How Toxic Sonic CD Haters Play the Game

A semi-ironic semi-serious video roasting how people hate on Sonic CD for its level design (EDIT: Added “toxic” in the title so people stop thinking I’m attacking people who just don’t like the game or are new at it).
The life of a Sonic CD hater is a difficult one. When waking up in the morning and tying their shoes, they get light headed and fall over from the loops and twists. They can't drive, because having the choice to turn either left or right out of their driveway sends their little heads in a spin. They can't press "read more" on a KZbin description, because that would require positioning the mouse cursor to click on the button, something which they refuse to do for the sake of maintaining their content flow state. They can't read words, because the contours of the letters and the spaces between each sentence provide too many possibilities for their cursor to move through.
Unlike the three main genesis games which require the player to get used to the level design to be able to go fast, Sonic CD requires the player to get used to the level design to be able to go fast. This unreasonable demand is what makes the game unplayably awful. I would know, my favorite KZbinr said so.

[@camocaplamo4020]

Sonic CD haters when the exploration based level design is open: 😱😱😱😱😱

[@Green_Pix-L]

on god

[@PaperMarioParty08]

Sonic CD fans when people don't find the levels that fun to explore: 😱😱😱😱😱

[@superstar64]

But then they praise the clusterfuck levels in Mania for the same shit they complained about CD doing.

[@camocaplamo4020]

@@PaperMarioParty08 your supposed to find the generators not run around aimlessly

[@Leonard_Wolf_2056]

Exploration is pointless if there are no rewards. All you get is a different cutscene at the end and that is it.

[@francofernandes2006]

CD haters: "Those stages are so colorful and complex, they look like a fever dream." You do realize you're describing the coolest shit ever, right?

[@ThKnight64]

that's what makes the game so cool and special

[@Ghosty_Dosty]

And it's literally about exploration and it's not even a maze. You can breeze through levels easily so the choice is yours. Either explore the stages or breeze through, nothing is stopping you. CD haters are idiots. I've had one say "Well the zone order is similar to Sonic 1 so basically CD is a 1 clone so game bad"

[@ros9764]

​@@Ghosty_DostyThey are trying to say that you can most of the time just run straight forward to beat the game casually but you need to explore only for the time stones and i think it's actually sort of in the middle. The game does have a lot of obstacles in your way even if you're playing casually and that sort of encourages the exploration and making you want to get the time stones. The obstacles are annoying, sure, and it does sometimes feel like the developers were split into 2 and wanted to add their own ideas without communicating to the other part of the team, but it's much better than the obstacles in sonic 2 that just kill you outright if you haven't memorized the level design

[@AAhmou]

​@@ros9764 I don't even go after the time stones, I prefer to destroy the devices.

[@ros9764]

@@AAhmou I guess i should have said breaking the machines because you don't need to explore to get all 50 rings. I feel like more people would enjoy the game if it was just breaking the machines instead of having the option for 50 rings because it can get very tedious. It's not really CD's fault, the mechanic in general kind of sucks imo and only works in Sonic 1

[@HopefulBlue]

This is so true. S3&K is also a skill issue game, but people don't cope about it as hard as they do with CD

[@PJSim2001]

I could cherrypick so many moments to make S3&K look like it's badly designed lol... the Hydrocity miniboss (which is pretty annoying for newcomers), spinning top and random spike balls flying into you from offscreen in Marble Garden, timing out in Carnival Night + the barrel, that one part where you have to wait for the dinky little missiles to break the floor in Flying Battery, basically the entirety of Sandopolis & Lava Reef... I could probably find more. But S3&K isn't badly designed, it's just a Sonic game, and there are always growing pains to learning to get good and go fast... I think by the time people get to CD they're so good at the other games that they forget that :p

[@HopefulBlue]

@@PJSim2001 Exactly

[@acesartgallery9117]

To be fair, OG Sonic CD had some issues that make it a little uncomfortable to play compared to the Genesis games, but people that complain about the remaster ports are tripping. It's a little weird, but it's charming for being so weird and I don't think it needs to be anything more than that.

[@B4LP3T3K]

Ice cap zone has so many annoying just like some levels in sonic cd but nobody complains about it

[@InkfinityOkamix3]

I always got more frustrated with 3&K, especially S&K part. I can blast thru CD with no issues, and I always found it to be one of the easiest Sonic games alongside 2.

[@Chillipeffer]

run right to win doesn't work with this game; sometimes you have to move left 😱

[@zLnix]

and sometimes... you have to jump 0:

[@mrkefirek9]

umm actually you also had to move left in sonic 2

[@tailzgimer1726]

@@mrkefirek9🤓

[@mrkefirek9]

@@tailzgimer1726 🤓

[@PeebleKitty]

@@mrkefirek9someone get the guy who beat sonic 2 without pressing any directional buttons

[@masudhasan70]

Alt. title: What if the Sonic Unleashed IGN reviewer played Sonic CD

[@Cretaceous158]

The only good Sonic game according to ign is Sonic Pocket Adventure.

[@DLGanimator]

@@Cretaceous158 Literally a demake of sonic 2, and it's their favorite sonic game

[@Cretaceous158]

@@DLGanimator Not even fully Sonic 2. It takes assets from Sonic 1, and the entire soundtrack was an 8 bit version of Sonic 3's besides Neo South Island act 1, which was taken from Sonic World from Sonic Jam.

[@Vartex-01]

​The special stages theme and credits were the only original themes if im not wrong​@@Cretaceous158

[@DLGanimator]

@@Cretaceous158 yeah, you're right.

[@SerenaAndCo]

I know it was a joke, but I was actually getting irritated with this footage. That’s actually impressive.

[@Persac7]

Especially the collision chaos one

[@UnrealSuperSonic04]

same

[@lnnzdck27]

This is torture. Its like watching a mobile game ad where the players just suck so bad on doing a completely simple task.

[@yoshideyoshis]

I jst watched a rewiew thet said that sonic cd is probably the worst one of the classic sonic games because of confusing level design and stuff being hard. All throughout that video i was saying "nah that's just a skill issue". Very accurate video 10/10

[@TotallyReliable_Dino]

I am gonna be honest, the first time i played this game ever, i was like seven years old and i still got the good ending using the gens bc i wasn't braindead, and i am really really surprised How much people say "The design is confusing" 💀

[@jonnyblanka]

Valid point but I swear, as kids we had unhinged superpowers that we no longer have today. I recently completed it with the generators and Metallic Madness was a pain in the ass haha. Kudos to my kid self for getting through that!

[@TotallyReliable_Dino]

@@jonnyblanka true asf

[@DustyCausin]

To be honest, I had and still have trouble with special stages. Your 7yo self definitely earns a W.

[@TotallyReliable_Dino]

@@DustyCausin thanks 👍

[@pacomatic9833]

As a kid, same age, I was able to get all the way to the final zone. I never beat the game, since we eventually sold our PS3 before I did. But I _did_ get that far.

[@BradRLee]

Wacky Workbench is where the weak gamers are separated from the competent.

[@bulb9970]

For years I’ve been a Wacky Workbench defender and it’s refreshing to finally see the popular opinion change

[@BradRLee]

@@bulb9970 *Holds right* "Bro wtf, this floor makes it impossible to go where you wanna go!"

[@pacman6744]

@BradRLeebut fr wacky workbench made me cry and gave me mental breakdowns…

[@pacman6744]

It kept flinging me towards the goddamn zappy and freeze things

[@AbnerBarrios1996]

Hold right *really* won't work here...

[@nicanthemain]

I saw someone unironically say Sonic fucking 4 is better than Sonic CD

[@MatthewScrap1011]

Thats a warcrime

[@animosity3771]

Sonic fans tend to have bad takes. Admittedly I have some as well but none this horrendous 💀

[@lolimlol-ps9sf]

Complex ≠ Bad

[@PeebleKitty]

people complained about missing the huge rings at the end of the stage; thus, the devs add springs to slow them down at the end! one problem, now they hate that.

[@PeebleKitty]

mind you: this is ONLY done in 2-3 acts where its not clear that the signpost is not visible because you exit at high speeds from a loop.

[@kadethecathog7493]

I've never thought about it that way, interesting

[@FelixDaCreature]

for Sonic CD haters, Sonic games are all about going right to win and that's it. no chaos emeralds, no points, no lives, just go right to win. they can't comprehend exploration. Edit: This is a joke, stop getting so mad in the comments, please.

[@HollowLeif]

Ehh only Sonic 2 felt like that. S1 is just a standard platformer, CD adds a bit more speed but uses it primarily for time travel, and 3&K and Mania balance speed, platforming and exploration

[@milkman4407]

Sonic CD isn’t a Sonic game, it’s a metroidvania in a hedgehog suit.

[@S0meb0dy728]

Modern sonic fans when they play a classic game and it isn’t “hold forwards and X” to win: 🤯

[@GAB-treze]

Olá beijador de Metal Sonic e Amy Rose :)

[@Tozito911]

@@milkman4407do you even know what a metroidvania is?

[@pepsijuan666]

it's all fun and giggles until you have to the find wacky workbench robot generators

[@TheOnlyCelciAndDontYouForgetIt]

Well, the Act 1 generator. Act 2 is literally shown to you

[@Poyomini]

Wacky Workbench in general just sucks, honestly. The level that come afterwards is fire, tho. Same goes for the level before.

[@Megalania1]

Wacky workbench robot generators is such a tongue twister 😭

[@MeowcatsAndFriends]

This video is so painful to watch as a Sonic CD Superfan

[@Green_Pix-L]

Agreed, but that's what made it funny.

[@brawlsonic18]

I like Sonic CD. It's a fun game to me. Even though I like Sonic CD,I tottaly get why people critisize the game. Because of the object placement and the confusing level layouts(I don't mind these problems). I mean most people didn't even know Sonic CD existed until Sonic Gems Collection because the Sega CD didn't sell a lot.

[@PJSim2001]

"I mean most people didn't even know Sonic CD existed until Sonic Gems Collection" exactly this though, here's what I think happens: 1) People start with 1, 2, & 3 since they're the ones that are the most accessible and hyped up as being the main series. 2) They get really good at those games and fly through them with the practice they've built up. 3) They look a little deeper into the franchise and find CD. 4) They go in expecting to blast through it because they're "good at Sonic", but get frustrated when they have to learn a new set of levels. Granted, this process will disappear what with the PC port & Origins including CD, but I think lots of older KZbinrs and otherwise influential Sonic figures went through it like this, so people go in with a negative mindset and try to confirm it instead of just learning how to go through it. The level layouts are only more "confusing" than the other games if you're trying to go for the generators, but that's kind of the point??? It wouldn't be a challenge to find the generators if they were just out in the open, Otherwise, I've never found just getting to the end of the level to be any crazier than the other classic games.

[@brawlsonic18]

​​​​​@@PJSim2001 I agree with all of this. I ussualy try to go for the good ending by getting the time stones or destroying the generators. Also,People were made that the spindash wasn't the same as Sonic 1,2,3&K. Anyway,I like it,but undertand why people critisize it. And I get that people like different routes,and I get it why people don't like how many routes you can take in CD. By the way,Love your videos! Keep up the good work🌟PJSim2001🌟👍!!! You are a 🌟⭐Legend⭐🌟!!!!

[@JoeContext]

Joke:Sonic CD's level design is confusing and that's bad because it's not like other Sonic games Woke:Sonic CD's level design is confusing and that's good because it gives the game more depth, making you think and encouraging exploration

[@MidoriMushrooms]

bespoke: my favorite platformer genre is collect-a-thons and I love to explore but if Spyro had a 10 minute timer strapped onto every stage, I'd feel less encouraged to explore it as a kid, too. also all sonic games have the issue of sometimes the level just forces you to go forward with no way to go back, which makes exploring feel pointless to me...

[@aedan742]

broke: sonic cd is probably a good game.

[@somerobloxdude3699]

​@@aedan742oke: sonic cd is ok i guess

[@Lexadecimal]

the liberals turned my sonic cd into WOKE CD !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@cathode_mothray]

Woke CD: The Time Stones are now RAINBOW GRAAAAAH

[@SpongeyBubby]

I haven’t played Sonic CD until March of this year, I gotta say it kinda freaked me out, granted I was high & stoned out of my mind and the Gems Collection description said how obscure it was or “Obscure” games from the franchise. My high ass thinking I uncovered some government documents when playing it, even the JP soundtrack was trippy asf too. Though after I became sober, I played it again and it ended up being one of my favorite Sonic games period, probably for how different it is compared to the Genesis titles. And the JP OST, I’m probably gonna get some slash for this but, I think CD has the best soundtrack I’ve EVER heard in a game, period. edit: typical Sonic CD discussion down below ☝️

[@nicolasbernasconi7228]

I prefer the us ost honestly

[@DubiousDepthsRadio]

You don't gotta be honest The Japanese (original) soundtrack *IS* the better one. Not the us soundtrash

[@macaroniboi5637]

both soundtracks are great in their own way

[@DubiousDepthsRadio]

@@macaroniboi5637 😤 Can yall stop saying this please

[@SwizzleMix]

​@@macaroniboi5637Based

[@PJSim2001]

Missed opportunity: for the tidal tempest part i should've approached it from the other side, then got pissed trying to jump on the switch and the platform. But also doing it the way I did showed some funny clipping & let me make the Sonic 2 spike comparison, so nvm

[@Dots988]

Okay no lie, i actually did that during my playthrough because i wanted to explore and didn’t realize you could just go a different way 😭

[@PJSim2001]

@@Dots988 I've done that too at one point actually lol which is why I thought to include it 😂

[@Chillin-jg8vg]

CD is hated because all people think Sonic games are to go fast when Sonic is about exploration too.

[@PaperMarioParty08]

I actually love exploring the levels in Sonic 1-3, but I just don't really care for Sonic CD much. I honestly don't even know how to explain it, I just don't find Sonic CD anywhere near as fun as the other games.

[@BillimanMCjon]

Its about both and cd does both very poorly

[@Black_Kishi]

I got all the time stones in CD on my potato phone no in game issues ppl just suck

[@PJSim2001]

Yeah actually tho lol... i was smoking the game back on my old iPhone 4 when the port came out in 2011 when I was like 10. people are just mad they don't have the game memorized like 1 2 & 3

[@pacman6744]

Wait WHAT??? TEACH ME MASTER! TEACH ME! TEACH ME *NOW*

[@MMitochondria]

my favorite boring and tedious task to perform

[@That.ValorantKid]

Bro if sonic cd's level design is confusing, wait till those guys play an open world game

[@georgechollak6180]

As someone who used to hate and now its my favorite game it is pretty accurate

[@chair_dib]

Same

[@HyperSonic1999orJTH]

Wacky Workbench, in my eyes, is the worst stage in CD. It's tedious to keep hold of 50 rings for the time stones, places to time travel is hit or miss, zone 1's generator is cryptic for a first-time player, and time attack at times feels like blind luck when trying to get the fastest time. Every other stage is fun to play.

[@zagreoemiliohernandezgomez5797]

skill issue

[@HyperSonic1999orJTH]

@@zagreoemiliohernandezgomez5797 Maybe.

[@wolfmoonens3378]

(honestly it is kind of a bullshit way to hide a generator like that)

[@sonicphoenix7]

when you find out none of the crushers kill you it becomes more reasonable

[@Mr.BlueSun]

Don't forget when they listen to even just a few seconds of the US soundtrack, they throw a fit about how better the Japan soundtrack is.

[@PeebleKitty]

both are good in their own ways

[@Mr.BlueSun]

@@PeebleKitty Yeah, they're both great.

[@Cretaceous158]

The main problem with the US soundtrack is that it is in Sonic CD. Some of the tracks don’t fit, like Palmtree Panic bad future.

[@Mr.BlueSun]

@@Cretaceous158 Ah, okay.

[@PeebleKitty]

@@Mr.BlueSunafter playing through the whole game with the US soundtrack, I have gained a new appriciation for the US soundtrack. thank you for enlightening me and opening my eyes.

[@bsgsmusic3451]

I know this video is a joke, but I've always hated the "Skill Issue" argument. People use it way too often to excuse clearly bad design. There are Americans who have figured out how to do their taxes without any help. Does that mean the US tax system isn't stupid? Well, according to the Skill Issue argument, no it isn't, because the only way the US tax system could be flawed is if no one, not a single soul, could complete their taxes. But since Johnny McGee, who has spent years reading books on how to do their taxes, can complete them no problem, the tax system is perfectly fine.

[@CharlesC520]

0:29 inaccurate, sonic cd haters don't make it this far

[@sonic_boredom]

there's an easy way to figure out the stage design the Spriter's Resource ever consider it?

[@PJSim2001]

Yeah... and when you look at it you can clearly see that all they really did in certain acts was add an extra layer on top of a regular, multiple-branching-paths-with-secret-areas Sonic level, showing that people are overanalyzing the design and getting mad at it because they're just used to being able to speedrun the 1, 2, & 3K levels they've memorized

[@liamsemicolon]

zone 0 is better for those things

[@Ismatic1906]

No one wants to look up shit so that they can play a game. Are you stupid?

[@whentheyD]

zone 0 is wayy better for this all the real homies know

[@bytewizerd2712]

I'm not sure anyone's problem with this game is that the levels are "confusing" but rather that the level design is just generally sloppy and not intuitive with what the game wants you to do. It's true that levels are built with the same foundations as the other classic Sonic games, but because of CD's insistence on the player finding time travel signs/generators, the massive levels kind of get in the way. I also have just always found the time travel mechanic pretty pointless. It's an awesome concept, but traveling to the future serves no purpose whatsoever, and traveling to the past is simply a more difficult/annoying way to reach the good ending. It seems like the developers even knew this, which is why you can also get the time stones via normal special stages. The peelout is a cool move but once again, feels generally useless. I suspect the entire reason the spindash was nerfed to hell in this game was to try to make this feature feel useful, but it just ends up being an annoyance for me. These two things pretty much illustrate what this game is to me; a collection of neat ideas that don't feel fully explored/designed with intent towards a specific gameplay experience, rather just put in the game because they seemed cool (and they are). I understand the desire to not "bandwagon" with the recent scrutiny of this game, but it really seems like people are willing to ignore a lot of glaring flaws because of the incredible soundtrack(s) and great visuals. You can recognize the poor design in this game while still enjoying it. God knows that's what being a Sonic fan is all about.

[@Fall-oo6mt]

nah, wrong

[@bytewizerd2712]

@@Fall-oo6mt Oh okay. Thanks for your input.

[@Fall-oo6mt]

@@bytewizerd2712 lol but seriously now i really disagree with that i mean, i beat the game at 8 years old and it felt pretty intuitive to me

[@johnpett1955]

That last paragraph resonates with me as someone whose favorite Sonic game is SA2. The game is pretty janky, but I love the game anyway. Even with the mech stages and treasure hunting stages that so many people hate. The game's far from perfect, but It's so enjoyable for me to play.

[@TheOnlyCelciAndDontYouForgetIt]

I mean I don't think the level design is worse because of the generators, tbh it just feels like a normal Sonic level with the generators haphazardly shoved into some random spot. Most of the generators are in a fairly open area that's easy to find as long as you explore the different paths the game lays out. Though time travel barely works with the level design sometimes yeah, I mean Tidal Tempest needs springs shoved next to each other because time traveling underwater is needlessly difficult. They really should have made time travel faster or let the player "hold" their sign until they want to try time traveling

[@jkilolboom9295]

CD is good but since how rare it used to be to play there is no nostalgic bias that people see unlike 1 2 3&k

[@dansurasshu]

Even with ironic brainrot, it's so painful to look at this without getting frustrating LMAO

[@JoseGregorioValeroVillarroel]

Do you know what's funny?: Everything here is 100% accurate! I played the game start to finish and CD is actually good. None of the haters was right

[@yeetthefeet2504]

As a CD stan, I think framing this as merely a skill issue, even in the context of jokes and giggles, is a bit disingenuous. The game has some pretty experimental and weird level design. Sometimes it is genuinely a skill-issue, like the people who complain about Stardust Speedway flinging you every which way, but that usually only happens when you aren't paying attention. However, I think stages like Collision Chaos and Wacky Workbench display some of the instances where the design doesn't work as well, and it's largely because of the fact that both stages can strip your control away very very easily, and it can be tedious trying to regain it, and progress further on the intended route you wanted to take. It's not a matter of, "Oh, I missed a jump, now I have to backtrack a little, and try again." It's more like, "I missed a jump, now I have to do a number of specific things, because I was launched to the top of the level, and getting all the way back to the bottom for just another chance is kinda pace-breaking and whatnot.

[@Dollaran]

I can't really say I like Sonic CD. I mildly enjoyed the game both when I first played it and when I played it the "right" way. Sonic's movement inherited from the first game is still intrinsically fun, but the level design doesn't compliment it as well as Sonic 2 does. Sonic 1 also has this problem after Green Hill, but CD's stages are just on another level, with them being structured around a different objective entirely. The "treasure hunting" just isn't for everyone; sometimes people just want to go fast, plain and simple. The divide of opinions of this game is the most interesting part for me. CD's nuts.

[@PJSim2001]

I should probably make a more serious video going over the design lol... but first of all, let me just say as someone who's beaten the game multiple times each way that I don't think it matters if you play it the "right way", Time Stones or Generators I think the game is fun, whoever came up with the "oh you're just playing it wrong" was just copping out imo. In fact, I think saying that does the game a disservice, it makes it seem way more complicated than it needs to be... if you want speed, go for the Time Stones, while for treasure hunting, go for the Generators. I have a friend of mine who hadn't really played any Sonic before but was familiar with the series, and he asked me what my favorite classic game was... I said CD, so he decided to try it out and screenshare it to me... he got through the game just fine and said he liked it. I think as Sonic fans we get so used to overanalyzing the game and if it uses Sonic's mechanics correctly that we forget it can be fun just to get through a level quicker than usual. CD has enough Sonic DNA with loops, springs, tubes, ramps, and alternate pathways that I don't think it betrays the appeal of the series, and as somebody who's been playing the game since the 2011 iOS port, there's definitely ways to earn your speed. CD's design philosophy, like you imply, is closer to 1 where you have to earn your speed compared to 2 & 3 which has a bit more spectacle, and if you prefer the latter than that's totally valid, I don't want to imply it isn't. But what I'm mainly roasting here are the people who act like the game is Knuckles Chaotix or something... really all that CD does is add an extra layer on top of a regular 2D Sonic stage with maybe a few dead ends you just turn around from, it's not that much more difficult than any other platformer. But yeah sorry to hit you with the paragraphs, the discourse surrounding this game IS nuts lol

[@TheNelsonShowRebooted]

Ik im a year late but Sonic cd haters when they realize they don’t even have to get the robot generators to get the good ending 🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@game84cube]

Sonic CD haters that think Sonic is "hold right to win" have never played a Sonic game in their existence. Or they only ever played Green Hill Act 1. Nothing else.

[@mondaindoodles8667]

When I was a kid I had a lot of fun playing Sonic CD and though I kept getting bad futures and I always go t stuck at the third Eggman boss at Collision Chaos but I still had fun regardless. Many years later I completed the game and with a good ending. I love the game and understand the criticism but some people are just bad and they just don't know what they're doing.

[@DubiousDepthsRadio]

Third boss?? But that should be the second boss right? OR DID YOU HAVE A COPY WHICH HAS THE SCRAPPED LEVEL DUBIOUS DEPTHS IF YES THEN TELL HOW THE BOSS WAS FOR THAT SCRAPPED ZONE

[@mondaindoodles8667]

Present me speaking: The third boss, I meant the pinball boss on Collision Chaos Act 2. Also no I don't have a copy with the scrapped level from the game.

[@samanthearichardosn351]

I watched a review on KZbin, and it was through that video that I learned that you don't need to destroy the generators to get the good ending. You could get all the Time Stones and get the same good ending you would receive if you went for the generators.

[@FatTundra64]

I love how this game looks and while CD isn’t as “grounded” or “down to earth” with its artstyle using more of wacky colors . To say that it looks bad is kinda crazy and it’s even more funnier bc green hill zone has CD’s same style . There are some nice locations in this game .

[@FatTundra64]

My texting is kinda broken, sorry if it’s hard to understand what I’m saying lol

[@Melonposting]

Sonic haters when the series they hate because they think you just run to the right and go fast expects you to do things other than run to the right and go fast: 😮

[@jojonono2679]

I like Cd, but understand the criticisms.

[@jeannesery9936]

Agree

[@zetafish7347]

I think what most people are typically frustrated by is the bizarre and sometimes bs placement of the generators. It also doesn't help that you have to gain momentum to go to the past before that which can be difficult depending on where you are in the level. Getting frustrated with the generators is generally why I opt to go for the time stones instead.

[@MidoriMushrooms]

@@zetafish7347 yeah tbh I don't know how the momentum mechanic works for time travel and the generators also confuse me because there just isn't enough time to really explore a level when I'm on a timer, it's too much pressure to grab a generator AND reach the end for me personally. I get why other people like CD, I just don't, for these reasons. The music's really good tho and its level aesthetics are on the money.

[@whact]

Oh i loved this video so much. Btw wacky workbench has like 3 different routes you can take, the upper route that are mostly short and lead you back down, the middle route that needs careful platforming (but people just run anyway and bounce everywhere) and the lower route that's under the floor that can be accessed with some hidden entrances (probably the easiest one to go). Yet everyone still goes through the middle route because they dont care about exploring to find a better route

[@whact]

And the middle route also has some hidden shortcuts. My favorite one is when you enter a pipe that just looks like a detail on the wall, but actually takes you to an area with a little closed bridge that you run inside and it looks so cool

[@salt20xX]

it's funny because sonic cd level design is just sonic 1 with steroids

[@BillimanMCjon]

Thats why it SUCKS

[@PlushBros]

This is Arin Hanson levels of density

[@requiem6465]

This feels like a really bad irate gamer skit.

[@toastednoodle60]

Sonic fans when a game is about exploratin

[@oneofmanyalexs]

Well, this is quite an interesting straw man youve made here good sir! Are you ready to actually tackle the criticisms the haters actually have now?

[@PJSim2001]

Yeah it’s a strawman because the video is an obvious joke and circlejerk with other people who like CD, I didn’t realize so many actual haters would come into a video they know they won’t like thinking it’s supposed to be a video essay… either way I’ve been expanding a bit in the comments but it doesn’t seem to matter.

[@oneofmanyalexs]

@@PJSim2001 ah, didn't realize this was a joke (ive seen alot of people do thing like this and be serious) sorry about that. Also, being fair, I do think CD is a good game, I have my issues with it, but I've played it around 6 times now, so I wouldent say I hate it. Id love to go into detail my thoughts on it, but a youtube comment is no place for long-form analyzes of a 30+ year old game.

[@destroyerkitty9434]

“Getting a Good Future? Bro, the only future I think about is the one where I reach the goal in 2 seconds.”

[@maskedmanpkclysm5327]

Some people don't know the joy of destroying the evil eggman thingamabobs in the past and then travel all the way to the good future... it gives me a nice sense of accomplishment, and you get to see some cool stuff like different backgrounds that aren't in 3rd acts

[@garulouie]

As someone who can't even beat chemical plant easily I think i'm going to stay away from the classic sonic community if it's all like this comments section

[@NanagoBlake]

I never beat Chemical Plant act 2 when i was a kid Stupid purple water

[@PJSim2001]

Nah don't feel bad about that, everybody has trouble beating Sonic games until they memorize/get used to them... I remember when I first started out and got clapped by chemical plant too lol, that and stuff like jumping into loops in Sonic 1 ...just don't get good at Sonic 2, then play CD and have the same growing pains, but then proceed to go into a crusade about how CD is the worst game ever and that everybody who likes it is stupid and objectively wrong

[@IAteUranium-238]

How the fuck do you suck so much?

[@ThinksCorner]

Sonic CD mobile port was my first sonic game i got to fully experience. And it was probably the best sonic game I could start with but it was extremely challenging. I didnt get all the time stones or the past badnick capture machines. But it gave me loads of fun much more than sonic 1 mobile port, it had cutscenes! And also metal sonic which was way past cool. I replayed CD in Origins on steam and gotta say its still peak classic with its level design, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles is equal or 2nd to that same level of design and fun.

[@rainbowresorts]

sonic fans responding to reasonable criticism with "erm, youre just bad and stupid and-" is why nobody likes yall

[@PJSim2001]

This is just a low effort shitpost/circlejerk type thing, if you want an actual analysis/response thing i’m sure people have made some video essays and stuff better than this

[@rainbowresorts]

@@PJSim2001 oh its all good then

[@PJSim2001]

Oh ok I thought you were mad at the video lol, yea it’s all good then

[@besitosdefrutilla]

see the difference here is that pjsim is actually right

[@besitosdefrutilla]

nvm you weren't talking to them my bad LOL

[@legoboy7107]

As someone pretty new to the Sonic series and grew up on Mario instead (I know quite a lot about the main series but I'm a newcomer-ish in terms of PLAYING the games, my first Sonic game was Mania Plus so yeah), CD was the third Sonic game I ever actually really played to the end and beat (Second was Unleashed Wii which I was playing around the same time, really like that one. I had also played Sonic 1 and a little bit of Sonic 2 but hadn't actually beaten 1 yet at the time [I have now, multiple times, can do it in a little over 30 minutes I think], and I still haven't played past Aquatic Ruin in 2) and yeah, I agree with you, I enjoyed it quite a bit and had no real issues with its design, and I was playing the ORIGINAL version, not the Whitehead remake. It was quite a fun platformer with fantastic vibes and good gameplay, sure it takes a different approach to utilizing the potential of Sonic's moveset and physics, it's not a "just speed through from left to right" kind of game like some other Sonic games, definitely played more like a standard platformer in that regard but with a character that could interact with the environment a lot more and in more extreme ways because of his physics, but that different approach isn't BAD just because it's not the former, not at all. It's just different, and still makes for a really cool and unique 2D platformer that yet still feels like Sonic. It's just an alternate take on what a direct sequel to Sonic 1 could be. When you get out of the mindset of just wanting one really narrow specific type of platformer for Sonic and become more accepting to other kinds of 2D platforming that takes advantage of and focuses on other aspects of Sonic's physics and gameplay than most later games did, it becomes easy to accept and enjoy the game. Maybe it's just because I grew up with Mario instead, and so I just like 2D platformers in general and am more open to different kinds of 2D platformers and playing them in different ways, or maybe I just have a high tolerance for what others would consider BS in games, but I was able to enjoy CD for what it is no problem (other than one issue in Metallic Madness Act 2 where it's impossible to complete the level in the past or future because the spring you need to advance launches you a pixel too short to actually make it where you're supposed to go, but that's not a design issue, that's just an error, the intended design is fine, but that did cause me a bit of pain lol).

[@BillimanMCjon]

Course the mario fan likes cd. No surpise there. The adjustment you have to make is very small

[@legoboy7107]

@@BillimanMCjon I had already played through the entire main game of Mania though by the time I even touched CD, True Ending with Super Sonic included, and had time-attacked some of the stages (like Chemical Plant Act 1, got a pretty decent time on that one), so it's not like I was completely unfamiliar with a more typical kind of 2D Classic Sonic game. Not to mention I had seen COUNTLESS amounts of Sonic content showcasing and detailing almost everything about how most Sonic games work, are played, and are designed, so I was at least familiar intellectually if not fully by direct experience. But yeah, having played other flavors of 2D platformers definitely helped me to get better acclimated to Sonic CD's design than maybe someone else might have, but at the same time CD does not play like a Mario game much at all. It's still very much Sonic, relying HEAVILY on Sonic's unique pinball physics (arguably moreso than the other more speed-focused get-to-the-end 2D Sonic games) and being able to use those physics and your really high max speed not to reach the end quickly but to be able to traverse the terrain up and down and all around, stuff that basically doesn't exist in 2D Mario.

[@cafequente8252]

Watching thsi video reminded me of a Sonic Superstars longplay I saw where the guy spent about 5 minutes stuck in a wall on the Knuckles specific level because they didn't try pressing the button twice to find out Knuckles could climb walls

[@ithoughtso.7016]

Skill issue is the worst phrase ever. It would be far better if it never existed Its used in the most annoying ways This isnt not one of the examples of this Good job

[@ZonicMirage]

As someone who first played it in the 90s, I can say while CD's not my favorite, I can at least beat it. Now, I will die on this hill saying Metal is the true final boss (kid me got so many game overs just from that). Gimmicks can also feel somewhat overwhelming, like the developers just threw things into the bigger storage media to see what happens. While definitely not unplayable, I dare say it can make the game feel a bit... chaotic at times. The original version also has supremely janky controls, which thankfully the modern rebuild fixed.

[@lex_4242]

They all hate on cd yet they say colors has good level design and is a better game lmaooo

[@rainbowresorts]

it is

[@jordanelliott0408]

@@rainbowresortsnope, see the thing with colors is that while the atmosphere, and music is great, there is just waaaayyyy to much filler & no I don’t mean 2D, I actually don’t have a problem with 2D there is just a huge drop of in quality after act 2 of each zone, colors even reuses level design. I swear the more I play colors the less I can play in 1 sitting without getting bored

[@alptugraakan7490]

Colors IS better if you actually decide to play the GOOD levels(especially the ones in asteroid coaster)

[@jordanelliott0408]

@@alptugraakan7490 I see what you mean but I also feel like you shouldn’t have to complete the game just to be able to play all of the good levels, this is coming from somebody who loves Unleashed, Generations, Mania, 3&K, & Adventure 1

[@lex_4242]

@@alptugraakan7490 colors is the one of the most sovlless sonic game there is, the design philosophy sucks ass in this game the wisps aren’t even needed. The “good” stages in colors are just “expanded” forces stages the platforming sucks lmao this game could’ve been more tolerable if they hadn’t canned the generations wii port

[@kchrules775]

You really captured the essence of the baseline criticism of this game. Time travel aside, Sonic CD is more in line with Sonic 1 (which sometimes gets similar flack). Focusing on platforming and a bit of exploration over zooming through the levels like in later entries. This was the first Sonic game I ever played (on Windows 95) and it will always be special to me. And on top of that, it IS a good game

[@InkfinityOkamix3]

Sonic CD was always my favorite Sonic game. I also remember ~15 years ago people saying it was the best one, next to 2. So hearing that Sonic CD is a bad game and that people dislike it is shocking to me, lol.

[@ThePikminCaptainOlimar]

1:01 this was genuinely me when i first played sonic CD

[@omgodification]

So called modern game enjoyers when they play a game where you need to actually get good to play good

[@PaperMarioParty08]

That applies to literally every other classic Sonic game, what are you talking about?

[@omgodification]

Its a joke, wise guy

[@bsgsmusic3451]

@@omgodification Last time I checked, jokes are supposed to be funny

[@omgodification]

Last time I checked, this comment was 2 weeks old Move on brother

[@bsgsmusic3451]

@@omgodification 2 weeks for you, 10 minutes for me.

[@JustNeutral14.]

i like some of these more experimental games. This game and a lot of the 8-bit ones have some really cool mechanics that could really be explored on further.

[@rainbow_vader]

I love chaomix and all but not liking this game is an L take 💀 the music alone, I feel like it's hands down the best classic sonic OST (unless you count mania) Plus it is odd that many people praise the whole "top path is harder to get but more rewarding when you perfectly calculate your momentum blah blah blah" but then they get to CD and suddenly THOSE momentum based platforming challenges are "too confusing 😣" when really it's a natural progression in difficulty from the 16 bit games. idk man feels like there's almost no reason to dislike this game more than any of the others...

[@panafa3617]

I'm a bit surprised to see someone play with US music, I never saw anyone use it

[@NanagoBlake]

And these MF want bigger stages in sonic games I hate it here

[@PJSim2001]

Like I was hinting at at 4:47, people will go on and on about how having multiple pathways and interesting level design is what makes the Sonic games better than other platformers... but then CD plays around with that and now suddenly its too much

[@DKCfan10]

I wouldn’t be surprised if when they talk about wanting alternate pathways, they don’t want Classic level design, they just want Sonic Advance 2

[@starwalk2k]

I'm sorry but the level design doesn't complement the exploration they want you to accomplish in this game; there's a reason people are divided and it's not because everyone who doesn't like it is bad at it. It's because it's not as fun to explore as 3 and K or Mania. it's not a bad Sonic game but dismissing everyone who doesn't like it as "just bad at CD" is disingenuous

[@Green_Pix-L]

Sounds like a skill issue to me.

[@starwalk2k]

@@Green_Pix-L I have fully completed CD several times over and don't find it as appealing as 2, 3&K or Mania; if you like it more power to you :)

[@williamshaikespire69]

If it was about exploration, then why adding time limit?

[@starwalk2k]

@@williamshaikespire69 ask Sonic Team; it's clear that they wanted both exploration and speed, but whether they did both of those things well together in CD is up for debate

[@starwalk2k]

FOR THE RECORD: I still like Sonic CD, there's a reason I replay it w the other classics 🙏

[@TheBottomTier]

I see you slandering Knuckles' Chaotix.

[@ABUltra64]

Oh you mean like 99% of sonic fans do including me?

[@kawanbruh]

as a chaotix enjoyer: the slander is completely understandable lmao (doesn't stop me from liking this game)

[@WilliamTheLonelyRobot2]

Ok knuckles

[@PJSim2001]

Did somebody popular link this video or something, why is it blowing up and getting an influx of comments

[@lex_4242]

Probably

[@lebollsong]

Algorithm moment

[@PeebleKitty]

the moment i commented this happened, you better thank me with your life pjsim2001.

[@Pyrodiac]

Dude this is probably the most hate farm-y video you could make.

[@takiallahjamai]

3:10 bro was playing the game with one hand 😭

[@Tongo_Z]

Bro, this is literally my school friends. They suffer in a sonic 1 loop, they stay jumping instead of getting speed to pass it. I also have to teach them how to spindash and peel out every second.

[@cyanthehedgehog777]

5:19 "Okay, yeah, that was on me"

[@Trayfellow]

Take a shot everytime you say 'Oh my god'

[@BlueStinger475]

I only recently got into Sonic games. Before, the only Sonic game I beat was Sonic Colors DS. Before Sonic CD, it was Sonic 1 and 2. So when I first played Sonic CD, I thought the game was glitched. Some of the textures were weird to me. When watching the guide by Clement, I learned it was just part of the game.

[@jermfanaccount]

i don't even play Sonic and even i'm getting incredibly frustrated watching this hypothetical toxic Sonic CD hater not understanding basic level design and literally just using their eyes to see where to go. satire's so good it loops back to being actually maddening to watch

[@DKCfan10]

Why was I not recommended this sooner? It’s amazing

[@That1One-Guy]

As a sonic cd non enjoyer I can say this is a terrible representation of my kind, we never get past the first rock. But seriously tho the reason why I don’t like this game is cause the level design is full of stuff that doesn’t have any reason to exist, the super peel out is cool but the spin dash is better, you have a pest and future mechanic which relies on speed but most of the time you just get that speed in the “change time” part of the level which doesn’t really feel rewarding, there’s a bunch of springs everywhere that only make sense when you are able to find the first spring which will then launch you onto another spring making a small automated section that is cool but really weird when you don’t understand it, many stage gimmicks are just kinda meh. But the art is incredible the (JP) ost is out of this world, the animated parts made by studio junio are my favorite version of sonic. Also you’re just kinda being an asshole the entire video.

[@ThrackerZ0d]

"Noo your opinion is wrong because i made a funny video with funny voice acting dumb so ur all wrong!!!"

[@Cake9Cakey]

Blud, it’s a joke, calm down my friend.

[@garvielloken8494]

Unbased CD hater detected

[@ThrackerZ0d]

@@Cake9Cakey i swear to god i didn't made that comment with pure anger and sweat. i don't even remember how Sonic CD gameplay feels like xd

[@taraj3884]

Sonic players when they have to press left: 😨😨😰😰😱😱😱😱

[@TurquoiseTopaz]

Honestly half expected to hear "HEY I'M GRUMP" at the beginning of the video

[@AcBlu1]

Sonic cd has weird level design that you have to explore?? And memorize??? To get good at the game???? Like EVERY OTHER CLASSIC SONIC GAME?????

[@Terminal_Apotos]

The stardust speedway music put me in a trance lmao

[@bulb9970]

It’s always funny someone reaching Wacky Workbench and having to learn what a platform is instead of just holding right

[@besitosdefrutilla]

sonic fans when they have to do anything but hold right 💔💔💔

[@blikthepro972]

To play devil's advocate, you did experience a lot of jank in stardust speedway

[@pacman6744]

As a person who beat sonic cd, wacky workbench and the final stage caused me several mental breakdowns.

[@gameguider321GO]

Funny thing is, I actually used to hate Sonic CD until I played it in Sonic Origins and eventually learned how to play the game and consistantly remember where to go to and what to do to get a good future in every stage. (Except wacky workbench- i still hate that stage.😤)

[@Duskool]

Love the Sarnic CD intro

[@SuperSign64]

tbh its because, sonic cd isnt a normal sonic game. its more of an exploration game with sonic's physics.

[@fnsiii7975]

This video was a great time and it along with the description gave me a good laugh as well 😂. I would not call myself a CD hater, but it is not a game I necessarily like. My feelings on what 2D Classic Sonic games are have changed over time. I used to think that Sonic was only about speed, mainly thanks to the rhetoric I’d see online back then, but now I view it as a component in helping the player navigate and platform around the stage. Essentially I think 2D Classic Sonic games are momentum based platformers first and the speed came from being familiar with the controls and level design. I’d think CD would be up my alley in this case, but I think what “bothers” me about CD is that I don’t think the game provides me with enough incentive to explore its levels. Sonic is fun to control of course imo so it’s fun to bounce around and pull off different jumps thanks to the more vertical nature of the level design, but I can’t say that I feel rewarded in a way that feels satisfying. I believe you get the most out of CD by going for the good future and I like the idea that the game gives you two methods to do so depending on how the player wants to play through the game. The robot generators in the past and special stages at the end of a zone. The robot generators do provide incentive for a players who like to explore to use the time travel mechanic which is good, but I also find it also makes it redundant. When trying to time travel I find that there’s only incentive to go to the past as that’s where the robot generators are, but the future timelines don’t really hold anything of value outside of their music. This makes the future signs feel more like obstacles in the beginning which I guess depending on perspective makes it interesting, but even when a good future is achieved it’s still hazardous. Which on one hand doesn’t make them boring, but on the other I’m also thinking what the point is to travel to the future at all aside from music as I mentioned earlier. The Special Stage rings at the end of the zones are reached in the same manner as Sonic 1 and provide a substitute method of getting good futures for those who play CD more like traditional levels in the Genesis trilogy. The thing with this is that CD has most of its focus on exploring the levels so I find playing it as a more traditional Sonic level leaves me with a hollow feeling, because of it. I will say though that I think this method leads to more practical use of all timelines, because if you need more rings you can travel to any of the given timelines and there will be rings you can collect there with some you can only get in that timeline because they’re obstructed by the present timeline of the level. However because all timelines fulfill this need this makes none of them have a special usage that could lead to interesting decision making imo. Also if one were to only go for the time stones they won’t be able to create a good future in any of the zones until Quartz Quadrant (assuming they don’t fail any of the special stages) and because of that it affects the ending cutscene of the game too which isn’t a big deal, but I think it makes that method feel invalid sometimes. Speaking on the stuff I did like about CD, in terms of gameplay, I think the bosses are some of the most unique fights in the series (although they aren’t challenging to me still). I enjoy traversing through most of the levels thanks to Sonic’s control but I also think some of the stages provide fun interactions such as Quartz Quadrant which is my personal favorite level from the game. I’d comment about the music and the cutscenes but many others have sung their praises for them already. All in all while I don’t hate CD, because of the reasons stated above, I don’t necessarily like it. For those that do enjoy it though I respect their opinions. Also sorry for commenting a book length of stuff I’m just passionate about Sonic. Great video!! I also completed the game multiple times while achieving the good ending. This doesn’t really matter, but I just didn’t want my relative dislike of CD to seem like it stems from a skill issue 😂.

[@bugcraft10]

As somebody whose favorite classic Sonic game is actually Sonic 2... OK HEAR ME OUT- I grew up playing Sonics 1 and 2, I don't remember playing CD and 3&K as a little kid, so they're relatively new to me. I think I like Sonic 2 more because Sonic has a more vibrant color palette and Tails and he can spindash (granted, the peelout is way cooler than a spindash but leave 5 year old me alone) The first time I played CD, I think I was 10 and it was the mobile version. I was confused by the level design because, like the guy in the video, I was used to more straightforward pathways, and the mobile d-pad was not helping. It took until Sonic Origins came out for me to get the proper CD experience and it was pretty fun. Thanks for reading my rant, random person, have a nice day!

[@TerraKnight27]

as someone who experienced classic sonic through the mobile remakes, i dislike this game specifically because beating the game doesn't give you level select and that save slot is just stuck on metallic madness 3 forever

[@jomaq9233]

The problem for me when playing Sonic CD is that the way the game handles its exploration-based level design sometimes feels… poorly thought out, like there’s a bunch of random, nonsensical assets all over the stage that don’t really give the same sense of “cohesion” like the Genesis games do (would still absolutely rather play CD over 1 though, especially with the music) Pretty similar experience to SomeCallMeJohnny, actually

[@IDHLEB]

Sonic CD fans: you don't have to run right to win. Go explore and have some fun Time limit: exists

[@ZemRato]

this is just how any Sonic hater or wannabe troll plays those games, it's not limited to CD

[@E10Kguy]

2:03 is this like casino night? lol accurate vid I hear people say this game had “poor execution”, people who say that have poor skill

[@somehelluvafanboy8357]

Honestly I'd be down for an Unleashed video to see how offended by it I'd feel lol (I don't like it really much, and I'm so comically bad at it that it feels like I'm dying on purpose sometimes💀💀💀)

[@michaeldunlap1032]

I'm gonna be honest, the ONLY level design I found confusing was... metallic madness act 2. (Primarily cuz I just kept forgetting where I'm supposed to go, so most of it was primarily my fault than anything.) Otherwise, I didn't have problems with this game's zones.

[@revival_of_the_canned_justice]

I used to think the original Sonic games were bad because of the platforming that made the gameplay slower (mainly because I thought games were just about going fast), then I played them calmly and I saw that I was wrong, they are very good games (then I got softlocked in labyrinth zone act 3 😭)

[@UnknownUser-ow5zb]

Ironically, the main thing holding this game back is the time limit. It makes you want to rush, but there really is no point when the game is designed as it is. PSA, Timezone Tour is the best way to play

[@honord.1811]

This guy is the Sonic equivalent of that reviewer who kept fucking up the dash jump in the Cuphead (early) tutorial.