Time Eater (boss)

The Time Eater is the final boss of the console/PC and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations and is fought with both Classic Super Sonic and Modern Super Sonic. On both versions, it can first be fought after beating the semi-final boss and collecting all the Chaos Emeralds.

Console/PC
When facing the Time Eater, the player has control of both Classic and Modern Super Sonic (most of the boss battle is done in 3D style). The battle area will be cluttered with objects from Sonic's history which can slow the player down should the Sonics ram into them. Depending on the Sonic the player is using, the player can use either the Super Sonic Spinning or the Super Sonic Missile to sweep away obstacles.

The battle begins with the Sonics chasing Time Eater through a time wormhole, trying to maintain a distance from them. Its most used attack is a wave of homing missiles that homes in on the player. However, this attack is fairly easy to avoid as it is not very fast and Sonic does not lose Rings when he is hit. Sometimes, the Time Eater dives outside the wormhole. When this happens, switch to Classic Super Sonic by pressing /, which will push the two hedgehogs outside the wormhole as well and shift the camera to 2D. Another Time Eater attack include warping its upper arms off its body and launching them through special rifts to attack Sonic. However, this attack is also slow and easy to avoid.

To defeat the Time Eater, the player must boost into its core, signaled by a lock-on target when in range. When the core cracks, Rings will spewing out briefly. After the first two hits, the Time Eater will lose its lower body limbs which will be replaced by black smoke. It also gains a new attack, a giant laser that charges before firing, which can only be dodged by switching Sonics at the last second. Also, the Time Eater can slow down time around both Sonics, allowing letting it build a huge wave of Homing Shots before time returns to normal. Also, it can shoot out a purple orb that will immobilize one of the Sonics, making a co-op attack or switching characters impossible until the captured Sonic is freed.

Once Time Eater's core has been hit three times, it launches a giant flaming fireball at the Sonics that is too big to avoid. The only way to counter this is to press both and / and  at the same time to combine the Super Sonics' powers, bursting through and striking at Time Eater's core. Do this and the game's storyline is completed.

In the hard mode version of this battle, it will be harder to catch up to the Time Eater, there are more obstacles to avoid, and the Time Eater can now shoot out three waves of Homing Shots instead of one if given enough distance. Plus, it takes longer to strike the core with the last attack. For the beginners, it is recommended to use Classic Super Sonic to collect Rings which is easier.

Nintendo 3DS
In the 3DS version, the battle is fought differently. The player cannot switch at will between Classic and Modern Super Sonic, and the Time Eater takes eight hits to defeat instead of four. The player also starts with 100 rings.

At the start, the player is in control of Classic Super Sonic. Much like the console version, here, the player must avoid its attacks, which include homing missiles and a sweeping arm attack. After the player manages to avoid these attacks, Classic Super Sonic can homing attack the Time Eater's core.

The player is automatically switched to Modern Super Sonic. Time Eater flies away from Sonic while launching attacks. The player must boost towards Time Eater. When Super Sonic is close enough, the Time Eater launches itself at Super Sonic, and the player must avoid this attack. When Super Sonic avoids the attack, a chance is given to attack the Time Eater's core by boosting or using a homing attack.

This is repeated another three times. In each round, the Time Eater adds a new attack (for Classic Super Sonic, a weak laser attack and a much stronger laser burst, and for Modern Super Sonic, a warping arm attack and a clock shield which he must boost through without hitting the clock face's spinning hands or its edges), as well as modifying its existing attacks (such as firing more homing shots, or moving faster with its warping arms).

On the eighth round, Time Eater and the two Super Sonics fall through a wormhole. To finish the battle, the player must boost towards Time Eater, streaking one last time through its core.

Missions (3DS version)

 * Boss Showdown: Defeat Time Eater in 9:00.00!

Trivia

 * In the console version, when using Modern Super Sonic, the fight takes place inside the wormhole, and Classic Sonic fights outside. In the 3DS version, the roles are reversed; Modern Sonic fights it outside and Classic Sonic fights inside.
 * Every time the Time Eater is damaged, the clock and the numerous cogs behind it begin to crumble and look distorted.
 * During the boss battle, the player can see many remains and chunks from the previous levels floating around the main area where the Time Eater is fought, such as pieces of land from Green Hill and cars and the G.U.N. truck from City Escape. While they don't deal damage when touched, they can get in both Super Sonics' way during a boost and block them.
 * Interestingly, the types of debris that are shown alternate between the phases of the battle: As the fight starts, totem poles and chunks of grass from Green Hill, pieces of pipes, silos of chemical substances and cranes from Chemical Plant and towers and warp points Sky Sanctuary are seen. After the first flash of light, cars and minibuses from Speed Highway, and the the truck from City Escape may be seen. Then, during the next phase, destroyed cars from Crisis City, the clock tower from Rooftop Run and ground chunks and machinery from Planet Wisp float around. Other than the fact that nothing is there from Seaside Hill, the debris shown goes from the Classic Era, to the Dreamcast Era, to the Modern Era.
 * In this boss fight, Omochao does not give the player tips. Instead, Sonic's friends give hints during the fight.
 * Interestingly, this is the only stage in the game where Classic Sonic can be used in 3D. While Modern Sonic, Classic Sonic flies next to you and you can shoot him in front of you. However, if you switch to Classic Sonic, you fly out of the main area and turn to a 2D perspective.
 * In both versions of the fight, a Homing Attack icon appears when you get close to the core. Strangely, in the console version, you can not use a homing attack on the Time Eater, while you can in the 3DS Version.
 * On the final strike against the Time Eater, if the player releases and / and  while holding them, the music will return back to the battle of the Time Battle and eventually the player is greeted to face the final strike again soon.
 * When finishing off the Time Eater with Classic Sonic (2D), the player can notice that the attack is simply a wall of fire as opposed to a large ball of fire when finishing with Modern Sonic (3D).