By Dan “The Mega” Driver
As the blue blur speeds through his 30th Anniversary at the time of writing, many look back fondly at his Mega Drive adventures, but far fewer respect Sonic’s 3D dynasty.
While his transition from pixel perfect 2D to polygons hasn’t been seamless, I don’t think there are many outright bad games. In fact, I can only say that the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric games are sub par. The rest, in my humble opinion range from middling to fantastic, and while middling games also should have no place in this legendary franchise, there are still a few excellent additions to the series.
So, counting down from six to one, one being the best, here are the 3D Sonic games which I feel deserve to be better recognised:
6) Sonic Heroes
Is Sonic Heroes the perfect 3D platformer? No, but it’s a better Sonic game than people give it credit for. A two act and boss structure that is evocative of the classic originals, the return of special stages and emerald hunting as well as a focus on Robotnik and Metal Sonic as the main protagonists, make this a 3D entry with a 2D-era structure.
Levels are large and complex, while the multiple teams offer extra variety, with the easy short missions for Team Rose, the combat heavy structure of Team Dark and the quirky mission based Team Chaotix stages complimenting the standard Team Sonic gameplay.
It has its issues, most notably the camera and some difficulty spikes, but it’s still a highly enjoyable 3D outing with enough nods to the classics to bring a smile to your face.
5) Sonic Unleashed
Quite possibly the most undeservedly critiqued game on this list, Sonic Unleashed earned the ire of critics and many fans by introducing the Werehog as the game’s principle gimmick.
However, look past that questionable premise and there is actually a very good game here. Sure, the Werehog sections are unwelcome, but they are far from bad, with a kind of God of War Jr feel to them, right down to the way Sonic angrily opens certain doors!
But what really raises the game is the Sonic “Day” sections. Unleashed was the first Hedgehog Engine powered title and the first “boost” style game. The gameplay is fast and frenetic as Sonic bursts through some stunning locales. If you love Colours and Generations then you’ll love this, where the stage design is more original, and arguably better looking and designed than those that came after.
Bloat lets the game down more than the Werehog sections, with the hub worlds and QTE infused flight sections proving more unnecessary distractions, but overall Sonic Unleashed is still an excellent entry to the series, which is why it retains its own legion of loyal fans.
4) Sonic Adventure 2
From the street surfing beginning of City Escape to the dual Super hedgehog finale, Sonic Adventure 2 in both its original and Battle iterations remains a fantastic experience.
The change in physics from the first Adventure game was seen as a little divisive, but makes it no less excellent.
In truth it takes what many feel were the best parts of its predecessor; the Sonic gameplay and mech-shooter sections, while eschewing elements like the open world and the fishing mini games (shudder).
It’s in with a shout for the best 3D Sonic game of all time and remains many people’s favourite.
3) Sonic Colours
For the first time in nearly two decades Sonic appears as the only playable character in a mainline entry.
Take the exquisite “Day” stages from Unleashed and build a game entirely around them and you’ve got the winning formula that is Sonic Colours.
The premise is interesting, the addition of the Wisps was inspired and the gameplay is excellent.
Only a couple of issues prevent it from claiming the top spot. Firstly, while the main Acts are of decent quality, some of the smaller stages are a little ropey design wise, with some shallow, repetitive and often frustrating sections. You can probably chalk that up to building a game around a single concept.
Secondly, coming from the gorgeous PS3/360 powered Unleashed to this impressive yet still Wii produced episode does feel like a backwards step.
But still, it’s an absolutely brilliant 3D entry, no wonder we’re getting a remake.
2) Sonic Adventure
The original 3D mainline Sonic game (no, Sonic 3D doesn’t count). Sonic Adventure was lauded on release, praised as a milestone in the industry. Indeed, going from the N64, released just a year earlier in PAL territories, to the Japanese release of Sonic Adventure was mind melting, and it remained a visual showcase well into the Dreamcast’s second year.
The design was new yet still tied to the 16-bit games with badnicks, Dr Robotnik being referenced by name and pilotting his flying Egg-O-Matic, and with in game references to the previous entries in the series. In fact, it could be argued it does a better job of balancing old and new than any other Sonic game.
The control was tight while the stages were huge, expansive and exciting, filled with set pieces and built for Sonic’s high-speed action.
Of course, Sonic isn’t the only playable character, there are five more that use the same stage designs, yet with mechanics that differ greatly. This positive is also, I feel, the games biggest drawback. Characters such as Tails and Gamma are fantastic to play as, Amy and Knuckles are good, but Big the Cat’s fishing stages can be messy.
Still, the game is bursting with content and supremely satisfying action. In my eyes, it still warrants those high scores from the late 90s and remains a classic to this day.
Of course, this entry refers only to the Dreamcast version. The subsequent DX ports on GameCube and beyond introduced a grotesque amount of bugs that really sully the experience from the very first stage. I feel that this is what has given Adventure its somewhat mixed modern reception.
But don’t let that fool you, leave those DX ports at the door and enjoy the very first game that said, yes, Sonic works in 3D.
1) Sonic Generations
It’s hard to believe that Generations is 10 years old. It still looks and plays like and absolute gem of a game.
Taking the boost gameplay of Unleashed and Colours, Sonic Generations refines what came before as it takes us and Sonic on a trip down memory lane, through nine stages from Sonic’s past. Once again, everything works supremely well, with tight, responsive controls, vast expansive stages that alternate between 3D and side on 2D perspectives, and a wide variety of gorgeous set pieces that delight as Sonic races through at incredible speeds.
The gimmick for this game is that Classic Sonic is in tow, providing a dose of old school Sonic gameplay that fans had been craving and he provides a nice break from the action that Sonic Colours seemed to need.
That said, Modern Sonic maintains the more enjoyable experience than Classic. Classic Sonic is a load of fun, but the physics aren’t quite right, and it feels like it lacks the polish of the 3D era gameplay. It’s not Forces levels of bad, but it’s definitely the lesser portion of the Generations birthday cake.
And since this is a list of the top 3D Sonic games, Generations easily takes the said cake for me. The gameplay feels so much more refined than anywhere else, and while the stages don’t excite like Unleashed’s sublime Day Acts, they’re fantastically designed and tickle that nostalgia nerve perfectly.
My Steam version of Generations had well over 50 hours of play time as I hunted for every star coin. And that’s not including the time spent on the Xbox 360 version, which looks and plays better than ever on modern Xbox consoles.
If you have to play any 3D Sonic game, it’s this one.
Overall all six games on this list are fantastic. Hopefully this proves once and for all that Sonic does work in 3D. Does it trump the 2D efforts? As we recently said on the SegasGuys podcast, 2D is still king, but 3D Sonic is far better than people give him credit for.
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