Top 10 Best Sonic the Hedgehog Games

The best from everyone's favorite anthropomorphic speedy blue rodent!

The Top Ten

Sonic Adventure 2

My favorite Sonic game of all time. The story is great, the characters are cool, and I like each of their individual personalities in this one. The voices are the least annoying of any of the games. Good music, Chao Garden was super fun, good stage select, and lots of things to accomplish.
It has the best two-player mode of any of the Sonic games. I liked being able to play as different characters in different kinds of levels. The speed, treasure hunt, and shooting combination was super fun. Also, Eggman was actually fun as a main character and didn't look like a total clown, same with Knuckles. And of course, Shadow is just amazing.

Sonic Adventure 2 was the best Sonic game I played in all my childhood and I still enjoy it. The Chao Garden. The introduction of Shadow the Hedgehog. And most of all, the story mode is loads of fun. You can play them all the time and get stuff for your Chao for them to evolve.
Did I even mention the Chao School? The Chao School is where you drop off your Chao for them to learn lots of talent. And you can have them at the doctor for a checkup. And the Fortune Teller will give your Chao a name and then the Black Market. It is where you can buy fruit and eggs for your Chao Garden. And there are 3 Chao Gardens. The Normal Chao Garden, the Dark Garden, and the Hero Garden. These are all reasons why I love Sonic Adventure 2 and why I will always play it.
Sonic Generations

I remember wanting to play this game as a kid with my brother because the two Sonics suggested the game would be multiplayer. However, I was pretty disappointed to find out it was a single-player game. Over time, my interest in the game waned.
Then, when I was 14 or 15 years old, I heard many good things about it and decided to give it a try, but I didn't have the consoles it was available on. Eventually, I was at a friend's house, and he had "Sonic Generations." I tried it out and spent a third of the night playing it.
Reflecting on how much I enjoyed it, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite game of all time, and definitely my favorite Sonic game.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2

This was one of the first games I ever played, and to this day, it's still my absolute favorite. The levels have great variety. The graphics are vibrant, colorful, and make the most of the now-ancient Genesis hardware.
The soundtrack is legendary. It's one of the earliest instances of a modern physics engine being put to use. We may be in an age of network infrastructures, retail-quality downloads, epic orchestrations, and higher poly counts than ever before, but Sonic 2 truly is one of the all-time greats and should be played by everyone who considers themselves a gamer at least once.

The amount of replay value in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is astounding. It's definitely not a one-off. With a little practice, you can beat the whole game in one hour, making it a satisfying experience that doesn't get chopped off by multiple gameplay sessions.
Sure, the first time playing it, I had a hard time because I didn't know what was ahead of me and kept bumping into unfavorably placed enemies, spikes, and other obstacles. Especially the hazards of being smushed were unrelenting. If just one pixel of your ear gets pressed down.
But all these things become very minor, because the more you play it, the more you know what is coming ahead. It's not like Sonic Adventure 2, where it feels like exploring a minefield of glitches, questionable game physics, and horrible camera angles. It's just straightforward fun without much attenuation.
Another minor pet peeve of mine is the end-boss. In my opinion, it deserves the number one spot, maybe in a tie with Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the latter being very good, but also a very long game if you plan to beat it in one sitting.
Sonic Adventure

My second favorite Sonic game. It's fun, a little tricky at times, and has a great soundtrack.
The story is fine, though the original Dreamcast version (and the GameCube one to some extent) controls terribly. I'm happy that the remasters for PS3 and Xbox 360 control better than those two. It also controls better than Heroes, which is good.

Although this game hasn't aged well, it still has a very high replayability value, as the gameplay is addicting and fun, despite various glitches. Sonic Adventure is the peak of the franchise, in my opinion, along with Adventure 2, Heroes, Unleashed, Colors, and Generations. Don't forget the Advance trilogy and the two Rush games. They're great too.
The soundtrack for this game is very 90s-sounding. "Crazy Robo" sounds like late 90s European trance mixed with Jamiroquai, "Speed Highway" sounds like a rave, and the music for the cavern section of Red Mountain sounds like the music used in the hallucination scene in "Beavis & Butt-Head Do America." The theme, "Open Your Heart," is also great. I just wish this game would be talked about more. The DX version is not that great.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3

To me, the best Sonic game of all time. Sonic 3 introduces the Elemental Shields. With one, you are immune to fire and lava, and you can fire yourself rapidly in whatever direction you wish, as long as it's left or right. With another, you can't drown underwater, and you can slam yourself onto enemies. And with a final shield, you can double jump, and it acts like a ring magnet, pulling any nearby rings into you.
It also provides the most zones for any Sonic game, and in my opinion, the best level designs. Just look at how you start Ice Cap Zone! The music is also very good, and it's rumored Michael Jackson himself helped compose some of the songs.
Another aspect is introducing the character Knuckles. He can glide and climb walls! He is very fun to play as, and he can explore his own areas of the many stages.
As a final note, this game was so huge at the time, it couldn't fit on a single Genesis cart. They had to take half of the game out and name it Sonic and Knuckles. This is my second favorite game of all time (first being Super Metroid for the SNES), and I believe it deserves the number one spot!
Sonic Heroes

This game was fun for the most part. I mean, Sonic Heroes was meant for little kids, but I know adults who enjoy the game immensely. However, aspects of the game are boring or slow, such as with Team Chaotix in the Haunted Mansion, where they have to locate the same object in the second part of the stage, which could take over 9 minutes if you aren't keen on exploration. The tutorial level with Team Rose felt like a waste of time.
But, I'm not one of those people who just find faults with the game. The graphics weren't bad for a 2005 GameCube game, as well as PS2. The gameplay was a bit spotty at times but for the most part, it was done well. The music... THE MUSIC... was just amazing! The one song I constantly listen to in the game is "What I'm Made Of." Overall, I think Sega did an amazing job with this game. Let's just hope we don't see another Shadow the Hedgehog game see the light of day... unless the play testers or Sega make it much better. Sega, you all have done well making this game.
Sonic Colors

I believe this was the turning point in making Sonic great again. Generations and Lost World followed shortly after, but then things got confusing again. However, that's beside the point. This game is my favorite Sonic game.
Yes, Unleashed seems to have helped Sonic, but Colors is what truly made it shine. The gameplay is obviously enjoyable, and the Wisps were a nice addition, though I feel more could have been done with the Laser Wisp.
I also appreciate the game's pace - fast in the 2D sections and even faster in the 3D sections. Personally, I favor the 3D sections slightly more, but both are well-executed. The game's areas are pretty neat too, with Asteroid Coaster being my favorite. The music is great as well, although Reach for the Stars is one of the weaker main lyrical themes, in my opinion. I also prefer the voice of Sonic in this game to the previous voice actors. It fits his personality better than in other games. Additionally, it's a small thing, but the game's cutscenes made me laugh here and there. Maybe I'm easily amused, I don't know.
I would vote for Sonic Heroes, but that feels biased since it was my first Sonic game. Colors was actually my third, with Sonic 4 being my second. Not to say that picking Sonic Heroes is bad - I love that game - but I don't feel right choosing it due to a few aspects I dislike, such as Hang Castle and its counterpart.
But who am I to judge your favorite Sonic game? I can understand your choices. However, I like Sonic Colors more than the others. It's just a fast, fun game, and I love it very much. If you think this game is bad, that's fine, just please respect my opinion, and I'll respect yours.
Sonic Unleashed

There's no doubt that this game made up for what happened with Sonic The Hedgehog 2006. I think it's safe to say that this game is my favorite in the Sonic series, with awesome gameplay, Pixar-looking graphics, a great soundtrack, good voice acting, and touches of the classic times that make you feel very familiar with it. It's a game that actually consists of DLC, which Sonic Generations should have taken advantage of!
I also think it's safe to say that this game is not termed a "dark-age" title, even if it still has the Werehog, which I found fun. And the version I'm talking about is the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. But if you want something else Unleashed-related, then get the Wii or PlayStation 2 versions, if you will.
Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Did you know? This game is more unique than you'd expect, because of its time travel mechanics. If you want to get the good ending, you have to stop Robotnik from taking over Little Planet even after he's taken over.
To do this, you have to destroy his robot-making machines that he put in the past, so that he does not have any robots in the future to conquer Little Planet with. If you do this correctly, the future versions of the levels will be mechanical... in a good way! There will be (almost) no robots to attack you, and the machinery will be doing good things, instead of being destroyed (from being neglected by Robotnik after he took over) and pollutive. Even Robotnik's main base will be a paradise!
Sonic the Hedgehog

The graphics are actually pretty good for a Sonic game, you get to play as more than one character, and the soundtrack is just amazing. (That's something many of us can agree on.) This is also the first game where Silver is introduced. The only things I don't like about this game are how sensitive the controls are and the whole Sonic x human romance. (Seriously, what were they thinking?)
As for the glitches, I found them quite funny, to be honest. Yes, this game is bad, but it isn't as bad as many people say. It's just unfinished. I think people pay too much attention to small things like loading times and glitches, and they don't see the good things about this game or the potential it had. Of course, what I'm saying is based off of opinions, as is the hate this game gets.

The Newcomers

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Sonic Forces

It may be a controversial Sonic game, but here's why I like it:
- Music: The OST is really good. It fits the dark, glitchy tone of the game.
- Avatar: Don't tell me you never wanted your Sonic OC to go on actual adventures with Sonic.
- Infinite: Honestly, SEGA should give him another chance. He has a lot of potential as a great villain. We just need some more character development.
- Episode Shadow: As a huge Shadow fan, I was really excited to play as him. Even if it only had 3 levels, at least Shadow had a part here.
- Classic Sonic: I enjoyed playing as him, mostly for nostalgia.
- The story: Honestly, I adore the darker story tone and the focus on not only one main character, but three: Sonic, Classic Sonic, and the Avatar.
Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite Sonic games. And even though it's not perfect, I had a blast playing it!
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Sonic Frontiers

I feel like this game is similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus on some levels. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are better than Legends on so many levels, but the segmented open world and the empty feeling in some parts make the exploration in this game kind of bland.
Even so, there are many enjoyable aspects, such as the guardian bosses and fishing, which you can do to rack up a ton of points.
Anyway, this is the Sonic game that many people have been waiting for, and it certainly lives up to those expectations. It's a massive improvement over Forces, as they actually cared and gave us a good story, with Sage being a well-written villain. That's thanks to Ian Flynn, the writer of the Archie and IDW comics.
And can we talk about the music? They made a decision to add in emo rock and nu-metal for the Titan bosses... and I love it.

The Contenders

Shadow the Hedgehog

Even at #12, this game is underrated. No offense, but the dark stories in games are always the most engaging and addicting ones. This goes for all the dark Sonic games.
And who cares if you don't need guns to play? That's not the point. The point was that the use of guns fit Shadow's style. Just getting a gun and shooting it at all was fun. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that if Sonic can go through 50 different games without using a gun, then chances are that Shadow can, too. I'm also pretty sure that people who say this are hypocritical and still use guns anyway because it's fun shooting stuff.

The real favorite is Adventure 2. (Well, duh. The Chao Garden by itself trumps every other Sonic game I've played.) This game, however, receives my vote for being both underrated and overhated, mostly overhated. The only thing holding it back is all the excessive swearing and the poorly executed plot. However, the gameplay is very solid. The addition of guns was fun, with the only drawback being limited weapon choices based on nearby enemies.
Buying this game years after its release, I was braced for many glitches, as well as choppy and slow gameplay, due to the bad reviews and complaints flooding the Internet. To my surprise, I found a smooth, fast-paced shoot 'em up. This game deserves to be ranked at least #10.
Sonic Mania

My second favorite game is Sonic Mania because it's a pretty good game. A lot of people don't like Sonic games, but they do like this one, and I do too. It features lots of fun stages and great gameplay.
I liked this game, but those blue sphere levels are tricky. I do like the bosses, even though there's one at the end of every stage. I like the ability to play as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and I have a file for all three of them. You can even play as Sonic with Tails as a sidekick, like in Sonic 2.
I haven't tried out the DLC, but it looks great, and I've never played a game with Mighty and Ray. I've never played Sonic 2 and 3, but I have played Sonic 1, and it was long and hard because I couldn't save my progress.
It's a great game, and I hope Modern Sonic can do as well as this for future games.
Sonic Rush

Sonic Rush was my very first introduction to Sonic, and it was worth it. It is personally my favorite Sonic game of all time, despite the rest. The game mechanics are smooth and reasonable, making it fun to play. The music isn't edgy like in the newer games, but upbeat and remixed, which perfectly matches the speed of the game. It's a 2D side scroller, perfect for fans of the original games. The only wish I have is for more levels, but otherwise, I highly recommend this game!

Bad news: I went on eBay to get a new copy of Sonic Rush, but unfortunately, they were all sold out. That's extremely unfortunate considering that it's an extremely fun and addictive Sonic game which certainly delivers. 2005 may have been the start of the Blue Blur's second dark age, but at least it left us with some great handheld Sonic titles, except Sonic Genesis.
I vividly remember as a young teen that I received this game as a birthday present. All throughout 2006, I played through chunks of the game. Don't forget Blaze the Cat. She was great as well. And the soundtrack was seriously one of the best the franchise has to offer. "Jeh Jeh Rocket" sounds like a Chao dance rave. "Bomber Barbara" sounds like Michael Jackson mixed with OutKast. And of course, the bangers that are "Back 2 Back" and "What U Need." Overall, a great Sonic game! Too bad it's talked about way too much...
Sonic Advance

The whole Sonic Advance series is underrated. I would consider them to be just as good, if not better, than the original trilogy for the Genesis. Please, vote for this game.

This game is fun! ENOUGH SAID!
Well, if you need an explanation, it's fun because it is 2D gameplay at its best.

Tails had more abilities in the Advance games. What can I say? Tails is awesome.
Sonic & Knuckles

This has the right to be in the top ten as it was a continuation of Sonic 3. Originally, this game and Sonic 3 were supposed to be combined as one to form a massive game. However, they had to split them up due to the amount of time before launch.
Some might consider this game downgraded from the last title, but I, however, think it was designed with the same quality. The music was great, the introduction of Knuckles as a playable character was a highlight, and the levels were challenging. The lock-on technology that allowed people to choose Knuckles as a playable character was awesome!

Seriously, this stage has the best Sonic zones of all time! Hey, Loganruckmanman, Sonic & Knuckles is the best Sonic game ever and should be number one.
Sonic Advance 3

It also has a good soundtrack. Just listen to the Sunset Hill Act 3 theme, all three themes of Route 99, and the song for the penultimate final boss, the Hyper Eggrobo. Seriously. The compressed soundchip of the Game Boy Advance could not handle a breakbeat song. And Sonic Team, plus Sega, did it with flying colors.
And it was 2004, a time when people were pushing the Game Boy Advance to the next level. Almost everyone I knew had an SP version of the console, while I just had the brick version with no backlit screen. Well, you get what you wish for. This is a pretty underrated Sonic game, with an underrated soundtrack. I kind of want the Advance trilogy to be remade for the Switch...
Sonic and the Black Knight

After months of playing the game and listening to its killer soundtrack, I was instantly happy I did not get Sonic Generations (3DS, I do not have an Xbox). People hate this game because they did not give it a chance, but this one is WAY better than Sonic and the name that must not be mentioned. Just play it. It's Sonic with a sword. Nothing is cooler.

A game with an unexplored concept and also a game that literally makes the fanbase even more stupid in a way (which happens almost every time with a bad Sonic game).
Sonic Advance 2

The Sonic Advance and Rush series are actually my favorites, but Sonic Advance 2 was my favorite out of the pack. It expanded on the first Advance but didn't go in a slightly weird direction like Advance 3 or Rush.
For some reason, I wasn't into having another character with you as a partner (or else I would have chosen Sonic the Hedgehog 2), and I didn't care for the dual screens that Rush had, along with the boost function, not to mention the annoying touch screen special stages. Anyway, SEGA, real talk? Release a Sonic Advance & Rush Collection. You know you want to, or at least now you know I want you to.

This game's soundtrack may not be my favorite out of the Advance trilogy, but you gotta admit, it has some great tunes.
Such as Techno Base Act 2, with its Southern hip-hop drum and bass beat, as well as the legendary Amen break. The triumphant-sounding Egg Utopia, the ever-so-catchy Music Plant, the Sonic 1 title screen soundalike that is Sky Canyon, and many more.
The Sonic Advance trilogy's soundtrack certainly pushed the GBA's sound chip to its limits.
Sonic Lost World

Lost World was criticized because it wasn't what the fans wanted. As a result, many didn't even bother playing it with an open mind. The Sonic fanbase can be incredibly picky.
Sonic Lost World is wacky, but in a good way. You can tell that the developers had a blast making this game. The levels are more slow-paced than most Sonic games, allowing players to appreciate them more fully instead of just speeding through. This slower pace encourages exploration. I do wish Tails was a playable character, but Sonic's controls and physics are really good.
I enjoy the boss fights, especially how they differ from one another. This is my favorite Sonic game, and I don't understand why the Sonic fanbase can't accept new ideas in the series.
Sonic Riders

This game was a great game for the 25th anniversary of Sonic. Though I must admit, the second and third games pale in comparison to the fun in the original. All of them have a great storyline and incredibly addictive music! I like the addition of Wave, Jet, and Storm, adding a second story for them. The ability to buy different gear, plus all of the memorable characters from Sonic, enhances the experience. Definitely check this out if you haven't played it. My experience was on Xbox, but I'm sure it can be found for PS2.

This is the best Sonic game ever made! Probably the only best to celebrate Sonic's 15th anniversary. The story is well made, Jet is one of the best characters, and I got used to the controls a lot. Jason Griffith is and will always be the best Sonic, Shadow, and Jet no matter what. It's super nostalgic to me. 10/10.
Sonic Battle

Sonic Battle was for the Game Boy, but it contains solid gameplay, and the fact that it was a 4-player game was impressive. Sonic Battle should have been done to death and should have had so many sequels with modern graphics. You hear that, SEGA? You forgot that it could have been better than the DBZ games by now.

Okay, Sonic is awesome, but Sonic Battle is the best.

I don't get the hate for this game! I really like it.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Amazing game. A lot less focus on items compared to Mario Kart. Drifting is fluid, and the stunt system is crazy good. Get it!

This was such an awesome game. The control is well balanced, the tracks are interesting, and also, with the PC version, you get to play as Team Fortress 2 characters. That absolutely BLEW my mind.

I have no idea why people think Team Sonic Racing is better than this masterpiece.
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

This game is so awesome! Why isn't it at least in the top 10? I enjoy playing multiplayer in this game. Also, the cutscenes are funny, and the graphics are cool! Even the places are cool, especially my favorites like Aquatic Capital, Gigan Rocks, Snowy Kingdom, Mobius Strip, Astral Babylon, The 80s, and 90s. Buy this game if you can, and you'll see! And Jet's theme song "Catch Me If You Can" is 100% awesome. Just listen to it and you'll see (again!). You gotta buy this totally awesome game!

Dude, this definitely has to be first. The gameplay is amazing and has an awesome storyline. Why didn't you vote for this? It is the best and deserves to be number one.
Sonic Rush Adventure

This game is awesome and far superior to Sonic Rush. But people bash this game! It's dumb!

I love this game. The graphics seemed great, the music was cool, and I liked the storyline.
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball

This should come in at top 1. Great graphics, perfect stages, awesome music, etc. This is the best Sonic game ever!