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1* AccidentalInnuendo: Be sure to include "generations" when searching for anything related to ''Sonic X Shadow Generations'', otherwise you're going to be seeing a lot of [[SlashFic Sonic x Shadow shipping art]] at best and outright [[RuleThirtyFour smut]] at worst.
2%%* AmericansHateTingle: While the game is more or less very well-received by fans from other countries, the Russian ''Sonic'' fanbase ''loathed'' it. One [=YouTuber=] from Russia even called it "Sonic Degradations".
3* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Was the [[EldritchAbomination Time Eater]] [[spoiler:evil from the very start, or did it never mean to do anything wrong until it was taken over by Eggman]]?
4* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper:
5** [[ExpositionFairy Omochao]] is back, and he's as annoying as ever. Thankfully, the main menu contains the option to turn him off.
6** The entire cast during the final battle in the console version. Not only is the Time Eater also a GoddamnedBoss, but the ''one'' hint you really need, namely "aim at the core and Boost", gets drowned out by a dozen repetitions of "That looks like a homing shot!" Equally useless is the final instruction, which tells the player to ''press'' two buttons at the same time to combine the two Sonics' power. You are actually supposed to ''keep holding'' them until the cutscene ends in order for it to work.
7* AssPull: Classic Tails randomly shows up out of nowhere without any explanation after you finish the battle with the Death Egg Robot (console/Windows) or Big Arm ([=3DS=]). WordOfGod is that they tried to make another cutscene earlier on to give him a proper introduction, but ran out of time.
8* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/SonicTheHedgehog Naturally.]]
9* BestBossEver:
10** In the console version, Shadow for being filled with fanservice to ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' fans, Silver for being genuinely enjoyable to fight despite his infamously bad boss level in ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'', and [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Perfect Chaos]] because it shows Sonic's growth by having you take him on without the assistance of the Chaos Emeralds.
11** The 3DS' Egg Emperor is considered an improvement over its original boss fight, due to having a fair attack pattern and lacking the massive health bar it had in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''. The Time Eater, unlike its console counterpart, has also received praise, due to its varied attacks, good use of both Classic and Modern Sonic, and the absence of the secondary characters' commentary.
12* BestLevelEver:
13** More or less the whole point of the game, as it was pretty much meant to reimagine some of the series' best levels ever, and suffice to say it succeeds with some really great level designs and absolutely beautiful SceneryPorn. Special note goes to Classic Green Hill, Speed Highway, and Rooftop Run, and Modern Sky Sanctuary, City Escape, and Seaside Hill.
14** The Modern Era is generally seen as the highlight of the 3DS version, due to challenging but fair level design, good integration of Wisp powers, and creative new gimmicks like the underwater chase in Classic Water Palace or the meteor shower in Modern Tropical Resort. It's also capped by a boss battle against the Egg Emperor that improves upon the original in pretty much every way.
15* BreatherLevel: [[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Rooftop Run]] is sandwiched in between [[LethalLavaLand Crisis City]] and [[MarathonLevel Planet Wisp]]. Unlike these two levels, which punish the player's mistakes and have long sections of fancy platforming, Rooftop Run is a fairly straightforward level that strongly encourages the player to abuse the Spin Dash/Sonic Boost and has only a few easily avoidable obstacles.
16* BrokenBase:
17** The ExcusePlot nature of the story. Some are fine with it on the grounds that the gameplay more than makes up for it, while others claim that the lack of any real plot really drags the game down.
18** The amount of content in the game has become a point of contention in the years after its release, as the game only has 18 main stages evenly divided between the two gameplay styles, and they range from 4-7 minutes long your first time through. Some believe that the amount of content [[ItsShortSoItSucks wasn't enough to justify the game's price]] considering the length of previous ''Sonic'' games (even ''Colors'' which wasn't that long itself), and that the game should have had more stages or more meaningful replay value. Others believe that the large amount of alternate paths in each level provides enough replay value on its own, and also point out that ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' was criticized for having the Werehog take about 2/3 of the game in total playtime. Many were hoping that there would be DownloadableContent that would add more well-loved stages to the game later on, such as Ice Cap Zone and Egg Fleet, but were disappointed when it was revealed that the only DLC would be a Casino Night-based pinball minigame.
19** The decision to represent ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' with a level and a boss fight in this game. Some fans would prefer that Sega call complete CanonDiscontinuity on ''Sonic 06'' and pretend it never existed, and that it has no place in a game celebrating Sonic's history. They often also add that, because the plot of ''Sonic 06'' ends by [[CosmicRetcon erasing itself from existence]], referencing its events creates a ContinuitySnarl. Others argue that despite the poor reception of ''06'', it is still nonetheless part of the series and that its representation in this game allows some of its better elements to finally shine through. The facts that Crisis City turned out to be a BestLevelEver and Silver the Hedgehog had a much better battle in ''Generations'' have greatly helped the latter case.
20** For Classic Sonic, does making the spin dash activate with a single button that also gives you a fully charged spin dash speed turn the spin dash into a glorified boost button? Or does it make more sense to have it mapped to a specific button instead of requiring a series of button presses to reach max spin dash speed, helping to better keep the flow of Classic Sonic's stages? Considering what counts as 'boost to win' is one of the biggest gameplay related things fans can't see eye to eye on...
21** The Biolizard boss battle in the 3DS version. On the one hand, it's probably the most climactic fight in the Adventure era other than Perfect Chaos (which was already taken by the console version), and the circular arena it's fought on matches the design of boss battles from previous portable Sonic games. On the other hand, the Biolizard was really ''Shadow''[='=]s nemesis in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', making this encounter with Sonic seem forced at best. Also, the battle has been heavily watered down from the original version, as a result of it being demoted to only the second boss in this game.
22** Silver being the Rival Race for the Modern Era in the 3DS version. Given that the two preceding levels drew heavy inspiration from the DS games, many feel that Blaze would have been a much better choice for a boss. Others are fine with Silver, as the character is pretty popular on his own.
23** While the console version treats ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' as a Dreamcast Era game (for the sake of having each era have an even number of levels, and ''Heroes'' being part of the same console generation as ''Adventure'' and ''[=SA2=]''), the 3DS version has it be a part of the Modern Era. The main point of contention is the Egg Emperor being the third boss in the 3DS version. Some find it a perfectly fine battle by itself, while others wish it had been replaced by a boss from a handheld title or from a more recent game, such as the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Egg Wyvern]].
24* DifficultySpike: In the Modern Era, both the main levels ''and'' the challenge stages take a ''massive'' difficulty spike, especially the Doppelganger races, which now leave extremely little room for error.
25* DisappointingLastLevel:
26** The final boss fight in the HD version has received its share of criticism, with the primary complaints centering around the incessant and annoying voice lines from the supporting characters, the visual design being very confusing, and overall vagueness about how to beat it.
27** The last part of the game has levels that take a huge spike in difficulty, and both Classic and Modern Sonic have to drag themselves through really [[MarathonLevel long levels at the end]].
28** Whereas most levels are actually expanded upon, making them more grand and interesting, it can be said that Planet Wisp (the last proper level before the final boss) suffers from the opposite. Where in ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', most stages had two to three different Wisp powers on average, each stage (Classic or Modern) only uses a single Wisp power-up. If that's not bad enough, the levels are also some of [[MarathonLevel the longest in the game]], making sure to overuse the gimmick Wisp power well before you reach the end.
29* EpilepticTrees:
30** [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie]] (and later, [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW]]) comic book writer Creator/IanFlynn [[http://www.bumbleking.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=310881&sid=81c452737bcb2fd7acd4e7b56badd48b#p308664 believes]] [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150721165838/http://www.bumbleking.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=310881&#p308664 that]] Creator/{{Sega}} intended to imply that the [[EldritchAbomination Time Eater]] was leftover matter of [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgeHog2006 Mephiles]]. As such, he stated that the Time Eater is an alternate state of Mephiles that "slipped through a crack in time." This could explain their purple aura and similar ability to [[TimeTravel travel through time]]. However, this has yet to be confirmed in-universe or by any material produced by Creator/{{Sega}}.
31** The mystery surrounding the Time Eater's origin and nature has led to many [[{{Fanon}} fan theories]] of what it is and why it is cooperating with Eggman. One of these theories proposes that the Time Eater was born from the overload of dark Wisp energy at the end of ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', given that the Doctor met it shortly after the events of that game, as well as due to the creature's physical similarity to Purple Frenzy and its ability to create black holes like Violet Void.
32* FanNickname:
33** The fire tornado in Classic Crisis City that [[MovingTheGoalposts drags the goal post away]] has been affectionately dubbed the Trollnado. The goalpost is called the Trollpost.
34** While the era spanning from ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' to ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' is officially dubbed the Dreamcast Era by Sega, many fans generally tend to dub the era as the ''Adventure'' Era instead due to the era spanning beyond the Platform/SegaDreamcast and many of the games released in that era sharing a ton of elements and ideas with the ''Adventure'' games. It has also been humorously nicknamed the "[[WebVideo/SomeCallMeJohnny Green Eyes Era]]" by some.
35** The era that covers the 16-bit games is officially known as the “Classic Era”, but some fans like to call it the “Genesis Era” for two reasons. One, it refers to the Platform/SegaGenesis, and two is that the word “Genesis” can be used to describe the beginning of something. In this case, the genesis of the series.
36** Before and after the reveal of ''Sonic X Shadow Generations'', some fans opted to use the title "Sonadow Generations," based on the fandom's PortmanteauCoupleName that shipped both characters, due to the usage of "Sonic x Shadow" in the remaster's title.
37* FranchiseOriginalSin: Listed on [[FranchiseOriginalSin/SonicTheHedgehog the franchise page]].
38* GameBreaker:
39** Classic Sonic's Spin Dash is ridiculously overpowered in the console version, covering a huge distance, giving a massive boost of speed, and obliterating almost every enemy in his path. Also, unlike Modern Sonic's Boost, there is no gauge to limit its usage. Careful usage of the Spin Dash makes beating the classic stages in seconds [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F4gp5fCkac a breeze]].
40** There are several others which are mostly context-specific. For example, Classic's Flame Shield skill neuters almost every obstacle and enemy in his Crisis City level aside from bottomless pits, and the jump dash you get from it has ridiculous range. Classic's Homing Attack is also pretty intense because it removes the challenge in trying to aim for an enemy to bounce on to reach higher places. It does have one obvious drawback, though: you don't obtain the same forward momentum you would by doing a regular Spin Jump. Relying on Homing Attack might result in you missing a higher route due to not having enough air.
41** Just like in the Classic games, [[spoiler:Super Sonic]] is this. You get this power-up immediately after beating the final boss, and while the cost is very high (it fills the entire slot of powerups which can normally fit 4 or 5 on its own), upon using it by [[spoiler:getting 50 rings]], you become [[spoiler:completely invincible (except for pits), have double speed, and the Modern Sonic version can fly while using Boost]]. Skilled players can easily S Rank all stages using this powerup.
42* GoddamnedBoss:
43** The Egg Dragoon takes 8 hits to defeat (or 10 in hard mode), and Eggman will often fly out of reach, making the fight [[MarathonBoss much longer]] than necessary.
44** The Time Eater in the console version. Awkward controls, lack of clarity on what exactly to do, a cluttered screen, the standard ring-draining mechanic as the rest of the series, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Sonic's friends never shutting up]].
45* GoodBadBugs: In Modern Water Palace, if the jump button is pressed while Sonic is running through a loop, he will go out of bounds and land in the level's background. The player can then boost to the goal while skipping every obstacle, clearing the level in record time.
46** In the HD version, Classic Sonic's Flame Dash in programming terms is a reworked version of Modern Sonic's Air-Boost with the retention time dialed down to zero so that you only get the initial burst. If you time a Flame Dash so that it occurs just as Sonic touches the ground and then keep the jump button held down however, you'll end up getting an invisible, infinite Boost! While the level layout of Classic stages makes it somewhat niche as far as the Boost's intended utility goes, you can use it to gain and maintain speed without having to break the flow of momentum for spindashes, like a prototype [[VideoGame/SonicMania Drop Dash.]]
47* HarsherInHindsight: At one point, when Modern Sonic leaves to his original timeline, he tells Classic Sonic "Enjoy your future, it's going to be great!" Considering the franchise went under a perceived AudienceAlienatingEra for a while after the game's release (and is still a bit contentious), it's safe to say his future hasn't exactly been great.
48* HeartwarmingInHindsight: The last line of the game, with Modern Sonic saying to Classic Sonic "Hey Sonic! Enjoy your future, it's going to be great!" was met with ''immediate'' derision amongst the fandom, both due to some of the rougher moments the Hedgehog himself faced throughout the franchise and the [[BrokenBase intensely-debated]] [[AudienceAlienatingEra quality]] with almost every game getting savaged by critics and at best very mixed reviews by fans. Then SEGA made the decision to split the "Classic" and "Modern" continuities from each other, making Classic Sonic not Modern Sonic's past self, but an alternate universal version. And the first major game for Classic Sonic after ''Generations'' (not counting ''VideoGame/SonicRunners'')? ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', which received high praise from both fans and critics alike. Suddenly, "Modern" Sonic's words to his "Classic" self [[MetaphoricallyTrue take on a whole new meaning]].
49* HilariousInHindsight:
50** After being beaten once again, [[ItMakesSenseInContext Eggman asks himself if he ever beats Sonic, to which he replies with a defeated "no"]]. Little did he know [[VideoGame/SonicForces he was only two games away from achieving world conquest]].
51** Ray the Squirrel and Mighty the Armadillo can be spotted on Missing Posters ("Missing since 1993") in one particular zone. [[VideoGame/SonicMania Seems someone finally found them.]]
52** Similarly, there's also Fang the Sniper, who can be found on a Wanted Poster. [[VideoGame/SonicSuperstars Turns out he's not finished with Sonic and co.]]
53* HypeBacklash: On its release date, it was largely considered the greatest 3D ''Sonic'' game ever. While the backlash is not as significant as, say, ''Colors'' or especially ''Adventure 2'', the praise for the game has waned somewhat over the years due to such factors as being [[ItsShortSoItSucks too short]], having [[ExcusePlot no real plot]], and/or being too much of a nostalgia trip (to the point some people have accused SEGA of relying on Classic Sonic a bit too much in more recent years, especially during the franchise's 25th anniversary). Quite a bit of people feel that ''Generations'' is still the best 3D game in the series, but feel that it is only the best by comparison to the [[ContestedSequel divisive 3D titles]] that came before and after it.
54* ImprovedSecondAttempt: ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''[='=] special stages are infamous among fans for being one of the worst special stages in the series, due to the physics being nearly impossible to get a hang of. The 3DS version of ''Generations'' opts to bring back the special stages from ''Heroes'' with one-to-one gameplay mechanics, but they're actually fun to play due to the physics actually being optimized around it, proving that ''Heroes''[='=] special stages can work with the right level of polish.
55** ''Sonic X Shadow Generations'' does this with the Generations {=3DS=} version of the Biolizard boss fight, moving it back to being Shadow's opponent, with much more visual polish and no sign of the same dumbed-down gameplay as the original.
56* ItsEasySoItSucks:
57** The boss battles against the Death Egg Robot and Big Arm received considerable amounts of flak for being greatly toned down from their original versions in order to provide an appropriate challenge for the first boss.
58** The Biolizard faced similar criticism for reducing the difficulty of its fight, though in this case it's because the original battle is one of the biggest cases of ThatOneBoss in the entire franchise.
59* ItsShortSoItSucks: The main campaign has been criticised for this. The game only contains 18 stages (14 in the 3DS version) that are evenly divided between the two gameplay styles, seven bosses (including the FinalBoss), and all but two of the stages are only 3-4 minutes long even on your first playthrough. While the game is filled with optional missions, all of them are just shortened {{Remixed Level}}s, with only nine of them being required to beat for the keys to unlock the boss gates on the console versions. Depending on who you ask, the large amount of alternate paths for each level either helps by adding a ton of ReplayValue, or are a wasted opportunity due to only a select few of them containing any secrets of note.
60* LongSongShortScene:
61** "Open Your Heart" received a remix to accompany a rematch with Perfect Chaos, but just like in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' it only accompanies the first and easier half of the battle.
62** The final boss track from ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' has a remix in the [=3DS=] version that lasts for around three minutes and thirty seconds. The boss that the track plays for is so easy that most players can beat in just under a minute, well before the remix can fully play.
63* MemeticMutation:
64** The game's very ''existence'' has spawned a minor meme called "X Generations", where other series are put into a similar concept to this game, including Franchise/SuperMarioBros, Franchise/MyLittlePony, and even WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes. Even ''Film/TwentyTwoJumpStreet'' features "Jump Street Generations" (featuring the movie pair teaming up with the originals) as part of its CreditsGag.
65** Silver's giant trash ball has been compared to ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy''.
66** On the Sonic Stadium Message Boards, [[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Rooftop Run]] has received [[SarcasmMode some flak]] for having a tree on its rooftop, meant to mock the sentiments of the fans. [[http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8532/25888010150212137766673.jpg A tree on a rooftop!?]] It's been ruined forever!
67** Prior to the release of the game: [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} SHUT UP AND TAKE MY]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext RINGS!]] and any variation of it.
68** It's often joked or speculated that the Time Eater is the personification of the ''[[BrokenBase Sonic]]'' [[BrokenBase Fanbase.]] It was also joked that Time Eater's true identity was the infamous barrel platform from ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic 3]]'' — a trap that is very well known [[GuideDangIt for eating up time]].
69** Modern Sonic's last line of dialogue ("Enjoy your future, it's going to be great!") is often mocked. Variations include Modern Sonic appending a warning about [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes 2004]], [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog 2005]], and/or [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 2006]]; a GilliganCut of Classic Sonic going through said rough years; or another character lampshading the use of a little white lie.
70** ↑ & ↓ & ↻ (The music for Speed Highway includes the repeating line "Up and down and all around;" the meme itself coming from the original Speed Highway from ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''.)
71** From the battle with the final boss, [[spoiler:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvhbjjeTWIU "That looks like a homing shot!"]], "Be careful, Sonic!", and all variations thereof.]]
72** "'''DAT VIOLIN!'''" for the fantastic remixes of Crisis City and Rooftop Run.
73** Classic Rooftop Run is frequently used in mashup remixes, effectively becoming this game's most popular track.
74** Like all of Eggman's repetitive quotes in battles, "Time for a change of pace!" is quite popular in parts of the ''Sonic'' fanbase.
75** "You've got thi''sss''onic!" from Shadow.
76** That tornado's carrying [[AscendedMeme a goalpost!]]
77** The moment the remaster's title was announced, some fans joked that parents would look up ''Sonic X Shadow'' on Google, looking for the remaster but instead finding a bunch of [[YaoiGenre Yaoi fanart]] of the two. Relatedly the Steam page has LGBTQ+ among its tags has almost become a meme in and of itself.
78* MisaimedFandom: The game ends with Modern Sonic telling his Classic self to "enjoy [his] future" as "it's gonna be great". Given how the series had gone through a lengthy AudienceAlienatingEra prior (and has went through another once since then), fans reacted incredulously to this line, and its apparent irony led it to become [[MemeticMutation memetic]]. This completely overlooks how ''in-universe'', Sonic's frequently enjoyed his adventures and going on them, along with the basic fact that he won't dislike one of his adventures [[PsychologicalProjection just because the person playing as him does]].
79* {{Narm}}:
80** When the Time Eater has Sonic at its mercy, all of his allies appear to help... by spouting encouraging quotes. This includes Shadow, who sounds more annoyed than anything.
81--->'''Shadow:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCH_3nPgLHA "You've GOT this, Sonic!"]]
82** The 3DS version doesn't have this cutscene, but is narmy nonetheless because it portrays the battle with still images, cheap visual effects, generic sounds, and random dialogue.
83** Due to a programming error, the final boss in the 3DS version has Eggman saying one of his Spanish quotes instead of the appropriate English one. It's quite amusing to hear "No ha estado mal!" instead of the expected "Not bad!" after each hit.
84** Modern Sonic telling his past self to "Enjoy your future! It's gonna be great!", in light of the series' infamous case of {{Sequelitis}}.
85* NeverLiveItDown: For fans who are disgruntled about the supporting cast's reduced role in the series, the final boss fight is usually held up as the prime example of their irrelevance. When ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' revealed that characters would be talking to the player throughout the stages, a lot of people started cracking jokes about hoping that the characters would actually be allowed to do something, instead of just sitting on the sidelines shouting warnings about homing shots.
86* OlderThanTheyThink:
87** Perfect Chaos' radical redesign in this game was actually how he was supposed to look in the first ''Adventure'' game. Technical limitations of the Dreamcast got in the way of that, and his design was scaled back considerably from the concept art for ''Adventure''.
88** ''Sonic Generations'' introduces an EldritchAbomination that destroys time? ''Comicbook/SonicTheComic'' did it first--the Time Waster was an EnergyBeing that could delete entire years from history by consuming the spirit corresponding to that year.
89* OnceOriginalNowCommon: In a day and age when the fanbase can often be seen complaining about later ''Sonic'' games [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks reusing Classic Sonic and older stages over focusing on new content]], it is easy to forget that ''Generations'' doing the same was considered special and a ''celebration'' of Sonic's history rather than using it as a crutch, as the game having a post-''Adventure'' Classic Sonic appearance and focus on remixed levels was a first for the series.
90* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: While the gameplay itself has been regarded as extremely stellar, with Modern Sonic's gameplay and levels in particular being regarded as the best part of the game due to the refined boost mechanics and more open level design compared to ''Unleashed'' and ''Colors'', the story itself has been criticized for being an extremely barebones ExcusePlot that does very little with what [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot potential the game's plot offered]].
91* PolishedPort:
92** The PC version, which reduced the loading times ''significantly'' and allowed the game to achieve 60fps on a PC with good enough specs. The PC version's popularity is also due to the [[GameMod modding possibilities...]] Unfortunately, the PC version does not have the ability to play the original ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', though it was being sold standalone at the time of its release.
93** Taken even further with the uncovering of the half-broken remains of the graphics rendering engine of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' during the creation of the ''Unleashed Project'' game mod. After fixing it up, it enabled a lot of extra features that were disabled in all versions of the vanilla game, such as directional shadows, light shafts, more dramatic lighting effects, and a more advanced speed blur system. On top of that, thanks to its unfinished nature disabling certain functions, it actually gives the game a significant boost in FPS. The difference that the rendering engine makes, especially in stages like Sky Sanctuary, Speed Highway, and Seaside Hill, is [[SceneryPorn absolutely jaw dropping.]] Unfortunately, the renderer doesn't work with weaker graphics cards, instead causing the game to look as if you were playing it with a thick layer of Vaseline on the camera. This is because the "Unleashed renderer" applies heavy motion blur in an attempt to mask low frame rates. It can easily be enabled with the [=SonicGMI=] tool.
94** The backwards compatible versions for Xbox One X and Xbox Series X|S consoles are this. The former offering improved performance at a 4K resolution, while the latter, a 4K/1440p picture along with an upgrade to a rock-solid 60 FPS.
95* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Silver the Hedgehog went from one of the cheapest and most aggravating boss fights in the series back in his debut, to this game, where he gets a very enjoyable rival boss fight with a considerable amount of awesome. Basically, what ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' did for Shadow, ''Sonic Generations'' did for Silver.
96* ScrappyMechanic: Black holes appear scattered throughout the stage during versus matches in the 3DS version. Falling into one forces the player to mash the B button to let Sonic escape. There's a reason this is the only instance where this gameplay gimmick appears.
97* SoOkayItsAverage: The 3DS version gets this reaction from most fans. The game is derided for its even greater lack of content (even compared to the console version, which already gets criticized for being short on content) as well as a wasted opportunity with not representing the handheld games save [[VideoGame/SonicRush one]]. However, the game is still considered to be perfectly enjoyable with good level design (when not recycled from the originals), with a few even considering the 3DS version to be an underrated gem with a few advantages over its console/PC cousin, most notably the FinalBoss.
98* TaintedByThePreview:
99** After the level list was leaked, some fans were disappointed by the lack of variety between them. At least, until it was shown that some levels were [[DivergentCharacterEvolution radically different from the originals.]] Takashi Iizuka saying that the 3DS version will ignore levels from the Platform/GameGear spin-offs didn't help much either.
100** The reveals of [[BaseBreakingCharacter Shadow]] and [[TheScrappy Silver]] as boss battles were contentious at first, until it turned out that both Rival battles were incredibly fun to play, and have been a considerable boon to the popularity of the characters ever since, particularly Silver's.
101** The Death Egg Robot was been subject to claims of ItsEasySoItSucks, though it ''is'' the first[[labelnote:*]]or second, if one counts the Metal Sonic rival battle as a complete boss fight[[/labelnote]] proper boss in the game. Big Arm also was subject to this, also having been nerfed from its ''Sonic 3'' appearance.
102** When news of a ''Generations'' remaster leaked shortly before the reveal of ''Sonic X Shadow Generations'', fans were skeptical due to the poor quality of the ''Colors'' remaster and the fact the original is still widely-accessible through Steam while other entries like ''Heroes'' are not, along with concerns that delisting the original would harm its prolific modding scene. The first fear was assuaged after the reveal trailer, as the base game appears largely intact with minor lighting tweaks while the Shadow campaign was met with open arms.
103* ThatOneLevel:
104** [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Crisis City]] for being much more punishing and unforgiving towards mistakes [[DifficultySpike than the previous levels]], as pointed out by fans and many reviews. [[spoiler:The tornado stealing the goal post in Act 1 doesn't help.]]
105** [[VideoGame/SonicColors Planet Wisp]] Act 1 is also this for many people, for a combination of its [[MarathonLevel incredible length]] and the clunky mechanics of the Pink Spike Wisp. Not the best of combinations. Act 2 also gets this, but not quite as badly, as the Orange Rocket Wisp is devoid of any control issues the former has.
106** [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 Radical Highway]] in the 3DS version. In both acts, getting to the upper parts of the levels involves chaining Homing Attacks into a Gold Beetle. Said enemy is only on the screen for a split second, and if you are not quick enough, you will be forced to take the lower routes to the goal. Said paths are littered with slow-moving platforms over bottomless pits and enemies that appear out of nowhere, almost ensuring you will lose a life or two before you make it past those sections.
107* ThatOneSidequest: Vector's character mission in Rooftop Run. His challenge involves you ping-ponging musical notes with him, which requires you to move toward and away from the screen in third person view. Unfortunately, the camera system was not built with going backwards in mind, making this battle an incredible pain in the ass. Then the musical note becomes even faster after hitting it around several times. It doesn't help that the area is littered with unmovable, unbreakable boxes that can easily get in your way and block your homing attacks.
108* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
109** The Biolizard battle in the 3DS version received plenty of fan complaints for its changes from to the original, such as the lighting being way brighter, Sonic fighting the boss instead of Shadow, the reduced difficulty (though some didn't mind, compared to [[ThatOneBoss the original]]), and the lighter, more intelligible remix of "Supporting Me."
110** The infamous drowning song is strangely absent in the 3DS version, being replaced by a generic sound effect as the clock ticks down.
111* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
112** Orbot and Cubot, both of whom were shaping up to becoming Eggman's primary assistants in the games at this point, both only have a 3-second cameo near the end. The duo returns in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', however.
113** All of Sonic's friends simply stand around and do nothing for all of the game (aside from participate in one-off minigames/missions). Even Shadow and Silver just show up to spar with Sonic... and then do nothing else; not even helping the Sonics [[spoiler:by going super alongside them and helping defeat the two Eggmen in the Time Eater]]. There's a reason that it was with ''Generations'' that many fans felt the sting of having only Sonic(s) playable.
114* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
115** Many fans feel the plot was too thin, the linking between events could have been done better, and had many missed opportunities regarding character interaction and more nudges or references to previous games in the series. This is especially true after the [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 two]] [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 previous]] anniversary games had far more engaging plots (although the latter isn't considered very good either for different reasons).
116** Many fans were expecting the 3DS version of the game to celebrate the lesser-but-still-fun handheld platformers in the franchise, as the 3DS is a handheld itself. However (probably because Dimps is no longer allowed to make their own games anymore), it turned out that it would just use different levels from the games the "main" version already represented, only representing [[VideoGame/SonicRush one handheld game]] out of many.
117* ToughActToFollow: ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' are still compared negatively to ''Sonic Generations'' in terms of gameplay, level design, and (for the latter at least) use of Classic Sonic stages.
118* UnexpectedCharacter: Fans were not expecting to see ''Black Doom'' in the reveal trailer for ''Sonic X Shadow Generations''. Especially since Sega hasn't been keen on acknowledging him (and the Black Arms in general) since ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog''.

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