Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is a breath of fresh air. Not only the best Sonic game in my opinion but also the best video game in history. With the game being hard that's a good thing. It's a challenge and challenge equals good depending on how the challenge is done. If the challenge is in the game that's good, if the challenge is in the controls that's bad. But thankfully Sonic Generations challenge is in the game. True it can be hard trying to figure out where to go but that makes it more challenging and better, giving you more room to explore. And the story is great with the appearance of multiple time holes, giving us a classic and epic time travel game. Even the boss battles are great. Metal Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog, Silver the Hedgehog, Awesome. But the fact of there are only being three boss battles I do hate. Anyway, Sonic Generations gives great gameplay, great graphics, great story, and great challenge. In quote of what the back cover says: Old meets New and worlds collide. Also a Blast to the Past. But what the hey, give this game a try and see what you have been missing. Thanks for reading!

Sonic the Hedgehog and disappointment go hand in hand these days. Anyone who played the abysmal Sonic 4 when released in late 2010 will know what I mean. No matter how many times they crank out another Sonic game Sega just don't seem to learn what makes the game great and what makes the game bad. This self-congratulatory 20th-Anniversary pastiche of his so-called 'best bits' transports across all of Sonic's strengths and, unfortunately, all of his crippling weaknesses.

The story has Robotnik/Eggman ravage Sonic's world with a time vortex, leaving him stuck in a Limbo that only high speeds through various levels can repair. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Sonic just does NOT belong in a 3D world. His best stuff is 2D. Sega have had many chances at getting the 3D presentation right but they just don't get it. It's incredibly difficult to keep control of Sonic, as a weird inertia pulls him in directions you don't want him to go, and if you get the timing wrong just once you'll pretty much have to quit the level and start over as you're always being judged on speed; something that this game consistently prevents you from achieving. Even with the 2D sections in this game they don't seem to understand that hurtling the character down a declination at a furious speed, the screen unable to keep up with him, only to hit an unforeseeable dead end, is ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING!

My biggest complaint is one which ALL Sonic fans will be familiar with. The one where Sonic is on an ever-so-slight inclination but just cannot get up it because he needs to build up speed. This character, this hedgehog, is sold on speed. GIVE US SPEED! Stop giving us dead ends and cement shoes! What don't they understand? And can anybody, anybody at all, explain to me the purpose in giving us tokens that knock 5 seconds off the counter when it takes about 10 seconds to reach and collect said token? Is it no more than a sick joke at our expense.

Graphically, the game is very intense, and it may take a while for you to get used to it. The soundtrack is, as usual, absolutely brilliant and features many unlockable classics from Sonic's history, but I think they really missed a trick by not including the Lava Reef Zone theme (undoubtedly the best Sonic tune), Bridge Zone, or even a new version of 'A New Venture' from Sonic Rush Adventure. The games they chose to pay homage to are a curious assortment too. I expect reincarnations of stages from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic & Knuckles but why give us re-hashed levels from the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed - games that were universally hated and practically disowned by Sega. They should be ashamed of those titles, not referencing them. The Sonic Advance games were far better, as was Sonic Rush. Why were they not remade instead?

The game also features 50 trophies, but there's no way I'm going for the Platinum, I've got better things to do with my time than play the same levels over and over and over and over. I got to 52% and I'm happy with that.

Sonic Adventure DX, despite it's flaws, was a better game, which is quite sad as it's 12 years older than Generations. I really wish Sega would initiate stricter quality control with their mascot. The one thing that brings Sonic down again and again is the controls (and frequent agonizing slowness).

Pros:

Lots of sunshine, blue skies. Brilliant soundtrack by Jun Senoue.

Cons:

Unresponsive, sluggish controls. Lots of slow sections.

Graphics A Sound A Gameplay C Lasting Appeal C

Sonic Generations is an enjoyable game that has a nice way for the gamers to remember the franchise. The story does seem pretty short for a Sonic game that leads the game to just play one act per character of the two and move on to the next. But it's still a pretty fun game with solid graphics, skilled gameplay that pays homage to the games with both classic and modern Sonic, and a nice amount of charm from previous Sonic games. This is the game I believe Sonic fans will have a good time with. Not just because it recaps the other games, but they also will be playing a Sonic game both the old and the new way. I don't believe that this is the best Sonic game. But for what it is, it did a good job in celebrating the gaming franchise's history.

"SONIC GENERATIONS" (2011) got me very excited when it was released. It looked to be the best Sonic game since "SONIC HEROES" (2003). Although I was initially impressed with the graphics the game became a bit of a bore. It's very well packaged but, again, old levels rehashed, games mashed together and much the same.

Tails used to be to voiced by young boys. In fact, boys did his voice from Sonic Adventure to Sonic Heroes. In Sonic Heroes, Tails' actor, William Corkery, was only 8 or 9, and could have had a long career being that fox. But after being on the job for only two years, Corkery was dismissed. From there, old sluts took over doing the little fox's voice to this day, and it seemed that Sega would never use a boy again. As a Tails fan, I find this obscene and depressing, knowing that Sega is disregarding the fact that Tails is a boy fox. I can imagine a lot young lads who thought of doing Tails' words but have been denied because of Sega's absurdity.

Yes, this game is cute and colorful as any Sonic video game. But with the disgustingness Sega continues to do to no end, I'll never play Sonic Generations or any subsequent Sonic game for as long as I live. Thank you Sega for ruining Tails.