TheSonic Adventureduology is an often celebrated, yet somewhat bizarre part of the Blue Blur’s history. While a lot of people tend to say thatSonichad a “rough transition to 3D”, this is only somewhat true. It technically happened one console generation afterSuper Mario, but withSonic Adventure, Sega’s flagship series was successfully integrated into the new 3D culture.Sonic Adventureand its sequel are fondly remembered for introducing the characters’ modern designs and personalities, as well as some new characters that stuck around like Shadow the Hedgehog. They are also loved for semi-serious plotlines,Chao Garden modes, and fun soundtracks.
As the nostalgia for the games became stronger,Sonicfans unsurprisingly started requesting a sequel, to the point where it is arguably the most requested game from fans. DespiteSonic Adventure 3seeming like an excellent idea that will sell like hotcakes, it is best for Sega and Sonic Team to ignore the temptations to make the game for now. TheSonic Adventuregames were products of their time in terms of mechanics, presentation, and storytelling, so Sonic Team cannot simply recycle the core aspects of the games and import them into another era.
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Sonic Team Is Not Ready for Sonic Adventure 3
TheSonic Adventuregamesmight be some of the most critically successful and popular games in theSonicseries, but that does not mean the games do not their age, especially nowadays. In practice, they were a transitionary phase for the franchise, reflected through their release dates in the late 90s and early 2000s.
When it comes to the characters,Sonic got older, grew taller, and his eyes became green. Tails perfected his skills as a mechanic. Knuckles went from Sonic’s stubborn rival to his fully fledged comrade. Amy’s personality and design were radically retooled. Dr. Robotnik started going by his Japanese name, Eggman, internationally.The series did not just change its cast’s characterization, though.
Various musical genres could be part of the soundtrack now that the series was on more advanced systems. The stories started being taken seriously instead of being typical platformer excuse plots. The idea of having multiple playable characters, even when playing alone, with their own theme song and playstyle, wasintroduced inSonic Adventure. Lastly, these games were made for the last Sega console, andSonic Adventure 2is the firstSonicgame to not only go multiplatform, but the first one to be on a Nintendo console. These two games set the bar for some of modernSonic’s defining characteristics, all while embracing their contemporaries. A character like Shadow could not have been created today without being ruthlessly mocked, and Sonic’s soap shoes dateSonic Adventure 2to the early 2000s by default.
Sonichas been going through an identity crisis for over a decade. AfterSonic Generationscame out, the games fell back into their old habit of pointlessly introducing new and polarizing gimmicks and reducing the cast to only one of their defining traits as obnoxiously as possible. The games also cannot seem to decide if they want to return toSonic’s roots and have a minimalist cast, or continue the series tradition of continuously making the cast larger. The rest ofSonic-related media seems to be doing fine, and it is up toSonic Frontiersto decidewhether the games are heading in the right creative direction or not. Hopping right intoSonic Adventure 3when the format for the perfect modernSonicgame has yet to be fully developed is a recipe for disaster and will only sour the series’ reputation once again.
If there is one series that both effectively and poorly uses nostalgia to its advantage, it’sSonic. WhileSonic Adventure 3would theoretically be an excellent tribute to one of the series’ hallmarks, there has been a lack of understanding within Sonic Team as towhat makesSonicwork. If the 2020s prove to be a better decade for the Blue Blur, then this requested game might stand a chance, as there would be a strong, modern foundation to build from. Otherwise,Sonic Adventure 3would just be an inevitable disappointment.
Sonic AdventureandSonic Adventure 2are available now on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
