Teach me how to Sonic

[Teggy]

I never played any Sonic games in their heyday and while I've downloaded the original Sonic on Live, I've never really understood how to play it. It's not like a Mario platformer it seems - are you supposed to run as fast as you possibly can through the level, or are you supposed to stop and collect rings or find alternate paths?

I picked up Sonic Generations, and while the more modern 3D levels seem a bit more straightforward in that you're supposed to rush through them, the 2D levels I'm less clear on.

[EngineNo9]

are you supposed to run as fast as you possibly can through the level, or are you supposed to stop and collect rings or find alternate paths?

This was always my problem with the Sonic games, the core speedy gameplay is counter to the levels that have so much you want to find and explore.  I think you're supposed to speed through them, but my tendency was to always explore the alternate paths and such.  

[heloder]

Trying to speed through them at first is a good way to get to the Game Over screen in a hurry. Take it easy until you know the levels well; then you can go through them quickly if you wish (and once you're good enough you'll be able to get the rings quickly as well).

Sonic 1 is a good game, but Sonic 2 is the best because it adds the spin dash maneuver (down + jump) which makes it a lot easier to dispatch enemies and get through the levels quickly. Plus I just think the levels are much better than any of the other games. Having said that, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD are all good games as well. I tried playing Sonic Rush but I just really dislike that engine. Never tried any of the other modern games.

I could be biased though because 2 was the first one I played, and I played it a lot. I can complete the game in well under an hour these days with maybe one or two deaths tops.

[Bullwinkle]

Put me in the never quite having gotten Sonic camp.  But I always buy them, thinking I'm missing something.  The Sonic Rush games on GBA were the ones that clicked best for me.

I think, one thing that keeps Sonic in the old-school category is that the levels are meant to be played multiple times.  More so than in other games.  You're meant to explore in order to find the fastest route and then plow through until you set an incredible time using that route.

[Caine]

You can play them either way,TBH.  rushing gets you through with a minimum chance of dying, but exploring is good if you want to look for extra lives or power ups.  The biggest drive to rush is in Sonic CD. That one has a extra rewards system tied to your total time played.  Is also my favorite of them all for that reason and for the 4 different takes on each level ( past, current, bad future, good future)