Sonic the Hedgehog: Better Walking In a Straight Line?

Hey all of you guys out there, it is I once again, ControlFreakZero. (I have now decided to start spelling out the zero, because it makes it seem fancier… and that’s also how I would have spelled it if GameSpot would have allowed more letters.)

Any who, this is my first article, REAL article, since I started up the CFD 2. So, to kick off this new union as of a month ago, I would like to start by speaking about Sonic the Hedgehog. One of the most loved mascots of our time, and the time before that. However, there is a darker side to Sonic… his name is Shadow and he is the reason we are talking about this today. So, without forth ado, let us begin! 

For those of you who don’t know, Shadow the Hedgehog is the latest installment is the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and it brings new game play mechanics to the table. Guns, violence and mild language await those who play this awfully new game. Really, it is more awful than new, as most of the ‘new’ mechanics have already been introduced before, just not as a full game.

There was shooting in both Sonic Adventure games and Heroes. Gamma, Eggman and Omega all had guns of which to shoot. However, they were either presented as meshes or built-in weapons, so they weren’t that talked-about. In StH, though, Shadow wields the guns, can switch them out and… well… shoot people. Yes, that’s right. It isn’t as bad as it sounds once you play the game, but the premise of shooting people in a SONIC game and then cussing at them is just odd. 

Oh, and yeah, they do cuss. In fact, Shadow will yell “Damn it” every time he gets hit. Sonic will say it. Knuckles will say it. Espio will say it. But at least Charmy the Bee isn’t flying around giving Eggman the finger and saying “F*** you!” to everyone.

Moving on, the entire game plays like a regular sonic title, only slower. You rely less on the spin dash on more on the homing attack, and the weapons are either pretty good (egg vacuum, blaster) or extremely frustrating (bazookas, most swords). Cars and motorcycles are also available, but the camera angle gets irritating and they control like tanks. Additionally, you can take a good, evil or neutral path, but unless you are taking the latter, your allies will be gunning you down no matter what and you will still be able to attack them. 

Voice acting seems like an improvement compared to past sonic titles (although Vector is just screwed up and Knuckles and Rouge sounds a little off, too). Basically, the only two things that Sonic fans are going to really enjoy in all this are the CG movies and the revealing of Shadow’s past.

Now, all this may seem like one big review of the game, but it shows how the sonic series is going in the wrong direction. 

3D Sonic the Hedgehog Series: In Review

The Good: Fast-paced game play, always great sound effects, jaw-dropping CG animations, large colorful stages, tons of replay ability, lovable cast of characters 

The Bad: Spastic camera that has gone to crap since Sonic Adventure 2, less focus on speed in the Adventure games, Dreamcast-like graphics engines, often cheesy voice acting, new mechanics in each installment that make the series drift farther from its roots, the entire name of ‘Eggman Land’, calling him Eggman instead of Robotnik

What I Say They Should Do: Sonic Team needs to get with the program. Look at the ratings the games have gotten on GameSpot since SA.

Sonic Adventure: 9.2

Sonic Adventure 2: 8.6 (I think)

Sonic Heroes: 7.5 (GameCube version)

Shadow the Hedgehog 4.8 

Can we notice something here? Now look at the 2D sonic titles that have come out recently. All of the Advance titles plus Rush have all gotten better reviews than Heroes. Now, why not incorporate what they do into a console game? Why not make a 2D Sonic for the consoles? There isn’t anything wrong with 2D games on the consoles. Look at Viewtiful Joe. It is a classic side-scrolled and it has been one of Capcom’s best franchises in recent years. Why shouldn’t Sonic Team capitalize on this? They KNOW 2D sonic games work well, and the thing that they don’t need to worry about with it is the camera, which is ST’s weak point.

Now, if Sonic Team really wants to have guns and cussing in the Sonic universe, then I suggest that they spin-off. Now, I originally thought Shadow the Hedgehog was a spin-off, but it really isn’t because Sonic and his pals are still main characters in it. I suggest that they take the gun-wielding, cursing, violent characters from Sonic, and stick them into their own game. Just take Shadow, Espio and Metal Sonic and put them in a game where they can gun down, curse, dodge bullets and sneak into places all they want. Seriously, that’s what we want if you guys want to stray from Sonic. We want to play through a level with Espio, with guns and shrunken, sneaking into a secret base Metal Gear-style. Seriously, I’m not kidding. 

Back to Sonic… stick all the characters you want to into a side-scrolling classic sonic game, incorporate the Heroes team mechanic, but do the thing they did in Sonic Advance 3 where you could choose your team mate. Then, give each character different environmental attributes (ex. Shadow could freeze time, while Rouge could spot otherwise undetectable lasers and such). I think it sounds good so far. Have three characters of your choice put into a traditional sonic level where you could take multiple paths to get a different ending each time (much like in Shadow). I mean, it has all of the things Sonic Team has wanted to put in a Sonic game, stays true to the franchise’s roots and keeps fans happy.

Well, I’d like to keep ranting and putting out my ideas, but I must end this article so you guys can share your opinions on my onion. Be honest now, because don’t think that one day when I’m finished with all my studies that I’m not going to do something with all these collective ideas. And, if my ideas are complete crap, tell me. Which would you rather have: a crappy game made by me or a good game made by me due to YOUR opinions? Last thing we need around here is another 50 Cent Bulletproof on the shelves.