The Eclipse Cannon (エクリプスキャノン, Ekuripusu Kyanon?) is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction on the Space Colony ARK created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, able to destroy planets and pierce stars. The Chaos Emeralds are needed to power the cannon, as it takes large amounts of energy to power it. The cannon can be seen on the outside of the ARK as it forms the "nose" of the research center.
Despite its frightening power, the intended purpose of the Eclipse Cannon was to destroy the Black Comet in order to save the earth from being overrun by the evil alien forces residing there. Around fifty years later, in Sonic Adventure 2, the Eclipse Cannon was used by Dr. Eggman in an attempt to assume control over the world by threatening to fire it at the planet, but the Eclipse Cannon was stopped due to the efforts of Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, and the late Gerald Robotnik's doomsday program. In Shadow the Hedgehog, the Eclipse Cannon finally carried out its purpose when Shadow the Hedgehog used it to destroy the Black Comet.
Using only five Emeralds, it is capable of destroying a large city and producing a large crater in a planet; with six Emeralds, it is able to destroy half of a moon. However, with either case, the cannon would require twenty-four hours to recharge due to the large energy consumption.
History
Sonic Adventure 2
The Eclipse Cannon destroying half of the Moon.
The Eclipse Cannon destroying half of the Moon.
The Eclipse Cannon destroying half of the Moon.
In Sonic Adventure 2, the Eclipse Cannon was first introduced to Eggman by Shadow to grant his one wish of world conquest. Shadow explained that all seven Chaos Emeralds were needed to fully power the weapon. The two of them, with the government spy Rouge, who was sent there to gather information about Shadow, gathered a total of six Emeralds (one Eggman already had, one Rouge offered to join up, the one that Shadow stole, and three stolen from Prison Island). Eggman then used the Cannon to destroy half of the moon to terrorize earth into submission. However the demonstration proved to have flaws, such as the cannon requiring a full day to recharge due to not possessing all of the Chaos Emeralds. Eggman also made a video conference call with the President, where he supplied the latter with the ultimatum of either surrendering the United Federation or else he will ensure that every single major city in the United Federation, if not the country itself, will be wiped out by the Eclipse Cannon. He also planned on giving the President twenty-four hours to decide whether to submit to Eggman, although Sonic's arrival at the President's limousine a second after this announcement, as well as Sonic bluntly refusing, forced Eggman to withdraw the ultimatum. With the cannon requiring twenty-four hours to charge due to not having all the Emeralds, Sonic and his friends were able to penetrate the ARK and stop the Cannon before it fired again.
Eggman, who was apparently unaware of what happened, installed the last Emerald he took from Tails. A hologram of Eggman's grandfather Gerald Robotnik appeared, which revealed that he secretly downloaded a doomsday device that activated when the seven Chaos Emeralds were brought together as revenge for Maria's death. With the immense energy being moved to the Cannon's Core, the ARK was sent on a collision course to earth. When Knuckles and Sonic bring the Master Emerald to the core, it turns out to be a shrine similar to the one on Angel Island, designed to maximize the emeralds' power. Shadow defeated the Biolizard, and they managed to control the Chaos Emeralds. Despite this, the ARK was still crashing to earth. Eggman revealed that the prototype had used Chaos Control to attach itself to the exterior of the ARK, pulling it towards the planet.
Shadow and Sonic used the Chaos Emeralds to transform into their Super States. They fought and defeated the "Finalhazard," as it fell to earth. Though, in order to stop the ARK from falling, the two used Chaos Control to bring it away from the planet's atmosphere. Due to exhausting his powers by teleporting the space colony, Shadow crashed to earth. Sonic returned to the control room with his ring and told everyone what happened. As they all left the ARK, Sonic looked back and said, "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.". At this point, Sonic believed this was Shadow's death.
Shadow the Hedgehog
In Shadow the Hedgehog, after the events of Sonic Adventure 2, the Eclipse Cannon was apparently repaired by G.U.N (Presumably, they also removed the Gerald Robotnik doomsday program from the Eclipse Cannon's main control system so as to not allow history to repeat itself, as evidenced by Shadow later using the seven Chaos Emeralds to destroy the Black Comet shortly after teleporting it out of earth's range). The military also deployed robots to guard the control room, including Gun Beetles and Big Foots. During a possible Dark Side storyline, the Eclipse Cannon and the ARK were later to fall under control of Black Doom and the Black Arms (with the assistance of Shadow), who wanted to use the cannon to take control of earth. With five Emeralds, the cannon destroyed the White House and Central City as a demonstration to Black Doom's ultimatum of exterminating the world leaders who refuse to submit to the Black Arms. During the Last Story when Shadow was fighting Black Doom, a hologram of Gerald revealed to Shadow that the Cannon was developed to destroy the Black Comet. The Cannon's purpose was fulfilled after Black Doom was defeated by Super Shadow. Shadow used Chaos Control to teleport the comet into outer space and fired the Cannon to destroy the comet once and for all.
In other media
Sonic X
The Eclipse Cannon appeared in the anime series Sonic X during the Shadow Saga where its role and function mirrored of that in Sonic Adventure 2.
Archie Comics
The Eclipse Cannon made an appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. Much like in the games, the Eclipse Cannon was constructed by Gerald Robotnik, and was about fifty years discovered by Dr. Eggman, who planned to use it to threaten the population of Mobius into making him their ruler. However, the Eclipse Cannon was ultimately stopped by Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat.
IDW Publishing
Main article: Eclipse Cannon (IDW)
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, the Eclipse Cannon is a weapon on the Space Colony ARK.
Trivia
- Even though the ARK was shut down, G.U.N. soldiers were still guarding the room of the Eclipse Cannon as seen in Shadow the Hedgehog in the fight against Blue Falcon.
- The color of the beam fired from the Eclipse Cannon varies in color in the games and other media. In Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic X, the cannon's beam was blue, while in Shadow the Hedgehog, the cannon's beam was changed into green.
- When Shadow introduced the Eclipse Cannon in in the Japanese version of Sonic Adventure 2, he identified it as a weapon capable of piercing stars (a trait later mentioned in Shadow the Hedgehog). In the English version though, he identified it as a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet.
- Curiously, the cannon's use on the moon is never referenced again in any games or other media. The moon appears unscathed whenever it does appear in the games, such as Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, and it is assumed that the damage the moon took had no effect on its orbit around earth, the tides, etc. At the 2013 Sonic Boom event Q&A, when asked about the moon's unscathed status, Takashi Iizuka explained that the dark side of the moon was blown up and remains so, even when it's unseen in the games.[1]
- The Eclipse Cannon destroying the White House with its blast in Shadow the Hedgehog might be a possible reference to the movie Independence Day.
References
Playable characters |
Hero |
Sonic (Super Sonic) · Tails · Knuckles
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Dark |
Shadow (Super Shadow) · Dr. Eggman · Rouge
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Misc.
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Amy* · Big*^ · Chao Walker* · Chaos* · Dark Chao Walker* · Metal Sonic* · Tikal*
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Non-playable characters |
Chao (Angel, Chao Principal, Chaolin, Chaoko, Chaos Chao, Chaosky, Chappy, Crunch, Crystal, Dark Chao, Dinner, Eggie, Flash, Happy, Hero Chao, Lucky, Magic, Melody, Ninja, Rainbow, Skull, Smokey, Spooky, Stinky, Stormy, Tin, Wacky, Woody) · Gerald · Maria · President · Scorpion Troop · Secretary · Sigma-Alpha 2 · Spider Troop · Researcher · Animals (Bat, Bear, Boar, Cheetah, Condor, Dragon, Gorilla, Half Fish, Parrot, Peacock, Penguin, Phoenix, Rabbit, Raccoon, Seal, Sea Otter, Sheep, Skeleton Dog, Skunk, Tiger, Unicorn)
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Stages |
Hero |
City Escape · Wild Canyon · Prison Lane · Metal Harbor · Green Forest · Pumpkin Hill · Mission Street · Aquatic Mine · Route 101 · Hidden Base · Pyramid Cave · Death Chamber · Eternal Engine · Meteor Herd · Crazy Gadget · Final Rush
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Dark |
Iron Gate · Dry Lagoon · Sand Ocean · Radical Highway · Egg Quarters · Lost Colony · Weapons Bed · Security Hall · White Jungle · Route 280 · Sky Rail · Mad Space · Cosmic Wall · Final Chase
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Misc.
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Cannon's Core · Green Hill
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2P Stages |
Downtown Race · Grind Race · Planet Quest · Pool Quest · Deck Race · Pyramid Race
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Enemies |
G.U.N. |
Blue Eagle · Bomb Beetle · Bomb Wing · Gold Beetle · Gum Hawk · Gun Hawk · Gun Beetle · Gun Hawk · Gun Hunter · Gun Wing · Hornet-3 · Hornet-6 · Hornet-9 · Laser Hawk · Laser Hornet · Laser Hunter · Mono Beetle · Phoenix · Rhino Cannon · Rhino Jet · Rhino Metal · Rhino Spike · Shield Hunter · Sky Hawk · Spark Beetle · Spring Beetle
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Badniks |
Buzz Bomber · Chopper · E-1000 · Gola · Unidus · Kiki
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Misc.
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Artificial Chaos (Artificial Chaos P-1, Artificial Chaos P-100, Cell, Float Type, Guard Type) · Boo · Boom Boo
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Bosses |
B-3x Hot Shot · Biolizard · Dr. Eggman · Egg Golem · F-6t Big Foot · Finalhazard · King Boom Boo · Knuckles · R-1/A Flying Dog · Rouge · Shadow · Sonic · Tails
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Moves/techniques |
Amy Flash* · Black Shield* · Black Wave* · Booming Missile* · Bounce Attack · Captive Light* · Chaos Bind* · Chaos Control · Chaos Impact* · Chaos Screw* · Chaos Spear · Chaos Strike* · Charm Ray* · Crazy Rush* · Crouch · Dark Finish* · Dark Omochao* · Dig · Drill Claw · Drill Drive · Fire Somersault · Glide · Grind Step · Grinding · Hammer Punch* · Heaven's Justice* · Hell Bomber* · Hip Drop* · Hover · Homing Attack · Jump Dash · Kick/Kick Attack · Knuckle Spin* · Laser Missile* · Light Attack · Light Speed Dash · Lock-on · Lock-On Missile · Magic Hands · Omochao · Pick · Power Flash* · Power Laser* · Propeller Punch · Punch (Eggwalker) · Punch/Punch Attack · Rocket Launcher · Rumble Launcher* · Screw Kick · Somersault · Sonic Wind* · Speed Up* · Spin Jump · Spin Dash · Spiral Upper · Storming Heart* · Super Sonic Boost · Swim · Thunder Arrow* · Time Stop* · Volkan Cannon · Wrath of Gaia* · Zap Laser*
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Gimmicks and obstacles |
Ancient Ruin · Ball Switch · Bungie Vine · Dash Panel · Dynamite · Egg Beetle · Gravity Control Switch · Green energy fluid · Grind Rail · GUN Military Truck · High-speed warp tube · Hint Box · Hourglass · Iron ball · Jump Plate · Knuckles Clan foothold · Laser field · Missile · Pipe · Point Marker · Propeller Spring · Pulley · Ramp · Rocket · Safe · Sinking pool · Spikes · Spinning drum · Swing Bar · Time Switch · Turtle · Warp Hole · Warp Wall · Weight · Wide spring
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Items |
General |
Air bubble · Balloon · Chao Egg · Chao Key · Chaos Emerald · Chaos Drive · Car · Container (Cage, Chao Container, Steel Container, Unbreakable Container, Wooden Container) · Emblem · Emerald Shard · Gate key · Goal Ring · Item Box (5 Rings, 10 Rings, 20 Rings, Bomb, Extra Life, Health, High-Speed Shoes, Invincible, Magnetic Shield, Shield) · Key Stone (Gate Key) · Meteorite · Outfit · Ring · Snowboard
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Level Up Items |
Air Necklace · Air Shoes · Ancient Light · Bazooka · Booster · Bounce Bracelet · Flame Ring · Hammer Gloves · Iron Boots · Jet Engine · Large Cannon · Laser Blaster · Light Speed Shoes · Magic Gloves · Mystic Melody · Pick Nails · Protective Armor · Shovel Claw · Sunglasses · Treasure Scope
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Voice actors |
English |
Ryan Drummond (Sonic) · Connor Bringas (Tails) · Scott Dreier (Knuckles, GUN Soldiers) · Jennifer Douillard (Amy) · David Humphrey (Shadow) · Lani Minella (Rouge, Omochao) · Deem Bristow (Eggman) · Moriah Angeline (Maria) · Marc Biagi (Gerald, GUN Soldiers) · Steve Broadie (President) · Shelly Fox (Default menu voice) · Jon St. John (Big) · Elara Distler (Tikal) · Tomoko Sasaki (Chao)
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Japanese |
Jun'ichi Kanemaru (Sonic) · Kazuki Hayashi (Tails) · Nobutoshi Canna (Knuckles) · Taeko Kawata (Amy) · Kōji Yusa (Shadow) · Rumi Ochiai (Rouge) · Chikao Ōtsuka (Eggman, Gerald) · Etsuko Kozakura (Omochao) · Yuri Shiratori (Maria) · Kinryū Arimoto (President) · Shun Yashiro (Big) · Shelly Fox (Default menu voice) · Tomoko Sasaki (Chao)
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Music |
Songs |
"It Doesn't Matter" · "Believe In Myself" · "Unknown from M.E." · "Throw It All Away" · "E.G.G.M.A.N." · "Fly in the Freedom" · "My Sweet Passion" · "Escape from the City" · "Kick the Rock!" · "A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup" · "Dive into the Mellow" · "Deeper" · "Space Trip Steps" · "Rhythm And Balance" · "The Supernatural" · "For True Story" · "Supporting Me" · "Live and Learn"
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Albums |
Multi-Dimensional Sonic Adventure 2 Original Sound Track · Passion & Pride: Anthems with Attitude from the Sonic Adventure Era · Sonic Adventure 2 Battle - Sampler · Sonic Adventure 2 Official Soundtrack · SONIC ADVENTURE 2 OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK VINYL EDITION · Sonic Adventure 2 Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition · Sonic Adventure 2 Vocal Collection: Cuts Unleashed
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Strategy guides |
Sonic Advance & Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Official Perfect Guide · Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Strongest Strategy Guide · Sonic Adventure 2 Hero/Dark Manual · Sonic Adventure 2 Perfect Guide · Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
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Other |
Altar of Emerald · Angel Island · Auto Running · Black Market · Boss Attack · Central City · Chao Adventure 2^ · Chao Garden (Dark, Hero, Neutral) · Chao in Space · Chao Kindergarten · Chao Lobby · Chao Machine · Chao Race · Chao Stadium · Chao Transporter^ · Chao World · Corkscrew · Cyclone · Eclipse Cannon · Eggman Bombom · Eggwalker · Emerald Radar · Fake Emerald · Game Over · Gerald Robotnik's diary · Grind Shoes · Health Gauge · Hidden Base · Kart Race · Life · Loop · Master Emerald · Moon · Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome · Prison Island · Project Shadow · Rank · Space Colony ARK · Station Square · Teleporter · Totem pole · Tunnel · Water
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Playable characters |
Shadow (Dark/Hero Shadow, Super Shadow) · Amy* · Espio* · Knuckles* · Maria* · Omega* · Rouge* · Shadow Android** · Sonic* · Tails* · Vector*
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Non-playable characters |
Black Doom (Devil Doom) · Eggman · Chao (Cheese) · Charmy · Commander · Cream · Gerald · President · Researcher · Secretary
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Stages |
Westopolis · Digital Circuit · Glyphic Canyon · Lethal Highway · Cryptic Castle · Prison Island · Circus Park · Central City · The Doom · Sky Troops · Mad Matrix · Death Ruins · The ARK · Air Fleet · Iron Jungle · Space Gadget · Lost Impact · GUN Fortress · Black Comet · Lava Shelter · Cosmic Fall · Final Haunt · The Last Way
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Enemies |
Black Arms |
Black Assassin · Black Hawk · Black Oak · Black Volt · Black Warrior · Black Wing · Death Leech · Death Worm · Hammer Oak · Kill Worm · Killer Plant · Sand Worm
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G.U.N. |
Big Foot (Type A, B) · Giga Trooper · Gold Beetle · Gun Beetle · GUN Soldier · GUN Trooper · Mono Beetle · Rocket Beetle · Spark Beetle
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Eggman Empire
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Egg Bommer · Egg Pawn · Egg Pierrot · Jack Bommer · Shadow Android
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ARK |
Ark Missile Turret · Artificial Chaos (Cell, P-100)
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Miscellaneous |
Giant Walker
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Bosses |
Black Bull · Black Doom · Blue Falcon · Devil Doom · Diablon · Egg Breaker · Egg Dealer · Heavy Dog
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Moves/ techniques |
Playable characters |
Attack · Chaos Blast · Chaos Control · Chaos Spear · Crouch · Dark Spin Dash · Grinding · Grind Step · Homing Attack · Hover · Jump Dash · Light Dash · Mid-Air Attack · Overturn · Pawn Fever · Pick up · Punch · Slide · Spin Dash · Spin Jump · Strafe · Tail Swipe · Triangle Jump
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Non-playable characters |
Bomb Fever · Homing Attack · Missile Fever · Ring Fever · Shadow Fever · Swift strike · Strafe
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Vehicles |
Air Saucer · Cannon Vehicle · Convertible · GUN Motorcycle · GUN Vehicle · HMMWV · Jump Vehicle
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Gimmicks and obstacles |
Barrier · Case · Cell Cannon · City annihilator bomb · Coaster · Color panel · Electrified Rail · Fan · Fire hoop · Firewall · Giant lantern · Gravity Control Switch · Green energy fluid · Gun Lift · Gun ship · GUN turret · Hint Ring · Jump Panel (Prison Island) · Jump Panel (ramp) · Junction switch · Laser field · Laser turret · Light-speed circuit · Meteorite · Pole · Pulley · Red fruit · Red Slime · Rocket · Secret Door · Shield switch · Shooting Gallery · Small bomb · Spinning Wheel · Surveillance camera · Toxic marsh · Toxic river · Vine · Warp Hole · Weight · Wide spring
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Items |
General |
Black Tank · Bomb Unit · Chaos Emerald · Car · Container (Special Weapon Container, Steel Container, Unbreakable Container, Wooden Container) · Core program · Crimson Rock · Defense Unit · Egg Balloon · Energy Core · Floating Item Box · Goal Ring · Heal Unit · Item Box (1-Up, Barrier, Damage Recover, Heat Barrier, Invincible, Magnetic Barrier, Rings) · President's escape pod · Ring · Secret Key · Temple jewel · Volcanic Defense System
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Weapons |
4-Shot RPG · 8-Shot RPG · Bazooka · Big Worm Shooter · Big Barrel · Black Barrel · Black Sword · Dark Hammer · Egg Bazooka · Egg Gun · Egg Spear · Egg Vacuum · Environment Objects · Flash Shot · Gatling Gun · Grenade Launcher · Heal Cannon · Heavy Machine Gun · Heavy Shot · Laser Rifle · Light Shot · Omochao Gun · Pistol · Refractor · RPG · Samurai Blade · Satellite Gun · Semi-Auto Rifle · Shadow Rifle · Splitter · Sub-Machine Gun · Survival Knife · Tank Cannon · Vacuum Pod · Wide Worm Shooter · Worm Shooter
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Voice actors |
English |
Jason Griffith (Shadow, Sonic) · Sean Schemmel (Black Doom) · Mike Pollock (Eggman, Gerald) · Amy Palant (Tails) · Dan Green (Knuckles) · Lisa Ortiz (Amy) · Kathleen Delaney (Rouge) · Rebecca Honig (Maria, Cream) · Carter Cathcart (Vector) · David Wills (Espio) · Amy Birnbaum (Charmy) · Jeff Kramer (Omega) · Andrew Rannells (GUN Soldiers) · Marc Thompson (Commander) · Maddie Blaustein (President) · Bella Hudson (Secretary)
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Japanese |
Kōji Yusa (Shadow) · Jun'ichi Kanemaru (Sonic) · Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (Black Doom) · Chikao Ōtsuka (Eggman, Gerald) · Ryō Hirohashi (Tails) · Nobutoshi Canna (Knuckles) · Taeko Kawata (Amy) · Rumi Ochiai (Rouge) · Sayaka Aoki (Cream) · Yuri Shiratori (Maria) · Kenta Miyake (Vector) · Yūki Masuda (Espio) · Yōko Teppōzuka (Charmy) · Taiten Kusunoki (Omega) · Takashi Yoshida (GUN Soldiers) · Banjō Ginga (Commander) · Yutaka Nakano (President) · Junko Kitanishi (Secretary) · Ryō Hirohashi (Additional Chao)
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Music |
Songs |
"All Hail Shadow" · "Almost Dead" · "The Chosen One" · "E.G.G.M.A.N. Doc. Robeatnix Mix" · "I Am... All of Me" · "Never Turn Back" · "Tripod Baby" · "Waking Up" · "Who I Am" (unused)
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Albums |
Lost and Found: Shadow the Hedgehog Vocal Trax · Shadow the Hedgehog Official Soundtrack · Shadow the Hedgehog Original Soundtrax
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Other |
Battle Mode · Black Comet · Central Information Agency · Cyberspace · Dark/Hero Gauge · Dark Rider · Eclipse Cannon · Eggman Fleet · Egg Monitor · Expert Mode · Fire in the Sky Festival · Guardian Units of Nations · Health Gauge · Life · Loop · Mother computer · Prison Island · Prosperity ritual · Rank · Shadow the Hedgehog: Prima Official Game Guide · Shadow the Hedgehog Flash · Shadow the Hedgehog Strongest Strategy Guide · Space Colony ARK · Tails' Spaceship · Team Chaotix · White House
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