Switch Versions Of Sonic 1 And 2 Are Safe As SEGA Plans To Delist Classic Games

It isn't clear which versions they plan to delist. Perhaps the 3DS eShop versions of Sonic 1 and 2 that M2 made, and the barebones Genesis ports of Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Sonic & Knuckles on PSN and XBLA from the PS360 generation, along with Sonic CD. If they do that, then they will do the same and remove Sonic 1, 2 3&K and CD from Steam.

@RupeeClock If they delist the actual mobile ports, that's really silly on their part. Mobile is the only platform Origins isn't coming to, so it isn't an audience that has a clear method to buy Origins.

wow this is awful.
Sonic Origins is not the original ROMs.
There still is value to the original ROMs for people who want the classic glitches / speedrunning tech etc., or even just for people who want to see what the games were like originally for curiosity or nostaliga.
This is nothing but a bad move.

They're 30 year old games. A new collection is surely not going to take away any sales from older versions already available. Seems a bit petty to me.

Nintendo delisted the £20 Selects version of Tropical Freeze so they could repackage it with Funky Mode and sell it to Switch owners for £50. Despite the fact it only cost £40 when at full price on Wii U.

Welp, this is your last chance to get Sonic 3 and Knuckles on anything remotely modern incase the soundtrack isn't on the Origins Collection.

Just keep in mind on XBox, you need to buy Sonic 2, and 3 along with and Knuckles for the whole Sonic and Knuckles package.

Wonder if this includes the PC versions on Steam, I have all those already. I have them on mobile too, and it makes me wonder if this includes those which are ports. Despite the disappointing news, at least the classic Sonic games are always available in some form officially.

@EarthboundBenjy I'd like to point out that the Steam versions include the ROMs officially too. Which can be concerning, now I wonder, does this include Sega Genesis Classics, that includes Sonic 1 and 2. The official Sega emulator on Steam is the same version as that.

There's a stand alone version of sonic 3 and knuckles?

I bought Sonic 1 and 2 for Switch like a week before Origins was announced. I was miffed.

I think I probably have theses games in various collections already, but delisting them is a poor move.
I understand they want to push sales for this new collection, but taking away the choice of; let's say Sonic The Hedgehog 2 as a standalone download seems silly.

The 3DS versions of Sonic 1 and 2 are my favourite versions. I'd recommend those to anyone who hasn't already picked them up!

Bought all these on Xbox 360 live arcade years ago so can play them anytime I feel like it. Still buying sonic origins on physical tho

Still holding out hope Sega considers a physical compilation of all the Switch versions of Sega Ages.

@RupeeClock Yeah, the closing eShop was always going to get those two. Makes it more strange that they'd take them down now when they were already going to be unavailable. I know the international release, which was the second 3D Classics collection iirc had Sonic 1, and that it had a digital release on the eShop. Always thought it was a shame the other two collections didn't get international releases, since they had games we didn't get in the west included on them.

@dustinprewitt On Steam, it's sold as one game as part of the Genesis Collection. It's the recommended method for Sonic 3 AIR, a fan project that turns the game into HD with Widescreen, mod support, a boatload of achievements, and what is generally considered the best way to play the game at the moment. Origins may become the best way, but time will tell due to AIR's plethora of options included, and the PC community's tendency to backport these changes as mods into the games.

@DonkeyKongBigBoy As of right now, there is no physical release for Sonic Origins. I'll be buying it physically when and if that ever happens too.

Switch owners are safe for now.

Yo ho ho.

@OorWullie prop meant to younger players to play them not them all are over 30yrs old player

@Knuckles yes I got sonic mania on digital on PS4 and have only just bought sonic mania plus on switch as a physical cart. I'm sure origins will sell a million copies fairly easily and a deluxe version with all the content on a physical cart will be released later on

@DonkeyKongBigBoy I understand, I bought the original Collector's Edition for Mania, and then bought Mania Plus physically too. If you're going to hold out instead of double dipping, expect to wait almost a year at least, if you are going off of Mania Plus' release time.

Did you actually get Mania Plus, or one of the Mania rereleases?

@Knuckles I got mania plus with the gold cover and the artbook. It was on Amazon.uk for 24.99

This is why Sega is so difficult to love. Just a disgusting decision but this company is a complete disaster in general so it doesn't shock me. Origins is a putrid collection. Happy I still have Sonic 1 and 2 on cartridge and the Xbox Live Arcade versions of the Genesis classics as well Sonic CD and Adventure 1.

@DonkeyKongBigBoy Nice. The prices are higher in North America, and generally sold out for anything under the original MSRP.

Not sure which versions they plan to delist if not for the Switch ones, there's hardly any Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles on PS4 and Xbox One unless they plan to delist the entire Sega Genesis Classics Collection which only had Sonic 1 & 2 on there but also include Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine which weren't even on the Sonic Origins Collection. If they remove any Sonic games from the Wii U & 3DS eShop then that is just lame but expected as if not them then Nintendo will do it themselves sooner anyways. My assumption is this only applies to the PC versions (Steam) of these games which are all inferior ports with fan mods as their only saving grace. As for Sonic CD, I guess the Xbox 360, Ouya, and Steam versions may be replaced but considering that same version is on the Origins Collection anyways, it makes no sense.

So does this mean anything in the long term?

I feel like after Origins, Sega will just keep re-releasing classic emulated versions of Sonic 1 and 2 on future platforms for years to come because they've been doing that since like the Sega Saturn, and they always sell no matter the quality. I'm doubtful this will be the last definitive edition of Classic Sonic compilations.

Why delist?

Absolutely mind boggling if you ask me….

Unless they were asked to by platform holders

I’m more worried about the 3DS and Wii U stuff getting taken down, still. I gotta round up all the Game Gear games before they’re gone. I hope theres another Sega sale. I wasn’t ready for the last one.

Just buy the Sega Genesis Classic Collection, has most of or more than the "Online" if not same games..has Sonic 1 2 and spinball and the 3d one

Welcome to the digital age.

They can't delist my physical copy of the Sega Genesis Classics collection!

People are talking about preservation and sega go and do the opposite oh sega you’re business sense is still the same as in the Dreamcast days luckily I still have an MD and the original carts

As I don't have any means to play these games in modern hardware (only CD in Gems Collection and 3&K in Wii Virtual Console on a busted Wii) and I don't know when I'm getting Sonic Origins (holding on for a physical version), I'm probably getting both the 3D and SEGA AGES versions.

oh Sega you are so cute, obrigado.

This is reprehensible and completely disrespectful to the people who support Sega. The games are available affordably, but Sega wants us to buy the next new, more expensive thing. And now people have to rush to buy these when maybe they don't have the money because of FOMO, or else be forced to buy Origins. We're entitled to these games. Platforms shouldn't allow delisting. It's totally anti-consumer. If a company wants to delist a game, the game should be made free for six months before it can be delisted.

The last time I bought these games was for GameCube in 2002 and 2005, with Mega Collection and Gems Collection, respectively.

@EarthboundBenjy

i believe the trailer showed that the original ROMs would also be included?

Still kinda dumb tho ngl

meanwhile im just praying they include the option to Drop Dash

Funny to see Sega call Nintendo’s Expansion Pack “Nintendo Switch Online +”

I understand the delisting and in them wanting to “clean up” their offerings. Like… which version is the definitive version. I’m all for keeping the definitive versions up but it’s also crappy for those who bought the games and now feel they have no value since they’re being taken down.
For newcomers who haven’t bought the games yet, this is good. For those who’ve bought these games already, it’s kind of crappy, but your downloads and purchase history should be safe (you can redownload for the foreseeable future.)

@Gs69 I have to respectfully disagree with this as Sega is usually good at re-releasing classics and keeping them available. Looking at it, I have Sonic 1 on almost every system I own officially, it even got released on a car.

This is why I find this news surprising. I can't think of any year when Sega did not re-release their classic games, making sure it stays available on current systems.

Sega seriously wants to mar Orgins existence before it's even released. With the beauty of a pre-order chart and delisting games they have no good reason too. God I hate being a Sonic fan some days because of all the crap this company pulls for this series

I bet they're talking about the old Sega Vintage Collection versions of Sonic 1-3 and Sonic & Knuckles, and the original standalone release of Christian Whitehead's version of Sonic CD, all released many years ago on Xbox (I think 360). And honestly, those Digital Eclipse releases of the games are... not very good. :/ They're crap... no good filters, including scanlines. The image is, by default, in the center of the screen, with no way to properly expand it to fill the screen while preserving the games' original aspect ratio. Even on Xbox, the Sega Genesis Classics Collection offers a far better way to play Sonic 1&2. And Sonic CD on Xbox is the Christian Whitehead version, so Origins will just replace it with a newer version of itself when it comes out.

The Switch does not even have these versions of the games to delist, so I'm not sure why this article is even on a Nintendo news site--the article itself admits that its only relevance to Switch players is to spark a discussion on game preservation. So I guess there's that.

More on the direct subject of Sonic on Switch, in my opinion the system has the best versions of Sonic 1&2 based on the original ROMs that you can buy on a console in the Sega Ages collection, and as the article says, that's not going anywhere. It also has Sonic 1&2 as part of the Sega Genesis Classics Collection. And of course there's also a competent emulation of Sonic 2 as a part of the NSO service--which as the article says is going nowhere, although being part of a service, I don't see it outliving the other releases.

Long story short: If you're on a console other than Switch, buy those old releases before they get taken down if you really want them. If you want the ROMs of all three original Sonic games, get the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive Classics collection on Steam and whatever games you want in the form of DLC--it is the only modern collection to have Sonic 3/Knuckles, and the ROMs can even be taken and used in another emulator or even on a Raspberry Pi if you want.

@Gs69 yup physical games is the correct way to preserve games! #NoToCloudGaming

I already have Sonic 1 and 2 on my Nintendo Switch OLED and Sonic 3 on my Xbox Series S! So I'll pass on Sonic origins, since I have Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack!

I wish they would go back to the Genesis Classics and add Sonic 3 and Knuckles into the game now that they seem to have worked something out to be able to reissue those games again. And it would really help bring that collection together, pretty annoying how it has pretty much every Sonic Genesis game, except those 2.

I've got all the Sonic games I want on the Megadrive Classics cartridge. 👍

@RupeeClock Both the classic and anniversary modes are on the Retro engine, they just crop the aspect ratio to 4:3.

Just checked and they will continue to work fine on batocera lol.

There's 50 different ways to play those games already any way you slice it on modern consoles lmao. Just want to see some Sonic Frontiers.

@duffmmann The PC version of that collection does have Sonic 3 & Knuckles. However, I don't think it has the ROMs of each game separately. I agree though, I would like to see each console release of the collection to be updated with Sonic 3&K, even if it ends up being paid DLC (I'd buy it). I don't think it'll happen though.

To me, the 3DS versions of Sonic 1&2 are the definite versions simply because of how good the 3D effect is.

@Sunsy I agree with what you are saying and to be honest the sega ages games have been a massive highlight of owning a switch for me I’m always baffled by sega and their odd decisions game preservation has been a hot topic recently so when I say they make bad decisions it’s really about timing not their output for this generation

I'm a little confused at what they are going to be delisting. On steam, the versions of sonic 1,2, and 3&K are a part of the "Sega Genesis Classics Collection" which is also available on other platforms, but on Steam you can pick and choose which games you want to buy. So, will they delist those versions but leave spinal and 3D Blast? Will there be a situation where the sonic games are included on console but not on Steam? Very confusing, I wish they were more specific

@Scrubicius 100% agree and yes I’m not one for cloud gaming I try to buy physical when I can

@RupeeClock I heavily doubt they will remove the android versions since origins isn't coming to mobile.

@RupeeClock These appear to remakes too running on the retro engine. Most likely these are the iPad versions. The iPad has a natural 4:3 display and the Christian Whitehead remakes ran natively at 4:3 in them. I actually preferred these versions to the 16:9 remakes, so it's cool they are using them. (You can see the differences in the trailer, that these aren't running at original speed and frame rate.)

@Scrubicius Is that right? What about games like Nintendo Switch Sports which won't even include all the sports that come later as DLC? You can buy Super Smash Bros. and it will be missing a ton of DLC. Games are released now with significant updates that are never placed into the retail cartridge. That's the issue.

@thinkhector Yeah, physical as we knew it 10 years ago is dead forever. I still buy physical whenever it's available, but I'm just kidding myself. It's a piece of plastic to remind me I've got a digital file on my console.

Its fine. Theres dozens of legal ways to play all those titles

Awww... Well there are other legal ways to play the games, so it's not that bad unless you want official non-remastered releases on anything but a Switch.

It's not great...but there are so many ways to play these games over decades of platforms.

I have two versions of Sonic the Hedgehog on my Switch already, 3 if I ever got the NSO expansion pack.

Mega Drive Classics on Steam have Sonic 1, 2, 3&K and we can buy Sonic CD separately. I already have them all and Mania, Generations and Sonic 4 ep 1&2. That's good enouth for me, I may get origins if they have a sale with at least 80% off, but only for curiosity

I don't think I have played a sonic game, is it the one with the plumber?

@YoshiPilot I honestly don't think they are talking about that collection at all. Although it originally came out well before the console versions and originally had a very basic interface, it's been updated to match the consoles in terms of interface and it still, therefore, is technically a "modern" release. It just happened to be released before all hell broke loose with Sonic 3 & Knuckles, so the game was released with it as DLC. I doubt they're even talking about the 3DS releases.

I really think they're referring to the Sega Vintage Collection releases and the original Christian Whitehead version of Sonic CD released way back on now-unsupported consoles. It's already difficult to even buy them on Xbox; they can't be purchased on a current Xbox console or even from the main Xbox website/Microsoft Store. You have to either buy the games directly from an Xbox 360 to add them to your account, or by finding each game's page on the old Xbox Marketplace (which is buggy as hell on modern browsers) and try buying them there (but good luck! OMFG the bugs...). But if you buy them they are backwards compatible on current Xbox consoles.

As for the PS3 versions, I don't know if they can still be obtained or not.

@RupeeClock now I remember why I own it on Steam, I was confused as its a poorly emulated version but forgot Sonic 3 AIR required it

@carlos82 The good thing is that you get the ROMs with it, and you can easily go into the game's directory, find them, copy them somewhere else, and then load them up in a different (and better) emulator. All legally too--because you actually bought (and therefore own) the ROMs.

I think the emulation has been improved since its early days, I don't remember any filters being available when I first bought it, before it got a graphical/UI overhaul.

@UltraZelda64 PS3 versions of Sonic 1, 2 and CD can still be purchased, though it's like what you described with the 360 versions but worse. You can only buy them on a PS3, via the store which last time I checked is very slow and buggy.

The thing is, Origins looks really cool, but SEGA seems to want to check off all of the gamer pet peeves with this release.

@Knuckles Actually, there is a physical copy of Sonic Origins! I already have it pre-ordered through my local game store, and since my local game store always makes sure to contact the company releasing the game directly in order to make 100% sure that there will be a physical copy before they even open pre-orders for it, the fact that they did open pre-orders means that the SEGE representative that they contacted confirmed that a physical release was coming, because I wouldn't have been able to pre-order it otherwise! Not only that, the Playstation Store on PS4 and PS5 also mentions a physical release, and PlayAsia even has a page for one, so it's clear that it's getting one!

Just a heads up, Sega clarified that the iOS and Android versions of the games are staying. Got the update when I checked Instagram. So, posting this here as a heads up I guess.

@USWITCH64 No, you're thinking of Zelda. Sonic is the yellow one that eats power pellets and cherries.

@Nintendofanatic94 Attached in a screenshot from Sega's official website, stating the game is Digital Only. https://imgur.com/a/3iCnBFm

I would love for the game to be physical, but when Sega's PR reps state there are no plans for physical release at this time, when Sega's official site state it's Digital Only, I don't believe your physical preorder is going to come through. Perhaps something changed behind the scene at some point, but I don't think we are getting a physical edition of the game at launch.

@Knuckles That's obviously incorrect, as my local game store got clarification from SEGA themselves that a physical copy was incoming, so they wouldn't have had a pre-order option available at all if there wasn't a physical copy coming at all. I just pre-ordered it a couple of days ago, so if there wouldn't have been a physical copy at all, then they would've mentioned it, and I wouldn't have been able to pre-order it as a result! So, the PR rep that spoke to my local game store confirmed that one is indeed happening, which means that the other PR reps saying anything else are obviously lying! That doesn't mean you're incorrect, but it helps to take into consideration that the PR rep that my local game store spoke to confirmed a physical release was coming!

@Nintendofanatic94 I'm sorry, but I'm going to believe the official public word from Sega themselves over what someone "heard" at their local "trustworthy" store based on what a store employee supposedly heard from "someone" at Sega. If there will be a physical release it will certainly not be released at launch, as Sega has pretty much confirmed. If that does change, and it could, cool--but as of now the official word is that a physical copy is not planned for the game's official release date.

Given the fact that Sonic Mania--developed by the same team--was initially released digital-only and did not have a physical release until the release of its Encore DLC, it is not surprising that they may be planning something similar for Sonic Origins.

@UltraZelda64 You can believe it though, as this was an official SEGA representative. I made sure I asked my local game store if they contact official representatives, or if it's someone else, and they 100% assured me that it's the official representatives that they speak to! It's also the official representatives that tell them if they can start accepting pre-orders for games of theirs, so my local game store would not have even had it available for pre-order in their system if they didn't get permission or clarification by SEGA themselves to do so! So, that can only mean that the so-called "public word" is nothing more than a lie, as the "public word" that my local game store got from SEGA was confirmation of a physical release!

@UltraZelda64 Also, Sonic Origins won't have DLC, as it's not new games- it's old ones! Sonic Mania was a new game, and so DLC made sense for it! There's literally nothing new that SEGA could add that would result in them releasing a physical copy later on, and nobody would be buying it if there's no physical copy right off the bat. SEGA would lose far more money by releasing the game digital-only, because the game collectors are the ones that really matter as far as sales go, and if they don't support games that don't get physical copies, then there's no way that Sonic Origins would sell enough at launch without a physical copy! That much is obvious!

@UltraZelda64 Also, nobody officially from SEGA besides the representative that spoke to my local game store has said that there will be no physical copy. On the contrary in fact! I mean, even the PlayStation Store has mentions of a physical copy, and PlayAsia also has a listing for it! The evidence of a physical copy is right there- underneath your very nose!

@Nintendofanatic94 May we both be playing and enjoying the collection at launch!

@Knuckles I only buy and play physical games.

@Nintendofanatic94 That's great. Still hoping you enjoy the game at launch.

A couple months ago I paid a couple bucks for no ads on the Sonic 2 mobile port. Good thing you can redownload delisted apps on the App Store.

@Mikmoomamimocki It's been confirmed by Sega that the Mobile versions on phones will not be removed. Doesn't impact your ability to redownload it, but you won't need to go into your downloads/purchases to find it at the very least.

@Nintendofanatic94 Wow... just wow. I don't know if I should laugh or just be stunned by what I am reading here.

Did you know that Sonic Origins is, in fact, going to have DLC? In fact, I have my Xbox on right now, with information of my pre-ordered and installed copy of Sonic Origins showing on my TV now. Currently installed is the base game, Sonic Origins version 1.0.0.3, using 314.8 MB of my system's storage. Under that is a list of add-ons, or DLC, that I also get with my pre-ordered Digital Deluxe copy of the game: the Premium Fun Pack, 25.1 MB; the Start Dash Pack, 10.1 MB; and the Classic Music Pack, 241.8 MB. Are you sure Sonic Origins won't have DLC? Because all the articles I've been reading and even my own Xbox are lying to me about my own copy of the game if that's the case.

Also--you seriously think physical products are more profitable and would somehow make Sega more money than digital copies made by computers and transferred over computer networks? You are dead wrong if you are serious. Even Sega would agree--and for proof of that you need to look no further than Sonic Mania. There is a reason they originally released it as digital-only, and once they realized that it sold well, they decided to make a physical release of the game.

@UltraZelda64 People only bought Sonic Mania digitally because it was a brand new Sonic game. Sonic Origins is a collection of 4 older games, and as such will not make anywhere NEAR as much money as if it were a new game, and not only that- the games are available on multiple other consoles still, and for typically cheaper, which is why SEGA will not make the same amount of money with a collection of older titles then they would with a brand new game. That's the ONLY reason why Sonic Mania sold as well as it did digitally- if it had not been a brand new game, I 100% assure you that it would not have sold very well digitally. Digital games in general are a VERY bad idea, and since physical is the way of the future, nobody in their right mind would buy a game like Sonic Origins digitally- ESPECIALLY if they own the games in other ways! There's also no way that you could even have Sonic Origins installed on your Xbox without it being hacked, as the game isn't even out until June! Even with pre-ordering in advance, it wouldn't actually install until 12:00 midnight on the day the game launches-- which in this case is June 23rd. I know how these things go!

@UltraZelda64 And yes- physical copies always have been and always will be FAR more profitable than digital copies ever will, because with a digital game, you don't even own the game- you're just paying for a temporary license of the game that could very well disappear permanently at any point. With a physical game- on the other hand- you actually own the game, and even if the game is removed digitally, you can always pop the game into your console and play it, which is why digital will NEVER be as profitable as physical, and not only that, digital-only games shouldn't even exist to begin with! It's physical or nothing, baby!

@UltraZelda64 One other thing- I know you're on Xbox, so you likely didn't know this, but on the PlayStation Store on PS4 and PS5 it mentions a physical copy, and the PlayAsia store also has a physical copy that you can order as well. Not only that, a SEGA representative confirmed to my local game store that a physical release is indeed happening, which is why I was able to pre-order the game physically on Nintendo Switch a couple of days ago, so I assure you that it's happening!

Suspected this would happen so finally bought Sonic CD for the Xbox 360 last winter to go with Sonic 1-3 and Knuckles (Always pushed it off thanks to owning Sonic Gems Collection), just in case the Sonic Origins version of Sonic CD proves inferior and the collection ends up a mess.

Sounds like even that was ultimately unnecessary in order to enjoy an official high quality release of Sonic CD on modern console hardware. While there are concerns with how Sonic Origins is being packaged, the actual remastered games themselves are now confirmed to be in proven and capable hands.

At least my 360 purchase of Sonic CD will be a nice way to wet my appetite while I wait Sega out for a while in the hopes of a belated retail release of Sonic Origins. That strategy worked out well last time around with Sonic Mania...

@UltraZelda64 I tried Sonic 3 last night and it was still bad with very noticable sound delay. I get your point about legally owning the roms but it won't be much of a defence for me to say well I legally own those 3 or 4 roms but the other few thousand I acquired through other means

@thinkhector Not sure how that will become a issue when you download something vs having it stored on the cloud.
Besides DLC is one thing and the Game itself is another.
The Game is still playable. Fact is digital content is not for ever vs Analog ala books, film one even vinyl. Cartridges where good solution back in the day as long the consoles or cartridges itself don’t degrade.

@GrailUK Let's get physical... physical...

@NTELLIGENTMAN It's already happening! I have the physical copy pre-ordered through my local game store!

@RupeeClock That is so cool. I wonder if there is any gaming scenario where that ratio might suit might be choosen by the director? Maybe some sort of single screen battle game like TowerFall? (Well maybe not THAT wide.)

@Scrubicius I think the cloud is way more dangerous than an all digital future. MAME and emulators work just fine with digital files. But what if one never existed, and the game was ONLY ever made available thru the cloud?

@Burning_Spear LOL That was good. I mean think about this for second. A kid not even born yet buys a copy of Mario Kart 8, one of the best selling games of all time, because his Dad talked about it. The Switch eShop has long since closed but he buys a physical copy. He pop the cartridge in, and half the game is missing. The other 48 tracks released thru DLC was never included on the cartridge.

@samuelvictor oh ok, thanks for the info. Still a bit confused though as what you're describing sounds like Dig Dug to me.

@thinkhector that’s one way to see it but don’t forget digital content can also be modified with a DRM or who know with the future of NFT and blockchain this can easily adopted.

Physical media is far superior when it comes to preservation. ☺️