Sonic the Hedgehoghas brought fansa seriously mixed bag of gaming experiencesever since consoles transitioned into 3D graphics. While there have certainly been some gems and a few underrated entries in that time, it’s hard to argue that the Blue Blur’s greatest achievements haven’t largely been in the 2D world.
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From the memorable level designs to thelegendarily catchy musicto the paradigm-shifting pace at which these titles were played, there’s just so much to like about Sonic’s side-scrolling adventures. But while there may be a decent gap between the lowest quality entries and the top of the top, it’s a lot harder to parse which of the better titles stands above all the rest.
10Sonic Chaos
The Game GearSonic the Hedgehogtitles don’t get a ton of love, and that’s not totally unfair, butSonic Chaosis actually a pretty fun, original handheld that deserves a little more credit than it gets.
This title doesn’t offer any big of innovation to the series (although the rocket shoes were kind of cool) but it does a great job of translating the Blue Blur to the handheld universe, offering some solid (albeit simple) level design and an overall experience that’s easily superior to all of its Game Gear siblings.
9Sonic The Hedgehog
The first entry in theSonic the Hedgehogseries holds up well, and it would probably be looked at with even more respect than it currently gets if its sequels didn’t come around and do everything that it did, only a little bit (and sometimes a lot) better.
The truly impressive thing about the originalSonictitle is how it genuinely challengedSuper Mario Bros.for the platforming crown.Mariowas far and away the number one platforming series of the day, and it had been for the past six years. Then in came Sonic and for a moment everything changed.
8Sonic Advance
The first NintendoSonic the Hedgehoggame was an unusual experience for those who came up in the console wars. It was a waving of the white flag for Sega, and for those with the company who were battling Nintendo for all those years, it must have felt a bit like seeing their ex walking off with the school bully. The game itself, however, was definitely a little triumph for Sega.
Sonic Advancegave Game Boy Advance owners their first foray into the high-speed world ofSonicplatformers, offering some attractive updated design, great graphics, and enhanced replayability thanks to the wider character selection.
7Sonic Advance 3
The third entry in the Game Boy AdvanceSonicseries took a big swing by implementing a buddy system that allowed players to choose two characters to bring along on their mission tostop Dr. Eggmanonce again. As is the case with many big swings in gaming sequels, some found this tweak to the formula to be a breath of fresh air while others found it to be alienating.
Overall,Sonic Advance 3is an entertaining adventure with plenty of classicSonicfun to be had. For fans who aren’t too keen on the buddy system, its ranking may suffer, but that shouldn’t send an otherwise solid platformer with some unique boss fights too far down the all-time list in any case.
6Sonic Advance 2
Sonic Advance 2may not have sent the Game Boy AdvanceSonicseries through the stratosphere likeSonic the Hedgehog 2did for itsSega Genesis counterpart, but it still succeeded in honing the original formula into something even better yet still familiar.
One thing about this title that has led to some division among fans is its difficulty. Some considerthe trickierSoniclevelsto be one of the better qualities of the series, but there were a few critics who considered it amongSonic Advance 2’s worst. But while that may keep this title from rising further up the 2DSonicrankings, it’s not nearly enough to send it spiraling downward.
5Sonic & Knuckles
Not only didSonic & Knucklesoffer one of the better platforming experiences on the Sega Genesis or any other console of its time, but it also gave fans one of the more unique innovations of the cartridge era: an adapter on the game itself that allowed players to choose Knuckles as their character in bothSonic 2andSonic 3.
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Knuckles himself is another notable addition that came with this entry. Sonic’s new colleague has become as indispensable amember of theSoniccastas any other since the game’s 1994 release. He also taught a whole lot of 90s kids that there was an animal called an echidna.
4Sonic The Hedgehog 3
While some fans may consider it a disappointment thatSonic 3didn’t quite reach or even surpass the peaks thatSonic 2took the series to, that’s sort of an unfair way to look at an otherwise fantastic game.
Interestingly,Sonic 3was considered by many critics to be even better than its predecessor at the time of its release, with some of them citing the greater emphasis on exploration in their assessment. While time has come to favorSonic 2, a replay of this amazing entry might actually make some fans reconsider their current stance.
3Sonic Mania
The modern gaming landscape is a fascinating place. If it were possible to send a messenger back in time to the early 90s to tell kids around the world that one day, fangames would be a real thing, and making them might land you a gig creating the nextSonic the Hedgehogtitle, there’s no telling what kind of pandemonium might ensue.
After a long stretch of 3DSonictitles that were mostly panned by the fanbase,Sonic Maniacame along to remind them all exactly why they pledged their allegiance to the Blue Blur in the first place. It’s a classic ride through the white-knuckle world of 2DSonicthat has come to rival just about every other entry out there.
2Sonic CD
There are some who considerSonic CDto be the very best 2DSonicgame ever made. However, there are many others who have never even seen a Sega CD in real life, let alone played one of the few titles on it that people still talk about.
Thanks to the popularity of classic game collections, fans can now get a taste of this stellar but underplayed entry in theSonicfranchise through theSonic Originscollection. When they do, they’ll find that the hype was well-founded, and there really aren’t many other 2DSonictitles that stack up well against it.
1Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sometimes the debate about what title in a popular series is the best is heated to the point of being toxic, and sometimes just about everyone agrees. In the case ofSonic the Hedgehog, things fall more comfortably into the latter category.
This title took a solid initial entry with plenty of potential and realized that potential in every conceivable way. It had better level design, better graphics, better controls, better music, and enough small tweaks to the original formula to make it feel fresh. This one transcended an already great game and elevated the series to iconic status. It is platforming perfection.
