![]() ![]() Sonic: Lost World seemed to be an okay effort at best while Sonic Boom on Wii U was decried as the worst Sonic game, perhaps even worse than the infamous Sonic 06. The series failed to pick up its momentum after the release of Sonic Generations, a title that borrowed much of its quality from the mechanics and gameplay of its Genesis forerunners. One prominent example is Streets of Rage 4. Sonic Mania 's legacy paved the way for Sega to lend out their older franchises to fan-developers as well. ![]() These shorter episodes ended up being so unsuccessful that Sega ultimately scrapped the third episode of the series entirely. Sonic team’s episodic, tone-deaf attempt to acknowledge the fans’ love of the past games ended up with people decrying the awkward physics and less-beloved music tracks. Nothing quite captured the quality or meaning of the franchise quite as well as Sonic’s past on the Genesis.įinally, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room: Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Sonic Rush would succeed the series on DS, but Dimps’ later titles ( Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations on 3DS) failed to attain more than passing appreciation from fans. ![]() Much like the Genesis titles, the third game in this sub-series became a favorite thanks to its combination of high-speed action, strong level design, and its creative use of the team-up mechanic. The 2D games also had a moment in the sun thanks to the Sonic Advance series on GBA. Some games may be labeled "Ultimate" while failing to live up to that title. It would not be until the 2011 release of Sonic Generations that the series’ momentum would once again pick up to its former glory, albeit briefly. Unfortunately, nearly anyone who’s kept up with the franchise knows of the “dark days” beginning with Sonic Heroes in 2004. The latter, in particular, is a fan favorite because of the new characters introduced and the incredibly fun multiplayer mode. That’s not to say Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 are by any means poor games. Sega struggled to keep up with the quality of Sonic after his integration into 3D. In addition to the Competition mode and newly introduced “Hyper” forms, Sonic 3 & Knuckles took the best of its predecessors and created the single greatest game on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive. Three playable characters - including the introduction of Knuckles - across 14 zones, some of which are the best in the series, including Hydrocity, Flying Battery, Lava Reef, and Death Egg. Sonic 3 & Knuckles, however, arguably got the best deal overall. Sonic CD added the time travel element, which varied the stages, and introduced some neat-looking FMV sequences. Sonic 1 set the foundation of the speedy fast platformer while Sonic 2 dialed up the speed, introduced Tails, added the Super Sonic powerup, and included more zones. Each one succeeded in being a charming, challenging platformer with fantastic music that could rival even Nintendo’s stellar Mario series. Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles were arguably developed with the highest level of polish in mind. If you’re part of the Sonic Internet community, you’ve likely come across the common and standard opinion that the Genesis trilogy + Sonic CD are the best games in the series. Revisiting the Genesis and Sega CD Classics However, to assert that this one title is the most recommendable and high-quality experience of the series’ 30 years would require looking back at the series’ ups and downs. Besides hunting down all the Trophies, this gave me the excuse to finish Mighty, Tails, and Ray’s playthroughs and look back on this 2017 classic.įive years after its release, I maintain the belief that Sonic Mania is the best side-scrolling platformer of the current generation. Since I had not completed the game 100%, I decided it was time to revisit the title and finish those would-be dreaded Blue Sphere stages. Working at my job and listening to 70s and 80s pop and R&B music likely lent a hand. The emergence of Sonic helped ignite that spark. Available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, 2017s Mania marked the return of 2D Sonic in the best way imaginable. With the recent release of Sonic Origins, the announcement that preceded it invited me to play Sonic Mania again. ![]()
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