Sega's attempts to bring back Sonic the Hedgehog in a whole new light have been bungled at best.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 was all right, but a bit too short considering its $15 price tag and large amount of hype.  The original Sonic the Hedgehog rebirth was unquestionably bad, due to poor platforming segments and a rather questionable relationship with a human girl.  And Sonic Unleashed didn't do the brand any favors, thanks to an annoying new character and Sonic's poor Were-hog stages.  But now, this year, it looks like Sega's finally getting it right, simply by going back to basics.

When we were first introduced to Sonic Generations back at E3, we at first didn't know what to expect.  It was Sonic's 20th birthday coming up after all, and we knew Sega didn't want to celebrate with another failure of a game, as it's released in the past.  The best kind of Sonic game, it seems, is one that remembers what worked so well in the past.  After all, all of Sonic's adventures have found a digital re-release on XBLA and PSN (well, XBLA anyway -- Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles have yet to come to PSN), and they're the main highlights in the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection anyway.

But it looks like Sega has woken up, because Sonic Generations is shaping up to be what looks like an impressive title.  The game features a combination of 3D and 2D stages, but doesn't try to weigh Sonic down with weak gimmicks like a Were-hog transformation or an odd beastiality kick.  Instead, it focuses on what made the 'hog so great to begin with -- raw speed and classic platforming.

Generations' design is inspired by classic Sonic games, so you'll see familiar territory such as the Green Hill Zone and the Chemical Plant, as highlighted in the video below.  What's new, however, is that it's all done in 3D.  That's not to say you're going to run through them entirely in Sonic Adventure 3D style, though.  The game features a mixture of 3D platforming segments (similar to what we've seen in the Adventure games and Heroes), along with 2D segments that play like the traditional Sonic games did.  But they both follow the same design, meaning you're engulfed in the 3D world at all times.  The results actually work better than expected.

What's more, Sega was dedicated enough to hire a few Sonic-inspired bands to work on the soundtrack, so along with classic tunes from earlier games, you'll hear some great remixes play in the background as well.  We don't know about you, but the new Chemical Plant song is becoming pretty damn catchy.  And we've only seen a portion of the stages thus far.

We also like the fact that the game doesn't weigh down on other characters.  There's no sign of a playable Tails, which is a good thing, considering he was one of the worst parts of Sonic the Hedgehog when it came out for PS3 and Xbox 360.  (He controlled like an oversized helicopter.)  Shadow the Hedgehog may make an appearance as a playable character, but it looks like he'll be leaving his guns holstered this time around.  Good thing.

By reverting back to a style that best suits him (old-school), Sonic the Hedgehog might have his best game to date in some time.  Granted, we'll have to wait for the final product when it releases next month -- against Goldeneye: Reloaded and Uncharted 3, no less -- but fans of the series should breathe a sigh of relief.  It looks like Sega is finally "getting it" this time around, and all for the better.

Oh yeah, and they're not done yet.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2 is coming next year, along with the re-release of the fan favorite Sonic CD.  He's still got miles to burn.

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.