At least one "new" title dedicated to Sonic annually: will we be the ones to complain about this new SEGA custom? The writer certainly won't complain, given that his first video game was Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Megadrive. Okay, so the case of Sonic Origins Plus is a story in itself. You may remember that exactly one year ago, in June 2022, the review of Sonic Origins, signed by the good Tommaso Pugliese, was published on Holygamerz.com. So why are we still here?
The answer is simple: the developers, but above all the publisher, thought well that if you made thirty you could also make thirty-one. Here then is yet another course ready to enrich the already plentiful meal of the original remaster, and Sonic Origins Plus is ready for its debut. Same cost as last time, a good forty euros; but more content to justify it, this must be said. Between titles taken from the past and inserted to make up the numbers through more prudent choices, capable of also modifying the playful approach to the general package (a new character, some noteworthy interventions), the important thing is still to be able to return to speeding at a thousand kilometers per hour across meadows, robot factories and underwater temples in the company of the well-known SEGA mascot.
In this brief but dense Sonic Origins Plus Review We explain what has changed since last year, so you can decide whether or not it is worth repeating the purchase.
The contents: "more than this" could not be done
This is not the place to talk to you again about what Sonic Origins is or is not in its matrix: Tommaso has already thought about it, and at most we will also give you our opinion in the next paragraph. But if you are here it is because you will be curious to know What has changed in the transition from Sonic Origins (2022) to Sonic Origins Plus (2023, out today). The fundamental innovations - which are not the only ones, but certainly constitute the most noteworthy ones - are two: the introduction of Amy Rose as a playable character and the addition of a good number of secondary games (the latter, however, not remastered like the entire collection).
You probably already have a vague knowledge of Amy Rose, female and pink alter ego of the protagonist. First introduced in Sonic CD, where she was kidnapped by Doctor Robotnik/Eggman, she never received much attention within the main series; However, she is certainly not the same reserved for actual supporting characters like Tales and Knuckles. Here, the great novelty of Sonic Origins Plus - the tone may seem ironic, but we assure you it is not - is being able to play all the main and remastered titles with Amy. On the start screen of each chapter, as you know, you will be able to select the playable character (or "playable characters", if you prefer to opt for interchangeable pairs). Options now also include Amy, who runs like Sonic, but replaces her deadly spin with the use of a yellow hammer. Proving that the era where the pink girl needed to be saved by the blue hedgehog has passed.
The other novelty, for its part, is much more substantial. In fact it is not even one, because it consists of the introduction of twelve other playable titles, taken from Game Gear. Unlike the main offering, these historical games (some of which are smaller than others) are available within the museum via emulation. For completeness, know what you will find waiting for you: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic Blast, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Spinball, Sonic The Hedgehog (8-bit version), Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (8-bit version), Sonic Triple Trouble, Tails Adventure and Tails' Skypatrol. Now, more care could have been taken from an emulation point of view, including minimal slowdowns and some strange "echo" effects on the sounds, but overall it's a welcome addition, taking the remaster package towards the top of the charts. absolute plenitude. Sonic Origins Plus perhaps proves that you can't do "more than this."
A refined and full-bodied remastering
All those who have already thoroughly explored last summer's Sonic Origins may be perplexed at the sight of Sonic Origins Plus: all in all, to be interested, the idea of playing as Amy must be attractive or in any case at least a handful of the players must like it. titles from the Game Gear era. However, we must remember that these additions are grafted onto an already particularly solid base: that of one Full-bodied and highly refined remastering, which since last year continues to be the best opportunity to enjoy Sonic's adventures (main and secondary) in high definition on all current generation consoles.
In fact, we remind you that Sonic Origins Plus mainly offers the revised, corrected and updated version of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD, all now accessible in HD and widescreen, with meticulous and obsessive updating of both the pixel art and the game controls, also perfect for users of analog sticks and not just d-pad loyalists. To understand the changes compared to the nineties, it would be best to start the first Sonic the Hedgehog in sequence and then the same version contained in the remaster, a real feast for the eyes. But in general the package is also excellent for those who intend to jump from one version to another, from modern challenge levels to those of the past, embodied respectively by the Anniversary mode (infinite lives, greater flexibility in many situations) and Classic mode (limited lives , game over, no compromises).
To enrich everything, the presence of the museum contributes, with the possibility of unlocking, through the accumulated coins, a whole series of gifts for history buffs, from the brochures of the different editions to the images of the packaging, passing for the soundtracks. , and especially of the challenge mode, which in itself constitutes to all intents and purposes a separate game (in fact it was also sold separately last summer). It basically involves tackling a series of specific challenges calibrated on precise sections of equally precise levels. There are challenges for the first Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as for the subsequent chapters; generally require you to eliminate a certain number of monsters or perform particularly complex actions of increasing difficulty. The score is assigned based on the time taken and the rings collected.
A very last novelty, and then we have really concluded, consists in the possibility of use knuckles as a playable character also in Sonic CD (in the last edition it was not possible). Of course, we remain skeptical about the need to launch the Plus version after such a short time, even taking into account all the new features mentioned, with the aggravating factor that, after all, we are faced with the same package as last year. Okay, there are 12 other Game Gear games, but they were cluttered without benefiting from everyone else's update.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 39,99 € Holygamerz.com 8.0 Readers (7) 8.6 your voteSonic Origins Plus is a title that should not be missing from the collection of any fan of the fast blue hedgehog and SEGA mascot: it updates the historical chapters of the franchise in high definition, in an always respectful operation that enriches, without ever distorting. them - graphics and mechanics. However, it must also be said that we are looking at exactly the same offering as last year, with the addition of Amy as a playable character (but for some this would easily not change anything) and twelve titles dedicated to Sonic and Tails from the Gear of the era. of the game (and again: for some, nothing could easily change, also because they are simply emulated). We therefore limited ourselves, very quickly, to reconfirming last summer's vote, when we would certainly have preferred there to be reasons to increase it a little.
PRO
- Now you can play as Amy Rose...
- ...and Knuckles (also on Sonic CD)
- There are also 12 Game Gear titles (emulated)
AGAINST
- you know everything else
