Sonic Generations

Overview

The year 2011 marked 20 years since the original Sonic the Hedgehog debuted on the Sega Genesis. Sonic Generations plays off that anniversary aspect by remastering some of the most iconic levels from Sonic's entire franchise history in 3D.

Welcome back to Green Hill Zone

Gameplay is broken up between two versions of Sonic. The 1990's era Classic Sonic sees levels from a strictly side-scrolling perspective, with many of the game mechanics and game feel being pulled directly from the series' 16-bit heritage. Modern Sonic on the other hand borrows more heavily from games like Sonic Unleashed (PS360) and Sonic Colors (Wii), with boost-focused gameplay punctuated by perspective shifts between side-scrolling and behind-the-back 3D. A 2D hub world exists between stages, allowing players to pick between levels by walking up to that stage in the environment and cycling through a menu of available "Acts".

Though Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic are the only playable characters, after completing the main two acts of a stage, you rescue one of Sonic's many friends, who hang around in the hub world and challenge you to complete optional side missions. Each act has 10 challenges attached to it (5 as Classic Sonic, 5 as Modern Sonic). Beating these will unlock additional music and artwork, as well as restore that particular hub area back to normal by returning color to it.

The original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog game is also unlockable in the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, but not PC.

Story

A mysterious new enemy emerges and begins to erase the space-time continuum - throwing Sonic the Hedgehog back in time to his early days in Green Hill Zone. With the very fabric of time itself at stake, Sonic teams up with his younger (and considerably less talkative) self as they battle their way through history - starting at the original Sonic the Hedgehog on up through almost every major title in the franchise -- From Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) all the way to Sonic Colors (Wii).

Xbox 360/Playstation 3/PC Zones

Each zone includes a main act for both "Classic Sonic" and "Modern Sonic". Essentially, thePS360 Sonic Generations features 9 Classic Sonic stages and 9 Modern Sonic stages, not counting side acts and boss encounters.

Each zone and boss is based on a level or boss from a previous Sonic title. As coinciding with the anniversary theme of Sonic Generations, you are essentially taken on a tour through 20 years of Sonic's history.

Classic Era:

• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991): Green Hill Zone
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Chemical Plant Zone
• Sonic and Knuckles: Sky Sanctuary Zone
• Boss: Death Egg Robot / Death Egg Zone ( Sonic The Hedgehog 2)
• Rival: Metal Sonic / Stardust Speedway Bad Future ( Sonic CD)

Adventure Era:

• Sonic Adventure: Speed Highway
• Sonic Adventure 2: City Escape
• Sonic Heroes: Seaside Hill
• Boss: Perfect Chaos / Station Square ( Sonic Adventure)
• Rival: Shadow the Hedgehog / Space Colony ARK ( Sonic Adventure 2)

Modern Era:

• Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): Crisis City
• Sonic Unleashed: Rooftop Run
• Sonic Colors: Planet Wisp
• Boss: Egg Dragoon / Eggmanland (Sonic Unleashed)
• Rival: Silver the Hedgehog / Crisis City ( Sonic The Hedgehog (2006))

Bonus Content

• Casino Night Zone Pinball Table (Pre-Order Bonus)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (Full 1991 Game)

Sonic Generations 3DS

FACT: Orcas hate hedgehogs

The Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations has, for the most part, separate levels from the PS3/360/PC editions. Though the game's producer Takashi Iizuka originally mentioned the 3DS version would pull from Sonic's Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS entries, the vast majority of the levels are still largely from Sonic's console outings, save for a single level from Sonic Rush, essentially lying to Sonic fans.

Each zone includes a main act for both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. Essentially, the 3DS Sonic Generations features 7 Classic Sonic stages and 7 Modern Sonic stages, not counting side acts and boss encounters.

Classic Era:

• Sonic The Hedgehog (1991): Green Hill Zone
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2: Casino Night Zone
• Sonic & Knuckles: Mushroom Hill Zone
• Boss: Big Arms / Launch Base Zone (Sonic 3)
• Rival: Metal Sonic / Casino Night (Sonic 2)

Adventure Era:

• Sonic Adventure: Emerald Coast
• Sonic Adventure 2: Radical Highway
• Boss: Biolizard / Cannon's Core (Sonic Adventure 2)
• Rival: Shadow the Hedgehog / Radical Highway (Sonic Adventure 2)

Modern Era:

• Sonic Rush: Water Palace
• Sonic Colors: Tropical Resort
• Boss: Egg Emperor / Final Fortress (Sonic Heroes)
• Rival: Silver the Hedgehog / Tropical Resort (Sonic Colors)

Collector's Edition

To celebrate the 20 years of the hedgehog, Sega released a limited collector's edition. These were released in European regions for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and included:

We really hope you like Hedgehogs

• Lenticular Sleeve with standard game
• A "collectable" figurine which features the current generation ''Modern Sonic'' and the ''Classic Sonic''.
• A commemorative numbered golden ring
• ''20 Years of Sonic'' art book
• 20th Anniversary Soundtrack (Songs picked from Sonic Team)
• "History of Sonic: Birth of an Icon" DVD Documentary
• Casino Night Mini-Game DLC Voucher
• A massive collector's edition box with both hedgehogs featured.

Trivia

• This is one of the few console Sonic games to feature new versions of music originally composed by Dreams Come True bassist Masato Nakamura. It has been a long-standing rumor that Nakamura asks high licensing fees regarding the music he wrote for Sonic The Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. The only other post-Genesis Sonic console games to feature new recordings of Nakamura's work are Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog (2006).
• Scattered around the "City Escape" stage are billboards and posters referencing a number of easter eggs, including: Wanted posters for Fang the Sniper, Bark the Polar Bear, and Bean the Dynamite (See: Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic the Fighters). Missing Persons posters for Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel (See: SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles Chaotix). Billboards for Charmy Bee Honey, Chao in Space 2, chili-dog restaurants, and more.
• Voice samples from the Sega Saturn "It's Out There" promotional video were used by Cash Cash for their Sonic R "Super Sonic Racing" remix. These voice clips were removed for the OST release of this song and only exist as part of the in-game music.
• Sonic Generations has been in development since Sonic Unleashed was finished in 2008.
• Issue #230 of the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic series has a tie in to Sonic Generations.
• The Chaos Emerald given to you by Shadow the Hedgehog for defeating him in a rival battle is the 4th Chaos Emerald in the game, a (most likely unintentional) reference to a line in 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog that has since achieved ironic cult status among fans, where Shadow suddenly shouts "Where's that damn fourth Chaos Emerald?!" during a cutscene. It is also the yellow chaos emerald, the same color as the fake emerald Sonic used to execute Shadow's "Chaos Control" ability in Sonic Adventure 2.
• 

  Early Sonic 1 concept art
  In a mission where ''Modern Sonic'' must compete against Vector the Crocodile in a rhythm competition, Vector stands on a concert stage with keyboards behind him. Vector was originally slated to be a character in the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog game, when the original plot involved Sonic as the lead singer of a rock and roll band. In this now lost concept, Vector played keyboard. This is also referenced in Sonic Heroes, where the team blast attack of Vector, Espio, and Charmy involve them performing as a band, and Vector screaming in a microphone, destroying all enemies nearby.
• Even though this game revisits "Crisis City" from Sonic The Hedgehog (2006), that entire timeline was completely erased from continuity by the ending to the very game it originated from, technically making its existence impossible.