Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 3: The Sixth Generation of Gaming

Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 3: The Sixth Generation of Gaming
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Mario vs. Sonic: The Sixth Genration of Gaming

With new hardware came new titles. The sixth generation of gaming pushed video games consoles to their limits and brought with it better graphics than ever as well as bigger adventures for countless video game mascots. The Dreamcast was on its final legs as the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox all fought hard to be the top home console.

Sonic Adventure 2 - Sega Dreamcast

It was only a matter of time before the demise of the Sega Dreamcast reared its head into the gaming industry, and Sonic Adventure 2

Sonic Adventure 2

managed to wow Sonic fans one last time before the fall of the console. It featured improved gameplay over the original, which was a success in its own right, as well as improved camera and controls. The game was ported to the GameCube a few months later as Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, and it featured a number of multiplayer modes. Overall, this title was a success and another fun entry in the Sonic franchise.

Super Mario Sunshine - Nintendo GameCube

After Super Mario 64, Nintendo’s mascot saw a change in platforming fare. Now equipped with a water backpack that could be used as a

Super Mario Sunshine

weapon and to reach great heights, Mario entered a tropical world and once again impressed gamers with some entertaining platforming in Super Mario Sunshine. The title wasn’t praised as much as Super Mario 64, but it did garner critical and commercial success.

Sonic Heroes - Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox

Sonic Heroes

Sega made one last effort to put Sonic and his friends in a high-speed platformer in the 128-bit generation. The game was Sonic Heroes, and it garnered a positive reaction for the most part from fans and critics. It was especially successful due to its high speed and traditional loop and spring elements. Many considered the GameCube version the best, while the PlayStation 2 version got lower review scores. Overall, Sonic Heroes was a good attempt by Sega, and it was indeed a game worthy of its merits.

Sonic Spin-offs and Other Games

The sixth generation of video games saw the Blue Blur in many different titles. He raced against friend and foe in the poorly received

Shadow the Hedgehog

Sonic Riders. He was successful, however, in garnering an old-school audience with Sonic Rush, a side-scroller that featured Sonic in his element. Even Shadow the Hedgehog appeared in his very own game. Once again, though, this was considered a poor effort by many, and it was not appreciated by Sonic fans.

Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog in the 128-bit Generation

The sixth generation was a bit strange for Mario and Sonic. Mario adventured on a tropical island and provided a gameplay experience that was fun but didn’t entirely feel like a direct Super Mario 64 sequel. And Sonic set out on two different journeys that were fun but definitely weren’t perfect. Additionally, the blue hedgehog took a lot of criticism for his spin-off titles, and Sega was now out of the console race, left to develop titles for Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. With titles such as Super Mario Sunshine and Sonic Adventure 2 behind them, how would two of gaming’s most iconic mascots fare in today’s generation?

This post is part of the series: Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog

A collection of articles comparing two epic heroes: Maria vs. Sonic.

  1. Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 1
  2. Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 2
  3. Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 3
  4. Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 4
  5. Mario vs. Sonic the Hedgehog - Part 5