Sonic Generations - Xbox 360 Reviews

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This game is such an accomplishment, such an amazing pinnacle of achievement, and such a beautiful mesh of gaming new and old-fused together underneath the bright red shoes and fleet feet of the world's most famous hedgehog. This game has finally done sonic justice, and has all the intense action and fun of sonic adventure 1 and 2, with the addition of that classic platforming brilliance of the sonic 1,2,3, and knuckles era. The level design and adaptation are incredible, bosses are true to form, as well as the feel and overall atmosphere of the game. The levels are INSANELY fast paced...and feel actually well, FUN! I have been a diehard sonic fan for years, and have become discouraged with alot of Sega's decisions...however this game takes the cake; and rights all previous wrongs. All the glitches have been fixed, and the game flows so continually and fluidly-(without the stupid side characters or annoying mini missions). There are other challenges which allow you to purchase upgrades from the shop-including the complete original sonic 1 game from the Sega Genesis console.

On top of this..there is so SO much more...the bosses, the music, OOOH GOD THE MUSIC

I have never felt this much nostalgia from just one game...and if you are either a sonic fan or ever enjoyed a sonic game...then you HAVE to pick up generations today.

Sonic is back and, although he may have skidded, slipped, or slid a bit here and there, he is running harder and faster than ever before...20 years later and never better.

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It seems like that due to Sonic Colors, Sega's finally taken 3D Sonic games to the right direction. It's further proven with the release of Sonic Generations, a game that takes nearly all of Sonic's history and compacts it into one game, with new levels in those familiar environments! Naturally, we Sonic fans were all hyped. And what's even better is that the final product was no letdown.

Sonic Generations starts you off in the classic Green Hill Zone, re-imagined with entirely new level design, semi-remixed versions of the catchy level music, and brilliant graphical details! Once you start playing, it feels just like the Genesis Sonic games all over again, with the addition of X letting you automatically Spin-Dash (Although the original "Down+A" combination is still there), and...B to crouch ("Down" still present too).

In case you didn't get enough of the game's from-the-start brilliance, there's also the Dreamcast-era Modern Sonic, who, like in Sonic Colors, is complete with Boosting, Homing Attack, etc. He gets his own versions of the background music as well. Since Sega's finally doing it right for 3D Sonic games, playing as Modern Sonic is just fun as it is playing as his old pot-bellied counterpart.

Remember when there were scenes like that giant truck chasing Sonic down a road in Sonic Adventure 2? Sonic racing Metal Sonic? Shadow? How about that time when he ventured through the Sky Sanctuary, and nearly drowned in the pink water from Chemical Plant Zone? You get to relive all of that in this game, and these events fit perfectly with the game's new level layouts (The giant truck can destroy some construction sites, changing those bits of level design for Classic Sonic!).

Of all that Sonic had gone through, though, there are only 9 Zones in Generations, representing games like Sonics 1, 2, 3, Adventure, Adventure 2, Next-Gen (The 2006 game, but thankfully, its Zone, Crisis City is actually a lot of fun here), Unleashed, and, of course, the recent Sonic Colors. You would probably think that the game is as short/long as the Genesis games, and while you could say that, there are lots and lots of challenges and achievements you can do and get, making the replay value grow largely.

Even if you did beat the game by completing its minimal requirements, you can't hide the fact that you have enjoyed the thrill ride throughout, from beginning to end. Happy Birthday, Sonic....

UPDATE (7/4/2012): As I was looking at this recently on Amazon, I realized the prices have dipped for both new and used copies of the game! Now that you can find it for under $20, there's absolutely NO excuse to skip this game!

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Following on from last years platforming masterclass Sonic colours, Sonic Team returns to celebrate 20 years of the blue blur with Sonic Generations. Here Modern Sonic (the long quilled, homing attacking, boosting trickster from Sonic Adventure onwards) teams up with his former self Classic Sonic (the short, tubby, Spin Attacking, Spin Dashing hog of the 16-Bit era) via a time travelling plot involving an outer space beastie know as the Time Eater. As a 20 year celebration each of SG's nine stages have been selected from nine previous games in the series spanning three erasClassic, Dreamcast & Modern. All redesigned with entirely new layouts. Acts 1 are played with C Sonic as strictly side scrolling 2D levels (albeit stunningly rendered using the hedgehog engine) and Acts 2 are played with M Sonic were you will mostly be running into the screen at ridiculous speeds. A game for every Sonic fan then, genius. The nine stages are unlocked three at a time once you have cleared all acts of the current era as both Sonics in addition to a few of each stages' own Challenge Acts (more about them later).

Classic Sonic Overview

This is what all the old fans have been waiting for. Ever since the release of last years craptastic Sonic 4 Sega fans worldwide have been clamouring for a return of the original hog from the early 90's. C Sonic can run, jump, roll, Spin Attack, Spin Dash and that's it. In the original games Yuji Naka's expert coding created an unrealistic pinball feel to Sonic's physics were he could build momentum bouncing from one enemy to another. For SG C Sonic uses the Havok engine to create a more realistic feeling of momentum and as such the player can no longer build momentum chaining enemy attacks. Also C Sonic's jump is slightly gimpedhe can't quite jump as far as he could in the classics after a small run up. But the main area in which ST have dropped the ball is the rolling. The roll friction is too high when going downhill causing Sonic to slowdown when he should be speeding up. Bizarrely this problem does not occur on flats were he can travel in a ball for some distance. To accommodate this deficiency the Spin Dash has been souped up and levels tend to be platform orientated. One noticeable exception to this is Chemical Plant which like the original is a mass of ramps and loops but to get him rolling at the correct speed he is sent through a series of boosters. Another anomaly are the invisible boosts at the top of most ramps throughout the game which overshoot Sonic into the air by meters. You more than build up enough momentum to clear them all without the unnecessary boosts (especially when using the overpowered Spin Dash) so why they exist is a mystery. Overall this is a valiant attempt at re-creating the Classic Sonic gameplay. The speed is there (the running itself improved over the originals), the physics are correct and veterans will get a big kick out of playing as the short spikey once again. But next to the classics? The gameplay is nowhere near as good.

Modern Sonic Overview

Modern Sonic's gameplay is the best it's ever been in Generations. As fusion of the Unleashed & Colours play styles Sonic primarily sprints into the screen but every so often switches to a 2D perspective to hop platforms. 3D sections revolve around the boost (built up by collecting rings and performing air tricks similar to Colours), the quick step (a lightning fast side step used to avoid obstacles), and of course the homing attack which can be used in either perspective to lock onto and destroy enemies. Due to their incredible speed M Sonic's acts are often more exhilarating than C Sonic, the downside to this being they also feel a lot more on-rails and linear despite the equal amount of branching routes due of the numerous choke points and fixed 3D angle camera making it difficult/impossible to backtrack. If C Sonic's acts are built for exploration M Sonic's are all about speed. The difference being you can also speed run the classic levels but the Modern Acts do not offer the same flexibility if you want to travel in any direction other than forwards. When played as the developer intended the Modern stages are a blast and there is nothing like executing a perfect run through Green Hill Act 2 (probably the greatest Modern Sonic level ever created) chaining boosts/homing attacks/air combos to achieve your best time. Boss/Rival battles of which there are six in the game are mostly handled by M Sonic with only the first two (from the Mega Drive era) played with the little guy. Once you have learnt their patterns Boss/Rivals are quite easy and best played on hard mode. Taking on Sonic Adventure's Perfect Chaos to the tune of 'Open your heart' by Crush 40 being a particular highlight.

Negatives

Aside from C Sonic's roll being broke there aren't too many. On the whole level design is of high quality but both acts of Planet Wisp are a letdown. In Act 1 the player only gets access to the Spikes Wisp, and in Act 2 we only get Rocket. This removes the puzzle element of the original Planet Wisp (Sonic Colours) were the player could use all eight Wisps to find secrets and access faster routes and because the same two Wisps are spammed they're not as fun. Another disappointing aspect is the stage selection. Of the nine stages we get four cities and two 'Hill's and while the cities are all very different a more diverse line up would have been nice. I really could have done without Seaside Hill and Rooftop Run in favour of something more distinct such as Hang Castle & Chun Nan. My final gripe concerns the Challenge Acts. Each stage once complete unlocks a series of challenges that range from races with doppelgangers to treasure hunting. They're a nice extra to help pad out content but being forced to backtrack and complete a few for each stage before the next era unlocks disrupts the flow of the game and feels like a chore.

Conclusion

Negatives aside Sonic Generations is a spectacular anniversary title the likes of which have never been seen. Making both Sonic's playable was a masterstroke and to finally play as Classic Sonic again, now in glorious 2.5D is a joy to behold. Sonic Team have out done themselves with the level design which often surpasses the Mega Drive games. Standout levels include City Escape Act 1 in which the pursuing GUN truck actually alters level geometry depending on how fast you are and the maddening Crisis City Act 1 which requires precision platforming skills but once mastered provides great satisfaction. S Ranks are easier to attain here than in previous outings and rely on memorising routes. The cut scenes also deserve mention as another highlight where C Sonic's distinct personality comes through despite the fact he is mute. There is a wealth of extra music, artwork & character upgrades awaiting those who unlock all achievements, all stages provide huge replay value and there is a great final boss battle which I won't spoil. Do not listen to negative reviews about this game. Framerate issues are barely noticible and do not affect gameplay at all. If you're a Sonic fan of any era, or even just a casual Platformer fan you can't afford to miss this one. Happy 20th Sonic!

Honest reviews on Sonic Generations - Xbox 360

Wow........just wow........my boy made a comeback :). This game is what die hard sonic fans have been waiting for. Also, with this game, it shows the new generations of gamers why sonic is such an iconic figure in gaming. For years Sonic has been on "vacation", appearing on sad sad games with his nemisis Mario >.>. Bouncing around from game to game, making cameos, appearing on defferent games, milk cartons, and various street corners across america. Well!!! The Blue Blur has finally got off of his blue rump and put it into overdrive with this game.....*tear,sniff*, i'm so proud of you!! :D

OK! So here we go! This game is fast! I mean Fast! Probably the fastest installment in the sonic series to date, which is good, 'cause that means that he is getting back to his roots instead of following the bland platform games that have graced consoles as of lately. In this game you play as both, past sonic (small, chunky, spunky, and silent), and you also play as future sonic (all atitude, super-fast, all sonic.) You get to roll through some of the greatest sonic stages put together from past sonic games from the 90's on up, AND, you get to do them as both, past sonic and future sonic.

Alot of old friends appear in this game, well, i guess they would have to appear since they were KIDNAPPED O.O!! Hey, no one said that the story line was a top 10 N.Y. best sellers list candidate. :p. So yeah, sonic was chillin' at his B-day party his peeps through for him, you know, munchin' on a chilidog, when WHAM!!! a space time continu...um??? Thingy!? Popped out of the sky, and swipped up his friends!!! WOOOOSH!!! Now sonic is out to try to free his friends and save the day again since the plummer in the red hat can careless about Tails.

Both sonics are fun to play as. Past sonic is more reminiscent of the original games from back in the early 90's. A little platform mixed with 2d/3d changes. The enviroments are amazing looking, and you can easily get lost in it if your not careful. Future sonic is FAST!!!! I mean FAST!!!! He zips through stages at remarkable speed. Sometimes a little to fast. :p Now, every game has its draw backs and this game is of no exception. When running with Sonic, if you get hit, the speed stops instantly. It can slow down your momentum for a bit. Also, there are not to many boss battles to get involved in. But,these cons verses the pros really do not hurt the game in the least bit. You can purchase upgrades for the Blue Blur and run through a few challanges that a fun.

This game is a giant step in the right direction for Sonic, and i hope it is a taste of things to come. I'll give this game a 4.5 well deserving stars out of 5. Happy Birthday Sonic, and welcome back to the limelight! You were missed. :)

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Sonic has gone through some tough times; he hasn't had an easy life. Not counting his multiple failures after the two solid efforts that were the Sonic Adventure games last generation, Sonic had the worst 15th birthday ever, where he stumbled out of the pub after partying too hard and fell right on his face. To put it bluntly, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was one of the most poorly made games I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing, due to an awful camera, poor level design, terrible physics and character movement, and glitches galore.

Later on we'd see Sonic Unleashed, which was definitely a step in the right direction -until they revealed that half of the game would be played as the "Werehog". The other half, despite a few issues, offered what you'd expect out of a 3D evolution of the 2D formula. However, due to the introduction of the "Werehog," it just seemed that SEGA had no interest in making a pure Sonic game that was actually good.

Then came the Wii exclusive known as Sonic Colors, which was the beginning of Sonic's comeback. While the Wisps put a new spin on Sonic's formula, Sonic Colors was undeniably a Sonic game, and a pretty great one because of its well designed levels, art direction, music, and just epic space opera tone.

Following in the success of Sonic Colors, we now have Sonic Generations, which is the return of old school Sonic along with new school Sonic. The gameplay is excellent; the graphics are colorful and crisp; the old music and the remixes are tremendous; the hub world is classy and easy to navigate; Sonic is back and impresses on every front in Sonic Generations. Buy this game now!