Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is, quite simply, the greatest Sonic game ever produced. Regardless of whether that statement still holds any relevance today, this game is a triumphant victory for Sonic Team and for the blue hedgehog himself. Stand proud Sonic, you deserve it.

Bottom line: If you are or have ever been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog during the series' two-decade history, then this is your game.

Quotation forthcoming.

The excellent game Sonic has deserved for years, that although doesn't evolve the gameplay formula, adaptates it better than ever to the 3D, although with some flaws. A game that will make fans smile.

It feels refreshing to be able to say that Sonic is good again. His upward trajectory over the last year continues and he's only gaining momentum. Sonic Generations is largely a game for the most hardcore of Sonic fans, but for the millions who have fond memories of narrowly dodging spikes, grinding on rails, or even that time he was a pinball, Sonic Generations is a game made for you.

A great tribute to the classic series which also delivers the best modern take on Sonic to date. [Christmas 2011, p.64]

Sonic is back again with a successful combination of classic and modern gameplay. One of the best Sonic games in the last few years.

The speed is intense, the color and detail is really great, the level designs throughout are impressive, and the control is about as good as we've seen from Sonic.

With tons of unlockable content, you'll most likely play each stage several times.

A cool twist is that you have to play every level twice, once in 3D and once in 2D. There is a strong feeling of recognition here that will make fans of the Mega Drive-games feel really nostalgic. Dashing through the good old Green Hill Zones for example is a delight. [December 2011, p.78]

Sonic Generations is a great game for fans of the series as well as anyone looking to play Sonic for the very first time. With plenty of unlockables and challenges to beat, this is the surefire Sonic game to get so far.

Camera issues and the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay won't appeal to everyone, plus the release price doesn't quite fit with the length of the game, but fans will be more than pleased with what's been accomplished here as it's almost entirely for the good of the franchise.

Sonic Generations brings the best of twenty years Sonic together in one game. The result is a very solid platform experience with eye-popping graphics and fluid gameplay.

Sonic Generations proves that two Sonics are way better than one.

A combination of the best of Sonic, Sonic Generations reinvents, while staying true to the myth, and serves the fan well, whatever its generation is. It's an anthology of the musics, the pictures, the bosses, characters and levels we loved the most during those past 20 years of Sonic games, and one that, while not perfect (some gameplay imprecisions do subsist), remains a must-have for the Sonic lovers.

A game that captures all of the high points of the long-running series, and only one or two of the lows.

Sonic celebrates its 20th birthday with what can easily be the best game in the franchise in many years.

It could do with a few more levels, a bonus stage, more bosses, slightly tighter controls and a load more playtesting.

It's the same recipe as in its predecessors: speed, Sonic and style. Although the handling is not exactly great, there's lot to find in Sonic Generations. Variety, challenges and a nice skill system do Sonic justice.

Generations always draws you back with its level design and compulsive simplicity.

As positively nostalgic as all of this is, it's not surprising to find that Sonic Generations' emulation of past greats extends to its duration. Despite the fact that there are nine main stages per Sonic, seven bosses and ten side-missions per Zone, it will take an experienced fan just a few hours to blast through to the main ending.

3D Sonic has improved upon past controls with the use of a homing attack that lets him target enemies, as well as the launch pads that allow for more fluid gameplay. [Dec 2011, p.81]

This is a great way to celebrate the twentieth birthday of a videogame icon. 2D Sonic still stands for a superb platforming experience, while 3D Sonic shows us yet again why this series has gone downhill.

With Sonic Generations, SEGA delivers a decent game. The campaign is very short but well worth your time if you are a Sonic fan. With a little more tweaking, the series will be lifted to new heights.

There's a great deal of game here, which speaks to just how smart Sega is in iterating on a small collection of stages, rather than going the usual route of wasting valuable HD assets on a series of sprawling (and typically unplayable) levels for Sonic to get lost in.

Perhaps one of the best things we can say about Sonic Generations is that it feels complete, and that it looks absolutely stunning. 20 years offers a lot of time to draw inspiration from, and Team Sonic's determination to show off everything that Sonic has accomplished is to be applauded. As an homage it's without peer. As a game in its own right it's flawed, but it'll leave you with more smiles than frowns. [Dec 2011, p70]

It can't sustain itself for more than an hour or so. [Issue#212, p.92]

Though this isn't quite it, Sonic Generations provides indisputable evidence that Sega is in fact capable of making the Sonic the Hedgehog title we've all been waiting for.

An excellent representation of the best the series has to offer and is sure to make Sonic Fans drool from nostalgia. Sadly, lack of innovation, stagnant problems in the gameplay and quality-inconsistent stages, hinder it from reaching new heights.

Quotation forthcoming.

Sonic Generations still doesn't do much to dissuade us that the hedgehog's best days are distant memories, but at least it is a worthy tribute to them, capturing the subtler elements of the original Hedgehog's enduring appeal although still falling foul of some of his weaknesses.

The dichotomy of play styles breathes new life into favourite stages as they're re-envisioned and redesigned for Sonics they were never originally intended for, while some genuinely imaginative and exciting level design recaptures that core thrill – of rolling a hedgehog around a colourful fantasy world – that endeared so many to Sonic two decades ago.

A mix of the great, good and plain bad, Generations is still giddy, fun and compelling. Pricey at 35 pounds, though. [Christmas 2011, p.107]

The last half of the game serves only to remind you of how far the series has fallen from its original form. I felt smothered by Sonic Team's insistence on shoehorning recent Sonic games, no matter how awful, into the 20-year timeline.

Sonic Generations marks the 20th birthday of Segas beloved mascot, and it also shows us why he deserves to be celebrated. Even though the 3D platforming part of the game carries with it most of the problems from other later installments in the franchise, the 2D levels stand up as one of the best Sonic experiences in many years. It's a two sided experience, but definitely worth a closer look.

The 2D platforming sections are worthy of praise and show that, when Sonic Team are on their game, they can really get it right. The issue is that when they fail it seems to be pretty spectacularly bad. The balance of good and bad levels is pretty even, throwing you back and forth between loving and hating the game.