That is an extremely diplomatic read of Eggman and Tails' final conversation, which involves Eggman pouring his heart out at the revelation that his grandfather not only descended into genocidal madness in his final moments but tried to use him, his own flesh and blood, as a pawn for his malevolent intentions, and Tails looking up from his phone and going "huh?"
This... this is the Eggman I miss. He actually appears intelligent and menacing, while still having childish tantrums, it was a perfect character balance. Its unfortunate so many classic villains are assuming a more comedy relief foil in recent years. Albeit, he did have some amazing dialogue in Lost Worlds, but not many people fondly remember that game.
Its like the older game devs get..the more childish they make their games. Being child friendly is one thing but being child oriented is another. Same shit happened to ratchet and clank and sly cooper
Kid, I say this as an old fart who grew up during the Genesis Era; Played Sonic 2, 3, and 3D Blast, the Saturn re-releases like Sonic Jam or Sonic R and became immersed in the charm and wonder of the adventure series. let me tell you that your video here on SA2 describes everything that was so well beloved from that specific game. While I and others may not have A Ranked the game and maxed out on the content, what we did enjoy was the story and again The Charm that the game had with its story and setting. SA and SA2 were the games that showed us a 90's icon like Sonic and his world could translate well to a game that has a cinematic feel to it both in it's style and story. For a game that was the last to be featured on the Dreamcast (not counting SEGA's other beloved series Sakura Wars that was japan exclusive) Sonic Adventure 2 DID leave a big impression one that TO THIS DAY, while mocked and joked about, SEGA has yet to make a proper follow-up. Unleashed may have been intended to be SA3 but we can see that didn't happen, most likely because again, SA2 has big shoes to fill, maybe someday we'll get that SA3 but for now. Sonic Adventure 2 serves as what Sonic can be when Sonic is at his best. Having fun and being Fun. Kudos on the video too, I never felt bored watching and it felt nicely paced. I also liked how you weren't ashamed to say what you liked about the game even if others complained about it, but you never come off as a blind hardcore fan and acknowledge the faults in the game and even how ridiculous some of the stuff in it is, but that you still found enjoyment in it. Keep up the good work Sonic fan!
@@sweetpataterz8738 the being known as myself will forcefully commend you to eat, chew and swallow the specific formed sounds coming out of your mouth. Tl:dr, ILL MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS
The cutscene before shadow and sonic fight for the last time is still so cool to me. The music is super loud but it’s so good it doesn’t even bother me
If you ask me, this video and the one The Geek Critique did on SA2 are one of the best videos showcasing why SA2 is this really great 3D sonic game instead of being this "1/3 good game" that everyone likes to overuse now-a-days. Oh yeah Exo's review on the game is just as great too.
@@HamtaroSonicHedgehog I've been sick to death of those people for years. The game may be flawed, but it's still going to be your fault if you aren't trying to play decently.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 And it's pathetic too because I've found the likes of Super Mario 64 and other examples of 3D platformers from that era that I feel aged worse than SA1 or 2, but people will breathe your neck if you DARE say anything bad about those games. But the moment someone says that both adventure games did not age well, they'll HAPPILY torn the game apart making it seem like it's a horrible game just because of how some aspects of it have aged. I remember when people used to claim both adventure games as being the "only good 3D sonic games" and yet here we are now to where even those games are considered to be awful attempts at bringing sonic into 3D despite receptions saying otherwise.
@@HamtaroSonicHedgehog Everyone complained how glitchy 06 and Boom are, but hardly anyone acknowledges how unpolished and slippery the controls and physics can be in Super Mario Sunshine, not to mention how glitchy the Pachinko Machine is.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 Sunshine I thought was still pretty good and better than 64 but I can agree it was also quite a glitchy game too and had a couple of problems. And unfortunately I feel like the way how 06 turned out is the reason why 3D sonic games to this day still gets a bad rap or are suddenly such a broken base game. Again I remember when people used to praise both adventure games for being quote, the "ONLY GOOD" 3D sonic games, but then 06 took that away and made that popular opinion about how sonic was never good to begin with. Even the classic games, the same games that people always define as the definitive games of the series were starting to be seen in an unfair light.
I wonder what the old doctors diary had in it aside from his plan, think he had something like “Dear diary, I wanted chips today, the guards didn’t give me any, just another reason to end the world.”
Thank you. Thank you for encapsulating how an entire generation felt about this gem. One of the most important games ever, despite what disgruntled curmudgeons think.
SSBU Tier Lists look what happened when they “pleased the fans” with the Sonic movie. EVERYONE hailed the new design. Just goes to show you how good it can be to listen to fan feed back. Or what about Mario odyssey? It’s the same tried and true formula as 64 & sunshine just more refined and that game sold like crack. Maybe those people should focus less on the “hubworld” and more on the core physics and level design that made his to appealing in these games instead of the intrinsic things they think their fans want. I JUST CANT
@@neosquid9609 The game probably wouldn't be so frowned on had it been functional and not kill you in scripted animations lol. With a bit more polish, I bet the bad story would have had some more campy charm, but when it's surrounded by hundreds of load screens, you can't simply just go along with it, you have time to reflect on it lol.
My theory on the whole Rouge being a spy and the island blowing up is that she actually gave the staff at the island time to evacuate. This is why she was given 15 minutes to find the emeralds, but only gave herself 5 to actually find them. It's not inconceivable to me that the military has teleporter technology if the ARK has it, so it's plausible that the whole island can be evacuated in 10 minutes.
This is honestly my favourite video on Sonic Adventure 2 to date. So detailed, very thought provoking, and I never found a single second that made me lose interest. Sonic Adventure 2 by the way is my second favourite Sonic game behind Sonic 1 on the Sega Master System. It's everything I wanted in a Sonic game and although far from perfect, it's one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences I've had with a video game. I think for the last Sonic game released on a Sega console, it paid off.
I was 8 years old in 2001 when I got this game for my birthday. I was so surprised that there even was a sequel to Sonic Adventure at all. This was phenomenal playing a game with such a grand cinematic/Saturday morning cartoon quality. It felt just like the shows I grew up with on Kids' WB and had the scale of a major Hollywood blockbuster. I always remembered the scene when Shadow explained the Eclipse Cannon to Dr. Eggman. Up to that point, villains to me were always the type of unrealistic caricatures that would always declare, "I will enact my evil plan, and then... I WILL RULE THE WORLD!! MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!" Shadow the Hedgehog was the first villain to challenge that perception of mine when he uttered the immortal line, "And then... the world could be yours." That was the first time I realized that villains could actually be interesting and were more than just mindless tyrants seeking world dominance. That one line conveyed so much, that Shadow had ulterior motives, and that something else was going on.
Damn are you me? Eight years old, got the game for Christmas/birthday (the two were combined for me because they were so close), being floored by it all... man. 🤩
I like to think about how Eggman feels after Tails beats him in the Space Colony. Think about it, he had presumably killed his life long enemy once and for all, only for his enemy's sidekick to beat him at his own game.
Eh , no because if Robotnik/Eggman lost he wouldn't get the Chaos Emerald he needed for the Eclipse Cannon which means Gerald's protocols never get activated which means the last story doesn't happen .
Good video, my dude. No matter how much time passes, SA2:B will probably remain as my favorite Sonic game and one of my top 5 favorite games. Also somehow this is the first time I realized that Sonic and Shadow both are jettisoned from the same room on the ARK. And that the wall writing in Gerald's recording is from Sonic's Prison Island cell.
It's pretty obvious when you consider that they were jettisoned (a word I didn't know the meaning of until looking it up to get this comment, by the way) the exact same way: an escale capsule. I find it to be a clever touch that the way Maria allowed Shadow to survive (I assume GUN wanted to kill him since they did fear him and the ARK, after all) was used by Eggman to kill Sonic; I kinda like the irony of the same thing being used for two tasks that are the exact opposite of each other.
Alright let me level it to you. As being 11 years old in 2001, where nearly 90% of the content in SA2 was never seen before, this experience was God like, and Eggman was a Icon. I'm sure this was the first game to introduce Rail grinding in a platformer and I have been a fan of grinding ever since. You did a amazing job explaining why the game was amazing during it's time. What I see now a days, most people tend to parrot reviewers about any game on youtube/media even if they have not experience the content for themselves or people trying to gauge a experience through a lets play sadly. Playing any game blind is truly the Best experience.
I've been watching reviews and retrospectives of this game all basically saying it was terrible. I'm glad I found this video too because I didn't feel that way at all when I played it. I was 11 too lol I have the new systems but I find myself playing all of my Gamecube games right now. They're timeless.
I was eleven years old at the time as well, and I completely agree. As the kid of a "Nintendo household," I always coveted the Sonic games of my friends and cousins who had Sega consoles. I watched the show. I loved the character. I remember seeing the original commercial for Sonic Adventure and SA2, and being so disappointed at the time, thinking I'd never get to play them. ... And then SA2 came out for the GameCube (along with Sonic Advance, which was also awesome). I read about it in Nintendo Power. I was _so_ hyped for it! And man, it really lived up to the hype and blew me away. Watching this video really brought me back to 2001, and reminded me why that game is so lovable.
@Mana Shield same I figured I'd throw it out for shits and giggles. jet set radio felt like it counted at the time. Tony hawk games may be pushing it but at the core it's so exaggerated compared to reality it feels like a platformer rather than a sport game or simulation
@Mana Shield lol facts and in similar ways as the most standard or defining games in the platformer genre. Terribly hard jumps just out of reach or dependent on timing, similar to mario
The death of Shadow pulled so hard on my heart strings when I was a kid. I remember going to my mom crying and she didn’t understand who, “The hell is Shadow?” Even now, at 25 the ending gets me chocked up. 😫😩🥺😢
This guy edited an entire hour and a half video. This means a lot to him that much is obvious. Great job man, if something means a lot to you, do it big don’t half ass it. This guys awesome, gl hf man
I couldn't agree more with your closing statement: this game is memorable, one of the most memorable entries in the Sonic franchise, if not, the most. The fact that it is being remembered, even 18 years later, just shows how memorable it is, and why it fully deserves a place among the stars of video games. Heck, the reason why it is being picked upon by angry reviewers for easy views is because people remember it the most, because of the impression it left, thus making it a likely target. I can only hope that passionate reviews like yours can change some minds and finally clean SA1 and 2's reputation. Great overall gameplay, kickass music, amazing story, and most important, tens, if not hundreds of hours of optional content; this game is where Sonic peaked.
Hopefully one day I can give these games the review treatment they deserve. I may not be the biggest fan of Sonic Adventure 1 nowadays, but it's still a good game for a lot of reasons. Adventure 2 is pretty much my top pick in the series.
Legit cried when Sonic said at the end of the game. I never finished it because of Rouge's second level, but "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog," made me cry the hardest I have since middle school. Shadow is one of my favorite characters, and Sonic my least, but the story of this game is so beautiful. I kinda wish Shadow stayed dead because of what he is now... I'm 16 by the way. Kind of a '90s soul...
@@emblemblade9245 I feel like I should have been born in the late 80s or early 90s, cuz that's where alot of the stuff I grew up on is from. I dunno if that makes sense...
big dumb plant Oh, that’s what you mean! I get ya now. I kinda wish I grew up with 80s movies (albeit with modern tech, don’t wanna miss the good stuff of today) because some of them are just so ridiculous and I would’ve liked being part of that culture
@@joeyjoseph8837 My point goes the other way around, actually. I didn't mean the chao garden would be better by itself. I agree, going back to the stages to collect for your chao is like going out hunting / working for your kids. Without the chao garden, the stages wouldn't have that extra purpose.
I was around 8 or so, and that's all I wanted to do! Grow my little brown monster and watch him play in the blood lake and draw pictures in the sand. I miss that little bastard ),:
Sonic himself using CC was never the issue, it was that he does it using a fake emerald. Just seems ridiculous that Tails can create something that can even initiate something like Chaos Control, something he had absolutely no knowledge of.
i mean,chaoscontrol is the ability to use chaosenergy to change the flow of time and space. it does not strictly need the full power of a chaosemerald,it just makes it easier to use. sonic already used the emeralds power at the end of sonic1 and he used them a lot more often after that to turn into supersonic. if anything,shadow just randomly using it at the start of the game is bullshit because that would realisticly be the first time he even saw a chaosemerald. however,that is actually something explained by shadow the hedgehog and afterwards,he was born with the ability to use chaoscontrol more easily than other people and he even develops powerwise and can use it without any emerald later on)
Honestly, this was hands down the best video I have ever seen when it comes to looking at any media ever. Every minute is meaningful and spent well with hardly a moment wasted that gets every point across so beautifully I nearly teared up multiple times. It really looks at the game from both veterans' and first-time players' perspectives and not many people think about anything like that anymore. It may be long, but every moment is worth it. I just wanted to say thank you for giving SA2 the credit it truly deserves
Man, this video should have more recognition. The only "Reviews" of sonic adventure 2 that exist are about people complaining about stupid things. "Da Geim Teiks it self wei tu siriosli" Like... people just hear what they want to hear.
>Durr I liked sonic adventure 2 when it first came out >Ha look bad voice acting >1 minutie on gameplay >35 minutes of shitty jokes on the voice acting, story and general autistic screaming >millions of views >'yeah bro sonic fans are fucked they like SA2 ha'
It sounds like you only want to hear what you want to hear. Pretty biased. The game is great. Probably the best Sonic game ever made, but the flaws have shown their age. It doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist.
@@lukamagicc Bias goes both ways, too many people love to rag on everything Sonic precisely because of their bias against the series. How is it bias to want to hear some well deserved, constructive praise for a good game once in a while amidst the lazy, never-ending slander? Mario 64 aged too yet it gets a pass on criticism just cause it's Mario.
Homer Sams the shitty writing and edgy story just adds to the charm of the “Adventure” series, and the Art Style, Dark team, and overarching plot works well with the actual game. AND THE MUSIC? Undefeated.
Thank you for helping me re-live my childhood nostalgia for the past hour and a half. Great work. Gotta dust off the old game cube and do some living and learning again
I grew up playing Sonic Heroes, Super Smash Bro’s, Sonic 06 and the occasional genesis port. I only recently picked up SA2 and Generations, hearing the praise they had gotten. When I played SA2, I loved almost every level in the game (not mad space). After playing through all the stories and listening to stellar music as I flew through the levels and beat the final boss. I have grown to love the game and its sound track. Your video extended my love for the game while also showing the bigger picture. Especially with the story and the details in the game itself. For your explanation of the game’s pros and cons was really detailed and truthful. This video has shown me how Sonic has changed over the years. It has also given me a better picture of the game as a whole and the impact it made on gaming. Even if I wasn’t around during that time. This video made my spirit for Sonic “Live” again while also “Learn”ing new things (sorry I had to do it). Thank you for making such a comprehensive video on, what I think to be, the “best Sonic game ever”. Thank you for making me love this game more than I already do.
I just quite recently got into learning what the Sonic franchise was before its downfall and you helped me such a great deal. Near the end of your video, when i realized what a labor of love this game was, and most importantly, what it meant for so many people, i cried. I just genuinely cried out of sheer joy. Thank god such games exist. And if not for their gameplay, they should at least be remembered for the emotions they brought to those who experienced it.
Adventure 2 has always been my favorite Sonic game. Tbh I like almost every game from the Drummond era minus a few like Sonic Battle (even Shuffle was a guilty pleasure) Your video shares a lot of the same sentiments as myself. Sure some things are certainly dated and the dialogue and character animations could certainly use some fine tuning. But I'd take this game over the recent outings we've been presented with since 2010. I liked this game because it established Sonic has having more than basic writing template for a plot. Every character has their moments when it matters it also came at an era where the characters were always relevant or had some sort of use. I feel as though your review sorta reflects my own views to a degree. And despite the hate it gets I do enjoy the treasure hunting sections, I still dislike how the radar functions, but I mange to get tolerate it due to how much I love how Knuckles and Rouge controls. Even if I dislike most of Rouge's levels, especially Mad Space (which has a really good track) the mech shooting is my least favorite, but it's harmless and doesn't hurt my enjoyment factor. So many great moments come from this game and every character has one memorable moment of awesome! The ending especially is my favorite ending in a Sonic game. I disagree with Amy. Yes I agree that Amy is a step down from her SA1 version where she vows to seek more self indepdence, however you missed the perspective of Amy situation. Sure Amy's constant kidnapping doesn't do the group favors, however part of why Amy showed up in the first place (aside from saving Sonic of course) was to prove that she could stay on the mission, however Amy gets in over her head and saves face because the mission proves to be too much for her. (at this point of the series she wasn't as skilled as the rest of them) Hence her teasing of Sonic during the jail scene, it was all an act she put on to act brave for Sonic. She also feels left out and wants to have her own place within the group as well (hence her complaining about being left behind and everyone just running off without her) the final scene where she convinces Shadow to have a change of heart was her "moment" of adding something to the importance to the adventure noted by Amy's line "Everyone's doing their best to help out and so must I"! She was tired of complaining so she did her part to convince Shadow's change of heart, causing him to remember Maria's wishes for him to save the world. I have the feeling that originally in Sonic Adventure 2, they planned for Amy to be playable, since she is the ONLY main character you never play as in the game proper. She gets alot of focus in the cutscenes, but you never get any gameplay based around her besides Vs. Mode where she's literally broken with improved abilities (she can homing attack and plays like a slightly slower Sonic and Shadow) The fact she's playable at all showed they intended you to play her at SOME point. Notice how some cutscenes seem so suggest you're about to play as her, like when Tails chases the President, leaving Amy behind. You'd think you'd play as Amy, chasing Tails (she DOES have a car too), or when she's left behind on the Ark, but she drops out of the story until a later point. Any other character would have gotten a level after that, but not Amy for some reason. This is how I saw Amy's role, not saying you're wrong and on the surface yes it's a step down from Adventure 1 and her being a hostage to Eggman during the end was a bit problematic, But I wouldn't say she's a complete liability. But Amy's narrative is her wanting acceptance and be included as part of the adventure, she mainly had to be along for the ride to feel included. Though I do find it weird that she doesn't think to use her Hammer on Eggman during her first cutscene. Oh well, at least she gets a badass upgrade in Sonic Heroes and the Advance trilogy.
I do like that aspect of her character in this game; that she bothered, not even caring about the odds against her, to go all the way to Prison Island just to have a chance of saving Sonic. Amy isn't exactly out of character in this game, moreso just unnecessarily sidelined, I would say. I think it's much better that she is her fun, energetic self who gets into danger rather than her... sitting behind a computer and mouthing off to people.
@@JebZone Yeah I agree with that sentiment. Even if I do like her in SA2 I don't like how she's sidelined either. Always look forward to your Sonic videos! :D
I truly believed that, after growing older, I felt that Sonic Adventure 2 hadn't aged well and that I just felt it was a great game due to me being too young at the time I first played it. This video not only proved me wrong, but it also changed my mind. Excellent work dude
Sa2 is still a great game. It aged well honsetly. It's the sa2 hate bandwagon. Fuck egorapter for ruining the game's reputation. It shouldn't matter a game ages well. Not every game is gonna look like cyberpunk 2077 or a hot girlfriend.
Every time Live and Learn starts playing, I get goosebumps and start tearing up. This game is legitimately my childhood and I love everything about it. Were there issues? Yes. Does it seem more outdated the more time goes on? Yes. Do I care? No. The music, the characters, the story, the gameplay, everything about it is cemented in my mind. I love that you made this video the way you did. If I could ask for any single older title to get a 2020 graphics and engine remake while preserving everything else about the game (a la Pokemon Let's Go vs Pokemon Yellow), it'd be this game, without a doubt.
If you've got a decent PC, you could always get the HD mod. gamebanana.com/gamefiles/7445 It's not the total graphic/engine remake you were hoping for, but it's an improvement nonetheless.
Can we take a moment to acknowledge the AMAZING ARTSTYLE this game had? I think its overlooked man. For gamecube era, this was considered realistic or semi-realistic graphics and it worked! Sonic unleashed has it too and its super beautiful. Im not a fan of cartoony artstyles with no detail or realism tbh. Honorable mention: the comic book style they drew the characters in too. Sonic X had the comic book style too. Shits great man.
me, seeing this in my recommendations: “pff, an hour and a half? I’ll never watch this whole thing” me 45 minutes in: “incredible. Fascinating. A masterpiece.”
I know I might sound insane. But I really want a Knuckles game that builds off of the treasure hunting stages and speed stages. Like Zelda level puzzles for each stage.
The only problem with that is that Knuckles chooses not to learn the history of his people but maybe it could work if he was forced to confront it. Also I can see Rouge and the Chaotix being playable characters
I was thinking about how that game would work. I wouldn’t take it in a Zelda direction since I like the speed that the base treasure levels have to get an A rank. I do see Tikal and Chaos having unlockable stories that fill in gaps the base story doesn’t fully explain and I would want this spinoff to continue the original SA2 plot with Shadow being dead and maybe Knuckles can question why Sonic appears all around places (though I don’t want Sonic to actually appear in the game). I’d make Shadow the 100% completion award and Tails a secret character (they don’t have their own stories they’re just non cannon extras) because I think it would be cool for Tails to dig into the ground using his tails. I could go on forever with what I’ve come up with so far
This is an extraordinarily well executed video essay. Watching these things takes up most of my free time, whether by nostalgia or curiosity, and there's always an inherent distinction between those that care about the game and those that don't. You're the good kind.
I like the little jabs taken at the people that said Sonic’s stages were too linear compared to Adventure, or the sound the mechs make is annoying. Like, these are such minuscule nitpicks.
@Apharmd Battler IMO sa2 (and sa1) already have a better physics engine than later 3d sonics, when i played generations after years of being away from sonic the physics engine was so annoying, with the way sonic grinds to a a halt after jumping/homing attacking. Sa2 had a pretty good feeling of speed and weight and momentum.
@Apharmd Battler except unleashed was the best and only boost game done right. Do you know how hard unleashed is? That boost to win in unleashed will fuck you up.
i bought sa2 hd a week ago. 16 hours later and it's singlehandedly converted me into a full-on sonic fan. even knowing what was gonna happen from memes and the snapcube dub it was one of the most fun games i've ever played. god i love this thing
I've got an announcement to make, Shadow the hedgehog is bitch ass motherfucker he pissed on my fucking wife that's right he took his hedgehog fucking quilly dick out and pissed on my fucking wife so I'm gonna make a call out post on my Twitter.com shadow the hedgehog you've got a small dick it's the size of this walnut except way smaller and here's what my dong looks *pfff* that's right baby all point no quills no pillow that looks like two balls and a bong shadow fucked my wife so I'm gonna fuck the earth that's right this is what you get my super laser piiiissss except I'm not gonna piss on the earth I'm I'm pissing on the MOOOOOON HOW DO LIKE THAT OBAMA I PISSED ON THE MOON YOUVE GOT 23 HOURS BEFOR THE PISS DRRROPLLLETS HIT THE FUCKING EARTH no get out of my sight before I piss on you to
This is easily one of the best videos on Sonic Adventure 2 I've ever seen and by the end of it, I was tearing up a bit. I grew up playing SA1 and fell in love with the franchise, Tails was the character I latched onto the most as a kid. And playing this game was special. I can still remember the many hours I put into the game, trying to beat all the levels and seeing how the story would play out. Seeing Sonic almost die was gutwrenching, but to see my childhood gaming hero Tails step in and take Eggman on was fucking inspiring. Hell my parents even watched me play this and they were actually curious about the story. I put many years into SA2 and I still regard it as my favorite 3D Sonic game. It just hit all the notes for me and I had a blast growing up with it. The music is fantastic, the different game styles were fun, the story isn't that bad as some people say it is, and I didn't even know about some of the extra dialogue when you start up certain story sections where the characters talk like that so now on my next playthrough I'm checking those out. This video reminded me why I loved the Adventure games so much. While there have been some decent games since, they didn't have the passion, the scope, the charm or the guts that this game had. I hope we get another game like SA2 someday, it can be done
FINALLY finished this video. After all this time from its upload date (I'm a very busy guy) Basically... this time I barely have my own input to give, because the video just talks for myself almost at most points. SA2 is a huge landmark for the series because, like SA1, it was a game with a lot of ambition and style. It had so much it had to balance. And while it wasn't perfect... it is clear that SA2 had maximum effort from Sonic Team. They went out their way to evolve the series and make things fresh, while also having respect for almost every element of the series up to this point. But people would have you believe otherwise because it's not 2D and Sonic isn't small, pudgy, doesn't have black eyes... So many people try to twist the achievements of the Adventure games these days. And make them out as half-assed games that Sega shat out to fans, and Sonic was never good, he'll never work in 3D, and- Blah Blah fucking Blah. No. Back in the day, this game was truly the peak of the series. And in some areas, it still is. Because it a pure Sonic experience with the true spirit of the franchise intact. Great video.
Agreed this game was the peak of the series in gameplay. Story stayed consistently good throughout the Dreamcast & 4kids Eras, only to be abandoned for the 2010s decade which turned its back on everything the series was supposed to be. Sonic was actually cool before 2010 turned the series into a complete joke.
When you started to talk about Metal Harbor, I had the sudden urge to play Sonic Adventure 2... So I made a new save file in the game and spent an hour playing the game up until Hidden Base 🤣
The first time I saw the final ending of this game I silently cried because of how sad but satisfying it felt to me. Now today as I watched the final seconds of this video a few melancholic tears ran down my face. This video reminded me of just how much I love this game and why I became a Sonic fan so long ago. Thank you so much for making this video!
I don't normally comment on videos, but this was extremely well made and I was completely invested in it. To see my favorite game, my childhood, gone in depth for over an hour was really awesome. You gave very fair and honest criticisms - even when there weren't many to be made (and the ones that were made weren't a big deal anyway). This just makes me want to pick up the game again and play it. Thank you.
One of my favorite games of all time, i love this video, I love how you describe how we feel about this gem. One of my dreams is Sega works on a sonic game like adventure 2, with a lot of history, love, fun...
To be fair you could have easily just ended this video at the 5 second mark, that beginning bit of live and learn is a good enough reason. Though the other 1:31:10 were about as amazing.
This was a well done review. SA2 is one of may favorite games of all time and it was very well done. It’s heartbreaking that their games went down hill afterwards. I was excitingly waiting for an amazing follow up that sadly never came.
Why I LOVED SA2 so much 1: chaos garden: there are no tutorials for SA1's CG and SA2's one was so much better 2: Playable Robotnik: name one game that allows you to play as robotnik other than SA2, i'll wait 3: Music: *-Running around at the speed of sound-*
I have only just started watching this and I can already tell this is exactly my type of video, fucking marvellous, can't wait to watch the rest! Edit: I was right... That was spectacular, incredible job!
Great Video. I grew up on this game, and it left an impact that has me waiting (foolishly) for the next great sonic game, even after 15 years. Your video touched me deeply. Looking back as an adult reveals truths that were only vaguely absorbed as a child. (Even now, the story has me asking serious philosophical questions. MY adventure will be finding more of the answers in the real world. Thanks for the inspiration, and the closure on a large piece of my life :) )
Supposedly there was a time in which this was believed to be the Last Sonic game in the series canon because of the series uncertain fate following the Dreamcast when it was in development. The game was meant to be Sonic's last hurrah on a Sega Console, & on GameCube would be what showed Nintendo Players just what the series was supposed to be like. It's unfortunate how far the series has fallen from the masterpiece that was Sonic Adventure 2. The 2010s direction for Sonic treated the series like a complete joke & forgot that Sonic was supposed to be cool.
Sounds like this video was a little bit of a middle finger to ProJared but I don't mean that in a bad way, his video did have a few off things. Anyway I think it's VERY clear why so many of us love SA2/SA2 Battle so much. Just look at all the work that went into the presentation and content in this game (for it's time). The game was just so ambitious and even though a lot of the older Sonic fans (the ones who grew up playing the original trilogy first before there was any SA1, SA2, and beyond) thought this game was a flop, it's very obvious that even though this was an experimental game and not everything was perfect, it's very clear they wanted this game to go out with a bang. Taking risks by continuing the multi-playstyle, a more engaging story with darker elements while not being too hamfisted, and so much more. I won't lie, when I reviewed this game back in 2016 and said I preferred SA1 because it felt like I was on an actual Adventure thanks to the inclusion of the hub worlds (I liked them lol), I by no means thought SA2 was bad. I had a lot of fun with it when I was a kid and even when I go back to re-play it, I still have fun with it. This game just had SO MUCH ENERGY in it. I actually enjoyed the Treasure hunting (even Mad Space lol) and while the mech stages weren't exactly my favorite, they were doable. I actually LOVED the ranking system, it made me want to play better and get the best score. And oh my god the music. Fan-Freaking-tastic soundtrack for sure. I've listened to SA2's soundtrack so many times ever since I got my first Ipod back in 2006 and I actually listen to a lot of the songs today whenever I workout or am driving to work. That's how amazing I think the OST was 15+ years later. All I can say is that your video really made me nod in agreement because most of what you said was exactly how I felt when I first played this game back in 2001 and just all the good memories it brought. I always feel so weird with how I feel about this game. How much I just can't help but love it even though so many people started saying the game sucked at the turn of 2017. I won't say the game is perfect but I honestly can't say I've ever been so engrossed into a Sonic game since this or even SA1. The Adventure games were just such a fun time for Sonic and the later Sonic games just never gave me the emotions that these games did (Sonic Heroes came close but uh... We all know what went wrong with that game lol). It was nice to hear how this game impacted another person's life in some positive way so for that, very well done video, I could feel the passion for sure though I was surprised when you said you first played this in 2005, I feel so old even though it's only after 4 years when I first played it so I can only imagine how those who were there for the OG Dreamcast version feel lol.
@@bunsmasterbunny When I said hamfisted, I was talking specifically for this game because it was the first Sonic game that really went in to delivery a darker story but they did it in a digestible way that didn't feel too out of place. That's all.
@Johnny Buddy That's definitely up to the perception. SA1 may have treaded in dark areas with the Echidna tribe wanting the Chaos emeralds and Chaos flooded a whole city but I think that SA2 ramped up the darkness by like 5x From Maria being shot dead with no remorse from her killers and then be covered up as an "accident" which in turn drove Gerald Robotnik insane enough to exact genocide on the entire planet. I think the dark factor comes from Gerald's grief over Maria. The introduction to the last scene where Rouge is reading his diary and especially if you watch the original Japanese sub it's just... Too real haha. But that's just me.
I personally think SA1 was darker than SA2. I mean Gamma's story was the characters entire life story from activation to demise following a battle to the death against his powerful enhanced brother with both of them destroying eachother so that the birds representing their souls could be able to live freely. The entire echidna backstory was a bit darker than Maria's backstory. Maria died along with a few scientist when GUN Raided the ARK 50 years ago & it drove Professor Gerald insane so he found Shadow on Earth & altered his memory to carry out his revenge. Tikal watched as the creature that was possibly her closest friend, annihilated her entire culture & sealed her soul with it into the Master Emerald after her father attacked the chao. Then you have the entire feeling of failure & hopelessness in the Last Story once Chaos has all 7 Emeralds. Tikal said the situation was hopeless & that the only way for humanity to survive was for her to seal herself with Chaos into the Master Emerald. Even though that would only be a temporary solution as she implied that Chaos would keep doing what he did to Station Square out of an endless anger. There wasn't any hope until Sonic used the 7 drained emeralds to go Super.
@@WaterKirby1994 Both are dark in their own respective ways I think. I don't disagree with what you said about Gamma and Tikal having to live with the fact that her friend annihilated her whole clan of people. But I think Maria/Gerald situation hit me a little closer because of the scene where Rouge reads out Gerald's last few words in his diary (especially the japanese uncut script), that just hit the psych quite deep for me personally haha.
The blockbuster comment at the beginning about the box art hit me home because blockbuster is the exact way I found this game. I rented it and then never wanted to bring it back. This was my FAVORITE game
I might appreciate this video as much as I appreciate the game itself. You perfectly encapsulated everything we love about this game, without sugarcoating the more negative aspects, just showing how it is. It's cool how a game I'm so fond of was a big part of the lives of so many others as well. I'm almost certain that at least half of us know that this game has many, many flaws but we aren't really bothered by it. Usually with these types of videos, they could either drag from being too long, or feel incomplete cause a few details were glossed over, but once the video ended it felt like complete, not lacking, not excessive, complete. Definitely earned the sub, I wish you luck on your future endeavors, but most of all thank you for this video. Life fucking sucks but it's moments like these when we get to relive simpler times, and know that we can reach happiness again.
I loved this game growing up. Even though when I was younger I was really really upset that there was no hub world, I still played it for hours, enjoyed it throughly, and then proceeded to buy the Gamecube version when it got released again. Thanks for the wonderful review
You know something about this game that I just realised is how well the pairs of characters really are opposites to each other. Sonic is a hero, but he doesn’t take his life too seriously and doesn’t let the weight of being the saviour of his world get to him. (Neutral Good) Shadow is not only a villain (for the majority of the game) but also takes everything extremely seriously and is wrapped up in being the ultimate lifeform. (Neutral Evil) Tails is the embodiment of purity and is just a kid who wants to help people. (Lawful Good) Eggman is the embodiment of evil (at least in this game) and will stop at nothing to achieve his egocentric goals and feels no remorse. (Lawful Evil) Knuckles is a bit of a solo anti-hero at times but his own ambitions always line up with the heroic side. (Chaotic Good) Rouge works for the government, yet she ends up assisting the bad guys more often than not and in truth doesn’t give a shit about morality as long a she gets her jewels. (Chaotic Evil)
I just found this video by chance when looking for something else, and decided to give it a chance since SA2 is one of my favorite games ever and has a special place in my heart since I played it for the first time as a child. I cannot find a single thing in this video that I disagree with, at all. Down to the opinion of David being the best Shadow voice in the entire series, this video brought up more points about why this game is so good than I knew existed. Character analysis? Downright perfect. The amount of people who miss the fragility in Shadow's mental state and drag him down as nothing more than "edgy" saddens me. Praise to the game? Informative and appeals to both nostalgia and what this game meant as a whole without being over the top. Editing? Fantastic and funny. Critique? Completely valid and agreed with. I was confused with calling Rogue's status as a spy a plot hole at first, since it's gone over in Sonic X, but I looked it up and no, Sonic X started airing about two years after the game came out, so it absolutely is a bit of a hole for the game upon release. All in all, I don't think I've ever seen a better video, or more detailed video, about any game in my life. Your passion for the game is felt and appreciated, and I was legitimately emotional by the end of the video. I'm appalled by the view count, and any time someone asks me about my love for this game, this is going to the the FIRST thing I send them.
It's comments like these which inspire me to keep making videos. I especially appreciate how you acknowledged some of the intricacies I really wanted to nail in this video, I'm really glad that they could work and not go unnoticed. Much like the game itself, I wanted to get a lot of small things right. I wanted to really get my point across and offer the most raw perspective I possibly could. That's why I spent an hour and a half on it when most people could settle for 20 to 40 minutes, there's just so much about it that I think is really important. Too important to go unspoken. I must say, though, if you liked this video, I would recommend Ruby of Blue's Sonic videos as well. He recently finished a two-part Sonic Adventure 2 analysis that shared many of my sentiments and even brought up some new things I have never thought of before. Thank you.
A lot of the “plotholes” that people point out in SA2 are either complete misunderstandings of the situation or a result of bad localization. Even then, I would argue that none of these “plotholes” actually take away from the enjoyment factor of the plot
Just started this game the other day... finished the story already lol. If that doesn’t shout a captivating game I don’t know what does. Probably never going to stop infinitely replaying city escape until the day I die.
The reason it did so well is that it had so much more thought placed into it. I wished they carried out the Chao thing! I loved the music! I loved the voices applied to the characters! Rouge's voice was so Rouge...Her image, her persona, and her voice all fit so well. So did Shadows..his voice was dark and soft.. explaining exactly what he is. Also the ability to fight as evil was nice too. I did not even buy the other games due to the voices of some characters not matching...they gave Rouge a tom-boy voice...thus hindering her character and showing they are not as detailed...also the games are not as detailed.. They put a lot into Sonic Adventure..I wish they would stay consistent with the characters. And again, they need to do something with the Chao..that is like a whole game itself.
@@The_AuraMaster the Heroes model is alright, but was a bit of a downgrade from SA2 imo. The cutscenes are obviously going to be good considering they aren’t in-game cutscenes.
This was an amazing look at one of my favorite games. Thanks for taking the time to create this and pointing out some of the subtleties I missed over the years. I'm hoping we get a return to the adventure format next year. ♥️
I can't agree with every point you make in this video, but damn, your passion for it shines through. I appreciate a positive take on this game in a sea of negative ones, and although I've lost my love for the game as years have gone on it's awesome to see someone who the magic never died for.
This...Is the best...SA2 video I have seen. Your review is the first time that someone I have seen on youtube , actually looks at the absolute entirety of what this game did, and why even though it may not be the most technologically solid game or the most polished, or had the deepest story for that matter, it actually was a game where you can feel that Sonic team actually put their best into the game. You understand how fun in a game can far outshine a seemingly technical "masterpiece.". I constantly talk to my siblings about why all of these modern games that tend to be considered "masterpieces" don't tend to sit as well with me, and ultimately it comes down to the fact that while the stories are great, the game play can be very refined, and even look great graphically, they simply just aren't as fun and as heartfelt. I think Indie games carry the spirit of what sonic team/sega at it's prime understood. You are a great youtuber based off of the content I have seen and I think you might be one of my new favorites! Keep making this awesome work man!
When I was a kid, maybe seven or eight at the oldest, a friend of mine used to play Sonic 1 when I'd hang out at her house. Later on, my mom let my brother and I each pick a game. My brother already knew what he wanted and picked Luigi's Mansion. I honestly had no idea what I wanted, saw this game, went, "well, I guess I like Sonic a _little_, so sure, why not?" I'd literally never even heard of Sonic Adventure 2 (or Sonic Adventure, for that matter), didn't remember seeing the game on the shelf at all before, and just picked it on basically a half-hearted whim because my mom was telling me to pick something. Funny how little decisions like that can be life-changing. :)
I love the vid man! This is my favorite game of all time. I can always bust out my Dreamcast and play me some SA2 and have a grand old time. Thanks for letting me re-experience some beloved memories.
Which is funny because the only reason it's like that is because the English dub editing was bad. It's not the only time characters talk over each other because they didn't time lines correctly.
This was one of the most satisfying videos I've ever watched on this site! This game gives me quiveringly, unrelenting nostalgia waves and your video tapped into that vibe so seamlessly and with a such professional manner. Well done, sir. Keep living on the edge of tomorrow.
Knuckles level soundtracks were a great addition imo. I love Knuckles and Rap kinda suits him. It probably isn't a coincidence that I always saw him as the Piccolo of the franchise.
Ruby of Blue brings up good points about the premise of the military mistaking Shadow for Sonic. In its full context the premise is that a Chaos Emerald was stolen by a fast moving hedgehog-like figure *at night.* Nobody knows who Shadow is so it's obvious that people would suspect Sonic. Plus Shadow's quills are shaped like Super Sonic, and Sonic has been seen by people transformed as Super Sonic in Adventure 1, so anyone who saw him would most likely think it was Sonic transformed. As for GUN, project Shadow and the Ark tragedy is suppose to be a cover up so only the higher ups would know about it. Sonic says in his first recap that he is being chased because he escaped from the military so the highers up lied to keep the secret and everyone on the lower level including the police honestly think Sonic was being detained for some reason and that he escaped.
I've heard this before, maybe I should make a pinned tweet about it. Even going into the video, I knew someone was going to bring up that it was at night, or that Sonic/Shadow move so fast that no one can really tell... all that stuff. But I didn't include it in that fashion because at that point, I really find it theory more than what they were actually trying to go for. Not saying this all couldn't be the case, but unlike a lot of the more hidden shit I bring up in this video, the game doesn't really hint at any of this being the case. Certainly, any normal player would miss these potential points. Still gotta see Ruby of Blue's video, though. :P
@@JebZone He says it in the video response to ProJarad. He now has 2 SA2 videos that are 40+ minutes as well as an SA1 video where he goes into extreme details about both games and the story.
I’m always ecstatic when I find a new RUclips Channel that posts long, high-quality videos. There’s something so nice about playing one of these in the background and just relaxing. Fantastic work, I’ll be happy to see what you make next and look through your other videos. You’ve earned my subscription!
39:34 I saw a story a while back where anon and his brother were talking about how the government can think sonic is shadow then there mother walked in and said "oh no! Sonics turned evil!?"
The Gamecube had some absolute classics. This, Mario Sunshine, Smash Melee, Resident Evil 4, Mario Kart Double Dash, WWE day of reckoning 2, Zelda Wind Waker, Mario Strikers man I could keep going!
This video and the first adventure one really made me remember why I love Sonic as a franchise so much and just Shadow as a character. I really wish Sonics games were like this again.
That is an extremely diplomatic read of Eggman and Tails' final conversation, which involves Eggman pouring his heart out at the revelation that his grandfather not only descended into genocidal madness in his final moments but tried to use him, his own flesh and blood, as a pawn for his malevolent intentions, and Tails looking up from his phone and going "huh?"
Jeff Miller I think it’s actually appropriate for Tails to use “ok boomer” here
Jeff Miller lmao
Yeah, I've started hearing Eggman's "You're right" as a facepalming, 'OK, you're clearly not worth talking to so I better end this conversation.'
@@MetaKaios It's not a Sonic Adventure game unless Tails says something absolutely inane and tactless at the end.
@@Exarian "Alls well that ends well."
4:29 after almost 20 years I realize that the helicopter squads name is "Sigma-Alpha 2", abbreviated SA2.. Sonic Adventure 2.
Just noticed this too. Insane lol
Oh wow. I thought it was just random lol. I like little details like that. It shows them paying attention and shows enjoyed involvement in the game.
I came around to it 7 years ago when I visited the wiki page for Sonic and read the trivia.
I just noticed that too
In fairness, most *English speaking kids probably aren't familiar with the NATO phonetic or Greek alphabets.
This... this is the Eggman I miss. He actually appears intelligent and menacing, while still having childish tantrums, it was a perfect character balance. Its unfortunate so many classic villains are assuming a more comedy relief foil in recent years. Albeit, he did have some amazing dialogue in Lost Worlds, but not many people fondly remember that game.
Its like the older game devs get..the more childish they make their games. Being child friendly is one thing but being child oriented is another. Same shit happened to ratchet and clank and sly cooper
Heroes is also alright.
And do you remember when eggman actually trapped SUPER SONIC
@@ygobe2 Such an epic cutscene. The best imho.
It's* means "it is" by the way, not "its".
Kid, I say this as an old fart who grew up during the Genesis Era; Played Sonic 2, 3, and 3D Blast, the Saturn re-releases like Sonic Jam or Sonic R and became immersed in the charm and wonder of the adventure series.
let me tell you that your video here on SA2 describes everything that was so well beloved from that specific game. While I and others may not have A Ranked the game and maxed out on the content, what we did enjoy was the story and again The Charm that the game had with its story and setting.
SA and SA2 were the games that showed us a 90's icon like Sonic and his world could translate well to a game that has a cinematic feel to it both in it's style and story.
For a game that was the last to be featured on the Dreamcast (not counting SEGA's other beloved series Sakura Wars that was japan exclusive) Sonic Adventure 2 DID leave a big impression one that TO THIS DAY, while mocked and joked about, SEGA has yet to make a proper follow-up. Unleashed may have been intended to be SA3 but we can see that didn't happen, most likely because again, SA2 has big shoes to fill, maybe someday we'll get that SA3 but for now. Sonic Adventure 2 serves as what Sonic can be when Sonic is at his best.
Having fun and being Fun.
Kudos on the video too, I never felt bored watching and it felt nicely paced. I also liked how you weren't ashamed to say what you liked about the game even if others complained about it, but you never come off as a blind hardcore fan and acknowledge the faults in the game and even how ridiculous some of the stuff in it is, but that you still found enjoyment in it.
Keep up the good work Sonic fan!
It’s the best sonic game because:
- great characters
- great music
- great gameplay
- great story
- chao garden
But mocap had some time to improve
Oseobulu Ebosele-Park yeah, but at the same time, it just adds to its charm
Great level design.
Great pace.
@@sweetpataterz8738 the being known as myself will forcefully commend you to eat, chew and swallow the specific formed sounds coming out of your mouth.
Tl:dr, ILL MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS
Facts
This game had so much content its crazy, just the Chao segment is an entire game of its own
Brandon
I cradled the shit out of my Chao
Indeed, I honestly loved chao world, god who knows how long I spent in that segment alone. That was a massive gem
Yeah me and my friends got really in to that at some point.
Feel sorry for anyone who didn’t have a Dreamcast. This game, powerstone and crazy taxi were ridiculous
He didn't even mention the god tier chaos either! It's funny a 90 minute video about a game is still not enough to cover it all.
The cutscene before shadow and sonic fight for the last time is still so cool to me. The music is super loud but it’s so good it doesn’t even bother me
Sa2 cutscenes are hilarious and classic. If they ever make a 3rd the cutscenes have to have meme references
It's great, but I wouldn't be against a rerelease turning down the music abit.
I love that cutscene so much
6 year old me lost my damn mind over that scene
@@keon200 Yeah, sonic beats shadow and then hes just like, you're too slow shadow! Gotta go fast!
I can't imagine finding a video that shows better why this franchise is loved
If you ask me, this video and the one The Geek Critique did on SA2 are one of the best videos showcasing why SA2 is this really great 3D sonic game instead of being this "1/3 good game" that everyone likes to overuse now-a-days.
Oh yeah Exo's review on the game is just as great too.
@@HamtaroSonicHedgehog I've been sick to death of those people for years.
The game may be flawed, but it's still going to be your fault if you aren't trying to play decently.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 And it's pathetic too because I've found the likes of Super Mario 64 and other examples of 3D platformers from that era that I feel aged worse than SA1 or 2, but people will breathe your neck if you DARE say anything bad about those games.
But the moment someone says that both adventure games did not age well, they'll HAPPILY torn the game apart making it seem like it's a horrible game just because of how some aspects of it have aged.
I remember when people used to claim both adventure games as being the "only good 3D sonic games" and yet here we are now to where even those games are considered to be awful attempts at bringing sonic into 3D despite receptions saying otherwise.
@@HamtaroSonicHedgehog Everyone complained how glitchy 06 and Boom are, but hardly anyone acknowledges how unpolished and slippery the controls and physics can be in Super Mario Sunshine, not to mention how glitchy the Pachinko Machine is.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 Sunshine I thought was still pretty good and better than 64 but I can agree it was also quite a glitchy game too and had a couple of problems.
And unfortunately I feel like the way how 06 turned out is the reason why 3D sonic games to this day still gets a bad rap or are suddenly such a broken base game. Again I remember when people used to praise both adventure games for being quote, the "ONLY GOOD" 3D sonic games, but then 06 took that away and made that popular opinion about how sonic was never good to begin with.
Even the classic games, the same games that people always define as the definitive games of the series were starting to be seen in an unfair light.
I wonder what the old doctors diary had in it aside from his plan, think he had something like “Dear diary, I wanted chips today, the guards didn’t give me any, just another reason to end the world.”
"Most people chose the Hero Story first"
Me being an edgy 5-year-old:
Me A 7 -year old who has a crush on shadow:
I could be a hero... or I could be THE EGGMAN!
me not wanting to offend either and play both back and forth as a kid
@@Comkill117 THAT'S WHAT I AM!
@@jonathaningram6688 I AM THE EGGMAN
Thank you. Thank you for encapsulating how an entire generation felt about this gem. One of the most important games ever, despite what disgruntled curmudgeons think.
I don't know why they haven't gone back to the adventure style games 😭
I don’t know either. Sonic is just like.. no. I can’t take the new games seriously like this one.
I think 06 was such a failure that it's soured them on ever trying again.
@@hewhoisnamed9050 You're right but that's not even fair cause it was an unfinished game.
SSBU Tier Lists look what happened when they “pleased the fans” with the Sonic movie. EVERYONE hailed the new design. Just goes to show you how good it can be to listen to fan feed back. Or what about Mario odyssey? It’s the same tried and true formula as 64 & sunshine just more refined and that game sold like crack. Maybe those people should focus less on the “hubworld” and more on the core physics and level design that made his to appealing in these games instead of the intrinsic things they think their fans want. I JUST CANT
@@neosquid9609 The game probably wouldn't be so frowned on had it been functional and not kill you in scripted animations lol. With a bit more polish, I bet the bad story would have had some more campy charm, but when it's surrounded by hundreds of load screens, you can't simply just go along with it, you have time to reflect on it lol.
The start screen artwork as ON POINT honestly. Just like the music. The style of it all is really good.
Way better than the 3D crap and copying marios artstyle. Sonic had his own style now they copy nintendo smh.
@@keon200 nah man. Even in 3D Sonic still had an awesome artstyle. He had the cool attitude. Examples being 06, Unleashed and Colors
I still to this day listen to Rouge’s Theme “Fly in the Freedom” like my god so smooth!
I cannot believe as a kid I slept on that song because it was "too girly"...
@@ASHtheSLUGCAT we all grow lol
I listen to all of rouges levels at work. So calming
My theory on the whole Rouge being a spy and the island blowing up is that she actually gave the staff at the island time to evacuate. This is why she was given 15 minutes to find the emeralds, but only gave herself 5 to actually find them. It's not inconceivable to me that the military has teleporter technology if the ARK has it, so it's plausible that the whole island can be evacuated in 10 minutes.
I have never thought that before.
This is honestly my favourite video on Sonic Adventure 2 to date. So detailed, very thought provoking, and I never found a single second that made me lose interest.
Sonic Adventure 2 by the way is my second favourite Sonic game behind Sonic 1 on the Sega Master System. It's everything I wanted in a Sonic game and although far from perfect, it's one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences I've had with a video game. I think for the last Sonic game released on a Sega console, it paid off.
Lol how is sonic 1 better than this?
Nostalgia is some serious crack.
Keon And opinions are beautiful, aren't they?
My opinion has changed a bit. Sonic Adventure 2 IS my favourite Sonic game.
This is the Sonic Adventure 2 take that 2019 deserved.
And it only has 8.3k views at the time of this writing.
If it's any consolation, it's at 51k views now.
83k
Closing in on 100k boiz.
101k now yee
118k views now
“Why sonic adventure 2 IS still beloved”
Sorry kind of accidentally copied your comment without knowing.
I love your comment it's so true
Damn right.
I was 8 years old in 2001 when I got this game for my birthday. I was so surprised that there even was a sequel to Sonic Adventure at all. This was phenomenal playing a game with such a grand cinematic/Saturday morning cartoon quality. It felt just like the shows I grew up with on Kids' WB and had the scale of a major Hollywood blockbuster.
I always remembered the scene when Shadow explained the Eclipse Cannon to Dr. Eggman. Up to that point, villains to me were always the type of unrealistic caricatures that would always declare, "I will enact my evil plan, and then... I WILL RULE THE WORLD!! MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!" Shadow the Hedgehog was the first villain to challenge that perception of mine when he uttered the immortal line, "And then... the world could be yours." That was the first time I realized that villains could actually be interesting and were more than just mindless tyrants seeking world dominance. That one line conveyed so much, that Shadow had ulterior motives, and that something else was going on.
Damn are you me? Eight years old, got the game for Christmas/birthday (the two were combined for me because they were so close), being floored by it all... man. 🤩
I like to think about how Eggman feels after Tails beats him in the Space Colony. Think about it, he had presumably killed his life long enemy once and for all, only for his enemy's sidekick to beat him at his own game.
Eh , no because if Robotnik/Eggman lost he wouldn't get the Chaos Emerald he needed for the Eclipse Cannon which means Gerald's protocols never get activated which means the last story doesn't happen .
20:08 Not gonna lie I was expecting Eggman to say "I’ve come to make an announcement"
Good video, my dude. No matter how much time passes, SA2:B will probably remain as my favorite Sonic game and one of my top 5 favorite games. Also somehow this is the first time I realized that Sonic and Shadow both are jettisoned from the same room on the ARK. And that the wall writing in Gerald's recording is from Sonic's Prison Island cell.
It's pretty obvious when you consider that they were jettisoned (a word I didn't know the meaning of until looking it up to get this comment, by the way) the exact same way: an escale capsule. I find it to be a clever touch that the way Maria allowed Shadow to survive (I assume GUN wanted to kill him since they did fear him and the ARK, after all) was used by Eggman to kill Sonic; I kinda like the irony of the same thing being used for two tasks that are the exact opposite of each other.
Alright let me level it to you. As being 11 years old in 2001, where nearly 90% of the content in SA2 was never seen before, this experience was God like, and Eggman was a Icon. I'm sure this was the first game to introduce Rail grinding in a platformer and I have been a fan of grinding ever since. You did a amazing job explaining why the game was amazing during it's time. What I see now a days, most people tend to parrot reviewers about any game on youtube/media even if they have not experience the content for themselves or people trying to gauge a experience through a lets play sadly. Playing any game blind is truly the Best experience.
I've been watching reviews and retrospectives of this game all basically saying it was terrible. I'm glad I found this video too because I didn't feel that way at all when I played it. I was 11 too lol I have the new systems but I find myself playing all of my Gamecube games right now. They're timeless.
What about jet set radio and tony hawk games
I was eleven years old at the time as well, and I completely agree. As the kid of a "Nintendo household," I always coveted the Sonic games of my friends and cousins who had Sega consoles. I watched the show. I loved the character. I remember seeing the original commercial for Sonic Adventure and SA2, and being so disappointed at the time, thinking I'd never get to play them.
... And then SA2 came out for the GameCube (along with Sonic Advance, which was also awesome). I read about it in Nintendo Power. I was _so_ hyped for it!
And man, it really lived up to the hype and blew me away. Watching this video really brought me back to 2001, and reminded me why that game is so lovable.
@Mana Shield same I figured I'd throw it out for shits and giggles. jet set radio felt like it counted at the time. Tony hawk games may be pushing it but at the core it's so exaggerated compared to reality it feels like a platformer rather than a sport game or simulation
@Mana Shield lol facts and in similar ways as the most standard or defining games in the platformer genre. Terribly hard jumps just out of reach or dependent on timing, similar to mario
The death of Shadow pulled so hard on my heart strings when I was a kid. I remember going to my mom crying and she didn’t understand who, “The hell is Shadow?”
Even now, at 25 the ending gets me chocked up. 😫😩🥺😢
Dude fr. When I was a kid I showed one of my close friends this game and when we got to the end he started bawling because Shadow died.
This guy edited an entire hour and a half video. This means a lot to him that much is obvious. Great job man, if something means a lot to you, do it big don’t half ass it. This guys awesome, gl hf man
I couldn't agree more with your closing statement: this game is memorable, one of the most memorable entries in the Sonic franchise, if not, the most. The fact that it is being remembered, even 18 years later, just shows how memorable it is, and why it fully deserves a place among the stars of video games.
Heck, the reason why it is being picked upon by angry reviewers for easy views is because people remember it the most, because of the impression it left, thus making it a likely target. I can only hope that passionate reviews like yours can change some minds and finally clean SA1 and 2's reputation.
Great overall gameplay, kickass music, amazing story, and most important, tens, if not hundreds of hours of optional content; this game is where Sonic peaked.
Hopefully one day I can give these games the review treatment they deserve. I may not be the biggest fan of Sonic Adventure 1 nowadays, but it's still a good game for a lot of reasons. Adventure 2 is pretty much my top pick in the series.
knuckles had some of the best music in the game
The good days when he was the “black” character of the series
I'm like Sonic I don't chuckle... I rather flex my MUSCLES
Bro no cap
The Kid Spot It’s a guilty pleasure.
The Kid Spot yo spot
Legit cried when Sonic said at the end of the game. I never finished it because of Rouge's second level, but "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog," made me cry the hardest I have since middle school. Shadow is one of my favorite characters, and Sonic my least, but the story of this game is so beautiful. I kinda wish Shadow stayed dead because of what he is now...
I'm 16 by the way. Kind of a '90s soul...
big dumb plant 2019 minus 16 is greater than 1999 so...I’m confused lol
@@emblemblade9245 I feel like I should have been born in the late 80s or early 90s, cuz that's where alot of the stuff I grew up on is from. I dunno if that makes sense...
big dumb plant Oh, that’s what you mean! I get ya now.
I kinda wish I grew up with 80s movies (albeit with modern tech, don’t wanna miss the good stuff of today) because some of them are just so ridiculous and I would’ve liked being part of that culture
Sonic Adventure 2 was such a huge part of my childhood. I'm so glad it means as much to other people as it does to me
My brothers and cousins still quote it regularly. A very important part of childhood!
"Why Sonic Adventure 2 was so beloved"
Two words: Chao garden.
Faxxxx
Five words: Sonic levels AND chao garden. Training your chao would've been boring if there wasn't fun levels to increase your chaos stats.
@@joeyjoseph8837 My point goes the other way around, actually. I didn't mean the chao garden would be better by itself. I agree, going back to the stages to collect for your chao is like going out hunting / working for your kids. Without the chao garden, the stages wouldn't have that extra purpose.
I was around 8 or so, and that's all I wanted to do! Grow my little brown monster and watch him play in the blood lake and draw pictures in the sand. I miss that little bastard ),:
ChaoChao0071 that shit was boring
I rate this game a broken marriage/10
I rate this a faker/10
I rate this a bees/10
I rate this comment a that didn't age well/10
This didn’t age well
i don't get it
Game was straight fire. My favorite GameCube game. Loved it to the heavens.
I completely agree with Sonic being able to use chaos control, it's not too much an asspull that he can
It's just that this never shows up again in another Sonic game. It's only Shadow that uses the ability in the games going forward.
Sonic himself using CC was never the issue, it was that he does it using a fake emerald.
Just seems ridiculous that Tails can create something that can even initiate something like Chaos Control, something he had absolutely no knowledge of.
DarkSonic180 Ah yes, the fake emerald magically appeared for plot convenience
i mean,chaoscontrol is the ability to use chaosenergy to change the flow of time and space. it does not strictly need the full power of a chaosemerald,it just makes it easier to use. sonic already used the emeralds power at the end of sonic1 and he used them a lot more often after that to turn into supersonic. if anything,shadow just randomly using it at the start of the game is bullshit because that would realisticly be the first time he even saw a chaosemerald. however,that is actually something explained by shadow the hedgehog and afterwards,he was born with the ability to use chaoscontrol more easily than other people and he even develops powerwise and can use it without any emerald later on)
@Tal Ken i mean it makes sense when he used a real emarld but is the explanation using chaos control with a fake emerald
" it's not like anyone's playing the Dreamcast version in 2019"
Me: ......... *Glances over at my dreamcast* .....nope. No one at all.....
He grossly underestimates the number of retro gamers out there.
That makes three of us.
*waits for burned copy to arrive*
I bought a replacement GD-ROM drive for my Dreamcast JUST so I could finish SA2.
Dreamcast is still the best version
@@SR01- Battle version has better multiplayer, Chao Garden and Camera.
Honestly, this was hands down the best video I have ever seen when it comes to looking at any media ever. Every minute is meaningful and spent well with hardly a moment wasted that gets every point across so beautifully I nearly teared up multiple times. It really looks at the game from both veterans' and first-time players' perspectives and not many people think about anything like that anymore. It may be long, but every moment is worth it.
I just wanted to say thank you for giving SA2 the credit it truly deserves
1:24:11
Oh so I'm not the only person who does this literally every time.
Man, this video should have more recognition. The only "Reviews" of sonic adventure 2 that exist are about people complaining about stupid things. "Da Geim Teiks it self wei tu siriosli" Like... people just hear what they want to hear.
>Durr I liked sonic adventure 2 when it first came out
>Ha look bad voice acting
>1 minutie on gameplay
>35 minutes of shitty jokes on the voice acting, story and general autistic screaming
>millions of views
>'yeah bro sonic fans are fucked they like SA2 ha'
It sounds like you only want to hear what you want to hear. Pretty biased. The game is great. Probably the best Sonic game ever made, but the flaws have shown their age. It doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist.
@@lukamagicc Bias goes both ways, too many people love to rag on everything Sonic precisely because of their bias against the series. How is it bias to want to hear some well deserved, constructive praise for a good game once in a while amidst the lazy, never-ending slander? Mario 64 aged too yet it gets a pass on criticism just cause it's Mario.
@@Diwasho People criticize everything, I think you're overthinking it. It's just video game's at the end of the day.
Homer Sams the shitty writing and edgy story just adds to the charm of the “Adventure” series, and the Art Style, Dark team, and overarching plot works well with the actual game. AND THE MUSIC? Undefeated.
Thank you for helping me re-live my childhood nostalgia for the past hour and a half. Great work. Gotta dust off the old game cube and do some living and learning again
I grew up playing Sonic Heroes, Super Smash Bro’s, Sonic 06 and the occasional genesis port. I only recently picked up SA2 and Generations, hearing the praise they had gotten. When I played SA2, I loved almost every level in the game (not mad space). After playing through all the stories and listening to stellar music as I flew through the levels and beat the final boss. I have grown to love the game and its sound track.
Your video extended my love for the game while also showing the bigger picture. Especially with the story and the details in the game itself. For your explanation of the game’s pros and cons was really detailed and truthful. This video has shown me how Sonic has changed over the years. It has also given me a better picture of the game as a whole and the impact it made on gaming. Even if I wasn’t around during that time. This video made my spirit for Sonic “Live” again while also “Learn”ing new things (sorry I had to do it). Thank you for making such a comprehensive video on, what I think to be, the “best Sonic game ever”. Thank you for making me love this game more than I already do.
20:08 Thanks to memes I literally can't watch this scene anymore without hearing "I've come to make an announcement"
That's weird, I hear him saying "Hey everyone, I know you wanna buy my stocks."
Crypted “Shadow the Hedgehog is a b**ch a** motherf**ker.”
SHADOW FUCKED MY WIFE
SnowPrint Gaming "He pissed on my fucking wife!"
It pissed on the moon
I just quite recently got into learning what the Sonic franchise was before its downfall and you helped me such a great deal. Near the end of your video, when i realized what a labor of love this game was, and most importantly, what it meant for so many people, i cried. I just genuinely cried out of sheer joy. Thank god such games exist. And if not for their gameplay, they should at least be remembered for the emotions they brought to those who experienced it.
JohnPeterStone same
Adventure 2 has always been my favorite Sonic game. Tbh I like almost every game from the Drummond era minus a few like Sonic Battle (even Shuffle was a guilty pleasure) Your video shares a lot of the same sentiments as myself. Sure some things are certainly dated and the dialogue and character animations could certainly use some fine tuning. But I'd take this game over the recent outings we've been presented with since 2010. I liked this game because it established Sonic has having more than basic writing template for a plot. Every character has their moments when it matters it also came at an era where the characters were always relevant or had some sort of use. I feel as though your review sorta reflects my own views to a degree.
And despite the hate it gets I do enjoy the treasure hunting sections, I still dislike how the radar functions, but I mange to get tolerate it due to how much I love how Knuckles and Rouge controls. Even if I dislike most of Rouge's levels, especially Mad Space (which has a really good track) the mech shooting is my least favorite, but it's harmless and doesn't hurt my enjoyment factor. So many great moments come from this game and every character has one memorable moment of awesome! The ending especially is my favorite ending in a Sonic game.
I disagree with Amy. Yes I agree that Amy is a step down from her SA1 version where she vows to seek more self indepdence, however you missed the perspective of Amy situation. Sure Amy's constant kidnapping doesn't do the group favors, however part of why Amy showed up in the first place (aside from saving Sonic of course) was to prove that she could stay on the mission, however Amy gets in over her head and saves face because the mission proves to be too much for her. (at this point of the series she wasn't as skilled as the rest of them) Hence her teasing of Sonic during the jail scene, it was all an act she put on to act brave for Sonic. She also feels left out and wants to have her own place within the group as well (hence her complaining about being left behind and everyone just running off without her) the final scene where she convinces Shadow to have a change of heart was her "moment" of adding something to the importance to the adventure noted by Amy's line "Everyone's doing their best to help out and so must I"! She was tired of complaining so she did her part to convince Shadow's change of heart, causing him to remember Maria's wishes for him to save the world.
I have the feeling that originally in Sonic Adventure 2, they planned for Amy to be playable, since she is the ONLY main character you never play as in the game proper. She gets alot of focus in the cutscenes, but you never get any gameplay based around her besides Vs. Mode where she's literally broken with improved abilities (she can homing attack and plays like a slightly slower Sonic and Shadow)
The fact she's playable at all showed they intended you to play her at SOME point. Notice how some cutscenes seem so suggest you're about to play as her, like when Tails chases the President, leaving Amy behind. You'd think you'd play as Amy, chasing Tails (she DOES have a car too), or when she's left behind on the Ark, but she drops out of the story until a later point. Any other character would have gotten a level after that, but not Amy for some reason. This is how I saw Amy's role, not saying you're wrong and on the surface yes it's a step down from Adventure 1 and her being a hostage to Eggman during the end was a bit problematic, But I wouldn't say she's a complete liability. But Amy's narrative is her wanting acceptance and be included as part of the adventure, she mainly had to be along for the ride to feel included. Though I do find it weird that she doesn't think to use her Hammer on Eggman during her first cutscene. Oh well, at least she gets a badass upgrade in Sonic Heroes and the Advance trilogy.
I do like that aspect of her character in this game; that she bothered, not even caring about the odds against her, to go all the way to Prison Island just to have a chance of saving Sonic. Amy isn't exactly out of character in this game, moreso just unnecessarily sidelined, I would say. I think it's much better that she is her fun, energetic self who gets into danger rather than her... sitting behind a computer and mouthing off to people.
@@JebZone Yeah I agree with that sentiment. Even if I do like her in SA2 I don't like how she's sidelined either. Always look forward to your Sonic videos! :D
Oh yeah, Amy's portrait also appears on the VMU during the Biolizard and Finalhazard fight on the Dreamcast version.
I absolutely loved this game as a kid, I absolutely love it as an adult.
I truly believed that, after growing older, I felt that Sonic Adventure 2 hadn't aged well and that I just felt it was a great game due to me being too young at the time I first played it. This video not only proved me wrong, but it also changed my mind. Excellent work dude
Sa2 is still a great game. It aged well honsetly. It's the sa2 hate bandwagon. Fuck egorapter for ruining the game's reputation. It shouldn't matter a game ages well. Not every game is gonna look like cyberpunk 2077 or a hot girlfriend.
Every time Live and Learn starts playing, I get goosebumps and start tearing up. This game is legitimately my childhood and I love everything about it. Were there issues? Yes. Does it seem more outdated the more time goes on? Yes. Do I care? No.
The music, the characters, the story, the gameplay, everything about it is cemented in my mind. I love that you made this video the way you did. If I could ask for any single older title to get a 2020 graphics and engine remake while preserving everything else about the game (a la Pokemon Let's Go vs Pokemon Yellow), it'd be this game, without a doubt.
If you've got a decent PC, you could always get the HD mod. gamebanana.com/gamefiles/7445
It's not the total graphic/engine remake you were hoping for, but it's an improvement nonetheless.
Can we take a moment to acknowledge the AMAZING ARTSTYLE this game had? I think its overlooked man. For gamecube era, this was considered realistic or semi-realistic graphics and it worked! Sonic unleashed has it too and its super beautiful. Im not a fan of cartoony artstyles with no detail or realism tbh.
Honorable mention: the comic book style they drew the characters in too. Sonic X had the comic book style too.
Shits great man.
me, seeing this in my recommendations: “pff, an hour and a half? I’ll never watch this whole thing” me 45 minutes in: “incredible. Fascinating. A masterpiece.”
I know I might sound insane. But I really want a Knuckles game that builds off of the treasure hunting stages and speed stages. Like Zelda level puzzles for each stage.
It would be all Echidnaopolis ruins too. He would discover the history of his people similar to Samus in Metroid Prime.
The only problem with that is that Knuckles chooses not to learn the history of his people but maybe it could work if he was forced to confront it. Also I can see Rouge and the Chaotix being playable characters
@@taputrainer8463 That would be so cool. Just imagine the character development Knuckles would have throughout his experience.
I was thinking about how that game would work. I wouldn’t take it in a Zelda direction since I like the speed that the base treasure levels have to get an A rank. I do see Tikal and Chaos having unlockable stories that fill in gaps the base story doesn’t fully explain and I would want this spinoff to continue the original SA2 plot with Shadow being dead and maybe Knuckles can question why Sonic appears all around places (though I don’t want Sonic to actually appear in the game). I’d make Shadow the 100% completion award and Tails a secret character (they don’t have their own stories they’re just non cannon extras) because I think it would be cool for Tails to dig into the ground using his tails. I could go on forever with what I’ve come up with so far
@@taputrainer8463 Tails could use a drill that he attaches to his tails.
LIVE AND LEEEAARRRN!!
HANGING ON THE EEEEDDDGGE OF TOMORROOOOOOOOWW!!
😭😭😭😭😭😭
LIVE AND LEAAARNN!
FROM THE WORKS OF YESTERDAAAAAAYY!
@@culebron2007 LIVE AND LEARN!
IF YOU BEG, OR IF YOU BORROW!
Yolo Bro LIVE AND LEARN
YOU MAY NEVER FIND YOUR WAY!
Xeno Best X
WOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHH OH
YEAH!
BUT YOU CAN HARDLY SWALLOW
YOUR FEARS AND PAIN
"The scary little girl has her demons revoked" lmaoooo
This is an extraordinarily well executed video essay. Watching these things takes up most of my free time, whether by nostalgia or curiosity, and there's always an inherent distinction between those that care about the game and those that don't. You're the good kind.
I like the little jabs taken at the people that said Sonic’s stages were too linear compared to Adventure, or the sound the mechs make is annoying.
Like, these are such minuscule nitpicks.
Volume control exists and the lock-on sound effect isn't even loud.
@Apharmd Battler IMO sa2 (and sa1) already have a better physics engine than later 3d sonics, when i played generations after years of being away from sonic the physics engine was so annoying, with the way sonic grinds to a a halt after jumping/homing attacking. Sa2 had a pretty good feeling of speed and weight and momentum.
@Apharmd Battler except unleashed was the best and only boost game done right.
Do you know how hard unleashed is? That boost to win in unleashed will fuck you up.
@@keon200 Probably the hardest 3d Sonic game honestly especially eggmanland
Yes
Level design in a game is a minuscule nitpick
i bought sa2 hd a week ago. 16 hours later and it's singlehandedly converted me into a full-on sonic fan. even knowing what was gonna happen from memes and the snapcube dub it was one of the most fun games i've ever played. god i love this thing
I cannot watch that Eclipse Cannon scene without hearing Alfred saying "Im pissing on the moon!"
I've got an announcement to make, Shadow the hedgehog is bitch ass motherfucker he pissed on my fucking wife that's right he took his hedgehog fucking quilly dick out and pissed on my fucking wife so I'm gonna make a call out post on my Twitter.com shadow the hedgehog you've got a small dick it's the size of this walnut except way smaller and here's what my dong looks *pfff* that's right baby all point no quills no pillow that looks like two balls and a bong shadow fucked my wife so I'm gonna fuck the earth that's right this is what you get my super laser piiiissss except I'm not gonna piss on the earth I'm I'm pissing on the MOOOOOON HOW DO LIKE THAT OBAMA I PISSED ON THE MOON YOUVE GOT 23 HOURS BEFOR THE PISS DRRROPLLLETS HIT THE FUCKING EARTH no get out of my sight before I piss on you to
This is easily one of the best videos on Sonic Adventure 2 I've ever seen and by the end of it, I was tearing up a bit.
I grew up playing SA1 and fell in love with the franchise, Tails was the character I latched onto the most as a kid. And playing this game was special. I can still remember the many hours I put into the game, trying to beat all the levels and seeing how the story would play out. Seeing Sonic almost die was gutwrenching, but to see my childhood gaming hero Tails step in and take Eggman on was fucking inspiring. Hell my parents even watched me play this and they were actually curious about the story.
I put many years into SA2 and I still regard it as my favorite 3D Sonic game. It just hit all the notes for me and I had a blast growing up with it. The music is fantastic, the different game styles were fun, the story isn't that bad as some people say it is, and I didn't even know about some of the extra dialogue when you start up certain story sections where the characters talk like that so now on my next playthrough I'm checking those out.
This video reminded me why I loved the Adventure games so much. While there have been some decent games since, they didn't have the passion, the scope, the charm or the guts that this game had. I hope we get another game like SA2 someday, it can be done
FINALLY finished this video. After all this time from its upload date (I'm a very busy guy)
Basically... this time I barely have my own input to give, because the video just talks for myself almost at most points. SA2 is a huge landmark for the series because, like SA1, it was a game with a lot of ambition and style. It had so much it had to balance. And while it wasn't perfect... it is clear that SA2 had maximum effort from Sonic Team. They went out their way to evolve the series and make things fresh, while also having respect for almost every element of the series up to this point. But people would have you believe otherwise because it's not 2D and Sonic isn't small, pudgy, doesn't have black eyes...
So many people try to twist the achievements of the Adventure games these days. And make them out as half-assed games that Sega shat out to fans, and Sonic was never good, he'll never work in 3D, and- Blah Blah fucking Blah.
No. Back in the day, this game was truly the peak of the series. And in some areas, it still is. Because it a pure Sonic experience with the true spirit of the franchise intact. Great video.
Agreed this game was the peak of the series in gameplay. Story stayed consistently good throughout the Dreamcast & 4kids Eras, only to be abandoned for the 2010s decade which turned its back on everything the series was supposed to be. Sonic was actually cool before 2010 turned the series into a complete joke.
an hour long video on my favorite game ever?
yes boi, yes
When you started to talk about Metal Harbor, I had the sudden urge to play Sonic Adventure 2... So I made a new save file in the game and spent an hour playing the game up until Hidden Base 🤣
The first time I saw the final ending of this game I silently cried because of how sad but satisfying it felt to me.
Now today as I watched the final seconds of this video a few melancholic tears ran down my face.
This video reminded me of just how much I love this game and why I became a Sonic fan so long ago.
Thank you so much for making this video!
I don't normally comment on videos, but this was extremely well made and I was completely invested in it. To see my favorite game, my childhood, gone in depth for over an hour was really awesome. You gave very fair and honest criticisms - even when there weren't many to be made (and the ones that were made weren't a big deal anyway). This just makes me want to pick up the game again and play it. Thank you.
One of my favorite games of all time, i love this video, I love how you describe how we feel about this gem.
One of my dreams is Sega works on a sonic game like adventure 2, with a lot of history, love, fun...
To be fair you could have easily just ended this video at the 5 second mark, that beginning bit of live and learn is a good enough reason. Though the other 1:31:10 were about as amazing.
This was a well done review. SA2 is one of may favorite games of all time and it was very well done. It’s heartbreaking that their games went down hill afterwards. I was excitingly waiting for an amazing follow up that sadly never came.
Why I LOVED SA2 so much
1: chaos garden: there are no tutorials for SA1's CG and SA2's one was so much better
2: Playable Robotnik: name one game that allows you to play as robotnik other than SA2, i'll wait
3: Music: *-Running around at the speed of sound-*
I have only just started watching this and I can already tell this is exactly my type of video, fucking marvellous, can't wait to watch the rest!
Edit: I was right... That was spectacular, incredible job!
The music carried that final boss for me. I was so frustrated lol.
Great Video.
I grew up on this game, and it left an impact that has me waiting (foolishly) for the next great sonic game, even after 15 years.
Your video touched me deeply. Looking back as an adult reveals truths that were only vaguely absorbed as a child.
(Even now, the story has me asking serious philosophical questions. MY adventure will be finding more of the answers in the real world. Thanks for the inspiration, and the closure on a large piece of my life :) )
Supposedly there was a time in which this was believed to be the Last Sonic game in the series canon because of the series uncertain fate following the Dreamcast when it was in development. The game was meant to be Sonic's last hurrah on a Sega Console, & on GameCube would be what showed Nintendo Players just what the series was supposed to be like. It's unfortunate how far the series has fallen from the masterpiece that was Sonic Adventure 2. The 2010s direction for Sonic treated the series like a complete joke & forgot that Sonic was supposed to be cool.
Sounds like this video was a little bit of a middle finger to ProJared but I don't mean that in a bad way, his video did have a few off things. Anyway I think it's VERY clear why so many of us love SA2/SA2 Battle so much. Just look at all the work that went into the presentation and content in this game (for it's time). The game was just so ambitious and even though a lot of the older Sonic fans (the ones who grew up playing the original trilogy first before there was any SA1, SA2, and beyond) thought this game was a flop, it's very obvious that even though this was an experimental game and not everything was perfect, it's very clear they wanted this game to go out with a bang. Taking risks by continuing the multi-playstyle, a more engaging story with darker elements while not being too hamfisted, and so much more.
I won't lie, when I reviewed this game back in 2016 and said I preferred SA1 because it felt like I was on an actual Adventure thanks to the inclusion of the hub worlds (I liked them lol), I by no means thought SA2 was bad. I had a lot of fun with it when I was a kid and even when I go back to re-play it, I still have fun with it. This game just had SO MUCH ENERGY in it. I actually enjoyed the Treasure hunting (even Mad Space lol) and while the mech stages weren't exactly my favorite, they were doable. I actually LOVED the ranking system, it made me want to play better and get the best score. And oh my god the music. Fan-Freaking-tastic soundtrack for sure. I've listened to SA2's soundtrack so many times ever since I got my first Ipod back in 2006 and I actually listen to a lot of the songs today whenever I workout or am driving to work. That's how amazing I think the OST was 15+ years later.
All I can say is that your video really made me nod in agreement because most of what you said was exactly how I felt when I first played this game back in 2001 and just all the good memories it brought. I always feel so weird with how I feel about this game. How much I just can't help but love it even though so many people started saying the game sucked at the turn of 2017. I won't say the game is perfect but I honestly can't say I've ever been so engrossed into a Sonic game since this or even SA1. The Adventure games were just such a fun time for Sonic and the later Sonic games just never gave me the emotions that these games did (Sonic Heroes came close but uh... We all know what went wrong with that game lol).
It was nice to hear how this game impacted another person's life in some positive way so for that, very well done video, I could feel the passion for sure though I was surprised when you said you first played this in 2005, I feel so old even though it's only after 4 years when I first played it so I can only imagine how those who were there for the OG Dreamcast version feel lol.
Decadent Gamer None of the stories were hamfisted aside from the alternate pathways in the Shadow game and Silver’s scenario in 06.
@@bunsmasterbunny When I said hamfisted, I was talking specifically for this game because it was the first Sonic game that really went in to delivery a darker story but they did it in a digestible way that didn't feel too out of place. That's all.
@Johnny Buddy That's definitely up to the perception. SA1 may have treaded in dark areas with the Echidna tribe wanting the Chaos emeralds and Chaos flooded a whole city but I think that SA2 ramped up the darkness by like 5x From Maria being shot dead with no remorse from her killers and then be covered up as an "accident" which in turn drove Gerald Robotnik insane enough to exact genocide on the entire planet. I think the dark factor comes from Gerald's grief over Maria. The introduction to the last scene where Rouge is reading his diary and especially if you watch the original Japanese sub it's just... Too real haha. But that's just me.
I personally think SA1 was darker than SA2. I mean Gamma's story was the characters entire life story from activation to demise following a battle to the death against his powerful enhanced brother with both of them destroying eachother so that the birds representing their souls could be able to live freely. The entire echidna backstory was a bit darker than Maria's backstory. Maria died along with a few scientist when GUN Raided the ARK 50 years ago & it drove Professor Gerald insane so he found Shadow on Earth & altered his memory to carry out his revenge. Tikal watched as the creature that was possibly her closest friend, annihilated her entire culture & sealed her soul with it into the Master Emerald after her father attacked the chao.
Then you have the entire feeling of failure & hopelessness in the Last Story once Chaos has all 7 Emeralds. Tikal said the situation was hopeless & that the only way for humanity to survive was for her to seal herself with Chaos into the Master Emerald. Even though that would only be a temporary solution as she implied that Chaos would keep doing what he did to Station Square out of an endless anger. There wasn't any hope until Sonic used the 7 drained emeralds to go Super.
@@WaterKirby1994 Both are dark in their own respective ways I think. I don't disagree with what you said about Gamma and Tikal having to live with the fact that her friend annihilated her whole clan of people. But I think Maria/Gerald situation hit me a little closer because of the scene where Rouge reads out Gerald's last few words in his diary (especially the japanese uncut script), that just hit the psych quite deep for me personally haha.
The blockbuster comment at the beginning about the box art hit me home because blockbuster is the exact way I found this game. I rented it and then never wanted to bring it back. This was my FAVORITE game
I love how when he got to music "Fly in the Freedom" was the song for the section. Rouge's theme is in fact the best
20:43
"And....."
HE PISSES ON THE MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN
HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT OBAMA??????
"YOU HAVE 23 HOURS BEFORE THE PISS *DRRRRROPPPPPLETTS* HIT THE FUCKING EARTH. NOW, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I PISS ON YOU TOO."
"I A... WHAAAA? I NEVER SAID.... OBAMA IS A GREAT FIGURE IN OUR AMERICAN..."
@@Pioxys I can't believe he came to his intervention drunk...
I love the actually mad "TAILS!" in the fake emerald cutscene
As for the obligatory Snapcube quote
Maria. **explosion in the background**
I might appreciate this video as much as I appreciate the game itself. You perfectly encapsulated everything we love about this game, without sugarcoating the more negative aspects, just showing how it is. It's cool how a game I'm so fond of was a big part of the lives of so many others as well. I'm almost certain that at least half of us know that this game has many, many flaws but we aren't really bothered by it. Usually with these types of videos, they could either drag from being too long, or feel incomplete cause a few details were glossed over, but once the video ended it felt like complete, not lacking, not excessive, complete. Definitely earned the sub, I wish you luck on your future endeavors, but most of all thank you for this video. Life fucking sucks but it's moments like these when we get to relive simpler times, and know that we can reach happiness again.
When I was a kid I was terrified of the beetle in Egg Quarters, it still gives me anxiety when I hear it getting closer
I loved this game growing up. Even though when I was younger I was really really upset that there was no hub world, I still played it for hours, enjoyed it throughly, and then proceeded to buy the Gamecube version when it got released again. Thanks for the wonderful review
You know something about this game that I just realised is how well the pairs of characters really are opposites to each other.
Sonic is a hero, but he doesn’t take his life too seriously and doesn’t let the weight of being the saviour of his world get to him. (Neutral Good)
Shadow is not only a villain (for the majority of the game) but also takes everything extremely seriously and is wrapped up in being the ultimate lifeform. (Neutral Evil)
Tails is the embodiment of purity and is just a kid who wants to help people. (Lawful Good)
Eggman is the embodiment of evil (at least in this game) and will stop at nothing to achieve his egocentric goals and feels no remorse. (Lawful Evil)
Knuckles is a bit of a solo anti-hero at times but his own ambitions always line up with the heroic side. (Chaotic Good)
Rouge works for the government, yet she ends up assisting the bad guys more often than not and in truth doesn’t give a shit about morality as long a she gets her jewels. (Chaotic Evil)
I just found this video by chance when looking for something else, and decided to give it a chance since SA2 is one of my favorite games ever and has a special place in my heart since I played it for the first time as a child.
I cannot find a single thing in this video that I disagree with, at all. Down to the opinion of David being the best Shadow voice in the entire series, this video brought up more points about why this game is so good than I knew existed.
Character analysis? Downright perfect. The amount of people who miss the fragility in Shadow's mental state and drag him down as nothing more than "edgy" saddens me.
Praise to the game? Informative and appeals to both nostalgia and what this game meant as a whole without being over the top.
Editing? Fantastic and funny.
Critique? Completely valid and agreed with. I was confused with calling Rogue's status as a spy a plot hole at first, since it's gone over in Sonic X, but I looked it up and no, Sonic X started airing about two years after the game came out, so it absolutely is a bit of a hole for the game upon release.
All in all, I don't think I've ever seen a better video, or more detailed video, about any game in my life. Your passion for the game is felt and appreciated, and I was legitimately emotional by the end of the video.
I'm appalled by the view count, and any time someone asks me about my love for this game, this is going to the the FIRST thing I send them.
It's comments like these which inspire me to keep making videos. I especially appreciate how you acknowledged some of the intricacies I really wanted to nail in this video, I'm really glad that they could work and not go unnoticed. Much like the game itself, I wanted to get a lot of small things right. I wanted to really get my point across and offer the most raw perspective I possibly could. That's why I spent an hour and a half on it when most people could settle for 20 to 40 minutes, there's just so much about it that I think is really important. Too important to go unspoken.
I must say, though, if you liked this video, I would recommend Ruby of Blue's Sonic videos as well. He recently finished a two-part Sonic Adventure 2 analysis that shared many of my sentiments and even brought up some new things I have never thought of before. Thank you.
@@JebZone I agree,ruby of blue is awesome
I always look forward to that spaceship part. Its one of the most overdone cases of “It’s a plot hole because I wasn’t paying attention.”
A lot of the “plotholes” that people point out in SA2 are either complete misunderstandings of the situation or a result of bad localization.
Even then, I would argue that none of these “plotholes” actually take away from the enjoyment factor of the plot
Just started this game the other day... finished the story already lol. If that doesn’t shout a captivating game I don’t know what does. Probably never going to stop infinitely replaying city escape until the day I die.
The final boss battle against shadow will always be in my heart, i would just keep running till the stage would end.
The reason it did so well is that it had so much more thought placed into it. I wished they carried out the Chao thing! I loved the music! I loved the voices applied to the characters! Rouge's voice was so Rouge...Her image, her persona, and her voice all fit so well. So did Shadows..his voice was dark and soft.. explaining exactly what he is. Also the ability to fight as evil was nice too. I did not even buy the other games due to the voices of some characters not matching...they gave Rouge a tom-boy voice...thus hindering her character and showing they are not as detailed...also the games are not as detailed.. They put a lot into Sonic Adventure..I wish they would stay consistent with the characters. And again, they need to do something with the Chao..that is like a whole game itself.
Shadow looked better in SA2, than in his own game.
He had the same model as in Heroes, and the cutscenes were pretty good, what you on about?
@@The_AuraMaster the Heroes model is alright, but was a bit of a downgrade from SA2 imo. The cutscenes are obviously going to be good considering they aren’t in-game cutscenes.
20:11 "i've come to make an announcement; shadow the hedgedog is a-"
about the style of shadow's songs, they're more drum and bass most of the time
i swear i’ve been watching this one video since i was young and it never gets old this is amazing
This was an amazing look at one of my favorite games. Thanks for taking the time to create this and pointing out some of the subtleties I missed over the years. I'm hoping we get a return to the adventure format next year. ♥️
I can't agree with every point you make in this video, but damn, your passion for it shines through. I appreciate a positive take on this game in a sea of negative ones, and although I've lost my love for the game as years have gone on it's awesome to see someone who the magic never died for.
This...Is the best...SA2 video I have seen. Your review is the first time that someone I have seen on youtube , actually looks at the absolute entirety of what this game did, and why even though it may not be the most technologically solid game or the most polished, or had the deepest story for that matter, it actually was a game where you can feel that Sonic team actually put their best into the game. You understand how fun in a game can far outshine a seemingly technical "masterpiece.". I constantly talk to my siblings about why all of these modern games that tend to be considered "masterpieces" don't tend to sit as well with me, and ultimately it comes down to the fact that while the stories are great, the game play can be very refined, and even look great graphically, they simply just aren't as fun and as heartfelt. I think Indie games carry the spirit of what sonic team/sega at it's prime understood. You are a great youtuber based off of the content I have seen and I think you might be one of my new favorites! Keep making this awesome work man!
20:09
Look we all know the true words in that cutscene
"I’d like to make an announcement."
Me: Wow an hour and a half long? *not like I have anything better to do*
When I was a kid, maybe seven or eight at the oldest, a friend of mine used to play Sonic 1 when I'd hang out at her house. Later on, my mom let my brother and I each pick a game. My brother already knew what he wanted and picked Luigi's Mansion. I honestly had no idea what I wanted, saw this game, went, "well, I guess I like Sonic a _little_, so sure, why not?" I'd literally never even heard of Sonic Adventure 2 (or Sonic Adventure, for that matter), didn't remember seeing the game on the shelf at all before, and just picked it on basically a half-hearted whim because my mom was telling me to pick something. Funny how little decisions like that can be life-changing. :)
I love the vid man! This is my favorite game of all time. I can always bust out my Dreamcast and play me some SA2 and have a grand old time. Thanks for letting me re-experience some beloved memories.
18:09 the reason this scene is so iconic is because sonic just interrupts shadow in the middle of his sentence
Which is funny because the only reason it's like that is because the English dub editing was bad. It's not the only time characters talk over each other because they didn't time lines correctly.
Haha
I like how in the story select menu, both hero and dark has two characters smiling and one frowning.
This was one of the most satisfying videos I've ever watched on this site! This game gives me quiveringly, unrelenting nostalgia waves and your video tapped into that vibe so seamlessly and with a such professional manner. Well done, sir. Keep living on the edge of tomorrow.
Knuckles level soundtracks were a great addition imo. I love Knuckles and Rap kinda suits him. It probably isn't a coincidence that I always saw him as the Piccolo of the franchise.
Ruby of Blue brings up good points about the premise of the military mistaking Shadow for Sonic. In its full context the premise is that a Chaos Emerald was stolen by a fast moving hedgehog-like figure *at night.* Nobody knows who Shadow is so it's obvious that people would suspect Sonic. Plus Shadow's quills are shaped like Super Sonic, and Sonic has been seen by people transformed as Super Sonic in Adventure 1, so anyone who saw him would most likely think it was Sonic transformed.
As for GUN, project Shadow and the Ark tragedy is suppose to be a cover up so only the higher ups would know about it. Sonic says in his first recap that he is being chased because he escaped from the military so the highers up lied to keep the secret and everyone on the lower level including the police honestly think Sonic was being detained for some reason and that he escaped.
I've heard this before, maybe I should make a pinned tweet about it. Even going into the video, I knew someone was going to bring up that it was at night, or that Sonic/Shadow move so fast that no one can really tell... all that stuff. But I didn't include it in that fashion because at that point, I really find it theory more than what they were actually trying to go for. Not saying this all couldn't be the case, but unlike a lot of the more hidden shit I bring up in this video, the game doesn't really hint at any of this being the case. Certainly, any normal player would miss these potential points.
Still gotta see Ruby of Blue's video, though. :P
@@JebZone He says it in the video response to ProJarad. He now has 2 SA2 videos that are 40+ minutes as well as an SA1 video where he goes into extreme details about both games and the story.
I’m always ecstatic when I find a new RUclips Channel that posts long, high-quality videos. There’s something so nice about playing one of these in the background and just relaxing. Fantastic work, I’ll be happy to see what you make next and look through your other videos. You’ve earned my subscription!
39:34 I saw a story a while back where anon and his brother were talking about how the government can think sonic is shadow then there mother walked in and said "oh no! Sonics turned evil!?"
The Gamecube had some absolute classics. This, Mario Sunshine, Smash Melee, Resident Evil 4, Mario Kart Double Dash, WWE day of reckoning 2, Zelda Wind Waker, Mario Strikers man I could keep going!
This video and the first adventure one really made me remember why I love Sonic as a franchise so much and just Shadow as a character. I really wish Sonics games were like this again.