Defining a game as "good" or "bad" involves many things: technical quality, its concept, memories, and above all whether it entertains you. The problem is that this last point is independent of the others, making it the most subjective basis for an evaluation, since everyone understands fun in their own way. Even the way the brain works is individual, and what makes sense to you may not make sense to someone else.
That is why gaming communities have controversies and extensive debates with different points of view about any franchise. This is even more evident with the Sonic series because its games are so diverse, and many titles also achieve commercial success and win over the public even after receiving low scores from the media, intensifying the controversy to "astronomical levels." Because we love the Sonic games but are not "blind," we decided to select the ten worst games starring the blue hedgehog according to Victor Miller of Planeta Sonic.
Note: They are not ranked by importance.
Sonic 4: Episode I (Digital Media - 2010)
Putting Sonic 4: Episode I on this list is easy. Does the game have good graphics? No, they look like plastic. Does it have a good soundtrack? No, although one or two tracks are decent. Is it long? No, it ends very quickly. Is it creative? No, it uses previously seen themes and repeats bosses with almost nothing new. Add all that to gameplay with problematic physics, damaging the experience in a game that was supposed to succeed the Mega Drive titles. Its saving grace is the "run and jump" gameplay, which is fun in itself. If you want a better experience, choose Sonic 4: Episode II, which improves significantly on the first in every respect and offers a decent game, although it is still far from ideal.
Sonic 3D Blast (Mega Drive / Sega Saturn 1996)
This is the opposite of Sonic 4: Episode I: good in technical areas such as graphics and music, but flawed in its concept. Unlike the traditional games, here you must collect "Flicky" birds to clear each stage from an isometric perspective. The problem with Sonic 3D Blast is that this becomes repetitive and tedious after a while, while its platforming sections suffer from a problem affecting many games with an isometric view: imprecise jumps that lead to unintended frustration.
Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear - 1995)
Considered one of the worst—and by many, the very worst—
Sonic games of all time, it has the same concept as 3D Blast, only at an even lower level. Here Sonic is slow, the stages are repetitive, and searching for keys to proceed is boring. On top of that, the soundtrack is weak even by 8-bit standards. The saving grace of Sonic Labyrinth is its graphics, which are very good for the Game Gear handheld. Sonic Shuffle (Dreamcast - 1999)Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360 - 2010)
The problem with Sonic Free Riders comes down to Kinect and its imprecise motion detection, requiring a large space to play and forcing you to make very "exaggerated" body movements for the game to understand the command. It is a shame, since the "Riders" subseries is one of the most beloved and respected among Sonic fans. Perhaps it would not be on this list if it supported a controller in addition to Kinect, since it has cool graphics and an excellent soundtrack, as well as countless playable characters. Even the story, despite regressing compared with the previous two, is still fun. The problem is definitely Kinect.
Tails Skypatrol (Game Gear - 1995)
Tails Skypatrol is a game that is good in every technical area, especially its graphics, which easily rank among the best on the handheld. It also gives the characters a "cuter" look compared with traditional Sonic games. However, it is as difficult as it is visually "cute," making it one of the most unfair games in the series in that respect. People say it gets easier once you "get the hang of it," but until you master the controls, you will want to throw the Game Gear at the wall. It is also short. It is not entirely bad, and of every game on this list, it is the "least bad," but it is still far from good.
Sonic Spinball (Master System and Game Gear - 1995)
The 16-bit version is not among the best Sonic games, but it manages to be fun despite its caveats. Sonic Spinball for Master System and Game Gear, however, easily ranks as one of the worst games in the series. Bad soundtrack, equally bad graphics, generic environments, and disappointing gameplay. You are better off sticking with the Mega Drive version.
Sonic Genesis (Game Boy Advance - 2006)
Easily the worst Sonic game of all time. To celebrate the hedgehog's 15th anniversary alongside Sonic 2006, SEGA decided to rerelease the blue hero's first adventure for Game Boy Advance, but did so in the worst possible way. The soundtrack became terrible, the gameplay has physics problems and numerous slowdowns, and the small field of view only makes everything worse. Add an excessive number of bugs, and performance suffers even more. It is a shame, since Nintendo's handheld received the Advance trilogy and Sonic Battle, all very good, while Sonic Rush, another excellent title, was released for Nintendo DS in the same year. Of all the games, this is the only one that deserves a score of zero. It is not merely "unenjoyable"; it is bad at everything.
SONIC the Hedgehog (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 - 2006)
Obviously, a list of bad Sonic games could not omit Sonic 2006. These days, comments from people who like and defend the game are common on Planeta Sonic, since it has some merits such as its soundtrack and beautiful video sequences, while a significant portion of fans praise the story from Shadow's and Silver's perspectives. On the other hand, it unquestionably falls far short on a technical level. There are physics problems, bugs, controls that do not respond properly, scenes in which mouth movements do not synchronize with the voice acting, loading screens that break the adventure's pace, and camera problems, especially during bosses. Unfortunately, the premature release ruined everything, and the game that could have been a "Sonic Adventure 3" failed to earn the honors needed to claim that title. Sonic 2006 is to the Adventure saga what Sonic 4 is to the classic saga.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystals (Nintendo 3DS - 2014)
The Sonic Boom trilogy is problematic for one fundamental reason: it does not feel like Sonic games. Even though it is a subseries made to differ from the traditional adventures, developer Big Red Button Entertainment went too far with the changes, generating skepticism from the time it was announced in 2013. None of the three games can be saved, but the one selected for this list is Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystals for 3DS, considered by many to be one of the dullest experiences involving Sonic. This moves in the opposite direction from Sonic 2006, since it is technically "polished" and free of bugs, but falls short because of its environments, generic music, a boring story that cannot be skipped by pressing "Start," graphics that are not impressive at all, and a difficulty level that seems to underestimate children's intelligence. Practically nothing in this game can be saved. Have you ever eaten pasta without even a little salt? That is what it feels like.
Cover image by Jackydik.
