Adventure 2 was an entirely new game barring an unlockable 3D version of Green Hill Zone, Genesis was a (terrible) port of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, and Generations brought levels from throughout Sonic’s history and remixed them into a fresh experience. It seems like Sega feels the need to make Sonic games more familiar and more nostalgic as time goes on. Looking at these titles, there’s a pattern that’s developed over the last fifteen years of the franchise. And five years ago, Sonic Generations came along celebrating twenty years of Sonic the Hedgehog and delivering a nostalgia-fueled adventure that pleased gamers and critics alike. For the 15th anniversary, Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Genesis for the Game Boy Advance – I don’t think I need to say anything else about those. For Sonic’s 10th anniversary, we got Sonic Adventure 2, which many gamers remember fondly to this day. Anniversary titles for Sonic have had a large range of responses throughout the years. Mania will bring back classic levels like Green Hill Zone and remix them, like Generations.įirst, it’s important to note that Mania was announced as part of the celebration of 25th anniversary of the Sonic series. And based off the game’s showcase at PAX West earlier this month, it looks like Mania might be the shot in the arm needed the beloved hedgehog desperately needs. The game is a 2D platformer that goes back to Sonic’s days on the Sega Genesis, the time that the majority of people agree was the hedgehog’s heyday. Instead, the other title, Sonic Mania, takes the spot as the nostalgic love letter to fans of the Blue Blur. One is a semi-sequel to Sonic Generations that will see Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic team up again, though it looks to be a completely new title instead of a celebration of Sonic’s history. Sega recently announced two new Sonic titles for 2017.
Though it looked like Sonic was headed towards a good path after the trainwreck that was Sonic ’06, it seems the hedgehog has fallen into another period of darkness.īut maybe not for long. The much-maligned Sonic Boom video games didn’t help matters at all. The underwhelming Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II and the frustrating-to-control Sonic Lost World made people question the direction of the series once again. Since 2012, Sonic games have received mixed to negative reviews from critics and fans alike. Sonic the Hedgehog’s been going through another rough patch as of late.