Character Quotes

 

"Killing someone...to save the world...is that really the right thing to do?" 

-Silver the Hedgehog, Sonic 06

Quote of the Month

 

"Didn't even break a sweat!" 

-Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Battle

Quote of the Month

 

"Look whose calling who a thief." 

-Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic Adventure 2

Quote of the Month

 

"These boots are made for racing."

-Rouge the Bat, Sonic Rivals 2

Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony Review

  

Details

For Sonic's 30th back in June, an orchestral arrangement and a vocal concert was streamed via Youtube. It contains melodies based on Sonic 1, 2, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic Mania, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Forces, and, of course, Sonic Colors. But wait, there's more! Several other songs were put into their own melodies (such as ones from the 8-bit games or "It Doesn't Matter" and "Believe In Myself"). Later many of the series' memorable vocal themes were played as a separate concert.     

Summary

Selections

The choices are pretty obvious "fan favorites" (Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary, Crisis City, etc). Normally this sort of thing would be annoying, but in this case I have to admit it's a good idea. It insures some of the best known songs are heard so even someone who hasn't played the game might recognize the song. And this is for the 30th, after all, so I guess they should try to make it as nostalgic as possible. 

I will admit some of the choices were surprising, though. "My Destiny," for example (since usually Sega likes to pretend 06 and especially princess Elise were never a thing). The entire 8-bit section was a shock as well, since they chose sections from those games over Sonic CD, and Knuckles Chaotix. 

I also got a little annoyed with Color's placement (yes, buy ultimate, blah, blah). 

The intermission was amusing. 

The second half allowed some representation from even more games through their main themes (such as "Knight of the Wind," from Sonic and the Black Knight).

Music

The 8-bit levels were very nice because their original form was horrid. This goes to show that a lot of times the problem isn't the composition, but simply the limitations. 

A lot of the modern music sounds natural in orchestral form, so it was great. However getting to hear many of the classic themes adapted was just as beautiful. Surprisingly I'd say Mania has the most improvement. I wasn't a huge fan of the funky OST, but this transformed it into something classy.  

Even though I usually can't stand "Reach for the Stars" (and the vocals were just reused/edited) the instrumentation is much better than the original. With the vocals it's still overly positive, but it doesn't sound as "2010." Gave me more hope for the OST of this "new" game. Unfortunately "Speak with Your Heart," (which I'd normally call better than the other) had the opposite problem, not being that different as a whole and sounding very dated.      

The real show starts after, ha. "Nate" does a decent job of filling in for past singers. Crush 40 gives the later half a lot of energy and the ending feels very put-together. 

  

Final Ranking: B

It wasn't as "stunning" as  I expected, somehow. However it's still a wonderful collection of some of the series' memorable moments and will be enjoyable for fans of all.  

Quote of the Month

 

"Ha! There's no strength in numbers!" 

-Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 06

Shadow's "Lost Tracks"

Shadow the Hedgehog had its fair share of vocal themes. In addition to a main theme and a closing ("I am...All of Me" and "Never Turn Back"), there were four songs for the various possible endings. Going "Dark" rewards the player with the powerful "Almost Dead." Going "Neutral" results in either "Almost Dead" again (Dark-Neutral), the peppy "Waking Up" (True Neutral), or the sadder "Chosen One" (Hero-Neutral). Becoming a hero meant listening to the original version of "All Hail Shadow." And as a bonus, there was also an "E.G.G.M.A.N." remix, called "Doc. Robeatnix mix." 

However three other songs have become associated with the black blur's 2005 spin-off: "Who I Am," by Magna-Fi; "Broken" and "All of Me" by Sins of a Divine Mother. These tracks have been dubbed the "lost" tracks because they did not make it into the game. 

Up until recently, these three have been listed as a part of "Lost and Found," the Shadow the Hedgehog vocal album. As of my most recent wiki trek, however, I could not find evidence they were apart of the release. One person discussing them did refer to them as "unlisted" tracks, but checking various sources likewise put this in doubt. I am not sure. 

However there remains evidence that these songs were intended for the game. 

"Who I Am"   

by Magna-Fi

Background: It is believed that "Who I Am" was intended to be the title theme for the game (being replaced by Crush 40's "I Am...All of Me"). This is supported by the song's more general theme ("who I am") and with Magna-Fi also creating "All Hail Shadow," it makes the most sense. However, there is some speculation that this was an alternate for the Hero ending or that "All Hail Shadow" was created as a replacement. 

"Who I Am" was later remade for Magna-Fi's album, VerseChorusKillMe, and apparently there is a notable difference in guitar due to the departure of a band member. 

Reason It's "Lost": It was initially believed that Sega simply wanted a different music style for the intro. However it was the band's record label, Aezra, that prevented the song from being used. The exact reasons remain unclear, but they probably wanted (or had?) the rights to the song ("Lost and Found" and related OSTs being published by Wavemaster, Sega's audio development team). 

Lyrical Connections: The song heavily uses the line "This is who I am," the phrase Shadow says at the end of each story path. It also says "not a shadow of who I want to be," a clever play on words. The song insists "you're not ever gonna' change me," voicing Shadow's attitude after choosing his path. It also seems to voice anger at the other characters (Commander, Black Doom, Eggman) for using and targeting Shadow ("You never really understood me/you always put me down/like a dog that's beaten over and over/one day I'm gonna' take you down").  

"Broken" 

by Sins of A Divine Mother

Background: Because of an interview, the reason why "Broken" was not used has been confirmed. It would have been the Hero-Neutral song, but was replaced by "Chosen One." If "Chosen One" seems especially similar in tone, its likely because two members of Sins of A Divine Mother created the band A2/Mona Lisa Overdrive, which made "Chosen One" (as a replacement). 

Reason It's "Lost": The song was not used because they could not track the writer down in time to get his permission to use it. However the two A2 members suggested making a new song with a similar vibe, and "Chosen One" was born.    

Lyrical Connections: The lyrics seem centered on trying to make a difference or change in "broken" life. "Only you can make a difference, darling (always...)," easily fits the one character Shadow would always trust, Maria. The part "don't wanna' act like...someone else," could hint at Shadow not wanting to be like Sonic, while "just wanna' be like...everyone else," centers on Shadow being different and isolated from the rest of the Sonic cast. Also, the part about being "down" seems to really fit the "Vector" ending where Shadow feels he should not have been created.   

"All of Me"

by Sins of A Divine Mother

Background: Now it seems like "All of Me" is unconfirmed. Its only official connection was being a part of the "lost" group of tracks and I guess being associated with "Broken"/the game. Unlike "Broken" it was not mentioned any interviews and does not have a replacement (like "Chosen One"). However there is some circumstantial evidence. In addition to possible lyrical connections, there is one simple fact: there is no Neutral-Dark theme. 

In the game, "Almost Dead" plays for four endings while the other songs (such as "All Hail Shadow") are exclusive to two endings ("All Hail Shadow" being exclusive to the Hero endings). It seems like a missing song caused them to use "Almost Dead" twice as much.

"All of Me" is similar to "Broken," having a grungy "depressed" type of sound. However, it's not as sad, being angered and having more of a distaste for society than "Broken" or its replacement, "Chosen One." With this in mind, "All of Me" may have been intended for the "missing" Neutral-Dark ending. 

Some have assumed that "Broken" was meant for that, however "Broken" was created before "Chosen One," the Hero-Neutral song (meaning without it there would have been another "gap," the Neutral Hero one). It's possible that "Who I Am" could have fit into this equation, but it's never really been referred to as a "Neutral" song. Its also possible "All of Me" was simply an alternate to "Broken."     

One final piece of sketchy evidence: Crush 40's "I Am...All of Me." Though similar in name, songs are not related, but it's interesting to note that Crush40's song is named "I Am...All of Me" or "I Am (All of Me)," never just "All of Me." Perhaps this was to avoid confusing it with a song already potentially made for Shadow the Hedgehog, Sins of a Divine Mother's "All of Me."   

Reason It's "Lost": If "All of Me" was intended for the game, it likely had the same background problems as "Broken." Fans have also been quick to point out the use of the word "Shit." Shadow the Hedgehog was originally intended for Teens, but they decided to somewhat tone-down the game for a E10+ rating. This may have led to the song being cut. That makes sense, but it easily could have been censored (as with a swear word in "His World").

Lyrical Connections: The lyrics describe a hopeless feeling with "all I've made is my last breath," "go away, no regrets," and "take all of me," possibly fitting into the attitude of a neutral ending. The song starts, "I just wanna' be happy, wanna' live my life alone," which describes' Shadow's personality. The song also seems to connect to the game with the repeated line, "it's all inside my head, and it's not real," which mirrors Shadow's confused memories. 

Perhaps the closest connection is: "how's it feel being innocent/and gettin' treated like you did a big crime/with the policeman and the government gunnin' for ya' all the time." If it's not a huge coincidence, then "gun" is a pun on GUN (the military in Sonic's world) and the "policeman" is the game's villainous GUN Commander--who orders his soldiers to shoot Shadow (even if he's innocent).  

"Tripod Baby"

M-Flo Loves Shadow the Hedgehog

Extra: Apparently "Tripod Baby" was originally a song from M-Flo's album, Beat Space Nine, and a part of their "M-Flo Loves" series (M-Flo is a successful Japanese hip-hop band). A special remix "Tripod Baby (Shadow the Hedgehog Mix)" was created and put on their remixed album, Dope Space Nine. The song was used in promotion for Shadow the Hedgehog. It's not in the game, but several promotional images were created along with a music video and a commercial. The song is a completely different genre than Shadow's usual rock, being more dance-like (or Shadow thinks so...) and it includes some Japanese portions.         

"Will he good or evil?" 

Personal Notes

I discovered the "lost" tracks years ago, mainly thanks to extended videos by Quadfactor. I like them a lot and generally consider them on the same level or greater than the songs used. It is unfortunate they did not make it into the game, but I am very thankful that it resulted in "I am...All of Me" and "Chosen One," as they are some of my favorites (of the Sonic series). 

As for Tripod Baby...I saw that ages ago. I remember being disappointed it wasn't like the other Shadow songs (back then I think I only knew of "I Am All of Me" and "Never Turn Back," anyway). I was shocked by the style and the partial Japanese and the music video being "horrible" CGI. I think I somehow found it purely because it "had Shadow dancing," which I thought would be funny.  

Lol, watching it again after all these years? After seeing the music video for "They Call Me Sonic?" 

It's not the bizarre disaster I thought it was. Well...maybe it's a little bizarre, but the song is catchy. Shadow the EDGEhog, baby!