Sonic X Shadow Generations Dialogue Change Suggests Rings Aren't Canon

Summary

• Rings are one of the most iconic collectibles in all of gaming, but they don't have much of a story purpose in most Sonic games.
• One of the only times they've been acknowledged is in Sonic Generations, something the remaster removes.
• This adds further proof to the idea that Rings are more of a gameplay device instead of a core part of the story.

One of Sonic X Shadow Generations' many dialogue changes seems to add further proof to the theory that Rings aren't technically canon in the Sonic universe.

What would a good platforming mascot be without their signature collectible? Mario has his Mushrooms and Coins, Link has Rupees, and Crash, the best of them all, has Wumpa Fruit. Then there's Sonic the Hedgehog, who has always had floating golden Rings to collect in his games which serve as a shield to him and let him access Super Sonic.

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Despite how important Rings are in a gameplay sense, they're very rarely acknowledged by the characters as an in-universe thing, especially when it comes to mainline games. One of the most notable examples of Rings being called out is in the ending of Sonic Generations, where Classic and Modern Tails wonder aloud how Sonic collects and stores so many Rings.

Sonic X Shadow Generations Removes A Reference To Rings

At the time, that was decent proof that Sonic's characters are well aware of all of the floating Rings dotted around the world, even if they don't feel like mentioning it much. That is no longer the case, though, as Twitter user wg_alen pointed out that one of Sonic X Shadow Generations' dialogue changes removes that reference and instead has Tails talking to himself about the two timelines.

This seems to add proof to the fan theory that Rings aren't actually canon in the Sonic universe (at least in most interpretations) and are instead just a gameplay mechanic. There are a few sides to this, as they do appear in cutscenes for certain games like Sonic Frontiers' expansion and the teaser trailer for Sonic Unleashed, but don't often get acknowledged by the characters despite their importance.

It's worth noting that the Sonic movies draw direct attention to the Rings, even if they have a completely different purpose than in the games. Prime also treats them as if they actually exist in-universe.

This dialogue change, which is one of the most notable references to Sonic collecting Rings, seems to suggest that they aren't canon, which makes sense considering Ian Flynn rewrote the game's script. Flynn has previously suggested that Rings are more of a gameplay device, and was even heard on the BumbleKast expressing some confusion over why they don't ever get talked about.

It's a small change to the game's script, but considering how long fans have argued and debated about the status of Rings as canon in the mainline Sonic games, it is a bit of a confusing one. Here's hoping Sega decides to finally explain their purpose and importance in a

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