We review the most outstanding titles throughout these decades of the SEGA mascot, which is back today.
Sonic has gone through all kinds of moments. From being one of the most important icons in the world of videogames to living in ostracism, amid games that did not do justice to the name that had been forged in the nineties. But SEGA and the Sonic Team have never thrown in the towel, and in recent years the blue hedgehog has starred in top-level games, proving that it has a lot to offer. With the arrival of Sonic The Movie in theaters, we are ready to review the best video games of the most famous hedgehog in the world.
10. Sonic Generations (2011)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the blue hedgehog, Sega surprised us all with a game that masterfully mixed the two sides of the franchise. On the one hand, we had the traditional 16-bit Sonic, in hilarious phases of 2D platforms. On the other, we had the modern Sonic, more slender and with frantic and crazy speed sections. The mix worked very well in a title that honored classic phases, characters and even timeless melodies from the previous games. The best possible birthday gift.
9. Sonic Adventure (1998)
Despite not being the first Sonic completely in 3D (since the character had already been seen three-dimensionally in Sonic Jam and Sonic R), it is the first game in which Sega's mascot really shone in a new dimension. Sonic Adventure became an instant classic thanks to its varied game system (in which each character had its own control system and skills), a very interesting plot and phases that were spectacular for the time. The later ports did not do justice to this great adventure of the blue hedgehog.
8. Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
After the great success of the first part, Sega had a hard time raising the bar. However, they got Sonic back to everyone's lips just a couple of years later, thanks to an even bigger adventure in which we were presented with characters that would become emblematic of the franchise, as is the case with Shadow. It followed the line marked by Sonic Adventure and we lived the plot of several characters, but everything was bigger and spectacular, besides being more polished. Although he came out in the twilight of Dreamcast, he had the opportunity to redeem himself in GameCube.
7. Sonic Advance (2002)
It was one of the Sonic that caused more anticipation before its launch, since it was the first completely original game of the franchise that was released far from the platforms of Sega. And it was proved that GameBoy Advance was the perfect platform to recover the essence of traditional games of the blue hedgehog in the 16 bits, with a platform title based on exceeding 2D levels throughout nine phases easily recognizable by franchise lovers . With four characters to choose from, it was a game that left great sensations and is still very enjoyable today.
6. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012)
Although it is not a Sonic game to use, because numerous characters, stages and Sega games come out, we could not resist including this spin-off in the list. Not surprisingly, it is a very funny title, with infinite possibilities and that gives rise to frantic, intense and spectacular multiplayer games. All this, in a technical show that is a love letter to all the great works that Sega has given us over the years, although with Sonic as a central element of the campus. At the time, he even came to face Mario Kart himself, which are major words.
5. Sonic 1 (1991)
The game that gave rise to the legend. It is the simplest game of all that has starred in the blue hedgehog to date: collect rings, jump, end Robotnik and move from phase to phase. However, it has nuances that make the experience unique and very special, either Sonic's frantic speed (and how well they play with it to combine fast phases with more leisurely phases in which the hedgehog itself gets impatient when he has to wait for a platform) or the peculiarity that each phase has several different routes and conceals endless secrets. Almost 30 years later, it is still a delight to enjoy this game, which has not aged anything.
4. Sonic 2 (1992)
The second part of Sonic's adventures was a bigger, longer and better game, with the presentation in Tails society, a quite remarkable technical leap (with some really spectacular level designs, enemies and characters) and new movements and objects that gave the experience a greater depth. If the first installment was a success, Sonic 2 was the game that set the blue hedgehog in popular culture as one of the biggest icons in the video game industry.
3. Sonic 3 (1994)
The launch of Sonic 3 took place in style, just as both the character and a work of this caliber deserved. Apart from being able to play with Sonic or Tails, the game introduced us to the iconic Knuckles, the guardian of the emeralds that Robotnik cheated so he wouldn't stop getting in the way. Sonic 3 squeezed to the maximum the potential of Mega Drive with a constant search for spectacularity, whether impossible worlds, stunning graphic effects, lively and colorful environments or situations of the most varied. A game that at the time seemed impossible in 16 bits and that time has treated very well, so it is still a must for 2D platform lovers.
2. Sonic CD (1993)
Little can be said that it has not been said with that title. Despite having been limited at the time for having launched on Mega CD, this timeless jewel has enjoyed the recognition it deserved from the press and, over time, from users, to the point that it did not end up falling into forgetfulness and is usually the favorite titles of fans. A game that exploded Mega CD very well, with camera turns impossible to convey the sensation of speed and dizziness of the blue hedgehog, posters to travel to the past to the future, impressive animation sequences by Toei Animation and the presentation of such charismatic characters and timeless like Amy Rose or Metal Sonic. Without a doubt, an unforgettable game.
1. Sonic Mania (2017)
It is at least curious that the best Sonic game in many years, and possibly the best overall game in the franchise, is born of a simple fan. A sign that when the fan is so fond of a license, if he has the support of the company responsible for it, great things can be done. Sonic Mania takes us back to the 16-bit times, with recycled graphics, many familiar environments, the same gameplay and countless tributes to traditional Sonic. But, at the same time, it presents us with impossible graphic effects in Mega Drive, new game modes, new playable possibilities … From the whole history of the blue hedgehog, very few works distill as much love for the character as this Sonic Mania that, without that you realize, get caught from beginning to end.
