When the grass was greener. Let's rank the Genny Sonics.

[Rman]

I love the Genesis Sonic games.  The original convinced me ask for Genesis for my birthday as a kid.  I kinda gave up on the character after Sonic Adventure for Dreamcast, but I still enjoy the original Genesis titles.  Here's my ranking. 

Note: I never played Sonic CD.  I will try it out once the Genesis Mega Collection is released on 360.

1. Sonic 3: Awesome soundtrack and tight level design makes this my favorite.
2. Sonic 1:  Again, this game marked my beginnings as a Sega fan.  Starlight Zone is so awesome the first time.
3. Sonic and Knuckles
4. Sonic 2.

[y2kev]

2, Sonic and Knuckles, 1, 3

[CurseoftheGods]

Awesome thread, Rman. The Genny Sonics are my favourite 2D platformers.

1. Sonic 3 (& Knuckles). Awesome soundtrack, amazing graphics for the Genesis, great level design. Loved the power-ups.
2. Sonic CD. Loved the time travel mechanic. Exploration was handeled really well. Japanese soundtrack is fuck awesome.
3. Sonic 1. A classic.
4. Sonic 2.  

[y2kev]

What was so good about 2? I honestly don't remember much of it.

I just think it had the best music and some of the best individual stages. I don't know what makes vanilla sonic 3 better than sonic 2 at all. It's half a game. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is amazering though.

[tiesto]

3 + Knuckles = the best and most complete Sonic experience ever
3 = fantastic soundtrack, awesome graphics, save feature
2 = memorable, although short, levels. Tends to drag on a bit toward the end
1 = the original, slightly slower paced than the others, a couple annoying levels bogging things down (Marble/Labyrinth)
Knuckles = didn't care for the level design or the music as much as the other ones... Sonic 3 felt more like a full game than this.

[Positive Touch]

I usually see Sonic 2 or CD getting all the old-school love, and while I do enjoy those I think 3 with Knuckles blows them away.  It's a massive game with consistently amazing level design that includes multiple pathways and plenty of secrets.  Plus the music is amazing (go Michael Jackson!), the graphics are pretty good, and the special levels are actually fun.  To me, it's really the only Sonic game(s) that can complete against Mario World/Yoshi's Island because it's the only one that approaces the scope of those Mario games.

Man, I used to fill up every save slot - two for each character - and then max them out by getting all the emeralds and a bunch of lives & continues.  Then I'd erase them all and do it all over again.  I even got every possible ending for Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.  Good, good times.

[Great Rumbler]

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Had the most balanced difficulty and the best levels [Oil Ocean, Casino Nights, Flying Fortress]. My favorite music of the series.
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Difficulty was a bit too high, but had some good levels and you can't go wrong with Michael Jackson.
3. Sonic and Knuckles: Best graphics in the series [as far as I remember], but didn't have any truly memorable levels. Knuckles was cool, though.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 1: Difficulty was just way too high and just didn't click with me the way the other ones did.

Bonus Sonic:

Sonic CD: It's actually a pretty good Sonic game! Time-travel feature can be a bit confusing, though.

[Joe Molotov]

In Sonic 2 you could get all the Chaos Emeralds in the first stage and then play as Super Sonic for the rest of the game. Best Sonic Ever.

[cool breeze]

I never knew Sonic 2 was so polarizing.  Anyway,

1.  Sonic 2
2.  Sonic CD
3.  Sonic 3
4.  Sonic and Knuckles
5.  Sonic 1

and yeah, music in Sonic 2 is better than the other games.  Casino Night Zone > your face

[Himu]

Sonic 1 > Sonic 3 and Knuckles > Sonic 2 > Sonic CD

Sonic 1 is the best Sonic game to me. It had tons of secret areas and way to get through levels, the best bonus/warp levels, the emphasis was on actual platforming as opposed to pressing right the majority of the game as was in Sonic 2. It was also the first game I owned, so I'm really attached.

Sonic 3 has excellent level designs and music but was too short. S3+K fixes this and almost puts it on par with Sonic 1.

Sonic 2 is good but overrated as fuck.

Sonic CD is boring.

[Himu]

Just want to emphasize that Sonic 1 is the best:

Spring Yard Zone
Labyrinth Zone
Marble Zone

zomg

[Himu]

fuck sonic 2

you know what annoys me? When you look at sonic 2 or 3 vids on youtube and everyone has tails with them. It's like, dammit, go to options or something. I never saw the point of having sonic AND tails on screen at once. Tails always dies anyways.

[cool breeze]

Wing Fortress Zone > himumu's post

[y2kev]

Wing Fortress Zone > himumu's post

wing fortress zone > himumu

[Himu]

You know my favorite level in Sonic 2?

Hill Top Zone. Oil Ocean is second.

Can you top flying sea horses that shoot oil? No. You just can't.

[Himu]

haha.

It always freaked me and buddy out that Tails had two tails back when we were kids.

[cool breeze]

Sonic 2 special stages are so much better than those in any other Sonic game.

and I actually played Sonic 3 for the first time in Tehran in some Arcade place that limited your play time to 5 minutes.  That was cool. 

[Himu]

I thought Sonic 2's special stages were annoying. Need x amount of rings thing made them more random and cohesive than Sonic 1 or 3 imo. Sonic 1 and Sonic 3 ftw.

[CurseoftheGods]

Sonic 3 special stages are so much better than those in any other Sonic game.

Fixed.

[Himu]

Sonic 1's special stages are my favorite, mostly because of the music.

[Himu]

I thought Sonic 2's special stages were annoying. Need x amount of rings thing made them more random and cohesive than Sonic 1 or 3 imo. Sonic 1 and Sonic 3 ftw.

Sonic 1 special stages sucked.

Too hard for you huh? EH?

Better than Sonic 2's, OH YOU'RE MISSING ONE RING, YOU FAIL THE STAGE thing.






omfg

*whistles*

[cool breeze]

Sonic 2 stages are so much better than the Sonic 1 or Sonic 3 stages.  I'd say Sonic CD had he worst ones, then Sonic 3, then Sonic 1.  Sonic 2 is the champ.

Sonic 2 special stages are so much better than those in any other Sonic game.

and I actually played Sonic 3 for the first time in Tehran in some Arcade place that limited your play time to 5 minutes.  That was cool. 

Wait a second, Tehran had Sonic 3 arcades?

Guys I think we just lost.

I don't think it was really an arcade.  It was like a shopping or entertainment center, but they just had a bunch of Sega Genesis units set up with Sonic 3 on them.

[CurseoftheGods]

Special stages are the deciding factor in which Sonic game is the best?

Nobody said that, dude.

[cool breeze]

they are just another way to judge the game

[Himu]

I think we can all agree that Sonic on the Genesis was the best.

Sonic > Mario

The only Mario I truly love is Yoshi's Island, which many don't even consider a Mario game. That and the first Mario, for nostalgia.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

My ranking of Genesis Sonic games from best to worst:

Sonic 3  Probably the most polished Sonic game for the Genesis.  Special stages were the best and the levels were all well designed, colorful, and could provide some challenge.  The franchise's gameplay peaked with this game.

Sonic 2  I liked this game a lot too but what killed it for me was that some of the stages were just boring to play through.  I forget the specific names but I just felt that some levels were a chore to get through, unlike Sonic 3, where I enjoyed every one.  I'm not a big fan of the special stages layout as well.

Sonic and Knuckles  Its like Sonic 3 but with boring stages.  In fact, its a pretty forgettable game.

Sonic 1  It is an ok game.  It definitely feels more aged compared to the others and some of the stages are simply crap.  I also hated its special stages and thought it was too easy of a game to get through.

Sonic 3D Blast  Not as bad as what some make it out to be but it is pretty mediocre.  I wish I could say I had fun but I couldn't but I didn't hate any part of it either.

[Himu]

What did you guys think of Sonic Spinball.

[Joe Molotov]

Did anyone play "Sonic 4", Knuckles Chaotix?  Bad game. It's where all the crappy friend stuff started, and is at least indirectly responsible for Sega's downfall.

[drew]

Sonic 1
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic 2

[Eel O'Brian]

I got Sonic 1 as the pack-in when I got my Genesis, so that's probably my favorite simply because I played the shit out of it (I only had that and Spider-man vs. The Kingpin for the longest time).

I like them all, but I only ever finished Sonic 1 and 2.  I want to go back and finish the others some day.

[Himu]

I got Sonic 1 as the pack-in when I got my Genesis, so that's probably my favorite simply because I played the shit out of it

same

[Great Rumbler]

Metropolis Zone:



Casino Nights Zone:



Oil Ocean Zone:



Hill Top Zone:



Sky Chase Zone:



Emerald Hill Zone [2 player]:



Wing Fortress Zone:



Mystic Cave Zone [2 player]:



Sonic 2 music

[CurseoftheGods]

Those are some awesome picks.

Great Rumbler

The alternate theme of Casino Nights is so much better than the original.

[Himu]

did you guys ever play those unreleased stages?

[CurseoftheGods]

In Sonic 2 Long Version (or Delta)? Yeah, they're pretty fun.

[Himu]

been meaning to give them a shot

[Oblivion]

Sonic 3/Knuckles
Sonic CD
Sonic 2
Sonic 1

[CurseoftheGods]

Sonic 2's lost levels:

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Best song in Sonic games:

[demi]

Sonic RPG >

[Himu]

Best song in Sonic games:

This. And when you start the level it is so badass. You fall into an abyss and then run away from a giant wall that's going to crush you. So badass.

[Great Rumbler]

Best song in Sonic games:

You should check out the Sonic CD soundtrack, it's got some great tracks on it too.

[Positive Touch]

Did anyone play "Sonic 4", Knuckles Chaotix?  Bad game. It's where all the crappy friend stuff started, and is at least indirectly responsible for Sega's downfall.

hahaha god.  worst sonic game, hands down.  It seriously feels like someone opened up a Sonic level editor and started dropping in half-pipes and enemies randomly.  There are NO defining features in any of the levels and that, together with the fact that levels are played at random, ruins any sense of progress in the game.  The stupid friends just keep you from gaining any momentum, and being punished by getting stuck with friends that force you to move slowly is beyond stupid.  The bosses suck too.  Really the only good thing about the game is some of the music. 

I bought a complete copy of the game off eBay for $10, and it still had the original Wal-Mart price tag of $85   Almost feel sorry for the poor bastard that payed that much for it.

[Tucah]

3/Knuckles
CD
1
2
3D Blast (lulz)

[recursivelyenumerable]

I'd like to play these sometime; are there good versions for more recent hardware?

[Himu]

pretty soon, unless it's already out, the sonic sega genesis collection for 360/ps3

[Rman]

I'd like to play these sometime; are there good versions for more recent hardware?

You can also pick up the mega collection for dirt cheap for PS2, Xbox1, or Gamecube.

[CurseoftheGods]

Sonic Jam is still the best Sonic compilation, in my opinion. Using the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge in that was just like using the real thing (minus the bullshit about unlocking the roms found in other compilations). 

[Rman]

Sonic Jam is still the best Sonic compilation, in my opinion. Using the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge in that was just like using the real thing (minus the bullshit about unlocking the roms found in other compilations). 

How many Sonic compilations were there?  I can't even keep track.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I know this isn't Genesis but I admit that I loved Sonic R and got everything in the game.

[littlemathletics]

Soundtrack's pretty rad.

pretty soon, unless it's already out, the sonic sega genesis collection for 360/ps3

Hadn't heard about that. Sure, I've got the collections for PS2, but...could be worth picking up.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I know this isn't Genesis but I admit that I loved Sonic R and got everything in the game.

Me too.

Great music.

[Don Flamenco]

the grass was never greener.  Snesfags > Genfags.  The score was settled on the playground and after many kickball and four square games.

[CurseoftheGods]

Sonic Jam is still the best Sonic compilation, in my opinion. Using the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge in that was just like using the real thing (minus the bullshit about unlocking the roms found in other compilations). 

How many Sonic compilations were there?  I can't even keep track.

1. Sonic Compilation (Genesis/Mega Drive): includes

Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

2. Sonic & Knuckles Collection (PC):
The collection includes:
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Blue Sphere

Some of the stages' music was removed and replaced with inferior tracks.

3. Sonic Jam (Saturn): includes

Sonic the Hedgehog (with added spinball!)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Knuckles in Sonic 2
Blue Sphere

4. Sonic Mega Collection [Plus includes the SMS games] (PS2, Xbox, GCN)

5. Sonic Gems (GameCube exclusive in the US, PS2 version available in Japan): includes

Sonic CD (Sega CD, port of the PC version, ported by Sonic Team)
Sonic the Fighters (Arcade, ported by Sega-AM2)
Sonic R (Sega Saturn, port of the PC version, ported by Traveller's Tales)

The collection also includes the six Game Gear games that were absent in Sonic Mega Collection Plus:

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic Spinball
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Drift 2
Tails' Skypatrol
Tails Adventure

The two unlockable games in all 3 regions are:

Vectorman
Vectorman 2

The other four unlockable games are only in the Japanese version:

Bonanza Bros.
Bare Knuckle (Streets of Rage)
Bare Knuckle II (Streets of Rage 2)
Bare Knuckle III (Streets of Rage 3)

6. Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (PS3, 360) : includes


Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe I
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
The following games are new to this collection:
Alien Storm
Beyond Oasis
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
E-SWAT
Fatal Labyrinth
Shining in the Darkness
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3

It is unknown at this time if any of the three lock-on games (Knuckles in Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, and Blue Sphere) will be included in this collection.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I hope that is the last Genesis compilation.  I hope Sega starts moving onto Saturn, Model 2, and Model 3 compilations.

[CurseoftheGods]

I doubt Sega is going to do any Saturn compilations. The hardware was needlessly complex and didn't lend itself to good ports. Sega also lost most of the source code for Saturn games (that's why we don't have a Panzer Dragoon Saga remake/port, and why the rereleases for Panzer Dragoon, House of the Dead 1, and Virtua Fighter 2 were ports from the PC versions). However, Sega did release some Model 2 ports on the PS2 in Japan, I believe.

I really hope Sega starts doing Model 3 compilations. There are way too many good games on that hardware, and I'd die for arcade perfect ports of Virtua Fighter 3, Scud Racer, and Daytona 2.

 

[littlemathletics]

Yeah, can't see Saturn collections happening any time soon. There's barely even a truly reliable emulator around.

New Genesis compilation sounds fun though. Curious about what they'll do for achievements.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

there's already a decent number of Saturn games that were ported, and ported rather well (or remade from the ground up) for the Sega Ages line.  We only got the shitty D3 Sega remakes, we never got the pretty awesome looking Sega remakes.  Wouldn't you want to give these a shot?







I sure as shit do.

[Rman]

Dynamite Deka was so awesome. 

[CurseoftheGods]

I got Dynamite Deka 2 on the DC. So many good memories from playing that game with friends.