Sonic CD (MCD, 1993)
Graphics-7 Sound-7/5.5** Control-7/5* Challenge-7 Story-5
Level Design-6 Frustration-8.5/9* Fun-5.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-5.5
*Later bonus stages
**US version
+
Quite fast paced overall
Varied levels
Sometimes good art direction (mostly past and good future levels)
Some innovative mechanics and gimmicks (DKC-style barrels before DKC, time travel (could've been better implemented - see below), double plane gameplay (last zone), walker robot, mini-sonic transformation, race against metal sonic)
Mode 7 bonus levels (not very good)
Hidden items
Breakable walls
More than one path through most levels
Spin dash (worse than in Sonic 2 though - see below)
Save feature (continue at the last zone you got to, no hub world/level select)
Time attack mode
Nice intro and ending cutscenes
The ring system (stay alive as long as you can hold on to one or more rings; Sonic 1)
+/-
Six emeralds (called time stones here)
Getting all the time stones early also finishes the quest to destroy the machines in the past levels (this shortens the game quite a bit)
Super peel move (Up+Button while standing still; pretty much the same as the spin dash but without the rolling - not very useful)
Re-uses several level gadgets from Sonic 1
-
Some control issues (the spin dash needs to be charged up for about a second or it gets canceled, rolling makes you slow down unless you're in a slope - Sonic 1, somewhat odd jump mechanics (you need some momentum or Sonic jumps like in Contra - Sonic 1, Can't duck into a rolling ball when moving off a ledge or bouncing off springs (often leads to you bouncing into enemies or spikes) - Sonic 1-3, somewhat slow acceleration when starting to move - Sonic 1, can't look up/down (would've been useful in many places; Sonic 1))
The time travel mechanic could've been done better (they should've always designed levels so that you could perform the warp after hitting a signpost OR not have the warp ability cancel out without the chance of picking it up from the same signpost again if you didn't succeed at warping (the warp mechanic is also a bit non-intuitive - bouncing back and forth apparently works but changing direction manually cancels the warp), there should've also been a hub world so you could go back to a beaten zone and check out the levels you've altered (not that much gets changed except for some rings and item containers becoming accessible but still), finding the right signpost is a pain in some levels such as Tidal Tempest)
Often tedious level design that slows down gameplay (points of no return, poorly placed bouncers, elevators, hidden springs (sometimes bouncing you in the wrong direction) and spikes, annoying enemy placements, narrow passages, dead ends, underwater slopes)
Mostly simple and easy bosses (worse than in Sonic 1, final boss is a pushover except for the player being forced to take a hit in the beginning of the fight, tidal tempest boss, etc.)
Frustrating bonus levels (so-so framerate and primitive controls, slow turning, hard to judge Sonic's distance to the robots you're supposed to destroy - especially when they start moving away from you later on, pixelated mode 7 makes it hard to tell what a gadget (spring, speed boost, spike trap, fan) is supposed to be - everything is flat as well, would've been more fun as racing levels with walls to keep you on the track instead of a playground/sandbox type of thing, so-so hit detection)
Some trial & error (the race against metal sonic, a few leaps of faith, pushing in a direction after hitting a spring or going into a speed tunnel can make you go slower and not reach the intended target destination, some bosses, hidden spiky enemies later on)
No difficulty options
You can miss the bonus stage if you run past the big ring at the end of a level
Hit detection bugs (warp through the wall at one point where traps are supposed to squeeze sonic, odd physics around speed tunnels and some springs don't register sometimes)
Sometimes inconsistent level design (waterfalls make you fall off a platform in one part but not in others)
So-so enemy designs overall (most of them look like leftovers from Sonic 1 or 2)
Sometimes cluttered background designs with garish colours
Pretty awful vocal tracks (cheesy Euro-disco)
Comment:
I just beat Sonic CD (MCD) and sadly I have to agree with the harsher critics, for the most part. The time travel mechanic doesn't meld with the level design most of the time, the physics and hit detection aren't as good as in Sonic 2 onwards and I'm not a big fan of the special stage or how it makes time travel almost redundant if you get all the time stones early on.
I'd be fine with the time travel if A. it worked like entering special stages in Sonic 2 OR B. the required running distance was shorter and you held a button to activate it so it doesn't happen by mistake, AND C. the signs were always placed close to a good spot to warp, such as the loop with two springs in Collision Chaos, AND D. you could use one sign more than one time. So yeah, I think it's pretty broken currently. One thing that would've been cool is to get time travel at will as an ability for collecting all the time stones. Instead you get a good chunk of the gameplay 'removed' which shortens the game.
Looking for the machines would still be kind of a pain though due to all the points of no return, dead ends and how the game loves to bounce you into spikes and enemies. I was stuck at one Tidal Tempest stage for over 10 minutes because of a really annoying wall placement between two Past signs.
I will say that exploring can be rewarding beyond the machines because you'll find 1-ups here and there, especially at the top of levels. I also like the new gimmicks like the pre-DKC 'barrels', mini-Sonic, the Tetris-like segment, and the switching between foreground and background, though the latter three felt a bit underdeveloped. Similarly the bosses usually have interesting ideas behind them but most of them are too easy. As another positive, it's also nice to have a save feature, though I was expecting a level select like in Sonic 3 so I could go back and play the altered zones that I had mostly missed out on.
I was disappointed with the special stage because seeing it in screenshots made me think it would be like Mario Kart mixed with the halfpipe in Sonic 2. Instead you get more of a playground/sandbox thing with pixelated flat gadgets that you need to get close to to see what the hell the graphics are supposed to represent, dodgy hit detection, very primitive controls and so-so framerate.
Aesthetically it's hit and miss; the good future and past levels generally look nice, but overall it's too cluttered and garish. Some of the enemies look like leftovers from the MD games. The vocal tracks (JP ost) are hilariously cheesy (HUEY HEY!) but most of the melodies are pretty nice as is the sound quality. Sometimes I expected a sound effect where there was none, but that's a pretty minor thing.
From what I can tell, the HD version is superior in every way thanks to the engine rewrite - dashing is instant, physics around slopes and speed tunnels are more solid, the framerate (and the resolution I think) in the special stage is higher and smoother, wide screen makes reacting to stuff somewhat easier (though most of the time playing the MCD ver. I got hit by something while moving vertically). You can also play as Tails and choose between the US and JP soundtrack. You can even restart the special stage if you're about to fail.
Level Design-6 Frustration-8.5/9* Fun-5.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-5.5
*Later bonus stages
**US version
+
Quite fast paced overall
Varied levels
Sometimes good art direction (mostly past and good future levels)
Some innovative mechanics and gimmicks (DKC-style barrels before DKC, time travel (could've been better implemented - see below), double plane gameplay (last zone), walker robot, mini-sonic transformation, race against metal sonic)
Mode 7 bonus levels (not very good)
Hidden items
Breakable walls
More than one path through most levels
Spin dash (worse than in Sonic 2 though - see below)
Save feature (continue at the last zone you got to, no hub world/level select)
Time attack mode
Nice intro and ending cutscenes
The ring system (stay alive as long as you can hold on to one or more rings; Sonic 1)
+/-
Six emeralds (called time stones here)
Getting all the time stones early also finishes the quest to destroy the machines in the past levels (this shortens the game quite a bit)
Super peel move (Up+Button while standing still; pretty much the same as the spin dash but without the rolling - not very useful)
Re-uses several level gadgets from Sonic 1
-
Some control issues (the spin dash needs to be charged up for about a second or it gets canceled, rolling makes you slow down unless you're in a slope - Sonic 1, somewhat odd jump mechanics (you need some momentum or Sonic jumps like in Contra - Sonic 1, Can't duck into a rolling ball when moving off a ledge or bouncing off springs (often leads to you bouncing into enemies or spikes) - Sonic 1-3, somewhat slow acceleration when starting to move - Sonic 1, can't look up/down (would've been useful in many places; Sonic 1))
The time travel mechanic could've been done better (they should've always designed levels so that you could perform the warp after hitting a signpost OR not have the warp ability cancel out without the chance of picking it up from the same signpost again if you didn't succeed at warping (the warp mechanic is also a bit non-intuitive - bouncing back and forth apparently works but changing direction manually cancels the warp), there should've also been a hub world so you could go back to a beaten zone and check out the levels you've altered (not that much gets changed except for some rings and item containers becoming accessible but still), finding the right signpost is a pain in some levels such as Tidal Tempest)
Often tedious level design that slows down gameplay (points of no return, poorly placed bouncers, elevators, hidden springs (sometimes bouncing you in the wrong direction) and spikes, annoying enemy placements, narrow passages, dead ends, underwater slopes)
Mostly simple and easy bosses (worse than in Sonic 1, final boss is a pushover except for the player being forced to take a hit in the beginning of the fight, tidal tempest boss, etc.)
Frustrating bonus levels (so-so framerate and primitive controls, slow turning, hard to judge Sonic's distance to the robots you're supposed to destroy - especially when they start moving away from you later on, pixelated mode 7 makes it hard to tell what a gadget (spring, speed boost, spike trap, fan) is supposed to be - everything is flat as well, would've been more fun as racing levels with walls to keep you on the track instead of a playground/sandbox type of thing, so-so hit detection)
Some trial & error (the race against metal sonic, a few leaps of faith, pushing in a direction after hitting a spring or going into a speed tunnel can make you go slower and not reach the intended target destination, some bosses, hidden spiky enemies later on)
No difficulty options
You can miss the bonus stage if you run past the big ring at the end of a level
Hit detection bugs (warp through the wall at one point where traps are supposed to squeeze sonic, odd physics around speed tunnels and some springs don't register sometimes)
Sometimes inconsistent level design (waterfalls make you fall off a platform in one part but not in others)
So-so enemy designs overall (most of them look like leftovers from Sonic 1 or 2)
Sometimes cluttered background designs with garish colours
Pretty awful vocal tracks (cheesy Euro-disco)
Comment:
I just beat Sonic CD (MCD) and sadly I have to agree with the harsher critics, for the most part. The time travel mechanic doesn't meld with the level design most of the time, the physics and hit detection aren't as good as in Sonic 2 onwards and I'm not a big fan of the special stage or how it makes time travel almost redundant if you get all the time stones early on.
I'd be fine with the time travel if A. it worked like entering special stages in Sonic 2 OR B. the required running distance was shorter and you held a button to activate it so it doesn't happen by mistake, AND C. the signs were always placed close to a good spot to warp, such as the loop with two springs in Collision Chaos, AND D. you could use one sign more than one time. So yeah, I think it's pretty broken currently. One thing that would've been cool is to get time travel at will as an ability for collecting all the time stones. Instead you get a good chunk of the gameplay 'removed' which shortens the game.
Looking for the machines would still be kind of a pain though due to all the points of no return, dead ends and how the game loves to bounce you into spikes and enemies. I was stuck at one Tidal Tempest stage for over 10 minutes because of a really annoying wall placement between two Past signs.
I will say that exploring can be rewarding beyond the machines because you'll find 1-ups here and there, especially at the top of levels. I also like the new gimmicks like the pre-DKC 'barrels', mini-Sonic, the Tetris-like segment, and the switching between foreground and background, though the latter three felt a bit underdeveloped. Similarly the bosses usually have interesting ideas behind them but most of them are too easy. As another positive, it's also nice to have a save feature, though I was expecting a level select like in Sonic 3 so I could go back and play the altered zones that I had mostly missed out on.
I was disappointed with the special stage because seeing it in screenshots made me think it would be like Mario Kart mixed with the halfpipe in Sonic 2. Instead you get more of a playground/sandbox thing with pixelated flat gadgets that you need to get close to to see what the hell the graphics are supposed to represent, dodgy hit detection, very primitive controls and so-so framerate.
Aesthetically it's hit and miss; the good future and past levels generally look nice, but overall it's too cluttered and garish. Some of the enemies look like leftovers from the MD games. The vocal tracks (JP ost) are hilariously cheesy (HUEY HEY!) but most of the melodies are pretty nice as is the sound quality. Sometimes I expected a sound effect where there was none, but that's a pretty minor thing.
From what I can tell, the HD version is superior in every way thanks to the engine rewrite - dashing is instant, physics around slopes and speed tunnels are more solid, the framerate (and the resolution I think) in the special stage is higher and smoother, wide screen makes reacting to stuff somewhat easier (though most of the time playing the MCD ver. I got hit by something while moving vertically). You can also play as Tails and choose between the US and JP soundtrack. You can even restart the special stage if you're about to fail.