Sonic Unleashed - What is it now after four years?

[Nepenthe]

The only thing I can imagine Tails and Amy doing that wouldn't interfere with what the actual plot was about is merely tagging along in a couple of cut scenes asking people about Chip's identity, which still wouldn't have been any real elaboration on their character or prevented Chip from being ridiculously derided as a role stealer because, oh my stars and garters, Sonic has a new friend. If nothing else, we'd still be asking the same question: "Why are they here outside of mere expectation for them to be here?"

 

 

And since when did Tails do nothing besides being sonic's personal pilot? In any other game, he's fighting alongside him. The same goes for Amy.

 

In Colors he was a translator. Yep; whole lot of fighting going on there.

[Wraith]

In Colors he was a translator. Yep; whole lot of fighting going on there.

When did I say Colors was much better?

Besides, at least he took a shot for Sonic at one point.

[Kuzu]

And since when did Tails do nothing besides being sonic's personal pilot? In any other game, he's fighting alongside him. The same goes for Amy.

 

I'm not saying they couldn't have had a bigger role, but that their lack of one isn't suddenly some problem that needs to be rectified. What would be accomplished if they were fighting alongside him? What does it add to the story outside of a few more character interactions? There really is no reason for them to be there outside of just people expecting them to, and I'm not on board with shoehorning a reason.

[Frogging101]

Chip is mostly annoying because of his voice and the fact that the story keeps shoving his "KAWAII DESU"-ness down your throat with all of his bad jokes and "Want some chocolate"-ing. Story-wise, he's perfectly fine, but the writing and voice acting made him hard to like for me.

Alright. I guess I'm just weird or something because I actually liked his voice, and I found the food/chocolate thing to be pretty cute. To each his own I guess.

[Wraith]

I'm not saying they couldn't have had a bigger role, but that their lack of one isn't suddenly some problem that needs to be rectified. What would be accomplished if they were fighting alongside him? What does it add to the story outside of a few more character interactions? There really is no reason for them to be there outside of just people expecting them to, and I'm not on board with shoehorning a reason.

 

If they weren't going to do anything, they shouldn't have been in the game in the first place.

[Kuzu]

If they weren't going to do anything, they shouldn't have been in the game in the first place.

 

I literally just said they weren't useless and actually did do something, just because they aren't major characters doesn't mean they suddenly can't be in the game at all. They're supporting characters, they support, that's not exactly "nothing".

[Wraith]

I literally just said they weren't useless and actually did do something, just because they aren't major characters doesn't mean they suddenly can't be in the game at all. They're supporting characters, they support, that's not exactly "nothing".

 

Amy introduced an aspect of Sonic's character that didn't go anywhere and Tails played taxi cab. That's hardly anything of note.

[Diogenes]

Sometimes it's okay to be a minor character.

[Kuzu]

Amy introduced an aspect of Sonic's character that didn't go anywhere and Tails played taxi cab. That's hardly anything of note.

 

 

And tagging along Sonic and fighting generic enemies is? Considering that's the solution you seem to have given to give them "bigger" roles.

Edited December 23, 2012 by Ragna Claus

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Amy introduced an aspect of Sonic's character that didn't go anywhere and Tails played taxi cab. That's hardly anything of note.

Tails also played distraction and lookout for Sonic while flying over Eggmanland while Sonic went into the city on foot. While I can't make a decent defense for Amy than what was already said, it's worth noting how she's always just passing by in every game since Heroes rather than doing anything majorly important and Unleashed is no different. If she had something else more important, then we'd be more critical of her simply being around.

 

And I'm the most vocal person and the main instigator of the idea relating to shoehorning characters for no reason. I've said it before and in much greater detail when it comes to characters being around that if a character has something else more important they could be doing and that "something else" isn't involved by the conflict going on, that character has no business being there. But here's the question: what exactly has Amy been doing that's more important and whether it's involved in the conflict going on? Because in just about every game since SA2, it's been her chasing Sonic all over the globe.

Edited December 23, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Kuzu]

Tails, or any of the other characters not having any major roles is more of a fault of the writing than anything else, and not because Sonic Team decided to dare to actually focus and develop a new character, especially after every other cast member has had their share of attention in the past. It's stupid to think that.

 

Just because Tails has a lesser role than another character, or *gasp* doesn't appear at all, isn't some betrayal of the character or someone stealing his spotlight, it's a writing decision, and nothing more.

Edited December 23, 2012 by Ragna Claus

[JezMM]

I like Amy and Tails as characters and therefore wish they had a larger role in my favourite Sonic game.  Is the game worse for their minor roles?  Of course not.  Could it have opened up new opportunities for character development and interaction/roles in regular characters in the series?  Yes.  If done right that would have been a very good thing.

Edited December 23, 2012 by JezMM

[Kuzu]

Oh, I understand the larger roles they could have had, but I just want people to understand that characters fall in and out of focus, and when that happens its suddenly doesn't mean your favorite character is being "mistreated" or "underutilized".

[Nepenthe]

When did I say Colors was much better?

 

You said "in any other game," he'd be fighting alongside Sonic yet neither Colors or Generations really argues your point well.

[Kuzu]

You said "in any other game," he'd be fighting alongside Sonic yet neither Colors or Generations really argues your point well.

 

To be fair, those are fairly recent examples, I'm pretty sure he was talking about most of the games before the Modern era.

[Nepenthe]

To be fair, those are fairly recent examples, I'm pretty sure he was talking about most of the games before the Modern era.

 

If the argument is that it is a bad thing that Tails was underutilized in Unleashed because he didn't fight alongside Sonic all that much, I expect the same standard and thus the same scrutiny to be held to all of the games that came out after as well.

Edited December 23, 2012 by North Pole Nepenthe

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

In Sonic & Knuckles as a standalone, all Tails does is carry Sonic to the Floating Island with/without the Master Emerald.

[Wraith]

If the argument is that it is a bad thing that Tails was underutilized in Unleashed because he didn't fight alongside Sonic all that much, I expect the same standard and thus the same scrutiny to be held to all of the games that came out after as well.

Are we talking about Colors and Generations though?

[Nepenthe]

Are we talking about Colors and Generations though?

 

You're both deflecting and missing the point. If the argument is that it is bad for Tails to be underutilized by not fighting alongside Sonic, I generally expect this criticism to be leveled at every other game where it happens to be the case. But it's not- at least to the degree that it for Unleashed- because it seems to be understood for other games that Tails can happily exist in them as a minor character, making the argument in and of itself unconvincing as a criticism for Unleashed.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Are we talking about Colors and Generations though?

When you argue about his role in "any other game", yes you are talking about Colors and Generation along with "any other game" out there that does this.

[Jack / Joker]

I like to think of Tails being the only person on the entire planet to instantly recognize the Werehog as Sonic as being a pretty huge role to play for an minor NPC. Plus, without Tails, Sonic would never have met Professor Pickle. And without Professor Pickle... Sonic would be totally screwed. Not to mention the fact that Tails flying Sonic everywhere is the only way this adventure could've happened.

 

Now that I think about it, Tails does the most of any NPC in this game besides Chip...

Edited December 23, 2012 by Jolly Joker Frost

[Wraith]

Why would I take a shot at Colors and Generations for the sake of being fair when we're not talking about Colors and Generations? I mean, they underutilized the other characters too, but all I did was slip up and not mention them.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Why would I take a shot at Colors and Generations for the sake of being fair when we're not talking about Colors and Generations? I mean, they underutilized the other characters too, but all I did was slip up and not mention them.

Well, depending how one interprets the situation, it could be seen as you effectively trying to sweep Colors and Generations' problems under the rug, while ragging on Unleashed for having the same problems. Basically, overemphasizing the flaws of one game, and conveniently avoiding the fact that the games you consider better suffer the exact same issues, even if on a lesser scale.

[Wraith]

Well, depending how one interprets the situation, it could be seen as you effectively trying to sweep Colors and Generations' problems under the rug, while ragging on Unleashed for having the same problems. Basically, overemphasizing the flaws of one game, and conveniently avoiding the fact that the games you consider better suffer the exact same issues, even if on a lesser scale.

 

Yeah, they do suffer the exact same issues. Just because I didn't mention it out loud doesn't mean I'm denying anything.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Yeah, they do suffer the exact same issues. Just because I didn't mention it out loud doesn't mean I'm denying anything.

Well then you need to choose your words carefully next time, because making a point about what Tails does in "any other game" effectively brings Colors and Generations into the argument regardless of whether you personally mention them or not.