Sonic the Hedgehog, everyone's favorite chilli dog loving, gold ring collecting, iconic gaming mascot is celebrating his 20th Anniversary this year. Fittingly, Sega has released Sonic Generations, the first title in the series to feature both modern and classic Sonic in the same game. After our hero's birthday party is unceremoniously crashed by a nefarious being known only as the time eater, Sonic finds himself at a strange, yet somehow familiar junction. What is this place, and where did his friends go? This premise, however basic, gives Sega a quasi-logical excuse to bring back fan favorite stages from previous Sonic games, and serves to explain how two different Sonics can exist in the same game.

First and foremost, note that classic and modern Sonic are not simply different character models. A great deal of effort has been put into making them feel authentic, with gameplay and controls uniquely matched to each respective Sonic. Instead of merely allowing either one to be selected at will, each Sonic has their own specific levels. Classic levels are primarily 2D oriented, and occupy most of Act 1, while their modern counterparts are 3D/2D hybrids, taking up the bulk of Act 2 for each stage. Keeping true to each Sonic's heritage, both hedgehogs have their own specific traits, that do not overlap. Classic Sonic, for instance, can spin dash, but doesn't talk, as he never talked in any of his 2D adventures. Modern Sonic, conversely, has a boost meter and full speech, but lacks a dedicated spin dash button. In addition, there are challenge stages tailored to each character; ranging from doppelganger races, to survival, to skill challenges, which, when completed, unlock new abilities available for purchase in the skill shop.

Progression here is markedly different from previous Sonic games. Largely abandoning the level structure of other titles in the series, Sonic Generations instead features a central hub, with stages that do not need to completed in sequential order. Each section of the hub world represents a given era of Sonic's history - beginning with the Genesis era, leading on to the Dreamcast era, and ultimately ending up on the modern era. The process to unlock new stages has changed as well. While the ultimate goal remains to defeat the boss to open new areas, the majority of bosses do not appear at the end of a given act. In order to reach a boss, a series of keys must be collected. Boss keys are obtained after completing challenge stages, which become available after finishing all of the acts in a given segment. Regarding the actual bosses themselves, watch for a number of familiar faces from prior Sonic games, with Perfect Chaos, Doctor Eggman's (now infamous) Death Egg Robot, and Shadow the Hedgehog being three standouts.

As anyone familiar with Sonic will tell you, speed is his bread and butter. This remains as true as ever in Generations. Throughout the adventure, the framerate zips along at a solid 60 frames per second, with little to no slowdown in sight. That said, this blistering speed does become a problem at times. While the camera for the most part remains static (primarily left to right for Classic Sonic, and in third person for Modern Sonic), we noticed a handful of instances where the camera was unable to keep up with the player's movement, and needed a short - 2 to 3 second - amount of time to catch up. Granted, this is a minor graphical hiccup, but in certain instances, may ultimately end up meaning the difference between life and death, or, in a challenge stage, the difference between success and failure. That being said, outside of this glitch, the rest of the game is visually stunning. Featuring a strong combination of HD remastered stages of days past, and re-imagined areas, Sonic Generations is always easy on the eyes.

Perhaps the strongest feature of this game, however, is the fact that it has clearly been designed with the fans in mind. In addition to familiar bosses, a number of other characters regular to the series make appearances as well. Familiar faces include, but are not limited to, Rouge, Miles, Amy, and Cream. As new characters are unlocked, they will dispatch tips and tricks to Sonic in the hub world. Many of them will also lend a hand in the various challenge stages as well. Adding to the overall sense of nostalgia, Omochao, Sonic's helpful but sometimes annoying robotic buddy returns; don't worry, he's optional, and can be shut off in the menus. In another nice touch, the original Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis game is included as an unlockable in-game bonus. Bucking the trend of the online pass, no separate activation code is required - simply earn a total of 7777 skill points, and the game can be unlocked from the skill shop. Speaking of the skill shop, the ability to customize skill sets to your liking is a welcome addition. As if all this wasn't enough to get Sonic fans excited, Jun Senoue returns to orchestrate the soundtrack. Featuring an eclectic, yet fun collection of remixes, digital re-masters, and original tracks from the Sonic Universe, the score is infectiously catchy - even to the point of eliciting us to sing along!

All told, Sonic Generations winds up feeling like two Sonic games in one. While the overall story isn't the most gripping ever told in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, it doesn't have to be. At the end of the day, SG does what it sets out to do, which is to give the fans a memorable 20th anniversary celebration. In this goal, the game succeeds brilliantly. Offering secrets a plenty, a double dose of Sonic goodness, dozens of challenge stages, and even an online mode, Sonic Generations is unquestionably the finest game in the series since Sonic Adventure, enjoyable both by fans and newcomers alike.

Sonic Generations
Gameplay
Nostalgic platforming goodness with charm to spare. A solid mix of 2D and 3D levels, and the original Sonic The Hedgehog as an unlockable bonus to boot.
Sound
Jun Senoue resurrects many of the classic Sonic tunes; some are remixes, some are remasters of the original tracks. Additionally, love it or hate it, Omochao returns.
Graphics
Colorful, lavishly animated locales abound, many of which will trigger a sense of deja vu among fans of the franchise. Visuals zip around at blistering speed; from time to time, a bit faster than the camera can catch up to.
Controls
Despite both variants of Sonic having their own unique abilities, movement is straightforward, with little to no learning curve required.
Overall
Sonic Generations is a platforming adventure everywhere can enjoy. With dozens of challenges, a double dose of the blue bomber, customizable skill sets, and cameo appearances by series favorites such as Tails, Shadow, Amy, and Rouge, there is much to like here.