Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-679780-20140603204311

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a modern Sonic game, thus logically stars modern Sonic, but timeline wise depict the events not long after Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It could be that somewhen between S3&K and 4 that Sonic matured to how he will appear in Sonic Adventure, along with Tails growing up a bit and Dr. Eggman sporting a new red uniform. However Episode Metal however shows Dr. Eggman picking up Modern Metal Sonic from Stardust Speedway. It is never explained why Metal Sonic already had his modern apperance since Metal Sonic was very well scrapped from his race with Classic Sonic since Sonic CD and that Dr. Eggman had to defibrillate him to get him barely functional.

Sonic Generations shows that Sonic does indeed age and when he was younger, he was Classic Sonic, it also shows Metal Sonic and Tails when they were classics. However some fans believe that Classic apperancesshouldn't be considered "canon" and that Classic Sonic should be regarded more of a guest apperance than anything legit, since Sonic Generations was more of an anniversary game than the usual installment.

Because I am near-sighted and with only a few visable differences between Classic and Modern Metal Sonic, I was mistaken to believe it was Classic Metal Sonic that modern Dr. Eggman found and that he went to Mad Gear Zone and that the machine upgraded him to his modern apperance (A headcanon I still hold to regardless) but I would like to know your theory or explanation of Classic to Modern styles. Are they legitimate changes that Sonic and his friends are aware of or does Sega not include it as a viable reason for Sonic lore? 