As Sonic Origins releases across console generations and computers, players now have the chance to revisit the beginnings of the Sonic franchise like never before, with the first four games being remastered for the newer widescreen format, with the original format available as well.
For those who enjoy this nostalgia trip and are looking for games that evoke those same memories or play like the remastered games, there are plenty out there which were either influenced by Sonic directly or have the same appeal as those games.
Super Mario Odyssey
2017's Super Mario Odyssey returned the franchise to the open-world exploration made famous in Super Mario 64, allowing Mario and new ally "Cappy" – his hat, but with sentience – to travel to various worlds on a quest to once again save Princess Peach.
Odyssey allows Switch players to experience some of the best of Nintendo platforming, and as Sonic was essentially created as Sega's answer to Mario, Sonic fans can find plenty to love in this 3D platformer, from its diverse worlds to explore and even a virtual reality feature that only increases immersion. It's also a great substitute while waiting for Sonic Frontiers to release.
Braid
Seeming at first like a Mario copy, with the protagonist Tim having to rescue a princess, Braid differentiates itself by having players freeze and reverse time in each level, although as the game progresses only specific elements are time-manipulatable, making the solutions gradually more complex.
Despite sounding like a weird indie game, Braid is actually good, with creator Jonathan Blow using the simple time-based mechanic to provide a litany of different challenges for players, while also incorporating the mechanic into the story. The "message" of the game is still debated, but players don't have to focus on it to appreciate the gameplay itself. Although released in 2008, Braid still holds up.
Yooka-Laylee
Yooka-Laylee and its successor, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, were both clearly built to evoke the old-timey 3D platform games which themselves were inspired by the examples that the Mario and Sonic franchise had set. The closest comparison from that era is to the Banjo-Kazooie games.
Although it can be played alone, the game's emphasis on teamwork between the two characters of Yooka and Laylee make it most enjoyable to play alongside a friend; that feeling of solving a puzzle together cannot be recreated solo. Sadly, as fun as Impossible Lair is, the game is only single-player, so the continuing adventures of the two heroes have to be experienced solo. They're both worth playing, though.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Another remaster of a classic game series, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy updates the originals, including one of Naughty Dog's games, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, for PC and the current generation of consoles available in 2017-18, meaning that Switch players can also enjoy the classic trilogy of PlayStation's answer to Mario and Sonic.
While the remaster adds new elements to the games to make them consistent as a trilogy, it remains very faithful to the game in terms of core mechanics and the storyline, while updating some of the voice acting and, unsurprisingly, the graphics. It's worth noting that the faithfulness to the mechanics means the original games' controls and handling remain the same, meaning they play in many ways like the 1990s games they were when released.
Super Meat Boy
Sometimes indie games have some strange ideas that prove surprisingly compelling when players actually get to experience the game, and just like Braid, Super Meat Boy falls into that category. Another platformer where the protagonist has to rescue a girl from an evil antagonist, SMB's selling point is in the strangeness of its character design and the extreme difficulty of its levels.
Players who may not like a very difficult challenge shouldn't fret, though; beating each level requires simply the patience to learn the level and the ways in which to beat it. Failure is guaranteed, but for those who get back up and try again, there's nothing more thrilling than finally beating a level after practicing to get every moment just right.
Spelunky
For those who want a much more difficult challenge than Super Meat Boy, wherein the level layout changes completely every time the player dies, there's Spelunky. Because of the procedural generation of levels, the game is a roguelike, a genre that began with the 1980 game Rogue.
One of the best roguelike games ever, Spelunky requires players to learn the intricacies of its mechanics and obstacles in order to master the game, rather than simple memorization of a level's layout or foe's timing. Drawing back to classic roguelikes while establishing new heights for the genre, Spelunky is the perfect choice for Sonic fans who really want an extra layer of challenge.
Shovel Knight
Yet another game influenced by old platformers, Shovel Knight sounds and plays as if it really were a game from that same era, with simpler 2D graphics and one main tool for the titular Shovel Knight to use: his shovel. He can use it like a sword, as well as perform a downward strike when in the air.
The idea of a knight using a shovel as a weapon may sound absurd, but the game really does hit the nostalgia for 1990s gamers, and that's its biggest selling point... aside from the fun it provides, of course. Sonic Origins may be remastering the old games, but Shovel Knight mastered its recreation of that era's games eight years before that.
Celeste
One of the most difficult indie games ever, Celeste is no easy feat either, but its difficulty stems from the precision its levels require, more in line with Super Meat Boy than Spelunky. However, the game is anything but off-putting to new players, as anyone from casual gamers to speedrunners have found the game a delight.
The story follows a trans woman, Madeline, who must climb Mount Celeste while facing her demons, personified in-game by the obstacles the player faces. From its character design to mechanics to music to story, Celeste manages to not only tell a very moving story, but allows players to experience it through the interactivity that only a video game can provide.
Cuphead
Cuphead is one of the most unique games of the 2010s because of how it blends traditional rubber-hose animation with run-and-gun gameplay that makes players feel as if they've been transported to the 1930s yet are in complete control of the animation's actions. No wonder it got a Netflix animated show.
While the nostalgia Cuphead evokes is in part from an era long before video games, the gameplay itself is very much of the 1990s, making it a big draw to gamers of that era. It's difficult, for sure, as it's another game where failure is built into the learning process. Only stay away if frustration ruins the gaming experience.
Dreams
Media Molecule's Dreams allows for players to create their own games within it that can then be enjoyed by other players. It earns its comparison to Sonic Origins precisely because several games created within Dreams evoke Sonic, such as "Trip's Voyage" and "Cyber Trigger."
However, fans have even recreated Sonic within Dreams in ways that pay homage to the series. For copyright reasons those games may not be available forever, but they also show the impressive potential for Dreams creators to work with the Sonic formula. Dreams is also a great introduction to game development for aspiring creators, so perhaps the next Sonic-like sensation could come from a Dreams creator.