Learning to Love Sonic Adventure - A Retrospective

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing it somewhere - with friends, enemies, your dad Big, or just online! I'd like to give a HUGE deal of credit to MykonosFan - not just for his editing work as always, but because it was _his_ Sonic Adventure video, his infectious energy, that almost certainly got me interested deep down in giving the game another shot. I don't say this because he's a friend, but as a fan: His videos are the best-kept secret on KZbin right now. Check out his video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6evgWSredh-rpY The one big thing I forgot to include in this video was a heads-up that for whatever reason, Sonic's fast-paced gameplay sometimes messes with KZbin's video playback codecs and ends up looking a bit muddier than it does when you play it. I spent a good hour or two trying to work around that issue when I first found out it existed, but even now I see a little bit of this happening as I watch the video through YT, compared to how it looks on my PC. Just keep that in mind, the game actually looks a decent bit *better* in motion than it probably will here!

[@MykonosFan]

In 2034, KZbin's codec will finally show SA1 in all of its true glory.

[@mbe102]

lol, 9:54 sounds like you need a Dreampi. All the DLC and event downloads are available for Sonic Adventure.

[@MattSipka]

I personally like SA2 more.

[@j.goggels9115]

"Rough transition to 3D" ? I want names !

[@nicklasabrahamsson8836]

One fact you forgot about speed highway is that it's evening when you enter speed highway, then it's night and later close to city hall it's morning again. Also a fun time mechanic

[@Cybershell13]

Great video, I always love to see people learn to appreciate this game.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Credit to you, I popped in and out of your DX vs. Dreamcast breakdown a few times during the early stages, once MykonosFan threw me down the "oh god what the hell is DX" rabbit hole - so thanks for that, my friend! I'm glad I could try and pay that energy forward a bit to folks that maybe aren't as big on Adventure, like I was before.

[@baharry]

Hey Cybershell.

[@MatrixEvolution17]

based cybershell

[@Xxandrew01]

Didn't actually expect you to comment. A pleasant surprise. But yeah. Sonic Adventure Is an amazing game and deserve all sorts of appreciation.

[@SpaceRodan]

Yours and Bolts videos make for such a great combination vied back to back. Great stuff!

[@Saltydkdan]

I already like Sonic Adventure due to childhood nostalgia, but this video really gave me a whole new appreciation for it One of the best gaming video essays I’ve come across in a LONG time!!

[@TheGoldenBolt]

That's super high praise, knowing how incredible the whole essay sphere can be - thanks so much!

[@jtk480]

ayo salty is right and if you dont beleive me ask garfeldi

[@Joshi_ForReal]

@Saltydkdan you mean you already like "Trevor" adventure ;)

[@Nobutehuhh]

"A game that more people have watched online than have ever played" can sadly be attributed to a lot lol. The older I get the more I appreciate just trying shit out for myself.

[@henriquezioto8760]

Yeah, i myself have seen more than 10 hours of Balan Wonderworld videos on youtube and never even had the thought of playing it.

[@mikeexits]

Firsthand experience will always be more personally valuable and educational than relying on someone else's. Because nobody else thinks or experiences life exactly like you; you are the center of your own universe so you might as well try things out yourself (regarding safety concerns, it's up to you where you draw that line and how much risk you're okay with taking on; although obviously with video games that isn't really a concern if you don't overdo it to the extreme). The primacy of direct experience, as the great Terence McKenna called it, is key to living a fulfilling and wise/learned life.

[@Nobutehuhh]

@@mikeexits Completely agree, I’ve been listening to my own intuition this past year & found some of my favorite art because of it. I prefer to go into a show, game, album, or movie blind if I can.

[@justinterry7853]

EXACTLYYYY

[@UsingGorillaLogic]

The way you describe big the cat made me realize he is the Sonic equivalent of that image of the dad just trying to grill.

[@NiGHTSnoob]

THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THAT THIS GAME CAME OUT RIGHT NEXT TO OCARINA OF TIME So many people like to act like Sonic didn't jump to 3D until years after everyone else and it should have learned from all their mistakes. In reality Sonic came out right alongside the lot of them and pushed all of them forward setting standards in controls, camera tech, gameplay variety, storytelling, and lighting for years to come. The game isn't perfect, but it is an absolute landmark, and the core gameplay holds up really well if you take the time to learn the physics. The game didn't not learn from other games' cameras, the game had to invent a new type of camera system wholesale, and honestly it got most of the way there. It's got some issues, but it actually works most of the time, and honestly that's basically the same for Mario 64 and Zelda OoT. It's a little rougher, but the game's speed and huge intricate levels are also much, much tougher on the camera.

[@YourUncleBenis]

Yeah, I'd blame that perception on Adventure DX being the more commonly played version... A LOT of Adventure's bad public perception can be tied back to DX, tbh, even if I'll admit to not minding it.

[@sgoc9499]

It's kinda wild thinking this game came out the same year as MGS1, another great transition to 3D

[@derekr3895]

Not to mention its a much better game than Ocarina of Time.

[@YourUncleBenis]

@@StuffAboutSandwiches Dang. Guess you're a Wrong sandwich.

[@NiGHTSnoob]

@@StuffAboutSandwiches The only one of those games that came anywhere close to the level of ambition Sonic Adventure had in its design is Half-Life and, not coincidentally, it's also the only one of those games that also gets a fair amount of flak nowadays for it's entire last third, general jankiness, and bad conveyance. Also I disagree. Sonic Adventure's cutscenes are rough. They were even two years after it came out, but no, the stage design is still an absolute blast. I played through SA, OoT, and MGS all within the past 3 years and SA was definitely the most enjoyable to just keep coming back to play more of with all its Rank missions.

[@Monroah]

As someone who still really likes this game, despite the game being jank incarnate, it's real cool seeing someone warm up to the game after a second chance. It even took me a second run to really start getting into it, so I definitely understand the initial impression. I even gained a greater appreciation for this game, thanks to this retrospective, so thanks for that!

[@mikeexits]

I think the facial animations are the jankiest I've ever seen haha. So jumpy and stiff. It really helps me appreciate what modern gaming audiences call "bad/mediocre facial animation" quite a bit more. It's complex and intricate animation that's not easy to do. Although to be fair, as far as I can tell most games at the time didn't even bother to try doing facial animations at all. I mean, Half-Life came out in the same year, yet the facial animations are just one-dimensional mouth-flapping. Props for trying and getting some expressiveness in there. I've heard they couldn't alter the facial animations for English localization; this would explain why the animations fit the japanese dub far better than the English one.

[@Bombastic_daioh]

It held up incredibly well espaically comapred to M64 and OOT which are wayyy more junky and trashy.

[@Danny_Deleto]

Gamma's story absolutely blew my mind when I was a child. It was my first experience of a story that had so much depth that I could learn new things about it on my fourth playthrough. It was such a beautiful addition I was not prepared for, but I am so happy it was in the game.

[@aegisreflector1239]

Same

[@TheBeaverhouse]

I love how when you're describing your fancy idea for the pre-final boss emerald collection, you're quite literally describing End of the World from Sonic 06. :p

[@ctpp64]

if only end of the world wasnt dogshit lol. thankfully sa2 does this idea pretty well

[@LupinticDream]

I'm excited for when ChaosX's Project 06 eventually gets to that portion of the game. Always loved the idea behind it.

[@WaterKirby1994]

Tails & Knuckles sections of Perfect Chaos would have been epic, Amy's section would have probably been a pain, & Big's section would have been interesting when you consider that the water itself is in some ways Chaos itself.

[@charliekahn4205]

I'm just waiting for the day when DX modders can finally expand the level list without breaking the game, and add an EoTW-style final sequence into the game, removing or changing that last cutscene. In fact, since all the cutscenes are in engine, it's completely possible to do this.

[@charliekahn4205]

@@WaterKirby1994 Like Big's Chaos 6 fight?

[@electroamp]

A person who can stomach Big's gameplay and understands the charm it offers as an observer's perspective? Sold

[@InternetTAB]

i like to think people who hate big's gameplay have never played a sega fishing game lol

[@aegisreflector1239]

@@InternetTAB ikr, i never understood the Bigs drama hate, to me it was a break from the faster levels,and the fishing a another neat lil mini game. Games still have fishing, FF15,Nier Automata, Guilty Gear etc,idk why people are so triggered by Bigs levels honestly.

[@zenostriker6081]

@@aegisreflector1239 The thing is that Big’s fishing is mandatory for story progression unlike the games you just mentioned where fishing is mostly optional. If Big’s gameplay was just a mini game you do on the side to kill time people wouldn’t have much of a problem with it.

[@HeavyRaiden]

I think the criticisms comes from the fact that you have to beat his story mode to unlock the ending of the game, when it really should be an extra one, as it isn't as fun as the others and can be stressing for players who don't know how to play those levels.

[@Glitchy1988]

Unless you're going for 100% completion the big level are the easiest shortest things ever, I personally enjoy them for the same reason I enjoy water levels, they're a nice change of pace.

[@olivia6808]

I never thought sonic was bad or “not fun” until I grew up and saw that everyone thought the games were bad and not fun. To me they were always fun as a kid and now I feel nostalgic and still have fun with thwm

[@StarOutlaw9]

What you described wanting for the finale, with all the different characters doing something to get one of the emeralds, is basically what happens in SA2. I wouldn't mind seeing your thoughts on the sequel.

[@leaonidasgames4277]

This also happens in Sonic 06

[@michaelcarlton1484]

The characters all fighting the big bad happened in Sonic Heroes as well.

[@scr0ngle108]

@@michaelcarlton1484 Xcept with only 2 super forms unfortunately

[@michaelcarlton1484]

@@scr0ngle108 Everyone else still participates. Also, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails all go Super.

[@saricubra2867]

I like how in SA2 the real villain is the G.U.N team. Very sad the story about Gerald Robotnik and what G.U.N did to him, the old dude went crazy.

[@TheDanTheManShow]

Another Bolt classic. I gotta say, I’m really glad that they haven’t brought back Gamma in any way, shape, or form. I’m glad that he stayed dead, it really drives home the impact of the story.

[@benceszarvas5464]

They did in Sonic Shuffle(playable character) level badnik in Sonic Adventure 2 and even a side story enemy in Sonic Battle(GBA) But it was implied that Eggman made more and more looking robots like gamme. After all he was a succes until egg pawns replaced the hype for whatever reason.

[@alwaysabiggafish3305]

He is not dead; the flicky is free Just bring him back and get him to control some weaponry but that would completely destroy the impact of his arc lol

[@LSMark]

oh damn this is gonna be a great watch, love your other stuff!

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Thanks so much for the kind words, my friend! Hopefully you enjoyed just as much as some of those earlier videos!

[@Comicboy6758]

based

[@ElectrikStatik900]

hello Sonic Heroes guy

[@FluffyIronGolems]

Hey go interview the Butch Hartman again

[@Sparkette]

Analog or digital?

[@Kaceydotme]

Awesome video! You handled the "rough transition to 3D" talking point really well. I love Amy's levels-- underrated play style, imo, i would love to see it revisited.

[@CarvedDaWarped]

Oh my yes!

[@LordBob]

When I was a kid, I was a huge Mario fan, and firmly believed all 3D Sonic games that weren't Colors were bad. Last year I picked up Sonic Adventure 2 on sale for the meme. But then I played it, and absolutely loved it.

[@mrpro538]

After 2 years, how many Sonic games have you played ?

[@Nathan-rb3qp]

SADX actually used the 1998 Japanese build rather than the 1999 International build that patches a lot of glitches.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

That would explain quite a bit, you learn something new every day!

[@charliekahn4205]

Of course that would be totally fine on the Dreamcast, which had internet and storage, but on the Gamecube they couldn't fix the build later.

[@jkrunch2166]

I love Sonic Adventure, truly, and it's refreshing to be validated via a fresh perspective. I will concede that, while Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were fantastically realized in 3D, Amy and E-102 are barely more fleshed out than an extended mini-game, and while I plowed through the rest of the game as a kid, Big was so awful I actually dropped the entire game for a few months. Still, given how good the general control feels, how expertly crafted (most) of the levels are, and how games like Rayman 2 and Super Mario 64 get a pass for how they've aged, I as a whole feel that this game gets a raw deal when it comes to public perception. I'm glad it seems to be turning around.

[@misterpinkandyellow74]

Mario 64 has aged well though, doesn't need a pass

[@Zikar]

I'm glad that Adventure is getting a good second look, I've seen a number of retrospectives lately, and they all push back against the revisionist history that Adventure was bad and that fans disliked it at the time. Also, we always need more love for the Dreamcast Conversion mod.

[@Lies_and_Slander]

oooo Dang, really hoping we get a Sonic Adventure 2 Retrospective next. It was one of my favorite games as a child but haven't had a chance to replay as an adult.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Crack in Time is up next, but I haven't yet locked in the video after that. If there's enough interest in something similar to this but for SA2, there's a chance! I like that game _significantly_ less than I did SA1 though, so I wouldn't be surprised if that one ends up being more critical even with a new perspective.

[@Lies_and_Slander]

I appreciate your time and the work you do. This retrospective gave me a newfound respect and appreciate for the ambition of SA1, that I never noticed or consider when I was younger.

[@TheMooseOnTheLeft]

@@TheGoldenBolt if you do, you should consider covering speedrunning. SA2 an incredible speedrun game (except for Chao stuff), there are so many things to break in so many different ways, and it remains a popular speedrun game to this day.

[@prrrromotiongiven1075]

@@TheGoldenBolt Wow, that's rare. I've never really heard of anyone who likes SA1 more than SA2, and in my mind, SA2 is all but objectively the better game. Part of why being that I felt they successfully chose the top 3 gameplay styles from SA1 to adapt, and improved all three of them as well. Would like to hear why you felt this.

[@NintenGril101]

Yo I'm really fascinated by this! I don't see a lot of people who genuinely prefer the first Adventure much more than the second one. I personally love SA2 to death with SA1 coming really close behind - so I'm curious to see your reasons! ^^

[@JamoXeno]

really appreciate you going through the effort of paying the definitive version of this game, really is a shame how much of a bad rep it gets cause of segas poorly done ports

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Once I fell down the rabbit hole, I knew I had to show folks like me JUST how far gone the ports have become, it's actually incredible.

[@KirbyGotenksabsorbed]

The original has many questionable artistic and graphical choices that a lot of people ignore or choose not to mention. The most "definitive" version one can play is the PC version with several mods.

[@Ne-ne7qo]

@@KirbyGotenksabsorbed any example?

[@KirbyGotenksabsorbed]

@@Ne-ne7qo Quite a few come to mind just from the opening scene between Sonic and Chaos at night. Off the top of my head: The window frames across the entire city are all using a pure white coloured texture that doesn't seem to be influenced by the night-time lighting, and not only does it look bad, it's extremely jarring and cluttered in terms of shot composition. I believe the next scene has the same issue with the rough-looking brown/white brick texture on City Hall, and I think you'll find that most white textures in the original in general have this issue (Sonic's teeth look like they're glowing in many darker scenes for example). The police cars that are there all have a highly reflective gold texture covering large parts of them for some reason. Many of the textures on the buildings don't wrap around to the top properly, most noticeable on the main station building. Not quite the opening scene, but the textures in the pool area use very rough-looking almost rocky textures that don't even remotely fit a fancy pool area. The pool area is also kind of dimly lit in the original, despite it being broad daylight, and this isn't the only area where the lighting is too dark for a daylight scene. The train doors at station Square also seem to have some kind of texture or lighting issue where one door looks darker than the other, which is an issue that I think is only fixed in the Gamecube version. In the original, the Mystic Ruins use the same dark green colour scheme even in areas that are supposed to be more savanna-like. In the main area the grass textures have little-to-no variation in them and are weirdly solid/clean-cut from the soil, rather than the grass gradually fading into the soil areas like in DX. The roads in the jungle area also seem to have some texture looping issues that, as far as I remember, are actually pretty major in all versions of the game (even modded?) except the Gamecube version specifically seems to have mostly fixed that. The character textures in the original are rather blurry where they aren't just one colour (most noticeable on Sonic's stomach), and of course the models are rather blocky and just worse in general, most notably their hands are just one blob poorly textured in attempt to provide an illusion of having separate fingers, rather than actually having separate fingers ala DX. I believe many of the water effects in the original just used flat animated textures (sometimes way overly animated and of a poor resolution, like the pool in Station Square). The Gamecube version used a mixture of redone animated textures, as well some kind of nice-looking special (3D?) water effect that I don't think is present at all in the other versions of the game (even modded). In fact, going through everything like this, there might be quite a few cases where the Gamecube version just outright has the best textures and more, so I clearly wasn't giving the Gamecube version the credit it deserves. And so on. Again, this is just off the top of my head.

[@MrMarinus18]

I do think the worst part of Sonic Adventure is the very start. Starting out with a boss fight in a limited area is pretty much the exact opposite of what you should do. The first level should be open and not hostile to let you get a feel for the controls without much consequence. It's something Sonic Adventure 2 did way better with city escape which both is way cooler and also serves to simplify the controls for the first minute but in a way people don't mind. I remember really hating that first battle as I just had to stumble through it until I beat it via dumb luck and then just wandering the city aimlessly not knowing where to go or what to do or why.

[@demetri2716]

50:01 This game came out in 1998 and I've been playing it my whole life. 23 goddamn years, and never once did I ever think about that. I just laughed for like 5 minutes straight pondering that question... I'll never be able to play it the same way again

[@BugsyFoga]

Man, A crack in time looks weirdly different from what I remember.😆

[@TheGoldenBolt]

#soon 👀

[@terryh.9238]

hype...

[@Drax69420]

Shame you didn't care about Tikal's and Chao's story since that's a big reason why I like the game. I know it can be a bit "yadda yadda" at times, but it goes to great lengths to explain what happened to Knuckles' tribe and what happened to Chaos. I also think you mistaken the intent of the flashback scenes. They weren't trying to answer "who is Chaos" but "who WAS Chaos." Also, Chaos didn't just attack Knuckles's tribe because they tried to take the chao emeralds, he attacked them because not only did they try to steal the emeralds for their own selfish purposes, they also killed a lot of chao, the creatures that Chaos protected before he was sealed away, and seriously injured Tikal, who Chaos befriend and had a bond with. Also, it's kind of hypocritical to say that the flashbacks took the story too seriously when Gamma's story was taken as seriously, if not more, then Chao's story. Yeah, Chao's story involves more furry drama, but it's drama between a peace loving girl and her war mongering father whose greed single handily drove his species into near extinction. Besides that slight issue with story junk, I loved the video and loved the fresh perspective on SA. I can't wait for the SA2 video.

[@JapanFreak2595]

My issues was misinterpreting the aspect chaos emeralds positive and negative aspects as being related to friendship.

[@thewindthatblows]

Gamma's story also takes it seriously but its more existentialist themes use Sonic's lore to portray soul and liberation in an unique, kinda poetic way that couldn't be done in any other franchise (many fantasy settings use the angry god trope Sonic Adventure flashback uses), and doesn't shove the themes down your throat like Tikal's cries for pacifism aside from the scene with Amy.

[@Drax69420]

@@thewindthatblows fair enough.

[@WaterKirby1994]

The Tikal Flashbacks are much more complicated, you are shown her 1st interaction with the chao in 1 of them. Through talking to all of the echidnas we learn that Tikal's Father greatly expanded their tribe's territory since he became chief following the death of her grandmother. Eventually a war goes badly & in desperation for more power Tikal's Father sought to use the Chaos Emeralds, despite them being sacred. Tikal was unable to get her friends to leave the Alter or give up the Emeralds & was powerless to stop her father & his warriors from attacking. The Emerald Alter was set on fire that night & the echidna girl found herself & the chao trampled. This Last Story is why Sonic Adventure was darker than Adventure 2 in terms of story & it by no means takes itself too seriously. You see as the creature that was the girl's best friend uses the 7 Emeralds to immediately kill her father & then proceed to enact genocide against her tribe in revenge. You then watch the same seemingly hopeless situation happen in Station Square, it's all a cutscene to emphasize that there is nothing you can do except watch on the Dreamcast Version, later ports gave the ability to skip cutscenes.

[@thewindthatblows]

@@WaterKirby1994Even despite all of its complicated setup, what message do you get from all of it? A cliché "War bad, war transforms peace in violence, we have to open the heart of those who became violent", even though Super Sonic defeats Chaos with that same violence. If they had focused more on Tikal's friendship with Chaos, like you remarked, it could have instead become something deeply moving akin to the animated movie from the year after, "The Iron Giant", which takes a similar tropey concept of an otherwordly being capable of mass destruction and political repercusion but focuses on the charming partnership between the main characters and their views on morality. I do agree with you that Sonic Adventure does have a story that at least feels less pretentious and has better world building than Sonic Adventure 2's EDIT: I just realized, you can also draw a lot of comparisons between The Iron Giant and Gamma's story in their portrayal of duty and soul, but I don't want to spoil the movie

[@nblhrt92]

My favorite side story is the Burger Shop girl saga. I couldn't help but root for her.

[@ABlob]

One thing I've found out very recently, the emblems actually do something in the Dreamcast...'s Japanese version. According to the "SADX vs SA1 extra content" section of the infamous Sonic Adventure DX Sins blog (nowadays under the name "dreamcastify unreliable network"), the emblems originally acted as a currency to buy rare Chao on the Japanese website. But this feature never worked when the US version of Sonic Adventure launched. The Japanese name for Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut is just Sonic Adventure DX (with katakana over the DX, spelling out "Deluxe"), so it seems like "Director's Cut" was added in localization.

[@Lazypackmule]

I've always wished Amy's acrobatic platforming gameplay got brought back with some additions and tweaks. They somehow managed to make her one movement ability feel really fun despite the rest being so limited- it was just screaming to be expanded on, even if the horror-lite bits didn't work all that well Interestingly, SA2 seemed like it was initially developed with this in mind, Amy is brought along for the ride with little explanation, and damn near every cutscene she's in before the ending seems like a prelude or follow up to some levels for her that were just cut at some point, and the setups imply that the direction would have been more about active stealth-platforming, which seems really cool

[@LiaManila]

Do i have news for you: Amy is playable in Sonic Frontiers now and she’s easily the most most acrobatic character in the game with a insanely high triple and broken glide.

[@Lazypackmule]

@@LiaManila And it would be pretty great if not for the weird card moves

[@LiaManila]

@@Lazypackmule I don’t really mind the cards for her movement but the fact that it’s used in combat far more than her hammer is weird

[@Lazypackmule]

@@LiaManila For me it's just like, she's not supposed to be magic The tarot cards were a cute little quirk of her character, so now contriving a way to make that a primary part of her moveset makes it feel like it was designed by an AI with a list of bullet points about her personality but no understanding of what she does

[@GearlessMo]

Amazing.. thank you so much for sharing this with us. Over an hour of detailed examples and perspective-changing narratives. Great to see this game getting better attention. I waited 17 HOURS in line for my Dreamcast on 9/9/99 at Babbage's, and the friends I made that day are STILL fans of this game as much as I am. THANK YOU SOO MUCH !!

[@anothergamer112]

I'm so glad we're gradually moving past the age of people disregarding Sonic Adventure because some popular guy on KZbin was bitter about the dark era.

[@GoldStorm07]

I very much get the feeling that Super Sonic's story was meant to have a level similar to what you mentioned with each character using their abilities to gather the Chaos Emeralds across the destroyed Station Square, given that that's how both Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic 06 (Adventure 3 in all but name) built up to their respective Super Sonic final bosses, but even with all of its ambition in mind SA1 was pretty badly rushed. The Saturn came and went without an original Sonic platformer since X-Treme just never managed to come together, and SEGA and Sonic Team knew that the Dreamcast needed to launch with a big Sonic game in order to even stand a chance. There are hints that other ideas were dropped for lack of time, such as Big having a Lost World level (his house in Mystic Ruins is right next to it, it's filled with water and his ending has him and Froggy dancing on top of the ruins.)

[@TheGoldenBolt]

It's even more fascinating to me, ever since Chris MykonosFan told me about how the bulk of Sonic Team jumped right into Phantasy Star Online after this, leaving behind a much smaller splinter team to work on _Sega's top franchise_ for SA2. It's no surprise with any of these games, given how often they ended up rushed near the finish, but let's just say that I've gained a much greater empathy for SA2's many issues after hearing THAT part.

[@GoldStorm07]

@@TheGoldenBolt Especially with how infamously late Tails and Rouge were added in SA2's development, the quality of levels like Security Hall and Mad Space make sense.

[@ctpp64]

@@GoldStorm07 prison hall is a forces level, i think you meant prison lane. but yeah, a lot of sa2 stages are just really bad lol

[@GoldStorm07]

@@ctpp64 I was thinking of Security Hall.

[@ctpp64]

@@GoldStorm07 I actually kinda liked that one lol

[@GeneralMcNuggs]

Despite its flaws, Sonic Adventure has the best aspects of Mario, Zelda, and Metal Gear Solid all thrown into a Sonic game released right on top of those titles. Sonic Team did an amazing job and I appreciate the ambition these developers had for the Dreamcast.

[@Mas0o0n]

I grew up playing Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, and I still enjoy playing them today. That is at least enough for me, that I still enjoy playing them.

[@TheFrostedfirefly]

You just completely shattered my world and everything I ever knew by asking how those birds took a family photo, I'm completely distraught, I will not recover for *months*

[@grimmick9446]

I know this is old , but this comment killed me 😂

[@SianaGearz]

60Hz renderer does a whole number on the robustness of the systems in this game, the 60Hz rework in DX was probably a rush job, and the fans can try to fix it by finding and fixing bugs one by one, but it'll never be quite as solid as when played at a lower framerate. Including your camera issues. Like most games of the day, the logic rate and the framerate aren't really decoupled, and the engine is not robust enough to stretch that far. The collision engine is sample based, so if at a given frame timestamp, you would have been inside a particular piece of geometry by continuing the dynamic motion, it fixes your position back outside the colliding geometry and signals the collision event, that's how collision worked in games until very recently, and sometimes still does. Normally that just works better with higher physics rate, but implementing physics has more epsilon-edge-cases than you can imagine, epsilon being the numeric error being introduced by a floating-point operation, it ALWAYS needs to be accounted for to err on the safe side, as physics is unforgiving, and it takes years to shake it out - they didn't have years, so instead you have more opportunities to run into those edge cases. You can imagine what happens at higher framerate. There are camera guide volumes that aren't ideally connected to each other, and it's possible to glitch between them more easily with higher framerate, and it hooks back into the same collision detection in the physics, making the same issue occur in different guises. I seem to recall that there is evidence that the game was supposed to ship as a 30Hz title on Gamecube, with most of the original lighting system intact, but they had to rework it into 60Hz in just a few months at the end, break and reassemble everything into a semblance of a finished game again. Sure things sometimes go wrong, but you could be playing for 40 hours before it does in the Dreamcast release, at which point... puh? I mean have you seen a MODERN game where things don't go ever so slightly buggy every 20-40 hours? And a little jank in the controls is... well, are you going to say Mario 64 is free of that? I think the elements of the game work well together and are essentially Sonic, there is a commitment to the inputs you make, so you better get good at them. Also designed for the Dreamcast stick. This thing is weird. It has a guide plate that tries to nudge you into the 8 principal directions, invisibly by applying a force to the return spring, but by applying downforce, you can overcome the guide and control it precisely, and due to giant throw, it actually has a scary amount of precision to it. I found the stick back in the day INSANELY helpful. Now it's not an issue for me any longer, but back in the day, i had massive trouble making a directional input in the desired direction on PS2 pad or analogue PC pads that imitated it, i would veer 15° or so off angle and it would force me to focus and become very frustrated with my inability to keep myself straight. Dreamcast solved that for me, i could play Sonic with no direction anxiety, i could just trust my feel. They identified an issue people had, not being used to analogue pads, and did their best to solve it in hardware, and they knew that people were struggling because Saturn 3D Pad doesn't have the directional guide plate yet. And i don't think the solution is as elegant as the simple octagonal outer gate on the Gamecube, though that has its own limitation, being applied only to maximum magnitude inputs, but it does cancel out the angular drift somewhere between the brain and the fingers usually, so i call it a success. I think when the editor says that DX is constrained to 8 directions + magnitude, the Dreamcast guide plate is what they were trying to imitate, but lost the ability to take precise control. I also absolutely loved the cutscene changes between each story and how each of them presented these same characters remembering the events very differently! And the adventure stages and the changing world state between the story beats. It did feel pretty grand. You pop that disk into your Dreamcast every day for half an hour just before going to sleep, and life is good again. Slept great after that. Not that i do that now, no, i used to back in the day. Same thing with Shenmue, such an engaging experience if you try to inhabit it and not try to rush through it in a goal oriented manner, racing to the ending. Perfect games? Of course not, but still very satisfying. I think these early games set a trend that a lot of games of the era tried to capitalise on, some very successfully, like Super Mario Sunshine comes to mind, don't you just feel like taking a subtropical summer vacation?

[@ilytyypa]

Man no ones reading all this crap!

[@jordanmynes2638]

Lovely read

[@rynobehnke8289]

I did play Sonic Adventure alot both the DX and the Dreamcast version. And from my experience is the 60FPS increase only a real issue during 3 segments. Before the tripple Loop before the Whale Chase During the automated railway on Sky Deck's first section And with Speed shoes on the narrow street segments in Speed Highway. These were about the only time I run into collision problems that I didn't also experienced in the Dreamcast version. But I do know that apparently breaking through certain collisions on purpose is far easier on the DX version. From what I heard was the Light engine removed because it relied on a lot of Dreamcast specific hardware and therefor couldn't be properly implemented on the Gamecube and as all versions after the GC versions are based on it did non of them ever regain the light engine despite modern hardware being good enough to do it in software now. Not sure if this is true or not tho. So that's why the Dreamcast analog stick feels so good.

[@alfiehicks1]

The absolute duality of the first two replies.

[@FeelingShred]

besides, the 60 FPS gives me motion sickness in most games anyway... I end up locking most of my games (where it is possible) to 30 FPS max, some games even look surprisingly better in 25 FPS, it gives a "cinematic" feel to them... I strongly believe 60 FPS is the reason why some games look like "jank", if you take the same games and limit them to 30 they look fine

[@SleeplessStreams]

"It's a good thing eggman's army are robots and not living things" do we tell him

[@Lugbzurg]

From what I've heard, Big the Cat was an excuse to make the player stare at the DreamCast's ability to render water for long periods of time.

[@lnsflare1]

They should have instead had a story which explains why orcas hate Sonic so much.

[@Lugbzurg]

@@lnsflare1It's possible they might have had a different playstyle in mind for him early in development. There is some very early footage floating around somewhere that shows him in the cut "Windy Island Beta" level retrieving Froggy on dry land. My guess is that his gameplay was going to be a middle ground between Sonic and Knuckles' at some point. Maybe they changed it to fishing to avoid redundancy... and to make you admire their water effects some more.

[@ctpp64]

i think thats also why chaos is a water monster lol

[@Lugbzurg]

@@ctpp64 Most likely. They likely took as many excuses to show water as they could. In fact, if I understand correctly, their goal with Chaos was to show off a character who would've been impossible to display on the Saturn.

[@brendanblair64]

This video is so good. You so accurately explained the magic myself and so many other people see in this game, and it's amazing to hear it coming from someone who used to dislike it. This is now my favorite video on Sonic Adventure, and I'm currently in the process of spamming it to all my friends.

[@Mangaka-Knight]

Out of all of the Sonic Adventure reviews I've watched, you are the first to TRY to create a positive message for Big's gameplay. Kudos to you. This actually made me smile slightly (ONLY SLIGHTLY) at Big, for only a few seconds.

[@danmoore6062]

"I opened my heart to sonic adventure" - all you need to hear here

[@jackypendragon2041]

Can't wait to watch this now, with blankets and good food c:

[@NickGoblin]

As someone who's been constantly trying to get people to see why this game was actually good all along, this video is one hell of a reward. All of the reasons you list in this video are why I like this game. This was my first time seeing Sonic in 3D. I will admit that my liking of this game is heavily linked with Nostalgia, but I've been nostalgic for games that are bad, too. I can tell. Sonic Adventure is not a bad game. It's certainly not perfect, and that's why I would love a remake or reimagining of it, but I'd still consider it a good time as long as you know what you're getting into.

[@Hawbitten]

Love it or hate it. The fact Sonic Adventure has so many hour long video essays on it alone shows there's more to it than just a "Bad game"

[@starmaster65]

This video is incredible! Not just because you praised Adventure, but your critiques were just and fair. Good job!

[@Lucystanford]

Sonic adventure is one of my favourite games of all time, but whenever I tell people that they normally make fun of me for it being a bad game, this was such a refreshing perspective of this game and it made me so happy to watch, awesome work :D

[@misterhimura036]

Sonic Adventure is a good game

[@Nomad]

I love the game. Always have. Had it for Sega Dreamcast and still go back and play it to this day.

[@spoops2357]

as someone who has been a sonic fan all their life, i somehow didn't know that SA released only a month after Ocarina. that's mind blowing to me. And it certainly gives me that new, different perspective on game i already enjoyed. Wonderful retrospective!

[@RotcodFox]

I love that you're making this video, because Sonic Adventure is my favorite Sonic game, and is in my top 5 favorite videogames ever

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I hope you enjoyed it! From what MykonosFan had told me, some of the things I noticed or tried were things he would never have thought about thanks to his decades of experience - hopefully that different perspective was a fun one for you to join me in exploring!

[@RotcodFox]

@@TheGoldenBolt I'm currently 57 minutes in and enjoying every second of it. You basically described all of the reasons why I love SA1 better than I ever could. Sonic Adventure was actually my very first videogame, and I've replayed it over 10 times since then

[@aegisreflector1239]

SA is one of my favorite platformers and even games ever made.

[@MyMyClank]

I really appreciate everything about this video. I love Sonic and all it’s messy history, but I’d never actually given this game a chance because I didn’t have it as a kid and grew up hearing so much discourse about it. The way you described Big the Cat actually made me have feelings of affection??? Which I didn’t know was even possible. I truly wish DX had been a better port because I think if I had gotten to play this as a kid I think I would have really loved it. And I really loved watching your journey with it, because I think hearing the perspective you applied to it was far more refreshing than listening to a hardcore fan explain why it’s good or bad. Thank you for all the work you put into transporting yourself to the time this game was made. I wish more video game retrospectives were created this way.

[@ElTaitronAnim]

Really good video! I think it's interesting that cutscenes and dialogue are slightly different in the scenes that are shared by multiple characters, almost like we're seeing each character's perspective on the same scene. Like, in Sonic's story he treats Eggman like "haha you're so lame eggface", but in Tails' story Eggman is a lot more menacing. It's almost a "Rashomon-style" thing, where each character tells their own version of what happened.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I didn't want to outright say in the video that SA1 is very much a Rashomon of sorts, just because if I did I knew somebody would try to make it weird, but it really, really is.

[@PICPWN]

I was 10 and going through a rough time in life, nuff said, and I was a Genesis kid growing up playing the classic Sonic games, so I was already obsessed with anything Sonic. Then I strolled into a Toys R Us not expecting much and admittedly feeling pretty depressed, but I happened to hear that iconic Sonic jump sound from the games and my neck rubber banded up to see my boi in full 3D for the first time ever. My kid brain exploded and I got the Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure as soon as I could and dove into this game absolutely hooked by the environments, aesthetic, music, etc. My tiny world was made brighter and my Sonic love reached a new exciting tier, which has only grown since, experiencing this game as a young child was like being taken to a Sonic fantasy theme park and I put days into this game. I even was blown away by how the VMU had little graphics of the playable characters that would cycle during the cutscenes. The effort and love for Sonic lore that SEGA put into this game made me root for them early on and we know how that unfortunately played out later on, but at the time SEGA were creatively untouchable and it showed in this game’s details. Didn’t mean to gush this much, but I really appreciate how you gave this game a constructive look and found part of what made this game so special to SEGA fans like me and while some fans are seen in a bad light nowadays there are still some good ones, who just wait patiently for our blue buddy to return to his former glory, but still appreciating that Sonic is still around.

[@kenko7735]

My favorite part of Sonic Adventure is the fishing and the loading screens!

[@SuperSonic68]

You know, it's funny. Your idea at the end of all of the characters going off and finding the emeralds in order to bring them together for the final clash? They DID do that eventually... In Sonic 2006. Of course, behind all of the jank that is inherent to that game is a pretty cool idea that does feel like a "coming together" of sorts.

[@pavlostelior]

Finally someone that acknowledges the fact that they arent a fan of the franchise they review. Some reviewers pretend to be a fan, using it as an excuse to blame the game even more, when they really arent and it usually shows

[@Nobutehuhh]

I really appreciate the perspective you took while reviewing this game. I gave Mario 64 that same amount of attention recently and it's one of my favorite games I've ever got 100% in. People are so overwhelmed with content & options of what to play currently; it's important to focus on one game that grabs your interest & really dig deep from time to time.

[@jumponeverything]

This video has made me realise that sonic adventure in a way has bad game design in the name of fun, like putting unfair obstacles in the way of the player that are satisfying to avoid once the player has learned the level, its similar to super Metroid in that way and that's why I love it. Its almost like some strange sort of one time bad game design that becomes good after the player knows what to do. It's something that we never see anymore and although it can be awkward I miss it.

[@LupinticDream]

I think you just described the design philosophy of Sonic games in general; That critique and the justification paired with it is one I often see leveraged at the Genesis Sonic games in particular.

[@nickandreodrums]

Great video man. Sonic adventure is one of my fave games and represents a very good time in my life. Thank you for supporting such a great game with your video.

[@saricubra2867]

Sonic Adventure doesn't get old, even the voice acting has that 90's charm.

[@bobbichn6629]

Great video looking at the little bits I’ve never been able to articulate to friends why I love this game so damn much. Keep it up!

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Much love, my friend!

[@hellbreakfast1590]

This video was a year ago, but it really made me happy to see someone come to it with this perspective. I got to play it when it first came out, on the hardware, and I almost started crying when he started talking about the exploration aspects, and little side stories, and how you were meant to not go from mission to mission mindlessly, but kind of inhabit this weird little world for a bit. That's why I got so much out of it, the cozy parts where you're checking in with the NPCs, and seeing the world change. Sonic had gone into hibernation for what felt like so long to my kid brain, and when he came back, at the level of graphics he was at, it was an amazing thing to even see! I loved the whole thing, even though as a kid I knew 100% how bad the cutscenes were. This game was one of my treasured experiences, and while I'm fine with people criticizing the things that I love (I mean, I do, because I love them) I don't care for people doing it in bad faith. Funny thing, my wife recently has gone back and played it properly, and actually came to me and apologized for being so mean to me about liking it when we first met. It was really sweet of her to do, even though I wasn't really holding some college-aged edginess against her.

[@HeadmasterAutobot]

I played DX way back and, while jank city, I knew there was something special about Gamma's story. I'll always go to bat for that one, at least.

[@heyitsme7k]

I am coming in hot after just finishing the video so this may be a bit of an overstatement, but I got to say this has to be one of the best media analysis videos I've seen in a long time, definitely the best sonic adventure retrospective I've seen and that says a lot considering that, as you said, there are like a billion of those out there. I really appreciate your commentary on the ways that pervasive internet discourse can shape the way we engage with media, it's something I've been thinking about a lot recently and you put it very succinctly here. Just an absolute banger bro 10/10

[@TheGoldenBolt]

We take overstatements here, you're very kind my friend. Thank you so much!

[@DragonSword227]

I’m so glad someone who never grew up with the game actually understands why Sonic Adventure is so beloved by so many people. And what really makes me happy is that you loved it too! I’ve played the DX version when I was 11 in 2003 and have some of the fondest memories of it out of any game ever. To this day, it is still my most favorite Sonic game of all time!

[@t091293]

I loved your teamwork idea for all of Sonic's friends gathering the Emeralds in different, creative ways in the Last Story!

[@5persondude]

It’s funny you mention the idea of the characters working together during the finale… because Sonic 06 actually did something like that lol

[@deathray252]

Good to see the Dreamcast conversion is becoming more known about. Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast was one of the first games I ever played, and when it got rereleased on Xbox 360, it felt incredibly off. For years I chalked it up to the game just having aged poorly, but after getting another working Dreamcast in adulthood, it was apparent just how much DX had screwed what was originally a rather nice to look at game.

[@Sean-fj9pn]

Sonic Adventure was really eye popping on launch and honestly I think its actually a really great game even today.

[@PirateNinjaKitteh]

This was my literal favorite game - the whole reason I wanted a dreamcast so bad as a 6th grader in 1999/2000 - I never knew anyone thought it was a bad game; I honestly think both sonic adventures (1 and 2) and Heroes were the last good sonic games and everything went downhill after that lol ... I also remember spin killing chao and feeling super bad about it haha

[@aegisreflector1239]

People just jump and hate band wagons and dont even know why, just because other people say something but dont try it out,or experience it for themselves. SA 1 is one of my favorite platformers of all time. And even games of all time. People swear like other games coming out along side SA didnt have hiccups. SA had alot of charm and love put into it, and was revolutionary back then in 98/99.

[@WaterKirby1994]

Sucks the Sonic Series abandoned the things that made the Adventure Games so great.

[@jotunheimrwildeorness]

I played this game on release and it was the single greatest thing I had experienced by that point. I still consider it a cornerstone of my computer-gaming experiences and it makes me so happy to see videos like this being made.

[@jayblastnetwork]

Great video. I love your Ratchet and Clank videos so seeing your perspective on this is great. This and Sonic Adventure 2 are my favorite games of all time without them I wouldn't have gotten into gaming as hard as I am now. Alot of your points I agree with even with holding it as my favorite especially your section on Big. I love Big as a character and never thought his gameplay was too bad atleast when completing the story. It felt like a side quest minigame that alot of games had back then. The adventure element is very important I feel it's one of the things I think recent Sonic games are lacking that feeling that you are in a bigger world you can explore even with the linear flow state gameplay. It was nice seeing this perspective from outside of the fanbase. I hope you make a video on Adventure 2 and I can't wait for the Crack in Time video.

[@Hirochicken]

I really love the lenses you viewed this playthrough review. Both team member mindset and time frame are often overlooked.

[@MizfitZer0]

BTW you do know that during Bigs fishing you can jolt the analogue stick in different directions whilst reeling in fish to help guide them the way you want? :)

[@jalslair1229]

My 2 complaints to this review 1. The relation between Chaos, the master emerald, the chaos emeralds and the echidnas wasn't meant to be a plot twist. 2. Station square was destroyed. Plus the characters weren't as strong or skilled as they are in sonic o6 in the end of the world stages. Other than that, amazing job!👍

[@CatBurger]

Also I'd say the critique that the story "took itself too seriously" is definitely an expected and subjective take from an outsider to Sonic - considering that the series has always carried this tone. In fact, the story in Sonic 3 isn't far off from Sonic Adventure. It's a direct sequel, as a matter of fact. So there was nothing wrong with that part of the lore.

[@LupinticDream]

@@CatBurger Makes me wonder what he'd have to say about some of the "Dark Age" games' stories. Personally I like those sincere, serious Sonic stories, if only because I have more reason to be invested and care about what occurs, than I do with a story like Lost World or Colors. Even Forces, which I suppose is technically a "serious" story, feels insincere due to the dialogue and tone of certain integral scenes going against that narrative. Of course, I don't want '06 levels of melodrama, but I feel like wanting / enjoying stories in this franchise similar in quality and direction to Adventure 1, 2, Unleashed & even Black Knight, isn't asking for a lot / is all that silly.

[@DBMusicEX]

@@LupinticDream Agreed. I fully enjoy and love Sonic stories that take themselves more seriously (not like ShadowTH/Sonic 06). Even as an adult I love these stories and miss when Sonic had lore, wonder, and character arcs. I understand people prefer Sonic to be just another generic kids franchise. Just man, I miss the Dreamcast/Dark Eras (crappy games included).

[@RAFMnBgaming]

@@LupinticDream The pontac & graff written games do have somewhat of a problem with sincerity. I know a lot of people are critical of their writing style and whether or not it's a good thing for the series, but I think the "duuuuh, sonic bad and should not be this" era of internet opinion on sonic also heavily influenced both what games sega commissioned and how the duo approached writing their stories and dialogue. I'm curious to see what the widespread shift of opinion on sonic following the success of mania, the movies, various fan projects, and the adventure era kids coming of age to make their own video essays on the series, will do to the plot and tone of the sonic games going forward.

[@ayrtonjoga]

What being strong enough has to do with making the climax more... Climatic?

[@skyty0]

I will never get tired of hour long sonic adventure retrospectives

[@sleepy9102]

16:36 you hit it right on the head. Taking your time collecting the rings encouraging you to explore the routes and optimize your gameplay. I recently got metal sonic because of this fact. I love this game way more now that completed it. The only exception is the A rank for big it’s too random and long to be enjoyable.

[@Supermariorpg6]

I'm gonna say this - This has been legit the best ever Sonic Adventure retrospective made by somebody who never liked this game in the beginning. Very well done my dude, and you'd made a lot of amazing points.... Now I feel less shameful of admitting that this game is my favorite game of all time **It's number 1** Please, I would love you to do more Sonic Retrospectives in the future - Like I wanna hear your opinions on the other 3D games **and maybe the classics too**

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Much love my friend, you're too kind! I'm sure that Sonic will get some more time in the sun here sooner than later, don't you worry - but I did cover the original trilogy (& Knuckles) way back in 2017 (TGB "Season" 2) if you're willing to watch some younger, far less experienced Bolt! I think most of the takes I'd still stand by, but I haven't reread those scripts in a long time, so I make no promises lol

[@Supermariorpg6]

@@TheGoldenBolt Really!? Cool I got something to binge than, thank you!

[@aegisreflector1239]

@@Supermariorpg6 SA1 is still one of my favorite platformers and games of all time. I was a day one player. Was incredible how this looked coming from 64 and ps1. The graphics, the gameplay,the character campaigns,the mini games, the Chao n VMU transfer was all revolutionary at the time.

[@ty_sylicus]

What a wonderful retrospective! Okay, now I REALLY need to give this game a go. I purchased on Steam....a long time ago.

[@pipipsy]

The Dreamcast conversion and BetterSADX mods restore the game to it's dreamcast glory like in the video, so I'd recommend downloading those when you decide to go for it!

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

Some insight from an elderly 32 year old man who had a Dreamcast at launch as a kid: This game was insane back in the day. It really showed what a massive leap over the PSX/N64 the console was, even if that wasn’t always readily apparent based on the selections at launch. It’s like FFIX to FFX. It was the jump to PS2 before the PS2 existed. Once the bulk of the Dreamcast library was out though, there were basically two games you showed your friends when they found out you had a Dreamcast. Shenmue or Sonic Adventue. I wasn’t even a Sonic fan growing up, Mario games are just objectively better, but the game was technically very impressive. Once Jet Set Radio came out that became my go-to game to show people over Sonic. Or Code Veronica/Skies of Arcadia depending on the friend but just to be compared to those games at all is a testament to how good Sonic Adventure looked. I’ve always been resentful of this console getting the short end of the stick. It’s so underrated. I still don’t think a company has made a peripheral to surpass the VMU.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I think a lot of it, and I'm guilty of this myself, comes down to the folks that grew up in that era are the ones that currently drive the discourse online - the 20- to 35-year olds that lived through this era and maybe either didn't have a friend who got the Dreamcast/didn't get one themselves, and have sort of just assumed poor sales = bad. Which, hey, that's very fair to some extent, but it's led to a very Nintendo and PlayStation-centric online scene since those two "won," and since the Xbox brand performed well with a very different crowd than the sorts of gamers that chat online about stuff like this, it never exactly made a huge dent either.

[@UltimateTS64]

So glad to see another person understanding this game

[@theassortedhobbyist]

Sonic Adventure is my favorite game in the franchise (yes, a percentage of that love is because I grew up with it) because I believe the game's core structure and various elements capture the spirit of what I believe the series represents: fun and excitement layered with sincerity and emotion. Every time I play it, I keep falling in love with each character's individual story and growth throughout their narrative as they (somewhat) tie into the bigger story. While it may not be for everyone, I still have a good time playing through the game and keep on discovering new things about the game itself, some of the cut content, and what went into its development. It is refreshing to see a positive outlook on the game from someone who isn't too huge on the franchise, but overall congratulations on the excellent job done for the video to you and the editor.

[@pphillips4586]

Now I need to see your review of Sonic Adventure 2, especially because the final stages of the game are exactly how you wanted the ending of this one to play out.

[@bls8959]

He has one

[@aortaplatinum]

My god man, this is FANTASTIC. The tight editing, the jokes all hitting, the confident voice work... seeing your video on this game I was in the middle of making a series on but just got tired halfway through, this makes me want to keep at it. It reminds me how much I adore this game and all it's strange little quirks and details, and how enjoyable it is to put something together like this, albeit way shorter. Don't take this as a shameless plug, I genuinely want to thank you for this inspiration, maybe it'll wear off in the morning, but if it doesn't... I'm definitely gonna steal some of your points. ALSO, I just noticed that Gamma might be a huge Burning Rangers reference. There's already a blatant NiGHTS cameo, so it makes sense to reference SonicTeam's other Saturn release. It depends on whether he or the Egg Carrier had their finalized designs first, but his red/white/yellow color scheme, quick movement, aerial maneuverability through hovering, and shooting being the main gimmick... holy shit that's so cool, I gotta bring that up when I do Gamma 😭

[@ZombieOfun]

Thank you for bringing up your points about Ocarina of Time and Mario 64. I didn't grow up with an N64 so nostalgia didn't enhance my experience when I did play those games. They were good, but not without their own flaws

[@julien2983]

Something that's easily forgotten by people who claim nostalgia blinds those who played this close to launch, is that at the time there was no real standard for how a 3D adventure platforming style game should control. Playing this for the first time 20 years after release can easily be frustrating and off-putting when the player is accustomed to decades of genre conventions subconsciously influencing their expectations. Not only was I a kid with lots of spare time and no backlog when I got Sonic Adventure in 1999, but I had no preconceived notions for what kind of gameplay I was going to experience because I had never experienced a game like this before, none of us had. There was nothing like Sonic Adventure before 1998 and I would argue there hasn't been anything quite like it since. It's a very particular magic feeling that I feel privileged to have experienced in its time, and will continue to enjoy probably for the rest of my life. Thanks for giving it a fair shake and hopefully helping others to see its unique charm.

[@isaacmarshmallow8751]

Your comments on making the final level a team effort (like canons core), is a completely true. They really missed an opportunity there. The modding community should rectify this...

[@Comkill117]

Not many people would give it a chance in this day and age, much less two, or go as in depth as you did here. This was really cool to hear you play through, especially coming to someone who has been playing this game for years, starting funnily enough also around 2015 on Xbox 360 (I guess earlier on GameCube as a kid in a way, but it got all scratched up and I didn’t get to play it for that long so I’d hardly count it). It gets a really unfair rap today, but I think there’s a lot there to appreciate even if it has some rough edges here and there. Glad you enjoyed your time with it!

[@SteelGrip05]

I appreciate the Sonic All Star Racing gag with the additional info/commentary, reminded me of a lot of fun times

[@peternuesi6700]

I didn’t know i needed this until i saw the thumbnail pop up

[@Hynotama]

Says he's not a Sonic fan, but knows about Mr. Needlemouse. You have outed yourself as a Sonic fan, sir.

[@ChaseMC215]

Sonic's original name was NOT Mr Needlemouse, it was actually Mr Hedgehog, Mr Needlemouse was a mistranslation!

[@Themarcoalmonte]

I recently started playing sonic adventure via PS Now and I tried to put my childhood ambition to wanted to get a sonic game. Ima say im not disappointed at all, this game is incredible and what made the game really good is the voice acting

[@snailgirl6]

Another awesome upload!!! Just finished making breakfast (oatmeal with brown sugar and apple butter). Gonna curl up and watch this now!!!

[@diegoknuckles5661]

It's great that more people give love to this game. Is my favorite Sonic game

[@Yuti640]

It’s real fitting that a big theme of Sonic Adventure is perspective and this video’s theme is also perspective

[@alphathekineticwolf171]

1:07:49 Ironically, this idea was used... on Sonic 06, what's considered the worst game of the franchise meaning most probably didn't care for it as much as if it was in Adventure. Still though, End of the World is one of my favourite levels in a Sonic game hands down and executes the "everyone you played as being all in on saving the climax" perfectly in my mind, what with the level having a single track that changes style with each changed character, such an idea in Adventure is something I didn't realise I needed until you mentioned how it's a shame they didn't do that. Man, now I'm left wondering what it would have been like to have a level in broken Station Square, using everyone's abilities to set up for the Perfect Chaos fight, definitely would have been welcome considering Super Sonic's campaign is just a load of hub traversal, some cutscenes and one boss.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I had some flashbacks to 06 when I was writing that section, I...I played these games in what we'll call Meme Order for now

[@charliekahn4205]

It was also in SA2.

[@cypresshill9268]

My favorite part about being a Sonic Adventure fan is how many people who never played the game make fun of you for liking it Glad you went for the second playthrough

[@skullking6017]

I love watching your videos. I played this when I was younger (never beat it but I might go back and play it now) but I had fun. I absolutely loved the "soapbox" at the need because it is so great that you went into this and wanted to understand why people liked it. Not the usual, "what makes this game bad?" Granted, there are games out there that are just not great games but then there are ones like this one that had so much going for it and so many great decisions made, but they are hidden and you have to work to find them. This world has too much negativity in it and it makes a huge difference when someone tries to understand something instead of tearing it down. Thanks for making this video and thanks for including the soapbox at the end.

[@SnowyOwlKonnen]

Great job with this video, I really appreciate you talking about this game in such a balanced scope for both it's positives and negatives. There are a few points I disagree with, mainly about the parts of the story that you say that "takes itself too seriously", which is a sentiment I strongly disagree with the entire franchise. Regardless, great work and I look forward to your future videos.

[@rgm4646]

I think you hit the nail on the head! When I was kid and had ALL the time in the world, I took time to explore more in games, AND because I couldnt just go out and buy a new one, I kinda had to give a game a chance.

[@InfiniteComboReviews]

Great video man! I've only played the DX version myself, years and years ago, and I remember liking it well enough but I think because I played Sonic Adventure 2 first it just wasn't as enjoyable. Since then I have gotten a Dreamcast and a copy of Sonic Adventure so maybe I'll have to give that version a try.

[@jeridon6081]

Absolutely outstanding video, randomly stumbled across it looking for something to just mindlessly play in the background and it had my full attention hooked within the first 5 minutes