In anticipation of the "Sonic 3" film, I played "Sonic Adventure 2"

I've only been a 'Sonic' fan for a short time, since the first film came out in 2020 to be precise. I like the childlike humour, the many contemporary references and the honest feelings of the heroes. That's why I started catching up on "Sonic" games a few years ago, including "Sonic Adventure".

My good time with "Sonic Adventure" made it clear to me that I also wanted to play the second part. Especially because my favourite character Shadow the Hedgehog appears there for the first time. He is the perfect stereotype for a melancholy anti-hero who only has good things in mind. And he's just damn cool. What other game character do you know who rides around so casually on a motorbike and shoots around with a big gun - all to the sound of blatant rock music? Only Shadow can do that.

Shortly before the release of the third cinema film in which Shadow makes his debut, I think it's the perfect time to catch up on "Sonic Adventure 2". I'll take you back to 2001 and show you how the first "Sonic" game with Shadow plays. I'll also tell you what I expect from the cinema film.

This is what "Sonic Adventure 2"

is all about

The plot of "Sonic Adventure 2" is similarly exaggerated to that of the first part or the two films. Sonic is being hunted by the government because they think he has stolen the "Chaos Emerald". Unfortunately, they mistake Sonic for Shadow, who is seeking revenge on humanity. That's why Sonic and his friends set out to stop Shadow and the rest of the villains.

The story is told in the perspectives of "good" and "evil", so you experience both sides. The dialogue is wonderfully cheesy and bluntly written and always makes me grin. It also articles that the sound mixing is just awful, at least in the GameCube version. The "Sonic"-typical, awesome music is constantly as loud as the characters themselves. Sometimes what's being said is simply drowned out by it, which is why I'm glad for the old-fashioned comic-sans-MS subtitling.

If you don't enjoy childish, exaggerated stories, I can't recommend the game to you - mainly because of the messed-up controls. They are both too sensitive for the fast passages of a "Sonic" game and too spongy for the frequently occurring, bottomless platforming sections. It often happens that I want to steer along in a loop, only to bounce off an invisible wall and fly off into nowhere. Or I want to jump onto a platform but move the joystick a millimetre too far to the side with my finger, sending Sonic to an untimely death.

The last level, "Final Rush", doesn't play nearly as well as it looks in the video below. With every single jump, I hope Sonic doesn't suddenly fly off in a completely different direction.

What pains me about "Sonic Adventure 2" in a similar way to the first part is the visible ambition of the developers, which they were not always able to realise. The poor controls are just one of the technical problems that could have been solved with enough development time or staff. The team for the development of "Sonic Adventure 2" was reduced from 120 to eleven people compared to the first instalment.

So while many aspects of Sonic Adventure 2 haven't aged well, I'm glad I can't say the same for Shadow. Team Sonic didn't initially expect Shadow to appear beyond Sonic Adventure 2. However, he then became so popular that he was given his own game in 2005 and still shares the TV or cinema screen with rival Sonic to this day.

Who is Shadow the Hedgehog?

Shadow - also known as "the ultimate life form" - was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik. Affected by the popular video game cliché of amnesia, he doesn't really remember an important promise he made to the girl Maria in the past. She is Dr Robotnik's cousin and probably the reason why Shadow's story strikes a chord with many. This leads him to tread an evil path, as he will go to any lengths to achieve his goals. Shadow says so himself in one of his most legendary (and trashiest) quotes:

Shadow actually has a good heart. However, he pursues his goals with less morality than Sonic and his friends, which is why he often clashes with them.

I think it's clear that Shadow the Hedgehog will be an important part of the third film. "Sonic 2" ends with a scene in which Shadow is introduced. He features prominently in the trailers. The producers have brought Keanu Reeves on board as the voice of Shadow. With "Sonic X Shadow Generations", a game that puts Shadow even more in the spotlight was released just a few months before the third film. "Sonic 3" is clearly the Shadow film.

The first trailer for "Sonic 3" already makes it clear that the first story with Shadow and Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey) will be the subject of the film. In addition to grandfather Robotnik, the girl Maria also appears in the trailer, to whom Shadow makes the important promise.

That's why I'm expecting a retelling of Shadow's origin story or at least a reinterpretation of it. "Sonic" fans know that: There's a lot more to Shadow's backstory in the later games; cue Black Doom's alien DNA. But I can only see allusions to this at best.

My expectations of "Sonic 3"

In addition to wanting to see Shadow's origin story, I'm also looking forward to more references to the games and the pop culture that has grown up around the franchise over the last few decades. The wilder, the better. It's one of Sega's particular strengths to poke fun at its own works and strike a chord with fans. I'm reminded of the legendary appearance of the "Sanic" meme in the first cinema film.

This also leads me to my number one expectation: a charming treatment of the source material and a lot of childish humour that doesn't distract me during the action-packed and emotional moments.

On 25 December 2024, the time has come and I will see whether my expectations for the third feature film are fulfilled.