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Does he really need to say that word??

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: May 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

My 9 year old just got this game last night, loves it. He has all the other sonic games, I even like to play them with him. So imagine my surprise when I hear over and over again "DAMN, Damn it" and did I actually hear the sh.. word?
When Shadow falls off a ledge. his reply is the same, you guessed it. And guess how many times he falls in a course of a level? I am nearly over the gun thing, after all the gun is for killing wierd aliens and opening walls. But I am not getting used to the constant words which are not necessary. I know what you may be thinking..... My son is NINE years old, and it does say E-10. And I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps it would be fine for teens. So before you write a response saying I should "mind my own business or lighten up" this review is mainly for other moms who may need to be aware of this before purchasing for a younger Sonic enthusiast.

My son just now had a great idea. He changed the language to Chinese, that way he can still hear the effects and I don't have to hear those words... either that or we'll learn how to curse in foreign languages.

It's not bad. It's GOOD.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: October 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have played this game and I have to say that this game is not bad. Yes, the game is challenging. If you are looking for an easy game then this one isn't for you. It seems too many of today's gamers want easy spoon-fed games that don't require much finger dexterity. They want games that are not true games but instead are interactive videos. Shadow the Hedgehog harkens back to the good old days of video games when twitch control was the rule of the day. Remember Galaga? How about Pac-man? Sure they didn't have a storyline like many of today's games but they sure were fun as heck. Today's games are about storyline like Grand Theft Auto. Yesterday's was about pure action. Take Strider for example. I'll take that one any day over GTA. If you like a challenge, then this one is a game for you. It seems that Sega gets a lot of bashing because people have a lot of expectations for them. Granted this game isn't the best in the series it still is a fun game. I have played and replayed this game and cannot understand what all these bad reviews are about. It makes one wonder if they really gave it a chance. If you liked Sonic Heroes or Sonic Adventure like I did, you will like this one. Sonic Heroes, too. I don't understand why people give negative reviews of Sonic Heroes. It is a great game. But that is another story.

People want to go FAST... not slow..

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: December 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The problem that all of the Sonic games have had since their advance to the 3D realm is that they do not emphasize the SONIC part. Case in point, Shadow the Hedgehog does the exact same thing. Rather than focus on the speed factor of Shadow and the notion that the game should have fast paced high octane action, it instead comes off as a somewhat stiff cross between Shinobi (PS2) and Mario Sunshine (GC).

The game features some of the same things from past 3D Sonic games (I.E. rings do not deplete entirely when you are hit, a homing jump attack, etc.) The newest features though are the hero/dark bars and the inclusion of weapons. Of these two features, the weapons feature has received the most chagrin. Despite this harsh criticism though, the weapons do actually improve the game and it's SLOW pace. They allow Shadow to take out multiple enemies rather fast in situations that would seem almost impractical without them. They also help emphasize Shadow's "rebel" persona, so they work with him much more than they would if the character would be Sonic. As for the dark/hero bars, this feature works somewhat like this: Depending on who you attack in each level, one of these two bars will go up. If you attack humans/good people, your dark bar goes up, and if you attack villains, your hero bar goes up. When one of the bars are fully charged, Shadow can perform a super move that either heavily damages the area around him (dark) or allows him to fly through most of the level you are currently in (hero). Of these two attacks, the hero one seemed to be the most annoying, especially in missions where you were trying to complete the hero objective. The move would make you skip past too many things, and then suddenly you would not be able to complete the mission objectives. So you end up not using the hero attack most of the time, unless you sincerely just want to get out of the level you are in, and forfeit advancing the storyline of the game in the hero or dark directions.

That being said, the game has a large amount of replay value. Each level branches off to another three possible levels. In order to take on of the three branches, you either have to complete the hero objective, the dark objective, or the neutral objective of the level. Completing one of the three will send you to the corresponding level. You cannot go back in levels however, and if you want to revisit them, you will have to start a new game. You can however do isolated instances of them after you unlock them, but they will not be in the story mode.

And while we are on the story mode mentioning- the game features a storyline, but it is a little dumbed down. While the details will not be gotten into, it is basically a constant decision for the rebel hedgehog to side with an evil alien, go it alone, or chose to help his "friend" Sonic, all while not having much character development along the way. The voice acting that accompanies this is appropriate though, but it could always be better considering the other incarnations of Sonic.

The game also features a "helper" in each level, much like Sonic and his buddy Tails. The helper cannot die, and sometimes it actually gets in the way. You can turn the helper off though by switching to either solo or dark in the pause screen.

And while the game does seem SLOW in a lot of places, there are a few instances where you can pick up some classic Sonic action. These instances are few and far in between, and when they do happen (I.E. spinning and bursting through walls and going through loops), they go by so fast you feel almost cheated.

Shadow will not salvage the Sonic series, nor will it probably create a new spin-off franchise (unless sales say otherwise.) The game feels stiff and confining in many levels due to the small rooms and the redundant and unimaginative mission objectives. The storyline is ALRIGHT, but it blatantly caters to younger players, so it is hard to judge it from the perspective of a 22 year old. Shadow is recommended as rental, but is advisable against being a purchase unless it is for a younger gamer. Old school fans of Sonic- look toward the next Sonic game.

Sonic the Hedgehog Advances to the Next Level

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Even with recent advancements in video game technology, very few games offer a mix of everything gaming has to offer. First person shooters, and racing games come by the dozen, as do games about soldiers, crooks, or mystical anime-like worlds. Shadow the Hedgehog, the newest addition to the classic Sonic series, combines the best aspects of these popular gaming concepts, enhancing the over-all Sonic experience.

Simply, Shadow is an inverted version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Those unfamiliar with Sonic Adventure 2, might assume this to be cheap characterization on the Sonic Team's part, but it is actually just the opposite. Visually, yes, Sonic and Shadow are extremely alike. Shadow's colors are just flipped from Sonic's and his look is more menacing. The actual background of Shadow's character however, is more complex then any other character's in the series. In fact, Shadow's past and personality are the bases of the game. This is a huge step up for the Sonic Team. Sonic Adventure 2, which also centers Shadow's motives, is the only other Sonic game that has ever truly regarded any kind of thought out story line. Sonic Heroes, Sonic Adventure, and pretty much all of the Sega Genesis Sonic games, gave you a very clear mission; Defeat the Evil Doctor Robotnik using some Chaos Emeralds, and thus, save the world.

The Story line in Shadow the Hedgehog is: who is Shadow? Is he good, evil, misunderstood, indifferent? Does he want to help human beings, or does he want to kill them all? It is the player's job to decide. And the great thing is, you can change your mind right in the middle of game play.

Here's how the system works, the order of stages depends on the mission you choose with in each level. For example, level one, Westopolis, throws Shadow into a situation where aliens are attacking the city. You have three options: You can either, help Sonic and the G.U.N. army defeat these aliens; You can assist the aliens in killing off all the soldiers; Or... you can blow everyone off and snatch one of seven chaos emeralds, hidden near the end of the level. There are over twenty levels, all of which are huge 3-D environments, with lots of directions and little crevices to choose from. It is actually a combination of the path-set levels in Sonic Adventure 2, and the exploration based levels in Sonic Adventure.

Its easy to choose which path to take, as the game's other characters are always meeting up with you as you play, and trying to sway you to follow their directions. You can also reference each mission by pausing the game. This takes you to a menu of your options. Often I would be very close to finishing a mission, and at the very last minute, decide to just blow everything up. This is possible because for good deeds, a meter on the top of the screen fills up in blue, eventually giving you a special move called, Chaos Control, allowing you to wiz through the level in double the speed.. If you choose to be wicked though, another meter fills up in red, giving you the power of Chaos Blast, which is the equivalent to a mini-nuclear bomb. Each move is very nicely animated and easy to control.

The weapons are also a nice addition to the game. There are special weapons, which can be found in Shadow-colored boxes. Each box has four weapons to choose from. I recommend the vacuum chicken, which sucks up all your enemies, but the chao doll shooter is nice too...

Regular weapons, which you steal from your enemies, include missiles, bazookas, machine guns, plasma lasers, hand guns... basically all the good stuff. This might seem violent for a Sonic game, but aliens just turn into green blobs when you shoot them. Soldiers and army fighting machines? ...Okay, I know, shooting soldiers is a bit dark, but again, its not like blood flies every where. Soldiers just yelp and beg for mercy after you shoot them. There are no violent graphics or real solider deaths, so its hard to feel too guilty once you get into blasting them all. That, and its fun to watch their machinery explode.

Getting back to the "darkness" of the game... Some very minimal, almost silly swearing has been added to the dialogue. Trust me, it is not offensive. Its actually kind of goofy. Also, the voice actors have all been re-casted, so, aside from the harmless cussing, lines are delivered a lot better then those of previous Sonic games. Though, be warned of the cheesy "mwhahaha" crap every now and then.

Other problems that have been addressed: The angle issue that the Sonic Team is notorious for, is actually a lot better. There are a few levels where I had some problems with it, but very rarely did they cost me one of my Shadow lives. The animation, especially in the major cut scenes, is really nice, great actually. It is very clear, textured, well lit, and nicely directed, though some of the human characters move a bit awkwardly. Still, in Sonic Adventure 2, the animation of a human character, Maria, was practically deformed. She looks a lot better in this game, I promise.

Lastly, the soundtrack to Shadow the Hedgehog features digitally mixed, guitar-heavy, electronica-like themes. The tracks with vocals, which are played during the introduction of the game, and as the credits are rolling, range from Marilyn Manson rip-offs, to even a semi-eighties/The Cure techno track. The best theme is one called The Chosen one. Its very pop-rock, but actually has a really somber chord progression. It almost stands alone from the game, just as Suteki Da Ne does in Final Fantasy X.

Over-all, Shadow the Hedgehog is a major advancement in Sonic games, that features very polished animation, and a detailed story-line, which the player has control over. It is "dark" but not offensive or truly violent, and includes well-produced music and voice acting.

A new bright star or stuck in someone else's shadow?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: November 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The Earth is under attack from the Black Arms, a race of alien conquerers. As the invasion begins, the race's leader makes a point to contact Shadow the Hedgehog, tempting him with knowledge of his origins and uncertain past. Shadow is thrust right into the middle of perhaps the greatest conflict to ever grasp the planet. On one side are the mysterious alien warriors and on the other lies the usual Earth notables, led by Sonic. Shadow must choose which path to walk at this troubled time whilst also searching for the final truth of his identity...

When word first got out about the idea of this game, many fans understandably raised an eyebrow or two. Shadow taking center stage? Riding cars and motorbikes? Alien invaders? Using GUNS?! With baited breath the fans waited for release day, hopeful that at the very least the game would finally put to rest the issue of how Shadow came to be and what really happened to the character 50 years ago.
The game plays like most of the recent Sonic games, which to be fair isn't a good thing. The camera is often little to no help. It's also far too easy to get knocked off high ledges, mostly from screwed up homing attacks. It seems so long as the decade+ fanbase of us Sonic fans continue to buy these games, SEGA sees no reason to do much needed fine tuning. The most notable and hyped element of the game is the ability to chose which path Shadow will take across the conflict. The 3 main routes are Hero (aiding Sonic and co), Neutral (self preservation) and Dark (siding with the Black Arms). A mission objective of each type is offered to you in each level and it depends on which one you choose to complete as to where you go next. With at least ten possible endings waiting to be unlocked, the game gains some decent replay value. The biggest issue of this however is that it doesn't seem to make much of a difference in game. Troops from both sides will attack you, regardless of which mission objective you've chosen (you can change your mind on which objective to play at any time via the pause menu). As such, you'll have to attack friend and foe alike which will get you lectured by your companion. At some points you even have to specifically attack a character on your side just to open a door. For the Hero and Dark missions you are paired with a companion who will help you fight and offers basic advice. For the Hero side this consists of Sonic, Knuckles, etc whilst for Dark you are followed by a squid like creature who is essentially extension of the alien leader Black Doom. As you fight through the levels, you have two meters- Hero and Dark, again. They both top up as you do associated deeds. A full Dark meter gives you about 3 Chaos Blasts (Shadow sends out a deadly shockwave) whilst Hero gives you Chaos Control (Shadow zooms through the level until his meter runs out). Whilst both useful, they are hampered by poor planning. As soon as it's filled, the meter starts ticking away meaning you have to use it then and there. This is a problem, especially for Chaos Control as it can mean you sail past items needed to be collected/destroyed to complete a mission. Also, despite what SEGA's marketting would have you believe, Chaos Blast isn't too effective or impressive. The line that Shadow says before using it ("Death to all who oppose me!") should imply what kind of market they're expecting will make use of it.
The question most people are going to have will likely be about the use of guns and vehicles. Guns are quite useful, vehicles less so. The vehicles show poor planning, seemingly added because someone thought it would be cool. Weapons however can be quite useful. They're also optional, so fans of the more classic Sonic game style can be content. Weapons can be changed on the fly so long as a different one is available (found in crates or from dead enemies) and walking over a weapon of the same type ups your ammo. Weapons can be quite useful for taking out further away or stronger enemies, especially later weapons taken from G.U.N. mechas.
Brief technical note- the PS2 version suffers from in game slow down at certain points which hampers the enjoyment. It may be wise to invest in one of the other 2 versions instead.
Story/acting wise, it's once again a mixed bag. Most of the cast are now voiced by their 4Kids VAs. Whilst some of them sound better for it, some are just terrible (Vector and Knuckles especially). Shadow himself sounds ok, though his VA's delivery can at times be stilted. The actual character is also more sympathetic than he has been in some of the other games.Black Doom is rather cliche (you'd think he escaped from Todd McFarlane) but he works well as the slightly more darker villain the story needs. As should be expected, there are various references to Sonic Adventure 2 as well some to Sonic Heroes. The story is accessible to most people, but it keeps enough continuity to reward long time fans (though at the same time, throws in some plot holes).

Shadow the Hedgehog is a game which is likely destined to be either love it or hate it. For Shadow fans, they'll likely enjoy getting to play as their hero and finally finding out his secrets. For general Sonic fans it's worth a play but may lack the series standard charm. For anyone else, definetly consider renting it beforehand.

Not what was expected.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is bad. It just is. This game moves too fast to be a shooting/fighting game, and it moves too slow to be a Sonic or Shadow or whatever game. I played it once or twice and I got tired of it. Anyway, guns don't work out for a Sonic game. The shooting was probably something the designers added in in about two seconds. They probably just put it in there so it might sound cool. I wouldn't even recommending renting it. I am glad I rented it instead of buying it.

Here's my opinion on the game:

Scores out of 5
Gameplay : 2
Graphics : 3
Fun : 1.5
Durability : 1
My Overall: 1 or 2

I hope this review was useful to you

For those who can't get T games yet, play it & love it

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: November 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I can't play rated T games yet.
So, one day Sonic Heroes comes out for the PS2.
I'm hooked for life!Then, Shadow the Hedgehog
comes out.Finally an E10+ shooter!And, best of all,
it has guns!I go into a coma for this game.
The game has a ton of weapons,missions, & choices.
With these choices, you get to do unique missions.
Pick the aliens, get a cool flying alien and possibly
the secrets of your past.
Pick Sonic & co. and fight with Sonic.
Pick G.U.N. and get access to more weapons(supposedly)
Pick Eggman and- well, I don't know.(Don't Pick him unless you like this guy or you want to see what each side is like)

Pros:
Choices on your storylines/sides
Play as Shadow the entire time
2-P mode
Use weapons and vehicles at the same time
Most importantly, GUNS!

Cons:
No Online Play
Possibly No Sequel :(

Absolutely horrible, avoid

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 7 / 16
Date: February 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It seems that ever since SEGA's mascot Sonic the Hedgehog entered the 3-D adventure world, the series' emphasis on speed has been lost in translation. Shadow the Hedgehog is no exception, but where previous 3-D Sonic titles were at least fun to play, Shadow the Hedgehog is absolutely horrible from beginning to end. The first thing you'll notice is that the frame rate is choppy and it mars what would be otherwise solid graphics, and the game's camera seems to want to work against you. The platforming elements are clunky and are made clunkier by the godawful controls. Also, SEGA seems to want to inject an edgier story with Shadow, including adding some minor curse words in the dialogue as the mysterious hedgehog takes on evil aliens. Not to mention that the ability to use guns has been added as well, but this element isn't just unnecessary, it's mind boggling. I can remember when Sonic games were fast and fun, even the Sonic Adventure games on the Dreamcast were great, but ever since SEGA has transformed into a third party developer and publisher, they've dropped the ball on making a truly great Sonic game. All in all, no matter how much of a fan you are of the series, avoid this title at all costs. Shadow the Hedgehog isn't fun, and it's one of the worst games SEGA has come up with in a very long time.

Adults...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First of all, let's good a review from someone that has actually played this game. I am 11 years old and I know that saying the word d*** is wrong. now seven year olds don't know as well and THREE year olds definitely don't. First of all, don't blame SEGA/Sonic Team for the game being rated E 10+. It is ESRB's (Entertainment Software Rating Board) fault. I'm sure if SEGA/Sonic Team had the choice, they'd name it E. Also, I think the complaining parents are really lazy because they don't spend a good 15 minutes that you could use to talk to your kids that cursing is wrong (although the curses in this game aren't even censored on live TV anymore). Instead of using those 15 minutes of writing a pointless review, talk to your kids. When I was FIVE, my parents took responsibility and talked to me about curses. Also, about gunplay. Do you think just by playing a videogame, a kid would want to shoot people's heads off? If you tell them not to while they're still young, it could make a huge difference.

My actual review for the game consists of this. This is a new type of game that SEGA has made. Without those constant curses (I'll even tell you that they are annoying), this game has nice sound and music (not counting the wierd comments by some characters). The gunplay is a nice touch to a game that is supposed to be naturally fast-paced. Many will disagree saying that there is no lock-on and the game did too much work. Well, if you're trying to just get to the end of the level, that could actually help. The story was okay, it told a lot about Shadow's past. But *SPOILER WARNING* in the last story, Shadow does give up his past, which is kind of a disappointment, *END SPOILER WARNING* and I really think a really good character will now go to waste. He will possibly never have a big role in a SEGA game ever again. The graphics were okay, some say they could have used some work, but I thought they were okay.

All in all, Shadow the Hedgehog is a great game, which has annoying curses although that is not a good enough reason to buy this awesome game.

Shadow Finally Goes Solo!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: November 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've been a huge fan of Sonic The Hedgehog since he began scrambeling Dr. Eggman waaay back in 1991 and have been both pleased and impressed at where Sonic Team and Sega have taken him over the years. This time however, it looks like Shadow, Sonic's look-alike rival from Sonic Adventure 2, is taking his first steps in Sonic's awsome frictionless sneakers: he's going solo! In Shadow The Hedgehog our favorite black furred rebel is caught in the middle of a four-way battle between Sonic and friends, G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations) Federation, Dr. Eggman and his latest scheme (whatever it might be this time) and a new alien menace called The Black Arms who's leader, Black Doom, seems to know Shadow and remembers some deal they supposedly made concerning the chaos emeralds fifty years ago. What's cool about Shadow is that you get to choose which side to fight with and you get to use guns, swords, vehicles and other objects that you can pick up and commandeer throughout the levels. It's also darker and moodier than any ordinary Sonic title, it even has some mild laguage in it:ie, Shadow says "Damn it!" when he gets hit, (then again, that's pretty much what I say when he gets hit too), and when he falls off the screen it's "Damn, not here!" and even Knuckles says damn sometimes! (Just for concerned parents out there) Good or evil? the choice is yours. Either way, you'll have a blast and Shadow's life will change forever, ultimate life form or not.

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