Sonic Origins

Sonic Origins
Developers: Sonic Team, Headcannon, Evening Star Publishers: Sega Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Released internationally: June 23, 2022 This game has unused animations. This game has unused areas. This game has unused code. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select. This game has revisional differences.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

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To do: Compare differences between the initial iOS remasters and the versions seen here.

Sonic Origins is a compilation of four classic games, including Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It also includes a Story Mode featuring new animated cutscenes that string the 4 games into one seamless adventure, and a Mission Mode where you can complete challenges and obtain Coins. Coins can be used to unlock music tracks, concept art, and videos in the Museum.

All games have been completely remade in the Retro Engine, featuring an optional 16:9 widescreen mode, new features, and various quality-of-life updates. While Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD have all been previously released on other platforms, Sonic 3 & Knuckles was built specifically for this collection, and features some alternate music based on tracks heard in an earlier version of Sonic 3 due to copyright issues, although the versions heard are notably closer to how they are in Sonic & Knuckles Collection.

Sub-Pages

Sonic 3 & Knuckles There's so much here it needs a whole page to itself!

General Game Differences

For detailed information on each game and their differences to the originals, see Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD.

• Each game has two modes: "Anniversary Mode" and "Classic Mode".
  • Anniversary Mode features a 16:9 aspect ratio and removes the lives system - where you would once obtain lives and continues, you instead obtain Coins. In addition, you can retry failed Special Stages by spending a Coin. This mode also enables the Drop Dash, a move first appearing in Sonic Mania.
  • Classic Mode features the standard lives system, a 4:3 aspect ratio, and no Drop Dash.
• The Drop Dash in Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD behaves differently compared to Sonic Mania - it doesn't have a proper animation, and when you hit the ground, it actually charges up a Spin Dash for one frame before releasing. This behavior doesn't apply to Sonic 3 & Knuckles, where it behaves the same as Sonic Mania.
• In what may or may not have been an oversight, Proto Palace Zone is no longer accessible, even though the ring chime indicating correct code entry is still present.
• Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD now use their original soundtracks as opposed to the remastered soundtracks seen in their first releases. In Sonic CD‍ '​s case, the Japanese and European opening and ending themes now have the vocals by Keiko Utoku and Casey Rankin from the original, as opposed to the instrumental renditions from the 2011 release, though the version here uses the alternative vocals from a prototype of the original and Sonic Jam instead of the final version of the original.
  • Furthermore, the Sonic CD ending credits now include the additional credits from the North American version, as well as the porting team credits; the 2011 version relegated the porting team credits to Tails' ending, and left out the North American credits altogether.
• The opening and ending cutscenes for Sonic CD were remastered, now always being presented in 4:3 rather than the 2011 version's 16:9 crop. The ending uses the Sonic Mega Collection version's faster animation timing.
• In Sonic CD, all voice clips were removed (save for air bubble inhaling). As a result, the Badnik teleporter/Time Stone sound effect now plays whenever a 1-Up/Coin monitor is struck, regardless of which character is being played as.
• The audio mixing in general is a little wonky - the music is quite soft, and some sound effects are louder or quieter than they should be. The music seems to be rendered out from its native implementation to more typical sound streams as well, which leads to differences in how they sound during speed ups the game uses. Quality seems lower than the origin in many cases, partly as a result of this. In addition, the implementation doesn't match the original for these cases.
• While the sound test code, PCM: 32, DA: 8 still shows the Desert Dazzle image and enables the level select menu, Tails can no longer be selected through this method.
  • As a result, Tails is unplayable in the Classic Mode of Sonic CD altogether.