no mention of Sonic for "Most Improved Franchise"

I am in no means a SEGA fanboy or anything, but I'm a bit surprised no one on the podcast thought of mentioning Sonic the Hedgehog for most improved franchise, of the three games Sonic has been in this year, they all have been surprisingly pretty solid. Sonic and Sega All-stars Racing was about on par with Mario Kart. Likewise, while Sonic 4: Episode I did not deliver on the hype, it was definitely playable and enjoyable, something that is very hard to say about Sonic Unleashed and Sonic '06. Then there's Sonic Colors which received pretty solid reviews for both the Wii and DS versions of it and the first Sonic game in a very long time that can be recommended without any major caveats. 
 
While Need for Speed has gotten to the point where the franchise was stale, it was nowhere near as broken as what Sonic the Hedgehog has been for the past decade, they were still perfectly average games. While I can definitely agree with the inclusion of Just Cause and Red Steel, they have not had nearly as long of a history of non-stop disappointment as Sonic the Hedgehog has. 

Sonic: Free Riders still sucked ass.

They still weren't as good as the originals.

I was going to just laugh in all caps when I saw the thread title, but you actually make some good points. Still, maybe it just looks like the biggest improvement because of how far Sonic has fallen over the last several years.

Yeah, they didn't like Sonic 4 but seemed pretty okay with Colors in the Quick Look, so I was surprised to see it not even up for debate as well. I thought Sonic 4 and the Wii version of Colors were pretty good, and apparently the DS Colors is alright as well.

Sonic Free Riders disqualifies Sonic.

Sonic Rush from a few years ago was better than Sonic 4. 

He now moves like molasses, and the lock-on targeting is usually frustrating and unnecessary. I thinks it's a step backward.

how can a franchise be "improved" when its best games are all old?

except....sonic freeriders also came out....

" how can a franchise be "improved" when its best games are all old? "

...

" except....sonic freeriders also came out.... "

" Sonic: Free Riders still sucked ass. "

" @adoggz said:

" how can a franchise be "improved" when its best games are all old? "

The same could be said of Need for Speed. "

I think our New Year's resolution should be to stop talking about Sonic in any context.

Did you seriously take a look at all the sonic games this year? I see no improvement!

" Wasn't mentioned cause it wasn't most improved. Easy. A mediocre game (Sonic 4) and a pretty OK game no one played (Sonic Colors) does not an award make. "

Sonic 4 was awful.  The Sonic Color games were playable but not very good so I agree Sonic should be killed off.

Yeah, you raise some good points. Colors looked pretty good. LASER! 
 
It's perhaps something that should have been mentioned if Red Steel 2 was nominated, probably just slipped their mind, since, you know... it's Sonic.

Sadly, the best Sonic game this year was that 3-level fan remake that some guys at sonicretro made.

They're improvements of the last 5 years but still nothing special.

Sonic Colors on the DS is the only Sonic game I've enjoyed in years.

" how can a franchise be "improved" when its best games are all old? "

1 good sonic game in 15 years does not equate most improved franchise. Plus, for every good sonic game, there's 30 shitty ones.

" I was going to just laugh in all caps when I saw the thread title, but you actually make some good points. Still, maybe it just looks like the biggest improvement because of how far Sonic has fallen over the last several years. "

I'm surprised how many people think Colors for the DS is the first good Sonic game in a decade.  Sonic Rush and its sequel were good long before Colors came out, and they're practically the same engine.

" I'm surprised how many people think Colors for the DS is the first good Sonic game in a decade.  Sonic Rush and its sequel were good long before Colors came out, and they're practically the same engine. "

Sonic...improved this year? 
 
Aside from the cult following of Sonic Colors, I'm pretty sure most people didn't think that Free Riders or Sonic 4 were much of an improvement.

" Yeah, they didn't like Sonic 4 but seemed pretty okay with Colors in the Quick Look, so I was surprised to see it not even up for debate as well. I thought Sonic 4 and the Wii version of Colors were pretty good, and apparently the DS Colors is alright as well. "

Mainly because Sonic Colors is essentially Super Sonic Galaxy. Rip-offs are not an improvement; they're usually a concession.

Games don't exist until they come out for a console. "

" @csl316: Sonic Rush was pretty good, especially in the soundtrack area. The boss stages kind of killed its momentum a bit for me. "

I think that the Giant Bomb crew think that there is a fundamental issue with the way Sonic games typically are.  Similar to how they think most of the Zelda titles are in a stale state right now.   I don't think any of the new Sonic games introduced anything that revitalizes the formula; In fact I think they come off as "hey guys we're like the old Sonic games! You like those Right?"
 
I personally can't say anything about the quality of the new Sonic games since I have no desire to play them.

Sonic Colours was doing well until the last few worlds, where the classic "take a guess at survival" BS kicked in. I mean, I've played one end of level boss where it's fully trial and error to get anywhere.

" Sonic Rush from a few years ago was better than Sonic 4.  "

It's like calling Bobby Kennedy "most improved assassination" for not being as devastating as JFK or MLK.

3D sonic still sucks ass. Colours and Sonic 4 were the best and they weren't even full 3D, people know the 2D series was lways decent. Sonic doesn't deserve to be anywhere near awards except for crapiest games Which should have gone to Free riders.