Eras UPDATE: Modern

ALL about the Modern Era

Era: Modern

Main Years: 2005-2010

Gameplay Type: The modern era is a much more experimental time for 3D and 2D games a like. 

Sonic returned to racing games in the Riders series, featuring new moves, tricks, and gimmicks. Sonic's venture to the Wii also meant several different styles. Sometimes the controls meant holding the remote sideways, sometimes it meant a nunchuck. Confusingly, the controls were almost always different. 

Sonic the Hedgehog, a game similar to the "adventure" style, would be released in 2006 for Sonic's 15th anniversary. Unfortunately, the development team was split apart and then rushed...the result being a game infamous for its numerous glitches. 

Sonic had more critical success with his 2D.5 handheld titles. Sonic Rush is notable for introducing the boost, which would soon become a Sonic norm. Sonic Unleashed was the first console game to feature the element, but the game also introduced a style more focused on fighting via the Werehog stages. 

Character Designs and Personalities: Sonic 06 slightly redesigned the main cast to fit better with the more realistic setting. In Sonic's case this meant height and shape a bit, making the character less round. The concept art reveals that they wanted to give Sonic a more realistic texture, though this was obviously cut. In 06, Eggman was designed to resemble a real human, but to to poor reception he never appeared this way again.      

Generally the same attitude that filled the previous era affected this one. In the Riders series, the Storybook series, and the Rivals series, a lot of the characters have sly remarks and memorable banter. Sonic 06 is a bit of an oddball due to the nature of the plot, making many of the characters act more serious or even passive. 

Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight have been praised for their particular versions of Sonic, which has been described as more serious without losing his flair.     

Story Type: Building upon some of the plots seen before, the Modern era made itself more mature with "darker" plots, though it had lighthearted moments. 

New villains like Eggman Nega, Mephiles, and the Erazor Djinn became threats equal to/greater than Eggman himself. Like with previous games, sometimes Eggman would actually help if there was a greater threat (though not always, or sometimes the result was betrayal). 

Like before Sonic also gained many new friends like Sharah, Caliburn, and Chip. After the success of Shadow, several new rival characters were created. Blaze the Cat would eventually become a friend, but makes her debut as a fiery rival. Jet the Hawk and the Babylon Rogues challenge Sonic in the air.  Silver the Hedgehog meets Sonic for the first time twice, and tries to fight him immediately in each case. And Johnny the...robot pirate...shark....thing...refused any emerald without a race.  

Visuals: While some games have aged better than others, for the first time the graphics aren't...crude. Although a lot of openings are actually also first cutscenes, they all look pretty well. While the standard cutscenes are usually nothing to brag about, the CG cutscenes have mostly aged amazingly well. Additionally Sonic Riders marked the return to 2D animation with its opening.     

The settings used a lot of diversity, relying even more on earth for inspiration. 06 used Venice as the base for Soleanna, and Unleashed used a number of locations and real-world landmarks to create similar ones. Common locations were cities, jungles, deserts, seascapes, castles, and snowy mountains.  

Music: Like with gameplay, the music experimented with different things. The Riders series dived into high-energy techno while the Rush games used samples and unique effects. The storybook games immersed themselves in themes of their fantasy worlds. 06 has a beloved OST with tracks that impress even the most critical haters. Unleashed has been called the best in the series, having a culturally inspired mix for day, night, and hub world locations. 

These years were filled with many different vocal themes. A distinct difference from the last era is Crush 40 (previously doing most of the main songs and being associated with Sonic). While they would still contribute to the games (especially Black Knight), they started to become associated with Shadow (after both Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06).  Meanwhile many of Sonic's new songs like "His World,""7 Rings in Hand," and "Endless Possibilities," would be done by others.           

Voice Cast: Although much of the cast had already voiced the characters on Sonic X, due to the amount of new characters several other actors joined the main cast. 

Sonic, Shadow, and Jet were all voiced by Jason Griffith, while Eggman was voiced by Mike Pollock. Amy Palant voiced Tails, with Dan Green as Knuckles (as well as Storm, Mephlies, and Professor Pickle). Dan Green also began voicing Vector. Lisa Ortiz voiced Amy, while Bella Hudson took on the characters Wave the Swallow, Blaze the Cat, and Sharah the Genie. Silver was Pete Capella. 

Veronica Taylor (known for voicing Ash from Pokemon and April in 03 TMNT) was supposed to voice Princess Elise, but was replaced by "celebrity" actress Lacey Chabert (known for voicing Eliza in The Wild Thornberrys and Meg in the first season of Family Guy).   

The characters Merlina, Caliburn, and King Arthur were intended to be British. Sega chose the voice actors for these new characters (one actor being from Nights).  

Controversy 

After first taking over, the 4kids cast gained a lot of negativity from fans. Even though they had been voicing voicing the characters since 2003 (via Sonic X), most missed the previous cast that started with Sonic Adventure. Eventually fans warmed up to the new cast, with some being called better than the previous group. They also praised the improvements over the years. Whether Jason Griffith or Ryan Drummond was the better Sonic remains a common fan debate.      

In late 2010 with Sonic Free Riders, however, Sega decided to hire new actors, with the exception of Mike Pollock. As with the first time, the move did not sit well with fans. In particular fans were upset that Sega just offered Sonic's new voice actor, Roger Craig Smith, the job. Smith later clarified he did do an audition.  

 

Main Voice (Sonic): Jason Griffith

Memorable Theme Song (for Sonic): "His World" (from Sonic 06). 

Memorable Catchphrases (Sonic):  "ALRIGHT...Bring it on!" (Sonic Riders) "Alright, lets have some fun Solaris." (Sonic 06) "Sonic...BOOM!" (Sonic Rivals) "I'm not a rat!" "No problem" "This just isn't my day!" "Too Easy" "That was tight!" "Lend me your...POWER!" (Sonic and the Secret Rings) "Whoo!" Here...we...go!" "Feelin' Good." "Eh, can't win 'em all." (Sonic Unleashed) "Your too slow!" "Come on, step it up!" (Brawl) 

"I'm a hedgehog, pal, not a guinea pig."  (cartoon)

Cartoons and other Appearances: Since it aired a bit later and has a different tone, the 3rd season of Sonic X is arguably the cartoon of the modern era. The plot of the "darker" final season is less randomized and mainly focused on saving the universe from a threatening alien species, the Meterex. 

Years later, a 3-D animated short that tied-into Sonic Unleashed, "Sonic: Night of the Werehog," was created. It had a playful plot including Chip and ghosts. 

Archie created a new spin-off based on Sonic X, which was more successful than they expected, lasting for 40 issues. 

In 2006 the Archie comics turned a new page when Ian Flynn, now infamous in the Sonic-comic community, began writing for the comics. He tried to make the series more akin to the games, but also tried to "clean-up" what happened to the main "Sat Am" cast. He tried to heal the relationship between Sonic and Sally, recreated "Evil Sonic" as Scourge, and tied up many loose ends. 

In late 2009, Sonic Universe, another spin-off, was made. Through this series Flynn introduced and reintroduced many game characters like Blaze the Cat, Gamma, Omega, Marine, and the Babylon Rogues. With flashbacks, parts of the games were now partially adapted...although tie-ins would be limited to non-canon "in another time/place" one-offs.   

Sonic Unleashed Review

Rank @ End

Summary

This was bashed for its Werehog idea and stages, yet most Sonic fans enjoyed the game. Hint: I'm one of those fans.  

Gameplay and Level Design

Remember: upgrade the Werehog's attacks. Then it's no sweat.

The gameplay is split into two sections, day and night. The day stages at the time were a new idea, taking the Boost idea from rush and creating a style that switches between 2D and 3D. When I first played the game I really had a problem with pressing the buttons it asked for certain moves, and sometimes I still have trouble. Dark Gaia--60?--insane. Yet I like it in retrospect because it adds a bit of a challenge even now that the boost has become and over-used gimmick.

I also like that even though boosting through is possible, the game encourages exploration through the sun/moon medals, video tapes, records, and other items. Another likeable thing is the rings gained more of a purpose by helping fuel the boost. The trick system, while complex (^), looked cool. Overall the day stages were pretty fun, and the 2D areas weren't as bottomless-pit filled as in future games (cough, cough, SONICCOLORS). 

The Werehog stages are more complicated, but they serve the exploration idea even better. It is a forced slow down, but there are shortcuts and not every enemy needs beaten. In the beginning the game is a bit tougher in these stages, and longer. But as long as the player upgrades the moves/attacks, the gameplay will become a lot easier and smoother as a reward. Upgrade the attacks and then you can smash the buttons of your choice and defeat the enemies with ease. 

It's the Titans that really cause all the darn trouble. They knock Sonic off his feet and sometimes off buildings. Then the wizard ones power it back up sometimes, too. Using the "doorbell" move helps a lot but it can be difficult. 

The stage desings and hub worlds are awesome. Like with Soleanna in 06, they took real life ideas and it works even better with these choices. Altering the sky and lighting was also great. It was also cool that the Tornado returned. 

 

Story and Characters

The story, as wacky as it may be, is really nice. Sonic befriends Chip and there's a lot of focus on that friendship that can kinda' be expanded on (through...food). The script is pretty nice, not epically cheesy like later games or over-the-top like some games past. It seems just right. Serious moments, funny ones. I kinda' like how Amy was in this, where she was still on the hunt for Sonic but got a little more concerned later in the game. Tails was also in a good spot because he seemed smart and useful (though his introduction is not as good because he needs help...but he was even that way in the Secret Rings, so--)

As much as I love Chip, the mythology kinda' bugs me. There were fantasy-type "god" creatures in games before like Adventure and 06, but I don't know why, this one kinda' bothers me. Maybe it is because Eggman also shattered the earth in Sonic Advance 3, heh. 

This is the first game in a long time not to feature Knuckles or Shadow. In some ways, I would have rather seen them in it and have it be Sonic Adventure 3, but I'm glad they did not through the characters in just for the sake of having them there (cough, cough, Forces, Generations). And I also felt the more Sonic-focused story was worth it (unlike SONICCOLORS). 

Music and Voice Acting

The music is great. There's a lot of variety. The hub worlds are more atmospheric and the stages are faster, wilder beats. Both incorporate instruments based on the locations the worlds were inspired upon. There is also a nice contrast between day and night, and a lot of interesting jazz elements. "Endless Possibilities" has a lot of energy and confidence that really match the game's theme of exploration yet Sonic as a character as well. 

The voice acting is the best. I already like Jason Griffith's Sonic voice, but he does particularly well with this game. The hedgehog sounds a bit more mature but has not lost his attitude. The rougher Werehog voice is also awesome. Only complaint with it is that with one or 2 lines it sounds a bit like Jet the Hawk. Amy Palant has really worked on her voice for Tails, who sounds a lot more boyish. Lisa Ortiz also matured Amy's voice a bit. Chip is cute and adorable sounding. 

Overall the only one who did not quite live up to expectations was Dan Green (Professor Pickle) not because the voice was that bad, just because it sounded a lot like Knuckles to me (more so then Mephiles).     

Visuals and Graphics

UNLEASHED DID IT FIRST

The cutscenses, even the ones of lower quality, have aged GREAT. The entire game looks better than Forces, and the animation is expressive. That first cutscene! Wow. 

When playing through, the graphics are not as good as future games but still pretty good. The combination of cartoonish designs and realistic textures helped it age better, I think.  

Dark Gaia is creepy in design. I'm kinda' confused on Chip's looks, but he's cute. Yet the temple-transformation thing (kinda' anime-ish, maybe?) makes him pretty beast. Speaking of beast--

The Werehog design is not so bad. Not as sleek Sonic's usual looks, but powerful and tough. Way better than Boom Knuckles, anyway.  

Final Thoughts

• I (...and a lot of people, surprisingly?) would have liked it if Sonic continued to wear the Chip bracelet. As a sign of character development.  
• I guess in Black Knight it would have just gotten hidden under his armor, but WHAT'S COLORS EXCUSE?  
• Unfortunately by 2010 Sega found the antonym of character development and used that instead. 
• I love this game, but Sega would kinda' pluck some bad ideas out if it: 
• Boost to win
• Tails being a coward
• No Crush 40
• No Kncukles/Shadow/Rouge/Cream/etc

• Another idea reused in the future is having the results affect the characters' stance. Here it affects what the character says (as in games past) and the music as well. 
• This is probably the best version of hub worlds in a Sonic game to date. They were fun to explore and all looked very unique. The day/night idea was also nice visually. 
• The idea with the humans was interesting, becuase while most were cartoony and Pixar-like, there were a few that were more anime/almost more realistic, as if to bridge the gap between this game and games past. 
• I like all the different designs and backgrounds for them. 
• Wentos: AKA how to score as may rings as you want. 
• It's cool that there are optional acts and missions, I always prefer options to requirements.  
• Would have loved to see more "extra"/easter egg scenes in future games. Oh well.  
• WHOO! GO! FEELIN' GOOD! WHOO! WHOO! GO!
• HERE WE...GO!
• AWOOOOO!
• Egro>Orbot 

Final Ranking: S

It would be better without the Titan enemies, but I'm willing to overlook that. This game is really fun to play, has great audio and visuals, and a cool script/story that is not too dark but not too silly. This very well may be the best modern Sonic game. 

:)

Shadow the Hedgehog Review

Rank @ End

Summary

Edgy!

Gameplay and Level Design

The gameplay is pretty good. It's got the speed of a Sonic game mixed with other elements. The guns are easy to adjust to, and there are many types. Sometimes choosing the right weapon means the difference between a A and C Rank (Hint: choose an Alien Weapon over a GUN one, even if it doesn't have as much ammo--it packs a better punch). The vehicles are more disappointing. The cars/cycle are fair, and the hovercraft would be okay if it were a bit faster. But the odd "jumping" and shooting ones are a invitation for disaster. Chaos Control and Blast are awesome for giving invincibility and unlimited ammo alone, but are even better considering their abilities. 

The missions could be a hard/easy, and it really depends on each specific one. As a whole I think it was a good idea because they are technically optional and fit into the plot so that they are not as random/forced as missions in, say, the Secret Rings. 

I like the visible designs. There are a lot of distressed scenes and spins on familiar locations. The maze that is the level layout, however...for most it's manageable, but Mad Matrix, The Doom, and some others are hard to navigate. Having 80% of the path covered in toxic waste in levels like Prison Island wasn't the best plan, either.    

Story and Characters

The main idea of an alien invasion makes for an action-driven plot. Unfortunately Black Doom lacked "Mephiles" level creepiness. I think having a "lacky" or even treating Doom's Eye as a different character would have helped keep the leader more of a mystery (instead of a demanding son of a bXXXX). Except for being tied to a "promise" that he knows nothing about, Shadow does not have a good reason to side with the Black Arms. 

Adding some "behind the scenes" with GUN and the President may have been an attempt to mature things. It would be fine, if not for the constant 2 cutscenes that ALWAYS play after Westopolis. I like the GUN Commander because it explains GUN's overzealous behavior in SA2. Sir, the hedgehog we caught just escaped from one of our helicopters because we wouldn't give him pizza. A HEDEGHOG?! MOBLIZE THE TRUCK, NOOOOW! But sir, that Truck will crush the cars parked-- I GAVE YOU AN ORDER SOLIDER! Yes sir!    

The flashbacks proved interesting, but considering all of the talk about the past and it's importance, I kinda' wish there was more of it. It feels like more time is spent with Shadow thinking he is an android than with Maria's death or promise. 

Overall, I think the different paths was a smart move, but it makes it hard to tell what's "canon." I wish one of the endings would have been the "true" events (the neutral-hero one, maybe?). The last story is a bit long to watch, and I'm not sure if it's worth it. The Black Doom reveal is cliche, and I almost wish the villain had explained so at the beginning to confuse Shadow then. The video with Gerald and Maria was the best part of Last Story, plot-wise. After Shadow's huge quest to "find the truth," he decides to throw it all away? I like it in retrospect, but at first I really didn't like how he tossed Maria's photo.    

I liked that the supporting cast was either able to help, or could be ignored. There is a large cast and it's cool to see Shadow bond with characters he wasn't really seen with before like Knuckles and Espio. Still, story-wise Rouge's character is underused. At least Omega got a role in the android plots. She's there for the fight with Doom in the dark end, but not in the cutscene? What's with that? And I think she would have fit in the neutral-hero end better than Vector. 

Music and Voice Acting

The tracks really fit the situation. Central City and Westopolis are intense. Lost Impact is slower and more mysterious. More of a electronic vibe is used for the levels that take place in the digital dimension. The entire game does not have the same diversity in genres as a traditional Sonic game, but while being mostly edgy-rock and guitar-heavy, it's awesome. The vocal tracks, including the likes of "I am All of Me" and "Never Turn Back," are possibly some of the best in the series ("Chosen One" is particularly fitting), though it's a shame some of them had to be "lost." Sadly that resulted in the neutral-dark path not really having its own theme.

This game (along with Rush) was the first to feature the 4kids cast. I'd say it was a move for the better...but I can see why people were upset. Jason Griffith's Shadow voice is perfect, but his Sonic voice here is a bit odd. Instead of saying "Yo!," for example, it's a drawn out "Y-ho!" Rebecca Honig (usually Cream) voiced Maria in this game differently than she did in Sonic X. It's not bad, but I'm not sure if it was better than her voice in SA2. Some characters like Tails are louder/annoying while others like Cream are hard to hear. It wasn't their best, but generally the cast did alright.   

   

Visuals and Graphics

I liked the grungy menu, but by the time I got to the fire in Shadow's eyes I felt like it was too far. CG cutcenes look good, but why did they waste time on the Eclipse Cannon scene? I don't care if it's an Independence Day reference, "real" Maria's deserved that quality. 

The graphics aren't good. The designs are cool but the execution is clunky and looks like garbage.  

Final Thoughts

• This game is misportrayed as overly violent and edgy to the point of cheese. They overdramatized things especially in the intro and with the box art, I'll give them that. But the guns aren't realistic in the slightest, and are quite an improvement from Gamma/Tails/Eggman's weapons. 
• Oh, and the "assassinate the President" mission was shooting a plane that will survive if the mission is completed or not.
• I did not mind Shadow swearing. I found "damn, not here," relatable. But it was a bad idea for the other characters (Sonic, Knuckles, Espio) because it seems unnatural (especially Sonic). 
• I kinda's wish the game HAD been rated Teen, just so people would not XXXXX about it. 
• It's pretty hypocritical, too, because fans will say the guns and swearing were mistakes and than rant about the dub of Sonic X censoring swearing, alcohol, and death.   
• Though it wasn't seen as a good move at the time, I like the 4kids cast a lot. They'd get better more in the 2007 range. 
• I get why fans were upset with what happened, in particular with Ryan Drummond (who wasn't even informed of the change!). But even though Griffith's Sonic was different, it was still that "Sonic-type" of voice that Drummond, Jaleel White, and even the OVA guy seemed to have. The change to Roger Craig Smith's deeper, 2010-esque take on Sonic was so much more radical. 
• It was cool to have two sorta' warring factions fighting, but it'd be BETTER if they acknowledged the player. If you're helping GUN, do they have to shoot at you?! The Heal Canon can help, but really?!
• It was cool to see the different sides of Shadow. 
• Expert Mode is pretty cool and the instructions could be funny.
• Forget Heroes and Generations. This is Charmy's best game.  

 

Final Ranking: B

I gotta' say, I was on the fence between giving this a B and a C. I guess the replay value gives it the edge (no pun intended). 

An experimental game, Shadow the Hedgehog is not without its faults. It is fun, though. The plot was not perfect, but having aliens invade remains a better point, and the mission/plot structure isn't bad. I'd have to say the gameplay is pretty good for a modern game, and easier than many other shooter-games. Shadow had its own, "darker" theme and stuck to it, which I think is fair since it's a spin-off. Still, it's not gonna' work for people who look for more variety.    

ShtH is Better than Heroes (Conclusion)

I like Sonic Heroes. It's a good character driven game and introduced some fascinating concepts. Unfortunately while it easily snags the title of "fan-favorite," Shadow the Hedgehog is teased. 

Heores was good, but it was not without it's flaws. ShtH had it's own problems, but overall it was a better game than Heroes: 

• Part 1--Attitude
• Part 2--Gameplay
• Part 3--Conflict
• Part 4--Scoring
• Part 5--Music
• Part 6--Levels
• Part 7--2-player
• Part 8--Main Character
• Part 9--Missions
• Part 10--Replay

Shadow was more experimental. It was character driven, but in a different way. Instead of focusing on the power of team work, its themes expanded to identity, revenge vs justice, and right vs wrong. 

Best way to use a keyboard.

I don't think ShtH was perfect, but it does not deserve to be treated like a big joke. They went overboard with the "edgy" qualities and over-dramatized the guns. No one complained about the GUNS in Sonic Forces because they were unrealistic and called a silly name (Wispon). The guns in ShtH were not realistic in the slightest: oversized, alien, and...whatever the heck the Omachao gun is. They were fun and helped differ the game from a typical Sonic one (though as a reminder, Gamma!). The game is not nearly as over-the-top as the intro.  

HUGE, CARTOONISH GUN

Between the two, there were many parts I felt tied. Graphics are practically the same. The plot varies--while the end twist was better in Heroes I'm not sure that applies to the whole game (a letter from Eggman saying he's taking over the world, seriously? Alien invasion was an epic way to start in comparison). Voice Acting also varied--for many of the original cast Heroes was their best game and for the 4kids ShtH was maybe their worst. However Charmy's voice in ShtH was still better than his original voice, and the same could be said about many other characters. Most notably with Shadow...David Humphrey was great, but Jason Griffith immediately matched the character perfect. Ryan Drummond was doing his best take on Sonic at that point, though. So those were all debatable points that I felt neither "won."

  

Shadow the Hedgehog still beat Heroes in many other categories, with replay value being the most notable. Again, while I don't hate Heroes, I don't think it quite deserves the credit it gets. Meanwhile ShtH deserves a lot more. 

A step farther: Shadow the Hedgehog deserves a sequel. Tails and Knuckles are good characters but to have them go solo would be out of character nowadays. Silver's backstory(s) are too unclear. I'd like to see a Blaze spin-off maybe the most, but she lacks the popularity and is not as easily recognized. 

Shadow can go off on his own, has clear origins, and is "the 2nd most popular character in the canon." Sonic 06 improved from Shadow the Hedgehog, and Forces showed there's still a chance for the character. If he were to star in his own title they could fix their mistakes while keeping what made the game fun. Unfortunately, Sega no longer takes risks, and a spin-off starring another character, Shadow or otherwise, WILL NEVER HAPPEN. We can hope for another "episode/story," though...     

Sonic and the Black Knight Reveiw

Rank...at the end.
What good is a review that goes on forever?!

Summary

The second edition to the storybook series had many shockingly good moments.

Characters and Voice Acting

The 4kids group's last appearance would be a spectacular send-off. Jason Griffith's Sonic voice was perfect. Thanks to both script and good acting, the "other versions" of the characters (Lady of the Lake, Lancelot, Percival, etc) are able to sound similar to their normal counterparts but with more nobility or maturity. The new comers (voicing Caliburn, Merlina, etc) also do well.

"King Arthur" was kind of a lame villain, but I was very happy with the later plot-twist. I really like Merlina and how she is relatable despite being in the wrong.

Caliburn seemed strange at first, but I like how unique his character is. No, I'm not talking about the fact that he is a talking sword. He becomes Sonic's mentor, a position that has never really been seen in the games before.

I was glad this game included more "other version" characters than Secret Rings. It's both comical and interesting to see these characters. It was especially nice to see Percival (Blaze) since she's usually side-lined in favor of Silver. Being able to play as these rivals was a welcome surprise.

Sonic himself was on point. He was showing-off making jokes, and suddenly he was serious.  Refusing to give in, Sonic was willing to fight until the end. Plus, he actually proved he has the chivalry of a Knight. This version of Sonic really had what it took to be a hero. 

Plot

The story has elements similar to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also keeps itself unique. As mentioned, the characters are on point and the dialogue is great.

The beginning cutscene is epic, but the beginning of the game is a bit slow. Time is taken to establish elements, which is good but still "slow" for a Sonic game. The scene with Merlina and the flower was perfect, and introducing Caliburn was humorous.

The rivals help the story pick up a bit, and the false climax with "King Arthur" is similar to the Secret Rings, as expected. Still, it doesn't feel as if everything is resolved...

Because that's not the end! Black Knight is similar, but not equal to the Secret Rings. Merlina takes a stance that sets up the main theme of wanting an "eternal" world and Sonic trying to be "the bad guy" to stop her. The ending is satisfying and handled better than the "mountain of handkerchiefs" line from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The bonus with Sonic telling the story to Amy is also a delight. 

Music

The music matches the setting and takes on an "older" mood while keeping a heroic theme. Though the instrumentals are appropriate, they are generally slower than that of a typical Sonic game.

Meanwhile the vocal tracks are outstanding. Crush 40 created the perfect theme for the game, "Knight of the Wind," as well as the beautiful closing, "Live Life." "With Me" and other songs in the game also fit quite well.

Graphics and Visuals

The graphics for gameplay are barely an improvement over 2007's Sonic and the Secret Rings. Nasty. A shame because the architectural level design is quite nice.

The CG cutscenes are alright but have not aged as well as others from around the same time.

The 2-D cutscenes are beautiful, though. I like the similarity to Sonic and the Secret Rings, but also the contrast like the darker, inkier look. As with the last, it's a brilliant way of tieing in the "Story" and not having uglier, poorer quality scenes. It's reasons like these that make the storybook series missed.

The gallery also has some nice 2-D unlockables.

Gameplay and Controls

It's true, gameplay is not very smooth. Being on the Wii always seems to bring up this problem...The remote as well as the nunchuck must be used, which is a bit of a hassle.

The similarities in style to Sonic and the Secret Rings (in this area) were probably a mistake.

It takes a while to adapt to the different controls, swords, and styles. It takes too long, especially for a new player. Generally the boss fights are easy enough, though, to balance this.

The game is slower than a normal Sonic game but faster than comparable sword-based Wii games like The Force Unleashed.

Generally the missions are less annoying than in Sonic and the Secret Rings. Some of the differences between characters were awesome, but others (like the jump) could be hard to adjust to. There should have been more instructions explaining moves (like Gawain's wall-climb). The many different swords available were a plus.

The combination of typical Sonic speed and the newer, slicing fight element was interesting, but could have used improvement. Still not as bad as critics claim, though.

Final Thoughts

• This story is beautiful. The art is beautiful. The characters are perfect. I doubt anyone who actually played through could hate the game. 
• It's hard to believe Sega finally made Sonic 100% in-character and perfect...only to give the character a massive rude, egotistic, and over-joking personality change.    
• And because of Sega's over-reliance on critic opinion in the 2010s, "Black Knight Sonic" hasn't been seen since 2009 and "Colors Sonic" was permanently rooted into the character. 
• I'd like to see more characters like Merlina, who are relatable but misguided. A combination of Merlina and Mephiles would be very intriguing. 
• Along those lines Eggman's absence was a slight bother story-wise since he's usually always there...
• It would have been cool to see Jet and Silver, too, but I'm glad they stuck with Shadow, Knuckles, and Blaze when they decided to narrow it down.     
• IGN is an outrageous crime. 

Rakning (S is best, E is worst): A

The story is one of the best; the cutscenes were beautiful; the voice acting was great; the new characters were unique. I'd like to give this game an S. But I can only ignore gameplay so far.

It's okay after a while, but it doesn't have the same flow as an S-rank level game, so for being almost perfect (but not quite), Sonic and the Black Knight receives an A.

AS I SIT. AS I STAND. BY THE TABLE I COMMAND...

Best Jet VA

When Riders first came to be, I think people expected Jet to be voiced in a smooth, "cool" way  (to match his appearance). But that isn't really his personality. He thinks he's the coolest. Greedy and snotty, he thinks he's the best. But his encounter with Sonic makes him question that for the first time. Having a unique voice would also distinct the character from other rivals like Shadow. 

Best to Worst

Jason Griffith

Griffith's voice for Jet the Hawk is part of the reason I love the character. He uses a hilarious, high-pitched bird voice and is able convey Jet's superior, cocky way of thinking perfectly. His version of Jet is bossy, overconfident, and doesn't accept defeat. Jet's laughter is also one of the funniest moments in the entire series.

Michael Yurchak

Yurchak's Jet...
Yeek.
Yurchak's Jet is squeaky and high pitched, but not really bird-like. More nerdy. The "nerd" sound works for Silver because he has a sense of uncertainty. Jet is pretty much the opposite of Silver, so it's hard hear Jet with a geeky voice. Another problem is that he makes the character seem younger than 14. Yurchak transforms Jet and his arrogant lines into annoying brat.

This is yet another case of not necessarily bad acting, but bad casting. 

Best Shadow VA

Best to Worst

1 Jason Griffith (Sonic X, 2005-2010)

Although his initial voice for the character during the Sonic X arc "the Shadow Saga" was slightly off, by Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic X season 3 it was spot on.

The ultimate voice for Shadow, Griffith was able to hit Shadow's different emotions perfectly, from threatening to sad to determined. He was often able to switch between making the character's voice  rough or soft depending on the situation.   

2 David Humphrey (2001-2004)

Shadow's first voice helped establish his memorable character traits. I especially like how he is able to show empathy for Maria through his voice. He got even better by Sonic Heroes. Humphrey did a great job as Shadow, just not as good as Griffith.

3 Kirk Thornton (2010-now)

Thornton's rough Shadow voice is okay. In Forces his take on the character was pretty good, but in the past he's done little to impress. The recent games haven't given Shadow much of a role, anyway, though.

Best Sonic VA (Recap)

I decided who was Sonic's best voice actor once before...but now that the Sonic Movie has come out, where does Ben Schwartz stand?

Best to Worst:

1 Jason Griffith

"Alright. Bring it on."

2 Jaleel White

"I'm WAITING."

3 Ryan Drummond

"Let's blast through with Sonic speed!"

4 Roger Craig Smith

"No copyright law in the universe is going to stop me." 

5 Ben Schwartz

"There's a fish on my head."

6 Martin Burke

"SHUT UP, TAILS."

Ben Schwartz isn't bad. It takes a bit of getting used to. He's able to switch between emotions easily and also manages to be comedic without trying too hard.

Still, in my mind he's movie Sonic, not Sonic. I'm not sure if he'd be as likable in the games.

Had this been a few years ago, I would have ranked him above Roger Craig Smith, but as of Team Sonic Racing, I've decided Smith isn't as bad anymore. My ranking between Drummond, Smith, and Schwartz is very close.

However Jason Griffith and Jaleel White are still the best by far, and Martin Burke is still at the bottom of the list. 

Know the Rogues

Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross are Sega's Babylon Rogues.

10 Fun facts about the Babylon Rogues

1 Their leader is the youngest.

Jet the Hawk is only 14, a year younger than Sonic. Wave is 18, and Storm is 19. Despite his age Jet is quite skilled with extreme gear, nick-named the "Legendary Wind Master." 

2 They're all birds. 

This may seem fairly obvious, but it's notable. Being a "hover" racing game, it made sense for these rivals to have a connection to the air. Another odd bit: all three have blue eyes. 

3 Jet the Hawk was likely named for famous the boarder, Tony Hawk.

It all makes sense now, doesn't it? He also may have been inspired by "classic" character, Bean the Dynamite.

4 Their theme is "Catch Me If You Can."

The song appeared in original Riders and was remixed and later remade in Zero Gravity. The song references Jet and the team as well as the names of their moves (wing, claw, melancholy, victory, etc). It was oddly absent from Free Riders.

5 They actually use their sunglasses. 

It's a part of their "extreme gear" and...shields them from debris? It shows their skill compared to Sonic, who simply leaves his stylish shades atop his head.

6 Wave is the third female flight type. 

The others were Rouge the Bat and Cream the Rabbit. It's said that Wave has a rivalry with sneaky Rouge...(besides Tails, of course). 

7 They're descendants of thieves, genies, and aliens (and pirates?)  

The Rogues carry on the traditions of their ancestors: stealing!

In the end of the first game, it's implied that the Rogues are descendants of genies. The second game expands on this, revealing that their advanced technology was actually of another world.

Also, a picture of Jet's father shows a pirate-like appearance--it would be in line with their thieving heritage... 

8 Their voices are opposite of Team Hero (almost, anyway)

In the first two games Jet and Sonic were both voiced by Jason Griffith. Storm and Knuckles were both voiced by Dan Green. Wave, however, was voiced by Bella Hudson (Blaze the Cat). 

In Free Riders, Wave and Tails were both voiced by Kate Higgins, and Knuckles and Storm were both voiced by Travis Willingham...Jet meanwhile was voiced by Micheal Yurchak.

9 Versions of the Rogues (maybe?) exist in Blaze's World.

In Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic and friends discover a location similar to Babylon Garden, Sky Babylon. The ruins there hint at further similarities.

10 Wave, Jet, and Storm are one of the few characters to be animated outside of a TV show.

Sonic Rider's opening starts with an awesome animation sequence. 

Sonic 06 is better than Colors (Part 9)

Sonic 06 is generally regarded at "the worst Sonic game." Meanwhile Colors is supposedly "one of the best." Well I hated Colors and liked 06 just fine. And I have reasons for it, too.

Part 9: The Voice Acting

Where to start? Ugh, I guess I'll explain a little background on each of these groups beforehand.

Background History (fill free to skip this)

1. So the "4kids" actors that are present in 06 originally started out on the show, Sonic X. There were some "shady" dealings were the 4kids actors replaced the "originals" (sometimes called the "transitional") because Sega "wanted Sonic to sound the same" (all this was on Sega's behalf, though, not the actors themselves). 
2. So even though this group had been voicing the characters for about 2-3 years (Sonic X) a lot of people were still attached to the "originals" and regarded this new group with hostility. 
3. The 4kids actors had all improved their voice work since starting in "Chaos Control Freaks," but it wouldn't be until around the time of Sonic Unleashed that they gained real respect. Fans finally warmed up to the cast and praised their work. 
4. And by the time of Sonic Colors, Sega...REPLACED THEM ALL. Except Eggman. There were rumors about this, too, but mainly it just seemed like Sega was trying to gather a more "recognizable" cast (Roger Craig Smith, for example). Although some welcomed the change, many fans were now angry the 4kids had been replaced as they had finally "gotten good." 
5. This "current" cast would last for along time. At this point, however, most have been switched out with notable exceptions being the voices of Sonic, Eggman, Amy, and Shadow. 

General Opinion (Just sayin')

I usually favor the 4kids voice actors because I think most of them matched their characters perfectly. I have to admit the old cast was finally getting good around Heroes (just before they were replaced), but generally they seem overrated. On the other hand, I dislike almost everyone who started in 2010. I especially despite Smith's work. By the time of Forces I think most of them have gotten better, though.
So this won't all be relevant, as Colors has a small cast and it was their first game, but I just wanted to acknowledge it I guess.

Back to 06 vs Colors

Voices vs Voices

It sound be noted that I'm going off their roles in these games specifically.

06 Sonic vs Colors Sonic (Jason Griffith vs Roger Craig Smith)

"It sounds like [getting captured every five seconds] isn't that easy..."

Jason Griffith doesn't deliver the clarity we get in Unleashed or SATBK, but he does a decent job.

• Some lines that stand out as pretty good: "My, that's a pretty snazzy performance, there"; "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog"; "That was Incredible"; and "Alright, lets have some fun Solaris."

These lines show enthusiasm and Sonic's attitude. There are some lines are flat (like "Smile" and "No Problem") but Griffith stays in character. No major shifts or sounding like other characters (that he was voicing).

"Baldy nosehair? That's the [worst] thing I heard all day!" 

Roger Craig Smith's take on Sonic is horrible. In Colors, it makes me cringe. I know this is also largely reliant on script--I find it hard to imagine the other voice actors handling it well, either--but it just isn't right. Sonic sounds like a egotistic jerk!

• A one or two lines turn out well--sarcastic ones like "Oh, I gave it to him pretty good" and "Just say your going to destroy us and stop embarrassing yourself." 
• Any serious moments end up with the opposite effect. Pathetic: "Tails, buddy, you alright?" I don't feel like he's concerned for his friend at all! 
• Other lines are plain crap, such as "It says somebody ordered an extra large clobbering topped with everything!" Ugh he ends up saying the word clobbering three times and it seems to get worse each attempt. 
• Smith also pronounces words oddly (I'm assuming on purpose) such as "negative" like "nAgative"  and "Eggman" like "Aggman." 
• I guess that means he'd call Eggman Nega "Aggman nAga" ha 

To make matters worse, when "going back" to this after getting used to Roger Craig Smith's "better"  Sonic-voice, (maybe an Episode of Sonic Boom) you can tell in Colors he tried to make his voice...less mature? Likely to match his predecessors. If that was his goal, it failed terribly.

Sound Effects: I'm not a huge fan of the dying "W-Whao!" in 06 but the "Bwuah!" noise that Sonic makes when he falls in Colors is the worst sound Sonic has ever made. Also, as neither actor was at the top of their game here, Sonic's laugh is creepy. In Colors this happens a few times. As for Griffith, I know he usually does a good "Sonic laugh" but that ending scene with Elise...

Tails (Amy Palant vs Kate Higgins)

Amy Palant does a cute Tails. For whatever reason, she seems to make Tails have an even younger/higher voice than in Riders or Sonic X. She does a better job than the previous two voice actors, but the sound effects for Tails in this game are very annoying. The entire game, Tails' voice is either adorable or annoying. Usually the latter. He's 8, not 5...

I hate to admit it, but Kate Higgins probably did a better job (comparing these games specifically). Tails sounds young and cute but boyish, too. Higgins handles the humor well "Uh, I find that hard to believe..."; "[Eggman's] cruelty knows no bounds."; etc. She doesn't make Tails sound as smart as Plant, but 06 didn't show that side of him much.   

Eggman (Mike Pollock vs himself)

Despite the 4 year difference, Pollock sounds mostly the same. 06 is a bit more serious, Colors a bit more comical. Voice acting alone--it's a draw.

Other Main Characters

06

• Jason Griffith did a fantastic job as Shadow. There are quotes that turn out great from this game: "I determine my own destiny"; "Ha! There's no strength in numbers"; "I will fight like I always have"; even "Don't touch it" and "Let's get MOVING." 
• Although his "It's No Use" and "Not Now" could get irritating, Silver sounded youthful and confident. 
• Mephlies had creepy, heavy voice that fit him perfectly. 
• Sega seemed pretty proud of Lacy Chabert ("Elise") at the time. They considered her a "celebrity" voice actor. She does a good job in the cutscences but the sound effects (in the levels where Sonic carries Elise) are higher pitched and annoying. 

Colors

• Orbot (voice wise--his actions were kinda' sassy) was a slap in the face compared to the robot we saw in Unleashed. I'm not sure what accent that is, but I don't like. 
• We got to hear different takes on Cubot's voice, but they were all stupid. The worst part is his "real" voice is worse than the other ones. It's scratchy and...you know, now that I think about it, neither of those two sound very robotic.     

Supporting and Background roles.

06

• I think the 4kids cast did a good job matching their (Rouge, Blaze, Amy, etc) personalities overall. 
• The only one I really dislike is Omega's (Omega's robotic voice was usually low, not high). 
• There were some human voice-bits, such as "hey" in the hub worlds and crowds in cutscenes--not too bothersome. 

Colors

• The Colors equivalent is Yacker and the other wisps. Kinda' annoying but not too bad, really. 
• What really sucks is the "DRILL" "ROCKET" and all the other worthless wisp announcements. What is the point of that? What could possibly be good about that?! It's unnecessary, extremely loud, repetitive, annoying, and did I say REPETITIVE I MEANT TORTURE. 
• But what's worse? "GAME OVER." What the Fxck?! Having "ha-ha you lost" written over the screen with sad music is bad enough. But having that same awful voice say in an almost happy, drawn out: "gAme OVer" just makes me want to kill my Wii. And thanks to Generations, I found out this voice is none other than good ol' Roger Craig Smith. 

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGH 

Random Thoughts

• Sonic Colors was the "current" cast's first game, so it explains why they weren't as good. Eggman, however, stayed the same. 
• Notably, Tails' voice was later replaced for Sonic Boom.
• As for 06, this was their 4th game, but their first "main" one. I have to wonder if they had certain instructions on "how to sound" because a lot of them tweaked their voice slightly and sounded different before/past this game.

Conclusion

• Roger Craig Smith sucks. Especially in 2010-11, yikes. How could anyone praise that "performance?" Seriously, someone explain why they think he's good. To me he always sounds bored instead of carefree, cringe-y instead of funny, and a jerk instead of a hero. Griffith does a better Sonic. 
• Ignoring the fact that 06 has a larger cast (making it harder to compete with), I'd have to say 28% of Colors is good/acceptable (2/7) and 83% of 06 is good/acceptable (10/12). So clearly, the voice acting in 2006 was simply better than it was in 2010. It wasn't the best, but it's better than Colors.  
• As mentioned, Higgins and Pollock did an alright job--but it just doesn't outweigh the good that came out of 06.
• lol you don't hear that often, do you?  
• ...And if I were judging Free Riders (first game to feature the rest of the "2010" cast), the 4kids cast would blow them away for sure. 

Join us next time for the last major reason that Sonic 06 is better than Colors!