So... Roboticization

I'd also like to point out the obvious lack of Badniks. IIRC, the classic Badniks like Buzzbomber only showed up in the pilot and vanished after that. Even Cluck, a regular in the early episodes disappeared in later episodes. Instead of a variety of Badniks like Buzzbomber, Caterkiller, Crabmeat, and Motobug, we got, in my opinion, the very dull and very boring SWATbots. There was hardly any variety in them.

 

The pilot actually seemed to have a closer handling to the games, a more whimsical atmosphere, colorful environments (Robotropolis looked more cartoonish and 'Scrap Brain' style as someone mentioned), the use of sentient 'bumbling' SwatBots and the odd badnik (the show's bible also mentions Crabmeat and Caterkiller ironically). Robotocization also seemed to work kinda differently in early episodes, whether the robians of Season Two were portrayed as emotionless zombies, the ones of Season One were portrayed with some vague irratic sentience, suggesting it was initially just meant to be a brainwashing concept.

Under that method, I don't think it would go too much against Eggman, even the Sonic X version wasn't against mind controlling others to worship him. I imagine him using it under the same sort of deluded manner as the intended concept for Julian, making the world a robotic utopia with 'improved' citizens that are reprogrammed to adore him. I can sorta picture Robians under Eggman's serving being more colorful and 'badnik-esque' likely under the same employment as his normal badniks of selling Egg Candies and Egg Balloons. lol

I also thought the pilot balanced the characters better, for example Rotor is more prominant and has a more vibrant persona while Sally, though still prominant isn't the same Wesley she would become later on (though I prefer her Season Two design)

 

Didn't Tails also have a fairly significant role in the pilot as well?

 

Pretty authentic to his role in the game then. :v:

 

I think they were really cautious with how Sonic was portrayed, so Sally was the only character that was ever given much attention because she hadn't been a pre-existing property. Although she still fits into the archetype of the empowered female character. Sonic was just... "cool", and his SatAM persona hasn't aged well since.

 

Technically she is based off the 'Ricky' squirrel captive of the games (that was named Sally Acorn in early western media) though of course the liberties taken make her almost as separate an entity as the show's version of Robotnik (it also helps her basis was a rather obscure minor character with no real personality to clash with, outside being male in Japan).

As much as I like Sally (I think she was better fleshed out than a lot of other cookie cutter 'action girls' during that period) I think one of the problems with the show is that it over enthasised her importance, she was as much a 'Wesley' to the show as Chris to Sonic X. Her chemistry and role as a foil to Sonic eclipsed most other development of the show, to the point most other characters were needless to both Sonic and the show's premise (as likeable as most of them were).

This worsened in the second season when she was about the one Freedom Fighter other than Sonic actually doing anything notable. I think Sally is a nice addition to the franchise and an adorable character, but I do certainly understand why many find her presence grating. She got way more spotlight than she really deserved.

That said it wasn't as if they didn't try to develop Sonic, as said Uncle Chuck's development was flawed, but it was largely in Sonic's favor. He was also more humanized than the games and Sonic X version (even if it was occasionally to the point of being a manchild dependant on Sal).

 

I like to point out that the only adaptation in my honest opinion that is closest to the franchise is AoSTH, on the count of it's characters: Robotik is a mad scientist bent on world domination regardless of other consents, Tails is reliable side kick to Sonic, many refrences to Sonic games, and the fact that Sonic is, well, Sonic. Though for some strange reason, I mostly associate SATam with Sonic CD due to their designs. Robotropolis looks mostly like all of the Bad Futures of the zones all crammed together in one huge city. But then again, those futures may be a result of Eggman not even bothered to maintain his machines, and thus all of them came to a wrecked state.

As for the whole Roboticization thing, I prefer cybernetics. After witnessed the universe of Captain Harlock, I believe that turning organisms into machines are a very expensive and difficult process; Expecially with nanotechnology.

 

How was he more humanized? I can't think of a single human who is like Sonic.

 

As in developed in personality with flaws and vulnerabilities, in comparison to say the blank slate he was Sonic X, SatAm Sonic had a basic backstory and more noticable weaknesses, as well as more notable bonds with other characters (even if as stated, it was mostly revolved around Sally, though I still think SatAm Tails was given more of a bond with Sonic in his brief appearances than his Sonic X version did in three whole seasons).

I admit it's debateable whether it was for the better (and whether a character like Sonic really requires a huge backstory to begin with) but he is at least to some extent more sympathetic than some other counterparts that are just clitche 'Boring Invincible Heroes'.

I personally think AoSth did a better job with him (par maybe the 'Bugs Bunny' disguises, don't copy the master of crossdressing, Sonic). Simplistic setup and development, but just as effective, and perhaps the one interpretation to give him and Tails plausible development together.

 

I don't see it. The acting is so poor, visually and vocally, that it doesn't communicate as anything relatable. I can see moments in both cartoons where they try to be sympathetic, but it's not genuine in the least. Probably because the creators didn't believe in anything they were trying to say with it (ie. Is there a real life equivalent to a friend being roboticized?).

Don't get me wrong, I loved SatAM as a kid, but I never once took their "compassionate" moments to heart. I wanted to see Sonic blow some stuff up, and run real fast, and for my five year old mind he did that okay.

 

This is pretty much my stance on the series.

I admit, I got up early every Saturday morning to watch it. I even purchased the series when it came out on DVD. But it really hasn't aged well.

Watching it now, while I do get the occasion pangs of nostalgia, it's more often than not rather painful to watch. I can't help but cringe every time Sonic says 'mondo cool' and other 90s slang. And I may be the only one who thinks this, but Robotnik's voice sounds a lot less menacing and more...I don't know...turned on. I honestly can't listen to that voice without some very immature thoughts popping into my head.

 

I think it's further proof that Sonic doesn't have much going for him except his games. He has to continue to be reinvented to be cool by people who probably aren't very cool themselves. Even Robotnik/Eggman didn't have much going for him in the beginning, and today, he isn't that scary of a villain.

Also, the Dune series' Baron Harkonnen was ripped off for SatAM Robotnik. SatAM was like a giant mishmash of concepts from other series, but toned way down.

 

As far as I'm concerned the characters are just the way they were in AoSTH. That show nailed it.

That said, I mostly ignored SatAM, and I'm kind of confused as to how Roboticization could work. I always assumed they destroyed the body, and essential made the victim a brain-in-a-jar, but It's apparently reversible, so, I don't know.

 

Now that I think about it, it didn't seem like the animators knew how they wanted the roboticizer to look and act.

In "Blast to the Past," there seemed to be two types of styles: one that required the victim to be restrained (as seen with child Bunnie) and the usual one where the victim is standing (as seen with Uncle Chuck). As for the actual process, the roboticizing 'beam' I guess it could be called, seemed to fluctuate from a large beam to a very thin beam. I believe there was even a time when the 'beam' looked like a lightning bolt.

It also didn't seem like they could decide how the roboticizer was actually turned on. In some episodes, such as "Hooked on Sonics," it was powered on by flipping a switch. In other episodes, like aforementioned "Blast to the Past" and "No Brainer," it was powered on via a control panel.

It's curious.

 

I wouldn't give it much thought. I doubt the animators or writers did.

 

Clearly, every time the Freedom Fighters escape/destroy it, he has to build another, modified version. :specialed:

 

True.