Game News

An In-Depth–And Spoiler Filled–Look At Sonic Generations 3DS

Now that the fires from Generations on PS3, 360, and PC are cooling down, the 3DS version is running… well, slowly, briskly running behind its grander brethren. As we did a small reveal of details before, it only makes sense the 3DS version gets an equal opportunity. Since the 3DS is currently not quite as easy to pick apart as certain consoles, most of the juicy goodness comes our way thanks to Sonic Stadium member Thigolf after getting a copy of the game from a broken street date in Germany.

If the headline itself wasn’t enough of a deterrent, proceed at your own discretion.

For those not keeping track of level reveals, there are seven stages the two Sonics go through: Green Hill Zone, Casino Night Zone, Mushroom Hill Zone, Emerald Coast, Radical Highway, Water Palace, and Tropical Resort. While the console version has Sonic and a ton of his friends, the portable version keeps it simple with just Sonic, Tails, Eggman, and the three rivals.

Beating Green Hill Zone automatically unlocks every level in the era, allowing you to pick and choose which zone and act you want to do first. Eventually, you’ll be challenged to face the rival of that particular area; Metal Sonic in Casino Night Zone for Genesis, Shadow in Radical Highway for Dreamcast, and Silver rounds out the three at Tropical Resort for the Modern Era. Beating them unlocks the big boss of the particular era.

An aside, don’t expect all new remixes for the rivals. They’re all packing their console version music.

The Big Bosses are Big Arm (Sonic 3), Biolizard (Sonic Adventure 2), and Egg Emperor (Sonic Heroes.) Your guess is as good as ours as to why the “Dreamcast Era” got two bosses. All of them feature remixes of their original songs, so expect the inevitable rip of the Supporting Me remix to hit the interwebs.

As seen, Chaos Emeralds are chased down in Sonic Heroes-styled special stages. Collecting orbs builds up the boost meter, allowing Sonic to chase down the Emerald within a limit of 1:30. As an aside, Classic Sonic gains the homing attack upon completion of the Genesis Era, and Modern Sonic gains the Stomp attack after clearing the Dreamcast Era. Classic Sonic can also pick up the Lightning Shield, functioning as it does in the Advance and Rush games (no double jump.)

Here are some additional level notes:

Level info:
*The Whale in Classic Emerald Coast destroys the path behind you kind of like the Truck in the HD Version does
*In Modern Emerald Coast, he jumps out of the water and you have to do a little quick time event to make him crash against the wall (poor guy)
*Modern Radical Highway has lots of grinding parts on the bridge
*In Water Palace Classic Sonic needs to activate the switches to make the water pumps, that shoot you up, work (could be gramatically false, sorry) The level also has a bubble maschine that creates bubbles you can jump on so you can cross holes
*The Back 2 Back remix in the Modern Level seems more funky and has more rock elements
*Classic Tropical Resort seems to be based more on the DS Version of Colors designwise, he also has the DS exclusive Red Wisp and has a Rocket Part at the end where so jump from rocket to rocket before they explode to get up
*Modern Tropical Resort is more based on the Wii Version and has the Cyan Wisp, at the end you grind on rails and you have to avoide falling meteors

There are also 100 missions to play through, but to access them, you’ll either need to use the game’s StreetPass function or spend five Play Coins per mission. Better get walking.

Lastly, and this will no doubt be a deal breaker for a lot of you reading this, while beating the console version unlocks (severely nerfed) playable Super Sonics in stages, no such thing occurs in the 3DS version. From the looks of it, Super Sonic is not allowed in stages, sticking exclusively to the Time Eater battle.

But let’s not send you home on a sour note. Thanks to Mario and Sonic 2012, we actually have a pretty high quality version of Modern Emerald Coast’s remix of Windy and Ripply.

Previous Post Next Post

You Might Also Like

43 Comments

  • Reply

    I need to hear that Supporting Me.

  • Reply

    No Super Classic Sonic and no Super Modern Sonic make Homer something, something…

  • Reply

    I’m still getting this game. Of course, it is solely for the music and to fill up my library of 3DS games. Also, why do I have the worst feeling that this version is going to have higher reviews than its superior?

    • Reply

      Handheld games tend to get an easier time due to lower standards, especially third party titles. Sonic Colors DS is mediocre but a damned gold nugget in comparison to the sea of third party trash on DS.

  • Reply

    is just going to be sonic playable no other character just talk thats sucks

    • Reply

      Same thing for the console versions; that’s pretty old news…

  • Reply

    No double jump with the electric shield? No Super Sonic(s)? 100 missions I can only access by not playing the game? Homing attack for Classic Sonic? Hmm. Not liking the sound of this.

  • Reply

    And we can of course expect copy paste level design for the classic stages. Oh, and DAT MUSIC!!!

  • Reply

    What I thought:
    Classic Homing Attack! Yeah! Wait, special stages? Aww crap. Green hill unlocks all levels in era? COOL! Big Arm. Biolizard. Egg Emporer. God damnit. Time eater still uses super sonic? HELL YESH. No playable super in normal levels? Meh, I couldnt give a damn, i hardly ever use it on the PS3 anyways. No double jump for lightning shield. Aww well.

    I may get this. If a had a 3DS. Damn, this’ll take me forever to get.

  • Reply

    Yeah, the 3DS version is starting to sound more than a little lackluster in comparison to it’s console cousin. At this point, the only thing I’m looking forward to with it is the remixed music, namely that of the new bosses.

  • Reply

    So… the relationship between console & portable Sonic Generations is the very opposite thing than the relationship between console & portable Sonic Colors? except the portable version is still sucking?

  • Reply

    Can’t wait to get my hands on Supporting Me remix, I so loved the one we got in Generations when fighting Shadow XD

    However I’m a little disappointed for only having 7 levels instead of 9, kinda makes the game uneven!

  • Reply

    The same rivals is a bit lazy! Should have went with Knuckles, Fang, and Blaze.

  • Reply

    I knew the Biolizard would get in considering the boss choices in the console version, but why have the Egg Emperor in this when Dimps could have used the Nega-Wisp Armour instead? Also..

    Cyan Wisp? Saw that one coming.
    No Super Sonic in normal levels? Bah…
    Spending Play Coins on missions? Doesn’t bother me considering I abused this in those Mii Plaza minigames.
    Ehhh, buying anyway. They should really stop relying on Dimps at some point.

  • Reply

    Technically, the 3DS is more correct than the console, because Heroes was an outcast game and 2006 was erased from continuity. But still an unleashed and CD level wouldn’t be too much to ask for right? Just hopefully some of the things in the console version are fixed in the 3DS version, 2-D wise obviously.

  • Reply

    Besides no super sonic. Don’t care he was useless in the console version anyway, just hope there’s something Dooomsday zone based.

  • Reply

    Can’t complain about the boss lineup~ And I’m glad Egg Emperor made it in, there are no modern era bosses besides egg dragoon that are worth remaking. Can’t wait to hear those remixes~

  • Reply

    what is with dimps and the homing attack? it wasnt a good move to begin with!

  • Reply

    Now what I’d like to know is if there’s unlockable and replacable tracks in this version of the game.

  • Reply

    Why is everyone complaining about Play Coins? I’m pretty sure you could just uberhax them by shaking the 3DS.

  • Reply

    I think that the lack of Super Sonic is more than likely Dimps’ part. It makes sense, though, it’s been this way for all of their Sonic games except Sonic 4.
    Besides, they gave us the more powerful Sonic Boost – it’s got more invulnerabilities than the Unleashed one. Having Super Sonic with infinite boost in Sonic Colours is probably too much with the handheld Sonic Boost versions as that grants a lot of invulnerability already, if you got to this state within the game (or they didn’t have time to implement Super Sonic playable, as a logical guess) then nothing except pits and instakills would touch you (I’m looking at you, Sky Babylon)

  • Reply

    wait, isnt windy and ripply from windy valley not emerald coast?

    • Reply

      You’re thinking Windy Hill, the music for part 1 of Windy Valley. Windy and Ripply is part 2 for Emerald Coast.

  • Reply

    We need to hear the music to the 3ds version

  • Reply

    Still complaining about all the minor tweaks, hmm? Why not just be like me and appreciate the game as is?

  • Reply

    go crazy?

  • Reply

    This.
    other than Emerald Coast modern the other levels look great. and are among my favorite levels.

  • Reply

    Okay,so why does everyone hate the homing attack?

  • Reply

    I don’t like to nitpick, but the Homing Attack on Classic Sonic is just… Out of place. The homing attack was MADE because it makes attacking enemies in a 3D space bearable. Look at Sonic 3D Blast!
    In later games, when Sonic went 2D and kept the homing attack, it was because it lent itself to super-speed platforming. Classic Sonic does not have super speed platforming, he has regular platforming mixed in with fast levels that test your reflexes to get on the right paths. If I find out Classic Sonic’s levels are getting filled with 90% homing attack chains, I’m gonna be disappointed.

    HOWEVER, I am actualy really happy to see something from Sonic Rush. A handheld Generations paying tribute to a handheld Sonic game is just too right.

    But it just seems like the 3DS version is gonna be… pretty boring, compared to the console version.

  • Reply

    “…Classic Sonic gains the homing attack upon completion of the Genesis Era…”

    I just died a little bit inside.

  • Reply

    well, because it was introduced in SA1 so hitting enemies in 3D wasn’t tricky to do. The idea of putting it in 2D not only seems pointless but will make the game too easy since you can automatically lock on to and kill enemies. Nothing against the move but classic sonic doesn’t need it

  • Reply

    I actually don’t mind not having super sonic fully playable, because i have yet to use him outside the final boss battle in the console verion because he cost too many skill points

    • Reply

      Neither are worth using as they are because of a few reasons, like Classic Sonic doesn’t gain a speed boost or a higher jump (Classic Super Sonic’s signature marks) and Modern Super Sonic is significantly downgraded from his Sonic Colors iteration where boosting affects ring depletion.

      It’s a shame that neither of these will be corrected later on. It makes the whole getting them feel rather pointless.

  • Reply

    lol: in DEPTH (cough cough 3DS cough cough)

  • Reply

    please iizuka.. no more boost to win :d modern spindash items and mometum again please! x d

  • Reply

    the problem with homing attack is because they force you to use it. Just like Sonic 4.

  • Reply

    DON’T MIND IF I DO!
    *insert gamer rant here*
    But, seriously no Super Sonic is my only complaint. The Genesis games were all about using Super Sonic during normal stages. If you can master a Sonic game as normal Sonic without breaking a sweat, you should be allowed to tear through/basically rape the game as Super Sonic. *cough*S3K*cough*

  • Reply

    Resuming everything: Generations 3DS will be full of COMPLETE JUNK, with a few things that SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE CONSOLES.

    Great job, SEGA. You screwed everything up. Again.

  • Reply

    That doesn’t rend me off the marvel that Generations HD became, though. You know, the HD version was way too wonderful, even with its very few fails (why bother put Super Sonic in if it is a complete garbage compared to Colors?).

    Still, I am disappointed by the 3DS version. Iizuka not only broke his promise to bring portables’ stages in the game, but also make the game like his tail.

  • Reply

    I really like thisssssssssssssssssssss

  • Reply

    i have a question in sonic generations 3ds the voice option can be changed to spanish and german or just the english

  • Reply

    boost to win

  • Reply

    @Zero Dozer: Iizuka didn’t brake his promise Water Palace and Tropcial Resort Act 1 are from the handhelds

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.