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Another side character I think deserves a game


SuperStingray

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This is something I've been thinking of for a while now and after seeing the Big thread, I think now's as good a time as any to throw it out there.

E102gamma.png

This motherboardfucker deserves a game.

Why? Mainly because of his sheer potential and versatility. He can be a hominid, all-terrain vehicle or propeller... thing whenever he wants to be. And Sonic Adventure has shown us, Gamma is capable of getting upgrades, even ones that don't have to attach to him to work, so there's really no boundary to how his abilities can be expanded. Come to think of it, I could really see him functioning in a Metroid Prime-style game.

Beyond that, Gamma's a great character, perhaps one of the few Sonic casts members that are still widely respected. But I personally see many interesting traits about him. For starters, much like Big, he's simple, requires little motivation to do what he needs to, and has a very objective view of the world around him. Based on that, he doesn't really need that much character development to drive the story. But if anything, he can show how Eggman's robots work; when you compare his personality in Adventure when he was controlled by the bird to him in Battle when he was controlled by the Emerald shard, you could really see how much more aggressive and heartless he was in the latter game. It also makes an interesting contrast with Omega, how they both opposed Eggman yet at the same time approach their distaste for him in different ways. (Also, it's far easier to justify giving a gun to him than any other member of the cast, considering it's attached to his body.)

So what do you think? Should Gamma get a game? If so, what should it be like?

EDIT: Please stop posting that Gamma is dead/a flicky now. Yes, we know, this is strictly hypothetical.

Edited by SuperStingray
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But if anything, he can show how Eggman's robots work; when you compare his personality in Adventure when he was controlled by the bird to him in Battle when he was controlled by the Emerald shard, you could really see how much more aggressive and heartless he was in the latter game.
That's because it was a different guy. Chaos Gamma was made from the same sort of parts as E-102 Gamma, but he was his own person.

The only problemo is he's kind of a flickie now.

Or just plain dead, depending on your interpretation.

Gamma would've been nice to keep around if they hadn't killed him off. I can imagine him traveling the world alone, destroying Eggman's robots, unable to rest as long as he's driven by his inherited morality. That said, he did get a satisfying ending, and it'd seem a bit cruel to keep the flicky trapped in him indefinitely, so I'm not exactly petitioning for his "revival".

Omega's still around, tho'. And while I wouldn't expect him to play the same as Gamma would (I'd probably go third person, add some melee abilities, and focus on crazy destruction rather than controlled fire), he's got some of the same advantages and could be pretty fun to play around with.

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Gamma would've been nice to keep around if they hadn't killed him off. I can imagine him traveling the world alone, destroying Eggman's robots, unable to rest as long as he's driven by his inherited morality. That said, he did get a satisfying ending, and it'd seem a bit cruel to keep the flicky trapped in him indefinitely, so I'm not exactly petitioning for his "revival".

The flicky can escape anytime as the ending of Gamma's story in Adventure showed, so it's not exactly cruel if its voluntary. I had an idea for a potential exposition that would justify it:

The original family of flickies that were freed in Adventure were living in peace until one of Eggman's robots kidnaps the child and takes it to the plant that creates his robots. The pink bird chases it to Eggman's facility but is unable to save his/her child. (S)he searches the facility and is caught by security drones and chased around. While hiding, (s)he recognizes Gamma's deactivated shell and realizes its the only way to fight back and find his/her offspring.

Omega's still around, tho'. And while I wouldn't expect him to play the same as Gamma would (I'd probably go third person, add some melee abilities, and focus on crazy destruction rather than controlled fire), he's got some of the same advantages and could be pretty fun to play around with.

My problem with Omega is that the story with him would most likely end up with him being a homicidal maniac and I think that's the last thing this series needs. Gamma just has a natural innocence to him that Omega can't emulate.
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I suppose it could just be a retelling of his story from Adventure, but that was pretty short and didn't involve a lot of interaction with others. A whole game could flesh it out, maybe, but too much extra might disrupt Adventure's story. I'm dubious.

He's got a lot of gameplay potential, though, I'll admit. I might like to see Omega take advantage of some of the transforming that Gamma did in the future. The hovering mode was very neat, if a little pointless.

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The flicky can escape anytime as the ending of Gamma's story in Adventure showed
Er, what? It looked to me like the flicky only escaped because Gamma had been mortally wounded by Beta's last attack.

I had an idea for a potential exposition that would justify it:
But unless you believe the flicky encompassed all of Gamma's personality (which I don't buy in the slightest), this doesn't really bring Gamma back. Gamma wasn't a bird in a robot suit, he was a robot with a bird inside of him. A bird that could influence his mind, yes, but not control it. Gamma's story was still very much the story of a robot.

My problem with Omega is that the story with him would most likely end up with him being a homicidal maniac and I think that's the last thing this series needs. Gamma just has a natural innocence to him that Omega can't emulate.
It's robicide at best; the only person that Omega is interested in killing is Eggman, which they'd obviously never let happen. Plus, what better way to give him some character development and make him more than just a literal killing machine than a game all about him?

And it's not as if Gamma was operating with a full deck of punched cards either, considering he was "saving" his E-series "friends" by killing them...

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^ I'm convinced now that Gamma was aware of what he was doing, but his programming didn't allow it. When he went rogue he had to switch mission data up. I think he says something like that when he deletes Eggman as his master. The decision was probably influenced by the bird, and carried out by Gamma. That's just my guess though.

On topic though, I really like Stingray's idea. If the robot Gamma and his bird conscience decided to team up, or even any other bird (which would create a kind of cute history of the Gamma robot being friendly with his animal cores), the SA1 Gamma could be reborn. I'm not too familiar with Battle, but if Gamma survived in any form, this could be a jump off for his story. I have a soft spot for turncoat Badniks of the series, like the pretty useless Heavy and Bomb. I'd rather they use Gamma or those two than introduce a new friendly robot, because it'd start to become a series cliche, if it hasn't already. I'm not too fond of Omega though. He's a little too murderous and his character hasn't taken too many new directions. It'd be funny to see him using some Shadow Androids for target practice one day, since it's his function to hunt down ultimate lifeforms or whatever. They could borrow a "spark" idea from Transformers and give Omega a personality transplant to get Gamma back. Would anyone really miss E-123 Omega's current personality? Even though I think Gamma's story wrapped up perfectly in SA1, I'm starting to like some of these ideas. Only his gameplay doesn't support a full game, so they'd have to expand on that.

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And it's not as if Gamma was operating with a full deck of punched cards either, considering he was "saving" his E-series "friends" by killing them...

He was freeing the birds, but the robot only knew them by their designations. Come to think of it, the bird probably wouldn't have a word for them either.

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but if Gamma survived in any form
He didn't. He blew up at the end of his story, and in Battle, Rouge says Chaos Gamma is just the result of Eggman using old parts for his experiments. Chaos Gamma himself even says he isn't Gamma:

CHAOS GAMMA: No such code name in memory... I am not Gamma...
I'm not too fond of Omega though. He's a little too murderous and his character hasn't taken too many new directions.
And therein lies the paradox; if we decide a character must be developed to get attention, then a character will never get the attention it needs to become developed.

Would anyone really miss E-123 Omega's current personality?
I would. Omega as he is is not a deep character, but he's a fun one. He's all smoldering robotic rage, and he's got the arsenal to match it. It's good to have a character that revels in the dirtier emotions when the rest of the cast is almost entirely heroic.

Plus going so far as to essentially kill Omega is pointless, as they could just build a new body if they're going to deus ex machina Gamma back to life.

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I always thought of Omega as a continuation of Gamma's legacy. Both have the same goal, destroy all Eggman robots. They both just do it for different reasons...

Also Chaos Gamma could return any day now, sad that he was the only fighter other than Chaos and Eggman that didn't get his won story.

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How can Gamma return if he exploded? We could get a robot who looks exactly like him, but it wouldn't be him. Anyways why return another "dead" character? Most people say that ruined Shadow and the SA2 ending.

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I don't think bringing Shadow back ruined him, or SA2's ending. I don't think it ruined SA2's ending, anyway, because the sacrifice itself didn't change. However, I think what a lot of people hate about the whole situation more than anything else is the WAY Shadow was brought back, and not the fact itself that he WAS brought back. Similar case would work for Gamma, too. Its not the fact that he is brought back; its the way he's brought back.

On a side note... I honestly don't care about Gamma. He really didn't intrigue me all that much. I don't mind Omega, though, and in case you haven't noticed, Omega's not just a ruthless killing machine. He doesn't kill people, for one, he only blows up machines, and for two, he does have a lighter side to him that just isn't focused on as much. However, he shows it in pretty much every game he appears in (even Sonic Heroes). It is most noticeable in Sonic '06, though.

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Omega as he is is not a deep character, but he's a fun one. He's all smoldering robotic rage, and he's got the arsenal to match it. It's good to have a character that revels in the dirtier emotions when the rest of the cast is almost entirely heroic.

I guess you're right. My dislike for Omega comes mostly from his debut in Sonic Heroes, and like most characters he doesn't get the writing to make him interesting. He was pretty good in Chronicles though, so I see his potential.

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But unless you believe the flicky encompassed all of Gamma's personality (which I don't buy in the slightest), this doesn't really bring Gamma back. Gamma wasn't a bird in a robot suit, he was a robot with a bird inside of him. A bird that could influence his mind, yes, but not control it. Gamma's story was still very much the story of a robot.

See, that's just the thing- why would the bird be able to influence Gamma's mind at all if it was not able to control it? I seriously doubt Eggman would have created a psychological link between the bird and the robot if he was intending to use it for anything other than being its brain. It would be like creating a circuit between a car radio and the trunk door.

It's robicide at best; the only person that Omega is interested in killing is Eggman, which they'd obviously never let happen. Plus, what better way to give him some character development and make him more than just a literal killing machine than a game all about him?

It wouldn't matter how much character development they give him. Have you seen his attacks? He's filled with machine guns, fireball cannons and missiles. The Archie comics put it best when they said that where Omega's an arsenal, Gamma's an assassin (or something of the like; I'm paraphrasing.)

Edited by SuperStingray
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I seriously doubt Eggman would have created a psychological link between the bird and the robot if he was intending to use it for anything other than being its brain.

I'm prety sure that the anamals are used as a core to power Eggman's robots, I mean wasn't it like that since Sonic 1?

also a note--While I did like E-102r, I can't think of any way of bringing him back that just doesn't sound stupid. I also like Omega too much to just kill him off for the sake of Gamma's return, and I do agree with UltimaHedgie that Omega does seem to have something else to his character than just Rage.

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I seriously doubt Eggman would have created a psychological link between the bird and the robot if he was intending to use it for anything other than being its brain.
What would be the point of Eggman designing a robot that is controlled by a bird that he captures and forces into it? Even he should realize that turning a slave into a killer robot is not a smart idea. I mean, it was the influence of the flicky that caused Gamma to rebel in the first place, which is bad for Eggman, so obviously he didn't intend for it to happen.

My guess is that the animals are used as cheap hardware; their brains are used to run the robot's programming. Normally the animal's thoughts are suppressed, but in Gamma something went wrong, and parts of the flicky started leaking in.

It wouldn't matter how much character development they give him. Have you seen his attacks? He's filled with machine guns, fireball cannons and missiles. The Archie comics put it best when they said that where Omega's an arsenal, Gamma's an assassin (or something of the like; I'm paraphrasing.)
Okay, so...what's the problem with blowing shit up, again? And at what point does that make him any more of a homicidal maniac than 90% of video game protagonists?
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My guess is that the animals are used as cheap hardware; their brains are used to run the robot's programming. Normally the animal's thoughts are suppressed, but in Gamma something went wrong, and parts of the flicky started leaking in.

Why does the bird have to be the reason Gamma went rouge? I mean as an example Metal Sonic and Omega both turned against Eggman and neither of them(as far as I know)were ever powered by animals.

In my oppinion it's because Eggman gave Gamma free thought and emotion, after all it seems any Badnick who can think for its self will usualy decide to revolt against Eggman.

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What would be the point of Eggman designing a robot that is controlled by a bird that he captures and forces into it?

As I said, Eggman's robots, namely Gamma are very versatile and it would be difficult to program such a range and variety of robots to such a depth. I was working under the assumption that Eggman uses animals to perform cognitive functions such as observation and analysis and physical actions and reactions like self-defense so that he wouldn't have to spend time programming and reprogramming. To save space, it also makes sense to use them as power sources as well. I'm sure he does something to keep them in control though, but I doubt its anything major like brainwashing. Most animals run on instinct and if Eggman gives them shelter or food, they really have no reason to rebel against his will. The only reason Gamma did is because Eggman contradicted that covenant by putting his or her child in danger, something that's not unlikely for him to overlook.

Even he should realize that turning a slave into a killer robot is not a smart idea.

He should also realize that reawakening ancient, powerful and sometimes even Lovecraftian forces of nature to do his bidding isn't a good idea, but I don't see him stopping THAT anytime soon.

Okay, so...what's the problem with blowing shit up, again? And at what point does that make him any more of a homicidal maniac than 90% of video game protagonists?

It's not a bad thing, I just don't think that Omega would be able to substitute the same gameplay as Gamma.

Edited by SuperStingray
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One possible storyline idea could be this: Tails (being the extraordinarily extravagant genius that he is) creates E-Series-esque suits of armour for the Flickies to wear as a means of defence (this is mainly due to the fact the Eggman keeps capturing the poor little buggers and making mechanical monstrosities out of them). The Flickie that powered Gamma, having had previous experience with machinery of that type, is given an exceptionally high-powered mech (virtually identical in design to the original E-102 weapon) and appointed as the leader of the Neo-Flickie Battalion (the name of the new army created to protect Mobius from the looming perils of destruction). The game charts Flickie-Gamma's superb shooting adventures as he attempts to vanquish the Egg-Robo Army that threatens to bring war and chaos to the heart of the planet.

In terms of gameplay: The game will play in a near-identical manner to the lock-on shooting segments presented in the Sonic Adventure titles. The health bar from SA2 will make a return, but the levels will retain the exact same feel as they had in SA1 - complete with the time limitation system. The number of enemies that you can lock on to (and the amount of ammo that you have) will be completely unlimited, although you will only have 10 seconds to fire before the lock-on laser deactivates itself. Hovering and the Vulcan Cannon will certainly be back, and they will be key mechanics in the way that the game plays; there will be huge precipices in the levels that cannot be reached by a normal jump, and boxes to blow with bullet-based weapons. In addition, there will be a boss at the end of each level, and Adventure fields will be omitted from the game.

Appearances and presentation: Graphically, the game will follow the same style as Sonic '06; it will be a perfect combination of realism and exaggeration, all decorated with some fantastic particle and lighting effects and coupled with an exceptionally high polygon count. Frame rate (min 30, max 60) will take priority over draw distance, so one should expect a slight modicum of pop-up while exploring environments. Audio-wise, all SFX will come from stock, and the music will be a fusion of MegaDrive-styled Chip and Sonic Adventure-styled Rock, all composed by resident sound geniuses Jun Senoue and Howard Drossin. A theme tune by Crush 40 is mandatory!

What do you think?

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What do you think?

Interesting, but the idea of this robot war seems a little dark to me and it feels a bit uncharacteristic for Tails somehow. One of the reasons I like Gamma, an innocent-minded robot with a bird for a heart, for this role is because I want to see more lighthearted title in the shooting genre.

What I'd like to see is a plot and gameplay mechanic that plays off of how the bird's mind interacts with the robot's shell. How would a computerized, analytical system work with a basis of natural instinct? It's something I wanted to see with my aforementioned idea of the bird trying to find its child by using Gamma's power as a means. The conflict and coexistence of the parental and survival instincts. Mental cognition versus computer analysis.

Edited by SuperStingray
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One possible storyline idea could be this: Tails (being the extraordinarily extravagant genius that he is) creates E-Series-esque suits of armour for the Flickies to wear as a means of defence (this is mainly due to the fact the Eggman keeps capturing the poor little buggers and making mechanical monstrosities out of them). The Flickie that powered Gamma, having had previous experience with machinery of that type, is given an exceptionally high-powered mech (virtually identical in design to the original E-102 weapon) and appointed as the leader of the Neo-Flickie Battalion (the name of the new army created to protect Mobius from the looming perils of destruction). The game charts Flickie-Gamma's superb shooting adventures as he attempts to vanquish the Egg-Robo Army that threatens to bring war and chaos to the heart of the planet.

Sooo, to protect the Flickies from being put in robots Tails puts them in robots? XP And I know you said armour, but same thing from the sound of it. :)

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HOLAS:

I don't think that's possible because gamma is... well... a flicky xD

You could put another robot (as some people suggest), who looks like gamma and continues the legacy of that heroic robot, but it wouldn't be gamma... Also, I doubt a random animal with an armor could have the same (almost) dark and sad (with moral conflicts and all that stuff) story that gamma had, I don't see how Sonic Team (or whoever who will made such a game) could recreate that. :(

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One of my favorite things about Gamma is the fact that his story was concise, all-inclusive, and came to a relatively well-written, satisfying end with a great deal of finality. I wouldn't want to spoil that, because beyond Gamma, that's something the story largely lacks for player characters.

But, just for the sake of fun discussion, here's a thought:

The new Gamma's story starts, following an assembly line. The player's view is first-person through a fuzzy, messed-up, aliased-looking camera view staring at a ceiling, and moving along as if on a jerky on-off conveyor. The character is able to look around a little, and sees a sign that says "Salvage processing" or something to that effect. Eventually, some sort of robotic arm picks the player up, analyzes it, declares it, "E-100 series 'E-102 Gamma' intelligence core," and states that its various components are unusable one right after another, until noting that the memory is salvageable. The machine then dismantles it, and the screen goes black.

Fade back in with a sequence reminiscent of Gamma's boot-up from Sonic Adventure, except without Eggman present. It's a fresh E-100 stepping off an assembly line, not even yet painted or numbered. Through some short introductory series, we see that it has flashes of its former "bird memories" as it moves along in a sort of state of bewildered shock with other various refurbished units. Eventually, it'd get repainted and relabeled, and so on, possibly of its own volition.

Its story would be about remembering its identity and realizing that it isn't the Flicky, even though it remembers what the Flicky compelled it to do. It would then probably accept that what it had done before was the right course of action, and depart on a new mission to free other animals. If there's an issue with Gamma longevity as a character due to having an animal of its own inside it, it could be pointed out early on that it actually contains an alternative power supply, such as a Chaos Drive.

Basically, this gives us the same character and the same objective without the Flicky. Is it the best way? No, I think Gamma would be better left alone. But I think it's a fun option.

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The game is going to be about the birdie.

Also, Gamma, of all characters? He kinda, um. Died. And now his corpse is a separate character. Creeeeeepy.

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after all it seems any Badnick who can think for its self will usualy decide to revolt against Eggman.

Except most of them don't.

- The other E-series robots are just as free-thinking as Gamma (They even argue over their frogs), and all loyally served Eggman, even after being "fired" by him.

- The Egg Pawns display signs of sentience too, indicating even the grunts can think for themselves.

- Captain Whisker, Johnny, Mini, and Mum can think for themselves and- based on Whisker's actions and words- seem to hold Eggman in high regard.

- SA-55 is sentient, and loyal, albeit snarky. He points out flaws, but only so Eggman can improve and maybe actually succeed for a change.

- The random Egg Fighters around the Eggmanland hub in Sonic Unleashed are free-thinking and loyal.

The traitors are in the vast minority. Most robots who we've seen show free-thinking and intelligence choose to serve Eggman. The only traitors so far have been Gamma, Omega, Metal Sonic, and Gemerl. Egg Golem is an iffy example, since it didn't "betray" Eggman so much as go nuts and start thrashing around wildly, but I'll count it too if you like.

Either way, more Badniks are loyal than disloyal.

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