Sonic’s transition to 3D has always been tricky. That 2D to 3D lane change has continued to dog the hedgehog’s releases even into the modern generations (isn’t that right, Sonic Forces?) whereas former rival Mario kept soaring beyond galaxies, getting more comfortable with each release.
For Sonic, these transitional woes were the case even at the beginning; while Super Mario 64 arrived fully formed and revolutionised 3D gaming, the Blue Blur had false starts. The cancellation of Sonic Xtreme on Sega Saturn, and what was basically a 3D tech demo inside the compilation release Sonic Jam weren’t exactly helpful in getting Sonic and pals off the 3D starting block at speed. It wasn’t until 1998’s Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast that Sega’s beloved mascot would finally speed into 3D proper, ushering Sonic – and fans – into a new exciting dimension.
Sonic Adventure was by no means a perfect game; the original Japanese release was rushed out in order to hit shops just two days before Christmas, after all. But when I’ve come back to replay the game in recent years, even on its original hardware, it still holds up as the gold standard for all 3D Sonic games – and one which future entries have just never managed to match.
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