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The Animation of Sonic Games

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


Which Sonic games have the best animation? Which have the worst? What makes for good animation in a Sonic game to begin with? Join me on this retrospective journey through ALL of them and let's find out. TAKE MY LEAD, I'LL SET YOU FREE.

Table of Contents:

0:00 - Intro

1:35 - Ground Rules

2:39 - Sonic the Hedgehog

6:44 - Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)

7:50 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)

8:43 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2

11:01 - Sonic CD

13:50 - Sonic Chaos

14:26 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3

16:42 - Sonic & Knuckles

18:08 - Knuckles' Chaotix

20:36 - What Makes Good Animation in a Sonic Game?

22:43 - Sonic 3D Blast

26:59 - Sonic Adventure

34:09 - Sonic Adventure 2

41:57 - The Mascot Suit Problem

44:26 - Sonic Heroes

48:49 - Shadow the Hedgehog

53:10 - Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

59:52 - Sonic and the Secret Rings

1:03:37 - Sonic Unleashed

1:09:00 - Sonic and the Black Knight

1:13:02 - Sonic the Hedgehog 4

1:18:42 - Sonic Colors

1:21:29 - Sonic Generations

1:25:01 - Sonic Lost World

1:27:54 - Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

1:31:03 - Sonic Mania

1:34:18 - Sonic Forces

1:37:13 - In Conclusion

1:40:12 - Thoughts for the Future

1:44:00 - Wrapping Up
 

Fahdis

Member
SANIC!!! I loved him in the 90s. Unless, they do 2D Sprite Sonic like Mania forever, its already dead.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
Sonic Adventure 1 still has the best run animation. That's all I have to say about that.
He's missing the classic circular illusion:

giphy.gif
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
I ended up watching the whole thing.

Unfortunately he decided not to cover the amazingly animated GBA and 3DS games, but otherwise it was a great, well explained video.

It's odd how incredible Sonic Lost World looks visually(it literally looks like a Mario 3D World/Galaxy game) and yet at the same time the reviews were so negative on it.
 

cireza

Banned
Lost World is a great game. It was also helped by the fact that it was 60fps. All previous entries were 30fps, so it was a great thing and helped enjoying the game.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
Lost World is a great game. It was also helped by the fact that it was 60fps. All previous entries were 30fps, so it was a great thing and helped enjoying the game.
The video creator called Lost World the peak of 3D Sonic's in-game animation and honestly from what I've seen I have to agree with him. The level of animation polish and extra detail that game has should be just as applauded as what Sonic Mania did for 2D Sonic animation and it is the one time I felt Sonic had truly reached a Modern Mario level of polished visuals.

It makes it more of a bummer that the gameplay didn't mesh with the public because they finally nailed it after struggling with 3d for so long, only to reel back to something more comfortable and less risk taking like Sonic Forces(by less risk taking I mean in terms of animation, not the game itself).
 
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Ryu Kaiba

Member
Absolutely. The bopping as he runs is super satisfying.
That and also when he's at his fastest speed (after he's been boosted or spin dashes) he doesnt bop at all and is just streaming like a bullet, like he's in the zone. And his leg animation looks so fast and cool. I love that.
 
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