Sonic Adventure Series

The new era Sonic The Hedgehog Series, spanning 1998 to 2004, contains a series of video games released for multiple platforms following a similar storyline with many returning characters, beginning with the Sega Dreamcast and carrying through with the Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox, and Playstation 2. They are very heavily connected to each other through plot and characters, and progressive build upon the back story and interaction of characters in the Sonic The Hedgehog universe.

Plot Elements

The previous Sonic The Hedgehog games had very little plot, besides to begin the story and end the games, the new era of games used the greater power of the consoles available to build a whole new world for Sonic, his friends, enemies and rivals:

Sonic Adventure

Main article: Sonic Adventure

Elements introduced: the first time one of Eggman's robot rebels against it's programming, the destruction on Knuckles' tribe, power of the Chaos Emeralds (good energy and bad), the care of creatures known as Chao

Characters introduced: Big the Cat, E-series robots, Chaos, Chao

A tribe of Echidnas attempted to steal the Chaos Emeralds, attacking the Chao who lived where they wre; this angered Chaos, a creature who protected the Emeralds and the Chao. The tribe of Echidnas were all but completely destroyed by Chaos, before being trapped in the Master Emerald by Tikal the Echidna, because of these events Chaos was then named "the God of Destruction".

A long time later Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Aka Dr Eggman) learns of the legend surrounding Chaos, he seeks out the Master Emerald, that is in Knuckles The Echidna's care and shatters it, freeing Chaos and causing Angel Island to crash into te sea in the process. Eggman's goal is to control Chaos, and use its destructive powers to collect the Chaos Emeralds and conquer the world.

Sonic the Hedgehog learns of Dr Robotniks plot, he and his friend Tails spring in to action, the game build on the friendship between Sonic and Tails, showing them to be competitive, but helpful to each other.

Knuckles sets out to restore the Master Emerald, and restore his Angel Islands power to float in th sky, the game shows that Knuckles prefers to be alone and is un trusting of anyone, even Sonic.

Amy Rose is introduced as a Playable Character for the first time, she befriends a flicky who is being chased by a E-series robot, Amy's relationship with Sonic is expanded, showing that it is very much a one sided crush, but Sonic does feel protective of her.

The first E-series robots were created and one of them, E-102 Gamma, malfunctioned, making him turn against his fellow E-series robots, he contains a flicky, related to the one that is with Amy Rose and also the one that is inside E-101.

Big the Cat and his friend Froggy get involved in the game, Big introduced a new way of playing the levels in Sonic Adventure, by fisining in any available pools of water.

Sonic Adventure 2

Main article: Sonic Adventure 2

Elements introduced: Space Colony Ark, Eclipse Canon, Hero side and Dark Side, a rival to Sonic's power,

Characters introduced: Shadow The Hedgehog, Rouge The Bat, Gerald Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, G.U.N.

Doktor Robotnik learns of a ultimate weapon that he hopes to use to defeat Sonic one and for all, the game was the first time that Robotnik was playable, he pilots a walking mech (and plays much like E-102), he weapon turns out to be Shadow the Hedgehog, who askes him to collect the Chaos Emeralds.

Shadow the Hedgehog was introduced as Sonic's new rival; created by Gerald Robotnik (Dr Robotnik's grandfather) fifty years before the start of Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow at first is on the Dark Side, His motives for working with Robotnik are reviled to be for A Plan by Gerald Robotnik to destroy the world because of the death of Maria Robotnik, to this end the game introduces the space station build by Gerald Robotnik call the Space Colony Ark, and it's on-board weapon the Eclipse Canon.

Another new character to the series, at first on the Dark side, is Rouge The Bat, she plays he same as Knuckles, and also collects shards of the Master Emeralds, that was broken in a fight between Her and Knuckles, that was interrupted by Robotnik.

The way that Tails plays is different, instead of following Sonic and competing with him, Tails sets out in a mech of his own, almost identical to Doktor Robotnik's in terms of game play.

This game also introduces a new power in the Sonic story: G.U.N. who were responsible for the Death of Maria Robotnik, and The 50 year long imprisement of Shadow the Hedgehog, they are introduced after catching Sonic, thinking he is Shadow, they use deadly force without question.

Knuckles' character isn't really advanced much more than in the first game, though he does help Sonic and Shadow the power of his Master Emerald.

Sonic Advance

Main article Sonic Advance

Elements introduced: Tiny chao garden

Characters introduced: First appearance of Amy Rose, in modern form, as a two-dimensional character.

This is the first ever exclusive Nintendo handheld Sonic game.

Much like the old Sonic the Hedgehog games, the plot for this one is a simple Sonic vs. Robotnik storyline; although there are four playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy. Though, in main, Sonic Advance was received well, many complained of its length and slow gameplay.

Sonic Advance 2

Main article: Sonic Advance 2

Elements introduced: A final zone consisting only of multiple boss fights

Characters introduced: Cream the Rabbit's mother Vanilla the Rabbit

Sonic Advance 2 was considered by many a Sonic fan and critics alike as a major improvement of the original; featuring more speed, better control, more colorful levels and more challenging boss fights.

Sonic Heroes

Main article: Sonic Heroes

Elements introduced: Team Work of specialist groups,

Characters introduced: E-123 Omega

This game also marked the return of many characters from the Sonic universe: Chaotix, a group last seen in Knuckles' Chaotix on the Sega 32X; Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat from Sonic Adventure 2; Cream the Rabbit from Sonic Advance 2; Big the Cat from Sonic Adventure; Metal Sonic, who, prior to this game, had not played a major role in the series for years, last having one in Knuckles' Chaotix in 1995. The game also introduces a new character, E-123 Omega.

The plot of the game picks up where Sonic Adventure 2 left off, the predecessor itself was a continuation of Sonic Adventure. Although the plot for Sonic Heroes is somewhat sparse, a portion of it, particularly Team Dark's storyline, was a set-up for Shadow the Hedgehog released in 2005.

Sonic Battle

Main article: Sonic Battle

Elements introduced: ?

Characters introduced: E-mel

This was the first game that featured Shadow the Hedgehog in a two-dimensional form.

Sonic Advance 3

Main article: Sonic Advance 3

Elements introduced: ?

Characters introduced: Gemerl

The Idea for Sonic X May Be redirected, in part, from this game's storyline.

Shadow The Hedgehog

Main article: Shadow the Hedgehog (video game)

Elements introduced: Weapon use, power to choose story path, an Alien Race

Characters introduced: Black Arms

50 years ago, deep in a Military Research Space Station, Prof. Gerald Robotnik forged an experiment known as "Project Shadow" while trying to unlock the secrets of eternal life at the request of the Government. The experiment culminated in "The Ultimate Life-Form"; Shadow the Hedgehog, a creature with the ability to harness the mysterious power of the Chaos Emeralds in ways not thought possible. After being thought dead in Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow returned in Sonic Heroes with amnesia, from ending in Sonic Adventure 2 a condition which still exists in this game. In the beginning of the game, Shadow is still without any clue AbOUT his past, his only memory is of his attempt to escape the ARK with Maria. He does not understand who he is or where he's from, but he's determined to find out, be it from Black Doom, the leader of an alien race who claims he and Shadow made a pact involving the Chaos Emeralds; G.U.N., the military power that murdered Maria; or Dr. Eggman, the evil scientist.

T.V. Show Adaptation

An Anime Show; Sonic X was released on August 23, 2003 loosely based on the game series; introducing characters the didn't appear in the games:

• Chris Thorndyke

• Chuck Thorndyke

• Sam Speed

• Decoe and Bocoe

as well as various others.

References