Adventure 1 (NOT DX) is definitely in my top 5. I don't know about ranking them, but I really like SA1, the original trilogy, Unleashed, Generations, etc. I even have a softspot for Sonic R and, lord forgive me, Sonic 4. 4 is crap, but something about those levels and homing attack in 2D is just fun.
My tastes are pretty weird overall, really. I really, REALLY like Sonic 1 even though it's not held in very high regard these days compared to 2 and 3&K, and while Mania is a fantastic game... I don't know, I'm just not as hot on it as everyone else.
I love
@Hermit's shoutout for Shuffle btw.
I don't care what anyone says about the cheating AI, it kicks the ever loving SHIT out of the Mario Party games imo.
EDIT: also Bruce, you can't just ask that and then not post your own.
Sonic Shuffle was the very first game I played on the Dreamcast. Me and my brothers got it for Christmas with the Dreamcast, but we had no VMU, so I had to play the same level over and over again until we got one. Each level took around an hour to complete as well.
To be honest, I am not even sure if it would remain in my top Sonic games anymore if I played it again. It's been so long since I last played. All I remember is that I absolutely loved it as a kid and still loved it the last time I played it.
Whenever people ask me what my favourite Sonic games are, they often say I can't have grown up with the 2D games because I always list the 3D ones as my favourite. I did though, I grew up with both. We had the Master System and Mega Drive a while after they came out, probably around the same time the PS1 and Sega Saturn came out, so I never really experienced any Sonic game until 1995 at the earliest, possibly 1996, so I was either 6 ot 7 years old. We skipped the PS1, Saturn and N64 generation entirely and never got a Dreamcast until 2001. So the gap between me experiencing 2D Sonic and 3D Sonic was only around 5 years, and I was only 12 when I first played 3D Sonic games.
Sonic games were never one of my favourites until they went 3D. I like the 2D games, but when I was younger, my favourite Mega Drive games were Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Gunstar Heroes, Shining Force, Revenge of Shinobi and Super Hang On. I also remember really liking Cool Spot and Ristar when I was hospitalised with an Asthma attack
2D Sonic games were games I would only really play when I wanted something different to play after playing my favourites too much, apart from Sonic 2, I loved that game when I was younger. We never owned it, but I remember borrowing it from my mate quite often and my brother renting it. Now that I think about it, my brother always used to use his pocket money to rent Mega Drive games for me and my younger brother.
This was tougher than I thought it'd be...
1. Sonic 3&K
Apex of the classic series in its then-contemporary form.
2. Sonic Mania
Would top the list if it were wholly original. Some boss fights are a bit difficult to understand too, but otherwise perfect.
3. Sonic 2
Best pick up n' play Sonic.
4. Sonic Adventure
Have a soft spot for this one as it's the only game of the 3D series that still felt like it had classic DNA running through it (rather than later games that just aped the aesthetics).
5. Sonic Generations
Pound for pound probably the best of the boost series.
Thoughts?
Everybody loves Sonic 3&K, but for some reason, it never grew on me. I always found it punishing to move fast, like they would place enemies and hazards everywhere to make you hesitate. Maybe you just had to learn the layout of the level and you would be able to move a bit faster, but I don't think I ever had the patience as a kid. I also HATED the Blue Sphere special stages. Whenever I hear the music for those special stages, I get flashbacks to the annoying sound effects. It always used to mess my eyes up too
I think this is why I don't like Sonic Mania as much as everybody else. Out of all of the special stages, why did they have to bring back Blue Spheres?
I also heard Sonic CD is a great game never had a opportunity to play it
I didn't play Sonic CD until it was released on the Xbox 360. I liked it more than most 2D Sonic games, it's probably my favourite after Sonic 2.