The WORST Way To Play EVERY Sonic Game

[@chaomix]

What's your favorite worst way to play a Sonic game? I personally love torturing myself with the PS3 version of Sonic 06. Also, huge thank you to Factor for making this video possible! Use code CHAOMIX50 to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus 20% off your next month of orders at bit.ly/4gGWBSo!

[@RadeonGD]

sonic unleashed for phone

[@SonicTheBlueFastBoi]

My favourite way to torture myself with SSS: My laggy ahh iPad

[@Sonic-VA-]

Sonic Forces on Switch.

[@erikbihari3625]

​@@RadeonGD. Seriously?

[@erikbihari3625]

Thanks for the big plug, buddy.

[@blakeskit]

The discontinued PlayStation NOW version of SADX and SA2. They were very laggy and had about 60 years of input lag and had the most crashes out of any ps4 game Ive ever used

[@siliconknights]

i actually beat sa2 on ps now years ago when i didnt have a ps3 😂😂😂

[@odkool8116]

there's also a discontinued PlayStation NOW version of sonic 06, but it was japan only.

[@blakeskit]

@siliconknights I only could barely get through hero story and stopped somewhere around lost world in sa1

[@spongebobfan78]

I'm pretty sure PSNow was retooled to be part of a PSPlus tier.

[@RedemptionPS3]

Skill issue. Must’ve just had bad internet mate When the service was still around it worked fine for me

[@rcmero]

Don't talk to me until you've played the entirety of Sonic Adventure DX with a keyboard. I did it when I was 12.

[@OMA2k]

OK, I won't.

[@cheeseboi588]

That's not too bad

[@SwiftlyZone]

There goes my Tuesday plans

[@blaBla-wz8xt]

I played shadow the hedgehog with a keyboard.

[@lagmanrealtrustme]

​@@blaBla-wz8xt I'm so sorry you had to go through that

[@jamesjerk5538]

Not even an honorable mention of Sonic Jam on the Gamecom 😒

[@MrChez5508]

True they should have mentioned that

[@AccelerateHedge]

That doesn't count as a version of 2 and 3K

[@bunwastaken]

Chaomix said that he would only talk about the *mainline games* and not spinoff's and since jam is a collection it doesn't come as a mainline game that goes same for sonic jam gamecom it's a spinoff

[@TuxerTuxar]

It ain't a port it's just shit

[@ButtonMasherReal]

@@bunwastaken Sonic Jam is just a compilation of S1, 2, and 3&K. Basically just a port. Not a spinoff.

[@rynobehnke8289]

Ah shit I have to defend Sonic & Knuckles Collection again from people that have no idea how Music on 90s computers was handled. Sonic & Knuckles Collection does "use the stock Windows soundfont" it uses it only because its the only one you have installed. Back in the day were Soundcards a standard for every PC gamer because the Quality of Medi music depends on the sound synth your Soundcard brought with it. Starting with XP did Windows include a standard on that was overall pretty but but better than the nothing you prior had with no soundcard. There are also virtual sound synth you can install on your PC outside of the stock Windows one that don't requiere a Soundcard. And if you give Sonic & Knuckles collection a decent soundcard perhaps even a higher end Yamaha one will it blast the Megadrive original out of the water with its far higher music quality than the low end Yamaha chip the Megadrive/Genesis shipped with. But even just a non Yamaha card like a good old fashion Soundblaster will dramatically improve the music quality.

[@rynobehnke8289]

The actual worst way to play Sonic 3 would properly ether be a PAL copy in general for playing slower due to the gameplay not being optimized for the 50hz refresh-rate of TV's (vs the 60Hz on NTFS systems) Or the Sonic Classic Collection version on DS for its poor Megadrive sound emulation.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

interesting

[@Therius]

Right? I grew up with the S3&K Collection on PC and the game's launcher wizard thing gave me the option to toggle the MIDI on or off. Guess I just had a pretty fancy PC or something but I always was able to change the way the game sounded from a menu and never noticed an issue. I always thought it was cool how different soundfonts sounded totally different. For example one version of Angel Island had those tropical Island drums but when I changed the soundfont it completely removed them in favor of synth only

[@Mahanagha]

​@rynobehnke8289 I'd say it's sonic origins but really they're all not that bad

[@ZonicMirage]

I dare say S&K Collection actually sounds good using Yamaha's XG software synthesizer. Also I had a SoundBlaster card, so FM was pretty okay.

[@UltraLeevi]

and im those people who 100% sonic1 on GBA

[@dannyfernandez5413]

Are you okay?

[@chaomix]

i'm so sorry for your loss

[@UltraLeevi]

@@chaomix well thankfully this was 2013 So I'm fine👍

[@UltraLeevi]

@@dannyfernandez5413 yep don't worry

[@KatTutPeggle]

I had it as a kid too 😔

[@14Gappar]

Honestly, I think that the worst way to play Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is to play it through Super Mario Bros. All-Stars on the SNES.

[@rafaelpereiragomes1735]

😂😂😂 How is that even a thing?

[@Anypizza4prez]

Nah, the worst way is to play is through Snake on the Nokia phone

[@catholiccontriversy]

​@@rafaelpereiragomes1735my guess is arbitrary code execution. Someone made super mario bros work through programming smb1 bit by bit through writing it in the ram via controller inputs.

[@LITTLE1994]

What fake crap is that

[@mawthesonicfan1877]

@@LITTLE1994sarcasm

[@yellowinahat]

Note that in Sonic and Knuckles Collection, the music playback was incorrect. You're playing the what was supposed to be played on a FM synthesizer music with General MIDI. There's a whole other lineup of music dedicated to be played with General MIDI, which sounds a lot better ( go check that out!).

[@rynobehnke8289]

In general did he just use Windows default which isn't all that great. The game almost certainly was intended to be played on a computer with a dedicated sound card.

[@NicknineTheEagle]

Yeah, standard Windows MIDI synth is very mediocre. You can look up recordings made from AWE32, SC-55 or SC-88 (the synth used in development of this port) and they sound a lot better. FM music doesn't sound half bad either when played with an actual OPL chip.

[@Charcoal190]

I'll be honest, one of my biggest pet peeves with Sonic KZbinrs is when they say stuff along the lines of "If you grew up with the PC version of the Sonic 3 & Knuckles soundtrack, I feel bad for you." Because you know what? I _did_ grow up with that game, and you know what? I loved it! It was my first Sonic game. I didn't know what a MIDI was. Heck, I didn't even know what a Genesis was! I was just a blissful kid who liked to see the blue creature go fast, and I had no idea this game even had another version of the soundtrack until later in my life. Nowadays, if I wanna play the game I'm obviously gonna play it through emulator or Sonic 3 AIR, but that PC release still holds a nostalgic spot in my heart to this day, so there's no need to feel bad for me.

[@joshshrum2764]

The soundtrack sucks ass.

[@Charcoal190]

@@joshshrum2764 I never argued against that.

[@joshshrum2764]

@@Charcoal190well just saying, but true the game isn’t that bad to feel bad over, i would say i feel bad for your ears.

[@Charcoal190]

@@joshshrum2764 It's not some sort of forbidden audio that destroys your ears, it's literally just a MIDI arrangement with the default Windows soundfont.

[@EmeraldAerith]

For real. Yea the soundtrack sucks ass, but holy shit these people make it sound like you're ears will explode by listening to it. Get over yourselves.

[@TheShmish.]

Gonna disagree with SA1 and say the worst version is actually the PS3/360 version. It's title and boxart make it seem like it's a port of the Dreamcast version except it's actually identical other releases of DX but the benefits of DX such as mission mode and Metal Sonic are sold as paid DLC and the Game Gear games are completely removed.

[@I_TheNightWolf_I]

The worst part is this was my first ever version of Sonic Adventure, I was innocent to what the older versions were like

[@jadedheartsz]

disagree the visuals are definitely worse on PC.

[@Beatinperminute]

god the subsubsubmenus were awful to navigate, all the flaws from pc 2004 with less QoL and yeah, DLC and no minigames

[@Coolknight55]

​@@jadedheartszthe visuals are literally the exact same as the pc port

[@jadedheartsz]

@@Coolknight55 actually no

[@AccelerateHedge]

I'd argue the worst version of SA1 is actually the Xbox Live Arcade version. It's a port of the old PC version, so it suffers the same control issues, increased glitches, and terrible visuals and audio quality, but they made the DX content into DLC. So it's completely dysfunctional, ugly, and doesn't have anything over any other version.

[@TuxerTuxar]

That's the same version that came out on ps3

[@I.Am.Terrible.At.Usernames]

This version is fine, did they update it for new gen or something? Cause I've had 0 issues with it on my series X, like none

[@AccelerateHedge]

@@I.Am.Terrible.At.Usernames No, it's just the terrible PC version without the upgrades

[@YourFavoriteHeelerALT]

I sadly have that version, I thought it was the original dreamcast version

[@AccelerateHedge]

@@YourFavoriteHeelerALT Lmao, that's what they wanted you to think going by their PR.

[@pancake8853]

The music problems in the PC version of Sonic 3 can be easily fixed just by hooking up an external General MIDI compatible synthesizer to either your sound card or by a MIDI-to-USB converter on modern computers. The main reason why Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth gets a bad rep is because people don't know any better. It's really just a trimmed down version of a Roland Sound Canvas module without any external effects and can be laggy because the former synth relies on your CPU. Seriously, listen to the DOOM (1993) soundtrack with both MIDI solutions back-to-back. Complete night and day difference.

[@rynobehnke8289]

Sonic & Knuckles collection also supports FM version for its music meaning you can also get that experience with any device that supports FM Midi. Tho even just using a real Sound card with Midi hardware (yes they still exist and usually use a PCIe X 1 slot) will improve quality greatly. Or hell even just a better software synth. I on my Windows 98 PC have a Yamaha one that came bundled with Final Fantasy 7 and that does wonders to Sonic & Knuckles collection.

[@GXP3000]

​​@@rynobehnke8289kinda wish they would've put in the effort to arrange the midis with OPL2/3 considering you can get real close to the originals or even put their own twist. If you want an example of how good it can be, I'd suggest Rusty on DOS (which utilizes the OPL2 chip), which actually uses midi to FM, which sounds great due to them rearranging the music to specifically work with the new format.

[@megamix5403]

​@@rynobehnke8289I legit would like to hear that.

[@GUNUFofficial]

The "new" songs used in the sonic 3 pc being the original songs is biggest sonic plot twist of the 2020s along with the little planet theme being dubious depths present song.

[@lpfan4491]

Honestly, the biggest pllttwist for many people is probably that those musicpieces are actually good when put in the hands of fans, they just haven't been represented well officially because standard PC Midi sucks and Jun just not being able to work with Megadrive sound for some reason.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@lpfan4491 I mean the PC version also supports FM Midi format and if you in general give it to a halfway decent soundcard will it sound good (if you have the money give it to professional midi equipment and get something that arguably blows the Megadrive out the water) People just downplay it because no one has sound cards anymore and Windows default is suboptimal to put it nicely.

[@jadedheartsz]

@@lpfan4491 they sounded good if you had a decent soundcard which my Windows 98 PC did.

[@JerryDX]

Not even mentioning Sonic Jam for the gamecom feels like a huge oversight.

[@JamesR624]

I think to make it on to the list, it had to *actually be a version of the game* in more than JUST Name. If the gamecom counted, then he'd have to consider every crappy "The Games Factory" fan game made in the early 2000's.

[@KyndlingStoneCB]

It’s really hard to call it a version of a game because it’s just three levels from 3 sonic games.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@JamesR624 I mean Jam on games come is still a officially licensed release and he counted totally different games like the versions of Lost world (other wise would he have to say PC as it lacks big DLC content and a lot of mechanics that were build for the WiiU Tablet don't translate super well)

[@IronspiderPL]

Man, I actually have sonic jam and gamecom. It's a genuine disaster on og hardware, lol

[@forTehMemes]

Because it isn’t a port of the Saturn game. It’s a different game. Jam itself is a compilation of the first three Genesis game. So it wouldn’t be included because the two aren’t even remotely similar

[@LorenzoDoesntExist]

Why are we still saying "rumoured" for MJ? It's been confirmed by several people on staff ages ago. Edit: To add, the worst way to play every 8-bit title is its screen-crunched Game Gear version whenever a Master System version with a bigger display is available with the exception of Sonic Blast, the port of which was made by a different studio with severely downgraded graphics. Yes, it helps to have a bigger screen to react to hazards but not by that much for a game this sluggish. Spinball and Mean Bean have 8-bit versions and are therefore Game Gear too. Sonic the Fighters' the original since the PS3 version restores several elements such as Honey the Cat. Sonic 3D's the original since the Saturn and Director's Cuts add more value, but the original is still the most technically impressive on its respective hardware. Sonic Blast was only branded "Blast" and not conceived as a version of Sonic 3D Blast, but it's worse if you count it. Sonic R's the original since later versions add weather effects and water freezing over. Sonic 1, 2, Spinball, 3, 3D, R, and SA1 are have LCD versions by Tiger Electronics if you count those, but their SA1's genuinely impressive for a tiny novelty handheld. Sonic Jam on Game.com by Tiger. Advance is SonicN on N-Gage. Sonic Mega Collection on GameCube, which never got the Plus version. Shadow the Hedgehog is mainline, so every time you say "every mainline," please include that too. It's not just some spin-off like Tails Adventures. It was made by many top staff, was Sonic Team's big game of that year, and is the conclusion of a storyline started in SA2. I agree that the worst is usually the PS2 version whenever it's available. If you count Flash games, they have Shadow the Hedgehog Flash and Sonic Rivals Dash. All-Star Racing's the J2ME version on the lowest-end phone. All-Star Racing Transformed's on 3DS. Other cursed game builds are Sonic's Schoolhouse, the Sonic and Shadow Xs Flash games, and Sonic X on Leapster.

[@koolaid33]

Pretty sure the lead developer/creator of Sonic literally confirmed that Michael Jackson DID work on the soundtrack on Twitter like.. a year ago. Right before he was arrested.

[@lpfan4491]

It is funny how the story is genuinely beaten to death and people still forget. Just a mutual agreement to leave his name off the credits.

[@BoomingInfernape]

Because his "research" is just reading the Trivia section on the Sonic Wiki

[@joshshrum2764]

@@lpfan4491did you know Michael Jackson liked Sonic the hedgehog.

[@joshshrum2764]

@@BoomingInfernapebro hasn’t played rush adventure lol.

[@ZonicMirage]

The Brad Buxer & MJ contributions to Sonic 3 were NOT the originals. An older build exists that uses completely in-house themes that were later repurposed for S&K Collection (and Origins for that matter). This information has been available for a VERY long time, man. Also General MIDI isn't a soundfont.

[@bewitched5587]

While the songs Brad and Michael made aren’t the original it was still used in the final release and is incredibly iconic. I don’t hate the alternative songs, they’re actually kinda good, but they just don’t hit as hard

[@ZonicMirage]

​@@bewitched5587 Fair enough. While they needed more refinement for sure, I've actually become attached to the prototypes. My favorite's Carnival Night Act 2. Hard Times as Ice Cap is a banger, though overall none of the contributions nowadays sound terribly... Sonic-y to me? I dunno, there will always be a divide.

[@bewitched5587]

@@ZonicMirage yeah the songs are all awesome on their own! Most people only really shun the prototype songs because it’s not what they grew up with but the more I’ve played sonic origins the more they grow on me as well

[@CptJistuce]

The pack-in softsynth for Windows is actually a GS synth. They actually got samples from Roland, and on paper it is roughly an SC-55. On paper. It uses a VERY crunchy set of samples, so it wouldn't be a major RAM hog on a PC from the 90s. And they've not updated it since Windows 98(probably because they'd have to renegotiate their license and Roland would want more money now), so it is SUPER crunchy.

[@ZonicMirage]

@@CptJistuce Ah, thanks for the info. I feel like I knew this but it's been a long time.

[@Raymi20-]

"Erm, actually" 🤓☝ the worst version of Sonic 4 Episode 2 is the Sega Forever version since it has many graphical glitches such as: Missing background on Episode Metal Act 3, invisible ice in White Park Zone Act 3, duplicated hands in the Special Stages, and more

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

And ads unless you fork over money

[@AhmedFarooq-q5m]

@@tnmgroupptyltd1509 yeah I would rather pay for the orginal other than getting the one with the ads

[@vreikezen8268]

@@AhmedFarooq-q5mPlus, you can mod the steam version to add classic sonic and tails (which makes it the definitive way to play the game for me)

[@unofficialmeme5972]

Common Sega Forever L

[@Raymi20-]

@@vreikezen8268 Not only that, but you can mod episode 1 to make sonic's appearance and the soundtrack better

[@Dimumouto]

In the words of BrainScratchCommentaries when they did Sonic Genesis; "You're not Eggman. I'm not Sonic."

[@bleugreann1678]

Mannnn brainscratch brings me back

[@Jac-Man]

@@Dimumouto “This is not Green Hill Zone.”

[@_mango_]

Poor Johnny playing that game 😅

[@xenotiic8356]

Best minimally-edited Let's Play channel of all time

[@Dimumouto]

@@_mango_ this one and their FF6 playthrough were my favorites

[@Vienna3080]

Sonic and Kunckles on the PC only sounds “bad” if you aren’t using a proper Sound card, this is like playing Cyberpunk 2077 on a 15 year old GPU then saying the PC version is the worst version Let me also add even with the worst sound card it doesn’t sound that bad

[@HarmonyBunny]

I grew up with Sonic Adventure DX on PC Does that make me the worst Sonic game player?

[@Ivan210bluboi]

Hey HarmonyBunny

[@ethantreadway9478]

No in fact you’re cultured!

[@oskarhasabeanie]

If modded then no

[@colorstar7772]

Of course not. As long as you enjoyed the game

[@__init__Lucas]

Me too 😭 and mine got a problem were it only had one music file so EVERY level had the same song

[@stanzacosmi]

8:07 actually it doesn't use the stock windows midi, it uses whatever midi sound is available, and you could use your own midi output for it even if you had a card for it. or even a card with an opl2 chip, which makes it sound more like the genesis version.

[@jaylenbutler899]

Um, actually; the worst way to play SA1 is the Steam version without mods.

[@Atom-w3s]

Eh not really, mods or not the game still plays the same

[@Imertdane]

@@Atom-w3sless animations

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@Atom-w3s I mean unlike 2004 will Steam not give you Gamegear titles (they are in the files together with there emulator but inaccessible by normal means)

[@NessTheChosenOne]

I actually played the Steam version without mods, and liked it a lot, didn't get any glitches or bugs at all and I enjoyed it very much.

[@roxas5071]

​@@NessTheChosenOnethe problem isnt that its BAD its just serviceable idk how they managed to fuck up almost everything visually on better hardware than the dreamcast, the gamecube literally had wind waker and twilight princess no wonder its called Director's Cut the Director probably WAS cut

[@CRCR0201]

If you're not counting Sonic Colors DS you shouldn't count Gens and Lost World 3DS

[@rafaelpereiragomes1735]

Exactly.

[@BronzeFacade]

Ultimate is still worse so what does it matter

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

sonic colors ds is probably the better way to play to play colors compared to the console version so it wouldnt even have made it anyways

[@internetloser2336]

Gens and Lost World 3ds are just objectively worse versions of their console counterparts. The Rush formula is just good in general so Colors DS gets a pass.

[@ZACKMAN2007]

I loved colors ds.

[@baalfgames5318]

6:03 skip ad.

[@chapterblaq]

premium has a "jump ahead" feature that lets you skip ad reads 😅. We'll see if they roll it out for regular YT too 🤞🏾

[@SnaksiXD]

Arin Hanson is drooling at this video 😂

[@joshshrum2764]

Gives dsp a chubby.

[@MrEasyNah]

Soon as Netflix was mentioned, I knew where he was going with it.

[@idk66307]

I thought he was going to say that the worst way to play sonic boom is to play sonic boom instead of watching it on Netflix ☠️

[@JAC3DG33K]

To their defense the games actually do have decent controller support, which is how I played the Shredder’s Revenge DLC without having to pay extra on my Switch or Steam.

[@JuanAndresDiazTorres]

Here's a piece of trivia! The infamous MIDI sound set (I won't call it a soundfont because it does not use a conventional soundfont file extension) that Windows machines come bundled with originates from a computer software called "Roland Virtual Sound Canvas", which in turn is largely based on the Roland SC-55, a General MIDI (GM) based pulse-code modulation (PCM) sound module primarily intended for computer music usage. I must say, when I listen to demo MIDIs being played on this quirky sample-based machine, I'm impressed by its sound quality and reverb, chorus, and delay effects, especially when I consider the fact this thing was released back in 1991. The sound quality of the Roland Virtual Sound Canvas isn't great by today's standards, but at least it makes an effort to mimic the effects the source material was known for (while staying mindful of hardware demands of the 1990s). But then Microsoft came in and decided to integrate the software's sound set into Windows operating systems under the name of "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth" but threw the effects out of the equation. Something else I want to mention (besides the absence of the reverb, chorus, and delay effects) is how these samples were compressed even more overtime. I just thought I'd share this.

[@Jac-Man]

i’m sorry but i’m just straight up not having the control issues with Netflix’s Sonic Mania that everyone else is, the version I have just has a normal D-pad and plays just like the other Taxman Sonic mobile ports - and yes I downloaded it directly through Netflix’s app so its entirely official, no mods or sideloading or anything like that, and the only audio issues i’m having are a little bit of crackling when im playing without headphones. Aside from that i’ve been completely satisfied with this version of Mania and i have a bunch of completed saves already Edit: Okay there is ONE glaring issue i have - there’s a softlock in the transition between Chemical Plant and Studiopolis where you won’t burst out of the manhole to start the latter zone. Thankfully you can just close the app and reload your save file to start post-manhole burst so it’s not a major roadblock, but still, it shouldn’t be there.

[@Rodan_0]

yeah people overreacting alot its really not a bad port if you dont have a switch

[@vreikezen8268]

Yeah I think people are overreacting purely because it’s Netflix

[@Ketirz]

Hard disagree on the 3DS Lost World being the lesser version. I cannot begin to convey how much that game benefits from being playable on the toilet. I know that's not exactly high praise (and good luck with those bonus stages. I can't believe you didn't mention the bonus stages), but I always get bored to tears with the HD version before even finishing the desert zone, and I actually played through the entirety of the 3DS version. Also, to answer the "are you okay" question re: S3&K PC kids: no! Genesis fans won't stop telling me my version of the Icecap Zone theme sucks, even though it's bouncy and fun and was the one in the screensaver. :(

[@joshshrum2764]

Yeah it does suck, and you will have hard times for knowing that icecap.

[@guacamolenightmaretv7720]

I don't get why the HD and SD versions of Unleashed were counted as separate games in this video when the handheld versions of Generations and Lost World have completely different stages to their console counterparts.

[@jadedheartsz]

those special stages are a bitch on the 3DS though, they require you to basically spin around in place and you need a good amount of room to do it and god help you if you're disabled in any way.

[@uneedrambo716]

being playable on the toilet is so hilarious to me as being the reason I have to agree

[@DamashiTheKaotic]

There is so much more wrong with the Steam Port of SA2 Chaomix didn't even mention! The game's frame rate is tied to your monitor's refresh rate, which can lead to you playing it at unplayable speeds. If you find that you cant launch SA2 for some reason the "Verify Integrity of game files" feature doesn't actually work. The dead zones on the analog controls are broken for rails, so it makes balancing impossible,

[@gay_bagel]

What computer do all of you have? Because mine isn't even made for video games and it runs perfectly fine for me besides for two parts in the entire game that slowed down my frame rate a bit. I swear you guys have some weak computers.

[@Alexyapsandstuff]

I think the WORST way to play Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic and knuckles is the gamecom port of sonic jam, as you know the original Sonic Jam (Sega Saturn version) is a collection of games, has a 3d world, and has some fun bonus stuff. Sonic jam (gamecom port) is also a collection but it doesn't have the 3d world. You may be thinking "All it does is remove the 3d world right? it still has the collection doesn't it?) and yes it does have the collection but it is way worse than you think. The collections are so laggy it seems unplayable, The graphics are soulless and terrible, the screen crunch is unbearable, the ost is creepy and empty, and the games in the colllection are extremely unrecognizable. I could yap all day about how bad sonic jam (gamecom port) is.

[@KhaosKontroller]

Colors on DS is actually the BEST version of Colors.

[@Izhen_UwU]

It was the first version I played back in 2010 and it's my favourite sonic game! Colors on DS is faster, wisps feel more natural to use, it has a super sonic boss fight, the story is better and the traditional 2 acts structure from stages are still maintained in this version.

[@Therius]

Agree until that Mother Wisp final boss fight. That shit was awful 😭😭

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

It’s actually a completely different game

[@jadedheartsz]

it's fine but I wouldn't go that far

[@KhaosKontroller]

@@tnmgroupptyltd1509 Which is great

[@Iristallite]

The worst part about Mania's mobile menus is that the Switch version supported touch input for the menus, AND it was comfortable to use even on the smaller Switch Lite! They had no reason to change them!

[@retrodeveloper9156]

Well, when you try porting a J2ME version of Sonic 1 (which is not bad, just laggy) to a GBA, I don't think there's a way of getting it running properly

[@bigtaste985]

8:29 It's actually likely that the reason they used the prototype music in Sonic & Knuckles Collection because of them being unable to replicate the extra samples in the tracks replaced, such as the "go" samples in Launch Base, the glass shatter and "jam" samples in Carnival Night, and the "uh!" sample in Ice Cap. Considering the Collection came out the same year as Sonic Jam, which had the Jackson tracks, the whole "Jackson's estate wasn't letting them" thing is probably false for this game at least.

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

No, MJ was credited, and his allegations caused them to be unable to use the original music.

[@bigtaste985]

@@tnmgroupptyltd1509 This is also not the case. Michael Jackson himself was never credited in Sonic 3. People who worked on the soundtrack (i.e. Brad Buxer) have said that Jackson left because he was unhappy with how the YM2612 sounded with his compositions.

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

@@bigtaste985 I didn’t mean credited in the game. I meant actually credited in the development, not the credits.

[@bigtaste985]

@@tnmgroupptyltd1509 I'm not saying Jackson DIDN'T work on Sonic 3, either. He did. What I'm saying is that it's probably unlikely that they didn't have the rights considering Sonic Jam had the music intact, but it's because of limitations of the MIDI format that they couldn't for the S&K Collection.

[@EeveeEuphoria]

8:21 it's not even rumored anymore, yuji naka himself confirmed that MJ composed for sonic 3

[@LITTLE1994]

To a degree

[@lobsteros]

The old Sonic 3 & Knuckles PC release didn't "use the default Windows MIDI soundfont," it uses whatever your sound card supports. Back then, every sound card came with their own soundfonts and sound synthesis hardware, so depending on your sound card, the music in this port could sound pretty fantastic! But these days, now that MIDI and FM synthesis aren't really common sound formats anymore, hardware that supports any more than the bare minimum for these formats isn't very common. That's why you get stuck with the Windows default MIDI. Between that and the compatibility issues (which you really can't BLAME a PC game from the 90s for, but I digress), there's no doubt that playing the PC port on modern hardware sucks, which makes it a decent fit for this list. But don't be so hasty to assume it sucked back then just because it sucks now! I'm sure the people who played it on a PC in the 90s with a decent sound card will be sleeping just fine at night despite your concerns.

[@SystemST91]

I absolutely agree. I first played S3&K as a PC Port (S&K Collection) in the 90s and first heard the OST as a general MIDI. It was only later that I was able to try playing the Mega Drive version. Personally, I like the general MIDI version (I even enjoyed the FM synthesis version), but everyone here just has a different experience playing (and listening) S3&K for the first time. I still play the PC port occasionally today out of nostalgia😉and it just still looks cool to play S3&K in that little window with general MIDI music playing in the background on Windows.

[@sittaman]

to be fair, when played with a high end or even decent sound card the S&K Collection sounds way better than the raw midi sounds from the Windows library

[@CarlMakesVideos]

I'm fairly sure the S3&K collection actually gives you the option to select either the MIDI soundtrack, or the music in some other form. That's the version of the game I grew up with, and I distinctly remember the music selection prompt at the start of the game, because that's where I learned the term MIDI.

[@Darnsoda]

22:34 I agree with that

[@hamzamohamed6774]

I don't Chaomix just said these awful versions of sonic games makes us appreciate the good ones even more and then he straight up said except for sonic 1 GBA, like what does he even mean

[@superbrett95]

​@hamzamohamed6774 you know, he might've been making a joke. I don't know, though.

[@hamzamohamed6774]

@@superbrett95 I swear I did know that, please don't call me cringe

[@evdomos]

HOLD UP. The Sonic & Knuckles PC port may have had midi music, but... It also included the entire Sonic CD soundtrack. The Japanese one. I remember how mystical it was to me to find these extra Sonic songs that I could listen to, that barely anyone probably knew about. It also included a ton of promotional Sonic art, so as a kid seeing all this art I had never seen anywhere, with music I had never heard... Yeah, it was magic.

[@luigibarqs]

Calling Sonic & Knuckles Collection on PC the worst version of S3&K out there is baffling to me. The version of S3&K on Sonic Classic Collection on DS, has emulation so bad that multiple sprites and visual effects are broken, the audio doesn't always work correctly, the crushed resolution makes pixel sizes inconsistent, and the game has noticable lag problems. S&K Collection might as well be a masterpiece by comparison.

[@luigibarqs]

It should also be stated there are mods for Sonic & Knuckles Collection to have it run just fine on modern PCs, as well as mods to use the original Sega Genesis soundtrack, or whatever other mp3 files you want to replace the midi music with.

[@Awsomeisimo]

You just outed yourself my man, the pc version of SA2B has its game logic tied to the framerate, and the framerate tied to your monitors refresh rate. So you have to manually go into the nvidia control panel and lock the framerate to 60. Point being buy a 144hz monitor its 2025

[@chronokromer4211]

The worst way to play the Sonic 2, 3 & Knuckles are actually from Sonic Jam for the Game Com (it's a different version of Sonic Jam) because omg... That thing should be a War Crime

[@Silver.Productions]

funny thing about sonic mania netflix is that the game could run perfectly well natively. there's absolutely no reason to put it on the cloud

[@RandomManFromPoland]

This video can be really inconsistent. You've counted 3 versions of sonic unleashed while not counting sonic gemerations for the 3ds like its own game

[@littleguystar]

“It uses the stock windows midi soundfont” Wrong! It uses whatever you have installed. And most modern PCs only have the stock soundfont. But back then, you’d have much MUCH better soundfonts on board

[@MisterSandmanAU]

Get a proper MIDI module, Jesus Christ. Also please properly brush up on the history of Sonic & Knuckles Collection. The tracks weren't swapped out for legal reasons, they were just what the PC conversion team had on hand.

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

I grew up with the sonic and knuckles collection. Do people really think the music is awful? I understand preferring the original soundtrack, but the pc version was by no means bad.

[@jadedheartsz]

the audio quality can vary wildly depending on the soundcard you have, I had a good one on my Windows 98 PC so it sounded very pleasing to me.

[@pvzmariosonica8fan]

I honestly don't mind the MIDI soundfont of the _Sonic & Knuckles Collection._ I'm actually trying to find a way to convert certain songs from Colors Ultimate, Generations HD, Lost World HD, and Superstars to that soundfont

[@rynobehnke8289]

I mean Sonic & Knuckles Collection doesn't have its own sound font it will just use what ever your OS as set as its default Midi playback device. Its just that most people these days have non and are only using the subpar stock Windows Midi sound font that has't been updated since Windows Xp and was never high quality to begin with.

[@HedgehogY2K]

Screw-you. I happened to love this growing up. And yes, I kinda like the midi sounds, brings me back to a time when most things sounded like that all 2000s PoopCup style.

[@Ryyi23]

Considering the Switch is the only way many people have to play the last 3 Sonic games, it's great that they didn't have to make a relatively large amount of sacrifices.

[@ErMun_Channel]

>The WORST Way To Play Sonic Game >Unleashed Java Bruh, it's not that one for PS3/XBOX360

[@Sonic_Beyond]

9:18 my thumbnail lol But yeah, SADX ruins alot of what was perfect in the original

[@BongooGaming]

Sonic Beyond jumpscare.

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

No game is perfect, take off your nostalgia goggles, it's not 1999 anymore

[@Sonic_Beyond]

@@AkameGaKillfan777 It’s not nostalgia, I’m just speaking facts. SADX is an awful port

[@roxas5071]

​@@AkameGaKillfan777DX unironically makes the og game seem way worse than it actually is they fucked up the lighting and shadow system beyond repair and the new models went from looking like actual animals to plastic not to mention visual bugs like tails maintaning his multiple tails but with no oppacity or sonic's shoes stretching with no after image overall the only improvement were the hardware ones like widescreen and fps, otherwise the port is quite literally just a worse way to play the og, thankfully the pc port is worse but atleast that one has access to mods which let you combine the original, way better lighting system with the old (arguably better) looking models

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

@@roxas5071 All I said was their claim that the original was perfect is wrong. You also forgot to mention that DX also has skippable cutscenes. The cinematics as a whole were dated on arrival, with the directionless voice acting, stock expressions where the characters have to move their whole faces when talking, no one actually holds objects, they just float near their hands, and the Paper Mache-looking Chao.

[@DaRaginLombax]

God, when you flipped from the Sonic 2 Dash and Crash versions to the REAL Sonic 2, I got vertigo for a second...

[@rover-raid6396]

Sonic 4 is actually really funny now, because the best versions are the mobile versions. Not too long ago the game got an updated that improved the visuals immensely but only the mobile versions got this update. As of now the best way to play the game is on a high end/modern phone

[@Hyp3rSonic]

I have Sonic 4 Ep. 2 on mobile!

[@PoisonedOkami]

Jeez I remember ps2 Sonic Heroes, you'd press X once to just jump and somehow the game registers it being input twice so you either dash right away or fly right away when you didnt want to, really screwed me over sometimes 😭

[@joshshrum2764]

I literally have it looking at me on my shelf, and damn that ino is crazy for a pfp.

[@ca_lcium]

I struggled so hard during the alligator sequence in Lost Jungle because of it

[@KatTutPeggle]

Sonic 3 on PC has an option for two different sound cards, it’s still midi music either way, but the non default option works better with modern sound cards

[@MAIcrosoft]

8:24 Do people actually know the replaced music in the PC version was composed by the original Sonic 3 composer and intended for the game? Those tracks were scrapped in the final release but resurfaced later in that Sonic & Knuckles Collection for Windows (likely due to the Michael Jackson legal issues)

[@ChinGam3R]

My Dad and I were actually really excited for the OUYA when it came out, then we never got it and saw all the articles about how bad it was and were were just like... oh...

[@cursedkevin]

Oh come on 3&K Collection isn’t that bad. Classic Collection on DS is far worse (and I actually grew up with that version so I have actual legs to stand on)

[@joshshrum2764]

I played it too, but i still don’t think it’s bad.

[@picklenator9633]

Trust me, it's super slow. I played both the original genesis and the DS version. The DS version DOES have save states... but that's being generous.

[@LeftEarth2]

I'm still waiting for Sega to release: _Sonic's Text Adventure_ for DOS.

[@JAC3DG33K]

There are probably dozens of .exe games already in the wild 😂

[@SuperRKO92]

I remember my days getting a train back from College and spending it playing sonic unleashed on my Nokia e5

[@aizakhoja2521]

Fun fact: the sonic lost world sonic model’s head became a meme for some time

[@ao_tsuri]

The worst way to experience any Sonic game is watch someone play it on 144p, which is what I'm doing daily..

[@dave9515]

Wrong on the classic games outside CD cause sonic jam for the gamescom exists.

[@HOTD108_]

Does it truly exist if nobody's ever heard of it though?

[@pacomatic9833]

@@HOTD108_ If someone throws away a cup at a party, but this party was completely forgotten, did the party happen? Yes. It happened because whatever happened then still affected the future, through the cup if nothing else. Same goes with that port, its development, and its release.

[@Zerosaber91]

Those aren't even finished tho.

[@koolaid33]

@@HOTD108_ I never heard of half the versions he mentioned through the whole damn video. I guess those don't exist either.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

i wouldn't even consider them the same game

[@JuniperYoder]

I've just come to a realization that Mario and Sonic is just New York and Chicago.

[@Faz10do987]

11:31, you must legit not have steam input enabled like at all holy.

[@Faz10do987]

Because I do and it works just fine

[@gay_bagel]

I second this. My only problem is that the game gets a tad slower in only two parts in the entire game.

[@mattiemedia4096]

Same, I basically have no issues with the game unmodded, doesn't really feal any different then the GameCube, especially since I use a GameCube controller

[@nermalmovement]

It seems like they patched the audio for mania on mobile, but the special stages are still a nightmare to control. Honestly, I think tilt controls in the special stages would have been a good idea

[@streetsy8765]

I’m one of the poor souls that owns Sonic Heroes on PS2. And yet, I still finished the main story.

[@ventilo334]

I don't know about other countries but in France, we got a set top box version of Sonic Generations and you had to play it with a TV remote, making it the worse version. 😂

[@PieStudios]

You could make the argument that the Wii version of Sonic 4 was the worst, as it features MIDI music since the normal songs couldn’t fit in Nintendo’s strict file limitations for WiiWare.

[@ym2612girl]

I'd actually argue it's one of the better versions of Sonic 4. The most notable addition to me is multiple save files. Bizarrely, every other version forced a single save on you.

[@gameshock2916]

Fun fact: Sonic Adventure 1 on the Xbox 360 which was released in 2010 is based on the PC-ROM version of Sonic Adventure DX as it uses the same graphics as Sonic Adventure DX and has the same collision too. This version got a physical release in 2011 on the Xbox 360 via the Dreamcast Collection which includes Sonic Adventure 1, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5 Part 2, and SEGA Bass Fishing. The Xbox 360 exclusive SEGA Dreamcast Collection game also got a Steam Release too.

[@cullbear55]

Chaomix, you're wrong about SADX 2004 PC version being the worst way to play. The base version on Steam/360/PS3 are actually somehow even worse because they came out after the initial physical SEGAPC release. I grew up with the original PC version, and I had a USB Saitek controller that worked perfectly fine with it. I played the 2004 version all the time when I was a kid. It's definitely not as bad as the base version on Steam.

[@jadedheartsz]

PC version has worse visuals though

[@cullbear55]

@@jadedheartsz Right, but it's the version that's used for modding because it's better than Steam version. *All* versions of DX look worse. It's just interesting what's slightly different from port to port.

[@ca_lcium]

I also had the 2004 PC port. It was definitely bad, but I genuinely feel like the vanilla Steam version of the game is worse. Whatever issues the 2004 port had were just multiplied when it was put on console and then ported back to PC.

[@cullbear55]

@@ca_lcium Exactly.

[@HyperSonic1999orJTH]

8:02 Sonic and Knuckles Collection's MIDI OST is actually really good, on par if not better than the original when you use a virtual midi controller with a SC-88 soundfont instead of Windows default font. The OST was made with the SC-88 in mind while also including the option to use FM Synthesizer as a fallback. The game is also full playable on modern systems when you use Sega PC Reloaded. The actual worst version of Sonic 3 playing Sonic Classic Collection on DS.

[@Colecionador7162]

8:14 BUSTER WOLF

[@bluespherecryst]

POWER DUNK!!!

[@Grym_The_Reaper]

​@@bluespherecryst POWER GEYSER!!!

[@bsharpmajorscale]

I think with the Sonic & Knuckles Collection there were two options: yes, the MIDI, but also a synth option. At least, the copy I played as a kid did. It's funny, for the longest time people hated the "substitute" tracks, but we later found out they were prototype tracks from before the Jackson team got involved. Plus, the SEGA Team tracks are generally more harmonically developed then the Jackson team ones. I did have the original Genesis version (and Mega Collection), but I do have a soft spot for the S&KC. It's just so fun to play around with debug stuff to break the games and force it to change from one game to another.

[@OmegaGlops]

18:16 But wait! You never specified what the worst version of Sonic Generations HD was! You considered Unwiished and Colors DS to be entirely different games, so...

[@crestofhonor2349]

The PS3, PC, and Xbox versions are pretty much all identical. Only difference is that the PC and Xbox Series versions run at 60fps and can output at a higher resolutions

[@rynobehnke8289]

I guess stock 360 would be the answer as PC runs better usually and PS3 runs about the same but gets 4 FPS on average more (I know what a huge increase) That is unless not having Sonic 1 on PC is a big enough minus to make it the worst version for one.

[@LoremIpsum1919]

Finish your sentence

[@gay_bagel]

But Green Hill is in both of them so they're the same/j

[@roseannaagnew7385]

Sonic 1, 2 and CD mobile: I'M THE BEST. Sonic Mania netfilx: Nobody knew me.😢

[@PercyPanleo]

With Adventure it gets even worse, since the PSN and XBLA ports were ported from the PC CD-ROM version and the Steam version was ported from those versions, both adding even more errors to the point that the mod loaders for the Steam version of SADX actually just replace the Steam version with the original PC CD-ROM version and use a mod to patch Steam achievements back in Also to give some credit to the PS3 version of Unleashed, it is one of the few games that's affected significantly by the PS3's output resolution scaling, with 720p output it generally performs much more closely to the 360 version at worst and in some cases manages to exceed the 360 version in framerate. However, given that the framerate is still inconsistent AND the PS3 version has downgraded visual effects, I'd say it's still the worse version.

[@crestofhonor2349]

Well the reason why the frame rate can go higher is that the PS3 version is capped at 60fps while the 360 version is capped at 30fps. This means in lighter areas the PS3 can hit a higher frame rate

[@soggytreasures]

christ the switch port of frontiers is DREADFUL

[@Atom-w3s]

I feel like sega should have just put the 8 bit sonic 1 on the gba

[@koolaid33]

If they were to do that, I don't think people would've accepted just one. They would've had to make a compilation of like, all the 2D platforming Sonic games from the Game Gear to justify buying it.

[@lpfan4491]

​@@koolaid33They would have had to make a good release to justify buying it. If anything, putting 8-Bit Sonic 1 alone on there properly would have been a better deal than what we got.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@koolaid33 I mean Nintendo felt very confident in re-releasing there NES library at full price with the "NES Classics" line on GBA back than. So even just a 2 in 1 deal would have been a great value position to challenge Nintendo.

[@Atom-w3s]

​@koolaid33 at least the games were actually meant ti run on a gba. Sure the acreen crunch would be an Issue but it wouldn't run slower

[@koolaid33]

@@Atom-w3s They weren't meant to run on the GBA though? They were meant to run on a different handheld, one with a different screen size. If Sega actually tried they easily could've gotten Sonic 1 on the GBA, look at the Super Mario Advance games, those all run pretty close to the same as on the SNES, and have improvements over the original.

[@Timefishing1]

If we were counting the Sonic Jam Gamecom “ports” then we all know what the classic games would be.

[@flowvis1193]

actually the worst way to play sonic unleashed is on my scratched disk

[@MANGOM1LK]

the currently-available Android port of Sonic 4 Episode II is genuinely worse than the Ouya version because it has similar audio issues to the netflix port and it’s bugged out, especially in the special stages

[@jinxyjangle]

Shadow the Hedgehog is a mainline game, stop acting like it isn't.

[@catholiccontriversy]

Damn, that was harsh.

[@thevalkyriemercenary9463]

Black doom in shadow generations pretty much confirms that it's canon

[@jinxyjangle]

@@thevalkyriemercenary9463 Exactly.

[@rynobehnke8289]

I mean I guess if Sonic CD is allowed to count should we give Shadow the respect he deserves.

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

And all versions are the same, so…

[@Cupheadsadvocate]

Colors Ultimate was released on my birthday. I already knew it was gonna be bad, and here I was with a present that's the equivalent to someone shitting in a box and giving to someone for their birthday

[@agentomecha634]

You know what, I’m just gonna say it. I like Sonic Lost World for the 3DS. Heck, sometimes I prefer it over the console version.

[@TheDoomsdayzoner]

I dunno, I've played Unleashed on Java, and it was great. Like a simple 2D platfirmer that has both speedy sections of normal Sonic and full trap-filled platformer sections of Werehog.

[@buchibuch]

I only Had Sonic Games on Ps3 as a Child, but still Loved the Games (even Sonic 06)

[@IVAR_LIKES_MHA]

Try the sonic mania Netflix deal. It’s pretty good. I see the framework is a bit down but overall it’s sonic mania and it’s pretty good recommended

[@EternalPizzaALT]

My controller works perfectly fine on sa2b on steam…

[@hyper-2308]

didnt for me

[@pacomatic9833]

@@hyper-2308 steam input maybe?

[@blockyvids2]

It's absolutely hilarious that the 2004 PC version of SADX is the basis for literally EVERY SA1 mod on PC. And somehow the PSN/XBLA and base Steam versions are somehow EVEN worse than the GC and 2004 PC versions.

[@therealJMB]

In my opinion, the worst version of Superstars is the Xbox Series X/S version, believe it or not. For some reason, it has input lag that makes it unbelievably frustrating to play

[@tnmgroupptyltd1509]

All versions have it

[@firehedgehog1446]

Chaomix: "Just don't play Sonic 06" ChaosX: "Hold my Unity Engine"

[@hyper-2308]

You just bullied me who played most of the games on PC

[@rhapsody2612]

For Sonic 4 Episode I, id say the worst version would be the original iOS version, since that version, even though it released after the iPhone 4, it was never optimized for it, so it uses the 3GS resolution.

[@daviethehedgehog6317]

Gotta disagree with the 3DS version being the worst version of Sonic Lost World. I find it a lot more enjoyable than the Wii-U version despite its controls, I even like how it uses the Wisps better than the Wii-U version by actually making you use them instead of only needing 9 of them to beat the game. (yes, I kept track of it.) I'd say the Wii-U version would be the worst if we didn't count the 3DS version simply for the fact you can only play it with the Wii-U Gamepad.

[@johnshea7871]

The Wii U version was also released on PC and has regular controller support, but lacks the Yoshi and Zelda DLC which is no longer available to buy

[@velostation6309]

I unironically love the MIDI soundtrack from the PC version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. I was fortunate enough to play the original Genesis/Mega Drive version back in the day thanks to the classic Gens emulator. But I also had a demo version of S&K Collection that only featured Angel Island Zone and I'm pretty sure ended before you even reached the Act 2 boss. And I also played countless Sonic fangames from the late 90s and early 2000s that used MIDI soundtracks, some even lifted directly from S&K Collection. I've always preferred the original Genesis/MD soundtrack but I still have a soft spot for how old PC games used to sound, it doesn't sound bad to me at all, it's just the way it was.

[@leostars22]

14:45 to be honest, i prefer the ps2 version simply by the fact that the homing attack/air dash isn't on the same button as the boost, it makes a lot of difference