It's hard not to get nostalgic when you realise it's been 20 years since the first Sonic game was released, way back in 1991. While other gaming mascots have died and been forgotten, Sonic managed to pull through. While other franchises, and indeed companies and fallen by the wayside, Sonic Team have endured. You'd think at this point, after the success of Sonic Colours, it would be easy for Sonic Team to celebrate Sonic's 20th birthday with a safe, pandering title that caters only to a niche demographic of the franchise.
Fortunately though, Sonic Team actually decided NOT to half-ass their anniversary title, and as such we got one of the most technically sound and enjoyable 3D Sonic games to date. One that combines everything that makes the Unleashed-esque games exciting to play, as well as some decent 2D gameplay based on the classic parts of the franchise.
...hey, its not perfect, but what do you expect. It's a Sonic game.
For the 3DS version of Sonic Generations, Sonic Team decided to have the team who made the Advance, Rush and Sonic 4 titles take a crack at developing a handheld version of their 20th anniversary game.
And while, yes, there are some moments here and there that are pretty cool, the 3DS version of Generations is just massively inferior to its console counterpart. Not just in terms on content, or level selection, but from a lack of 3D gameplay, which makes the whole game seem really bland and offers little in the way of unique experiences for both Modern and Classic levels. It's certainly not the worst game ever, but when compared to the HD version it just lacks both imagination and impact.
So watch on, as the HFC Sonic Crew takes a look at DIMP's latest foray into the Sonic franchise and laughs (and silently weeps) at the lack of any levels based on the handheld or Master System titles.
