What would make them better?

They should make the characters more simple, like Mario. Sega is trying too much to give these characters deep stories, Especially Shadow, who eneded up getting his own game to fit all of this so-called "character development" in.

Second, Keep the focus on Sonic, but give the others their own spin-offs. The Wario Land games have proved that, if done right, you can build a character's fanbase without cluttering the main series with excess.

 

I could argue it's more a sense of being pretentious about it, making simplified characters but trying to make out they are deep and epic. It's really hard to take the franchise's take on 'mature' storylines when the cast consists of candy colored cartoon anthros many with the typical clitche personality roles, eg. the angry guy, the smart guy, the bratty girl, etc. Such character ideas are really made for light hearted cartoony storylines, that's not to say they can't be deep or serious with them on occasion, but within their intended backdrop and atmosphere (think Disney for example).

While some characters are a bit too simplified/flanderized or outright bland I do think they work with this simple exagerrative method of development, like a standard cartoon, give them one defining trait to help display their character through and expand with extra facets. I like Amy for example, while she has a limited role and schtick her persona is defined well enough, she isn't just lovesick over Sonic, she's also bubbly, opinionated and a bit hot tempered. She conveys it all with a kinda childish perky mannerisms but can still display very different aspects at times. (Maybe this is the problem with Tails that's the hot debate right now, he still has a varied role at times in the games and Sonic X and can show emotions but outside his technobabble the overall way he displays them is kinda generic and 'everyman-ish'. Any character can show anger or happiness, it's the unique manner they convey it through their personality, there's a difference between Shadow happy and Amy happy or Sonic angry and Knuckles angry).

 

Knuckles' apparent decline into dull-witted comic relief that goes into a raging fit at the top of a hat bothered me. I've said it before, but at least I can respect Chronicles for not going that route.

 

I believe the central debate here is whether the Sonic crew should be treated as reliable icons or developing characters. Looking at the games in the past, I am lead to believe SEGA wants to do both; giving every Tom, Dick, and Stacy their own screen time yet killing off any of the folks anybody may have had the chance to develop sympathy for.

Typically in a hero's journey script, something must change by the end of an adventure or else there is no sense of accomplishment. If I am mistaken, Tails has had two coming of age sub plots in the games thus far, witch is why so many people feel as if giving him daddy issues at this point would be a step backwards. In turn this change also means that the image of “classic Tails” a lot of us grew up with is dead.

The Main difference between the Sonic and Mario franchise is that while Mario remained simple and reliable, The Sonic franchise essentially became twenty different stories that all happen to have a giant blue hedgehog in it, separating the fan base into healthy chunks. The best solution for the franchise may just be finding one party and sticking with it.

 

I definitely figured that the Sonic Characters need more emotion and life (Think Archie Comic's STH)

They would need to give more emotions from the characters to make it interesting, but that depends on how good the writer is at portraying them. I mean, Sonic characters were getting duller since SA2/Heroes and they definately need a check.

Tails - I think he needs to see Sonic as a close friend type of thing, he needs to improve his traits and ideas need to be brainstormed into how to further develop the character. I mean, Sonic Colours will show us differently since there appears to be talented writers developing the game's story and a new voice actor etc but I want Tails to have some natural? sort of personality that shows even though he is smart, he is still 8 (like being insecure, shy, trying out things etc) but some changes are notable that he is developing and growing up maturely and independently... and at the same time kicking tail. I want him to come off as cute as-well in some instances.

How he relates to the rest is also important, but I leave that to the hands of the writers.

Sonic - He is a cool, blue, strong and confident hedgehog who runs at extraordinary speeds and is a laid-back person. His character should be extended and be more "life-like". Humour, boasting (Think SaTam) and abit of lighthearted wit is something like an icing to the cake (in which is the game), so def bring that back. He should also have some small basic team leading qualities. I want him to be like in the archie comics <Shamelessplug>Because I am a fan</Shamelessplug> but in Sonic Team's way...

Amy - Seriously, she needs to stop chasing Sonic all the time and well... I don't know but I think she should see Sonic as a friend and not overly power her as being love-sick and building it up from there, cause every game I see it's "Sonikku!" so yeah, rather than being the (Consistently) rejected role character/Support character, she should prove to herself and to Sonic that she is capable (But no romance, maybe a hint to keep interest) and that she should relate to Tails as a sister kind-of-thing.

Fang - An old-school SegaSonic Character from the gamegear and sega master system games not recently featured in any 3D Sonic Games, his role should be as a gun-for-hire, a bounty hunter looking to make some quick cash. He should have a backstory/hinted past. He's gotta be prone to gullible/goofy mistakes (not totally idiot-proof), being rude and have a somewhat cunning, egoistical and being ruthless and selfish. He can get easily offended by insults about his fang or something. Despite his bad personality, he has the determination to get what he wants, at all costs (even joining eggman) and when times get desperate, he wont hold back even a second to accomplish what he gets until when it endangers his life!

But in all seriousness, this is just my personal opinion and you really can't satisfy everyone (But you can try to satisfy as much as 90% of people) but yeah, I'm happy so far with what Sega and Sonic Team is doing and hope that they are going well and improving.

Edit: I don't want a Sonic game to be totally serious, but developed as slow and thoughtfully as possible IMO.

 

True, but I don't think it was right to take out that element altogether since it balances his serious aspects and makes him seem more multi faceted, without it he seemed kinda dull. Knuckles' temperament and egotism again is an element that helps give a 'quirk' to his personality and mannerisms, it only really became a problem when it was evolved into the entire core of his personality, though even then I find more character out of angry large ham Knuckles than the generic brooding one from Chronicles.

It's like Amy's lovesick fangirl schtick, it is a bit too much of an overwelming aspect but it gives her a unique quirk, without her ditzy lovesick traits she would likely just be another generic action girl/damsel in distress, case in point the StC version.

Character development should be adding traits and complexities to a character, not diluting the ones that already exist.

 

This. Since Post-Adventure 2 I feel like each character is just their most dominant trait with every other trait removed entirely, or given an entirely new trait as their personality.

 

Sonic and Robotnik are the only important characters, and the only ones that should have an expanded backstory.

Tails, Knuckles, and Amy - these can appear as playable characters, but they don't have to. It is only by the grace of Sonic Team that one or two of them might even be in the game. They are accessories to Sonic that offer their own gameplay quirks and nothing more.

Metal Sonic - this is the only antagonist other than Robotnik that works. He can work alongside Robotnik or on his own as the villain, and his appearance in the game is merely a bonus, like Sonic's sidekicks.

Other characters - should have minimal presence in the games.

 

Reminds me of a comment I saw on youtube regarding the Sonic Gems title screen. "Pretty much all the characters that need to be in a Sonic game are on that title screen"

 

This.

Well, I'm on the "reliable icons" crowd. There's only so much you can "develop" with characters like Sonic before you need to give them a sendoff. Just look at Sonic's own comic and its convoluted plots. If anything, Chronicles and Battle showed that Sonic characters have a lot of entertainment potential on character interaction alone.

 

Eh, wasn't big on the characterizations in Chronicles, as said they seemed less like expanding over their center trait and more diluting that one to make them seem less flanderized. A lot of the conversations seemed rather bland and generic (eg. the rather awkward nice to meet you with Tails near the start, shows how little chemistry the two have right now).

I could argue early pre flanderization Sonic X shown better examples of casual character interaction though even that wasn't perfect.

 

My point stands, though. I'm sure I'd rather have Sonic not become like a comic book superhero. The main problem to keep an ongoing story with character arcs between Sonic games is that their stories cannot end.