- For other uses, see Shadow the Hedgehog (disambiguation).
Shadow the Hedgehog (シャドウ・ザ・ヘッジホッグ Shadō za Hejjihoggu?), commonly known as Shadow '05, is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sega Studio USA, an American division of Sonic Team, and published by Sega. Released for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in late 2005, it is a spin-off game starring Sonic's rival, Shadow. The gameplay combines traditional Sonic elements with the introduction of third-person shooter mechanics and a nonlinear design, allowing Shadow to use various weapons to defeat enemies and influence the plot and level selection.
Sega Studio USA selected Shadow as the protagonist of the game to capitalize on his popularity. The game was written and directed by Takashi Iizuka, who aimed to appeal to an older audience by introducing a darker tone and elements normally considered inappropriate for the series. The storyline of the game unfolds during an invasion from an alien race known as the Black Arms, led by Black Doom. Shadow, suffering from amnesia, sets out to find the seven Chaos Emeralds to uncover the truth of his past as he encounters Sonic, his friends, and various factions fighting the alien threat. The game's nonlinear approach allows for multiple endings, ranging from Shadow aiding the heroes in defeating the aliens to assisting Black Doom in his conquest of Earth.
Shadow the Hedgehog received unfavorable reviews, with critics finding its mature elements ill-suited for a Sonic title. Also negatively received were the controls, weapon mechanics, and vehicle inclusion, with reviewers finding the latter two redundant. Despite polarized reactions on the level design, the game's replay value was praised. Shadow the Hedgehog nevertheless achieved commercial success, selling over two million copies across all platforms.
Plot[]
Main Story[]
Opening[]
Shadow meets Black Doom.
This story focuses on Shadow the Hedgehog, whose identity is a mystery due to a lack of records and his own amnesia. He spends his days pondering his origins and purpose, with his only clue being a grim memory of Maria Robotnik being shot at the Space Colony ARK. At the outskirts of Westopolis, Shadow watches as an alien race known as the Black Arms invades the Earth and wrecks havoc. Initially uninterested in interfering, he is met by the aliens' leader, Black Doom, who tells him that the "promised time" is approaching and instructs him to bring him the seven Chaos Emeralds "as promised". Shadow sets off to find the Emeralds, driven by the belief that they are the key to his past.[7]
Storylines[]
In war-torn Westopolis, Shadow gets caught in the crossfire between the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) and the Black Arms. He soon encounters Sonic, who trusts him to help stop the alien invasion, and Doom's Eye, through which Black Doom orders him to eliminate the G.U.N. soldiers. Shadow's involvement during the invasion is soon made known to the G.U.N. commander Abraham Tower,[note 2] who resents him for the tragedy aboard the Space Colony ARK and orders his elimination.[8] The president of the United Federation calls for unity against the Black Arms.[9] Meanwhile, Doctor Eggman, concerned about the war's disruption to his plans, deploys his Egg Fleet against both them and G.U.N.[10]
The story's progression depends on the player's decisions and actions, as Shadow collects the Chaos Emeralds. He can work with G.U.N., Sonic and his friends, the Black Arms, or Eggman, or focus solely on finding the Emeralds. Possible events include the destruction of Central City,[11] an assassination attempt on the president,[12] Shadow discovering robot copies of himself,[13] racing Sonic on the ARK,[14] or helping Maria destroy haywire experiments in a flashback.[15]
There are five final stages with two missions each, resulting in ten possible endings after obtaining the seventh Chaos Emerald and fighting a boss.
- The Dark route ends in the GUN Fortress, the last remaining stronghold of humanity. Shadow can either destroy the mainframe cores, battling Sonic and Tower before proclaiming his intention to destroy the planet,[16] or work with Rouge to obtain the final Chaos Emerald, leading to a fight against Black Doom where Shadow declares his plan to conquer the universe.[17]
- The Semi-Dark route's final stage is the Black Comet, the Black Arms' home base. Shadow can defend the comet from a G.U.N. invasion, ultimately serving as Black Doom's right-hand man,[18] or assist Knuckles in finding the final Emerald, defeating Eggman and asserting his autonomy.[19]
- The Neutral route's ending takes place at the Lava Shelter, Eggman's lair. By this point, Shadow believes himself to be a copy of the original and intends to kill Eggman. He can either help the doctor activate the fortress' defense systems, then backstab him and assert his superiority over the original Shadow,[20] or assist Omega and take over the Eggman Empire.[21]
- The Semi-Hero route's final stage is Cosmic Fall, set on the crumbling ARK. After a confrontation with Tower, Shadow can find the final Chaos Emerald for Black Doom, resulting in him defeating Eggman and proclaiming himself as the ARK's protector.[22] He can also assist Vector in finding the Emerald before fighting Doom and lamenting his past, despite Vector's support.[23]
- The Hero route's final stage is the Final Haunt, which takes place within the Black Comet. Shadow can help Black Doom activate the comet's shields, defeating Sonic and Tower and declaring himself as the most powerful hedgehog,[24] or help Sonic destroy Doom for good.[25]
Last Story[]
Completing all of the aforementioned endings unlock the Last Story, which is the true ending of the game's story.
Shadow obtains all of the Chaos Emeralds and arrives at the Black Comet. Black Doom demands the Emeralds to begin the "ritual of prosperity", but Sonic, his friends, and even Eggman, warn that Doom wants to destroy the world. Doom reveals his plan to harvest humans for energy, then seizes the Emeralds and uses Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet to the surface of the Earth.
Doom explains that he helped Gerald Robotnik create Shadow in exchange for the Chaos Emeralds, and paralyzes Sonic and the others with a gas. Shadow, immune to this gas, regains control after recalling Maria's voice and chases Doom down. Doom attempts to control Shadow's mind, revealing that Shadow was made from his blood, making him a Black Arm. Meanwhile, Team Chaotix broadcasts a recording of Gerald from fifty years ago both around the world and on the Black Comet. In it, Gerald explains that he built the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the Black Comet and entrusts Shadow with this mission. Shadow overcomes Doom's mind control and uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Shadow.
Super Shadow then defeats Doom, transformed into Devil Doom, and uses Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet back to orbit and destroy it with the Eclipse Cannon. As the world rejoices, Shadow discards a picture of Gerald and Maria, saying "Goodbye forever... Shadow the Hedgehog".
Characters[]
| Image | Character | Biography |
|---|---|---|
|
Shadow | The black hedgehog who resembles Sonic. With his powerful body, he can easily rival Sonic's world class speed. Shadow was created as the Ultimate Life form in a secret lab by Professor Gerald Robotnik. Everything else about Shadow's past is a mystery. After risking his life to save the planet with Sonic, he suffers from amnesia, having no memories of his past.[26] |
|
Sonic | The world's fastest hedgehog whose supersonic speed is second to none. He strives to life according to his own rules rather than for the sake of heroism and duty. Until now, he's been busy stopping Dr. Eggman's preposterous ambitions, but this time, he is motivated more than ever to take on the alien invaders, Black Arms.[26] |
|
Black Doom | Black Arms, the mysterious alien army that suddenly appeared in the sky bringing darkness and destruction to the world. Black Doom is the leader who is in total control of the alien army; while Doom's Eye is Black Doom's third eye that helps guide Shadow to the Chaos Emeralds. Where are they from? And why are they searching for the Chaos Emeralds? More importantly, how do they know Shadow? Their dark purpose will be revealed as Shadow discovers his true identity.[27] |
|
Doom's Eye | |
|
Dr. Eggman | Dr. Eggman is a scientist with an IQ of 300. As usual, he is plotting to take over the world and his plans for the ultimate utopia, Eggmanland, are in full swing. He considers the Black Arms, who rely on massive destruction to intimidate the world, a prime threat that could interrupt his master plans.[27] |
|
Commander | [sic]The highest-ranked commander of the GUN (Guardian Units of Nations) federation forces. With complete confidence and an iron will, he is the cornerstone of the force. He is known for his "heart of stone," and remains totally unshaken even as the Black Arms attacks the planet under his watch. For reasons only known for him, he harbors a deep hatred for Shadow. He is one of the few who knows the secret about Shadow's past.[28] |
|
Maria Robotnik | Professor Gerald is a renowned scientist, regarded as the most intelligently-gifted researcher of all time. Maria is the professor's lovely granddaughter. Fifty years ago, his top-secret-government project to create the Ultimate Life form was deemed too dangerous and a threat to mankind, and as a result, they eliminated everything related to the project, including the staff. Even Maria, who was like a sister to Shadow, fell victim to this conspiracy.[28] |
| Prof. Gerald Robotnik |
Gameplay[]
Westopolis, the first Stage in the game.
Shadow the Hedgehog is a 3D third person shooter action platforming video game, which plays similar to past 3D Sonic games such as Sonic Heroes. The game's main storyline takes place in "Story Mode", over the course of which two of three different factions will be present in each stage: the Black Arms, Guardian Units of Nations (GUN), and the Eggman Empire. They will usually be seen attacking each other, but will all try to attack the playable character regardless.[note 3]
Shadow, with a second player controlling Sonic, in Westopolis.
The player mainly controls Shadow the Hedgehog. For most missions, they also team up with various characters from the series, such as Amy Rose, Charmy Bee, Doom's Eye, Dr. Eggman, E-123 Omega, Espio the Chameleon, Knuckles the Echidna, Maria, Miles "Tails" Prower, Rouge the Bat, Sonic the Hedgehog and Vector the Crocodile. While they are controlled by an AI by default, most of these characters can be controlled by a second player in the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube versions of the game by connecting a second controller and playing in a "co-op mode". These characters can run, jump, and attack under the second player's influence. Some allies have different attacks compared to others however:
- Amy: Can perform the Punch and Jump Dash.
- Espio: Can perform kicks and chops and a a small Jump Dash.
- Knuckles: Can perform the Punch, but slightly differently from the other allies' punches, and the Jump Dash.
- Omega: Can Attack with his arms, but differently from others punches and Jump Dash.
- Maria: Can Punch, but only jump one foot off the ground and cannot use the Jump Dash.
- Rouge: Can perform kicks and the Jump Dash.
- Sonic: Can perform the Homing Attack and Punch. Sonic's Homing Attack in particular can aim towards targets outside the usual range.
- Tails: Can perform the Tail Swipe and Jump Dash.
- Vector: Can bite the enemy and perform the Jump Dash.
If an ally is controlled by an AI, they will act differently compared to the others. If it is a playable ally, they will attack any nearby enemy if Shadow gets within range. Some allies will use their attack and others will jump to attack an enemy. Hero allies will always attack Badnik and Black Arms soldiers (even if they themselves tell Shadow not to harm the former). The allies overall act as combat support and guidance and give help to Shadow should he need it.
Similar to past games, Shadow can use most of his basic abilities; he can run, jump and Jump Dash/Homing Attack, as well as Spin Dash, Light Speed Dash, Slide, Triangle Jump and perform a punch-punch-kick combo. He also has the ability to drive vehicles that he finds or commandeers. In addition, Shadow the Hedgehog also makes use of a weapon system. Ranging from pistols and machine guns to close combat weapons, Gatling guns, bazookas, and even laser rifles, weapons are commonly found in Containers and dropped by defeated enemies. When a weapon is first picked up, Shadow receives some initial ammunition for that weapon; more ammunition can be gathered by picking up more copies of the weapon. Only one weapon can be held at a time, and when Shadow runs out of ammunition for his weapon, he will toss it aside and it disappears.
Shadow has two gauges he can fill depending on how the player makes him act towards enemies/allies. When Shadow fills up either gauge to the maximum, he enters a rage state where he is invincible, has infinite ammunition for any weapon, deals more damage and can use a specific chaos power that is affiliated with whichever gauge he fills. Killing Black Arms, healing wounded GUN troopers and civilians, putting out fires and other good deeds fills up Shadow's Hero Gauge. Upon filling the gauge, the player can become Hero Shadow, with which they are able to activate Chaos Control, allowing them to fast forward through the stage, attack enemies, and slow down time in boss battles, until the Hero Gauge is empty. On the other hand, defeating GUN troops, environmental objects and healing Black Arms fills up Shadow's Dark Gauge. Upon filling this gauge, Shadow can become Dark Shadow, with which he is able to use Chaos Blast, which destroys or damages anything and anyone near him. Depending on the stage, Eggman's robots fill up either of the two gauges.[note 4]
Shadow the Hedgehog has nonlinear gameplay, which allows the course of the story to change according to the decisions the player takes. Most stages, with some exceptions, have three different types of missions: Hero, Dark and Neutral. The Hero and Dark missions usually have the player doing some tasks such as killing multiple enemies or interacting with certain objects, whereas the Neutral missions just have the player heading to a Goal Ring. However, it is possible to end a stage in a mission the player did not intend to complete.
Six special weapons can be unlocked in the Story mode by completing enough missions. These weapons are contained in Special Weapon Containers. The first five are each unlocked by completing either the Hero or Dark mission of one of the five Stages (and their ammo can be increased by completing both the Hero and Dark missions). The last special weapon, the Shadow Rifle, is unlocked upon completion of the Last Story.
As with past Sonic games, Shadow the Hedgehog's stages have Rings scattered in them. Rings serve as the playable character's main method of protection; if the player gets hit while having at least one Ring, they will survive with the cost of losing ten of their Rings. However, should Shadow suffer damage without having any Rings on them, the player will lose a life, or get a "black out" if they run out of lives. In the former case, Shadow will respawn either at the latest Save Point touched or at the start of the stage, if no Save Point was activated. However, falling into a bottomless pit will cost the player a life regardless of the Rings they have.
Shadow the Hedgehog uses the traditional A through E ranking system. A minimum total point score is required to earn each ranking, with A being the most points and E the ranking earned when less than the required number of points for a D are earned. The number of points required for each ranking varies between stages and between missions within each stage. There are also three types of points earned during a stage, and the way the total score is calculated depends on which mission is completed. Normal points are earned by collecting Rings and items; Dark points are earned by defeating GUN troops (and sometimes Eggman's mechs depending on what side the player is in) and things in the environment. Hero points are earned by killing Black Arms (and sometimes Eggman's mechs depending on the player's opposing side), healing wounded GUN troops and civilians, and putting out fires. The player's total score for Normal missions equals their Normal score plus their Time Bonus (Hero and Dark scores are ignored). Their total score for Dark missions equals their Normal score plus their Dark score plus their Time Bonus minus their Hero score, and vice versa. By earning an A rank for all stages, "Expert Mode" will be unlocked.
Scoring system[]
Controls[]
| Button formation |  Movement
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| GameCube | PlayStation 2 | Xbox | |
|
|
Move | |
|
|
Rotate camera | |
|
|
|
Jump |
| in mid-air
|
in mid-air
|
in mid-air
|
Jump Dash/Homing Attack/Triangle Jump |
|
|
|
Attack/Shoot |
|
|
|
Spin Dash/Dark Spin Dash/Light Dash/Pick up item |
| +
|
+
|
+
|
Slide |
|
|
|
Drop Weapon Chaos Control (Hero Shadow) Chaos Blast (Dark Shadow) |
|
 /
|
 /
|
Strafe |
| START | Pause | ||
Objects[]
Items[]
- Black Tank (only appearance)
- Bomb Unit (only appearance)
- Chaos Emerald
- Container
- Case
- Special Weapon Container (only appearance)
- Steel Container
- Unbreakable Container
- Wooden Container
- Core program (only appearance)
- Crimson Rock (only appearance)
- Defense Unit (only appearance)
- Egg Balloon (only appearance)
- Energy Core (first appearance)
- Floating Item Box
- Goal Ring
- Heal Unit (only appearance)
- Item Box
- 1-Up
- Damage Recover (only appearance)
- Heat Barrier (only appearance)
- Invincible
- Magnetic Shield
- Rings
- Shield
- President's escape pod (only appearance)
- Ring
- Secret Key (only appearance)
- Temple jewel (only appearance)
- Volcanic Defense System (only appearance)
Gimmicks and obstacles[]
- Barrier
- Case
- Cell Cannon (only appearance)
- City annihilator bomb (only appearance)
- Color panel (only appearance)
- Electrified Rail (only appearance)
- Fan
- Firewall (only appearance)
- Gravity Control Switch
- Green energy fluid
- Gun Lift (only appearance)
- Gun ship (only appearance)
- GUN turret (only appearance)
- Hint Ring
- Jump Panel (Prison Island) (only appearance)
- Jump Panel (ramp)
- Junction switch (only appearance)
- Lantern
- Laser field
- Laser turret (only appearance)
- Light-speed circuit (only appearance)
- Meteorite
- Pole
- Pulley
- Red fruit (only appearance)
- Red Slime (only appearance)
- Rocket
- Secret Door (only appearance)
- Shield switch (only appearance)
- Shooting Gallery (only appearance)
- Small bomb (only appearance)
- Surveillance camera (only appearance)
- Toxic marsh (only appearance)
- Toxic river (only appearance)
- Vine
- Warp Hole
- Weight
- Wide spring
- Zip Line
Weapons[]
- 4-Shot RPG
- 8-Shot RPG
- Bazooka
- Big Worm Shooter
- Big Barrel
- Black Barrel
- Black Sword
- Egg Bazooka
- Egg Gun
- Egg Spear
- Egg Vacuum
- 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
Characters[]
Playable characters[]
|
Co-op[]
|
Non-playable characters[]
- Black Doom (first appearance)
- Devil Doom (first appearance)
- Chao
- Charmy Bee
- Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan (mentioned)
- Commander (first appearance)
- Cream the Rabbit
- Dr. Eggman
- Minister of Finance (mentioned)
- President
- Researcher
- Gerald Robotnik
- Secretary
Enemies[]
Black Arms[] |
G.U.N.[] |
Eggman Empire[] |
Space Colony ARK[] |
Stages[]
A chart of the levels in Shadow the Hedgehog. Each box represents a level and can be clicked on to go to its corresponding page. The colored lines represent the routes that are followed depending on the missions that the player clears. The Last Way, the only level of the Last Story, is at the far right, separated from the other levels.
Bosses[]
Mid-story[]
- Black Bull (Lethal Highway, Death Ruins)
- Blue Falcon (The ARK)
- Egg Breaker (Cryptic Castle, Mad Matrix, Iron Jungle)
- Heavy Dog (The Doom)
Story ending[]
- Black Doom (GUN Fortress, Cosmic Fall, Final Haunt)
- Diablon (GUN Fortress, Black Comet, Final Haunt)
- Egg Dealer (Black Comet, Lava Shelter, Cosmic Fall)
Last Story[]
Modes[]
1P[]
Story[]
The menu in Shadow the Hedgehog's Story Mode, with an ongoing path being displayed as well.
Story Mode is where the main campaign of Shadow the Hedgehog takes place. Here, the player can go through the events of the story, which varies depending on the paths taken. During an ongoing storyline, the player can see a map of the path they are taking and the current stage either at the main menu or at the pause menu.
Story Mode features the following options:
- New: The player can begin a new campaign in the story.
- Continue: The player starts where they left off in the storyline, be either a stage or a boss. When they return to the story, they will have a short monologue of Shadow recalling the previous events, akin to the Story Screens of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2.
- Library: Here, the player can see a list of the paths they have taken, known as "Libraries". Selecting one of said Libraries will make them watch the cutscenes in the story. A total of 326 possible paths exist.
- Last Story: Unlocked upon making all ten endings in the normal campaign, where Shadow finally learns about his past and takes down Black Doom for good. The player goes through a single stage, The Last Way, and later fights the true final boss of the game, Devil Doom.
Select[]
The menu of Shadow the Hedgehog's Select Mode, with all 71 A ranks collected.
Select Mode is where the player can play any of the stages and bosses they have unlocked in Story Mode (except those in the Last Story), and see their current rankings and best time and score, akin to a Level Select. Stages that have all of their missions completed with an A rank will display a white star symbol on top of their icon. The menu will also display the A ranks the player has obtained, out of 71. Getting all of them unlocks Expert Mode. Boss stages are represented with a blue dot at the bottom right corner of the corresponding stage, whilst final bosses are gray dots at the far right of the screen, next to the preceding stages.
In Select Mode, the player can complete every mission available to them regardless of whether or not they have actually ended the same stage with that mission in Story Mode. However, doing so in this mode will not unlock any new stages or bosses.
Expert[]
Expert Mode is unlocked by getting all 71 A ranks in the game, similar to the Super Hard Mode in Sonic Heroes. Here, the player goes through all of the stages in Story Mode, from Westopolis to the Last Way, with a slight increase in difficulty. While Shadow goes on his own, various non-playable characters will cheer him on at the beginning of most stages. There are no ranks in this mode, but losing all lives and getting a Game Over will force the player to start from Westopolis again.
2P: Battle[]
Battle Mode,[29] also known as 2P Mode, is the competitive aspect of Shadow the Hedgehog. In it, two players each take control of a Shadow Android and must take down their opponent twice in order to win.
When selecting Battle Mode on the game's main menu, the players will be able to choose an aspect for their Shadow Android, though it will not affect gameplay. Then, the player will have to choose three different Stages to play in: Air Fleet, Lava Shelter and GUN Fortress, with Radical Highway used. They can also select 3-Stage so that the game will pick up a random stage.
Battle Mode plays mostly the same as Story Mode, though the players will not be able to transform into Dark or Hero Shadow. Both playable characters will start at different points of the stage, near the center of it. If a player is hit without having any Rings left or falls into a bottomless pit, the opponent will be declared the winner. After three fights, the game will end and the players will be taken back to the title screen.
Development[]
Background[]
Cover of Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), which marked the debut of Shadow the Hedgehog. The game's ending showed the character falling into the earth's orbit, supposedly dying, but his popularity allowed him to return in future games.[30]
During the late 1990s, Sonic Adventure was released worldwide for Sega's Dreamcast, to positive reception. Shortly after, the former American division of Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (later Sega Studio USA), began work on a sequel, Sonic Adventure 2. For this game, a new character, named Shadow the Hedgehog, was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, respectively the director and writer of the title.[31] Shadow was introduced as a new rival to Sonic, and was his counterpart for the game's "Dark" storyline.
Sonic Adventure 2 was released on 23 June 2001 to celebrate the Sonic series' 10th anniversary, and received critical acclaim like its prequel. In the game's ending, Shadow falls from space into the earth's orbit, supposedly dying. While Sonic Adventure 2 was originally intended to be the character's sole appearance, he became a fan favorite,[30] causing him to reappear in both Sonic Heroes and Sonic Battle.
Conception[]
|
After the release of Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Team began to consider featuring Shadow in a spin-off game.[33] With the character's popularity, Iizuka thought that this was the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into his origins. The team conceived Shadow the Hedgehog as a way to make a more "mature" Sonic game and attract new audiences.[30][33][34]
Like Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow the Hedgehog was developed by Sega Studio USA.[1] Takashi Iizuka served as the writer and director of the game, while Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka was the producer.[35] The game's first novelty is the use of weapons; the previous Sonic Adventure games had shooter gameplay, but "they've been more 'stand-and-shoot' style bits", in Naka's opinion. For this title, the developers decided to incorporate this play style in the series' trademark high-speed gameplay, since Shadow was the perfect fit for this mechanic.[30][36] With the mysteriousness surrounding Shadow's character, as well as his ambiguous alignment, the team incorporated a morality system that would allow the player to progress in the story by completing "heroic" and "evil" missions.[32]
Shadow the Hedgehog is notable for its profanities and use of weapons. The decision of including this was made early during the game's development, mainly because of its intended mature tone. Back then, the game was planned to fit the "T" (teen) rating for "cartoon violence" and "language." However, that same year, the ESRB had created a new "E10+" rating, and as such, Sega decided to alter certain scenes of the game during development so that it could fit in the new rating. The ESRB ultimately assigned the game an E10+ rating for "fantasy violence" and "mild language."[37]
Promotion[]
A Shadow mascot standing in the ring, in the Spiral Tour Event.
In E3 2005, Sega revealed a Shadow statue, with the statue holding a gun towards the ground.
To help promote Shadow the Hedgehog in Japan, Sega and Sonic Team sponsored a Pancrase hybrid wrestling event on 5 December 2005, in which the ring mat had a painting of a Shadow render with the game logo, while as the ringposts had the Sonic Channel logo on the side. There was also a Shadow the Hedgehog mascot that turned up and pulled a stunt in the ring.[38] Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka were interviewed by the ringside announcer and were asked why they promoted the game in a wrestling event, despite martial arts not being a thing in the Sonic the Hedgehog series before. Naka answered that it was because of the design of the Pancrase wrestling hybrid logo that matched the same color scheme as Shadow.
Cast[]
This is the first game in the series to feature the 4Kids Entertainment voice actors from the Sonic X anime series.
4Kids controversy[]
In this game, Sega decided to hire the 4Kids Entertainment voice actors who were cast for the Sonic X anime series for the Sonic the Hedgehog games as well, with their debut featured in Shadow the Hedgehog. This move was poorly received by fans, with many criticizing the 4Kids actors as either trying to imitate their predecessors too much, or being unsuitable for their roles. Despite protests by fans, as well as a long running campaign by former Sonic voice actor Ryan Drummond to return to the role, the 4Kids voice actors were kept up until Sonic Free Riders in 2010 where the cast was replaced once more except for Mike Pollock, the voice of Dr. Eggman.
Soundtrack[]
The vocal tracks were released on an album in February 2006, entitled Lost and Found: Shadow the Hedgehog Vocal Trax. They are:
- "I Am... All of Me" by Crush 40 (Intro song, Main theme, and Final Boss theme)
- "Almost Dead" by Powerman 5000 (Pure Dark ending theme)
- "Waking Up" by Julien-K (Neutral ending theme)
- "E.G.G.M.A.N. Doc. Robeatnix Mix" by Remix Factory (Eggman's theme)
- "The Chosen One" by A2 (Semi-Hero ending theme)
- "All Hail Shadow" by Magna-Fi (Pure Hero ending theme. The following games often use this as Shadow's theme as opposed to the others)
- "Never Turn Back" by Crush 40 (Last Story ending theme)
The official soundtrack for the game, featuring the rest of the songs from the game, was also released on the same day, entitled Shadow the Hedgehog Original Soundtrax.
Reception[]
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 53% (GCN)[39] 49% (PS2)[40] 52% (Xbox)[41] |
| Metacritic | 51% (GCN)[42] 45% (PS2)[43] 49% (Xbox)[44] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1Up.com | 4.0/10[45] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 5.75/10[45] |
| Eurogamer | 5/10[46] |
| Game Informer | 4/10 (GCN)[47] |
| GamePro | 2.0/5 (PS2)[48] |
| GameSpot | 4.8/10[49] |
| GameSpy |   [50]
|
| Hyper | 56%[51] |
| IGN | 4.7/10[52] |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 60% (GCN)[53] |
| Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) | 4/10 (PS2)[54] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 7.0/10 (Xbox)[55] |
| X-Play | [56]
|
| Herald Sun | 3.5/5[57] |
Shadow the Hedgehog received mixed reviews from critics upon its release;[59] the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox versions are respectively rated 51%,[42] 45%,[43] and 49%[44] on Metacritic, along with sitting at 53%,[39] 49%,[40] and 52%[41] on GameRankings. By 17 May 2006, the game's worldwide sales total exceeded one million.[60] The game was later released as a part of two budget lines—Greatest Hits for the PlayStation 2, with this representing sales of at least 400,000,[61] and Player's Choice for the GameCube, representing at least 250,000.[62]
Much criticism stemmed from the unwelcome sense of maturity and, in particular, the addition of guns.[59] Game Informer staff writer Matt Helgeson said that "not only is this new 'adult' interpretation of Sonic painfully dumb, it’s also ill-advised and almost feels like a betrayal to longtime fans."[47] Eurogamer staff writer Tom Bramwell felt that "the game's other selling point – its darker edge – [is] not really meant for us,"[46] with G4's X-Play and GameSpy staff writer Patrick Klepek thinking similarly.[50][56] In contrast, Nintendo Power staff writer Steve Thomason rated the game 8.0 out of 10,[59] stating that this "darker take on the Sonic universe succeeds for the most part, giving the series a bit of an edge without going overboard on violence." However, in the last issue of Nintendo Power, Thomason would go on to say that giving it this rating was his worst mistake while working on the magazine and described the game as an "abomination".[59]
The game's controls were criticized, especially because Shadow's Homing Attack caused unexpected character deaths. Game Informer's Matt Helgeson complained that the attack "frequently sends you careening off into nothingness, resulting in cheap death after cheap death,"[47] with Nintendo Power, X-Play, Eurogamer, Official Xbox Magazine, and GameSpy agreeing.[59][46][50][56][55] Other complaints focused on the mechanics of weapons and vehicles. Greg Mueller of GameSpot felt that the guns were nearly useless because of a lack of an aiming ability.[49] IGN staff writer Matt Casamassina, 1UP.com staff writer Greg Sewart, Game Informer, X-Play, GameSpy, and London's The Times also criticized the mechanics of Shadow's weapons and vehicles, and other aspects of the game's controls.[47][50][56][52][63] However, Nintendo Power claimed that "blasting Shadow's foes with the wide variety of weapons at his disposal is just plain fun."[59]
The many possible paths through the game caused reviewers to praise the game's replay value. Rating the game 8.3 out of 10, GameTrailers stated that "this choose-your-own-adventure style gives the game replay value that many platformers lack." The Melbourne, Australia, publication Herald Sun, and Official Xbox Magazine thought similarly.[55][57] Nintendo Power agreed, although criticizing the difficulty of the missions that require the player to locate objects.[59] GameSpot praised the game's variety of levels and its music.[49] Despite of the overall mixed to negative reception, Shadow the Hedgehog was voted the best game of 2006 in the Jetix Magazine Reader Awards.[58]
Re-releases[]
| Image | Title | Platform | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sega Fun Pack: Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Shadow the Hedgehog | PlayStation 2 | Released in 2009 as a Sega Fun Pack compilation with Sonic Mega Collection Plus. |
Adaptations[]
The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film produced by Paramount Pictures features elements from the game itself.
Trivia[]
- There are few differences between each version. The PlayStation 2 version supports multiple voice and text languages as is the case with most of Sonic’s PS2 games. The Xbox version also contains multiple languages dependent on system settings, but is the only version that does not allow a second controller to play as a mission helper (only the flying characters Eggman, Charmy, and Doom's Eye could not be controlled in other versions). The GameCube version maintains a steadier framerate, but suffers the most from poor controls having analog movement snapping to 8 directions due to the controller’s design, it also only has one voiced language available (Japanese in the Japanese release, English elsewhere).
- Although the first Chaos Emerald is needed to progress, it is possible to activate chaos powers without it by destroying debris in the pre emerald area of the level.
- During the levels of this game, some GUN soldiers will shout, "Mr. Yuji Naka is all right!" This is an obvious reference to the former head of Sonic Team, Yuji Naka.
- Since this game is similar to Sonic Heroes in both graphics and engine, most characters reuse their models from said game.
- Additionally, Knuckles retains his victory pose from Sonic Heroes.
Red Black Arms blood in the prototype screenshots of Shadow the Hedgehog.
- Before the game was released, it was going to take more advantage of the ESRB "T" rating. For example, some FMV scenes had violent extensions (such as the opening showing a lone GUN soldier getting shot in the opening, though he can still be seen bracing for the impact in the final version, and the flashback of Maria getting shot originally showed her fall), the aliens' green blood was originally red, and there were more instances of cursing such as Shadow saying "What the hell was that all about" in the intro and Sonic saying "piss" instead of "tick". However, the E10+ rating was created during development, causing some changes between pre-release and the final version. Contrary to popular belief, the Japanese version is not uncensored.
- There are a few songs from Sonic Adventure 2 that were reused in the game, such as: Event - Strategy, Blue Falcon (with a remixed techno version of the GUN Mobile boss), Heavy Dog (GUN Mobile with different drums), and 2P vs Battle (a remixed version of Radical Highway). Event - Super Shadow has a small clip of "Live and Learn", the main theme from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Additionally, many levels in this game have names similar to Sonic Adventure 2 ones: Glyphic Canyon (Wild Canyon), Lethal Highway (Radical Highway), Prison Island (Prison Lane), Central City (City Escape), Mad Matrix (Mad Space), Sky Troops (Sky Rail), Death Ruins (Death Chamber), Iron Jungle (Iron Gate/White Jungle), Space Gadget (Crazy Gadget), Cosmic Fall (Cosmic Wall), Lost Impact (Lost Colony), and Final Haunt (Final Rush/Chase).
- Same for Sonic Heroes: Westopolis (Grand Metropolis), Lethal Highway (BINGO Highway), Glyphic Canyon (Rail Canyon), Cryptic Castle (Hang Castle), Iron Jungle (Lost Jungle), Circus Park (Casino Park), Central City (City Top/Course), Air Fleet (Egg Fleet), and GUN Fortress/Final Haunt (Final Fortress).
- Additionally, many levels in this game have names similar to Sonic Adventure 2 ones: Glyphic Canyon (Wild Canyon), Lethal Highway (Radical Highway), Prison Island (Prison Lane), Central City (City Escape), Mad Matrix (Mad Space), Sky Troops (Sky Rail), Death Ruins (Death Chamber), Iron Jungle (Iron Gate/White Jungle), Space Gadget (Crazy Gadget), Cosmic Fall (Cosmic Wall), Lost Impact (Lost Colony), and Final Haunt (Final Rush/Chase).
- Big the Cat was the only playable character from Sonic Heroes to not return in this game.
- This is the first Sonic game with an E10+ rating from ESRB and a 12 rating from PEGI. This is due to the game's explicit nature compared to other games in the series.
- Additionally, this game is the third Sonic game containing profanity in the English audio, following Sonic Adventure 2 (specifically, some of the lyrics used in its songs), and Sonic Heroes.
The Sega logo on the back-wheel of Shadow's motorcycle.
- Shadow the Hedgehog was supposed to have an odd type of first-third person view that is indicated by a map similar to other 3rd person shooters such as Gears of War and Ratchet & Clank (refer to the picture on the right).
Shadow using one of his many guns in the game.
- Although the game was directed towards a more mature audience, the game was nominated for a Golden Joystick Award for Family Game of the Year in 2006 on the website for the British newspaper The Sun.
- Sonic is the only assistant character who can use the Homing Attack. This could be due to his involvement in one of the final bosses. This is also the only game in which a Homing Attack (only in Sonic's case as an NPC) can defy certain physics, such as being able to aim straight upward or instantly retaliating after getting hit.
- When playing Lava Shelter in Expert Mode, it is possible to get stuck due to a design oversight. The Goal Ring is moved to the final volcanic defense system room. If a player uses Chaos Control at the wrong time, they will go down the path that one would normally take in the Hero Route, leading the player to getting trapped in a dead end with no way of finishing the level, forcing the player to restart.
- In one cutscene, Sonic says, "Welcome to the next level!" a reference to one of SEGA's mottos used to promote the Sega 32X.
- This is the first mainstream 3D Sonic game that does not feature Super Sonic as a playable character in the final boss.
- In addition, this is the first mainstream 3D Sonic game where Super Sonic is unimportant to the game's plot, although he can be briefly seen during Shadow's flashbacks of the events of Sonic Adventure 2, which are relayed during the cutscene prior to Space Gadget as well as the cutscene shown prior to Lava Shelter.
The texture of the text used in the background of the Select Screen and Stage Select.
- In the texture found in the background of the Select Screen, there is a text that features a lot of English and poor grammar. A portion of this text reads "Shaodw, whats' worng? You cant escape from you distany. Shaodw, whats' worng? Let's destroy the nermies working together. Shadow?"
- The scene where the Eclipse Cannon destroys the president's office is very similar to a scene in the movie Independence Day, where an alien laser beam destroys the White House. Whether this is an intentional reference or not is unknown.
- The symbol of the game that represents Shadow also resembles a tomoe, with extra curves added to represent Shadow's spine.
- The gun that Shadow is seen holding on the cover artwork for this game is not featured in the actual game.
- As revealed by Ilzuka Takashi at Sonic Boom 2013, Shadow the Hedgehog is the last game released to be part of the Dreamcast Era, while Sonic Advance 3 was the last game of the Dreamcast Era chronologically. Sonic Rush starts off the Modern Era.[citation needed]
- Vector and Omega cannot harm enemies by using the Spin Jump, which is most likely a bug because their AIs will still unsuccessfully try to attack that way.
- The adaptation of Black Doom's reason for gathering the Chaos Emeralds differs between the English and Japanese version of Shadow the Hedgehog. In the English version, he states that he needed the Chaos Emeralds to teleport the Black Comet down to earth because its velocity was not powerful enough to pass through a planet's atmosphere. In the Japanese version, he stated that the Black Comet is a cyclic comet that never touches a planet, so he needed the Chaos Emeralds teleport it down to the planet.
- The reason behind the characters' paralysis differs between the adaptations of Shadow the Hedgehog. In the Japanese version, Black Doom states that the Black Comet releases a natural gas that, when coming into contact with the earth's atmosphere, develops into a toxin that paralyzes nerve cells. In the English version, he states that the Black Comet has just released a nerve gas that paralyzes its victims when it has spread across the planet's crust.
- Mistakenly, the European box on the back refers to the GUN Commander as "The General."
- In the GameCube version, there exists a huge unused level in the game files. This one includes leftovers from the Egg Emperor's boss arena in Sonic Heroes with the same textures as the original battle arena. The unused level also includes exclusive large buildings, wide bridges and different street signs. These files also have a separate texture image depicting what looks like a city with the same name label as of Westopolis' textures, indicating that this level may be an older version of it.[64]
- Two of the games bosses "Black Bull" and "Blue Falcon" share their names with vehicles from the Nintendo franchise F-ZER0, they belong to the antagonist Black Shadow and the protagonist Captain Falcon.
- If the player has set the game's subtitles in other languages (except for English and Japanese), some of the sequences' numbers are mislabeled, with "Machine Utopia" (#054) always being mislabeled as "#053" in French, German, Italian and Spanish:
- If the subtitles are set in French, the sequences will be mislabeled as the following:
- "Machine, Machine" (#020) as "#019".
- "Transcendentalism" (#057) as "#058".
- "Shadow, the Black Android" (#067) as "#068".
- "To Be Known as ‘Ultimate’" (#100) as "#099".
- "Dark Warrior’s Advent" (#101) as "#100".
- "The Liberated Soldier" (#107) as "#108".
- "With the Black Arms" (#127) as "#128".
- "ARK, Colony of Pathos" (#131) as "#132".
- "Shadow Surpassing Shadow" (#167) as "#168".
- "Comprehension for a Miracle" (#182) as "#181".
- If the subtitles are set in German, the sequences will be mislabeled as the following:
- "Controller from the Capsule" (#051) as "#052".
- "Maria's Testament" (#278) as "#277".
- If the subtitles are set in either Italian or Spanish, the sequences will be mislabeled as the following:
- "Controller from the Capsule" (#051) as "#052".
- If the subtitles are set in French, the sequences will be mislabeled as the following:
Videos[]
Trailers[]
Commercials[]
Notes[]
- ↑ According to the library version on the library ID stamp of Shadow the Hedgehog's Renderware engine. Library version uses hexadecimal numbers and has the form 0xVJNBB where "V" (3 bits) is the Renderware version, "J" (4 bits) is the major revision, "N" (4 bits) is the minor revision, and "B" (6 bits) is the binary revision. Version 3.7.0.0 for instance would be encoded as 0x37000.
- ↑ Tower was only known as "the Commander" when Shadow the Hedgehog released. His full name was revealed 19 years later in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
- ↑ GUN troops will not attack the player in Lost Impact and Westopolis, whereas Black Arm enemies do not attack the player in Space Gadget.
- ↑ Destroying Eggman's robots fills up the Hero Gauge in Circus Park, Iron Jungle, and Lava Shelter, as well as during the Egg Breaker boss fights. The same enemies fill up the Dark Gauge in Cryptic Castle, Mad Matrix, and Sky Troops upon destruction.
References[]
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External links[]
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official website (North America)
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