OK, for the most part, Sonic the Hedgehog games for this generation have sucked.  While Sonic Colors wasn't half bad, the other games, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed, left a bad taste in our mouths.  Even the promising 2-D Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 couldn't turn the tide in his favor.  But now it looks like that will all wash away next week when Sonic Generations releases.  Sega and Sonic Team are relying on the classic flavor of the series, while still making the gameplay fans can easily relate to.

One big thing that worked in favor for Sonic Unleashed were the 2-D side-scrolling segments, similar to past Sonic games on the Genesis.  However, they weren't ENTIRELY 2-D, as there were times you had to run in 3-D.  A bit annoying, sure, but at least Sega was TRYING to go back to the old formula.

With Generations, it seems like it's offering the best of both worlds.  Those who prefer the 2-D/3-D style stages can play through the contemporary parts of the game.  Meanwhile, those who want the old-school Sonic flavor can play the "classic" stages, which are strictly side-scrolling.  Both, however, are presented with full 3-D visuals, so you feel like a part of Sonic's world no matter which style of game you're playing through.

Plus, Generations isn't going to rely on any "gimmicks".  Unleashed had a terrible time with the introduction of the Werehog, while the original Hedgehog, released a few years back, leaned too much on the real-time platforming and annoying puzzle solving.  This latest game is straight-forward Sonic, and that's something fans will absolutely appreciate.

In addition to these components, Sonic will also have some classic flavor when it comes to the older games.  Sega admitted over the weekend that the original Sonic the Hedgehog game is included here, though it didn't indicate whether it was the original Genesis code or the new 3-D engine.  We've already got the older Genesis game, so we'd definitely appreciate the remake route.  Now it's just a matter of seeing how we unlock it.

(By the way, as an added bonus, those who pre-order the game on Steam will be able to play some bonus Sonic classics now, including Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic 3 and Knuckles.)

We've still got to wait a little bit to see how Generations turns out, but from what we've seen in the demo (which is available now on Xbox Live and coming this week on PlayStation Network), things are looking up.  Plus, no human girls to introduce a beastiality angle.  Win!

About the Author

Robert Workman

Senior Writer/Editor

Robert has years of experience in the video game industry, writing for such sites as AOL GameDaily, PlanetXbox360 and Comic Book Resources.  He can also outdrink you any day of the week.  And twice on Sunday.  Follow him at www.twitter.com/thedcd.