release, which seems like a comment on Sega’s desire for the soundtrack to feature a greater variety of instruments.Īt the time, the idea that a gaming company would completely change such a massive soundtrack just to appease the assumed desires of an international audience was largely unheard of. Another theory suggests that Sega wanted a more “complex” soundtrack for the U.S.
Even though this soundtrack was based on Sonic sounds of the past, Sega worried that it was just too “weird” to work in the United States. However, the popular (and nearly official) theory is that Sega simply felt that American audiences would not respond to the house sounds of the game’s original soundtrack. Sega’s reasons for not using Sonic CD’s Japanese soundtrack in the American version of the game have never been officially confirmed. Naturally, then, Sega decided to completely scrap the vast majority of Hataya and Ogata’s soundtrack ahead of Sonic CD’s American release. It’s a stunningly ambitious electric symphony that is at its best when you experience it within the context of Ohshima’s brilliant take on the Sonic series. Their musical style and influences are even more relevant now than they’ve ever been in the past (certainly than they were in 1993).
The soundtrack that Hataya and Ogata composed remains appropriately timeless. When citing some of his influences at that time, Hataya reportedly dropped somewhat obscure names such as DJ Frankie Knuckles and British electric band The KLF. It’s also one of the few video game soundtracks of its era which was clearly inspired by house and techno music of the time. It’s an upbeat and highly atmospheric collection of songs designed to capture the mood and spirit of every version of the game’s colorful levels. As if that weren’t enough, players are treated to a variety of additional songs and sounds that includes a weird and wonderful lyrical track known as “ You Can Do Anything (Toot Toot Sonic Warrior).”Ĭomposed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, Sonic CD’s original soundtrack is – much like Sonic CD – an evolution of the concepts established by previous soundtracks in the Sonic series.
Sonic CD’s Japanese soundtrack doesn’t feature just one track for each of the game’s levels - it features four memorable tracks for each of the game’s levels, one for each time period. Ohshima’s unheard of approach to time travel in a platformer was complemented by a soundtrack is a must-listen for all gamers. Originally designed as an enhanced port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 meant to show off the power of their Sega CD peripheral, Sonic CD eventually became a separate game led by Soniccharacter designer Naoto Ohshima while Sonic lead programmer Yuji Naka worked on Sonic 2 with a team based out of the U.S. To understand the controversy surrounding Sonic CD’s soundtracks, you need to know a few things about the game itself. No, the most fascinating thing about Sonic CD is that its soundtracks are the source of an utterly bizarre controversy that has yet to be settled over 25 years after the game’s release. Yet, the most fascinating thing about Sonic CD isn’t the way it so perfectly summarizes why Sega is arguably the most beloved console manufacturer that is no longer making video game consoles. It’s a game that utilized the best technology available to deliver a fast, colorful, and ambitious experience that showcased Sega’s desire to do what “Nintendon’t.” Sadly, it was also a game that had the great misfortune of being available exclusively for the Sega CD, an “ambitious” CD add-on for the Genesis that promised to deliver more than the console ever could and is considered one of gaming’s more notable hardware failures. For many, 1993’s Sonic CD represents the best and worst of Sega’s glory days.
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