Tag Archives: Eggman

Sonic Christmas Blast Review

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Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most influential video game characters of all time. Here’s a guy who has always managed to stay relevant in all eras and it is only fitting that the series would get a Christmas special at some point. It’s definitely a really fun one. The whole special goes by very quickly but throws in the classic Sonic fun that always works out well.

The special starts out with Santa Clause deciding to give the role over to Eggman. He just doesn’t feel up to the task anymore and while the guy seems a bit more mechanical than usual, the people don’t really suspect that something is up. Unfortunately Eggman has decided to ruin Christmas and changed the holiday so that now people must give him presents instead! It is an absolutely diabolical change in procedure and the heroes won’t stand for it but now what can they do? It is nearly Christmas after all….their only hope might be in Sonic The Hedgehog!

Sonic gets roped into this because he was trying to find a present for Princess Sally. Well, now’s his chance to make her happy and also save the day. Eggman doesn’t really have a chance once the Blue Blur shows up and from there Sonic even ends up taking on the mantle of Santa. It was all in a day’s work for the hero and while the plot may sound basic, this is a Christmas special. It’s not like they were going to have a whole lot of crazy shenanigans going on at the same time. It was enough for me though with all of the fun moments here to smile about.

The animation is pretty classic here. There’s nothing that will shake your world but it’s fun to see the old speed effects as Sonic zooms around the place. The character models are on point and the background stage designs are good. The soundtrack is less memorable but when the character designs and animation are good enough you can overlook that to an extent. Only to an extent mind you, I think there’s a lot they could have done with the Sonic music.

Whether you really like this one or not will really depend on what you think of the humor though. I tend to like all of the cheesy puns as Sonic messes with everyone but it is considered to be a retro humor style so I know it won’t work for everyone. Sonic dressing up as a garbageman and tossing out the robots is just classic though. This Sonic doesn’t have a care in the world and just has fun trolling and messing with everyone. It’s really awesome to see and I would even say that’s part of his appeal. Sonic is so strong and so fast that there are no threats to him so he can just laugh everything off. He’ll keep everyone safe in the meantime.

It’s why even Santa Claus is willing to immediately turn everything over to him. He knows that Sonic will be a better Santa than he ever could. It’s not something that discourages him though. No, in fact you could argue that this actually makes Santa feel good because it’s like a big burden is off his shoulders. Other characters would have declined the position while Sonic jumps at the chance! (Well after being buttered up at least)

I would say the only humor that doesn’t work as well is for the scenes that involve Eggman’s two robot lackeys. They just can’t keep up at all and it can almost be hard to understand them at times with hos shrill the voices are. I generally tend to prefer the heroes joking around while they’re on top than the villains joking around while they’re losing. The first dynamic just works better but if you have to have a comedy villain then you want to be like Eggman. He is clearly on the losing side the whole time but he is fairly oblivious to this and keeps on talking tough the whole time. That’s not easy but he pulls through.

I would have liked a little more combat but it’s clear that wasn’t in the cards here. It’s really just a fun adventure about Sonic clowning on Eggman. Low key Eggman did well though since he took over a city with ease and generally seems to have a lot of power in this continuity. We just know that Sonic can take him out at any time. That’s why Sonic is a full blown hero. Princes Sally fans may be saddened to know that she doesn’t do much. Even a random kid who breaks free from Eggman’s prison gets a bigger role than Tails. Sonic is the only hero to really get a big role here so you can tell that it’s squarely taking place back in the days when he was a solo act.

Sonic even gets a power up in the special although you get the feeling that Sonic could have saved the day regardless. No way he’s turn down the opportunity to get even faster though. All in all the special feels like a classic episode and has the pacing to match it. Eggman’s santa costume was also rather intense I have to say. The whole thing is absolutely bonkers from top to bottom and unashamedly so. As long as you like things to be as crazy as possible then you’ll have a great time. This special is as chaotic as they come.

Overall, Sonic’s Christmas Blast was definitely a fun special. It was nice seeing the retro designs since I hadn’t been in this era for a while. They should do a modern version of this someday with all of the new characters involved. I imagine a lot of people growing up nowadays probably won’t even recognize this version of Sonic so they are definitely in for a treat. It’s got a good amount of replay value and so I can recommend this to anyone looking to just enjoy a fun story.

Overall 7/10

Sonic The Hedgehog Volume 8: Out of the Blue Review

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With this volume we really finish the metal virus arc and I can definitely say that it had a really good run. It was definitely an arc with a whole lot of action and excitement so it sets the bar rather high for the next storyline. Even though this is more of an epilogue we do get some good action here as well. There is one plot that is rather rushed but ultimately it worked out since I was ready to see the character return sooner than later.

After the events of the metal virus arc, Sonic has disappeared and the heroes have to try and regroup. It will be difficult though since Eggman has decided that this is the perfect time for him to rule the world. He’s not wrong, most of the heroes are on their last legs and are still exhausted from the fights. Additionally, The Deadly Six are on a rampage. The world needs Sonic the Hedgehog and may just end up falling without him.

The first story is an anthology though as we see what different characters were doing during the big invasion. For example Big was chasing Froggy around and beating up on the metal zombies. We see two radio broadcasters and how they handled the invasion. One panicked while the other stayed on the line but eventually they both banded together here. We get more details on what was going on with Team Chaotix as well as the jewel fighter. It’s a pretty nice anthology although by default it is the weakest point of the volume. These are side characters for a reason after all and it’s why these story beats could not make it to the main title. They are fun to see but aren’t exactly at the top billing.

When we get back to the main story is when we really have the hype. For example we get to see Shadow vs Metal Sonic which is always a great matchup. I admit that I would usually expect Shadow to do a little better but I can definitely buy into his being weakened and exhausted which made this tougher. Additionally it’s not like Metal Sonic is a slouch, the guy is a credible threat at all times so I am definitely fine with him getting a win every now and then. He’s earned that much. I’d say it was the highlight fight of the volume.

It was also nice seeing Silver and friends take down Zavok. That guy may be the power hitter of the Deadly Six but at the end of the day I wouldn’t really expect him to last all that long. Then of course we have Sonic vs Eggman but it’s so short that it’s barely a fight. Just enough to remind you why Sonic is the crucial piece for the heroes. As long as he is around you can bet that the villains will be put on notice. They won’t be able to keep up with him. Sonic looks great as always too with all of the confidence that he has.

The subplot I referenced earlier was after sonic gets amnesia so he hangs out with Blaze for a little while. It’s a fun enough moment but ultimately ends real fast so it doesn’t really add much. It’ll be fun to have her join the crew for some adventures soon though. Her fire powers were always a lot of fun to see after all and she is definitely powerful. The heroes can always use more help with how much destruction has occurred. It feels like damage from the Sonic Forces storyline is still in effect with the world constantly in rebuild mode. Throw in the whole metal saga and it could only have gotten worse.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a last hurrah for some of the big characters like Metal Sonic, Shadow, Silver so they can show off some of the other characters a bit. The Sonic verse has a ton of characters after all and while this one had a whole lot, there are still others who will probably want their screentime. Not to mention that we have all of the new IDW original characters to think about as well. So long as Sonic is there, it’ll always be a good balance.

Some characters can probably use a power up as well. This comic showed once again that when Sonic is not around, Eggman actually has a reasonable chance of taking over. The rest of the characters may be strong and skilled in their own ways, but for some reason they need Sonic as the leader to take charge. I wouldn’t want to ever have them write Sonic out to put that to the test but it is a great excuse for a training arc at some point. Realistically Shadow and Silver should have the world really well protected but Eggman’s only weakness continues to be Sonic himself.

As always the art is really good here. The colors are super vibrant and the characters are all really well written. Part of what makes the comics so fun is how they really flow together. It feels like an ongoing story where everything has been carefully planned out. This would make for a very good video game. The characters are still some of the best characters in all of gaming after all and that translates really well into the comic realm. Now I just need Infinite to show up.

Overall, There are definitely no negatives to be had with this Sonic comic. There is a little less to talk about than usual since it is in epilogue mode but it’s an excellent wrap up to the arc. If you’ve read the previous volumes then you really need to check this one out as well. There’s a ton of great content to be digested after all. I also doubt they are going to try and have another end of the world plot with the whole cast teaming up again for a long while so you really need to savor the experience. This kind of grand event is always worth the wait but that wait can feel awful long. Regardless, I have yet to read a bad Sonic arc and I doubt the next one will change that.

Overall 8/10

Sonic X Shadow Generations Review

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This game has been getting absolutely crazy amounts of hype and I am here to tell you right off the gate that it is all completely deserved. Yes, you heard it here first, this game is completely elite and an absolute credit to Sonic Team. The game may be short but just like Forces, it makes up for this with incredible gameplay and a killer story. I would even put this one above Sonic Forces as the 5th best Sonic game of all time. Ladies and Gentlemen…..we’re back!

The title includes a remaster for Sonic Generations which is pretty cool but of course I’m here for Shadow. So Shadow’s mode has a quick recap for new fans which is cool. Then the game starts out with him on the ARK looking into a mysterious life signature that GUN detected. It turns out that it’s Black Doom, the infamous demon has returned at last. His goal is unknown but Shadow will destroy him before it’s too late. Along the way he will have to fight off a lot of iconic bosses from the past like Metal Sonic and even gets to see some familiar faces from his past like Maria. This game will test Shadow as he has never been tested before.

The format is pretty similar to Sonic Generations in a lot of ways. You get to play levels from a bunch of different games as Shadow fights through his memories to get to Black Doom. A lot of times when you are close to completing a level, Black Doom will show up to throw you in Radical Highway. It’s a pretty fun gimmick and one that people have been playfully poking fun at. What can I say? It’s one of the greatest stages and Black Doom has good taste so it makes sense that he would keep bringing it back. It’s a pretty nice touch.

Each stage has 2 acts and then you play through 6 challenge levels to get to the boss. Rinse and repeat around 4 times and then you get to the final act. So the game is pretty short as mentioned, you can beat it in under 4 hours. I started it at around 5:15 and had it beat a little before 8:45. So we’re probably looking at it being a bit shorter than Sonic Forces but on that level. Pretty good considering that this was accompanying another whole game and for new players you’re getting both of them. There is also a considerable amount of play time here. I won’t oversell it or anything but it at least doubles the run time. You need to get well over 100 collectibles and have to 100% every stage if you want the Platinum trophy. I think it would be a lot of fun to really test out what you can do in every stage and go for the record.

I know a lot of people are having fun breaking the records over and over online. I doubt I would be near the top there because some of the stage runs I’ve seen are absolutely insane but getting all of the S ranks at some point would be fun. Generally I like trying to go for the platinum in Sonic games but they can be deceptively difficult. This one looks very achievable for now but I think the toughest trophies will be beating the final boss of both games without taking a single hit. That sound really tough and will take a lot of trial and error. I certainly got hit quite a few times in the Shadow campaign.

I could go on and on about how smooth the gameplay is. This is basically perfect and it’s what I think of when I’m ordering a Sonic game. I want to be running very fast like this in 3D environments. It’s just so epic, keep the boost mechanic and all of the hype platforming. Shadow’s gameplay is also unique with his various powers like the grapple, fish, wings, etc. None of them are stuff that I absolutely need to have but I definitely won’t turn them down either. It’s fun to be using the abilities and also gives you extra freedom on how you want to approach a level. Each level has so many different exits that it’s crazy. The amount of replay value built into each stage is really cool.

Meanwhile the bosses are a lot of fun and I also like all the extra details. Like in the Radical Highway stage, they modified the claws so they work the same way as they did in Adventure 2 where you had to click out to leave them instead of it being automatic. The character designs and animations are extremely good as well. The graphics are some of the best that we’ve ever seen in a Sonic game and definitely set the standard for future games. You want them to look like this going forward.

Then we have the soundtrack which is incredible! There isn’t quite as much hype as in Frontiers but we’ve still got lots of rock themes and remixes going around. The nostalgia for Shadow The Hedgehog was really cool. Right from the main menu theme you know that you’re in for a good time. The story itself is also really good. Now admittedly I would have liked more cutscenes and conversations with Maria and Gerald though. It felt like they didn’t get nearly as big of a role as I expected them to get. I suppose we got some closure there but assuming they never appear again, I guess I just wanted more.

Overall, Shadow Generations is an elite title! It may be a quick ride to the finish line but it’s a super enjoyable one all the way through. There is a good amount of replay value to keep you coming back but at the end of the day even without that I would have this one ranked super high. The top tier gameplay alone is enough for me to absolutely guarantee that. There’s a reason why Sonic is my favorite single player franchise after all and it’s because no other game series can keep up with this gameplay. At its best, Sonic will always be outdoing the competition. I eagerly await the new level in December as a reason to get back into the game and play it some more.

Overall 9/10

Sonic the Hedgehog, Volume 6: The Last Minute Review

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It’s time for the next installment in the Sonic series. The arc is still going strong here with more and more characters being turned into robotic monsters. Shadow was taken off of the board last time and Sonic is already infected so the heroes are really on their last legs. There is a good amount of tension here and a whole lot to enjoy overall so this was definitely a win/win all around.

This volume spends the first 3 issues showing us events from a few different POVs. You have Tails, then Amy, and then Sonic. Each of them were embarking on different missions to try and stop the virus. Tails was working on a vaccine that could reverse the effects of the bug and in theory bring everything back to the way that it was. Amy was doing her best to keep the townsfolk safe until Tails could get back and then Sonic was trying to capture his speed data to see if that could be a lead on getting other people immune. Unfortunately all 3 of them suffer some setbacks here.

By this volume Sonic has started to lose a lot of his stamina as well which makes a lot of sense since he has been running for so long now. He may be used to running a lot, but not for nearly this long without a single break. I still like the idea of how running is able to regress the virus’ effects at least for a while since his speed is the real deal. Even that has a timer though so if Sonic stops running then it’s all over. he still does a good job of trying to keep morale up though and taking care of business. At the end of the day, virus or not Sonic definitely has the edge here compared to the rest of the characters and can lead the way to victory.

Even though it didn’t work for Shadow, I still like to think Sonic could go in there and take all of the robots and Eggman out. The main problem is of course he can’t destroy the robots since they are all innocent so at most he would just be buying time. Then since we find out that even Eggman doesn’t have a cure in this volume, that doesn’t leave the heroes with a lot of options. It’s fair to say that Tails is really the last chance here. Either he makes a cure himself or the heroes are basically doomed.

Tails takes the situation pretty hard in this volume but overall I’d say he’s still looking good. Cream is definitely more on the weaker side here though as the whole situation really did break her. She stayed strong in front of Amy but not in front of Sonic. Whisper also had it rough as she finally broke down too. She’s usually the tough member of the group so I was a little surprised to see her lose her cool like that. Now’s the time to buckle down and get read because the situation will only get tougher from here.

I would say one of the highlights here would be Tangle. Now here’s a character who really put everything on the line and she never gave up. Her abilities may not be the strongest but she used them in a creative way to hold everyone back. I’d also say even Vector looked pretty good here. Yeah he ended up contributing to the situation but I’d argue that wasn’t entirely his fault. That’s more on the stowaway and otherwise his bubble may have lasted. When it didn’t work, Vector was ready with the sacrifice play.

Eggman fans should be a little nervous right now. He hasn’t been looking great so far and while he could still make a full comeback depending how his next scenes go, it’s also possible that this will be played straight in which case he would look really awful. With Eggman you just never really know and in that way the writer has done a good job of keeping things interesting. There are really 3 enemy factions at play here with Eggman, the Deadly Six, and Dr. Starline. Right now it’s hard to say who will have the last laugh. The story is framing it as Starline being the smartest and most prepared but in a way that might be too obvious. For now I’m counting on Eggman to stay on top but we’ll see if he can pull it off.

As always the art is really good here. All of the characters look like they were taken straight out of the games. The designs are all on point and the backgrounds are all very dynamic. The comic is a real page turner and it’s definitely easy to binge the whole time. The writing is also good. This would make for a great TV show someday and the series has always done a good job of really incorporating a ton of the Sonic mythos. The universe is really big so it makes sense to bring a lot of elements in right? The comics have not let me down yet.

As always I do have to throw a little show at Silver here though. The guy was crushing Sonic back when they first met and it seems like he is a true B leaguer at this point. The guy is never given a ton of respect. Yes he holds back a few of the mindless drones but that’s it. That’s not actually all that impressive as a feat and that’s the role he is stuck with here. I just miss his days of being really serious and powerful but so far that’s just not happening. Maybe at some point the tides will turn.

Overall, Sonic continues to product solid comics in each batch. This one’s a bit less action packed as it’s more of a zombie survival right now. The heroes just have to keep on moving and try to stay one step ahead which is no easy feat. It works well and I’m ready to see how the arc ends. I am hoping that we get a true final battle though. In a way you could end the arc without one but it’s always fun to have a big ending. Maybe have the transformed version of Shadow show up to fight Sonic. Now that would definitely be hype.

Overall 7/10

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 5: Crisis City Review

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The Sonic comics have been consistently great and this one is no exception. As someone who was sad when Archie stopped their Sonic comics, the new line has been so good that they’ve really caught the ball and kept on running with it. I hope to see this one continue to go on for a very long time and become a Sonic ongoing with hundreds of issues. However long it may take, seeing Sonic get all of these stories will be a blast!

This one takes place right where the last volume left off with Sonic dealing with the mecha virus that is poisoning everyone. Sonic can resist this with his speed but for how long? He has to protect his friends while trying to find some kind of cure to this but it won’t be easy. His friends are all slowly weakening and if the virus takes on any of his more powerful friends then it can be all over. Even Eggman isn’t able to control the robots at this point so his right hand man is starting to look into some backup options.

In prior volumes there were different plots going on with Sonic helping someone else in each issue but this time it’s a true ongoing plot. You could say we’re in the end in terms of there not being a whole lot of heroes left. Team Chaotix takes some hits as well as Team Dark. It’s definitely a pretty high stakes arc and so I’m up for it being as long as it needs to be. I’m guessing we’re approaching the end but I’d be cool with another volume or two.

This one’s starting to bring in more of the wider cast like Gmerl and Omega which were fun to see. Naturally a virus will not be able to take them over since they are machines which is helpful for letting them stay in the fight. Omega can be a little unreasonable the whole time with how he keeps firing on the civilians but this leads to the most embarrassing part for him where he is actually unable to damage them anyway. His firepower just isn’t up to snuff compared to the metal virus and I was pretty surprised about that.

Gmerl starts off by fighting Sonic but at least he is able to see reason. Once Sonic explains that he can turn back to normal with his speed and Cream also tells Gmerl to stand down, he does. The guy wants to protect her at any moment but he doesn’t close the channels for debate. So that’s what makes him a good protector here. Each character has their own idea of what to do in this situation and some have better idea than other. I think Charmy for example looked pretty bad here because he really had no plan. The guy let his emotions get to the best of him.

Sometimes I am on board with a character defying everyone to save one person. In fact most of the time this is the right option but the problem is there was no way to actually save her without dooming a lot of other people and then of course that isn’t worth it. If you have a plan to actually save someone then you gotta do it of course but if your plan is really just trying to make some kind of move with no thought behind it then that’s not good. So these are the kinds of things that you want to think about.

There is an infamous Shadow moment here though and so lets talk about that. The main problem with the moment is that Shadow is nerfed pretty hard and also acts out of character here. He would rather get completely absorbed by the enemy than run away to prove a point. They also swarm him rather quickly. The big problem with this of course is reaction times. Even if he thought that he couldn’t be turned, he was seeing this happen in real time. So he had many opportunities to start running rather than just letting himself be taken like that. There’s no way to have him lose here and you get the feeling the writer just needed to find a way to write him out.

It’s got to be tough working with a character like Shadow who is basically as fast as Sonic but a lot more powerful. So maybe this was all they could think of but all I’m saying is that it’s still very, very noticeable. They could have done better here without a doubt. At least it does lead to our next Sonic vs Shadow battle which is always fun. Since Shadow is being controlled Sonic does get to dominate a little more this time around.

As always Sonic is an excellent main character and that hasn’t changed. He does his best to save everyone and always has a plan at the ready. He feels like a true leader and is so much more than just his speed. I definitely love the portrayal and he continues to really shine with all of the screen time. Eggman’s going to need to come up with something big to really keep up. Losing control as always isn’t a perfect look for him and he needs to watch out since it looks like he may get betrayed again. It’s definitely not easy being an evil genius.

The artwork here is really solid as you would expect. The comics have always been great in this area just like they’re great in all of the others. The characters really pop out and the colors are sharp. Everything is always on model and that makes for a winning formula. The battles are also really sharp as a result even if there aren’t any super long ones in this volume. It’s more about moving around and trying to survive rather than a big 1 on 1. The series always still manages to sprinkle in some nice comedic moments while keeping the stakes high so the writing is also on point.

Overall, Sonic is continuing to blast through this comics run with a ton of great moments and a really solid story. There just haven’t been any down sides to the comics at all yet and each arc delivers just as well as the last. I dare say this arc may even beat the Metal Sonic one at this point but it does depend on the climax of course and how this all shakes out. Hopefully I get to check out the next volume soon and we’ll see how that goes. The amount of Sonic stories that you can tell is really endless.

Overall 8/10

Eggman vs Jin

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Suggested by Sonic Eggman is always an interesting fighter to have here because he has a ton of robots to do his bidding and many suits of armor. If Jin had to destroy all of them then I dare say that he would lose this round. Of course he only needs to destroy Eggman and the problem for the good doctor is that his durability isn’t great. So even while he has his defenses up, stray blasts from Jin’s devil laser and overwhelming power would end up putting him down for good. Jin wins.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman Review

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It’s time to continue the Sonic adventures and this time the hedgehog is up against one of the most intense threats yet! Well we’re not quite at saving the world stuff but the series has been building up the mystery of what exactly happened to Eggman. The robots are still running around and attacking cities in a coordinated way but Eggman himself has yet to appear before Sonic which is strange. We finally get the answers here as well as a new character who shows up.

As always with a standard comic volume this brings 4 issues with it. It’s a pretty well balanced amount of issues to bring in for a quick read. The first two issues are a two part adventure with Team Chaotix letting Sonic know that they’ve found Eggman but something isn’t right. See, Eggman appears to be a good guy with full amnesia and doesn’t know what was going on earlier. As a result he has done a lot of good for the town. Either this is all an elaborate act or he really is a changed man. The moral question is if they should throw him in jail or not because he doesn’t remember his crimes. Meanwhile Sonic has to think quickly because Shadow and Rouge have been dispatched to take Eggman down for the count. Can Sonic really take on the world’s ultimate life form?

Shadow The Hedgehog is a being of nearly unmatched power and so it’s great to see him taking center stage again. It feels like it’s been a little while since he appeared in the comics although of course in this run we’re only at volume 2 so it’s more that I feel like I haven’t seen him in a while. He adds a lot of energy to the comic and of course we have a really good fight with Sonic here. I would argue that in a straight fight Shadow should always win because their speed levels are just about equal but Shadow has his chaos abilities. Sonic’s only real edge here is that his speed is completely natural while Shadow relies on the skates so maybe Sonic will have better maneuverability on quick turns. Additionally Sonic can be said to be a bit faster and I’d accept that but it’s still very close.

Sonic and Shadow do end up having a talk on this though and you understand the positions here. If anything Sonic was sort of on Shadow’s side before the rival showed up, but more in a “I don’t trust Eggman” as opposed to just taking him out. That’s not exactly Sonic’s style after all, he will always take things in a very easy going way and so until he was sure of what he wanted to do he was going to make sure and protect Eggman. It was a solid clash of ideologies and Rouge did what she does best which is gathering information and manipulating the others from the shadows. Without her giving the cast a heads up things probably would have gotten very dicey.

In terms of the Eggman situation well I’d have to say that they got it right. At the end of the day taking revenge on him now when he doesn’t remember anything wouldn’t really accomplish anything. I think you could probably still lock him up and wouldn’t resist that order but the idea of having him effectively do community service while being watched by other heroes makes a lot of sense to me. That way they’ll see if he does anything crazy and in theory they can stop him right away. No harm no foul and all. I look forward to seeing Shadow return again in the future though.

In the third issue we get the big return of Metal Sonic which was cool. He’s always a really interesting character and can have some of the best storylines. He’s still in his neo Metal Sonic form similar to Heroes and I like the spiky nature of that design. He is still really powerful as well to the point where Sonic wasn’t sure about finishing the fight there. I look forward to having a more extended fight with the two of them soon but this definitely worked as a solid intro for Metal Sonic to this series and he has big plans. It’s safe to say that he’s going to have a big role for a while now and the heroes are absolutely on the back foot at this point.

The final issue continues the saga but more as a subplot as we focus on Sonic and Silver teaming up with a new character named Whisper. She’s sort of like a next generation freedom fighter. She works alone but has been taking down quite a lot of enemy bases and helping people out. She’s as quiet as a whisper but already has a lot of fans including Silver. She seems like a talented fighter but I admit that the whispering gimmick got old really fast so I’m hoping she will get over that as part of a character arc or something. No reason you’d have to keep that angle up for all of her character appearances right? I mean you could…but I’m ready to break away from that and just have her stand out by saving the day all the time.

Admittedly Silver could stand to look a bit cooler as well. I miss the days of Sonic 2006 when he was basically Future Trunks. An unstoppable fighter trying to avenge his forsaken future and doing what needs to be done. He’s lost so much edge since then that he may as well be a completely different character. You would just never guess that he is the same guy if not for the design being the same. I need Silver to have his big comeback and quickly because I always liked that guy a lot back in the day.

Still, Sonic is on point as always and that’s the most important thing in the end. The art is really good as expected and it makes for an easy read. You never have to pause on a page to wonder what’s going on because it’s all really clear. If you’re pausing it is only to appreciate how good and streamlined the art is. A lot of work was absolutely put into this one and the Sonic series continues to operate at a high level. I would even say that it beats volume 1 since this time we got Shadow and Metal Sonic into the mix which always elevates things.

Overall, I definitely recommend checking this comic out. The Sonic comics have not disappointed and we are setting up the seeds for a lot of fun events in the future. At this rate Sonic is going to need some back-up and maybe even his Super Sonic form won’t cut it this time. Might it be time to bring in Infinite? Well, it’s not like Sonic even knows where that guy is or if he even still exists but it’s something to dream about at least. Sometimes you need overwhelming power to stop another powerful fighter.

Overall 8/10

Ganondorf vs Eggman

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Suggested by Destroyer Ganondorf is a very powerful fighter from the Legend of Zelda series and I think it’s fair to say that none of Eggman’s robot suits would be enough to beat him here. The Egg Emperor and Egg Destroyer are certainly worthy machines but Ganondorf’s power is incredible as seen in Hyrule Warriors. The range would hit Eggman no matter which robots he chooses to hide behind and his own chaos energy won’t be enough to make a big difference here. Ganondorf wins.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review

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It’s time to finally take a look at the big Sonic sequel! There was a lot of hype going into this one because Knuckles was finally going to show up! In some ways the hype for the 3rd film had already started before the second even came out because that was going to be the big one with the key player finally showing up but this one is the true build up. Sonic had to first learn responsibility and what true power is before the third one so he would be ready. Fortunately I would say this one even ended up beating the original in pretty much all areas. Only the human plot isn’t as good so in the third maybe they can balance that out.

The movie starts out very quickly as Knuckles shows up and helps Eggman return to Earth. Eggman aims to use this guy to take out Sonic once and for all and becomes interested in the Master Emerald which can grant unlimited power! Sonic has been trying to fight crime lately but it’s awfully difficult. It’s hard to minimize casualties and all that so the humans keep telling him not to help out at all which seems a bit selfish if you ask me. Sonic is still saving lives after all. When a fox named Tails shows up, Sonic realizes that his time to be a true hero has finally arrived. Is he up to the task?

Since the human plot has almost nothing to do with anything we may as well knock that one out first. As I said this is the weak point of the film. So Tom has to head over to Rachel’s wedding but she really dislikes him and aims to make this a rough time for the guy. Unfortunately Tom does end up having to mess with the wedding a bit but duty calls. I was glad that he made the right call in the end even if it did make things tricky for him socially.

Tom is ultimately a good character who is stuck in a rather weak plot the whole time. He is ready to fight and isn’t afraid of Eggman. The biggest shame here is that he doesn’t get to banter with Eggman much in this film since they don’t meet up until the end. It’s too bad because that dynamic was actually really solid in the original. I would have just included Tom with Sonic’s plot and I think that would have amped things up a lot. The guy has a lot of good lines.

Rachel is just annoying though. She needs to stop trying to dunk on Tom and just have a good time. It’s her wedding after all so why get so stressed right? She gets a comedy plot where she teams up with Maddie to clown on the government and get some revenge. The music may be reasonably solid here but the scene’s a bit dragged out and does start to cross the line of being a little too over the top.

The one thing I will give for the human plot is I loved the introduction of GUN. This is a group that should have a massive role in the next film. Yes, I can already tell their role won’t be as good since that group was highly competent in the games while this one looks to be comic relief. It’s a shame but that’s how it goes. Still, I was glad to see them and their plan here was actually good. I mean by all accounts it really worked so not bad right?

Meanwhile in town you had Wade trying to prove himself as the sheriff in stopping Stone but that ultimately didn’t really go anywhere or have much relevance to the plot. You could cut Wade out entirely and nothing would really change so it was pretty much filler. Stone still looks up to Eggman a whole lot and just wants to feel appreciated. That’s probably not going to happen anytime soon though. Stone’s dedicated, I’ll give him that.

Now we start to get into the main plot. Sonic and Tails fighting it out with Knuckles and Eggman to try and get the Master Emerald first. This had a lot of fun tributes to the games like the avalanche levels and the Sonic vs Knuckles fights definitely deliver. I did have some power level issues with this though like how Sonic should have smoked Knuckles. Why did he keep running straight at the guy? In a battle of speed vs power you always have to use your speed in order to gain the upper hand and land some devastating blows.

Trying to beat the power guy with power isn’t going to work. I thought Sonic could and should have fought a lot better here. Ultimately even while he lands some good blows, it always feels like he’s on the losing end here. Also, the speed difference between him and the others isn’t emphasized enough. When Sonic’s sandbagging sure he can look as fast as Knuckles or Tails. He likes to be running with them together but otherwise he should be zipping around like crazy. The film does understand his speed in some cases like when he’s dodging lasers or missiles but then in the fights he is suddenly a lot more normal.

I get that they had to try and make Knuckles seem like a threat but they went a bit far beyond the believability territory. By that point you’re really just shaking your head. Still great for the visuals and all plus Knuckles fans should be happy but it’s very noticeable. It’s always the issue you face as a writer when your lead character is so fast but you just have to adapt and keep it moving.

This plot had its share of serious and somber moments along with the light hearted adventuring. It’s well balanced and a lot of fun. This is definitely the highlight of the movie and it’s no surprise since you probably are watching this for Sonic after all. He delivers in each of his scenes without a doubt. Sonic also does get some decent development from the first film. He’s at least trying to be a hero even if he hasn’t mastered it yet. I wouldn’t expect any drastic changes to his character any time soon so he’s probably still going to appear as a younger version to the Sonic we’re used to from the games but he’s done well.

Tails is also really solid here and feels a lot like his classic self. He looks up to Sonic a lot and is lacking in confidence but is slowly building it. If they adapt the tearjerker scene from Adventure 2 next time then that’ll be the perfect place to give Tails the rest of his character arc. It’s always good to have a genius on your side so having him around is a great help to Sonic.

As for Knuckles, fans of his should definitely have fun with his character. He’s super strong and is devoted to finding the Master Emerald at all times. He feels a little less smart than his game counterpart as it almost seems like they were going to start taking inspiration more from Sonic Boom Knuckles who takes things literally and doesn’t know a ton but the writing is good enough here to where he is not super exaggerated like that. So in the end he still made for a great antagonist. I’d like to see him stick around and be a main character for the next adventure.

Then we have Eggman and I was not expecting him to gain super powers the way that he did. It was an interesting take on his character though. I hope he would return for future films but if not, this was a good exit. He has a lot of clever little puns that he would throw in throughout the movie that were a blast. At times he can be a little more crazy than genius and the film could maybe dial it back a bit at times but all in all I still had a lot of fun with him. Eggman is an iconic part of the film and you definitely couldn’t do this adventure without him.

Naturally there is an after credits scene. You’ve likely heard or seen it since that was everywhere even before the film was fully out, but if not then you’re going to really be in for a treat. Hype levels for Sonic 3 are now out of this universe so get ready. If it adapts even 10% of what the next adventure should be then we’re really going to be in for a treat. It’s not too early to say that the film has a shot at being movie of the year at this point. I would be surprised and dismayed if it’s anything lower than that.

Just based on how different the characters are it’s bound to not be a 1 to 1 adaption but as long as you get the bullet points then you’re good. I’d also like them to include some more of the video game tunes. The soundtrack was still good and all but hearing some of those classic tunes would make it even better. At least if you ask me that would be the best move here. There would be no turning back from that. The effects and everything are good here as well.

Overall, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a great film. It really capitalized on the development and hype moments from the first film while taking this one to the next level. The human scenes are a weakness but they’re not so bad that they drag the film down too much. Without them would this be a 9 star film? Probably not so in the end the damage was minimal and you’ll be okay. Like I said, at least we got GUN out of it so that’s a start.

Overall 8/10

Wolverine vs Eggman

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Suggested by Destroyer Eggman has a lot of great robots, armors, inventions, and the works but none of them will be quite enough to stop Wolverine here. Wolverine has had many power ups over the years and is a savage fighter. All he has to do is get up close and land a single hit. With his Phoenix Force form that won’t be difficult to do at all. Eggman’s just going to end up being completely doomed here. Wolverine wins.