Summary
While players wait for the arrival ofSonic the Hedgehog 3in theaters, they’ll have plenty of time to get reacquainted with the character of Shadow the Hedgehog withSonic X Shadow Generations. 13 years afterSonic Generations' original release, the hitSonicgame is getting remastered by Sonic Team itself, complete with a brand-new Shadow campaign on the side. Many players are excited about the new features and additions, especially sinceSonic Generationshas been one of the more favored games in the blue hedgehog’s 33-year history.
However, as great as it is that there will be at least one full-title release from theSonicseries this year, it’s a bitsurprising thatSonic Generationsis being remastered at all. From the trailer shown at Sony’s recent State of Play presentation, the core game hardly seems to have changed, whereas Shadow’s campaign is a rather big jump in visual graphics comparatively. Even though there are plenty of otherSonicgames that could have deserved the remaster more,Sonic Generations' new life serves still serves a few purposes.
The Importance of Rereleasing Sonic Generations
The Success of Sonic Generations
Back in 2011,Sonic Generationswas a hit with plenty ofSonicfans due to the way that itpaid tribute toSonic the Hedgehog’s 20th anniversarywith plenty of style and love. Because of the presentation found in the celebratory title, the game still sits as one of the franchise’s top sellers on Steam over ten years later. However,Sonic Generationswas left behind on the PS3 and the Nintendo 3DS as the years went by, with Steam and the Xbox store being the only ways to get the game on current consoles.
Sonic Generations is About to Reach Newer Consoles
This remaster is an easy way for Sega to sell the game in recent storefronts that cater to Switch, PS4, and PS5 players. Asit givesSonic Generationsa fresh coat of paint, which allows it to adapt to include new things such as native 4K resolution, those who enjoyed the original game may see the additional Shadow content as just the icing on the cake. It begs the question if the remaster will lead to the original version being delisted, though, which is worrying fans due to the history of mods that are still used today that keep the game alive.
Shadow the Hedgehog May Be the Most Important Character of 2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Likely Going to be Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie
In the time since the originalSonic Generationswas released, the titular blue hedgehog and his friends Tails and Knuckles have made their mark on the silver screen in not just one, but two feature-length films. The ironically namedSonic the Hedgehog 2adapted the story ofSonic the Hedgehog 3for theaters, and it featured a sequel hook that all but confirmed that the third film of theSoniccinematic universe is looking to adapt the story ofSonic Adventure 2. Shadow is, without a doubt, going to play a big part of the nextSonicmovie as a result, which could boost the film’s success since Shadow is one of the most popular characters in the franchise.
Sonic x Shadow Generations is All of Shadow
Sonic the Hedgehog 3is currently slated to release in December 2024, soreleasing additional Shadow content inSonic x Shadow Generationsis a great way to capitalize on the character’s popularity with fans. The remastered title is set to release months before the movie’s release, but with the pretense ofGenerations' plot, Shadow’s campaign has free rein to explore the black hedgehog’s history from his debut to possibly even as far asSonic Forces. It’s the perfect way for newer fans who see the movie and love Shadow to experience more content involving him in video game form, with the remaster poised to earn the series more money and exposure overall.
Sonic Superstars
WHERE TO PLAY
Inspired by the franchise’s 2D heyday, Sega’s Sonic Superstars is a co-op platformer that features Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy as playable characters.
