Dr. Crusher Presents: The 30 Days of Sonic the Hedgehog Mk.II (Daft and Tolerating It)-PAGE 72, FIN

[Forte-Metallix]

Day 26: My favorite non-game character/concept:

 

 

This may seem like the obvious choice for me, but hear me out:

 

 

This guy

Shard was one of the more interesting pre-reboot characters because, like Scourge, he went from being a knockoff to earning his own identity.

 

As I'm sure most of you know, Shard is the original Metal (later retconned into Mecha) Sonic, the one who raced Sonic in Stardust Speedway and fought off Knuckles and his team in the Chaotix adaptation. Then he rebuilt himself and trapped Tails in a volcano in order to goad Sonic into racing and fighting him. After seeing the unbreakable bond between Sonic and Tails, Mecha had a change of heart (circuitry?) and sacrificed himself to save them in an homage to the OVA. 

 

Then, years later, good ol' Uncle Chuck got ahold of the Power Gem in the robot's body, which somehow survived being flooded in magma. After a failed attempt at building an army to replace Sonic (long story), he eventually used it to give the robot a second chance at life. Renaming himself "Shard the Metal", he quickly joined the Secret Freedom Fighters and later bailed Team Fighters out of a jam involving the Krudzu Hybrid Hydra. Unfortunately, he met his end at the hands of his "brother" Metal Sonic. Shard survived the slaughter, only to be erased by the Super Genesis Wave.

 

 

Why I love Shard so much goes farther than his cool design, snarky comments, and role as a foil to Metallix; he actually had depth to his character. He started out as another cold, unfeeling killing machine, but he defied his coding to become something- someone - better. He discovered what it truly means to be alive, and how even though robots are becoming more and more advanced, there's a reason they're becoming more like us (in fiction, anyway.) : no amount of "perfection and efficiency" can compare to living and feeling.

 

 

I'm really gonna miss this guy.

 

 

 

RIP in pieces 

Shard the Metal

6/1995- 3/2013

[Osmium]

Question 26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/characters/etc. to come out of non-game media? 

 

Oh jesus, this is kind hard. There are so many things I could put down. 

 

But the think that is springing to my mind is the Brotherhood of Metallix. 

 

 

This has to be one of the greatest threats ever in any Sonic media. These guys had been around since Issue 25 and a modified one was still hanging around well after Issue 100, but we all know when the brotherhood was at it's strongest. It started at issue 50 when the second Metallix mentioned that there were more brothers. For around the next 20 issues, these guys would not go away. 

 

 

First of all, imagine how deadly Metal Sonic is. Now imagine literally thousands of them flying around. That is some scary shit. It seriously is kinda scary to see how much these guys could take control of. They took advantage of one big thing that Robotnik did, and used it to betray both Robotnik and Grimer to keep everything for themselves. At one point, they turned Mobius and the Little Planet into Metallix ruled dystopias. No other villain has messed up so much before or after this. 

 

 

They were cunning and smart, and always knew what was about to happen. They even created their own metallic duplicates of characters to screw others over, and they were successful.

 

 

Also, these guys were MALICIOUS. They were cold, and were deadly accurate with their lasers, ever single one of them. And they were not afraid to use them. It took some serious strategies to finally get these guys down for good. 

 

 

Literally everyone met these guys too. First Sonic, then Knuckles and Chaotix, then Sonic, Amy, Johnny, and Porker and then Sonic and the Metallix again. And everyone struggled to even stay alive among these guys. 

 

I wish we could see some sort of army of Metal Sonics in the games but I know that will probably never happen. These guys seriously were one of the greatest threats to come out of any Sonic media. 

 

[Sonictrainer]

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favorite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

Ok, I debated this between Archie Comics getting better at making Sonic Comics to The Post Reboot Continuity being good but I got to be honest...

 

 

 

it's the SEGA and CAPCOM Crossovers between Sonic and Megaman that I've enjoyed the most.

 

I don't know what's better. That fact that a crossover like this can happen outside of the games or the fact that these crossovers almost foreshadow Mega Man and Ryu joining SSB4WU/N3DS.

[Drawloverlala]

Question 26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/characters/etc. to come out of non-game media?

 

that has to be Uncle Chuck!!

 

 i wuv him!!!

 

 

he has been on almost every non-game Sonic media!  (i don't know if include Chuck from Sonic X too... but i also like so much that character to think its like a reference to Sonic's Uncle) TV shows and comics

 

this character is so lovely.. as Sonic's parental model.. calling him Sonny-boy and knowing to cook the perfect chillidogs for Sonic...

so sweet!

 

i like also when he gets mad ... i remember when he was part of the council.. and everyone wanted to listen to Naugus..(i guess issue 224)  he, Rotor and Sonic were almost the only ones to not agreed... and Uncle Chuck was so furious at Tails mom! i loved that part...EDIT: this part! this part!!

https://youtu.be/4co80kFlrCE?t=191   epic! ahaha

 

but you know.. i think i've said this before..... maybe he is not Sonic's biological uncle anymore.. but . the love still there...

Edited June 26, 2015 by Drawloverlala

[Celestia]

Day 26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?
 

 
Technically speaking Shard the Mecha Sonic isn't completely unique from the games (even his most recent design is based on Metal Sonic 3.0 from the Rivals games), but in his later appearance Mecha Sonic (as he was known back then, before being retconned as Metal Sonic) ended up being based more on OVA's Metal Sonic, even gaining a conscience before being destroyed in lava. A loooong time (in real life years anyway!) passed before he returned, rebuilt by the good guys, and renamed himself Shard. Despite his origins and still being a robo-Sonic in the end, Shard managed to become a unqiue character in his own right.
 
This is probably a weird choice considering the circumstances. What I mean is, around the time he was reintroduced to the comic a few years back, I had actually stopped reading Archie Sonic on a regular basis. By the time I got back into things, it was when the reboot happened, at which point Shard was...un-existed. So basically I didn't get the chance to appreciate the character before he was gone. But oh well, I can at least appreciate him now.

Between his cool design and entertaining interactions with other characters, I liked Shard a lot As sad as I am to see him go, I'm glad that Gemerl's been introduced to the comics to fill that role. But I'll always miss the heroic Metal/Mecha Sonic that almost was. At least he went out in style...as already detailed by Forte who beat me to it. XP

[Lisbon]

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favourite character to come out of any non-game media?

 

This'n

 

 

Topaz had a great dynamic with Rouge in Sonic X, I feel like, and that went a long way in getting me to want to pay attention to her existence. It helps that Topaz is one of the few human characters who doesn't suck in that show, but at the end of the day I really felt that she not only had a strong teamwork dynamic with Rouge but also could've been a good standalone character in her own right. It doesn't help that I found her to have that serious-to-the-point of being humorous attitude at times and the fact that she's damn likable to boot.

 

I dunno, man. I wouldn't say she was something great and unique, but all in all she served her purpose and I feel she served it damn well. That's a rarity when it comes to characters in this series.

[Kiah]

Day 26: What is your SINGLE most favorite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

 

Princess Sally Acorn. The SatAM version of her as I'm currently unfamiliar with her portrayal in the Archie Comics. I honestly don't recall talking about Sally in-depth ever since I joined the SSMB. Shame on me! Anyway, time to fix that right now...

 

When it comes to all the characters in the ENTIRE Sonic franchise across all forms of media and divisions, Sally is my favorite after Tails and Sonic himself respectively. Sally is smart, confident, logical, mature, focused and strong-minded among other qualities. Among her flaws is that she is stubborn, bossy and intolerant at times. Despite being a princess Sally was very down to Earth, which is something I really loved about her personality as she wasn't arrogant and didn't think too highly of herself due to being royalty. Another thing about Sally that I liked is that SatAM Sonic definitely had his obnoxious moments and Sally always made it a point to call  him out on them as well as having no tolerance for Sonic's recklessness as well. 

 

Among Sally's admirable qualities and other aspects of her, two things really stand out to me about Sally:

 

Like Sonic in SatAM, Sally deeply cared about her friends as well and make it a point to comfort them when they needed it. Here Sally hugs a tearful Bunnie after the attempt to de-robotize her failed. 

 

Also Sally's rapport and bond with Tails:

 

 

 

Sally was definitely more of a mother figure to Tails as opposed to one of an aunt. Sally was very protective of Tails as she wanted him no where near Robotnik or Robotropolis. She tucked Tails into bed read him bedtime stories in a very animated and entertaining manner every single night. Apparently Sally was so consistent in doing so Tails picked up something was wrong when "Sally" unexpectedly and surprisingly read Tails a bedtime story in a disinterested, unwilling, and rushed manner. 

 

Sally even has a special kiss that she gives Tails

 

And the endearing hugs as well

 

I think I can safely say that I have a very strong maternal sense myself per what I've been told in real life and even members here at the SSMB have said this themselves about me. This is the main reason among many why I feel I resonate well with Sally. Not only is she my favorite of any and everything outside of the games in the Sonic franchise but she is one of my favorite characters overall. 

[TailsTellsTales]

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

I am not familiar with the comics but I do know some of the TV shows instead. I not sure if this works as answer here. I picking Dr. Eggman from Sonic Boom because he be funny and entertaining person. It is to the point where the show should be called Eggman Boom because he is dominant personality. I hope that answer works because I was not sure what exactly was asking about here I edit if need for than.

[Strickerx5]

Day 26: What is my SINGLE *even though this is the one question I have many answers too DX* most favorite concept of this series from any non-game media?

 

 

 

I think it would have to be the Blue Typhoon from Sonic X. There's just something about a giant ship that the gang uses to go on intergalactic adventures that excited me... and can you blame me? Yes, I know the concept of an 8 year old building a space ship of that size in his basement as a side project ON TOP of what he already does is a stretch but really. What in this series isn't a stretch at this point. I would love to see this thing integrated into the main series at some point. Especially if they ever plan on doing a galaxy themed game (which, lets be honest, they probably will at some point). Oh, and the Sonic Power Cannon is both the best and stupidest thing depending on how you look at it. XD

 

 

Runner Up: Cosmo from X- Could easily just be my Tails bias but any character that can give him more character moments like some of the ones in X I'll take in a heart beat. She was just such an underutilized character and could of been great if given screen time outside the plot. Those two were damn near perfect for each other. I swear if X had better writers it really could of been something special. A plain case of great ideas but bad execution.

[Tani Coyote]

Day 26
 

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?
 
Due to my lack of non-game media experience, I'll probably say from an aesthetic point of view, Dark Mobius Enerjak.
 

 
Seriously, that design is badass to look at.

Seconded.

 

I know I lavished praise on this dude in a prior post here, but it's worth saying again.

 

Enerjak not only looks cool, but he's a genuine threat on levels beyond any other. Whether it's throwing skyscrapers, hitting people with Angel Island (it makes sense in context), sucking souls out to make super soldiers... this guy is nuts. All the other Enerjaks pale in comparison.

 

It's even better than he's a powered up version of Knuckles. Scratch that, his future is the result of his winning a battle against Super Sonic... the classic rivalry is realized in its most badass form, with the fate of the world resting on the victor.

 

On top of that... he's even technically a tragic villain. He is the result of a Knuckles with enormous insecurity issues, feeling that nobody appreciated him and thought he was stupid. This led him to tap his Chaos Powers in the hopes of proving himself. So in short Boom Knuckles if his little alliance with Eggman went differently. However, Knuckles becomes so absorbed in his power that all traces of his original self are eventually lost to the point he would suck the souls out of his own family. He is... completely gone. Even Darth Vader, one of the most iconic fallen heroes, didn't fall that far. However, the tragedy is still there: Knuckles had hoped to become Mobius' hero through his great power, but instead became its destroyer... on top of that, he's delusional as hell and feels he has genuinely made Mobius a better place... when from what we see, it's dark and lifeless.

 

Plus there's the way he was beaten. A lot of villains need to be bested by raw strength... but Enerjak was simply too powerful, something none of the heroes understood until Silver faced him. Lo and behold, having used Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time as a simulator (go figure Dark Enerjak has a resemblance to Ganondorf), Silver is able to use Enerjak's own power against him to render his advantage moot.

 

Now, Ian Flynn flip flops a little on how this Knuckles comes to be, but I'm sticking with the now-deleted blogs as canon.

 

Dark Enerjak had an interesting concept, design, and execution that was both sinister and morbid in levels Eggman matches only on occasion. Delving into the backstory of the Silver arc, you will find out Ian Flynn didn't want to work with Enerjak originally; then he saw the Tracy Yardley redesign, and suddenly he was on board 100%. Is that surprising?

[Your Vest Friend]

Day 26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

Ee, Time to wax lyrical on that other reptile I've taken fascination with.

 

Anton

 

 

Really should have mentioned him in my villains answer, but I'm glad I saved him for this one instead. Anton, in his regular appearances and at first in his more SEGA-fied appearance, seems like a typical 80's bully from any Saturday Morning cartoon show. Like, on the surface it's almost like he's from the Get Along Gang or something of that caliber. Then he pulls out the chain and you realise that he may not be so kind as to keep it at the Saturday Morning level. In the regular line, he stays mostly unaware that Nikki and Sonic are one and the same. In the specials, he actually does learn (thanks to the kindly traffic cop actually being Eggman who tells him about it), so does he get relegated to being Nikki's antagonist alone and stay out of the superhero stuff? No, he's fine with playing with fire by bullying Nikki after the fact to make Sonic appear so Eggman can try and stop him! Tough stuff for a guy who's relentlessly pummeled by Sonic.

 

Part of my fascination with Anton stems from the mystery surrounding just what happened to him after the Manga ended. We know about Amy and Charmy, Amy was redesigned for CD, which got applied back to the specials. Charmy was redesigned and put into Chaotix, but his redesign in Heroes takes another leaf from the CoroCoro specials by having his jacket, but Anton seems to have entirely disappeared. Me, I think while his character has completely become irrelevant, his influence has not. In fact, I'd say it's still running to this day. Possibly setting mobiles on fire.

 

All in all, he's just entertaining to read in my eyes, and that's what a character's all about in my book.

[Ducktor Naldush]

Day 26: What is your SINGLE most favorite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

At first, I thought this question was going to be the hardest one of the bunch. But then, I remembered this:

 

Sonic The Hedgehog & Mega Man : Worlds Collide

 

 

A crossover that I knew was coming as soon as Archie announced they were going to publish a Mega Man comic based on the classic series. And it didn't fail to deliver what it promised. Sure, it dragged on for a little bit during the second part, not helped by the not that-on-model art, but I still loved it. Loved the characters interacting with each other, loved how they were written (Eggman & Wily stole the show), loved the battles (holy shot that robot masters splash page).

 

And the best part? Do not hate me, but I loved that the comic characters took a vacation for this one. I love characters such as Bunnie or Antoine, and if it wasn't for this event I would have probably talked about them or Cosmo from Sonic X, but being a fan of both the blue bomber and the blue hedgehog, I am a little biased. Without the Archie-exclusive characters, with a few tweaks, this could very well happen in the Sega!Verse version of Sonic.  That's why, despite liking what has been done so far in Worlds Unite, I don't think that event will be able to top this one in my heart.

 

 

Is this an okay answer? I mean, making a Sonic & Megaman crossover is a neat concept and it was done right so...

[FriendBot]

My favorite non-game thing in the series?

 

Okay, I think I'm gonna reveal something that I haven't say much about and yes, it's about dem Archies.

 

Archie Nicole is one of my favorite female Sonic characters. I'll be honest here, I actually developed a crush on her as well and I'll explain why. ....DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT OK!

 

Ok so you know dem Iron Dominion peoples right? The Iron Queen and all those guys?

 

Remember when The Iron Queen took control over Nicole and turned Robo-Knothole into a hellhole right? Remember when Mina basically made a hate-song against Nicole and her feelings got hurt?

 

Let's stop right there. An AI developed so much that she learned to express her feelings! Heck, she even wore a pretty cute outfit at the concert as well.

 

 

No seriously, that's a really cute outfit.

 

So yeah, tensions grew higher when Naugus took over Elias and basically the Council voted Nicole off the premises...even though Nicole was the one that built that place to live in the first place when Eggman freaking blew up the original Knothole. So yeah, to put things lightly, Nicole is in complete distraught and felt pretty worthless since almost everyone she cared for threw her away with the strong exceptions of Rotor and the rest of the Freedom Fighters.

 

I guess that struggle spoke to me at an emotional level as well since I felt pretty worthless at the time I was reading that issue so yeah. So seeing everyone realizing their mistake and really do need Nicole, it felt really great to see her being needed again. So yeah, I kind of liked her for that since I can sort of sympathize with her.

 

Sadly, post-reboot Nicole hasn't gotten that much emotions out of me yet but the Spark of Life was nice enough to atleast see the true reasons why Nicole was made in the first place in the new universe. Also Overclocked Nicole looks cool even though it's a Burning Blaze recolour.

 

 

So yeah, I liked and sort of developed a crush on Nicole for the struggle she gone through in the old universe so yeah. This was really weird for me to write about since I'm not sure how anyone will react to this...... So yeah, onto the next question then....

[Bowbowis]

Day 25: My Favorite Art Style

 

Adventure (1&2) and Unleashed

 

I'm going to be discussing these two simultaneously if that's okay with everybody. I like both the Adventure and Unleashed art styles for much the same reason. Namely that they exemplify my idea of Sonic's Earth as being a four way hybrid of our Earth, a roller coaster, a skate park, and a pinball machine by featuring realistic looking locales with surrealistic terrain (corkscrews in the Golden Gate Bridge, Loops on the Great Wall of China, etc.). That said they go about it in slightly different ways. Unleashed levels often look like they were ripped straight out of a postcard while Adventure levels offer a more "ground level" view of the environment, each has it's pros and cons. To help explain what I mean here's a side by side comparison of the original versions of Speed Highway and City Escape with their Generations counterparts (it's not Unleashed but it's close enough for government work).

 

Speed Highway

 

Even ignoring what is over a decade's worth of graphical improvement, Speed Highway is a rare instance in which I actually like Generations' take on the level more than I like the original. The Unleashed/Generations style adds a lot of neon blues and other colors which really makes the visuals pop, especially when compared to the somewhat empty looking Adventure version.

 

City Escape

 

By contrast I much prefer the original 2001 version of City Escape to it's 2011 counterpart. Generations City Escape I think highlights the biggest problem I have with the more picturesque Unleashed style. Everything looks too pristine, like it was just built. Contrast with the Adventure 2 version where you have things like fading paint on the road and patches of dirt showing through the grass, it makes Central City feel like a place where people actually live and work. There's a grit to it which really gives a sense of history, the idea that so many cars must have driven along this road and that so much rain must have fallen for that paint to be fading like it is; I can just picture a little kid sitting at the curb, pulling up grass as they wait for the school bus. Generations City Escape feels like a level first and a place second while, Adventure 2 City Escape feels like a place in which the level just so happens to be occurring. It's amazing just how much of a difference little details like that can make.

 

Of course the fact that the road isn't eye-searingly bright in Adventure 2 is nice as well.

 

I'll get to Day 26 later.

[MamboCat]

Darn it, I thought I'd answered the Retro Questions! :s Our current Internet service is a bit on the crap side, it must have cut out when I'd hit the ole send button. Anyways, if I can answer those ones late (but I did think of some answers on the day! Honest! :s)

 

Retro Question #1: Regarding Plushies: see the other day's question on my retro plushies. I kinda want a Classic Amy to go with them, but yeah... kinda broke right now.

 

Retro Question #2: Top 3 tropes: Tropical island/relaxing beach, city/casino and snow/ice levels. Those all scream "Sonic" to me.

 

Retro Question #3: Fave non-Buttnik villain: STC's Super Sonic. Guy is crazy-go-nuts!

 

Retro Question #4: Sonicy friends... pretty sure I answered this last time, but for a looong time I didn't have any fellow Sonic fans as friends. I'd say that changed with finding the STCO forum.

 

Now for the rest, if you'd excuse me.

 

Question 24: Mambo's Frayed Nerves!!

 

Two things come to mind, the first is:

 

 

Sandopolis Zone Act II as Sonic; where you have to use all the sand traps to climb up the inside of the pyramid and escape! I got lost/stuck and got squished sooo many times! It actually used to make me quite anxious! Then there is the creepy music, the ghosts that need to be kept at bay, the dimming of the lights and the loud knocking sound of the the heavy, closing doors. All of these things together are seriously scary stuff. Well, for a kid anyway!! For a looong time I could only get past it as Knuckles, and then as Tails when I got Sonic 3 locked on. As Sonic I'd eventually make sure I had an Electric Shield on me so I could jump higher! Or if I played as both Sonic and Tails, I'd get my sister to fly up me up!

 

The second, would be from the same game:

 

 

My tiny little heart was pounding when I first played through this! I was at once excited at having seen this "extra" level, and at the same time, absolutely terrified!

 

Question 25: Favourite Art Style

 

Again, I have two answers!

 

The first would be the old school Japanese Sonic style. Because it's adorable! :3

 

The way Sonic is drawn is on the pudgy side(!), and he looks cute but cheeky! The colouring is soft, there's no bold lines. I always preferred this style to the "Western" version, which IMO was a lot uglier.

 

Then, of course there is the unique style of the brilliant Richard Elson.

 

 

(hahaha, the contrast in these two pictures!! Poor Amy!)

 

His work is considered by many, and myself(!) as the best in STC. He just has a way of drawing these guys that's instantly recognisable; from the poses he uses to the colouring techniques. <3 this artist, man.

[Bowbowis]

Day 26: My Favorite Non-Game Elements

 

Again with the non-game stuff? Fortunately though this is one I actually have an answer to.

 

I've mentioned it before, but then the server crashed, so I'll mention it again. I like Sonic the Comic's the idea of Knuckles being from the past. Now granted I've never actually read StC so I have no idea how it was actually handled there but I like the concept; I think it puts an interesting spin on Knuckles' character and bringing it into game canon would go a long ways towards sorting out some of the oddities in his SEGA!Sonic backstory.

[Covskin]

I mentioned the StC version of Super Sonic yesterday, so let's go for a different character...or rather, an army of them.

 

The Brotherhood of Metallix was a threat that demanded to be taken seriously, and to expand Metal Sonic into this huge conquest force was a great idea. Their introduction in the Chaotix was a clever tie-in and ended with a great cliffhanger foreshadowing their master plan, something far beyond what Robotnik's ambitions were. To then see them achieve this with such ruthlessness was impressive and scary. It added so much character to what was just a blank slate, and added a whole extra layer of menace. Great stuff.

[Adamis]

Day 26: What is your SINGLE most favorite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

That's a dilemma for me between Tekno and Antoine... but since I've talked several times about StC, I'll say Antoine.

 

First, his design appeals to me, both his classic and new ones. I like that he has the "from zero to hero" syndrome : he starts as a coward who cries a lot when facing danger, and he ends up as a capable and confident swordsman you can rely on.

I also like his "French" accent and some bits of the caricatural traits he has (butter vs margarine, "sacrebleu"...) and I'm glad to see his relation with Bunnie is still intact in the new continuity. They deserve it.

[Nepenthe]

I keep procrastinating more than Sonic in the library book episode of Boom. "I got ten seconds! Plenty of time! 8D"

 

....

 

;~;!!!!

 

Question #23: ...?

 

Retro Question #1: Do you have any plushies/figures of any Sonic characters, and/or are there any Sonic characters that you'd LIKE to have a plushie/figure of?

Retro Question #2: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

Retro Question #3: Who is/are your favourite villain(s)... APART from Robotnik?

Retro Question #4: In what way(s) have you made friends within the Sonic fanbase?

 

1. I currently sport plushies of Shadow, Sonic, and the Werehog, the former in mini and oversized versions. As for figures, I own the Jazwares normal Sonic, Black Knight Sonic, and the Classic and Modern Super Sonic pack which I won't open for reasons. As for any that I'd like to have, if someone wants to be a darling and send me the F4F Shadow figurine, that'd be mighty swell! =D

 

2. My top zone trope is still "Ruins", because despite the name bringing to mind drab and dull settings, they've been privy to some of the most wide range of elements, puzzles, hazards, and level design of the entire series. From the aerial Sky Sanctuary to the underground water playground Hydrocity to the cramped puzzle oriented Aztec Lost World in, ruins are the best. My second favorite is probably the "Bases/Industrial Zones". Eggman's bases and airships tend to be the most memorable for both their high difficulty and their mix-match of the comical and dangerous obstacles. My third favorite is interchangeable between Water Zones or Cities, as my other favorite and higher-ranking levels tend to have a mix of these elements. Heck, one of my favorite final bosses takes place in a flooded city. =P

 

3. As far as characters who stayed villains, I still have a fondness for Dark Gaia because of its omnipresence. Its awakening is the reason you have to put the planets back together and the reason you're a Werehog. It is responsible for the nasty creatures that come out at night and a few of the bosses you face. The power that it wields to bring these creatures to life is also responsible for possessing many of the NPCs and decimating their lives and relationships. And of course, it's the final boss, only really defeated with the help of the other God on your side. Aside from Eggman in the early games, no other boss has had such a pervasive presence on the whole adventure. That's cool beans.

 

4. Sonic hasn't made me friends in real life in terms of me and another person immediately bonding because a Sonic moment was the first determinate moment of our friendship. He's been a general ice breaker for game-related conversations instead, or something that me and a friend have happened to have in common. Online however, I would wager most of my friends are the result of us either debating Sonic over the years on the SSMB, or from coming together in public in private regarding staff duties here. My staffer bros and gals are my bros and gals for life. <3

 

Question #24: What was your most intense or nerve-wracking IN-GAME moment(s)?

 

Naturally I used to get a bit hurried and freaked out by the "imminent drowning ahead" jingle in the classic games, because the lack of speed you had underwater made finding a source of oxygen all the more torturous. Eggmanland is another; the smaller margins of error for the various obstacles littered through makes every action you do consciously terrifying. Even the QTEs are brutal, with most of them bringing death for failure while simultaneously having the shortest timers. Also, most final bosses tend to make me nervous, if only for the expectation that it's going to either be a Super Sonic fight wherein I'll have to quickly adjust to new mechanics, or because it's turned into an actual test of all of the skills I learned up until that point. Regardless, anything with the world on the line makes my adrenaline pump. xP

 

Question #25: Which of the franchise's art styles do you like the most?

 

My first favorite art style is S3&K's. It shifts away a bit from the sheer geometrical simplicity of games like S1 and CD through the use of increased detail in the pixel art, without outright shunning big shapes or the bright color palettes. It's more realistic without being generic. Foliage is fuller and more textured, rocks have jagged and minute imperfections, and reflective elements have different levels of gradation to separate the rubber of the balloons from the polished material of Hydrocity's platforms. It's a very forward direction with the art that makes the use of real-world locations easier to swallow than I feel they otherwise would've been.

 

Speaking of which, I really like Unleashed's art style as well. While it lacks more abstract elements, it makes up for these things with an absurd sense of scale for natural and man-made elements, amazing attention to detail in rendering the landscapes and its characters, and tops it off with excellent color choices and the best lighting we have literally ever had in a 3D Sonic game. It's a charming, Pixar-fied approximation of our planet, and if we we're ever going to come back down to Earth again in a later game, I should hope that they continue in that technical direction.

 

Sonic Lost World's art style is also another favorite as a celebratory homage to S1 where no shame is had in using simplified shapes to make up the landscapes and background. It avoids the pitfalls of something like Heroes by using better color choices and more unified textural qualities to better reflect the lighting and materials present in the environment. It's nicely put together, creative, and easy on the eyes even with the use of bright Crayola colors everywhere.

 

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favourite aspect/character/etc to come out of any non-game media?

 

This is difficult, because pretty much all of my favorite things come from the games. That just goes to show you how much I pay attention to other things. If I had a gun to my head though, it would probably the final fight between Sonic and Metal in the OVA, mainly because it actually positioned Metal Sonic as a threat that I can get invested in, and it was done in a style approximating the one seen in Sonic CD's opening animation.

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Day 23: retro whatever question

 

Retro Question #1: Do you have any plushies/figures of any Sonic characters, and/or are there any Sonic characters that you'd LIKE to have a plushie/figure of?

I posted that pic earlier, but I wish I had Silver and Blaze plushies to complete the set of characters I like.

 

Retro Question #2: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

3. The computer levels. Cyber Track is one of my favorite zones in the franchise, despite being super duper uber cheap in it's level design. Maybe it's just me falling in love with the music. I can't help it, I love this track so much.

2. Eggmanland level. There aren't a whole lot of these, and despite Eggmanland itself being one of the worst levels in the history of gaming for me, I can't deny that it's atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. It's so foreboding, but also sorta creepy in that it's a dangerous, explosive amusement park. 

1. The big 'ol space station levels with huge window views of the earth. Friggin' Egg Utopia is so awesome for this. I just love giant awesome windows in games, I think. 

Retro Question #3: Who is/are your favourite villain(s)... APART from Robotnik?

Piroth Ix and the Nocturnus Echidnas. It brought a large amount of the comic lore into the games without the issue of the ridiculous amount of extra characters and Pendersisms added by the archie series.

Retro Question #4: In what way(s) have you made friends within the Sonic fanbase?

I'm sitting at this table next to three of my good friends. Two of which, I met by asking "hey, do you like Sonic" in the first grade. The response, of course, was "what's a Sonic?" followed by "do you like Legos?" but that's how I started all my conversations in first grade. This just happened to be the only cases where it panned out.

Day 24: Most nerve-wracking moment.

It was a Sunday. I had been trying this piece of shit for three hours, and I finally beat the god-forsaken Punch-out phase. I was annoyed to find that there was more than one stage. My parents were annoyed that I wouldn't come to dinner because I was already late for church youth group.

 

And then I failed, but a week later I did it, but you know. Tense nonetheless.

 

Day 25: Art style like bruh

Colors. Not Generations, Unleashed and Colors, Colors specifically. Colors' more alien areas and worlds gave it a feeling so unique from other Sonic games that it was easily my favorite. It almost gave a Xenoblade-ish aura that perfectly encapsulated that feeling of vastness and more grass than your body has room for. If every level in the series was designed with the same mindset as Planet Wisp's nature areas, I'd have no problem. Now, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood had an artstyle that I enjoyed, but unfortunately that game's graphics and overall presentation are so bad that I couldn't even include it as a runner-up. HOWEVER, Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice has a similarly over-the-top and smooth artstyle, but it DOESN'T have the presentation of a dog's butthole, so I'm including that.

Look at this screenshot:

Those trees are amazing. I love those trees.

 

Day 26: Favorite not-game material.

I like Scourge. I have no clue about how his character developed, but I liked him when he showed up. I don't have any experience with the comics, honestly. I really wish there was a way to have cleared out most of penders' crap without restarting the universe, because there generally were a lot of also great things that I just can't really remember.

[Ratcicle King]

Question #26 - Favorite Non-Game Material:

 

Shard - A good Metal Sonic, one that has to work hard to gain the trust of people, and acts a lot like Sonic but with his own twist on his personallity, I found Shard an amazing character, especially his battle with the regular Metal Sonic, and I would have loved to see his arc, but nope, Penders happened.

God dammit.

[Multikaris]

Day XXVI: Favorite Non-Game Element

 

Princess Sally Acorn is basically the emblem of what makes the other media much better than the games. Such a fleshed-out character, in sharp contrast to the increasingly-hollow video game cast. Her motherly, romantic, and  command elements all provide something to the series, and even the more negative side of her is well-done.

[-blank-]

Favorite non-game element? Good question. Well, I'm definitely a fan of Bunnie Rabbot-D'Coolette from SatAM/Archie. She's a freaking badass and I love her post-reboot redesign. Also, though I may not ship much of anything, I do rather like the Bunnie X Antonie relationship. It's so adorable. <3

[Dr. Crusher]

~SSMB Has Cleared Non-Canon Nephology Act 26!~

 

"The greatest feeling you can get in a gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is... the pump. Let's say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles and that's what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute, and it's really tight - it's like somebody blowing air into it, into your muscle. It just blows up, and it feels really different. It feels fantastic." - Popeye the Sailor Man, All Hail Bluto (Vi schiaccerà e tutto ciò che ami)

 

Question #27: Which character(s) do you feel get a bad rep that they don't deserve?

 

"Well excuuuuuuse me for not being the exact same as that cheese-legged witch."

 

Not every character is going to get lucky in the show business. Some characters don't receive a good reception by the vast majority, for a number of common reasons. Maybe it's because they go against fan expectations. Maybe it's because someone else is considered to be superior to them in every way. Maybe they're annoying. Maybe they don't do anything. Maybe they caused seizures. Maybe their design is considered racially insensitive in retrospect. But for how hated these characters may be with others, even they have their own fans hiding in certain places. So which characters do you personally feel get a little too much heat?

 

NOTE: Once again, I realise this might be a tad challanging, because opinions and all, but if possible, try your best to think of an example that you feel is very definitely widely disliked, as opposed to a character that is merely "divisive" and could go one way or the other majority-wise.

 

Crusher's Thoughts: Eggman Neg-just kidding, it's the Deadly Six again. (This is what that foreshadowing from before was leading up to, kids.)

 

 

Even he thought that was a cracking one. He said GG to me. I don't know what that means. I think it's a type of vegetable.

 

Anyway, I'm sure they do have a few other fans out there (I know there's at least one other on here... you know who you are), but from what I've observed on the web in general, these guys are hated. Like, really hated. I don't know if it's because they were "overhyped", or if it's because they weren't multi-dimensional, but whatever the main-main reason is, they don't seem to be all that popular aside from within maybe a few fan clubs on DeviantART.

 

But me? If you've somehow failed to notice via all the times I've previously mentioned them in this topic alone, I like them a lot. For starters, I actually really like their Monsters Inc-worthy designs, and I don't think they're unfitting for the series at all, at least not any moreso than the likes of Dark Gaia. Then you have their personalities, which, yes, I've already proven that I know of how basic they are, to the point in which I agree that I would like to discover more about them, but you know what? They managed to do what few Not-Robotnik antagonists in the series have done for me: they made me care about who I was fighting, and they made me want to learn more about them. As for the fights themselves, sure, they were all pretty easy apart from maybe Zavok's, but it still delved a little into how varied these guys can be when comparing each other's methods of mortal combat. This too is something I would like to see expanded on, if they were to ever return with a big role that is.

 

Zavok in particular really fascinates me. For all the jokes (including from myself) made about him being Bowser #2 design and battle-wise, I think his actual personality is different, in that he's more direct in how calculating he is, and he's a lot less hotheaded than he looks. Taking his athletic build, mighty abilities and intelligence into account, as well as how Master Zik allows him to take control of the reins, is Zavok - or rather, the kind of Zeti that Zavok is - generally considered to be the best result a Zeti can aspire to according to the species? And what about the rest of the Zeti that we know of? We know he respects Master Zik, but how does he really feel about the other four individually? I'm guessing he acknowledges and respects their potential for destruction but otherwise doesn't care too much about them on a personal level, although having said that, he might have a little more respect for Zazz seeing how Zazz is more crazy for chaos than Smash fans are for Ridley. Either way, still a better result than working for Ivo.

 

While I do enjoy the rest of the gang, Zor's probably my second favourite. The idea of the potentially most dangerous member of a gang being the one you would least expect has been done before, but rarely is it due to the member's own lack of care or interest about anything. This guy could clearly do so much more if he wanted to, as evidenced by his abilities that are rumored to spook even the rest of the Zeti out, but instead, he's content with... er, not being content. Also, his voice is too good, and I would definitely say that he had a lot of the best lines in Lost World.

 

So the Zippity Zoppity Zig-Zag Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Zeti Zappers are my main choice, but on another note, while she seems to be gathering a few more fans in recent times, I still see a large amount of contempt thrown towards Marine. Blatant australian stereotypes aside, I personally never thought she was that annoying, and like with the Deadly Six, I'm curious as to what the whole story with her is. I wouldn't mind seeing her again if Blaze's world were to show up more, nor would I complain if she got to interact with more characters.

 

So with that out of the way, you may now post awaaaaaayyyy!~

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

Question #26: What is your SINGLE most favourite character to come out of any non-game media?

 

It's between these 2 guys:

Scourge the Hedgehog

Enerjak(Knuckles)