Sonic The Hedgehog Games That You Might Not Have Played

Summary

• Sonic has had over 75 unique adventures, with some falling through the cracks of pop culture.
• Sonic Shuffle failed as a Mario Party imitation, with bland boards and tedious mini-games.
• Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was a hyped RPG with development issues and a broken soundtrack.

Star of numerous hit video games, a trilogy of box-office-smashing Hollywood movies, and enough comics and merchandise to send Angel Island plummeting into the sea, Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most instantly recognisable characters in the gaming world. There’s no mistaking him. What you see is what you get: just a guy who loves adventure.

Sonic’s appeared in a veritable laundry list of games, across a vast array of consoles – in fact, not counting remasters or ports, he’s had 75-plus unique adventures to his name. With a history that long and storied, it’s perhaps inevitable that some would fall through the cracks of the pop culture zeitgeist. We’ve therefore compiled a list of the most interesting Sonic outings that time forgot.

What qualifies as ‘forgotten’ to one person might actually be somebody else’s childhood game – experiences are subjective, and so is our list! We hope you’ll stumble across at least one or two you’ve never heard of.

Updated on January 11, 2025 by Bobby Mills: At the moment, the Sonic IP is hotter than all the pools of magma in Red Mountain Zone. Between his third theatrical film (a sight to behold considering the revolting original design), a slew of new games, and merch and comics up the spiny wazoo, there’s never been a better time to shamelessly cash in on his popularity – er, that is, update our list of forgotten Sonic titles with a generous helping of new entries. Enjoy!

15

Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice

A Literal Game Of Hot And Cold

The Sonic Boom subseries was part of an initiative by Sega to give the West its ‘own’ version of Sonic. Boasting weirdly elongated character models, an entire Sports Direct worth of athletic tape, and irreverent comedic styling, Boom took in a (really good) TV show, a few (really bad) games, and comic books – but ultimately would fade in less than three years.

By far the most forgotten entry in this already pretty memory-holed corner of the Sonicverse is Fire and Ice, Boom’s second foray onto the 3DS. It actually was a decent time, zipping through corridors made of water and freezing them with your new ice powers, or likewise lighting explosives ablaze with fire. Sadly, it just couldn’t escape the heavy shackles of Rise of Lyric’s reputation, and sold like dogwater.

14

Sonic Shuffle

Mario’s Party Is Two Doors Down, Guys

Sega has never made a secret of positioning its blue boy against a certain red-capped leak fixer (after all, they do what Nintendon’t!), and on the Dreamcast it decided to try for a slice of the Mario Party pie. Sonic Shuffle was a rough attempt to replicate what makes those games a riotous smash, and has never been ported since, making it a mere footnote in Sonic history.

A selection of bland, sterile boards are your setting for tedious dice rolling and clunky minigames that scarcely function. The characters never shut up, and you inexplicably have to sit through reams of pointless filler cutscenes before even touching your first board. Pair that with unfair AI opponents in single player, and you have a recipe for undiluted misery.

13

Knuckles’ Chaotix

They’re Detectives You Want On Your Side

Well, if playing Sonic Shuffle nowadays (legally) is tough, then doing the same for Knuckles’ Chaotix is effectively impossible. How does $800 sound? Launched on the 32X – a bizarre add-on for the Sega Genesis that did nothing more than slightly juicing up the processor, and which has been aptly analogised as life support for the dying console – it was a quirky, experimental endeavor with limited appeal, not helped by the fact nobody owned its hardware.

As you may have gathered from the title, this one does at least introduce the Chaotix, a band of detectives who would go on to become firm fan favourites. Tethered to Vector, Espio, or Charmy, Knuckles must use a bungee cord of sorts to fling his mates around the levels; it’s awkward and unresponsive at times. Killer OST and some fun levels, but otherwise not worth your time.

12

Sonic Rush Adventure

Strewth, This One’s A Bonza Grind, Mate

Sonic Rush on the DS was heralded as a return to form for the series, merging that classic side-on platforming with instant raw speed courtesy of the Boost button (soon to become a series staple). Sonic Rush Adventure, its sequel, was received in quite the opposite manner, and succumbed to numerous design pitfalls that bogged it down.

Sonic’s back in Blaze’s dimension, and this time has a new sidekick in the form of the adorably Aussie Marine the Raccoon – who has never been seen since. Sure, the expected platforming stages are in there, but to get to them, you need to contend with a host of pointless RPG mechanics, like grinding materials to upgrade your kit or racing jetskis. Our kingdom for a level select.

11

Sonic Eraser

We’re Inclined To Erase It From Our Memory

While Knuckles’ Chaotix is perhaps an ‘F’ on the sliding scale of consumer accessibility, Sonic Eraser plumbs previously untold depths; we’re looking at a ‘Z-‘ here. Buckle up: to play this innocuous little puzzle game, you require three keys, brave adventurer. First, a Sega Mega Modem to connect your Genesis to the internet. Second, a paid Sega Meganet subscription. Finally, a Sega Game Library cartridge, to which Eraser would download. All three of which were exclusive to Japan.

In case it wasn’t bleeding obvious, next to nobody has heard of Sonic Eraser, let alone completed the arduous quest to be able to play it. Luckily, the actual game had little to offer. It was a basic ‘match three’ affair – which Puyo-Puyo thoroughly ate the lunch of, let’s be real – with a handful of Sonic characters pasted on top.

10

SegaSonic Popcorn Shop

At Least You Got A Snack Out Of It

You might think we’re stretching the definition of ‘game’ for this one, as it’s essentially a glorified vending machine – but there’s a screen into which you input controls, and all associated trademarks and copyrights refer to it as ‘software’, so it counts (on a purely technical level).

Popcorn Shop is exactly what it says on the tin. You’d put your shiny coin in the slot, then would have to turn wheels and pull levers as instructed by Sonic to dispense your high-sodium treat. For what it is, it’s charming, but it’s easy to see why it never caught on in America.

9

Sonic Rivals

Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing

Rivals is an oft-forgotten chapter in the Sonic history books. Though this pseudo-racing title was popular on launch, and even secured a sequel, it hasn’t stood the test of time. Exclusive to the PSP, it sees Eggman, and his dimensional counterpart Eggman Nega, turn a decent portion of the hedgehog’s pals into playing cards.

Only raw speed can save the day – so it’s off to the races in a smattering of side-on courses that attempt to meld traditional 2D Sonic action with modern wrinkles. Rivals is notable for reintroducing Silver to the cast after his debut in ’06 was wiped from canon, but it’s otherwise unremarkable.

8

Sonic Labyrinth

More Like Sluggish The Hedgehog

What’s the one cardinal sin you never commit when creating a Sonic game? Why, stripping him of his speed, of course; it’s like Mario without his mushrooms, Crash without his Wumpas, Bubsy without his… rampant mediocrity. And yet, Sonic Labyrinth committed it.

This is a miserable maze puzzler on the Game Gear – Sega’s answer to the Game Boy, which guzzled AA batteries like nobody’s business. Eggman’s swiped Sonic’s sneakers, rendering him the speed of a regular hedgehog, so you’ve got to navigate mind-numbing labyrinths to find keys and thwart him. Lethargic and clunky, it’s best left in the past.

7

Sonic Pocket Adventure

Critics Apparently Thought This Was Perfect

Launched for the Neo Geo Pocket Color – itself a system lost to the mists of collective indifference, which doesn’t bode well for the game’s continued relevance – Pocket Adventure is an inoffensive, candy-coloured platformer. It manages to capture a decent amount of the spirit of the Genesis originals, albeit crammed into a tiny processor.

Level themes and music are repurposed from the Classic trilogy, as are the bosses. It was ideal for Blue Blurring on the go back in the day, but there’s little reason to return to it now; although it remains a curiosity for being one of the few Sonic titles to attract perfect 10 scores.

6

Sonic Blast

Blast This Thing Outta Here

When Donkey Kong Country strutted onto the scene in 1994 with its fancy pre-rendered 3D graphics, it knew not the terrors it would unleash. Suddenly, pre-rendering became the hot new trend; and while some projects, like Super Mario RPG, pulled it off with minimal hiccups, Sonic Blast on the Game Gear… did not.

This is a diabolical 2.5D platformer, in which Sonic and Co. appear as revolting, plastic-looking sprites who move as if they’re hooked up to car batteries. The controls feel like treacle, the sound design assaults your ears, and the whole experience taps out in under an hour. Small mercies!

5

SegaSonic The Hedgehog

Gets The Ball Rolling

Yet another instalment in the curiously-titled ‘SegaSonic’ anthology (perhaps for a while there was concern people would forget who’d developed the series?), this was an arcade cabinet that introduced Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel to the lineup.

Mighty and Ray passed into Sonic lore as heroes who’d gone MIA for two decades. Wanted posters for them can be seen in Sonic Generations, and they’d at last reappear as playable faces in Sonic Mania’s Encore DLC.

SegaSonic was controlled using a gigantic plastic trackball, which was built into the machine, and which, in most cases, soon became very, very sticky. Your task is to roll Sonic and his chums through a host of obstacle courses, but it isn’t easy. Prepare to load up on quarters if you ever encounter a cabinet still operating in the wild.

4

Sonic’s Schoolhouse

Making Learning Even Less Fun

The product of a licensing deal between Sega and Orion Entertainment that saw a PC edutainment game (which previously had nothing to do with Sonic) being retooled at the very last second, Sonic’s Schoolhouse is a truly surreal experience.

A poorly-animated Sonic – voiced by someone making no attempt to actually sound like him – guides you around a hauntingly empty school building, teaching you basic grammar and arithmetic. There’s a somber loneliness to the whole thing, and in this age of ‘analogue horror’, it’s difficult not to get the willies. Stick to textbooks, kids.

3

Tails’ Sky Patrol

The Sidekick Chronicles

Eternal second fiddle, Miles ‘Tails’ Prower, takes centre stage in this lightweight side-scrolling shooter. To defeat the dastardly Witchcart (who is, erm, a witch riding a cart), the plucky fox must chuck rings and a variety of other gadgets at her airborne stooges.

Initially exclusive to Japan, Sky Patrol would be localised for its inclusion in compilation titles like Sonic Origins Plus and Sonic Gems Collection. It’s a perfectly average way to spend two hours – but Tails’ Adventure remains the superior solo outing for Sonic’s best bud.

2

Sonic The Hedgehog’s GameWorld

Leapfrog With Less Budget

We’re truly scraping the barrel of obscurity at this point. GameWorld was a title for the ill-fated Sega Pico, a chunky handheld device intended as an educational tool for toddlers. It came with a pen, space for making notes, and included a rudimentary touch screen.

GameWorld (and its sister title, Tails’ Music Maker) ostensibly teaches reaction speed and memory, but really it’s just a collection of naff minigames. You’ll be tossing basketballs into hoops, steering toy cars, and whacking moles – but it all has next to nothing to do with Sonic.

1

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Please God, Turn Off The Music

Sonic Chronicles had a tidal wave of hype behind it. This was to be the first fully-fledged Sonic RPG – a genre into which Mario had ventured with glorious success – and it was being developed by BioWare, patron saints of the roleplaying realm. Anyone who’s touched Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is aware BioWare knows its stuff; so how’d Chronicles turn out?

Sadly, behind-the-scenes chaos and the trademark immovable Sega deadline sunk the effort. Chronicles is barely finished – its battle systems are poorly explained and half-baked, the storyline doesn’t make a lick of sense, and the soundtrack, due to the Nintendo DS’ limitations, is broken and instead plays ear-splitting placeholder tracks. What should have been a home run instead languishes in obscurity to this day, where it probably belongs.

In 2022’s Sonic ‘Encyclo-speed-ia’, a book that details every aspect of Blue Blur lore, Chronicles is officially decanonised. Thanks to legal woes with former Archie writer Ken Penders that were spurred by the game, it’s doubtful it’ll ever be referenced again.