Mecha Sonic

[batson]

Yep, a topic about the robotic Sonic that didn't eventually turn in to a back-stabbing, skirt-wearing megalomaniac; Mecha Sonic!

I recon that the vast majority of people on this site already know perfectly well who the guy is, what games he appeared in and how he is different from Metal Sonic, but for those few who don't, here is a nice summary from the superb Sonic encyclopedia by the friendly (well) people over at Green Hill Zone:

A lumbering mechanical version of Sonic created by Dr. Eggman. Bulkier and less advanced than Metal Sonic, Mecha seems to be pure robot and doesn't possess a sense of self-awareness. He's appeared in several different forms over the years - his attack patterns remain largely unchanged, but it's unclear whether or not his various incarnations are indeed the same machine.

Appears in: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit), Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Adventure (cameo) and Sonic Pocket Adventure.

Personally, i love this robot. Much like Metal Sonic, he's "like Sonic but a robot", but the thing is, he's resemblance to Sonic is only superficial, as he is big and bulky rather than a fast and agile. I would love it if he made a return to the games. I have often imagined a scenario where Eggman would regularly make use of both Metal Sonic and Mecha Sonic, who would be complete opposites of each other; Metal Sonic being intelligent and often questioning of his master and Mecha Sonic being dumb and obedient to a fault.

[Dr. Mechano]

It's quite the assumption that Mecha lacks self-awareness. He appeared in games where no one talked, and he simply acted like the rest of the cast.

If Metal Sonic is self-aware and traitorous, it's entirely possible Mecha Sonic is self-aware and loyal. He might like serving Eggman, right?

EDIT: When you consider even common grunt troops are self-aware, as evidenced by recent titles, it seems like a logical conclusion that a big important member of Eggman's army is at least as sentient as the basic underlings are. Indeed, Mecha Sonic is more prominent than an Egg Fighter, which are proven to be sentient characters in their own right.

This is why it seems logical enough that Mecha is loyal, and self-aware, much like Captain Whisker, Johnny, Mini, Mum, SA-55, and the various grunt troops of Eggman's forces. Loyalty is not a lack of self-awareness by any means whatsoever.

Edited July 9, 2009 by El Gran Gordo

[Yong]

It's quite the assumption that Mecha lacks self-awareness. He appeared in games where no one talked, and he simply acted like the rest of the cast.

If Metal Sonic is self-aware and traitorous, it's entirely possible Mecha Sonic is self-aware and loyal. He might like serving Eggman, right?

Indeed. You can't really tell whether Mecha Sonic is acting on his own or just following Eggman's prior expectations of conquering Angel Island in his absence in Sonic & Knuckles. So it goes either way, and is pretty irrellevant in the end.

[Diogenes]

Mecha's not a bad character, but Metal seems better and more interesting in every aspect. Mecha's big and clunky, Metal's sleek and agile. Mecha has no apparent personality beyond a loyal pawn (if that), Metal has rebellious tendencies, megalomania, and insists that he is the real Sonic. Mecha only showed up in a few games and is easily forgotten, while Metal, as underused as he is, has had far more appearances and is a fan favorite.

Just having Metal and Shadow around is more than enough as far as Sonic clones. Mecha's better off in the scrap heap.

[Gatestormer]

Agreeing with Diogenes, however I would like to see cameos etc like in Sonic Adventure. They were fantastic and it's how I would like Mecha (and other robots) to be remembered.

[speedfreak]

Is this the Silver one from the end of Sonic 2, or the one that is Knuckles final boss in S&K?

I always assumed the Silver one was remote controlled since Eggman was hiding behind a wall watching the fight. I thought he had to watch to know how to control the bot. Plus it looked kind of clunky, like a prototype that he didn't have time to "complete".

The other one was pretty cool too. I loved the fact that it goes Super by using the power of the Master Emerald.

I still like Metal Sonic best though.

Edited July 9, 2009 by speedfreak

[Illuminous_Orb]

Appears in: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit), and Sonic Pocket Adventure.

These are actually called "Silver Sonic" in each games' manuals, so they can't be Mecha Sonic.

I guess to lengthen my post a bit, I'm pretty apathetic to Mecha Sonic. Either way you call it, it's still a robotic Sonic doppelganger and just complicates things even more trying to figure out which is which. And even then, manuals and other game media still have trouble differing which ones are actually named either Mecha or Silver Sonic. The one in Pocket Adventure is the same one from Sonic 2, yet has another name. Although, Metal has differentiated a lot more and has become his own individual and a lasting impact compared to the others, it was still confusing in the earlier games. But the one in Sonic 2 8-bit is the exception because he actually has distinctive traits that Mecha or Metal lack, like a Silver colored body and claw-like extendable arms, not to mention it actually looks much different different from the others.

Either way, I just stopped caring trying to figure out which one is which and just proceeded to pound that "faker" into the dirt anyway. They're all the same to me. I guess from the original topic's intention, my favorite incarnation of Mecha, though, was from the Archie Comics.

http://img18.imageshack.us/i/sonicmechasonicknuckles0rg.jpg/

[SuperStingray]

Just having Metal and Shadow around is more than enough as far as Sonic clones. Mecha's better off in the scrap heap.

I still don't understand how Shadow is in any way a Sonic "clone" beyond his species. Where Sonic's power is based speed, Shadow's is based on power. Sonic's philosophy is grounded in the present where Shadow's is in the past. Sonic relies on instinct and ego where Shadow relies on guidance and memory. Hell, they aren't even the same color. I could go on, but there are extremely few parallels between Sonic and Shadow, at least compared to those between Sonic and Metal Sonic. I mean, I could use the same logic to say that Amy or Silver are "clones" of Sonic. Edited July 10, 2009 by SuperStingray

[Jix Hedgehog]

Wasn't Mechas only appearance (apart from the comic book) in Sonic & Knuckles?

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) That was the original "Silver"

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 I guess it was Metal Sonic, but not the one we all know

Sonic Adventure (cameo) That was Metal Sonic (post Sonic 2) in the tube (Playable on the Gamecube version)

Sonic Pocket Adventure I don't remember, it was almost 10 years ago

[Badnik Zero]

Emerl is right, the best Mecha is Archie Mecha for being so badass in the best 48-page special ever. Except he differs from the game version in that he was a roboticized Sonic as part of the Mecha Madness story arc. Game Mecha is a robot.

I also thought he didn't appear in Sonic Adventure, but that that was Metal Sonic, like how Metal is an unlockable character.

Silver Sonic is all the silver incarnations of Sonic, which were in both versions of Sonic 2 and in a Final Egg tube in Adventure.

The only game Sonic I call Mecha is the S3&K robot, Knuckles' final boss. It's clearly not Metal because his body is less sleek, and he just seems more dangerous overall. He's also the only robot with a somewhat super form, when he siphons off the Master Emerald in that fight. That moment makes him special to me. As a kid I always thought Mecha was created by Robotnik to bait Knuckles, because the story has him tricked into fighting Sonic, and his last boss really is Sonic in a way, but Mecha Sonic.

I think Sonic Team continues to use Metal because they prefer him as the original Sonic robot for whatever reason. Silver Sonic was always kind of clunky and unappealing compared, or maybe Metal really was created first during Sonic 2-CD development.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Badnikz

[batson]

"Silver Sonic" doesn't exist in the pre-SA Japanese/post-SA worldwide continuity anymore that Mobius does; it was a name invented by Sega of America that has never been mentioned in any Japanese material. ALL of the Sonic robots from the games mentioned in my opening post have been referred to solely as "Mecha Sonic" in Japanese manuals. That's why Green Hill Zones (the websites) Sonic encyclopedia doesn't include an entry on any "Silver Sonic", since it's based completely on the Japanese/present-day continuity (you should all check it out btw; the entries are very short, but it's probably the most accurate Sonic encyclopedia on the web http://www.theghz.com/sonicopedia/

And since all those robots have the same name and similar attacks, it is believed by many that they are the same machine - only upgraded between games. And that would probably explain why his cameo in Sonic Adventure had him look almost like a cross between his previous versions (with the color of his S2 incarnation but a frame more similar to his S&K incarnation); so that it sorta became a tribute to all his previous versions.

But whatever the case, the name "Silver Sonic" is completely non-canon. Seriously, it's one of my main pet peeves that so many people still fail to recognize that.

Edited July 10, 2009 by batson

[Flyboy Fox]

I have to say I do quite like the idea of the loyal and perhaps less intelligent (not necessary without sentience, just not as advanced) Mecha, and the more intelligent rebel Metal. Of course, it's hard to judge exactly how Mecha was supposed to be in terms of A.I. from earlier non-speaking non-text-aided games. But I think it would make for a very interesting premise.

[Badnik Zero]

But whatever the case, the name "Silver Sonic" is completely non-canon. Seriously, it's one of my main pet peeves that so many people still fail to recognize that.

Wow, I never really knew that.

I still think the name is appropriate though. If just to distinguish the early Mecha Sonic from the S&K one. The silver one has the buzz saw spines, and seems kind of rigid in design. The S&K one is very updated, entirely different face and shell, more flexible looking and quicker with his moves. I always thought the Adventure Mecha seemed more like the Sonic 2 style.

Even if they're the same model, they're different enough that I think they're two robots. Unless canonical sources say specifically otherwise. In the '90s I used to think the S&K Mecha was like a fusion of Metal's and silver Mecha's design. Since Sonic 2 and CD came before that, I just assumed Eggman created a third design like both of them, which the art department might have just done for S&K. But it seems like both Mechas have disappeared from the franchise. I think one Sonic robot is enough though.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Badnikz

[The Conductor]

Here's the way I personally look at the Sonic Robots;

Silver Sonic: An unfinished and cumbersome robot, could emulate Sonic's spinball attack but needed assistance in the speed department. (Sonic 2 8-Bit) He was rebuilt and completed in time for the 16 Bit Sonic 2.

Mecha Sonic: This robot was seen in Sonic 3&Knuckles, I believe that while it was finished before Metal Sonic but was used after words because Metal was an argubly better model. He was built to be able to copy Sonic's SUPER SONIC form.

Metal Sonic: While he was finished after Mecha Sonic he was probably used first because he was finished fairly soon after; this model was as sleek and fast as Sonic and while he couldn't do a spin dash, he had his own methods (flying so fast he could break through walls).

[Dr. Mechano]

Of course, in some ways, Roller could be seen as the first "Sonic robot."

The Japanese storyline to Sonic 1 says that Eggman and Sonic have fought before the first game, but that this was the first time Eggman's scheme was large-scale enough for Sonic to take seriously. Because they've fought before, it stands to reason that Roller could be- on some basic level- Eggman's first attempt at emulating Sonic's abilities, by creating a Badnik capable of spindashing.

Just a thought. Granted, after this, his "Sonic robots" were much more based on Sonic in terms of appearance, and equipped with all sorts of added gadgetry to enhance their speed and strength accordingly!

Edited July 10, 2009 by El Gran Gordo

[BaronSFel001]

But whatever the case, the name "Silver Sonic" is completely non-canon. Seriously, it's one of my main pet peeves that so many people still fail to recognize that.

Okay, take it easy. I am with you on this one, but not in the sense that I am aggravated by people who still get details mixed up between Japanese canon and American branches (i.e. Planet Mobius). Some people still prefer it that way.

Personally, I think the name "Mecha Sonic" is cooler, and it works better because it is generic, and therefore could fit into all the games this one is featured in. At the very least, Mecha Sonic has had several "marks" just like Metal Sonic, because both have been destroyed a few times only to keep coming back for more.