic games released for the Mega Drive though, unlike Sonic Mega Collection, it does not feature the lock-on combinations.

Sonic Action 4 Pack

Sonic Action 4 Pack was essentially just a repackaging of games formerly released on PC but without their instruction manuals which were included in various forms on the discs themselves. It contained Sonic & Knuckles Collection, Sonic CD, Sonic R and Sega Smash Pack 2.^[7]

Sega Smash Pack

Main article: Sega Smash Pack

A series of Mega Drive/Genesis compilations that have been released for PC, Sega Dreamcast and Game Boy Advance. These compilations have included Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball.

Virtual Console, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam

Main article: Virtual Console

Main article: PlayStation Network

Main article: Xbox Live Arcade

Main article: Steam (software)

Several Sonic games originally released for the Sega Master System (Virtual Console only), Mega Drive/Genesis, and the Sega Dreamcast (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam only) were re-released for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console, the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network, the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade, and the PC's Steam download services.

References

1. ^ http://blogs.sega.com/europe/2011/01/14/sega-dreamcast-collection-announced/
2. ^ Sonic & Knuckles Collection release data, GameFAQs.com.
3. ^ http://www.game.co.uk/News/?lid=12673&ad=04_12_2009 Game.co.uk
4. ^ http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=76629
5. ^ http://www.sega.co.uk/games/?g=6384 Sega.co.uk
6. ^ "GameSpy: Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!". GameSpy. http://xbox.gamespy.com/articles/654/654750p2.html. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
7. ^ http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Action_4_Pack