1. Sonic The Hedgehog - Sonic 06, Unleashed & Others
Yes, technically Sonic is actually the by-product of many generations before the last one, but he's stuck around last-gen as well and he's really had a tough run. The Sonic series really hasn't survived the transition into modern gaming. What was once awesome is now mediocre, with crap characters, pointless mechanics and frustrating level design all thrown in to create some truly terrible games. There were some glimmers of hope for the franchise in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations, but terrible games such as Sonic 06 really tarnished the speedy hedgehog's legacy. Seriously, did you play Sonic 06? It was absolutely appalling. With the longest loading times ever after moving for about two seconds, deaths that occurred for no apparent reason due to shoddy level design and an actual human female falling in love with a massive blue hedgehog, this game was just ghastly from start to finish. The 'werehog' sections of Sonic Unleashed were also guilty of ruining Sonic. A pseudo beat-em-up with Sonic in faux-werewolf form, the hedgehog lost his trademark speed and replaced it instead with stretchy arms for reasons that are still yet to become apparent. So well done Sonic, you've managed to top this list with some truly appalling efforts. Here's hoping that the next generation is kinder to you or you alternatively just give up and die already. So, who was your worst character from the last generation of gaming? Tell us your woes down below in the comments and we shall remember them extremely unfondly.
Dan Curtis is approximately one-half videogame knowledge, and the other half inexplicable Geordie accent. He's also one quarter of the Factory Sealed Retro Gaming podcast.
