Where to start with Sonic the Hedgehog
With the Sonic Movie 2 proving so successful, and two new game releases on the way, there’s likely to be a lot of new people getting into the Sonic fandom for the first time. So, because I’m in the mood to write about Sonic, I decided to give my suggestions for which games to get into the series with. This will go over why I like these games and would recommend them, which one is a better gateway depending on your taste, and what platforms you can/should play them on (I know console limitations mean not everyone has a luxury of choice, but it’s worth comparing versions to give people the best chance to enjoy the series). I’m mostly going to stick to 3 recommendations but I’ll mention a few others. My logic for which games make the best start is based around: -Which ones have good platform availability and are easy to get a hold of. -Which ones I think are just genuinely good games that I don’t have to recommend with an asterisk. -Which games aren’t too hard and have a beginner friendly learning curve. I’m also sticking to the games because it’s the part of the series I know the most about. If you want to start with one of the TV shows or comics, by all means do so. They each have aspects to enjoy. Go with whatever looks good to you. These are just my suggestions. 1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Why start here?
You absolutely could start with the 1991 original if you wanted to. But for my money, the sequel from 1992 is a stronger game on most counts, and is just as good, if not better as an introduction. This was the game that introduced Sonic’s best friend and kid-brother figure, Tails, who joins Sonic in most of battles against Dr. Eggman going forward. The two set out to rescue the many animals Eggman has transformed into robots, and prevent him from launching his copyright-violating space station, the Death Egg.
This game game basically takes all the foundations the first game laid down and amplifies them. There’s more levels and they’re all more fast paced, consistently solid and not too hard (except maybe the last one, yeesh). This game also establishes how the Chaos Emeralds will work in all the games going forward, with a downright iconic reward if you put the work in. 2 is still a blast to come back to. If you like 2D platformers and want to see the series’ early roots of popularity, 2 is a great place to start. It’s not as overwhelming as 3 to a newbie but less primitive than 1. Where to play it? Andoid, iOS or all current consoles (from June 23rd) You can play Sonic 2 on Android, iOS or Switch. It used to be on PC but was delisted very recently. It will be back on PC, as well as Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X and their last gen counterparts as part of the Sonic Origins collection on June 23rd. If you’re working with older systems, you can also find it on the 3DS eShop as well as the Sonic Mega Collection on PS2, Xbox and Gamecube. And there’s even more than that. There’s a ton of different ways to play it but for my money, the Android and iOS (with a controller if you have Bluetooth) is a pretty good way to get the most out of it. It has widescreen, extra features, even Knuckles is playable. This version is going to be the basis of Origins’s release, so that may welll become the new best way. Otherwise, go with the mobile version. More like this? Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Mania, Sonic Advance As for where to go from here, the Sonic Origins collection will also feature Sonic 1, CD and 3, all of which I would highly encourage you to check out if you enjoy this one. Especially Sonic & 3 Knuckles, the best of the classic games as far as I’m concerned. There’s also Sonic Mania, an anniversary game which serves as a spiritual succcessor to the 2D classics, on Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC. It’s a fantastic game in its own right, but check it out once you’ve tried the classics and you’ll get even more mileage out of it once you see what a love letter to the rest of the series it is. You may also consider the Sonic Advance and Rush games on GBA and DS respectively, which build on this game’s 2D platforming routes with more characters and new mechanics. This game is still a key part of the entire franchise’s DNA and I still love it to death. 2. Sonic Adventure
Why start here?
Sonic’s first full 3D outing from 1998 is another fine place to jump onboard. Play as 6 characters, each with their own short campaign, as part of a wider story to save Station Square from Dr. Eggman, as he unleashes an ancient, mysterious monster known as Chaos. A lot of modern fandom culture tends to be very centred around characters more than anything, especially here on Tumblr. If that’s where your interest in the series lies, I would especially suggest starting here. After making the jump to 3D, the series shifted from simple but subtle envoronmental storytelling to more involved stories with fully voiced cutscenes. This game will get you familliar with several of the staples of Sonic’s cast, not just Sonic, Tails and Eggman, but also Sonic’s friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna and his self proclaimed girlfriend, Amy Rose. Combined with how it digs into the backstory of the Chaos Emeralds, this is a great entry point to the world of Sonic. This is also the game that brought Sonic’s gameplay into full 3D for the first time, and overall it does a pretty impressive job. Sonic is fast and nimble, and there’s a lot of fun to be had dashing through the levels or flinging yourself across them with his signature spindashes. However, you also get explorable hub worlds, a pet simulator side quest, and five playable characters other than Sonic with their own abilities and gameplay styles, from treasure hunting in sandbox levels, a puzzle platformer with slight stealth or even a linear run-and-gun. This game is certainly one of the more robust entries as far as content goes, but its everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach may not be the best starting point for everyone. Its camera, controls and cutscenes do have a degree of the jank of early 3D gaming, and while it’s certainly a bigger package than Sonic 2, I don’t know of it’s quite as polished. Still, if you appreciate variety in your games and you’ve played enough popular games from the late 90s/early 2000s to get used to some of the quirks of early 3D platformers, there’s a lot to love here. Where to play it? PC with mods, or PS3/Xbox 360 As for how to play it, your main modern(ish) options are PC, PS3, or Xbox 360. There’s also a Gamecube port known as Sonic Adventure DX and of course, the Dreamcast original. It’s worth noting that ports of Adventure are extremely controversial, often criticised for bugs and visual downgrades the original didn’t have. The PS3 and 360 versions can get the job done if you have no other options, but if you have the means, I’d suggest the PC version. It has a very active modding community and an easy to install mod loader that not only reformats the game to be more like the Dreamcast original, but also adds tons of quality of life additions the original didn’t have. It’s probably the closest to an Origins style remaster Adventure is going to get for a while. It’s also thankfully not super demanding to run. Most recent PCs and even laptops should run it without too many problems. More like this? Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Advance If you like Adventure, I recommend going directly onto its sequel Sonic Adventure 2, which is on all the same platforms, (again, go with PC if you can) builds on and streamlines the general structure and gameplay styles of Adventure 1, brings back several of the same characters (plus some new ones) and is even more story and cutscene-heavy than the first. If you have any sixth gen consoles, (i.e. PS2, Xbox or Gamecube) Sonic Heroes, while a tad more unorthodox, has many of the same building blocks as the Adventure games and many of its characters return there. The Gamecube version of Heroes is considered to be the most solid while the PS2 is much more poorly optimised. And, while I already recommended them in the earlier section, the Advance games takes the characters as they look and sound in the Adventure games into gameplay more reminiscent of the series’ roots. If Sonic 2 will sell you on the rock solid fundamentals of the series both visually and mechanically, Adventure will get you used to mood and feel of Sonic. With its varied gameplay, focus on a large cast of characters, and slicker, almost anime-esque aesthetic, and a fantastic pounding soundtrack by Jun Senoue, Adventure is a great summary of what to expect from Sonic. It may not be quite as easy to jump on board with as the classics in my opinion, but its still a worthy entry point. 3. Sonic Colors
Why start here?
Released for the Wii in 2010, this game sees Sonic and Tails travelling to ‘Eggman’s Interstellar Amusement Park’, a theme park in space the scientist is using as a front while he captures and exploits alien beings called Wisps. It’s nowhere near as story and character heavy as Adventure, but much like Sonic 2, this is a nice introduction to the core staples of the series: Sonic and Tails’ friendship, their rivalry with Eggman, and the light theming about saving the environment from an evil scientist (albeit with a sci-fi twist). Sonic has been around for a long time, and has experimented with a lot of different styles, especially after its jump to 3D. Sonic Adventure is a great series introduction, but it’s not quite representative of how the games play today. Colors meanwhile, is a great window into the series’ modern identity. The game plays like a hybrid of platformer and racing game. Sonic alternates between 2.5D sidescrolling platformer sections and more open 3D ones. You still run and jump your way to the goal, but he can also now increase his speed with a chargable boost, or drift around tight corners. When you finish a level, you recieve a rank based on your clear time and score, and you’re encouraged to replay levels looking for secrets and shortcuts to help get the best rank possible. Colors also spices this up with the introduction of the Wisps. Sonic can find these alien creaturesin the levels and harness their abilities for a variety of power ups. These not only look awesome, but are crucial to find the shortcuts you’ll need to get the best paths. In part thanks to this, Colors isn’t quite as fast paced as some of the other games in the series. It’s still a game about going fast at its core, but the game puts a lot more emphasis on platforming, score chasing, and using Sonic’s new abilities to find secrets. As such, it may not be the best starting point if you’re here for that ‘gotta go fast’ spectacle. Fortunately, the fact that it plays a little more like a traditional platformer than something like Sonic Unleashed, helps make it less overwhelming and more welcoming to newcomers. And the loop of chasing those elusive S Ranks feels really satisfying once you get into it. Colors is a compact, polished and very replayable title with plenty of charm. If you’re not really an old school gamer and want to start somewhere a little less retro, this is a great place to get acclimated to modern Sonic gameplay. Where to play it? Wii, DS or all current consoles MAYBE Sonic Colors first came out on Wii, and that’s probably the best place to go if you want to experience it as originaly intended. I would also absolutely suggest trying the version on DS if you can. This was made by a different studio, and is strictly a 2D platformer as a successor to the Sonic Rush games. While I myself haven’t had the chance to play it, I certainly love Rush and I’ve actually seen quite a few fans say they prefer this version to the Wii version. So by all means go for it. That said, the Wii version is pretty old now and you may be eyeing Sonic Colors Ultimate, the remaster from 2021 which is on Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC. The thing is, much like Sonic Adventure DX, this remaster is…divisive. Not only have the changes to the visuals and music been a point of contention with fans, but it launched in a very buggy state, especially on Switch. It has thankfully been patched since, and if modern systems are your only bet, it should get the job done, though I’d still avoid the Switch version if you can help with it. The remaster will do, but I’d say go for the two original releases if you can.
More like this? Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Generations, Sonic Rush If you like Colors, then I would definitely suggest seeking out the other mainline games Sonic Team released in this timeframe with similar gameplay, or the ‘Boost games’ as fans tend to call them. Specifically, I’d point you to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations. Both of these were released on PS3 and Xbox 360. These console versions are servicable, but Generations has a PC release which can be up-rezzed visually and has an absolutely gigantic modding community. Unleashed meanwhile, has backwards compatibility on modern Xbox consoles which improves the already impressive visuals and (much less impressive) framerate drastically. These games are even more fast paced than Colors and experiment with other gameplay styles a little like Adventure, which may make them slightly less welcoming at first. But once you get your feet wet with Colors, I’d say these two are just as good, if not better. If that high-speed boost gameplay appeals to you, and especially if you liked the DS version, then Sonic Rush and its sequel, Sonic Rush Adventure, the games that inspired the mainline series Boost gameplay, are excellent titles as well. And while Sonic Frontiers looks drastically different, its core essentials (at least control wise) seem to retain a lot of the Boost games’ DNA. In its day, Colors was, alongside Unleashed and Generations, something of a rennaissance for Sonic, and whether you’re looking to keep up-to-date with the latest entries on the series, or go back and explore the roots, Colors will get you on board very handily. And those are all three of my suggestions for where to start with the Sonic series, at least in terms of games. Sonic has been so many things at this point, and in doing so, he’s gained no shortage of fans. In many ways, these three indicate just some of the ideas and styles these games have experimented, and I’ve suggested some contemporaries for each of them. But don’t feel the need to restrict yourself. Just because you started with 2, don’t feel you have to restrict yourself to the classics. Nor should you feel confined to the modern games if you choose to start with Colors. Use this guide to get your foot in the door with the series, but once you’re in, go wild! Pick up whatever games look cool to you. Look for which games feature your favourite characters. Dive in and have a blast. Sonic is a series that has and does mean a lot to me, and right now, the series is in a pretty good place, with the potential to bring in lots of new faces. And if this guide is at least a little useful to any of those newcomers as they venture into a series I love so much, I couldn’t ask for more than that.
