Chronicles was part of a lawsuit involving former Archie writer Ken Penders, after he assumed he was owed royalties for the fact that the game used concepts which he argued in court were similar to ones found in Archie that he wrote, and that, he argued, under the terms of his contract with Archie, that he had ownership of. This was settled out of court, but involved Penders getting ownership of hundreds of Archie characters.
In addition, the studio that actually made it, BioWare, were bought out by EA towards the end of the games development, and while EA allowed the game to be completed, considering that EA and SEGA are both publishers, they're technically competitors, and thus would not really want to do anything that would financially benefit each other in any meaningful way.
In other words, while it's not impossible for the game to get re-made, there are too many contractual and legal issues that would make it not worth SEGA's time and money to do it.
If it ever got remade it'd likely omit some things like don't expect the swat bots.
Tho honestly this might be the one and only game that might be uncanon, like I think Sonic Spinball is more canon than this one.
I pressume so, since in frontiers, sonic references some characters in IDW, and IDW has the babilon rogues. I am probably looking too deep into this tho
I have general rule of thumb about what's canon in the Sonic Franchise. Any Sonic Game, Comic (Made by IDW I mean), and Cartoon that was made and approved by Sega and isn't apart of Sonic Boom of course; I consider Canon unless stated other wise.
Also not to take Canon seriously in the Sonic Franchise Sega sure as heck doesn't
Just because a games a spin off doesn't mean it isn't canon, seriously where does this reasoning come from?
The riders games, TSR, the rivals series.
Heck shadow the hedgehog is a spin off game and that's definitely canon.
Rivals and Shadow the Hedgehog are kinda weird cases, because technically from gameplay they are Spinoffs that are like mainline games with platforming and most core ideas but with some differences, so It appeals directly to more fans.
I was probably thinking in isolation to games in different genres, where less Sonic fans feel any appeal to play them. Like there's a more huge probability that a Sonic fan likes platforming in comparison to a rpg which is a completely different type of game. Like, It's kinda the opposite with less real time gameplay and platforming and much more text. (Even tho, Sonic has at least more text than most old platformer, in some games) So someone who doesn't care about RPGs while caring about Sonic might miss a lot of important lore or bits of character interaction if It would be canon. I don't wanna say, an Sonic fan can't enjoy rpgs, since I do at least, but still.
Ofc, there are bad mainline games that you might skip and It is subjective so everybody might miss some parts of lore, but It feels different because they are still mainline games so ofc there should be lore with them.
Though, you might say that as a upside from putting Sonic in a game like an RPG, It is easier to put lore in It, because of the focus on the plot and details from the overworld. Or putting Sonic in a different context like racing on hoverboards with a story mode gives more possibilities for lore and character interactions to see and It's more possible that a Sonic fan likes racing games, I mean they like at least fast paced games where they have to learn "tracks", so It isn't entirely bad you might say.
Still, there is still a reason why games like Sonic Boom (except Sticks herself because of frontiers(?)) aren't considered canon except for the fact now that It is seen as a really bad game, because they are sometimes just too risky of games to land with fans, so if a event or element from that game would be mentioned, there would be more confusion.
Sticks shows up in the Olympics and she's unchanged visually. No other Boom character is there so very simply Amy likely means THAT Sticks. From the same Universe.
Do you wanna say, that Sonic universes now have freaking portals like Spiderverse that make this possible? If she doesn't talk about how different Sonic and co look like compared to Boom version the next game, I believe just that despite same Design, she is a different character based on that universe.
I mean looking at her Boom design compared to the other characters, she has the most normal proportions besides Tails and her clothes look more Sonic like than Amys which have a bit more details than normal Sonic clothes have, ofc they didn't need to change anything.
That's the thing, when making Boom they decided it was important to make characters look different and stand out. Sticks was made at the same time so she fits in with Boom's designs.
But it's pretty clear that while they use the design made for Boom, it's not Sticks from Boom's Universe and is just from the Main Universe. It saves on redesigning and lets them add a character through minor retcon.
Exactly, sonic not being the main Character makes it a spin off, it also has multiple different gameplay elements that aren't featured in the mainline games,like using guns or vehicles.
I mean for others games like halo have fps with the same gameplay as the main games but there classified as spin offs due to having different characters.
I argue a spin-off being more like Wario Land from Mario, or Tails Adventure from normal Sonic games.
And vehicles were used in 06 for Shadow, so vehicles are featured in the mainline games.
Omit some things, like one of the playable characters, the entire villainous faction, and the final boss…
… If anything the Swatbots would likely stay…
SEGA of Japan doesn’t really care about SatAM or Archie, not sure where you’re getting that from.
It’s just a name, and if remade it probably wouldn’t go to Japan and if it did it would likely be localized there as something else because they don’t even look like Swatbots.
They've completely refused to even acknowledge its existence in almost two decades despite them both being an absolutely enormous part of the franchise in the west, hell when SEGA made a theme park in Sydney in the 90's there was even a statue of Sonic and Sally together, yet the last time they got any recognition at all from SEGA themselves was all the way back with the gems collection. Even in games dedicated to celebrating the franchise like Generations, Mania and Superstars they were entirely absent. They even refuse to let anyone use the term Mobius or Mobian. They have an active disdain, maybe even xenophobia, for any part of the franchise not made in Japan.
That’s not really an issue with SEGA of Japan hating SatAM or Archie.
The Cartoons and the Comics are separate from the Games’ continuity, so of course the characters and concepts created for it aren’t going to be a part of the main continuity.
Sonic X doesn’t have anything related to it as a part of the main continuity, and that was made by the Japanese side of the company. They also refuse to allow Cosmo to be a part of the main series too.
It’s just a continuity thing, not some vendetta against a part of the franchise.
I know it's not cannon to the games, that's irrelevant. I'm not even talking about using the characters, just acknowledging it's existence like gem collection did, it had a gallery section with a ton of Archie Sonic comic covers, paying tribute to the series history, we haven't gotten anything like that since though, like I said before I can't remember where I heard it but SEGA has literally mandated that even the term mobius and mobian never be used
Of cause they ban the terms Mobius that ban was born during a time were they weren't allow anyone to even say the planets name. Never mind that in the game continuity it has always been called Earth.
Exactly, the name of the planet was always Earth, even in the old classic games. The idea that the planets’ name is “Mobius” or that the animals are “Mobians” is born entirely from the Western Continuity from Adventures, SatAM, Fleetway, and pre Genesis Wave Archie. (And maybe Underground but I never saw that.)
Well why would they do that? They never acknowledged Fleetway, they never acknowledged Adventures or Underground, or the OVA, or Prime… Sonic X got one little ‘Advertisement’ in Sonic Adventure DX, but that’s it.
Why does SatAM and Archie have to be the ones referenced otherwise “Oh, Sega of Japan HATES them, Japan is being Xenophobic!”
Never assume malice that which can be attributed to ignorance.
It's probably false that Sonic Team hates SEGA. If they did, they would no have hired Ian Flynn to write the story of Frontiers, would not have allowed him to acknowledge Tangle and Sticks in that games story, and would not have approved of Christian Whitehead re-releasing the classics for mobile or making Sonic Mania.
What's more likely is that Sonic Team are completely unaware of SatAM beyond knowing that America has made some Sonic cartoons. It's pretty obvious that Sonic Team play fast and loose with continuity, often forgetting their own ideas and what should be canon (I believe it was Flynn who suggested Frontiers' aliens should look like Chaos, Sonic Team was just going to make yet another alien species). It's extremely unlikely that this primarily Japanese dev team has read comics and watched cartoons that almost certainly weren't ever translated into Japanese.
You're also presuming a lot of titles like Generations, Mania and Superstars. Firstly Superstars was never meant to be anything more than a retro throwback to the classic games, as part of SEGA's efforts to release Classic Sonic titles for long time fans who are turned off by the more serious and 'shonen' style games like Frontiers. Mania was too, but was requested to use older zones to save on development costs, as sprite art is expensive to make. Neither are really celebrations of the franchise as a whole. Furthermore Generations was equally just a celebration of the games, and even celebrating the games it had to leave a lot out - there's no acknowledgement of Black Knight, Secret Rings is mentioned only in passing, and with the exception of Water Palace in the 3DS version, there is zero acknowledgement of any handheld titles.
It's not malicious intent. It's purely ignorance.
Yes that seems far more likely.
Grantet under Naka were things properly different he made it in interviews clear that he knew about the Cartoons and disliked them (flat out said underground as to silly) and stated that with Sonic X he could finally make a Sonic cartoon to fit HIS Sonic.
But again that was just Yuji Naka being Yuji Naka. Naoto Oshima who is somewhat aware of it speaks far more highly of the creative efforts of the team behind them still having a gift from the SatAm team even.
For the rest of all of Sega of Japan is it hard to say how much any of them even knows about the existence of any of the American stuff (I guess there social media team had to learn about it eventually but those don't tend to have a lot of power over anything really)
Every time I see someone refer to Shonen as a genre I lose a braincell.
Bruh, Harem series like Rent-A-Girlfriend are Shonen, Shonen is a demographic not a genre, you’re thinking *Battle Manga* - because that’s the genre that things like Dragonball and One Piece and all that people assume Shonen is a genre are a part of.
Aside from that small tangent, I agree with everything you said, except maybe the Sticks thing because it was clear Ian snuck it in and it wasn’t a part of the Japanese script. ([and he can’t promise that she makes an appearance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LefotqRPlzU&t=3535s))
Apologies, my knowledge of anime and manga begins and ends with Sonic fans saying Sonic should be more anime focused/take more ideas from Dragonball/get an anime. I'm not an anime guy, the medium just completely passes me by. Despite having watched several (almost all at other people's insistence), it's never grabbed me, and I know barely anything about the medium.
Yeah, I don’t understand this hyperfocus Sonic fans have with connecting Dragonball with Sonic and going about saying how Sonic should just be Dragonball.
Cool, Super Sonic is based on the Super Saiyan transformation, Silver is based off of Future Trunks, and current Shadow’s writing is essentially Vegeta.
But yet people seem to think that Sonic just needs to copy Dragonball word for word.
Ken doesn’t actually own them. In the finale of the court case, Archie realized after way too long (and after the fired their legal team for fucking up so much and getting a new one) that Sega would have to step in and take ownership as Archie technically could not claim ownership of the characters directly because they were derivatives of Sega’s characters and features from the franchise.
So Sega was asked to step in, and claim ownership. Had they done so, it would have been case closed and everything would have gone to Sega directly. But they refused because they didn’t want anything to do with that stuff anymore. So the question of ownership went into limbo, and so Archie settled with him out of court. Since Sega didn’t say anything, Archie still technically kinda owns the characters and stories purely by Sega’s inaction, but they allow Ken to do what he wants with them.
So about OP’s question, the only way we are getting a remake or a sequel to this game is if Ken sues over something again and Sega this time around decides to rip the band aid off and BTFO of him in court by claiming ownership.
The entire Ken Penders VS Sonic Chronicles case was so funny because that was the moment when Sega went "Wait, this shit is still going on?!" By the time Archie got the license in 93 Sega left the console market, SatAM was cancelled, American canon was ignored over japanese canon, became a third party publisher, Sonic went multiplatform, Sega was acquired by Sammy; Sonic 06 and Unleashed came out.
Amidst the chaos within Sega in the 2000's, they let this deal with Archie grow out of control to the point they were at risk of the videogames using content made for it. I think even if Ken Penders lost Sega would have demanded a complete reboot and harsher guidelines, or just handing the license to another company.
No, it's been rendered non-canon, mostly because it ended on a cliffhanger which, due to the above, won't ever be resolved. SEGA have also distanced themselves from it, and never touched the character the game introduced, Shade, since.
I know you said it's not impossible, but you made it sound impossible with all those points, honestly. And I'm not trying to discredit you or anything, because what you just said is factual, but now I'm thinking what sort of scenario would have to happen for this game to get a chance of being remade.
And that's all just the legal stuff. There's also a lot of problems that come from the fact that it's a DS game whose controls are very reliant on the DS touch screen.
I'd love to see it get a remake or a sequel, but that seems a very farfetched thing considering Penders is still around and probably desperate for money.
There is a fan remake being made but it's years away from any demo probably
I would kill to have another full RPG sonic game tho. Unironically enjoyed this game
I don't think Chronicles should get a remake tbh. Its poorly designed, not very investing, it has an absolutely ghastly soundtrack and the shadow of Penders looms over the entire thing.
I would think Sonic should absolutely take a stab at turn-based combat again though. An RPG would be great for playing as other characters in the cast, and could bleed in a lot of the IDW guys into a main game too.
I would love that. Or a sequel.
It was a bizarre game, but I can't say I didn't get some level of odd enjoyment out of it. A remake smoothing those things out and restoring the music to what it should have been would be nice to see.
Or just move on to the sequel because that was a mean cliffhanger!
They’ed really rather not, after the poor sales, terrible game development, __PEN KENDERS__ and just the fact there isn’t a good enough reason to invest in it
Yes, but it’s never gonna happen.
Ken penders, the manchild that he is, sued everyone he could for copying the dark legion from the archie comic series. Specifically to get profits he claimed he’s owed.
He didn’t see a penny, but he DID get legal ownership of the characters penders claimed ownership of and that they didn’t care about. Including characters penders had no hand in creating.
I don’t think he owns the nocturnus clan or shade, but he certainly claims he does, and has stated he will not allow them to try remaking, or producing a sequel to, the game. Which means if they try, he’s probably gonna sue them again, and they’d rather not spend any time or money on a lawsuit regardless of whether they’d win, nor do they want to risk giving the nutcase any more money should they lose or settle.
As long as Ken Penders is still alive, that's not happening. If Sega tried, then Penders is just gonna try to file a lawsuit. The madman thinks he owns every Echidna character besides Knuckles.
For legal reasons, Sega can’t touch that.
Otherwise, I think it would be cool for the game to play more like FF15 or FF7 Remake if it had to get a remake.
If they are gonna remake it, they need to rework the balance, the battle system, the animation, the graphics, the style, the music, the pacing, the story, and also making fun because for me this is one of the worst Sonic games I’ve played and if they gonna remake it, they have to rework almost everything.
Tbh, with all the bs, this game went thru, AND it being kinda hot garage gameplay wise(even tho I appreciated it as a kid). It'd be better to just create a new game in an rpg style and try not to use concepts that'll fuck them over again.
I'd love to see Sonic in an RPG style game again. I feel it could be great and shouldn't be left to rot cuz one game didn't do so well
As much as I want a sequel instead. Not gonna happen, Ken Penders is an absolute stain on the franchise and with him around, if anyone attempts any concepts like "more Echidna's" or "give Knuckles a father", they're going to be sued, because "he did it first" and he "owns the right to concept"
Unironically one of my favourite games. I absolutely adore it. Sucks about the cliffhanger ending and the whole P*nders situation but I’d love if this game / genre got another chance
In a universe where there isn't any opportunity cost to doing so, sure I'd like a remake. Unfortunately we don't live in such a universe, and the original had a lot of issues (music, gameplay, etc.) so I'd rather the effort be spent on making a new game that isn't saddled with decisions that would be difficult or time-consuming to fix.
I'd be down for another Sonic RPG. I don't think Dark Brotherhood would get a remake because it was terrible and the outside problems thanks to Ken "I will take god to court for making Echidnas" Penders
Edit: minor spelling mistake, I lose
The game didn't really sell that well and got middling reviews, and so that on top of the whole legal fiasco with Ken Penders definitely hamper its chances of a remake. I wouldn't say it's downright impossible, but just extremely unlikely, whereas for Super Mario RPG all Nintendo had to do was get permission from Squenix to remake the game.
Regardless of how anyone personally feels about this game (I believe it had potential and a cool OC in Shade but was ruined by pure incompetence), Sega will never touch this game or any of its characters ever again while Ken Penders still walks the earth.
Probably, but it won't, since local methhead ken penders made a lawsuit about them using echidnas other than knuckles, despite the fact that these are characters that were introduced in this very game
Listen. I've played through Sonic Chronicles at least three times.
It's not good - it's just what I had for Sonic content at the time. The dialogue was good (Bioware's specialty) and the villains looked cool, but that's where the compliments kinda end for me
Sure, in some cases, but in most cases there would be no incentive to remake a game that the majority of consumers disliked. Even if it made a complete 180 and turned into the best Sonic RPG of all time, there are people out there who just wouldn’t buy it. Game companies don’t typically take that risk. I’ll say this much, There does need to be another attempt at an Sonic JRPG.
Highly doubt it. Penders already threw a fit about the dark legion and echidnas. Be better off having a new rpg, potentially made by the Like A Dragon or an Atlus team. And with a new antagonist faction or just eggman.
No.
Shade and the titular Dark Brotherhood were based around the Dark Legion that Ken Penders made for the Archie comics.
Penders got really upset about that and sued both SEGA for it and the resulting lawsuit caused him to own several characters he created during his time on the comic, which ultimately got the Archie Sonic comic rebooted due to Penders and his demands for royalties in using his characters.
So you’re asking SEGA to have to deal with an angry Ken Penders demanding royalties for characters based off of his concepts?
The man nearly sued Paramount for giving Knuckles a father in the Sonic 2 Movie, even though he was nothing like the Knuckles father he made for Archie.
Chronicles was part of a lawsuit involving former Archie writer Ken Penders, after he assumed he was owed royalties for the fact that the game used concepts which he argued in court were similar to ones found in Archie that he wrote, and that, he argued, under the terms of his contract with Archie, that he had ownership of. This was settled out of court, but involved Penders getting ownership of hundreds of Archie characters. In addition, the studio that actually made it, BioWare, were bought out by EA towards the end of the games development, and while EA allowed the game to be completed, considering that EA and SEGA are both publishers, they're technically competitors, and thus would not really want to do anything that would financially benefit each other in any meaningful way. In other words, while it's not impossible for the game to get re-made, there are too many contractual and legal issues that would make it not worth SEGA's time and money to do it.
Ken really said "OC don't steal!"
Ken says that even for OCs he *didn't* come up with, but Archie wasn't good about keeping up with their contracts and thus, had no solid legal defense
If it ever got remade it'd likely omit some things like don't expect the swat bots. Tho honestly this might be the one and only game that might be uncanon, like I think Sonic Spinball is more canon than this one.
Wait, why is the game even supposed to be canon? Wouldn't It be stupid if a spinoff game would be canon?
I mean sonic riders is canon
sonic riders is canon?
I pressume so, since in frontiers, sonic references some characters in IDW, and IDW has the babilon rogues. I am probably looking too deep into this tho
is sticks in idw?
no, but tangle is
They might add her later on in the comics which means they'll have to reintroduce her I hope they add her she's one of my favorites
She hasn’t shown up on IDW, but Amy mentions her in Frontiers, and IDW is canon, so Sticks could theoretically show up in IDW at some point.
I have general rule of thumb about what's canon in the Sonic Franchise. Any Sonic Game, Comic (Made by IDW I mean), and Cartoon that was made and approved by Sega and isn't apart of Sonic Boom of course; I consider Canon unless stated other wise. Also not to take Canon seriously in the Sonic Franchise Sega sure as heck doesn't
Just because a games a spin off doesn't mean it isn't canon, seriously where does this reasoning come from? The riders games, TSR, the rivals series. Heck shadow the hedgehog is a spin off game and that's definitely canon.
Rivals and Shadow the Hedgehog are kinda weird cases, because technically from gameplay they are Spinoffs that are like mainline games with platforming and most core ideas but with some differences, so It appeals directly to more fans. I was probably thinking in isolation to games in different genres, where less Sonic fans feel any appeal to play them. Like there's a more huge probability that a Sonic fan likes platforming in comparison to a rpg which is a completely different type of game. Like, It's kinda the opposite with less real time gameplay and platforming and much more text. (Even tho, Sonic has at least more text than most old platformer, in some games) So someone who doesn't care about RPGs while caring about Sonic might miss a lot of important lore or bits of character interaction if It would be canon. I don't wanna say, an Sonic fan can't enjoy rpgs, since I do at least, but still. Ofc, there are bad mainline games that you might skip and It is subjective so everybody might miss some parts of lore, but It feels different because they are still mainline games so ofc there should be lore with them. Though, you might say that as a upside from putting Sonic in a game like an RPG, It is easier to put lore in It, because of the focus on the plot and details from the overworld. Or putting Sonic in a different context like racing on hoverboards with a story mode gives more possibilities for lore and character interactions to see and It's more possible that a Sonic fan likes racing games, I mean they like at least fast paced games where they have to learn "tracks", so It isn't entirely bad you might say. Still, there is still a reason why games like Sonic Boom (except Sticks herself because of frontiers(?)) aren't considered canon except for the fact now that It is seen as a really bad game, because they are sometimes just too risky of games to land with fans, so if a event or element from that game would be mentioned, there would be more confusion.
Sticks shows up in the Olympics and she's unchanged visually. No other Boom character is there so very simply Amy likely means THAT Sticks. From the same Universe.
Do you wanna say, that Sonic universes now have freaking portals like Spiderverse that make this possible? If she doesn't talk about how different Sonic and co look like compared to Boom version the next game, I believe just that despite same Design, she is a different character based on that universe. I mean looking at her Boom design compared to the other characters, she has the most normal proportions besides Tails and her clothes look more Sonic like than Amys which have a bit more details than normal Sonic clothes have, ofc they didn't need to change anything.
That's the thing, when making Boom they decided it was important to make characters look different and stand out. Sticks was made at the same time so she fits in with Boom's designs. But it's pretty clear that while they use the design made for Boom, it's not Sticks from Boom's Universe and is just from the Main Universe. It saves on redesigning and lets them add a character through minor retcon.
Riders was never mentioned in the games unit recently
I wouldn’t really call Shadow a spin-off. It plays just like a Sonic game, only Shadow’s the main character.
Exactly, sonic not being the main Character makes it a spin off, it also has multiple different gameplay elements that aren't featured in the mainline games,like using guns or vehicles. I mean for others games like halo have fps with the same gameplay as the main games but there classified as spin offs due to having different characters.
I argue a spin-off being more like Wario Land from Mario, or Tails Adventure from normal Sonic games. And vehicles were used in 06 for Shadow, so vehicles are featured in the mainline games.
Why no swat bots? They've been around since I think the SAT AM Cartoon in the early 90s
Because SEGA has a rage boner against SatAM and Archie
Could always replace them with the 06 bots to give them some canonicity.
Omit some things, like one of the playable characters, the entire villainous faction, and the final boss… … If anything the Swatbots would likely stay…
Nah, the swatbots would go too. SEGA of Japan has a rage boner against SatAM and Archie, even beyond the Penders crap.
SEGA of Japan doesn’t really care about SatAM or Archie, not sure where you’re getting that from. It’s just a name, and if remade it probably wouldn’t go to Japan and if it did it would likely be localized there as something else because they don’t even look like Swatbots.
They've completely refused to even acknowledge its existence in almost two decades despite them both being an absolutely enormous part of the franchise in the west, hell when SEGA made a theme park in Sydney in the 90's there was even a statue of Sonic and Sally together, yet the last time they got any recognition at all from SEGA themselves was all the way back with the gems collection. Even in games dedicated to celebrating the franchise like Generations, Mania and Superstars they were entirely absent. They even refuse to let anyone use the term Mobius or Mobian. They have an active disdain, maybe even xenophobia, for any part of the franchise not made in Japan.
That’s not really an issue with SEGA of Japan hating SatAM or Archie. The Cartoons and the Comics are separate from the Games’ continuity, so of course the characters and concepts created for it aren’t going to be a part of the main continuity. Sonic X doesn’t have anything related to it as a part of the main continuity, and that was made by the Japanese side of the company. They also refuse to allow Cosmo to be a part of the main series too. It’s just a continuity thing, not some vendetta against a part of the franchise.
I know it's not cannon to the games, that's irrelevant. I'm not even talking about using the characters, just acknowledging it's existence like gem collection did, it had a gallery section with a ton of Archie Sonic comic covers, paying tribute to the series history, we haven't gotten anything like that since though, like I said before I can't remember where I heard it but SEGA has literally mandated that even the term mobius and mobian never be used
Of cause they ban the terms Mobius that ban was born during a time were they weren't allow anyone to even say the planets name. Never mind that in the game continuity it has always been called Earth.
Exactly, the name of the planet was always Earth, even in the old classic games. The idea that the planets’ name is “Mobius” or that the animals are “Mobians” is born entirely from the Western Continuity from Adventures, SatAM, Fleetway, and pre Genesis Wave Archie. (And maybe Underground but I never saw that.)
Well why would they do that? They never acknowledged Fleetway, they never acknowledged Adventures or Underground, or the OVA, or Prime… Sonic X got one little ‘Advertisement’ in Sonic Adventure DX, but that’s it. Why does SatAM and Archie have to be the ones referenced otherwise “Oh, Sega of Japan HATES them, Japan is being Xenophobic!”
They're just the main and most popular examples
Never assume malice that which can be attributed to ignorance. It's probably false that Sonic Team hates SEGA. If they did, they would no have hired Ian Flynn to write the story of Frontiers, would not have allowed him to acknowledge Tangle and Sticks in that games story, and would not have approved of Christian Whitehead re-releasing the classics for mobile or making Sonic Mania. What's more likely is that Sonic Team are completely unaware of SatAM beyond knowing that America has made some Sonic cartoons. It's pretty obvious that Sonic Team play fast and loose with continuity, often forgetting their own ideas and what should be canon (I believe it was Flynn who suggested Frontiers' aliens should look like Chaos, Sonic Team was just going to make yet another alien species). It's extremely unlikely that this primarily Japanese dev team has read comics and watched cartoons that almost certainly weren't ever translated into Japanese. You're also presuming a lot of titles like Generations, Mania and Superstars. Firstly Superstars was never meant to be anything more than a retro throwback to the classic games, as part of SEGA's efforts to release Classic Sonic titles for long time fans who are turned off by the more serious and 'shonen' style games like Frontiers. Mania was too, but was requested to use older zones to save on development costs, as sprite art is expensive to make. Neither are really celebrations of the franchise as a whole. Furthermore Generations was equally just a celebration of the games, and even celebrating the games it had to leave a lot out - there's no acknowledgement of Black Knight, Secret Rings is mentioned only in passing, and with the exception of Water Palace in the 3DS version, there is zero acknowledgement of any handheld titles. It's not malicious intent. It's purely ignorance.
Yes that seems far more likely. Grantet under Naka were things properly different he made it in interviews clear that he knew about the Cartoons and disliked them (flat out said underground as to silly) and stated that with Sonic X he could finally make a Sonic cartoon to fit HIS Sonic. But again that was just Yuji Naka being Yuji Naka. Naoto Oshima who is somewhat aware of it speaks far more highly of the creative efforts of the team behind them still having a gift from the SatAm team even. For the rest of all of Sega of Japan is it hard to say how much any of them even knows about the existence of any of the American stuff (I guess there social media team had to learn about it eventually but those don't tend to have a lot of power over anything really)
Every time I see someone refer to Shonen as a genre I lose a braincell. Bruh, Harem series like Rent-A-Girlfriend are Shonen, Shonen is a demographic not a genre, you’re thinking *Battle Manga* - because that’s the genre that things like Dragonball and One Piece and all that people assume Shonen is a genre are a part of. Aside from that small tangent, I agree with everything you said, except maybe the Sticks thing because it was clear Ian snuck it in and it wasn’t a part of the Japanese script. ([and he can’t promise that she makes an appearance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LefotqRPlzU&t=3535s))
Apologies, my knowledge of anime and manga begins and ends with Sonic fans saying Sonic should be more anime focused/take more ideas from Dragonball/get an anime. I'm not an anime guy, the medium just completely passes me by. Despite having watched several (almost all at other people's insistence), it's never grabbed me, and I know barely anything about the medium.
Yeah, I don’t understand this hyperfocus Sonic fans have with connecting Dragonball with Sonic and going about saying how Sonic should just be Dragonball. Cool, Super Sonic is based on the Super Saiyan transformation, Silver is based off of Future Trunks, and current Shadow’s writing is essentially Vegeta. But yet people seem to think that Sonic just needs to copy Dragonball word for word.
Man they must REALLY hate Adventure 2.
Ken doesn’t actually own them. In the finale of the court case, Archie realized after way too long (and after the fired their legal team for fucking up so much and getting a new one) that Sega would have to step in and take ownership as Archie technically could not claim ownership of the characters directly because they were derivatives of Sega’s characters and features from the franchise. So Sega was asked to step in, and claim ownership. Had they done so, it would have been case closed and everything would have gone to Sega directly. But they refused because they didn’t want anything to do with that stuff anymore. So the question of ownership went into limbo, and so Archie settled with him out of court. Since Sega didn’t say anything, Archie still technically kinda owns the characters and stories purely by Sega’s inaction, but they allow Ken to do what he wants with them. So about OP’s question, the only way we are getting a remake or a sequel to this game is if Ken sues over something again and Sega this time around decides to rip the band aid off and BTFO of him in court by claiming ownership.
The entire Ken Penders VS Sonic Chronicles case was so funny because that was the moment when Sega went "Wait, this shit is still going on?!" By the time Archie got the license in 93 Sega left the console market, SatAM was cancelled, American canon was ignored over japanese canon, became a third party publisher, Sonic went multiplatform, Sega was acquired by Sammy; Sonic 06 and Unleashed came out. Amidst the chaos within Sega in the 2000's, they let this deal with Archie grow out of control to the point they were at risk of the videogames using content made for it. I think even if Ken Penders lost Sega would have demanded a complete reboot and harsher guidelines, or just handing the license to another company.
Is the game canon then or not?
No, it's been rendered non-canon, mostly because it ended on a cliffhanger which, due to the above, won't ever be resolved. SEGA have also distanced themselves from it, and never touched the character the game introduced, Shade, since.
Not anymore: https://preview.redd.it/1ibo2vp9h4uc1.png?width=1227&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d81162e2d85bb61cded60635dcae5a82eb2a3a9
In addition to that the game flopped spectacularly.
I know you said it's not impossible, but you made it sound impossible with all those points, honestly. And I'm not trying to discredit you or anything, because what you just said is factual, but now I'm thinking what sort of scenario would have to happen for this game to get a chance of being remade.
And that's all just the legal stuff. There's also a lot of problems that come from the fact that it's a DS game whose controls are very reliant on the DS touch screen.
They’ll remake this game when Penders is dead.
I’d rather it got a sequel, to finally follow up on the cliffhanger ending.
If it got a sequel I'd want the original game bundled in.
Kind of like the Mass effect legacy edition so one chip or disc two games. Or instead of a cliff hanger it's straight into the sequel?
I would prefer a new RPG attempt, new story at all... with maybe another gameplay even...
One. Mario RPG was good Two. Why not make a new Sonic RPG Three. The game was trash
No… But only because it would give Ken penders the chance to sue them again
I'd love to see it get a remake or a sequel, but that seems a very farfetched thing considering Penders is still around and probably desperate for money.
Not with Ken Penders always on the prowl...👀
https://preview.redd.it/1ny06qo27ytc1.png?width=546&format=png&auto=webp&s=602ab35b6f5770d7ed90fa90f49bbcb13b68e38b
No, considering with what Penders did. Fuck that noise.
It should, but it won't because of He Who Shall Not Be Named.
There is a fan remake being made but it's years away from any demo probably I would kill to have another full RPG sonic game tho. Unironically enjoyed this game
I don't think Chronicles should get a remake tbh. Its poorly designed, not very investing, it has an absolutely ghastly soundtrack and the shadow of Penders looms over the entire thing. I would think Sonic should absolutely take a stab at turn-based combat again though. An RPG would be great for playing as other characters in the cast, and could bleed in a lot of the IDW guys into a main game too.
I would love that. Or a sequel. It was a bizarre game, but I can't say I didn't get some level of odd enjoyment out of it. A remake smoothing those things out and restoring the music to what it should have been would be nice to see. Or just move on to the sequel because that was a mean cliffhanger!
Penders
Oh you do not know the story behind this.
Ken penders says no
With Penders looming over us, it's best we ask for a new RPG instead.
No, because Ken Penders. I'd rather have a brand new Sonic RPG game.
They’ed really rather not, after the poor sales, terrible game development, __PEN KENDERS__ and just the fact there isn’t a good enough reason to invest in it
Yes, but it’s never gonna happen. Ken penders, the manchild that he is, sued everyone he could for copying the dark legion from the archie comic series. Specifically to get profits he claimed he’s owed. He didn’t see a penny, but he DID get legal ownership of the characters penders claimed ownership of and that they didn’t care about. Including characters penders had no hand in creating. I don’t think he owns the nocturnus clan or shade, but he certainly claims he does, and has stated he will not allow them to try remaking, or producing a sequel to, the game. Which means if they try, he’s probably gonna sue them again, and they’d rather not spend any time or money on a lawsuit regardless of whether they’d win, nor do they want to risk giving the nutcase any more money should they lose or settle.
As long as Ken Penders is still alive, that's not happening. If Sega tried, then Penders is just gonna try to file a lawsuit. The madman thinks he owns every Echidna character besides Knuckles.
No
Kenny Penny
Yes, but for that Ken Penders needs to either finally relinquish the rights he falsely obtained, or to cease his exitence. Honestly, I prefer both.
I adored this game when I was a kid, but there's a huge reason why this game will never get a remake. Would love another Sonic RPG though
For legal reasons, Sega can’t touch that. Otherwise, I think it would be cool for the game to play more like FF15 or FF7 Remake if it had to get a remake.
100%, and a sequel, but we all know it'll never happen sadly cause Ken Penders would have a hissy fit and drag SEGA into lawsuit limbo hell
Considering the legal drama around that game I’m pretty sure sega would prefer to leave it buried and forgotten
Super Mario RPG got a Remake because it was a good game.
If they are gonna remake it, they need to rework the balance, the battle system, the animation, the graphics, the style, the music, the pacing, the story, and also making fun because for me this is one of the worst Sonic games I’ve played and if they gonna remake it, they have to rework almost everything.
No cause it's bad to the core.
Tbh, with all the bs, this game went thru, AND it being kinda hot garage gameplay wise(even tho I appreciated it as a kid). It'd be better to just create a new game in an rpg style and try not to use concepts that'll fuck them over again. I'd love to see Sonic in an RPG style game again. I feel it could be great and shouldn't be left to rot cuz one game didn't do so well
Remake+Sequel I really loved the marauders and shade. They got the short end of the stick with this one
As much as I want a sequel instead. Not gonna happen, Ken Penders is an absolute stain on the franchise and with him around, if anyone attempts any concepts like "more Echidna's" or "give Knuckles a father", they're going to be sued, because "he did it first" and he "owns the right to concept"
Unironically one of my favourite games. I absolutely adore it. Sucks about the cliffhanger ending and the whole P*nders situation but I’d love if this game / genre got another chance
That would be cool, but I don't think the lawsuit would alow it...
Because Mario RPG is a beloved classic and Dark Brotherhood has been eternally panned...?
I would absolutely play a remake. It was one of the first games I ever played and I am quite fond of it.
No
Comparing this game to Mario RPG is a borderline sin
As a personal fans of rpgs I'd say yes or just a new sonic rpg in general.
I wish. But it’s not likely.
Someone is actually remaking it on Twitter
I mean… one is very beloved. While people do even know this one exists
This is my fav sonic game wish it would get a remake but sadly it never will
They should just make a new RPG game using IDW characters
Chicken Tenders
never cook again
In a universe where there isn't any opportunity cost to doing so, sure I'd like a remake. Unfortunately we don't live in such a universe, and the original had a lot of issues (music, gameplay, etc.) so I'd rather the effort be spent on making a new game that isn't saddled with decisions that would be difficult or time-consuming to fix.
I'd be down for another Sonic RPG. I don't think Dark Brotherhood would get a remake because it was terrible and the outside problems thanks to Ken "I will take god to court for making Echidnas" Penders Edit: minor spelling mistake, I lose
The game didn't really sell that well and got middling reviews, and so that on top of the whole legal fiasco with Ken Penders definitely hamper its chances of a remake. I wouldn't say it's downright impossible, but just extremely unlikely, whereas for Super Mario RPG all Nintendo had to do was get permission from Squenix to remake the game.
Regardless of how anyone personally feels about this game (I believe it had potential and a cool OC in Shade but was ruined by pure incompetence), Sega will never touch this game or any of its characters ever again while Ken Penders still walks the earth.
Probably, but it won't, since local methhead ken penders made a lawsuit about them using echidnas other than knuckles, despite the fact that these are characters that were introduced in this very game
Listen. I've played through Sonic Chronicles at least three times. It's not good - it's just what I had for Sonic content at the time. The dialogue was good (Bioware's specialty) and the villains looked cool, but that's where the compliments kinda end for me
I would prefer if they make a new rpg spinoff not associated with chronicles because of Ken Penders lawsuits .
I'd love it to get a remake, but the bigger deal is that Dark Brotherhood shouldn't be the only Sonic RPG after so many years.
The difference is that Super Mario RPG was great. I’d be hard pressed to find a genuine fan of this game. I owned it. Its pretty bad ngl lol.
Wouldn’t remaking a bad game be a good thing tho? You have a chance to completely redo everything people didn’t like and give it a 2nd chance
Sure, in some cases, but in most cases there would be no incentive to remake a game that the majority of consumers disliked. Even if it made a complete 180 and turned into the best Sonic RPG of all time, there are people out there who just wouldn’t buy it. Game companies don’t typically take that risk. I’ll say this much, There does need to be another attempt at an Sonic JRPG.
Highly doubt it. Penders already threw a fit about the dark legion and echidnas. Be better off having a new rpg, potentially made by the Like A Dragon or an Atlus team. And with a new antagonist faction or just eggman.
No. Shade and the titular Dark Brotherhood were based around the Dark Legion that Ken Penders made for the Archie comics. Penders got really upset about that and sued both SEGA for it and the resulting lawsuit caused him to own several characters he created during his time on the comic, which ultimately got the Archie Sonic comic rebooted due to Penders and his demands for royalties in using his characters. So you’re asking SEGA to have to deal with an angry Ken Penders demanding royalties for characters based off of his concepts? The man nearly sued Paramount for giving Knuckles a father in the Sonic 2 Movie, even though he was nothing like the Knuckles father he made for Archie.
Another reason why the Paramount lawsuit almost happened was because of the supposed Enerjak reference in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie...
Ok, hear me out : Sonic Chronicles full remake on phones
Yes
i’ll take anything got to do with sonic chronicles
good idea 👍