Sonic Adventure 2

If the question ever comes up of which 3D Sonic best nailed the pace, the name Sonic Adventure 2 will ring out almost every time. This sequel to the Dreamcast's legendary launch title took the best of the first game and honed it into a form fans still remember with nostalgia today.

The game from Sonic Team split the story into two camps - the heroes around Sonic and the dark side led by the newly introduced Shadow. This structure gave the storytelling an edge while also underscoring what the game shines at most: pure speed. The running stages of Sonic and Shadow are among the most beloved moments of the entire series, where the camera, music and level design merge into an adrenaline-charged ride.

Alongside them you will find slower gameplay styles - mech battles with Tails and Eggman or treasure-hunting missions with Knuckles and Rouge. Not everyone loves them equally, but together they form a varied composition that keeps the player moving between the different genre modes.

The Chao garden, where you fed, trained and raised adorable creatures, became a cult component. Thanks to the link with the VMU memory card, you could care for them even away from the console, which turned a relatively fringe feature into a little obsession for many players.

Sonic Adventure 2 came out toward the end of the Dreamcast's life, so it was fully enjoyed only through a series of later re-releases on newer platforms. It was precisely thanks to them that the game was embraced even by a generation that never owned the original console, and its status as one of the most beloved 3D Sonics remains to this day.

Why play it: For the polished speed stages and the Chao garden - it is the peak of the blue hedgehog's classic 3D era.