Sonic Generations (3DS) - Every Gamer Review

In this month of Sonic, I propose a 3DS double bill. I'm talking handheld ports of console games and these games are of varying quality...much like most modern Sonic games in general. So for the first game, how about going back to the past once again in handheld form.

Sonic Generations for the Nintendo 3DS, developed by Dimps and published by Sega, it was released in 2011 worldwide, around the same time as its console counterparts. One thing I realised, in Japan, the console name is Sonic Generations: White Space-time (ソニック ジェネレーションズ 白の時空 Sonikku Jenerēshonzu Shiro no Jikū), but the 3DS port is called Sonic Generations: Blue Adventure (ソニック ジェネレーションズ 青の冒険 Sonikku Jenerēshonzu Ao no Bōken)...I don't get why it has the long titles in Japan, I assumed Generations was a good enough subtitle, but whatever, it's Japan.

The plot is exactly the same as the console release with very minor differences.

Like the console games, you play as Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. You run through classic stages and modern stages, with both Sonics having different styles of gameplay, with Classic Sonic being 2.5D like in the good old days. Modern Sonic is a 3D platformer...with 2.5D elements (for some reason).

In the handheld games, Classic Sonic once again goes through 2D stages...or 2.5D. Modern Sonic is...also 2.5D. Yeah, I don't get it either, why was Modern Sonic still 2.5D instead of being fully 3D, it just feels blatantly redundant. Well there is a reason, according to Takashi Iizuka, the team had a hard time developing for the 3DS, as they were “unfamiliar with the system's capabilities and limitations”. Which explains the quality as I'll explain soon.

Other than one, we have different stages from the console version. Representing the Sega Mega Drive years, we have Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog, Casino Night Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles. Representing the Sega Dreamcast years (that being just the Adventure games), we have Emerald Coast from Sonic Adventure and Radical Highway from Sonic Adventure 2. And representing the Modern years, we have Water Palace from Sonic Rush, and Tropical Resort from Sonic Colours. There are less levels in the 3DS port, which I wouldn't mind too much if it wasn't for the fact that the game is too short for its own good.

There are two acts and a special stage in each zone, complete both acts and you get access to a special stage. These special stages are very similar to the ones in Sonic Heroes, but thankfully aren't as awful. You collect balls and you use balls to boost around and dodging spiky balls until you are able to grab a Chaos Emerald. Out of all the special stages in the series, these are the easiest special stages I've ever played, you literally have to try and fail it's that easy.

I find it weird that Dimps didn't take advantage of their handheld series, and Sonic Rush is the only handheld game represented here (or technically Tropical Resort is the handheld version from Sonic Colours for the DS). Why not levels from the Advance games or even the Game Gear games? Because the team looked at the legacy of the handheld games with the upmost contempt, but these are people who are generally confused as to what Sonic should be.

Remember the missions that padded out the gameplay in the console release? Well they're back but now separate from the main story. I didn't care for them in the console release, why should I care about them here.

Now for the gameplay. Classic Sonic's controls and physics is just wack, it's like playing Classic Sonic in Sonic Forces but a little worse if I say so myself. Modern Sonic's gameplay is boost to win akin to Sonic Rush, and is much faster than Classic Sonic. The problem with Modern Sonic is that for the most part, he can boost through most levels, you don't have to think, just boost until something makes you stop, then boost some more, especially stages that are more open and less platform heavy.

Later in the game, Classic Sonic can learn the homing attack, and I'm here like, “what?” THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF CLASSIC SONIC THEN? I know in the console game, Modern Sonic taught Classic Sonic the homing attack in the end but it was done for a joke and a way for Sonic to grow up to become the Modern Sonic we know today...oh wait, that's not the case, Classic Sonic is from another dimension now thanks to Sonic Forces WE DON'T LIKE INCONSISTENCIES LIKE YOU DO JAPAN!

We have bosses though we have two types: The racing bosses, which include Metal Sonic from Sonic CD, Shadow the Hedgehog from Sonic Adventure 2 and Silver the Hedgehog from Sonic 06. Then there are the legitimate bosses, which include Big Arm from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Biolizard from Sonic Adventure 2, the Egg Emperor from Sonic Heroes and the Time Eater...and its just as bullshit as the original version, yes, let me boost of being pushed be your hands and watch as the speed to try and boost is way too fast for the average human being FUCK THIS BOSS!

The levels are just awful. The look of the levels are unusually bland and cheap-looking and the stages have some stupid trial and error moments as well as the level design just being of such poor quality, it feels rushed, it feels lazy, you can tell they didn't put any effort into designing most of these levels. The levels are so lazy, that the Mega Drive stages are literally copy-pasted from the original games, with no changes in design other than being 3D, and keep in mind, the console versions differed in level design, so we had Green Hill but still felt fresh in design.

And let me tell you something, I fucking hated Modern Sonic's Water Palace level for many reasons, but mostly for those bomb balloons and having to use springs to jump above but you can't move forward without holding these balloons WHAT A BLOODY HEADACHE THAT WAS!

The graphics are questionable at times but still OK for the 3DS, I just find the models in-game to be a bit off-putting, looking awfully pixelly at times.

The music is OK, but I do love me some Mushroom Hill from both Classic and Modern, but fucking hell, Radical Highway for Modern Sonic is pure crap, and hearing crap music in a Sonic game is just sad.

Overall, Sonic Generations for the Nintendo 3DS is just a crap cash-in. Whilst it's not the worst game I've ever played, its poor quality in a lot of places does show in such a shameless manor. Whilst some music is good...and that's about it, it suffers from bad level design, awkward gameplay even for Sonic standards, lazy representation of stages, lackluster bosses and we have inconsistent gameplay between Classic and Modern Sonic.

This is such a lazy cash grab of the lowest calibur, in fact, it's crap even by Dimps standards. I'd stick to the original console release because it's a much better title than this.

You can get it on the Nintendo 3DS.