History YMMV / SonicExe

** [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl The scream]] made by X's victims when he catches them. It fits with Tails since he's a young child, but with [[TheBigGuy Knuckles]] it's so unfitting it's hilarious.
** The voiceovers for X introduced in Version 7 can sound more ridiculous or over-the-top in a CrossesTheLineTwice way than scary.

** The original video game adaptation of the Creepypasta by [[https://gamejolt.com/@MY5TCrimson MY5TCrimson]] (which simulates Tom's experience) is more well-known and [[BetterThanCanon is often considered the superior experience by many]], as you are the one experiencing the cat-and-mouse game with the demonic Sonic, as opposed to the contrived and idiotic human characters in the original story.

* FirstInstallmentWins: While "wins" is a bit too much of a term, the original pasta is given a small credit due to having a more straightforward plot that does not drag out for too long and featuring little if any PurpleProse, something both the sequel and the remake suffer from greatly.

** In the sequel, our protagonist, despite writing in a diary, decides to write in abbreviations you'd be more likely to see in texting.

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: It is not uncommon for the people to point out how many key plot points "Sonic.exe Round 2" borrows from another creepypasta, "The Case of Stitch". Two detectives (one male, one female) try to investigate a series of gruesome murders, the female investigator then disappears and the male protagonist meets the culprit in person and realizes he is powerless to stop them. "Round 2" follows the ''exact'' same formula, except the protagonists are siblings instead of friends and X replaces the eponymous Stitch as the main antagonist.

* DesignatedHero: Tom spends the entire story worrying about fictional characters and mourns over their gruesome deaths unlike his real-life friend, Kyle, who probably died horribly trying to save Tom.

** The constant ripoffs from other video games (ripping off the final boss music from ''VideoGame/{{Silent Hill|1}}'' and ''VideoGame/EarthBound1983'', Kefka's ever-popular laugh [[note]]{which had already been used in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmyv5iOh9HI Sonic Oddball Crackups]]'' in lieu of Knuckles' sniggering for ''intentional'' comedic effect}[[/note]], etc.).

** The constant ripoffs from other video games (ripping off the final boss music from ''VideoGame/{{Silent Hill|1}}'' and ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', Kefka's ever-popular laugh [[note]]{which had already been used in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmyv5iOh9HI Sonic Oddball Crackups]]'' in lieu of Knuckles' sniggering for ''intentional'' comedic effect}[[/note]], etc.).

* CondemnedByHistory: You would have nary a clue this used to be one of ''the'' most well-respected game Creepypastas out there judging by how the pasta is treated nowadays; after critics tore it apart and made people realize its flaws, the pasta was lampooned so hard it got moved off the Creepypasta Wiki and onto a wiki dedicated explicitly for bad or troll Creepypastas. This in turn led the author to practically explode with petulant rage, writing a response to the Creepypasta Wiki's deletion of the story (with an archive available [[https://c0rps3.deviantart.com/art/The-Original-Sonic-EXE-Rant-EDIT-READ-DESCRIP-508262184 HERE]]) so overwrought and laden with PurpleProse that he only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper drew further attention]] to both the story and himself, resulting in even more relentless mockery and criticism. While there does still exist a significant following for the general idea and character of Sonic.exe, especially among kids or [[NostalgiaFilter adults who encountered it as kids]], [[AdaptationDisplacement it is almost entirely divorced from the actual original story]], which any retrospective will be quick to point out the issues with.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The original video game adaptation of the Creepypasta by [[https://gamejolt.com/@MY5TCrimson MY5TCrimson]] (which simulates Tom's experience) is more well-known and [[BetterThanCanon is often considered the superior experience by many]], as you are the one experiencing the cat-and-mouse game with the demonic Sonic, as opposed to the contrived and idiotic human characters in the original story.

* NightmareRetardant:

%%** And in the sequel's teaser: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znefyVmx2So AAAA 111111]]".
%%** Hyperrealistic Doge. That is all.

%%* {{Sequelitis}}: The general consensus of creepypasta readers consider the sequel even worse than the original.

%%* EvenBetterSequel:
%%** Some people considered ''[[https://spinpasta.fandom.com/wiki/Anti-Sonic_dll Anti-Sonic.dll]]'' to be superior to the original pasta.
%%** Similarly, ''An Ordinary Sonic 1 Rom Hack'' is considerably more entertaining than the original "game", and is actually rather creepy ([[NightmareRetardant moreso if you haven't read or played the original]]).

* CondemnedByHistory: You would have nary a clue this used to be one of ''the'' most well-respected game Creepypastas out there judging by how the pasta is treated nowadays; after critics tore it apart and made people realize its flaws, the pasta was lampooned so hard it got moved off the Creepypasta Wiki and onto a wiki dedicated explicitly for bad or troll Creepypastas. This in turn led the author to practically explode with petulant rage, writing a response to the Creepypasta Wiki's deletion of the story (with an archive avaliable [[https://c0rps3.deviantart.com/art/The-Original-Sonic-EXE-Rant-EDIT-READ-DESCRIP-508262184 HERE]]) so overwrought and laden with PurpleProse that he only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper drew further attention]] to both the story and himself, resulting in even more relentless mockery and criticism. The only fans of the Creepypasta left as of 2022 fit into five categories; [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids little kids]], those who chose to [[FixFic rewrite the story in their own words to fix its mistakes and have created their own adaptations and variations]], those who discovered/rediscovered it through [[VideoGame/VsSonicEXE a game mod]] for ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin''[[note]](which ''is'' pretty good, admittedly - and even that mod is in on the joke for the most part)[[/note]], those that discovered/rediscovered the soundtrack from the [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becoming uncanny meme, or purely ironic "fans" who enjoy it [[SoBadItsGood for decidedly different reasons]] - the former of which are doing no help to the pasta's image, given fanworks inspired by the pasta that are ''made'' by these young children are generally not very good.
%%* ContestedSequel: Reactions to ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20130323114443/http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/SALLY._EXE Sally.exe]]'' are split between the Creepypasta Wiki and Website/DeviantArt.

** Another animosity of an even bigger magnitude exists with ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork''. Case in point, that series has a lot of .EXE characters, but none of them are demonic soul-snatches [[spoiler:(the closest instance is how [=MegaMan=] is Lan's brother Hub having undergone BrainUploading, and that still doesn't count)]]. And then, as the ''Battle Network'' fans would claim, Sonic.EXE came around and posed as a [=NetNavi=] to ruin the good name of the true [=NetNavis=]. Needless to say, the ''Battle Network'' fans ''will'' rise with pitchforks against anyone who likes Sonic.EXE.

* FandomRivalry: One exists with ''WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ'' due to the latter's BigBad, Turbo Mecha Sonic, also having an AGodAmI mentality, so they have Mecha and Sonic.exe duke it out to see which of them deserves the God title. Though this rivalry is heavily onesided; most who know about it take Mecha's side and have him utterly ''[[CurbStompBattle trash]]'' Sonic.exe, [[CurbStompCushion even if the latter fights back]] (it helps that Mecha is considered more terrifying than [[NightmareRetardant Sonic.exe]]). Even when Sonic.exe was RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap by the ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' fanbase through the ''VideoGame/VsSonicExe'' mod, it amounted to nothing, because kkirby999, a fan of ''Super Mario Bros. Z'', made a mod where Boyfriend faces Mecha, which led to other SMBZ fans to make covers where Mecha trashes the characters in the ''Vs. Sonic.exe'' mod.

* MemeticLoser: Sonic.exe is commonly trashed by other, more genuinely terrifying Sonic-resembling villains, such as [[ComicBook/SonicTheComic Fleetway Super Sonic]] and [[WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ Turbo Mecha Sonic]]. Nevermind that Sonic.exe is an EldritchAbomination, which is an entirely different tier from Fleetway Super Sonic, who is a SuperpoweredEvilSide, and Mecha Sonic, who is a robot (though in their defense, multiple EldritchAbominations were beaten by persons from lower power tiers). This is referenced in the ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' mod ''VideoGame/VsSonicExe'', where Fleetway Super Sonic is one of the opponents, and [[TakeThat constantly throws jabs at Sonic.exe]] [[GameOverMan when Boyfriend loses to him]].

* MemeticLoser: Sonic.exe is commonly trashed by other, more genuinely terrifying Sonic-resembling villains, such as [[ComicBook/SonicTheComic Fleetway Super Sonic]] and [[WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ Turbo Mecha Sonic]]. This is referenced in the ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' mod ''VideoGame/VsSonicExe'', where Fleetway Super Sonic is one of the opponents, and [[TakeThat constantly throws jabs at Sonic.exe]] [[GameOverMan when Boyfriend loses to him]].

* HilariousInHindsight:
** There would eventually be an [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 official Sonic media]] with a human protagonist named Tom. Funnily enough, it ''also'' had a version of Sonic that made people reel in horror. That very same version of Sonic (albeit with a few cosmetic changes) was later featured in Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022, where he does a creepy closeup at one point similar to one of Sonic.exe's faces.

* ClicheStorm: Many of the tropes found in video game creepypastas are found here played completely (and unashamedly) straight. Particularly JustForFun/{{Egregious}} examples include the author's [[ExactTimeToFailure obsession with listing the exact amount of time things happened for]], constantly jamming things from other games into the story simply because it might be "scary", and of course, hyperrealistic blood.

* NightmareFuel: On the other hand, this creepypasta did manage to include genuinely terrifying moments. [[NightmareFuel/SonicExe Just take a look here]].

* NightmareFuel: On the other hand, this creepypasta did manage to include genuinely terrifying moments. [[NightmareFuel/{{Sonic.exe}} Just take a look here]].

* CondemnedByHistory: You would have nary a clue this used to be one of ''the'' most well-respected game Creepypastas out there judging by how the pasta is treated nowadays; after critics tore it apart and made people realize its flaws, the pasta was lampooned so hard it got moved off the Creepypasta Wiki and onto a wiki dedicated explicitly for bad or troll Creepypastas. This in turn led the author to practically explode with petulant rage, writing a response to the Creepypasta Wiki's deletion of the story (with an archive avaliable [[https://c0rps3.deviantart.com/art/The-Original-Sonic-EXE-Rant-EDIT-READ-DESCRIP-508262184 HERE]]) so overwrought and laden with PurpleProse that he only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper drew further attention]] to both the story and himself, resulting in even more relentless mockery and criticism. The only fans of the Creepypasta left as of 2022 fit into five categories; [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids little kids]], those who chose to [[FixFic rewrite the story in their own words to fix its mistakes and have created their own adaptations and variations]], those who discovered/rediscovered it through [[VideoGame/VsSonicEXE a game mod]] for ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin''[[note]](which ''is'' pretty good, admittedly - and even that mod is in on the joke for the most part)[[/note]], those that discovered/rediscovered the soundtrack from the [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becoming uncanny meme, or purely ironic "fans" who enjoy it [[SoBadItsGood for decidedly different reasons]] - the former of which are doing no help to the pasta's image, given fanworks inspired by the pasta that are ''made'' by these young children [[SturgeonsLaw are generally not very good]].

* CondemnedByHistory: You would have nary a clue this used to be one of ''the'' most well-respected game Creepypastas out there judging by how the pasta is treated nowadays; after critics tore it apart and made people realize its flaws, the pasta was lampooned so hard it got moved off the Creepypasta Wiki and onto a wiki dedicated explicitly for bad or troll Creepypastas. This in turn led the author to practically explode with petulant rage, writing a response to the Creepypasta Wiki's deletion of the story so overwrought and laden with PurpleProse that he only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper drew further attention]] to both the story and himself, resulting in even more relentless mockery and criticism. The only fans of the Creepypasta left as of 2022 fit into five categories; [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids little kids]], those who chose to [[FixFic rewrite the story in their own words to fix its mistakes and have created their own adaptations and variations]], those who discovered/rediscovered it through [[VideoGame/VsSonicEXE a game mod]] for ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin''[[note]](which ''is'' pretty good, admittedly - and even that mod is in on the joke for the most part)[[/note]], those that discovered/rediscovered the soundtrack from the [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] becoming uncanny meme, or purely ironic "fans" who enjoy it [[SoBadItsGood for decidedly different reasons]] - the former of which are doing no help to the pasta's image, given fanworks inspired by the pasta that are ''made'' by these young children [[SturgeonsLaw are generally not very good]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: If there's one central problem with this concept of a Creepypasta, it's that it shouldn't even be such a [[ClicheStorm hollow shell]] of a [[TheMostDangerousVideoGame "haunted game cartridge"]] pasta to begin with, as the basic plot outline of Sonic being either possessed or overtaken by an evil doppelganger who goes out to [[FromBadToWorse "play" with his friends and foes]] should be capable of standing on its own as a DarkFic (not unlike ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'') with a "NothingIsScarier" approach.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While JC himself was already a pariah in the Creepypasta community, in Summer 2021 several current and former ''Sonic.exe'' fans came forward and alleged that JC-the-Hyena had been taking part in sexual roleplays with them while they were still underage. This, combined with the revelation that JC had been emotionally abusing his at-the-time girlfriend and making her believe such actions were normal, his attempted comeback under another username and later actions (including ''hacking'' another person's Discord account), and the fandom's lack of proper response to the allegations only served to sour the story's reputation to the general public. A more in-depth analysis can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97OA-coDLOM here]].