Sonic characterization inconsistencies

[DC111]

What do you think about Sonic as a character... and more specifically, how he has changed over the years/games?

If you're one of the group who thinks Sonic games don't need substance in their characters and stories... I mean this respectfully, but this probably isn't your topic. Please try to refrain from the redundant "he's a blue talking hedgehog" posts if you can.

Anywho.

In the 'classic' era, Sonic was known for his attitude and, in light of recent events, apparently his lack of voice. He was a fast, charming, fun character and that's why people liked him. Little else to say on that, considering there was very little character development during this time.

From Sonic Adventure and beyond, Sonic has had a personality of some sort. With technology a lot less limited, we heard him talk and saw his facial expressions. It built on the foundation that the classic games set up. At this point, there are two groups of thought: one is that Sonic lost some of his 'attitude' in many of the 3D games in favor of being a bit of a softy. The other school of thought is that his attitude was built upon. But I'll give you my thoughts in a minute; I'm just laying out the topic for now.

Then, we have Sonic Colors, which - whether you think it was for better or for worse - changed Sonic a bit. He spent a lot more time cracking jokes and being a showoff - traits that he has always had, but they were just magnified in Colors. Perhaps he came across as somewhat shallow as compared to some of the other games, though this may not necessarily be a character change, it could just be the fact that the storyline itself didn't have enough substance to support more depth.

In some form, all of these interpretations of Sonic satisfy the basics, the things that have been official from the beginning: Sonic is a hedgehog with attitude and a steadfast heart of gold, loves running, hates injustice. But if we look beyond that and into the changes that have occurred, what do you think of Sonic, as he was/is? Is his characterization inconsistent?

-

If you ask me, Sonic Adventure all the way to Sonic Unleashed had it right. Many people say that Sonic lost his 'attitude' somewhere in here and developed something of a bland personality. Some say he's too much of a softy, particularly in 2006 and Unleashed. Still more think that these were Sonic's golden years (read: in terms of CHARACTER, not gameplay).

I personally don't think Sonic lost any of his attitude; rather, he built on it. A lot of people act as though Sonic got his attitude back in Colors, and though I can see why 'attitude' fans appreciate the way he was in that game, I personally don't think he ever LOST it. There's a multitude of snarky, cocky or witty comments he's made in past games that certainly express that attitude-y side of Sonic so many people (myself included) love:

"Look, a giant talking egg."

"Letting Knuckles pilot on the way over here was more dangerous than you could EVER be."

"What you see is what you get, just a guy that loves adventure."

"Maybe you know where I could get my quills sharpened, too?"

"This is the real me. Pretty cool, huh?"

"I know little girls who are better with a hammer than you!"

[Caliburn: "I'd really hoped for more time to train you."] "Well I'D hoped for a better sword."

"You call this fast?"

"No copyright law in the universe is going to stop me!"

I feel like Sonic has been pretty consistent since Sonic Adventure... until Colors, admittedly. He's still Sonic, but like I said, I just find him shallow. Could be because of the storyline. I can appreciate that the game was directed at kids, but I hope Generations has Sonic as memorable and distinct as he seemed in a lot of the other 3D games. The writers did a lot for Tails's development and the brotherly relationship between the two, so I'm sure they're capable of it.

In past games, Sonic always had a sense of resolve and conviction about him, but in Colors he just doesn't seem to really care about much. It's not the jokes or the cockiness that bug me, in fact I think it adds a certain charm to his character that he wouldn't be the same without. It's just the shallowness.. and maybe a few brief out-of-character moments like appearing upset that he and Tails didn't bet, but I can get over that if those incidents are isolated.

As far as classic Sonic... like I said, I think it's the same Sonic as we have now, he was just held back by the limitations of technology. I don't really see any inconsistency with that, I suppose I just wonder why a lot of other people do. I mean, if they didn't, there wouldn't be so many Classic vs. Modern debates, would there?

Well, that's about all I've got for now. Discussion isn't limited to Colors and Classic vs Modern Sonic of course, those are just the the examples I could think of. Please be respectful to people. Kthx.

Edited April 20, 2011 by DC111

[Carbo]

I feel like Sonic has been pretty consistent since Sonic Adventure... until Colors, admittedly. He's still Sonic, but like I said, I just find him shallow. Could be because of the storyline. I can appreciate that the game was directed at kids, but I hope Generations has Sonic as memorable and distinct as he seemed in a lot of the other 3D games. The writers did a lot for Tails's development and the brotherly relationship between the two, so I'm sure they're capable of it.

I'd say you answered your own issues here. A character is only as good as what he can make out of the situation, and considering the story was barely even there in the first place, I'd say they exceeded themselves with what they had to work with. It gives room for thought even, what the hell would have happened if the Adventure, Heroes or 06 iterations were placed in this scenario?

It's a kinda funny thing though, the only ones who've pretty much been critical about the new writing direction is the modern fans. Go anywhere else on a general gaming forum, a casual crowd or some place like Retro, you'll find people mostly praising this new direction. I think I've made myself clear on my opinion on the writing multiple times. Funny or not, I've always enjoyed the characterization in Colors since they put way more life into the characters, even if it's turning Sonic and Tails into jerks. Jerks are likable too, sometimes even more than your typical goody two-shoes.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Carbo

[Sega DogTagz]

I feel like Sonic has been pretty consistent since Sonic Adventure... until Colors, admittedly.

[Flyboy Fox]

I have to say that I disagree about Sonic becoming more shallow in Colours. If anything, he felt more real and charismatic in that game than I've seen him in a while. The way he and Tails teased and joked with each other just felt so real and natural, far less forced than some of the character interactions of previous games. I felt like the fairground theme and light-hearted child-friendly direction of the game let us see Sonic in his element, as the freedom-loving wise-cracking sometimes-silly-sometimes-a-jerk but always-with-his-heart-in-the-right-place hero I've always loved. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's bad to have more serious scenarios where we see Sonic react under different conditions and be forced to be more serious or at least a little less overtly silly and childish... but Colours was beautifully scripted to show him at his most extrovert and exuberant, and I loved it.

[-Mark-]

The writing for Sonic in Colours was a double-edged sword, in my opinion. It got the rapport between Sonic and Tails spot-on, but Sonic's one-liners were cringeworthy.

That said, yeah- chalk it up to writers and English script. As the topic a few days ago showed, the Japanese dialogue was nowhere near as cringeworthy.

[Djawed]

Honestly I personally think his personality was pretty bad from sonic adventure 2 to unleashed. Colors fixed it imo

[Octarine]

I have to say that I disagree about Sonic becoming more shallow in Colours. If anything, he felt more real and charismatic in that game than I've seen him in a while. The way he and Tails teased and joked with each other just felt so real and natural, far less forced than some of the character interactions of previous games. I felt like the fairground theme and light-hearted child-friendly direction of the game let us see Sonic in his element, as the freedom-loving wise-cracking sometimes-silly-sometimes-a-jerk but always-with-his-heart-in-the-right-place hero I've always loved. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's bad to have more serious scenarios where we see Sonic react under different conditions and be forced to be more serious or at least a little less overtly silly and childish... but Colours was beautifully scripted to show him at his most extrovert and exuberant, and I loved it.

[Vertekins]

Sonic Adventure Sonic = Irritable. Watch a lot of Sonic Adventures cutscenes and you'll often find that Sonic was actually easily irritated, like he really did have a short temper. Lines such as "Oh now what?" in response to Amy's surprise when she sees the floating tv screen outside Twinkle Park's entrance and what it says, "You won't get away with this you madman!" before Chaos 6, his throwing what appears to be a brief hissy-fit by jumping and whirling his arms around once he's gotten to his feet after faceplanting after jumping off the Egg Carrier in an effort to get Eggman who was fleeing. There's more examples than that but I don't recall seeing Sonic as irritable as he was in SA in games after SA.

Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic = Hm, try as I may I don't believe I can find anything inconsistent about Sonic's character in SA2 compared to his later or earlier portrayals. He's much less irritable than he was in SA though. SA2 did Sonic's character quite well in regards to consistency.

Sonic Heroes Sonic = More cheesier than usual. Do I really need to explain this?

Shadow the Hedgehog Sonic = FLANDERIZATION ALERT! Am I the only one who truly thought that Sonic was Flanderized into being a character that was more like an irritating little brother in comparison to Shadow's far more dead-set and serious demeanor? A character whose polar opposite personality traits from Shadow's were morphed from what they were in SA2 (Incorrupt, jovial, determined) into an overly cheerful Hedgie who, during ShTH, sounded like an immature fool who sounds like he broke into his local Don Fachio Hot Dog Restaurant, ate all the Chili Dogs in there and had a surge of hyperactivity as a result, culminating in behaviour seen in;

The cutscene before Black Bull; Jumping up and down shouting "Woo-hoo! Now you're talking! Bring it on!" whilst flexing his arms in mock punches.

The cutscene whilst he and Shadow are on board the Tornado Shuttle on the way to the ARK; Sighting the Black Arm bird things in space, "Time to Rock and Roll! You up for this Shadow?" and running off like a kid who has sighted the playground of his wildest dreams.

It's character exaggeration that takes Sonic's differences from Shadow and Flanderizes them in order to make Sonic an extreme contrast to Shadow instead of the far subtler one depicted in SA2.

Sonic and the Secret Rings = Reflectiveness and modesty (Modesty is still apparent in SatBK Sonic. Before SatSR, you'd be hard pushed to find times where Sonic was truly reflective, where he had Soliloquys. Sure he had a soliloquy in SA2 whilst he was figuring out how to escape his doom in the capsule but that was not a vocal portrayal of how Sonic thinks. In SatSR, you know that Sonic is aware of his impending death. You know that he has reservations about collecting the World Rings because he's doomed to die by sacrifice anyway if the Flame Arrow doesn't kill him first but as he's not in a better position, he collects them anyway, presumably hoping that Erazor will keep up his end of the deal and remove the arrow (As farfetched as that is).

Sonic collects the White Ring and Blue Ring and suddenly becomes very thoughtful, wondering about how the White ring's powers of wishes can either lead it's wielder into happiness or misfortune by negatively or positively affecting them through their own greed and/or ambition. The Blue ring makes him consider the true power of the rings due the sheer potency behind the emotions they bestow.

This kind of insightful thought processes of Sonic throughout SatSR brings a dimension to him previously unseen. And I'm all for it personally. Kid yourself as much as you want, Sonic has far more dimension than his love of speed and arrogance and SatSR brilliantly portrayed it through such things as his apparent regard for literature and his ability to, you know, kick back and doze in his house/Tails Workshop as well as his insistence on not being referred to by titles such as "Mr".

Sonic Unleashed = Quietness. As far as i'm concerned, Sonic's flatness (If you can call it that) throughout SU was a result of Dark Gaia's influence. We know that Dark Gaia can't influence him to lose control in Werehog form due to pure heart and will power but I still believe that Dark Gaia still had influence on Sonic's behaviour, resulting in a more contemplative fellow who honestly seems to think before he opens his mouth.

Sonic and the Black Knight = Compassion over/before Business. This was a trait similar to SU's Sonic except SU Sonic was getting business done at the same time as helping Chip regain his memory. SatBK Sonic placed his compassion before business. He had forsaken his chance at mastering Caliburn under Nimue's instruction by helping the small child and his/her relatives by saving them from the Earth Dragon instead.

Sonic Chronicles = Bipolar Hedgehog. Sonic through positive dialogue choices = Very well and consistently characterised Sonic. Sonic through Amy-revering dialogue choices = A guy so reverent of Amy you'd think he'd get on his knees any second and confess his undying love for her. Sonic through snarky dialogue choices and even some neutral ones = A mean jerkass who has to put down others for the sake of his own ego, something that the Sonic in other games NEVER had to resort to. Bleat about his 'put-downs' of Knuckles in other games all you want, NONE were as vicious as Sonic's negative putdowns towards Knux in Chronicles. Sonic was never one to act so maliciously like that. And arguments that "Sonic changed" after having his alpha male status questioned by his mates would not have morphed him into something like that.

Sonic Colours = Safety over Ideology I will go on about how Colours Sonic was flanderized for the SOLE PURPOSE of using his for lame jokes BUT Sonic In Colours had his ups. For instance, his interactions with Tails. Whilst I firmly believe that Sonic would poke fun at himself after he was caught talking to a dead robot instead of act genuinely embarrassed, Sonic in Colours could take a jibe in good nature and fire one back. His and Tails' interactions were that of blood-related brothers and Sonic placed Tails' safety above his own ideology, something I don't think I've seen him do before. And do I have to post these again as to why Sonic's Big Brother Instinct was so wonderfully rendered?

Note how the arm in front of Tails in the full motion cutscene never moves? It's a glorious yet subtle showing of Sonic's protectiveness that could be interpreted as even being something Sonic did subconciously.

I do not like many things about Sonic's characterisation in Colours in all of it's inconsistency and Flanderization for the sole sake of humor but his and Tails' interactions were a class act and I want to see it again.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Verte

[T-Min]

If you ask me, Colors is the first game in a LONG time to give Sonic some actual personality. Adventure 2 was the last game before Colors to do it, and after that he became completely bland to me (although I'd say that the vocal talents of Jason Griffith didn't help much). Colors is a bit of a departure from other pre-Heroes characterizations of Sonic, but I enjoyed this wise-cracking, cockier version of Sonic the best.

[Vulpine]

Sonic always has been a cocky hero with attitude. But I personally think that the characterization has improved, especially in recent games, if anything.

[Kuzu]

I'd say after Sa2, and up until Secret Rings he had the most boring personality ever. Though to be fair it was at that point he was kinda playing second fiddle to Shadow, but after 06 he seems to be reverting back to his former self. He's cocky, snarky, humble and boastful these are traits that have ALWAYS been apart of Sonic, this is most prevalent in Colors, so saying he was OOC in there is completely wrong.

[Vertekins]

Colours wasn't the first game to show us "realism", SatSR was. And IMO, SatSR did it far better than Colours ever did within the believable and consistent aspects of Sonic's character - The ever positive guy who becomes serious when needed.

In SatSR, as I said up there, Sonic deals with very real realisations about his own mortality, about the true power within Rings and what how their power can be utilised and/or twisted for someone negative/positive ends and he comes to these realisations with every ounce of attitude and wisdom we expect of him. Even when faced with the thing that is Shahra's low magical power compared to Erazors on the subject of Shahra being unable to remove the arrow, Sonic's response is "Don't worry! Cheer up! No adventure is fun if it's to easy right? Although....it would be nice if you're magic did work. In any case, let's go" - A brilliant, in-character portrayal that you'd expect out of Sonic and his positivity.

Sonic knows he's in a pinch, he knows his mortality. Realistic characterisation balanced out by his optimism after he gets the Yellow World Ring - "Well, considering I still have this arrow in me to worry about, I guess I'm in a pinch either way, right?" and after Shahra's "I'm sorry. It's my fault that all of this is happening to..." Sonic, still with faith in his abilities and optimism goes; "Hahaha. Hey, don't worry about it. Besides, don't you know how fast I am? Time may fly, but I'm even faster."

Colours in comparison only got it realistic with the Sonic-Tails brotherly interactions and even then, there were instances were Sonic and Tails come out with words that indicate that the writers don't know how they talk. That is realistic IN YOUR SENSE, not realistic consistent characterisation wise. And does not hold a torch to SatSR's realism in convincing accordance to Sonic's character or the fact that SatSR did it first.

Poor poor SatSR, so vastly overlooked when it comes to brilliant, realistic and consistent characterisation in regards to Sonic as a character. And there's STILL people thinking that necersary/benevolent handkerchief wishes were the worst lines that ever came out of Sonic's mouth

[Carbo]

Personally I found his Secret Rings iteration incredibly cut-out from cardboard and not memorable at all. I didn't find it realistic because there was nothing about the way he was written that I found relatable, human or charismatic about. It trimmed down all the narm and things that didn't work with 06 and reduced it to plain and passably inoffensive. But whatever floats your boat I guess.

[Kuzu]

Colours wasn't the first game to show us "realism", SatSR was. And IMO, SatSR did it far better than Colours ever did within the believable and consistent aspects of Sonic's character - The ever positive guy who becomes serious when needed.

In SatSR, as I said up there, Sonic deals with very real realisations about his own mortality, about the true power within Rings and what how their power can be utilised and/or twisted for someone negative/positive ends and he comes to these realisations with every ounce of attitude and wisdom we expect of him. Even when faced with the thing that is Shahra's low magical power compared to Erazors on the subject of Shahra being unable to remove the arrow, Sonic's response is "Don't worry! Cheer up! No adventure is fun if it's to easy right? Although....it would be nice if you're magic did work. In any case, let's go" - A brilliant, in-character portrayal that you'd expect out of Sonic and his positivity.

Sonic knows he's in a pinch, he knows his mortality. Realistic characterisation balanced out by his optimism after he gets the Yellow World Ring - "Well, considering I still have this arrow in me to worry about, I guess I'm in a pinch either way, right?" and after Shahra's "I'm sorry. It's my fault that all of this is happening to..." Sonic, still with faith in his abilities and optimism goes; "Hahaha. Hey, don't worry about it. Besides, don't you know how fast I am? Time may fly, but I'm even faster."

Colours in comparison only got it realistic with the Sonic-Tails brotherly interactions and even then, there were instances were Sonic and Tails come out with words that indicate that the writers don't know how they talk. That is realistic IN YOUR SENSE, not realistic consistent characterisation wise. And does not hold a torch to SatSR's realism in convincing accordance to Sonic's character or the fact that SatSR did it first.

Poor poor SatSR, so vastly overlooked when it comes to brilliant, realistic and consistent characterisation in regards to Sonic as a character. And there's STILL people thinking that necersary/benevolent handkerchief wishes were the worst lines that ever came out of Sonic's mouth

Maybe because Sonic wasnt in any life threatning situation in Colors, or his morality wasn't challenged at all. You say Colors Sonic is inconsisten only because it none of the things Secret Rings had. There was no genie threatning to erase everything, Sonics life wasn't hanging by a thread, and there were no mystical power objects for Sonic to reflect on.

There was nothing in Colors for the writers to take seriously, aside from the yacker cutscene, where Sonic firmly reassures Tails that they'll free the Wisp, seems pretty consistent to me.

I hate this notion that just because Sonic was cracking jokes in Colors means he suddenly can't take anything seriously anymore. There was no tension in Colors to take seriously, aside from the aformentioned cutscene, Sonic didn't go through some revelation like he has in the past games, so saying hes inconsistent because of that is kinda shallow, because we have yet to see what the writers can do with Sonic in a more serious light.

[Vertekins]

Maybe because Sonic wasnt in any life threatning situation in Colors, or his morality wasn't challenged at all. You say Colors Sonic is inconsisten only because it none of the things Secret Rings had. There was no genie threatning to erase everything, Sonics life wasn't hanging by a thread, and there were no mystical power objects for Sonic to reflect on.

There was nothing in Colors for the writers to take seriously, aside from the yacker cutscene, where Sonic firmly reassures Tails that they'll free the Wisp, seems pretty consistent to me.

I hate this notion that just because Sonic was cracking jokes in Colors means he suddenly can't take anything seriously anymore. There was no tension in Colors to take seriously, aside from the aformentioned cutscene, Sonic didn't go through some revelation like he has in the past games, so saying hes inconsistent because of that is kinda shallow, because we have yet to see what the writers can do with Sonic in a more serious light.

I wasn't referencing Colours' seriousness.

I was referencing and debunking the notion that Colours was the first Sonic game to do things realistically. It wasn't. SatSR was. There's a difference between seriousness and realism.

[Dr. Crusher]

Colours in comparison only got it realistic with the Sonic-Tails brotherly interactions and even then, there were instances were Sonic and Tails come out with words that indicate that the writers don't know how they talk.

If you ask me, it indicated that Tails got an improvement.

[Kuzu]

I wasn't referencing Colours' seriousness.

I was referencing and debunking the notion that Colours was the first Sonic game to do things realistically. It wasn't. SatSR was. There's a difference between seriousness and realism.

I never said Sonic acted more real in Colors, he was more wacky than anything, but that's what made him more interesting as a character to me, since secret Rings.

[DC111]

Sonic Adventure Sonic = Irritable. Watch a lot of Sonic Adventures cutscenes and you'll often find that Sonic was actually easily irritated, like he really did have a short temper. Lines such as "Oh now what?" in response to Amy's surprise when she sees the floating tv screen outside Twinkle Park's entrance and what it says, "You won't get away with this you madman!" before Chaos 6, his throwing what appears to be a brief hissy-fit by jumping and whirling his arms around once he's gotten to his feet after faceplanting after jumping off the Egg Carrier in an effort to get Eggman who was fleeing. There's more examples than that but I don't recall seeing Sonic as irritable as he was in SA in games after SA.

Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic = Hm, try as I may I don't believe I can find anything inconsistent about Sonic's character in SA2 compared to his later or earlier portrayals. He's much less irritable than he was in SA though. SA2 did Sonic's character quite well in regards to consistency.

Sonic Heroes Sonic = More cheesier than usual. Do I really need to explain this?

Shadow the Hedgehog Sonic = FLANDERIZATION ALERT! Am I the only one who truly thought that Sonic was Flanderized into being a character that was more like an irritating little brother in comparison to Shadow's far more dead-set and serious demeanor? A character whose polar opposite personality traits from Shadow's were morphed from what they were in SA2 (Incorrupt, jovial, determined) into an overly cheerful Hedgie who, during ShTH, sounded like an immature fool who sounds like he broke into his local Don Fachio Hot Dog Restaurant, ate all the Chili Dogs in there and had a surge of hyperactivity as a result, culminating in behaviour seen in;

The cutscene before Black Bull; Jumping up and down shouting "Woo-hoo! Now you're talking! Bring it on!" whilst flexing his arms in mock punches.

The cutscene whilst he and Shadow are on board the Tornado Shuttle on the way to the ARK; Sighting the Black Arm bird things in space, "Time to Rock and Roll! You up for this Shadow?" and running off like a kid who has sighted the playground of his wildest dreams.

It's character exaggeration that takes Sonic's differences from Shadow and Flanderizes them in order to make Sonic an extreme contrast to Shadow instead of the far subtler one depicted in SA2.

Sonic and the Secret Rings = Reflectiveness and modesty (Modesty is still apparent in SatBK Sonic. Before SatSR, you'd be hard pushed to find times where Sonic was truly reflective, where he had Soliloquys. Sure he had a soliloquy in SA2 whilst he was figuring out how to escape his doom in the capsule but that was not a vocal portrayal of how Sonic thinks. In SatSR, you know that Sonic is aware of his impending death. You know that he has reservations about collecting the World Rings because he's doomed to die by sacrifice anyway if the Flame Arrow doesn't kill him first but as he's not in a better position, he collects them anyway, presumably hoping that Erazor will keep up his end of the deal and remove the arrow (As farfetched as that is).

Sonic collects the White Ring and Blue Ring and suddenly becomes very thoughtful, wondering about how the White ring's powers of wishes can either lead it's wielder into happiness or misfortune by negatively or positively affecting them through their own greed and/or ambition. The Blue ring makes him consider the true power of the rings due the sheer potency behind the emotions they bestow.

This kind of insightful thought processes of Sonic throughout SatSR brings a dimension to him previously unseen. And I'm all for it personally. Kid yourself as much as you want, Sonic has far more dimension than his love of speed and arrogance and SatSR brilliantly portrayed it through such things as his apparent regard for literature and his ability to, you know, kick back and doze in his house/Tails Workshop as well as his insistence on not being referred to by titles such as "Mr".

Sonic Unleashed = Quietness. As far as i'm concerned, Sonic's flatness (If you can call it that) throughout SU was a result of Dark Gaia's influence. We know that Dark Gaia can't influence him to lose control in Werehog form due to pure heart and will power but I still believe that Dark Gaia still had influence on Sonic's behaviour, resulting in a more contemplative fellow who honestly seems to think before he opens his mouth.

Sonic and the Black Knight = Compassion over/before Business. This was a trait similar to SU's Sonic except SU Sonic was getting business done at the same time as helping Chip regain his memory. SatBK Sonic placed his compassion before business. He had forsaken his chance at mastering Caliburn under Nimue's instruction by helping the small child and his/her relatives by saving them from the Earth Dragon instead.

Sonic Chronicles = Bipolar Hedgehog. Sonic through positive dialogue choices = Very well and consistently characterised Sonic. Sonic through Amy-revering dialogue choices = A guy so reverent of Amy you'd think he'd get on his knees any second and confess his undying love for her. Sonic through snarky dialogue choices and even some neutral ones = A mean jerkass who has to put down others for the sake of his own ego, something that the Sonic in other games NEVER had to resort to. Bleat about his 'put-downs' of Knuckles in other games all you want, NONE were as vicious as Sonic's negative putdowns towards Knux in Chronicles. Sonic was never one to act so maliciously like that. And arguments that "Sonic changed" after having his alpha male status questioned by his mates would not have morphed him into something like that.

Sonic Colours = Safety over Ideology I will go on about how Colours Sonic was flanderized for the SOLE PURPOSE of using his for lame jokes BUT Sonic In Colours had his ups. For instance, his interactions with Tails. Whilst I firmly believe that Sonic would poke fun at himself after he was caught talking to a dead robot instead of act genuinely embarrassed, Sonic in Colours could take a jibe in good nature and fire one back. His and Tails' interactions were that of blood-related brothers and Sonic placed Tails' safety above his own ideology, something I don't think I've seen him do before. And do I have to post these again as to why Sonic's Big Brother Instinct was so wonderfully rendered?

Note how the arm in front of Tails in the full motion cutscene never moves? It's a glorious yet subtle showing of Sonic's protectiveness that could be interpreted as even being something Sonic did subconciously.

I do not like many things about Sonic's characterisation in Colours in all of it's inconsistency and Flanderization for the sole sake of humor but his and Tails' interactions were a class act and I want to see it again.

On some level, this analysis kinda implies that Sonic has never been consistent. But on another level, it indicates that circumstances do have an effect on how he acts, despite his positive outlook. To paraphrase in my own way here...

He was impatient in the Sonic Adventures and uptight sometimes in 2006 because the events in the plot were a bit more threatening. (Though now that I think about it, it would probably would have fit his character better to have him a bit more laidback than he was... but he IS known to be impatient. Hm, that's a tough one.)

In Sonic Unleashed, he was quieter and a little less cheerful because he was fighting an INNER battle the whole time (with Gaia's darkness trying to consume him at night) as well as an outer one.

SatSR, he was positive and witty as usual, but was more reflective because there was a distinct possibility of death in the near future.

SatBK.. he was willing to help as always, but this game really showed an aspect of his personality that was always implied, but rarely emphasized: living by his own rules. He even says as much when he takes a detour to save the village from the dragon, and it's further emphasized when he REFUSES to give up at the end, despite everyone telling him to stop and despite the fact that there truly appears to be no hope to win. These kinds of inconsistencies can be MOSTLY justified because they can be attributed to character development.

...And to be fair, I guess that goes for Colors as well, to an extent. The situation was lighthearted and for the most part non-threatening, so Sonic was lighthearted too. Maybe closer to how he'd act during a 'regular day' when no crazy Eggman schemes were going on. I could totally see him cracking more jokes and being more of a cheeseball; like I said, that's in his character and he wouldn't be Sonic without that element. And kudos to the genuine brotherly bond. But still, the storyline doesn't justify those scattered OOC moments. Keep in mind I'm not saying he's out of character in the entire game (for the most part he's NOT), it's just a certain few moments that bug me. His apparent sadness that when Tails says "we didn't bet," for one. The only other time he's come across as so disappointed is during Sonic Unleashed when Amy didn't recognize him. And mind you, he looked like a monster at the time and Dark Gaia was trying to influence his mind. All things considering, I think I'd be pretty down in the dumps too. But "we didn't bet?" In my opinion, the better response to that would have been a witty one-liner, or maybe even shrugging and running off instead of slumping down like he did. Wouldn't that have been more Sonic-y?

Edited April 20, 2011 by DC111

[Kuzu]

On some level, this analysis kinda implies that Sonic has never been consistent. He's been inconsistent throughout all the games. But on another level, it indicates that circumstances do have an effect on how he acts, despite his positive outlook. To paraphrase in my own way here...

He was impatient in the Sonic Adventures and uptight sometimes in 2006 because the events in the plot were a bit more threatening.

In Sonic Unleashed, he was quieter and a little less cheerful because he was fighting an INNER battle the whole time (with Gaia's darkness trying to consume him at night) as well as an outer one.

SatSR, he was positive and witty as usual, but was more reflective because there was a distinct possibility of death in the near future.

SatBK.. he was willing to help as always, but this game really showed an aspect of his personality that was always implied, but rarely emphasized: living by his own rules. He even says as much when he takes a detour to save the village from the dragon, and it's further emphasized when he REFUSES to give up at the end, despite everyone telling him to stop and despite the fact that there truly appears to be no hope to win. These kinds of inconsistencies can be MOSTLY justified because they can be attributed to character development.

...And to be fair, I guess that goes for Colors as well, to an extent. The situation was lighthearted and for the most part non-threatening, so Sonic was lighthearted too. Maybe closer to how he'd act during a 'regular day' when no crazy Eggman schemes were going on. I could totally see him cracking more jokes and being more of a cheeseball; like I said, that's in his character and he wouldn't be Sonic without that element. And kudos to the genuine brotherly bond. But still, the storyline doesn't justify those scattered OOC moments. Keep in mind I'm not saying he's out of character in the entire game (for the most part he's NOT), it's just a certain few moments that bug me. His apparent sadness that when Tails says "we didn't bet," for one. The only other time he's come across as so disappointed is during Sonic Unleashed when Amy didn't recognize him. And mind you, he looked like a monster at the time and Dark Gaia was trying to influence his mind. All things considering, I think I'd be pretty down in the dumps too. But "we didn't bet?" In my opinion, the better response to that would have been a witty one-liner, or maybe even shrugging and running off instead of slumping down like he did. Wouldn't that have been more Sonic-y?

To be entirely fair that last part was mostly played for Laughs, I don't think we were supposed to take it seriously.

[DC111]

To be entirely fair that last part was mostly played for Laughs, I don't think we were supposed to take it seriously.

Could be, and I'd like to believe that's the reason. I guess if Generations is the 'epic adventure' it says it is, we'll get to see how these writers characterize Sonic in a game that isn't just for laughs.

Sonic has plenty of opportunities to be funny within his character as it is, so I guess I just don't think the way that scene was portrayed was necessary. But maybe I should just reserve judgment for Colors, since it was aimed at kids.

[batson]

To be entirely fair that last part was mostly played for Laughs, I don't think we were supposed to take it seriously.

But that's the thing though, in Colors, Sonic did things that were slightly out of character just for the sake of giving the audience a laugh (something which had very rarely been done in the series before). And i for one hope that this isn't something we will see much more of in the future. Taking to many and to big liberties with a characters personality for the sake of a joke (or for the sake of drama or suspense for that matter) can in the long run ruin a character because he will start to feel less and less like a real person with a consistent personality and more like an empty shell for writers to fill with whatever fits the script at the moment, and this makes the character harder for the audience to get emotionally involved with. Many Simpsons fans for example feel that the writers of that show going down that route is one of the things that ruined the show, since the characters were no longer "real" enough to feel actual empathy for.

[Nepenthe]

The out-of-character complaint is slightly misguided. Sonic and Tails have never said the things they have before Colors because they have never been written as bros just hanging out in the first place; Really, their relationship has never given this much exposure. Half of these things are out-of-character in the sense that it's never been done before due to relatively shoddy characterization, not because they're things Sonic and Tails would never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVAR do or say within reason.

Frankly, this is how characters grow and gain depth in the first place-- Writing them in a variety of situations with a variety of characters with differing relationships to one another. You don't act the same as you do to your mother as you would your best friend as you would your science teacher as you would to anonymous faces on an internet message board. I bet if I met you guys, half of you I wouldn't recognize just because your sheer mannerisms are so different from what I've seen of you here. Doesn't mean you're "out of character;" it means you're a person. xP

[Dr. Crusher]

Gotta agree with Nepenthe. Mileage on Sonic's jokes aside, neither he or Tails felt out of character at all to me. It's probably likely due to being "out of character" for Sonic and Tails to actually hang out together rather than a quick LONG TIME NO SEE.

Now all we need is for both of them to be capable of kicking ass, and we have a perfect Mario/Luigi-style duo.

[Mega]

Sonic to me is snarky, impatient, and not always the nice guy, but deep down he cares for his friends and would jump at the chance to save 'em and put an end to Robotnik's schemes.

I lean towards his SatAM persona as my favorite, but I wouldn't want him like that in the games. However, I do think that it's a very strong interpretation of the character that's vastly underrated. A lot of people focus on his 90's puns and "idiocy," considering him a jerk without really... looking for his positive traits. But really? SatAM Sonic isn't just attitude. He's often shown to care for his friends and have something softer under his 'tude.

That being said, for the games? Gimme Colors Sonic with less childish jokes. I love how Colors drew upon western influences to make Sonic entertaining instead of flat. But you have to keep in mind that I got into Sonic because of SatAM, so western influences mesh with my take on the char.

[azoo]

I liked his OVA personality over them all. He's irritable, highly intolerant, impatient and quite sassy to boot. Even so with all of that, he still knows when to be disrespectful and when to be respectful. When it's time to fight, he gets serious and down to business, and finds it a waste of time to openly pull a Spiderman and throw silly gags or snarky remarks around.. unless he finds an opportunity to cool his jets momentarily and poke fun at Eggman's ineptness in keeping pace. He also is willing to find the good in someone no matter how evil, and he's a steadfast friend that plays it cool with his bros. All around the coolest Sonic, in my opinion.