Editing Sonic Mega Collection (section)

==Development and release==
''Mega Collection'' was developed by [[Sonic Team]],<ref name="NWRReview"/> the studio behind most games in the ''Sonic'' series. According to director Yojiro Ogawa, Sonic Team's goal with the compilation was to introduce children to older games in the series and showcase what made ''Sonic'' successful.<ref name="gspyogawa">{{cite web|title=Yojiro Ogawa Interview|url=http://cube.gamespy.com/articles/635/635878p1.html|website=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=February 21, 2018|date=July 22, 2005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318010628/http://cube.gamespy.com/articles/635/635878p1.html|archive-date=March 18, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Sonic Team chose to focus on including all the Genesis ''Sonic'' games.<ref name="nakaq&a"/> Rather than [[porting]] them from the Genesis, they collaborated with VR-1 Japan to develop an emulator to run the games' [[ROM image]]s.<ref name="NWRReview"/> Series co-creator [[Yuji Naka]], who served as producer, said the team intended to include the 1993 [[Sega CD]] game ''[[Sonic CD]]'', but storage constraints prevented this.<ref name="nakaq&a">{{cite web |title=Sonic Team Q&A |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-team-qanda/1100-2882013/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=December 15, 2018 |date=February 18, 2004 |archive-date=April 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404044023/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-team-qanda/1100-2882013/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Sonic Team also considered including [[BlueSky Software]]'s ''[[Vectorman]]'' (1995).<ref name="gspyogawa"/> ''CD'' and ''Vectorman'' later appeared in ''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' (2005), a successor to ''Mega Collection'' focusing on rare ''Sonic'' games.<ref name="gspyogawa"/> Sonic Team had trouble gathering materials for the compilation because it had been a decade since they made the games and "Sega's not that good about keeping history."<ref name="nakaq&a"/> For instance, Naka wanted to include the original [[prototype]] of the first game but Sonic Team could not find its ROM image.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Towell |first1=Justin |title=Super-rare 1990 ''Sonic The Hedgehog'' prototype is missing |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/super-rare-1990-sonic-the-hedgehog-prototype-is-missing/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=December 15, 2018 |date=June 27, 2011 |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324080928/http://www.gamesradar.com/super-rare-1990-sonic-the-hedgehog-prototype-is-missing/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Sega]] announced ''Mega Collection'' as a GameCube [[Console exclusivity|exclusive]] in early July 2002,<ref>{{cite web |title=New ''Sonic''s Coming to Cube |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/01/new-sonics-coming-to-cube |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |date=July 1, 2002 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043749/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/01/new-sonics-coming-to-cube |url-status=live }}</ref> and revealed which games would be included later that month.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sonic Mega Collection Details |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/12/sonic-mega-collection-details |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |date=July 12, 2002 |archive-date=December 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217015122/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/12/sonic-mega-collection-details |url-status=live }}</ref> The compilation [[Software release life cycle#Release|went gold]] the following November;<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Jason |title=''Sonic Mega Collection'' for the GameCube soon |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-mega-collection-for-the-gamecube-soon/1100-2896488/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=December 15, 2018 |date=November 1, 2002 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043535/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-mega-collection-for-the-gamecube-soon/1100-2896488/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Naka said Sonic Team felt a sense of accomplishment when they completed it.<ref name="nakaq&a"/> ''Mega Collection'' was released in North America on November 12, 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Sonic Mega Collection'' ships |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-mega-collection-ships/1100-2897301/ |access-date=May 27, 2023 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527122311/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-mega-collection-ships/1100-2897301/ |url-status=live}}</ref> in Japan on December 19, 2002,<ref name="NWRReview"/> and in Europe on March 21, 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Sonic Mega Collection'' sur Gamecube |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/gamecube-ngc/00009735-sonic-mega-collection.htm |website=[[Jeuxvideo.com]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |language=fr |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043503/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/gamecube-ngc/00009735-sonic-mega-collection.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> In European territories, [[Infogrames]] distributed the compilation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infogrames.co.uk/?pg=game_detail&productID=91 |title=Sonic Mega Collection|website=www.infogrames.co.uk |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030628044740/http://www.infogrames.co.uk/?pg=game_detail&productID=91 |archive-date=28 June 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Preplay - Sonic Mega Collection |journal=[[Official Nintendo Magazine]] |date=January 2003 |issue=124 |pages=64–65 |publisher=[[Future plc]]}}</ref> When Sega began to expand support for the PlayStation 2, it commissioned a version of ''Mega Collection'' for that console and the Xbox.<ref name="PlusImpressions">{{cite web |last1=C. Perry |first1=Douglass |title=''Sonic Mega Collection Plus'' Impressions |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/14/sonic-mega-collection-plus-impressions |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |date=October 14, 2004 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043643/https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/14/sonic-mega-collection-plus-impressions |url-status=live}}</ref> This version, ''Sonic Mega Collection Plus'', was announced at [[E3 2004]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=More ''Sonic'' for PS2 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/07/more-sonic-for-ps2 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |date=May 7, 2004 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043856/https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/07/more-sonic-for-ps2 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Plus'' was released in North America on November 2, 2004,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=David |date=November 2, 2004 |title=Furry, Fast, and Blue |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/11/02/furry-fast-and-blue |access-date=May 27, 2023 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527122311/https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/11/02/furry-fast-and-blue |url-status=live}}</ref> in Japan on December 9, 2004,<ref>{{cite web |title=ゲームタイトル |url=http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/gametitle/Playstation2.html |website=[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] |publisher=[[Sega]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |archive-date=July 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150719022927/http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/gametitle/Playstation2.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and in Europe on February 4, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Sonic Mega Collection Plus'' sur PlayStation 2 |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-2-ps2/00012916-sonic-mega-collection-plus.htm |website=[[Jeuxvideo.com]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |language=fr |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043527/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-2-ps2/00012916-sonic-mega-collection-plus.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Windows]] version was released in Europe on March 31, 2006 and in North America on March 9, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Sonic Mega Collection Plus'' sur PC |url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00015745-sonic-mega-collection-plus.htm |website=[[Jeuxvideo.com]] |access-date=December 16, 2018 |language=fr |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043556/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00015745-sonic-mega-collection-plus.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> It was later included in the ''[[Sonic PC Collection]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite web |author1=Sega |author-link=Sega |title=''Sonic PC Collection'' (PC) |url=http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/i159810/Sonic-PC-Collection/ |website=GamePlanet |access-date=March 13, 2018 |date=October 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324150658/http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/i159810/Sonic-PC-Collection/ |archive-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref>