Summary
Star of numerous hit video games, a trilogy of box-office-smashing Hollywood movies, and enough comics and merchandise to send Angel Island plummeting into the sea,Sonic The Hedgehogis one of the most instantly recognisable characters in the gaming world. There’s no mistaking him. What you see is what you get: just a guy who loves adventure.
Sonic’s appeared in a veritable laundry list of games, across a vast array of consoles – in fact, not counting remasters or ports, he’s had 75-plus unique adventures to his name. With a history that long and storied, it’s perhaps inevitable that some would fall through the cracks of the pop culture zeitgeist. We’ve therefore compiled a list of the most interesting Sonic outings that time forgot.
What qualifies as ‘forgotten’ to one person might actually be somebody else’s childhood game –experiences are subjective, and so is our list!We hope you’ll stumble across at least one or two you’ve never heard of.
Updated on July 28, 2025 by Bobby Mills: At the moment, the Sonic IP is hotter than all the pools of magma in Red Mountain Zone. Between his third theatrical film (a sight to behold considering the revolting original design), a slew of new games, and merch and comics up the spiny wazoo, there’s never been a better time toshamelessly cash in on his popularity– er, that is, update our list of forgotten Sonic titles with a generous helping of new entries. Enjoy!
15Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice
A Literal Game Of Hot And Cold
The Sonic Boom subseries was part of an initiative by Sega to give the West its ‘own’ version of Sonic. Boasting weirdly elongated character models, an entire Sports Direct worth of athletic tape, and irreverent comedic styling, Boom took in a (really good) TV show, a few (really bad) games, and comic books – but ultimately would fade in less than three years.
By far the most forgotten entry in this already pretty memory-holed corner of the Sonicverse is Fire and Ice, Boom’s second foray onto the 3DS. It actually was a decent time, zipping through corridors made of water and freezing them with your new ice powers, or likewise lighting explosives ablaze with fire. Sadly, it just couldn’t escape the heavy shackles of Rise of Lyric’s reputation, and sold like dogwater.
14Sonic Shuffle
Mario’s Party Is Two Doors Down, Guys
Sega has never made a secret of positioning its blue boy against a certain red-capped leak fixer (after all, they do what Nintendon’t!), and on the Dreamcast it decided to try for a slice of the Mario Party pie. Sonic Shuffle was a rough attempt to replicate what makes those games a riotous smash, and has never been ported since, making it a mere footnote in Sonic history.
A selection of bland, sterile boards are your setting for tedious dice rolling and clunky minigames that scarcely function. The characters never shut up, and you inexplicably have to sit through reams of pointless filler cutscenes before even touching your first board. Pair that with unfair AI opponents in single player, and you have a recipe for undiluted misery.
13Knuckles' Chaotix
They’re Detectives You Want On Your Side
Well, if playing Sonic Shuffle nowadays (legally) is tough, then doing the same for Knuckles' Chaotix is effectively impossible. How does $800 sound? Launched on the 32X - a bizarre add-on for the Sega Genesis that did nothing more than slightly juicing up the processor, and which has been aptly analogised as life support for the dying console - it was a quirky, experimental endeavor with limited appeal, not helped by the fact nobody owned its hardware.
As you may have gathered from the title, this one does at least introduce the Chaotix, a band of detectives who would go on to become firm fan favourites. Tethered to Vector, Espio, or Charmy, Knuckles must use a bungee cord of sorts to fling his mates around the levels; it’s awkward and unresponsive at times. Killer OST and some fun levels, but otherwise not worth your time.
12Sonic Rush Adventure
Strewth, This One’s A Bonza Grind, Mate
Sonic Rush on the DS was heralded as a return to form for the series, merging that classic side-on platforming with instant raw speed courtesy of the Boost button (soon to become a series staple). Sonic RushAdventure, its sequel, was received in quite the opposite manner, and succumbed to numerous design pitfalls that bogged it down.
Sonic’s back in Blaze’s dimension, and this time has a new sidekick in the form of the adorably Aussie Marine the Raccoon – who has never been seen since. Sure, the expected platforming stages are in there, but to get to them, you need to contend with a host of pointless RPG mechanics, like grinding materials to upgrade your kit or racing jetskis. Our kingdom for a level select.
11Sonic Eraser
We’re Inclined To Erase It From Our Memory
While Knuckles' Chaotix is perhaps an ‘F’ on the sliding scale of consumer accessibility, Sonic Eraser plumbs previously untold depths; we’re looking at a ‘Z-’ here. Buckle up: to play this innocuous little puzzle game, you require three keys, brave adventurer. First, a Sega Mega Modem to connect your Genesis to the internet. Second, a paid Sega Meganet subscription. Finally, a Sega Game Library cartridge, to which Eraser would download. All three of which were exclusive to Japan.
In case it wasn’t bleeding obvious, next to nobody has heard of Sonic Eraser, let alone completed the arduous quest to be able to play it. Luckily, the actual game had little to offer. It was a basic ‘match three’ affair - which Puyo-Puyo thoroughly ate the lunch of, let’s be real - with a handful of Sonic characters pasted on top.
10SegaSonic Popcorn Shop
At Least You Got A Snack Out Of It
You might think we’re stretching the definition of ‘game’ for this one, as it’s essentially a glorified vending machine – but there’s a screen into which you input controls, and all associated trademarks and copyrights refer to it as ‘software’, so it counts (on a purely technical level).
Popcorn Shop is exactly what it says on the tin. You’d put your shiny coin in the slot, then would have to turn wheels and pull levers as instructed by Sonic to dispense your high-sodium treat. For what it is, it’s charming, but it’s easy to see why it never caught on in America.
9Sonic Rivals
Everybody’s Super Sonic Racing
Rivals is an oft-forgotten chapter in the Sonic history books. Though this pseudo-racing title was popular on launch, and even secured a sequel, it hasn’t stood the test of time. Exclusive to the PSP, it sees Eggman, and his dimensional counterpart Eggman Nega, turn a decent portion of the hedgehog’s pals into playing cards.
Only raw speed can save the day – so it’s off to the races in a smattering of side-on courses that attempt to meld traditional 2D Sonic action with modern wrinkles. Rivals is notable for reintroducing Silver to the cast after his debut in ‘06 was wiped from canon, but it’s otherwise unremarkable.
8Sonic Labyrinth
More Like Sluggish The Hedgehog
What’s the one cardinal sin you never commit when creating a Sonic game? Why, stripping him of his speed, of course; it’s like Mario without his mushrooms, Crash without his Wumpas, Bubsy without his… rampant mediocrity. And yet, Sonic Labyrinth committed it.
This is a miserable maze puzzler on the Game Gear – Sega’s answer to the Game Boy, which guzzled AA batteries like nobody’s business. Eggman’s swiped Sonic’s sneakers, rendering him the speed of a regular hedgehog, so you’ve got to navigate mind-numbing labyrinths to find keys and thwart him. Lethargic and clunky, it’s best left in the past.
7Sonic Pocket Adventure
Critics Apparently Thought This Was Perfect
Launched for the Neo Geo Pocket Color - itself a system lost to the mists of collective indifference, which doesn’t bode well for the game’s continued relevance - Pocket Adventure is an inoffensive, candy-coloured platformer. It manages to capture a decent amount of the spirit of the Genesis originals, albeit crammed into a tiny processor.
Level themes and music are repurposed from the Classic trilogy, as are the bosses. It was ideal for Blue Blurring on the go back in the day, but there’s little reason to return to it now; although it remains a curiosity for being one of the few Sonic titles to attract perfect 10 scores.
6Sonic Blast
Blast This Thing Outta Here
When Donkey Kong Country strutted onto the scene in 1994 with its fancy pre-rendered 3D graphics, it knew not the terrors it would unleash. Suddenly, pre-rendering became the hot new trend; and while some projects, like Super Mario RPG, pulled it off with minimal hiccups, Sonic Blast on the Game Gear… did not.
This is a diabolical 2.5D platformer, in which Sonic and Co. appear as revolting, plastic-looking sprites who move as if they’re hooked up to car batteries. The controls feel like treacle, the sound design assaults your ears, and the whole experience taps out in under an hour. Small mercies!
