Sonic X pilot

The Sonic X pilot is the pilot episode of the Sonic X animated series before Chaos Control Freaks. The episode features several elements which are largely different from the actual series. One notable difference is the inclusion of Nazo, a scrapped Super Sonic model that did not make it into the anime.

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Super Sonic
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Cheese
 * Big the Cat
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Rouge the Bat
 * Christopher Thorndyke
 * Danny
 * Doctor Eggman
 * E-11 Beacon
 * E-12 Behemoth
 * E-13 Guardbot

Plot
Chris saves Sonic from the pool, and they become fast friends. Sonic's friends, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and Cheese, come to live with him soon after. They hear of an E-Series robot rampaging downtown Station Square and ready an unknown model of the Tornado to defeat it, although Sonic's already on his way. As the Tornado leaves with Tails as the pilot, Danny joins in the backseat. Knuckles has already destroyed a robot that was about to harm Cream and Cheese. Another two copies appear and Sonic spin-dashes right through them, heading back to the Tornado. Eggman, Rouge and Shadow reveal their newest weapon, the Tornado having surpassed Beacon. Sonic grabs a ring and is transformed into Super Sonic. Nothing else is really exploited or known.[1]

Production analysis
Original storylines seem to have been created for fights between Sonic and Eggman's team as Shadow was shown to be in the plotline but with no known connection as to how he survived his supposed death in Sonic Adventure 2. Chris and Danny also helped Amy and Tails aid Sonic in the orange X Tornado prototype, although the bios at the end of the video show Chris would have an obviously larger role than Danny. However, Danny's role was shortened much more by the addition of new characters and a plotline revision before Sonic X's release, demeaned even more so by 4Kids Entertainment. While fighting with Shadow, Sonic uses a Ring to become Super Sonic.

The silver mech serving Eggman his cards was the prototype for Decoe (as he does in the show), and some of the robots on the cards and Selection Machine never made it into the show's final production. The robot seen rampaging the city (not yet known whether or not to be Station Square) was also scrapped for the show, but released in a promotional toy line for the 4Kids version as parts that came along with each character.

English version
The English version is now available on the TMS website. It is slightly modified from the original and features 4Kids ex-voice actor Andrew Rannels, the voice of some characters like Bokkun, who was not previously featured to show for Sonic X. It features a scene from the other promotional video for Sonic X (where Sonic speeds by a humanoid sentry bot) and was the first sign that 4Kids took over the English production of Sonic X. Notably, Danny's picture card was excluded from this version.

The Other Promo
This is another Japanese video that promoted Sonic X prior to release, made in 2001, as it featured anthropomorphs (human-like animals like Sonic) portrayed upright and at adult human height, including an animal similar to one that was picking on Tails in a flashback during "The Dam Scam" (the orange ones, the promo has him wearing a purple sweater, black pants, and a beret). This means that Sonic X could have originally been meant to be set in Mobius of the Sonic the Hedgehog Archie series, or at least somewhere similar. This video also features scenes famous in the 4Kids and first Sonic Drive intro:

Notably, while this promo came before the second official one (which was the first on this page), it was completely in English.
 * Sonic with two Emerald shards.
 * The building he breaks out of to beat Eggman.
 * The robot sentry (see above).
 * Sonic running past standing Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Cheese and Tails to get to said tower.
 * The first to use Sonic's crossed-arms pose with English letters (notably, this is not the X redraw, but official art from Sonic Adventure itself).

Trivia

 * According to the English TMS trailer, Sonic X had been in production since 1993. Since both Sonic X and Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie were made by Sonic Team, it could mean the original Sonic anime was originally to be a series, and Sonic X itself was never intended. Therefore, characters such as Metal Sonic from Sonic CD could have existed within Sonic X.
 * In the second promo, Cheese is simply referred to as "Chao".
 * The model of the Tornado used in the pilot is the only one with four seats.