Since his first outing on the SEGA Genesis all the way back in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has become a gaming icon. Pipped perhaps only by a certain Italian plumber, Sonic is a gaming franchise with worldwide appeal.
Below are my top 5 Sonic games. I want to fight against the idea that Sonic’s best days are long gone. I believe there have been plenty of excellent Sonic games to grace our screens in the 21st Century. To show this, this list is exclusively composed of no games prior to the Dreamcast era.
Trust me, despite the Sonic 06’s and the Sonic Booms, there are some gems to be found amongst the Modern Sonic titles.
5) Sonic Heroes (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)
Whereas the Adventure titles boasted large rosters of player characters, Sonic Heroes blew these games out of the water. Although in essence there are only 3 play styles (speed, power, flight), these are spread across a staggering 12 characters. You play in teams of three, swapping from character to character dependent on the obstacle. Each team faces slightly different challenges. Most notably, Team Chaotix (Espio, Vector and Charmy Bee from Knuckles Chaotix) have drastically different objectives in levels: rather than racing to the finish line, Team Chaotix will be tasked with finding a set of hidden items, or taking out all enemies in the level.
This provides some much needed variety, as to fully complete the game you need to complete the campaign with all four teams. Although I am a fan of the level design, it can become tedious on the fourth playthrough, especially the casino level with its buggy physics.
Oh, and the Emerald bonus missions are a drag. You also need to complete all of these to unlock the secret ending.
This one has its faults, but it is the closest the Sonic series came to transporting the fundamental elements of what made the 2D games fun into 3D. Oh, and the opening cinematic is a joy to behold, still to this day. The game looks great for its time, with imaginative, vibrant level design.
4) Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast, GameCube, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows)
Its sequel was an improvement on it in more or less every way. The first game had the bright idea of multiple playable characters, but this was poorly executed. Adventure 2’s good vs evil story, with two playable teams, was a much slicker approach to having multiple playable characters.
The three main gameplay styles still hold up to this day. Knuckle and Rogue's treasure hunting stages still stand out massively today. Sure, they can be a bit of a slog at times, but the environs you travel through with them were absolutely massive, and must have stretched the limits of the Dreamcast.
This was the first Sonic title to feature Shadow the Hedgehog, which gave this game a distinctively mature feel compared to other Sonic titles. Yes, the storyline is all over the place - and arguably was the catalyst for the God-awful narratives of Shadow the Hedgehog (the game) and Sonic 06 - but it is a lot of fun. It’s high octane and surprisingly deep at times (though ultimately, compared to more modern narrative titles like The Last of Us, not at all deep).
It is a shame that the Adventure series died before it really got going. Adventure 2 is a wonderful game, and there is still demand for a third Adventure game. Maybe one day.
3) Sonic Unleashed (Mobile Phone, PlayStation 3, Java, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360)
When the time of day changes, so does the gameplay. Werehog Sonic plays more like a beat 'em up. There is still some platforming, but the emphasis is no longer on speed. Yes, these are not my favourite sections of the game, but they are still good. The offer a much welcome change of pace, and show that Sonic isn’t a one trick pony.
The game world here is charming too. As you travel across the world hunting down Eggman, you run and fight through some breathtaking environs.
This one is still available as a backward compatible title on both Xbox One and PS4. I urge you to give it a go if you didn’t all those years ago. I promise you’ll be hooked right from the opening cutscene.
2) Sonic Generations (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360)
Generations was released as part of Sonic’s 20 year anniversary back in 2010. It follows Sonic and Tails (both modern and classic models), playing through a set of 2D side scrolling levels and more open, modern 3D levels.
Both types of playstyles are a joy. It is working on the same engine as Sonic Unleashed, and we already know how I feel about that.
The levels are faithful reimaginings of infamous environs Sonic has journeyed through throughout his career. Just to name a few, we have delightful HD versions of City Escape, Greenhill Zone and Seaside Hill here. Most impressively however, Crisis City from Sonic 06 is playable here, and actually a lot of fun. Turning a level from that buggy mess into something genuinely enjoyable is a testament to the effort that went into Sonic Generations.
The boss battles are also well done. You fight against a great cast of Sonic’s foes from over the years - Metal Sonic, Shadow, Eggman, Perfect Chaos - and in virtually all of these, the boss battles are a marked improvement compared to their appearance earlier on in the series.
In terms of wider reception, this is probably the best 3D Sonic game to date. I would have to agree. However, something has beaten it to the number one spot, at least on my list…
Sonic Generations holds up really well today, and in terms of bang for your buck, is probably the best Sonic game money can buy.
1) Sonic Mania ( Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna)
This is a true return to form, as well as a return to the origins of the series that made it so great. After a string of poor 3D titles, the series was brought back to life by a team of Sonic fans.
And this really shows; the game is an absolute love letter to the series, and it the highest rated Sonic title in over 15 years. There is a mix here of old, remixed levels a la Sonic Generations, but where this one really shines is in the new levels.
Sonic has some absolutely classic environments, and is often criticised for simply rehashing them game after game. Sonic Mania's new zones, notably Studipolis and Press Garden, are the best areas in the game.
Yes, I enjoy the games listed above, but these, along with many other Sonic titles, are very guilty of just profiting off of nostalgia without attempting to take the series in a new direction.
Sonic Mania on the other hand somehow manages to do both. Its smooth 2D gameplay is the perfect mix of nostalgia and a new inventive approach to the series.
This game is so good that it has given me, and many others, hope that Sonic is not dead and buried, but willing to innovate and entertain us.
