The rise, fall and deafening crash of Sonic the Hedgehog

vashivihan · 04-09-2008, 09:57 PM

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Oh, Sonic. What's happened to you? It's no small secret that Sega's once-dominant mascot has slipped over the years, with awful games making things worse by the month. But worldwide love is still strong, and each time there's a new platformer announced we shuffle in line like a bunch of nice devoted fanboys and pray, deep down, that this will be the Sonic game that doesn't suck. And we're let down every time.

How did it come to this?

That's what we're here to discuss. From the successful beginning to the most recent "Wolf Sonic" shocker, we'll chronicle Sonic's descent from superstar to punchline.

If you weren't around for Sonic's arrival, you missed out on his best moments. Sega needed a mascot that could rival Nintendo's unchallenged Mario, and in 1991 that's precisely what it created. Sonic's carefully designed attitude, penchant for speed and "I've got things to do" demeanor made Mario look like, well, a slow, tubby plumber. Sonic was cool and Mario wasn't, a "truth" that made bitter rivals out of gamers everywhere.

This cultural takeover happened so fast you'd swear Sonic himself orchestrated the whole thing. Cartoons, collectibles, comic books, even a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, making him the very first gaming icon to appear in one of America's best known celebrations. There's also evidence to suggest that in the early to mid 1990s, Sonic was more well-known to kids than Mickey Mouse. He went from idea to worldwide icon faster than Mario - just one of the many things Sega claimed Nintendidn't do at the time. As a result, Sega was on top of the world, gleefully stealing Nintendo's iron-fisted market share day by day, playground by playground.

After three highly successful entries on the Genesis/Mega Drive, Sonic's renown was at its peak. Each game was a joy, letting you tear ass through all kinds of colorful stages faster than any other game at the time, yet maintained a sense of order; even though Sonic's going nuts, you still felt in control, that you were the one making him do all these amazing things. Running through corkscrews, giant loops and infinitely long half pipes were experiences exclusive to Sonic, and Sonic only gamed for Sega. He wasn't just a franchise anymore, he was the company.

As the early '90s wore on, Sonic starred in the flagship Sega CD title, Sonic CD, one of GR's favorite games in the series. Then Sonic & Knuckles landed in 1994 with "lock on" tech that let you snap Sonic 2 and 3 into the top of the cart, unlocking Knuckles as a playable character in the older games. There were two cartoons airing during this time too; neither was very good. The first was embarrassingly juvenile and the other took itself too seriously. For our money, the best piece of Sonic animation came from the aforementioned Sonic CD:

Above: The Sega CD version was grainy and small, but this GameCube remake restored the ending to its full screen, hyperactive glory

Fun as they were, Sonic CD and Knuckles were essentially more of the same. The formula, while immensely successful and the basis for countless 16-bit imitators, wasn't going to keep Sonic ahead of the pack forever. Early experiments like 3D Blast were hardly runaway hits.

With what appeared to be a blank slate for the property, Sonic developers went wild with new ideas. And what came out was derivative, unwanted nonsense.

From a business standpoint, there's nothing wrong with what Sega did next. It had a viable mascot that sold boatloads of product. Makes sense then to put as many games out with Sonic on them as possible, regardless of how well they stick to the established roots. Problem is, in the course of trying to secure another hit, all Sega did was produce a string of fair to poor half-games that spread the series out instead of moving it ahead.

Knuckles Chaotix: This got a lot of hate from the mid '90s gaming press, but our time with it is fondly remembered. Sure the rubber-band gameplay was irritating (you were constantly tethered to another character), but hey, at least it was a new idea. However, Chaotix diluted the Sonic-verse by introducing tons of shitty characters. Vector the Crocodile! Espio the Chameleon! And best of all, Charmy Bee!

For whatever reason, some people actually adore these idiotic "Something the Something" designs and have written enormous amounts of text about them. Wow.

Sadly, this was just the beginning. Subsequent Sonic games would add even more horrible characters, each more pointless and gratuitous than the last. Chaotix is a perfectly good game forever tainted by the franchise-crushing precedent it set.

Sonic's Schoolhouse: Well, it was inevitable, what with Mario teaching typing and all. They could have at least built a better Sonic model, right? And someone cheer up that 12!

Sonic the Fighters: After blasting through levels like a bolt of greasy fast white lightning in the Genesis games, we never once thought "Wow, this would make a great fighting game." Someone at Sega sure did, and from that money-grubbing concept came a 3D fighter with weird cartoony effects. You could smash or slap opponents like a pancake, making the whole thing feel more Looney Tunes than Sonic. Fine for its day, but no one asked for a Sonic fighting game.

Sonic R: Sonic on a race track. Couldn't have been a more obvious route to take. Fans ate it up, but most of the press responses were negative (again). GamesRadar wasn't around in 1997 to pass judgment, but we certainly played it back then, and the office opinion is split. Some think it's one of Saturn's best, others couldn't stand the controls, crappy multiplayer and grating vocal performances.

Sonic Jam: Yes, there was a touch screen handheld before the DS. Yes, it was one of the worst things that has ever existed. No, we do not have any fuzzy memories for this slow-as-molasses "Sonic" game that made us question why we ever liked the series in the first place. Not to be confused with Saturn's Sonic Jam, an equally pointless release that collected the four 16-bit platformers and one meandering 3D "Sonic World" devoid of purpose.

Here's what to take away from all this: instead of creating a 3D Sonic game, or even a new 2D one, Sega continued to dump so-so titles on its various platforms - Genesis, Saturn, Game Gear and 32X. All four did co-exist for a brief time (right after Sega CD died), and even with four machines Sega didn't produce a true successor to Sonic & Knuckles. Just a lot of riffraff that sold to diehard fans.

But it's not like they didn't try to push Sonic into the third dimension...

Sonic X-treme: A tragically canceled project that could have been the Saturn's saving grace. Looks a bit Mario Galaxy, doesn't it - all those spinny globes and vertigo-inducing visuals? If this had released on time (or at all) we might have seen a Super Mario 64-like surge in Sonic and Saturn interest. Alas, that didn't happen, and X-Treme made way for 1999's Sonic Adventure and, judging by some of the gameplay up there, Sonic and the Secret Rings. The one game that should have come out, didn't. Brilliant. Gold stars for everyone.

Game Gear: The battery-devouring Game Gear enjoyed Sonic's early popularity as much as the Genesis. Ports of Sonic 1 and 2, though drastically changed from the 16-bit game, still delivered the same excitement. Then came the "me too" entries like Tails Sky Patrol, Tails Adventures, Triple Trouble, Drift 2 and "meh" ports of Spinball and 3D Blast. Lucky Neo Geo Pocket Color owners happily plowed through Sonic Pocket Adventure, but it was in such short supply that all of its positive traits were lost in a sea of mediocrity.

Quantity, not quality, defined Sonic in the late '90s, and the coming of Dreamcast would prove Sega learned no lessons at all.

It's the year 2000. Sega's off to a great start with the Dreamcast thanks to Sonic Adventure's strong performance. It was the first true 3D Sonic title, the one we waited years for, and amazingly enough it turned out fine. It seemed like Sonic was on his way back into the spotlight. Cut to 2003 when the GameCube "remake" was released, however, and you realize how lackluster Adventure really was. The GC port was almost identical yet the scores dropped considerably. Strangely enough, most reviewers' complaints addressed gameplay, not outdated visuals, as justification of the low score.

Basically this means everyone wanted a decent Sonic game so much they handed out scores that were one to two points higher than need be. It's not anyone's fault as a gamer though; Adventure's dizzying effects and screaming-quick action scenes were so far beyond N64 and PlayStation they hid all the glaring problems. Let's compare DC to GC review scores:

So Adventure, the game held up as the blueprint for what a good 3D Sonic game should be, isn't all that hot. It just took a few years for all of us to figure it out. But it appears regular gamers don't mind much, as each Sonic game has gone on to sell extremely well, usually enough to warrant another sequel and spin-off. This led to Adventure 2 (also ported to GC years later) and then to this...

Sonic Heroes: Reviews range from GameSpy's 3/5 stars all the way down to now-defunct Official PlayStation Magazine's abysmal 4/10 converted score. Regardless of the verdict, everyone agreed that the erratic camera was a disaster. Sega had two (four, counting the remakes) previous attempts to work that out, plus the whole "fall off a cliff in a nanosecond" crap, and didn't. Heroes also collects tons of goddamn "Boomerang the Dingo"-style characters all into one broken game.

Remember when the focus was Sonic? Well screw that. Now you can finally play as Cream the Rabbit in 3D! Or better yet you could throw the game in the trash and be Happy the Consumer.

This is the same nonsense that peeled the flesh from our bones in the otherwise-competent Chaotix - a game that tried to do something new (team platforming) and is instead remembered for a deluge of unnecessary mascots. Well that and hundreds of unavoidable deaths due to a junky camera. The PS2 version was the worst of all, suffering from all kinds of extra bugs not present in the GC or Xbox versions. How could Sega let something like that slip? Sonic used to be their prized treasure, and as of the early 2000s he's nothing more than a spiky prostitute they pimp whenever their water bill is due. Case in point:

Above: YEEEEEEAH AH GOTS WHEELS ON MAH FEET! EXPLOSION!

Shadow the Hedgehog: Viciously reviewed, Shadow's solo title angered just about everyone who grew up with Sonic and joyously pleased those who came aboard later. Everything from the character design (an anti-hero hedgehog with guns and roller skate shoes) to the gameplay (shoddy blasting made nigh-impossible by poor control) came under fire, yet is still sold well. What? How does that happen? Look how long his Wiki page is. He's even considered "the ultimate life form." It's insane! How can any gamer cling to such an insipid idea that was also poorly executed?

The only answer is age. These games aren't even meant for people who played the Genesis originals, or even Sonic Adventure at this point. They've become silly to the point of unintentional self-parody, with overwrought storylines and slapdash gameplay meant for fans or gamers willing to overlook a lot of problems. Different strokes.

But it's not all bad news. While the console games became bloated with unwanted cast members and some of the worst dialogue in history (all history, not just game history), the GBA series took a page from Sonic's glory days. All three channeled the best of the 16-bit days as well as a few of the extra characters and bonus modes from the new titles to create a genius blend of both eras. Rush was the same, though still saw fit to add Blaze the Cat. We heartily approve all four (and their soundtracks) and deride anything else that was Sonic and came out between 2000-2005.

We now get good platformers mixed in with the completely mental console games - a harsh price, but we'll pay it. Anything to keep our eyes away from derivative spittle like Sonic Shuffle (way late Mario Party ripoff), Riders (another sloppy racer with even more stupid characters), and Battle (another disposable fighter, now for GBA).

Above: MOAR CRAP!

That brings us to modern day. And as you're probably aware, this isn't exactly the brightest period in his 17 year history.

Hoo boy, here comes the worst. After years of dreadful Sonic games, each scoring low yet selling high, we were told the next Sonic game would be choice. It would reinvigorate the franchise and prove that an amazing 3D Sonic game was possible. It all sounded so lovely. Then we actually saw the game they were talking about.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): Reviews start in the 5/10 range, if that's any indication of how wrong Sega was in assuming this was a decent game, let alone the next big thing. More bad camera controls, more fuzzy characters and now, worst of all, actual people interacting with all the squat, talking, super-powered critters. And another hedgehog, this time named Silver. And he's telekinetic. What the freaking hell, Sega? This game was dead on arrival before it even arrived in the first place.

Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis: Around the same time Sonic '06 was stinking up 360 and PS3, the nearly forgotten GBA was metaphorically kicked in the 32-bit nuts by this botched port of the original Sonic game. Yes, the first Sonic game from 1991. They messed it up. On the system with three technologically superior Sonic games. This is... this is literally unimaginable. It's slower and choppier than the 16-bit original, with butchered music and sound effects to boot. Christ.

These two turds, released so close together, should have sworn the entire planet off Sonic for good. But as has been the case for years, some of the handheld titles held up. Sonic Rivals, while not brilliant, reduced gameplay down to running and jumping - and it worked. This year's Rush Adventure added more to the first game's winning formula ("more" in the bad Sonic way) yet managed to keep the spirit alive.

Sonic and the Secret Rings got a free pass due to the lack of anything else to play on Wii at the time. It's alright, but the motion controls aren't all that great and after a few levels it all starts to feel the same. Points for slimming the cast and introducing Sonic to a new universe (Arabian Nights). Our review says otherwise, so consider this a dissenting opinion.

So - with all this madness behind us, and a journey that spans nearly two decades and all degrees of popularity, where's Sonic headed now?

Up next is the newly announced Sonic Unleashed. All we have is a trailer, a couple of screens and this image from an internet leak:

Sigh. Wolf Sonic. They're going full steam ahead with this "serious story" bull they overdid in Sonic '06. The leaked screens already show Super Sonic, Eggman and Wolf Sonic, plus there's no way Knuckles and God knows who else won't show up too. Maybe Sonic is the star and we only play as him, but rest assured there will be problems, be they unnecessary gameplay changes (Wolf Sonic could very well be the worst part) or another outstretched cast. There is no evidence to suggest Unleashed will play as good as any 2D game in the series, which is exactly what Sega's promising. We've been duped for too long and this time we're not biting.

Er, well, if it's as fun as it looks, then sure, we'll bite. Switching from classic side view to Secret Rings-style behind the back might allow for some new level design quirks - or more ways to fall into bottomless pits without warning. We're not cautiously optimistic, we're just plain cautious. But then just today lead designer Yoshihisa Hashimoto had this to say:

"As a development team, we originally started off this project planning to create Sonic Adventure 3," Hashimoto revealed to Official Nintendo Magazine UK. "In our minds, this game will have more in common with the older Sonic Adventure series. It has no relation to Sonic the Hedgehog [on PS3/Xbox 360] or Sonic and the Secret Rings"

We're 50% relieved by this. The other 50% remembers the score chart from the previous page proving Sonic Adventure was never a formula worth emulating. And seeing how Sega couldn't even emulate the first Sonic game on GBA, we're still not convinced. Please, please don't mess this up.

Then there's Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. What a mind job this is. The first-ever Sonic RPG with 11 of the same lame characters, a handful of new ones and a genre that emphasizes dialogue, not speed. That sounds like a nightmare. But it's developed by BioWare.

What.

Yes, that BioWare, the one that gave us KOTOR, Jade Empire and Mass Effect. If there's one thing it can do, it's RPGs. So we have to think this will be good, based on the track record alone. The developers even have the balls to say they can make us care about the menagerie of awful animal friends.

That is borderline impossible. But if anyone can do it, it's BioWare. Again, please do not mess this up. Don't make it for eight-year-olds. Properties can appeal to all ages without being childish, after all.

And that's where we are today. Sonic, a once unbeatable mascot, is reduced to broken platformer games and requisite spin-off titles, and even those come after Mario's already done the same spin-off to death. Will he climb out of this bottomless pit of multiple yearly releases (like Mega Man) and regain some of his platforming dignity (not like Mega Man)? Or will he only be allowed to attain success on handhelds, as is currently the case with Castlevania? Unless the next two games are mind-shatteringly astounding, don't expect a second/third/fourth coming anytime soon.

Yes, this article ends on a downer. Please commiserate with fellow Sonic lovers for the time being, but check back tomorrow for something that will raise your spirits guaranteed. It's even about Sonic, the very same mascot we've been chastizing for five whole pages. It'll have you smiling again in no time.

Promise.

linkage

ZakAtak · 04-09-2008, 10:38 PM

I think the next Sonic game should be a 3D side scroller (like Brawl's Subspace Emissary) and make it more like the original. And reduce the character count down to 3. Eggman, Sonic and Tails, possibly Knuckles. But no more. And bring back sense of speed, and less crappy voice acting.

By the way, great thread

Alkaline · 04-09-2008, 11:03 PM

Yes they need to keep it simple, they try to over complicate things, but they don't need to, they need to stick to the core of what Sonic is/was.

Shoti · 04-09-2008, 11:18 PM

The downfall of Sega is more like it. It's so fustrating because the 3-D games aren't bad ideas. Sonic can work in three dimensions Sega. You just have to tighten the damn thing up.

What about some original 2D content on Wiiware or XBLA/PSN to get your feet wet again? I'd invest if it wasn't another genesis port.

Zhubz · 04-10-2008, 12:15 AM

sonic is a bit of a ..... when it comes to how many games he's in. Sonic Adventure (2) as well as the early versions is all they should have made

ZakAtak · 04-10-2008, 01:19 AM

Sonic Riders been getting horible scores aswell. If I was Sega I would team up with Nintendo, a company thats never gets a score under 70%. They are not mortal enemies, which is why Sonic appeared in Brawl and the Mario Olympics.

nice_wii · 04-10-2008, 01:21 AM

Sonic Riders just annoyed me

CocoSSBB · 04-10-2008, 01:45 AM

Ah, Sonic, the head of the biggest crash since 1983.

This is the equivalent of spurting out crappy Halo spin-offs (which they might, sadly), and never learning for 10 years how crappy they are.

vashivihan · 04-10-2008, 01:52 AM

well even as a big nintendo fan, sonic always had a soft spot in my heart. Sonic was the cool kid in the school that hung out alone from other cool (nintendo) people. i can only hope this game will return sonic to its former glory. i live for the day when sega and nintendo merge, thus, beginning the epic pwnage.

CocoSSBB · 04-10-2008, 01:59 AM

Yeah, I've played the original game before, and it rocks.

Now, we just have to kill Shadow...