Sonic games in order: How to play in story and release order

As a seasoned gamer who’s spent countless hours navigating the colorful world of Sonic the Hedgehog, I must say that the journey through this iconic franchise is a rollercoaster ride of nostalgia and excitement! To help you embark on this adventure, I’ve prepared a guide that will take you through the chronological story order of the mainline Sonic games.

Have you started playing Sonic the Hedgehog games only after watching the movies? If that’s the case, let me guide you on how to dive into the world of Sonic games.

Since 1991, the swift, blue hedgehog has been present in our gaming world, initially appearing in the classic original game for the Mega Drive.

Ever since then, there has been a plethora of spin-offs, comics, TV series, and now even three feature films in Hollywood, along with a considerable number of sequel video games.

We get that knowing where to start is a bit tricky.

Fortunately, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to.

Here’s a suggestion for paraphrasing that information in a more conversational style:

Where should you start with the Sonic games?

Consider kicking off your gaming journey with Sonic Origins Plus! This package includes the first four classic Sonic games, along with 12 additional games from the Game Gear era, all playable on modern consoles.

You can buy Sonic Origins Plus on Amazon.

After completing that task, we suggest you transition to Sonic Mania Plus for continued enjoyment of the classic 2D style, followed by Sonic x Shadow Generations, a fresh set of new releases.

Starting from the beginning in this sequence will provide a comprehensive understanding of the Sonic franchise, offering a blend of traditional and contemporary gaming experiences throughout.

Should you prefer to play Sonic in a different sequence, here’s how you can do it based on the release date and storyline sequence: The information is provided below.

Sonic games in release date order

Here is how to play the Sonic games in release date order:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog | 1991 | Mega Drive
  • Sonic the Hedgehog | 1991 | Master System, Game Gear
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 1992 | Mega Drive
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 1992 | Master System, Game Gear
  • Sonic CD | 1993 | Mega-CD
  • Sonic Chaos | 1993 | Master System, Game Gear
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | 1994 | Mega Drive
  • Sonic and Knuckles | 1994 | Mega Drive
  • Sonic Triple Trouble | 1994 | Game Gear
  • Knuckles’ Chaotix | 1995 | 32X
  • Tails Adventure | 1995 | Game Gear
  • Sonic 3D | 1996 | Mega Drive, Sega Saturn
  • Sonic Blast | 1996 | Game Gear
  • Sonic Adventure | 1998 | Dreamcast
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure | 1999 | Neo Geo Pocket Colour
  • Sonic Adventure 2 | 2001 | Dreamcast, GameCube
  • Sonic Advance | 2001 | Game Boy Advance
  • Sonic Advance 2 | 2002 | Game Boy Advance
  • Sonic Heroes | 2003 | GameCube, PS2, Xbox
  • Sonic Advance 3 | 2004 | Game Boy Advance
  • Shadow the Hedgehog | 2005 | GameCube, PS2, Xbox
  • Sonic Rush | 2005 | Nintendo DS
  • Sonic 06 | 2006 | Xbox 360, PS3
  • Sonic and the Secret Rings | 2007 | Wii
  • Sonic Rush Adventure | 2007 | Nintendo DS
  • Sonic Unleashed | 2008 | PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
  • Sonic and the Black Knight | 2009 | Wii
  • Sonic Colours | 2010 | Wii, Nintendo DS
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 | 2010 | iOS, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360
  • Sonic Generations | 2011 | Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo 3DS, PC
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 | 2012 | Android, iOS, PS3, Xbox 360
  • Sonic Lost World | 2013 | Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
  • Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric | 2014 | Wii U
  • Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal | 2014 | Nintendo 3DS
  • Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice | 2016 | Nintendo 3DS
  • Sonic Forces | 2017 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One
  • Sonic Mania | 2017 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One
  • Sonic Frontiers | 2022 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
  • Sonic Superstars | 2023 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Sonic Dream Team | 2023 | Apple Arcade
  • Sonic x Shadow Generations | 2024 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

The majority of the games mentioned earlier are also available on contemporary gaming systems. However, for convenience, we’ve organized them based on their initial release dates and consoles they first appeared on.

Additionally, there are numerous other Sonic spin-off games. For the sake of this tutorial, we’ll focus on the platformer games. We’ve highlighted the primary console games in bold as well.

Mainline Sonic games in story order

As a gamer, I can jump into any Sonic mainline game without worrying about the sequence, but keep in mind that there’s a canonical storyline here. Playing them in the order they were released might not be necessary, but some titles make more sense when played after others because of character introductions and continuity. So, if you want the full experience, consider exploring the Sonic universe in the suggested order!

We’ve tried our best to get the Sonic games in chronological story order, and we’ve only listed what we consider the mainline games – we’ve left out all handheld games, for example.

With all of that in mind, here is how to play the mainline Sonic games in story order:

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2024-12-20 17:04