Sonic 2 Is Proof That There's Nothing Wrong With Human Characters

thegamer.com:

The Sonic series has had a rocky history with human characters. Out of absolutely nowhere, they just started appearing in Sonic Adventure and we all had to roll with it. I guess in the mystical lands that contain Green Hill Zone and Angel Island, they were just here all along. Hell, we only got a proper explanation as to how this all works earlier this month.

This awkward set-up left any human characters in a strange place. Of course, Eggman was there from the start, but he's so cartoony that he fits in far better with the animals than his human counterparts. Humans are either outright antagonistic to Sonic and friends, or they just don't care. No opinions on the walking, talking hedgehog who can run at the speed of sound.

Related: Sega Delisting Classic Sonic Games Is A Betrayal Of Its Own Legacy

In turn, Sonic fans rarely respond well to a human sidekick joining the gang. Maria Robotik, first introduced in Sonic Adventure 2, is a rare exception - and she's already dead when we find out about her. Other than that there's Chris Thorndyke from Sonic X, and Princess Elise in Sonic '06. Chris, many will say, is just too annoying. Intended to be a self-insert for the children watching the show, he didn’t even go down well with his intended audience. Think Wesley from TNG, but also a trust fund kid. He just rolls with having a house full of talking animals, and doesn’t really do much else.

Then there’s Princess Elise, who needs no introduction. She may have had potential as a human sidekick, but that was thrown out the window when she switched gears and became a love interest. No one wants to see that. Well, some do, but that’s a whole other thing.

This is the larger problem with their introduction. They're either looking at