My Definitive, Official 3D Sonic Ranking

Now that I've finally beaten Unleashed, I'm pleased to say that I've officially played all of the 3D Sonic games. So like with the Mario RPGs, it's time I finally make a proper ranking of them all:

20. Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric 

In the early 2010s, it felt like we were getting LEGO/Skylander clones everywhere. Lots of multiplayer top-down action games with very, very simple gameplay, but often without the customization or set-dressing that made the LEGO and Skylander games such successes to begin with. Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric is a great example of this, being arguably the most flagrant case of Sonic Team hopping on trends which is impressive considering how often they've done that. It's an incredibly barebones beat-em-up with basic combat, basic puzzles, basic exploration, and very basic "speed" sections. But it's not just a boring game on its own merits because it also has an awful story riddled with irritating quips, dull environments, and a complete and utter lack of player agency in any shape or form. And worst of all, Rise Of Lyric is also incredibly buggy and poorly-optimized for the Wii U, just in case it couldn't have been any worse. I don't think it's that controversial to put Rise Of Lyric on the bottom, right? There's just nothing here, not even the witty comedy that would define the TV show it's based on. It's barely even a Sonic game at this point, just a thing that existed.

19. Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh putting The Final Horizon so low. It's not nearly as buggy as 06 and it certainly controls better than Secret Rings, like it's probably objectively better than both of those games. But for me personally, as someone who got into the series long after the "dark ages" had passed, this was the most disappointed a Sonic product has ever made me. The Final Horizon takes all the goodwill Frontiers still had and systematically undoes all of it, bit by bit. Tedious vertical platforming sections that show how unequipped Frontiers' controls are for precision, awful combat trials that show how limited Frontiers' combat truly is, a painful boss rush that shows how poorly telegraphed the iconic Titans turn out to be when you actually get punished for failing, and a messy final boss that loses out on all the thematic heft that made the original ending work to begin with. But hey, at least you can play as Amy, Tails, and Knuckles, right? Sure, but they all suck and feel way worse than playing as Sonic. I have never felt as hopeless towards the future of the Sonic franchise as I did after playing The Final Horizon, it genuinely felt like Sonic Team was content just shallowly checking fan criticisms off a checklist rather than make a competently-designed product at the bare minimum. Thank goodness Shadow Generations was as good as it was, geez.

18. Sonic The Hedgehog (2006)

Man, I really wish Sonic 06 was better than it is. I hate to use the p-word here, but it definitely had the potential to be something really special. It feels like an expansion on the Adventure formula with some pretty cool stages and boss designs, I like Mephiles as a villain, I kinda vibe with the more realistic environments, and the soundtrack is of course one of my favorites of all time. I haven't played P-06 so I can't say for sure, but there is definitely a world where Sonic 06 turned out to be really, really good. Sadly, that is not the world we live in. I think some fans nowadays get too wrapped up in what 06 could've been rather than what it actually is, forgetting just how much the final product screwed up. Like, this isn't just a kinda janky game you can learn to live with. The bugs in 06 are frequent and unpredictable, you spend the whole game in a state of fear because you can and will glitch out of the stage at any point. And beyond just the bugs, there's the loading screens, the messy and convoluted story, the horrendously slow character movement, the godawful vehicle sections for Shadow, the broken boss fights, that damn billiards puzzle. Maybe Sonic 06 could've been good, but that's not the game Sonic Team put on store shelves and charged money for. I can appreciate ambition to a point, but if a game's not fun, it's just not fun.

17. Sonic & The Secret Rings

Sonic & The Secret Rings is a game with a lot of cool elements like the creative environments, frenetic level pacing, large-scale boss fights, buttrock soundtrack, genuinely touching story, and a shockingly fun party game that I honestly think is better than Sonic Shuffle. However, most of that doesn't really matter since Secret Rings fails at one of the most important things: The controls. Secret Rings is controlled entirely through motion controls, but since it's an early Wii game, the controls feel really sensitive, unrefined, and inaccurate. But even if the controls did work, the way Sonic's movement has been gimped to accomodate for this strange control scheme just means he feels really awkward to play as, with how you need to charge your jumps and slowly walk backwards if you need to backtrack for any reason. The overall progression of Secret Rings' campaign doesn't help matters either, from the game not telling you which missions you need to do to unlock the next stage, to the fact that you have to unlock tighter controls. Like with 06, I do really wish Secret Rings was able to live up to all of its potential, but it just isn't fun to play.

16. Sonic Forces

Honestly, I do think Sonic Forces gets a bit too much flack. It certainly isn't the worst Sonic game since, at the very least, it's a functional, reasonably polished product with controls that work properly. Instead, the problem with Forces is that it's dreadfully undercooked on pretty much every level. The concept of all of Sonic's villains teaming up with Eggman and successfully taking over the world is cool, but the stakes feel thin, most of the plot takes place off-screen, and half the villains aren't even fought as bosses. The level design has a lot of neat concepts from breaking Sonic out of prison, to fighting your way through a Phantom Ruby-modified city, to escaping a trippy null space world, to racing to the top of a tower to stop a fake sun from blowing everything up, but the stages themselves are so short, easy, and linear that none of these concepts feel properly explored. And while Sonic Team claimed that this game would be the worthy followup to Generations we all wanted, the core gameplay is dramatically simplified and gimped. As a result, Sonic Forces is a game that's at best okay and at worst, really freaking dull. And given all the hype, that just wasn't good enough.

15. Sonic 3D Blast

I've already gone into my thoughts on Sonic 3D Blast before, so I'll be quick here. I think this is a fairly charming little isometric platformer with some fun levels and stellar music that has a lot of issues like slippery controls (especially on the Saturn) and the tedious structure of having to collect Flickies in each stage. While we did get a Director's Cut that fixes a lot of these issues, the original release of 3D Blast is still a fairly mediocre game beyond the novelty of having a "3D-ish" Sonic game on the Genesis. But it has more sauce than Forces which is why it's higher up on the list.

14. Sonic Lost World (3DS)

Sonic Lost World for the 3DS is another game I just find pretty okay. Control-wise, it's pretty much on par with the console version, but it lacks the same sheer level of polish that makes its counterpart fun to go back to. At its best, the argument can be made that Lost World 3DS's levels can actually push you to use the parkour systems more than the console game does, and that's pretty cool. But at its worst, Lost World 3DS also has a few infamously tedious levels like that lengthy watermelon stage, along with some obnoxious gyroscope sequences like the special stages that really drag the game down. As a handheld version of an alright Sonic game, Lost World 3DS does the job but I really don't see much reason in playing it over its bigger brother.

13. Sonic Frontiers

I've made it clear by now that Sonic Frontiers is a game that I have continued to sour on over time, especially with the release of The Final Horizon. It's a game with a lot of problems ranging from the stiff and unoriginal cyberspace stages, to the shallow combat, to the annoying minigames, to the ugly art direction, to the tedious final act. However, when push comes to shove, I still ultimately think Frontiers is a kinda decent game. Like, I was able to play through the whole thing and have a reasonably good time since the exploration is pretty fun, Sonic's movement feels pretty nice in wide open spaces, the atmosphere is engaging, the soundtrack is pretty great, the bosses are memorable, and the game never gets hard enough that its flaws really become a problem. This is definitely the most ambitious Sonic game in years both in terms of story and scope, and while I don't think Sonic Team had the budget to really do everything they wanted, I think most fans can agree it bodes pretty well for the future of the series. That's more than I can say about all the games lower on the list, even if Frontiers is still a game I have no real intention of going back to.

12. Sonic Unleashed (SD) 

Okay, now we're onto the games I actually like. The Wii version of Sonic Unleashed is a solid but unremarkable way to play one of Sonic's best adventures. While Daytime Sonic's movement can be a bit tough to get used to, his stages are overall pretty well-designed and reward mastery just like you'd want from a boost stage. And while Werehog Sonic doesn't have nearly the same level of depth as his HD counterpart, the platforming is still pretty fun and the smaller length of his stages help them feel a lot more digestible. A lot of the bigger issues in HD Unleashed are gone here like the removal of medal gates, smaller stage lengths, decreased QTEs, less exhausting final stage, and more satisfying final boss which is pretty cool and makes this version of Unleashed worth playing. However, I just don't think the removal of two areas, lack of hubs, simplified Werehog combat, muddier visuals, and more basic boss fights is enough of a worthy trade-off either. This doesn't replace the HD version by any means, it's just a nice supplement at best.

11. Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

Sonic Lost World is a game that gets a lot of flack for trying to be too much like Mario, with slower paced movement and more basic world themes. It's certainly not as cool or fast-paced as you'd want from a Sonic game, but on its own merits, I still think it's a pretty solid and polished platformer. Like, let's be real, planetoid stages are always gonna be cool as hell and it allows Lost World to have a lot of level variety that pushes the otherwise basic world themes in some neat ways. The parkour system while underused is a ton of fun to mess around with too, and for as much as I love the boost, it was nice to have a more slow-paced Adventure-esque 3D entry after all this time. That being said, I still have quite a few issues with Lost World. The occassional gimmicky level, the boring boss fights, the shoehorned Wisp abilities, and most of all, the absolute worst story in a Sonic game period. But as long as you skip all the cutscenes, I think Lost World still holds up as a fun time if you're willing to play by its rules.

10. Sonic & The Black Knight

Sonic & The Black Knight is probably the most 7/10 game ever made. It obviously has one of the best and most well-told stories in the franchise, along with stellar visual design and music. But when you get into the gameplay, Black Knight is a bit more of a mixed bag. It makes a lot of mechanical improvements to Secret Rings both in terms of movement and the overall story pacing, and I think the swordplay gets a bit too much flack since it's simple enough that it doesn't drag the gameplay to a halt every time you engage an enemy. However, this is a double-edged sword since the overall gameplay in Black Knight is so simple that it feels pretty one-note, and when the stages start to get tough in the second half, the limitations of your rigid movement really start to show. I think Black Knight is still a really fun time for what it is, and stands out as the last true "Adventure era" game in the series, but it has too many flaws for me to call it truly great.

9. Shadow The Hedgehog

Despite its reputation, Shadow The Hedgehog is a game I will always defend. In terms of the core moment to moment gameplay, I think Shadow 05 improves on Heroes in almost every way, with tighter movement, more responsive grinding and triangle jumps, and simple but fun gameplay that lets the player choose how fast they want to move through each of the stages. And speaking of which, the stage design in Shadow 05 is also quite good all around, with a ton of very memorable setpieces and settings. The one thing that really prevents this one from being higher on the list for me is really just the missions which can range from pretty fun to obnoxiously tedious. If Shadow's campaign was more like the game's linear Expert Mode, I'd definitely like it a lot more. But despite that issue, I still really like Shadow 05 because the core gameplay is just so fun, and I've even grown to admire the charmingly edgy aesthetic that the whole game wears so proudly on its sleeve.

8. Sonic Dream Team

Coming right on the heels of The Final Horizon, Sonic Dream Team was exactly the kind of game I was waiting for. It may not be anything too spectacular, with fairly simplified controls and a slower pace to compensate for it being a mobile game, but Dream Team made sure to keep the scope small, focus on its strengths, and delivered a polished, consistently fun platformer. The inventive dream-themed environments rival Sonic Colors in terms of pure visual creativity, and the level design and controls are perfectly tailored to platforming at high speeds. At a high level, Dream Team just feels incredibly satisfying to play. The fairly large roster of characters, abundance of collectibles that encourage you to look around, and pretty fun boss fights are the icing on the cake, making for what is probably the most Adventure-esque 3D Sonic game we've had in years.

7. Sonic Heroes

Look, Sonic Heroes is obviously a very janky game. Rail grinding barely works, combat is horrible when you're not powered up enough, the speed characters move too fast, the pinball physics are a mess, this game has a lot of very obvious flaws. However, I think Sonic Heroes has enough truly stellar elements to make up for all of this. The team-up mechanics are an absolute joy to mess around with, and the stages do a great job at allowing for multiple strategies for pretty much every situation. The stages themselves are also incredibly focused, fun, and well-designed, and the Genesis-inspired two-act structure means each campaign feels really well-paced and lacking in fluff. The bright Gamecube era visuals are a joy to look at, the soundtrack is arguably Senoue's best, and the story while simple and cheesy has some of the most enjoyable character banter in the series. This was the first 3D Sonic game I ever played from start to finish, so while I may have a bit too much nostalgia for Heroes, I also think it was a great entry point into this new perspective for the series.

6. Sonic Colors

Sonic Colors is definitely one of the most consistent 3D Sonic games, lacking any major flaws that would make it hard for me to recommend to anyone. I know it gets a bad rap from Sonic fans for its story (which I'd argue isn't even that bad) and the abundance of 2D levels, but as a game, I think Colors is just really thoughtfully-designed. Each zone is striking and memorable thanks to their colorful environments and surreal art direction that rivals Unleashed as some of the best in the franchise, but the level design itself is also a ton of fun to replay over and over again as you unlock more Wisps and open up even more of each of the stages, and that includes the 2D stages as well. Colors strikes a perfect balance between being bite-sized and accessible without lacking in depth, unlike something like Forces, which makes for a rare 3D Sonic game that I actually love to get 100% in. Colors may not have the ambition of other games in the series, but it has a strong sense of focus and knows the kind of game it wants to be: A simple, easy to hop into, pure platformer that brings Sonic back to his roots, and I think it does that well.

5. Shadow Generations

Shadow Generations is easily the best 3D Sonic game we've gotten since the original Generations, and a worthy followup to Shadow 05 that re-rails the titular character after years of mischaracterization. The level design is consistently stellar, filled with shortcuts, branching paths, and satisfying platforming. Shadow's movement is some of the most fluid in a 3D Sonic game, striking the best balance between boost gameplay and precision platforming we've ever seen. The boss fights are cinematic and memorable, the production values are the highest we've seen in years, and the main hub redeems Frontiers' open zone concept in triumphant fashion. That being said, Shadow Generations isn't really its own game, it's bundled in with Sonic Generations. When combined, Sonic X Shadow Generations is in fact one of the best 3D Sonic experiences of all time, but on its own, Shadow Generations just feels a bit too short to fully stand on its own. Just one extra stage, preferably one from Shadow 05, would probably be enough to fix that.

4. Sonic Adventure 2

Sonic Adventure 2 is probably the closest a 3D Sonic game has ever felt to feeling like an action movie. There are no hubs, no wide open spaces to explore, just nonstop level-by-level action and it's a ton of fun. At its best, SA2 boasts some of the most exciting stages in the series, with the fast-paced speed stages and the explorative treasure hunting stages being notable highlights for me. There's a strong focus on mastery here, with a well-implemented ranking system that's just begging you to get better. And it's all bolstered by the wonderful Dreamcast era aesthetics, varied genre-bending soundtrack, addictive Chao Garden sidemode that supplements the main campaign perfectly, and one of the best and most iconic narratives in the franchise. At its worst, however, SA2 does have lower lows than its predecessors, between the somewhat clunky mech controls and the generally rough boss fights. However, even with its issues, Sonic Adventure 2 is still a game I love playing and I can definitely say it holds up as a worthy sequel to SA1.

3. Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is probably the most consistently stellar 3D Sonic game, to the point where the only things I can really fault it for are a few weak boss fights and a nothingburger of a story. Otherwise, this is Sonic at his most refined and focused. The Classic Sonic stages while not super accurate are still an absolute blast for their dynamic 2.5D level design and just how fun it is to mess around with physics. And the Modern Sonic stages are pretty much all masterpieces, intricately layered with a ton of hidden shortcuts that are a joy to figure out, and being the perfect length to make mastering them feel totally worth it. The way Sonic Generations takes iconic settings from the series and expands on them still feels impressively fresh to this day, and the sheer amount of thought and polish that went into this package is constantly on show. The only reason why it's not even higher is the fact that it's still an "anniversary game" meaning it doesn't really feel like a cohesive adventure, just a collection of really, really good stages

2. Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Unleashed was a game I had wanted to play for a long time, and as you can probably tell, I'm pleased to say that it generally lived up to the hype. The day stages are some of the best 3D Sonic gameplay out there, it's exhilarating fast, super responsive, and genuinely challenging. And while the Werehog gameplay certainly doesn't reach that same high bar, it still stands out as one of the best alternate playstyles in the series for having genuine depth to the combat. And the whole game is bolstered with fantastic level design, stellar boss fights, an abundance of side content, and staggering production values the likes of which the series still hasn't seen since. As I said in my review, I think of Unleashed as the absolute peak of Sonic in terms of art direction. It does have a few blatant flaws like its uneven pacing and some of the side content, but they pale in comparison to the highs this game reached. As a full package, Unleashed still stands out as one of the most complete, full-featured, and satisfying experiences in the series.

1. Sonic Adventure

Yep, Sonic Adventure is still my favorite game in the series to this day. I love so much about it. From the charming hub areas that are a joy to get lost in, to Sonic's top-tier movement that nailed the transition to 3D impressively effortlessly, to the stellar open-ended level design, to the cool interweaving story that gives the cast a ton of character depth, to the gorgeous Dreamcast-ass visual style, to that poppy soundtrack, to the myriad of fun and varied character campaigns like Gamma's fast-paced shooting and Amy's survival horror bits. It's not perfect, no Sonic game is. Tails' campaign feels too padded out, Big's campaign doesn't properly teach you the fishing control, and the game as a whole certainly has its fair share of jank, but overall, no other Sonic game gives me as much joy playing it as Adventure does. It's such an immensely charming and seamless experience that still feels unlike anything else in the franchise.

Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Unleashed has been my white whale for years. The one game I so desperately wanted to play, but couldn't. You might think that sounds weird considering how divisive of a game it is, especially when it released, but I'm serious. Even back in the 2010s, when Sonic Unleashed hate was at its highest, I thought the game looked really cool, partially for the stunning visuals but I also just thought it looked like fun. And when the fandom did start to come around on Unleashed, it only made me want to play the game even more. But considering it's been locked on XBOX 360 and PS3 for years, not even getting a Steam release, I thought it seemed pretty unlike that I'd actually get to play it.

But then, out of complete nowhere, the Unleashed Recompiled project was dropped. In one of the most impressive fan projects of the year so far, Sonic Unleashed has been ported to Linux, PC, and after a few extra days, Mac so that anyone can play it. As a Mac user who doesn't usually get to play these Recomp projects, I was stunned. After all this time, I'll finally be able to play Sonic Unleashed. But will I enjoy? Will it live up to all the hype? Or will I end up realizing why it got so much hate to begin with?

So let's just get the obvious praise out of the way. In terms of presentation, Sonic Unleashed is an absolute marvel. The production values on show here are truly stunning. The dynamic lighting, the detailed environments, the charming human designs, the slick menus, the bold coloring, the gorgeous CGI cutscenes, it all makes for what is probably still the best-looking Sonic game ever made. Unleashed is so good-looking that it took until the XBOX Series X for it to run well on console. Thankfully, the Recomp team did a great job at optimizing Unleashed so that I could play it at a fairly consistent 60fps on my Mac M2. The soundtrack is also stellar, I've praised it enough but just know that it easily ranks as a Top 3 Sonic OST for me and one of my favorite game soundtracks in general. The story is pretty solid too, with a nice balance of serious stakes and more lighthearted banter. Chip did feel a bit annoying at first but he grows on you over time and his friendship with Sonic is genuinely heartwarming, and Eggman is probably at his best here with how much Sonic drives him off the deep end. But that's all stuff I already liked about Unleashed prior to playing it, so how is the actual gameplay?

Sonic Unleashed is split into the Day and Night gameplay, the former having you play as the first 3D incarnation of Boost Sonic, and the latter having you play as Sonic's Werehog form. The Day stages are just flat-out incredible. I'm genuinely impressed at how much Sonic Team nailed the formula right off the bat, Sonic moves blisteringly fast in this game but his inputs are super tight and responsive. I never feel like I'm unable to quickly react to the obstacles the game tosses at me, and aside from the drift being a bit slippery, Sonic's movement feels really natural at high speeds. As a matter of fact, I'd even say I prefer how he controls in this game compared to Generations, it just feels easier to aim him where he needs to go. The stages themselves are also stellar, each and every one of them. Filled to the brim with memorable setpieces, branching paths, and genuinely difficult but rewarding high-speed platforming, the Day stages in Unleashed are cinematic and impressively long with many clocking in at over five minutes on a first playthrough. They all have such a great sense of flow to them once you get good, and it's genuinely hard to pick a favorite. It's tough for me to really say if I prefer Unleashed or Generations' approach to boost gameplay overall. Generations has a slightly greater focus on platforming with more open level design, but Unleashed's gameplay is far more immersive, visceral, and legitimately challenging but in a fair way. Most 3D Sonic games are either too easy or hard in a way that feels cheap, but Unleashed is probably the perfect difficulty.

The Werehog stages are where Unleashed get a bit more divisive, since they mark a pretty major gameplay shift. Unlike the fast-paced platforming of Day Sonic, these stages play out like a God Of War clone. They're slower, longer, and more focused on combat than speed. But just because these stages are different from what you'd expect from Sonic, does that mean they're bad? No, I wouldn't say so. The Werehog stages are honestly pretty well-designed all around. Each stage introduces a number of puzzle-platforming mechanics that it iterates on throughout, along with being filled with hidden nooks and crannies that are fun to explore. The platforming in particular can be a ton of fun, from scaling the tall clock tower of Spagonia from the inside, to hopping across slippery slides in Cool Edge, to clambering across buildings in Skyscraper Scamper. I do think they can drag on too long, it would be nice if they were split up into a bunch of smaller missions like the Wii version, but I also don't think they're ever "not fun".

In terms of the core gameplay, I also think the Werehog controls pretty well, with a satisfying sense of weight to his jumps and a dash move that's very fun to use. His various parkour moves chain into each other well, and once you get a handle on his movement, you can fly through levels super gracefully. And most importantly, the combat is pretty fun. You get access to a lot of moves, from a variety of combos with various purposes, to a block, to critical attacks that are very satisfying to pull off, to even aerial juggles. While you can certainly just button-mash your way through the stages, you'd probably find it boring that way. The Werehog combat is at its best when you actually take advantage of the moves you have on offer, using the spread attacks for groups, the dash and stinger moves for closing gaps, the juggles for getting more hits in, etc. Really, it's everything I could've wanted from the combat in Frontiers which very much does not do any of this well. Don't get me wrong, the Werehog combat isn't some of the best character action combat I've ever played and I still vastly prefer the Day Sonic stages, but it does a good job of being accessible for inexperienced players and having a solid amount of depth.

Beyond the main stages, Sonic Unleashed has a few other notable gameplay types. Each major area has an explorable hub with a number of NPCs, hidden collectibles, and sidequests. Hubs in Sonic games seem to get a bad rap for a strange reason but I never understood the hate. The hubs in Adventure 1 is part of what makes that game so special to me, and I'm pleased to say that Unleashed's hubs are just as good if not even better, keeping the same lively feeling which being a lot more dense, varied, and filled with things to do. On the other hand, there's also the Tornado Defense missions which are occassional brisk quick-time events where you shoot down Eggman's fleet from atop the Tornado. They're... fine. Not exactly fun but inoffensive, and once again, I can't escape the comparisons to Adventure's similarly mid Sky Chase levels. And finally, there are the boss fights which are overall a ton of fun. The Day Sonic boss fights taking place in high speed chases that feel super exhilarating, and the Werehog bosses boasting a more varied blend of puzzle and combat that are satisfying to crack.

I also think it's worth noting that Sonic Unleashed has a lot of collectibles, and I mean a lot of collectibles. The most infamous are the whopping 400 Sun & Moon Medals scattered around the stages, hubs, and bosses, of which at least 240 are required to beat the game. But there's also the Records, Art Books, souvenirs, videotapes, upgrades, XP systems, and so on. So, I can see why the medal gating is a problem for a lot of people. Unleashed is long enough already and having to backtrack for more medals can be a pain. But as someone who generally likes exploring, I mostly enjoyed searching for as many medals as I could, particularly in the more slow-paced Werehog stages. The one place where I think the abundance of collectibles is a major issue is, of course, in the Day stages which often have branching paths and a lack of backtracking which would require a lot of replays and trial-and-error to get them all. But even then, I managed to gather up the mandatory medals needed fairly easily, the only times I did replay old levels was because I wanted to.

That being said, I do want to go over a few more of the actual gripes that I have with Unleashed, though most of them are fairly small. The Werehog often doesn't have a drop shadow which can make platforming a bit harder than it needs to. For me, this was only a real issue in Dragon Road Night though, most of the time I barely noticed. I also thought most of the side missions were pretty weaksauce. The NPC sidequests require a lot of running back and forth for not that great of a reward, and the hot dog missions just make you replay entire stages with restrictions which I just didn't feel was worth it. The optional challenge acts are also pretty hit-or-miss, with some being quite fun like the Chao hunt in Spagonia, and others being frustrating like the drifting act in Savannah Citadel or that one Werehog act in Dragon Road where you have to carry gem stones around. That being said, since most of this stuff is optional, I can't exactly say it made the game worse for me since I could just not engage with the side content I wasn't interested in.

Overall, I loved Sonic Unleashed. The Day stages are easily some of the best 3D Sonic gameplay to date, the Night stages boast what is probably Sonic's best combat system, the exploration is fun, the level of challenge is satisfying to conquer, the bosses are memorable, the story is solid, the production values are staggering, and the game feels like a genuinely long adventure in a way that I haven't felt from a Sonic game since maybe Adventure 1? I wouldn't say this is the only Sonic game to have a massive scope, but it's definitely one of the few to be able to back up that scope with legitimate polish and execution. While there are certainly a lot of little nitpicks I could lob at it, they don't do too much to really impact my opinion on the game. Unleashed definitely cracks into my Top 3 as far as 3D Sonic games go, right alongside Adventure and Generations.

5/5 Stars

Ranking Puyo Puyo Games

Puyo Puyo is not a series I talk about too much, but I've been rediscovering the series a bit later and wanted to make a post about my thoughts on the series. While not my favorite arcade puzzle game, Puyo Puyo is always a great time and probably stands as the best competitive arcade puzzler for how much depth it has and how fast-paced and cutthroat it can be. But even beyond the mechanics, Puyo stands out for being more story-driven and character-focused than your average arcade puzzler, boasting multiple stellar casts across both Compile's and Sega's runs with the series. Its fusion of gameplay and story is what helps the series stand out among the genre to this day.

I also have to say Puyo Puyo is a very consistent series in terms of quality, even the weaker games have a lot to love, so ranking the mainline games is a little tricky. I'll also be excluding Box and Chronicle since the former is a weird port/new game hybrid and the latter is basically impossible for me to play.

15. Puyo Puyo (MSX): The very first Puyo Puyo game was released for MSX and the Famicom only, and it's not very good. Frankly, it's the only mainline Puyo game that I'd straight up call bad since it came out before Puyo Puyo found its identity as a character-focused VS arcade puzzler. It's exclusively endless, the only character is Arle and even then you barely see her, there's no VS or multiplayer, and there's no story, which makes for a really sterile, dull, and content-lacking package especially by today's standards. But even back then, this came out after Dr Mario and GB Tetris so I can't even say it was good for the time.

14. Puyo Puyo: The original Puyo Puyo game is pretty good. Obviously, it's a groundbreaking title in terms of competitive arcade puzzling, but I don't find it easy to go back too since offsetting isn't a thing yet. The console ports are also all seriously lacking for single-player content, a common issue in Compile's games that marginally improves over time, only containing a single campaign and an endless mode. Unlike the MSX game, this is definitely a game that was good for its time but hasn't exactly held up the best. I just see no reason to play it over anything else.

13. Minna De Puyo Puyo: Also known as Puyo Pop for the GBA, this was Sega's first entry in the series and it's quite awkward. It feels like a fusion between Compile and Sega's stylings in a package that ultimately just feels like a remake of Tsuu. That's not a bad thing, of course, Tsuu is one of the best Puyo games, but the weaker audio and presentation leaves Puyo Pop feeling pretty disposable. I do like how snarky Arle is in this game though, even by Compile Arle standards.

12. Puyo Puyo Champions: Puyo Puyo Champions was a fairly cheap entry released in 2018 to accomodate for the competitive scene a bit more. It's got a fleshed-out multiplayer mode with no unlocks required, the best tutorial mode in the series since 15th (though it was added in a post-release update), and that's pretty much it. There's no story mode and not much in the way of singleplayer content aside from an achievements system which does hold it back for me personally, someone who tends to value the single-player in these games, but as a competitive-focused outing, Champions does its job and does it well. It's probably my go-to game if I want to hop in and play a quick match, but all the other games just have more to offer beyond that.

11. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2: The Sega era of Puyo Puyo has had a solid amount of direct sequels that built off a previous entry, but Tetris 2 is probably the most blatant. Aside from a slightly slicker visual style, a single average battle mode, and a somewhat more involved adventure mode, Tetris 2 really is just the first game again. Compared to 20th which almost doubles the mode count and Fever 2 which triples the campaign size, this is just inexcusable especially at full price. As you'll see, I actually quite like the first Puyo Tetris, but 2 just feels so much less fresh. Sega didn't do anything to try and fix the balancing issues the original game had, and if anything, Tetris 2 is even more unpolished as a product. If you skipped the first game and jumped right into Tetris 2, I can see why it would be one of your favorites. It's obviously not a bad game by any means. But personally, the lack of originality really holds it back for me.

10. Puyo Puyo 7: Puyo Puyo 7 is a strange game. This was Sega's second soft reboot of the series that aimed to introduce a new setting in Suzuran, but it wasn't quite as much of a success as Fever was. I like Ringo, but Suzuran's cast of characters is much smaller than that of Primp's stellar cast and as such feels a lot more underdeveloped. The new Transformation rule is also pretty unbalanced, basically being an inferior version of Fever that prolongs matches thanks to its overly long timer. It's not a bad game though. I like the unique new artstyle, it brings back Draco finally, it's the first Sega game to introduce a more fleshed-out story structure that the Tetris games would build on, the soundtrack is once again fantastic, and at the very least, you're not forced to always use Transformation like with prior games. This is a fine entry in the series, just pretty awkward overall compared to the two games it's sandwiched between.

9. Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop: Puzzle Pop should've been a homerun of a game because it does a lot right. It has arguably the best adventure mode of the bunch combining the level-based structure of the Tetris games with the multiple character stories of the Anniversary games and the item system of Fever 2. It's got an absurd amount of side content too, from a ton of rulesets, to achievements, to a solid tutorial mode, to a scenario creator. If you said Puzzle Pop was your favorite, I totally get it. However, there's just a lot of little things I'm not huge on. The 3D artstyle, reminiscent of Chronicle, doesn't really do it for me. I also don't love the fact that you have to slowly unlock all the characters by beating their story modes, a process that takes quite a while. And of course, this is an Apple exclusive game which means you either have to use touch controls or forced full-screen on your computer, neither of which is ideal for me. If Puzzle Pop got a proper console release, I think it could jump up a few places, but as it is now, there are other games that are just easier for me to play.

8. Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary: Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary is Sega's first anniversary game, and as such, it's probably their biggest package to date in terms of pure content. With a whopping 22 campaigns, a whole bunch of rulesets you can unlock, and an impressive 300 lessons to help new players get adjusted to Puyo gameplay, there's a lot to dig into here. I also quite like the tournament arc premise for the Story Mode as it helps give this entry its own identity even despite it being an anniversary game. That being said, 15th does feel a bit harder to go back to now that 20th is a thing. Characters like Draco and Witch still haven't been reintroduced yet, and I'm not fond of having to slowly unlock all of the rulesets when later entries give you all of them right out of the box. At the time, 15th Anniversary was definitely the biggest Puyo game to date, but that crown has been stolen since.

7. Puyo Puyo Sun: In terms of its presentation, Puyo Puyo Sun is a big step up over the previous games. Sun takes its tropical premise and runs all the way with it, boasting a lovely and bright summer-themed aesthetic, and easily the series' cheeriest soundtrack. The story mode was expanded upon by giving Arle, Draco, and Schezo their own campaigns, and the gameplay is faster and snappier than ever before. Sadly, I don't really like the Sun rule. More than any of the other game-exclusive gimmicks, the Suns overcomplicate the gameplay too much for my tastes, and can easily skew the game towards a player depending on how many Sun Puyos they have. It's not the worst thing in the world and I can certainly put up with them to enjoy Sun for all of its good elements, but it does prevent it from being one of my personal favorite Puyo games.

6. Puyo Puyo Fever: Puyo Puyo Fever is a game that I will always have a soft-spot for. After GBA Puyo Pop's weak showing, this was the game where Sega really gave the series a new identity. I adore the poppy artstyle that Fever established, it's very 2000s and it warms my heart that Sega is still using it to this day. I adore Primp Town and its eclectic cast of characters, it's got such a comfy atmosphere and easily stands as my favorite location in the series. I adore the Fever rule, it strikes a great balance between being chaotic and arcade-y while still requiring a lot of skill to use it well. And I especially adore Fever 1's soundtrack, it's still probably Hideki Abe's best work in my eyes. The only reason why Fever 1 isn't higher up on the list is the fact that it is pretty light on content and is overshadowed by a lot of the later entries, including its own sequel, but rest assured, I still love this game to death. It did a fantastic job at laying the groundwork for the rest of the series.

5. Puyo Puyo~n: You read that right, I actually put Yon in my Top 5. To get the obvious out of the way, this is easily the worst competitive game in the series, being much slower and far more gimmicky. However, as a single-player experience, I think this is probably Compile's best offering. It's their first Puyo game to have a proper Free Battle mode, the Story Mode is longer and always you to save after each battle, there's a full-on Nazo mode, and the additions of alternate arenas and character-specific super attacks adds a nice dose of variety. It may be woefully unbalanced in a more competitive setting for now, but Yon's experimentation did pave the way for stuff like the Fever mode or the alternate rulesets in later games. If Yon simply moved a bit faster, I'd easily call it a top tier entry but even as it is now, it's a really fun time in its own unique way.

But of course, the real highlight of Yon is the entire presentation. Just all of it. The more painterly artstyle looks absolutely gorgeous, and I adore the darker fantastic aesthetic and more mature character designs. The prerendered backgrounds also really stand out for their dramatic and ethereal lighting, the whole game is just an absolute feast to the eyes. The soundtrack is also easily my favorite out of the Compile games, boasting a melancholic and dreamy feel that still feels very Puyo-y. And of course, the slightly darker story is one of the series' best as well. Puyo has always had a bit of a split between its gameplay and story sides, and Yon is probably the series at its most story-focused. While I wish it put a bit more effort into its gameplay, I think the strong presentation and story is still enough to make it a personal favorite of mine.

4. Puyo Puyo Tetris: Like many people, Puyo Puyo Tetris was the game that got me into Puyo Puyo. It's such a brilliant concept that was also the perfect title to bring to the west after years and years of JP-only entries. Hook people in with the Tetris side and use the story mode to introduce newcomers to the entire Puyo cast and lore, it's great. If you want to just play Puyo or just play Tetris, this is a great package with a lot of modes and a solid campaign with some of the funniest writing in the series. But while the novelty of the fusion modes is cool at first, it quickly becomes apparent that Tetris is way better than Puyo in this game. I'm also not huge on the new Tetris characters so the roster doesn't quite appeal to me like the rosters in Sega's other games around this time. Those are really my only gripes though, Puyo Puyo Tetris is overall a great package that I have a lot of nostalgia for, with a solid amount of content, a fun fusion of two iconic puzzle games, and a fantastic soundtrack.

3. Puyo Puyo Tsuu: Puyo Puyo Tsuu is the game that perfected the Puyo formula with the introduction of offsetting, along with generally smoother gameplay, and it's still probably my favorite Compile era entry to go back to just because of how well-balanced it is. The character interactions are a joy, the music is infectiously catchy, there's multiple rulesets, and the campaign is a lot more involved with its tower structure and the addition of XP. I would complain once again about Tsuu lacking content for single-player, but the Super Remix version adds in multiple campaigns just to sweeten the deal. An absolute classic that still holds up to this day, there's a reason every Puyo game since 15th has made a point of allowing you to use the Tsu rule.

2. Puyo Puyo Fever 2: Puyo Puyo Fever 2 is a fantastic follow-up to the first game that keeps everything that made it great and just adds even more. The Story Mode has been vastly improved, with Sig and Raffina getting their own campaigns alongside Amitie, the introduction of new great characters like Feli and Lemres, a pretty cool power-up system that can give you an edge in battle, and a surprising amount of lore that fleshes out the Primp cast quite a bit. But beyond that, Fever 2 also has a lot more modes, a larger character roster, an expanded soundtrack, a bunch of unlockable minigames, and easily the best UI of the franchise. I love how the menu lets you explore Primp Town and talk to the characters, Fever 2 does a great job at world-building and expanding on the foundation that the previous game laid out, and it feels like the most cohesive, complete package out of any of Sega's games.

1. Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary: Yeah, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary has pretty much everything you could want from a Puyo Puyo game. A massive story mode with 26 campaigns, one of the best character rosters in the series, a whopping 20 rulesets including the grand return of the Puyo Sun rule, a fun 2v2 mode exclusive to this game, a vastly improved artstyle, and my personal favorite soundtrack in the franchise (mostly because it has all the best tracks from prior games). If I had any gripe it's that the story isn't particularly stellar, coming off as more of a sequel to 7 rather than something that actually takes advantage of the anniversary premise like 15th's story did, but that's really it. Otherwise, Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary is still the ultimate Puyo Puyo package that brings together all the best elements of all of Sega's prior entries, and I don't see it being topped any time soon.

Puyo Puyo Timeline

A while ago, I made a timeline for the Bomberman series, partially to help myself figure out when all the games released in relation to each other, and partially to help anyone else who's curious about the same thing. Puyo Puyo is another series that I'm a big fan of that has quite the wild release timeline, containing countless ports and spinoffs, along with the fact that Puyo itself is a spinoff of the Madou Monogatari series. So here's another timeline that can hopefully help anyone who's curious about what order the whole Puyo Puyo series took place:

• Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 - MSX/PC-98 (1990) - The main Madou Monogatari game
• Madou Monogatari I - Game Gear (1993)
• Madou Monogatari II - Game Gear (1994)
  
• Madou Monogatari III - Game Gear (1994)
• Madou Monogatari: Big Kindergarten Kids - SNES (1996)
• Madou Monogatari I - Mega Drive (1996)
• Madou Monogatari I - PC Engine CD (1996)
• Puyo Puyo - Famicom (1991) - The actual first Puyo Puyo game, focused entirely on single-player
• Puyo Puyo - Arcade (1992) - The first competitive Puyo Puyo game, lacks offsetting
• Puyo Puyo - Genesis (1992)
• Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - Genesis (1993)
• Puyo Puyo - Game Gear (1993)
  
• Super Puyo Puyo -  SNES (1993)
• Kirby's Avalanche - SNES (1995)
• Puyo Puyo CD - PC Engine CD (1994)
• Madou Monogatari: ARS - PC-98 (1993) - The prequel to 1-2-3
• Madou Monogatari A: Doki Doki Vacation - Game Gear (1995)
• Nazo Puyo - Game Gear (1993) - Spinoff series focused entirely around the puzzle Nazo mode
• Nazo Puyo 2 - Game Gear (1993)
• Nazo Puyo: Arle No Roux - Game Gear (1994)
• Super Nazo Puyo: Arle No Roux - Super Famicom (1995) - A spinoff series within a spinoff series blending the Nazo gameplay with an RPG structure and a strong focus on Rulue
• Super Nazo Puyo Tsu: Rulue No Tetsuwan Hanjouki - Super Famicom (1996)
• Puyo Puyo Tsu - Arcade (1994) - The most iconic (and ported) Compile Puyo game, polished the gameplay and introduced offsetting
• Puyo Puyo Tsu - Mega Drive (1994)
• Puyo Puyo Tsu - Game Gear (1994)
• Puyo Puyo Tsu - Sega Saturn (1995)
• Super Puyo Puyo Tsu - Super Famicom (1995)
• Super Puyo Puyo Tsu Remix - Super Famicom (1996)
• Puyo Puyo Tsu CD - PC Engine CD (1995)
• Puyo Puyo Tsu Ketteiban - Playstation (1995)
  
• Puyo Puyo Tsu - Wonderswan (1999)
• Puyo Pop - Neo Geo Pocket Color (1999)
• Puyo Puyo Sun - Arcade (1996) - The fast-paced tropical entry, introducing the divisive Sun rule. Has a banger soundtrack though.
• Puyo Puyo Sun - Saturn (1997)
• Puyo Puyo Sun 64 - Nintendo 64 (1997)
• Puyo Puyo Sun Ketteiban - Playstation (1998)
• Pocket Puyo Puyo Sun - Game Boy Color (1998)
• Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon - Saturn (1998) - Puyo Puyo mystery dungeon
• Waku Puyo Dungeon Ketteiban - Playstation (1999)
• Madou Monogatari - Saturn (1998) - A more traditional RPG for the Saturn
  
• Puyo Puyo N - Dreamcast (1999) - The most polarizing Compile Puyo, visually gorgeous but riddled with gimmicks like gravity fields and super attacks. Not for competitive players, but I personally adore it.
• Puyo Puyo N Party - Nintendo 64 (1999)
• Puyo Puyo N - Playstation (1999)
• Pocket Puyo Puyo N - Game Boy (2000)
• Puyo Puyo Da - Dreamcast (1999) - Strange DDR spinoff with sick character redesigns and wonky gameplay
• Arle No Bouken: Mahou No Jewel - Game Boy Color (2000) - Puyo Puyo's attempt at a monster catcher
• Puyo Puyo Box - Playstation (2000) - Compile's final Puyo game, a compilation of all the previous four mainline entries
• (Compile files for bankruptcy and Sega takes over the series)
  
• Puyo Pop - GBA (2001) - Sega's first entry in the series, very derivative of Tsuu
• Puyo Puyo Fever - Arcade (2003) - The game that put Sega's version of Puyo on the map, introduced the Fever rule and a whole new cast and world, generally regarded as a Classic
• Puyo Puyo Fever - PS2/DC/GC (2004)
  
• Puyo Pop Fever - GBA/DS/PSP (2004)
  
• Puyo Puyo Fever 2 - DS/PS2/PSP (2005) - JP-only so not experienced by a lot of people, but generally considered a step-up over the first Fever
• Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary - DS/Wii/PSP (2006) - Sega's take on Puyo Puyo Box, a big celebration of the series featuring a ton of old and new rules
• Puyo Puyo 7 - DS/Wii/PSP (2009) - Yet another soft reboot with a unique artstyle and the introduction of Ringo, introduced Transformation rule
• Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary - DS/Wii/PSP (2011) - 15th Anniversary with even more modes and options, often held up as the peak of the Sega games
• Sorcery Saga: Curse Of The Great Curry God - PS Vita (2013) - This is Compile Heart's "Madou Monogatari at home". It's in the same style, but has a whole new cast.
• Puyo Puyo Quest - iOS (2013) - The mobile Puyo Puyo gacha
• Puyo Puyo Tetris - PS/XBOX/Switch (2014) - One of the most popular mainstream Puyo Puyo games, great intro to the characters, a bit unbalanced towards Tetris
• Puyo Puyo Chronicle - 3DS (2016) - Fully 3D rendered followup to 20th complete with a full RPG mode, released in JP only
• Puyo Puyo Champions - PS/XBOX/Switch (2018) - Barebones competitive-focused entry, cheap and has a robust training mode
• Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 - PS/XBOX/Switch (2020) - Really just more of Puyo Puyo Tetris
• Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop - iOS (2024) - Apple Arcade exclusive about a dream world, has fleshed out character campaigns at the cost of touch controls
• Madou Monogatari: Fia And The Wondrous Academy - Switch/PS (2024) - Sega actually lets Compile Heart use some Puyo characters for this one

Reviewing The Igavanias

With the release of the Dominus Collection, one thing I've been desperately wanting to do is make a ranking of the metroidvania Castlevania entries, also referred to as "Igavanias" after director Koji Igarashi. I'm a big fan of these entries in particular for their increasingly complex combat, fun action RPG elements, stronger story focus, and more gothic atmosphere, but they're also so consistently good that actually ranking them properly is a tough task. So, instead, I think I'm just going to review them one by one and then decide on a ranking at the end.