About 12 years ago, a young kiddo decided to spend his evening walking around the local EB Games. The only game he really wanted was that new Call of Duty with the yacht map, but after a short discussion with his parents, they ended up going with another game: Sonic Generations. Mostly because it was on sale… fair enough.
If you were anything like that kid, who is currently typing these words, then you have likely come across your fair share of Sonic games collecting dust on retail shelves. The series has seen some rough entries, but luckily for us: this isn’t one of them, because Sonic X Shadow Generations is a relentlessly entertaining game and arguably the best entry point into the series. The reason for it being a strong entry point is twofold.
Emeralds are Forever
Firstly, it is an amalgam of Sonic’s greatest levels with a fresh coat of visual paint, including gems like the brilliant City Escape from Adventure 2 and other classics like Green Hill Zone and Seaside Hill. On top of that, it also takes stages like Crisis City from weaker entries and overhauls them with tighter level design and by adding more obstacles and enemies, allowing new players to enjoy an improved version of the original experience.
Sonic Generations at its core is a level design masterclass. The 3D levels are paced beautifully: one moment you are experiencing a thrilling burst of speed, whether by boosting up a loop-de-loop, or desperately fleeing a saw-armed truck in a relentless chase through the city. But right when you have found a rhythm, the game will introduce a surprise 2D section within the 3D level, forcing you to adjust your tempo and be extra wary of any sneaky spikes, which could rob you of your hard-earned rings. The 2D-only levels, where you control a smaller Classic Sonic, tend to be tougher, as the game packs in more hazards and forces you to rely on more than your speed, encouraging stable momentum, as once you are hurt, there are more realistic acceleration physics in play, which slow you down and potentially dock your grade. While these stages never quite reach the chaotic highs of the 3D levels, which feature diabolical scenes like Sonic being chased by the aforementioned saw-truck, these 2D-only levels remain rewarding in the long run, thanks to the relatively raw platforming challenges they offer and a refreshing focus on damage avoidance.
Chaos Control(led)
The second reason why Sonic X Shadow Generations is such a strong entry point is simply how well it controls. The game is a joy to play, with 3D Sonic feeling both responsive and agile enough to do exactly what the player requires of him, whether it’s making a rapid turn to hit the dash pad or executing a homing attack on that one poor Moto Bug that hasn’t been eradicated yet. In the years since I first played Sonic Generations, I have tried and beaten most of the other 3D games in the series, and to this day I feel that the snappiness and agility of Sonic in this game is unmatched, even by later entries such as Forces and Frontiers. Classic/2D Sonic, while not as responsive due to the heavier physics applied to his stages, is still enjoyable to use, due to the satisfying sense of momentum you get by watching him slowly build up speed, until he is tearing through the level like a blue snowball.
Aside from the gameplay, I would be remiss if I did not mention the spectacular soundtrack. Combining hard rock tracks like Open Your Heart with classic themes that play in Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant, the music is as varied as it is memorable. Crucially, the tracks work in tandem with the levels instead of trying to outshine or distract from them, which is not always the case when a game ships with an extraordinary OST. Metal Gear Rising,for example, which came out in the same decade, has a similarly superb soundtrack, but while those songs can be enjoyed independently to that experience, when I listen to a Sonic Generations track, it only makes me want to play the game as the level and song go hand in hand.
2 Switch 2 Hedgehog
It may surprise you to know that Sonic X Shadow Generations includes two games in one package. The Shadow Generations part of that title is no DLC; it is a standalone game that rivals and even exceeds the amount of content offered in the original game, boasting dramatically improved visuals, more impressive challenges and boss fights, as well as providing Shadow with a unique set of abilities that make his gameplay style unique.
What stands out immediately is the increased emphasis on the hub world. I did not discuss Sonic Generations’ hub world in its section of this review, because frankly it is a barren, interactive 2D level selector with all the stages laid out in a row, one by one. As you progress through that game, there are some cool encounters to come by in the hub, including a few boss fights and challenge gates which gradually appear, but that is about the extent of it. In Shadow Generations, the hub world is realised in full 3D and is much larger, featuring more secret areas and offering actual gameplay opportunities more in line from what you would expect from the proper stages. The game uses this to great effect to pace progression, as after completing a couple of stages, the player is typically forced to traverse the hub world itself, clearing a platforming section or two without the time limit that’s present in those stages, giving them a breather before the next level.
I was also immediately impressed with Shadow’s abilities, which are steadily introduced starting from the very first level. The abilities do a lot of the heavy lifting as far as differentiating this gameplay loop from the one present in the base game, and rest assured, the praise I gave to the controls in Generations still applies here, as Shadow comes across just as nimble and agile as 3D Sonic ever was. But it’s the abilities that differentiate his moment-to-moment gameplay, like Chaos Control, which allows him to slow down time and dodge obstacles easier, or my personal favourite, Doom Surf, a wild ability that sees Shadow commandeering a stingray type creature made of black sludge, opening a whole new world of gameplay opportunities in fluid heavy areas. It is the latter that really impressed me—it is one thing to introduce fresh abilities but utilising them in the levels is what makes them worthwhile, and here there are used frequently, with the player needing to keep a constant eye out for opportunities to use the ‘Doom’ abilities as they are called, to unlock the next area or uncover a hidden collectible.
Those abilities are also used heavily in the mini challenge levels, which are more creative than the ones found in the original game, purely due to how they leverage Shadow’s powers, particularly those based around his Doom Spears, which are super fun projectiles to lob at enemies and obstacles. Like the base game, I also have nothing but praise for the level design, which inherits all of the base game’s strengths in obstacle placement, stage variance and adrenaline pumping speed in the 3D levels. Due to its release date, it also features levels from Frontiers and Forces, two games that came out after the original Generations, allowing this package to maintain that “tribute to the entire franchise, good or bad” energy that the base game had. For me, the standout stage is Kingdom Valley. Why? Because whether you are grinding on wind trails, dashing past waterfalls, or smashing through stained glass windows in castles, it is a stage you could play over and over and remain gripped by the many thrills it offers.
While some of the boss fights in the original Sonic Generations were quite memorable, the combination of a killer rock track and the stunning flooded city aesthetic in the Perfect Chaos fight being a great example, the encounters in Shadow’s game are much tougher and feature multiple stages, with each enemy wielding a unique arsenal of tricky attacks. The Metal Overlord as an example, will initially keep away from Shadow, forcing him to traverse dangerous waters packed with laser walls and spinning spikes, all for the chance to get close enough to put a dent in its health bar. Later in the same fight, the Overlord switches tactics by coming up behind Shadow, chasing him down and whipping his tail multiple times, like some kind of unhinged water-based Pokémon. It is this attack variety that works in tandem with the bosses’ increased health pools, to make these encounters more rewarding to clear than the ones present in the base game.
All that sounds great right? But how about the Switch 2 of it all? Back on the original Switch, I would typically dedicate a paragraph or a good chunk of one, to discussing the performance hiccups and visual cutbacks each third-party port shipped with. So here is the first of those paragraphs for this next Generation Switch.
Sonic X Shadow Generations looks great on the Switch 2. I did not notice any major framerate drops from 60 fps and the resolution remained sharp, whether handheld or docked.
And that is the selling point. While the first Switch may have offered third party games in a handheld form factor, the number of compromises made to get them there were typically innumerable. The original Switch version of this very game runs at 30FPS only and at a fraction of the resolution, while the Switch 2 powers through with a steady 60FPS and much clearer image quality. It is worth noting you will have to switch to the Performance Mode in Shadow Generations to get 60FPS, but again, the resolution cutbacks to get it to 60fps are not dramatic enough to impact the experience.
On top of that, due to the stages being shorter and highly re-playable, this is a natural fit for portable use, as you can enjoy it in small bursts, complete levels and put it down, when necessary, without missing out on the substance of the game. In contrast, Sega’s other major release for the Switch 2 launch, Yakuza 0, is tougher to manage on the go, as I found myself having to pause in the middle of dialogue exchanges and dramatic cutscenes because I was outside in the real world. Because of Generations’ structure however, I have found myself playing it more than any other game on the system, whether I am on the bus, on the train, or waiting for the train… yeah, I spend a lot of time on public transport. This game is stellar in handheld mode and based simply off its convenience and lack of drawbacks relative to the original Switch port, I have no qualms recommending this version to anyone who has recently bought themselves a shiny new Nintendo system.
Summary: By leveraging the Switch 2’s improved hardware, Sega has delivered a strong rendition of the thrilling Sonic X Shadow Generations, one which benefits from the portability of the original Switch release, while avoiding its noticeable compromises.
Sonic and Shadow make an excellent debut on Nintendo Switch 2 with a pair of thrilling adventures.
