View source for Sonic the Hedgehog CD

{{Infobox video game
|title=Sonic CD
|image=Sonic CD logo.webp
|caption= North American logo
|alt=
|developer=[[Sega]]
|publisher=Sega
|director=[[Naoto Ohshima]]
|producer={{unbulleted list|Minoru Kanari|Makoto Oshitani}}
|programmer=Matsuhide Mizoguchi
|artist=Hiroyuki Kawaguchi
|composer={{unbulleted list|'''Original''':|Naofumi Hataya|Masafumi Ogata|'''North American version''':|[[Spencer Nilsen]]|[[David Young (composer)|David Young]]|Mark Crew}}
|series=''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]''
|released={{collapsible list|title={{nobold|September 23, 1993}}|
'''Sega CD'''{{Video game release|JP|September 23, 1993|EU|October 1993|NA|November 1993}}
'''Microsoft Windows'''{{vgrelease|JP|August 9, 1996|NA|September 26, 1996|EU|October 3, 1996}}
'''Android''', '''PS3''', '''Xbox 360'''{{vgrelease|WW|December 14, 2011}}
'''iOS'''{{vgrelease|WW|December 15, 2011}}
'''Windows Phone'''{{vgrelease|WW|November 14, 2012}}
'''Apple TV'''{{vgrelease|WW|March 31, 2016}}}}
|genre=[[Platform game|Platform]]
|modes=[[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
|platforms=[[Sega CD]], [[Windows]], [[GameCube]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[iOS]], [[Windows Phone]], [[Ouya]], [[Apple TV]], [[Amazon Fire TV|Fire TV]]
}}
'''''Sonic the Hedgehog CD''''' ('''''Sonic CD''''' for short) is a [[Platform game|platform]] [[video game]] created by Sega. It is part of the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series. It was released for the [[Sega CD]] game console in 1993. In chronological order it is after the first game and "before the [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2|sequel]]."  The game involves the use of a [[time travel]] system that allows Sonic to travel to both the past and the future in a level. Each zone has four variants: the "past," the "present," the "good future," and the "bad future." Each has different graphics, music, enemies, and obstacles. The game introduces two characters to the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series: [[Amy Rose]], a pink female hedgehog who is in love with Sonic, and Metal Sonic, an evil robotic version of Sonic.

==Gameplay==
''Sonic CD'' is similar to the original game; the player goes through lots of levels called "zones" to battle [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Robotnik]] every 3 acts. This game adds time travel; Sonic can hit a time post and keep running fast to go to the past or future. To make a good future, the player must explore each zone's past version to find a generator and destroy it.

==Development==
===Release and translation===
''Sonic CD'' was released in [[Japan]] on September 23, 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/soft.html|title=[セガハード大百科] メガＣＤ対応ソフトウェア|publisher=[[Sega]]|accessdate=2015-05-30|url-status=unfit|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216042003/http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/soft.html|archivedate=December 16, 2009}}</ref> It was released in Europe in October 1993.<ref name="cvg">{{cite magazine|last=Rand|first=Paul|date=November 1993|title=Review: Sonic CD|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d0/CVG_UK_144.pdf#page=87|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|issue=144|page=87|accessdate=August 29, 2017}}</ref> The game was released in [[North America]] in November 1993.<ref name="gamepro">{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=|title=Sonic the Hedgehog CD|url=|magazine=GamePro|volume=6|issue=1|pages=}}</ref>
===Remake===
In 2011, for the 20th anniversary of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', indie game developer Christian Whitehead made a new version of the game for [[Xbox 360]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Windows]], [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gilbert |first1=Henry |title=Sonic CD remake trailer takes us back in time and tries to rewrite history |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/sonic-cd-remake-trailer-takes-us-back-time-and-tries-rewrite-history/ |website=GamesRadar+ |accessdate=27 August 2024 |date=20 October 2011}}</ref> The port was a success, and Whitehead was later asked by Sega to remake ''Sonic 1'' and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2|Sonic 2]]'' for mobile devices. Whitehead would go on to help make ''[[Sonic Mania]]''. Those ports of ''1'', ''2'' and ''CD'' would be used in ''Sonic Origins''.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| title = Reception (Sega CD)
| CVG = 85/100<ref name="cvg"/>
| rev1 = ''[[Electronic Games]]''
| rev1Score = 92%<ref name="egrev"/>
| EGM = 9, 9, 8, 8<ref name="egmrev"/>{{efn|''EGM'' provided four scores from individual reviewers.}}
| GamePro = 5/5<ref name="GameProReview">{{cite magazine |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/e/ec/GamePro_US_054.pdf |title=Sega CD ProReview: ''Sonic the Hedgehog CD'' |magazine=[[GamePro]] |author=The Unknown Gamer |date=January 1994 |pages=64–68}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Sega Magazine]]''
| rev2Score = 87/100<ref name="segamag"/>
| rev3 = ''[[Sega Pro]]''
| rev3Score = 90%<ref name="segapro"/>
| rev4 = ''[[Sega Force Mega]]''
| rev4Score = 85%<ref>{{cite magazine|author2=Mark|title=Sonic the Hedgehog CD|magazine=[[Sega Force Mega]]|date=January 1994|volume=2|issue=7|pages=102–4|author=Chris}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev5Score = A-<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/02/11/sonic-cd-sonic-chaos-sonic-spinball-sonic-3/|title=Sonic CD; Sonic Chaos; Sonic Spinball; Sonic 3|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
| award1Pub = ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]''
| award1 = [[Game of the Year|Best Sega CD Game of 1993]]<ref name="egmbuyersguide1994">{{cite magazine |last= |first= |authorlink= |year=1994 |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide |journal= |volume= |issue= |pages= |id= |url= |quote= }}</ref>
}}
''Sonic CD'' received a lot of praise.<ref name="egrev"/><ref name="segapro"/><ref name="egmbuyersguide1994"/> The Sega CD version sold more than 1.5 million copies. It sold more copies than any other game on the Sega CD.<ref>Official Gallup UK Mega-CD sales chart, February 1994, published in ''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' issue 17</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records 2016: Gamer's Edition|date=2015|isbn=978-1910561096|last1=Records|first1=Guinness World}}</ref>

The graphics and sound were praised. ''[[Electronic Games]]'' said that the game looked similar to older games. They said it did not use the Sega CD's special features very much. However, they said that this did not make the game worse. They said the music was what made ''Sonic CD'' "stand above the crowd".<ref name="egrev">{{cite magazine|last1=Camron|first1=Marc|date=December 1993|title=CD Gallery|url=https://info.sonicretro.org/index.php?title=File:ElectronicGames2_US_15.pdf&page=140|magazine=[[Electronic Games]]|volume=2|issue=3|page=140|accessdate=December 19, 2017}}</ref> The reviewers of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' (''EGM'') said the game's animated cinematics and sound were good. however, they said that the [[frame rate]] decreases during special stages.<ref name="egmrev">{{cite magazine|date=November 1992|title=Review Crew: Sonic CD|url=https://info.sonicretro.org/index.php?title=File:EGM_US_052.pdf&page=48|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|volume=6|issue=11|page=48|accessdate=December 19, 2017}}</ref>

The gameplay was liked. ''Sega Pro'' said the bigger environments and the time travel added to the [[replay value]]. They said that "the more you play ''Sonic CD'' the better it gets". However, they said they felt the game was too easy.<ref name="segapro">{{cite magazine|date=November 1993|title=Sonic the Hedgehog CD|url=https://info.sonicretro.org/Review_-_Sonic_the_Hedgehog_CD_(Sega_Pro,_November_1993)|magazine=[[Sega Pro]]|type=Review|pages=38–40|accessdate=February 8, 2018|archive-date=February 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211003632/http://info.sonicretro.org/Review_-_Sonic_the_Hedgehog_CD_(Sega_Pro,_November_1993)|url-status=dead}}</ref> In its [[debut]] issue, ''Sega Magazine'' said ''Sonic CD'' could be "a classic". They said the originality in the special stages and time travel was great.<ref name="segamag">{{cite magazine|title=Review: Sonic CD|magazine=Sega Magazine|date=January 1994|issue=1|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/1/19/SegaMagazine_UK_01.pdf}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Sonic franchise}}
[[Category:1993 video games]]
[[Category:Sonic the Hedgehog games]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) games]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Platform games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Network games]]
[[Category:Sega CD games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games about time travel]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 Live Arcade games]]