#wormstachedminion

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your post:Question: do Team Dark actually refer to...

It’s just how we distinguish them. It’s acknowledged in the Archie comics, but never in the game continuity.

Okay, that’s what I figured. How do they address it in the comics, out of curiosity?

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your post “Omg I just realized like, it always bothered me that Blaze wore heels...”

Also, I don't know if they retconned it entirely but keep in mind during the time of her design she was made to be a princess. She was probably brought up to always look sophisticated. Hence the heels. She may just not know any better.

Yeah - unfortunately I don’t know as much about Blaze as I’d like because I’ve never played her debut game (nor do I have any intentions to anytime soon), but she’s a princess. It makes sense that she’d wear heels as a princess, perhaps, but she wears heels even throughout ‘06, when she’s constantly fighting Iblis in the unstable hellscape that is Crisis City. It’s never explained exactly how she ended up there with Silver, but we can safely assume she’s probably not attending to her royal duties at the time, lol.

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your post “wormstachedminion replied to your audio post: As much as I may prefer...”

That was going to be my next guess, ��. Some tracks are great in the English dub. Rouge's tracks are awesome. Then there are some completely needless ones. Like the Asian...Japanese...maybe(?) sound effects that play whenever Tanaka talks. Doesn't matter what he's saying, it's there and it's so pointless. I watched it again too. And made myself soooo sad. Haha whoops. I still remember watching it the morning before I left for school. And I was so sad, and my grandmother was like...calm down?

I think my biggest problem with the English dub’s music is that it tries too hard to tailor itself to every single thing that’s happening on screen. It ensures that no matter what, the music will fit whatever’s happening at the moment, but also means that it’s incredibly disjointed and broken up and generally not as pleasant to listen to. And yeeeaahhhh, the music that played whenever Tanaka talks (and Ella as well) is really... really stereotyped. I think Rouge’s tracks are really cool - I like her Japanese theme better, generally, it’s a little more subtle, but especially for her entrance in episode 11 I thought the English music was amazing.

The scene in SA2 is sad just by what it’s showing, but they didn’t really take the time to put in like, any sort of music or anything to properly fit the mood. They just shoved in Shadow’s theme instead, which is like, weird techno buzzing with a hard tempo, which... does not fit the scene at all lmao. In the show they actually put in really sad music, and Maria’s English voice actor (can’t remember how she sounded in Japanese) did that scene so well. Even though in the English dub they never come right out and say that she died, her English voice actor really made it sound like she was speaking with her last breath, and ofc Shadow in the background yelling out her name and everything... generally I prefer most of the Japanese episodes from the Shadow arc, but the final one, episode 38, I prefer in English just for that one scene. It’s one of the best scenes in the English dub imo.

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your audio post: As much as I may prefer the Japanese version’s...

Where is this piece from? The piano part sounds like it’s from episode 38, but I don’t recognise the start. It’s been so long since I watched the English dub.

Well, the dropbox I got it from says it’s from episode 50, which is the episode where Chris cuts power to the portal at the last minute. So presumably it’s during the part where he’s trying to say goodbye to Sonic, or another sad part like that. I believe it appears during other moments like Cosmo’s sacrifice as well.

Edit: I looked up episode 38 and a variation on the theme is indeed used for the scene where Shadow flashbacks to Maria’s final wish, so yeah, you were right :)

[ashtwinproject22]

Been meaning to ask, got any preferred Sonic tracks? I know you recently finished Sonic Heroes, do you have a favourite theme?

Oh man oh man. I have so many.

But to keep this short lol, my favorites from Sonic Heroes are probably Hang Castle, Mystic Mansion, Team Chaotix’s theme, the Emerald Challenge music (especially the extended version), Final Fortress, and What I’m Made Of. There’s a lot of favorites from the other games as well, but idk if you really want a whole long list lol. Sonic games have incredible music.

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion

replied to your

post

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Oh my GOD the ending cutscene COMMENCE HELPLESS...

I know in the tags you were saying he’s happy cause he’s with Rouge. And I agree, but he also doesn’t have any memories at this point. I think it’s also an indication of Shadow’s personality before the Ark incident. He’s more carefree. Maria also hints to a more playful side when she mentions him always running along a certain part of the Ark. Poor guy. :(

Heroes gave me a lot of unexpected insight into how Shadow’s mind works, which is funny seeing as it’s probably the least plot-heavy of the Sonic games I’ve played. Shadow is kind of predisposed to angst anyway, he was wondering about his “true” purpose even 50 years ago back on the ARK. But like, I found this tidbit on the wiki a while ago and I think it’s really significant:

Shadow’s personality was intentionally designed to be like Maria’s, and we know Maria was an incredibly kind and caring person. Shadow was once like that too. Maria says that line about running along the ARK when you come across a huge slope in one of her levels, and I can just imagine them running around the ARK together, him racing as fast as possible down the slope laughing. Back then, Shadow could afford to be carefree.

In SA2 he still had memories, but they were garbled, destructive memories, which turned him into a destructive person. In Heroes... all of that is gone. He has no memories. The only thing he’s aware of is that he woke up in this base, a robot tried to kill him, and now this treasure hunter is greeting him like an old friend. (Not that they were exactly friends in SA2, but I think Rouge cared about him more than she would have wanted to admit even back then.) And Rouge’s personality is quite lighthearted too. She’s nothing like Maria, but she is pretty cheerful when things are going her way, and she seems to be excited to be able to work with Shadow again. She might even be secretly glad that he doesn’t remember her, due to the insults they flung at each other during the ending of the SA2 Dark story - they didn’t really end on good terms, but Rouge I think found herself struck by how upset she was at his “death”, and appreciated being able to have a second chance with him.

Anyway, point - because he didn’t really have any baggage holding him back, Shadow’s original personality began to shine through, which let him get along splendidly with Rouge. There wasn’t really much at stake for him in this game, apart from the one moment where he sees the broken Shadow Android. In ShTH, things got a lot worse for him because he had aliens manipulating and mind controlling him, Eggman attempting to do the same, GUN hunting him down, not to mention his memories slowly coming back one by one in confusing and upsetting ways. He had it incredibly rough in that game.

I’d like to think that after ShTH, he can start to heal again. He’s got most of his memories back, most of the characters are willing to be friendly with him, he’s got Rouge and Omega as closer friends, and he’s got a job. He’s clearly still traumatized, but he’s doing better.

I never had the full picture of Shadow until I beat all four of his core games: SA2, Heroes, ShTH, and ‘06. And I can say that with every game I played, I loved my son more and more. <3

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your post “Guys I can’t handle this The Team Dark banter in this game is so good...”

I've been waiting for this post!!! Yaaasss. Team Dark appreciation!! Shadow and Rouge together give me life. Also, Omega is funny as. I love his feelings towards the other robots.

Omega is pretty fun in this game. I didn’t get much from him in ShTH or ‘06, so I was definitely waiting to judge him until I played his debut game. I have to say, his constant cry of “Annhilation!/Fire!” whenever you attack with him gets old pretty fast, but I do appreciate his comment of “Worthless consumer models” whenever you destroy several other Eggman robots.

As for Shadow and Rouge, their dynamic has so far been everything I’d hoped it would be and more. Gosh I love those two.

[ashtwinproject22]

wormstachedminion replied to your post “¦Unfortunately, that ending was a little… underwhelming. I wanted a...”

I always was so upset about the ending. Like he joins GUN in the next game, which one can guess is because it's an easy way for him to keep his promise to Maria. But if he literally throws his past away, why keep trying to save the world? Shadow is someone that does something with a purpose. So why team up and keep saving the world? Out of the goodness of his heart? Doubt it. I'm sure he holds some resentment for humanity. It still said he did on Sonic Channel. But if that's the case, why help?

He helps because of his promise to Maria. Which is why that ending makes no sense. I want him to have closure, not close it off. And the comment the doctor makes about Shadow actually being Shadow and not being an android should have made it into a cutscene. Not just an in-game line ten minutes into the boss. And I also agree that a bonding with him and Rouge would have been awesome. she was so concerned for him. SHOW THAT! SHOW THE HEDGEHOG THAT SOMEONE CARES! SHOW THE BAT HER FRIEND'S OK!

I used to wonder why he would have joined GUN after they’ve given him so much trouble in the past, but it makes sense. He needs a new purpose, an easy way to protect the world, plus Rouge is a GUN spy and probably extended the offer in the first place. She likes working with Shadow, after all, and as seen in ‘06 he can provide a nice cover for her during her missions.

Also, I didn’t even realize that Eggman said something about Shadow being real and not an android! You’re right, why was that just thrown into a noisy boss fight in the background? I totally missed it! That’s such an important line dude, there’s an entire arc in the game about how Eggman keeps trying to manipulate Shadow into thinking he’s just an android. I could never decide if Eggman was being an asshole or if he genuinely mistook Shadow for one of his androids, but now I’m just mad. Shadow has every reason to hate the doctor now, Eggman’s done nothing but hurt him and use him since he was awakened in SA2.

But yeah - this is one of those times where I’m just gonna say “fuck canon” and decide that Shadow moved on from this game not throwing away his past, but holding onto it as a source of strength to continue fighting. I feel like no matter what, he’ll continue to keep his promise to Maria as long as he lives, because her death and final request was such a pivotal moment in his life and she was his closest friend on the ARK. And he’ll do it at Rouge’s side, because she’s his current best friend and hidden under her seemingly selfish exterior is a heart of gold.

Honestly, I’m kind of doubly grateful now for Sonic ‘06′s Shadow story, and the fact that it came directly after ShTH, because it took that weird moment and kinda... went past it to give Shadow some stellar character development.