Wait, they just now reviewed that game?
Apparently. And also, it seems to be too new to be noted on the website...
Episode 6009
It ends at 6008, so that's no good.
Plus it's missing 6007 for some reason...
*Blinks* Umm... what are you two talking about? I'm missing a joke here...
Craig, Lighthead kinda spelled it out:
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Hehehehe... XPlay gave it a 1/5. I'm not all that surprised.
Hence, we must be talking about a show called "X-Play". Which, in this case, is this.
Ooooh. I thought it was an X-Box specialised magazine, rather than a TV show. Thanks for clearing it up 
6009 is up now.
Also, I just think it's funny that Craig didn't know what X-Play was.
Sorry Craig.
No it isn't. It's mentioned, but there's pretty much a whole lot of nothin' in it.
Yeah, I only just realised that after I posted ^_^;
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Also, I just think it's funny that Craig didn't know what X-Play was.
Lack of G4Tech = hilarity?
He should probably count his blessings he doesn't have to be subjected to it.
I miss Tech TV. ;.;
1. What was you impression of Shadow before it was released, and what is your opinion of it now that you played it?
I wasn't very impressed with the first wave of videos: a rubbery Sonic Heroes model with a realistic pistol stapled to its hand. The game smacked of cheap graphics, design and consumer pandering. Sonic meets Grand Theft Auto.
The game had a frustrating learning curve, but I thought the firearms were integrated well in the end. The story was a sometimes confusing retcon (just who did they allow aboard the ARK back in the day?), but appreciated. Lovely CGI, and the mission system kept things interesting. I miss Ryan Drummond and the gang, though.
2. What is your favorite path (Pure Dark, Dark, Neutral, Hero, or Pure Hero)? What is your least favorite path?
Hero path, it ends with Shadow in-character: Angsty!
Neutral path disapointed me. Killing Robotnik once is fine, but it's the same result no matter which Lava Shelter mission you pick. I would have liked to earnestly side with the Doctor once and battle Omega as a final boss.
3. What is your current status in the game?
Seven endings completed, and the game returned to the video store.
4. What is your favourite level? What is your least favourite level?
Sky Troops is my favorite for its epic soundtrack, the enjoyable, straight-forward mission options and the story behind the level: it's the Sonic Equivalent of revenge of the sith's giant, chaotic capital ship fight.
Least favorite was Lost Impact for its annoyingly slow system of elevators and automated platforms.
5. Who is your favourite boss? Who is your least favourite boss?
Heavy Dog, if only for the nostalgic return of the GUNmobile theme.
Black Doom was a disappointingly underpowered boss.
6. What is the best feature of the game for you? What is the least best feature of the game for you?
I enjoyed playing around with the "Chaos Powers", and tearing through the levels as an invicible Evil Shadow with unlimited ammo, especially in the later levels where there are so many enemies to destroy that you automatically refueled your gauge as you attacked.
I was bothered with the game's lack of speed. Jumping between walls, sliding up and down poles and riding platforms (especially the ARK levels) is a tedious exercise in waiting.
I don't see why you people hate this game so much... I LOVE IT! sure, it's different, but I'm enjoying myself... cept for the voices. =/ Some of you expect it to be a 'Sonic' game, when it really stars Shad. But, meh.. nobody has to agree with my opinion.
I really enjjoyed every non-ark flashback level, spare central city, which I skipped anyway.. still beat the game, though. One of my favorite stages is CIrcus Park. Digital Circuit and Sky Troops were pretty cool too, IMO.
And at least we have every plot hole about Shadow revealed, yay! *is a Shadow fan, so meh* I didn't really have any glitches or camera problems, and I really didn't use many weapons, unless I HAD to, or if it was a boss. Same goes for vehicles. I mostly just used the disk thingies and the black hawks/volts.
So, yeah I hasd fun with this, as I did with Sonic Heroes. I really think the game is underrated.
-Mega
So, yeah I hasd fun with this, as I did with Sonic Heroes. I really think the game is underrated.
It really isn't. Appauling loading times, horrible voice acting, a storyline so fragmented and unviewable that only the FINAL ending can be taken into context and serves to ignore all the questions we had about Shadow unless you're crap enough to not finish the final boss in less than 7 minutes.
The entire engine is just refined from SA2, which became the Sonic Heroes one which became the Shadow one, they're running on an engine which was horrendously flawed 4 years ago and only update it to add to the gimmick factor rather than ironing out the bugs which pester the system.
The graphics are BARELY able to stand ahead of those on the Dreamcast.
The game itself plays as a chore and only hardcore fans would bother putting up with the tedious annoyance of the missions (some of which are heavily flawed by things such as "Kill all 50 enemies" with no discernable way of tracking them, besides AI which reacts to where an enemy was, and doesn't stop shooting and screaming "LOOK!" after you've killed it) and completing each story twice, fighting the same final bosses 2/6 times.
The game is tedious beyond all belief, and by the end I was just happy to see the damn thing over.
The only fun that I was able to get from the game was running the linear course, which is in itself a boring way to play the game. It's just another case of Sega recycling garbage to make more garbage by painting a few pretty gimmicks on. Gimmicks don't make a game fun, they just sell it.
It's very clear that Sega only want to SELL the game, rather than have people enjoy them, and I for one feel exceptionally stupid for falling for their crap again.
Well, whatever. I liked the game, as I did with Sonic Heroes. I respect your opinion, but I still like that game.. so meh. Tehre isn't really a Sonic game that i've PLAYED and didn't like(cept Sonic Drift and Spinball... and Mean Bean Machine). I haevn't played many GG games, so I wouldn't know.
But really, I did enjoy this. You can think of it as tedious, but my mind is made up, so at least respect my opinion.
-Mega
I respect your opinion, but when you say a game is underrated, you're implying that the general concensous is wrong. I'm defending the overal opinion that the game is recieving. Not arguing against your personal one.
And at least we have every plot hole about Shadow revealed, yay!
By revealed, I presume you mean "There are now so many that no more could possibly come into existance in future games."
Unless you mean that all the plot holes have been resolved, in which case LOLno.
Eh.. that's what I meant. I mean, we know he's the original, how he survived, and that kinda stuff... though I suppose there COULD be more than that. =/ But the major ones, IMO, were solved.
-Mega
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I don't see why you people hate this game so much...
Maybe it is because some people here and outside of the Sonic fan community have played and enjoyed better games--games that are not BROKEN and obvious cheap fandom wankery.
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Some of you expect it to be a 'Sonic' game, when it really stars Shad.
Oh I see. So just because it stars Shadow gives it an excuse to be a below average game.![:]](https://www.lighthead.net/misc/mofo/smilies/biggrinshaded.gif)
Does this mean we can expect any future spin-offs staring other Sonic cast members to be just as bad since they can mess around because they are not as important as the main character in the franchise?
Anyway, even though it stared Shadow, Sega has be treating this game as a Sonic ever since they announced a new surprise Sonic game on the GCN years ago(I predicted it would be disappointing after the C-grade Sonic Heroes). Months later, it turned out to be Shadow the Hedgehog(now with even more awful gimmicks than SH--looks like I was right about the prediction) in which most people in and outside of the fan community cursed and shook their heads at Sega/Sonic Team.
And still, Sega advertised it as the big 'Sonic' game--part of the Sonic franchise. They even tied most of the cast, locales, plot points, and some basic gaming mechanics. As such, most people treated it as a Sonic game instead of a Shadow game. Heck, IIRC Sonic Team seemed to recieved request from kids that they would have like to play as Sonic using a gun in future games. However, they didn't want to give Sonic a gun so they used Shadow instead.
Heck, even you treated it as part of the Sonic franchise saying "Their hasn't been a Sonic game I've played I didn't like except for...".
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But, meh.. nobody has to agree with my opinion.
But you did vocalize why some people here hated this game. We were telling you why.
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Maybe it is because some people here and outside of the Sonic fan community have played and enjoyed better games--games that are not BROKEN and obvious cheap fandom wankery.
Psh, I've played better games, sure, but I still like this one. I like Shadow as a character, so maybe that's why... but I really didn't find anyhting BAD.. cpet the, IMO, godawful voices. XD
-Mega
So can we now officially consider this game and Heroes Non-Canon?
Good Meg I hope so.
I like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Eggman, and Metal Sonic but still I thought Heroes was bad.=( I'm pretty sure that there are Shadow fans(or now former fans) who felt the same way with this game.
Also, I don't want to see a sequel to Heroes and Shadow--unless Sega wants to further degrade the brand to current Crash and Spyro levels and another character spin-off from Sonic Team USA. Knowing them, we would probably get Knuckles the Echidna: Warrior Within.
Eh, whatever. I liked Heroes, SHadow, SA2, SA1, etc... just not Sonic Drift or Spinball. o.O This game is canon because it had the other characters, so no doubt that in future games Shadw will care less about his past, which is nice, IMO. For all we know, Black Arms Could appear in a game years from now. *bricked* And yes, not all Shad fans will like this game, but meh..
-Mega
No, no we can consider those games to be non-canon. A wizard resurrected Shadow. As for Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, those weren't really games. They were the mass hallucinations from the crack Naka and Iizuka regularly took.
That slightly reminds me of dodgeball.
*Where are we now Mr O Hooliehann?*
*We are in a chinese opium den Timmy*
Mind you on the whole Shadow game is good or bad...
I accept that the game looks very average, terrible story/ies, targeting is bad, the good/evil thing is flawed and the camera doesnt want to do anything.
But I liked it. There were a few moments I loved. The on rails shooting sections were great. The music in some levels are great. And a great little Super final boss thing.
There might be something wrong with me though. I did like the first 6 levels of Heroes. Before I tried for A ranks.
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As for Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, those weren't really games. They were the mass hallucinations from the crack Naka and Iizuka regularly took.
Maybe to you, but to me they were games. I liked them, so psh. XP You can't change my opinion on that. :F
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Does this mean we can expect any future spin-offs staring other Sonic cast members to be just as bad since they can mess around because they are not as important as the main character in the franchise?
*coughTailsSkyPatrolcough*
(Sidenote: Not everyone hates this game with the burning fiery passion of a thousand suns in August. So don't act like they should, please.)
They DID specify future spin off's.
And I could drag Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine or Knuckles Chaotix up, if you would like. Though, people oddly ENJOY the latter for some reason.
People enjoy Chaotix for the same reason they liked Sonic Underground - because Knuckles is in it. 
The only spin-off Sonic games I like are the Tails games. I'll die if there's another Shadow game, which there probably will be so if you'll excuse me I've got my own funeral to prepare.
Actually, Mean Bean was awesome. Not because of the license, of course - because it's freakin' Puyo Puyo.
And Chaotix was pretty lax on gameplay. I think most of the liking it came from the fact that it is the most visually impressive Sonic title from that era... Seriously, I LOVED all the cool effects they did there. I just think the game underneath it wasn't as good as it could have been.
To me, it's all about the special stages and the music. Both of which were pretty impressive, given the future the series would have chosen for both paths.
But, seriously, gameplay wise, the game felt like it was totally unstructured. Most levels just involved jumping up until you got to the top and then going right a bit. Those which did have structure and deviation just felt empty, devoid of obstacle or... anything. It was just, dull. Very very dull.
*LAUGHS* I wasn't expecting a review to be that hilarious I hadn't compared Black Doom to Claw before, but now it'll be the only voice I ever hear.
You know...
Assuming I ever play Shadow again.
Which I wont.
LOL @ The whole "Game could be percieved as racist" section
That was awesome and so so true. <3
You know what I just realised? This might have been mentioned, but Maria's illness and the fact that the Ultimate Lifeform was supposed to be a stepping stone in a path to immortality was COMPLETELY erased from the game.
*Grumble*
And again, Knuckles and Rouge were really out of character, the Chaotix, Amy, Cream, Knuckles and Tails felt tacked on. (As none of them even communicate with Shadow that often.)
And why are the anthropods helping out the military? Sonic seems very forgiving considering only a few years prior they had hunted him down and locked him because they were too blind to see it wasn't the same hedgehog. I mean... avoiding attacking them... fine... but getting angry if they are attacked and helping them out at every oppurtunity? -_-
I guess the review just inspired THE FLAME!
I noticed that long before the game was even released. Back when we were on synopsis and little bios, it there was something mentioned which was 100% contrary to the immortality excuse he had going in SA2, I'll dig through the topic and see if it's still there...
Oh, for God's sake.
Something on your mind, Josh, or are you going to keep us guessing?
Bat: Heroes and Shadow give more problems than solutions. They are irritants. Irritants will be expelled. Explain the LoK ref for 5 points!
Craig: He's probably getting tired of people smashing this game.
People who like Shadow and Heroes: There's nothing wrong with you liking these games, but I'll say this once more; you have to accept that they're bad games. No amount of indignant defendance or wildfire propaganda will cloak the fact that these games are steaming piles of crap, so it's probably a good idea to sit down and enjoy them instead of trying to defend them.
Going back to the whole canon thing; while we are spared Kain's elaborate metaphors, his resolve remains true: Heroes and Shadow cause more problems than solutions on a gameplay and plotline scale, and ignoring them takes zero effort. Sounds like a winner to me.
I will defend against you calling it crap HSW...
but not against you calling it bad... Because of course I can accept it's a bad game, by sonic standards its bad, horrendous, only competing with heroes on scale of being horrible...
But we're luky enough to have a decent franchise who'se crap outs are better than some of the turds I've seen the market produce...
Shadow as far as I'm concerned is 100% mediocre, they had some nice ideas but screwed it up and made it worce...
100% mediocre, 100% average, 100% meh...
So, I will defend to my death against you saying it's crap, because it's not utter crap, it's just not great.
But, is it a bad game? Of course it is.
...
Anyway...
yeah...
And, yes, I do get the LoK reference... It's a shame their now too busy remaking Tomb Raider to finish the series 
Despite being quite the gamer, I haven't played many crappy games, so I will agree that me calling it absolute crap isn't 100% justified.
Apparently, if the new Tomb Raider sells well, Eidos is likely to dig up Amy's documents on the ideas she had for the next LoK game and go from there. Don't get your hopes up, though; Defiance sold surprisingly poorly.
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But we're luky enough to have a decent franchise who'se crap outs are better than some of the turds I've seen the market produce...
Jeez, you can apply that statement to 60%-75% of the games on the market. I'm willing to bet that some of EA's TV/Movie/Book franchise-to-video game efforts are just as bad or god forbid, slightly better than Shadow the Hedgehog.
You people leave Tomb Raider Legends alone. Angel of Darkness was only horrendously poor because they REFUSED to update the gameplay to analog in any of the original 5 games, my dad (the world's biggest Tomb Raider fan) has had me keep my eye on Legends and it looks gorgeous, and looks like it'll compare to Tomb Raider 2 and 3 in every respect.
The only way it wont sell well is if cynical people boycott the series for featuring Lara Croft >>;
But I couldnt stand ANY of the other games, except the earlier parts of chronicles...
But Tomb Raider 2 was just, a classic, and I loved it to bits... So much so I have the theme tune on my IPod...
...
...
Only been played a couple of times, but at least I know it's there. 
Anyone remember that first Spyro game that came out on the PS2? Enter the dragonfly?
Horrendous controls, check, crappy story, check, bad enemy design (worce than Shadow) and bad animation and overall graphics, check...
Terrible voice acting, check...
...
Amazingly long (30 seconds plus) loading times...
That's the worst I've even bother trying to play fully, but I have seen worce which I only borrowed just to confirm it's crappyness and one which I returned (disc was scratched anyway, so the second level wouldnt load, thank god)
Yes, Insomniac sold the rights to Spyro to Vivendi Universal (I think) about the same time that Naughty Dog sold the rights to Crash to Vivendi Universal.
So Naughty Dog went on to do Jak and Insomniac went on to do Ratchet.
Also Tomb Raider Legends does look sooooo awesome. Apparently Rachel Weisz is going to be the voice of Lara.
Oh, that's neat. Rachel Weisz is talented. =3
Vivendi sucks >_>;. It pretty much screws up anything it owns by forcing the company working on it to rush. That's what happened with WoW.
Back to elaborate.
I won't accept the "fact" that they are bad games because I enjoy them and thus they are good games to me. Good and bad are subjective terms. I see no technical issues that would have such a detrimental effect on my enjoyment of the game as to completely turn me away from it.
I'm still not a huge fan of Sonic Heroes, but I like Shadow and I am displeased with the flak it gets for the character alone, not to mention the gripes with these apparent problems that I never ever seem to see.
Nearly every negative review I've read consists of the same recycled "Sonic with guns? Madness!" and "4Kids: teh enemy!!!" arguments over and over. You guys had Shadow's card marked the day the first screenshots were released, purely because you don't like Shadow. I couldn't care less about the character, I just gave it a go because it was a breath of fresh air from the Adventure series.
So no, I won't accept that Shadow is a bad game, otherwise I wouldn't be able to "sit down and enjoy it", would I?
By the way, my previous (and rather ambiguous) comment was aimed roughly at you guys STILL discussing minor nitpicks with the storyline. It seems like continuity matters more than anything here and I think that's partly what's getting in the way of your enjoyment of the recent games. I find it funny that, although you "hate" Shadow with a passion, you all still will fight to the death over your own personal little Sonic timeline you've figured out in your heads.
A winner is you.
I was wondering who would mention those things. Congratulations on your internets!
