Sonic Generations

"DOUBLE THE SPEED, DOUBLE THE FUN! Celebrate 20 years of Sonic with Sonic Generations."

- SEGA.com

Sonic Generations (ソニック ジェネレーションズ) is a game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS and PC via download. The game is being made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The Japanese version has different subtitles: White Time and Space (白の時空) for the home consoles, and Blue Adventures (青の冒険) for the 3DS version. This game can be played in 3D on the 3DS and on the console versions also, but a 3DTV as well as a pair of 3D glasses are required for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Development
Iizuka says the 3DS edition will only have Sonic friends "who are integral to the story" - a contrast from the console counterparts. The 3DS version will use some handheld game stages while the console versions will use games from the console main series. "For the PS3 and 360, none of the stages we're selecting are going to be from the handheld." Iizuka said. "However, on 3DS we're looking at picking stages from handheld as well." The 3DS will have minor story changes as well. The writers for the story are credited as Ken Pontac and Warren Graff of Happy Tree Friends fame. They also worked on Sonic Colors and MadWorld. Tetsu Katano, who directed Sonic and the Black Knight and did work on the Adventure series, is directing the 3DS edition. Sonic Team and Dimps are co-developing the 3DS edition.

Console


The story takes some time after Sonic's last encounter with Eggman in Sonic Colors. In the past of Green Hill, Classic Sonic is exploring when he hears a noise. Suddenly, a monster appears in the sky and he notices it as the screen goes white. In the present day Tails and his friends are having a suprise party for Sonic's birthday until the Time Eater appears in Sonic's time and sucks all of them back into different periods in Sonic's history. Sonic goes to attack but is instead attacked himself, he looks up before he passes out to see that Tails is the only one left struggling to resist the Time Eater's vortex. Sonic wakes from his unconsciousness in a white world and wonders what's going on. Sonic first frees Tails when he was in a frozen state. Sonic and Tails first decide on finding their friends first even though, Sonic was wondering how Green Hill Zone looked so familiar. Tails tells Sonic to go check Chemical Plant out, Sonic quickly sets off but a few seconds later, Tails sees Sonic's younger form and mistakens him for Sonic.

When Sonic brought Chemical Plant back to its color, Tails reaches Sonic and explains how Tails will never forget the annoying pink acid the place is filled with. Sonic agrees and tells Tails that he feels that he is experiencing deja-vu. Later on, Sonic is in a black and white hall with a glass with his younger form at the other side of the glass. Sonic, mistakening it for a mirror, along with mistakening his younger form as his reflection looks at himself in the mirror. While setting his hair and looking at his teeth, concerned about his looks. When the two Sonics touch their bellies, Sonic noticed how his reflections belly is rounder and gets the feeling that the reflection is not him. The two then hear Dr. Eggman voice with Sonic shouting his name, the younger Sonic looks at his older self through the glass and realizes that it was not his reflection the whole time. The younger Sonic runs towards Eggman's voice while Sonic is locked in the room. Sonic was surprised to see his "reflection" running and he wasn't and realized that his "reflection" was actually another "Sonic".

After the younger Sonic destroys the Death Egg, he sees the same monster that appeared at the beginning of the game kidnapping Dr. Eggman with Dr. Eggman crying out Sonic's name. Sonic then sees his younger self but does not find out that he actually is his younger self and asks why are there two Sonics. Tails and Tails' younger form tell Sonic that they are travelling through time and space which is why Sonic is experiencing all of his past encounters along with seeing him as he was little. The two Sonics quickly get along and run towards the other places to bring them back to its color. The two realize that the faster they go through the areas the more time and color will be restored.

After restoring every friend and only one more place to bring back to its colors. The two Tails' find out that the Time Eater dislikes Chaos Emeralds and tell the two Sonics to get one last of the seven Emeralds. The two Sonic restore Planet Wisp and race each other to the Emerald. With the present form of Sonic beating him to the race because he has more skill than his younger form. After beating the Egg Dragoon, Sonic gets confused to see Eggman inside of it as he thought that Eggman got kidnapped. However, strangely the monster comes again and kidnaps Eggman once again which left the gang confused.

The gang then chases after a robot resembling the Time Eater and get surprised with Eggman and his younger form inside the machine. When asked, Eggman explains that when he was in trapped in space with Orbot and Cubot in the end of Sonic Colors, Eggman finds a monster with a unique abilitiy to erase time and space, so his plan was to undo all of his past mistakes whilst kidnapping Sonic's friends to make Sonic the bait in the end and he had the help of his younger form in order for all of it to work. The robot tries destroying the two Sonics and then were able to throw them off the ground and crush them in an other dimension. With the two Sonics all weak and passed out, they get support from all of their friends allowing the Chaos Emeralds to glow and activate, transforming them into Super Sonic. The two defeat the Eggmans, their robot and their plan and return back to where Sonic had his birthday party.

After a few conversations between the two Sonics, Sonics younger form was able to do a little bit of Sonic's newer abilities (one which was a little bit of the Sonic Boost) but slightly fails to keep up. Sonic claps for his younger self saying that he will get better. Sonic's and Tails' younger forms go back to their time-line.

The last scene then shows the two Eggmans lost in a completely blank and timeless place. The two argue till they find out they are not going anywhere. When Robotnik finds out that he will never win, the two decide on getting a teaching degree rather than trying to destroy Sonic.

Handheld
Like the console, the story takes some time after Sonic's last encounter with Eggman. Sonic is invited to a party by Tails. Sonic and Tails were having chilidogs until a vortex sucks Tails in, Sonic jumps in but is "attacked" but he could still get in. Sonic sees a white world and wonders what's going on. Later on, Sonic meets his past self. After a surprising meeting, the two realize that the world is losing color and the time-line has been messed up for unknown reasons. The two Sonics team up to bring the world into its colors, learn how to fix up the timeline and save Tails.

Sonic Boom
A Sonic Generations demo was playable at 2011's E3 Expo, under the name Sonic Boom. It was the first major American Sonic event, being hosted by SEGA, and took place on June 8th, at 6pm PT. At E3, Sonic Generations was playable in both console and handheld versions. Although only Green Hill was playable for the console versions, City Escape was shown; Green Hill was playable, including the boss Big Arm, was playable for the 3DS version. There was also a Birthday Song for Sonic sung at Sonic Boom and the ending of the song, "Happy Birthday Sonic!" will appear in Sonic Generations. It appeared at the Tokyo Joypolis event and at the Summer of Sonic event in London. It appeared at the Gamescon 2011 event in Germany, and at TGS (Tokyo Game Show) 2011.

Demo Release
The Australian government’s OFLC rated a multi-platform demo release of Sonic Generations, and SEGA formally announced at E3, that they will release a demo for PSN and Xbox Live on Sonic's 20th Anniversary, June 23rd. The demo only contained Green Hill, and only the Classic Sonic playthrough. The demo was only available until July 12th, at which point it was no longer available, including for players who had already downloaded it; the file has essentially locked itself. In the Xbox Live version, one has to be an Xbox Live Gold Member to download the demo. The name of the demo is "Sonic Generations Green Hill Zone Demo #1", indicating that a Modern Sonic demo is on the way. SEGA confirmed on their blog a second demo released in Europe for PSN and Xbox Live on October 18th and will be released in North America for PSN on October 25th. The demo contains both classic and modern Sonic playable in Green Hill Zone.

Gameplay
The game features levels derived from 20 years of Sonic history, ranging from the Classic era, through the Dreamcast era, to the Modern era. There will be a level taken from each Sonic game to represent the different times. Each level can be played with either Classic Sonic or Modern Sonic, each taking their own routes throughout the level. Classic Sonic's levels are strictly two dimensional side scrolling stages, using classic moves like the Spin Attack and the Spin Dash. Modern Sonic's levels, on the other hand, carry on the modern 2D/3D gameplay of recent titles such as Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, featuring Homing Attacks, Combo Tricks in the air, Drift, the Stomp Attack, Light Speed Dash, and Speed Boosts. There is going to be a new interactive menu that allows for complete immersion into Sonic's universe, as the player completes the game, extras are unlocked such as favorite characters and hidden treasures.

Hub worlds like the ones in Sonic Unleashed have been confirmed in an interview with Takashi Iizuka. He said that the hub world starts out as the white space, but opens up more as the Sonics pass through more levels. The Hub worlds will only be playable in 2D, so they are not free roam like they were in Unleashed. Also, characters rescued in that stage will stand outside the entrance to the stage, and they can be talked to. Also, there is an area above the entrance to the main stage where the payer can access extra missions and boss stages. Patrick Riley, the Director of Sega America, has talked about updated gameplay issues.

The speed boost on Green Hill inclines appears to have been fixed, among other physics issues, a few were noticed when Generations gameplay was first revealed to the world. A few issues remain, although they will be addressed. The handheld version, unlike the console versions, will make the Modern Sonic gameplay similar to Sonic Rush. Special Stages based on Sonic Heroes, along with the appearance of the Chaos Emeralds were confirmed. Casino Night is one of the 3DS exclusive stages (although it appears as a minigame on the console version), and the boss Big Arm is also confirmed as exclusive; City Escape is a console exclusive. It has also been confirmed that some bosses are played as Classic Sonic and some are played as Modern Sonic. This game like most other Sonic games will feature acts, with Act 1 played as Classic Sonic and Act 2 played as Modern Sonic, there will be several other acts for each level along with missions.

Classic Sonic
Classic Sonic stages consist of him running in a permanent 2-D perspective, platforming all the way towards an end sign post, just like in the original games. Patrick Riley referred to Classic Sonic levels as "Momentum-Based Platforming". The Spin Dash has been confirmed.

The handheld 3DS version will use stereoscopic 3-D to give a sense of depth. Classic Sonic will also have an unlockable homming attack. SEGA's Community Manager Aaron Webber revealed that Classic Sonic will be speechless.

Modern Sonic
Modern Sonic's console stages consist of running extremely fast through the stages while the perspective switches between 2D and 3D such as in his more recent games, Sonic Unleashed (PS3/Xbox 360, daytime levels only) and Sonic Colors (Wii only) specifically. There will also be new Combo Tricks, which are performed in the air, and fill up the Boost Gauge. It has been confirmed that there will be a new visual element to all returning levels, such as the cave in Green Hill. There will be a bit more platforming involved, like the sections after the cave in Green Hill. Also, the camera is immovable, unlike how it was in Sonic Unleashed and invisible walls can hinder the exploration aspect.

In the handheld version, Modern Sonic's gameplay will be similar to Sonic Rush and Sonic Colors (DS version) and will have Sonic Boost, the ability to slide under obstacles, jump off walls, and use the Homing Attack. Modern Sonic levels will use the 3-D effect of depth on the handheld version more actively, although the console versions will be 3D TV compatible.

Genesis/MegaDrive
It is confirmed the Genesis/Mega Drive option will be the full game of Sonic the Hedgehog, but this must be unlocked.

Sega has confimed that you can unlock this option by purchasing the "Sega Genesis Controller" in the Hub Shop.

Local/Online 2-Player Race Mode (3DS version only)
There will be a local wireless and Wi-fi 2-player race mode in the 3DS version of the game.

StreetPass (3DS only)
It has been confirmed that StreetPass will be used to unlock special content and challenges as one pass by someone else. You can also use the Nintendo 3DS "playcoins" system to buy said content in case that you are unable to StreetPass. With StreetPass, you will be able to trade "Profile Cards" where you describe how far you have progressed in the game, which Sonic characters are your favorites, etc. As well as adding 3 missions to exchange with other players. Once you StreetPass somebody, your profile card will get upgraded in various ways.

Playable

 * Sonic (both Classic and Modern)
 * Super Sonic (both Classic and Modern)

Friendly/2-Player

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Rouge the Bat
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Blaze the Cat
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Silver the Hedgehog

Other

 * Omochao (optional guide)
 * Dr. Eggman (arch-rival of Sonic(s))
 * Classic Dr. Eggman (helps control the Time Eater robot)
 * Classic Tails (speaker of Classic Sonic)
 * Cheese the Chao (follows Cream)
 * Chao (they appear in a Speed Highway mission)
 * Animal friends (Flickies and other species must be rescued)
 * Orange Wisp (power-up)
 * Pink Wisp (power-up)
 * Red Wisp (3DS power-up)
 * Cyan Wisp (3DS power-up)

Cameos

 * Fang the Sniper - City Escape (wanted poster)
 * Bean the Dynamite - City Escape (wanted poster)
 * Bark the Polar Bear - City Escape (wanted poster)
 * Mighty the Armadillo - City Escape ("Missing since 1993" poster)
 * Ray the Flying Squirrel - City Escape ("Missing since 1993" poster)
 * Chao - Speed Highway/City Escape/Crisis City/Radical Highway ( "Chao in Space" billboard in Speed Highway, "Chao in Space 2" billboard in City Escape, "Chao in Space 3" for Crisis City, neon sign for Radical Highway)
 * Perfect Chaos - City Escape ("Chao in Space 2", also a boss) & credits
 * Big the Cat - Casino Night (neon sign) & credits
 * E-123 Omega - Speed Highway (road sign)
 * Death Egg Robot - Speed Highway ("Chao in Space" billboard in Speed Highway)
 * Tikal - Speed Highway (road sign)
 * Chip - Speed Highway (road sign) & credits footage
 * Jet the Hawk - Speed Highway (road sign)
 * Wave the Swallow - Speed Highway (road sign)
 * Storm the Albatross - Speed Highway (road sign)
 * NiGHTS - Radical Highway (NiGHTS hotel)
 * Orbot & Cubot - (Eggman mentions that he left them in space after the events of Sonic Colors; current status unknown and cameo in credits)
 * White Wisp (Cameo in Planet Wisp and credits)
 * Princess Elise - Credits
 * Mephiles - Credits
 * Super Shadow - Credits
 * Super Silver - Credits
 * Sonic the Werehog - Credits
 * Dark Gaia - Credits
 * Wisps - Credits

Console Exclusive:

 * Motobug - Green Hill
 * Giant Motobug - Green Hill (mission)
 * Chopper - Green Hill/Seaside Hill
 * Mecha Chopper - Green Hill
 * Crabmeat - Green Hill/Planet Wisp
 * Buzz Bomber - Green Hill (with blue and red heads)
 * Giant Buzz Bomber - Green Hill (mission)
 * Spiny - Chemical Plant
 * Grabber - Chemical Plant
 * EggRobo - Sky Sanctuary
 * Cop Speeder - Speed Highway
 * Mono Beetle - City Escape
 * GUN Beetle - City Escape
 * GUN Hunter - City Escape
 * Egg Pawn - Seaside Hill/Planet Wisp
 * Spinner - Seaside Hill/Speed Highway/Planet Wisp
 * Electro Spinner - Seaside Hill/Speed Highway/Planet Wisp
 * Iblis Biter - Crisis City
 * Iblis Taker - Crisis City
 * Iblis Worm - Crisis City
 * Egg Fighter - Rooftop Run
 * Aero Chaser - Rooftop Run
 * Aero-Cannon - Rooftop Run
 * Sandworm - Planet Wisp
 * Buzzer - Planet Wisp
 * Sprinkler - Planet Wisp (mission)

Nintendo 3DS Exclusive:

 * Motobug - Green Hill
 * Chopper - Green Hill
 * Crabmeat - Green Hill
 * Buzz Bomber - Green Hill
 * Newtron - Green Hill
 * Crawl - Casino Night
 * Butterdroid - Mushroom Hill
 * Mushmeanie - Mushroom Hill
 * Dragonfly - Mushroom Hill
 * Madmole - Mushroom Hill
 * Baby Kiki - Emerald Coast
 * Rhino-Tank - Emerald Coast
 * Mono Beetle - Radical Highway (hinted)
 * GUN Beetle - Radical Highway (hinted)
 * GUN Hunter - Radical Highway (hinted)

Console Exclusive:

 * Classic Metal Sonic - Stardust Speedway
 * Death Egg Robot - Death Egg
 * Shadow the Hedgehog - Final Rush (friendly rival)
 * Perfect Chaos - Station Square
 * Silver the Hedgehog- Crisis City (friendly rival)
 * Egg Dragoon - Eggmanland
 * Time Eater - TBA

Nintendo 3DS Exclusive:

 * Big Arm - Launch Base
 * Classic Metal Sonic - Casino Night
 * Shadow the Hedgehog - Radical Highway
 * Silver the Hedgehog - TBA
 * Time Eater - (final boss, fought in undetermined location)

Items

 * Rings
 * Red Rings
 * Item boxes
 * 10 rings
 * Invincibility
 * Elemental Shields (Fire, Thunder and Water)
 * Speed Shoes
 * Extra Life
 * Skateboard
 * Wisps (Orange and Pink Wisps)
 * Chaos Emeralds
 * Wisp Capsules (Modern Gameplay)
 * Extra Life (A 3D icon of an extra life will appear in the Modern gameplay)
 * Boss Keys
 * Media (Music, Art, and Videos)

Voice Actors
Classic Sonic will remain silent throughout the game, but will still show his personality through his actions and gestures.

In a joint-interview with Segabits and Sonic Stadium, Takashi Iizuka revealed there will be voiceovers for all nationalities, not just English and Japanese. Proof of this is that Sonic has received a German voice actor as heard in the Chemical Plant and City Escape video released by German game site, Gameswelt. Sonic has also received a French voice, Italian, and Spanish voice.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Sonic Generations is called "History of the First Stage: White Edition" for the console music and "History of the First Stage: Blue Edition" for the 3DS music.
 * Green Hill: Remix of Green Hill Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The classic remix is similar to the original tune, but with a techno beat. The hub world music is a violin mix.
 * Chemical Plant: Remix of Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The classic remake is almost identical with a techno beat. The modern remix is more of a soft rock.
 * Sky Sanctuary: Remix of Sky Sanctuary Zone from Sonic & Knuckles. The classic remix-as expected-is a nearly the same with a techno beat. The modern remake is a soothing-almost relaxing remix, but still retains a past pace.
 * Speed Highway: Remix of the first section of Speed Highway from Sonic Adventure. The classic remake has a techno beat. The modern tune is very similar to the original, but has a heavier use of the guitar.
 * City Escape: Remake of City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2. The classic remix has a techno beat and traces of the Endless Mine Zone theme. The modern remake is nearly identical, but has some traces of Sonic's theme song "It Doesn't Matter". The song itself is called "Escape from the City".
 * "Menu" is a rendition of the Sonic Heroes Menu Theme.
 * "Invincibility" for both Modern and Classic is based off the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) theme.
 * "Speed Shoes" is based off Sonic Adventure(1&2) for Modern and Classic is the music simply sped up.﻿
 * "Drowning" based on Sonic Adventure's drowning tune.
 * "Escape from the City (Classic)" is a pop mix of the original Escape from the City from Sonic Adventure 2, and includes some of the musical elements from Endless Mine from Sonic 3.It can be heard while listening to the game's music.
 * "Escape from the City (Modern)" is a rock theme similar to the original song for the Modern version of City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2. In this version, after the 2nd chorus, you can hear some musical elements from the song It Doesn't Matter.
 * "Big Arm" is a new remix of the Final Boss theme for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, rendered by Alex Makhlouf of Cash Cash.
 * "Special Stage" Classic Music (3DS) is exactly the same as the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Dream Bobsleigh Nocturnus Gate event.
 * "Mushroom Hill" Classic and Modern (3DS) is based on the theme from Sonic & Knuckles.
 * "Rooftop Run" Modern is based on the original theme, with some violin modifications. Classic has a disco like remix
 * "Seaside Hill" Modern is a mixture of a rock remix of both the original Seaside Hill and Ocean Palace, classic only has Seaside Hill
 * "Stardust Speedway (Bad Future)" is almost the same as the original from the Japanese/PAL soundtrack.
 * Separate renditions of each stage's music will be played in the Hub of that Zone.
 * "Crisis City" Modern has a violin based remix that is close to the original with a faster beat; Classic has a heavy rock and techno remix of the original but it still sounds similar.
 * "Death Egg Robot Battle" It's an orchestral version of the final boss of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
 * "End Medley" It's a medley of every stage from the game. It starts off and ends off like in the ending theme of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).
 * "Game Over" It's sounds similar to the game over theme from Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
 * "Time Break" is a slower paced remix of Cyber Track from Sonic Advance 3.
 * "Race" It's a pop and techno remix of Super Sonic Racing from Sonic R.
 * "Vs. Perfect Chaos" is a remix of Open Your Heart from Sonic Adventure. It has an added beat and slightly heavier base. 
 * "Network" Sounds similar to the title theme of Sonic Mega Collection.
 * "Co-op" Is a remix of balloon park from Sonic 3 & Knuckles multiplayer mode. This theme plays when you co-op with Amy, Tails, Charmy and others except Blaze, Rouge, Knuckles and Cream.
 * "Media Select" It's a violin-like version of the data select from Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
 * "Skill Shop" It's a remix of the results screen from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
 * "VS Shadow" It's a remix of Live and Learn and For True Story from Sonic Adventure 2.
 * "Casino Night (DLC)" It's a jazz-like remix of Casino Night Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
 * "Super Sonic" It's a remix of Sonic 4' s Invincibilty theme and Live and Learn. It first starts with the intro of Live and Learn and the rest is a remix of Sonic 4' s Title theme.
 * "Collection Room" It's a violin-like remix of Door into Summer from Knuckles Chaotix.
 * "Loading" When a level is loading, a remix of the saving center in Eggman's Metropolis from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is played.
 * "Planet Wisp" Modern has a Drum and Piano remix whilst Classic has a Guitar and Techno Remix.
 * "Super Sonic" for Both Classic and Modern is based off Sonic 2's Super Sonic theme.

Stages
Stages will be divided into 3 eras. Classic, Dreamcast (including Sonic Heroes), and Modern. Levels and Bosses will be different between the console and 3DS versions with the exception of Green Hill Zone. So far 9 levels for the console version and 5 levels for the 3DS version have been officially confirmed by Sega.

Classic Era

 * Green Hill (Sonic the Hedgehog)
 * Chemical Plant (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
 * Sky Sanctuary (Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles)

Dreamcast Era

 * Speed Highway (Sonic Adventure)
 * City Escape (Sonic Adventure 2)
 * Seaside Hill (Sonic Heroes)

Modern Era

 * Crisis City (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006))
 * Rooftop Run (Sonic Unleashed)
 * Planet Wisp (Sonic Colors)

Bosses

 * Classic Metal Sonic, Stardust Speedway (Sonic CD)
 * Death Egg Robot, Death Egg (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
 * Perfect Chaos, Station Square (Sonic Adventure)
 * Shadow the Hedgehog, Final Rush (Sonic Adventure 2)
 * Silver the Hedgehog, Crisis City (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006)
 * Egg Dragoon, Eggmanland (Sonic Unleashed)
 * Time Eater, The Center of Time (Sonic Generations)

Classic Era

 * Green Hill (Sonic 1)Sonic-Generations-3DS-Japanese-Green-Hill-Zone-Screenshots-2.jpg
 * Casino Night (Sonic 2)
 * Mushroom Hill (Sonic 3 &amp; Knuckles)

Dreamcast Era

 * Emerald Coast (Sonic Adventure)ZL2BS63yaYl4X7CD9j5t62T4W24g8DX9.jpg
 * Radical Highway (Sonic Adventure 2)

Modern Era

 * Tropical Resort (Sonic Colors)

Bosses

 * Big Arm, Launch Base (Sonic 3)
 * Metal Sonic, Casino Night (Sonic 2)
 * Shadow the Hedgehog, Radical Highway (Sonic Adventure 2)
 * Silver the Hedgehog, TBA
 * Time Eater, TBA (Sonic Generations)

Special Stages
Special Stages will appear in the 3DS version. The style of the play is akin to the Special Stages in Sonic Heroes. A Chaos Emerald will be achieved if the stage is completed. It hasn't been confirmed whether Super Sonic will be playable. It was called "Unlockable Special Stages" during SEGA's press conference regarding the 3DS version of the game. For the console versions, you collect the Chaos Emeralds by defeating the 3 bosses and 3 rivals. (plus another one in Planet Wisp)

Continuity

 * "No stranger than rescuing genies in magic books, or saving aliens in an interstellar amusement park." (Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic Colors)

Reception
Since its release, Sonic Generations has received generally positive reviews, with most reviewers praising the different game styles and feel of nostalgia, but critisizing the over-responsive controls and extra levels with Sonic's friends. IGN gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, praising the overall gameplay and the level design, whilst disliking the few boss battles and the occasionally clunky controls. They also criticized the storyline for being superfluous, although they praised it for paying "homage to Sonic games of the past." Destructoid's Jim Sterling gave it an 8 out of 10, noting that "If Sonic Team can keep this up, then the blue blur will most definitely be back on top." Computer and Video Games gave it a 7.5/10, commenting that "the balance of intensity and fairness is just about spot on" from a design perspective, but arguing that the game occasionally moved too fast for the player to respond well to obstacles and that "the framerate dips dramatically" in the 2D sections, which can be jarring. The review added that "it's a shock how much easier on the eyes" the original Sonic the Hedgehog is, "with its thumping great pixels and velvety-smooth parallax scrolling," and that the 3D sections run much smoother because "there's so much action going on in every direction that jerkiness on a single plane is far less noticeable." Finally, the review criticized the addition of characters like Amy, Knuckles, and Cream for side missions while praising "the level of effort and creativity" that went into the "immense" levels. 1UP gave the game a "B" score, writing that "Generations' liberal borrowing from Nintendo's school of game design stands as one of Sega's smartest decisions in years," its "challenges feature an amazing amount of variation" and concluding that it "has quite an array of impressive and fun-to-play levels, full of interesting set pieces that draw from Sonic’s past." Their only complaints were that many levels featured on-rails or auto-pilot sequences "which can be frustrating and often jarring when control is suddenly thrust back into your hands" and that the warning signs which prepare the player for pitfalls are "easy to miss." PlayStation Official Magazine gave it an 8/10, stating that "each act is a masterpiece of platform game design... it’s sprawling and focused all at once, every pixel placed with the express purpose of making you go really, really fast" and noting that the difficulty was so perfectly balanced that "no matter how many times I missed a jump or drowned Sonic (I remain convinced that hedgehogs can swim), I blamed my slow thumbs rather than the game." However, the review felt that "the more stationary challenges – digging for medals with Tails, for example – are tedious."

Gallery

 * For more: Sonic Generations/Gallery.

Box art
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Videos
Video:Sonic Generations - Teaser Trailer HD|Sonic Generations Teaser Trailer Video:Sonic Generations Gameplay Trailer|Official Green Hill gameplay trailer Video:Sonic Generations E3 2011 Trailer CITY ESCAPE|City Escape Trailer Video:Sonic Generations Japanese City Escape trailer with Modern Music!|Japanese City Escape trailer with Modern Escape from the City Video:Sonic Generations: Two Sonics Trailer|Two Sonics trailer Video:Sonic Generations: New Levels Trailer|Classic Era Trailer Video:Sonic Generations - Dreamcast Era Trailer|Dreamcast Era Trailer Video:Sonic GenerationsModern gen Era Trailer|Modern Era Trailer Video:Sonic Generations: All Bosses Trailer|Rivals and Bosses Trailer Video:Sonic Generations: 3DS Gameplay Trailer|3DS Version Trailer Video:Sonic Generations Extended gameplay footage|Modern and Classic Green Hill Zone gameplay Video:E3 2011 Sonic Generations Green Hill Walkthrough Video|Aaron Webber's Green Hill walkthrough Video:Sonic Generations HD Gameplay (Chemical Plant Zone and City Escape)|Chemical Plant and City Escape Modern and Classic Japanese Video:Sonic Generations - Classic Era Gameplay|Classic Era gameplay and Amy. Video:Sonic Generations - Hub World|Hub World Video:Sonic Generations 3DS Gameplay: Comic-Con|Sonic Generations 3DS Comic-Con Gameplay Video:Sonic Generations TV Commercial|TV Advert Video:Sonic Generations - Launch Trailer|launch trailer

Merchandise
The game had two newly revealed action figures at Comic-Con 2011. Now early on Nintendo has released these official new Sonic Generations shirts to remark the 20th birthday for a kicking price of $82.00 each.

Jazwares has also released a line of Generations themed toys, from a character with an iconic badnik with a picture of a stage to giant stuffed animals.

Adaptations
Archie Comics produced a video game tie-in for Sonic Generations in Sonic The Hedgehog Issue 230.

A short manga for Sonic Generations was released in Japan. It has been presented in a similar format as to the Sonic Unleashed manga and Sonic Colors manga.

Trivia

 * This is the first Sonic game to have 3D capability.
 * The artworks are poses from past video games in the series.
 * This is the first game Classic Sonic and Classic Tails are rendered in a CGI artwork.
 * Jun Senoue will be mixing all the tracks for this game. The music also speeds up and slightly changes when Modern Sonic uses his boost.
 * The Classic version of City Escape is remix of the Endless Mine theme from the multiplayer mode of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
 * Like Sonic Unleashed (Wii/PS2), when using the boost while on a Dash Panel, Sonic uses a Spin Dash.
 * The E3 Demo, Sonic Boom, is named after the opening theme in the US version of Sonic CD. Crush 40 and Cash Cash performed a remix of this song at Sonic Boom.
 * In the City Escape trailer, Fang, Bean, Bark can be seen in "wanted" posters, while Mighty and Ray can be seen on a "missing" poster.
 * Like the street signs in Empire City from Sonic Unleashed, City Escape has various buildings named after characters, such as Tails' Pizza, Coffee Blaze, Amy's Market and Vector's Daily.
 * Patrick Riley confirmed the appearance of Leaderboards for the console versions, he also revealed some unannounced form of "internet functionality" that will likely be learned about at a later date.
 * At one point in Green Hill Zone, Modern Sonic is being chased by a giant Chopper, clearly a reference to when he was chased by a whale in both Sonic Adventure and Sonic The Hedgehog (2006).
 * When doing a finish to one of his mid-air Combo Tricks after going through a rainbow-colored hoop or a special dash panel ramp, Modern Sonic does the same widely recognizable pose as he does on the cover for Sonic Adventure.
 * The first 2 gameplay trailer featured an instrumental version of a famous song:
 * Tenderoni by Kele Okereke (Green Hill).
 * Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance (City Escape).
 * Takashi Iizuka revealed that the reason Sonic Generations is coming to the 3DS is because the Wii isn't a good fit for the game, since the primary goal for the console versions is to reimagine classic stages in vivid, HD graphics. So they decided that, for the Nintendo audience, it would come to the 3DS.
 * This is the first time Modern Sonic gets Boost Energy from both Rings and Enemy Power in a handheld console.
 * This is the first time that Classic Sonic gets a rank on his stages.
 * In this game, Classic Sonic has different waiting animations. One looks similar to Sonic 2, one looks similar to Sonic 3 and one looks similar to Sonic 3D Blast.
 * During a Spanish interview with Diana Redetski, a spokesperson form SEGA Spain, she revealed there might be a way to do a Modern Sonic/Classic Sonic switch, as a toggle feature
 * In addition, in the list of leaked missions, it seems there are levels played right before the HUB worlds, in every stage, where the player plays as "Both".
 * Red Rings will be in the game, but they have been renamed as "Red Star Rings."
 * This game has been in development since Sonic Unleashed was released.
 * If noticed, the PS3/XBOX 360 versions have a white colored design on top and bottom, where as the 3DS version has a replacement for blue, this is reference to the consoles and handheld's version's Japanese name, White Time and Space (PS3, XBOX) and Blue Adventures (3DS).
 * Some of the stages in demos of the 3DS version have been presented with placeholder music. For example, the Big Arm boss fight used Doomsday Zone's music in the E3 2011 demo, but was changed to the final boss theme of Sonic 3 in the Gamescom 2011's demo.
 * Takashi Iizuka recently said via Twitter that, after seeing Sonic CD on Xbox Live, he is upset that they missed their chance for Wacky Workbench in this game, with "bouncy floors and boosting".
 * This is the first main series Sonic game on the PS3 to have hidden trophies.
 * In this game, Sonic, Tails and Dr. Eggman are the only characters with a Classic form of themselves.
 * The rivals appeared as playable characters in Sonic Rivals.
 * Knuckles is the only rival from Sonic Rivals that is a friend in Sonic Generations as the others are all bosses.
 * In this game, the countdown to drowning starts at 4 instead of 5 although a different tone is played before the countdown starts.
 * On the case cover of the Xbox 360/PS3 version, Modern Sonic's run looks similar to the one on the case cover of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) which was also released on the 360 and PS3 consoles. On the 3DS one, Modern Sonic looks similar to the one on the case of Sonic Classic Collection, which was released on the DS.
 * It has been hinted that enemies from the Sonic '06 game will appear in Sonic Generations. However, the end of Sonic '06 erased the events of the game, which should have erased the enemies from the timeline entirely.
 * The Dreamcast Era is the only era in which Dr. Eggman is not a boss.
 * In the E3 demo of Green Hill Act 2 (when the game was in early development), at the beginning of the stage, Sonic said "Ready...Go!", while in the last Demo, he doesn't.
 * When Classic Sonic runs, a blur effect is set in the background.
 * If a 10 Rings box is destroyed, the sound when you got a Ring sounds ten times instead of one.
 * Although no levels from Sonic & the Secret Rings are returning, Sonic makes reference to the events of the game during the second cutscene when he reunites with Tails. "No stranger than rescuing genies from magic books,..."
 * In a cutscene that plays after Modern Sonic finishes Chemical Plant, Tails makes an obvious joke about drowning in Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Act 2, with the exact line being, "This Chemical Plant feels familiar...I'd never forget a smell like this. And that pink water makes me really nervous for some reason."
 * This game follows the events of Sonic Colors according to Dr. Eggman's plan in this game.
 * After Sonic saves Tails, he makes a reference, saying that the stage was "awfully familiar", followed by Tails saying that he doesn't recognize the stage at all. Most likely referencing the fact that Green Hill Zone is a Sonic 1 stage, and Tails was introduced in Sonic 2. Yet in Sonic Chronicles, Tails recognizes Green Hill Zone.
 * This is the second 3D Sonic game where Eggman is the final boss.
 * A floating pot-like enemy from Sonic Colors from various levels, including Planet Wisp, returns in a mission that takes place on that location. This is the first time its English name was revealed, the Sprinkler.
 * Due to the fact that the events of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) were negated, Crisis City should not exist. It may be possible that the Time Eater is so powerful that it can go into alternate futures as well.
 * However, Sonic never makes note to the fact that Crisis City should not exist.
 * Out of all 9 main stages, 3 of the stages are based on the first levels of their respective games (Green Hill Zone, City Escape and Seaside Hill)
 * This is the second Main-3D game to have someone call Dr. Eggman his original name "Dr. Robobtnik."

Pre-Order
All versions of Sonic Generations is available for pre-order:
 * Xbox 360- The Xbox 360 Version is available to pre-order at Gamestop for $49.99.
 * PlayStation 3- The PS3 Version is available to pre-order at Gamestop for the same Price as the Xbox 360 Version.
 * Nintendo 3DS- The Nintendo 3DS Version is available for pre-order at Game.co.uk for £39.99.
 * PC- The PC Version is available for pre-order at Direct2Drive for $26.95. It can also be pre-ordered on Steam for $30.00


 * Links
 * Xbox 360 and PS3 Pre-Orders
 * Nintendo 3DS Pre-Order
 * PC Pre-Order
 * Steam Pre-Order
 * GameStop Pre-Order