Sonic the Hedgehog (ABC Saturday Morning Cartoon)(SatAM)

Voice Credits

What Is This?

Ever wonder what a cartoon goes through BEFORE it hits the airwaves? Well thanks to Sarah “Samanfur” Rose we can finally take a look at what MIGHT HAVE BEEN…

Years ago, before Sonic SatAM premiered in England, these pictures showed up in “Sonic The Comic” advertising and telling kids to watch for the new Sonic cartoon to come soon! What would come to be known to England fans as “The Mystery cartoon” and not known to few Sonic fans in America, serves as a glimpse at what might have been in the series, before drastic changes were made in both style (and possibly substance) of the cartoon. Ladies And Gentlemen: Meet The Freedom Team…

The Freedom Team

The team includes Johnny Lightfoot (rabbit), Tux (penguin), Princess Acorn (presumably a squirrel, but she doesn’t look like it), Sonic, Joe Sushi (walrus), Chirps (chicken), Porker Lewis (pig), and Flicky (bird). Tails isn’t pictured, which suggests that this concept art might have been made before Sonic 2 was released.

These characters are obviously based on the animals that Sonic rescues in his first game. Even their names are the same as the ones that Sega of America and Sega of Europe used for the animals (except that the squirrel was called Sally Acorn, not Princess Acorn or Princess Sally).

It’s probably a safe assumption that Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor developed from Princess Acorn, Johnny Lightfoot, and Joe Sushi. Well, maybe developed is the wrong word. These guys are like the antitheses of their SatAM counterparts. It’s as if someone told the SatAM staff to turn them into their polar opposites. Similarly, this Porker Lewis is nothing like the version in Fleetway’s Sonic the Comic.

Robotnik

This Robotnik has not been eating his Wheaties. Maybe they were trying to suggest strange lighting, but he has a white moustache, green tongue, and black fingernails. His head is just like in SatAM, but his suit looks a lot closer to the one worn by Eggman in the games.

This conveyor belt roboticizer is totally different from the cartoon version, which was a glass capsule.

Also featured is a character who doesn’t have a corresponding animal in the games. Was this a regular character or just a random anthromorph thrown in for this picture? This is pure unsubstantiated conjecture, but I wonder if this canine might be the predecessor of Antoine.

Season One Premiere – #1. Heads Or Tails (Pilot Episode)

On a raid in Robotropolis to retrieve metal cotter pins, Sonic runs into Muttski, his now- roboticized pet dog and vows to return him to normal someday along with the rest of Mobotropolis. The Freedom Fighters also have to contend with a squadron of Buzzbombers carrying an orange defoliant [Agent Orange? Hmmmm…] intent on destroying the Great Forest and exposing Knothole. Artwork in this ep is decidedly off-model, and is the closest the series ever got visually to the early Archie comics. This is undoubtedly the debut episode as it was designed to attract the readers of the new comic book, complete with the Pink Sally and a skinnier Rotor. In fact, All characters look as they did in the early comic days, even with Sally’s original hairdo. The episode plays for the slapstick of the early comics all the way as well.

#2. Sonic Past Cool

Tails’ offer to play dirt hockey is turned down by everyone because they’re too busy helping Bunnie with her newly installed elevator legs. Upset, Tails goes into the forest and finds a baby terrapod (the Mobian eqivalent of a dinosaur). The baby has strayed from the herd which is migrating to a place called Boulder Bay, and through the help of an old device Sally once created to try & communicate with the species, the Freedom Fighters help the herd through the Great Jungle & its metal-eating plants. They reach their destination before Robotnik can capture them for roboticization and as a bonus, they get some seeds of the metal-eating plants, which are harmless in that form. The work on Bunnie’s limbs is the only focus on her robot parts the series ever makes. Also, Tails has two emotional moments. He discusses missing his mom with Sonic after the baby t-pod first runs off. He also has a tearful goodbye with the baby at Boulder Bay.

#3. Sub Sonic

Doc Robotnik is digging underground for oil deposits and in the process, he unknowingly digs through a lush underground with a super-growth water and awakens a kraken monster. Sonic accidentaly discovers this water and the Freedom Fighters try to locate the source in order to save the dying trees in the forest. The search takes them to the underground, where Sonic, Sally & Antoine are kidnapped by the kraken. This leaves Rotor alone to rescue the others and stop Robotnik’s drilling snakes. Success nets them some of the water & the befriending of the kraken.

#4. Warp Sonic

A routine mission in Robotropolis finds Sonic, Sally & Antoine with no means of escape – until they are rescued by a goat named Griff, who is the leader of an underground city called Lower Mobius. The city is always on defense of Robotnik’s old tunneling rats. What’s worse, the city’s power source is dying. To prevent this, Griff suspiciosly develops affections for Sally, much to the jealousy of Sonic & Antoine. Griff also finds about the power rings and the stone that generates them, and subsequently goes to Knothole Village and steals the power stone. Sonic finds out and goes after Griff and in the process, he saves Lower Mobius from the largest of the tunneling rats. Before Sonic leaves, he & Griff then split the power stone.

#5. Sonic And Sally

Sonic, Sally & Bunnie set out to destroy a generator in Robotropolis, but unfortunately – Sally gets caught by SWATbots in the process. Back in Knothole, Sonic realizes this and goes back for Sally. However, what he actually rescues is a Robotnik designed robot duplicate of the Princess, set to deliver Knothole’s location! Everyone believes it’s the real Sally, except for Tails, who becomes suspiscious after Sally fails to give him the “funny kiss”, and reads him a bedtime story with a scary witch-like voice. The others don’t believe Tails, but after returning to Robotropolis discover the truth for themselves, Sonic finds out in time to rescue the real Sally just before she is roboticized. This was the 1st episode written by Allee & Hurst, and it was plain to see why they wrote the stories for the 2nd season. This was by far the best episode of the 1st season. The emotions between Sonic & Sally are on decent display here, and the “funny kiss” Sally gives Tails leaves you with that funny feeling inside, too.

#6. Ultra Sonic

After failing to sabotage the roboticizer, the Freedom Fighters find a train heading for a Robotnik crystal mine. It’s there that Sonic notices that one of the passengers is his Uncle Chuck. Through a power ring, Uncle Chuck regains his free will and tells the Freedom Fighters about the giant crystal in the mine Robotnik wants to use for a new power source. But if the crystal is taken out, the ecosystem will be destroyed. Through the use of a giant excavating dino-bot, the group saves the crystal. During the escape, however, Uncle Chuck loses his free will, and Sonic has to leave him behind as a robotic slave in a tearful goodbye. This was another powerful episode, the 1st to feature Uncle Chuck. Another emotional roller coaster for Sonic, especially when he goes to tears leaving his uncle behind. And Sega didn’t complain?! Yahoo!

#7. Sonic Racer

Sonic and the ladies succeed in destroying Robotnik’s main generator, but fail to remember about his backup. Before they can return to Robotropolis, Robotnik and Snively make a plan, announcing a race. Sonic, unable to resist, takes part versus a robotic cat who is supposedly over twice as fast as Sonic. While he races, the ladies and Antoine try to destroy the backup generator. When the group gets in trouble, though, Sonic abandons the race to help his friends bust the generator. A simple episode with a comic-style plotline. Nothing to really get excited about here. Still, I enjoyed Sonic trashing the SWATbots. “Yo! Anyone ever tell you guys that you’re ugly AND you dress funny? Let me be the first. You’re ugly, and you dress funny. Sayonara!”

#8. Hooked On Sonics

Antoine becomes jealous of Sonic after he destroys Snively’s tree cutter/life force drainer. After Rotor gives him some sarcastic advice, Antoine gets unnecessarily bold and decides to capture Doc Robotnik all by himself in order to impress Sally, using a power ring as bait. The plan backfires horrendously (who saw THAT ONE coming?). Antoine is captured and set for roboticisation, and the power ring is used for a Sonic Radar. Sonic then goes to Robotropolis to rescue Ant while dodging the death shots of the radar. The two head to the Great Forest, where Robotnik tries to corner the two as Antoine retrieves the power ring from the device, and gives it to Sonic to save the day. This was one of the few episodes that showed Antoine’s attempts to impress Sally. Better than Warp Sonic, and Antoine gets to be hero for a day, which no one seems to really care about. Typical Antoine!

#9. Harmonic Sonic

Robotnik launches his Skyspy satellite to track Knothole Village’s location once and for all as a StealthBot is sent to the coordinates. Meanwhile, the rocket booster crashes near Knothole. Sonic and Rotor devise a plan to use the rocket to go up to Skyspy and trash it for thier own safety. Once up on the satellite, the two outsmart the bots there in order to find the spy sensors and destroy them. The StealthBot is recalled since it no longer had a signal and after returning home, Sonic and Rotor guide the crashing satellite into the Great Unknown using Rotor’s super magnet, and thus foiling Robotnik’s assault plan.

#10. Sonic’s Nightmare

Sonic continues to have this recurring nightmare where Sally is roboticized right before his eyes and he can’t save her in time. Meanwhile, Sally intercepts a signal that Robotnik is planning to seed acid rain clouds over the island of Nimbus. Sally, Bunnie & Antoine attempt to destroy the cloud burster before it gets to Nimbus disguised as SWATbots, but the plan fails and all are captured. When Sonic finds out, he must go to Nimbus for the save all three while trying to conquer the fear of his nightmare as well. The gang makes it out of Nimbus before it’s swallowed by a tidal wave and they believe Robotnik crashed in the destruction, but he got away in a stealth pod ready to plan for his next outing…. This was another powerful episode which played on Sonic’s head and emotions. The obsession with Sally’s phrase “Where were you when the brains were handed out?” within Sonic’s dream was incredibly powerful.

#11. Sonic Boom

Sonic, Sally, Antoine and another Freedom Fighter named Cat sneak into Robotropolis to destroy a bot plant. During the bust, Sally discovers a possible message from King Acorn eminating from the Dark Swamp, which has her father’s old nickname for her, “Bean”. The escape however, results in Cat getting captured. Sonic goes back for him, where Cat – now awaiting the roboticiser – informs him that Robotnik has picked up Sally and Antione’s trail heading for the Dark Swamp. Sonic leaves Cat behind to join the others. Within the swamp, Sonic follows Sally & Antoine, who are heading for a place called Ironlock Prison where they find a computer with a message from King Acorn. The three then head through the underground of the prison to come back to Robotropolis. The Stealth Bots are destroyed, but Cat was brought to an unseen but probable fate – most likely, roboticisation… This was the first episode where Sally’s emotions were put to the test. Not much here, but it opened up a plot which was handled much better in the 2nd season.

#12. Super Sonic

Nicole malfunctions during a waterwheel project in Knothole and Sonic and Sally head to Robotropolis for replacement parts where Sally wanders into a place called the Forbidden Zone. There lies the wizard Lazar, who has a computer of powerful spells. Robotnik gets to the spells first, and awakens Lazar in the process. Lazar later finds Sonic, thinking he’s a thief and Sonic promises to return the computer to him. But as a test, Lazar takes away Sonic’s speed. Meanwhile, Robotnik teleports Sally & Bunnie to Robotropolis and brainwashes them to attack and roboticize Sonic! Sonic, however, outsmarts Robotnik, captures the computer, and reverses the spell on the girls. The three escape and return the computer to Lazar, who gives Sonic back his speed. Lazar turns down an invitation to join the Freedom Fighters, and disappears into the Forbidden Zone. This was a good test for Sonic as he had to use his head instead of his feet. An OK effort.

#13. Sonic And The Secret Scrolls

In the final episode of the first season – The Freedom Fighters head for the mountain city of Maga in their new biplane, the Freedom Stormer, to search for the Secret Scrolls. Once there, they must pass several awareness tests to win the scrolls, only to find Robotnik, Snively and a pack of Swatbots waiting for them. Sonic outsmarts Robotnik by luring him to the test called “The Breath of Mobius”, a legendary wind tunnel that blows winds of over 175 MPH. The powerful wind blows Robotnik, Snively, and the SWATbots clear off the mountain and The Freedom Fighters leave with the scrolls, thinking that Robotnik is finally dead. However, looks can be decieving…because come the night time, Robotnik and Snively still survive, struggling back up the mountain far after the others leave, as the crafty Doctor vows revenge once and for all…

Season Two Premiere – #14. Game Guy

As we open the second season, a ram named Ari is being chased by SWATbots. Tails & Dulcy spot him and tell Sonic & Sally, who use a super magnet they found in a rundown hover unit to make the save. Later, Ari explains that Robotnik is holding his fellow Freedom Fighters in an old fortress. Sally gets suspicious at this, but Sonic trusts Ari, and is willing to help. Meanwhile, the other FF’s find out the SWATbots’ orders: “Pursue Ari, but do not capture, lure to the fortress”…Elsewhere, Sonic brings Ari to the fortress, where Ari sets the trap before Sally & Dulcy can warn Sonic. Robotnik then reveals his plans to Sonic: a pinball game, with Sonic as the ball, and a portal to the Void as the end of ball penalty! In Robotropolis, Ari arrives, demanding Robotnik to release his Freedom Fighters since he trapped Sonic for him. Robotnik shows that he broke the deal and roboticized them instead! Sally & Dulcy break in to make the save, then head to save Sonic. Ari steps ahead to rescue Sonic, when Robotnik sets the game to suck itself into the Void. Ari gets sucked in, but manages to tell Sonic about King Acorn’s list of other Freedom Fighters before he disappears lost forever in the void…A decent episode, that sets the first tone for the climax at the end of the season. This ep also introduced The Void (known in the comics as the “Zone Of Silence”), which would also appear as a major setting later in the series.

#15. Sonic Conversion

Robotnik tests his new VR ShriekBot on Sonic & Sally, but Sonic proves that it’s not as fast as Robotnik thought. The two then return to Knothole, where they test a deroboticizer on Bunnie, and to everyone’s amazement – The test proves successful as Sonic decides to go after his Uncle Chuck and deroboticises himonce and for all. He restores Uncle Chuck’s will with a power ring, but the deed can happen the deroboticizer malfunctions. Sonic then goes to Robotropolis to steal the main components from the roboticizer. Meanwhile, back in Knothole Village, the second try on Uncle Chuck succeeds. The victory is short-lived however, as Bunnie suddenly reverts back to part-robot, and Uncle Chuck turns back into a robot without free will and captures Antoine & Tails. Sonic follows, only to be caught in a trap of Mega Muck! Dulcy, Sally & Bunnie help him out, and Sonic heads for Robotropolis. He finds Uncle Chuck there, and helps him fight to regain his free will. Its at this point that, Uncle Chuck then decides that he’ll stay in Robotropolis as a spy. Sonic then proceeds to outsmart Robotnik’s pumped-up VR Bot and escape with the others….This has been called the breakthrough episode of the SatAM series! This is an incredible truth. The ultimate tug on your’s and the Freedom Fighters’ emotions. Sonic’s state of sadness and crying at the end of the episode is especially powerful, and again without complaint from Sega. If you’ve never seen any ep of the series before, I suggest this as your first.

#16. No Brainer

A routine mission in Robotropolis is called off by Uncle Chuck as Sonic stays behind & makes a rescue. During the escape, Sonic is zapped with a ray that makes him loses his memory. Snively finds him and convinces him that the two are friends and that the Freedom Fighters are the enemy. Snively tells Sonic to find Knothole & send the coordinates. Once that’s done, Snively plans to invade and round up the Freedom Fighters for robotization! The others, however, manage to save Sonic from his memory loss with a power ring. Sonic makes the save and then turns the memory ray on Snively. They send him back to Robotropolis & adjust the computers to put Knothole’s location in the Great Swamp. An off episode, and one that was better handled in the Sonic comics #27 & 28 (“A Scrambled Hedgehog”). Still, seeing Snively pester Robotnik at the end of the episode was a humoristic touch that was worth it.

#17. Blast To The Past – Part One

As Sally begins to get frustrated over too many failed missions, Sonic makes the comment that he wishes they could’ve stopped Robotnik before he took over. Dulcy suggests that they go to the Floating Island (more on this below) to use the hidden Time Stones to go back in time and actually do it! The group heads there where Sonic and Sally pass a series of tests to earn the stones. From here, Sonic & Sally find the stones after solving the riddle of the Guardian and travel back to the day of the takeover. There, they meet their 5-year old selves, and learn from Uncle Chuck that he was the inventor of the Roboticizer, but Warlord Julian (Doc Robotnik) stole the plans and sabotaged the invention. The three try to warn King Acorn of the coup, but convince him too late as Robotnik attacks, kidnapping the children and storming the palace – thus beginning his ten year reign of terror as the episode ends, To be continued…

Out of all the Saturday AM episodes, this one two part series and the final episode are the most remembered. This was the first time that the details of Doctor Robotnik’s coup was looked into. Powerful emotions displyed by Sally, the humor of Sonic racing his younger self, and the entire adventure to this point is incredible. This all made for one of the more popular episodes, but it is not without its flaws. Its unknown if the inception of this episode came before the release of Sonic 3, which introduced Knuckles and The Floating Island. Needless to say this Floating Isle is NOT the one we know. The Time Stones (Sonic CD) take the place of the Master Emerald and a giant glowing owl takes the place of Knuckles. Whether this Floating Isle is based off of previous concepts is unsure, but its worth noting.

#18. Blast To The Past – Part Two

Continuing from Part 1, Sonic escapes with Sally under insistence from Uncle Chuck. However, they end up being captured. Robotnik then proceeds to change the city of Mobotropolis to its present state of Robotropolis. And sends out an Assault and Batter blimp to decimate the countryside! Sonic & Sally go to escape and rescue the kids, thus shutting down the roboticizer – but what they dont realise is they do it _before_ Bunnie is affected, thus changing the course of time! In the process, they notice the pollution ship heading for the Great Forest. The two use the time they have to destroy the ship. While they’re gone, Robotnik then proceeds to banish King Acorn to the Void. Upon returning, they rescue the kids, but end up witness Uncle Chuck’s roboticization. Rosie then takes the kids to Knothole, but first Sally asks Rosie to promise she’ll never leave Knothole. Promise made, Sonic & Sally return to the present, eluding capture by Robotnik. However, the present is still the same with Bunnie still roboticised, except that Rosie is now around (although never seen). Part 2 proved just as exciting and adventuresome as Part 1. The double challenge Sonic & Sally faced by having to prevent the kids from being roboticized AND preventing the ship from destroying the Great Forest & Knothole ups the intensity. All in all, this 2-parter is a must have.

#19. Fed Up With Antione/Ghost Busted

Two 15-minute episodes featuring Antoine & Tails. In “Fed Up with Antoine”, Antoine is his usual self, annoying all of the Knothole residents and driving everyone off the deep end. Going off in the forest, he’s taken by a biker group called the Nasty Hyenas. They make Antoine their king, but don’t tell him how they plan to eat him like all their other kings as Sonic and the others come for the rescue. In “Ghost Busted”, Sonic and Antoine take Tails on a campout/training mission. That night, Sonic tells ghost stories, and when Tails wakes up during the night, Antoine is gone. Tails notices a monster walking in the forest. After running scared for a few minutes, the monster turns out to be Antoine, who sleepwalked into some foxfire plants. Neither of these episodes had anything to do with the rest of the season AT ALL. This is what made them so uninteresting. No Robotnik really takes away from it. Only salvagable thing was Tails’ training.

#20. Dulcy

During a routine mission in Robotropolis, Dulcy begins to experience strange feelings throughout her body. After saving Sonic from near roboticization, they return to Knothole, where the mysterious spells continue. Suddenly, Dulcy begins flying away from Knothole in a mysterious trance, and Sonic & Sally have to save her from being captured by SWATbots. It is discovered that Dulcy is being summoned to a place called Dragonsnest, the dragon mating ground. Furthermore, Robotnik has discovered about the place, and is heading there to capture all the dragons for roboticization. When Dulcy goes again, Sonic & Sally follow, and witness a dragon get captured. The three then find the dragon’s egg, and manage to bring it back to Knothole for Bunnie to watch. The group then heads for Robotropolis. They save the mother dragon before she can be roboticized. Everyone gets back to Knothole just in time for the egg to hatch. The mom and baby then leave for a place where Robotnik won’t find them. This was interesting, as it was the only time that dragon history was discussed. Still, they could’ve gone further into it. At least I got a big laugh seeing Bunnie getting tossed around while watching the bouncing egg.

#21. The Void

In the episode that introduces Ixis naugus to the Sonic continuity, while heading through the Great Unknown, Sonic is almost sucked into a canyon vortex. Finding a strange power ring, he heads to Knothole and fills Sally in on The Void appearance and the ring. While Sonic heads to see Uncle Chuck, the ring zaps Sally & Bunnie, dragging them into the Void! Meanwhile in Robotropolis, Sonic learns about Robotnik’s plans for total control surnamed as “The Doomsday Project”…while Robotnik and Snively discover the emergence of the Void, they recall of the evil wizard Naugus who created the Void, and how Robotnik trapped him within prior to the coup. Back in Knothole, Sonic finds the others gone, but Nicole is still there. Sonic and Nicole head for the Void, only Robotnik waiting! Cornered with no escape, he retreats into the Void. There, he meets with Sally, Bunnie and Naugus! The raspy voiced wizard has explained that to escape, he needs Sonic’s speed. Sonic is then trapped by Naugus trying to escape with the others. While trapped, in another area of the Void, Sonic and the others discover a castle, and find none other than the long lost King Acorn inside. Sonic takes him out of the Void, but the others learn from Ari that he actually took Naugus, and brings forth the real King. While Naugus reveals himself and tortures Robotnik, Sonic goes back in the Void for the others. Robotnik eventually gets away but unfortunately, the King and Naugus begin to turn to crystal, an effect of them spending too much time in the Void. They are forced to return to exile in order to survive, as Sally is brought to tears at this. And in saying goodbye, King Acorn gives Sally the list of the other Freedom Fighter groups, in hopes that they can one day rescue both him and Planet Mobius… Reunions for the better and the worse. Sally meeting her father for the first time since the coup was one of the second most powerful pieces that was exhibited in the entire series. You can’t help but feel sorry for her by episode’s end. At the same time, our first knowledge of the Doomsday Project provides the first major setup for the finale.

#22. The Odd Couple / Ro-Becca

Another pair of 15-minute episodes, both starring Antoine. In “The Odd Couple”, Sonic’s hut is destroyed by Dulcy during a snow storm, so Sonic goes to stay with Antoine – MUCH to Ant’s chagrin. Sonic’s style of living turns Antoine’s place upside down, and drives Antoine nuts. Both end up so unrattled and unnerved that they eventually leave. In “Ro-Becca”, Antoine is helping Rotor with a cleaning robot he’s creating. However, Antoine gets so scared during a lightning storm that he accidentally activates the robot, which develops a crush on Antoine. Antoine spends the rest of his time trying to get Ro-Becca off his case. Unless you’re an Antoine fan, these episodes are just incredibly unbearable, even moreso that the last double episode pack. One can only take so much of Antoine being his annoying self.

#23. Cry Of The Wolf

Enter The Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters! In the Great Unknown, a band of Freedom Fighters known as the Wolf Pack succeeds in sabotaging a Doomsday test pod as Snively is sent (or rather forced) to make repairs, courtesy of his demanding uncle, Doctor Robotnik. Meanwhile, Sonic, Sally, Antoine & Dulcy are out seeking the Wolf Pack in order to establish the Freedom Fighter Network, via King Acorn’s FF list. On route to the base, they discover an area that strikes lightining upon all who enter. When they reach the cave entrance to the base, Dulcy heads back while the others meet Lupe, the leader of the Wolf Pack and learn of their history. Meanwhile, Snively has gotten the test pod back online and has sent it through the area. The Freedom Fighters try to use a multitude of weapons stolen from Robotropolis on the pod, but to no avail. Sonic eventually destroys it by luring it into the lightning storm. Afterwards, contact is established with the other Freedom Fighter groups, and they gather together in Knothole to prepare for their greatest battle – The Doomsday Project !!! This was the first glimpse into what any of the other Freedom Fighter groups were like, and also introduced the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters (perennial favorites among comic and cartoon fans). Another preparation for the finale as we would see the Wolf Pack again. Another plus of the ep was seeing Antoine go crazy every single time he thought THE CURSE was coming to get him. >;) Funny stuff.

#24. Drood Henge

Uncle Chuck informs Sally of Robotnik’s project to find the Drood Henge scrolls. The scrolls tell the location of the Deep Power Stones, which can provide awesome power or destruction based on how they are joined. Sonic & Tails discover Robotnik’s plan elsewhere, harassing Snively in the process. When the Freedom Fighters regroup, they discover that Robotnik already has the first stone! To prevent him getting the second, Tails secretly devises a plan to trick Robotnik with a fake stone which they destroy right in front of him. Later, the gang finds the real stone, and Tails is officially made a Freedom Fighter. This is the episode that Tails fans enjoy the most, since it’s the day he becomes a Freedom Fighter and is no longer treated like a kid like he has been in the past season and earlier in this season. A good episode, and this plot plays again later on in the finale.

#25. Spy Hog

Thanks to info from Uncle Chuck, the Freedom Fighters stop another fuel shipment to the Doomsday Project. Frustrated, Robotnik believes that a spy is lurking about. He then seeks out and finds Uncle Chuck’s bug and makes it malfunction, prompting Uncle Chuck to replace it! Meanwhile, Sally and Bunnie get word of this while accessing the plans to the Doomsday Project. The signal goes to Knothole, where Antoine goes to warn Uncle Chuck. However, Antoine’s cowardice gets him captured, and Sonic must make the save. Later, Uncle Chuck is discovered & brought to Robotnik. Sonic saves him with a power ring before he is forced to reveal Knothole’s location. Afterward, Uncle Chuck decides to stay in Robotropolis in a new outpost with some bots as disguises. Uncle Chuck was the main focus of this episode, and this time, he was the one who had a teary goodbye at episode’s end. The fact that he’s pained by not being together with Sonic is obvious and powerful. And when all the crying and goodbye’s are over, hence comes the final episode as the plans are now set for the ultimate battle that is…

#26. The Doomsday Project

Robotnik’s planning is complete as he sets the Doomsday Project into motion – launching pods all over Mobius in an effort to decimate the entire planet! After Sonic takes out one that emerges near Knothole, Freedom Fighters from all over Mobius are brought together for the final confrontation. However, when a diversion attempt fails and all but the Knothole gang are captured, Sonic must go it alone…But Robotnik captures Sonic and sets him up for roboticization. Sonic escapes with the combined effort of 3 power rings, and in an all-or-nothing full final effort, the gang resorts to using the Deep Power Stones. Sonic steals Robotnik’s power stone from Robotropolis, as he and Sally use the incredible power they provide to destroy the Doomsday Project once and for all! Robotnik attempts to escape, his fate left uncertain as the Doomsday Project explodes violently into a pile of twisted ruble. His nephew Snively, left behind, retreats to an underground elevator. As the Freedom Fighters celebrate their ultimate victory in Knothole, Snively emerges from the wreckage dressed in a suit just like that of his uncle and vowing revenge against the Freedom Fighters! But he is not alone… Because behind him in the shadowy tunnel are the glowing red eyes of…

The grand finale is easily the greatest and most powerful of all the SatAm episodes. The cliffhanger ending is both the most intriguing and most infuriating element of the entire series, particularly because this turned out to be the final episode due to ABC’s asininity (see the front SatAM page) and its only real competition – The Power Rangers. But more than that, emotions played just as strong here, if not stronger, than the adventure instinct. It is the ultimate expression of love as Sally vows to stand by her hero, willing to die for the cause as well. And the big kiss?…Well, what can I say? Words cannot descirbe how magical, moving and unforgetable it was. Next to seeing a marriage scene between Sonic & Sally (like THAT would ever happen), this is the most moving scene in the entire Sonic series. In short, it was a shame to see this show go.

But thats NOT the end folks! There WAS a third season planned for Sonic The Hedgehog!

Season Three

Some time ago – Ben Hurst, writer of MANY of the SatAM second season epidodes came to the Sonic Mailinglist. One of the first questions he was asked? Who did the eyes belong, and what would the developments of the third season been. Here is part of what Ben had to say… Well, first of all, the red eyes in the tunnel belonged to…IXIS NAUGUS! The same wizard that first appeared in “The Void”! Yes, not Knuckles or Metal Sonic, but Naugus. Anyway, Snively tries to retake control of Robotropolis, but ultimately fails. On the verge of losing it all to the Freedom Fighters, he turns to “The Void”, where Naugus is busy torturing Robotnik (and having fun with it) ^__^. Snively frees Naugus, and in the process also frees Robotnik & King Acorn! Now, Naugus assumes control, and starts his new command by trying to lure Sally into capture with the King as bait. Robotnik becomes Naugus’ lackey. And Snively, now reduced to a simpering nobody, defects to the Freedom Fighters. Ben went on later to say that more developments would have come along between the relationship of Sonic and Tails, coming a little closer to the game relationship it strayed so far away from. Sooner on down the line in possible future episodes we would have learned of the origins of Robotnik and Snively, and also come to see a whole new ballgame for the FF’s… And THAT is what WOULD HAVE HAPPENED in the third season of the Sonic cartoon…