First Look at Nintendo 3DS Sonic Generations

A batch of screenshots from upcoming platormer Sonic Generations are here at GGS for your viewing pleasure. Sonic Generations was officially announced in April and is scheduled to come out later this year in honor of the series’ 20th Anniversary. The game features “time holes” that toss the hedgehog and his pals into levels inspired by classic Sonic titles, promising gamers the chance to freshly relive the much loved games of their childhood. By combining nostalgic characters and worlds with stereoscopic 3D, it’s no secret Sega’s target audience is the generation that grew up with the Genesis.

This speedster has been one of the top video game characters of all time since we were first introduced to his 16-bit form. Fandom has wavered a bit in recent years but perhaps this throwback to old favorites will make Sonic a favorite again. The question is: will the combination of old plus new be enough to intrigue potential players? I, for one, am looking forward to checking this title out for the throwbacks alone. We’ll see if it can replace Sega Genesis Collection in my household, which I pop in every time I need a Sonic fix. But In order to make a fair judgment about Generations, I’ll need to mentally prepare myself beforehand since playing Sonic on a handheld device other than an enormous blue Game Gear that overheats my hands just never feels right.

Check out the screenshots of the special stage, which Sega designed specifically to take advantage of the 3DS system’s capabilities. The shots feature Sonic zooming through familiar pipes in his red kicks while the player helps him avoid obstacles and collect colorful spheres, all while the game tracks his progress towards Chaos Emeralds.