- welcome to my sonic shrine! -
I didn't grow up with this series like a lot of people, but it's still one of my all-time favorites! if you wanna hear me yap about my history with the series, what speaks to me, and how you might get into it yourself, stick around! :]
"wait, what actually happens in sonic the hedgehog?"
sonic the hedgehog! you may have heard of him. if not from the games themselves, or ye olde Console Wars, then probably from the little guy becoming the internet's favorite punching bag during the 2010s.
that was my main introduction to sonic. and this stuff was everywhere: sonic 06 glitch videos, goofy voice acting moments, and maybe, if you're feeling adventurous, some out-of-context archie sonic.
back then, I didn't have much reason to question it. after all, these glimpses I saw were living proof of how bad the series was, right? if even their own social media team was making fun of the blue blur, what could possibly make ME care about the series?
enter, from stage left: shadow the hedgehog.
it was august of 2022, and I'd just watched the real-time fandub of shadow the hedgehog. I've been a fan of RTFD for a long time, but the series never really got me interested in the sonic games themselves. if anything, it just added to the impression that they were nothing but a joke.
but... the game's theme, "all of me," gave me pause. this game's cutscenes looked ridiculous, but the lyrics painted a genuinely compelling picture. a person searching for their own identity, to hell with what anyone else thinks, and finding the truth somewhere between the extremes of hero and villain? that... sounded kind of cool.
and hey, what was up with shadow in canon, anyway? for being the poster boy of "edgelord with a tragic past," I'd never actually heard it.
...
...HIS BACKSTORY IS WHAT????
at that point, I had to know what the fuck was going on in this series. I went down a massive rabbit hole of sonic lore videos and, soon enough, was diving into the games myself. I'd kinda convinced myself I just didn't like sonic games after trying to play sonic 2 on mobile years back and getting stuck at That One Part of chemical plant... but turns out, sonic mania is critically acclaimed for a reason! who knew! that game and the idw comics gave me a window into a lot of the series's history and made me curious to keep learning more. (I'd still recommend these for newcomers, but if you want a more detailed look, see my section on how to get into the series!). it was fun falling in love with this series just in time for the sonic frontiers hype!
a look at my favorites
one of the things I love about sonic is how many different genres, mediums, and re-imaginings the series has found itself in. everyone has their own parts of the series they gravitate towards, and that makes discussion really fun! it's through this community's passion that I've come to appreciate so many parts of the series I would've otherwise overlooked. :]
for that reason, I'd like to give some of my favorites their own page on this shrine... but that might take a while! to put it simply, though: I'm a HUGE adventure-era fan. (except shadow the hedgehog, which is ironic for what got me into all this... maybe one day I'll understand that game).
you can see my rankings of the 2d and 3d games below (not ordered within tiers):
2d sonic tier list
(I've only played part of sonic colors DS, but it's a lot like the other rush games and I'd probably put it around there!)
3d sonic tier list
(I've only played the day stages of sonic unleashed and a few of the night ones, so I have a hard time ranking it... I like its story, music, and aesthetics, though! I'd probably put it on the same tier as secret rings, another one I'm mixed on gameplay-wise but love everything else about.)
spinoffs and other media
the rest of these are a little all over the place, so I didn't rank them... instead, here's a rapid-fire!
- favorite spinoff game: sonic riders! a lot of people overlook it because the mechanics aren't explained well in-game, but once you get the hang of it I find it a lot more engaging than something like mario kart! the air gauge being both your fuel and boost makes for a fun risk-reward dynamic. not to mention the futuristic hoverboarding aesthetic is cool as hell!
- favorite comic: huge fan of archie sonic! my relationship with it is a little weird, since I read up til around #60, got filled in secondhand for the some of the rockier middle stuff, then hopped back on at #138 until the genesis wave's continuity reset... but it's got some unique takes on the cast that I really love, plus some standout original characters! I still need to check out post-genesis wave archie, but I like the bits I've seen of it.
- favorite movie/tv: my two evil secrets... I've barely touched sonic x, and I don't like the live-action sonic movies. but we don't need them! the sonic OVA is one of few bits of the series I saw firsthand growing up since we had a copy on vhs, and it's stuck with me ever since. the vibes are off the charts and I love it in all of its weirdness. also, metal sonic is there. my beepo :)
my favorite characters
lesser-appreciated scrimblos I like
(to be clear these guys aren't Favorites or anything, I just think they're neat. picture me showing you a cool bug I found on the ground.)
look at my scrimblos
games
marine: I have a soft spot for annoying little guys who act like they're hot shit to mask their insecurity. so yeah, of course marine caught my heart. she's so silly and I like her character arc :]
omega: he's so often left out of team dark stuff but he is SO fucking funny you guys, I love him. I also think he's got more interesting potential than people give him credit for - go check out measlyfurball's take on him!
honey: I'm gonna be real this is mostly design and vibes. she's so cute! I wish sonic team would do Literally Anything with her, but I imagine there's some weird legal stuff going on with her since she's based on a fighting vipers character.
tiara: sonic xtreme in general fascinates me, but I also just find the in-your-face, brash sort of Girl Power characterization of tiara weirdly endearing, in the same way a lot of sonic characters do these "stock archetypes" and lean into the cartoony charm of it. it feels like the parts I find neat about her eventually found their way into blaze and amy. :P (also, her design is really cute!)
archie sonic
nicole: her journey from a computer into becoming her own person is so cool to read... I still think about stargazing now and then. her joy at being alive and the eventual persecution she faces for it hits deep, and I think you could absolutely read it through a trans lens. I like her a lot :)
shard: taken from us too soon.... one of the best late additions to archie before the genesis wave retconned him out of existence. such an entertaining character!
dr. finitevus: oh I love this weird freak. he's responsible for one of my favorite arcs in archie.
locke: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM?????? I'm studying him like a bug.
how to get into the series
sonic is a HUGE franchise, and the lore and gameplay can differ a lot depending on what you're looking at. it makes the series diverse and pretty fascinating to dive into, but it can be hard to know where to start!
the main thing you need to know is there's two main "sides" of the sonic series. generally, classic sonic focuses on 2d platforming, while modern sonic focuses on 3d platforming and storytelling. both are mostly doing their own thing, so start with whichever side you like!
pick whichever of these applies to you:
"I want a sample platter of what the series has to offer!"
this was basically my approach, and luckily for you, there's no better time to do it! I'd recommend the following:
- sonic mania lets you play zones from all of the main classic games with a gorgeous new coat of paint! it's a great introduction to the series and got me super excited to see these zones back in their original games. :)
- sonic adventure 1 was the first modern sonic game, so each of the core characters gets an introduction and their own story in the spotlight. I'd recommend it for any new fan!
- sonic adventure 2 introduces shadow and rouge, and its story is some of the best the series has to offer. it's also my favorite <3
- the sonic idw comics incorporate characters from all over the series's history, so if you want to get more familiar with the extended cast, I'd recommend checking it out! it starts with an action-packed arc that gets you acclimated with the world, then transitions into a zombie apocalypse story that honestly shocked me with how dark it got! it's a fun read. the official collections are pretty pricey... but there's always the internet :P
"I want to check out the classic games!"
nice! these ones are really fun to blast through, and I honestly find them a lot more forgiving than mario because of the ring system. I recommend watching the first five minutes of this video for some advice on how to approach these games.
as for where to start...
sonic mania has zones from all the main classic games plus a few original ones, so if you want some of the best the series has to offer, I'd start here! otherwise, save it for last.
prefer to jump straight into the classics instead? if you want more focus on speed, start with sonic 2. if you want more exploration and secret hunting, go for sonic 3 & knuckles. sonic 1 is a bit of an odd duck and by far the weakest of the classics, so I'd recommend coming back to it later.
a note on sonic cd: this one plays differently than the other classic games! instead of rushing to the end of the level, you'll search for a "past" signpost, build up speed to travel back in time, then find a big generator hidden somewhere in the level and destroy it. in order to time travel, you have to move at high speed for a bit without breaking your momentum - loops and springs can be good for this. searching for generators and places to build up speed encourages you to get creative with sonic's movement, so I'm a big fan of it! for that reason, though, I'd recommend waiting to play this one until you're really comfortable with sonic's movement.
"I want to check out the modern games!"
there's a lot more variety in here compared to the classic games, but I'll give some recommendations!
if you're here for the story, sonic adventure 1 and 2 will get you familiar with all the main characters. the gameplay has less focus on raw speed and more on "style" - just like the classic games, you can use your movement options and parts of the level to pull off cool stunts and rack up points! there's also a rotating cast each with their own playstyles, like treasure hunting and a neat run-and-gun mode. give these ones a chance and they can be just as fun as the sonic levels! (also, play these with mods for the best experience.)
if you're looking for high-octane speed and aren't too interested in story, I'd recommend sonic generations. it's streamlined, it's polished, and you'll even see some fun locales from the rest of the series along the way! this style of gameplay is usually called "boost" sonic, and while it's not really my cup of tea, I remember having the most fun with this one.
if you want something recent, sonic frontiers is the newest mainline game. it's got more of an open-world exploration thing going on and looks to be shaping the characterization and gameplay of the series going forward... it's interesting for what it is, but because of the different direction it may not give you a great picture of what the series is like :P
"...can I just get a tl;dr?"
if you just want the gist, here you go!
classic sonic
recommended viewing before you start!
2 -> s3k -> cd
(play mania either first or last since it's got zones from all of these games. sonic 1 is kind of a mixed bag so probably don't play it first. watch a video explaining how sonic cd works before you play it, because it's Weird.)
modern sonic
there's two main types of gameplay here, "adventure" and "boost." adventure focuses on style and exploration, boost focuses on speed.
adventure
sa1 -> sa2 -> heroes -> sonic p-06
(sa1 and 2 are best enjoyed with mods if you can! don't play shadow the hedgehog unless you hate yourself. sonic p-06 is a fanmade remake of sonic 06 that makes it good. no, really!)
boost
the order doesn't matter as much here. do whatever's in your heart or most easily available to you. so... probably generations. don't play sonic forces.
once you've gotten started, I'd say just check out whatever looks most interesting to you. have fun!
