Sonic The Hedgehog

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

While still Apple exclusive, Sonic Dream Team has gained a whole new zone as post game DLC.

Launch Timings for Sonic Dream Team Update 2 Revealed

Sonic Dream Team Update 2 is set to arrive later today, at 6PM EST/3PM PST! This new update will introduce a new stage, "Sweet Dreams Zone," as well as a ranking system and additional trophies. Sweet Dreams Zone is set after the events of the game's story, and is designed by Ariem. The zone is de...

www.sonicstadium.org

I need to know what this zone is made of.

Are we to disagree?

To travel the world, and the seven seas?

Everybody is looking for something.

 

[Zamuel]

All considered, I find Dream Team kinda fascinating. From what I've seen, it's good with with the only asterisk is the system it's available on. While I'm no fan of Apple, their involvement probably improved the game. There was a level of quality control probably required and programming for only one system is easier. I also think Hardlight had something to prove in getting to work for on a conventional Sonic game instead of just mobile autorunners.

 

[Zamuel]

Huh. Figured TailsTube would return last week or next week to give space for the Knuckles show:

EDIT: I just realized that the strike pushed some shows back and TailsTube was probably scheduled last year.

 

[Sabrblade]

I just finished binge-watching the Knuckles mini-series.

Spoiler

I enjoyed it enough. It was fun and entertaining, but the title is a total lie.

While Knuckles is certainly in it and grows as a character, he is not the focus. The show should be titled "Wade Whipple", as this is definitely his show about his story.

 

[Shadewing]

Even more reason they should have called it "And Knuckles"

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I was worried this would happen. CGI is still expensive. Trying to do this on a TV budget was optimistic.

 

[Sabrblade]

I still recommend those who enjoyed the movies watch this show too. It does some world-building and helps Knucks grow and mature, but just be aware that Wade is the real star.

 

[Zamuel]

I agree that the series is more Wade focused with with some parts with Knuckles actually feeling mildly disconnected. Though it feels like the movies in retaining the "live action cartoon" feel and the theme of family. Agent Mason and Agent Willoughby managed to be a henchman duo but with some threatening aspects to them.

Though on that worldbuilding there's two things that stood out...

Spoiler

-During a dream sequence stage play meant to show Wade things from Knuckles perspective, it brings up the Flames of Disaster. With the look of the foe and claiming it to be a demon, it seems to imply that Movie Knuckles beat a version of Iblis. I find this fascinating since this is invoking Sonic '06 and I'd assume that after Movie 3 would be Rush or 06.
-They're going with the idea that there's different factions in the government. Specifically that there was a group that preceeded GUN. This allows the government to be grey and is partly how GUN was handled in Sonic X. It also helps square up the timeline for the way the movies present things. "1974" gets mentioned which is what 50 years ago would be for now, as opposed to 50 years from 2001.

I was worried this would happen. CGI is still expensive. Trying to do this on a TV budget was optimistic.

I'm mixed since while it is expensive, I think some things could have been done differently. They didn't utilize the comic style scenes from the second movie.

 

[Sabrblade]

Spoiler

-During a dream sequence stage play meant to show Wade things from Knuckles perspective, it brings up the Flames of Disaster. With the look of the foe and claiming it to be a demon, it seems to imply that Movie Knuckles beat a version of Iblis. I find this fascinating since this is invoking Sonic '06 and I'd assume that after Movie 3 would be Rush or 06.
-They're going with the idea that there's different factions in the government. Specifically that there was a group that preceeded GUN. This allows the government to be grey and is partly how GUN was handled in Sonic X. It also helps square up the timeline for the way the movies present things. "1974" gets mentioned which is what 50 years ago would be for now, as opposed to 50 years from 2001.

Spoiler

I couldn't tell if they were saying that the "Flames of Disaster" in this continuity referred to merely a technique Knuckles learned when facing the Fire Demon, or if it's meant to be a power he got from the Fire Demon, as if to say that his glowing red energy that emits from his quills is the Flames of Disaster, in contrast to how Sonic's glowing blue energy that emits from his own quills is Chaos Energy.

I caught that 1974 mention, too, and with them saying that another extraterrestrial appeared at the 1974 bowling tournament, I'm left wondering two things:

1. Are we to believe that Shadow, in this continuity, was not created by Professor Gerald but instead came from another world and simply made contact and friendship with him and Maria?
2. Are we to believe that Shadow likes bowling? Hehehe.

 

[Zamuel]

Spoiler

Are we to believe that Shadow, in this continuity, was not created by Professor Gerald but instead came from another world and simply made contact and friendship with him and Maria?

Spoiler

It's possible that it was this universe's version of Black Doom. Shadow's self titled game has been mentioned in some interviews so it could be that the alien half of his DNA showed up and the government created Shadow from that. Alternately, it could be a different member of the hedgehog tribe. The Master Emerald was hidden on Earth for some reason so there might have been a scouting party or someone checking to see if the Master Emerald was still there.

 

[Shadewing]

Finally watched the series today. It's... not great. It's not terrible, but It's not as enjoyable as the movies. And I feel like I figured out an easy way they could have fixed that.

The villians are the second worst part of this movie... they just don't work. (The worst is Wade's sister Wanda). But there was one antagonist that kinda worked, becuase of his actor... Cary Elwes pulls out a strong preformance, so Cast Cary Elwes as Snively or some 'in-all-but-name' character rather then Wade's dad. He could easily hold a candle to Carry's Robotnik, and would have been more fun and interesting then the actual main villain (and likely would have had the exact same ammount of screen time). Elwes oozes charisma and knows how to chew the scenary with the best of them and he was wasted in how he was used in the series, even if he's still one of the better parts of it.

Snively is such a perfect fit for him. You still get a villian that worked with Robotnik in his robotics lab, someone that wants to be just as renowned as him and willing to do anything for that chance, so becoming an arms dealer that repurposes eggtech seems totally a direction Snively would go. The Buyer as is, is just some generic villian who isn't even fun to watch. But I feel like Elwes would have brought something to the character to make him memorable if he was the actual main villian; someone you might actually want to see return. And if Carry does retire, Elwes probably would have been a potential replacement if he was "the Buyer".

 

[Zamuel]

Huh. That...actually works. While I actually like Mason & Willoughby, the Buyer was such a massive nothing. I'm actually wondering if him being a generic tough guy was meant to be a deliberate contrast to Robotnik's eccentrics. Honestly, the Buyer could have been a wholly offscreen threat with Mason and/or Willoughby piloting the final mech and it be a stronger narrative.

Speaking of narrative, I think Wanda also failed at it. With her being a bully to her brother, you want to either see her get comeuppance as a bully or soften and acknowledge her brother when he succeeds. I think the one thing they could have done is have her allow Wade to uncuff her when she and their mother were kidnapped. Injuring herself to get out of the cuffs doesn't satisfy comeuppance since she did get out of the cuffs on her own and the show seemed to be setting up that she isn't actually all that much more competent than her brother.

The weirdest thing as I sit and think about the show is that I wonder just how it could have went if, instead Wade & Knuckles, it was instead Wade and Tails.

 

[Shadewing]

Mason was the best of the three. Willoughby feels like there should have been more to her, with how she taunts Kunckles in the second episode. But no, she's just some spurned nobody pissed she's a desk jocky. They could have had an interesting dynamic maybe if they had been the more or less sole antangonists in the series. Or at least the Jessie and James to The Buyer's Giovanni. Just remove the whole Bounty hunter stuff. Let them shine more.

But yes, Wanda is just a cancer on this series. Nothing about her works, and every time she's on screen she makes things worst.

Meanwhile you want Wade and Tails, while I feel the series would have been more fun if Gwen and Knuckles lol

 

[Sabrblade]

Just remove the whole Bounty hunter stuff.

Yeah, that whole part just felt like the most random aspect of the entire series, as it seemed to come completely out of nowhere.

 

[Shadewing]

Yeah, that whole part just felt like the most random aspect of the entire series, as it seemed to come completely out of nowhere.

Like I feel like you could get the two major moments with the agents, have the first group be like hired muscle to try to soften them up, since regular 1 one 1 didn't work; they can be the ones to later capture Wade thinking Knuckles would save him, but in the end he ends up saving himself. Like they realize they can't win in a "fair" fight, so they just keep trying to come up with tactics to give them some kinda advantage. It just never quite works out for them, giving them more comedic elements as they fail. Just embrace them being basically a Human Scratch and Grounder.

 

[Zamuel]

Just embrace them being basically a Human Scratch and Grounder.

All considered, Scratch & Grounder wasn't the duo that came to mind. Rather, they made me think of Sleet & Dingo, surprisingly enough. Granted, I very seriously doubt the show did this on purpose.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I watched. I liked. I hope they get a bigger budget to do another series.

And I still want that hat. Don't suppose anyone knows any specifics as to what kind it is? I'm assuming it was modified to have the stars, of course, though I honestly would love those, too.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

It's probably more or less just a modified "cowboy" or "western" hat. But, if you plug in "outback hat" into a search engine you also get a few good matches. "Aussie hat" will also get you something close. Different online stores call them different things.

Now, there is something called a "Concho hat band" that is probably the style they were going for with the hat. There are a couple of good-looking "star" Concho hat bands out there, but the band alone will probably run you $25.

Amazon.com

But, if you can get some metallic paint, you could probably paint that silver hat-band into something metallic red and gold. I imagine model paint for metal figurines like Warhammer miniatures would probably also work for something like this, but you might have to look into it more. I haven't found a great match for Knuckles' "buttons" specifically, unless you use actual campaign buttons on a hat band, like some fans do.

reddit.com/r/SonicTheHedgehog/comments/u2za7e/made_knuckles_hat_before_seeing_the_movie_hope_he/

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Ah, thanks!

I've been looking into it, finding a number of different ones on Etsy, and wasn't sure if the one Knuckles has could be narrowed down to a specific type.

Really, though, they should just be selling these things. I'm sure people would buy them.

Anyway, I did not know that about the band, so I appreciate that added knowledge! Thank you again for that!

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Update: Found the costume designer on Instagram:

So, I guess I'm finding a different hat.

I'm actually thinking of doing a custom hat band for it, rather than mimicking Knuckles', but I have no idea where to begin on that.

(The Concho hat bands ZakuConvoy mentioned will be a "Plan B.")