Is Amy a real 'classic'?

[MetalSkulkBane]

This is the question to those who grew up in the 90s, with earliest Sonic games. My first Sonic game was Adventure 1, so Amy being a main characters is something I take for granted.

But I was thinking about it lately. Amy appeared in only one major game (and even then Sega CD wasn't a hot seller), not in a single animation (before SA1) and Archie comics barely acknowledged her existance (again, before SA1).

So how with her (and by extantion with Metal Sonic I guess): was she always played as a "classic" character, or SA1 gave her an upgrade, similarly like Heroes did to Chaotix?

[Lord-Dreamerz]

My opinion is a classic character is just 1 that's been around for a very long time. And Amy has been around longer then technically Knuckles has... so yeah... I say popularity or how often the character was used has not much to do with what makes a character classic. One of the first places I saw Amy back in the 90s was in Sonic The Fighters & the comics.

[Your Vest Friend]

While she was only in one major game and the other titles weren't so familiar to the general audience at the time, at least in her defense she was in a fair number of games at the time; the Sonic Drift series, Sonic the Fighters, that one Pico title, Sonic R and even cameo'd in Chaotix along with Sonic and Tails. She also had far more prominence in Sonic the Comic (remember that Archie didn't have a monopoly on comic production in the 90s), and she had an appearance in that one French comic so it's clear she was at least somewhat recognised. And the reason she didn't appear in the cartoons at all or Archie that often were because they were made without her in mind, likely because they were in early production before CD was released. That, and SatAM and Archie had a vested interest in limiting her presence because they had their own love interest to shill. 

In contrast to the Chaotix, only one of the original characters for the game made a single new appearance after (Espio in Sonic the Fighters), they were far less frequently seen in StC, were also absent from the cartoons (because they didn't exist when any of them were made) and pretty much any other marketing material, and Archie's use of them was skewed because of Pender's over-usage of Knuckles, which likely is ignored in any overview of their history. 

[Diogenes]

You might be able to make a case that she's not quite in the same category as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and (maybe?) Eggman, but considering she was introduced in the heart of the classic era, I can't imagine a valid argument that she's not a "classic" character of some sort. SA was a bit of a boost to her place in the series, but it wasn't a reboot like they did to the Chaotix.

[Lucid Dream]

54 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

So how with her (and by extantion with Metal Sonic I guess): was she always played as a "classic" character, or SA1 gave her an upgrade, similarly like Heroes did to Chaotix?

Metal Sonic is definitely a classic character. He's been a major villain in Sonic CD, Knuckles Chaotix, Sonic The Comic and Sonic OVA. Those are all in the 90s. 

Sonic 4 episode 2 was hugely about Metal Sonic and his story after Sonic CD. Even in Sonic Heroes, where he got a pretty big redesign, he still converted back to his traditional form when he was beaten. He never got this "upgrade", and has always been the same character for the most part. There's no reason to believe Metal Sonic isn't a part of the classics, since he's been a villain and rival ever since his first game.  

As for Amy, she's had presence in a few games, Sonic The Comic, and also starred in a few mangas. Sure, back then she didn't play the role she does now, and the differences of Amy in all these incarnations are pretty huge, but she's always been a fairly recurring secondary character in the Classic era with the same basic personality. 

[Meta77]

I was born 89. I would say she's a classic. Even if she was not in a lot of main games she was still in a lot and I considered her just as important as the others

[Mr Loopone]

Amy is a classic character from the classic era along with Metal Sonic, just one that didn't appear in the games that the majority have played.

Before Sonic Adventure that popularized her though, the games that she appeared in were on niche systems such as the Mega CD, Pico and even the Game Gear or Japan only such as Sonic Drift as well as Sonic the Fighters had a very limited release outside of Japan. Could she have been made for the Japanese market in mind considering the platforms she was on? She wasn't in any of the cartoons due to not only that reason but they also had their own female characters such as Sally. So not many got to see her as a character unless they had a game on one of those systems or Sonic R that did get a PC release at least. Even though Sonic CD is well known now, back then it was considered a cult classic on a not successful addon and the PC port was hit or miss in terms of availablity (it didn't get reprinted unlike the rest of the PC Sonic games, only saw it once). Plus I believe the US version called her Princess Sally even though she doesn't look like Sally?

For people in the UK including myself, for many their first exposure of Amy was Sonic the Comic who was a popular character and even had her own stories however done differently than the games. Honestly, I thought that she was a comic exclusive character like her pal Tekno until seeing her in Sonic Adventure and a completely different characterisation.

[Pawn]

While I think of her as a 'Classic' character, I didn't think of her as a core member of the cast, because well... she wasn't. Like various other characters, she mostly appeared in spin-offs and wasn't even a big feature in her one appearance in a main series title (which was a relatively obscure game to begin with due to the Mega CD having such a low adoption rate).

Honestly, despite more exposure to her in Sonic the Comic (where she was essentially a different character), I think of her inclusion in Adventure to be her 'breakout role'.

[Tara]

I think she was definitely a character who had a presence in the series in the classic era, but I don't think she was ever intended to be much else beyond a supporting character prior to Sonic Adventure, which was the first game she was playable in a serious context (as opposed to in a spin-off racing or fighting game).  I'd still consider her a classic character, because she was still a recognized character in the series, I think, and she definitely had a presence.  But her role as a playable character and a fighter (again, in a serious context, not as part of a spin-off fighting game) didn't really happen until SA1.

Basically, I feel like SA1 was so influential in her character that it changed how we retroactively view Amy in her past titles.  There's no way to know for sure obviously, but it's hard to believe that Archie's Mega Drive comic would ever have used Amy's character in the way they did without Adventure.  But even without that game, she still had a permanent place in the series.  Not always a major role, mind you, but she was definitely a character that had established herself in that era.

[FantasticMrRobb]

Yes. Amy was actually here before Knuckles, since her first game being Sonic CD came before Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is where Knuckles made his first appearance.

[Kuzu]

She wasn't really a major character like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were but she's not exactly unknown either. She was kind of in the same category as the Chaotix...minus the fact she got to appear in a main game, even if it was in a supporting role. But yea, Sonic Adventure was her big break and it pretty much made everyone see her in a different light.

 

[Diogenes]

I'd put Amy a level above the Chaotix, probably, because she at least got a good few spinoff roles before SA. Plus, arguably that she was given a major role in SA shows that they viewed her as a more significant character than any of the Chaotix.

Overall I guess I'd say it's Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Eggman, then Amy and Metal, then any other named character from the classic era.

[Menace2Society]

She appeared in a Classic Era game, and therefore that makes her a Classic character. I think that's enough of a reason for her to be considered a Classic, same with the Chaotix.

[MetalSkulkBane]

6 minutes ago, CuzEyeCan said:

She appeared in a Classic Era game, and therefore that makes her a Classic character. I think that's enough of a reason for her to be considered a Classic, same with the Chaotix.

By "classic" I mean old AND important. Nowadays she basically part of main four, but back then? Judging from what everyone said she was in the middle, less important that Tails or Knuckles, but more important that Chaotix, Fang, etc.

[Menace2Society]

9 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

By "classic" I mean old AND important. Nowadays she basically part of main four, but back then? Judging from what everyone said she was in the middle, less important that Tails or Knuckles, but more important that Chaotix, Fang, etc.

Oh, well, you could have been a little more specific. 

Yeah, that's basically it. Back then, she was just a side character, only really making appearances in spin-offs after her main series debut. Then, Adventure 1 came along and made her a main character, making appearances in a lot of Sonic games afterwards. I wouldn't say they reinvented her, but really, it wasn't until Adventure 1 where she actually became a important part of the cast, yeah.

Edited October 27, 2016 by CuzEyeCan
Added more to this post.

[JezMM]

As a UK person, I too mostly relate my childhood experiences of Amy to Sonic the Comic, which meant when I rejoined up with the series with Sonic Adventure 2 I wasn't like "who dis bitch" when she showed up, despite never properly playing CD or any of the spin-offs featuring her as a kid.  Much like how my childish mind never really "noticed" that Eggman had a different visual appearance in the games and the comic, I knew Amy was FROM the games because I'd seen her in, for example, the Sonic Drift 2 artwork that was included as a poster in STC, but her comic appearance defined her and I was kind of surprised to realise as I grew up and got back into the series with SA2 as a teenager that her heart t-shirt, tartan skirt and upwards hairstyle was in fact not her canon design.

But yeah, while her SA1 appearance very much redefined her, she's very much a classic character.  I get why there's a moment of umming and ahhing about her because literally every other main, classic character was either playable in a non-spin-off game OR a boss battle.  Amy is an outlier who gains main character status without being either DUE to her later appearances but... yeah.

And hey, if we're considering games in the vein of Sonic Mania to be a true continuation of the classic series, there's still time for her to reach that playable status eh eh SEGA/Sonic Team/Mania staff eh eh *nudge wink* eh.

[Your Vest Friend]

2 minutes ago, JezMM said:

And hey, if we're considering games in the vein of Sonic Mania to be a true continuation of the classic series, there's still time for her to reach that playable status eh eh SEGA/Sonic Team/Mania staff eh eh *nudge wink* eh.

I think they've pretty much confirmed she won't be playable by the sounds of what was said in the initial Tails and Knuckles gameplay reveal *shrug*

[JezMM]

Just now, VEDJ-F said:

I think they've pretty much confirmed she won't be playable by the sounds of what was said in the initial Tails and Knuckles gameplay reveal *shrug*

Yeah I said "games in the vein of Sonic Mania" to mean for (hopefully) future projects.

[FriendBot]

There's always the chance of a playable Amy in Mania 2.

[Lucid Dream]

Just now, Soni.exe said:

There's always the chance of a playable Amy in Mania 2.

But what gameplay would she have? If she uses her Advance gameplay, wouldn't that make Mania 2 more an Advance series game? 

Well, I think an Advance 4 game would be neat though... And then Sonic Rush 3! Please don't crush my dreams Sega. 

[JezMM]

She'd be tricky for sure to design while keeping to the strict "one button" control style of the classic games.  Perhaps the insta-shield could be revived through her as a quick hammer spin instead.

[Lucid Dream]

5 minutes ago, JezMM said:

She'd be tricky for sure to design while keeping to the strict "one button" control style of the classic games.  Perhaps the insta-shield could be revived through her as a quick hammer spin instead.

I think giving Amy a double jump would be cool, like with the Amy/Tails combination in Sonic Advance 3. Her double jump has kinda become a standard part of her moveset now after all. 

She would vary nicely with the others with her more unique moveset and be a great addition to the gang. It would be great if she came back to the 2D games. 

[StaticMania]

Just now, JezMM said:

She'd be tricky for sure to design while keeping to the strict "one button" control style of the classic games.  Perhaps the insta-shield could be revived through her as a quick hammer spin instead.

It wouldn't be tricky at all to keep the one button control style. Honestly the action button attacks in the Advance games were all pretty useless, Amy had the only useful one because hitting a spring made her jump higher. It was neat, but unnecessary. The only thing they'd have to decide on is if she should get the peel-out or hammer-jump for ↓+ jump...or both.

[JezMM]

Main thing for me is I kind of wouldn't want to see her jump hammer attack come back as it was in Advance because it's just not as interesting for platforming as the abilities of the other three.  Theirs are all about movements whereas Amy is just "you can only defeat enemies if you push the button again at the right time".  The instashield clone adds an interesting risk/reward system for taking on enemies that are protected, and allows her to do a thing that the other guys can't.  The regular hammer attack was just "she can do the same thing as the other guys but it's harder to do".  They could make it so using the hammer on a non-shielded enemy amplifies the rebound off of that enemy, so timing the second button push lets you bounce higher/further off of the enemy depending on the angle.  Just something that would give her a unique platforming thing that isn't Sonic's drop dash flow, Tails' flight or Knuckles' gliding/climbing.

[StaticMania]

She could get that move where she spins around with her hammer and drops down, but faster and hitting an enemy with it allows her to get some good air to reach higher platforms. Kind of like hitting an enemy from a high fall in the classic games, except requires less falling momentum.