#I know nothing about sonic btw. I didn’t even know what knuckles looked like before this

[eyeballsoup7310]

“Make sure to kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face” okay

[superemeralds]

Lost and Found: Lyrical Character Analysis for Shadow the Hedgehog

it’s all under the cut; it’s also really long...... 

can’t really make a TLDR for it since it’s kinda chaotic and you need the context sajfhsakj just know that shadow is a super deep character and fuck anyone that makes him The Token Edgy Boy,,

if you have anything to add, feel free to do so. If you think I missed a song, tell me! (i spent over 10 hours on this, i fell asleep at one point too sjafhaskj)

song index (each song has a link to a youtube video up here, and also in the analysis of the specified song):

throw it all away

supporting me

waking up

almost dead

broken

chosen one

all hail shadow

i am all of me

never turn back

who i am

1) Throw it all away

Shadow’s theme in SA2, the first theme he ever had.

This show’s Shadow in his state immediately after the ARK raid where he still has *all* of his memories. He is blinded by rage over the events and emotionally confused. His sorrow manifested in a tunnel vision that could only see the revenge that Gerald had planned for him to carry out.

Everybody tries to be straight But things are still unchanged It's useless to resist Their effort will be wasted

obviously this means shadow is gay thanks for reading my analysis.

By “straight” the singer probably means upright, proper and just.

This makes a lot of sense considering Shadow’s world view in that moment. Humans are all the same: They pretend to mean well and fight for the right thing/justice; but in the end their true selfish nature will arise, they just can’t resist being evil. No matter how many people speak of change, he’s seen what they really are. Every effort of people to be good is wasted because they just do bad things anyways. Mostly seen as that even after those 50 years that Shadow was asleep, humans have not changed at all. They are still fighting and at war with themselves (in different ways/forms than back then) and discriminative. And most of all are they trashing the planet that Maria wanted to protect so dearly. (the efforts are also wasted because Shadow wants to kill them all with a big laser)

The trauma of the in a later game implied abuse, aswell as the brutal loss of Maria shaped Shadow to have a very black and white view of the world that led him to believe that people couldn’t redeem themselves. (the same actually goes for the GUN Commander, but that’s for another post.)

Head straight for your goal by any means There is a door that you've never opened There is a window with the view you have never seen Get there, no matter how long it takes

This verse is interesting as it suddenly changes the perspective. This is not how Shadow sees himself, but how an observer would describe him.

Shadow is a person that does whatever he needs to achieve his goal and in this game it is even more prominent because of his tunnel vision and the fact he acts a lot on emotion. (rage, sadness, confusion, guilt)

The door and the window are symbolic to the opportunities that Shadow has to make a difference and be the change he wants to see so badly, aswell as a reference to his tunnel vision and an urge for him to open his eyes to what he is doing and that there is more to the world than what he believe it to be at that time, mostly considering that Shadow never got a chance to actually see much of the real world, since he was born and raised in an artificial and military environment in space; and after that he was immediately put to sleep and imprisoned. And after THAT he was too fixated on destroying the world to actually pay attention to his surroundings.

It almost sounds like this is Shadow’s voice of reason speaking to him. It is gentle and patient (Either literally Maria or Shadow’s suppressed memories of her)

Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk Throw it all away! No-one can break you, nobody can tear you You live an endless life forever

Dusk is the colors at sunset. (I googled it to be sure.) so that might be symbolic for the light fading from his sight, darkness and negativity creeping up on his bright and colorful old self.

Shadow realizes his mistake late in the game and he is reminded of Maria’s wish. he throws the darkness away. (he also “throws his rings away” in the final phase of the fight against the finalhazard…)

He has put this mask on himself, created this persona of himself that is unfazeable, unbreakable. This is him speaking to himself, telling himself he should not let anything stop him in his plans, that he is the strongest and true ultimate life form.

He knows that he is doomed/cursed with his immortality. Exactly this is why he’s ready to “throw it all away” and ultimately sacrifice himself in the end.

Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk Throw it all away! You see a light wherever you go You have to face it again and again (and again and again)

The memories of Maria haunt him, but even if they do make him suffer, at the same time they are only his last and only reason to live and to move forward. She is his light, and he has to face the truth about her fate over and over and over again every time he has those flashbacks.

The way he has to face them is not a haunt though, it is a reminder. His subconcious wants him to remember his true purpose, but his stubbornness makes it really really hard to see the truth.

Alternatively he also encounters Sonic who is trying to stop him from destroying the planet at numerous places. Sonic is also a light in shadow’s world, a very harsh one that literally tries to beat sense into him.

Now, wake up, up, up, up…

He has to wake up and snap out of it and save the world.

This song is easily a dialogue between Shadows true self and the version of him that is blinded by rage. He argues with himself about if he is doing the right thing and urges himself to snap out of his anger induced trance.

2) Supporting Me

Arguably not directly one of his theme songs but there are important hint to Shadow’s character development within SA2.

Remember how Shadow was very selfish in his wish to destroy the planet? Well get a load of this then:

I'm gonna be desperate

He’s outright desperate to right his wrongdoings. He did not believe in redemption before, but now he’s not so sure himself. He doesn’t know or care if he will be redeemed, but he’s desperate to do what he was to do to make it right again. (By fighting his brother and winning Sonic and Knuckles some time to stop the ARK from crashing to the earth)

Never lose, hurry Never lose, hurry

Shadow can’t lose, not ever, and most of all not now. He has to beat the Biolizard at all costs and he has to do it fast as time is running out.

I believe in my future, farewell to the shadow It was my place to live, but now I need your hand Lead me out with your light I have breathed in the disgusting air of darkness But I never lose out to the pressure

Shadow stopped looking back to the past, all that matters is the present and the future of this planet. He bids farewell to

1) the shadow that was clouding his view

2) the Shadow (himself) of the past.

He insisted that he was the real and Sonic was a Fake, he told him to die and that he didn’t have the right to be alive since it would be a mockery to his existence. He regrets his words and acknowledges that implying that he was the only one who had the right to live was wrong. He needs Sonic’s help now. Sonic is his light (as mentioned in the song before) that can lead him out of his darkness. The disgusting air of darkness he’s been breathing for too long. (This verse also refers to how the Biolizard is Shadow’s prototype and how Shadow was the one who was allowed to “live a life” while the Biolizard was artificially programmed (however they did that) and made a consciousless slave to Gerald’s plan.)

But no matter what happens, Shadow is able to stay cool and not give in to his emotions in the sense of his mission. He has to keep fighting without any disturbances or distractions. He can’t afford failure. Pressure (mainly the pressure of time in this context) is nothing.

(The instrumental in this part has a distorted part of live and learn in it!) Everything's just like an illusion I'll be losing you before long

I never lose my confidence

Everything being an illusion is a reference to how fast everything is going for Shadow, how confused and unsure he is of his actions and the future of the planet. It’s too much to take in, but at the same time he (as mentioned before) can’t afford the confusion. He’s quick to adapt and accept this fate, but he can’t help feeling like the last few hours have been too wild of a ride.

He’s ready to sacrifice his life to save the world though, and the You he’s referring to… well.

I know you were supporting me Supporting me Supporting me I'll be losing you before long

Who’s supporting him? Sonic. Sonic is supporting him. Shadow already know’s he’s going to sacrifice himself to save the planet. He’s known from the very moment he was reminded of his purpose.

He doesn’t believe in redemption. He knows that he did something villainous, and he doesn’t deserve to be saved and supported by Sonic (the Hero). He’s okay with it. It’s okay. He lived and learned. He doesn’t want to live out his curse of immortality anyways.

3) Waking Up

Covering the ShTH songs is a challenge, but I’ll do my best to make sense.

This is the true neutral theme of Shadow. well… “true”. I’d call it more of a… this is the theme for a Shadow that was not told any new information throughout his quest and the only thing he was told by Eggman was a lie. (him being an android that is. it’s a lie. Eggman confirms it later in the game.)

Jet sounds a distant roar behind you As you try to clear your head You start to look and answers find you Your inner purpose lies ahead

This isn’t about Jet The Hawk btw.

Due to the Alien Invasion that’s going on right now, the military (GUN) is out and about having war with them. It’s loud and irritating and it’s distracting Shadow from his true mission: Remembering his past, his identity. Finding out who he is. Finding answers. He finds them, but many are not what he actually wanted to know. He gets more answers than he asked for and he has to sort them out and find the truth behind them. The true ending: his inner purpose that’s always been there right from the start.

One step to calm the storm inside you Unlock the secrets in your head Not another day, no more confusion No more living like you're dead

His mind is in turmult, he’s confused and scared, but determined to find the truth. One step forward towards that truth can clear his head and help him focus. He’s tired of being manipulated and confused, he wants to know who he is and why he exists! He feels fake and unreal and its suffocating. He will remember at all costs.

It seems it's just out of sight The ones with answers always get their way And I think they should know That I'm coming for them Now

He’s so close to the truth it seems, because everyone keeps telling him they know who he is, and they are willing to tell him if he does them a favour. He plays along for a while but ultimately he sees through the manipulation and opposes them. Eggman, GUN, Black doom…. He will combat their manipulation by using it to his advantage. He just wants to know who he is…

Waking up, breaking out *This is what it's like to be free Rip it up, tear it down *This is what it means to be free Waking up, breaking out *This is what it's like to be free Rip it up, tear it down *This is what it means to be free

(lyrics with * are in omegas voice as this is the ending song for shadow being told he is an android and he and omega join forces to kill eggman)

waking up and breaking out is meant symbolic aswell as literal… being aware of the abuse you’re going through and breaking out of it…. it’s freeing. You feel free.

And, technically, you *are* free, too. But Shadow and Omega… they feel like this isn’t enough.

In order to be really free, they have to destroy the source of their suffering. This is their meaning of being free. Once whatever is emotionally holding them back is destroyed, it can’t bother you anymore.

This is the path they had been manipulated into. ( I’ll explain how everything goes together when I get to I am All Of Me)

4) Almost dead

This is the pure dark (and normal dark) ending theme for Shadow.

No more gods No more graves Are you friend or fiend? No more life No more death Somewhere in between

This is the path there he got too many answers, too much information, things out of context left and right that got to his head.

he says, I quote, “I was created to bring order and justice to the humans… With the power of these emeralds I’m going to destroy this danm planet!”

He’s tired of being told what to do, tired of being “meant” to save and protect creatures that are not worth it, sick of catering to black dooms plans. He’s sick of *everyone* what better way to end it than to just kill everyone?

It doesn’t even matter anymore that innocent people will go down with him. Existence is cursed and there’s nothing anyone can do about it anymore.

Heaven can't save us Hell is a joke No place left to go What you see You cannot believe But when we rise, you'll know

This is  a reference to the other ending. The ending where shadow is convinced by black doom to be evil. Where he works for black doom. He will help the black arms rise. Humans are worthless and deserve to be ruled over by the dark arms.

Well we're almost dead Almost dead Almost dead to the world Almost dead Almost dead Almost dead to the world

The world is almost dead, since it’s doomed now, but he and the aliens are both not seen as living being either.

5) Broken

This is an unused track that was not included in the final game, I’ll talk more about this later and what ending this would probably be for. (edit: i’ll explain why it’s unused and everything in the next song that replaces this one)

Don't wanna feel like Don't wanna think like Don't wanna live like Like someone else Wanna feel like Just wanna think like Just wanna be like Everyone else

Shadow just wants to be normal like everyone else, he hates his destiny as chosen one (pun intended)

The below verse is a cont of that thought.

Don't wanna sing like Don't wanna dream like Don't wanna act like Like someone else Wanna feel life Just wanna live life Just wanna live life As someone else

Here its like. He isnt even sure if he can relate to pleople in the most TRIVIAL THINGS ... He feels alien to other ppl bc... He literally is an alien.

And he really wished he wasnt. That his past wast so tragic. That all this hadn't happened. That he wasnt made in the first place.

Couldn't walk away from something broken Tried to find a way to make it good again Only you can make a difference, darling But always...

And he refers to himself as broken, bc thats what he is. Just. A scrap heap of memories and misery And he tries so hard to be good but he feels like he cant do it And hes trying hard for Maria, trying hard for Sonic, trying hard for Rouge. Their love is his reason to live, they give him the power to keep going. But always..... Everyone dies and leaves him behind alone again. As is his fate as immortal life form.

6) Chosen one

The Neutral Hero ending.

He mainly learns about the things on ARK and his origin, how he was made.

I can't remember Anything at all I've been turning it all around I'm sorry So sorry Is this what I have become

Shadow says “I’m a research experiment gone deadly wrong, I should’ve never been created.”

He feels guilty that he can’t remember all the horrible things that happened, the horrible thing he did in SA2. All the people he hurt when he was looking for answers. And also guilty for the alien invasion.

He’s guilty for his existence.

Wish I may Wish I might be someone else tonight Sometimes I wish I was never born at all And I'll try to save the world Cause in the end I know I'm the chosen one I'm the chosen one

He can wish all he wants to reverse his past, no be someone else, to wish he was never born. He will do his best to save the world, to right his wrongdoings. To somehow redeem himself and take the weight of his guilt off his shoulders. It all depends on him, because that’s what he was made for. It’s his purpose, his fate.

I can't remember What I used to be Something's turning me upside down You made me I love you But I can't change things I've done (I'm the chosen one)

He can’t remember his past self anymore, he has no idea how and what his childhood was like.

All he knows is that he was close to Maria, that he loved her and that her death was horrible and in vain. All he can remember is her death and her smile.

He doesn’t remember how Sonic had helped him in SA2, but he has new recent memories of Sonic’s support. I assume strongly that Sonic did tell Shadow about their team-up on ARK. He’s literally turning his world upside down.

Sonic helped Shadow realize the truth, he supported him a LOT throughout the game. Emotionally and physically.

After all they’ve been through....

He loves him.

Shadow loves Sonic.

And after all this, even when he appreciates him and is grateful for his continuous support….

Just like on ARK in SA2, he feels like he doesn’t deserve redemption. He doesn’t deserve Sonic’s love.

(disclaimer: love doesn’t have to be romantic. see it however you want lmao)

Broken and Chosen One are connected, you can easily see the parallels.

I think that Broken was meant to be the neutral hero theme, but when that was canceled they put Chosen One in its place.

EDIT: the description of the video i linked does confirm this actually. broken was not written FOR the game, rather Jun thought it was so good and fitting that he’d like to have included it in the game, but was unable to get permission,,,, this is why chosen one sounds so much like broken, because it’s MEANT to kinda mimic it in mood and style.

And I think those two songs are VERY underrated. They show Shadow’s more emotional side that people tend to ignore completely.

7) All Hail Shadow

Okay I’ll be upfront. This is Shadow’s theme since 2006.

And I hate it. It is a very “biased” theme for Shadow that only shows one side of him. I’ll explain.

Suffer long and it will set you free! Only through trial do we find the strength we need It's never over, just another day Of hope and tragedies, and everything that comes our way

This song is all about how edgy Shadow is. It tells of how suffering builds character (bad trope)

What i like about this verse is that it addresses that hope and tragedy go hand in hand, that there's good and bad in a balance in life.

Determination of the strong, Found the meaning that you've searched for so long!

Shadow found the seeming meaning of his life. His promise to Maria, and Sonic.

Somewhere in chaos we all find ourselves This destruction is the only tale we tell White is black and black is white, Right is wrong, wrong is right!

Nothing ever fills this hole inside your heart

more edgy stuff………. i really cant tell you what the fuck this is supposed to mean  other than “shadow is an edgy anti hero” and im like. we get it. but where’s the lore? the context? the character?

the black and white thing kinda symbolizes the manipulation he went through to find out the truth. How he can’t trust what anyone says and how he has to rely on his own judgement.

the hole in his heart obviously being his missing memories that can’t magically return, even if he tried hard and was fed tonns of information.

All Hail Shadow! Heroes rise again! Obliterating everything that's not your friend! Nothing can stop you now, No ghost to bring you down! There's nothing left to lose, You win!

In this ending Shadow learned just the right facts about his past to boost his confidence.

And like im glad about that its good for him

And in this context it’s valid to call shadow a hero, because in this ending he IS a pure hero. (he and sonic kill all the dark arms together)

and this is a good song i love it

But not as his main theme. This is not Canon Shadow. This is Pure Hero Shadow.

Hear me out guys. ShTH is all about manipulation. You as player get to manipulate Shadow into taking a certain path. It’s about exploring how a person’s personality can change depending on what information they learn and what people they meet and  what things happen to them.

Which is why Shadow is an entirely different person in all of those endings.

Yes, all of those are still Shadow, but they are alternative versions of him that do not belong in the canon timeline. The canon timeline is the True Ending that I will explain below.

( also i hate people using this player manipulation as excuse to say “but shadow used guns in his game! its canon! he’s edgy! he uses guns!” like no thats not how it works thats ONE PATH he could go. You chose it but it’s not the one HE chose. in the true ending he uses his chaos powers exclusively.)

8) I am… All of Me

This is the theme of the fight against Devil Doom. This is not the conclusion yet, but it is the immediate reaction to learning the final and absolute truth about himself and his past.

I see no, hear no evil, Black writing on the wall, Unleashed a million faces, And one by one they fall,

I learned that the first line is a saying but I can’t really say much to it and ive been analyzing all those songs for 7 hours in a row now please help with that part.

Black-hearted evil, Brave-hearted hero, I am all, I am all I am, I... I... I am

Against popular belief this doesn’t mean that he is both evil and a hero, it means that he is neither. This emphasises that he is himself and nothing else.

Here we go buddy, Here we go buddy, Here we go, Here we go buddy, Here we go

here we go buddy, you will die now.

Go ahead and try to see through me, Do it if you dare, One step forward, two steps back, I'm here (One step forward, two steps back) Do it... Do it... Do it... DO IT…

Shadow is his own person and he’s determined, more than ever. He feel confident in himself and his power, confident in his destiny and his purpose.

If anyone dares to oppose him…. He will take one step towards them, they back two steps backwards in fear of him.

Can you see all of me? Walk into my mystery, Step inside and hold on for dear life, Do you remember me? Capture you and set you free I am all, I am all of me (I am all, I am of me) I am... I am, I'm all of me, I am... I am, I'm all of me, I am... I am, I'm all of me,

Shadow wonders of other people’s perception of him, of pepole that remember him from before he lost his memory; and he wants them to know that they don’t know this new shadow yet. That they have to get to know him again

The capture part references more like… captivating… Because of his mystery and the urge to find out who he is.

Again. He is all the things that make him himself, but ultimately he’s just Shadow the hedgehog. He is who he is.

I see and feel the evil, My hands will crush them all, You think you have the answer, I laugh and watch you fall,

Reference to the first verse; he used to not see those things, but now he does and he’s confident to be in the right. Confident in what he does and what he believes in. People can pretend to know who he is, but that is merely laughable.

I am... I am everyone, everywhere, anyhow, any way, any will, any day... I am... I am everyone, everywhere, anyhow, any way, any will, any day... I am! I am! I am! I am! I am! I am!

Shadow is himself and nothing in the world can change that. Nothing will bend his will, change his mind… Nothing will manipulate him ever again. He is the one and only ultimate life form and no one can take this away from him.

9) Never Turn Back

This is the real and true Theme of Shadow that plays in the real and final credits after the true ending/final story when you complete the game 100%.

It begins with a piano of the refrain from i am all of me!!!!!!!

It's been a long, rough road And I'm finally here I move an inch forword, Feels like a year

The path he walked to get where he is now, after the black arms, after finally uncovering the secrets to his past…. every time he got new information he was even more confused than before. To him, and the player, it felt like years to get to this point. It was tideous, and who knows if it was worth it?

Everything you feel, It's so unreal Is it true? Is it true?

He doesn’t remember *anything* so are his emotions towards his past justified? Is his grief over Maria, his anger towards the humans and himself… Is it all real? Is it just lies? Is he just pretending to feel to make himself feel real, because if he didn’t react so emotional towards learning those things…. what else would he have? This is a direct reference to SA2 and his quote “Even if my memories are not real, it’s still me, Shadow, and I will fulfill my promise to Maria. That is all that matters to me now.”

Back then the memories were all he had. Everyone he knew and loved (arguably only two people) were dead and long gone. So if he didn’t act on them….. what else would there be to his life and him? He didn’t have any other choice if he wanted to stay sane/stable. Even now that he doesn’t remember, he has this information about his past. And no matter if it rurns out to be true or not, doesn’t matter, because it’s all he has to go by to shape himself and if he doesn’t react emotional to those lies, he mgiht aswell be a lie himself. (His identity crisis was an enourmus mental strain on him that developed into a physical pain aswell, as he very clearly showed to suffer from frequent non contextual flashbacks and accompaning headaches.)

I take one step forward Two steps back I have a hundred-thousand pounds Sitting on my back

A reference to I am all of me! He is fearsome and powerful. Very fearsome and powerful.

He’s done many things using this power that made him guilty. Alone his existence guilts him, as people are scared of him just for *him*. He never asked to be made, to be the only hope to save the world, to live up to all those very unread expectations laid on him as The Ultimate Life Form.

The burden of his destiny is heavy, oh so heavy.

Up, down All around Don't know quite what to do To get through

(time speed highway reference) 

He’s confused and his mind is all over the place, he doesn’t know what to do now. He doesn’t yet quite know how to cope with his new found emotions, with his fate, with his existence alone.

Well I'm on my way On my way On my way On my way

Oh boi here he comes!

Here I am (Here I am) Made it to The end of you

Never had a chance when I'm around (No, No) No No No No

Here he is!!!!!!! jokes aside this symbolizes his coming out

double jokes aside

it symbolizes that he’s taken his time to collect himself, his long path of finding himself and building his personality with the scrap pieces of memories he collected. He’s now at the end of the road. He’s at the end of “you”. who is you?

Considering he never had a chance to “get to the end of them” before (and also im biased) I suspect it to be Sonic. He has gotten to a place to be equals with Sonic again, to see eye to eye. To have a close bond with him. The many “no”s emphasis how long it took for him to be able to face him. While he was still unsure of himself he wouldn’t dare to actively build a bond with him, to try and be equals. (he did try to ignore/shove him aside throughout the whole game, but sonic kept coming back/tagging along)

Well now I'll never turn back (Never turn back) I'll never turn that way No matter how life tries to face me, I turn the other way

Shadow, as quoted, “Left his past behind him”. This means he moved on from his memories, from all the things that happened over 50 years ago. Moved on from his destiny. (Hint/foreshadowing to 06 where he emphasises very strongly that “he determines his own destiny.”)

No matter what happens, he swears to himself to never look back at the past anymore. That he will concentrate on the present, aswell as the future.

This is a very very important step to stabilize his mental health and get over his PTSD

Now and then (Now and then) My head starts to spin (Starts to spin) I'll never turn back....again!

Direct reference to how clinging to the past had made him to fatal mistakes (almost destroying the entire fucking planet, and also actually go through with blowing up the moon)

And he will still get flashbacks sometimes, he will have breakdowns and he will have episodes…. But he decides that they can’t and won’t define him. He will stand above them and be himself with his own power.

From this moment on (Moment on) I am moving on (Moving on) And I'll never turn back!

Literally everything I mentioned above. He’s moving on from his past and all the expectatoins others laid on him and he’s becoming his own person, that lives for his own sake. (well he still lives for Maria and sonic but like. It’s less extreme than before)

I guess I'm doing alright And I'm on my way Facing every moment Day by day

I’m so glad shadow the hedgehog is doing fine guys. He’s living in the present and he’s got his eyes on the prize.

Take a chance, slip on by Got no time to answer why Head straight Head straight

head gay

No time to waste it’s time to be of use to the world. All he got left to him is doing what’s right. He often doesn’t fully know why he does certain things or why he has a certain opinion on things, because he doesn’t remember where that thought camefrom, but he doesn’t want to spiral into a breakdown. He accepts it and moves on. Forward. Gotta look ahead and not backwards.

What will I become if I don't look back? Give myself a reason, for this and that

Exactly what I mentioned above. He isn’t entirely sure, and he’s tempted by the past. But right now he thinks it’s best to not dwell on it, to not know more than he does right now, because it could easily make himself slip up and have another identity crisis, which is counter productive to his mental health since he worked hard to establish his current personality. He’s still a little unstable so he best wait until he has settled and established emotional comfort (in team dark and sonic).

I can learn No U-turn I will stay right here Where I'm at Where I'm at

He knows he can still learn from the past, but he also knows that he has to stay in the present and not go too much in depth about it.

That’s who he is now, and it’s who he’ll stay.

And I think this theme, even if less catchy and less edgy, is perfect for him. It describes him perfectly (which was like. intentional. bc it IS his final theme lmao.)

I’m forever salty…………

okay but here comes the final blow!!!!!

10) Who I am

An unused song that got taken out of the game because Magna-fi liked the song too much to give away copyrights…..

it is an alternative to “I am… all of me” and was originally planned to be the fucking MAIN THEME OF THE ENTIRE GAME!!!!!!!!!! (i am all of me is a nice theme for the game, more catchy i guess? works better with the cgi? lemme actually try playing the cgi cutscene with who i am playing over it.. I’ll be real it was not made for this Clip but at some places it fit incredibly well? also the timing was often actually pmuch on point with the scene change? hm. also the video ended on “this is what you made me and you’re not ever gonna change me”)

I mainly think because Magna-fi also performed all hail shadow, but later there was a crush 40 version (which was also used instead of the magna-fi version in later games, that it’s plausible it was meant to be the main theme. Like even the instrumental from the magna-fi version was entirely ignored after shth)

I don’t know the reasons for *that* (maybe because they disbanded in 2007???)

Anyways here’s song….. it’s so fucking important to me and hooooly shit….

You never really understood me You always put me down Like a dog that's beaten over and over One day I'm gonna take you down

This is Shadow’s lanment at GUN. It implies he’s gone through abuse on the ARK, aswell as down on earth. It emphasizes that GUN sees him as nothing more but an animal, not a sentient person.

This is also a cry for war at Black Doom because he obviously doesn’t understand Shadow and only demands from him to work for his goal, calling him a traitor and failure whenever he doesn’t do exactly what he should or when he questoins his orders.

This is who I am Not a shadow of who I want to be Try to understand That this is what you made me And you're not ever gonna change me

Shadow found himself and he now has established his own sense of self (and self-worth!)

He’s addressing everyone that had shaped his personality throughout the game here, they made him who he is now, and if they don’t like if then to hell with them because this is him and he ain’t gonna change. He’s done being a shadow of his past self, he is *him*.

You underestimate my sorrow How the wreckage of my life I tried so many times to tell you The silence down in both of us (No excuses)

This one is specifically addressing Eggman (and the other people that knew him from before his memory loss to a certain degree). Eggman underestimated his immense emotions, his sorrow, the misery he was in, the extreme guilt he felt about *everything* when he told him that he was just a “copy” of the Real Shadow.

But no matter who, Shadow tells everyone he just wants to know who he *really* is. He needs support to uncover the truth, not people who don’t listen to what he has to say and then remain silent in order to not say the wrong thing.

The no excuses goes for exactly those people who are “heroes”. They don’t get a pass for being heroes, they have to respect his emotional needs.

You have made me You can't change me You don't know me This is who I am

Everyone shaped him in different ways, everyone’s independent input made him who he is.

And no one can take that influence back, he can’t be changed.

And no one knows what goes on inside his head. How he processed the information is HIS OWN BUSINESS. What info he recieved… That’s his business. Only he knows. Other people aren’t able to understand him and even if they knew all the things he was told, this still doesn’t mean they know who he is.

Even the people that knew him before his memory loss…. They might think they know him, but they really don’t. How would they. He doesn’t even know himself.

Alright! That’s it!

Again, if I forgot a song please tell me I’ll add it to the post and analyze it (give me like a day or two tho im super exhausted now)

I hope you can understand where I’m coming from with my thoughts and if you have anything to add go right ahead! If you have contradicting interpretations, please tell me! (if you just want to complain that shadow is not gay then fuck off tho its clearly there. this gaylien hedgehog aint got no eyes for women.)

also again:  Disclaimer: Shadow’s love for Sonic doesn't have to be romantic, but it is indisputable that he has a very special and close relationship with him.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

EDIT: continue here

additions! more SA2 songs and the team dark theme from heroes

funny how I talk most about the songs with the least lyrics

Rhythm and Balance

The Supernatural

For True Story

This Machine

[attract-mode-collective]

Everything Just Looks Better On Film, Even Rotoscoped Pixel Animation

The above, which was originally seen over at mendelpalace, hails from 1982 and was produced by Mattel, to advertise the Intellivision on the big screen, which played alongside movie trailers.

The futuristic newscast showcases the games Space Battle, Night Stalker, Utopia, Tron Deadly Discs, Boxing, Tennis, Skiing, and Star Strike, according to the uploader. He also states…

“This is a digital transfer from my personal 35mm film. Compared to other similar videos of this trailer, this is a higher resolution video but the original film stock is a little dirtier and has more wear. This digital transfer has been left in its raw state and no effort has been made to clean it up.”

Man, it’s been a little while since the last game culture wrap-up hasn’t? So long that this wacky Photoshop depicting Governor Chris Christie (courtesy of Kotaku) could be considered old news, but am gonna post it anyway…

I feel silly even commenting on it, but given my interest in video game attire… yes, I know about Atari’s Speakerhat. And yes, we are indeed living in the darkest timeline…

Whereas here we have a photo from back when Atari still did things that mattered…

The libraryandarchivesofplay explains…

“During the 1970s, designers at Atari created a multi-sided arcade game kiosk that allowed people to play up to six different games simultaneously. This undated photograph of an Atari Theater Kiosk depicts one young gamer playing Gran Trak 10 with the steering wheel control, while other children to the left of the image are engaged in a two-player game. The Atari Theater Kiosk was a high-visibility arcade attraction in public locations, such as shopping malls or subway stations.”

Back to the news, I have a new source and it is the Hard Drive section of The Hard Times. It’s hard to pick my fave headline and accompanying story, among such gems as “Climate Scientists Warn That All Super Mario Levels Will Be Underwater by 2025”, “Help! I Can’t Get Past the Part in Dark Souls 3 Where My Wife Threatens to Take the Kids and Go”, and “This Guy Made a Fully Functioning Computer in Minecraft That Blocks @notch on Twitter”.

Though the very best one might have to be “Band Paid in Experience Can Now Perform Spin Attacks, Wear New Armor”…

I also can’t choose which piece from Tino Valentin I like more; this possessed PC Engine…

Or this cheeseburger with a GameCube inside…

Am also rather fond of Pablo Calahorra’s Nintendo papercraft..

It’s a safe bet that most of you have seen Leonardo Gutierrez’s Super Smash Bears by now, but just in case (via it8bit)…

Speaking of Samus, here she is enjoying a glass of wine, courtesy of Sarracenian…

I also can’t stop staring at this Splatoon gif by tanyopo…

Was reminded of the original’s existence, while doing research on a “thing” regarding notable books that cover video game art and culture; here we have a review of CREDIT 00 - I love game graphics, perhaps one of the very first of its kind, originally published in 2004. Oh, also, the review is in German…

Apparently Batsugun is getting a manga adaptation?! Looks very nice as well (via miki800)…

Hey, Lego versions of the ships from Ikagura (via shmups). Neat!

I thought i had posted this old video mag cover previously, but it was something similar, perhaps similar enough in most circumstances to pass on it. But cuz I’m gaga for Xevious (again via the aforementioned source)…

Exhibit B (from you know who)…

I cannot emphasize enough how big of a deal Xevious was back in the day. The same could also be said of another beloved shmup of mine, Gradius. And on that note, Jeremy Parish’s most recent entry of his most excellent NES Works (formerly known as Good Nintentions… a name that I still prefer, sorry) is all about the game that made me want a Nintendo Entertainment System back in the day, and not Super Mario Bros like for most other kids…

Speaking of the NES, and returning to the subject of gaming mags, it’s time for yet another one of Classic Gaming Quarterly’s deep dives, and this one might what everyone’s been waiting for: the very first issue of Nintendo Power…

Spoilers: of all the magazine surveys that Chris Alaimo has done thus far, this was the first and only one that I found myself bored, though it’s not his fault. Cuz, at the end of the day, Nintendo Power was more or less just a vehicle to promote Nintendo and nothing but (obviously), which means we’re not only getting just a one portion of the gaming world circa its publication (never-mind that Nintendo was the only portion at the time, to a certain extent).

So there’s not a whole to talk about, though Chris does what he can, and makes some interesting observations, like the crazy hours the Nintendo Game Counselors had to work and if Sylvester Stallone ever saw how he was portrayed in the NES version of Rambo 3 (and if so, what did he think).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; god bless old print MSX ads (via mendelpalace once again)…

Recently, gaijira  posted an oldie but goodie, which Eric originally shared back in the day, over at GameSetWatch. It’s of the Ika Drive from Invader! Squid Girl...

I still need to watch that show, cuz I still don’t know why the 32X attachment is regularly colored…

What I would do for a full sized version of the following. Which apparently, thus far, doesn’t include me just asking the source, who also apparently took it herself (hey, I’ve bene hella busy)…

Here’s something I saw some time ago, in a Slack channel that I’m a part of, but it was small so I never shared it. But thanks to arcadezen…

lunaticobscurity states “snk please make that tough-looking hair flip girl [from  King of Fighters ‘96] a character in kof xv”…

They should also add…

Been on a Jackie Chan kick as of late. Which might have been brought on by the Tekken kick I’ve also been on recently. Surely everyone knows the connection, but in case not (via mysterious0bob)…

When you graduated from high school or college, you probably received a year book, right? Which means you didn’t go to Hudson Soft’s school for video game design. Otherwise, you would have received the following, provided you graduated in 1991…

Hardcore Gaming 101 has the details. Basically, for their final project, students produced a game in which the player walks around the school and interacts with staff plus teachers. It also includes the various assignments that they had to make during class, worked into the “main game”, or so I’m assuming. Alas, details are a bit hazy and there isn’t even any footage, simply a slideshow; apparently technical limitations prevent any video from happening…

BTW, here’s what the class of 1995’s Graduation Album looks like, courtesy of videogamesdensetsu…

What happens when you machine translate a Famicom game? You get the following; crashcarnival has several other examples handy…

Speaking of the language barrier, I wonder if that’s why I haven’t seen anyone leave a comment on this image by francoisdourlen, regarding the fact that you can’t play Duck Hunt, at least with a NES Zapper, on a flat screen television…

Which piece of Sonic fan art screams “THE 90’S!!!” more; this illustration of the blue blur himself, by piroeoe…

Or this group shot  of the “bad boys” (and gal), by paperbeatsscissors…

Though there’s also this official illustration for that cancelled Saturn title, via a sticker set that came with some Austrian freeze pops, via sonicthehedgeblog (note how Sonic is where Shaq’s uniform, back when he was with the Orlando Magic)…

And on that note, it’s been a while since we saw what’s new over at The Most Famous Hedgeblog, right? Recent faves include this tender moment from Sonic’s origin story, via some manga published in 1991…

Robotnik sprouting Wolverine claws in the American comic, early into its run…

Sonic getting on Knuckles’s case in Sonic Advance 2…

Sonic getting down, again somewhere in Australia back in the day…

And Sonic giving Mario a hard time, back when they were frenemies…

Here we have pictures of a pigeon playing Phantasy Star Online, via… who else but… tinypigeonlord…

You know what they say about Doom, right (via gamefreaksnz)…

Remember that video I posted not too long ago, of folks playing Super Mario on a big ass, replica Famicom (plus Super Famicom) controller? Well here it is again, but this time with Mega Man (technically Rockman; via anthony10000000)…

As @NickPopovich states: “Man, this IKEA has got ALL the classics”...

And finally, my new fave PC-98 jam (here’s the previous one, for those who need a refresher; via radicalhelmet)…

Don’t forget: Attract Mode is now on Medium! There you can subscribe to keep up to date, as well as enjoy some “best of” content you might have missed the first time around, plus be spared of the technical issues that’s starting to overtake Tumblr.