Underground is Better Than Sat AM (Part 6)

Plot 

In Part 3, I discussed the origins of both the "triplets" of Sonic Underground and "the freedom fighters" of Sonic the Hedgehog ("Saturday Morning"). I explained that while Underground included some odd/surprising elements, it was more captivating and developed.  

The main plot, however, is a different subject. It sets the course for the series as a whole, and every episode has some kind of tie to it, big or small. 

Though it likely inspired Underground, Sat Am still is not as strong as it's successor.  

Main Plot Summaries

Sat Am Main

After the evil Dr. Robotnik took power, a group of teenagers decided to push back, called "Freedom Fighters." They use skill, sabotage, and various abilities to foil his plans and retake Robotropolis. 

Eventually they seemingly defeated Robotnik, though Snively got a way...and he wasn't alone.  

Underground Main

After the evil Dr. Robotnik took power, Sonic and his siblings became notable leaders of the "Resistance," a movement against Robotnik. They use skill, sabotage, and various abilities to foil his plans while searching for their mother.  

Had the time been right, the triplets would have reunited with their mother and full-filled their destiny by defeating Robotnik. 

Compared

As shown, the stories are quite similar. Sat Am actually has an ending, though it leaves on a mysterious cliffhanger. I like the idea of Sonic and Sally "winning," but the end bit undoes this. Even if there was a season 3, the new threat would have been Nagus--and I'm not sure that would have been a step in the right direction. 

While Sat Am does deserve credit for establishing this type of "freedom fighting" outline, Underground has improvements, such as expanding Mobius and adding a conflict of those "loyal to Robotnik." Ultimately, just as with their origins, Aleena really gives Underground a bittersweet edge over Sat Am.  

Side Plot Summaries (any notable sub-plot shown beyond 1 episode or shown to repeat)

Sat Am Sides 

• "Sonally"/Ant: Sally and Sonic's attraction to each other/Antione's crush on Sally.
• "Bean": Sally's search for her father.
• "Blast to the Past" Arc: Sonic and Sally attempt to time travel to stop Robotnik from taking over. 
•  "Doomsday" Arc: Sonic and Sally gather/use Power Stones to stop Robotnik. 
• "Pollution"/"NotKnothole": Robotnik continually tries to destroy the environment/nature in addition to his goals of destroying Knothole.  
• "Snively/New enemies": Snively hates his uncle and secretly wants power for himself. 
• "New allies": finding/convincing/rescuing others to help them (notably Uncle Chuck). 

Underground Sides 

• "Getting to Know You"/"Origins" Arc: Sonic, Manic, and Sonia's struggle to get along despite their different interests and origins. 
• Variations of this is shown through out, though it was most obvious in the origin storyline.  
• "Envy": One sibling (usually Manic) grows envious of another's power or childhood. 
• "Vow": The hedgehogs' try to find more information about their mother alongside their quest to find her.  
• "Bartlby": Sonia tries to help or get help from her ex-fiancé, who (usually) refuses to oppose Robotnik.   
• "Knuckles"/"Chaos Emerald Crisis": the group meets Knuckles the Echidna and struggles to get along with their differing goals.
• "Henchmen": Sleet and Dingo "rebel" and act on their own greed rather than their orders.   
• "New allies": finding/convincing others to help them (notably Cyrus). 

Compared

Surprisingly, both shows have a fair amount of sub-plots for a long cancelled DiC cartoon. 

Of Sat Am, the "Sonally" plot is my favorite. A sharp contrast from the "girl of the week" AoStH usually had, "Sonally" had great potential, but it was constantly dampened by Antione and their own behaviors. The idea would have worked better if Antione had given up on his fixation with the princess by Season 2. Likewise, it was fairly confusing for Sally to be kissing Sonic on the cheek every episode (via intro) without having them be in a relationship (annoyingly apparent in the episode with Griff, "Warp Sonic"). Though their feelings seem clearer by the final episode, the series didn't need rivals like Antione and Griff.

The other "sides" are fair. There were some great ideas with Uncle Chuck, but the rest...What even is Sally's father's name? In the comics it was Maximillian/Nigel, but they didn't even have a name for him in Sat Am. Plus what's the point of some of Robotnik's environment-killing plans? Why create acid rain and use chemical-filled "buzz bombers" when he could just drop a bunch of bombs like he did on Angel Island (Act 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)?  In total, the side stories are a "start" but aren't explored very much. 

In Underground, the sibling plots are understanding and relatable. The triplets share a love of music and want to defeat Robotnik, but they don't agree on everything. Sonia's used to luxury and doesn't want to give it up while Manic's used to having nothing and steals on impulse. Though Manic can create earth-quakes with his drums, Sonic's speed is easier to access. Sonic loves Chilidogs while Sonia thinks they're gross. So on. There was plenty of material to create arguments/conflicts, but the group always resolved their problems because they were family and cared for each other. 

Underground's other "sides" probably could have benefited from more development as well, but are a bit are still more coherent. For example, the episode "To Catch a Queen" introduces a character called Argus, who used to work with Queen Aleena. This writing allowed for a bit of Aleena's past to be revealed while also creating a potential "ally" type of plot.   

Conclusion

Sat Am established the idea of a "fight for freedom" against Robotnik, but Underground improved it.

Shut up Tails?

Shth is Better Than Heroes (Part 6)

Levels

Sonic games are filled with a variety of different locations and share many ideas or themes. Making a zone that matches the world while adding unique parts requires creativity and inspiration. 

The modern games took the hedgehog far from Green Hill as more realistic settings became possible. Balancing the colorful look of the past with the sharper views of the present was something that Sonic Heroes did very well, while Shadow the Hedgehog leaned more towards the "realistic" look. 

Sonic Heroes is tough competition, but the levels in Shadow the Hedgehog are better. 

Heroes

Heroes has, like most Sonic games, has many types of locations. A beach, a casino area, a haunted place, a jungle, a city. 

Of these, it does the haunted theme the best. While ghost appeared before, the idea was not the main theme in the past. A large, creepy castle is explored from the outside--upside down at parts--and the inside. Mystic Mansion and Hang Castle are long-time favorites. 

It also covers the Casino/pinball theme nicely. Casino Park is flashy and adds new elements like dice. Bingo Highway likewise adds Bingo and is speedy with its large slides/pinball stretches. 

Power Plant and Grand Metropolis are colorful with blues and greens. The hexagons are also a new pattern. The fortress is fairly cool since it's in mid-air. 

The forest and beach zones are bland. 

Yeah an evil rock.

Though Team Rose gets a shortened version, for everyone else these levels are rather long. 10+ minutes was not an uncommon time--unfortunately the stages that look the best are also some of the longest. Power Plant also has a poorly designed area with lava where death is almost a given. The Choatix Mystic Mansion mission is infamous for it's long length and difficulty. 

Shth

Shadow's are more focused around the plot. While there are some that differ, most keep with in themes: City, Space, Digital, or Eggman-owned. 

Even though it has less variety in categories, the ones used are fully explored. Space Colony Ark is further expanded from Sonic Adventure 2, with a view of not just the outside but deeper inside, before the Ark was abandoned. The Black Comet/Final Haunt are similar but show off unique alien traits never seen before (& sadly never seen again!). There is also a creepy Black Doom form in carved into the comet--similar to the Metal Sonic statue in Hang Castle.    

The city stages are being torn apart by lasers, bombs, fires, and gun-fights. The distress put a new turn on the common "city" appearance and seemed to be more realistic than previous attempts. 

Circus Park (Carnival) and Cyriptic Castle have some unique elements but are inferior to Heroes' Casino and Haunted theme levels. Heroes also did better with the fleets since ones like Sky Troops seem a bit boring. 

The plant covered stones of Death Ruins, though, did both the Jungle and Ruin themes better. 

With the exception of Circus Park, the levels seemed to keep a grungy, damaged look, connecting them. Generally the levels didn't feel randomly thrown into the plot/game, as some felt in Heroes (also a common problem in games such as 06).  

The length really varied. The hero version of Lost Impact is known to take up a lot of time. Meanwhile It seems impossible to finish the Ark longer than 3 minutes. The difference in time also depends on the players own knowledge, more-so than other games in the series because of the different missions. Though probably longer than Team Rose's stages, otherwise they seemed shorter than the levels in Heroes.  

Exhaustibility...

Though slightly different for the teams in Heroes, the location is the same in Shadow, but different areas/paths are explored. 

As I've said before, Sonic Heroes has less levels (14, not counting Sea Gate, special stage, or boss/rival fights) but requires playing each at least 4 times over, once for each team--8 including bonus Team exclusive missions. 

14 levels must be competed to finish for one team story, with up to 56 being needed for all and 112 with all missions. Not counting 2p or Hard Mode.  

Shadow the Hedgehog has more levels (20, not counting Last Way or boss fights) and though each level can be played three times over (hero, dark, neutral) or two times (hero/dark, neutral), the 10 endings are required to receive the true end (playing every mission is not). 

6 levels must be completed for one story-line, 60 needed before unlocking Last Way [and a total of 326 (1954 played levels) possible/optional story combinations]. Not counting 2p or Expert Mode.   

The point is that the levels in Heroes grow tiresome quicker (though if playing Shth 100%, then I imagine the levels would become very tiresome! Westopolis is not a bad level to be stuck with, though...

Conclusion

As I mentioned in Part 1, Shadow the Hedgehog is a spin-off with its own theme. While fun and colorful, Sonic Heroes' locations don't stand out too much in the series as a whole (Mystic Mansion, Hang Castle, and Bingo Highway are defiantly personal favorites, though). 

Overall where the levels in Heroes can seem a bit random or jumbled, the ones in Shadow the Hedgehog looked exciting and fit easily into the plot/darker theme. 

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

There are many opinions on what the "best Sonic" is. Though the characters of the Sonic series mainly stay the same, some have shown development. Including Sonic...at one time, anyway. 

ONE STEP FORWARD

From an Impatient Hero 

The classic games lacked dialogue but still showed personality. Sonic was very impatient, often tapping his foot or even jumping off screen. His appearance was also edgy with attitude put into his various poses. Even making him a teenager was a sharp contrast to Mario's goofy design.

He was a hero, firstly taking on Dr. Robotnik all by himself. Sonic was also a role model for Tails and didn't hold a grudge against Knuckles for all he did in S3.

In the Adventure series Sonic was more laid back, usually drawn into the conflict. Still thick with attitude, he didn't stick around often.

To a "Friendly" Thrill Seeker

By Heroes he was rushing to stop Eggman, though, eager for the thrill. This became a common scenario. The value of relying on others became more obvious for him.

Sonic made friends easily and was willing to help those who needed him. He also looked forward to taking on "new competition," and proving he was the fastest in any field.

To a Defender of Worlds 

Sonic never cared about the risk to him, though he would get angry at a foe, especially if his friends were in danger or harmed.

In games like Unleashed and The Black Knight, Sonic still had attitude and impatience but was also more serious when faced with the weight of certain situations.

"Development" 

While his 90s-based personality was largely the same, Sonic was changing. Sonic started as a hero, of course. An impatient one who gained an appreciation for friends yet became a leader and helped inspire others. Carefree, the hedgehog found fun in his adventures, but began to recognize the difference between an easy fight and a true threat. Sonic was not afraid to fight until the end to save his world (or someone else's).

So though Sonic seems static from a far, his fights with Eggman and other foes left him more mature over the years. It's possible that Sega could have taken this further. But we'll never know because...

TWO STEPS BACK

A Joker

Sonic Colors over-saturated Sonic's humorous nature, and since the game was well received (for reasons I'll never understand), this affected Sonic's future. While always having a bit of the 90s with him in the past, he seemed to adopt 2010 instead ("EPIC").

Ultimately their were so many jokes that they weren't very funny, and the plots became lighter and impossible to take seriously. With the tension gone, there was little reason to play the games or see them as unique.

A Lonely Extrovert

Sonic largely ditched the "leader" idea, not even relying on long-time bud Tails much. He left the fox to do technical work alone instead.

In Sonic Rush Sonic convinced Blaze that relying on others was not only okay--but necessary sometimes. Yet in every game since Sonic Colors he only allowed his friends supporting roles (with the exception of racing spin-offs).

He trusts "classic" Sonic, but that was himself!!! And in Forces he begins to trust the Avatar, but why would "buddy" get priority over longtime friends like Tails or even close rivals like Shadow?  In 06 Shadow admitted he couldn't take on Solaris with out help from Sonic--would Sonic admit the same about Shadow? Not the 2010s, it seems.

When Sharah was seemingly killed in Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic turned dark; he was fueled by the emotions sorrow, anger, and hatred of the World Rings. Yet when his closest friends are all consumed by the "Time Eater," calling out to him...all he says is "not cool."

It's hard to even know if Sonic cares about anyone anymore. In the rare occasions when they are around, Sonic hardly interacts with them.

A Ego Maniac

Sonic is still heroic, but he gained an ego over his many wins. While in Sonic Adventure Sonic had simply left instead of taking credit, and in Sonic and the Black Knight the hedgehog actually passed a test over chivalry, from Colors-on Sonic has excessively bragged that he will always beat Eggman.

He also dismissed the Time Eater as a threat, sighting past wins and claiming it was "no different."

Sonic's always tried to be the best, but he didn't insist upon it like Jet. At least he didn't before. Somehow Sonic became overconfident.

Though TSR arguably portrayed Sonic better (since he was working with his team again), he kept blabbing about racing (winning).

And Stoic

Though Sonic Forces was an attempt at a deeper plot, the blue blur wasn't back on track. The character had been "tortured" and declared "dead," but his personality revealed him as completely nonchalant and even a bit crude.

"Un-Development"

Overall Sonic has been shallower than ever before. "Colors Sonic" (2010) is virtually indistinguishable from "Forces Sonic" (2017). And his unconcerned behavior is unnatural, at this point.

Sega didn't learn from their mistakes, they listened to people complain about them. Instead of thinking about how they could have been improved, Sega simply ignored any game rated poorly without understanding "why."

They choose what was a well-received gameplay style, and cut off most of the characters. Meanwhile they watered down the plot since "simpler" competitors like Mario were well received. Colors wasn't a reboot of any kind, but after it's success Sega acted like it. 

Sonic's become static as a consequence. Hopefully Sega will listen to the complaints about Sonic in Forces and guide the character back--because otherwise he'll never change. 

There's no doubt that each of the cartoons helped bring his personality to focus, no matter if "Thrill-Seeker" or "Ego Maniac." The comics deserve some credit as well. While the new Movie and IDW have shown some potential in trying to reform the character, Sega itself fears risk.

Dear Archie Fans

An abrupt reboot left many scenarios unsolved, and--as fans finally adjusted to the new world--it was lost too. Again, long-time comic fans were forced to make another adjustment: a world not just missing some Archie characters, but all. 

Some have enjoyed the new, IDW series. Others left quickly. Meanwhile the new canon pulled in fresh fans, too. 

Good or bad doesn't really matter. What matters is that the Archie comics had a long life. Nearly 25 years; nearly 300 issues in the main series alone. The freedom fighters may not be fighting off zombie hoards like Tangle and Whisper, but they've fought. Robotnik, other Robotniks, evil dimensional doppelgangers, magical and mystic beings, aliens, aliens, aliens...

Meanwhile characters like Scratch and Grounder, Manic and Sonia, Chris and Cosmo, Tenko the Canary--even one from Boom...their time was too short. Archie Sonic was cancelled. But the truth is Sally Acorn and the Knothole freedom fighters lasted a long time, and their fans should be thankful for that.    

It may seem as though Tangle and Whisper are getting all the attention. They are. They're new. Even Sticks got attention when she was new. If Sally--or Manic, or Cosmo, etc--had been created in this day and age, I'm sure Sega would be throwing them into mobile games too. 

But now the complexity of who the character is (and who the character is owned by) makes something like that harder. As for a comic revival or special, though, Archie characters have an advantage above the others. Many who worked on Archie migrated to IDW, and many of the fans did, too. And the fact that "bringing the characters back" has been suggested by the lead writer is a huge deal, really.  

But new fans. They always want the new fans. It may seem at the expense of the old fans. Yet in this case, it does make sense. Even though it builds up, 1 issue a month is a crawl. And just as a mega-man crossover can feel misplaced, a sudden change of pace so early or in the middle of a story-arc could be a catastrophe. And then the archie-conclusion would be rushed, too.     

Alternatively a merging of characters and ideas would be overly complex as well. Most of the characters would have to be severely changed to match the canon--those who could be used at all. 

Aside from that, the Sonic cast is already huge. IDW needed a few exclusive characters to be the face of the series; They needed to be unique. Combined, and their is little room or time for new versions of old characters. Take a look at the Sonic movie (as an extreme example). They didn't even want to risk "well known" characters like Tails or Amy. 

If Archie Sonic--or any other past Sonic incarnations--receive a new story, conclusion, or even a cameo, fans may be appeased. But even if it never happens, fans have to learn to accept the new characters and world. They don't have to like it or read it, but they have to accept that it's a new start. IDW is IDW, not the Archie. Despite some promise, the old comics may never resurface.

At the end of the battle, though, fans of Sally, Nicole, Bunnie, Antoine, and Rotor were luckier than most. Many characters have come and gone in the Sonic series. Who knows if Tangle and Whisper still be around in 10 or 20 years? Still, for better or worse, it's their time, now.  

Persistently whining about the Archie comics will not bring them back.

Quote of the Month

"Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?"-Sonic the Hedgehog (Werehog), Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Themes

Several conflicts are repeated in the Sonic series.

Nature vs Technology

This was found in the very beginning. Here is Ivo Robotnik, a human, sticking animals into robots and building all kinds of crazy creations to take over. CD's bad futures show the extent of the pollution and corruption. 

Good vs Evil

A simple element, Sonic is clearly good and Robotnik is evil. Knuckles was the first rival, and the first to blur the lines, but it would be "neutral" characters like Rouge and Shadow that really caused questions. 

Ultimately, though, there is often a "greater" evil such as Perfect Chaos or Solaris that causes even Eggman to put aside his hatred to help.   

Light vs Dark

This is similar to the last but slightly different. In Unleashed, Chip is the light and he is good. Dark Gaia is of course the dark, and is bad. However in 06 Iblis is the "light" half, but the fire creature is a menace. Solaris itself has been a villain yet the "true" Solaris is supposed to be good. 

For the main characters it's a matter of sides. Team Dark doesn't like to advertise themselves as heroes like...Team Hero. Or any of the other teams. But they aren't evil; they aren't the bad guys. 

This is also seen with the Chao.   

Calculating vs Blind Evil

Some monsters ares simply that. They only try to destroy because it's all they know. Other villains are far more aware and planning. 

Gift vs Curse

Many characters have abnormal powers or origins that affect them. Blaze the Cat originally regarded her powers as a curse, though she used them to protect her world. Tails was bullied over his tails, but they gave him flight. 

Clever vs Naive

Many characters have been tricked at one time or another. Clever characters like Metal Sonic, Mephiles, Eggman, or even Rouge manipulate characters like Knuckles or Silver because they have a trusting nature. Sometimes even "clever" characters fall victim to someone else's plan, like Eggman to his grandfather's.   

Emerald Coast vs Wave Ocean: Conclusion

Surprisingly, Wave Ocean and Emerald Coast tied. However, as a whole there can only be one winner. After considering the different elements, a choice had to be made. 

Review

Emerald Coast was decided better: 

1. Gameplay
2. Sonic's stage
3. Story

Wave Ocean was decided better:

1. Visuals
2. Music
3. Other characters' stages 

The better level is: Emerald Coast

What really gave Emerald Coast the edge in the end was creativity. Wave Ocean was a nice nod at Emerald Coast, but with the moving spikes, flying seagulls, swimming dolphins, and angry Orcas, some might call it too much of a "rip-off." 

While there had been hints of beaches in the past, Emerald Coast is the first to really focus on that type of scenery. Like Speed Highway, many remember the level fondly and it was apparently used in the DS version of Sonic Generations. It inspired many other zones other than Wave Ocean, including Neo Green Hill and Seaside Hill. 

Wave Ocean was still pretty nice. It's better visuals and music make a better atmosphere. It might be a better "tourist" location, but this is a video game, designed to be played through. In that sense, Emerald Coast makes a better level.

...

Sorry, but the best beach-themed level is actually Jungle Joyride. 

Emerald Coast vs Wave Ocean: Others

Neither level was exclusive to Sonic. 

Big the Cat and E-102 Gamma both go to Emerald Coast. Amy, Knuckles, at one time Tails could all glitch into the first portion of Sonic's Emerald Coast. 

Wave Ocean was visited by Tails, Blaze, Omega, Shadow, and Rouge in the End of the World.  

Big's is slow and tedious, like all Big levels. There is a nice secret room to fish at, if only I was patient enough to appreciate such a thing. Still, since Big always has to be around water (to fish) this one is visually nicer and makes the most sense. 

Gamma is not here long. It's only his second stage and he finds Froggy a heck of a lot faster than Big ever did. 

It's cool to glitch in with other characters. Thankfully Knuckles could still climb things. Amy's seemed a bit glitch-ier, and I don't think Tails is possible on the re-releases. It's cool but really it's just Sonic's level again.

Tails is in Wave Ocean. Again. To make things more boring, it's mostly the same location. The goal ring is even where Tails had to get the switch in Sonic's level. Tails feels just as pointless in Wave Ocean as his reason for being there. 

It's nicer to play as Blaze because her moves are more complex yet she has a speed closer to Sonic's. Her level is nice and short. Kind of a shame, because I wouldn't mind being stuck with a longer level, since this seems to be the closest thing to 3-D Sonic Rush possible. 

Shadow glides in, kinda' boring but at least it's not the same loop-de-loop everyone else st--Omega. Omega goes through the "Sonic" section, making him the 3rd. Luckily Shadow's part is a bit more interesting, if not scattered. As an interesting bonus, it's also possible to use Omega to "fly" to the goal and finish early. Still not totally necessary, though, since the level's fairly short compared to the 06 standard.   

I really like the stormy, lighting effect Wave Ocean has in the "end" level. Rouge's is a breeze since she can climb and glide, making her section a nice break after Silver's longer path. 

Winner: Wave Ocean

Sonic 06 overused Wave Ocean, mainly the "sonic section."  They all mostly start the same. At least robots have been rotated out I guess. 

However Adventure underused Emerald Coast. I didn't know how badly I needed to see Knux vs Whale until using that glitch...ha, anyway. Adventure didn't do to much aside from Sonic's level. Big's looked nice but he's too slow to be a fun explorer like Knuckles. Gamma's was pathetically short--it was a bit of a shock, I think. 

I do think that Blaze and Shadow have better gameplay than most 06 characters, and they help balance out the double-Tails experience. 

Emerald Coast vs Wave Ocean: Sonic

Both Sonic Adventure and Sonic 06 had similar levels for Sonic. Which is stage plays out the best? 

Emerald Coast is Sonic's first level. He quickly leaves the hotel behind and navigates the nearby docks and formations while taking out a few robots. He's chased by an orca! After passing a light house, the second part of the stage begins. Passing through caves and water, Sonic makes his way back out to the sandy coast until he reaches a bare stretch and finds Tails/hits the capsule. 

Wave Ocean is Sonic's first level. He quickly slides into the water and fights off nearby bots. After grinding past a lighthouse, he soon ends up chased by an orca! Stuck, Sonic asks Tails for help. Tails then has to find a switch before Sonic can move on. The next part is a "mach speed" section, where Sonic speeds up tries not to run into everything. After, he hits the goal ring.  

Winner: Emerald Coast

Wave Ocean is big and nice to explore. Though not the most original concept, there was an effort to add something new to the whale idea. Where things start to slow is with Tails, which is a bit annoying and seemingly unnecessary for a beginning level. I'm not a fan of the fast and tricky "mach" sections, but this might be the best one in the game, sadly.  

Emerald Coast, meanwhile, is just right for a starting level. It has a short pace, plenty of rings and hints for new players, and it was all new and original. The only con is the greenish water part, but it can be avoided with a simple shortcut. 

Sonic's style is better in the layout of Emerald Coast. 

Emerald Coast vs Wave Ocean: "Story"

There has to be a reason to be in a level, even if it's just to get to the next. 

Sonic sees his bud Tails crash in Emerald Coast and runs to help. Later Big looks for Froggy and Gamma finds Froggy. 

After Elise is kidnapped, Sonic and Tails head to Wave Ocean to track her. Eggman gets away, unfortunately, and later Tails returns yet again to try to help Elise but fails. Blaze heads towards town to try and find Silver in the meantime. Omega tracks Mephiles to Wave Ocean, and Shadow rushes there to help. 

Winner: Emerald Coast  

Shadow's story in 06 is awesome and "Omega's Confession," one of my favorite cutscenes, does take place in Wave Ocean. Shadow's reason for being there also makes the most sense. Still, what's Mephiles doing in Wave Ocean, anyway? Mephiles likes the beach? And maybe Rouge should have had a playable section, too, since she's also there.

Why did Mephiles separate Silver and Blaze? It makes sense for her to want to find him, but she could have been left in any other stage and it would not have made a difference. 

As for Sonic and Tails...it's bad enough to deal with the Mario/damsel-in-distress thing once, but twice in the same place? Elise shouldn't have been 'napped right away. The first Wave Ocean should have been a more relaxed, fun level for Sonic/Tails and for the player to adjust to the controls. And the second one shouldn't have been a thing. 

Sonic had a clear cut reason to be Emerald Coast, simple and short enough. And Big and Gamma's connected to the story, at least. Emerald Coast never felt forced, it just felt like a part of the game. Sonic, Big, and Gamma each went to Emerald Coast to get things done. And they did. Well...Sonic and Gamma did. But Big got some fish out of it probably.  

Emerald Coast vs Wave Ocean: Gameplay

Sonic Adventure wasn't perfect. In this case there are some spots that aren't the best while spin dashing, and Sonic doesn't like to stay on the walls he's running on. Generally seems awkward and primitive compared to the future. 

Sonic 06 is no picnic. Sure, glitches can be exploited, but they aren't supposed to be there. As with any level, the problems can vary from lag or camera angles that should not be possible to characters not doing their moves or going where they should not be able to. 

Winner: Emerald Coast

The springs and wall jump bother me, as well as a few spots like on the wall, but it is generally smooth. Emerald Coast feels set up faster, too. 

06 is not as bad as people believe, but glitches are sadly a guarantee. One good thing is that the water won't slow the characters down as in Adventure. Sonic usually is slower in water, but since it is shallow and he's not under it I preferred it without the slow-down.  

Sonic Adventure was not perfect, but Emerald Coast was fair. Wave Ocean, meanwhile, wasn't a kind welcome to new players.