After announcingSonic Originsduring the Sonic Central event last year, Sega has finally revealed more info about the latestSonicgames collection. It containsSonic the Hedgehog1,2,CD, andSonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knucklesis availableas one game after years of being kept separate.Sonic Originsalso features missions, an in-game concept art museum, and new animated cutscenes to tie all four games together.
While the new animations created forSonic Originslook great based on the game’s announcement trailer, it shines a spotlight on what may be the game’s biggest oversight. While it makes sense that the new intros and outros to these beloved titles would focus on Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, it makes the absence of Amy as a playable character inOriginsmore clear than ever.
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Sonic Origins' Playable Characters
Sonic Originshas what the game calls “Anniversary Mode,” which seeks to improve the classic games while adding new accessibility features, widescreen support, and more. One perk that this mode has above the original titles is that players can enjoy playing as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles through all three numbered titles. Tails is also available inSonic CD, due to the fact thatOriginsis using the samere-release ofCDfrom 2011that featured him as a playable character.
However, watching the trailer showcase previews of the new animations that do their bestto include Amy, parts that focus on all four of them together makesSonic Originsfeel incomplete as a result. While it’s great that the collection gives players the option to experience these games with new characters, it falls short overall. Knuckles isn’t playable inSonic CD, and Amy is once again left out - not playable in any of the available titles.
What Sonic Origins Needs to Do For Amy
Even though it’s disappointing that Amy is again left out on Sonic’s adventures, it’s understandable why. The only sprites for Amy that are available in these games were sprites allowing her to chase and hug Sonic in two levels ofSonic CD. In order to make her playable,those working onSonic Originswould need to make entirely new sprites that mesh with the old ones, as well as spend the time programming a specific set of moves just for her. However, this isn’t something that should have stopped her from being included.
ConsideringSonic Originshas brought on the help of fans likeSonic Maniabefore it, the team could easily bring in a fan who has experience creating characters for mods of games such asMania. If the effort and development ended up being costly, Amy could easily beadded toOrigins’Digital Deluxe Edition, or as a special DLC character to help make up the cost.
Amy being left out ofSonic Originsmay feel like just a technical oversight, but it’s perpetuating a larger pattern.Sonic Mania, the latest 2D Sonic game, was created from the ground-up. Not only were Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles given new sprites and moves forMania, but entirely new playable characters Mighty and Ray were added to the game’sPlusexpansion. While many fans excused Amy not being inSonic Maniaunder the idea that Mania took place beforeSonic CD,OriginsplacesCDbeforeSonic 2, so this no longer explains her absence - especially in light ofMania’sAmy-themed Easter eggs.
Sonic Originsmakes it, so continuity shouldn’t excuse the lack of a playable Amy Rose anyway, as Knuckles and Tails are playable in the originalSonic the Hedgehog. The same can also be said for the lack of Knuckles inSonic CD.Sonic Originsdefinitely could have done more to treat all the characters in the collection equally, as the current selection is left feeling awkward as a result. Even if putting more time to strengthen the roster of playable characters would have justadded toOrigins' DLC packages, fans wouldn’t need to watch the female lead inSonic the Hedgehogonce again be side-lined.
Sonic Originswill release June 23 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
