Sonic has had a bit of a rocky go of it throughout the years. We don’t think anyone will deny that his heyday is long behind him, but regardless, he has still pumped out a few quality games in recent years. The Sonic series lends itself well to handheld consoles. Most people’s best memories of the Sonic franchise concern the old school 2D side-scrollers, not the fancy new 3D action-adventures. And handheld consoles are the perfect means to house these old-school 2D games. And modern games like it, of course.
Of course, some are better than others. These are the ten best Sonic handheld games, ranked.
10 Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
In the early 2010s, Sega hoped to return the Sonic series to its acclaimed roots following a massive string of disappointing releases. The result was the episodic Sonic the Hedgehog 4, released in two parts in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Some considered Episode II to be a technical improvement over its predecessor but a disappointing release overall. Various aspects of its production were harshly criticized, including the puzzles and gameplay involving Tails, gimmicky levels, and overall poor level design.
9 Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I
That’s not to say that Episode I was much better. Episode I was released for a variety of handhelds, including mobile devices, the BlackBerry PlayBook (remember that?), and the Ouya (remember that?). The game has a few merits over its successor, including the smooth integration of Sonic’s speed and the pace of the game. However, it also had its fair share of problems. It was painfully short, the boss battles and puzzles needed work, and the game’s wonky physics engine was often a source of consternation. Not bad, but certainly not great either.
8 Sonic Rush Adventure
Speaking of not bad, not great - Sonic Rush Adventure! This game was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007 and contained all the typical Sonic trappings. However, it also contained a newly integrated water mechanic, which included elements of boating and sea travel. It was weird.
This game also had the unfortunate distinction of following Sonic ‘06, and fans weren’t in a very forgiving mood. While most agreed that it was a perfectly serviceable Sonic game, a perfectly serviceable game was all it was. Nothing more, nothing less.
7 Sonic Advance 3
Serving as the third entry in the Sonic Advance series, Sonic Advance 3 was also the weakest (arguably). That’s not to say that it was a bad game, because it really wasn’t. It contained many redeeming qualities, including its intricate level design and typically-impeccable production values. However, most of the criticism was aimed at the game’s controversial team-up dynamic. Some thought that it added nothing to the game, while others thought that the mechanic was cheap and frustrating. It was a middling send-off to the otherwise brilliant Sonic Advance series.
6 Sonic Advance 2
Sonic Advance 2 enjoyed a slightly better reception, mostly thanks to its lack of a controversial team-up mechanic. Much of its acclaim is also due to its placement within the Sonic Advance trilogy. Its production values were considered vastly superior to its predecessors, and many aspects of its production - the graphics, soundtrack, animations, and colorful visual design - were considered some of the best in the Sonic series at the time. However, the game’s difficulty polarized players, with some finding it far too hard and frustrating to be enjoyable.
5 Sonic Rush
Sonic Rush came in 2005 and instantly impressed fans and critics alike. It was mostly praised for its merger of old school gameplay elements with new technological innovations. The game contains the typical 2D side scrolling, but the sprites and boss battles were rendered in 3D.
The result was a gorgeous and wonderfully original 2.5D effect that impressed technology purists and Sonic fans alike. The only criticism stemmed from the game’s fast pace; ironically enough, some people found the game a little too fast! It is called Sonic Rush after all.
4 Sonic The Hedgehog
You can’t go wrong with the OG Sonic the Hedgehog. The game became an icon in 1991 when it was released for the Sega Genesis, and it has since seen numerous handheld ports - Game Boy Advance in 2006, Nintendo 3DS in 2013, iOs and Android in 2013, and Nintendo Switch in 2018. It’s clear that this game remains incredibly popular and in-demand while also proving that the truly great games never die. It’s certainly not as mindblowing as it was in 1991, but it’s still one heck of a good time. Rush out to play it if you haven’t already.
3 Sonic The Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
As you can probably tell by the blatantly advertorial name, Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure was quite the little pocket adventure. The game was released in 1999 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, a long-forgotten handheld console that failed against the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. Regardless, it did have its fair share of great games, including this one. Most consider this the best of the early handheld Sonic games, as it had successfully retained most of what made Sonic successful without bending under technological limitations.
2 Sonic Advance
The handheld Sonic games wouldn’t really hit their stride until 2002’s Sonic Advance. This game was released for the Game Boy Advance, and the “advanced” technological capabilities allowed for the strongest sense of that signature manic Sonic style. It proved that handheld consoles could deftly adapt to the series’ demands and provided one of the best Sonic experiences of the time. It was fun, it was fast, it looked and sounded beautiful, and it became one of the console’s highest selling games. In other words, it’s an absolute classic.
1 Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic, but Sonic the Hedgehog 2 catapulted the series into the pop culture stratosphere. It improved on the original game in nearly every way, and it is still regarded as not only the greatest game in the series, but one of the greatest games of all time. Period. It’s no surprise, then, to find the handheld ports so adored. People love to bask in nostalgia, and newer players find a lot to love about the surprisingly-not-so-dated game. It remains just as fun as it was in 1992. It’s timeless.
NEXT: 5 Best Sonic The Hedgehog Games (& The 5 Worst)
