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| ALL about the current era |
Era: Current
Main Years: 2010-present
Gameplay Type: Although started in 2005, the boost gimmick reached popular success with Sonic Unleashed. While Unleashed was a step towards the "current" era, it was Sonic Colors that changed the boost from a special ability to an expected one. Every main game since has included it as a major element. This allows the player to speed through enemies and the level, but it has a gauge that must be fueled. The "boost to win" type of gameplay has been dominate in the 3D levels, but also in 2D sections and the DS version of Sonic Colors.
However the spinoffs such as the Sonic Racing series (kart racing) and Sonic Boom series (exploration) had takes that differed accordingly.
Sonic Colors also debuted a new form of power-up: wisps. The wisps have different abilities which alter Sonic within a few seconds.
Interestingly, guns have reappeared in the series as of Sonic Forces, now "Wispons" and likewise affected by wisps.
This era marked the return of 2D to "main games." This started with Sonic 4, which played much like a classic game but with the homing attack and other elements. Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces provided 3-dimensional levels with a completely 2-D view, simulating the classics. Finally Sonic Mania returned completely to the "classic" style.
Character Designs and Personalities: While Sonic and the others have not changed much in terms of size, there have been some subliminal changes. Sonic's mouth is now always on the side like in 2-D art rather than being center or sometimes center like in the past. Amy, by contrast, always has a "center" mouth and no longer smirks like Sonic.
Overall the characters have shifted personalities to be either more passive or more extreme, depending on the character. Starting with Colors, Sonic is the class clown, usually joking about everything and not taking anything seriously. Most of the other characters were sidelined or reduced to being a "cheerleader."
While Sonic Forces gained some respect for giving Shadow his own "episode," fans felt Tails' cowardly behavior was very out of character. Reception to the changes in personality since 2010 have been mostly negative.
Controversy
In 2014 Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles (as well as Metal Sonic, Shadow, and Eggman) were redesigned. Sonic's design gave him lengthy legs, blue arms, and a brown scarf. The group wore lots of sports tape, and were mostly taller. Knuckles was given a completely different body type.
The characters were also given slightly different personalities. Sonic was more casual, Amy was more mature, Knuckles was stupid, and Tails...okay, Tails is kind of the same. Reception to these changes has been mixed since Amy was praised, but Knuckles was horribly ridiculed.
The designs were met with immediate backlash. Despite the fan disapproval, Sega promoted the spin-off series with Sonic Channel artwork and included Boom-exclusive Sticks as character in the 2016 Rio Olympic games title. A sequel to Sonic Dash with the theme was also made.
The initial disgust with the designs, as well as the poor reception to the spin-off games, may have contributed to the "Boomverse's" slow death.
Story Type: In sharp contrast to the last era, the plots have been portrayed as lighthearted and comical. Even when a situation seems serious, like when the Time Eater separates Sonic from his friends, the script is designed to let the player know nothing bad can actually happen and Sonic is just here to have fun.
Also, starting with Colors DS handhelds no longer have their own plots, instead being versions of the console games.
Trying to mix its appeals, Sonic Forces was given a serious plot. The storyline, which has Sonic defeated by a new enemy, then locked up and tortured while Eggman takes over, does sound surprisingly dark. However, the details are not in the slightest. Sonic remains static, no different start to finish and completely unaffected by the months he was captive. Eggman has taken over, but outside of level design it is hard to tell what affect it really has. Most infamous of all is the new villain/rival, Infinite, and his back story of "throwing a tantrum."
Even though Sonic's cast is already huge and the games tried to "focus only on Sonic with Tails as support," many new characters joined, including 6 new villains as the "Deadly Six," Infinite, the "Avatar," Yacker, and Dodonpa.
Visuals: As a whole the graphics have aged well. There does not seem to be a huge difference between Sonic Generations or Sonic Forces, but it still looks as good as it needs to for what it is. Can't say the same for the cutscenes. Colors already had the Wii curse. Generations is okay, focusing on expressions was a neat idea...
The CG scenes just aren't exciting or special, and the openings aren't bad, but aren't too impressive either (with the exception of Mania).
The settings now use a lot of cartoonish themes. Much of the locations are recycled Sonic settings, being a new version of an old idea (Red Gate Bridge in Sonic Forces, like the bridge in Radical Highway, is based on the Golden Gate Bridge), or being a literal old level revisited (Green Hill, Chemical Plant, etc).
Common locations include selections from the "Generations" line-up (Green Hill, Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary, Seaside Hill, Rooftop Run, and Planet Wisp). Types include hills, beaches, cities, casinos, and haunted places.
Music: The "current" era was just that: keeping in with the times. In Sonic Colors, this meant Sonic's theme would be changed to something very pop 2010. Cash Cash, the band that made "Reach for the Stars," would go on to make several other songs/covers. Despite the track becoming Sonic's theme in many games following, the next games would not include a main vocal theme at all.
Orchestral themes were a popular alternative, and Sonic Generations opted to make something more reflective of the "Classics." Many remixes would be made with several anniversary games and other occasions.
The Sonic Boom series had music that was much slower than fans were used to. Rise of Lyric in particular was bashed as one of the worst Sonic OSTs. Fans who listened to Fire and Ice felt the prior games were musically forgiven, but many had already sworn off the series.
Sonic Mania included a composer picked for his Youtube popularity (part of the "by the fans" thing). He took inspiration from the 90s games, especially Sonic CD (JP).
Sonic Forces adopted a popular synthetic sound. It would be the first game in years to have vocal themes.
Team Sonic Racing was the first game that seemed to return to the type of music seen in previous eras, in part because of remixes, but also due to the return of fan favorites composer Jun Senoue/ "the Sonic band" Crush 40.
Voice Cast:
In early 2010 games the 4kids cast was still voicing the characters (actually the lines might have been recycled). After Free Riders, a mostly new cast took over.
While Mike Pollock stayed as Eggman, Sonic was now voiced by Roger Craig Smith. Tails would mostly be voiced by Colleen O' Shaughnessey, and Knuckles mostly by Travis Willingham. Cindy Robinson provided the voice for Amy, with Kirk Thornton as Shadow and Orbot. Cubot was voiced by Wally Wingert.
The Sonic movie casted Ben Schwartz as Sonic. For a brief period, many expected Schwartz would be the new voice for Sonic in the games, but this did not happen. Eggman, being a human, was physically played by an actor, Jim Carrey. The move briefly had Tails (O' Shaughnessey).
Controversy
Most felt that by 2010 the voice change was unnecessary and were upset with the change. By the mid-2010s generally fans felt better due to the 2 seasons of Sonic Boom.
In Sonic Generations two opportunities never came to light: Ryan Drummond returning to voice Sonic, and Jaleel White returning to voice Sonic. Drummond was in a union and did not accept the role (which resulted in the game's "third" Sonic being scrapped). It was decided that classic Sonic would either be voiced by White or have no voice. For reasons unknown, they took the second option.
As a consequence "classic" characters do not talk (in Mania, etc) even though Classic Tails and classic egg Robotnik talked in Generations (voiced by what was their current actors).
Kate Higgins voiced Tails prior to Sonic Boom. While she still voices Wave the Swallow, she was replaced by Colleen O' Shaughnessey as Tails. The reason is unknown but fans have called Higgins' voice for Tails too old, which may have contributed.
Much of the cast (with the exceptions of Sonic, Tails, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, and Eggman) was replaced in Team Sonic Racing. While the replacements have had mixed reception individually, as a whole this move did not receive nearly the same attention as any of the other main cast switches. Since Sonic's voice was not replaced the change seemed to fly under the radar.
It is unknown what the cast will look like in future games, but Smith has recommitted to the role after briefly planning to leave.
Main Voice (Sonic): Roger Craig Smith
Memorable Theme Song (for Sonic): "Reach for the Stars" (from Sonic Colors).
Memorable Catchphrases (Sonic): "Baldy Nosehair?! That's the best thing I heard all day!" "No copywrite law in the universe is going to stop me!" (Sonic Colors) "Enjoy your future, it's gonna' be great." (Sonic Generations) "Green Hill is beginning to look a lot more like sand hill." "It's been generations since I've seen you." (Sonic Forces) "Hey, who needs their bacon saved?" (Team Sonic Racing) "Sonic SPEED" (Brawl)
"I'm very heroic." (cartoon)
Cartoons and other Appearances: Sonic Boom was a comedy starting in 2014. It aired for 2 seasons. It involved Sonic and his friends coping with various threats such as Eggman and part-time worker/villain, Dave the Intern. Surprisingly also Sonic guest starred on a show called OK Let's be Heroes.
The Archie comics involved more game characters such as Silver in main plots. However the entire series had to be rebooted after legal troubles so that characters they "did not own" could be written out.
The following plotlines were more connected to the previous eras, including a lengthy adaptation of Sonic Unleashed as "The Shattered World Crisis" and the reveal of a surviving Black Arms, Eclipse the Darkling.
In the meantime, Archie also had a Sonic Boom based spin-off and several crossovers with Mega Man.
The series came to an end in 2016. The reasons were never elaborated on, but it can be assumed there was a disagreement between Archie and Sega.
In 2018 a new comic series with IDW was started. It included new characters Tangle and Whisper (who soon became so popular they have appeared on official merch and in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle app).
While the comic initially started with the "fallout" of Forces, it went into a long robot virus/zombie apocalypse plot. While popular, reception to the series has been mixed, specifically on how certain characters have been portrayed. Fans of the Archie comics have also been persistent about wanting to see characters like Sally Acorn.
Several 2-D animated shorts promoting Sonic Mania Plus, Team Sonic Racing, and chao have been created. A new animation was made for Sonic Colors: Ultimate.
A new TV show, Sonic Prime is also being created and will be on Netflix.
In 2020, the Sonic Movie was released and received praise after correcting what many saw as a horrid and uncanny design. The next movie will be released in 2022.
