We’ve seen our fair share of some amazing Sonic the Hedgehog games over the years. These include the likes of Sonic Mania, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed, Sonic Generations and many more.
But with every great game, it almost seems like we ended up with a game that left us scratching our heads, wondering just what the developers were thinking. That said, there’s a lot more good than bad, but the bad is definitely noticeable.
What’s the worst Sonic the Hedgehog game though? Well, that’s not an easy answer. There are certainly some that left us feeling a bit unentertained, like Sonic 3D Blast and the iffy Sonic Forces. But when it comes down to it, three games really stand out at being the worst. Let’s begin.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
We’re not sure who’s to blame here – Sega for trying to rush the game or Big Red Button for failing to do what Sonic Team had done so many times in the past – but whatever the case, Rise of Lyric is a mess. Based on the animated series that was out at the time, Lyric tried to revamp everything we knew about Sonic games. Well, it did – but for the worse.
The gameplay felt completely off and uninteresting, and, for the first time in what felt like forever, Sonic and his friends didn’t really convince us to save the world like they did in other games. Not to mention the fact that Big Red Button tried to get CryEngine technology to work on a system that didn’t adapt well to CryEngine technology. As a result, the game suffered, and so did its players.
The 3DS spin-off, Shattered Crystal, fared a little better, but there’s no question that Lyric left a sour note with Wii U owners. Fortunately, we still had Lost World to turn to.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
It almost looked like Sonic the Hedgehog would get a true return to form with his 2006 release, marking his debut on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in high fashion. But then the game came out and…oh, boy.
The mess that followed became one of the most notable whiffs in the history of Sonic the Hedgehog. This adventure frustrated at every turn, like forcing players to navigate through a sea town before they could get the “magic shoes” required to actually get to the first stage of the game. And things didn’t get any easier from there, with broken physics, crappy visuals and a forgettable storyline. Not to mention, at one point, that Sonic decides to lay a golden smooch on a human girl. Yeesh.
This one may be a collectible for the die-hard fans, but most other Sonic fans can easily forget about this one. If only they could.
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
How in the heck can you screw up a Sega Genesis port for Game Boy Advance? It takes a special kind of development error to make that happen. Alas, Sonic Team – or someone working under their moniker – actually happened to do it.
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis was supposed to be a tribute to the hero’s original adventure, which got him up to speed in the first place. Instead, it’s a nightmare. The gameplay is all off, particularly when it comes to getting Sonic to his usual running speed. The graphics are too pixelated (and close!) for their own good. The music is poorly processed. And there’s a bit of glitching too. The game was meant to be a celebration, but instead of comes off more as a desecration. Just play the original release instead.
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