What Should Sega Do for 'Sonic the Hedgehog's' 30th Anniversary?

A leaked listing from French retailer Sogamely might have let the cat out of the bag when it comes to a new collection of games devoted to Sonic the Hedgehog. This 30th-anniversary compilation is listed as “Sonic Collection EU version” for PS4. And what makes this rumor even juicier is some info regarding the remasters for the first two Sonic games. It’s been said that Christian Whitehead’s Star Engine (which was once known as the Retro Engine) will be used to remaster both games and make them look as amazing as Sonic Mania’s lively 2D visuals.

All that sounds good and all, but here’s the thing - we’ve been treated to a recent Sega throwback compilation that’s already featured a good number of Sonic games on them. But two big omissions from Sonic’s storied 2D legacy had everyone scratching their heads. So in order for this rumored 30th-anniversary collection to truly mean something, it needs to right that wrong and throw even more goodies into the fray. Along with those rumored remasters, Sega should do everything in their power to remedy the musical licensing issues regarding Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles so they can appear on this collection. If the rumors are true about Michael Jackson being involved in the soundtrack composition for both games, then Sega should go ahead and remix the tracks themselves so we can finally be able to play both games on current-gen consoles.

But Sega shouldn’t stop there. Along with those four games being a part of the collection and several more, it’d be nice if some of Sonic’s more neglected games got to join the fun. I’d love to see all three Sonic Advance titles, Sonic Pocket Adventure, Sonic R, and even Sonic the Fighters make the final cut for this celebratory compilation.

Another major leak regarding future Sonic announcements is circulating around a remaster of one of Sonic’s best 3D series entries. The Wii exclusive known as Sonic Colors may be on its way to modern consoles in remastered form. A Twitter account by the name of Gum | Kupo noted that German voiceover studio iksample put up a listing for a game titled “Sonic Colors Remastered.” 

Come to find out, that studio worked on the still unannounced remaster’s localization back in December 2020. If true, then this is great news. Sonic Colors features some dope gameplay mechanics thanks to the addition of ability-altering Wisps, strong level design, and a pretty memorable soundtrack. I’d be more than happy to see it come back with even shinier visuals and all those aforementioned elements being kept in place.

Sonic Mania and Sonic Mania Plus gave the struggling hedgehog a much-needed dose of fan goodwill upon release. I played both games to death and walked away from them wanting even more. Thanks to the combined developmental efforts of Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, and Headcannon, retro Sonic fans got treated to the blue guy’s finest 2D entries to date.

The one complaint I have for Sonic Mania is the fact that it didn’t feature enough new zones to enjoy. I hope there are plans being put in place to create an all-new Sonic Mania that relies less on previous entries in the series and focuses more on introducing a wealth of new stages worth running at top speeds through. All Sega needs to do is drop a teaser trailer or even just a logo reveal for this highly requested sequel to add even more excitement to Sonic’s 30th anniversary.

Sonic’s foray into the realm of 3D has been filled with some triumphant highs and several devastating lows. The Sonic Adventure games, Sonic Colors, and Sonic Generations were good to great in that regard. But games like Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Lost World, and Sonic Forces have been nothing but embarrassing duds. Instead of trying something entirely new in order to reintroduce Sonic to the world of 3D, Sega should revisit the Dreamcast series that catapulted the blue speedster to new levels of acclaim.

A third Sonic Adventure game announcement would be the perfect mega announcement for Sonic’s 30th anniversary. I’d be open to seeing it adopt the format of the first game’s character selection options and signature approach to open-world exploration. But this time, I think we’d be much better off without any horrid fishing mini-games and rampant camera issues. More speedy running sections, Chaos Emerald searches, and robot blasting sequences could guarantee that this new 3D adventure would be worth the plunge. No more gimmicks, Sega! Just go back to the Sonic Adventure well and refine its winning formula for a new generation.