Sonic 3
Image: Sega

Sonic Origins is just around the corner, launching on Switch on this coming Thursday. It's no secret at this point that the music in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was likely to be altered for the new release, owing to complications with the rights, and now we've got confirmation that this is indeed the case.

It's sad that we have to report this, but it looks like classic tracks from the original release, such as Carnival Night Zone and Ice Cap Zone, have been completely replaced in Sonic Origins. As explained in the below video from GameXplain, it looks like the tracks have been replaced by revamped versions of the '90s music from the prototype release of Sonic 3, so it's not a total bummer.

It could have been a lot worse, for sure, but there's no question that the new music simply doesn't stack up favourably next to the classics. Have a listen for yourself:

Our sister site Push Square also highlighted the drastic change for its own review, but is perhaps a bit more lenient on the new music:

"The most hardcore fans might also lament the lack of particular tunes from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, replaced by music that was produced in the 90s but never finalised (until now). The new tracks aren't bad — some are actually pretty good — but they might take some getting used to if you're nostalgic for Carnival Night, Ice Cap, and Launch Base."

You can check out the full verdict right here.

What do you make of the "new" tracks in Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Do you prefer the originals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[source youtube.com]