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The Sonic the Hedgehog Continuity Thread of Love and Timelines

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by dredd, Jul 6, 2020.

  1. Josh

    Josh

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    I mean, I'd call it a "change" rather than an "upgrade," myself. ;) But, to-may-to to-mah-to, you're right. Uekawa is saying they made him look older, but Sonic's age continued to be either 15 or 16, just like it always had been. (As opposed to Amy, who was 8 in Sonic CD, but 12 in Sonic Adventure.)
    [​IMG] upload_2022-7-7_23-38-53.png

    My headcanon explanation for Generations is that it was a meta-narrative story, taking place outside of time. Classic Sonic is, in the real world, the earlier version of Sonic the Hedgehog, so that's how he's portrayed. The actual explanation is probably that his appearance was initially meant to be a one-off, so it didn't really matter. When they decided to make him, his aesthetic, and his supporting cast an ongoing part of the brand again after Generations, "this is what Sonic used to look like back when he was 16, as opposed to now, when he's 16" raises way too many inconsistencies, so as of Mania and Forces the classic universe is just that, "another dimension."
     
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  2. Zephyr

    Zephyr

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    Just about every single listed age for the characters in manuals and supplementary material feels completely inconsequential. They can be ignored and literally nothing changes. Sonic could be 8 years old or 28 years old, in any of these games, and the plot points and character personalities depicted would still work just as well. That's why they're the first headache I toss in the bin when making my headcanon timelines.
     
  3. BlackHole

    BlackHole

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    Fun fact: the ages aren't in the Japanese manual:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  4. raphael_fc

    raphael_fc

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    Imagine the world burning after future retcons in the Game Gear games so they can be shoved all after 3K-Mania.
     
  5. Josh

    Josh

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    But they are on the current SonicTeam.jp profiles, and they seem to match what was in the US Heroes manual.
     
  6. BlackHole

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    Oh, I would genuinely give up on the series if they do that. No lie, it would just prove they don't care and I would just stop.

    Indeed, and their ages were mentioned in a Japanese advertisement for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, though he was 15-16 years old if I recall correctly.
     
  7. raphael_fc

    raphael_fc

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    I woudn't mind at all, because my first ever timeline had the Game Gear games after 3K.
     
  8. Pengi

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    1:44:39

    "Grain of salt, but my understanding is Game Gear stuff happens after Origins. Do not take that as the gospel truth right now, because, I-unno, but that's my present understanding."
     
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  9. raphael_fc

    raphael_fc

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    I like it. Things are finally being organized.

    Now we need to know:
    - Mania's/Knuckles Chaotix'/Sonic 4's conundrum;
    - 06/Rush/Rivals conundrum.
    - Sonic R's and 3D Blast's placement
    - two timelines/one timeline;
     
  10. Starduster

    Starduster

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    If it were up to me, I’d place Sonic 4 as the last game before Adventure and have that be Sonic going travelling for a while.

    Hell, the idea that Sonic specifically went travelling in the first place is odd because he’s always been portrayed as a drifter. I think Shuffle and Secret Rings are the only games to show him having a house. At any rate, I figure Sonic travelling is just his never ending adventure continuing as usual.
     
  11. Linkabel

    Linkabel

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    From what I understand he went on an ascetic training journey.

    Thought, I wonder if this was a one time only thing or that's why Sonic travels so much.
     
  12. BlackHole

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    The second that's confirmed, I'm done.

    Assumedly post-Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, since Knuckles is involved with both. Of course, considering the sheer inanity of the current timeline...
     
  13. Pengi

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    Sonic 2 16-bit is when Sonic and Tails first met. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the next adventure after that. The Game Gear Sonic games would have to take place afterwards.
     
  14. BlackHole

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    In your interpretation of the story.
     
  15. Pengi

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    It's Sonic Team's interpretation that Sonic 2 16-bit is when Sonic and Tails first met. It's Sonic Team's interpretation that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the next story after that. That was the case in the '90s and it's still the case in Sonic Origins.
     
  16. BlackHole

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    So Sonic and Tails were just circling the oceans in the Tornado waiting for the Death Egg to fall out of the sky, then?

    But I'm tired of arguing with you, and you'll soon enough be rid of me once they confirm the Game Gear positions, so let's just leave it be.
     
  17. Plorpus

    Plorpus

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    This thread has basically turned into just little bits of info on actual continuity followed by sticking fingers in ears and saying “lalalala I can’t hear you” for a dozen posts. It’s kind of exhausting at this point.
     
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  18. raphael_fc

    raphael_fc

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    That I know. What I meant is where do they fall in the timeline considering the presence of Mania, Chaotix and the GG games. I'm assuming they go like 3K - Mania - Chaotix - 3D Blast - R - GG games, but maybe it is not like that.

    By the way, I really don't see the problem in fitting the GG games somewhere after 3K. Because 3K was always meant to be the direct sequel of Sonic 2, even if the manual tells about those two weeks of lying on a beach or something. You see, they could have put Sonic CD between 2 and 3K, as the release dates suggest, but nobody does that because it is so damn weird. Everybody assumed CD should fall before 2 or after 3K in order to not interrupt the 2-3K flow.

    Of course, the GG games were not meant to be placed after 3K, but they were not meant to be placed anywhere. The fitting might be awkward that way, but it would be awkward any way.
     
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  19. BlackHole

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    And the unknown length of time it took the Death Egg to 'now beginning to crash to the ground.'

    I'm not shoving everything into the gap between the Death Egg hitting Angel Island and Sonic heading to it. My timeline is:

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Death Egg explodes.
    Some of the Game Gear games - primarily Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-Bit) and Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos. Others can be here.
    Death Egg begins falling.
    Death Egg hits Angel Island.
    Sonic Triple Trouble - I will maintain this, but ignore if not your preferred interpretation.
    Sonic the Hedgehog 3

    No they didn't? Almost everyone put any adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog CD between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Even Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics), just before it was cancelled and with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, did that.

    Hell, Naoto Ohshima said it was between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 recently.

    [​IMG]

    Also, yeah, even Sonic Team members who worked on them are putting games between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. So I think I'm fully justified in games between them as well.

    I also feel the Death Egg surviving Sonic the Hedgehog 2 may have been a retcon.
     
  20. RDNexus

    RDNexus

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    Or maybe, because since Day 1 SEGA and Sonic Team cared little about proper continuity, they'd simply go along the wind.
    Since Sonic2 and SonicCD got produced at roughly the same time, each side might have their idea of how they fit in the classic timeline.

    And I still don't buy the idea the Death Egg might've taken days/weeks to drop down to Earth.
    As far as it concerns me, Sonic2's events affected it's center of gravity and let it be pulled faster towards Earth's orbit.
    Sonic and Tails might've gotten their time to rest a bit, but surely only a few days, at best.

    Heck, in S3K's Origins intro cutscene and even the JP manual synopsis state Eggman dropped to Angel Island alongside the Death Egg.
    Please, get your facts right.