Quote of the Month

"I'm the best!"
--Jet the Hawk, Sonic Riders

Alright, fine. Let's talk Mania. (About it's awesome opening and it's imapct)

Sonic Mania is a 2D, classic Sonic game (released, that's right, here in 2017). If you don't know that much you either haven't looked up 'Sonic' in the last (year?) or you're not a Sonic fan. In which case, I guess you should find a different blog.



Mania's opening. Note the flickies.


For those who haven't watched it ten million times, here it is, along with it's preorder trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex3QDARGtLg

 
The Opening. It's sick! (I mean awesome)
I recently watched the Sonic Mania opening...



The Opening

 

It's pretty epic. I love animation. Hate CGI. I understand it, in a video game. It's not a TV show, after all. But when they add it, I'm reeling with excitement: obsessed.

Sonic CD was the first to do so (that technically making it the first official cutscenes--something more than the in game sprites moving around...). It had an awesome opening that leaves "Sonic Boom" (by that I mean the song) echoing in your head for the rest of the day. In the American version, of course. It also had two endings and some clips during the credits, all pure amazing...ness.

Sonic CD-an ending credit scene

We wouldn't see anything like this again until Sonic Riders, with it's speedy, way past cool opening (called the "Demo Loop" in the theater section). It showed us, with it's edgy style and it's fast pace, "what true speed is...."

Sonic Rider's Opening

The only other games to compete with these striking scenes where Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic and the Black Knight, AKA the "storybook series." The majority of the cutscenes in these games where not CGI but "purposely made 2D." I thought this was genius. This way, there were no "bad" (lesser quality) cutscenes, and the styles fit in with the themes of each tale. It was revolutionary. Too bad there are and likely will only ever be two.



Sonic and the Secret Rings and it's "picture like" cutscenes

But now we have a new revolution. And it's name is Mania. Sonic Mania.



Mania's pre-order trailer

Although the gloss and quality clear defines it as a work of the modern world, the opening fits early Sonic art (JP art...in the US he looked edgier. Or 90sier. Take your pick) and Sonic CD's style. It defines the game as every thing a Sonic game should be: Cool, cute, and fun.



The Opening

Personally I thought the music was "meh," but everyone was raving about it in the comments. It must be more of the world likes what I hate and blah blah blah. I mean, it was alright, sure. But it's not Crush 40, am I right?
Did somebody say Sonic Heroes? Because...



The Opening


At his side are his best buds Tails and Knuckles (as they are playable in the game). We get some peeks at the levels the game has in store with out it feeling slow. Sonic's attitude is the same as it has been: tapping his foot, giving a thumbs up, and expressing himself through smirks and stares.



Pre-order Trailer

I'd like to point out that Modern Sonic does the same (there where points where I was either like "that's just like modern," or "That's classic right there!") with his expressions, but since Classic Sonic lives in a (er...almost) voiceless world, it has more of an impact. Also, again, it's very similar to CD. 
 
Battle of the Ages...well not really. Gotta think fast?
 
I have to admit, I haven't been obsessing over this like...well? Everyone else. I love classic, I do, but instead of simply enjoying this moment, most have been trashing Sonic's modern era. Here's what I commented on one the youtube videos of it (not that you'd know considering it got buried among a ton of hater's comments--why they didn't reply to me remains a mystery. Scaredy-cats.)

This is what I put, mad at comments putting down modern games, voice acting, and storylines:
 
"First of all: WHOO! That was awesome (jumps up and down like a four year old)! WHOO! (looks at comments-sighs) Second of all: Stop trashing the modern era...When I was young, I played the classic games and watched the cartoons and I always disliked all the modern games and characters, save for Sonic (I loved those green eyes) and the main cast (Tails, Amy, Knux). But when I got older (and my family finally decided to move up from a Sega Genesis), I started to play the modern games, and now I love them (and modern characters--Shadow, Blaze, Jet...). I think most classic fans would like them, too, if they could adjust to the gameplay. Remember the ever so hated Sonic 06? I love that game; I think it's really fun. I like the stories, and the voice acting (at least with the 4kids voice actors). There had always has been a story to Sonic, whether it's the instruction book saying that Dr. Robotnik's up to his old tricks, Knuckles punching Sonic in the beginning of Sonic 3, or Sonic rescuing Amy ("Sally") after beating Metal Sonic. The story is just told differently, now. Now it's Sonic calling Shadow "faker" and it's Amy chasing Sonic with a huge hammer. Sonic may have gotten taller and his eyes maybe green but he's never lost his "I'm WAITING" attitude. Modern Sonic is Classic Sonic. End of story. On a side note, for those of you who have never touched a game beyond the 90s, I'd recommend Sonic Rush. It's 2D(.5) on the DS, close enough to classic gameplay that you could pick it up after playing a round of Sonic 2, and modern enough to include a different character with her own (pretty awesome) storyline and moves. If you not interested, THAT'S WHY THEY MADE THIS GAME, but stop taking your anger (probably from Sonic 4, right? I can't defend that. It made Sonic a slow-mo!) out on those who like the modern games. A person (or rather, "I") can easily love a round of Spring Yard Zone as they can a round of Mystic Mansion. And a person can be excited just as excited to play Mania as Forces (not me, though. I hear they're trying to make Shadow into a henchmen-type. Don't think I like that. Meanwhile, here's Mania, showing off some serious style). Now. I'm going to watch Sonic CD's opening and then Sonic Riders and then I'll watch this one again. Back to the awesome-ness. Back to the awesome-ness. 'I'm outta here.'"

If you don't feel like reading that, here's a summary: I love classic, but I love modern too. So XXXX off. It was a bit kinder but that's what it is.


Sonic CD: Sonic and a rescued Amy

So?
I probably won't get Mania for a long time. I mean, it's not like won't be available five years from now, when it's (hopefully) cheaper. That's my logic with most of the games now. It looks exciting; it looks like fun. But so does Sonic 2, which is currently shoved in my Sega Genesis.
"Respect the classics, man."



Sonic Mania Opening. Ignore Knuckles.



After Thoughts
First of all, I hope there's more of this animation, in Mania (I'm sure I could look it up, but do I dare?), but also in the Sonic series as a whole. I liked the cartoons as a kid, and was pretty disappointed that Sonic Boom was CGI (one of MANY disappointments with that show). But I think we all were impressed/satisfied with this style. I want more! Not just for classic, but for modern, too. I remember wishing that Zero Gravity ("Sonic Riders 2") had an intro like the first one...
It shows that the creators care about quality and expression, and it shows something important: that Sonic is cool.  

I hope that this [game] continues to be a new series, of sorts. Classic and modern. 2D games with simple expression, and 3D with complex stories.
...but I hope they ditch the cliché fan favs. No more Green Hill. Please. If I see or play it again, I swear...Seriously. I avoid Sonic 1 now. And classic should stick to his games and the generation series (if that becomes a thing). There's no need to give us more confusing 2D that's 3D. We want classic to be classic, not modern classic. If that makes any sense.

When they made Sonic 4, this is what we wanted. Old school style with new school polish. I'm sure that we'll all love it, but is it truly a new spin on the old tale, or is it just a rehash of the same old same old?

(Dun dun dun! To be continued...But, you know, not really.)

Have you gotten to play Mania? Tell what you think of it in the comments. Think it's exciting? Lame? Come on. Do it. I'm waiting...



Pre-order trailer

Well I'm outta here.   

   

Quote

Quote

"ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S PROFIT IN THIS?!"
...
One of the reasons I love Jet is because he's so ridiculous! :)

Sonic 06-Beta Opening VS Released

Hi-ya guys.

Everyone knows that a lot of things planned for 06 never made it in, but the beta opening is a pretty interesting case. If you ever looked up old trailers for the game, you may have noticed that Elise had a different voice actor (the change to her official voice actor was never explained). This was from the beta version. I've linked in the two so that it will be easier to compare the differences (they aren't my own videos so a special thanks to the youtubers that have them posted out there):  

 

Game opening:

 

 

Beta opening:

 

 

So, before I throw my opinion out there, let's go over the main differences:

 

 

Beta Opening

 

 

1. Music-from the beginning you can tell the lack of music in the beta, but later there are different music themes as well.

 

2. Sound effects-different and similar sounds. Note the lack of people screaming and other effects in the beta, and how the music in the actual game tends to cover over the sounds.

 

3. Extra and Missing scenes-there are extra scenes of the boat/girls dancing in the beta, and I think they are (cleverly) reused in the last cutscene. The beta does not have the scene where Elise sees Soleanna ruined by Iblis.

 

4. Elise has a different voice actor-Veronica Taylor voiced her in the beta and Lacey Chabert in the game.

 

 5. "I'm Sonic!"-in the game he says, "I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog!" In the beta he simply says, "I'm Sonic!" (Did anyone else find that hilarious? No? Just me? Okay).

Okay. So...opinions...

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 actual opening

1. First off, I think the music it plays for Sonic when he steps in is better in the beta. It's much more energetic-much more Sonic (as for why neither had His World-that's beyond me). The second thing that comes to mind is Eggman's theme. It's more intense in the beta, and heightens the moment, but the one in the game is king. This is because it is Eggman's theme through out the game (and still used today). Although the beta's music was appropriate for the moment, I can't imagine it as Eggman's theme. Now the hard part-the music before all that. The beta's highlights mystery and nervous excitement, and at first the game's music strikes me as lame. But as the boat nears its destination, the music becomes much better, giving the listener a sense of positive excitement, joy, and importance. They both fit, but I have to say the in game one's better here. As for the music when Elise looks at the flames...they are very similar (I thought they were the same at first) and give the panic of to moment, but I think the beta's better. It's just a bit more intense. I do like the "roar" of Iblis in the game's, but that counts as sound effects...

2. Wow. Can I first admire how much I've written so far for a moment? Wow. Okay, so sound effects. As a whole, they sound better in the beta expect for the missing effects (lighting the fire, Sonic's shoes, Silver's glove-all silent) and the audience (cheers and screams). Okay-I guess that means the beta has better fireworks and the game has better everything else.      

3. I am completely unaffected by what was added/taken. Since those scenes (mentioned above) where in the last cutscene, I don't mind there removal. The Iblis scene-truth is I don't care. The beta gives the mystery-what does she see/feel/hear (because of her connection with the monster), and the game directly hints at other events and shows that she has a relation to the flames (of disaster). Not to mention it's a reminder of Judgment Day ("hasta la vista, baby").

<So I checked the last cutscene and the scene I thought they reused is actually different, but it doesn't really matter since it's so similar. I wonder why they took it out, though>

4. Boy. This one's hard. There is something likeable about each-I don't instantly hate either of them. Chabert sounds more feminine, and this makes Elise more like a princess: lady-like, polite, and proper (Chabert, assuring-"It...It's all right." Taylor, answering-"It-It's all right."). Taylor in comparison, though, seems more emotional and excited ( Taylor, shock-"you?!...It can't BE!" Chabert, disbelief-"you?...it can't be..."). Her tone also gives Elise princess qualities-like a leader. Toward the end, Chabert had a more realistic scream. Making a decision is hard in this category-and I have to try and ignore the rest of the game's events (because they were voiced by Chabert). Playing the game, I thought she sounded fine in the cutscenes, but too young or girly in Dust Desert and Tropical Jungle. See! it's distracting-I'm not judging her work as a whole-just Chabert vs Taylor. It's hard to imagine the game with  Taylor instead-how would that affect the game-improve it? Make it worse? At this point I think it wouldn't have affected it too much-both are good voice actors, and how Elise acts is still determined by the script. Forced to make the choice, I'd say that while I like Taylor's version, but I must admit that Chabert's fits Elise better.    

5. I'm too used to him adding "Sonic the Hedgehog," and therefore too biased to say if it's good or bad. Some people have criticized him for saying that ("Really? You look like Sonic the Crocodile!") but considering that he's constantly being called other things ( a cat, a rat, a fast-food chain...) I really don't blame him.



Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 on the right and it's Beta on the left.

So. Which is better? I have not chosen a personal favorite, but based on what I've looked at so far, I believe the in game version is best*. The beta was still in the works-why they changed what they did is a mystery, but in most cases it looks like change is good. Let me know what you think in the comments, and if you noticed any more differences.

-See ya!

Sonic the Hedgehog

*There is a difference between what one thinks is their favorite, and what one thinks is the best. For example, one's favorite Sonic game is Sonic 06, they'd have to admit that it's not the best Sonic game they've played (unless they were super stubborn or they only played Sonic's School House and Sonic Colors on Wii-because then 06 would be best). Here's another example-maybe the best book you've read is Heart of Darkness because it has plot, characters, and literary merit. But your favorite book is Beautiful Darkness because it's actually good. Do you see what I mean? 

Well that's quite the analysis there. 😲 😝     

Quote

You can find many quotes in the world of Sonic. They range from funny, to encouraging, and surprisingly serious.

Here is a quote to consider for this week-

"The Super Sonic Search and Smash Squad!"-Who's best side villain?

In each cartoon, have been side-villains working directly under Robotnik/Eggman. This is a trend that has drifted in to the game series.
In this post, I'll be ranking them from best to worst. Post in the comments your reaction/opinion.

So, who do I think's best?

1. Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog-Scratch, Grounder, Coconuts

 These guys where the original. and they were actually funny. Scratch and Grounder had an almost sibling rivalry with one another, and Coconuts was desperate to get off sewer duty (keep in  mind that this is Robotnik he's working for-I wound's want that job, either). They were based off robots in Sonic 2, and were essential to the show.

2. Sonic Underground-Sleet, Dingo

Ok, I'm going to be honest, here, compared to Scratch and Grounder, these guys were not only ugly, but cheap. Why Robotnik had to hire bounty hunters instead of getting robots to hunt down Sonic is beyond me-maybe he was just lazy. Still, the two had their moments (Sonia freaking out because she "took Dingo to dinner?!!!"). Sleet was less likeable, and always planning to take things into his own hands (um, literally), while Dingo was an unintelligent shape shifter who always got stuck doing the dirty work. Dingo has a crush on Sonia-weird but humorous ("I was so sorry when you died").

3. Sonic X-Decoe, Bocoe, Bokkun

Obviously inspired from Adventures, these have similar roles, despite clearly different looks. Decoe and Bocoe were #s 2 and 3, always right behind Eggman. Bokunn was the messenger-the armed messenger. The TVs he had to display the messages would explode! Bokunn was the most interesting, he was funny and added a child-like tone to the group (not that Eggman wasn't childish enough for them). As for the other two...I don't even know which is which. They had good supporting roles, but didn't really stand out. At all.

4. Sonic the Hedgehog-Snivley, Cluck

Snivley is the main one, here, being bullied by his uncle, doing everything he says, but secretly hating him. He added to the darker tone. Cluck didn't really talk and just seemed to please Robotnik (somehow). Cluck was pretty pointless, not super interesting. As for Sinvley, he was on the annoying side, and who could actually take that guy seriously as a villain. Still, a fair representation of that guy who pretends his job is everything and honestly hates it.

5.  Sonic Boom-Orbot, Cubot

One word: boring. These two try two be amusing but...do they try too had? I don't know what it is, but they don't seem to serve any real purpose. At least, thanks to their designs, I can tell them apart. Orbot is more logic and understanding, while Cubot just throws out what he's thinking.
Note: This is just Sonic Boom Orbot and Cubot-this not based their main game appearances.

Well, there you have it. Is this biased? Completely. I grew up with one through three, and I don't care for Orbot & Cubot in game, either (expect Orbot in Sonic Unleashed). Hey, at least I admit it. But I truly do think that this is the order in which they be long; these characters were designed as comic relief, and it takes a lot to top Adventures when it comes to that category.

This "trend" of  sick kicks is important to Sonic's world. It is a form of humor, and a form of pity. Most of these characters starred in Archie comics (although usually drastically different), and some of them were in video games, even if in small roles (Mean Bean, anyone?). The current stars are Orbot and Cubot, and even if they are on the bottom of my list, it's a relief to see that type of character alive and well.     

If I get to a post on the in game appearances of Orbot and Cubot (not to mention Min, Mum, and other villainous side characters), I will add it to this post.