Sonic The Hedgehog Titles Being Pulled From The Wii Virtual Console

Collection forthcoming?

They are getting ready to put these back out on the Xbox One and maybe even the Wii U.

But I have a question, what about the PS3 Sonic games? Are those not included?

Why would you go through the effort of removing your own product from the store shelves? Hmmm. Something strange is going on!

I'mma go ahead and re-download them while I can.

The two games available on 3DS precisely. If they release the NTSC versions on Wii U at 60Hz that would be great as the PAL versions are horrible. A collection would be great, Wii U, PS4 and XOne are lacking one.

Great - they are finally acknowledging that those are poopitypoopoop games - next they will issue refunds and apologies. Then they are going to make a Good Sonic game for once, where you can actually run fast and have fun!!

Strange. They put these on Wii U Virtual Console and I might just pick them up, let's wait and see!

These games are available on practically every console known to man. Though if they're removed EVERYWHERE never to come back that would suck.

@vitalemrecords Never gonna happen. As long as the fans continue to carry their sad torches for Sonic it is in Sega's best interest to keep up the charade of pretending that these games were good.

I already have both games on Xbox Live Arcade and Mega Drive Cartridges, so this doesn't affect me much. However, I'm glad they give a heads up before they make delistings such as these. Same thing a couple of years ago when the R-Type game were delisted from Wii Virtual Console, they announced it well in time so I could buy them before they were gone forever.

@Stu13 @vitalemrecords They were always good.

Yeah they always were awesome games.

@Caryslan That's what I was wondering too, even though I have both of them downloaded and on the Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection.

All of this makes me wonder if there is a HD collection being made for the next generation systems, or if they're re-releasing them on the other systems. I honestly wish that they'd make a really good Sega Genesis collection retail disc, and have DLC that adds various other Genesis games (one that the older companies can even put their games onto) for the PS4, Wii U and XONE systems. That would be a real treat for fans...especially since they were said to do that with the PS3's Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection when it was first announced.

Interesting. I only downloaded Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles because Sonic 1 and 2 are both available in much better versions on various systems. (Shame the remastered versions are only on mobile right now, maybe those will finally come to consoles?)

Strange move on Sega's part. If it were due to a forthcoming collection one would figure ALL Sonic and/or Sega titles would be pulled from the VC/eShop. At any rate the games in question are available on so many platforms and iterations that if you haven't played them already you're probably never going to.

Well that's a bit odd. Then again, I own Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 for the Genesis already, and I have Mega Collection for the Gamecube, and then there's the 3D classics, so...eh. Doesn't concern me.

Such... Short...NOTICE! Aw well. Sonic 1 and 2 is practically on every modern device...heh, minus the next gen consoles as far as I'm aware....

Hopefully the whole genesis service doesn't follow suit....

@vitalemrecords That be me removing Mario Bros 1 and 2 because they keep making New super Mario bros series. History is there for a reason.

Still have Sonic Jam on japanese Saturn. For me, it's their best versions so far They are the most faithfull versions to the originals... with all the bugs corrected

But I still would love to see the iOs remastered versions comme to modern consoles. And Sonic CD

Well I've got the whole Sonic quadrilogy on Wii-U, accessible under Wii mode. My favorite combo is Knuckles in Sonic 2. Are they axing just the Sonic games, or all Genesis titles? Because that would suck...

Guys, considering that the XBLA versions are going down too, could this mean they are finally giving us console ports of the Christian Whitehead remastered sonic 1 and 2? (please let it be so)

@chesse118 Please. Please. Please. Please. Along with Sonic CD for the WiiU and 3ds.

So, they are taking the two console ports down, that feature the lock on system ? May this be a patent issue ? Because Sonic 3 never came to the PS3 (as far as i know) and no other compilation since then had the lock on features.

How nice of them to tell us with a whopping 24 hours of notice.

Guess I know what I should download after work tonight.

Guess I know what I should download after work tonight.

why?

Well, it's a good thing I have them downloaded. On Wii U, 3DS, and PC.

Well it's been on the Wii for over 7 years and it's already playable on multiple devices. If you haven't bought or played it already, chances are you weren't planning to.

It might be Sega signed some exculsivity contract for Sonic 1 & Sonic 2, so they have to pull the titles from every store except that one.

At least they have the decency to warn us before hand, unlike Nintendo which pulled the Donkey Kong Country games from the Virtual Console in the USA without any warning! Made me sooooo mad >

Hopefully, they show up on the Wii U eShop? I've always wanted them for VC, so it will be a shame if they don't come back. If Sega doesn't republish them, Nintendo best be working out a deal, or maybe a remake that includes the first 3, plus Knuckles in all of them(including the first game).

Why?

The future of digital, people.

Well, Sonic 1 and 2 were remastered nicely for phones, so maybe a console porrt of those are coming to consoles? That way SEGA do not have to add Mega Drive to the Virtual Console but simply add these 2 as eShop releases (Much like that Dungeons and Dragons game Capcom ported to the eShop).

From what I've heard, the Streets of Rage Collection for XBLA will make the cut for XBONE backwards compatibility so this is not a "EVERYTHING MEGA DRIVE HAS TO GO!!!" day of Armageddon it seems....

I hope this means they're planning to port the highly superior HD Mobile versions by Christian Whitehead to consoles now!

@Guybrush20X6
You can still download them if you've already purchased them before. Just go to your account history and download them from there.

So, two of the best Sonic games are being removed... while all of the ridiculously bad games remain. Brilliant.

Sure, digital is always 100% safer.

@Tsusasi Well there's still Sonic 3 and S+K. Spinball is a love/hate relationship, 3D probably hasnt aged too well, but thanks to suspended play you can swallow it in small chucks now instead of rotting your brain playing through it in one sitting, SMS Sonic 1 is actually a decent platformer if you give it a chance (NOT the Game Gear version, the screen ratio kills those versions.), and the others are okay too.

Please put it on the Wii U eshop so I can play it on the gamepad instead of going into Wii mode just to play it

Well I'm glad I have them all downloaded already just in case they don't come back, but it's possible they'll arrive on Wii U's VC... Eventually.

Though it's kind of understandable, it sure didn't stop Nintendo from releasing Ocarina of Time on all of their platforms enhanced or not.

Even if Sega is re-releasing on different hardware or making them in a more enhanced form, it still strikes me strange as to why Sega would want to pull them (though I do imagine the Wii versions get very little new purchases these days).

Doesn't affect me much. Have them on both Wii mode and XBLA anyway. I'm more concerned whether they are going to make 3D versions of more Sonic games anytime soon.
Really enjoying the 3D classics from SEGA.

I got those back in what I think was the only sale the Wii Shop ever had, so I'm not worried.

This is rather sad, but why?
I am now tempted to download them, even though I own 2 versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

What a great way to get a quick sales spike!

@Captain_Toad No way! all other Sega games must be eternal!

Thanks for the tip, NL, I will download them.

Definite downloads!

I downloaded these when they first came out, in fact the day I got my Wii I downloaded Sonic 1 and the day 2 came out I did the same. It's a real shame that they are being pulled from that service. So does that mean the Mastersystem versions will come off soon then?

Never got rid of my Genesis and never will. I'll also never not have an old CRT to plug these games into when I need. Keep it original

Finally, kids can browse the eShop safely.

If you didn't lived under a rock then chances are you probably already got at least a Sonic game or two in your collection already. These digital titles won't be missed, in fact I'm getting tired of Sonic games that I would be much happier if Sega retired the hedgehog for good.

What's really happening is the licenses are expiring and Sega didn't want to extend them for both stores.

Sega might one day, decide to bring them to the eShop and others.

@Xenocity What kind of licences would be expiring for the two games?

...what. That's just, what.

(Sigh) Even with the (cheaper) 3D ports out, this is still upsetting because of what it represents; I just don't want the Wii to keep dying further and further. I'm getting old fast enough already, you know?

"definite downloads!" I said, I will save my Nintendo Wii points instead, as there are many Sega Mega Drive games that remain for me to download.
All great things must come to an end. I own Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Classic Collection by the way.

@Captain_Toad
The Wii VC and Xbox Live Arcade was originally negotiated with timed licenses for the games, in order to get 3rd parties on board.

The licenses are expiring, thus the games are being removed.
Though Sega could have extended the deal, but they chose not too.

Kind of a shame that anybody that bought them won't be able to re-download them after they are removed. Thankfully the games were cheap, but this will happen to those $50 games at some point as well, and to ones that aren't available on other consoles.

@Einherjar

It was on the disc only Sonic's Genesis Collection. However, I don't think the games used the lock on function. They were all just separate.

I really hope that I could get them through the US shop. After all, I predict that Sega would put up these in the eShop, yet I want both versions with me.

Maybe they are getting ready for a collection. Still is strange after they just apologized for their recent blunders. Now some of us can't relive the good days of Sonic?

@Flopsy86 for XBLA Sonic owners this is bad news because this means those games propably never be backward compatible on Xbox One.

@VR32F1END No, they simply have all 3 games. 3 might have both "campaigns", im not that sure, but Blue Sphere and Knuckles in Sonic 2 werent includet.

EDIT: I mean Sonic & Knuckles. It might have the complete campaign, but everything else is just the regular game without lock on features.

I can play these games on my 3DS and PS3 so it's no problem for me personally, but I have to say that this is... Weird. Why would they go through the effort to take them off? And why leave Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles? Are they going to start putting them on the Wii U eShop or something?

Also, Sonic Advance on NA eShop when?

I've owned Mega Collection and Gems Collection for years, so I've never really had to worry about older Sonic games I wanted to check out.

They pulled them down to take a look at them because Sega promised to 'go back to basics' on Sonic recently. Guess they hadn't played them in awhile and forgot. ;p

The general consensus is that this is paving the way for a remaster/collection, and I agree with that; didn't SEGA say they had a game lined up or something they were gonna tell us about by the end of the year?

@nono6400

Saturn version upsets me because the sound effect when curling into a ball from running is the wrong one, in both Sonic 1 and Sonic 3 (though it's okay in 2).
And Sonic 2 mistakenly uses Sonic 1's invincibility theme for whatever reason (but it uses the correct theme while in 2 player versus mode). ... For these reasons, I would not consider the Saturn versions the most accurate.

@Captain_Toad @OdnetninAges Well, those are the two games that have enhanced remasters on mobile and 3DS. It sounds like they're being courteous enough to extend the licenses on the games you can't easily pick up elsewhere while dropping the dead weight to save some money.

@Captain_Toad That makes no sense - those are good games - no need to get rid of them - but Sonic games are notoriously bad - almost objectively so. Unless you love nostalgia.

@vitalemrecords It's a hypothetical example son.

@Tiredman Yes, they will be able to download. I have a couple of delisted games and can confirm Nintendo doesn't remove them from the server and only disables the ability to buy.

@BulbasaurusRex Heh, figuring that be the case.

They continue available in NorthAmerica.

@Captain_Toad That makes no sense - those are good games - sonic games are just plain terrible in every possible way

Always bad when games get removed!

I am going to buy Sonic 2 tonight no matter where I have to get it. Perhaps finally let the kids into the Xbox ecosystem?