Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations | |
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Xbox Series X/S | |
Release | November 1, 2011
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multiplayer |
Sonic Generations
Development of Sonic Generations began following the completion of Unleashed. Sonic Team sought to re-imagine the most popular aspects of the franchise in
The game received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, selling 1.85 million copies by May 2012. Reviewers found its visuals, audio, and gameplay to be highlights, and called it a good tribute to the franchise. It also received some criticism, mostly for its occasional frame rate and control problems. Reception to the 3DS version was mixed; reviewers criticized its short length and design, and deemed it worse than Dimps' previous Sonic games. The Classic iteration of Sonic introduced in the game has continued to make appearances throughout the franchise.
A remaster of the game, Sonic X Shadow Generations,
Gameplay
Sonic Generations is a
The game's main hub is a realm called White Space, in which the player can explore, converse with other characters, and access the game's
Upon reaching the end of the level, players are given a grade based on their performance, with an "S" rank being the best and a "D" rank the worst.
Hidden around each act are five Red Star Rings.[6] Collecting these unlocks concept art, music, or, if all five are collected, a new ability. The concept art, as well as cutscenes and character profiles, can be viewed in a Collection Room, while music can be set to play in any level, mission, or boss. The game also features two forms of online leaderboards: "Ranking Attack", which challenges players to obtain the best time and score on each level, and "30 Second Trial", which challenges players to see how far they can get through a level in 30 seconds.[15] An emulation of the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog game, ported by Backbone Entertainment, can be unlocked in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.[16]
Levels
360/PS3/Windows | Nintendo 3DS | ||
---|---|---|---|
Stage | Original game | Stage | Original game |
Green Hill[17] | Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) | Green Hill[18] | Sonic the Hedgehog |
Chemical Plant[6] | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Casino Night[19] | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Sky Sanctuary[6] | Sonic & Knuckles | Mushroom Hill[19] | Sonic & Knuckles |
Speed Highway[6] | Sonic Adventure | Emerald Coast[19] | Sonic Adventure |
City Escape[20] | Sonic Adventure 2 | Radical Highway[19] | Sonic Adventure 2 |
Seaside Hill[6] | Sonic Heroes | Water Palace[19] | Sonic Rush |
Crisis City[21] | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) | Tropical Resort[19] | Sonic Colors |
Rooftop Run[22] | Sonic Unleashed | ||
Planet Wisp[6] | Sonic Colors |
Bosses
360/PS3/Windows | 3DS | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boss | Stage | Original game | Boss | Stage | Original game |
Metal Sonic[23] |
Stardust Speedway (Bad Future) | Sonic CD | Metal Sonic[19] | Casino Night | Sonic CD |
Death Egg Robot[24] | Death Egg | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Big Arm[25] | Launch Base | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 |
Shadow the Hedgehog[6] | Final Rush | Sonic Adventure 2 | Shadow the Hedgehog[19] | Radical Highway | Sonic Adventure 2 |
Perfect Chaos[24] | Station Square | Sonic Adventure | Biolizard[26] | Cannon's Core | Sonic Adventure 2 |
Silver the Hedgehog[6] |
Crisis City | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) |
Silver the Hedgehog[27] | Tropical Resort | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) |
Egg Dragoon[24] | Eggmanland | Sonic Unleashed | Egg Emperor[26] | Final Fortress | Sonic Heroes |
Time Eater[28] | Center of Time | Sonic Generations | Time Eater[28] | Center of Time | Sonic Generations |
Plot
After his previous defeat,
Modern Sonic and Tails eventually meet their Classic counterparts, and form an alliance to restore their world. The two travel through locations from their past they find in White Space, restoring them to normal. They rescue many of their friends, including
Development
Development of Sonic Generations began after the completion of Sonic Unleashed in 2008, when developer
The game makes use of the
In contrast to the casual-oriented Colors,
Music
The musical score of Sonic Generations was primarily composed and arranged by
Release
Sonic Generations was first revealed in August 2009, when Sega accidentally leaked a press release including information about the game, then under the working title Sonic Anniversary.[45] The company officially revealed the game on April 7, 2011, when they posted a teaser trailer on their Facebook page. The trailer depicted the two variants of Sonic running through Green Hill.[46] It was initially announced for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; the 3DS and Windows versions were leaked in a Sega Sammy Holdings financial earnings report.[47] The 3DS version was confirmed in an interview with Iizuka that was published in Nintendo Power.[31] A demo version featuring Classic Sonic's version of Green Hill was released on June 23, 2011, the twentieth anniversary of the original Sonic game's release.[48] A second demo, featuring Modern Sonic's Green Hill, was released on October 19, 2011.[49] Demo versions of the game were also playable at E3 2011 and the New York Comic Con.[50][51]
The console versions of Sonic Generations were first released in North America on November 1, 2011,
Downloadable and unofficial content
A
A variety of community-created
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
1Up.com | B[13] |
Eurogamer | 7/10[8] |
Famitsu | 35/40[67] |
GameSpot | 8/10[5] |
GamesRadar+ | (X360/PS3/PC)[6] (3DS)[68] |
IGN | 8.5/10 (X360/PS3/PC)[3] 7/10 (3DS)[9] |
Nintendo World Report | 7.5/10 (3DS)[69] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
GameZone | Best Presentation[70] |
IGN | Editor's Choice[3] |
The console and PC versions of Sonic Generations received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.[65][63][64] The game was also successful commercially, selling 1.85 million copies worldwide across all platforms by March 31, 2012.[71]
The game's presentation was well received. Nathan Meunier of GameSpot called the graphics arguably the best of the series, praising the detail put into recreating each level;[5] this statement was echoed by Tim Turi of Game Informer.[21] Jack DeVries and Brian Altano of IGN offered similar praise for the visuals, and described its remixed tracks as "cool" and its sound effects as "spot on".[3] Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer felt Sonic Generations was a worthy tribute to the Sonic franchise, though he still considered the franchise's previous entry, Sonic Colors, to be better.[8]
The gameplay was also positively received; critics praised its level design and replay value. Bob Mackey of
Some aspects of the game were criticized, however. Mackey criticized its occasional framerate issues and on-rails sections.
3DS version
In contrast to the console and PC versions, reviews for the 3DS version were "mixed or average", according to Metacritic,
Legacy
In 2017, GamesRadar named Sonic Generations the seventh best game of the Sonic series,
Years after its release, the game has remained as a strong seller for Sega.
On January 31, 2024, Sega announced a remaster, Sonic X Shadow Generations,[85] scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows in Q4 2024. In addition to updated visuals and additional content, the remaster will feature a new campaign starring Shadow the Hedgehog as he faces off against Black Doom and the Black Arms, the main antagonists of the 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog game.[86]
Notes
- ^ Nintendo 3DS version developed by Dimps. Ported to Windows by Devil's Details.
- ^ In Japan, the console version is known as Sonic Generations: White Space-time (ソニック ジェネレーションズ 白の時空, Sonikku Jenerēshonzu Shiro no Jikū), and the 3DS version is known as Sonic Generations: Blue Adventure (ソニック ジェネレーションズ 青の冒険, Sonikku Jenerēshonzu Ao no Bōken).
- ^ Japanese: ソニック × シャドウ ジェネレーションズ, Hepburn: Sonikku × Shadō Jenerēshonzu
- ^ In the 3DS version, players must complete special stages to obtain Chaos Emeralds.[14]
- ^ Not in the 3DS version.
- ^ As depicted in the 2010 video game Sonic Colors.
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