Fortunately, the title convincingly models Sonic’s traditional physics system. Although when players unlock the ability to perform a homing attack with the classic hedgehog, Generations’ core hook loses its potency. Genesis-era Sonic uses his customary spin dash and roll, while his twenty-first century counterpart offers a lock-on attack, crouch, and boost. In essence, the fundamental difference between the two hedgehogs is their distinctive control schemes. As such, the commemorative fusion of both Sonics feels muted, as both classic and modern stages feel woefully similar. Whereas the console version of Generations’ supplied a divergent set of three-dimensional environments to explore- this adaptation delivers 2D levels stages using the same assets, albeit with the occasional change in camera perspective. Yet, once players venture into the cartridge’s interpretation of modern Sonic’s deeds, the game’s shortcomings start to show. Like the console version of Generations, the game unites together two distinct eras of Blue’s legacy: the classic onyx-eyed hedgehog with his contemporary, toned, and slightly deeper-hued doppelganger. Flinging players into a remixed Green Hill Zone, the hedgehog’s familiar environments have been dutifully recreated, with high resolution palm trees and azure skies brimming with picturesque clouds.

So it’s no surprise that Sonic Generations for the 3DS makes an amiable first impression.

Fortunately, Blue’s portable jaunts have been much more consistent- delivering competent ring-collecting sprees across the GBA, DS, and PSP platforms. From the ecstatic heights of early cartridge-based excursions, the depths plumbed by the unmanageable controls of 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog, to the elevated redemption of recent release Sonic Generations, the character’s home-based titles have oscillated wildly in quality. Over the past quarter century, Sonic’s console career has endured more fluctuations than a sprint through the Casino Zone.

Sonic generations models levels