When it comes to Sonic the Hedgehog, fans can't always agree on which game is the best. This is in part due to how Sonic has consistently been trying something new, which also gives the blue speedster a variety of different experiences across many titles. However, this also makes it hard to know which games are good for newcomers, as well as what titles are worth looking at as Sonic Frontiers seeks to change the series formula in November.
Even as Sonic the Hedgehog is no stranger to taking risks and trying something new on his adventures, some aspects of the series are shown better in different titles. While what exactly makes a "good" Sonic game is up for debate, some games are better experiences for the franchise as a whole than others.
S Tier
- Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles - Considered to be the best of the original 2D Classic Sonic titles, these two have aged considerably well compared to the first game. All four first mainline games can be purchased as a set in Sonic Origins together, completely remastered.
- Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2 - Sonic's first proper foray into 3D, and arguably one of the series' most fondly remembered titles, these are commonly considered must-plays.
- Sonic Generations - A unique game made to celebrate Sonic's 20th anniversary that features both Modern and Classic Sonic play styles across many different levels from previous releases. It still holds up as an important part of the series even ten years later.
- Sonic Unleashed - This important 3D title changed the Sonic formula for years to come. Players still praise the daytime stages, but the use of Sonic the Werehog and the game's medal system are seen as the game's biggest flaws.
- Sonic Advance Trilogy - The Sonic Advance titles for the Game Boy Advance are more often than not praised for what they offered 2D Sonic fans back in 2001 to 2004. While hard to find, these games are most definitely worth picking up.
- Sonic Mania - Out of the many 2D games the franchise has to offer, Sonic Mania stands out as it was made by fans brought on by Sega themselves. Due to the passion put into the project, it's arguably the best of the offerings Classic Sonic fans have to choose from.
- Sonic Colors - Sonic Colors has been fondly regarded as one of the best Modern Sonic games, and has recently seen a remastered rerelease with Sonic Colors: Ultimate. Even though Colors: Ultimate had a rough launch, patches have since fixed the issues fans suffered from, and it's now the most accessible way to enjoy the once Wii exclusive title.
- Sonic Riders - While it received mixed reviews when the title first launched, Sonic Riders has been fondly remembered by fans for its fast-paced racing dynamics and unique style, offering a unique experience not found in other Sonic racing games.
A Tier
- Sonic Lost World - This game is known for slowing Sonic down for the sake of more tight controls that allow players to freely explore a unique world that values exploration over speed with exclusive parkour mechanics.
- Sonic and the Black Knight - While some consider Black Knight's medieval theme to be bizarre, fans tend to look to this game as the perfect example of how Sonic stories should be, offering a great experience to players who wish to give it a try.
- Sonic Speed Simulator - While it may be a Roblox game, Sonic Speed Simulator is an officially supported fan project by Sega that allows fans to run across multiple different iconic levels as a number of Sonic's friends. It's great for those who wish to play as their favorite character.
- Sonic CD - Sonic's one and only outing on the Sega CD still holds up well as a great Classic Sonic title, even if the series has long since grown out of the aesthetics found in CD in particular.
- Sonic Chaos - While Sonic Chaos is yet another old entry that the series has grown out of, if those with Gems Collection or Sonic Adventure DX wish to know which of the main Game Gear games stands out amongst the rest, Chaos is the one they're looking for.
- Sonic Pinball Party - This Game Boy Advance pinball game features an evolving Sonic board that uses its GBA format as well as the series' aesthetics to its advantage. Players can also play on a board themed after Nights Into Dreams.
- Sonic 4: Episode 2 - Unlike Episode 1 which suffered from poor physics, Episode 2 is a great improvement that offers a little romp for fans of Sonic and Tails no matter where they are as the game features online two-player co-op.
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed - A unique racing game that sees Sonic and other Sega staple characters driving through land, sea, and air in the best racing game produced by Sumo Digital.
- Sonic Heroes - This title features team-based gameplay in the same vein as the Sonic Adventure titles while also not being afraid to experiment. However, the differences may lead fans of SA1 and 2 to put the game down.
- Sonic Battle, Sonic the Fighters - Both of these are fighting games with the Sonic cast, and both are fondly remembered for being rather fun in their own ways. Sonic Battle features a deep story mode that connects to later GBA releases, while Sonic the Fighters is great for classic Arcade fighting game action.
B Tier
- Sonic R - This was one of the first ever Sonic racing games. While characters like Sonic and Tails run on foot, it's a relatively short game with slippery controls. While the game may not have aged well, the soundtrack has been loved for years.
- Sonic Rivals 1 & 2 - A fast-paced racing game that, while unique, has received criticisms for relying too much on trial and error when it comes to its difficulty curve.
- Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - While entertaining, Transformed improved on many features and racing dynamics in a way that made the original far less worthwhile to play.
- Team Sonic Racing - This racing game sees a fair deal of its races feature a team building mechanic that can make it so that winning first place isn't enough. The concept is interesting, but the verdict on if it helps or hurts the title varies on the player.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) - Although the original Sonic the Hedgehog was iconic for its time, Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 vastly improved the expected mechanics of a Sonic game to the point that going back to the first game afterward makes it feel different. Sonic Origins adds newer features to it in Anniversary Mode to fix these issues, such as the Spin Dash and Drop Dash.
- Tails' Adventure - For fans of Sonic's two-tailed sidekick, this game sees the fox on his own adventure complete with his own play style. It may be a fun experience for those who wish for Tails to have his own game.
- Sonic Spinball - Sonic Spinball is considered a classic spin-off game to many, but it's difficulty curve and mechanics may prove challenging to newer players at first.
- Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series - A collection of Olympic-based mini-games starring Sega and Nintendo's mascots and their friends. Each of these titles varies in scope and quality, but they all serve as great party games for Sonic and Mario fans. Three versions staring exclusively Sonic characters were made for mobile devices, and an arcade cabinet based on the series called Sonic Athletics can be found in Sega's Joypolis theme park arcade.
- Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure - On the Nintendo DS, the Sonic series released these 2.5D adventures that reviewed well, but sadly suffered from its speed being a fatal flaw as some players easily got lost and confused as the games grew more and more difficult.
- Sonic Triple Trouble - Sonic Triple Trouble was one of the finer Game Gear Sonic titles, but compared to other releases, it was considered lacking in originally by critics when it was released.
- Sonic Runners Adventure - After the free to play Sonic Runners shut down its services, Gameloft made a similar game for fans to purchase that plays relatively decently.
- Sonic Forces: Speed Battle - An app game that takes the endless runner concept from Sonic Dash and turns it into a multiplayer race. Numerous characters, as well as special variants such as Movie Sonic or Magical Girl Unicorn Cream, come with unique abilities to turn the tides in a player's favor.
C Tier
- Sonic and the Secret Rings - Even though Secret Rings boasts a story almost on par with Black Knight, its control scheme does it no favors alongside optional skills that make the game more difficult if the player doesn't know to unlock them in specific.
- Sonic Blast - This was critically considered the weakest of the Sonic Game Gear games.
- Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice - Where the first two Sonic Boom titles were known to be particularly easy, Fire and Ice improves on how it treats the player, but is still extremely easy for what it offers.
- Sonic Drift & Sonic Drift 2 - One of the earliest Sonic racing games that features some confusing rules for its races. While it isn't terrible, other games have made it obsolete in recent years.
- Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom - As another endless runner app game in the image of Sonic Boom, this game tries to differentiate itself with new features, but it may grow tiring on players faster than the original Sonic Dash.
- Sonic Chronicles: the Dark Brotherhood - Hit with a considerable amount of setbacks during development, Sonic Chronicles makes a good case for what a Sonic RPG could be like, but doesn't deliver to some with its slow gameplay and questionable execution.
- Sonic Shuffle - A board game simulator made by Hudson Soft, the original developers of Mario Party. It's remained a cult classic with some fans, but has otherwise been panned due to its complexity.
- Sonic 4 Episode 1 - Sonic 4 attempted to be a continuation off of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but suffers from lackluster physics that leave more to be desired from a 2D Sonic game.
- Sonic Dash & Sonic Jump - An endless runner app game starring Sonic and friends. While it features charming visuals and holds events to unlock special characters every so often, the gameplay is repetitive and may grow old to some players.
- Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity - The sequel to Sonic Riders offers the same style that the first game was known for with a more intriguing story, but the races themselves feel formulaic compared to the original game.
- Sonic Forces - While very flawed, Sonic Forces offers players the chance to create their own Sonic character and interact with the cast. Series loyalists will either love creating a character that's all their own, or using the feature to create hilarious memes such as "Sanic."
- Shadow the Hedgehog - Shadow the Hedgehog's solo title is an interesting romp that combines Sonic Heroes platforming with guns and quest routes to unlock 326 different ending combinations. While it's definitely one of the odder entries into the series, it has its merits that make it worth playing for fans of the black hedgehog.
- Sonic 3D Blast - An isometric spin-off game that sees Sonic running through 3D stages trying to free Flickies from robots. Even though it's an interesting take on the Sonic formula of the '90s, it's known to be slow and frustrating at times.
D Tier
- Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric - Not only is this game exceedingly simplistic with a story that falls flat, but it's littered with game-breaking bugs at all points. Some fans have argued that this game is truly the worst Sonic game, even worse than the infamous Sonic '06.
- Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal - Shattered Crystal for the 3DS is even easier than Rise of Lyric. It's structured in such a way that it almost seems to talk down to the player, leading to an annoying experience for many.
- Sonic Labyrinth - Labyrinth was one of Sonic's Game Gear outings that fancies itself as a purposefully slow puzzle game. Due to this, it's a joke amongst the fans who have played it as the idea of a slow Sonic game goes against what most people play Sonic titles for, and therefore isn't too fondly remembered.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) - Better known as "Sonic 06," this game has gone down in history as it's been regarded by many as the worst Sonic game to date thanks to widespread bugs and overall weak execution.
- Sonic Free Riders - While the concept of a motion controlled Riders racing game sounds great, Free Riders is known for not registering players' moves correctly which makes it rather frustrating and physically tiring to play for a lot of people.
- Sonic 1 & 2 on the Game Gear - These Game Gear games come off as very basic compared to later releases. They don't take advantage of the handheld any way or even keep it's small screen in mind when it comes to the fact that players have to scour gigantic levels for the Chaos Emeralds. Ultimately, there are better experiences to be had on the miniature handheld.
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - Back before Puyo Puyo was properly localized for English audiences, some entries of the franchise were edited to represent a different series. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is one of them. While there's nothing wrong with Mean Bean, Puyo Puyo is now available worldwide with enhanced gameplay features in its own releases these days that may be more enticing for fans.
- Tails' Sky Patrol - What seems like a cute Game Gear adventure with Miles "Tails" Prower has been criticized for being highly difficult with poor controls. Many players end up frustrated with it by the end of it.
- Sonic Colors DS - This game serves as a 2.5D adaptation of Colors in the style of Rush with a fair deal of Sonic's friends present. However, the inclusion of the Wisps in the Rush gameplay formula irritates the gameplay's flaws, making the experience a bit worse on some players.
E Tier
The titles in this tier are the ones that the Sonic series has seemingly grown out of in recent years. These titles are listed here because they are either unavailable, or incredibly hard to track down, rather than strictly ranked for quality. Some have been left behind between console generations, while others have simply been lost to time.
- Knuckles' Chaotix - A game starring Knuckles and a handful of other characters that introduces a partner system that assists with momentum in the game. Sadly, as unique as this title was, it was left on the Sega 32X with no rereleases.
- SegaSonic the Hedgehog - This isometric arcade game had a unique method of using a trackball as a control system, but due to this very control scheme, the game has never been ported or rereleased.
- Sonic Pocket Adventure - A rather unique 2D Sonic game made for the Neo Geo Pocket Color that combines the aesthetics of both Modern and Classic Sonic. It has not been ported onto any other platforms.
- Sonic Cafe mobile titles - Sonic Cafe was a mobile service launched in Japan where fans could pay roughly $3 dollars converted each month to access a library of over 35 games starring Sonic and friends. Only a fraction of these titles made it overseas, and all of them have been lost to time.
- Sonic the Sketchog/Sonic Freehand - A cute mini-game made available in the "Sonic 20th Anniversary" app for a limited time during that year. It's no longer available for download and the app is now obsolete.
- WakuWaku Sonic Patrol Car, SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter, SegaSonic Popcorn Shop - These arcade games were either exclusively in Japan or saw a limited western release in Sega's own arcades. Due to the fact that these games required specific cabinets to be played, they're no longer in service.
- Sonic's Game World, Tails and the Music Maker, Sonic's Schoolhouse - Educational games that were either left behind on the consoles they were made for, or made obsolete over the years.
- Sonic Eraser - A puzzle game that could be found through two of Sega's Japan-only subscription services. It was meant to be included in Sonic Gems Collection, but was left out of the final product.
- Sonic Runners, Sonic Jump Fever - Modern Sonic mobile games that discontinued their services and are now unavailable.