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Sonic X Shadow Generations Review: Sonic Generations
Welcome to part 1 of our Sonic X Shadow Generations Review, where we will be covering the “Sonic Generations” portion of the game. Keep an eye out for part 2 where we will cover “Shadow Generations” (as soon as I’ve finished it!)
Ah, Sonic. Our favorite blue blur, our hedgehog of the hour, the spiky sprinter that’s been loop-de-looping into our hearts since the early ’90s. When “Sonic Generations” initially hit the gaming world back in 2011, it was a love letter to fans—a nostalgia kick but with all the modern boost style levels you could ever want. Fast forward to 2024, and it’s donning its Sunday best again within “Sonic X Shadow Generations”, boasting a glorious 60 frames per second refresh in stunning form on the PC, Xbox Series X, and Playstation 5. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the Sonic side of the coin… before Shadow shows up throwing brooding glances and existential dilemmas your way.
Graphical Fidelity
Let’s start our sprint with the fabulous frame rate. Like I said earlier it has a slick 60 FPS unleashing the gaming equivalent of sipping a perfectly brewed cup of coffee—smooth, invigorating, and pausing only to screech when you think the game can’t get faster. I played this bad boy on PC with a Radeon RX 7900 XTX, the racing visuals shine like Amy’s pin-up photo of Sonic; crisp, detailed, and no wrinkles.
From the get-go, players will notice the reprised Green Hill Zone, a veritable homecoming for any Sonic disciple. A stride down memory lane? You bet. But don’t mistake this for mere fan service! Sonic’s stages have been finessed to deliver a high-octane nostalgia ride. It’s a chance to torpedo through your favorite 2D and 3D worlds with an updated flair that is incredibly impressive, Sonic Generations is still a looker all these years later.
Gameplay
Now, let’s talk mobility. Classic Sonic, bundled with his iconic chubbiness, now sports the nifty Drop Dash—an innovation blessed by “Sonic Mania”. This was an unexpected new trick and I’m very glad it was included. To perform the Drop Dash just hold the jump button after you have jumped in the air and release when you touch the ground, INSTANT BOOST. While Modern Sonic is ALWAYS boosting around, Classic Sonic’s Drop Dash lets him roll with unprecedented zeal.
This is a nice upgrade for the little guy that makes stage traversal even better, as I felt that the classic Sonic stages in the original version were fun, just not great. While you still aren’t going to put away “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” forever to play only these stages, the Drop Dash does help the feel. It’s like finding extra fries at the bottom of your takeout bag—was it necessary? Maybe not. But oh, is it sweet.
Physics—nostalgia buffs might note that Classic Sonic doesn’t have the same speed as in his Genesis days. Still, the game is improved over the 2011 version as I feel like it has less input delay than before, and like I said earlier, it’s all about that 60 FPS. Ooooooh boy that’s nice! Every now and then the quirkiness of quick camera shifts in the modern Sonic stages make it hard to figure out what direction to press, like when the camera goes from behind Sonic to in front of Sonic when he is getting chased. It’s been that way since “Sonic Adventure”, but I’ve always found it strange.
Replayability
The game offers 3 chao to find in every stage for extra replayability. In all honesty? I haven’t found any real purpose for the little dudes besides letting you tell your friends you’ve found them all. You know what you can’t find though? The original “Sonic the Hedgehog” game for the Sega Genesis that came with the 2011 release of Sonic Generations. What’s the deal with that Sega? That was one of the coolest things to unlock in the game! Well at least we have pinball.
The meat of the game, of course, lies in its level design. It’s like the chaos emeralds: beautiful, sharp, and while you may have seen these levels before, you have to see whats new with them. That being said, I played a certain race level against a certain rival for over 17 minutes before finally figuring out the mechanics. Maybe it was like that in the original as well, I never got that far in the original version of the game.
Plot
The story and writing have been slightly retooled, nothing major but some of the cutscenes have been changed from the original like when Sonic stiff arms Amy’s face in the 2011 game, that isn’t present any longer. It always seemed out of character, so no big loss if you ask me.
Music and Sound Effects
The soundtrack—for those who keep their playlists full of original Sonic jams (pun intended) is phenomenal. Like chili on a hotdog, it tops off the already delightful ensemble, bringing just the right amount of synth to tickle your eardrums. Enough can’t be said about how completely badass this soundtrack is. Keep an ear on Gamesboro Radio, because some of these tracks are showing up soon!
Final Thoughts
Sonic Generations remains the pulse of adrenaline it was meant to be—sprinting through our gaming library with a velocity that both celebrates where it came from and hints lovingly at the future. It’s a masterstroke of respect for the game’s roots, but with modern sensibilities. Even though its modest shortcomings rear their heads—the lack of the Genesis\Mega Drive version of “Sonic the Hedgehog”, and Chao that don’t seem to do anything other than look cool—I feel it will be held aloft by the gaming community as the gold standard of Sonic’s legacy.
“Sonic X Shadow Generations” does more than package familiarity with flair—it reinvigorates. We geared up for the remaster, and now? We’re stuck in the loop, hoping Shadow’s campaign is as poignantly engaging. For now, I’ll leave you chasing through time, holding rings aplenty, with generations of grins and guttural laughter at every spring-bound leap.
See you in part 2 my friends, where we will review “Shadow Generations”.
Score: 9 out of 10
Notes:
Hey, this was my first modern game review! Hope you enjoyed it.
Other articles about Sega Games at Gamesboro:
6 Radical Game Genie Codes to Unlock X-Men’s Full Potential on Sega Genesis – Gamesboro
Mastering Out Run on Genesis: How to be the Best – Gamesboro
Sega & Treasure: A innovative Journey Through the 90’s – Gamesboro