Who’s Bad?
The mysterious legacy of theSonic 3soundtrack has reared its head once again, as Sega has revealed that upcoming retro compilationSonic Originswillnotfeature the original score from the 1994 release. Instead,Sonic 3 & Knuckleswill feature an “adapted” soundtrack, faithfully recreated by composer Jun Senoue.
Sonicfans had been awaiting news on theSonic Originssoundtrack situation, well aware thatSonic 3score is mired in misty red tape due to thealleged input of one Michael Jackson, who supposedly composed some of the game’s tracks despite not actually being credited in-game. Since its release, both members of Michael Jackson’s team and Sega executives have delivered mixed messages as to whether “The King of Pop” did indeed work on the best-selling Sega Mega Drive title, with no real confirmation either way.
New:@SEGA’s@KatieChrzon Sonic 3 & Knuckles' partially adapted soundtrack in#SonicOrigins:
📢 “We can’t use all of the original sounds [from S3&K]. Jun Senoue has been working really hard to adapt the original music that was composed in 1993 for Origins,"#SonicNewspic.twitter.com/7va4T76QdZ
— bsky.app/profile/tailschannel.com (@TailsChannel)June 11, 2025
In a specialSonic Originslive stream held yesterday, social media manager Katie Chrzanowski clarified that theSonic Originsedition ofSonic 3 & Knuckleswill feature a recomposed versionof the original score, with Senoue even utilizing original Sega Mega Drive technology and his original collection of Digital Audio Tape (DAT) to truly capture that classic 16-bit feel.
While the fact that Sonic 3 is not being 100% replicated in its entirety will be a disappointment to the fanbase, Senoue is one of the best in the biz, with no doubt that the tweaked score will be equally as compelling as the one that Jackson did… I meandid not… write.
Sonic Originslaunches June 23 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.
