Game Apologist - Sonic the Hedgehog 

“When you love something, you don’t turn a blind eye when it struggles. You smack it in the mouth and say ‘Get your SHIT together!’” Is probably the best quote I’ve heard in a long time

“A movie’s in the works, God help us all.” God: Okay. *Movie was good*

9:35 "Alright, so I'm a bit of a hypocrite. Sonic fan, remember?" Secretly the best joke in the script.

“Had a comic that’s still running today” O h n o

This is my favorite long-form rebuttal of "Sonic was never good." I'm an open minded person. I respect people's opinions for the most part. However anyone trying to convince me Sonic 3 & Knuckles was bad is wrong.

The title had me a bit worried, but this is FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC. Keep at it!

You both perfectly and inoffensively described the Sonic Fanbase. I'm impressed.

That rant at 8:00 it's just the best thing i've seen in a while! I keep watching that part everytime I check this channel, never gets old!! XD

Who the hell came up with the term "Blues" as the definition of a hardcore Sonic fan? That's something I've never heard of before watching this video!

“Hello there I’m Nick.” It was at this moment that history would forever be changed...

I listened to this review while playing a Super Mario game because I'm a bad boy and I don't play the rules. Enjoyed this btw, subbed.

IGN: Sonic is everything wrong with the 90s. Me: You spelled "Bubsy" wrong.

8:00 was the best montage I've ever seen

"'Am I the only one who likes Sonic 06' yes, yes you are" **Plays Sonic 06 soundtrack in the background**

this feels like therapy session. (Stands up) Hello, my name is Stuart, and I'm a Sonic fan(sits down)

8:00 Arin Hanson's Sequelitis mode unlocked. ...we need more of it.

8:59 I probably laughed harder at this timing more than I should have.

While I agree that having a difference of opinion is a good thing, look at my comment history for proof on that... The IGN thing was not okay, because it wasn't just an opinion but they added a bunch of stereotypes about the fan base as well onto that. Not to mention the fact that they just said it, and that was it. There was no baseline for discussion or anything. Just, Sonic was never good, End. Which as an organization that's whole purpose is supposedly to review video games also puts the entire company in a bad light, because they can't even do that correctly. They thought, "oh all the content creators are hating on these games right now, so we can too." which once again, for a company that reviews video games is very toxic behavior no matter the franchise in question.

I always felt the “finger wag” in the opening was supposed to be a “whoop-de-doo” gesture. Like he’s sarcastically saying, “ohhhh lookit me, I’m going on an adventure!”

Anybody who claims Sonic was never good when Sonic 3 & Knuckles (and to a lesser extent, Sonic 1 and Sonic 2) exists has objectively the wrong opinion.

Let's be honest: IGN was never good.

This cannot be your FIRST video, you sound like an already well known channel, great work.

I'm a big Sonic fan, and as a joke, the only consistent thing is inconsistency, but, we should keep giving them chances, so, they'll eventually get it right

DR. eggman or robotnik... adults have fights about this. me: you're damn right we do

Anyone else appreciate the smack sounds edited in for the Mario segment?

I laugh when people say Sonic is "Hold right to win" that is always classic to me. I once believed that silliness until I actually sat and honestly played it for myself.

"Mario made dinosaurs lame!" Meanwhile in Oddysey...

Omg this narrator has a super awesome voice!

I smell potential. Slubscurbed.

It’s a hard act to walk the line between trying not to be bias and admitting you actually like something, and you nailed it. Thanks for this and other really great videos when I REALLY needed them. Also, thanks for being a non-toxic positive voice for our community.

8:00 is so relatable because i literally wrote an essay like this to my friends cause they kept telling me that mario was way better lmao

8:45 THANK YOU!!!!

Hm, interesting video! I was a bit worried during the first half, thinking you'd make the same video everyone else does, but you pulled it out in the end, and it was well made! You gave some intelligent, constructive criticisms to the series, and although I do not agree with all of them, you made some good points! The video was well edited, well written, and over-all, well done. I hope to see more from you in the future!

The first 16 minutes of this video may have been the best critique of us Sega/Sonic fans I've ever watched.

Dang, I feel like your channel should be required viewing for all moderately interested in the blue blur. Fantastic stuff.

33:37 OH NONONO... Past him so unaware

When he said Mario plays it safe and is kind of boring Me: how could you say something so controversial yet so brave”

"As a Sonic fan, there's nothing more that I hate than Sonic fans" Yup, that's the quote that sums up my current existence.

i must say, i commend you for staying so consistent nearly 7 years on. that's pretty rare for creators. the audio and editing quality has improved, but the style never changed. you still stick to strictly what interests you instead of giving in to chasing trends. but most of all, while i'm sure your writing ability has also improved, what inspired this comment is the spirit hasn't changed. you've become a bit more casual, but that's a plus my point is: if you re-did this video, word-for-word, with the current quality, i don't think anyone would bat an eye. that's pretty fucking cool, man. thanks for all the content 🙌🏼

The round features contrasting with the sharp edges of his quills makes for a timeless design. I think this is the same reason Goku is visually iconic.

You know what? For a first video, this was insanely entertaining. I just about lost it at the rant part in particular. I was a bit afraid starting with this video since you know how a content producer's earliest works aren't as polished, but I had a mad fun time watching this one. Took a bit long to get to the gameplay portion, but definitely worth it overall. Earned yourself another sub, my dude! I know who I'll be binge-watching in T-Minus three minutes.

These days (2020), Sega is trying to branch out again. Look at how much Love Yakuza gets NOW. It wasn't that big a deal back in 2005 when it came out, but now, there's people who LOVE it. And Yakuza, is a product of Love. How it captures the Japanese Culture (That, is Japanese Culture, right?) and is still wacky fun but also can be REAL Serious time when it needs to be. The world that Yakuza gives you, is small and tightly packed. And I love that. The game is FULL of love and detail. That is what makes that game, work so well. Sega needs to try and figure out, "Why did this game work SO well? Why is Game X so good?" For me, Sonic is about, RUN Fast, Do Platforming FAST, GO EVEN FASTER.

Bro I've watched this entire series, I absolutely love it, can't wait for more if you do more

3:16 - In hindsight looking back the fact that both Sonic ballons hit lamp posts tells me that Sonic was just trying to hit the checkpoint of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Zone level. Seriously, how fucking insane is it that of all the things they could hit and deflate on they BOTH hit lamp posts which just so happen to be the checkpoint marker in sonic games? Talk about life being stranger than fiction.

The whole angry rant had me dying😂 love your content been on a binge on a lot of your videos

I finally got a chance to watch the video. and I have to say; its WAAAY better than I thought it would've been. as others said, the title was a big throw off, it makes it seem like you are going to be like one of those hipsters, or game grumps fanatics who say sonic is trash it was never good just because others say it, without bothering to have played it themselves. so, great work, hope to see you making more great videos like this.

"There's even a movie coming out!" *You've made a great mistake.*

I work with your sister, and when she mentioned that you were about to release a gaming youtube channel, I told her I was going to check it out. I had some mild reservations (because you never quite know what you're going to get with a new show), but I don't have those anymore. This is really profession work, especially for a first effort. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work as it trickles out of the next long while. You seem to have matched your love of the subject and medium with a healthy dose of perspective and a whole lot of research. Can't wait to see more!

Oh! Oh, I felt that Stockholm Syndrome comment in my soul.

Nick, I want to thank you for bringing me back into Sonic. I was going through a rough time in late 2020 . I wasn’t into sonic during my high school years because I thought playing sonic was childish at the time .I was embarrassed to show anyone my love for this series. I got into the series through sonic x. The first sonic games I played were Sonic and the secret rings , unleashed , generations and colors for the 3ds . When boom came out I got out of the series since it wasn’t what I grew up with. One day, during my freshman year of college in 2020 I watched your video. I was interested of what sonic was to people who lived in the early nineties. At the end of the video I asked my self “ what is a sonic game and what makes it so good. “I made it my mission to play every sonic game . Hell, I bought a Genesis and Dreamcast to play the original sonic games. It felt weird playing those original sonic games on any other console that was not Sega. After that I started to collect the games which were hard to find. Then playing I fell in love again with the series and found out this series was awesome. I started to express to people my love for this series. It was awesome getting Hyper Sonic in 3&k and remembering why I love shadow the hedgehog my favorite sonic character in SA2 . The beautiful music from unleashed and the Pixar like opening. This series is important not just from one era but from all eras that have made an impact on this community. Sonic was always there for me even in my darkest moments. I don’t want that this series to die or get worse. I want this series to amaze me again not just in 2d but 3D too. I may have disagreements with you or other people of what should be done in this community. I want this series to have that magic again like it did when I was a kid . I have a long way to go on this journey playing the rest of the games . However,I want you to show me why we love this character in the first place . Not just looking for the good and bad but, the memories and dreams we cherish for these games . Thanks to you , not only was this series good. It was something that told me to be myself and go against the odds to find my passion in life. Thank you Toot Toot Sonic Warriors

Me: 16 minutes in Game Apolgist: for the first episode we will cover Sonic The Hedgehog! Me: wait we haven’t started

idk why but i really love your channel avatar, its really expressive and actually match your voice (for me at least)

8:00 now you've gone and done it Game Scoop...

a Sonic 1 fan who doesn’t like Starlight? really? _i_ like Starlight Zone!

Your Sonic 3 video led me here, and low and Behold in the comments is TGC who I just just finished watching one of his vids when I clicked over on yours! Anyway, great stuff. Subscribed.

Really enjoyed this. Well done with the editing.

16:49 is when the *actual video starts* *lmao the hatred im getting* I do enjoy this video, don't get me wrong. Being hella descriptive is gr8 :3

Great video! I hope to see your channel become very popular in the future. Subbed :)

"we'll hate ya if you hate Sonic, we'll hate you if you like Sonic, we'll hate you if you're Sonic!" The Sonic fan base - June 23, 1991 to present

It's great to find well thought oppinions like this to have a bit of contrast. And the video is greatly done. So insta-subscribed

dude your a guinieiuious. keep that style love it. The editing is awesome, not to much of your drawn character, but just enough so we don't look at a bland picture too long. I would love to see more of you. I love your name Game Apologist. i myself can pretty much defend all games. or most games at least . I myself is a sonic fan, and love pretty much all of them, well, they all have there place. (my fav is unleashed.) i hope you keep at it and don't give up. 9/10 huge fan would watch again

Sonic is good, but 06 was the only one that followed the whole "was never good" thing

I hate when people say "one ring offers as much protectionas 100." Technically, yes. But if you lose 100 rings all at once, it is much easier to re-collect some. With one ring, you are much less likely to survive multiple hits close together. For example, most boss encounters in the original 3 & Knuckles don't have rings. The only ones you have are the ones you bring. Its POSSIBLE to juggle losing and quickly catching one ring over and over again, but its much easier, less stressful, and honestly more fun to not have to worry about it. TL;DR - Having more than one ring is advantageous to only having one. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Just discovered your channel the other day. Love your sonic videos so far. You will go far man. Keep it up.

These games are still fun, and that's all that matters.

"And whatever that 2017 game is, it looks like they're bringing back elements that worked for Sonic Generations" ...Yes but also no-

He's called Dr. The Big Dog, and nobody can convince me otherwise!

8:00 Jesus fuck, it’s been a while since I lost my shit this hard. Earned a sub, buddy. Glad I found this brilliant channel.

"I taught myself what to do to get this out the door." Damn dude, I know you like Sonic but you don't have to take ALL your inspiration from them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Can't wait to hear your thoughts about Sonic Adventure in particular. You have my sub!

The rant had me rolling!! Great video Nick! I really appreciate that you see all the sides of things but still have your own opinions! Hoping to seeing more man!

Thank you for covering this in such detail and expressing the thoughts of so many 90's boi Sonic fans like myself.

Am I right in guessing you use Sony Vegas?

This video is great! btw, I subbed.

I'd say the same about IGN, that at the end of the day its how they feel if they weren't lying through their teeth and back tracked because Marty Silva (guy second from the far right) was interviewed a couple weeks later saying how great Sonic Mania looks. He even said he liked Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 remembering the elemental shields and how much of a throwback Mania is to those games.

I'm sure we ALL have our qualms with IGN. For me, it all comes from three words: explorers of sky.

You are hilarious my dude. 😂

“adults fight about this” i lol’d

Came for the apology, stayed for the roasts.

I keep coming back to re-watch these videos dude. Big fan of your work! 😎

omg hahaha I just relived elementary school at 8:00 minutes haha so funny!

8:00-9:35 made me laugh so hard... Not sure why, but it was geat stuff, and made me feel a lot better. Haha. Anyway... Sonic was good. Not always (inconsistent), but damn it, the series can find its footing again and reach greatness once more, there just... Needs to be effort put into it again.

I rewatch this series quite often just to unwind after a crap day. As a Sonic fan myself I find your videos extremely well made and very entertaining. I look forward to seeing where you go

Back here after Origins, still such a relevant and awesome video Nick ❤️

Hopefully the IGN staff got fired, it was unprofessional and makes them look like douches.

5:02 “We’ll hate ya if ya hate, we’ll hate ya if ya like Sonic, we’ll hate ya if ya Sonic” 😂 True

I never thought I would find a video that perfectly showed my love for sonic. Thank you so much. I love your videos.

I think Caddicarus put it best: Children do not deserve bad content just because they are easy to please.

This video was amazing!!! it was so well done!!!!!

Confirming the original Tomb Raider was unplayable, and I am a child of that era. I beat Ecco the Friggin' Dolphin but god help you if you want to steer Lara through a door.

Dude, I really like what you're doing and I love classic sonic games. Wishing you the best and I hope your channel keeps growing. You've earned it.

His first video is literally perfect except for the volume other than that it’s like a normal Game Apologist Video in 2020

“Sonic was NEVER good” *literally has been active for 30 years and counting, has 6 tv shows, an OVA, Three Comic series not counting the spin-offs in each company, AND god forbid HAS HAD PARADE FLOATS. And lest we forget THIS movie adaptation didn’t SUCK as bad as his rival Mario’s attempt* Must have been one HELL of a Placebo we’ve been under for 30 freaking Years....

Rewatching the first episode of the Game Apologist (and getting uncomfortable with the reminders of Game scoop, Hearing about Complaints about Shadow being an OC, (because Original character jokes are so "hilarious") The Werehog, 06, RoL,Sonic and Shadow having weapons, and just taking potshots at other fans and the fandom even if all of it was just to bring up examples in context to ask the question about Sonic being good) and it intrigues me and makes me look at the Classic games through different lights

Just found this channel. It's great! That rant had me rolling! Subscribed!

Nicely done, man! This was a lot of fun to watch. Excited to see what's next!

Thank god a game reviewer understands everyone has opinions and everything is subjective in life. Thank you just earned a sub for being one of the only real ppl on RU-vid 🙏

Great first video. This is the level of quality I usually see from a youtuber after a year or two of making videos, with the only exceptions I can think of being Alpharad and Scott the Woz. I'd say that's an achievement, especially since they still had those years of practice before starting their channels.

That image of you smacking Sonic just around the 33 minute mark is a golden piece of art.

Great start! Analytical writing, funny jokes, and I like your avatar. Keep it up! Glad I got in on the ground floor!