Why Shadow the Hedgehog Still Matters

[@NezumiVA]

Pinned comment question: What game do you like that is often viewed as the outsider (or generally unfavorably) within its own franchise?

[@somerandomgamer8504]

BG Dark Alliance

[@notash9283]

Guilty Gear

[@Treeanne88]

​@@notash9283the first one?

[@CPURianaElmori8879]

Sonic 4 episode 2

[@callmeaprilroseorisha404]

animal crossing pocket camp

[@phaineinTV]

Something that clicked with me when you talked about Shadow's lack of agency in this game that I think is really interesting is that in the final story, despite this being a game in which the player is the one deciding Shadow's fate, it's in a moment entirely out of the player's control that Shadow actually makes a final decision as to who he is and what he stands for. Even from a metatextual level, Shadow spends the entire game having other people make decisions about his personhood and his character but in final story, he reclaims his agency to the extent that he even rejects the player's ability to enforce their decisions on him.

[@AFeralTrout420]

Finally someone gets it

[@playerback7722]

True

[@playerback7722]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn7cpnyYrbikgbssi=H-8MphTYiuZr6JB6

[@DLxxx]

Well said!

[@krisstasko]

Shadow is Gordon Freeman

[@dianauwu1312]

I love how Sonic's way of helping Shadow deal with the trauma and angst of returning to the ARK is basically just a little friendly competition. And it works! That's so... wholesome. And so Sonic. And it's a great parallel to how Black Doom goes out of his way to pour salt in the wound.

[@AFeralTrout420]

Really goof point there

[@BottomlessWater]

It's really a cool detail!

[@violetvita4218]

I will also say about the Amy mission where you had to find cream, if you do that mission and go full hero, the path is called the power of love.

[@babygorilla4233]

That's actually quite sweet

[@ULTIMA-2]

We had bought Shadow the Hedgehog after a long day of shopping and I played the opening level, Shadow said ‘damn’ and then I repeated the word out loud and my mom said ‘Nope, no more.’ And returned the game that same day lmao.

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

DUDE

[@GayLPer]

Sounds like your mother failed to read the freaking ESRB rating.

[@JKKoneofakind]

F

[@charlioanimations]

I love that it wasn't because of the guns but because of "damn" lmao

[@Tilo0Tantori]

As someone who periodically plays Shadow The Hedgehog for reasons I can’t explain, this was very powerful. Genuinely made me cry a little. Unlike the game itself, this retrospective was perfect. Thank you.

[@justalittleloser2482]

GIRL. You managed to make me cry about shadow "this is like taking candy from a baby" the hedgehog. Also the part where you play around with the multiplayer section unlocked distant childhood memories of trying to find as many glitches as possible in those areas during a sleepover- seeing those levels again was INSANE

[@lunagale1573]

There's something hilarious about doing the evil choice on the final good route. If it wasn't for the fact you needed to do every route, it would be like "...hey, hey player. What are doing? Why are you doing this? Its gotta be spite"

[@castform7]

I personally haven't played Shadow but in recent times I've come to appreciate it's story or moreso the ending. I never realized before like a month ago but Shadow as a character before the end of his game kinda had almost no agency. He heel turns from being okay with dying on the ARK as long as humanity went down with him to saving the world not due to him realizing how wrong his actions are but because he figures out what Maria asked him to actually do. Shadow throughout his time in SA2, Heroes and most of his game was either following what others wanted, trying to find his past or both. This leads into the end where he realizes his past was kinda awful and he wants to take down Black mostly due to him wanting to move on and look towards his future. Focusing on what *he* wants to do. And I think he means all of his past as he even throws away a photo of the people closest to him at the end. To me now, I feel like Shadow isn't fighting for the world's sake because it's what Maria would've wanted, he does it for himself. Shadow takes orders from no one but himself. Shadow, as he says in 06, determines his own destiny. Not only do I find that much more interesting for his character, I also think it's a great place to take him after the amnesia thing. It also kinda makes me lighten up on 2010's and IDW Shadow a good amount even though I do still have my gripes. I'm honestly kind of sad that it took me this long to really understand what this game put right in front of me but I'm glad I do now.

[@AFeralTrout420]

Finally someone gets it

[@theperfectpixl]

Yeah, despite how messy the execution was, I still think the amnesia angle was a great direction to take his character.

[@ayrtonjoga]

Don't blame yourself for not understanding, it's near impossible to appreciate that part when the game is marketed as a "Choose your own path", just to have it's own canon ending after multiple playthroughs

[@TeltStory]

I like how Shadow's lack of freedom, is a direct contrast to how free Sonic is. Escape from the city as a song just elevated itself as a song for me, merely learning about Shadow's lack of control over his life.

[@Herrscher-of-Autism]

Deciding to evaluate the merit in the positive aspects of bad or mediocre art is incredibly based

[@genyakozlov1316]

You mean unpopular art? Because I fail to see how art can be bad, mediocre, or good for that matter.

[@BBK113]

​@@genyakozlov1316this game is objectively bad

[@PrincessFelicie]

@@genyakozlov1316 There are absolutely meanings of "good" and "bad" that art can be. The disney nazi film from the 40s is morally bad. Shadow the hedgehog isn't competently put together, and that's usually shorthanded to "bad" in general conversation. Unless you adhere to the idea that the only definition of good and bad that exists is the ontological one, art _can_ be "good" and "bad".

[@LupinticDream]

@@BBK113 If you're a fan of the game in your profile picture, then you would know that just isn't the case lol

[@BBK113]

@@LupinticDream Riders is good, best game to come out the 15th anniversary. Issue with the same is that it doesn't teach you how to play the game (tourney edition draws the best out the game) but other than that, its pretty good. Yeah the plot is like a Saturday morning cartoon but I don't care. The way the game controls is pretty good

[@Mew4U]

When people ask me why Shadow the hedgehog still matters, I'm going to say... Because he matters to ME, OKAY!?! Because he matters to me..😔

[@comyuse9103]

"i'm not the same man i was 5 seconds ago, i'm worse!" is a line i will be stealing, thank you

[@Freyja_VR]

"The struggle of inheriting an identity you didn't ask for." This is... strangely relatable.

[@neonpink5556]

For the Circus Park thing, the line Tails gives about it being "made out of" the rings- I wonder if maybe what they meant to convey was that he used all those stolen rings to fill his carnival games/balloons/whatever, given that Tails's objective is to collect them. So it's not literally MADE of them, it's just... what he did with them, I guess.

[@Chaos-Zakai64]

I think Shadow the Hedgehog was the first game where you don't lose all your rings when you get hit. You only lose some. Of course if your ring count was really low you'd still go down to zero. Kinda making it work like a health bar that you can refill by getting more rings.

[@liamclarke91]

Fun fact about Space Gadget. You don't have to wait for the hero mission to expire, you just have to hit down on the d-pad to be set on the centrist mission.

[@NezumiVA]

Oh, huh. Good to know!

[@dan_man3087]

@@NezumiVA or you also can choose it from the pause menu and select it with the X button when resuming the game!

[@HarmonyBunny]

Really? I still got an A on the Neutral mission even if the Hero timer expired.

[@kaloriommati6933]

You can also hit left or right on the d-pad to bring the characters and the mission without the pause-menu...

[@sayuriwillow1703]

I know this is a sub special and therefore a thanks to us for supporting but man, I wanna thank you for the all the great content you've put out on the road here, and for really giving this game in particular a chance. It's been my guilty pleasure game for a long while now, and even though I acknowledge it doesn't do everything it probably should right, the concepts it proposed (however sloppily) have always resonated with me. Not only did you bring a lot of those concepts to the forefront, you pointed out a few new ones I hadn't considered before. So thanks, for giving my guilty comfort game a good look though and giving it some small props instead of just tearing it apart, I truly appreciate it.

[@winterdragon2004]

This video really touched me. Shadow the Hedgehog was my introduction to the Sonic franchise, and I played it to death as a kid, definitely a core memory of my childhood. But the overly negative view the fanbase had left me convinced the game would be seen as nothing more than a dumpster fire to be made fun of (something that happens distressingly often for the things I like) So seeing you willing to look past that, to appreciate the good with the bad, to see all the things that made me love the game despite its flaws... it honestly made me tear up a bit. It felt so validating knowing I'm not the only one who saw the beauty lying beneath the surface, even finding things I never considered (the divorce comparison was unexpectedly accurate) So thank you, for giving something so important to me a chance that no one else would give.

[@AFeralTrout420]

I agree

[@davebob4973]

gerald and black doom are GAY LOVERS???

[@twilighttoast01]

I love when people look at game’s with a more positive outlook, rather than just fully lambasting it because “haha funny hedgehog game with firearms”. I was completely engrossed in the video the entire way through. Stellar work

[@JustJohn816]

I'm sorry this video didn't do as well as you'd hoped. But it really means a lot to me. I like what you had to say about change and changing, that really hit me good, especially on second watch.

[@callmeaprilroseorisha404]

This was really some of your best work Nezumi! I’m gonna miss ol’ Marcy though, glad she got her proper sendoff, even if she isn’t going away completely. Thank you for everything, you’ve changed my life in so many ways, and you deserve all the love you’ve gotten over the years.❤ See ya!!!

[@marche800]

Gotta love the random F-zero references in this game due to Sega working on GX around this time. Blue Falcon and Black Bull being the name of two F-zero machines

[@checkeredslime9478]

I got this game for my tenth birthday, and it was the most badass thing I could've imagined at the time.

[@casperbinnett8265]

This video sent me on a covid-endorsed almost-week of deep diving into Sonic as a franchise. I knew nothing when i watched this and now im debating making a Shadow and Sonic fancomic. Nezumi how could you do this to me???????? (Its been great for me in my sickness, and horrible for my boyfriend who has no clue why im very opinionated about cartoon hedgehogs now) a great video that sent me into your previous sonic retrospectives, which sent me on a journey. Great work as always!

[@criminalsen2441]

Been super stressed out and this video helped me stave off The Horrors (panic attacks) so ty so much

[@NezumiVA]

More than happy to help! Hope you feel better soon, friend.

[@sambish3961]

47:15 "different pastures. Not greener, just different." I'm adding that to my lexicon immediately

[@frandolled]

i really enjoyed this video!! it cropped up a greater appreciation for this game, your hilarious irl skits (you and austin did such a good job!) and tons of laughs throughout! 🖤✨️

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

Honestly I feel like people misunderstand the game. I see people point to this game when they say it destroyed shadows character. But almost every point they use comes from the bad routes you take in the story. If you play the hero route in this game shadow still acts like he does in 06 or heros. The bad endings are supposed to show shadow the same way as in SA2 because they are the bad endings for a reason. I actually did like the gun system too. I always imagine a sequel to this game where rouge or omega could be playable. rouge duel welding pistols or smgs like halo 2 would be so fun. Which is funny since shadow the hedgehog did take alot of inspiration from the halo franchise and I can imagine a sequel to this game that actually makes the gunplay and vehicle sandbox fun.

[@Scorpionspear77]

I like Heavy Dog because he kinda fits no matter which mission you finish The Doom with. If you went dark, this is Black Doom’s last push to send Shadow over the edge. If you went neutral or hero, well, Shadow would still naturally be mad at the soldier who presumably killed Maria, so he’s getting that anger out of his system by trashing the mech. Whether this venting is successful depends on whether you heel turn in Air Fleet or Black Comet or not

[@scenikeight]

I was admittedly a little worried about this when you announced it, because it seems like Shadow rarely gets a fair shake, even now when it seems like every entry in the series besides it has had its opportunity to be reevaluated. I'm really glad you were able to find the good in this game. It was the first game I ever finished and I think the ending left a really strong impression on me, and I've always found the criticisms from people (who I think more often than not hadn't actually finished it, or didn't understand the point of it) to be very mislead. Yes, the game is a mess and it can be excruciatingly tedious, but I really don't think the gameplay is something you can't have fun with. Heroes will always be my favourite, but I think the novelties of these games are very similar - For me, I think the appeal that kept me sinking hours into it as a kid was getting to play as my favourite character and hang out with characters Shadow never got the chance to interact with much before. The localization is undeniably a product of its time though I think every game in the franchise has similar issues, and I unironically think the memetic quality of the English version makes it feel like the "canonical" one - this is something I would extend to SA2 as well, though I much prefer the Japanese version of that game and actually haven't played it in English. I do think that the way to experience these games that feels the most "right" is with the dubs, because they're pop-culturally significant! I understand the choice to use the JP cutscenes in your videos, though. I think it really, really sucks that this game is remembered for its "edginess" when in reality that isn't...really much of a factor beyond very surface level aesthetic choices, including the "swearing". People who either haven't played it or don't remember it make fun of it and Shadow's character post-SA2 for being this ridiculously jarring, try-hard mistake Sonic Team made trying to chase trends, and I just don't think it's representative of the real meat of this game. Guns and vehicles are not out of place in 3D Sonic, Shadow does not make decisions that feel violently out of character or unjustified for what he's been put through, and the game never feels like it's trying to make a spectacle of its moderately darker tone. I think the announcement trailer speaks to what this game is more than anything - I don't think anyone on the development team actually thought this was impressively subversive, I don't think those gunshots are supposed to represent the game "killing" the old Sonic because it's so much cooler and more badass and more adult than anything that came before it - I think the fact that it's presented so plainly indicates they just thought it would be cool and a fair advancement of the series to make this game what it was, and I...kind of agree? It really isn't that different tonally from SA2, which is considered by many people to be the best game in the franchise. The writing is clunkier, sure, but I think it's really trying to emulate the more contemplative style Maekawa introduced to the series. I think this game would have been different, at least structurally, had he wrote it as well, but I think the heart of his Shadow IS there. Anyway, I went through a similar "wait, hang on, I think sometimes things people say are bad might have merit, actually" moment when I finally finished 06 a couple years ago. I always loved the story of that game as a kid but found the game itself horrifically frustrating and gave up like 50% of the way through. I guess something was pushing me to keep playing it anyway, but I remember exactly the moment my mentality on it completely shifted... I was hanging out in the open world with Shadow and Omega and just left the game to its devices for a minute, and something about their idle animations, of all things (!), just fucking slapped me so hard out of my negative feelings towards the game. It was like... I'd spent so long away from these characters, the only Sonic game I'd played in the last decade was Forces and it had left me thinking that maybe I was too old for it now, but seeing them again with their personalities intact? It reminded me why I loved this franchise so much, and what I'd seen in this game when I was a kid. It's such a little touch and something most people wouldn't spend a second thinking about but, I don't know... I think something about it made me reflect on the horror stories of that game's development and really, genuinely empathize with the people who had to work on it. I think you can tell in all of these 2000's games that there was a lot of genuine love for the franchise coming from their development rooms. When playing these games in good faith, not looking every second for something to get frustrated with, not trying to justify second-hand opinions picked up from decade-old, half-remembered KZbin reviews, it's hard to hate them. I hope you'll have similar things to say about 06 when you get to it. That one moment for me changed my perspective so radically the rest of the experience I had with it was actually really positive, and it's easily my second favourite game in the series now. I keep thinking about it whenever I approach new pieces of media, too. Like, through all of the crust and jank in stuff you can tell wasn't quite realized, whether that be because of time, because of budget, because someone in the writer's room might not have been skilled enough to pull off what they were trying to... I think, more often than not, you can find the good in anything. There's always someone involved who cares.

[@AFeralTrout420]

I've always head a soft spot for Shadows game too

[@sawkchalk6966]

I really did get a rise out of the Doom's Eye skits. Awesome analysis as always

[@ZeloinatorZ]

Ive never played anything sonic, but your videos have made me truly appreciate them! As always I will be excited to see what comes next. Truly one of my alltime favorite youtubers ❤

[@SeekingDarkRainbows]

i have never not killed the president in this video game

[@halfmettlealchemist8076]

“I don’t know why, but I feel like my life expectancy is going to drop in the next five minutes” - The President from Shadow the Hedgehog

[@scrunkore]

based

[@shadow_shine3578]

"I'm not the man I was five seconds ago" "...." "I'M WORSE!"

[@heroshadow42]

Shadow and to an extent Neopets made me convinced Damn and Hell were no longer swears. I always thought E10 was just a rebranding of KA, Kids to Adults. Something about this cover of I am All of me gives me Noir vibes. Before I played this, I read the script of the opening on Gamefaqs and imaginged the Newspapper hits Shadow's face as he lays on a branch of the tree and then he briefly looks at it before tossing it and then dialog.

[@Pacenectar]

We eatin GOOD on Saturday

[@redactedoktor]

I eatin' good today. Got fried broccoli, Baked Potato, Rose Beef, Mango, Yeah...

[@redactedoktor]

A SAINT SHALL COME TO DEFEND THE RIGHTEOUS!!!

[@technicolorwerewolf]

dog I can't believe people for years were saying shadow was stupid for believing he was an android when eggman gaslit him the entire game. i 100% believe if this game came out today people would be zeroing in on that plotline with eyes like a hawk.

[@artistanthony1007]

Eggman confirms he lied during the last dialogue he gives in Devil Doom.

[@sly5011]

NezumiVA uploads? I gotta watch

[@kingturboturtlednoc5722]

damn i was already using her voice as transition goals but she so pretty now she's body transition goals too 😭

[@InfiniteInk444]

My brain is completely rewired to where I can’t even imagine the OG voice actors. Now I only hear Snapcube VAs when I see Sonic footage.

[@algeddon9573]

I do not often leave comments, but it seems this video caught me at the right time to strike just the right chord. I only discovered your channel relatively recently, but I have watched a good deal of the backlog. The growth you have gone through a creator is wonderful to see and I am so happy for you. But even more important is that your life outside of this place is growing as well. The world, especially with how the landscape of the Internet is today, is a place that can easily dishearten anyone, and the positivity you bring is so very welcome. For what little the words of someone you will never meet can mean and with only speculations of what your life may be like, I'd like to just say this. You have a shining spirit. Never let this place kill it or keep you away from the friends you have found. Though I cannot support you with my wallet at the moment, I will do so with my words. I guess I have a bit of a soft spot for schmaltz myself.

[@Sovic91]

That was a really interesting exploration of what this game is. I couldn't watch it all in one go, but I did watch to the end and I'd like to share some of my observations on the game. 1:43:43 I actually really like that ending. I also try to experiment with different routes when playing ShTH and an interesting route for that ending is 323: "Coffin of memories" In that route his decision to protect the ARK is a follow up from his actions in the memory of Lost Impact. Another very interesting route is 212: "At the end of the journey". It almost forms a coherent narrative, though it does have the downside of having to do the Dark mission in Mad Matrix. Nevertheless it is interesting as a narrative, because Shadow starts a bit aimless and lost, then decides to help the Chaotix retrieve the 5 top secret disks and enter Eggman's computer. Then he confronts the Doctor in Mad Matrix who makes the cryptic comment about Shadow having no past. After that Shadow sees the Shadow Androids in Iron Jungle and confronts the Doctor again who confirms Shadow is his creation. After that he finds himself at the Ark being really confused, having conflicts between his own memories and what the Doctor has told him. Then to confuse him even more, the GUN commander shows up and tells him about Black Doom and Shadow decides to find out what the truth is, going after Black Doom and then he has to accept the truth about who he is. Basically almost every element that is set up is somehow relevant to the story and Shadow spends a big chunk of the route working to find out about who he is instead of getting sidetracked, aside from that one Tails mission. Even if you decide not to play it, I recommend watching the cutscenes of that route. 1:58:55 Interesting thing about those walls, you don't actually need to continuously hold down the B button until they're fully pulled out. You can actually hold it for a very short amount of time just to get the wall started and then it will just come out on its own, which helps the pacing of this level, at least for me. 2:09:46 That's actually not entirely true. Only Sonic can do the homing attack. The other mission characters have an air dash, but it doesn't home in on enemies like the homing attack, which absolutely sucks if you're trying to defeat enemies. Not even Amy and Espio have a homing attack, which is frankly ridiculous.

[@mushroomdude123]

I can’t believe I played this game when I was 10 and am only just now, at 24, realizing how powerful a lot of the story ideas are. The part at the end about letting go of the past and not being chained to it is something I struggle with a lot. And this…kind of helped helped me process what I’ve been struggling with lately.

[@umbreon_plays64owo]

The moment you started off "Learn To Live" with a -45 song, I knew *immediately* that I'd be watching the rest of this the whole way through

[@AFeralTrout420]

It's like Live and Learn but in a new way

[@josephdavidoakley2064]

This was the only game I got for Christmas one year so I played through it to get every ending, fond memories in spite of its obvious flaws. Love to see this extent of work put into discussing it. Keep it up, have loved all your videos.

[@orlarihan6336]

that commander voice line has me crackling like the idea of this big head mode fursuit lookin emo hog going to someones house for a nice home-cooked meal with his grandkids is incredible i love sonic sm i need to see fanart of it how would he even sit at a table with those proportions like do they have to have special chairs??? would his big ass jet boots just be dangling there???? we will never know until i have the money to commission it

[@Freshlydeliveredegg]

Shadow is such a misunderstood character , he’s been turned into some emo who hates everyone when he’s actually a nice guy who struggles to trust people because of his past and misses his best friend. I’m happy his more positive side is shining through in sonic prime

[@Naxal710]

Trying to find the words to express just how good this video was. There's a lot to hate and dunk on with this game, but it still has some amazing heart buried underneath all the flaws. And it was really nice to see it highlighted so well in this video!

[@szkraft220]

Love when pople give this type of media a completely fair shake. A great and just rating of all the jank and an earnest perspective on the story, whenther it tried to be depressing or heartfelt and whether it failed at being so or not. VERY cool, another banger on this channel! Hell. Yeah.

[@smusher6]

I've always loved this game. I never thought it was amazing or anything, but I always loved it. I used to think it was just a guilty pleasure, but your retrospective really put words to my feelings in a way I was never able to back when I first played it. Thanks for making this video. It was a pleasure to listen to during a boring Monday at work. 😊

[@mememcqueen5052]

This is legitimately my favorite video game of all time. I could write a book on it, and I plan to once I get my degree next year.

[@paytonbostwick2899]

i cant believe tengan managed to infiltrate gun and order them to storm the space colony ark, he was the true mastermind all along

[@sambeckettcat]

The part around 43:00 about the Gun Commander sounds like it could’ve been one of the things I enjoy in a game where you’re meant to play for multiple endings. A glimpse into another route, a reminder of loose threads of questions still needing to be answered to compel me to play again for another route, only getting the full picture once all threads have been followed, capped off with a finale that ties it all together in a neat bow. Unfortunately it sounds like they didn’t quite nail that idea.

[@liamclarke91]

6:57 Considering how they announced Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, some things never change.

[@Meepalasheep]

13:30 Yeah I was hyped for this game too. I remember seeing it in GameInformer or some other magazine and being really stoked for the weapons and vehicles. Got it the day it came out, and it was a weird experience for young me seeing it become a punching bag, after. It has obvious flaws, but I still have a soft spot for the game. 1:08:58 These segments are killing me.10/10

[@hi-i-am-atan]

i'm pretty sure i had thoughts throughout all of this but the revelation bomb that you room with the peep behind _vast error_ kinda just bluescreened my brain at the very end i don't even know anything about it, to tell the truth, i've just absorbed its existence through cultural osmosis and i think my face is starting to crack from slamming straight into all the ways my social spheres loop back into each other in ways i'm completely oblivious of

[@dbypro]

While it's not base game, there's a 2-player mod that super impressive for a game without a PC port. It adds splitscreen, gives both players the full moveset, and even alters the level when necessary, to add extra black creatures for flying sections for example. Really great mod.

[@Empirecitycosplay]

This was a wonderful deep dive! I also grew up with this game and it’s good to see things to appreciate that I didn’t remember. When hearing that the directors of the next Sonic movie were taking elements from this game, I was worried, but after seeing your video, I find myself really excited for it. More so than I already was. Keep up the great work!

[@Pigpen_YT]

Outstanding video as usual! Always love to see people finding the good in media. Great job!

[@RammerHammer]

"It's me, Tengan! I was the lazer that pissed on the moon!"

[@deathsia250]

As you have said so in this video, Shadow the hedgehog was one of my fav games and i didn't play it as a kid but as an adult. I have always been a fan of characters with a dark past struggling to do what's right as they fight against their evil/dark nature. And Shadow is the eponym of a character created for evil, has every reason to be evil, having been betrayed by humanity and everyone he knew and loved killed by them, STILL deciding to do the right thing, not because people told him it was the right thing to do, BECAUSE HE FEELS IT'S RIGHT THING TO DO.

[@HarmonyBunny]

An interesting perspective on the matter, as Shadow the Hedgehog is one of my guilty pleasure games and I'll always admire it for concluding Shadow's story and picking up loose threads from Adventure 2 and Heroes. Shadow himself being part-alien explains a lot about his appearance and I like that.

[@MrFusion]

I really wish Sega would remake this and the other 2000's games. The game is goofy but its still a fun ride. Also I find it interesting that Shadow is the only character that gets any real character development and has a story that spans multiple games. I like how '06 shows that (if I remember correctly) Shadow stayed as a good guy and put aside his memories to join GUN and do some good. I really hope that the upcoming movie spurs Sega to do something with the character again, I ain't counting Forces.

[@isamelzorrilla5639]

Hi NezumiVA I love this and I hope you have a good day and you are awesome

[@DUUDE101]

"I'm not the same man I was 5 seconds ago. I'm worse!" So relatable

[@arih482]

what an incredible video!! can't wait to rewatch this one over and over again as always, your insight is great :) i never played this game and have only really seen hate/criticism for it, so seeing the other side feels pretty fresh.. things like these matter despite their flaws, and it's always important to not only see the good or the bad in something-- you have to take both thank you :)

[@howdomaddie]

i've been trying and failing to write an even partly thoughtful comment, considering i've watched this video like 3 times all the way through at least, but it's hard to say anything other than "damn this is good!" your narration is excellent (as always) as is your script, it's engaging, and as a sappy person myself i enjoyed your overall thoughts and message on the overall impact of this entry in the series. when it comes to the sonic series i've always been a bit like...my paw on the glass, watching the sonic fans next door having fun, so to speak? videos like this make it clear why sonic is so beloved, in spite of its flaws. your commentary on taking the good with the bad is an excellent one, and might be why i keep coming back to this video :) please take care out there, and keep being wonderful.

[@SSJ22Terris]

always happy to see people actually engage with this game instead of just laughing it off! Excellent video!

[@Cute___E]

It is currently 5:20 AM so I can't write a whole comment right now, but I have strong, positive feeling towards this video that I plan to write when I wake up

[@existential_narwal9257]

while on the topic of shadow. I remember the director of sonic team saying that they would be interested in making another shadow focused sonic game. If you were to a shadow game what would you do with it?

[@NezumiVA]

I think a more open structure similar to Frontiers with more expanded combat would be a pretty neat idea! With more locales, of course, lol.

[@DANIXBD]

the segment about the sonic channel comic, literally moved me to tears, never thought I would cry at a shadow the hedgehog retrospective, sub.

[@frankenfreakie]

Fantastic video. I recently got ahold of my old gamecube and all my old games out of my dad's storage, got an adapter for my modern TV and everything. I've been replaying all my old Sonic games, and of course ShTH is one of them. I think I only ever beat it once or twice when I was 12 and was super confused about the multiple story routes and stuff, thought it was really fun regardless, but I never did unlock that super special 'true' ending, cuz, well... the game didn't have a Chao Garden LMAO. It was cool to see what all I missed and I genuinely started tearing up towards the end with how emotional your explanation of the story got. It's something you can really resonate with. I'm def gonna check out all your other videos too! And as a MASSIVE horror fan, I am so, so excited to see a Silent Hill video from you in the future! I hope you do the whole original trilogy, Silent Hill 3 is one of my favorite games ever!

[@airobo6781]

“shadow destroying the nurmies” is a phrase that will live in my mind forever. The Nurmies…

[@huuishuu]

This entire retrospective is perfect and explains why I say to people "I actually like Shadow the Hedgehog". Yes, I'm perfectly aware of this game's flaws. Your video goes into perfect detail as to why and how this game is flawed. But what I like about this retrospective compared to others is because it doesn't shy away from discussing a lot of the positive aspects of this game in great details. A lot of others just go "yeah this is fine and all but have you considered x or y and why this makes it the worst game of all-time", completely disregarding the minutia that makes this game special in regards to Shadow's character but as to what it means for the player as they go through it. The semi-hero route in particular you mentioned about the duality of Shadow - yes, that's absolutely perfect. His hero-side ending in the semi-hero route resonates with me personally about feeling like you don't belong and shouldn't exist. That's something I still struggle with to this day, and I'm approaching 25. Shadow the Hedgehog is the first ever game I bought with my own money, back in 2011. And to this day, it holds an incredibly special place in my heart. I love this edgy over-the-top mess of a game, for both its good and bad aspects.

[@AFeralTrout420]

Agreed, I fiercely will defend this game bit I will call out its flaws too

[@naniyotaka]

This was my first Sonic game I bought (before this one I played Heroes and Generations) and I loved playing it. Even to this day, this one is my all time favorite.

[@violetvita4218]

I love this game, Shadow is my favorite character of all time and this game is underrated.

[@AkeruForsamee]

always enjoy your takes on the things you enjoy, and even the things you don't.

[@JohnC6723]

This is a fantastic video, I enjoyed it a lot! I’ve never beaten the whole game myself but I found it to be fun if not a bit strange at times. Also you’re a monster for not saving Cream & Cheese (lol not really). I know you sorta touched on this in the video but the fact that there’s 326 total paths and that someone named them all uniquely is something to be applauded. I can’t think of another game that went that far in the number of potential paths and named all of them.

[@frfrankie23]

On the multiplayer, turns out there is scrapped leftovers of a Race Mode. Someone also made a 2P Mod of the game which let's you play all stages in 2P, worth checking out if you felt the multiplayer was lacking.

[@slateoffate9812]

2:13:54 Okay, the drone/nourishment/cattle thing is horrible, but the pet thing? I dunno. Slate Prettyname, Fourth Floret sounds really nice if you ask me.

[@gayspaghetti3374]

I adore this retrospective, and it really shone a new light on Shadow the Hedgehog for me. Thinking about the deeper aspects of the story the game was trying to tell really makes me quite emotional. I know it's a VASTLY different situation, but I relate to the idea of having no idea who you are and doing everything you can to find yourself. The feeling of dread that is feeling like you're constantly living in someone else's shadow (no pun intended) and feeling like you have to live up to expectations they and those around them have set for you. However, I can't see that scene of The Commander without thinking of the Snapcube fandub, where the dub the scene with; "I need to update my audio equipment. *cocks gun* I have updated my audio equipment."

[@JEMRocker]

I love the Eddsworld poster on your wall. Those guys are legends

[@Tarofel]

I was scared of the 2 hour+ video, but your humor and writing is great! 2:31:15 wao, noa mention.

[@bobbob1876]

Where'd you get your shirt? SA2 is my favorite game. I love came from your Ace Attorney videos and am very happy to see someone seriously discuss this game!

[@NezumiVA]

Got it on Etsy, actually, haha. Thank you for watching!

[@bernard12324]

goddamn Nezumi you are shooting 10/10 with the jokes on this one! keep it up !

[@dust.runner]

I am not a sonic fan, I haven't played Shadow the Hedgehog. I am aware of the community, I have played the games a little, but I am not someone who has the history with the series and honestly the game play loop that is core to Sonic kinda doesn't click with my brain. But I always look forward to hearing your thoughts in these long videos.. you have a very insightful and real approach and I love the way you connect fiction to the people who connect with it. I think the way people are affected by a game (and the stories that stay with us) is such a fascinating and special thing. Some works just appear at times in our lives, or they help us process stuff, or just hit us in a way that's hard to explain. And those games aren't always well loved or successful or remembered (or even 'good' in some cases) but that doesn't change the way they affect folks. I'm glad that you have been able to move out and I am looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future. Seriously, the videos you have made are among the most impactful videos on fiction on KZbin (in my opinion) keep going!

[@warioland523]

47:49 This part sounds like an abridged series and it has me laughing so hard. The wheezy voice you gave Doom makes it even funnier.

[@shadybadger7896]

"I'm not the same man I was 5 seconds ago; I'm worse." Perfect

[@axalaxawog2044]

I love your videos so much, please never stop making content with this level of heart :>

[@MochiiMochaPop]

You know, I don’t want to get sappy and all but your videos always find a way to touch my heart. So much so, that recently in a big English assignment where I had to write a reflective statement, I was inspired by how you touch the heart of your viewers. And so, I attempted something similar. I’ll always be excited to see what else you have in store for us! So thank you.

[@FNAPKayla32]

I always love how sentimental the endings of videos have been, gives me all them fuzzy feelings

[@GhostyBoi7737]

Thank you very much for teaching me about and letting me experience a game I never even knew fully existed until now❤

[@miilexthemii9353]

"Wheres the DARN fourth chaos emerald?"

[@PyeFive]

Amazing video, thank you so much for analyzing this game in such a fair light. You managed to say so much of what I've always wanted to express about this game but could never put into words.

[@unnamed12346]

Honestly I really do enjoy Shadow the Hedgehog in spite of what it does. Ironically it does alot of what I wish the Sonic series would have tried to continue doing more of. The stage approach is something ironically that really would actually do good for the arcade-y approach Sonic always had. In terms of Rail Grinding, it is the best one for me in terms of rail switching (Though the lack of a speed cap really did hurt the game), and in terms of game animation (In terms of movement and overall design philosophy with the Sonic cast), it did some really good squash and stretch that ironically gets lost as Sonic seems to only get more and more stiff and less and less smears and blurs. It has MANY issues, but I do genuinely remember Shadow the Hedgehog fondly.

[@nichini8035]

You are my savior, you voiced my thoughts about the game and presented them so well, it gave me catharsis after I beat the game myself and needed to vent and hear someone else critique it. Thank you

[@cawareyoudoin7379]

I genuinely love this game from an artistic standpoint. I might change my mind if I ever actually play it, but I love the music, I adore the character animation, and I love how edgy and genuine it is.

[@novastardust1200]

The way you put things and the messages you take from games never fail to move me. Time after time, your content manages to give me a genuine sense of joy, as well as bringing me to tears. I hope I can find it within myself to move forward in the world seeing the good and the potential in things which can be considered bad or failures. I hope I can be the one to inspire more to live the same way, just as you have for me. I can't wait to see what content you make next. I'm sure it'll move me just as much as everything else you've done.