MEGA-CD GAMES
GOTTA GO PAST
SONIC CD
DEVELOPER: SEGA
RELEASE: 1993
■ While Yuji Naka was over in the US developing Sonic 2 for Mega Drive, co-creator Naoto Ohshima remained in Japan and worked on an altogether different Sonic sequel; one powered by the exciting new potential of CD-ROM. Sonic CD was packed to the brim with content, including a gorgeous cartoon quality intro movie, a jaw-dropping bonus stage that used sprite-scaling effects to simulate 3D and, most importantly, three different versions of every stage. By speeding through gates marked past, present or future, Sonic could travel to vastly different versions of each zone, giving players a richer environment to explore, and more reasons to replay.
With its hidden depths and slick gameplay, Sonic CD is a fantastic, somewhat underrated Sonic game. If you own a Mega-CD then it should absolutely be in your collection. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to find and tends to go for a fair price. If you want a bargain US copy then search for the ‘Not for resale’ version, which was bundled with hardware and can be found for about half the price.
FAST FORWARD
The Music of Sonic CD
The biggest decision to make about is not whether to buy it (you should) but which version to
