Sonic 3D Blast for the Saturn the best??? Hahahahhahahaha! Oh my.
To be fair, 3D Blast isn't a bad game. But far from best when talking all around Sonic games. It's more Flicky than Sonic to begin with. I guess you, semmie, prefer Flicky to Sonic gameplay? Thats the only way I can see deeming it "the best". Its a different formula in that its not even a Sonic formula. More like Flicky with some Sonic elements. I would say, though, that 3D Blast is the best non-compilation Sonic game for the Saturn, the music is great (both Saturn and Genesis) and the Saturn special stages are fun.
My top
5 6:
1. Sonic Jam - The entire Genesis Sonic saga, bonus elements like spindash in Sonic 1, different modes, the awesome Sonic World museum, video clips, images, mini-games. Really, this is the best Sonic compilation ever, and my preferred method of playing the Genesis originals. Plus, it makes a great #1 Sonic game, as it sneakily includes Sonic 1-3&K
2. Sonic Generations - Might be the flavor of the week, and will slip on my list in a few years, but I still very much love this game. The best 3D Sonic gameplay of the current gen era, and really good 2D Sonic stages. It's just so awesome to be playing 2D Sonic, on a console, and it's developed wholly by Sonic Team. I'll admit, I do enjoy Sonic 4, specifically Episode 2, but it wouldn't make a top 5 list and it's a shame it wasn't developed wholly by Sonic Team. Generations satisfies that for me, and is just such a nostalgic love letter to Sonic fans, not to mention a great game to boot.
3. Sonic Adventure 2 - a part of the reason I love this game is nostalgia, but I'll be damned if when I replayed the XBLA version to review, I wasn't genuinely entertained. Sure the rose tinted glasses were on from time to time (especially during the kooky cutscenes) but I honest to god enjoyed the game. The pacing is tight, the music is great, the Sonic/Shadow gameplay was a lot of fun. Even the other stuff like mechs and treasure hunts were fun. Oh yeah, I really like the boss battles and stories in SA2 as well. My favorite Dreamcast platformer for sure, and my favorite Sonic game of the Dreamcast/XBOX/PS2/Gamecube era.
4. Sonic CD (XBLA) - The SEGA CD original is enjoyable, but I like the rerelease far better. For starters, it's stable, unlike my hit or miss SEGA CD laser.
Also, the little additions like Tails, spindash and two soundtracks make for a really well rounded package. The game is a fun "what-if" sort of title, in that being developed after Sonic 1, the team behind it really didn't have a long history of Sonic titles to reference when it came to creating that was essentially the third Sonic game to exist. I totally get why some people (like Sharky, I believe) hates it, as it does require you to play it differently than most Sonic titles. But unlike 3D Blast, it does not change up the formula and make an entirely new game. Instead, exploration is more important than going from point A to B. Once you get over that, and try not to blask from left to right, its a really fun experimental Sonic title that has more hits than misses. Graphics are lovely, two soundtracks are auditory bliss, and I gotta be honest... I like that it retains a number of Sonic 1 elements! Love Sonic 2 (far more than CD) but its a great Sonic 1.5.
5. Sonic Colors - Can't believe I first thought this was a Sonic version of Mario Paint when it was revealed. It really is a solid 3D Sonic game. My only negatives: the power ups take over the standard Sonic formula at times a bit too much, and I hate that the overworld map doesn't really tell you what act is which. Some acts play like classic Sonic Adventure style, while others are short 2D puzzles. I ended up making a cheat sheet for the acts that play like true Sonic stages and not just mini-puzzles.
Anyway, everything else is very solid. Just Sonic & Tails vs. Eggman. I loved that Cubot returned, finally some continuity in the modern era (and Generations strengthened this with a flashback to the ending of Colors). Music is excellent, stage design is classic Sonic (seriously, stages like Planet Wisp feel straight out of the Genesis era), gameplay is solid. 3D is great fun, bigger emphasis on 2D is a treat for classic era fans. The double jump is goofy, but it does help a great deal in getting jumps right. Sort of a cheat I guess, but at least it doesn't ruin the game.
6. Sonic Adventure - had to add one on. I love SA1, but a lot of that love is nostalgia. I think the game is best now when played from the stage select screen. The Adventure fields are just far to tedious now. I've played through SA1 about 6 times, and the last few were not so enjoyable. Advenutre field hit and the game was
action stage hit and the game was :D Amy/Big stage hit and the game was
Still, as the first 3D Sonic platformer, it is a great accomplishment, if a little dated. Really, you're not going to see so many Genesis era elements carried over to a 3D title ever again. Sonic stages are fun and plentiful. Really, playing all of Sonic's stages from start to finish is better than all of SA2, in my opinion, however thats not the whole game nor is it really an option in the game (gotta keep going back to the stage select menu). Thus the game is 6th on the list, but that doesn't mean its a bad title at all.
