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[Spoiler Free] THEY DID IT?! Let's talk about Sonic x Shadow Generations || Chatsu Shorts
40 Plays25 days ago
After getting the game three days early, I did not expect to enjoy Sonic x Shadow Generations as much as I did. But why was this? Does it live up to the hype that was built up? Or does it belong in the dark age of Sonic history? Without any further ado, let's find out in this SPOILER FREE episode of Chatsu Shorts!
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Transcript
Introduction and Sonic Fandom
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chad Tsunami.
00:00:16
Speaker
Since the beginning of this podcast, long-term listeners will no doubt know about my love for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Like a nostalgic blanket, the series has thrived in both its dizzying highs, as well as its infamy during its
Sonic's Dark Age
00:00:32
Speaker
dark age. This is something that we discussed in our Sonic month during 2022 as our second ever themed month, and if you haven't listened to it already, then I would highly recommend it. But to summarise, while the Dark Age was full of some rather questionable decisions, it paved the way for detractors of the blue blur to brand the series as unredeemable. Some even went as far as to claim Sonic was never good, a statement that we heavily disagreed with.
00:00:58
Speaker
It was an age-marred in controversy, but we still appreciated it for at least taking risks, and by the time the modern age rolled around, Sonic seemed to retreat into itself, no longer taking chances and heavily relying on its nostalgia to carry it. This culminated towards 2011's Sonic Generations, a celebration of every age of the franchise. It was one that I will forever remember, shocked at the even included levels from the universally despised Sonic 06. But what makes this particularly special, as silly as it sounds, was how it embraced its past rather than shun it.
00:01:35
Speaker
And while this mentality would go back and forth, it really solidified what I loved about the series. Granted, I had my issues with it, after all what true Sonic fan wouldn't complain for legal reasons, that's a joke. But getting past the basic story, and the final boss that gives me nightmares for entirely different reasons, I truly believe that it was the perfect game for those stepping into the world of Sonic for the first time. It's fun, colourful and an all around delight
Sonic Generations and Shadow's Return
00:02:03
Speaker
to play.
00:02:03
Speaker
So imagine my shock when Sega announced that they would not only be re-releasing an updated version of the game, but they would also be including a Shadow-centric story. Given that Shadow will be making his live action debut in screens this December, Sonic Team have been going absolutely wild with their promotion of the Ultimate Life form, from Heartbreak in animation form and art beginnings to the aforementioned Sonic 3 trailer. So when they announced that the game would be rebranded as Sonic X Shadow Generations, I was initially flabbergasted, then curious and yes you guessed it, utterly hyped. The trailer started showing more and more, with foes and locations from shadows past. some that we haven't seen in ages, while others were definitely more familiar. While I personally think that they showed way too much in the trailers in hindsight, I still think they did an excellent job landing near the delivery. But what makes this game so well received? Did both Shadow Generations and the Sonic Generations remake live up to the hype? And what mystery lies within Shadow's tragic past?
00:03:07
Speaker
As of recording this episode, I managed to pick up an early copy of the game and have played it three days ahead of time. Therefore, while there may be minor spoilers in this review that refer to the promotional material, I will not be spoiling the story itself because I don't think that's fair
Gameplay Mechanics and Lore Exploration
00:03:23
Speaker
at all. But without any further ado, let's live and learn in this review of Sonic X Shadow Generations. but Let's quickly start with Sonic's part of the game first. As expected, not much has really changed here. Bar a few rewrites, new collectibles and a few tweaks here and there. It's essentially the same game, except for the addition of one particular mechanic called the Drop Dash which is the latest move in Sonic games these days, and at the risk of someone spin dashing into me in public, I did not care for it. It both insisted on itself and greeted me into the dark abyss below, which I did not care for.
00:03:59
Speaker
That being said, there was a blast racing through these levels with the Sonic Adventure skin. An excluding the lackluster finale boss which I still maintain as one of the weakest of the series for its actual design. It did everything I expected to of a remaster and more. So you know what? Props to Sonic Team for including this when they didn't have to. But I know what you're thinking, who cares about that when the Shadow Generations part is what you all came here for? And I've got to say, while your Sonic Generations was already in my top 5 Sonic games, I truly believe that this has elevated it to the pantheon of near-perfect Sonic games to me. It had everything I wanted out of it and more. going as far as Toombre, some of its lesser-liked aspects. Which means, of course, we have to talk about 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog. For those unaware, Shadow is a lab experiment grown by one Professor Gerald Robotnik in order to help find a cure for his terminally ill granddaughter, Maria. After selling his soul to an alien warlord called Blackdoom, he manages to create the ultimate lifeform before the military kill Gerald and Maria in a tragic accident and keep Shadow in captivity for 50 years. If you're only familiar with the original Sonic games, then this backstory may come across as quite jarring. Oh well, hold onto your rings because it's about to get a whole lot crazier here. In the 2005 game, Shadow comes face to face with his creator Black Doom, who leads an armada of aliens called the Black Arms to conquer Earth, but is eventually defeated with the power of Shadow's Second Amendment rights, and if you think I'm joking with that, look at the cover of this game. All joking aside, as silly as it is now, you will not believe how hyped that cover made me feel when I was younger. It's something I think people forget about when they criticise these games, that at the end of the day they were trying something bombastic to capture the attention of a maturing audience. Did it succeed?
00:05:57
Speaker
Eh, not exactly. But because of its poor reception, it is part of the franchise that is not spoken about as much. Even the comics ought to distance themselves from it eventually. So when I heard that Black Doom would not only be returning to the game, but also playing the central antagonists, I was shocked to say the least. But after playing through it, they 100% made the right decision here. The story itself is penned by one Ian Flynn, who wrote both Sonic Frontiers and the IDW comics.
00:06:25
Speaker
someone who for some weird reason has garnered some mixed responses in regards to his writing. And while I'm not going to put him on a sacrosanct pedestal and say he can't do anything wrong, I actually thought his writing here was well done. Again, I'm not going to spoil things, but except for the odd few lines here or there, I was perfectly fine. S rank for you, Jensland. In funin and Revisiting Shadows Past,
00:06:48
Speaker
We see numerous levels that were either excluded or just didn't exist during the original Sonic Generations cranked up to 11 here. They fully lean into everything crazy about Shadow's lore, something that back in the 2000s would have led you to being laughed at, and then the 2010s called edgy. But here they throw everything at the wall. Personally, I think they did fantastically. And for the older fans out there of... especially the Dark Age era, you're going to absolutely love this story. As for the gameplay, I was surprisingly mixed on it. While I think overall it was done well and the controls were tight, the introduction of some of the power-ups varied. Some were really fun to use, while others left me mildly annoyed at how they controlled. In the satisfying as it was to launch a Black Arms alien across the map, it had its pros and cons. To be honest, the game controlled more like Sonic Frontiers at points, minus the combat mechanics, and with the introduction of Chaos Control, it made for a stellar player experience. However, my further frustrations grew whenever a target or enemy slipped off screen. As a result, the game would not let me hit them.
00:07:57
Speaker
I thought that maybe this was something Sonic Generations had also done, but upon replaying that, I learned that I could hit enemies trying to hide off screen. I'm not really sure
Game Reception and Community Engagement
00:08:06
Speaker
what was up with that. One last thing I want to praise the game for, other than its amazing soundtrack and level design of course, is surprisingly the hub world, route which feels far more alive when compared to Sonic's.
00:08:17
Speaker
And while I like them both for their own different reasons, Shadow Generations really utilises it well. The more you complete the game, the further it opens up. Initially I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but by the end I found myself really enjoying it. And in case you're wondering, Yes, I did try on the Terioskin once I finished the game. Much like the Sonic Adventure skin, the Terioskin was a bonus for pre-ordering the game, and it was based off an old prototype shadow design. You would not believe how much of an erd I felt like when I was the only one who recognised it out of my Sonic-headed friends. But overall,
00:08:51
Speaker
Is Sonic X Shadow Generations worth all the hype? Honestly yes, 100%. Sonic is a franchise that has struggled with its identity, one that continuously flips back and forth into what it should be. If you told me even 5 years ago that we'd be getting a game where the plot of Shadow the Hedgehog would be used to create a modern Sonic game, then I would have never believed you. It's a crazy experience if you're just being introduced to Shadow for the first time. but it's one I think is totally worth it. From the gorgeous redesigns of levels, to a bombastic finale that will have you cheering by the end, I think that there is something in here for both old and new Sonic fans. But what did you think? Was Sonic X Shadow Generations everything you hoped for? Or was there more that it could have done? Whatever the case, feel free to let us know below. In case you're wondering, I will definitely be doing a full length spoiler filled episode of this in the future, so be sure to look out for that when it arrives. But if you would like to listen to more of our episodes, then you can check it out on our website, Chatsunami dot.com, as well as all good to podcast apps. I also want to thank our Pandora Impatrons robotic battle toaster,
00:09:56
Speaker
Sonya and Ghosty for the support. Thank you so much, it means the world to us. For more behind the scenes and exclusive content, you can head over to patreon dot.com forward slash chat tsunami. But until next time, stay safe, stay awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated.