Ranking the Modern Era Sonic Games ('24)

         Jesus Christ, “Modern Era” is a horrible name for a period since it will eventually stop being modern. The Modern Era for Sonic technically begins at Sonic Rush, which launched on the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog, the conclusion of the Dreamcast Era. So this is the longest Sonic era, spanning just over 18 years. Fortunately, or unfortunately the number of mainline games we received isn’t too high, so I don’t need to write too much more compared to my previous takes.

         Since the other journals   are not on this platform, I’ll give a recap of my opinions on the nine Sonic games from the previous two eras.

         Beginning with the Classic Era, Sonic CD is the worst, having poor level design, a confused goal on what it wants to be, a horrible new gimmick and laziness since its levels mirror Sonic 1’s so much. Sonic 2 is better, but I’m not a fan of its terrible design in the second half as well; its limited continues and atrocious final boss give that game a negative taste in my mouth. Sonic 1 is good, then Sonic 3 & Knuckles is my favourite. However, I prefer the Sonic & Knuckles half to Sonic 3 for being the more consistent experience.

         With the Dreamcast Era, Sonic Heroes is one of the worst games in the franchise. Its gameplay is broken, it has annoying voice acting, the tone is too childish, and it’s repetitive. Sonic Adventure is mediocre; when you’re not playing as Sonic and Tails, the game is simply boring. Shadow the Hedgehog has many flaws, but I enjoy its overall gameplay and wish it had simply abandoned the poor mission structure; Expert Mode is the game we should’ve gotten. Lastly, Sonic Adventure 2 is a good game in my opinion. I appreciate it for trying to add maturity to the franchise tone-wise and having the best controls in a 3D Sonic game.

         In the Modern Era, the mainline games are Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Sonic Unleashed (two versions), Sonic Colours, Sonic Generations, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces and Sonic Frontiers. While Secret Rings and Black Knight are not considered mainline games, I’m going to include them because I see very little reason not to. They’re on-rail games with small platforming elements, not unlike the later boost games. Additionally, they’re canon, as weird as that is; they’re the only Sonic spin-offs with the honour of being canon. Therefore, we have eleven new games to talk about. I will try to abridge them as much as possible for that reason.

         What are Vanilla’s thoughts on these modern Sonic games? Let’s find out, from worst to best. Note: I have not seen Sonic Superstars, so that cannot be included.

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         EXCLUDED: SONIC LOST WORLD (2013)
         Sonic Lost World is the only main Sonic game I have never played extensively, along with Superstars. However, I can still give some thoughts.

         While not a fan of the art style, I respect the decision to try to get the game running at 60 FPS. Oh, it was totally for Mega Drive nostalgia, but that benefit cannot be understated. The only other Sonic game to run at 60 FPS in this era beforehand was Sonic 2006, and this game is nicer to look at.

         The game’s parkour system was a great idea—a fresh take on Sonic to lessen the boosting of the past three games. While the execution seemed to be mixed in Lost World, the idea was solid, and I’m disappointed that Forces reverted to the boost formula.

         Those are where positives end. This is the most Nintendo-like Sonic game. It’s like it got hit with the Mario curse. In the 3DS and Wii U period, Mario had this problem of being obsessed with NES nostalgia. Mario 3 elements crept into the main games and spin-offs, and it was fatiguing, notably with the level tropes. I say Sonic Lost World get with this as well, as its levels follow a structure not dissimilar to that of a New Super Mario Bros. game. Sonic starts in a grassy land, he goes to a desert, he goes to a water-based world, etc.

         Even if Mario wasn’t annoying me with its repetition, I’d still criticise Lost World. The levels lack creativity compared to past entries. The most creative is Dessert Ruins, and even then, the food gimmick makes the level feel out of place in Desert Ruins. It’s like it was a beta level that they threw into the final product.

         Music-wise, the game is nothing to write home about. I love the theme for Windy Hill, but I can’t remember anything else. Though I’m not going to say it’s a bad soundtrack.

         Most of my complaints revolve around the story, believe it or not. This is the third Sonic game written by that American duo, Ken Pontac and Warren Graff, and it doesn’t see much improvement from the past two games.

         Worse than that, Lost World has extreme tonal issues. Other games handled a darker tone poorly, such as Shadow the Hedgehog. One even went too far in the opposite direction, namely Sonic Heroes. But Lost World is unique in that it’s constantly struggling to figure out what it wants to be. At times the game is as childish and lighthearted as Colours and Generations. Yet at other times, it wants to be more serious, and it ends up succeeding in neither field.

         The characters are the largest source of frustration. Credit where it’s due, Sonic is fine. He doesn’t annoy me like he can in some other titles.

         Amy and Knuckles just don’t have anything to do in this game. I’d rather not have had them included if all they were going to do was give Sonic status reports on Earth’s condition. Their being drained of life means little in the grand scheme since we don’t focus on Earth at all, and I don’t feel tension when only Amy and Knuckles seem affected.

         Doctor Eggman is a mixed bag. When they’re writing him comedically, it fails like in the other games with these writers. Yet when they’re making him more serious, it surprisingly works. The only problem is that the balance isn’t there; the transitions feel erratic. It’s odd for Eggman to be cartoonishly silly in one cutscene, than coldly serious in the next one.

         Tails is the most annoying returning character in this title. All the inconsistency problems are on full display with him. Sometimes he’s calm; sometimes he’s a wuss. Sometimes he’s perfectly rationa; sometimes he’s a bitch on his period. The big scene I can’t stand with him is when he’s mad that Sonic wants Eggman’s help. At no point in the past did Tails get angry at Sonic for working with Eggman, so why now? It makes even less sense here considering that Eggman’s robots are the main enemies with the Deadly Six. Having Eggman on the heroes’ side only helps the duo.

         What’s more ridiculous is that the game tries to pretend like Tails was in the right since Eggman betrays them in the end. Firstly, Eggman’s betrayal is also nonsensical. It makes no sense, and it’s only there because this era was obsessed with having Eggman be the final boss again, no matter the reason. And secondly, Tails had no reason to suspect that Eggman would betray them or hinder their goals. In every past game, yes, the status quo has been reset. But Eggman and the heroes would at least be on decent terms for a while after the conflict settled. They want to play Tails off as a genius in this game, but he’s the largest idiot on the team.

         And man, these writers just never understood Tails. In all three games they wrote, Tails is nothing but a one-note autistic science geek. They could’ve explored more with him, but in effect, it’s like what happened to Sandy in SpongeBob when that series hit its fourth season. You know, it’s easier to write a character when you’re only focusing on one gimmick.

         I was going to rant about the Deadly Six, but there is so little I can say about them. They’re one-dimensional villains, and whatever attempts of humour they provide tend to fall short. Fat jokes? It takes effort to make one funny. Of them, I guess Zazz is my favourite because he and Sonic share the one interaction that made me laugh: Sonic’s sarcastic “maybe” is actually hilarious. Zeena or the fat one is the most annoying of the bunch.

         Lost World had good ideas in the gameplay department, but a seemingly mediocre execution and terrible story. Since the presentation isn’t anything to brag about either, it’s no wonder this is such a forgettable title.

         Oh, there is a 3DS version of the game. But every issue from the Wii U version seems amplified there, and levels are apparently dragged out. Not recommended.

         NUMBER 10 – SONIC AND THE SECRET RINGS (2007)
         Did you know that this was originally a Wii port of Sonic 2006? Now you understand why it turned out the way it did.

         Secret Rings has the worst controls of any mainline Sonic game. What’s worse than the character being stiff or slippery? The character not responding to inputs. Tying Sonic’s movement to the Wii Remote’s motion controls was an abysmal decision. Sonic not only feels delayed compared to other games, but it’s uncomfortable. It’s not convenient to shake the whole controller to perform a Homing Attack. More often than not, my deaths are caused by the game not registering my motions.

         The gameplay isn’t anything special either. It’s very on-rails and linear. I suspect it was done this way to save budget and to justify the controls method. However, the result is that most the levels are boring hallways. And sometimes their design can make the controls even more of a headache, such as when 2D sections are used.

         If you didn’t like Shadow the Hedgehog or Heroes’ Team Chaotix story because of the missions, Secret Rings has them again. I’d argue they’re worse here. In the other games, they at least make it clear what is mandatory, and Shadow gives some flexibility with the order; you can ignore the atrocious Artificial Chaos mission in Lost Impact, for example. Here, a huge issue is that the game gives you missions without telling you which ones further the plot. Therefore, a lot of time is wasted.

         Related to that, the game has structural issues with the story. It’s loose in what order you tackle levels in. I appreciate the nudge to more open design, but it results in everything feeling unfocused. I didn’t replay it recently, but I remember it being possible to not fight the first boss until the end of the game. That’s bad design. It causes multiple contradictions in the plot, on top of simply feeling sloppy from a navigation perspective.

         The story itself isn’t anything special. They throw Sonic into Arabian Nights. They replace some of the characters with Sonic stand-ins, but they have no meaningful effect on the plot. I don’t care for Shara or Majin Buu, and I don’t like this game’s presentation on the whole. Again, I can appreciate the effort, replicating an ancient book art style to save on animating 3D cutscenes. But the yellow filter puts me to sleep. I’m believe I’m in the minority where I think the cutscenes in the sequel have a much better art style.

         Speaking of the presentation, the music is irritating. All you hear within the menus is Make Beliefs Be Balls. I know that’s not the name of the song, but that’s all I hear after a while. Seven Rings in Hand is a decent song, just overplayed. I like that some of the other themes have vocals, but this is not a memorable soundtrack on the whole. I remember Who’s Gonna Rock the Place more from Cobermani (what happened to that dude?) than this game.

         To give Secret Rings credit, it’s the first “mainline” game to include a Homing Attack reticule. That’s appreciated since it was funky in some old games, notably Shadow the Hedgehog. And the concept of abilities is a great thing. Sonic 2006 played with the concept, but Secret Rings handles it better, more like an RPG with limited points and whatnot. Some mock the idea that you have to make Sonic faster through abilities, but in these linear 3D games where anything can go wrong, I see little issue. It’s hard to keep everything natural like in 2D.

         The 4Kids cast is still in this game on the English side, and most fans agree that this is when they started to sound good in their roles. I think they actually sound fine in Sonic 2006, but yeah, they’re better here. Although it is distracting that Shara and Blaze share the same actress. On top of that, funny to hear Jason Griffith’s Werehog voice be used for Sonic’s darker form in this game, a whole year before Unleashed.

         Additionally, the Party Mode is pretty fun. Don’t get me wrong, this is a shameless rip-off of Mario Party. But it’s better than the main game because it’s ripping off something good. It’s surprisingly deep for a side mode, having tons of minigames and board styles. It’s a better Mario Party clone than the official Mario Party clone from 2000.

         However, even this little mode makes me rank this game lower. For some reason, aside from the first player, you’re allowed to use the GameCube controller in that mode. It’s not a glitch; they have graphics for it and everything. Whenever sound needs to come out the controller, they replace it with on-screen graphics or vibration.

         I’m not even going to rant about this option being excluded from the first player. If you included the option to use the GameCube controller for the multiplayer mode, why would you not let players use it for the main mode? Or the brand new Classic Controller? If we could move Sonic with an analogue stick, this game would probably be the second-worst on the list. But since we’re stuck with these awful controls, it is my least favourite Sonic game of all time.

         NUMBER 9 – SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2006)
         I originally thought this was a beloved game because of how often people talked about it on the Internet. I had no idea it was so hated until later on. And, well, it’s entirely justified.

         To start, I hate whenever franchises try to pull this shit of reverting to the original name. It’s more understandable in this game’s case because I believe it was intended to be a full reboot of Sonic. However, it’s treated like canon, and later games still reference the past ones, so the reboot nature is lost. Most call it Sonic ’06; at the time it was called Sonic Next Gen; I call it Sonic 2006.

         I’m going to defend some elements of this game first.

         I don’t think it was a bad idea to put Sonic in a more realistic world. Everyone mocks the idea, but it was coming for a while. Since Adventure, more emphasis had been put onto the human-populated Earth. The change in art style, while jarring, could’ve worked. Even Eggman’s design is overhated in my opinion; his nipples are hilarious, but otherwise, I think he works in this new style. The real problem comes from the execution, and I’ll touch on that with the graphics later. In CG, these characters shine.

         I… I find Princess Elise attractive. Do not misconstrue me. She is a terrible character who doesn’t affect the plot as much as she should. She feels more like an object than Princess Peach in the Mario series. I just like her design. Although her nylons confused the hell out of me as a kid; I thought her legs were just tanned.

         Plus, she’s played by Elija Thornberry, and I always found that girl oddly cute growing up.

         Related to that… I kind of like the kiss scene. Again, let me explain. I just have this very passionate love for kissing, and the idea of her kissing me in my sleep—especially if some tongue is involved—excites me. However, it is a terrible scene in the context of this game. While I don’t mind the idea of animals and humans being close in Sonic, due to the animals just being people, the bestiality concerns were inevitable with portraying this in canon. Such a poor decision.

         Most people agree that the music is golden, and I’m no different. Dreams of an Absolution (especially the later LB vs JS Remix) is my favourite vocal theme of the franchise, and His World (Zebrahead) is close behind. The music quality in this title feels like an apology for Shadow the Hedgehog mostly having average tunes.

         Lastly, I appreciate the game still trying to tell a serious narrative. After Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Team could’ve easily done a 180° and made the game as childish as Sonic Heroes.

         With those praises out the way, this game is a disaster.

         I’m going to debunk something right off the bat. Many will tell you that this is one of the worst games of all time because of how it’s programmed. They’re not incorrect. Sonic 2006 has many bugs. The ability meter doesn’t drain for Sonic alone, causing his powerups to be ridiculously overpowered. Knuckles and Rouge don’t know how to jump off walls. The load times are poor, especially for a DVD game. The game has many problems with its physics, graphics and even audio in places.

         However, I am sick to death of one claim. That if you fixed all of these things, this would be a good game. For years, people clamoured for a remastered that could fix all of the issues. But you can’t fix something that has a broken core.

         Sonic 2006’s very design is bad. Let’s take the multiple characters. Simply put, there are too many of them. Considering you mostly play as Sonic, Shadow and Silver, it feels jarring to switch to anybody else. Sonic Heroes got away with a large cast because in reality, each team was its own character. They all played very similarly. In Sonic 2006, though there is overlap, they’re all treated like their own unique characters, and that takes time away from the main ones.

         The only side character who’s fun to use is Blaze. She’s essentially Sonic but more chaotic, and some even argue she’s better to control than Sonic. Everyone else is frustrating to utilise, especially Knuckles and Rouge.

         Not to mention, they’re all so slow. Every last one of them. This is an even slower game than Sonic 1 with its speed cap.

         While Sonic can be frustrating when it’s too fast, it’s utterly boring when it’s too slow. And worst of all, one of the slowest characters in the game is Silver. He’s a main character, and navigating the hub worlds with him is agonisingly brutal. You lose nothing of value if these characters could move faster.

         The slow pace is furthered by the combat, which is way worse than anything in the past two games. Heroes’ combat is annoying. Shadow’s combat is similar, but at least guns speed it up. In both games, you can also jump to damage enemies. In Sonic 2006, the jump doesn’t protect the player. Therefore, combat always comes down to spamming a single attack over and over. You don’t get guns like Shadow or the various Power Formation attacks in Heroes; just spam the jump or attack button over and over.

         This extends to boss battles. Iblis, the form that fights Sonic and Shadow, is one of the slowest fights I’ve experienced in recent memory. It is nothing but a waiting game, again, for no reason.

         I mentioned the hub worlds, and they’re so large. That would be fine if you could travel quickly, but you can’t. And additionally, at least in Sonic Adventure, the only one you could get very lost in was Mystic Ruins’ forest. Sonic 2006 adds a map to the hubs, yet I still can’t navigate these places because they don’t have many areas that stand out. It’s like navigating a level in Chaotix. The worst is easily the green one; no, I won’t remember its name.

         Oh, the town missions. They’re shitty too. Not only are most of them boring as hell, but they had the nerve to give you four load times to complete a single one. And each of them is around 15 seconds long. You spend more time loading than playing the town mission. And one of the mandatory ones, searching for the city’s captain, can kiss my ass. Who is going to know that they should talk to the guy who gives them the mission? More importantly, how is that funny? Maybe I’d be chuckling if it didn’t eat up a minute of time with loading, and tons of time spent looking for the dude.

         On that note, this is not a great looking game. The higher resolution is nice, but the humans look terrible; they looked better in Shadow the Hedgehog due to the styling. This was a transition a lot of developers were making, where humans began to look uncanny on the HD machines. And Sonic 2006 has some of the worst graphics in this regard.

         The non-human elements aren’t much better. Likely from being unfinished, none of the characters emote in this title. Sonic never smiles within the game engine. Tails has a constant frown. Elise almost always looks worried. Their faces are such a downgrade from even the Heroes/Shadow models. This transfers to body language as well, with most the characters moving stiffly. The game’s cinematography in cutscenes is lacking compared to Sonic Adventure 2’s.

         I can get over the lip-sync being off since they prioritised Japanese first like in the Adventure games. But everything else about these cutscenes is horrible. Oh, and this is one of those games where your system needs to be in Japanese for you to hear the native audio. That’s annoying. I hate when modern games do this; let me customise within the game.

         Lastly, this game’s story is horrible. I won’t even bother covering Sonic’s due to the absolute nothing that happens.

         The time travel element is something I don’t like in other franchises, and this is no exception. Not because of the paradox question, but it often feels like a plot device you do when you have no ideas. At least this game doesn’t use it for a nostalgia excuse like a certain later title.

         Everything about Elise and Solaris’ relationship is stupid. Why is Elise not allowed to cry? Why that action? This plot would make more sense if there were something about her that’d have to snap for Solaris to be released, like extreme anger. But crying? I cried when I got into arguments as a kid. How the hell was she expected not to cry for the rest of her entire life?

         Mephelis’ first form is embarrassingly lazy, looking like an unfinished fan model. But once he gets his crystalised form, he actually looks somewhat cool. Many praise him in this game, and I can’t disagree. He is easily the most entertaining character to watch, and hey, he kills Sonic. That’s something Eggman never achieved.

         In fact, Shadow’s story is a constant point of praise of this game. I do think it’s overrated, but I agree that it is the best of them. If only because Team Dark has an interesting dynamic, including the relationship with Eggman. Shadow and Eggman seem to not like each other, yet they also have respect for one another in a way, which this game depicts well. I also like the addition of Shadow’s rings containing his true power; it’s a total retcon, I believe borrowed from Sonic X, but it adds a bit more intrigue to his abilities.

         What do I think about this game being pointless with the final scene? I mean, fitting way to end a shitty game with a “it was all a dream” scenario. Not literally, but you know what I mean.

         I like this game more than Secret Rings because it controls better; it’s very stiff, but it never felt like the controls were unresponsive. Plus, I like the music better, the story has more going on, and there is more platforming.

         But Sonic 2006 is terrible. If you think Sonic 2006 is a good game, you need your ass whooped, plainly put. I can understand liking it in a weird way, but don’t try to argue with me that it is a quality product. Sega has been and should be ashamed of this game; it should’ve been delayed to 2007, if nothing else but to ship a working title to the masses.

         Plus, Sonic 2006 has cursed this franchise for so long. After this point, Sega and Sonic Team have been terrified to release games with any elements similar to this one. Until Frontiers, no mainline 3D Sonic had true multiple characters, the games stopped trying to tell deeper stories, much of the cast got reduced, and overall, the franchise played it more safe. While I can’t directly blame Sonic 2006 for this, how Sega/Sonic Team reacted to the infamy doesn’t do the game any favours in my eyes.

         NUMBER 8 – SONIC FORCES (2017)
         I’m struggling to write about this game. It is the most “nothing” Sonic game in recent time.

         The story has all the tone issues of Lost World. It tries harder to take itself seriously, I’ll give it that. But in execution, it falls flat on its face. Part of the overall issue is that the game doesn’t feel like there are any real stakes. Sonic is freed very early, and once he is, I don’t feel like Eggman is a threat any longer. Plus, I hate that plot point anyway. Did the world really crumble to its knees all because Sonic was defeated? Kind of a Dragon Ball issue where everyone wants to rely on Goku.

         They try to have a big scene with all the heroes uniting in the end, but I just don’t care. None of you could do anything to Eggman, so why I am convinced the tide will turn just because you have two Sonics? Two Sonics who, might I add, have less abilities than their friends.

         There’s no meat to the story at all. The only new character, Infinite, has a lame backstory. He’s mad that Shadow called him weak. This is Sonic Heroes level of cheesy. The other villains don’t get much to do since they’re illusions. Zavok can’t settle a score with Sonic because he’s not there. Chaos and Shadow are fake as well. While I think this was a good decision since it wouldn’t make sense for any of them to work with Eggman, they shouldn’t have lied to us in the story to begin with. And Metal Sonic, like usual, is a trash can. He does nothing.

         I also don’t like Classic Sonic being in this game. I don’t like that they retcon him to being an alternate dimension version of our Sonic. They already retconned him into being a younger form in Generations. Why do this? Just because Mania was hot? Maybe it was an excuse to explain why there are more 2D games, as shoving stuff between Sonic & Knuckles and Adventure could hurt the timeline. But eh… He still didn’t need to cross over in this game.

         That relates to gameplay. This fat turd controls like a brick. I know his physics in Generations aren’t accurate either, but goddamn, they weren’t this bad. You can run downhill in Chemical Plant, and he won’t gain momentum. Yet if you curl into a ball, this fool skyrockets. Classic Sonic feels like he was thrown in at the last minute, and he is unquestionably the worst part of Sonic Forces.

         How about the avatar gameplay? Well, it’s just Modern Sonic’s gameplay but with Wisps, so I might as well merge the two. Modern Sonic’s boost gameplay returns after Lost World removed it. However, it is terrible in this game. While the controls are okay, the real issue comes from the level design. “Boost to win” was a meme since the Unleashed days, and one I thought was very stupid from the beginning. But it is the truth in Forces; there are levels where you can barely move, and Sonic will win with a high rank. It is the most scripted boost game of them all, and as such, it’s the least satisfying to play.

         I’m also not huge on the QTE sequences. They return from Unleashed, and to their credit, they are more cinematic here. But they’re so easy that the game, again, feels like it’s playing itself. Boss battles are equally as pathetic.

         Back to the avatar, I like the customisation (they really are scared to show these characters’ blob feet nowadays), and I think many fans got a kick out of knowing they were helping Sonic and co. But the avatar’s inclusion really feels trivial since they can’t talk. It’d be like if most the cutscenes were based on Classic Sonic. I get why they didn’t want to add voices, but they should’ve gone the Tony Hawk route of having the characters speak. Because, let’s be blunt, that silent protagonist trope is dated. There is a good reason many high-profile games have stopped using it.

         I don’t have strong opinions on the music, other than liking Infinite’s theme. It’s stupidly edgy, but I just accept that. Graphically, the game is very good. My only complaint is Modern Sonic having the Classic Sonic colour, likely for more nostalgia points. Otherwise (sans Switch), the game runs at a smooth 60 FPS and a high resolution. Unleashed HD has nicer worlds, but this game’s sharpness is something that game never managed. I particularly like whenever there’s a dark level here due to the lighting effects.

         I never completed this game 100%. I stopped the moment I beat it, which was very quick. You can beat it in a single session easily compared to other entries. So the game is not only half-baked on the gameplay, but it’s barely got content worth returning to.

         It’s better than the previous two games because it’s at least functional. But this is still a bad game. I don’t subscribe to that belief that a game is average just for being competently programmed. A game functioning is the bare minimum, not an automatic seal of quality. Sonic Forces was a disappointing follow-up to both Mania and Lost World.

         NUMBER 7 – SONIC COLOURS (2010)
         Sonic Colours is weird. It was incredibly loved when it released, but later on, the fan reception to this game has turned more middling. Some still adore, but many will openly admit that they think it’s mediocre or bad. Similarly to how Adventure 2’s reception changed over the years.

         Firstly, that remaster was atrocious. I don’t care what you think about Colours; the game deserved way better than that garbage released on modern platforms.

         In fact, Colours is the hardest of these games to return to. It is a fantastic-looking Wii title. It is to the Wii with Unleashed is to the 360/PS3—an absolute technical marvel as far as the visuals are concerned. Planet Wisp is impressive with the grass blades, Starlight Carnival is beautiful, and there is so much detail in the background where you wouldn’t find any in other Wii software.

         Compared to Unleashed SD two years earlier, this looks like a generational leap. That game was clearly limited by the PS2’s older power, while this pushed the Wii to the max.

         But that’s the problem. Until the shitty remaster, it was exclusively a Wii game. That console maxes out at 480p, which isn’t inherently bad, but Colours makes the mistake of zooming the camera out often. It results in Sonic being very difficult to make out, as so few pixels store him. If you’ve played Super Smash Bros. Brawl, think of how bad the camera got on stages like New Pork City, and you’ll understand.

         The cutscenes are pre-rendered, so they look on par with the ones from Unleashed. Less fancy lighting, but good graphics overall.

         The soundtrack to Colours, while not entirely my cup of tea, has some bangers. I love Aquarium Park’s music especially. The piano notes get me every time, and it just throws so much nostalgia into me.

         I also like the Colours has Super Sonic be optional. While we’re used to it now, this was a novelty after years of him being locked to final segments. Plus, the way you unlock him is excellent. Requiring players to search out the Red Rings was smart, and that the Sonic Simulator can be played multiplayer definitely gives it bonus points.

         But for all of Colours’ positives, it has many negatives. They may not break the game for others, so I get why many call this a great game. But for me…

         To start, most of this game is 2D. I believe this came down to technical limits. With how advanced they made the graphics, if it were entirely 3D and more open, it would tank the Wii’s performance. I think going 2D was the right decision, but it makes the few 3D segments that exist really disappointing, as they’re nothing but linear corridors. Often, they have scripted controls so that Sonic can’t move freely.

         Although, maybe that was for the better, as Sonic’s handling in this game is janky. This is the heaviest he has ever felt in a boost title, with Unleashed SD being very close competition. Thankfully, because the game is 2D, stomping to halt his progress is easy. But the few times you can move around in 3D, Sonic moves like shit.

         The controls are suspect as well. They removed the ability to do native drifting or Quick Steps, instead forcing them in specific sections. If I had to guess why, it’s because this game lets you play with the Wii Remote by itself. And with that scheme, there are not enough buttons for all these moves. It’s disappointing, as if this game were designed with the Classic Controller from the start, he could’ve handled like he does in Unleashed HD.

         I’m not a fan of the Wisps. While they’re unique on a first playthrough, it does feel a little shitty that some of Sonic’s old techniques are locked to them. Most frustratingly, he cannot do the Light Dash without the Green Hover Wisp. I can see how they add replayability for others, but I find that the game often forces you to use them anyway, so they feel more like an intrusion. They further support the idea that this game was 2D-planned, as half of them can’t be used in 3D.

         On that note, sucks that we’ve still never been able to control Sonic himself underwater in 3D. All the segments in this game are 2D.

         The boss battles are normally bad, but this game does something older games didn’t. It recycles boss fights. I can understand what they were going for, but since every fight (sans one) is so easy, it feels lazy.

         And finally with my complaints, Colours’ level design feels most comparable to Sonic 1 and Sonic CD. In both those games, there were levels that kept Sonic from moving as fast as possible, often being blocky or largely vertical. Colours leans more on the Sonic 1 side, containing many blocky platforming segments. This would be fine for one level, but replay it, and you’ll notice that so much of the terrain is jagged. It’s not a huge peg against the game, but it can makes its levels less comfortable to traverse than those from Unleashed.

         On a positive note, the final boss is good. Nega Wisp Armor does what Sonic boss fights failed to do for a long time and still fail to do. It tests what the player has learnt. All the 3D segments with limited Quick Step manoeuvres? Check. The 2D gameplay? Check. It’s a simple running boss fight at its core, but it ends the game on the good note. Which is great since Terminal Velocity is a pretty disappointing level.

         You know, the more I write about Colours, the more positives I do find with this game. It’s still not a favourite of mine, but I have to say, I’d play it over Sonic Heroes any day. It’d be maybe a 4.9/10, perfectly serviceable on a first playthrough, but just a smidge below average. Not a bad title, however. We’re finally getting some quality.

         Oh yeah, there is a DS version. It’s alright. I haven’t played it in years, but it’s basically Sonic Rush 3 without Blaze and with Wisps. People praise that one a lot, so emulate it if you’ve got the chance.

         NUMBER 6 – SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT (2009)
         It’s a shame the storybook series concluded with this game. It was a mess, but it had potential if they let it grow out.

         Compared to its predecessor, this game is a masterpiece. The fact that you can move Sonic with the Control Stick immediately makes it playable. I also like levels more, as they feature tighter design and less cheap areas.

         That said, Black Knight is still Secret Rings 2. And that means it’s very on-rails. Whenever Sonic’s in an open field, you can only move forward swinging your sword. I think the game definitely should’ve allowed you to move more freely, even if it took a bit longer to come out. After all, it’s at odds with the open-looking levels in parts.

         The sword gameplay bothered many people at launch. I’m not offended by the idea of Sonic wielding a sword, just like I’m not offended by Shadow wielding a gun. However, I have the same problem as I do with Shadow, in that Sonic does not need a sword. It’s lame, but every character can kill someone from simply jumping into them. Why need a sword to do what legs do for free? Mario benefits from a hammer, and he mainly uses it in the RPGs. Sonic having a sword in a game similar to the other main ones just doesn’t fit.

         Regarding the gameplay itself, it’s a Wii game. You’re swinging the controller a lot, and it’s more exhausting than Secret Rings. True, it’s more stimulating and it functions, but the sword doesn’t mimic your movement one to one. Instead, each swing is like it’s own scripted hit. Had they replaced this with buttons on a Classic Controller, you could get a similar experience.

         The ability system from Secret Rings is gone as well. I think it has some item system replacement, but I just never utilised this to any meaningful degree. I remember nothing of it.

         Black Knight overall still doesn’t creep above being a mediocre experience. It’s less offensive than Secret Rings, but a lot of the core gameplay still isn’t that fun. Fortunately, there are a lot of smaller things the game does that makes me kinder to it.

         How about the art style? These cutscenes are so much nicer on the eyes than their Secret Rings counterparts. It’s a watercolour style that’s more vibrant despite the darker location. And without the yellow tint, the images are clearer. And while many of the townspeople look inbred as shit, I think Merlina can rank in Top 10 Attractive Sonic Females. Anyone else?

         The music is better, too. Specifically the vocal themes. I’ve gushed about this in a now-deleted journal, but With Me, Live Life, Through the Fire, Fight the Knight, Knight of the Wind—all of them are some of my favourites in this franchise. Four out of five are Crush 40, too, so that’s impressive. Well, With Me has a Crush 40 version, but I prefer the original take. That song is awesome because it works perfectly from both Merlina’s POV and Sonic’s by the end of the game.

         Speaking of that, the story is better. It’s nothing amazing, but it’s a lot clearer in direction than Secret Rings since you can’t do things out of order so easily. I especially like that they made Merlina the final boss of the game, revealing she has a desire to never die. Not only does that make her Sonic’s only female main antagonist, but she has an understandable motivation for her actions. So many fail at writing a basic villain—looking at you, Pokémon—yet Sonic Team succeeded here.

         The game’s ending is good, too. I like how mature Sonic feels in this entry compared to some previous ones. I had noticed in the past that it seemed with every English voice actor, Sonic’s personality changed. Ryan Drummond had him very energised and “rad”, Roger Craig Smith had him more sarcastic and laid back, while Jason Griffith here portrays him as more noble. I think that shines most in this game with Sonic essentially explaining how there’s beauty in the finite.

         Black Knight has some other cool things like multiple playable characters, a fanart gallery and some remixes to older tunes. One final point to Secret Rings is that it has a much better multiplayer mode. The games we got in Black Knight are not fun.

         Overall, a very mediocre game, but one I also respect for many non-gameplay reasons.

         NUMBER 5 – SONIC FRONTIERS (2022)
         The most recent Sonic game we have. Well, I’ve written a whole journal   about my feelings on this game around its launch, so I recommend reading that for the full experience.

         Sonic Frontiers is a potential good step in the right direction, but it fails in execution.

         I’m okay with the concept of the open world. It’s unfortunate that the world itself is uninteresting to explore. It's like Rockstar Games and Insomniac Games are the only companies brave enough to put out open titles with cities and people. Running around an empty desert is not interesting.

         Graphically, well, it’s also quite boring. I’m not bothered by the pop-in on PS4, but the islands really needed some life in order to be engaging. I thought this when the trailers launched. Musically, it’s the same story. Vocal themes are a banger, but everything else is too atmospheric for it’s own good. It really wanted to be Sonic’s take on Breath of the Wild, and I hate the minimal soundtrack in Tears of the Kingdom, too. I get it’s hard for an open game to have a soundtrack that won’t annoy the player, but in a franchise like Sonic, you need memorable tunes.

         The combat is surprisingly fun. It’s no Kingdom Hearts or God of War, but I’m surprised they made it work well. And the boss battles are the best in a Sonic game, at least until the finale.

         The boost stages… I was way too lenient on them in my initial review. Those physics suck ass. They are shit. Everything about those stages is terrible, and they feel like they were chucked into the game at the last minute.

         And the story just isn’t interesting. Like Forces, I like that it tried to be more serious. In fact, it succeeded here for the most part, unlike that game. But with all the characters trapped in a void except for Sage and Sonic, you can only have such an appealing narrative. I hate Sage. She is annoyingly cryptic. And she doesn’t really deserve any redemption at the end since she’s barely a villain. If she were an actual villain, I might like her. But as is, she’s another Eggman pawn who we’ll probably be stuck with for a while.

         There’s not much I can add to my original review. Other than that I’ve since played the free DLC. I haven’t beaten it, though. I do not like how any of these new characters feel; they control so much worse than Sonic. Amy and Knuckles’ Homing Attacks being delayed really messes me up, and the game just doesn’t take advantage of them. It could’ve if they were planned from the start, like they should’ve been.

         Here’s hoping the sequel improves on all these issues.

         NUMBER 4 – SONIC GENERATIONS (2011)
         I can sum up my feelings on Generations very concisely. I like half of the game.

         Let me be real; if I come back to Generations, it is not for Classic Sonic. There is a reason most the PC mods focus on Modern Sonic. He’s clearly the more fun of the two, making Classic seem boring in comparison. And knowing that, it’s a damn shame since each Sonic only gets nine levels. I’d rather have eighteen for Modern Sonic, even if they were two acts of the same zone.

         Since I can dismiss Classic Sonic, what do I like about Modern Sonic in this title? He controls better than the Unleashed boost gameplay. It’s way easier to stay on platforms, the drift is perfect, and the Homing Attack isn’t on the boost button anymore. My only gripes are the short-ranged Air Dash and that he still can’t Light Dash unless it’s scripted.

         Comparing the levels to Unleashed HD’s, there are overall less cheap moments. Generations is an easier game on the whole, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Unleashed HD, after all, is infamous for being brutally hard in places. Sonic’s reduced speed this time around helps a ton. The framerate being smoother is another benefit, at the cost of some worse lighting. My favourite stage in the game is easily City Escape, as I view it as a great upgrade to the original game’s opening stage. My least favourite is also Planet Wisp because of that name. The Wisps are back, and they’re way worse this time around because they’re 100% forced. You only get Rocket for Modern Sonic as well, so it’s a limited experience. All the other levels are good, though.

         Quality-wise, this is one of the best Sonic games. Planet Wisp is the only low point of the game. And yet…

         It’s just not that special for me. I think because the game lacks its own identity. It’s a nostalgia callback game, the first this franchise has ever done in the main series. Well, Sonic 4 was an attempt, but it screwed the pooch so hard.

         As a love letter to Sonic fans, Generations does a solid job. But when you step away from the context of its release, though it holds up gameplay-wise, it doesn’t have much outside of that.

         The story is non-existent, a huge let down since the concept of visiting past levels could’ve had tons of potential. One of my favourite moments in the game is Sonic’s new encounter with Perfect Chaos. For one, it’s awesome to see Chaos with that blue mask that it was supposed to have on Dreamcast. Secondly, it’s a cool showing of Sonic’s growth, that he can take down Chaos without needing the Chaos Emeralds. But with some story context, it could’ve been even stronger.

         The cast is also greatly shafted in this game. You get small interactions with them, but nothing plot-wise. The only characters that have anything to do are Sonic, Tails and their younger forms. And with the predecessor and successor both only having Sonic and Tails, Generations feels even less special.

         I have one small complaint. It bothers me that there are no references to Shadow the Hedgehog. If only because there is a subset of people who believe that Shadow isn’t a mainline game because it wasn’t included in this one. Which is false for numerous reasons. I get that Sonic having a whole level would’ve been weird since he’s not the main character, and the SA2 Shadow fight was iconic. But I don’t know, have Modern Sonic team up with Diablon to take Shadow down. I would’ve liked that, as it would’ve had fully original gameplay too, similar to what happened with Egg Dragoon.

         That, and the level choices could’ve been better. This is not the developers’ fault, as I believe they were fan-selected, at least in Japan. But the result is that a lot of the game takes place in cities. If I had my own choice, I’d go with Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Flying Battery, Twinkle Park, City Escape, Frog Forest, Crisis City, Dragon Road and Starlight Carnival.

         Disappointing that this game never got DLC levels like Unleashed HD, as it was ripe for the opportunity.

         Oh, and I almost forgot the 3DS version developed by Dimps. Yeah, that one was the best-selling version (Nintendo just has more Sonic fans, I guess), but it’s so much worse. Both Sonics play the same, with the only difference being a boost. While the 3DS game has different stages, it’s less content and lazier content. The Classic Era reuses layouts for Classic Sonic’s stages, there are only two Dreamcast Era stages, and there are only two Modern Era stages. Very weird that a Sonic Rush level is included, as while it is in the right era, it’s not a mainline game. This version of the game is nothing to get hyped about.

         Most the soundtrack is entirely recycled, just given remixes. So, this game doesn’t rank that high by default. My favourite update is probably Rooftop Run Modern; I think the added violin gives it more life than its Unleashed counterpart, which could feel a bit boring. I’m also a fan of the new Open Your Heart remix; it sounds a bit darker or grungier, fitting with the notably darker Station Square and Perfect Chaos. My least favourite remix is easily Classic Planet Wisp; that level cannot get a break.

         Lastly of note, because it’s of interest to me, is that this is the first Sonic game to have European dubbing. In the past, we only ever got English and Japanese voices, with the other four main languages being subtitled. But ever since this game, Sonic games come with Spanish (Spain), German, French and Italian dubs. It must’ve been a jarring transition, and I’m sure some will stick to the EN/JA voices, but it’s cool nevertheless. Especially since some return from Sonic X in those regions.

         Generations is a good game, it really is. I respect it, and I can have fun with it. I just wish it had more of its own identity.

         NUMBER 3 – SONIC MANIA (2017)
         It’s pretty sad that the only Sonic game I can call good in the past ten years wasn’t made by Sonic Team. Sonic Mania is very much a return to form for Sonic, being another nostalgia celebration. And that is one of the game’s problems right there: it is too nostalgia heavy. I get why; it’s better for marketing than going with an original concept. But it left many disappointed, especially with Generations only being six years old at that point.

         Really, that’s my only big issue with Mania. The original stages are cool, but you wish there were more of them. There was definitely fatigue around this period, and it follows us to this day. Forces would release with the same beginning, starting in Green Hill before going to Chemical Plant. Frontiers did the exact same years later, just with a hub in between, and adding Sky Sanctuary. Sonic has a huge nostalgia issue.

         Also, some classic mechanics needed tweaking. Crush deaths have been bad since Sonic 1, and they’re just as terrible here. In fact, they’re worse in this newer engine because it’s so much more precise. Just have him be flattened and slow down if he’s crushed, as that motivates the player to want to move quickly. Dying always feels cheap since you often can’t anticipate crush deaths, like with the blocks in Chemical Plant or Titanic Monarch’s platforms.

         Outside of all this, Mania is a great 2D Sonic game. In fact, it’s so good, I find it difficult to talk about. Hard to talk about this franchise unless it’s screwing up, I guess.

         The animation style they use for the cinematics is neat. It clearly takes inspiration from the Sonic CD scenes, but it has enough uniqueness to feel distinct. It has pretty much become the new style for 2D Sonic animation as of late, which is fine, at least for the Classic Era art style.

         The game’s soundtrack is good, although it’s worth nothing that much of it is from past games, like Generations. So when we’re just looking at the original tunes… They’re good, just not super memorable for me. The exception is Mirage Saloon, especially Knuckles’ Act 1. I love that tune’s western vibe.

         I don’t like that it needed DLC; I firmly believe games should launch with all potential content. But what it added was cool, namely Mighty and Ray. Their last playable versions were in Chaotix and SegaSonic the Hedgehog respectively; this is Ray’s first playable appearance on a console. And at least with the patches and DLC, they’re largely fixing minor issues, as Mania launched as a very solid game.

         I do wish more had been done with the story. Just like Generations, this whole time travel and dimensional stuff is ripe for cool character interactions and whatnot. But it falls short again. As is, it just feels like these characters are going from level to level for no real reason. Whereas in Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD and Sonic 3K, it was a consistent path on one land to reach Eggman.

         Sonic Mania’s existence also negates Sonic 4, which makes me very happy. If you wonder why Sonic 4 isn’t on this list, it’s because it’s no longer a main game. Even if Mania hadn’t existed, I’d be hesitant to add Sonic 4. That game was not worthy of that title, being a bad-mediocre mobile remake of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 that just happened to get on consoles. And it was split into episodes for an arc they never completed. Sonic 4 being confirmed wiped from the timeline is one of the greatest things Mania did.

         Respect for Sega for making a physical release, too. It could’ve easily been digital-exclusive, as often publishers only make physical versions for the Switch nowadays if it’s a small game. The original is digital on PS4, but the Plus version is physical, which is a win for me.

         And I can’t stress enough how much better this game is than Forces. In fact, that kind of jades me to Mania a bit. Not for any fault of the game itself, but rather disappointment in Sonic Team. Because you had two games release right next to each other—a great classic one and a bad modern one—it reaffirmed the notion that Modern Sonic is horrible.

         For that reason, I kind of wish Mania wasn’t modelled after the classics. Specifically in the art style. In my ideal world, we’d have 2D games with the modern characters, just like how we had Sonic Advance, Sonic Rush and Sonic Rivals. I just don’t like having to refer to two separate versions of these characters like they’re entirely different people, but Mania and Forces force me to because they establish that future 2D games will now be in a different dimension.

         Overall, Mania is a great title. I do prefer Sonic 3 & Knuckles on the whole, but Mania is a close second. I think if it wasn’t so nostalgia-heavy and had a better plot, I could put it above Sonic 3K.

         NUMBER 2 – SONIC UNLEASHED [HD] (2008)
         Well, just like Sonic Frontiers, I already made a journal   detailing my opinion on this game. But let’s summarise what I love and don’t love about Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

         With negatives, I don’t like the Sun and Moon Medals; they grind the game to a halt, especially requiring 120 Sun Medals to unlock the penultimate level. It’s nothing but boring padding. I’m also not a fan of how easy it is to die in the daytime stages, the fact that the Homing Attack and boost share the same button, levels not being designed for Sonic’s drifting, and I wish the Werehog levels were a bit shorter.

         However, I still really like Unleashed HD. I consider it the best-looking Sonic game to this day. Yes, it has that ugly sub-720p resolution, and the framerate is ass. Frontiers technically uses better effects. But the art style makes a huge difference. The worlds in Unleashed are so vibrant and full of lush life, whereas the worlds in Frontiers are drab and boring. It helps that Unleashed clearly had a bigger budget than most other Sonic games. Not only did it get two console versions made, but all the CG scenes in this game look fantastic. Three of them aren’t even mandatory, just bonus material thrown in by the studio. And while outside the game, Night of the Werehog is pretty entertaining.

         I’m a fan of Sonic going to these different countries. It really lives up to the game’s Japanese name, Sonic World Adventure. It’s especially nice in this version how matriculate they were with details such as a country’s food.

         Similarly to Frontiers, Unleashed has decent boss battles, too. Mainly on the Werehog side, showing how Sonic bosses are really at their best when hand-to-hand combat is involved. That Egg Dragoon sequence with Sonic obliterating the robot is fantastic.

         I’d say more about Unleashed, but well…

         NUMBER 1 – SONIC UNLEASHED [SD] (2008)
         A lot of what I say about the HD version transfers to its SD cousin. This version was released for PlayStation 2 (NA/PAL only) and Wii. Critics liked it more at the time, while fans dismissed it as a shitty version compared to the true HD game.

         This is my favourite Sonic game of all time, and I also explain why in that journal.

         Everything about the presentation holds up true, at least for the cutscenes. But the game itself still looks pretty good, especially for a PlayStation 2 title. This is hardware originating from around 1999, and aside from some visual effects, it holds up decently against the Wii version. And unlike Heroes and Shadow on the same machine, Unleashed is such a well-optimised title. It runs at 480p, and it runs at a stable 30 FPS. I don’t know why Sega wanted to release it on PS2, but I appreciate having my favourite boost formula Sonic game on my favourite console.

         The daytime levels are superior in this version. They’re emptier than their HD counterparts, but the challenge is more fair. And since the boost is split into segments, you’re not constantly holding down the button the whole time; you have to be more strategic to take shortcuts.

         The night levels are inferior, but they’re overall closer in quality than the daytime levels in both versions. In fact, because they’re cut into separate acts, they feel a lot less like a slog to get through than in the HD version. Four small acts of Arid Sands, where you can save and stop, is better than one lengthy act of Arid Sands.

         The HD version has the better hubs. It also has more special CG cutscenes. Unfortunately, the SD version is missing two levels; one is understandable, but the other is important in the plot, so only having a boss is jarring.

         However, the SD version has better unlockables because this is what you use the medals for. All you need to do to beat the game is do the required levels and missions. Without Sun and Moon Medals interrupting the flow, the game is a much smoother experience. It also helps that most the bosses are the same, and the two that are different are superior to their HD counterparts. Whereas Dark Gaia slows the pace to a crawl on the fancier systems, on PS2/Wii, it’s fun to fight the beast.

         Unleashed’s story may just be a rip-off of Adventure’s, but at least it doesn’t get on my nerves like other games. Chip is cute (if you play in Japanese), Tails at least has some purpose, and after Sonic 2006’s confusing narrative, this was a much needed breath of fresh air.

         The soundtrack is also fantastic. Some rag on the instruments all being synthesised, and yeah, it shows in some parts like the final boss tune. But most of these songs get listened to often by me. The night themes are very cool because they’re jazzy, but even the day themes have their winners such as Windmill Isle Day. I also like how the title theme has a motif repeated throughout various tunes, ala Super Mario World. You hear it on the rank screen (they even play badly if you get the worst rank), you hear it in both main boss tunes, and you hear it in a certain menu depending on the version (Stats Screen for SD, Pickle’s Lab for HD). The SD version has a win over its HD brother, too. You hear the Gaia Gate theme for more than a single cutscene.

         My least favourite element of Unleashed SD is that I just wish it had more content. Its gameplay is great, but most the optional daytime levels are only a minute long.

         It is the first Sonic game I ever owned, so I’m always going to have a nostalgic sentiment towards it. But even past that, I think my reasons for calling it my favourite are pretty solid.

CONCLUSION AND OVERALL RANKING
From best to worst, this is how I rank the mainline Sonic games:
1. Sonic Unleashed (SD)
2. Sonic Adventure 2
3. Sonic & Knuckles
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
5. Sonic Unleashed (HD)
6. Shadow the Hedgehog
7. Sonic Mania
8. Sonic Generations
9. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
10. Sonic Frontiers
11. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
12. Sonic Adventure
13. Sonic and the Black Knight
14. Sonic Lost World [haven’t played]
15. Sonic the Hedgehog CD
16. Sonic Colours
17. Sonic Heroes
18. Sonic Forces
19. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
20. Sonic and the Secret Rings

         I’ll explain why a few games are where they are, just to ease potential confusion.

         I put Sonic CD above Colours because it controls better, and I’m just able to replay it more often and have a good time. I don’t like its time travel mechanics or level design, but in a strange way, I’m still able to have a little bit of fun with it. It goes to show just how strong the classic physics system is.

         Sonic 2 is above Adventure because at least I really enjoy playing Sonic 2 up until Oil Ocean. With Adventure, I can’t help but be bored with most of what it offers.

         Sonic Heroes is above Forces because it doesn’t feel nearly as lacking. As much as I loathe the decision to force the player to replay the same game four times, Heroes feels like it has more meat on a single playthrough than Forces has. Even being a game with shitty controls, broken physics and inexcusable glitches, just like with CD, I am able to have fun with Heroes from time to time. When the stars align, usually with Team Sonic, it can be an okay experience. Forces never reaches any highs that Heroes reaches. Plus, Heroes has a superior soundtrack and use of the cast.

         Shadow is above Mania because I’m just a fan of 3D Sonic more than 2D Sonic. 2D Sonic is fun, but it has to be excellent to rank above my favourite 3D software. Mania is a better game than Shadow; Shadow has poor design in plenty of areas. I just have more fun with Shadow.

         Really, the only games I consider bad on this list are the last four. That is impressive given how bad Sonic can be in its spin-offs, let alone the lengths to its awfulness in the main series. Heroes, Forces, Sonic 2006 and Secret Rings are the low points of the franchise. Secret Rings is the worst because of its horrible controls and confusing structure, though Sonic 2006 definitely damaged this franchise to this day.

         I come away from this honestly smiling. Because after all this reflecting, it is nice to know that my liking of Sonic doesn’t just have to do with nostalgia or the characters.

         Aside from Frontiers being shaky, the rest of the Top 10 I can call decent or better. And that’s fine; Sonic should aim to be good, but being decent is still something to be praised. The Top 5 I have no issue calling good. And for the Bottom 10 to mostly be average makes it seem like Sonic’s quality isn’t that terrible.

         I want this franchise to pump out more quality in its main games, and to have more quality spin-offs as well. I’m not sure if it can do that, but hey, here’s to hoping.

         This is the part where you give your input. You agree with my choices, disagree with my choices, or have specific feelings on these modern games? I’m all for a discussion, so go ahead and type.