BumbleKast live video is not available yet, but I asked Ian if the time travel via double Chaos Control as in 06 is still a thing, or if it was only in 06 due to some weird time travel shenanigans regarding that game. He said that, as far as he knows, this is still a thing.
So Shadow and Sonic could go back in time and get Maria some medical help? I'm joking, I'm fairly certain Maria was a dead girl walking once G.U.N. invaded, if NIDS is affecting her immune system in any way like AIDS... Really doubt the people sent up to execute everyone aboard the ARK would go through a sterilization procedure.
I know it's not brought up in-game (or if it is my memory sucks), but whereabouts is Maria's disease brought up in official material? The first time I heard of the whole NIDS thing I assumed it was a joke.
I don't like the double Chaos Control time travel. I think it's a huge way to create plotholes, because you can always ask "why didn't they travel back in time to change this very bad thing that happened?". It would be better imo if they come with an excuse to let 06 be the only game to have this. In my question I suggested the accident in Project Solaris messed up spacetime in Soleanna.
And when Solaris was blown out, it rendered the ability gone. It's a fair way to write it out. Still, I think they're using it to allow Silver to go back in time when needed. You're also missing the obvious: why don't they get the Time Stones to change the past as well? Sure, they need to wait for that one month, but the Time Stones freely control time, so that's merely a waiting game.
Silver could use some time machine. Eggman Nega does/did that, I guess. And I'm assuming the Time Stones only work properly in Little Planet, because reasons. Though, I remember people saying they don't want to use the Time Stones in Modern Sonic games because there are too many mystical gems, and then they created the Phantom Ruby.
Or the Time Stones. I liked that little thing in the Archie Comics where Silver was using a Time Stone and Chronos Control to time travel. I honestly want to see some time-based form for him, it would suit his time-travelling status... Not from what the manual says, it says the Little Planet is their home, Robotnik plans to use them to conquer the world, and they control time 'freely'. I don't think he would be invested if their area of effect was limited to the Little Planet. Even then, go back in time on the Little Planet and head down once you're at the right time period.
Maybe he just doesn't know that, as he couldn't bring any Time Stone to Earth so he could test it. I don't think this is settled.
I would say Sonic Speed Simulator might offer confirmation, but I have no idea what information they actually have on them, so...
Tails' Adventures takes place on Cocoa Island, Tails Skypatrol takes place on an unnamed island, and I'm trying to remember if it's Sonic Triple Trouble or Sonic Blast, but one of them takes place on southern islands, not South Island. I think it was Sonic Triple Trouble, but I'm trying to be sure. And yes, I checked, it's different. Sonic Drift 2 also appears to take place on Westside Island, since it features courses such as Emerald Hill, Mystic Cave, Casino Night and Hill Top. So of the Game Gear/8-Bit exclusive games, 4 of the 10 actually don't take place on South Island. No, but even non-canon stuff can give us insight into things we don't have much information on.
There are some characters (don't remember who) who indeed say something about Classic Sonic being less spikey and more chubby. Not sure if that happens in Japanese.
Amy says Sonic turned younger when addressing Classic Sonic. Not looks younger, but straight up turned younger.
わかがえる is used frequently when you just feel rejuvenated. Like after a spa treatment. Amy is probably just be saying he looks refreshed, but not literally a younger version. It's open for interpretation but considering it's coming from Amy she could easily just be using it the same way that beauticians do.
I dunno, I trust Windii's translations and have had this double checked by someone who doesn't know the context (they do not care for the series), and both say she's saying Sonic's younger. But you raise a fair point I was unaware of since I don't actually know Japanese myself...
Indeed, but it doesn't resemble the Ice Cap of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Ice Cap is not limited to Angel Island: an ice cap is a mass of ice covering less than 50,000 kilometers squared, the most known example being the polar ice caps. So it could be another ice cap, since I doubt Knuckles would allow a tournament on Angel Island. Or Angel Island is in Sonic Drift 2, which further muddies that separation of Game Gear and Mega Drive titles since now we have examples of all three Mega Drive games in a Game Gear game featuring Fang the Sniper... Eh, I can understand: the comics made a big deal out of it as well when they had to make the design change back in 1998, with timeline shenanigans being employed in Archie Comics to explain it and Sonic getting drowned in Chaos to get his green eyes in Sonic the Comic (though everyone else just kinda got them, no getting drowned in Chaos for them).
