Game Review - Sonic Generations

Game Review - Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations
Released by Sega
Platform PS3
Has it really been 20 years since the little blue hedgehog first appeared on the scene?
I vividly remember the first time I played the original Sonic The Hedgehog and being blown away by the speed of the game and the fun of it all.
So, 20 years on, there's another game out and this one embraces the last two decades of Blue Hedgehoggy goodness.
In Sonic Generations, Sonic himself is celebrating his birthday when out of nowhere, a creature known as The Time Eater appears and sucks Sonic and his friends into a series of portals and scattering them across history. As Sonic begins hunting for his pals, he encounters the younger version of himself and the two of them have to team up to ensure their mates can be saved and the bad guys beaten.
Melding levels from all of the Sonic releases from the past 2 decades is quite a novel approach to this game; throw into that mix, the chance to play as Modern and Classic Sonic and all of the spin skills, bouncing, grinding and jumping they've had throughout their career and you're pretty much looking at the ultimate Sonic Game.
As well as various game levels to complete, there are side challenges as well and the whole gameplay experience for Sonic Generations really does feel like a compendium of gaming. There's the nostalgia factor at play here too - as you burn around different levels, you really do remember why it was that you fell in love with Sonic in the first place; even if occasionally, you remember the frustrations of the latter era of the games.
With tremendous graphics, bright colours, a somewhat irritating series of tunes, Sonic Generations is a timely reminder of why and how the Hedgehog changed the gaming landscape. It's a fun, frivolous and affectionate tribute to a legend and a timely reminder that sometimes the simplest of games are the most playable and enduring.

Rating: 8/10