So, last week my internet went out and I had this brilliant idea of replaying every 3D Sonic title, but then I came to my senses and decided to just replay what I consider to be the good ones, in release order. For future generations and in anticipation of the 30th anniversary thing. Keep in mind that I've fully played all of these before at least twice and I'm now judging them from a 2021 perspective*
*Sonic games to me are the most enjoyable kind of platformers so there might be some bias here, but anyway, here's my definitive ranking with some brief whys (from worst to best):
Sonic Unleashed
+Some of the best boost levels of the series
-Bad hubs: Even as someone who likes hub worlds, the hubs here are just too much. You spend a significant amount of time in them and they're just not really fun to explore, especially when the game halves Sonic's speed for some reason.
-Mandatory collectibles: Nothing kills a game for me more than trying to enter a stage only to find out that I didn't collect enough shit that should've been optional, I mean FFS, I had to look up a guide to continue playing a Sonic game, I just can't.
-The Werehog levels: I get it, every platformer from that era was trying to be a brawler for some reason, Pac-Man did it, Crash did it, and now Sonic does it.. but good Lord, the brawling is just dreadful, and every level is full of it, and searching for collectibles (because remember, they're mandatory) makes these already tediously long stages even longer.
Favorite level: Cool Edge
Favorite soundtrack: Endless Possibility
Best played on: XBO/SX or just get the Unleashed Project mod if you have Generations on PC.
Rating: Never gonna replay it again out of 10. There's a great game here buried under a mountain of tedium and it's just not worth digging through.
Sonic Lost World
+Neat parkour system
+Sonic can kick enemies
-Mandatory collectibles are back!.. Kinda, it's a number you can increase by grinding if you want, but it makes you wonder.. Just why?
-Oh God the gimmicks, they're so hilariously bad
-Momentum? What momentum?
-The Deadly Six are garbo
Favorite level: Tropical Coast Zone 3
Favorite soundtrack: Windy Hill
Best played on: PC
This game feels nothing like Sonic. It has a running button, the momentum is gone, and it's generally really slow compared to the rest, but.. It's still a fun platformer, and I really like how different it looks, so eh. 6/10
Sonic Adventure 2
+Some of the Sonic/Shadow levels are good
-Bad controls. I honestly don't know what's wrong with Sonic in this game, but I find him extremely off putting to control after going through SA1. Don't know if it's weird momentum or awkward animations, but it just ruins his levels for me
-Knuckles levels. They're long, tedious, and boring. I mean jeez, one level took me over 20 mins of going around and around in circles
-Tails levels. Another why. I'd rather play Sonic's levels again with regular Tails instead of this slow mech thing with awkward aiming
Favorite level: Final Rush
Favorite soundtrack: Escape From the City and Live and Learn
Best played on: PC
I wasn't expecting to rank SA2 this low but here we are, I don't know how they went from SA1 to this. No hub world, only 6 Sonic levels, and they're generally nowhere near as fun as SA1's. 7/10
Sonic Colors
+Some of the Wisps gimmicks are actually fun.
+Simple and enjoyable story, no edginess or weirdness.
+The only one of the bunch with no useless filler of any kind, you just play one level after another.
-Too much side scrolling. Not a big issue really, just wish it was more 3D instead.
-30fps, easily mitigated by playing it on Dolphin, but still, it launched like that with no PC option, 30fps Sonic is just wrong.
Favorite level: Asteroid Coaster Act 1
Favorite soundtrack: Reach for the Stars
Best played on: Dolphin with the 60fps patch
Ah, the first consistently good boost game. I remember how this game was the first to break the "Sonic cycle" and rightfully so. Just a fun colorful ride from start to finish. 8/10
Sonic Generations
+Fluid and fun level design with lots of spectacles.
+The novelty of combining some of the series' best levels in one game.
+The side scrolling parts are actually good, not Classic good, but good nonetheless.
-Mandatory challenges. They're not bad, but still, feels like unnecessary padding.
-Nonexistent story and cutscenes. You might think, why would you care about this in a platformer? Well, because it's Sonic. Good or bad, they always put effort into these and it's always entertaining, here it just seems like an afterthought.
Favorite level: Rooftop Run (Modern)
Favorite soundtrack: Super Sonic Racing
Best played on: PC
This is it. The peak of boost games. They nailed everything here from controls to level design. I love this game so much and I could replay it over and over. The way it combines these old levels and then add its own flavor to them is just sublime. 9/10
Sonic Adventure
+Sonic controls the best here. I don't know what it is, but the feeling of moving Sonic here is easily my favorite.
+Great hub world. Probably my favorite hub world ever, it's so well designed and memorable.
+Most charming of the bunch. The jolly vibes are just unmatched by any other 3D Sonic.
+Incredible creativity in level design and set pieces.
-Some of the playable characters can feel like filler, but you still get to see the story from their perspective so it's all good in my book
Favorite level: Speed Highway
Favorite soundtrack: Welcome to Station Square and It Doesn't Matter and My Sweet Passion and Open Your Heart
Best played on: PC with BetterSADX
Honestly it's hard to believe this game came out in '98 (late '98 but whatever), Sega was at their peak and they delivered something that should be mentioned alongside the likes of Super Mario 64 and Half-Life. I mean, find me another game from the 90s with playable set pieces like the ones in Speed Highway, Sonic was pulling some Uncharted stunts in the 90s. I also think it was the first of its kind to have heavy emphasis on story and fully voiced cutscenes, platformers didn't really catch up to this until the likes of Ratchet and Sly.
I admit that this game is not perfect but it's the closest to my heart. And the Sonic campaign is just so short that I can replay it in one sitting and move on. I love it, I love all of it, yes even Big the Cat. 10/10
Honorable mention to Sonic Heroes, I have it and I tried replaying it as part of this, I reached the first boss and then I just bailed out. The repetitive copy pasted level design and the character switching and the combat.. it was all just too much, sorry if you consider it good, but I just couldn't do it.
Logos source: Sonic Retro
Art by @TheDuckGod
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