What’s the Difference Between All the Sega Genesis Sonic Games?
If you’re into old Sega Genesis games, then Sonic the Hedgehog is going to make an appearance. The question is which one is best? It’s hard to pick because they’re all such fun. All three versions are worth getting and playing. In many ways they are all similar. After all, every version is a 16 bit console game. So all three versions of Sonic the Hedgehog look and feel the same.
Each version has its own style to be sure. But each version feels more like additional levels to the first game. They do get creative with the bosses, adding Tails, and power ups in each version. Each version does have a unique special stage too.
All are fun to play, so it’s hard to rank them. It depends on if you’re looking for a challenge, high speed adrenaline runs, or exploring the stages. There are pros and cons to each version. .
Additional Characters
Sonic is all by himself in the original. Tails makes an appearance in Sonic 2. Tails can fly and proves to be a big help along the way. This invincible sidekick can score hits on the boss, trigger traps, and serve as a shield in general.
Player 2 can take over Tails and control him. But keeping up with Sonic is difficult. Tails is often left behind. Tails will eventually reappear after he goes off screen. Still, playing as Tails in Sonic 2 isn’t the greatest experience.
In Sonic 3 Tails and Knuckles are playable characters. Which is awesome. Playing as Tails is like easy mode since he can fly. Knuckles doesn’t fly, rather he glides through the air. He can also latch on to walls and climb. Knuckles can also punch through rock bariers.
While Knuckles sounds easier, his recovery during landing and weaker jumps hold him back a little. Using glide during a boss fight usually results in Knuckles getting hit by an attack when he lands.
Sonic is the only playable character in the original Sonic. Sonic 2 adds Tails. Who is controlled by the computer or player 2. Sonic 3 adds Tails and Knuckles as optional characters for player 1.
Spin Dash
Spin dashing made its first appearance is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and every version since. Unfortunately, spin dashing is not available in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Spin dash works the same in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3.
Simply press down, mash the jump button to spool up, and let up to dash away. It’s helpful to quickly get up a hill, enter a slide at speed, or dodge a boss attack.
It’s so useful and common to every Sonic game, it’s hard to believe it doesn’t work in the original Sonic. Many times I find myself attempting it when I play the original. Waiting for Sonic to walk up a even a slight incline is incredibly tedious. It’s easier to go back, pick up speed, then move up the incline in the original.
Item Boxes
Another difference between the three versions are the item boxes and power ups. The original game has speed running, temporary invincibility, and a single use protection bubble.
Sonic 2 doesn’t add any new item boxes. Rather, changes how the protection bubble looks. Sonic 3 added three new item boxes. The water shield, fire shield, and electric shield.
The water shield allows Sonic to breathe under water so you don’t have to keep getting air bubbles. It also makes Sonic bounce when doing a double jump.
The fire shield protects Sonic from low level fire attacks. Sonic does a fireball attack when doing a double jump. The fire shield is cancelled by going in water.
The electric shield lets Sonic jump a bit higher when doing a double jump. The coolest thing is it attracts every ring to Sonic as he goes by them. This shield is also cancelled by going in water.
Sonic 3 definitely wins as far as power ups are concerned. They make going through the stages and boss fights a lot more interesting. In Sonic 3, he does an attack when doing a double jump without any power ups. Which is notably missing in the first two games.
Secret Passages
One of the best features of any Sonic game is the secret passages. The original Sonic typically had one or two on every stage. Sonic 2 doesn’t seem to have many on any stage. I did notice Sonic 3 incorporated more secret passages than the second version, they usually lead to item boxes or special stages. It seems shortcuts are mostly found in the original.
Summary
Every version of Sonic is great fun on the Sega Genesis. The additional features of the second and third version make the game even better. The lack of a spin dash or mid air attack are sorely missing in the original. Still, the original is a lot of fun to play.
The second version of Sonic is the hardest in my opinion. The stages offer more worlds to explore but are also short. There are many more bosses to face plus the very difficult Death Egg zone. Metal Sonic and the Death Egg Robot are the most difficult boss in my opinion.
The third version of Sonic adds new item boxes and a mid air attack, making this version the most fun to play. Being able to play as Tails and Knuckles is just icing on the cake. They really go all out designing the stages, making them fun to explore.
Each version has their own strengths and weaknesses. Yet, all three are so much fun to play I can’t really pick a favorite!
Differences between Sega Genesis Sonic Games brought to you by David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
