The Sonic franchise has been running for over 30 years with a plethora of games. While it's one of the most iconic and recognizable gaming series, if you're new to the Sonic games, you may be wondering where to start.
With so many titles and some rougher than others, it can be difficult for a beginner to know where to jump in. You need that first experience to be a quality one so you get into the series head-on. Thankfully, there are many quality games for you to first jump into the world of Sonic from both the old and new-school varieties.
8 Sonic Frontiers
The latest game in the Sonic series, Sonic Frontiers, is actually a great jumping-on-point. Frontier's open world is easy to get sucked into and a lot of fun. The main reason this game is a good starting point is the Cyber Space levels. It's fun speeding through them, but most of the levels are directly taken from either Sonic Unleashed, Colors, or Generations.
If you played those games first, you might be a bit disappointed, but if you start with Frontiers, they'll be totally fresh. Some of these levels are the best that 3D Sonic has to offer, and they are almost like a Greatest Hits compilation. In music, the Greatest Hits album is usually a good starting point, and so is Sonic Frontiers.
7 Sonic Colors Ultimate
One of the best 3D Sonic games has to be Sonic Colors. With its speed and solid level design, the game's fantastic. Originally a Wii exclusive, it eventually got remastered on modern platforms as Sonic Colors Ultimate. Many hardcore Sonic fans have issues with it compared to the original version, but none of that will matter if you're a beginner.
For new Sonic players, they won't even be aware of that stuff, and the game will be a fun-filled ride. In addition, you probably don't own a Wii, so Colors Ultimate is the only way to play easily. This game is even better for you to begin with since the remaster is still an excellent title.
6 Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations is debatably the best Sonic game, but at the very least, it's the best 3D Sonic game. Released to celebrate Sonic's 20th Anniversary, the game features new stages based on levels from every main Sonic title prior. Due to this, you might think you'll be missing out if you haven't played the previous games.
That is not the case, though, due to the title's quality, and you'll actually be more likely to search out the previous games if you start with Generations. Each stage has a Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic level, and they're the best work from the Sonic Team to release in more recent times. The best way to play this stellar platformer is on an Xbox Series X, which offers a near 4K resolution at 60fps.
5 Sonic Mania
Up there with Sonic Generations in terms of the best recent Sonic titles has to be Sonic Mania. Helmed by Christian Whitehead, who previously did several Sonic fan games, Mania is sort of a celebration of all things Classic Sonic. All of these games are referenced plenty of times, and even Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine makes an appearance.
If you're a beginner, the fan service won't work, but don't worry, as the core game is a great starting 2D Sonic title. With both new and old zones included, the levels are of such a high quality that simply hasn't been seen in a long time with official 2D Sonic games. By playing Mania first, you'll want to start playing the rest of the classic games afterward.
4 Sonic 2
There is still a lot of debate about which Classic Sonic game is the best. It really is a personal preference, but the most popular choice today is Sonic 2. In terms of the overall package, Sonic 2 is the best. It has the best levels and bosses, and while some other games have more quantity in those, Sonic 2 is the most well-rounded.
Most modern ports have some sort of save feature, which is really helpful and almost needed for beginners. If you want to start with the classics, don't start with the first game. Start with Sonic 2, as that's the one beginners will immediately get sucked into.
3 Sonic Adventure
Sonic's first mainline 3D title was Sonic Adventure, originally released in 1998. While praised at release, this game is often considered a badly aged game. This is not true. That may apply to the other characters' stories, but Sonic's campaign is still a blast to this day. Sonic's campaign is by far the biggest, being multiple hours long, and all the stages are still really fun.
They're not as fast as the boost-era games, but they're still enjoyable. You can skip the other character's campaigns if you want, and since the game's only $5 on Xbox Series X|S, you get your money's worth. Sonic Adventure is a good starting point if you just want to play the 3D games and start with the first.
2 Sonic 3 & Knuckles
While Sonic 2 is the best overall, the Classic Sonic game with the most content is Sonic 3 & Knuckles. With three different characters to play as and 14 total zones, it's the most jam-packed Classic Sonic. 14 zones might not seem big by today's standards, but back in '94, it was a big deal.
Considering the 14 zones are still the same quality that Sonic Team had back in the day, you could argue that this is a better starting 2D Sonic game. In the end, both games are good picks if you want to start with a great 2D entry in the Sonic series.
1 Sonic Unleashed
The first game in the golden era of 3D Sonic would probably be Sonic Unleashed. The daytime stages are amazing and fun to speed through, especially with the introduced boost mechanic. People might say that the lackluster nighttime stages bog the game down, but not really.
They're at least okay, and the day stages more than makeup for it. The game's challenging but not to the degree that it would turn off a beginner. It's not as hard as something like Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic Unleashed is a solid choice for a beginner if you want to go through the really good 3D Sonic games in order.