Shadow the Hedgehog Fans Make Wild Discovery After 19 Years

Highlights

After 19 years, fans are discovering that a second player can control helper characters in the 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog game.
It’s even possible to control Maria Robotnik, with the character using a glowing punch to assist Shadow during his adventures.
Sega is calling 2024 “The Year of Shadow” ahead of the release of Sonic X Shadow Generations in October and the third live-action Sonic film this December.

Some Sonic the Hedgehog fans are discovering that a second player can control the helper characters in the infamous 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog spin-off after 19 years. Sega has branded 2024 “The Year of Shadow” thanks to the impending release of Sonic X Shadow Generations and the character’s upcoming big-screen debut in the third live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. As a result, there are plenty of special promotional events centered around Shadow happening all year long, and fans are sharing memories of his most famous gaming appearances.

This includes the 2005 Shadow the Hedgehog spin-off game, which saw the motorcycle-riding, gun-toting anti-hero ride into the spotlight as the primary protagonist. Picking up where Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes left off, Shadow the Hedgehog let players control Shadow on a journey to help the titular hedgehog rediscover his mysterious past amid an evil alien invasion – which Shadow can choose to thwart or assist depending on the player’s actions. Despite this novel premise, Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the less fondly remembered Sonic games, thanks in no small part to its bizarre use of guns and mild profanity in what is usually a colorful, family-friendly franchise.

The Worst Sonic Game Ever Made is Getting Representation in Sonic X Shadow Generations

A title often hailed as one of the worst Sonic games ever created is finally seeing some love in the upcoming Sonic X Shadows Generations.

Nonetheless, players are still discovering new and interesting tidbits about the Shadow the Hedgehog game in the 19 years since it was released, including Twitter user Person108. In a thread dedicated to Shadow trivia, Person108 revealed that a second player can take control of the helper characters Shadow comes across in the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions of his solo outing. These characters play a major role in Shadow the Hedgehog’s branching gameplay, as the player can unlock new levels and alternate endings by helping Sonic, Dr. Eggman, or the alien Black Doom complete certain tasks.

Shadow the Hedgehog Let Players Control Secondary Characters Like Maria

This also means that players can take control of Maria Robotnik, Shadow’s best friend whose tragic death 50 years before the events of the series remains one of Sonic the Hedgehog’s darkest moments. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Maria appears in two flashback levels as the “Hero” assist character, guiding Shadow through the bowels of the doomed Space Colony Ark and encouraging him to use his powers for the greater good. Should Shadow follow the path of righteousness, a second player can fight alongside him using some sort of glowing punch attack.

Not many people realize that Shadow the Hedgehog’s main story campaign has co-op, as the game’s marketing largely downplayed this feature – not to mention the second player’s abilities were more limited in comparison to Shadow’s moves. Still, this marks the first and only time that Maria Robotnik was playable in a Sonic the Hedgehog game and is an interesting piece of trivia as fans continue to celebrate the Year of Shadow.