The Sonic Cycle: The Dreamcast Era

Hello everyone,

  Sonic the Hedgehog. Now who in the video game loving world hasn't heard that name? This little fella has been the subject of fame and controversy all throughout his lifetime.

(From left to right) Sonic the Hedgehog as he appeared in 1991 and as he appears in the present.

  From much more controversial beginnings, the Sonic the Hedgehog series is about a blue hedgehog that can run "at the speed of sound." The first Sonic game to be released was on the SEGA Genesis in 1991 during the big fight between video game giants, SEGA and Nintendo. Sonic was SEGA's equivalent to Super Mario, and SEGA wanted to make sure they meant business. Sonic would continue to grow as an icon as much as Mario had, releasing plenty of games that follow a somewhat connected storyline, as well of plenty of spinoff games.
  But even though these games did extremely well, there were quality issues that, to this day, have become apparent, costing some of these games a lack of higher ratings. Sonic fans are very... touchy about this subject. However, in their despairs, they have found a pattern in the Sonic games that just seems too uncanny to call a coincidence. This pattern is referred to as "The Sonic Cycle."
  The Sonic Cycle is a pattern discovered in the way that SEGA has produced their Sonic the Hedgehog games since 1996. The pattern is a six game pattern, each with their own pros, cons, landmark breakthroughs, and horrible game play (depends on the game though).
  Note that the following is my opinion. In no way should my opinion keep you from playing these games.
  Before the Sonic Cycle took root, five games were release under the Sonic the Hedgehog name between 1991 and 1995, all of which were well received. This was due to the fact that they all followed the same initial style and design with the addition of some sort of gimmick, including new characters that added to the game's play style, or, yes, even time-travel.
  So far the Sonic Cycle has nearly completed two loops. Today I will be giving my review of the first cycle, otherwise known as the Dreamcast Era (most of the games I'm about to discuss were release on SEGA's Dreamcast system).
  Starting in 1996, Sonic 3D Blast speaks for itself. It's Sonic's arrival to the third dimension. Despite the freakishly pointy 3D model of Sonic on the box art, the game has a story that's generic but good enough. The problem is that the 3D perspective is a little wonky. The game play is horrifically repetitive, where in each world, despite the change of scenery, you have to collect these odd bird-like creatures called "Flickies," and once enough Flickies had been collected, then you could advance to the next area, which was more of the same thing with different colors.
  Does Peter agree with the fans (see what the fans said on the timeline to the right)? Yes. The game would be an excellent app-game however, as it certainly qualifies for being repetitive.
  Sonic Adventure was Sonic Team's (the Sonic game developers) first outing on the Dreamcast, a console that, unlike the SEGA Saturn, was designed for 3D. This game, even to this day is the highlight of the entire franchise to me. Perfect soundtrack, excellent story, beautiful worlds! It gets me nostalgic just thinking about it.
 Does Peter agree with the fans? Who wouldn't? Like I said, this is the highlight of the franchise. If you were going to play any Sonic game first, it would be this one, or its successor...
  Sonic Adventure 2 built off of the beautiful thing that was the original Sonic Adventure. It introduced the anti-hero mainstay character named Shadow the Hedgehog, a fan loved doppelganger of sorts to Sonic. Suddenly the thought that Sonic games can't get any better than this hit everyone's minds. They were right, but that was to be expected as you can't always be perfect... (like Mario) *ahem*.
  Does Peter agree with the fans? No, as two playable Hedgehogs were not what defined this game. It's legendary soundtrack remains on my iPod to this day. Each level was unique. This game really had built on Sonic Adventure in that they both provide the same atmosphere and joy. This was the first Sonic game that I played on a home console (my first Sonic game was on a Nintendo handheld, but that's for another time) and I can honestly say that, even though it's a sequel, it stands out on its own.
  And in 2003 things began to decline. Sonic Heroes has always been a mixed bag when it came to reviews. Some of the games mechanics were seen as more of a nuisance by some. Sometimes the speed of the characters' movement gets a bit out of hand as well. There are plenty of things to this game when it comes to references, including the final boss (one of my all-time favorites, might I add), but I'll let you figure that one out yourselves.
  Does Peter agree with the fans? Yes. I felt like I was still playing Sonic Adventure, albeit faster and with more characters working simultaneously (you controlled a team of three characters at the same time. It's easier than it sounds). The colors were more vibrant. The soundtrack is legendary. Each level leaves you with some whimsical feeling! Who cares what the reviewers think!
  Oh boy. I did not think about what I was getting into until I reached this point. Here's where all of the negative stuff comes in...
  Sonic the Hedgehog had stepped aside. It was now Shadow's time to shine. Shadow the Hedgehog was released in 2005 due to the sheer amount of love for the character. But what we got was something completely new. Shadow runs at relatively the same speeds as Sonic, but he caries a weapon with him wherever he goes, meaning that most of your attacks are weapon reliant, instead of having the character charge head on.
  Does Peter agree with the fans? Yes. The tone is dark. The art is... sadly drab and realistic (the out-of-this-world/fantasy feeling that you get from Sonic the Hedgehog games has always been a staple in my opinion). The multiple paths to the various endings of the story are utterly confusing. Each story line ends with one of three bosses(which you will eventually fight up to five times each. An annoying undertaking if I may say so myself) and the final boss, although spooky, is very bland. We do get some back story on Shadow, which is nice. While I agree that this game is a new concept, it isn't something to be considered as a Sonic game. Think of it as it's own stand alone title, and you're good!
  Oh no... do I really have to talk about this one... I really don't... *sigh*. For Sonic's 15th anniversary in 2006 we got a title no one would believe! It was going to be an HD, un-named Sonic the Hedgehog game based off of what Sonic Adventure created. This was going to be the one that would go down in history as the best Sonic game ever!
  Pfft ha ha... OH HECK NO!
  You see, during this game's development, the Nintendo Wii was announced, and SEGA had the "brilliant" (sarcasm) idea of making a launch title for that console. So what happened? Sonic the Hedgehog became this new game's final name (clearly they were too busy on the new Wii game and had no care for making a new name whatsoever), and what was birthed truly was the Sonic game we never saw coming. What's worse is that the game the developed for the Wii was also sub-par. It was a spinoff, however, and doesn't apply to the Sonic Cycle.
  The opening was this absolutely gorgeous river scene. Beautiful HD. A new human heroine. What could go wrong? Well simply put... the game began. Our "heroine" was merely a damsel in distress who literally couldn't do squat! For the entire game! But that's not the half of it. The graphics looked like they belonged on the SEGA Dreamcast. That's not a good thing when you boast "HD graphics!" It gets worse.

  You see, every video game has "physics" similar to our world in that certain things break easy, while others take effort. Gravity remains an issue at all times. This game however is notorious for having the most looney physics engine. Sonic literally goes faster than the human mind can comprehend. I'm not kidding! You can't move him in time to avoid getting "hurt," and at those speeds, Sonic has no trouble flying, quite literally off ramps, into enemies that aren't there. No seriously, you can die like you've been hit by an enemy, even though there is not a single enemy in sight.

From left to right: Silver the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog.

  Does Peter agree with the fans? Oh for all that is good! YES! I'm surprised that Sonic the Hedgehog even managed to survive this concussive blow to his credibility! But... there is a silver lining (And no. Silver the Hedgehog, the third hedgehog revealed in this game is not it. It would have made an excellent pun though). There is an unseen beauty behind the absolutely horrific appearance of nearly every character you see in this game. The world itself is absolutely stunning. It's abstract in some areas, whereas others are so wildly coherent that it's almost impossible to hate. The soundtrack uses an orchestra sound engine for its music, but that does not harm the area's aesthetics with it. In fact most of the music goes extremely well with each area you travel in. Music from this game whets my musical appetite, more so than most games. The story is amazing as well... except maybe that scene where Sonic gets kissed by our HUMAN damsel in distress, Elise. (That's as far the bestiality gets and it isn't very detailed either). Pick this game up at your own risk. The load times, and facial expressions of these characters have become synonymous with this legendary game the fan base has cherished to call, "Sonic '06."
  It is here that the first loop of the Sonic Cycle ends. But a new game brings the cycle anew. Opinions became very strong after Sonic '06 failed so badly. Nearly every game afterwards was critiqued down to the very basic parts.
  The Sonic Cycle is a fan theory. In no way does it represent the production plans of SEGA or Sonic Team.
  Come back next time where I will finish off critiqueing the "modern era" of Sonic games.

Thanks all,

-Peter