The Tails (or Miles) topic

[Jet Prower]

I honestly like how Tails is being portrayed lately. He isn't the little kid that just seems to hang onto Sonic and completely idolize him now. He is starting to have more of his own mind and actually is questioning Sonic more and standing up for his own opinions. He appears to be growing up more now into an independent fox that does still like his big brother, but at the same time, he isn't always sure if the way Sonic does things is the best way to do them. That honestly makes him a bit better character. Being all happy to see Sonic and such is still just fine, but making him act like this makes their relationship a bit more brother like honestly and less fanboyish over Sonic.

[Splash the Otter]

Tails' current portrayal could be a lot worse, but I wish there was less focus on his engineering skill. I feel like it's been exaggerated to ridiculous levels recently.

[Briraka]

Tails' current portrayal could be a lot worse, but I wish there was less focus on his engineering skill. I feel like it's been exaggerated to ridiculous levels recently.

Recently?  He made a duplicate Chaos Emerald in SA2.

[Splash the Otter]

Recently?  He made a duplicate Chaos Emerald in SA2.

But when you look at how real Chaos Emeralds are essentially indefinite batteries, it isn't quite as impressive. The duplicate was just a one-use item containing enough Chaos energy to pass for the real one, but not so much that it could power the Eclipse Cannon for more than maybe a second.

[Tara]

But when you look at how real Chaos Emeralds are essentially indefinite batteries, it isn't quite as impressive. The duplicate was just a one-use item containing enough Chaos energy to pass for the real one, but not so much that it could power the Eclipse Cannon for more than maybe a second.

Where was that ever mentioned?  Tails explicitly mentioned it was engineered for the sole purpose of reversing the energy of the other Emeralds and causing the canon to explode.  Even if it was a one-time use thing, I'd still say that's pretty impressive, considering we don't exactly see one-time use magic rocks being mass produced or anything.

[allicali]

Taild has and will always be my favorite character in the series. Besides being cute fluffy and smart, I felt relatable in a weird way to him. I was always the tag-along type to my more leaderly friends... and still am! Also, Tails helped me learn to draw because I tried drawing him when I was very young, and now i can draw him pretty much perfectly. Yay Tails

[Splash the Otter]

Where was that ever mentioned?  Tails explicitly mentioned it was engineered for the sole purpose of reversing the energy of the other Emeralds and causing the canon to explode.  Even if it was a one-time use thing, I'd still say that's pretty impressive, considering we don't exactly see one-time use magic rocks being mass produced or anything.

It's been a while since I played SA2, so I forgot about the reversal thing. But even with all that, I still don't think it justifies making Tails an Eggman-level genius . Why should being a mechanic equate to being a genius, anyway?

[Cyalume]

Why I love Tails.

> Colors Tails

Polar opposite of your opinion: This clip is exactly why I dislike how he's being written as of late. They've turned him into a smartass.

Thats not to say that I dislike Tails entirely. He's been one of my favorite characters for a number of years, but I'm not fond of the Colors/Lost world iteration.

[Tara]

It's been a while since I played SA2, so I forgot about the reversal thing. But even with all that, I still don't think it justifies making Tails an Eggman-level genius . Why should being a mechanic equate to being a genius, anyway?

I don't think it's ever been explicitly mentioned that he was only a mechanic, but I believe it's mentioned in Sonic X (which is its own canon so yeah) that he just has a particular fascination with planes and vehicles.  However, I do agree that his youth and inexperience by comparison to Eggman should be a tad more evident and certainly wouldn't hurt if it were highlighted just a bit more.

 

As for how being a mechanic equates to being a genius, it doesn't.  But I think it's reasonable to assume that anyone who has such an incredible prowess at such a young age probably has a pretty sizable intellect.  That being said, I also find it reasonable to assume that his being a mechanic and being exceptionally smart aren't necessarily related.  People can be smart in many different fields whilst having an interest in only one.  It's not a matter of him being a mechanic means he must be super-smart, but that he is super-smart and specializes in mechanics.

 

Also, on the subject of his portrayal in Colors/Generations/Lost World (the last of which I have not played), I do like his portrayal there, as it's nice to see Sonic and Tails act like friends, who exchange sarcastic quips here and there.  I'd be lying, though, if I said I didn't miss the Adventure days when he was a cute little dork.  I have to say that while I find SA1's character development to be excellent, there honestly feels like a huge disconnect between SA1 Tails and then SA2 and onward.  For the scope of something like Sonic, I guess it's all right, but I feel like we lost a bit of Tails' personality after he gained his so-called independence.  But eh, that just may be nostalgia talking.

[Kuzu]

There's a lot of talk on how Tails has lost "parts of his humanity" by becoming independent, and not trying to emulate Sonic anymore.

 

I dunno, I guess its mostly nostalgia from how Tails was, and how different his current portrayals are.

[Tara]

I would so not go as far as to say he lost a bit of his "humanity."  He's still a great character and all, but I feel that we lost a bit of the dorkiness and child-like mannerisms in every game from SA2 onward, which is something I absolutely loved about the character.  To say he lost his humanity, based on the dictionary definition, would mean that he's lost what made him feel human, which in my opinion he hasn't.  He's simply lost something that I felt was endearing and definitive of his character.  Nothing more.  Again, probably just nostalgia, though, so feel more than free to completely disregard my shallow thoughts. X3

[TearForFear]

Don't know if this example fits with the concept of "humanity", but there's the scene in SLW where Sonic scolds Tails for the "evil Cubot" incident, and Tails feels really bad as he replies "I was just trying to help".

 

This bit is a proof that Tails, deep down, still has a childlike innocence, at least for me.

[metalliccookies]

I have never really had a big issue with any of the versions of Tails... though I must say i'm not a fan of how he yells 'Sonic' when he dies in SA2 :/ (but thats just me) though my preferred style of Tails has to be the most resent one where he is the brains and a bit sarcastic... I just don't like it though when sometimes Sonic is given another sidekick (ala, Elise or Chip) who replace him

[StaticMania]

It's been a while since I played SA2, so I forgot about the reversal thing. But even with all that, I still don't think it justifies making Tails an Eggman-level genius . Why should being a mechanic equate to being a genius, anyway?

In order to do the stuff he does, he would need to be very intelligent. Intelligent as in he has the know-how to do the things he does which requires more than just the mechanical skill. It doesn't make him a genius in anywhere other than that field, but he'd still have kept the knowledge gained from studying and/or research he did in order to boost his Tech skills.

[Irish David]

I think most people have summed up why I love Tails. He is loyal friend to Sonic and plays the little brother/sidekick role so well, cute, adorable but I love his ability to fly. Being able to reach tall places at ease in Sonic 2 made me love him to bits. I would agree I never really liked Sonic Underground as they left him out of it which was criminal in my opinion. 

 

Colours/Generations and Lost World have made me love him even more as his role has been played extremely well, I would love for him to branch out and have a small playable role in the future but that depends on Sonic Team's direction for him. 

 

I like the voice actor who is playing him currently, my only criticism (and its only small) is that is played by a girl, i think to avoid confusion as some people think he is a girl he should voice by a boy/man

 

He is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the Sonic series and his bromance with Sonic is played so well and I hope this continues for many years to come

 

Fly high to reach the highest of all the heavens and Believe in Myself for this is only the start for me :-)

[StaticMania]

I think most people have summed up why I love Tails. He is loyal friend to Sonic and plays the little brother/sidekick role so well, cute, adorable but I love his ability to fly. Being able to reach tall places at ease in Sonic 2 made me love him to bits.

 

I like the voice actor who is playing him currently, my only criticism (and its only small) is that is played by a girl, i think to avoid confusion as some people think he is a girl he should voice by a boy/man

Tails wasn't able to fly in Sonic 2.

 

Also if you want Tails to have a consistent voice tone for a long while and sound good too, a female voice actor is the Best choice in this situation. The voice actor being female isn't even a problem, the only problem would be how good she can do a boyish voice.

[Tara]

Don't know if this example fits with the concept of "humanity", but there's the scene in SLW where Sonic scolds Tails for the "evil Cubot" incident, and Tails feels really bad as he replies "I was just trying to help".

 

This bit is a proof that Tails, deep down, still has a childlike innocence, at least for me.

It's not as though the feeling of wanting to be helpful is exclusive to a child. =P

 

But I'm not saying Tails has absolutely no childishness to him.  He most certainly does.  Just not the same type.  Instead of the delightfully corny outbursts and adorable little boy voice, he seems very smart and relatively mature for his age.  That's not bad by any means; it's just different.

 

I have never really had a big issue with any of the versions of Tails... though I must say i'm not a fan of how he yells 'Sonic' when he dies in SA2 :/ (but thats just me) though my preferred style of Tails has to be the most resent one where he is the brains and a bit sarcastic... I just don't like it though when sometimes Sonic is given another sidekick (ala, Elise or Chip) who replace him

Having another character temporarily take center stage does not mean Tails is being replaced.  Sonic has many friends; it would be unfair, not to mention incredibly stale, if they focused exclusively on Tails.

[Chaos Incarnate]

Tails has always been one of my absolute favorite Sonic characters in the whole entire franchise. As a child, he was my absolute favorite, he always felt like a bit of an inspiration to me.

 

 

This artwork of him represents him perfectly to me: power comes in different forms. Tails may be a child, and a cute-looking fox, but under the surface, there's a hell of a lot more to him than that. He's like a little brother to Sonic, is a genius inventor, and is usually the character that knows exactly what he's doing, thus being one of the more level headed characters in the series. He also had his moments of badassery and independence in the Sonic Adventure titles, being able to defeat his intellectual rival Dr. Eggman on his own, and in Lost World, managing to reprogram the Deadly Six's roboticizer and drive them all off by easily tricking them. Tails is a character that really strikes a chord with me. He's the loveable geek you would love to have as a friend in real life: he's brilliant, would do whatever it takes to help, and would always have your back. Some tend to under estimate him, but he can clearly be a great character in his own right without being by Sonic's side 24/7.

 

Oh, and Kate Higgins is without question, the perfect fit for Tails and is the one VA that should never, EVER be recast under any circumstances, or at least for a while. She's compatible with the character in just about every way and makes all of his traits show through every performance she turns in. 

[Splash the Otter]

But I'm not saying Tails has absolutely no childishness to him.  He most certainly does.  Just not the same type.  Instead of the delightfully corny outbursts and adorable little boy voice, he seems very smart and relatively mature for his age.  That's not bad by any means; it's just different.

Thank you Akito, you helped me realize the real problem I have with how Tails is depicted. For the most part, he behaves like a tiny adult. I could forgive Sega making him a child prodigy if he would just act his age!

[TearForFear]

It's not as though the feeling of wanting to be helpful is exclusive to a child. =P

 

Well of course it's not

 

I was talking about how Tails felt bad and became sad at Sonic's scolding (which reminded me of a scene from an AOSTH episode, "Trails of the missing Tails", where something similar had place)

[Kuzu]

Its probably because I'm somewhat neutral on Tails, but I never understood what's the big deal with him not acting like a kid. Does any character act their given age within the series?

[StaticMania]

Its probably because I'm somewhat neutral on Tails, but I never understood what's the big deal with him not acting like a kid. Does any character act their given age within the series?

Sonic does occasionally, Amy does slightly more than Sonic, Tails did in Sa1 and a little Heroes...Charmy and Cream. Knuckles isn't allowed to, Big lives a care free life in the forest, Blaze isn't allowed to, Rouge acts a little older than she is, everybody else's age doesn't matter to their person.

[Tara]

It depends on your meaning of act your age.  I think Sonic's personality lends well to his 15 years of age, even if you wouldn't expect an actual 15-year-old to act that way.  Amy's about right at the age where having a crazy obsession is pretty normal affair.  I don't have any questions regarding Rouge or Blaze and their ages, and although I feel they hammer the point in a little too much, Cream's age is clearly evident from her words and actions.

 

I'm disagree with the notion that Tails acts just like a young adult, but I do think that in recent games, he's shown to be a bit... I dunno... too knowledgeable and experienced for his age?  Of course, barring Lost World since I haven't played it, we haven't really had a game that centered around anything he would be unfamiliar with, internally or externally, so I really don't think it's that the portrayal of the character is bad as much as they don't put him into situations where these kind of things can be explored. ^^;

[Kuzu]

Yea, I never got the feeling Tails never acts his age, he just never has had any focus like back in the Adventures to see how he actually feels and acts in certain situations.

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[Soniman]

There's a lot of talk on how Tails has lost "parts of his humanity" by becoming independent, and not trying to emulate Sonic anymore.

 

I dunno, I guess its mostly nostalgia from how Tails was, and how different his current portrayals are.

 

He lost parts of his humanity for trying to be his own person and not someone else?????

 

Errr, that doesn't….sound right.