Shadow before Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 and after

[Blazey Firekitty]

The topic of Shadow's abilities and personalities have come up a lot in the past few days, so I started getting kind of curious and nostalgic. I thought I'd present some of my personal theories, however inaccurate they might be.

I might be wrong, but I always got the impression that Shadow's solo game was what both ruined his reputation and started the first truly prominent divide in the fandom between "classic fans" and "modern fans." When I learned that Shadow's game was getting trashed by the critics, I was very surprised, since I'd had the impression, before the game came out, that Shadow was an almost universally well received character.

I think perhaps the reason Shadow was popular during the SA2 to Heroes era was that he was something different, but he didn't change the whole tone of the series. He was a fish of water searching for redemption in a world he didn't understand. When Shadow 2005 came out...suddenly the whole world of Sonic the Hedgehog became darker, as if Shadow's very presence was warping reality. Sonic 2006 followed much the same pattern, though in more of a "Final Fantasy" style story than a "Halo" style one.

In the wake of these two infamous games, Sonic Team created Unleashed, which was an attempt to get the series back to a more light-hearted, simple style, and Colours and Generations have both followed suit.

However, they haven't gotten rid of Shadow, which begs the question of what role they will use him for in the future, which explains why we're still having threads discussing what to do with Shadow....he's become something of an elephant in the room, and we probably won't have any concrete answers as to what should be done with him until Sonic Team definitively shows us what they are doing with him going forward.

[Winston]

Shadow...I've never liked Shadow. He was alright in Sonic Adventure 2, but other than that, I didn't like him. Shadow only stayed around after SA2 because of Shadow Fanatics telling Sonic Team to bring him back, Shadow was only going to be a one-hit wonder. He was going to die in SA2, and stay dead. But then Shadow Fanatics had a seizure learning that sad truth, and begged Sonic Team to bring him back. He then returned in Heroes, he did O.K in that. Then Shadow the Hedgehog came....

[JezMM]

Well, I think if he's going to be involved in a story it's as simple as going back to that fish-out-of-water analogy.

I'd really love to see him get involved in a big plot again, hopefully having some tension with Sonic at some point due to a differing goal or a differing view on the best way to achieve the same goal.

[Mangoaxe5]

Well before Shadow's game in 2005 people never called Shadow emo. Afterwards the fans started to call Shadow an emo.

[JezMM]

Well before Shadow's game in 2005 people never called Shadow emo. Afterwards the fans started to call Shadow an emo.

Which is funny because it was that very game he got over being indirectly responsible for killing his very best friend. Even at the time I hated that apparently that wasn't validation for being "emo".

[Sparky]

I want SEGA To confirm him as an Agent of GUN.

[Kuzu]

When ST found out how profitable popular Shadow was, they obviously want to capitalize on that, too bad they did in the most idiotic way possible. He seems to be getting better, but the damage has been done.

[Danj86]

I do hear often people saying that crazy fanatics contributed to Shadows return. But Sega and Sonic Team said themselves that they always wanted to go further into Shadows story, so that argument is perhaps a bit stale?

I don't love or hate Shadow, but I will admit that I liked him best in Sonic Adventure 2. And disliked everything about the Shadow The Hedgehog game. (Apart from the main theme. I Am, All of Me.) He was...okay in Sonic 06. And has since been put back where he belongs as a supporting character in the new games.

But no doubt Shadow lunatics don't take too kindly to this.

Anyway, who wants to talk about Big? Anyone??

Edited November 9, 2011 by Dan-imeJ86

[Blazey Firekitty]

I never really understood why the emo label was applied to Shadow. Emo seems to imply that a person talks about their problems but does nothing. Outside of the one ending of Shadow 2005 where Shadow believes he never should have been born, Shadow always, to the best of my knowledge, seems to take action when he's upset about something. Not always the right actions, but he tends to at least do something.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Blazey Psychounicorn

[Stritix]

He's my favourite character of all time I hope to see him return.

[Winston]

Anyway, who wants to talk about Big? Anyone??

Don't get me started, I've been known to say awful things about that Obese, Retarded Cat...

Burn in a fire Big, and take Froggy with you.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Future-Hedgehog

[Kuzu]

I never really understood why the emo label was applied to Shadow. Emo seems to imply that a person talks about their problems but does nothing. Outside of the one ending of Shadow 2005 where Shadow believes he never should have been born, Shadow always, to the best of my knowledge, seems to take action when he's upset about something. Not always the right actions, but he tends to at least do something.

I think it might have something to do with constantly shouting Maria's name in his game...or maybe people just like the overgeneralize things.

[Blazey Firekitty]

I think it might have something to do with constantly shouting Maria's name in his game...or maybe people just like the overgeneralize things.

I thought it might have something to do with talking about Maria...but he doesn't actually seem to do it that often. He only seems to (For the most part) mention her when something forces him into flashback mode, like Rouge being in danger, talking to Amy, or the whole amnesia thing he had for a while after SA2. Come to think of it, he doesn't mention her at all in Sonic 2006.

[VO.SUPER]

I think Shadow should honestly mellow out in future games to the point where he can still contribute to the story, but not be a main focus like in Shadow The Hedgehog and Sonic 06.

I also think his fighting style should change to fit the lighter tone of newer games. I want to say he should stop using guns and vehicles, but at the time I'm not exactly sure how else he could differ from Sonic.

Also; for his personality, I suggest toning it down to a level where he acts more as a comedic foil to Sonic's no responsibility attitude. Give him his run of humor that fits with the tone of the games without disrupting his character ideals. Something like a comedy with two brothers, who both share different ideas of how to respond to a situation, end up disrupting one another.

Edited November 9, 2011 by VisionaryBlur

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Shadow...I've never liked Shadow. He was alright in Sonic Adventure 2, but other than that, I didn't like him. Shadow only stayed around after SA2 because of Shadow Fanatics telling Sonic Team to bring him back, Shadow was only going to be a one-hit wonder. He was going to die in SA2, and stay dead. But then Shadow Fanatics had a seizure learning that sad truth, and begged Sonic Team to bring him back. He then returned in Heroes, he did O.K in that. Then Shadow the Hedgehog came....

Edited November 9, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Blazey Firekitty]

I also think his fighting style should change to fit the lighter tone of newer games. I want to say he should stop using guns and vehicles, but at the time I'm not exactly sure how else he could differ from Sonic.

[VO.SUPER]

Or perhaps Sonic Team wanted to use the character more than just a one-shot character. The fans added more of a reason to bring the character back, and so they went from there.

Seriously, do you want me to pull out the interview? Because even as far as Shadow Fanboys go, your fanbashing here is completely ridiculous and exaggerated, and I'm more than happy to silence that.

[Danj86]

To an extent, I don't blame anyone for thinking like that. After all, why did Sonic team go and kill off Shadow in the first place if they wanted to bring him back? That was a stupid mistake on SEGA's side.

Oddly enough, I read somewhere that they wanted to bring back Gamma for Sonic Heroes too. But couldn't work out the best way to go about it, hence Omega. To some extent Emerl came back too.

*Edit* Oh yeah, don't forget that Gamma would later return on Sonic Battle.

Bringing characters back from death is nothing new. The Marvel comics have been doing it for years.

On a slightly related note, a dark matter like being that can travel and disrupt time sounds a lot like a villain believed to be erased from time.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Dan-imeJ86

[Mangoaxe5]

I'm pretty sure that Shadow's "death" in Sonic Adventure 2 was a way for Sega to test the waters and see how popular he was.

If fans loved the character then they would bring him back, and if fans hated him then he'd stay dead.

As we all know Shadow prove to be very popular so Sega bought him back.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Darkfox

[Diogenes]

I might be wrong, but I always got the impression that Shadow's solo game was what both ruined his reputation and started the first truly prominent divide in the fandom between "classic fans" and "modern fans."

It definitely wasn't the first strike. There were plenty of people with a dim view of Shadow and of the direction the series was taking as early as SA2 (and Heroes didn't help much either). ShtH certainly amplified that tension, though, and it's probably done more damage to the fanbase than any game but '06.

[Your Vest Friend]

I personally liked his personality in Heroes. Yes, it did start the whole amnesia plot that people weren't happy with, but back then he didn't stop and brood about his past all the time, he took action and had fun while asking the doctor when the opportunity just so arose.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

To an extent, I don't blame anyone for thinking like that. After all, why did Sonic team go and kill off Shadow in the first place if they wanted to bring him back? That was a stupid mistake on SEGA's side.

Bringing him back was a mistake or the idea to kill him off and bring him back without thinking straight was a mistake?

Either way, I'm not completely against the notion that the fans had an influenced in it, but when you go mocking them like Future-Hedgehog did, then it's a problem. The fans may have wanted the character back, but hardly any fan I've ever seen advocated adding gun-play into the game they way the did, and that mistake is solely on Sonic Team.

[VO.SUPER]

I personally liked his personality in Heroes. Yes, it did start the whole amnesia plot that people weren't happy with, but back then he didn't stop and brood about his past all the time, he took action and had fun while asking the doctor when the opportunity just so arose.

But Shadow only brooded on his past in ShTG, and that was because he had amnesia. In SA2  he took actions of revenge and barely took time to think of the past other than to use it to pursue his goals, as most people do when seeking revenge. His brooding was only really prevalent in ShTG, so why make a big deal out of it. Heck, the brooding was barely prevalent in the bulk of the story. It wasn't until the final levels of each storyline that he would think back to his past and question himself.

Bringing him back was a mistake or the idea to kill him off and bring him back without thinking straight was a mistake?

Either way, I'm not completely against the notion that the fans had an influenced in it, but when you go mocking them like Future-Hedgehog did, then it's a problem. The fans may have wanted the character back, but hardly any fan I've ever seen advocated adding gun-play into the game they way the did, and that mistake is solely on Sonic Team.

Killing him in the first place then bringing him back without thinking.That's really the only point I wanted to bring up. I think that fans influenced Shadow's fate, but only to an extent. However, a lot of the blame still falls to SEGA for listening without thinking or thinking about the audiences for their games.

Edited November 9, 2011 by VisionaryBlur

[Chaos Nightmare Moon]

They had the right premise with Sonic 06, because I'm sure that game was inspired by SA2 and Shth. They had split stories with in three spereate hedgehog characters each with thier own goals, themes and ideals. And when thier worlds merged together, the game combined thier stories into unified cause of their goals while trying to develope and establish the characters and what they represent.

Shadow of the three is a dark theme based character obviously, therefore it's not the character but the execution of how the character manages to make the best of his theme and development for everyone to respect if not accept. Sonic Team after Sonic 06 has trying to make Shadow Sonic themed to fit the world that he shares with the rest of the cast. And I think that compromised alot of the characters potential to become a bigger name outside from Sonic and under Sonic.

I think shth was poorly done because the game just had a fresh but flawed execution in terms of storyline and premise. Shadow to begin with was taking the reigns from Sonic in the game, it should have been a game about Shadow alone also a game where Shadow is focused on more than Shadow being the character that is known as Sonic's arch rival.

Also the gameplay was crap, and there was no innovation in it. It was just Shadow moving from a to b like Sonic but added horrid side missions as the main plot line and Shadow being the guy who has to use weapons to kill most of his enemies instead of his chaos powers and moveset. I think Iizuka should have made the game based on Shadow's true power of Chaos Control instead of alien invasion, maybe to the origins of chaos control but in another deminsion.

But alas I think Shadow is one of those characters that needs to have careful planning before being used for anything basic like Sonic games, right now he's just the occassional boss and rival to Sonic. And basically because of his reputation to the gaming critics, he's scared away Sonic Team developers to do anything major with him now that he's reduced his popularity with his game.

And now he's being used just for fanservice, but I don't think other than SA2 has he been utilized for anything greater than Being the guy who was a badass twin for Sonic in SA2 and multiplayable in Battles and Heroes and than came crashing down with his own game and in 06. He's had a rough time trying to be stable being nothing more than multiplayer or side character role or boss so this neutral role Shadow plays as a character should end and establish something permanent for Shadow and hopefully some thing that will make people acknowledge him as a popular character again.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Chaos Nightmare Moon

[Blazey Firekitty]

It definitely wasn't the first strike. There were plenty of people with a dim view of Shadow and of the direction the series was taking as early as SA2 (and Heroes didn't help much either). ShtH certainly amplified that tension, though, and it's probably done more damage to the fanbase than any game but '06.

I guess the base was already starting to break for while, but only tore apart fully when ShtH came out.