Sonic X Shadow Generations review

Sonic fans are an interesting bunch, with such a wide range of reasons for loving the blue blur and the games he stars in. With such a diverse fanbase it’s no surprise that they rarely agree on anything, especially when it comes to Sonic games. One game that every Sonic fan I know agrees is fantastic though is Sonic Generations, and it’s easy to see why. Mashing up classic and modern Sonic for the perfect nostalgia trip was a genius idea, and ensured this title earned a place in many a fan’s heart. Thirteen years later Sega have seen fit to bring back this beloved game to a modern audience with Sonic X Shadow Generations, with the twist of including an entirely new game alongside it.

If you missed it over a decade ago and are here for your first Sonic Generations experience, this is the elevator pitch: Sonic’s friends are all ready to throw him a birthday party (complete with chilli dogs) when a massive purple wormhole sucks them all up. Set on rescuing them, Sonic jumps into this vortex too and ends up in The White Space. This place is basically a sort of weird Sonic themed purgatory, full of entrances to stages from across the entire series. In this bizarre place our protagonist also meets Classic Sonic, who’s a spruced up Mega Drive version of our hero who can’t speak but is happy to help race through stages to save the day. It’s a nice way to throw two versions of Sonic into familiar yet different stages, which is a hell of a nostalgia trip.

Classic Sonic has all the abilities you’d expect from an old school Sonic experience, with his gameplay featuring a whole lot of running from left to right through loops, spin dashing and jumping on robot animals. Playing as this retro fella feels as good as it did back in the nineties, but with the added bonus of some of your favourite 3D stages being reimagined a bit flatter. The pure joy of experiencing 2D City Escape is just as powerful in 2024 as it was in 2011, and remains a highlight in Sonic X Shadow Generations.

Modern Sonic might feel a bit more familiar to the young ‘uns than his older counterpart, complete with a homing attack and the ability to grind through stages with ease. Without a massive overhaul I must admit that controlling this version of Sonic feels a little less precise after gorging on the more recent Sonic Frontiers, but in this more linear environment he gets the job done.

There are all sorts of other bells and whistles to keep you invested in Sonic Generations too, like hidden medals that unlock art and songs from the series’ history. You also earn special points for beating stages with the best rank possible, which you can spend on skills at the shop which enable all sorts of helpful buffs. From increasing the speed of our already speedy heroes to starting with extra rings, it’s fun to experiment with these to make Sonic the best he can be.

Very little has changed about Sonic Generations in this spruced up version of the game, but that’s only half of the Sonic X Shadow Generations package. Everyone’s favourite edgier Sonic character is the star of the other included campaign, which takes place alongside Sonic’s quest. While all the other characters are getting sucked into another dimension, Shadow is busy on the space station he was born on trying to find answers about his past. This leads to him also being sucked into a big purple hole, but his White Space is rather different to Sonic’s.

Whereas Sonic Generations was purely about going from stage to stage and racing through as fast as possible, Shadow Generations features a huge hub area full of secrets to discover. This was definitely inspired by the open world hit Sonic Frontiers, but with Shadow and the powers at his disposal there are a whole host of new ways to get around to help you find collectibles and chests.

Even at the start of the game Shadow controls better than modern Sonic (mainly thanks to his superior homing attack) but as you progress you’ll unlock more abilities that make him even better. All these skills are taken from the evil antagonist “Black Doom”, and as such are dark tentacle themed. Doom Missiles can be fired to hit multiple targets and open up new routes, a new snazzy combo attack lets you launch an enemy through the sky and then teleport to it to cross gaps, and there’s even a manta ray you can ride made of evil gloop. These skills are all incredibly helpful while exploring The White Space, and in the linear stages of the game too.

Just like in the other Generations game, Shadow’s stages are all based on older games in the series. Since “The Ultimate Lifeform” only debuted in Sonic Adventure 2 though, a lot of those classic games go unrepresented here. I would have loved to see an adorable retro Shadow racing through Casino Night and Mushroom Hill, but unfortunately his stages feature more ruined cities and metal structures. They are the best stages in the game though thanks to Shadow’s move-set, and are a blast to boost through.

As well as standard stages, Shadow Generations also features challenge stages you’ll need to beat to unlock boss doors. These all last around a minute or two, and are mutated versions of the main zones. Each of the challenges features a unique objective to complete alongside reaching the goal too, like surviving with a single ring or killing a certain number of enemies, and they’re a nice change of pace because of this.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a wonderful bundle of Sonic nostalgia, but it does have a couple of issues that hold it back. Sonic’s adventure feels a little dated in 2024 and is easily outclassed by Shadow’s for one. Shadow Generations has its own issues too though, like the fact that its hub area is a little on the dull side due to the overwhelming amount of white, and that the collectibles hidden in it are rarely something you’ll actually care about getting.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a collection of two fantastic Sonic games, that are full of a whole lot of nostalgic content. Shadow’s new campaign is especially great, thanks to the blend of open world and awesome stages that made Sonic Frontiers so special. If you’re not a massive Sonic fan then this won’t be the game that convinces you to suddenly grab every bit of Sonic merch you can, but those of us who love these hedgehogs will have a blast with Sonic X Shadow Generations.