Recommend me some Sonic games!

[LindseyWalker]

Hi everyone.

 

You might have noticed, if you read my current thread, that I'm new when it comes to Sonic games. I've never played one before, but I am a big fan of other platformers, such as Rayman, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Jak, Ratchet and lately the Mario franchise. I've been trying to get into other platformers lately, Kirby being the latest example, and Kirby Superstar ended up being one of my favourite titles. I found it by going on a Kirby forum and having it recommended so, hey, I thought I would do it again here.

 

I downloaded Sonic 2 on my Android because it was really cheap and was a good way to see if I woud like the series. I really love it, it's an amazing game but it is a tad hard with the touchscreen controls .

 

I've heard Sonic's fallen from grace at some point and that a lot of his games aren't very good but the ones that are good are amazing, so I don't really know where to start.

 

Can you recommend me some Sonic games?

 

I have all the consoles available and my PC is a pretty powerful rig, so hardware is no obstacle for me!

 

Thanks in advance!

[PickleBrows]

If you enjoyed Sonic 2, then you'll likely enjoy Sonic 1, Sonic CD and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

 

When you want to jump to 3D, Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations are your best bets starting off. The latter will give you a very brief run through the main series up to that point and might lead your curiosity to check out the games it represents.

 

Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 and Sonic Heroes are pretty divisive games and each have their own issues relating to age or just general design but you may well enjoy them.

 

If you want some more 2D action other than the classic games then Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush are pretty great titles to pick.

 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2006) and the Sonic Boom games are best left completely ignored until much, much later.

[LindseyWalker]

I might check out Sonic 1 because that's also on Android. I'll wait till I beat Sonic 2 first though. Thanks for the advice .

[speedhog58]

I'd recommend that Sonic Unleashed for xbox360/ps3 whenever you get the chance, it is by far the most fast paced game in the franchise and has quite a bit of platforming in later levels, the night stages however are more of a "beat em up" style like God of war but are heavy on the platforming aspects

[Tails spin]

Shadow the hedgehog should be the next game on your list

[JezMM]

I'll second that Sonic Colours for Wii and Sonic Generations for 360/PS3/PC are great choices to check out some more 3D gameplay.  Sonic Colours is the easier game of the two with lots of 2D gameplay and very simple 3D gameplay, while Generations has a nice mixture of both 2D and 3D gameplay with a nice bit of challenge.

 

If you enjoy the gameplay in those, consider Sonic Unleashed for 360/PS3 - it came before those two and as such the gameplay is a little more unrefined and the challenge is higher, but it's otherwise a quite well put together game.  It does have completely different, more beat-em-up/platformer gameplay in the night stages though - it's still good gameplay and well-made, but not to everyone's tastes.

 

Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 are fan favourites and both are available for download on PC, 360 and PS3.  They're a little rough around the edges nowadays, but far from bad.  Like Unleashed, they have a fair bit of "non-typical" gameplay alongside regular Sonic gameplay.

 

For more modern 2D Sonic gameplay, Sonic Advance for Game Boy Advance and Sonic Rush/Sonic Rush Adventure for DS are considered the best ones, though they are only available on those consoles.

 

Like others have said, if you like Sonic 2, you should get along fine with Sonic 3 & Knuckles (also available as seperated games: Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles on some devices - getting Sonic 3 & Knuckles combines these into one long game).  Sonic 1 is a little slower than Sonic 2 (of course, it was made beforehand) and is generally considered not as good as Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, but still a great game.  Sonic CD is the most unique of the classic four games with some complicated gameplay design, but is also fun to play in a simple manner if you don't want to dive into it's unique features.

 

Finally, if you really want more 2D Sonic, Sonic 4 is not too terrible a game.  It was made very recently and the fanbase dislike it because they didn't quite "get" what made the original Sonic games so unique when they made it.  As a platformer though it's still fun with some nice stage design, it's just not a good follow-up to the classic games.  Split into "Episode 1" and "Episode 2", it's available on most devices.

 

 

To sum up:

 

The essentials (loved by critics and fans alike):

Classic games - Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic 1

Modern 3D games - Sonic Colours, Sonic Generations

 

Since you said you were having trouble with Sonic 2's second stage in your other topic, I'll mention that of these titles, Sonic 3 and Sonic Colours have the more fair difficulty curve as you progress through them so you may enjoy them slightly more, but Sonic 1 and Generations are still very very worth playing.

 

If you enjoy those, consider (loved by fans, but rough around the edges or more difficult, with mixed views from critics):

Classic games - Sonic CD

Modern 2D games - Sonic Advance, Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure

Modern 3D games - Sonic Unleashed

Older 3D games - Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2

 

And if you get into Sonic for sure and want more stuff even after those, and willing to put up with some of the more flawed titles:

Sonic 4 (liked by critics but disliked by hardcore fans)

Sonic Lost World (the most recent main game but very different from past 3D games in style)

Sonic Colours for Nintendo DS (if you're after another game in the style of Sonic Rush, this isn't bad, just not as good as the other DS Sonics)

Sonic Advance 2 (well put-together but much faster yet shallower level design than Advance 1)

 

Shadow the hedgehog should be the next game on your list

 

^ While I'm not sure if Tails Spin is joking or not, if they aren't, ignore this.  I like Shadow as a game, but as a new player this is one you'll want to save for much later.  If you enjoy Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, you may like Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, which have some gameplay in common with those games but are generally considered a very low point in the series.  Some like them and you might be among them when you do play - but the majority hate them and they were both flops for critics.

[Neo_Fire_Sonic]

Try Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters

 

also sonic battle.

[JezMM]

Try Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters

 

also sonic battle.

[Tails spin]

I'll second that Sonic Colours for Wii and Sonic Generations for 360/PS3/PC are great choices to check out some more 3D gameplay.  Sonic Colours is the easier game of the two with lots of 2D gameplay and very simple 3D gameplay, while Generations has a nice mixture of both 2D and 3D gameplay with a nice bit of challenge.

 

If you enjoy the gameplay in those, consider Sonic Unleashed for 360/PS3 - it came before those two and as such the gameplay is a little more unrefined and the challenge is higher, but it's otherwise a quite well put together game.  It does have completely different, more beat-em-up/platformer gameplay in the night stages though - it's still good gameplay and well-made, but not to everyone's tastes.

 

Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 are fan favourites and both are available for download on PC, 360 and PS3.  They're a little rough around the edges nowadays, but far from bad.  Like Unleashed, they have a fair bit of "non-typical" gameplay alongside regular Sonic gameplay.

 

For more modern 2D Sonic gameplay, Sonic Advance for Game Boy Advance and Sonic Rush/Sonic Rush Adventure for DS are considered the best ones, though they are only available on those consoles.

 

Like others have said, if you like Sonic 2, you should get along fine with Sonic 3 & Knuckles (also available as seperated games: Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles on some devices - getting Sonic 3 & Knuckles combines these into one long game).  Sonic 1 is a little slower than Sonic 2 (of course, it was made beforehand) and is generally considered not as good as Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, but still a great game.  Sonic CD is the most unique of the classic four games with some complicated gameplay design, but is also fun to play in a simple manner if you don't want to dive into it's unique features.

 

Finally, if you really want more 2D Sonic, Sonic 4 is not too terrible a game.  It was made very recently and the fanbase dislike it because they didn't quite "get" what made the original Sonic games so unique when they made it.  As a platformer though it's still fun with some nice stage design, it's just not a good follow-up to the classic games.  Split into "Episode 1" and "Episode 2", it's available on most devices.

 

 

To sum up:

 

The essentials (loved by critics and fans alike):

Classic games - Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic 1

Modern 3D games - Sonic Colours, Sonic Generations

 

Since you said you were having trouble with Sonic 2's second stage in your other topic, I'll mention that of these titles, Sonic 3 and Sonic Colours have the more fair difficulty curve as you progress through them so you may enjoy them slightly more, but Sonic 1 and Generations are still very very worth playing.

 

If you enjoy those, consider (loved by fans, but rough around the edges or more difficult, with mixed views from critics):

Classic games - Sonic CD

Modern 2D games - Sonic Advance, Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure

Modern 3D games - Sonic Unleashed

Older 3D games - Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2

 

And if you get into Sonic for sure and want more stuff even after those, and willing to put up with some of the more flawed titles:

Sonic 4 (liked by critics but disliked by hardcore fans)

Sonic Lost World (the most recent main game but very different from past 3D games in style)

Sonic Colours for Nintendo DS (if you're after another game in the style of Sonic Rush, this isn't bad, just not as good as the other DS Sonics)

Sonic Advance 2 (well put-together but much faster yet shallower level design than Advance 1)

 

 

^ While I'm not sure if Tails Spin is joking or not, if they aren't, ignore this.  I like Shadow as a game, but as a new player this is one you'll want to save for much later.  If you enjoy Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, you may like Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, which have some gameplay in common with those games but are generally considered a very low point in the series.  Some like them and you might be among them when you do play - but the majority hate them and they were both flops for critics.

[JezMM]

I like the game as well but I was joking with that comment

[Short-Sleeved Nook]

Getting good Sonic recommendations isn't as simple as getting good Kirby recommendations, that's for sure! That's simply because there is so much variety in Sonic's games: the gameplay style is constantly shifting, meaning that you're going to get completely different experiences with almost each and every game. Recommending a "good" game is pretty difficult because the standard of gameplay changes all the time.

 

That being said, I think that there are Sonic games that feature a very sort of "classic" gameplay (gameplay that's very simple and feels like a "regular" Sonic game, in a sense), and games that try different things and have different feels to them. The first games you'll want to play are definitely the ones are just normal: Sonic at his best, per say.

 

In that sense, I would first recommend getting the original trilogy of Genesis titles, Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles. One of the best ways of doing so is by buying a game that has them all in one package or one disc. Examples include Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube, Sonic Mega Collection Plus for PS2/Xbox, and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for PS3/360. There might be a bundle on Steam, too. If you want to buy the games separately, you can do that on almost any service (Steam, Wii VC, etc.). If you can, though, I would recommend getting the Mega Collection version, because they were created by Sonic Team themselves and actually include Sonic 3 & Knuckles in both separated and combined forms (other services only give you one or the other). I would secondly recommend Sonic CD, which is similar to the Genesis trilogy. As for 3D games, I would recommend Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Colors, and Sonic Generations.

 

Of course, there are many other "good" games too, but as someone who has played all of the games and has a good sense of what makes games good or bad, I'd say those are the absolute best. Again, their are many, MANY other good Sonic games out there, but if you want a good starting point, the titles I mentioned would be the way to go for sure. If you want some handheld Sonic action too, don't hesitate from the Sonic Advance series, and the Sonic Rush series is pretty great too (although the latter ones are best: I've not played Rush Adventure, but Colors DS is absolutely fantastic). As for mobile, I just recently got Sonic Runners and it's an absolute DELIGHT! I defintely recommend it, it has a very "classic" Sonic feel to it.

 

Most importantly, have a good time playing these games! Let us know what you thought of them, too!

[Badnik Mechanic]

my PC is a pretty powerful rig, so hardware is no obstacle for me!

 

All Stars Racing Transformed.

 

Followed by Sonic Generations.

[Tara]

Going to ask that we either keep troll recommendations to a minimum (read: none) or at least add a "but seriously" clause at the end.

 

Unless you really think Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic R are really the definitive platformers in the Sonic series, but I'm going out on a whim and assuming that none of you do, lol.

[Ripe]

I don't know anything about handheld games but here is info about home consoles and PC

So, Sonic 2 was first. Well, I definetely recommend Sonic 1, 3&K and CD. All of them are in PC and 360 as far as I know but 3&K isn't on PS3. But I would recommend to get Sonic 1 on IOS because it's remastered version like Sonic 2 while PC and Consoles are original. But it depends on how well you can handle touch-screen controls. CD is the same in all platforms. Just don't buy Mega Drive collection on PS3/360, it has Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles only as separate games and if you play them separated, you're making a big mistake.

Sonic 4: hard to say, I recommend it to be the last 2D game.

Where to start with 3D. I would myself say that with Generations because I think that it's the most accessible of all 3D games I have played because it has least amount of problems. In PC there is also the Unleashed project, which includes daytime stages of Unleashed. So, with that you can play those levels without medal collection and Werehog and have better framerate.

Generations also includes original Sonic 1 but it needs to be unlocked (which isn't hard at all) and there is also unlockable unlimited continues to it. I personally recommend some other version because Generations one doesn't have a save feature.

I personally prefer Adventure style of 3D but I would recommend you to play them after Generations (or Colors). I personally think that Adventure games are closer to Mega Drive games.

Adventure 1: My personal favourite of all Sonic-games. Sure, it has Big and Amy but they are over soon (but it's just me). Just don't get the PC-version. It barely even works (I can play it only in windowed mode) and there is also some annoying things that don't exist in PS3 version at leats, like that you can't use d-pad on menus and right stick to move camera.

Adventure 2: If you liked Sonic's style and at least somewhat liked Knuckles and Gammas playstyle, you may like this. I myself wouldn't recommend this to be your first dreamcast-era game. Only Sonic's style is great because both of other two styles are butchered, especially treasure hunting and I just think that SA1 had better level desing.

Heroes: If you can get used to slight slipperiness of controls and the fact that you need to play the game basically 4 times (there are some differences on stages and Chaotix have missions) to get to last part and you don't mind longer levels and horrible special stages, I definetely recommend this. It can be really fun and team mechanic is executed well, not perfectly but well. I recommend this over SA2 because Heroes knows better the importance of speed. I think that digitally this is only in PS store and it came also on Xbox and Gamecube and GC version seems to be the most popular.

Sonic 06: I can recommend this only if you liked above mentioned 3D games and are very curious about this. I personally got enjoyment out of Sonic's gameplay but you need to get used to precise controls, many technical issues (I myself haven't really experienced game-breaking glitches) and you need to be patient (load times, slowdown). This game is also hardest to get since it doesn't have any digital releases.

Spin offs, there are All-stars racing games.

All games on PC also support controllers.

[Sean]

Sonic 1 8-bit is an unbearably charming game with a great, unorthodox soundtrack. It's probably my favorite handheld title, certainly one of my favorite overall Sonic games (along with Sonic 1 on the Genesis and the Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast)

I also think Tails Adventure is worth playing if you like Tails and Metroidvanias

[Penny]

Since you're new, I'm not gonna go out on a limb or try and go super in-depth with my suggestions.

 

So, for 2D Sonic, I'd recommend all of the classic games:

 

Sonic 1

Sonic 2 

***Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Sonic CD

 

Now I've bolded the last two because those are the two most worth playing (outside of S2, which you've already played).

 

S3&K is, imo, the greatest platformer ever made. You probably won't think so, but I certainly do. It controls perfectly, and the way it blends exploration, speed, and platforming together is indescribably brilliant. If you want 2D Sonic (or even the platforming genre) at its finest, play this game.

 

Sonic CD is a different beast, but it's still fantastic. It adds some interesting time travel mechanics and surreal visuals to the Sonic formula, though it's heavier focus on exploration may be a turn off. Still, it's worth playing anyway to see for yourself.

 

For 3D Sonic, I'd recommend these:

 

Sonic Unleashed (360/PS3)

***Sonic Generations (360/PS3)

Sonic Heroes (GCN/Xbox... don't do the PS2 version)

Sonic Adventures 1 and 2 (GCN, XBLA, Steam, etc.)

 

Again, I've bolded the ones most worth playing.

 

Sonic Generations is probably the game I'd recommend playing first, if only to get a taste of the entire series at once. It is an anniversary title after all. But even beyond that, it's probably more genuine fun than any Sonic game since S3&K. The Modern Sonic stages are fast-paced thrill rides, while the Classic Sonic stages are great, albeit imperfect homages to the playstyle of the original classic Sonic games. The story is somewhat lacking, but on the whole it's one of Sonic's best adventures to date.

 

Now the Sonic Adventure games are very divisive, but they (at least, Sonic Adventure 1) is the closest we've come to classic Sonic in 3D. While some of the characters in these games play like ass (*cough* Big the Cat *cough*) and the games themselves aren't anywhere near what I'd call polished, they are definitely fun in their own right. Like with Sonic CD, these are worth a try.

 

 

 

 

So yeah, you should probably play S3&K and Generations first. They are the best games in the series, and well... they're awesome. So play them. 

[azoo]

Azoo here! And I got some suggestions. =J

 

If you like Sonic 2, I'd suggest you try playing the other 'classic' Sonics. Well, for that reason, plus they're some of the best games ever made!

 

- Sonic 1 (1991) is slower than Sonic 2 and much more of a platformer, but it's loads of fun still. Especially the Android version, since you have the Spin Dash in it. The original game didn't have it!

 

- Sonic CD (1993) came out after Sonic 2 for the Sega CD add-on attachment to the Genesis. It has a fully animated opening / ending (that's amazing btw) and not only one, but two incredible soundtracks (one that was released in the Japanese/European versions, and the other was exclusive to America). Also, the level design and time-travel based story and game premise is off the chizzain, and the art style is very surreal and bizzare. Check it out! I and many others personally love this game to pieces, but others may have different opinions, so giving it a go and getting your own opinion is the best way to take it.

 

Though no matter what you do, play the Android or Steam versions and don't try playing the originals, the new version is an improvement in every way.

 

- Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994) is actually two games (Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles). Separately they're still great games, but together (which was done by using Lock-On Technology™) their story is one whole piece that seamlessly flows together, and they're easily one of the best games of all time.

 

Jam packed with levels, content, and a pretty robust story compared to the games before; it's seriously amazing from start to finish. But, considering there's no Android version (yet), you might want to look into playing it elsewhere. And not that I'm condoning emulation, but... besides buying some game compilation, that might be your only chance to look into it for now.

 

...

 

After you get past those, you might want to check out some of the 3D games in the series. For some suggestions..

 

- Sonic Adventure (1999) is a game you can get just about on any current console, as well as Steam, but admittedly the best version of the game is the original version on the Sega Dreamcast. Adventure was Sonic's first 3D game and featured 6 playable characters with different gameplay styles (but thankfully still has a lot of Sonic), a huge story compared to the games from before, and some seriously fun gameplay (except Big the Cat, which you'll realize when you get there).

 

Be warned, though: It's very glitchy, the voice acting is odd, the cut scene quality is weird and the camera control is very messy. But if you can forgive it for all of that because of being the first 3D Sonic as well as coming from the early 3D era of games, you can still find a lot of fun and enjoyment out of it.

 

- Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) is the sequel game, and it's a lot darker than the last one. It's got an even deeper story than before (though it's kinda silly in premise compared to the last one), and everything feels a lot more serious than the previous games. It also introduces Shadow & Rouge, which you may know.

 

A lot of people love this game, and there's good reasons to (particularly the Chao Gardens, are where most of your game time will go, I promise), but it's also a really strange game that is somewhat better than the first Adventure, and also somewhat worse. Your best bet is playing either the Gamecube version (Sonic Adventure 2 Battle) or picking it up on Steam.

 

- Sonic Unleashed (2008) is a very hard, but fun game. That game is often hated by everyone for introducing the Werehog, which most people hate, and having QTE segements ("press this button in this amount of time" stuff) which everyone hates. But if you can get past half the game being a beat-em-up starring Werehog Sonic, the other half of the game is a really fast-paced and adrenaline pumping adventure. Plus, it's got all kinds of content to enjoy, places to explore, incredibly gorgeous visuals, and is very much a good time.

 

If you can get past those first two bits, you'll have a great time, but I can't blame you if you can't get past them, since it's a very divisive game. Please play either the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions though, and don't go near the PS2 or Wii versions; they're completely different games and are nearly unplayable they're so bad.

 

- Sonic Colors (2010) is a Wii game that takes Sonic's speedy gameplay from Unleashed, and makes it all about that. For that reason, the game is very fun and enjoyable, and definitely worth picking up.

 

The environments are really pretty, everything's lighthearted fun compared to the seriousness of previous games, and generally feels a bit similar to the classics in terms of design. I will say that it's not as long nor deep on lore and content as Unleashed by any means, nor is it as fun as the classics or the Adventures imo, but I am sure you'll have a blast with it. A lot of people love that game.

 

And finally..

 

- Sonic Generations (2011) is a game you can get on Xbox 360, PS3 or Steam, and it's a celebration of Sonic's 20th anniversary. In this game, you get to play as both the "younger" old-design Sonic (which plays like a hopped up, simplified version of the classics) as he meets the older, "modern" Sonic you've played as in recent games (which plays like Unleashed and Colors).

 

All the levels are pulled from previous games in the series (including the bad ones), but all the levels are really fun to play in their own ways. While there's not much to offer in regards to story or engaging content, everyone in the fanbase loves this game to some extent, and I'd fully suggest it.

 

.....

 

As for some other games..

 

- Sonic 3D Blast: Flickie's Island (1996) is a game that was released on Genesis, Sega Saturn and the PC. It's not your average game: it consists of playing as Sonic in a fake-3D map, where you collect his Flicky friends and put them into the goals at the ends of each stage. It has a lot of love and hate from both ends of the fanbase, but I honestly think that both the Genesis and the Saturn versions have a lot of charm, as well as great soundtracks. If you want more things that ooze that classic Sonic goodness, 3D Blast is a good place to look.

 

- the Sonic Advance trilogy (2002, 2003, 2004) are a series of 2D games for the Game Boy Advance, with the first of them being the first original Sonic game to come out for a Nintendo console (since Sega dropped out of the console business after the Dreamcast). They're not much, but it's the same kind of gameplay you had in the classic Sonics: run, jump, roll and Spin Dash. Plus, you get to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy AND a new-ish duo: Cream the Rabbit & Cheese the Chao! Gameplay's fun, level design is neat and everything is really charming (especially the music). I'd give them a go! Or well, the first two. Advance 3 is really not that good.

 

- Sonic Heroes (2003), Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 are all the 3D Sonic games that came out between Sonic Adventure 2 and Unleashed, and... they're very terrible games. I really wouldn't suggest playing them at all, unless you're that curious to see how far the Sonic series fell for a while there. You might even find some small things in the midst of them that are fun, who knows! Just throwing it out there that I wouldn't advise going out of your way to play them; if I were you I'd save the effort.

 

- Sonic Rush & Sonic Rush Adventure (2005, 2007) are two games for the Nintendo DS, and are the sequels to the Advance trilogy, and the predecessors to the really fast "boost gameplay" you'll end up playing in Unleashed, Colors and Generations. The games both star Sonic as well as this series' secondary main character, Blaze the Cat (which is a really great character that has awesome chemistry with Sonic and co fdhjsf). These games have really spunky soundtracks and are jam packed with action (the latter game having a lot of good story, too!) and I'd definitely suggest looking into them, especially Rush Adventure.

 

- Sonic Lost World (2013) is a game for Wii U, and it's an odd one. While it's in the main series of games like all the other 3D games, it's extremely divisive, but it's got some fun parts. The game is part of what's possibly Sonic's new playstyle, even, since it's introduced parkour, reintroduced Spin Dashing, and moved on from the "boost" gameplay the Rush series and Unleashed/Colors/Generations had featured. Still, the story and new characters are odd and the game itself is even stranger, but if you want to give it a go and see what you think, I'd at least advise you play the demo on Wii U before purchasing. Also, don't play the 3DS version, it's not really any good.

 

...

 

And yeah! That's my list of suggestions. Hope you have a good time! :j

 

EDIT: vvvvvvv Also, take Wolfy's advice below me. vvvvvv

[LATER BUDDY]

Only thing I could add (unless someone said it, sorry), was if you are ever curious about the much talked about Sonic Adventure 1 and Adventure 2 games, I'd actually play those first as your 3D Sonic games. Personally I don't feel they aged well at all, but they are still regarded as pretty big points in Sonic's history. The reason I say to maybe play them first instead of Unleashed or Colors or even Generations, is that I feel like you won't want to play and/or able to appreciate the Adventure games after playing these. They're different but they're definitely aged.

 

I guess I'd say play Adventure 1 and 2, Unleashed, Colors, Gens in that order for 3D games (though really do recommend the 3-4 2D flagships that everyone is saying first and foremost). Ending in Generations will allow you to recognize a large majority of that game's nostalgia, and leave with room to go "oh what was this game?" and try it out. Everything past this point is usually considered more on the mediocre to terrible side on wide scale, but many still do love these other games regardless (case in point I'm a 3D Blast for Genesis lover and I know it's not great haha). Also aside from maybe Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Heroes, the rest of these games play largely different and is definitely a hate it/love it scenario.

 

Either way you do it though, if you find yourself loving the blue thing then you'll probably enjoy most of his catalog to some degree. 

[Mania Pipe]

Hi there! I think I’ve got some suggestions for you:

 

Sonic the Hedgehog CD: I would recommend downloading the 2011 on either PSN or XBLA or both since that is the definite version of Sonic CD that you should play. If you like levels that have colorful environments, some wacky level designs and a simple time travelling concept with smooth framerate and physics, then I think this game will be good for you. Also the JP soundtrack is positively delicious to listen to.

 

Sonic 3 and Knuckles: Without a doubt, the absolute best of the classic series. Jammed with awesome level design and gameplay, multiple pathways to explore through and a simple story to enjoy, I would definitely recommend this game to you. I think you could also find Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Complete online.

 

Sonic Adventure 1: A One that I consider my absolute favorite Sonic 3D game. Despite having very poorly aged acting and models, it’s still a very fun and thrilling adventure jammed with lively levels and a fun story and good through. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are the best aspects of this game since they focus on speed platforming and exploration, bringing the 2D classic elements into 3D. You’ll definitely enjoy this one!

 

Sonic Advance 1, 2 & 3: The Sonic Advance trilogy is what I can consider a good way of keep the spirit of the classic series, but also giving it a modern update. Advance 1 had a bit more of a feel of exploration with a wide level design just like in the older games, Advance 2 and 3 would still keep that but focus more on the speed and action so that can still be a bit fun to play.

 

Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure: Much like the Sonic Advance trilogy, this works pretty much in the same way, now with a boost feature. It’s bit more linear in a way, but there it still branches to take and it primarily focuses on the emphasis of speed.

 

Sonic Unleashed: As much as I didn’t like the Werehog sections and obnoxious QTE’s, but the rest of the game was fun to play and it was still wonderful to experience. If you can get past that Werehog nonsense, then you’ll enjoy this game.

 

Sonic Colors: This is Sonic Unleashed without the Werehog and obnoxious QTE’s, where the game will focus on the exploration side of things. Your Boost is a bit neutered but it will reward you for conserving it for most of the levels. It can get automated at times, but not too horrible so it’ll be fine. It has a simple light hearted story and can be fun and enjoyable. You get to use the power of the Wisps to access to other parts of the level; most of them are optional so it’s focuses on the exploration aspects of the game.

 

Sonic Generations: I think this game will be the definite version for you to play since this basically takes Sonic Unleashed’s fast boosting gameplay aspects and Sonic Colors’ wide exploration and blends them both into this game fantastically. It has all of the levels from the past games brought into this game to boost through.

 

I really hoped that this helped.

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

Sonic the Hedgehog(1991): It's the first game in the franchise, so you should naturally play it. It's not the greatest game this day and age, but it's still fun. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: You've already purchased this one, and you know how great it is XD.

Sonic CD: This is a game that puts more emphasis on exploration than the other classic titles. In order to get the true ending, you need to either collect the Time Stones or destroy the generator in each act of a zone. In order to destroy the generators, you'll need to travel into the past by running passed signs that say Past, and maintain speed.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles: Sonic 3 and Knuckles is perhaps the greatest game in the franchise. The level design is expansive and very well designed, you're given 3 playable characters that all play the same with unique abilities, and the Super Emeralds were introduced, allowing the player to turn into Hyper Sonic, Super Tails, and Hyper Knuckles. Out of all the Sonic games, this is the one I'd recommend most, obviously.

Sonic Adventure: Sonic Adventure may not have aged all that well in a lot of areas, but for me personally, Sonic's portion of the game is the most fun I've had with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Unfortunately you have to beat the game with every character to get the true ending for the game. Tails's and E-102 Gamma's gameplay are pretty good, but Knuckles's is certainly an acquired taste, and Amy's and Big's gameplay aren't very good. Amy is incredibly slow and can only use her hammer for an attack. Big's gameplay is a series of fishing mini-games, which I, and many others, are not a fan of. Fortunately, Amy's and Big's portion of the game don't last for very long.

Sonic Adventure 2: Sonic Adventure 2 is great because it has interesting, memorable characters, with an engaging story. Yeah, it's got a number of plot holes, but it's entertaining nonetheless. The gameplay styles in this game mirror that of Sonic's, E-102 Gamma's, and Knuckles's in Sonic Adventure, only the treasure hunting(Knuckles's and Rouge's) stages are made much worse by the fact that the radar only detects one Emerald piece at a time. It's not so bad for the first stages for these characters, but it gets progressively worse. Other than that, I'd say the game plays pretty well. The mech(Tails's and Eggman's) stages certainly don't constitute high speed platforming, but they're fun nonetheless.

Sonic Unleashed: This is another game with an incredible story and characters, and the presentation in this game is god-like. Seriously, the opening cutscene is just fucking beautiful. As for the gameplay, it's broken up into 2 styles, daytime, which are the high-speed platforming stages, and nighttime, which are slow, monotonous, beat-em-up stages. The Werehog is a major turn off to some, but I don't find it all that offensive. Most of the game is probably spent as the Werehog though, considering the time it takes to beat those stages.

Sonic Colors: Sonic Colors is a full on high-speed platformer with creative power ups. It's a super fun, lighthearted experience.

Sonic Generations: Sonic Generations is a game that splits itself into 2 gameplay styles. Classic stages, which play like the Genesis/Mega Drive titles... minus the ability to gain speed when rolling down hill, and Modern stages, which play like the day-time stages in Sonic Unleashed, only with a lot more platforming. It's super exhilarating, and is just great fun.

[Wittymations]

From my seeing, Sonic 1, Sonic CD, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Which is Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles combined), Sonic Adventure 1, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Colors, and Sonic Generations are the most loved of the bunch and probably the ones worth most playing, far as main series goes.

 

Even still, the Adventures have a weird placement in how it's viewed. You either really love it or hate it.

 

The ones I like the most are Sonic CD, 3 and Knuckles, Adventure 1 and Adventure 2. Adventure 2 being my favorite because I have an Eggman bias.

 

 

 

Heroes is kinda meh, but is alright. Shadow and 06 are absolutely loathed, along with the Boom games. I think Lost World is another meh title.

 

I'm not sure where Unleashed falls in here.

[LindseyWalker]

So, I've got the impression that Sonic 1, 2, 3 (and Knuckles? it's a bit confusing), Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations are the best games.

I've got Sonic 2 on my Android and it's a brilliant, brilliant game. Really fantastic. I'm onto Metropolis at the moment and having a blast. I do think it falls off a bit though. The Hidden Palace Boss sucked and Oil Ocean was really confusing and frustrating. That Casino level was amazing though, one of the best levels I've ever played.

I also got Sonic 1 on my Android. It's good, but not as good as Sonic 2. I really liked the first level but the next level (Marble Ruins I think) is really boring so I kind of lost interest lol. I'll probably play it more once I complete Sonic 2.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles is on Steam. Is that the correct game? I'm not sure if I'm getting Sonic 3 or Sonic and Knuckles. Are both games worth checking out? Sonic CD is on there too.

There's a demo of Sonic Generations on Steam and I played it. The 2D stage was really fun, although it was a bit confusing with a lot of background clutter. It was a bit disorientating, not as good as Sonic 2, but it was still fun. The 3D stage was really fun but it wasn't really a platformer, it was more like a racing game really and was a bit on-rails. Still, it was really fun. Just not the kind of platformer I'm interested in.

Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 I might look into as they are on Steam. Sonic Colors is on the Wii and I'm not sure if I can be bothered to look into it .

I think I might get Sonic CD or Sonic 3 and Knuckles. What do you guys think?

Thanks for the info btw 

[Neo_Fire_Sonic]

Going to ask that we either keep troll recommendations to a minimum (read: none) or at least add a "but seriously" clause at the end.

 

Unless you really think Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic R are really the definitive platformers in the Sonic series, but I'm going out on a whim and assuming that none of you do, lol.

[azoo]

There's a demo of Sonic Generations on Steam and I played it. The 2D stage was really fun, although it was a bit confusing with a lot of background clutter. It was a bit disorientating, not as good as Sonic 2, but it was still fun. The 3D stage was really fun but it wasn't really a platformer, it was more like a racing game really and was a bit on-rails. Still, it was really fun. Just not the kind of platformer I'm interested in.

Yeah, the classic gameplay isn't as good as the classics themselves, but it's still a great time.

Also, about the 3D one: that's how Unleashed, Colors and Generations play. Sonic's very racing-based in regards to his controls. It's fun, but believe me I completely get where you're coming from.

The Adventures play very differently (more like the classics) btw, just letting you know. Gameplay is based around platforming, rolling/Spin Dashing, etc.

 

Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 I might look into as they are on Steam. Sonic Colors is on the Wii and I'm not sure if I can be bothered to look into it .

Sonic Adventure's honestly had a lot of bad ports and the only really good versions to exist are the Dreamcast and Gamecube versions, and the Steam version (which is the same as the 360 / PS3 versions) might be the worst ports yet (it's a Steam game, yet it doesn't even support widescreen like other games do, even SA2!). I'd suggest getting the regular, non-Steam PC version, if anything (which you can get used for up to $4 to $9). It supports widescreen, 60fps and all that good stuff, plus it can be modded if you want to play custom levels or something. (If you don't care too much though, I guess the Steam version would be alright.. just take note that the game will have this border at all times.)

 

Adventure 2 on Steam is definitely a best bet, though. Pretty much the best version of the game.

And as for Colors, if you don't have a Wii then it's understandable. But if you do (or have a Wii U), you can probably find it for cheap somewhere.

 

Sonic 3 and Knuckles is on Steam. Is that the correct game? I'm not sure if I'm getting Sonic 3 or Sonic and Knuckles. Are both games worth checking out? Sonic CD is on there too.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is very confusing, because it's actually one game split into two parts: Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. The first half came out February of 1994, and the second half came out in like October or November of 1994.

 

The Sonic & Knuckles cart had a slot on top that allowed you to connect it together with Sonic 3 and play the whole thing as one game (as they intended), and also allowed you to play Sonic 2 with Knuckles playable (which is why the Android version of Sonic 2 has Knuckles in it!) and when connected to Sonic 1 it... allows you to play new special stages, because they had problems trying to put Knuckles in Sonic 1 and had to compensate.

 

If you find "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" on sale anywhere, get that because it's the full game, and otherwise you're paying full price for the game in halves. But if you find it anywhere, it won't be like the Android ports of Sonic 1, 2 or CD with widescreen support and all of the niceties. S3K has yet to be remade like those were, but there have been petitions to get it the same treatment.

 

If you get Sonic CD though, you can get it on either Steam or Android, because it's the only game from the classic era (so far) that's had it's widescreen remake made available outside of mobile devices (due to it being made before Sonic 1 & 2's remakes). So that'll definitely be the easier one to get a hold of in comparison.

 

I'm sure you'll love either of them though. Have fun!

[Ripe]

So, I've got the impression that Sonic 1, 2, 3 (and Knuckles? it's a bit confusing), Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations are the best games.

I've got Sonic 2 on my Android and it's a brilliant, brilliant game. Really fantastic. I'm onto Metropolis at the moment and having a blast. I do think it falls off a bit though. The Hidden Palace Boss sucked and Oil Ocean was really confusing and frustrating. That Casino level was amazing though, one of the best levels I've ever played.

I also got Sonic 1 on my Android. It's good, but not as good as Sonic 2. I really liked the first level but the next level (Marble Ruins I think) is really boring so I kind of lost interest lol. I'll probably play it more once I complete Sonic 2.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles is on Steam. Is that the correct game? I'm not sure if I'm getting Sonic 3 or Sonic and Knuckles. Are both games worth checking out? Sonic CD is on there too.

There's a demo of Sonic Generations on Steam and I played it. The 2D stage was really fun, although it was a bit confusing with a lot of background clutter. It was a bit disorientating, not as good as Sonic 2, but it was still fun. The 3D stage was really fun but it wasn't really a platformer, it was more like a racing game really and was a bit on-rails. Still, it was really fun. Just not the kind of platformer I'm interested in.

Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 I might look into as they are on Steam. Sonic Colors is on the Wii and I'm not sure if I can be bothered to look into it .

I think I might get Sonic CD or Sonic 3 and Knuckles. What do you guys think?

Thanks for the info btw

Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles are fun games separated but Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the true Sonic The Hedgehog 3. Imagine them like episodes, Sonic 3 is episode 1 and Sonic & Knuckles episode 2.

Don't get SA1 on Steam. Port is inferior to digital console versions. I was lucky to get the Steam version to work at all. Other games on Steam are fine.