

Originally designed for the Sega Genesis, then the 32x, and finally the Saturn, Sonic X-treme was meant to be the first fully realized 3D Sonic title. It was eventually cancelled in 1997 after spending a year in development hell.

Platform / Adventure / Action / Kids
Sonic is back, and this time, he needs the help of all of his friends to defeat the evil Dr. Eggman. In Sonic Advance 3, Sonic and Tails must reunite with their friends Cream, Knuckles, and Amy. Team up with any of the five characters to gain special attack moves: Sonic increases your speed, Tails increases your jump power, Knuckles increases your attack power, Amy offers the Piko Piko hammer attack, and Cream lets you perform a homing attack. With a Game Boy Advance link, you and three of your friends can battle it out in multiplayer modes.

Sonic Advance is notable for being the first Sonic game released on a Nintendo console, despite both Sega and Nintendo being well-known rivals on the console market throught the 1990s. Sonic Advance features four playable characters and marks the first playable appearance of Amy Rose on a 2D title. The game borrows elements from the original Sonic the Hedgehog titles for the Sega Genesis, but with the post-Dreamcast artstyle for the characters which was introduced in Sonic Adventure. The game also includes multiplayer features and mini-games. The title was also ported to the Nokia N-Gage under the title "SonicN".

Sonic the Hedgehog has a new partner, Blaze the Cat, in this fast-paced platformer, Sonic Rush. You can play as either Sonic or Blaze as you try to track down powerful Sol emeralds. Sonic Rush displays the level over both screens, allowing for screen-spanning jumps and dives. Some gameplay modes include stylus support as well. Designed as a 2.5D side-scroller, Sonic Rush is the first game in the Sonic series to explore both 2D and 3D venues by combining two-dimensional environments with three-dimensional models. In 2007, the game received a sequel, Sonic Rush Adventure.

Platform / Action / Science fiction
A fast-paced platformer that follows Sonic as he races through time-traveling zones to rescue past and future versions of stages and stop Dr. Robotnik’s time-altering plans. Combining classic Sonic speed and precision with CD-quality music, animated cutscenes, and branching time-based routes, it rewards quick reflexes and exploration to unlock true endings.

Platform / Adventure / Action / Fantasy
Crash Bandicoot: Warped is the third game in the Crash Bandicoot series and the first to feature Coco as a playable character. The player takes control of Crash and Coco Bandicoot, who must travel back and forward in time and gather 25 crystals before Uka Uka and Doctor Neo Cortex can do so. Much of the game takes place in the Time Twister which acts as the hub area of the game. The Time-Twister is split up into five chambers, each chamber has five buttons that open portals to different levels. The goal in each level is to find and obtain the crystal hidden in the level. Crash Bandicoot: Warped was lauded by critics in many areas, and the game has been considered one of the best video games of all time.

A side scrolling 2D platformer and first entry in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. follows Italian plumber Mario as he treks across many levels of platforming challenges featuring hostile enemies to rescue Princess Peach from the evil king Bowser.

Ape Escape is a single-player 3D platformer released in 1999 for the Playstation. Using the analog stick, you must capture apes that have escaped throughout time to stop them from screwing up the fabric of time and space.

Platform / Adventure / Action / Fantasy
Super Mario Bros. 2, 2D platformer and sequel to Super Mario Bros. (1985), features 4 selectable characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad) as they navigate the dream world of Subcon to defeat the evil toad king Wart. Super Mario Bros. 2 features different ways interacting with enemies and the world, including an object carrying mechanic and more intricate level designs.