Should Sticks join the Modern universe?

[Speedi]

This is of course, an entirely hypothetical situation and all that. I really don't have strong opinions on the character myself, seeing as I generally ignore Boom related media. But it's always fascinated me how involved Sonic Team was in her creation given how disinterested they seemed to be in Boom as a sub franchise overall. And she's actually gotten a character page plus some official art on Sonic Channel, too.  So it seems like they're also somewhat fond of her? Personally, I'd be pretty cool with it. The series could use some more female characters and depending on how much inspiration they take from Boom giving Amy another friend to go on adventures with on their own would be nice.

But uh, what do y'all think? See any potential in her? Or would she just be a waste of a new addition?

 

[Blue Blood]

Sticks is one of the very few characters from the series that I absolutely cannot stand. Her entire schtick is to spout random, paranoid babble, and she does so with the most unbearable of voices.  She's not funny and had little else to offer. Boom attempted at times to show her innocent or naive side, but she only ever came across as annoying to me. 

Crap character, through and through. She's best left in the scrap pile.

[Tornado]

Absolutely not.

[Waveshocker Sigma]

She absolutely should. She and Eggman were pretty much the main events of Boom and hella carried that show. Easily takes spot in my Top 5 for female characers and is certainly more fun to have around than any version of Amy.

[King Conne]

Yuji Uekawa drew her several times and she has an official character profile on Sonic Team's website!!...
Even if she doesn't appear in "canon" games, you can consider her part of the lore since her biography says she's living in the wild, so I guess Amy can encounter her from time to time...

http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/character/sticks.html

I feel like she (or at least a Replica of her) won't be too long to appear as a playable character in SONIC FORCES : SPEED BATTLE...

[Red Hot Jack]

She is very divisive, some people hate her because of her high pitch and annoying voice and running gag. I personally loved her, she's more interesting than any of the other retired characters from other continuities, including Sally, sadly she wasn't used much in the cartoon outside of her gags, but that is a problem within Boom the show, which did nothing with her.

She has just so much potential and she was used like crap. For example she really rules in the crossover Worlds Unite from the Archie comics, in the comics in general. I was really happy to play as her in Fire and Ice, Mario & Sonic Rio, and Sonic Runners, also in Sonic Dash 2.

I do believe she has a lot of potential because:

- Being paranoid makes her understand and uncover secrets and villainous plots.

- She is an expert survivalist having lived in the jungle.

- She would be a Chaos Emerald hunter as she loves shiny gems.

- She is a cynical anti-hero, not being too heroic and positive but not evil either

- Has a really cool dynamic with Tails because she hates technology, and with Amy who tries to civilize her.

- As for backstory, she always lived in the jungle alone since she was little, which means she was probably abandoned as a baby.

It's such an interesting character who was wasted. Too bad SEGA sees Boom as a fiasco and refuses to acknowledge her, she is basically in the same boat as Sally and Cosmo now, long forgotten and buried. I'm okay with this now because some time has passed so yeah, I've given up on her returning.

IMO Sally/Cosmo/etc. fans should do the same as SEGA has no plans to reintroduce these characters, just let them go, their time is sadly gone, no need to harass SEGA PR and other people on twitter. But there are creative ways to keep them alive in fanon, like fan art, fan comics, videos, fan fiction, etc. I really support that.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

1 hour ago, Jack-al said:

 

IMO Sally/Cosmo/etc. fans should do the same as SEGA has no plans to reintroduce these characters, just let them go, their time is sadly gone, no need to harass SEGA PR and other people on twitter. But there are creative ways to keep them alive in fanon, like fan art, fan comics, videos, fan fiction, etc. I really support that.

We’re not going to let them go, we can wait as long as needed, stop telling us to let them go just because you don’t care about them—you don’t represent us or the fandom as a whole, so you don’t get to speak for us over what we want back.

 

As far as Sticks goes, keep in mind I that have not kept up with the Boom series due to a lack of interest. But in terms of her joining the modern cast, if you tone down the “lol random humor” that she seems infamous for and give her conspiracy theorist trait better substance, she could be an interesting spanner in the works who sabotages enemy plans often without realizing it. I’d make her use technology more on top of her being someone who can survive in the wild—she doesn’t have to be an inventor or mechanic, but she can use computers, find intel (however strange it may be) and use that to stumble upon things she didn’t know or wasn’t supposed to know.

Thinking about it, her dynamic might work well as a member of the Chaotix if you made her more bearable.

[Red Hot Jack]

1 hour ago, CrownSlayer’s Shadow said:

We’re not going to let them go, we can wait as long as needed, stop telling us to let them go just because you don’t care about them—you don’t represent us or the fandom as a whole, so you don’t get to speak for us over what we want back.

 

As far as Sticks goes, keep in mind I that have not kept up with the Boom series due to a lack of interest. But in terms of her joining the modern cast, if you tone down the “lol random humor” that she seems infamous for and give her conspiracy theorist trait better substance, she could be an interesting spanner in the works who sabotages enemy plans often without realizing it. I’d make her use technology more on top of her being someone who can survive in the wild—she doesn’t have to be an inventor or mechanic, but she can use computers, find intel (however strange it may be) and use that to stumble upon things she didn’t know or wasn’t supposed to know.

Thinking about it, her dynamic might work well as a member of the Chaotix if you made her more bearable.

I am definitely not trying to represent anyone, or imposing anything, it's a suggestion, feel free to ignore it.

Another suggestion I usually give is not to forget the characters, but to keep them alive in fan works, it is honestly the most ideal way of showing them support to Sega.

[MetalSkulkBane]

I like her, but I must admit, it's hard to explain why. She is mostly random LOL-ness.

Honestly, I want a compromise. Make her part of the main continuity, but don't add to the "Recurring Cast" like Chaotix or Blaze. Rather keep her in "Guest Cast", like Tikal and.... IDK, Werehog.

You don't even need to explain how she got here. Just say she's the same Sticks from Boom games and that she decided to move here. It's fits her random personality.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

14 minutes ago, Jack-al said:

I am definitely not trying to represent anyone, or imposing anything, it's a suggestion, feel free to ignore it.

A “suggestion” that been said since 2006 for every character someone less interested wants others to let go off.

How about you end that silly cycle and stop doing that every chance you get?

[Blue Blood]

7 hours ago, Jack-al said:

I am definitely not trying to represent anyone, or imposing anything, it's a suggestion, feel free to ignore it.

Another suggestion I usually give is not to forget the characters, but to keep them alive in fan works, it is honestly the most ideal way of showing them support to Sega.

It's an unhelpful and unproductive suggestion, bordering on being outright dismissive and totally patronising.

Harassing SEGA and other people involved with the series is a problem not exclusive to bringing back old characters, not exclusive to fans of these characters and not even exclusive to the Sonic series. Being a fan and harassing people have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Anyone with as much as a modicum of respect and self-restraint will go about supporting their interests in a suitable way. They'll continue creative endeavours and fan works of the characters they like, whilst still fighting the corner for them to eventually return in an official capacity. There's nothing wrong with that. It may always be a fruitless endeavour, but what's the harm in keeping the spirit alive? Don't tell people to give up on something so harmless at worst.

Your entire argument here can be turned back on to say "Hey you know that thing you liked before? Some other people who like it can't behave themselves, so yeah you should just give up on it. Go draw pictures of it and forget about it." That's a shitty position to take.

[SBR2]

She's one of the best characters in any spinoff media so yes absolutely. 

[Piko]

She was one of the highlights of Boom and has a lot of potential, her personality just needs more substance. Her paranoia in particular would be interesting to explore if she did make the jump into other media; I’d love to see a plot point where she has a theory about some evil plot which is dismissed by everyone, only to end up being right.

[Red Hot Jack]

I respect people asking to have their favorite characters back, I just think this one is a lost battle already. Due to rights, Sega, characters having aged and not reflecting the series anymore. 

I guess I am a boomer but I see it as being focused on the past instead of enjoying what's now in the series. I get it there are people who grew up with SatAM and Sonic X and Sonic Boom, I grew up with X, people are free to support the forgotten characters, I just find it more productive to create fan works and post it on socials so Sega sees the passion and who knows maybe one day they will be back. I definitely want to stick (pun intended) to enjoy what is in the series now. I was an Archie fan too, I am loving IDW now.

Point is, I can't force people to stop supporting the extended cast. I loved it too. It's a suggestion, guys you can always not listen, but I am free of saying it.

[Tornado]

11 hours ago, Jack-al said:

IMO Sally/Cosmo/etc. fans should do the same as SEGA has no plans to reintroduce these characters, just let them go, their time is sadly gone, no need to harass SEGA PR and other people on twitter. But there are creative ways to keep them alive in fanon, like fan art, fan comics, videos, fan fiction, etc. I really support that.

You're making this post in a topic about bringing Sticks back. This point is a meaningless non-sequitor.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

3 hours ago, Jack-al said:

I respect people asking to have their favorite characters back, I just think this one is a lost battle already. Due to rights, Sega, characters having aged and not reflecting the series anymore. 

I guess I am a boomer but I see it as being focused on the past instead of enjoying what's now in the series. I get it there are people who grew up with SatAM and Sonic X and Sonic Boom, I grew up with X, people are free to support the forgotten characters, I just find it more productive to create fan works and post it on socials so Sega sees the passion and who knows maybe one day they will be back. I definitely want to stick (pun intended) to enjoy what is in the series now. I was an Archie fan too, I am loving IDW now.

Point is, I can't force people to stop supporting the extended cast. I loved it too. It's a suggestion, guys you can always not listen, but I am free of saying it.

Okay, first off, you wish you were a boomer in this case—I’ve been around longer than half of the current moderating staff, since the days this fandom split when they had this exact kind of stir over Shadow and his game.

Second, how many times are you going to throw this out every time someone calls you on it, dude?

You’d have been better off just sticking to the point of the topic instead of telling people at the foot of your posts “You don’t have to listen to my suggestion, but get over it” like that’s some kind of disclaimer. It isn’t.

I’m not even a fan of Sticks, but I would never “suggest” to fans of the character to get over not being able to see their favorite character again.

[Ricochet]

Lots of potential for sure, but only to be more annoying than She already is.

[DabigRG]

Might as well. She was all but confirmed official last time she appeared.

One thing I really liked about her character from the getgo was how she seemed tailor made to have a dynamic with pretty much every main character in that show with her particular aesthetic and mentality. It's just unfortunate that aside from not being much like his game self, she and Knuckles seldom interacted. So it'd be great if her dynamics with the other three and what was implied about her upbringing in one episode was included in addition to what game Knuckles, Cream, and such could gain from it.

 

[E-122-Psi]

On 4/22/2021 at 1:07 AM, Blue Blood said:

Sticks is one of the very few characters from the series that I absolutely cannot stand. Her entire schtick is to spout random, paranoid babble, and she does so with the most unbearable of voices.  She's not funny and had little else to offer. Boom attempted at times to show her innocent or naive side, but she only ever came across as annoying to me. 

Crap character, through and through. She's best left in the scrap pile.

I feel like Sticks had potential, but they just played that same gag over and over to an obnoxious level. She babbles (or more loudly shrieks) conspiracy drivel in the background...and it almost always turns out to be true, to the point the subversive twist wasn't actually a twist. Most of her episodes were focused on other characters' perspective of her so she didn't really develop much. She could be competent or lucid sometimes but otherwise they didn't really take her much outside that same running gag, which got kind of obnoxious without any sort of variation to it, especially with that VOICE. Even as comic relief, I think the writers eventually found more stuff for Knuckles (sometimes I wonder if they should have merged Knuckles and Sticks into one character really).

They could have focused on the 'wild kid' background of her, or they wanted to make her the conspiracy nut they may as well go all the way and make her a hilarious Dale Gribble esque anti hero that drives the others up the wall. I don't think that role is taken by anyone else in the franchise at least.

[DaddlerTheDalek]

I wouldn't mind Sticks in the main canon.

[Rabbitearsblog]

I don't see why she can't join the modern universe.  She's got all the personalities that you would expect from the modern characters.  Just tone down her goofiness and she would fit perfectly in the modern universe.

[E-122-Psi]

6 hours ago, Rabbitearsblog said:

I don't see why she can't join the modern universe.  She's got all the personalities that you would expect from the modern characters.  Just tone down her goofiness and she would fit perfectly in the modern universe.

I don't think the problem is that she's goofy per se, that's half the charm with Sonic characters, it's, as with many others, the rather obnoxious repetitive manner they enforce it. It's like how in SatAm Dulcy is technically less goofy than Antoine and at least halfway competent, but her shtick is just the same annoying catchphrase and even more tired slapstick meaning that Antoine actually comes off as more tolerable because he at least has SOME variation to him.

Hell LOADS of people liked Knuckles in Boom despite turning him into a blithering idiot. I'm sure they could do loads of stuff with Sticks with some thought, a conspiracy nut who has a strictly all natural lifestyle because she doesn't trust ANYTHING technological (which is Tails AND Eggman's shtick among others). Again having a Sonic equivalent of Dale Gribble could be a work of genius.

How about Sticks constantly trashing the heroes supply of gadgets....and Tails telling her he's GONNA KICK HER ASS.

[Razule]

I wouldn't mind her joining. Though, it's been a while since Boom ended and her absence hasn't really bothered me.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

As a fan of the character I can honestly say I am fine either way. I would not be against her being added to the main games, except I can live without it too. I don't feel she has tons of special gameplay value outside of using a boomerang or other tools. But problem is many tool ideas tend to be a slow mechanic unsuited for super fast action gameplay of modern Sonic games. I think It would work better for a Sonic RPG... I actually wish SEGA made Sonic RPGs honestly, but the one time they did kinda sucked sadly. And simply adding Sticks in as another reoccurring background cheerleader which SEGA has reduced most of the side cast into would be the opposite of appealing. Personally as both a game-dev & story writer I been fairly trained against adding useless bloat to any fictional work. However If SEGA can find something meaningful to do with her even slightly then I would support it.

In general I wish SonicTeam would put the side cast on a rotating usage wheel across the series for which ones are playable or simply used in the stories. Whenever there are multiple playable characters both SEGA & fans tend to automatically assume Sonic/Tails & Knuckles should be the first or only choices, but i don't agree. Besides Sonic, the others should be more of a fun yet logical surprise, not the exact same few every-time. They should pick ones that suit the story or theme of each game correctly... which shouldn't be to hard if they cared.

[Strickerx5]

I’d say yeah for the same reasons I say yes to Cosmo or the freedom fighters, because nothing in the series has really been set up to ever prevent such inclusions nor is so strict as to work against them. If the series wants to start working towards a more connected story where each game actually matters to one another and the only way to do that is by keeping the cast small then by all means, cut away. But, going off the last decade... lol

Now to Sega’s credit (for literally doing nothing but still), they haven’t outright said that Sticks couldn’t be in the modern cast. I mean honestly, they’ve only really done that with a set of characters once if I recall with the whole classic and modern divide (and there it was still stupid). Hell, her appearing in that Olympic title might be a nice view into how they see her already. They should continue to keep the option open for her to return. If they have a game where she could be a good fit for the narrative then bring her in. It’s so pointless to limit yourself like that otherwise.

This all really ties into something I’ve been wanting to see from the series for a while and that’s to just have an established and alive world. To have a revolving cast of recurring characters instead of just leaning on the same 5 (but then only relying on Sonic and Eggman still at the end of it all). Kind of like what the MCU does where they’ll bring in characters when they’re needed but they’re rarely ever one and done. To an extent, the series is already doing this (because it’s a stupidly simple thing to do since it only really involves not resetting your world with every release) but I’d like to see that established and alive world bit take hold more if that makes sense.

And then can we get a redo of TSR or some other spin-off where those floodgates can open and everyone gets in. Yeah, I know that this is all incredibly wishful thinking (especially with the situation we’re now in with this franchise) but idk, sometimes I like to dream.

tldr is that yeah, keep Sticks in the loop please. If not just to keep your options open, but because her JP VA is a huge Sonic fan and that’s just awesome.