Sonic 4: Fanbase Social Experiment

[crush40rocks]

Obviously, the big debate right now is over Sonic The Hedgehog 4 and the miniscule amount of media we have seen thusfar. But before that, Sonic Unleashed was being ripped apart at the seams, as was every game in at least the past decade. When did the flame wars really start to flare up? When was the first glass of Hater-Aid tasted in our humble community? The entire idea of having a forum like this revolves around one central aspect: that we all have a love of Sonic in common. SEGA has had it's fair share of botched titles in the past decade that has left most of us with a bad taste in our mouths, but what is the damage to the fanbase really? Have we experienced so many bad titles that our community has been irreparably divided?

The purpose of this thread is, as titled, a social experiment intended to zero in on the very root of our common ground and see what happens. Today we are going to throw a select few Sonic titles into the wind and see if a flame can STILL ignite. This may cast a shadow that defines wether or not this community has suffered irreparable damage at the hands of Sonic Team. Will Sonic 4 have a chance to bring us all at least a little closer together?

Today, we will be putting the magnifying glass over the titles that brought us together in the first place. That's right, we're going to be talking about:

Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)

Okay, here we go! Now, I want the community to speak up! Say what you liked or, ESPECIALLY, what you may NOT have liked or could have been improved upon with these classic titles that brought this slightly dysfunctional community together. Seriously now, let's pretend these games are relatively new, because the idea of this thread is to pick them apart just like all the rest. Let's see what we can find!

This should be interesting...

[Kosmos]

I loved the story from Sonic and Knuckles. I thought it was really good for an old school game.

[crush40rocks]

I loved the story from Sonic and Knuckles. I thought it was really good for an old school game.

I agree, though I would have to give equal kudos to S2 - S3&K for providing a solid "trilogy" story experience. The fact that the Death Egg spanned three games and was THAT hard to keep out of the sky makes the trilogy that much more epic. And all was done without a single word spoken, just miming the actions. While I wouldn't mind hearing some vocals in S4, they wouldn't make or break the game. The past games did an excellent job of conveying an entire trilogy with utter silence, and yet the player still had a good feel for what was going on.

I would have liked to see an unlockable hard mode or something in the old games however. Once you have gotten to the point to where can say, "Holy shit! I had 10 lives a little while ago, and now all of a sudden I have 35?!" It's about time to up the ante a bit. Not that I mind that the games were fairly easy, but I think the bar for difficulty needs to be raised in this case. With gamers getting more skilled and games getting easier, a more difficult Sonic experience (at least if given the option) might provide a breath of fresh air for the vets.

Edited February 9, 2010 by crush40rocks

[Mort]

Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic 1 was okay, but its lack of spin dash always bugs me (I started with Sonic 2).

At the time it was revolutionary, and still fun today. I also still love the soundtrack. But out of the original four titles, this one feels the most bland to me because of the lack of spindash.

Three acts with only one boss in act 3 also bugs me.

The special zones in this game are my favorite.

Bosses are kind of bland

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

The first entry in the series I played. I'm not a big fan of the sountrack as the only tracks I particularly like are Chemical Plant, Death Egg, Boss Theme and Final Boss theme. Spin Dash is great. Zones aren't particularly well done until Casino Night Zone.

Bosses are better than Sonic 1.

Final Boss is great.

I love the addition of Super Sonic.

I hate the super sonic theme.

The addition of tails was cool, and I loved Sky Chase.

Badniks are better, but the badniks in Metropolis zone were incredibly annoying.

Best Sonic sprite from the golden age.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)

Best entry in the series.

Best level design.

Best use of the supporting characters in the entire franchise (Same play style, but with unique special abilities and alternate routes(Sometimes radically different levels for Knuckles)

Best music in the series (MJ didn't actually compose any of it don't start).

Having a mini boss in the first act was a great move.

Best bosses in the series as well.

I loved the use of unique level gimmicks.

Death Egg final boss is the best in the series.

Doomsday Zone is still fucking epic.

I hate the original midboss and knuckles themes.

I hate Super Sonic's themes (Both of them).

I hate how everything is harder as Knuckles.

I didn't care for Sonic's sprite in this one.

Just a list of my thoughts on the golden age that I could come up with as quickly as I could.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Mort

[crush40rocks]

Badniks are better, but the badniks in Metropolis zone were incredibly annoying.

Mantis... *shiver*

Best music in the series (MJ didn't actually compose any of it don't start).

I also heard this rumor. What's the story with that? Did he have ANY influence on the music? Where did this all start?

Doomsday Zone is still fucking epic.

Absolutely! In fact, I think SEGA realizes this and has tried to duplicate it with every game they have cranked out since SA1.

Speaking of epic final battles, that brings me to Super Sonic, which also brings me to Hyper Sonic. How bad-ass what Hyper Sonic?! Would anyone else love to see the return of hyper forms from this golden era (even though SEGA is probably too touched in the head to see this as a good move)? Hyper Sonic was a bit overpowered, yes, but it was a great reward for collecting a whopping 14 emeralds. The higher level of super introduced also brought along with it a higher level of epic IMO.

[Kosmos]

I also love the music from all the games. People often catch me humming some of the tunes (especially from Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles) when I'm on the bus to school

[Mort]

I also heard this rumor. What's the story with that? Did he have ANY influence on the music? Where did this all start?

He was undoubtedly involved with the project. But people fail to understand that while MJ might have had taste and was pretty picky about what was released in his name, he really wasn't much of a composer. This is generally why anything he's ever actually written is limited to melodies that he hums for other people to notate, write chord progressions, and arrange. This is why he often employs his own personal song writers.

His personal song writer at the time, Brad Buxer, admitted that him and Michael worked on it, but they didn't finalize the project because MJ didn't liked the way the tracks they made turned out and aren't even sure what made it into the final project. Its generally accepted that Carnival Night, the Midboss theme, and the credit theme were done by them because Carnival Night sounds exactly like a track released by MJ later called Jam, the Midboss theme was removed for Sonic & Knuckles, and Brad stated the took the chord progression from the credits and made it into some other song. So yes, MJ was involved in it, that doesn't mean he composed it. Generally if MJ did anything music related, he would either hum the melody, have someone notate it and compose and arrange the rest of the song. Other times he would just describe what he wanted ("Okay so I want something that sounds really carnivalish, and with a bit of Enter the Gladiators in it" voila, Brad composes Carnival Night zone)

A good place to start if you want the full story is here:

The notes at the beginning of the video are the actual claims made by Buxer.

Absolutely! In fact, I think SEGA realizes this and has tried to duplicate it with every game they have cranked out since SA1.

Speaking of epic final battles, that brings me to Super Sonic, which also brings me to Hyper Sonic. How bad-ass what Hyper Sonic?! Would anyone else love to see the return of hyper forms from this golden era (even though SEGA is probably too touched in the head to see this as a good move)? Hyper Sonic was a bit overpowered, yes, but it was a great reward for collecting a whopping 14 emeralds. The higher level of super introduced also brought along with it a higher level of epic IMO.

I'd love if they brought Hyper Sonic back as an easter egg for Sonic 4 but eh, I really just want Sonic to be able to just go Super for a stage for once. Edited February 9, 2010 by Mort

[Thirsty Pocket]

As a child, I was extremely picky about the games I played. I hated everything that was not a platformer. I also couldn't stand games that featured boring characters with unappaling designs and simple, expected abilities. The characters had to be cute, colorful, and have abilities you just wouldn't expect of other game heroes.

Sonic the Hedgehog 1 - K was a wonderful series of platformers. As a kid, I found Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles both cute and cool. Sonic's speed and his spindash won me over instantly. Mario may have taken to the skies in SMB3 long before Tails, but when has Mario ever airlifted one of his buddies? (Answer: It took him until NSMB and even then you need a co-ordinated player 2 for that ) Knuckles was the least impressive of the trio to me, and yet I still had a blast playing as him, and seeing just what I could climb on in Sonic 2 and 3, that Sonic couldn't. Those guys were great. The villain was just as great as the heroes to me, but when I was a kid, I always invisioned Eggman as AOSTH Robotnik... Even though the sprite looked nothing like it, that's what my eyes saw. ( I even went so far as to color on my Genesis cartridges so SOA Robotnik would resemble AoSTH Robotnik more... )

EDIT: holy crap, I missed the point of this topic completely. I battled fiercely with this horrible laptop to type all that out though, so I am not going to delete it now. You have no freaking idea how evil this computer is, with the random refreshing/going back/clicking links nowhere near the cursor/random change in typing curosor position

Now more on topic.

Sonic 1

--------

The game is somewhat difficult. The Speed is not as prominent as was advertised, but I'd say that's actually a good thing. That's not to say there wasn't any speed at all. It's more or less a platformer like Super Mario bros, but with much more of a focus on fast paced action. The water level is rediculous though. Why on earth does Sonic sink like a stone? That is not fun. But Starlight Zone, which follows right after is easily one of my favorite Zones in the game. And the background for Scrap brain zone is pretty bitchin. Those special stages are near impossible to complete in one sitting. It can be done but it's needlessly difficult, and even then, there's not much insentive to get them all besides a higher score ( who cares about scores these days anyways ) and a funny animation of Robotnik.

Sonic 2

----------------

This game is just as fun as the last, if not funner. Sonic seems to go even faster in this one, and he doesn't need to be in ball mode to do it. I do think this one is a little easier than the last, and one of my biggest gripes is that they reduced the number of acts per zone to 2. It makes the adventure feel over much quicker than last time. The game also feels a bit easier than last time too. Maybe it's the new spindash move, or your invincible helper, Tails. Speaking of, it would be nice if the player could actually make use of his ability to fly.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

---------------

We waited a long time, but finally two halves of one game have come together, and it's been worth the wait. The game still has only two acts, but they treat them as one long one. There are now bosses on both act 1 and 2. This game is undoubtably easier than Sonic 1 and 2 though. It only really gets tougher near the Sonic and Knuckles of the game, in Sandopolis act 2. Which reminds me, there is something that delights me about the game. You actually get to see how you arrive at your next destination. No "your in a forrest. Beat that level, fade to black, you are now in a water level" ...no. You actually fall down a waterfall after beating the act 2 boss. Sure makes the "Mario going down a pipe to world 2-2" thing look lame. You now have the option to play as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. And all the characters actually have different abilities. The subtle differences in playstyle really makes it interesting to play in some pretty different ways. I am pleased to say that Tails flight can finally be controlled by the player, and Knuckles can discover new routes by climbing walls, gliding ( unexplained as to why he does that,,, ) and smashing rocks that Sonic cannot. His jump is shorter... which makes the final boss in Sonic 2 much more difficult. You heard me right, you can play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 with that cartridge. While it's not as exciting as it may sound, it is a new way to play Sonic 2. No Sonic 1 though >=

------------------------end pretend-----

For the record though, the classics weren't what brought me into the fanbase. I loved them as a kid, but I didn't play a single Sonic game beyond those 3/4 for years. I didn't even know what a fanbase was back then. I saw Sonic advertised on signs and something really felt off about the Sonic Adventure artwork I saw. But then Sonic hit the gamecube. I saw a picture of him and his friends in Nintendo Power, advertising Sonic Adventure 2, and Sonic Advanced. Then I fell in love with his new design, and then I actively sought out other Sonic fans on the internet, which i was very new to at the time. But, just because the modern one introduced me to the fanbase doesn't mean it's better... Nor do I mean that it's worse.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

When did the flame wars really start to flare up? When was the first glass of Hater-Aid tasted in our humble community?

Just to prefix my response with a comment on the experiment itself: I think people believe the Sonic fanbase is a lot more broken than it actually is. Or perhaps they believe that every other fanbase is far less broken than they actually are.

Drama and disagreement are normal and... well, I was going to say healthy, but that's a lie. So drama and disagreement are at least normal to all fanbases. We're just a little more prone to deapths of despair and heights of euphoria than every other fanbase, because... Sonic is simply better than most other things people are fans of, and thus has the potential to induce a wilder rollercoaster of emotion!!1

I loved the story from Sonic and Knuckles. I thought it was really good for an old school game.

This. S3&K's story was the quintessential Sonic plot; Sonic, Tails, and Robotnik in a fantastic world of mysterious emeralds and technologic peril. No crass attempts to shoehorn in a semi-realistic USA expy. No convoluted princess/floating-chihuahua motivation for Sonic. Just save the planet from disaster in the weird and wonderful world of Mobius.

SWEET

[Ebby]

Sonic 1

I thoroughly enjoy Sonic 1. It has some of the best levels, including my all time favorite Sonic BGM and classic level, Spring Yard Zone. It's not impossibly hard, even though I must admit I've NEVER beat Labyrinth and Scrap Brain. Forgive me I'm not a gamer. I know he is rather slow compared to the later games and the lack of Spindash is a bit of a downer, but it's SONIC 1! It's the first one, the original! How can you not like it!?

Sonic 2

I hate Sonic 2. Yup. I don't like it. I'm not too fond of the levels, the music, and the difficulty. Oil Ocean is annoying, Metropolis is stupidly cheap (Stupid star robots!!!), and Death Egg gives no rings. Unfair, I like rings in my Sonic bosses. This is why I never beat it's oh-so-wonderful Game Gear counterpart! The first boss shouldn't be so impossible! Anyway, while Sonic 2 brought about Super Sonic, better graphics (Personally, I think Sonic 2, looks better than Sonic 3 and S&K), Tails, Multi-player, and Spindash it just does nothing for me. The 2D half pipe is not the best Sonic Special Stage, yet it has been replicated over and over. If you ask me, Get Blue Spheres is waaaay better. I guess the only thing I like about Sonic 2, besides advancements, is... Mystic Cave Zone.

Sonic 3/Sonic and Knuckles/S3&K

Cream of the crop? Oh yes, by all means. When this one is called a masterpiece I fully understand why. Great levels, amazing music (well... in Sonic 3's case. S&K is really lacking), wonderful plot with includes cutscenes, amazing and addictive special stages, the shields, Tails' ability to swim and fly, some epic bosses (I don't know about you, but I am always very excited to take down Eggman in Lava Reef Act 2 and in Death Egg and Doomsday), and bonus stages!!! I love everything about the games by themselves and I love them even more together! I can't think of a downside to this one... really.

[Sean]

Sonic the Hedgehog

Awesome. A lot shorter than the others but it's really cute and enduring.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Awesome, though I really fucking hate the special stages. Of the original trilogy, this is the one I'm least familiar with, as I've beaten it the fewest times and I never really got all of the Chaos Emeralds on my own. As a result I don't remember some of the later zones.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Even more awesome. I can't think of anything wrong with this game other than that I've played it hundreds of times over the years so I tend to get bored if I sit down to play it too long, I know it backwards and forwards for the most part. I don't care for Hyper forms, though.

Just as I suspected, the Genesis games are still awesome.

[Tori Himemiya]

Sonic the hedgehog:

In short this game was magical. I just don't get why people don't like the fact there's no spin dash when it didn't existed at the time. Oh well.

Sonic the hedgehog 2:

It's was ok for me. I like Tails and all but I don't think he really didn't do anything useful outside the chemical plant zone. But getting Super Sonic gotta be one of the mose satisfying moments in the Sonic series since it does take a lot of time and patience.

Sonic the hedgehog 3 & Knuckles:

This is was a pretty good. It's gameplay was pretty good and it's plot is pretty simple at a glance. But Knuckles' story is more complicated. More on that later. Anywho Tails was more useful in this than he was in Sonic 2, mostly because a second player could fly Sonic to hard to reach places. And it almost felt like the original. But it's more epic than the other 2 games. Luckly there's a save feature and it makes emerald hunting easier. And you can backtrack to a level that totality owned you. The only downside is the carvinal night barrel. :/

Also Knuckles is a playable character. He seemed like a total asshole but he's really not somehow. But one thing has been bugging me... Why is this one Eggrobo after Knuckles? It's been going after him before the game started. We'll never know. :/

Well that should do it. That's what I think. Not a whole lot on Sonic 2 mostly because I couldn't remember much. Just the fact Tails kept leading me to my death in the chemical plant boss battle. But that's an oh well.

[jennytablina]

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic 1 is a classic, though its dated a little. Green Hill is maybe one off the most iconic opening levels of all time, such that from this point onwards it's practically an unwritten rule that every first level in the Sonic series has some kind of relation to it. Sonic might not have the full move set but hes got the agility, and while Sonic 1 maybe is more traditional than its siblings in platforming, theres enough unique touches to make the title stand out, special stages, varied environments and a fantastic soundtrack. What lets the game down is maybe some of the level design is a bit off (Labyrinth's 3rd act is irritating and I personally find Spring Yards boss a bit cheap) also the lack of extras for getting all emeralds (but oddly one of few times to cause chaos at the hands of Sonic himself, I guess he learned the harness the power over the time between Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2). The music is a bit grab bag, the main stand out tunes are the ones based on Dreams Come True tracks, yet these tunes become more the blue hedgehogs own over time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic 2 takes everything about the first game and improves it for the most part, the graphics look smoother, the level design is much improved and allows for a bit more speed and a more unique play-style to other platformers, the addition of Tails is neat even if he is mostly useless (and I mean this in the kindest sense, I love having Tails around for the ride but his computer controlled self does little). The soundtrack is a lot more consistent in quality, maybe because they stopped relying on Dreams Come True's music bar the lovely ending theme. The game introduces Super Sonic as an incentive to collect the emeralds and puts them in rather fun tunnel runs for Special stages. Sonic 2 is generally fun all around, the only annoying thing is how Tails can easilly cost you emeralds if hes tagging along or the fact Metropolis consists of 3 very long acts with irritating badniks that kill the speed and a rather annoying boss, the final battle is epic however.

The game also adds a multiplayer mode, it doesn't last ages but the 3 levels and the special stage set are good for a chuckle and the randomized items with teleports give it a bit of an edge. The additional stats at the end of each round also make for good fun "Oh you may of passed the finish line but I got more rings and more items so I win nyah". The optional co-op for Tails is neat but anyone playing as Tails may get rather annoyed at how often they get left behind and forced to wait while Tails copters back into the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (and Knuckles)

Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) has this rather cuddly and lush design scheme going on, some may dislike it for how pudgy Sonic got but for a long time I liked this incarnation best, it just animated so well, Sonic wouldnt move this good again till the Advance series. It has the most ambitous level design of the 3, not only did each Zone wildly differ from the other (with wildly differing environments and even subtle to major changes in a level) but they were designed such that each zone had a unique means of getting around somehow and objects that made the journey fun, particularly Carnival Night once you twigged how those blasted barrels really worked. It feels like thought really went into the title, its just a shame it got split in 2, though the fact it can be made one happy whole is a plus. Also awesome for introducing Super Tails and Hyper Sonic + Hyper Knuckles to the series. This game also makes a bigger push at a plot than the previous games, its interesting to note Sonic 3 is quite limited on cutscenes but Sonic and Knuckles has a lot more going on storywise and it gets better when the titles are locked together.

The multiplayer (from Sonic 3) is a bit of a letdown after Sonic 2, sure the mini sprites are cute and the races are totally unique to the multiplayer but theres not much to do than to zip laps around a few short looping tracks, nothing to really bring players back to it. Sonic and Tails mode for this game is massively improved with the player now able to airlift Sonic places, making him much more useful than before. Knuckles is an admirable new character and its interesting to see how the developers fit him into the title with different routes and scenarios. The game can be buggy but for the most part despite the rushed release the game plays very well

[lounge]

Sonic 1:

The only enjoyable zones are Green Hill & Star Light. Every other zone is kind of slow, boring, or cheap. When it looks like you can run, you get hit 2 seconds later. The design doesn't really let you stretch your legs. It's a pretty inconsistent game.

Sonic 2:

The first 3 zones plus Hill Top Zone are great. Then it goes downhill once Casino Night comes up. That zone is boring as hell! Mystic Cave is okay. Metropolis is annoying. Oil Ocean is disorientating and horribly designed. And the Airplane level is pointless. Special Stages are boring.

Sonic 3 & Knux:

Better than 1 & 2. It's not boring. But boy is the object placement bad. Sometimes things will pop up giving you no reaction time. Other times those big spike balls will hit you giving no indication that you'll run up to one. It's sometimes hard to tell if it's okay to be able to run. Special Stages suck ass.

So in conclusion, yes, these games have many paths to take. But the design doesn't give me a good indication of when I'm allowed to run. I love platforming, but the platforming in these games aren't very fun.

Mario's 2D games, now those are brilliant. Lots of levels. Well designed, lots of things to explore and collect. Give me Super Mario World over these games.

[Legendary Emerald]

Sonic 1: Still my favorite of the individual Sonic games. This game had the perfect balance of speed and platforming. Every level seemed to be constructed perfectly so that it was fun while never being too challenging. The only spots of annoyance in the entire game for me would be the battle against Robotnik in the Labyrinth zone, and the underwater third act of the Scrap Brain Zone. This game is a masterpiece, in my mind, and it's quality cannot be topped.

Sonic 2: The sequel, however, was pretty disappointing. Back when it first came out, I'm sure it seemed like great stuff. But in retrospect, it had many flaws that Sonic 1 lacked. For one, the game went on far too long. This was only the second game, and there were no save files yet. This wouldn't have been such a problem if the levels weren't so damn BORING. Much (though not all) of the platforming that had been in the first title was replaced by holding right, and most every zone played out in a similar manner. The Chaos Emeralds and Tails were a nice addition, and the Final area was significantly more epic than in the first game, but I still see this game as failing to hit the bar set up by it's superior prequel.

Sonic 3& Knuckles: This game, however, is another amazing addition. It successfully built on the first game (much moreso than the second) to create an platforming game that knew what it actually was. While some zones still ended up stinkers (Sandopolis, Marble Hill), the level design as a whole was much better than in 2. The addition of Knuckles as a playable character added plenty of replay value as well. But perhaps the biggest innovation was the save files. Even though it is possible to beat the games in a single playthrough (and I have done so), this was a very intelligent move on Sega's part. This feels like the TRUE sequel to Sonic 1, in my mind, and the only reason I do not rank it higher than it's original is because it does not hold the same sentimental value for me; I only really played Sonic 3& Knuckles for any length of time when I got Sonic Mega Collection.

Well, there's my three cents. As an added bonus, I'll say this: Shadow the Hedgehog is the TRUE game that started all this commotion in the fan base, from what I've seen and experience. But you'll get to that game soon enough.

[Guest]

I didn't play these games till around 2003, but, whatever...

Sonic The Hedgehog:

Too slow and boring, not that big a fan of it. GHZ is far too ripped off, MZ is slow and boring, SYZ is okay but not really that fun, LZ is hell, SLZ is nice, SBZ is annoying, and FZ is far too easy.

Not a big fan of the game, but it's alright. Oh, and the special stages are boring. 4/10

Sonic The Hedgehog 2:

Now THIS is what I call a Sonic game. Almost every zone is awesome (Except for MZ, fuck that) The speed is great, the locations are great, and it's a quick game, it's fun to play every now and then. It even has Tails, just too bad he can't fly. As y second fav Sonic game, it could only be more perfect if it had the beta zones, and less MZ. Oh, and the special stages are cool. (And I don't see how Tails can be annoying in any way, it's just a game, lighten up) 9/10

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)

I hate it, alright not really, it's just far too overrated, and I don't think it's the best at all. That's not to say it's bad, I love the zones and I love playing as Tails and Knux. But it's just too long and frustrating to me, I get bored at around FBZ and just quit. Though the Super forms raise the score a bit. Oh, and the special stages suck. So does Blue Sphere. 6.5/10

So glad Sonic CD wasn't on this list.

[Mort]

As you can see, we don't even really agree on the classics, let alone the newer games.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Mort

[batson]

As you can see, we don't even really agree on the classics, let alone the newer games.

Sure, there are fans who aren't to fond of the classics. But the percentage of fans that would say that the classics are downright terrible is undoubtably very, very small. So if there is one statement that probably at least 98% of the fanbase can agree on, it's "the classics doesn't completely suck balls". So now let's just burn the remaining 2% at the stake and we'll all be one, big, somewhat happy family.

[Guest Jordan4K6]

Let's see..... I think the classic games are good but no where near as godly as people make them out to be.

[Teoleulbogo]

Sonic1-Was probobly one of the greatest first games in any series. It gave the perfect mix of fast paced speed and awsome platforming. With no real complaint coming to mind.

Sonic2-an okay sequil if not a bit dull. The spin dash did give it some origanality but once you get past that it's just Sonic1 with a few different levels.

Sonic3(&K)-An amasing improvement over 2 with bumped up graphics and a inclusion more story element it felt like a completly different game. The backwards compatability with Sonic & Knuckles(my favorite Sonic game btw)elongated the game very well. With great levels a great story and a spectacular special stage this is definently one of my favorite games period.

[Mort]

Sure, there are fans who aren't to fond of the classics. But the percentage of fans that would say that the classics are downright terrible is undoubtably very, very small. So if there is one statement that probably at least 98% of the fanbase can agree on, it's "the classics doesn't completely suck balls". So now let's just burn the remaining 2% at the stake and we'll all be one, big, somewhat happy family.

Dude just look at this thread. "Sonic 1 was slow and boring" "Sonic 3 & Knuckles was overrated and random" "Sonic 2 is a disappointment".

We don't even agree on which classics are good.

[Unknown]

Sonic 1: IIRC, this was actually the last of the original trio that I played (or at least completed), and as such, I'm not a very big fan of it. No spindash is especially annoying when you're used to it from 2 and 3K, and no Tails or Super Sonic are a bit disappointing in that regard too. The levels and music, aside from Star Light Zone, just didn't appeal that much to me. The special stages are somewhat fun, but frustrating and hard to reach. It's a fun game, but not as much as its sequels.

Sonic 2: A very good game and the first one I ever played. Solid gameplay and consistently good music, although levels are a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from great with Chemical Plant and Mystic Cave to not so good with Aquatic Ruin and Oil Ocean. Special stages were probably the only thing which I feel weren't as good as in its predecessor. Not a whole lot else I can say about this game, except that it was an big improvement on Sonic 1 in many ways, length included.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles: Not perfect, but very close to it. It refined every aspect from the first two games to make them exceptional, and thus it is by far the best of the trio. Three slightly modified gameplay styles that fit seamlessly into extremely well-designed levels (which also had amazing atmospheres and concepts), along with awesome power-ups and special stages (both the Blue Sphere stages for the Emeralds and the other three types just for getting rings/powerups/extra lives). And the music was awesome as well; there's not a single track in the game that I dislike.

Although, I have to admit that with all of these games, they aren't nearly as much fun after you've played through them so many times. Obviously they don't have the same charm as they did back when I was 4 or 5 years old playing them, but even aside from that, they get quite boring and repetitive if you play them too often.

[batson]

Although, I have to admit that with all of these games, they aren't nearly as much fun after you've played through them so many times. Obviously they don't have the same charm as they did back when I was 4 or 5 years old playing them, but even aside from that, they get quite boring and repetitive if you play them too often.

Pretty much any game becomes boring after you've played them to death. But personaly, i feel that out of all Sonic games, the classics are the ones who have the longest lifespan.

[Marcello]

Cool, I feel like a lab rat .

I liked Sonic 3 & Knuckles because the graphics were nicer than the last 2. It also had a save feature which made things less annoying. The levels were really fun. I've beaten the game so many times, but its still very fun to play. It also had the best Special Stages.

Blue Sphere for Brawl Sonic 4!

Sonic's 1 & 2, I liked alot, but they are a bit annoying without a save feature >_>.

Oh and you can add Mort's points to mine, too xD.

Edited February 11, 2010 by MarcelloF

[Briraka]

Sonic the Hedgehog

It was a good first game. The gameplay was alright, even without the spindash, the zones felt like nothing that other games had... I don't really know how to explain it, but they just stand out for some reason. The game was a bit short, though, but that was alright because it didn't have the save feature.

9/10, if you want a fun, simple game, this is the one.

Sonic 2

Sonic has went to Westside Island for a well deserved vacation. Whil taking a morning jog, an orphan fox with two tails named Miles Prower watches Sonic with amazement. The young fox runs after Sonic, and sometimes actually manages to catch up. Sonic and Miles become friends and Sonic gives him the nickname Tails. The next morning, Eggman and his army of badniks storm Emerald Hill to the grand launch of the Death Egg. Sonic was just about to chase after Eggman, but Tails asked if he could go with. Sonic pondered at the idea, and decided to let him, but to alawys ttry to keep up.

In some ways, it was better, and then not so much.Tails (allthough rather useless for now), Super Sonic, and the spindash were good additions. The zones weren't the best, there were good ones, like Chemical Plant, Casino Night, Hill Top, and Wing Fortress. The other ones (besides Death Egg, but I consider it the final boss area) were either a copy (Emerald Hill), or just awful. Metropolis get BIG kick in the butt for the terrible badnik placement. The special stages weren't the best, either.

6/10, good to play with friends, but not for an afternoon of boredom.

Sonic 3K

The Death Egg has crashed on to the legendary Angel Island, and the guardian Knuckles is tricked by Eggman to belive Sonic is an emerald crazy clepto out to steal the Master and Super Emeralds. Sonic and Tails fly out to the island to stop the evil doctor from relaunching hid Death Egg. When they arrive, Knuckles ambushes Sonic and steals the Chaos Emeralds and puts them back in to the Blue Spheres world. Sonic and Tails now have to stop Eggman and keep an eye out for Rad Red in this continuation of the saga.

Right up there with Sonic 1. The gameplay from the trio are very much alike, but add to the experience. The zones here are some of my favorite, Hydrocity, Ice Cap, Launch Base, Lava Reef, and Death Egg. It also has two of my less liked ones, Mushroom Hill and Sandopolis. The special stages are the best in the series, and even got their own game!

9/10, Good story, great gameplay, music, and level design. An epic not to be missed!

Sonic CD

I'm reviewing it anyway, just for the sake of completeness.

Before Sonic 2(I think) Eggman has made plans for conquring the Little Planet, wich appears every thousnad years. Sonic caught word of this and raced to the rescue with an awsome intro movie. A girl named Amy Rose, Sonic's #1 fan, follows her hero on to the Little Planet. After Palmtree Panic, Sonic rests for a minute to rest, and Amy stands there, admiring the hedgie. Eggman's latest creation, Metal Sonic, capures Amy for bait. So now Sonic has to take a major detour and save her from a scrambled doom!

This is slightly better that two, but my major complaints are time travel gimmick, poorly made spindash, and irritaing UFO stages. The rest is godly, the zone concepts are very different from Sonic 1 (minus Palmtree Panic, but even then, it's still somewhat original), but have the same feel.

8/10, Great game with some flaws, but make up for it with great zones, Metal Sonic, and Amy Rose. She's like a plushy toy you couldn't resist to hug!