YMMV / Sonic the Hedgehog CD

• Alternative Character Interpretation: The overall state of the Bad Futures. Does it show that the Eggman Empire is destined to fail due to its own shortcomings or does Eggman just not care what the planet looks like as long as he's the one in charge? The cartoons put forth the latter interpretation, but the game itself supports the former interpretation, as the Badniks within the Bad Futures are busted and malfunctioning. This marks the first time we see something like it in the games, and later entries in the series — primarily Sonic Forces, where we do get a glimpse of Eggman ruling the world and how far he'd go to keep it — seem to suggest all he cares about in the end is having the world under his control.
• Anti-Climax Boss: The final boss is just Eggman in his normal vehicle with four panels that flip around and whatnot. It's a case of dodging predictable attacks and waiting for a chance to hit him, or just taking the hit and then damaging him using invincibility frames (especially on his first hit, where it's legitimately difficult to find an opening). You can also carry over rings from the act before the boss (and even without rings, it is still not that difficult). It's not overly hard or very exciting, especially compared to the final bosses of Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 & Knuckles, although it is a step up from the final boss of Sonic 1. On top of that, in the American version, the boss music is barely different to the normal one; at least the Japanese/European versions had a proper final boss theme.
• Awesome Art:
  • The cleaner, higher resolution look of the CD layout and expanded color palette has barely aged the game visually. The game also has some of the most detailed backgrounds and level art in the series, and Stardust Speedway, as well as most Good Futures, are filled with Scenery Porn. The sprites are also much sharper, and then there's the animated sequences...
  • In February 2021, two fans released an upscaled and cleaned version of the already quite nice-looking animated opening, and the results are awesome. This same team, with some extra help from Discotek Media, would later go on to officially further clean up the animations for Sonic Origins.
• Awesome Boss: The race against Metal Sonic, so much so that it was recreated in both Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II and Sonic Generations 3DS, and homaged in both the console version of Sonic Generations and Sonic Mania as straight fights instead of races.
• Awesome Music: Keep in mind, the whole franchise has its own Awesome Music page, and CD has a fairly sizeable section given it has two different soundtracks.
  • Depending on the regional version, gamers were treated to one of two different soundtracks, each kick-ass in its own way (as expected from this series). The Japanese soundtrack,^note  also used in the original European release composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, has that familiar Sonic sound with a dash of J-pop complete with bits and pieces of sampling (notably, Xavier's "Work That Sucker to Death" is used for the boss music); while the North American soundtrack, composed by Spencer Nilsen and David J. Young, is more atmospheric and rock-oriented.
  • While debates in regards to the Japanese/European and the North American soundtrack tend to get heated, one thing both sides of the debate can agree on, is that the past tracks (which remain the same regardless of regional version) are bops. Standouts include the relaxing Palmtree Panic, the energetic Wacky Workbench, the jazzy Stardust Speedway, and the peaceful Quartz Quadrant.
  • While not technically part of the game proper, the 20th anniversary album features completely new rearrangements of both Sonic Boom and the North American Stardust Speedway Present by none other than Jun Senoue, (and his band Crush 40 for Sonic Boom) and Cash Cash. Unsurprisingly, they are incredible takes on the tracks that gives them a bit more of a Modern Sonic twist.
• Awesome Video Game Level: Stardust Speedway, which allows for speedy movement in contrast to the other stages, which are, for the most part, mazelike and slow-paced. It also contains the race against Metal Sonic. It's so well-remembered among fans of the game that the Bad Future version was used as the stadium for the battle against Metal Sonic in Sonic Generations, and it later made a full-fledged reappearance (using both Past and Present versions) in Sonic Mania, Metal Sonic still included.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: The hidden statue in Wacky Workbench Zone 1 serves as this: if you go into the past and go into a secret passage near the beginning, you'll find an angel statue, which does nothing but dispense rings every few seconds. No explanation is ever given for the statue, and it's entirely absent from the present and Good Future, although in the Bad Future, Eggman has replaced it with a statue of himself, which you can destroy but will get bombs dropped on you as a result.
• Breather Level:
  • Quartz Quadrant. The roboticizers in this Zone are much easier to get to than the two areas sandwiching it (Tidal Tempest and Wacky Workbench).
  • Stardust Speedway, although that might be because it's sandwiched between the two hardest Zones in the game (Wacky Workbench and Metallic Madness).
• Broken Base:
  • The North American soundtrack vs. the Japanese soundtrack, in terms of "superiority". Flame Wars are not uncommon. This is a particular Berserk Button for Europeans, especially the Brits, who just tend to get whichever regional version is convenient. They originally got the Japanese soundtrack, yet when both the PC version and Gems Collection came out, the port was based off the PC version which was region-locked to North America, and since the Gems Collection version used the PC port, all countries with that game got the soundtrack. Many a European gamer were not happy about the sudden change. The later PS3, 360 and iOS ports, in addition to Sonic Origins, mitigate this by having both soundtracks as options. Though people who like both are not unheard of, fans still debate on which one is better.
  • The level design is a big point of contention. Some like the increased focus on platforming and exploration. Others dislike the decreased speed and labyrinthine level layouts, especially when trying to use time travel posts.
  • Where the game belongs chronologically amongst the other 16-bit Sonic platformers was a contentious debate for some time. Some fans argue that it's set between Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 due to Tails' notable absence, its intention as being an alternate sequel to Sonic 1 during development, and the less refined Spin Dash. Others though, prefer to place it after Sonic 3 & Knuckles instead, due to the presence of the Super Peel Out (which isn't present in the Genesis games) and the idea of Metal Sonic being the culmination of Eggman's attempts to replicate Sonic in robotic form after his attempts in 2 and 3 & Knuckles (which makes sense, given his sleeker design compared to the bulkier appearances of the Mecha Sonics, and how Metal has since become the most prominent among the robotic doppelgängers. Naoto Ohshima has also corroborated this view). Sonic Team has been inconsistent on the subject, but the Encyclo-speed-ia and Sonic Origins both place it between 1 and 2, confirming that as the likely canon answer.
• Cheese Strategy: In the 2011 version, quitting from the pause menu in special stages will save the game. This will allow you to retry the special stage again when you load your save. The version in Origins will allow you to redo special stages so long as you have coins to spend. Doing this will make getting the Time Stones much easier.
• Common Knowledge: For a long time, fans thought Sonic's voice clips in this game were provided by Keiko Utoku, the singer of the Japanese vocal themes. In reality, they were done by programmer Masato Nishimura, a.k.a. "Mazin" of the infamous "Fun is infinite" Easter Egg. This wasn't known until Nishimura confirmed it himself in July 2017, but it's still common for some fans to mistakenly credit Utoku for the role.
  • It's commonly believed that the "Fun is infinite" screen loads when attempting to play a pirated copy. The game has no Copy Protection.
• Contested Sequel: Easily one of the most divisive entries amongst the 2D classic Sonic platformers, with opinions often ranging from the game being one of Sonic's best games to being one of his weakest. Supporters love the game's more detailed art design, focus on exploration, and creative use of Time Travel, while detractors tend to dislike the mostly slow-paced level design and gimmicky mechanics.
• Fan Nickname:
  • The secret Special Stage is sometimes referred to as "Eggman's Bathtub" due to the conspicuous giant Eggman face in the background combined with the heavy amount of water around the stage.
  • As a result of its eventual Artifact Title status, some fans have changed what "CD" stands for in the 2011 remaster, such as "Completely Digital" or "Console Download" (or "Computer Download" for the Steam version). "Chrono Distortion" also sees use, tying into the Time Travel themes.
  • Due to its official name not being known, the cut ruins zone was generally referred to as "R2" (short for Round 2) by the fandom due to the game’s files listing it as such between R1 (Palmtree Panic) and R3 (Collision Chaos). Some have also named the cut zone "Relic Ruins" in fan recreations to better match it with the other zones. Eventually, in early 2023, Naoto Ohshima would reveal that the official name of the zone was "Dubious Depths", ending years of speculation.
  • Fans often call Sonic's Art Shift design in this game's opening and ending cutscenes "Junio Sonic", based on these cutscenes being animated by Studio Junio. He was originally dubbed "Toei Sonic" until it was acknowledged that Toei Animation contracted Junio to work on the animations.
  • The Nightmare Face Sonic from the "Fun is Infinite" Easter egg is often referred to as "Majin" (the Japanese word for "devil" or "demon god") by fans, due to that being the only other text on the screen. This was popularized by the "Vs Sonic.exe" mod for Friday Night Funkin', where he would be reintepreted as his own character. As it turns out, "Majin" is the nickname of the programmer who created that screen, Masato Nishimura — he prefers to spell it "Mazin".
• Fan-Preferred Cut Content: There were originally two new zones planned for the 2011 remaster of CD. Those two being Desert Dazzle (which would have been a desert Zone placed in-between Palmtree Panic and Collision Chaos) and Final Fever (a new True Final Boss only unlocked upon collecting all the Time Stones). Both were scrapped due to Sonic Team not wanting to deviate too heavily from the original game. Many fans, however, wished the two zones made it in. Especially Final Fever, since many felt it would have given the game a "proper" final boss fight, as the pre-existing Final Boss in Metallic Madness has been criticized for being an easy Anti-Climax Boss. Fortunately for Desert Dazzle, it would later be realized as Mirage Saloon in Sonic Mania.
• Franchise Original Sin:
  • This game features slower paced gameplay, a problem that would be exaggerated in some of the later installments.
  • A common complaint about some of the later installments of the franchise is that they made things too bleak for a series about a cartoon hedgehog. Sonic CD's Bad Futures feature rather bleak Scenery Gorn and horrifying implications (Eggman is essentially rendering an entire planet uninhabitable), but they are just that: implications, and the rest of the game is colorful and lighthearted. As time went on, later games (such as Shadow the Hedgehog) stopped having their bleak aspects be mere implications and put the horror front and center, along with having far less lighthearted aspects to balance them out.
• Funny Moments:
  • In the intro cutscene, Sonic can be seen running, doing loopings and acrobatics, but also trying to stay above water like a cat who tries to avoid a bath.
  • Even though Metal Sonic is an intimidating foe, there's something hilarious about the way he lifelessly imitates Sonic's impatient foot-tapping and finger-wagging at the beginning of the race. The end of the race is just as funny: he runs headfirst into the closing door at the end and mimics Sonic's death animation.
• Game-Breaker:
  • Tails in the 2011 re-release. Not unlike his Sonic 3 & Knuckles appearance, Tails' flying ability allows him to simply fly over portions of some levels entirely, the game lacking any upper ceiling boundaries to counter this. Because of this, the game prevents the player from attaining achievements/trophies when playing as Tails.
  • In the Origins version (aside from Classic Mode), the Drop Dash. With a small open area and good yet easy timing, the time travel mechanic becomes a lot easier.
  • Likewise with Tails, Knuckles in the Sonic Origins Plus release. Not only does his gliding manage to sail over most of the level without a problem, but his climbing can allow him to more easily backtrack walled areas. Unlike Tails, there are actually Surprise requirements that must be completed using Knuckles in this game.
• Goddamned Boss: Collision Chaos' boss. All you have to do to beat it is to reach the top of the pinball table, but you might take a lot of time trying to do that, as the flipper's controls are very strange (there is a minuscule delay and the physics are off). Eggman will also throw a lot of bombs that act like bumpers, to keep Sonic from reaching him, but they won't even hurt Sonic when he's at a standstill. Nonetheless, it usually takes about a whole minute to land a hit, but by then, defeating the boss is as easy as repeatedly jumping up over and over again.
• Good Bad Bugs:
  • Debug doesn't work in Time Attack mode. Though it seems to prevent the player from cheating, there is a different bug that will give the player a "00:00:00" time record after the level is completed. This way, the player can easily unlock the game's extra content.
  • Not so much a bug as a design flaw but the first boss appears by lowering down from the sky rather than walking in from offscreen. This allows you to run all the way to the right, duck down, and then deliver the three hits to kill the boss without having to wait for him to lower his bumper-shields, turning him into practically a Zero-Effort Boss, and allowing you to kill him in under 5 seconds.
  • As shown in this video, it's possible to warp from the beginning of Collision Chaos Zone 1 to the end if Sonic has the power sneakers.
  • In the 2011 version, at least in the Windows Steam version, sometimes Sonic will go through the ceiling. Unlike the Genesis games, though, a restart is not necessary; jumping enough times will get you on top of the level, where running right a certain amount will trigger the goal even though it can't be seen from there.
  • Metallic Madness has a tough platforming sequence over a bottomless pit that requires timing to get under a crusher gate and into the final boss' corridor. In the Sega CD version, you can actually just jump towards the crusher while it is down and hug the very tip of the platform. The remaster version has improved collision detection, so this trick isn't possible anymore.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Even though Amy is Sonic's Stalker with a Crush, Sonic is still willing to save her when Metal Sonic kidnaps her. And keep in mind, this game is Sonic and Amy's first meeting. By all accounts, Sonic saved a complete stranger who was enamored with him to the point of childish obsession without any hesitation. No wonder Amy likes him so much...
  • The Good Futures. While most Sonic games from the Genesis era are steeped in Green Aesop and this game is no different, the Good Futures show that the lush environments can co-exist and even benefit from the technology that was implanted in them. If Eggman channeled his intellect for the greater good, Sonic's world would be a much better place.
  • Even if the Japanese intro and outro songs are cheesy (as they are essentially motivational songs), the chorus of the latter, "Cosmic Eternity", is strangely comforting:
    "(When you feel tight, look at yourself!)
    Inside your heart, you feel find
    A special place to unwiiiind!
    (When you feel right, look at yourself!)
    Inside your mind, you will see
    Cosmic Eternityyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
  • The Stinger in the Golden Ending shows some sparks fall and magically make flowers appear while the words "You're Too Cool" appear onscreen.
  • For Origins Plus, you can finally do a version of Sonic CD where Amy Took a Level in Badass, and acts more like her modern counterpart, destroying Robotnik's scheme herself!
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • One line of "Sonic ~ You Can Do Anything" is "Excalibur - It's not that far". In Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic gets Excalibur. Looks like it wasn't that far after all.
  • The "Fun is Infinite" Easter Egg. Fun is Infinite, you say?
• Hype Backlash: Back when Sonic CD was rarer and harder to find, the game was considered one of, if not the best game in the series as a whole by those who played it. Some reviewers prior to the 21st century took the superlatives even further, lifting Sonic CD as one of the best games ever made for its particular platform. But eventually, like just about everything else connected to the Sega CD/Mega CD, it ended up not aging well at all. When re-releases and even a remaster allowed it to become more accessible than it originally was, the game became more divisive, with some believing that the game didn't live up to the hype, many even outright hating it.
• Inferred Holocaust: The Bad Futures, horrifying as they are already, become even worse when you realize that the scale of Eggman's plan means that he is rendering an entire planet uninhabitable.
• It's Easy, So It Sucks!: Aside from the music replacement, the biggest complaint leveled at this game is that the Eggman boss fights are too easy. None of his machines take more than four hits to destroy; most take three, Tidal Tempest technically only takes one, once you get past his defenses, and the Quartz Quadrant and Stardust Speedway battles don't have you attack him directly at all. Bosses in other classic Sonic games almost always required eight hits to beat (mini-bosses took fewer hits to kill and final bosses usually took more).
• Just Here for Godzilla:
  • For the game itself, many play it essentially for the intros, Stardust Speedway and the Metal Sonic race, while creepypasta lovers will play the game to find the "Fun is infinite" Easter Egg and for the North American Game Over music.
  • When Sonic CD was re-released on Sonic Gems Collection, many fans bought it just for this game alone. The advertising even played this up, as it's the only game on the front cover to be called out by name.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • The Japanese/European version of the Stardust Speedway Bad Future theme will often elicit a "HURHUEHUEHUE" or variations thereof when it shows up on YouTube.^ExplanationThe "Hey hey" sample getting used was likely misheard as evil laughter, hence the spelling.
  • The Japanese/European version's stage clear and ending themes also give us the rather odd shout of "TELEPORTATION YEAH!"
  • The Artifact Title of the game doesn't stop some people to (ironically) desire a "Sonic DVD", to the point that at least one Fan Game has been named that.
  • JP Boss Theme vs. US Boss Theme^ExplanationThe sheer contrast between the upbeat, silly, and catchy JP boss theme and the slower, discordant and subdued US boss theme is so notable that it's joked about frequently whenever the two are brought up. The Game Over themes get a similar treatment.
• Most Wonderful Sound:
  • The Time Warp sound, whenever you manage to go to the past.
  • The aforementioned stage clear theme, especially when you get a Time Stone or finish a hard level.
  • The ascending and echoing electronic chimes when you destroy a Robot Transporter, along with seeing badniks all deactivate, is worth the frustration.
• Narm: Eggman's reaction when the Wacky Workbench boss vehicle is destroyed. He's supposed to be freaking out but due to his jerky movements he looks more like he's car dancing.
• Narm Charm:
  • Some of the Japanese/European music, like the Stardust Speedway and boss themes, can be kind of silly, but no less catchy:
    • The intro and outro songs of the Japanese soundtrack have cheesy motivational lyrics which Keiko Utoku's weird pronounciation only makes weirder, but the combination of Casey Rankin's rapping with her passionate singing on awesome music tracks make them all the more endearing.
    • The robotic voice in the Japanese/European Bad Future music for Metallic Madness sounds like the Software Automatic Mouth and is basically saying the opposite of the lyrics of that version's theme song, but the song in general (especially the instrumentation) doesn't refrain from reminding you that you screwed up:
      "YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING, SO DON'T EVEN TRY IT. GET SOME HELP.
      DON'T DO WHAT SONIC DOES.
      (Ge-g-g-g-get outta' here!)
      ...
      SONIC, DEAD OR ALIVE, IS M-M-MINE."
    • Even the Japanese/European Game Over music has this effect. It may not be as horrible as the infamous Ominous Pipe Organ of the North American version, but the music gives the impression that the game is collapsing after your failure, and the distorted "Toot-Toot Sonic Warrior...", being a Dark Reprise of the aforementioned intro song, makes a good job at mocking you for your failure by subverting an otherwise cheerful tune. Also, having a Mocking Sing-Song as a Game Over theme fits well a villain like Eggman.
  • On the other hand, the infamous North American boss and Game Over themes, despite being over-the-top, still do a great job at raising tension before and keeping it when fighting Eggman for the former, and frustrating the player after they lost all their lives for the latter. Considering the game is Darker and Edgier than other 2D Sonic games, they may fit better than their funky Japanese equivalents.
  • The Bad Future Badniks may be comically ineffective, but they also look used and exhausted, implying that after they destroyed Little Planet, Eggman doesn't care about them anymore.
• Nightmare Retardant:
  • The Bad Futures may look quite bleak, but at least you have the comically ineffectual Badniks. A Kumo-Kumo, for example, will jump into the air and shoot spider webbing at Sonic to restrict his movements, but the broken-down Kumo-Kumos in Quartz Quadrant's Bad Future will just jump up and down pointlessly. Taking the cake, however, is the Taga-Taga. A normal-functioning one will come over to Sonic and launch its spikes. The ones in Tidal Tempest's Bad Future, on the other hand, will retreat upon catching sight of Sonic.
  • While the North American version is infamous for its creepy boss music, it doesn't suit the boss fights themselves, which are just as ridiculous as they were in the original Japanese version. It can be difficult to take the Evil Laughing seriously when it's accompanied by a mini-mecha with bumpers for arms, a pinball machine, and a bubble shield. The Final Boss may be an exception, given it accompanies Eggman's shadowed face and the ominous rattling of the machine — to that end, the Japanese version has a special, more serious theme for said boss.
  • The "Fun Is Infinite" Easter Egg is significantly more creepy with the North American version's boss music. In the Japanese version, which uses that version's groovy boss music, it comes across much goofier, which was likely the intention.
• Older Than They Think: While it's more commonly known nowadays, some fans were, and still are, unaware this game marked Amy's first appearance. Even further, many fans are unaware that Amy debuted in the 1992 Shogakukan manga before her proper appearance in the games, making her older than Tails.
• Polished Port: The 2011 remake for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam, and mobile devices is considered by most to be the definitive version of the game. Due to the addition of widescreen, improved framerate and collision detection, the addition of the more loved Spin Dash from Sonic 2 (with the option to switch to the game's original Spin Dash if you dislike the change), Tails as a playable character, a revamped save feature and the option to switch between the two soundtracks at any point. The re-release was so well done that Sega would hire Christian Whitehead to remaster the previous two games in the same way alongside Stealth (which were also considered the best versions of those respective games) and then eventually, a brand new 2D Sonic game entirely. The only true downside to the re-release is the removal of the vocals from the Japanese opening and ending themes (which was due to legal issues), however, if you have the PC or Android versions, you can easily mod them in, mitigating this. The Sonic Origins version, which is based on this release, fixes this issue as well as adding the Drop Dash and remastered FMVs, and aside from a handful of subtle bugs and downgrades, retains most of the same polish, and the Plus version releasing on 23 June 2023 makes Amy and Knuckles playable.
• Refrain from Assuming: "Sonic - You Can Do Anything", the opening theme song from the Japanese and European versions, is often incorrectly cited as "Toot Toot Sonic Warrior" after part of the chorus, despite "you can do anything" actually being in the lyrics.
• Scrappy Mechanic:
  • Time travel posts can be used up without activating them if you build up speed for long enough to generate sparks and then lose your speed, or if you cross another time travel post. Since you're running at full speed in an attempt to activate the time travel, you'll need to memorize or stake out the path you're going to take, or put up with the risk of walls, enemies, and other posts getting in the way and ruining the attempt. Very frustrating if you're trying to find Past posts so you can get Good Futures. Conversely, you might hit a Future post if you haven't gotten a Good Future yet, and end up on a booster-filled path that are guaranteed to keep you in motion long enough to travel to the Bad Future, forcing you to now find two Past posts if you still want that Good Future.
  • Finding and destroying all the robot teleporters for the Golden Ending can be this to some. You are given no waypoints, arrows, or other indicators of where to find them. In fact, the only clue you have is that in the present, you can find the ruined husks of the teleporters in the same place they would be in the past. Given that the later levels can be quite big and the teleporters are often in hard to reach places, expect to get a lot of Time Overs looking for them in the first try. One teleporter in particular requires you to stand on what appears to be a crush trap, only for it to instead transport you to where you need to be.
  • The Special Stages, in which the player can collect all seven Time Stones and achieve the good ending without having to destroy the teleporters, are some of the most reviled in the franchise. Meant to show off the capabilities of the CD hardware, the game tasks the player with destroying UFOs on an island in pseudo-3D (really similar to the Mode 7 of the SNES) where touching the water will remove ten seconds off the timer. The trouble stems from its incredibly finicky 3D controls.^note It's possible to slow Sonic down with the Control Pad, but this isn't communicated to the player in-game, only in the instruction manuals. When combined with the 2D sprites and wonky collision detection, it makes the task needlessly difficult and frustrating, especially in the later stages.
  • The Windows 95 port can only run if your system's color setting is in 256 color mode. The main reason for the game needing 256 color mode is that said mode is palette-based as opposed to the other newer modes, which makes all the colors available from the get-go. This allows the game to lazily alter the color palette to create a sense of animation instead of redrawing the object on the screen, which uses less CPU cycles and allowing the game to run more smoothly. However, instead of requesting Windows go into 256 color mode and then exiting with an error if Windows declines, it just outright refuses to run if the display isn't in 256 color mode.^note This is actually a common problem with several games released in the era. Many Broderbund edutainment titles also has this flaw. Thankfully, the newer version that's available on Steam exists and does not have this issue.
• Self-Imposed Challenge:
  • There's no practical benefit to going to Bad Futures, but it's worth checking out each one at least once just to see what they look and play like.
  • Depending on what's harder for you, destroying the roboticizers or getting the Time Stones can be this, as doing only one of them is necessary to reach the Golden Ending. Even better (or worse), you can actually do both if you don't collect the 7th time stone before Metallic Madness Zone 2 (and manage to get it)^ExplanationIf you collect all the Time Stones after Quartz Quadrant Zone 1 and have destroyed all roboticizers prior to that, the game will effectively create a paradox: Wacky Workbench Zone 3 will be in the Bad Future and the game will crash when loading Stardust Speedway Zone 3. The only solution is to erase your file and to start over.
  • Finding the Metal Sonic projectors is not required for the Golden Ending, but it gives an extra challenge.
• Signature Scene: The race against Metal Sonic on Stardust Speedway is easily the game's most well-remembered segment, with the encounter having been homaged multiple times over the years.
• Suspiciously Similar Song:
  • The North American boss theme sounds a lot like "Pressure Road" from Ys II. The resemblance is one thing, but they both have the distinction of being nightmarish, cacophonous, and incredibly out of place in series that usually have upbeat music.
  • The Japanese/European Collision Chaos Present theme sounds similar to "Trampled Under Foot" by Led Zeppelin.
  • The Japanese/European Stardust Speedway tracks have an incredibly similar chord progression to Shakatak's 1988 song, "Walk the Walk".
  • The Japanese/European D.A. Garden theme is a soundalike of 808 State's "Pacific State".
• Sweet Dreams Fuel:
  • Much of the North American soundtrack, despite its reputation. Having a playlist of the soundtrack, or better yet the officially extended CD. Nearly the whole soundtrack is ambient folk crossed with alternative rock and extensive vocal harmonies, making it very soothing to listen to as a stand-alone product.
  • Good Futures. No enemies, a bright and colorful soundtrack, animals living peacefully, and technology being used to benefit nature instead of harming it. One of the earliest examples of Solar Punk.
  • Hearing the Triumphant Reprise of "Sonic Boom" play during the credit crawl.
• Sweetness Aversion: The Japanese/European Palmtree Panic present theme is so happy (including cheering kids) that it's kind of over-the-top, although it does serve to make the bad future version more disturbing by comparison.
• Tear Jerker:
  • The bad ending. After you manage to beat the game, without all seven Time Stones or not having destroyed every generator in the past, Little Planet will reappear, once again chained up. That creepy laughter by Eggman at the end of the scene in the Japanese and European versions certainly doesn't help.
  • The good ending's more along the lines of Tears of Joy, but "Cosmic Eternity"'s slow beginning may be enough to make your eyes water. You've saved Little Planet, now watch as that face of Sonic is formed from all the sparkles, and that slow ascent into the heavens, vanishing in a ? mark.
  • The "YOU'RE TOO COOL!" screen. What really gets players is the flowers blooming right on the second note.
  • The ending version of "Sonic Boom". Specifically, the version that has that guitar solo for the last 30 seconds. The original made you feel victorious enough, but it may surprise you how much more emotional you can feel with just those guitars alone.
• That One Achievement:
  • Heavy Metal. To unlock this achievement/trophy, you have to beat Metal Sonic without taking any damage, which is much easier said than done, given that Metal Sonic is already the hardest boss in the game. Getting the achievement basically requires you to fully memorize the stage and to play it flawlessly with no room for error, which will likely cost you a few deaths before getting it.
  • Savior of the Planet. To unlock this achievement/trophy, you have to destroy all the teleporters and Metal Sonic holograms in the past. Collecting all the Time Stones makes getting this impossible unless you collect the last Time Stone in Metallic Madness Zone 2. It also qualifies as a Guide Dang It! for most fans.
• That One Boss:
  • The boss of Wacky Workbench is easy like almost every other Eggman boss.. once you know his patterns. On a first run, you'll probably end up accidentally crushed by the falling blocks, or worst case scenario, not realize that the farthest blocks will not let you get a good shot at finishing the fight off, and instead be more likely to get you crushed trying to recover via swapping to another block. The fight is almost guaranteed to cheaply steal a life if you don't know or recall this tidbit.
  • Metal Sonic. There's a lot of obstacles in the way, not to mention awkward jump timing, and if you miss any of these, the quirky physics of the game will slow you right down, meaning you need to have near-perfect platforming if you want to keep up with him. Even more so if you're going for the Heavy Metal achievement/trophy in the 2011 release, which requires you to beat him without taking any damage.
• That One Level:
  • Wacky Workbench, thanks to the bouncy bottom floor. When it comes to getting a Good Future in Zone 1, it's even harder because of how complicated the path to it is, though at least it's easier to do in Zone 2. It also contains That One Boss. The electrical coils in the upper areas of the level are also problematic (as, combined with the bouncy floor, you can be thrown into the top of the stage right in time to end up in front of an active electric coil; plus they look like they're part of the background, which can be disorienting).
  • Special Stages 5, 6 and 7 are way harder than the ones that came before. Not only does the level design make falling into water and wasting precious time easier, but the UFOs fly around much more erratically. At least there's a blue UFO in the center that grants more time when hit and spawns once the limit is under 20 seconds, but hitting it consistently is far from guaranteed.
  • For players trying to finish Time Attack mode in under 25 minutes, Metallic Madness Zones 2 and 3 are easily more irritating than the other levels. Zone 2 takes much practice to complete in under three minutes, as opposed to the previous non-boss levels, which can be beaten in under one minute (and in exceptional cases, 30-45 seconds). Zone 3 has a Platform Hell section at the start, and three extremely tricky enemies to defeat before reaching the boss. You'll be lucky to finish it within two minutes, like the other boss levels.
• That One Sidequest: In the Origins re-release, Eggman: Speed Up pits you against against the EGG-HVC-001 (the Palmtree Panic boss), only drastically sped-up. Looks easy at first glimpse, but there are spikes within the arena and no rings are provided to help the player. And unlike the original encounter, you cannot run to the right to get an easy victory, as the EGG-HVC-001 spawns at the very right of the screen now without a gap. You need to time the hits at the correct time or you're going to either get bumped into the spikes or have the EGG-HVC-001 run over you, and the S Rank time is only 15 seconds (which includes the short level segment before the boss).
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!:
  • The North American soundtrack got a lot of flak from fans and critics alike for replacing the Japanese soundtrack. GameFan even rated the North American version lower than the Japanese version for this very reason as they gave the Japanese version a perfect score of 100%. That said, it has its fair share of fans, some of which even prefer it to the Japanese soundtrack.
  • The game itself puts off some fans for being different from the Mega Drive games. Some sources of complaints are the less speed-oriented level design, the unique mechanics, and the much busier and more abstract art direction.
  • The version of the 2011 release in Sonic Origins removes all of the voice clips from the original release, such as Amy's giggle and Sonic's "I'm outer here" line (which was likely done to maintain consistency with the other games and the portrayal of the classic incarnations of the cast being Heroic Mimes, which outside of comics, has been their standard portrayal since Sonic Generations). Fans did not take well to the removal of these clips, as it suggests that the game takes place in the classic universe instead of the desired main continuity. The way the sounds are stubbed out is also rather amateurish, as the values of the removed sounds still exists in the sound test (with the Time Stone sound being duplicated as a result). It also loses the attractive pixel art menu interface the 2011 release had (with its remnants only being used for certain extra menus), and it instead uses an odd mish-mash of the original Sega CD one and a bland one from the collection's own UI/UX.
• Underused Game Mechanic: There's basically no reason to go into the futures in the first two zones of each round, other than out of curiosity. In the Bad Future, it's too late to change anything, whereas in the good future, you've already fixed the timeline, and can get the good future just by completing the act in the past, without any further time travel required. The only thing that matters is going to the past to destroy the Robot Generator. Once that's done, the player just has to head to the goal.
• Unintentional Uncanny Valley: One attempt to make the game darker was to give Eggman a more realistic sprite (on the bottom left of this picture), and it works a bit too well: his hunched-over look, his more prominent Bald of Evil, and his eyes slightly visible behind the glasses make him all the more sinister.
• Vindicated by History: The dislike the North American soundtrack received is proportionate to the amount of appreciation it's had retroactively. While the Japanese pop soundtrack is as loved as ever, the rise in abstract, reverb-heavy funk and electronica in Internet culture has made many a fan come back to the music with newfound appreciation. The Nightmare Fuel reputation of the soundtrack has also died down as the level themes have been reappraised beyond the infamous boss theme.
• Visual Effects of Awesome:
  • The 2011 remaster's Special Stages have had their frame rate considerably improved, giving them a very fluid panning effect as you rotate the camera behind Sonic. It also helped improve the playability of these stages (as depth and perspective were sometimes difficult to judge due to the lack of smooth motion).
  • The Final Boss fight, though contested due to being regarded as an Anti-Climax Boss, has the blades on Eggman's ship spin smoothly in the 2011 release, rather than having the janky Limited Animation from before.
• WTH, Costuming Department?: As this is one of her few pre-Adventure appearances, Amy sports her more tomboyish, spikier look that just seems weird to those used to her modern design.
• Woolseyism: Amy is renamed Princess Sally in the North American manual, which was likely done as a way to help promote the cartoon series that was airing around the time. However, it comes across as a rather half-assed change because Amy's design was not changed to match the actual Sally. The PC version, which was released a couple of years later, reverts back to Amy in its manual.

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