TheSonicfranchise has been around for a long time, but in recent years the blue blur has turned away from being the focus of his own games and instead appears as a side character in a variety of collaborative games. Though this is a recent trend, there have been several more directSonicspin-off titles (no pun intended) throughout the years.
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For the purposes of categorization, a spin-offSonicgame is one that eitherdoesn’t feature Sonicas the main character or turns the typical platforming elements of the series on its head in favor of other gameplay elements. From kart racing to minigame battles, Sonic and his pals have appeared in almost as many spin-off games as there have been main titles.
88. Sonic R
Sonic Ris a racing game originally released for the Sega Saturn, and one of the first 3DSonicgames ever made. It wasn’t a kart racer or a boarding game either, the vehicle of choice for most characters was no vehicle at all, as most run on the ground asshown in theSoniccartoonsand games' cutscenes.
It received mixed reviews at the time, as the control scheme of the game and overall quality compared to other racers was just not up to par, and it has since been surpassed by many otherSonicspin-off racing games.
77. Sonic Drift Series
TheSonic Driftseries is comprised of two games,Sonic DriftandSonic Drift 2, which were both released for the Sega Game Gear in ‘94. They played almost identically to theMario KartSNES game that was popular at the time, and most reviewers called the two games uninspired.
Ignoring the lack ofcreativity in the games’ inspiration, the games are surprisingly not too bad to play. They’re cult classics in theSoniccommunity, though not many fans actually owned it due to the lack of sales of the Sega Game Gear.
66. Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machineis a puzzle game released for the Sega Mega Drive in ‘93, as well as the Game Gear and Sega Master System in the years following. The game works likePuyo PuyoandTetrisbut with a Dr. Robotnik theme. Thespin-off was praisedfor its style and controls upon release, even if the concept was old.
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Fans ofSonicspin-off games be warned, though,Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machineis considered to be one of the hardest games released on a Sega system – it was one of the few things critics pointed out about the game.
55. Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehogis a game that puts typicalSonicantagonist Shadow the Hedgehog at the forefront, which might sound cool until one realizes how far the character’s edginess extends. The game was a critical flop, but the popularity of Shadow as a character propelled the game to high sales anyway.
The game was muchmore mature than otherSonicgames, perhaps most noted in Shadow’s use of conventional weaponry like guns and explosives during levels against humans. It’s fun to play for a laugh, but it gets a bit tedious after a few hours.
44. Sonic Shuffle
Sonic Shufflewas a game that took theMario Partyformula and gave it a Sega overhaul.Sonic Shufflewas originally released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, when party-type games were relatively few and far between, though this spin-offSonicgame was not quite as polished as theMario Partyseries.
Thegame was criticizedfor its long load times and relative lack of minigames, but if you’re a fan of theSonicfranchise it’s the perfect choice for a party night with friends. With the power of emulators and modern streaming technology, you can even play older games like this remotely with friends.
33. Sonic Riders Series
TheSonic Ridersseries was comprised of two titles,Sonic Ridersfor the Gamecube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2, andSonic Riders: Zero Gravity, for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii. The games are fast-paced and competitively-driven, and upon release were some of the most popularSonicspin-off games.
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The series received criticism for a few things, namely the lack of online multiplayer and the controls, but overall were praised for their art style, sense of speed, and the feeling of racing in general.
22. Sonic Spinball and Pinball Party
The two pinball-themedSonicspin-off games,Sonic SpinballandSonic Pinball Partywere two games released for the Sega Genesis and Nintendo Gameboy Advance, respectively. Interestingly enough,Sonic Spinballis based in the same universe as the animated series, whileSonic Pinball Partytakes place in Casinopolis from theSonic Adventureseries.
Both games were very well received upon release, with critics praising the ease of controls in the game as well as the relative depth the series brought to simple pinball. WhileSonic Pinball Partyhas never been re-released,Sonic Spinballwas re-released for PC on Steam years later.
11. Sonic+Sega All-Stars Racing Series
TheSonic + Sega All Stars Racinggames, including the sequelSonic + Sega All Stars Racing: Transformed,are the highest-ratedSonicspin-off games to date, and for good reason. Whereas Mario and his universe got the spotlight inMario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, where Sonic and the gang were just playable characters, theSonic + Sega All Stars Racinggames put Sega characters and some tie-in characters against each other in their own game.
Both games have received lots of praise for their stylistic levels, range of choice in characters, as well as the gameplay itself. WhileMario Kartis a medium-paced kart racing game,Sonic + Sega All Stars RacingandSonic + Sega All Stars Racing: Transformedare intensely fast and skill-based racing games. There’s a lot of nuance in the game, but it’s surprising that Sonic doesn’t opt to run instead of drive a car.
NEXT:Sonic Adventure: 5 Reasons Why The First Game Is Better (& 5 Why The Sequel Is Superior)
