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Classic Sonic - US vs JP


Kamakai

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I have to confess, even as a kid I always found the American Sonic design of Sonic 1, 2 and 3 ugly as sin. It wasn't charming to me. 

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Oshima, as stated in the History of Sonic the Hedgehog designed Sonic with BOTH US and JP sensibilities in mind. Then SoA took his creation and morphed it into the loathesome assface you see today.

 

He's a cartoon character he looks the same in every picture because
thats his pose

 

He looks the same in every picture because the artist(s) don't know what variety means.
 

 

and quite calling him "assface" bugs bunny, mickey mouse,
daffy duck,... the list goes on and on of American characters that have
that  all you that call him that are retarded and if your American why
the heck do you like Jap sonic retards it should be Americans like
American sonic and Japs should like Jap sonic

Or people could act more than mindless sheep and have a preference or like things regardless of nationality. Just a thought.

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I'm pretty sure Sonic's being called an ass face not because he shows attitude but because there is an ass on his face. As the term goes he's butt ugly.

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Oh, hey, I haven't posted in this yet. Let's remedy this, yuh?

 

Well, as far as I'm concerned, Sonic's original Japanese design looks much better than that of his American counterpart (a.k.a. Assic Sonic). In addition to what other have already said, it's much more subtle and "timeless," as opposed to the very 90's-centric and in-your-face look of ol' Assic.

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Um dude! You're still nitpicking, doesnt matter if you hate the design that saved SEGA.

He yes that face he has shows attitude,

He has the face of someone covered in grease and having a severe allergic reaction. It has nothing to do with attitude, I am not in the least bit against Sonic having an attitude, I have regularly complained that Sonic no longer has an attitude in the games. What I have a problem with is a design that looks bloated and greasy, regardless of what expression he has.

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I prefer the Japanese version of Classic Sonic because he gets a great mix of cute and badass going on.

 

Also 'cause he doesn't look like a butt.

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As a kid I actually never even noticed the difference between the US and JP artwork (especially since here in Europe we tended to get a mixture of the two from game to game).

 

But as an adult I prefer the Japanese artwork because he just has a calmer, cooler and sort of cuter look.  The American design kinda looks like he's trying as hard to be cool while secretly constipated and trying to save face.

 

 

The mohawk thing never bothers me TOO much mind you, I saw it as just a kind of "2D art thing" that isn't meant to translate into 3D properly.  Like if someone asked the artist to draw Sonic from behind he'd prolly give him several rows of spikes, but drawn from the front they did it flat as a stylistic thing.

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As a kid I actually never even noticed the difference between the US and JP artwork (especially since here in Europe we tended to get a mixture of the two from game to game).

I actually did noticed the difference when I played Sonic 2. In the cartoons and certain art, he was depicted as having a single row of quills, but in the Special Stages I noticed he had more than that. :V

Although innacuracy to the Japanese design has pretty much nothing to do with why I don't like him. It's more about him looking like a smug, pudgy dweeb with permanent Dreamworks-Face.

Edited by Solly
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I actually did noticed the difference when I played Sonic 2. In the cartoons and certain art, he was depicted as having a single row of quills, but in the Special Stages I noticed he had more than that. :V

Although innacuracy to the Japanese design has pretty much nothing to do with why I don't like him. It's more about him looking like a smug, pudgy dweeb with permanent Dreamworks-Face.

 

I was raised on the Master System games and a 3 episode video of AoStH with only limited exposure to the Mega Drive games so that prolly helped lol.

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I don't see how anyone can say that Western Sonic 'saved' Sega and was the reason behind his popularity outside of Japan.

 

Quite frankly I find it weird that Sega assumed that the Japanese design wouldn't do as well in the West; was there ever any reasoning behind this, or did Sega of America quite literally just take creative liberty for the sake of making their mark on the character? 

 

Sure, I'd heard about Sega of Japan allowing Sega of America to have some creative input in the very early stages, i.e. stripping away Madonna and the rock band idea, but I've never actually read anywhere that there were discussions on the assface redesign.

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I was raised on the Master System games and a 3 episode video of AoStH with only limited exposure to the Mega Drive games so that prolly helped lol.

 

I bought AoStH tapes and recorded the show like the dickens, and I never really saw JP Sonic until years later, and the discrepancy between the artwork and the back of the head in Special Stages didn't bother me either. I always thought it was like Sonic X, in that why draw the extra spines from an angle where they're unnecessary and will be mostly unseen? I always figured they existed.

Edited by Diz
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I say US, the series has a sort of western cartoon feeling after all. Besides, that design was my introduction to video games. Not saying the JP version is bad, just a preference.

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For me it's definitely Classic, although the only thing that puts me off Assface is the posing and horrendous hands, I can deal with his face and mohawk, but having seen how awesome Classic Sonic was in the Japanese art then it was clear I was going to choose that.

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Page 20, Lines 2 - 4 of the History of Sonic book. You can actually see the page if you look at the book peview on Amazon if you like.

 

And about this 'He wanted him to be American' that you keep quoting but not providing any evidence to support. He didn't create him to be American, as a creator he liked American super heroes and pop culture, but that was it, he didn't create any of his characters to specifically be an 'american' institution.

 

The contest he entered along with the others on his team secifically stated it was to have worldwide appeal which is why they invited everybody in the business as a whole to pitch ideas.

 

Again, this can be found several times on pages 20-24 of the History of Sonic Book.

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I have Sonic Spinball and 1 or 2 pages uses Sonic's Japanese artwork. That was my first exposure to the Japanese work and I liked it more than the front cover which had the "American" artwork. 

And NO! Japanese Sonic didnt came first, sure Mr. Needlemouse may of been made in Japan, but Naoto had plans for an American character, which in 1991 SEGA of America turned that dream into a reality.

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But lol I laugh at your logic good day peps.

And now I'm Up Over and Gone wink.png

 

"Well, even though I've been told several times that people have their own opinions, MY opinion is THE opinion, anyone who disagrees is a filthy *racial slur here* and now, I'm ragequitting leaving."

 

This is why most people don't like you now.

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Reasons why I prefer JP Classic Sonic over US.

 

1)Quills

 

JP has the quills moulded into his head, and this to me looks natural. US has the quills as if his head is a ball, and the quills are a Mohawk. This doesn't sit right with me for some reason.

 

2) Body

The tummy patch on JP stomach is depicted as if it was a texture on a ball, whist US is sometimes displayed as if it was another sphere coming out of Sonic's body. Also, body/head ratio is slightly different, and I believe JP Sonic has a bigger head.

3) Art-style

 

There's not much difference between the two, but US seems to portray Sonic as being slightly shinier, and has a bit more realism. I pefer the JP design of flat colours with soft shading, in fact I love this style. Mmmm.

 

All in all I don't hate US Sonic, just pefer JP. Also, assface? I don't see it myself.

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buttface1.png

It's a butt.

 

That's why we call him buttface.

 

buttface2.png

 

Bit off topic, but I thought that was Samus' butt instead of Sonic's face, lel

Edited by Diz
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I'm throwing my 2 cents in before the topic gets purged. JP Classic, cooler design and was the one used in Generations assface sonic isn't canon any longer, Nuff said.

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US Sonic's issue isn't JUST having that buttbrow, it's having it in pretty much every picture, because he's always being depicted with that smug smirk. 

Edited by Diz
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I used to think US Sonic's design was very similar to Mickey's in any case... assface and bow legs included.

 

Japanese Sonic was very close to the more classic Mickey designs. Western Sonic was much closer to the late 80's Mickey design.

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