InSonic Origins Plus, fans can experience the four classic games that started the 32-year history of theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise remastered from the ground up. As a compilation title putting the widely fan-favored mobile ports ofSonic 1,2, andCDon consoles and PC, thePlusexpansion adds Knuckles as a playable character to CD, and evenadds Amy Rose to all four main gameswhile bringing in a few Game Gear titles for more fun.
One of the newest features in the compilation is “Anniversary Mode.” The iconic titles are presented in widescreen. This makes it that fans can play levels and special stages over and over provided they have enough Coins to keep them in the game. As great as this sounds, it can also get them stuck between a rock and a hard place with the mode’s autosaves; that could be prevented by adding a cut rewind feature toSonic Origins Plus.
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Sonic Origins' Cut Rewind Feature
Sonic Originsdoes its best to make these beloved games more accessible to new and old players in its own right. The new Anniversary Mode makes it so fans can stop playing at any point if they choose and pick right back up there, even in games without saves previouslylikeSonic 1andSonic 2.However, dataminers have found the UI of a rewind feature in the game’s files that has gone unused. The actual functions were already removed.
It’s understandable as to why the ability to rewind the game was cut, as having the privilege to undo mistakes that cost players lives at the push of a button has been a point of contention forretro game rereleases. Many fans feel that save states and rewind features take away the challenges that helped make these games important, iconic, and memorable. Other gamers tend to struggle with older games, which has led to features like whatSonic Origins' Anniversary mode already offers players. However, Anniversary mode sometimes hurts instead of helping.
Why a Rewind Feature Could Help Sonic Origins Plus
Anniversary mode’s rewind feature would help a lot in regard to some flaws in what the mode brings to the GenesisSonictitles. While the ability to save at every checkpoint at any time makes each game a bit easier, not every checkpoint is that handy. Labyrinth Zone Act 3 inthe originalSonic the Hedgehoggame, for instance, has no rings after the last checkpoint before a chase sequence.
This section requires fans to dodge spikes and fireballs as they platform their way to the top of a tight space while trying tocatch Dr. Robotnikand avoid the water that’s creeping up behind them. While this section is easier with rings, losing one life leaves the player with none to collect, making Anniversary mode harder. In the newer mode, fans have the option to either keep trying with zero rings, or restart the entire level to collect rings along the way.
Not even reloading the save file fans have for the title in question will make things easier, asSonic Origins’Anniversary modewill put players at the final checkpoint with no way back for any rings beyond restarting. At the very least, the original game’s live system would give players limited retries rather than sticking them in the same spot until they win. By adding the rewind feature into thePlusexpansion, fans could get a few more do-overs – maybe at the cost of the abundant Coins – in tricky situations such as this.
There are other spots to be found in the collection as well that could benefit from this feature, even if it makes the games easier overall. SinceSonic Origins’Story Modeis played exclusively in Anniversary mode as a big gauntlet between all four main titles, being able to go back to change mistakes that make things harder on the player could make these games more rewarding overall.
Sonic Originsis now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with thePlusexpansion launching on July 15, 2025.
