Shadow the Hedgehog is one of those characters who is so ridiculous he loops back around to endearing. A grim black-and-red version of Sonic the Hedgehog with a tragic and increasingly convoluted backstory who veers between edgy antihero and Vegeta-style redeemed bad guy, he's the epitome of "This would be cool when I were 12 years old." When he got his own game, he wielded guns, rode a motorcycle, and had a multiple-choice ending where he could go on killing sprees. The character is so immensely genuine that he's at least a little endearing. Sonic X Shadow Generations seems to embrace that concept wholeheartedly. Yes, it's easy to like Sonic the Hedgehog and his snarky-but-good-natured antic. Generations also loves every aspect of Shadow, right down to his goofy habit of riding a motorcycle even though he's faster than a car.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is divided into two parts. The Sonic half of the game is pretty much exactly the same experience as the original 2011 Sonic Generations. For those who didn't play that game, Generations features a time-devouring monster that invaded Sonic's world and broke time. It forces the modern version of Sonic the Hedgehog to team up with his adorable, dumpy 2D-era counterpart. This involves going through a series of stages from both modern and classic Sonic games, redesigned to allow both eras of the blue blur to compete together.

The Sonic side of Generations is very similar to the original game, but it has seen some updates. The basic mechanics seem to have been polished up a bit, so they feel smoother in a lot of places. Classic Sonic now has the "Drop Dash" move that has been added to pretty much every 2D Sonic game; it grants him some much-needed bonus mobility. There are also some collectible Chaos added stages to get some bonus unlockable stuff.

The original version of the game is as fun as it ever was. It's a beautiful love letter to every era of the Sonic franchise, good and bad, and it largely captures what is good about the franchise while avoiding its biggest flaws. Most of the mechanical changes are an improvement, and it's easily the best version of the game to date. However, it is still largely the same game, so if you've already played the original, don't expect any huge changes.

The newer part of the game stars everyone's favorite edgy rival, Shadow the Hedgehog. While everyone else was attending Sonic's birthday party, Shadow was off hunting down a signal on the Space Station ARK. That's where he discovers Black Doom, the evil space alien who caused the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, and he's seemingly back for revenge. Doom's attack occurs at the same moment as space-time breaks, forcing Shadow to battle his archnemesis across broken time and space. It's made all the more complex for Shadow by the reappearance of his dead friend Maria and her grandfather.

Shadow's campaign is a love letter to Sonic's edgiest rival as well as an excuse to revisit the new franchise games that have come out since Sonic Generations debuted. It introduces a new level from every game Shadow had a starring role in (Adventure 2, Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic 2006) as well as the two newer games (Forces and Frontiers). Since there's no such thing as a "classic" Shadow, the gameplay is divided into a more 3D-focused stage and a more 2D-focused stage set.

Shadow's core gameplay is, of course, quite similar to modern Sonic's. The core gameplay mechanics are almost identical with a few twists. Shadow's Homing Attack is actually a short-range teleport attack instead of a dash forward. This isn't just cosmetic, as it means Shadow can use the Homing Attack to get past bars and obstacles as long as there's an enemy to lock on to. Beyond that, the core gameplay is easy enough to pick up and play. What makes Shadow stand out is his wide variety of special powers.

To start with, he has his Chaos Control powers, which come in two forms. One is Chaos Spear, which allows him to temporarily stun enemies; then he can use his Homing Attack on enemies who are spinning, electrified or dangerous. The other is Chaos Control itself, which has a meter that builds up over time and, when triggered, freezes time temporarily. While time is frozen, enemies can be attacked without risk, obstacles can be run over, and certain special secret paths will become available.

As the game progresses, Shadow unlocks additional powers. Most of these powers are context-sensitive but unlock mobility options. They include an enhanced Chaos Spear called Doom Spear that can target multiple foes at once, a super-homing attack called Doom Blast that can knock Shadow high into the air and let him destroy objects, the ability to surf on water, and even a bizarre Venom-like transformation where he becomes a pile of goo that can swing. Probably the coolest ability is the Doom Wing, which replaces the Super Sonic ability. Once you unlock it and trigger it, Shadow grows edgy black wings so he can fly directly forward at any time. Once this Doom Wing state is triggered, it rapidly drains your rings and can't be deactivated, so you need to keep moving forward or end up with zero rings.

This lends the stages a notably different feel from Sonic's levels in that you're chaining together a significant number of different moves, and optimal play feels busier than it does for Sonic. It's not necessarily harder since Shadow's skills are incredibly powerful, but it does a good job of making the hedgehog feel distinctly different from his blue counterpart. It was a delight to play as Shadow, and it's helped by the fact that his stages feel nice and tightly designed. I found some of the Generations stages to feel a bit overly long, but each Shadow stage felt a lot more coherent.

The references to Frontiers don't begin and end with including linear levels. The Blank Void hub world in the Shadow segment of the game is now a full-on Frontier-style explorable hub world. It's pretty small compared to that game, but it's packed to the brim with mini-obstacle courses and hidden items. There's even a slight Metroidvania aspect to it, as each new power that Shadow unlocks allows him to access more of the game's zones. It's a nice homage to Frontiers, and it's just a great little hub to explore.

I found the Shadow part of the Generations game to be the strongest segment. It shows the greater experience of the team, and the level design feels like the team has a good grip on what does and doesn't work in the engine. By the time the game was over, I found myself wishing was an entire game built around this. The additional levels are substantial enough to add to the Generations package, but it still amounts to about three hours of gameplay, plus some extra time to collect all of the items.

Visually, Generations looks good. The visuals have all seen a nice update, and the game runs as smooth as butter on Performance mode. It can look a little cheap during some of the cut scenes, but it largely manages to nail the graphics and design it is going for. The music is as excellent as ever, including remixes and straight adaptations of songs from pretty much every game in the Sonic library. The dub voice acting is cheesy in the best ways, and I rather adored Shadow's incredibly conspicuous attempts to be a grumpy loner.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a delightful experience for any Sonic fan. Not only has the original Generations aged surprisingly well, but the new Shadow segment of the story contains just as much love for the parts of the franchise that came after the original release. The gameplay is quick, fun and accessible, and there's so much love for Sega's mascot and his dark counterpart that it's immensely enjoyable, no matter how many times it reminds me of Sonic 2006. It does the one thing I never imagined could happen: It really makes me want a new Shadow the Hedgehog game.

Score: 8.5/10