Since today is Sonic's 25th anniversary, I decided to make this thread regarding his popularity over the years. As a gamer, I have played these games from the classics to the modern ones. So, I want to discuss on how truly popular Sonic is/was. It really seems like his biggest acclaim was genuinely during the Genesis era. Yeah, sure there were the Adventure games, Heroes and even the horrendous 2006 Sonic along with many spin-offs, but after the Genesis era was he honestly still favored or did he decline slowly overtime because of Sony's Playstation and Sega's mistakes?

Since today is Sonic's 25th anniversary, I decided to make this thread regarding his popularity over the years. As a gamer, I have played these games from the classics to the modern ones. So, I want to discuss on how truly popular Sonic is/was. It really seems like his biggest acclaim was genuinely during the Genesis era. Yeah, sure there were the Adventure games, Heroes and even the horrendous 2006 Sonic along with many spin-offs, but after the Genesis era was he honestly still favored or did he decline slowly overtime because of Sony's Playstation and Sega's mistakes?

It was still highly popular during the Adventure, Adventure 2, and Heroes days though starting to decline a bit.

2005's Shadow the Hedgehog was the when the series truly became a laughingstock/punchline in gaming, and Sonic 06 reinforced this. Some of the more recent games have tried to restore the series' reputation, to some extent, but overall it's now in the shadow of Mario.

In my honest opinion, Sonic The Hedgehog had its heyday during the Genesis era. Throughout the five years (1991-1996) it was on the Sega Genesis, it had remarkable and best seller games like the original Sonic trilogy. Then you had the spin-off games like Sonic Spinball, Sonic CD, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Drift, Triple Trouble, Knuckles' Chaotix, and Sonic 3D Blast. It was a hit for Sega that gave them a great reputation towards the gaming industry.

After the Saturn was released, Sonic started to have mediocre games like Sonic R. Sega then focused more on newer games for the Saturn until 1999, when they finally released Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. I would say that the Dreamcast era was more tolerant for Sonic than the Saturn era, because at least Sega released more than one game for their #1 mascot for the console.

The GBA/Sonic X era (2001-2005) was like the bronze era for Sonic. The Sonic Advance games were comparable to the original Genesis games, where it revived the similar 2D platform design. Sonic X was also like a decent cashcow for 4Kids during the mid 2000s, when they aired it in the United States.

Then came 2006, which was probably the worst year for the Sonic franchise. Not only did it have the worst games such as Sonic 06 and the GBA port for the original Sonic The Hedgehog, but it also gave the franchise a harsh reputation that no one could ever forget. I believe that 2006 was when Sonic became a laughingstock with its games and fan base, since most Sonic fans weren't taken seriously on the Internet after they complained that Jason Griffith shouldn't be the voice of Sonic. Along with having so much terrible fan art on DeviantArt, you could tell why they aren't respected well. If you search up "Sonic fanart" on the Internet, then you wouldn't be that surprised.

Being a Sonic fan nowadays is really bad, since pretty much everybody thinks the franchise is like pure cancer nowadays. The games are terrible, their new series "Sonic Boom" is pretty much unwatchable, and it doesn't bring any hope that the franchise would make a good game ever since 2006. Nobody likes Sonic nowadays, and I mean it. So for it's 25th anniversary, I wouldn't be happy to see that Sonic is alright. Same with Sega.

Happy Anniversary Sonic! I played this alot as a kid.

In my honest opinion, Sonic The Hedgehog had its heyday during the Genesis era. Throughout the five years (1991-1996) it was on the Sega Genesis, it had remarkable and best seller games like the original Sonic trilogy. Then you had the spin-off games like Sonic Spinball, Sonic CD, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Drift, Triple Trouble, Knuckles' Chaotix, and Sonic 3D Blast. It was a hit for Sega that gave them a great reputation towards the gaming industry.

After the Saturn was released, Sonic started to have mediocre games like Sonic R. Sega then focused more on newer games for the Saturn until 1999, when they finally released Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. I would say that the Dreamcast era was more tolerant for Sonic than the Saturn era, because at least Sega released more than one game for their #1 mascot for the console.

The GBA/Sonic X era (2001-2005) was like the bronze era for Sonic. The Sonic Advance games were comparable to the original Genesis games, where it revived the similar 2D platform design. Sonic X was also like a decent cashcow for 4Kids during the mid 2000s, when they aired it in the United States.

Then came 2006, which was probably the worst year for the Sonic franchise. Not only did it have the worst games such as Sonic 06 and the GBA port for the original Sonic The Hedgehog, but it also gave the franchise a harsh reputation that no one could ever forget. I believe that 2006 was when Sonic became a laughingstock with its games and fan base, since most Sonic fans weren't taken seriously on the Internet after they complained that Jason Griffith shouldn't be the voice of Sonic. Along with having so much terrible fan art on DeviantArt, you could tell why they aren't respected well. If you search up "Sonic fanart" on the Internet, then you wouldn't be that surprised.

Being a Sonic fan nowadays is really bad, since pretty much everybody thinks the franchise is like pure cancer nowadays. The games are terrible, their new series "Sonic Boom" is pretty much unwatchable, and it doesn't bring any hope that the franchise would make a good game ever since 2006. Nobody likes Sonic nowadays, and I mean it. So for it's 25th anniversary, I wouldn't be happy to see that Sonic is alright. Same with Sega.

VERY VERY good analysis NY!
Here's how I break down the sonic franchise into these patterns
Early 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 10s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 10s era/ Modern AWFUL era(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)

In terms of having fond nostalgia, Sonic remains popular, whether it is from the Golden Age (don't forget the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon!) or the Silver Age which IMO did include the GBA/Sonic X era with the Dreamcast since there wasn't any real gap (It's Eggman, not Robotnik!), and this anniversary helps to commemorate these great moments. But when I google "Sonic" and get the awful fast-food drive-in chain on top, it definitely isn't the definitive thing that's out there. Of course, since these eras are relatively short, there could easily be a renaissance if the fledgling VR generation improves things, but then again Mario is suffering something similar these days (it also had a darkish age during the sixth generation followed by a comeback during the Wii era before regurgitating into the nearly as awful state that it and Nintendo exist for it today. If anything, I think the video game industry may be undergoing a midlife crisis as the generational/technological shift occurs.

Happy Anniversary Sonic! I played this alot as a kid.


In every one of the video games Sonic always looked like he was on some sort of drugs to move around that speedy.  ;D

VERY VERY good analysis NY!
Here's how I break down the sonic franchise into these patterns
Early 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 10s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 10s era/ Modern AWFUL era(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


Well, the early 2010s for Sonic wasn't that good. Sure, Sonic Colors and Generations were good games, but Sonic 4 was just mediocre at best. I could say that it's better than the 2006-2009 era for Sonic, but it didn't hold well for Sonic to be better.

I'm hopefully sure that yelimsexa's post is a response to my post, since it did mention some stuff that I talked about.


In terms of having fond nostalgia, Sonic remains popular, whether it is from the Golden Age (don't forget the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon!) or the Silver Age which IMO did include the GBA/Sonic X era with the Dreamcast since there wasn't any real gap (It's Eggman, not Robotnik!), and this anniversary helps to commemorate these great moments.


The 25th anniversary wasn't really that big compared to 2006 or even 2011 for the Sonic franchise. I'm sure they would make a new game later this year, but I don't know if it would be that good. As somebody who was a Sonic fan during the late 2000s, I only focused more on the Genesis and GBA/Sonic X eras. But I could agree with you that they were great moments.


But when I google "Sonic" and get the awful fast-food drive-in chain on top, it definitely isn't the definitive thing that's out there. Of course, since these eras are relatively short, there could easily be a renaissance if the fledgling VR generation improves things, but then again Mario is suffering something similar these days (it also had a darkish age during the sixth generation followed by a comeback during the Wii era before regurgitating into the nearly as awful state that it and Nintendo exist for it today. If anything, I think the video game industry may be undergoing a midlife crisis as the generational/technological shift occurs.


This quote is pretty much remarkable on what it stands for today's generation of video games, in my opinion. I could be sure that the video game industry kinda sucks nowadays. Especially when most video game franchises aren't even worth it nowadays.

In every one of the video games Sonic always looked like he was on some sort of drugs to move around that speedy.  ;D

Must have been!  :D

I can only speak as the owner of a Nintendo and therefore growing up with Mario, I preferred that to Sonic. The only thing about sonic was the ability to bounce off springs and run up curved walls. Mario could fly with a cape, shoot fire balls, ride a companion that ate things and aid you in your levels. There were also second game exits in some worlds and I think the graphics were better. The only time I played Sonic was a little bit on a friend's hand held.

Back then, it was not as popular as Mario, for my son hardly played it, concentrating on the Mario games that were on offer.
Did he ever played them later on?


It was still highly popular during the Adventure, Adventure 2, and Heroes days though starting to decline a bit.

2005's Shadow the Hedgehog was the when the series truly became a laughingstock/punchline in gaming, and Sonic 06 reinforced this. Some of the more recent games have tried to restore the series' reputation, to some extent, but overall it's now in the shadow of Mario.
Do you think it has to do with it being horrendous? When I first played it, I thought it was going to be fun, but I was wrong.


In my honest opinion, Sonic The Hedgehog had its heyday during the Genesis era. Throughout the five years (1991-1996) it was on the Sega Genesis, it had remarkable and best seller games like the original Sonic trilogy. Then you had the spin-off games like Sonic Spinball, Sonic CD, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Drift, Triple Trouble, Knuckles' Chaotix, and Sonic 3D Blast. It was a hit for Sega that gave them a great reputation towards the gaming industry.

After the Saturn was released, Sonic started to have mediocre games like Sonic R. Sega then focused more on newer games for the Saturn until 1999, when they finally released Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. I would say that the Dreamcast era was more tolerant for Sonic than the Saturn era, because at least Sega released more than one game for their #1 mascot for the console.

The GBA/Sonic X era (2001-2005) was like the bronze era for Sonic. The Sonic Advance games were comparable to the original Genesis games, where it revived the similar 2D platform design. Sonic X was also like a decent cashcow for 4Kids during the mid 2000s, when they aired it in the United States.

Then came 2006, which was probably the worst year for the Sonic franchise. Not only did it have the worst games such as Sonic 06 and the GBA port for the original Sonic The Hedgehog, but it also gave the franchise a harsh reputation that no one could ever forget. I believe that 2006 was when Sonic became a laughingstock with its games and fan base, since most Sonic fans weren't taken seriously on the Internet after they complained that Jason Griffith shouldn't be the voice of Sonic. Along with having so much terrible fan art on DeviantArt, you could tell why they aren't respected well. If you search up "Sonic fanart" on the Internet, then you wouldn't be that surprised.

Being a Sonic fan nowadays is really bad, since pretty much everybody thinks the franchise is like pure cancer nowadays. The games are terrible, their new series "Sonic Boom" is pretty much unwatchable, and it doesn't bring any hope that the franchise would make a good game ever since 2006. Nobody likes Sonic nowadays, and I mean it. So for it's 25th anniversary, I wouldn't be happy to see that Sonic is alright. Same with Sega.
I'm with Eric, your post sums up everything about the franchise. I feel it would have been much better had there been at least 2 major titles for the series during the Saturn era.

As for Sonic 2006, that game could have been better in many ways. I wanted to get it so much after playing the demo and it was not as great as I thought. I even not only beat the entire game, but I got 100% completion as well. ;D

Oh and Sonic CD isn't a spin-off. It's actually part of the main series.


VERY VERY good analysis NY!
Here's how I break down the sonic franchise into these patterns
Early 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 10s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 10s era/ Modern AWFUL era(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)
Everything is on point except that the Dreamcast/GBA era games should be part of the Silver age.

Yeah, looking through these posts. This is probably why I never got into Sonic or Sega in general growing up. Number one, the last Sega console was discontinued in early 2001, before 6th generation even entered its prime when the Gamecube and XBOX were released later that year along with the Playstation 2 already being around. I wasn't old enough to experience Sega in its prime. I didn't get into gaming until 2003 at the age of 7 and even then I was a really young gamer then just getting started. Number two, Mario was always more appealing to me, and Nintendo had a mini-golden age with its Mario games when the New Super Mario Bros series got started and when Super Mario Galaxy came the following year.  It was way more appealing and higher quality at the time than what Sonic had offered, especially with the bad reviews Sonic '06 and onwards got. I remember everybody in elementary school telling people, "don't play Sonic" "don't play Sonic", and they were like "Mario has the right games to get!" and they weren't joking alright!

I'm with Eric, your post sums up everything about the franchise. I feel it would have been much better had there been at least 2 major titles for the series during the Saturn era.


I agree with this. If Sega didn't cancel Sonic X-treme for the Saturn, then the company would've done so good for the fifth generation. It would also bring in more sales for the company, since everybody wanted to have a major title for Sonic on the Saturn. Not to mention that it would continue the console war that Nintendo and Sega had during the fourth generation.

As for Sonic 2006, that game could have been better in many ways. I wanted to get it so much after playing the demo and it was not as great as I thought. I even not only beat the entire game, but I got 100% completion as well. ;D

Heh. That's kinda surprising for a Sonic fan. It would've been really hard, since the game has so many glitches and errors that seems unimaginable. I could congratulate you just for beating the game alone.


Oh and Sonic CD isn't a spin-off. It's actually part of the main series.


Well, it's kinda semi-canon for the franchise. It wouldn't be related towards the original Sonic trilogy, because it's not like it was the hidden installment for the Genesis trilogy.

I loved it! I have a game on my phone called Sonic Dash, which I enjoy playing once in a while when I'm waiting somewhere or to pass the time when I can. Takes me back!

His mini-revival during the early 2000s was great. The Sonic Adventure series and Sonic Advance series are instant classics. There was also "Sonic Mega Collection" for the Gamecube that introduced me to his 4th generation and handheld video games, I unlocked almost everything. The hype for Sonic Heroes was also very big at my school; even if the game ended up being rather average. I mostly just remember it for the hype ;D

http://s.emuparadise.org/GCN/Covers/Sonic%20Mega%20Collection.jpg

Shadow the Hedgehog was really bad. Before that, there was also Sonic Riders which was a rip off of Kirby Air Ride, neither of the two games being to my taste. After Sonic '06 it was clear the early 2000s era for Sonic was over. But in 2007 they came out with Sonic and the Secret Rings for the Wii, which I thought was rather decent and got positive (though not raving) reviews. Then came Sonic Generations in the early 2010s and the little hedgehog was back; that was easily one of his best games.

Those are the Sonic games I played.

I'd say he was extremely popular in the 90s/2000s/early 2010s. His popularity has dropped off a bit but he still has an... erm... let's say "loyal" fanbase.  :o

VERY VERY good analysis NY!
Here's how I break down the sonic franchise into these patterns
Early 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 10s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 10s era/ Modern AWFUL era(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD were all from the mid to late '90s era.

Honestly, the Sonic 25th anniversary is a little bittersweet for me, given the shape of the franchise over the last ten years or so.

For a good portion of my childhood, Sonic the Hedgehog was the most popular video game character among kids. Yes, for a time, even bigger than Mario. He had not one but two of his own cartoon shows. At his apex, Sonic could be found inside Happy Meals, Cracker Jack boxes, and even on the cover of his very own version of Honey Nut Cheerios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDDP9OXF354

I't hard to even describe how massive the release of Sonic 3 was back in the day. I was in 1st grade at that time, and I swear every boy in my class got that game as a present that Christmas. Sonic & Knuckles, with it's much hyped "lock-on technology" was somehow even bigger. On the average elementary school playground in 1994, most kids spent more time at recess passing along Sonic tips and tricks (how to get past the "Barrel of Doom", how to transform into Super Sonic, etc.) than they did on the jungle gym.

After that, though, it all began to inexplicably go downhill. Sonic 3D Blast was one of the last major Genesis releases in late 1996, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. Then, as 1997 wore on, it became painfully obvious that there was not going to be a major Sonic game on the Sega Saturn. By the time Sonic Adventure did finally come out in 1999, it had been a full five years since Sonic & Knuckles, and those of us who grew up with Sonic had largely moved on to bigger and better platforming mascots, like Crash, Spyro or Banjo. After all that came the disaster that was Sonic '06, a blight on the legacy of the Sonic franchise that it has still yet to totally recover from.

Don't get me wrong, I know that Sonic still has a loyal following to this day, and that there have been several good games in the franchise in the last twenty years. I guess I'm just feeling a little saddened by the fact that a video game character that used to mean so much to me just doesn't anymore. Sega will continue to release Sonic games, probably even after my grandchildren have been born, but I doubt it'll ever be the same as it was back in 1994 ever again.

Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD were all from the mid to late '90s era.

Oops you are correct about Sonic 3D Blast, I'll slightly redo mine then.

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The first Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka the WORST(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


and I disagree with Markese and yelminsexa, the ''silver age'' of the series was the saturn era. That was definitely not the golden age.
I sticking with the Dreamcast and GBA being bronze.

Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD were all from the mid to late '90s era.


No, just no. First off, the late 90s weren't that good for Sonic at the time. If you were talking about how Sonic 3D Blast was released in late 1996, then that's debatable. Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic CD were from the chronological early-mid 90s.

No, just no. First off, the late 90s weren't that good for Sonic at the time. If you were talking about how Sonic 3D Blast was released in late 1996, then that's debatable. Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic CD were from the chronological early-mid 90s.

This.

No, just no. First off, the late 90s weren't that good for Sonic at the time. If you were talking about how Sonic 3D Blast was released in late 1996, then that's debatable. Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic CD were from the chronological early-mid 90s.
I agree especially Sonic CD. I mean for one, the theme song is early 90s and so is the design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYW7-hNXZlM


His mini-revival during the early 2000s was great. The Sonic Adventure series and Sonic Advance series are instant classics. There was also "Sonic Mega Collection" for the Gamecube that introduced me to his 4th generation and handheld video games, I unlocked almost everything. The hype for Sonic Heroes was also very big at my school; even if the game ended up being rather average. I mostly just remember it for the hype ;D

http://s.emuparadise.org/GCN/Covers/Sonic%20Mega%20Collection.jpg


Oh damn! I had that collection as well and I unlocked everything.


Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The first Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka the WORST(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


and I disagree with Markese and yelminsexa, the ''silver age'' of the series was the saturn era. That was definitely not the golden age.
I sticking with the Dreamcast and GBA being bronze.
I never said it was the golden age. I'm just wondering why the DC/GBA games are considered bronze? Those games are actually decent,


Honestly, the Sonic 25th anniversary is a little bittersweet for me, given the shape of the franchise over the last ten years or so.

For a good portion of my childhood, Sonic the Hedgehog was the most popular video game character among kids. Yes, for a time, even bigger than Mario. He had not one but two of his own cartoon shows. At his apex, Sonic could be found inside Happy Meals, Cracker Jack boxes, and even on the cover of his very own version of Honey Nut Cheerios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDDP9OXF354

I't hard to even describe how massive the release of Sonic 3 was back in the day. I was in 1st grade at that time, and I swear every boy in my class got that game as a present that Christmas. Sonic & Knuckles, with it's much hyped "lock-on technology" was somehow even bigger. On the average elementary school playground in 1994, most kids spent more time at recess passing along Sonic tips and tricks (how to get past the "Barrel of Doom", how to transform into Super Sonic, etc.) than they did on the jungle gym.

After that, though, it all began to inexplicably go downhill. Sonic 3D Blast was one of the last major Genesis releases in late 1996, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. Then, as 1997 wore on, it became painfully obvious that there was not going to be a major Sonic game on the Sega Saturn. By the time Sonic Adventure did finally come out in 1999, it had been a full five years since Sonic & Knuckles, and those of us who grew up with Sonic had largely moved on to bigger and better platforming mascots, like Crash, Spyro or Banjo. After all that came the disaster that was Sonic '06, a blight on the legacy of the Sonic franchise that it has still yet to totally recover from.

Don't get me wrong, I know that Sonic still has a loyal following to this day, and that there have been several good games in the franchise in the last twenty years. I guess I'm just feeling a little saddened by the fact that a video game character that used to mean so much to me just doesn't anymore. Sega will continue to release Sonic games, probably even after my grandchildren have been born, but I doubt it'll ever be the same as it was back in 1994 ever again.
Just imagine had there been 3 major titles to the franchise during the Saturn days. The fanbase would have been much stronger and Sonic himself would have properly been introduced to a 3D world. Furthermore, the 3D games would have had much more to offer; a killer competition against Mario and there definitely wouldn't have been those awful two games Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic '06.

VERY VERY good analysis NY!
Here's how I break down the sonic franchise into these patterns
Early 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 10s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 10s era/ Modern AWFUL era(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


Sonic R. and the Saturn alone? That's seems more along the lines of a dark age than anything. Good thing the franchise almost completely ignored the total turd of a system and kept with the Genesis (for a few last games) up 'til 1996. The early to mid 90's from 1991 to 1996 was the Genesis "Golden Age" era or, better yet, 1991-1994 was the golden age and we kinda skipped over silver to bronze during 1995-1996.

Wait, never mind. I just saw you revised it.


Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/Silver Age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Bronze Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ The first Dark AGE(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka the WORST(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


and I disagree with Markese and yelminsexa, the ''silver age'' of the series was the saturn era. That was definitely not the golden age.
I sticking with the Dreamcast and GBA being bronze.


The Sega Turd era (if we can really call it that. It had what? Two games? Only one was a single-plat and Xtreme wasn't even released) was a total mini-dark age (in America). I don't see how Sonic R, the Saturn, the lack of games released during this time and Sonic's decline in popularity because of it signifies a silver age.

The Sega Turd era (if we can really call it that. It had what? Two games? Only one was a single-plat and Xtreme wasn't even released) was a total mini-dark age (in America). I don't see how Sonic R, the Saturn, the lack of games released during this time and Sonic's decline in popularity because of it signifies a silver age.


Yeah, the core-Y2K/Dreamcast era was the true silver age of the franchise. Still, the Saturn era was not as bad as the ages of Sonic 06, Rise of Lyric, etc.

Sonic R. and the Saturn alone? That's seems more along the lines of a dark age than anything. Good thing the franchise almost completely ignored the total turd of a system and kept with the Genesis (for a few last games) up 'til 1996. The early to mid 90's from 1991 to 1996 was the Genesis "Golden Age" era or, better yet, 1991-1994 was the golden age and we kinda skipped over silver to bronze during 1995-1996.

Wait, never mind. I just saw you revised it.

The Sega Turd era (if we can really call it that. It had what? Two games? Only one was a single-plat and Xtreme wasn't even released) was a total mini-dark age (in America). I don't see how Sonic R, the Saturn, the lack of games released during this time and Sonic's decline in popularity because of it signifies a silver age.


I've been reading a book about Ancient Egypt recently, and I think it's better to describe it in those terms rather than gold/bronze/silver age

The Old Kingdom/The Age of the Pyramids (1991-1995): Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic CD
The First Intermediate Period; complete anarchy (1996-1998): Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic R.
The Middle Kingdom (1999-2004): Sonic Adventure 1, 2, Sonic Advance 1, 2, 3, Sonic Heroes
The Second Intermediate Period (2005-2009): Shadow The Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings*, Sonic Rush*
The New Kingdom (2010-2012): Sonic Generations, Sonic Colors
The Third Intermediate Period (2013-Present): Sonic Boom, Sonic Lost World

*I thought these were decent.

We should apparently be going through a Late Kingdom period going by Egyptian history, so there might be some hope for the franchise in the near future; though it won't be as great as the others since we'll be ruled by foreigners.

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/c/cc/Sonicchannel_tikal.png/revision/latest?cb=20080120061708

The last game will be based on her, the Cleopatra of the Sonic franchise. Then the Sonic franchise will descend into 7000 years of darkness.

Sonic R. and the Saturn alone? That's seems more along the lines of a dark age than anything. Good thing the franchise almost completely ignored the total turd of a system and kept with the Genesis (for a few last games) up 'til 1996. The early to mid 90's from 1991 to 1996 was the Genesis "Golden Age" era or, better yet, 1991-1994 was the golden age and we kinda skipped over silver to bronze during 1995-1996.

Wait, never mind. I just saw you revised it.

The Sega Turd era (if we can really call it that. It had what? Two games? Only one was a single-plat and Xtreme wasn't even released) was a total mini-dark age (in America). I don't see how Sonic R, the Saturn, the lack of games released during this time and Sonic's decline in popularity because of it signifies a silver age.

Well... I was going by age orders. I wasn't going by how the series shifted to determine the ages. I guess I'll revise it again. ;D

Ok guys is this better?! ;D

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/The first dark age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Silver Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ Bronze Age(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka Second Dark age!(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)

Ok guys is this better?! ;D

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/The first dark age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Silver Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ Bronze Age(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era/ an all time low!(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


The Mid 2000s are probably the second dark age, the early 2010s are the bronze age.

The Mid 2000s are probably the second dark age, the early 2010s are the bronze age.


The mid 2000s were still okay for Sonic, except for 2006.

It still is among some people. Check out deviantart and you'll see....

The Mid 2000s are probably the second dark age, the early 2010s are the bronze age.

I'm not changing it again.......

Ok guys is this better?! ;D

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/The first dark age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Silver Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ Bronze Age(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka Second Dark age!(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


Wow! You seem to know a lot about Sonic as much as I know a lot about Mario  :o ;D

I'm not changing it again.......


lol ;D

Ok guys is this better?! ;D

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/The first dark age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Silver Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ Bronze Age(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka Second Dark age!(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)






Wow! You seem to know a lot about Sonic as much as I know a lot about Mario  :o ;D


Well I know more about Sonic and Mario both, so take that! Lol. ;D

Wow! You seem to know a lot about Sonic as much as I know a lot about Mario  :o ;D

Yep. That because my uncle introduced me to sonic in 2001 on the Genesis. I played sonic 1, sonic 2,  and sonic 3. I was hooked on sonic from there on then. I collected and played all the sonic advanced games. Played sonic adventure 2 battle with my cousins and got sonic heroes in summer of 2004. I lost interest in sonic after the shadow game came out.

Funny thing is I was introduced to Mario first. Since I got the n64 for my 4th bday. Played Mario 64, Mario party 1-3, paper Mario, mario kart etc. I loved Mario with a passion until my uncle introduced me to sonic. Also during that time period GameCube was unfortunately being ushered in. 

Main reason I was always more familiar with sonics history of games was because during the GameCube era I stopped liking Nintendo and lost interest in Mario. But I remained a loyal sonic player until the late 2000s era.

Ok guys is this better?! ;D

Early-mid 90s Genesis era/The Golden age(Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles,Sonic CD)
Mid-late 90s Saturn era/The first dark age(Sonic 3D Blast,Sonic X Treme, Sonic R.)
Early-mid 2000s Dreamcast and Game-boy Advanced Era/Silver Age(Sonic Adventure 1 and 2,Sonic Advanced 1, 2, and 3; Sonic Heroes Sonic X series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
The Mid- Late 2000s era/ Bronze Age(Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings , Sonic Rivals 1 and 2,)
Early 2010s era /Brief comeback(Sonic colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and 2, Sonic Dash)
Mid 2010s era/ Modern era aka Second Dark age!(Sonic Jump Fever, Sonic Boom, Rise of Lyric, shattered crystal,)


Much, much better.

Wow! You seem to know a lot about Sonic as much as I know a lot about Mario  :o ;D



Well I know more about Sonic and Mario both, so take that! Lol. ;D



Yep. That because my uncle introduced me to sonic in 2001 on the Genesis. I played sonic 1, sonic 2,  and sonic 3. I was hooked on sonic from there on then. I collected and played all the sonic advanced games. Played sonic adventure 2 battle with my cousins and got sonic heroes in summer of 2004. I lost interest in sonic after the shadow game came out.

Funny thing is I was introduced to Mario first. Since I got the n64 for my 4th bday. Played Mario 64, Mario party 1-3, paper Mario, mario kart etc. I loved Mario with a passion until my uncle introduced me to sonic. Also during that time period GameCube was unfortunately being ushered in. 

Main reason I was always more familiar with sonics history of games was because during the GameCube era I stopped liking Nintendo and lost interest in Mario. But I remained a loyal sonic player until the late 2000s era.
Wow! ;D. I've known about them for a long time as well. I was first introduced to Mario on the SNES as I had SMW and I was introduced to Sonic thanks to the TV shows, Game Gear or Genesis. Ever since then, I was collecting each game for both until I lost interest either because I didn't get anymore or that I got them and it turned out to be terrible.