Sonic Generations for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 is a celebration of two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog, featuring the best of the blue blur’s greatest (and not-so-great) games. This twentieth anniversary title is such an overdose of nostalgia that all but the pickiest fans will find something to enjoy.
What little story exists is merely setup for the game’s premise: Sonic teams up with his younger counterpart to speed through stages from his past adventures beginning with the first zone of the first game, Green Hill. Each stage has an act for the younger Sonic, Classic Sonic, and the contemporary Sonic, Modern Sonic. Besides a shorter stature, rounder belly, and blacker pupils, Classic Sonic also plays differently. Whereas Modern Sonic plays as he did in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, emphasizing speed and 3D gameplay, Classic Sonic is pure side-scrolling platforming like the old Genesis games.
Though the game emphasizes their differences, Classic Sonic’s stages are fast-paced enough and Modern Sonic’s are diverse enough that fans of one should enjoy the other. The similarities in appearance and level design might confuse newer players not well-versed into their nuances, but the game is much more forgiving than previous titles. Mistakes that would cost you lives in Sonic Unleashed now usually drop you to a lower, slower path or offer a spring to launch you back on track. Even a new player could complete a stage without losing many, if any, lives, but to finish an act optimally still requires skill.
The game’s presentation in graphics and sound is nearly perfect. Everything, even the different springs, rings with the appropriate sound of their era. The soundtrack is a greatest hits of the series’s most memorable melodies, but it also brings back music from more obscure games such as Knuckles Chaotix. The graphics are beautifully vibrant but not distracting. Even more recent stages like Rooftop Run and Planet Wisp received some polish for this game. My only quibble is with the pixellated cutscenes. Fortunately, the rest of the game does not suffer from such jarring edges. (I played the Xbox 360 version; the PS3 version might differ.)
Sonic Generations is short. The story will take 3-6 hours to complete. Even with the 90 missions, unlockables, and achievements, it’s possible to complete the game in less than 20 hours. However, Sonic games were always known more for replay value than for longevity. The acts are fun to explore and even many of the missions are enjoyable enough to replay. There’s also online leaderboards if you’re the competitive type.
The only real flaw is with the ending. The final boss is the worst one I’ve seen in a Sonic game. It was more confusing than climactic. As with the rest of the story, it felt tacked on. However, it’s such a small fraction of the game that it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. The rest of the game is fantastic.
Sonic Generations is a game most fans will love. It won’t bring back those disgruntled fans who expect it to play exactly like their favorite game. Rather than rehashing one of the older games, Sonic Generations is a blend of the best the series has to offer. It’s a nostalgic love letter to Sonic fans, but even those who aren’t yet should give the game a try. In a time when most games are derivative of more popular titles or are slightly updated sequels, Sonic Generations, despite looking like a rehash, is so much fresher and unique in what it offers.
My Final Rating: Over 9000!
