Sonic Unleashed vs. Sonic Colors Extra Round - Final Thoughts

[Your Vest Friend]

...Actually, how is talking to robots odd in the Sonic series? Omega is pretty capable of coversation even if it is a bit stifled, and we've seen that Eggman gives quite a few of his robots some level of...emotion, for lack of a better term. 

[Vertekins]

Unleashed not only had Sonic's arrogance as the catalyst for the game's happenings which is on a whole very influential in the plot, he's also unable to look Amy in the face after saving her as if he's still upset at her failure to recognize him. The first instance is more important to the plot than Colours' one instance of him being called out on being the cheeseball that he is whilst the second actually gives Sonic a form of emotive depth.

[Celestia]

The oddness was in the fact the robot was, well, "dead" and therefore unable to respond even if the bosses talked (they didn't, which just makes Sonic's banter with them more amusing ... to me, at least).

 

Anyway, I'm not really sure about this week's topic. I mostly like the characterization in both games equally, but the interaction between characters in Colours was a lot more entertaining. I've mentioned this before, but Sonic and Tails actually acting like bros was pretty cool and really got my hopes up that we'd see more interesting character interaction in the future. I guess we'll see about that in future games ...

 

Also Orbot and Cubot were a really good idea, since it gives someone for Eggman to talk to in scenes where he's plotting behind the scenes and such. I really, REALLY hope they come back.

Edited March 31, 2013 by elementofchaos

[Kuzu]

...Actually, how is talking to robots odd in the Sonic series? Omega is pretty capable of coversation even if it is a bit stifled, and we've seen that Eggman gives quite a few of his robots some level of...emotion, for lack of a better term. 

I think it was pretty clear in Colors that the robots had no sentience to speak of. That, and it was dead. Dead things can't talk at least not all the time anyway.

 

Unleashed not only had Sonic's arrogance as the catalyst for the game's happenings which is on a whole very influential in the plot, he's also unable to look Amy in the face after saving her as if he's still upset at her failure to recognize him. The first instance is more important to the plot than Colours' one instance of him being called out on being the cheeseball that he is whilst the second actually gives Sonic a form of emotive depth.

 

That still doesn't change the fact emotive depth doesn't go anywhere, or is properly resolved. Colors` instance is meant to be one instance of comedy, of course it has no purpose to the plot, it's a gag. Unleashed however is supposed to be important....but it isn't. Like Carbo said, it's just used as an excuse to get Amy into the story and try to give the illusion that their characters have depth.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Ragna the Bloodedge

[Mysterious X]

he's also unable to look Amy in the face after saving her as if he's still upset at her failure to recognize him.

 

He didn't show Amy his face because he didn't wanna scare her. Also he wasn't upset because of Amy, but because of the idea that he has changed, he became another person at night and no one recognized him.

[Vertekins]

He didn't show Amy his face because he didn't wanna scare her. Also he wasn't upset because of Amy, but because of the idea that he has changed, he became another person at night and no one recognized him.

 

He didn't scare her when she glomped him. And Tails recognized him right off the bat.

[Mysterious X]

He didn't scare her when she glomped him. And Tails recognized him right off the bat.

 

Hmm, excuse my memory, been a long while since I played it.

I do remember him being upset, but it wasn't like he was 'angry' just because she didn't recognize him right away... He was not upset at her. (Only because she didn't recognize him 'right away', that hurt his feelings or something.)

Also, he did show sadness and concern sometimes about this nightly werehog issue and Chip cheered him up.

[Dr. Crusher]

(I'm not going to bother with Bosses, since I feel they were fairly equal for the most part.)

 

I actually didn't mind Sonic's character in Unleashed - I even liked the whole bit about not being affected that much by Dark Gaia's dickery - but I like him more in Colours. He felt more like a Spider-Man type, which I always thought suited him. He was cracking jokes and making stupid puns all over the place whilst talking to non-sentient machines and generally being a bit of a dork, but he still knew when to cut to the chase (mainly when Tails is/may be at the receiving end of a threat). His somewhat AoStH nature may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it did him wonders.

 

(Also, as a person who cannot stand Fleetway!Sonic and Archie!Sonic in the slightest, I didn't think Colours!Sonic was that much of a jerk.)

 

Tails is my second favourite Sonic character of all, so I take his character very seriously (actually, confession time... because he's not one of my top characters, I've never been that bothered about Sonic himself... not that I don't respect it when he is done well, he's the main character after all, I just don't think of him as much as I do about others). As such, I believe he was a lot better in Colours. Not that he was bad in Unleashed, but Colours was the first in a long time in which Sonic and Tails actually felt like close brothers. No longer was he merely an exposition dealer with little else to him, in this game he has more of a noticeable personality that I feel is an extension of him becoming his own person in the Adventure games. He even poked fun at Sonic as much as the other way around, but in a harmless jest-y sort of way obviously. Needless to say, Colours!Tails increased my already large fondness of him tenfold.

 

Robotnik was pretty much the same in both games, breaking the planet apart (again) and using Dark Gaia to power up Eggmanland in one, and conquering three planets and an asteroid belt to extend his intergalactic amusement park to hide a secret mind control cannon in the latter. Both were fittingly diabolical, and the doctor's personality was completely spot-on. But even here, I love him even more in Colours due to not only being the final boss at long last in a main console game (I know that's not really relevant in terms of character, but you know me...), but because I enjoy thinking about the undertones in the plot and marvel at Robotnik essentially planning genocide on the docile Wisps, which is the kind of elaborate yet petty bastardry that's right up my street. On top of that, Colours also put more emphasis on the classic games' subtle motif of the misuse of technology, which has always been one of the things that I feel define him as a villain.

 

...Oh, and the public announcements. Those are hands down one of the greatest things to ever happen to the Eggman, for being not only hilarious and memorable, but also surprisingly sinister. This is exactly how I think Robotnik works best: a funny and jolly fellow who is also a heartless beast. Sonic 06 forgot about the former, while various Post-SA2 games and Sonic X forgot about the latter.

 

Orbot was also fine in both games despite having a slightly different personality in both, but even without Cubot to bounce off of, I think I like the more butler-ness of Colours!Orbot more since his distaste of his master is not quite as in-your-face. (Hey, I'm a Robotnik fan, what do you expect?) Having said that, Cubot in my opinion was a wonderful addition, since it completes the tried-and-true Scratch & Grounder setup (in a good way that is... I really don't like Decoe and Bocue (and Bokkun)). Not only do they pull the classic straight-man-and-lovable-moron gig very well, but not unlike the aforementioned chicken and drill duo, they also make Robotnik himself all the better since they can now have different types of comedic touches. Here's hoping for a Christopher Walken voice if Cubot ever returns.

 

As for the rest... I do like Professor Pickle very much (and would love it if he were to come back in future games, provided that he fitted the stories of course), and the NPCs in Unleashed were tons better than the ones in 06, but I don't find myself caring about the latter all that much compared to the NPCs in various other games. As for Chip... I don't outright dislike him, but his personality irritated me quite a bit throughout the game (and as I said previously, this is coming from someone who has Marine the Raccoon as one of his top ten favourite Sonic characters), and the twist of him being Light Gaia, while understandable to the plot progression, didn't do anything for me at all to think anything more of him. By contrast, Yacker may not have had much to him, but I can tolerate him more due to being inoffensive in comparison. (Well, that and - going back to the Stories for a bit - while I don't mind the Dark Gaia/Light Gaia mythology and even consider the former to be one of the better giant monsters, the cute widdle Wisps and their beautiful planet being turned into heartless machinery to be one piece of many to make the biggest and most dangerous theme park is something more... for me, if you catch my drift.)

 

...Oh, and Unleashed's NPCs VS Robotnik's PAs? I apologise for sounding like a shallow fanboy, but of these two choices, which one do you think is going to appeal to me more in terms of character?

 

Overall, it's Colours for me. Not that there was anything character-wise I outright hated in Unleashed... Colours' way of things just appeal more to my own personal tastes, that's all.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Dr. Crusher

[Tani Coyote]

As much as I enjoy Unleashed's story and all, I'd probably say Colors. The cast is indeed very colorful, much like the title would merit. Eggman's actually a competent villain who maintains control all the way until he's cracked wide open, and Sonic tries so hard to be cool it's lampooned by the game itself, as if a testament to how his 90s "hip" attitude is way out of date. Tails isn't just the mechanic anymore, with actual signs of his and Sonic's relationship, while also showing how Tails has grown up some and is no longer wildly admiring of Sonic.

 

Basically what was really neat about it was it tried to strip Sonic of his special status somewhat. He's no longer the perfect hero, he's just an ordinary teenager who happens to have some superpowers. No biggie. He laughs, he cries, and even he screws up sometimes. Unleashed's biggest pro in this field would be how arrogantly Super Sonic led himself into a trap, but it's not enough to beat out Colors.

[Kiah]

Round 6: Characterization:

 

Ah, characterization! I've been looking forward to this particular round, as love talking about characterization, especially that of Sonic along with the other cast of characters in the series. So, let's do this!

 

Sonic Colors

 

Sonic: Sonic Colors had him constantly making jokes, snarky remarks, yet at the same time he was full of energy, moving about all the time and was full of life. He was quite the show-off too, even showing himself as being cocky to a robot that he just defeated. Sonic's demeanor was very playful throughout the game, which brings to mind Sonic going "Sup, Yacker?" at one point during the game. Definitely overshadowed by Sonic's constant joke spewing, Sonic was smart in the beginning of the game, as he made it a point not to let his guard down at the notion that Dr. Eggman changed his ways, and created an amusement park to show remorse for his past deeds. Sonic didn't buy it, not even for a second.

 

Ah, the jokes. So many jokes...

 

Also aside from being the massive jokester, Sonic acts like a big brother towards Tails, being very protective of him, and was also concerned for Tails' well-being. With the cutscene where Tails was hit with Dr. Eggman's mind control ray, as quick as it was, through that cutscene we were able to see several emotions from Sonic. Sonic's geniune concern and worry for Tails, and hear it in Sonic's tone of voice when he said: "Tails, buddy, are you alright?" Moments before Sonic was geniunely angry with Dr. Eggman when he asked, "What have you done to him?" Sonic was also distressed at the notion of having to fight his best friend, which he urged Tails not to do. I thought that cutscene was very well written among others in the game displaying various emotions from Sonic. But that's where it ends, unfortunately.

 

 

Also what comes to mind in Sonic Colors in the cutscene before the final boss where Sonic shoved Tails in the elevator to get him out of harm's way. But right before that happened, Sonic held his arm in front of Tails when Eggman confronted them with the Egg Nega Wisp, so as to shield Tails, being very protective of his "little brother." From those cutscenes to Sonic and Tails ribbing each other to the infamous brofist at the end of the game, the bromance was well portrayed and simply awesome to see.

 

The bromance between Sonic and Tails, as well as the Saturday Morning cartoon vibe in Sonic Colors, was awesome.

 

Tails: I thought that Sonic Colors had the best characterization of Tails. He defintely showed himself as the "little brother" in the brotherly rapport that Sonic and Tails have. Sonic was always cracking jokes at Tails, and Tails made a point to "flip the script" by making fun back at Sonic (the dead robot cutscene comes to mind). When Dr. Eggman was about to fire his mind control ray at Sonic, Tails pushed him out of harm's way, and took the hit. Tails had no idea what the ray could do but without thinking about himself, he saved Sonic's life with the possibility of him dying if in fact the purpose of the ray was to kill. Tails immediately reacted being more concerned with Sonic's welfare than that of his own. That was both incredible and impressive showing me that Tails has a lot of heart and character. And of course Tails showed himself to be very smart by converting the Miles Electric into a translator and was able to tweak and adjust it to get down what Yacker was saying perfectly. Overall I thought Tails' portrayal in Sonic Colors was spot on.

 

 

 

Orbot & Cubot: Orbot was not as snarky or amusing as he was in Sonic Unleashed, but was more loyal and helpful towards Dr. Eggman. Intelligent and straight-forward. Cubot was Orbot's counterpart that provided some fine entertainment to an already comical cast and story. Not the brightest of Eggman's creations, and with his faulty voice chip his voice changed several times, Cubot helped provide the humor with his various quotes in Cowboy, Pirate, Mobster, and Originial voices. Cubot even took a moment to be straight with Dr. Eggman and remind him that he never has stopped Sonic in succeeding in foiling his plans. Basically Cubot is a nice balance to counteract Orbot while Orbot was smart, and Cubot...not so much. Despite their differences these two made a great team serving along Dr. Eggman.

 

Yacker: I can't say much about this guy. He's cute and playful, and a bit humorous even in mimicking Sonic and Tails' gestures in some cutscenes. There just wasn't much to him, aside from providing a bit of humor and some help. Really wasn't much of a factor in the story as he would disappear and reappear for reasons unexplained throughout the game.

 

Dr. Eggman: As usual, Dr. Eggman was great. His public annoucements were simply amazing, full of humor with some evilness mixed in there . It was interesting that he gave the notion that he turned over a new leaf and was a changed man, even though Sonic didn't fall for it. Also, Dr. Eggman showed his evil side in kidnapping the Wisps, and trying to get Tails to turn on Sonic, having them fight when Tails got hit with his mind-control ray.

 

Sonic Unleashed

 

Tails: There isn't much to say about Tails, as he didn't do very much in this game aside from flying the Tornado and chatting with Sonic and Professor Pickle from time to time. But give Tails props for being the only one to automatically recognize Sonic as the Werehog on his own. Tails also showed his intelligence with the Miles Electric, as Sonic Unleashed introduced us to this device for the first time. There was also no indication that Tails showed any resentment or jealously towards Sonic and Chip's friendship, so I think that speaks quite a bit about his character as well.

 

Amy Rose: Her portrayal in Sonic Unleashed was excellent compared to what we usually see with her. It was like a breath of fresh air not seeing Amy in her usual "stalker of Sonic", crazy obsessive mode. I've mentioned before in another thread that her optimism is a fine quality of hers that tends to be overshadowed by her bad ones, but this wasn't the case in Sonic Unleashed. Amy didn't doubt Sonic's ability to save everyone not even for a second, as her complete confidence was evident in him.

 

Chip: Compared to Yacker, Chip on the other hand, has a story behind him that we know about, has a purpose, has a personality. He also provided some light humor with his various shenanigans, usually involving food, which included some kindness on his part with the numerous times he offered to share his chocolate. Dealing with the tragedy of losing his memory, Chip in the process of finding himself allowed some of Sonic's characterization to shine through among their interactions. Chip himself progressed from not knowing who he was and cowardly to finding out who is was and becoming brave by the time he and Sonic faced Dark Gaia. 

 

 

SA-55: Dr. Eggman's assistant, who was very bold, and full of sarcasm, especially when he often called out Dr. Eggman when he made a mistake and at the same time insulted him. SA-55 wasn't afraid to express himself, even laughing at Dr. Eggman when he got hit with the rock by the kid in Mazuri. Overall very lively and entertaining.

 

Dr. Eggman: He was great in Sonic Unleashed as well, but I thought he was better here as he was more menancing as a villian. From capturing Sonic twice (including one time as Super Sonic) in the beginning of the game, to breaking the planet apart, to threatening the townspeople, to facing Sonic head-on in some of the boss battles, to even trying to actually kill Sonic a couple of times throughout the game, Dr. Eggman certainly made his presence as a villian known until Dark Gaia booted him out the story until the very end.

 

Last, but not least:

 

Sonic: I thought Sonic Unleashed gave Sonic some fine characterization. Not a brilliant as the Storybook games, but good nevertheless. Even though his cockiness and arrogance got him in trouble in the first place, Sonic didn't allow his transformation to dampen his spirit nor allow him not to help others in need. This includes Chip, as he felt responsible for Chip losing his memory and felt obligated to help him recover it. He actually made it a point to find a positive with the Werehog form when he learned he could stretch out his arms, saying "It could be useful". Sonic showed his kindness and concern for people as various times throughout the game he asked if everyone was alright. Sonic was very protective of Chip and helpful to him. Probably my favorite line in the whole game was when Sonic asked "Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?" This was after Chip recovers his memory and tries to leave to fight Dark Gaia on his own and Sonic stopped him with the question.

 

 

Sonic was protective in Sonic Unleashed also...

 

 

Then there was Sonic showing himself to be selfless. It's been mentioned already in this thread but I can't help but discuss it as well...

 

 

 

Sonic after being stricken was so weak that the couldn't move temporarily and was defenseless. Dark Gaia was about to attack Sonic and Chip when Sonic said "Chip. Run, Chip!" Basically Sonic was saying for Chip to save himself as there was nothing that Sonic could do, even for himself. Despite Sonic being uncharacteristically weak and worn down, he was more concerned about the well-being of Chip more than himself. If anyone was going to be harmed by Dark Gaia, Sonic wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be Chip by telling him to flee. Sure Sonic showed concern for Tails' safety before his showdown with Dr. Eggman as well in Sonic Colors, but Sonic demonstrating selflessness while weak and worn down here just proved to be much more impressive to me.

 

So what's the verdict? If you haven't figured it out already, my vote goes to Sonic Unleashed this time around.

 

Among displaying a variety of qualities, Sonic showing kindness to the NPCs just seemed to impress me more, as these people were complete strangers to him, including Chip initially. Sonic Colors provided excellent examples of how Sonic and Tails care for each other by looking out for each other's well being. Very heartwarming, although it was nothing out of the ordinary as Sonic and Tails acting in a kind and concerning manner towards each other, as they are best friends, is to be expected.

 

Tails and Dr. Eggman in Sonic Colors were absolutely amazing but it wasn't enough to have Sonic Colors win out for me. And I loved Sonic's playful, joking demeanor in Sonic Colors as well, but in the end it was too much, with the playing and joking being too dominant, even forced at times and the humor lacked balance between other qualities that Sonic posesses. In the end it's the lack of balance between the humor and Sonic's other qualities that "ruins" it for me. With Sonic Unleashed on the other hand, Sonic showed a wider range of qualities, Dr. Eggman was awesome here as well, and Amy Rose and Chip being well characterized...this combination just wins out for me.

[Sean]

As far as characterization goes, Colors for me, considering Tails only played a small role in Unleashed and I only give a shit about that cute fox, fuck that blue hedgehog seeing Sonic and Tails's friendship expand in this game is so heartwarming <33

 

But really I did like how that was a focus on Colors, which was something I had been wanting to see in a Sonic game since... forever. Tails no longer fan-worships Sonic like in the past but is kinda just used to his heroic antics. Meanwhile, Sonic continues to show off mostly to impress himself and perhaps others who are around him. But it's obvious that the two care deeply about each other and their friendship has come a long way since the older days of either Tails following Sonic around or the two just not really acknowledging each other's presence all that meaningfully. Even if Colors's story wasn't that good (which I don't mind to be honest, since I don't care about shitty-ass story in Sonic games >:U I care more about character and character interaction in Sonic than I do about story), Sonic and Tails together felt like the "heart" of the game's cutscenes, so as far as narrative goes it is by far my favorite in the 3D series.

 

With Unleashed... eh, I didn't like Chip all that much. His friendship with Sonic just seemed cutesy to me, nothing more.

 

I MEAN THEY'RE BEST BROS WAHHH CHIP WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAAAVE D8

[Your Vest Friend]

I'll just throw my coins in for Unleashed in this department. While both did handle Eggman and his lackeys well (and Colours might even be better in that regard given that Cubot bounces off Eggman and Orbot so well), Colours Tails left a bitter taste in my mouth that managed to leave him superseded in my favourite character ranks. 

Edited April 1, 2013 by VEDJ-F

[Vertekins]

To elaborate a bit more, Sonic's answers to certain NPC's questions just makes him a very funny character in Unleashed. If you gave Iman's crystal ball back to her in Shamar, she will ask Sonic various questions in order to see "The real him". All of the responses that Sonic can give are pretty comical such as;

 

"If you went out and forgot your wallet, what would you do?"

 

One answer is "Gripe and moan about it"

 

"If you went to a concert and it was boring, what would you do?"

 

One answer is "Take a nap"

 

"You didn't do your homework. Why?"

 

One answer is "Aliens attacked"

 

. If you so want to, you can make him seem like he's greedy and money-motivated;

 

 

Intriguingly, one of Brenda's questions that Sonic has to answer truthfully to pass is "What is your biggest weakness" The answer "I can't swim...." with the leading-off on the end possibly implying shame about the inability. And then there's the conversation with one of the robots in Eggmanland's hub which Sonic can partake in so that the robot can perfect it's reasoning as it just came off the production line;

 

"I am sorry but it is I that ate your pudding"

 

Sonic can answer with "I demand an apology!"

 

XD!

 

It's this little stuff that really gives a bit more dimension to Sonic in Unleashed and they often get across his deadpan snarkiness really well.

[Kuzu]

How many people have even talked to every NPC in th hub? I just kinda neglected to

[Vertekins]

How many people have even talked to every NPC in th hub? I just kinda neglected to

 

I have. It's the only way to get the Social Butterfly achievement. It helped that,you know, every NPC had something genuinely interesting about them and their interactions with Sonic and other NPC's were endearing and likeable. When I get a game like Unleashed, that puts effort, honest to god effort put into it, I want to see everything the game has to offer me. Not only do I get my money's worth but I respect the work Sonic Team put into the game at the same time and I get even more of an appreciation for the world the game is set in.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Vertekins

[Mysterious X]

How many people have even talked to every NPC in th hub? I just kinda neglected to

 

Some of the characters are nice enough to offer you gifts... And by gifts I mean soundtracks and artwork to enjoy at the bonus section.

 

I have. It's the only way to get the Social Butterfly achievement. It helped that,you know, every NPC had something genuinely interesting about them and their interactions with Sonic and other NPC's were endearing and likeable. When I get a game like Unleashed, that puts effort, honest to god effort put into it, I want to see everything the game has to offer me. Not only do I get my money's worth but I respect the work Sonic Team put into the game at the same time and I get even more of an appreciation for the world the game is set in.

 

I agree to every bit of that. It's one of the many reasons Sonic Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game ever.

But if we consider Shadow the Hedgehog a 'Sonic' game, then Shadow the Hedgehog is my favorite game... Ever!

[Sonictrainer]

How many people have even talked to every NPC in th hub? I just kinda neglected to

 

*Raises hand*

 

I enjoyed some the conversations and some of the events that happened on the side, during the main adventure and sidequests.

Edited April 1, 2013 by Son1ctrainer

[Kuzu]

I have. It's the only way to get the Social Butterfly achievement. It helped that,you know, every NPC had something genuinely interesting about them and their interactions with Sonic and other NPC's were endearing and likeable. When I get a game like Unleashed, that puts effort, honest to god effort put into it, I want to see everything the game has to offer me. Not only do I get my money's worth but I respect the work Sonic Team put into the game at the same time and I get even more of an appreciation for the world the game is set in.

 

 

There's nothing wrong with this, I like it in fact because as you said it builds character, I just wish I didn't have to do side-quests to get characterization that should have been in the main game.

[azoo]

Unleashed wins on my end for reasons previously mentioned by Verte and Sonikku_Kiah.

 

Tails was much better portrayed in Colors than anything since basically SA1. I would like him to actually be in on the action rather than just carrying around a yellow block of tech all the time, but then again I can understand the time constraints and simple answers as to why he wasn't as involved.

 

 And I didn't mind the jokey side to Sonic in that game either (nor their amazing bromance dynamic Sonic & Tails had which should stay forever), but Sonic was really flat in that game. Not really much to him. In Unleashed he at least had a varied personality with a broad range of emotions and reactions to certain things happening; plus the interaction with NPCs gave his character further depth.

 

I think a big part about Sonic in Unleashed compared to Colors as well is that Sonic is much more chill in Unleashed. I really appreciate that, too; since I always loved how laid back Sonic was in the OVA, SA1, et cetera. Giving him the personality of being the constantly "GOTTA GO FAST" guy is really lame, and a cheap way out for writing a character that runs fast. Making Sonic just the "action action action jokes jokes jokes" guy is not my favorite portrayal of him at all.

 

Eggman was better in Unleashed, too. I thought he was great in Colors (and mad props to him actually being the final boss for a change), but Eggman managed to be what felt like an urgent threat throughout the entirety of Unleashed. Blew apart the entire planet, managed to capture/defeat Sonic in both normal AND Super form, terrified and properly threatened the citizens of Earth, and consistently was either right on Sonic's trail or vice versa. As the saying goes, its not the destination but the journey, and thats why Unleashed wins.

 

 

SA-55/Orbot was.. well, I dunno! I loved his dynamic to Cubot, but the SA-55 model of Orbot was hilarious. I think I'll call it a draw, but I'm leaning towards Unleashed if not only because of how he acted in that game specifically.

 

But yeah, in a nutshell, Tails was better in Colors. Everyone else was better in Unleashed, but Eggman and Orbot were still great in Colors. The only one I found as legit worse in that game was Sonic. For reasons I've made obvious. :V

 

Also,

 

 

There's nothing wrong with this, I like it in fact because as you said it builds character, I just wish I didn't have to do side-quests to get characterization that should have been in the main game.

Its much better than having no characterization at all.
 

[Nepenthe]

This is probably the only category where it's difficult for me to choose because Unleashed and Colors are wholly opposite in their intentions for characterization, thus possessing of different strengths and weaknesses.

 

On the surface, Unleashed has a more balanced characterization of Sonic, presenting someone who is cocky- sometimes to his own detriment- passionate about adventure and travel, more self-conscious than he usually lets on, and generally a loyal friend even if he may find you an annoying pest sometimes. While he can be a little serious, there is also lightheartedness and comedy in his actions and dialogue, but it's outdone entirely by his characterization in Colors where we get a little insight on how he is on his day-to-day routine, or at least how he acts when he believes the circumstances are nothing to bother with too much. He's snarkier and more full of himself, even to levels he himself finds embarrassing. He's also more social and brotherly, visiting the various attractions, talking to the silent bosses, and having some fun back-and-forth with Tails, who I uphold as the best version of Tails in the games, no contest. On a good day though, Unleashed Sonic would edge out Colors Sonic, but I honestly enjoy them both a ton. 

 

I'm going to rock the boat and say that Eggman's abandoning of any proactive tendencies since Unleashed sucks out some of his credibility, thus I fail to be as invested in the character as everyone else is. He's not as big a detriment compared to his Adventure days because he proceeds to do nothing throughout the second act, and when he does show up it's usually without context or reason, almost as if the writers need to remind everyone that- yes- he actually exists. He'll do something interesting, then...disappear in his chambers to argue with Cubot? Uhm, okay.... This in turn makes all of his boss fights feel less significant than they should, because he's being presented as insignificant through inaction. It's symptomatic of what I find to be the double-edged sword of both Sonic and Tails' characterization in Colors and beyond; we're sacrificing active characters for funnier ones, which I feel is akin to fitting a square peg in a rectangular hole. It fits, sure, but there's still an obvious space missing: the lack of action elements, or possibly, the lack of active and dynamic characters able to facilitate more interesting, adventurous narrative.

 

Chip was fun, and I find him unfairly stereotyped as nothing but walking hunger. Frankly, he's who Yacker wants to grow up to be, a character whose name I seriously had to look up just now; he's that forgettable. Chip has a noticeable dichotomy of being passionate about injustice yet too cowardly to do anything about it. He'll throw punches and insults when he sees you misbehaving towards others, but he's not really going to do anything to you...most of the time. When it's down to the wire, he can and will actually save your life, as he did so three times for Sonic. Despite this, he doesn't take undue teasing onto himself either; when Sonic pokes him he pokes back, as seen in the Chun-Nan cutscenes and unlockable short. And when he's not hungry or upset, he's just, well, spacing out in the background like a little kid. Ultimately though, Chip has a fondness for life and a curiosity about himself that makes him really fun. Too fucking bad he had to be saddled with the job "Earth Guardian"; I actually think he'd be a great addition to the main cast.

 

Cubot, on the other hand, could be relegated to scrap and I'd lose no sleep. He's redundant as a foil to Eggman and Orbot doesn't need one, his shtick is not that funny (the broken voice chip gag was already perfected by Alpha in Up due to the ironic contrast between the voice and character, and subsequently the contrast between his two voices; it's not nearly as well done when you give a comic relief character about four funny voices), and ultimately he adds nothing to Colors' story. Orbot's concept and character are cool, and I want him to shine more as a snarky, sarcastic foil to Eggman's childishness and habitual oversights. We don't need Cubot muscling in on that.

 

In the end though, it's difficult. I can't say off the top of my head which I prefer over the other, generally because what I want out of my characterization is a wider and more meaningful balance anyway. If I'm counting though: SU >= SC Sonic, SC Tails >>>>> all Tails, SU Eggman = SC Eggman but they're both overrated now so meh, Chip >>>>> Yacker, and Orbot >>>>> Cubot. So, what does that mathematically come out to? Unleashed bias? Of course. xP

[Kuzu]

I liked Cubot :V

[Nepenthe]

Meh, he's nothing to write home about. He just feels shoehorned in because "hey, we need to make this game funny." xP

[Kuzu]

That's kinda the point of Comic Relief characters. Although I'll admit it falls flat because there's nothing to be relieved from.

Feels no more shoehorned than Chip and his whole subplot.

[Jack / Joker]

I always liked the way Cubot kept changing his voice as a reference to the Sonic characters constantly getting new voice actors.

 

I can look too deep into things too c:

[Kuzu]

That's actually pretty funny when you look at it that way. It would explain Eggman's annoyance with the whole fiasco.