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The Separation of Classic and Modern Sonic


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So everybody I gotta ask you, so about 5 years ago we got Sonic Generations which gave us Classic Sonic again right. Now this was a big surprised when the game was announced, and generally everyone liked that Classic Sonic was making a comeback. The hype of this still resonated after the game came out with it being the biggest hit the Sega Sonic games have had in years next to Colors. I mean what's not to love here you had retentively the same gameplay albeit different physics, but mainly everyone was on a nostalgia trip binge from that and afterwards, thing is though it seems like this binge has been going on for Over 5 Years now and a good chunk of fans seem to not get enough of it.

I mean I knew there was going to be a market with Classic Sonic stuff again during and afterwards, that's not a surprise there but it's been going on for so long now and doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Classic Sonic just had a boom of marketing, artwork, even a few cameos here and there to up until the 25th Anniversary Announcement where some good members of the community from Sonic Retro were gathered by Sega to make Pure Classic Sonic game with Sonic Mania, having both Classic and a few New Levels as well coming out. Kind of a like a Sonic Generations Classic Only with Accurate Physics, which was a big surprise and very well received by nearly everyone. Not only that but the newest mainline Sonic game will have Classic Sonic too, which was a huge surprise since this was announced a little bit after Mania's announcement.

This brings me to a conundrum, now don't get me wrong I do like Classic Sonic, but the thing is Generations was suppose to generally be a Time Travel story with the Past Sonic meeting the Current Sonic and having an adventure. But now it seems like both Sonics are now separate characters on their own, and it's just a theory here I mean Sega is CLEARLY marketing them as different Sonics, you have Sonic and Classic Sonic now. Which brings me to question...

Are Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic from separate timelines?

Because considering how this has been going in recent years there's now a huge divergence between the two not only in terms of style but more importantly marketing, despite the Time Travel plot of Generations it seems like both have become part of their own Series. We have the Classic Sonic Series and Current/Modern Sonic Series making up Sega Sonic now. So I ask you guys what do you think? Do you think this is a good idea, a bad one, should Classic Sonic remain in the past or spin-off into it's own thing? Leave your thoughts guys, because honestly I can't make heads or tails on this one. XP

I don't know if I'd prefer it being one whole continuity or two separate ones myself, after all there were a good number off differences to the characters during the Classic Era before a chunk of the cast got transferred over to Sonic Adventure. For example in the Classic Era Sonic was 16 and Knuckles was 15, whereas since Sonic Adventure their ages were switched, Tails has remained the same age but Amy almost seems like a complete new character from the transition going from 8 to 12.

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I think I mentioned this before somewhere, but the whole classic and modern sonic/ two separate continuities idea is something that I've been firmly for for a long time. Though my interpretation may not be quite the same as what most other people's are, as well as the direction sega is most likely taking the idea.

For me classic has always been everything prior to adventure, the advance series, and finally the rush series which kinda worked as a proper send off for the classic continuity.

Meanwhile modern has been mostly everything from adventure onwards, including the good, the bad, and the strange.

I like it as it simplifies a lot of the complexity and inconsistencies between some of the games, however Ultimately I think that the way Sega's handling it is on the same levels as "new coke vs old coke". Fans have never really given modern sonic (the new coke) much love in a long time, and are banking a lot of their games on nostalgia and what it is people have been demanding: the good old classic sonic games (or a.k.a. The old coke).

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I believe Sega has set themselves up to create Modern and Classic Sonic as separate continuities even if it wasn't their intention.  Sonic Generations worked more with the time paradox as there are hints of Modern Sonic being the future Classic Sonic; however, even Generations had issues with this concept as both Sonics did not match up: classic Sonic had a different appearance (most noticable his black eyes) and a different attitude than modern Sonic and it didn't help that while modern Sonic would often speak classic Sonic would never speak.  It doesn't help that classic Sonic would appear to be more mature and powerful than Modern Sonic: if modern Sonic is classic Sonic's future self, than why does it appear he has been downgraded?  Classic Sonic has better quality ever Modern Sonic, and that is where the whole trouble lies.  Sonic from the classic era was always seen as a cool guy with an attitude; Sonic's transition into the SOJ setting has loosened that coolness and attitude to the point where Modern Sonic doesn't resemble the Sonic from the Classic era.  I believe it was fan's connections to the classic Sonic that drove Sega to make Classic Sonic as a character in Generations; but I believe Sega did not expect the fans to use the game as an excuse to separate Classic and Modern Sonic as two separate Sonics.  Bring in Sonic Boom and it really confuses the mess.  In all reality, I see each of them as a different character: the only thing they have in common is being a speedy blue hedgehog.

Since Generation, Sega now has to deal with at least three Sonic dimensions in the gaming franchise to please each of the fans.  I think it wasn't a smart move to separate Sonic into various dimensions, but at that expense we still have the classic Sonic that we have loved in the 90s.  I believe Sonic 2017 will explain more about the connection with Classic and Modern Sonic.

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