Double the Sonic, double the fun.

For a long time now, gamers have looked at Sonic the Hedgehog like he was a joke. His games were terrible, the characters were annoying, and he had lost all relevance. Titles like Sonic 2006 and Shadow the Hedgehog hammered this home yet the blue hedgehog continued to sell well. But what many people never realized was that after the bottomless hellhole that was the 2006 release, Sonic Team began to take notes. Sonic Unleashed, while mainly remembered for the werehog, had great daytime levels that showed Sonic could still be fun. Sonic Colors took that idea and created a game that had an equal focus on platforming and speed. Each was slightly better than the last and that has culminated with Sonic Generations, hands down the best Sonic game since Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Sonic Generations begins with all of Sonic’s friends celebrating his birthday when a monster known as the Time Eater kidnaps everyone and dumps him into a white limbo. He soon meets with his classic pudgy self and the two quickly team up. Together, they must revisit nine iconic levels from the past in order to restore the time stream. The plot isn’t the best, but it doesn’t need to be. It gives plenty of excuse to see Sonic and Tails interact with their past selves while providing an amazing cross-section of levels to revisit. The story is filled with references to the past and is amusingly self-referential. I never burst out laughing, but I often had a smile on my face.

Gameplay in Generations comes in two flavors: Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. Classic Sonic plays exactly like the Genesis era. He spin dashes, he can’t homing attack, and his levels are entirely 2D. For anyone who played Sonic in his glory days, the gameplay here will feel right at home. But that’s not to say Classic Sonic doesn’t have a few new tricks. Though he plays the same, his levels are much more dynamic. The camera will shift in order to show him moving through a 3D space, but he always moves on a 2D plane. It looks great and feels even better. Modern Sonic, in contrast, plays like many of his recent games where he switches between a 3D and 2D perspective throughout the level. He also has access to his homing attack, wall jump, and boost maneuvers. While this may give some gamers pause, let me assure you that Modern Sonic feels the best he’s ever been. His controls are tight and responsive. The camera rarely gets stuck in a poor position. Best of all, the level design strikes the perfect balance between spectacle and fun. Many times in the past, gamers complained that Sonic could simply run on his own with little input from the player. That is not the case in Generations. The spectacle moments are cool but short, and quickly put the control back in the player’s hands. Put simply, both Sonics feel like they are at their best.

Sonic Generations ditches most of the fluff found in past games and features a hub that’s both simple and fun. It’s easy to navigate between each level and as more are unlocked, the hub expands with new elements to explore. There are nine levels comprised of two acts each. The first is always played with Classic Sonic while act two features Modern Sonic. In addition, each level features ten challenge missions that run the gamut from races, to setting limits, to working with Sonic’s friends toward a goal. Some are better than others, but they help bring back those feelings of nostalgia in a lot of cases. Sonic Generations also features seven bosses, each of which are fun and satisfying. Sometimes they can be a bit too easy, but players seeking a challenge can face them again in a boss-exclusive Hard mode. The main story can be beaten in 4 to 6 hours with all the side quests easily adding up to ten more.

While it’s great to see Classic Sonic return and Modern Sonic at his best, the real star of Sonic Generations is the levels. Seeing Sky Sanctuary and Chemical Plant in 3D is a treat. They capture the spirit of the original incarnations while making them work for the more modern gameplay. The same can be said for the 2D versions of Modern Sonic’s levels. Each one works within the limits and it’s fun to see Classic Sonic riding on a skateboard in City Escape or running through office buildings in Speed Highway. And while it may not have top-level graphics, the game looks really good. Details are packed into each screen with plenty of opportunities to explore and see new elements. It truly is a love letter to fans both old and new. It would have been great to see more levels packed into the game, but what is here is fantastic. But perhaps the best element of Sonic Generations is the music. Over 50 tracks are packed into the game with many of them remastered or remixed. Everything from well-known classics to niche songs fill the soundtrack and, as a bonus, almost any song can be played in any level. You can play the Emerald Hill Zone theme in Rooftop Run or Live and Learn in Chemical Plant. It’s completely up to you. The new voice actors are good enough, and fortunately the best ones have the most lines. Mike Pollack as Eggman particularly stands out with some of the funniest one-liners.

Sonic Generations has become my favorite game released this year. It is pure platforming gold, a love letter to Sonic fans, and a sign that Sonic is back on track. The only way I can describe it is that I smiled the entire way through the game. That’s what gaming is all about: simple fun. Sonic Generations provides that in spades.