Template:Sonic the Hedgehog/doc

Template:Template doc page viewed directly In times past the Sonic game templates were subject to edit wars over different points of view. The following criteria is a set of principles to guide inclusion of games in a particular navigational template, and is considered a standard that all editors should follow. However, it is not set in stone and should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

The purpose of this inclusion criteria is to decide what is included in {{Sonic games}} and where a game goes if it is unsuitable for the main template. Successful main series games usually appear in the main template, while the GameGear series and all other GameBoy games are generally placed in {{Sonic games (handheld)}}. All other games that were somehow lacking in either story, gameplay, reception or platform would be spin offs. However, this guide was not designed to go into detail about how a spin off is different from a handhand game. When in doubt, don't move it.

General inclusion criteria

A game can appear in {{Sonic games}} if and only if:

1. The game is recognized as being a successful^1a main series^1b game;^1c and,
2. The game references other games directly before it and/or later games make reference to it;² and,
3. The game does not have odd gameplay.³
4. Sonic is the main character or appears in it;² and,
5. The plot ties in with other games;² and,

Failing any of the above, said game can appear in {{Sonic games (handheld)}} if:

6. The game is a handheld game and is part of the main series;^1b Or,
7. The game is a handheld game and meets points 3 and 5 above.

A game can appear in {{Sonic games (spin off)}} if the above criteria fails to find a suitable place.

Notes

1a.	Success is evaluated on a game-by-game basis, not by influence in fan works. Suggested evaluation methods: GameRankings, MobyGames, amount of press coverage, sales, etc.
1b.	A main-series game has significant page history at Sonic the Hedgehog (series)#TIMELINE. Note that not all such games are suitable for {{Sonic games}}.
1c.	Games must satisfy both criteria 1a and 1b.
2.	This is the criteria the main article uses.
3.	The game is built around the usual running and jumping. For example, this would include Shadow the Hedgehog, but it would not include Sonic Riders.

Using this criteria

The first five conditions are used to eliminate games from the template, and the last two are used to decide where to place these "eliminated" items. On the other hand, if the first five conditions are met, it is not necessary to consider the remainder of the criteria.

The foremost example of using this criteria is the inclusion of the Sonic Advance series and Sonic Rush in the main template. GameRankings confirms that they sold well and the linked reviews indicate that they are some of the better Sonic games out there (1a), and casual inspection of the main article confirms that they are part of the main series (1b). The other four criteria are more directly verified. Each game has a linked story (2), are platformers (3), Sonic is the main character (4), and they do not contradict each other (5). Sonic Rush and the Sonic Advance series belong in the main template because the first five conditions have been satisfied.

A trivial example of how this inclusion criteria works would be demonstrating that Sonic Riders is a spin off because it fails criterion 3 (gameplay) in the first group and 7 (not a handheld game) in the second group. Another example is Sonic Battle which satisfies all criteria in the first group except for criteria 3 (it is a fighting game), and so it is a handheld game because it satisfies criterion 6 in the second group. In an even more bizarre case, Knuckles' Chaotix would be a spinoff because it features an altered ring system. On the other hand, Sonic Pinball Party is not in {{Sonic games (handheld)}} because it fails criteria 3 and 7 (not a platformer).

A word of warning

Every single attempt by Wikipedians to classify articles with endless sets of "inclusion criteria" has long since proven to be nothing more than an exercise in frustration. There will always be occasions when an article will not fall neatly into one single niche, and these articles tend to make rules like this worthless. When implementing this inclusion criteria, please remember to use common sense and consider that perhaps the most useful piece of information on this page might not be the inclusion criteria but the introductory message.