Summary
With the surprise reveal and release ofSonic Dream Team, not only is Sega’s blue hedgehog mascot going on yet another adventure, but some of his friends who have been lacking some time in the limelight are as well. Miles “Tails” Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Rouge the Bat, and Cream the Rabbit and her Chao friend Cheese are along for the ride, rounding out the playable character roster with six options for players.Cream the Rabbit and Cheesein particular are the secret stars of the show, serving an important role in the story at large.
Despite the fact thatSonic Dream Teamgives a fair number of fan-favorite characters time in the spotlight, other series loyalists would have liked to have seen Shadow the Hedgehog or Blaze the Cat included in this number, or placed in the position of another character. That’s understandable, as Shadow and Blaze have not been playable in a mainline title in quite some time, and the franchise is making it a point toinclude more playable characters inSonicgamesin the future. However, there’s a reason as to why Blaze and Shadow don’t appear.
Sonic Dream Team Wasn’t Dangerous Enough to Warrant Shadow and Blaze Appearing
Shadow the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat Won’t Appear Unless the Impending Threat Calls For It
Like many of Sonic’s adventures with his friends, there’s a looming threat that they need to put a stop to. This time, Dr. Eggman is using a relic known as the Reverie to make his dreams into reality through Cream the Rabbit’s pure-hearted nature.In an interview with Touch Arcade,Dream Teamdirector Dan Rossati explains that this premise is so normal for the blue blur and company that Blaze and Shadow weren’t included because the situation wasn’t an existential-level problem.
Blaze the Cat belongs in the Sol Dimension, a parallel world alongside Sonic’s. If she’s to leave the dimension she rules over as princess, the threat has to be important enough to call her over. The same goes for Shadow, who (despite Rouge being involved as the group’s informant) is usually seen during much more dire situations, such asSonic Prime’s reality-shattering storyline and Eggman’s worldwide takeover inSonic Forces.
Having Restrictions on Which Sonic Characters Appear When Spells Good Things for the Franchise
While fans of Shadow and Blaze may be unhappy with this reasoning, these restrictions only benefit the characters overall. In the past, Shadow was arguably being overused at one stage, shoved in a number ofSonicgames such asSonic Boom: Rise of Lyricto be nothing more than a rival to Sonic. Not only did many fans dislike what it turned Shadow into, but it made the blue blur’s other rivals like Knuckles feel ignored.
Making sure that the narrative of these games in question calls for important characters to make an appearance not only avoids the overuse of Shadow and other members of Sonic’s entourage, but it also helps strengthen the story aspect of the product as well at the same time. World-shattering and reality-rending problems are just as normal for Sonic asDream Team’s premise is, so while it may sound like Shadow and Blaze might not be playable for a while, they may just be more reserved for detailed and hard-hittingstories like the one inSonic Frontiers.
On top of that,Sonic Frontiersitself makes a great case that while Shadow and Blaze may not be around a lot as of right now, things can always change.Frontiersended with establishing that Tails and Amy have their own adventures to go onwith Knuckles the Echidna finally decidingthat it may be okay for him to leave Angel Island every so often, implying he’ll be in more games without having to be restricted as the Master Emerald’s guardian. Therefore, fans shouldn’t give up hope, as their next appearance may lead to something more flexible.
Sonic Dream Teamis available now for Apple Arcade.
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