Sonic CD coming to Xbox Live Arcade

Sonic CD is coming to Xbox 360, and will be playable at PAX Prime this week.

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A number of Xbox Live Arcade titles will be available at the Microsoft booth this week at PAX. Major Nelson points out the selection: Trials Evolution, Skulls of the Shogun, Crimson Alliance, Splatters, Orcs Must Die, Ms. Splosion Man, Retro City Rampage, Sonic CD, War of the Worlds and, Trine 2. While all of these are familiar names, one game stands out the most. Sonic CD has (until now) been unannounced for any current generation console.

Sonic CD first released in 1993 for the Sega CD. Due to the limited appeal of that platform, Sega CD is one of the most obscure releases in the mascot's long history. It has yet to be re-released on any current generation console, last appearing on the PS2 and Gamecube in the "Sonic Gems Collection."

Sega is no stranger to bringing its classic titles to downloadable platforms. A number of Dreamcast games, including Sonic Adventure, are already available on the Xbox Live Arcade on PlayStation Network.

The game is highly regarded by fans, partly due to its obscurity, and partly due to its soundtrack. Sonic CD actually features two soundtracks, produced for different regions around the world. But don't let us explain it for you, when this random guy from YouTube can. (His dream is finally coming true!)

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 22, 2011 6:30 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Sonic CD coming to Xbox Live Arcade.

    Sonic CD is coming to Xbox 360, and will be playable at PAX Prime this week.

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 6:45 PM

      I had the European version of Sonic CD for the PC, that game was so boss. I daresay the BEST Sonic game simply due to the level design and music. I will be sad if it doesn't come out on PC though.

      • reply
        August 22, 2011 6:58 PM

        You will be sad if the game you already owned the PC version of doesn't come out for PC?

    • gmd legacy 10 years legacy 20 years mercury mega
      reply
      August 22, 2011 6:47 PM

      Yes!!

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 7:04 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 7:21 PM

      Fuck yes!~

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 9:33 PM

      One of the two games that validated the existence of my Sega CD. that and Lunar: TSS

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 9:36 PM

      Wow, the fact that the guy was accepted to any college amazes me.

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 9:39 PM

      i still remember jurassic park on sega cd. fuck that game

      • reply
        August 22, 2011 9:44 PM

        It's hard to believe that the genesis version was so amazing and the sega CD version was a lame Myst ripoff.

    • reply
      August 22, 2011 9:50 PM

      [deleted]

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        August 22, 2011 10:15 PM

        I was a huge sega fan boy and even I could not warrant buying a sega cd player despite really wanting too.I will buy this based solely on how great it's supposed to be.Wonder if it's aged well?

      • reply
        August 22, 2011 10:16 PM

        more sad than funny!

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          August 22, 2011 10:18 PM

          like the chap in the video. holy christ.

      • reply
        August 22, 2011 10:38 PM

        i never liked sonic

        • reply
          August 22, 2011 10:42 PM

          Same here. I never understood the appeal of the gameplay. You just zoom through the levels, usually missing a shitload of content, mostly just pushing forward while you watch yourself run through preset obstacle courses. My completest nature makes me hate this kind of game.

          • reply
            August 22, 2011 11:08 PM

            Sonic CD was a bit more involved than the Genesis games. The two main levels in each zone had 4 variations- present, past, bad future, and good future. Your ultimate goal is to create good futures for every level, and to do this you have to travel into the past and find and destroy a certain machine. There was a lot more traversal and exploration needed to do this rather than just running as fast you can to the end of each level, but you could still do that if you wanted to. Part of the fun was seeing all the differences between each time period in each level, plus the soundtrack changes as well.

            Time traveling isn't always easy, either. You have to hit the correct signpost, then get up to top speed and maintain it long enough to warp. Some areas are set up to make it simple, others not so much. Occasionally you'll be warped to a time you didn't plan on because you were unable to slow down.

            I'm not sure how well it holds up, the game is probably 18 years or older by now. I think it will be frustrating for a lot of gamers playing it for the first time. Was one of my favorites back in the day though.

    • reply
      August 23, 2011 12:23 AM

      OMG OMG OMG . i hope it has both soundtracks (or at least the jap/eur/aus one )

      then i can almost retire my megaCD

    • reply
      August 23, 2011 6:29 AM

      NERD ALERT: I know they're going to screw up something with the video proportions. It'll be "windowed" and stretching it to fill the screen will screw up the proportions of the original resolution and the image will be filtered. /nerd

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