Like most mascots for major franchises, Sonic has participated in a number of spin-offs. These ranged from different racing versions to Sonic taking on Mario in various Olympic events. However, these have also given Sonic the chance to explore new genres like RPGs and new settings like in the Storybook series.
But honestly, that’s not enough. There are plenty of other types of games that Sonic could easily excel at. And the eight on this list are the ones that lend themselves to what the Blue Blur is all about.
7 Horror
This is probably the weirdest idea on this list. Sonic games have always been a beacon of 90s positivity and coolness. How fun would it be if we took these lovable cartoon characters and put them in a stark horror setting? It’s not that Sega hasn’t done something like this before.
While the horror games that come with Sega are House Of The Dead and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, the scariest game they’ve released is easily Ecco The Dolphin. You think you’re playing a fun game about being a dolphin, but you end up getting into battles with some of the most terrifying deep-sea creatures you’ve ever seen. Why not do the same with Sonic? Start in a Green Hill Zone type area and watch as the world around you turns and becomes more dangerous.
6 More sports games
One of the easiest ways to spin off is to take a franchise and put all the characters in a popular sport. This has worked multiple times with Mario, and that doesn’t even include the Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games series. And while Sonic has had a ton of sports games, they don’t really take advantage of what the Sonic universe has to offer.
Most Sonic sports games are stationary, such as bowling, table tennis, darts and even more. Not only does this not take advantage of the speed that comes with the franchise, but it also doesn’t take advantage of all the characters that Sonic has to offer. Don’t want to see Tails play a full game of basketball? Sonic playing soccer? Big the Cat playing soccer? These would be absolutely delicious and great to play.
5 Dance Rhythm Game
One of the weirder Mario spin-offs was Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. While Mario is quite acrobatic, he is not necessarily a character associated with dancing. That goes to Sonic. Not only does he break when he gets a good rating on some level, but Sonic games have some of the best music in video game history.
It would be so easy to put some Sonic characters in a game like this, and fans would love it. Wouldn’t it be great to break out of the trail and take a few steps to live and learn or escape the city? It’s seriously a missed opportunity.
4 Roller Coaster Tycoon
One of the funniest things about Sonic is that his main villain, Dr. Eggman, is a megalomaniac genius who for some reason loves building evil theme parks. So why not lean into it? Let’s have it mixing with RollerCoaster Tycoon and EggmanLand Tycoon!
Eggman already has a puzzle game named after him, so give him an amusement park simulator! It would really be like building those death parks that everyone made where roller coasters just ended and visitors would die in a cloud of explosions. Give the entire park a volcano-like theme and make all visitors look like cartoon animals.
3 2D fighting game
Yes, Sonic has already had a fighting game aptly named Sonic The Fighters, but that was an unappealing 3D fighter with slow controls and simple gameplay. Its appearance was unique, but it has not stood the test of time and is often forgotten. One way this can be made much more memorable is with a fast and beautiful 2D fighter.
The 2D graphics would lend themselves to much more detail with the various Sonic characters. Plus, a 2D fighter is much more likely to focus on fast-paced combat, which would work great with the Sonic cast. In addition, this would really support the different playstyles and personalities of the Sonic characters based in the Sonic Adventure series. This can be a lot of fun and would definitely get fans talking.
2 Metroidvania
One of the really fun things about 2D Sonic games is the different paths you can take to the end of the level. There are plenty of different set pieces on each level making them fascinating to explore. It’s that same sense of exploration that makes Metroidvanias so much fun.
The exploration in Sonicvania could be done with the classic powerups, similar to the wisps in Sonic Colors, but it would probably be more interesting if you unlocked different characters throughout the game to access different areas. Sonic can run fast, Tails can fly long distances, Knuckles can climb walls, and Shadow can stop time. This would be a great way to use and extend the 2D Sonic formula.
1 Only the Chao Garden
This may be cheating, but it still doesn’t make sense that Sega hasn’t released a standalone Chao Garden game. Sonic Adventure 2 may now have a mixed reception among fans, but everyone can agree that the Chao Garden was a fun and charming diversion. It was great raising the different Chaos and putting them in competitions!
This can be done very easily by turning the Chao Garden into a mobile game. It would be the perfect companion for long car journeys or breaks at work. Seriously, if they can make a mobile game out of raising Magikarp, why can’t the Chao Garden be put on iPhones? It won’t be in Sonic Frontiers, and frankly, we need it.
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