With some compilation titles, fans hardly remember the collection and have more memories about the games they contain. Many compilations come with a menu to select from the many games it has to offer, maybe a few extras, and little else. However,Sonic Mega Collectiondid things differently. This uniqueSoniccollection game featured fourteen different titles, depending on how those titles are split, plus a library of artwork, high-quality manual scans, and special videos all complete with unique memorable music.
Back in 2002, series loyalists couldn’t ask for more as the care found inSonic Mega Collectionmade it into an experience all its own. What could have been just another collection of classicSonic the Hedgehogtitles became an ideal package perfect for anySonicfan at the time.Sonic Mega Collectionset the standard for the compilations that followed it, includingSonic Origins20 years later.
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Sonic Mega Collection’s Game Selection
Sonic Mega Collectionwas rather humble on the box. Players who picked the game up would know that they’d be getting “seven great hits plus bonus games.” Once the game was loaded up, they would also see tons of question marks that suggested there were even more titles just waiting to be unlocked. This only applied to the extra games, and all the ones that players had most likely bought the game for,likeSonic 3andSonic & Knuckles, were already available.
In fact, playing games likeSonic 1andSonic 3D Blastwas how players unlocked these extra games. As fans revisited these seven titles over and over again, they’dunlockBlue Spheres, Knuckles inSonic 2, and surprise games likeRistarandFlicky. Due to this, players wouldn’t get boredMega Collectioneasily, and even when they weren’t in the mood to play games, they had other things to explore.
Sonic Mega Collection’s Extras
The compilation didn’t stop with including tons of games for fans to play and unlock. There was a dedicated section to the manuals of the games it contained, made up of high quality scans of the paper copies for added nostalgia. Players could learn how to play just as the ’90s intended. However, one of the parts ofMega Collectionthat fans spent the most time with was the “Extras” menu. It served as a huge gallery of official art pieces ofSonic and friends, ranging from outdated Sega of America style guides to newer artwork from characters likeSonic Advance 2’s Cream the Rabbit. For some who didn’t have the GBA game yet, Cream’s artwork here may have been their first introduction to her.
These extras didn’t stop with the stock art. In order to make up for howSonic CDwas missingfrom the collection, the opening and ending animations were included, along with “History of Sonic” videos. Players could also scroll through a large collection of covers fromSoniccrossovers withArchie, all the way up to issue #115. As they looked through the huge art gallery, players were accompanied by relaxing, slow music composed specifically forMega Collection. It was a song that helped invite nostalgia that fans would love for years to come.
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Sonic Mega Collection Needs to Be Preserved
All in all,Sonic Mega Collectionwas a great way fans to celebrate thehistory ofSonic the Hedgehog. From how each of the games played rather smoothly to the aesthetics that wrapped the whole package with a nice bow, it’s understandable why players remembered it so fondly. In the time since it released, a lot has changed, and afterMega CollectionandGems Collectionhanded games and more to fans with such fantastic presentation, some might feelSonic Originswas lacking comparatively.
Sonic Originscertainly had its shortcomings. Due to music licensing issues,Sonic 3 & Knuckleslost some of its iconic tracks and replaced them with completed beta versions. On top of that, while the remasters inSonic Origins are great in a lot of ways, there are a few glitches and problems that have made them run differently compared to the originals. Some of these issues were minor and fixed with a patch, but others were hard to ignore and have only been fixed somewhat. If a fan doesn’t like how theOriginsversions play, then they have hardly any options left as Segaremoved all of the original versions ofSonic 1,2,CD, and3 & Knucklesfrom shelves beforeOriginsreleased. WhileOriginstries to improve these games and has featuresMega Collectionnever did,Mega Collectionis now one of the very few remaining ways to play the original versions.
This is whyMega Collectionis still important even though the series has moved on since. It’s now part of the past, like the games it contains, that may help gamers understand the beginning years ofSonicmore in the future. It also serves to remind fans that not everything lasts forever. Not only are the original versions of the Classic Sonic titles almost lost to time, but theSonicArchiecomicsfound in the extras section are now from a cancelled series.
In that sense,Sonic Mega Collectionis like a time capsule from years ago. When opened, everything is exactly like it was when it was originally put inside of it. Even thoughMega Collectionwas just a compilation of other Sonic titles, it managed to leave many memories with those that owned it. No matterhow theSonicfranchise evolvesand changes, those memories will always remain. In a sense, it’s rather fitting thatSonic Mega Collectionis now part of the history that it was once paying respect to.
Sonic Mega Collectionreleased in 2002 for the GameCube.
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