On November 11, 2009, the BBFC classified Sonic Classic Collection, accidentally announcing the game early.[4] Two videos, one about Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood and the other about the history of the Sonic franchise, were listed as content present within the game. These were presumably cut, as they are not featured in the final version of the game.
Sonic Classic Collection was formally announced by Sega on December 1, 2009 through a press release.[5]
A limited edition, exclusive to Spain and Australia, was released concurrently alongside the standard version of the game. The limited edition comes with a tin box containing the base game, a Sonic figurine, and five postcards of Sonic artwork.[6]
In 2015, Sonic Classic Collection illustrations were discovered in a former Creative Assembly Australia employee's portfolio, including Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and Sonic 3D Blast logos. These games were not present in the final release, thus suggesting that at some point they were considered for inclusion.[7]
According to review aggregatorMetacritic, Sonic Classic Collection received "mixed or average" reviews.[8] Critics generally agreed that the compilation was fun and that the games could still be enjoyable after their original release. However, critics criticised the emulation for "the iffy frame rate present in all the games",[9] and "although the game never slows down to the extent of Sonic’s infamous Game Boy Advanceouting, it’s a fact that the DS shouldn’t be struggling with these games".[2] More points of contention were the lack of multiplayer and how loading a file "just kicks you back to the start of the level that you were playing".[1] A lack of extras was another complaint, as they were described as "extremely little... to get excited about"[9] and how Classic Collection had "only the basics of legacy material like character art."[1]
