Sega hasn’t exactly had the best track record when it comes to producing Sonic games. Unlike Mario, who transitioned from the 2D plane to 3D in what is considered one of the best games of the beginning of the 3D era, Sonic has languished. Even last year’s Sonic Boom: The Rise of Lyric was a pitiful attempt at making a 3D Sonic game, riddled with bugs. Even Sega admitted the game wasn’t that great.
But what makes a good Sonic game? Everyone knows Sonic’s hallmark trait is his speed, so why is Sega continually making games in which the goal is to slow Sonic down, or give him combat abilities aside from jumping on enemy heads? We’ve seen all manner of abysmal content from Sega when it comes to the blue hedgehog and the closest attempt they’ve made at an actual spiritual successor to the Sonic we know and love was way back in 2011, with the release of Sonic Generations.
Many Sonic fans hail Generations as one of the best modern Sonic games because it doesn’t try to redefine itself into something different. It doesn’t turn Sonic into a werewolf, or give him an edgy sidekick, or add a bunch of characters from the anime that no one knows. The only thing it does and does well is 2D speed-running.
This video analysis provides a good look at why that formula works so well in the Sonic games, and what Sega needs to do to make Sonic: Fire & Ice a success.
