What's the best Sonic game since the Genesis?

Board 8

Board 8 » What's the best Sonic game since the Genesis?
Anagram
02/15/2025
02:24 PM
#1
I haven't played a single one since S&K.
Not changing this sig until I decide to change this sig.
Started: July 6, 2005
Mewtwo59
02/15/2025
02:47 PM
#2
Mania
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Xeybozn
02/15/2025
02:48 PM
#3
Mania
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Leonhart4
02/15/2025
02:49 PM
#4
Sonic X Shadow Generations, followed by Mania
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LightningStrikes
02/15/2025
02:49 PM
#5
The ones you want to play are Advance, Advance 2, Rush, and Mania. Those are all effectively tied. If pushed Advance might be the best of those.

Edit: Oh, and the word on Shadow Generations is very good but I havent played it.
I just decided to change this sig.
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Leonhart4
02/15/2025
02:50 PM
#6
Huh, rare to see someone advocate for any of the Advance games!
https://imgur.com/WqDcNNq
https://imgur.com/89Z5jrB
Kamekguy
02/15/2025
02:50 PM
#7
At this point your safest bet is probably Sonic X Shadow Generations. Classic stages play like "what if we broke the physics of the originals and you just shot around everywhere, but also we thought about that" while modern stages hit a nice dopamine thrill ride. Bosses are universally pretty bad to "I don't even know what I'm doing", but that's corrected in the Shadow portion, which is a nice mechanical complexity upgrade from the Sonic half of the equation and just generally feels pretty good.

Otherwise probably still Mania Plus if you want a more direct expansion on S3&K and CD's mechanics, not much to complain about with Mania at all. Gens is just a better bang for your buck for the "what's Sonic been up to for 30 years?" pitch without needing a lot of prefaces. Or is an easy refund on Steam if you get to the Sonic 3 portion and don't vibe with it.
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LightningStrikes
02/15/2025
02:51 PM
#8
Leonhart4 posted...
Huh, rare to see someone advocate for any of the Advance games!

https://www.metacritic.com/game/sonic-advance/?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c

Those first two were beloved! Just a bit forgotten about.
I just decided to change this sig.
Blaaaaaaargh azuarc
Leonhart4
02/15/2025
02:52 PM
#9
Yeah, Sonic Generations has some not great bosses, but thankfully you only have to beat them once and you can play the levels as much as you want.
https://imgur.com/WqDcNNq
https://imgur.com/89Z5jrB
Snake5555555555
02/15/2025
02:52 PM
#10
Sonic Mania without a doubt
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WazzupGenius00
02/15/2025
02:53 PM
#11
Mania
http://i.imgur.com/k0v0z3q.gif
Leonhart4
02/15/2025
02:53 PM
#12
LightningStrikes posted...
https://www.metacritic.com/game/sonic-advance/?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c

Those first two were beloved! Just a bit forgotten about.

I know people generally like them but I've rarely heard anyone call them some of the best Sonic games
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https://imgur.com/89Z5jrB
XIII_Rocks
02/15/2025
03:01 PM
#13
I like Advance 1, never played the rest. It blatantly doesn't hold a candle to the genesis ones though and had some shitty parts.

Best one is Mania, then Generations and Adventure 2.
Not to be confused with XIII_Minerals.
Big_Bob
02/15/2025
03:07 PM
#14
Mania, Generations, Colors
azuarc beat me.
Leonhart4
02/15/2025
03:08 PM
#15
Colors is also very good! I feel like it kinda gets forgotten about these days, especially since the port was not great from what I heard.

Still deserves recognition for breaking the Sonic Cycle though!
https://imgur.com/WqDcNNq
https://imgur.com/89Z5jrB
XIII_Rocks
02/15/2025
03:12 PM
#16
Oh yeah, Colours
Not to be confused with XIII_Minerals.
Zigzagoon
02/15/2025
03:23 PM
#17
Mania and SA2
~Silver_Ermine~
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MacArrowny
02/15/2025
03:34 PM
#18
Shadow Generations is the best Sonic game period
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
UshiromiyaEva
02/15/2025
03:35 PM
#19
The best Sonic content since the Genesis are the Daytime levels in Unleashed. Unfortunately, there's a bunch of other things in the game around those that aren't that.

For full packages, Mania Plus and Sonic x Shadow Generations. Original Generations is an irrelevant product now.
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Aecioo
02/15/2025
04:53 PM
#20
Sonic All Star Racing Transformed!

Probably not what you're looking for but it's the best kart racer of all time
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcb35gGx0t1qailr4o1_500.gif
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shane15
02/15/2025
04:55 PM
#21
The first Sonic Rush game on DS was really good.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/330/958/a5b.gif
tazzyboyishere
02/15/2025
04:57 PM
#22
Shadow Generations
http://i.imgur.com/l7xxLh1.jpg
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Johnbobb
02/15/2025
04:59 PM
#23
Leonhart4 posted...
Sonic X Shadow Generations
This

I've never been a huge fan of Mania though, it basically just felt like nostalgia for people who only like the Genesis Sonic games without really evolving much beyond them
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Zylothewolf
02/15/2025
07:10 PM
#24
I have played around 30 non Mega Drive Sonic games.

Mania is a boring but correct answer.
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Xtlm
02/15/2025
08:56 PM
#25
Does CD count lol

It's Mania

But I want to shout out to Sonic R.
I beat that game last year or so and I absolutely thought it was great. Not enough levels is my main complaint. People didn't like the controls, but once you get used to it they are actually rather intuitive. I wish it had online multiplayer racing lol
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LeonhartFour
02/16/2025
09:43 AM
#26
Johnbobb posted...
I've never been a huge fan of Mania though, it basically just felt like nostalgia for people who only like the Genesis Sonic games without really evolving much beyond them

sounds like it'd be right up Anagram's alley then
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MZero
02/16/2025
09:49 AM
#27
Adventure 2

The Advance games are pretty solid too

edit: on second thought playing Adventure 2 for the first time in 2025 is probably a terrible idea
redrocket
02/16/2025
10:11 AM
#28
MZero posted...
edit: on second thought playing Adventure 2 for the first time in 2025 is probably a terrible idea

Thats a strange way of saying the BEST idea.
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MacArrowny
02/16/2025
10:13 AM
#29
As someone who played no 3D Sonic games until the 2020s, I'd rank the ones I played:

Shadow Generations > Frontiers > Adventure 2 > Sonic Generations

(Adventure 2 was the first I played)
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
jcgamer107
02/16/2025
10:22 AM
#30
I feel like this is a very easy question:

Mewtwo59 posted...
Mania

and realizing Mean Bean Machine was going to be a boss fight was maybe my favorite Sonic moment period
azuarc wasn't even home. he was playing Magic the Gathering at his buddy's store, which is extremely easy to verify
Leonhart4
02/16/2025
10:26 AM
#31
Frontiers is great but I don't know if I'd start with that one as your entry point into 3-D Sonic
https://imgur.com/WqDcNNq
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StifledSilence
02/16/2025
10:44 AM
#32
MZero posted...
edit: on second thought playing Adventure 2 for the first time in 2025 is probably a terrible idea


ActuallyI did that exact thing a few weeks ago. It was a good time.

I still like Advance 1 and Mania more though.
Bear Bro
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UshiromiyaEva
02/21/2025
10:08 PM
#33
New best Sonic game.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/37f19c88.jpg
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https://youtu.be/qj9p6IFSlnk?si=cZ5L4OPM0TjVjwCD
Board 8 » What's the best Sonic game since the Genesis?