Sonic
Overall, these changes seem positive: we haven’t had a chance to review the Switch version yet, but our sister site Push Square called the new Shadow content “one of the best 3D entries in recent memory.” However, it is the changes in the old content that draws some less-than-pleased reactions from fans, especially about how changes to the cutscenes and dialogue/writing tweaks affect Amy and Knuckles’ characterizations.
Starting with Amy, the main issue focuses on a cutscene where Sonic, in the original, kept an over-enthusiastic Amy out of his and Tails’ conversation by holding her face behind him with an outstretched arm. In the remake, as highlighted by eastasiasoft’s @JoshuaMFrench, there is no face-holding, and Amy instead appears in the background with a helping of cupcakes.
Her character bio also appears to have been edited, with the original text saying ‘Amy can be a little obsessed with chasing Sonic. She even claims his ‘girlfriend!’ has been replaced by: ‘Sonic inspired her to be her very best!’
On the Knuckles side it’s pretty much the same. At least two moments starring the Echidna appear to have been adapted in the remake: a moment of slapstick where Amy slams him into a tree and another where he comments on the weight of classic Sonic. Both moments have undergone minor rewrites – the former still involves punching him in the face, while the latter has been completely rewritten:
There is also some online discussion about changes to Rogue the Bat’s clothing thanks to a more modest, modified costume design that covers more of her chest and back.
For the sake of balance, many other fans are happy with the above adjustments and how, for example, this ‘retcon’ shows Amy in a slightly different light. But hey, you can’t please everyone, we think.
As we mentioned, we still don’t have a review for Sonic We’ll try to share our thoughts on the Switch version with you soon, so stay tuned over the next week.
