Sonic Boom's New Characters designs

[Splash the Otter]

I assumed he had two big fingers and a thumb. One finger for each knuckle, basically just the fingers fused into pairs.

Why would you assume something like that? Knuckles wears boxing gloves because they work with his fighting style, not because they conform to his hands. The spikes are a part of his gloves.

[Blue Blood]

What, so his hands conform to the shape of his gloves? What proof do you have of that?

 

He has about as much proof as we have proof that he has individual fingers.

 

Read: That is no proof and instead just headcannon because there's never been an official look under his gloves. I doubt it was ever considered even.

[Sonictrainer]

If Blaze is in the Sonic Boom Universe, I hope she looks something like this:

 

[Phos]

Because as stated in multiple interviews, due to Sonic Boom being an alternate universe, they wanted to have the characters be instantly recognisable and definable as the Sonic Boom versions of the characters even from just the silhouettes.  It's not unlike them redesigning the Legend of Zelda characters in basically each game (although that's different points of a continuity as opposed to a different universe).

I know there's some circular reasoning in there somewhere, a new universe with different designs that need different designs to know its from a new universe.

 

The justification for the sports tape iirc was that Sonic is an adventuring character.  He's constantly running around.  Exploring the world, going on adventures and defeating the forces of evil.  From all that running his shoes would get scuffed and his ankles and feet are constantly under stress so the sports tape is there for that additional support (much like an athlete).  Laces wouldn't achieve that sort of effect at all.

Great, sonic 's iconic shoes are falling apart and adventuring is causing him chronic pain.

[Diogenes]

 

Looks like he has separate finger bones to me. And there's absolutely no reason to think otherwise especially when you consider that Tikal, a member of his own species, has fingers.

Separate finger bones doesn't necessarily imply separate fingers. He also has visible toe bones, but we've known as of SA that the characters don't have separate toes. As for Tikal, it could be that only male echidnas had big meaty hands and knuckle spikes (all the other echidnas we see in the past had knuckle spikes and mitten gloves, after all).

Why would you assume something like that? Knuckles wears boxing gloves because they work with his fighting style, not because they conform to his hands. The spikes are a part of his gloves.

Considering the characters have fused toes, it's not that unreasonable for a character to have fused fingers. And again, all the ancient echidnas save for Tikal had knuckle spikes and mitten gloves too, so I don't think it'd be unreasonable if they were biological.

I'm not saying I have absolute proof of this, it's just what made the most sense to me. Obviously it's not something Sega considers absolute fact, given Boom-Knuckles' design.

[Splash the Otter]

Separate finger bones doesn't necessarily imply separate fingers.

Um, yes they do? Why would someone have separate finger bones but not separate fingers (short of genetic mutation, but that's kind of unlikely in Knuckles' case)?

 

He also has visible toe bones, but we've known as of SA that the characters don't have separate toes.

That's just the way they're drawn/rendered. It doesn't mean they don't have any toes.

 

As for Tikal, it could be that only male echidnas had big meaty hands and knuckle spikes (all the other echidnas we see in the past had knuckle spikes and mitten gloves, after all).

Tikal wasn't wearing gauntlets because she wasn't a fighter. As for your hypothesis about male echidnas, here's Imperator Ix without his armor:

 

Considering the characters have fused toes, it's not that unreasonable for a character to have fused fingers. And again, all the ancient echidnas save for Tikal had knuckle spikes and mitten gloves too, so I don't think it'd be unreasonable if they were biological.

I'll skip over this part because I already replied to your two points.

 

I'm not saying I have absolute proof of this, it's just what made the most sense to me. Obviously it's not something Sega considers absolute fact, given Boom-Knuckles' design.

I don't understand how it makes sense to anyone, but whatever.

[Diogenes]

Um, yes they do? Why would someone have separate finger bones but not separate fingers (short of genetic mutation, but that's kind of unlikely in Knuckles' case)?

Why not that? Why not, a species that descended from a four-fingered species, but due to some mutation (presumably on the Y chromosome, considering it only seems to affect males), their fingers are fused at the skin and muscle level, and their knuckles are exceptionally bony? It doesn't make any less sense than echidnas that can glide.

That's just the way they're drawn/rendered. It doesn't mean they don't have any toes.

What does this even mean? Is Sonic maybe not blue, just that he's colored in blue?

As for your hypothesis about male echidnas, here's Imperator Ix without his armor:

*snip*

Chronicles isn't canon.

I don't understand how it makes sense to anyone, but whatever.

How? You sure as hell don't have to agree with it, but how can you argue that it doesn't make sense?

[MamboCat]

I assumed that Knuckles had fingers but also wore boxing gloves, which curl the fist into a mitten.

 

Awww, mittens. :3

[Phos]

I liked the idea of Knuckles wearing boxing gloves because it implied that he expected the most likely activity demanded of him is punching stuff.

[Blue Blood]

I liked the idea of Knuckles wearing boxing gloves because it implied that he expected the most likely activity demanded of him is punching stuff.

 

The tape does the exact same, just slightly less blatantly. But with these designs the boxing gloves would look weird I think.

[Phos]

The tape does the exact same, just slightly less blatantly. But with these designs the boxing gloves would look weird I think.

Knuckles just looks plain weird. He's a third again as tall as Sonic but his legs are the same length and his wrists seem to start at his elbows. Not sure why they went with arms that narrow along their entire length.

[Splash the Otter]

Why not that? Why not, a species that descended from a four-fingered species, but due to some mutation (presumably on the Y chromosome, considering it only seems to affect males), their fingers are fused at the skin and muscle level, and their knuckles are exceptionally bony? It doesn't make any less sense than echidnas that can glide.

You're grasping at straws. Yes, Knuckles could conceivably have some genetic mutation that give his hands the shape of spiked boxing gloves, but it's a lot more sensible to assume that his hands are perfectly normal.

 

What does this even mean? Is Sonic maybe not blue, just that he's colored in blue?

It means that the characters were designed using a specific artstyle, one that depicts feet without visible toes. The color of Sonic's fur doesn't rely on that artstyle and has been mentioned in the games, so it's more than just a design choice.

 

Chronicles isn't canon.

I can't believe this. I just gave solid evidence of my argument, and you shoot it down because it's from a spinoff game? Canon or not, Sonic Chronicles is an official game, set in the same universe as the main series. If male echidnas have fingers in Chronicles, that means they have fingers in the other games as well.

 

How? You sure as hell don't have to agree with it, but how can you argue that it doesn't make sense?

I already explained why it doesn't make sense. Weren't you listening?

[Diogenes]

You're grasping at straws. Yes, Knuckles could conceivably have some genetic mutation that give his hands the shape of spiked boxing gloves, but it's a lot more sensible to assume that his hands are perfectly normal.

Given we've seen a city full of spiky-fisted dudes, and how important those spikes and those fists are to Knuckles' character, is it really completely irrational to think it's more than just a pair of gloves?

It means that the characters were designed using a specific artstyle, one that depicts feet without visible toes. The color of Sonic's fur doesn't rely on that artstyle and has been mentioned in the games, so it's more than just a design choice.

But what is the difference between how the characters are rendered and how they "actually" look? On what grounds do you say something is a choice of style and something is an actual feature?

I can't believe this. I just gave solid evidence of my argument, and you shoot it down because it's from a spinoff game? Canon or not, Sonic Chronicles is an official game, set in the same universe as the main series. If male echidnas have fingers in Chronicles, that means they have fingers in the other games as well.

Or it's something Bioware didn't really understand and no one at Sega cared to correct, like a lot of the stuff in Chronicles.

I already explained why it doesn't make sense. Weren't you listening?

No, you've only said why you don't believe it over the alternative. And like I said, that's fine. But it doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.

[Splash the Otter]

Given we've seen a city full of spiky-fisted dudes, and how important those spikes and those fists are to Knuckles' character, is it really completely irrational to think it's more than just a pair of gloves?

Seeing how the "spiky-fisted dudes" were implied to be soldiers, their gauntlets were probably supposed to be weapons.

 

 

But what is the difference between how the characters are rendered and how they "actually" look? On what grounds do you say something is a choice of style and something is an actual feature?"

Well for starters, I also think Sonic's monoeye is non-diegetic.

 

 

Or it's something Bioware didn't really understand and no one at Sega cared to correct, like a lot of the stuff in Chronicles.

What exactly didn't Bioware understand? Some apocryphal notion an echidna's hands are shaped like boxing gloves? And how is Chronicles non-canon anyway, aside from being a spinoff?

 

 

No, you've only said why you don't believe it over the alternative. And like I said, that's fine. But it doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.

It doesn't make sense because we have proof that echidnas have fingers. You just don't want to accept the truth.

[Harley Quinn]

What exactly didn't Bioware understand? Some apocryphal notion an echidna's hands are shaped like boxing gloves? And how is Chronicles non-canon anyway, aside from being a spinoff?

...Perhaps it's considered non-canon because - aside from having its' cliffhanger ending never to be fulfilled via sequel - is also never given any mention or nod to henceforth in other games that I can recall? :v

[JaidynReiman]

...Perhaps it's considered non-canon because - aside from having its' cliffhanger ending never to be fulfilled via sequel - is also never given any mention or nod to henceforth in other games that I can recall? :v

Kinda hard to when it would be chronologically the last game in the series. Mario & Sonic does reference it, though, with the Nocturnus Gate dream event.

[Adamis]

Because it didn't happen yet in canon ?

And elements of the game, like the Twilight Cage, were in Mario & Sonic 2, if anything.

[Tenko]

Knuckles is a "puncher" so I guess his upper body is exaggerated. But if that's the case, if Rouge was in the game at all I would expect her to have giant tree trunk thighs more massive than Chun-Li since she's the "kicker" only does legs at the gym type

[JaidynReiman]

Because it didn't happen yet in canon ?

And elements of the game, like the Twilight Cage, were in Mario & Sonic 2, if anything.

Personally, I like most of the concepts in Sonic Chronicles. I wouldn't mind it if they scrapped Chronicles but kept the backstory. Chronicles was great in connecting some things, for example, making the Gizoids to be created by a rival clan to the Knuckle clan. There are some things I don't like, such as SWAT bots and "roboticized" being brought up which were never connected to in the games, but I thought a lot of the backstory of Chronicles overall was pretty good, and the general plot was fine.

 

Basically, if they cleaned up Chronicles and otherwise kept the backstory, I'd be more than happy to write off the rest. But there's a lot in Chronicles' that does really add depth to the series and personally, unless otherwise stated I don't consider any game non-canon (the only ones we know are non-canon being Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine).

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

 

What exactly didn't Bioware understand? Some apocryphal notion an echidna's hands are shaped like boxing gloves? And how is Chronicles non-canon anyway, aside from being a spinoff?

 

Multiple times (if I can find the other posts). And you are more than welcome to ask him yourself.

 

Nevermind the whole lawsuit bullshit of Penders suing them over "his" character concepts connected to Chronicles further making it non-canon for legal reasons.

[Marcello]

What's with this argument "That's just how they're drawn, but not how they actually are"? They're fictional cartoon characters, the way they're drawn is the way they are.

[Blue Blood]

What's with this argument "That's just how they're drawn, but not how they actually are"? They're fictional cartoon characters, the way they're drawn is the way they are.

 

And the way they are drawn is without visible hands, just gloves. There's really no need to make any sort of argument this way or that there's no official word. Every point being made on either side is as weak as the next. Can we move on?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I thought the point on "that's the way they're drawn" was that visible hands weren't really a problem, and wondering why the fuss is for showing otherwise? Comes off as a nitpicking annoyance like a lot of things this fandom cries foul on.

[Harley Quinn]

Personally, I like most of the concepts in Sonic Chronicles. I wouldn't mind it if they scrapped Chronicles but kept the backstory. Chronicles was great in connecting some things, for example, making the Gizoids to be created by a rival clan to the Knuckle clan. There are some things I don't like, such as SWAT bots and "roboticized" being brought up which were never connected to in the games, but I thought a lot of the backstory of Chronicles overall was pretty good, and the general plot was fine.

 

Basically, if they cleaned up Chronicles and otherwise kept the backstory, I'd be more than happy to write off the rest. But there's a lot in Chronicles' that does really add depth to the series and personally, unless otherwise stated I don't consider any game non-canon (the only ones we know are non-canon being Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine).

 

While I consider some games non-canon besides SS and DRMBM, I'm not going to deny Chronicles had some good backstories worth delving into more in canon. Especially concerning the echindas. I really did love the potential that game had; its' execution, however...ech.

 

Though I totally forgot the game was supposed to be the last timeline-wise; thanks for reminding me, y'all.

[Splash the Otter]

 

Multiple times (if I can find the other posts). And you are more than welcome to ask him yourself.

 

Nevermind the whole lawsuit bullshit of Penders suing them over "his" character concepts connected to Chronicles further making it non-canon for legal reasons.

Even if the events of the game didn't actually occur (not yet at any rate), that doesn't mean the Nocturne Tribe (and therefore echidnas with fingers) doesn't exist. Without them, Angel Island wouldn't be flying and Sonic Battle wouldn't happened.

 

What's with this argument "That's just how they're drawn, but not how they actually are"? They're fictional cartoon characters, the way they're drawn is the way they are.

Because stuff like a monoeye or having blobs for feet doesn't make any sense!