Sonic X Shadow Generations thread, movie level out now

Personally, I feel like giving Shadow wings is the most cringe out-of-pocket decision Sonic Team has done in awhile that kinda trashes his character, but I absolutely love everything else. Deluxe addition for me. And I CANNOT WAIT for the Shadow animation they're cooking up if it's anywhere close to the level of Knuckle's prologue.

 

Yeah, I think Classic fans (who have been getting pandered to for quite a while at this point) crying foul that Sega dare to pander to some other group as well is both funny and sad.

I played Sonic 1 and 2 for the first time at such a young age that I cannot remember it, but I also got into SA2 as a 10 year old. So I've got nostalgia for both "eras" of games. Consequently, the "good eating" streak I've been on since 2016 just continues!

This is how we know we're back.

 

Honestly, it makes Japan omitting Classic from their marketing even funnier when seen like this.

Western nostalgia is really the only thing keeping Classic relevant to this series.


Keep fighting the good fight.

 

Well, yeah. Like 80-90% of the fanbase is western… of course they’re keeping him relevant. Those western fans are what keep the franchise afloat.

I’m also not sure where this idea that Japanese fans dislike Classic Sonic comes from. There’s not as much nostalgia for the Mega Drive there as in the west, but his design is cute and appealing and most fans over there like the classics too.

 

How does giving Shadow wings trash his character? This is like saying the wing cap from Mario 64 trashes Mario's character.

 

This is pretty much my understanding. I've heard that most Japanese people just straight up didn't know who Sonic was until the Dreamcast. They probably don't even look at it through the lens of "classic sonic" and "modern sonic" like we do, to them it's just Sonic.

I think a similar thing happened with Zelda where the popularity of that series in Japan was never really consistent, until Breath of the Wild released and completely revived their interest in the series.

 

It's less that Japan dislikes Classic Sonic and more they're just apathetic. They're apathetic to Sonic in general, but Modern Sonic and especially Frontiers and "shonen-style" Sonic appeals to them more and Sega is doubling down on that.

 

About the comparison between Shadow and Zavok...

I'm one of those 2010s kids. I think Sonic was in a better place during the 2010s than in the 2000s, I'm somewhat worried about the direction they're taking Sonic now, and most importantly, yes, I think Zavok and the other Zeti are better than a good chunk of the bad guys from the 2000s, such as Mephiles and Eggman Nega... but he still sucks.

The reason why I highly doubt the Deadly Shits will ever get any significant following is because there's not a lot to like or dislike about them, they're not bad in my opinion, because they're almost nothing. Just look at Zavok, his design is very basic, his personality is incredibly one-dimensional, he has no backstory or motivation and he doesn't even get anything cool like a unique character theme.

Add this to the fact that Sonic Lost World was released for a console nobody bought and its only port was for the PC, which I assume filtered a lot of kids who opted for the new Playstation of Xbox since it would probably be easier to convince their parents to buy this than a computer. It also doesn't help that Zavok's reappearances feel less like a result of artistic decision (or even marketing) and more like the developers are struggling to come up with more characters to shove in their rosters, specially if they want more bad guys in these games. I suspect that Sega likes to reuse him because they want Sonic to have a rogues gallery beyond the Eggman Empire, but they just can't be bothered to introduce new characters.

You get the occasional "but he's good in the comics", but it's unlikely he'll ever be remembered fondly by a significant part of the fanbase. Someone like Infinite on the other hand isn't that far away from your average "Dark Era" Sonic villain, his design, vocal theme and power definitely attracted some fans here and there.

...I'm waiting for the day where it becomes cool to like him

 

Honest question: do Shadow fans actually take Shadow seriously anymore?

The whole "Shadow-Vegeta" characterization was seen as flanderization 10 years ago. I remember people clamoring for a return to the more stoic hero he once was and to stop making him such an asshole. But now that's...shifted? When Knuckles was flanderized, fans fought tooth and nail to return him to the character he once was, and they succeeded. But with Shadow's flanderization, there's now this kind of weird post-ironic appreciation for him being dark, edgy, violent, and constantly angry. Shadow sprouting wings that look like they came from a 2007 Sonadow Deviantart page is "hype" now, and yet I don't know if fans actually prefer it that way, or if this is some inside joke within the fandom.

 

It's less that Classic is "disliked" but the perception of him is different.

In the Western territories, Classic is Sonic to most people. That is definitive version of Sonic that put the franchise on the map and the most well know version of the character for the ones who grew up with it in the 90s.

That perception does not exist in Japan. Like you said, Sonic as a whole isn't very popular there, so there's no real "definitive" version, but it is true that the Modern incarnation of the character has had the more popular games and tends to have design sensibilities that align with their preferences.

Hence why the marketing is more focused on that, along with Shadow who is way less divisive in Japan than he is to western audiences, as opposed to the Western marketing which keeps Classic at the forefront along with Modern and Shadow.


Less "disliked" and more "apathetic"

 

https://x.com/andy_vgc/status/1799500367429771776?s=46&t=bZJC18OhbZ2zy_1P_NLvSA

 

I was expecting Generations classic to get a graphical upgrade, but it looks the exact same. It looks very strange when compared to Shadow's campaign with all it's fancy graphics.

 

The gameplay footage is giving me two minds.
On one hand, setpieces, level asset variety, no more context generic hotboxing of environments that has been happening for years at this point. It genuinely looks pretty cool.
On the other hand, maybe it's just their no-boost mentality in playing it or something, but it looks stiffer than Frontiers in some regards?

 

That level design is...not good.

Biolizard's music seems like they just reused the 3DS version's theme and added a guitar solo.

 

Nah, the level design looks fine. There's enough alternate paths I can see that add variety. The level is more focused on the spectacle which is genuinely amazing. If the two are balanced well in later levels and this will be great.

Why is the player not boosting, though? Is that a very limited resource, or are they just bad at the game lol

 

All that footage from “Act 1” of Space colony btw, which is surprising as it is really long and also + - transition midway into radical highway which is very cool  

 

The actual level layout is spaced weirdly, though. It's too wide for what isn't there. The other games were more economic with that kind of spacing.

 

The Biolizard looks sick. I especially love its gills, they gross me out, but in a good way. I think it fits the Biolizard.

 

The level design looks more fun that Frontiers and especially Forces but worse than Generations.
Remember when Sonic games used to have slopes? (looking at you, Space Colony Ark)

Also can't shadow quickstep? I never bothered to play his campaign in Frontiers but I'd assume he could do that?