Sonic 06 VS Sonic Boom
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Briana Lawrence
Has there ever been a bigger fall from grace in video games? Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we compare the two games that drained everyone's favorite hedgehog of all of his rings: Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
With talks of a new game AND a movie, we're gonna look at the biggest flops, decide which is worse, and pray that this doesn't happen again.
Special Thanks to our user "AnnoyingFrenzy" for suggesting this topic on our interactive suggestion tool at WatchMojo.comsuggest
Has there ever been a bigger fall from grace in video games? Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we compare the two games that drained everyone's favorite hedgehog of all of his rings: Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
With talks of a new game AND a movie, we're gonna look at the biggest flops, decide which is worse, and pray that this doesn't happen again.
Special Thanks to our user "AnnoyingFrenzy" for suggesting this topic on our interactive suggestion tool at WatchMojo.comsuggest
Script written by Briana Lawrence
Has there ever been a bigger fall from grace in video games? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be looking at the two games that drained everyone’s favorite hedgehog of all of his rings: Sonic 06 and Sonic Boom.
With talks of a new game AND a movie, we’re gonna look at the biggest flops, decide which is worse, and pray that this doesn’t happen again. (“Hey Sonic, enjoy your future, it’s gonna be great”)
Round 1: Story
Sonic is out to stop the evil Dr. Robotnik... or Eggman, or if you prefer. Robo-Egg is turning adorable animals into robots and... oh, wait, that USED to be the story. The plot has changed several times over since the Genesis, and no plot has ever felt as convoluted as Sonic 06. There's a princess with some disastrous flames inside of her and Robo-Egg wants them for his normal “I’m the villain” reasons. There’s another villain, Mephiles, who wants to merge with those flames and bring disaster to the world, and somehow, Sonic is the trigger to this apocalyptic chaos. This... may have been a passable story, but then we got the most misused plot device of all: time travel. This leads to wide, gaping plot holes, inconsistencies with the existing Sonic lore, and too many characters caught in the confusing mix.
Fortunately, Sonic Boom starts the way you’d expect: Sonic and his friends versus Robo-Egg. But then we meet the real villain of the game: Lyric, who wants a world full of metal and robots. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, there’s some more time travel at play, but it’s not nearly as complicated. To be honest, the problem with the story isn’t time travel: it’s boredom. There’s no real excitement to be had and the characters feel like they’re phoning it in with failed attempts at humor.
That being said, “unnecessarily confusing” is much worse than “boring.” Besides, Sonic Boom, at least, stuck with its plot. Sonic 06 ends with time being reset, making the entire game pointless.
WINNER: Sonic 06 1 / Sonic Boom 0
Round 2: Characters
It’s amazing that two games could have the same lead, yet treat -- or in this case, abuse -- him so differently. Sonic 06 has a huge roster of characters, from classics like Tails and Knuckles, to newer faces like Shadow and even Blaze the Cat. Unfortunately, the cast we’ve gotten to know and love since the 90s feels like they take a back seat to newcomers like Silver and... sigh... Princess Elise. For a telekinetic hedgehog Silver’s pretty lackluster at best, while Elise... sucks. She just sucks! Her only purpose is to get kidnapped and weird fans out with that kiss. Then again, she isn’t really kissing Sonic. Not the Sonic we know, at least. For some reason, the Sonic in 06 is just... dull. There’s none of that Sonic snark or humor, he’s just... there. It’s so out-of-character, and he’s not the only one.
Just why was the Sonic-obsessed Amy o.k. with that kiss, anyway?
And the less we talk about Robo-Egg’s new look, the better.
While we did say the characters in Sonic Boom feel like they’re phoning it in, they, at least, try and act like Sonic characters. For a game that’s supposed to be outside the main franchise, they handle the characters better than 06 does... even with the redesigns and the one-dimensional personalities. Still, Sonic at least cracks several smiles, makes light of bad situations, and banters with his friends... even if the characters have to comment on EVERYTHING
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 0
Round 3: Gameplay
Both of these games are notorious for being so broken that it’s hard to dig through the mess to even play them. Let’s attempt to skip the errors to actually talk about the gameplay... assuming we can get through the obnoxious loading screen.
Sonic 06 lets you play with three different hedgehogs: Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. You also play with various side characters depending on which story you’re playing through. Each character has their own style of play, and each of their levels differ to account for it. Most notably, Sonic has speed sections where he... ugh, let’s move on to Shadow, who can drive vehicles over speed boosters, and Silver uses his telepathy to put apples into barrels. Finally, apples are appreciated the way they should be!
We will say this about Sonic 06: it at least feels like a Sonic game... when it functions. Yes, we know that Sonic Boom is an offshoot of the franchise, but this new action-adventure direction is so boring that Sonic doesn’t even feel the need to run fast. And no, speed sections don’t count, because the faster character is the one in the lead. Overall, the characters have lackluster skills you can switch between to get through levels that look like they’ve been copied and pasted into the game, then you button mash your way through battles against bland enemies. Hell, there’s not even a reason to collect a bunch of rings because they max out at 100.
We feel you on this one, Knuckles, it’s best to jump out of this game as quickly as possible.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 1
Round 4: Replayability
There’s no reason to replay Sonic Boom. Can we end the round now?
Alright Alright Alright … As much as Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess with an abysmal story (0:36), you can still find reasons to give the game the ol’ college try if you’re morbidly curious -- even without downloading the DLC. In order to complete the story, you have to beat the game with all three hedgehogs first. You’re also graded on your performance in each level, which is an effective way to get you to try and do each stage perfectly. While we wouldn’t recommend ever playing this game again, there’s, at least, an attempt to give Sonic fans a reason to.
We can’t say the same for Sonic Boom. There’s no real incentive to play the game once you beat it, even with the cliffhanger ending. We dare say there’s no incentive to play the game at all. There’s no draw to exploring the unmemorable areas, no excitement in discovering secrets. Yes, you can get new weapons, but what’s the point when button mashing defeats all enemies? Worst of all, there’s no real challenge or risk to the game since you have unlimited lives. Other games, like the Lego series, do the same thing, but with those games there’s plenty of good extras to unlock. Not even multiplayer can save Sonic Boom, because it would be cruel to force your friend to play this quote, unquote game.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 2
Round 5: Legacy
Probably the most important, and difficult, round is the impact these games had on Sonic and his fans. Many people feel that Sonic 06 killed the franchise, and Sonic’s been trying to pick himself back up ever since. The games that followed have been very hit or miss, but there have been moments where we had a glimmer of the Sonic who used to be able to compete against video game titans like Mario (Sonic Colors).
Then... Sonic Boom happened. So... which is worse?
Well... Sonic 06 was really dead where it stood. With Yuji Naka leaving and Sonic Team splitting in two to work on Sonic 06 AND Sonic and the Secret Rings, you can argue that there was no way that this was going to be a good game, especially with the pressure of getting it out in time for the 15th anniversary. That doesn’t necessarily excuse the quality, but it does put things into perspective... kind of.
Considering this past disaster... why would Sega rush another big Sonic game? Sonic Boom was advertised in a way that made us feel that, maybe, this would be the saving grace for the franchise. A new look and a new way to play, it was going to be a fresh start for Sonic and his friends. We don’t expect much from Sonic these days, but we do expect, at most, a competent game. Sonic Boom isn’t even close to that. Beyond the glitches and the laughable framerate, the game just isn’t fun. Where’s the speed? The danger? The creativity? The catchy music? The challenge? The excitement?
Sonic 06 may have almost killed the franchise, but Sonic Boom has forever left us skeptical of it. All and all, Sonic 06 is a disaster, but Sonic Boom is much worse: pure tragedy.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 3
WINNER or this case LOSER: Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric
And with one last jump on a bounce pad, Sonic Boom wins... or rather, loses. Did we pick the very worst of the blue blur? More importantly, will he ever make a true comeback?
Be sure to debate it in the comments and, of course, don’t forget to grab a chili dog and subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more way past cool versus battles.
Sonic 06 Versus Sonic Boom
Has there ever been a bigger fall from grace in video games? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be looking at the two games that drained everyone’s favorite hedgehog of all of his rings: Sonic 06 and Sonic Boom.
With talks of a new game AND a movie, we’re gonna look at the biggest flops, decide which is worse, and pray that this doesn’t happen again. (“Hey Sonic, enjoy your future, it’s gonna be great”)
Round 1: Story
Sonic is out to stop the evil Dr. Robotnik... or Eggman, or if you prefer. Robo-Egg is turning adorable animals into robots and... oh, wait, that USED to be the story. The plot has changed several times over since the Genesis, and no plot has ever felt as convoluted as Sonic 06. There's a princess with some disastrous flames inside of her and Robo-Egg wants them for his normal “I’m the villain” reasons. There’s another villain, Mephiles, who wants to merge with those flames and bring disaster to the world, and somehow, Sonic is the trigger to this apocalyptic chaos. This... may have been a passable story, but then we got the most misused plot device of all: time travel. This leads to wide, gaping plot holes, inconsistencies with the existing Sonic lore, and too many characters caught in the confusing mix.
Fortunately, Sonic Boom starts the way you’d expect: Sonic and his friends versus Robo-Egg. But then we meet the real villain of the game: Lyric, who wants a world full of metal and robots. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, there’s some more time travel at play, but it’s not nearly as complicated. To be honest, the problem with the story isn’t time travel: it’s boredom. There’s no real excitement to be had and the characters feel like they’re phoning it in with failed attempts at humor.
That being said, “unnecessarily confusing” is much worse than “boring.” Besides, Sonic Boom, at least, stuck with its plot. Sonic 06 ends with time being reset, making the entire game pointless.
WINNER: Sonic 06 1 / Sonic Boom 0
Round 2: Characters
It’s amazing that two games could have the same lead, yet treat -- or in this case, abuse -- him so differently. Sonic 06 has a huge roster of characters, from classics like Tails and Knuckles, to newer faces like Shadow and even Blaze the Cat. Unfortunately, the cast we’ve gotten to know and love since the 90s feels like they take a back seat to newcomers like Silver and... sigh... Princess Elise. For a telekinetic hedgehog Silver’s pretty lackluster at best, while Elise... sucks. She just sucks! Her only purpose is to get kidnapped and weird fans out with that kiss. Then again, she isn’t really kissing Sonic. Not the Sonic we know, at least. For some reason, the Sonic in 06 is just... dull. There’s none of that Sonic snark or humor, he’s just... there. It’s so out-of-character, and he’s not the only one.
Just why was the Sonic-obsessed Amy o.k. with that kiss, anyway?
And the less we talk about Robo-Egg’s new look, the better.
While we did say the characters in Sonic Boom feel like they’re phoning it in, they, at least, try and act like Sonic characters. For a game that’s supposed to be outside the main franchise, they handle the characters better than 06 does... even with the redesigns and the one-dimensional personalities. Still, Sonic at least cracks several smiles, makes light of bad situations, and banters with his friends... even if the characters have to comment on EVERYTHING
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 0
Round 3: Gameplay
Both of these games are notorious for being so broken that it’s hard to dig through the mess to even play them. Let’s attempt to skip the errors to actually talk about the gameplay... assuming we can get through the obnoxious loading screen.
Sonic 06 lets you play with three different hedgehogs: Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. You also play with various side characters depending on which story you’re playing through. Each character has their own style of play, and each of their levels differ to account for it. Most notably, Sonic has speed sections where he... ugh, let’s move on to Shadow, who can drive vehicles over speed boosters, and Silver uses his telepathy to put apples into barrels. Finally, apples are appreciated the way they should be!
We will say this about Sonic 06: it at least feels like a Sonic game... when it functions. Yes, we know that Sonic Boom is an offshoot of the franchise, but this new action-adventure direction is so boring that Sonic doesn’t even feel the need to run fast. And no, speed sections don’t count, because the faster character is the one in the lead. Overall, the characters have lackluster skills you can switch between to get through levels that look like they’ve been copied and pasted into the game, then you button mash your way through battles against bland enemies. Hell, there’s not even a reason to collect a bunch of rings because they max out at 100.
We feel you on this one, Knuckles, it’s best to jump out of this game as quickly as possible.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 1
Round 4: Replayability
There’s no reason to replay Sonic Boom. Can we end the round now?
Alright Alright Alright … As much as Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess with an abysmal story (0:36), you can still find reasons to give the game the ol’ college try if you’re morbidly curious -- even without downloading the DLC. In order to complete the story, you have to beat the game with all three hedgehogs first. You’re also graded on your performance in each level, which is an effective way to get you to try and do each stage perfectly. While we wouldn’t recommend ever playing this game again, there’s, at least, an attempt to give Sonic fans a reason to.
We can’t say the same for Sonic Boom. There’s no real incentive to play the game once you beat it, even with the cliffhanger ending. We dare say there’s no incentive to play the game at all. There’s no draw to exploring the unmemorable areas, no excitement in discovering secrets. Yes, you can get new weapons, but what’s the point when button mashing defeats all enemies? Worst of all, there’s no real challenge or risk to the game since you have unlimited lives. Other games, like the Lego series, do the same thing, but with those games there’s plenty of good extras to unlock. Not even multiplayer can save Sonic Boom, because it would be cruel to force your friend to play this quote, unquote game.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 2
Round 5: Legacy
Probably the most important, and difficult, round is the impact these games had on Sonic and his fans. Many people feel that Sonic 06 killed the franchise, and Sonic’s been trying to pick himself back up ever since. The games that followed have been very hit or miss, but there have been moments where we had a glimmer of the Sonic who used to be able to compete against video game titans like Mario (Sonic Colors).
Then... Sonic Boom happened. So... which is worse?
Well... Sonic 06 was really dead where it stood. With Yuji Naka leaving and Sonic Team splitting in two to work on Sonic 06 AND Sonic and the Secret Rings, you can argue that there was no way that this was going to be a good game, especially with the pressure of getting it out in time for the 15th anniversary. That doesn’t necessarily excuse the quality, but it does put things into perspective... kind of.
Considering this past disaster... why would Sega rush another big Sonic game? Sonic Boom was advertised in a way that made us feel that, maybe, this would be the saving grace for the franchise. A new look and a new way to play, it was going to be a fresh start for Sonic and his friends. We don’t expect much from Sonic these days, but we do expect, at most, a competent game. Sonic Boom isn’t even close to that. Beyond the glitches and the laughable framerate, the game just isn’t fun. Where’s the speed? The danger? The creativity? The catchy music? The challenge? The excitement?
Sonic 06 may have almost killed the franchise, but Sonic Boom has forever left us skeptical of it. All and all, Sonic 06 is a disaster, but Sonic Boom is much worse: pure tragedy.
WINNER: Sonic 06 2 / Sonic Boom 3
WINNER or this case LOSER: Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric
And with one last jump on a bounce pad, Sonic Boom wins... or rather, loses. Did we pick the very worst of the blue blur? More importantly, will he ever make a true comeback?
Be sure to debate it in the comments and, of course, don’t forget to grab a chili dog and subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more way past cool versus battles.
