Despite not quite winning the console war, Sega is still going strong, shifting its attention to developing and publishing games rather than manufacturing new hardware. While Sega might not have as big of a presence in the current gaming industry as it did a few decades ago, its brands are still out there, appearing on every console.Sonic the Hedgehogis one such brand. And as is the case with all good brands, there have been a slew of spinoffs over the years, with a few of them highlighting one ofthe most belovedSoniccharacters, Shadow the Hedgehog.
First introduced in 2001, Shadow the Hedgehog has cropped up in a good few games over the years, including just about everySonic the Hedgehogteam-up game. While he may not be as widely renowned as the Blue Blur himself, Shadow has gained quite a following amongstSonicfans, with his edgy, tongue-in-cheek tone often standing out from the rest of the cast. And luckily for fans of black and red hedgehog, there are plenty of opportunities to play as him.
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Sonic Adventure 2
Marking the first introduction of the character, Shadow appears as a playable character in 2001’sSonic Adventure 2. While the game is mainly remembered for its Sonic-centric missions, withSonic Adventure 2’s City Escape sequencebeing particularly memorable even to non-Sonicfans, Shadow the Hedgehog does get his own set of missions.
Sonic Adventure 2splits its campaign in half, with the first half being the Hero Story in which the player controls Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they try to stop Dr. Eggman from taking over the world withthe Chaos Emeralds. The other half of the campaign, the Dark Story, sees the player step into the shoes of Shadow, along with playing as Dr. Eggman and Rouge the Bat.
There are three main types of gameplay inSonic Adventure 2, ranging from shooting missions with Tails and Eggman, to exploration stages with Knuckles and Rouge, and finally fast-paced platforming sections with Sonic and Shadow. Although Sonic and Shadow play very similarly, it’s a good introduction to the character, and the game as a whole is widely considered to be one of the bestSonicgames ever made.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Of course, the game that comes to most fans' minds when they think of Shadow the Hedgehog is his very own game, appropriately titledShadow the Hedgehog. Releasing in 2005 for the original Xbox, PS2, and GameCube,Shadow the Hedgehogisn’t a typicalSonicgame. Rather than speeding through a 2D level or darting chaotically around a 3D environment,Shadow the Hedgehogis a third-person shooter.
Most ofShadow the Hedgehog’s gameplay is fairly similar toother 3DSonicentries, with platforming and collecting being a key element of the moment-to-moment gameplay, but the addition of firearms distinguishes this game immediately from its predecessors. On top of the guns, and some environmental weapons,Shadow the Hedgehogalso features driving mechanics, which also helps it to stand apart from otherSonicgames.
Critics may have not been too kind onShadow the Hedgehog, but for fans of the character, it’s a must-play. Before jumping in, fans may need to temper their expectations, and prepare themselves for the wild, tonally dissonant ride ahead.
Team Sonic Racing
A truly great racing game,Team Sonic Racingmay not put Shadow in the spotlight, but he does appear as one of 15 playable racers. Although some critics and fans preferred theSega All-Starsracing series,Team Sonic Racingis still a great cart racer with some truly unique mechanics.
Team Sonic Racingsets itself apart from competitors likeMario Kartby emphasizing the team aspect of the game, putting the mechanic at its very heart. The core mechanics ofTeam Sonic Racingreward players who strategize effectively with their teammates, using their racer’s unique abilities to further the progress of the entire team rather than just the individual racer. Similarly,Team Sonic Racing’s slipstream mechanicencourages team play by slingshotting allies ahead, incentivizing players to stick together.
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