On the character himself, Shadow post SA2 I find to be at his best when he's just "the man on a mission" with a hint of cockiness here and there. He's better as the Batman to Sonic's Superman. He's focused and ready to get the mission done, not the most social guy but you sense that he cares. It's why his story was actually kinda ok in 06 and his partnership with GUN miraculously works. He's not actually that good as a direct rival to Sonic post SA2 because there's nothing compelling that pushes that rivalry. It feels done exclusively for marketing purposes now. When Sega tries to push his "rivalry" aspect like in Sonic Boom, the comics, or apparently Sonic Prime based on the teaser, it's just super boring to watch. He's just unpleasantly grumpy and becomes what everyone thinks he was on first impression. I honestly don't understand how Shadow has maintained his popularity.
I'm so sick of this rivalry crap between the two. It's not cool anymore, it's just cringe. Easy lazy characteristics just for the dUmb kids who like edgy rivalry stuff.
You just answered your own question. Shadow's fans are from the SA2 era where we had an ongoing mystery and arc with our favourite character to follow, which does'nt happen in Sonic Games anymore. They're too happy to keep it self contained and not focus on other characters lately. Sonic Battle also did the Shadow on a Mission thing well where his mission clashes with your own objective which gives good motivation for the fights. Even Sonic Chronicles kept this character ideology so we had almost a whole decade of "Mission Shadow" to gather fans before he devolved.
Watching the video straight without choosing paths, and hitting the intros with Westopolis at each chapter, summons a post-traumatic stress I thought I'd never experience again.
Yeah, I thought the same. It feels like this video conveys the exact same feeling, through its gimmick, that playing through Westopolis all those times did. It was a stroke of genius for those that didn't actually play through the game.
@@Disconnect350 Yup, that's the point, hahaha. I didn't really love it or hate it the first time. But that quickly started to change due to the repetition.
One common misinterpretation of this game's story that always baffled me was the insinuation that Shadow's arc here was a shallow repeat of his arc in SA2, and I honestly can't fathom it. Shadow the Hedghog offers you a myriad of choices, a look into the possibilities that lay in Shadow's future. As you traverse the Hero path, Shadow begins having more visions of Maria, and becomes determined to fulfill her final wish. And as you travel the Dark path, Shadow drifts more towards Gerald, and becomes determined to fulfill his final wish. That's what Shadow is: a vessel for wishes. Hell, it's even the first thing he says when Eggman frees him in SA2. He didn't exactly have a character in that game though, and he was moreso obedient to whatever Maria wanted. This game however, presents us with an ending that cleaves Shadow from his past, and its the only canonical part of the game at that. As Shadow confronts Devil Doom, an ugly abomination that represents a hate for humanity not too dissimilar from Gerald's, he lets go of Maria, Gerald, and everything else that used to define him. The final shot of the game sees him tossing aside the photo with Maria, as he says goodbye to his old self. This is a story of growth, not of repetition as many seem to think, and I hope more people start to realise that.
Eh, some of this doesn’t reallly sit right with me. Shadow letting go of his past is all well and good, since it is horrific and he needs realizes he needs to move forward. Shadow decides he wants to do good for the sake of doing good, and not because of the promise he made to Maria. But like, if you make a promise to someone, it’s kind of scummy to just disregard it. I feel like they could have reached a middle ground, where Shadow decides to become a hero both because of his promise, and also realizing that it’s genuinely the right thing to do.
@@genericalias7791 That’s a really shallow way of viewing it. Just because he puts Maria's death behind him doesn't mean he forgot her promise. There's a reason it was Gerald's words of encouragement that helped him move on from his past in the end (it gave him the closure and answers he needed, and now, he can finally move forward again and accept that the Shadow he used to be is gone). You can let go of your trauma and still keep the memory of your loved ones close to your heart. Shadow moving on from the past simply means he won't let it rule him or warp his mind so completely anymore (even the hero route his Shadow being warped by his past, even if it leads him to kill the Black Arms in the end).
Yup. Shadow & Sega have no reason to bring up Maria anymore, doesnt mean he forgot her. And he has fulfilled his promise to her in SA2 & in Sth again. In the japanese version he also says something about finally fulfilling his promise to the professor. Meaning he's gonna do it NOW, in this very moment, what he did again. I really dont understand fans who still want to keep Shadow tied to his past, just a vessel for everyone's wishes. Fans do exactly what everyone did to Shadow in SA2 & Sth lol And, as bad as Shadow's game was...I dont hate it. I have a weird...I woudnt call "hate". Hate-love relationship with it. It's abit confusing at first, but I saw this game before SA2 (so I should be more confused lol) And I learned the most about Shadow's past & character here, it was so interesting to learn EVERYTHING he could be ! And I only saw the english version. So I really dont get people who hate how "ruined, ooc" Shadow is here or say "nothing matters here, not canon anyway" cuz they dont like it (like with 99% of everything that's not SA2 & 06 - what is also "not canon") Everyone blames his game or making him an "edgelord" but...I dont see it at all here. Fans just take things out of context, when Shadow is "just a man on a mission" & actually very insecure & has his good moments. His reasons are explained here (unlike nowadays; still I think he always has reasons, we just dont know yet) - like why he hates humans. It's not like GUN is trying to kill him ? Even if the paths are not canon, at least SOME happened, it's about the journey & like a puzzle, where you need all pieces. I never cried at SA2 but STH ending always makes me emotional, cuz personal reasons, when Shadow finally moves on from his past (what I still find unrealistic, from a realistic pov) & becomes his own person. Fans can hate on this game but I.....really relate to Shadow here. I learn & notice nowadays alot of intersting things in this game & agree with the original comment
@@VergilGaia It is a Sonic game tho. You run like Sonic, you can do the homing attack like Sonic, You can spin dash like Sonic, etc. One of the weirdest comments I've ever seen defending a game.
See, this is what I love about RU-vidrs like KingK: This isn't another lazy "Shadow has a gun, CRINGE" video, and it's not another weird "Here's why Shadow the Hedgehog is secretly GOOD" video, either: It's an honest analysis that tries to meet the game in good faith and discuss it in all aspects, good, bad, and otherwise.
But this is just another “game is kinda flawed but I like/love it” vid. He didn’t really say anything about it, it’s the perfect example of a “mid” video
@@camgoodkicks idk what to tell you, he went pretty into depth about the things he both likes and dislikes about the game with specific examples and explained why. He didn't just go "this rocks" or "this sucks" and leave it at that.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 Nah, everyone can play whatever they what and say whatever they you. You just get to understand that they are not worth listening to.
I've always found Shadow to be a very 2000's interpretation of the character of Sonic. Whereas Sonic is a pure, unbridled representation of freedom while being this cool, power of friendship but anti-authoritarian somewhat aloof dude, Shadow is a very serious kind of cool. He takes himself deadly seriously, and his freedom is not something inherently given to him, but something he earns by breaking the chains of his past and becoming his own hedgehog/ultimate life form thing. Shadow is an incredibly sincere look at what "cool" was at the time of his conception, thrown right in the face of a Sonic who was just becoming "lame" for embodying a sense of cool that was out of date. We've seen Sonic go through his self-deprecating, self-aware phase already, and I feel like he's becoming a far more sincere embodiment of what he used to represent lately. Shadow's just a bit behind in that cycle, where writers still feel a bit insecure with him and double down on his loner brooding. I really do think Shadow's day is going to come again, as nostalgia and appreciation for his era grows in retrospect - what was cool becomes lame then cool, then vintage forever, happens with every pop culture era. "i'm the coolest" he said once after being hit in the face. I still believe it. Anyway I rented Shadow the Hedgehog as a tween and did the dark path. Then I decided to follow the dark path's lesson and didn't return the game or go to blockbuster ever again, so it just kind of hovered as a dark reminder of my sin in the back of my collection. No idea what I actually think of the game anymore besides HEY SHADOW, LONG TIME NO SEE and not being able to find the last man to heal in the ARK, so thank you for reminding me of how much of a banger the soundtrack was.
I pity you honestly. So many people who criticize this game either have an incomplete experience with it, never bothered to give it much thought, or only talk about they remember (typically one or two scenes they didn't like, and nothing else).
I'm glad somebody else made this comment since I only just now found the video: Compared to Knuckles (who is a contrast to sonic: red vs blue, echidna vs hedgehog, power vs speed, quiet and introspective vs brash and cocky) Shadow is a reflection of sonic's own traits expressed in a different way: He's still cocky, brash, independent, a hedgehog, etc, but as a 2000s aloof badboy vision of coolness, vs sonic's radical 90's 'tude.
I agree Shadow (the game) has many questionable game design choices, even as a kid I couldn't stomach it more than 3 levels. But discussion on this game nowdays is so divorced of the time period this came many reviewers don't remember (or are too young to remember) that this whole dark/edgy thing was all over pop culture in mid 2000's. Characters like Sasuke Uchiha were very popular among pre-teen boys, is Shadow that different?
@@CanaldoZenny but also remember how, despite those themes being present in the culture, the game was still received badly at the time. This isn’t a retrospective dislike or hate, people haven’t liked this game since it debuted
I’m quite a fan of the “Miracle of Love” path, as it’s called in the library. In order to get that path name, you have to go pure dark up until Amy’s level and then switch to pure hero until the end of the game. It’s a very nice sort of remembrance of Amy’s role in SA2, being the one who managed to clarify Shadow’s vision of himself and humanity. And then they never interacted again because we can’t have nice things.
@@Topdoggie7 Shadow’s not 50. Given the fact Maria is estimated to be 12 around the time of her death, we know Shadow is around 12-13 given his creation in proximity to her. As for the whole “50 years ago” thing, years in cryostasis shouldn’t count. Futurama doesn’t count it, Avatar doesn’t count it, so I don’t count it for Sonic either. That being said they are likely changing character ages in frontiers so this comment may become out of date.
@@sheacorduroy5565 I believe there's a comment in Sonic Boom "That guy's like fifty" and in the comics he's fifty as he was semi-awake/his body kept growing. I remember having a game guide that said Sonic had some growing to do to catch up to Shadow. Sonic X also drops this factoid when Rouge calls Sonic a child and points out her and Shadow are far older and adult. Regardless, Shadow kept aging and the age shit is usually waved away like how Edward is an adult and Bella isn't but it's fine because teenager's body. You're free to disagree or provide your own canons. I just remember this from binging subbed and dubbed content. Yes I know that no one Sonic media is canon to the other. It's what reoccurs most that I consider most canon. The movie may address it too.
Why is this even an argument? It doesn't matter, because there's no implication of Shadow and Amy being together or in any way romantic in the first place. Amy simply is able to remind him of his *platonic* love for Maria, and hers of him, through being a similarly caring and kind girl. @@Topdoggie7 can you really think of nothing else but a romantic or intimate relationship when you hear the word love? Do you not love any family member or any friend? Because although clearly different kinds, those are equally worthy of being called love.
It's ironic that post SA2 my favorite showing of the character was in '06, being the most infamous Sonic Game. In that game Shadow felt not like some edgy bastard but the more focused more no-nonsense hero to contrast to Sonic's more care-free attitude. I liked that he had meaningful relationships with Rouge and Omega, I liked that his goals were saving the world even if it wasn't convenient, I liked that when told that he'd be made a scapegoat he'd "fight as [he] always has" but not abandon his ideals. Seriously for all its problems '06 felt like the one game that got the idea of what Shadow should be post SA2 actually right.
Yeah, for how bad 06 is, it has some hidden gems in there. The brightest one imo being how Shadow was written and it fits with the ending of StH. He's finally let go of his past and doesn't let anything hold him back from doing what he thinks is right, even if that means working with the same organization that hurt him so much before. And while I wouldn't describe him and Sonic as friends per se, he still values Sonic enough to step in when Silver shows up. Also that cutscene of him kicking Silver's ass is hilarious.
If sonic wasn't in 06 it would have been a much better game. Also the reason shadow is so good in that game is because of this one character wise they turned his worst day into a positive experience for him. He learned from it.
06 is tragic not just because its bad, but because its probably directly responsible for Sega never wanting to try making a more "serious" Sonic game ever again, and by extension, abandoning the idea of Shadow as a character beyond "Sonic Rival"
I honestly love the Archie version of Shadow because while he was cocky and a bit serious every now and then he still respected his friends and his relationship with team dark was legitimately great. He was just a nice dude who ya took his job seriously but genuinely cared about others and his friends.
This is my biggest "guilty pleasure" game by far. Yeah, I know it's widely agreed that it's not a good game, but I've always loved it ever since I played it when it first release. I honestly never minded the gameplay, especially with the use of the secret keys, and the story is just so ridiculous that I can't help but crack up at the cutscenes. Even if my older self can acknowledge that it sucks, it'll always have a special place in my heart.
I like Pariah’s take on Shadow’s character post-SA2. Shadow really *did* die after that game; where this “new” Shadow is a different character entirely. He has amnesia, meaning his body is still Shadow, but his mind is completely different… a whole new persona. The end of Shadow the Hedgehog (game) is New Shadow finally tossing aside anything that bound him to the Old Shadow, so he could finally move on and be who *he* wants to be… not what others tell him he is. This is similarly brought up in Kingdoms of Amalur, where a couple of key characters remark that the player’s character is *nothing* like the person they were before they died; as if they were a *completely different person.*
@@Deoxys_Used_Mimic I'm saying this game doesn't make sense in it's own premise, because Shadow came back in Heroes and already showed some of his heroic instincts despite the missing memories I know that wasn't the point of your comment, but it's the biggest issue that wasn't addressed in Pariah's video, but I edited my last comment to make it better cleared
@@ayrtonjoga I still don’t understand what you mean by Heroes “already establishing his character.” …as if that changes anything. Heroes and StH are the same character; SA2 is not. There must be some sort of miscommunication here because we both seem to agree on the same thing, yet only one of us claims it doesn’t make sense. What’s missing here?
42:40, I would say that Gerald’s goal was originally using the eclipse canon to defeat the Black Comet. But that eventually went out the window when G.U.N killed Maria. He had nothing to live for anymore.
To be fair, he was sort of working with aliens to build a bio weapon, and also had a giant death laser capable to of ending all life on earth. Maybe if Gerald wasn't double timing literally everyone, GUN wouldn't have been like , holy shit we gotta go stop that shit before billions of people die.
Made total sense to me that way too. In SA2 it appeared Gerald was a sane and decent guy at first, and went mad with grief after Maria's death. ARK being built first as a research facility and planetary defense system, before being turned into an apocalyptic doomsday weapon instead, fits with that change in his mental state. Clearly a retcon, but it works.
That and Gerald admitted that first off, he knew his deal with Black Doom would have bad repercussions and would need a way to deal with him later and second, he said that Maria’s death drove him insane and all he could think of was revenge.
The section about Cosmic Fall is fascinating; I'd never have considered how perfectly the theming and story match. That's the weird thing about Shadow as a character. I'm not a huge fan of his so part of me wants to say he's garbage and get just rid of him, but there are these nuggets of genuinely compelling story and characterization that make it a harder sell than I feel like it should be.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 Couldnt disagree more honestly, the way the level is constructed makes the platforming really fun and interesting. Lots of application for spindash jumps, Chaos Control skips, even triangle jumps once you get to the interior. It's fun to optimize and run through imo
This video was an interesting experiment that confirmed something I've suspected for a while now. However broken, janky or frustrating the game is, or initially uninterested I am in the source material, hearing someone talk fondly of something, highlighting the good parts and putting the spotlight of what makes a game unique, is to me, at least, infinitely more interesting than pointing out a games flaws. This is also a mindset I've been trying to maintain recently, not giving up in my initial gut reaction, but stick to it and try to find the good parts, be it the atmosphere, music, writing, interesting mechanics or the sheer absurdity of what I'm witnessing. It's so much easier to appreciate things in life with this mindset, and I'll continue to deploy it.
I actually only got two endings for this game back then. Never knew it had the real ending where you fight Black Doom as final boss with all Chaos Emeralds.
The soundtrack in this game is ridiculously underrated, and not just the vocal tracks. Prison Island, Final Haunt, GUN Fortress, Sky Troops, Black Comet, and Lava Shelter are some of my favorite songs in the series. This game is a guilty pleasure of mine, and while it isn't perfect or even that great, the music absolutely kicks ass.
I got my fingers crossed that the story of Frontiers is well received. Ian Flynn is on the same boat as us in regards to Shadow and at the very least he wants him to not be Vegeta any more.
Very unlikely, Shadow is iirc subject to several SEGA mandates from higher up (most were issued in 2009, after Archie Comics fucked up an easy lawsuit) that basically force him into the worst stereotype version of Vegeta.
@@Requiem782 yeah I highly doubt we'll be seeing Shadow that much through the comic cause of how much the mandates screwed over his writing potential. The Sonic Boom cartoon writers also said he was difficult to fit in. Sonic Prime might have to pull some similar punched.
@@noirscape_ Little more complex than that, the lawsuit wasn't until around 2012- Its effects hit the comic during the extremely turgid Mecha Sally Saga, which was briefly interrupted for a mandatory promo for the Mario & Sonic London Olympics game... in October, a month after the real life event had ended and about three months after the game it was promoting had hit shelves. The mandates had already been there since Archie's contract was renegotiated in 2010, and were likely inspired less by Ken Penders and more by SEGA's own desire to tighten up and salvage Sonic's brand image that spawned the meta era, and they'd been generally making the comics worse, though Archie did a pretty shocking job of navigating them during that era. What's that? Sonic and the other SEGA characters are no longer allowed to grow as people and can't take major losses or be overly sad? Better remove everyone except Sonic, Tails, and Amy from the comic during what's meant to be the most harrowing events of their lives, making all three of them look like sociopaths! Stellar choices there, Ian... Things didn't really kick into high-gear until the reboot forced Archie to flush everything else out, and then there was basically nothing left besides standard SEGA stuff.
@@ToaArcan I'm more noting that it's really obvious in retrospect that the mandates didn't *just* affect the comics and Penders has been on his bullshit with Archie since about 2009 (and soon after, Archie renegotiated). Like, the moment they went into effect (basically after Dark Brotherhood released) is also when you start to see Sonic go from being an edgy counterculture icon to really being the "inoffensive brand mascot", something which is just as harshly enforced in the games released since that point. It's just the most obvious with Shadow because he's by far the Sonic character with the most development/story written for him (although characters like Amy, whose character got decisively *less* stalkish up to this point was reshot back to being basically a stalker again) and SEGA has a known mandate that the only thing Shadow is allowed to care about is "getting stronger" like he's discount Vegeta/Vergil.
@@lucisgallery1412 Had to dig it up since I lost where I first heard about it, but the manufacturer TROY made a pump-action rifle chambered in .223 back in 2017. It's not a recreation of the in-game model, but the mere fact it's now possible to replicate the scene IRL is hilarious.
I really love how this video is structured. Having you repeat the opening of your review for each segment really shows how monotonous the opening mission of the game is. I also just liked it because it reminds me of the choose your own adventure books I read as a kid
I have a LOT of thoughts on this game, and I think your breakdowns of GUN Fortress and Lava Shelter really hit the nail on the head with its main issue: It needed to be more deliberate with its story paths and give actual motivation for tugging Shadow toward either side. I think rather than an OutRun map, having two parallel lanes of Good and Evil, or "Fight the Aliens" versus "Learn about your past" would have made each stage a more compelling choice. A stage like Glyphic Canyon can either br about defending an ancient piece of history from invasion (Sympathy with Knuckles being there) OR Shadow realizing this Black Arms temple may hold the keys to who he is. It's not interesting to have Shadow randomly flipflop between Hero or Villain based solely on what the player thinks - it IS interesting to have Shadow himself have motivation for considering whatever action he's taking to be "the right one". Another thing: I really love the existence of the Last Story. The entire game is about an amnesiac Shadow frantically trying to find out what he's supposed to be based on his old legacy, an effort that never really ends satisfyingly. Because the best way to move forward is to let go of the past - to Never Turn Back if you will - and forge your own path free of baggage. It's pretty special, and solidifies this Shadow as his own character seperate from the one who died in SA2.
I like this game... when you're using a stage select. I will say the same thing as I do about Team Chaotix in Heroes though: Not having a map or radar during missions when you can run that fast is ridiculous. I never thought Heroes was too slippery, but this game I do. I frequently find myself jumping just to halt my momentum. It is sad that this is the game where Shadow is derided as being angsty and brooding, since this is also the game where he STOPS being like that.
Ya, the checkpoint warping is kinda a mooted feature when the game doesn't give you any indication of how many mission objectives are between those points.
Considering how the Sonic modding community has done great work on both 2D and 3D games in the series, like Sonic A.I.R. or Project 06, I'm surprised I've never heard of any mods to help fix Shadow the Hedgehog's underlying problems or even rework the game from the ground up.
I think it's because the gameplay of Shadow the Hedgehog is mostly just "fine". There's not that many problems to be fixed with mods compared to the glitchfest that was Sonic 06 (which btw, Project 06 is not a mod, it's a full blown fangame) and Sonic AIR is for a 90s game, which mostly isn't very difficult to mod and is the era most in need of "labor of love" ports. The only real thing that needs to be tweaked are mission objectives being too hair tight for a casual audience and *maybe* improve the stage select so you don't have to beat the game 9 times to get the last ending, but I'd argue it's nothing unworkable.
@@jaretco6423 i think they meant the gameplay as in how to use shadow. because they also said repition is a problem in a sentence separate from “the gameplay is fine” so it’s reasonable that structure of the game was not categorized as you think.
Thank you for honoring a video game that helped shape my early years. Yes, Shadow is one of my favorite characters, right next to Emerl. Yes, Shadow the Hedgehog is a game I genuinely love for focusing on an interesting character. And yes...the game is filled with all sorts of flaws I can't (and won't) shake off. So again, thank you for honoring it. :)
Honestly, I am really happy with you praising the OST so much. One of the common themes I saw in Shadow the Hedgehog reviews is people just all-around non-stop dunking on the game without giving ANY praise. I mean...it's fine to actually dislike the game and honestly, I dislike it to. But people are just to much in the mindset of ,,the whole package is bad". And I think the OST is the 1 thing which this game actually nails. Even if it is misused sometimes. Also, the level theming is often pretty good. The level design itself is pretty bad most of the time, yes. But I wouldn't mind seeing some of these level themes return in a good modern Sonic game. Or even better: A GOOD(!) modern Shadow game.
I have a lot of funny stories about this game. How my mom thought it was too violent for my fragile young mind and tried to return it, only for some based Best Buy employee to tell her its not that violent. How I tried to learn I am All of Me the first year I started playing guitar and failed hilariously. How I spent my first year with this game only playing the true neutral path. But I think my favorite is how my silly love for a game no one else liked, and for Sonic in general, got me talking to my best friend in college. We both attest our friendship to freakin' Shadow the Hedgehog, and it means a lot t me in that way.
Honestly, it is pretty crazy that this game even exists. Sega actually made a game where a 3-foot tall cartoon hedgehog goes around killing people and aliens with a gun. I know GTA3 was popular at the time, but still. Every time I think about this game, it makes me laugh. It is so damn insane.
A lot of people do tend to act like this game was created in a vacuum, but it really wasn't. Apparently fans had been asking Sega to give Sonic a gun for a while, and this type of gritty action game had been gaining traction for a while.
@@EuroMIX2 it's indeed very, VERY weird how no one brings up Jak II in STH reviews, and vice versa. Both games have an intense dark tonal shift and are very similar in many aspects, yet they're never brought up together.
Really creative and fitting video structure, man! It's always cool to see video essayists pushing the boundaries of the medium in fun and interesting ways!
I gotta be honest. As an edgy teen when this game came out, it was everything i ever wanted in a game. I had to have put at least 1000 hrs into it. So much replayability with the branching story. But i tried to play again recently, and i hated it.
yes! i LOVED the opening and the fact he had a gun was the best thing ever and i watched sonic x on 4kids every Saturday so it was only natural id love it
This is a great video. You can really tell the passion, good and bad, that you have for this game and the series as a whole with how you structured it so uniquely. I think Shadow the Hedgehog is just such a frustrating game. It's chock full of concepts that could be fantastic in this series but most of them hold themselves back. The Chaotix mission structure from Heroes, with some tweaking, could be a super fun way to encourage replayability in each level. But Shadow actually made them worse. The morality system is a great idea for Shadow, and could even apply to other characters in similarly interesting ways, but it's squandered by the mission layout, the lack of really meaningful choice, and the fact that you have to make every choice anyway in order to see the REAL ending that invalidates whatever you chose. It's also frustrating that most of the discourse surrounding this game really misses the point. Everyone, whether they've played the game or not, knows really one major thing about it: Shadow has a gun. And that's hilarious to people. That's the big black mark on this game that most will comment on. And, I mean...the gunplay is actually really fun. It's not out of place in the series with the previous Gamma/Tails/Eggman/Omega gameplay. The automatic weapons work really well with Shadow's speed and show how fun and flowing the gameplay can be. But this one aspect is laughed at simply because it can be. I also have the suspicion that this game's reception (and of course the continuous streak of middling to bad games after) kind of killed the idea of character-focused Sonic spinoffs. Back in the day we had Tails' Adventure: a really cool Metroid-Vania game where Tails has his own inventions and enemies to deal with. Knuckles' Chaotix: an interesting idea that puts the spotlight on Sonic's rival and introduced the now iconic Chaotix. And then we had Shadow. And now we have nothing. I'd love to see more character spinoffs like how the Mario series has created whole franchises with this approach. Bring back the idea of Tails' Adventure but now in 3D, giving Tails an array of unique gadgets to tackle puzzles in multiple ways in a comparatively slower-paced game, like Sonic's version of Luigi's Mansion. Throw Knuckles and Rouge into a variety of wide open areas in an expansion of the treasure hunting gameplay as they either compete or work together to find a certain number of objects scattered throughout. Create a game about the Chaotix, utilizing the character switching mechanic from Heroes and tasking you with going through levels and hub worlds to find clues to solve a variety of mysteries. But I just don't see this happening. Because Shadow bombed and now Sega's scared.
hey whenever i try to watch the video it says that there's "no stream" other videos work fine for me so it isn't my internet being garbage. i think youtube might of messed up your video somehow
This is one of the fairest reviews i have seen that does a good job of showing while it has some big problems, it also has some amazing success, and one of the reasons to why this game shouldn't be coinsider a guilty pleasure.
This game came out at the perfect time in my childhood to really love it despite all of its flaws. Something I don't see talked about much is the hidden feature where layer 2 could plug in a controller and actually control the other hero (like controlling Tails in Sonic's story in SADX). Perfect fun when you had a brother to play games with.
Regarding Shadow as a character, I am very interested to see how he will be played out in the third movie, as it looks like he's poised to be a big role. Given how the first two movies are, I think it's very likely we'll get an interesting, fresh look at Shadow
Oh fingers crossed - I really hope third movie will restore Shadow's original character, finally makes Sega calm down and start use him fully and return him back into series as a proper character instead of a one-off joke/cameo here and there.
I’m massively curious not just because I love Shadow and want to see what they do, but that Jeff Fowler was one of the guys that was with the group that did the CGI cutscenes for this game, if I remember correctly.
This sort of review structure honestly works perfect for a game like this, I really loved how each segment had always a similar beginning and end, but perfectly reflected on each critique point this game has. I went Dark > Hero > Neutral, which may be weirdest order actually, but it still worked very well. Great job on that! While I personally don't really care too much about Shadow as a character, (I do like him definitely, but I simply always had other favourites beforehand, even in SA2) most games after SA2 especially this one just did him kinda dirty. Honestly, this might be a pretty flaming hot take, but I personally think he would've been regarded as the best fucking character in the whole series to this day, if he actually stayed dead after SA2. Just the reflection of his character would instantly mean so much in my eyes, there would never be a way to possibly ruin him or even improve on him further. He literally would be my favourite character, despite the short screen time he'd have. Again this is just me who never loved Shadow as much as others so I can see why most people wouldn't agree with me there. As for the game, it's literally a three split path for me as well. Points I love, points I hate and points I have conflicted opinions about. It's literally my favourite worst Sonic game. It's funny cause I originally thought this game was ENTIRELY based on Shadow's past and would take place 50 years ago. So that was already confusing when I saw it taking place in the present with every character being there. The story never made sense to me and is arguably the worst thing about this game in my eyes. But as you said, the individual levels can actually be very fun when taken out of context I think. *Lava Shelter fucking rules!* It's easily my favourite Adventure style level out there. But I also really like Space Gadget and GUN Fortress. (Seriously if Space Gadget was switched in positions with Lost Impact, the game would be 20% better by default) And I even enjoy Mad Matrix, the Dark mission sucks sure, but I enjoy the Hero mission a lot. Also it's easily the biggest ever Sonic level to this day. (Kinda enjoy that fact for some reason.) Also enjoy the music for sure. Final Haunt, Space Gadget and Waking Up are absolute bangers. But honestly the thing I like the most is its actual tone. While not reflected in its story or its laughable dialogue. The dark setting reflected in most levels and the music just really delivers. Not sure how to explain it, but this really gives off a depressing mid 2000's emo vibe. VERY similar to how Death Note made me feel funnily enough. I can't take that away from this game, and it makes it very unique. Especially since we'll never get something like that ever again. While this is already way too long, I just wanna add, my favourite approach on playing this game nowadays is always just opening up an RNG site, entering a number from 1 to 326, check that specific route online and if I've already completed it and just go! Maybe I'm lucky and get very good levels and missions, maybe I don't. But this kinda makes each playthrough refreshing to me, for the best and the worst of times. Anyways, amazing retrospect. Really enjoyed it King!~
I think I mirror your very jumbled, confused, nostalgically-revered but analytically-critical feelings on this game in how I feel about SA2. I just never quite seem to be able to get a comprehensive read on how I feel about it. Great work as always!
i cleared all paths as a kid and now im gonna start a fresh new save and beat all routes again! tonight after work. in the words of the edgy hog. DAMN NOT HERE!
This is by far the most positive take I've ever heard on this game. Actually the only remotely positive review of this game I've ever heard, come to think of it.
I got the game when I was 12 because a friend grew up with it and I remember really liking the good/evil paths and endings. That said, I'm struggling to take it seriously now I've watched SnapCube's fandub
It's already hard enough to take the game seriously in hindsight because the writing and imagery is laughable, but now the fact I can't even look at Black Doom without expecting him to go "Ey dingaling, cocksucker ya doin a bad job out there!" has completely shattered any last hope of me looking at this game with a straight face lmao
Shadow the hedgehog on the gamecube is unironically sick. The branching path system was neat for the sonic series, that and cmon. They gave the edge-hog a gun.
As much as i tried to like this game, I couldn't like it, it's probably my least favorite Sonic game (and i played 06, Labirynth and Genesis), but there a parts that i genuinly enjoy and i bring like the weapons, some of the levels and the music. I always thought of this phrase: Regarless of how i feel of a game in general, the truth is there are parts i really hate about my favorite games of all time (i.e. Fire Emblem Three Houses) and parts i love about games i dislike (Metroid 1 and this game). I will say something, if you like Shadow the hedgehog don't feel ashamed for liking it, neither consider it a guilty pleasure, enjoy it and play it as much as you want. Who am i to tell you which game you have to like?! I am a guy who played +200 hours of Sonic Forces (i bought It twice even, one at lauch for the PS4 and in 2022 for Switch), i am capable of understanding why someone likes Shadow the hedgehog regarless of my strong feelings ... And i personally hope that one day i see myself liking the game, because there is something i hate more than the game, the fact that i hate it, i want to be in the same boat that all those people who like the game are, because i wanted to like it, it feels good to like an unfairly hated game
Wow, this is how I feel about Shadow the hedgehog so much. I remember being so excited to play the game as well and had dreams about playing it. I both love and hate shadow the hedgehog. The CGI cutscenes are delicious to watch though. This game is ridiculous as well, remember the chicken gun? It just made me think, "okay this is a joke gun but, it almost feels like Sega is laughing at it's own creation."
I cannot tell you how wonderful this video was to watch, as it kinda mirrors my own thoughts on this game to some extent. I just unironically love this game, even though I won't deny it's many, many faults. It feels like a game that was made in nothing but earnest for Shadow the Hedgehog as a character. I can laugh off the attempts to be "edgy" and enjoy Shadow's characterisation, as mixed and muddled as the story structure makes it look. And, ironically, despite it seemingly being the point where Shadow went from a cool Yin/Yang to Sonic, to being "ow the edge hahaha" in hedgehog form, I feel like the game celebrates EVERYTHING about Shadow's character. His deep-seated heroism, the anger that stems when his judgement is clouded, the confusion and turmoil of his dark past and nature, to even the comically-serious side that seems like it's trying way too hard to seem cool. As for the gameplay, YES the weapons are fun, particularly the rapid-fire ones. YES, the soundtrack is not only fire, but it gives the levels a lot of thematic weight that nobody else ever seems to give credit for. And by extension, YES, so many of this game's levels land, in either aesthetic, music, gameplay or all three! Lost Impact and The Doom are a pain to play (unless you look up a fan-made map, like I do), but there are so so many levels that are good or even great, with a wide variety of unique features to them, like The Ark being a high-speed flying rail shooter, Sky Troops being like an Egg Fleet 1.5, along with paying off the setup of Glyphic Canyon, and Westopolis setting up the entire game's premise with a warzone between the Hero/Dark factions! At time of writing this and seeing this video, I've literally just come off my third complete playthrough of this entire game, currently working on all A-Ranks and Expert Mode for the first time. And I have to say, my love for this game has only increased with time. Looking back, it's kind of sad that we're almost definitely never going to get another game like this, because there's so much potential for greatness buried in here. But, on the other hand, I'm more than happy that this game exists at all, no matter what.
“No stream Tap to retry” I’ve tapped to retry multiple times and still nothing. Someone needs to find the computer room or we’ll never get this fixed. Edit: thank god someone found it
Oh my god, an actual critical look into my favorite 3d Sonic game (Not joking) that isn't just trash talking it nonstop and talks about the strong points of the game!? Am I dreaming???
I think the crux of Shadow's character isn't that he's heroic. It's that he's a dark person that learns to do the right thing and better himself, and who knows? Maybe even after saving the world once, maybe even twice, that's something he needs to continue to learn as a person. I like seeing Shadow as a complex person who makes mistakes and learns from them, and that's applicable even after SA2. Though this idea isn't embraced as much as it should be. I guess that's why I like seeing him interacting with Rouge. She feels like a friend he needs, someone who nudges him in the right direction at best, or whose at least there for him whether he accepts it or not at worst, and that's refreshing to see. (Though I wish we got more moments where Shadow acknowledges this, maybe even shows some appreciation or growth as a person because of it.) Still, I think Team Dark's involvement is the closest he's come to the peak of his character in years, even if just because it's nice seeing him working with others, especially since Rouge's involvement isn't as obligatory feeling as it is with characters like Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
It really is good to see people who remember Shadow for who he was, not the flanderized caricature he is now. I was shocked when I saw him bullying the chao in that animation. I hate that that's his depiction now because I had SA2 first and know who he actually is. I enjoyed your review. I only ever played this game badly way back when it came out for PS2 and I remember getting a single, almost purely hero side playthrough and becoming frustrated with the game after that. I see I've missed a lot.
I've noticed a considerable amount more of positivity for this game in the past few years, and as someone who shamelessly loves this game, I can only appreciate that. I don't think it's ever going to reach the same level of "It's not that bad, guys" as Sonic '06 has, but honestly, it's nice to see videos of people addressing it without bashing it for what it isn't and instead applauding it for what it is and was trying to do.
It's very interesting to see Shadow the Hedgehog approached from the angle of "unusued potential" rather than the doom and gloom negativity it has traditionally been beset by. We, as a species, focus on negative qualities and traits more often than we should, and it colors the way we see things and react to things. Seeing Shadow the Hedgehog from the perspective of a game that just couldn't quite get all of its ideas together to make something whole, I wonder how many of the games that would come after it might have been different if the fanbase and the series' creators had dealt with the criticism in such a way.
Just gonna say that as far as how Shadow's character is treated these days, it's kind of a slap in the face of who the character was when they gave him a whole DLC prologue in Forces yet also say that he couldn't have prevented Eggman's takeover of the world when we all know that he is absolutely capable of that.
Actually I got the impression the DLC existed specifically to give a rational reason why he couldn't stop Eggman. Infinite trapped him in an illusion for what is implied to be the months between Sonic's abduction and Eggman's takeover, so he was completely out of commission. It feels like it was done deliberately BECAUSE he likely would've been able to turn the tide if he was around
@@Sydney_Angelyt oh lol you're right, i remembered it showed a bit during that but i thought shadow got put back in virtual reality right after, my bad kdpkoj
seeing such a nuanced take on this game is honestly so refreshing cuz for those of us who have held shadow so close to our hearts since our childhoods which this game was a part of, it really does evoke a lot of complex feelings for us lmao for all the damage it's done to both shadow's character and the series overall, it really feels like by all rights i SHOULD hate this game, but i just... don't. seeing a game you loved bombarded with criticism, however valid and however much you end up agreeing with it, can make you lose sight of what you genuinely enjoyed about it and that really is worth holding onto EDIT: i think it's also worth pointing out that beyond being incredibly first draft-y, this game was also written by iizuka and not maekawa who wrote sa2, heroes and 06 where shadow was at his best and it REALLY shows
Agree, even if i hate Shadow the hedgehog as a game, i can't grudge those who do, i enjoyed Sonic Forces more than other people, yet when i share my feelings towards it, i get comments saying "yOu ArE wRoNg FoR lIkInG iT" yet it doesn't matter, i still play the game to this day and i'm aware of the flaws and why people dislike it, just as i understand why people like Shadow the hedgehog, i'm probably not going back to the game or forgive it for all the bullsh*t it put me through, but if someone is happy, then be happy and never let anyone take it away
Damn, I've never played this game but I really have to respect the amount of work put into this video. I usually watch your videos but this one was really fun to watch with the "choices" thrown in there.
I've never been a Sonic fan, but I still remember this game fondly. Mostly because of it's 2000's feel and soundtrack. That intro cutscene and the start of the first level when Shadow is falling through buildings with Westopolis playing will always be special for me.
I never get the rivalry aspects, sonic see him as a rivalry sure, but shadow was never focus on sonic. When sonic meet shadow he is the one calling him faker, and then shadow proceed to rip sonic self esteem by being faster than him using chaos emerald, which prompt sonic to prove himself to shadow by shouting at him first when they met, and shadow merely having him prove his words. Shadow arrive at the moment when tails move away from the little brother complex to be his own person, shadow became the new big brother relations but to sonic instead. Shadow has the marker of an older brother, less care free, having no superiority complex, and had emotional scar, I mean he knew how to follow order with Eggman despite having his own independent agenda, and didn't hesitate to save rouge when he didn't had to. He just knew his worth and imparted a lesson to sonic, which by the end became more mature, more of a team player and less cocky over other people, as when shadow sacrifice himself he had respect for him and not try too hard to play the hero like in the beginning. Sonic adv 2 had great character arcs.
Wow dude. I actually have a VERY long video coming out video defending this game from unfair criticisms/criticizing this game for what it genuinely does wrong, and you made a fantastic video that kinda nailed *almost* every point I was going to make. - I think most of the blame when it comes to "restarting" Shadow's personality and memory needs to be slided onto Heroes. Sure, he had a few bright spots here and there in that game, but it's confusing as to where they even left his character in the end, making the beginning of this game make sense. He was confident his past didn't matter, then all these people he can't remember are buddy-buddy with him, then he discovers he may not be the original Shadow with Team Dark's ending. This game was only a natural progression to "fix" Shadow back to where he was as a character, because having him pretend to go back to normal to how he was at the end of SA2 just wouldn't make sense, and (honestly) they should have kept him dead or given him a better plot device other than amnesia. - So, to be fair, while in retrospect, that "taking candy from a baby" is stupid, there's no way Sega wasn't self-aware enough to put that in as some kind of goofy line, whether it was intended or bad localization like the cutscene with Sonic on the transporter. This is the same game where the Chaotix struggle to hack a computer and Shadow LITERALLY karate-chops the keyboard and is immediately like "I'm in". I think Sega knows what's going on. - I really don't get the GUN critique. Yeah, they messed up in the past games but it would still make sense for Sonic and his friends to side with them in the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion. I'm pretty sure a lot of people would still begrudgingly get real close real quick if the same thing happened in our world. - If you could have gone over the story inconsistencies more with relation to how each path leads you to the next mission, that would have been good, because honestly with how they handled the limited cutscenes they had in this game, there was no inconsistencies with how the story progresses with what you choose. Maybe a few loose ends, INCLUDING the true ending, but that's it. - Lost Impact is terrible, yes, but I'm unsure what version of the game you played. Perhaps the PS2 version since that's objectively the worst one, because I've never seen that GUN soldier bug ever. - The Eclipse Cannon being created to destroy the Black Arms was a great way to do away with the massive plot hole of why a scientist working for the benefit of humanity would create a giant death laser that makes up half of the structure of ARK. Don't see your point on how this bothers you either. + YES DUDE! I love that cutscene with the Commander, too! I don't know why no one ever brings this up in their reviews. Shadow is clearly not misunderstood or driven down a path he wasn't before, and you mentioned that with how he still has that bit of anger in him. Remember; he thought lowly of humans even back in SA2. Excellent. + The level design, for the most part, is pretty good, and with how you mentioned that Westopolis is fun, it's great that they could achieve this for how many times you have to replay it. The game is almost like how the original games on the Genesis focused on speed and playing the levels over and over again to achieve the fastest methods of getting through them. People criticize the reuse of assets for levels but I really don't understand why. They did this in both SA2 and Heroes. Absolutely fantastic review, KingK. Great job.
I never played Shadow the Hedgehog, but I do find most of these points to be quite agreeable - I also find this to be among the reasons why Blaze tends to be viewed more favorably (along with being in an altogether less controversial debut in the form of Sonic Rush) - the lack of clear purpose in Shadow makes the character altogether weaker, whereas Blaze maintains the idea of an individual on a mission, focused *on* that mission, and in the process learning to lean on and support allies in the process. That idea tends to stick when she features outside of minor cameos. That all said, I do feel like this game gets a worse rep than it deserves since it tends to ignore the highlights, but I won't pretend that knowledge of this game and the reputation it brings prevented me from ever being a fan of the character to begin with. My first games were the genesis/saturn classics, and then jump straight to Unleashed and Colors - I missed the era that introduced him, and so I never experienced the highs preceding the fall.
Watched it all the way through! Couldn’t tell if the beginning of each section was meant to be the same for those who wanted to skip, or if it was meant to trigger the PTSD from all the times I played the first level over and over as a kid. Lol Another great video KingK! Keep up the great work!
This was an amazing video analysis of Shadow The Hedgehog. I use to play this game a lot when i was a teenager and enjoyed the high points of it via gunplay and music. As i got older i began to realize how odd the split paths you get as they get retcon during "The Last Story" mode. 😅I also loved your analysis on Cosmic Fall stage 13:05 portraying Shadow's confusion through all he's been through. 👍
protip: there's a native res bloom option in dolphin which you enable in the "graphics mods" part of the game (this fixes all the weird shimmering and things not lining up properly). there's also a widescreen patch that directly patches the rom which is much better than the one used here. setting this game up is kinda hell but it's basically as good as a proper pc port nowadays.
@@AkameGaKillfan777 there's always gonna be tacky stuff with a widescreen hack, but the one that makes direct GNCP edits is great. the only issue is one of the custcenes that uses 2d images to fill the screen don't actually fill the screen and it looks really bad lol.
42:20 I mean he does have Black Arms DNA in him. Him having immunity isn't very far-fetched. 45:44 To be sure, what he did could be considered heroic to some extent. But at the same time, the reason for why he did what he did ultimately didn't come down to altruism or because he was genuinely invested in the well-being of the world. He was operating under the exact same motivation that initially made him commit actions that set up the end of the world. Ultimately, Shadow had zero character development in SA2 because his thought process was always "MARIA MARIA MARIA MARIA". It wasn't until STH when he decided "Screw Gerald. Screw Maria. Screw Black Doom. Screw Eggman. Screw the Gun Commander. Screw Shadow & co. I'm doing what I want."
When it comes to Shadow, my views on him are complicated. On one hand, I loved Shadow in the Adventure era, he always brought out that sense of being the Batman to Sonic's Superman, and always had that sort of more "Lets get down to the mission" vibe I always thought made the plot more interesting as far as how he would react to everyone around him. However the issue I've had with him post Heroes is the fact he's often used as a marketing tool or hype just because he has to be "Sonic's edgy rival" he can no longer be just a guy who has missions of his own who only clashes with Sonic depending on his goal. For instance, I DO agree with the consensus that his character in 06 was fine, probably the peak of him Post Heroes, however my issue with his appearance in that game, which also leads to my issues with how the character has been used or how people often tend to use him is that his great character came at the expense of everyone elses. Everyone in 06 who isn't Team Dark specifically (or Silver) have their characters impact little to the story or are made worse by comparison to Shadow, which is especially evident in Sonic's case. Hell even the main villain never interacts with Sonic, its all about Shadow! And to me this along with his game gave me a lot of Creator's Pet vibes, intentional or not. And it's not like you can't make him the MC and work. I mean SA2 did exactly that, he is the main character of the story and nobody else had to suffer writing wise just to prove that. After 06 his character often appears with very little or no motivation. Like in Rivals where he (and everyone else) act out of character. It also always bothered me how people would often use him to replace other characters or how Sega markets his popularity just to use it to sell, like in Boom or Forces, Shadow doesn't have to be in everything all the time. That's why I don't get the same hype with him as everyone else, because his character already peaked and hasn't found new grounds since then, even disregarding the 2010's era writing.
This is what a lot of people tend to disregard when they talk about how good Shadow used to be and I'm glad I finally found someone who pointed it out. Rest assured, I love Shadow a lot. One of my top characters, but to say he dominated the series at the expense of everyone else would be an understatement. When he's overshadowing the main character, then you have a problem. The thing with Shadow is, and its something Ian Flynn mentioned, he's too story breaking. Because he is every bit as competent as Sonic and has been established as such from the getgo, what is stopping him and Sonic from just defeating everything they come across if they work together? So its a situation where you have to balance him. They kind of got around that by just making him an uncooperative asshole towards Sonic, but of course shadow's fans aren't going to be happy seeing him be a dick, especially after his arc of self-discovery. I feel like Sega have been struggling to find a niche for him because of that.
He wasn't the first but is one of the best. Like his inspiration, Vegeta, he was also well written, and loved for it. Shame people treat him like a joke now.
As someone who has Shadow the Hedgehog as their favorite Sonic game, I feel you did a good-faith analysis reviewing this (mostly, I think Shadow stealing the chaos emerald from Sonic's crew even in the hero route highlights his anti-hero nature). Even I think the Dark mission for Mad Matrix is a huge "bruh" moment. As someone making his own indie game in his spare time, this game is both a poster child for what to do and what not to do in a video game. I wish we had gotten a proper sequel for it to iron out all the kinks/polish it. I know people are modding Sonic 06 to make it more...good, perhaps the same could be done for Shadow one day. And yes, modern Shadow is a shell of what he used to be. You compare Shadow from his own game to modern Shadow, but it's not even close. In games up to and including '06, Shadow was a foil for Sonic that still had his own goals and ideas, and now he just wants to one-up Sonic no matter what. That is 0% this game's fault and is instead on the writers since the start of the 2010s. Anyways pretty good review overall.
As much as ppl seem to hate this game… it will always hold a special place in my heart. I played this and ES: Oblivion nonstop for weeks/months as a little 15yo gamer
Thanks to Last Story, I determined which path was canon instead of just "what if": 1. Normal. He's focused on Emeralds, not having decided his loyalties yet. 2. Normal. Same as above, plus it leads to the next stage. 3. Hero. He wants whatever data those disks have, as they can easily be about himself. 4. Same as previous, only it's Eggman's data instead of GUN's. 5. Normal. Of course Shadow will check on Gerald on the way to destroying the Artificial Chaos. 6. Dark. Yes Shadow wants that data, but you really think he's going to pass up an Emerald on the way?! This path ensures you do not permanently antagonize Sonic or Doom before Last Story, yet also don't kill Eggman. It also gathers every piece of data for Chaotix, which lead directly to the final message being activated. Finally, starting with Normal avoids either an odd evil beginning or an outright failure of the intended objective.
I need a new game about Shadow or Silver, or more Adventure like games with more characters, definitely love the open world aspects of frontiers, but it seems like people got Sega scared to go outside the grain which is unfortunate but now everyone is unhappy and mixed, I feel like if Sonic 2006 was just a little more worked on the sonic games as we know it would have gone in a completely different direction.
I have been sticking up for this game for almost two decades now. I have almost never been as excited for a game in my life as I was for Shadow the Hedgehog when I was 15
I appreciate your love for this game but i hated it. Mostly because of the dialogue and weird tone. There's shadow speaking and acting all edgy like he's a reject JRPG protagonist and 2 seconds later there's a freakin' cartoon bee person talking like a child.
I played and beaten this game years ago. Suffice to say that going through all the routes is troublesome at worst and annoying at best. Plus, the gameplay left a lot to be desired. That said, I do appreciate the memes this game left for us.
