Sonic Colors's Story: Your Opinion

[Sami]

In an attempt to help you visualize Shadow in Colo(u)rs, I'll direct you to and would advise you to read through the whole thing. Mainly page__st__120 where the argument begins with the second and third posts on the page and continues till...page 15 and before the discussion jumps around to other points.

Heck, I even rewrite the script of the game's fourth cutscene to stay true to the tone and the characters (your mileage may vary) while placing Shadow in Sonic's place. Nothing too dark or serious in it at all. And we even managed to convince someone who isn't fond of the character that it could work.

You can tell just how much of an addict I am to debates in general. We were content knowing Shadow wasn't going to be in this game, but we were damned if we were going to let the tone prevent people from opening their minds more.

[Core]

It should be noted that the DS version were written by completely different writers, and such the way every would act under the Madworld writers is still up in the air.

The same 3 writers are credited in both versions, though. Do we have any confirmation from the Madworld writers that they didn't work on the DS version at all?

[RidersDX]

Here's something Shadow would say:

• Tails: Hey Shadow, what have you been up to.
  
• Shadow: Well for one, there's an interstellar theme park chained to the Earth. I'm surprised not many people got the idea that something suspicious was going on. What is that...thing?
  
• Tails: He was captured by Eggman. We freed him and now we're trying to find out what's going on.
  
• Shadow:Figures. Lemme guess, you're working on a translator, right?
  
• Tails: Yeah, since they don't speak English.
  
• Shadow: [smirking] Well that's obvious...wait, then again...
  
• Tails: Alright, I'm finished. Go ahead and ask away.
  
• Shadow: [to the Wisp] Who are you and what's going on here?
  
• Wisp: [strange language]
  
• Tails: Okay, he says his name is...Talks-a-lot and he's from a far away soda and where flowers water them with dances.
  
• Shadow: Talks-a...Soda? What? The heck's up with your translator?
  
• Tails: [embarrassed chuckle] Uh, there might be a few issues with it.
  
• Shadow: [raises eyebrow] Ya think?
  
• Tails: Hold on, I can probably figure this out. Okay, he said his name is Yacker and he's from a race of beings called "Wisps."
  
• Shadow: [confused] Lisps?
  
• Tails: No, Wisps. With a "W."
  
• Shadow: [looks at the player] Yeah, how about "Aliens" instead? [shrugs shoulder]
  
• Tails: Anyway, they're either being used for the magical powers by an evil man or to make underwear to be worn by salad.
  
• Shadow:[confused pause]...salad?
  
• Tails:I just hear save them, save them over and over.
  
• Shadow: Well...with that said, I'll see what I can do. I saw a few other places around here so who knows what else is going on. [smirks] Tell that blue nuisance I was here. Later.
  
• Tails: Wait, Shadow!
  
• Shadow: [teleports]
  
• Tails:And I thought Sonic was impatient...
  

Quoting this so you don't have to spend the time I did to look for it. And you know, that's not a bad portrayal of Shadow's character at all. You kind of forget that he was cocky in games like SA2 and SH. Although, some nitpicks in that script are things like, "Ya think?", I still think that's a great example of how Shadow can fit in Colors. I can imagine having a sarcastic tone similar to Eggman, but not as goofy. You know, I just had a hard time imagining it because all the characters in Colors were mouthing jokes so rapidly that I was under the impression you had to be telling jokes to be in this game.

[Kuzu]

Quoting this so you don't have to spend the time I did to look for it. And you know, that's not a bad portrayal of Shadow's character at all. You kind of forget that he was cocky in games like SA2 and SH. Although, some nitpicks in that script are things like, "Ya think?", I still think that's a great example of how Shadow can fit in Colors. I can imagine having a sarcastic tone similar to Eggman, but not as goofy. You know, I just had a hard time imagining it because all the characters in Colors were mouthing jokes so rapidly that I was under the impression you had to be telling jokes to be in this game.

You seem to forget Shadow is one of the more serious characters in this franchise.

[Sega DogTagz]

You seem to forget Shadow is one of the more serious characters in this franchise.

Doesn't really matter at this point. For example, Blaze can hardly be considered all sunshine and rainbows but she played a very large role in a game where a Cartoon Pirate terrorized the high sea's with a tickle torture device as a secret weapon. In fact, her level disposition is what gave gravity to both Rush storylines. Just because the character is serious doesn't mean they can't be portrayed alongside some lighthearted elements.

[Kuzu]

Doesn't really matter at this point. For example, Blaze can hardly be considered all sunshine and rainbows but she played a very large role in a game where a Cartoon Pirate terrorized the high sea's with a tickle torture device as a secret weapon. In fact, her level disposition is what gave gravity to both Rush storylines. Just because the character is serious doesn't mean they can't be portrayed alongside some lighthearted elements.

No RidersDX assumed every character in Colors would telling lame jokes, and I was saying Shadow wouldn't act the same way Sonic did in some of those cutscenes.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Doesn't really matter at this point. For example, Blaze can hardly be considered all sunshine and rainbows but she played a very large role in a game where a Cartoon Pirate terrorized the high sea's with a tickle torture device as a secret weapon. In fact, her level disposition is what gave gravity to both Rush storylines. Just because the character is serious doesn't mean they can't be portrayed alongside some lighthearted elements.

And it's for that very reason that it is possible to visualize Shadow in Colors, despite him not being in the game. If a character of a similar personality is able to be portrayed in a lighter toned game, it shouldn't be too hard to do so for another. The only difference between Shadow and Blaze is that Shadow is more heavily associated with the series' darker toned games SA2, ShTH, and Sonic 06 (of which Blaze was also in).

Although many tend to forget that the overly light Heroes also starred Shadow with 11 other characters. Still, it's all in the writing and execution.

[Aquaslash]

If you ask me, the only angsty characters in the series are Knuckles and Blaze. Shadow has too much of a "I don't give a frag" attitude to be angsty.

[Sega DogTagz]

If you ask me, the only angsty characters in the series are Knuckles and Blaze. Shadow has too much of a "I don't give a frag" attitude to be angsty.

Shadow reeeeeealy angst's up the place in Sonic Battle, but I can see where your coming from. To be honest, most of the characters are able to display a decent range of parts these days.

Edited January 1, 2011 by Sega DogTagz

[SuperStingray]

Shadow reeeeeealy angst's up the place in Sonic Battle, but I can see where your coming from. To be honest, most of the characters are able to display a decent range of parts these days.

For the record, I think Shadow's angst was well placed in Battle. His relationship with Emerl could actually be called character development, as opposed to shoehorning generic fluff into his backstory.

[Emmett L. Brown]

If you ask me, the only angsty characters in the series are Knuckles and Blaze. Shadow has too much of a "I don't give a frag" attitude to be angsty.

[Kuzu]

Blaze I can see what you mean, but I don't quite get why you'd put Knuckles in that category? Would you mind giving an example of Knuckles being angsty in the series? Confused, easily angered, introspective, gullible* - sure , but angsty? I don't see it.

*and he also has a full range of positive emotions, so please no one quote me and complain that I'm misrepresenting the character - thank you**

**Unless it's really funny.

[Sega DogTagz]

For the record, I think Shadow's angst was well placed in Battle. His relationship with Emerl could actually be called character development, as opposed to shoehorning generic fluff into his backstory.

Agreed. In a game where every character seemed skewed to some weird contortion, Shadow's may well have been the least offensive, and was in fact rather representative of his position in the series at the time.

[Emmett L. Brown]

Agreed. In a game where every character seemed skewed to some weird contortion, Shadow's may well have been the least offensive, and was in fact rather representative of his position in the series at the time.

[SuperStingray]

Agreed. In a game where every character seemed skewed to some weird contortion, Shadow's may well have been the least offensive, and was in fact rather representative of his position in the series at the time.

I didn't feel that way. ...Okay, so Amy's behavior could have gotten her sectioned and Knuckles was considerably more irritable than usual, but the others seemed perfectly fine to me. Sonic was as carefree as he should be without seeming too smug, Tails showed off his technical prowess, Rouge had a surprisingly active role showing off her thieving skills, Cream learned the difference between violence and self-defense and Gamma interested me in his contrast to his Adventure behavior, being powered by a living being, to here where he was powered by an emerald shard.

Edited January 1, 2011 by SuperStingray

[Chaos Rush]

I actually... didn't think like the script at all. All of you guys were saying, "OMG IT'S HILARIOUS XD!!!", but all of the jokes were really corny, lame, and boring.

The only parts that seemed amusing and wasn't cringe-worthy was:

Sonic: It's messed up! So I'm going to mess you up!

[The Weeb with No Name]

"OH YEAH, I'M STRETCHIN', WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"

Jesus Christ Sonic shut the fuck up.

Btw, concerning the bosses, who in development thought it would be a good idea for each boss, sans the first, to be introduced the exact same way every time? It floats up to the left side of the same repetitive metal generator platform we see time and time again, Sonic says something humorous at best, grating at worst, and then the fight begins in a whole new area with no transition in-between.

Hooyah creativity.

Here's an idea. Using the boss of Tropical Resort, let's say we're treated to a cutscene of Sonic happening upon the "FEARIS Wheel", described as "A Heartstopping Adrenaline Rush! The Most Killer Ride Around!" Sonic, as unimpressed as he is unwitting, gives the ride a shot despite Tails' warnings of possible danger.

Besides, how dangerous can a ferris wheel be, right?

Apparently, REALLY fucking dangerous, when it begins to spin wildly out of control, erratically switching directional spin before being dislodged from its pedestal, rampaging through the resort at high speed.

Sonic manages to escape from his seat, and finds himself trapped within the perilously rotating center of the machine contending not only with the inherent dangers of the ride itself, but also sudden collisions and gravity-less moments as it crashes into buildings and catches air, respectively.

Sounds good, right?

Of course not. That'd be interesting.

...Forgive me if that was kind of off topic. As far as "story" is concerned, this game really doesn't have anything past its premise; Robotnik does shit, Sonic fucks him up, furry kind is free to yiff another day. That kind of simplicity is awright with me, but I think Colors tried to be too minimalistic, to the point where everything kind of just felt weak.

It's like anorexia. It's good to shave off some of the fat, but cut down too much and you can't help but notice the bones. If you're not going to have plot, then give me gravity, but if you keep doing shit so cheaply cookie-cutter then everything just feels contrived and soulless.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Jayhawker30

[Marcello]

I don't remember the Ferris Wheel being dangerous at all.

[Scar]

You know what, it seems the problem with this game's script was the fact that most of the time Sonic had nobody to talk to, so was talking to himself like a retard.

Secondly, I think the writers wrote the script, not the story or cutscenes. The cutscenes were too long, so they wrote something funny, then had 2 or 3 more minutes of silence to fill up.

[CanofEpicSauce]

For anybody who hates Sonic Colors's story. Please don't forget that we've seen worse

[Little Miss Fortunes]

Hmm~ The thing I found odd and somewhat irking in Sonic Colours' story is that it sometimes seemed to set things up, only to never go anywhere with it and forget about it for the rest of the game. Perhaps the most egregarious example would be Eggman's brainwashing plan - to my memory it was never really brought up again after the machine ran out of juice. It's also a shame it ran out so quickly after he managed to brainwash Tails; a Sonic vs Tails boss battle would have had such a great impact, both on the aforementioned characters and on the audience, and could have so easily led to a heartwarming hug or some other such gesture of adorable brotherly affection when Tails returned back to normal afterwards~ X3

The other scene that particularly stands out to me with this is Tails worriedly saying that they hadn't seen Yacker in a while when they see the Wisps being converted into Nega-Wisps. I was honestly expecting Yacker to either be converted (but of course be returned to normal by the end), or for him to start being drained of his Hyper-Go-On, but Sonic and Tails save him just in time. But he just kinda... randomly separates from Sonic and Tails at some point, and then randomly appears again later. Whilst the Wisps all had a character in mind according to the site, they weren't really characterised as such besides Yacker; I thought it'd have more impact for him to have been converted or the real imminent threat of him being converted. The audience has gotten to connect to him more than Wisps in general - it woulda been more motivation to stop Eggman's plans and save the poor Wisps.

I personally don't mind whether the tone of a Sonic story is serious or lighthearted (though I do believe it shouldn't take itself too seriously), in fact I tend to focus more on the characters than the story itself, but I think there can be a balance between games like Sonic '06 and Sonic Colours. It doesn't have to be serious, but it doesn't have to be so bare-bones either - Sonic Colours seemed to build up for some scenes that could have held emotional impact, only to completely miss the opportunities.

That said, I did really enjoy the relationships between the characters~ I really missed Sonic and Tails' adorable brotherly love, and am so happy they've brought it back to the surface <3 It also served to show other fascets of their characters - Tails playfully ribbing and snarking at Sonic, and also having more confidence in himself, seeing himself more as Sonic's equal despite their differing assets; Sonic's protectiveness over his lil' bro, and also hints of a vulnerable side (as odd as it was for him to be trash-talking a dead robot, his embarrassment at Tails calling him out was priceless~ I also found it cute when he walked off dejectedly when he realises they hadn't made a bet, just the way he did it was so... awwww~). I'd love to see more of this and have it expanded upon, they are the Unbreakable Bond, after all~! <3

Eggman is, as always, fantastic all around. I feel they really nailed the balance between his menacing side (what he was doing) and his goofiness (his flamboyant personality, his witty humour, his apparent obsession with theme parks); his PA announcements managed to blend the two sides of himself as well~ He's definitely an evil villain, but he's such a funny, whimsical, lovable villain that you just can't hate the guy. Watching him and Sonic playfully banter and try to one-up each other through wit and snark is fun to watch, and who can forget Orbot and Cubot! They're so cute! They almost seem like Eggman's goofy, mischievous children, and in a way they are~ I really hope they become main stays; it's great to see Eggman have others to interact with, and have loyal subjects, as ineffective as villains as they are.

So yeah~ Despite some missed opportunities, I think Sonic Colours' story was pretty good for what it was, though I do hope we can have more characters and depth next time around~

[Diogenes]

For anybody who hates Sonic Colors's story. Please don't forget that we've seen worse

[Gamenerd]

Problem with Colours' story is that even Sonic 3 And Knuckles has more plot than it. Colours has more characterization, but S3K wins in terms of actual events happening in the story, not to mention it feels a lot more exciting and grand.

But more than that, is that Sonic 3 And Knuckles has subtleties to its story that the player can interpret for themselves if they so choose. For example, including ancient Echidna prophecies of Sonic's arrival on the island (see Hydrocity background, Hidden Palace background), or the fact that Eggrobo rises up from the ashes after Sonic's story which signifies the beginning of Knuckles's story - until I became a major Sonic fan, it never really occurred to me that Knuckles's story was after Sonic's, but the clues were their in their two stories for the fans to work out. It's essentially a way of splitting the plot into "necessary" plot and subplot details. Sonic Colours gave us the "necessary" plot but not much else to work with. No elaborating on the personalities of the Wisps, no depth to any of the planets he supposedly hijacked, nothing at all.

In my opinion, it's these kind of subtleties that make a story; I like to think the reason people love and talk about the Zelda storylines so much isn't because of their enormous bland cliches but for all of the incredibly subtle timeline hints and connections between different areas, items and people. Give Sonic some of that.

[RidersDX]

Y'know what, this is stupid.

Yes, we've seen worse, but that doesn't mean Colors' story is beyond criticism. People don't have to accept Colors as the ideal just because it's possible to do worse, and they've got every right to point out where they felt the story fell flat and how they think it can be improved.

My thoughts exactly. I'm sorry, but I could've punched ya in the face after seeing you refer to that cutscene. Just cause it may not be the absolute worst we've seen storywise, doesn't mean it shouldn't be criticized. That is probably the lamest excuse you could ever use on this subject.

Edited January 6, 2011 by RidersDX

[CanofEpicSauce]

Y'know what, this is stupid.

Yes, we've seen worse, but that doesn't mean Colors' story is beyond criticism. People don't have to accept Colors as the ideal just because it's possible to do worse, and they've got every right to point out where they felt the story fell flat and how they think it can be improved.

I never said Sonic Colors's story was beyond criticism, it was just a joke I made.

Edited January 6, 2011 by CanofEpicSauce