In 1993,
DiC Entertainment created a cartoon series of Sega's mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, called The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
It was pretty much a slapstick comedy with little to no story,
or even sense.
However, in the same year by the same company,
but with different writers
they decided to take on a different approach with this mascot.
Blue streak
Speeds by
Sonic the Hedgehog
A much more developed, complex, and dark atmosphere to that joyful game.
The title to this show is simply Sonic the Hedgehog,
but later nicknamed SatAM by the fans because it aired on Saturday mornings,
and as to differentiate from all the other Sonic the Hedgehog titles.
In this story,
Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik has a nephew named Snively,
who is treated as a lackey,
and has pretty much taken over half of Mobius.
He also roboticizes all the animals that take away their free will,
and turns them into mindless workers doing anything Robotnik commands.
Oh, what is it, Cluck?
Does hims need another head adjustment?
What's this?
Does that look like Robotnik may actually need...
...a friend perhaps?
Ah, who am I kidding.
He's actually evil here,
or at least sounds it.
I despise that miserable hedgehog, Cluck.
Despise him with all my metallic heart!
A big contrast to the original Eggman,
or that other Rotten guy...
...a promotion!
Snively!
I think I wet meself...
Fighting him is none other than Sonic himself together with a band of freedom fighters.
There was talk about him being a freedom fighter in Adventures.
Hey Sonic! You think we could make good freedom fighters too?
But here we get to see a full group of freedom fighters
starring:
Princess Sally Acorn,
a chipmunk-squirrel hybrid,
daughter to King Maximillian Acorn
who was overthrown by Robotnik and banished to the void;
Miles 'Tails' Prower,
a 2-tailed fox whose parents were roboticized as he was born;
Rotor, a walrus and mechanic;
Bunny Rabbot,
half roboticezed rabbit due to sabotage;
Antoine D'coolette,
a cowardly French coyote;
and Dulcy,
a dragon that seems to have gotten landing lessons from Launchpad McQuack.
For those of you who complain about her still being a princess and should take some responsibility and become a queen,
I have my thoughts on that:
1. The kingdom is occupied at the moment.
2. You can't become a queen until you are of a certain age.
3. You can't become a queen without being married.
Here, Sonic also has a family,
though we only get to see his uncle, Sir Charles Hedgehog,
now roboticezed.
Uncle Chuck!
It's me, Sonic!
Your one and only too cool nephew!
Don't you remember?
Chuck was the original creator of the Roboticizer.
He invented it in order to make people live longer,
but due to a sabotage by Robotnik,
it also took away their free will.
Seeing the horror of what he had done,
to Sonic's father no less,
he scrapped the project and was later stolen by Robotnik.
This roboticization business seems to come from the part of the game where the animals fly out of the robots when Sonic breaks them open.
We soon find out that roboticization doesn't permanently take away your personality.
But I thought that when you were roboticized you didn't--
Know what was going on?
We know everything,
we just can't do anything about it.
It can be restored with a power ring and some helpful words from someone close to you.
Freedom fighter.
Priority 1...
I know you're in there, Unc.
Fight Robotnik!
I'm going to fight...
Uncle Chuck?
Chuck, Uncle Chuck!
Priority 1...
Uncle Chuck.
Freedom fight...
Yeah, yeah!
That's it, Unc!
You can do it.
Fight Robotnik!
Its...
It's working!
Ah, the beauty of it all...
Just reach out with your heart and everything will be well again.
Now in the Sonic games,
rings are collectibles that keeps Sonic alive when he gets hit.
Something along the lines of health.
Here they are called power rings,
created by Uncle Chuck,
and made specifically to be used by Sonic to give him a boost.
Glow n' go time!
However, it doesn't stop Robotnik from creating machines that can harness their power.
And yes, what would Sonic be without Jaleel White?
Come on, missile head, I'm getting bored!
Sonic's character, however, is rather different from Adventures.
He's not over the top smart.
We cross wire this fibbulator,
depolarize the co-processor,
redoolicky the wafsit,
und calibrate the proper coordinate
so that the first time he pushes the implode button
the village is all imploded... (say what now?)
Warning!
Improper manipulation of this unit may cause extensive circuitry damage.
Talk in English!
Nicole, find the void.
Ambient energy radiating from target source South, Southwest.
You want another shaking?
Take a left.
He's somewhat more impatient.
Sonic, do you mind?
Not very well.
Dogs mind, not hedgehogs.
Well, show a little patience.
Patience is for hospitals.
We're in Robo-Country and that makes me itchy!
And he's sometimes reckless.
Oh man, Megamuck.
I just should've waited.
Yes, we know that, Sonic!
But besides that, this series was very well made.
It's thought out, it's dark, it's complex...
The ending was also good, if I may spoil it.
Robotnik was about to launch his Doomsday device, when the freedom fighters started to attack it.
Sadly, Robotnik was one step ahead and almost everyone was captured.
Do it to it, Nicole!
Adios, Doomsday machine!
Not cool.
Sonic, did you do it?
You are making the big boom-boom?
Did you, Sonic? Did you?
Sorry, guys... Didn't happen.
Oh no! We are doomed!
Sonic and Sally had to use a pair of Deep Power Stones,
a source of great power that they found earlier.
Sally, these are the Deep Power Stones.
Daddy?
Joined together this way, they're a source of limitless energy.
Reverse them, and within 30 seconds they become a source of eternal destruction.
The Deep Power Stones are hidden at Drood Henge.
This book is in the secret vaults of the Royal Library; it will give you the location.
Let's watch was happens when they are joined.
Hedgehog alert!
Turn over the power stones!
Come and get them, Swatbutts!
Freeze intruders!
Turn over the power stones!
Freeze intruders!
Turn over the power stones!
So this is what power rings feel like.
Wow...
Lets do it to it!
Priority
Hedgehog
Surrender
Turn over the power stones!
Just to let you know, I am not editing this.
This is how it was cut.
So very chaotic!
Would these be the equivalent of Chaos Emeralds?
I really hate that hedgehog.
I hate him.
I Hate Him!
HATE HIM!
Hate.
Hate!
HATE!
Alright!
Way past cool!
Robotnik's gone!
I don't believe this!
Sonic, we actually did it!
Wow...
If a high-five does that,
what happens with a kiss?
I don't wanna find out.
Outta here!
No more Robotnik.
Too bad.
What?
Too bad?
Hey, without a villain what are heroes gonna do?
You'll always be my hero, Sonic Hedgehog.
FREEDOM!
Ah, what a happy ending.
Though did anyone notice something in that chaos?
YES!
The big round guy finally let Sonic defeat him.
Well, don't celebrate too soon, hedgehog!
Now, it's my turn!
And I'm not alone!
Oh, we'd sure like to know what happens next, don't we?
Sadly, however, the ABC network had a change in staff and canceled the show,
to make way for 5 teenage martial artists
in brightly colored motorcycle helmets
driving giant plastic toys.
Oh come now, that's how I see it!
I find it so ridiculous the way they flail their arms whenever they need to speak.
Anyways, funny how the less serious series managed to last 3 years and end nicely...
Every story must end.
Even this one!
But it's no fairy tale to say,
see you soon for more adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog!
While the more serious series only got 2 years and was canceled.
Personally I'd like to see more of Tails' growing up.
We only got to see some of his talents.
Fine, I admit, I'm a Tails fan.
He's just so cute!
Um.. well...
Ferocious little guy...
Anyways, if you want some kind of continuation to this saga,
you will have to look towards the Archie Comics.
It actually starts before the series so best catch it from the beginning,
containing elements from SatAM like the Knothole freedom fighters,
but also the comedy from Adventures.
It then runs parallel with the series, becoming more serious,
then takes its own road with tie-ins from the other games,
adding all kinds of explanations to things,
as well as a deep and complex history.
Remember how I said Adventures had it all?
Well, this comic has everything!
Well, maybe not everything, but close enough.
Now I'm not going to make a review on the comics because it is an ongoing comic and our main focus are the animated cartoons.
Just wanted to quickly show where to go if you ever needed your SatAM fix.
So lets continue with the next cartoon.
In the next part.