Summary
Back in the day,Sonicwas often seen as the morechallenging platformer seriescompared to its rivalMario, but as time has gone on and the series has exploded in popularity, Sega has tried to make a lot of the games a little more accessible to a wider audience. This isn’t to say that they still don’t have their challenges, but just that they’re a little easier to jump into and play compared to some of the classics that were well-known for their difficulty.
The 3D era of Sonicespecially has tended to feel a little easier to grasp in terms of controls and movement, but there’s also been a handful of 2D games that have scaled back the difficulty a little bit to ensure they don’t come across as too intimidating for newcomers. Anyone who’s new to the series and just wants a fun and fast-paced platformer to run through should consider theseSonicgames listed below.
The “Storybook Trilogy” ofSonicgames that were released onthe Nintendo Wiireceived mixed reviews when they were each released, but one thing that can’t be taken away from them is the sheer amount of creativity that’s gone into the gameplay.Sonic and the Secret Ringsis the first entry in this series, and while it can initially be a little difficult getting to grips with the motion controls, the stages in this game are very straightforward and almost feel like tutorials.
A big change to this game from previous entries was how, if Sonic ran into an enemy without any Rings, he would simply respawn at the last checkpoint, which means there’s noGame Over screento speak of. Still, there are some very tricky objectives and a few troublesome bosses that ramp up the challenge now and again, but for the most part, it’s quite easygoing.
The Boost mechanic has always been a controversial feature of the modernSonicgames, and while it had been toned down a little fromUnleashed, it was still extremely strong inGenerationsand could easily make an otherwise difficult stage easy to complete. In stark contrast to a game likeSonic Adventure 2which forced the player to run through a stage without making a single mistake to achieve an S rank,Sonic Generationsis a lot more lenient with its grading system, which still provides a challenge while also ditching the absurd difficulty featured in the other games.
It does need to be said that while the modern 3DSonicstages aremore or less a cakewalk, the 2D ones are a little harder, especially since a lot of the levels have plenty of shortcuts and secret passageways to find. If players want a carefree experience where they can blast through a stage at lightning speed, then modern Sonic is the way to go, but anyone looking for a bit more of a challenge should try out classic Sonic instead.
There’s always been a debate among fans about what the best classicSonicgame is, but by far the most lenient one in terms of difficulty has to beSonic 3, primarily because of just how many resources are granted to the player. It’s extremely easy to run into extra lives and shields across the 14 zones, and thebosses are noticeably a lot easierthan their predecessors.
That’s not to say that a few stages don’t still stick out for their challenge, with the biggest culprits being Launch Base and Death Egg, but on the whole, the level design in this game is a lot easier to run through and memorize. Just like all Sonic games, learning the best routes on each stage will take some time, but this only adds to the replay value of this classic Genesis title.
WhenSonic Lost Worldlaunched in 2013, it was immediately clear to players that Sonic Team had decided to put the majority of their focus on actual platforming as opposed tothe speed of the character. Therefore, the game can feel extremely slow, and while there are still plenty of hidden collectibles to find and some truly gorgeous stages to admire, it does make navigating the levels a little more forgiving than it has been before.
The truth is,Sonic Lost Worldis a game that can be as hard as the player wants it to be since it is possible to ramp up Sonic’s speeds to complete a level much faster, but this takes a lot of practice and is also very risky. While there is therefore a learning curve for players who want to be the very best and acquire an S on every stage, anyone taking their time won’t have too much trouble withLost World.
Despite being a fully-fledged sequel to the classics,Sonic 4was a lot easier than those games, especially for longtime fans who are already familiar with how the momentum and movement of classic Sonic feels. There are only four zones in this episode which does make the game fairly short, and while the bosses do have a few tricks up their sleeve to catch the player off-guard, it will only take a few hits before they’re defeated.
A lot of the classic hazards that would spike the difficulty in the previous games, such asthe water sections, have also been streamlined this time around to be a lot easier to get out of. It does need to be said that the final boss can be extremely difficult to take down, almost to the point of being unfair, but this is the only time thatSonic 4feels truly challenging.
There’s no doubt thatSonic Colorsis a shining point in the era of modernSonic, and it’s clear from the marketing and trailers that the game was being directed towards the younger fans of the series, which does end up making it quite simple to complete. The linear gameplay that was borrowed fromSonic Unleashedmeans that players will have plenty of time to react to any obstacles or enemies that are coming their way, but the extra 2D sections still help to keep the experience fresh and fun.
This was also the game that introduced Wisps, small aliens that can provide Sonic with different buffs to help him navigate the stages. Most of these are pretty fair in how they work, but there’s a handful of them that are too powerful for their own good such as the Jade Wisp that allows Sonic to move through solid objects, which can lessen the difficulty at certain points.
Sonic Forcescame at a time when Sonic Team was struggling to think of ways to push the series forward, and what came out of this was a game that often felt like it was an auto-runner that requiredbarely any skill to play. The lack of enemies and environmental hazards in each of the stages removes any challenge, to the point where the game feels more like a relaxing running simulator rather than a tricky platformer.
Getting an S rank on the stages, which is usually one of the hardest challenges in aSonicgame, is also incredibly easy since it’s difficult for the character to ever slow down, and since there are no lives in the game, it means there’s never any risk of dying, if that were to ever happen. Finding all the Red Rings can take a little bit of time, but it’s only these collectibles that add any kind of challenge toSonic Forces.
