If you have yet to pick up any of the classic Sonic titles on your favourite console or PC – now’s your last chance, so you ‘Gotta Go Fast!’
First things first – what is Sonic Origins?
On April 21st, Sega announced the upcoming release of Sonic Origins (check out our news story here for more details on the new Sonic Origins release). Due on June 23rd 2022, Sonic Origins will feature digital remasters of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD, along with lots of new features and content.
What does this have to do with the old games being delisted?
Unfortunately, the release of the updated, more fully-featured collection of remasters means that the various individual versions of each game will be removed from digital stores. It seems that the far cheaper option of buying each game individually – even though they may be lacking in certain features or the unifying elements such as coins and extra content to collect – is something that Sega want to discourage, so these titles will no longer be available as of May 20th 2022.
Which titles are affected and on what consoles?
All of the titles included in Sonic Origins will be affected – so that’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD. PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the previous generations of consoles, as well as PC are all affected. Even the highly-regarded Android and iOS ports are due to be removed from sale.
What about Nintendo Switch?
Curiously, the Switch is least affected by the cull. The superb Sega Ages versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 won’t be removed; the Nintendo Switch Online version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will also still be available, providing you pay for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack that allows access to Mega Drive/Genesis games of course.
What are my options if I don’t pick up Sonic Origins?
If you have already purchased these titles on current or previous generation consoles and have them downloaded, you shouldn’t have an issue with them at all.
Likewise even if you don’t have them installed; it’s very rare that access will be completely impossible as long as you’ve purchased the games before – you should still be able to re-install them when needed. However, just to be safe, it’s well worth re-downloading them again in case of any issues going forward.
So if I pick up Sonic Origins at some point, everything will be fine?
Yes and no. Sega have caused a bit of a stir by locking certain game modes and features behind paywalls – either to be unlocked as pre-order bonuses, included in DLC packs or as part of the ‘Digital Deluxe Edition’.
So if you’re expecting to get your hands on all of the brand new features of Sonic Origins just by purchasing the standard edition without pre-ordering – unfortunately, you won’t have access to seemingly basic features such as Hard Missions or the MIrror Mode.
It’s complicated enough that Sega have had to produce an entire chart to demonstrate what you get if you do or don’t pre-order, as well as what differences there are between Standard and Digital Deluxe.
It’s a baffling and fairly anti-consumer way to handle what should be a celebration of the perennially popular character – in a year which has seen the second Sonic movie smash all expectations and start the process of building a cinematic universe for the blue blur (and his friends!) too; there’s also a huge amount of merchandise available (take a look at our best Sonic toys article for a good look at what’s out there).
In any case, you do at least have time to get your hands on the original titles – and if you want to check out our thoughts on the finest entries in the series, take a look at our list of the best Sonic games!
Jason – who lives in the UK – has had a lifelong interest in video games, which all started when he discovered Space Invaders in the early 80s. The first game he ever completed was Wonder Boy in Monster Land on the Sega Master System – which remains one of his proudest gaming achievements. Jason is a passionate writer – and has been writing about gaming since the late 90s. He currently runs pop culture blog midlifegamergeek.com, which he updates on a daily basis (and has written more than 700 articles on the blog alone!).
Outside of video games, Jason is a keen tabletop gamer, film buff and comic book fan.
