Okay, so Sonic Chronicles is basically Sonic trying to be an RPG—and honestly? It kinda works. You still get that speed when moving around the map, but battles are turn-based, with this weird ring-timing mechanic where you tap the screen to boost attacks. The story’s actually not bad—some new creepy group called the Marauders shows up, and Sonic’s crew has to chase them across zones that feel like classic Sonic levels but with way more dialogue.

First 10 minutes? You’re picking your party (Tails is basically mandatory early on), running through some forest ruins, and figuring out how the combat flows. The DS touchscreen stuff is gimmicky, but the writing has that cheesy Sonic charm. Not gonna lie, the soundtrack’s a downgrade from the Genesis days, but the strategy layer keeps it interesting when you’re mixing speed types and special moves.

If you ever wanted to see Knuckles throw hands in slow motion, this is your game.