Sonic Origins won’t have Sonic 3’s original soundtrack because of Michael Jackson

metro.co.uk:

In order to re-release Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sega has had to replace some of its music with the original, prototype tracks.

While the first two Mega Drive Sonic The Hedgehog games have seen numerous re-releases, the same can’t be said for Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.

The last time it re-released was for Steam in 2011, so its inclusion in Sonic Origins is a big deal, but it comes with a major caveat. Unlike the other games in the compilation, it will not feature its original soundtrack.

It doesn’t sound like all the music is being replaced, but certain tracks will be absent. That said, their replacements won’t be entirely new.

Instead, the game will now have music tracks from a prototype version, ones that have been repurposed by Sonic series composer Jun Senoue, who got his start with Sonic The Hedgehog 3.

These details were confirmed by social media manager Katie Chrzanowski, in response to fan questions regarding the music.

She added that the aim is to have the music sound as faithful as possible. It’ll even use the same sound chip used for the Mega Drive. You can hear her address the issue in the livestream below from the 9:56 mark.

One of Sonic Mania’s developers, Twitter user Stealth (who has also contributed to Sonic Origins), provided further clarification, saying that some fans will recognise the songs from Sonic 3 & Knuckles’ 1997 PC port.

‘Don’t ask me why this change is necessary now and expect a solid answer,’ they explained. ‘I actually don’t have any more information on it than is already available to you.

‘Given the apparent circumstances though, it seems a reasonable compromise to have Sonic 3 be released on modern platforms.’

As for why this is happening to being with, it’s because of certain legal issues that