Which Sonic timeline/era is the best: Classic, Modern or Boom?

[EzSonic01]

So, as of Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, the franchise is officially divided within different "dimensions", which are the ones already mentioned in the title. Which one do you think standouts more? The main games as well as spinoffs titles and other media such as the TV shows, the comics, and toys, all count when it comes to the choice. NOTE: "Adventure" Sonic is counted as part of the Modern era.

- THE CLASSIC ERA (1991-1998, 2017-present?)

- THE MODERN ERA (1998-present)

- THE BOOM ERA (2014-2017?)

- ALL THREE TIMELINES

So, which one do you choose? I personally like all three, but choose the Classic era, mostly because I grew up with the games considered from that particular timeline. I also think that Sonic's world and the characters, along with their design and personalities are better than the other two, specially the Boom era.

 

[molul]

A poll would be neat in this post

I vote Classic. Modern has some decent games, but so many bad ones too, and it seems there's no solid gameplay to please the fandom yet. Boom is just a mistake I hope we can all forget soon.

[Dee Dude]

Can there be an Adventure option?

Anyway, Modern easily.

It’s the most recognizable, has the biggest cast of characters with loads of world-building and story driven potential that SEGA refuses to utilize and the largest amount of spin-off titles as said.

Unlike Classic & Boom, it doesn’t just rely on the main 4 & Eggman because it actually bothers to have a huge variety of characters for a change that people also care about such as Shadow, Blaze, Chaotix etc,

So obviously as a 2000s kid, I grew up with Modern because of the Adventure Era games.

[EzSonic01]

I count "Adventure Sonic" as Modern because it uses the same world and characters.

@molul I think we're on the same side. The modern era has several good games, but there's no consistency and as of late, has also had a good number of "OK" or mediocre titles. Some modern entries are just downright bad/terrible, which have damaged the reputation of the franchise as a whole. The characters are great but also very divisive. Boom is very mixed, the TV show being pretty decent, but the games not so much. I guess Boom was intended to take over the main canon, but failed

[McGroose]

Classic is easily my favorite, but I can't help but really enjoy the Boom cartoon. 

[superman43]

Let´s say it this way. I was born in 1996, but my first games were the Genesis ones (some kind of Win 95 emulator) like Mr.Nutz, Addams Family and, mostly, Sonic, of course. I think it was even without sound. That´s why I am fan of Classics and Mania. About the Dreamcast/GameCube era, I don´t hate them, in fact, when I firstly played Sonic Heroes it was a demo with Seaside Hill and I liked it. And I still think that Heroes were a wonderful adventure based on the core gameplay similar to SA2 in at least some way. Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 06 and beyond isn´t for me. I only have Generations and even that game I bought wonderfully for less than €4. Generations were better than OK entry in the series, but if the future games were based on what Generations did right (multiple choices to progress, very good level design) it could possibly make 3D Sonic popular again. With Forces, just scratch that. Proportioned 2D and 3D completely f**ked up to creepy 3D with overabundance of boostpads and overabundance of 2D. And I did not play the game yet, I am not going to pay SEGA anything for it. If I bought Generations for less than €4, than Forces are worth for me less than €2.

[SonicFlameFairy56]

Why does it have to be a option? We can love all equally.

[dbzfan7]

I guess Classic for me is number 1. Only because Modern has tanked too much. I am more of a fan of Modern, but Classic at least doesn't make me angry in any way. Boom is in dead last for being shit.

8 hours ago, molul said:

Boom is just a mistake I hope we can all forget soon.

You and me both brotha.

[EzSonic01]

3 hours ago, SonicFlameFairy56 said:

Why does it have to be a option? We can love all equally.

You can choose all three eras if you want though.

[Natie]

Classic's my fave, and not even purely because of the better game lineup. It's just got a lovely art direction and a breathtaking surreal world that captures my imagination far more than any of the other universes' more conventional landscapes. I'm more interested in the mystery of the worlds in knuckles chaotix than any of the plots in the 3D games.

Modern era can be charming as its own different thing, considering its under the right writers like Flynn. Makes it feel like a saturday morning superhero cartoon with all the fun campy-ness that comes with it. Has quite a lot of design and tonal decisions I don't agree with but its still somewhat nostalgic.

Boom just feels like pure marketing. The kinda thing like Loonatics Unleashed that nobody asked for but the suits assume will draw in a newfound crowd. I like the genuine effort for a more western-animation-type feel but it was only really implemented well in the cutscenes in Rise of Lyric. The show's the only successful part of this project and even then it goes against the whole idea of redesigning the characters to look like adventurers by making it a sitcom (one with really tiring over-reliance on being self aware and snarky).

[Chaos Incarnate]

I don't really differentiate the classic timeline from the modern one. I see Classic Sonic as simply a younger modern Sonic, despite Forces fucking that up by saying it was a different dimension for Classic Sonic. Sonic Adventure 1 is like the perfect middle ground between the two though, so I'd probably go with that one. I love the setting and universe in the first Adventure, and I think Sonic's Dreamcast design is the perfect medium between his classic and modern looks.

Boom..... LOL Boom. So much wasted potential.

[EzSonic01]

@Chaos Incarnate I guess the separation between dimensions makes sense (even though I didn't like the idea at first). The classic timeline has a unique style of gameplay, which is the original formula. The characters are not the same (While the main ones and most used are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Dr. Robotnik/Eggman, with their respective original designs and names, there's more than them, with the likes of Mighty, Ray, Bean, Fang, the Hard-Boiled Heavies, Metal, etcetera all belonging to this universe). The early western Sonic canon also called Sonic's home planet Mobius (this affected the games as well, with the islands appearing on each game (such as Sonic 1 and Sonic 3K) being located on that planet), so I would like to say the classic era in general takes place there.

Modern is not like that; having a variety of different gameplay styles, a cast with several characters that do not exist in the classic timeline (such as Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Cream, Big, etcetera), and seems to take place on "Sonic's world" or planet Earth.

[Austroid]

I love the classic era's simple yet charming way of telling stories, and modern's more grand and melodramatic style. (at least prior to the Sonic Colors-onward writing style)

Boom is just a slap in the face for the characters and lore imo.

[Swing]

I always thought their were 4 timelines:

1. Classic

2. Adventure

3. Modern

4. Boom

Well for me personally it is Classic. This is the only era that feels like it has it's own identity. 

[JezMM]

3 hours ago, Swing said:

I always thought their were 4 timelines

In terms of "timelines", there WERE only two... the main line Sonic games, from Sonic 1 to Sonic Lost World, and then Sonic Boom.

It's only since Sonic Mania and Forces introduced this concept of a Sonic from another dimension that it feels like they're trying to make two seperate timelines.  The classics happened in both, but in the original Sonic 4 came after Sonic & Knuckles, and in the new timeline, Sonic Mania does.  But I don't think they actually care that much, they're just making games and if they leave a mess in the lore along the way they... likely don't even know they did.

The Adventure games were never seperate from the classics or the games that came after, fans just insist on placing them seperately because of the arbitrary way Sonic Generations divided it's 9 zones into sets of 3.

[Mari the kitten]

The one with Blaze the Cat 

[EzSonic01]

3 hours ago, JezMM said:

In terms of "timelines", there WERE only two... the main line Sonic games, from Sonic 1 to Sonic Lost World, and then Sonic Boom.

It's only since Sonic Mania and Forces introduced this concept of a Sonic from another dimension that it feels like they're trying to make two seperate timelines.  The classics happened in both, but in the original Sonic 4 came after Sonic & Knuckles, and in the new timeline, Sonic Mania does.  But I don't think they actually care that much, they're just making games and if they leave a mess in the lore along the way they... likely don't even know they did.

The Adventure games were never seperate from the classics or the games that came after, fans just insist on placing them seperately because of the arbitrary way Sonic Generations divided it's 9 zones into sets of 3.

The Sonic continuity in general is very loose, but at least it's still there. There are two separate worlds/dimensions now (three if counting Boom) according to Sega, and I guess that's the new rule and probably it'll stay.

[Mr Loopone]

If we are talking about the Sega marketed versions of the character, then it would go to Classic. Mainly because of the art direction, less buggy games that are enjoyable and the characters themselves.

The annoying thing is that current Sonic Team do not consider or acknowledge the spinoff Classic Sonic games that aren't 3D or R which is a bit of a shame since I actually like those titles with Triple Trouble being my favourite Sonic game. The team behind Sonic Mania had to sneak Fang, Bean and Bark in and only because it was a Generations reference rather than Triple Trouble and Fighters references. The only really iffy ones are Spinball, the Game Gear version of 2 (the Master System version is fine if a bit hard), Chaotix and Blast, even Labyrinth is a decent game if you don't judge it as a Sonic game due to the un-Sonic like gameplay. When even a ride designed for children or even a Popcorn machine is appealing to watch, you can tell when Sega have designed a great character without much if any dialogue.

Modern Sonic is a bit mixed for me actually enjoying some of the games but the lows are very low and are just bad games. Apart from the handheld series and games from Unleashed onwards, they aren't polished and are buggy. Adventure 1 and 2 are okay. Sonic Heroes nearly put me off the series because of the bugs and glitches even though it did try to bring back the classic type of atmosphere. Thankfully there were the Rush games, Unleashed, Colours, Generations and yes Lost World that were enjoyable mainly because they were more entertaining games to play that were polished enough to not get frustrated and liked the art direction of them. Forces though have no interest in that game. I actually do like the Modern Sonic character with his happy go lucky jokey self yet at the same time can get a bit serious, you could tell that he likes having fun as well as Eggman. Many of the characters though have issues whether it is Tails not sure whether he can stand by himself or being Sonic's sidekick but doesn't like it, Amy being a stalker or Minnie Mouse and not going further enough with the characters in their storylines so it leaves them being a bit bland. While I play a game for its gameplay, its the storylines in the Modern series that I have issues with either from being melodramatic (Adventure 2, Shadow and 06 would count had I played those) or rushed out so it feels like there are missing sections that is something that Generations onwards suffer from.

Oh and for Boom, just no interest.

[NintendoSoul]

The only answer is Classic. The Adventure and Modern era are too uneven in terms of quality core games.

[Pengi]

6 hours ago, King Koopone said:

The team behind Sonic Mania had to sneak Fang, Bean and Bark in and only because it was a Generations reference rather than Triple Trouble and Fighters references. 

 

Sneak in? According to Simon Thomley, they simply asked if they could use them and Sonic Team said yes.

[BlossomHaze]

I'm super conflicted, because I grew up on Classic Sonic games and Sonic 2 is still my favorite Sonic game of all time, but my favorite characters (Silver and Infinite) are in the Modern era. If I had to pick, though, I think Classic definitely had the best games.

[AzureLakeSanic]

Classic

[A person, that exists]

Honestly, I'm kinda in between Classic and Modern. I must admit, Modern is closer to me personally (Well, the 1998-2008 one really, everything afterwards was kinda... Eh... I liked Generations tho, but that's more of an exception, than a real sign of me LOVING the Pontaff games), although I do appreciate the classic games, even if some of their aspects are overused and done to death (Green Hill, motobugs, all that stuff). Boom COULD'VE worked, had it been THE Pontaff game, while everything else was written by Japanese writers, and had Sega not done that stupid Nintendo exclusivity contract, (which is kind of a dumb idea in general, seeing how Boom was meant to bring new audiences AND was built on CryEngine) but even then, it's not my cup of tea. Kinda feels like Rachet without the COOL STUFF and WAY more self-deprecating humor.

[Sean]

18 hours ago, AzureLakeSanic said:

Classic

You've been doing a lot of these short one- or two-word posts and you need to cut this out by putting more effort into your responses.

[AzureLakeSanic]

Classic because I grew up on it even though I was in the era of Modern games. I used to like both Modern and Classic but since Classic was older I liked that more, now I just like Classic.