10 Best Sonic Games Ever

The best Sonic games ever list is long overdue.

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming’s iconic characters. That lightning fast blue mammal is beloved across the globe and his legacy has spanned many consoles. This hedgehog with attitude has been an icon in gaming, but occasionally his games have less that spectacular. Fear not, for we’re here to help you weed out the slow from the supersonic.

Below is the list of the 10 best Sonic games ever:

10. Sonic and the Black Night

When Sonic made the jump to 3D, he made a couple missteps. But, this often overshadowed and quirky gem kicks off our list of the 10 best sonic games with its unique setting and brand new combat system. Tossing Sonic into a medieval setting was strange and new. That’s what made it memorable and fun. Plus Sonic had a sword.

9. Sonic Advance

Sonic has a decent track record on handheld consoles, but one of his best forays into your palm was on the Gameboy Advance. Sonic Advance had all the right ingredients for a classic Sonic game. Sidescrolling? Check. Fast-paced? He was a blur. Enjoyable? You bet! It was everything a 2d sonic game could be and it rested within your grasp wherever you went. Sonic Advance is the first handheld game to make it onto our list of the best Sonic games.

8. Sonic Unleashed

When Sonic Unleashed debuted, it had been awhile since a Sonic game had dazzled us. From the opening cinematic to the next-gen graphics, the game looked epic and great. It preserved some of the best of the classic Sonic gameplay while still introducing some strange new things. We didn’t see the Werehog coming, but his combat sections were a decent addition to the game.

7. Sonic the Hedgehog

Of course, the original granddaddy of them all finds a rightful place on our list of the best Sonic games. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the reasons to buy a Sega Genesis over the SNES. It had great graphics, brand new gameplay, and most of all, it was fun. It was the first time most of us got to roll that loveable ball of fur at lighting pace through an assortment of jumps and loops. And after dozens of incarnations, we keep coming back for more. The original was that potent.

6. Sonic Adventure

Sonic has always had a love/hate relationship with the third dimension. That ball of blue fur was notoriously hard to control once you pulled him out of the land of side scrolling. Thankfully Sonic Adventure got the recipe right. Not only did you blast your way through levels as Sonic, but you could play as Tails and Knuckles too and each one of them brought their own powers to the game.

5. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

It isn’t often that a sequel is as good as the first, but in the case of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, it may exceed it. With a graphics overhaul for the Gamecube, Sonic Adventure 2 never looked so good. You could run, fly, and grind your way to saving the world as Sonic, or dominating is as Shadow. Whichever you chose, it was sure to be fun.

4. Sonic 3 and Knuckles

When Sonic and Knuckles was released a few months after Sonic 3, it featured a port in the top of the cartrige for you to stick on one of the older sonic games and play more levels and offered Knuckles as a playable character. The best combination of these was Sonic 3 and Knuckles. When paired together, it became the original supergame that it was supposed to be. Both games complimented each other nicely and it allowed players to go HyperSonic. Not SuperSonic. HYPERSONIC.

3. Sonic CD

This took all the best parts of the side-scrolling Sonic that you loved and made everything that much better. It had responsive controls and fantastic graphics. You had new levels to explore and there was that much more adventure to be had. You were also introduced to Metal Sonic. This seems appropriate since most of Sonic’s songs feature a squealing electric guitar.

2. Sonic Colors

By the time that Sonic Colors was release, Sonic needed a bit of freshening up. Sonic Team did not disappoint. They took a sonic game and made splashed it with a completely bonkers color pallet. The visuals are in this game are gorgeous and the gameplay is tighter than ever. It is a joy to pilot sonic around the lush atmosphere. It also helps that the little colorful aliens are adorable and beg to be saved from their bumbling antagonist.

1. Sonic Generations

Sadly, we've come to the end of our list of the best Sonic games. Sonic Generations is the sum total of every Sonic game that came before. It picked and chose the very best elements from the 2d and 3d Sonic games and formed an amalgam of nostalgia and freshness that simply could not be beat. You could blast your way through Green Hill Zone 1 and then lock on attack a bunch of baddies.

There you have our list of the 10 best Sonic games. Notice we didn’t even mention Sonic 2006. Oh wait we just did. Damn! Leave a comment below.