Thanks again to Khimyra for sponsoring this episode, and moreover, for helping me get my groove back this year! It'd help me out immensely it if you guys give 'em a look, and if you see something you like, use my code, "GEEK," to save 10% on your order! www.khimyra.com/ Thanks everyone!

“Put some boost on it!” That honestly sounds like something Sonic would say.

“Come on man hold down Y and PUT SOME BOOST ON IT!” I have a very Strange feeling that your friend is Sonic in disguse

I do think Blaze has something to set her apart from previous rivals. Metal Sonic, Shadow, and Jet were all bad guys. Knuckles and Silver were tricked into working for the bad guy because they thought Sonic was the bad guy. Blaze, though? She's a co-protagonist. She's explicitly heroic, and she's not fighting Sonic because she thinks he's evil. Rather, she thinks solving this problem is her duty and she has to do it alone. She has a change of heart in the end, but unlike Shadow, she doesn't change sides. She has a realization about Sonic, but it's not that she was on the wrong side--it's that she and Sonic were on the same side all along.

I find it pretty amusing that Blaze is the most universally liked character of the series, but it really does make sense. She turns up as a bright spot even in the darkest times, mechanically and character-wise. Even people who aren't really fans of Sonic can agree Blaze is pretty cool

If you were wondering “will anyone notice my ridiculously clean edit at 21:46?” You now have your answer. You did my favorite Sonic game justice and THEN some, man.

I had no freakin idea that the easy mode just affected the bosses before I watched this. Makes me want to give Rush another shot since the boss fights were by far my least favorite thing about it!

That ending hit super close to home cause I felt like I went through that exact same phase when forces came out. When I was super cynical, pessimistic, and always nitpicking after my hopes got shattered. But, instead of rush restoring my drive, it was… the movies. Like rush, it showed me that Sonic could still make me happy and full of joy, instead of constant narcissism all the time. Despite a few rough patches still happening (ultimate and origins), I’m still remaining optimistic for the future.

About the whole "Blaze sign in Night Carnival" thing, one justification I like is that, as Blaze's world is entering Sonic's world, the 2 worlds could be influencing each other. If Sonic was on a neon sign, then I wouldn't be surprised if Blaze, who is royalty, had a couple signs to herself (as somebody in the UK, I would know how often royalty is plastered onto stuff).

Firstly, I wanna say that when it comes to analysing Sonic games, you're unmatched imo. You see the games on such a deeper level that other youtubers, and always point out stuff that's never occurred to me, but, that the moment I hear it, makes total sense - like the stark difference in game design between SA1 and SA2 - I've played those two games dozens of times and that's never occurred to me before, but you're absolutely right, and it's super fascinating to me. Adventure 1 really is just a classic Sonic game in 3D - and the more speed-based philosophy of Adventure 2 harkening back to Sega's arcade roots? I never would've made that connection, but you're absolutely right! Now, as for Rush itself... I was super excited for this episode; Sonic Rush was my first Sonic game, and, while it's not my favourite (that would be S3&K, the greatest game ever made), it's the one that *means* the most to me. It's what got me into the series, and as such, I was very excited (and also a little trepidatious!) to hear what you made of it, and I gotta say, I basically agree with everything you said. The bosses? Some of the WORST in the entire franchise, I always dread reaching a boss stage when replaying this game. The Special Stages? The best in the entire series. No contest (tho I haven't got the chance to play Saturn 3D Blast's... I need to rectify that). And the game itself? Not perfect, but still a blast. The main 3D boost formula has worn thin on me over the years, but Rush never will. It's always a game I can go back to and have a great time. And the *style* of Sonic Rush... I was so glad you specifically talked about that, because it's the thing that's always stood out to me most about the game. The Y2K-era hip hop flair of it all, tied together by Naganuma's incredible soundtrack; easily one of the best of any Sonic game, and so unlike anything else in the series (I wish we'd gotten more Sonic music from him, he's such a perfect fit!). This game's aesthetic and style just screams 'Sonic' to me as the psychedelia of the classic games, and I wish modern Sonic games still looked like this. This is, to me, what modern Sonic should look, sound, and act like, it's such a perfect identity for him. Also, I'm not surprised you love Blaze (since, as you said, everyone in the fandom sees to), but I was still very pleased to hear it. Blaze is actually the character that got me into the series - I saw this cool purple cat on the box, and just *had* to have the game so I could play as her, and she's still one of my absolute favourite characters in the series. It's such a shame to me that she hasn't been playable in more games, because she rules - such a great addition to the series and a perfect counterbalance to Sonic. Sorry for rambling a bit, it's just, as I said, Rush is perhaps the Sonic game that means the most to me, and, as someone who's been following your channel for years, I've been waiting a long time to hear you talk about it! Also, super excited to see you'll be covering Rush Adventure as part of this latest series! It's perhaps the most underrated game in the entire franchise imo, I love it, and I can't wait to see what you think about it.

It’s a good morning when The Geek Critique makes a new Sonic video.

As someone who only grew up with Nintendo's consoles (GBA, DS, GCN, Wii and an old SNES my parents had) and never played Secret Rings, Unleashed, Black Night, or Chronicles, I was actually not aware that Sonic was going through a dark age at all. I thought Heroes, my first Sonic game, was pretty cool, and Sonic Advance 3 was pretty fun, but Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure were awesome. I wouldn't pick up a mainline game until Colors for Wii, and I remember thinking when I first played it that "this is just like the Rush games but in 3D! This is amazing!" I'm so glad to see you cover Rush and hear that it had such a positive impact on your view of the series. I can't wait to hear you talk about Rush Adventure!

I like the idea of Blaze being universally liked in such a divided fanbase, and I’d like to posit another point everyone seems to agree on: knuckles’ OVA hat is awesome and he should wear it more

I love that everything in the flashback scene is grey except for the colour *blue.* Such a nice touch. Overall I love the small details you always include, like the classic Sonic render in Speed Highway for a split sec, and Sonic switching to Tails and Knuckles in Leaf Forest. Sonic Rush still feels like the first game of a new era to me, (Like the first *true* modern game) despite being in the sheer middle of the darkest era. Really enjoyed this episode! Really looking forward to what you think of Rush Adventure, I personally think it improved a lot over the first Rush, despite adding more or less some new unnecessary problems. And its soundtrack is very underrated, sorta has a similar style to Naganuma, despite actually not being made by him.

One of my favorite things about your channel is that I always, without fail, learn something new. Be it a perspective, experience, or detail I hadn't considered, something fresh is always presented and it makes for such a fun watch. Great video!

*gasp* A new TGC vid!?!? *clicks immediately* But seriously, I'm so happy you finally got to this game. It was the first mainline Sonic game I've ever played!!! Already awaiting your articulate and detailed analysis. Keep up the good work man!

It's a good day when a new TGC retrospective drops for the best 2D modern Sonic game

2022 is the year of the geek critique. What an epic comeback. Thanks for your videos man. They are top-tier.

I never got super into the Rush games (I'm kinda really bad at 2D platformers), but Blaze almost immediately became my favorite character in the series, and she still is. One of my biggest issues with Sonic as a franchise these days is how hard they sidelined her after the second Rush game and Black Knight.

Ahh my first Sonic game that introduced me to the coolest character ever conceived and change my taste in music forever

"Do you think I should [play sonic rush adventure]?" YES. YES YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD.

I was never big on the special stages in the series but Rush still has my favourite set of special stages in the series.

That intro was a wild buildup. The BOOM of the boost sound effect leading into "TGC presents" was phenomenal.

WooHOOO!! Yet another AWESOME critique!

Great critique, you got basicly everything right spot on about Rush! Everybody loves Blaze, the boost is great, soundtrack is phenomenal and the bosses and bottomless pits are bad. I didn't even know there was an Easy Mode for this game! Need to try that out to make my next playthrough a little bit more smooth.

Nice to see TGC finally cover my favourite handheld Sonic game!

That very brief flash of VGDC's Mario vs Sonic animation took me right the hell back to the early 2000s. Ahhh, rest in peace Randy.

Best sonic rush video i’ve seen. You know your sonic so well you can just effortlessly explain the feel of these games that I find hard to articulate.

This game brought back good memories, though that boss fight with Blaze, my thumbs HURT haha! 😂

Oh man, I can't WAIT for your Sonic Rush Adventure retrospective. Outdid the original in almost every way, IMO. I'd even go so far to say that it's one of the best modern Sonic games in the franchise.

7:54 The combination of the words “Sonic” and “Dimensional Merge” gives me Vietnam-style flashbacks, if you know what I’m referring to

The Sonic Rush games were the very first games I have ever played, and they will stand with me for all eternity and all time, it may have taken me 11 years to beat Sonic Rush due to the Egg King, the egg king was never truly holding me back, it was kicking me forward, and teaching me a lesson of never giving up, and never stop fighting and to reach new heights, and is the reason I am who I am today, when I got Sonic Rush Adventure 8 months after beating Sonic Rush, I was so excited, and 3 days later, I finished it, and will always be happy and great-full for the Egg Kings difficulty forever, and now that Sonic Rush has been finished for me, it’s time to carry my childhood lessons from the Egg king with me, and into life, thank you Sonic Rush, for teaching me to never give up and to keep going…

beautiful video that really put into words why i love this game so much despite its shortcomings. the style, movement, and blaze all come together to make such a joyful experience that rises up to a level of quality the series NEEDED at the time. sonic rush adventure's pretty good, arguably its level design is more engaging, but the boats and material grinding really knock that one down, whereas this one has a sense of flow and pacing that makes it so much more replayable and lasting. excellent work as always, can't wait for the rest of this boost season!

I'm new to the scene just now discovering your videos (thank you mighty algorithm), but I'm completely hooked! Your journey of discovery mixed with nostalgia mixed with introspection (with a dash of delightful self awareness) is incredibly entertaining and in many ways cathartic. I've never played any Sonic game (only had a SNES before we finally got a Wii), but I LOVED the DKC trilogy and Super Metroid as a kid, which I think is how I got here. These videos make me want to go back and experience a similar journey of discovery you had with the Metroid games. Thanks for putting together such amazing retrospectives Josh, I always get excited when I see a new video roll out either or (more often) not I'm familiar with the game. Keep up the fantastic work!

Love this game, first Sonic game where I got all Emeralds straight.

Fantastic retrospective as always. Really loved the editing at the end of the intro!

As much as I love Rush, Rush Adventure just blows it out of the park. The controls are more crisp, levels are more memorable and have set pieces, and the music is *almost* as memorable as the first. But the minigames to find islands are hit and miss for some. I personally don’t mind them. Trust me you will love rush adventure!

These videos are always a treat.

every time sonic and limp bizkit are mentioned or associated together, my heart sings. then i whip out my signed dreamcast and holler, *"AW HYEAH, THIS IS HAPPENIN', BABAAAY"*

my favorite thing about blaze is that you just can't mess her gameplay up no matter the game. she's played great in every single game that she's ever been playable in, and it's the most noticeable in sonic 06. sonic 06 is a nightmare to play as we all know but that one part where you play as blaze handles incredibly well, is the most fun segment in the entire game, and the most *polished* segment in the game. you just *cannot* make blaze's gameplay bad, it's not possible also, PLEASE play rush adventures, if you enjoyed rush then you'll absolutely love rush adventures

"Growing up didn't mean I had to stop caring" is so inspiring

So glad to have another video!! Keep up the awesome work, Josh!

Man, I love your Sonic videos. You make me feel nostalgic about Sonic too, and if there's a game franchise that's the definition of nostalgia for me, that's Sonic. I also adored this series as a kid, grew somewhat disillusioned as a teenager and came back with a blast as an adult. I know Sonic isn't perfect. I know it's a rollercoaster of emotions being a Sonic fan, but then again, rollercoasters ARE my favorite kind of ride.

i was just rewatching some of your old vids, perfect timing 😊

Modern Sonic games have a lot of depth whether for a new character or an antagonist. Sonic Rush is one of my favorites, in the case of Blaze, I feel that she and Sonic share the same leading role, because unlike Sonic's other rivals who were the complete opposite of him like Shadow or Metal Sonic or the ones who were tricked by the villain who made him believe that Sonic was the villain, like Silver and Knuckles, Blaze is different, because she fought the hedgehog not because she thinks he is the villain, but because she believed she was able to solve everything on her own without the help from other people, but Sonic teaches her to open up to the world and to bond with the people around her and in the end she ends up developing a special affection for it. Blaze is a character that deserves more attention from Sega and more role for the games' stories.

love waking up to a new video from you

32:50 reminder that Sonic and Blaze refused to be separated by their own dimensions, Sonic holds with all his might and Blaze reaches out to him

The editing is a huge upgrade here! Very visually pleasing video!

As always, I enjoyed the video immensely! You never disappoint, man. Also, I'm honestly pretty stoked to find out that, in some way, I actually helped in the production of a TGC episode (especially a Sonic one)! Didn't expect my Sonic Channel edits to be actually used in a video of yours, but hey, thumbnail looks fantastic! ^^

Been in gaming since I was a kid and while I was never a big Sonic fan still have fond memories, almost all revolving around visiting a friend's house. My neighbor was the kid who got everything so when the SNES was coming out we were super pumped but his parents told him it was for Christmas. So with a few months of waiting to go he was gifted a Genesis with Sonic to tie him over. Even at the time I thought it was a bit too much for a 7 year old (I mean I was the same age and despite begging/saving didn't get a 16 bit console until 3 years later or so) but as his friend did allow me access to stuff I could only dream about. It's been 31 years but I can still recall in vivid detail the afternoon we spent fumbling our way through the first couple of acts of Sonic 1.

Yoooooo my Saturday is complete! Thank you for the content

14:46 DUDE! You featured my Classic Sonic UI mod for Sonic Adventure?! Thank you so so much, man!

i loved sonic rush when i was younger and still do. i just went back and replayed it earlier this year and got 100% it’s a fun sonic game and the music is so good i still listen to back to back

“Come on man, hold down Y and put some boost on it!” Sounds like that could come from a 90’s SEGA commercial lol

Sonic Rush was actually my first Sonic. To this day, Blaze is in my top 3 Sonic characters next to Tails and Shadow, and the Naganuma OST is still the type of music I most strongly associate with the series. I remember that every time I tuned into Sonic X, I was expecting Blaze to show up. Excellent video, as always.

Man, idk how, but everything you put out is an absolute treat. Probably I'm a little late for a response as always, but another great video. I find myself rewatching these time and time again, maybe this sounds strange, but the way you bring your nostalgia into the critique helps me- in a way- relive my own nostalgia for Banjo, Vigilante 8, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and yes, the classic Sonic tetrology via the Mega Collection; among others

I got Sonic Rush in 2010, and I've never beaten it, but I keep coming back to it because the vibe is just so great, the music, the fast paced zooming around the levels, and how different sonic and blaze's levels are. It's so charming and fun!

This is a game that I really have been thinking on giving a second chance too. I’m shocked that they didn’t put Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure up on the Wii U eShop.

I wanted to mention this for a little while, but seeing this video initially on the Patreon honestly made me wanna give Rush another chance. And y'know what, I ended up loving it! (This isn't even the first time it's happened, same thing goes for your Metroid and DKC videos, which inspired me to check out those series and love them too) And of course, the video's fantastic. I love how you didn't just discuss the game itself, but also your feelings on Sonic at the time, the situation the franchise was in and how it was able to help get you back into the series. I've definitely noticed the more personal angle you've brung to talking about games in your more recent videos (the sixth gen and updated DKC3 videos are the most potent examples so far), and it's definitely a great thing to focus on

Always nice to see a new TGC episode on Sonic, as someone who's never had a huge attachment to Sonic, I played SA1 and 2 as a kid along with Advance, and pretty much wrote the franchise off as I got older it's very interesting to hear the perspective of a Sonic fan on how the series developed and changed.

Heyyyy! You’re back! What a great surprise to start my day!

Nice video. This game is definitely peak and underrated & just like Blaze tbh

Two words to describe Blaze: Untapped potential. I have played both of these games and have often feel that they are what the Sonic franchise needed: A change of pace, a change of scenery and a change of character. If Sega had made like a classic Sonic the Hedgehog version of Blaze the Cat to explore her earlier years in how she learned about her fire powers, then they could have had a new video game hit on their hands.

Always happy to see new content!

your videos are too good! The editing, timing and structure is astounding. The anecdotes are brilliant too. Would love to see you join the folks on sunset city btw.

This is a fun watch! I'm really looking forward to your full Metroid Dread review whenever that may arrive!

Great to see you back, GC!

The editing in the episode was pretty slick. Really dig the smooth transitions (like at 25:11).

I was gonna rewatch one of your vids while I ate dinner and found this! My favorite game from when I was a kid. My late father bought this for me after I convinced him to get it for me after I drew pictures of sonic and shadow haha. Thanks Josh, big fan as always

This is VERY off topic, but your discussion in the intro kinda reminded me of my own experiences with Bionicle, falling out of and back into love with it. I'm really glad this game was able to do what it did for you.

TGC keeps stacking dubs

I remember having zero interest in the game and whenever I've seen Blaze on the cover I though she was a bootleg version Shadow. But the more I saw her, more interested to learn about her I was. So Blaze was my number 1 reason to buy Sonic Rush. At the same time Sonic Rush was my sole reason to buy Nintendo DS (Lite). And what I get from this two reasons in the end? The character I like A LOT and at the same time it was my homecoming back to the world of Nintendo since NES days. Of course there is this cursed Sonic The Hedgehog from 2006, which rebooted Blaze into a basic sidekick and when Rush Adventure was announced I was super nervous they would continue from what they established in Sonic'06. The game turned out well, but SEGA continues to pair her with Silver. And Silver himself is more of a sidekick. Basically Blaze started out as a stellar main character, but was quickly downgraded to a sidekick with flat anime trope personality for a character who was barely a main character himself and was downgraded to a sidekick character. I guess some people are fine how things turned out for her, but I like how she was depicted in Rush and Rush Adventure the best.

Beautiful video about the game that got me into the series as a kid. Your sentiment near the end hit me, through the ups and downs sonic will always be my favourite character.

Everytime this channel uploads it makes my day

Bro, you're technical film making skills are genuinely impressive.

GEEK CRITIQUE IS BACK!!!

good to see ya back mate

God, how do you fucking do it!? Anything you touch turns to gold! Even if I don't agree with some of your opinions the excitement I get when I see one of your new videos. It's absolutely incredible how good these videos are, and I'm honestly inclined to call you my favourite channel in this style... and considering the other things I watch that is a *high bar.* Never stop doing what you're doing man, I'll be there through all of it

Another amazing video!

I just found this video when I remembered the Sonic Rush OST existed and looked to see if anyone had made a retrospective on the game recently. I really enjoyed this! Great job on the video. Got a like and sub from me!

At last, Rush gets some love! I'm really happy to see you cover it

It's good to see you're doing another season of critiques. It's been far too long!

ooo one of my favorite youtubers finally uploaded again!

The rush duology were my first 2D Sonic games. Watching this video really reminds me of the fond memories I had with those games. From renting Rush Adventure at my local library, to eventually owning a copy a year later when Colors came out, playing my sisters copy of rush, and finding out the 3ds was backwards compatible with DS game using Sonic Rush. (Weird I didn't know that when first getting my 3ds, but that's nine year old me, bless his soul.) I really have to finish these games some day, just got to put some boost on it!

This is my literal favorite Sonic game. There was a website for this game, and it had shorter versions of Leaf Storm, Water Palace, and the Boss music, which would loop indefinitely, which is how long I would listen to those samples each day after school. It was the first game I purchased when I got my DS, the first game that I really dug into time trials and speedrunning, and has Blaze, my literal favorite Sonic cast member. I did not realize that you would be covering the Rush series, but I am mega excited to hear about your experiences. (Would also recommend Sonic Colors DS at some point, as how it handles the boost gauge differently had a pretty dramatic effect on my personal experience.)

When your friend told you to "put some boost in it" it sounds like something that you would hear in a old 90's commercial

somehow I missed this episode when it came out. another great one.

keep up the great work! I do agree that rush's level design is pretty samey, and it does inherit a lot of the advanced issues, but overall, I think I works for the gameplay!

I have a strange history with this game. I had the same feeling about Sonic after the Dreamcast, but instead of a friend showing me the game I actually found it on the ground while walking to my first job. Its like it came to me in its own. I never heard of it before, but I gave it a try, after all it was free! After pressing the boost button and listening to the OST this quickly became my new favorite Sonic game, Sonic Rush is still my favorite game to speedrun (well thats what youd call it now but back then I didn’t know it was called that) I love the insane amount of noise the game makes while you’re doing well. Great game !!

The fact that you just casually referenced "the 20s" just scared the shit out of me. Oh god, we are old.

Ayyyy, you played What U Need during the sponsor, I love audio puns.

"The skill ceiling is sky-high, and it's made from broken glass!"

Rush holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the very first sonic games I had to call my own, and I think it really affected my tastes in music and aesthetic. It’s amazing.

Okay, WOW!! I have been immensely hyped for this! I genuinely don't know what my "first" sonic game was, it could've been Sonic 2, or Rush Adventure, or one I've forgotten, but... the time of the Rush games was about when I got into the series. I distinctly remember things like Unleashed being advertised, buying Colours for my DS and Wii, getting a 360 specifically for Generations, and getting Sonic Classic Collection and Sonic Adventure DX to experience the older titles. A weird way to experience the series, but it wouldn't be the first (Hiii, Pokemon~) All that is to say, the Rush era was roughly where it started, with this game's sequel, Sonic Rush Adventure, which I still love dearly. And the Rush games' style is one of my favourites in the series. It's probably my favourite look for "Modern Sonic". I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the season when it's done, and as always, I think you did a stellar job with this video~ Also, as a hardcore fan of the Rush OST, I am SO happy with the smooth transition between Altitude Limit and the Stage Clear theme at 6:48!

Love your editing! But I am surprised you didn't like the bosses. I loved the challenge they presented. Not to mention the music BOPPED!

Best of all, blaze can play in the himalayas for hours

“But what if this is that one other time?” Love that movie reference.

When I see this, I wonder to myself: Sonic is truly getting older. The Classic design isn't really a different Sonic, it's Sonic if he was 8. An elementary school kid concerned with the concept of cool, who saves others because of how cocksure his reputation is. A hero by convenience. The modern design, a teenager. One who has grown a little, and is defined by the heroism he chose to emulate. A guy who has found what he likes to do, even if he isn't completely sure about the best way to do it. A hero by choice. This is mirrored by the voice growing deeper as time went on, which shows itself plainly in the recent Frontiers. I do not think it's an accident that the first Sonic movie was an origin story, which only concerned itself with the most basic elements of Sonic at the game series' inception. It also tells me that Frontiers Sonic is a specific representation of the Sonic we have now, a new era: Adult Sonic. This is the first Sonic to really define a good combat system. This parallels an adults foray into fighting for themselves, to advocate for themselves in a way only he can. To deal with the kinds of fights that only an adult can appreciate, hence the game's heavier tone. He is, now, a hero doing good, by the rules and respect he's built up from his countless missteps and his eternal underdog status. It made me realize the franchise Sonic and the character Sonic are indistinguishable. His quinceñera might have been a disaster once upon a time, but now we are here, a 30+ year old Sonic looking to improve on who he was yesterday and that should be applauded.

The legend is back!

A new series on Sonic? Yes please! I loved Secret Rings as a kid, and though I've grown past it now, I still think its art direction is superb.