Cristina Alexander
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If you’re the type of Sonic the Hedgehog fan who prefers to play games both at home and on the go on a single platform, the Nintendo Switch is the best console to do that. Ever since the Switch arrived in the market in 2017, Sega has worked like clockwork to consistently release Sonic games for the hybrid console.
With Sonic x Shadow Generations making its way to the Switch this fall and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 coming to theaters in December, now is a good time to play through your Sonic collection or add to it in your Switch library. Here are all the Sonic the Hedgehog games you can play on the Nintendo Switch right now!
How Many Sonic Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?
A total of 8 Sonic games have been release for Nintendo Switch. This spans from the first year of the system back in 2017 to the most recent title, Sonic Superstars, which was released in October 2023. Keep in mind that this list below does not include the games available with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
All Sonic Switch Games in Order of Release Date
Sonic Mania (2017)
Sonic Mania was developed by PagodaWest Games and Sonic fangame community member Christian Whitehead as a love letter to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles released on the Sega Genesis and Sega CD platforms. Taking place after the events of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the game remixes eight iconic levels, including Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zone, and introduces five new ones, including the glamorous Studiopolis Zone and the peaceful Press Garden Zone, and introduces a new troupe of Eggbots called the Hard-Boiled Heavies for Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to beat. Mania is considered one of the best Sonic games of the 2010s because of the experiment in allowing a group of Sonic fans to create a game other Sonic fans would love, the vivid neon graphics, and the new challenges present in every stage.
Read our review of Sonic Mania.
Sonic Forces (2017)
Sonic Forces makes Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic form a resistance against Dr. Eggman after he conquered most of the world alongside Infinite, a masked jackal who uses the Phantom Ruby to create doppelgangers and warp reality. The game switches gameplay modes between third-person Boost gameplay with Modern Sonic, side-scrolling gameplay with Classic Sonic, and a mode with the custom avatar character, which can be any animal you want, whose weapons use Wisp power-ups. Forces’ writing and lighting aren’t exactly the best in the series, but the game is still tolerable for some people.
Read our review of Sonic Forces.
Team Sonic Racing (2019)
Team Sonic Racing takes racing games to a whole new level by having players race with each other, not against each other. This game has a cooperative gameplay mechanic similar to Splatoon and Overwatch, using Sonic Heroes as a frame of reference, where you play in teams of three characters and work together to win each race, paying very close attention to your teammates’ performance and sharing Wisp power-ups with them to allow them to speed up and pull your ranks. Since most of the karts are sports cars, you can customize them with gold rims and paint your car any color you want West Coast Customs style.
Read our review of Team Sonic Racing.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2019)
Released a year before the real-life Tokyo Olympic Games was scheduled to begin only to be postponed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 brings the platform rivalry between the jolly red plumber, the speedy blue hedgehog, and their respective friends back to the world stage with new events, like surfing, skateboarding, karate, and sport climbing, and bonus features. The game includes a story mode that takes Mario and Sonic back to the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and their early 2D sprite selves, while everyone else works to help bring them back to the real world in the present day. You get the best of both eras and some history lessons about the Olympic Games in Tokyo to go with it.
Read our review of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate (2021)
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is the remastered version of the original Sonic Colors for the Wii and Nintendo DS developed by Blind Squirrel Games as part of Sonic’s 30th anniversary in 2021. The remaster enhanced the graphics to brighten up the colors of Eggman’s interplanetary amusement park and the character models, introduced a new Jade Ghost Wisp to help Sonic phase through walls and ceilings, replaced the traditional lives with rescues from Tails, and introduced mini races against Metal Sonic. You can also collect Park Tokens to customize Sonic with the wackiest designs for his shoes and gloves.
Read our review of Sonic Colors: Ultimate.
Sonic Origins (2022)
Sonic Origins compiles the first four classic Sonic games released on the Sega Genesis and Sega CD and remasters them for modern consoles and the audience that plays on them, whether they’re veteran fans seeking a nostalgia fix or young fans who want to understand Sonic’s history. Players can experience the game in Classic Mode, which is the original format presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, or Anniversary Mode, which replaces lives with coins and allows Sonic to use Drop Dash as he did in Sonic Mania. Each game in the compilation features new animated cutscenes at the beginning and end done by the incomparable Tyson Heese to connect all four games into a cohesive story, provided you play them in the original release order.
Sonic Frontiers (2022)
Sonic Frontiers is the first open-world game in the Sonic franchise — or should we say, “open-zone”? — born out of a trend of open-world games being styled after The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sonic explores the vast Starfall Islands to fight cybernetic enemies, solve various puzzles, and run through Cyber Space levels modeled after the levels from past Sonic titles in an effort to save his friends from the digitized dimension. Both veteran and new Sonic fans alike will enjoy running around the mysterious island set to a soundtrack that strikes a delicate balance between serenity and chaos.
Read our review of Sonic Frontiers.
Sonic Superstars (2023)
Sonic Superstars is a collaborative effort between Sega and Arzest to bring 3D graphics to a Classic Sonic game, a move that surprised everyone at the 2023 Summer Game Fest (including this author). With Classic Sonic being a CGI character on his own for the first time and classic levels getting revamped with new music and upgraded level designs, the game allows up to four people to locally play together as Sonic and his friends throughout 11 levels across the Northstar Islands and grants new powers for every Chaos Emerald they collect to overcome obstacles. It’s a great Sonic game to play with friends at home or on the go!
Read our review of Sonic Superstars.
Available Sonic Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
If you’re looking to play some classic Sonic games with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, there are a few available under the SEGA catalog. You can find more info about them below:
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.