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[Boogiepop]

To start, a link to my other Sonic R/LTTPs:
Shadow the Hedgehog
Sonic Heroes
Sonic 06
Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic the Hedgehog Game Gear
Sonic 2 Game Gear
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Blast
Sonic Labyrinth
Tails Adventure
Tails' Sky Patrol
Sonic Spinball Game Gear
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic CD

So, I realized I only have one more classic era game left to beat properly in the Sonic series, so I've finally returned to Sonic CD to get the "good ending." And... I actually haven't gotten it as of yet. The damn special stages are annoying (I just can NOT get the time stone from the one with the nighttime city in the background... bleh). I went through the game normally trying to get "good futures" and time stones, but I only managed to get Palmtree Panic's good future all the way through, and two time stones before getting to Metallic Madness. So, after trying to get time stones there to no avail many, many times (it was always that stupid city background one, too), I decided to say screw it and went back to the beginning. Now I have four time stones and am at Tidal Tempest, but again I'm too damn angry at the city background special stage. Bleh.

But yeah, this is definitely a weird little game. I remember first breezing through it and finding it mediocre, and then I ended up loving it when I started messing around with the time attack mode (seriously, why can't I think of another game that lets you slowly whittle down your overall game time stage by stage?) And now... I don't know how to feel. I definitely don't like Wacky Workbench or the second act of Metallic Madness, but the rest is pretty cool, as is the time travel mechanic (even if it's definitely rough).

Most importantly, though... do I get the good ending if I just get all the time stones? Or do I need to also get all the "good futures" by destroying every machine in the past? At this point I really don't want to waste any more time than I need to screwing around with the special stages. Perhaps equally important, if I go to the special stages and fail, does it loop around to the starting ones again and I can get the stones I still need from there? Or am I going to have to make it through my... less liked... special stages eventually?

 

[Shadow Hog]

You get the good ending for getting all the Time Stones or by killing all the robot generators in the Past of every "Zone" (what would be an "Act" in any other Sonic game). You don't have to do both; in fact, if you get all the Time Stones, all the generators will be destroyed by default.

Personally, I always did the generator route. I have more fun actively using the time travel mechanic, and the special stages always gave me trouble (I only learned you can hold down to slow your speed down in the years following Taxman's port, but it's still not particularly easy for me to do regularly).

 

[danielcw]

(I only learned you can hold down to slow your speed down in the years following Taxman's port, but it's still not particularly easy for me to do regularly).

*blush* I did not know that.

 

[sibarraz]

For me the combionation of the intro with the music of the first stage (japanese/eu) is so superb that I always had this feeling that when you play sonic cd, you are at a celebration on how awesome sonic is.

Never got the same feeling with the other genesis games

 

[Solid SOAP]

My personal favorite of the classic games. There's just so much to do and interact with in the level design considering the whole time travel concept and how it's used, it makes the game very interesting to play and every playthrough usually has you tackling the level design in different ways. The challenge of the game isn't surviving, it's being able to beat the game with all Time Stones/Good Futures, it's a very unique type of platformer that I've never seen replicated before and I absolutely love it. That, combined with the fact that it's extremely stylish with its awesome soundtrack and visuals make it my favorite 2D Sonic game.

 

[BocoDragon]

For me the combionation of the intro with the music of the first stage (japanese/eu) is so superb that I always had this feeling that when you play sonic cd, you are at a celebration on how awesome sonic is.

Never got the same feeling with the other genesis games

It might be the literal cheering and clapping in the music track. Just going out on a limb, here...

 

[Xav]

People normally don't like Sonic CD but it's not as straight forward as the other titles, the level design can be pretty confusing at first. I like to think that Sonic CD is supposed to be a game that you eventually "get" over the course of time. You don't fire it up to blast through it in one sitting, you play it multiple times in order to get better at it, to better familiarize yourself with the levels.

If you're willing to put the time in then I think you'll get a lot more out of Sonic CD than Sonic 1 or 2. I think Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the better game but Sonic CD is very good.

 

[Solid SOAP]

I like it because it plays upon the importance of physics in the classic Sonic games. To be good at the game, you have to understand exactly how Sonic controls and what you can do to be manipulated by the environment around you, or at least have a keen eye for places that can help you progress into the future/past with as much ease as possible.

 

[Blueblur1]

People normally don't like Sonic CD but it's not as straight forward as the other titles, the level design can be pretty confusing at first. I like to think that Sonic CD is supposed to be a game that you eventually "get" over the course of time. You don't fire it up to blast through it in one sitting, you play it multiple times in order to get better at it, to better familiarize yourself with the levels.

If you're willing to put the time in then I think you'll get a lot more out of Sonic CD than Sonic 1 or 2. I think Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the better game but Sonic CD is very good.

Well said. I definitely feel the same way. If you go at it expecting it to be like the other 2D games Sonic CD makes a rather bad impression. You have to give it a shot and see if you like it for what it is: a different spin on Sonic 1 gameplay.

 

[ghibli99]

I just played through all the Genesis Sonics earlier this year. Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 are wonderfully nostalgic for me, and their soundtracks are my favorites. Sonic CD was a mixed bag for me. I liked the ideas and the past/present/future system, but I despised the bonus stages, and the game in general had a pace that felt off/sluggish compared to the other Sonics. Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) is probably my favorite of the bunch overall.

 

[Bob Dobalina]

Just a tip if you're playing the recent iPhone/XBLA/PS3/Steam HD release-if you're fucking up on the special stages, you can just exit to the menu before you run out of time and when you continue your file, you start at the special stage again.

Glad to see that I'm not the only person who found the city one to be the hardest. That was the last one I beat in time attack mode and it felt damn good.

 

[RagnarokX]

Probably my least favorite of the classic games. The level design doesn't really feel designed; like they loaded a bunch of level parts into a cannon and fired them into the levels.

 

[Augemitbutter]

i had a bit of trouble to understand the time traveling bit as a kid, how to trigger stuff etc. but i loved it, especially the jp/euro soundtrack. i think it's still my favorite sonic game.

i went ahead and got 100% on psn earlier this year. this game is a blast and the port was excellent.

 

[tiggerkiddo]

Both soundtracks are great, I love the US one more but the Japanese one isn't bad either.

But those levels were...the designs were all over the place and not in a good way.

 

[Roto13]

Probably my least favorite of the classic games. The level design doesn't really feel designed; like they loaded a bunch of level parts into a cannon and fired them into the levels.

Pretty much. A shotgun blast of level design.

Messy graphics, too. Everything's so cluttered.

Sonic CD has really poorly designed levels and that's one of the most important parts of any platformer.

 

[Black Door]

It's the only Sonic game in which you have to think your way through the levels. I'm glad Colors took a cue from it.

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

Most time I ever put into a Sonic game.

First time I played the game I rushed thru it like you would any Sonic game, but that second time, being able to explore and actually be rewarded for it, in a Sonic game no less, made me feel like I had purchased two games for the price of one.

I was also one of those gamers who enjoyed the US music. I didn't know there was a JPN OST until much much later. But this being my first CD game and hearing vocals and instruments in my game music in crystal clear audio was next gen to my ears.

The intro and ending animations alone were worth the price of admission to me.

For me the combination of the intro with the music of the first stage (japanese/eu) is so superb that I always had this feeling that when you play sonic cd, you are at a celebration on how awesome sonic is.

Never got the same feeling with the other genesis games

I never could put the feeling into words.

This is exactly how I felt!

None of the other Sonic games grabbed me like CD did.

But I am looking forward to seeing how Lost World turns out.

Sonic CD spin dashing thru Mario Galaxy inspired level design has me excited

 

[bbdude]

Dislike the time travel

Fascinated by the art in comparison to other classic Sonic games

Like the music but not as much as the Genesis games

 

[Boogiepop]

And I did it! Turns out the Gems Collection doesn't actually save Sonic CD unless you exit out so I had to redo the first 4 stones, and the last one (for me it was the one with the wavy background) put up a bit of a fight, but I did it. And man, I forgot how pathetic that final boss was. Though, to be fair the bosses in this game are kind of a letdown as a whole. But oh well, still had fun, and it's definitely an interesting little game, and a hell of a lot better than most of the Sonic stuff I've been playing recently.

Also... does the Good Ending add much of anything to the closing animation? Is it just the flowers blooming and the heaping of praise unto me about how I am the "greatest player"? Huh. Oh well, I love the animation in this game in general, so it's cool. Man... it really makes me wish the movie wasn't horribly out of print, as I've never seen it and that closing movie really got me in the mood for it...

 

[DICKS AHOY]

I love Sonic CD, but it's one of those games like the DKC's where I absolutely adore it but I can also easily see how a lot of other people hate the game, probably even moreso since CD really does have some huge, glaring problems I'm way less inclined to ignore in the 3D games. To some the level's are a huge clusterfuck in comparison to how well designed Sonic 2's are, but to me they're these enormous playgrounds with trippy Escher-Meets-Anime graphics and crazy tunes that are just fun to dick around in for a few hours while ignoring the game's admittedly vague objectives.

Shame Stardust Speedway never got a proper level in Sonic Generations; really wanted to hear modern-day remixes of DANCE OH YEAH.