15. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) is widely considered the worst game in the Sonic franchise, and for good reason. It’s buggy, has insufferably long load times (that are placed even in the middle of levels) and that’s the second most frustrating part behind the camera being an all-time worst for the franchise. Sonic ‘06 feels so flimsy and imprecise in its character controls and level design that its use of multiple playable characters feels more like a gimmick than something the game is built around.

Fans have even tried remaking Sonic ‘06 to help some of its better elements shine through, because despite being perhaps one of the most frustrating video games to play of its time, there’s actually some redeeming qualities. The writing specifically around Shadow the Hedgehog and his team is genuinely introspective, the soundtrack is full of bangers, and it was one of the last games in which the Sonic cast felt like fleshed out characters instead of Flanderized caricatures of themselves. It is a prime example of the Sonic series having interesting, bold ideas but executing them so poorly that it pushed the developers to retreat back to basics in future games. It’s a shame because the series got a bit generic in the aftermath.