#sonic divergence

[tasteslikekeys]

For Sonic fans, highly recommend checking out this thread where in-house director Kellan Stover breaks down who did what on the Prologue. It’s a big task to undertake, but it’s a really great gesture to showcase all the talent that goes into this kind of work. 

[yellowvixen]

i just hope someone noticed he went missing :(

[aphantimes]

I love this scene so so so so so much. It’s a demonstration of Knuckles’ strength, but also shows some INSANE precision. If he just had brute strength with no technique behind it he WOULD NOT be able to do this. He’s EXTREMELY skilled and I loooove seeing it demonstrated like this. And the fact that he doesn’t even break a sweat? He isn’t exerting himself at all here? It makes me wanna know what him going all out looks like!!!

[urpersonalpublicgalaxy]

uhm?? previous post skyrocketed in literally one night I don't know how to respond to this. hi guys!! have another one I did :3

take this while i work on new stuff to appeal to the masses

this one's definitely a little simpler in terms of lineart a little less canon in terms of design but it gets the message across when I have no idea how to not just leave a topic hanging!!

[pikabysss]

I was going through my stuff and found this stunning piece of art. Fyi, I have NO recolection of drawing this, I recognize my artstyle so I know I drew this, but... wow.

An entire marriage scene, WHAT!?

(Yes, it is Knuckles x Sara (ova))

[rapidhighway]

in every fandom im in, i always reach the inevitable point where i make an au that would greatly benefit from me reading the divine comedy. every time. alas, i am lazy

[the-fictive-haven]

Updated source call because the last one's a mess lol (would appreciate rbs for visibility ty /nf)

We are officially expanding our search to anyone who identifies as being part of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. This means fictives, introjects, IRLs, kins, etc are invited to interact! Still no roleplaying, that is not what this is about. Doubles welcome and encouraged. Folks who didn't get along in source also welcome.

Our fictives below the break!

From Sonic Boom: Boom Sonic, Boom Tails, Boom Amy, Sticks

From Sonic Forces: Infinite

From Sonic Frontiers: Sage (early game), Sage (post game)

From Sonic Prime: Prime Shadow, Prime Tails, Nine (canon), Nine (canon divergent), Rusty Rose

Multi-source: Tails (Forces/Frontiers), Sonic (Forces/Frontiers/Prime), Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2/Forces), Eggman (Boom/Frontiers)

Source unknown/chooses not to disclose: Silver, Orbot and Cubot, Amy, Tails, Maria, and (sigh /lh) Fleetway super Sonic.

[pinkalliums]

ermm happy gay month have some shards i drew on an aggie session with a friend :) plusss my new shard design is heavily inspired by @/thekitsunami 's shard design bc i love it so so much... specifically here :D

[martialartslover7]

Weird Wednesday Headcanon: Neji could have given Tenten his DNA to work on Byakugan-Visors

In honor of #Nejitenmonth2024, I actually had this idea floating around in my head that, if we were to buff the hell out of Tenten, and turn her into a literal ninja gadget INVENTOR, with her own workshop and all, turning her into the Bulma of the Naruto world, or more like, a blend of her as an inventor, and a computer techwiz like Tails from the Sonic series and Coco Bandicoot from the Crash series, Neji WILL be involved in the process.

And it starts by her, with Tsunade's endorsement, starting her research, by studying ninja tools and weapons, and creating her own spin on them, to give her the necessary edge in battle. You know, making her omega-busted, because, if it all hinges on purely her imagination and technical knowledge, no ability or weapon may be off-limits to her. And her starting project HAS to involve a sleek-looking Byakugan-powered visor. In order to make this happen, she needs Neji's DNA, in the form of his blood.

Of course, this is all risky, due to... well, Neji being a Side branch member, and those Hyuga are seen as cannonfodder, and yet, there comes this rando "no-name" inventor girl, breaking the mold, set up by those corrupt Hyuga elders and Hiashi, by "stealing", but also, not really, because there is no malice in her research, unlike what Orochimaru had in mind. Her research is meant to benefit not just herself, and Rock Lee, but especially those other shinobi, who may be as unfortunate as her in their chakra-based genetics. But the big pay-off, if this works out, she can finally get the chance to gain a bit of advantage in battle, becoming able to predict her opponent's movements and see their chakra points.

Not just weapons, she may be able to set up full-on simplistic building structures with her scrolls, too, like Bulma's capsules. Maybe build impromptu hospital tents for Sakura or the other healers. She would be CRAZY versatile. And through her tools, she may even be able to boost Rock Lee's, or her own, chakra nature, just to give themselves a fair fighting chance against opponents, that are too powerful for the average shinobi.

And again, if we go to THIS length, even the greedy, and very hungry boi, the Samehada blade from Kisame, will become no problem in taming for her, if she can find different means to overwrite the sword's self-harming attributes. But dude, just picture Tenten wielding the Samehada, like it's NOTHING. No chakra is safe from her no more.

And Neji, throughout all of this, is fully supportive of her, because he is also a bit of a weapon's geek, since his clan has a bit of a relation to ancient weaponry. Win-win, to me.

Peace.

[d00msd4y]

Personal comic with my favorite nerds oc Xavier <33

[newfrontiers-memory-log]

[yourflame]

trauma? what trauma. he's sonic the hedgehog! there's no such thing as-

OHHHH THERE'S THE TRAUMA.

[cheetahsprints]

Prompt #10: Ghost

Inspired by this post

• Sonadow Prompt Fills •

• Ambience Music •

Content Warning: Implied Major Character Death (of a sort)

*

Green Hill is restored, but Shadow feels like the luscious greenery all around and clear blue skies above are mocking him. He skates from one end to the other day to day without aim. He does what he can to watch over the island, the planet, its life. He promised.

He promised Sonic he would take care of them.

Time blends into a shapeless, colorless blur, empty and sullen. The days turn to weeks that lack a certain spirit. They no longer experience intense, fiery rivalry between a remarkable pair of hedgehogs. Sonic’s friends try to go on to the best of their ability. Tails hasn’t given up, not entirely, but Shadow can see that it’s wearing him down. He practically has to bully the young fox into eating and sleeping some days.

Shadow should tell them that he’s still… seeing him.

He shouldn’t burden them.

They would just think he is insane.

Shadow uses Chaos Control each night to secretly enter the locked up obscured structure where the Paradox Prism is contained. He has to be near it. The night that he found out, he told Sonic’s friends… but for some reason it hadn’t worked for them. Though they didn’t express it in so many words, he could tell they believed he was just dreaming.

Maybe he is deluding himself, maybe has cracked.

It doesn’t stop him.

He rolls into a tight ball and clears his mind. The Prism energy seems to prickle through his quills. It took him a while to actually calm himself enough to sleep after the first time, where he had been unusually exhausted and had practically passed out. He exercises extensively, then drinks relaxing tea before evening. He avoids caffeine and sugar, and he meditates whenever he gets the chance.

The void materializes before him, and he rockets toward Sonic’s usual spot. Sonic immediately perks and smiles when he notices Shadow’s arrival.

“Shadow!”

The enthusiastic cry of his name is pleasing for his ears.

If Shadow doesn’t examine him too closely, Sonic looks completely solid. He isn’t a dream, he isn’t a ghost. He’s real, and Shadow can definitely still smell a mix of coconut and sweat on him. He would be able to hear his heartbeat and feel his breath, if he tried.

Shadow lands next to him at a reasonable distance. He can’t risk brushing against him… because he has an aversion, he tells himself, per usual. No other reason. Nevermind that touching Sonic recently became easier… before the disaster found its costly conclusion.

“Sonic.”

“How is everyone?”

“Well enough. I made sure Tails took a break.”

“Good… good.” Sonic taps his foot. “Um… so what have you been up to? Besides keeping an eye on the team.”

“Your team,” Shadow points out. “I… just run around, I guess, or brood, as you’d call it.”

Sonic scoffs and wags a disapproving finger at him. “Mister Diligence. Workaholic. Don’t you have any hobbies? I know you like music. Make sure to jam to your favorite tunes. Wait, I know! You should try gardening. You could grow your own veggies or flowers and bring me some - uh, forget that last part. Hey, you’ve been eating plenty of chili dogs for me, right?”

“When I can tolerate them,” Shadow admits.

“I’ll take it!” After a moment of silence, Sonic says in a low, gentle tone, “Thanks.”

Shadow briefly pushes his black and red quills back. “Yeah. You’re welcome.”

“Not just for… but for visiting me as well.”

Dread sinks into his stomach as Sonic darts forward and tries to hug him. He slips through Shadow, and Shadow shivers. It doesn’t feel like anything, and that’s what makes his fur stand on end. Sonic gives an awkward chuckle.

“Sonic…”

“I - man - I forgot.”

“You’re not real,” Shadow mumbles. “You’re a figment of my mind to make me feel like… I’m honoring your memory. Like I didn’t fucking fail.”

Sonic crosses his arms and frowns. Shadow hates it… he wants him to only smile… Why’d he have to ruin that? Shadow looks away. Whatever fucked up part of his brain keeps this charade going, it doesn’t allow him to manipulate Sonic to his preferences. Sonic’s pose is too reminiscent of his own tendencies.

It makes him feel even more like this specter is simply an extension of his broken mind and aching heart. It’s a twisted reflection created by his guilty subconscious to torture him.

“That’s not true. I am real. Don’t be so hard on yourself, asshole. You didn’t fail, you did your best. It’s not your fault! It was my choice. What happened, happened. You could’ve just… not bothered. Left the island or something. You’re a good friend, Shadow.”

“Friend… I’m no friend.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Sonic places a hand on his hip. “We’re pals. Buddies. Amigos. Good old regular chums. Confidants, even. Face it. After everything, you can’t deny that.”

Shadow roars, “You’re dead or worse, a ghost trapped in an eternal void, you damn self-sacrificing hedgehog! I didn’t give myself a chance to appreciate what I had, what we could’ve had, until you were gone!!!”

You’re one to talk about sacrifice, a little voice in the back of his mind reminds him.

Sonic’s ears droop, and he flinches back. Shadow balls his hands into fists, wishing he could dig his claws into his palms through the gloves. He wishes he could actually hug Sonic, or at least punch him, whether he’s actually there or not. He wishes, not for the first time, to trade places with someone he loved.

He wants to remove his inhibitors and Chaos Blast this stupid, horrible limbo until he is totally drained.

“Never too late,” Sonic whispers, looking down and scuffing his shoe on the rock. “Plus it’s not so bad here really, since I get to see you, and I have plenty of time to think about how to be a better friend to everyone when I get back.”

“But it is. It is too late. It’s too late for me to love you like I should have,” Shadow insists.

Sonic’s head jerks up and his mouth falls open, his eyes searching Shadow’s hard stare. Shadow closes his eyes as Sonic steps forward, reaching as though to rest a hand on his face.

Shadow wakes up, chilly and alone in the dark cave. The world may not have truly ended, but it feels even more like a ghost in the shadows than it had when the Prism was shattered. Shadow and Sonic were shattered in its place, in different ways, instead.

*

[cloudypouty]

A collection of my favorite panels from Chapter 1 of SperoNova!

(I literally tried to fit them all on one page, but there is too much love in these 50 pages that I couldn't;;)

[autismgirl4998]

I thought I might do this. Send me a ship in the ask box with these fandoms that I know.

[biolizardboils]

[The following is a transcript of a ramble Mardiculous, aka Matt The Owner Of Tails’ Channel, went on after watching Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence. I transcribed it because he touched on a very real pain that’s hard to describe, and also because it’s long and I’m tired of listening to it even at 2x speed.

If he or anyone close to him asks me to delete this post, I will do so.

The ramble begins at the 6:30 mark. Some stutters and filler words have been removed for readability. Bold and italics were added by me for emphasis.]

———

So, I’ve gotta—I’ve gotta say something.

So—you know—I am crying. I’ve been a mess lately. I’m really hyped about Sonic Frontiers, but there’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that I can’t really talk about right now. But [...] it can be kinda summed up with ‘seasonal depression.’ That’s kinda why I don’t look as [well-kept] as I usually do.

But... I’ve been waiting so long for this. It’s simple, right? It’s just—It’s action shots, it’s detailed, it’s the characters being in character.

...You guys wanna see the characters on-screen. Let me get the characters on screen here.

Yeah, so, the references to Sonic Adventure—yes, I’m biased. I love the game, okay? I love Sonic Adventure a lot. But I love Sonic Adventure because it was the first time that they could come out and have the characters speak, and tell you about how they feel about certain things. They had dedicated theme songs to each character.

And so—Let’s not even talk about the game, right? Because we’re talking about the story here. Adventure just—really—when you’re a kid that loved the Classics already, it just opened the floodgates to understanding these characters you already loved on a deeper level. And it’s just been so long since it mattered.

[Silence for 8 seconds]

[sigh] I don’t even know if I should post this. [sigh] Because this is just Knuckles. This is just Knuckles in this. And it’s new, but it’s also familiar, which is what we’ve been asking for. It’s so simple.

[Silence for 21 seconds]

After years of being ridiculed for being Sonic’s friends, right? Like, here’s a whole special about one of Sonic’s friends, and it’s excellent. ...Why am I so emotional, bro? I wasn’t even like, this upset before—like, I’m not upset! It’s just...

Flickies are there, right? And like, Lost World had Flickies, but like, it was just Flickies. So it was just Classic Sonic stuff, with Modern Sonic there, in a game that looked like Mario. It still felt ashamed of what it was. This is... everything.

[Silence for 14 seconds]

I’m in a weird place with Sonic right now, where, like I said at the beginning—Well, no, I didn’t say it. Um...

Frontiers isn’t gonna be perfect, doesn’t look perfect, has flaws. And the people on the outside are not gonna understand... not gonna get it.

[Silence for 10 seconds]

There’s so many people who loved Sonic, that were like, alone. And I was growing up when Sonic was ashamed of itself. And I had to just keep focusing on what I loved, hoping... hoping that it would matter at some point. And for the longest time, it felt like it would never matter. And the reason that this is so powerful is that I know that Tyson Hesse played a hand in this. Fans... know... what people like I’ve been through, what fans have been through.

And, again, this is not insane. This is not, like... There’s better animated shorts out there, yeah. And the fact that I even have to say that sucks, because I’m here experiencing pure joy. But that’s how the Internet is. I have to conjure up fake, totally real people to answer to, and rob myself of enjoying this thing I’ve waited years for. And the thing is, I’ve waited years for so little. ...They didn’t cut away right when the action came in. It’s the Modern cast, it’s fully voiced, it’s connecting to new lore but it’s using previous lore to give us something truly beautiful.

I didn’t even think I’d see Tikal floating around. Like, what’s that, Tikal still floats around and guides Knuckles? Like, I didn’t even know that that was still a thing, but now it matters. Sky Sanctuary is actually seen near Angel Island. Like, that was disconnected, even in Sonic Adventure. And now it’s all connected, and Knuckles is still thinking about his responsibility, right? Like, he hasn’t talked about this since Adventure 1. He just shows up and it’s like, “where’s the Master Emerald? Oh, you’re carrying it with you now?” Like, they just haven’t done anything.

They’ve done nothing with Knuckles, because of what happened—the way the games were received. Every single time they tried to focus on the other characters, the sentiment at the time was like, “I just wanna play as Sonic! I just wanna play as Sonic!” But like, the fact that people’s review of it at the time was so shallow! It’s common sense—not even just Sonic—it’s common sense that a supporting cast is a supporting cast! It makes your main character better! 

How could it have to come to the fact that, “Oh, shut up about the other characters and just focus on Sonic”? What does Sonic have going for him without his friends? It’s about the impact he has on his friends that makes Sonic special. And that’s, like, common sense in writing. You’re gonna have a character by itself the entire time, having zero impact on the people and their environment? You’re gonna have zero respect for iconic locales. You’re not gonna have iconic locales return, so that people who have been following your series for years are invested, and can go around and free-advertise your product!

Finally, they’re doing... what you do. And they couldn’t do this stuff, because they were ashamed of who they were, because they listened to reviewers who were so wrong because they didn’t care, because all they saw was a cartoon character. Which, I will add, is unique that it has deep lore. But that’s why I loved it. Because I can’t find this anywhere else. Unless you wanna talk about Kingdom Hearts, maybe?

Kingdom Hearts has cartoon characters and a deep lore. But the weird part is, the cartoon characters just kind of exist, and then there’s a bunch of humans to kind of really carry that dark lore. Right? Like, Goofy and Donald aren’t going, like, “Why am I here? What’s my responsibility?” But Knuckles is, right?

And what’s cool about that is that anyone can plug into Knuckles, because he’s an animal. It doesn’t have to look like you, with this. You can see yourself in Knuckles because you share traits with him. It’s about who he is, not what he is.

And that’s what Sonic was to me, and to a lot of people! Which is why it mattered—Sonic’s impact on the supporting cast! And why it mattered to have iconic locales return, and hear what the characters think about what they have to do all the time!

This actor does a wonderful job, and—I’m not even going frame-by-frame on this, because I just want to enjoy what it is.

[Silence for 10 seconds]

And it ties to the beginning. He likes to do things on his own... “But sometimes...” This part? [sigh] That’s well-written. I don’t know what else to tell you guys.

This is—there’s a contrast, right? There’s dark and dreary; Knuckles, depressed, thinking that he has to... pay for what he didn’t even do. But also, light! There’s darkness, but there’s also light! The light starts shining, and Knuckles goes to help. The Chao [sic] are happy, and we see Knuckles helping people.

[Silence for 8 seconds]

We actually see him use his abilities. Do you know what I’m saying? I shouldn’t have to say that shit, but like... When in Lost World do you see Knuckles fly around? Rather, when even in Sonic Heroes did you see him fly around? Did he glide around? Did he climb? No. And like, the Chao being different types of Chao, just in the environment? It’s basic stuff, sure! But the fact that it’s finally here?

[sigh] My inner kid can’t handle it, because... I thought this dream was dead. I thought this would never happen.

[Silence for 11 seconds]

I don’t know what to tell you guys. Um... I’ve been going through a lot lately. And this... I don’t know if I want to post this, but I think I should. Because, I mean, what’s the point of doing a reaction video, right? Like, there’s so many reaction videos where it’s just like, “Wow!” And I’ve done them too, where it’s like, “Wow, like, let’s look at this.” But what are you actually looking for? You’re looking for the reactions where somebody was truly, truly changed by what they saw, and I was!

It blew my expectations completely out of the water. I knew that Tyson Hesse was good at what he did. I saw Sonic Mania Adventures, I saw TSR: Overdrive, but still. And I could figure that this would be the tone... but... I think it’s the writing, it’s... everything coming together. I don’t know what it is.

But you clicked on a reaction video; you got my reaction. And whether it’s seasonal depression, whether it’s what’s going on behind the scenes for me... or whether it’s been years that I’ve waited for just Sonic to be proud of what it is, enough to do something new that feels like it’s from the series that I know as Modern Sonic and not “Modern Sonic ashamed of what it was and trying everything it possibly can to be something that it isn’t” ...when I was a Sonic fan because there was nothing like it. And all this time it’s been gone, there’s still nothing like it. And you can still argue that, “play other games.” But why are we a Sonic fan if not because we’re a fan of what it brought that was unique.

And to contextualize, I was a fan of everything. Sonic 1, aaall the way until like, Sonic ‘06, Sonic Unleashed—I was still hanging on. Like I would consider myself [a] hardcore fan. But something was shifting, right? After ‘06 and Unleashed, something was shifting, and there are people who loved what happened after, but... it was ashamed of itself. I don’t think there’s much arguing of that.

And the best part is, if you liked what happened after? I don’t necessarily think you’re gonna lose what you loved, either. These characters can still be funny, they can still do jokes. But there will be a variety, which is more inclusive. There will be light and darkness. The jokes will be funnier because they won’t be constant.

The Boost gameplay doesn’t have to go away, just needs to evolve, right? For me it’s like, Boost can still—I mean, some people will debate whether it’s like you gotta slowly build up your speed, or you can earn it with a button. But like, really, that’s not what it’s about; it’s about just being able to experiment with the mechanics. I think the rigidity of Boost is my problem with it, that’s all. You know? Like, there’s a compromise in there! I’m not about to tell you I know everything! But it’s about making a compromise, which is what this is. This feels new; this feels like people who liked Modern Sonic after Unleashed and on can still participate. But now I feel like I can truly love what it’s doing now.

And it’s changing how I react to Sonic news, because it’s not just a gig anymore. I’m a fan again. And it changes the way I press Record when I start these reaction videos. I wanted to watch this alone, like I did when I was a kid. And it hasn’t been like that for years.

[Silence for 9 seconds]

This was truly special. Thank you, everyone. I know, I’m a creative too, and I know how hard it is to convince people who don’t understand quite as well how much work goes into this. I know how hard it is to convince investors that this is important. Because it’s just animals doing action stuff. Like, why is it important, right?

[Silence for 8 seconds]

But shit is hard right now, for a lot of people. And sometimes this is the escape. And like... for a couple minutes, all that stuff didn’t matter.

[Silence for 8 seconds]

Sonic, you’re so fucking cool.

[Silence for 7 seconds]

[smack] Thank you, everyone. Thank you, everyone who pushed to make this happen, but not just that. Just... [sigh] everyone who pushed to bring Sonic back. And when I say “Sonic back,” I mean the heart. Not being ashamed. Sonic fans don’t deserve to feel shame. You can say we’re eating up mediocrity, but no one deserves to feel shame for what they love, like... especially when it’s a video game.

There are people who definitely deserve to feel shame. And you’re gonna target someone who likes this? ...No.

This is an escape. This is just... for a couple minutes in the day... we can just enjoy an imaginative world that’s not like our own. And there’s lore to talk about, so we can escape more with our friends... theorize what’s next in Sonic Frontiers, and what’s next for the next game. As opposed to just theorizing what the gameplay will be like, now we get to theorize where the story’s gonna go next, and how it’s gonna build off what’s established here. Shit that anyone else can do with their games. [sniff]

[A dog barks in the distance]

Well, I think, uh, Opal’s got it right. I should probably wrap this up. Um... thank you all for supporting Tails’ Channel for as long as you guys have. I know I said I was gonna keep grinding out content, but... if you couldn’t tell from this video, it’s been rough. No pun intended [laughs]. Um... but things will be okay. Don’t worry about me. Especially with stuff like this coming out, I’ll be okay.

[End of transcription.]