Sonic Generations Xbox 360 Review

Let’s face it. Sonic hasn’t had the best luck in this generation of consoles, but frankly some of the very earliest Sonic games of this generation were probably some of the worst games to come out for the character. However that doesn’t mean that Sega hasn’t taken strides in making good Sonic games. The Nintendo DS games have actually been quite good, and the most recent Sonic Colors for the Wii was a huge step in the right direction. Now Sonic is going back in time a little bit with Sonic Generations. This game not only features the Sonic of the current generation but also the Sonic of the older generation.

Not surprisingly, Sonic Generations starts out at Green Hill just like the very first sonic game. Those familiar with the original Genesis game will feel right at home here. Other locations include the Chemical Plant and Sky Sanctuary. Other levels from other games make their appearance, but we don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Each of the stages contained within Sonic Generations contains two different parts, a 2-D stage and a 3-D stage. The 2-D stages are very similar to the side scrolling Genesis games. The 3-D stages are very similar to Sonic Adventure and the more recent Sonic games. It’s very interesting to see how Sega has crafted the old levels into 3-D worlds and vice versa with the newer levels. Every single Sonic game is represented by a level in Generations.

[singlepic id=5117 w=320 h=240 float=left]Several challenges are also available between the stages. One challenge is completing the level before time runs out. Sometimes this means that there will be many different obstacles in your way. Sometimes it’ll be in the form of objects blocking your path. Other times it’ll be a doppelgänger shooting weapons at you. These break up the action a little bit so you don’t have to play through all the levels straight through.

There are also Rival Battles that will come across in between the stages. For example when you have to battle against Metal Sonic, you have to try to continue to move quickly while the level behind you drops away. While that’s happening, Metal Sonic is attacking you with electric beams, spikes, and things that can kill you. If you aren’t fast enough you might end up in one of his traps. However if you defeat Metal Sonic or the other Rival Battles you’ll gain a Chaos Emerald. You gain a special bonus if you can collect all seven.

Some of the early Sonic games for the current generation were difficult to control. The controls within Sonic Generations actually work well. While you still are moving fast, you don’t feel like you’re moving so fast that you can’t control Sonic or direct his attacks. This is quite a change from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game that came out for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

[singlepic id=5119 w=320 h=240 float=right]The sound within Sonic Generations is very reminiscent of the older games. You’ll definitely recognize some of the tunes from the earlier games. If you’ve never played a Sonic game, they still have a very full sound. The pace is frantic, something you’d expect from such a fast character. You do get to hear Sonic’s voice in his newer incarnation. His voice is a little annoying, just like most of the other characters, but it is something I’ve come to expect from Sonic games.

If you like to relive your days of playing Sonic on the old consoles like the Genesis, then Sonic Generations is a great game to play. It really captures the magic of the older Sonic games while making the new 3-D stages very playable and enjoyable. Granted there will be some nostalgia factor for those of us who’ve actually played older Sonic games, but new players should feel very welcome to the gameplay. Take a look for Sonic Generations. You won’t be disappointed by the changes that have been made to make this a great experience.

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