I'm just amazed to learn something so obvious, which I had never known about. I never noticed the Sonic figure in Hydrocity, and I while I was aware of all the ruin elements throughout the zones, I oddly never came to the realization it was a continuing theme. It slightly alters my conceptualization, how refreshing!
I'm pretty sure that would fall in that category since the games contain stories that deal with the characters and their portrayals. Everytime Sega shows off the classic games they go by release order (or downright take out CD out of the way) so I can definitely see them ordering Archie to follow the release order of the classics. But it's just speculation, for all we know the writers just decided to do that on their own.
So they choose to adapt CD and 3K but not 1 and 2? Huh. I was unaware, it has been ages since I've read it.
CD was Archie's first adaption of a game. After that they mostly adapted games as they came out while others came in later. This stopped when Archie was ordered to stop their story line and adapt SA2 when all they had was a demo. After that short elseword stories were made to promote games at the end of the books until Archie were ready to adapt things in their own way on their own time.
We're talking about issues 288-289-290 which retell Archie's reboot world version of the events in Sonic 1,2 and CD. 291 was supposed to be Sonic 3. Hence the whole CD was put in between 2 and 3 discussion.
I'm pretty sure I heard that Sonic CD doesn't have a concrete place, just sort of vaguely floating around the original trilogy. (I think Flynn said it, actually, but I don't remember if it was online or on a podcast. Might have been someone from Sega though) So the specific place it is in the comics doesn't necessarily mean it's canon. Plus, the comics can take liberties with that, right? An awful lot happened during the Unleashed arc, including some loose game adaptations.
I personally put it between 1 and 2. 1 - The Sonic CD spindash could mean Sonic was still developing the move, and by 2 he had perfected it. 2 - The way 2 leads directly into 3 doesn't really leave room for anything in between.
I think the discussion is if it goes between 1 and 2, or directly after 3&K. Perfecting the spindash and thus letting out the super peel-out it's also a reason for me to place it before 2, along with putting it before Tails became Sonic's sidekick.
It's too bad that Sega treats the 8-bit games like trash and completely ignores their existence. They actually fit together well with the plots of the Genesis titles and help make sense of some things.
Sonic 1 GG: Pretty much falls in line with Sonic 1. Sonic 2 GG: Looks to take place just prior to/just after Sonic 2, as Sonic is on South Island rescuing Tails, and thwarting Eggman's push for the 6 emeralds there. Sonic Chaos: Eggman is still searching South Island for Emeralds, and has one obtained at the outset. Tails is very much alive and in pursuit of Eggman. No sign of Knuckles, so likely prior to 3. Sonic Triple Trouble: Eggman has recruited Knuckles and Fang. Must take place prior to 3&K. There's a brief interpretation at least. I'm fairly curious now to see where Sonic 2 GG would definitively fit.
I've tried fitting the GG games into the main story before, and I just felt like it didn't work out. I'd say the main problem is when you add details in it becomes hard to keep it all together. Eggman crashed the Death Egg onto Angel Island after Sonic 2, and Sonic 3's manual states that things have been peaceful since then until Sonic and Tails go to Angel Island. So that already shuts down the idea of any GG game happening between Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, so the only place they can fit is after the events of Sonic & Knuckles. Knuckles' story in Triple Trouble also seems to ignore that Sonic 3 happened at all and instead kind of 're-introduces' him as a Game Gear character without any mention of Angel Island or the Master Emerald. The Game Gear games also seem extremely rooted in South Island, and seem to imply the Chaos Emeralds are a permament feature of South Island; something that went out of the window as soon as Sonic 2 (Genesis) landed. Also I feel the idea of Six Chaos Emeralds being consistent in the GG games long after Seven Emeralds were established in the main games almost implies that Sega were intentionally keeping the GG series seperate. Still, I'm all up for making the GG games work with the main series. Sunset Park not being canon is a hard pill to swallow.
I've always assumed Game Gear Sonic is a different/parallel dimension or continuity with things converging in Sonic Pocket Adventure onward. Having only played Sonic 2 GG and never making it past the damn Underground Zone boss, I quickly dismissed the portables until Sonic Advance. Speaking of which....how to the Advance titles fit within the continuity? Sonic Heroes was the first time we had Cream in a main game and she was just there like everyone already knew her....and we haven't seen her since! Yet the "Team Chaotix" were introduced in SH like they were brand new. At least they came back in Shadow the Hedgehog.
^Simple answer that many people doesn't seem to get: there's no continuity out of Sonic 1, 2, and 3&K. Sonic Adventure tried, but it was the start of the monster-of-the-week tradition, and doesn't make any sense in the first place. 8-bit Sonic 1 could easily be merged with its 16-bit counterpart, and 8-bit Sonic 2 could precede it's 16-bit counterpart, but, after that, only Sonic Chaos could have a chance to be shoehorned also before 16-bit Sonic 2. I like to think Robotnik took control of Battle Kukku's technology after the events in Tails' Adventures as a prequel to the series, though, but just because that army had eggmobiles.
When it comes to portables, Sonic Team didn't really take control of them until Pocket Adventure, so I tend to dismiss the ones prior to that when it comes to story (mostly for reasons in my above post). Regarding Advance and Advance 2, they happen more-or-less as they were released, in the gap between SA2 and Heroes - Eggman does some side-villany kidnaps Tails, Vanilla, etc. and we're introduced to Cream, which leads nicely into Sonic Heroes. I'd argue that whilst the stores are certainly not that great, there was still a clear continuity told through the events and dialogue. - Sonic Adventure 1 has many nods to all of the previous games (Amy's daydream of CD, all the Angel Island lore from the Sonic 3 manual being expanded upon, everyone already knowing eachother from the Genesis games, etc, Tails' Workshop and Amy's hammer from Sonic the Fighters, etc.) - Sonic Adventure 2 was a clear SA1 sequel, referencing Tails saving Station Square from the missile attack in SA1 - Heroes continues Shadow's story from the end of SA2 and sets up the events of the next game - Shadow the Hedgehog concludes the edgefest. Since Sonic Unleashed though, it's clear each game has tried to be more of a stand-alone adventure, but then Generations gives you a nice dot-to-dot of the general 'events' anyway. I think the only thing that stops this from working is Sonic 2's backstory from the JP manual. Sonic arrived on West Side Island and stayed there until Eggman attacked, and the events of Sonic 2 happened. If the time was a bit more lax, you could say that Sonic came to West Side Island, met Tails, both went back to South Island where the Emeralds stayed for a while (for Sonic 2 GG and Chaos to happen) before returning to West Side Island where Eggman is now attacking, but I feel Sonic Chaos' story of South Island sinking without the Chaos Emeralds kind of contradicts them being elsewhere in the rest of the Sonic series. Actually, fuck it. Can SEGA just tear up the manuals and re-write a new timeline, Hyrule Historia style that includes everything? :v:
Yeah Sonic Adventure positively follows up 3 & Knuckles, and perhaps 3D Blast and Chaotix as well. As noted, I believe Sonic 2 GG precedes Sonic 2. Outside some flavor text in the manual, I can't readily think of anything that rules out its placement beforehand. Sonic Chaos could easily take place directly after Sonic 2 GG, which means it would also precede Sonic 2 MD. Triple Trouble follows up Chaos, but not immediately, so it'd be tricky placing that before Sonic 2 as well. Sonic 2 may or not lead directly into Sonic 3 though. Yes, Super Sonic is racing Tails in the Tornado to Angel Island and that could easily take place right after the Good Ending of Sonic 2. They may have stopped and celebrated or something though, so there may have been a delay into the events of Sonic 3. To place Triple Trouble before Sonic 3 would still be tricky though, unless Knuckles stealing the emeralds from Sonic wasn't their first interaction. I'll go with Triple Trouble taking place after some/all the events of 3, but before the events of & Knuckles. Then there's Sonic Blast...which I suppose takes place after 3D Blast and Chaotix. Yes. SEGA PLEASE!
