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Theories

CASE 1 - Eggman vs. Ishntknew: Eggman's Best Role

Eggman's role in the games has evolved over time, most definetely. He's gone from "The boss at the end of the zone" to a beloved and recognized icon in the Sonic series, and has had quite a few exceptional roles in recent games. This brings us to our debate- Which appearance by Eggman is the best? My choice is Sonic Adventure 2, as not only was Eggman a playable character, but much-needed character development was given to him in this title. Ishnt, what are your thoughts?

Sonic Adventure 2 was indeed one of his greatest roles, but I would say that a direct competitor for the title of "greatest role" was Sonic Riders. He may have not had as much screentime as in SA2, and indeed, didn't have his own story, but it holds its own. In fact, while he doesn't have as much character development here, and he doesn't get as much screentime either, his cunning and villainy really shines through.

While Riders certainly shows how cunning and villainous Eggman is, Sonic Adventure 2 does this even moreso- When confronted by Sonic on the ARK, Eggman was able to quickly outwit Tails into revealing which of the Emeralds was a fake. Moreover, after the ARK went out of control, Eggman was portrayed as an incredibly smart leader, directing the entire operation to stop the impact. Eggman's knowledge and quick thinking were highlighted here better than ever.

I disagree. It does demonstrate his cunning, but not as much as Riders. Eggman did direct the opperation in SA2, but mainly this consisted of looking at a map and telling the others where to go. While the Emerald thing waas a bit of a smooth move, it seems that Sonic had his wits about him to realize what was up, and that Tails's response was a result of confusion at Eggman's apparent knowledge and that Sonic had actually been captured. In Riders, not only did he manage to trick EVERYONE, but everyone was suspicious of him and on alert from the very beginning. The Babylon Rogues even had a good idea what he was going to do, but even they weren't expecting it.

This is indeed true- I concede the issue of cunning to you. But the big picture shows that Eggman had the better role regardless. What was Eggman to fans before Sonic Adventure 2? For the most part, he was seen as little more than an evil madman. Even Sonic Adventure didn't do very much to shed any sort of real light onto his personality, and yet ever since SA2, Eggman's been portrayed as a decent guy, despite his villainy. Sonic Adventure 2 established two very important points- Eggman wants conquest and not mindless destruction, and that Eggman's ideals and actions were influenced by Gerald, who up to that point was his role model. The dialouge too was top notch- Eggman did more than laugh, taunt, and explain his plots as in Sonic Adventure. He came across as a much more realistic character, and I found this portrayal very well done.

Well done, sure. But in spite of the increase in the public eye following SA2, we have to keep in mind that this wasn't the only thing that increased awareness of the character. Following SA2, something incredibly important to the role of Dr. Eggman came about. This was Ruins of the Fourth Wall. Ironically, though this comic increased his fandom, it was also very inaccurate in its portrayal of him. Regardless, its effect was undeniable, and this was a pioneering influence in the Eggman community. More than the game itself, the things that followed the game allowed his role to increase. In addition, while it did establish him as a "decent guy", that is somewhat of an unfair point. Even if it did, no game after that can possibly "establish" that status again (barring a series reboot). Sonic Riders also showed another side of Eggman we'd never seen before: his diplomatic side. We had observed the results of it with Knuckles in Sonic 3&Knuckles, but we had never seen him making a deal in action. This showed how he presents Sonic, noting him as a formidable adversary and very dangerous to those with conflicting interests. This is perhaps one of the most direct demonstrations of Eggman's respect for Sonic. It may have not included much backstory, but it did shed light on his character.

Certainly a valid point. Both games indeed shed light on the character. The issue of which, his backstory or diplomatic capability, is more important is entirely subjective. So moving on, SA2 gave us something else: An adventure with playable Eggman. While Eggman had been playable in three racing games before this, SA2 finally allowed us to control the Doc going about his evil schemes. The Egg Walker served as a fine vehicle of choice- Players could blast military robots, invade enemy bases, and even fight against Tails(Admittadly, the lack of a Sonic vs. Eggman showdown was a dissapointment). Five(Six including his Cannon's Core section) stages, three boss fights, Chao World, and multiplayer shooting and kart minigames. As far as Eggman's playability is concerned, I'd say this was his best appearance.

Indesputably, Sonic Riders didn't break any new ground as far as playability goes, but if we're going by LEVELS he was playable on, he was in more than SA2, 14 total(17 including battle stages), and Eggman was playable in all levels, even if not in story mode. In addition, he was also usable in all minigames. Disappointingly, Eggman was not playable in the story mode as I've mentioned, but if we're going by number, Riders trumps SA2. In addition, that "Sonic vs. Eggman" showdown that was disappointingly missing is now possible in Sonic Riders, thanks to the battle mode. Eggman can race at supersonic speeds, smashing anything in his path with his bare hands, fight anyone from Sonic to Shadow to NiGHTS, and utterly demolish the competition. While the Egg Walker was a good vehicle indeed, Eggman has several vehicles that he can use here, and, while it's admittedly disappointing compared to other characters, and none of the vehicles are EXCLUSIVE to him, some of the bikes are quite interesting. The Hang-On and Super Hang-On vehicles are among the best, just for their music change. Even if you'll still argue that these couldn't stack up to the Egg Walker, these vehicles also allowed him to show off a bit on physical ability.

Points well made. Riders certainly does rival SA2 as far playability is concerned. You may bring up the next point.

I will note that Eggman's role in this game, even beyond screentime, in that he was INCREDIBLY in control the entire time. He manipulated each and every character in story mode. The heroes, the Babylon Rogues, everyone. In SA2, every member of Team Dark was manipulating the other, and did fairly effectively at it. While Eggman DID notice Rouge was acting strangely, Shadow was the one who identified her as a government spy, and he was totally unexpecting of Shadow and Gerald's betrayal. Eggman lost control quite a few times in SA2, and, though he showed great determination and skill in bringing the situation under his control, the fact that he lost it a few times is unmistakable. For another example, his Egg Golem betrayed him in a malfunction, and the heroes managed to steal a spacecraft from him. In Sonic Riders, there was only one time he lost control, when Sonic took the key from him. In spite of that one little hiccup, Eggman was in control, TOTAL control of the situation, at the very end of the game, a feat that few villains can claim. Though his prize was disappointing and useless to him, it was still an amazing achievement.

Truly. Though it seems, in the end, Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Riders present a slew of positives in Eggman's direction- Which was truly the better of the two is up to the fans. One thing's clear that you and I both agree on- Let's hope the nextgen Sonic game tops them both!

One more interesting point that I'd like to make... Concerning Eggman's role in the public eye, according to the Sonic universe. In Sonic Riders, the company "Robotnik Corp" was established, assumedly Eggman's own company. This shows that Eggman may have some influence on the "business world", although admittedly it could be an underground business. However, it is also notable that Eggman could host his own grand prix, the EX World Grand Prix, and no one attempted to arrest him. There was even an audience to this event hosted by Dr. Eggman, and it was broadcast on the news by Omochao. Eggman, in this game, seems to be a powerful individual in spite of his prior crimes. One might even argue that he holds control over a part of the Earth, in which he can host this event, although there's no other evidence supporting this.

Very good point. Perhaps this calls for an article sometime... In any case, it's been a good debate, and hopefully it's gotten Eggman fans to consider some things about both games that they might have not before.