Sonic the Hedgehogis a beloved franchise, sometimes despite its own best efforts to be a raging dumpster fire. The 2020 film was one of the best (and only) films of 2020 despite all its flaws, which is indicative of boththe good and the badofSonic.The franchise certainly has earned its place in people’s hearts as well its place in pop culture as a laughing stock.
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While greatSonicgames are truly great, the bad ones are downright atrocious, so low quality that most other franchises wouldn’t have survived, but SEGA continues to make and releaseSonicgames at an alarming rate.
Updated September 2nd, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra:The Sonic franchise doesn’t really enjoy the heights it had reached at one point anymore. Now, most fans always have second thoughts whenever another game is announced in the series, which is indicative enough of just how far the franchise has fallen since its glory days. There’s really no middle ground when it comes to Sonic games — either the title is going to be the second coming of the Sonic series… or an atrocious mess that Sonic fans will criticize till the end of time.
20Worst: Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis (33)
To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of theSonicseries, a port of the originalSonic the Hedgehogtitle was released for the Game Boy Advance. However, unlike the original classic, this version was a mess that most fans hated with a passion.
The major issue withSonic The Hedgehog Genesiswas that the game’s technical performance was absolutely atrocious on the Game Boy Advance. It seemed that the team took the catchphrase “Gotta Go Fast!” too literally and spent the least amount of time possible on this unplayable mess.
19Best: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (82)
Sonicis no stranger to kart games, with some titles being significantly better than others.Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformedis one such title that was certainly one of the better kart games to be released.
The game nails the most important aspect of kart games that is necessary to ensure success — fun factor! The exciting art style and fast-paced action makes for a great party game that will keep players on the edge of their seats for every race.
18Worst: Sonic Free Riders (47)
Sonic Free Riderswas doomed to fail from the moment it was launched. For starters, the game was slated to be a launch title for the Kinect, which is already enough to justify its failure for the majority of people who are aware of just how much of a failure the Kinect really is.
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Along with this, the game also featured poor motion controls and a lackadaisical story mode that felt like an afterthought. Players looking for a goodSonicracing game should steer well away fromSonic Free Riders.
17Best: Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I (81)
WhileSonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode IIwas an atrocious mess that most people would like to forget, the same can’t be said for its predecessor.Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Iwas a great game that played around with both new and established mechanics to great effect.
The game wasn’t groundbreaking by any means but was still a decent enough title forSonicfans to enjoy. The Wii version was definitely the best release, earning a respectable 81 rating on Metacritic.
16Worst: Sonic Adventure (48)
Sonic Adventurewasn’t a bad title by any means when it was released, but one has to admit that the game hasn’t aged well at all. This was abundantly clear when the game was released on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.
Newcomers to theSonicfranchise will definitely not be convinced by playing this janky title, which can be a downright pain to get through at times. Players are better off trying out more modern titles instead if they want a more balanced viewpoint on theSonicseries.
15Best: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (82)
This entry refers primarily to the Xbox 360 Arcade port of the classic title, but is overall still a recognition of the Genesis at its best. While the first game was a showcase of the Genesis’s speed and power as a gaming console, the sequel added in so much more for fans to love. New characters, faster levels, cooler set-pieces, and a great soundtrack help push the game over the edge.
Related:Sonic: Worst Things Dr. Eggman Has Ever Done, RankedIt can be argued whetherSonic 2orSonic 3is a better title, and most would likely go to bat forSonic 3. That game truly was a swan song for the Genesis, pushing everything about the console to its limits without the need for gimmicky add-ons (aside from the Knuckles cart). Sonic 2, while maybe not as bombastic, still has excellent platforming and is a great representative for the classic trilogy.
14Worst: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (54)
In 2010, following the trends of both episodic games and the resurgence of 2D platformers, Sega and Sonic Team releasedSonic the Hedgehog 4on digital markets and storefronts. The game, despite having designs for modern Sonic, was a direct sequel to the classic series of games. While critics were mostly fine with the game, they noted that there was something off about the physics engine of the game. It was outright a less satisfying experience to play compared to the Genesis classics as a result.
The 2012 follow-up,Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2would be the second title in a trilogy that would never reach completion. Although critics noted that physics issues were mostly mixed, the boss battles and level design lacked the flair and charm of the original series. It was limp and uninspired, and the price point was far from attractive for its length. That and the PC port was a bit of a garbage fire in terms of controls.
13Best: Sonic Rush (83)
The DS was home to a number of Sonic titles, and most of them weren’t even that bad. There was a wide selection of oddities, including a whole Bioware RPG set in the Sonic universe with some of the worst music the DS soundcard was capable of producing. However, the system also broughtSonic Rush, one of the fastest and finest platformers on the system.
The game was a follow-up to theSonic Advanceseries, cutting back a lot of Sonic’s friends while also adding the enigmatic Blaze the Cat, who quickly became a fan-favorite. Critics praised the game for its tight controls, great level design, and easy to pick-up and play gameplay. It was a refreshing take on the series that was celebrated asone of the best DS titlesof 2005.
12Worst: Sonic Shuffle (54)
Despite Sonic being so fast, it was always a shame to see him chasing trends during his peak years. This includes one of the most bizarre entries to the series that was an official product:Sonic Shuffle. The Dreamcast title from 2000 is clearly inspired by the success of Nintendo and Hudson Soft’sMario Partyseries, focusing on creating a digital board game with chaotic minigames.
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However,Sonic Shufflewould have been better off being a direct rip-off rather than trying its own thing with a story mode and extra layers. WhileMario Partyis like busting out a game likeSorry!,Sonic Shufflehad so many mechanics and rules that it made getting into a game a slog. This is not including long load times and slow gameplay overall. It, at least, isn’t the party game mode fromSonic and the Secret Rings, but that’s a low bar most things can clear easily.
11Best: Sonic Advance 2 (83)
TheSonic Advanceseries on the Gameboy Advance are regarded, in hindsight, as some of the best games from that era of Sonic’s life. While the 3D titles were fumbling in how to deliver fast and fun gameplay, the 2D successors on a portable console were running victory lap after victory lap.
Sonic Advance 2, according to critics, delivered some of the largest and most expansive 2D levels the series had seen to that point. Although it rehashes a lot of what the first title did, its biggest addition is more playable characters and levels tailor-made for those traits. Each character can approach the same level in different ways, leading to new and exciting strategies. Plus, the visuals are gorgeous for the console, full of color and life. The GBA series is certainly a shining beacon of the franchise’s glory days.
