Sonic Heroes Review

Rank @ End

Summary

BLAST AWAY! Do more characters=a better game? Uh...no?

Gameplay and Level Design

The level design is fair. There are some colorful additions and new ideas, namely the haunted theme. I don't really like the "chunky" look of some of the earlier levels like [shudders] Seaside Hill and Ocean Palace. Many of the levels are pretty long in length. 

The gameplay has its heart in the right place, but is not the best. I like the idea of team work, but unlike Sonic 2 where there's sort-of an optional thing for another player, this "team" thing is forced on the 1st player. It takes a long while to get used to the different moves, switching between characters, and even just balancing while flying. It needs a "learning period." Doing the Rose missions first helps.  

 

Story and Characters

This is a very character-focused game. Team Sonic has a pretty simplistic story, but it is fun to see the crew getting along and hanging out. Rose's is also pretty simple, but it's humorous and the first time we see Cream outside of Sonic Advance 2. Though where did Chocola even come from? 

The Chaotix have a fun story, though I wish the conclusion was not so obvious. Notably this team dodges Team Sonic because then they'd have to decide where to risk having the group recognize Knuckles. The wording when they first cross Eggman is careful for this reason (Knuckles Chaotix). 

Team Dark gets the best story, where the group hunts Eggman for their own reasons. Unfortunately the game does not decide what to do with Shadow. Does he get his memories back? Is he an android?   

This might be because the character was originally dead and Rouge was going to be a part of Team Rose (wtf). 

The game debuted Omega, Chocola, and introduced many "less known" characters like the Chaotix and Cream. I think they handled the intro well, but I can see how it would seem overwhelming. 

The plot twist is great for the game's story and for Metal Sonic's character. Before, he basically had the OVA for personality and that was basically just that he had Sonic's. Here we as a cold, creepier version. I wish they actually used the "Neo" design a bit before transforming him for 5 minutes, though.   

Music and Voice Acting

The music is pretty good. "Mystic Mansion" really got into the setting, and Bullet Station just sounds awesome. The main theme is good but tiresome. Of the team themes, only "This Machine" really works the best. "What I'm Made Of" is and always will be one of the most epic songs in the series. 

This is some of the best voice acting from the original cast, the other game probably being Sonic Battle. Ryan Drummond's voice for Sonic is happy and energetic, finally losing the sarcasm-awkwardness from the Adventure series. Just right. Jennifer Douillard has shown considerable improvement with Amy, putting a lot more into the role. Lani Minella's Rouge voice is also at it's best. 

I do have one main complaint, and it's for Charmy, who just sounds too girlish for a boy (the potato chips line still works though). 

Visuals and Graphics

The CG scenes are fair. The graphics aren't the best, but tolerable. Though do I have to sit through like 5 mintues of Metal Sonic transforming in thunder, rain, and lightning? 

Omega's design is a bit clunky for my taste, but the Chaotix redesigns are awesome. Rouge also wears a different outfit, which I might like better. Interesting to note that in the concept art her outfit was red and black, too, hm...

Final Thoughts

• The Special stage is crap. A-the boost is NOT like the modern boost, don't use it that way or you WILL PAY. B-you can get at least 6 of them by using Big and walking on the CELLING for some reason. C-you'll do fine and then--randomly come to a halt because you somehow fell. What is this, 06? 
• Sonic 2's is WAY WAY WAY better and it came out, you know, like 10 years before. 
• Ultimately I am glad they brought Shadow back, even if it meant SA2 lost a little meaning. However I'm not a huge fan of the android plot. 
• Also, the portrayal of Shadow himself in the game has been greatly exaggerated, I mean one minute he's all "space, did you say space" and the next he's all "some things never change," what the heck?! 
• Sorry, but Shadow the Hedgehog> Heroes Shadow.  The entire game is dedicated to the character's potential. Did it 100% work? No. Did it miss some opportunities with Team Dark? Yeah. But it gives still gives a better idea of "who" he is. 
• Plus "That way you guys can use your super powers," ugh, that's barely better than "you've got this, Sonic," ew.   
• This is the best we see of Metal Sonic, I think, yet the whole "Neo" idea is overrated. Forces may have been an opportunity to flesh out the character's personality when working under Eggman. Too bad.   
• Tails and Knuckles...just get bubbles...shinny little...WHY?
• Part of this game's problem is that Sonic himself is kinda' buried in all these characters. 
• Giving him a super transformation and no one else is NOT a solution. 
• So I'm confused about the sunset thing... 
• HOOHEE

Final Ranking: B 

Eh. What can I say? Beating this game is great, and it's really nice to see the characters work and talk together in the level, too. But it can be long, repetitive, and at points just...boring?

WHAT IF...Silver was replaced with Metal...hm.

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 Adventure Review

Rank at the end.

Summary

Sonic Adventure took the Sonic series in a new direction.

Gameplay

Sonic Adventure is often misremembered as the first 3D Sonic game. It is a vast improvement over the likes of Sonic 3D Blast, though. It feels easier to control and less restricted. However, it's not as easy to adapt to as the 2D era, and is almost crude compared to the clarity of future games. The Light Dash, for example, required a charging time before use. 

The difference in speed and moves for the characters was a plus. Sonic Adventure created a different and unique style for each character, making "more" than just a Sonic game. It's a Tails game. A Knuckles game. So on.

Sonic, Tails, and Gamma are similar and work well despite the differences. Amy's would be fine if not for Zero, who is extremely distributive. Knuckles is more exploratory, which is nice yet not as speedy as the others. Big...

Big sits around and fishes (see also: Sega Bass Fishing). The slower pace did not sit well with players, permanently scarring the character. I prefer his moves in Sonic Heroes myself. The camera angles and just the entire process made a simple task difficult, and the style does not fit with the other characters.

The Chao Gardens were a nice addition, but are not as good as their replacement in SA2. They are boring, which is a shame since the Chao have a bigger role in this game's story.    

Characters and Story

Sonic

• Sonic's story seems basic, but since this is the first of it's type I'll give it a pass. 

Tails

• I wish future games did as much with Tails as this game. It seems like Tails struggling to save the day on his own is the most character development he'll ever get. 

Amy

• Even though she appeared in Sonic CD, this game further cemented Amy's peppy personality as an adoring fan girl. I like "Birdie," but Zero is torturous. From a plot standpoint, (despite the ending) it seems like Amy is still a damsel in distress.

Knuckles

• The main plot intertwines with Knuckles, considering the Echidna clan. It's nice to have his history expanded, but it doesn't affect him as much as expected. The story is not as memorable as it could have been. Oh, and he gets tricked...again.

Gamma

• Gamma is a rebel robot, and his journey from joining the E-series to turning on his creator and making the ultimate sacrifice is classic.   

Big

• Big simply wants his pal Froggy back. Fine. Simple like Big. But whole Frog eating part of Chaos or whatever? Bizarre. 

Super Sonic

• Tikal, Chaos, the past, the present--everything comes together. Super Sonic was epic, but the beginning part with Chaos turning on Eggman was a little slow.   

Visuals

There are many types of locations to explore, and the Adventure Fields added to this. Unfortunatly the graphics are clunky and have not aged well. It's hard to enjoy the small details like the ruins or the signs in Station Square when the overall set up is bulky and unappealing.

Along those lines, the cutscenes junky compared to future games. The original Dreamcast graphics are down right hideous. And the character mouth movements are very odd (and humorous).

The anime-style humans lack much detail and are bland. It maybe weird to say, but the humans in 06 were an improvement.

Voice Acting and Dialogue

Overall the voice acting was average or poor. Ryan Drummond as Sonic was fair, but defiantly not as good as Sonic's cartoon actor, Jaleel White.

Though Drummond would perfect his version by Heroes, his early Sonic (combined with some odd comments in the script) was a bit awkward. The same could be said for some of the others, like Deem Bristrow (Eggman).

However Amy's voice actor, Jennifer Douillard, was just plain bad. She improves later, but for this game Amy sounded awkward, bratty, and childish. Though the story gave her an emotional role, her portrayal didn't have such an emphasis. Tail's voice wasn't quite right, either. Pachacmac's voice is kinda' funny.

Ultimately the only Gamma's voice is perfect for the character (not as good as Omega).

The script was a bit odd with some phrases, but generally helped mold their distinct personalities.

Music

As with all good Sonic games, there is a variety in soundtrack, though there is arguably more of an edgy rock/metal vibe than seen in the classic days. Luckily Sonic Adventure shows how both slower and more intense paces can affect how a setting is perceived.

Overall the stage music is good. In comparison to the Sonic series as a whole I'd call it a bit average, though.

Vocal themes also varied. Songs like "It Doesn't Matter" and "My Sweet Passion" fit the characters well, though personally I've never been a huge fan of "Unknown from M.E" and I think "Believe in Myself" would have better suited Tails with male vocals. "Open Your Heart" is killer and is king over all the others, which is a plus since it's also the main theme.

Final Thoughts

• This game is overrated. SA2 is overrated, but it deserves that hype. Sonic Adventure is a fine game, but not nearly as flawless as it is remembered as. 
• For both the characters and style, this is a good game for fans. Not sure if it's best as an "entry" title. 
• Amy's hammer/jump move is fun. So was that Wack-A-Mole style thing she had to do. 
• The flash backs were a very interesting element.  
• I liked the afterward-pictures in the credits like Tikal with Chaos. 

Ranking (S is highest, E is lowest): B

It's kind of an average game. It has some great moments, and some not so great moments. Though it and inspired many subsequent titles, it's a bit bland. 

NOT Saved By Zero!

Best Knux VA

Knuckles was originally supposed to be Jamaican, but that didn't happen. Time for figure out Knuckles' best voice:

Best to Worst:

1 Travis Willingham (Sonic Boom, 2010-2017)

While his voice initially seemed mediocre, it wasn't as bad as some of the others from the "2010" group. His voice acting for the character improved with Sonic Boom, where he somehow made (the drastically different) Knuckles funny and likable. I also like how mature he portrayed the character in Sonic Forces.

2 Dan Green (Sonic X, 2005-2010)

Green was able to portray Knuckles' hot-headed personality the best. He also was able to make the character comical by keeping his voice completely serious.

3 Scott Dreier (2001-2003)

Dreier's Knuckles seemed kinda' weird at first, but he seems enthusiastic and still sounds tougher fellow characters.

4 Ryan Drummond (Sonic Shuffle)

Surprisingly, Drummond does a good job matching Knuckles' personality for only voicing the character once.

5 Dave Mitchell (Team Sonic Racing)

Mitchell manages to keep his voice similar to the others, but so far doesn't stand out much.

6 Michael McGaharn (Sonic Adventure)

McGaharn doesn't capture Knuckles' fired-up attitude as well, but does a decent job showing the explorer side of Knuckles.

7 Bill Wise ("The Movie"/OVA)

Wise has the oddest version, with a strange accent. It's not as bad as some of the other OVA actors, but it's strange for Knuckles.

8 Brian Drummond (Sonic Underground)

Brian Drummond (no relation to Ryan Drummond) makes Knuckles seem younger than the rest of the actors. While he tries to make the character have a threatening tone, the higher pitch makes it hard to take serious.

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. 

Battle of the Voice Actors: Sonic

With all those comic-posts I was starting to feel like the Comix Zone. So this time we're jumping into one of the greatest Sonic debates, who is the best Sonic voice actor? We'll start with the games first, then add in the others (but just the main ones, not like, Sonic's Schoolhouse--that doesn't count).

First off, the contestants!

Ryan Drummond--Known for being the first in-game voice actor, Drummond voiced Sonic until 2004. He also stepped in for Knuckles in one game, and voiced Sonic's robot double, Metal Sonic, in Sonic Heroes.

Jason Griffith--Taking over by voicing Sonic in Sonic X, Griffith voiced Sonic until 2010. He voiced Sonic's transformations as well as rivals Shadow the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk.

Roger Craig Smith--The current voice actor, who also voices Sonic in Sonic Boom. He voices Dave the Intern and other characters on the show.

The Evaluations:

Winner: Jason Griffith. 
Griffith voices Sonic with with enthusiasm and feeling. From making Sonic the adventure-loving traveler in Sonic Unleashed to the "bring it on" racer in Sonic Riders. He is able to show Sonic's more serious side like with Darkspine Sonic, and his final boss battle in Sonic and the Black Knight. He greatly improved his voice acting since the beginning of Sonic X, giving Sonic the illusion of maturing. His only faults are a few odd-ball lines and phrases that sounded corny, mainly in Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Shadow the Hedgehog. 

Second: Ryan Drummond.
I often think the reason Drummond often gets credited as the best voice actor is because he's the first. Sort of the Connery of Sonic. But, not really because he had a voice in the cartoons. Anyhow, Dummond easily transformed Sonic into the easy-going, "it doesn't matter" hedgehog he needed to be. He was at his best in Sonic Heroes, where Sonic sounded excited and ready for the challenge ahead. He was at his worst at his start, though, in Sonic Adventure, where Sonic lines seemed a little weird (not to mention his mouth movements). The main problem later on seemed to be with sarcasm--Sonic would say something saracastic, but he wouldn't sound sarcastic. Still, Drummond easily got Sonic's style and attitude down pat.

Loser: Roger Craig Smith.
I hated Smith's voice. When playing Sonic Colors, when Sonic did the "BWAH" sound effect when he died, I'd say "Damn it RogerCraigSmith!"--it's one of the reasons I hate that game. It was bad enough they had to replace Griffith, but they replaced him with THIS? Combined with the trashy jokes the writers started throwing in the games, it was a disaster. Sonic was now a lame, emotionless jerk, bored with life. Luckily when Sonic Boom started, Smith began to improve a bit. When I watched the cutsecnes of the Sonic-Lego Dimensions game (because there was no way I was going to buy that) I was surprised to find that Smith did a pretty good job. Going into season 2 of Boom, the same reaction. He was able to make Sonic funny and sympathetic. So I was satisfied with his work in Forces, but there were still lines that weren't "Sonic," and I never really felt the guy matched Sonic's personality to begin with. Which is why he's the "loser."

Now for our cartoon and movie add-ins...

Jaleel White--Voiced Sonic in the first three cartoons. In Sonic Underground, he also voiced Sonic's siblings, Sonia and Manic. But the singing was done by some other people.

Martin Burke--Voiced Sonic in the OVA/"Sonic: the Movie."

Ben Schwarts--Announced as the voice of Sonic in the upcoming film, Schwarts is excluded from this until 2019 (when the movie comes out). I've never heard of this guy: no idea what to expect.

The Evaluations:

Winner: Jason Griffith 
Ultimately, Griffith was the perfect Sonic. He combined what was great about the actors before him and yet made it his own. Griffith's Sonic is exactly the what Sonic should be: funny, friendly, and dynamic.

Runner-up: Jaleel White
White set the bar for what Sonic should sound like. He made Sonic thick with attitude--clever, smart, and heroic in a 90s kind of way. If Classic Sonic spoke, we all know who'd be voicing him.

Lucky Third: Ryan Drummond 
Drummond did a good job. Just not as good. He fit the role and, even though I consider Griffith better, I agree that it was a shame he didn't get to voice more games. 

Loser: Roger Craig Smith
Although he improved, Smith is far from perfect. Smith has been voicing Sonic for a while now and I think that's in part because of Sonic Boom (Sega wants Sonic to sound the same in all media and it would be weird for Sonic to change voices on mid-show). So we'll probably be stuck with him awhile.

Dead Last: Martin Burke
Burke tired, and he still captures Sonic's cocky personality. He's just...bad. Maybe it's not fair because he only voiced Sonic once, but when I hear him I either want to cringe or ignore how "anime dub" he sounds. Compared to all the other voice actors in the movie, though, he was pretty good.

Some people prefer Sonic silent. Those people are *ssholes. It's important to have good animation and expressions, but a voice can add so much more. Determination, courage, anger: true emotions. Part of that is on the script, and on the people who make the game, but the rest of it is on the actors. Sonic has had some great versions of his voice, and I'd rather have to deal with his current one than have him say nothing at all. 

No offense, pal.