With how spotty Sonic the Hedgehog’s record has been for the past 20 years, it’s nice to know there are some bright spots in it. Like the work done by Christian Whitehead and Headcannon studios. Their Sonic CD port on the PS3 and 360 became the best way to play that game, as were their mobile phone ports of Sonic 1 and 2. Then their original game, Sonic Mania, was a retro joy as well.
Now they’ve rebuilt the classic games from scratch for the new generation. Sonic Origins collects Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles, and CD, spruces them up further from their old ports and throws in a few new extras. It’s a beautiful package for Sonic the Hedgehog fans. But what about newcomers? Here are a few tips for those who missed out on Sonic’s genesis and want to catch up.
9 Happy Anniversary!
It’s best to check the options first, as Sonic Origins offers more than just graphical improvements. The Classic Mode lets players experience the game as fans did back in the 1990s, where they had to worry about collecting lives and continues to avoid getting a Game Over. They also had to complete the levels within 10 minutes, or they’d get a Time Over and lose a life that way.
So, newcomers might prefer selecting Sonic Origins' Anniversary Mode instead. It gets rid of Lives and Time Limits in favor of just letting the player play. Any foul-ups they make are their own punishment. The Options also let players toggle Sonic Mania’s Drop Dash on and off, which might make Sonic 1 easier as that game didn’t even have his Spin Dash.
8 Aim for the High Ground
Whether the player opts for Anniversary or Classic mode, the level design remains the same. They all start off in lush, green, natural lands where it’s easy to speed around. Then they gradually get more difficult with more obstacles to maneuver around. The lower paths are easier to end up on while having the most hazards and enemies to avoid.
Therefore, it’s best to aim for the high road. They’re trickier to reach but once the player’s there, they offer less hassle and more rewards. For example, the first level of Sonic 1’s infamous Labyrinth Zone has a secret path where, if the player finds the right switch, it'll switch on a platform that leads them right to a shortcut. Though other times, taking the low road may lead to some surprises.
7 The Barrel of Doom
Sonic 3 & Knuckles is often considered the best of the classic Sonic games, so fans were joyed to see it re-released after so long. Even so, both the original and Origins version came with an infamous bugbear: the Barrel in Carnival Night Zone Act 2. It needs to be moved down for the player to progress. Except it’s not very clear how to make it move. Players in the past have gotten Time Overs trying to figure it out, then groaned when they found out what they had to do.
The player just has to stand still on it, then press up and down to make it bounce. It’ll build up momentum and eventually move down low enough for the player to move on. It’s the only obstacle in the game that acts like this, which is a small mercy.
6 Look Out Ahead!
Sonic games are famous for their speed, so it’s tempting to just race forward. After all, these games are just Hold Right/Boost to win, right? Wrong. Especially in Classic mode. It retains the original game’s 4:3 screen ratio, so players had to be more vigilant about oncoming enemies and hazards.
Luckily, Anniversary Mode eases up on this by making the games widescreen. While the player will still need to make the most of Sonic & friends’ moves, they’ll have more space to see any oncoming hazards or enemies. So, no more racing into spikes, springs, or Buzz Bombers off-screen. Or less of that anyway.
5 Get Those Rings
This one might be obvious to platform game fans, but if this is someone's very first Sonic game altogether, it might not be so apparent: Every level is full of Rings to collect. The more the player picks up, the more their score goes up, and collecting 100 of them gives them an Extra Life in Classic Mode. They're a staple of the series, as seen in Sonic's films and other interesting places.
They also act as a lifesaver in both Anniversary and Classic modes. If the player gets struck without Rings, they die and go back to the last checkpoint; however, if they have rings, they’ll lose them instead. The rings will scatter everywhere, giving the player time to recollect them. Just one ring will be enough to keep players in the game, though it’s best to keep as many of them as possible. They come with extra perks.
4 Rock the Rocks
Each game gives the player a chance to earn Chaos Emeralds. If they collect all 7, they’ll get the best endings, and unlock Super forms that’ll activate after getting 50 rings or more. It’s a great perk, and each game offers a different series of Special Stages to earn them.
In Sonic 1, just collect 50 Rings, jump into a magic portal at the end, and move through a rotating maze towards the Emerald. Sonic CD follows the same method as Sonic 1, only the player has to smash UFOs in a pseudo-3D world for Time Stones instead. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the player has to reach a checkpoint, jump through the stars, and collect enough rings while racing through a half pipe. Then, in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, they have to collect all the Blue Spheres while avoiding the red ones.
3 Money in the Bank
Sonic the Hedgehog fans have often heard at least one person mistake his Rings for Coins, be it as a joke or as a legit mistake. However, Sonic Origins' Anniversary Mode makes them a reality. Sonic can now collect Coins alongside Rings. They replace the old Lives monitors and can be used to retry Special Stages or buy unlockables in the Museum.
They can also be earned by playing the new Mission and Boss Rush modes. The former gives the player challenges to overcome. The harder the level and the higher the rank achieved, the more Coins the player can get. While the Boss Rush lets the player fight the bosses in order one by one. Bar some exceptions, Sonic’s bosses are generally pretty easy. Therefore, it’s up to the player whether they want to grind Coins through the Boss Rush mode or aim for a big payout in the Mission Modes.
2 If All Else Fails, Skip Ahead!
If that one boss looks like too much trouble to beat, or a level is too much of a pain to deal with, or getting the Chaos Emeralds is just too much of a hassle, there are Cheat Codes to fall back on. These were everywhere back in the Genesis days, and they’ve been brought over to the Origins collection.
Unlocking Level Select differs game by game. In Sonic the Hedgehog, press Up, Down, Left, Right, then Square (X on Xbox, Y on Switch) on the Start screen. For Sonic the Hedgehog 2, press Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square (X, Y) on its Start screen. Then for Sonic 3 & Knuckles’s start screen, press Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, then select the Sound Test.
1 Unlimited Power!
Luckily, the Super forms are more straightforward. Just input the Level Select for each game, go to the Sound Test option, and play tracks 04, 01, 02, and 06 in order before starting the game. If done right, it’ll play a jingle and the Super forms will be unlocked. Input it twice in Sonic 3 & Knuckles for Hyper mode.
For the Debug modes, put in the game’s original release dates in the Sound Test. 01-09-09-01 00-06 02-03 for Sonic 1. For Sonic 2, play 01-09-09-02 01-01 02-04. Then 01-09-09-04 01-00 01-08 for Sonic 3&K. It’ll make grinding for Coins much easier on Anniversary Mode. It’s not the ‘honorable’ way to do things, but sometimes rules are made to be broken. Only Sonic CD makes the player behave themselves. For now.
Sonic Origins is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.