A number of older Sonic the Hedgehog games will be delisted a month before the launch of Sonic Origins -- you have less than a month to buy them if you don't want to miss out.
Last week, Sonic Origins was announced as a new bundle of games that includes much of The Blue Blur's early work. Unfortunately, we're now learning about yet another downside to the launch of this bundle: the older, standalone versions of these games will soon be unavailable for purchase.
These Old Sonic the Hedgehog Games Will Be Delisted Before the Launch of Sonic Origins
The upcoming launch of Sonic Origins also means, unfortunately, that some older Sonic the Hedgehog games are being delisted from digital storefronts. Here are the games that are going the way of the dodo according to a press release from Sega:
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Sonic 3 & Knuckles
- Sonic CD
There are, however, some exceptions to these removals. The first two Sonic the Hedgehog games will still be available as part of Sega AGES on the Nintendo Switch. Furthermore, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will still be accessible via the Sega Genesis emulator on Nintendo Switch Online, just like all of the other Genesis games on that service.
This might not seem like a big deal, but there could be very real problems due to potential licensing issues with some of these games.
"I 100% guarantee that something will be different/inaccurate in the new versions, and that this is a completely boneheaded move," read a Twitter thread from Video Game History Foundation Founder and Co-Director Frank Cifaldi. "It's like we fetishize film so much that we want to make the same mistakes Star Wars made, tossing away the originals for the Better version."
"I think there's a very, very good chance that they're going to mess with the Sonic 3 soundtrack, and that this moment in time, right now, is the last time you can legally purchase the real one."
Several replies to that Twitter thread highlight the longstanding reports that Michael Jackson composed music for Sonic 3 and went uncredited. It's possible that this may cause licensing issues and result in the removal of this old music entirely, although nothing is certain just yet.
When Are the Old Sonic the Hedgehog Games Being Delisted?
The old Sonic the Hedgehog games are being delisted on May 20, 2022. It's unclear what changes, if any, will be made when these games are packaged together in Sonic Origins as a bundle, but we're sure to find out once the collection actually comes out in June 2022.
Considering Frank Cifaldi's concerns, it may be a good idea to buy these classics before they're gone for good. You have a little less than a month to buy the first three games and Sonic CD before they're delisted from digital storefronts on May 20, 2022 -- check out the storefronts for your favorite gaming platform to see if they're still available while you still can!
