Sonic Glory Days: The Gems Collection

In an attempt to bring back the days of splendor of the early 90抯, when Sonic the Hedgehog was on top of the heap, Sega of America compiled a handful of games and packaged it into what came to be called the 揝onic Gems Collection? Featuring Sonic and the freedom fighters, the release included several unfamiliar games like Sonic R, as well as a much appreciated one like Sonic CD. Obviously, Sonic developers where trying to do a little mix and match with their new and not so well known titles, looking to bring them forward with the help of their already established, good selling releases. The Gems collection did not sell as well as their previous release, but that shouldn抰 of come as a surprise considering their strategy.

First in the list of the Sonic Gems Collection is Sonic the Fighters. A game originally developed for arcades in 1996 by Virtua Fighter creators AM2. A bit out of the ordinary, the game is characterized by insane speed, flying corks and bombs and the usual treasure hunting in the form of rings. Another aspect of this games that sets itself apart from the others is the appearance of a metal boss character with Sonic appearance. Although it may look a little outdated by today抯 standards, Sonic Fighters is sure to deliver good times to Sonic the Hedgehog fans who cherish sonic games.

Second in the Gems collection we would find Sonic R. The first sonic racing game released by Sega for game consoles. The game was developed in a joint venture with Traveller抯 Tales. One could say that this was the only genuine game title made for the Sega Saturn before it disappeared from store shelves. Not so good news for sonic game players who were glad to see a tough graphic engine behind this console, depicting fading backgrounds, water reflections and shadows, for a smooth game playing experience. Sonic R is an extremely fun game, a mix between a racing game and the usual sonic platform made evident by the amount of open spaces and the opportunity to jump off course and fetch for alternate routes. Players remain in controversy over the games level of difficulty. Despite the inclusion of extras, like chaos emeralds and unlockable characters, some claim to be able to finish the track in a few hours, while others claim the game is unplayable unless you leave the emeralds behind. There are five courses to choose from, plus a multi-player feature that works rather well on the PC port the game was based on.