Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations 3 Eras, 2 Sonics, 1 Epic Adventure! Protagonist(s): Sonic the Hedgehog (Classic & Modern era) Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic x Shadow Generations only) Genre(s): Platform Platform(s): Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 Microsoft Windows Nintendo 3DS PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch Release: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 NA: November 1, 2011 AU: November 3, 2011 EU: November 4, 2011 JP: December 1, 2011 Microsoft Windows NA: November 3, 2011 PAL: November 25, 2011 Nintendo 3DS NA: November 22, 2011 AU: November 24, 2011 EU: November 25, 2011 JP: December 1, 2011 PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows WW: Fall 2024 Engine: Hedgehog Engine (PS3/Xbox 360/PC) Developer(s): Sonic Team Dimps (Nintendo 3DS) Devil's Details (PC) Publisher(s): Sega Series: Sonic the Hedgehog Predecessor: Sonic Colors (Modern era) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (Classic era) Successor: Sonic Lost World (Modern era) Sonic Mania (Classic era)

Sonic Generations is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo 3DS. The game commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Sonic The Hedgehog series.

In 2024, a remaster game called Sonic x Shadow Generations will be released on Fall 2024, featuring additional levels and bosses, updating graphics, and an new story arc, when Shadow as playable characters.

Why It's Unstoppable for Generations

1. It features both Modern and Classic versions of Sonic as playable characters.
   • The remaster is even better, you can actually play as Shadow.
2. The voice providing is great.
3. Incredibly detailed and beautiful graphics.
4. Funny moments, an example, if you first beat Modern Sonic and then play as Classic Sonic, the characters that you save will play their role like before but will say something funny about Classic Sonic's appearance.
   • Another example is the troll goal post in Classic Crisis City.
5. Each level is divided into a classic 2D stage and a modern 3D stage.
6. Good controls.
7. All stages are callbacks from previous games in the franchise, adjusted both for Modern and Classic Sonic, same with the boss battles.
   • Despite the continuity issues detailed below, Sonic '06 is actually represented well here, with Crisis City being a well-designed stage (with a better version of the car carrying tornado at the end of Act 2), and a much better rival battle against Silver.
8. The final boss features both Dr. Eggman and Classic Eggman. When you encounter them, Classic Eggman points out that no one calls him "Robotnik" anymore.
9. The remixed themes for every stage are low-key masterpieces.
10. You can replay levels with different background tracks. The PS3 version even allows you to use your own playlists.
11. Since the PC version's release, the game spawned a massive modding community that is still going strong to this very day.
    • The Unleashed Project is a Mod created by the Sonic Retro Community that allows you to play the Daytime levels of Sonic Unleashed with the Gameplay style of Sonic Generations. That means no quick-time events, no medals to unlock extra stages, and no need to play as Sonic's Werehog form to advance into the levels. This is a seriously awesome mod and if you have the PC version of Sonic Generations but have not yet experienced the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 versions of the best part Sonic Unleashed, you can download it here.
    • A Mod that improves Classic Sonic's Gameplay to be like the classic's can also be found here.
12. If you purchase the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive controller from the shop and find the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive system in Green Hill Zone you can play the OG Sonic The Hedgehog from 1991, however, just like the original game, there are no save slots. Fortunately, you can buy unlimited continues from the shop. (This only exists in the PS3/X360 versions of Sonic Generations.)
13. You can thankfully turn off Omochao's voice on the menu.
14. Despite being a bit inferior, the 3DS version is a unique take on the game, as it offers the special stages from Sonic Heroes but don't, good level design (except for Radical Highway), unique bosses with an improved Time Eater battle, and some exclusive/fan-favorite stages like Mushroom Hill, Radical Highway and Tropical Resort with great remixes. It's good all things considered and it supported whoever didn't have a PS3 or Xbox 360.
15. While not as engaging as the other installments, the story is still pretty good for what it is.
16. In 2024, it will be remastered as Sonic x Shadow Generations, including an new level and bosses, updating graphics, and an new story arc, which you can play as Shadow the Hedgehog.

Bad Qualities

1. As mentioned in WIUFG#7-1, this game introduced a big plothole within the canon by adding Crisis City from Sonic 2006, completely ignoring that not only the game was meant to be a reboot, but also retconned itself in the end.
2. Just like in Sonic Forces, the 2D sections in the modern stages are redundant since the classic stages are entirely in 2D (or 2.5D).
3. The worst part of the game is definitely the horrible final battle with The Time Eater. While its appearance and concept are cool, the battle is boring and tedious as for the majority of the fight, you just have to hold down the boost button and try striking its core, and just to make thing more grating, you also have Sonic's friends calling both Sonics repeatedly to the point you just want to superglue their mouths shut. Even worse is that there is an achievement/trophy for beating this boss without getting hit, which isn't easy to do.
4. Very short, if you don't go after collectibles and only do the minimum sidequests required, the game can be completed in less than two hours.
   • Speaking of the challenge missions, a handful of these are annoying as they often have extra conditions which make completing them a real chore. What also doesn’t help is that only 9 of them need to be played to beat the story out of 90 (45 for Classic Sonic, 45 for Modern Sonic). Essentially, only 10% of the challenge missions are mandatory.
   • Also, speaking of collectables, even though they're optional, some of the red rings are in very annoying spots. (EX:The first red ring in City Escape Act 2).
5. Super Sonic is not very useful because it's just the invincibility power-up with no added jump height or speed for Classic Sonic (though Modern Sonic is given the ability to blaze through the stage while burning 10 rings per second).
6. As said previously, the 3DS version is a bit inferior to the console and PC versions because it has fewer stages, only two stages from Sonic's handheld games being Tropical Resort and Water Palace, easier bosses (except for Silver, which is slightly tougher), inferior cutscenes identical to those of Sonic Free Riders, more repetitive (but thankfully optional) missions and clunky level design in some places with Radical Highway being just plain bad.
   • The Rivals are fought in the wrong locations (Metal Sonic in Casino Night, Shadow in Radical Highway, and Silver in Tropical Resort), all of them are races, and Silver at first is seen RUNNING instead of flying, which looks odd and unfitting.
   • Also, despite there being special stages and Chaos Emeralds, you cannot turn into Super Sonic.
7. In the PC version, the Xbox 360 button inputs will still be displayed when playing with a keyboard. The problem was repeated in Lost World until it was eventually fixed in Forces.
8. Bad framerate drops on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions during heavy action sequences, especially on the latter. (Though like Sonic Unleashed, it got backwards compatibility with the Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X and remastered. So it was just another thing ahead of its time.)
9. While Modern Sonic's controls are still good, jumping can sometimes be a pain since it covers little distance and it’s hard to turn once you jump. Modern Sonic also has a very short jumping height which can also be a pain in stages like Crisis City and Rooftop Run. It would've been slightly easier to jump if the game had brought back the double jump mechanic from Sonic Colors.
   • The controls in the Modern Sonic stages can be unresponsive at times, like in Rooftop Run where jumping and boosting often won't work, leading to Sonic falling off of platforms or running into obstacles.
   • Both Sonic's have a very slow get up animation when they get knocked over.
   • Classic Sonic doesn’t fare much better. While the physics are still good, they feel somewhat heavy and turning after breaking takes a bit too long (though the physics are still way better than Sonic the Hedgehog 4).
10. It lacks any real challenge and getting S and A Ranks is easier than it should.

Reception

Sonic Generations is considered by many to be the best Sonic game in a long time and Sonic's true return to being good after the disaster of Sonic '06, at least until Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric brought the franchise back into decline.

Tips

• If you go to the Collection Room, hold the back button and you will find a secret Statue Room hidden in the game. To get statues, use the codes to add them.

Trivia

• Ports for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable and Wii of the game were planned, but they were canceled.
• Due to what's mentioned in BQ#1, it's been theorized that the Time Eater can restore erased timelines.

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