By Zachariah Hosoda
With the recent release of Sonic Mania, we thought it would be fitting to do a spotlight covering all of the co-op Sonic games. Being around for nearly three decades, the games were a big part of many gamer's childhood . Unfortunately, the road has been a bumpy one for the blue hedgehog. With that being said, there are definitely some great games worth trying out.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) - 1992
Sonic 2 is the first Sonic game to feature co-op gameplay, and is considered by many to be the definitive Sonic game. Playing as Tails might be frustrating for some. He can't fly, and the majority of your time will probably be spent just trying to keep up with Sonic. But when controlled by the right player, Tails can be a great asset to the team. And when it comes to boss fights, Tails can really shine.
SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade) (JP) - 1993
Sega Sonic is a true hidden gem. Most people are completely unaware of its existence due to the fact that it was released in Japanese arcades only. As well as it's exclusion from all Sonic collections. This may be due to the trackball control being hard to transfer over to analog. Although, I seemed to be able to use a D-Pad in my emulator without any problems. Although, it still didn't feel exactly right. One day I hope I can play the game on original hardware. What sets this game apart from all other Sonic games is the isometric view, the slower paced gameplay, trackball controls, and most importantly, the three player co-op gameplay! If you get the chance, definitely put some time into playing this through emulation.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 + Sonic & Knuckles (Genesis) - 1994
Sonic 3 picks up where Sonic 2 left off, and in many ways, improves upon some gameplay elements. The music is arguable the best of all Sonic soundtracks, and the same can be said about some of the level design. One of the biggest improvements is that Tails can now fly. On top of that, he can also carry Sonic for a short distance. This definitely adds more playability for the second player outside of boss fights. After finishing the Sonic 3 story, you can attach the game to the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge and continue to play through Sonic's story with Tails by your side. This was very revolutionary for the time.
Knuckles' Chaotix (Sega 32X) - 1995
Knuckles' Chaotix is one of the best Sonic games that doesn't even have Sonic in it. Also, it's one of the few co-op 32X games. The gameplay is very similar to prior Sonic games, but levels seem to be a bit simplified, trading the different routes for a more straight forward approach. The other difference is when playing two player, characters are connected together through a chained ring. Some might think this is a negative, but I personally thought it added a new layer of teamwork to the gameplay. Plus, it's nice not leaving the second player in the dust.
Sonic Battle (Gameboy Advance) - 2003
Sonic Battle is very different from other Sonic games. Usually when a Sonic game strays from the classic style gameplay, it's not a good sign. But in this case, the game works really well. Sonic Battle plays similarly to Super Smash Bros. Or Power Stone. Up to four players can connect their GBAs for free for all or team based battles. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a story. However, two players can team up against the computer for two on two co-op battles.
Sonic Advance 3 (Gameboy Advance) - 2004
After going many years without a proper 2D Sonic game, the Sonic Advance series brought the Hedgehog back to his roots. Although, prior Sonic Advance games did have multiplayer, Sonic Advance 3 was the first to include co-op. One of the main advantages of playing the game with two GBAs, is you now have two screens. This removes the issue of losing Tails when the camera follows Sonic. The downside to this, however, now the levels can at times feel more like a race, and less like teamwork. As soon as one player makes it to the goal, the stage ends. It almost feels like you're not even playing together at times. It's still a fun game, and definitely worth trying with a friend.
Sonic Colors (Wii) - 2010
Sonic colors was one of the first Sonic games to start the trend of mixing 2D and 3D gameplay together. Some consider the game to be one of the better recent Sonic releases. Which isn't saying much. Unfortunately, the story mode is only single player, leaving co-op to be played in a separate challenge mode.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, Steam) - 2012
This game is considered by many to just be bad. But I think if it had a different title, it wouldn't be judged so harshly. Personally, I really like this game. I think it got a lot of things right. The co-op is done well, Tails is still able to fly Sonic, and the camera keeps both characters on the screen at all times. That being said, I wish the graphics were done in a pixel art style, the music doesn't feel like Sonic, and sometimes the level design just feels lazy. Overall, I enjoyed this game, but it just didn't quite capture essence of classic Sonic games.
Sonic Lost World (Wii U) - 2013
There's not a lot to be said about this game. Many people call it a rip off of Mario Galaxy, not only due to the level design, but the limited co-op gameplay is similar as well. It's definitely one of the better recent Sonic games though.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U) - 2014
Sonic Boom was met with very negative reviews. It had numerous glitches, bad camera and controls, terrible acting, story, and dialogue. But also, the game doesn't play anything like a Sonic game. I'm not sure it deserves all of the hate it gets. Maybe if the Sonic name wasn't attached people would view it more fairly.
Sonic Mania (Pretty much Everything) - 2017
I'm just going to come out and say it... Sonic Mania is amazing! This is a game that did everything right. It has great pixel art, amazing level design, interesting and unique boss fights, music that sounds retro but with some modern flair. This is the Sonic game I have been waiting for. I can't really think of a single negative thing to say about it. Other than, the two player mode is the same as Sonic 2 and 3. Meaning, Tails is constantly getting lost as Sonic runs through levels. I think they could've figured out a creative way to improve upon that. That being said, Tails is still able to help out with flying and in boss fights. Coming from a life long die hard Sonic fan, this could very well be the best Sonic game ever made. Sonic 2 and 3 are two of my all time favorite games, but if I am truly looking at this game objectively, I think it improves upon just about everything those games did. This is easily in my top five games of the year so far. If you haven't yet, go out and play this game! I just hope that the people that make future Sonic games take some note!