6. Sonic Generations (2011, PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC)
For Sonic’s 20th birthday, Sonic Team released Sonic Generations as a love letter to Sonic fans old and new. Generations took levels representative of each era of Sonic and remixed them to suit both classic-style 2D side-scrolling and more modern 3D gameplay. The unique premise somehow found a canon way to have two different versions of Sonic exist at the same time, each representative of his respective game era. So in the 2D act of Chemical Plant Zone you’d play as the more kawaii 2D Sonic while in the 3D act you play as the “edgier,” modern Sonic. The game was like a living museum to Sonic and his history, letting you play through updated classics like Green Hill Zone, Chemical Plant, and Sky Sanctuary while also getting to sample newer favorites like the City Escape level of Sonic Adventure 2, all while getting reintroduced to Sonic’s friends, enemies, and frenemies.
