Sega: Recent Sonic Games Haven't Been "Acceptable", Looking To Replicate The Past In Future Outings

Things to remove from future Sonic games:
Every character except Sonic and Eggman
Rails
Homing attacks
Story/Cutscenes
Voices

I think Sonic plays far better in 2D, it'd be nice to see them put out a real retail 2D sonic like Sonic Advance on the GBA. Those three games were enjoyable in their own right and if they just kept the ideas of sonic simple and had solid level design, and didn't release the games nearly as often as they do, it would be a far more appreciated series. Also no more cheesy story or voice acting please.

Bout time Sega got the hint

shame they tried that with Sonic 4

I wonder if this will apply to Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.

In all seriousness, they need to invest in a solid 2D game. Sonic 4 was decent, but it banked way too hard on nostalgia and just replicating past zones and themes. If they really tried to make a new fully featured game, I think it could work in their favor.

I think it's a bit unfair to Sonic. If he doesn't run fast from left to right it is not a Sonic game.

Yet, Mario, as well as his platform games is at home playing golf, tennis, party games etc.

I hated sonic rush!!! Barely played sonic games at all really so can't comment they don't seem to appeal to me. But I often think why don't they just make them 2d like they used to but modernise it like Nintendo with new super Mario bros

@zool to be fair I loved the sonic adventure games but I agree its odd that two platformers have had such drastic fortunes in 3D space. its either really hard to make 3D sonic or people are overly critical of them. I suspect the truth is somewhere in between.

Much of Sonic's quality games the past 10-15 years have been on handhelds. The Sonic Advance series was great as were the DS outings. Sure, they might not have been the most revolutionary titles in the series or add much to the classic formula, but they clearly demonstrated that's exactly how Sonic works best. Platforming based around speed, momentum and diverging paths. When they add too much stuff that distracts from this level progression, it doesn't work.

I found Sonic 4 atrocious.... forcing you go to fast then punishing you with an unavoidable death by falling off the ledge; absolutely terrible level design. Then there's those horrible Boss fights and the tedious repetition at the end to fight them all over again! So lazy! The only game that has come close to capturing some of the glorious days of old was Sonic Generations, but that generally got worse as it went on, and yet again, no decent Boss battles! sigh They can't replicate that Sonic 3 & Knuckles experience!

Can they make something as good as Sonic 3 & Knuckles .. hmm unlikely .. but hopefully !

I admit that I haven't finished it (barely finish any game these days ) but I've enjoyed Lost World and will always have a soft spot for Sega.

I'm on a big mix with sonic. Some have been great while others were terrible.

Sonic Adventure 1 & 2- Both highly overrated games
Sonic Heroes- My favorite 3d Sonic game
Shadow the Hedgehog- Just Why?
Sonic 06- Rushed and terrible
Sonic and the Sercet Rings- Motion controls and level design were horrible
Sonic and Black Knight- See above
Sonic Unleashed- Only half the game was good. Daytime Stages
Sonic 4- Failed to gain a identity. Relied too much on nostalgic. 1 was bad, 2 was better.
Sonic Colors- Best Sonic from start to finish in a long time. Mostly 2d
Sonic Generations- Another great sonic game. Missed Dlc opportunely. Played it safe
Sonic Lost World- Highly Unrated. A good sonic game.
Sonic Boom- Let's not go there

Sega and Sonic team needs to stick sonic with what works. Don't complicate the plot with aliens and princesses who are into bestiality. Keep it simple like Heroes,Colors, and Generations. Eggman vs Sonic. Have tails and Knuckles like they were in Sonic 3 and make it fun

Yeah, so you keep saying. For years, in fact. Yet Sega keep making the same mistakes over and over.

Sonic '06 was an unmitigated disaster that tarnished Sega as a company. So, what did they do? Go ahead and repeat the exact same thing with Sonic Boom.

Not to mention the plethora of bad and mediocre Sonic games over the years. Pretty much since Sonic Adventure, the series has struggled - and I would even argue that the original 2D games weren't all that, either.

It doesn't help that the franchise has a cancerous fanbase; each of whom scream about how they would fix the brand, whilst pumping out disturbing fanfics.

Sega just needs to wipe the slate clean. Get rid of Takashi Iizuka, recognise what makes Sonic 'Sonic', and proceed from there. Create a solid, new gameplay structure - and build upon it. And avoid adding unnecessary crap just for the sake of it.

Yeah, sure, whatever, Sega. I'll believe it when I see it. You have a lot of work to do if you want to win me over again.

Honestly, i really had fun with Unleashed/Color/Generations and would'nt mind another one with this trend. The adventure games were good as well. On the other hand, Sonic 4 could have been great, but the control were terrible and the level design was very generic not to mention the soundtrack. The classics game were really great but like any other retro game, nostalgia plays a great role in our memories of them. A new game as good as them would'nt score for this simple reason and people can't seem to agree why sonic is not so good anymore, just look at the other comment and you will see what I mean.

Don't we all want to go back to when we thought Sonic games were good (they were never any good)

Sounds promising.

Even All Stars Racing Transformed had issues, and that game made my jaw drop in places. Such a shame the online mode was dead by the time I got my Wii U, and I'd prefer if the rull roster was unlocked from the get go.

Sega, give it a rest. You have struggling studios with rich, inventive ideas that can't get a lifeline to get their projects out. Then you have Sega spending tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on repeated mistakes.

Just put the way you did for Generations and Colors and it'll be fine.

Even better, just do 2D games and keep at it. We haven't seen a 3D Kirby game and there's a reason behind it.

Once I read that the original Sonic developers were following Sonic evolution and they seemed to know why Sonic was not good any more, it makes a lot of sense because they were the main staff in the Mega Drive games. They don't work in Sega any more, but Sega could hire them. Sega hired independent teams before with disastrous results, because they don't choose the right people to work in a Sonic game.

These are the facts that made Sonic great:

· Visuals. They were not realistic but amazing and unique. Lovely colours, lovely grass. The monitors and shields were useful. The worlds were alive and charming.
· Sound. The effects and the soundtrack were awesome, much better than most games, including highly rated games.
· Level design. Combining high speed sections and loops with places where you are supposed to change your speed naturally, not ramps that lead to pits like in recent games. Bifurcations make levels feel very re-playable.
· Story and character. Just playing with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles seemed good enough. Other characters appearing briefly without cheesy dialogues that made fans' ears bleed in recent games.

If you come back with all this, you are good, Sonic. However, you need either your old developers and/or new talents.

Sonic 4 had awful physics and controls, that's the main reason why it is a mess.

About 3D Sonic games, there must be a perfect balance that they have not reached yet, but better level designed and easier to control Sonic is needed here. By easier I don't mean automatic but intuitive.

If Sega works on this, then they'll be good and we'll be good.

Surely only Sonic Boom has been bad from the recent games, and it wasn't even made by Sonic Team. Colours, Generations, and, to a lesser extent, Lost World have all been great. I think Sonic Team are moving in the right direction. I think Lost World's main problem was that they tried to squeeze too many different controls in. The game didn't always know what you wanted it to do. I'd love to see another good 3D Sonic game where you can also play as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Like Sonic Colours, but with extra areas only certain characters can reach, like in Sonic 3.

The problem is this is like the umpteenth time they've said something along these lines. Sonic 06 was meant to be a "return to form" and look how that turned out!

Maybe they should take a page out of Galaxy Trail's book. One mechanic I would love to see them return with is the Rush gauge from the DS games; albeit with perhaps a smaller gauge that recharges more slowly. But at least it helped you keep up your momentum whilst Sonic 4 just had me suddenly stopping due to an obstacle, enemy or trap that you almost need clairvoyance to avoid.

Sonic Colours was also pretty good, gotta finish that.

On a side point, is there much visual difference between the 30 FPS Generations on PS3 and the 60FPS on the PC version?

@FX102A Yes, but close to equally important is the lack of loading times on PC.

I'm happy to hear that Sega isn't putting it's mascot down to rest. However I'm sad to hear that they might be giving up on the 3D Sonic Experience.

There are many things I like about 3D sonic or rather, the Sonic Adventure series, and aspects of Colors, generations, and even unleashed (the non-werehog parts at least).

Well, here's hoping they can find a way to not only go back to the roots, but to expand on those roots in a way that feels natural, as opposed to the forced 3D perspective.

It feels like Sega not having a console to sell has hurt sonic a bit. The Adventure games have a ton of nostalgia in them for players like me. i.e. those too young to have experienced him fully in his early days.

Eh, didn't Sega say this last year when Boom came out? Pretty sure they did.

Just do 2d sonic, tails and knuckles. No extra characters!! no voice acting, 2d 2d 2d. Maybe even use the same game engine from sonic 2 and 3 and CD. 2d 2d 2d. 3ds exclusive...... ;p

Oh for crying out loud, stop with the Sonic games. No one but the Sonic fans and furries wants you to try anymore Sega. We want everything else. Sonic's brand is dead. Give the poor blue rat a rest and stop making his games for at least half a generation. Then come back when your comeback speeches actually mean something. We always hear about you bringing things back to the way they were with Sonic, but it's always a load of bull.

As others have pointed out, SEGA often says this. If nobody's already done so it's probably worth adding this mea culpa to stage one of the infamous "Sonic Cycle".

As for me, I'm happy enough just to play Sonic 1 and 2 on the 3DS (and maybe Sonic 3 or Sonic & Knuckles someday?)

Or you know Sega can actually put effort.

I'd say that they've stated this before, but I'd just be repeating what others have already said. Anyways, what they need to do is simple: Just try to get a good sense of speed, make sure that it manages to work with the gameplay, make the gameplay fun, don't try anything too experimental (because, really, that usually backfires), and, most important of all, don't rush the damn game!

They consider Colours, Generations and Lost World to be disappointing. Failures. Underwhelming.

Can we please get this fan Base to solidly just say that they were good, more of that, because the company is now pretty much settling on the default reaction of they hate it before the game bloody releases!

Now that I can think of myself as an "experienced" (read: I'm old) gamer who has read plenty of official statements over the years, I think I speak for everyone when I say people just know things have gotten really bad when companies officially acknowledge them. So, if SEGA apologizes for their latest Sonic games, it means there definitely is a problem. I'll still support the Sonic franchise whenever it gives birth to a gem, with Sonic Generations (the home console version at least) being the best example.

Still, it's weird that good ol' @ThomasBW84 wasn't the guy reporting this news. Fan disillusionment, much?

I really hate when people say that the problem about sonic is that "there's a lot of characters" or "there's voice acting" or "they aren't 2d rip offs of the old games".
The main reason that recent Sonic games are bad is because Sega rushes them.
Sega didn't want to make Sonic 2006 bad. They just stupidly gave themself such a short time to develop the game that they had to release an unfinished game. If they gave themselves another year, the game could've been much better. The same could be said for boom.
For future sonic games, I think Sega should keep the amount of characters low (sonic tails knuckles Amy eggman maybe more if it's a sonic adventure styled game), but I don't think Sega should keep sonic 2d. Sonic strives on voice acting and cutscenes, Sega probably won't be removing that in the future.

I'm just worried that if Sega makes sonic like the classic games again, sonic will become just like mario: boring, predictable, unoriginal, etc.

Everything about Sonic 2 is just great- the level variety, speed, bosses, music. Didn't appreciate it as much in the 90s but now it's a creative marvel.

Shame they don't seem to realise that it's unacceptable before release. Asking kids to fork out for unfinished, buggy, Ill conceived trash is as good as stealing. No sympathy when Dev teams get sacked for releasing rubbish.. Very rarely happens when a game gets rave reviews.

Stop making them 3D. Even Nintendo had to come back with the "New" series to accommodate the mechanics of older Mario games. Return to your roots. Make sonic 5 and don't make it episodic and make it 2.5D. Sonic is poorly suited to a 3D world and on rails is worse.

@Insect_Prince so you just want fast Mario, right? Stepping backwards and stripping everything away isn't going to get you anywhere.

I'll say it again. Sonic can be good. Even Sonic Boom had potential. We don't need a classic 2D Sonic game. We need EFFORT. If Sega tries to rush Sonic Team, we will get Sonic 15.

I dont understand why they didn't try doing what megaman did with sonic 4 and just make another 32 bit game. I much prefer the old visuals anyway, sonic 3 had so much visual imagination in it.

They should bring platforming back to the games...actually platforming just like in the original MD/CD games. They tried doing 2D titles on DS and also Sonic 4 but essentially they were was just pressing one direction and jumping sometimes which completely misses the point. Yes, he was fast but they made him too fast and now the games are either poorly made 3D games or ones thstvare more like endless runners.

I played Sonic Riders a ton on the GameCube so I'd like to see that series revived. Also a fan of the whole sonic cast, Storm the Albatross in particular.
The Sonic Chronicles on GBA was a missed opportunity. An RPG Sonic could be amazing!

They may say it, but will they do it?

Now that they're said it, hopefully they can go back to their roots and create a game that everyone will love.

I'm just glad to hear there will be more Sonic games coming out. I loved Generations and have really enjoyed Lost World on the Wii U.

Would like to see more Sonic Rush games on a handheld and Sonic Adventure 3 would be nice.

Haven't played Sonic Boom tough I'm not sure I ever will.

They keep saying this but!

Anyway, I always feel so left out because I've been playing Sonic like a normal Jump 'n Run as a kid and I could never understand all this 'must be fast' sentiment. The fanbase is split anyway, everyone wants something else, there have been enough different games to warrant all these differing opinions, and in the end no one is happy with the result, which is sad. No matter how many Sonics I try, I usually go back to Sonic 3 & Knuckles for Megadrive/Genesis (and the original and 2, to some extent). I liked Generations, though. Hm...

(Guess I'll keep on hoping.)

"Everything besides the MegaDrive games was bad" - Sonic Fanbase
"It wasnt original enough" - Sonic Fanbase

With a "Fan"base like that, no wonder they didnt even try to make a passable game. How could they ? Just make Sonic 2 over and over and switch the color pallet around (but DONT change the eye color !!!) and and theyll be happy...probably.

In all seriousness though, give it a rest. The Sonic series as a whole does not have an audience. Whatever they do, its bad because its not a Mega Drive game. And if its a Mega Drive game its not original enough.

Kill the franchise off for a couple of years and let the demand grow. Then, bad memories will be gone and you can guarantee a fresh start.

At last, maybe they finally understand.
As a massive Sonic fan, this is quite a big deal. Hopefully we will hear about a new game soon. Sonic Adventure 3 anyone?

They can win ME over by releasing the Advanced trilogy on the Virtual Console; those actually WERE good successors. But oh right, they have no plans to do that for some reason.

I feel like everytime SEGA releases a new Sonic game they say that.

I would not mind a return to the adventure formula. Those games were by no means perfect, but if made a new engine to replicate the feel of it and remove event he slightest trace of glitches it would be a good game.

A great sonic game.
1.have all of these main characters (sonic,tails,knuckles,Amy).
2 only use 3D in the special levels(2,3,and CD)
3.have a story in the game
4.have side missions like a rpg games

What if...Nintendo developed the next Sonic game? Sega has developed games using Nintendo IP in the past (eg: F-Zero GX), so why not?

@Insect_Prince What about Tails and Knuckles?

I'm so glad to see Sega admit this. In my opinion, the best Sonic game was Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS. Recently I've been playing Sonic Advance alot, and many can agree that Advance was pretty dang good. We need something to go back to. Colors and Generations were not that long ago. I'd also like to see Sonic Battle hit the Wii U EShop and a Sonic Battle 2, please! #TailsIsGodTier

I'm probably the wrong person to ask, but I've actually enjoyed most of his games, really, even ones that received not-so-great response, such as Shadow the Hedgehog. I'm all for a 2D retro-ized Sonic game, however, but don't forget everyone else!

@Insect_Prince Even Sonic 3 & Knuckles had a story and three characters, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, so I think your list is a bit excessive.

Sounds like some dood trying to keep his girl from leaving him; "Babe, I'm sorry, Babe. I'll change. We'll go back to how things were in the beginning, Babe."

ONE MORE CHANCE, SEGA!

Sonic the hedgehog 2 is probably my most played video game of all time. I still go back to Adventure 2, Gems Collection, Riders, Heroes, etc for multiplayer with friends/family. Hope they add a multiplayer mode to the next Sonic game as it adds so much replay value to the game. Heck i'd be fine with DLC characters that change up the gameplay with different abilities as long as it isn't another roulette... I feel Sonic 3&K and Sonic advance series (especially Sonic Advance 3) did other playable characters the best.

I'll never understand how people rate Sonic Heroes. Every movement felt sloppy. It's utterly awful in every sense. I really enjoyed SA2 and hoped they would expand on it. Heores killed it then nothing great happened in terms of 3D games until Generations.

Each title has its moments but the bugs are often unbearable and anything any title does well, it only does in bursts.

Where 2D is concerned, I think people are harsh on Sonic 4 Episode 2. Episode 1 was pretty poor but again, 2 has its moments and played fairly well.

What are Sega saying now exactly? That they'll make a Sonic 1/2/3 style game? Isn't that what the attempted with 4? I'd be far happier if they'd follow up Generations with new environments.

The Sonic fanbase is so split, no matter what's released, they aren't going to please everyone.

@liljmoore I agree with your list except Sonic Heroes. The control sucks in that game and what was the point of having teams in that game.

Sonic is better in 2D

btw........

The 90's = heyday.

I think a new super Mario bros approach could be a good idea. I'd like to see an expansion on the shields with different double jump abilities from sonic 3 and knuckles. To give the gameplay more depth they could have different levels for Tails and Knuckles to make more and better use of flying/gliding/climbing.

The developers will need to come up with some interesting new / diverse gameplay elements if they return to the classic 2d style.

@vitalemrecords Guess id better delete Sonic 1&2 from my 3ds. I can't believe I wasted my money on two of the worst games ever made. I'm so glad your personal opinion helped clear things up.

@Insect_Prince Use his proper name Dr Robotnik 😃

Also thanks Sega for stating the obvious and by recently I assume you mean the last 15 years

Stopped playing Sonic after Generations.

You have to remove the speed from Sonic-games for them to work in 3D. Otherwise you'll not get acceptable control - or worse yet - just him running on auto with minimal user input. There can be some sub-levels or parts in levels with simple high-speed racing based on fast reaction, but not complete levels - it's just no fun for the majority of players...

Speed is also why I never played the Sonic games way back when. I always found them boring with no exploration etc. Sorry, fanbois!

@zool Exactly, and thats the thing right there, look at the basics from each game they got their fame from and became mascots. Mario, is a normal person, he gets his powers from power ups, and that gives u plenty of room to make him do whatever a person can do, play tennis, golf, race karts, and if its something a normal person cant do he will probably get a power up and do it, so endless posibilities.. on the other hand Sonic is a fast hedgehog, it works on 2D because the fast movement can easily be handled, and on 3D its a mess, as they have proved over the years even on more confined spaces like in sonic lost world. but if you take the fast out of sonic its not sonic anymore, so they dont have much posibilities there.. thats why they are desperatly trying to redesign him, looking for a sonic that appeals to audiences... I think they will keep doing that, until they make something acceptable.. and that will be a starting point for sonic...

@Spideron Thats exactly what I think, but you know, take the speed out of Sonic is like taking half of it, it stops being Sonic... thats why they have been struggling all these years with Sonic games, and thats why Sonic Racing games have worked.. they have the speed element.. funny tho, its the car speed, not Sonic's..

Yeah....and I bet Sonic will be sporting some flashy earrings and Tails will be wearing a giant bow tie....and it will be a 10 year contract signed. And these permanent changes will all be done before any fan feedback can be heard.

I don't know what happened, but I felt like they starting really losing their way after Adventure 2 slowly over time. I think the old 2D games are great (and the Advance series) but I think the Adventure games were pretty great in their own ways as well.

Everyone, run for your lives!!!
Last time they said that we got Sonic Boom announced!!!

Pretty sure this was acknowledged by SEGA over 10 years ago, covered in an issue EGM...

Sega, I'd be MUCH more interested in seeing the old SEGA from ITS heyday make a return from where your company made a MOUNTAIN of iconic and beloved game franchises NOT named Sonic as opposed to ever seeing a single Sonic game ever again if given a choice between the two. But you guys are just too stubborn and apparently blind to what your (remaining) fans actually WANT.

Sega is a warning example to all the people saying Nintendo should go third-party; once that ever happened it'd be pretty much over for any franchises not named Mario or Zelda, and they'd be run in the ground with ever-diminishing returns just as Sonic has been.

Huh.
Option 1) SEGA stole Molyneux's marketing playbook
Option 2) They're turning a new leaf, throwing out the "rebuild the wheel" method of game design and trying to figure out what made 90's Sonic work.

The sad thing is how much 1 seems more logical.

Yuji Naka? Hopefully he's a part of this equation.

I really enjoyed Sonic Lost World 3DS in spite of it's un-polish and under developed concepts and designs. But for me there was something there that could have been more and much greater. There's just something of a catchy baseline that keeps me replaying that game

@FreakFerrett I agree. Also they need to change Sonic's voice, its annoying.
Sonic all Star Racing was up there with Mario Kart, so I'm all for more Sonic racing.

I think Sonic Lost World is a better game than it gets credit for. It wasn't perfect but it was fun and for me felt like the best controlling 3D sonic game i ever played. The parkour worked really well but it could have been explained better to the player, don't touch the control stick when your on walls other than when you want to jump to a different wall and it's easy, however if you hold the control stick in the direction you're moving it makes switching walls very difficult. . Lots of rough spots for sure but if they tried to make a sequel where they addressed the flaws instead of just constantly rebooting they could have a quality game.

@AtlanteanMan That's already the case with Nintendo. Plus are you even caught up in Sega news? They're making a lot of non Sonic games.

@Spideron Sonic Lost World despite the ridiculous comments was actually a game you could go very fast in and it brought back real platforming, i think they figured out how to control a 3D Sonic very well in that game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqaP5LnyBWQ

What took so long to figure this out?

I wrote this once upon a time:

http://tay.kinja.com/why-sonic-needs-to-slow-down-1641462087

Read through people's opinions, but I really want a Sonic Adventures 3. It would be cool if they could make a House of the Dead, totally new survival horror in competition with Resident Evil, but with their own twist.

Not sure why they've only realized this now, were they under some sort of spell all this time??? To be fair, there are a few hidden gems in the 3D Sonic arena, and I think they just never tested ideas long enough before releasing the games. I have 0 faith that Sega can recreate the past, and in all honesty, they should be looking to the future with other ideas.

I've been saying it for years. Go with the Mega Man 9 route and just give us the Mega Drive engine and sprites and stick to level design with no gimmicks. Just pick up where Sonic 3 & Knuckles left off. They ruined Sonic 4 by a) splitting it into 'episodes' b) basically ripping off the original level themes but not even capturing what made them brilliant c) shoehorning the awful homing attack and messing about with the physics from the original games.

They also need to focus mainly on handheld with side-scrolling Sonic like Sonic Rush and the DS Colours. Sonic Boom 2 is the first dedicated handheld Sonic in like a decade rather than some dual release with a console game. But, I don't hold any hope for that. I really liked Sonic Rush but the second one was ruined when they tried turning it into Phantom Hourglass with the boat sections. Sonic Advance is another example of brilliant classic formula they ruined with sequels that added unnecessary characters and gimmicks.

Just give us the Mega Drive side-scrolling days again Sega. Nintendo have learned some games such as Kirby just don't work in 3D spaces, so can you.

As much as I'd love to scream from the hills "Make Sonic Adventure 3!" It's pretty clear they are in no shape to make one. They should keep it safe and do some 2D games for a bit, and jump back into 3D in a few years. Also, they really need to bring back the unlockable characters that act like sonic but have differences like no homing attack but instead flying. Even if they're way different like Sonic Boom, that's still okay. Just so long as they all work, unlike in Sonic Boom.

Oh, and because it should always be said, make Chao Gardens because that was one of the best design decisions you ever made and why did you ever stop??

Hey Sega! With the piles and piles of classics your keeping locked up in your vault how bout some vc love?!? If not Wii u cause I gave up on that then jeez how bout ps4 or Xbox one?? Or Better yet NX when it arrives?? There's money for you to be made here boys!! I know I'd be buying!! Cmon!

All the negativity has been said already so on the positive front, im really REALLY looking forward to a solid 2D Sonic-proper. Then we move forward again. Maybe add some metroid elements without anything fancy (exploring was always fun in Sonic) or maybe some leveling up, having hit point damage appear above enemies heads... Theres some real potential here and ill be one of the first to nab it up!

Do not bother with 3D for now. While I enjoyed even Sonic Heroes, if Sega wants to restructure, Sega should start with the basics of the first 3 (or 4) Sonic the Hedgehog games. A new character (or the recycling of an old one, especially Mighty or Ray or even one of the ones from the Sound Test of the 1st game) can provide that new control experience that Miles and Knuckles gave.

Read through the comments and on sonic adventure 3, why? Sonic adventure two is so overrated to the max sometimes ,like how many of you seriously enjoyed the knuckles stages (which they made even worse than adventure ones), and the mech stages(which again are worse than adventures)? And the chao garden? It's fun I guess, but you know there's something wrong with sonic adventure 2 when people only like a little mini game/side project more than the actual sonic levels. Haven't played Heros in a while, but atleast in the majority of it you can go fast. And a problem I have with classic sonic is that half of the time you're making leaps of faith, or if you do pull it off, it's in memorization. And if you want to move the camera to see infront or above you you loose all your momentum when in 3D sonic for the most part you can just see. I think for classic sonic the camera should be zoomed out like Mario, and for modern sonic, it shouldn't feel like you're on autopilot (which means that I prefer adventures 3D sonic over boost, but I'm not saying the boost is bad). If sega actually does make sonic adventure three, it should be only focused on sonic.

How nice of you Sega...to realize you were churning out lazy crap while doing your exclusive Nintendo contract.

Now that they'll be making games for (likely) everyone BUT Nintendo...they see the light and they'll make something with some thought behind it. Bully for you to have such an epiphany!

@Superryanworld No problem

I love love Sonic, so it's good to see that SEGA is still focusing on him a lot. I grew up with 3D Sonic, and prefer those games much over the 2D Sonic games. As long as they are still making Sonic games, I'll be happy, but I hope this isn't the end of the 3D ones! (Especially Heroes, Riders, and Unleashed formats) I'm hoping for Sonic Adventure 3, but we'll just have to wait and see.

@MitchVogel That and they halfway ruined the physics in Sonic 4.

Ironically enough, Sonic Team actually nailed 3D Sonic gameplay on their first two tries with the Adventure duology, and those games had pretty good level designs, too. They just suffered from too much gameplay variety, namely the Big, Amy, and treasure hunting levels.

Since then, they've just gone downhill with deteriorating 3D gameplay, gameplay gimmicks that aren't very much fun, and terrible level designs. The 2D sections of more recent games suffer from mediocre controls and physics and even worse level designs. "Lost World" was a decent step in the right direction in returning 3D Sonic gameplay to its "Adventure" roots, but I'll have to play it before I believe that Sega can actually pull it off.

I was actually really surprised when I read all of the critical acclaim of Sonic 4: Episode 1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of my all time favorite games, so I was naturally excited when they went back to the 2D roots. But...it was just, not great. Now, I really enjoyed Sonic 4: Episode 2. Pity that they couldn't put out a third one to really fix everything.

On the other hand, I felt like Colors and Generations were really a step in the right direction, and could have used more development time to really hone the controls. Otherwise, I found them completely enjoyable. Now, Lost World? Blech. I tried, but the controls were awful.

I wouldn't mind seeing some games like Sonic 3 & Knuckles to be remade with 3D graphics. Yes.

@LilC Hey, I really enjoy the mech levels. They're the one alternate gameplay style in the "Adventure" games other than the SA1 Tails levels that actually work well and are a lot of fun.

As for the camera in 2D Sonic games, you must be thinking of more recent entires, because it's not much of a problem in the actual classic Sonic games. Back then, they actually knew how to design levels to minimize such leaps of faith.

Speaking about apologies, look what Sega has done:
http://www.sonicstadium.org/2015/10/the-spin-words/

I say it's time Sega retired Sonic (except maybe for cameo purpose). I mean the hedgehog has his spotlight and there's literally nothing new Sega can do to regain Sonic's reputation anymore. Now it's time to bring something new to this generation, a newer Sega mascot. Alex Kidd come and gone, Sonic come and gone, time for something new that will last for another generation or two. If they don't want to retired Sonic, how bout making a Sonic game that is as good if as great as Sonic Colors and Generation.

I'll believe it when I see it, as some were saying.

If they really wanna make a good game, they should get a Rom Hacking crew together to do one for them. Like, didn't they get Stealth to help with a few ports? I think they get the level design better than Sega.

@TerrapinJess Um... I think you just described Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal.

Then again, there's a lot better you can do than that.

Last good Sonic games for me was Sonic Adventure & Sonic Advance games. Sonic Adventure games didn't age too well so new 2D Sonic game without character switching, color powers or homing attack would be nice. Also stage design should be like in older games so no deathly pits slowing speed all the time. I liked how Sonic 3 had boss in every level to give game some challenge.

@CrazyRiverOtter I knew someone would say this. I never played it but heard it had metroid-esque elements. I don't know- I like the idea of this but it has to be done right which, according to many players, was not.

I mean, they've had over 16 years to do this now (more if you count the Saturn). 2D Sonic had more good games in its first four years than 3D Sonic has had ever, and they've been doing 3D Sonic since before most Sonic fans today were born. And all that time, good 2D Sonics were still coming out until a few years ago. Sonic Advance was fully worthy of being called Sonic 4 (the actual Sonic 4 wasn't). And the last two good 3D Sonics both relied heavily on 2D segments. Maybe it's time to admit 3D Sonic just doesn't work.

It's not possible for a franchise to seamlessly transition from 2D to 3D; you have to come up with something new. Mario 64 is a completely different kind of game than Super Mario Bros, and Nintendo didn't even try to reconcile the two types of Mario until 3D Land. Mario 64 worked because it was fun to control and because Nintendo fans were already used to Mario doing new things, but it still created a split in the fanbase between the people who love what 3D Land and 3D World did to bring them more in line with the 2D games, and the ones who want a Galaxy sequel that's actually Banjo-Threeie.

Meanwhile, Sonic games have been wandering aimlessly for 16 years now (closer to 20 if you include the time between S3&K and Adventure) — Sonic Adventure was a throw-everything-at-the-wall project like Mario 64 had been, and Adventure 2 was a refinement of the good parts of Adventure 1 that improved on it in every way, but ever since then, they've been trying to listen to and please every faction of a hugely fractured fanbase. Some people had nostalgia for the hub world in Adventure 1 so they brought it back in 06; some people liked Ow the Edge so they had to have vehicle segments, some people liked the story so they had to make it even more convoluted and make the cutscenes even more expensive — and what Sega misses is that what the different factions are asking for are just whatever they remember from the Sonic game they played when they were 10 years old (and with 16 years of 3D Sonics, that's a lot of years for kids to turn 10 in), and then inevitably it isn't going to live up to their rose-tinted memories of the first time they ever played a game like that and there was still wonder in the world (the FF7 effect) and everyone will be disappointed.

Q) Does this put a smile on your face as a Sonic fan, or do you possibly think that Rooke - and Sega itself - is being too harsh on the hedgehog's recent outings?

A) Well... I'm unsure. I can say that I wasn't pleased with the quality of some of the more recent Sonic games. I avoided Sonic Boom when I saw just how bad it was, and whilst I admired the creativity of Sonic Lost World, I did feel it was in severe need of polishing. I'm also one of the few who disliked Sonic Generations, feeling it rather bland. On these recent entries, I do feel the quality hasn't been as good as in the past, and don't disagree with Rooke's statement on these.

The part I do disagree with him on is the following "It's been tough translating that iconic side scrolling 2D experience from the 90s into 3D" as I feel they've done decent jobs of making 3D Sonic games in the past. I really enjoyed Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, and Sonic Adventure is still my 3rd favourite video game of all time. It's not even nostalgia speaking for that last one, I did a playthrough of it for my YouTube channel not too long ago, and it's still as amazing as I remember it (my only complaint being the rather slim amount of levels for the other characters). Furthermore, whilst I do prefer the Adventure style of gameplay, I do consider Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours to be decent experiences. Yes, even the werehog sections, I even would say I prefer them over the day time Sonic sections as I feel that style of gameplay wasn't truly nailed down until and with exception to, Sonic Colours.

This final part of the statement, "but Sonic is still huge for us so the new games will be more inspired by how it played in its heyday", also has me concerned. For starters, it sounds like they don't plan on giving Sonic a break and focusing on other Sega IPs. I really enjoy Sonic games and all, but I'm also a fan of the likes of Ristar and Streets of Rage and such, so it'd be nice to see Sonic take a break so they could work on these other Sega IPs.

The whole, 'inspired by its heydey' is also both confusing and worrying, as I feel both Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World did go about this sort of thought. Sonic Generations included classic Sonic gameplay, whilst I feel Sonic Lost World is a very close transition of 2D Sonic gameplay into 3D. It has moments where Sonic can achieve great speed, some bits of exploration and differing routes, as well as slow paced and thoughtful platforming section. I've often compared what Sonic Lost World is to Super Mario 3D World, both being games that aim to translate their 2D gameplay styles into 3D and their is only one key difference between them; polish. Sonic Lost World had amazing ideas, but they were in need of fine tuning, and certain segments were quite frustrating. The other negatives I'd add to Sonic Lost World are actually the lack of it's 3D Sonic positives, such as a wider selection of characters and a decent storyline.

To me, although I do love Sonic The Hedgehog 3 to bits, I feel the best route for the Sonic series would be either to improve upon the Lost World formula, or to take on the Adventure style of games. Admittedly, the latter has shown how it could go wrong with Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, but that shouldn't happen again so long as they don't rush it and fine-tune it as much as they can... they could also add chao gardens again which would negate most flaws the main game has. Seriously, Chao Gardens were so much fun!