Hey, thank you all for watching! This video took a LOT of work to get it done. From tech issues to personal life getting in the way of working on it. I really hope you all enjoy it and I hope that the effort I put in really shows.
I really loved this game and I have a special type of nostalgia for it more than almost any other game of my childhood. I think a huge part of it was the music… the music is just perfect on every level.
Sonic music is unmatched in my opinion, but I think Adventure 2 is like, leaps and bounds at the top of the franchise. I can't think of a single song in the game that isn't at the very least "good", even the Chao Garden stuff.
Found your channel awhile ago and enjoyed your amusing observations about games I grew up with (Mario, Zelda, etc). I am more of a 2D/Genesis Sonic guy, but I have a fascination with this era of Sonic. As I drifted away from Sonic my younger sister got pulled in straight away because of the Adventure games. Watching this brought back a lot of good memories. Great amusing analysis, as always! Loved how you basically summed up the high points and low points with no BS.
Thank you for watching! I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos! I was a kid around the time of the shift to 3D so these were the Sonic games I grew up with. I have an unshakeable nostalgia for both of them, but I think it’s also good to point out when things are fun, but flawed. Too many people get caught up trying to defend everything they love as if it can’t have a few smudges.
@@Guardison Exactly. One of my favorite games is Final Fantasy IV, but I'd be kidding myself if I ignored how archaic it is today or any shortcoming that existed within its own time.
Holy shit what a great video. Wasn’t expecting this level of deep analysis and great editing for a channel this obscure. Definitely earned a subscriber with this video
Thank you so much for watching! I usually have to fight myself between what's too much editing and analysis and what's lacking, so I'm glad it came out well overall!
@@Guardison Yeah man I can tell you have a natural sensibility for good editing. Coming from someone who’s dabbled in content creation before, the more videos you make the better you get at making the flow of them smoother. Excited to see whatever you got cookin up next!
Well you gotta remember, SA2 was at the time believed to be the final Sonic game. Sega was on the verge of dying of a company. So it is only natural that SA2 has influenced many games that take place after.
It's true, I do always forget how dire things were for Sega around the end of the Dreamcast's life cycle. I'm certainly not complaining for the influences at all! More so trying to pinpoint what it is people want the series to be "influenced" by as it goes on forward.
Just finished; great video!! I really hope it performs well, and your channel as a whole; your editing and scripting is top-notch and well above and beyond what is expected of a channel of your current size.
Thank you so very much for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed! It’s something I really loved making, despite some setbacks along the way, and I’m really happy that it shows!
I love this game too. Completed it 100% a few times every version(Dreamcast,Gamecube,Xbox 360/PC) Sure there are frustrating missions but it still feels good when you see that big A rank after you complete the mission. I have to admit i hate chao race espically in the Dreamcast version where you can't even see the stats(still i call the Dreamcast version the best version to this day) What people really miss,myself including is the ambition that Sonic Team had when created this game. You can say that after SA1 they would be scared to live up the expectations and backs off but they instead saw where SA1 flawed(minus open world) and improved it. Those who hate Tails being in a mech remember that he wasn't playable at first so be happy at least they found a way to implement him without cracking their vision.The A rank system was created to give you a challenge to actually pay attention how you play the game. SA1 only had time trial missions that could be said to be challenging and that's it. But unlike SA1,SA2 gave you a reward for completing 100%(Metal Sonic was only later added in the DX version) that was almost didn't happen.(SA2 JP original interview that was added as an extra in the 2010s release...for some reason the overseas dubbed over why Dr.Robotnik is now Dr. Eggman..disrespect assholes) Nowadays Sonic games are not challenging and you can complete the whole game in few hours without any backtracking. Of course the last installments like Sonic Superstars(boss) and the Sonic Frontiers DLC extra story were ridicolously hard. Not challenging just simple mean spirited. I didn't had fun while completed them unlike SA1,SA2,Heroes etc I believe there are 7 pillars to be must in the game to call it a follow up: - Full 3D gameplay(06 nailed that) -Secret power ups(Unleashed kind of nailed that...i can't count 06 because you just simply buy it from the shop..that's lame) -Extra missions for completionists(that is the most common) - story focused/based level and theme design -multiple playable characters that unlocks the last story -Serious plot that has high stakes. -Chao Garden(that every fan begs and Sega refuse to do so) And one extra for the Master Emerald --> reward for completing 100%( i loved Super Hard Mode and Expert Mode too) That's the reason why 06 failed to be SA3. But i don't mind if we never get SA3. Just make that game full 3D,challenging yet fun with engaging storyline and for something extra worth it to come back after the credits roll and I'm happy. Oh and of course one more thing... don't dumb down the characters personality!!!!
Honestly the 100% of this game is not so bad. I'll grant you the grind on the Chao is a bit much, but the fact there are so many modes and different gameplay styles, it makes the 100% process much more enjoyable because you can bounce around styles if you get bored doing one.
Yeah overall it was still a fun time looking back on it! But in the moment, after reflecting on the experience right afterwards for the script, I was definitely feeling the overall fatigue of the process. I still love the foundation of what's here, I just think the extra content could use a bit of extra balance. Thank you for watching!
I had this game as a kid; somehow, I separately beat the Hero and Dark campaigns without unlocking the True Story. Still not sure how I did it. It's kind of bugged me ever since that I never realized I had missed the real final chunk of the game.
I remember resetting/deleting my save data a bunch of time to "redo" everything more than a few times, because I only really considered the story worth doing. So I totally understand how you could have done that lmao.
No better place to drop a hot take straight off the oven: SA2's Sonic and Shadow gameplay is pretty amazing, some of my favorite stuff in the franchise! "Wait that's not a hot take you bozo" oh but that's not my hot take, my hot take is the fact that I find that to be the only genuinely great thing about the game for the most part. Yup, I'm one of those guys. Treasure hunting? Worst version of SA's, most levels are just boring and some outright tedious. The radar is obnoxious and no Tikal hints for the weak of heart this time around. I also dislike the glide turning, something always felt off about it Mech gameplay? Again, worst version of Gamma's gameplay, targeting, mobility, especially the sound design, pure ear r-pe, it's all-around so boring. Level design, step down from SA, 100%ing is a chore (SA, SA2 and Mania are my 3 least favorite Sonic games to 100%), the story is amazing and the lore even more so and while it was full of plot holes in pretty much every scene I didn't care cause it was cool but here is where my hatred caused by the fanbase kicks in, cause I can say the same thing about 06 but there ooooh noooo there plot holes are the end of the world, I hate how we pretend the holes are fine (many people even deny their existence which is just delusional) in one but aren't in the other, similar to how cringy writing is "charming" in SA, SA2 and Heroes but embarrassing in ShtH. I know many people that just say "For SA2 they don't matter and are nitpicks, for 06 they ruin immersion, make the story confusing and it breaks apart" and my argument to that is simply stating the opposite, that no it doesn't. I don't find anything about 06's story confusing, breaking apart or ruining my immersion, neither do I for SA2's story, and neither should anyone, it's literally a byproduct of the internet being the cesspool that it is from where I'm standing, both games suffer from the same ignorable issues. Team Sonic conveniently running into Team Dark in the ruined future is just as believable (or unlikely) as Knuckles going from Pumpkin Hill to Aquatic Mine and after escaping the sewers conveniently literally bumping into Amy and Tails on the most random of places as soon as he opens the sewer lid. It's such double standards and pure nostalgia bias that fuel a sort of hatred over SA2's plot holes existing that I just can't deny. I don't hate the plot holes, I hate how people treat them differently than other game's plot holes purely because of personal biases. While the cast at large is peak AF here Amy gets done so dirty, this is BY FAR my least favorite main timeline Amy portrayal of all time. She feels like a complete idiot, incompetent, unwanted, the only time I've found her fixation on Sonic to NOT be charming and cute. Other than her scene with Shadow on the ARK I genuinely kinda hate her here. Graphics are peak, the boss fights I enjoy a lot (except VS Knuckles, VS Rouge and the Final Chase fight, those suck), the OST is peak, the acting is still 🐕💩 but a step up from SA to be sure, the multiplayer is unrefined as all F but most definitely a fun time, I find the Chao garden whatever. I don't hate SA2, I think it's fun but I also think it's aggressively mid, a complete 6/10. Other than Heroes it's my least favorite Adventure Era game. SA, ShtH, 06, Unleashed, I prefer them all. SA2 is a 6/10 for me, I never got the hype (for things outside the positives I've praised in isolation of course) and probably never will. Everyone I've ever met that got into Sonic as an adult while not having any nostalgia for it from teen years or childhood, and having played them all chronologically SA2 lands pretty low on their rankings too. I just don't believe there can be a person that gets into SA2 as an adult for the first time ever, 0 brainwashing, bias or nostalgia, finishes it and comes out saying "Yup, that sure is the peak of Sonic right there", especially after playing the games that came after it. If that's the peak of Sonic we're so f-king cooked imo.
thank you for predicting sonic x shadow, haha! for this game as well, i think you summed up my feelings towards it perfectly are you like a fortune teller? nice video thank you
The Chao garden is great but it really does need some improvement to shear grind of it. You can also reuse animals and drives to cheat without cheating by standing at just the right distance from the chao as you give it to them.
Id just like to bring up that from 2001-2006 we were getting the adventure era game styles. And Sonic X had aired up till 2014. It touched the loves of people who never saw a GameCube. The same people who are adults today who are making the content and spicy tweets now. I didn't play sonic adventure 2 until i was a adult. But i was crying about Shadow's death back when i was 11. Sonic X episode broken up in 2-3 parts on 2012 youtube. A full 11 years after SA2 came out and im hardly the only one.
Its legacy lives on for a reason and I’m glad it still has the chance to reach new audiences! I think it’s a game that deserves all the praise it gets, it’s almost a one of a kind experience in the space it occupies! I don’t blame anyone in the slightest for wanting more of it at all.
I jusr found your videos a couple of weeks ago, and just wanted to say how much I love them. I cannot wait to see what you do next, but I do have one question for you if you're ok with answering it. What would be your advice to someone who wants to 100% this game.
@@BloodHawk1991 thank you so much for watching, I’m glad so many people have been enjoying the videos For 100%ing the game though, my biggest recommendation is take it slow. Dont try to finish it all as fast as you can, some of those levels are a complete pain and drove me crazy. And always remember that, more often than not, score is the most important thing for A Ranks.
Sooooo watching this video reminded me that there are only 2 things in my childhood games that gave me literal nightmares. The Ing in Prime 2 & those freaking ghosts….
Yeah I didn’t talk about them too much but the ghost designs still give me the creeps. Huge props to the art team for making enemy designs that are actually terrifying.
Even if the chao garden wasn’t my favorite thing in the world I really do think they should bring it back. It was such a huge staple of people’s love for the early 3D Sonic’s that it’s shocking they haven’t made SOMETHING at this point. Hell you could do it like Pokemon and make multiple sequels that you could transfer previous chao to, it just prints money.
Getting all emblems actually tempered my hatred of this game, I actually found that the speed stages can be actually fun and the kart stages are awesome! Given that I did it TWICE, once off-camera and once on camera, including doing chao garden legit (and using the same chao for the second run), FUCK this game!
I still love this game overall but I really, really don't think I could ever go through and do the 100% run again. There's just so much tedious and frustrating requirements that almost had me regretting making the video in the first place lmao Thank you so much for watching though!
Don't know how to answer the question at the end, I just know that Sonic hasn't entertained me in any meaningful way in a long time. Feels like a solid SA3 is all that can fill the Sonic shaped hole in my heart. Lol And yes, the Chao Garden is essential. 😤
I think that’s a fair way to feel! Sonic had become a lot of crazy different things over the years and it’s only natural that you’re not gonna like all of them, hell maybe not any of them. I totally get why people would want something that’s more of the comfortable thing we really loved. Thank you so much for watching!
2:20 You mean that little girl Maria who got shot to death right? Thats what your talking about right? The kid with NIDS? That one? The little girl. The little girl on the arc who got shot by a gun in an act of unintentional homicide that what you were talking about?
Last time I 100%ed the game I went back and forth between playing the stages and then visiting the Chao Garden, specifically trying to pace out the grind as good as possible. I still ended up having to grind out the chao. I didn't cheat, but I did use the animal glitch to cut down the grind. For what's meant to be a side mode to the main game, 100%ing it is way too fucking grindy for its own good (and in comparison to the main game).
I don’t think them mistaken shadow for sonic he’s known to go super who’s to say he didn’t have a dark version nobody’s ever seen? It’s kinda makes sense
Honestly I never really thought about it that way! The loose continuity from SA1 to 2 makes some sense, even if it's one of those "who was even alive in Station Square to see super sonic" type things haha That's a good angle for sure, I still think it's a little goofy overall for laughs but obviously not the greatest writing sin ever.
Rn, i have like 144 or 145 emblems in sa2. And since i only have the base version, i dont have the dlc. And i dont plan on getting it, which means that i cant get all the emblems, or unlock green hill. Anyways, the missions for the chao garden are extremely tedious. But what i can say is, the quality of the gameplay(of the extra missions) get overall worse,mostly, from what i completed of it
I think the base game, like the story and stuff, is paced well and actively suits the character's gameplay just fine. I think trying to force a set of extra missions to fit EVERY level really doesn't work, especially when characters like the hunters and the mechs barely have enough rings for 100 ring challenges, or have very constricting levels for time challenges lmao I do feel a little bad about having used a chao editor to get the emblems, I definitely cheated this time around, but it's such a grindy experience that I don't know if I would have been happier or been more angry at the game if I spent all the time grinding out cores. But thank you for watching!
@@Guardisonactually, you can beat the 2nd Mission for mad space in under 30 seconds(with the Treasure Glasses thingie) my PB is like 27.15. But anyways, it's a very quick way to also grind lifes(for me), and it will still take about 30 to 40 seconds, for me
@@Hyp3rSonic yeah I think that’s what I finally ended up doing, I know I looked up a few guides to see how people did them (though I tried to do it as sparingly as possible)
@@Guardisonwell, I definitely looked videos on missions where I was having a hard time beating it. For example, I did it for the lost chao in radical highway. I also did it on a few others, but it's been 2022 when I actually really played sa2 on a consistent basis. But i liked that there were set locations for the emeralds on Hard Mode. Also, I liked the mentioned mad space mission was very short to do, and probably the shortest 2nd mission overall(when I looked up how to complete it) and it makes for good speedruns! (Since it's very short)I also liked a bunch of other extra missions, specifically the lost chao ones, and the 100 ring missions for the speed stages, and the treasure hunt stages, somewhat. And honestly, im not gonna do the chao emblems. And I don't plan to get every A rank(that's available), which also means that im probably not doing the other side-modes(kart race)
I tried to give my genuine thoughts, compliments, and criticisms here, no offense meant. I enjoyed the video! Recently I started watching long video essays on higher speeds. In this case, I was able to watch it at 1.75x just fine. I think maybe you talk too slow. Also, I wasn't really a fan of most jokes. There was a funny comment here or there. "Something something rough transition to 3d." I appreciated you poking fun at other analyzers with stuff like that. But the silly, memey humor not so much. (The Mtn Dew thing I thought was stupid as heck ngl.) I also enjoyed when you humorously expressed a genuine gameplay frustration, like the magentic mech falling. I'm glad this video talked about your experience with the game and got into the specific tidbits that make up the good & bad. Too often do I hear a surface level development recap, claims of nostalgia blindness, etc. You actually played it all again. I played the s out of this game, and the multiplayer too. But there's a reason I never 100% completed SA2. The side content like all the extra missions is cool, but not always that fun. I liked the boss rush mode though. Chao was also fun, but everytime I try to go back to it, I never feel like there's enough to do with them. Chaos Race & Karate I don't really find that fun. I mean, you don't really have any player input. I get that's not the point, it's about seeing what your creation/raised baby can do, but still, I like being able to play my games. (I skipped the first half of your Chao section bc Mtn Dew jokes; I just wanted to hear the critique and commentary.) I like your Monster Rancher idea. What if they mixed it with Mario Party/Sonic Shuffle minigames? You can keep Chao Karate and Race, but add in a multitude of minigames and make it like a tourney or contest. The way you raised the Chao will make them better or worse at certain minigames that require certain skills. (I know the race already incorporates some of these stats.) Maybe let the player actually have some legit gameplay influence. I've also seen mods that make the chao a co op companion in story mode, ala Cream & Cheese. Idk how they could make a Chao Standalone game unless they seriously expanded what you could do with them. I'd like a SA 1+2 Remake some day. So many 2P stages and characters. Maybe playable Super Hedgehogs. (Yay mods!) I wish they made a Sonic Adventure 3. I still cast dreams of what they could have added, improved, and done. Sonic Heroes was close, but it felt like a downgrade gameplay wise. Every character got nerfed, lost moves. No Chao garden. I liked they kept the intertwining story, but it was a weak story, too simple. I was mostly very happy with the 2P Mode. There were multiple gameplay styles, but not like in SA 1 or 2. All 4 teams were essentially the same, so were their campaigns. Shadow The Hedgehog 2005 was great. They took the Shadow from Heroes and Gamma from SA1 and combined them. Gameplay variety was weapons, vehicles, but base gameplay was all fast 3d sonic. Dark, grand story tied to SA2 & Heroes. (Fun Fact: STH was originally being referred to as SA3.) I wanted Sonic 06 as a kid, but didn't actually play it until after Generations. I genuinely loved playing that game. After Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed, etc. I was upset the gameplay style I grew up with was gone. Until I played Sonic 06. Spindash is back, lightspeed dash, sonic wind, 3 intertwining storylines, bounce ball, extra playable characters, etc. That game after going back from these other titles literally gave me everything I had been wanting, plus new stuff. The power ups that sonic can swap in/out with shoes, Shadow chaos powers return, new fun/cool character silver, etc. I DO want the style of SA2 to return. Everything about it. Multiple playable characters and intertwining stories, chao garden, 2 player, that cool 2000's attitude, the soap shoes and rail grinding with balancing, extra missions, But it would never be an SA3 for me unless it took place after SA2 and before Heroes/everything else. New story, new characters, Shadow is still dead atm, ancient thing/plot like Chaos and the ARK, etc. I wouldn't mind seeing new gameplay styles or revisions of older ones. Gamma became the mechs for example. Could Amy stealth SA1 or Big's Fishing be made better? Idk. Big kinda became the lost chao extra missions. Stealth never returned iirc. Missions were incorporated directly into Shadow 2005. (Also in some other games.) Ig we see Tails and Cream in Sonic Dream Team, that's a new* development of his gameplay. Sonic Forces brought back weapons from Shadow, multiple characters at once from heroes, etc.
Tbh I dont get all the love for SA2 so much. Felt like a step down from SA1 in ambition with the lack of any actual overworld to explore and create that sense of adventure; instead just opting for a pretty bog standard mission based design. I much prefer the first game. But SA2 is still enjoyable and I do like Shadow very much; cheesy edge lord that he is.
I love this game, but I could never 100% it in my life. Xenoblade? Torture, but doable. SA2 tho? A Ranks too hard for me personally(Yes I know, skill issue), progression too grindy and while I adore the Chao and their mechanical complexity, I don't care about raising them myself at all, especially because it is obnoxious how clunky the "action command list"(You know, the thing that you have to cycle through to whistle or light speed dash) is in the mode.
Man I should have talked more about the action command and having to cycle through it for certain commands lmao But yeah, 100%ing it was something I'm proud to have done, but I would probably never do it again like I said. Speed stages were fun enough to complete, but everything else afterwards does not work with the same cookie-cutter mission objectives. Thank you for watching!
Forgive me chao gods for I have sinned. I totally see why people get into it, I really really do. My goal of getting all the emblems and such for the first time just really clashed with the general slow, grindy nature of the garden. I hope my explanation after the story made some sense. And I hope you at least enjoyed the rest of the video!
I just played and beat this game for the first time last week. So if you want my opinion as someone who didn't grow up with this game: theres janky parts, but the SOUL in this game makes it one of the best on gamecube.
@@GuardisonMy parents and I loved the Chao Garden so much when I was a kid, but growing up, I understand how grindy it can get unless you're a 100% speedrunner. The saddest part to me is, nowadays, that kind of grinding might take away from fast paced games like Sonic. But then Sonic Frontiers (An open zone game, like SxSG will partly be) exists, so I dunno what to tell you.
Gotta love that everyone hates Charmy. “He’s annoying” bro he’s like… what 9? He’s the most accurate character in the franchise XD
People when the child character acts like a child lmao
@@Guardison Chris Thorndyke haters in a nutshell.
Cream?
FREE BEE FREE BEE FREE BEE
Hey, thank you all for watching! This video took a LOT of work to get it done. From tech issues to personal life getting in the way of working on it. I really hope you all enjoy it and I hope that the effort I put in really shows.
It does. Twas a true funny and chill vibe for getting through work.
I really loved this game and I have a special type of nostalgia for it more than almost any other game of my childhood. I think a huge part of it was the music… the music is just perfect on every level.
Sonic music is unmatched in my opinion, but I think Adventure 2 is like, leaps and bounds at the top of the franchise. I can't think of a single song in the game that isn't at the very least "good", even the Chao Garden stuff.
Especially the chao garden music
Found your channel awhile ago and enjoyed your amusing observations about games I grew up with (Mario, Zelda, etc).
I am more of a 2D/Genesis Sonic guy, but I have a fascination with this era of Sonic. As I drifted away from Sonic my younger sister got pulled in straight away because of the Adventure games. Watching this brought back a lot of good memories.
Great amusing analysis, as always! Loved how you basically summed up the high points and low points with no BS.
Thank you for watching! I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos!
I was a kid around the time of the shift to 3D so these were the Sonic games I grew up with. I have an unshakeable nostalgia for both of them, but I think it’s also good to point out when things are fun, but flawed.
Too many people get caught up trying to defend everything they love as if it can’t have a few smudges.
@@Guardison Exactly. One of my favorite games is Final Fantasy IV, but I'd be kidding myself if I ignored how archaic it is today or any shortcoming that existed within its own time.
Holy shit what a great video. Wasn’t expecting this level of deep analysis and great editing for a channel this obscure. Definitely earned a subscriber with this video
Thank you so much for watching! I usually have to fight myself between what's too much editing and analysis and what's lacking, so I'm glad it came out well overall!
@@Guardison Yeah man I can tell you have a natural sensibility for good editing. Coming from someone who’s dabbled in content creation before, the more videos you make the better you get at making the flow of them smoother. Excited to see whatever you got cookin up next!
Well you gotta remember, SA2 was at the time believed to be the final Sonic game.
Sega was on the verge of dying of a company. So it is only natural that SA2 has influenced many games that take place after.
It's true, I do always forget how dire things were for Sega around the end of the Dreamcast's life cycle. I'm certainly not complaining for the influences at all! More so trying to pinpoint what it is people want the series to be "influenced" by as it goes on forward.
Just finished; great video!! I really hope it performs well, and your channel as a whole; your editing and scripting is top-notch and well above and beyond what is expected of a channel of your current size.
Thank you so very much for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed! It’s something I really loved making, despite some setbacks along the way, and I’m really happy that it shows!
I love this game too. Completed it 100% a few times every version(Dreamcast,Gamecube,Xbox 360/PC)
Sure there are frustrating missions but it still feels good when you see that big A rank after you complete the mission. I have to admit i hate chao race espically in the Dreamcast version where you can't even see the stats(still i call the Dreamcast version the best version to this day)
What people really miss,myself including is the ambition that Sonic Team had when created this game. You can say that after SA1 they would be scared to live up the expectations and backs off but they instead saw where SA1 flawed(minus open world) and improved it. Those who hate Tails being in a mech remember that he wasn't playable at first so be happy at least they found a way to implement him without cracking their vision.The A rank system was created to give you a challenge to actually pay attention how you play the game. SA1 only had time trial missions that could be said to be challenging and that's it. But unlike SA1,SA2 gave you a reward for completing 100%(Metal Sonic was only later added in the DX version)
that was almost didn't happen.(SA2 JP original interview that was added as an extra in the 2010s release...for some reason the overseas dubbed over why Dr.Robotnik is now Dr. Eggman..disrespect assholes)
Nowadays Sonic games are not challenging and you can complete the whole game in few hours without any backtracking. Of course the last installments like Sonic Superstars(boss) and the Sonic Frontiers DLC extra story were ridicolously hard. Not challenging just simple mean spirited. I didn't had fun while completed them unlike SA1,SA2,Heroes etc
I believe there are 7 pillars to be must in the game to call it a follow up:
- Full 3D gameplay(06 nailed that)
-Secret power ups(Unleashed kind of nailed that...i can't count 06 because you just simply buy it from the shop..that's lame)
-Extra missions for completionists(that is the most common)
- story focused/based level and theme design
-multiple playable characters that unlocks the last story
-Serious plot that has high stakes.
-Chao Garden(that every fan begs and Sega refuse to do so)
And one extra for the Master Emerald --> reward for completing 100%( i loved Super Hard Mode and Expert Mode too)
That's the reason why 06 failed to be SA3.
But i don't mind if we never get SA3. Just make that game full 3D,challenging yet fun with engaging storyline and for something extra worth it to come back after the credits roll and I'm happy. Oh and of course one more thing... don't dumb down the characters personality!!!!
Honestly the 100% of this game is not so bad. I'll grant you the grind on the Chao is a bit much, but the fact there are so many modes and different gameplay styles, it makes the 100% process much more enjoyable because you can bounce around styles if you get bored doing one.
Yeah overall it was still a fun time looking back on it! But in the moment, after reflecting on the experience right afterwards for the script, I was definitely feeling the overall fatigue of the process. I still love the foundation of what's here, I just think the extra content could use a bit of extra balance.
Thank you for watching!
I had this game as a kid; somehow, I separately beat the Hero and Dark campaigns without unlocking the True Story. Still not sure how I did it. It's kind of bugged me ever since that I never realized I had missed the real final chunk of the game.
I remember resetting/deleting my save data a bunch of time to "redo" everything more than a few times, because I only really considered the story worth doing. So I totally understand how you could have done that lmao.
the chao music was actually blasted down saddam husseins hole to get him to come out
Truly designed to flush out even the most devious of criminals. None can escape the babbling.
No better place to drop a hot take straight off the oven: SA2's Sonic and Shadow gameplay is pretty amazing, some of my favorite stuff in the franchise! "Wait that's not a hot take you bozo" oh but that's not my hot take, my hot take is the fact that I find that to be the only genuinely great thing about the game for the most part. Yup, I'm one of those guys.
Treasure hunting? Worst version of SA's, most levels are just boring and some outright tedious. The radar is obnoxious and no Tikal hints for the weak of heart this time around. I also dislike the glide turning, something always felt off about it
Mech gameplay? Again, worst version of Gamma's gameplay, targeting, mobility, especially the sound design, pure ear r-pe, it's all-around so boring.
Level design, step down from SA, 100%ing is a chore (SA, SA2 and Mania are my 3 least favorite Sonic games to 100%), the story is amazing and the lore even more so and while it was full of plot holes in pretty much every scene I didn't care cause it was cool but here is where my hatred caused by the fanbase kicks in, cause I can say the same thing about 06 but there ooooh noooo there plot holes are the end of the world, I hate how we pretend the holes are fine (many people even deny their existence which is just delusional) in one but aren't in the other, similar to how cringy writing is "charming" in SA, SA2 and Heroes but embarrassing in ShtH. I know many people that just say "For SA2 they don't matter and are nitpicks, for 06 they ruin immersion, make the story confusing and it breaks apart" and my argument to that is simply stating the opposite, that no it doesn't. I don't find anything about 06's story confusing, breaking apart or ruining my immersion, neither do I for SA2's story, and neither should anyone, it's literally a byproduct of the internet being the cesspool that it is from where I'm standing, both games suffer from the same ignorable issues. Team Sonic conveniently running into Team Dark in the ruined future is just as believable (or unlikely) as Knuckles going from Pumpkin Hill to Aquatic Mine and after escaping the sewers conveniently literally bumping into Amy and Tails on the most random of places as soon as he opens the sewer lid. It's such double standards and pure nostalgia bias that fuel a sort of hatred over SA2's plot holes existing that I just can't deny. I don't hate the plot holes, I hate how people treat them differently than other game's plot holes purely because of personal biases.
While the cast at large is peak AF here Amy gets done so dirty, this is BY FAR my least favorite main timeline Amy portrayal of all time. She feels like a complete idiot, incompetent, unwanted, the only time I've found her fixation on Sonic to NOT be charming and cute. Other than her scene with Shadow on the ARK I genuinely kinda hate her here.
Graphics are peak, the boss fights I enjoy a lot (except VS Knuckles, VS Rouge and the Final Chase fight, those suck), the OST is peak, the acting is still 🐕💩 but a step up from SA to be sure, the multiplayer is unrefined as all F but most definitely a fun time, I find the Chao garden whatever.
I don't hate SA2, I think it's fun but I also think it's aggressively mid, a complete 6/10. Other than Heroes it's my least favorite Adventure Era game. SA, ShtH, 06, Unleashed, I prefer them all. SA2 is a 6/10 for me, I never got the hype (for things outside the positives I've praised in isolation of course) and probably never will. Everyone I've ever met that got into Sonic as an adult while not having any nostalgia for it from teen years or childhood, and having played them all chronologically SA2 lands pretty low on their rankings too. I just don't believe there can be a person that gets into SA2 as an adult for the first time ever, 0 brainwashing, bias or nostalgia, finishes it and comes out saying "Yup, that sure is the peak of Sonic right there", especially after playing the games that came after it. If that's the peak of Sonic we're so f-king cooked imo.
thank you for predicting sonic x shadow, haha!
for this game as well, i think you summed up my feelings towards it perfectly
are you like a fortune teller?
nice video
thank you
For my next trick I now predict a new Sonic Shuffle that's actually a fun game to play.
Thank you so much for watching!
@@Guardison i would try that~ thank you too~
The Chao garden is great but it really does need some improvement to shear grind of it. You can also reuse animals and drives to cheat without cheating by standing at just the right distance from the chao as you give it to them.
Yeah I tried to do the re-use bug a few times and while I was able to get it to work, it was so finicky it just became obnoxious lmao
Id just like to bring up that from 2001-2006 we were getting the adventure era game styles. And Sonic X had aired up till 2014. It touched the loves of people who never saw a GameCube. The same people who are adults today who are making the content and spicy tweets now.
I didn't play sonic adventure 2 until i was a adult. But i was crying about Shadow's death back when i was 11. Sonic X episode broken up in 2-3 parts on 2012 youtube. A full 11 years after SA2 came out and im hardly the only one.
Its legacy lives on for a reason and I’m glad it still has the chance to reach new audiences! I think it’s a game that deserves all the praise it gets, it’s almost a one of a kind experience in the space it occupies!
I don’t blame anyone in the slightest for wanting more of it at all.
Ah hell yeah, I love this game
Ah hell yeah I do too, I hope you enjoy the video!
I jusr found your videos a couple of weeks ago, and just wanted to say how much I love them. I cannot wait to see what you do next, but I do have one question for you if you're ok with answering it. What would be your advice to someone who wants to 100% this game.
@@BloodHawk1991 thank you so much for watching, I’m glad so many people have been enjoying the videos
For 100%ing the game though, my biggest recommendation is take it slow. Dont try to finish it all as fast as you can, some of those levels are a complete pain and drove me crazy. And always remember that, more often than not, score is the most important thing for A Ranks.
Sooooo watching this video reminded me that there are only 2 things in my childhood games that gave me literal nightmares. The Ing in Prime 2 & those freaking ghosts….
Yeah I didn’t talk about them too much but the ghost designs still give me the creeps. Huge props to the art team for making enemy designs that are actually terrifying.
@@Guardison good job for keeping that part out. I’m hoping your channel grows massive man
That’s it. Bout to play this masterpiece of a Sonic game.
You should! It’s still extremely fun! Just don’t try to shotgun complete it in a week like an idiot lmao
I definitely spent hundreds of hours focusing on the chao garden. I miss my 3 prized chao Echo, Edge and Eon.
Even if the chao garden wasn’t my favorite thing in the world I really do think they should bring it back. It was such a huge staple of people’s love for the early 3D Sonic’s that it’s shocking they haven’t made SOMETHING at this point.
Hell you could do it like Pokemon and make multiple sequels that you could transfer previous chao to, it just prints money.
Getting all emblems actually tempered my hatred of this game, I actually found that the speed stages can be actually fun and the kart stages are awesome!
Given that I did it TWICE, once off-camera and once on camera, including doing chao garden legit (and using the same chao for the second run), FUCK this game!
I still love this game overall but I really, really don't think I could ever go through and do the 100% run again. There's just so much tedious and frustrating requirements that almost had me regretting making the video in the first place lmao
Thank you so much for watching though!
Don't know how to answer the question at the end, I just know that Sonic hasn't entertained me in any meaningful way in a long time. Feels like a solid SA3 is all that can fill the Sonic shaped hole in my heart. Lol
And yes, the Chao Garden is essential. 😤
I think that’s a fair way to feel! Sonic had become a lot of crazy different things over the years and it’s only natural that you’re not gonna like all of them, hell maybe not any of them. I totally get why people would want something that’s more of the comfortable thing we really loved.
Thank you so much for watching!
So what you're saying is Sammy Classic Sonic Fan was right and we should have heeded his warning.
@@PIE50100 they were a hero, we just couldn’t see it…
NGL when you mentioned Monster Rancher I half expected to see Mike Shinoda XD
I was super tempted to use some of the Shinoda art but figured that’d be way too deep of a cut lmao
2:20 You mean that little girl Maria who got shot to death right? Thats what your talking about right? The kid with NIDS? That one? The little girl. The little girl on the arc who got shot by a gun in an act of unintentional homicide that what you were talking about?
1:29 oh hell no, I'm not letting you get away with that, I'll be toxic to you in your comments anyway. This is AMERICA damnit!
It’s okay if you like inferior Mario games we all have our flaws (JK of course
@@Guardison bold of you to assume I'm a Mario Muncher.
Legend
Coming from a legend that's high praise
Last time I 100%ed the game I went back and forth between playing the stages and then visiting the Chao Garden, specifically trying to pace out the grind as good as possible.
I still ended up having to grind out the chao. I didn't cheat, but I did use the animal glitch to cut down the grind.
For what's meant to be a side mode to the main game, 100%ing it is way too fucking grindy for its own good (and in comparison to the main game).
I don’t think them mistaken shadow for sonic he’s known to go super who’s to say he didn’t have a dark version nobody’s ever seen? It’s kinda makes sense
Honestly I never really thought about it that way! The loose continuity from SA1 to 2 makes some sense, even if it's one of those "who was even alive in Station Square to see super sonic" type things haha
That's a good angle for sure, I still think it's a little goofy overall for laughs but obviously not the greatest writing sin ever.
@@Guardison absolutely lol
Rn, i have like 144 or 145 emblems in sa2. And since i only have the base version, i dont have the dlc. And i dont plan on getting it, which means that i cant get all the emblems, or unlock green hill. Anyways, the missions for the chao garden are extremely tedious. But what i can say is, the quality of the gameplay(of the extra missions) get overall worse,mostly, from what i completed of it
I think the base game, like the story and stuff, is paced well and actively suits the character's gameplay just fine. I think trying to force a set of extra missions to fit EVERY level really doesn't work, especially when characters like the hunters and the mechs barely have enough rings for 100 ring challenges, or have very constricting levels for time challenges lmao
I do feel a little bad about having used a chao editor to get the emblems, I definitely cheated this time around, but it's such a grindy experience that I don't know if I would have been happier or been more angry at the game if I spent all the time grinding out cores.
But thank you for watching!
@@Guardisonactually, you can beat the 2nd Mission for mad space in under 30 seconds(with the Treasure Glasses thingie) my PB is like 27.15. But anyways, it's a very quick way to also grind lifes(for me), and it will still take about 30 to 40 seconds, for me
@@Hyp3rSonic yeah I think that’s what I finally ended up doing, I know I looked up a few guides to see how people did them (though I tried to do it as sparingly as possible)
@@Guardisonwell, I definitely looked videos on missions where I was having a hard time beating it. For example, I did it for the lost chao in radical highway. I also did it on a few others, but it's been 2022 when I actually really played sa2 on a consistent basis. But i liked that there were set locations for the emeralds on Hard Mode. Also, I liked the mentioned mad space mission was very short to do, and probably the shortest 2nd mission overall(when I looked up how to complete it) and it makes for good speedruns! (Since it's very short)I also liked a bunch of other extra missions, specifically the lost chao ones, and the 100 ring missions for the speed stages, and the treasure hunt stages, somewhat. And honestly, im not gonna do the chao emblems. And I don't plan to get every A rank(that's available), which also means that im probably not doing the other side-modes(kart race)
I tried to give my genuine thoughts, compliments, and criticisms here, no offense meant. I enjoyed the video!
Recently I started watching long video essays on higher speeds. In this case, I was able to watch it at 1.75x just fine.
I think maybe you talk too slow. Also, I wasn't really a fan of most jokes. There was a funny comment here or there.
"Something something rough transition to 3d." I appreciated you poking fun at other analyzers with stuff like that.
But the silly, memey humor not so much. (The Mtn Dew thing I thought was stupid as heck ngl.)
I also enjoyed when you humorously expressed a genuine gameplay frustration, like the magentic mech falling.
I'm glad this video talked about your experience with the game and got into the specific tidbits that make up the good & bad.
Too often do I hear a surface level development recap, claims of nostalgia blindness, etc. You actually played it all again.
I played the s out of this game, and the multiplayer too. But there's a reason I never 100% completed SA2.
The side content like all the extra missions is cool, but not always that fun. I liked the boss rush mode though.
Chao was also fun, but everytime I try to go back to it, I never feel like there's enough to do with them.
Chaos Race & Karate I don't really find that fun. I mean, you don't really have any player input.
I get that's not the point, it's about seeing what your creation/raised baby can do, but still, I like being able to play my games.
(I skipped the first half of your Chao section bc Mtn Dew jokes; I just wanted to hear the critique and commentary.)
I like your Monster Rancher idea. What if they mixed it with Mario Party/Sonic Shuffle minigames?
You can keep Chao Karate and Race, but add in a multitude of minigames and make it like a tourney or contest.
The way you raised the Chao will make them better or worse at certain minigames that require certain skills.
(I know the race already incorporates some of these stats.) Maybe let the player actually have some legit gameplay influence.
I've also seen mods that make the chao a co op companion in story mode, ala Cream & Cheese.
Idk how they could make a Chao Standalone game unless they seriously expanded what you could do with them.
I'd like a SA 1+2 Remake some day. So many 2P stages and characters. Maybe playable Super Hedgehogs. (Yay mods!)
I wish they made a Sonic Adventure 3. I still cast dreams of what they could have added, improved, and done.
Sonic Heroes was close, but it felt like a downgrade gameplay wise. Every character got nerfed, lost moves. No Chao garden.
I liked they kept the intertwining story, but it was a weak story, too simple. I was mostly very happy with the 2P Mode.
There were multiple gameplay styles, but not like in SA 1 or 2. All 4 teams were essentially the same, so were their campaigns.
Shadow The Hedgehog 2005 was great. They took the Shadow from Heroes and Gamma from SA1 and combined them.
Gameplay variety was weapons, vehicles, but base gameplay was all fast 3d sonic. Dark, grand story tied to SA2 & Heroes.
(Fun Fact: STH was originally being referred to as SA3.)
I wanted Sonic 06 as a kid, but didn't actually play it until after Generations. I genuinely loved playing that game.
After Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed, etc. I was upset the gameplay style I grew up with was gone. Until I played Sonic 06.
Spindash is back, lightspeed dash, sonic wind, 3 intertwining storylines, bounce ball, extra playable characters, etc.
That game after going back from these other titles literally gave me everything I had been wanting, plus new stuff.
The power ups that sonic can swap in/out with shoes, Shadow chaos powers return, new fun/cool character silver, etc.
I DO want the style of SA2 to return. Everything about it. Multiple playable characters and intertwining stories, chao garden, 2 player, that cool 2000's attitude, the soap shoes and rail grinding with balancing, extra missions,
But it would never be an SA3 for me unless it took place after SA2 and before Heroes/everything else.
New story, new characters, Shadow is still dead atm, ancient thing/plot like Chaos and the ARK, etc.
I wouldn't mind seeing new gameplay styles or revisions of older ones. Gamma became the mechs for example.
Could Amy stealth SA1 or Big's Fishing be made better? Idk. Big kinda became the lost chao extra missions.
Stealth never returned iirc. Missions were incorporated directly into Shadow 2005. (Also in some other games.)
Ig we see Tails and Cream in Sonic Dream Team, that's a new* development of his gameplay.
Sonic Forces brought back weapons from Shadow, multiple characters at once from heroes, etc.
You should post this video again but just replace the voice with just rattling bones
The whole hour is just the shot of the skeleton in the car with no jokes
@@Guardison that would be sick lmao
Tbh I dont get all the love for SA2 so much. Felt like a step down from SA1 in ambition with the lack of any actual overworld to explore and create that sense of adventure; instead just opting for a pretty bog standard mission based design. I much prefer the first game.
But SA2 is still enjoyable and I do like Shadow very much; cheesy edge lord that he is.
I love this game, but I could never 100% it in my life. Xenoblade? Torture, but doable. SA2 tho? A Ranks too hard for me personally(Yes I know, skill issue), progression too grindy and while I adore the Chao and their mechanical complexity, I don't care about raising them myself at all, especially because it is obnoxious how clunky the "action command list"(You know, the thing that you have to cycle through to whistle or light speed dash) is in the mode.
Man I should have talked more about the action command and having to cycle through it for certain commands lmao
But yeah, 100%ing it was something I'm proud to have done, but I would probably never do it again like I said. Speed stages were fun enough to complete, but everything else afterwards does not work with the same cookie-cutter mission objectives.
Thank you for watching!
No this games bad it sucks
SA1 goes hard af tho
Fuck I have to delete the whole video now you got me
SA1 does have some peak in it tho that’s true
@@Guardison Shadow is the worst character in all of sonic the hedgehog they should've just had him stay dead and focused on Big the Cat more.
Review was going fine till the chao editor came out. You have lost my respect. Skill Issue.
Forgive me chao gods for I have sinned.
I totally see why people get into it, I really really do. My goal of getting all the emblems and such for the first time just really clashed with the general slow, grindy nature of the garden. I hope my explanation after the story made some sense.
And I hope you at least enjoyed the rest of the video!
I just played and beat this game for the first time last week. So if you want my opinion as someone who didn't grow up with this game: theres janky parts, but the SOUL in this game makes it one of the best on gamecube.
@@GuardisonMy parents and I loved the Chao Garden so much when I was a kid, but growing up, I understand how grindy it can get unless you're a 100% speedrunner. The saddest part to me is, nowadays, that kind of grinding might take away from fast paced games like Sonic.
But then Sonic Frontiers (An open zone game, like SxSG will partly be) exists, so I dunno what to tell you.