85/100
Players20 ratings: 70/100
Critics1 review

Where to get it

Nintendo eShop

2005 · Bundle / compilation · Sonic Team · Beat 'em up · Fighting

Sonic Gems Collection

Bundle / compilation

Sonic Gems Collection is a 2005 compilation of Sega video games, primarily those in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles—from the Sega Genesis to the Sega Saturn—and retain the features and errors of their initial releases with minimal edits.

Released: 11 August 2005
Platforms: GameCube PlayStation 2
Genres: Beat 'em up Fighting Pinball Platformer Puzzle Racing Run and gun Shooter
Developers: Sonic Team
Publishers: —
Series: Sonic the Hedgehog
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person Side view
Themes: Action
Country: Japan
Age ratings: ESRB E PEGI 3
Languages: English

About

Sonic Gems Collection is a 2005 compilation of Sega video games, primarily those in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the successor to the 2002 compilation Sonic Mega Collection; while Mega Collection focused on the more notable Sonic games released on Sega Genesis, Gems Collection focuses on more obscure games from a wider variety of platforms, featuring the titles Sonic CD (1993), Sonic the Fighters (1996), and Sonic R (1997). Alongside these games, the compilation inlcudes six Sonic games for the Game Gear, as well as bonus unlockable content, such as promotional images, videos, demos, original music, and several non-Sonic games for the Genesis, some of which were omitted in the Western localization.

Developer Sonic Team conceived the compilation to introduce younger players to older Sonic games. One game they wished to include, SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993), was excluded due to emulation difficulties. Sega released Gems Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in August 2005. Reviews were mixed or average; critics were divided over whether the package would satisfy players.

Keywords

classic
game collection

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

Sonic Gems Collection was developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. According to Sonic Team director Yojiro Ogawa, the compilation (and its 2002 predecessor Sonic Mega Collection) was conceived to introduce young players to older games in the Sonic franchise. While Sonic Mega Collection focused on the original Genesis games to showcase what made the franchise a success, Sonic Gems Collection focused on games Sega considered rare and obscure. Although Sonic Team was responsible for Sonic Gems Collection's creation, they had limited involvement in the development of the games included on the compilation; for example, Sega AM2 made Sonic the Fighters, and Sonic R was primarily developed by Traveller's Tales.

At the beginning of Gems Collection's development, Sonic Team made a list of the most wanted games for the compilation. The team considered the games they felt were high quality in graphics, gameplay, and overall nature. Sonic CD and Vectorman were considered for inclusion in Mega Collection, but were deferred to Gems Collection. Producer Yuji Naka said storage constraints prevented Sonic CD from inclusion in Mega Collection.

Reception

According to Metacritic, a video game review aggregator, Sonic Gems Collection received "mixed or average" reviews. By November 22, 2005, the compilation sold 200,000 copies outside Japan. In 2006, the GameCube version was branded a Player's Choice game.

Reviewers considered Sonic CD the compilation's strongest feature, so much that Nintendo Power's Steve T. and Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) said it was worth buying for Sonic CD alone. Juan Castro (IGN) found that Sonic CD "still holds its own against modern platformers", praising its unique, time-travel oriented gameplay, level design, visuals, and sound. Castro called it one of the best games in the Sonic series and was no less fun than its original release.