Why Sonic and the Secret Rings Just Didn’t Work

[@genemelendez8157]

The sad thing about Seven Rings in Hand is that, on its own, it’s a great song. The issue is that you will grow to absolutely hate it as the game goes on because of how much it’s overplayed

[@Egghead012]

wat its not played in only the final battle? they broke da tradition >:(

[@jjc4924]

It's like the Final Tocotta in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Great music on it's own. But has been overplaying it in so many areas that felt unnecessary and could've had an different theme.

[@deathmetalrot]

Unpopular opinion: I think it’s played _enough_ (Still love the song)

[@D00DM00D]

I like the Crush 40 version better

[@dylansurendranath3091]

Gene Melendez Its the same issue with the Werehog Battle Theme from Sonic Unleashed. Great music but the repetitive use of it gets tiring.

[@Miss-Alexis]

"Sonic, can't you swim?" With how far he dropped and how fast the currents were going, I don't think it matters very much

[@spiritmanderthecharmander5666]

But here's something you probably dont know: Knuckles can swim in Sonic Advance.

[@Miss-Alexis]

@@spiritmanderthecharmander5666 I do know that but fail to see how it's relevant. I doubt Knuckles would be able to swim either in this scenario, since again, that river is dangerously rapid. I imagine in real life it'd be lethal to fall into it

[@spiritmanderthecharmander5666]

@@Miss-Alexis Yea. I still don't understand why Knuckles could swim only in Sonic Advance.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@spiritmanderthecharmander5666 cuz they wanted to copy new sonic games like knuckles and rouge would swim in sonic adventure 2 so using new games for knuckles swimming is not bad even tails swim in s3&k and mania

[@spiritmanderthecharmander5666]

@@fazelfarrokhi1998 Riiiiiight.

[@cinnamondan4984]

I feel like being a Sonic fan is more intense than being a fan of Mario.

[@bitterman7258]

didnt cybershell said something like that?

[@joshuashaw6105]

Yeah, basically. Mario gets by on nostalgia and because nobody dare call it bad or the Nintendo dickriders are down your throat within seconds.

[@VincentEternal]

@@joshuashaw6105 “Mario gets by on nostalgia” So...Sonic

[@kabir4200]

@@joshuashaw6105 how

[@sontho6995]

@@joshuashaw6105 lmao, no.

[@DesignDoc]

The setpieces and stage themes are the one thing that keeps this game as a weird guilty pleasure for me. Say whatever you want about the gameplay and structure, Levitated Ruin, Sand Oasis, Pirate Storm, Skeleton Dome and Night Palace are some pretty awesome settings. I can totally ignore the story most of the time just give me new and interesting locations to run in. It's something that I consider to be insanely important in a Sonic game and we haven't seen a stage list that's both fully original and interesting since Colors which is a shame.

[@thelastgogeta]

I still think they could have done a little more to reduce friction (mark required missions, put all filler missions in a separate menu like Sonic Generations 3DS) but I agree. The characterisation is the Storybook Series is really good so it is a waste that people drop out before they can see it and don't even get to Night Palace or even Pirate Storm.

[@Merdicano]

@@thelastgogeta I think its amazing how they handled Sonic as a character in the Storybook games, that he is quirky but willing to do what's right

[@Merdicano]

@@DeeJamari Well, there aren't that many stages. So I'll say yeah

[@DesignDoc]

@@DeeJamari 1. Not that many stages 2. Internet

[@spark154]

@@DeeJamari They are like six. It really ain't that difficult.

[@jobsidian4219]

This is one of my favorite portrayal of sonic . He feels more mature , patience and feels like he has a understanding better understand of people. For example instead of getting mad at shahra for betraying him. He try to understand her why she did it.

[@jobsidian4219]

Plus I think it's neat sonic is able to keep a cool head even when his life is on the line. I feel like if dreamcast arc soinc was here in this situation. he would be freaking out and get very mad about the whole judgement Flame thing.

[@buccaneerguy8197]

And present modern sonic would just laugh it off, crack jokes, and shove the power of friendship down our throats.

[@Merdicano]

@@jobsidian4219 Yeah, like, I think it shows that with Sonic, even at the worst moments, its better to live in the moment than worrying about what would happen. And the last scene wishing for the handkerchiefs to Shahra shows how Sonic isn't mean-spirited and open to see the best in poeple

[@smashmaster521]

Just wait until we get to Black Knight. That's Sonic at his best as a character.

[@highpriestess7965]

@@smashmaster521 facts. storybook series sonic is my fav sonic and satbk is written so well but it gets overlooked bc "hurr durr sanic with a sword" it showed a lot more than his snarky side. i could write an essay on why satbk is best characterization of sonic but i'll leave it there lol

[@LateNightHalo]

I remember unironically beating this game and getting all rewards despite knowing it was awful.. simply because it was Sonic

[@theminecraft2516]

It’s the Mario Sunshine effect, we know it’s not good but we keep playing it because it has our favorite mascot’s face on it

[@theminecraft2516]

Although Mario Sunshine is 40x better than Secret Rings

[@Zpaphandlerrr]

You people only say it was awful because of the control, other than that there isn't a real reason to not like it.

[@Zpaphandlerrr]

@@theminecraft2516 Since when was super mario sunshine not good?? Oh boy i gotta go.

[@theminecraft2516]

@@Zpaphandlerrr Actually it controls way better than Mario 64, I just don’t like all the bs that comes with the game

[@averytubestudios]

That Wii Menu “Start” Sound Effect just never ceases to fill me with nostalgia.

[@justaadhdgamerwesley6244]

Yeah and the ds start sound has well when you turn it on

[@averytubestudios]

@@justaadhdgamerwesley6244 Duh, dun...

[@lazilyymade]

If you wanna get spicy that Gameboy Advance start up sound👀

[@LilXancheX]

@@lazilyymade I don’t remember that shit. But what about that GameCube tho

[@eur0be4t3r]

Same with the Unleashed Wii version

[@Sjono]

Sonic in 2007: “I’m not a rat, I’m a hedgehog!” Sonic in 2020: “Uhhhh, meow?”

[@theminecraft2516]

*IS THAT A JOJO REFERENCE???*

[@Junkyardproduxtions]

It's actually kinda funny because it's a matter of pride for 2007 Sonic when people keep fucking up his animal nouns.

[@theminecraft2516]

@Spectrum So Mouse=Rat

[@pancakeboi6797]

At first when I was 6 I thought sonic was a cat.

[@lloydthehedgehogirving6049]

@Spectrum Hedgehogs *aren’t* rodents, more closely related to Whales...

[@Losaren]

The storybook games may not have the best gameplay, but the characterisation for Sonic is fantastic. I miss when the writing tried to feel three-dimensional. Great video as always - I love watching your reviews!

[@Merdicano]

That I do feel the same way. If anyone tells me how I remember Sonic, I immediately think of the Storybook games and Unleashed, #noregrets

[@KOTEBANAROT]

In a big way its because there were minimal changes to the script during localisation.

[@JugularJohn]

I just wanna imagine secret rings.... but without terrible controls and physics.

[@blues4509]

@@Merdicano I have the same exact opinion as you on this!

[@commandertaco1762]

Wish the storybook series was made on the 360 and ps3 tbh

[@Vegitodraws]

Don't lie "Seven Rings in hand" is a fire song

[@michia3765]

Yes but this song would've hitted way harder, if it wasn't overused in its game. It would've been a way better experience if it only played in important moments (still like this song)

[@Vegitodraws]

I agree that it is a tad bit (very) overused, but I don't take away points for how often a song is used in game. That would be like demeriting "Uptown Funk" for how often I heard it on the radio. Although I will admit that it is the weakest due to it being more style over substance. But I'd be lying if I said that I don't sing it to myself sometimes when I'm bored. I still thinks its a solid song

[@thelastgogeta]

@@Vegitodraws There is a big gap between hearing a song often on the radio and hearing a song at menus and what feels like every turn in a piece of software. They did have unique stage songs and minigames had their own music, but it was still too much 7 Rings.

[@Vegitodraws]

@@thelastgogeta Fair enough. But I'm still not demeriting the song based off of how much I hear it

[@HarbingerYT]

Play this game, knowing which missions to beat for progression, and take a shot every time Seven Rings In Hand plays.

[@Deoxys_Used_Mimic]

Dark Spine Sonic... or... An excuse for Jason Griffith to practice his Werehog voice.

[@mfhs2775]

True af

[@crimsongamer3137]

both

[@sambridgers9543]

Yes.

[@Slevind]

Ngl I kinda like that form

[@EpicBongZilla]

Nope Darkspine sonic. Way better then that werehog garbage

[@SonBlackHeart22]

Everyone has to admit that the songs in this game are good especially the Erazor Djin boss fight theme and how good Jayson was getting at voicing Sonic and this was also the first game that gave the redicle to the homing attack to make sure you lock on to the target.

[@ViltrumiteIsRite99]

I was JUST jamming this OST on Friday, so seeing this review NOW is blowing my mind.

[@Merdicano]

@@ViltrumiteIsRite99 Its a pretty damn great soundtrack and OST we should admit. Surely a little out of place with Dinosaur Jungle, but overall pretty damn entertaining

[@ViltrumiteIsRite99]

@@Merdicano hahah, agreed on dino jungle. It’s still a fun one though. Please, what are some of your favorite tracks? I’m starting to learn these bangers on my electric!

[@Merdicano]

@@ViltrumiteIsRite99 Mine were Let The Speed Mend It, Unawakening Float, It Has Come To This and Seven Rings In Hand

[@philcoast1031]

I agree. Jason on SR and BK was on point. As for the songs, I will mention "Blue on the Run" and "Poison Spear." I feel they're usually forgotten in favor of the other tracks, but great, too. Also, alongside the reticle, SR gave us the Fire Souls, that would later become the Red Star Rings.

[@crossfire34]

This was my first Sonic game. It's a miracle I'm even a fan of this series.

[@jordancromwell]

Damn 😂

[@heftyrumble]

Same

[@theminecraft2516]

My first Sonic game was Sonic Chronicles....... It’s a miracle I still buy Sonic games to this day

[@crossfire34]

@@theminecraft2516 I think that was my third Sonic game.

[@Sawcybui]

Secret rings was my first modern sonic game

[@Mystic-Aidan]

I never actually beat the tutorial in this game, so it was basically “that one Sonic Egyptian party game that I love playing but nobody else does”

[@MMLClinicallyInsane]

Despite its problems, I really enjoyed this game as a kid and still do. I think it has one of the best portrayal of Sonic's character. The songs and levels were all beautiful and memorable. The bosses (besides the true final boss) were all pretty interesting and had a nice level of challenge. Also, Darkspine Sonic is probably my favorite transformation of his in the entire series. Not the best Sonic game, but it is one I absolutely would recommend to anyone who hasn't played it.

[@Strixer-gk2kz]

"Who's gonna rock the place?" Alas, poor Cobanermani456, I knew him, J's Reviews...-_-

[@krimsonkatt]

I remember that KZbinr. What happened to him? Did he die?

[@Strixer-gk2kz]

@@krimsonkatt In a way, he kinda did. Unfortunately, he is not who he used to be.

[@heftyrumble]

@@Strixer-gk2kz he got into some controversy.

[@justryan6480]

Poor Coban, I miss his videos

[@exemplarybagel6979]

Long story short, he fell in love with a girl, things didn't work out, his mental health went down the toilet, and he's stalking and harassing her. Also, he might have threatened her life, and he might be a danger to others. Look up the drama, if you wish to assess Cobi's character.

[@Scroteydada]

This is a game I'd strongly recommend to a learning game developer, rather than someone looking for something fun on its own legs. There's a cohesive style to it. Lots of elements that break away from typical sonic, but fit this world. This setting is more dangerous, the villain can be anywhere and any thing. The colours are boiling with saturation. The sun is harsh. The dinosaurs are aggressive. The wind is strong. The storm is you get the point. The sound design fits the harsher tone. Sonic's footsteps and air dash and grunts all hit harder. The camera movement is snappier. Point is it has really competent direction, for its aesthetic anyway. This is how atmosphere happens, when different artistic departments are on the same page.

[@Merdicano]

Love it, thanks for the info. That's some great attention to detail I'll tell you that

[@ayrtonjoga]

That's some great tips and details, Secret Rings has some of the best ambiences and atmosphere of the entire series

[@megasoniczxx]

Yeah, i've really come to appreciate the graphical elements of this game a whole lot over the years. One of the things that initially drew me to the game WAS the graphical presentation in fact, specifically sonic's model since there was just something about it that resonated with me.

[@DannyBenS94]

This is like a lot of other Sonic games: great idea, had potential, but ended up with poor execution. I think it'd be cool to see a re-imagining of this game (and Black Knight) with more traditional Sonic gameplay and level design, because the concept of the "Storybook" series as a whole had potential.

[@Merdicano]

I'd be total in and up for this idea wholeheartedly, as well as to reach to the third storybook game that didn't got made

[@ayrtonjoga]

That would be great, but the thing is that SEGA is scared of the Dark Age, now they are just playing safe with the Classic Era and Spin-offs. They know what the fans want but, at the same time, afraid of doing something even worse than 06.

[@Merdicano]

@@ayrtonjoga That is true, unfortunate but true. Even fifteen years later, their fear is still present to this day

[@dylanscheffer915]

OMG tell me about it, the storybook games should get a reimagined dualigy.

[@ArthurLopes39]

I'm up for this idea, never got to play the actual games because I never had a Wii but I love everything else about the two Story Book saga games.

[@squidboilukas]

last time i was this early, Green Hill wasn´t overused

[@Gnidel]

Always has been.

[@jacktwelve1710]

This zone has been over used since Sonic heroes

[@Gnidel]

*Since Sonic 1, 2 and Chaos on Master System, Sonic Blast, Sonic Drift... Green Hill overuse was much earlier problem.

[@jacktwelve1710]

@@Gnidel fair enough, it’s was over used in the classic games

[@SonBlackHeart22]

@supermegakosta He is reffering too how many times has the concept of Green Hill Zone was overused throughout the series and also I feel like the 8bit Sonic 2 level was going to be called Emerald Hill but changed it at the last minute to Green Hills for no reason.

[@mcmistle9892]

“Why Shadow the Hedgehog was a Failure” Harsh. “What made Sonic & the Secret Rings a TOTAL failure” Oh dear...

[@memesarekeem]

I mean, the total isn't in caps. Besides, by all technical means it sort of was, alongside 06.

[@megaman15ish]

My thoughts exactly lol.

[@argo9721]

What can’t handle the truth?

[@theminecraft2516]

Why Sonic Free Riders was a TOTAL MEGA ULTRA EMBARRASSING DEPRESSING INFAMOUS SUPER FAILURE

[@joshie3]

I enjoyed sonic and the secret rings when I was little XD I wish it was playable with a proper controller tho

[@lwetho1519]

Let’s hope the world rings don’t “OPEN THE GATES OF HELL”

[@lloydthehedgehogirving6049]

Hell is *In* Christianity... What’s it’s Islamic counterpart?

[@orealz]

@@lloydthehedgehogirving6049 it's called Jahennem (or something like that) Erazor says it when summoning the ifrit.

[@serpentmaster1323]

Your profile poc is so beautiful and pure

[@lwetho1519]

@@serpentmaster1323 Thanks 😊

[@killerkittygaming4365]

@@lloydthehedgehogirving6049 It’s Jahannam, which is the Islamic term for Hell.

[@jacktwelve1710]

I remember hating this game as a kid because of the repetitive soundtrack and confusing progression

[@Malice-and-tragedy]

I remember getting frustrated with the story, then playing the party mode

[@lancelaurel3828]

@@Malice-and-tragedy the pirate party mode goes so hard

[@excavalon1366]

I've sat through Zero Gravity and Sonic Rush, so I'm just gonna say it. Secret Rings is my first Sonic game. I have absolutely NO regrets playing this pain in the neck. Still love it to this day.

[@JPBrooksLive]

"it's a great way to spend some time..." YAY! "....if you have any friends" AWW...

[@danielgarciaescudero2862]

For me, its not such thing as a total failure. Despite is difficult to play and had a bad reputation behind, I think the artistic direction is amazing and immersive. I enjoyed it so much, but just because I already knew what to expect.

[@Scroteydada]

Yeah the storybook games both looked amazing

[@Merdicano]

And I think the story is well-done. Sure, its not high-caliber form of story, but its very-well told and creative from beginning to end, which is something I enjoyed to this day despite never actually playing it

[@Zpaphandlerrr]

Bro the story games were always underrated, the only thing i see people say about secret rings is the controls being absolute shit, if the game didn't have that motion control bs it'd be the best sonic game on the earth if not one of the best.

[@windandfireproductions5358]

@@Zpaphandlerrr black knight gets it worse than secret rings Since people literally say it's shit JUST because sonic has a sword

[@Zpaphandlerrr]

@@windandfireproductions5358 BRO I SWEAR I SEE PEOPLE SAY THAT HOLY, and black knight literally has nothing wrong with it people suck.

[@STICKOMEDIA]

I actually enjoyed the storybook games. Especially Secret Rings.

[@masswarped6912]

I remember when I was in seventh grade, I had a game design class, and they had a game room where we could play games. My teacher had a Wii and Sonic and the Secret Rings. I got halfway through Lost Prologue and I couldn't get past it. The controls were that terrible

[@trulydarkknight8358]

Unless your teacher was using the game as a "What not to do when making a game." Then they have some shit tastes in games for someone who teaches how to make them.

[@masswarped6912]

@@trulydarkknight8358 It wasn't really used as an educational tool, just there for fun, but yeah, the game sucked.

[@Thurnmourer]

The controls were fine, though? Only thing that was really a pain were the time stop powers as they didn't seem to respond well.

[@supermario863]

Secret Rings is one of my favorite Sonic Games on the Wii, and I'm not even afraid to admit it. Had a lot of fun with this game

[@_XVIII_]

The only thing I remember disliking about Secret Rings was the controls. I liked and even loved everything else about the game.

[@markcampbell8590]

As someone who's not big into Sonic anymore that opening statement about whether or not Sonic deserved to die after 06 did have me thinking. Watching and reading alot about how Sega always mismanages the franchise's projects (refusing to delay, removing staff, etc) makes me feel like the company just doesn't care for the Sonic IP in general. Especially after the Dreamcast era, it really felt (and continues to feel like) Sega has no idea where to take the Sonic franchise at. Even the more edgy/shonen inspired games feel like a reflection of the early 2000's time period. Now Sonic is copying the meme/self reflect culture that seems to be popular today. In all honesty, with Roger Smith leaving the role and other rumored shake ups happening at Sega. I'm curious where this frnachise direction is going.

[@Merdicano]

Hopefully some way and direction that can be better and interesting

[@toonaurz2620]

25:22 Back when Cream wasn't treated like trash.

[@littleguystar]

The Wii nostalgia could NOT ever save this game for me... Still a *fire* soundtrack

[@Starzoh]

Boy we have a shit ton of sonic left to review but I am NOT complaining! The more J's Reviews the better

[@dimastha2929]

"You know what they say, the more the merrier!"

[@WaterKirby1994]

What is he reviewing next? Both Rush Games? The 2 Rivals Games? Chronicles? Unless J intends to do the unexpected & actually criticize Unleashed for its problems rather than Werehog, it's probably too soon for him to review it. Unleashed's story suffers from the severe lack of characters caused by Just Sonic mentality with only Sonic, Tails, Amy, & Eggman returning from prior games. Additionally the world of Unleashed feels disconnected with the Earth established by prior games & the "humans" are ugly & inconsistent with everything that came before. The actual story of Unleashed feels like it may have been an afterthought because of how little reaction to the actual crisis there seems to be from most of its disgusting excuses for humans. Keep in mind Dark Gaia doesn't really get referenced in other games except possibly Generations, despite it supposedly being asleep inside the planet's core, which further makes Unleashed feel disconnected. Team Dark & GUN would have played roles in the story if it were the same Earth from the Adventure Games, Shadow's Game, & 06.

[@blindedjourneyman]

Honestly never get why people hated it, I enjoyed it thru and thru. Thank you for explaining it to this secret rings enjoyer.

[@steampunk1610]

This game makes me remember a certain sonic youtuber back before I found this channel, time sure does fly by.

[@IssJa_]

Really does😔

[@dimastha2929]

Cobanermani?

[@CoolPlayersVic]

Who's gonna rock the place?

[@dimastha2929]

@@CoolPlayersVic The place, the place...

[@PerfectJazo]

Too bad he decided to go and become a lunatic.

[@yourlocalraccoon608]

Jesus, imagine 06 with motion controls

[@yourlocalraccoon608]

@@DisasterLord just barely

[@theminecraft2516]

Imagine Sonic 06 with Kinect Controls!!!! We truly dodged the worst timeline

[@gameuniverse8736]

NO

[@Dash120z]

can u imagine the horror of trying to play Sonic 06 on Wii

[@theminecraft2516]

@@Dash120z Imagine the Mach Speed Sections

[@thanatanos1084]

When I played this game as a kid I loved Seven Rings in Hand and it was my main reason for playing the game. I would literally just open the game to hear the song and get excited when I beat a level because I'd hear it again. Now I look back on that and wow how did I enjoy hearing it that much

[@cooldude10149804]

The “what the fuck were they thinking” at 31:04 sounded eerily like SomeCallMeJohnny

[@ShadowJay98]

I like that you used High and Broken as the BGM for most of the video. As someone who's had it in their Spotify playlists for about 5 years now, I'm way into it.

[@lordraiden7397]

Speed running this game is actual fun tho.

[@IN-tm8mw]

yah, fun as hell. i played with my little sister and brother was fun.

[@lordraiden7397]

@@IN-tm8mw I had the game since I got the wii around kindergarten. I learned almsot every speedrunning tactic and the amount of finnesse and imersion within the game made it much more fun.

[@D00DM00D]

Yeah

[@apollomaster9301]

Real Gs remember when this video was called "When Sonic and the Secret Rings Was A Total Failure"

[@JsReviews]

Yeah, I decided to calm the title down, because some people felt the title was no negative than the video warranted, which I was actually surprised by, because I thought the video was pretty negative myself. But if that’s how people feel, I try to accommodate.

[@thelastgogeta]

@@JsReviews Thanks for the adjustment. I don't think it impacted my impression of your video since you were clear and bounced off the critique of older critics but it helps some people probably. The "Secret Rings" effect is definitely real with people giving the game praise for one playable character and I've seen it for other games but I'll return and see how it compares again at some point on real hardware. Perhaps I'll end up feeling like I need to use Dolphin to play it.

[@Helicopter7]

Ok

[@weenie5683]

One of the better details I’ve read from the sega community on the music of this game was knights palace, most of them have good detail on what goes on around you, but this one is apparently more about how sonic is close to losing his life because of the flame and how he has no time to waste because of the fire

[@Merdicano]

Unawakening Float, yes, it really elevated to the moment because it told the final moments of the near death Sonic was going to face in, and how Night Palace was the last stage for the matter

[@platinumstar8953]

I personally loved this game bc I put the time in to really master the controls and unlocked enough to the point where it was fun for me, but I totally understand why people don't like this one

[@GamerBoyDevin]

I really tried my hardest to like this game as a kid but it was the first game I just couldn't force myself through. Basically what made me set the franchise down until gens.

[@lugit36]

I hated the controls and overall gameplay of this game. My brother and I spent the majority of our time doing the mini games lol

[@tonytonychoppas]

Say what you want about secret rings, but you can’t deny that quote at the end of the final boss sonic gives isn’t one of the coldest lines ever “Look like your tale is finished erazor, next time, try writing a better story” made me love the darkspine transformation even more

[@ShadowMark3_]

This game needs a remake if they ever do a remake for something else first. But the soundtrack must remain unchanged.

[@ZobirisMage]

I don't care what anyone says about this game, Let The Speed Mend It SLAPS

[@maude7420]

Poison Spear straight from a DMC game too lmao

[@jordancromwell]

@@maude7420 The song is fire

[@D00DM00D]

*High and Broken*

[@chelsea9641]

Night palace that song is everything I need

[@ZobirisMage]

@@chelsea9641 YESSIR! Night Palace is a bop

[@drakechandler9014]

Secret Rings is a game I will always have fond memories of and be comfortable never ever replaying. I love Sonic's attitude in the script of this game. The story is lacking depth, but it's how I'd want a fun Sonic story to be in comparison to the meta era games. Sonic himself feels like he's a weight and presence I see very rarely. Him jumping in front of the fire, going through all the amazing set pieces, cracking jokes that are actually funny, and sitting on that throne at the end was actually pretty badass. I can acknowledge the issues with the gameplay and level 1 Sonic, but my lasting memories are on how I felt at the end with a fully leveled Sonic. I don't need those ruined with a new playthrough. I do however not like that this rpg stuff kept up into Unleashed, as I started a new game of that recently and instantly felt wrong from not having all the abilities. The entire soundtrack is a banger and I'm glad Runblebee got to shine through it. I think Black Knight did the same for Crush 40, but not even they got even remotely close to this many tracks. Black Knight may be the more fondly remembered game for its story and tightening the gameplay, but Secret Rings really was Sonic being cool and having the attitude that has been greatly missed.

[@WaterKirby1994]

I remember back in 2008 1 of my disappointments was the "Just Sonic" mentality which started here. The bland gameplay that doesn't work will always be an example of why "Just Sonic" doesn't work in the series. Unfortunately Sega & Sonic Team chose to listen to the idiot critics who praised the game for not being 06 & just kept giving us more games like this. At least Black Knight was good, although whatever happened to the 3rd Storybook Game we were promised? If Just Sonic mentality stayed with the Storybook games the series downfall could have been prevented assuming the 2010s bad joke story direction never happened. No mention on the 1 achievement that requires you to beat Erazor Djinn below a certain level with no ability to lower your level other than by starting a new game? The main game is a good looking slog we have to go through for the Fire Souls to unlock the real game which is actually worth playing, The Party Game mode. The story is ok, although it isn't as good as what the Adventure Games, Battle, Rush games, 06, & Black Knight gave us. I agree that the game really needed more variety in its music.

[@plainmilkie]

I recently played through Secret Rings during Christmas and I honestly thought it was pretty nice. I never really cared about depth of story, just personal enjoyment out of it. I really like the cutscenes because they're pretty and fit well for the setting. As a kid, I couldn't beat it because I was dumb and I didn't know how to read. On top of that, it has a rather confusing skillset system with sometimes pretty mediocrely big words that were too big for me to understand. I never used the rings at all and that crippled my experience as a 7 year old. I just replayed the dino level because it was cool. The dialogue and line delivery really cracked me up on my replay though because a lot of the deliveries were borderline awful (Shahra's being the least tolerable imo). I also watched the credits 3 times. It really hurt. The only issue I have is that it's very physically demanding in a sense that I played for 6 hours straight and my arms got inflamed because shaking and flicking the wii remote every second was pretty much required. I don't know what pushed me to complete the game as soon as possible, but by day 3 and 10 hours in I pretty much destroyed my arms on the final boss. I failed so many times on it for it to have a pretty mediocre ending. But all in all, it was a good time, it had a fire soundtrack, and I got a kick out of it.

[@TheMGMfan]

3:14 To be fair, while '06 did start development in 2004 (if I'm not mistaken), and thus while Shadow the Hedgehog was still being developed, that game, like SA2 and Heroes before it, was actually developed by Sonic Team USA, by that point Sega Studios USA, a studio founded by the SA1 staff so they could work on the International version (the original Japanese version was actually a bit buggier than what the rest of the world got, so I could see them wanting to fix those bugs), while '06 was apparently developed by the "main" Sonic Team in Japan, so it's unlikely that Shadow's development would affect '06's development much if at all. I have no doubt that everything else you mentioned contributed heavily to '06's current state, though.

[@michellepatino8733]

The story book series is a huge guilty pleasure of mine to play. I love them even though they are flawed. And I just love the environments in both games.

[@RoomiestMirror5]

Sonic 06 came out when I did not have any idea that games could be unfinished. I went to bed every night just thinking I was terrible bc I couldn't beat the crisis city auto runner without getting hit. I still played the game like crazy on ps3 though.

[@CyberBolt21]

0:10 Length should never be an issue. I, and many others prefer longer reviews to shorter ones, make them as long as it needs to be, please dont arbitrarily shorten your videos. It all should depend on the topic and how much in-depth you want to go on it.

[@AdachiSimp]

That game was so fun. So sad most people dropped before it got good.

[@crimsongamer3137]

no lie this was my first ever sonic game and yeah i know its not perfect but hell if it wasnt for this game i wouldnt be the hardcore sonic nerd that i am now and ill always love it for that

[@Zetact_]

2000s: Nintendo leaning into family appeal while the other consoles were releasing more mature titles 2020s: Nintendo is the only console that opposes censoring games. Ironic.

[@WaterKirby1994]

Nintendo believed in having systems that could be enjoyed by people of all ages during the 2000s. There were a few M Rated titles on GameCube, it was Nintendo's opponents who attacked them as being too kiddy in those days. Nintendo didn't require developers to censor in those days, although they did insist on quality products. The games weren't censored from their PS2 & Xbox counterparts, although they were required to fit onto smaller discs & there were developers who didn't like releasing large games across multiple discs. GameCube's smaller disc size allowed for faster load times & it was clearly the console that should have won the war. Ironic that PS2 won the console war, despite being the weakest of 4 Gen6 consoles, because of Microsoft's interference & labeling itself as the mature console while saying Nintendo was for kids. Xbox practically gave the console war to Sony by their marketing which made PS2 seem like it offered the most variety. Because appealing to normal gamers was no longer viable, Nintendo decided to try to appeal to nongamers with Wii, resulting in it winning the 7th Gen Console War. Most of the more hardcore games were decidedly not released for Wii because of it being the weakest console of its generation & Nintendo would suffer similar problems with Wii U. Nintendo also still faced the problems with their consoles having reputations as being for kids. Fortunately the mature game market never abandoned Nintendo's handhelds & was able to transfer to Switch.

[@aBDKstan]

What games are Microsoft censoring

[@SonicXD001]

31:14 Sonic Roast Sega. Epic fourth wall line.

[@diemaschineistrash3791]

This was one of my first sonic games and one of my fav sonic games of all time:/

[@nedalomar4216]

:/

[@jobsidian4219]

Cool

[@kenutethompson8225]

Same it’s top five even though the control on story mode is shit

[@MatthewKingpin]

What's funny about Seven Rings in Hand is that (at least in my opinion) it's one of the best title themes ever made for a Sonic game (the riff and opening verse are sublime!). The fact that the song was overplayed to such an extent that it got insufferable to have to listen to is hilarious. Like imagine an alternate universe where they had maybe one other track for the menus and result screen that played most of the time and only ended up playing Seven Rings when you got like a Gold medal on a stage or only on the stage select after clearing a critical story mission. That would have made the song legendary instead of draining.

[@DylanMatthewTurner]

In some alternate universe, Sonic the Hedgehog for XBox360 and PS3 was delayed two years in a row, producing Sonic '08, one of the most acclaimed games of all time

[@oofscoof]

This was my FIRST Sonic game, I really liked Sonic before that and still do. However this game had such bad controls that I couldn't bring myself finish it. So I was thinking about this game while looking at all the sound tracks in the smash menus because this games theme was in there and decided I should try fixing the controls on dolphin. I went ahead and rebound the controls to a proper controller and found that, despite the weird stages, this game was really fun to play. I remember getting stuck on the same obstacles over and over again because of the bad controls but with the fixed controls this game was about 5x more fun. I was up to the first boss when I remembered that this game has boss fights. Now I'm not one say how to make a good Sonic boss, after all there weren't any badniks in this game, but why did they have make the bosses look like some Serious Sam nightmare fuel. That scorpion with the mouth eye that stretches out and tries to eat you is quite the contrast from the blue cartoon hedgehog. In short I hate tilt controls, The bosses have traumatised me and this game isn't as bad as I remember it being.

[@SplotchTheCatThing]

The style of music in this game is fascinating. Although I've only watched gameplay ('cause I've never owned a Wii or any other Nintendo console for that matter), the idea that you could have full-on lyrics in almost every gameplay track and the lyrics as well as the way they were performed would actually make the songs fit the story and the levels *better* completely blew my mind. Sure, Sonic Adventure 2 played around with this idea first, but most of the vocal tracks in that one would have fit the game just as well without the lyrics. The only other game I've really seen doing unexpectedly-vocal music on anything close to this scale is Doom Eternal, and even there it wasn't nearly as much in your face, what with the made-up languages and the screaming choir mostly relegated (ironically) to background ambience. I've certainly tried to take influence from these types of off-the-wall ideas-- and especially this one, since I'm a singer myself-- when I've been on sound teams for mod projects where I thought it could fit. And generally it's worked more easily than you might expect, as long as I choose the right places for it. Goes to show that there are no real rules when it comes to making music for games -- only the limits you set yourself. ...on a lesser note, I don't know what kind of snare drum they used on Runblebee's tracks, but that's some incredible tone.

[@kneehoelas1520]

I feel like this game could b super cool if it were remade with a newer gameplay design. one that focuses more on the "RPG" like skill system and a bit of a faster adventure style. Everything in this game is so cool and interesting. Hope they'll see the potential one day.

[@pkgodie8001]

I am so ready for you to talk about Sonic and the Black Knight. I think that it was a really underrated game back then. That game is in my top 5 favorite sonic games

[@arcadejaguar409]

I think that the Wii not having the best graphics is a good thing. Nintendo has clearly shown that they cannot possibly compete in the same Market as the competition. So while Sony and Microsoft cater to hardcore gamers, Nintendo caters to pretty much everyone else. And in my opinion, that's what makes the Nintendo fanbase so interesting. I think Shigeru Miyamoto said himself that he tries to avoid trends.

[@flowvis1193]

the wii u gamepad was trying to start a trend

[@arcadejaguar409]

@@jlev1028 I think games like Super Mario Odyssey had a great narrative for a Mario game. In my personal opinion, Nintendo isn't a company that should follow trends.

[@aijahlonbolyn7843]

Sonic and the Secret Rings is honestly one the best Sonic games I've played. I've never struggled with the controls much and I love the level of customization you have over Sonic's abilities and movement.

[@SpeedRush_100]

I love this game but fuck the controls are terrible honestly everything else was really good they just messed up so hard with those controls..

[@Kage57]

Ever since I was 5 years old the controls have been completely fine but guess that’s just me

[@yupazestru5189]

@@Kage57 i guess i'm just a wii werido but i had little trouble with the game's controls and i loved being able to control sonic precisely as he runs left and right and seeing people shit on this game and awkwardly praise blackknight has made me sad since 07 i guess cobanermani456 would agree since he themed his channel with this song

[@gerardorivera8906]

hearing “who’s going to rock the place” reminds me of cobanermani456. when he used to upload. good times.

[@السراقالمجهول]

I think the idea of dinosaur jungle was travelling through time its the sahara but in the past

[@MohammedSG9]

Yo, how are you

[@tituskolars3843]

A really well made a well thought out video! Nice job!

[@السراقالمجهول]

this game obviously had lower budget and was rushed the difference is that this game knew how to hide that unlike 06

[@thelastgogeta]

Sonic 06 has fatal problems from top to bottom, it also strangely has lives which only serve to make you reset the whole game pretty early on. Watch Game Grumps to see an example. Secret Rings has major issues which largely come from how leveling gates mechanics which also impacts level design synergy, how story mode unlocking is unclear and music use for one particular song (silence is better sometimes). I honestly think Secret Rings may appear worse at hiding problems outside of levels while 06 is dotted with issues all around.

[@GwyndolinOwO]

@@thelastgogeta yeah i think in a weird way they share some flaws but they show up differently, and of course they have unique flaws as well. For me I like somic and the secret rings less because i used a wiimote to play it and it made certain mechanics VERY hard where in sonic o6 it was buggy BUT i felt like i had more control of Sonic himself. As a kid i got suuuuper frustrated that the TUTORIAL felt so awkward to play in Rings. Looking back at Rings i could probably do a lot better since i'm not 10 anymore, and i prefer the setting, but i still think a lot of flaws are still obvious, It might bit be as buggy but there's a reason a lot of people don't talk about Rings as much as other games, which can be seen as a flaw in itself. In a weird way i think "meh" games are easier to fall into the void more then great or bad games.

[@thelastgogeta]

@@GwyndolinOwO Honestly, I think a lot of people just slept on certain games. In the case of GBA, DS, 3DS games... I totally get the root since they are either not the main series or a portable version of Colors, Generation and Lost World plus they are hard to record footage for. Secret Rings has less of an excuse for people to have not tried it as a console game, but I would have replayed it recently if a Sensor Bar (or equivalent) wasn't needed plus batteries. More on the topic of the game itself, I wish it eased people into the game better with Sand Oasis or forced people to use the Nunchuk unless you went out of your way into a menu as a "simple mode". I had no major issues with movement besides the obvious (quick grind rail switching is broken) and I was all in as a Wii fan, but that could have helped it get out of the void of no one having much of a opinion but "That happened?" and "Is that the Sword one?"

[@GwyndolinOwO]

@@thelastgogeta true. i grew up with the genisis games so its hard not to compare things to them. I owned both Rings and Knights on the Wii but something never let me care about them much even though i used the Wii often, and its not really that i hate new games since i've played other games on it as well as the Ps3. Rings kind of reminds me of other things i don't like about newer sonic games- they have really nice aesthetics but lack a lot of freedom. the game turns for you, aims for you, which can be for hardware or design decisions. the games aren't by far the worst games ever but for me i have an easy time forgetting about them since they aren't really nostalgic, so bad i can laugh at them, or really good and fun to play. I do think them being not mainstream sonic games DOES have a huge effect on them but i also know that sonic is a huge name that a lot of people know of, it doesn't take much for someone to learn about him or hear about him. so i think a mix of high expectations as WELL as the game being below what someone might want can be a bad mix. I think i was about 10 when Rings came out so i was still at the peak of when i cared about sonic A LOT so it kind of surprised me that i never even got half way done with the game when i've beaten things like Smash Brawl and Catz2 (one is a good game, yes, but both were on Wii)

[@thelastgogeta]

@@GwyndolinOwO Fair, I actually held the opinion for the longest time (I need to challenge this by playing all the Boost games) that the Storybook Games were doing something right because they were on rails however they didn't give the player an overpowerful mechanic which did the level for them. I was wrong since the issue was mainly true with Sonic Forces (almost 10 years after Unleashed, though I didn't love Boost in Rush either) but something about the numerous challenge types, different kinds of Sonic (or alternatively multiple playable characters in Black Knight that could also be customised) and all worked for me then. Being quite honest, grinding over gaps has almost always felt like filler (though a great spectacle) to me and Black Knight actually gave the player something to do during it besides jump to another rail. I'd like more "freedom" especially now, but it was "active" in a way I like even if the execution was inconsistent. Brawl had a fun single player campaign with co-op options, you used your time well there.

[@DeathLeprecon]

That story about holding the Wiimote wrong hits a little close. I spent my entire childhood playing the SNES controller upside down. No idea how I finished as many games as I did.

[@SpaceyMcSpacer]

Man this takes me back to when I got both Secret Rings and Colors back around 2010/2011 just a few months after I got my Wii. I used to love Sonic Colors and hated Secret Rings and while my opinions on Sonic Colors lessened a bit over the years I still found it to be great and better than what most people say I still hate Secret Rings to this day even after I replayed it with a fresh perspective and Secret Rings imo stands as my least favorite Sonic game Also a little nitpick I noticed but the Dolphin footage in this review is 4:3 stretched when the game is 16:9 I think Dolphin has options for changing aspect ratios so next time you should do that

[@GNVS300]

I absolutely LOVED the DS version of Colours and still do. I never liked the Wii version as much because I didn't like the lack of missions or many of the exclusive wisps besides Frenzy, but I thought it was good. However I came back to it a few months ago, and yeah... wasn't keen on it.

[@itSCOOTER1]

I remember playing and really liking this a lot and Sonic and The Black Knight as a kid. Love the intro song this has, it gets stuck in my head. I think i only played the story once or twice for this. Every other time I turned this on me and some friends were always playing the party mode

[@omegaXjammur]

Let's just pin this in the butt: The gameplay and replayability? Trash. The music and set pieces? Based.

[@ThatStoryTeller1987]

when sega gets pressured to reboot sonic adventure culminating in a reboot of sonic 06 as sonic adventure 3 Id be excited to hear your review. This was as spot on as your reviews usually are, and it hurts. Like where are we headed as sonic gamers now that the epic scale of adventure has a ruined reputation. We really need an epic stakes sonic series and adventure is it.

[@GottaBeFrank]

I remember hearing 7 Rings in Hand and thinking how annoying that was going to be to hear throughout the game.

[@MaskOfCinder]

Your thumbnails makes it look like you are putting a checkmark of approval on all of these games.

[@LAZY-RUBY]

Secret Rings has my favorite soundtrack in the entire series. Please, Runblebee, come back to us...

[@Azure4Shore]

Hey @J's Reviews! Did you know that Crush 40 did their own cover version of this game's Main Theme "Seven Rings in Hand"? It can be found on the True Blue: The Best of Sonic compilation album!! That at the very least, DOES NOT disappoint whatsoever! Great retrospective, SATSR might have been underdeveloped... nevertheless it's still an important footnote in the snarky blue hedgehog's extensive history.

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

Honestly, the final boss wasn't too good, but it turned out to be one of the best exp grind spots in the game... go figure.

[@jonny12x96]

Darkspine Sonic is my favorite sonic form to this day

[@alanchavez5962]

Sonic: defeats one enemy Sonic: “Whew! Just made it!”

[@DesoloZantas]

This might be a good game on a smartphone.

[@ayoubhaddouchi4972]

This game is basically "Mach Speed Sections" the game

[@nedalomar4216]

But worse

[@theminecraft2516]

But a little better

[@jobsidian4219]

Waaaaay better

[@pokekiller787x]

I have such a love and hate relationship with this game. I played it in 2009 when I was 6, it was my first sonic game and my first wii game. I have no idea why I liked this game back then. Now while I know how bad it is, it just has a bit of a special place in my heart even if it's bad.

[@nvsseann]

Imagine if Secret Rings and Black Knight were on the current gen consoles (Xbox One , PS4 , PC and Switch) and replaced motion controls with controller support instead if this were to happen the games wouldn't be as bad as people claim.

[@cooper2211]

I said this since I was a kid if these were on more accessible and mainstream consoles & controls the games would've been far better received

[@jobsidian4219]

Imagery soinc and the secret with the adventure gameplay and level design !

[@cooper2211]

@@jobsidian4219 would be one of the best sonic games same with black knight surprised sega hasn't made remakes of old sonic games by this point

[@Vexcenot]

walking not front is literally a main feature of this game with an entire dedicated tutorial level

[@NintendoTV64]

At least this game isn't as bad as the 2019 Live Action Aladdin!

[@NativS2002]

Hearing "who's gonna rock the place where?!" Made me nostalgic for Cobanermani456

[@charactersin-depth3472]

It's funny that Secret Rings was treated like Sonic Colors before Sonic Colors was even made. Critics loved it mainly because it isn't 06.

[@Prime_Legend]

@@crashingbasher7376 colors isn't good at all lmao. Can't tell me 90% slow blocky platforming and on rails linear lvl design is good. Story was also the worse thing I've seen.

[@jjc4924]

At least it's not as bad as 06. Unless u played the P-06 project.

[@clix8100]

Bro you killed me at the scene with sonic locking the genie back in the lamp saying *I'm not a rat, I'm a HEDGEHOG* which was actually my favorite moment in that game, and you said *that was pretty f@#$ing bass I'm not gonna lie*

[@SpongesonicPictures]

Real talk, before Sonic Forces came along, this used to be my most hated Sonic game.

[@michia3765]

Never thought I would see someone who agrees with me on that lol

[@entertainer_ev2747]

I still hate this game slightly more cuz I literally can't beat it but I still think Forces is the worst mainline game

[@totallyhumanproductions1349]

When I heard The Palace that was Found, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia, because I grew up on cobanermani456.

[@rvegeta]

23:00 ... I miss the old cobanermani :'T

[@CharlExMachina]

Ikr, it's so sad that he ended up being mad and broken

[@exemplarybagel6979]

2020 was the year that kept on taking. Not looking forward to 2021... or even the next decade TBH.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Sonic and Elise are very well executed. Her feelings for Sonic make sense with her backstory and predicament and what he does for her and Sonic feels for her as a friend sees her with respect for what she was willing to do to escape Eggman. People misunderstand their relationship as having been going for a two way romance when it wasn't. Sonic treats her the same way as he treats Shahra and encourages her the same way as he does Shahra.

[@TheSultan1470]

Exactly!

[@MrSupersmash93]

Honestly I would welcome the return sonic story book series.

[@Merdicano]

Me too in a heartbeat, me too

[@MrSupersmash93]

@@Merdicano like what other stories could they have use? Like the hindu stories? Maybe have sonic roleplay as Ajna and Shadow Karna?

[@Merdicano]

@@MrSupersmash93 From what I heard about rumors, it was either Greek mythology or Robin Hood. Those two were the ones that were brought up the most

[@MrSupersmash93]

@@Merdicano robin hood seems repeative to me because of Black knight.

[@Merdicano]

@@MrSupersmash93 Hmm, true that. Greek mythology sounds highly more interesting

[@ARANVA]

dude i grew up with this game idc if it was a steaming pile of garbage it has a special place in my heart because it was the game that raised me