You Got To Move Fast & Cautious In These Games
Sonic the Hedgehog is Sega’s famed mascot. He was designed to stand toe to toe with Mario during Sega’s rivalry with Nintendo in the 90s’. Although Sonic’s 3D games have massively declined in quality over the years, his 2D entries remain flawless and exhilarating.
Unlike Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog’s 2D games offered faster gameplay and groovy soundtracks to accompany its iconic, well-designed levels. It also offered a more humane villain with respect to Dr. Robotnik, who later became known as Dr. Eggman.
These titles still hold up well, and Sega has re-released them numerous times as collections and remakes. While many are hoping Sonic’s new 3D title, Sonic Frontier will shatter the Hedgehog’s bad reputation in the 3D field, his 2D games are crowned victorious to many fans.
If you’ve finished playing any of Sonic’s 2D games and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 8 picks.
Of course, for all the games we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link, so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 8 games to check out if you’re looking for a game like the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles.
Freedom Planet
Freedom Planet feels like the spiritual successor to Sonic the Hedgehog. Its gameplay is vastly the same aesthetic and atmospheric-wise. However, it offers enough unique elements to help it stand on its own.
Freedom Planet is a combat-based platformer that takes place in a futuristic world filled with robots and other technological beings. In this game, players follow the adventures of Lilac and Carol, who are up against an alien attack force threatening to destroy their home world.
Like Sonic the Hedgehog, you’ll need to defeat these creatures by using Lilac and Carol’s special powers. Lilac is more of a tactile and distant fighter who likes to use her hair to deal damage to foes. Like Tails, she can also soar through the air at high speeds.
Carol is more hands-on, like Knuckles. She likes to damage enemies by punching or kicking them. She also has a unique power that allows her to summon motorcycles. This allows you to climb up walls and ceilings. Again, similar to how Knuckles uses his claws to climb structures in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Besides the characters, Freedom Planet allows players to explore their worlds to their liking. They encourage players to do so by including various hidden routes and items. Therefore, if you’re looking for more of the same but with a few differences, check out Freedom Planet.
Kaze and the Wild Masks
Kaze and the Wild Masks is a love letter to the classic 2D platformers of the 16-bit era. Although it’s story is a bit simple and contains a few touching moments, its characters, world, and soundtrack make it a worthwhile gem.
In this game, you control a rabbit named Kaze, who is in midst of a strange curse that’s plaguing her world of Crystal Islands. As Kaze, you’re tasked with saving her friend Hogo from this curse while trying to find a solution to stop it.
Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Kaze is an anthropomorphic being with special abilities. These special abilities allow her to call upon Crystal Islands’ various wildlife like tigers, eagles, and sharks to assist her. The game also features over 30+ levels. Each of the levels has unique treasures and gives players the option to explore.
Kaze and the Wild Masks also offers great music. Most of the tracks capture the same energetic and groovy vibe as those found in Sonic’s games. If you’re looking for a game with incredible music and excellent gameplay, give Kaze and the Wild Masks a shot.
Spark the Electric Jester
Spark from Spark the Electric Jester feels like Sonic’s long-lost cousin. The way he moves and acts in his game is nearly identical to the cocky attitude Sonic displayed in his 2D games.
The game itself feels identical to Sonic in that it has landscapes that loop, twist, and turn. This allows Spark to generate his momentum before jetting through the worlds he explores. Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Spark the Electric Jester is a fast-paced action platformer with heavy 16-bit era Sega inspiration.
The storyline in this title is nonsensical and comedic. It revolves around Spark losing his job because robots are invading his world. As revenge, Sparks plans to destroy every robot he sees. It’s a ridiculous premise that echos well with the game’s approach to absurdly fast gameplay. Spark also gets access to cool power-ups like Sonic along the way, that’ll give him even greater speed and strength.
If you’re looking for another great title with a character that can match Sonic the Hedgehog’s exhilarating fast gameplay and speed, check out Spark the Electric Jester.
Cuphead
Cuphead served as a brilliant homage to both 2D platformers and retro-styled animation. It’s gained wide appeal for its beautiful visuals, run and gun action, and compelling characters. Like Sonic, Cuphead also delivers wonderful locales and boss fights that fans will treasure for a lifetime.
Furthermore, the music in this game is wonderfully done. It captures the whimsical atmosphere and colorful tone that the game’s graphics desire to emulate. It also elevates the tension during combat. This allows players to feel different and specific feelings while playing it.
Cuphead’s difficulty curve is a bit higher in comparison, though. You’ll find yourself raging at its smaller enemies and its bosses. However, the world is enticing enough that you should give it a go.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest is another breathtaking and unique platformer game. It has a lot of charm and love put into its world and characters. Like Sonic the Hedgehog, the music in Ori and the Blind Forest really sells the world as this vast magical land that’s shrouded in mystery.
Likewise, Ori’s character design is spot-on. Like Sonic at the start, Ori is a character of a few words. However, you’ll get to see his personality shine throughout the game. Ori also gradually obtains new powers as the game progresses, allowing players to develop new ways of tackling the Blind Forest’s many creative and challenging obstacles.
This is another game that wishes to immerse you with its environment, wildlife, and characters. If you want a game that’ll shower you with mixed emotions, check out Ori and the Blind Forest.
Steel Assault
Steel Assault offers fast-paced 2D platforming in a post-apocalyptic American setting. While its graphics aren’t on par with Sonic the Hedgehog, the game offers compelling gameplay and an intriguing plot. In this game, you’ll control Taro Takahashi, a soldier who tackles a revenge mission against the dictator who rules over this once beautiful world.
Like Sonic, Taro will have to defeat many small and large enemies along the way before encountering his targeted nemesis. Taro’s gameplay consists of him punching and whipping foes, and zip lining from building to building. The latter is where the gameplay’s fast pacing shines. The speed you receive while zip lining feels great and will give you the same adrenaline rush as Sonic the Hedgehog.
While the visuals aren’t mesmerizing, they do capture the tone of titles that were released during the 16-bit era of video games. The game also offers an easy mode for those that aren’t fans of fast-paced action. This allows you to test your skills before diving into its more difficult modes.
Sunblaze
Sunblaze is a heroic platforming title full of spunk and heroism. The game follows Josie, the daughter of a retired superhero, who visits her father’s training simulation room sometimes. One day, she ends up entering the room, and it malfunctions out of nowhere. Stuck in this environment without her father to assist her, Josie must complete its many challenges if she hopes to escape.
This training room is unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s full of thought-provoking puzzles and challenges and contains dangerous weaponry from TNT, spikes, and drones. While all is doom and gloom, players will have a robotic cat sidekick on their side that will help them.
The fast-paced and precise gameplay echoes most of what you’d find in the Sonic the Hedgehog titles. However, Sunblaze ups the ante by increasing the amount of enemies Josie encounters along the way. Josie will attain powers that allow her to get through each level’s tight corners. This resembles the speed boosts you’d often receive while traversing many of the 2D Sonic games’ levels.
It’s a fun heroic precision platformer game rich in story and gameplay. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Katana Zero
Katana Zero is an incredible action platformer title. It features intense violence, speedy gameplay, and an instant-death system that will fill you with rage and angst. It also offers beautiful visuals that capture its neo-noir setting well.
Like Sonic the Hedgehog, this game is incredibly fast-paced. You’ll see yourself dashing through levels while delivering mighty blows to each enemy who crosses your path. The enemies in this game are more brutal than the opponent’s sonic fights in his games. These enemies pack immense strength and can kill you instantly without issue.
However, Katana Zero grants its protagonist many abilities to even the playing field. For example, you’ll gain powers allowing you to deflect enemy gunfire right back at them. You’ll also be able to manipulate your enemies and environments by skillfully using traps and explosive weaponry.
The locales themselves are jaw-dropping and insanely detailed. Players can complete some levels differently. This allows them to formulate creative methods to defeat their foes. The story in this game has a bit more depth to it than anything you’d find in the 2D Sonic games, too.
So there we have it, our 8 video game picks to keep you busy after playing Sonic the Hedgehog.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!