Review: Sonic Generations (3DS)
My expectations for the 3DS version of Generations weren’t the highest. I had seen some of the trade show videos, heard the early feedback, and was steeled for a trainwreck of a title. After a tour through the adventure and several missions, however, I found many of my fears were unfounded. All the same, there were several shortcomings that can’t be ignored.
For those unaware, Sonic Generations for the 3DS features a selection of stages and bosses unique from the console version, excluding the shared first stage. So while the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions venture from Green Hill, to Chemical Plant, to Sky Sanctuary, then have you face down the Death Egg Robot from Sonic 2, the 3DS version takes you from Green Hill to Casino Night, then Mushroom Hill, ending the era with a battle against Big Arm from Sonic 3. In the console stages, even Classic levels actually used new layouts, with memorable architecture and items mixed in, sometimes from other stages that missed the cut. In the portable version, layouts were cribbed from existing 2D games when possible, sometimes completely. Out of 14 main acts, 4, arguably 5 fall into this range, mostly for Classic Sonic. To be honest, this is what some originally expected Generations to be like, when it was first announced. In some ways it’s positive, since you’re playing through a level that’s already seen polish and care, revitalized in 3D. On the other hand, about a third of the main levels being rehashed layouts does little to excuse the game’s short length. As I said, in the game’s main campaign, you have just 14 main acts, 7 special stages, 3 rival races, 3 classic bosses, and the final boss. Missions are not a requirement to play through the game, and you probably won’t unlock that many to begin with, even after a full trip through the main adventure.
Once the game stops lifting layouts from the Genesis titles for Classic Sonic, the first thing it does is teach him a Homing Attack. This becomes a permanent addition to your ability set, and unlike the console version where it served as an extra, optional reward skill that only made the game easier, it’s integrated into the 3DS version’s level design, requiring its use to reach certain routes and shortcuts. And even with this aside, the Classic stages become a shadow of the Genesis format they first mimic, losing much of their depth and branching for more linear, sometimes clumsy layouts, with strange design choices such as offering useless rings just a few steps before the end-of-level signpost. The true shame is that these original levels fail to showcase the extremely faithful physics of Classic Sonic, outperforming the console version’s accuracy in many regards. Ramps, rolling, jumping, they’ll feel like second nature very quickly. They made a terrific Classic Sonic, and they stuck him in some of the most boring, heavy-handed stages they could think of.
Modern Sonic I feel differently about. On the whole he’s similar to the console version during 2D play, even lacking a roll except when he runs over a dash panel, in lieu of a sliding kick. This made sense for keeping the controls consistent between 2D and 3D play on the console, but 3DS Modern Sonic stages are entirely 2D gameplay, save for one or two very brief end-of-stage moments. The game seems to think tilting the viewpoint to “dynamic” angles will disguise this, when it just makes judging certain jumps trickier. At first I wanted to excuse the game for simplifying Modern Sonic to 2D play because of the power of the system, but then I remembered that I wasn’t dealing with a DS game. The 3DS version could have come much closer to replicating modern console gameplay. Without 3D gameplay, and with Classic Sonic earning a Homing Attack early on, the difference between the two comes down to the Boost. And this game is crazy about Boost. While the console version punished blind boosting, the portable version seems to expect it for the most part, your weakest moments being when you’ve drained the meter dry. It particularly encourages Air Boosting (a jump and then a boost), which launches you great distances and will generally let you ignore large sections of a level while staying on the high path. Modern Sonic’s levels feel longer and perhaps richer with alternate routes, but you’ll be tearing through most of them on even your first attempt, and the few times something trips you up, you’ll probably feel more cheated than challenged.
Other control quirks reared their head as I played. Directional inputs seemed to be misinterpreted occasionally, and certain stage gimmicks, such as running on the ceiling or the spiral in Radical Highway, expect you to keep holding right even when Sonic’s flipped to moving left from the camera’s perspective. I also lost several lives and opportunities as both Sonics by accidentally doing a quick jump-dash after a spring or similar launcher, which completely kills your existing momentum. Strangely, for both Sonics, pressing the L Button at any playable point during the game elicits a buzzer noise. This is not explained in the manual or in-game, and has not changed even after completing the game with all emeralds and collecting the traditional 50 rings. This move will probably activate Super Sonic once a certain criteria is fulfilled (S-Ranks, all missions completed, it’s not yet known as of this review), but the buzz was an unnecessary, confusing addition, when a silent fail would have sufficed. You can even trigger this noise the same way during the final boss fight. The only place where it performs an action is the Profile Cards, where it uselessly hides player details so you can see the card background better.
The Special Stages are patterned after the Sonic Heroes emerald chases, with new layouts, additional gimmicks like octagonal electrified gates, and better controls. These 3DS levels are some of the easiest Sonic special stages you will ever play, and they’re freely selectable from the hub the moment you complete Act 1 and 2 of a stage. Rival races have unique layouts, but reuse existing stage assets, which means Metal Sonic and Silver challenge you in stages they had nothing to do with. Each race features them attacking you in some way, and stealing rings if you let them get ahead or knock you down. Metal and Shadow run a pretty fair race, but Silver just snaps near you no matter how far ahead you get, making only the final straightaway matter. The first actual boss is heavily altered from the original design, but still a pushover. The second and third bosses are perhaps too similar to the originals, with one of them being a boss Sonic never faced, at least not in that form. This would be less cringe-worthy if Sonic didn’t immediately say after the fight that he had fought it before. It’s almost like they put that line in there to make nerds rage.
The only thing left in the main adventure is the final boss. I won’t spoil the details, but I will say if you know the console version, it’s the same idea, and yet nothing like that. It’s so much more rewarding and interesting to play, and somehow it even controls better than its console big brother. Yes, even during 3D gameplay. It’s ok, you can actually look forward to this fight.
From there, you can play through the missions you’ve unlocked, earning new ones via unexplained requirements, StreetPass or paying Play Coins at the hefty cost of 5 per mission. 5 more if you just want to buy the reward instead of beating the mission for it. The missions tend to section you off in a level, and give you a time to beat, or a certain number of objects to collect or destroy. They offer no option to warp back to the beginning of the area without restarting, so it is possible to become stuck unable to complete a mission without dying. They do use alternate music similar to the console version, including one hilarious choice for a mission set during the final boss. But all too quickly I ran out of available Missions to play, so I’ve only unlocked a little bit of the bonus content. Concept art unique to this version is included, but the examples I unlocked were all limited to the low 3DS screen resolution, with no ability to zoom in to examine details. Music will be touched on shortly, and you can also unlock 18 3D models to spin around and view at your leisure.
Graphically, the battlecry of the 3DS still holds true: screenshots do not do it justice. With the possible exception of the brand new Mario, I’ve never seen a 3DS game pop this well in 3D mode, and I noticed no framerate difference switching between 3D and 2D mode. In fact, I think the visuals suffer a little in 2D, the colors becoming slightly muddied, and your eye drawn more toward the boxy layouts and occasionally weaker texturing. You should absolutely crank up the 3D slider, because it’s a sight to behold, a showcase for the platform’s namesake feature. Cutscenes feature surprisingly-detailed models, who animate some actions and expressions very carefully, yet “run” across the screen in a hilarious slide. The only backgrounds you’ll see during these cutscenes are the white hub, and a single shot of the picnic area, which characters float in front of rather than stand on. And strangely enough, sometimes they resort to a simple thumbnail picture of what they’re trying to show, floating in the middle between the characters. This happens a lot for Time Eater appearances, and it looks silly when other aspects of the cutscenes look so good.
Audio is a strange topic. Unlike the console version, which remixed the original stage theme two different ways, the 3DS version outright lifts the original tracks when possible, and even recycles the Casino Night remix from the console DLC as its Modern track. Most of the unique tracks are fine, but the Radical Highway Modern remix stands out as purely awful. And unless it’s a feature that has to be unlocked, there’s no way of changing the level music for each stage, so the 50 unlockable tracks can only be sampled in the Collection menu. What I have unlocked has been a mix of pure recordings, and some of the more peculiar “remixes” found in the console version, including the Genesis tracks with odd-sounding instruments. The audio is high quality for a portable game, and I’m impressed by at least the implied amount of content. What doesn’t impress me is the sound effects. This game chooses some of the strangest, often clashing, sound effects for very familiar actions and items, even botching the sound of Classic Sonic rolling, and getting doubly annoying when button icons pop on screen, or enemies start being alerted to your presence. It also replicates the “humming” ambient noise flying enemies make in recent Sonic games, overpowering the stage music for a needless detail. There’s a surprising amount of voice samples uniquely used in this version, including a snicker-worthy “Why HELLO there!” by Eggman.
There’s not much else to cover. Time Trial times can be posted to online rankings, which are a bit of a chore to look through, and only list the top five times and the four times surrounding your own. Multiplayer includes races through any of the game’s main acts, including special stages, both locally and over the internet. The framerate takes a serious hit during online gameplay, while your opponent is still only represented by a floating arrow icon on your screen. You earn points toward your online ranking, and separate points that go toward unlockables, such as extra lives and additional backgrounds for your Profile Card, a silly-but-fun addition that lets you list how long you’ve been a Sonic fan, your favourite game and character, and your Generations stats. These cards get traded when you play against someone or pass them with StreetPass. It appears that you might have to update your StreetPass stats manually each time; the single-page manual does nothing to clarify this one way or the other.
I’ve left the story for last, because clearly they did too. For starters, if you fear friends, this version is for you. Outside of the three Rivals, unlockable artwork and your Profile Card, the other characters only appear for one still image during the credits. You do not talk to them, you do not play as them, and according to the story in this version, Sonic actually beat them to the party. That’s another interesting aspect; while certain lines of dialogue are copied word-for-word from the console dialogue, there are a few noticeable differences and additions, and on the whole the writing feels a little more characterized, even if they’re still not discussing that much of import. Classic Sonic speaks in exclamation points, question marks and musical notes, again highlighting how strange it is for him not to talk, instead of working around it. And since he already knows the Homing Attack now, the ending was altered to him learning a different move. One befitting a Dimps game.
Is Sonic Generations 3DS worth the full retail price? With such a short main adventure, a third of the content borrowed too closely from familiar sources, I’d have to say no. The unique levels don’t share the same design depth of the console version, and even if you were prepared to play extra Mission content, you’ll find most of it locked away even after a trip through all the stages. It disappoints me to say this, because Dimps built the closest thing to a Classic Sonic engine we’ve seen since the Genesis days, yet the levels they put it in are either recycled from other sources, or don’t give it a chance to shine. Modern Sonic’s levels feel more robust, but focus too much on the boosting mechanic getting you through everything, and once Classic Sonic picks up the Homing Attack, the boost becomes the only major difference between them. This is by no means a bad game, but Dimps did not step outside of their comfort zone, and they turned in too short and too simple an effort this time.
This post was originally written by the author for TSSZ News.
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The conflicting stories between Console and 3DS version bugs me ALOT, well, I might still get this version for Christmas….
lol hugs.
Eh, I thought the 3DS version was above-average, it had the good stuff but it also had the bad stuff.
Good stuff was those GLORIOUS remixes.
I’ll be day one buying (not out till 25th here). It still sounds like my kind of game, and speedrunnning is my thing, so…
I DO NOT CARE, KRAZEEKIDD (before he says what we all know to be inevitable).
@Raymanfan1
Slightly uncalled for. XP
Anyway, that was a great review! I’m not sure about the rival bosses though. From the footage I’ve seen, most of them are pretty much boost to win.
Thanks Sonichedgehog. And the rivals are pretty much boost to win, but the trick is keeping your boost meter filled, which can require a few memorized jumps for airborne rings. Without them, you can burn your meter dry and potentially lose. You also have to avoid their direct attacks, even if you’re boosting.
@Solus
Oh. That makes the rivals a bit more interesting to race I suppose.
Thus proving that physics aren’t everything. Will the retros shut up finally?….probably not.
I would just like to state, if DIMPS had as much development time as its console counterpart, the game we see now would have been “a lot better”. We saw the game in its alpha stage at E3 which was back in June and the final result was released this month in November. Now, count the months they had since release, they probably had about 6-8 months of development time? The highest I would even say before we even seen the alpha is maybe about 10 months. As far as I’m aware, that is not a whole lot of time. Its most likely the reason why the 3DS version only has 7 stages instead of 9 and the Rival bosses being cheaply made. If there is any faults with this version I would honestly say not to blame Dimps but SEGA.
I still gotta hand it to Dimps though, they nailed the physics much more accurately then the console version and the 3D effects work very well. For the little time they had, they definitely surprised me.
I just don’t understand why SEGA would allow their “M&S at the Olympic Games” 3DS counterpart release in 2012 but not Generations.
Having to hold right while Sonic runs left on a ceiling has been the case since the Genesis era. I not only remember it as a kid, but have also been replaying the old games on the DS Classic Collection. So that can’t really be held against this game.
Though the rest of your review certainly can. Won’t go out to pick this up. I’ll gladly accept it as a Christmas present though ^_^
That was a lot of reading. I had to use the boost to get through XD
Yes true the game is boost to win mostly. But it definitely isn’t boost to S rank
Wait…Dimps finally make momentum based classic physics? Great! Now if only they could use that engine for Sonic 4……
And really writers? You’re teaching classic Sonic how to abanrely on top speed offered to you by a touch of a button instead of having it rewarded to you by looking for ways to gain and maintain that speed? For shame. -_-
Anyway, I doubt I’ll be picking this up. Looking forward to the console review.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much the lack of Sonic’s friends annoys me. So glad I got the 360 version.
Either way, I need to hear that “Why HELLO there.” It’ll be sure to make me laugh.
@Ananze
I’d be surprised if it didn’t show up in Sonic 4 ep2.
I liked your review Tristan, but honestly, you should’t have compared it to the console versions. Remember that the 3DS version is a stand alone. SG 3DS met my expectations, but the game was hella short. Still, it does have replay value. Oh ya, do you guys know if the 3DS can support WPA2 Security?
@Ricardo
Ya, it can. That’s the setting I use, and it works like a charm.
I think that if your a die hard classic sonic fan, that you should at least try this game out. It’s pretty amazing how true to form classic sonic is…… you know…. BEFORE you get the homing attack ROFL.
But seriously…. maybe it’s a look to the future for sonic on the 3DS.
I kinda want this game, mainly because of the amazing and actually semi-difficult bosses. But no way am I buying it at the moment, nor is it at the top of my Christmas list.
“Dimps has built the closest thing we’ve seen to a Classic Sonic engine since the Genesis days.”
And yet, they’ve could’ve done the same with Sonic 4’s development. Pathetic.
You know I didn’t think it was anything special the first time through. Bare-bones content, too few levels, etc. But now that I’m going back for S-ranks and Missions and Time trials, I’m actually having a lot of fun. I guess it kind of depends on what kind of game player you are.
You know i’ve got the latest copy of ONM and your review of the 3DS version was better due to you being more detailed and giving more info, so nice work.
BTW in case you’re wondering ONM gave it 85% and suprisingly it would have beat Mario 3D Land if it wasn’t for the extra stages after the credits.
Thanks Worthy and Ricardo, although Ricardo, you might double-check who posted this. It wasn’t T.
When are you going to review the console version?
Adambomb, I know Ryan’s putting the finishing touches on a video review, so you don’t have that much longer to wait.
You speak the truth, man. The score’s too high, IMO, but the text is top-notch.
By the way, are there any noticable differences between Classic Sonic’s physics in this game and the Genesis physics? Does he have any proper acceleration?
@krazeekidd
Classic Sonic moves like he’s in quicksand for a couple seconds when you first start to move from a standing still position.
It’s a lot slower than Sonic’s initial standing-start speed on the Mega Drive games.
@krazzeKidd: your opinion is poo. He gave it the score that he thought it was appropriate
Timothy: Assigning numerical scoring to a game isn’t an exact science, so he’s fine for thinking that. He did state it was his opinion, after all.
@Solus
“And since he already knows the Homing Attack now, the ending was altered to him learning a different move.”
You imply that classic Sonic learns the homing attack at the end of Generations HD. That’s not true. He tried an air boost, because he was amazed by the air boost that modern Sonic did to get that one Chaos Emerald. It clearly is not a homing attack, it has the boost aura and everything.
I still think it was an air dash/homing attack, but either way, the move he learns in the 3DS version is different.
It clearly is not a jump dash/homing attack, because Sonic would be in ball form then.
These screenshots speak for themselves (spoiler warning for Sonic Generations HD):
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2262/sgmodernairboost.png
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/7440/sgclassicairboost.png
It’s a cutscene, so liberties with the animation can be taken. Either way, it really doesn’t matter. You obviously get what I was hinting at with that statement.
In all fairness, he did technically fight the biolizard at the end of SA2. Just as finalhazard.
Oh, I’m aware of that, but “at least not in that form.” The boss fight is a direct recreation of how Shadow fought Biolizard, which Sonic had nothing to do with. If they had redesigned the Finalhazard fight like the console version did for Perfect Chaos, then it wouldn’t be a strange choice.
I found out what the L Button does in the game Solus. Every so often, you’ll get a special item from doing a specific task. It can range from 10 rings to invicibility (there might be others, I haven’t found them yet). On the world menu, it’ll show it on the bottom right hand corner of the top screen if you have one, and during the level, there’ll be an icon by the left of the touchscreen.
You can either touch the icon with your stylus if you want to use it or hit the L button. I just wanted to share in case you hadn’t figured it out yet =)
This version let me down.
The buzzing noise you mentioned, its to activate bonus items you get for playing online verse mode and other online activities.
I agree with you on the matter that actual 3D style game play would have been much more fun to have in the game.
the only real complaint that i had about the game besides that its so short, is that when classic sonic is rolling down a hill in ball form, he does not speed up.
I’ve looked into this version now and I gotta say I really love it!
First off, idk how but Casino Night feels nostalgic as heck compared to most the others in both versions. And apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so. Maybe it’s because it’s one of the earliest yet one of the most vibrant, and cuz the stages replicate the Genesis/MegaDrive version.
Well I also think Classic Sonic played really well. He ended up learning homing attack in the story. I guess it sort’ve explains how he learns it period. lol
It’s like we’re watching him progress. (Since we never actually saw when Sonic discovered the homing attack… not to mention Sonic 4 has the homing attack. lol)
What’s even cooler is I was right about it being optional. It’s so easy to ignore since it feels so much like Classic Sonic and you only have to use it IF you choose to go down a path that requires it. There’s paths that don’t require it too throughout the entire freakin game. lol
It is cool for those of us who wanted to test it out tho cuz a lot of ppl like me differentiate Adventure Sonic from Modern Sonic and that’s what it feels like when you use it. Either Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic, or Adventure Sonic (looking like Classic’s design) and Modern Sonic.
I mean, the only difference between Adventure and Modern is it replaces spindash for boost (on the consoles it also has the stomp, drift and quickstep.). And at the same time, as the 3DS version shows, the only difference between Classic and Adventure Sonic is the homing attack (seems to me that Adventure Sonic, other than being in 3D, is closer to Classic Sonic that way than to Modern Sonic who seems to be geared towards playing like a living race car.)
As for Biolizard, just like with Radical Highway, I find it an odd choice and unexpected. Glad to see cuz I like those, but not very logical. lol While Sonic never fought that specific boss, he DID fight Biolizard at some point in SA2, so a nerd rage isn’t necessary… then again the ones who nerd rage are hardly ever rational. lol
I also liked the joke at the end that differed from the console version where Classic Eggman asks a second time “, Dr. Eggman, what time is it?” and grins while seeing Modern Eggman get pissed off!!! XD LMAO
This game had a lot of room for improvement but it really wasn’t that bad though. I really enjoyed the special stages that were implemented in this game, they were fun and fast to play. But the gameplay of the main levels themselves had a lot of way it could be improved. Just wished that Sonic’s first 3DS game was in the same league as Super Mario 3D Land (I own this game and SM3DL is AWESOME)
If you want my honest opinion, 2/5 for me.
The lack-luster physics (I know, I know, flame me), worst level designs (Whether it’s a carbon copy, or just straight-forward crap) in recent Sonic history, Sub-Par Graphics….
This is just a terrible port. It’s not ’06 bad, but it’s worse than some of the games in the 2005-2007 era of Sonic.
You know what? This is the worst Sonic game I’ve ever played. But PLEASE HEAR ME OUT AND READ WHY I THINK THIS.
1. Mind you I’ve never played 06, Genesis, or anything like that. Although unfortunately, I too have had my fair share of Black Knight and Shadow.
2. I don’t like Dimps. I hate Dimps. I REALLY hate Dimps. My very first Sonic game was Rush Adventure. And I liked it to a certain degree. But as weeks passed, I realized how easy the game was, how levels were poorly, designed to the point where the very few obstacles you face are just easy-to-dodge bottomless pits that, once you notice them once, only seem a tad cheap. The game had just a bit too much speed and way too little platforming.
3. When I bought Generations 3DS, I knew from the start that my thoughts wouldn’t direct towards the game itself, but rather how both versions of the game should be critiqued; how it treats the legacy of the Sonic series itself. This version doesn’t have the Sonic 3 Sonic and Colors Sonic we all love. To make up for their absence, we get Sonic 4 Sonic (but at least the physics aren’t wonky at all) and Rush Adventure Sonic (its fun too speed run, but it shouldn’t be the core focus of gameplay.) This game can’t decide whether it likes handhelds or consoles. We get 3 handheld levels and 5 console ones (if you consider Tropical Resort and Green Hill to be both.) I mean, this game can’t even put 2 of the bosses where they belong! Because, you know, Dimps sure did their research when they told us that Silver was an enemy in Colors, right?
But let’s get this outta the way. As a stand-alone game, I like this game, with my only complaints being about the boring, easy missions and length of the game as a whole.
But when we’re tlking about how this game celebrates Sonic’s legacy, we only got super-easy gameplay, boost to win, Sonic 4 with good physics, copied level layouts, and misplaced enemies. To think I was so excited for this. I guess the joke’s on me for expecting this to be just as good as the console versions.