Unseen animated intro to BioWare’s Sonic Chronicles surfaces online

Sonic T. Hedgehog has dabbled in many genres over his long and storied career. From your garden variety platformers, party games and kart racers, to more out-there stuff like beat ’em ups and third-person shooters (ordained by stupid children answering SEGA customer surveys very, very idiotically), he has seen more than his fair share of gameplay diversity. It’s precisely this breadth and unpredictability of direction that has led to the genesis (heh) of both Sonic supporters and Sonic detractors.

While one camp will staunchly defend whatever screeching left turn is made next by Sonic Team, the other will blast them for ‘following the leader’ and bowing to whatever they feel is trendy to maintain relevancy. Both sides have their merits and fallacies, but the sad truth is that such divisions probably ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. As for me? I just love coming along for the ride; Mr. Iizuka’s Wild Ride, specifically. A Sonic-themed Red Dead Redemption clone, eh? Sure, bring it on!

This dichotomy has proven especially accurate upon the reveal of Sonic Frontiers, with skeptics drawing – not altogether unjustified – comparisons with Breath of the Wild. However, there’s one corner of the Sonic library which, though it adheres to the time-honoured ‘let’s see what sticks’ mentality of genre selection, has never really garnered much attention. I speak of that time BioWare made a Sonic RPG. Or attempted to, at least.

Sonic Chronicles: The beginning

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a bit of an odd footnote in the franchise. Debuting on the Nintendo DS in 2008, it seemed to have all the pieces in place for a genuine bit of gaming magic: one, a studio well-known for crafting quality role-playing titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic; two, an intriguing plotline concerning a sort of ‘what if’ version of the Sonic universe where Dr. Eggman had vanished and all of Sonic’s friends had grown up and moved on; and three, an arresting artstyle that married 2D, hand-animated environments with 3D characters.

A lot of this promise did actually sparkle through in the final product, to be fair. The (extensive) cast of Sonic mainstays all put in appearances, and are written splendidly. The battle system isn’t completely terrible, and there is some joy to be found in the standard RPG cycle of battling n’ levelling up. There’s a nice scope of locations to visit, and there are even a few nuggets referencing Sonic SatAM and its ilk.

In the grand BioWare tradition, you can have Sonic interact with his mates in any way you choose, resulting in some pretty groundbreaking – for this series, anyway – character moments that we’ve not seen replicated since. Knuckles telling Sonic he can actually screw off and die? Eggman showing genuine remorse for his actions and musing on the meaning behind his villainy? Sonic and Amy becoming an item for real after he realises he does, after all, fancy her? It’s all right here, and I applaud them for taking risks. It’s certainly more than the IDW comics of today are allowed to get away with.

History repeats itself

However, as is so often the case, limitations of both time and technical sorts sunk Sonic Chronicles. Glitches and faulty collision detection abounded. Difficulty in battles was often wildly unbalanced. Basic baddies can decimate you while certain bosses can be dispatched in minutes. Despite the pleasant locales, they were clunky to navigate and often had strange viewing angles that didn’t help. Several side quests didn’t work, point blank. The plot was mawkish and pretty impenetrable in places, and wasn’t even wrapped up neatly at the end, instead opting for a cliffhanger. Good luck to those still waiting on that one.

Perhaps most famously, Sonic Chronicles‘ soundtrack was truly, truly repulsive. As the story goes, the OST was originally put together in software that was not compatible with the Nintendo DS hardware; something the developers didn’t cotton onto ’til it was too late. When they transferred their crisp, carefully composed music to the throttling constraints of the DS, the tracks were transformed into bleepy, bloopy messes. With next to no time remaining, the team were forced to rework what was left and salvage what they could, resulting in a musical score that sounds… well, I’d say it sounds like a placeholder, but that’d be insulting to any place that has ever been held. Just listen to this vomit-inducing, ear-blood-extracting rendition of Green Hill Zone:

As you’d expect, all of this resulted in the usual Sonic critical mauling. Since the game’s release, it’s been more or less totally ignored by SEGA, and was delisted as part of the great Sonic title exodus of 2010 to “improve the brand’s image.” No re-releases, digital or otherwise, have occurred, meaning the only way to play it in the futuristic age of 2021 is to pick up a physical copy second-hand. Or emulate it, but that’s a greyish area. To fully drive the point home, SEGA reps have gone out of their way on occasion to make it clear Chronicles is not canon. Even the new Sonic Encyclo-speed-ia makes this abundantly obvious. It’s 100 percent off the table. No ands, ifs or buts. Non. Canon. Poor BioWare.

A new opening appears

However, that hasn’t stopped odds and ends from the game’s development from surfacing over the years. Chainsawed plotlines, axed areas, even some samples of the original soundtrack are just a few of the treasures that internet explorers have turned up in their adventures. And recently, we had another. As NintendoLife reports, a fully-animated 2D intro to the game, which was never used in the “finished” release, has appeared out of nowhere.

Those who played Chronicles will recall that the game opens with a pretty nifty, comic-styled intro cutscene depicting Dr. Eggman’s final defeat. It’s only partially animated, but now we know that wasn’t always intended to be the case. “Video game animation expert and author Jonathan Cooper has shared something new relating to the game – an animated introduction sequence that was removed from the final product. According to Cooper, SEGA decided to cut the animation,” states the report.

You can check out the Tweet where Cooper documented the find below:

The intro was created by lead animators Joel MacMillan and Nick DiLiberto, and this is the first time in Sonic history it’s ever been seen. It’s actually pretty neat, and I’m sure they were rather peeved to hear it wasn’t going to be used. Just another omen prognosticating the game’s fate, I suppose.

Final thoughts

Would the inclusion of this intro have saved Sonic Chronicles? Probably not, but it’s certainly a fascinating look into what could have been, had the game been allowed a little more time in the chili-dog oven. A Sonic RPG feels like such an obvious, sure thing, and the idea deserves another crack, rather than being relegated to the frustrating, damp misfire we got.

Regardless of your opinions on the title, it remains one of the most eccentric entries in the ‘hog’s catalogue, and for that reason I’ll always have a bit of a soft spot for it. Shadow can shoot his guns, and Infinite can… do whatever the hell it is he does, but nothing in this batty universe will ever quite measure up to it.

Though to be honest, if Ken Penders wants the Nocturnus Clan? He can have ’em.

What do you think of this find? Where do you stand on Sonic Chronicles? Let us know!

Via, NintendoLife.