Is it a step in the right direction, though? I like to think so, and if you're a Sonic fan, then I highly recommend this title. The boss battles are easy and control very badly. These sort of encounters add life and variety to the game that I haven’t seen since Sonic Adventure.
Some enemies with temporary electrical shields forced me to stop attacking blindly, while others had me jump around to avoid their laser blasts.
Old favorites like Buzz Bomber, Crabmeat, and EggRobo make their return! Every stage has a different set of enemies that forced me to switch up my strategy on how to hit them. Generations' use of different zones from the past two decades allows it to have a potpourri of foes for our hero to break. Defeating the same enemy over and over again can get very repetitive really fast. Sonic Colors had the same, mundane orange robot, originally from Sonic Heroes, in every level. The newer editions, on the other hand, have had very boring enemies. Is the game unvaried due to the same enemies?Ĭlassic Sonic games of the '90s would have a completely different set of " badniks" to face in every zone. Sonic hasn't felt like his old self in years. These are some of the small details that Sonic 4 failed to achieve. He gained momentum rolling down hills and actually stayed in a ball when launched into the air. I couldn't have been happier with how he handled. When I got a chance to play Generations earlier this year, the first thing I did was test Classic Sonic's physics. No more homing attack or weird "floaty" physics that better suit the modern stages. Generations’ gimmick addresses these complaints by reintroducing classic Sonic. Developers created his movement and attacks for the fast-paced, action gameplay of the 3D levels, so he doesn’t feel right on a 2D plane. In both games, though, you played as the modern Sonic. Sonic Colors also attracted similar gripes whenever the stages would shift to a sidescrolling view and platforming took the spotlight, which felt like 80 percent of the time. They complained that Sonic 4 not only let players use the homing attack, a big no-no for old-school aficionados, but also had awkward physics. Unfortunately, one of the common criticisms among fans was how it felt nothing like the classic series. Sonic 4 was supposed to be a spiritual reboot for the franchise - cocky enough to put a "4" in its title 16 years after the last numbered game. This is probably the biggest deal breaker for the hardcore. Not only does Modern Sonic spend some time on a 2D plane, but Classic Sonic's levels are also 100 percent sidescrolling fun.ĭoes Classic Sonic feel like the classic Sonic? Generations enables a similar solution but uses its two-Sonics gimmick to its advantage. The developers had to find some way to extend the game beyond a couple hours of play, so they introduce elements such as the battle-heavy werehog levels.įortunately, the developers for Sonic Colors figured out a better solution and removed the 3D segments in favor of more time on a 2D plane, which players can't blast through in seconds. Fans who like one Sonic over the other as well as those who miss enemies from previous titles will be happy to see Sega bring back old favorites.ĭo the tricks developers use to prolong the game work?Īnyone who's played Sonic Unleashed knows how ridiculously short the speed segments are even though they contain miles of digital road to blaze over. Simply having a mechanic that doesn't drastically change the formula ( Werehog levels, Sword battles) is a good start, as was in Sonic Colors' case, but it actually provides solutions to other common complaints. Instead, the developers are working with what's existed for years: two different styles of gameplay. This works well because Sonic Team isn't adding something alien to the franchise. Generations' gimmick is that the player can use either Classic or Modern Sonic to race along reimagined stages from his 20-year history. Even titles before it, like Sonic Heroes and the Sonic Adventure series, introduced new features unfamiliar to the franchise such as playing as characters nobody asked for. Whether this is true or not, every game since the critically bashed Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) contains a new mechanic that has been either hit or miss. A few years ago, a podcast mentioned that a Sega developer stated that every Sonic title required a gimmick.