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SONIC RUSH: The Light in the Darkness | GEEK CRITIQUE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2022
- There was a time when I thought I'd made my peace with the notion that Sonic wasn't for me anymore. But that cynical facade couldn't last forever.
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Credit goes to Yuji Uekawa for the character, and Reddit user (and longtime TGC fan) TehSpudz for the awesome colorization on said artwork! Seriously, they look SO COOL!
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this is a sonic game I never tried, if only cause I wasn't down with the idea of having to watch both screens while playing. Would've tried it out if it were re-released on updated hardware. Music sounds nice though; might look up a soundtrack playlist on youtube XD
Really great review of Sonic Rush! But would you be interested in a fan game, turned indie game Freedom Planet? That just recently (At the time I'm typing this comment) released it's 8 year long sequel.
If you feel like it in the future, you might want to have a look at Freedom Planet 2.
Sonic adventure 2 was trying to be a scoring based system more so than a spectacle based speedrun as u said urself in one of ur live streams
Have you do a sonoc frontiers stuff yet becuase if you haven't you been living under a rock
“Come on man hold down Y and PUT SOME BOOST ON IT!” I have a very Strange feeling that your friend is Sonic in disguse
I do think Blaze has something to set her apart from previous rivals. Metal Sonic, Shadow, and Jet were all bad guys. Knuckles and Silver were tricked into working for the bad guy because they thought Sonic was the bad guy. Blaze, though? She's a co-protagonist. She's explicitly heroic, and she's not fighting Sonic because she thinks he's evil. Rather, she thinks solving this problem is her duty and she has to do it alone. She has a change of heart in the end, but unlike Shadow, she doesn't change sides. She has a realization about Sonic, but it's not that she was on the wrong side--it's that she and Sonic were on the same side all along.
what about chaos? He fought sonic because sonic called him a big drip. So in that case chaos is also a here like blaze. You also forgot Emerl who like chaos and blaze wasn’t a villain. Oh yeah you also forgot Dark Gaia who is heavily misunderstood. Now i wont tell you how he’s misunderstood as that’ll be a essay long explanation filled with revelations and betrayal. Good day.
@@hajimemightflex5185 i’m confused on if this is serious or not
@@apersoniguess_ why?
@NeXus by that logic Knuckles and Shadow are also villains when they’re not
@@hajimemightflex5185 The guy was saying that Blaze was unlike traditional villans- like Knuckles who was tricked into fighting Sonic, Chaos who was really just some ancient creature manipulated by Eggman, and I'm pretty sure Emerl wasn't a villan yeah, not until Eggman regained control of him, and yeah no Dark Gia was very much the villan, what with needing to be sealed within the planet and all. The guy is saying that since Blaze wasn't at any point manipulated into being the antagonist (or inherently evil) and she was simply trying to do everything on her own since she felt that it was her responsibility and hers alone, she is different from other antagonists in previous games
“Put some boost on it!”
That honestly sounds like something Sonic would say.
Best comment.
IT'S BOOSTING TIME
that was SOOO funny!
that friend that sat josh down and made him play sonic rush? that was sonic himself
@@laudj_art Sonic proceeds to boost all over the place
I find it pretty amusing that Blaze is the most universally liked character of the series, but it really does make sense. She turns up as a bright spot even in the darkest times, mechanically and character-wise. Even people who aren't really fans of Sonic can agree Blaze is pretty cool
She was kinda that the serries needed right then. Sure a rival, but not evil, dumb or tricked. Just super independent. And because of that not a follower. Never once does she defer to Sonic's motivations or such beyond realizing "Oh, same goal."
That and Burning Blaze is awesome. Super Sonic always had to use his indestructibly to reflect some before being able to do damage. Blaze? Nah, leeme charge up this fireball.
She's honestly a great character and super relatable. She's like Sonic, incredibly fast, powerful and badass...but she's also flawed and troubled and has a hard time trusting others and socializing. To me honestly, I relate SO much to her as an introvert with social anxiety and major trust issues.
She also is different than most rivals because she was never on the side of evil, and never got tricked either. She was always a hero, but clashed with her polar opposite counterpart, Sonic.
I think her being Sonic's alternate counterpart makes her even more interesting. She could easily work as a protagonist just as well as Sonic.
As a massive fan of Blaze, I can attest that she is _not_ universally popular... but she is the most universally accepted of all of Sonic's new friends. That is the nuance. I mean always there's going to be individuals who don't like her for their own reasons, but in terms of larger sections of the fanbase who don't care for her? In exactly _those_ circles (you know the ones, the "2D Purists" and Game Informer articles that were at their most caustic in the late 2000s post-06), they slagged her off all the same as just another one of "Sonic's Shitty Friends™" You know, the ones who say "If it ain't Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles vs Dr _ROBOTNIK_ running real fast to Genesis tunes, it's intrinsically shit." That was a _very_ widespread sentiment back in the post-06 era, especially in between 06 and Unleashed but even for a good while longer after that (I'd say at least until around Mania when there was starting to be some serious pushback against completely writing off Sonic's friends).
But where it matters, she is indeed the least controversial of all the post-S3&K additions. Which is kinda why it's so sad Sonic Team rarely uses her. If they weren't scared off by 06's negative reception, imagine Sonic Unleashed as a fully 3D Rush game.
If you were wondering “will anyone notice my ridiculously clean edit at 21:46?” You now have your answer.
You did my favorite Sonic game justice and THEN some, man.
Ah, but here's what you didn't notice: that clean edit appeared first in the Advance 2 video, and it's repeated here.
I had no freakin idea that the easy mode just affected the bosses before I watched this. Makes me want to give Rush another shot since the boss fights were by far my least favorite thing about it!
IIRC, easy mode also removes a few enemies. I think. I might be confusing it with the Advance games.
@@gigabyte2248 Yeah that was the advance games I believe. I think the difficulty in rush only affects the boss battles. I could be wrong though.
@@gigabyte2248 Even if that's true, I never remember thinking, "the game could do with more enemies here", so I wouldn't consider that to be a negative aspect of easy mode.
@@gigabyte2248 no your right, I think it does
@@davion4777 Weirdly, it has one of the better Extra bosses in the series, both mechanically and in presentation. Not sure how that happened?
That ending hit super close to home cause I felt like I went through that exact same phase when forces came out. When I was super cynical, pessimistic, and always nitpicking after my hopes got shattered. But, instead of rush restoring my drive, it was… the movies. Like rush, it showed me that Sonic could still make me happy and full of joy, instead of constant narcissism all the time. Despite a few rough patches still happening (ultimate and origins), I’m still remaining optimistic for the future.
That's cool that it hit close to home! I remember when Forces, which I just considered subpar at the time, was just getting ANNIHILATED by some parts of the fandom, and I didn't really get how they could muster THAT much vitriol over it. But eventually it clicked that the way they talked about it was incredibly similar, and sometimes word-for-word, how I felt about Heroes in 2004. *Then* it made sense! The worst thing a game can do is disappoint you!
@@GeekCritique As a 1999 baby who adores Heroes and got their hopes shattered by Forces, I often refer to Forces as the Heroes of the "2000s guard" of Sonic fans. I'll never say that on Twitter or I'd get annihilated :P, but the parallel is obvious:
Forces tried to appeal to the Adventure/"Dark Age" fans who were disillusioned with the post-Colors era, especially the games after Generations. The result was a strange middle ground that needed more time in the oven and shattered the trust of those fans.
Heroes tried to appeal to the Classic fans who were disillusioned with the Adventure era, especially Adventure 2. The result.... was a strange middle ground that needed more time in the oven and shattered the trust of *those* fans.
It was a rude awakening going on forums for the first time as a kid in the 2000s and seeing the vitriol thrown at Heroes. For the longest time Heroes was the boogeyman for the "old guard" of fans, idk if younger fans can truly comprehend the hate, and _blame_ , that game got.
And yet my generation is doing the same thing to Forces lol. I just think it's an interesting parallel that not a lot of fans realize.
Btw, I adore your content. Your video scripts are like historical documentaries in how they pull me into the vibes of the times, no matter the era. In a media/content climate that is all about sensationalism and exaggeration, you keep things real, but open minded at the same time. That is an aspect of your vidoes that I appreciate so, so much.
@@asafolarin102999 Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you can relate, 'cause I really think that fans have more common ground than they realize, it's just not always focused on the same titles. And I try to keep in mind now, there are 2012 babies out there who fell in love with Sonic because of Forces, and they'll feel the same way about people tearing it apart that you did about Heroes, or that I did when my "old guard" of NES kids would trash Sonic 2!
Can definitely relate to the films getting me back in the saddle. Hell, the first trailer compelled me to give away all my Sonic stuff out of shame lol
But then like everybody else, the first film actually blew me away with how good it was. It wasn't enough to get me back into the games or comics, but I certainly became a fan again all the same! I have a massive soft spot for the second film cos it's everything I love about Sonic in a brand new package (though I did cringe at the post credits lol).
Thanks to the films, I'm keeping an eye on Frontiers and getting back into the comics (seriously why did I take it out on the comics they were always good lol). It's like becoming a Sonic fan all over again!
@@asafolarin102999 This is somewhat a scary thought, but if we are talking parallels; Frontiers is the next 3D Sonic that is coming out and the 3D game after Heroes was Shadow. And even if you want to say that that was a spinoff and you couldn't play as Sonic, the next time 3D Sonic was playable was in Sonic 06. Does this bode ill tidings for Frontiers? Not necessarily and I hope not, but the reception to Frontiers hasn't been all that good and the game isn't even out yet.
About the whole "Blaze sign in Night Carnival" thing, one justification I like is that, as Blaze's world is entering Sonic's world, the 2 worlds could be influencing each other. If Sonic was on a neon sign, then I wouldn't be surprised if Blaze, who is royalty, had a couple signs to herself (as somebody in the UK, I would know how often royalty is plastered onto stuff).
This merging universe stuff is headcannon though. Blaze, the Sol emeralds, and Nega came to Sonic’s world, that’s it. In Rush Adventure Sonic and Tails go to Blaze’s world and its completely different.
@@FoxbatStargazer Was going to mention this. Nega aside, Blaze's world is noticeably further behind in technology and something like Night Carnival would be very out of place there. The "High Tech" level in Rush Adventure is basically a Steampunk version of Huge Crisis Zone.
@@FoxbatStargazer I mean, the game is about stopping the Sol Dimension from entering Sonic's world, as the Sol Emeralds are tethered to the Sol Dimension, and so the dimension is trying to reach the Emeralds. The worlds WERE merging, though they're vague with what that exactly means. All that's clear is that it's affecting Sonic's world and that, according to Tails, if the entire dimension enters Sonic's world, everything will disappear. Here are some examples from Rush that shows this is the case:
Example 1:
Tails: There's a tear in the space-time continuum... and it's expanding! If it continues to expand... the fabric of reality will become altered!
Example 2:
Blaze: (If the Sol Emeralds are lost, my world shall be as well.) (I sense it's already affecting this world.)
Example 3:
Blaze: Led by the Sol Emeralds, my world has begun to enter yours.
Cream: What will happen to our two worlds?
Tails: ... I don't know. But I don't think our worlds can co-exist like this. Eventually, everything will disappear.
Nothing here counters the idea I brought up, due to how vague the whole thing is. I guess the "everything will disappear" might mean parts of Blaze's and Sonic's world can't crossover, but then Blaze and the Sol Emeralds are fine being here, as are the machines built by Nega. Eggman also probably used his machines to steal the Sol Emeralds.
I'm not proposing this as canon. I don't think this was intentional, but it works well enough as an explanation in my eyes that, if anybody is bothered by this, then this explanation might appease that.
@@seacliff217 I'm not saying the entirety of Night Carnival was plucked from Blaze's world (especially since the signs still show Sonic). I just think that the neon signs from Sonic's world could be starting to be affected by those in Blaze's world.
And funnily enough, neon signs would actually be technologically old enough to exist in Blaze's world. We know this because Blaze knew what hovercrafts were in Rush Adventure (she's the one who recommends building one), and the first hovercraft was built in 1955. The first neon signs were built in 1922 (fun fact: the first neon gas signs were built just 1 year later).
I like the idea of Blaze being universally liked in such a divided fanbase, and I’d like to posit another point everyone seems to agree on: knuckles’ OVA hat is awesome and he should wear it more
Firstly, I wanna say that when it comes to analysing Sonic games, you're unmatched imo. You see the games on such a deeper level that other youtubers, and always point out stuff that's never occurred to me, but, that the moment I hear it, makes total sense - like the stark difference in game design between SA1 and SA2 - I've played those two games dozens of times and that's never occurred to me before, but you're absolutely right, and it's super fascinating to me. Adventure 1 really is just a classic Sonic game in 3D - and the more speed-based philosophy of Adventure 2 harkening back to Sega's arcade roots? I never would've made that connection, but you're absolutely right! Now, as for Rush itself...
I was super excited for this episode; Sonic Rush was my first Sonic game, and, while it's not my favourite (that would be S3&K, the greatest game ever made), it's the one that *means* the most to me. It's what got me into the series, and as such, I was very excited (and also a little trepidatious!) to hear what you made of it, and I gotta say, I basically agree with everything you said. The bosses? Some of the WORST in the entire franchise, I always dread reaching a boss stage when replaying this game. The Special Stages? The best in the entire series. No contest (tho I haven't got the chance to play Saturn 3D Blast's... I need to rectify that). And the game itself? Not perfect, but still a blast. The main 3D boost formula has worn thin on me over the years, but Rush never will. It's always a game I can go back to and have a great time.
And the *style* of Sonic Rush... I was so glad you specifically talked about that, because it's the thing that's always stood out to me most about the game. The Y2K-era hip hop flair of it all, tied together by Naganuma's incredible soundtrack; easily one of the best of any Sonic game, and so unlike anything else in the series (I wish we'd gotten more Sonic music from him, he's such a perfect fit!). This game's aesthetic and style just screams 'Sonic' to me as the psychedelia of the classic games, and I wish modern Sonic games still looked like this. This is, to me, what modern Sonic should look, sound, and act like, it's such a perfect identity for him.
Also, I'm not surprised you love Blaze (since, as you said, everyone in the fandom sees to), but I was still very pleased to hear it. Blaze is actually the character that got me into the series - I saw this cool purple cat on the box, and just *had* to have the game so I could play as her, and she's still one of my absolute favourite characters in the series. It's such a shame to me that she hasn't been playable in more games, because she rules - such a great addition to the series and a perfect counterbalance to Sonic.
Sorry for rambling a bit, it's just, as I said, Rush is perhaps the Sonic game that means the most to me, and, as someone who's been following your channel for years, I've been waiting a long time to hear you talk about it! Also, super excited to see you'll be covering Rush Adventure as part of this latest series! It's perhaps the most underrated game in the entire franchise imo, I love it, and I can't wait to see what you think about it.
If I could be allowed to, I would recompile the trick and power mechanics of Sonic on the ruins of the boost mechanic. Rather than some awkward new energy bar, I would grant bubble shields each a new Wisp powerup, that you can charge like a hamster wheel. By doing not tricks, but spin dash and peelout in the air or stopped, or during running - if you reach fast enough speeds. Each filling of a slot of charges would trigger a trick animation, so it would largely work the same as boost.
Light speed dash would come from shock shield, drop dash from a new earth shield, that kind of thing. Each charge could also be tossed as a weapon, partly because there would be like a puyo release order based on how you stacked charging them. Being not careful, you would have to waste attacks that come in between some complicated combo to get to a high place with a trail of rings at the top, and you need that light speed dash that's behind a few fireballs. You would have to manage either releasing them as new fire shields, or getting them out of the way, with the upside of attacking enemies.
Character selection would be about mostly the same moveset, but stuff like Blaze's fireballs could be used to replace the need for getting specific fire shields and allow you to cheese combos with more freedom. There could be "blank" shield pickups that give you one that matches the character, too, like giving Blaze the extra easy mode to reach some place with burnable wall at the end, when others would need a fireball slotted beforehand. This would also enforce the time challenge, because you can get anywhere with anyone, but grinding powerup charges would cost you time, especially when you don't plan ahead, and some high jumps don't allow for late reconsiderations. It would become a prop hunt of knowing the best route and powerups that are on the way inthe best order, which would even work a sa metroivania.
It’s a good morning when The Geek Critique makes a new Sonic video.
As someone who only grew up with Nintendo's consoles (GBA, DS, GCN, Wii and an old SNES my parents had) and never played Secret Rings, Unleashed, Black Night, or Chronicles, I was actually not aware that Sonic was going through a dark age at all. I thought Heroes, my first Sonic game, was pretty cool, and Sonic Advance 3 was pretty fun, but Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure were awesome. I wouldn't pick up a mainline game until Colors for Wii, and I remember thinking when I first played it that "this is just like the Rush games but in 3D! This is amazing!" I'm so glad to see you cover Rush and hear that it had such a positive impact on your view of the series. I can't wait to hear you talk about Rush Adventure!
Honestly, pretty much same here. I basically skipped over the bad Sonic games entirely - going from a demo disc of Sonic Jam, straight to Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Riders and Heroes (.. got the three simultaneously for my birthday), straight to Rush, then Colours and Generations. The bad Sonic games weren't even on my radar.
And heck, with the sole exception of Lost World I'd argue they *still* aren't. I barely paid any attention to Forces (even before release), though given Frontiers is catching my eye, maybe there's actually some hope for that game.
I love that everything in the flashback scene is grey except for the colour *blue.* Such a nice touch.
Overall I love the small details you always include, like the classic Sonic render in Speed Highway for a split sec, and Sonic switching to Tails and Knuckles in Leaf Forest.
Sonic Rush still feels like the first game of a new era to me, (Like the first *true* modern game) despite being in the sheer middle of the darkest era. Really enjoyed this episode!
Really looking forward to what you think of Rush Adventure, I personally think it improved a lot over the first Rush, despite adding more or less some new unnecessary problems. And its soundtrack is very underrated, sorta has a similar style to Naganuma, despite actually not being made by him.
I noticed that Classic Sonic model and thought it was my imagination because there was no way they'd go through the trouble of making such a subtle stealthy split-second edit like that. That's some commendable editing.
I never got super into the Rush games (I'm kinda really bad at 2D platformers), but Blaze almost immediately became my favorite character in the series, and she still is. One of my biggest issues with Sonic as a franchise these days is how hard they sidelined her after the second Rush game and Black Knight.
if anything i find keeping Blaze so limited is what helps to her appeal. It's great every time she shows up & doesn't overstay her welcome like Knuckles
@@Artista_Frustrado That is part of her appeal, I agree. Just look at how overexposed Shadow was to see how badly that can go. But I think they've pushed it too far in the boost era.
Honestly, Blaze deserves to be a main character. Her playstyle is already similar to Sonic, the devs just gotta tweak it a bit to still keep it relatively unique. And she's super interesting as a character, and imo, I think she'd easily be the best choice for a protagonist besides Sonic himself.
7:54 The combination of the words “Sonic” and “Dimensional Merge” gives me Vietnam-style flashbacks, if you know what I’m referring to
It's a good day when a new TGC retrospective drops for the best 2D modern Sonic game
There's no Sonic Mania video today though.
Also, Rush is 17 years old. This is not a modern game by any stretch of the imagination. Might even be appropriate to call it retro at this point.
@@mjc0961 I was referring to Sonic's physical appearance, not the release date rofl
This isn't Sonic 4: Episode II
Sonic Rush is modern
based and dimpspilled
One of my favorite things about your channel is that I always, without fail, learn something new. Be it a perspective, experience, or detail I hadn't considered, something fresh is always presented and it makes for such a fun watch. Great video!
Ahh my first Sonic game that introduced me to the coolest character ever conceived and change my taste in music forever
I too can thank sonic rush for my addiction to compressed music and making me a furry.
@@radiokunio3738 I agree with both of you, lol.
For a character with pyrokinesis, Blaze really is the coolest.
@@creepy.bstanbtsbtw I was thinking of Sonic but she’s technically a counterpart to him so it still makes sense.
@@Nic_2751 They're both the coolest. That's why they're my top 2.
2022 is the year of the geek critique. What an epic comeback. Thanks for your videos man. They are top-tier.
*gasp* A new TGC vid!?!?
*clicks immediately*
But seriously, I'm so happy you finally got to this game. It was the first mainline Sonic game I've ever played!!! Already awaiting your articulate and detailed analysis. Keep up the good work man!
That intro was a wild buildup. The BOOM of the boost sound effect leading into "TGC presents" was phenomenal.
"Do you think I should [play sonic rush adventure]?" YES. YES YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD.
I was never big on the special stages in the series but Rush still has my favourite set of special stages in the series.
This game brought back good memories, though that boss fight with Blaze, my thumbs HURT haha! 😂
That very brief flash of VGDC's Mario vs Sonic animation took me right the hell back to the early 2000s. Ahhh, rest in peace Randy.
That guy was my introduction to fan-made content back then too. You did good Randy, real good. Maybe even the best.
32:50 reminder that Sonic and Blaze refused to be separated by their own dimensions, Sonic holds with all his might and Blaze reaches out to him
The Sonic Rush games were the very first games I have ever played, and they will stand with me for all eternity and all time, it may have taken me 11 years to beat Sonic Rush due to the Egg King, the egg king was never truly holding me back, it was kicking me forward, and teaching me a lesson of never giving up, and never stop fighting and to reach new heights, and is the reason I am who I am today, when I got Sonic Rush Adventure 8 months after beating Sonic Rush, I was so excited, and 3 days later, I finished it, and will always be happy and great-full for the Egg Kings difficulty forever, and now that Sonic Rush has been finished for me, it’s time to carry my childhood lessons from the Egg king with me, and into life, thank you Sonic Rush, for teaching me to never give up and to keep going…
“Come on man, hold down Y and put some boost on it!”
Sounds like that could come from a 90’s SEGA commercial lol
Love this game, first Sonic game where I got all Emeralds straight.
Great critique, you got basicly everything right spot on about Rush! Everybody loves Blaze, the boost is great, soundtrack is phenomenal and the bosses and bottomless pits are bad. I didn't even know there was an Easy Mode for this game! Need to try that out to make my next playthrough a little bit more smooth.
As much as I love Rush, Rush Adventure just blows it out of the park. The controls are more crisp, levels are more memorable and have set pieces, and the music is *almost* as memorable as the first. But the minigames to find islands are hit and miss for some. I personally don’t mind them. Trust me you will love rush adventure!
I 100% AGREE!!!
I think the one issue with RA is the fact theres a bunch of filler. (Not including the special stages.)
Sky Babylon act 1 music that is all. well for me
One thing about Rush Adventure that I didn't vibe with was the story. Sonic and Blaze meeting up again and barely acknowledging the significance just to carry on with a dry plot, after their emotional parting in Rush, was just a slap in the face to me as a kid.
@@nekomansa rush adventure was literally my first sonic game so when blaze showed up i thought sonic was cheating on amy with her lol
Nice to see TGC finally cover my favourite handheld Sonic game!
Thanks, I hope you enjoy it!
@@GeekCritique I certainly will!
every time sonic and limp bizkit are mentioned or associated together, my heart sings. then i whip out my signed dreamcast and holler, *"AW HYEAH, THIS IS HAPPENIN', BABAAAY"*
Modern Sonic games have a lot of depth whether for a new character or an antagonist.
Sonic Rush is one of my favorites, in the case of Blaze, I feel that she and Sonic share the same leading role, because unlike Sonic's other rivals who were the complete opposite of him like Shadow or Metal Sonic or the ones who were tricked by the villain who made him believe that Sonic was the villain, like Silver and Knuckles, Blaze is different, because she fought the hedgehog not because she thinks he is the villain, but because she believed she was able to solve everything on her own without the help from other people, but Sonic teaches her to open up to the world and to bond with the people around her and in the end she ends up developing a special affection for it.
Blaze is a character that deserves more attention from Sega and more role for the games' stories.
Been in gaming since I was a kid and while I was never a big Sonic fan still have fond memories, almost all revolving around visiting a friend's house. My neighbor was the kid who got everything so when the SNES was coming out we were super pumped but his parents told him it was for Christmas. So with a few months of waiting to go he was gifted a Genesis with Sonic to tie him over. Even at the time I thought it was a bit too much for a 7 year old (I mean I was the same age and despite begging/saving didn't get a 16 bit console until 3 years later or so) but as his friend did allow me access to stuff I could only dream about. It's been 31 years but I can still recall in vivid detail the afternoon we spent fumbling our way through the first couple of acts of Sonic 1.
my favorite thing about blaze is that you just can't mess her gameplay up no matter the game. she's played great in every single game that she's ever been playable in, and it's the most noticeable in sonic 06. sonic 06 is a nightmare to play as we all know but that one part where you play as blaze handles incredibly well, is the most fun segment in the entire game, and the most *polished* segment in the game. you just *cannot* make blaze's gameplay bad, it's not possible
also, PLEASE play rush adventures, if you enjoyed rush then you'll absolutely love rush adventures
This is a game that I really have been thinking on giving a second chance too.
I’m shocked that they didn’t put Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure up on the Wii U eShop.
i loved sonic rush when i was younger and still do. i just went back and replayed it earlier this year and got 100% it’s a fun sonic game and the music is so good i still listen to back to back
Two words to describe Blaze: Untapped potential. I have played both of these games and have often feel that they are what the Sonic franchise needed: A change of pace, a change of scenery and a change of character. If Sega had made like a classic Sonic the Hedgehog version of Blaze the Cat to explore her earlier years in how she learned about her fire powers, then they could have had a new video game hit on their hands.
Best sonic rush video i’ve seen. You know your sonic so well you can just effortlessly explain the feel of these games that I find hard to articulate.
"Growing up didn't mean I had to stop caring" is so inspiring
Oh man, I can't WAIT for your Sonic Rush Adventure retrospective. Outdid the original in almost every way, IMO. I'd even go so far to say that it's one of the best modern Sonic games in the franchise.
I got Sonic Rush in 2010, and I've never beaten it, but I keep coming back to it because the vibe is just so great, the music, the fast paced zooming around the levels, and how different sonic and blaze's levels are. It's so charming and fun!
When your friend told you to "put some boost in it" it sounds like something that you would hear in a old 90's commercial
Man, I love your Sonic videos. You make me feel nostalgic about Sonic too, and if there's a game franchise that's the definition of nostalgia for me, that's Sonic. I also adored this series as a kid, grew somewhat disillusioned as a teenager and came back with a blast as an adult. I know Sonic isn't perfect. I know it's a rollercoaster of emotions being a Sonic fan, but then again, rollercoasters ARE my favorite kind of ride.
WooHOOO!! Yet another AWESOME critique!
Sonic Rush was actually my first Sonic. To this day, Blaze is in my top 3 Sonic characters next to Tails and Shadow, and the Naganuma OST is still the type of music I most strongly associate with the series. I remember that every time I tuned into Sonic X, I was expecting Blaze to show up.
Excellent video, as always.
When I see this, I wonder to myself: Sonic is truly getting older.
The Classic design isn't really a different Sonic, it's Sonic if he was 8. An elementary school kid concerned with the concept of cool, who saves others because of how cocksure his reputation is. A hero by convenience.
The modern design, a teenager. One who has grown a little, and is defined by the heroism he chose to emulate. A guy who has found what he likes to do, even if he isn't completely sure about the best way to do it. A hero by choice.
This is mirrored by the voice growing deeper as time went on, which shows itself plainly in the recent Frontiers. I do not think it's an accident that the first Sonic movie was an origin story, which only concerned itself with the most basic elements of Sonic at the game series' inception. It also tells me that Frontiers Sonic is a specific representation of the Sonic we have now, a new era: Adult Sonic.
This is the first Sonic to really define a good combat system. This parallels an adults foray into fighting for themselves, to advocate for themselves in a way only he can. To deal with the kinds of fights that only an adult can appreciate, hence the game's heavier tone. He is, now, a hero doing good, by the rules and respect he's built up from his countless missteps and his eternal underdog status.
It made me realize the franchise Sonic and the character Sonic are indistinguishable. His quinceñera might have been a disaster once upon a time, but now we are here, a 30+ year old Sonic looking to improve on who he was yesterday and that should be applauded.
I remember having zero interest in the game and whenever I've seen Blaze on the cover I though she was a bootleg version Shadow. But the more I saw her, more interested to learn about her I was. So Blaze was my number 1 reason to buy Sonic Rush. At the same time Sonic Rush was my sole reason to buy Nintendo DS (Lite). And what I get from this two reasons in the end? The character I like A LOT and at the same time it was my homecoming back to the world of Nintendo since NES days.
Of course there is this cursed Sonic The Hedgehog from 2006, which rebooted Blaze into a basic sidekick and when Rush Adventure was announced I was super nervous they would continue from what they established in Sonic'06. The game turned out well, but SEGA continues to pair her with Silver. And Silver himself is more of a sidekick. Basically Blaze started out as a stellar main character, but was quickly downgraded to a sidekick with flat anime trope personality for a character who was barely a main character himself and was downgraded to a sidekick character.
I guess some people are fine how things turned out for her, but I like how she was depicted in Rush and Rush Adventure the best.
beautiful video that really put into words why i love this game so much despite its shortcomings. the style, movement, and blaze all come together to make such a joyful experience that rises up to a level of quality the series NEEDED at the time. sonic rush adventure's pretty good, arguably its level design is more engaging, but the boats and material grinding really knock that one down, whereas this one has a sense of flow and pacing that makes it so much more replayable and lasting. excellent work as always, can't wait for the rest of this boost season!
“C’mon man, hold down Y and put some Boost on it!” is such a Powerful thing to say.
The fact that you just casually referenced "the 20s" just scared the shit out of me. Oh god, we are old.
Nice video. This game is definitely peak and underrated & just like Blaze tbh
The rush duology were my first 2D Sonic games. Watching this video really reminds me of the fond memories I had with those games. From renting Rush Adventure at my local library, to eventually owning a copy a year later when Colors came out, playing my sisters copy of rush, and finding out the 3ds was backwards compatible with DS game using Sonic Rush. (Weird I didn't know that when first getting my 3ds, but that's nine year old me, bless his soul.) I really have to finish these games some day, just got to put some boost on it!
I'm new to the scene just now discovering your videos (thank you mighty algorithm), but I'm completely hooked! Your journey of discovery mixed with nostalgia mixed with introspection (with a dash of delightful self awareness) is incredibly entertaining and in many ways cathartic. I've never played any Sonic game (only had a SNES before we finally got a Wii), but I LOVED the DKC trilogy and Super Metroid as a kid, which I think is how I got here. These videos make me want to go back and experience a similar journey of discovery you had with the Metroid games. Thanks for putting together such amazing retrospectives Josh, I always get excited when I see a new video roll out either or (more often) not I'm familiar with the game. Keep up the fantastic work!
Always nice to see a new TGC episode on Sonic, as someone who's never had a huge attachment to Sonic, I played SA1 and 2 as a kid along with Advance, and pretty much wrote the franchise off as I got older it's very interesting to hear the perspective of a Sonic fan on how the series developed and changed.
This was the first game I bought this year at a good price and in good condition. It took a bit to get used to, especially with certain parts of levels; and the bosses (outside of the true final boss) was a low point. But despite that, this is my favorite Sonic game in the whole series 2D, 3D, and spin-offs. Despite having other games on my 3DS there was always a small drive to play Sonic Rush more. So much so that I recently got all S ranks for both Sonic and Blaze, making this game to be the first Sonic game I've fully completed. Even with doing everything, I still have the mood to play it more. Both Blaze and Sonic's ideals related and resonated with me. Blaze's will and determination to bear responsibilities on her own, and Sonic knowing that asking for help when things are tough should never be looked down upon. The aesthetic and music makes me feel like the two as I find more ways to zoom through the level faster, do more tricks, or grab a shield to keep my rings. I can't speak for anyone else but for me, it truly was a RUSH!
14:46 DUDE! You featured my Classic Sonic UI mod for Sonic Adventure?! Thank you so so much, man!
love waking up to a new video from you
Also “what If this is that one other time?” Amazing reference 🤘🏻😎
Glad someone caught it!
Yoooooo my Saturday is complete! Thank you for the content
“But what if this is that one other time?”
Love that movie reference.
Best of all, blaze can play in the himalayas for hours
"The skill ceiling is sky-high, and it's made from broken glass!"
My first and forever favorite sonic game, I've went through two DS'S but made sure I never lost sonic rush, and last year I spent like 80$ for a 3ds, just to play this single game.
7:51 "Dimensional Merge" You absolutely knew who you were referencing with that phrase in a Sonic video.
This is VERY off topic, but your discussion in the intro kinda reminded me of my own experiences with Bionicle, falling out of and back into love with it.
I'm really glad this game was able to do what it did for you.
Man it's about time someone called out the boss fights in this game. There's so much waiting around for a game that prioritizes speed, and they're damn unfair. The Klonoa bosses we have at home.
On a positive note, in spite of the assy level design and bosses, this game had moxie. I feel like Sonic Rush Adventure really refined a lot of what worked here and is probably my favourite 2D Sonic game.
"All of a sudden, I cared about Sonic again, and I would never stop."
Me after watching the first Sonic movie back in 2020. Not even kidding.
I think I can understand the apathy you were talking about feeling with the series in the intro. It's really what I've been feeling with sonic since forces happened. I still tried keeping up with the series, until colors ultimate happened. But with how all the recent games have gone, I slowly moved to just glancing in on news at this point. Don't see myself really picking up frontiers, unless it somehow blows people out of the water
“In 2000 UnIronically believed that Fred Durst was the coolest person who had ever lived” dude feckin’ same.
keep up the great work!
I do agree that rush's level design is pretty samey, and it does inherit a lot of the advanced issues, but overall, I think I works for the gameplay!
These videos are always a treat.
The special stage audio at the start of the video almost gave me a heart attack, i use that for my alarm in the morning
i was just rewatching some of your old vids, perfect timing 😊
TGC keeps stacking dubs
Man, idk how, but everything you put out is an absolute treat. Probably I'm a little late for a response as always, but another great video. I find myself rewatching these time and time again, maybe this sounds strange, but the way you bring your nostalgia into the critique helps me- in a way- relive my own nostalgia for Banjo, Vigilante 8, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and yes, the classic Sonic tetrology via the Mega Collection; among others
I appreciate 'cha! Thanks!
just realizing i haven’t actually seen all that much footage of this game in like 5 years. i used to play this game all the tim
Fantastic retrospective as always. Really loved the editing at the end of the intro!
As someone who's first sonic game was sonic rush and has played through it multiple times I had no idea sonic rush had a homing attack
I still find the most amazing part about this, is that Blaze does all of this in high heels. HIGH HEELS!!!!
2005 was around when I dropped off from the console Sonic games. I bought and played Sonic Rush; loved the game and music. I rented Shadow the Hedgehog, and beat it fully, but never really wanted to fully own it. I didn't have a 360 or PS3 at the time, so I never got to experience Sonic 06 back in the day, but I listened to the music. I was also one of those kids that would buy up the Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems Collection. It gave me a chance to play all the classic Sonic games on my Gamecube, and all ones that I hadn't experienced yet (Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Sonic R, Sonic the Fighters). Even after playing all those classic Sonic games, I still had to conclude that Sonic CD was still somehow my favorite one.
Rush holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the very first sonic games I had to call my own, and I think it really affected my tastes in music and aesthetic. It’s amazing.
This is my literal favorite Sonic game. There was a website for this game, and it had shorter versions of Leaf Storm, Water Palace, and the Boss music, which would loop indefinitely, which is how long I would listen to those samples each day after school. It was the first game I purchased when I got my DS, the first game that I really dug into time trials and speedrunning, and has Blaze, my literal favorite Sonic cast member.
I did not realize that you would be covering the Rush series, but I am mega excited to hear about your experiences. (Would also recommend Sonic Colors DS at some point, as how it handles the boost gauge differently had a pretty dramatic effect on my personal experience.)
As always, I enjoyed the video immensely! You never disappoint, man.
Also, I'm honestly pretty stoked to find out that, in some way, I actually helped in the production of a TGC episode (especially a Sonic one)! Didn't expect my Sonic Channel edits to be actually used in a video of yours, but hey, thumbnail looks fantastic! ^^
I wanted to mention this for a little while, but seeing this video initially on the Patreon honestly made me wanna give Rush another chance. And y'know what, I ended up loving it! (This isn't even the first time it's happened, same thing goes for your Metroid and DKC videos, which inspired me to check out those series and love them too)
And of course, the video's fantastic. I love how you didn't just discuss the game itself, but also your feelings on Sonic at the time, the situation the franchise was in and how it was able to help get you back into the series. I've definitely noticed the more personal angle you've brung to talking about games in your more recent videos (the sixth gen and updated DKC3 videos are the most potent examples so far), and it's definitely a great thing to focus on
I've always loved the twist in Altitude Limit, when you realize that the stage clear theme is just a snippet of Altitude Limit's theme.
Or maybe it's an extended version of the stage clear jingle? I don't really know, but I love it either way.
Sonic Rush was my childhood Sonic game. Well Sonic Heroes too but I definitely played Rush more. I was 7 when it came out. And I have very clear memories of taking my DS into school to ask for help with the water level. And when I was a bit older and beat the whole game for the first time, I was hooked. Without Rush I definitely wouldn't be a Sonic fan now.
Rush was my very first Sonic game and how I even discovered Sonic was a thing. I'll always have a nostalgic soft spot for it
Just a shame that this video is how I learn that Rush has the homing attack. Didn't learn about midair moves until a few months ago, too
10:56 HOLY SHIT I REMEMBER THAT ANIMATION thank you for reminding me about its existence :D
Rush is really good but Rush Adventure is honestly one of my favourite sonic games, I love everything about it
GEEK CRITIQUE IS BACK!!!
I just found this video when I remembered the Sonic Rush OST existed and looked to see if anyone had made a retrospective on the game recently. I really enjoyed this! Great job on the video. Got a like and sub from me!
So glad to have another video!! Keep up the awesome work, Josh!
I love rush adventure, it irons out the issues with rush, less bottomless pits, more interesting levels, no enemy rooms, the bosses have much less downtime with more fair and better paced fights, its personally my favourite one of the games
Beautiful video about the game that got me into the series as a kid. Your sentiment near the end hit me, through the ups and downs sonic will always be my favourite character.
I was gonna rewatch one of your vids while I ate dinner and found this! My favorite game from when I was a kid. My late father bought this for me after I convinced him to get it for me after I drew pictures of sonic and shadow haha. Thanks Josh, big fan as always
The editing in the episode was pretty slick. Really dig the smooth transitions (like at 25:11).
Sonic rush was the first sonic game that I genuinely loved. It wasn’t my first, I played the pc port of sonic 3 and knuckles, and I also rented sonic colors from blockbuster, but I got stuck in both of those games and couldn’t progress very far into the game. My friend let me borrow her copy of rush and I played through blaze’s campaign after she played through Sonic’s (funny thing we also got kinda stuck on the last stage, but we eventually figured out that you could kick in midair as sonic.) I actually loved the bosses and would replay them over and over again. The bird mech was always a favorite just because of how cool it looked. Good memories.