By traveling through time, players can access different versions of stages, featuring alternative layouts, music, and graphics.

Led by Sonic's co-creator Naoto Ohshima, the developers sought to show off the technical capabilities of the Sega CD.

Reviewers praised its size, music, and time travel feature, although some felt it did not fully use the Sega CD's capabilities.

A remake, developed by Christian Whitehead using the Retro Engine, was released for various platforms in 2011 and as part of the Sonic Origins compilation in 2022.

Players control Sonic the Hedgehog as he ventures to stop his nemesis Doctor Robotnik from obtaining the magical Time Stones and conquering Little Planet.

[1] Like previous games, Sonic can destroy enemies and objects (such as certain walls and television monitors containing power-ups[1]) by rolling into a ball, and collects rings as a form of health.

"[6] Players are encouraged to convert each zone into a "good future", with bright colors, thriving nature, and few enemies.

[6] To achieve a good future in each zone, players must travel to the past and destroy a hidden transporter where enemy robots spawn.

[2][6] By finishing a level with more than 50 rings, Sonic can access a special stage, in which he must destroy six UFOs in a pseudo-3D environment within a time limit.

His nemesis, Dr. Robotnik, has chained the planet to a mountain and begun transforming it into a giant fortress with his robot army.

[11] Ohshima said, "our ideas were to make the world and setting larger, and to add more replayability, so it would be something you could enjoy playing for a long time".

Hoshino had a clear image of Metal Sonic in his mind from the moment he was briefed, and his design emerged after only a few sketches.

[17] Ohshima hoped for the time period to change instantly with a "sonic boom" effect, but the programmers argued this was impossible and produced a loading sequence instead.

[19] The original soundtrack was composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, who had worked together on the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

[21] Hataya and Ogata's initial demo songs were rejected by director Naoto Ohshima, who insisted on a more bold, experimental sound that matched his vision for Sonic CD.

[22] The composers drew inspiration from house and techno acts including C+C Music Factory, Frankie Knuckles and the KLF.

[24] The team also made heavy use of popular sample discs commonly used by house musicians, such as "Zero-G Datafiles 2".

[26] Some tracks were written and produced by the keyboardist Mark "Sterling" Crew[27][28][better source needed] and feature the percussionist Armando Peraza, both of whom had worked with Santana.

[29] According to Nilsen, Sega's American marketing division wanted to replace the Japanese soundtrack with one "more musically rich and complex", and with a new theme song they could use to promote it.

[51] In 2009, independent programmer Christian Whitehead produced a proof-of-concept video of a remastered version of the game, using his Retro Engine, running on iOS.

[52][53] Sega released this version in December 2011 for Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and later in January 2012 for Windows via Steam with assistance from BlitWorks in the PC and console ports.

[54] The remaster features enhancements such as widescreen graphics, fine-tuned collision detection to make time traveling more consistent, refined visuals and frame rate for Special Stages, the option for spin dash physics from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, both the Japanese and North American soundtracks, the ability to unlock Tails as a playable character, and achievement and trophy support.

The music was singled out as making Sonic CD "stand above the crowd"; the reviewer wrote that it helped add richness to the game.

IGN praised its vibrant colors and felt the game looked nice,[74] and GamesRadar thought its music stood the test of time, writing: "What must've dated very quickly in the 1990s is somehow totally fresh today".

[75][76] GameFan editor Dave Halverson called the change "an atrocity that remains the biggest injustice in localization history".

[77] The reviewer for GamesRadar said he shut his GameCube off in disgust when he realized Sonic Gems Collection used the American soundtrack.

[18] In a 2008 interview, Nilsen said "I think critics were looking for a way to bash the game... it was like we replaced the music for Star Wars after the movie had been out for a while.

[3] GameSpot singled out the "interesting level design and the time-travelling gameplay" as a major selling point, saying it provided a unique take on the classic Sonic formula.

GameSpot considered the 1996 Windows version inferior, criticizing its technical performance and "tedious and monotonous" gameplay.

The adaptation featured some changes to the story, such as Tails being an important character and Metal Sonic having the ability to talk.