Sonic X Shadow Generationsis notable not only for the remaster of the original Sonic Generations and its nine great stages, but also for adding 5 more with the new Shadow Generations addition, making for a package chock-full of really awesome, fun, and unique level themes, and also Planet Wisp.
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From the Sega Genesis to the Dreamcast to the PS5, this list breaks down the best Sonic video games of all time.
This list serves to look at both of these games and rank these levels from worst to best, and given these are all incredibly fun high-speed stages, even the worst on this list is one of the best stages in the entire Sonic Franchise.
This will mostly be about how fun they are to play, and how good the overall level design is.
I’ll be considering both Act 1 and Act 2 for each of these stages as part of the same level, which means combining both the Classic and Modern versions of each level for the list entry. On top of that, I will only be considering these levels in base form, so no Super Sonic or Doom Wing Shadow.
10Speed Highway
It’s a One-Way Track.
Speed Highway, the sole stagerepresenting Sonic Adventure 1, does a great job living up to its name. It offers some pretty straightforward, speedy-as-hell level design, especially when you’re rocketing across rooftops, running alongside buildings, and using crane buckets to launch into the sky.
It’s only this low because this game sets an incredibly high bar, but also because the level is pretty straightforward, lacking that added challenge some of us crave.
Most levels have a specific gimmick or piece of design to help them be just a tad more standout, and those crane buckets and rockets are it for Speed Highway, but seeing as they just take you from point A to point B and not much else, it’s a little limited in scope.
9Chaos Island
Alternate Paths Galore
Chaos Island is one I’ve already seen several Twitter (never calling it X) users saying is bad, which makes me question the skill of most Sonic fans.
These levels are really well-crafted, and Doom Morph letting you swing around from platform to platform and then pull yourself up for a massive boost of speed, feels awesome, in my opinion.
They’re also incredibly open-ended and chock-full of alternate pathways, which I suppose is to be expected from astage taken from an open-world game.
Overall, it’s just a fun time with a lot of freedom of movement, and though Doom Morph can be a little clunky to use (because the game admittedly sucks at tutorializing it), it ends up still being awesome in the grand scheme of things.
8Crisis City
Happiness Lies Trapped in Misery.
Crisis City is a tale of two halves, one impeccable and the other mind-numbingly slow-paced. The classic side of the coin is pretty fun all the way through, with some bits that make you stop and wait for moving platforms or fire tornadoes.
However, these are nowhere near as annoying as the 2D segments in the modern iteration, which usually force you to wait for slow lava platforms, which sucks.
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There’s been a dearth of Jet the Hawk content over the last two decades.
Aside from that bump in the road, though, this stage is awesome. Every set piece sells an apocalyptic burning city’s aesthetic well, and every bit of modern 3D Sonic gameplay is incredible.
It’s a shame it has those pace-breaking sections, but I don’t mind stopping to smell the ash. It’s otherwise super solid, and I revisit it quite a lot for that reason.
7Radical Highway
The Disgusting Air of Darkness
While variants of it interrupt other levels constantly through Black Doom’s illusions, the actual Radical Highway level proper, near the end of the game, is an absolute banger.
The only thing I don’t like about it is flying over everything with the wings being actively encouraged, and that’s just because the lower routes you rarely see are awesome.
It’s just fun to have an endgame test of skill that expects you to throw spears, homing attack, air boost fluidly, and hit a pole, all with the punishment of death looming large if you even mess up by a fraction of a second.
It’s a sick level, and I prefer disabling the wings while playing it, even if this is the only level where those things are intended. It’s also the only one with two 3D acts, and even though I enjoy the 2D in this game, that’s still pretty awesome.
6Rooftop Run
They Look Like Ants
Now we start truly splitting hairs as every level up here can change placements depending on my mood on any given day, as I see almost nothing wrong with any of them.
I adore Spagonia in Unleashed, and the showing it has in Generations is an improvement in just about every single way, with a bigger emphasis on speed over everything else.
It’s so cheery, like everyone is celebrating as Sonic dashes through the city streets, and every set piece from Unleashed is back with even more flare and charm than before, especially that climb up the clock tower.
It just makes me happy to run through this level, and even Classic has a lot to offer, with really fun blimp and barrel shenanigans.
5Space Colony Ark
Hanging on the Edge of Tomorrow
One of the wildest opening levels I’ve ever seen in a game, The Ark combines the adventure-styled space rails with tons of alternate paths and cool skips with the more linear railroading and high-speed action of boost gameplay.
This sets an incredible precedent for the rest of Shadow Generations and is a really fun gameplay style.
Within the first few seconds of the level, you’re already given several routes and choices for where you want to go, forcing you to be quick on your feet and choose a path, all of which drastically change how the level plays out.
You can also boost off most platforms and rails to skip parts of the level, and even in 2D, it remains super free-flowing and fun.
4Sky Sanctuary
Free Falling
One of the best glow-ups in the franchise, Sky Sanctuary went from a pretty ‘meh’ level in its original appearance to a glorious venture into ancient ruins above the clouds, having Sonic run across massive stone bridges and inside these complex bits of architecture, all of which is incredible.
I’ve always found the inner areas especially cool, with how dark they are compared to the rest of this super bright level.
In pretty much every segment of the stage, there are consistently three different paths to go on, and each of them varies up the level quite a lot, making for a unique route you may take just about every time you replay the stage.
My only qualm is Classic Sonic’s Red Rings’s requirement that you play the level three times, but it’s an excuse to play this one over and over, and I’m certainly not complaining.
3Chemical Plant
Back to Back (Hey!).
Chemical Plant’s Act 1 goes about as you’d expect, but Act 2 dials it up to 11, with routes that require big boost jumps to take, awesome cranes that require leaps of faith to grab onto, and genuinely fun water segments.
Classic Sonic’s spin dash also comes in full force in this stage, letting you do massive skips.
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Set the stage for a hero’s parade.
The water in Chemical Plant is similar to how Hydrocity is designed. It’s used more like a punishment for not going fast or not getting on the high route, and the better you play, the less you need to get your feet wet.
It’s an awesome way to design water levels, and it involves way less waiting for slow-moving blocks than you might think, plus an insanely good song.
2City Escape
Trusting in What You Can’t See
If we rank each level based on damage costs alone, this is easily one of the best Sonic levels, and it’s also up there in terms of fun gameplay,vibes, and great music.
When you start a level by snowboarding down asphalt and running through tons of cars to banging music, that’s how you know you’re in for a treat. Rolling around at the speed of sound has never seemed more appealing.
In addition to the incredible opener, City Escape is fun thanks to sections running away from the truck the whole stage on a skateboard in Act 1, boosting through city streets and off ramps in the modern iteration, and just having a great time smashing robots and going super fast through an incredibly lovely environment. It’s peak Sonic; what can I say?
1Kingdom Valley
Life’s an Open Book
In terms of peak Shadow, though, you may call this recency bias, but I genuinely believe Shadow Generations' Kingdom Valley is one of the best Sonic stages ever.
It feels wild to have so many Sonic 06 stages on this list in truth, but to their credit, they earn their place and then some.
It’s just so freeing. Every few seconds, a new route opens up, and it feels like you’re playing the Sonic equivalent of a choose-your-own-adventure book. It’s crazy that this feels more open-ended.
On top of the copious alternate routes and incredible freedom of movement, this stage maintains an awesome sense of speed throughout the entire thing.
Act 2 is one of my favorite 2D Modern Sonic/Shadow levels because it stays true to the franchise’s core philosophies while adding fun, quick-moving pillars to the mix.
It’s unbelievable, and I can’t stop replaying it. Please send help.
