Sega has announced a June 23, 2022 digital release date for Sonic Origins on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. It will retail for $39.99, and a digital deluxe edition will be available for $44.99. June 23 is the “birthday” of Sonic, having been the date that the original Sonic the Hedgehog launched, making it an appropriate release date for Origins. However, there is no mention of a physical release for the collection, which is a bit strange and disappointing.
In any case, Sonic Origins collects Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD into one modern package that does not rely on emulation. This means, among other things, you can play the game in a 16:9 aspect ratio if you prefer. A new Sonic Origins trailer shows off the visual enhancements, but there are more bonuses where that came from, some of which (maybe too many, really) are exclusive to the digital deluxe edition.
As you can see in the trailer, the collection apparently lets you play as Knuckles in any of the games now. There are also “Classic” and “Anniversary” modes for the games, with the main difference (other than aspect ratio) being that Anniversary Mode gives you infinite lives.
Those who digitally preorder Sonic Origins ahead of its June release date will unlock Mirror Mode, receive “Letter Box (Mega Drive Pattern),” and get a 100 Medallion bonus. Medallions are items you can earn by competing new “missions,” and the medallions can be spent to do things like unlock content from a “vault” or try Special Stages over again.
Meanwhile, those who preorder the Sonic Origins Digital Deluxe Edition for $5 more will receive the following additional bonuses (and some of them sound trivial):
- Difficult Missions Added
- Letter Box
- Characters in Main Menu
- Island Camera on Main Menu
- Character Animation in Music Playback
- Exclusive Tracks from Mega Drive Titles
Finally, for $3.99 you can buy a Premium & Classic Sound Pack that vaguely contains “Exclusive Tracks from Mega Drive Titles.”
Essentially, everything about Sonic Origins sounds great except that Sega has not said anything about a physical release, whether for now or in the future. Hopefully that will change eventually. Meanwhile, the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a smash hit at the box office, and a third movie and Knuckles spinoff are on the way. A Streets of Rage movie is also coming from Sega and Paramount, for the heck of it.
