Good day, people. James M the Crazy Video Game Wizard here, and today, we will be looking at something different, a cartoon based on a video game. The cartoon in question?
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG aka Sonic Saturday Morning or, most accurately, Sonic SatAM.
In 1991, SEGA released Sonic the Hedgehog for the SEGA Genesis and, within a few years, the Sonic video game franchise was a huge success, so successful, it spawned more than video games, it brought about merchandising such as toys along with a few comic books (which included Archie) and even cartoons.
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was a prime example of a Sonic cartoon, starring Jaleel White voicing the blue hedgehog.
But around that same time as AoSTH (which was an action-adventure comedy), there was another popular Sonic cartoon, one that would leave a lasting legacy felt to this very day.
The cartoon in question? Sonic SatAM!
SatAM was more unique and different from its AoSTH counterpart, despite having Jaleel White's involvement as well. How different? Well, unlike the goofy and lighthearted Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Saturday Morning was more dark and serious and action-packed. Don't worry, it was still family-friendly and allowed kids to see it.
The overall plot?
In the distant future, specifically the 33rd Century, Doctor Robotnik (and his associate/nephew Snively) has conquered Mobius, the world is all his. Yes, the main villain has already triumphed and taken over the world.
So its up to Sonic, Tails and their friends, the Freedom Fighters (consisting of Princess Sally Acorn, Antoine, Bunnie and Rotor) to overthrow Robotnik and take back what was once theirs. Sonic and his friends reside in Knothole, hidden in the Great Forest, where they strike out at Robotnik, who's seat of power is in Robotroplis (formerly Mobotroplis), which was once the main city of the Kingdom of Acorn before Robotnik came in and exiled the King, Sally's pop.
The show went on for two seasons and twenty six episodes before it came to a halt with the episode The Doomsday Machine where Sonic and the Freedom Fighters trashed Robotnik's Doomsday Machine and overthrew the fat man's rule, but not before the show ended on a cliffhanger with Snively assuming command and bringing along another villain by the name of Naugus, who debuted earlier in season two).
Originally/Initially, had the show not been cancelled, we would've gotten season three, where Sonic and his friends would have to contend with Snively and Naugus while dealing with Robotnik, who survived the events of The Doomsday Machine. Also, we would've dived into both the backstory of Mobius, Robotnik and Snively as well as Nicole. The backstory for Mobius? Its a post-apocalyptic Earth. Robotnik and Snively? They were space adventurers and time travelers. Nicole, Sally's computer? She was originally a normal Mobian girl before being converted into a computer by Doctor Robotnik (who once went by the name Julian).
Sonic SatAM is a product of the 1990s and is a great show. Is it worth your time? Of course it is. The writers of the show like Ben Hurst are legends and their legacy lives on to this day. After the show got cancelled, many of its viewers treated the Archie Sonic comics (which were going on at the time SatAM was canned) as a continuation of the cartoon. Fascinatingly, the Archie Sonic comics not only drew inspiration from the video games, it also drew inspiration from SatAM alongside AoSTH. Sonic SatAM has a respectable legacy as it brought forth many memorable characters like Sally Acorn or Sir Charles Hedgehog, who was Sonic's uncle.
As for the unfinished and unseen stories fans of SatAM wish to see, in the years since the end of the show, many fans have brought it upon themselves to revive SatAM in any way shape or form and bring to life the concepts for Season Three. One group in particular has actually been super successful in bringing about their own continuation of the show in the form of a fan comic which, as of this report, is being brought to life in animated format. The fan project in question? Sonic Sea3on. it has promise and the fans even brought together veterans who worked on SatAM to help.
I happily give Sonic SatAM a 9/10 (it would've gotten a ten had it gotten a proper conclusion) for its great voice acting, solid animation, great action scenes, compelling and fun characters, overall tone and for the lasting legacy and impression it has left on the fans.
See you later Sonic fans
http://www.sonicsatam.com/sea3on/
Nice review!
ReplyDeleteThanks buddy!
Delete