The third game released in the classic Sega series, Sonic CD, has always been an oddball, especially when you consider the system it spawned from. Even among Sonic fans, it can be a rather divisive game, given how different it is from those that followed. It's that sort of weirdness that makes it so memorable, though, even among a set of such great games, and there's no doubt that it's one of the shining gems of the Sega CD.
From a gameplay perspective, Sonic CD almost feels like a more polished version of the first game. Sonic has his spin dash attack as introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but it's not quite as quick to use as in the later entries. The general pace is somewhat slower as well, with more emphasis on platforming and exploration than your average Sonic game. There are still plenty of places to pick up speed, though, and the level design has a surprising amount of openness and verticality. The main draw is the ability to travel through time, with both prehistoric and futuristic variations of most of the stages. Including these alternate versions, there are 60 levels, which, along with the animated intro, ending cinemas, and redbook audio soundtrack, justified the CD format.
Even so, the game can feel rather short if you just rocket straight to the end of each stage. To properly appreciate it, you need to get the good ending, and there are two entirely different ways on how to accomplish this. One method is to collect enough rings to reach the 3D bonus levels, rendered in Mode 7-style scaling effects, to collect all of the Chaos Emeralds as in other Sonic games. More careful explorers, however, can travel to the past to foil Robotnik's schemes by destroying his machines. It’s an element that forces you to really understand and learn the stages, despite a few aggravating levels that seem counterintuitive to this design. The time zone gimmick isn't just for gameplay, either, as it's all part of the game's rather surreal art style. If you do well, you'll find a good future full of bright colors and foliage. Ignore the past, and the zone you're in ends up a total hellhole.
It's all a bit strange, especially if it's not your first Sonic game, but that's what makes it so special. It's a game that definitely rewards skill, from taking advantage of the level design to shaving off a few more precious seconds to mastering the time zones. A wonderfully different soundtrack tops it all off, which, like the visuals, changes on the time zone. From the upbeat dancestyle tracks of the Japanese version, to the US soundtrack's dark, sometimes terrifying songs, there certainly isn’t much else like it.
The first two Sonic games were instant classics, and would go on to both revolutionize the platforming genre and spawn imitators for years to come. The third game, split into Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles and combined by locking the carts together, manages to outshine them both. This is because it’s absolutely massive, with levels far bigger than previous Sonic games. It’s also full of incredible setpieces, from watching the traditional island level that started the first two games get set ablaze, to one of the most climactic final battles in Genesis history. It still manages to include everything that made the classic Sonic games great, as well, from clever level design that lets you use physics to reach even higher speeds, to one unforgettable soundtrack.
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