i'm being a bit self indulgent by featuring this bit. but u clicked on it! haha.
so the purists out there will be dissapointed to know that i got into the sonic franchise thru snapcube. i found (and still find) those videos really funny, and i got intrigued as to what the actual plots of the games were. over time i kept searching more and more until most of my fyps (ive decided this word can be used outside of the context of tiktok) were flooded with sonic fan content. i had never really been into it before that point, mostly because my dad insists that mario is better. which, functionally i guess it is, but for characterisation and fandom purposes i like sonic. i guess it does seem stupid to talk about cartoon hedgehogs with goofy massive eyes and tiny legs, but the personalities and community is what makes it worth it, for me at least.
unfortunately, i have only played one sonic game: shadow the hedgehog. i didn't even replay it, cuz my emulator is sooo hard to work with and makes the audio lag and decrease in pitch... its a pain. but i did genuinely enjoy the combat. if i didn't already know the story, i don't think i would have been able to grasp what was going on, but maybe i'm just slow? anyway, i have watched many other games thru playthrus/streams! i think my favorite games would probably sonic adventure 2, shadow the hedgehog and sonic unleashed. not because i think they are objectively better or worse than other games, just because i like them! sometime i would like to actually play a sonic game myself, im thinking sa2, generations or forces. whichever i get my hands on, i guess.
to be honest, my love for the sonic franchise is about shadow the hedgehog. yeah, i know its edgy, get over it normie. anyway, his character is so malleable because of all the different ways he has been presented thru out the years. for example, shadow in sonic adventure 2 is much more complex in terms of struggle and personality, where (imo) he was used by the creators of a relatively non-deep story to explore more serious themes. whereas, in more recent presentations like in sonic prime and sonic boom (the shows) he's seemingly brooding and destructive for little to no reason. shadow the hedgehog 2005 literally lets you, the player, explore what shadow is, and how he could act.
my point is, there are so many interpretations of him that you, the audience, can pick and choose. and through that, i've subconsciously made my own 'perfect' shadow. so of course he's my favourite- he's everything i want him to be!
so i mostly love the sonic franchise for him. "why did you model this page after sonic then?" uhh blue is easier to work with i guess.. next question ehehe. anyway! i also love it for other characters: sonic is charismatic and brave, which are both traits that someone can be inspired by to be a better person. i also like rouge because in my head the dynamic she has with shadow is very awesome and hurghhghgh... dare i say found family? i really love those guys. omega too, but i see so little omega characterisation other than "I WILL BLUNTLY PROCLAIM DEATH THREATS USING ROBOTIC MANNERISMS", so he's not really in the picture for me. i also like tails' resourcefulness and smarts... but it becomes harder to suspend your disbelief when he starts building translators for a language he doesn't know, so idk... amy's thoughtfulness is always adorable, she's such a sweetheart. i'm fond of some other characters, but these are the main stand-outs for me.