Update: SEGA has officially announced Sonic Origins Plus, confirming all the details below. To recap, this expanded version of the game throws in all 12 of Sonic's Game Gear games, Amy as a playable character, and all the previously released DLC. The Game Gear titles are:
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Sonic Chaos
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble
- Sonic Labyrinth
- Sonic Blast
- Sonic Drift
- Sonic Drift 2
- Sonic 2 in 1
- Tails Adventure
- Tails' Skypatrol
- Sonic Spinball
Sonic Origins Plus will be a $10 upgrade for those who already have the original, while it'll also be available standalone for $40. The physical and digital editions are due for release on 23rd June, 2023 — Sonic's 32nd anniversary.
Original Story: When Sonic Origins released last year, it was a largely successful retro package that brought together the mainline games from the hedgehog's heyday. However, it was met with some criticisms; the quality of the emulation was held to high scrutiny, the stingy add-on DLC was a bit much, and some felt it was lacking in content generally. Rumour has it, however, that SEGA is aiming to make the game more attractive with Sonic Origins Plus, a sort-of relaunch of the collection with a lot more content.
Last month, a listing was spotted on the Korean ratings board website, more or less confirming the title's existence. Fast-forward to today, and a now-deleted report seems to have revealed a whole bunch of information about the project. Apparently, Sonic Origins Plus will add the following to the base game:
- 12 Game Gear games playable in the Museum
- Classic Amy as a playable character in all the main games
- Knuckles as a playable character in Sonic CD
- All the existing DLC
On top of all that, a physical edition of the game will include a 20-page artbook and a reversible sleeve with exclusive artwork. Finally, the report claims Sonic Origins Plus will launch on 23rd June, 2023, when you can either buy the physical edition, the digital version, or a $10 upgrade fee if you already own the original release.
It all sounds pretty legit to us — it sounds as though that report was simply published earlier than planned. As a renewed package, it sounds pretty good; we'll just have to hope that Game Gear emulator can hold it together.
What do you think of Sonic Origins Plus? Are you excited for the additions it'll make? Speed into the comments section below.
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments (36)
Sounds exactly the same as Sonic Mania plus so i suspect this is true. Quite interested in this. Not played the game gear titles!
I never had a Game Gear so this would be a great addition for me. Especially since I always wanted to play Tail's Adventure.
This'll be nice timing for Game Gear enthusiasts (all three of 'em) considering that the Nintendo eShop is closing soon, as it has most of Sonic's Game Gear back-catalogue available for download. Nice to see SEGA keeping things alive in some shape or form.
It's a shame the ports weren't emulated.
So... no classic music, no new mega drive games. No mighty or Ray.
Just Amy and GG games? That's gonna be a pass.
Thought the title said it’s going to PS Plus.. in which case I would finally try it
Would be tempted to purchase only if Sonic 3D blast would be included.
Not going to beat around the bush. I'm totally getting it.
This definitely peaked my interest. I held off on Origins but the Game Gear games and Amy being Playable sold me on this. I’ll probably get the physical version.
i’m still stuck on sonic 2 final boss with 0 rings
i was trying to play all the games in order but Sonic 2 is stopping me and won’t let me progress
YES! It includes the Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 that I played back on the SEGA Master System! I was disappointed it wasn't included originally, but it's here now AND it's getting a physical release too? HELL YEAH!
If I recall correctly, Sonic 2 on the Game Gear was (almost) the same version as on the Master System, that is, a completely different game from the Mega Drive version.
@nomither6 Just wait until you play Master System Sonic 2. You fight every boss in that game with no rings!
@skaarj217 Correct. The only real difference between the Master System and the Game Gear versions is a bit of screen crunch and maybe the odd change of texture here and there.
Great to have the game gear games added to it but it's a shame they've left Mighty & Ray out as additional characters and not added an encore mode like they with Mania.
@Decoy_Snake If they wanted to go the whole hog, no pun intended, then Knuckles Chaotix and all it's characters could've been on there. But by all accounts it's a terrible game (I've played it, it's distinctly average), so Sega likes to deny it even exists.
Why, why, why, why are they using just the Game Gear games? They have the much superior Master System versions of a few of these with a better view of the game and the Mega Drive Mean Bean Machine.
I'm glad more games have been added and that it's getting a physical version but it always seems to be what could have been
Yeah i will bite as that's a good amount of content for a cheap price.
About time Amy's official playable in the classic mainline games came along, should have been in the original Origins though.
The addition of the game gear titles is also good.
@BeerIsAwesome I don't remember it being great to be fair, I begged my mum and dad for a 32X as well so I had to enjoy it 😂
Awesome. I'll definitely throw in the $10 to have my Game Gear titles added in. Just wish they would have added the Genesis version of Spinball as well.
@RogerRoger I was just wondering if I shouldn't download Tails Adventure before the eshop goes down. This is a way better solution. Good timing on Sega's part.
Does the hang glider level make a return? Sonic 1 I think?
@Decoy_Snake Well, if it helps, you've got a 1 in 40 chance of finding a good 32X game, since it wasn't exactly the best supported console they ever made. 😭
@Ralizah @RogerRoger If you want to play it handheld, then it's probably the best way to play it. This also reminds me, I need to deal with the Pokemon Bank shenanigans before the store closes. I haven't had the chance to build up a definitive list of 3DS stuff I need to get yet, and it closes in 4 days. 😳
@Ralizah Very good timing. I mean, there's a real danger that the games have all aged horribly, but at least this way you won't have buyer's remorse after making a separate purchase or two.
The downside, of course, is that you'll also own a way to endure the waking nightmare that is Sonic CD (although having said that, I'm kinda curious as to whether Knux'll break the game and finally make it tolerable to trudge through)!
@nookie_egg Sonic 2 and Chaos(🤔) on GG had the hang glider. I assume both will be intact.
@BeerIsAwesome Thankfully, the 3DS library is available via 'other' methods, so none of these games are really going to disappear if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.
Still, outrageous that Nintendo would close the 3DS eshop as Sony continues to keep the (admittedly under-serviced) PS Vita portal open for business.
@RogerRoger Most older games are more interesting from a historical perspective than anything. Even the library of my beloved PS1 is often becoming difficult to return to.
Nevertheless, they deserve to be remembered and experienced by fresher eyes and on newer hardware, and old handheld games have long been ignored in these sort of collections compared to their console counterparts, so it has been nice seeing more love for Game Boy, Game Gear, and Neo-Geo Pocket releases in recent years.
@Ralizah Well said. I wholeheartedly agree!
I'm gonna get me a physical copy of that one!!
They really need to sort out the music in the main game aswell, it sounds off
Nice, but they really should add the Master System versions for the higher resolution where available. Sonic 2 particular suffers on Game Gear as its too zoomed in, the first boss is rendered far more difficult as a result. The original GG Sonic is good though, a far better Master System port than the sequel. Origins also still needs some better screen filters.
@Ralizah I like to pay for my games for the most part, up until it becomes impractical or too expensive to do so. Shutting down a store is just removing my way of giving someone money, so if I have to go that route, it's their loss in the end.
@BeerIsAwesome My thing is this: I think the people who publish these games deserve compensation. Which is why I pretty much never buy used, and even if I've emulated an older title in the past, I'll purchase it if it becomes legally available again on modern platforms. My Wii U and 3DS are filled with older VC titles that I, frankly, already had access to, and I'm subbed to the highest tier of NSO on Switch.
But once those avenues for legal compensation are shut down, I'm cool with pirating them. I've yet to see anyone offer up a compelling argument for why it's morally better to buy a used copy of an out-of-print game than to just emulate it. And that's not even an option for digital-only exclusives.
If anything, I think the worse scenario is for an entire library of games to just disappear for the foreseeable future because Nintendo didn't want the hassle of maintaining the storefronts.
Revisiting this, if we get Sonic 2 in 1, then we really only get 11 Sonic GG games as it has Sonic 2 and Sonic Spinball on the single cartridge. Still both good games but you can't count them twice.
Checked the trailer and paused at the screen with the GG titles. It's not Sonic 2 in 1 but Mean Bean Machine.
$10 upgrade is a very fair price! I'll pick this up when I have the spare money eventually.
@Ralizah I can't disagree. There are some real gems out there in the abandoneware sites, that I'd love to give money for.
The all-digital future, especially online-only games is the bane of those who run game preservation organizations.
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