Why Shadow the Hedgehog Was a Failure

My first ever 3D Sonic game was the one starring Shadow the Hedgehog. He was so popular that he got his own game on Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox in 2005. Nostalgia aside, Shadow the Hedgehog's game is not good in the slightest. This exhaustive video will tell you all the reasons why. You won't want to miss this!
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[@krafter8652]

Fun fact: When Shadow says "This is like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me" they weren't actually trying to be edgy. In the Japanese script of the game, he says something along the lines of "This is ridiculously easy, but I'm still okay with it"

[@syweb2]

In short, stupid mistranslation.

[@nmotschidontwannagivemyrea8932]

Yeah, the part that's "fine by him" is the fact that it's easy, not the idea of taking candy from a baby. Still, it sounds ridiculous, and probably should've been changed (or hammed up to go for ironic comedy, but this game lacks the self-awareness to do that).

[@9773an]

@@syweb2 its more that Sega America likes the edginess

[@syweb2]

@@9773an More likely is that they think _fans_ like it, probably due to the edgy kids who kept sending them fan letters about Sonic with a gun.

[@blueteam4021]

@@syweb2 It's not like the real translation was much better.

[@Thomlin12]

It's hilarious how canonically, one of the most lighthearted games happens just before the edgiest game in the series.

[@ishratjahan406]

Oof

[@ayrtonjoga]

Yeah, going from Heroes to Shadow must've been quite the whiplash with the fans

[@lukahmei2000]

Yeah at least Sonic in the 2000s had balls

[@AlmostLakai94]

@@ayrtonjoga I tried so hard to like it lmao. It was decent but I went right back to Heroes after I beat it once 😂

[@jonatasfernandes2899]

@@lukahmei2000 Yeah youre right

[@Aimela136]

I actually unironically like Shadow The Hedgehog, but I fully understand it's not a very good game and that I'm mostly nostalgic with it.

[@erwannthietart3602]

Its not a Good Game, but its a Fun Game, because as kid you love the over edginess of Shadow (even if the story s*cks) and as adult because its just too much you cannot take it seriously because its ridiculous

[@bleppyboo5969]

@@erwannthietart3602 It was my first Sonic game, and I loved this character. I never saw alot of Shadow and as a kid he was so mysterious to me. I would see the trailers with him for Sonic X and would be so intrigued...then I never got to see him in the actual show for one reason or another. I love the game so much. So so much.

[@suklaamaito]

Same, I just like playing it for the fun and nostalgia also for how ridiculous it is at times. It was one of my first sonic games and because I played it on my friends ps2 and she didn't have a memory card we never were able to finish it, so it was just a loop of few stages. Also Shadow as character has just so much meaning for me, and it's shame how badly he has been treated over the years cuz once I got to play SA2 I was so happy to see justification for his character, even 06 does fucking manage to write him better than what came after that what strikes me so much concidering how big of a mess 06 is. Ow the edge is from critical standpoint trash but it just has it's own magical edgy nostalgia filled charm what makes me enjoy it.

[@formula091]

It's crazy how people can't just admit to things like this when it comes to certain games

[@Shadow_The_Hedgehog48]

me too

[@apollorock3r244]

Fun fact: Two of the CGI directors of this game would end up being involved with the Sonic Movies years later. Tim Miller (who also directed Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate) is the producer of the movies and Jeff Fowler is the director of both. You can see their names at 1:04:20. Guess they have some experience with the series before.

[@EternaMidnight]

Huh. I was right at that part in the video when I read your comment.

[@nngnnadas]

How hacking looks in movies: Lithe goth maniacally hammering at the keyboard How hacking looks in real life: Hedgehog goth karate chomping the keyboard.

[@Puki9117]

So that was what I was doing wrong

[@ShibuNub3305]

Ohhhh, so *Thats* why I couldn’t hack the CIA: I was using the wrong martial arts move!

[@artistanthony1007]

We don't know enough about that moment so let's not jump to the conclusions and actually analyze it, you'll understand better if you slow down the scene in a video and see what he did because there's things you'll understand if you slow down a cutscene, heck you can know how a character homing attacks and what it takes, there's actual movement made in animation.

[@MegaVirus700]

@@artistanthony1007 lmao what're you talking about? He literally just hermit purple karate chops it

[@diamondsanchez224]

Shadow's more emo than goth. Being Goth would actually make Shadow less cringy (In this game at least).

[@dad5draco]

"Sonic, don't come to Green Hill tomorrow, or do, I don't care." -Shadow in the English release of this game, probably.

[@rockwarestar4670]

It is

[@ShibuNub3305]

Accurate

[@inept7247]

b baka

[@googleuser9383]

Video Poster is a failure at researching: vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic Shadow the Hedgehog actually sold more than most Sonic Games after it (Forces, Lost worlds, 4, True sonic games always fail (since the first the sales have been halfing with each new installment) Sonic games like racing etc. are a huge success and sell 10-20x as much. Also, if you think the controls are bad in this game you suck at videogames. I'm sorry, but it's true.

[@kidkytes6233]

@@googleuser9383 Does Sega pay all of your bills for you?

[@jacobdilldine7818]

Shadow the Hedgehog's Theme is still one of my favorites, as the saying goes: "There has never been any bad Sonic Soundtrack"

[@laylathewolf5688]

Did you forget sonic chronicles

[@imagery5425]

@@laylathewolf5688 no. Ur wrong 💀

[@GUNUFofficial]

​@@imagery5425yeah the soundtrack isn't bad, its that they fucked up and had to rush together bad midi versions of the soundtrack.

[@GUNUFofficial]

SONIC ERASER!

[@alptugraakan7490]

​@@GUNUFofficialthat game has music?

[@PosthumanHeresy]

1:02:45 I think the logic is that they recognize his evil stage was their own damn fault. They thought he was already a mad scientist and went to take him down, but that ironically is what _made_ him a mad scientist. This is them going "oh... yeah, that was entirely our fault, we should have left him alone".

[@m0002856]

Yeah, I think the writing was just off- but that's to be expected I mean... the writing in the rest of the game is a little weird at times. I agree with the idea that the scene was probably supposed to be trying to convey the idea that the President and the G.U.N. dude realized that the government had made a mistake in the past. They realize that the reason the Ark project was shut down was because they thought Gerald was working with Black Doom when, in reality, he accepted the initial offer in order to stabilize the Shadow project which was supposed to help mankind, and then he devoted the remaining time on the ARK building a super weapon capable of stopping Black Doom when he eventually returned to the planet. So they should be saying, "We were wrong to have labelled him as a mad scientist from the beginning, He was only trying to help mankind with the ARK and we shut down his project and murdered his granddaughter." I don't know that I would label somebody a hero after what Gerald did do trying to kill all of humanity like that in SA2, but it's something like... If I were to be heralded as a great hero today but got dementia later on in life which completely altered me and made me a different person, should I be seen in a different light or not? Does the bad stuff invalidate the good stuff I did before I lost my mind? Kinda a hard concept to quantify I think.

[@chuckingreaper8654]

@@m0002856I feel that there are a few interpretations as to either side being right. Gerald before GUN invading and Gerald after might as well be two different people. He was insane from his grief and was not rationally sound, made evident by his desire to destroy all human life. The same humanity he had worked so hard to save.

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

In fairness he made the biolizard and made a deal with alien leader called black doom. If that was my boss I'd be telling yhr CIA about that stuff too.

[@bowmaj8666]

21:26 "When a new idea fails, Sega scraps the idea instead of refining the execution." That sums it up brilliantly. It's why Sega are reluctant to utilize other Sonic characters as playable, because according to overly critical whiners "Sonic's stupid friends are always bad and nothing that you do with them can ever make them good!" Sega won't go back and refine the Adventure style because "those games were never good!" This attitude really is hurting the series more than helping it.

[@Puki9117]

I think that Adventure 1 was and still is good (Crappy cutscenes aside)

[@artistanthony1007]

I enjoyed many games people thought are bad and to be honest, I hardly had any issues others had but I won't say it didn't get frustrating, I just know the games got better the more I keep playing and I'm noticing Sonic Team saved the best for last, I'm sure they made it hard not out of hate but to show if we deserve to see the end and if you do the hard challenges, you do get something exciting to play because Super Sonic in the Sonic Riders series is tough to obtain which him being overpowered in the first is when the difficulty is higher, the second is easier as Super Sonic isn't as overpowered and the third is far more difficult even if you have motion controls and Super Sonic is like how he is in the first but has huge improvements making him better and he automatically pulls off S+ Tricks for you during his Super Sonic Boost but while Rings drain, the Unlimited Air which is him having the Special Mode mechanic everyone gets when falling behind to use their Special Abilities like in SRZG which gives you a full Tank of Air when returning as Sonic and it is something they really did care about. It seems as if Sonic Team knew they couldn't prevent issues with controls and gave a character who can make it less of a headache and given how Super Sonic is meant to be special and exclusive, they made him feel like a relief and rewarding.

[@purpledragon1945]

Silver was my favorite character in 06 no joke

[@bowmaj8666]

@@nmr7203 Well, yes actually! Where do you think this defeatist mentality came from? After years of people constantly nitpicking so many different aspects of the Sonic series, the people behind these games seem to have developed this "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude! "Oh, people keep complaining about Sonic's characterisation, that he comes across as a cocky a***hole, then screw it, let's just make him a cocky a***hole!" "People have hated Tails since day one and say that he's always been annoying and pointless, so let's just write him as annoying and pointless!" "People keep making fun of Knuckles because they think he's an idiot for getting tricked by Eggman, so let's just write him as a complete brain dead moron who can barely read!" "People won't shut up with their idiotic 'Shadow the EDGE-LORD, EDGY THE HEDGY, OW THE EDGE' memes, so it only makes sense to just write him a moody Emo who's trying too hard to be cool, since that's all people see him as!" "Oh and look at this! People keep saying 'No one plays Sonic games for the plot or characters!' So there you go! We could just go down the Teen Titans Go! route and just have all the characters going 'HERPY DERP, AIN'T WE SILLY, KIDS?' And no one would care! Sonic shouldn't be taken so seriously, it's just a stupid series about a silly blue hedgehog, right?"

[@raimyonlinewarrior236]

@AndyW 813 people kept on buying those games. Sales wise they did pretty well, even 06.

[@shiffpup2529]

Being able to change Shadow's morality on a whim DESTROYS any sense of morality the game attempts.

[@JsReviews]

That is such a good way to put it. Nothing in the game has consequences, so what's the point?

[@MaskedKingDavid]

Ironic

[@perrypro1263]

It would have been better for the overall structure of the game if the endings were divided among 3 categories once you go to the third level. Hero in 3-3 (Eggman's Casino or whatever it was called)? You get locked into the hero or semi-hero path. It would have avoided scenarios were Shadow is both confirmed to be Gerald's creation and an Android at the same time.

[@kyurei4478]

Interestingly enough, the story and the game makes a lot of sense in a poetic way when you reach the last story. Because Shadow is searching for his past the entire game, but in the end, none of this is canon and doesn't matter after Heroes and the Shadow intro, until the last story. He accomplished what he promised to Maria to protect the world and used the ARC weapon Gerald built to destroy Black Doom as intended, which were the same objectives since Sonic Adventure 2. In the last scene he says: "Good bye Shadow the Hedgehog" and Never Turn Back plays. Which means he left his past behind him and it makes you realise that the purpose of the game itself was useless and doesn't matter. He is who he is now and must move forward. It's like a message to say: "the past is pointless, look forward." And that's pretty much what the path of this game is. Now yeah, from a video game perspective, that's pretty bad and there is no point but the way the game is and the end makes a lot of sense about the ideas the game conveys when you think about it.

[@Mike14264]

@@kyurei4478 that's a neat way to look at it, actually... Still, gameplay should never be sacrificed if you want to tell a story like that.

[@Kajichuu]

When i got a hold of the OST i always felt like "Never turn back" (by Crush40) was a much more "fitting" super theme than "I am all of me" , it sings about his struggles and how he had to overcome major hurdles to get to this point, to fulfill Maria's wish, to let the people of the planet live in happiness and peace.

[@AceBountyHunterRex]

Part of me wishes omega and rouge were more prominent characters in this games story. Since the 3 of them became friends in heroes. It would have been nice to see them work together to help shadow figure things out.

[@mr.crunch27yearsago25]

Shadow wants to die Vector: “Don’t go there... yet!”

[@AldenDoble]

😂😂😂 tickled me that did

[@hwlrr]

Shadow: 👿🔫 Vector: nonono you need to do that later

[@mrbutt4eva625]

I love how Vector is just like “Finish what you started” and respects Shadows opinion to kill himself

[@thefastcommenter7774]

Egauaissbeviekwsnaaaiksskswhsakja. NO

[@Sparrows1121]

In Japanese, Vector says something like "Hey dont be so rash, dont take what they say at heart, you could be?"

[@HeavenOnlyKnows2002]

"Shadow begins to wonder if he himself is a robot and instead of poking himself to see, he with the help of Omega confronts Eggman." I found that funny for no reason lol.

[@OnePolishMoFo]

Whenever Shadow was questioning if he was an android I said to myself "Do you not eat, drink or sleep? Cus that'd answer your question." I mean, it'd be more believable if he thought he was a clone but an android?

[@muscular-lr6er]

if he was an android then how would he able to control an emerald. that was my question as a kid.

[@OnePolishMoFo]

@@muscular-lr6er Metal Sonic could. So being organic doesn't seem to be a factor.

[@retroradiationkingofvideog8526]

@@OnePolishMoFo You have a really good point and considering how Eggman reveals that he is the real shadow this just drives your point even further

[@SonicFlameCreator]

@@OnePolishMoFo I don't think the Ultimate Lifeform needs to eat, drink, or sleep. He was frozen for 50 years and came out peachy fine, I'm 100% sure he doesn't need any of that.

[@tartadecaca5852]

I used to be a Shadow fangirl when I was like 12, so this game was my favorite from the franchise, I tought it was so cool and stayed that way because I didn't touch it again since i finished, and now I''m starting to realize how cringy it is. Shadow had his own game but we never got to see him like a person with complex emotions, just edgy the hedgy saying "damn"

[@FindingsOfAnArmouredMind]

It's cheesy, not cringe. Know the *damn* difference.

[@tartadecaca5852]

@@FindingsOfAnArmouredMind yeah, no, its kinda cringey for me

[@Lolo.mp3]

It’s definitely tryhard and unnecessarily edgy but somehow I don’t find it that cringe

[@hansuri401]

its so edgy lol

[@pkmntrainerred4247]

And doing nearly nonsensical tasks while going through a bunch of asinine stories that won`t matter since most of them would be non-canon, and even the ones that are canon are equally stupid

[@shadowthehedgehog3113]

Also, I can easily buy Shadow being evil in this game. Remember he lost his memory and in the game Doom manipulates him by telling him what GUN did to Maria. This was literally the same motivation he had to nearly destroy Earth in Sonic Adventure 2.

[@ayrtonjoga]

I also could buy it if Black Doom somehow mixed the facts about his past but the thing is, in the last stages of Heroes he says "Even if I'm not real, I'm still the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow the Hedgehog!" So in the end he doesn't care if he's fake or not, he decides to just keep moving and doing the right thing, not to say he showed an heroic nature by saving Rouge in SA2 and Heroes But here he keeps asking about his past, straight up doesn't care that the city is being attacked, just shows interest when Black Doom offers info about his past and the idiot just believes him The intro cutscene is just dumb and out of character for Shadow

[@shadowthehedgehog3113]

@@ayrtonjoga Yes but for a while Shadow in SA2 was willing to destroy Earth. Shadow on the Dark path in this game is basically like SA2 Shadow. Its not hard to believe that Doom could manipulate his memories, lie to him about his friends (Sonic, Rouge, Omega, Amy, etc.) and put him on the same path he was on in SA2 all the way until Amy was in the right place at the right time. Also, the intro scene was before he really showed any concern for humans specifically outside of maybe existential threats to humans and anthros alike like Metal Sonic. At the onset of the intro, he just saw basically a battle between humans and aliens and thought "That's their problem"-unless you go down the path to change Shadow's mentality.

[@ayrtonjoga]

@@shadowthehedgehog3113 Yes, the awakened Shadow from SA2 would be manipulated by Doom just like how Gerald did to his memories(not *pure* evil tho, he still showed some compassion for Rouge) But in Heroes despite initially going with intent of discovering his past, he ignored it over time, created a bond with Rouge and Omega, still helped to defeat Metal Sonic's final forms, and just kept moving All I'm saying is: If Shadow from SA2 was awakened by Doom, I believe he would *be* evil and obey to his command, but I think him instantly believing Doom and acting all evil *after* the events of Heroes is not on character

[@orangeslash1667]

@@ayrtonjoga Sega said the only reason this game exists is because they received a lot of fan mail, requesting that Sonic wielded a gun. Yuji Naka knew that Sonic using gun would be out of character for sonic, but maybe it can work for Shadow??????

[@ayrtonjoga]

@@orangeslash1667 The thing is that I don't mind certain Sonic characters using guns, like Eggman or even Tails (if it has a cartoonish look) because they both use mechs But it just doesn't make sense for Shadow, like, how the self-entitled "Ultimate Life Form" would need guns?? He is already very powerful with his chaos powers, especially in his Super form

[@cliffturbo2146]

How funny that only 4Kids cast gets to cross the line with curse words.

[@millerkarageanes1562]

Really who voiced shredder in that

[@millerkarageanes1562]

@Long-Tailed Charmander Never seen Yu gi oh

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

I think the most egregious example of this is Andrew Rannells going on to star in the original Broadway production of The Book of Mormon. No, really, moving on from kiddy butcherings of various anime is one thing, getting famous from that next step is exemplary, but still yet another thing, but going from THE most infamously nannying dubbing company in the biz to the lead role in the Broadway debut of TV's most notorious shock jocks? That's brassy, REAL brassy.

[@allicide166]

Funny how that cast is mostly responsible for many kid friendly anime english dubs. The voice of knuckles sounds like Yu-gi-oh, both of them. And I'm pretty sure Shadow himself is the same voice as Seto Kaiba.

[@jjc4924]

Mike. Nope. That's Jason Griffith voicing Shadow. Same voice actor that played Sonic & Jet the Hawk from the Rider series.

[@raikaria3090]

On the 'Vector's line when Shadow seems suicidal' thing; that's actually plot-relevant. In fact; the Chaotix missions all are, as they lead to the Gerald video recording in the Last Story; that's what they were looking for. Vector says 'things may not be as you think' because he's GOT THE FILE from the Computer Room.

[@JsReviews]

That's a really good point.

[@kirbdabirb5627]

@@JsReviews also the reason Shadow the hedgehog was well... Shadow the hedgehog, was because people were emailing Sonic team to have Sonic with guns Be careful what you ask for

[@rhyth_twisted]

I think if he didn't add "yet" at the end, that might've been conveyed better.

[@Kakuyawolf3456]

@@kirbdabirb5627 We love what we got

[@littlemissdeadly24papyrus36]

I just think it was just sweet vector was being nice to shadow at his roughest moment

[@chvo8831]

This game was ahead of its time. I mean it in the sense of developers had something in mind but couldn't do due to hardware limitation so had to reduce it to this. If this game was to be remade full on for this generation it'd be crazy. Levels could be bigger and mechanics/graphics would be amazing

[@Psx806]

If sega were to do this again they need to learn a lesson. Stop crapping out half baked games. With dread it was delayed for 20 years just because the hardware wasn’t ready. It’s better to not release something than to let it be released half baked

[@twinkletoes8094]

We're getting Shadow :)

[@johnnybeatmaker330]

I agree. And this was next level eith that many different endings. You could play this game 10 x and it be different outcomes

[@saberdoesgaming]

We aren’t gonna get a full remake of this but in Sonic X Shadow Generations hopefully can see elements of it in a modern way

[@shadow759]

35:57 I fully agree this stage is SUPER bad. However I never seen those glitches happen, not in the GameCube version at least.

[@BakedBanana]

oh wow

[@retron99]

The story really falls apart when you realize that all shadow had to do was talk to Sonic, Amy, Tails, or any of his friends about his past. Especially Rouge considering she’s the one who was sent by the government to do research on project shadow and she’s the one who started team dark. Even if they didn’t know about the aliens, what they knew of his past in adventure 2 would’ve saved him a lot of grief. But nope. Nobody bothers to explain anything to him and Shadow doesn’t bother asking. Instead the only people he turns to for answers are Eggman and Black Doom, two obvious villains who aren't even trying to hide the fact that they're just using him.

[@jordanhinnant9307]

Facts 💯

[@Dripx-]

True

[@takodachicookie7572]

Isn't that Shadow's character? He's hard to open-up

[@retron99]

@@takodachicookie7572 not to the point of incompetence he’s not

[@souleaterevans4589]

I think Shadow has trust issues in this one because he legitimately doesn't remember anything about himself and the only things he's finding are things that make less sense than "I am the real one" or "I'm a clone. The real one died in battle." Like imagine if the answer to who you are is "an alien/scientist test tube baby" or "an actual robot (even though the ones you fight are clearly more robotic than free-willed Shadows)." If the writing for MY backstory was that messy, I'd have trust issues too lmao

[@SM-th7pw]

The idea of a Shadow based game having a “darker” tone can certainly work, Shadow certainly didn’t need more to his story as Heroes already wrapped that up pretty well I think but the general idea of a story based on Shadow focusing on his moral ambiguity’s and delving into many hypothetical scenarios Shadow could take could definitely work, but the execution was just dreadful. Shadow was already a cool character and a great contrast to Sonic, while Sonic is upbeat, extroverted, fun and charismatic, Shadow is more reserved and introverted, but still has a charming sense of charisma to him with the occasional quip and one liner which helps him bounce off Sonic well. This game ditched that entirely in order to make him “cool” and “edgy” by giving him guns and motorcycles and adopting an “I don’t give a fuck” personality... all of this surprisingly makes him laughable to watch and he ultimately becomes very difficult to take seriously, which was clearly the opposite of their intended goal. Shadow always struck me as the type not to use guns, because he has his own natural abilities which require skill, and he would view them the same way Batman does, “a weapon for a coward”. Although i’d be lying if I said my inner 8 year old doesn’t find the intro to this game cool as all hell.

[@jbailiaymen9192]

I agree with you but when I think story created around different moral discisions from the player that lead to many different paths is good thing in term of replayability and allowing player choices it is also bad in term of making cohesive narrative that doesn't contradict it is many elements SA1 style is the best playing different campagnes to understand the whole story and get to the final episode as you defeat perfect chaos and put an end to the game sonic games already have replayability by memorizing level layouts and mastering the mechanics SA2 did add different alteration of levels emblems to collect chao garden and ranking system and it is propably one of the most replyeble sonic games ever made I don't get why sonic team add unnecessary mechanics to pad the length of their games to appeal to gaming market when making game that demand mastery and execution enjoyable level design will be infinitely replayable I don't think shadow is good game even in paper through my present 18 year old still think the intro to this game is cool as hell and I feel guilty because of that

[@Dope_Donuts]

100 Percent Agree with all of this

[@jjc4924]

Agreed with everything you said.

[@sheacorduroy5565]

Honestly, I don’t mind the guns.

[@Trinack]

P

[@SH4D0WdaN0V4]

I do sincerely hope one day Shadow may be able to get another game that is great, and keeps his character great as it was in SA2, Heroes & 06. A Shadow The Hedgehog game is not bad, and some of their ideas had potential even if their presentation in Shadow The Hedgehog made them seem very bad. I just don’t want to see what could be such a great game thrown to the wayside like so many other things in the gaming industry and especially in Sonic.

[@cerebralassassin2185]

I think they're making one. A few months ago, Sega was announcing a darker toned game, and everyone thought it was gonna be Shadow the Hedgehog 2. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and people were so upset that they got Shadow The Hedgehog trending on Twitter, so i think they'll make another one since the demand is high

[@SH4D0WdaN0V4]

@@cerebralassassin2185 there is certainly a possibility, but the problems lay within Sega itself which has some sort of rules or restrictions in place that might hurt things (came sometime after 06 I believe?), and so that may just make for another flop of a game. I can’t say for sure. However, there may also be a problem in Sega relating to fears of a character like Shadow overtaking Sonic in popularity. I don’t know how widespread that fear may be, and how much it has influenced things over time so take that part with a grain of salt, but I am still just skeptical and almost feel that the unfortunate and unnecessary shroud of Sonic 06 hanging over the Sonic Team and Sega may just make any Shadow the Hedgehog 2 a flop.

[@qk1050]

your wish is Sega's Command! 🧞‍♂️ a sequel to Shadow the Hedgehog (in which Black Doom returns) is due to be released in, "Autumn 2024". Just Search, "Sonic x Shadow Generations"

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

I mean looks like shadow x sonic generations looks good so.

[@rafaelcamargoalves3242]

Unironically, the shadow fandub’s plot was not only comprehensible, but also more cohesive than the original version

[@chr0merobo]

and this is doubly true for 06!

[@georgebrankov2143]

Yes, that's right. Shadow one of the characters without drawing from previous works. In the original comics, games, and series, there wasn't Shadow. This is a character that is mostly associated as the anti-Sonic from the developments. Despite his large fan base, Shadow was merely an addition and had no connection to sustaining the franchise.

[@kaysrandomchannel4618]

No, I'm the devil. HEAVY DOG

[@Jnensrevenge]

The games's intro is still the funniest in gaming history. The lack of self-awareness is mind-boggling.

[@mjc0961]

Pump action submachine gun!

[@coltranebartlett590]

I thought it was the DOPEST SHIT EVER (when I was 7) so back off m8.

[@HeavyRaiden]

@@coltranebartlett590 Same lmao

[@dnalorh.2153]

Edge 100

[@TYfariguy]

@@coltranebartlett590 ditto

[@sonic5993]

Oh man, this game forever cemented Shadow as the series' most controversial character lol. Even to this day, people are up in arms over his portrayals.

[@godofwar234regi5]

Ya thunk?

[@jaymontgomery8566]

I don't even know what that last part means and I agree with you. (snrk)

[@jjc4924]

Yeah. I'm not a fan of Shadow at all. But even I admit that it is sad seeing Shadow getting butchered from his character development. In fact, some of the characters starting in Shadow got butchered ( such as Knuckles & Tails for example ). But Shadow definitely gotten hit the hardest.

[@cookieblobber]

I'm never excited to see Shadow show up in an IDW comic preview on Twitter, it gets messy in the replies

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

@@jjc4924 How was Tails "butchered" in Shadow? If anything he's better than Heroes and every 3D game since Unleashed.

[@beatmania3rdmix]

Honestly now knowing all the company turmoil that went on during this time with the merger with Sammy, creative warfare with Yuji Naka, and basically forcing Iizuka to develop huge portions of the game alone, it’s actually amazing that anything released at all during that period.

[@AntonioMartinez-uk3xp]

I was born in ‘98 and this was the first game I ever owned. Sure I played old classic Mac games before, but Shadow was the first my dad bought only for me thinking it would be another happy childlike Sonic game. Now I know this bad boy had a deep impact in my personality, from the edginess I went through my teens to the gothic-industrial-esque musical preferences that still remain.

[@Cheeseyu3000]

"android will rule!" Then, why you didnt destroy Apple instead of eggman

[@andreistroe8973]

A missed potential

[@hoseinbmr3449]

LOL👍😂

[@alimowla3204]

so fun fact: the japanese version of this game's dialogue is infinitely better and is more in line with shadow's characterization in sa2 and heroes, and shadow overall seems less irritated by everything, he's not saying "damn" every 5 seconds like a kid who just learned how to swear, and is overall more natural, there's also less stupidity in the japanese version like shadow's "stealing candy from a baby" line not existing, as well as the president not saying to pay homage to gerald, among other things. the game was originally going have a T rating and give the aliens red blood instead of green, but the ESRB just came up with the E10+ rating, so sonic team went for that instead, and according to one screenshot, the game was originally going to feature an enemy radar system at the bottom of the screen, it's a half circle with red dots to show enemies, it was removed because sonic team are known for their good decision making/s. now for my own opinions, i hate the guns in this game, like, why would you give us a game starring the ultimate lifeform, and instead of letting us use said ultimate lifeform's chaos energy projectiles, you just give him guns that literally any other sonic character can use? i mean could imagine a vergil style shadow game? with chaos spears as summoned swords and teleporting and explosive punches? or even a megaman zero style shadow game? those would've awesome! but we get this nonsense instead. at the very least try to tie this stupid decision to the story, like, say shadow just doesn't remember most of his chaos powers due to his amnesia, like maybe have a cutscene going. sonic: "hey shadow, why are you using guns instead of your chaos spear thingies?" shadow: "chaos spears? okay, how do i use them?" sonic: "uh? on second thought nevermind." see? simple. and the multiple pathways nonsense is garbage, encore mode should've just been the default mode of the game and the man power that was spent on all those non-canon cutscenes should've gone to making a better and more cohesive story.

[@makotoyuki345]

This. This is why we need better localizers (we don’t need absolute *direct* translations but at least more scripts more inline with the Japanese one)

[@Zak-bv4qm]

Interesting

[@alimowla3204]

@@milesstorzillo1039 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjSn558jdCSfbc "hmph, how incredibly stupid of those guys. leaving a chaos emerald out in the open in front of me like that."

[@Deoxys_Used_Mimic]

@@alimowla3204 That’s... pretty much the same thing. The translation for that line wasn’t the issue, it was the line existing in the context of the “story’s” progression. Remember, you are on the HERO path when this scene plays. Stealing a chaos emerald like a selfish jackass from the people you are helping isn’t “hero-like” at all.

[@alimowla3204]

@@Deoxys_Used_Mimic i'm sorry, but no, claiming to have no issue with stealing a candy from a baby and calling your teammates stupid are not the same thing, what world do you live in where it's the same thing? i do agree everything you said afterwards, but that doesn't change the fact the line is dumb and _especially_ unfitting for shadow.

[@lordmandarin7212]

I personally think the premise of Shadow the hedgehog is not the problem. A serious case of amnesia could change a person making them choose alternative paths and then could even become evil because of their choices.

[@VenusFeuerFalle]

The fact the Story of the Game is basically, Shadow lost his memory AGAIN, was enough to make it feel unnecessary.

[@alptugraakan7490]

Umm again?After sa2,sth and heroes(based on how you want it to be)happens in the same time

[@pikachufrankie]

He had lost his memories before Sonic Heroes, and this game is a continuation of that. He never “lost them again.” I’m not sure where you’re getting that from.

[@charactersin-depth3472]

I hate my 14 year-old self for being stupid enough to be hyped for this abysmal game. The way Shadow was written stings, the story shoots itself in the foot every step, and the gameplay isn't fun at all. After 15 years, it's still haunting Shadow's characterization to this day.

[@TheLanydx]

Same, but for me it was 12.

[@FireBomberBassist]

You were young. Most of us look back on somethings we liked and shake our heads. I’ve played and enjoyed my share of terrible games and didnt care because I was super young.

[@joseanrosado3892]

@@FireBomberBassist For you. Everything you guys touch will Shit in something.

[@SM-th7pw]

When I was younger I just liked Shadow coz he was "cool and edgy", I never noticed a difference between SA2 Shadow and 05 Shadow, they were all the same to me and I love the character regardless. As I got older however I came to appreciate how good of a character Shadow (amongst other characters) really is when depicted in games like SA2, Heroes, and 06... which also led me to absolutely despise how he was depicted in his spin-off game, and fucking sigh at the way Shadow is still being currently depicted.

[@BitchChill]

I was like one when this game came out. I actually have an interest to play it

[@danielsurvivor1372]

21:06 He went from Lawful Neutral in SA2(Lawful because he had strict "must do what Maria does" code and Neutral since he only cared about keeping the promise) to Neutral Good in Heroes(He lost his moral code but he was actually a proper hero this time since he fought Eggman and Metal Sonic) to True Neutral in his own game to briefly Lawful Good in 06(follows GUN orders as a good guy) and finally turned into Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Idiot in other games

[@misterboogcn1288]

At least in sonic forces he was kinda like the shadow we know

[@ayrtonjoga]

"Chaotic Idiot" Pretty much lmao

[@ishratjahan406]

@@misterboogcn1288 Yes They were like "You want a good accurate Shadow , in turn you'll get a terrible story !" Oof Sega hates Shadow confirmed . /J

[@misterboogcn1288]

@@ishratjahan406Yeah lol also all the characters were kinda like they were before (except sonic and tails they were at their WORST in that game)

[@orangeslash1667]

@@misterboogcn1288 Sega said the only reason this game exists is because they received a lot of fan mail, requesting that Sonic wielded a gun. Yuji Naka knew that Sonic using gun would be out of character for sonic, but maybe it can work for Shadow??????

[@FerociousMit]

The game had its many flaws but there is an underlying theme to the story and I still liked it. If they were to try doing it again I bet it would be amazing. It's not as great as the other games, but it had too much potential and I wish it had more love.

[@-ShadowSimp-]

THIS

[@TheOnlyTherazan]

The game does make sense if you reformulate it like this: A character study of Shadow, by observing him in a bunch of what-if scenarios. Or at least it would, if it wasn't a character assassination instead as you pointed out.

[@danielsurvivor1372]

43:58 Man why does everyone hates the idea of branching path/choice matters in Sonic games? The problem is poor writting. If writers were actually good, this would be a great game story vise with a fresh idea

[@Mepphy99]

More like in shadow the hedgehog there are TOO MANY brancing Path If instead on ten we had 4 (like Evil, sub Evil, Sub Hero, full Hero i dunno) and more coesive storyline yeah, this game would be good Especially since Shadow past and development are great as we see in 06

[@TekRonan]

@@Mepphy99 I actually think the game could've worked better without branching off the levels. There's a total of 22 levels. I felt that instead of having the mission choice affect the level path, it should've just caused cutscenes to alter with characters and whatnot slightly changing how they behave towards Shadow after choosing the same side for a few levels. Maybe have like 3-4 major events throughout the story that can be caused/prevented depending on the side you choose. I'm basically suggesting something similar to Detroit: Become Human but in Sonic game form.

[@Mepphy99]

@@TekRonan that would have been much Better tho

[@8-bitsarda747]

I think the main issue, is the fact that you can switch sides at any point. I feel like after about the third stage, they should have just removed the evil missions from the hero side, and removed the hero missions from the evil side. Maybe remove both from the neutral side if you're feeling particularly spicy

[@shadowthehedgehog3113]

@@8-bitsarda747 Not necessarily. Shadow switching sides at various points could make sense (it didn't in practice).

[@thesupernintendokid4012]

Shadow's main writing issues of being nothing more than aggression and edge here stem mostly from Takashi Iizuka's interpretation of the character, which has been the same interpretation he's had since the meta era started, so that's why it seems like Shadow is such a castrated asshole in the new games. This is also why he's so much better in 06 because he's the Shiro Maekawa interpretation, which is the same as he is in SA2 and Heroes and all the other games up until Black Knight.

[@sonicsucks20]

But nobody like 06 so it doesn't matter in the end.

[@Chillipeffer]

@@sonicsucks20 yep it's a common trend no one likes sonic 4, so sega won't mainline make any more 2.5D games no one likes sonic boom, so sonic's model won't be majorly experimented with anytime soon no one likes 06, so shadow would lose his best characterization

[@matthewmorvillo8662]

@@Chillipeffer Oh, and let's not forget about 06's reception and legacy abandoning the adventure gameplay formula "for good" as well.

[@theredguy4043]

They gave him the vegeta treatment

[@orangeslash1667]

@@theredguy4043 Sega said the only reason this game exists is because they received a lot of fan mail, requesting that Sonic wielded a gun. Yuji Naka knew that Sonic using gun would be out of character for sonic, but maybe it can work for Shadow??????

[@SteveOfWarr]

I still find it amazing that one of the CGI movie producers from this game ended up directing both Sonic Movies

[@pkmntrainerred4247]

If I had to sum this game`s story up with a single sentence, it would be: ``It all starts with this... a game containing the ultimate character assassination`` --Me & other people who may have come up with this

[@alptugraakan7490]

Thats the,Shadow the Hedgehog!?

[@pkmntrainerred4247]

@@alptugraakan7490 Yes, the character assassin is Shadow the hedgehog (Also called by the unofficial but much more suitable name of "ow the edge") and the one assassinated is Shadow the hedgehog

[@alptugraakan7490]

@@pkmntrainerred4247 i guess you didnt understand that i did a sa2 3rd hero story cutscene joke

[@pkmntrainerred4247]

@@alptugraakan7490 Ah, sorry, its been quite a while since I last played SA2 so my memories of that game are quite rusty. Nice reference tho

[@daamazinfatb0y752]

Best thing about Shadow The Hedgehog? The CGI cutscenes

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

And Never Turn Back

[@nman551]

Yes

[@theweedeater1842]

also i am all of me

[@davidvazquez8225]

Yes. This video game would’ve worked great as a movie

[@thunderbird7020]

@@davidvazquez8225 no. It wouldn’t have. It would look nice, but it wouldn’t change the fact the story is horrendous and possibly the worst pre meta era story in the whole franchise.

[@sehtuk3953]

Personally, I feel like there's an oddly canon path to the game. If you take the Expert Mode as canon (multiple characters make note that this is training, some sort of VR G.U.N simulation? But Black Doom starts talking at one point so who knows), then you'll hear Cream mention Shadow saved her and have the G.U.N Commander apologize for what happened during that one cutscene trying to shoot Shadow. From this, we can infer that Shadow had to save Cream during Cryptic Castle's Hero Mission and he had to meet with the G.U.N Commander meaning Cosmic Fall is the final level. There's a path that fits just that, Dark Westopolis, Hero Digital Circuits, Hero Cryptic Castle, Hero Sky Troops, Neutral Space Gadget, then Hero Cosmic Fall. This path leads Shadow through both of the aforementioned events that happened, and it makes sense cause it ends on the ARK and it could lead into The Last Story. Filling in the blanks, Black Doom could get away while Vector is comforting a depressed Shadow (Shadow straight up walks away in that ending, Black Doom could leave if he wants to) and then Shadow travels from the ARK to The Black Comet with all Chaos Emeralds in hand to confront him, while Sonic and the gang take the extra time from Cosmic Fall to The Last Way to get on the Black Comet too. You don't help the Chaotix gather data at all in this route though, but I guess you can say they took the spare time to get the data themselves (and Vector's at the computer room in Cosmic Fall, he must've found something there or had some sort of data that would lead him there in the first place). I think that all fits together quite nicely, but I think SEGA said Pure Hero is canon, so this is outta the picture. There's a path on Pure Hero where you help the Chaotix gather all the data (except helping Vector get to the computer room) so that probably works out too. I just find it odd if this were canon because Shadow goes from fully understanding who he is and backing Black Doom into a corner with Sonic with seven Chaos Emeralds in the Black Comet to chasing him down on the Black Comet again during The Last Way despite already beating him in The Final Haunt. Cosmic Fall -> The Last Way just makes more sense to me than The Final Haunt -> The Last Way. Also just want to note a bizarre little detail with Vector, whenever he jumps he still has his special sound effect from Sonic Heroes. I'm sure it's just a carryover from Heroes and it's small enough that it didn't take much effort, but I'm surprised it's still here.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

Very interesting.

[@joshuareesor1756]

I would add Iron Jungle to that path, as during the final battle against Devil Doom, Eggman mentions how he lied about Shadow being an android that he created, which only happens in Iron Jungle. Also, Mad Matrix could be important to have as it connects the hacking scene the Chaotix have in that level and then in the Ark, where Charmy replicates what Shadow does in the intro to Mad Matrix to get the Ark computer working (although that can't happen alongside Cryptic Castle). It even naturally connects with Prison Island by helping Charmy get that data needed to start their process to the Ark (of the three, Charmy would most likely need the most help), and it makes sense for Shadow to help as he is trying to learn more about his past, with Prison Island being central to that. Personally, I always thought Hero Black Comet made the most sense as the level to lead into The Last Way, as the setting and Shadow's conclusion (that he knows best and no one will tell him what to do) fit the most with how The Last Way starts, and even though Eggman seemingly dies, Shadow has no reason to kill him and he even says "Never show your face around me again!", which might imply that he simply knocked the doctor out. Plus, it would also explain why Eggman is on foot during The Last Way without any mechanical help; Shadow destroyed his machines and he needed to stay by Sonic and co. for protection. It even fits with the three aforementioned levels, although the expert mode dialogue doesn't really suit it. Through as you said, Black Doom can still talk to Shadow despite being dead, so I don't know how canon Expert mode would be. TL;DR: My canon path would be: Neutral Westopolis, Neutral Glyphic Canyon, Hero Prison Island, Dark Mad Matrix, Dark Iron Jungle, Hero Black Comet.

[@JinzoFiter]

Hero Digital Circuit takes you to Prison Island, not Cryptic Castle. Interesting theory nonetheless.

[@sehtuk3953]

@@JinzoFiter Oh shoot, you're right. Well you can just do Dark Digital Circuit and end up with the same route I think. I guess I just wanted some involvement with Rouge in this route lol

[@SteveCrafts2k]

Pure Hero can't be canon. Last Story contradicts that.

[@josephleiber9879]

Man this channel is so great for re-capping games I’ve never played

[@sp1nda]

I feel like this is one of your best reviews in the Sonic retrospective. Looking at the history of video games during the era in which Shadow The Hedgehog was released is REALLY important context as to how it even came to being, and you did a great job with that.

[@shanecorcoran2542]

This was the one that got me into his channel, so I’ll always have it as one of my favorites, right behind 06 which is maybe my favorite video he’s ever made besides the TMNT stuff

[@themcknox]

The dreamcasts downfall is really one of the saddest things in gaming history for me. It was a powerful console for its time, so much wasted potential.

[@AldenDoble]

The dreamcast was (and still is to this day) one of the most revolutionary consoles ever made. I just don't think the world was truly ready for it 😔

[@themcknox]

@@AldenDoble there were plans to port Half Life to it at the time aswell :(

[@brendens5961]

It was a powerful system, but strategically it was too soon. If they maybe would have waited one more year. I'd love to see Sega rebuild their empire and maybe release a system one day. It could happen MC world.

[@KiraSlith]

It really was an incredible console for the era, a shame nobody besides Sega and Acclaim really took advantage of it. That PowerVR chip has a lot more to give than 2D platformers and top-down shooters, or in modders' case, another Doom source port.

[@MrREAPERsz]

Crazy thing is. Sega has enough properties and exclusives to enter the console market again. They'd actually be decent competition, especially with the console shortage. They'd sell like hotcakes.

[@genemelendez8157]

This game’s story feels like a “choose your own adventure book” with the ability to jump to later pages to continue the story left out. You have to read the whole thing page by page like a regular book, whether it makes sense or not.

[@chaosproject91]

Underrated comment right here. The comment in the video about the main story not being relevant to the Last Story felt off to me because, as you said, the main story needs to be taken as a front-to-back amalgamation of events, even if it doesn't make linear sense. It's not that none of these things happened, it's that all of them happened, just maybe not quite as the game depicted.

[@jjc4924]

But unlike most of the cartoons, this one actually kills people instead of just hurting them. Just like in real life.

[@rockwarestar4670]

Yeah the story in the game is amazing . Sure it’s not as good as the stories in the Adventure games but it’s still good

[@jjc4924]

Rock. I'm sorry. But I can't agree.

[@rockwarestar4670]

@@jjc4924 So when you were saying that StH is more realistic you weren’t complimenting it?

[@zayjohnson8994]

So this whole time I thought that as a 10 year old playing this game that I was just too stupid to understand the storyline & got frustrated to the point where I never finished the game but that wasn’t really the case!? It was just an entirely poorly made game!?? 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@noahpauley]

Shadow the Hedgehog was my first "proper" Sonic game besides Sonic Riders. While I understand how bad this game is compared to the earlier 3D games but I unapologetically love how fucking weird and edgy it is.

[@dekaidoku]

Story of Shadow the Hedgehog is like a Visual Novel, cept like there is no common route skip option and the endings all suck.

[@craftymasterproductions4218]

To me, the story of Shadow the Hedgehog is more like a crappy choose-your-own-adventure book, where you have all these different story paths, only for there to end up being only one “true” “canon” path, making all the others pointless in the end.

[@papersonic9941]

@SGMD 8889 you mean the Submarine thing? I believe that was made-up

[@stevespud2707]

Idk not all of the endings suck to me. Some of them are nice. Like the pure hero, semi-hero, semi-dark, and the one where he betrayed Black Doom at the end. That ending is funny.

[@jjc4924]

All of these stuff has ruined Shadow as an character.

[@N2xedMoney]

I am aware that Shadow The Hedgehog is a trash game, but I still love it lmao

[@rockwarestar4670]

I do too. But don’t say it’s trash. You can say that it’s good. Don’t let anyone stop you

[@N2xedMoney]

@@rockwarestar4670 Well, I don't really thnk that it's that good or good at all, I just like it for other reasons. You can still have fun or like bad games. That how I think at least.

[@craftymasterproductions4218]

@@rockwarestar4670 Except why would he say it’s good when it’s not good nor does he think it is good? Just because you personally like something doesn’t mean it’s any good. It’s okay and possible to like something that’s bad. That’s why they’re called “guilty pleasure”. They’re stuff you enjoy despite you knowing fully from an objective standpoint, that they aren’t very good.

[@SM-th7pw]

@@craftymasterproductions4218 Exaclty. Alot of people nowadays really blur the line between “objective” and “subjective”. Subjectivity is your personal enjoyment, whilst objectivity is just fact, in terms of the objective quality of the actual product. You’d be surprised how many people don’t understand this (and I’ve met alot of them in my time 🙄)

[@mbdg6810]

@@SM-th7pw true. But the terms "good" and "bad" aren't objective because you describe good and bad differently based on what the standard is. and objectivity requires consistentcy.

[@daxternator649]

I know that "shadow the hedgehog" is a bad game but I still love it as a guilty pleasure. In this game shadow is almost a parody of himself and is the "ultimate edgelord" not "the ultimate life form"

[@cerebralassassin2185]

It's not even that bad tbh. If you realize the message and meaning behind the game, it's actually great, especially the canon parts. Tons and tons love this game.

[@jaretco6423]

​@Cerebral Assassin No it's not. This is is an bad game. The message & meaning that the game teaches you is downright terrible and it completely destroys the legacy of Adventure 2.

[@Blanktester685]

@@jaretco6423 your opinion buddy. every game after the sonic 3 destroys the legacy of sonic.

[@AniGaAG]

_Aboard the Egg Fleet, after Sonic Heroes is over..._ *Shadow:* "Hrm... Sonic." *Sonic:* "Yo, Shadow. You're looking moody as usual - what's up?" *Shadow:* "With all this Metal Sonic business out of the way... tell me. Are you aware of the details of my past?" *Sonic:* "Oh yeah, the lot of us heard all about that back on the Ark, ha. Why, you telling me you forgot, or something?" *Shadow:* "Tsk... yes. I must've been inflicted with amnesia of some sort..." *Sonic:* "Oh man, yeah, I can see how that would've happened, with what happened to you at the end when we stopped the Ark's fall..." *Shadow:* "So tell me." *Sonic:* "Geez, cool it. I'll grab myself a chili dog and we'll have a chat! - Also, woah, did you see those vats with android clones of you...?" *Shadow:* "... tsk... what if I am one of them..." *Sonic:* "... have you tried poking yourself to see if you bleed?" *Shadow:* "... uh-"

[@pickles8108]

Shadow karate chopping the computer is still one of the most hilarious moments in all of gaming and not because it was supposed to be.

[@Missmisery42]

the final cutscene where shadow says "goodbye, shadow the hedgehog" is oddly prophetic, like sonic team knew that they pretty much ruined his character and how he's perceived by the masses for the foreseeable future.

[@Mepphy99]

But Sonic 06 portayed a wonderful Shadow. If Only he remained like that

[@Blanktester685]

I remember 06 and heroes having a decent portrayal.

[@skibot9974]

Here’s a fun fact last year I tried playing the game. I routed it out to ensure I would do at least half the missions of each stage (so 1/2 or 2/3) while avoiding as many BS stages as possible. Funny thing is I couldn’t finish the run because my XBOX 360 refused to load Black Comet or the second Maria stage two of the most hated stages in the game. I even bought a second disc and it was the same. It’s probably some backwards comparability issue or my console showing it’s age but I prefer to think the 360 knew how bad those stages were and refused to play them

[@chr0merobo]

I always loved the base concept for the multiple playthroughs and diverging paths in this game! The story of "Only you can decide who you are." and each different ending being finite. Shadow's own beliefs, influenced by the players choices, manifest themselves as the truth that Shadow was searching for! It's only during the final story that Shadow realizes that he isnt under anyones control and has the freedom to decide who he is, and what the future holds! It couldve been a great way to bake in both the overly edgey Guns & Damns of the 6th gen era, the friendliness of the cast of Heroes, and the genuineness of the Adventure games! Makes me wish there could be another chance for shadow the hedgehog someday.

[@tinguspingus2068]

I’ve noticed that too many Sonic retrospectives on youtube are done by dudes in their 30s who all grew up with the adventure era so I think it’s really nice and refreshing to hear opinions from someone with a different experience with the franchise.

[@benjulc9271]

Me before the video: Where's that DAMN fourth 3d Sonic review. Me now: O, here it is. That was easy, like stealing candy from a baby, wich is fine by me. *Proceeds to use a karate key on my device in order to watch the video.*

[@benjulc9271]

@Holden The Gamer Just see the video.

[@smashmaster521]

@Holden The Gamer He's quoting the memes of Shadow the Hedgehog.

[@robertkovarna8294]

But did you find the computer room before you karate chop your computer?

[@dad5draco]

@Holden The Gamer lol, perfectly describes the writers of the game.

[@smashmaster521]

@@robertkovarna8294 Well, you kind of have to find the computer room before you can karate chop the computer.

[@Nia-nw1zp]

I think one of the few story things this game does is pretty clearly implying that you're the real shadow throughout the whole game and that shadow is actually created by the aliens because he can do the thing where he travels through the alien tube things and his skin color being black and red like the aliens makes sense And for the possibility of him being an android I don't think the lower poly count of the npc androids is like lack of polish or anything I think that was actually supposed to show that they are machines but the real shadow is clearly different, and also it makes sense logically that eggman would lie about creating shadow in the hopes of controlling him And the reason I say all of this is bc I disagree that the thing eggman says 9 minutes into the final boss fight is like the only confirmation you get, I think its effectively confirmed through the game

[@582time]

I actually reached the 9 minute mark during the final boss fights with Black Doom. I remember it even now really clearly I was having a hard time kill him during my second or third time fight him and I was having a hard time hitting his eyes. Even when I was a child I always thought it was odd to leave such an important revelation till the very last moment of the fight.

[@magnaillusion6085]

"I need to know about the past, who am I, what am I doing here . . ." "WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOOOOOOARRRRRGH!?"

[@jjc4924]

Gerald Robotnik with an Dr. Light ascent: That's an good question.

[@HOL457]

"For what reason do I exist? The answers are just up ahead"

[@digitaltailsmon4096]

I can't believe Never Turn Back's piano was I am all of me! That's such a good detail thanks for bringing it up!! Anyway great review man! I was not expecting this one so soon but I enjoyed it. Can't wait to hear your opinions on 06 as I know it will be interesting to see the least.

[@Woodenfan]

Now I wonder which review will be longer: His, Johnny's... ...well to be fair, Clement went on for 3+ hours.

[@noventaporcento]

I've been listening to this song for a decade and I'd never noticed it

[@evdestroy5304]

Same that's such a subtle thing to put in the song

[@Keegstar]

20:00 this made sense too me, I mean the gun agent part was a bit confusing but I think it just needs rephrasing: "Looks like those gun agents are giving you a hard time." "How pitiful, they haven't realized yet.." "What?" "Were not here to exterminate these poor creatures. On the contrary..." And then the rest plays on as normal, what this cutscene was trying too say was that black doom wants too use humanity as a source of energy, not too kill them all off. And with the "your going down!" From shadow he was talking too black bull.

[@kylevallely7521]

This is actually one of my favourite games Ive ever played and wish it would get an honest remake

[@mbii7667]

This guy gets it

[@charleschamp9826]

I enjoyed this game enough to not only get all A Ranks and all keys on every stage and complete Expert Mode, but I've fully completed all the library sequences TWICE.

[@PumpkinFox]

"This is like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me." He says on the Hero Path.

[@Nerdgirl9853]

Its just a bad translation. The line isn't good in the Japanese, but its much less vague/misunderstandable. It was like, "This is easy, which is fine by me", English just used an idiom which kinda doesn't work in the line. Not defending the writing. Just saying it still fits with a Heroic path.

[@PumpkinFox]

@@Nerdgirl9853 I did not know that. Thanks for informing me!

[@Nerdgirl9853]

@@PumpkinFox no problem. And also, translating it like that was likely purposeful, in order to sound more edgy. But yeah, was just bad translation of an already not-the-best line.

[@Man_Aslume]

​@@Nerdgirl9853 The Japanese words is just every player in this game

[@Mojo1356]

Simple. The story structure is so bad it might as well be non existent. The level design is usually not attuned to the missions the game asks you to do. The controls are essentially Identical to speed characters from Sonic Heroes. The voice acting is wooden. The non goal ring missions can take as long if not longer than Team Chaotix missions from Heroes, the path nobody liked to begin with. Chaos control is useless if you aren’t going for the goal or in a boss fight. The animation quality for non CG cutscenes is pathetic for 2005. Everyone deemed as an enemy will attack you regardless of which mission you’re trying to complete. This game could have been good, but so many things hold it back. I want a remake of this game of the highest degree like FF7 remake. There are things in this game I do like such as the guns.

[@tacoman422]

I personally thought it was weird Shadow never got the choice to actually team up with Eggman. Even if you go along with Eggman's objectives in one or two levels he'll either disappear from the plot or still be the final boss. They seem like they should have more of a connection given this game reveals the doctor saved Shadow after his apparent death and in general they're at least tangentially connected through Eggman's family. Besides, how many people actually wanted to team up with Black Doom rather than Eggman, the main villain of the series? Besides that, in general this game is where Sonic's friends (and Sonic himself in this case) start to feel like they're just window dressing for the main character, with nothing in terms of motivation or relationships informing their actions beyond "they're the good guys". Heroes was kind of light on plot but at least gave a token motivation for most of the team members, but in this it feels like everyone just gives Shadow the "Where's Poochie?" treatment of acting like he's the most important character in the universe, and beyond the occasional comment rarely seem to acknowledge the good or bad things he's done up to a given point in the game.

[@tylerbeans7096]

Shadow being an android would be the only way this character assassination would make any sense. Like, Robotnik created new life for this shadow, as an android, and he's experiencing new problems and issues like a child would and it shapes him into a different person because it's all he really experienced up until that point. I think the main problem is that this game makes shadow the driving force in the story instead of the story happening to shadow. Choices in games are supposed to put you into a position that would make your choice matter, but limit options and maybe even knowledge of each choice, and make you carefully consider each option and understand the respective pros and cons. Who in their right mind would choose Black Arms aside from, "Do I wanna do an evil playthrough?" Also, a funny note, the only guy I knew who had this game was my best friend in elementary school. He is black and had absolutely no problems with the names of the aliens. In fact, I don't even remember him acknowledging it at all. I guess the whole seeing racism thing just goes over the head of 3rd/4th graders unless it's painfully blatant. I mean, you can argue that this is, but it definitely wasn't the intention. I never owned this game, but I had SA2. We would talk about the different plots in this game and piece together it with the only Sonic game he and I mutually owned, Sonic Heroes. I really miss those days.

[@The_Vile_One69]

"Damn, not here!"

[@ryanm.8720]

"This can't be...!"

[@brackenseely3175]

Damn, not here

[@wayverleesoulsong]

You’re going straight to Hell!

[@jamariyoung6322]

“That DAMN forth chaos emerald!”

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

"This is the end of you, and the end to my cursed past!"

[@ADRIANSKA97]

Man im not gonna lie, that last mission gived me so much hype when i was a kid and still doing it now

[@gender_4x466]

Its funny how they're called "The black arms" but their arms are red

[@YowLife]

I was a big fan of Sonic after finishing up Sonic X, and I was desperate for more Sonic action. This lead me to buying Shadow the Hedgehog for the PS2. And while I struggled to get through it, I soon found myself having a blast with it...after using a gameshark for infinite health ammo and stuff. Yes I enhanced the game, but it allowed me to have so much fun. I guess my advice is if you want to enjoy this game use a game shark and it's a blast.

[@spinballproduction9678]

in my opinion infinite ammo doesn't fix the stages or the story. no hate it's just my personal opinion.

[@cjgg4885]

@@AlphaZeroX96 Oh god, the horror! I call for execution!

[@kwamedamuah1838]

sonic x was a good representation of sonic

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

Whatever makes you have more fun with the game.

[@okagron]

If you have to cheat to have fun with a game, then the game is bad to begin with.

[@mani_icon3135]

I never knew about the piano in the beginning of Never Turn Back and now I can't unhear that.

[@PrimevalDemon]

"Shadow, we've managed to stop breathing! "

[@UltraSTH]

Fun fact: This game came out on the same day as Sonic Rush. Let that sink in.

[@sb6196]

What do you mean by that the fact that 2 completely different games released on the same day?

[@UltraSTH]

@@sb6196 exactly that.

[@sb6196]

@@UltraSTH it definitely is interesting I was very surprised when I found out they came out on the same day have you played either of them? I've played both shadow the hedgehog and sonic rush and I would say I enjoyed both overall though I think I do like sonic rush more.

[@UltraSTH]

@@sb6196 never played Shadow, but Rush is one of my favorite games in the series, incredibly technical and it’s probably the fastest Sonic has ever been

[@sb6196]

@@UltraSTH I know what you mean the game is a lot of fun I wish I still had the game unfortunately my Copy broke a long time ago.

[@mcmistle9892]

I think the scenes where Shadow finds a Shadow Android in Heroes & Shadow offers a perfect comparison between the two. In Heroes Shadow finds an android, and at most is mildly concerned before brushing it off to continue the mission. In Shadow, he’s flabbergasted at the sight of the damn thing and decides to go full lunatic and take over the world. One is Shadow the Hedgehog, the other is a drooling idiot who doesn’t know what to do with himself.

[@jax2433]

Despite how lacking the story seems to be, it's way better when you've played through SA2, Heroes, then Shadow the Hedgehog. When I was younger I spent the entire summer playing through these games and thoroughly enjoyed piecing Shadows story together.

[@thehoodie7740]

I did not know about eggmans dialogue at the 9 minute mark of the final boss fight... I finally got some closure from a game that I played over a decade ago.. thank you

[@smugcat723]

Fun fact: Black Doom is voiced by Goku's English VA

[@jjc4924]

And I couldn't care less about that to be perfectly honest. Not after the BS he's been doing since last year.

[@isauldron4337]

@@jjc4924 what he's been doing ?

[@jjc4924]

Hector. To put it simply, he has been being destroying Vic carrier and being more douchbag to the fans & makes Funi worst.

[@isauldron4337]

@@jjc4924 good to know thanks for answering

[@GiveGodCredit]

Sean?

[@arcadejaguar409]

Shadow the Hedgehog is the textbook example of the "Edgy Spin-off".

[@CraftyChicken91]

It sucks though because it kinda isn't even a spin off. The events all taking place after and continuing shadows story from Sa2 makes this much closer to a main series game.

[@arcadejaguar409]

@@CraftyChicken91 I suppose you have a point.

[@rankrodent2772]

Yet it’s in my top five favorite GameCube games

[@kuranagit9840]

Your channel should be in the millions with subscribers. I usually hate review channels cause they always nick pick on the bad and is very annoying at that. But I love how in depth your are with your reviews. I've seen your jak reviews, tmnt, batman beyond, and sonic 06 so far. While just starting this one. You love what you do and I love that. Keep up the good work

[@DivineLight661]

I've never really been much of a sonic fan but this is one of the few games in the series I'd willingly play for hours

[@mihaimercenarul7467]

Ew

[@Swaggernaut64]

The part where he explains that the Shadow game has no backbone with its tone and "darker" moments, sums up a HUGE issue I had with Sonic Forces. It's just as many crappy copouts with no lasting commitments in its narrative in that game too, its like Sega doesn't learn sometimes.

[@awsomedude23456]

It’s bc forces was written by people who know nothing about sonic, literally. If we had the unleashed/ black knight writers, forces would’ve been much better. Have the gameplay be more of a mix between unleashed and generations and you’ve got a good game

[@shadowthehedgehog3113]

Also, tbf, that scene in Death Ruins with Black Doom was not Shadow actually working with him-he was helping Rouge spy on him. Black Doom figures this out and that's why he sends Black Bull after them.

[@Muteki_REN]

Okay @ 18:59 Sonic's line is "Looks like the black creatures are *heading into space.* We're on our way to the ark so that means *we're going (to space) too* " He's just referring to going to space itself. Ofc It definitely could've been worded better but i think the context clues are obvious lmao

[@travis8106]

I was born in 96 and was about 10 when I played this game. I absolutely fucking loved it. But it hasn't aged well for me. At the time though, I thought it was unique and cool and liked the branching storylines.

[@judaspetta7601]

Sometimes I wish they'd remake these games and make a coherent canon and refine the gameplay to be better but I know that's definitely not gonna happen lol

[@EternalDahaka]

I unironically would love a Shadow the Hedgehog remake. As embarrassing as the plot/dialogue was, I had enough fun with it to try going for all 326 routes. Switching to more Sonic Adventure-based movement system, redesigning the level design to accommodate it, as well as ironing out the shooting would be awesome.

[@thesmashinghit6868]

Adventure, Adventure 2, Heroes, and the Hedgehog need remakes This game needs a reinvention

[@garrettculley8907]

This games OST is awesome in my opinion. There’s ton of unused songs. Just look them up. Magna-fi has an album released in 06 or 07 and the first track was intended to be in the game. Check them out.

[@snakeywakey3893]

Unreleased tracks you say? Well, it is time to check those out.

[@matthewabraham5819]

Bro the whole soundtrack was lit my guy

[@diaboruim]

.

[@kolldee3006]

49:41 , do you know the name of this song?

[@vadim_65rus]

​@@kolldee3006 literally the theme of a level you see. Lava shelter

[@testaccount4830]

I feel the fact that Gerald being treated as a hero is warranted since they were the ones who drove him mad in the first place.

[@kspliff7029]

Tbh this game defined the choose your date type of games. It wasn’t meant to be ground breaking it did what it was supposed to do. Tbh I was like 10 when it came out and I loved it

[@Alias_Anybody]

Okay, how is this guy 2 years younger than me? Stop making me feel old at age 22.

[@DrazenX195]

I'm 30. It's kind of fascinating seeing how people that are younger than me view the series. I was born in 90 and I got a Genesis in 92-93 with Sonic 2. My Godkids are all big Sonic fans from seeing Boom or X on Hulu. So it's been a real treat showing them the games I grew up with or Mania for example. It just makes me happy. For better or worse, Sonic's still an icon and it's nice that something so pivotal to my childhood is still a thing today.

[@haaxxx9]

Fuuuck me cause I was born in 1999 and Jay is born in 2000!? AND HE'S SOUNDS MUCH MORE OLDER THAN ME WTH!?

[@freyaljones7368]

I’m 25 and I’ve always been secret sonic fan so has my boyfriend I’ve been a fan since I was 5 when I got my own sega mega drive and sonic the hedgehog 2 and Ecco the dolphin 🐬

[@Jose-se9pu]

Dont ask how old we classic Sonic fans are...

[@JsReviews]

On the subject of ages, I am waiting for someone to comment about the part around 47:10 where I say “I was in a discord call back in high school.” Can’t imagine a lot of youtubers have said that lol

[@shiffpup2529]

Huh... You know, this game does the "kill your past" better than The Last Jedi. Shadow is constantly trying to figure out if he's real or just an android. He's told different things depending on which story you go through. But at the end, he casts aside his need for a past and focuses on defeating the villain. That clip at the 9 minute mark of the final boss, where Eggman tells Shadow he's the same one from SA2, comes after he's made up his mind. He is the Ultimate Life Form. All of it. ...Damn, I didn't expect to think this when watching the video.

[@maude7420]

In 06 he dropped this whole "what is muh past?!?" and he got a new threat to fight against, it's part of the reason why he worked in the later game and not here lol

[@jbailiaymen9192]

people really don't like the last jedi even if I didn't think someone would compare it to story in shadow the hedgehog

[@Zayindjejfj]

@@maude7420 That's what happens when you insert an equally edgy character. Mephiles threatened his edge. Same with Infinite or whatever from Sonic forces.

[@maude7420]

funi shado edgi

[@fawfulmark2]

And Metal Gear Solid 2 did it better than both.

[@crynosinso8324]

I like the edge in this game, though I know it should be toned down a little. I think most of the overall issues would be fixed if there was just one set path in the story. Lets see.... How about this. Have Shadow start working with Black Doom with Black Doom controlling Shadow because of his memory loss, then mid way through the game have Shadow meet with Sonic and others, have him fight some of them across different stages but slowly understand that they're his friends and he should trust them. So then they get data on the Ultimate Lifeform, they confront Shadow Androids, leading to his identity crisis, but then, at the end, when Shadow gets all 7 Chaos Emeralds, he regains his memories. Flashes of Maria and the fight with the Biolizard and Final Hazard flash through his mind, and when his mind comes back to the present, Black Doom will be there, using the Emeralds to Chaos Control the Black Comet down to the planet, but Shadow grabs the Emeralds away before Black Doom can do anymore damage, causing Black Doom to warp away as Shadow warps after him after entering his Super form. During the final boss Shadow can confront Black Doom and certain lines will play. "Shadow, do you think this feeble planet will recognize you as a hero? After all you've done in assisting the Black Arms?" "I don't expect them to welcome me. Never have. I also know that because of my past, and my present, I won't turn back, no matter the consequences. They can call me Black Hearted Evil or Brave Hearted Hero, but all I ever have to know is that I am me, ALL OF ME! I AM SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG! AND YOU WILL FALL TO ME BLACK DOOM!"

[@robertlupa8273]

"Disgusting black creatures... get out of my sight." *HERO MISSION COMPLETED* That's, uh, unfortunate indeed.

[@Fractorification]

If you do some research about the behind the scenes of this game’s production, there’s actually a rather funny reason why this game’s tone tries soo hard for the edginess. And that’s because, Izuka and co had no clue how to write dark stories. Their solution? Binge watch a bunch of dark emo vampire shit from the mid 2000’s, like the Underworld and Blade movies. Yeah, they took notes and copy pasted the dark tone from a superficial level. That’s where the weird use of guns, motorcycles alien with cults and Karate Chop action comes into play. It was just Izuka and co mimicking terrible vampire slaying flicks of the time assuming this was what westerners were into. DYKG made a video detailing this a few years back! You can look it up where they cite their sources and such! Crazy shit!

[@simpson6700]

this is exactly why you should never pander to an audience. pandering only leads to a superficial product. create what you truly think is good and the audience will come to you.

[@NebLleb]

Damn, I didn't know that. The reason why it's so edgy was they took their main inspiration from UNDERWORLD (And Blade, but Blade is the second most important comic book movie ever made, so...) The Lesson of Shadow the Hedgehog? Never take influence from Underworld for your big budget action platformer title! You'll never know what you'll do if you take influence from the wrong stuff.

[@Blanktester685]

@@simpson6700 what people think is good is subjective, devs could think sonic forces was amazing when most people think it sucks.

[@CJSai64]

16:13 "despite calling him the ultimate life form before." He doesn't remember that at that part of the story yet. Lol

[@spinballproduction9678]

late but it didn't seem like he hated him in heroes.

[@CJSai64]

@@spinballproduction9678 ....what? Did you mean to reply to someone else?

[@spinballproduction9678]

No why do you ask that

[@CJSai64]

@@spinballproduction9678 Ah woops. For some reason I thought this was his Heroes video and my timed clip didn't make it obvious until I skipped back a bit. You're onto something though. It seemed like in Heroes he was perplexed by the thought of someone who looked just like him while acting totally different. He was just confused and didn't know how to act beside him but he respected him in the Final Fight; him and Knuckles. In his solo spinoff, I guess he just treats him like the annoying kid brother who won't leave him alone. Thanks Sonic Team.

[@8bitlee858]

I love the song “ I am all I am”

[@pawnm0v3]

You know this is one the first times I have ever seen the ending of Shadow outside of the 10 endings. I didn't even know there was an expert mode or true ending because I never had the patience or time to A rank all the missions when I was younger. This was a pretty good video!

[@TheRealDustinNunn]

I had fun playing Shadow the Hedgehog on the GameCube. It took me forever to beat the game. I know most people didn't really care for the game, but I actually loved it! I always liked nuking my enemies with Chaos Blast.

[@thelonewolf7443]

Death to all who oppose me! 😅 If I had a penny for every time I heard that quote... I would have more than one penny.

[@Bonnie_B365]

@@thelonewolf7443 Arrragh! DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!👿 -Shadow the Hedgehog 2005