I literally booted this game up the other day just to hear the menu music and look at all the cool Archie comic covers. Game compilations like these were really special back in the day.
When you ask Japanese composers about their music inspiration, they always say stuff like "I wrote this song to avoid my annoying wife who stole my kit-kat."
This video made me cry...and I'm not a soft man I am 6'6" tall 260lb athletic black man. But there is a reason...my mom got me Sonic Mega collection when I wads a teenager...I absolutely loved the menu music the one titled "history" specifically...please listen....5 years ago 2019 one year before covid hit I felt something was wrong...Terribly wrong...I went to a popular park in the town I live in where a river runs though it in March. "Hart Park in Bakersfield by the Kern River" as I walked along the river I listened to this song because I felt something was wrong....a few days later "it's March" I found out my mom had passed away....nobody in my family knew because my mom was a very independent woman...she got this game for me and knew I loved it I feel like she was telling me goodbye that day as I walked along the park because I knew something was wrong. I love this song and now it means a lot more to me then ever. RIP Mom I love you...and to those who listened to my story thanks for reading this far...I needed to get that out. 😊
5’6 black man and can vouch this song hits even a foot shorter, I constantly use this song to reflect on life, decisions, and memories of days long gone, rip to your mom brother
The song being so somber makes sense for the era it was released in. It represented the end of an era for Sonic, and Sega as a whole. Sega dropped out of the console race with the Dreamcast (a fantastic console, and the original home of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2) just a couple years earlier, leaving the videogame mascot equivalent to an orphan. After the Dreamcast, he would find himself on every major console, even having multiple games that only released on one console, (Sonic 06 on 360, Secret Rings on Wii, Rivals on PSP and several others) along with many Sonic games appearing on multiple consoles, including Sonic Mega Collection being on GameCube, PS2 and Xbox. I think the composer knew that the simpler times were behind them, and it would be a rougher road ahead for Sonic Team, and everyone at Sega. Even at the time, they were giving the long time Sonic fans a window to look back at the simpler times for Sonic.
I think it also reflects (even if I'm not quite sure how) the fact that the Mega Collection was a unique sort of necessity. After all, Sega had just dropped out of the console wars and become a third-party dev house instead. This meant that they had a whole new audience in the form of non-Sega console owners. Any new fans from this crowd, however, had no real way of getting access to Sonic's past without having to buy old hardware from a dead manufacturer. Releasing a compilation of Sonic's greatest hits was the obvious solution, allowing Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox owners an easy way to get that window into where the blue blur came from.
@@PhirePhlame @PhirePhlame That's a good point. Access to old games (Sonic, or basically anything) is something we often take for granted these days. It was the first time those Genesis games were brought to another platform. If I'm not mistaken, they weren't even brought to Saturn or Dreamcast.
@@thestatesidedaily9890 Sonic Jam was a Sonic compilation for the Saturn, and while there wasn't a collection on Dreamcast, there was the Sonic & Knuckles Collection for PC that came out around the same time in the late 90s.
I remember being a kid, going through the Archie comic covers, got to one where it implied Sonic died at some point and broke down. I was sobbing and inconsolable thinking this song is so sad because Sonic is dead.
I remember that one, that cover always stuck with me (as well as the one with Princess Sally crying at Sonic's grave while Sonic walks up behind her). How the comics originally started off like the original cartoon, funny and light hearted, before developing a more dark and mature tone, paired with the song, was always very chilling as a kid.
Definitely one of those songs that always shoots you back to feeling like a kid, this and Gamma's theme from Adventure are the two that always stood out to me so much when I was younger.
I didn't understand it as a kid (because my english wasn't so good) but later on when I fully understood Gamma's story, the song started hitting so hard.
The Gamecube sonic era was just something special. Every game just smacks you with attitude and soul. Even the damn collection games 😂 Good pick you have excellent taste 🤌
Absolutely! I mentioned this in a Dark age VS. Meta era meme video; to me, the 2000s were the era of experimentation for Sonic. You had so many different game concepts, from the first-ever Boost game Sonic Rush, to the futuristic racing game Sonic Riders, to the nostalgic collection series. Sonic Team didn't just stick to one gameplay style for most of their games like they did during the Meta era. There was a variety of gameplay styles with each game (even Sonic '06, which was supposed to be a return to the Adventure formula, but with new additions to the play-style).
One of my favourite sonic tracks EVER. I heard this song as a kid. I bought mega collection plus for the PS2 from a local Target. Popped it in and played everything I could. Then one day I was just perusing through all of the menus and features and BOOM. found the page with the comic and this song hit me. Hit me like a lorry. some people would try and draw the comics, But me being extra I would try and copy the dynamic poses as if I was posing for some SEGA magazine or something haha. I would actually set up my PS2 put the TV volume on med-high and just roll into bed. I would do homework and read to the track. Or If wasn't doing anything I would just sit and stare out my window at the time. You're description of what you went through is great because I can agree. I just feel waves of 'melancholic nostalgia' along with genuine chills. Joyful tears hittin just writing this. Thank you for diving into this track. Underrated and no one talks about it. It's a shame even SEGA never brought it back or remixed in any way. Thank for reminding me of this beautiful track Battleapple. Subscribed!
I grew up playing Sonic on the Genesis (mostly Sonic 2), but I never actually owned the games or even the console. I only got to play Sonic at daycare or friends' houses. Eventually, due to life circumstances, including moving to a new city, I no longer had the opportunity to play Sonic games that I did earlier in my childhood, and I ended up kinda forgetting about Sonic. By the time I was in my early-mid teens, I hadn't play or even really thought about Sonic in years. It was at that time that I got a Gamecube for Christmas with Sonic Mega Collection. For me, Mega Collection was a rediscovery of one of my first gaming loves. It took my right back to my childhood, as well as introducing to so much more of this franchise than I ever knew. It was somehow both nostalgic AND new and exciting!
The mega collection’s credit theme gives me the chills too. That song gives me the feeling of watching the credits to the final entry in a series and playing a montage in my head looking back to when I first got into said series. Sonic music can be life changing sometimes.
Long post incoming, sorry in advance. I was a teenager the first time I heard “History”, back when I received Sonic Mega Collection for Christmas 2003. I had been playing Sonic games since the Genesis days, reading the comics, watched the cartoon (back before I knew Sonic had multiple cartoons), etc. Sonic was the first video game I ever played, he was my childhood superhero, and was the first piece of media I ever really connected to. I agreed with a lot about what you said in the video, however I feel there was one factor that was missed in the analysis that I wanted to add. Allow me to paint a picture: Being a Sega fan in the early 2000s was a weird experience. We don’t really think a lot about this nowadays, but it’s tough to explain sometimes how surreal it was the first time seeing Sonic on a Nintendo console. I very clearly remembered arguing on playgrounds all throughout my childhood in the 90s about Mario vs Sonic (which really kind of amounted to Nintendo vs Sega), who was cooler, who was better, which games were the best, etc. Sonic Adventure 2 was the last new Sonic game of my childhood, meaning that at least to the child version of me, Sonic would always be a Sega system exclusive. By 2003, I was a teenager, Sega had been out of the console business, and Sonic was on the system of the competition. I remember reading a review for Sonic Advance back in the day that actually kind of summed up the feeling in a funny way: “Sonic on Nintendo is like pizza at McDonalds”. That statement has stuck with me to this day, because while simple, it does convey the weirdness around this era of Sonic for me, and this era of myself. So where does “History” come into play with this? “History” and Sonic Mega Collection in general has actually always been a bit melancholy to me for that reason. It was like the last door being shut on childhood. I will always have the memories, and re-playing the games and re-living those moments would always be sweet, but they would hurt a little too, because those days of playing Sonic 2 on the Genesis with my family in the living room back in the 90s would never come back. “History” brings up a lot of emotions for people because the very nature of the collection itself is emotional. It channels a certain hope for the uncertain future of the franchise, even though one can’t quite fully escape the sadness of the era that had passed on since. For me, Sonic Mega Collection in 2003 was more akin to a memorial, a celebration of life, a funeral. I actually missed back then what this game really was. The reality was that, for many, Mega Collection represents their first memories of Sonic, just like the original Genesis tetralogy and Dreamcast Adventure games did for me in the decade before. They heard “History” as children and it was ingrained in their psyche just like the Sonic 2 special stage song, “Open Your Heart”, or “Escape from the City” was for me. The memories will always be sweet, and those days will never come back, but those times and memories don’t actually die. They are survived simply by you remembering them, and relishing in the joy they brought you. When I look back and re-listen to “History” now, the tinge of melancholy is still there, however it’s also paired with a feeling of hope. Sonic Mega Collection is now part of that rich Sonic “history” that it was originally made to memorialize, and seeing how much this game, this song and this franchise still mean to people nowadays is quite heartwarming.
Your experience is so similar to mine that it's almost eerie. I was 12 in 2003. I'm glad to know someone else feels the way I do about Sonic Mega Collection. I used to come home from school and do my homework with the Gamecube on and idling in the Extras menu. My Mom would come home and find me asleep in the evening sun through the window, having succumbed to the warmth and soothing music. I once ripped a page in my math textbook by having fallen asleep on it during that process.
Girl, your video is so great... like, it's even look like a youtube video, because youtubes videos are now toxic asf. it's so great to see a video about just a person in a camera talking about video games and nerd stuff like the old days of youtube
Mega collection was my first gamecube game. My friend and I spent the weekend unlocking everything for it. Also it was the first time I got to play through Sonic 3&K, and experience it Co-Op. Tails being able to fly, swim, and carry Sonic, is the best thing ever. One of favorite things about Origins is having Tails flight added to all the games. 😍
What makes this song so special for me is this game was one of the first games I ever played. Long ago, when me and my brother first got our GameCube, we had MK:DD, Mario Party 7, and Sonic Heroes. Since I enjoyed Sonic Heroes, I figured I'd check out other Sonic games on GameCube, and found SA:DX and Sonic Mega Collection. Boy howdy I cant even begin to tell you how many hours I spent simply looking through the Archie comic covers just wondering the stories that were hidden within the pages, reading the 50 page special they let you read, looking through the artwork, and watching all the videos. I bet I spent more time looking through that menu than I did playing the games that were in the collection. Shame they don't make games like they used to. The GameCube era of games just had so much soul, and were oozing with passion from the unique art style they offered. Makes me sad to see the only people interested in having a more stylized art style are indie devs, and now we just have "high definition and looks like real life AAA game". At least I grew up with this.
I feel you, and that is the exact same feeling I had, when I was a kid, I was in the livingroom and I was always sitting in the center in the livingroom and I scrolled through the comics and art...there was a connection I felt and I didnt want to leave, at that time I couldnt describe it, it was something....sadness, bittersweet...so yes, I thought it was just me that felt like this. I am currently 28 and I had this game when I was small, it was my first game. I dont remember what the age was, but I was indeed small, and the game was a christmas present. Till this day, it makes me want to go back and replay those memories, after I got hit by flashbacks by opening the song up on my playlist. And mind you, sometimes I would not go through the comics, I would...let it play.
This song was everything to me as a child. I opened that game almost every day specifically to open the extras menu. The hours I've spent listening to this, just completely enamored with the content in that game should be studied
Such a phenomenon that everyone feels the same exact way you do with about this menu and the music. The way we did the same things and it stuck with all of us is pretty special.
I'm so happy that someone has made a video that focuses on this particular music track. Especially the way you linked it to reading the comics in the game and how you described the music using imagery. I feel like that's often a very underappreciated way of analyzing music and makes really accessible for people to understand. We can all talk about chords and scales but imagery and feelings I always find to be a great way to describe what a piece of music means to you.
Absolutely! And I’m really not a musician by any stretch, so talking about it through the feelings, memories, etc. is a lot easier and more genuine for me. Thank you for watching and for the nice comment!
I am glad this song is in both versions of Mega Collection. I grew up with Sonic Mega Collection Plus on the PS2, since regular Mega Collection was only on Gamecube. The collection was my first Sonic game and the History song is so nostalgic but also painful. I relate with you on this, the song reminds me of my brother and I playing Sonic Mega Collection Plus on saturday mornings and my mom asking if we were happy with the game. We told her yes. Its a sweet but also painful memory because my brother and I are not close anymore, and so listening to this track takes me back to those after school gaming sessions with Sonic and weekend memories. I looked at all the illustrations and comic covers while this song played and it really evokes that sense of longing and bittersweetness. Glad you're covering more Sonic music. You should listen to the opening song for Sonic Mega Collection Plus, its also very nostalgic and it wasn't on the Gamecube version.
I love this song, I've heard that so much on the Mega Collection Plus when I was just 8 years old, now that I'm 28, I too feel that painful nostalgia you mentioned, I miss those days so much...😔
YES!!! NAILED IT! As soon as I saw the words "The Most Emotional Sonic Music:" I knew exactly which tune this was going to be and yes for me it was the same! The difference being I actually grew up with sonic from the start. I watched Sonic go from the Genisis/Megadrive era, to the 3D Adventure era and beyond. By the time I heard this track, Sonic games had entered their awkward phase of poor games like Sonic 06, as though Sonics glory days and prime years were now behind him, and because of that, this tune hit me HARD when looking back at the good old days back when sonic was great and at the top, like going into the attic, dusting off an old album you didnt know you still had and looking at old photos of a bygone era. Really sad. Luckily there has been a bit of a resurgence in recent years which could be that glimmer of hope in the tune that you mentioned.
YES! I've always loved this theme. It's one of the best Sonic tracks and it's freaking menu music in a compilation. It really does feel like you're going through old melodies when you listen to it.
Battleapple- i’ve only come across your channel via this video, and I’m already enthralled by this video alone. Hope to hear more about your Sonic adventures!! I grew up playing a pc disc called a “Sega Smash pack” and it was 1 of 3 I believe on computer… i had disc 2, with Sonic 2, Comix Zone and Vectorman 2- among others. I played the hell out of those until I got a gamecube for my 6th birthday, and months after playing Zelda Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine and Smash Melee, I got Sonic MEGA Collection-… I was hooked. I already loved Sonic and had a plush of him and tails- I was a 6 year old fanatic! I remember coming back to it over the years and still playing and loving the original 3 games with S&K, Flicky, and plenty of other games- but I never got more into the history than when “History” played in the bgm of the comic strips. I was never a big comics kid but seeing all these characters from Sonic SAT AM, Sonic Underground and much more- I wished there were games for them. Forgotten, probably cool characters with a lot of things to do, lots to say- it only made me sad because over the years of blunders SEGA allowed for Sonic, i kept looking at OLD Sonic content and saying “you had a good thing going here guys!!” And FINALLY around the time Generations came out, things looked good, or at least I thought. Hell when Sonic got his redesigned look for the movie I was READY to hit that theater to see him. I felt like a fuckin kid again. And when the Sonic 2 movie came out- I saw it with my little brothers- who both grew up on Sonic Mega Collection, and SA1/2 and more… When THAT end credits scene sting hit the screen??? Shadow in Sonic 3??? Oh my god! I was ready again!! I love Sonic so much. His, Tails’, Knuckles’ stories- all the crazy characters of that universe mean the goddamn world to me.
I am glad there is someone out there who can put this melody into words. This song feels so nostalgic for me now because it makes me miss those simpler times of my life and it makes me feel sad I am never getting it back. But yeah, great video I just subbed btw
I too find this music to be quite nostalgic and it brings me back to when I was 10 years old and most of my Christmas presents were Sonic related. My family got a GameCube that year and while I technically got Sonic Mega Collection Plus before then, I spent a lot of time on standard Mega Collection on GameCube that Christmas (partially due to me wanting to play the new system). I became a huge Sonic fan in 2004, so that was a wonderful Christmas for me. Despite the ups and downs the franchise has been through, Sonic has been my favorite franchise since then. So yes, this music brings me that nostalgic feeling when I hear it. Great video!
How did we have the same exact experience with this soundtrack. This really was my exact thought as a kid. I’d scroll through these comic covers for hours. It brings back such wonderful memories of just being a kid. I was probably in 4th grade and I would be alone in my room with it playing nonstop.
This song was the whole reason I barely went into the extras section of Sonic Mega Collection as a kid. I love it now though for sure, but I just couldn't handle it when I was younger. If there's one thing Sonic has always gotten right, it's the music!
Never played Mega Collection, but I felt the same thing for the Sonic and the Black Knight fan art section. It remixes "It Doesn’t Matter" from Sonic Adventure 2 in a sweet melancholic violin. That original track was always my personal favorite since it encapsulated his character to an absolute T, and I would think of it when thinking about the series broadly. I was completely caught off guard when I went into Black Knight's artwork section to hear it remixed, alongside the artwork from his entire history. I "got emotional" (putting it lightly).
A fellow sonic fan that has been following the series since 1995 and sonic 1 for the Sega Genesis was the first sonic that I have played at an immigration service in the office with a CRT TV, alongside with the console and he was the king of mascot with attitude. Sonic mega collection plus for the ps2 as a Compilation is great because of comics and music is sweet. great video by the way.
I never played Sonic Mega Collection, but I just searched for the song on RUclips. It is a pretty one. It was very nice listening to your thoughts on it. I do feel that sense of nostalgia you're talking about, but it's not so much a feeling of longing for a simpler time. It's more like I'm just enjoying reminiscing and looking forward to where my life goes next. The feeling is more excitement than anything else. Life is an adventure, after all. Like Sonic says, "My stories only end when I stop running!" If you like softer, more emotional Sonic music, I recommend "Dear Father" and "I'm With You", both from Sonic Frontiers. Side note: I was interested in being a professional artist for a period of time. I'm still interested in improving my art skills, though I haven't practiced them anywhere near often enough. I'm really good at origami, and I do still surprise myself when I try other forms of art, but I definitely have room for improvement. I'm not so sure about wanting to be a professional artist these days, but I am interested in producing webcomics someday. We'll see how that goes.
Such great analysis. Loved this video so much and your breakdown. It feels like it was made for me. Like you I grew up on SA1/2 and mega collection on GC. Still hearing this melody makes me swell up. Thinking about booting the game up with my brothers as a kid. The memories. It’s really a special thing
This song I would boot up as a kid just to listen to man. God the Gamecube/Xbox/PS2 was such a special era of gaming. So many games that raised us who were mid 90s kids
Aw, yeah! This is happenin! Ive never met a girl who A) loves sonic games B) adored the *dated* but absolute iconic SA1 and SA2. They were what got me into gaming in the first place. I love them so much.
Man! You hit me right in the 13 year old with this one. Instasub! I love this tone and havent heard it in forever. I might boot the game just for this.
As someone who also gushes about this era of video game music on youtube, this is the sentimental and beautiful nonsense I come here for 😭 What a track. Sonic's always had killer music throughout the series, but this one hits different. Honestly sounds like something that could've been in Kingdom Hearts to me a lil bit
I was never introduced to this song when i first played Sonic Mega Collection because i only played it on the GameCube. My brother was borrowing the game from a friend, so all i cared about was playing the games & nothing else. Years later, i got my dad to buy SMC Plus for me on the PS2. For starters, the menus on that game were phenomenal especially the games menu. That's when i was introduced to the song. Seeing the years go from like 1991-1997 while seeing the Sega Genesis & Game Gear next to each other as the song starts up & the background of the menu Sonic 1 gameplay will always be iconic to me. Then i decided to go through the menus & that's when i was reintroduced to the song giving me even more sense of nostalgia with the menu's background having multiple monitors displaying Sonic & friends from the comics, original art works of classic Sonic or modern Sonic from SA1 & 2, the Sonic Heroes intro (wish we had the Sonic CD intro too, but whatever 🙄) Witnessing at all of that for the first time was ethereal for 10 year old me. I'll forever love this song.
So…It’s not a Sonic game, but I have this lullaby CD from my very early childhood..My Mom would play it every night for me. As I got older (around 3 0r 4) somethign about the music would make me cry..but not in like a way that i wanted to turn it off. I couldn’t explain it at the time, a few years ago I found an answer on Quora explaining sometimes music is so beautiful it makes you cry..Although now when I hear it, it’s not only beauty but strong nostalgia that makes me cry….we all miss being a kid and nostalgia is such a sharp, double edged sword. Seeing your video kinda helped me in seeing that, while not the same music, other people have similar feelings to music from their childhood too. Thank you for your video 🥹
Great video, I appreciate a nice discussion about something somewhat niche and sentimental. I did actually grow up on Sonic when I was very young, and then played this as a teenager and this theme stood out to me immediately. I remember looking through the different menus of concept art and everything, and just having this longing, wistful feeling while the music played. It's so easy to get lost in this theme, it's like...a gentle current of nostalgia taking you back over lost times.
A lot of what you said about the music for that specific collection made me relate to Sonic Jam's gallery theme, I feel so nostalgic even though I never played sonic jam but it reminded back to when I was just a kid learning about so many obscure old sonic games like knuckles chaotix. whats funny to me is that when I hear mega collection's history theme, it feels like a sequel or modernized version of sonic jams gallery theme which in turn is just a different version of sonic 3' menu select. sonic music rocks!
Your analysis is spot on! This song really does make you feel nostalgic, even if you haven't read all the Archie comics. To me, it's less about the composition and more about the context. In just the covers alone, you can see so much emotion and story that was put into the Archie Sonic comics. Though the music itself is very nostalgic sounding. The Sonic Frontiers DLC had a similar song that played during Sonic's section that makes me think of similar things but more about how far Sonic has come. I first heard the Sonic Mega Collection song when I was in elementary school and it's interesting to look at at things hearing the song.
it's so amazing how music and experience works, because as a late 90s kid i wasn't allowed to have a console, but i did grow up with retro sonic through PC emulators. i knew of other sonic music through youtube and came across since mega collection and fell in love with the soundtrack. the history song doesn't sound sad at all to me or even nostalgic but very calming and proud? in a way? that sonic music has been so iconic and timeless throughout the years. it truly is amazing how people work differently.
I was introduced to the Sonic franchise when I was 8 years old in 1996. I wish I was introduced to the Sonic franchise in 1991, but I'd say entering into the now 33-year-old Sonic franchise back when it was only 5 years into its life is not bad. And I'm happy that the first Sonic game I ever played was Sonic 1. However, my most favourite Sonic game of all time (and my most favourite video-game in general of all time) is Sonic 3 & Knuckles and always will be. A distant relic of a happier, simpler and better time. I always love Sonic no matter what. Thank you Based Sonic for bringing light into my darkest days.
I grew up with Sonic 2 and Sonic & Knuckles. Didn't get to experience Sonic 1, or Sonic 3 fully, until mega collection, which was my first gamecube game. Sonic 3&K is definitely one of the best games of all time, and for sure the best sonic game ever. Great memories! 😁
@@YellowishWolf I played Sonic 1 first, then Sonic 2, then parts of Sonic & Knuckles because I couldn't find Sonic 3 first, THEN Sonic 3, THEN Sonic & Knuckles AGAIN, then Sonic 3 & Knuckles. lol
Thank you for your content! I hope at some point the song will take on more positive colors in your mind. Nostalgia isn't always about missing a time, it's also about reminding you how you've felt before and how far you've come. Hope you can take pride for yourself as well!
This video is truly incredible and calming, a wonderful watch. I don’t mean to sound cynical but most of Sonic RUclips is awful and I don’t like the majority of channels within it, I’m glad I found this video and channel because this is amazing :)
The Ending Song to Sonic 2 used to make me sob as a kid. I remember finding the Sound Test menu and just listening to it if I needed a good cry that day, haha! Those were such good memories, I recommend you listen to it. That song FEELS like nostalgia, similar to this one. Just discovered this channel and I am loving it, keep it up!
Yeah, honestly, the entire original soundtrack of the Mega Collection is such a nostalgia trip for me. Sonic 1 was the first game I ever played, and while I didn't really play many of the others till later, I always follow the guy through his franchise ups and downs, but I the Mega Collection was definitely the game I've played the most of his when I was a kid. I'm 24 now, but that opening/title track and all of the other menu tracks send me back to my single digit years without fail.
You really hit the nail on the head describing that tune. I remember I was in my preteen-going on-teens when I heard that tune, going through the history of Sonic I missed out while being able to reminisce on what I had been able to enjoy. I played and enjoyed Sonic 1 and 3, and also watched the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog all in my early years of childhood, while coming back to it in the early 00's when Sonic X came out, reading the bits and pieces of the Archie comics, and getting into Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. I miss that sense of youthfulness and energy from back then when even through a darker time of my life, I could still be a little carefree and keep a sense of innocence. So glad I came across this video!
I grew up more with Mario and Smash Bros Melee during the Gamecube days, but Sonic Mega Collection was given to me when I graduated from 5th grade, and I agree, this theme did and still brings a sense of nostalgia looking back. The title theme song to Sonic Mega Collection is really good and just as nostalgic. It popped and played in my head when I woke up once. I then found myself looking for the whole theme, since most of RUclips is missing half of what makes that title screen theme really good lol.
For me, it's "Endless Mine" from Sonic 3. I get those exact feelings. It's a wonderful tune that has such a nostalgic, bittersweet sound to it. It sends me back to the mid-90's, to that simpler, care-free time in my life. I've also seen other comments about the song, how it would nearly bring some to tears. As for the Sonic Mega Collection history music, it also brings back memories. I was in college at the time of getting this game. I often bought compilation games during this time since money was scarce. So yeah, it takes me back to those days, maybe not so much a care free time of my life, but still a great one.
I fall asleep to this song a lot, its my go to relax and fall asleep. I loved the collection as a kid and the history extras was my introduction to reading and collecting comics. I never read the Archie comics but I wanted to check out the medium in general. This collection came to me during my preteen years while going through a bad time with family custody and drama and its why I escaped to sonic and many other video games. they really helped me cope with a terrible living situation I had no control over. I will always appreciate the sonic franchise no matter how cringe the fanbase can be. Great video!
It’s honestly wild how we had the same exact childhood and started off with Sonic adventure DX and Adventure 2 battle back in the GameCube days 😆… amazing to see someone appreciate the music that I always used to listen to on a computer with early RUclips before smartphones came into existence
I was about 15 when i played this collection on the ps2 and being shown a menu displaying a 90s timeline of these games. I could still remember scrolling through the different sonic games and feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia that instantly took me back in time as a kid playing these classic sonic games and feeling like the summer's lasted forever compare to now. Anyway im glad youtube recommended this video and i must say it does feel nice learning i wasn't alone feeling this way, thank you for sharing your personal experience here.
The Sonic Mega Collection as a whole is just a big warm goodie bag of nostalgic feelings. This and the title screen music are one of a kind tracks and I love that so many people have a close attachment to the Mega Collection and the feeling of experiencing it in the 2000s. So glad I came across your channel
I've been a Sonic fan since 1991 and I always loved the music in these games. I agree, Sonic Mega Collection's "History" is so pretty to listen to. Thank you for making this video. It's always great to see another fan talk about what the music means to them. ^^
I remember that song and I have that game my little brother got it. I still remember it, sometimes I would put the controller down and close my eyes. Even listening to it now it reminds me of my Dad who passed away, He is the reason I am into video games and Sonic was a large part of my life that started the genisis and every console after
I finally found someone who played the games in the same order I did growing up. I find it offers a much less generationally biased perspective on the quality of the Sonic series as a whole. It allowed me to appreciate the games for what they offered, both good and bad without outright crucifying one generation over another. Also hearing some of the music tracks from Sonic Adventure in their original form from games like 3D Blast, as well as seeing previews for other titles that I wouldn’t be able to experience until Gems Collection released (Sonic CD), hit me with a unique feeling I like to call “Reverse Nostalgia”.
Great video, nice to know that some RUclipsrs still do the old-skool 'talking at the camera' videos. That music from the Extras menu really is lovely. It gives that nostalgic feeling while you look through Sonic's history. May I also suggest the rest area music from 'All-Star' mode in Super Smash Bros Melee. It's a shorter loop but it gives me that similar feeling. 😊
Yeah for me it was nostalgia too, coming home from school and booting up Sonic Gems Collection and just playing Sonic R, CD and Fighters lol. It was one of the first few PS2 games I got too so it's one of the most important memories of my youth. Playstation 2/3 era was my favorite and I really wish I could go back and relive those days again 😌
oh wow. Its interesting seeing these videos analyzing sonic music in this way. I got the sonic mega collection during a rough time in my young life. During the worst days of that time, i often found myself in the history menu. Somehow listening to that melancholy melody brought a sense of calm to a situation that was a chaotic storm.
wow. Such a great segment. I do remember this track from the mega collection. I remember staying on that extras tab in a loop and resting to it sometimes. So I definitely get where you are coming from. As I get older, certain songs just hit more and have more meaning to it than they did before. I am also a huge fan of the adventure era, and the songs that hit on an emotional level now for me were sadness from Sonic Adventure and The Last Scene from Sonic Adventure 2. I've always enjoyed these tracks here and there when listening to the ost , but in the past, they were always secondary to the heavy hitters like Metal Harbor, white jungle, Live and learn, ect. Now, these tracks speak to me in a different level than they ever have.
This theme definitely hits hard and brings me back to my middle school days going home and playing my GameCube. As a kid I spent hours just flipping through the comic covers and listening to this theme at the same time, especially since I had just started subscribing to the comics since issue #106 and then this game comes out and I get to see all the past comics I had missed, it was so cool. Also looking at the artwork, movies and overall history of all the classic sonic games I grew up playing with on my dad's PC (I grew up with sonic on PC and not the genesis) and GameCube, as well as get a glimpse of advance 2 that I unfortunately wasn't able to play since I didn't have a GBA lol, this theme just lets you soak all of it in perfectly. I'm honestly just so happy to have been born the same year as sonic in 91, makes this franchise really special for me and this is why Sonic will always be my favorite video game character of all time! PS: The Intro movie/theme is also something I enjoyed replaying again and again, just perfection 👌
While I'm always good for a video with a super-technical music theory analysis on a favorite piece of music, I'm also appreciative of how you took a more down-to-earth approach with your analysis and shared your own introspective on why this song is emotional to you. And because of that, your explanation doesn't get lost at sea. Bonus points for researching the composer of the song, too! Hideaki Kobayashi is brilliant. While my most favorite Sonic music from him is the Nega-Wisp Armor Phase 1 from Sonic Colors (Wii version), the Sonic Mega Collection History theme (and staff roll) isn't far off, being in the top 3 for me. Video game composers usually have a monumental task ahead of them, similar to film scoring. The backing tracks have to be just right for the occasion and have the correct instrumentation, but additionally, those same tracks have to be something that won't wear itself out quickly in most cases due to how most VGM will loop endlessly. It's these things that can even make or break the entire video game, and it all has to do with how seriously the composer takes their work. I know Tim Follin, for example, saved a few games from being obscure, forgotten software not worth a second look. I'm interested in what other ideas you have for your future videos, so here's a sub!
The sonic mega collection music whilst looking at the comics... Man that stuff brings back memories but the music was so... Bittersweet tbh Like at the time I felt that weird feeling but strangely felt sad and hopeful at the same time... That with seeing sonics history and the comic covers, wondering where the franchise was going next or even just thinking about life back then it was a weird feeling invoked by a beautiful tune. Just makes you wonder about life Tbh. Can't exactly explain the reason as to why but i still think about that tune and it's embedded in my memory forever... I do miss being 7 years old and just spending hours on the game cube listening to that background music and going through the comic covers. It still gives me goosebumps just going over something that I thought was lost in time. Also the transition from the history of sonic video... Where it goes from sonic jam to sonic adventure is awesome!
I first got into Sonic through the Mega Drive (Genesis) games started at the age of 4. Though after some years, I accidently broke the Mega Drive after throwing a tantrum (I was never good at Desert Strike), so a good 4 year went by without any Sonic media until I was 12. My friend re-introduced me to Modern Sonic via SADX & Advance 3. Soon enough I found Mega Collection Plus for the PS2. The nostalgia absolutely overwhelmed me. Sure, 4 years is an incredibly short time now, but 1 year as kid felt like forever. History played a very key role for both that feeling back then & even now (getting nostalgic over being nostalgic), because the music track played in both the Extras & the Games menu for the PS2 version (I only recently learnt that it was an Extras exclusive for the original GameCube release). Being British, I never grew up with the Archie comics, but I was always amazed at looking through those covers for god knows how long. History & Mega Collection Plus today feels very bitter sweet. On one hand, it rekindled my love for the games that I previously thought I could never get back. Though on the other hand ironically, it was the last years of living in my first home as my family had to move out when I was 13. I remember being a 5 year old playing the Mega Drive in my room at the dead of night, sitting on the floor & looking up at the TV, with the lights on & the curtains wide open. Maybe this is why nowadays, whenever I play or watch anything in my room at night, I like to keep the curtains open fully!
its crazy how this song connected so many people. I'm with you on feeling as if the experience you were having with this song felt niche and like no one could relate I was also shocked seeing so many people around my age experiencing the exact same with this song along this being the game that put them onto the classic game.
This and the Manuals theme from Sonic Gems Collection are my two favorite chill tracks in the whole Sonic franchise. But the beautiful History theme from Mega Collection was incredibly fitting for the Extras menu. It felt like you were opening up a virtual time capsule.
Man you’ve taken me back with this lol. Sonic mega collection plus might be the first game I ever owned as kid and I still remember clear as day the day I got it. I must’ve been like 3 or 4 years old when my mom took me to PC world to get my first video game, and on this weird spinning magazine rack they had was a bunch of PC games, and on there was mega collection plus. There was also sonic adventure DX but I got this one first. And man I remember just having the best time playing this, spending hours on the crappy family PC trying out all the games on the collection. But then I remember checking the extra menus for art and comics n stuff and heard this absolutely beautiful piece for the first time, I didn’t realise at the time in my tiny head but I was hearing one of the most nostalgic pieces of music I’d ever hear. Thank you so much for reminding me of this, I sadly no longer have that original copy I bought all those years ago but it still makes me feel nostalgic, and brings back so many fond memories I have with these games. This song is absolutely amazing
Hello, great video! So Mega Collection was my first ever video game. I remember being a lil nag to have a go at the GameCube and when i finally did, i must have accidentally accessed the menu where "History" plays and as much as my memory can be kinda foggy, i think this is probably the earliest i can remember just being completely enamoured by music. Like this a menu song... not an event, not a necessarily sad moment but a song where you look back in time. Growing up with sonic, it's music has always stood out, inspired me, etc etc but "History" has got to be one of the most unique songs I have ever heard. To me, it encapsulates nostalgia as many would agree but I always loved how the more uplifting segments represents to look back and be happy that it happened. Dont be sad that its over, be happy that it happened kinda thing.
I actually can't recall this song despite playing the collection consistently and browsing the art at least a few times, but your connection with it is wonderful and knowing so many others is an example of why this fandom is so special. Sonic continues to bring us together to share nostalgia and hope for the future. Love the content mate 🤙🏻
I was just doing a transcription of this the other day! This is incredible timing haha. One of the most interesting things about this song is that it is very very simple compositionally. It uses exactly as much as it needs to get the feeling across and nothing more. The composer probably had less than a week to make this track and didn't even realize what they had made.
You totally Get It! It’s so interesting how the nostalgia of the song hits the same way but for different reasons. The song makes me think of when I was 5 years old playing Sonic 1 in Service Merchandise….not knowing that it was only the beginning 😅
sonic runners “spring emotions” and “strange parade” and “magical snowday” and “end of summer” also have very nostalgic feels, for a time u never even knew, even if youre listening to it for the first time
YES! This was exactly how I felt about hearing this song while digging through comic covers. From watching Sonic grow up with Princess Sally and the others on Mobius, to finding his best friend Tails, his rival Knuckles, and eventually the future era where he meets his only remaining family. Sonic and Knuckle's deaths come to mind, alonv with their "10 Years Later" what-if issue (assuming I'm not misremembering) and the very distinct "Sonic The Fugitive" cover. So many cool covers and stories packed in there on both the original and Plus versions. That song, to me, is the greatest representation of "bittersweet".
I remember seeing all those comic book covers and believing they were part of the games' backstory and felt both thrilled to dig more in that juicy Sonic lore but also somewhat desperate that all these adventures were being live through as i missed them all, like i was getting late into the party Definitely a sense of wonder and nostalgia for a era i wasn't even born into (A 2001 boy myself, Long live the GC Sonic games)
I had Mega Collection Plus on the PS2, so my music was swapped around. This was the music I heard while scrolling through games. I remember looking the song up a couple of years ago when I wanted music to add to my writing playlist, and like you it made me want to cry hearing it again after all these years. It doesn't affect me quite like that anymore because I've heard it a bunch, but it's still one of my favourite pieces of music. I even made an orchestral arrangement of it
Can’t believe there’s a video that basically describes my exact experience and emotions. Thank you very much, I cherish this collection and your video.
This is my first time hearing the song but you did a brilliant job of getting across how it feels if you have more of a history with it, very easy to understand and relate to. Also, to me it sounds more like it belongs in hotel dusk than a Sonic game, which I guess kind of makes sense as Hotel Dusk and its sequel have a lot of melancholy moments where the protagonist is looking back at his past. Good video!
I got Sonic Mega Collection Plus on the original XBox when it came out. I was in my early 20s at the time, and the XBox was the first console I had ever purchased with my own money. I spent so much time in the Extras menu, looking at the Archie comic covers and remembering my childhood in the early 90s. I grew up with a Sega Genesis back then, playing the first 2 Sonic games and watching both versions of the Sonic cartoons ("Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" weekdays on Channel 11 in NYC, and the slightly more mature "Sonic the Hedgehog" Saturday mornings on ABC). Now I'm 42 years old, and this music still takes me back to two different time periods in my life, and still brings a smile to my face🙂
I enjoyed listening to your thoughts and connections with Sonic and his specific niches around his certain games as I think there's lot of us out there that have had incredibly similar experiences growing up. I'm 33 now and I grew up at the very tail end of the Mega Drive era and birth of the Dreamcast (kinda omitting the Saturn lol) there's a lot of nostalgia for Sonic. Mega Collection's menu tunes were on another level, for a compilation of old games 😅 I sometimes just listened the main theme and menu theme on loop! There's certain tunes out there that really do bring a tear to my eye and as much as I try to shrug it off cause I think I'm being stupid it's actually nice to hear and sort of gratifying that other people have the same reaction to nostalgia. Gave ya a follow on Insta, hope to see some nostalgia there too one day 😉
100% agree with you i love the song/history it's has a lot going on with it i listen to it with rain & thunder in the background it just hits me im a 90s kid i grow up with the og sonic games man good times
I literally booted this game up the other day just to hear the menu music and look at all the cool Archie comic covers. Game compilations like these were really special back in the day.
God, I did that all the time as a kid. It was the prime of my Sonic love, and yet I knew so little about the franchise
I too looked at these high-resolution Archie covers a LOT back in the day, long before you could easily find them all online
If you the a button on that screen you can read the comics themselves.
@@sentry_repair_mann only the first 10! I always wished they’d had more in their full form.
I give it 10/10 flip a dip dips
SA2 Ending theme where Sonic bodes Shadow farewell, gives me the same exact chills.
Really had to mention the sonic bodying shadow part huh?😂
that’s not what “bode” means mate.
Yes that song is incredible!
event last scene is so transcending
It also makes me think of the sad times of how Sega maybe thought it was ending for Sonic and their company in general for consoles anyway
When you ask Japanese composers about their music inspiration, they always say stuff like "I wrote this song to avoid my annoying wife who stole my kit-kat."
This video made me cry...and I'm not a soft man I am 6'6" tall 260lb athletic black man. But there is a reason...my mom got me Sonic Mega collection when I wads a teenager...I absolutely loved the menu music the one titled "history" specifically...please listen....5 years ago 2019 one year before covid hit I felt something was wrong...Terribly wrong...I went to a popular park in the town I live in where a river runs though it in March. "Hart Park in Bakersfield by the Kern River" as I walked along the river I listened to this song because I felt something was wrong....a few days later "it's March" I found out my mom had passed away....nobody in my family knew because my mom was a very independent woman...she got this game for me and knew I loved it I feel like she was telling me goodbye that day as I walked along the park because I knew something was wrong. I love this song and now it means a lot more to me then ever. RIP Mom I love you...and to those who listened to my story thanks for reading this far...I needed to get that out. 😊
5’6 black man and can vouch this song hits even a foot shorter, I constantly use this song to reflect on life, decisions, and memories of days long gone, rip to your mom brother
The song being so somber makes sense for the era it was released in. It represented the end of an era for Sonic, and Sega as a whole. Sega dropped out of the console race with the Dreamcast (a fantastic console, and the original home of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2) just a couple years earlier, leaving the videogame mascot equivalent to an orphan. After the Dreamcast, he would find himself on every major console, even having multiple games that only released on one console, (Sonic 06 on 360, Secret Rings on Wii, Rivals on PSP and several others) along with many Sonic games appearing on multiple consoles, including Sonic Mega Collection being on GameCube, PS2 and Xbox. I think the composer knew that the simpler times were behind them, and it would be a rougher road ahead for Sonic Team, and everyone at Sega. Even at the time, they were giving the long time Sonic fans a window to look back at the simpler times for Sonic.
I think it also reflects (even if I'm not quite sure how) the fact that the Mega Collection was a unique sort of necessity. After all, Sega had just dropped out of the console wars and become a third-party dev house instead. This meant that they had a whole new audience in the form of non-Sega console owners. Any new fans from this crowd, however, had no real way of getting access to Sonic's past without having to buy old hardware from a dead manufacturer. Releasing a compilation of Sonic's greatest hits was the obvious solution, allowing Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox owners an easy way to get that window into where the blue blur came from.
@@PhirePhlame @PhirePhlame That's a good point. Access to old games (Sonic, or basically anything) is something we often take for granted these days. It was the first time those Genesis games were brought to another platform. If I'm not mistaken, they weren't even brought to Saturn or Dreamcast.
@@thestatesidedaily9890 Sonic Jam was a Sonic compilation for the Saturn, and while there wasn't a collection on Dreamcast, there was the Sonic & Knuckles Collection for PC that came out around the same time in the late 90s.
I remember being a kid, going through the Archie comic covers, got to one where it implied Sonic died at some point and broke down. I was sobbing and inconsolable thinking this song is so sad because Sonic is dead.
OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THAT TOO. I remember thinking that was the end of Sonic forever! Traumatic memory unlocked 😭
Im so glad someone was just like me. This song HITS..
that´s should be very.... idk, very taumatiing for a child. i hope that didn't give you nightmares
@@KTEBR I think it was more a symptom of similar, preexisting trauma.
I remember that one, that cover always stuck with me (as well as the one with Princess Sally crying at Sonic's grave while Sonic walks up behind her). How the comics originally started off like the original cartoon, funny and light hearted, before developing a more dark and mature tone, paired with the song, was always very chilling as a kid.
Definitely one of those songs that always shoots you back to feeling like a kid, this and Gamma's theme from Adventure are the two that always stood out to me so much when I was younger.
Ugh yes Gamma’s theme is god tier 👌🏼
The Last Scene from Adventure 2 gets most people every time too.
I didn't understand it as a kid (because my english wasn't so good) but later on when I fully understood Gamma's story, the song started hitting so hard.
Gamma was the first video game character I cried for when I was little. His theme and story was awesome.
The Gamecube sonic era was just something special. Every game just smacks you with attitude and soul. Even the damn collection games 😂 Good pick you have excellent taste 🤌
Absolutely! I mentioned this in a Dark age VS. Meta era meme video; to me, the 2000s were the era of experimentation for Sonic. You had so many different game concepts, from the first-ever Boost game Sonic Rush, to the futuristic racing game Sonic Riders, to the nostalgic collection series. Sonic Team didn't just stick to one gameplay style for most of their games like they did during the Meta era. There was a variety of gameplay styles with each game (even Sonic '06, which was supposed to be a return to the Adventure formula, but with new additions to the play-style).
💯
instant follow. barely anyone talks about how AWESOME the sonic mega collection music was. Great video!
Thank you!!
One of my favourite sonic tracks EVER. I heard this song as a kid. I bought mega collection plus for the PS2 from a local Target. Popped it in and played everything I could. Then one day I was just perusing through all of the menus and features and BOOM. found the page with the comic and this song hit me. Hit me like a lorry. some people would try and draw the comics, But me being extra I would try and copy the dynamic poses as if I was posing for some SEGA magazine or something haha. I would actually set up my PS2 put the TV volume on med-high and just roll into bed. I would do homework and read to the track. Or If wasn't doing anything I would just sit and stare out my window at the time. You're description of what you went through is great because I can agree. I just feel waves of 'melancholic nostalgia' along with genuine chills. Joyful tears hittin just writing this.
Thank you for diving into this track. Underrated and no one talks about it. It's a shame even SEGA never brought it back or remixed in any way. Thank for reminding me of this beautiful track Battleapple. Subscribed!
This track is legendary. A nostalgia spirit bomb that hits so hard. I love listening to this track while working if I need to lock in.
For me , the saddest song is from the chao departure machine in Sonic Adventure. Saying goodbye to a chao while hearing that song is awful 😢
Oh that’s a good one. That little message about letting the chao go literally makes me wanna tear up. 😭
Ooo I remember that
To me the saddest Sonic song is the piano ending from SA2
@@HeavyRaiden o yeah I remember I felt it looking at Shadow sacrifice
For me it's either the "Sadness" or "Unbound" tracks in Sonic Adventure.
I grew up playing Sonic on the Genesis (mostly Sonic 2), but I never actually owned the games or even the console. I only got to play Sonic at daycare or friends' houses. Eventually, due to life circumstances, including moving to a new city, I no longer had the opportunity to play Sonic games that I did earlier in my childhood, and I ended up kinda forgetting about Sonic. By the time I was in my early-mid teens, I hadn't play or even really thought about Sonic in years. It was at that time that I got a Gamecube for Christmas with Sonic Mega Collection. For me, Mega Collection was a rediscovery of one of my first gaming loves. It took my right back to my childhood, as well as introducing to so much more of this franchise than I ever knew. It was somehow both nostalgic AND new and exciting!
Hi km!!!
Mega Drive*
I started my Sonic journey with Sonic R on the Sega Saturn. Sonic music is always good 👍
No matter how bad the sonic games are, the music still comes out on top. Like idc how bad sonic 06 is, Im still bumping wave ocean.
The mega collection’s credit theme gives me the chills too. That song gives me the feeling of watching the credits to the final entry in a series and playing a montage in my head looking back to when I first got into said series. Sonic music can be life changing sometimes.
Long post incoming, sorry in advance.
I was a teenager the first time I heard “History”, back when I received Sonic Mega Collection for Christmas 2003. I had been playing Sonic games since the Genesis days, reading the comics, watched the cartoon (back before I knew Sonic had multiple cartoons), etc. Sonic was the first video game I ever played, he was my childhood superhero, and was the first piece of media I ever really connected to. I agreed with a lot about what you said in the video, however I feel there was one factor that was missed in the analysis that I wanted to add. Allow me to paint a picture:
Being a Sega fan in the early 2000s was a weird experience. We don’t really think a lot about this nowadays, but it’s tough to explain sometimes how surreal it was the first time seeing Sonic on a Nintendo console. I very clearly remembered arguing on playgrounds all throughout my childhood in the 90s about Mario vs Sonic (which really kind of amounted to Nintendo vs Sega), who was cooler, who was better, which games were the best, etc. Sonic Adventure 2 was the last new Sonic game of my childhood, meaning that at least to the child version of me, Sonic would always be a Sega system exclusive. By 2003, I was a teenager, Sega had been out of the console business, and Sonic was on the system of the competition. I remember reading a review for Sonic Advance back in the day that actually kind of summed up the feeling in a funny way: “Sonic on Nintendo is like pizza at McDonalds”. That statement has stuck with me to this day, because while simple, it does convey the weirdness around this era of Sonic for me, and this era of myself.
So where does “History” come into play with this? “History” and Sonic Mega Collection in general has actually always been a bit melancholy to me for that reason. It was like the last door being shut on childhood. I will always have the memories, and re-playing the games and re-living those moments would always be sweet, but they would hurt a little too, because those days of playing Sonic 2 on the Genesis with my family in the living room back in the 90s would never come back. “History” brings up a lot of emotions for people because the very nature of the collection itself is emotional. It channels a certain hope for the uncertain future of the franchise, even though one can’t quite fully escape the sadness of the era that had passed on since. For me, Sonic Mega Collection in 2003 was more akin to a memorial, a celebration of life, a funeral. I actually missed back then what this game really was.
The reality was that, for many, Mega Collection represents their first memories of Sonic, just like the original Genesis tetralogy and Dreamcast Adventure games did for me in the decade before. They heard “History” as children and it was ingrained in their psyche just like the Sonic 2 special stage song, “Open Your Heart”, or “Escape from the City” was for me. The memories will always be sweet, and those days will never come back, but those times and memories don’t actually die. They are survived simply by you remembering them, and relishing in the joy they brought you.
When I look back and re-listen to “History” now, the tinge of melancholy is still there, however it’s also paired with a feeling of hope. Sonic Mega Collection is now part of that rich Sonic “history” that it was originally made to memorialize, and seeing how much this game, this song and this franchise still mean to people nowadays is quite heartwarming.
Your experience is so similar to mine that it's almost eerie. I was 12 in 2003. I'm glad to know someone else feels the way I do about Sonic Mega Collection. I used to come home from school and do my homework with the Gamecube on and idling in the Extras menu. My Mom would come home and find me asleep in the evening sun through the window, having succumbed to the warmth and soothing music. I once ripped a page in my math textbook by having fallen asleep on it during that process.
Girl, your video is so great... like, it's even look like a youtube video, because youtubes videos are now toxic asf. it's so great to see a video about just a person in a camera talking about video games and nerd stuff like the old days of youtube
You played "Work It Out" at the end there!! I was just zapped back to childhood in a moment. Love that song!!
Mega collection was my first gamecube game. My friend and I spent the weekend unlocking everything for it.
Also it was the first time I got to play through Sonic 3&K, and experience it Co-Op.
Tails being able to fly, swim, and carry Sonic, is the best thing ever.
One of favorite things about Origins is having Tails flight added to all the games. 😍
What makes this song so special for me is this game was one of the first games I ever played. Long ago, when me and my brother first got our GameCube, we had MK:DD, Mario Party 7, and Sonic Heroes. Since I enjoyed Sonic Heroes, I figured I'd check out other Sonic games on GameCube, and found SA:DX and Sonic Mega Collection. Boy howdy I cant even begin to tell you how many hours I spent simply looking through the Archie comic covers just wondering the stories that were hidden within the pages, reading the 50 page special they let you read, looking through the artwork, and watching all the videos. I bet I spent more time looking through that menu than I did playing the games that were in the collection. Shame they don't make games like they used to. The GameCube era of games just had so much soul, and were oozing with passion from the unique art style they offered. Makes me sad to see the only people interested in having a more stylized art style are indie devs, and now we just have "high definition and looks like real life AAA game". At least I grew up with this.
one of the best pieces of music from any video game ever
I feel you, and that is the exact same feeling I had, when I was a kid, I was in the livingroom and I was always sitting in the center in the livingroom and I scrolled through the comics and art...there was a connection I felt and I didnt want to leave, at that time I couldnt describe it, it was something....sadness, bittersweet...so yes, I thought it was just me that felt like this. I am currently 28 and I had this game when I was small, it was my first game. I dont remember what the age was, but I was indeed small, and the game was a christmas present. Till this day, it makes me want to go back and replay those memories, after I got hit by flashbacks by opening the song up on my playlist. And mind you, sometimes I would not go through the comics, I would...let it play.
This song was everything to me as a child. I opened that game almost every day specifically to open the extras menu. The hours I've spent listening to this, just completely enamored with the content in that game should be studied
Such a phenomenon that everyone feels the same exact way you do with about this menu and the music. The way we did the same things and it stuck with all of us is pretty special.
The perfect music to chill out to while going through Sonic's history.
The feeling is mutual. I miss this game so much. I miss my childhood.
I'm so happy that someone has made a video that focuses on this particular music track. Especially the way you linked it to reading the comics in the game and how you described the music using imagery. I feel like that's often a very underappreciated way of analyzing music and makes really accessible for people to understand. We can all talk about chords and scales but imagery and feelings I always find to be a great way to describe what a piece of music means to you.
Absolutely! And I’m really not a musician by any stretch, so talking about it through the feelings, memories, etc. is a lot easier and more genuine for me. Thank you for watching and for the nice comment!
I am glad this song is in both versions of Mega Collection. I grew up with Sonic Mega Collection Plus on the PS2, since regular Mega Collection was only on Gamecube. The collection was my first Sonic game and the History song is so nostalgic but also painful. I relate with you on this, the song reminds me of my brother and I playing Sonic Mega Collection Plus on saturday mornings and my mom asking if we were happy with the game. We told her yes. Its a sweet but also painful memory because my brother and I are not close anymore, and so listening to this track takes me back to those after school gaming sessions with Sonic and weekend memories.
I looked at all the illustrations and comic covers while this song played and it really evokes that sense of longing and bittersweetness. Glad you're covering more Sonic music. You should listen to the opening song for Sonic Mega Collection Plus, its also very nostalgic and it wasn't on the Gamecube version.
I love this song, I've heard that so much on the Mega Collection Plus when I was just 8 years old, now that I'm 28, I too feel that painful nostalgia you mentioned, I miss those days so much...😔
YES!!! NAILED IT! As soon as I saw the words "The Most Emotional Sonic Music:" I knew exactly which tune this was going to be and yes for me it was the same! The difference being I actually grew up with sonic from the start. I watched Sonic go from the Genisis/Megadrive era, to the 3D Adventure era and beyond.
By the time I heard this track, Sonic games had entered their awkward phase of poor games like Sonic 06, as though Sonics glory days and prime years were now behind him, and because of that, this tune hit me HARD when looking back at the good old days back when sonic was great and at the top, like going into the attic, dusting off an old album you didnt know you still had and looking at old photos of a bygone era. Really sad.
Luckily there has been a bit of a resurgence in recent years which could be that glimmer of hope in the tune that you mentioned.
YES! I've always loved this theme. It's one of the best Sonic tracks and it's freaking menu music in a compilation. It really does feel like you're going through old melodies when you listen to it.
Battleapple- i’ve only come across your channel via this video, and I’m already enthralled by this video alone. Hope to hear more about your Sonic adventures!!
I grew up playing a pc disc called a “Sega Smash pack” and it was 1 of 3 I believe on computer… i had disc 2, with Sonic 2, Comix Zone and Vectorman 2- among others.
I played the hell out of those until I got a gamecube for my 6th birthday, and months after playing Zelda Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine and Smash Melee, I got Sonic MEGA Collection-… I was hooked. I already loved Sonic and had a plush of him and tails- I was a 6 year old fanatic! I remember coming back to it over the years and still playing and loving the original 3 games with S&K, Flicky, and plenty of other games- but I never got more into the history than when “History” played in the bgm of the comic strips.
I was never a big comics kid but seeing all these characters from Sonic SAT AM, Sonic Underground and much more- I wished there were games for them. Forgotten, probably cool characters with a lot of things to do, lots to say- it only made me sad because over the years of blunders SEGA allowed for Sonic, i kept looking at OLD Sonic content and saying “you had a good thing going here guys!!” And FINALLY around the time Generations came out, things looked good, or at least I thought.
Hell when Sonic got his redesigned look for the movie I was READY to hit that theater to see him. I felt like a fuckin kid again.
And when the Sonic 2 movie came out- I saw it with my little brothers- who both grew up on Sonic Mega Collection, and SA1/2 and more…
When THAT end credits scene sting hit the screen??? Shadow in Sonic 3??? Oh my god! I was ready again!! I love Sonic so much. His, Tails’, Knuckles’ stories- all the crazy characters of that universe mean the goddamn world to me.
I am glad there is someone out there who can put this melody into words. This song feels so nostalgic for me now because it makes me miss those simpler times of my life and it makes me feel sad I am never getting it back.
But yeah, great video I just subbed btw
I would go through the comics, try to draw them as a kid, i love falling asleep to the music, it's so relaxing.
I too find this music to be quite nostalgic and it brings me back to when I was 10 years old and most of my Christmas presents were Sonic related. My family got a GameCube that year and while I technically got Sonic Mega Collection Plus before then, I spent a lot of time on standard Mega Collection on GameCube that Christmas (partially due to me wanting to play the new system). I became a huge Sonic fan in 2004, so that was a wonderful Christmas for me. Despite the ups and downs the franchise has been through, Sonic has been my favorite franchise since then. So yes, this music brings me that nostalgic feeling when I hear it. Great video!
How did we have the same exact experience with this soundtrack. This really was my exact thought as a kid. I’d scroll through these comic covers for hours. It brings back such wonderful memories of just being a kid. I was probably in 4th grade and I would be alone in my room with it playing nonstop.
This song was the whole reason I barely went into the extras section of Sonic Mega Collection as a kid. I love it now though for sure, but I just couldn't handle it when I was younger. If there's one thing Sonic has always gotten right, it's the music!
Never played Mega Collection, but I felt the same thing for the Sonic and the Black Knight fan art section. It remixes "It Doesn’t Matter" from Sonic Adventure 2 in a sweet melancholic violin.
That original track was always my personal favorite since it encapsulated his character to an absolute T, and I would think of it when thinking about the series broadly. I was completely caught off guard when I went into Black Knight's artwork section to hear it remixed, alongside the artwork from his entire history. I "got emotional" (putting it lightly).
A fellow sonic fan that has been following the series since 1995 and sonic 1 for the Sega Genesis was the first sonic that I have played at an immigration service in the office with a CRT TV, alongside with the console and he was the king of mascot with attitude. Sonic mega collection plus for the ps2 as a Compilation is great because of comics and music is sweet.
great video by the way.
I never played Sonic Mega Collection, but I just searched for the song on RUclips. It is a pretty one. It was very nice listening to your thoughts on it. I do feel that sense of nostalgia you're talking about, but it's not so much a feeling of longing for a simpler time. It's more like I'm just enjoying reminiscing and looking forward to where my life goes next. The feeling is more excitement than anything else. Life is an adventure, after all. Like Sonic says, "My stories only end when I stop running!"
If you like softer, more emotional Sonic music, I recommend "Dear Father" and "I'm With You", both from Sonic Frontiers.
Side note: I was interested in being a professional artist for a period of time. I'm still interested in improving my art skills, though I haven't practiced them anywhere near often enough. I'm really good at origami, and I do still surprise myself when I try other forms of art, but I definitely have room for improvement. I'm not so sure about wanting to be a professional artist these days, but I am interested in producing webcomics someday. We'll see how that goes.
Such great analysis. Loved this video so much and your breakdown. It feels like it was made for me. Like you I grew up on SA1/2 and mega collection on GC. Still hearing this melody makes me swell up. Thinking about booting the game up with my brothers as a kid. The memories. It’s really a special thing
This song I would boot up as a kid just to listen to man. God the Gamecube/Xbox/PS2 was such a special era of gaming. So many games that raised us who were mid 90s kids
Aw, yeah! This is happenin!
Ive never met a girl who A) loves sonic games
B) adored the *dated* but absolute iconic SA1 and SA2. They were what got me into gaming in the first place. I love them so much.
Man! You hit me right in the 13 year old with this one. Instasub! I love this tone and havent heard it in forever. I might boot the game just for this.
As someone who also gushes about this era of video game music on youtube, this is the sentimental and beautiful nonsense I come here for 😭
What a track. Sonic's always had killer music throughout the series, but this one hits different. Honestly sounds like something that could've been in Kingdom Hearts to me a lil bit
I was never introduced to this song when i first played Sonic Mega Collection because i only played it on the GameCube. My brother was borrowing the game from a friend, so all i cared about was playing the games & nothing else.
Years later, i got my dad to buy SMC Plus for me on the PS2. For starters, the menus on that game were phenomenal especially the games menu. That's when i was introduced to the song. Seeing the years go from like 1991-1997 while seeing the Sega Genesis & Game Gear next to each other as the song starts up & the background of the menu Sonic 1 gameplay will always be iconic to me.
Then i decided to go through the menus & that's when i was reintroduced to the song giving me even more sense of nostalgia with the menu's background having multiple monitors displaying Sonic & friends from the comics, original art works of classic Sonic or modern Sonic from SA1 & 2, the Sonic Heroes intro (wish we had the Sonic CD intro too, but whatever 🙄) Witnessing at all of that for the first time was ethereal for 10 year old me. I'll forever love this song.
Mega Drive*
So…It’s not a Sonic game, but I have this lullaby CD from my very early childhood..My Mom would play it every night for me. As I got older (around 3 0r 4) somethign about the music would make me cry..but not in like a way that i wanted to turn it off. I couldn’t explain it at the time, a few years ago I found an answer on Quora explaining sometimes music is so beautiful it makes you cry..Although now when I hear it, it’s not only beauty but strong nostalgia that makes me cry….we all miss being a kid and nostalgia is such a sharp, double edged sword. Seeing your video kinda helped me in seeing that, while not the same music, other people have similar feelings to music from their childhood too. Thank you for your video 🥹
Great video, I appreciate a nice discussion about something somewhat niche and sentimental. I did actually grow up on Sonic when I was very young, and then played this as a teenager and this theme stood out to me immediately. I remember looking through the different menus of concept art and everything, and just having this longing, wistful feeling while the music played. It's so easy to get lost in this theme, it's like...a gentle current of nostalgia taking you back over lost times.
A lot of what you said about the music for that specific collection made me relate to Sonic Jam's gallery theme, I feel so nostalgic even though I never played sonic jam but it reminded back to when I was just a kid learning about so many obscure old sonic games like knuckles chaotix. whats funny to me is that when I hear mega collection's history theme, it feels like a sequel or modernized version of sonic jams gallery theme which in turn is just a different version of sonic 3' menu select. sonic music rocks!
Your analysis is spot on! This song really does make you feel nostalgic, even if you haven't read all the Archie comics. To me, it's less about the composition and more about the context. In just the covers alone, you can see so much emotion and story that was put into the Archie Sonic comics. Though the music itself is very nostalgic sounding. The Sonic Frontiers DLC had a similar song that played during Sonic's section that makes me think of similar things but more about how far Sonic has come. I first heard the Sonic Mega Collection song when I was in elementary school and it's interesting to look at at things hearing the song.
it's so amazing how music and experience works, because as a late 90s kid i wasn't allowed to have a console, but i did grow up with retro sonic through PC emulators. i knew of other sonic music through youtube and came across since mega collection and fell in love with the soundtrack. the history song doesn't sound sad at all to me or even nostalgic but very calming and proud? in a way? that sonic music has been so iconic and timeless throughout the years. it truly is amazing how people work differently.
I was introduced to the Sonic franchise when I was 8 years old in 1996. I wish I was introduced to the Sonic franchise in 1991, but I'd say entering into the now 33-year-old Sonic franchise back when it was only 5 years into its life is not bad. And I'm happy that the first Sonic game I ever played was Sonic 1. However, my most favourite Sonic game of all time (and my most favourite video-game in general of all time) is Sonic 3 & Knuckles and always will be. A distant relic of a happier, simpler and better time. I always love Sonic no matter what. Thank you Based Sonic for bringing light into my darkest days.
I grew up with Sonic 2 and Sonic & Knuckles. Didn't get to experience Sonic 1, or Sonic 3 fully, until mega collection, which was my first gamecube game.
Sonic 3&K is definitely one of the best games of all time, and for sure the best sonic game ever.
Great memories! 😁
@@YellowishWolf I played Sonic 1 first, then Sonic 2, then parts of Sonic & Knuckles because I couldn't find Sonic 3 first, THEN Sonic 3, THEN Sonic & Knuckles AGAIN, then Sonic 3 & Knuckles. lol
Thank you for your content!
I hope at some point the song will take on more positive colors in your mind. Nostalgia isn't always about missing a time, it's also about reminding you how you've felt before and how far you've come. Hope you can take pride for yourself as well!
This video is truly incredible and calming, a wonderful watch. I don’t mean to sound cynical but most of Sonic RUclips is awful and I don’t like the majority of channels within it, I’m glad I found this video and channel because this is amazing :)
The Ending Song to Sonic 2 used to make me sob as a kid. I remember finding the Sound Test menu and just listening to it if I needed a good cry that day, haha! Those were such good memories, I recommend you listen to it. That song FEELS like nostalgia, similar to this one. Just discovered this channel and I am loving it, keep it up!
It’s wild how sonic has shaped the music I listen to today, the song makes me feel like my childhood was soo long ago, fire vid 🔥
Yeah, honestly, the entire original soundtrack of the Mega Collection is such a nostalgia trip for me. Sonic 1 was the first game I ever played, and while I didn't really play many of the others till later, I always follow the guy through his franchise ups and downs, but I the Mega Collection was definitely the game I've played the most of his when I was a kid. I'm 24 now, but that opening/title track and all of the other menu tracks send me back to my single digit years without fail.
You really hit the nail on the head describing that tune. I remember I was in my preteen-going on-teens when I heard that tune, going through the history of Sonic I missed out while being able to reminisce on what I had been able to enjoy. I played and enjoyed Sonic 1 and 3, and also watched the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog all in my early years of childhood, while coming back to it in the early 00's when Sonic X came out, reading the bits and pieces of the Archie comics, and getting into Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. I miss that sense of youthfulness and energy from back then when even through a darker time of my life, I could still be a little carefree and keep a sense of innocence. So glad I came across this video!
I grew up more with Mario and Smash Bros Melee during the Gamecube days, but Sonic Mega Collection was given to me when I graduated from 5th grade, and I agree, this theme did and still brings a sense of nostalgia looking back. The title theme song to Sonic Mega Collection is really good and just as nostalgic. It popped and played in my head when I woke up once. I then found myself looking for the whole theme, since most of RUclips is missing half of what makes that title screen theme really good lol.
For me, it's "Endless Mine" from Sonic 3. I get those exact feelings. It's a wonderful tune that has such a nostalgic, bittersweet sound to it. It sends me back to the mid-90's, to that simpler, care-free time in my life. I've also seen other comments about the song, how it would nearly bring some to tears.
As for the Sonic Mega Collection history music, it also brings back memories. I was in college at the time of getting this game. I often bought compilation games during this time since money was scarce. So yeah, it takes me back to those days, maybe not so much a care free time of my life, but still a great one.
I fall asleep to this song a lot, its my go to relax and fall asleep. I loved the collection as a kid and the history extras was my introduction to reading and collecting comics. I never read the Archie comics but I wanted to check out the medium in general. This collection came to me during my preteen years while going through a bad time with family custody and drama and its why I escaped to sonic and many other video games. they really helped me cope with a terrible living situation I had no control over. I will always appreciate the sonic franchise no matter how cringe the fanbase can be. Great video!
It definitely gives off the feel as if something is "over" or "complete".
Essentially, looking back on it now, that would be our childhood.
It’s honestly wild how we had the same exact childhood and started off with Sonic adventure DX and Adventure 2 battle back in the GameCube days 😆… amazing to see someone appreciate the music that I always used to listen to on a computer with early RUclips before smartphones came into existence
I was about 15 when i played this collection on the ps2 and being shown a menu displaying a 90s timeline of these games. I could still remember scrolling through the different sonic games and feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia that instantly took me back in time as a kid playing these classic sonic games and feeling like the summer's lasted forever compare to now. Anyway im glad youtube recommended this video and i must say it does feel nice learning i wasn't alone feeling this way, thank you for sharing your personal experience here.
The Sonic Mega Collection as a whole is just a big warm goodie bag of nostalgic feelings. This and the title screen music are one of a kind tracks and I love that so many people have a close attachment to the Mega Collection and the feeling of experiencing it in the 2000s. So glad I came across your channel
I've been a Sonic fan since 1991 and I always loved the music in these games. I agree, Sonic Mega Collection's "History" is so pretty to listen to. Thank you for making this video. It's always great to see another fan talk about what the music means to them. ^^
O-M-G! I completely agree. When I think of this collection I immediately remember this song 🥲
This song is purely what nostalgia feels like for me
I remember that song and I have that game my little brother got it. I still remember it, sometimes I would put the controller down and close my eyes.
Even listening to it now it reminds me of my Dad who passed away, He is the reason I am into video games and Sonic was a large part of my life that started the genisis and every console after
I finally found someone who played the games in the same order I did growing up. I find it offers a much less generationally biased perspective on the quality of the Sonic series as a whole. It allowed me to appreciate the games for what they offered, both good and bad without outright crucifying one generation over another. Also hearing some of the music tracks from Sonic Adventure in their original form from games like 3D Blast, as well as seeing previews for other titles that I wouldn’t be able to experience until Gems Collection released (Sonic CD), hit me with a unique feeling I like to call “Reverse Nostalgia”.
Great video, nice to know that some RUclipsrs still do the old-skool 'talking at the camera' videos. That music from the Extras menu really is lovely. It gives that nostalgic feeling while you look through Sonic's history. May I also suggest the rest area music from 'All-Star' mode in Super Smash Bros Melee. It's a shorter loop but it gives me that similar feeling. 😊
Yeah for me it was nostalgia too, coming home from school and booting up Sonic Gems Collection and just playing Sonic R, CD and Fighters lol. It was one of the first few PS2 games I got too so it's one of the most important memories of my youth. Playstation 2/3 era was my favorite and I really wish I could go back and relive those days again 😌
oh wow. Its interesting seeing these videos analyzing sonic music in this way. I got the sonic mega collection during a rough time in my young life. During the worst days of that time, i often found myself in the history menu. Somehow listening to that melancholy melody brought a sense of calm to a situation that was a chaotic storm.
wow. Such a great segment. I do remember this track from the mega collection. I remember staying on that extras tab in a loop and resting to it sometimes. So I definitely get where you are coming from. As I get older, certain songs just hit more and have more meaning to it than they did before. I am also a huge fan of the adventure era, and the songs that hit on an emotional level now for me were sadness from Sonic Adventure and The Last Scene from Sonic Adventure 2. I've always enjoyed these tracks here and there when listening to the ost , but in the past, they were always secondary to the heavy hitters like Metal Harbor, white jungle, Live and learn, ect. Now, these tracks speak to me in a different level than they ever have.
This theme definitely hits hard and brings me back to my middle school days going home and playing my GameCube. As a kid I spent hours just flipping through the comic covers and listening to this theme at the same time, especially since I had just started subscribing to the comics since issue #106 and then this game comes out and I get to see all the past comics I had missed, it was so cool. Also looking at the artwork, movies and overall history of all the classic sonic games I grew up playing with on my dad's PC (I grew up with sonic on PC and not the genesis) and GameCube, as well as get a glimpse of advance 2 that I unfortunately wasn't able to play since I didn't have a GBA lol, this theme just lets you soak all of it in perfectly. I'm honestly just so happy to have been born the same year as sonic in 91, makes this franchise really special for me and this is why Sonic will always be my favorite video game character of all time!
PS: The Intro movie/theme is also something I enjoyed replaying again and again, just perfection 👌
While I'm always good for a video with a super-technical music theory analysis on a favorite piece of music, I'm also appreciative of how you took a more down-to-earth approach with your analysis and shared your own introspective on why this song is emotional to you. And because of that, your explanation doesn't get lost at sea. Bonus points for researching the composer of the song, too! Hideaki Kobayashi is brilliant. While my most favorite Sonic music from him is the Nega-Wisp Armor Phase 1 from Sonic Colors (Wii version), the Sonic Mega Collection History theme (and staff roll) isn't far off, being in the top 3 for me.
Video game composers usually have a monumental task ahead of them, similar to film scoring. The backing tracks have to be just right for the occasion and have the correct instrumentation, but additionally, those same tracks have to be something that won't wear itself out quickly in most cases due to how most VGM will loop endlessly. It's these things that can even make or break the entire video game, and it all has to do with how seriously the composer takes their work. I know Tim Follin, for example, saved a few games from being obscure, forgotten software not worth a second look.
I'm interested in what other ideas you have for your future videos, so here's a sub!
The sonic mega collection music whilst looking at the comics... Man that stuff brings back memories but the music was so... Bittersweet tbh
Like at the time I felt that weird feeling but strangely felt sad and hopeful at the same time... That with seeing sonics history and the comic covers, wondering where the franchise was going next or even just thinking about life back then it was a weird feeling invoked by a beautiful tune. Just makes you wonder about life Tbh. Can't exactly explain the reason as to why but i still think about that tune and it's embedded in my memory forever... I do miss being 7 years old and just spending hours on the game cube listening to that background music and going through the comic covers. It still gives me goosebumps just going over something that I thought was lost in time.
Also the transition from the history of sonic video... Where it goes from sonic jam to sonic adventure is awesome!
I first got into Sonic through the Mega Drive (Genesis) games started at the age of 4. Though after some years, I accidently broke the Mega Drive after throwing a tantrum (I was never good at Desert Strike), so a good 4 year went by without any Sonic media until I was 12. My friend re-introduced me to Modern Sonic via SADX & Advance 3. Soon enough I found Mega Collection Plus for the PS2.
The nostalgia absolutely overwhelmed me. Sure, 4 years is an incredibly short time now, but 1 year as kid felt like forever. History played a very key role for both that feeling back then & even now (getting nostalgic over being nostalgic), because the music track played in both the Extras & the Games menu for the PS2 version (I only recently learnt that it was an Extras exclusive for the original GameCube release). Being British, I never grew up with the Archie comics, but I was always amazed at looking through those covers for god knows how long.
History & Mega Collection Plus today feels very bitter sweet. On one hand, it rekindled my love for the games that I previously thought I could never get back. Though on the other hand ironically, it was the last years of living in my first home as my family had to move out when I was 13. I remember being a 5 year old playing the Mega Drive in my room at the dead of night, sitting on the floor & looking up at the TV, with the lights on & the curtains wide open. Maybe this is why nowadays, whenever I play or watch anything in my room at night, I like to keep the curtains open fully!
its crazy how this song connected so many people. I'm with you on feeling as if the experience you were having with this song felt niche and like no one could relate I was also shocked seeing so many people around my age experiencing the exact same with this song along this being the game that put them onto the classic game.
This and the Manuals theme from Sonic Gems Collection are my two favorite chill tracks in the whole Sonic franchise. But the beautiful History theme from Mega Collection was incredibly fitting for the Extras menu. It felt like you were opening up a virtual time capsule.
Man you’ve taken me back with this lol. Sonic mega collection plus might be the first game I ever owned as kid and I still remember clear as day the day I got it. I must’ve been like 3 or 4 years old when my mom took me to PC world to get my first video game, and on this weird spinning magazine rack they had was a bunch of PC games, and on there was mega collection plus. There was also sonic adventure DX but I got this one first. And man I remember just having the best time playing this, spending hours on the crappy family PC trying out all the games on the collection. But then I remember checking the extra menus for art and comics n stuff and heard this absolutely beautiful piece for the first time, I didn’t realise at the time in my tiny head but I was hearing one of the most nostalgic pieces of music I’d ever hear.
Thank you so much for reminding me of this, I sadly no longer have that original copy I bought all those years ago but it still makes me feel nostalgic, and brings back so many fond memories I have with these games.
This song is absolutely amazing
Hello, great video! So Mega Collection was my first ever video game. I remember being a lil nag to have a go at the GameCube and when i finally did, i must have accidentally accessed the menu where "History" plays and as much as my memory can be kinda foggy, i think this is probably the earliest i can remember just being completely enamoured by music. Like this a menu song... not an event, not a necessarily sad moment but a song where you look back in time. Growing up with sonic, it's music has always stood out, inspired me, etc etc but "History" has got to be one of the most unique songs I have ever heard.
To me, it encapsulates nostalgia as many would agree but I always loved how the more uplifting segments represents to look back and be happy that it happened. Dont be sad that its over, be happy that it happened kinda thing.
I actually can't recall this song despite playing the collection consistently and browsing the art at least a few times, but your connection with it is wonderful and knowing so many others is an example of why this fandom is so special. Sonic continues to bring us together to share nostalgia and hope for the future. Love the content mate 🤙🏻
I was just doing a transcription of this the other day! This is incredible timing haha. One of the most interesting things about this song is that it is very very simple compositionally. It uses exactly as much as it needs to get the feeling across and nothing more. The composer probably had less than a week to make this track and didn't even realize what they had made.
You totally Get It! It’s so interesting how the nostalgia of the song hits the same way but for different reasons. The song makes me think of when I was 5 years old playing Sonic 1 in Service Merchandise….not knowing that it was only the beginning 😅
It's amazing when a single song that's meant to be background music to a video game can be so powerful! I swear this song is pure perfection
sonic runners “spring emotions” and “strange parade” and “magical snowday” and “end of summer” also have very nostalgic feels, for a time u never even knew, even if youre listening to it for the first time
YES! This was exactly how I felt about hearing this song while digging through comic covers. From watching Sonic grow up with Princess Sally and the others on Mobius, to finding his best friend Tails, his rival Knuckles, and eventually the future era where he meets his only remaining family. Sonic and Knuckle's deaths come to mind, alonv with their "10 Years Later" what-if issue (assuming I'm not misremembering) and the very distinct "Sonic The Fugitive" cover.
So many cool covers and stories packed in there on both the original and Plus versions. That song, to me, is the greatest representation of "bittersweet".
You’re a seriously underrated RUclipsr! Subscribed! :)
oh the entire Mega Collection music was seriously wild. I especially love the intro music!
I remember seeing all those comic book covers and believing they were part of the games' backstory and felt both thrilled to dig more in that juicy Sonic lore but also somewhat desperate that all these adventures were being live through as i missed them all, like i was getting late into the party
Definitely a sense of wonder and nostalgia for a era i wasn't even born into
(A 2001 boy myself, Long live the GC Sonic games)
I had Mega Collection Plus on the PS2, so my music was swapped around. This was the music I heard while scrolling through games. I remember looking the song up a couple of years ago when I wanted music to add to my writing playlist, and like you it made me want to cry hearing it again after all these years. It doesn't affect me quite like that anymore because I've heard it a bunch, but it's still one of my favourite pieces of music. I even made an orchestral arrangement of it
I understand how you feel, when I heard this it made me sad too. I’m thankful I grew up in the 90s it was sweet 😢
Thos the typa content i need to stay sane. Glad so many people love this as much as i do
Can’t believe there’s a video that basically describes my exact experience and emotions. Thank you very much, I cherish this collection and your video.
This is my first time hearing the song but you did a brilliant job of getting across how it feels if you have more of a history with it, very easy to understand and relate to. Also, to me it sounds more like it belongs in hotel dusk than a Sonic game, which I guess kind of makes sense as Hotel Dusk and its sequel have a lot of melancholy moments where the protagonist is looking back at his past. Good video!
I got Sonic Mega Collection Plus on the original XBox when it came out. I was in my early 20s at the time, and the XBox was the first console I had ever purchased with my own money. I spent so much time in the Extras menu, looking at the Archie comic covers and remembering my childhood in the early 90s. I grew up with a Sega Genesis back then, playing the first 2 Sonic games and watching both versions of the Sonic cartoons ("Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" weekdays on Channel 11 in NYC, and the slightly more mature "Sonic the Hedgehog" Saturday mornings on ABC). Now I'm 42 years old, and this music still takes me back to two different time periods in my life, and still brings a smile to my face🙂
Thank you for introducing me to this music!
I enjoyed listening to your thoughts and connections with Sonic and his specific niches around his certain games as I think there's lot of us out there that have had incredibly similar experiences growing up.
I'm 33 now and I grew up at the very tail end of the Mega Drive era and birth of the Dreamcast (kinda omitting the Saturn lol) there's a lot of nostalgia for Sonic. Mega Collection's menu tunes were on another level, for a compilation of old games 😅 I sometimes just listened the main theme and menu theme on loop! There's certain tunes out there that really do bring a tear to my eye and as much as I try to shrug it off cause I think I'm being stupid it's actually nice to hear and sort of gratifying that other people have the same reaction to nostalgia.
Gave ya a follow on Insta, hope to see some nostalgia there too one day 😉
100% agree with you i love the song/history it's has a lot going on with it i listen to it with rain & thunder in the background it just hits me im a 90s kid i grow up with the og sonic games man good times