Theme - Sonic CD (Sega CD)

Cyril: Don't believe Sonic's lies! Catchy chorus and upbeat lyrics aside, this Sonic CD theme is rife with inaccuracies. Contrary to what the song says, if you're strong you will NOT be able to fly. Also, trouble does not actually make you run faster. And while it may sound empowering to say that you can handle any obstacle, I would draw the line well before single-handedly battling a megalomaniacal psychopath dead set on destroying the world. Unrealistic lyrics aside, I really like this theme. This isn't "Stairway to Heaven" or anything, but it's a catchy pop song with an inspirational message. Sometimes I can't tell if I only like it out of nostalgia or if it's simply a well-produced song. As of today, I'm leaning towards admitting to myself that Sonic Boom is a damn good theme song.

Kevin: Surely one of the earliest console games to have a theme song with vocals, Sonic CD's theme goes all out with two verses and a catchy chorus. Of course, having vocals leads the instruments to dumb down a bit, with only the keyboardist getting a busy part full of arpeggiation. The drums hold a simple rock beat while the bass and guitar mostly get sustained root notes and chords respectively, with an occasional screaming lead note from the guitar. None of this is really detrimental to the song, but the pop rock feel and structure lead to it sounding very dated twenty years later. It's hard to fault it too much for that though, and it serves as a great introduction to the game with its inspirational lyrics.