is a 2002 video game compilation developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the GameCube. It is a compilation of several Sonic the Hedgehog games originally released for the Genesis, along with a few other Sega-published titles for the system.

According to the director, Yojiro Ogawa, the purpose of the compilation was to introduce younger players to the original games in the Sonic series. The games are played through a Genesis emulator developed by Sonic Team themselves. Outside of the games, the compilation includes Sonic-themed videos and illustrations, as well as high-resolution scans of the instruction manuals and Sonic the Hedgehog comic covers. In 2004, the compilation was re-released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows as Sonic Mega Collection Plus with additional Sonic games originally released for the Game Gear.

Reception to Sonic Mega Collection as well as Plus was positive, with praise going to its faithful emulation, strong core games, nostalgic value, and low price. Criticism was directed toward the absence of Sonic CD (1993), lackluster extras, weaker spin-off titles, tedious unlocking mechanics, and some visual issues in Plus. A second compilation focused on rare and obscure Sonic titles, Sonic Gems Collection, was released in 2005.

Overview

Sonic Mega Collection compiles 14 emulated games originally released for the Sega Genesis, limited to only 12 in releases outside of Japan. Seven games are available by default, while the remainder are unlocked by launching other games repeatedly. These include three games that recreate the Sonic & Knuckles "lock-on technology" to allow for new modes and/or playable characters in the first three Sonic games, and four non-Sonic games published by Sega, two of which are exclusive to the Japanese release. The compilation's user interface has been updated, and all games now support the ability to save the player's progress mid-level using save states. Sonic Team chose to focus on including all the Genesis Sonic games. Sonic Team also considered including BlueSky Software's Vectorman (1995).

Sega announced Mega Collection as a GameCube exclusive in early July 2002, and revealed which games would be included later that month. The compilation went gold the following November; Naka said Sonic Team felt a sense of accomplishment when they completed it. in Japan on December 19, 2002, In European territories, Infogrames distributed the compilation. When Sega began to expand support for the PlayStation 2, it commissioned a version of Mega Collection for that console and the Xbox. This version, Sonic Mega Collection Plus, was announced at E3 2004. Plus was released in North America on November 2, 2004, in Japan on December 9, 2004, and in Europe on February 4, 2005. A Windows version was released in Europe on March 31, 2006, and in North America on March 9, 2007. It was later included in the Sonic PC Collection (2009).

Reception

GameCube version

Reviews for Sonic Mega Collection were "generally favorable" according to Metacritic.

Critics lauded the faithful emulation quality of the Genesis games, which provided an authentic experience.

The Xbox version of Sonic Mega Collection Plus was also met positively, while the PlayStation 2 version received "mixed or average" reviews. indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Follow-up

A second Sonic the Hedgehog compilation, Sonic Gems Collection, was developed with a focus on rare and obscure titles such as Sonic CD, Sonic the Fighters, and Sonic R. and received mixed reviews from critics.

Notes

References

fr:Compilations Sonic#Sonic Mega Collection