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"Redemption for the 3D games" had nothing to do with the paragraph. Please explain why you felt the need to shoehorn that in the discussion page.
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** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering and making the franchise seem stuck in the past instead of being willing to truly push the series forward with fresh new ideas to bring redemption back to the 3D games.
to:
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering and making the franchise seem stuck in the past instead of being willing to truly push the series forward with fresh new ideas to bring redemption back to the 3D games.in terms of modern video game evolution.
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Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering and making the franchise seem stuck in the past instead of being willing to truly push the series forward in terms of modern video game evolution.
to:
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering and making the franchise seem stuck in the past instead of being willing to truly push the series forward in terms of modern video game evolution.with fresh new ideas to bring redemption back to the 3D games.
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Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
to:
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, pandering and making the franchise seem stuck in the past instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.forward in terms of modern video game evolution.
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** Starting from VideoGame/SonicAdventure, the games would go on to have [[CerebusSyndrome increasingly dramatic and over the top storylines.]] Initially, this was pretty well received, or at least it wasn't considered a problem. Howeverm, by the time VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog rolled around, consensus was that the series became ''too'' melodramatic for its own good, and the questionable executions of said melodrama led the reputation of the series lowering, culminating in VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006. Sega seemed to have got the message and subsequent games became much more DenserAndWackier as a result, which ironically created ''another'' sin in the form of people starting to feel the series has veered too far in the ''other'' direction and became ''too'' juvenile and lighthearted with games like VideoGame/SonicColors and VideoGame/SonicLostWorld.
to:
** Starting from VideoGame/SonicAdventure, the games would go on to have [[CerebusSyndrome increasingly dramatic and over the top storylines.]] Initially, this was pretty well received, or at least it wasn't considered a problem. Howeverm, However, by the time VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog rolled around, consensus was that the series became ''too'' melodramatic for its own good, and the questionable executions of said melodrama led the reputation of the series lowering, culminating in VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006. Sega seemed to have got the message and subsequent games became much more DenserAndWackier as a result, which ironically created ''another'' sin in the form of people starting to feel the series has veered too far in the ''other'' direction and became ''too'' juvenile and lighthearted with games like VideoGame/SonicColors and VideoGame/SonicLostWorld.
** Even the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog original game]] foreshadows Sega's many questionable design choices to come. The game was sold on its speed, yet at least half of its stages require slower, methodic platforming, which not only goes against players' instincts, but the momentum physics actually work against the player in such levels. While not as blatant as the UnexpectedGameplayChange Sega included with non-Sonic characters or the initial previews of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'', or spinoffs such as ''VideoGame/SonicLabyrinth'', which was deliberately designed as a [[OxymoronicBeing slow Sonic game]], the seeds were already planted for Sega deviating from the speed Sonic is most known for.
** Even the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog original game]] foreshadows Sega's many questionable design choices to come. The game was sold on its speed, yet at least half of its stages require slower, methodic platforming, which not only goes against players' instincts, but the momentum physics actually work against the player in such levels. While not as blatant as the UnexpectedGameplayChange Sega included with non-Sonic characters or the initial previews of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'', or spinoffs such as ''VideoGame/SonicLabyrinth'', which was deliberately designed as a [[OxymoronicBeing slow Sonic game]], the seeds were already planted for Sega deviating from the speed Sonic is most known for.
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Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
** Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off it's main villain]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing Robotnik was the natural conclusion. However, the comic was renewed at the last minute, [[PostScriptSeason resulting in a general lack of direction]]. Though "The Big Goodbye!" (and it's revised version, "For Whom the Bell Tolls") is seen as a lot better than what came after, there's a reason why ''Sonic'' fans [[BrokenBase argue]] over whether or not it was one of the last good stories during Ken Pender's tenures as a writer, [[DorkAge or one of the first bad ones]].
to:
** Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off it's its main villain]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing Robotnik was the natural conclusion. However, the comic was renewed at the last minute, [[PostScriptSeason resulting in a general lack of direction]]. Though "The Big Goodbye!" (and it's its revised version, "For Whom the Bell Tolls") is seen as a lot better than what came after, there's a reason why ''Sonic'' fans [[BrokenBase argue]] over whether or not it was one of the last good stories during Ken Pender's tenures as a writer, [[DorkAge or one of the first bad ones]].
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** Related to the above; the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ''abundance'']] of characters as well. Almost ''every'' game introduced a new major recurring character, starting with Tails (Sonic 2), Amy and Metal Sonic (Sonic CD), and Knuckles (Sonic 3). Initially, these characters were rather popular and considered fresh additions (and because of the GrandfatherClause, you'll find very few who hate these four in particular) that added to Sonic's world. But when characters became increasingly numerous, and starting to overshadow Sonic himself, in addition to them being tied to questionable gameplay styles at the time, public opinion started to turn against them and demanded for the cast to be cut down which led to the aforementioned era of having Sonic as the only playable character.
to:
** Related to the above; the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ''abundance'']] of characters as well. Almost ''every'' game introduced a new major recurring character, starting with Tails (Sonic 2), Amy and Metal Sonic (Sonic CD), and Knuckles (Sonic 3). Initially, these characters were rather popular and considered fresh additions (and because of the GrandfatherClause, you'll find very few who hate these four in particular) that added to Sonic's world. But when characters became increasingly numerous, and starting to overshadow Sonic himself, in addition to them being tied to questionable gameplay styles at the time, public opinion started to turn against them and demanded for the cast to be cut down which led to the aforementioned era of having Sonic as the only playable character. [[note]]Barring sports spinoffs such as the Olympic Games series that crossed over with ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', which allowed for the other Sonic characters to be playable.[[/note]]
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Let's just preface this by saying this series has a rather notorious reputation for taking ideas that were once considered acceptable and even ambitious for their time before they were considered noticeable flaws as they were implemented worse.
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* ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in '''different eras''', with certain aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being criticized in later installments.
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* ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in '''different eras''', with certain almost every game in the series, as aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being every game have been criticized in later installments.installments.
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** Related to the above; the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ''abundance'']] of characters as well. Almost ''every'' game introduced a new major recurring character, starting with Tails (Sonic 2), Amy and Metal Sonic (Sonic CD), and Knuckles (Sonic 3). Initially, these characters were rather popular and considered fresh additions (and because of the GrandfatherClause, you'll find very few who hate these four in particular) that added to Sonic's world. But when characters became increasingly numerous, and starting to overshadow Sonic himself, in addition to them being tied to questionable gameplay styles at the time, public opinion started to turn against them and demanded for the cast to be cut down which led to the aforementioned era of having Sonic as the only playable character.
Added DiffLines:
** Starting from VideoGame/SonicAdventure, the games would go on to have [[CerebusSyndrome increasingly dramatic and over the top storylines.]] Initially, this was pretty well received, or at least it wasn't considered a problem. Howeverm, by the time VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog rolled around, consensus was that the series became ''too'' melodramatic for its own good, and the questionable executions of said melodrama led the reputation of the series lowering, culminating in VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006. Sega seemed to have got the message and subsequent games became much more DenserAndWackier as a result, which ironically created ''another'' sin in the form of people starting to feel the series has veered too far in the ''other'' direction and became ''too'' juvenile and lighthearted with games like VideoGame/SonicColors and VideoGame/SonicLostWorld.
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* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the cartoons and comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only moreso with gameplay than story, though the latter isn't rare either). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
to:
* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the cartoons and comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only moreso with gameplay than story, though the latter isn't rare either). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, that point, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's its financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
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Changed line(s) 6 (click to see context) from:
* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the cartoons and comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
to:
* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the cartoons and comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only moreso with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare).though the latter isn't rare either). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
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None
Changed line(s) 6 (click to see context) from:
* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
to:
* SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows cartoons and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
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Changed line(s) 20 (click to see context) from:
** The ExecutiveMeddling was there from the beginning, with Creator/{{Sega}} executives having a role in what gets produced. However, by the time the comic got canceled this had blown up to the point that there were ''entire mandates'' on how the comic should be written. This criticism followed to the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comic]], due to the comic being ''even more'' editorial-driven, and introduced highly unpopular mandates (such as characters who had shown up in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer being allowed to be used]]).
to:
** The ExecutiveMeddling was there from the beginning, with Creator/{{Sega}} executives having a role in what gets produced.produced, the earliest true flex of their influence dates to the uncancellation of the comic at issue 50. They allowed Robotnik to be killed off, but mandated Ken Penders to undo the other major death of the issue, that of Sally Acorn. However, by the time the comic got canceled this had blown up to the point that there were ''entire mandates'' on how the comic should be written. This criticism followed to the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comic]], due to the comic being ''even more'' editorial-driven, and introduced highly unpopular mandates (such as characters who had shown up in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer being allowed to be used]]).
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Changed line(s) 17,18 (click to see context) from:
** Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off it's main villain]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing Robotnik was the natural conclusion. However, the comic was renewed at the last minute, [[PostScriptSeason resulting in a general lack of direction]]. Though "The Big Goodbye!" (and it's revised version, "For Whom the Bell Tolls") is seen as a lot better than what came after, there's a reason why ''Sonic'' fans [[BrokenBase argue]] over whether or not it was one of the last good Issues of Ken Pender's run as a writer, [[DorkAge or one of his first bad ones]].
* The Knuckles comic was another problem, Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind with the video games at that time to create a society of Echidnas. It worked out for a while, mainly because it was WorldBuilding, and the stories themselves were good enough. After the two comics joined together, however, Knuckles story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, even though the comic was named after him. All of this culminated in the "Great Harmony" sub-plot, where Knuckles is proclaimed [[TheChosenOne The Avatar]], one of two heroes prophesied to bring about the titular event, [[SpotlightstealingSquad while Sonic is just "another champion".]]
* The Knuckles comic was another problem, Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind with the video games at that time to create a society of Echidnas. It worked out for a while, mainly because it was WorldBuilding, and the stories themselves were good enough. After the two comics joined together, however, Knuckles story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, even though the comic was named after him. All of this culminated in the "Great Harmony" sub-plot, where Knuckles is proclaimed [[TheChosenOne The Avatar]], one of two heroes prophesied to bring about the titular event, [[SpotlightstealingSquad while Sonic is just "another champion".]]
to:
** Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off it's main villain]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing Robotnik was the natural conclusion. However, the comic was renewed at the last minute, [[PostScriptSeason resulting in a general lack of direction]]. Though "The Big Goodbye!" (and it's revised version, "For Whom the Bell Tolls") is seen as a lot better than what came after, there's a reason why ''Sonic'' fans [[BrokenBase argue]] over whether or not it was one of the last good Issues of stories during Ken Pender's run tenures as a writer, [[DorkAge or one of his the first bad ones]].
* ** The Knuckles comic was another problem, with Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind with the video games at that time to create a society of Echidnas. It worked out for a while, mainly because it was WorldBuilding, and the stories themselves were good enough. After the two comics joined together, however, Knuckles story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, even though the comic was named after him. All of this culminated in the "Great Harmony" sub-plot, where Knuckles is proclaimed [[TheChosenOne The Avatar]], one of two heroes prophesied to bring about the titular event, [[SpotlightstealingSquad while Sonic is just "another champion".]]
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!!Games
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
** The LighterAndSofter storyline of ''Unleashed'' was seen as an antidote to the perceived bleakness of ''Sonic '06'', but the subsequently DenserAndWackier "Pontaff" storylines proved to be divisive, with many finding them stupid and immature. The prominence of ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' only [[BrokenBase broke the base]] even further.
to:
!!Comics
* A lot of the complaints about ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' aren't exactly new.
**The LighterAndSofter storyline of ''Unleashed'' Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off it's main villain]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing Robotnik was the natural conclusion. However, the comic was renewed at the last minute, [[PostScriptSeason resulting in a general lack of direction]]. Though "The Big Goodbye!" (and it's revised version, "For Whom the Bell Tolls") is seen as an antidote to the perceived bleakness of ''Sonic '06'', but the subsequently DenserAndWackier "Pontaff" storylines proved to be divisive, with many finding them stupid and immature. The prominence of ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' only a lot better than what came after, there's a reason why ''Sonic'' fans [[BrokenBase broke argue]] over whether or not it was one of the base]] last good Issues of Ken Pender's run as a writer, [[DorkAge or one of his first bad ones]].
* The Knuckles comic was another problem, Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind with the video games at that time to create a society of Echidnas. It worked out for a while, mainly because it was WorldBuilding, and the stories themselves were good enough. After the two comics joined together, however, Knuckles story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, evenfurther.though the comic was named after him. All of this culminated in the "Great Harmony" sub-plot, where Knuckles is proclaimed [[TheChosenOne The Avatar]], one of two heroes prophesied to bring about the titular event, [[SpotlightstealingSquad while Sonic is just "another champion".]]
** The revelation that [[spoiler:Espio was a member of a ninja clan and then betrays the Chaotix to the Iron Dominion (said ninja clans' masters)]] was only the latest in a series of {{Retcon}}s[=/=]{{Face Heel Turn}}s involving certain characters during Ian Flynn's run, most famously Fiona Fox revealing out of nowhere that the only reason she fell in love with Sonic was because of [[EvilTwin Scourge]], and then betraying the Freedom Fighters to be his girlfriend. While not without controversy, it slid by, as Fiona was a mostly forgotten CanonForeigner before ''exploding'' in popularity as a villain. In the spoiler character's case, however, he was not only a popular character as a hero, but also a character straight from the games, and it became far harder to ignore.
** The ExecutiveMeddling was there from the beginning, with Creator/{{Sega}} executives having a role in what gets produced. However, by the time the comic got canceled this had blown up to the point that there were ''entire mandates'' on how the comic should be written. This criticism followed to the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comic]], due to the comic being ''even more'' editorial-driven, and introduced highly unpopular mandates (such as characters who had shown up in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer being allowed to be used]]).
* A lot of the complaints about ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' aren't exactly new.
**
* The Knuckles comic was another problem, Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind with the video games at that time to create a society of Echidnas. It worked out for a while, mainly because it was WorldBuilding, and the stories themselves were good enough. After the two comics joined together, however, Knuckles story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, even
** The revelation that [[spoiler:Espio was a member of a ninja clan and then betrays the Chaotix to the Iron Dominion (said ninja clans' masters)]] was only the latest in a series of {{Retcon}}s[=/=]{{Face Heel Turn}}s involving certain characters during Ian Flynn's run, most famously Fiona Fox revealing out of nowhere that the only reason she fell in love with Sonic was because of [[EvilTwin Scourge]], and then betraying the Freedom Fighters to be his girlfriend. While not without controversy, it slid by, as Fiona was a mostly forgotten CanonForeigner before ''exploding'' in popularity as a villain. In the spoiler character's case, however, he was not only a popular character as a hero, but also a character straight from the games, and it became far harder to ignore.
** The ExecutiveMeddling was there from the beginning, with Creator/{{Sega}} executives having a role in what gets produced. However, by the time the comic got canceled this had blown up to the point that there were ''entire mandates'' on how the comic should be written. This criticism followed to the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comic]], due to the comic being ''even more'' editorial-driven, and introduced highly unpopular mandates (such as characters who had shown up in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer being allowed to be used]]).
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* ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' is easily one of the most polarizing games in the series for its music, content, and especially storyline, but most will agree that most of the boss fights are too easy. This was a problem in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', but only with the character battles, of which there are only three (Sonic vs. Knuckles, Tails vs. Knuckles, and Sonic vs. Gamma). That flaw in turn technically had its origins in ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic & Knuckles]]'' with its sole character battle.
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** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh-gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals.
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** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh-gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals. ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' would address this sin, however, by making the humans more cartoonishly proportionate to better fit in with the funny animals.
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** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
to:
** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections.sections; this was well-received as it was the first time 2D Sonic gameplay had been featured on a console since ''Sonic 3&K''. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
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Added back with actual reasoning this time
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* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first proper 3D ''Sonic'' game, but introduced what future games would be criticized for overusing.
** Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable. The climactic nature of the fight managed to undo a lot of potential animosity, but once it became the standard for every game, it was harder to justify. ''Heroes'' in particular snapped the fanbase's patience with the idea, as there wasn't even a good story reason for why it had to be a final-boss-only affair; you still collect the Emeralds in bonus stages like the old games, unlike in ''Adventure'', where they were relevant to the plot.
** Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control. The idea was a cool change of pace, but when it became Eggman's role in nearly every game to be a DiscOneFinalBoss for some new baddie, it got old quickly and put Eggman through some major VillainDecay, needing later games to restore some of his old status.
** The presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]], ironically, was ''worse'' in some ''Adventure'' routes than in its followers, with Big the Cat's fishing minigame being especially disliked. But ''Adventure'' also segregated these alternate gameplay styles into their own story paths; while you needed to play every story for the TrueFinalBoss, there was never a worry when you were playing Sonic's story that you would be playing anyone except Sonic. Later games would have different gameplay styles on a level-by-level basis, or even interrupting a character's level to have you start playing another. There was also the fact that ''Adventure'''s takes on Tails and Knuckles were generally well-liked and not too dissimilar from Sonic, while their appearances in later games tended to be much more divergent, inconsistent, and clumsily executed.
** Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable. The climactic nature of the fight managed to undo a lot of potential animosity, but once it became the standard for every game, it was harder to justify. ''Heroes'' in particular snapped the fanbase's patience with the idea, as there wasn't even a good story reason for why it had to be a final-boss-only affair; you still collect the Emeralds in bonus stages like the old games, unlike in ''Adventure'', where they were relevant to the plot.
** Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control. The idea was a cool change of pace, but when it became Eggman's role in nearly every game to be a DiscOneFinalBoss for some new baddie, it got old quickly and put Eggman through some major VillainDecay, needing later games to restore some of his old status.
** The presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]], ironically, was ''worse'' in some ''Adventure'' routes than in its followers, with Big the Cat's fishing minigame being especially disliked. But ''Adventure'' also segregated these alternate gameplay styles into their own story paths; while you needed to play every story for the TrueFinalBoss, there was never a worry when you were playing Sonic's story that you would be playing anyone except Sonic. Later games would have different gameplay styles on a level-by-level basis, or even interrupting a character's level to have you start playing another. There was also the fact that ''Adventure'''s takes on Tails and Knuckles were generally well-liked and not too dissimilar from Sonic, while their appearances in later games tended to be much more divergent, inconsistent, and clumsily executed.
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this feels more like speculation than anything else
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* Some others thought ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland Sonic 3D Blast]]'' foreshadowed the problems with the 3D games. Gameplay is slowed-down and running controls are loose and slippery, while the "get to the end as quickly as possible" goal was replaced with "find all of the birds and guide them to the exit." While this would have been ignorable if it stayed to the spin-off series, this possibly led to experimental gameplay mechanics like Big the Cat's stages in the ''Adventure'' games that deviated too much from the Sonic formula.
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
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* Some also believe that
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Cutting per the compalinign thread. "Franchise Original Sin has a problem with both complaining and misuse since people use it to point out flaws an entire franchise has without explaining why they were originally tolerated"
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* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first proper 3D ''Sonic'' game, but introduced what future games would be criticized for overusing, such as Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable, Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control, and the presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]].
* The Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' introduced a couple of elements that would become more contentious later on:
** The bad ending implies that Tails is ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' by Eggman, which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major point of contention over whether or not it's a good thing once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase to the point of more contention]].
** Said game also introduced Tails as being "weak", being easily captured by Robotnik. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' story was criticized for portraying Tails as cowering at Chaos (a character that had [[SoLastSeason long-since been defeated]]) and having very little agency within the plot.
* The Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' introduced a couple of elements that would become more contentious later on:
** The bad ending implies that Tails is ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' by Eggman, which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major point of contention over whether or not it's a good thing once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase to the point of more contention]].
** Said game also introduced Tails as being "weak", being easily captured by Robotnik. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' story was criticized for portraying Tails as cowering at Chaos (a character that had [[SoLastSeason long-since been defeated]]) and having very little agency within the plot.
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Sonic Jam was the first Sonic game to have a 3D hub; Sonic Adventure was the first Sonic game to be fully 3D.
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** Sonic's questionable choices in human romance choices trace all the way back to before the first game was even released, when Sega of Japan tried to pitch his character design with a human girlfriend named Madonna. It didn't make it into the game at all.
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** Sonic's questionable choices in human romance choices trace all the way back to [[OlderThanTheyThink before the first game was even released, released]], when Sega of Japan tried to pitch his character design with a human girlfriend named Madonna. It Madonna, which didn't make it into the game at all.
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Sonic Jam was the first Sonic game to have a 3D hub; Sonic Adventure was the first Sonic game to be fully 3D.
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* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first 3D Sonic game, but introduced what future games would be criticized for overusing, such as Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable, Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control, and the presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]].
to:
* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first proper 3D Sonic ''Sonic'' game, but introduced what future games would be criticized for overusing, such as Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable, Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control, and the presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]].
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* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic fandom's most infamous trait.
to:
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one ''1992''--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic ''Sonic'' fandom's most infamous trait.
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* Sonic is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in different eras, with certain aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being criticized in later installments.
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* Sonic ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in different eras, '''different eras''', with certain aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being criticized in later installments.
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** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections, which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
to:
** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections, sections which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
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* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' implies that [[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major point of contention over whether or not it's a good thing once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase to the point of more contention]].
to:
* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' introduced a couple of elements that would become more contentious later on:
** The bad ending implies that[[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] is ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, Eggman, which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major point of contention over whether or not it's a good thing once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase to the point of more contention]].
** The bad ending implies that
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* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic fandom's most infamous trait.
to:
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''.''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic fandom's most infamous trait.
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None
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** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
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** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and book, his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''.''VideoGame/SonicMania'', and his own web animation miniseries. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
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I feel this edit needs a bit more work.
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** Said game also introduced Tails as being "weak", being easily captured by Robotnik. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' story was criticized for portraying Tails as cowering at threats.
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** Said game also introduced Tails as being "weak", being easily captured by Robotnik. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' story was criticized for portraying Tails as cowering at threats.Chaos (a character that had [[SoLastSeason long-since been defeated]]) and having very little agency within the plot.
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Updated entry.
Added DiffLines:
**Said game also introduced Tails as being "weak", being easily captured by Robotnik. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' story was criticized for portraying Tails as cowering at threats.
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* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' implies that [[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major criticism once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase but received criticism too]].
to:
* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' implies that [[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major criticism point of contention over whether or not it's a good thing once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase but received criticism too]].to the point of more contention]].
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** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals.
to:
** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh gen Seventh-gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals.
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** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to Sonic Generations gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic's was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
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** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to Sonic Generations ''Sonic Generations'' gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic's Sonic was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
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* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first 3D Sonic game, but introduced what future games would be criticized for overusing, such as Sonic using the Chaos Emeralds as an EleventhHourSuperpower instead of an optional unlockable, Eggman being upstaged by a MonsterOfTheWeek that goes out of his control, and the presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]].
* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' implies that [[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major criticism once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase but received criticism too]].
* Some others thought ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland Sonic 3D Blast]]'' foreshadowed the problems with the 3D games. Gameplay is slowed-down and running controls are loose and slippery, while the "get to the end as quickly as possible" goal was replaced with "find all of the birds and guide them to the exit." While this would have been ignorable if it stayed to the spin-off series, this possibly led to experimental gameplay mechanics like Big the Cat's stages in the ''Adventure'' games that deviated too much from the Sonic formula.
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic fandom's most infamous trait.
* ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' is easily one of the most polarizing games in the series for its music, content, and especially storyline, but most will agree that most of the boss fights are too easy. This was a problem in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', but only with the character battles, of which there are only three (Sonic vs. Knuckles, Tails vs. Knuckles, and Sonic vs. Gamma). That flaw in turn technically had its origins in ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic & Knuckles]]'' with its sole character battle.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'':
** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals.
** Sonic's questionable choices in human romance choices trace all the way back to before the first game was even released, when Sega of Japan tried to pitch his character design with a human girlfriend named Madonna. It didn't make it into the game at all.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW-nMRZGpgA This episode]] of ''WebVideo/ErrantSignal'' argues that the early marketing of the Sonic games, which focused on how fast Sonic could go, eventually led to problems in the 3D games as SEGA started to buy into their own marketing hype. Maintaining control of Sonic's momentum was the main facet of the gameplay in the older 2D games, not simply speed for its own sake, something that was forgotten in the post-''Adventure'' Sonic games. This sent the franchise running straight into the PolygonCeiling, leading to games where poor controls designed more for high speed than precision led to exercises in controller-throwing frustration. Only starting with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' and especially with ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' did SEGA finally figure out how to do Sonic in 3D, mainly by rediscovering the focus on controlling Sonic's speed rather than simply going as fast as possible (and there are some who say that they still haven't completely figured it out, either).
* Sonic is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in different eras, with certain aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being criticized in later installments.
** In the era from ''Adventure'' to ''Sonic '06'', a lot of focus was placed on the supporting characters. Many felt that this got out of hand, with the cast becoming too bloated, the different playstyles not being well executed, and not having enough Sonic in Sonic games. Starting with ''Unleashed'', Sonic Team drastically cast back the role of the supporting cast, with everyone except Tails making cameo appearances at best. By the time of Sonic's 25th anniversary, the other characters had been neglected for so long that many fans had become desperate to be able to play as them again, or at least wish for them to be given a more significant role in the plot. The final boss fight of ''Generations'' tends to receive a lot of scorn in particular, as the returning characters do nothing except cheer both Sonics on.
** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections, which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to Sonic Generations gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic's was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
** The LighterAndSofter storyline of ''Unleashed'' was seen as an antidote to the perceived bleakness of ''Sonic '06'', but the subsequently DenserAndWackier "Pontaff" storylines proved to be divisive, with many finding them stupid and immature. The prominence of ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' only [[BrokenBase broke the base]] even further.
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* The bad ending of the Game Gear version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' implies that [[SuddenDownerEnding Tails is]] ''[[SuddenDownerEnding murdered]]'' [[SuddenDownerEnding by Eggman]]. Which, combined with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball Sonic Spinball]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', was a subtle move to the DarkerAndEdgier route. The tone ended up becoming a major criticism once it became blatant to the point of crossing into WereStillRelevantDammit in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic 2006]]''. It wouldn't be until 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that [[ReverseCerebusSyndrome the series moved in the opposite direction]]... [[BrokenBase but received criticism too]].
* Some others thought ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland Sonic 3D Blast]]'' foreshadowed the problems with the 3D games. Gameplay is slowed-down and running controls are loose and slippery, while the "get to the end as quickly as possible" goal was replaced with "find all of the birds and guide them to the exit." While this would have been ignorable if it stayed to the spin-off series, this possibly led to experimental gameplay mechanics like Big the Cat's stages in the ''Adventure'' games that deviated too much from the Sonic formula.
* Some also believe that SEGA's very loose policy on canonicity of side materials (most notably the TV shows and the comics) created a BrokenBase as early as 1992--one year after Sonic was introduced--as Sonic fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike today's Broken Base with Sonic (only with gameplay more than story, not that that is rare). During the '90s, however, Sonic fans [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars had a common enemy in Nintendo and Mario]], so the cracks didn't become visible to most until 2001 with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. At this time, SEGA exerted greater enforcement over canonicity rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by SEGA's financial collapse and subsequent alliance with Nintendo. With the barriers torn down and no uniting force, the bickering became the Sonic fandom's most infamous trait.
* ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' is easily one of the most polarizing games in the series for its music, content, and especially storyline, but most will agree that most of the boss fights are too easy. This was a problem in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', but only with the character battles, of which there are only three (Sonic vs. Knuckles, Tails vs. Knuckles, and Sonic vs. Gamma). That flaw in turn technically had its origins in ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic & Knuckles]]'' with its sole character battle.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'':
** One of the most polarizing elements was the character of Princess Elise, who many people remarked as looking [[UncannyValley incredibly out-of-place]] next to Sonic and pals, but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise was just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacted with the cartoon animals, which threw the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romance just made it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' did have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree. Seventh gen hardware allowed for a lot more photorealism (which was the game's goal to begin with), which, again, put a spotlight on how poorly they fit in with the cartoon animals.
** Sonic's questionable choices in human romance choices trace all the way back to before the first game was even released, when Sega of Japan tried to pitch his character design with a human girlfriend named Madonna. It didn't make it into the game at all.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW-nMRZGpgA This episode]] of ''WebVideo/ErrantSignal'' argues that the early marketing of the Sonic games, which focused on how fast Sonic could go, eventually led to problems in the 3D games as SEGA started to buy into their own marketing hype. Maintaining control of Sonic's momentum was the main facet of the gameplay in the older 2D games, not simply speed for its own sake, something that was forgotten in the post-''Adventure'' Sonic games. This sent the franchise running straight into the PolygonCeiling, leading to games where poor controls designed more for high speed than precision led to exercises in controller-throwing frustration. Only starting with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' and especially with ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' did SEGA finally figure out how to do Sonic in 3D, mainly by rediscovering the focus on controlling Sonic's speed rather than simply going as fast as possible (and there are some who say that they still haven't completely figured it out, either).
* Sonic is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in different eras, with certain aspects of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicColors Colors]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Generations]]'' being criticized in later installments.
** In the era from ''Adventure'' to ''Sonic '06'', a lot of focus was placed on the supporting characters. Many felt that this got out of hand, with the cast becoming too bloated, the different playstyles not being well executed, and not having enough Sonic in Sonic games. Starting with ''Unleashed'', Sonic Team drastically cast back the role of the supporting cast, with everyone except Tails making cameo appearances at best. By the time of Sonic's 25th anniversary, the other characters had been neglected for so long that many fans had become desperate to be able to play as them again, or at least wish for them to be given a more significant role in the plot. The final boss fight of ''Generations'' tends to receive a lot of scorn in particular, as the returning characters do nothing except cheer both Sonics on.
** After struggling to break through the PolygonCeiling for so long, ''Unleashed'' featured a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, with the 2D sections being fairly brief and integrating seamlessly with the 3D sections. ''Colors'' featured an abundance of 2D gameplay, a fact that some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' split the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic. Despite this, Modern Sonic's stages still featured a fair amount of 2D sections, which tended to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' featured another 2D/3D mix, along with a lot of divisive new gameplay elements. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was announced, many fans had begun to feel that the 2D sections had become a crutch, and felt that Classic fans were being unfairly pandered to, especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' being scheduled to release in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with the confirmation that Modern Sonic will again have 2D sections in his levels has become one of the most common prerelease criticisms for ''Forces''.
** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' was a move that was universally praised. Because of that game's massive success, SEGA began to market Classic Sonic heavily in the following years, giving him multiple appearances in other games, his own comic book and his own anniversary title in ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. While the fanbase loved his inclusion in ''Generations'' and products featuring him tend to sell well, many fans have increasingly criticized SEGA's seeming decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The decision to make him a mute character also made it difficult for him to distinguish himself from his modern counterpart. When the first trailer for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was released, the reaction to Classic Sonic's appearance was much more ambivalent than it was for ''Generations'', with many fans questioning why he needed to be there (which gave the game the derisive nickname of ''Sonic Generations 2'', not helped by the fact that Sonic Team promised that it wouldn't be a sequel to Sonic Generations gameplay wise). Whereas Classic Sonic's was considered a great idea when he had only appeared in ''Generations'', these days he tends to be held up as a symbol of SEGA relying too much on nostalgia pandering, instead of being willing to truly push the series forward.
** The LighterAndSofter storyline of ''Unleashed'' was seen as an antidote to the perceived bleakness of ''Sonic '06'', but the subsequently DenserAndWackier "Pontaff" storylines proved to be divisive, with many finding them stupid and immature. The prominence of ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' only [[BrokenBase broke the base]] even further.
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