The Ultimate Sonic Bundle

Genre: Compilation / Platformer / 3D Platformer / Kart Racer

Players: 1-4 Competitive Minigames (Local / Local Split-Screen / Local Wireless), 2-16 Team Competitive (Online), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

The Ultimate Sonic Bundle, released on Nintendo Switch in 2022, is a Compilation of three family-friendly games starring Sonic the Hedgehog in some capacity, previously released on Nintendo Switch in 2017 and 2019.

I have separately reviewed all of these games. Here is what I thought of all of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Sonic Forces	Platformer / 3D Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr Sonic Forces takes a mix of Sonic’s typical family-friendly 2D and 3D Platformer gameplay and puts players in the role of a new character after Sonic is defeated in the game’s prologue. It’s a concept that’s brimming with potential, but that potential is sadly squandered, with clunky unambitious gameplay and performance on Nintendo Switch that is not conducive to Sonic’s fast-paced gameplay. This is not Sonic’s worst game, but it is far from his best.
Sonic Mania	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local), 2 Competitive (Local Splitscreen), Online Leaderboards, DLC: 3-4 Competitive (Local Splitscreen)	A-
tl;dr Sonic Mania is a Platformer that mixes classic throwback levels with newer, remixed stage design to create something unique and refreshing that stands as the best the series has ever been. It may not top Mario in my book, but it’s a must-have game regardless.
Team Sonic Racing	Kart Racer	1-4 Team Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Local Wireless) 2-16 Team Competitive (Online)	B-
tl;dr Team Sonic Racing is a Kart Racer with a focus on its team dynamics, and it’s a solid entry in the genre. However, it’s not without its flaws, and it is largely overshadowed by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is simply an all-around better game. If you want a second kart racer though, Team Sonic Racing is a good choice.

In short, two of the three games here are well worth owning, with Sonic Mania specifically being outstanding, with many seeing this game as the best Sonic game ever made. The odd one out here is Sonic Forces, which is generally seen as one of the worst Sonic games in recent years. Also, as with other multi-game bundles containing Sonic Mania, I need to mention that The Ultimate Sonic Bundle lacks the Encore DLC for Sonic Mania (also called Sonic Mania+), so set aside an extra $5 if you want that as well.

Of course now we head on to talk about value, but first there’s an elephant in the room we need to address – the two best games in this collection are available in another Compilation, the physical-only Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack, which means any discussion of value has to compare to this bundle, which can generally be found somewhere in the range of $25-$30. By comparison, this bundle sells for $60, which is a pretty absurd markup from that, and is only a $10 savings compared to buying the games individually.

As such, The Ultimate Sonic Bundle simply does not make any sense. If you want only the good games in this collection, get Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack, which will cost you under half the price of this collection. If you want all of the games in this bundle, buy Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack and just get Sonic Forces on its own – doing so will only set you back $50. Or you could even go a step further and buy both Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack and the Sonic Forces + Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD bundle, getting yourself all of the games in The Ultimate Sonic Bundle plus one more, for $5 cheaper. “Overpriced” doesn’t even begin to describe this terrible deal.

tl;dr – The Ultimate Sonic Bundle is a Compilation containing two great Sonic games (Sonic Mania, Team Sonic Racing) and one bad one (Sonic Forces). While these games all have their merits, this overpriced bundle does not – you can easily get everything included here and more in other bundles that will end up costing you less. Unless you get a really good sale price on this bundle, don’t bother with this rip-off.

Grade: C-

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