Highlights
- Sonic Generations is a beloved game in the Sonic fanbase, known for its well-designed levels and the ability to control both modern Sonic and his 2D counterpart.
- The best stages in Sonic Generations, such as Chemical Plant and Crisis City, offer a blend of high-speed gameplay and more methodical areas, creating a fun and challenging experience.
- Sky Highway and Rooftop Run are visually stunning stages with vibrant environments and thrilling variation, making them a joy to play and replay.
After endless rumors and murmurs among the community, a full remaster of the beloved Sonic Generations has finally been revealed, and it's bringing with it a brand-new Shadow story that players can jump into alongside the classic Sonic stages. Generations is often championed by the Sonic fanbase as being among one of the best games in the modern era, primarily because of how well-designed the levels are, and the fact that the game allows players to control either modern Sonic, or his 2D counterpart.
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While there are technically nine stages included in Sonic Generations, each one of them has two different versions which were designed with both Sonics in mind, giving players the option to freely pick which kind of layout they'd prefer to race through, depending on their favorite playstyle. Each one of the tracks is taken from the series' past, and although they're all a blast to play through, the best Sonic Generations stages are especially fun to take on thanks to their variation and replayability.
7 Chemical Plant (Modern Sonic)
Sonic Has A Plethora Of Different Paths He Can Take When Cruising Across Chemical Plant
- 2nd Stage
This iconic Chemical Plant Zone which first appeared in Sonic 2 has always been presented in 2D form, but for Sonic Generations, it was entirely re-designed for modern Sonic, and it's fair to say, it looks amazing. While the visuals and techno-remix of the music help to make the stage engaging, what also helps it stand out is just how many paths Sonic can choose to take during the level.
Right from the get-go, Sonic will be able to hop between a multitude of branching roads to decide where he wants to end up, before then sliding down a rail to enter a few slower puzzle sections. The track strikes the perfect balance between high-speed gameplay and more methodical areas which require some quick thinking and reflexes, and it makes this iteration of such a classic stage a real highlight of the game.
6 Crisis City (Classic Sonic)
The Brutal Challenge Of Crisis City Makes It So Much Fun To Replay And Learn
- 7th Stage
Because of the lackluster reception that Sonic 06 received upon its release, a lot of people wrote off the game completely due to its clunky gameplay and mechanics, even though there were actually a few stages in there that had a lot of promise. The main example of this was Crisis City, a chaotic level where lava covered the floor and menacing creatures roamed around the skies, giving it a very intense and oppressive aesthetic that is rarely seen in Sonic stages.
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While the Generations version is greatly improved for Modern Sonic, the 2D variant for Classic Sonic plays even better thanks to the variety in the environment, and how much it accounts for Sonic's mobility. The toppled buildings and ruins that lie around the stage allow Sonic to pick up speed just by curling up into a ball at the right time, giving him plenty of momentum to speed through the track at a lightning pace. The stage is still considered pretty hard, so it can take a lot of practice to fully master, but this is ultimately what has made it so fun to jump back into for so many people.
5 Sky Highway (Modern Sonic)
It's Hard To Stay Fully Focused On The Gameplay When A Stage Looks As Stunning As Sky Highway
- 4th Stage
Vibrant, flashy, and effortlessly stylish, Sky Highway is a track that's oozing with style. From the dim-light skyscrapers to the striking billboards off in the distance, it is a feast for the eyes. It also helps that Sonic moves incredibly fast through this stage thanks to the assistance of bumpers and even a helicopter which lends him a ride at one point. While there are some tricky curved roads scattered throughout the area, holding down the drift button will allow Sonic to cruise around these without breaking a sweat.
There's only a handful of Eggman's robots who show up on this stage, which does help out with the pacing, ensuring that Sonic barely ever has to stop in his tracks while traveling at a high speed, and it makes for a fantastic speedrunning level as a result. Sky Highway is a colorful thrill ride of a stage that just never gets old, so it will no doubt look amazing in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
4 Planet Wisp (Classic Sonic)
Planet Wisp Is A Puzzle-Heavy Stage Which Makes Good Use Of The Wisp Mechanic
- 9th Stage
In the original Sonic Colors where Planet Wisp was introduced, Sonic was able to make use of the Wisp abilities to navigate the stage, and although Sonic Team could have left this gimmick out entirely when remaking it, they actually included it, even for Classic Sonic. After racing into Eggman's gigantic construction site, which is packed full of loyal robots and engineers, Sonic will need to make use of the Pink Wisp, which allows him to stick to walls, giving the player plenty of opportunity to get creative with how they reach the final goal.
This is without a doubt the most puzzle-heavy stage in Sonic Generations, which might not seem very entertaining on the surface; however, as the stage allows the player to move at an incredibly quick pace when they are using the Wisp effectively, it makes it so much fun to replay as a result. The Modern Sonic equivalent of this stage is also a fantastic iteration of the stage, but it's clear that Sonic Team put a lot of effort into making it as vibrant and detailed as possible for its 2D equivalent.
3 Sky Sanctuary (Modern Sonic)
Sky Sanctuary Contains The Perfect Mix Of High-Speed Sections And Platforming
- 3rd Stage
If players can pick up enough momentum at the beginning of Sky Sanctuary without bumping into any enemies, Sonic can travel at some pretty insane speeds when moving through the interior of the Sanctuary, especially when using his drift mechanic. While the stage isn't too difficult, it does have a handful of platforming sections that can easily trip players up if they aren't paying attention, along with a section where the structure begins to collapse with debris flying in the way of Sonic's path.
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The stage is exhilarating to play, but it's also just a marvel to look at, with the bright blue sky and giant Eggman sky-bases in the background throwing it back to the classic era of the series. It's hard to imagine Sky Sanctuary looking any better than it already does, but Sega Team might just be able to achieve the impossible for the remake.
2 City Escape (Classic Sonic)
The G.U.N Truck Relentlessly Chases Down Sonic As He Races Through The Iconic City Escape Stage
- 5th Stage
City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 is one of the most memorable and recognizable tracks in the history of the series, so it makes sense that a lot of care and attention would go into remaking it, but the developers went above and beyond with the Classic Sonic version. After sprinting through a beautiful scenic park, and taking out a few robots in the city center along the way, Sonic will eventually be chased by a gigantic G.U.N truck which barges its way through multiple platforms just to reach him.
The looming threat of the truck adds a lot of urgency to the stage, especially when it can be seen irritably driving around in the background, just waiting to charge into Sonic at full throttle as soon as it gets the chance. Meanwhile, Sonic gets to enjoy some light and casual performing sections, and he even hops on a skateboard at one point to cruise down the street, similar to the original Sonic Adventure 2. It all culminates in a nail-biting final chase sequence where the G.U.N truck stays hot on Sonic's trail until he just about manages to reach the final Golden Ring, making for an incredibly memorable track.
1 Rooftop Run (Modern Sonic)
The Amount Of Variation In Rooftop Run Makes The Whole Stage Feel Like A Thrilling Adventure
- 8th Stage
Often considered one of the best Sonic stages of all time, and potentially the very best of the modern era, it's hard to find anything not to love about Rooftop Run. The track itself feels like a true adventure, taking Sonic through the dense and populated streets which look gorgeous thanks to the traditional style and architecture of the buildings, before gradually taking him higher and higher, until eventually, he's racing up a gigantic clocktower which gives him a birds-eye view of the entire town.
During all of this, there's a perfect mix of platforming, enemies, secret areas, and plenty of long straight roads where the Blue Blur can stretch his legs and pick up some speed with the Boost mechanic. The upbeat and whimsical melody that plays in the background also goes a long way in making this track stand out, and it's without a doubt the most fun stage in Sonic Generations to replay thanks to its variety and mind-blowing sense of scale.
