Tag: Sonic Frontiers

Top 10 Favorite Sonic The Hedgehog Games (updated w/Sonic Racing CrossWorlds)

AdamLeave a comment

Sonic the Hedgehog is now 34 years old! 34 years and counting of some of the very best and very worst that gaming has head to offer! In case you haven’t figured that out with the multiple Sonic pieces that I’ve written on this blog, I’ve always been a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog since I was a kid. Sonic as a character is someone that always has appeal to me with his cockiness, incredible sense of speed, but also having a big heart for himself and those he cares about. He’s always been so appealing to me that I’ve been following this roller coaster of a franchise for over two full decades now.

To celebrate the release of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, I’ve decided to do a ranking of my top 10 personal favorite Sonic games to date! Not necessarily what I think its the best from an objective standpoint but the Sonic games that I’ve had the most fond memories of and still do to this very day.

First, here’s a couple of games that BARELY made it off this list:

  • The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Never in a million years would I think that a visual novel game where you just point and click at things made by the social media group from SEGA would end up being quite good but here you go! This is a game that came out on April 1st, 2023 on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!

  • Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

This is an example of a kart racing sequel that is better than the original in just about every way. With even smoother controls, more creative racetracks, a more expanded roster of characters, and offering a better sense of challenge than before, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the few out there that would give Mario Kart a run for it’s money. It’s only off of the list because of some difficulty spikes with specific challenges, a couple of aggravating glitches I tend to run into, and there is one Sonic kart racer that was able to do what this game did just a little bit better. If you love Sonic and racing games, then this is definitely a must-play!

And also in case you are wondering, SONIC IS DRIVING A CAR TO MAKE IT FAIR TO THE OTHER RACERS!

THAT IS ALL!

  • Sonic The Hedgehog 2

A sequel that takes everything that works about the original and expands upon it in every single way. As a result, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 manages to be not just as good as the original but even better. Better controls, level designs, graphics, backgrounds, environments, and especially music! With an even greater sense of speed, more memorable level designs, and the introduction of the cutesy fox known as Tails, this is no doubt a great sequel. The only thing that keeps this one from being on this list is the very final boss. To this day, I still find it incredibly cheap, hard as ball and makes the ending of the game incredibly frustrating every time I replay it. Still a classic without a doubt but the fact the game always ends on a rather sour note prevents it from finding a spot on the list!

Now, here we go to the main top 10! Once again, these are ranked based on being my personal favorites, NOT of objective quality!

10.) Sonic Frontiers

That’s right! I actually found a spot for this one! This might be guilty of many of the same flaws that have plagued prior 3D Sonic games but unlike with most recent entries in the series, there is actually plenty of charm hidden within that makes the experience super enjoyable! The overall core formula and open zones work well here and does help set a promising template for future Sonic games. It’s also nice to see more care put into the story and characterization than it has been for quite some time. And Super Sonic has been more badass than he is here! This is a game that has grown on me since it came out and I’ve come to find more things to love and appreciate about it as time goes by. Yes, the pinball level sucks, some of the grinding sucks, and the “true” final boss sucks (The ONE thing that The Final Horizon DLC improved on!), but none of those were enough to ruin the many hours I’ve spend on this game! Sonic Frontiers is about as imperfect as you can expect a Sonic game to be but for the first time in a long while, it did leave me with an actual feeling of optimism for Sonic moving forward. If you ask me, that is more than enough to justify this being at #10!

9.) Sonic Advance/Sonic Advance 3

These two are basically neck-and-neck for my favorite of the Advance games. While the console games have been inconsistent in terms of quality, the handheld entries have had quite a few gems that don’t get the recognition they deserve when they came out in the 2000s. These two games are good examples of the perfect formula for Sonic in 2D form. Expanding upon the classic games in respectful ways, adding characters/elements to the gameplay along with a sense of speed and platforming that help make the experience more enjoyable rather than hinder it, and just working as their own unique Sonic games, the Sonic Advance series (minus the middling as hell second one) works wonder as one of the better Sonic experiences. They both have issues (Advance 1 has ridiculous bosses and Advance 3 has ridiculous Chao padding) but as a whole, Sonic Advance & Sonic Advance 3 are two 2D Sonic games that still stand out quite well for the Blue Blur.

8.) Sonic Colors

Sonic Team followed up Sonic Unleashed by making a game that added more to the well-received aspects of it (the daytime stages) along with removing the not so well-received aspects of it (the nighttime stages). Sonic Colors understands the core appeal of Sonic by featuring top-notch speed, solid platforming, incredibly fun and unique level designs, and some of the best power-ups in the series with the Wisps. And this was also the game that introduced Roger Craig Smith as the blue blur we all know and love, who is still going strong in the role to this very day! There may be a bit too much 2D levels for some and the story/humor is admittedly hit (any scene with Eggman and his robots) or miss (Baldy McNosehair) but this is easily among the best 3D Sonic games to date. And even though the comparisons to Super Mario Galaxy are undeniable, Sonic Colors is still able to provide a fresh and exhilarating experience that certainly feels like Sonic the Hedgehog.

7.) Sonic Rush

Being the game that introduces the boost mechanics that would eventually become a stable for Modern Sonic, Sonic Rush makes for one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and unique Sonic games throughout his history. The main highlight here is seeing the introduction to fan-favorite Blaze the Cat, arguably the best female character in the entire franchise, and getting the perfect sense of speed with Sonic that you never really got with the series up to this point. There’s some repetition of playing the same levels twice and newly introduced villain, Eggman Nega sucks on literally every single level, but this is one I can recommend to those who are not even fans of Sonic. With top notch speed, fast platforming, and a SUPER awesome soundtrack, Sonic Rush is an absolute gem that should not be missed! Just a damn shame this had to come out the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog!

6.) Sonic Adventure

While this has certainly shown it’s age in many areas, there is still more than enough about Sonic Adventure, A.K.A. the first official 3D Sonic game, that works very well to this day. The gameplay that still works (namely Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Gamma) remain some of the very best in all of 3D Sonic, the hub world of Station Square is fun to explore and gives you that perfect sense of adventure that makes the title accurate, and it’s neat to have every main character in the story get their own arcs and development throughout, something which didn’t happen in the Sonic series until this game. Even the dated elements like the cheesy animation, dialogue, and voice acting are at least good for a laugh, both intentionally and unintentionally, that you can have a blast with them.. This might’ve been even higher on the list if it wasn’t for those Big the Cat fishing missions but I still rate the original Sonic Adventure very highly to this day. If it wasn’t for this game, who knows where Sonic the Hedgehog would be in the year 2025!

5.) Sonic Unleashed

One of the most divisive installments in the franchise is among my favorites. While opinions certainly vary on the SD port of this game, the HD version of Sonic Unleashed has the thrills and action that I could ever want from a Sonic game. The daytime stages delivers an incredibly sense of speed and fast platforming that I always love replaying through, the story is simplistic but still has that nice mix of light and dark nature that most Sonic stories lack, the graphics still look stunning even over 17 years later, the soundtrack is outstanding and among the very best in the franchise, the variety this game contains in terms of gameplay and unlockables is off the charts, exploring the hub worlds of all the different countries acts greatly to that “world adventure” spirit, and even I’m not shame to admit I even kinda like that silly Werehog (If you don’t at least get some goosebumps during the night boss fights, you are a total loser! Just saying!)! I totally understand the reasons to hate this game but I remain a fan to this very day just like how I was back in 2008. This game has been gaining a cult following over the years and I’m glad to admit that I was a part of that crowd from the very beginning.

4.) Sonic 3 & Knuckles

To many people, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the absolute definite Sonic game and it’s easy to see why! Taking the best aspects of all the previous games that has come before it while introducing one of the best characters in the franchise known as Knuckles. The levels are more expanded upon than ever before giving you multiple paths and ways to the goal, every character controls perfectly with not a single one being a chore to play, the story itself takes a few unexpected turns, and even the bosses and special stages (which I weren’t a fan of in the past) are actually quite great here. I just wish I didn’t need to collect all the emeralds TWICE in order to get the full final Super Sonic boss fight! However, masterfully combining speed, platforming, and exploration, this remains a top-tier Sonic experience. While there are many people that considers Sonic 3&K to be the very best Sonic game ever made (and I would definitely not argue that opinion one bit), it’s not quite the full Sonic package for me the way these next three Sonic games are.

3.) Sonic Racing CrossWorlds

The newest addition to the Sonic kart racing canon is not only the best Sonic racing game to date but might perhaps be the best kart racing game to date that is NOT Mario Kart! This has more of an expanded roster of characters, more creative and unique race tracks, more vehicles you can choose to race with, whether it’s with cars or hover boards, and more amounts of fan service than any of the Sonic racing games! You also got great online modes, fun character interactions during Rival mode, multiples pathways with each crossworld you enter, tons of unlockables to collect, and plenty of DLC on the horizon to keep you entertained with the game for quite some time (Unfortunately, not free though!). This is just the perfect example of a kart racing game that is the absolute complete package from top to bottom! If Mario Kart 8 didn’t exist, this might legit be my new favorite kart racing game and the one that I see myself playing the most for the foreseeable future! Sonic Racing CrossWorlds checks all the boxes and then some and continues Sonic’s great track record of the 2020s! Eat it, Mario Kart World!

2.) Sonic Mania

By being a beautiful and well done remix of the original classic games, along with introducing a handful of wonderful original levels of its own, Christian Whitehead’s Sonic Mania helps craft an entry that feels more of a worthy follow-up to Sonic 3 & Knuckles than both episodes of Sonic 4 combined. There’s more extras, unlockable and playable characters than ever before, the gameplay from the Classic games that everyone knows and love is giving the right upgrade and in some ways, surpasses the original games, and I don’t think Super Sonic has looked, sound, and been more fun to control than he’s done here. And even though many of the levels themselves have been taking from other Sonic games, they’ve been changed and expanded upon well enough to where they feel like completely new levels in their own right, giving that sense you are playing through these levels for the very first time. Even to those that aren’t the biggest fans of Classic Sonic, I would highly recommend this one as I consider Sonic Mania to be the definite Classic Sonic experience.

1.) Sonic X Shadow Generations

My favorite Sonic game to date is the one that features the most Sonic out of all the games thus far……along with a bit of Shadow. When it comes to Sonic Generations, it acts a wonderful celebration of the first two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog, perfecting both the classic 2D style gameplay along with the modern 3D style gameplay by recreating the best levels from previous Sonic games and making them feel new and unique on their own. When it comes to Shadow Generations, this might just be the very best version of 3D Sonic as a whole. With incredibly unique level designs, crazy and out-of-this-world set pieces, a gameplay style that manages to combine the best elements of both Sonic Generations and Sonic Frontiers respectively while leaving off any fat, and even quite a touching story about Shadow and the two people he cares about the most in Maria and Gerald Robotnik. Call it cheating if you may but there is not other Sonic (or Shadow) experience that always satisfies more than Sonic X Shadow Generations. . Because of all that and more, Sonic X Shadow Generations is my favorite Sonic game to date!

Happy birthday, Sonic!

How SEGA Is Using The Success Of The Sonic Movies To Make The Blue Blur A Multimedia Franchise!

AdamLeave a comment

2022 is shaping up to be the biggest year for Sonic the Hedgehog yet! He’s got a second movie coming out next month, a new Netflix series titled Sonic Prime that’s set to debut this year, a new Sonic remaster of the classic era games called Sonic Origins, and the next big 3D main entry in the franchise, Sonic Frontiers, scheduled to hit stores this holiday season! And with the recent announcements of a third movie in the works along with a new Paramount Plus series with fan-favorite Knuckles the Echidna, the future seems quite loaded for the speedy blue blur.

Whenever you talk about Sonic the Hedgehog, it always starts off with that same, boring monotone line of dialogue about how the franchise was once a big thing but has long lost it’s way. The repetitive, tiresome, preachy take of “Modern Sonic bad, Classic Sonic Good” Blah blah blah. That constant same mumble jumble over and over with what seem like at least the past two decades. Even when a Sonic game or medium comes out that’s actually good, that always tends to get brush off and the media immediately retreats back to it’s “Sonic sucks!” narrative yet again.

Or in the case of IGN, Sonic was never good to begin with!

I’m not gonna go into how right or wrong these people are but unfortunately, that has been the reputation with this series for quite some. However, if what SEGA plans for 2022 for Sonic is any indication, they are looking to change that narrative in a massive way. The exact way they plan on doing that is by taking their most beloved/infamous mascot from a traditional gaming franchise to now a multimedia franchise!

Granted, this won’t be the first time that SEGA has tried to do that with Sonic. Back in 2014, (which SEGA did actually initially hype of as “the year of Sonic”, they were looking to expand Sonic onto other forms of media in the series spin-off, Sonic Boom. Sonic Boom took a new direction with the franchise and acted as a departure from it’s own existed canon. It focused on five main characters most well-known by fans of the franchise, those being Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Dr. Eggman (Yes, I know he’s actually Robotnik but I’m calling him Eggman, damn it!) along with a couple of fan-favorite characters along the way like Shadow and Metal Sonic. Every one of them got redesigns with Knuckles looking buffer than ever, Eggman looking thinner than ever, and Sonic actually having blue arms for once. It was set in a distinct world separate from the main series, introduces original characters, most notably Sticks the Badger, and was promised to be a fresh start for the series along with giving it a brand new sense of identity. With a launch of toys, comic books, a couple of video games, and a television show, this was Sonic’s chance to jump back into the spotlight in a bright fascinating way. However, the results of this were mixed at best.

The television series aired from 2014 to 2017 with two seasons consisting of 104 episodes (all less than 15 minutes long) that first aired on Cartoon Network but later moved to Boomerang. It’s never been established of what the overall reaction to the show was and if it was all that popular to begin with among their target audience of young children. It just seems like a show that just existed and was a thing at some point. For what I’ve seen, it’s a decent, enjoyable kids cartoon with some fun action, fine humor, enjoyable spoofs and simple storylines/messages that you won’t think too much about just a couple of minutes after each episode had ended. It didn’t quite seem to reach the same highs (at least in term of ratings) as the original Sonic Satam in the late 1990s or even Sonic X (Again, in terms of ratings) in the mid 2000s but it wasn’t as low as say, the completely forgotten Sonic Underground. Perhaps this had to do with the rapid reaction to the overall announcement of the Sonic Boom franchise with folks being put off about the direction and character redesigns along with how the Boom games were received themselves, which ranged from middling (Shattered Crystal and Fire & Ice) to awful (Rise of Lyric).

Looking back on it, I don’t think Sonic Boom was quite the success that SEGA was hoping for in the grand scheme of things. It didn’t seem like it was as memorable of the series to this generation of Sonic fans as Satam and X was to the previous ones. It’s hard to consider it a failure but it’s also hard to claim it was a hit either. Regardless of the results of previous Sonic incarnations and desperate attempts to reinvent the franchise, it’s look as though SEGA is looking to take it all one step further with what they are planning for Sonic for not just this year but for the near future.

It’s no secret that the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action movie released in 2020 was a big success for SEGA. Despite not making quite as bit of money at the box office as it could have due to the movie coming out just before Covid hit, it definitely was something that both fans and movie goers thoroughly enjoyed. Because of that, SEGA knows they got a big hit on their hands and want to ride that success train for as long as they possibly can. The best way to do this is to introduce these newcomers into the series with an expanding library choice of content. From the movies to shows to video games, no doubt SEGA wants to make new fans feel right at home.

For those that enjoyed the first Sonic movie, they got a second one to look forward and if they like that one too, there will be a third one on the horizon. For those that happen to enjoy Idris Elba’s Knuckles in the second one, then they got a brand new series just about him in the works. For those that enjoy the movies’ overall characters, callbacks, references, and lore from the games, they now have a new remaster of the original Sonic games on the way so they can get the characters, callbacks, references, and lore for next time. For those that want to see Sonic in a strictly new animated show that will put it’s own spin in the soon-to-be massively overdone multiverse concept, you got a new, original Netflix series coming soon. For those who want to experience a brand new Sonic game which perhaps will shape the direction of the franchise in the same way that Sonic Adventure and even Sonic Unleashed did, they have a new game coming out developed by Sonic Team that they can ask Santa for Christmas. And heck, I’m pretty sure that there’s some good comic storylines by Archie that perhaps might even give you more respect for the Sonic characters than you had for the games or shows (Just avoid anything from Ken Penders!). All of this and more shows that SEGA desires for the 2020s is to have Sonic the Hedgehog be seen as more than just a gaming franchise still clinging onto the past, it’s now an expanding franchise that is looking strictly into the future across many mediums.

We all don’t know for certain if this will all work out in the long run. I imagine that SEGA has been trying to do something like this for the last two decades now but never have been able to find that one successful piece big enough to start building their own glorious puzzle up until now. There’s also the concern about how focusing on so many different things at the same time can lead to truly messy results (kinda like with the last several years with Sonic Team). No one can predict the future because as we all know, the future is not set in stone.

The first Sonic movie gave the franchise another leash on life in a way that no other Sonic media has ever had. At least now, there’s a chance to take advantage of this opportunity to build on something special and redefine Sonic in ways that are unimaginable but feels completely right. If SEGA wants Sonic to be anywhere near as popular as he once was, then they better coast on the success that they have right now and have all forms of good content for the foreseeable future. It’s only then that we will all be able to look back in how a change in a movie character design was able to change the franchise for the better. Not just by delivering a movie that this generation can look back on as the moment that they truly knew Sonic the Hedgehog, but the one that the blue blur was no longer seen as a slumping gaming series, but so much more.

Sonic’s future is in your hands now, SEGA! Don’t smurf it up!

Release Dates:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will release in theaters on April 8th.

  • Sonic Prime, Origins, and Frontiers have not gotten official release dates yet but they have all been confirmed to come out sometime this year in 2022.