SONIC
I revitalized my love of Sonic from childhood in 2017 when I played Sonic Mania, but it was picking up Sonic forces and being blown away by it's mediocrity that I decided to stay.
I've played a game from each era of Sonic and I have something I love about each of them, but my loyalty lies mostly with the sincerely cheesy games of the 2000s. The messy, volatile history of this series as a franchise and fandom is infectious, and I mean that with all the affection possible because there's really nothing like Sonic.
In-Depth:
All-Time Favorite Game:
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is one of the most iconic video games ever made, and you CANNOT change my mind. I can't think of a video game that is more itself than SA2 - more self-absorbed in the best way possible - which is a trait that reflects this series' main character and thus what I think the whole should represent as well. That completely unabashed flair, spunk, and edge is intoxicating nowadays, especially as someone who was brought up in the beginning of Sonic's 2010s era and now lives in the irony-poisoned aftermath of that. I think in general the Adventure (and "Dark Ages") of Sonic gave me a deep appreciation for media that is just unapologetic and confident in it's vision, even when that vision is that of a silly cartoon hedgehog going on silly adventures. It's truly been an energy and philosophy that has stuck with me through so many creative ups and downs, and I continually look back at the game as a source of inspiration for my own projects that routinely skirt the lines between absurdist and melodramatic. I really do think more games need to embrace whatever the hell SA2 and games like it have going on.
So now to Sonic Adventure 2 as an actual video game. It's rough, but that's as much a part of it's charm as it is a major set-back to me. The same way I adore how seriously SA2 takes itself despite being a rather rickety plot about cartoon animals and government conspiracies, I love that it gasses itself up without question despite not actually being a mechanical masterpiece, I just love it's earnest confidence in face of all it's flaws. But, it's flaws are flaws nonetheless, and while story ones can be laughed at and deconstructed, a video game that is a pain to play is always a pain to play. Which is a massive shame because the game's peaks are the absolute peaks of the series' 3D gameplay I've experienced, but it's lows can be frustrating. The speed stages are the best they have ever been, and from what I could tell ever were; A perfect medium between the incredibly open but often slow or disorienting level design of Sonic Adventure, and the fun speed and flashiness of Modern Sonic, just with that better sense of place. The treasure stages feel far more fleshed out being their own unique levels, and as messed up as the tracker is or as fucky as a few stage gimmicks were (Rouge's Space level made me quit for months), it is a distinct but super fun counterpart to the speed stages that feels like it holds the same key mechanics at its core. But the mech stages . . . I just hate them, I don't even wanna go into everything that sucks about them, I just can't stand any of them.
And all that magic I did list is ruined by the Achilles Heel of the Adventure Era games, THE JANK! Adventure games routinely feel like they're constructed of cardboard set pieces, and level design that punishes you for not following it's instructions. Though part of that might just be my own lack of patience? I've seen people praise the adventure games for freedom of movement. It might just be my modern gamer expectations talking, because when I have been able to mess around in Adventure games, it's a feeling like none else. Of levels that are open and which can really feel like lived in areas, but that you can speed through in an exhilarating flow state, that makes you feel like one of those cool ass hedgehogs who's mastered a heightened kind of urban parkour! It's just hard to get through when the game doesn't FEEL like being peak. This, more than anything, is why I and probably most others campaign for a remake with more sophisticated 3D developers and engines, because just that level of polish could elevate this game to a new level of fun. But unfortunately, even if that dream came true, it could easily turn into a nightmare. Sega hasn't learned a thing since this era about their flaws that lead to this in the first place . . .
The fact that Sonic Adventure can be a pain in the ass to play myself does not stop me from loving it however. There is just far too much too appreciate about it from afar - music, presentation, AND STORY! Fellas, the story of Sonic Adventure 2 is a modern classic. Not because it is perfect, but because it is itself an unabashedly itself. It also does have some pretty profound moments and themes too, just that some people with hearts too cold and dead can't enjoy because the game loves itself too much. Shadow in this is an amazing character with a great introduction, arc, and death that is only bolstered by nearly every facet of the game. His theme is one of my favorites in the series, and one of the best uses of the musical characterization within, and the eerie green lights he and his home of origin are often bathed in are so iconic. Once again, compared to what Sonic does nowadays, seeing him pitted up against a real dark and threatening presence that rivals him and meeting him with the ever-spunky but measured seriousness with which he treats Shadow is fascinating. Despite Sonic and Shadow's earth-shatteringly iconic rivalry being the main focus, the whole crew doesn't feel left out either, with the whole Hero vs Dark motif feeling really classy as edgy as it is. And for all that edge the story still manages to tug at fans' heartstrings and get a good anti-military dig in to this day.
My love for this game is certainly very vibe based, but that also is why I love it. It's kind of a mess, a poster child of style over substance, and maybe the most iconic game of all time. But I would do anything for that to be the energy that Sonic goes for, completely unashamed and bold and earnest, even if it leads to a bit of a train wreck. They still miss even when they play it safe, so why not miss while swinging for the moon? And blowing half of it up in the process, revealing a giant US-funded death laser space-station-- GOD I LOVE THIS GAME'S PLOT.
Favorite Character:
Metal Sonic
As I said, Metal Sonic is the most underrated character in Sonic's game canon to me. He was the first and is still one of the strongest rival characters for Sonic, representing something so pure and simple about the core themes of the series - nature vs machine, freedom vs rigidity, open air vs cold steel - all that! This isn't to discount Sonic's other rivals AT ALL, Knuckles and Shadow also have great dynamics with Sonic that shine in their own rights and are downright timeless. But compared to those two, Metal Sonic has hardly had even a second to shine since Sonic Heroes. They've all lost their polish and have endured character assassination, but more than anyone I feel Metal has just been erased. Barring his obligatory appearance in Generations, he didn't appear as a meaningful character again till Sonic Forces, and "meaningful" is a very very generous term. It was honestly almost as obligatory and hollow as that in Generations, a case of Sega's chronic need to reference things for no rhyme or reason. As Sonic's other rivals at least had some level of acknowledgment as such, Metal was either ignored or treated as some one-off baddie from the past, when he was and has potential to be so much more than that.
Sonic and Knuckle's rivalry is comparable to the classic "Unstoppable Force vs Immovable Object", they're both forces of nature in a way, but while one is speedy, clever, and lackadaisical, the other is strong, stubborn, and serious. It's then very natural when they come together in the end as natural guardians of peace and nature to stop the encroaching force of Eggman's cruel industrialism. Sonic and Shadow's rivalry is a bit more emotional, it's more the meeting between a hero who still has everything, and an anti-hero who had lost everything. Leading to conflicting philosophies over a misguided goal, on top of themes of the warm and natural vs the cold and alien. But in the end, Shadow and Sonic both live for the happiness of others, and once Shadow realized his true reason for being, it was no longer a question of taking Sonic's side. Both Knuckles and Shadow ultimately butt heads with Sonic initially over some form of misunderstanding that is then exacerbated by their thematic or philosophical differences (and always a twinge of ego), but what makes Metal Sonic interesting in this respect is the rigidity with which he engages Sonic. He effectively has no other morals or complexities motivating him besides one thing - a need to best him. Which on the surface sounds like something that should make him boring and one-dimensional, but in a series about agency and freedom, a character permanently bound to naught from a mix of internal and external influences is deeply interesting! And somewhat tragic.
Sonic's relationship with Eggman, robots, and technology has slowly become less in focus as the series has progressed, but it still ties deeply into Sonic's identity as a character and franchise, and it's what Metal Sonic represents. Eggman's vain, selfish, and ugly military campaign of industrialization culminates into Metal Sonic, an ultimatum towards nature and it's greatest force of resistance in Sonic the Hedgehog. And unlike his other clumsy attempts at spiting nature (through the pattern of early badniks often resembling animals), Metal Sonic RIVALs the real deal and gives Sonic a run for his money directly on his terms, matching him in speed and agility. This is even mirrored by Metal Sonic's appearance being this PERFECTLY translation of everything that makes Sonic Sonic into that of a machine, and then some! His sleek sharp design and touches of hard yellow and red making him the definitive Robot Sonic Doppelganger - he's Sonic refined to the peaks only attainable through mechanical precision. But then why hasn't he just fuckin' killed that outdated fleshbag by now? Because Metal Sonic lacks something that all the physical superiority in the world can't top: a flesh and blood heart and mind. This is of course in the sappy (and valid) "friendship and rainbows can do anything" way, but as well in the sense of character flaws. As a machine, Metal Sonic is tied to nothing but his mission of destroying Sonic, a single-mindedness that prevents him from thinking rationally with perspective outside of just that mission. Which has the unintended consequence of mirroring Sonic's own cockiness and overconfidence in it's own delightful robot-y way, and adding to his character as this cold and calculating machine who still falls victim to his own hubris. But unlike Sonic or any other rival, Metal is bound to this by nature of his being and creation. He's an eternal rival as long as Sonic still runs the earth, because the one thing he absolutely doesn't have in common with any other rival is that heart and flexibility.
Knuckles is strong but brash and prone to anger, Shadow is brooding, methodical, and a loner but still with a touch of ego. Metal Sonic is uniquely cold and serious of an antagonist due to his robotic nature and lack of voice and expression, but those little hints of character like overheating himself to try and win, replicating Sonic's quirks for unknown reasons, and showing excess cruelty start to piece together a picture of a very entertaining character. That being that he is a serious death machine who was programmed by a manchild, and for all his seriousness, his creators faults either seep through or enable Metal's own. The dynamic between the two and how their egos and worldviews mix or repel each other is something so interesting I want to see explored, but seems to only ever exist in the world of the comics through small gags of Eggman being paternalistic. But they're rarely fully fleshed out, especially how this attitude makes Metal feel. Is it conflicting? Is Metal aware of how irrational and incompetent his creator can be while understanding that he somehow made him as this far more rational machine? Does Metal make excuses for Eggman's behavior or even find himself making the same mistakes just hidden by his cold personality? Does Metal Sonic find Eggman's fatherly actions annoying and illogical, or the single source of warmth he tolerates? When Eggman isn't being kind to him, and instead treats him neutrally or worse, does Metal feel any sense of disappointment or relief? There is so much to explore between these two, and I weep at the lack of serious interactions between them!
Metal Sonic is a deeply overlooked and misunderstood character, who's surface level shallow traits actually open up far more interesting questions about him, as well as exploration of Eggman as a villain through their relationship to each other and Sonic. If Eggman will continue to play a major role, so should Metal as his greatest creation and supporting villain, they could pair together even better than they already have if fully explored. There are even a few times in the series I feel that an arc that easily could have gone to Metal was given to another robot (Gamma, Zero, probably Sage), and though I love these robos as well, they just make me miss Metal. Exploration of his character peaked in his last substantial appearance in Sonic Heroes, where it was introduced that his drive to beat Sonic was to the point of obsession and delusion. Of not only believing he was superior to Sonic but the "real one", which implies a lot about how Eggman might have programmed him as the capable but ridiculous inventor he is. It's an amazing direction to take with his character which evolves his silent era appearances seamlessly into the then new one of edgy backstories and voice acted cartoon drama. But it was all for naught, as after that appearance, and even seemingly a hint at the end that he would join Team Dark, he was just shafted from the main series for almost a decade. I would do absolutely anything to see him come back, especially if Sega ever feels like reexamining the series' roots. His spin-off appearances and iterations such as the beloved Chaos Sonic in Prime keep me fed, but I still dream of a mainline Metal Sonic confrontation that could live up the those of yore.
Favorite Thing About The Series Overall:
Chaotic Creative Energy
Sonic the Hedgehog is a series that has been with me through a lot of my life, so much of my views on what it is and means are deeply personal, but I do think they are universally understandable. Sonic is rather infamous for how inconsistent it is in all facets - tone, direction, quality - you name it. But as much as this deeply frustrates me and has led I and others to have a hot and cold relationship with it, it's part of a long-running appreciation for the series as well. Not exactly thanks to Sega, especially when it comes to the quality part, but, I feel as though the chaos of the media and canon cultivated a creative chaos in the fandom that I have seen no where else. I have never seen fans more analytical and invested in a cartoon platformer's themes, I have never seen fans more outlandish and adoring with their fan interpretations and projects, I have never seen fans more angry over imperfection, and yet encouraging of the bare minimum. Sonic fans are an entirely unique breed, and as much as they're shat on, I love 'em to death. I carry their brand of love with me into every other fandom unabashedly, and this level of vigor could only come from a series like Sonic. A series that has done everything from silent protag video games, to cheeky Saturday morning cartoons, to furry soap opera comics; from classic 2-D side-scroller, to high-speed open-world camp, to hyper-ironic reaction-based platforming; and has gone from Mario-Killer to Worst Video Game of All Time under the same title.
I only truly come into the story of this series and fandom's up and downs in 2017, as a teenage creative during the era of Cringe Culture and the like, and I cannot overstate how much this series and fandom has helped me overcome that culture within myself. Admitting to my friends that I unironically read Sonadow fanfiction, and that I prefer the writing in the Adventure games to anything else, and doodling hedgehogs in every margin - it killed the part of me that cringes, truly. And on top of that, I was in a very dark place with identity and art in 2017, feeling as though there was an insurmountable barrier between what inspired me and what could be shared with others, but once again, I owe my life to this stupid hedgehog and his deranged fans for giving me the creative energy to pursue sharing the stories I wanted without any fear. And creative or personal obstacle I learned to face head on with a sense of determination and good humor, and to be earnest and impassioned in my work. I so deeply believe that so much art today is poisoned by an unhealthy avoidance of honesty and camp, and despite my own anxieties, I strive to create art that makes me feel how early Sonic works and fanworks do. A truly one-in-a-million blend of medium defining iconography and raw creative drive.
The series might not reflect this now with all Sega's creative and structural issues, but it is a philosophy and aura that has persisted since the days of Cosmic Eternity to Endless Possibilities and beyond, in large part due to impassioned fans, as unafraid to create and critique as they've ever been. There's just something about Sonic that has shined since his inception that really just cannot die, no matter how much his character is bastardized or his reputation is run through the mud. He's our little modern patron of swiftness, passion, and creativity in my eyes, and I will always love him and his horrible fucking games for that.