Wow, Sonic's HOW old? I still remember back in the old days when Sonic the Hedgehog was first given life back on the Sega Genesis, and has since grown into something of an icon for Sega. His mixture of speed, attitude, and talent ushered in a new legacy in platforming gaming, something that still stands today thanks to such titles as Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes. In late 2003, Sega dipped back into the old days of Sonic with Sonic Mega Collection for the GameCube, a hearty release featuring many of his older games, as well as a mixture of "bonus" games, some excellent (the all-forgotten Ristar), some rotten (the truly awful The Ooze). A year later, Sega brought the collection to Xbox and PS2 owners and enjoyed a similar success. Now the company is back on the Cube with yet another gathering of Sonic classics, this time in the form of Sonic Gems Collection.

Gems isn't as fully loaded as Mega Collection was, but this time around seems a bit more focused on quality than quantity. That's not to say that every offering in Gems hits a home run, because some clearly don't. But there's some significance to be found here, and well worth ponying up the $30. Sure, that may miff some who were expecting a $20 price point, but you'll still find plenty to like here.

Let me break this down for you game by game, to give you an idea of what's all included. Each of these games are surrounded by a stylish menu system featuring Sonic artwork and a decent opening video that introduces you to what lies ahead. There's also bonus unlockable pictures that you can find depending on your play time with the game, but, sadly, little else. Oh, well, there's only so much to include when a lot got thrown into Mega Collection the years before.

Sonic CD- The big "show" title of the package. This game was originally launched back in the "golden" days of the Sega CD and regarded as one of the best Sonic titles ever produced. Granted, when it came to the US, the awesome import soundtrack was scrapped in favor of a different one, but no matter. The game takes place in a typical Sonic world, but gives you the ability to travel to the past or the future, which can have quite the effect on later levels depending on your action. This play tactic alone boosted the series to new imaginative heights, giving Sonic Team some free-flowing ideas that should've stayed with the series longer than it did. There were also new 3-D effects thrown in, including some interesting bonus stages that evolved past the ones offered in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

The gameplay is just as good as it's always been, and the graphics definitely look the part. There is a slight pause as you move backwards and forwards through time, but nothing bothersome. The graphics look exactly like their Sega CD counterpart, and the music is nice, although I really wish Sega included the option to check out the import soundtrack in its place.

Sonic R- Originally launched on the Sega Saturn years ago, Sonic R from the Travellers Tales' studio was a decent racer for its time. It allowed Sonic and most of his buddies to race on foot through a number of tracks, while Amy and Dr. Robotnik scooted along in little vehicles alongside them. The racing was nothing complex, although it did allow you to collect items, unlock new paths, and find hidden badges to help you progress further on newer tracks.

The game looks a little smoother than its Sega Saturn counterpart, although we're not talking F-Zero graphics here. Sonic Team has kept things to basics, and it still somehow works for the game. The gameplay's a little "floaty" for some of the racers, but manages to hold up throughout. And then there's the music- you'll either love it or you hate it, as it involves singers and some decent beats. Me? I liked it, although there are times it could grate on your nerves.

Sonic the Fighters- A game that was originally supposed to hit the Saturn but never really made the development cut, Sonic the Fighters is a quirky twist on the Virtua Fighter theme. You basically choose from a few familiar faces in the Sonic world (or some new ones, including a duck and a dog), and then take it to the arena to duke it out. There's a number of good-looking fighting areas here, especially one that takes you on a magic carpet that flies you all over a level as you pummel your opponent.

This isn't the deepest fighting game, I admit. In fact, it really feels like a "gimmick" game just trying to take advantage of the rush of Virtua Fighter games Sega put out years ago. But I still like it, as it has its moments in gameplay and fighting moves. Activating "Hyper mode" is a trip, as it allows you to "power up" and pull off even bigger moves. The graphics look fine and the sound's alright, too.

Game Gear games- Sigh. Here's the downfall of the collection. Most of these games are literally bottom-of-the-barrel quality, as they were left out of the first Mega Collection. So you'll probably be wise just to skip over most of these. The emulation seems to be a bit overdone as well, as the games are blown up to fit the whole screen.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2- An alright sequel where Sonic once again takes on the evil Dr. Robotnik. This one doesn't really differentiate itself too much from the first game, although some of the boss designs were neat.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble- Another platforming action game that followed in the Sonic formula, but this one really failed to set itself apart despite some attempts to pick up the level design. I really didn't get too much into this one.

Tails' Adventures- A miserable attempt at giving Tails his own adventure game. It really didn't click with me at all.

Tails' Skypatrol- Sega's second attempt to market a Tails game for the Game Gear worked even worse than the first one, due to myriad controls that never came together and some lame story tactics. This is probably one of the worst Game Gear games I've ever played.

Sonic Drift 2- The second chapter in Sega's Drift series, this one also failed to stand apart from its original counterpart, although some of the new tracks are worth a try if you're into this sort of game. I'd rather play Sonic R.

Sonic Spinball- Another lame Game Gear title trying to capture the success of the Genesis game before it. The gameplay seems a lot slower here, the playfields a bit more limited, and the concept completely worn out. It didn't do a thing for me.

Now, with those aside, let's talk bonus, unlockable games that can be acquired over time. The Japanese version of Gems contained the classic Streets of Rage brawlers, but Sega of America opted to include some other titles instead, in order to keep the rating at "E" level. This may leave some gamers ticked, but not to worry. The Vectorman games more than fit the bill.

Vectorman was introduced in the mid-90's, when the Genesis' life cycle was beginning to die down. It was made by the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios, a company that knew what they were doing with the game's design. It's platforming/shooting action that remains refreshingly fun, especially if you're picking up power-ups or transforming into different items such as bombs or vehicles that come in handy for getting deeper into a level. Vectorman 2 also made the cut, continuing the adventures with an even higher difficulty setting, more transformations, and better level design. These games were great to see again.

And that's it, really. I was kind of bummed because I was expecting some more games to be thrown in. Where's Nights, one of Sonic Team's most highly appreciated games? Where's the concept art for the scrapped project Sonic X-Treme? And, for that matter, if this is the final Sonic collection game we see, why no inclusion of the Japanese Sonic the Hedgehog arcade game? It's multiplayer and loaded with level variety, and would've been ideal to find here. Shame.

The bottom line is this. Sonic Gems Collection won't be for everyone like the original Mega Collection was. It looks as if it was built for a more hardcore Sonic audience, and priced that way as well ($30, instead of the usual $20). But that's not to say it's bad. In fact, just playing Sonic CD, Sonic R, and the Vectorman games put me in a state of retro euphoria through numerous plays. If you're the kind of gamer that spent hours on end getting the Sega scream right or playing everything Sonic, this is your game.

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