Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is an absolute must to talk about in my blog! One thing I’ve mentioned a few times in my blog is how we should take older games and give them a chance to become the game they could have never been in the past. With technology advancing, why not give them a chance to live up to their full potential? Back in the day Sonic could only be played on a console that supported 8 and 16 bit consoles until new consoles where made capable of handling better graphics. I live in the past I only tend play the old games because to me they were (in my opinion) the best, it’s the basic roots of gaming (where it all began) not just for me personally but everything started with bits. From 8bit to 16 to 32 to 64 and beyond, it all keeps advancing rapidly, we live in a world now full of HD, Blue Ray and 3D graphics. 

Modern Sonic left. Classic (better) Sonic right.

This game to celebrate Sonics’ 20^th birthday, they’ve gone back to the past and created a game where Sonic goes back in time and teams up with him classic self taking on various levels from all the different Sonic games in the past 20 years. When i first heard about all the old levels being thrown into the new game I knew I have to play it and it is simply put something I’ve been waiting for. Trying not to get caught up in the excitement of it too much what I love is that it has took level designs from 20 years ago and thrown them into the a next generation console with gorgeous 3D visual elements, kept the old style of game play and even the music to boot!

Classic 2D Green Hill Zone (Act 1)

The new modern Sonic game play is thrown in to with these old levels, so for example you can play as modern Sonic in an old level where it’s a free roaming 3D platformer but also play the classic retro style Sonic , being a 2D side scrolling level though it it’s still a 3D game.

Modern Green Hill Zone (Act 2)

Sonic has always had that cartoonish style to it, which is what I like but in recent years they have gone a bit off it in terms of Art direction, giving it a dark gloomy atmosphere everywhere which makes me feel sick (personally) and it feels as if this bright blue hedgehog doesn’t fit in with the more realistic looking environments. It’s great to see the old style back again though, they should have never changed anything in honesty, and they should’ve just kept it going the way it was until everything went 3D, it’s still good but even in the media people are slating the more newer games, but I think this game will make it in everyone’s good books this time around.

Classic 2D Chemical Plant Zone

New 3D Chemical Plant Zone

Sonic means a lot to me since it was the first game I ever played, which was the 8bit versions for the Sega Master System II and for 8 bit a lot of people would agree that its better than Sonic 06 (or Sonic 2006) for the Xbox or PS3, the game was rushed and it was horrible, a lot of things in the game don’t make sense and even the modelling in the game doesn’t make sense for example there’s a cut scene where Sonics’ hand looks bigger than his head (I’m not kidding). Why I think it’s rushed is because they wanted to release the game in time for the PS3 console release as one of the debut games, I bet they wish they spent more time on it though. Sonic 4 was the continuation from Sonic 3 which was released nearly 20 years ago and just last year it was released adding to the old series in 3D and they nailed the Art direction spot on from that, it sort of suggests the franchise is going back to its basics instead of getting way out of hand which I’ve seen in the last 10 years.

Sonic 06 (Doesn't do it for me!)

To sum up Sonic in recent years hasn’t been that good in terms of story which as you know can affect the Art in the game etc and personally I never liked it that much, but I think this game puts it right back up there with the best of Sonic. Only thing I want them to do now is to remake the all the old games one by one in 3D but I’ll have to keep dreaming for now...