Sonic the Hedgehog

[Salnalus]

While we're making threads for just about everything, here's a general one for Sonic. Discuss Sonic stuff here I guess. The franchise had some snags, but nothing that can ever bring it down.

I recently picked up Sonic Generations on PC. I can see why everybody seems to love this game. I'm not really sure which I can say I had more fun playing though, this or Sonic Colors.

 

[Crym4x]

I played the first 3 Sonics but I haven't really got into the newer ones though

 

[Paper Shadow]

The annoying thing about Sonic games is that Sega is always hopping back and forth between where they want to go with the game. Each game is different from the one before it and will be different from the one after it. It could be small changes, like Colours to Generations, or bigger ones, like Generations to Lost World, to whatever the hell the werehog and swordfighting stuff was all about...

And all the while everyone has the same question on the mind: Why don't they bring the Chao Garden back yo?

 

[Sutekh94]

I recently picked up Sonic Generations on PC. I can see why everybody seems to love this game. I'm not really sure which I can say I had more fun playing though, this or Sonic Colors.

Generations on PC is pretty cool if only for the mods, one of my favorites being the Unleashed Project mod.

 

[Salnalus]

And all the while everyone has the same question on the mind: Why don't they bring the Chao Garden back yo?

Because Sonic Adventure 3 didn't happen... yet. (Some say that Sonic 06 was meant to be like a Sonic Adventure 3, but you know)
Sonic Chronicles kinda had a Chao Garden, but... it wasn't like a real one sadly.

Generations on PC is pretty cool if only for the mods, one of my favorites being the Unleashed Project mod.

Heard about that, and want to try it out. I have Unleashed, but the PS2 version.

 

[Stars]

Playing Sonic 2 with my sister was a memorable part of my childhood. I used to always get stuck on the boss of Casino Night Zone, but I didn't care because Casino Night Zone is the best.

 

[hawthornbunny]

Sonic 2 is the best. Best levels, best spindashy Sonic, best two-tailed sidekick, best ending, best everything.

I didn't really play any Sonic games after Sonic and Knuckles though. They introduced a bunch of characters who I don't know. I like the cute bunny with the little hovering sidekick.

 

[SubrosianDimitri]

The annoying thing about Sonic games is that Sega is always hopping back and forth between where they want to go with the game. Each game is different from the one before it and will be different from the one after it. It could be small changes, like Colours to Generations, or bigger ones, like Generations to Lost World, to whatever the hell the werehog and swordfighting stuff was all about...

Why exactly is it such a crime for this one series to try and experiment? I guess it is a problem in games like Secret Rings and Black Knight and Shadow the Hedgehog. But in something like Unleashed, the Werehog wasn't that bad (at least not for me).

 

[didyousaythat]

The last Sonic game I was excited for was Generations, and it delivered well. Fine levels and fun throwbacks were exactly what I expected. Right now I look forward to absolutely nothing new that is Sonic related because it most likely going to be poor in quality. SEGA should stop for like a decade and just think about making a decent game for the IP, otherwise just stop all together.

 

[Stars]

I haven't played Generations, but I tried a bit of Colors, and it seems pretty good.

 

[Paper Shadow]

Why exactly is it such a crime for this one series to try and experiment? I guess it is a problem in games like Secret Rings and Black Knight and Shadow the Hedgehog. But in something like Unleashed, the Werehog wasn't that bad (at least not for me).

Because the experiments turn out bad?

In addition, very few of the experiments add to the core experience. The ones that do become mainstays (boost meter, red rings, wisps apparently). The other ones, the swordplay, the werehog, that sort of stuff, go against the core experience. Sonic is about going fast and exploring levels to go even faster to the point where you can casually breeze through a level at high speeds. Werehog is about playing kid-friendly God of War. God of War already does God of War, and it does it pretty good. It's not what people want in a Sonic game, it's not the reason they bought the game...

And then there's the reworks, the ones that try to change the whole game. Your Sonic '06, your Sonic Boom, that sort of stuff. When those experiments happen, what once was is now lost, and the result is absolute garbage. It's like the lost the guide on how to make Sonic games and had to start over from scratch, and when they do finally make a new guide on how to make Sonic games and start making some better products, they go off and lose the guide again and drop another rework...

And that's why people don't like the experiments. They aren't what the people want, they play bad or other games do it a lot better, and sometimes they actually ruin everything. Experiment if you must, but make sure that they play good and don't feel obliged to drag your most iconic character to the firing line each time you do it...

 

[Neo the Hybrid]

I don't care about experiments, I just want to play as shadow.

 

[Gamerdude854]

I personally love the Sonic series, although worry about it's future, I mean Sonic Lost World didn't do so well and Sonic Boom was downright terrible

 

[Sutekh94]

Because the experiments turn out bad?

In addition, very few of the experiments add to the core experience. The ones that do become mainstays (boost meter, red rings, wisps apparently). The other ones, the swordplay, the werehog, that sort of stuff, go against the core experience. Sonic is about going fast and exploring levels to go even faster to the point where you can casually breeze through a level at high speeds. Werehog is about playing kid-friendly God of War. God of War already does God of War, and it does it pretty good. It's not what people want in a Sonic game, it's not the reason they bought the game...

And then there's the reworks, the ones that try to change the whole game. Your Sonic '06, your Sonic Boom, that sort of stuff. When those experiments happen, what once was is now lost, and the result is absolute garbage. It's like the lost the guide on how to make Sonic games and had to start over from scratch, and when they do finally make a new guide on how to make Sonic games and start making some better products, they go off and lose the guide again and drop another rework...

And that's why people don't like the experiments. They aren't what the people want, they play bad or other games do it a lot better, and sometimes they actually ruin everything. Experiment if you must, but make sure that they play good and don't feel obliged to drag your most iconic character to the firing line each time you do it...

Precisely this. Sega keeps on reinventing the wheel when it comes to Sonic games, and half the time, those new ideas are either executed horribly or another game's already done it a million times better. What I expect when I play a Sonic game is going fast through loop-de-loops and precise platforming, not glitchfests, gunplay, or, well, whatever Sonic Boom was. Kinda makes me sad that Lost World didn't do so well, since there seemed to be some interesting ideas going on in that game (though I can't say for sure since I've never played Lost World). I think Jim Sterling said it best, when he said that Sega should take an interesting concept (i.e. Lost World) and refine it, not abandon the idea entirely and make something like Sonic Boom.

 

[SubrosianDimitri]

Because the experiments turn out bad?

In addition, very few of the experiments add to the core experience. The ones that do become mainstays (boost meter, red rings, wisps apparently). The other ones, the swordplay, the werehog, that sort of stuff, go against the core experience. Sonic is about going fast and exploring levels to go even faster to the point where you can casually breeze through a level at high speeds. Werehog is about playing kid-friendly God of War. God of War already does God of War, and it does it pretty good. It's not what people want in a Sonic game, it's not the reason they bought the game...

And then there's the reworks, the ones that try to change the whole game. Your Sonic '06, your Sonic Boom, that sort of stuff. When those experiments happen, what once was is now lost, and the result is absolute garbage. It's like the lost the guide on how to make Sonic games and had to start over from scratch, and when they do finally make a new guide on how to make Sonic games and start making some better products, they go off and lose the guide again and drop another rework...

And that's why people don't like the experiments. They aren't what the people want, they play bad or other games do it a lot better, and sometimes they actually ruin everything. Experiment if you must, but make sure that they play good and don't feel obliged to drag your most iconic character to the firing line each time you do it...

Fair enough.

 

[Bobinsnos]

Ah, good ol' bluefast the spikeback. Can't keep course if his life depended on it. Maybe he's goin' 2fast.

Precisely this. Sega keeps on reinventing the wheel when it comes to Sonic games, and half the time, those new ideas are either executed horribly or another game's already done it a million times better. What I expect when I play a Sonic game is going fast through loop-de-loops and precise platforming, not glitchfests, gunplay, or, well, whatever Sonic Boom was. Kinda makes me sad that Lost World didn't do so well, since there seemed to be some interesting ideas going on in that game (though I can't say for sure since I've never played Lost World). I think Jim Sterling said it best, when he said that Sega should take an interesting concept (i.e. Lost World) and refine it, not abandon the idea entirely and make something like Sonic Boom.

It's interesting that the general consensus is that the core of Sonic is going really fast, when that was just part of what was supposed to make him "cool", what I always perceived as the true conceptual center of the entire franchise. Not that I don't expect to be going at a high speed at some point, but selling yourself solely on that is going to get stale pretty quick. SEGA seems to know this but instead of simply adding coolness on top of solid game design we get at best three games with one base, before completely rebuilding the wagon with looming deadlines keeping an already questionable choice from being vindicated. ...Really it's a whole litany of poor choices longer than I care to type out (a trend synonymous with SEGA, if we're being real here) that have led the hedgehog to have his notorious track record. Hopefully the delay of Fire and Ice is a sign of a nearing end to these dark times, a golden age for the blue blur, artistically at least.

 

[hawthornbunny]

It's interesting that the general consensus is that the core of Sonic is going really fast, when that was just part of what was supposed to make him "cool", what I always perceived as the true conceptual center of the entire franchise. Not that I don't expect to be going at a high speed at some point, but selling yourself solely on that is going to get stale pretty quick.

Nerdcubed (from the internet) made the interesting suggestion that the idea of Sonic games being about speed is a misconception. He sees them more as being about momentum.

 

[Shadowking58]

GOTTA GO FAST
One of my favorite childhood games, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (The Gamecube version)

 

[Shadow of Death]

Not a huge fan of the series, but I liked it a lot on Genesis. I had Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic and Knuckles, 3D blast, and the Pinball game on the Genesis. I have All Stars Racing on PC. I think that's it.

 

[Crym4x]

and the Pinball game on the Genesis.

Ahhh the Pinball one was fun and it reminded me of another Sonic related game Dr. Robotinks Mean Bean Machine, it was challenging and fun and i would love to play it again if i can find the game

 

[Rich Jammer]

I've been meaning to get Sonic Lost World. You guys what's your opinion of it?

Also, in my opinion Sonic Jam has the best port of Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Knuckles ever.

 

[super hurricane]

Sorry about the rez, but I figured we may as well discuss the new trailer for Sonic Forces, and how this will affect the main gameplay (as it seems to have a bit of Imaginators in it but limited to about 9 species so far).

 

[Moon Drops]

I simply find it to be a silly addition... It will certainly serve as quite the hook for everyone who's trying to incorporate their OC into the Sonic universe, which is just about every Sonic fan ever. Frankly, I'm less concerned about that and find myself biting my nails awaiting the fate of the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics. That's just about the only thing I really care about, as far as Sonic goes.

 

[NeoTensai]

The sonic era ended with the unfinished 3d game for a console(forgot which one) just be4 the playstation era. The major difference between why Mario works and Sonic doesn't as a platformer is speed and how you show/controll that speed. The short answer you can't. At least not in 3D space. Sonic never properly works in 3D mostly because of how he should be moving in comparison on how you can accurately move him. To move Sonic at his top speed one would require Anakin/jedi like reflexes to do that(Anakin being the only human to ever drive a pod racer).

 

[Delusional Dreamer]

The sonic era ended with the unfinished 3d game for a console(forgot which one) just be4 the playstation era. The major difference between why Mario works and Sonic doesn't as a platformer is speed and how you show/controll that speed. The short answer you can't. At least not in 3D space. Sonic never properly works in 3D mostly because of how he should be moving in comparison on how you can accurately move him. To move Sonic at his top speed one would require Anakin/jedi like reflexes to do that(Anakin being the only human to ever drive a pod racer).

He should try spinning, that's a good trick.
Wait...

 

[Leatherface]

I like my Sonic the same way I like my Tony Hawk: washed up and forgotten.

 

[Rocketknightgeek]

I've been meaning to get Sonic Lost World. You guys what's your opinion of it?

Lost world is actually a really cool game once you get it through your head that the run button is something you absolutely must get used to the game being designed around. It's up there with colors as a game that sadly never got developed past the first one and thus lacks refinement.

Get the WiiU version if possible, as the free levels based on NiGHTS, Woolly World and Zelda are really cool additions and unlike Unleashed and Generations it runs at 60fps.

Also, unleashed would have been fine if Sonic Team had been able rein in their retard instincts long enough to realize that putting randomized quicktime prompts on EVERYTHING might be really annoying and ruin the game.

 

[Lurk]

 

[super hurricane]

Always interesting to have someone so powerful that he can destroy spikes in one strike...as well as one who can hop on water unaffected by gravity.

Also, I do hope they'll put Tangle into a game. A lemur with a super stretchy tail hasn't been done since...Marsupilami, I guess.

 

[Lurk]

Always interesting to have someone so powerful that he can destroy spikes in one strike...as well as one who can hop on water unaffected by gravity.

Also, I do hope they'll put Tangle into a game. A lemur with a super stretchy tail hasn't been done since...Marsupilami, I guess.

Not completely sure that's regular water that he bounced off of.

 

[Lurk]

I've seen a few compare Ray's glide to Mario's cape form from Super Mario World.

 

[SmokeRulz]

Knuckles and Mighty bros 4 life