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 an upcoming game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo 3DS. The game is made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Plot
Sonic's universe is thrown into chaos when a mysterious new enemy erases both time and space, which pull Sonic and his friends back through time. As a result, he encounters some surprises from his history, including Classic Sonic: Sonic as he was in the past.

After finding out everything is chalk white and losing color, Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic team up to defeat this strange new enemy, save their friends, and find out who is really behind this diabolical deed.

So far, Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic have been confirmed to appear, but other characters such as Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow could appear according to a French Q&A with Takashi Iizuka, who said that "they played a big part in Sonic's history and could be important in Generations as well." Iizuka says the 3DS edition will only have Sonic friends "who are integral to the story" -a contrast from the console counterpart. 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.

Sonic Boom
It has been confirmed that a Sonic Generations demo will be playable at this year's E3 Expo, under the name Sonic Boom. It will be the first major American Sonic event, being hosted by SEGA, taking place on June 8. It might also appear at the Summer of Sonic. The Australian government’s OFLC rated a multi-platform demo release of Sonic Generations, which means it may be released on PSN and Xbox LIVE.

Gameplay
The game features levels derived from 20 years of Sonic history, ranging from the Classic era, through the Dreamcast era, to the Modern HD 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, and Speed Boosts. There is going to be a new interactive menu that allows for complete immersion into Sonic's universe, as you complete the game extras are unlocked such as favorite characters and hidden treasures. Hub worlds like the ones in Sonic Unleashed have been hinted at. 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 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. Certain stages and all bosses will be 3DS exclusive. It has also been confirmed that some bosses are played as Classic Sonic and some are played as Modern Sonic.

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 also been confirmed. The handheld 3DS version will use stereoscopic 3-D to give a sense of depth.

Modern Sonic
Modern Sonic's console stages consist of running extremely fast through the stages while the perspective switches between 2-D and 3-D such as in his more recent games, Unleashed and Colors 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. In the handheld version, Modern Sonic's gameplay will be similar to Rush and Colors DS 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 the handheld version more actively.

Local 2-Player Race Mode
There will be a local wireless 2-player race mode in the 3DS version of the game.

Challenges
There are special challenges that are unlockable via StreetPass and Play Coins. This is a 3DS exclusive.

Playable

 * Sonic (Modern and Classic)

Enemies

 * Motobug
 * Chopper (Gigantic and Normal)
 * Crabmeat
 * Buzzbomber

Non-Playable

 * Dr. Robotnik (Modern and Classic) (Will appear as bosses in different timelines; classic form appears on the signpost at the end of the Classic level)
 * Unnamed new nemesis

Hinted

 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Cream the Rabbit

Voice Actors
Even though no confirmed official list has been made, Roger Craig Smith can be heard portraying modern Sonic in voice clips (recycled from Colors and Free Riders) only. Classic Sonic will remain silent throughout the game, but will still show his personality through his actions and gestures. Cream the Rabbit and Vanilla the Rabbit’s Japanese voice actress Sayaka Aoki revealed on her blog that she has been recording some voice work for the game as well.

Classic Era

 * Green Hill
 * Casino Night (3DS exclusive)
 * Launch Base (3DS exclusive)

Dreamcast Era

 * Emerald Coast (Hinted)
 * City Escape (Hinted)

Modern Era

 * TBA

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.

Videos
Video:Sonic Generations - Teaser Trailer HD|Sonic Generations Teaser Trailer. Video:Sonic Generations Gameplay Trailer|A gameplay trailer. Video:Sonic Generations - Interview (Translated)  New Footage|Interview Video:Sonic Generations Extended gameplay footage|Modern and Classic Green Hill Zone gameplay Video:Sonic Modern Green Hill Zone|Modern Green Hill Zone gameplay Video:Sonic Generations Gamelay Interwiew 2|Sonic Generations Interview 2 With Gameplay Footage Video:Sonic Generations - G4 Gameplay Review and Interview|G4 Gameplay Review and Interview

Trivia

 * While this is the first ever game in the entire Sonic series where a character meets his past self, Sonic has already met past or future versions of himself in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, SatAM, and Sonic the Comic.
 * Both of the Sonics' artwork are poses from past video games in the series.
 * This is the first game Classic Sonic is rendered in a CGI artwork.
 * This is the fifth game where Sonic's Classic form is rendered in 3D graphics. He was first 3D in the games Sonic 3D, Sonic R, Sonic the Fighters, and Sonic Jam.
 * Jun Senoue will be mixing all the tracks for this game. Playing as Classic Sonic on Green Hill Zone plays the original 16-bit version from the Genesis mixed with a techno beat to it, while Modern Sonic has a more modernized version of the song. It is assumed that all the levels will be this way. The music also speeds up when Modern Sonic uses his boost.
 * Like Sonic Unleashed (Wii /PS2) and Sonic 4, when using the boost while on a Dash Panel, Sonic uses a Spin Dash.
 * The story of time getting out of control and characters having to team up with their past selves is similar to Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
 * Sonic Generations will be the first main series game for the Nintendo 3DS.
 * The Nintendo 3DS Version of Sonic Generations will feature both Modern and Classic Sonic with 2D stages, like the Classic Sonic mode on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.