The Sonic franchise has been on a road to redemption for a few years now, and it's getting smoother for Sega and Sonic Team at this point. While the franchise's last decade has been marred by disappointments like Sonic Boom, there have arguably been more successful Sonic games than outright failures in that same timeframe. Out of those successes, Sonic Colors is regularly cited as one of the best Sonic games in a long time, further supported by the impending remaster Sonic Colors: Ultimate.
There's no doubt Sonic Colors was an important game for the Sonic franchise, breathing new life into the series after years of titles that could never quite stuck the landing. Sonic Team didn't stop after that one success, however, as it managed to continue its good fortunes with 2011's Sonic Generations. The fact that Sonic Colors is getting a remaster is impressive on its own, as the Sonic franchise doesn't usually give out 3D remasters. If this means more might come down the line, there's a lot of reasons for Sonic Generations to get the remaster treatment after Sonic Colors.
RELATED: How Sonic Colors: Ultimate Differs from the Original
Sonic Generations Celebrates The Best Of Sonic
The Sonic franchise has undergone a dramatic amount of change since it's first title in 1991, shifting from high-speed 2D platforming to dynamic 3D action. While Sonic games before Generations had successfully blended the two gameplay styles before, Generations did so in a way that worked narratively. By way of time travel shenanigans, Sonic Generations sees "Classic" Sonic and "Modern" Sonic team up to chase their respective Dr. Eggmans through iconic locations. The game serves as a love letter to the franchise, highlighting Sonic's best while managing to poke light fun at its faults.
Sonic Generations Shines Among Lesser Sonic Games
It's no secret that the Sonic franchise hasn't always had the most consistent releases. For every solid title such as Sonic Adventure or Sonic Colors, there's been a disappointing game like Sonic and the Secret Rings or Sonic Boom. Sonic Generations stands out as one of the former, delivering gameplay that blends everything great about the franchise while balancing a satisfying story that never gets too convoluted. If Sonic Colors: Ultimate is celebrating a Sonic revival, then Generations deserves a remaster to celebrate another strong moment for the franchise.
How Remastering Sonic Generations Can Build Hype
If Sonic Generations is given a chance to be remastered some time in the near future, it would have an excellent opportunity to serve as an appetizer for the rumored Sonic Rangers. Announced earlier this year, the newest mainline Sonic game is rumored to be heavily inspired by Breath of the Wild, bringing the franchise in a bold new direction. There would be few games to set the mood for this ambitious new title better than Sonic Generations, a game that took its own risks and ended up paying off beautifully.
The Sonic franchise has certainly gone through some struggles over the years, but Sonic Generations remains a bright spot in darker times. It's great to see Sonic Colors get some love with Sonic Colors: Ultimate, but Generations is just as deserving for pioneering the blend of classic and modern that the series has relied on for years to come. As one of gaming's most iconic characters, Sonic deserves to be celebrated as much as any other mascot, and some more quality remasters would go a long way toward accomplishing that.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate releases September 7 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.