Dr. K's Waiting Room

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Sonic the Hedgehog was first introduced to gamers worldwide on June 23 1991 and, since then, has become not only SEGA’s most enduring and popular character but also a beloved videogame icon. Thus, in keeping with tradition, I’m dedicating some time to celebrate SEGA’s supersonic mascot.

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Quick Facts:
SEGA celebrated Sonic’s 20^th anniversary with Sonic Generations (Sonic Team, 2011), a largely praised love letter for long-time fans. The game remained a strong seller for SEGA but got a new lease of life as part of the 2024 “Year of Shadow” to coincide with Shadow the Hedgehog’s big-screen debut. Bundled alongside a new remaster of Sonic Generations, Shadow Generations featured an open-world, additional powers for the brooding anti-hero, Shadow-specific levels, and downloadable content (DLC).

The Review:
Since I’ve already reviewed Sonic Generations, I was tempted to gloss over treading the same ground again, however I think there are a few additions to the original game that are worth mentioning. We get a new title screen and some updated visuals for the original game, with Sonic X Shadow Generations offering a bunch of new options and even removing the lives system so you can play through levels (or “Acts”) and Challenges as often as you like. You’ll still die if you’re hit without Golden Rings or fall down a pit, and your ranking will decrease, but at least you don’t have to grind for Rings and lives. As before, Sonic Generations sees you blasting through nine reimagined areas (or “Zones”) from Sonic’s past as the “Classic” pudgy Sonic and the sleek “Modern” Sonic. Classic Sonic runs through Act One of each Zone on a 2.5D plane while Modern Sonic switches between 3D and 2.5D as he blasts through Act Two. Both share some common controls despite these differences: you jump with A or X and press either again in mid-air to perform a Homing Attack. You crouch or slide through gaps with B, activate any equipped “Skills” with Y, and blast away with Modern Sonic’s “Boost” or Classic Sonic’s Spin Dash with the Right Trigger. Golden Rings, tricks, and bashing Badniks fills Modern Sonic’s Boost gauge, allowing him to plough through enemies and destructible objects. Holding the Left and Right Triggers lets you drift, the Left and Right Bumpers quick step, and Modern Sonic performs a mid-air stomp with B, wall jumps off certain walls, and dashes along Ring lines with Y. Both Sonic’s now begin with the Drop Dash equipped, allowing you to hold A or X to quickly dash away, and you can again unlock Skills with the points you earn from clearing Acts and by finding Red Star Rings and completing Challenges.

These Skills increase your acceleration and underwater movement, grant elemental shields, extend the Boost gauge, and give you a skateboard, among other perks. You must clear each Act to partially restore the bleak White Space hub world, collecting Boss Gate keys and taking on rivals and additional Challenges as you go. These see you race against or team up with a friend, like using Rouge the Bat’s feminine wiles to discombobulate enemies, digging for treasure with Knuckles the Echidna, and being smashed higher by Amy Rose’s hammer. Each Zone faithfully recreates its source material by with added gimmicks and twists, such as incorporating parts of Hidden Palace Zone into Sky Sanctuary and adding an airship to Rooftop Run. You still utilise Wisps to traverse Planet Wisp, still run from that rampaging truck, and still hop to rails and avoid bottomless pits. You must also tackle three of Sonic’s rivals and three reimagined bosses to acquire Chaos Emeralds, with each sporting new attacks such as hurling debris and attacking from the background. Alongside the five Red Star Rings hidden in each Act, there are three Chao to find, too, which bring more life to White Space when found. Finding them all pops a new Achievement, though most of the original Achievements return, earned for restoring each area and unlocking all Skills. Sonic Generations continues to impress, with remixed tracks returning for each area and fantastic detail packed into every environment, even if things can get cluttered. Sonic X Shadow Generations isn’t just a visual upgrade; the game runs faster, with no lagging or slowdown, which greatly improves the gameplay experience. The payoff is that it’s even easier to slip or fly off stages, and both Sonics still have an incredibly stunted jump that can make platforming trickier than it needs to be. The focus remains on high-speed, action-packed gameplay, however, with each Zone sporting multiple paths and shortcuts (via springs, pulleys, rockets, cannons, and the like) to shave a few seconds off or find Red Star Rings or Chao. The Casino Night minigame is here by default and there are two skins to purchase for each Sonic, one that turns Classic Sonic into a Saturn-era polygonal model, and another ripped right out of the Dreamcast Sonic Adventure (Sonic Team, 1999). Unfortunately, the game remains as short and easy as ever, with no new Challenges or additional stages or unlockables added, which is a shame considering I would’ve loved to play as someone other than Sonic.

For Shadow Generations, the controls remain the same, with Shadow performing his own version of the Homing Attack, blasting along with a boost, and stomping through crates. Unlike Sonic, Shadow cannot equip Skills and instead stuns enemies with his Chaos Spear (Y), builds a gauge to activate Chaos Control (LT) to temporarily slow time, and gains new “Doom” powers by attacking Black Doom’s eye to acquire a Doom Gear. When cashed in, Shadow can launch Chaos Spear at up to five targets, surf across water (and attack with RT or LT) on a manta ray-like lifeform, launch Black Arms soldiers by charging X, traverse sticky goop by pressing X to transform into a tentacled form, and sprout Doom Wings by pressing RB and LB together when he has 50 Rings, allowing him to awkwardly glide for as long as he has Rings and Boost. Some of these new abilities are more fun than others, with the Doom Surf being quite slippery and the Doom Morph being quite finnicky and the Doom Wings quickly draining your Boost gauge and being stunted since you can’t freely fly. Instead of Red Star Rings, players can find three “Collection Keys” in each Act, which open coloured crates in his version of White Space, thereby unlocking concept art, music, and other goodies. Players can also shoot balloons to collect pages of Professor Gerald’s journal (a physical version is included with the game) and find Machine Parts in White Space to help Cubot and Orbot escape. There are also sixteen Achievements specifically tied to Shadow Generations, with most popping when you restore areas and defeat bosses, but you’ll need all those “S” ranks and collectibles to 100% the game. Shadow also doesn’t have to worry about running out of lives, but you must be super quick and super attentive to earn an “S” rank as Shadow’s stages are much longer and tougher than Sonic’s. Pits, hazards, and enemies are plentiful, with you having to make faster decisions on the fly to take alternative paths, switch rails, and avoid a nasty fall, especially as Shadow is just as slippery and wild as Sonic at times.

Shadow Generations mimics Sonic Frontiers (Sonic Team, 2022) by making Shadow’s White Space more of an open-world experience, allowing you to freely roam, spawn rails, springs, and platforms, and search for goodies. While I found this tedious, you can skip to an Act, boss, or Challenge Act from the pause menu and shortcuts do appear. You’ll again have to beat Challenge Acts to earn Boss Gate Keys, with these seeing you complete obstacle courses with just one Ring, defeating a certain number of enemies, utilising Shadow’s new powers to clear gaps, and avoiding or triggering environmental hazards. These are much harder than in Sonic Generations, but fun challenges that ramp up after you clear the game and activate “Doom Zone”, which also makes the bosses tougher. Shadow’s allies, like Rouge the Bat and E-123  “Omega”, appear in White Space to offer encouragement, Shadow’s reunited with Professor Gerald and Maria and once again reconciles his past, and Doom’s Eye taunts him in most Acts, warping the environment and testing your platforming skills. Shadow’s stages are mostly decent, with players revisiting various locations from the Space Colony ARK, rushing through Rail Canyon, and blasting through a dramatically improved version of Kingdom Valley. Shadow’s Act Twos are usually shorter 2.5D challenges, as in Sonic Generations, but Act Ones see Doom’s Eye dropping Shadow in an increasingly twisted and nightmarish version of Radical Highway. This serves as the final area of the story, and the toughest challenge yet, but I was surprised that Westopolis didn’t appear as well (or instead). I was baffled by how many stages went with the “wrecked city” theme and by the inclusion of Chaos Island, an area Shadow never visits, rather than a stage from Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Team USA, 2005), and that Sunset Highway was reimagined considering Shadow’s small role in Sonic Forces (Sonic Team, 2017). By dropping some real-world cash, you can unlock a bonus stage where you play through downtown Shibuya from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Fowler, 2024) as the movie version of Shadow, with Keanu Reeves reprising his role. Upgrade to the digital deluxe version and you also get a prototype skin for Shadow, though I’m not sure this is worth the hefty price tag.

Shadow Generations takes place alongside Sonic Generations, with Shadow menaced by the revived Black Doom and struggling to control his anger and new powers. In addition to playing through reimagined versions of some of his most recognisable stages, Shadow also battles some returning enemies, mainly Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) robots, Artificial Chaos, Black Arms soldiers, and Ancients. A gigantic, dragon-like Black Arms conjures twisters and blocks your path in Radical Highway, massive Death Egg Robos destroy the environment in Sunset Highway, while terrifying robotic trains barrel at you in Rail Canyon. Although Shadow encounters Sonic in a cutscene, there’s no do-over of their Rival Battle from Shadow’s perspective, and no Rival Battles at all, unfortunately. Instead, players battle four of Shadow’s most fearsome foes in reimagined fights, starting with the fearsome Biolizard. Like Sonic Generations’ Nintendo 3DS port, you must race away from the creature’s chomping mouth and thrashing tail, dodging energy balls and grinding up to attack its life support system. You still bounce off orbs to do the same, but the Biolizard now spawns extra limbs and produces shockwaves, and clings to the wall to spit projectiles. Next, you battle the Metal Overload while Doom Surfing, knocking back its projectiles and sea mines and avoiding spike balls and laser walls. After grinding along rails to attack it, you must time jumps to avoid its tail (trickier than it sounds) and win a bout of dead man’s volley to finish it. Shadow then battles Mephiles, Doom Morphing to attack, destroying his minions and clones with Chaos Spear, and dodging his massive mouth laser. The finale pits you against Devil Doom in a three-stage fight. First, like with Metal Overload, you Doom Surf and hit laser orbs at the demonic alien; then, you Doom Morph to swing about, dodging fireballs and pummelling his eye, hopping to platforms as he destroys them beneath you. Black Doom then transforms into Neo Devil Doom and Shadow attacks with Doom Wing rather than as Super Shadow, though you’ll still need Rings to stay alive. Dodge through debris to reach him, then reflect his projectiles and charge towards his eye when prompted. Neo Devil Doom attacks with his tentacle-like tail, summons a vortex, and is constantly launching shit at you, but it’s not too difficult to bypass these, break free of his Chaos Control, and finish him off with a quick-time event.

Final Thoughts:
I’ve always enjoyed Sonic Generations. It was a fast-paced, action-packed adventure full of fun Easter Eggs and references to Sonic’s colourful past. My biggest gripe with the game was how barebones it was and how it could’ve done more to celebrate gaming’s famous hedgehog. Sonic X Shadow Generations aims to fix that with a visual overhaul and some new features to refine the original experience and add a few new bells and whistles, though nothing’s really that different in the main game. The big selling point here is Shadow Generations, an impressive and thrilling celebration of Sonic’s infamous anti-hero that takes the core gameplay and mixes it up to offer a brand-new challenge. The presentation here is top notch, with genuinely impressive CG cutscenes and an open-world hub world that, while still a bit bland and aggravating, shows more effort than a simple white void. Shadow’s new powers were a bit hit and miss but were largely very fun, with players blasting through enemies and wrecking the environment in a blaze of glory. While stages do stretch on for a while and are noticeably more challenging than in Sonic Generations, I loved the recreations of Shadow’s past, though it’s genuinely perplexing that Shadow the Hedgehog isn’t represented considering the main villain is Black Doom! I really enjoyed the reimagined bosses, which were suitably epic and a blast to fight, incorporating elements from Sonic Frontiers for an extra kick. The challenge is certainly upped in Shadow Generations, which can make it a bit frustrating, but I had a great time here. However, it’s still too short and Sonic Team didn’t let Sonic and Shadow crossover into each other’s White Spaces, or include Rival Battles, Super Shadow, or even a motorcycle section. If you’ve never played Sonic Generations before, though, this is absolutely the definitive and recommended way to play as it revamps and bolsters the original. And, if you have played the game, there’s enough here to warrant a replay, though all the old gripes remain behind the action.

My Rating:

Pretty Good

Were you a fan of this revamp of Sonic Generations? What did you think to the tweaks to the original game and did you find all those Chaos? Were you a fan of Shadow’s new abilities and powers? Were you surprised by the stages chosen for his story? What did you think to the added challenge and the reimagined bosses? How are you celebrating Sonic’s anniversary this year? Whatever your thoughts on Sonic X Shadow Generations, leave a comment below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Sonic content!