Controversy steals Sonic's limelight as SEGA nostalgia backfires

Fans are pushing back against SEGA's new Sonic Origins 30th anniversary bundle for its higher cost and segmented DLC content.

Published Apr 21, 2022 9:18 AM CDT   |   Updated Sat, May 14 2022 1:51 AM CDT
1 minute & 1 second read time

Following massive success of the Sonic 2 film, controversy is now stealing Sonic The Hedgehog's spotlight.

Controversy steals Sonic's limelight as SEGA nostalgia backfires 54

2022 is the year of Sonic...or it was before Sonic Origins. SEGA is celebrating the Blue Blur's 30th anniversary with a special five-game remaster collection called Sonic Origins, which packs in Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD in one mega-bundle.

There's just two issues: The collection costs $40, and SEGA has carved up modes and content in multiple SKUs. Fans aren't happy with Origins' fragmented business model which includes the Standard Edition for $39.99, which only includes the base game, and the Digital Deluxe Edition for $44.99 that includes extras like hard missions, character animations, and music tracks.

Controversy steals Sonic's limelight as SEGA nostalgia backfires 30

SEGA is also offering two DLC packs that can be purchased separately. These count as in-app purchases and don't have a price yet.

Gamers are frustrated that there's no way to actually buy everything in one package and that the extras are somewhat confusing in their scope--except for the hard mode, which arguably is the best add-on feature.

The controversy has taken away from the franchise's all-important 30th anniversary, which has culminated in a significant amount of planning and development.

Multiple teams have come together to work on Sonic Origins including Castlevania animator Powerhouse Animation, who helped animate the sequences featured in the games, and Sonic Mania co-developer Headcannon.

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Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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