So how *do* you feel about newer Sonic games?

[Blackwolf]

Ah, what the hey. I may be the OP, but after seeing everyone else make a list:

Sonic Adventure: Love it. They did a great job handling the transition to 3D with Sonic's levels, and while the gameplay varies with other characters it still tends to be good. The Tails racing levels are fine, Knuckles's treasure hunting works well enough, Amy feels more like a traditional platformer, fine. Gamma...I guess he's alright. It was interesting to play as an Eggman robot for a change, and the shooting certainly wasn't bad. Big, as we all know, sucks. I know fishing requires some stamina, but geez my thumb hurts after playing as him. And of course, fishing and Sonic just don't mix. 9.0/10

Sonic Adventure 2: I like it, but in my opinion is doesn't hold a candle to the first. Sonic and Shadow are fine, but everyone else is either average or simply not fun. The treasure hunting was severely downgraded. In SA1, Knuckles's levels took place in wide open areas, giving you plenty of room to run around and glide. The radar also let you pick up any shard in any order. It may have been a scavenger hunt, but it still felt like a Sonic game. This? Ugh. The levels are more vertical, which typically means you have to slowly climb around until you finally figure out where to go. And the radar only lets you find one shard this time. Some of the later levels can seriously take 15-20 minutes to complete unless you have every possible location memorized. I don't like them. The shooting levels are okay I guess, I just can't say I liked them enough the first time to want to see them again. Chao Garden is pretty fun though. 8.0/10

Sonic Heroes: Meh. I have fun playing through it once, but the game asks you to replay it four times in a row. And frankly, it just isn't good enough for that. Why not add some variety and give each team exclusive levels and powers, that would have really made it something special. And Chaotix sucks. It's not fun having to slow down and search these huge levels for items. The haunted mansion level is a serious offender. Extinguish 60 flames? Seriously? This level took me 40 fucking minutes the first time I played it. And the game is almost embarrassing to listen to. The dialouge is even worse then usual, and the character themes make me want to kill something. On the plus side, the stage music kicks ass. It has that classic Sonic feel that you just don't get with rock music. Lastly, I ran into a lot of glitches. From falling through the floor, typical clipping issues, the camera getting stuck, and just general wonkiness all around. The game isn't quite bad, it's just not all that good. 6.0/10

Shadow the Hedgehog: Not half as bad as everyone says. The level design is good for the most part, and it cuts out all the bullshit from Heroes. It feels like a Sonic game, despite the guns and vehicles. (Which are optional most of the time anyways) And I like the choose your own adventure-style choices. But I still have complaints. A lot of Chaotix-style objectives are in here, but at least they let you warp around the levels. And it makes no sense why the people you're siding with attack you. 7.0/10

Sonic and the Secret Rings: It's fun. The controls aren't perfect, but they work pretty well most of the time. Party Mode is fun, too. I don't really have much more to say here. 8.0/10

Sonic Unleashed (Wii): I got it around the time it came out, and I instantly fell in love with the day stages. It feels like Sonic Rush in 3D, which is great in my book. But the game's shortcoming is, unsurprisingly, the Werehog. They make you play as him for about 40 long minutes, and none of it is that fun. You run from room to room while breaking boxes and fighting with basic combos. The platforming is way too basic. There's no originality or inspiration, it's just bland. And what's with these so-called 'hub worlds?" If you're just going to give us a menu for them, then why even have them in the first place!? But I really do love the day stages. It's just a shame they get bogged down by their ugly siblings. Music is downright awesome, by the way. 7.5/10

Sonic Unleashed (PS3): I just got a PS3 a couple weeks ago and made this game a top priority of mine. Compared to the Wii version, let me say: OH MY GOD THIS IS FANTASTIC!!! First off, the night stages are vastly improved. They're slightly shorter, and are actually enjoyable most of the time. You've got dozens of combos, finishing moves, puzzles, more hidden rooms, and slightly better platforming. The platforming is still basic, but it's at least more challenging and it's thought out better. I'd much rather play this then any of the shooting and treasure hunting levels from Sonic Adventure 2. But like with the Wii version, the day stages are awesome. Even more awesome then before. There's more of them, they're longer, and I loved seeing actual platforming in them. It made the 2.5D sections feel more like classic Sonic. And lastly, the hub worlds. They're overdone, but I like that you can find side missions by talking to people. It helps add variety, but I still think they're unneccessary. Same with the Werehog for that matter. I may have enjoyed the night stages more then in the Wii version, but it doesn't mean I want to see them again. And the music is still awesome. 8.5/10

Sonic and the Black Knight: Better then I thought it would be. Best way to summarize it is that it's pretty much Secret Rings with a sword. The controls feel pretty good, and it's satisfying to race through a level while still managing to hit enemies. It takes practice, though. I like the online leaderboards, it gives replay value. My only real big complaint is that platforming is almost non-existent. It's pretty much been completely replaced by hack-n-slash gameplay. But it's still a fun game regardless. The game is also way too short.Just please stop with the gimmicks, Sonic Team. 7.5/10

Sonic Chronicles: It got me back into turn-based RPG's. The EBA-style mechanic kept combat fresh and fast pace, and the writing was actually good for a change. But the currency system is bullshit. You can only get the rings once, they never regenerate. That would be fine if you earned them in combat, but the only way to do that is during the running mini-game. Even then, you rarely pick up more then three or four at a time. Otherwise, pretty solid RPG. 8.0/10

I didn't really feel like talking about the more traditional handheld games, so I'll just quickly say that 2D Sonic is still pretty awesome. Except Sonic Advance 3. The level design is confusing and I hate the method of how you get the Chaos Emeralds. Everything else I didn't mention I simply haven't played. But Sonic 06 is on my to do list. All I can say about that is the story feels like fanfiction. But I'm not sure how I'll like the gameplay yet.

I agree to it all except Sonic and the Black Knight. I mean don't get me wrong. The game is awsome, but the GAMEPLAY is horrid. You got the short story perfectly and the gimmicks, God forbid, but the gameplay is what made me stop playing.(ex:Not being able to turn around/turn the camera view? You can jump backwards but that's not an all guarenteed tactic.) On top of that, the missions are brutally hard. I know SEGA has this thing with giving players a challenge and i like that, but personally I think they went WAAAYYY TOO far! Yet clearing the game is way too simple? Well, a friend of mine told me that they where trying to kill the Sonic reign all together with SATBK, and i sort of believed him, but i'm sure they were'nt Intetionally trying...btw, good job not metioning Sonic 06. That game does not count worth S*!t.

[DMNBT]

Let's see:

Console Games:

-Sonic Adventure: This was Sonic's first 3D game, and it shows. The gameplay is pretty fun (except Big), but is mostly unrefined. Still a good game.

-Sonic Adventure 2: The gameplay and controls are refined from what they were in SA1, but also makes some changes that I think were unnecessary, like making every Sonic/Shadow stage more Speed-based (like Speed Highway in SA1) and making Knuckles/Rouge stages bigger and more vertical, while also making the radar much less useful. Overall it's a pretty good game with tighter controls, but less fun than SA1.

-Sonic Heroes: The team mechanic is the one thing that I believe drags down this game. Each formation by itself presents a very fun gameplay (although I think flight is inferior to the others), but the akward way the stages mix the formations makes the whole feel worse than it should be. I think the game would have been better if before each stage you had to choose one member of the team and then proceed with the stage using only that character.

-Shadow the Hedgehog: As a platformer, this game is rather bad, as the floaty physics make anything that is not running straight ahead way harder than it should be. As a speed-based third person shooter, this game is pretty good as generally TPS are a slower affair and the speed makes certain tactics useful that normally would get you killed (eg: doing run-bys).

-Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): The game is rather fun when it works, the problem is getting the game to work in the first place. Sonic's mach speed sections, Shadow's vehicles and Silver's psychokinesis all suffer due to the way they are implemented, and unfortunately for Silver, his psy is all that he has going for him, at least Shadow has non-vehicle parts and Sonic non-mach speed parts. The secondary characters are all poorly implemented and do nothing to enhance the gameplay.

-Sonic Unleashed (PS2/Wii): As many have said, the day stages are basically Sonic Rush 3D, which is just fine with me. The night stages, on the other hand, while not terribly unfun or broken, are way too numerous in contrast to the day stages, and their gameplay itself is not suited for long stretches of time.

-Sonic Unleashed (PS3/X360): Objetively, this is a better game than the PS2/Wii version. Personally, I feel that it's worse, as the day stages, while far from being Sonic Rush 3D, abuse the react dodging and QTEs way more than the "inferior" version, and while numbers-wise there are less night stages, each one of these is way longer than any PS2/Wii one, falling into the same problems than the PS2/Wii ones. This leaves me with a game whose day stages I like less, and whose night stages I like (or hate) as much as the "inferior" version, and that's before factoring in the medal collecting. So overall, while this is not a bad game by any means, I personally find the "inferior" version to be the better game.

Handheld Games:

-Sonic Pocket Adventure: Many people bash this game for being nothing more than a Sonic 2 rethread, and I'd be inclined to agree with that statement, but Sonic 2 was a fun game, and this is also a fun game, so I don't see the problem.

-Sonic Advance: This game tries it's best to emulate the classics' gameplay, and while it succeeds in many ways, the poor level design drags this game down and prevents it from being a masterpiece.

-Sonic Advance 2: This game is in many ways a prototype of what would eventually become the Rush gameplay, putting speed at the forefront over everything else, and the game works as long as you play with that mindset, but falls apart as soon as you attempt to do anything other than rush through the level. So if you are willing to put speed over everything else, it's a very good game, otherwise is rather poor.

-Sonic Advance 3: This game serves to highlight just how bad the Adv2 gameplay is when used for anything other than pure speed. The level design flip-flops constantly between pure speed and precision platforming, which makes playing with speed-based teams frustrating and power-based teams boring. In the end the best approach is to take a flight-based team and try to skip as much of the level as possible, which kinda ruins the purpose of having the level in the first place. As is, the game sits in an uncomfortable middle, not being a bad game by any means, but also not being a good one either.

-Sonic Rush: As said before, this is an evolution of the Adv2 gameplay, and as such is at it's best when is played with speed in mind. However, unlike Adv2, the game actively prevents the player from trying anything other than rushing through the stage by making everything require speed and by level design that punishes going through the stage slowly. In the end, the game is very good if you are willing to do exactly what the game wants you to do, otherwise it becomes an exercise in frustration that ultimately makes it a worse game than Adv2.

-Sonic Rush Adventure: This is the game that Adv3 wishes to be: a good mix between speed and platforming. The platforming never reaches the finesse of the classic games, nor the speed the thrill of Adv2/Rush, but the level design, which mixes both types of gameplay while having in mind both the strengths and weaknesses of the rush gameplay, makes it all work perfectly. It certainly is far from the classics' gameplay, but it's point was never to be it.

Woah, long post there!

[GaryII]

I think they're more original and deep than the older ones. In fact, Sonic Unleashed was IMO, the best 3D Sonic game yet!

Edited May 5, 2010 by GaryII

[AlexM305]

Handheld Games:

-Sonic Pocket Adventure: Many people bash this game for being nothing more than a Sonic 2 rethread, and I'd be inclined to agree with that statement, but Sonic 2 was a fun game, and this is also a fun game, so I don't see the problem.

-Sonic Advance: This game tries it's best to emulate the classics' gameplay, and while it succeeds in many ways, the poor level design drags this game down and prevents it from being a masterpiece.

-Sonic Advance 2: This game is in many ways a prototype of what would eventually become the Rush gameplay, putting speed at the forefront over everything else, and the game works as long as you play with that mindset, but falls apart as soon as you attempt to do anything other than rush through the level. So if you are willing to put speed over everything else, it's a very good game, otherwise is rather poor.

-Sonic Advance 3: This game serves to highlight just how bad the Adv2 gameplay is when used for anything other than pure speed. The level design flip-flops constantly between pure speed and precision platforming, which makes playing with speed-based teams frustrating and power-based teams boring. In the end the best approach is to take a flight-based team and try to skip as much of the level as possible, which kinda ruins the purpose of having the level in the first place. As is, the game sits in an uncomfortable middle, not being a bad game by any means, but also not being a good one either.

-Sonic Rush: As said before, this is an evolution of the Adv2 gameplay, and as such is at it's best when is played with speed in mind. However, unlike Adv2, the game actively prevents the player from trying anything other than rushing through the stage by making everything require speed and by level design that punishes going through the stage slowly. In the end, the game is very good if you are willing to do exactly what the game wants you to do, otherwise it becomes an exercise in frustration that ultimately makes it a worse game than Adv2.

-Sonic Rush Adventure: This is the game that Adv3 wishes to be: a good mix between speed and platforming. The platforming never reaches the finesse of the classic games, nor the speed the thrill of Adv2/Rush, but the level design, which mixes both types of gameplay while having in mind both the strengths and weaknesses of the rush gameplay, makes it all work perfectly. It certainly is far from the classics' gameplay, but it's point was never to be it.

I agree with you on the handheld side of the newer games almost exactly! Except I really enjoyed Sonic Advance 2 A lot...Maybe because I was so speed oriented in sonic games.When I play bad games I always try to find something justifiable in the purchase I'm going to regret. I played ALL of the newer sonic games and I didn't Like any of the 3D ones and not because they were in 3D. (I like sonic in 3D but prefer 2D) Disappointing for a formerly first party developer now which is 3rd party putting out all of these glitchy games. I'll do the console games but I will also tell you the "redeeming factor" or what made the game bearable enough for me to enjoy it more than I should.

Sonic Adventure: My favorite of the sonic 3d games. It didn't age for me plays smoothly plays well. I had camera problems and usually reviewers bagged on the game for this for good reason but I was like 12 I didn't care then but now its a bit annoying. This game did not need any redeeming factor but after I play a shitty sonic game I wash off with this game.Good story good progression memorable game too! (although big was bad I loved his emerald coast theme I could fish to that!)

Sonic adventure 2: My second favorite for lots of reasons it was graphically enhanced from the first (I could care less for a games graphics though i'm a old school gameplay>gfx guy) The story was amazing and SA2's Shadow was the coolest most awesome character ever to be released in a modern sonic game. (Shadow is still dead to me! loljk) I enjoyed the shooting segments and the Eggman vs tails fight is one of the most epic battles in that game.The emerald hunting is a bit of a weak point but It was executed fairly. The bad points were the start of linear level design and speed oriented level design that was not as good as adventures open style but not as bad and criminal as unleashed. This game did not need any redeeming factor but it had HIGH replayability A.K.A DEM CHAO GARDENS.Also this game gets major props for having a really good if not the best Eggman in the series.

Sonic heroes: Its an okay game and although its not really good its tolerable.I really enjoyed the 2 player segments(not as good as sa2).The game looked finished but it was glitchy and slippery I like the speed of sonic though and I admired the strength they gave Amy as a speed character (kinda like Sadv2) Okay stage design but unnecessarily long. I loved the music but hated the themes sea gate and seaside hill is probably my favorite 3d sonic tune ever! I like the colors of this game but not the models and the story was meh. I hated playing the game four times and I hated the chaotix team missions. The redeeming factor of this game is the 2-player and music.

Shadow the Hedgehog I remember me and my lil' lil' bro was really excited to play this game and he got it for his birthday when It came out. He's still young but he believes this is his most regrettable purchase.The game was horrid and the ps2 version was a joke but luckily we got it for the GC. Weird looking models and ugly textures and some glitches but the game played okay the reason this game was trash was because of the story and missions. For the story the game looks like it was confusing itself with certain events overlapping each other and not making sense making up shadows past post sa2 was not a good idea.Mission wise the game didn't work with some enemies glitching out and not being able to complete them and the game was boring.Trash.A joke. Redeeming factors include the laughably stupid intro,playing westopolis over and over (good stage!),the highway stages with the Mercedes looking car and the motorcycle! WOO! Last but definitely not least FIND DA COMPUTER ROOM! This game was bad.

Sonic the hedgehog 06': This game here was bad.People said they liked it and I try to accept that I try to comprehend how can someone even say they liked it and why.This game made me question life and my morals and to try to beat this game is physical and mental pain. I never gotten so angry at a game. I played worse but this game didn't work half of the time and Fuck whoever said the glitches were avoidable I owned this game since 07' and

I still can't beat crisis city with out losing at least 2 lives. The story for sonic did not fit with his personality wasn't sonic so fast that after he saved someone he was ZOOM! Outta there! This dude here spent this whole game with the princess relaxing playing around in fields and comforting her wtf thats not sonic! That is a major problem with this game and thats not even half of it! The stages! Were okay nice open 3d adventure style and was nice until it hit me why the F$#% is he running so slow! Speed is not the biggest thing in a sonic game but sonic has the be somewhat fast thats what his superpower/gift/ability he has! The game was horrible physics too like famous jump dash that goes straight down after optimal distance standing on loops and walking downwards.Shadows gameplay is a little more tolerable because they cover the BS with vehicles but the vehicles handle like shit his story Is actually good and the only story I consider.Silver is horrible as a character the only significance he had to the story before meeting shadow was him being in the future and his encounter with ibilis rest of this game was the ibilis twigger! Maybe if he had a better English VA im not sure....Like heroes the stages were long and tedious now adding sections to the stages including the infamous speed up sections which were just horrible! The city of soleanna was a stupid idea and talking to people to progress is a chore not needed in a speed based platformer. The redeeming factor the blue sonic shoes which speed you up (forgot name) and the 2 player (it was trash but the best part).

Sonic unleashed Wii/Ps2: I didn't like this game but It was a breath fresh of from 06'. The game imo is not bad the werehog is okay i'm a beat em' up guy done played streets of rage all my life with my older cousin.The day stages were sonic rush in 3d it felt a little more open than its hi-def counterpart but ill get into that later.Story was well executed they found a nice way to give a good story to the werehog and it had nice music. The wii version felt like it had so much missing and inferior to the 360/ps3 version it was bothersome but it was a good game. A bit too linear though. Not much to say about it but I didn't think it was so good but far from bad.Redeeming factors: day stages.

Sonic unleashed 360/ps3: Same as above but one mistake that cost the game dearly.They made the boost function a essential part of the game because of that the whole game got trashy. You just hold Square or X and zoom you go you don't even really need to to turn you just need to jump or utilize some gimmick or dodge at a certain time but since you NEED to boost all the time the becomes F@#$ing impossible to the point if you want to get good scores or progress you HAVE to memorize the stage and this is an example of bad level design.Even when I got the hang of the game after windmill isle act 2 AKA the demo stage Stages were impossible until I died like twice figuring out the stages (chunan is a major offender) then I got all S's wtf. My friend who never played sonic 3d games after playing windmill isle dying and getting low scores got the stage down at 2:14 and my demo time is 2:10. I'm not saying just because he never played a sonic game he doesn't have the right to be good but just by memorizing he got amazing scores and times and thats all you need in this game. Not a good example of difficulty wii/ps2 version had this but not to this extent you have to actually locate secret shortcuts not just be boosting at a certain rail. You should see someone hands when they play this game, thumb over x slightly over a both indexes at the triggers holding up or forward (3d or 2d respectively) rarely moving unless they need to switch rails or jump.Watching the game is about 80% playing it the game is a roller coaster.I prefer the werehog with the flashy combos and GOW ripoff gameplay its still good because it copied a good game shamelessly. Redeeming factor: Werehog SHORYUKEN! TO PILEDRIVER!

Sonic and the Black Knight: 4 hour trash! WHY SEGA! One of the best looking wii games up there with MH3-tri and Mario Galaxy! Amazing sound track! Nice story book animations and vibe and you gonna put that stupid wag the wii-mote gimmick nothing is wrong with the game but the gameplay. Lets say the gameplay was average but because of the rest of the game being good the game would have been great! The rest of the game is that good. To win at black Knight:

1.Hold wii-mote firmly

2.Attach wrist strap

3.Attach nunchuk

4.hold forward

5.Shake both hands furiously

6.???

7.Profit

Redeeming factor: Wind crest,legacy stages.

I did not play sonic and the secret rings.Chronicles was gutter trash!(Dudley dissaproves) I made such an extensive post hoping someone shares my opinion or doesn't so we can discuss so I tried to make it specific.Sorry if I offended anyone Honest opinions here.I love the handhelds dearly and are the only games I consider good sonic games post SA2(lol at one dude saying Sadv2 is hold right go play the game and try that!).The classic era does have its bad games but most people have probably the same list and they were non cannon so thats why they were overlooked (sonic blast,sonic labyrinth,spinballl,drift). I love the Riders series but only with another player besides that they are trash.Also where are my manners Hi guys I'm new. I believe the console classic games were more memorable but sonic in modern as a character is more memorable.Maybe I'm with that crowd but I really do believe they were no good sonic console games after SA2 besides the handhelds.The rest were trash. IMO dimps on their handheld work saved sonic from hitting rock bottom and being dismissed by me.

P.S. I earlier said shadow was cool that was only in SA2 now he is my most hated character.

Edited May 5, 2010 by AlexM305

[Ebby]

The newer games have some good concepts, but they have poor execution.

Agreed. I'd never say that there hasn't been a good 3D Sonic game since SA2, because there has. I know it receives mixed reactions, but I thought Unleashed was a step in the right direction. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even werehog sections.

Now about the above statement, I think this is true especially with Sonic Heroes. Out of all of newer games, I think Heroes had the best ideas. The plot was different as opposed to "Eggman has bought to life some huge beast to do his bidding and make Eggmanland, but in the end it turns on him... let's bring out Super Sonic!" I liked the idea of Metal coming back and plotting his revenge, I never saw that one coming!

The three-character "soul train line", as my friend calls it, was a great idea. Three characters at one time with different abilities could have worked. But it feels as though it slowed the game down (as if the game wasn't slow enough). Also, they really could have different more levels. I'd much rather have each team do five levels than four version of the same 14 stages. As someone said, why would it make sense for Metal to make 4 of all of those bosses? o_O They can be similar levels like in SA2 (Green Forest and White Jungle, Hidden Base and Sand Ocean, etc) but not entirely the same.

I found all of the level designs wonderful and the special stages were well crafted (if a little wonky, but that's due to the game's bugginess). Fix the teamwork, that God awful script, the not so good music (I think it's got a really mediocre soundtrack for a Sonic game) and the glitches and we've got a good one!

[Chaosmaster8753]

I hated was Big's, but even though it was boring and pointless he had only about 3 stages and a boss that were all pretty easy once you understood how to use his rod, compared to 2's hunting levels which could take ages.

Pretty much why I don't hate Big's levels as much as other people. And he had 4 stages.

[Scarletdark]

I loved the adventure series (though not as much as the "classics" but very close). However, the after Heroes I didn't really like any of the other modern games (except for Unleashed which was pretty good). Sonic the hedgehog (2006) was quite a disappointment for me personally because I recall seeing the Epic trailer in E3 with the awesome music and I thought " wow this game is going to be GOOD" only to find out it sucked balls.

[HKº]

Although I'm classic fan, I think the Sonic came good in the 3D world with Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. The classical and Adventure series rulez! But, with Sonic Heroes, Sega has lost the line . Sonic Next-gen would be the game of the great return of Sonic, but the game was an epic fail.... so... Sonic 4... I hope to bring some hope to fans.

Edited May 8, 2010 by HKº

[AuroraRedwinters]

Overall I feel rather blah about them. Maybe it's the whole "nostalgia" aspect kicking in, but I don't find most of the newer games all that enjoyable to play. I liked Sonic Adventure 1 when it came out, and still enjoy playing it to this day. I felt Sonic Adventure 2 was a step back rather than a step forward. (though the Chao Garden in this was great) From Sonic Heroes onwards it's pretty much been a gigantic clusterfuck.

I *did* like Sonic Chronicles though. (annoying though it may be in gameplay, the characterization was pretty much spot on) Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure seemed pretty good as well. Everything else, eh..... (I am especially looking at YOU Sonic 06)

I was reading through some of the early Fleetway Sonic comics this weekend, and damn, I MISS Sonic's attitude and brightly colored, surreal style world. It'll be interesting to see what Sonic 4 does, though from what I've seen so far, the reviews are mixed for me.

[The Kid]

Yes, there have been some Sonic games in the last few years lacking quality, but overall I think there have been number of great Sonic games produced since Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) that have been well worth the money spent on them. Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic unleashed, Sonic Chronicles, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and even Sonic and the Black Knight were fun to play.

Haven't lost faith in the franchise for even a second.

[VexusVersion]

Thought I might as well put down my thoughts (cause I rarely do).

Sonic Adventure:

When I first got it I was ecstatic. Being one of the first games I played with full voice acting, I didn't find the voices that bad. Levels and story were imaginative and the soundtrack blew me away. Big and Amy were my only major gripes for being really slow, but the rest was a whole ton of fun.

Sonic Adventure 2:

One of my favourite Sonic games. I still think it has the best story in a platforming game I've played, filled with interesting back stories and character arcs. I only disliked Knuckles/Rouge's gameplay, but the rest was amazing. Multiplayer, Chao and kart racing kept me playing longer than I should have. Interesting use of music too, though I still don't know how Knuckles ended up with rap.

Sonic Heroes:

Decent visuals/level design, Solid gameplay, and a simpler story marred by annoying set-pieces, collision glitches that were more common than I would have liked, and a script that had decent voices saying bad lines. Playing through 4 times with slightly different setups does not really mean variety, and the Team mechanic could have used some work.

Shadow the Hedgehog:

Enjoyed this more than Heroes, but there seemed to be a lack of colour and it had a really silly plot/script. The ARK levels were the worst bits. The gun-play was actually pretty cool, the controls were solid, and I never once encountered a major error, meaning I was able to make more risky and awesome moves.

The Advance Series:

Loved them all. Adv3 > Adv1 > Adv2. Advance 1 could have passed as Sonic 4 if released on consoles and given a graphical uplift. Advance 3's level design and distilled team mechanic worked really well, me and my bro time-trialled on that game the most. Advance 2 was okay, but I wasn't gonna go through with that collect-a-thon for the final ending.

Sonic the Hedgehog ('06):

Played it through to the end. Silver and the Amigos were painful to play as, Shadow was the most fun though. There were errors all over the place, from collision bugs, lack of decent physics, and proposed features missing entirely (looking at you Gem level-ups and Silver's speed chip)... all that together is inexcusable, no matter how much potential it had. When small portions of gameplay and the soundtrack are the best points in a game, something is seriously wrong.

Sonic Chronicles:

Found it interesting at the time, but looking back it had a lot of flaws. Sonic game + one of the slowest RPG battle systems ever was really painful (especially at the end). Also, the sound quality was rubbish and the few good tracks it had were ruined. From what I've heard, the music was rushed... really rushed (I'll need to check this). The models also looked horrid. At least the script was fun to read.

Sonic Unleashed:

Another favourite in the series. The first 30 minutes of the game were difficult, what with being introduced to 4 very different styles of gameplay (time-trial speed platforming, exploration platforming, god-of-war lite, and QTE airplane fest). I would have cut the Tornado levels entirely. The characters were the most interesting since Adventure 2, the tone and visual design were almost perfect in my opinion, and the gameplay was actually really enjoyable. I enjoyed playing as the Werehog almost as much as Sonic, and I STILL haven't found all the optional stages or played any of the DLC yet. This game has loads of content and very little of it wasn't fun for me.

Sonic and the Black Knight:

Played it at SOS'09. Didn't like the controls or multiplayer at all. Watched an LP though, and overall it looks okay.

Edited May 10, 2010 by VexusVersion

[XavierRussell]

I haven't downright hated a Sonic game since Shuffle back in 2000. For me I can even pop in 06 from time to time. I can acknowledge the flaws in these games but none of them have been horrible to me and i feel like the Sonic franchise is doing just fine. Sonic games almost always offer a type of gameplay that no other franchise has.

[ImaFirinMaLaza]

I haven't downright hated a Sonic game since Shuffle back in 2000. For me I can even pop in 06 from time to time. I can acknowledge the flaws in these games but none of them have been horrible to me and i feel like the Sonic franchise is doing just fine. Sonic games almost always offer a type of gameplay that no other franchise has.

I feel very much the same. Seemingly a lot of the people on this forum (Yes, I am a newbie) hate or just don't like some sonic games. Although I'm not criticizing people for hating games, I just can't comprehend why people don't like STH06 or Shadow the hedgehog, because I loved both of them. Hell, Sonic Unleashed night levels were absolutely awesome IMO, kinda unlike a lot of the posts I've read.

This is the perspective of a young sonic player. Unfortunately, some people have stuck to classics, as many do. I have never criticized SEGA at all, because I believed that they were moving in the right direction. Not Any More. Too many people sticking to classics can cause a complete failure (and I know i will probably get hated for this) like Sonic 4. I know the game hasn't even come out, but straight away I know I will hate the 2d game-play. I absolutely hate the "Ol' School" stuff, because it's just moving back from what we could be doing, Improving what we already have, and not going back in time. This hype is gonna end up as a disappointment for some, but for many of the elder sonic players, it will end in well. But still, I practically hated sonic team and sega when I realized that sonic 4 was just "episode 1" of many. This sounds like a first for sega, a first collection of sonic "episodes" which should rather be called epic fail.

I respect any of the views of other people, but I do have my own. I grew up playing sonic 1, and when I realized the improvements that could possibly be made ( in Sonic 2), I anticipated every game to come, but never, until Sonic06 did I imagine it well.

Please don't hate on me for this, but obviously you can state your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing (probably the majority) with me.

[XeroZero000]

I don't really hate any sonic games. There are some that could have been better (like sonic 06) and there are some that I have no idea why people would hate (COME ON! Shadow's game was actually good! I hated the ARK levels though ) but people have different opinons and I respect that.

[psikeout]

I feel very much the same. Seemingly a lot of the people on this forum (Yes, I am a newbie) hate or just don't like some sonic games. Although I'm not criticizing people for hating games, I just can't comprehend why people don't like STH06 or Shadow the hedgehog, because I loved both of them. Hell, Sonic Unleashed night levels were absolutely awesome IMO, kinda unlike a lot of the posts I've read.

I don't play the new games just on the principle of the matter.

There are too many good games in the world, featuring all kinds of characters, from all kinds of publishers. Call it judging a book by its cover, but I spend my money and play the ones that don't make me scowl just from looking at the box.

That's right. I think Shadow the Hedgehog was a stupid game in concept, just because of the lead character and the trailers I saw of it, so I didn't play it. I thought 2k6 was stupid in concept (I don't like the idea of Silver, Mephiles, or Elise), so I didn't play it. And, lastly, I thought Unleashed's werehog was stupid, so, again, I didn't play it.

Some would say I've missed out, and I don't argue that there are certainly good elements of gameplay I've missed here and there, but I'm okay with that. I've spent that time and money playing other games—Good, fun games that have nothing I need to "get past" to enjoy them, whose concepts I like from the box onward.

Just the perspective of a hater, for the record. Like what you wanna like—If those concepts appeal to you, then hey, that's just your bag, and more power to you. Ain't mine, though, so I try to play things that appeal to me personally.

[mulletboyjay]

I have loved every Sonic game, even if I get frustrated with them for a while, I'll always go back and play it some more.

The only recent Sonic games I haven't played are Riders, 06 and the PSP ones.

I intend to buy Sonic 06 to play this summer - I liked Shadow and Heroes so this can't be that bad either

The DS games have probably been the best in the most recent years - Rush for their mix of new and oldschool and Chronicles because it was so different.

[Ebby]

Sonic Unleashed:

Another favourite in the series. The first 30 minutes of the game were difficult, what with being introduced to 4 very different styles of gameplay (time-trial speed platforming, exploration platforming, god-of-war lite, and QTE airplane fest). I would have cut the Tornado levels entirely.

Am I the only one who liked the QTE's?! I found them fun! I felt like they helped to keep up with the fast pace of the game.

Edited May 24, 2010 by eboni

[Cobalt_Bolt]

I might as well put my thoughts down on the newer Sonic games so please don't try to shoot me down.

Sonic Adventure DX: Had decent graphics for its time and solid gameplay to boot. The levels and music fit well together plus there were multiple routes through the levels. The fly's in the ointment are the bothersome camera and Big's levels due to the extremely slow gameplay.

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle: Balanced story with upbeat and serious tones working well. The gameplay is solid but with some annoyances (i.e. air necklace for the last level.) The camera problem is still persistent but tolerable.

Sonic Heroes: The story was a little too campy for my tastes with some of the dialogue that I won't mention since it's been discussed already. The controls were okay but annoying when trying to do a light dash but end up spinning or going over the edge. Camera was tolerable.

Shadow the Hedgehog: Bad overall and has been reviewed enough. 'Nuff said.

Sonic Riders: Story was a little unusual but entertaining to say the least. Controls were tricky to master at first but second nature when mastered. The levels had some muddy textures that made it hard to tell where the next turn was (i.e. Babylon Garden.) Decent overall.

Sonic Advance 2: Frustrating when emerald hunting. Nasty in areas.

Sonic Rush: A near perfect game where everything just came together in a nice package.

Sonic Rush Adventure: Minor annoyances such as the emerald races and submarine sections but fun overall.

Sonic Chronicles: Interesting diversion from the usual formula in gameplay. Had good character development but was marred by the slow plot and battle system.

Edited June 12, 2010 by Cobalt_Bolt

[XavierRussell]

I feel very much the same. Seemingly a lot of the people on this forum (Yes, I am a newbie) hate or just don't like some sonic games. Although I'm not criticizing people for hating games, I just can't comprehend why people don't like STH06 or Shadow the hedgehog, because I loved both of them. Hell, Sonic Unleashed night levels were absolutely awesome IMO, kinda unlike a lot of the posts I've read.

This is the perspective of a young sonic player. Unfortunately, some people have stuck to classics, as many do. I have never criticized SEGA at all, because I believed that they were moving in the right direction. Not Any More. Too many people sticking to classics can cause a complete failure (and I know i will probably get hated for this) like Sonic 4. I know the game hasn't even come out, but straight away I know I will hate the 2d game-play. I absolutely hate the "Ol' School" stuff, because it's just moving back from what we could be doing, Improving what we already have, and not going back in time. This hype is gonna end up as a disappointment for some, but for many of the elder sonic players, it will end in well. But still, I practically hated sonic team and sega when I realized that sonic 4 was just "episode 1" of many. This sounds like a first for sega, a first collection of sonic "episodes" which should rather be called epic fail.

I respect any of the views of other people, but I do have my own. I grew up playing sonic 1, and when I realized the improvements that could possibly be made ( in Sonic 2), I anticipated every game to come, but never, until Sonic06 did I imagine it well.

Please don't hate on me for this, but obviously you can state your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing (probably the majority) with me.

Well i don't really have a fault with the fans that claim the classics are their favorites, personally. They were great games with great moments. I just don't like the fans that dismiss things without even trying them, and then continue to call themselves fans when all they do is complain the new games aren't like the classics. If you didn't play a Sonic game then don't comment on it is what I say. In my eyes a true Sonic fan will always give the blue dude a shot, because of all the good times he's brought you before. I say give Sonic 4 a shot and if you don't like it then fine, but don't count it out already, that's a major problem with this fanbase...

Also, Sonic 4 is not the first game to be episodic. Sonic 3 technically was episodes 1 and 2.

Lastly, the "ol' school stuff" isn't holding us back at all. Would you say Sonic Rush plays the same as Sonic 2? No, that's silly. Something can still have an old school feel and bring new things to the table. Sonic 4 is doing things the classics didn't.

[Aquaslash]

I like how there's 4 pages of replies and all of 4 people have played the Rivals games :|

Before ASR, I thought Rivals 2 was the best game since SA2. In fact, I still do, ASR is a spinoff.

Now I'm gonna be a queer and put my games in tier lists:

I guess...all the modern games?

GOD TIER - These are the games that I think are the best of the best of the best. In no real order

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle - SA2 was already good, but then this went and fixed every gripe I had with the vs characters, and had one of the best 2P modes that's been in a Sonic game. I played this game for YEARS. I loved just about everything about it. The graphics were frankly the best of the GC Sonics, the gameplay was ace for all characters, and the storyline was decent until the last episode.

To this day I have ONE big gripe with the game, and it's that Super Sonic and Super Shadow weren't level playable. But hey, we just got Super Sonic in SA:DX. Maybe someone will figure out this game too.

Sonic Rivals 2 - I loved the mess out of Sonic Rivals, and this game improved on it in almost every single way. It quite frankly had the best level design since Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Yes I said it! The levels were that good. I think it's biggest weakness is how cheap the AI can be some times. I enjoyed the challenge, but most people don't. It also gets props for having the best voice acting of the 4kids games at that point.

The biggest grip I have with it is that they nerfed the hell out of the lightning powerup, and Knuckle Slam is HARDGAY. Hammer Punch was so much better. Also fuck Tails.

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing - I gotta say, I paid VERY little attention to this game when it was announced. In fact, I think it was almost a year in advance, and it was too far away for me to care. I didn't think it'd be much, and then I played the demo. Holy CRAP I was hooked. I think it came out of left field with that quality and fun. I played the demo by myself for about an hour, then with my nephew for more hours! Then the game came out and I played it to death. I basically 100%ed it TWICE due to a glitch, and enjoyed it the whole time.

Oh, and "Emerald Knuckles" is the best Super State EVER! Screw Super Knuckles, I want THIS in the games ASAP!

My one gripe with it is that they STOPPED MAKING DLC! I wanted Blaze Fielding from Streets of Rage dammit! Also Silver, since I main him in every part game. Oh well, at least there's Knuckles and Metal Sonic. Also fuck Tails.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - It has an in level Super Sonic. This is automatic God Tier, minecarts be damned.

Sonic Riders - same case as Sonic 4, though I genuinely enjoyed this game.

HIGH TIER - These games are pretty good, but have some real issues before they can be the best

Sonic Advance - Quite frankly, the only reason it isn't god tier is because the Special Stage system SUCKED and Super Sonic wasn't level playable. Aside from that, it's practically a modern classic. Oh, and Tails doesn't suck. For once.

Sonic Adventure - Maybe it's because it was my first 3D game ever, but I thought Sonic Adventure was AWESOME. I was engrossed in this game when I got it in 2000. (lol late) However, it has one big big Big flaw. Nuff said. Also this has been Tails's best game since...ever. Hands down. Though I might bump it up a tier just cause of that hack...

Sonic Rush - TBH, I though the gameplay was rather meh, and Blaze was overrated as hell. I've grown to like her though. The only reason this game is her is because of the soundtrack. It was like the game was having sex with my ears the whole time. Also fuck boost.

Sonic Shuffle - It would be god tier, but Super Sonic was nerfed, which defeats the point. I played the hell out of this with the fam though.

Sonic Heroes - This almost got mid tier, but Super Knuckles was AWESOME, and it's got the best voice acting from the pre 4kids crew. Knuckles, Shadow, and Rouge were at their absolute best, and though Sonic had a yelling problem, he had some really good lines. Also fuck flight formation.

Sonic Rivals - I found it a lot more fun than Rush, probably because there was no lol boost. Though Rivals 2 bests it in almost every way.

MID TIER - These games aren't really bad, but there are better offers.

Sonic Advance 2 - the level design is generally ass, but I still played the hell out of this, and had a good time. Needs more Super Sonic in levels though, I think I'd have really loved it here. As it stands, the special stage system is more bullshit than Advance 1's. Also fuck Sky Canyon, and that god damn Egg Saucer. ARGH

Sonic Rush Adventure - Well the level design isn't really any better, and they added really crappy gimmicks. Jet Ski racing sucks. Deep Core was an awesome track though, and DAT ALLEGRO

Sonic Battle - I didn't like it too much when I first got it, then I picked it up years later and loved it. About all I can say on that. I need to draw Sonia, Silver, and Metal Sonic in this style some time.

Sonic Unleashed (360) - Werehog was a really really REALLY bad idea, but it's also the best part of the game hands down. Daytime Sonic was way too trial and error based, and the controls could have been tighter. Also fuck boost. No really, that's a Super Sonic only mechanic. I WANT MY SPIN DASH! Also holy grap, the graphics! Can I have Shadow rendered with this? Pleeeeeeease?

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games - Well it's just a mini game collection, but it's ok. Bonus points for Silver, and the modern Metal Sonic model.

LOW TIER - These games are kinda bad, but there's some redeeming things about them.

Sonic Riders Zero Gravity - Way to take everything good out of the first game. Turbulence > Gravity. Not even the awesome Silver can make up for the poor new system, and completely nerfed Super Sonic. What happened to having all three formations? And fuck that 60 ring boost dash! UGH

Sonic Advance 3 - This co op gimmick would have been something if the levels weren't so confusing. Also an even MORE bullshit Special Stage system than the first two!

Shadow the Hedgehog - Only reason this isn't lower is that it's become so bad it's hilarious. Chaos Blast ROCKS. But seriously, who asked for guns? Also fuck 4kids

SHIT TIER - These games just plain suck.

Sonic the Hedgehog - I wanted to like this game, I really did. There's much potential for awesome. Shadow's gameplay is the best it's been conceptually. Plus this game introduced the character that would become my second favorite series character. I wanted to put it in low tier, but there's one fundamental flaw I can't forgive:

Spin Attack doesn't damage enemies. Let me repeat that:

THE STANDARD SPINNING JUMP ATTACK THAT HAS BEEN KILLING BADDIES SINCE 1991 DOESN'T WORK IN THIS GAME.

And to add insult to injury, they had a level playable Super Sonic in the works, and instead of finishing it, they took it out.

Sonic Team, if you're reading this, I'm STILL waiting for my patch :|

Sonic Genesis - nuff said

Sonic and the Secret Rings - I think I got to the third stage of this game, and then took it back in disgust and got the second Olympics game. GREAT decision. I have to unlock good controls? Yeah no thanks.

If I missed something, chances are I haven't played it yet. I saw a stream of Black Knight, and it didn't motivate me to get the game. At all.

That concludes this tl;dr post.

[XavierRussell]

Sonic Unleashed (360) - Werehog was a really really REALLY bad idea, but it's also the best part of the game hands down. Daytime Sonic was way too trial and error based, and the controls could have been tighter. Also fuck boost. No really, that's a Super Sonic only mechanic. I WANT MY SPIN DASH! Also holy grap, the graphics! Can I have Shadow rendered with this? Pleeeeeeease?

With boost though, isn't the spindash an obsolete maneuver?

[Sega DogTagz]

With boost though, isn't the spindash an obsolete maneuver?

That’s half of the point. The boost replaced a long held staple, and people will accordingly take offence to it. On that note, in the very least, the Wiileashed version threw the crowd a bone and at least shoe-horned in a spindash animation.

While I am here, I’ll wag my finger at Aquaslash for putting the original Rush below the god tier. The music in that game was so perfect that I found myself in love with it. A huge accomplishment considering that I am not a “music” person.

Oh, and the game was pretty phenomenal too.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Gallia

[XavierRussell]

Well this is just a case of people not liking change right? If Sonic didn't boost in Unleashed and had the dash instead he would have to stop and charge. Maybe they could compromise by having the boost come with a rolling animation. Like, when you hit the boost button, Sonic rolls to go faster...but then I guess you'd just be playing as a speeding blue ball >.> IDK, personally I don't think the spindash would've fit in the games it's omitted from. What that's only like 3 or 4 games right? You can still Spindash in Rush IIRC.

[Sega DogTagz]

Well this is just a case of people not liking change right? If Sonic didn't boost in Unleashed and had the dash instead he would have to stop and charge. Maybe they could compromise by having the boost come with a rolling animation. Like, when you hit the boost button, Sonic rolls to go faster...but then I guess you'd just be playing as a speeding blue ball >.> IDK, personally I don't think the spindash would've fit in the games it's omitted from. What that's only like 3 or 4 games right? You can still Spindash in Rush IIRC.

That would be the other half of the point. Stocking games like Rush and Unleashed with the boost function essentially eliminates the satisfaction of “earning” your top speed, which apparently cheapens the experience in comparison to the classics which were momentum based and had you stop and pop to execute a spindash.

I would think that a happy medium would be a return to the way it was utilized in Sonic Adventure 2. Certainly not necessary, but nothing was faster when your headed downhill. Poetry Physics in motion.

For the record, I happen to love the boost mechanic. Especially in the Rush series.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Gallia

[DMNBT]

So Aquaslash's post reminded me that I didn't discuss the Rivals games, so I will do so now!

-Sonic Rivals: First of all, if you try to approach this game as a standard 2D Sonic game, you will utterly hate this game. That said, it's a very good game for what it is, with very good levels given the restrictions needed to make the game work (ie: mostly linear levels). In fact, Sky Park is one of my top 10 Sonic 2D levels.

-Sonic Rivals 2: This game fails the same way that Adv3 fails: level design that doesn't mix well with the main gamepĺay. With the addition of the Freeplay/Chao-finding mode, the stages became more exploration focused/less linear, which I felt hurt the racing gameplay somewhat, with Chaotic Inferno being the most fun stage due to it being the most linear. Also fuck whoever thought of the second acts battles.