Sonic Origins Plus Review – A Blast from the Past

It’s only been a year since Sega unleashed its Sonic Origins throwback to the glory days of the speedy, blue hedgehog and his plucky animal pals. As the premiere mascot for the Sega brand, Sonic has raced through countless locales in an attempt to squash the evil Dr. Robotnik and his unfettered machinations to lay siege to all that Sonic holds dear, namely the innocent wildlife that gets in his destructive path. Since Sega’s exit from the console market, Sonic has still remained a gaming household staple across many platforms. However, his modern 3D adventures don’t always stick the landing.

But as Sonic Mania proved, the powerful little hedgehog fits right at home in the 16-bit format. His side-scrolling, platforming ways in the 2D space are an unshakeable formula that will keep fans coming back for more every time. In 2022, the original adventures of Sonic and his pals were shipped to gamers as the Sonic Origins package. Now, you can retrieve the Plus expansion or buy the base game and the expansion in one complete entry entitled Sonic Origins Plus.

"When playing these games in the new Anniversary Mode, you might be thrilled to find that the display has been modernized with a 16:9 aspect ratio."

If you’re new to Sonic Origins, there are a few things you should know about the updates to Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. When playing these games in the new Anniversary Mode, you might be thrilled to find that the display has been modernized with a 16:9 aspect ratio. You don’t have to select options to stretch the picture to fit your screen or have those tacky side bars boxing in an old 4:3 display. Furthermore, the games are infinitely more accessible in this mode. Limits in both time constraints and the number of lives you have until a game over have been removed. So, if you played these games in their heyday and never completed them due to the grueling difficulty of classic platformers, now is your chance.

However, if you are truly longing for the Sonic of yesteryear, then you can play the Classic Modes of each of these titles which restores the time and life limits as well as the 4:3 aspect ratio while maintaining the remastered video and audio elements.

What Sonic Origins proves, and what was already stated in GamingBolt’s review of the base release in 2022, is that there is a timeless quality to these original games. The 8-bit and 16-bit eras are now considered artistic choices in the modern age. It’s a style all on its own, not simply a game development limitation of a bygone era. And complimenting the vibrant and colorful pixel art are deep and complex level designs throughout each experience that will keep you coming back to perfect your run toward the end goal. The Anniversary Mode’s removal of the “game over” limitations even allows for endless exploration in these extremely vertical and layered gauntlets.

To add icing on the cake, the Sonic Origins base game includes a host of content that might give you a reason to play and replay each of the games. As you earn coins (similar to earning lives in the original), you keep these rewards outside of each adventure to spend toward unlocking art, behind-the-scenes videos, music, and more. Everything from classic box art to comic book covers can be unlocked for the die-hard Sonic fan.

"Let’s be honest here, just because we’re getting 12 games from a 3-decade-old catalog, that doesn’t mean these are all heavy-hitting must-play classics."

The Plus addition to this collection only expands the classic Sonic pantheon of games from the ‘90s. Now, fans can experience 12 Sonic games that were exclusive to the Sega Game Gear – you know, that enormous black brick some of us carried around as kids to get our Sega fix on the go. You can now play games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, Sonic Blast, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, and so much more originally exclusive to the Game Gear handheld now on a modern platform. It’s a wealth of content for the most ardent fans to dig into. But let’s be honest here, just because we’re getting 12 games from a 3-decade-old catalog, that doesn’t mean these are all heavy-hitting must-play classics.

It’s quite the contrary, in fact, as many of these games were considered stinkers even at the time of their release. Sonic Drift and Sonic Drift 2 were originally only released in Japan. They were later included in other Sonic entries as unlockable bonuses. Yet, with bland and uninspired gameplay., they’re painful reminders that the magic of Super Mario Kart can’t be easily replicated. Sonic Labyrinth is an isometric slog that ditches platforming in favor of puzzles and random pinball elements. In the story, Sonic is quite literally stripped of his most thrilling feature: his speed. With action-oriented gameplay featuring puzzles and pinball elements, this mish-mosh was and still is a complete disaster.

Of course, among the selection of Game Gear offerings, there are a few would-be gems including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic Chaos. The first two, while sharing the same title as its counterparts, do not share the same levels and challenges. All three are typical platforming romps of their era with an intense difficulty spike that is thankfully aided by the addition of save states. Lives aren’t unlimited, but save states will grant you all the retries in the games’ toughest spots enabling you to push through. Even though titles like these were hits for the time, they are dumped in this Plus expansion in their original form with no modern comforts added. As such, they are a bit rough around the edges compared to modern Sonic entries, including the stellar quartet of Sonic games in the original Origins release. Most will likely access some of these games for mere moments if only to behold the nostalgia of the sights and sounds before quickly returning to the main menu for the vastly more enjoyable and engaging remastered titles or a different game entirely.

"Most will likely access some of these games for mere moments if only to behold the nostalgia of the sights and sounds before quickly returning to the main menu for the vastly more enjoyable and engaging remastered titles or a different game entirely."

The Plus expansion also makes Amy Rose a playable character in the Origins remastered trilogy and Sonic CD. Her addition might offer some a reason to entertain additional playthroughs of these games utilizing her special hammer ability. Furthermore, Knuckles is also playable on Sonic CD. The daring echidna’s glide and climbing capabilities might lower the difficulty a tad by enabling players to cruise over obstacles with ease. If you find yourself struggling in any of the four primary offerings in Origins package, jump on the Knuckles train.

When all is said and done, however, the Plus expansion doesn’t offer much for the average fan. Adding 12 Game Gear games might seem like a fairly solid number, but there’s little reason to even approach much of what’s provided in this listing. Whether it’s the simple fact that these titles were never any good to begin with or have simply aged poorly, they leave little room for a lasting Sonic experience with modern players. Though, it seems like this all-in-one release is an attempt on Sega’s part to offer a more complete package for the die-hard fans. If you fall into this category and don’t mind the Game Gear catalog, warts and all, this collection was put together with you in mind.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.