Even after a few minutes of playing this game there is a serious problem of been there and done that. Having played the original to death and enjoying it over and over in compilations like Sonic Mega Collection, The Ultimate Collection and the fun standalone mini Megadrive, just how many releases does this game need and ultimately what is the point?

 

Well the only real benefit is the inclusion of the lock-on that was criminally omitted from the recent Xbox 360 collection. With this you can play Knuckles in the other Sonic games that you have purchased over Xbox Live Arcade, unlocking new areas and finding hidden extras snuck away in the far reaches of the original games.

 

 

The game is classic Sonic, with Robotnik up to his usual tricks and the blue hedgehog having to run through devilishly fast and perilous levels. The difference for this title is that you can also control Knuckles the Echidna. Where Sonic is all about speed, Knuckles is all about the power with a handy punch that can knock out walls, a glide that can keep you airborne for short periods of time and also a wall climbing ability. This makes for a very different gaming experience than what you have come to expect from Sonic titles and makes it essentially two games in one as each level and character will play differently.

 

Whilst the Megadrive controller was not exactly high tech by today’s standards I still find the controls a bit difficult. I have never really had any issues with the Xbox controller in the past but trying to use the d-pad as the game was originally made for is really tough, with the controls not being nearly responsive enough and giving you a hard time, especially when trying to make Sonic spin when running.

 

The presentation is exactly the same as the original, this is a port rather than a HD remix so the game can look blocky on bigger screens. The native screen size has borders but you can stretch it to fit your TV and also smooth out the edges (but I could hardly notice the difference).

 

Newcomers to the Sonic games should be warned, the difficulty of this game is pretty high, rather than the previous games where you are introduced to the levels slowly and have plenty of safe havens this game is as tough as they come, causing many lives to be lost even before the first boss fight. This is partially down to the controls but also just by the sheer amount of baddies and hazards that populate each level.

 

I really like Sonic games, even the more recent 3D affairs, but I feel a little cheated that this has been released now. With the only real lure being the lock-on option you would be better purchasing the recent and more bang for your buck SEGA Ultimate Collection. Whilst you have the lock-on and the online leaderboards this is only worth getting if you want a definitive Sonic collection on one console, if only they would release Sonic CD now.