Sonic Origins has finally launched and the Michael Jackson rumours are once again floating around. After all, fans were quick to notice a major difference in this collection. One of the games, arguably the most famous of the Sonic classics: Sonic 3 & Knuckles features some different level themes. Most notably Ice Cap Zone and Carnival Night Zone have changed.
As previously discussed, Michael Jackson is heavily rumoured to have worked on at least a few of the themes for Sonic 3. Apparently, due to a legal dispute between SEGA and the King of Pop’s estate, said themes were not allowed to be re-used for future remasters or re-releases of the game. This was bad news indeed for the blue blur.
Yuji Naka, one of the original creators of Sonic, actually confirmed these rumours on Twitter recently. Clear as day, after the launch of Sonic Origins, he confirms the involvement of Michael Jackson on Sonic 3′s soundtrack. So, what happened? Seems like, in the end, SEGA was unable to use the tracks.
Oh my god, the music for Sonic 3 has changed, even though SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson's music.
— Yuji Naka / 中 裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022
Ice Cap Zone, Carnival Night and Launch Base have had their themes replaced. These replacement themes aren’t brand new themes, however. They’re actually the very original prototype versions of these zones’ themes, before Michael Jackson’s involvement. Regardless, the themes that gamers grew up with in the late 90s have been removed. This is a huge shame and, despite seeming like a nitpick, classic Sonic games have always been praised for their incredible soundtracks.
So, what do you think? Are you disappointed that Sonic Origins doesn’t feature Michael Jackson’s versions of these iconic level themes? Let us know your thoughts down below.
Video Credit: GameXplain
