One of my favourite conversations Shadow has in white space is with Big the Cat. Big talks about how he would like to go fishing with Gerald, since he knows a lot about fish and since he seems on edge it might calm him down.
I understand is hard to not be a bit cynical about the situation, since we've been here before with the OG gens... But I think we are in a WAY better position than back then. While OG Gens was a great game and a great new blueprint for the series, it was still made in the same disregard for it's past despite the actual game being made out of love for the series. It was kinda contradictory when you think about it lol, you could still tell SEGA was scared of doing anything that would even touch the 2000's era. Now, not only the series is in a way better financial position (the games are selling the best they've ever been, the movies are poping off, and we got a lot more attention from the casual crowd), but also it feels like SEGA and Sonic Team have a lot more confidence in the IP and letting it be what it wants to be. I really hope they keep at it, and SEGA gives Sonic team all the resources they need for the next game to be even better than Shadow gens. I know these devs love Sonic, they just couldn't really express that love well because of that fear they had in 2010. Here's to a good future... please.
Definitely agree. I was optimistic for the future gameplay-wise in 2011, but I knew deep down that the Saturday morning cartoon vibes weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Now I'm excited for the future both in terms of gameplay and stories
it feels weird yet scarely optimistic but also really content Shadow Gens has become really universally good and popular to where even non-fans outside of the fandom are looking into the game, hell even moistcritical and videogamedunkey are giving this game that score It feels like Sonic Team is able to finally pull out all of that creative juice that they've been bottling up without having to worry and fear over the fandom being cowardly of any 2000s era flavor. Like ik it's gonna be crazy, but can you imagine Sonic Team going back to the Riders spinoff series and giving that game online and better mechanics and feel to that
This is the first time im feeling optimistic about the future of this series in YEARS. Im very excited to see what sonic team cooks up for the future of this series now that it's gotten more popular than ever and they don't have to hold back.
Interesting seeing his relationship from Shadow 05 to 06, to Frontiers, and finally Shadow Gens I'm smelling a clear redemption of his relationship atm. He's really in for a Sonic mood
36:40 I really appreciate this commentary on Sonic’s attitude toward his adventures. He just lives for the next adventure where he can run freely, and may or may not remember everything he’s been through
It feels real clunky to me having him not remember his adventures. Like, if someone had been travelling all over the world, I would give them the biggest side eye if they told me they couldn’t remember all of it.
@@sundowner4076 I don't think its that Sonic literally wouldn't remember his past adventures he just doesn't dwell on them and he doesn't have a reason to normally. Except in this game where he is literally being confronted with locations and characters from those adventures so I think it makes sense to bring them up in this case.
I was 7 when the OG version come out. I'm 20 now (yes, im currently attending college rn. (Also, my birthday was recent) It's on October 12th. It's also my favorite game of all time!
As comfy as the Past may be and nostalgia being a hell of a drug, eventually we all have to move on, and I love how you emphasized the whole concept with Shadow’s portion of the game being the main point of it all.
Shadow Gens was an absolute gem to play. It included everything I love about Sonic. The exploration of SA1. The spectacle of SA2. The ambition of 06. The intensity of Unleashed. The innovative gimmicks of Colors. The level design and cohesiveness of Generations. Improving so much of what made me love Frontiers. Mechanically it is so well polished. Shadow feels great and the level design is some of the best Sonic has had in a long time. I can only hope they keep this up from here with original levels. The story made me tear up on so many occasions. Maria and Shadow reuniting, Shadow's smile towards her when reassuring her of what she desires for him, and when he shed that tear at the end. Maria was handled so well. It shows she is so much more than a plot device. She was someone who was Shadow's emotional rock. Frontiers and Shadow Gens have made emotional stories back to back. I couldn't say that about a Sonic game in a while. Bravo Sega. Bravo Sonic Team. Onward to new adventures. We'll be right there with you.
It almost feels like you’re stretching to bring up aspects from other games …but you’re absolutely right. I’m especially happy that they’re actually trying to tell stories again. I missed the early 3D era’s stories so much.
Shadow generations has some of the best designed/most fun levels we’ve had in a sonic game in years in my opinion. I want the next game to be more like that I think it’s better than what frontiers tried.
My only hope now is that the next sonic game has some really new original stages, yeah its a gens rerelease so no duh they’re gonna use older stages but they’ve been using the same stages for like the last decade in modern sonic games, new stuff would be so nice soon
You’ve recently seen Rail Canyon, Kingdom Valley and The Ark in a Modern Sonic game prior to Shadow Generations? It’s clear they’re more than willing to branch out.
@ not what I meant, its nice to see those stages again but I mean something brand new would be really cool, with like its own music and aesthetics n stuff
@@jayceallen6530 idk I don't really feel like it's overused already, expanding on the frontiers themes is what that game needed the most. The stage shows the future direction pretty well I think, I'm happy with it if that's what they keep doing.
27:47 As much as I dislike Rail Canyon it actually makes a lot of sense that they picked it because Shadow finds out about his clones after the Egg Albatross boss fight which is the boss for the Rail Canyon duo of stages
It’s also fitting in a meta sense when you remember Shadow’s game is where modern rail grinding mechanics were first codified; So them remaking a stage whose original incarnation was greatly hampered by the old rail grinding mechanics in a game emphasizing Shadow & many of the franchise’s expansions related to him honestly makes Rail Canyon/Bullet Station the best possible selection of Sonic Heroes… I do agree that an Egg Fleet remake would’ve been an amazing pick, due to all the potential references to other airship stages in the franchise…
The fact that they went and truly dove into Shadow's story and history and appear to have given him *closure* and a full *arc* to his original story is absolutely incredible. I personally always disliked Shadow's original ending where he seemingly gave up on his past, good and bad and essentially throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to see that they forced him to finally confront the cost of that decision and have a true reconciliation - and thus have him grow and mature as a character - is wonderful. With this, I can finally look at Shadow as a complete character, and can stop worrying about unresolved questions and concerns about his story. When he fights Sonic as a rival, I'll no longer sit there wondering about "what about the things that happened before" and "why doesn't Shadow care about these things"; now he DOES care, and he's trying to get things done to make the world better, for himself and Maria. It's just that he's going to be getting them done in *his* way, which necessarily means that he's gonna butt heads with Sonic and crew, and even flat out working with their enemies like Dr. Eggman. There's even more story potential for him now in that direction, as well: perhaps he could feel that the grandson of his progenitor might be redeemable, as he himself was? Maybe Shadow even secretly wishes to try to save Dr. Eggman where Shadow was unable to save Dr. Gerald from his own madness?? I doubt we'll get such high minded concepts, of course, but it's still amazing to think about as fan theories, and makes me excited for Shadow's character in a way I haven't felt in a very very long time! For a series supposedly aimed at children, Shadow has been elevated to being one of the best rivals in gaming today, and I can't wait to face off against him - or AS him - in future titles!
I can especially see this sort of "sympathy for Eggman" and trying to save him from himself with future interactions between Sage and Shadow. While the Maria parallels won't hit the same because that similarity belongs to Amy, what he *can* affect is how Shadow can curtail or address Eggman's reactions whenever something bad happens to _Sage._ Eggman understands Sage is an AI, but the fact Sage is so complete that it Brought out a father side to Eggman *unheard of* in any Sonic media (that I know) that can be a point of contention or salvation Shadow can tackle as Eggman becomes dangerously similar to Gerald, even after his world takeover in Forces.
Although Eggman always being the bad guy to Sonic should never change (being the Frieza to Sonic's Goku), having Shadow interact with Eggman's forces in a professional way over Sonic's hostile stance is a nice juxtaposition of how character dynamics can interweave between all the named characters in the Sonic franchise.
I wouldn’t go as far as wanting shadow to redeem eggman or work with him. but I think shadow seeing Eggman as as pathetic and a disgrace to Gerald’s legacy could be cool. Them battling over who is the real successor type of stuff
@dylanwins9839 there could be a storyline that could develop between Eggman and Sage to where they emulate a modern day Gerald and Maria. Where the only one to really make a connection like that would be Shadow.
Endings like Shadow 05’s are crucial to extending the space a character’s arc can go before it reaches its natural conclusion. Granted I don’t think sonic team INTENDED for shadow 05’s ending to be the semifinal to his arc, so to speak, and it took way to long to actually get its conclusion, but it’s here and now and I think very well executed. Something I think is a strong potential too is that Gerald, in white space, has a dialogue where he tells shadow he wants him to live for himself as much as for Maria’s wish, not necessarily to abandon his duties but to allow himself space to enjoy the gift of life he has been given. This was something I never even considered about shadow’s character. But it makes so much sense. We’ve ONLY ever seen him fighting like a soldier. We’ve never seen him just existing, resting, taking in a hobby even if only for his own mental peace. I really hope we’ll get to see shadow taking time for himself in the future to reflect this potential growth for his character. Also, I love the back and forth potential between him and Eggman. Something of “Gerald would never have wanted this for his grandson” vs “look how the world threw his kindness in his face and executed him for his ambition”.
@@Autistic_Artist_795 The only ''rewrite'' I'll personally accept is adding a few scenes throughout the game showing Chip regaining some of his memories so that the reveal doesn't just come at full right before the final level. Unleashed suffers from what I call ''saggy middle'' whereas 90% of the story is at the beginning and at the end, with the middle just going to various places and doing the levels. It's not inherently bad in a franchise with a focus on gameplay, but I wouldn't be against adding a bit fluff to the middle part.
* Werehog gets actual battle themes for each world. * Tune up the werehog in general. * Medal hunting revamped or mitigated in some way to be much less of a chore. * All DLC challenge levels included * "Classic" toggle to let people play the game as it was in 08 without any of the changes. And that's all I can think off immediately that I'd really need from an Unleashed Remaster besides the obvious uprezzing and "it functions properly." Maybe a new hub to surprise people or some recreations of some of the PS2 version's levels too.
Aside from its meaning, gameplay, and shadow's no future line, I love the mephiles fight because its so interesting to see Mephiles, so cocky and assured during 06, reduced to this angry, screaming shell as he desperately fights shadow, realizing he's losing his last shot at existing.
Doing Radical Highway Act 1 and 2 without Doom Wings is probably one of my favorite sonic experiences in a long time. Finding all those hidden, faster pathways, perfecting each and every jump to the minute detail, god I hope they do more of that.
The S rank for those 2 levels was so stressful but so encouraging to master. Especially cuz many of those paths I never saw because first playing em you have doom wings you wanna use em for the final Push towards black doom but revisiting without the wings it’s a whole new level… with two 3D acts what a lovely surprise that is 🗣️🗣️
I think in generations, we really needed one original "rift in time" final level, that maybe borrowed setpieces from classic final levels such as final chase, egg-fleet, and running down the tower of eggman land.
As a long-time Sonic autist it’s so cathartic seeing all the praise this series has gotten over the past year. Seeing Sonic Team lean into the more corny aspect of their games has helped them reach new heights with their characters and I really appreciate that
The only thing I didn't like about Shadow's story is that they didn't make his choice at the end as impactful as they could have. Imagine if Black Doom had recognized Shadow's pain and exploited it, and as a last resort, offered to rewrite history to have Gerald and Maria survive at the cost of Shadow's free will. Maybe he could have given Shadow a glimpse into a alternate timeline where Black Doom ruled with Shadow as his weapon, but Gerald and Maria were still alive. That would have been the ultimate test of Shadow's character, and would have made his choice to accept the past and write his own destiny much more emotionally charged.
I actually really loved the Egg Dragoon fight in OG Generations. Fighting against it in Sonic's regular form in a constant high-speed chase makes for a really cool contrast to fighting it as the Werehog in Unleashed, in a similar way that fighting Perfect Chaos without needing Super Sonic felt.
The opening cutscene of Unleashed had a Sonic fighting a prototype Egg Dragoon before he went Super and destroyed it. Getting to do it in gameplay 3 years later is actually pretty sick
So wild to me that so many people _love_ these games where you commit terrorism and cause millions in property damages. Im guessing none of you ever played Spec Ops the Line??
@@BlueTakBlur But how many casualties are acceptable?? Sonic and Co seem to not even "FLINCH" when ACTIVE Mass Transit is LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR KILLING ALL ON BOARD?? What a sick JOKE that they feel no empathy towards the Working Class!!
@@aturchomicz821 To be fair, GUN also sent a MASSIVE truck barreling down a public street, destroying anything in its way. And in Gens, the truck has BUZZSAWS AND ROCKET BOOSTERS.
The fact this game made me actually think it's okay to like Shadow the Hedgehog (the 2005 game) on top of everything else? It's honestly impressed a sonic game can still rank high, (imo even in spite of some changes, albeit small between versions of Sonic Generations) Hearing RichardEB do a remix for Supporting Me not only works for me on a nostalgic level but also is reminds me the guy can shred like Jun Senuoe, seeing a fan clearly accepted to work in an official employ. Reminds me of when Sonic Mania was announced in an odd way with Christian Whitehead. Makes me still glad SEGA is willing to at least somewhat take in fans who clearly enjoy Sonic and see what they can come up with (compared to say Nintendo)
Just got 100% collectibles and challenges…yo that’s a video game. They should make more of that next time but also in new locations with good art direction. Edit: I obsess over these kinds of thought experiments. For me the stage roster of base Generations was pretty good but the thematic variety could've been a lot stronger if it wasn't based on a popularity contest. If I could tweak the roster, I'd rework about half of it. Green Hill, Chemical Plant, City Escape, and Rooftop Run can all stay where they're at but for the rest of it... Sonic 3 - Hydrocity Zone - It'd be a stronger rep for the "Water" level that also serves as a nod to the Labyrinth archetype that is as iconic as it is reviled SA1 - Red Mountain - It's the best Adventure stage that was pretty much a proper realization of classic Sonic in 3D. Speed Highway is cool but City Escape has its archetype covered already. Final Egg would also be acceptable here. Heroes - This is tough but it's a tie between Frog Forest and Egg Fleet. Heroes in general has so many cool stage themes yet the two reps we actually got for it were unfortunately the stages I probably wanted reimagined the least. 06 - Aquatic Base - Love the music and color palate here and we are kind of missing a proper secret lab/Eggman base theme if you don't wanna count Act 1 of Planet Wisp Colors - Asteroid Coaster - Cool theming, great music, fits the mold of a "final stage" much better For Shadow Gens. most of the choices were great aside from the lack of a proper StH 05 rep. Keep the Ark, Kingdom Valley, Sunset Heights, Chaos island, and Radical Highway. Shadow The Hedgehog - Add 2 stages, one Black Comet and the other either being Sky Troops or Digital Circuit. I know a lot of people ask for Westopolis but I just don't find anything interesting in it and Radical Highway already has its theme covered. Heroes - Probably replace Rail Canyon with Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion. Those are just more imaginative stages to me that still fit with Shadow tonally. If you wanna get extra weird with it, you could add Shrouded Forest from Black Knight since Shadow was playable there and it was essentially his stage.
Yo, that’s crazy, in my head I was the only one who thought Shrouded Forest would be an awesome Black Knight pick. When I played that level as a kid I played it with all the characters except for Shadow, but then I did it with Shadow and for whatever reason it clicked. I always associate it with him now.
This video hits really hard after watching your analyses of Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), I am finally feeling optimistic about this franchise again
After frontiers drove him away, shadow generations brought him back to HELL with us. Jokes aside though, I really REALLY hope history doesn’t repeat itself and sega pulls another sonic lost world. Please for the love of god just fully fix what frontiers tried to do and make it as great as shadow generations.
I’m honestly really optimistic. Frontiers was a bit rough around the edges but it felt like an experiment that really paid off, and Shadow Gens feels like them taking what they learned from that and delivering on it, if they can carry that momentum through to the next game and improve it even more it’ll be an all timer for sure.
Great video as always! It's been too long since we've had a Sonic game where everyone can agree it's a fun time without any big asterisks at the end of that sentence. Shadow Generations not only gives us (some) hope for the future of Sonic, but also improves the reputation of Frontiers because it no longer has the skepticism of just being another instance of Sonic Team having something they could improve on in the next game, only to abandon it soon after. Frontiers' DNA is sprinkled throughout Shadow Generations and the game is much better for it! Shadow is finally back to where he needed to be, and I can only hope that they won't waste this potential.
Amazing video! I always felt like the 2D Shadow stages were a reference to Sonic Rivals on the PSP. I also like how they played with the idea that Radical Highway was Shadows Green Hill.
RUclips right now is not really favorable towards extremely long-form videos like this, due to prioritizing creators who maintains constant viewer retention and rapid-fire upload schedule. That's why some Sonic video essayists like Hard_Pretzel experimented with a more brainrot-styled editing style to maintain that viewer retention. Nebula also doesn't have ads, and when you watch their videos, you're supporting the creators directly. It's more about supporting the creators tbh rather than the type of content they make.
Two big missed opportunities, in my opinion While I know people kinda rib on the endless references, I think it's a big missed opportunity to not have ended Shadow's big takedown of Doom with a "THIS is who I am" I also feel like when Maria said goodbye to Shadow again, we probably should've gotten another "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog"
I feel like stating familiar quotes is another point towards how they felt great in the past, and that we should pave way towards creating new memorable moments.
Sir, you would LOVE Spark the Electric Jester 3. It's the only indie game I've played that really catches what makes sonic games fun, and boils it down into a strong package.
lets hope sonic team wont greet us with another a Lost World again like last time after the OG generations gave everyone hope for the franchise's future
honestly, the only thing i was hoping for was a scene where shadow takes off his limiter rings again. Shadow has grown so much in power, and is SO strong in this game, that the limiter rings dont even seem to serve a purpose anymore. It would have been cool for the final fight to have him take them off again to give himself that final burst of energy he needed to finish things, before tiring himself out. Almost suffering the same fate as he did in adventure 2, but able to get his bearings more quickly thanks to how much he's grown.
11:36 On the topic of the chaos spear maintaining your air momentum, Sonic Heroes had something similar too with the power type glide also maintaining your air momentum which speedrunners used for shortcuts. Egg Fleet is a notable stage they use it on to land on the side of the ships and run on it like they're parkouring from lost world. It is kind of like the rebirth of Heroes glide.
My personal selection for Gens keeping the same game selection. Sonic 1: Green Hill, Sonic 2: Chemical Plant, Sonic 3: Hydrocity. Adventure: Twinkle Park, SA2: City Escape, Heroes: Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion Sonic 06: Kingdom Valley, Unleashed: Cool Edge, Colors: Asteroid Coaster
"Their takeaway from its success was that people really liked the past. And that was true, to an extent" "What it missed is that people liked the past, because it didn't used to be the past" I have never seen a quote more truer than before and using Shadow Gens as a source to prove what that game was trying to accomplish that countered what Sonic Gens was proving at that era of time
I'm an Adventure diehard and this is probably the first time in many years that I'm genuinely excited for the future of Sonic. I used to always lament the departure of Adventure's controls because I always felt like it was the most fun game to master. The controls were tight but the physics were just janky enough to be a joy to crack wide open, combined with expansive level design. SXSG made me come to love the boost formula because it finally feels like Sonic Team nailed what made older 3D Sonic games so fun to play; great controls with plenty of fun little time-saving tricks you can do. I actually quite liked Frontiers for the same reason (for the most part at least), but here they took what worked and refined upon it in so many ways. It's crazy to see after they spent so long throwing whatever at the wall and seeing what sticks
For the exercise KingK mentioned my choices of stages for my version of Generations would be >Starlight Zone >Hill Top Zone >Ice Cap Zone >Twinkle Park >Metal Harbor >Mystic Mansion >Wave Ocean >Dragon Road >Sweet Mountain I feel these are a good variety of levels with unique settings and set pieces that would make anyone gush with Nostalgia
I noticed that in cutscenes "sonic" styled characters with similar heads (for example sonic, shadow, rouge) the mouth opening is small and apparently able to move freely inside the skintoned part off their face.
As another Heroes shooter, I completely understand the feeling of wanting Egg Fleet in a Generations game, but with the stage selection in the game, I feel like they made very solid picks for stages that represent Shadow's story and past... besides Chaos Island. The Ark was where he was born and raised, and also where he defeated Black Doom by using the Eclipse Canon. Rail Canyon is where we first encounter the Shadow Androids and begin the entire plot thread of "Is this the real Shadow?". Kingdom Valley is where he accidentally released Mephiles. Sunset Heights was where Shadow enters the story of Sonic Forces after Sonic tracks down one of his clones. And then, as stated in the video, Radical Highway is where everything began, it's the first level we play as Shadow and started his entire story for us. They're all incredibly solid picks in my eyes, they could have made alternate choices to represent his story in other ways through these games, but this *feels* like the best possible selection... aside from Chaos Island and the fact we didn't get a Shadow The Hedgehog level.
I think the Ark is meant to be our shadow level? The ark in ShTH is a level that itself remixes Final Rush for its ost. The level in shadow gens takes a lot from all of the arks appearances though. I do think we should have had a black comet level after radical highway, but maybe that wouldn’t have fit the narrative climax of going back to that place? I don’t know.
@@reginlief1 The Ark is such a hard level to justify as being a Shadow The Hedgehog level since it was introduced in SA2 and is kind of hard to shake that bias aside.
I was watching this on TV, and came to the mobile version to comment on something: it makes complete thematic sense for them to have included Rail Canyon/Bullet Station over Egg Fleet, because that's where Team Dark first encountered the Shadow Android after defeating the Egg Albatross, causing Shadow to question whether he's the original or not.
I really like your point about how Shadow's game ends with leaving his past behind because all he's seen of it is pain and loss and Bad... And now he's grown enough to remember what was good and worthwhile about the past, what to keep with him and carry forwards. It's why I think there would've been a really powerful story in successfully saving Maria rather than reflexively accepting the 'must leave the timestream as we found it' story. Ultimately, you can never leave the past entirely in the past, it's always an exercise in how you grow from it, what you carry forwards, and I think literally carrying the best part of his past into the future, shedding the rest, would fit right in with that.
One of my favorite parts of og generations and how boost pushes the adventure sonic to it’s limits is how with the boost power, sonic was able to fight perfect chaos no super sonic needed. Felt like a genuine moment of power growth
I really understand the love of Egg Fleet and the disappointment of not having it at the game, but in defense of Rail Canyon; in a game that doesn’t have “story”in his priorities (Sonic Heroes), it is the stage that has more meaning to Shadow, since it is the place he first doubt being real, seeing an android of him destroyed. I loved this analysis, you are great man!
I hope this game gets some DLC with more levels. SA2: White Jungle Heroes: Egg Fleet and Hang Castle Shadow 05: Digital Circuit, Black Comet and Circus Park Sonic 06: Flame Core and White Acropolis
My ideal Generation Stages Megadrive Era Sonic 1 - Green Hill Zone Sonic 2 - Chemical Plant Sonic 3 - Icecap Zone Sonic and Knuckles - Sky Sanctuary Adventure Era(Named for the semi-ongoing storyline the games had) Sonic Adventure - Speed Highway Sonic Adventure 2 - Metal Harbor Sonic Heroes - Hang Castle Shadow the Hedgehog - Sky Fleet Modern Era Sonic 06 - Kingdom Valley Sonic Unleashed - Rooftop Run Sonic Rush - Water Palace Sonic Colors - Planet Wisp Chaos Era(Finale Sonic and the Secret Rings - Evil Foundry Sonic Rush Adventure - Pirate’s Island Sonic and the Black Knight - Crystal Cave Sonic CD - Metallic Madness Bad Future
I suddenly felt ancient hearing that Sonic Generations came out when he was 14. Until I checked the date and learned that it was only in 2011. I was only 13 at the time, I just didn't know it came out. I only heard about it after it's PC release and mods. So in my mind it came out around 2017ish.
Shadow Generations has made the past seven years make so much more sense. Forces and Frontiers were just prototypes. I can forgive them now, as they have paved the way for the creation of this masterpiece. This game puts me at peace.
27:50 Rail canyon makes sense for shadow's history since that was where all the shadow androids were stored and when people started questioning if this shadow was the original or not. but yes i do agree i wish we got an Egg Fleet level here. Kingdom Valley is when shadow first meets mephiles too
30:02 "Yeah, Shadow Generations didn't do everything I wanted it to do, just as Sonic Generations didn't do everything I wanted it to do." STRANGE? ISN'T IT?? It was probably unintentional, but that wording made me think of that line from the old Sonic OVA And you're right, Egg Fleet is the GOAT.
One of the biggest pieces of missed potential in Shadow Gens was not having each level switcheroo be a level from the same game as the one you were just thrown out of by Black Doom. Like how the ARK has Radical Highway, Imagine Rail Canyon/Egg Fleet & Sunset Heights/Mystic Jungle, then we get all the distorted levels combined for Radical Highway Act 1 and/or 2 and then a dedicated Black Comet-esque stage for the Black Moon itself. Or just have Black Moon Act 1 (or whatever you wanna call it) just be the whole concept for Radical Highway 1 and/or 2 I mentioned above.
i do still find it funny that a game about going through old stages has some of the most unique level design in its era. even mania its act 1's consisted of minor layout tweaks before the act 2's added the main gimmick which turned the stages upside down. honestly that's my biggest sticking point with that game, while important for the sake of pacing due to 60% of the zones being from previous games, it feels as rehashy as fronteirs cyberspace does for me. albiet for only a quarter of the game but a quarter is a lot of game to feel like you may as well be playing the original game, along with spheres replacing the bonus item minigames that second celebration felt just as hindered as generations did 6 years prior. quite frankly it's a miracle shadow gens is as great as it is, it has transcended being a step in the right direction and is just a flat out great game. it's got a few annoyances but where fronteirs was a 6/10 you could enjoy as a flawed guilty pleasure exploiting how broken the overworld was once you memorised the locations of the pop in platforms, this is a straight 9/10, the biggest problem with the game is how abrupt the transformations turn on and off (mostly just morph tbh but gaining momentum when landing in hub world water made me bonk on walls a lot), but even with that it can be flipped into a positive due to skipping the whole transformation sequence and immediately chaining moves from one set of abilities into the next, any sonic game which lets me homing attack in and out of a grappling hook is a fun one. like legitimately while gens and manias lost potential lingers, shadow squeezes as much potential as it could have from its choices barring the black comet or prison island (could even do the irradiated version for shadow 05 rep) like i especially love how much character they put into mephiles. i was content just having a boss cameo adjacent to the rival fights in their lack of importance, but we wound up getting a full epilogue on the character, being the only summoned boss aware of the time anomaly that brought them back to life and fighting for the sake of survival instead of their games original goal. really highlights an overlooked aspect of 06's overarching story, the poetic fate of a creature who wanted to erase time was instead erased from it. even without the heavy dosage of manipulation mephiles is still a stand out villain. so yee i liked the game a lot :3
Wasn't expecting to get, like, genuinely amped up listening to someone giving a thematic analysis of a Sonic game, but I can hardly complain. Hearing KingK hype up a Sonic game is the most glowing endorsement I could imagine, honestly. Haven't even finished base Generations and wasn't considering buying "x Shadow", but... idk... I'm thinking about it.
In my opinion, shadow is the most interesting character and concept in the sonic franchise, while at the same time, on of the most mishandled. Half the time i get the feeling the writers don't know what tondo with him😅
I really like how the stages in shadow generations are basically his story in sonic adventure 2 but in reverse space colony ark - on the ark like in final rush rail canyon - rail stage in a mountainous area like sky rail kingdom valley - natural, verdant area like white jungle sunset heights - city level like radical highway chaos island - an island with secrets, like prison island prison island isn't a stage in sonic adventure 2 but it is where we first see shadow in the first cutscene in the dark story
I'm just really glad everyone seems to enjoy Shadow Generations. For the gameplay, nothing you say I necessarily disagree with. I also feel like it builds off of not just Generations but Cyberspace in Frontiers really wel, that Chaos Spear momentum tech is insane and I can't wait to master it. I also thought the open zone was a lot more realized here, it felt just as fun to go through as Frontiers did for me, honestly it reminded me of Bowser's Fury, which is a game I beat all on all 4 available files. I really can't wait for the inevitable next 3D Sonic game.
23:06 I’d argue Starlight Carnival would’ve been an amazing choice for a final level, revamp although recently into HD with all those bright colours and fleets against a starry night to represent Sonic “Colours”. It was all right there!
For me the Shadow levels struck a perfect balance of Adventure and boost style gameplay, made a lot for interesting with Shadows varied and well executed kit. As others have said elsewhere, the level design and moveset combine so take even old lifeless stages and make them work (see the simple change of having the Egg robots actually involved in Sunset)
The thing about Rail Canyon is that, when they had in-store demos of the game, _that_ was the level you ran through with Team Dark... much like Seashell Shore was what you went through with Team Sonic. And while one _could_ consider Shadow's game to be underrepresented, you could _also_ consider a lot of the Radical Highway treatment to give off Westopolis vibes (you know, the level you play through ten times before finally beating the game for real?). Also, '06's Kingdom Valley was the segment of the final level that Shadow ran through in that game, and thus more thematically tied to him specifically than either Flame Core OR Dusty Desert. Besides, we already kind of got Flame Core in the Sonic campaign with Crisis City. As for the 3DS Generations... I played it. Really didn't like it at all, which was a shock at the time.
I have an answer to the question you posed at the end of the video, but first I have a few anecdotes of my own share, for both Sonic X Shadow Gens and the Sonic series as a whole… 1. I can at least defend including Rail Canyon from Heroes instead of any other level… Rail Canyon (and by extension Bullet Station) represent the point in the Team Dark campaign where Shadow first came into contact with the robot clones of himself made by Eggman, which causes both Shadow himself and Rouge to question whether or not Shadow is the real deal, or if he’s just one of Eggman’s clones run amok. Granted, this story beat basically falls flat when we get to Shadow’s own game, but it’s still a relevant point of Shadow’s history all the same. (And it honestly makes the Metal Overlord fight that much more cathartic.) 2. Talking about the Sonic series as a broader whole… While I sincerely appreciate what SEGA and Sonic Team gave us with the Shadow Gens portion of Sonic X Shadow Generations…I’m still very hesitant to put my trust/faith into either entity; Largely because Frontiers, Origins, and Colors Ultimate still exist and are some of the biggest demonstrations that when Sonic Team isn’t failing to manage their time and development/resources correctly, their parent company SEGA is almost always making some of the most bizarre (or otherwise boneheaded) business decisions I’ve ever seen from a Triple A game company. (Case in point, can anybody seriously tell me that they cared enough about Sonic to go and spend money at freaking *iHop* of all places?) …Suffice it to say, I’m still having a hard time believing that SEGA and/or Sonic Team are actually learning anything of value from the reception of these games. And even if they are…they’re gonna have to put out way more games that are genuinely good and (more importantly) can be fully enjoyed by everyone, not just hardcore Sonic fans and speedrunners. With those two notes out of the way, here’s my answer to your question from the end of the video… In terms of what we got with the base package of Sonic Generations, there isn’t *that* much I would change. Most of my changes would be additions anyway, but I also just think this is one of those times where I’m largely content with what I got from the final product. That being said, there is one change I would make…swap out Seaside Hill, City Escape, and Speed Highway for more aesthetically unique levels. More specifically… -- Ice Cap from SA1 -- Pyramid Cave for SA2 -- Mystic Mansion for Heroes …Seriously, we need more representation for the forgotten/less fondly remembered levels and games from Sonic’s history. Speaking of which… The first big thing I would do is get Sonic Team to make two extra levels based on Sonic’s more obscure console outings. These would be Quartz Quadrant (Sonic CD), and Spring Stadium (Sonic 3D Blast). The second big thing I would do is have another team redo the 3DS version of Sonic Generations from the ground up, and swap out every level that isn’t Green Hill or Water Palace for levels from other handheld Sonic games. These levels would be… Classic Era: - Underground Zone from Sonic 2 (Game Gear) - Meta Junglira from Sonic Triple Trouble (Game Gear) Dreamcast Era: - Ice Mountain from Sonic Advance (GBA) - Sky Canyon from Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) - Toy Kingdom from Sonic Advance 3 (GBA) Modern Era: - Mirage Road from Sonic Rush (DS) - Coral Cave from Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) - Asteroid Coaster from Sonic Colors (DS) (There would also be a Pinball table based on all the levels from Sonic Spinball available after beating the main game.) …So yeah. Those are the changes and additions I would make to the console version of Generations, and the 3DS version. It’s a lot, but I think it would be well worth the effort.
27:41 As much as I would've loved Egg Fleet or Hang Castle, Rail Canyon/Bullet Station make more sense because that's where they find the first Shadow Android - the place has more significance to his story. 28:12 And again, Kingdom Valley has more significance to Shadow's story, as it's where he and Rouge accidentally _released_ Mephiles. As for Forces and Frontiers... Shadow is barely in one, and not at all in the other; they were definitely just going off of which one could be the most interesting level / had the most lost potential.
I was 7 when Generations originally released. Now im 20 👍 I should also note that i have autism and ADHD, and that i have been a Sonic fan for 12 years (Also, my siblings also have autism) Also, my dad really loves Shadow in particular. My mom used to play Sonic 1, back in 1991 to 1992 My younger brothers also love Sonic. One of them can only really play Frontiers(Cyberspace) and Forces, since he finds every other Sonic game to be hard(referring to Unleashed) However, he does enjoy the other 2 games that i mentioned. My other younger brother had a lot of sonic games on his phone. He really loves Sonic 1, 2, CD, and Sonic 4 Ep. 2 (also, Sonic Dash 1 and 2) My younger sister has never played a video game. Thats alright tho 👍
Shadow Generations is unbelievably good, you can actually truly say Sonic Frontiers was a step in the right direction because ST managed to take two steps in a row without completely changing direction again. Seeing the series unabashedly and competently re-embrace all the melodrama it threw away after Unleashed is stunning, rather than trying to squeeze the outline of it into an open world. Let alone getting to see what a more focused Frontiers could have been. I liked Frontiers a lot but I need to see what a full sequel would be like with how Shadow Gens iterated on the concepts. More condensed and considered open zones, trading sheer quantity of levels for quality, controls and levels now fully in-sync, the engine actually appears to be designed to make large hubs now, the boss fights maintain a degree of spectacle but still have consistent mechanics, 2D sections actually quite good, and a person whose first Sonic project was Frontiers was Lead Level Designer for THESE levels? (I know the Sonic Gens designers came back to direct but still, this feels like what being able to actually maintain some knowledge between two projects can do for you.) Just make at least one Open Zone a snowy city so I can explore the polar opposite to a realistic grassland and we are good. Kinda want one of the zones to be Soleanna because they keep tiptoeing back to 06's tone, aesthetics, and gameplay styles that practically derailed the series for 15 years when it faceplanted. I'd respect the audacity of trying to put the ghost that's been haunting the main series to rest as well, since they just got done with Shadow's.
Yes, Rail Canyon might not be the stage with the best set pieces in Sonic Heroes, but it's more important than the others because that's where Shadow first learns of the Shadow Androids. The start of the question if he's really the same Shadow Rouge is talking about. The set up to Shadow's own game.
Shadow Generations is the most fun i have had with 3D Sonic since, ironically, the original release of Sonic Generations in 2011. it isn't perfect but i just don't care. it does things i have wanted from Sonic for years. if this is the direction the series is going, i am here for it!
"I'm done talking about sonic" -King K, verified liar.
@@iana1641 When was this?
He never said he don’t talking about shadow 👀👀
@@Izak_Klark he referenced being done with Sonic in his Sonic Frontiers video
If they keep pumping out shit like this, I will happily eat all of those words.
-SEGA: “I’ll make you eat those words!”
Black Doom canonically just thinks Radical Highway is really fucking cool.
"Shadow, its red, just like you! Im so proud of my son."
"My way IS the high way."
One of my favourite conversations Shadow has in white space is with Big the Cat. Big talks about how he would like to go fishing with Gerald, since he knows a lot about fish and since he seems on edge it might calm him down.
I enjoy all the conversations, especially listening to Gerald talking about science.
one of his lines also confirms that every single cameo of big in sa2 was canon - he was just looking for froggy
Peak fiction.
@@flurreoOnly in the original dreamcast game, they took him out of the DX port.
@@MysticgamerDX port of Adventure 2? Also, they only took him out of levels. In the cutscenes you can hold a button to see him.
@@Mysticgamer i'm talking about sa2 bro
I understand is hard to not be a bit cynical about the situation, since we've been here before with the OG gens... But I think we are in a WAY better position than back then.
While OG Gens was a great game and a great new blueprint for the series, it was still made in the same disregard for it's past despite the actual game being made out of love for the series. It was kinda contradictory when you think about it lol, you could still tell SEGA was scared of doing anything that would even touch the 2000's era.
Now, not only the series is in a way better financial position (the games are selling the best they've ever been, the movies are poping off, and we got a lot more attention from the casual crowd), but also it feels like SEGA and Sonic Team have a lot more confidence in the IP and letting it be what it wants to be. I really hope they keep at it, and SEGA gives Sonic team all the resources they need for the next game to be even better than Shadow gens. I know these devs love Sonic, they just couldn't really express that love well because of that fear they had in 2010.
Here's to a good future... please.
Definitely agree. I was optimistic for the future gameplay-wise in 2011, but I knew deep down that the Saturday morning cartoon vibes weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Now I'm excited for the future both in terms of gameplay and stories
it feels weird yet scarely optimistic but also really content
Shadow Gens has become really universally good and popular to where even non-fans outside of the fandom are looking into the game, hell even moistcritical and videogamedunkey are giving this game that score
It feels like Sonic Team is able to finally pull out all of that creative juice that they've been bottling up without having to worry and fear over the fandom being cowardly of any 2000s era flavor. Like ik it's gonna be crazy, but can you imagine Sonic Team going back to the Riders spinoff series and giving that game online and better mechanics and feel to that
This is the first time im feeling optimistic about the future of this series in YEARS. Im very excited to see what sonic team cooks up for the future of this series now that it's gotten more popular than ever and they don't have to hold back.
Loving the continuously evolving arc of KingK and his relationship with the Sonic games.
Interesting seeing his relationship from Shadow 05 to 06, to Frontiers, and finally Shadow Gens
I'm smelling a clear redemption of his relationship atm. He's really in for a Sonic mood
36:40 I really appreciate this commentary on Sonic’s attitude toward his adventures. He just lives for the next adventure where he can run freely, and may or may not remember everything he’s been through
It's why I find how referential he is in the rewrite weird,
He's never been the type to just look back and reminisce.
It feels real clunky to me having him not remember his adventures.
Like, if someone had been travelling all over the world, I would give them the biggest side eye if they told me they couldn’t remember all of it.
@@sundowner4076 I don't think its that Sonic literally wouldn't remember his past adventures he just doesn't dwell on them and he doesn't have a reason to normally. Except in this game where he is literally being confronted with locations and characters from those adventures so I think it makes sense to bring them up in this case.
@@koifish835 “with the time stones?” Is a line people have been calling reference bait, but it absolutely makes sense to bring up in this context.
@sundowner4076 he has a brain, with stored memories.
I was a freshman in high school when the OG game came out, I'm 26 now time sure flies.
I was 7 when the OG version come out. I'm 20 now (yes, im currently attending college rn.
(Also, my birthday was recent) It's on October 12th.
It's also my favorite game of all time!
Christ, I feel old. I was in college when the original Generations came out...
Now wY you were a freshmen when it came out. I’m 29 and this game came out when I was a sophomore lol
My husband is 24 playing this game, which is a childhood favorite, on his laptop right now next to me. He looks so happy. Happy playing all gamers ❤🎉
I was of Freshman age when the 2005 Shadow game came out lol
As comfy as the Past may be and nostalgia being a hell of a drug, eventually we all have to move on, and I love how you emphasized the whole concept with Shadow’s portion of the game being the main point of it all.
Shadow Gens was an absolute gem to play. It included everything I love about Sonic. The exploration of SA1. The spectacle of SA2. The ambition of 06. The intensity of Unleashed. The innovative gimmicks of Colors. The level design and cohesiveness of Generations. Improving so much of what made me love Frontiers.
Mechanically it is so well polished. Shadow feels great and the level design is some of the best Sonic has had in a long time. I can only hope they keep this up from here with original levels.
The story made me tear up on so many occasions. Maria and Shadow reuniting, Shadow's smile towards her when reassuring her of what she desires for him, and when he shed that tear at the end. Maria was handled so well. It shows she is so much more than a plot device. She was someone who was Shadow's emotional rock. Frontiers and Shadow Gens have made emotional stories back to back. I couldn't say that about a Sonic game in a while.
Bravo Sega. Bravo Sonic Team. Onward to new adventures. We'll be right there with you.
It almost feels like you’re stretching to bring up aspects from other games …but you’re absolutely right.
I’m especially happy that they’re actually trying to tell stories again. I missed the early 3D era’s stories so much.
Shadow generations has some of the best designed/most fun levels we’ve had in a sonic game in years in my opinion. I want the next game to be more like that I think it’s better than what frontiers tried.
My only hope now is that the next sonic game has some really new original stages, yeah its a gens rerelease so no duh they’re gonna use older stages but they’ve been using the same stages for like the last decade in modern sonic games, new stuff would be so nice soon
You’ve recently seen Rail Canyon, Kingdom Valley and The Ark in a Modern Sonic game prior to Shadow Generations? It’s clear they’re more than willing to branch out.
@ not what I meant, its nice to see those stages again but I mean something brand new would be really cool, with like its own music and aesthetics n stuff
Chaos island was a brand new stage, nothing like it in frontiers
@@Tristan-mv6lc they kinda just shifted a hub world into a stage, it works I guess but its nothin crazy yk
@@jayceallen6530 idk I don't really feel like it's overused already, expanding on the frontiers themes is what that game needed the most. The stage shows the future direction pretty well I think, I'm happy with it if that's what they keep doing.
27:47 As much as I dislike Rail Canyon it actually makes a lot of sense that they picked it because Shadow finds out about his clones after the Egg Albatross boss fight which is the boss for the Rail Canyon duo of stages
It’s also fitting in a meta sense when you remember Shadow’s game is where modern rail grinding mechanics were first codified; So them remaking a stage whose original incarnation was greatly hampered by the old rail grinding mechanics in a game emphasizing Shadow & many of the franchise’s expansions related to him honestly makes Rail Canyon/Bullet Station the best possible selection of Sonic Heroes…
I do agree that an Egg Fleet remake would’ve been an amazing pick, due to all the potential references to other airship stages in the franchise…
The fact that they went and truly dove into Shadow's story and history and appear to have given him *closure* and a full *arc* to his original story is absolutely incredible. I personally always disliked Shadow's original ending where he seemingly gave up on his past, good and bad and essentially throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to see that they forced him to finally confront the cost of that decision and have a true reconciliation - and thus have him grow and mature as a character - is wonderful.
With this, I can finally look at Shadow as a complete character, and can stop worrying about unresolved questions and concerns about his story. When he fights Sonic as a rival, I'll no longer sit there wondering about "what about the things that happened before" and "why doesn't Shadow care about these things"; now he DOES care, and he's trying to get things done to make the world better, for himself and Maria.
It's just that he's going to be getting them done in *his* way, which necessarily means that he's gonna butt heads with Sonic and crew, and even flat out working with their enemies like Dr. Eggman. There's even more story potential for him now in that direction, as well: perhaps he could feel that the grandson of his progenitor might be redeemable, as he himself was? Maybe Shadow even secretly wishes to try to save Dr. Eggman where Shadow was unable to save Dr. Gerald from his own madness?? I doubt we'll get such high minded concepts, of course, but it's still amazing to think about as fan theories, and makes me excited for Shadow's character in a way I haven't felt in a very very long time!
For a series supposedly aimed at children, Shadow has been elevated to being one of the best rivals in gaming today, and I can't wait to face off against him - or AS him - in future titles!
I can especially see this sort of "sympathy for Eggman" and trying to save him from himself with future interactions between Sage and Shadow. While the Maria parallels won't hit the same because that similarity belongs to Amy, what he *can* affect is how Shadow can curtail or address Eggman's reactions whenever something bad happens to _Sage._
Eggman understands Sage is an AI, but the fact Sage is so complete that it Brought out a father side to Eggman *unheard of* in any Sonic media (that I know) that can be a point of contention or salvation Shadow can tackle as Eggman becomes dangerously similar to Gerald, even after his world takeover in Forces.
Although Eggman always being the bad guy to Sonic should never change (being the Frieza to Sonic's Goku), having Shadow interact with Eggman's forces in a professional way over Sonic's hostile stance is a nice juxtaposition of how character dynamics can interweave between all the named characters in the Sonic franchise.
I wouldn’t go as far as wanting shadow to redeem eggman or work with him. but I think shadow seeing Eggman as as pathetic and a disgrace to Gerald’s legacy could be cool. Them battling over who is the real successor type of stuff
@dylanwins9839 there could be a storyline that could develop between Eggman and Sage to where they emulate a modern day Gerald and Maria. Where the only one to really make a connection like that would be Shadow.
Endings like Shadow 05’s are crucial to extending the space a character’s arc can go before it reaches its natural conclusion.
Granted I don’t think sonic team INTENDED for shadow 05’s ending to be the semifinal to his arc, so to speak, and it took way to long to actually get its conclusion, but it’s here and now and I think very well executed.
Something I think is a strong potential too is that Gerald, in white space, has a dialogue where he tells shadow he wants him to live for himself as much as for Maria’s wish, not necessarily to abandon his duties but to allow himself space to enjoy the gift of life he has been given.
This was something I never even considered about shadow’s character. But it makes so much sense. We’ve ONLY ever seen him fighting like a soldier. We’ve never seen him just existing, resting, taking in a hobby even if only for his own mental peace. I really hope we’ll get to see shadow taking time for himself in the future to reflect this potential growth for his character.
Also, I love the back and forth potential between him and Eggman. Something of “Gerald would never have wanted this for his grandson” vs “look how the world threw his kindness in his face and executed him for his ambition”.
God, I desperately want an Unleashed remaster so people actually take a proper look at that game.
Same. I just hope they won't rewrite it like they did with Sonic Gens.
@@Autistic_Artist_795 The only ''rewrite'' I'll personally accept is adding a few scenes throughout the game showing Chip regaining some of his memories so that the reveal doesn't just come at full right before the final level. Unleashed suffers from what I call ''saggy middle'' whereas 90% of the story is at the beginning and at the end, with the middle just going to various places and doing the levels. It's not inherently bad in a franchise with a focus on gameplay, but I wouldn't be against adding a bit fluff to the middle part.
From my point of view, it's now one of the most loved games in the fanbase
Shadow unleashed incoming
* Werehog gets actual battle themes for each world.
* Tune up the werehog in general.
* Medal hunting revamped or mitigated in some way to be much less of a chore.
* All DLC challenge levels included
* "Classic" toggle to let people play the game as it was in 08 without any of the changes.
And that's all I can think off immediately that I'd really need from an Unleashed Remaster besides the obvious uprezzing and "it functions properly." Maybe a new hub to surprise people or some recreations of some of the PS2 version's levels too.
Aside from its meaning, gameplay, and shadow's no future line, I love the mephiles fight because its so interesting to see Mephiles, so cocky and assured during 06, reduced to this angry, screaming shell as he desperately fights shadow, realizing he's losing his last shot at existing.
Doing Radical Highway Act 1 and 2 without Doom Wings is probably one of my favorite sonic experiences in a long time. Finding all those hidden, faster pathways, perfecting each and every jump to the minute detail, god I hope they do more of that.
The S rank for those 2 levels was so stressful but so encouraging to master. Especially cuz many of those paths I never saw because first playing em you have doom wings you wanna use em for the final
Push towards black doom but revisiting without the wings it’s a whole new level… with two 3D acts what a lovely surprise that is 🗣️🗣️
I think in generations, we really needed one original "rift in time" final level, that maybe borrowed setpieces from classic final levels such as final chase, egg-fleet, and running down the tower of eggman land.
Sort of like the End Of the World in Sonic 06? I would argue Radical Highway in Shadow Gens fits that vibe, but I get what you're saying
Act 1 - Scrap Brain, Launch Base, Wing Fortress, Death Egg(Sonic and Knuckles)
Act 2 - Egg Fleet, Eggmanland, Final Rush, Terminal Velocity
KingK: I was 14 years old...
Me: PAAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!
As a long-time Sonic autist it’s so cathartic seeing all the praise this series has gotten over the past year. Seeing Sonic Team lean into the more corny aspect of their games has helped them reach new heights with their characters and I really appreciate that
The only thing I didn't like about Shadow's story is that they didn't make his choice at the end as impactful as they could have. Imagine if Black Doom had recognized Shadow's pain and exploited it, and as a last resort, offered to rewrite history to have Gerald and Maria survive at the cost of Shadow's free will. Maybe he could have given Shadow a glimpse into a alternate timeline where Black Doom ruled with Shadow as his weapon, but Gerald and Maria were still alive. That would have been the ultimate test of Shadow's character, and would have made his choice to accept the past and write his own destiny much more emotionally charged.
I actually really loved the Egg Dragoon fight in OG Generations. Fighting against it in Sonic's regular form in a constant high-speed chase makes for a really cool contrast to fighting it as the Werehog in Unleashed, in a similar way that fighting Perfect Chaos without needing Super Sonic felt.
Based
I like it better than the werehog version even if i did like that fight despite me now enjoying the werehog.
@@mysteryperson1958also agree
Neku mentioned??
The opening cutscene of Unleashed had a Sonic fighting a prototype Egg Dragoon before he went Super and destroyed it. Getting to do it in gameplay 3 years later is actually pretty sick
So wild to me that so many people _love_ these games where you commit terrorism and cause millions in property damages. Im guessing none of you ever played Spec Ops the Line??
because it's fun to rebel
@@BlueTakBlur But how many casualties are acceptable?? Sonic and Co seem to not even "FLINCH" when ACTIVE Mass Transit is LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR KILLING ALL ON BOARD?? What a sick JOKE that they feel no empathy towards the Working Class!!
Hey Shut Up,it’s a game about a cartoon Hedgehog with super speed.
@@aturchomicz821It's like that one sonic song, "It Doesn't Matter"
@@aturchomicz821 To be fair, GUN also sent a MASSIVE truck barreling down a public street, destroying anything in its way. And in Gens, the truck has BUZZSAWS AND ROCKET BOOSTERS.
45:39 "The past is repetitive, safe and boring... But damn do we like those bygone days don't we?" Is a quote that I can totally agree with.
The fact this game made me actually think it's okay to like Shadow the Hedgehog (the 2005 game) on top of everything else? It's honestly impressed a sonic game can still rank high, (imo even in spite of some changes, albeit small between versions of Sonic Generations)
Hearing RichardEB do a remix for Supporting Me not only works for me on a nostalgic level but also is reminds me the guy can shred like Jun Senuoe, seeing a fan clearly accepted to work in an official employ. Reminds me of when Sonic Mania was announced in an odd way with Christian Whitehead. Makes me still glad SEGA is willing to at least somewhat take in fans who clearly enjoy Sonic and see what they can come up with (compared to say Nintendo)
45:30 Agreed. And I hope This game and Frontiers was SEGA getting their "Lore Ducks" in a row, preparing everyone for doing just that.
37:00 "I just think radical highway is so cool, Shadow"
Just got 100% collectibles and challenges…yo that’s a video game. They should make more of that next time but also in new locations with good art direction.
Edit:
I obsess over these kinds of thought experiments. For me the stage roster of base Generations was pretty good but the thematic variety could've been a lot stronger if it wasn't based on a popularity contest.
If I could tweak the roster, I'd rework about half of it. Green Hill, Chemical Plant, City Escape, and Rooftop Run can all stay where they're at but for the rest of it...
Sonic 3 - Hydrocity Zone - It'd be a stronger rep for the "Water" level that also serves as a nod to the Labyrinth archetype that is as iconic as it is reviled
SA1 - Red Mountain - It's the best Adventure stage that was pretty much a proper realization of classic Sonic in 3D. Speed Highway is cool but City Escape has its archetype covered already. Final Egg would also be acceptable here.
Heroes - This is tough but it's a tie between Frog Forest and Egg Fleet. Heroes in general has so many cool stage themes yet the two reps we actually got for it were unfortunately the stages I probably wanted reimagined the least.
06 - Aquatic Base - Love the music and color palate here and we are kind of missing a proper secret lab/Eggman base theme if you don't wanna count Act 1 of Planet Wisp
Colors - Asteroid Coaster - Cool theming, great music, fits the mold of a "final stage" much better
For Shadow Gens. most of the choices were great aside from the lack of a proper StH 05 rep. Keep the Ark, Kingdom Valley, Sunset Heights, Chaos island, and Radical Highway.
Shadow The Hedgehog - Add 2 stages, one Black Comet and the other either being Sky Troops or Digital Circuit. I know a lot of people ask for Westopolis but I just don't find anything interesting in it and Radical Highway already has its theme covered.
Heroes - Probably replace Rail Canyon with Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion. Those are just more imaginative stages to me that still fit with Shadow tonally.
If you wanna get extra weird with it, you could add Shrouded Forest from Black Knight since Shadow was playable there and it was essentially his stage.
Yo, that’s crazy, in my head I was the only one who thought Shrouded Forest would be an awesome Black Knight pick. When I played that level as a kid I played it with all the characters except for Shadow, but then I did it with Shadow and for whatever reason it clicked. I always associate it with him now.
This video hits really hard after watching your analyses of Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), I am finally feeling optimistic about this franchise again
With Shadow Generations being dope, Sega knows what they have to do to move the series forward.
Shadow the Hedgehog 2. Let's get it
Speed Highway is probably my favorite stage in the game. They took one of the series’ best and made it even more extreme and it’s beautiful
After frontiers drove him away, shadow generations brought him back to HELL with us. Jokes aside though, I really REALLY hope history doesn’t repeat itself and sega pulls another sonic lost world. Please for the love of god just fully fix what frontiers tried to do and make it as great as shadow generations.
I’m honestly really optimistic. Frontiers was a bit rough around the edges but it felt like an experiment that really paid off, and Shadow Gens feels like them taking what they learned from that and delivering on it, if they can carry that momentum through to the next game and improve it even more it’ll be an all timer for sure.
What a great way to end Halloween by watching KingK talk about Sonic X Shadow Generations for 50 minutes 😎👍🔥🔥🔥🔥
Based
Great video as always! It's been too long since we've had a Sonic game where everyone can agree it's a fun time without any big asterisks at the end of that sentence. Shadow Generations not only gives us (some) hope for the future of Sonic, but also improves the reputation of Frontiers because it no longer has the skepticism of just being another instance of Sonic Team having something they could improve on in the next game, only to abandon it soon after. Frontiers' DNA is sprinkled throughout Shadow Generations and the game is much better for it! Shadow is finally back to where he needed to be, and I can only hope that they won't waste this potential.
Amazing video!
I always felt like the 2D Shadow stages were a reference to Sonic Rivals on the PSP. I also like how they played with the idea that Radical Highway was Shadows Green Hill.
47:15 you know people release like 4-8 hour video game retrospectives / deep dives on here yeah?
'Brevity is the soul of wit'.
RUclips right now is not really favorable towards extremely long-form videos like this, due to prioritizing creators who maintains constant viewer retention and rapid-fire upload schedule. That's why some Sonic video essayists like Hard_Pretzel experimented with a more brainrot-styled editing style to maintain that viewer retention.
Nebula also doesn't have ads, and when you watch their videos, you're supporting the creators directly.
It's more about supporting the creators tbh rather than the type of content they make.
24:04 Brother’s confused about a Sonic Rush level, a level from a handheld game, appearing on the handheld version?
Two big missed opportunities, in my opinion
While I know people kinda rib on the endless references, I think it's a big missed opportunity to not have ended Shadow's big takedown of Doom with a "THIS is who I am"
I also feel like when Maria said goodbye to Shadow again, we probably should've gotten another "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog"
I feel like stating familiar quotes is another point towards how they felt great in the past, and that we should pave way towards creating new memorable moments.
I’m watching this and I yelled out loud “that’s how you use doom morph”…it’s just go to show there are many ways to play this game
Black Doom straight up being all like "How can I make this about Radical Highway?"
Sir, you would LOVE Spark the Electric Jester 3. It's the only indie game I've played that really catches what makes sonic games fun, and boils it down into a strong package.
I would love a King K video on Spark 3
He’s actually already played it, he spoke about it on Twitter and in a yearly recap video a little while back
@@Aidan_004 Oh awesome, well - fair enough!
Seeing a new KingK Sonic video in the year 2024 is... satisfying.
The game opens itself up to so many dlc stages, it’s unfortunate they’ll never add more
At least they added Kingdom Hearts 4.
That explains why OG Gens had such a long running modding scene
shadow gens is getting a single dlc level based on the new movie, hopefully that's not the only one but it probably will be
We've had confirmation we'll be getting a Movie DLC level alongside a Movie Shadow skin and Keanu Reaves voice pack
Im excited for Shibuya but also nervous in case it ends up missing the mark
lets hope sonic team wont greet us with another a Lost World again like last time after the OG generations gave everyone hope for the franchise's future
I’m just glad my faith in Frontiers ‘prototype status’ was rewarded.
honestly, the only thing i was hoping for was a scene where shadow takes off his limiter rings again. Shadow has grown so much in power, and is SO strong in this game, that the limiter rings dont even seem to serve a purpose anymore. It would have been cool for the final fight to have him take them off again to give himself that final burst of energy he needed to finish things, before tiring himself out. Almost suffering the same fate as he did in adventure 2, but able to get his bearings more quickly thanks to how much he's grown.
It seemed like such an obvious thing to do, yet the game goes out of it's way to excuse why it DIDN'T happen
Wow. A video about Shadow the hedgehog probably validated a childhood spent playing shovelware. Thank you
11:36 On the topic of the chaos spear maintaining your air momentum, Sonic Heroes had something similar too with the power type glide also maintaining your air momentum which speedrunners used for shortcuts. Egg Fleet is a notable stage they use it on to land on the side of the ships and run on it like they're parkouring from lost world. It is kind of like the rebirth of Heroes glide.
I had more fun navigating shadow in the void than i did the islands in frontiers
Same😭 which is crazy since the hub world is just a white space
My personal selection for Gens keeping the same game selection.
Sonic 1: Green Hill, Sonic 2: Chemical Plant, Sonic 3: Hydrocity.
Adventure: Twinkle Park, SA2: City Escape, Heroes: Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion
Sonic 06: Kingdom Valley, Unleashed: Cool Edge, Colors: Asteroid Coaster
"Their takeaway from its success was that people really liked the past. And that was true, to an extent"
"What it missed is that people liked the past, because it didn't used to be the past"
I have never seen a quote more truer than before and using Shadow Gens as a source to prove what that game was trying to accomplish that countered what Sonic Gens was proving at that era of time
I'm an Adventure diehard and this is probably the first time in many years that I'm genuinely excited for the future of Sonic. I used to always lament the departure of Adventure's controls because I always felt like it was the most fun game to master. The controls were tight but the physics were just janky enough to be a joy to crack wide open, combined with expansive level design. SXSG made me come to love the boost formula because it finally feels like Sonic Team nailed what made older 3D Sonic games so fun to play; great controls with plenty of fun little time-saving tricks you can do. I actually quite liked Frontiers for the same reason (for the most part at least), but here they took what worked and refined upon it in so many ways. It's crazy to see after they spent so long throwing whatever at the wall and seeing what sticks
So happy to see you passionately talking bout something
For the exercise KingK mentioned my choices of stages for my version of Generations would be
>Starlight Zone
>Hill Top Zone
>Ice Cap Zone
>Twinkle Park
>Metal Harbor
>Mystic Mansion
>Wave Ocean
>Dragon Road
>Sweet Mountain
I feel these are a good variety of levels with unique settings and set pieces that would make anyone gush with Nostalgia
I noticed that in cutscenes "sonic" styled characters with similar heads (for example sonic, shadow, rouge) the mouth opening is small and apparently able to move freely inside the skintoned part off their face.
As another Heroes shooter, I completely understand the feeling of wanting Egg Fleet in a Generations game, but with the stage selection in the game, I feel like they made very solid picks for stages that represent Shadow's story and past... besides Chaos Island.
The Ark was where he was born and raised, and also where he defeated Black Doom by using the Eclipse Canon. Rail Canyon is where we first encounter the Shadow Androids and begin the entire plot thread of "Is this the real Shadow?". Kingdom Valley is where he accidentally released Mephiles. Sunset Heights was where Shadow enters the story of Sonic Forces after Sonic tracks down one of his clones. And then, as stated in the video, Radical Highway is where everything began, it's the first level we play as Shadow and started his entire story for us.
They're all incredibly solid picks in my eyes, they could have made alternate choices to represent his story in other ways through these games, but this *feels* like the best possible selection... aside from Chaos Island and the fact we didn't get a Shadow The Hedgehog level.
I think the Ark is meant to be our shadow level?
The ark in ShTH is a level that itself remixes Final Rush for its ost. The level in shadow gens takes a lot from all of the arks appearances though.
I do think we should have had a black comet level after radical highway, but maybe that wouldn’t have fit the narrative climax of going back to that place? I don’t know.
@@reginlief1 The Ark is such a hard level to justify as being a Shadow The Hedgehog level since it was introduced in SA2 and is kind of hard to shake that bias aside.
I love sonic x shadow generations such a amazing game in my opinion
I was watching this on TV, and came to the mobile version to comment on something: it makes complete thematic sense for them to have included Rail Canyon/Bullet Station over Egg Fleet, because that's where Team Dark first encountered the Shadow Android after defeating the Egg Albatross, causing Shadow to question whether he's the original or not.
I really like your point about how Shadow's game ends with leaving his past behind because all he's seen of it is pain and loss and Bad... And now he's grown enough to remember what was good and worthwhile about the past, what to keep with him and carry forwards. It's why I think there would've been a really powerful story in successfully saving Maria rather than reflexively accepting the 'must leave the timestream as we found it' story. Ultimately, you can never leave the past entirely in the past, it's always an exercise in how you grow from it, what you carry forwards, and I think literally carrying the best part of his past into the future, shedding the rest, would fit right in with that.
One of my favorite parts of og generations and how boost pushes the adventure sonic to it’s limits is how with the boost power, sonic was able to fight perfect chaos no super sonic needed. Felt like a genuine moment of power growth
I really understand the love of Egg Fleet and the disappointment of not having it at the game, but in defense of Rail Canyon; in a game that doesn’t have “story”in his priorities (Sonic Heroes), it is the stage that has more meaning to Shadow, since it is the place he first doubt being real, seeing an android of him destroyed.
I loved this analysis, you are great man!
I hope this game gets some DLC with more levels.
SA2: White Jungle
Heroes: Egg Fleet and Hang Castle
Shadow 05: Digital Circuit, Black Comet and Circus Park
Sonic 06: Flame Core and White Acropolis
I love Planet Wisp, the Egg Dragoon and the Time Eater!
1:28 we still are 10 years later!
i like how Shadow makes peace with both Maria and Gerald and moves on from his past to the future.
Video: "sonic isn't the type to reminisce"
Ian Flynn: "remember, remember, remember"
Me: "stfu & make him run!"
He's another Ken Penders with the way he writes female characters and forcing animation changes to the cutscenes.
My ideal Generation Stages
Megadrive Era
Sonic 1 - Green Hill Zone
Sonic 2 - Chemical Plant
Sonic 3 - Icecap Zone
Sonic and Knuckles - Sky Sanctuary
Adventure Era(Named for the semi-ongoing storyline the games had)
Sonic Adventure - Speed Highway
Sonic Adventure 2 - Metal Harbor
Sonic Heroes - Hang Castle
Shadow the Hedgehog - Sky Fleet
Modern Era
Sonic 06 - Kingdom Valley
Sonic Unleashed - Rooftop Run
Sonic Rush - Water Palace
Sonic Colors - Planet Wisp
Chaos Era(Finale
Sonic and the Secret Rings - Evil Foundry
Sonic Rush Adventure - Pirate’s Island
Sonic and the Black Knight - Crystal Cave
Sonic CD - Metallic Madness Bad Future
I love Sonic Generations! In fact, it's my favorite Sonic game! (Its also my favorite video game of all time!)
WE'RE SO BACK
I suddenly felt ancient hearing that Sonic Generations came out when he was 14. Until I checked the date and learned that it was only in 2011. I was only 13 at the time, I just didn't know it came out.
I only heard about it after it's PC release and mods. So in my mind it came out around 2017ish.
Posts a 2 video essays in like a week, taking “gotta go fast” to heart!
Shadow Generations has made the past seven years make so much more sense. Forces and Frontiers were just prototypes. I can forgive them now, as they have paved the way for the creation of this masterpiece. This game puts me at peace.
I always look forward to hearing your personal stories and experiences in these videos. That laptop story is very relatable haha
I cant help but notice how Act 2 in Shadows stages takes a lot of cues from the Sonic Rush games in terms of feel and design
27:50 Rail canyon makes sense for shadow's history since that was where all the shadow androids were stored and when people started questioning if this shadow was the original or not. but yes i do agree i wish we got an Egg Fleet level here. Kingdom Valley is when shadow first meets mephiles too
30:02
"Yeah, Shadow Generations didn't do everything I wanted it to do, just as Sonic Generations didn't do everything I wanted it to do."
STRANGE? ISN'T IT??
It was probably unintentional, but that wording made me think of that line from the old Sonic OVA
And you're right, Egg Fleet is the GOAT.
One of the biggest pieces of missed potential in Shadow Gens was not having each level switcheroo be a level from the same game as the one you were just thrown out of by Black Doom. Like how the ARK has Radical Highway, Imagine Rail Canyon/Egg Fleet & Sunset Heights/Mystic Jungle, then we get all the distorted levels combined for Radical Highway Act 1 and/or 2 and then a dedicated Black Comet-esque stage for the Black Moon itself. Or just have Black Moon Act 1 (or whatever you wanna call it) just be the whole concept for Radical Highway 1 and/or 2 I mentioned above.
This game easily one of the best sonic games in years they went HARD for Shadows part of the game I love that
i do still find it funny that a game about going through old stages has some of the most unique level design in its era.
even mania its act 1's consisted of minor layout tweaks before the act 2's added the main gimmick which turned the stages upside down.
honestly that's my biggest sticking point with that game, while important for the sake of pacing due to 60% of the zones being from previous games, it feels as rehashy as fronteirs cyberspace does for me. albiet for only a quarter of the game but a quarter is a lot of game to feel like you may as well be playing the original game, along with spheres replacing the bonus item minigames that second celebration felt just as hindered as generations did 6 years prior.
quite frankly it's a miracle shadow gens is as great as it is, it has transcended being a step in the right direction and is just a flat out great game. it's got a few annoyances but where fronteirs was a 6/10 you could enjoy as a flawed guilty pleasure exploiting how broken the overworld was once you memorised the locations of the pop in platforms, this is a straight 9/10, the biggest problem with the game is how abrupt the transformations turn on and off (mostly just morph tbh but gaining momentum when landing in hub world water made me bonk on walls a lot), but even with that it can be flipped into a positive due to skipping the whole transformation sequence and immediately chaining moves from one set of abilities into the next, any sonic game which lets me homing attack in and out of a grappling hook is a fun one.
like legitimately while gens and manias lost potential lingers, shadow squeezes as much potential as it could have from its choices barring the black comet or prison island (could even do the irradiated version for shadow 05 rep) like i especially love how much character they put into mephiles. i was content just having a boss cameo adjacent to the rival fights in their lack of importance, but we wound up getting a full epilogue on the character, being the only summoned boss aware of the time anomaly that brought them back to life and fighting for the sake of survival instead of their games original goal. really highlights an overlooked aspect of 06's overarching story, the poetic fate of a creature who wanted to erase time was instead erased from it.
even without the heavy dosage of manipulation mephiles is still a stand out villain.
so yee i liked the game a lot :3
Wasn't expecting to get, like, genuinely amped up listening to someone giving a thematic analysis of a Sonic game, but I can hardly complain. Hearing KingK hype up a Sonic game is the most glowing endorsement I could imagine, honestly. Haven't even finished base Generations and wasn't considering buying "x Shadow", but... idk... I'm thinking about it.
In my opinion, shadow is the most interesting character and concept in the sonic franchise, while at the same time, on of the most mishandled. Half the time i get the feeling the writers don't know what tondo with him😅
Certainly so because he was originally meant to only participate in one game
I really like how the stages in shadow generations are basically his story in sonic adventure 2 but in reverse
space colony ark - on the ark like in final rush
rail canyon - rail stage in a mountainous area like sky rail
kingdom valley - natural, verdant area like white jungle
sunset heights - city level like radical highway
chaos island - an island with secrets, like prison island
prison island isn't a stage in sonic adventure 2 but it is where we first see shadow in the first cutscene in the dark story
I'm just really glad everyone seems to enjoy Shadow Generations. For the gameplay, nothing you say I necessarily disagree with. I also feel like it builds off of not just Generations but Cyberspace in Frontiers really wel, that Chaos Spear momentum tech is insane and I can't wait to master it. I also thought the open zone was a lot more realized here, it felt just as fun to go through as Frontiers did for me, honestly it reminded me of Bowser's Fury, which is a game I beat all on all 4 available files. I really can't wait for the inevitable next 3D Sonic game.
Happy Christmas!
23:06 I’d argue Starlight Carnival would’ve been an amazing choice for a final level, revamp although recently into HD with all those bright colours and fleets against a starry night to represent Sonic “Colours”. It was all right there!
For me the Shadow levels struck a perfect balance of Adventure and boost style gameplay, made a lot for interesting with Shadows varied and well executed kit.
As others have said elsewhere, the level design and moveset combine so take even old lifeless stages and make them work (see the simple change of having the Egg robots actually involved in Sunset)
0:37 oh BOOOOOOO
The 3DS version of the Time Eater fight was way way better than the console version and I'll die on this hill.
"Shadow Unbound" sounds like a great title for the next solo Shadow adventure.
Honestly just the inclusion of the Space Colony Ark really got my attention with Sonic x Shadow.
Project 06 and Shadow the Hedgehog are now the best 3D Sonic games. What a world
A grander scale version of generations with 30 stages and an actual story would've been amazing
The thing about Rail Canyon is that, when they had in-store demos of the game, _that_ was the level you ran through with Team Dark... much like Seashell Shore was what you went through with Team Sonic. And while one _could_ consider Shadow's game to be underrepresented, you could _also_ consider a lot of the Radical Highway treatment to give off Westopolis vibes (you know, the level you play through ten times before finally beating the game for real?). Also, '06's Kingdom Valley was the segment of the final level that Shadow ran through in that game, and thus more thematically tied to him specifically than either Flame Core OR Dusty Desert. Besides, we already kind of got Flame Core in the Sonic campaign with Crisis City.
As for the 3DS Generations... I played it. Really didn't like it at all, which was a shock at the time.
I have an answer to the question you posed at the end of the video, but first I have a few anecdotes of my own share, for both Sonic X Shadow Gens and the Sonic series as a whole…
1. I can at least defend including Rail Canyon from Heroes instead of any other level…
Rail Canyon (and by extension Bullet Station) represent the point in the Team Dark campaign where Shadow first came into contact with the robot clones of himself made by Eggman, which causes both Shadow himself and Rouge to question whether or not Shadow is the real deal, or if he’s just one of Eggman’s clones run amok.
Granted, this story beat basically falls flat when we get to Shadow’s own game, but it’s still a relevant point of Shadow’s history all the same. (And it honestly makes the Metal Overlord fight that much more cathartic.)
2. Talking about the Sonic series as a broader whole…
While I sincerely appreciate what SEGA and Sonic Team gave us with the Shadow Gens portion of Sonic X Shadow Generations…I’m still very hesitant to put my trust/faith into either entity; Largely because Frontiers, Origins, and Colors Ultimate still exist and are some of the biggest demonstrations that when Sonic Team isn’t failing to manage their time and development/resources correctly, their parent company SEGA is almost always making some of the most bizarre (or otherwise boneheaded) business decisions I’ve ever seen from a Triple A game company.
(Case in point, can anybody seriously tell me that they cared enough about Sonic to go and spend money at freaking *iHop* of all places?)
…Suffice it to say, I’m still having a hard time believing that SEGA and/or Sonic Team are actually learning anything of value from the reception of these games.
And even if they are…they’re gonna have to put out way more games that are genuinely good and (more importantly) can be fully enjoyed by everyone, not just hardcore Sonic fans and speedrunners.
With those two notes out of the way, here’s my answer to your question from the end of the video…
In terms of what we got with the base package of Sonic Generations, there isn’t *that* much I would change. Most of my changes would be additions anyway, but I also just think this is one of those times where I’m largely content with what I got from the final product.
That being said, there is one change I would make…swap out Seaside Hill, City Escape, and Speed Highway for more aesthetically unique levels. More specifically…
-- Ice Cap from SA1
-- Pyramid Cave for SA2
-- Mystic Mansion for Heroes
…Seriously, we need more representation for the forgotten/less fondly remembered levels and games from Sonic’s history.
Speaking of which…
The first big thing I would do is get Sonic Team to make two extra levels based on Sonic’s more obscure console outings. These would be Quartz Quadrant (Sonic CD), and Spring Stadium (Sonic 3D Blast).
The second big thing I would do is have another team redo the 3DS version of Sonic Generations from the ground up, and swap out every level that isn’t Green Hill or Water Palace for levels from other handheld Sonic games. These levels would be…
Classic Era:
- Underground Zone from Sonic 2 (Game Gear)
- Meta Junglira from Sonic Triple Trouble (Game Gear)
Dreamcast Era:
- Ice Mountain from Sonic Advance (GBA)
- Sky Canyon from Sonic Advance 2 (GBA)
- Toy Kingdom from Sonic Advance 3 (GBA)
Modern Era:
- Mirage Road from Sonic Rush (DS)
- Coral Cave from Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
- Asteroid Coaster from Sonic Colors (DS)
(There would also be a Pinball table based on all the levels from Sonic Spinball available after beating the main game.)
…So yeah. Those are the changes and additions I would make to the console version of Generations, and the 3DS version. It’s a lot, but I think it would be well worth the effort.
27:41 As much as I would've loved Egg Fleet or Hang Castle, Rail Canyon/Bullet Station make more sense because that's where they find the first Shadow Android - the place has more significance to his story.
28:12 And again, Kingdom Valley has more significance to Shadow's story, as it's where he and Rouge accidentally _released_ Mephiles.
As for Forces and Frontiers... Shadow is barely in one, and not at all in the other; they were definitely just going off of which one could be the most interesting level / had the most lost potential.
I was 7 when Generations originally released. Now im 20 👍
I should also note that i have autism and ADHD, and that i have been a Sonic fan for 12 years
(Also, my siblings also have autism)
Also, my dad really loves Shadow in particular. My mom used to play Sonic 1, back in 1991 to 1992
My younger brothers also love Sonic. One of them can only really play Frontiers(Cyberspace) and Forces, since he finds every other Sonic game to be hard(referring to Unleashed) However, he does enjoy the other 2 games that i mentioned.
My other younger brother had a lot of sonic games on his phone. He really loves Sonic 1, 2, CD, and Sonic 4 Ep. 2 (also, Sonic Dash 1 and 2)
My younger sister has never played a video game. Thats alright tho 👍
Shadow Generations is unbelievably good, you can actually truly say Sonic Frontiers was a step in the right direction because ST managed to take two steps in a row without completely changing direction again. Seeing the series unabashedly and competently re-embrace all the melodrama it threw away after Unleashed is stunning, rather than trying to squeeze the outline of it into an open world. Let alone getting to see what a more focused Frontiers could have been. I liked Frontiers a lot but I need to see what a full sequel would be like with how Shadow Gens iterated on the concepts. More condensed and considered open zones, trading sheer quantity of levels for quality, controls and levels now fully in-sync, the engine actually appears to be designed to make large hubs now, the boss fights maintain a degree of spectacle but still have consistent mechanics, 2D sections actually quite good, and a person whose first Sonic project was Frontiers was Lead Level Designer for THESE levels?
(I know the Sonic Gens designers came back to direct but still, this feels like what being able to actually maintain some knowledge between two projects can do for you.)
Just make at least one Open Zone a snowy city so I can explore the polar opposite to a realistic grassland and we are good. Kinda want one of the zones to be Soleanna because they keep tiptoeing back to 06's tone, aesthetics, and gameplay styles that practically derailed the series for 15 years when it faceplanted. I'd respect the audacity of trying to put the ghost that's been haunting the main series to rest as well, since they just got done with Shadow's.
Yes, Rail Canyon might not be the stage with the best set pieces in Sonic Heroes, but it's more important than the others because that's where Shadow first learns of the Shadow Androids. The start of the question if he's really the same Shadow Rouge is talking about. The set up to Shadow's own game.
Happy New Year's Eve!
I do have to wonder what a story about Shadow moving toward his future would look like. Hopefully we get that sooner rather than later.
Shadow Generations is the most fun i have had with 3D Sonic since, ironically, the original release of Sonic Generations in 2011. it isn't perfect but i just don't care. it does things i have wanted from Sonic for years. if this is the direction the series is going, i am here for it!
I need another great game for my hopes to be fully restored, the thought of a second Lost World situation keeps me up at night