Line #15 FranchiseOriginalSin/SonicTheHedgehog


1	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, [[FranchiseOriginalSin before they were considered noticeable flaws as they were implemented worse]].
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3	!Games
4	!!General
5	* Sega's very loose policy on the canonicity of side materials (most notably the cartoons and comics) created a BrokenBase as early as ''1992'' -- one year after the series debuted -- as ''Sonic'' fans started siding with one particular interpretation while viciously attacking the other ones, not unlike the series' current Broken Base (only more so with gameplay than story, though the latter isn't rare either). During TheNineties, 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 that point, Sega exerted greater enforcement over canonicity, rendering all other storylines non-canon, followed shortly by 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.
6	* [[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 can 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 is 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 led to problems when the series made its VideoGame3DLeap, leading to games where poor controls designed more for high speed than precision lead 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 ''that'' out, either).
7	* ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is perhaps one of the few franchises that can claim to have suffered from FranchiseOriginalSin in almost every game in the series, as aspects of every game have been criticized in later installments. Even attempts to address critic and fan complaints that were initially well-received have been complained about later on, frequently due to perceived overcorrection.
8	** In the era from ''Adventure'' to ''Sonic '06'', a lot of focus was placed on the series' ensemble cast. Many felt that this got out of hand, with the cast becoming too bloated, the different playstyles not being well executed, the existing characters not being given room to breathe, and overall not having enough Sonic in ''Sonic'' games (to the point that he spends most of his own 15th-anniversary game OutOfFocus, with his most plot-relevant action being [[spoiler:[[TheHeroDies getting killed by Mephiles]] so that Princess Elise can cry and release Iblis]]). Starting with ''Unleashed'', Sonic Team drastically cast back the roles 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'' receives a lot of scorn in particular, as the returning characters do nothing except cheer both Sonics on.
9	** Related to the above; the ''abundance'' of characters as well. Almost ''every'' game introduced a new major recurring character, starting with Tails (''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2''), Amy and Metal Sonic (''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''), and Knuckles (''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3''). 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 these characters became increasingly numerous, to the degree they began to overshadow Sonic himself, and were often tied to questionable gameplay styles. Public opinion started to turn against them, and fans demanded for the cast to be cut down, which led to the aforementioned era of having Sonic as the only playable character.[[note]]The primary exception were 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]] However, the core problem most fans pinned on the large cast -- the awkwardly implemented GameplayRoulette -- didn't actually ''go away''; it's just that now Sonic was the only playable character, so ''he himself'' was contorted or mutated to fit the needs of the gameplay rather than a new character being added to fill that niche. The most notorious examples of this are the [[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Werehog]] and Classic Sonic in ''VideoGame/SonicForces''. The only games to actually avoid the trap of too many playable characters and/or the GameplayRoulette problem are ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', and, strangely enough, ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight'' - the latter's surprisingly classic-style implementation is largely overshadowed by its main issues, but the example ''Mania'' that set is often cited as what Sonic Team should've been doing all along in this regard. One could argue that the focus on the number of characters in itself was fans and the developers missing the forest for the trees in that the problem was ''quality'', not quantity - a dozen playable characters who are ''optional'' that stick to a singular core gameplay structure but still have their own interesting traits and abilities is more likely to be more palatable and provide replay value rather than a dozen ''mandatory'' characters who have completely different gameplay (most of questionable quality)[[note]]or in the case of ''Heroes'', literally a dozen characters in four teams that play ''almost literally identically'' -- though playing all four campaigns is also mandatory to get the final story, which results in a [[{{Padding}} completely different problem]][[/note]], which is why the approach taken by ''Black Knight'', ''Mania'' and ''Superstars'' is considered to be the best one. Tails, Knuckles and Amy being playable in the DLC of ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', while still rough around the edges, is also regarded as a huge improvement over previous attempts at handling multiple playable characters in mainline 3D Sonic games.
10	** After struggling to fix the problems that came with the series's VideoGame3DLeap 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; this was well-received as it was the first time 2D Sonic gameplay had been featured on a console since ''Sonic 3&K''. ''Colors'' features an abundance of 2D gameplay, which some have criticized when looking back at the game. ''Generations'' splits the gameplay between 2D stages with Classic Sonic and 3D stages with Modern Sonic, but Modern Sonic's stages still feature a fair amount of 2D sections, which tend to last longer than the sections in ''Unleashed''. ''Lost World'' features 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 to compensate for either not knowing how to implement quality 3D gameplay or for [[PanderingToTheBase pandering to Classic fans]], especially with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' releasing in the same year. Classic Sonic's return, along with Modern Sonic once again having 2D sections in his levels, is one of the most common criticisms for ''Forces''.
11	** Classic Sonic's original introduction in ''Generations'' is 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 increasingly criticized Sega's apparent decision to treat him as his own separate character, instead of a younger version of Sonic. The choice to make him a HeroicMime also makes 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 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 gameplay forward.
12	** 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 wasn't considered a problem. However, by the time ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' rolled around, consensus was that the series became ''too'' melodramatic for its own good, and the questionable execution of said melodrama led the reputation of the series to tank, reaching its nadir with ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''. Sega seemed to have got the message, and subsequent games became much DenserAndWackier as a result, which ironically created ''another'' sin in the form of people starting to feel the series veered too far in the ''other'' direction and became ''too'' juvenile and lighthearted with games like ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld''. Games like ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' and ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' would then [[CerebusRollercoaster skew more serious again]], and while the writing of these games is still considered somewhat hit-and-miss, the overall consensus is that it works better with the series' tone than something like ''Shadow''.
13	** Even the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 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, more methodical platforming, which not only goes against players' instincts, but the momentum physics actually work against the player in such levels. What makes it less discussed for this is mostly that Green Hill Zone, the first stage, works very well as an opening salvo, due to it largely lacking annoying obstacles or stop-and-start level design, meaning that players still got a great first impression. 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. Some fans have even pointed out that the alternate character gameplay in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' simply makes it more obvious by segregating the non-speed portions of the classic games into their own campaigns, e.g. Knuckles representing Sonic 3 style ring hunting except with emerald shards, Amy representing block puzzles like Marble Zone.
14	* One of the most panned aspects of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' is Sonic's romance with Princess Elise, a human woman. However, Sonic's questionable choices in human romance trace all the way back to [[OlderThanTheyThink before the first game was even released]], when Sega of Japan tried to pitch his character design with a human girlfriend named Madonna, who didn't make it into the game at all. However, even that may count as an example since concept art shows it as being inspired by [[Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit Roger and Jessica Rabbit's]] relationship, which openly embraces the absurdity of a FunnyAnimal-human relationship for comedy, compared to how Sonic and Elise's relationship is treated rather seriously and thus felt jarring as a result.
15	* Eggman always had a penchant for HoistByHisOwnPetard and DidNotThinkThisThrough in his original trilogy boss fights, such as the Egg Conveyer's own control panel being unable to handle its friction, and the Egg Inferno and Final Weapon's first phases being only damageable by their own bombs. In later media this would lead to accusations of VillainDecay, but it was accepted here as these fights made for enjoyable {{Puzzle Boss}}es and didn't undermine Eggman's moments of competence in the rest of their stories.
16
17	!!''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1''
18	* A common criticism in ''Sonic'' games starting with ''Adventure'' is the use of automated and {{scripted event}}s over gameplay. However, as some have noted, the use of automated scripted segments goes all the way back to the very beginning (aka, this game), as some zones, such as Green Hill, Labyrinth and Star Light, featured sections in which Sonic goes on a scripted path with little-to-no player input. The difference though was that such segments were usually incredibly brief and non-intrusive, usually only lasting a few seconds at most before giving control back to the player. Later entries, particularly the 3D entries, would have much more elaborate and longer scripted sequences, often taking up larger chunks of the zone and taking control away from the player for much longer, leading to the growth of the aforementioned criticisms.
19
20	!!''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2''
21	* ''Sonic 2'' would start the trend of every major title introducing at least one new character, in this case Tails. This initially wasn't a problem since Tails lacked the common writing problems and GameplayRoulette that plagued future characters, but with each game that passed by with a new residential BaseBreakingCharacter or [[TheScrappy Scrappy]], the novelty wore off, and by the mid-2000s any case of adding a new character in the latest ''Sonic'' title [[BrokenBase could make fans lose it]].\
22	Another reason why this wasn't a problem during the early years was that the cast was fairly small[[note]]Before this game, the only characters were Sonic and Robotnik[[/note]], so not only did the new characters bring something new to the table, be it story- or gameplay-wise, they didn't overshadow pre-existing characters. Meanwhile, in later years, the series' cast had grown considerably, so new characters were often considered redundant and often came at the expense of an existing character being DemotedToExtra or PutOnABus.
23	* The almighty speed booster was introduced here in Chemical Plant Zone. Not a problem here, but it caught Dimps' eye, leading to a common criticism of the ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' series and especially ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'' being the sheer overabundance of them throughout the game.
24	* One of the most common complaints about the infamous ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' was its glitchiness. While nowhere near to the same extent and still being a fairly solid game otherwise, ''Sonic 2'' is also a fairly glitchy game as a result of being ChristmasRushed, even having some [[GameBreakingBug Game-Breaking Bugs]]. For instance, jumping at the end of a level while having all Chaos Emeralds and 50 or more rings [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable softlocks the game, forcing the player to reset and lose all progress]], while landing on certain objects such as the Rexon enemy the wrong way can crash the game altogether.
25	** Related to the above, a complaint aimed at ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' is how easy it is to get "pinched" (getting just on the edge of a moving block as it's going up next to a wall, thus causing the game to register the wall and upward movement as the character being crushed, instead of just being pushed back onto the platform) compared to the classic games. The truth is, starting with ''Sonic 2'', this would be a common glitch/problem in ''every classic Sonic game'' since, ''including'' the beloved ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. The only real difference is the [=3D=] models just makes it easier to notice when it happens.
26	* A major complaint about ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' is how [[NintendoHard insanely difficult]] the final bosses of each campaign are. However, a lot of the things people complain about the final boss of the campaigns can be traced back to the final boss of ''Sonic 2''. There are two phases to the fight, both with overly precise hitboxes that make stacking hits difficult. (Mecha Sonic can only be hit on the front part of its head as its spines will damage Sonic, and the Death Egg Robot has two spiked hands that give you only the ''briefest'' of windows to damage it lest you hit the spikes instead.) On top of all that, you have to do it ''without rings'', making Sonic a OneHitPointWonder. And if you die, you have to start it ''all'' from the beginning again. The main real difference is that nether boss actively restricts your movement outside of simply having large hitboxes, so it ultimately comes down to your own to avoid taking damage. The final bosses of ''Superstars'', meanwhile, have attacks that can actively mess with the level geometry; Trip's final boss even has an attack that completely immobilizes you that unless you're good at SmashingSurvival, which spells doom if you get trapped by it. Additionally, the final boss of ''Sonic 2'' doesn't spend a lot of time in the background or staying out of your line of attack, so if you know what you're doing, you can take it down fairly quickly. Meanwhile, bosses in ''Superstars'' often have long attack and damage animations that makes their fights [[MarathonBoss fairly long]], which makes getting a Game Over to them all the more punishing.
27
28	!!''VideoGame/SonicCD''
29	* The story of ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' is about [[TheBadGuyWins Eggman winning]], and conquering the world with his powerful lieutenant Infinite, who by all accounts is loyal to the doctor. Not only that, Infinite as a FinalBoss fight is [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter supposedly wasted]] in favor of having Eggman as the final boss. This already happened way back in ''Videogame/SonicCD'', where Metal Sonic conquers Little Planet for Eggman, and is the boss of Starlight Speedway -- the second-to-last zone. ''CD'' however came during a time Sonic games barely had a formula, while ''Forces'' suffers from the [[Videogame/SonicColors previous]] [[Videogame/SonicGenerations three]] [[Videogame/SonicLostWorld main]] games having Eggman as the surprise final boss... in fact, [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks the same boss]].
30
31	!!''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''
32	* [[https://www.avclub.com/the-best-worst-and-weirdest-games-from-25-years-of-so-1798248702/amp This article]] says that as good as ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' is, it's also "where the weaknesses that would sink the lesser Sonic games began to manifest", namely more story, more characters, and a more muted visual style (the "realistic" palette of ''Sonic 3'' is merely ArtEvolution, but things started to backfire with ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' mostly resembling a RealIsBrown action game and ''Sonic '06'' pushing realism so hard it just looked bland instead, to the point a reversion ensued with the cartoony ''Unleashed'' and the flashy ''Colors'').
33	* The increased focus on story seen in more divisive entries is also on display in this game, with several automated sequences that, in practice, amount to unskippable cutscenes. (See: the start of Angel Island Act 2's boss fight, the start of Sky Sanctuary) It largely gets away with it due to still skewing very heavily towards gameplay on the GameplayToStoryRatio.
34	* One of the most common complaints about the infamous ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' is that it was [[ObviousBeta too glitchy even for its time]]. This can be seen with this game, which had to acknowledge and pass off the enormous number of glitches for its first half as "[[HandWave diabolical traps]]". Both games also ended up like this due to Sega [[ChristmasRushed rushing development in order to release it by a certain date]]. The difference is that ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' had the lock-on gimmick to fix many of its more intense glitches and offered many good qualities even with its previous ObviousBeta state. ''Sonic 2006'' never got a fixed version or patch, in spite of the fact that fan creations like ''Project 06'' show that the vast majority of the issues people have with the game could be fixed simply by fixing a few of the more [[GameBreakingBug game-breaking]] glitches.
35	* ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' would attract ire for reserving the Chaos Emeralds' GoldenSuperMode for Sonic, but Knuckles and Tails have always received the inferior PowerMakeover--even in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'', only Sonic ever got the full PowerUpFullColorChange and ExpositoryHairstyleChange; Knuckles and Tails only got PowerGlows. The big difference between the two cases is that in ''S3&K'', each character could earn and use a SuperMode in his own right during their individual adventures, while in ''Heroes'', the PowerUp is restricted to one battle with the RailShooter FinalBoss, ''and'' the preceding cutscene clearly shows only Sonic gets an actual SuperMode; Tails and Knuckles only get golden {{Deflector Shield}}s a moment or two later, as though Sonic were merely lending them power. This undercuts what is ''supposed'' to be the triumphant entrance of supposed friends and equals into battle against the TrueFinalBoss by making it clear that Tails and Knuckles have been demoted to Sonic's backup dancers.
36	* The combined ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' foreshadows much of the franchise's problems with "[[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay]]" by virtue of introducing characters with powerful aerial abilities such as flight and gliding. The "alternate gameplay" of the [=3D=] ''Sonic'' games is often criticized for feeling out of place with the high-speed intention behind ''Sonic'', forcing players who don't enjoy them to contend with much slower-paced gameplay in order to get to the high-speed gameplay they like. However, the level design of ''3 & Knuckles'' is often noted to be much slower paced and winding compared to the more fluid design of its predecessor ''Sonic 2''. This is because ''Sonic 2'' was designed solely with Sonic's speed and jumping in mind, as Tails' signature helicopter flight in that game wasn't controlled by the player and merely served as a means of getting a [=P2=]-controlled Tails back on screen. ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', on the other hand, is designed with supporting Tails' flight, Knuckles' gliding and climbing, and Sonic's lack of such vertical and aerial abilities all at the same time, forcing the level design to implement more slow-paced sections just to keep all three characters "balanced". The alternate gameplay of ''Sonic Adventure'' and beyond was merely a method to keep Tails and Knuckles' signature aerial abilities completely intact as opposed to shoehorning them onto Sonic's stages and allowing them to completely break the game, and the lack of other playable characters in later [=3D=] ''Sonic'' games can even be seen as a pragmatic response to the "alternate gameplay" becoming so divisive itself, as it would give the developers a three-way MortonsFork between shoehorning characters onto stages that aren't designed for Sonic's lack of flight or gliding, retiring or nerfing those aerial abilities from the characters in question and angering fans who like them, or bringing back "alternate gameplay" wholesale and angering fans who dislike that.
37
38	!!''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''
39	''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' was well received as the first proper 3D ''Sonic'' game, but introduced several themes and mechanics that future games would be criticized for overusing:
40	* 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 isn't even a good story reason for why Super Sonic has to be a final-boss-only affair; you still collect the Emeralds in bonus stages like the old games, unlike in ''Adventure'' and its sequel, where virtually every instance when an Emerald is found or changes hands is relevant to the plot.
41	* 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 threat.
42	** Additionally, the cases of Eggman getting upstaged in ''Adventure'' and its sequel still gave the doctor enough relative nuance and context to prevent decay, or at least keep it from going too far. While Perfect Chaos does betray him at the end of ''Adventure'' by destroying Station Square, this was all part of Eggman's plan from the beginning... but only on ''his'' terms. In ''Adventure 2'', despite being subtly manipulated by [[spoiler:Shadow and Gerald]] over the game, he still shows off some agency in shaping other events himself (e.g. the Prison Island heist, tricking Tails into telling him which Chaos Emerald is the real one) and puts his own effort into defeating the ultimate threat. ''Heroes'', however, has him spend most of the game [[spoiler:locked in a room by Metal Sonic while [[ActuallyADoombot robotic decoys]] are deployed in his place as enemies]], with several of the following games having him be treated as effectively an afterthought to the greater narrative even when he's still being built up as a major villain.
43	* The presence of [[GameplayRoulette alternate gameplay styles]], ironically, is ''worse'' in some ''Adventure'' routes than in its followers, with Big the Cat's infamous [[FishingMinigame fishing action stages]] being especially disliked. But ''Adventure'' also segregates these alternate gameplay styles into their own story paths; while you need to play every story for the TrueFinalBoss, there's never a worry when you're playing Sonic's story that you'll be playing as anyone except Sonic (the sole exception being the flight minigames where the player is technically controlling Tails, but the Sky Chase special stages are fast-paced and fun enough that few can complain). Later games have different gameplay styles on a level-by-level basis, or even interrupting a character's level to have you start playing another. There's also the fact that ''Adventure'''s takes on Tails and Knuckles are generally well-liked and not too dissimilar from Sonic, while their appearances in later games tend to be much more divergent, inconsistent, and clumsily executed.
44	* A very frequent complaint about side characters being OutOfFocus with [[SpotlightStealingSquad too much focus going to Sonic]] in games like ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' started with this game, and then carried on to later games along with the anime adaptation ''Anime/SonicX'', due to it receiving criticism that the side characters got more focus and development than Sonic and made him look like a VanillaProtagonist who is OutOfFocus in his own games. As part of Sega's attempts to address that complaint, they ended pushing the side characters to the sidelines in later games without giving them much characterization, and then making them suffer from BadassDecay so Sonic is always the one to save the day. While it's understandable that people would want the title character of the game to be the most important, this has the side effect of giving his supporting cast less of a chance to shine.
45	* The game started a trend in the series where it began shedding its surreal, cartoon-like tone in favor of a serious, sometimes whimsical [[ShonenDemographic shōnen]] style of plot and writing. While this game's story is rather serious, it wasn't too dark compared to the previous games (most of its darker elements are relegated to FridgeHorror and InferredHolocaust), and its tone and CharacterDevelopment made it far more ambitious than the ''Sonic'' games before it, so it was well-received. As the series went on, not only did the game's story taking itself seriously became less novel [[OnceOriginalNowCommon after it influenced future games to pursue a similar direction throughout the mid-2000s]] (with some escalating to similar or even grander stakes than ''Adventure''), but later games tended to lack the CharacterDevelopment and lore-building to the original series that made this story work, and the dark aspects were ramped up to the extent that the series was seen as becoming an over-the-top parody of itself, reaching its apex with Shadow's spinoff game and the highly controversial 2006 game.
46	* Related to the issues of juggling CharacterFocus among the franchise's roster, while this game didn't quite ''start'' the trend of introducing characters with nothing to do outside of the plot of their original game (which really began with ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Knuckles]]''), this game started showing the limitations of that approach with Gamma [[spoiler:dying]] and Tikal and Chaos just {{disappear\|s Into Light}}ing. At the time, it wasn't a really big deal, since, again, there was nothing left for these characters to do after their stories ended. But over time, the franchise has accumulated Big (and Froggy), VideoGame/{{S\|onicAdventure2}}hadow, [[VideoGame/SonicBattle Emerl, Chaos Gamma]], [[VideoGame/SonicRush Blaze]], [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Silver, Princess Elise III]], [[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Shahra, Merlina]], [[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Chip]], and others who are all nowadays just floating around in the margins. While the especially popular Knuckles and Shadow have stuck around in the main cast, this has mostly been accomplished by [[TheArtifact ignoring their backstories]].
47	* While Knuckles being a DumbMuscle with a HairTriggerTemper had been part of his official personality since ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'', this was the first game to really show it, leading to his inevitable {{Flanderization}} during the TurnOfTheMillennium, a situation Knuckles would wallow in for years, to the chagrin of many of his fans. It was more tolerable in this game due to having not been a trend yet and being offset by Knuckles substantially contributing to the fights against Chaos.
48	* One of the most polarizing elements of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' is the character of Princess Elise, who many people remark as looking [[RealisticSpeciesCartoonySpecies incredibly out-of-place next to Sonic and pals]], but realistic human characters had been around since ''Adventure'' without too much complaining. Elise is just the first one to be a major character who regularly interacts with the cartoon animals, which throws the contrast in far sharper relief (and the romantic subtext just makes it even more questionable). And while ''Adventure'' does have realistic humans, the technology demanded they be stylized to a certain degree, and ''Anime/SonicX'' does much the same outside of the games with an anime art style that makes the animal characters and human characters fit together better (though it helps that it's a fish-out-of-water story to begin with, with Sonic and friends being contextually out of place as a plot point). 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 the human cast fit in with the cartoon animals. Not helping matters is that, outside the pre-rendered cutscenes, the human characters (with the possible exception of Eggman) fall squarely into the UnintentionalUncannyValley. ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' addresses this sin, however, by giving the humans more cartoonish proportions to better fit in with the funny animals.
49
50	!!''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''
51	* At the very end of the Hero Mode story, [[spoiler:Sonic is able to use Chaos Control, after seeing Shadow using it earlier in the game, to save himself from Eggman's burning space pod]]. Fans agreed that this was a blatant DeusExMachina at best and AssPull at worst, but accepted it anyway because the alternative would have been [[spoiler:killing off the titular character of the franchise]]. Fast-forward to ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', and the brand-new character Silver the Hedgehog [[spoiler:is able to use Chaos Control perfectly after seeing someone else do it]], just like Sonic did -- but with the crucial difference that this is ''not'' relegated to a single moment in the ending, but done frequently throughout his story campaign with [[ExaggeratedTrope even less justification]] than in ''Sonic Adventure 2''.
52	* While the first ''Sonic Adventure'' planted the seeds for the series [[CerebusSyndrome shedding its surreal, cartoon-like tone in favor of a]] [[DarkerAndEdgier serious]], sometimes whimsical Shonen Anime style of plot and writing, ''Sonic Adventure 2'', more than any other game in the series, is truly responsible for crystallizing it. The game's story is far darker than those of previous ''Sonic'' games, but it also features attempts at a stronger narrative and actual CharacterDevelopment that allowed fans to look past that. Later attempts to apply a serious story to the series tend to lack satisfactory narratives and CharacterDevelopment, and without any of the qualities that made the stories of the ''Adventure'' games work, all that's left are the ([[ExaggeratedTrope now even more ramped up]]) DarkerAndEdgier aspects that make the series seem like an over-the-top parody of itself, especially with ''Shadow'' and ''06''.
53	* In the Last Story, Eggman's position as the main antagonist [[spoiler:is usurped by Shadow, due to a twist that reveals Shadow had been manipulating him for his own ends all along]]. While this wasn't a new idea even at the time, it was accepted because Eggman is still at quite possibly his most threatening yet (at least in the game continuity), plays a very active role in the plot to the point of being a playable character, is crucial in [[spoiler:saving the day]], and never gets defeated or otherwise humiliated by [[spoiler:Shadow]]. Later games, however, have [[spoiler:Eggman displaced by other villains]] in ways that seriously hurt his credibility as a villain, and the repeated use of this plot device grew stale before long.
54	* The stage Green Hill Zone has become infamous over the years for being constantly reused as a NostalgiaLevel. This game features Green Hill Zone as a NostalgiaLevel, but it's an optional bonus stage as your reward for collecting all of the Emblems, and the stage hadn't otherwise reappeared in a mainline ''Sonic'' title since the first game. When later games reuse Green Hill Zone, they have it as the mandatory first level as opposed to kicking off the journey with an original stage, and it reappears so frequently (it's featured in ''both'' of 2017's Sonic titles, ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces'') that fans began to view the reuse of Green Hill Zone [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks with contempt]].
55	* The existence of the Last Story at all. While the first game planted the seed with Super Sonic's (brief) story, this game codified it, and it tends to get the blame for games like ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' taking this trend [[ExaggeratedTrope up to eleven]] in some questionable ways that can really only be chalked up to {{Padding}}:
56	** ''Sonic Heroes'': Instead of six distinct characters or two distinct storylines, you have the same set of levels copy/pasted with minor difficulty and cutscene adjustments, based around four teams, each with a speed character, a flight character, and a power character. This also results in all four teams somehow being able to destroy the same boss at around the same time (do they have to wait in line?). That, and at two points in the story, [[LetsYouAndHimFight battles between the teams take place]] (Sonic vs. Rose and Dark vs. Chaotix the first time, and Sonic vs. Dark and Rose vs. Chaotix the second time) to add an additional conflict briefly to the story when the teams cross paths. It feels like pointless busywork to unlock a final boss that easily could have been put at the end of a single, cohesive storyline covering all the necessary plot points.
57	** ''Shadow the Hedgehog'': Ten different endings, all of which require a [[KarmaMeter different path]] through the levels to reach. Some are simple and straightforward, while others require huge collect-a-thons with no radar or hints. This would have worked fine with a level select feature — just load up the stage and pick a different ending. But instead, you have to do ten full playthroughs, all to reach a (canon) Last Story that ''nullifies them all''.
58	* Both ''Adventure 2'' and ''Shadow'' were advertised with the prospect of giving the player the choice to be good or evil, only to contain a GoldenEnding which nullifies this choice. ''Adventure 2'' is given a pass for the strength of its writing, which allows the two prior stories to occur simultaneously and still lead to the Last Story. In comparison, the paths in ''Shadow'' diverge so widely that '''no''' path can lead to the final outcome, making everything beforehand feel like padding. The gameplay and marketing also lean far heavier into the idea of the player having a choice than ''Adventure 2'' ever did, so to have the true ending of the game throw all that out just felt like a cheat.
59	* This is the first game where the final boss, the Biolizard, [[GenericDoomsdayVillain has no real personality and is just a generic monster]][[note]]Chaos is similar, but he also has a tragic backstory to make him less generic.[[/note]]. Story-wise, though, most fans accept this because the Biolizard is more of an extension of the GreaterScopeVillain Dr. Gerald Robotnik's last will. Later games tend to reuse the GenericDoomsdayVillain tropes without an interesting character behind the monster.[[note]]To go down the list: Metal Overlord in ''Heroes'' suffers from Metal Sonic having literally no characterization aside from being Sonic's robotic doppelganger, and his "surprise" reveal in the final story does not fix this ''at all''. Mephiles in ''2006'' at least has a personality and characterization, but he basically becomes a non-entity upon fusing with Iblis to become Solaris, which has no personality or character whatsoever. Dark Gaia in ''Unleashed'' and the Time Eater from ''Generations'' are also personality-free. The End in ''Frontiers'' does provide an impressive BadassBoast, but is otherwise a relatively GenericDoomsdayVillain. Alf Layla wa-Layla in ''Secret Rings'' is an extension of Erazor Djinn, who ''does'' have actual characterization. The only villains to really escape this are Black Doom's monstrous OneWingedAngel form in ''Shadow'' and the genuinely surprising AntiVillain turn of Merlina in ''Black Knight''.[[/note]]
60	* While ''Adventure 2'' is not the first game to employ a HiddenAgendaVillain--''Sonic Adventure'' has one in Chaos, whose story is explained in {{Flashback}}s--it is the first [[AnotherSideAnotherStory to restrict the exploration of these motives to a specific storyline]]. This was not an immediate problem for Adventure 2 due to there being mostly just {{Two Lines\|No Waiting}} of about equal importance to the SecretFinalCampaign[[note]]Knuckles' and Rouge's hunt for the Master Emerald shards being a {{Third Line\|Some Waiting}} notwithstanding[[/note]]. Following the success of ''Adventure 2'', however, following games produced increasingly complex storylines with an increasing amount of intrigue and StoryBranchFavoritism determined by how much information they revealed about the [[GreaterScopeVillain true]] [[TheManBehindTheMan villain]].\
61	\
62	This reached a head in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', where Sonic's storyline features him focusing on protecting Princess Elise from Eggman--Shadow's story would then proceed to reveal that all three of them are pawns in a game being played by [[TheManBehindTheMan Mephiles the Dark]], which makes Sonic (the star and central character of the franchise) [[DemotedToExtra the least important hero in the game]][[note]]Silver, the third hero of the game, is at least busy dealing with Mephiles' other half, Iblis[[/note]].
63
64	!!''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''
65	* ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' is the first game to have non-boss enemies that are ''not'' [[OneHitPointWonder One-Hit-Point Wonders]], but instead have varying amounts of HP to deplete, as well as having "combat arena" segments where it's mandatory to defeat enemies to advance further in a stage. However, the idea of having enemies that can take a beating isn't problematic here because it has mechanics to take the edge off — a level-up system to make the characters stronger (and thus capable of dealing more damage) and the three-man team system giving each team a "Power" character whose main job is to be the heavy hitter and plow through the big enemies and combat arenas. The next game, ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', keeps the beefy enemies and ditches the team system, but compensates in its own way through its weaponry system, and the later stages with the beefiest enemies also tend to have the strongest weapons that can easily shred their health meters. While the weapons do have limited ammunition, there is practically always more than enough to kill everything in the stage with as long as you hold your fire while there are no enemies in sight. ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' is where the beefy enemies and combat arenas become problematic, as all three core characters (and the six Amigo characters) have ''much'' worse DPS than in ''Heroes'' and ''Shadow''. Sonic is restricted to laggy Homing Attacks, Bounce Bracelet bounding, and grounded spin-kicks, making his DPS flat-out ''mediocre'', and he has absolutely no way to improve it. Shadow and Silver fare better in the DPS department, being able to attack at a faster pace than Sonic to deplete big enemies' health bars a little more quickly; Shadow's fighting style is literally a better version of Sonic's, with a mid-air combo system allowing him to lock on to an enemy and pummel them several times in quick succession, while Silver relies on using his psychokinesis to pick up nearby objects and fling them at enemies, which he can do at a fairly rapid pace as long as he has enough objects to throw and enough energy to pick them up. Shadow and Silver also have ways to improve their DPS even further — Chaos Boost and vehicle-mounted weapons for Shadow, and stronger objects such as explosive crates and spike balls for Silver — but lack consistent access to their improved DPS. The end result is what was once a minor flow-killer now making level progression a nigh-unbearable slog. Thankfully, Sega listened to the fans' dissatisfaction and largely dropped both beefy enemies and combat arenas; both make a single major encore appearance in the nighttime stages of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', where it actually makes ''sense'' for them to be present due to the slower-paced BeatEmUp gameplay style, and the daytime stages of ''Unleashed'' and all stages of subsequent games[[note]]aside from the ''Sonic Boom'' games, which have multi-character combat like ''Heroes'' and a more BeatEmUp-esque style like ''Unleashed''[[/note]] went back to having all non-boss enemies be destroyed with just one attack. (Beefy enemies and combat arenas are also present in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', but once again, it makes sense to have them due to the WideOpenSandbox gameplay style, and Sonic has been given access to a wide variety of powerful and/or rapid-fire attack options to deal with the tankier enemies.)
66	* A complaint about the ''VideoGame/SonicRivals'' series is that the characters [[LetsYouAndHimFight constantly pick fights with each other despite having the same goal]]. This happens in this game as well. Aside from the Team Sonic vs. Team Rose battle (which is due to Amy's {{Flanderization}}), however, the battles are a bit more justified by Team Sonic and Team Dark still having an antagonistic relationship while Team Chaotix are strangers to Team Dark and Team Rose.
67	* While the game's focus on combat is criticized for a variety of {{Scrappy Mechanic}}s (too frequent, too plodding on account of enemy lifebars and/or the level system, slippery controls), most players can deal with the constant breaks in the platforming action to some degree, as the game is designed around utilizing the [[CompetitiveBalance respective strengths]] of [[SuperSpeed each]] [[{{Flight}} team]] [[SuperStrength member]] and most stages are still generally fast-paced enough ([[MarathonLevel despite their length]]) to prevent the issue from becoming ''too'' grating. When later games (''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]'' and especially ''[[VideoGame/SonicBoom Rise of Lyric]]'' [[note]]other titles like ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight'' also count to a degree[[/note]]) featured an even greater imbalance of combat sections that proved even more monotonous and frustrating, fan reception was not nearly as kind.
68
69	!!''VideoGame/SonicRush''
70	* This game introduces the boost mechanic, which would later become a staple of the 3D games starting with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''. The mechanic here did have its detractors at the time due to it allowing the player to gain maximum speed with a press of a button (whereas previous 2D ''Sonic'' games generally focus more on building momentum through skillful play), it was still regarded as a fun and novel mechanic, especially since the 2D format still allows for varied level design without making the player feel like they're locked into one specific path. Unfortunately, this is ''not'' the case for ''Unleashed''. While it was still a breath of fresh air and an improvement over its [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 disastrous predecessor]], the boost came under particular scrutiny due to the ''significantly'' more linear level design and Sonic's movement mechanics making the game at times feel like it's on rails (and not just when Sonic is literally on rails, either), which makes the boost feel to many like an even more mindless mechanic with little actual depth for most players outside of speedrunning. ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' having significantly less 3D gameplay that is largely very linear did not help things any. ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' did improve on making Modern Sonic's gameplay feel less linear, but at that point some players felt the "boost formula" had worn out its novelty and was basically a one-trick-pony that struggled to provide actual gameplay variety, with the boost mechanic itself contributingto this problem. The mechanic is still around as of ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', but it's telling that it's been nerfed so that it's unable to damage enemies; in the same game, most players use the Spin Dash instead once they unlock it.
71
72	!!''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''
73	In the process of removing many previous [[FranchiseOriginalSin sins]] to undo the damage of ''06'', ''Unleashed'' unfortunately introduced a few new ones:
74	* Linearity. The most notorious flaw of 3D ''Sonic'' games up to ''06'' was the many aggravating collision and camera glitches, with the engine rarely handling unexpected player movements well. From ''Unleashed'' onwards, control and level structure is simplified to reduce the number of things that can go wrong and portray Sonic’s sense of speed better, with a single route for most levels and reflex or QTE-based obstacles. The gameplay focus thus shifted from figuring out how to navigate the terrain to simply trying to maintain your boost. Unfortunately, this overt emphasis on forward movement and set-pieces removes much of the player expression that the ''Adventure'' games are remembered fondly for. While YMMV on how straightforward ''Unleashed'' is to play, subsequent boost games, especially ''Forces'', would remove most of its gameplay subtleties like drifting.
75	* ''Unleashed'' drastically cut down on the amount of characters that appeared, with almost everyone being DemotedToExtra. As having huge amounts of characters in each game that took too much focus away from Sonic (whether through [[SpotlightStealingSquad story]] or [[GameplayRoulette gameplay]]) was a common complaint about many previous entries, this was seen as a breath of fresh air. Later games continued to leave the majority of the cast OutOfFocus and kept Sonic as the sole playable character, and without the novelty of having solely Sonic for the first time in years and the lack of gameplay variety becoming apparent, fans began to clamor for the supporting cast to get some love again.
76	** In addition, while ''Colors'' would build on what it started, ''Unleashed'' was in many ways the first post-''06'' Sonic game to have a simpler story compared to prior games, something that was considered to be a necessary step to make given the issues with Sonic's cast at the time. However, it was balanced out by having a lot of strong world-building and minor characters to provide Sonic and Chip someone to bounce off of as sidequests, thus ensuring that things wouldn't get too boring even if the plot was simple, as well as keeping the world lively and fleshed out even if Sonic's friends weren't around. Most subsequent stories after ''Colors'' didn't have characters like these, instead either keeping [[DemotedToExtra Sonic's friends around in a limited capacity]], or having only Sonic and the new antagonist of the week to deal with alongside Eggman. This had the detrimental effect of making the story feel very small and narrow, even if the intent of the storyline was to be grander or more epic, and left the games with barren and/or shallow plots with little to comlement them.
77	* This game features a mix of 2D and 3D to address Sonic's growing pains with the [[VideoGame3DLeap 3D transition]]. The 2D segments are rather brief, and the two types of gameplay integrate seamlessly. It also plays around with the camera a lot in these 2D sections. Later games like ''Colors'' and ''Forces'' featured far longer 2D segments in far more abundance, and 3D Sonic games consisting more of 2D than 3D soon became a common complaint.
78	* This game is considered to be the start of Tails' BadassDecay, due to the scene where he gets easily frightened by some Nightmares despite fighting greater threats before. Even then, this segment is rather brief and could be written off as Tails being scared of something he knew little about rather than being unable to fight (The fact that Nightmares can seem very similar to [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes ghosts could also help explain why Tails]] acted the way he did). Many later games have far more segments in which he needs to be saved by Sonic, the most infamous being a scene in ''Forces'' where he cowers in fear at Chaos 0, despite [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure previously fighting the more powerful Chaos 4 and witnessing his more powerful forms]], with him latching onto Classic Sonic as a crutch making him seem absolutely pathetic.
79	* The egregious amount of pop-in in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' is one of the most widespread criticisms from fans and critics. However, the Hedgehog Engine was having trouble with draw distance and pop-in as far back as ''Unleashed''. The difference is that in previous games that used the Hedgehog Engine, the camera was locked in place most of the time, which combined with the linear level design to obscure the graphical erorrs most of the time. In ''Frontiers'', however, levels are non-linear and the camera is mostly unlocked and movable (outside of some platforming segments, some of the boss fights, and the Cyber Space levels), which exposes the pop-in that would've been hidden in past games.
80
81	!!''VideoGame/SonicColors''
82	* The Color Power mechanic in this game was met with praise, as the levels were designed specifically to accommodate it, and the Wisps themselves were both cute and important to the main plot. However, following games would bring the gimmick back with less than stellar results. The Wisps in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' were considered clunky to control and disruptive to the main gameplay, while the Wispons from ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' were criticized for coming out of nowhere and being [[GameBreaker so overpowered]] that they remove any semblance of difficulty the game could offer.
83	* Wisps supplanting the more traditional power-up monitors and character-specific abilities and equipment left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of fans, with Sonic Team's reasoning for them still being around amounting to [[HandWave "they're around because they like Earth"]] not smoothing it over at all. ''VideoGame/TeamSonicRacing'' provides a more reasonable excuse for the Wisps' involvement, with Dodonpa collaborating with them in order to build his cars and set up the tournament, though it didn't do much to endear Wisps up to those who were already sick of seeing them.
84	* The game's story being more lighthearted than previous installments was, at the time, considered a breath of fresh air after the DarkerAndEdgier games that came before it. There was also the fact that the new comedic tone didn't clash with the game's overall plot too much, and the game still had some genuinely impactful moments from time to time. As time went on, however, the games that came after ''Colors'' started relying heavily on this style of comedy to the point where, any time the series attempts a dramatic moment, it has a tendency to fall flat. By the time ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' rolled around, fans started getting tired of newer ''Sonic'' games not taking themselves the slightest bit seriously anymore, especially when it hurts their overall story.
85	* When ''Sonic Origins'' had its proper reveal, it received ire for the website's confusing table showing the different versions in a confusing manner. ''Sonic Colors: Ultimate'' originally did the same on the website. It didn't gain much ire, however, due to only comparing the standard and digital deluxe editions, while ''Origins'' featured the DLC packs as well, leaving fans to believe there were five versions of the game rather than two.
86
87	!!''VideoGame/SonicGenerations''
88	* The infamous tendency for Sega to reuse Classic Sonic and [[NostalgiaLevel older zones]] for the sake of [[PanderingToTheBase pandering to nostalgic fans over moving the series forward]] can be traced back to here. However, at the time ''Generations'' was released, [[TheBusCameBack Classic Sonic had not appeared in a mainline Sonic game in a very long time]], and the remixed zones were seen as a fun way to celebrate Sonic's [[LongRunners long history]]. It wasn't until Classic Sonic began returning without the novelty of seeing him again after a long time and many more games that consisted mostly of (often the same) reused zones came out (mostly notably, 2017's ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' both featured Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant, with two-thirds of ''Mania'' consisting of reused zones while 3 of the 7 regions of ''Forces'' are old locations, and even Classic Sonic's levels for the new regions homage classic levels) that it became a problem.
89
90	!Comics
91	!!''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''
92	A lot of the complaints about ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' aren't exactly new.
93	* Many point to Issue 50 as the moment the series started going downhill, mainly because it [[KilledOffForReal killed off Dr. Robotnik]]. Issue 50 was meant to be the GrandFinale for the comic, so killing the main villain 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 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 Penders' tenure as one of the lead writers, [[AudienceAlienatingEra or one of the first bad ones]].
94	* The ''Knuckles'' comic was another problem, with Penders deciding not to expand on clues left behind in the video games at the time--indeed, he claimed to have never played the games before joining the comic. Instead, he used the comic more to [[WorldBuilding world-build]] a society of echidnas, mostly because Sega wouldn't let him get away with anything like that with Sonic himself, but they completely ignored what he was doing with Knuckles, giving him carte blanche to do whatever he wanted. It worked out for a while, mainly because it helped flesh out the comics' world and the stories themselves were good enough. It also gave Knuckles and the echidnas much needed focus in Archie when he got DemotedToExtra in the later games. After ''Knuckles'' merged back into ''Sonic'', though, [[SpotlightStealingSquad Knuckles' story was given an increasingly heavy focus while Sonic's fell by the wayside, even though the comic was named after the latter.]] All of this culminated in the "Great Harmony" subplot, where Knuckles is proclaimed [[TheChosenOne The Avatar]], one of two heroes prophesied to bring about the eponymous event, while Sonic is just "another champion". This CreatorsPet mentality towards echidnas would eventually cause Penders to trigger the lawsuit that helped kill the comic entirely, though in this case it was Penders himself getting an oversized ego and burning every bridge in the process.
95	* The revelation that [[spoiler:Espio is a member of a ninja clan and his betrayal of 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. With [[spoiler:Espio]], 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. Thankfully, he got better.
96	* The ExecutiveMeddling was there from the beginning, with Creator/{{Sega}} executives having a role in what gets 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 that Ken Penders undo the other major death of the issue, Sally Acorn. Since Sally's death had been widely criticized for [[DroppedABridgeOnHim the way it was handled]], this was and still is generally seen as a positive move. However, by the time the comic was canceled, this had blown up to the point that there were entire ''pages'' worth of mandates on how the comic should be written. This carried over to the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW comic]], which is 'even ''more'' editorial-driven, with some mandates proving highly unpopular (such as game characters [[TheBusCameBack who returned from a two-decades long real-life absence]] in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer being allowed to be used]], while previously they were recurring characters in the Archie series in spite of the game canon having them on a LongBusTrip at the time).
97
98	!Shows
99	!!''Series/{{Knuckles}}''
100	* The [[HumanFocusedAdaptation show's focus on Wade and his family over Knuckles]] has become the target of massive criticism from fans. However, the films place almost as much focus on Tom and his family as it does on the Sonic characters (especially in the first film, where Tom is the co-protagonist). The difference is that the ''Sonic'' cast are still given a lot of focus in the films, with the second film putting a far greater focus on them, with the human characters (bar Robotnik for [[BigBad obvious reasons]]) falling OutOfFocus. In the show, meanwhile, Knuckles is frequently sidelined so the show can focus of Wade and the other human characters -- to the point he has almost no screen time in episode 4 -- which fans were not pleased with.
101	* Some of the human villains, such as Jack Sinclair the bounty hunter, have been criticized for being too [[HamAndCheese over-the-top and cartoonish]] to take seriously. Robotnik already played EvilIsHammy to the hilt in the films, but had the benefit of [[Creator/JimCarrey Jim Carrey's]] charismatic performance and the character already being hammy and LaughablyEvil in the video games.
102

Context FranchiseOriginalSin / SonicTheHedgehog