So when does Superstars fit in the timeline? Right after Origins? Right before Mania? Right after Mania? Anywhere else?
It’s most certainly after Mania. New Sonic games haven’t concerned themselves with being prequels since the 90s, and I don’t see why SEGA would start confusing that now.
Well I think it has to be after the Tails 30th Anniversary Special since Sonic makes a comment in the comic about wanting to learn how to grind on rails and then we see him grinding on vines at least in the trailer. Well Sonic 4 Episode 2 is very clearly a prequel to Sonic Adventure but yeah they definitely won't try to make things more complicated than they need to be.
That whole able to grind on vines thing also puts a bullet in the whole "the SOAP shoes were needed by Sonic to learn to grind, so Sonic Advance needs to be after Sonic Adventure 2" point. IDLE MUSING, NOT CANON: Perhaps he only needs them to learn to grind on turns, and straight grinds in the 2D games are fine for him?
Ian Flynn already said he's not involved with Sonic Superstars ("the game") so I think it's a very reasonable assumption that the SOAP shoes reference was written with absolutely zero knowledge of the level-specific grinding gimmick of Speed Jungle. That is to say, it's the kind of thing that'd be swept under the rug and retconned if needed.
I never said anything against Flynn, or even the IDW comic. It was more towards the common point when discussing placements that Sonic Advance has grinding, where people point to Sonic Adventure 2 as when he learned, so Sonic Advance must come after it. You know I don't consider Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) canonical to the games anyway, so I thought I'd just leave it be.
I'd still say SA1 > SA2 and put the Advance games in a split timeline, but I guess now I'm the one in the minority... ^^"
The Advance games can't be in a split timeline because G-merl is introduced in the third game and he appears in IDW, Sonic Pict and got a page on Sonic Channel. Cream and Vanilla are also introduced in Advance 2
We don't do that here. After that whole mess with Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, I think we're good on alternate timelines in the franchise. Assuming Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW)'s actually canonical and isn't in the same boat as Sonic Prime (read: not canonical despite the word of the creators saying it is). Yes, yes, I know Flynn is writing for the games now. Sonic Channel also brings up Sticks and gives her Sonic Boom backstory, so alternate continuities are game for the site, so would be an alternate timeline. Not arguing in favour of, just point out the logic issues. I'd keep the entire series as one timeline.
Emerl, G-merl, Marine, Eggman Nega, Sticks, Shahra, Merlina, etc... All those haven't appeared on mainline games, so I deem them as side-story characters. They exist only within their exclusive titles, putting them on a gray ground, IMHO. From the classic line, Mighty, Ray and now Fang are being brought as relevant characters, somehow. Bean & Bark are also on a weird fine line, due to cameoing in Mania as Heavy Magician's illusions...
I'm happy with Fang coming back, mostly since he was a recurrent threat in Sonic the Comic. I wonder if they'll adapt his shrinking technology from that as he becomes more prominent again...
Going back on a prior matter discussed here... Couldn't someone here ask on BumbleKast if the myth opinion of some people here could be deemed true or not? Since said people could actually be onto something regarding the franchise as a whole. If he, at best, tried to divert the question, it could hint us that we're on the right track.
Yeah, I just don't think it needs to really be retconned. Like Sonic thought he might have needed some special shoes for grinding but turned out he did not.
Ultimately I don’t think it’s significant enough to actually be addressed in any official capacity, it’ll probably just get a hand wave when somebody who cares too much and/or thinks it’s some kind of gotcha asks on BumbleKast.
