Ranking Every "Sonic the Hedgehog" Platformer

Image via Complex Original

Platforms: X-Box 360, Playstation 3
Year of release: 2006

Without a doubt the worst Sonic the Hedgehog game ever made. It was supposed to reinvigorate the franchise but it only made it look more behind the times than ever with its awful camera and its hideous gameplay. When most people think of the fall of Sonic, they think of this title, and for good reason. It's terrible.

Platforms: Game Gear
Year of release: 1996

The worst handheld Sonic game ever. It feels like such a rush job. Thank God they didn't attempt the "3D" aspect of its 16-bit older brother.

Platforms: Playstation 2, Wii, X-Box 360, Playstation 3
Year of release: 2008

Though the speedier "day" sections are nothing to write home about, it's the slow as nails, "night" sections, where you would turn into a "Werehog", that really puts this game in the shitter. One of the worst Sonic games ever.

Platforms: Genesis
Year of release: 1996

Nowhere near as bad as the Game Gear version, but still. It was more offensive than anything else. How dare they even bother calling this crap 3D back in the day. Its biggest offense is that it felt nothing like Sonic the Hedgehog at all. It was a sign of bad times to come.

Platforms: Downloadable on all major platforms
Year of release: 2012

Nowhere near as good as Episode 1, Episode 2 featured Tails, but it just didn't feel right. Even less so than Episode 1, that is.

Platforms: Wii
Year of release: 2009

In this awful Sonic title, everyone's favorite hedgehog had a sword. Yep, they were really struggling back then.

Platforms: Gamecube, Playstation 2, X-Box
Year of release: 2005

Did you ever imagine what Sonic the Hedgehog in 3D would be like with a gun? No, well, here's Shadow the Hedgehog, anyway. Enjoy.

Platforms: 3DX
Year of release: 1995

While not technically a Sonic game, per se, it plays enough like one to be included on this list. It had an interesting buddy system, where you'd pretty much be linked together by a ring. It...wasn't awful.

Platforms: Wii
Year of release: 2007

Featuring a surprising Arabian Nights theme, Sonic and the Secret Rings is probably the best of the bad 3D Sonic games. Really, that's not saying much.

Platforms: Game Gear
Year of release: 1994

What we liked about this handheld Sonic game-you wouldn't lose ALL of your rings when you got hit. What we didn't like-pretty much everything else. It wasn't a terrible Game Gear Sonic game by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't one of the best, either. Still, it's not the worst...We already discussed that one.

Platforms: Game Gear
Year of release: 1991

Playing differently from its 16-bit counterpart, simpler even, it was a great handheld game for the time, and one that really highlighted the power of the Game Gear. Good stuff.

Platforms: Game Gear
Year of release: 1992

The first official apperance of Tails, it's a great Game Gear experience, but it's missing the spin dash of Sonic 2 for the Genesis, so it feels even more dated than it should.

Platforms: Gamecube, Playstation 2, X-Box
Year of release: 2003

Not a bad Sonic game by any stretch of the imagination, Sonic Heroes had you controlling different teams as you plowed through levels. We liked the mechanics (Especially with team dark), but the camera wasn't the most responsive in the world. That could have been better.

Platforms: Game Gear
Year of release: 1993

The best of the 8-bit Game Gear Sonic games, it was the first one to feature Tails as a playable character, and that was something.

Platforms: Downloadable on all major platforms
Year of release: 2010

Despite the fact that the classic Sonic physics were a bit off, this short title was a welcome visitor after the lackluster Sonic titles that had come before it. In other words, it felt enough like classic Sonic for enthusiasts to not lose all hope in the series completely. We've had some really dark years as Sonic fans. Oh, and Episode 1 was much better than Episode 2. MUCH better.

Platforms: Nintendo DS
Year of release: 2002

The "worst" of the amazing Advance titles, the only real problem with it is its difficulty, as it's so hard. The follow-up would be much better.

Platforms: Wii
Year of release: 2010

Sonic Colors is pretty much the savior of 3D Sonic games. After a rough run, its unique levels and fun gameplay showed that yes, Sonic could be done in 3D again and it didn't have to suck ass. And yes, it really is pretty colorful.

Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Year of release: 2002

Introducing grind rails to 2D Sonic platforming, Sonic Advance was a nice hint that just because Sonic had entered the 3D realm at the time, he still had a home in glorious 2D. And the people rejoiced.

Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Year of release: 2004

The best of the Advance Sonic games, it feels closest to the original Sonic titles, and if you know anything about us, you know that we love the original Sonic titles. Nothing beats them.

Platforms: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Year of release: 1999

You may have never even heard of Pocket Adventure because it came out for the oft-forgotten, Neo Geo Pocket Color, but that's a shame, because it's one of the better Sonic titles. It plays like the original Sonic 2, which we're very, VERY fond of, but it had some different bosses. We approve!

Platforms: Genesis
Year of release: 1991

Just because it's the first Sonic game doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. The game is hampered by the three level zone structure, which was ditched in Sonic 2 for only 2 levels per zone. Still, for a first game in a massive series, it got a lot of things right that many of the later Sonic games got wrong. It's a classic, sure, but it's still not the best Sonic game. Not by a long shot.

Platforms: All major platforms
Year of release: 2011

Sonic Colors was a good return to form for Sonic, but it wasn't until Sonic Generations that the long drought of good Sonic games seemed to be officially over. Combining the old, pudgy Sonic with the current, svelte Sonic, the game meshed 2D and 3D quite well. We were shocked at how much we liked this title, literally shocked. It's a recent winner and has us excited for Lost World.

Platforms: Dreamcast, Gamecube
Year of release: 2001

Introducing Shadow the Hedgehog and Rogue the Bat (Who has boobs for some reason), Sonic Adventure 2 is more of the same as its predecessor, but it's missing that initial wow factor that you got when you first played Sonic Adventure. It's still a great game though. This is when they got 3D platforming right, which they did again recently, but it's surprising how far astray Team Sonic went after this game. It did pretty much everything right.

Platforms: Nintendo DS
Year of release: 2007

Adding Marine the Raccoon to the laundry list of Sonic characters, Sonic Rush Adventure is just a single step down from its predecessor, Sonic Rush, but they're both amazing titles. You can't go wrong with either of them.

Platforms: Nintendo DS
Year of release: 2005

The best Sonic handheld game of them all, we loved its upbeat music and oldschool level design, and we also didn't hate Blaze the Cat. The handheld Sonic games just seemed to get Sonic right, with this being the prime example of that.

Platforms: Dreamcast
Year of release: 1999

The first 3D Sonic game is still the best, mostly because it didn't add much fluff (Okay, yes, Big the Cat sucked, but the rest was solid). We were in for a treat on 9/9/99 when this brilliant game came out. And it still holds up today. But yes, you're right. Big the Cat sucked.

Platforms: Genesis
Year of Release: 1994

Mindblowing at the time for its lock-on, backward capabilities (You mean, I can play as Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2? BUUUUCCCHHHH-That's the sound of a head exploding), Sonic & Knuckles was a superb Sonic game, that only got better with Knuckles coming along for the ride. We're still impressed by this game. Still.

Platforms: Genesis
Year of release: 1994

Like that Sonic 3 soundtrack? You should, because it's rumored that some of it came from Michael Jackson (Long story). Sonic 3 had more of the same greatness as 2 but with new power-ups, like a bouncy bubble, and a flame shield, as well as a chaotic bonus stage where you got blue balls (No pun intended. Okay, maybe just a little) that turned red.

It was intense.

Platforms: Sega CD
Year of release: 1993

Predating Sonic 3, Sonic CD offered an interesting time travel mechanic that really lenghtened the game. It's not the perfect Sonic title (there were very few instances where you could really blast off with his trademark speed), but it's pretty damn close.

Sonic boom, Sonic boom, Sonic boom!

Platforms: Genesis
Year of release: 1992

The greatest of them all, Sonic 2 is the sheer definition of what a Sonic game could and should be. It had amazing and diverse zones, great music, and the formal introduction of one of Sonic's most famous allies, Miles "Tails" Prower. The original was good, and the two Genesis sequels were excellent, but this is our favorite of the bunch. It's a classic, plain and simple, and our choice for the greatest Sonic game of all time. Believe it.