User:PrincessPandaWiki/sandbox/Sonic Riders Story and Analysis

Sonic Riders is a 2006 racing video game that was to commemorate Sonic the Hedgehog's 15th anniversary. It features Sonic and others racing on hovering vehicles known as Extreme Gear, which usually take the form of hoverboards. Its story, which is experienced through the story mode, follows the heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna, and a new, anti-heroic group, the Babylon Rogues, competing with each other in the EX World Grand Prix for the Chaos Emeralds. The EX World Grand Prix is organized by Doctor Eggman, who is secretly searching for the treasure of the Babylonians, the Babylon Rogues' technologically advanced ancestors, which the Babylon Rogues are also after.

The story was written by Hiroshi Miyamoto.

Heroes storyline
This storyline focuses on the heroes..

One night in Metal City, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are looking for a Chaos Emerald. However, Tails' Emerald Detector alerts them that something is jamming the Emerald's signal. Suddenly, three figures crash out of a nearby window, riding on Extreme Gear, with the police on their tails. Tails discovers that these figures have the Chaos Emerald, and thus the trio gives chase to them. While one of the green figure is able to cut past Sonic with no problem, Knuckles punches the grey one off his Extreme Gear. A purple figure picks up her companion and rushes off, as Tails notices that the Extreme Gear they dropped features a symbol of a bird on it. Sonic then uses this Gear to chase them down, and he is able to reach the green figure, who admits that Sonic is not bad at using Extreme Gear. However, the figure takes Sonic by surprise and jumps above him, knocking him out. As the figure mocks Sonic and leaves with his teammates, Sonic is reunited with Tails and Knuckles, excited that he now has a new rival to compete against.

The next day, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles notice a local screen being broadcasted by Dr. Eggman, who announces that he has organized an Extreme Gear tournament known as the "EX World Grand Prix", with the participants needing to pay an entry fee in the form of a Chaos Emerald, and that the winner will receive all seven Chaos Emeralds. Though Sonic seems unsurprised at first, Eggman presents the three current contestants: Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross; the same three figures Sonic encountered. This gets the hedgehog's attention, making him, Tails, and Knuckles join the tournament.

After a few races in Metal City and Splash Canyon, the trio runs into Amy, who reveals that she has signed up for the tournament as well to be with Sonic. Tails then says that he believes that Jet, Wave, and Storm are part of a legendary group of thieves known as the "Babylon Rogues", who, according to rumors, live on a floating island known as Babylon Garden. He also explains that, according to legends, the Babylonians' actions enraged the Gods, who cast Babylon Garden into the depths of the earth. However, the same legends claim that there is a treasure on the island. After this, the heroes meet Wave, who mocks the Extreme Gear Tails is holding, the Blue Star, by calling it a "piece of junk". While the heroes are infuriated by her actions, they do not notice that she has tampered with the Blue Star by placing a bomb on it.

Later, at Egg Factory, Knuckles has a short fight with Storm, accidentally damaging an E-10000R in the process. In the end, they decide to settle things with a race, which Knuckles wins. Afterward, the heroes find themselves at Green Cave watching Sonic practice on his Extreme Gear. There, they find Jet, who says that while Sonic is very fast on his feet, he is not very impressive on Extreme Gear. Jet then leaves, and Tails remembers Wave's comments about his Extreme Gear. Refusing to let Wave get the better of him, Tails promises Sonic that he will unlock the secrets of the Extreme Gear for them. Afterward, Tails has a race against Wave, which he manages to win.

Next, at Sand Ruins, Omochao is hosting the final race of the EX World Grand Prix. Amy cheers Sonic, who is about to compete against Jet. The hawk mocks Sonic once again, saying that he obviously was able to win his previous races because of luck rather than skill, though Sonic is confident that he will win. At the end of the race, Sonic is about to beat Jet. However, Wave then detonates the bomb on Sonic's Extreme Gear, destroying Sonic's Blue Star and allowing Jet to win and obtain the Chaos Emeralds. Jet proceeds to use the Emeralds and the Key to Babylon Garden to summon Babylon Garden, which raises out of the nearby desert and into the sky. Suddenly though, Dr. Eggman snatches the Key to Babylon Garden from Jet's hands and flies off to Babylon Garden in his Egg Mobile.

Using the Tornado 2, the heroes reach Babylon Garden. Next to the Babylon Rogues' ship, the trio notices Dr. Eggman passing by on his E-Rider. Sonic prepares to chase him, but not before Tails gives him the Blue Star II. However, he is met by Jet, who challenges him to a final race. In the end, Sonic is able to win. While Jet throws a tantrum in frustration, Sonic sees Eggman in front of a giant door on the Babylon Garden. Sonic is about to attack the doctor, but not before Eggman reveals that he is holding Amy hostage. Sonic then uses two Tornadoes to attack Eggman and get the Key to Babylon Garden. Having no need for the treasure of Babylon, Sonic gives the key to Jet, who complains that he has lost and does not want his pity. Insisting that "treasure is treasure", Wave takes the key anyway, and Jet begrudgingly accepts it. Just before the heroes leave, Amy shows up, enraged because Sonic attacked Eggman with herself in the middle. Sonic attempts to come up with an excuse to calm her down, though with little success. Amy then chases Sonic around with her Piko Piko Hammer, while Tails and Knuckles watch.

Babylon storyline
This storyline mostly takes place during the same events as the Heroes storyline but with a focus on the Babylon Rogues and tells the ending of the story.

While in his office onboard his ship, Jet looks at the Key to Babylon Garden in his hand, carefully examining it. Suddenly, Storm comes in, making Jet comically fall off his seat. Wave walks in as well, scolding Storm for his impoliteness. Storm then notices the Key to Babylon Garden, with Jet explaining that he had inherited it from his father. Wave and Storm proceed to argue with each other, before Jet stops them and asks them why they entered his office. The two then tell him that Dr. Eggman wants to visit him. The doctor then steps into the room, noticing the Key to Babylon Garden in Storm's hands. Eggman tells Jet that he needs to collect the Chaos Emeralds, and while Jet believes that his mission is going to be easy, Eggman warns him of Sonic the Hedgehog. Nevertheless, Jet shows no concern, and is convinced that he will easily beat Sonic in an Extreme Gear competition.

After Jet proves himself to Sonic in Night Chase, Wave meets Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in Red Canyon. She sees the Blue Star, an Extreme Gear Tails modeled and customized himself, and Wave says to herself that it does not look bad for an "amateur". She then mocks Tails by calling his Gear a "piece of junk" and secretly plants a bomb on it and proceeds to win a race against an enraged Amy.

Back on the Babylon Rogues' ship, Jet is once again in his office examining the Key to Babylon Garden, before Storm abruptly bursts in once again. Storm says that he lost a race against Knuckles in Egg Factory, and Wave criticizes him, which starts another argument between the two. Jet, suspicious of Eggman's intentions, tasks Storm with going to Ice Factory, one of Eggman's bases, to find clues of what the doctor is really up to.

While Storm is exploring Ice Factory, Jet and Wave are waiting for him in White Cave, complaining that Storm is taking too long. Nevertheless, Jet does not really care, causing him to be scolded by Wave for a while because of his lack of responsibility as a leader. Jet then notices Sonic doing some tricks as Tails and Knuckles watch and quietly sneaks away without Wave noticing. When Wave sees that Jet is gone, she complains about him before leaving as well.

Later, at Dark Desert, Jet and Wave reunite with Storm, who gives them a small microchip he found. Wave takes it, revealing a holographic monitor with Eggman's diary. This reveals that he intends to find the Babylonians' ancient technology and claim it for himself to conquer the world. After learning of this, Jet decides to leave, finding the effort he put in a waste of time, and having no interest of using advanced technology. However, Wave stops him, convincing him that this advanced technology that Eggman seeks must be worth much more than silver or gold. After imagining himself resting in riches, Jet decides to participate in the finals of the EX World Grand Prix.

After the final race, Omochao broadcasts the news of Babylon Garden having mysteriously appeared near Dark Desert, and that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have gone to investigate. There, Wave and Storm meet Tails and Knuckles, accidentally starting an argument with them. The heroes offer Jet the Key to Babylon Garden, as they have no use for it, but Jet refuses, seeing it as an act of pity. Regardless, Wave takes it on behalf of the Babylon Rogues, noting that "treasure is treasure". The Rogues then use it to open a large door, accidentally summoning the Babylon Guardian in the process. Teaming up with Sonic and his friends, the Babylon Rogues defeat the Guardian, revealing the treasure of Babylon. However, it turns out that this treasure is just a Magic Carpet, surprising everyone. Having arrived to claim the treasure himself, Eggman deems his plot with the EX World Grand Prix a waste of time, and proceeds to faint from the subsequent shock. Jet sees the carpet as a sign that the Babylon Rogues are descendants of genies. Afterwards, the Babylon Rogues part ways with Sonic and his team, with Jet vowing to return and face Sonic again.

Original text is from the article "Sonic Riders", as of March 29, 2023, on Sonic News Network on Fandom and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported).

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * The Babylon Rogues:
 * Jet the Hawk
 * Wave the Swallow
 * Storm the Albatross
 * Doctor Eggman
 * Amy Rose
 * The Babylonians
 * Babylon Guardian

Songs

 * "Sonic Speed Riders" is the opening theme song of Sonic Riders. It expresses a theme of the story, which is the rivalry between Sonic and Jet the Hawk, who compete to prove who is faster on Extreme Gear. The song also references some of the gameplay elements of Sonic Riders, such as riding on the waves of Super Sonic, which means using turbulence to gain speed. The song has a fast-paced electronic rock style that matches the futuristic, high-speed action of the game.


 * "Catch Me If You Can" is the theme song of the Babylon Rogues, with its lyrics reflecting the Babylon Rogues' personalities and motivations. Jet's belief in being the fastest of all is the basis of the song's title, which is repeated in the chorus. The song also references some aspects of their backstory, such as being descendants of genies and having a treasure that is connected to Babylon Garden, a floating island that is the main goal of the story. The song has an electronic and hip-hop style based on the futuristic style of the game and the attitude of the Babylon Rogues.

''Text was mostly generated with Bing Chat. Original text is under public domain.''

Themes

 * Rivalry and competition: The story emphasizes the thrill of racing and the challenge of facing opponents who have different skills and styles. Sonic meets his new rival, Jet the Hawk, who is confident and arrogant about his abilities on Extreme Gear. The two characters clash throughout the game, both verbally and physically, as they try to prove who is faster and better. The story also shows how rivalry can motivate characters to improve themselves, such as Tails, who wants to unlock the secrets of Extreme Gear after being mocked by Wave the Swallow.
 * Friendship and teamwork: The story also shows how characters rely on their friends and teammates to support them and help them achieve their goals. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles work together to stop Eggman’s plans and to rescue Amy from his clutches. The Babylon Rogues also have a strong bond, despite their frequent arguments and disagreements. They share a common heritage and a passion for Extreme Gear. The story also features moments where characters from different teams cooperate with each other, such as when they join forces to defeat the Babylon Guardian.
 * Adventure and discovery: The story introduces the concept of Babylon Garden, a mysterious floating island that was once home to an ancient civilization of genies. The game explores the legends and secrets of this island, as well as its connection to Extreme Gear and the Chaos Emeralds. The story also features various locations around the world that serve as racetracks, such as Metal City, Splash Canyon, Sand Ruins, and Dark Desert. The story invites players to experience different environments and cultures through racing.
 * Technology and magic: The story combines elements of science fiction and fantasy. Extreme Gear is a futuristic device that can be customized with various parts and abilities. The Chaos Emeralds are mystical gems that have immense power and can be used to summon Babylon Garden. The treasure of Babylon turns out to be a magic carpet that can fly without any machinery. The story shows how technology and magic can coexist and interact in surprising ways.

''Text was mostly generated with Bing Chat. Original text is under public domain.''

Additional sources used

 * "The Story of the Sonic Riders Games", narrative analysis/commentary video by Pariah695 on YouTube (WARNING: Frequent strong profanity)

Learn more
Readers who want to learn more about Sonic Riders, including the pure game aspects, may be interested in the following links:
 * "Sonic Riders" on Wikipedia
 * "Sonic Riders" on Sonic News Network