My Idea for Sonic’s Next Title

Sonic Generations has paved the way for a game long awaited by many fans.

It was not too long ago that the very thought of Sonic and longtime rival Mario appearing together in the same game seemed highly improbable, if not impossible. Then we were all surprised by the announcement of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, followed shortly thereafter by the reveal of Sonic as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

But besides Sonic showing up in Mario Kart (or even Mario appearing in a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing game), there is one other game which many would like to see the two embark upon together. That would, of course, be a platforming adventure game.

Despite the desire for this from fans of both heroes, the idea has been always been shot down by developers unsure of how to mesh the two styles. But now, we finally have a way.

By combining the similar-yet-different styles of Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic into a cohesive whole, Sonic Generations has cast a new light on the prospect of uniting two of gaming’s biggest icons for a true odd-couple adventure.

A Mario & Sonic adventure (or Sonic & Mario, if you prefer) would follow the format established by Generations, with our two heroes alternating to each take on a themed area (some from Mario, some from Sonic, and maybe a few which might borrow from both, such as desert or ice areas) constructed for their style of adventuring. For each world, one act (or half of however many there would be) would be played as Mario, hopping on enemies and bashing blocks along the way, while the other would have Sonic spinning, dashing, and Homing Attacking (like it or not, you know it would be included) through areas as only he can.

To make things more interesting, enemies from both heroes’ respective pasts could co-occupy the worlds, giving way to the delight of such actions as plowing through Badniks with a kicked Koopa Troopa shell. Likewise, but unlike Sonic Generations, there could be some item sharing going on, giving us Fire Sonic or perhaps Mario in an Electric Shield.

Maybe Yoshi could even act as a steed for both heroes– sure, Sonic may run faster, but not when he’s on spikes. And perhaps by grabbing a Super Mushroom, “Super Sonic” could take on a whole new meaning (to say nothing of what Mario might do when powered-up by Chaos Emeralds).

It’s a team-up adventure three (or maybe four, if it were for Wii U) console generations in the making, and the prospect– simple as it is in hindsight– has been made possible by the foundation laid by Sonic Generations.

The preceding was my entry into 1UP’s Sonic Generations Giveaway, which asked fans to write a blog post about ideas for the next Sonic game, and is being reposted here for posterity. It has been slightly tweaked for better flow, but the core content remains the same.

Oh, and in case you were wondering? I didn’t win.

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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