WhenShadow the Hedgehogfirst debuted inSonic Adventure 2, his moveset was almost identical toSonic’s. His original name, Terios, means “reflection of” in Greek; thus,Shadow’s moveset reflected Sonic, too.While this foundation is still there, the ultimate lifeform has gained access to an array of abilities since his inception, from various Chaos powers to equipping himself with weapons.
WithSonic X Shadow Generations, Shadow’s latest upgrades come in the form of a set ofDoom Powers, granted to Shadow due to hisshared genetics with a race of aliensknown as the Black Arms. There are five powers featured in theShadow Generationscampaign, with some being far more useful, practical, or simply more fun to use than others.
5Doom Blast
Blast Your Enemies Into Oblivion
All these abilities are a great deal of fun and serve a purpose, but theDoom Blast is perhaps the most simplistic of the set. With this ability, Shadow can launch large enemies into the air and aim them at his desired target, and he can teleport to wherever the enemy ends up. This can be useful for reaching alternate pathways, breaking objects, or clearing a row of enemies in one fell swoop.
However, the Doom Blast doesn’t have many uses outside of this, and it doesn’t leave the player with too much room for experimentation, as predetermined aiming reticles are placed on the screen to tell players where to aim. As well as this, it’s probably the most momentum-halting move of the bunch, requiring players to stop for a second or two to line up the shot before sending the enemy in the chosen direction.
4Doom Surf
Sail Across The Seas With Shadow
With this power,Shadow can spawn a manta-ray like creationto ride across waters, making it very useful for exploring areas of the game’s hub world, as well as a handful of levels that feature the mechanic. Shadow can also use his quick step toknock the Doom Surf into nearby obstaclesand objects, which is used inone of the game’s boss battlesto deal damage to the enemy.
The Doom Surf can be fun to use and turns extremely smoothly, but it can feel a little bit slower than preferableat times. While surfing, Shadow’s boost is disabled, meaning that the player is forced to move at a static pace while they ride the waters. Boosting as Shadow lands on the water can provide players with an initial burst of speed, but having it available during the whole ride would make the ability much more enjoyable to use, as well as open up some more speedrunning potential.
3Doom Morph
Surrender To The Doom DNA
While this ability can be a bit frustrating to use at first, the Doom Morph is great once players figure out the technique for it. Letting go of a Morph Ball before the end of a swing will cause Shadow to surge towards the ball at high speed, springing out of the other side of it. This allows players tolaunch themselves diagonally or vertically upwardswith correct timing.
While only one stage – Chaos Island – features the mechanic, it explores so many ideas with it in such a short amount of time. The Doom Morph can be used to launch off surfaces, glide through the air via Morph Balls, ride along walls and ceilings, andreach high speedsby spamming the boost button. It also features in a boss battle, too, and can damage the enemy by boosting. The Doom Morph is a whale of a time once mastered.
2Doom Spears
Fire Away At Up To Five Targets
Shadow is no stranger to using spears as a weapon, as his Chaos Spears have beena key part of his kitfor some time now. However,Sonic X Shadow Generationstakes his spears to new heights, as the game grants him the ability to fire multiple at the same time. By holding down the button, theDoom Spearsallow Shadow tolock onto as many as five targets at once, firing at all of them simultaneously once released.
These spears can be utilized at almost any time, and Shadow does not have to stop running before firing away. The ability has so many uses throughout almost every level: destroying incoming projectiles, debilitating electrified enemies, turning on switches, or interacting with unique stage mechanics.Shadow Generationscame through with a lot of creative ideas, but almost none could surpass the good old combination of Shadow and spears.
1Doom Wings
Overcome Every Obstacle With This Power
The Doom Wings are the most outlandish, unexpected upgrade this game has to offer, and their appearancein the game’s SGF trailertook the fanbase completely by surprise.Shadow Generationsgives players a taste of them in one of the first stages of the game, bringing them back for the final stage and then unlocking them in every level once the game is beaten. When Shadow has fifty rings, holding down both quick-step buttons simultaneously willsprout a set of demonic wingson the hedgehog’s back.
Being able to soar over stages with the Doom Wings is a feeling like no other, and can make for some breathtaking sights. It can help players scout out collectibles, smash through multiple enemies at once, or skip over segments of the stage. It opens up an entirely new dimension when it comes to speedrunning, so much so that the game has two modes enabled for each stage: Doom Wings On/Off. Some might say the wings are too edgy of an addition, but for the character who used to wield assault rifles andtried to destroy humanity, they are perfect.
