Since Dr. Robotnik can't seem to build machines capable of stopping Sonic, what if he instead kidnapped a living being, stole his free will, and reprogrammed him to be a lean, mean, hedgehog catching machine? Well, there was a time he tried that approach and, well, it worked about as well as you'd expect. And just who did he select to be the guinea pig in his latest experiment? Why, MacHopper the handyman kangaroo, loyal friend to Sonic the Hedgehog, and an enemy to Botsy. He's captured by Scratch and Grounder and brought to the fortress, right where he makes his escape. Not sure why he waited until they got there to do that, but no matter, Robotnik recaptures him and straps him in, then, running a few electric currents through MacHopper's head, he reprograms him to serve only one purpose in life: capture Sonic and Tails and bring them back alive. Well, how fortunate was it that the aforementioned heroes were en route to Botsy's fortress, after having heard tell that MacHopper was being held hostage there. Huh, for once, Sonic's behind. Now, apparently Robotnik's mind reprogramming machine has a few bugs, as MacHopper seems to have developed amnesia, and he zones in and out from being himself to being a mindless drone. Not sure if that was supposed to happen or not, but knowing Robotnik, we can assume the machine was not working properly. Our boys meet up with Mac, who proves to be just as obsessed with chili dogs as they are, as even though he doesn't recognize them, he still invites them to partake of his favorite meal, by way of launching themselves via a catapult he rigged out of a tree and a platform. Okay, back up, how is MacHopper supposed to capture Sonic if he doesn't recognize him? Good plan, Botsy. This crazy Aussie kangaroo even forgets his own name at times. So his "brilliant" catapulting stunt sends them crashing through the roof of the Dogateria, where apparently the ambush was supposed to have taken place, as exposited by Scratch and Grounder as they head over in a six-wheeled car. Pretty convoluted plan, but then how would any of them know Sonic and Tails were just outside the fortress this whole time? I'd better stop asking logical question before I lose MY mind. So once they've crashed into the Dogateria, MacHopper wonders where the wait staff went. You probably killed them when you splashed down into the dining room, dude. He then manages to fall into a vat of chili, which helps him regain his memory. Seeing this as the perfect cure, Sonic fills a hypodermic full of the stuff and was about to orally inject their confused friend when he fell and hit his head, thus reverting back to being under mind control. With that, he bounds up Sonic with sausage links. But just as Grounder and Scratch show up to collect their hostage, MacHopper gets another dose of chili, and reverts back to his old self. It's then the robots who get wrapped up in wieners, as our heroes head for the water. Using a bicycle and a water wheel, they build a raft and set sail. Despite managing to elude the now free dumb-bots, Sonic ends up pedaling them over a waterfall, however they manage to use a chandelier MacHopper keeps in his pouch as a grappling hook to swing to safety... just go with it.
Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is getting very impatient and wondering why his new minion is taking so long in procuring a certain blue hedgehog, so he posts a few wanted posters for MacHopper in a few random places, managing to complete the task in thirteen seconds, and subsequently collapses from a heart attack. Um, okay. Well, this bit was essential as each time MacHopper sees those posters, he reverts back to a drone. Back on the water, Sonic makes a plan to take MacHopper back to Robotnik's fortress and undo the effects of his mind control machine, just as the resourceful kangaroo rigged their pedal raft into a pedal copter. Right as they take to the sky, they find themselves in Scratch and Grounder's crosshairs, and they fire, as Tails puts it, "toilet bowl utility objects." What, was "plungers" too complicated to say? So the two, er, utility objects attach themselves to the raft and Tails' butt respectively and they're reeled in, right into a waiting cage. I'm amazed that these robots are doing something right for a change. If only Robotnik saw their unusual level of competence, he'd give up on MacHopper and use that machine to make these two smarter. On the other hand, maybe I spoke too soon, as when our heroes attempt to escape, they cause Scratch and Grounder to crash, freeing themselves and destroying the car. Sonic, Tails, and MacHopper then disguise themselves as mechanics and fix the automobile, turning it into a rocket ship and strap the two robots in, but alas, Mac uses the last of their chili for fuel, but at least they manage to send the dumbbells away for a while. But with their chili supply depleted, Mac reverts back to being Robotnik's drone, though he does manage to sneak Sonic and Tails into the fortress via the sewer system, and they emerge through Robotnik's bathtub drain. Thank heavens it wasn't the toilet. Once inside, Mac captures his friends and hands them over to Robotnik, who has big plans for his old adversary. He could just kill him right now, but instead he plans to freeze him and make him an iceberg. I assume he meant iceberg, but Robotnik actually says "icicle." No matter, he's gonna be frozen. Getting an idea, Sonic requests a chili dog for a last meal, and Robotnik is only too happy to honor it, so he sends them to the kitchen, with MacHopper watching them. Yeah, if only he knew chili was their ace in the hole, as Sonic whips up some dogs and sends them MacHopper's way, reverting his mind back to his former self. Now to deal with Botsy and undo the effects of his mind scrambler. They formulate a plan by which Mac tells Robotnik that Sonic's friends are planning to break him out. Huh, what friends? Burt, Breezy, Doberman, Von Schlemmer, those guys? Fearing the idea of a rescue and unsure of what to do, Robotnik follows MacHopper's idea of building a magnetic forcefield, which Sonic and Tails are put to work helping to build. Once they switch it on, it draws everything metallic in the room, including Robotnik's belt buckle, and it completely undoes the effects of the mind control gizmo, finally restoring MacHopper to his former, free self. Our heroes book it, just as the magnet pulls Scratch and Grounder's rocket ship into the fortress, utterly demolishing it and making Robotnik vow vengeance before fainting. Sonic and Tails congratulate MacHopper, who isn't entirely sure of what he did. Ha ha ha, that's our MacHopper. Our Sonic Says is about water safety, and if you're going to go swimming near rapids and whirlpools... get your head examined.
This was a pretty fun episode, despite having very little plot. Ha, an Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode having no plot, go figure. MacHopper was a pretty funny character, and I'm not sure who was doing his voice. It sounded like Jim Cummings, but I'm very sure it wasn't him. He wasn't involved with this series beyond the pilot, where he voiced Dr. Robotnik. Mac isn't seen again in the series, but I think he appears in the background of "Hero of the Year." So, the jokes were pretty funny, the story was interesting, and it isn't overly obnoxious or goofy, this one is a pretty good time. If you're interested in episodes that focus on one-shot characters, then I'd recommend "MacHopper." Just turn off your brain and go with the flow, mate.
Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is getting very impatient and wondering why his new minion is taking so long in procuring a certain blue hedgehog, so he posts a few wanted posters for MacHopper in a few random places, managing to complete the task in thirteen seconds, and subsequently collapses from a heart attack. Um, okay. Well, this bit was essential as each time MacHopper sees those posters, he reverts back to a drone. Back on the water, Sonic makes a plan to take MacHopper back to Robotnik's fortress and undo the effects of his mind control machine, just as the resourceful kangaroo rigged their pedal raft into a pedal copter. Right as they take to the sky, they find themselves in Scratch and Grounder's crosshairs, and they fire, as Tails puts it, "toilet bowl utility objects." What, was "plungers" too complicated to say? So the two, er, utility objects attach themselves to the raft and Tails' butt respectively and they're reeled in, right into a waiting cage. I'm amazed that these robots are doing something right for a change. If only Robotnik saw their unusual level of competence, he'd give up on MacHopper and use that machine to make these two smarter. On the other hand, maybe I spoke too soon, as when our heroes attempt to escape, they cause Scratch and Grounder to crash, freeing themselves and destroying the car. Sonic, Tails, and MacHopper then disguise themselves as mechanics and fix the automobile, turning it into a rocket ship and strap the two robots in, but alas, Mac uses the last of their chili for fuel, but at least they manage to send the dumbbells away for a while. But with their chili supply depleted, Mac reverts back to being Robotnik's drone, though he does manage to sneak Sonic and Tails into the fortress via the sewer system, and they emerge through Robotnik's bathtub drain. Thank heavens it wasn't the toilet. Once inside, Mac captures his friends and hands them over to Robotnik, who has big plans for his old adversary. He could just kill him right now, but instead he plans to freeze him and make him an iceberg. I assume he meant iceberg, but Robotnik actually says "icicle." No matter, he's gonna be frozen. Getting an idea, Sonic requests a chili dog for a last meal, and Robotnik is only too happy to honor it, so he sends them to the kitchen, with MacHopper watching them. Yeah, if only he knew chili was their ace in the hole, as Sonic whips up some dogs and sends them MacHopper's way, reverting his mind back to his former self. Now to deal with Botsy and undo the effects of his mind scrambler. They formulate a plan by which Mac tells Robotnik that Sonic's friends are planning to break him out. Huh, what friends? Burt, Breezy, Doberman, Von Schlemmer, those guys? Fearing the idea of a rescue and unsure of what to do, Robotnik follows MacHopper's idea of building a magnetic forcefield, which Sonic and Tails are put to work helping to build. Once they switch it on, it draws everything metallic in the room, including Robotnik's belt buckle, and it completely undoes the effects of the mind control gizmo, finally restoring MacHopper to his former, free self. Our heroes book it, just as the magnet pulls Scratch and Grounder's rocket ship into the fortress, utterly demolishing it and making Robotnik vow vengeance before fainting. Sonic and Tails congratulate MacHopper, who isn't entirely sure of what he did. Ha ha ha, that's our MacHopper. Our Sonic Says is about water safety, and if you're going to go swimming near rapids and whirlpools... get your head examined.
This was a pretty fun episode, despite having very little plot. Ha, an Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode having no plot, go figure. MacHopper was a pretty funny character, and I'm not sure who was doing his voice. It sounded like Jim Cummings, but I'm very sure it wasn't him. He wasn't involved with this series beyond the pilot, where he voiced Dr. Robotnik. Mac isn't seen again in the series, but I think he appears in the background of "Hero of the Year." So, the jokes were pretty funny, the story was interesting, and it isn't overly obnoxious or goofy, this one is a pretty good time. If you're interested in episodes that focus on one-shot characters, then I'd recommend "MacHopper." Just turn off your brain and go with the flow, mate.