Ok, so a review in written form. I struggled with the thought of another Shadow review, and it really boiled down to “do I want to record a whole lot of new footage of this stupid game and spend an entire day cutting it together along with commentary just so I can say that Shadow fucking sucks and people are retarded for liking that game”?
Of course I answered yes. But the problem with Christmas is it’s hard to find five minutes to yourself between family and friends and women and football and your day job, and to be honest, I really don’t want to play Shadow anymore. It’s not just because the game is so godawful, but I die a little more inside every time I realize how far down the shitter the Sonic series has gone. Mario transitioned nicely to the third dimension and has come out with game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game after game, all the while Sonic is sitting stranded on a 727 on the tarmac.
The inherent problem with the Sonic franchise is while it is technically a platformer, it’s moreso based on running around as fast as possible while smashing into enemies, which is all fine and dandy for a 2D level strung up like a racetrack, but it just doesn’t work well in 3D. Take Mario 64 for example. 15 worlds with plenty to do and can be as explored as fully as the player wishes. Lots of platforming, lots of replay value, and it’s very fluid.
However, Sonic games are still stuck in the same philosophy. Sure it’s three dimensional and sometimes you turn left or right, but the principle is still the same. Run from Point A to Point B. No exploring. In fact for the most part if it were possible, you could zoom the camera out and to the side and just play it like it were 2D. Oh sure, this is rudimentary and isn’t overly horrible, but the standard of gameplay quality has been raised from generation to generation, and that sort of thing just won’t cut it anymore. You think Capcom could get away with releasing the same kind of Mega Man games they did 10 years ago? The Mega Man X Collection is a prime example of a rise and a fall of a series. It reached its pinnacle with Mega Man X3, and then went straight down after.
I suppose I should really go into detail where my origin in the Sonic fandom lies and what happened when. It all started, like everything else involving a video game as a kid, on Christmas ’93, I think. I got a Game Gear for Christmas from I believe my aunt Linda and uncle Robert. It came with Sonic the Hedgehog and Chuck Rock. I loved Sonic. I wasn’t so hot for Chuck Rock. And I was delighted with the maybe hour of gameplay I’d get out of six rechargeable nicads. And then the following birthday I got Chase HQ and Sonic Chaos. And then the next Christmas it was Sonic 2 and some Sonic comic books. And then the next birthday it was Sonic Spinball. And then the next Christmas was Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. And then the NEXT Christmas it was Sonic Blast.
And then it kinda just faded away. The TV shows weren’t on anymore. The comic book series had gotten boring after issue #50 (where Robotnik was killed). And there were no more Sonic Game Gear games coming out. And just like Journey after the Raised on Radio album, it just vanished without warning.
There was a small resurgence a few years ago when I finally got a Sega Genesis on the cheap from a neighborhood garage sale, which came with Sonic 2 and Sonic & Knuckles, among other games (who needs two soccer games, let alone one?). I’d had plenty of experience with Sonic 2 at other people’s houses who had Sonic 2, but S&K was new to me, and fun, despite the age and the lack of a Sonic 3.
The Sonic Mega Colletion Plus was released for PS2. I bought it. I loved it. Had all the Genesis games and some of the Game Gear games. Didn’t have Sonic 2 GG on it though, which was unfortunate.
And then one day I went and bought a Gamecube (Even though the Wii was coming out in five months), and at one of the local game shops I bought Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0. Turned out there was a buy two get one free deal, and I couldn’t pick another game, so the guy gave me Sonic Adventure DX.
I played it. It was alright. I liked the small choice of characters. Sonic ran fast. You could go exploring outside of the stages. The characters were unlocked in order of interest, the Big Three were first, and then your bit characters like Amy, that Robot, and that retarded cat.
There were of course catches. I hated Knuckles’ levels with a passion; I can’t recall a time in my life were I was more irate to hear a loud beeping noise over and over and over and over whenever I approached an emerald shard. The camera was annoying, but manageable. I didn’t care to play as anybody outside of the Big Three. I stopped caring about unlocking emblems since I already had most of the Game Gear games. Tails levels were redundant since they were just rehashes of Sonic’s levels but with time limits.
Something else I had a problem with: All of a sudden Sonic is interacting with vibrant cities full of humans. When did his happen? When did Sonic go from being a hedgehog on planet Mobius full of animals where the only human was Robotnik - which was a clever jab at how humankind is destroying the planet with automation, to a full blown human race and where the humanoid bipedal animals were the minority? Does the Sonic series even take place on Mobius anymore?
I got what I paid for.
So I’m frequenting EB Games one day and I see they have a near-mint copy of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for GC for $11.99. I pick it up. Maybe they’ve fixed some of my concerns from the previous game? NOPE. Sonic is still running in a glorified straight line, the camera is even WORSE (instead of panning upwards and downward, it zooms in and out), and now for the most part I can’t pick who I’m playing as.
Rather than give me six separate characters to choose from, thus letting me decide if I want to run in straight line or be masochistic and listen to loud beeping over and over while I look for goddamn emerald shards with an extremely awful camera, the game forces me to pick a team of three characters, and now I alternate between them. Sonic runs, Tails rides retardedly hard to control vehicles, and now Knuckles has a full-blown rap accompaniment. Lovely.
They did something new though. They introduced some new characters. Rouge, some kind of nymphomaniacial bat, and Shadow, a black hedgehog. I’m not going to sit here and pretend to know what their deal is, because I honestly never bothered to play as them. I got pissed off after failing numerous times at some Tails level where he was riding this stupid airplane mech and wouldn’t stop falling off things or dying and vowed never to play Sonic Adventure 2 ever again.
And not just that, they took out the little free roaming feature where you could wander between levels, thus making the game fully linear.
But like I said, I simply stopped playing. I don’t know. Maybe the camera magically fixed itself. Maybe nonlinear random roaming returned. Maybe Sonic’s levels stopped being glorified two-dimensional race tracks. Maybe Knuckles stopped being a wigger. Maybe Tails got the fuck out of his mechs and became easier to control. I have no way of knowing.
Then Sonic Heroes came out. Now it’s four teams of three characters that you play all at once. Great! Now rather than having to play as two characters I don’t like alternating from level to level, I now have to play them all at the same time and stop the gameplay so I can switch to that character and do whatever task it is they do in order to advance!
Again, I’m assuming that’s the gist of the whole game. I played it for 10 minutes at my cousin’s house, so for all I know the rest of the game may not be like that.
And guess what? They introduced even MORE characters! There aren’t enough already? Now we have some pedo meat rabbit named Cream and whoever else is on Amy’s team, and team CHAOTIX, which is a croc, an armadillo, an a bee that nobody has ever heard of.
I’m lying. Sonic purists will tell me that the Chaotix have always been there. Which is also a lie. The Chaotix were never there. The Chaotix were only known beforehand to the four people in existence who owned both a 32x AND Knuckles’ Chaotix, and maybe the 10 or so people who read the comics. So four teams of three characters, in a Sonic game, we’re only playing as Sonic a twelfth of the time.
Let’s take “Team Sonic” out of contention. Let’s leave the other nine characters. Who is the average newfag Sonic fan going to pick as their favorite? Shadow! Why? Because he’s an anti-hero! That means he’s badass. And he’s black. Which means he’s evil or rogue or something else. I don’t know. It’s an overused archtype. No game can get the whole anti-hero thing down. Kane and Lynch failed. FF7: Dirge of Cerberus failed. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent failed. In the end, the game designers wind up creating unlikable douchebags rather than bold deep characters who play by their own rules.
So yeah, the kids like Shadow. I know! Let’s make a game about him! Let’s explore his backstory! Let’s make a brand new gaming experience! Let’s fix all the gameplay flaws! Let’s make this the best Sonic game ever! Wait, I’m being told that we’re just going to shine up the same shit and give it a different name. My bad.
The camera still isn’t fixed. We’re STILL just going in a straight line. There are STILL too many characters. But wait! Instead of fixing old problems, let’s create NEW ones! Let’s make it so you have to scour these straight line levels back and forth so you can kill 30+ enemies! Let’s leave the visuals intact so the PlayStation 2 has problems managing an FPS above 10! Let’s give Shadow a GUN.
A GUN.
Let’s look over Shadow’s resume briefly. He’s the ultimate life form. He can do fancy shit like transport all over places and unleash energy waves and fly and deflect bullets at stuff. So why does he need a gun?
Rather than go into a large philosophical and sociological debate as to why someone with such fleeting powers would choose to engage hostiles using a primitive manmade weapon, I’m simply going to quote a line from IGN’s review of Miami Vice: The Game for PSP:
“Take, for instance, its reputation system. While not the first game to have such a thing, the notoriety feature in Miami Vice actually comes with a trade-off: wear body armor and use badass weapons and you'll get through the level much easier, but do it with defenseless lounge singer clothes on and nothing more than your department-issued handgun, and your rep will go up a lot quicker.”
It goes back to the whole badass anti-hero thing. He’s doing it to look cool. Which…makes sense, for an idiot to do. But really, the guns are for the most part, optional. You don’t have to use them.
This leaves you two forms of attacking enemies:
A. Punch them.
B. Jump smash into them.
A is impossible because of course, Shadow’s punching radius is maybe two pixels farther than his character model, and gently brushing up against an enemy results in a loss of rings or a life. That’s another indication that Sonic is clinging to the same gameplay mechanic they used 15 years ago. Sure, back then, enemies always caused damage when they brushed up against you, but for the most part nowadays it isn’t always the case. I can take a game like Max Payne and have Max randomly run into people and sure, he won’t take damage from that (although their constant shooting may do him in), but still, if an enemy lightly taps Shadow (or whoever in this series) on the shoulder and all of a sudden it’s assault & battery.
B (for those who have forgotten, is jump smash) is too unpredictable for it’s own good. Basically, you jump, and then hit the jump button again, and Shadow flies forward. Sometimes. I like to use it as a means to get a running start. But it’s also an attack, and it will randomly auto-lock onto nearby enemies without notice, which is usually OK. Shadow will bounce off an enemy and kill them, and you can hit the jump button again to smash into the next enemy.
This is where it can get problematic.
Let’s say the level takes place on floating platforms (as many of the levels in this game do) and plummeting off the edge of the track results in instant death. If Shadow’s jump smash attack decides it doesn’t want to auto-lock onto enemies anymore (maybe they’re behind him or a little too far away), Shadow will jump in the same direction he was going if you make him. Often this is straight over the edge and right into death. So what are you supposed to do? You can’t tell when it’ll auto lock and you can’t tell when it’ll stop. And you can’t punch the enemies because it’s too much of a goddamn risk to Shadow’s life since he’s a super duper all powerful master being who can deflect bullets and zoom around and teleport and roundhouse kick enemies but is in fucking critical condition if you tap him on the shoulder.
You pick the gun up and you shoot them. Maybe THAT’S why they implemented gunplay, the other attack mechanics were too broken to be of any use.
So yes, the game is finally nonlinear, but this isn’t exactly a good thing. Like I said, you now have to do X number of things in order to change the storyline. And there’s usually a 2P character who’ll remind you how much you have to do. But at certain points in the track, the other character shows up to remind you what the OTHER objective is.
I stand corrected on something I said in my review. I said you had to manually change them back in forth in order to continue the objective. It turns out you can keep doing the other objective without it being the one actively displayed on the screen. However, you STILL have to change back and forth to have any goddamn idea how many more GUN soldiers you have to kill just so you can earn the label of “EVIL”.
So follow me here. We have an archaic gameplay design wherein the player runs from point A to point B. The quality of this gameplay was already suspect to major criticism. You NOW have to scavenge this track for X number of items or enemies. In a gameplay setup that is designed to accommodate a player who runs really fast, you now have to tread slowly and run back and forth completing objectives.
The Sonic series has degenerated into an old beat up 1992 Volkswagen Jetta. It’s based on old technology. You’ve put a spiffy new radio in it, but the speakers are still shitty. The seats are held together by tape. There’s a hole in the floor. The power windows don’t work. The gas tank leaks if you fill it more than halfway. And rather than replace this old car with a shiny new one, Sega insists on still driving it despite the fact that it’s degrading into a deathtrap with wheels and any cosmetic change is offset by something that still makes it unusable.
And even after all that, when the problems with the Sonic formula were more than glaringly obvious, what did they do? They released ANOTHER Sonic game! And now they just called it “Sonic the Hedgehog”. What, is it a remake of the original game? Where does it relate in the series canon? Does it tie up any of the plot twists from Sonic Adventure 2?
No, it’s just MORE broken gameplay mechanics! Now you play as Sonic, Blackie the Hedgehog and Whitey the Hedgehog! Good to know we’re being creative, Sega! I see we’re STILL creating too many poorly defined cast members and we’re STILL not upgrading the gameplay and we’re STILL driving that piece of shit broken down VW Jetta.
For the video review, I was going to buy the 360 version of that game and just snap it on camera, saying that’s what I thought of it. But what a waste of $20 that would be. There’s far better uses for $20 right now, such as alcohol and gameday snacks.
And really, I can sum up Sonic Team’s incompetence in one observation. THEY CAN’T EVEN REMAKE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG GENESIS PROPERLY. Everyone who has played Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis 15th Anniversary Edition for the Game Boy Advance has had an overwhelming urge to kill themselves. We have Nintendo remaking Super Mario Bros. all the time for various consoles, whether they be straight ports or enhanced ports or remakes, and Sega can’t even get their first game right ONCE.
As far as I know, there’s no plans for any main series Sonic games. And I honestly hope it stays that way. My inner child can’t take any more of this rape.
I have to wonder though, with the rash of people commenting on the Shadow review saying that Shadow rocked and that I was an idiot and a fatass (that shirt is actually very large), but they never specified if I was an asshole for hating the character or for hating the game. I have to say they think I’m attacking the character because there is no way in poo perfect hell that they could seriously regard Shadow the Hedgehog: The Game as anything less than utter shit.
I don’t know. I don’t watch the new shows. I see him as every other rational person sees him: Black Sonic with a gun. Nothing more, nothing less.
tl;dr: Shadow sucks.
EDIT: This is what’s nice about blog posts. If I decide I forgot to mention something or I thought up something else, I can just add more.
So yeah, the game has 10 normal endings. 10? 10 endings? I like variety but ten endings? What’s the point of 10 endings especially if there’s a FINAL ENDING that just invalidates the previous 10?
I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I didn’t play 100% of the game. Why? I don’t need to play 100% of a game to tell that it’s crap. I shouldn’t have to play 100% of a game to decide that it’s crap. I should have to play 100% of a game if it’s a single-entry game or if it’s from a series with a history of excellence. You know what I did? I downloaded a save file with 100% completion and just replayed most of the levels.
I have about 40 or 50 some odd games sitting around waiting to be beaten, at least six or seven of them RPGs. If Shadow the Fucking Hedgehog thinks I’m going to dedicate the time and energy needed to unlock every little piece of shit extra content, level, and swear word he has, he’s out of his fucking mind. I might as well just sit in my chair and do nothing for the next 48 hours, and I’ll accomplish as much as I would by finishing Shadow. “Cool, I finished Shadow. I learned nothing and it was the most unrewarding experience of my life. I think I’ll shoot myself now”.
But I think I figured out Sonic Team. Yessir I did. You see, there’s a hidden genius to what they’re doing. They remove whatever feature was good from their game for the sequel. Sonic Adventure, free roaming! GONE. Sonic Adventure 2, only have to play through the game twice. GONE. Sonic Heroes, you could at least play as Sonic. GONE. Shadow the Hedgehog, you only had to play as one poorly defined character. GONE. And since there’s no plans for another main series Sonic game, I can’t tell what, if anything, Sonic ’06 did right.
I want to say the Sonic series is the video gaming equivalent of the San Francisco 49ers but frankly that would be an insult to the 49ers. At least they have that backup quarterback Shaun Hill who’s showing some promise. What does Sonic have? The best thing he’s done in the last decade is not release a game in the last year.
Someone, answer this for me. Did Shadow retain his guns in Sonic ’06? Actually, you know what? Don’t answer that. That’s an admission that you actually played Sonic ’06.
I want to pose the question to people as to how to fix the Sonic franchise without turning it into a 2.5D sidescroller, but I seriously don’t think there’s a way to bring Sonic to the third dimension without him sucking immensely.
I still have no desire to ever play Sonic Adventure 2 again. Maybe it’s the one instance where I quit the game at the exact moment where it was going to pick up and all the problems were going to magically be solved. In the line of crappy Sonic Games, it’s certainly better than what they’re cranking out now. Sonic Adventure 2 is a fucking godsend compared to Shadow the Hedgehog. That’s kind of like saying Resident Evil Extinction is better than Resident Evil Apocalypse.
And before anybody puts my gaming talent into question, I would like to point out that I did do that speed run of Sonic 2 GG, so it’s not like I can’t hack my way through a naturally difficult Sonic game.
EDIT#2: Final edit, I swear. Basically, it all comes down to this. We could go back in time about 15 years and I could give you the choice between playing Super Mario World and Sonic 3 & Knuckles and you might have a hard time choosing between them. Today I could give you the option between Super Mario Galaxy and Sonic '06 and you wouldn't even have to think about what to say.
PlayItBogart says:
I could give you the option between Mario World and Sonic 3 & K, and there might have been a slight chance you could pick Sonic over Mario
PlayItBogart says:
Today I could give you the choice between Mario Galaxy and Sonic '06
WolferGiga says:
HAHAHAHA
PlayItBogart says:
You wouldn't even have to think about it long enough to know that Sonic '06 is crap
WolferGiga says:
playing sonic 06 vs eating my right testical.... hmmmm
WolferGiga says:
hard choice.
PlayItBogart says:
You know I think I'd rather eat my testicle.
PlayItBogart says:
Sorry fella, but you're gonna have to pack your bags. Maybe I can sell you to Lance Armstrong instead.
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23 comments:
I'm not going to brag by being the first one. I read your article all the way. I think your opinions of Sonic are right-on. I may disagree about Sonic Adventure 2(I love it) but you complained about the same things I complain about it. Tails in a stupid machine, bad camera(oh gods) and I actually think the Knuckles levels are worse. But I liked the story, I think Shadow is a decent replacement for(though not anywhere near as cool as) Metal Sonic as a dark reversal of Sonic, and I actually think that despite the bad camera, the Sonic levels are nice and fast-paced.
But ever since, I've seen nothing worth noting. And, no. The series does not take place on Mobius anymore; it's on good ol' planet Earth sometime in the future.
But the naysayers you said you'd convince won't read this. They're kids mostly, and have an attention span for reading of about 30 seconds, and two days for a moving picture. What I suggest you do is to take the important parts of this article, which I think was very well written, and condense it into some sort of lecture to be filmed, using already-shot footage of Shadow, either by you or someone else. The naysayers would be more inclined to watch that.
Just a suggestion.
I agree with most of this, but I found Sonic adventure 2 battle to be a very enjoyable game.
but Sega needs to do something about Sonic and I'm hoping that Sonic Rpg ends up being good(I believe Bioware, the guys who made Mass effect, are making it)
This review is completely understandable since the reviewer is telling us not just the character of the game and the game itself but the whole series that is quickly or slowly fading away just like the Mega Man series and others that I liked back in the SNES/Genesis era. It's about time somebody had the balls to tell us their feelings of certain games. ~ James
I use to play Sonic as kid and it holds some good memories. However I never really got into the newer ones mainly b/c of the flaws mentioned in the blog. Everyone has their opinions, but still that gives them no right to lash out and insult you just b/c they don't agree. You obviously played the game longer than intended to get a well thought out opinion. Just ignore all the close minded morons that can't seem to accept what you think of the game.
Hmmmm. Makes me wonder how Sonic and the secret rings for the Wii would fair as a sonic title given the motion controls....
I'm afraid if your going to enjoy any of the recent sonic games that remotely come close to what we use to see as a sonic game, you'll have to get a DS. The last vestiges of a great hero reside there. Sad I know...Last I heard Sega was planning on reinventing Sonic, we may see the light. so don't give up all hope. We can only pray that the extra characters end up leaving when the reinvented hedgehog arrives. And if that fails to reawaken the franchise, I'll be hanging myself right with you.
I'm willing to admit I bought Sonic 2006 after hating Shadow, but I enjoyed Sonic Adventure 2, so I figured it'd be back to the way it was. There's no way Sonic Team could make this game worse then Shadow was, right? Wrong. I honestly can't remember if Shadow had guns in Sonic 2006, as I only played as him once, and I've also tried to purge all memories of that game from my mind. I was only offered about $20 when I tried to trade it in, but that's alot more then I believe it's worth, so I happily accepted the offer.
Also, the whole Sonic on Earth thing is because SEGA of America changed the back story for the English version of the Genisis games, which was all told through the manual, but Sonic Advanture had story told through cutscenes, so we shared the same story as the Japanese release. In Japan Sonic's always lived on Earth.
Also, if I'd started hanging out online AFTER Shadow came out, my online name wouldn't have hedgehog in it. I'm currently in the process of changing it to Taku128 out of shame.
Hey Bogart, long time fan of yours from youtube. For the most part, I agree with what you're saying, but I thought I'd address what you said about no game portraying anti-heroes correctly. For the most part, there aren't many series that do it right, but I can think of at least one, offhand: Hitman. Hitman was made by the same people who did Kane and Lynch, but instead of botching the formula like said game, it got just about everything right, 4 times, no less. I think that's why people were so disappointed with Kane and Lynch.
Hitman really made you feel like you WERE a ruthless killer exacting vigilante justice on the scum of the earth. That's the reason I fell in love with that series. It pulled it off just so well, and I doubt any other game, or series will ever match or exceed that.
Almost everything else I agree with you on, save for Mario having nothing but hits(thanks a lot, Super Mario Sunshine). You can't give a kiddie character a dark side and expect to be taken seriously. 'course, since the beginning of the 3D era, Sega hasn't really been making smart decisions. Oh well... Plenty of other companies out there.
I'd like to say I agree with the majority of your points - I've never been the biggest Mario fan but I'm completely sure that Galaxy would get the nod over Sonic '06.
I've actually played this game long enough to beat all of the stories (I'm a perfectionist), and Shadow doesn't use guns, but he still retains the horrible "anti-sonic" attitude. And his voice, I can't stand his voice.
But the games before Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Heroes included) I enjoyed a lot, the game style may be ageing but if they can fix the spastic camera and jittery controls, I wouldn't consider the franchise dead (Although killing off Shadow would be welcome).
Though all of this said, I still prefer Sonic's DS games to Mario's.
I always loved your written reviews. They don't have a time limit, they always seem to go more in depth,and some jokes just work better on paper than on video. That being said, I'll be honest. I can't play the old Sonics. I've been spoiled by nintendo too much to be able to handle the fast gameplay. I always find myself running into walls and shit. Even so, I know that the Sonic series used to be good, even if I can't play it with any sort of skill.
Rambling aside, A lot of people I know said Shadow sucked, but all over the forums, there was mixed opinion. I almost rented it once. ALMOST, for PS2. I might do it eventually should I have spare money, but, really, Sonic Adventures 1 and 2 for GC were not anywhere near the original games, so I don't think I need to try Shadow after seeing how fucking terrible Sonic 06 and The Secret Rings were.
Solid review, as always Bogart.
The only way the Sonic franchise can be restored is by copying the Mario franchise, again, but this time making a good copy. If they just take mario 64 and modify it (a little bit mind you) to make it work with the sonic franchise then it could be good.
I think they actually DID make a 2.5D Sonic game. Sonic RUSH.
But I heard Sonic Rush was good. Too bad you don't want any more handhelds. You would've liked it.
BTW, in Sonic Adventure 2, Rouge's gameplay=Knuckles's Gameplay.
I'm not going to bother playing Sonic '06, because I heard how bad it was.
I think the whole problem started with Sonic Labyrinth for Game Gear, and then the Sonic Franchise went downhill.
I'm better off playing Sonic Mega Collection for Gamecube.
Speaking of Sonic, if you, by chance, get(read:FIND) a Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, are you going to play as Sonic?
I'm willing to agree with you aside from Sonic Adventure 2, I think it was a good game. But you can't make people like things if they just don't, however I fail to see how Sonic Adventure had free roaming, you still had to go through all 14 levels as Sonic in a set order.
Am I the only person who sees potential for a good 3D Sonic Game? If Mario can do it, why can't Sonic? Besides the fact that Sonic Team isn't anything like they were in the past and now flat out suck and can't program worth shit, I'd like to see Nintendo or Capcom make a Sonic game, hell I'd like to see Dimps try out a 3D Sonic game as like a Demo or something since they did well with Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, the only part of the Sonic Franchise which still beats in the hearts of Sonic Fans.
Anyone who likes Anything past Heroes is just lying to themselves. I'm a long time Sonic fan, played him since I was 2 years old Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and I'm very disappointed to see my child hood hero is now just some cash cow who has to rely on other companies to make decent/good Sonic games. Hopefully Sonic Team will get an idea to sell Sonic's licenses to a company who would actually make a good Sonic game without making it look like it's by Sonic Team. (Thanks for crediting Dimps in the Rush games SEGA...)
I will describe my entire experience with Sonic '06.
I was in Wal-Mart, waiting for my parents to come get me. i felt bored, so I went to play some 360. I saw that they had the demo for Sonic '06, and I played it, because I had heard it was a little better than Shadow.
When I first started out, I saw that the graphics were wonderful. And that is the only redeming feature and selling point of this game.
I starting moving, and I noticed I moved slow as shit. I moved over a ramp, and the camera angle changed. I did this about 5 more times before I got to the first obsticle, a trappeze style pole. I was told to do a homing attack, so I did and went straight through the pole. Apparently it has a hit detection of 1/10th of an inch, so I died about 3 more times before I finally got onto it and moved up. I saw a path of rings and was told to press a button (I think B), and I pressed it and fell through. I got a game over and told myself i was through with this shit.
I have to say, the most recent console Sonic game I enjoyed even a little was Sonic Riders. Despite having God-awful controls, it was way better that Shadow. Although that's not saying much, if anthing.
Where's the Sonic Adventure 3 that we've been waiting for? Apparently Sonic '06 wasn't canon, and netither was Shadow (thank God).
I used to be a huuuge Sonic fan. I watched the movie over 100 times (we still own it on DVD, you should check it out, it's not half bad. It's animated, unlike the Mario movie, and it's an OVA from Japan). But now, I think I'll stick with Mario. I need to check out Super Paper Mario soon...
Yo'.
I agree with you for the most part, except for two things: I liked (and still like) Sonic Adventure 2 (but share many of your complaints - especially about tails and Knuckles' stages), and there's still life leftin the Sonic universe. Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure are awesome entires to the series, and the characters introduced in those games are fairly good. Blaze is my favorite Sonic character since Knuckles, personally.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again though: some games just do better in 2D rather than 3D. Castlevania, Sonic, Contra, Megaman... I think these series all should remain in their 2D forms. Conrtary to popular belief, there is an enormous amount of potential left in the 2D realm (a game as beautiful as Odin Sphere, in example), and I'd like to see a Sonic game take advantage of that.
Sonic Team on a whole seems determined to destroy their own creation though. Hell, SEGA as a whole just has not been themselves since the whole Sammy deal.
/rant
I own the Sonic Mega collection for the Gamecube. That's it, I'm done. What else to I honestly need to play from the franchise? As someone who preferred Nintendo to Sega and didn't grow up that closely with Sonic I find the direction of the Sonic franchise to be weird and laughable. I don't like the characters and just how furry they have become and it's clear that Sonic Team are not thinking about game play. They care about giving teeny bopper kids a lot of nonsensical drama.
I was never the biggest Sonic fan in the world, I have to admit. I enjoyed a couple of things from it. I had a comic book, that was hilarious and totally random. I also played it a lot on the Master System.
The most important memory I have involving Sonic and my childhood is watching my dad play that Master System game, for hours and hours straight, smoking cigarette after cigarette and drinking coffee, trying to beat it. When he did, I remember we even celebrated.
I have two tapes here with the 'old' Sonic cartons and they still amuse me a lot.
The new cartoon sucks. That thing of Sonic living with humans is non-sense. He should go back to Mobius with his gang, really.
Anyways, this was one great review. I guess you don't have to toture yourself by playing it again to show your point. Your words are good enough.
I take somewhat offense to the whole "kids like Shadow the Hedgehog". I hated it. I played it at my cousin's house and we both had different opinions. He said it was awesome. I said it was horrible, and should have died in a fire along with the developers and publishers of this game.
Otherwise, excellent WRITTEN review from Bogart.
If you were to ask me the list of sonic 3d games I'd say that #1 would be sonic adventure one or DX then Sonic adventure 2 (battle) and then I'd say... Shadow the Hedgehog?! what am i saying, I'm a fan of yours yet I'm not blindly agreeing with you? well it's true, though I do like your reviews and think you do have some good points, I think some of it is nit picking, I liked shadow for 3 main reasons, #1) though the guns where unnecessary for an "Ultimate life form" shadow is only that way because like sonic he's the only other person that can transform into a super form from the chaos emeralds. this gives him all the powers you see in the FMV those aren't his own powers but ones he gives off from the emeralds. that aside this makes the guns a little more understandable and personaly, seeing a guy get sucked into a chicken gun is something i will not stop laughing at, it's too damn funny not to do over and over =P #2) the camera in those games did get worse over time, that maybe true but after playing them enough, i'm use to it, i've gotten it down to wear, it doesn't really slow me down or effect me negitivly, sure i give it a good "BULLSHIT!" when i go to kill someone and then fall off the ledge but honestly, that's something that i did a lot in Mario galaxy too and everyone joygasumed at that game. #3) the dialog wasn't that bad, i laughed pretty hard when you called doom dr. Claw because untill you said it, i didn't think of it, that was so true, but really there wasn't any of the real gayness that was in sonic hero's my least favorite sonic game ever! sonic was such a fagget =/ anyway shadow wasn't that bad, it made me get a fussy feeling inside to see shadow say "Shut up" and then like snap eggmans neck and "Kill him" but maybe that's just me, and if you really hate shadow so much, just think of this, aleast he isn't a stupid a rival as wario is to mario. haha, well i hope you liked my post, i do like your video's and reviews so keep it up! peace out.
I feel I must leave another comment, as I didn't really explain much from the first one. BTW, I just now got your R.E.M. reference. I really am a dumb fuck.
Sonic Rush Adventure came out recently, and it scares the living shit out of me to think that the best Sonic games are confined to handhelds (I played it, it wasn't bad at all).
Sonic '06 is horrible. As I said before, it isn't canon, and there hasn't been a canonical storyline since Sonic Heroes (Rush may be, I don't pay enough attention to anything but Microsoft and Nintendo to notice). In a way, I'm glad a Sonic Adventure 3 might never come out. It would be a good way to wrap up the Sonic canon (maybe then they could have a reboot and start fresh). But I would have them make it in a few years, when all the fucks who work at Sonic Team are gone and replaced by hardworking people who want to give Sonic his good name back. I honestly love Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 because of Chao raising.
What the fuck happened to Chao?
They are GONE. Some fuck thought it would be a good idea to take probably the best thing that ever happened to the Sonic series out. I think the last mention of a Chao in a Sonic game was in Sonic Heroes (which also seems to be the most recent canonical game. Who knows?).
SEGA is in a bad position right now. They've already went bankrupt, now they can't afford to do anything. Why the hell do you think Sonic is in Brawl? Because SEGA needs money. BADDDDDD.
They can't afford to hire anybody but inexperienced, dumbass game developers. I honestly feel sorry for SEGA. Nintendo probably doesn't think SEGA is even worth buying out.
About that new Sonic RPG developed by Bioware, I wasn't too hot for Mass Effect, but I hope it's good.
Once again, I highly recommend you rent the Sonic OVA on Netflix, because although it isn't canonical worth crap, it's still very entertaining. ADV Films distributes it in America.
I really cant agree with you on SA2B. Too be honest in my opinion, SA2B is the best sonic game ever. Sonic Adventure coming next, and sonic 3 and knuckles being third.
Sonic Adventure 2 was an awesome game, the camera angle was flawed at times, yet it still had good speed and such. The only thing I hated about the game was Tails riding around in a mech. Besides that, SA2B is pretty much perfect.
I REALLY do not care for the 2D sonic games, with the exception of Sonic the Hedgehog one and Sonic 3 and Knuckles. I played them as a kid, and I'm not going to say I didn't enjoy them, but the things I hear nowadays are sonic in 2d was an influnce on platformers and all that shit. While I do think Sonic 1 was a great influnce on platformers, the 2D sonic games are
really not as great as everyone says they are.
Another thing you mentioned in you're video review was saying Sonic 3d blast was better than Sonic Adventure 1, 2 and Sonic Heroes. Sonic 3D blast is a fucking joke, the adventure games are classics, and Sonic Adventure 2
is one of my favorite games of all time.
Besides that, I did enjoy you're review of shadow the hedgehog, it is a pretty terrible game.
I wish they'd throw Amy and this new stuff in the trash and re-do everything the right way but with Sonic's real love interest, Princess Sally, and put it back on Mobius with the animals and then maybe it would be good again. Sonic '06 and Unleashed were horse's manure and Sega knows it.
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