All is well for a time. Sonic battles a pregnant stick figure with an awesome mustache, finds new mutated friends to hang out with, and even TRAVELS THROUGH TIME, 'cause hey, all the cool kids are doing it. He and his sassy attitude succeed in Blast Processing their way into our hearts. (Which was impressive at the time, since he had to penetrate many dense layers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and whatever the most violent game at the time was.)
But what happened to our feisty hero over the years? How did he get from the front of the cool kid bus to underneath its muffler? Lets find out. With SCIENCE!
I'll talk briefly about each major game in the franchise, and present a stat chart keeping track of some of the common factors that get brought up in these kinds of discussions: Gameplay variety, new gameplay mechanics, ratio of different playing modes, the amount of classic gameplay vs. the amount of new gameplay, along with the game's overall focus, and number of characters present. (Everyone always seems to get their panties all bunched-up over the number of characters in the series.)
Sonic the Hedgehog
Ahh, the start of a legend. The beginnings of a great series of games. AN overall... kinda crappy game.
Ok, ok, it actually is a pretty solid game. But honestly, this game was always kind of a chore to play. Maybe its because I never owned it until I got the collection on Gamecube, resulting in me getting spoiled on things like the spin dash. Maybe its because its just a hard game. Maybe its because I have Marble Zone with a fiery passion. Whatever the reason, this is my least favorite of the classic games. This is where I'd mention how everyone else feels differently, but here's the odd thing: I almost never see anyone even mention it. Whenever the topic of new vs. old is brought up, the classic game supporters always bring up Sonic 3, 2, and CD, but almost never 1. So I guess there just... isn't much to say here?
Gameplay variety: You got basic platforming, water physics, and a godawful special stage.
Overall focus: High-speed platforming laced together with the need for fast reflexes. Also some annoying puzzle shit. (MARBLE GARDEN *glaaaare*)
Number of characters: 2 (Sonic and Robotnik/Eggman.)
(All other categories omitted because hey, there's no base of comparison yet.)
Analysis: Solid game. It sets the foundation for the rest of the series, and it does it well, even with a couple faulty supports. All clear on the anthropomorphic front!
Sonic CD
What's this? Odd chronological placing? Nonsense!
Actually, while Sonic 2 was released first, it was actually Sonic CD that was created first. This makes sense when you stop to think about it. All you have to consider is the absence of Tails and the Spin Dash and POOF, LOGIC! There's a story there about CD being the original idea for 2, but I'm not very fluent on Sonic lore, so go look it up.
Anyway, Sonic CD took some very creative leaps, namely in the guise of TIME TRAVEL! With each Zone having three different versions to travel through and a whole slew of Plot Coupons to hunt out, leading to different endings, Sonic CD was incredibly progressive for its time. Too bad it was released for one of the Genesis' mostly useless tumor extensions!
Gameplay variety: Lots, considering how much is really there. You can either just play though the game, or hunt out all the little hidden dealies. Oh, and there's a totally revamped special stage, too.
New gameplay mechanics: Time travel, multiple endings, avoidable boss fights (exclusive to CD)
Playing modes: Just the main game.
Old Vs. New: If you don't play around with the time travel stuff, this will just feel like the first game with some new maps. But if you do, this is a totally new game. So yeah...
Overall focus: High-speed platforming with a higher emphasis on keeping your momentum uninterrupted (to get the time traveling to work)
Number of characters: 4 (Newcomers: Amy Rose and Metal Sonic)
Analysis: Considering that this was released after Sonic 2, and on a system extension that was not widely owned, this game isn't as influential on the Sonic series' sense of success as it should be. It wasn't until things like compilation games started coming out that CD got a decent amount of exposure, at which point the series had carried on enough for it to not be relevant anymore. Sadface.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Now HERE'S where shit starts getting good! We have the same game as before, but bigger, better, faster, more epic, and just overall more fun. The Zones are better constructed, the music is more vibrant, and the special stages are unique and fun. (Unless you have a CPU controlled Tails with you. Then you may as well just kill yourself.)
Gameplay variety: Mostly the same here, just with a different special stage.
New gameplay mechanics: The Spin Dash starts existing here! Finally, a way to get out of the middles of loops or the bottoms of ramps! You also have Tails, who helps (kinda) in the actual game, but also makes the special stages nearly unplayable. Unless of course you get a buddy to play with you! Which nobody wants to do ever because its so hard to keep Tails on the screen. There's also an actual 2-player mode, but everybody either didn't want to play it or just plain didn't know it existed. Super Sonic also starts existing here! Finally, a reward for getting all of the Plot Gems.
Playing modes: Main game as the main attraction, and 2P as a small diversion. Excellent.
Old Vs. New: All the old is here, but with some new on top of it. Also excellent.
Overall focus: Same as before. Even more excellent.
Number of characters: 6 (Newcomers: Miles "Tails" Prower, Silver Sonic)
Characters not present: 2 (Amy Rose, Metal Sonic)
Characters retired at end of game: 1 (Silver Sonic)
Total characters present in game: 4
Analysis: Near-perfect sequel. It takes the old and improves it in every way. Series is going strong!
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)
Lets save some time and combine Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, as by now, everyone should know the story behind this little mess. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is often heralded as the best Sonic game ever created, and quite honestly, I agree. Once again, Team Sonic managed to improve everything from the previous game, and also give us some new stuff. Of course, the most obvious example of new stuff is being able to use the Sonic & Knuckles cart to play through Sonic 2 as Knuckles. But there's also the new special stage, the bonus stages, and even multiple playable characters! With their own sets of abilities! Back then, this was a big freakin' deal.
Gameplay variety: Tons. Not only do you have four different ways to play the main game, but you also have a much better 2-player main game, too. Your buddy can finally make Tails fly, and even carry Sonic, which of course leads to all sorts of neat 2-player perks and neatness. (Marble Garden boss fight, anyone?) There's also a new 2-player minimode, as well as a whole slew of randomly generated special stages if you lock anything other than Sonic 2 or 3 onto Sonic & Knuckles. Oh, and the special stage here is one of the best in the entire franchise. AND there;s the three different bonus stages.
New gameplay mechanics: Multiple shield types with different effects. Sonic can use enhanced shield effects, Tails can fly, and Knuckles can glide and climb walls. Bonus stages exist now too, and special stages are now found in yet another new way. Oh, and being able to save your game.
Playing modes: The main game, with a viable 2P mode, the 2P minimode, Knuckles in Sonic 2, and a near-infinite number of special stages.
Old Vs. New: Yet again, Team Sonic shows their amazing skill in improving every single aspect of the previous game.
Overall focus: High-speed platforming, as it always should be.
Number of characters: 6 (Newcomer: Knuckles the Echidna)
Characters not present: 1 (Amy Rose)
Total number of characters in game: 5
Analysis: The closest the series ever got to pure perfection. This game is HUGE in almost every sense of the word. There is so much to do here, and it is all fun. Arguably the pinnacle of the franchise.
Now, this is where we start getting into a lot of the oddball spinoff games, like Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic R, that don't really count in the overall Sonic universe, like Mario Kart and Mario Party. They do bring in some new characters, but almost none of them make it into any other games. The only exception is Nack/Fang the Weasel, who worms his way into the racing games and Sonic the Fighters, but that's the last we see of him. So I don't feel it is necessary to discuss them here. However, I will briefly touch on one such odd game, as it introduces characters that show up later. This game is...
Knuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles' Chaotix has a slightly interesting history. It was originally designed as a full-fledged Sonic game, with the gimmick being that Sonic and Tails were tethered together. This was eventually scrapped, but then became this little spinoff game. The basic premise is different between the Japanese and Western releases, but either way, it involves some random island that we'll never hear from again and its collection of MacGuffins that Robotnik/Eggman wants. So he freezes all of Knuckles' friends in time or some shit, but Knuckles fights him off before he himself gets caught. Knuckles then discovers that he can use "ring power" to remove his friends from stasis, which links them together like a big rubber band.
Gameplay variety: Pretty decent. All the different characters play differently, allowing for multiple ways to play.
New gameplay mechanics: The rubber-band system, along with most of the partners' abilities.
Playing modes: Just the main game, although a second player can control Knuckles' partner, creating possibly one of the series' best 2-player modes.
Old Vs. New: Very innovative, but not perfect. Many view this game as breaking too far away from the series' established gameplay.
Overall focus: Platforming, with some speed.
Number of characters: 12 (Newcomers: Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee, Heavy the Robot, Bomb the Bomb)
Characters not present: 4 (Sonic, Tails, Amy Rose, Metal Sonic)
Characters retired at end of game: 3 (Heavy the Robot, Bomb the Bomb, Mighty the Armadillo)
Total number of characters in game: 8
Analysis: Met with mixed reviews. Some liked the innovation, some hated the new direction. The fact that it was released on another one of the Genesis' tumor attachments didn't help anything either.
Sonic Adventure
Sonic's first jump into 3D! Most people consider this the beginning of the decline of the series, but even so, it is still considered a good game anyway. The big thing here is how much variety the game has: there are 6 playable characters, each with their own gameplay. Sonic has the standard high-speed platforming, Tails races Sonic to the goal, Knuckles hunts for treasure, Amy has light puzzle solving and exploration, Gamma shoots the hell out of everything, and Big... fishes. All of the different gameplay modes assure that you always have something different to do. On top of all of that, there's also a fairly interesting story that each character experiences different parts of. Playing each character's story ties everything together into one cohesive plot, which is pretty neat.
Gameplay variety: LOTS. There are multiple characters to play as, each with their own unique gameplay and story segments. We are also introduced to the Chao here, who are basically virtual pets you can raise however you want.
New gameplay mechanics: Surprisingly, not a lot. Just Knuckles' treasure hunting, Gamma's gunning, and Big's fishing.
Playing modes: Seven, one for each character and Super Sonic. There's also the mission system if you're playing the Gamecube port.
Old Vs. New: Manages to introduce a lot of variety in gameplay, without outright killing what made the series what it was. There are lots of characters to play as, but Sonic still holds the majority of the gameplay, having more levels than anyone else.
Overall focus: There isn't one, really. The focus changes wildly depending on who you're playing as.
Number of characters: 13 (Newcomers: E-102 Gamma, Big the Cat, Tikal, Chaos)
Characters not present: 4 (Metal Sonic, Espio, Vector, Charmy)
Characters retired at end of game: 3 (E-102 Gamma, Tikal, Chaos)
Total number of characters in game: 9
Analysis: An overall good game. It manages to keep the standard high-speed platforming while introducing a lot of variety. It would have been so much more successful if the Dreamcast itself was more successful.
Sonic Adventure 2
Like you'd expect from the title, not much has changed between games. The main difference here, though, is that instead of the game being broken up into different character stories, it is instead broken into the heroes and the villains. You can either play as the good guys or the bad guys here, which is actually really neat. But of course, playing through both inevitably ends with both sides joining together for the greater good, blah blah why'd they have to ruin a good thing. But anyway, the gameplay itself remains mostly unchanged.
Gameplay variety: Not as much as the last game, as they removed Amy's exploration and Big's fishing, as well as combined the remaining modes together into one string of story, preventing you from doing JUST the Sonic levels or JUST the shooting levels. The Chao system was, however, heavily improved.
New gameplay mechanics: Just the new stuff added to the Chao system.
Playing modes: Less than in the previous game. However, it does introduce a variety of 2-player modes, ranging from races to shooting duels. How in depth this is depends on which version you're playing, with the Gamecube port having more stuff.
Old Vs. New: The removal of Amy's and Big's levels is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the person. But either way, its impossible to ignore that there is less stuff to do here. But on the plus side, what remained was streamlined and improved quite a bit.
Overall focus: Again, there isn't one.
Number of characters: 14 (Newcomers: Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik)
Characters not present: 4/5 (Vector, Espio, Charmy, Metal Sonic, Big*)
(*Big made several cameo appearances in the background of many cutscenes, and was even hidden in some levels. However, he was digitally removed from the Gamecube version. So his presence depends on which version you're playing)
Characters retired at end of game: 2 (Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik)
Total number of characters in game: 10/9
Analysis: While some things were removed from Sonic Adventure, what remained was made better. So your opinion of this game depends on what you value more: Cleaner gameplay, or more variety.
The Sonic Advance series
There are three Sonic Advance games, but for the sake of simplicity, I'm going to combine them all into one entry. The Advance series came about when fans started doubting the series' integrity. Everyone wanted a return to the basics, which they got here. The Advance games focus on the platforming that made Sonic 2 so good, while also introducing multiple characters to play as. The first game has Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who play the same as they do in Sonic 3, and Amy, who can't spin, but instead has her hammer to attack with. The second game introduces Cream, who can fly, but not as well as Tails, and also has her pet Chao, Cheese, who she can use as a weapon. The third game introduces the team mechanic, where you can choose any two characters to pair up, granting different special abilities depending on who is present.
Gameplay variety:A very good amount, and increases with each game.
New gameplay mechanics: Each game introduces one new mechanic: 1 has Amy, 2 has Cream, and 3 has the partner system.
Playing modes: The first game has 4, 2 has 5, and 3 has... a lot.
Old Vs. New: Many cite the Advance games as what Sonic should be.
Overall focus: The same ol' platforming that made the series so great.
Number of characters: 15 (Newcomers: Cream the Rabbit, Cheese the Chao, Vanilla the Rabbit)
Characters not present: 7 (Metal Sonic, Big, Rouge, Shadow, Vector, Espio, Charmy)
Characters retired at end of series: 1 (Vanilla the Rabbit)
Total number of characters in game: 8
Analysis: A good mini-series of games. Not as good as the classic Sonic games, but still very enjoyable.
Sonic Heroes
Ah, Sonic Heroes. The game that came SO CLOSE to being a good Sonic game. It gave us some good standard Sonic-formula platforming, while also adding in tons of new gameplay ideas, like fast-changing characters and special missions to add replay value.
Too bad it shit all oer itself halfway through production. Sonic Heroes gives us four teams of three to play as, each with characters dedicated to speed, flight, and power. Changing your team leader and formation changes how you perform and grants you different skills to use to get through the level. They even do some cool things with this, like sending your three characters through different loop-de-loops if you go through in the right formation. Flashy, but fun.
So you have Team Sonic, comprised of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, which provides you with standard-fare gameplay: get to the goal. There's also Team Dark, with Shadow, Rouge, and some random new robot, who clears levels by defeating 100 enemies. Their gameplay is a bit harder, but if that's not your thing, you always have Team Rose, which includes Amy Rose, Cream, and Big. They play just like Team Sonic, but all of their levels are cut in half, providing quick, easy gameplay for the younger audience. And finally, there Team Chaotix, triumphantly returning the obscure characters Espio, Charmy, and Vector. They're the ones that have the special missions to fulfill to proceed onward, such as "kill X number of Y enemy" or "get to the goal without being spotted by enemies." This is all well and good, until you realize a couple key points:
1. You have to play through all four stories to get to the final battle. Yes, even Team Rose. This means that you essentially have to play the game four times. Even with the differences in gameplay, it still gets a bit repetitive.
2. Team Chaotix's missions are bullshit. The idea is well and good on paper, but in execution, a lot of the missions are just annoying and/or frustrating.
So in the end, you have a good idea that was executed poorly. Pretty standard fare for Team Sonic nowadays.
Gameplay variety: Four modes of play, even though they're kinda samey, and one is just stupid-easy-boring. There's also a time-attack-esque mode where you replay levels with different objectives, with the ultimate goal of unlocking a playing mode of how the game should have been to begin with: Team Sonic only, in Team Dark's harder stages strung back-to-back with no saving or continues.
New gameplay mechanics: Character quick-change and the Chaotix's missions.
Playing modes: Five, including the unlockable Team Sonic mode.
Old Vs. New: Provides a lot of new ideas and mechanics, but doesn't use them to their full potential. Also, these new ideas and mechanics cloud the established gameplay from the Adventure series, leaving you with a mediocre mush of a game.
Overall focus: Platforming, for the most part. With some twists, depending on your Team of choice.
Number of characters: 15 (Newcomer: E-123 Omega)
Characters not present: 0! Every single one of those bastards is here.
Characters retired at end of game: 1 (E-123 Omega)
Total number of characters in game: 15
Analysis: Could have been great, but as it is, is mediocre at best, and easily passed up.
We are now entering territory filled with games that I myself have not played. As such, my analysis of these games will be cobbled together from reviews I have read and wikipedia articles. Please forgive any lapses in information, and keep in mind that I am being as objective as possible and presenting just the facts as I know them.
Now then, as we were...
Shadow the Hedgehog
ugh
Sonic Rush (Adventure)
Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure are two different games, but they are both very similar, and I've only played the first one, so lets go from there. Sonic Rush does a damn fine job of returning to the series' roots, while keeping around new ideas from more recent games. It also provides you with two playablke characters, Sonic and yet another new character named Blaze the Cat, who admitedly play extremely similar to each other, but still show you both sides to the unfolding story. The game plays very similarly to Sonic CD, only without the time travel, and still giving you multiple paths through the levels. However, Sonic Team seems to have visibly lost their nack for this kind of a thing, as the game is filled with dick move traps designed purely to catch you and kill you without any way to avoid them unless you already know they are coming. Bottomless pits make up about 1/3 of each stage, which is even more glaringly terrible once you start realizing that the game has a higher focus on high-speed than previous games.
Gameplay variety: Not a whole lot. Not necessarily a bad thing, though.
New gameplay mechanics: Sonic and Blaze often fight each other. These fights have an interesting mechanic in place where the goal is to tire your opponent out, rather than outright hit them until they die. Its pretty neat, and is probably the game's high point.
Playing modes: Two, kinda: Sonic's story and Blaze's story.
Old Vs. New: A refreshing return to the series' roots, even if it does it kinda ham-handedly.
Overall focus: High-speed platforming, with an extra serving of speed.
Number of characters: 16 (Newcomers: Blaze the Cat, Eggman Nega)
Characters not present: 10 (Could be wrong. The only ones I remember being around are Sonic, Tails, Cream, Blaze, Eggman, and Eggman Nega.)
Characters retired at end of game: 1 (Eggman Nega)
Total number of characters in game: 6
Analysis: OK, I guess. Could be better, could be worse. Worth a look, anyway.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Often referred to as "Sonic 2006" (the year it was released), because of its asinine title, Sonic the Hedgehog is Sonic's big arrival to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Sonic, Shadow, and new character Silver the Hedgehog do stuff involving some (human) girl named Elise. From what I hear, this results in all sorts of creepy furry-love between Sonic and Elise.
...Sorry, this is probably the game I know the least about.
(I tried reading a plot synopsis, but my brain kept turning off and demanding that I stop trying to kill it.)
Number of characters: 17 (Newcomers: Silver the Hedgehog, Princess Elise)
Characters retired at end of series: 1 (Princess Elise)
[all other categories omitted due to lack of experience with source material]
Sonic Unleashed
Long story short, due to shenanigans, Eggman destroys the world and turns Sonic into a "Werehog," an improper phrase describing the fact that Sonic turns into a wolf at night. (I guess "hogwolf" just doesn't have the same ring to it.) Therefore, Sonic traverses the world in both day and night, using his different forms accordingly to try to put the world back together.
Oh, and he, of course, finds some new little bastard character along the way.
General reception of the game praises its fun daytime levels, filled with the high-speed platforming we all desperately want from a Sonic game, while bashing the nighttime levels for their slow, clunky, beat-em-up-esque style of gameplay.
Number of characters: 17 (Newcomer: Chip)
Characters retired at end of series: 1 (Chip)
[all other categories omitted due to lack of experience with source material]
WHEW
So there you have it; a history of the core Sonic games, with brief commentary. While its a shame that I don't have enough experience with the newer stuff to properly end this thing, I think its still clear what is going on here. Sonic Team lost their magic a long time ago, and have been struggling to recapture it. They keep getting new ideas that are actually pretty neat, but in the process of making those ideas solid, everything just gets convoluted and bogged down with a lot of shenanigans. The upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 seems like they might finally be getting back on their feet, but then again... *glances at the Sonic Cycle chart*
So what does this mean for Sonic fans? The same thing it means for fans of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, The Simpsons, Star Wars...
Your cherished franchise has changed. Significantly. Just like everything else in this world, it has aged and changed, and is no longer the youthful entity it once was. You can either stay in your glory days, content to repeatedly play those same games, you can move on and find something new to invest your interest in, or you can accept the new direction it has taken, and appreciate it for it. The wonderful thing about video games is that all of these are viable options. Games can always be replayed in different ways, creating a whole new experience out of the same old material. And if you've become tired of this old material, and don't like the new stuff, there is still always something different to discover around the corner.
So yeah, Sonic isn't as good as it used to be. All that means is that its time to find a new Sonic, and discover a whole new world of fun to play in. And in a decade or so, it'll be time to do so again. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just what growing up is all about!
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