Sonic the Hedgehog, like it or not, is no longer the entertainment juggernaut he used to be. Or at least, that's true as far as gaming is concerned. After some consideration and some analysis of what made the classic Genesis titles be classics, I've come up with ten points to what should constitute a GOOD Sonic the Hedgehog game.
1) A Sonic the Hedgehog game should star Sonic, Tails, and MAYBE Knuckles. The fall of Sonic the Hedgehog started with Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, where only a fifth of the game was dedicated to playing as Sonic himself. When people play a Sonic game, they want to play as SONIC; not Blaze the Cat, not Big the Cat, not Amy Rose, JUST SONIC! Tails can be tolerated because he's Sonic's sidekick, and Knuckles? Well, he has a fandom, so you can put him in as a secret character that you can play as once you've beaten the game.
2) Keep the cast to a minimum. Quick question: how many characters do you need in a Sonic game at a minimum? The answer: two. The first is Sonic himself, the second is Dr Robotnik. You don't need Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big, Blaze, Espio the Chameleon, or ANYBODY ELSE! One of the biggest gripes against the modern Sonic games is just how many characters there are. For example, Sonic Generations has over twelve characters, and THAT'S counting both Sonics and Tails' as a single character! Ask yourself this question: do I NEED the character in this game? If the answer is no, cut it out.
3) Keep the story simple. Know what makes a great Sonic game? High speed gameplay, breathtaking views, awesome music, and highly memorable levels that make you want to play again and again. Story? These aren't RPG's! Sure, a story would be nice, but it should be kept simple; easy to follow, easy to digest. You don't need a super complex story to sell a great platformer. But if you insist...
4) Sonic's tone should be darker than Mario's but light enough to sell to kids. Since his very inception, Sonic the Hedgehog's tone was considerably darker than anything Nintendo had shown in Mario. While Mario's shown kidnappings, Sonic was showing animal experimentations, megalomaniac villains, and the conquest of nature by industrialization. And yet, this tone was soothed over by a cocky mascot with attitude, a hero brimming with confidence and self assurance. Likewise, there were many fantastical elements that helped palate the series to kids.
To see what I mean, look no further than Sonic CD, a game that spoke about the industrialization of nature, a robot built specifically to end the life of our hero and kidnap his girl friend, and that SHOWED (not talked about, SHOWED) what kind of world was waiting for us if the villain won. A world of pipes, oil spills, completely lacking in nature. These elements were mixed with bright colors, funky music, and our villain being a fat man with a silly mustache.
You basically want to avoid going as far as Sonic 06, a game that dealt with apocalyptic themes. Oh, and that reminds me...
5) Make sure the game is bug free. Honestly, I can't believe I actually have to WRITE THIS DOWN! It's logic, people! Can't sell something defective, come on!
6) You don't need Sonic to be 3D to be good. A two dimensional Sonic game will sell just as much, if not MORE, than a 3D game. Remember: Sonic had an impressive 8 years as a gaming icon before he went 3D...and then he plummeted. The biggest issue with 3D Sonic games is the camera control; in fact, when I was re-playing Sonic Adventure 2 a few years ago, I found myself infinitely frustrated with how difficult the camera was to control, ESPECIALLY for Knuckles and Rouge's modes, which DEMANDED that I had awareness of my surroundings!
7) Keep those levels fun but challenging, and challenging yet reasonable. When playing a Sonic level, I want to be challenged. I don't want to just press forward (or left) and then have the level be a test of patience. No, I want something more: I want precision jumps, baddies that can't be defeated just by walking towards them, platforms that disintegrate if you stay on them too long. But I don't want the level to be cheap. By that I mean no random enemy placements, invincible enemies placed one after another, platforms that randomly shoot up spikes, etc.
A great example of a perfect Sonic level would be City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2. The level allows the player plenty of freedom to test out controls, get a feel for how the game will be, and at the same time affords the player a look into how the game feels: high speed action coupled with precise jumps and enemies to defeat. The level has several obstacles that require some skill to overcome, but once the player gets the hang of it all, he/she will breeze through the level.
An example of a level done wrong would be Marble Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The lava pits are a tedium to go through, the game forces you to slow down to solve some puzzles, and overall the level feels much too long. Another example would be Planet Wisp from Sonic Generations; a level that starts off well enough but drags on and on. A level should NOT take more than three minutes for a seasoned Sonic player to beat! Speaking of levels...
8) Levels should be visually impressive. Since the first game, Sonic games have consistently featured dynamic, awe inspiring levels. Whether it's the massive lakes of Green Hill Zone, the awesome effects of Casinopolis as Sonic goes through the pinball machines, or the jaw droppingly beautiful water effects of Emerald Coast from Sonic Adventure 1, the Sonic games have ALWAYS included at least 1 level that was a visual feast.
9) The music has to be good. Here's something about Sonic that people tend to overlook: the music plays just as important a role in the games as does the visuals and the gameplay. It's not just level music, it's the starting screen, the boss themes, and after Sonic Adventure 1, whatever character themes you have. Music has to be top notch, performed by bands like Crush 40, who has YET to produce a bad song for Sonic.
EVERY Sonic game has AT LEAST 1 good song in it. Yes, even Sonic 06 has a tune or two worth listening, like His World. If you can't come up with a musical piece for a level, consider using a pre-existing tune. To give an example, while playing Sonic Generations, I found myself often replacing Speed Highway's theme (already a good theme) with It Doesn't Matter, Sonic's personal theme song from Sonic Adventure 1. The end result? Me replaying the level ten times in a row. THAT'S the power of music!
10) Everything said about levels applies to bosses. Challenging, yet reasonable. Fun, but challenging. Visually impressive. THAT is how bosses should be in a Sonic game.
But now that I think about it, here are some sub points for bosses:
10A) Don't start the game with a boss fight. This was one of the lower points of Sonic Adventure 1. The first time I played that game, I died. Three times. In a row. Why? Because it was my first Sonic game, my first time playing with a joystick, and thus I had to work with a tricky camera, controls I wasn't used to yet, and all that against a boss? Nope, don't do it. Open the game with an easy level, not a boss.
10B) The first boss should be a pushover. The second boss onwards should require more skill than just jumping and hitting the weakpoint. Basically, every boss after the first should require more than just randomly and constantly attacking its weak point to beat it. Make each boss have an attack pattern that the player can learn and memorize, forcing the player to look for windows of opportunity to attack.
10C) The final boss must be the most awe inspiring thing in the whole game. An example of a fantastic final boss fight is Perfect Chaos from Sonic Adventure 1. Everything about that fight, from the controls, the visuals, and the music, is pure perfection.
And those are my ten points for a good Sonic game. Let me know what YOU think would make a good Sonic game in the comments below!
A great example of a perfect Sonic level would be City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2. The level allows the player plenty of freedom to test out controls, get a feel for how the game will be, and at the same time affords the player a look into how the game feels: high speed action coupled with precise jumps and enemies to defeat. The level has several obstacles that require some skill to overcome, but once the player gets the hang of it all, he/she will breeze through the level.
An example of a level done wrong would be Marble Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The lava pits are a tedium to go through, the game forces you to slow down to solve some puzzles, and overall the level feels much too long. Another example would be Planet Wisp from Sonic Generations; a level that starts off well enough but drags on and on. A level should NOT take more than three minutes for a seasoned Sonic player to beat! Speaking of levels...
8) Levels should be visually impressive. Since the first game, Sonic games have consistently featured dynamic, awe inspiring levels. Whether it's the massive lakes of Green Hill Zone, the awesome effects of Casinopolis as Sonic goes through the pinball machines, or the jaw droppingly beautiful water effects of Emerald Coast from Sonic Adventure 1, the Sonic games have ALWAYS included at least 1 level that was a visual feast.
9) The music has to be good. Here's something about Sonic that people tend to overlook: the music plays just as important a role in the games as does the visuals and the gameplay. It's not just level music, it's the starting screen, the boss themes, and after Sonic Adventure 1, whatever character themes you have. Music has to be top notch, performed by bands like Crush 40, who has YET to produce a bad song for Sonic.
EVERY Sonic game has AT LEAST 1 good song in it. Yes, even Sonic 06 has a tune or two worth listening, like His World. If you can't come up with a musical piece for a level, consider using a pre-existing tune. To give an example, while playing Sonic Generations, I found myself often replacing Speed Highway's theme (already a good theme) with It Doesn't Matter, Sonic's personal theme song from Sonic Adventure 1. The end result? Me replaying the level ten times in a row. THAT'S the power of music!
10) Everything said about levels applies to bosses. Challenging, yet reasonable. Fun, but challenging. Visually impressive. THAT is how bosses should be in a Sonic game.
But now that I think about it, here are some sub points for bosses:
10A) Don't start the game with a boss fight. This was one of the lower points of Sonic Adventure 1. The first time I played that game, I died. Three times. In a row. Why? Because it was my first Sonic game, my first time playing with a joystick, and thus I had to work with a tricky camera, controls I wasn't used to yet, and all that against a boss? Nope, don't do it. Open the game with an easy level, not a boss.
10B) The first boss should be a pushover. The second boss onwards should require more skill than just jumping and hitting the weakpoint. Basically, every boss after the first should require more than just randomly and constantly attacking its weak point to beat it. Make each boss have an attack pattern that the player can learn and memorize, forcing the player to look for windows of opportunity to attack.
10C) The final boss must be the most awe inspiring thing in the whole game. An example of a fantastic final boss fight is Perfect Chaos from Sonic Adventure 1. Everything about that fight, from the controls, the visuals, and the music, is pure perfection.
And those are my ten points for a good Sonic game. Let me know what YOU think would make a good Sonic game in the comments below!
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