Top 8 Sonic-Inspired Games You Must Play Now

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Summary

  • Sonic-inspired games like Ristar, Polyroll, and Spark offer unique gameplay twists.
  • Kaze and the Wild Masks blend elements from classic platformers like Wonder Boy.
  • Freedom Planet games stand out as textbook examples of Sonic-likes with an original style.

Sega’s famous blue hedgehog quickly became a sensation, from the buzz before its release to the surge in popularity after it hit the market, causing even competing companies to develop their own mascots. These characters either exuded attitude, such as Bubsy or Awesome Possum, or moved swiftly across the screen like Zool and Kid Chaos. However, they seldom mimicked Sonic’s gameplay style.

1) Crash Bandicoot primarily focused on breaking crates. Rocket Knight Adventures combined elements of beat ’em up games with jetpack explosions. Spyro the Dragon soared through open, expansive landscapes. Over the past decade, players have attempted to emulate either Sonic’s momentum-driven platforming or his fast-paced 3D leaping, and these are considered the best attempts at replication.

8. Ristar

What Sonic Could’ve Been, and What He’d Become

Ristar has a low profile due to the fact that it belongs to another branch of Sega, and its gameplay, which involves stretchy arms for platforming, doesn’t quite resonate with Sonic’s iconic high-speed spins. However, things could have taken a different turn. Before Sega decided on a fast hedgehog as their mascot, they almost chose a rabbit who would navigate using his elongated arms. Essentially, Ristar is an example of someone at Sega believing the concept still had potential and bringing it to life for a fresh intellectual property.

Regardless of its new emphasis, Ristar continues to utilize the principles of physics and momentum. This is evident in the Starman’s swift swings on poles, branches, and bars, which allow him to access higher platforms, treasure chests, and other rewards. However, it was released in 1995, a time when the popularity of 2D mascot platformers was beginning to decline. Interestingly enough, Ristar’s elongated arms would later influence the design of Sonic himself, as seen in the Werehog character from Sonic Unleashed.

7. Kaze and the Wild Masks

When the SNES/Genesis Era Gets Blended into One Game

Being near the bottom of this list doesn’t imply that something is bad or inferior. Instead, it serves as an indicator of how closely related a game is to Sonic, and in the case of Kaze and the Wild Masks, there are enough Sonic-like elements for players to recognize them, such as her spin attack and hovering like Tails. However, Kaze the Rabbit’s adventure to rescue her friend and home from a curse also draws inspiration from other classic platformers.

In a similar vein, the Wild Masks function similarly to power-up forms found in “Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap”. These masks grant players unique abilities such as swimming using the Shark Mask or flying with the Eagle Mask to bypass challenges. Certain jumping sections draw inspiration from both “Donkey Kong Country” and “Sonic”. Therefore, if you’re a fan of classic 16-bit platformers, “Kaze” offers something for everyone.

6. Panic Porcupine

An Anxious Animal with a Right to Worry

  • Developer: Spicy Gyro Games.
  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC.
  • Release: October 2022.

For those who prefer a game with a more “Sonic” feel over the spin-off style of “Ristar”, Spicy Gyro Games have taken inspiration from Sonic the Hedgehog in their creation, Panic Porcupine. This game pays tribute and pokes fun simultaneously, as the main character, a porcupine, traverses loops, climbs ramps, and leaps over numerous saws and other dangers to prevent Dr. Proventriculus from capturing all the chickabirbs.

In contrast, Panic shares some characteristics with the game Super Meat Boy, as it incorporates numerous levels brimming with hazards like spikes and saws that demand precise maneuvers to navigate safely. However, Panic inherits Meat Boy’s infinite lives, allowing players to attempt levels multiple times if necessary, while also possessing Sonic’s capacity for incredible speed. This enables players to either swiftly bypass the buzzsaws as soon as they appear or try and die numerous times until they master the level’s intricacies.

5. Polyroll

A Pillbug With Pep

The recently released game titled “Panic Porcupine” is Spicy Gyro Games’ latest offering, but it isn’t their debut. Previously, in 2019, they collaborated with Shiny Dolphin Games LLC to create “Polyroll”. In this new game, the main character, a pillbug, embarks on a mission to rescue his friends from the villainous Kaizer Kiwi. The gaming experience is more reminiscent of traditional Sonic games, albeit less precise than Panic Porcupine.

Instead of moving forward linearly, Polyroll should rotate, jump, and rebound off surfaces like platforms, springs, or other objects to advance through each stage. Additionally, it must gain enough momentum to crush adversaries, such as bosses, by soaring high enough. Notably, the game introduces a map screen reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 3, allowing players to choose their preferred order for completing levels prior to confronting the world’s boss.

4. Crumble

Sonic Speed, Spider-Man Swinging, Slimy Movement

  • Developer: Brute Force
  • Platforms: PC, macOS, PC, Nintendo Switch
  • Release: December 2020

Developers don’t limit themselves to creating only two-dimensional games. In fact, Brute Force created a 3D game called “Crumble“, where the player controls a ball of slime that must quickly navigate through levels, avoiding various hazards. Some levels are stable and include environments like grasslands, valleys, and caves. However, others will crumble as soon as the slime touches them, living up to the game’s name.

Players need to maintain a fast tempo and continue moving forward, as they have several options to sustain their progress. The game showcases elements reminiscent of adventure games through the slime’s bouncing and air jumps that operate on a dash basis. However, its capability to swing on bars using its tongue resembles Shadow’s gooey power-up in Sonic X Shadow Generations. This feature was introduced 4 years before Shadow’s gloopy power-up and is easier to handle.

3. Spark the Electric Jester

No More Joking Around

  • Developer: Feperd Games
  • Platforms: PC
  • Release: April 2017

Following the creation of several fan games based on Sonic, Felipe ‘LakeFeperd’ Daneluz employed his expertise to develop an original game titled Spark the Electric Jester. Concerned about the growing influence of robots in his community, he seizes an opportunity for redemption when a robot rebellion jeopardizes global peace. However, simply destroying machines and adopting an ‘Edgy’ persona won’t be enough to confront his biases and save the day.

In this game, there are elements reminiscent of Sonic, such as zooming up ramps and loops, or maneuvering around barriers much like in Sonic 3 or Sonic Adventure 2. Yet, it also incorporates features akin to Mega Man X, including a health bar, the capacity for charge shots, and wall jumping. Additionally, it includes melee combat similar to games such as Bayonetta, although future installments would refine this aspect further.

2. Spark the Electric Jester 2 & 3

Juggling Multiple 3D Gameplay Styles

  • Developers: Feperd Games
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox One (Spark 2), PC, Nintendo Switch (Spark 3)
  • Release: May 2019 (Spark 2), August 2022 (Spark 3)

Typically, sequels often resemble their original games too closely, not introducing new enough elements for separate enemy types. However, the sequels of Spark, particularly Spark 2 and Spark 3, managed to break free from this mold by transitioning into a three-dimensional environment and significantly altering their gameplay.

In Spark 2, players control the robo-clone of Spark, Fark, as he endeavors to rescue his benefactor from the malevolent Freom. On the other hand, Spark 3 brings back Spark himself, tasking him with saving the world from a rogue AI named Clarity and uncovering the reasons behind Fark and his forces’ internet shutdown.

The two games resemble the style of adventure games, combining the elements of exploration found in Adventure 1 with the A-to-B racing style of Adventure 2. However, it was only Spark 2 that introduced a greater emphasis on combat, featuring shield mechanics similar to Smash Bros and parrying and boss fights reminiscent of Metal Gear Rising. Subsequently, Spark 3 polished the formula by adding speedrun and score attack challenges, vehicle sections, and more diverse level designs, hinting at influences from Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog.

1. Freedom Planet 1 & 2

The Archetypical Sonic-Likes Outside the Hedgehog Himself

For several decades, developers have been creating games reminiscent of Sonic, yet only in the last ten years has this type of game evolved into a distinct subgenre. The quintessential example of a Sonic-like game is the Freedom Planet series, which started as a fan project by Sabrina DiDuro but was later transformed into an original intellectual property with its unique style, thanks to Ziyo Ling’s character designs.

The characters’ origins stem from hedgehogs, which is evident in their shared love for speeding through levels and performing acrobatic stunts like loop-the-loops. However, each character possesses unique abilities such as Lilac’s ability to dash jump in multiple directions. While the game has a stronger narrative focus, it still offers ample opportunities for running, spinning, and jumping – enough to make any Sonic fan feel comfortable, provided they haven’t played it before.

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2025-05-18 07:36