The Sonic the Hedgehog Continuity Thread of Love and Timelines

To be fair, it had a canon right up until 2010.

Kind of curious how you explain Silver and Blaze then...

 

Hence me saying from 06 onwards, to me, it's utter chaos.
Do you see the amount of mental gymnastic needed to set all into place?
Before 06 it was WAY easier to set things canonically, even non-mainline games.

 

I mean they're clearly working on cleaning everything up now and making a concerted effort to establish a consistent canon for the setting going forward. We already know they're back to one world, seems like there was a timeline split making classic his own thing (unfortunately) and G.U.N. is still part of the setting. I'm sure the comics and further Tails Tube episodes will fill in more gaps as we go.

 

You do remember I'm one of the ones here who made the timeline, right?

Spoiler

I'm well aware of the amount of thought needed for the timelines. At the same time, I enjoy the practice. I just fear whoever comes in next just doesn't bother trying and dumps a lot of games...

Though I'm considering splitting the Current Era into the Fire and Wind Era and the Wisp Era, just for less hassle when Sonic Frontiers and the future games are released... Idle musing though.

 

You're clearly dismissing the main point of my replies...
I majorly only care about the mainline games.

Until Shadow, one could make the canon work right with only those games.
After that you get tids and bits from side-stories, spin-offs and so on.
I'm the kind who prefers stuff simple and easy to pick and go with. That's all.

 

But canon is fine for the most part.

There are some inconsistencies and lack of explanation here and there, but that happens since Sonic 3. We had three big issues (one-world vs two worlds, Sonic CD's placement, and Sonic Rivals' canonicity) and they are solved for now.

What we still need some clarification is:
- 06 + Rush series + Rivals series
- Mania + 4 + Chaotix + split timeline
- Game Gear games, mobile games, arcade games

 

Without retcons, I don't think Triple Trouble can fit into the established canon.

 

No, I simply do not understand what you mean. Please don't claim I'm doing something I'm not.

I thought you meant with all the games, it's chaos: I was also noting your comment about the amount of 'mental gymnastics' needed to sort out the timeline by pointing out I've done them.

Now, what do you mean by mainlines, since this is where I'm getting confused. I assume you mean the major games, like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colours, etc. If so, then I don't see any chaos from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) onwards.

Sonic Unleashed: introduction of Orbot (proto, at least).
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: between Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles and Sonic Adventure.
Sonic Colours: Orbot continues to be a thing.
Sonic Generations: directly tied to the above's ending.
Sonic Lost World: Wisps involved, needs to come after Sonic Colours. After Sonic Generations due to that direct tie.
Sonic Mania: going by current split timeline, after Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles on an alternate timeline.
Sonic Forces: Zavok 'involved', comes after Sonic Lost World.

Now, what am I missing here that's mainline to you? Genuine enquiry so I can understand what you mean: it's mostly the side games, like Sonic Riders, that are the most confusing, but I don't know if you count them as mainline or side-series?

Pre-Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but after the Death Egg crashed onto Angel Island, where there is a gap of events outright noted. I will always maintain this.

 

By the way, Tails' Tube 2 just aired and confirmed:
- Eggman's name still is Ivo Robotnik, in case someone was afraid this was going to be retconned
- The nickname "Eggman" was created by Sonic mocking him, and he adopted as a form of empowerment (that presents some issues)
- Eggman defeated GUN during Forces

 

My headcanon is that Eggman stems from Robotnik calling himself an Extraordinarily Gifted Gentleman, which is also why he has EG and EGG on his stuff and used it as a password. He assumed it as empowerment to try and one up Sonic's mockery of his Extraordinarily Giftedness.

 

Called it

 

I deem mainline games the titles mostly remembered by fans and devs alike: Sonic1/CD/2/3K, SA1&2, Heroes (unfortunately), Shadow, 06 and those you mentioned.
Portable Classics, 3D, Fighters, Chaotix, Advance, Battle, RUSH, Riders, Rivals, Storybooks, Sonic4, etc, I usually don't consider them as relevant as the mainline ones.
But then there's the whole Silver & Blaze schtick, and even Cream debuted first on Advance2 rather than Heroes. All a huge mess, in my humble opinion. Utter chaos.

 

Issues?
If anything solves the instances the Japanese moniker slipped through the localization process in the 90s.

 

His weapons prior to Adventure 1 were called "Egg something", including the infamous Death Egg. Was Sonic calling him Eggman because of his weapons or his body shape?
If it was because of his body shape, the name of the weapons must be part of this empowerment. So this mockery must have been way prior to Adventure 1, maybe prior to Sonic 1. But that is strange considering Classic Tails calls him Robotnik in Generations (which now I'm not sure if it's canon, I'm confused by that translation discussion).
If it was because of his weapons, why would he call them "eggs"? There's no explanation for that, so the explanation given for the nickname does not solve it yet.

 

Extraordinarily Gifted Gentleman's Mobile, Extraordinarily Gifted Gentleman's Wing Fortress.

 

Shadow was officially called a spin-off in one of the official sites, yet it's an essential part of Shadow's character arc.

 

I've always figured it was due to the shape of his body/head and/or simply just a variation on Egghead, given that it refers to loony intellectuals who've found themselves out-of-touch with average folk. The naming of his machines likely blossomed out of that as a means of flipping Sonic Team's insult into something positive.

 

I would have preffered it the other way, the name being Ivo Eggman and "Robotnik" being the nickname since he's a robot crafter, though I know that's never been a thing. "Eggman" as his supervillain name could have some better explanation than the one given anyway.

 

Now I want to see Eggman NEGA having his real name revealed, and it should be Dr. Nestor Gavriil Robotnik.

 

(N)ew
(E)vil
(G)enius
(A)ntagonist