Why is it so highly praised?

[Jekasachan]

I heard so much good words said about this game, so i decided to give it a try. But after diving in for 2 hours i was highly dissapointed. Levels are highly unimaginative and bland. I can't remember a single level besides stardust speedway and metallic madness (only because this level was extremely infuriating)
The level design deserves a whole page of bad words and insults. Don't get me wrong - i love exploration and stuff, but not like it is done in this game. Enemy and trap placements are horrendous. Also, it seems like devs have some sexual attachment to bouncy things, otherwise i can't explain the abundance of springs and repelling balls. The time travel idea is good, but execution leaves much to be desired. Levels are extremely huge and you'll lose any speck of patience you had before you even find the evil machine in order to change the future.
Bosses are nonexistent. The only thing i rememer is metal sonic.
The music is only redeeming factor. And still, i can't remember a single track even though i can immidiately recall any theme from classic trilogy by simply looking at levels.
I just can't understand the amount of positive reviews this game has. Could you please explain if i'm missing something? I really want to enjoy this game but i simply can't force myself into replaying it even one more time.

[Grimjowww1234]

I get what you're saying but you need to bare in mind that this game came out during the sega genesis era ( developed simultaneously with sonic 3). Alot of the game design elements are outdated, mainly because the whole 'memorising level layout' to finsh quicker is a pretty dated way of thinking about level design.

Its still not that bad in my opinion and in helps if you have nostalgia for the game.

[Jekasachan]

I guess it's not my cup of tea then :(

[zion.]

Nah dude Sonic cd good af

[Dr. Cecil Corndog]

Originally posted by Grimjowww1234:

I get what you're saying but you need to bare in mind that this game came out during the sega genesis era ( developed simultaneously with sonic 3). Alot of the game design elements are outdated, mainly because the whole 'memorising level layout' to finsh quicker is a pretty dated way of thinking about level design.

That's not much of a defense, though. Sonic 3 is a much better game than CD. Sonic 2, which came out before CD, is also a much better game. Sonic CD suffers from poor level design, plain and simple. As a lifelong Sonic fan, it pains me to say that Sonic CD is just not a very good game.

Why do people praise it? My experience is that it's those who aren't especially fans of the series who consider CD one of the best. Sonic fans by and large consider S3&K to be the best, with a few dissenter picking Sonic 2. What it is about CD that's appealing to non-fans, though, is beyond me.

[SinclairStrange]

Originally posted by Dr. Cecil Corndog:

Originally posted by Grimjowww1234:

I get what you're saying but you need to bare in mind that this game came out during the sega genesis era ( developed simultaneously with sonic 3). Alot of the game design elements are outdated, mainly because the whole 'memorising level layout' to finsh quicker is a pretty dated way of thinking about level design.

That's not much of a defense, though. Sonic 3 is a much better game than CD. Sonic 2, which came out before CD, is also a much better game. Sonic CD suffers from poor level design, plain and simple. As a lifelong Sonic fan, it pains me to say that Sonic CD is just not a very good game.

Why do people praise it? My experience is that it's those who aren't especially fans of the series who consider CD one of the best. Sonic fans by and large consider S3&K to be the best, with a few dissenter picking Sonic 2. What it is about CD that's appealing to non-fans, though, is beyond me.

I disagree, as a mega fan of Sonic myself I view Sonic CD as my favourite in series. It's because the level tropes are still pretty unique, it has a sense of speed and platforming that is balanced well and the soundtrack is the best in the series. (Both of them, yes I said both.)

Actually a lot of my Sonic fan friends view CD as the best of the Mega Drive era so don't jump to assumptions that we all love S3&K :P (Although it's my second favourite of the bunch lol)

[b34nz]

Sonic CD has a very nostalgic aspect in the fact that MOST sonic fans from the 90's never actually had a Mega CD, they DREAMED about sonic cd. They wanted it so much! then Sonic 3 came out and they kind of stopped wanting it so badly, but always left a very strong memory of 'the one sonic game I couldn't play'. This is the DEFINITIVE reason it was so famous, that and it's CD quality sound track. By the way - this isn't a comment on whether the game is good or bad, just some history around the nostalgia for old-school sonic fans.

[Woltiv]

for me it's the music and the visuals.

[McQuiggle]

I always enjoyed is since it was the first one I actually finished when I was younger. Played the original PC version, never found it for sega cd despite having one.

The music was fantastic and overall the game just felt very strange and memorable to me. I don't see a problem with the level design except for some of Wacky Workbench. It fits the time travel mechanic and pushes for more exploration.

[Alex Gleason]

Originally posted by Dr. Cecil Corndog:

That's not much of a defense, though. Sonic 3 is a much better game than CD. Sonic 2, which came out before CD, is also a much better game.

I prefer Sonic CD but to each their own.

[JustThatOneGuy13]

I think it's the quality of the port of why this version is highly praised.

[Teie]

SCD goes way beyond coventional platformer formulae in terms of experimenting with how the player should use momentum and his surroundings to traverse various stages.
First, many stages can be finished in 30'' without any 'rule breaking' cheats or glitches. Although the stages might seem overwhelming at first, exploration is still a thing before you start proper speedrunning > Clue #1 - explore before you act fast.

Secondly, you can see how nasty enemy placement in this installment is. In every single stage if you try to rely on springs and slopes alone to gain some speed - you are gonna be punished severely because most of them will lead you right to an enemy or a bunch of spikes > Clue #2 Avoid mainstream paths as they abound in hazards (lower parts of the zones).

Thirdly, if we know that the highest time score can be achieved if you finish a zone in less than 30 seconds, there should be a way to finish at least some of them in such a limit. In fact, if you are curious enough, you might already know that there is a cheat code that unlocks a screen where you can see how fast the developers of the game managed to beat the zones. At least 4 of them were within the limit. Now, let's turn back to the very beginning of the game. Remember the very first slope that sends you flying high above the upper border of the screen? Well...that is also not just for fun. The game lets you know that the screen is not limited and you can do something which might be considered by many conventional platform lovers... inappropriate.
Clue#3 > break the boundaries and think unconventionally

Having summerized the clues and keeping in mind a very complex physics model of the main character, you may easily explore areas you would otherwise never think to even look at as explorable.

Overall, it should be noted that people say 'Sonic CD is a bad game' based on their unique experience. If your first platmorm game is Mario or you just like super straigh-forward platformers, then there is no surpise as to why. Sonic CD is a complex and multilayered arcade experience from the 90-s which requires lots of exloring and thinking before leaping with insane payoff in the end.

SEGA devs were truly the masters of the arcade experience.

[Gresh11990]

I have no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ idea

[Ikagura]

Sonic is an overrated serie anyway

[Super]

CD is easily the worst of the classic series. Sonic 2 and 3 are much better. Sonic 1 is pretty bland tho.

[Hyper Realistic Blood]

I loved Sonic growing up, and I always wanted to play CD

Now that I'm a grown-ass man that owns it, I'm sorely disappointed. It's really not a good game at all.

My biggest complaint is that the game wants me to go fast to switch times, but it often just puts walls in my way once I get up to speed. I feel I shouldn't have to memorize a level to use a basic mechanic.