I'm mixed on it, but I'm not offended nor anything. I know enough corporate tacticts to not be affected by Twitter discourse.
I do like the variant Knuckles, but I'm just confused on where the Master Emeralds.
To win, you need to adapt, and to adapt, you need to be able to laugh away all the restraints. Everything holding you back.And even in NSMB, I would argue that subseries' simple plots and repetitive nature are two of the primary reasons it was such a successful accompaniment to the more ambitious main titles.
Edited by KnownUnknown on Dec 17th 2022 at 7:59:34 AM
Sonic as the platformer franchise that leans into lore and even tries emphasize characterization/continuity makes it the odd one out for the most part. Even the Sony owned series that engage in that gradually became more like action games for the most part.
Heck the DKC games have had music and (at times visuals) that seemed to hint at a very moody atmosphere and tone, and even their stories have never gone beyond bananas taken/Kong kidnapped/enemy invades.
The same really; despite all of the dark and implicating shit in Kirby games, the actual plots have remained simple. Kirby stories have never been more complicated than "Bad guy is doing something bad, go beat their ass" The background stuff is where the fan interest lies.
And you can argue Kirby does it in a way that's more tolerable than Sonic, because Kirby never makes that stuff the focal point of their games in the way Sonic does. Forgotten Land is just typical Kirby until the last leg, while Frontiers is pretty much all about the dark and dreary atmosphere and the mystery of the Ancients.
The short version: Kirby uses its dark stuff merely as subtext, while Sonic makes it outright text. One isn't necessarily better, but Kirby leaves more to the imagination imo, which goes a longer way.
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Dec 17th 2022 at 12:44:09 PM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.I have ny quibbles with Sonic Prime but I'd say it's the best Sonic cartoon thus far. The animation budget must be obscene with fighr scenes that look that good.
It's nice to have a legit Sonic vs Shadow fight too. Boom tried but the budget wasn't there. Sonic X was so bad. Sonic Heroes teased it then went to gameplay.
The whole Shadow and Cream thing I could see as a Morality Pet angle. Maybe add in some bits of Shadow teaching Cream how to fight. Being smart enough to teach her a kick heavy fighting style to take Cream being a rabbit to its proper advantage. Also tough love because the gravity of the situation/consequences of failure are a REALLY good reason to implement Good Is Not Nice (gotta be tough because you care).
Afterall, Cryptic Castle (Hero) is cannon. Arguably evidence to the “Multiple Acts Theory” of Shadow the Hedgehog’s canon route (Mad Matrix being Act 2).
Looking at youtube, the general consensus regarding Prime Shadow seems to be generally positive.
As if there’s this mass sensing of author intent to give Shadow some Character Rerailment back in the direction of the very well liked 06 depiction.
Even the voice acting seems to be trying to push him back in that direction too.
Character Rerailment, yeah. I'm constantly seeing it on every YMMV to the point it grew annoying.
To win, you need to adapt, and to adapt, you need to be able to laugh away all the restraints. Everything holding you back.As if there’s this mass sensing of author intent to give Shadow some Character Rerailment back in the direction of the very well liked 06 depiction.
Even the voice acting seems to be trying to push him back in that direction too.
You're reading way too much into it. Shadow doesn't even have five minutes worth of screentime and you're already calling it the best Shadow depiction ever? And I hardly doubt the creators are privy to all of the arguments Sonic fans have about him.
Like I get it, everyone wants Shadow to be a super mega badass who puts Sonic in his place again and is on top of everything, but at least wait until the rest of the episodes are out before you make this claim?
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Dec 18th 2022 at 12:33:29 PM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.It feels a bit like Prime might have a better context to something interesting and a bit more on point with Shadow than recent media.
Now I never minded Boom Shadow both because I never was that emotionally invested in his character to begin with and because I recognized that that particular incarnation was a deliberate parody of his edgy image (to the point I'd almost argue he's a satire of what post 06 Sega thinks he is). However given Boom was basically a sitcom with occasional action elements it was never likely going to be the best avenue for him regardless of the specific writing choices because the core interest from the mass audience in Shadow is in being emotionally explored or being cool, and a wacky comedy series doesn't emphasize either.
Prime could give him a much better opportunity because of the core plot and that a TV series simply doesn't have the same pressures as a game and thus is in position to make him work even as part of an ensemble. He's likely not the outright focus (with all the problems that can come from that) and could appear just enough to please the audience without dominating the narrative.
The best case scenario is that Sonic Team has loosened the reigns a bit with the creative direction both so that he's not subject to the same mandates as IDW and that the showrunners won't be pressured into overusing him because he's popular.
Edited by BorneAgain on Dec 18th 2022 at 12:40:02 PM
Oh I'm not saying Shadow isn't good, I've enjoyed the little bit of I've seen from him just fine.
I'm just not on board with pushing this idea "Oh man, this is TOTALLY the best Shadow ever and completely shits on everything since 06. Can we have this voice replace Kirk Thorton cuz he's so awful as Shadow" and I'm like....relax.
And like I said, the main reason I feel like people are liking Shadow in Prime is because Sonic takes a slight hit to his own competence, it makes Shadow's attitude towards him justified and it makes him look cooler by comparison.
Because his attitude isn't any different from how it was in recent outings; he still makes short appearances that mostly consist of kicking Sonic's ass. Its just that Sonic actually deserves it now, so now its ok.
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Dec 18th 2022 at 12:40:49 PM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.The fanbase certainly be guilty of a certain rush to enthusiasm when the elements they like seem to be coming back. Especially for a generation of fans that (as evident by the various You Tube essays) deeply cared about Shadow and considered his arc meaningful to them? Pretty much anything that seemingly looks like its making him even slightly nuanced or significant beyond stuff like the token campaign in Forces is going to be very swiftly celebrated regardless of how little we know about the actual execution.
I mean on the other side of it, I recall numerous older fans breathing a sigh of relief when cutscenes starting coming out from Colors that had Sonic as a wisea** snarker making jokes about Eggman because he was viewed as having actual personality again after a decade of (from their perspective) seeing it be whittled down. How well that particular characterization fully turned out is a matter of debate, but that's one of the reasons that title gained positive momentum early on because a portion of the fanbase saw good signs and reacted accordingly.
Edited by BorneAgain on Dec 18th 2022 at 12:51:17 PM
Until a couple years later until everyone decided that Colors!Sonic is bad and "ruined the franchise"
Oh Sonic fans and their contrasting opinions that seem to change at the drop of a hat. I recognize its different groups saying different things, but it makes it no less annoying when they're equally as loud.
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.

Action is great, and I like where Sonic's character is going.
And seeing the alternate versions of the cast is pretty fun IMO.
"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"