In Sonic CD, the titular hedgehog runs so fast that he can travel through time à la Back to the Future's Delorean. Going into the future portrays a dystopia full of evil robots, yet if Sonic goes back in time and destroys a generator, he can achieve a brighter, happier tomorrow with fewer foes.

This is indicative of the series as a whole. In recent years, the blue mascot has become as washed out as fellow 90's icon Vanilla Ice. It turns out all Sonic needed was to delve into the past to gestate a modern culture where he isn't reviled. This port of 1993's Sonic CD does just that, highlighting one of his best adventures that time forgot.

Sonic CD may not be the fastest game in the series, but it might be the most open-ended. Levels are huge, with ample opportunities to forge new paths upon subsequent playthroughs; and adding more variety is the aforementioned time system that subtly alters each stage. After hitting a signpost marked "past" or "future," Sonic must find a place to dash long enough to defy the fourth dimension. Casual gamers can ignore this feature, but hardcore players will revel in altering the past at every opportunity.

Elsewhere, this is a fine-looking game with plenty of character, however hilariously dated the franchise's template may be. The sickly saccharine environments make Las Vegas look like post-war Russia, and the explosions of color should certainly catch your attention. It looks better than ever now thanks to an improved frame rate and expanded playing field fit for widescreen displays.

The bottom line. It's ironic that Sonic's best new game is old enough to vote, but given the exorbitant prices of Sega CD consoles, this wonderful addition to the canon was mostly ignored upon release. Now that it's in our hands, we can finally forget about Sonic's recent unpleasantness. Looks like Sonic made a good future after all.