So is it fair to say that the franchise is out of its rut?

[The Man On The Inside]

...which was well over two years ago.

Since then, we've had much higher metacritic averages, and Colours' reviews on both IGN and Gamespot are very encouraging.

But when, oh when, oh when will the rest of the world see that 2005-2009 were the bad years (with a few glimmers here and there e.g. SU daytime, the handheld games), and it's now 2011?

People keep praying for "the return to form", but we've already had it.....

...haven't we?

All across the internet, I still see a lot of hate, I still see the sonic cycle, and I still see those troll articles on Kotaku and Gamesradar. This hate is not just for the games, but for the fans as well.

Is it any wonder though? After a 5-year period of terrible review scores and some really f**king stupid stuff(the werehog is wholly indefensible as a concept, right the way through to its execution, and you know it is), along with quite a bit of truly laughable behaviour from some fans (see: TSSZnews.com's comment boxes after the unleashed reviews hit; Gamespot forums in november 2006, etc.)

All this hate will end one day. I wholeheartedly believe that. But the question I put to you is this:

What would it take for the hate to end? Does Generations just need to be good, or amazing? Would one game be enough?

Would we need a few years in which we see several good games in a row? And if so, wasn't Sonic Colours the first?

[LimeTH]

Generations being good would help, but one or two good games isn't gonna change much. Sonic needs many cosistently good games in a row in order to truly get out of his rut. Will it stop the hate? Hopefully. You never know.

Edited June 25, 2011 by LimeTH

[Blacklightning]

To me, Sonic would be a lot better off if they stopped trying to cater to multiple audiences at a time. For fuck's sake, just pick a path, stick with it and keep improving it as you go. There really isn't any need to split the entire game in half to throw in a seperate playstyle that only superficially, if at all, resembles anything anyone would expect or even care about in a Sonic game. And even if you're just to leave it at Unleashed daytime alone, it's still so constantly in doubt as to whether it wants to be a 2D or 3D game that it decides it has to keep switching between them and not doing particularly well at either of them most of the time. If there's anything wrong with the Sonic series right now, anything at all, it's still a lack of consistency in gameplay, coupled with the fact that they just can't seem to get Sonic to work anymore without automating large parts of the game at a time.

I'm certaintly okay with what we have right now, but there's definently plenty of room for improvement, and improve, they very well should.

[Nepenthe]

*reads Werehog comment*

And you wonder why there's all of this overblown negativity against the Sonic franchise with comments like that? Really?

Anyway, waiting for some classic-level return to form is nothing but an unrealistic fancy, partly because I believe Sonic's popularity back in the day was aided by being in the right place at the right time. I can't imagine what in the world it would take for the hardcore gaming culture not to treat the series with the out-and-out disrespect it gets on a daily basis sans a game that would make Miyamoto retire, and even then someone would make some overblown case about why the Spindash not being a 1:1 translation of the S2 version is not a valid decision but some desecration of golden classic ideals.

I don't expect this attitude to go away anytime soon, if ever. Sonic is not getting his undying devotion from the public back, but I'm fine with that. What I do expect is for Sega to continue this commendable streak of improvement while proudly saying "haters gonna hate," because really, that's always going to be.

[HyperGogeta]

If Generations is good I'm pretty sure the constant bringing back of bad news of games that happened ALLONG time ago will stop.

But there will always be haters!

[azoo]

Unleashed had Sonic crawling out of the hole slowly, Sonic 4: Episode 1 had him falling back in a few feet before quickly catching himself, Colors had him staggering out, and Generations is proving to show he's obtained his ground and is making a brisk stride out, and with utmost pride. If he keeps moving in that direction he's going right now, while expanding and improving with every turn, Sonic has a chance at being a well-loved gaming icon again.

Too bad the press will never let it die.

[Diogenes]

It's certainly not as bad as it was, but it's still far below what it was before that. Considering Sonic's well-earned reputation (both of them, negative and positive), I doubt he's going to shake it off until they do something that's really, truly spectacular, rather than just good.

After a 5-year period of terrible review scores and some really f**king stupid stuff(the werehog is wholly indefensible as a concept, right the way through to its execution, and you know it is)

Y'know of all the terrible things the series has done, the werehog is by far the least terrible. And no matter how many alarm bells the first werehog sighting set off (and there were many, from myself included, and they were fully justified considering what we've been through), if the whole "Sonic turns into a werewolf" concept had been handled by people with half a clue what to do with it, by people who actually wanted to make it fit the series rather than doing it as a deranged fan-baiting experiment or to serve as half a game's worth of padding, there would have been absolutely no problem with it. The more hate I see piled onto the werehog, the more I come to believe the fans have been burned so much that they're terrified of this series trying anything the least bit creative. And that's sad.

[Old dead account]

OMFG GOD SEGA!!!!!!!! WANNA GET OUT OF THE RUT THEN JUST MAKE SONIC ADVENTURE 3!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WOULD BE SO GODLY SO STOP CATERING TO THE RETROFAGS AND MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

/trollface

[sonfan1984]

What I'm annoyed about is websites like Kotaku are still bashing on Sonic's friends and blaming them saying that Sonic's friends is one of the reasons for Sonic's downfall. Because of critics like that, a lot of Sonic friends hasn't been playable characters or had an important role in a main Sonic game since Sonic 06.

The critics finally got what they wanted. They finally got their Sonic only games for 4 years now and the only time we get to play as Sonic friends are in the spin offs or multiplayer games. But I guess that's not good enough cause they still feel the need to bash on Sonic's friends every chance they get which pisses me off. That's why I'm glad that Sega is finally bringing them back in Generations as a huge middle finger since the critics can't shut up about Sonic friends so I guess they want them back in the games.

Edited June 25, 2011 by sonfan1984

[Indigo Rush]

Just stick with 3 kinds of games. The Classic throwbacks, the handheld Rush games, and the 3D/2D major console games. Maybe a spinoff here and there. That's really all they need to stay on top.

[ChikaBoing]

Just stick with 3 kinds of games. The Classic throwbacks, the handheld Rush games, and the 3D/2D major console games. Maybe a spinoff here and there. That's really all they need to stay on top.

No the Handheld Rush got tiring years ago, unless DIMPS get their stuff togheter to make Level Designs that are worth playing. Classic Throwbacks I'm good with, as long there is orginality(new badniks!). 2D/3D I'm also fine with, if they innovate with it and add things to it.

Also I want SEGA to come out say that the Adventure games weren't that swell, and reusage of elements of said games were the reasonings of the Series downfall. I'm tired of othem being held as a pedestal of games that are so much better than recent games, it's simply not true.

Edited June 25, 2011 by ChikaBoing

[Dr. Mechano]

I thought Colors was a genuinely fresh game- I loved its story and characterization, and found it to be a lovely return to the good ol' days. Eggman's trying to rule the world in a comically theatrical fashion, and Sonic goes on an adventure to stop him. There's a certain beauty in that simplicity, and I really like it.

Generations is looking good, especially with the presence of classic Eggman. I'm cautiously optimistic that Sonic is finally trudging out of its low point and getting back on its feet.

[batson]

The days when the majority of the main Sonic games were bad is certainly over. For the past few years, most games instead seem to range between mediocre to downright good.

As for when the gaming press stop treating Sonic like a joke though, i honestly think we could be looking at another half a decade or so (at least) before that happens (asuming of course that Sonic keeps starring in good games). The "Sonic sucks nowadays" opinion is one of those notions that have pretty much become "fact" in the eyes of the gaming community (kinda like "E.T is the worst video game ever" or "either Mario 64 or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best video game ever"), one of those things that every gamer and their hamster "knows". So yeah, that's a stain that's gonna take some time to remove.

[T-Min]

OMFG GOD SEGA!!!!!!!! WANNA GET OUT OF THE RUT THEN JUST MAKE SONIC ADVENTURE 3!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WOULD BE SO GODLY SO STOP CATERING TO THE RETROFAGS AND MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

/trollface

[ChikaBoing]

If it weren't for 06, the Franchise would be looked down upon "as that Series that keeps out shoveling tons mediocore games for no reason,that are always below the good old days" rather than a downright bad one.

[Speederino]

Pretty much, I'd say the series is back on track. That doesn't mean there wont be any more bad games, but we're done with werehogs, swords, and games as terrible as Sonic 2006. Sonic Team seems to have completely reformed itself.

[Diogenes]

If it weren't for 06, the Franchise would be looked down upon "as that Series that keeps out shoveling tons mediocore games for no reason,that are always below the good old days" rather than a downright bad one.

[Gaming Misfit]

Yes, I think Sonic is on recovery. Colors is what truly convinced me of that, plus most of the bad games out there, or at least the one not adored are spin-offs now, so that's great news. Especially since fewer people buy spin offs. I will admit I was dissapointed with Sonic 4 though. The physics were worse than Rogue the bat's boobs.

[Tatsumaki]

Generations is merely a gate or portal of opportunity. If SEGA keeps developing awesome games, then perhaps in his 25th anniversary, people will respect him again.

Maybe.

It can take even more time, for all I know.

[TwoTailedFox]

I wouldn't really say Sonic's out of the rut just yet. We're going to have to wait and see how good Generations is. Just because Colors, S&SASR, and partially Sonic 4 & Unleashed got good reviews doesn't quite mean Sonic is doing awesome. He's on his way there, but he's not there yet.

[Yong]

I say Sonic has dug himself far too deep to ever get back out. There's always going to be more people who aren't willing to try the next Sonic game that is remotely "good" than those that will, and will go on with the assumption that all Sonic games suck like its fact. Given that only games with guns are the only contenders for game of the year these days on non-Nintendo consoles (on Nintendo consoles it's whatever Mario game that came out that year, this is unquestionable) Sonic will pretty much not be seeing any sort of comeback until platformers come back into style.

[Skull Leader]

What I'm annoyed about is websites like Kotaku are still bashing on Sonic's friends and blaming them saying that Sonic's friends is one of the reasons for Sonic's downfall. Because of critics like that, a lot of Sonic friends hasn't been playable characters or had an important role in a main Sonic game since Sonic 06.

The fact that they blame it on the characters and not on the execution of non-sonic rerlated gameplay (fishing, treasure hunting, mecha shooting, sword swinging, etc) just says how intelligent those folks really are. Personally in the 2-D games I never seen them as somethign bad since usually they expand, improve (Tails and Knuckles) and even innovate (Amy) with skills and moves that give the games much more life and replay value.

[ChikaBoing]

Personally in the 2-D games I never seen them as somethign bad since usually they expand, improve (Tails and Knuckles) and even innovate (Amy) with skills and moves that give the games much more life and replay value.

Yes we know. You like Amy.(and multiple characters)

Sorry, just saying, it's hard to remember a post were you didn't mention this.

[Skull Leader]

Yes we know. You like Amy.(and multiple characters)

Sorry, just saying, it's hard to remember a post were you didn't mention this.

[Wilderness]

I don't think they were ever in THAT much of a rut. I enjoyed the majority of the games, including '06 and Unleashed. Heroes was pretty fun too. In fact, the only ones I didn't replay were the spin-offs like the Olypmic series, as well as Superstars series.