seeing route 3 at the end of modern speed highway might have opened my 3rd eye lmao, always happy to learn new things about boost levels 10+ years later
I've been following your channel for the last few months and can keep quiet no longer. Your analysis of Sonic levels and history are not just some of the best Sonic videos I have ever seen, but some of the best video game content I have ever seen period. At a technical level, you put so much work into your videos with amazing drawings and editing that makes everything easy to follow. But beyond that, the depth and insight you provide on these levels is truly astounding. You approach these levels both emotionally as a Sonic fan in how they make you feel and as an artist in how they are designed. I never see analysis on the psychology of level deigns, how levels are visually constructed and arranged to draw attention to certain things. Its scarcely discussed how designers recognize player intuitions and habits and construct levels to meet that intuition or deliberately subvert that intuition to trip up players. All this comes from your background as an artist. You understand not just the creator's perspective in both how the creator communicates to the world and how the creator predicts the way the viewer will perceive their art. This is such a unique perspective I have never seen applied to game design and it is why your series on Sonic levels are so unique. Which isn't even to say the level of detail you analyze every level, that in itself is already excellent! But what further distinguishes your videos is how you communicate to your audience. I mentioned before the emotion you display for Sonic, the passion behind the project and that's a subset of your communication skills. You have a very grounded view of Sonic. You know the highs, the lows, and normal and the crazy of the Sonic games and the Sonic fans. Because you have such a wide understanding and nuanced understanding, you're able to communicate to Sonic and non-Sonic fans in a way that's easy for them to understand. It's hard for me to articulate, but there is there is little judgement in what you say. You judge the art for sure but you don't make the viewer feel judged. You say things in a way that isn't just easy for viewers to underhand but easy to accept. You say things that make people willing to listen and this comes down to your words, your tone, and your pacing when speaking and editing. You have self-awareness of Sonic and awareness of how others will interpret what you will say. I am simply very, very impressed with these videos and your style of communication. There is a real substance to what you say, a real passion behind how you say it, and a real awareness in how you communicate it. A single one of these traits can make a video great but you, against all probability, managed to capture all 3. That's what makes these videos exceptional and I am so grateful for stumbling upon your channel. Please keep it up and I humbly await your next video!
Wow, I don't even know what to say, "thanks" feels to trite, this is such a warm and well-articulated comment! I feel like it gave me more energy than the coffee in front of me lol. I'll try and keep it brief, but these games are such a joy to dissect. I often worry if I'm getting too sentimental in my presentation, but at the same time, I want to try and describe how much fun these levels are to the viewer, and emotionally seems the best way to do it. It lets other people get wordy and in-depth in the comments, and it's then so much fun to chat about the levels when I know it's hitting people personally like it did with me. Nerding out about this new hobby I got back into has been such a blast, and reading comments like this makes it all the better. Excited to make more videos and keep chatting with people! Here's the boring closer, but, THANK YOU ❤️ lmao, there's nothing else I can really say. 🙏🙏
Couldn't agree more, you worded it perfectly! As an artist myself the stops and highlighting of the levels point of interests do help me on a viewing level alone to just..absorb the principles and thoughts behind it, I fucking love it! Also I appreciate the level design in Sonic so much more now, I always liked that the levels are so high up and you see the environment under it, really keeps your fantasy spinning(hence why I am really impressed with grand Metropolis in Sonic Heroes).
SAM! Thank you for checking out the video! 🙏 Also I wanna say your comment during Scott's Sonic bracket video about Forces dealing with that "Bad" vs "Boring" argument is something I think about so much now when I play lesser renowned Sonic games, I find myself appreciating riskier "bad" attempts at the formula rather than safe "boring" bets, and I will most definitely mention it when I get to Sonic Forces haha. Thanks again man! 👍👍
I love these Level Design analysis videos, I dont think ive ever seen such indept analysis of level design that not only discusses composition lighting and general placement of objects but also small details that have a psychological effect like on the dragon road with the merlons on the wall helping with selling the speed or the bending of the roads This is so unique and well done please keeping doing these!
Thanks! I only catch these things myself when I sit down to make these, so it's really fun to crack into these levels and look around instead of getting a high score. They're doing so much VISUALLY, it's awesome
22:40 I just realised they use Classic Sonic Segment to decorate Modern Sonic backgrounds. That's both a nice detail and genius asset reuse. 46:16 This is insane, I learned you could get up there with a Speedrun trick by bouncing from the skyscrapers. I had no idea there was a dev intended route this entire time. That's insane.
@@Neonlight3934 ngl it would’ve been funny if there was a small chance to see Classic or Modern Sonic running when you reach a certain segment of a level
46:18 And THIS is why i love watching these videos!! Watching this completely blew my mind and i just had to try it out myself!! Thank you soo much for showing me this!!
We need the Seaside Hill comparison next. Going into detail on how the level design in each game was different yet similar in Heroes and Gens would be AWESOME
@@Ajakeswill you ever compare the Classic levels? Ik boost is fun and all and you're comparing mostly gameplay, but I feel like the Classic acts do an excellent job at translating some of the level design and ideas from the og level (such as the ever so-called out winery from Rooftop Run Night being in the Classic level and the bit between the clock climb)
@@Ajakes In your Dragon Road video you said you'd only previously ran on water accidentally in Generations, but did you know there's a route in Seaside Hill Act 2 towards the beginning that requires water running, only indicated by a few rings off to the side? It leads to a cannon, and the camera draws far back to show you both how much you skipped by taking that route and what lies ahead. It's both efficient and impressive!
@@somehelluvafanboy8357 Yep! I specifically left them out because I think it's got a LOT to dig into, I didn't wanna rush it as there's tons of great references (like the ones you noted)
Something I was expecting and I'm unsure if you noticed is that, in Gens, after the running down the building part the sky changes, and till the ending, Speed Highway is meeting it's dawn, just like SA1. It's genius, they didn't want to leave the classic SPH aesthetic, but they still referenced that "Dawn Avenue" part. On the resulting screen, is even more noticeable that the day is dawning, it's like if you were to continue that road, you would find yourself on the streets of Station Square. Great video!! These level design analysis are incredible, so interesting to see all of this and see more about the devs works. And I also didn't know about both the dash ring skip at 23:00 and that you could catch the rocket a second time at 46:20, for all these years. Keep up the good work!!!!
I know SA1 and SA2's speed levels off by heart so there was no surprises for me here regarding SA1's Speed Highway's level design but I was surprised to see some of the alternate routes and shortcuts from the Gens version that I hadn't seen before. The path to the route 3 at the end was crazy to see in particular.
I don't even know how you'd discover that one naturally lol, I feel like it would just be sheer luck at that point, speeding forward with the rocket and being like "hold up, that wasn't a homing reticle... was it?"
this was super thought provoking about speed highway and i have a lot to say but the thing i wanted to say most is: you never bring up how the skybox changes and the sun starts to rise after Goin’ Down in generations! which is one of my favorite details about the level because it’s such a subtle and nice little homage to At Dawn even though they couldn’t adapt it directly
True, I should have mentioned that more. I honestly only ever catch it on the results screen, I always forget it's changing AS you continue through the level, it blends in so well
I absolutely loved the way you overanalyzed that specific loop and camera angle in 12:32. It's so good watching someone talk about a Sonic game while being a genuine fan of the franchise, because all of these games have so much details that can only be noticed if you play it's levels over and over again. Amazing video btw, I just discovered your channel and I already love it!
in the YEARS of playing generations i NEVER knew about the rocket regrab (or that the rocket route even existed?!?) maybe i saw it in a speedrun and never registered what happened. but that's CRAZY. these comparison videos are a HUGE joy to watch, i love them!! your commitment to being respectful to the love people have for the rough elements of the series also brings a big smile to my face. huge fan!!
Can I just start by saying that I love the stick figure diagrams you use for these analysis videos? They make me feel so involved and welcomed to join in on the conversation of a blue hedgehog speeding through a highway! My memories of Speed Highway - I remember playing the Generations level first as I only first played Adventure after, I think it must have been 2012 when I bought a Dreamcast Collection for the Xbox 360 that also had Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi, and Sega Bass Fishing. Needless to say, besides dabbling into Crazy Taxi, I basically only bought the collection for Adventure because my mum wasn't exactly willing to use the Xbox Live Marketplace for Sonic games I never grew up playing. In Generations, it was an exhilarating blast to go through. If the classic era was to set the scene with iconic levels, the dreamcast era felt like the levels were picked based on their set pieces (I remember that fans voted for them), and where I think City Escape and Seaside Hill were great picks for their games, Speed Highway was an excellent precursor for those levels and their set pieces. In fact, SA1 is full of those set pieces that sees Sonic go through the ridiculous, from the orca chase in Emerald Coast to the snowboarding down Ice Cap, and it's a testament to Goin' Down that the community loved it so much. But obviously, there is just much more to Speed Highway than the run down the building. I feel that beginning does tune us into the man-made environment being fleshed out for Sonic, truly a groundbreaking development for the series that has introduced a level theme Sonic Team have gone back to so much that it's practically a given to gave a city themed level in the games these days. That's a legacy if I've ever seen one, and one I sometimes come back to the Jehtt meme video about Sonic evading his taxes: Tails: "Speed Highway was literally built with taxpayer dollars." Sonic: "Yeah, and they used the money to build loop-de-loops on the road. Which, granted, cool as hell for me... but man, morning commutes must be hell for everyone else!" Where I think a lore explanation comes in requires us to look into the other characters speeding through Station Square-- remember when Dr. Eggman tried to nuke the city towards the end of Tails's story, but it was a dud? Tails then beat Eggman in a race to the bomb. If I were Dr. Eggman and had the power to erase all of my defeats, I'm pretty sure I'd also want to remove my first canonical defeat to Sonic's sidekick, not even Sonic. That was just embarrassing for the doctor! Would love for Seaside Hill and Rail Canyon comparisons with their Sonic x Shadow Generations variants (and crossing in with Ocean Palace and Bullet Station.) Sonic Heroes was my first game in the series, and I still love playing it dearly, so I'd love to hear you analyse those stages.
I just bought the Dreamcast Collection recently! (for collecting purposes) Interesting you played the Gens version first, that's kinda what I went through with Rooftop Run. Although with Speed Highway, I think I actually prefer the Gens remix haha, whereas I love how they did Rooftop Run in Unleashed. As the first real "city" level, I think Speed Highway broke a lot of ground, and it's setpieces are memorable because of that. That's why I have a lot of respect for Speed Highway. Sure we got tons of city levels now, but look at the home run they made on just their FIRST attempt, it's fantastic! Also if I were Eggman, I'd try and forget the entire Tails storyline, cause he lost to him TWICE (at the rocket AND when he fought him proper afterwards rofl, poor guy left embarrassed). Really excited to hit a Heroes level sometime next year, so stick around!
As a kid playing Generations with no idea of the context of the stage, this level made me feel like an unstoppable criminal Nighttime, helicopters, spotlights, police monkeys (I didn't know those were just Eggman robots), breaking every piece of glass I can see and always running, it was a new, different, and very fun way of wanting to go fast I'd say this level does a better job at making you feel wanted dead or alive than City Escape funnily enough Generations was my first Sonic game, and while I really liked the previous levels, Speed Highway was the only to REALLY inspire me to play the rest, Sonic going through a vibrant city, running on walls, down a building, through buildings... it seemed awesome compared to the mostly cartoonish previous stages (again, I also liked those, but in my kid brain they didn't compare)
For some reason, I feel more devious in Speed Highway than in City Escape. City Escape has police constantly cornering you, AND you smash through rows of cars, but the car carnage makes it almost feel unbelievable, whereas Speed Highway feels realistic in it's tone. Which is funny cause City Escape's geography makes way more sense than Speed Highway's insane roads, but still, it all vibes so well together, it feels believable FOR that space. I think that's because City Escape feels like I broke the law and am escaping, and Speed Highway makes it feel like I'm breaking the law AS I'm speeding. If that makes any sense. And if you played Generations first, I could see how this would imprint on you haha, it's such a wild level, compared to the 3 before.
This is good. Even great. Definitely awesome. Always outstanding. Never lsss than amazing. (In the time it took you to out this out, Ive discovered I am legitimately a Shadow impressionist now.)
Dude you have GOT to be an industry plant with how fast you crank out all of these AMAZING videos. Without a doubt i am so happy i found this channel. Keep up the great work youre incredible!!!!
I'm actually Yuji Naka's burner account, don't tell anyone 🤫 but thanks for all the support in the last 3 months dude!!! 🙏Also STAY TUNED for the next Unleashed video, we'll be hitting one of your favs... 👀
I think the rush of recent views got me all hyped up to work on things, though I probably need to slow down in the future for my own sanity lol. But now I got christmas break for that yayyy!! (thx for the comment!)
I dig how you decided to compare between versions of Adventure! Focusing on how the changes alter the vibe of the stage over whether they’re intentional or a bug or whatever is a great approach.
Thanks! I was thinking back to our convo last month when we talked about it. I originally landed on just DX, but decided "eh I SHOULD include the OG in here" halfway thru, which is why it might feel a little quick lol. I'm glad you pointed it out to me though, that comment really helped me in making the vid 👍👍
What an incredible video, I love your creative sonic levels analysis so much this is why you are one of my favourite sonic youtubers because sometimes sonic youtubers feel quite similar and there's none I know like you so keep up the incredible content and have a great day.
Goddamn, you are churning these videos out. Not that I'm complaining, just hoping you're not burning out soon. You've become one of my favorite YTers recently, so I'll be there always when a new vid drops. Happy holidays!
Extremely unusual content and I love it! I always enjoy hearing about Sonic's levels, after all levels are one of the most important elements in the Sonic the hedgehog series of games
The amount “OH SHIT THAT EXISTS?!” I’ve had in this video is a lot. The humor, writing, editing and analysis to stage design, shot composition and sheer “wait that was an hour?!” Chefs kiss of a video champ
This was like the icing on the Christmas cake for me!! I don't know how you come up with the skits between the comparison script, but please never stop. There's not a single part of your comparison and analysis videos that I skip. I love all the content. Please keep it up! You're doing great!!
I love this video so much, I don't even know where to start? First things first, in the generations section with the first green spinner in the building (which you might stomp on) in the background there is some escalators, referencing the classic act of the stage (kind of surprised you didn't mention it?) and the blur in generations also takes a HEAVY backseat showing the buildings in their full glory, it's truly wonderful. My only critique is you didn't talk about the music the much, but it's fine. (Also god bless you for using sonic CD music, it really highlights the nightlife of this stage) I really love this video, it's up there with the kingdom valley and rooftop run videos, the overanalysis of that one long stretch of glass road connecting the two buildings was really cool Also will you be covering the rival flights/boss fights? It'd be cool to see something like that in the future! (Sorry for the long comments I enjoy these video to an unreasonable degree 🙏)
When I make the Classic video, I'll get into all that stuff, promise! 👍 And I typically don't mention the music cause I don't know anything about music theory in general besides how it makes me feel lol, but I suppose that's the main point about my level videos right? I'll try and tackle it more in future videos. People have been suggesting a Boss fight comparison video, and I'm really into the idea, I hope to do that within the coming year. Thanks for commenting AND being a CD soundtrack enjoyer 🙇
I can't wait for the eventual comparison between Sunset Heights in Sonic Forces and Shadow Generations. Even funnier when you realize it won't be as tedious with Forces' short stages. Also small thing, but I love how Sonic poses while smiling at the camera before grabbing the rocket at 40:36. Some modders have even used this to their advantage by adding specific camera angles with modded levels, the Final Rush mod being a prime example that I love.
Speed Highway isn’t my favourite stage in Generations, that goes to Seaside Hill. But there’s no stage more “Modern Sonic the Hedgehog,” than Speed Highway in all its iterations. No other level just sells it like Level 6. And it might be just the fact that it exist just to be a level. It doesn’t have to be there for any real reason, but it is. And I love it.
It really feels like it was picked from a design point first, instead of like, "what a classic location from the game!" (i now know it was fan picked, but even IN that respect, it feels like people chose it because they heard Sonic was making a big "level" game, and they wanted some good-ass levels)
One think I like about SA1's Going Down section over Generations is that the obstacles blocking your way inside the building are escalators crisscrossing the building, the fact that they're completely flat being kinda hidden by your rapid descent. While in Generations, they're more of a generic box. Still a great set piece either way, but I love that little detail. Just another bit of that 'Sonic in our world' stuff you touched on.
I KNEW those were escalators, but wasn't sure, which is why I went with tubes rofl. But I agree, would've been cool if they were bridges between the other side of the hotel you had to dodge pass, instead of like, rectangles lol
I'm so glad the Algorithm Gods blessed your Rooftop Run video, I'm looking at every Sonic level in a new way now. These have become some of my favorite videos on the internet and I look forward to every new one.
A few things I took notes on before I yap: - the "so" at the beginning with the rings really got me - the "sonic running and splatting into hard objects" saga continues - the undertale reference (that took me back) - the sonic exe start menu down the hall cracked me up - that camera flip in the building dive did something to me in og sonic adventure - that rocket shortcut was magical like what were they smoking bc we need more of THAT Now onto my thoughts! First off, don't stop pausing! You're always noticing the subtle ways the developers use background elements to point the player in the directions they want you to go or highlight sections that are upcoming or will be important later. Its some truly blink and you'll miss it stuff, especially in Gens because you're going so fast, that they honestly didn't have to implement but they did because it's so clear they were passionate about what they were making. Generations is especially guilty of this and with the beautifully updated graphics and gorgeous blue color palette, you can just tell they were proud of this level. (Now imagine if the story got that much love and polish- hey who said that?) I also appreciate that while its clear DX is the least favorite of the bunch, you don't bad mouth it for a moment! It does have its merits like all things and I'm so happy the tone of the video remained fun and positive. This version of Sonic Adventure is one many people grew up with and was their first exposure to the series. I think it's really important to give the DX version its respects in that regard, even if the aesthetics don't quite live up to the original or Gens. Speed Highway is certainly a bunch of highways in which you can gain speed on and they did amazing things with such a simple concept. I think I might prefer it to Skyscraper Scamper now and I'm like Unleashed's number one glazer LOL. We'll just have to see when I play all of them! Anyway, another banger video, always a good day when these pop up and interrupt me drawing XD
That's exactly the reason I wanted to be patient with DX! Not to say, "look at how much DX RUINED EVERYTHING," but instead say, "hey, if you were a kid and played DX first, then Speed Highway will probably feel like THIS to you." Game "feel" (kinda broad, maybe "presentation") is very important for these games, and it's why I end every analysis with that question. I'm not interested on what's right or wrong, and instead getting to how the experiences (however they were done) made people feel. DX can still make you feel hollow and empty and you hate it, I'm fine with that, but I wanna get to the heart of why, and then see it from a different perspective. There's enough videos pointing out all it's flaws, like, what would I add to that lol. And that's ANOTHER big long tangent you didn't deserve, but here we are!!! Anywho, thanks for understanding, I was thinking about it a lot rofl. But thanks for the great comment, as always! Excited to see what you end up drawing! (also thank u for catching the sonic.exe down the hall lol, I was hoping someone would)
@@Ajakes We love tangents in this household! I'm glad you took a different approach because seeing the 100th "this thing is bad and you should feel bad for liking it insert topic here" video can get pretty boring! Probably more Boom!Sonic - kinda in love with the guy atm, I think his sass is top notch. Also CONGRATS on the bickuribox12 comment! I saw them and was like "YOOOO!" Remember me when ur famous!! (this is a joke btw XD)
@@Ajakes I gotta just add, the fact you approach both 06 and DX in that way makes me incredibly happy, especially given your personal bad experience with 06. I grew up with 06 and adored it, so when I heard you didn't like it in the Shadow Gens video I admittedly got worried, but then you handled that in the most mature and awesome way possible. And that mature way of handling it has made a Crisis City comparison video my most anticipated video for you, I'd love to see how you handle it Whoops- kinda went on my own little tangent there
@@infidel5928 Ey, I appreciate that! Also btw been loving your drawings on my timeline, it's like the one positive thing I got on my twitter these days rofl. Whenever I see it I'm like, "hell yeah, sonic fan art is alive and well..." and my brain is put at ease 😌
@@ClawedAsh Thank you! What I'm realizing is that every Sonic game, every version, has it's fans, and it's honestly more fun to hear why they like it instead of piling on with the jokes. Which in turn makes me more open-minded in the levels, and that helps me find so much more! Thanks for the tangent!
dude I never slowed down to find that shortcut in the 2D pillar section let alone that rocket REGRAB??? That shit is sick as HELL man holy.... You really just make me want to replay these games every video you make! REALLY look forward to every analysis!
hey you might not see this considering im a little late here but, I just wanted to say I really appreciate what you do. I love these levels with a passion and its so good to see somebody share that level of appreciation towards these most of the time 2-minute levels that are mostly overlooked. People might say you "over-analyse" but I think its perfect because some just dont realize how much work goes into making these levels when you're blasting away beyond the speed of sound only taking in a little bit of details. That and the fact that I just think you are a really cool person overall helps with my experience watching your videos. You got a great heart man, keep doing what you're doing. Watching your videos has completely changed my perspective on these levels and started to make me appreciate the little tidbits and small things the developers added in the levels (especially in Sonic unleashed levels) I guess its not all that bad to stop (and smell the flowers) to take in the beauty of these levels and really appreciate what the devs have built for you, its not just a giant sandbox but its culture, heart and soul poured into this massive playground for you to absolutely blaze through, and I think you're one of the few to actually fully indulge and appreciate what these levels do and realize their gravity. TLDR; you are an inspiration brother, I hope you find some sense of motivation within' this comment. I might post this on your newer video if you dont see this (not to be a reply begger) I just want you to realize that there are tons of people like me and a lot more who appreciate what you do a lot.
All these comments motivate me man, whenever I get to have a nice exchange with someone, I start thinking of them when I make the videos! Helps keep a bunch of different perspectives in view, and it keeps my own critiques a bit more open, which I think aids with the analysis. If there's a corner for "over-analysis," I think I'll take it at this point haha, the internet is a big place, if you want a glazed-up yap session, I'm your guy! Jokes aside, thank you for the thoughtful comment ❤️ These always cheer me up, especially now around the holidays. Appreciate it!
You have no idea how happy I am to see you keep doing these level comparison videos. It's like, I'm finally seeing someone else appreciate these levels as much as I do! Your style is genuinely so unique and charming, keep it up!!
this video is so. COOL. Pausing to analyze the leading lines and all the background elements was so entertaining and even though it’s things I’d never pick up on, I’m excited because you’re excited! Jaw actually dropped when I saw you could grab onto that rocket again at the end of gens. Such a great vid, first one I’ve seen of yours so I know what else I’ll be watching for the rest of the day!!
Thanks for checking it out, and be sure to stick around, cause we're gonna keep the video train GOING. Any levels in particular you'd be interested in seeing a video on?
@@Ajakes I might be an outlier here but I’m always partial to anything from Colors. But you’d probably be a better judge than me what’s worth analyzing haha
Gens and SA1 are my two favorite Sonic games. Sonic’s Speed Highway is my favorite Adventure level and Gens’ Act 2 is my third favorite from that game. I have played both of these stages dozens if not hundreds of times. The fact you pointed out multiple things I’ve never seen in both versions is absolutely mind boggling. Job well done 👍
the first video I've watched from you was the rooftop run comparison video (I watched it like 3 hours ago lmaooo). You are probably one of the first youtubers to leave me "yearning" for more of your videos 😭. The way you present, your commentary, your visuals, your humor, just everything is just really intriging to me. PLEASE keep up the outstanding work good sir 🙏
holy shit dude how do you get these done so fast while i wish the stage in gens wasnt so washed in blue, the stage itself in gens is definitely fantastic, yeah. i had no idea about that rocket shortcut, thats insane! speed highway also one of the best levels in adventure imo; so often adventure stages feel like you can just skip half the stage with an easy spin dash jump, but speed highway feels like every path was so intentionally placed. just the right amount of spectacle too, love it
Speed Highway feels like long runways complemented into more open level design. It's one of the levels that you can look at just the roads and be like, "oh yeah, that's a Sonic level alright." SPEED was absolutely the name of the game on that stage
I had no idea the generations version was so complex. It makes me want to see a comparison for seaside hill next! I remember it being the most complex gens stage it’s so big. Great content thank you!
This is really interesting analysis, I love the way you look at details like the highways pointing to where you're going next. I never even knew about some of these alternate routes, particularly the tunnel. That, and your sense of humour is great!
Dude.. Im stunned, you keep publishing videos so frequently yet all of them are FULL of quality. I don't often watch long analysis videos without doing anything else in the meantime, but holy shit, your videos have me engaged to it so much!! I first saw the Rooftop Run comparison video when it released, and you instantly became one of my favourite content creators!! As a level designer myself (still nothing professional, making classic sonic levels and maps for the fangame Sonic Robo Blast 2 xD) your level design analysis videos are so sublime! I can't word it out, you analyze and give a sense to everything in those levels that it surprises me so much. I specially love your Unleashed videos, as i am making a recreation of that game levels in SRB2, it helps me so much!! I've seen in the comments that you're getting a pretty good reception and you deserve it so much, please man, keep delivering 1000/10 content, every notification of a new video of yours is an instant neuron activation.
Level Designer! Is it difficult translating Unleashed levels to SRB2? I imagine they're kind of a different beast altogether? (I've never played SRB2 myself). Also THANK YOU for the comment 😊, nice to know I've been putting out some NEURON activators
@Ajakes It really isn't! Mostly because we've been getting a lot of mod tools to change mapping massively, a Modern Sonic character, rails, camera tools, objects. It is really recreable! The only problem would be the space you have in the gris to make the levels, you gotta optimize it a LOT in order for stuff to fit if we are doing a Modern Sonic level that's very big. :)
@@LimoLimon83 Interesting! Some of those Unleashed levels get long (looking at you, 5 minutes of Rooftop Run) so there's probably a lot to optimize lol
Everytime I watch your videos I find out a million new things about these levels I’ve played for years and it’s magnificent, love how you’ve done the drawings in this one a ton, and the intro with the arrest was hilarious and seamlessly worked into the video. Always excited to see what’s next! Your output and the time it takes is insanely good lol
@ for sure man! You’ve got a wild and imaginative style, so hyped to see what’s next else you’ve got cooking. Something I’ve been wondering about though, do you plan on covering anything from the storybook games’s level design? They’re SUPER linear but not many talk about its design so id for sure be interested haha
@@oreogod1985 Yeah I'd love to! I actually bought both of them for the channel, I just need to get my Wii U fixed next year lol. What I'd like to do down the line: get to all the Sonic games I missed as a kid, give a little first impressions video on it and then follow it up with a level that surprised me from the game, kinda like what I did with SXSG. And people have already been suggesting me Storybook recs so I got a lot to look for lol. (any levels YOU'D like to see from those games?.. 👀)
@ awesome lol I’ve also missed a lot of sonic games from a while back so that’ll be awesome to see. I think for secret rings, I would LOVE to see pirate storm, and black knight I’d say either dragons lair, molten mine, or shrouded forest. However even though black knight is my favorite sonic game, secret rings’s environments are much more interesting lol thanks for asking!
im so glad you did this, speed highway is my favorite level in the entire franchise (granted, theres still a decent chunk of games i have not yet played)
This video taught me that i have the same birthday as Sonic Adventure and that's insane, especially since it was my first Sonic game as a kid. Here's another fun coincidence too: I just finished Speed Highway for the first time in SA1DX (But Modded for DC look). I love how you dissect these levels, it's so entertaining!
Waking up to an Ajakes videos, is like waking up on your birthday, you forget it's YOUR day but when you see those presents oh man it's a rush. As an adult I don't care about my birthday anymore but I love AJakes. Adam I'm loving these vids, you're probably sick of seeing my comments every time but no matter how weird or psychotic I sound just know it's love.
Never sick of it, always makes me smile! 👍 Thanks for all the support dude, AND happy Ajakes day, be sure to celebrate by eating Lego and running Hedgehogs, as god intended
The ironic part of this video is that I spent some Microsoft Christmas money to GET SA1DX on my Series S, also got GGST and DBFZ, but HOLY I didn't realize there was so much going on in both SA and SG, the background does a lot of heavy lifting, not to mention I discovered some new tech for my next speedrun of Speed Highway when I play Generations! Take that one week break, you deserve it! (But as per usual gotta put my prediction for the next Unleashed Level for new years, so Cool Edge this time, am I right, am I wrong, neither of us know untilt he end of your well deserved break!)
@@Ajakes I DO, BUT I SAW A 100% OF SA1 DREAMCAST RETRA ACHIEVMENTS MASTERY VID AND IT LOOKS LIKE HELL FOR THE CHAO GARDEN BUT DX DID PORT SA2 CHAO MECHANICS TO SA1 BUT NOT ALL OF THEM???? Ima have to look into that by consulting the ancient tomes (My 2017 edition of the SOnic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia, real book look it up) I'll have ot consult both the normal entry and DX entry.
@Kagikarma bro someone just gave me the Encyclo-speed-ia for Christmas, we got the same TOMES BRO. If you attempt the emblems... good luck. The chao stuff was not my favorite...
The editing in your videos is absolutely wonderful. I’ve loved your videos for years (particularly your trip videos) and it makes me very happy to see your recent videos popping off. Keep up the good work, Adam ❤
Thanks dude, means a lot ❤ I'm happy I get to do more storytelling stuff (with the skits and personal bits and such), even in these Sonic videos. Kind of to keep the spirit of those Trip videos alive.
I just wanna say, I've been plummeting face-first back into my Sonic hyperfixation after the Year of Shadow had me in a chokehold, and I have been binging your level analyses and they are so fucking cool and informed. I love this channel. You videos are a masterclass in exploring what makes these levels fun and articulating into words all of the things you feel while playing these levels - the thrills, the turns, the twists that your brain registers even if you, the player, do not process it. You have successfully broken down The Vibes for us all to pick apart like a clock to see how it works. I cannot wait to repeat this information to friends so I can fool them into thinking I'm a Based Gamer (and then tell them about this channel so you can get their views because honestly, so fuckin' cool).
rofl, we are all Based Gamers™ after the Year of Shadow. There's no going back. I think all of 2024's content catapulted me right back into Sonic as well, it was a hell of a year. Also "The Vibes" is a great way of describing what I'm looking for, so I'm gonna steal that from YOU (ty). Very hyped to do more! Any levels that stand out from your childhood nostalgia, which could maybe use a video..? 👀
@@Ajakes See this is where I reveal that I didn't play many Sonic games growing up because I was A Poor, and instead enjoyed most of the games through RUclips LetsPlays and cutscenes compilations, at least until I was fully grown and able to finally try them as an adult. Honestly, even at 30, it is very weird admitting that, because I remember a time where, before engaging with any internet fan space, you had to first establish that you were a "real" fan by boasting how many games you'd played, etc. to separate yourself from the fans who enjoyed making Sonic OCs and fanfiction. People were VERY at each others' throats back in the day, in a way that was VERY gendered and weird - The Dark Ages, if you will. (I imagine this is another reason why I enjoy the way you discuss these levels. So many of them are ones I wasn't able to enjoy indepth as a kid. Letsplays did a lot for me, but I couldn't force a RUclipsr to try every single branching path ever. Your content really scratches that itch, but in an environment and narrative style that feels very chill and casual and welcoming.) BUT I would 1000% adore if you looked at the gameboy Sonic Advance games or the Storybook Games. Sonic Advance 3 was the first Sonic game I ever owned myself (as opposed to playing on a richer friends' or relatives' console lol), and they had so many freakin' branching paths and cool design choices, especially because Sonic Advance 3 had this very cool tag-team play style that involved changing your moveset depending on which character you partnered with? Very good. I don't know if you have an interest in analyzing the Advance games, but I recommend you play them at any rate, just because they are fun. (I'm partial to Toy Kingdom). As far as the Storybook games, I know they have their very very very large share of issues (infamously so), but Sonic and the Secret Rings was the first console game I ever owned (again, harkening back to being A Poor - the Wii was 1000% a budget console at the time). But I would be curious on your takes on the more linear play style, and on the level design. Night Palace was my personal favorite. My relationship to the storybook games is more strained now, but they have a soft spot in my heart for being such so deeply weird, and so full of decisions that were clearly driven by limitations that forced the devs to be creative with the tools at hand.
@@hanahyperfixates I'm just about that age too, and I definitely remember the hostility and gatekeeping of the past. It has it's fair share in any fandom, but it was sad because Sonic hits people at all ages, and I remember there was a specific criteria to being a "Sonic fan," that shoved out a lot of folks. Thankfully now, I've noticed that the fandom has just expanded to an insane degree (especially with the movies), and these days playing the games is a small chunk of being a "Sonic fan." Which is honestly refreshing, because now we're getting a lot more varied takes from different perspectives. Something that surprised me from my Personal Timeline vid, was that TONS of people got into Sonic through the spinoffs and handheld games. And they are just as passionate about Sonic as the next fan. People drawing OCs after still playing none of the games, voicing characters they've only seen in RUclips videos. It's a very hopeful thing to see! Which is why I try to keep things open in my vids, as I want those people chiming in as well. We're all just loving the little blue guy, and I wanna keep those vibes GOING lol In terms of Advance and the storybook games, I was able to get the GBA trilogy and the 2 storybook wii games last month! I've had a lot of requests for them, so I'm really excited to see what they were attempting there. Plus I got some great level recs too (Night Palace included haha), but this is the first I'm hearing about Toy Kingdom, I'll keep an eye out for that one in Advance 3. I'll probably do a short "First Impressions" vid, then follow it up with a level from that game. Would love to your takes whenever those go up! Regardless, thanks for suggestion! (and the kind words 🙏 appreciate it)
I have a personal memory of Sonic Adventure 1 DX, specifically the GameCube version. I loved using the many cheats available with Action Replay, and I appreciated that the Chao Garden was compatible with the Game Boy Advance. The unlockable minigames from the game were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the mission mode. After all, where else could you play as Metal Sonic or Cream the Rabbit? Although people don't like the dx version it's still got a place in my heart. I know this is a long comment sorry, I’m back from my vacation, and I’m just in time to catch this new video! As always, I’m genuinely impressed by the music, the editing, and the visuals. It’s exciting to see how well this is gaining traction, and I can only imagine the incredible potential you have with other games, especially considering the passion you infused into the large Sonic video. I’m looking forward to seeing you finish this project with a spectacular conclusion; I have no doubt it will be amazing! Also, I’m still waiting for a Discord link to be included in the description. On a side note, could you please make the Eggman sandwich from Sonic Unleashed? It would be great to see that featured in your next comparison video, especially alongside my character! And don’t worry, I promise it’s not poison! :3 Keep up the fantastic work; I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! Once again I hope you enjoy your break well
when I finally got all my emblems and unlocked Metal Sonic (my beloved) I felt like a GOD, I value DX just for that haha. Hope the vacation was fun! Glad this landed at the right time, I can't wait for more in 2025. Discord i'm still thinking about, I kinda enjoy my privacy if we're being honest, but I don't want people to feel trapped in the RUclips comments. Maybe a subreddit eventually, I still gotta think on it, apologies! In the meantime though, we keep the videos coming. BTW do you have a reference sheet for your character? (Also thanks for the comment!)
saw this like an hour before I got off work and MAN big city levels do not get enough love, I was SO happy to see this as the next level analyzation. Ironically enough, I used to not even like speed highway all that much because I thought the constant blue was so boring and bland, but as I grew up I found myself enjoying it more and more, until now its probably my favorite gens level alongside seaside hill. I would always take the normal pretty obvious route, but as I played the level more I would find a new thing basically every single time I played it (which was a LOT for some reason despite my apathy towards it) until eventually I would find a new route and be blown away by the fact that I NEVER found out abt it until then. finding that garage path was unbelievably insane to me as a kid. this video goes over almost everything I love about the level and then some, all that highway winding and intentional environmental direction was completely lost to me until watching this and its GENIUS! and of course like with skyscraper scamper I gotta go over the MUSIC!!!!!! holy peak this song is SOOOOOO sonic, from the constant scratching guitar feeding your hype, to the sirens setting in that sense of almost urgency or maybe trouble as the cops close in on sonic, or ,if you will, represent the LOUD and BUSY nature of nighttime station square, being so "naturally intruding" if that makes any sense. and of course, how could you ever listen to speed highway's song and not notice the thing tying the entire thing together: UP AND DOWN AND ALL AROUND. if I had one word to describe that line it'd be "sonic". one thing in particular I really love about the sa1 version is that depending on which version you play, you could get a COMPLETELY different vibe (at least for me). the dreamcast version describes the feeling of the city, its sounds like what it looks like, big busy nighttime cityscape, just plain awesome. but the dx version, with its darker aesthetic and toned down business, makes it feel a lot more urgent, like I gotta get going as fast as I can through this busy night, and I think that calm 'epilogue' section of the level makes that feeling just a little more apparent. your analysis of both versions of level is, as usual, absolutely amazing. sidenote: "I promise they won't all be this long" no....don't promise this....I love when hour long video essay on something I shouldn't find so concerningly interesting... (unless these are super tiring to make then fair, do your thing and do it well) another sidenote: something I think would be pretty interesting to see, albeit a bit different from the lineup, is a comparison/analysis of windy valley and/or its beta counterpart, which I think is another level that's completely underrated. sorry I typed an actual essay, I might be stupid
YO! Sorry for the slow response, RUclips held this comment randomly, and I only saw it until now, my bad. But what can I say that you haven't already said, we're digging the exact same things and it's working on us lmao. It's SO energetic, SO loud, SO much damn fun, how could you not get passionate about this level??? Especially with the more angelic world of Sky Sanctuary before it, hitting Speed Highway right after is Modern Sonic slapping you in the face and throwing you down a building (with him lol), it's such a great intro to the Dreamcast stages, and it shines so well in Gens. I won't back down, it's my fav Gens level, I STICK TO MY GUNS. I want to hit Windy Valley on its own, as I honestly think it's a great 2nd stage chopped up into 3 parts, BUT I have been considering doing Beta comparisons as well. I'd like to always keep some sort of comparison series going alongside individual levels, so I think it's a great idea! (watch me make 2 videos on Windy Valley, individual AND comparison rofl). Anywho, apologies again for the late reply, THANK YOU for digging the long vids (srsly) and thanks for the comment!
Incredible work! I hope you had a relaxing holiday and enjoyed the life-sized sonic made entirely out of Grimace wedge pieces that I tracked you down to deliv- I mean that Santa brought you… :’)
Holy moly. I did NOT know HOW MANY Routes there actually are in Generations. Great Video, incredibly fun to watch and the humor and jokes are peak as always
47:19 i like how at the end of Generations’ SpeedHighway it showed the sun coming up, a little nod to the original and how the whole stage would change
Bickuribox12 already pointed this out but again, you upload INSANELY fast considering the quality of the art and the script. Because generations is a boost level I never really explored it too much, and I didn't explore alot of SADX's speed highway because of the way sonic controls in that game. So watching this video discovered so many secrets to me, like at the 2d section with 3 floors I NEVER EVER even THOUGHT of the fact that you can jump to skip the first part. Also LIKE JUMPING OF THE TRICK PLATFORM WILL SKIP 2 FLOORS LIKE WHAT?! this gave me a better perspective on generations level, details that I never saw now pop out more than ever and its genuinely impressive how much stuff sonic team can put in a part of a level that almost nobody is going to see. So yeah great video, great format (also I ADORE your art style), great comedy and overall great job! I hope more people will see your content because it's genuinely inspiring.
I think it might be that "new video high" I'm currently on haha, got my first rush of making a Sonic video with Rooftop Run and now I can't stop. Happy to show you a couple new things, and thanks for the nice comment!! 🙌
I wouldn't call myself a "DX-Defendor", because I also like both versions, but the DX-version is the first version I played of Adventure 1 and it is still my preferred version. Great analysis, I learned a lot today about the level, like the many hidden items in the OG Version and the crazy rocket skip at the end! And I liked that you talked about the "Lone Lane Lineway", it is such a small thing, but I like that part a lot for some reason. My favorite levels in (Sonic) Generations are Sky Sanctuary & Crisis City, so as with Jungle Joyride in Unleashed, I can't wait for your videos of them. Enjoy a well deserved break and happy new year!
The "Lone Lane Lineway" is barely even a setpiece, but it's very memorable, I had to give it ITS DUE! (kinda like the Roof Drop in Rooftop Run). I think we'll be able to get to all those levels next year, so get ready, and happy new year to you as well!
Can't wait for jungle joyride or arid sands review. Those levels are the most I spent optomising and they really have become my favourite boost levels. My first time in jungle joyride was around 8 minutes and my current record is 4:30 and with arid sands my first attempt was 6 minutes with my current attempt being 2:30. Those levels don't hold your hand and really let you min max sonics movement.
Jungle Joyride was my first S rank (beyond Windmill Isle), it was the first stage I really wanted to "learn" because on my initial run I thought, "who would ever be able to S rank this," and had to find out for MYSELF
I like how much you analyze stuff that most of us sees, but don't think too much about it; It gives me a whole another sense of appreciation. Could you make a Crisis City comparison or Eggmanland video next? I would LOVE to see those.
These have quickly become my new favourite videos on RUclips. All the best parts of nerdy, mindblowing shit that I love! Can’t wait for the inevitable comparison of crisis city and seaside hill. Them boys got some meat
I'm both hyped for those levels and a little terrified at how much they have in them. And here I said I'd slow down on big videos... 😔 But how do you not go long on SEASIDE HILL, right
I don't mind at all if these videos are long, you've got so many great things to say about these levels that I drop everything to watch them. This is the kind of level design analysis I yearn for
One thing I love that both versions of the level do is the passage of time. Both versions start in the middle of the night and after all the thrilling gameplay, the rising sun is there to meet you at the final section/end goal. I feel like it enhances the sensation of progression and also gives me the feeling that the level is longer than it really is.
YOU CAN CATCH THE ROCKET A SECOND TIME?! Additionally, I've always loved that you see the sunrise in the Generations version, signaling you finished the level "at dawn"
19:20 I found this out recently but in SA1, if you grab the first speed shoes at the top of the building, and then fall down and find the second speed shoes behind that building, you’ll have the speed shoes effect for the entirety of the level! Sonic accelerates like he has it, even when the effect seems to run out! Try it out for yourself!
@@AjakesI’m not sure at all.. I can’t think of many instances of where there are multiple Speed Shoes nearby, so I can’t test it myself lol. Maybe it is a glitch 🤷♂️
The rate at which these come out has me stunned and psyched every time, THEY’RE SO GOOD
Thank you so much man! 🙏😭
bickuribox12 jumpscare
BICKURIBOX12 MENTION!!
You two are two sides of the same coin. Both make great sonic essay videos just at different rates
bro the founding father just entered the chat
1:13 That use of the rings for 'So' was genius lmao
it was a last minute edit when I caught the circle, lol
finally a Unleashed Sonic take that isn't bad
@@Ajakes that’s what I love a content creator doing last minute editing making so much of the video to make it entertaining as possible
seeing route 3 at the end of modern speed highway might have opened my 3rd eye lmao, always happy to learn new things about boost levels 10+ years later
I honestly thought it was a glitch when I saw someone pull it off on RUclips
20:16 i have been playing this game for about 10 years now and i NEVER knew that this path was down here WHAT???
SURPRISE!!!
I've been following your channel for the last few months and can keep quiet no longer. Your analysis of Sonic levels and history are not just some of the best Sonic videos I have ever seen, but some of the best video game content I have ever seen period.
At a technical level, you put so much work into your videos with amazing drawings and editing that makes everything easy to follow. But beyond that, the depth and insight you provide on these levels is truly astounding. You approach these levels both emotionally as a Sonic fan in how they make you feel and as an artist in how they are designed. I never see analysis on the psychology of level deigns, how levels are visually constructed and arranged to draw attention to certain things. Its scarcely discussed how designers recognize player intuitions and habits and construct levels to meet that intuition or deliberately subvert that intuition to trip up players.
All this comes from your background as an artist. You understand not just the creator's perspective in both how the creator communicates to the world and how the creator predicts the way the viewer will perceive their art. This is such a unique perspective I have never seen applied to game design and it is why your series on Sonic levels are so unique. Which isn't even to say the level of detail you analyze every level, that in itself is already excellent!
But what further distinguishes your videos is how you communicate to your audience. I mentioned before the emotion you display for Sonic, the passion behind the project and that's a subset of your communication skills. You have a very grounded view of Sonic. You know the highs, the lows, and normal and the crazy of the Sonic games and the Sonic fans. Because you have such a wide understanding and nuanced understanding, you're able to communicate to Sonic and non-Sonic fans in a way that's easy for them to understand.
It's hard for me to articulate, but there is there is little judgement in what you say. You judge the art for sure but you don't make the viewer feel judged. You say things in a way that isn't just easy for viewers to underhand but easy to accept. You say things that make people willing to listen and this comes down to your words, your tone, and your pacing when speaking and editing. You have self-awareness of Sonic and awareness of how others will interpret what you will say.
I am simply very, very impressed with these videos and your style of communication. There is a real substance to what you say, a real passion behind how you say it, and a real awareness in how you communicate it. A single one of these traits can make a video great but you, against all probability, managed to capture all 3. That's what makes these videos exceptional and I am so grateful for stumbling upon your channel. Please keep it up and I humbly await your next video!
Wow, I don't even know what to say, "thanks" feels to trite, this is such a warm and well-articulated comment! I feel like it gave me more energy than the coffee in front of me lol. I'll try and keep it brief, but these games are such a joy to dissect. I often worry if I'm getting too sentimental in my presentation, but at the same time, I want to try and describe how much fun these levels are to the viewer, and emotionally seems the best way to do it. It lets other people get wordy and in-depth in the comments, and it's then so much fun to chat about the levels when I know it's hitting people personally like it did with me. Nerding out about this new hobby I got back into has been such a blast, and reading comments like this makes it all the better. Excited to make more videos and keep chatting with people! Here's the boring closer, but, THANK YOU ❤️ lmao, there's nothing else I can really say. 🙏🙏
@@Ajakes please, keep the sentimentality! It really ties the whole watching experience together imo.
Fantastic, everything I'd thought to say and more, you're absolutely right.
Couldn't agree more, you worded it perfectly! As an artist myself the stops and highlighting of the levels point of interests do help me on a viewing level alone to just..absorb the principles and thoughts behind it, I fucking love it! Also I appreciate the level design in Sonic so much more now, I always liked that the levels are so high up and you see the environment under it, really keeps your fantasy spinning(hence why I am really impressed with grand Metropolis in Sonic Heroes).
Wow. Big praise from Legendary General Kenobi congrats.
Dude this video was super fun and informative! Amazing stuff!
Sam jumspcare
SAM! Thank you for checking out the video! 🙏 Also I wanna say your comment during Scott's Sonic bracket video about Forces dealing with that "Bad" vs "Boring" argument is something I think about so much now when I play lesser renowned Sonic games, I find myself appreciating riskier "bad" attempts at the formula rather than safe "boring" bets, and I will most definitely mention it when I get to Sonic Forces haha. Thanks again man! 👍👍
Peak just dropped
Indeed
Thought that as soon as I saw the thumbnail
We are so back
I love these Level Design analysis videos, I dont think ive ever seen such indept analysis of level design that not only discusses composition lighting and general placement of objects but also small details that have a psychological effect like on the dragon road with the merlons on the wall helping with selling the speed or the bending of the roads
This is so unique and well done please keeping doing these!
Thanks! I only catch these things myself when I sit down to make these, so it's really fun to crack into these levels and look around instead of getting a high score. They're doing so much VISUALLY, it's awesome
22:40 I just realised they use Classic Sonic Segment to decorate Modern Sonic backgrounds. That's both a nice detail and genius asset reuse.
46:16 This is insane, I learned you could get up there with a Speedrun trick by bouncing from the skyscrapers. I had no idea there was a dev intended route this entire time. That's insane.
@@Neonlight3934 ngl it would’ve been funny if there was a small chance to see Classic or Modern Sonic running when you reach a certain segment of a level
46:18 And THIS is why i love watching these videos!! Watching this completely blew my mind and i just had to try it out myself!! Thank you soo much for showing me this!!
No problem!
We need the Seaside Hill comparison next. Going into detail on how the level design in each game was different yet similar in Heroes and Gens would be AWESOME
Same.
when people wanted more comparisons after Rooftop Run, this and Seaside Hill were the IMMEDIATE 2 I thought of
@@Ajakeswill you ever compare the Classic levels? Ik boost is fun and all and you're comparing mostly gameplay, but I feel like the Classic acts do an excellent job at translating some of the level design and ideas from the og level (such as the ever so-called out winery from Rooftop Run Night being in the Classic level and the bit between the clock climb)
@@Ajakes In your Dragon Road video you said you'd only previously ran on water accidentally in Generations, but did you know there's a route in Seaside Hill Act 2 towards the beginning that requires water running, only indicated by a few rings off to the side? It leads to a cannon, and the camera draws far back to show you both how much you skipped by taking that route and what lies ahead. It's both efficient and impressive!
@@somehelluvafanboy8357 Yep! I specifically left them out because I think it's got a LOT to dig into, I didn't wanna rush it as there's tons of great references (like the ones you noted)
bro says "i promise they wont all be this long" do what you must but i certainly wont argue with more peak content
a bit of OVERINDULGENCE never hurt anyone (besides all the new viewers I am scaring off)
@@Ajakes to hell with them i say BRING ON THE OVERINDULGENCE
Embrace the yapping
@Ajakes this is my first video I watched of you but I surely wouldn’t mind a “Yapping Sandwich With Extra Yap Sauce and Yap Pickles TM”
@BuckyTee COMING RIGHT UP
Something I was expecting and I'm unsure if you noticed is that, in Gens, after the running down the building part the sky changes, and till the ending, Speed Highway is meeting it's dawn, just like SA1. It's genius, they didn't want to leave the classic SPH aesthetic, but they still referenced that "Dawn Avenue" part. On the resulting screen, is even more noticeable that the day is dawning, it's like if you were to continue that road, you would find yourself on the streets of Station Square.
Great video!! These level design analysis are incredible, so interesting to see all of this and see more about the devs works. And I also didn't know about both the dash ring skip at 23:00 and that you could catch the rocket a second time at 46:20, for all these years. Keep up the good work!!!!
I knew at the result screen, but I honestly never caught it in the bg near the end of the level rofl, so that one's on me. (thanks for the comment!)
I know SA1 and SA2's speed levels off by heart so there was no surprises for me here regarding SA1's Speed Highway's level design but I was surprised to see some of the alternate routes and shortcuts from the Gens version that I hadn't seen before. The path to the route 3 at the end was crazy to see in particular.
I don't even know how you'd discover that one naturally lol, I feel like it would just be sheer luck at that point, speeding forward with the rocket and being like "hold up, that wasn't a homing reticle... was it?"
Wake up, new level analysis dropped
this was super thought provoking about speed highway and i have a lot to say but the thing i wanted to say most is: you never bring up how the skybox changes and the sun starts to rise after Goin’ Down in generations! which is one of my favorite details about the level because it’s such a subtle and nice little homage to At Dawn even though they couldn’t adapt it directly
True, I should have mentioned that more. I honestly only ever catch it on the results screen, I always forget it's changing AS you continue through the level, it blends in so well
@ it really does!! :D
I absolutely loved the way you overanalyzed that specific loop and camera angle in 12:32. It's so good watching someone talk about a Sonic game while being a genuine fan of the franchise, because all of these games have so much details that can only be noticed if you play it's levels over and over again. Amazing video btw, I just discovered your channel and I already love it!
It's such a great shot and no one really talks about it! Might need a "best shots of Sonic" video in the far future... (and ty!)
@@AjakesThat would be awesome! I'd definitely watch a video about that
in the YEARS of playing generations i NEVER knew about the rocket regrab (or that the rocket route even existed?!?) maybe i saw it in a speedrun and never registered what happened. but that's CRAZY. these comparison videos are a HUGE joy to watch, i love them!! your commitment to being respectful to the love people have for the rough elements of the series also brings a big smile to my face. huge fan!!
Happy to show you something new, thanks!
I bet the sonic devs are really happy seeing some random guy talk about a bunch of random levels they've made for 30 mins to an hour
roll sonic up a hill and I won't shut up for 3 weeks
@Ajakes so real
Guys its not an obsession i swear-
Can I just start by saying that I love the stick figure diagrams you use for these analysis videos? They make me feel so involved and welcomed to join in on the conversation of a blue hedgehog speeding through a highway!
My memories of Speed Highway - I remember playing the Generations level first as I only first played Adventure after, I think it must have been 2012 when I bought a Dreamcast Collection for the Xbox 360 that also had Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi, and Sega Bass Fishing. Needless to say, besides dabbling into Crazy Taxi, I basically only bought the collection for Adventure because my mum wasn't exactly willing to use the Xbox Live Marketplace for Sonic games I never grew up playing.
In Generations, it was an exhilarating blast to go through. If the classic era was to set the scene with iconic levels, the dreamcast era felt like the levels were picked based on their set pieces (I remember that fans voted for them), and where I think City Escape and Seaside Hill were great picks for their games, Speed Highway was an excellent precursor for those levels and their set pieces. In fact, SA1 is full of those set pieces that sees Sonic go through the ridiculous, from the orca chase in Emerald Coast to the snowboarding down Ice Cap, and it's a testament to Goin' Down that the community loved it so much.
But obviously, there is just much more to Speed Highway than the run down the building. I feel that beginning does tune us into the man-made environment being fleshed out for Sonic, truly a groundbreaking development for the series that has introduced a level theme Sonic Team have gone back to so much that it's practically a given to gave a city themed level in the games these days. That's a legacy if I've ever seen one, and one I sometimes come back to the Jehtt meme video about Sonic evading his taxes:
Tails: "Speed Highway was literally built with taxpayer dollars."
Sonic: "Yeah, and they used the money to build loop-de-loops on the road. Which, granted, cool as hell for me... but man, morning commutes must be hell for everyone else!"
Where I think a lore explanation comes in requires us to look into the other characters speeding through Station Square-- remember when Dr. Eggman tried to nuke the city towards the end of Tails's story, but it was a dud? Tails then beat Eggman in a race to the bomb. If I were Dr. Eggman and had the power to erase all of my defeats, I'm pretty sure I'd also want to remove my first canonical defeat to Sonic's sidekick, not even Sonic. That was just embarrassing for the doctor!
Would love for Seaside Hill and Rail Canyon comparisons with their Sonic x Shadow Generations variants (and crossing in with Ocean Palace and Bullet Station.) Sonic Heroes was my first game in the series, and I still love playing it dearly, so I'd love to hear you analyse those stages.
I just bought the Dreamcast Collection recently! (for collecting purposes) Interesting you played the Gens version first, that's kinda what I went through with Rooftop Run. Although with Speed Highway, I think I actually prefer the Gens remix haha, whereas I love how they did Rooftop Run in Unleashed. As the first real "city" level, I think Speed Highway broke a lot of ground, and it's setpieces are memorable because of that. That's why I have a lot of respect for Speed Highway. Sure we got tons of city levels now, but look at the home run they made on just their FIRST attempt, it's fantastic! Also if I were Eggman, I'd try and forget the entire Tails storyline, cause he lost to him TWICE (at the rocket AND when he fought him proper afterwards rofl, poor guy left embarrassed). Really excited to hit a Heroes level sometime next year, so stick around!
I'm always so giga excited for a new analysis/comparison Video :) You always do an amazing job
Thank you very much!
As a kid playing Generations with no idea of the context of the stage, this level made me feel like an unstoppable criminal
Nighttime, helicopters, spotlights, police monkeys (I didn't know those were just Eggman robots), breaking every piece of glass I can see and always running, it was a new, different, and very fun way of wanting to go fast
I'd say this level does a better job at making you feel wanted dead or alive than City Escape funnily enough
Generations was my first Sonic game, and while I really liked the previous levels, Speed Highway was the only to REALLY inspire me to play the rest, Sonic going through a vibrant city, running on walls, down a building, through buildings... it seemed awesome compared to the mostly cartoonish previous stages (again, I also liked those, but in my kid brain they didn't compare)
For some reason, I feel more devious in Speed Highway than in City Escape. City Escape has police constantly cornering you, AND you smash through rows of cars, but the car carnage makes it almost feel unbelievable, whereas Speed Highway feels realistic in it's tone. Which is funny cause City Escape's geography makes way more sense than Speed Highway's insane roads, but still, it all vibes so well together, it feels believable FOR that space. I think that's because City Escape feels like I broke the law and am escaping, and Speed Highway makes it feel like I'm breaking the law AS I'm speeding. If that makes any sense. And if you played Generations first, I could see how this would imprint on you haha, it's such a wild level, compared to the 3 before.
This is good.
Even great.
Definitely awesome.
Always outstanding.
Never lsss than amazing.
(In the time it took you to out this out, Ive discovered I am legitimately a Shadow impressionist now.)
Is this a sonic colors reference?
@@SaulCadenas-r1q Yyyeeeeeeep
HOLD UP.
I CAUGHT THE INITIAL D REFERENCE.
Dude you have GOT to be an industry plant with how fast you crank out all of these AMAZING videos. Without a doubt i am so happy i found this channel. Keep up the great work youre incredible!!!!
I'm actually Yuji Naka's burner account, don't tell anyone 🤫 but thanks for all the support in the last 3 months dude!!! 🙏Also STAY TUNED for the next Unleashed video, we'll be hitting one of your favs... 👀
@@Ajakes Let's fucking GOOOOOO
I always enjoy how you like to break down camera angles and visuals and stuff, visual language is so interesting.
this video and analysis is soooo good how do you pump these out so fast
I think the rush of recent views got me all hyped up to work on things, though I probably need to slow down in the future for my own sanity lol. But now I got christmas break for that yayyy!! (thx for the comment!)
I dig how you decided to compare between versions of Adventure! Focusing on how the changes alter the vibe of the stage over whether they’re intentional or a bug or whatever is a great approach.
Thanks! I was thinking back to our convo last month when we talked about it. I originally landed on just DX, but decided "eh I SHOULD include the OG in here" halfway thru, which is why it might feel a little quick lol. I'm glad you pointed it out to me though, that comment really helped me in making the vid 👍👍
32:56 the way sonic's quills bend down as he runs down the building is so weird and yet so funny, I always wondered why that happens
i just found your channel and i'm going to have to watch all your videos now. this is in my opinion one of the best sonic videos i have watched
What an incredible video, I love your creative sonic levels analysis so much this is why you are one of my favourite sonic youtubers because sometimes sonic youtubers feel quite similar and there's none I know like you so keep up the incredible content and have a great day.
what an incredible COMMENT, thanks bro, I appreciate it 👍
The fact that you drop these videos at such a consistent pace and they’re really high quality is inspiring. Keep it up I love watching these
I appreciate that, thanks!
Goddamn, you are churning these videos out. Not that I'm complaining, just hoping you're not burning out soon. You've become one of my favorite YTers recently, so I'll be there always when a new vid drops. Happy holidays!
Extremely unusual content and I love it! I always enjoy hearing about Sonic's levels, after all levels are one of the most important elements in the Sonic the hedgehog series of games
The amount “OH SHIT THAT EXISTS?!” I’ve had in this video is a lot.
The humor, writing, editing and analysis to stage design, shot composition and sheer “wait that was an hour?!” Chefs kiss of a video champ
Appreciate it pal 👍
Ooohhhh, hell yeah!
I love both versions of Speed Highway, so watching a breakdown on them is gonna be good.
This was like the icing on the Christmas cake for me!! I don't know how you come up with the skits between the comparison script, but please never stop. There's not a single part of your comparison and analysis videos that I skip. I love all the content. Please keep it up! You're doing great!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thanks for enjoying the skits too haha, appreciate it!
I love this video so much, I don't even know where to start? First things first, in the generations section with the first green spinner in the building (which you might stomp on) in the background there is some escalators, referencing the classic act of the stage (kind of surprised you didn't mention it?) and the blur in generations also takes a HEAVY backseat showing the buildings in their full glory, it's truly wonderful. My only critique is you didn't talk about the music the much, but it's fine.
(Also god bless you for using sonic CD music, it really highlights the nightlife of this stage)
I really love this video, it's up there with the kingdom valley and rooftop run videos, the overanalysis of that one long stretch of glass road connecting the two buildings was really cool
Also will you be covering the rival flights/boss fights? It'd be cool to see something like that in the future!
(Sorry for the long comments I enjoy these video to an unreasonable degree 🙏)
When I make the Classic video, I'll get into all that stuff, promise! 👍 And I typically don't mention the music cause I don't know anything about music theory in general besides how it makes me feel lol, but I suppose that's the main point about my level videos right? I'll try and tackle it more in future videos. People have been suggesting a Boss fight comparison video, and I'm really into the idea, I hope to do that within the coming year. Thanks for commenting AND being a CD soundtrack enjoyer 🙇
I can't wait for the eventual comparison between Sunset Heights in Sonic Forces and Shadow Generations.
Even funnier when you realize it won't be as tedious with Forces' short stages.
Also small thing, but I love how Sonic poses while smiling at the camera before grabbing the rocket at 40:36. Some modders have even used this to their advantage by adding specific camera angles with modded levels, the Final Rush mod being a prime example that I love.
Oh that's awesome, I didn't know that about the mods. Do you remember the name of the Final Rush one?
@@Ajakes It's a mod for the OG Generations (I'm not sure how it transfers over to SXSG) but it's "Final Rush Overhaul" made by Raphpower.
Speed Highway isn’t my favourite stage in Generations, that goes to Seaside Hill. But there’s no stage more “Modern Sonic the Hedgehog,” than Speed Highway in all its iterations. No other level just sells it like Level 6. And it might be just the fact that it exist just to be a level. It doesn’t have to be there for any real reason, but it is. And I love it.
It really feels like it was picked from a design point first, instead of like, "what a classic location from the game!" (i now know it was fan picked, but even IN that respect, it feels like people chose it because they heard Sonic was making a big "level" game, and they wanted some good-ass levels)
One think I like about SA1's Going Down section over Generations is that the obstacles blocking your way inside the building are escalators crisscrossing the building, the fact that they're completely flat being kinda hidden by your rapid descent. While in Generations, they're more of a generic box. Still a great set piece either way, but I love that little detail. Just another bit of that 'Sonic in our world' stuff you touched on.
I KNEW those were escalators, but wasn't sure, which is why I went with tubes rofl. But I agree, would've been cool if they were bridges between the other side of the hotel you had to dodge pass, instead of like, rectangles lol
Idk why but these videos always make my day. Thank you for peak content.
Thanks for always watching 'em!
I'm so glad the Algorithm Gods blessed your Rooftop Run video, I'm looking at every Sonic level in a new way now. These have become some of my favorite videos on the internet and I look forward to every new one.
Bless you Algo Gods 🙇 (thanks for watching them!)
This video was awesome definitely subscribing
Dude, you produce some of the most engaging Sonic analysis on this platform. Keep it up!!
36:30 That's a visual glitch introduced in Shadow Generations! The reflections aren't so vibrant in the 2011 release.
My 360 copy still has that same issue, but I am playing the 60fps mode through backwards compat, so that could be messing with some things
@@Ajakes I played the original version on the 360 relentlessly, I swear that there was never any reflection issues in that stage in 2011
@@ClawedAsh could be the backwards compat then, I haven't gone back to Gens on the normal 360
"How does speed highway make you feel?"
SPEED.
HIGHWAY
@@Ajakes Peak cinema.
Also btw I have a suggestion for a level u could analyse. Final rush. Trust me it'd be peak.
A few things I took notes on before I yap:
- the "so" at the beginning with the rings really got me
- the "sonic running and splatting into hard objects" saga continues
- the undertale reference (that took me back)
- the sonic exe start menu down the hall cracked me up
- that camera flip in the building dive did something to me in og sonic adventure
- that rocket shortcut was magical like what were they smoking bc we need more of THAT
Now onto my thoughts! First off, don't stop pausing! You're always noticing the subtle ways the developers use background elements to point the player in the directions they want you to go or highlight sections that are upcoming or will be important later. Its some truly blink and you'll miss it stuff, especially in Gens because you're going so fast, that they honestly didn't have to implement but they did because it's so clear they were passionate about what they were making. Generations is especially guilty of this and with the beautifully updated graphics and gorgeous blue color palette, you can just tell they were proud of this level.
(Now imagine if the story got that much love and polish- hey who said that?)
I also appreciate that while its clear DX is the least favorite of the bunch, you don't bad mouth it for a moment! It does have its merits like all things and I'm so happy the tone of the video remained fun and positive. This version of Sonic Adventure is one many people grew up with and was their first exposure to the series. I think it's really important to give the DX version its respects in that regard, even if the aesthetics don't quite live up to the original or Gens. Speed Highway is certainly a bunch of highways in which you can gain speed on and they did amazing things with such a simple concept. I think I might prefer it to Skyscraper Scamper now and I'm like Unleashed's number one glazer LOL. We'll just have to see when I play all of them!
Anyway, another banger video, always a good day when these pop up and interrupt me drawing XD
That's exactly the reason I wanted to be patient with DX! Not to say, "look at how much DX RUINED EVERYTHING," but instead say, "hey, if you were a kid and played DX first, then Speed Highway will probably feel like THIS to you." Game "feel" (kinda broad, maybe "presentation") is very important for these games, and it's why I end every analysis with that question. I'm not interested on what's right or wrong, and instead getting to how the experiences (however they were done) made people feel. DX can still make you feel hollow and empty and you hate it, I'm fine with that, but I wanna get to the heart of why, and then see it from a different perspective. There's enough videos pointing out all it's flaws, like, what would I add to that lol. And that's ANOTHER big long tangent you didn't deserve, but here we are!!! Anywho, thanks for understanding, I was thinking about it a lot rofl. But thanks for the great comment, as always! Excited to see what you end up drawing! (also thank u for catching the sonic.exe down the hall lol, I was hoping someone would)
@@Ajakes We love tangents in this household! I'm glad you took a different approach because seeing the 100th "this thing is bad and you should feel bad for liking it insert topic here" video can get pretty boring!
Probably more Boom!Sonic - kinda in love with the guy atm, I think his sass is top notch. Also CONGRATS on the bickuribox12 comment! I saw them and was like "YOOOO!"
Remember me when ur famous!! (this is a joke btw XD)
@@Ajakes I gotta just add, the fact you approach both 06 and DX in that way makes me incredibly happy, especially given your personal bad experience with 06. I grew up with 06 and adored it, so when I heard you didn't like it in the Shadow Gens video I admittedly got worried, but then you handled that in the most mature and awesome way possible. And that mature way of handling it has made a Crisis City comparison video my most anticipated video for you, I'd love to see how you handle it
Whoops- kinda went on my own little tangent there
@@infidel5928 Ey, I appreciate that! Also btw been loving your drawings on my timeline, it's like the one positive thing I got on my twitter these days rofl. Whenever I see it I'm like, "hell yeah, sonic fan art is alive and well..." and my brain is put at ease 😌
@@ClawedAsh Thank you! What I'm realizing is that every Sonic game, every version, has it's fans, and it's honestly more fun to hear why they like it instead of piling on with the jokes. Which in turn makes me more open-minded in the levels, and that helps me find so much more! Thanks for the tangent!
dude I never slowed down to find that shortcut in the 2D pillar section let alone that rocket REGRAB??? That shit is sick as HELL man holy.... You really just make me want to replay these games every video you make! REALLY look forward to every analysis!
Replay replay replay! It's sooo goood!
46:24 jaw literally dropped
46:15 I’ve been playing this game since 2011 and I’ve never seen this skip. HOLY SHIT
hey you might not see this considering im a little late here but, I just wanted to say I really appreciate what you do. I love these levels with a passion and its so good to see somebody share that level of appreciation towards these most of the time 2-minute levels that are mostly overlooked. People might say you "over-analyse" but I think its perfect because some just dont realize how much work goes into making these levels when you're blasting away beyond the speed of sound only taking in a little bit of details.
That and the fact that I just think you are a really cool person overall helps with my experience watching your videos. You got a great heart man, keep doing what you're doing. Watching your videos has completely changed my perspective on these levels and started to make me appreciate the little tidbits and small things the developers added in the levels (especially in Sonic unleashed levels)
I guess its not all that bad to stop (and smell the flowers) to take in the beauty of these levels and really appreciate what the devs have built for you, its not just a giant sandbox but its culture, heart and soul poured into this massive playground for you to absolutely blaze through, and I think you're one of the few to actually fully indulge and appreciate what these levels do and realize their gravity.
TLDR; you are an inspiration brother, I hope you find some sense of motivation within' this comment. I might post this on your newer video if you dont see this (not to be a reply begger) I just want you to realize that there are tons of people like me and a lot more who appreciate what you do a lot.
All these comments motivate me man, whenever I get to have a nice exchange with someone, I start thinking of them when I make the videos! Helps keep a bunch of different perspectives in view, and it keeps my own critiques a bit more open, which I think aids with the analysis. If there's a corner for "over-analysis," I think I'll take it at this point haha, the internet is a big place, if you want a glazed-up yap session, I'm your guy! Jokes aside, thank you for the thoughtful comment ❤️ These always cheer me up, especially now around the holidays. Appreciate it!
0:22 Whoa wait wait wait, we're not the Smash community or the Minecraft community (low-hanging fruit ik)
they go in the trunk
@Ajakes no they are tied to the rear of the car, attached to kites, flying through the sky and getting clobbered by every street light
dude how do you pump these out so quickly they are perrrrfect, i love these sooooo much, this is an awesome christmas gift, thank u so much :3
they're so much fun to make, thanks!!
You have no idea how happy I am to see you keep doing these level comparison videos. It's like, I'm finally seeing someone else appreciate these levels as much as I do! Your style is genuinely so unique and charming, keep it up!!
Gushing about this new hobby has been a dream come true, thanks for catching the vids! ❤️
this video is so. COOL. Pausing to analyze the leading lines and all the background elements was so entertaining and even though it’s things I’d never pick up on, I’m excited because you’re excited! Jaw actually dropped when I saw you could grab onto that rocket again at the end of gens. Such a great vid, first one I’ve seen of yours so I know what else I’ll be watching for the rest of the day!!
Thanks for checking it out, and be sure to stick around, cause we're gonna keep the video train GOING. Any levels in particular you'd be interested in seeing a video on?
@@Ajakes I might be an outlier here but I’m always partial to anything from Colors. But you’d probably be a better judge than me what’s worth analyzing haha
Gens and SA1 are my two favorite Sonic games. Sonic’s Speed Highway is my favorite Adventure level and Gens’ Act 2 is my third favorite from that game. I have played both of these stages dozens if not hundreds of times. The fact you pointed out multiple things I’ve never seen in both versions is absolutely mind boggling. Job well done 👍
the first video I've watched from you was the rooftop run comparison video (I watched it like 3 hours ago lmaooo). You are probably one of the first youtubers to leave me "yearning" for more of your videos 😭. The way you present, your commentary, your visuals, your humor, just everything is just really intriging to me. PLEASE keep up the outstanding work good sir 🙏
Thank you! 🙏 Stick around in 2025, got way more videos coming your way!
Really great video once again! Keep up the great work!
holy shit dude how do you get these done so fast
while i wish the stage in gens wasnt so washed in blue, the stage itself in gens is definitely fantastic, yeah. i had no idea about that rocket shortcut, thats insane!
speed highway also one of the best levels in adventure imo; so often adventure stages feel like you can just skip half the stage with an easy spin dash jump, but speed highway feels like every path was so intentionally placed. just the right amount of spectacle too, love it
Speed Highway feels like long runways complemented into more open level design. It's one of the levels that you can look at just the roads and be like, "oh yeah, that's a Sonic level alright." SPEED was absolutely the name of the game on that stage
We love that you spent so much time and effort into these, its so much fun to see you need out on these things frfr, and your animation is peak
Nerd out*
I had no idea the generations version was so complex. It makes me want to see a comparison for seaside hill next! I remember it being the most complex gens stage it’s so big. Great content thank you!
This is really interesting analysis, I love the way you look at details like the highways pointing to where you're going next. I never even knew about some of these alternate routes, particularly the tunnel. That, and your sense of humour is great!
Thank you very much!
i love discovering cool new youtubers mere hours after they upload and becoming obsessed with their whole channel
No idea how you upload these so fast but I'm all for it! Would love to see a city escape analysis for gens and sa2 sometime
Dude.. Im stunned, you keep publishing videos so frequently yet all of them are FULL of quality. I don't often watch long analysis videos without doing anything else in the meantime, but holy shit, your videos have me engaged to it so much!!
I first saw the Rooftop Run comparison video when it released, and you instantly became one of my favourite content creators!!
As a level designer myself (still nothing professional, making classic sonic levels and maps for the fangame Sonic Robo Blast 2 xD) your level design analysis videos are so sublime! I can't word it out, you analyze and give a sense to everything in those levels that it surprises me so much.
I specially love your Unleashed videos, as i am making a recreation of that game levels in SRB2, it helps me so much!!
I've seen in the comments that you're getting a pretty good reception and you deserve it so much, please man, keep delivering 1000/10 content, every notification of a new video of yours is an instant neuron activation.
Level Designer! Is it difficult translating Unleashed levels to SRB2? I imagine they're kind of a different beast altogether? (I've never played SRB2 myself). Also THANK YOU for the comment 😊, nice to know I've been putting out some NEURON activators
@Ajakes It really isn't! Mostly because we've been getting a lot of mod tools to change mapping massively, a Modern Sonic character, rails, camera tools, objects. It is really recreable! The only problem would be the space you have in the gris to make the levels, you gotta optimize it a LOT in order for stuff to fit if we are doing a Modern Sonic level that's very big. :)
@@LimoLimon83 Interesting! Some of those Unleashed levels get long (looking at you, 5 minutes of Rooftop Run) so there's probably a lot to optimize lol
Everytime I watch your videos I find out a million new things about these levels I’ve played for years and it’s magnificent, love how you’ve done the drawings in this one a ton, and the intro with the arrest was hilarious and seamlessly worked into the video. Always excited to see what’s next! Your output and the time it takes is insanely good lol
Thank you! I appreciate all the support dude👍, and I'm excited to keep this going into the next year. There's SO many damn levels I wanna get to lol
@ for sure man! You’ve got a wild and imaginative style, so hyped to see what’s next else you’ve got cooking. Something I’ve been wondering about though, do you plan on covering anything from the storybook games’s level design? They’re SUPER linear but not many talk about its design so id for sure be interested haha
@@oreogod1985 Yeah I'd love to! I actually bought both of them for the channel, I just need to get my Wii U fixed next year lol. What I'd like to do down the line: get to all the Sonic games I missed as a kid, give a little first impressions video on it and then follow it up with a level that surprised me from the game, kinda like what I did with SXSG. And people have already been suggesting me Storybook recs so I got a lot to look for lol. (any levels YOU'D like to see from those games?.. 👀)
@ awesome lol I’ve also missed a lot of sonic games from a while back so that’ll be awesome to see. I think for secret rings, I would LOVE to see pirate storm, and black knight I’d say either dragons lair, molten mine, or shrouded forest. However even though black knight is my favorite sonic game, secret rings’s environments are much more interesting lol thanks for asking!
im so glad you did this, speed highway is my favorite level in the entire franchise (granted, theres still a decent chunk of games i have not yet played)
This video taught me that i have the same birthday as Sonic Adventure and that's insane, especially since it was my first Sonic game as a kid. Here's another fun coincidence too: I just finished Speed Highway for the first time in SA1DX (But Modded for DC look). I love how you dissect these levels, it's so entertaining!
Happy (belated) Birthday to you too!
Waking up to an Ajakes videos, is like waking up on your birthday, you forget it's YOUR day but when you see those presents oh man it's a rush. As an adult I don't care about my birthday anymore but I love AJakes.
Adam I'm loving these vids, you're probably sick of seeing my comments every time but no matter how weird or psychotic I sound just know it's love.
Never sick of it, always makes me smile! 👍 Thanks for all the support dude, AND happy Ajakes day, be sure to celebrate by eating Lego and running Hedgehogs, as god intended
The ironic part of this video is that I spent some Microsoft Christmas money to GET SA1DX on my Series S, also got GGST and DBFZ, but HOLY I didn't realize there was so much going on in both SA and SG, the background does a lot of heavy lifting, not to mention I discovered some new tech for my next speedrun of Speed Highway when I play Generations! Take that one week break, you deserve it! (But as per usual gotta put my prediction for the next Unleashed Level for new years, so Cool Edge this time, am I right, am I wrong, neither of us know untilt he end of your well deserved break!)
Time to get all 130 Emblems! You wanna be METAL SONIC, DONTCHA?!?!
@@Ajakes I DO, BUT I SAW A 100% OF SA1 DREAMCAST RETRA ACHIEVMENTS MASTERY VID AND IT LOOKS LIKE HELL FOR THE CHAO GARDEN BUT DX DID PORT SA2 CHAO MECHANICS TO SA1 BUT NOT ALL OF THEM???? Ima have to look into that by consulting the ancient tomes (My 2017 edition of the SOnic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia, real book look it up) I'll have ot consult both the normal entry and DX entry.
@Kagikarma bro someone just gave me the Encyclo-speed-ia for Christmas, we got the same TOMES BRO. If you attempt the emblems... good luck. The chao stuff was not my favorite...
The editing in your videos is absolutely wonderful. I’ve loved your videos for years (particularly your trip videos) and it makes me very happy to see your recent videos popping off. Keep up the good work, Adam ❤
Thanks dude, means a lot ❤ I'm happy I get to do more storytelling stuff (with the skits and personal bits and such), even in these Sonic videos. Kind of to keep the spirit of those Trip videos alive.
The joke about Sonic landing in a wedding cake is absolutely hilarious and i love it lmfao
Really good break down of the level design. Love it!
I just wanna say, I've been plummeting face-first back into my Sonic hyperfixation after the Year of Shadow had me in a chokehold, and I have been binging your level analyses and they are so fucking cool and informed. I love this channel.
You videos are a masterclass in exploring what makes these levels fun and articulating into words all of the things you feel while playing these levels - the thrills, the turns, the twists that your brain registers even if you, the player, do not process it. You have successfully broken down The Vibes for us all to pick apart like a clock to see how it works.
I cannot wait to repeat this information to friends so I can fool them into thinking I'm a Based Gamer (and then tell them about this channel so you can get their views because honestly, so fuckin' cool).
rofl, we are all Based Gamers™ after the Year of Shadow. There's no going back. I think all of 2024's content catapulted me right back into Sonic as well, it was a hell of a year. Also "The Vibes" is a great way of describing what I'm looking for, so I'm gonna steal that from YOU (ty). Very hyped to do more! Any levels that stand out from your childhood nostalgia, which could maybe use a video..? 👀
@@Ajakes See this is where I reveal that I didn't play many Sonic games growing up because I was A Poor, and instead enjoyed most of the games through RUclips LetsPlays and cutscenes compilations, at least until I was fully grown and able to finally try them as an adult.
Honestly, even at 30, it is very weird admitting that, because I remember a time where, before engaging with any internet fan space, you had to first establish that you were a "real" fan by boasting how many games you'd played, etc. to separate yourself from the fans who enjoyed making Sonic OCs and fanfiction. People were VERY at each others' throats back in the day, in a way that was VERY gendered and weird - The Dark Ages, if you will. (I imagine this is another reason why I enjoy the way you discuss these levels. So many of them are ones I wasn't able to enjoy indepth as a kid. Letsplays did a lot for me, but I couldn't force a RUclipsr to try every single branching path ever. Your content really scratches that itch, but in an environment and narrative style that feels very chill and casual and welcoming.)
BUT I would 1000% adore if you looked at the gameboy Sonic Advance games or the Storybook Games.
Sonic Advance 3 was the first Sonic game I ever owned myself (as opposed to playing on a richer friends' or relatives' console lol), and they had so many freakin' branching paths and cool design choices, especially because Sonic Advance 3 had this very cool tag-team play style that involved changing your moveset depending on which character you partnered with? Very good. I don't know if you have an interest in analyzing the Advance games, but I recommend you play them at any rate, just because they are fun. (I'm partial to Toy Kingdom).
As far as the Storybook games, I know they have their very very very large share of issues (infamously so), but Sonic and the Secret Rings was the first console game I ever owned (again, harkening back to being A Poor - the Wii was 1000% a budget console at the time). But I would be curious on your takes on the more linear play style, and on the level design. Night Palace was my personal favorite.
My relationship to the storybook games is more strained now, but they have a soft spot in my heart for being such so deeply weird, and so full of decisions that were clearly driven by limitations that forced the devs to be creative with the tools at hand.
@@hanahyperfixates I'm just about that age too, and I definitely remember the hostility and gatekeeping of the past. It has it's fair share in any fandom, but it was sad because Sonic hits people at all ages, and I remember there was a specific criteria to being a "Sonic fan," that shoved out a lot of folks. Thankfully now, I've noticed that the fandom has just expanded to an insane degree (especially with the movies), and these days playing the games is a small chunk of being a "Sonic fan." Which is honestly refreshing, because now we're getting a lot more varied takes from different perspectives. Something that surprised me from my Personal Timeline vid, was that TONS of people got into Sonic through the spinoffs and handheld games. And they are just as passionate about Sonic as the next fan. People drawing OCs after still playing none of the games, voicing characters they've only seen in RUclips videos. It's a very hopeful thing to see! Which is why I try to keep things open in my vids, as I want those people chiming in as well. We're all just loving the little blue guy, and I wanna keep those vibes GOING lol
In terms of Advance and the storybook games, I was able to get the GBA trilogy and the 2 storybook wii games last month! I've had a lot of requests for them, so I'm really excited to see what they were attempting there. Plus I got some great level recs too (Night Palace included haha), but this is the first I'm hearing about Toy Kingdom, I'll keep an eye out for that one in Advance 3. I'll probably do a short "First Impressions" vid, then follow it up with a level from that game. Would love to your takes whenever those go up! Regardless, thanks for suggestion! (and the kind words 🙏 appreciate it)
Please don't worry about making these videos long, It's so interesting to learn about each level that you go over. If anything make them longer!
I warn you, I WILL yap endlessly, but now I have your permission, so it's too late 👍
I have a personal memory of Sonic Adventure 1 DX, specifically the GameCube version. I loved using the many cheats available with Action Replay, and I appreciated that the Chao Garden was compatible with the Game Boy Advance. The unlockable minigames from the game were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the mission mode. After all, where else could you play as Metal Sonic or Cream the Rabbit? Although people don't like the dx version it's still got a place in my heart.
I know this is a long comment sorry,
I’m back from my vacation, and I’m just in time to catch this new video! As always, I’m genuinely impressed by the music, the editing, and the visuals. It’s exciting to see how well this is gaining traction, and I can only imagine the incredible potential you have with other games, especially considering the passion you infused into the large Sonic video.
I’m looking forward to seeing you finish this project with a spectacular conclusion; I have no doubt it will be amazing! Also, I’m still waiting for a Discord link to be included in the description. On a side note, could you please make the Eggman sandwich from Sonic Unleashed? It would be great to see that featured in your next comparison video, especially alongside my character! And don’t worry, I promise it’s not poison! :3
Keep up the fantastic work; I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
Once again I hope you enjoy your break well
when I finally got all my emblems and unlocked Metal Sonic (my beloved) I felt like a GOD, I value DX just for that haha. Hope the vacation was fun! Glad this landed at the right time, I can't wait for more in 2025. Discord i'm still thinking about, I kinda enjoy my privacy if we're being honest, but I don't want people to feel trapped in the RUclips comments. Maybe a subreddit eventually, I still gotta think on it, apologies! In the meantime though, we keep the videos coming. BTW do you have a reference sheet for your character? (Also thanks for the comment!)
Not yet but I do eventually
And if I had it where would I put it at
@@azuredusk991 you can tag me on Twitter or Bluesky!
saw this like an hour before I got off work and MAN big city levels do not get enough love, I was SO happy to see this as the next level analyzation. Ironically enough, I used to not even like speed highway all that much because I thought the constant blue was so boring and bland, but as I grew up I found myself enjoying it more and more, until now its probably my favorite gens level alongside seaside hill. I would always take the normal pretty obvious route, but as I played the level more I would find a new thing basically every single time I played it (which was a LOT for some reason despite my apathy towards it) until eventually I would find a new route and be blown away by the fact that I NEVER found out abt it until then. finding that garage path was unbelievably insane to me as a kid. this video goes over almost everything I love about the level and then some, all that highway winding and intentional environmental direction was completely lost to me until watching this and its GENIUS! and of course like with skyscraper scamper I gotta go over the MUSIC!!!!!! holy peak this song is SOOOOOO sonic, from the constant scratching guitar feeding your hype, to the sirens setting in that sense of almost urgency or maybe trouble as the cops close in on sonic, or ,if you will, represent the LOUD and BUSY nature of nighttime station square, being so "naturally intruding" if that makes any sense. and of course, how could you ever listen to speed highway's song and not notice the thing tying the entire thing together: UP AND DOWN AND ALL AROUND. if I had one word to describe that line it'd be "sonic". one thing in particular I really love about the sa1 version is that depending on which version you play, you could get a COMPLETELY different vibe (at least for me). the dreamcast version describes the feeling of the city, its sounds like what it looks like, big busy nighttime cityscape, just plain awesome. but the dx version, with its darker aesthetic and toned down business, makes it feel a lot more urgent, like I gotta get going as fast as I can through this busy night, and I think that calm 'epilogue' section of the level makes that feeling just a little more apparent. your analysis of both versions of level is, as usual, absolutely amazing.
sidenote:
"I promise they won't all be this long" no....don't promise this....I love when hour long video essay on something I shouldn't find so concerningly interesting... (unless these are super tiring to make then fair, do your thing and do it well)
another sidenote:
something I think would be pretty interesting to see, albeit a bit different from the lineup, is a comparison/analysis of windy valley and/or its beta counterpart, which I think is another level that's completely underrated.
sorry I typed an actual essay, I might be stupid
YO! Sorry for the slow response, RUclips held this comment randomly, and I only saw it until now, my bad. But what can I say that you haven't already said, we're digging the exact same things and it's working on us lmao. It's SO energetic, SO loud, SO much damn fun, how could you not get passionate about this level??? Especially with the more angelic world of Sky Sanctuary before it, hitting Speed Highway right after is Modern Sonic slapping you in the face and throwing you down a building (with him lol), it's such a great intro to the Dreamcast stages, and it shines so well in Gens. I won't back down, it's my fav Gens level, I STICK TO MY GUNS. I want to hit Windy Valley on its own, as I honestly think it's a great 2nd stage chopped up into 3 parts, BUT I have been considering doing Beta comparisons as well. I'd like to always keep some sort of comparison series going alongside individual levels, so I think it's a great idea! (watch me make 2 videos on Windy Valley, individual AND comparison rofl). Anywho, apologies again for the late reply, THANK YOU for digging the long vids (srsly) and thanks for the comment!
Incredible work! I hope you had a relaxing holiday and enjoyed the life-sized sonic made entirely out of Grimace wedge pieces that I tracked you down to deliv- I mean that Santa brought you… :’)
is THAT what's been stuck in my chimney?? (thank uvm, have a relaxing holiday too!)
Holy moly.
I did NOT know HOW MANY Routes there actually are in Generations.
Great Video, incredibly fun to watch and the humor and jokes are peak as always
This has the feel of sequilities but for sonic and im here for it. Great job 🔥
When he's talking about the straight line and animates sonic running into that wall is crazy amount of creative effort like he did not need to do that
47:19 i like how at the end of Generations’ SpeedHighway it showed the sun coming up, a little nod to the original and how the whole stage would change
It has been 13 years and I NEVER knew about that third route to the end. Generations is a special one. Class work as always chief.
Appreciate it brother 🙏🙏🙏
Today I learned that you can fail the Generations wall run, and the path is way cooler. Thank you for doing such amazing analysis!
Bickuribox12 already pointed this out but again, you upload INSANELY fast considering the quality of the art and the script. Because generations is a boost level I never really explored it too much, and I didn't explore alot of SADX's speed highway because of the way sonic controls in that game. So watching this video discovered so many secrets to me, like at the 2d section with 3 floors I NEVER EVER even THOUGHT of the fact that you can jump to skip the first part. Also LIKE JUMPING OF THE TRICK PLATFORM WILL SKIP 2 FLOORS LIKE WHAT?! this gave me a better perspective on generations level, details that I never saw now pop out more than ever and its genuinely impressive how much stuff sonic team can put in a part of a level that almost nobody is going to see. So yeah great video, great format (also I ADORE your art style), great comedy and overall great job! I hope more people will see your content because it's genuinely inspiring.
I think it might be that "new video high" I'm currently on haha, got my first rush of making a Sonic video with Rooftop Run and now I can't stop. Happy to show you a couple new things, and thanks for the nice comment!! 🙌
@@Ajakes Also can you make a sonic 3 movie review, or like a comparison between the sonic 2 movie and 3 movie?
@@tricktrook3174 Hoping to do a 3-part video series on them in the future!
The generations song is mixed so well. Play it when you run and youll get extra stamina
ACT 1's remix is probs one of my top 3 tracks from Gens
Man just wow your content is phenomenal
I wouldn't call myself a "DX-Defendor", because I also like both versions, but the DX-version is the first version I played of Adventure 1 and it is still my preferred version.
Great analysis, I learned a lot today about the level, like the many hidden items in the OG Version and the crazy rocket skip at the end! And I liked that you talked about the "Lone Lane Lineway", it is such a small thing, but I like that part a lot for some reason. My favorite levels in (Sonic) Generations are Sky Sanctuary & Crisis City, so as with Jungle Joyride in Unleashed, I can't wait for your videos of them. Enjoy a well deserved break and happy new year!
The "Lone Lane Lineway" is barely even a setpiece, but it's very memorable, I had to give it ITS DUE! (kinda like the Roof Drop in Rooftop Run). I think we'll be able to get to all those levels next year, so get ready, and happy new year to you as well!
I’m so glad there’s finally a person I can watch for Sonic level in depth analysis videos.
This video was so good it felt like I was watching only for 20 minutes.
Can't wait for jungle joyride or arid sands review. Those levels are the most I spent optomising and they really have become my favourite boost levels. My first time in jungle joyride was around 8 minutes and my current record is 4:30 and with arid sands my first attempt was 6 minutes with my current attempt being 2:30. Those levels don't hold your hand and really let you min max sonics movement.
Jungle Joyride was my first S rank (beyond Windmill Isle), it was the first stage I really wanted to "learn" because on my initial run I thought, "who would ever be able to S rank this," and had to find out for MYSELF
I like how much you analyze stuff that most of us sees, but don't think too much about it; It gives me a whole another sense of appreciation. Could you make a Crisis City comparison or Eggmanland video next? I would LOVE to see those.
I gotta start training for Eggmanland... so yes, absolutely 👍 (and thx!)
These have quickly become my new favourite videos on RUclips. All the best parts of nerdy, mindblowing shit that I love!
Can’t wait for the inevitable comparison of crisis city and seaside hill. Them boys got some meat
I'm both hyped for those levels and a little terrified at how much they have in them. And here I said I'd slow down on big videos... 😔 But how do you not go long on SEASIDE HILL, right
I really love these videos, keep them up!
I don't mind at all if these videos are long, you've got so many great things to say about these levels that I drop everything to watch them. This is the kind of level design analysis I yearn for
those of you who don't mind the vid length are the true heroes 🙏
These videos just make me appreciate the levels even more than before. Thanks for another amazing video.
One thing I love that both versions of the level do is the passage of time. Both versions start in the middle of the night and after all the thrilling gameplay, the rising sun is there to meet you at the final section/end goal. I feel like it enhances the sensation of progression and also gives me the feeling that the level is longer than it really is.
YOU CAN CATCH THE ROCKET A SECOND TIME?! Additionally, I've always loved that you see the sunrise in the Generations version, signaling you finished the level "at dawn"
19:20 I found this out recently but in SA1, if you grab the first speed shoes at the top of the building, and then fall down and find the second speed shoes behind that building, you’ll have the speed shoes effect for the entirety of the level! Sonic accelerates like he has it, even when the effect seems to run out! Try it out for yourself!
oh rofl is that a specific glitch, or does that work in most SA1 levels? Cause that's hilarious
@@AjakesI’m not sure at all.. I can’t think of many instances of where there are multiple Speed Shoes nearby, so I can’t test it myself lol. Maybe it is a glitch 🤷♂️
your videos get even better each time! loved every second of it, btw, jungle joyride(peak) when?
you said it yourself. It's peak, and we gotta climb our way there... but dear god when we do, get yourself ready