Sonic at 35: Staff Recall Favorite Levels and Music

Staff at a gaming website marked Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35th anniversary by sharing favorite levels, music and personal memories from across the franchise. Contributors named stages from the Mega Drive era through modern retro releases and noted influences from classic games to recent remixes.

Deputy editor Alana Hagues wrote that Sonic 3 was the first game she played and singled out Flying Battery Zone from Sonic & Knuckles. She recalled repeatedly getting “squashed by the corkscrews” and the relief of finally beating the stage. Hagues also highlighted Press Garden from Sonic Mania, describing its mix of a printing press set inside a snow-covered Japanese garden and praising Tee Lopes’ music.

Features editor Jim Norman pointed to Sonic Unleashed as the title that hooked him, citing Rooftop Run for its European-styled streets and the ascent up a clock tower. Norman, who was ten when Unleashed released, noted the game’s mix of 3D speed and the werehog sections and singled out Studiopolis from Sonic Mania for its soundtrack.

Reviews editor Ollie Reynolds recalled high school days playing Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. Reynolds named City Escape as a standout opening stage and said the Chao Garden consumed his time. He added that keeping access to that game influenced his current console ownership and suggested the title should be available on modern platforms.

Editor Gavin Lane described a 1992 Christmas morning with Sonic 2 and chose Marble Garden for its sprite work, soundtrack and design elements that echo earlier zones. Lane mentioned springy hazards and rideable objects as memorable gameplay touches and acknowledged contributors such as Masato Nakamura and Naoto Ohshima.

Across the responses, staff referenced level design details — moving platforms, magnet hazards, rideable objects — and distinctive soundtrack moments they still hum. The recollections cover decades of play across 2D and 3D entries, spin-offs and the character’s appearances in film, noting how individual stages and songs have remained in players’ memories.

The staff invited readers to share their own memories of Sonic levels and music in the site’s comments.