Hey all, I’m back with a Sonic series game that isn’t really talked about much for this week’s Retro Game Friday. It’s Shadow the Hedgehog.

Gameplay: This plays like a somewhat typical Sonic game but also includes elements from third person shooters, of all things. This is probably why the title isn’t talked about much because there’s such a divergence between it and other past Sonic games. However, that’s a mighty shame considering Shadow the Hedgehog has 326 various paths to play through, and all of them are individually named. Sure, there are eleven different endings, but you can get there in a number of different ways. Most titles don’t bother to add much replay value, but Shadow the Hedgehog applied Maxim 37 pretty thoroughly to that problem.

Plot: The plot is a continuation from Sonic Heroes‘ big reveal about Shadow. I enjoyed the story, as it actually did some pretty decent world building for the Sonic world.

Artwork: This was released during the GameCube era, and the art reflects that pretty well. It’s aged okay, but definitely has some rough edges showing nowadays.

Music: This had a lot of rock music like most modern Sonics since Sonic Adventure. Crush 40 also did a few songs.

Overall: This is a title that is often disregarded pretty unfairly. Those who want a slightly different kind of Sonic game that isn’t a racing themed one should try Shadow the Hedgehog.

For those who like: Sonic Characters, Fast Paced Missions, Very Big Replayability Capabilities, Third Person Shooters, Action, and Drama.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.