Sonic 2017

[Wombatwarlord777]

Just remember to give Sonichu blue arms.

[Jingles]

One of the Sonic Boom episodes stars a character that's a direct parody of CWC. He even has the badge.

[Malchik]

One of the Sonic Boom episodes stars a character that's a direct parody of CWC. He even has the badge.

That was the first and last episode I've ever watched of Sonic Boom and it was glorious. The animation and humor was shit, though.

[big_smile]

New Park Avenue soundtrack preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PV1MVNgOcc

It sort of reminds me of those bands in non-English speaking countries who try very hard to sound like authentic 'American' music, but don't really understand what they are imitating and all their knowledge of American music is based on a limited diet of TV imports. It's not bad, it's just... odd.

Also Park Avenue is such a bland name. I don't know how it is in other countries, but here in the UK most our streets end in Avenue or Park. They might have just as well called it 'Level Zone'.

[Jingles]

I think it's really telling that not a single screenshot in that video features either Sonic. If the Forces logo didn't appear at the beginning and end, I'd think this was a completely unrelated game. Even the mech designs look more like Robotic Operating Buddy than they do anything Eggman would make.

Maybe they didn't even want this to be a Sonic game in the first place? Maybe Sonic Team wanted to make a new IP with player-created animals, and the men upstairs told them to fit Sonic into it somehow OR ELSE.

[Wombatwarlord777]

Maybe they didn't even want this to be a Sonic game in the first place? Maybe Sonic Team wanted to make a new IP with player-created animals, and the men upstairs told them to fit Sonic into it somehow OR ELSE.

I think it's more along the lines of "Gee, we haven't made a Sonic game in years!" and "But every time we try something new, people get mad and shout at us!" and then "I know! We'll do the same old thing but pretend that custom characters are a gameplay innovation!"

[Dr. BUGMAN]

New Park Avenue soundtrack preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PV1MVNgOcc

It sort of reminds me of those bands in non-English speaking countries who try very hard to sound like authentic 'American' music, but don't really understand what they are imitating and all their knowledge of American music is based on a limited diet of TV imports. It's not bad, it's just... odd.

Also Park Avenue is such a bland name. I don't know how it is in other countries, but here in the UK most our streets end in Avenue or Park. They might have just as well called it 'Level Zone'.

I was expecting something like Let's Fighting Love, what I heard was just soporific.

[Malchik]

If Sonic was an American franchise I'd bet they'd have included a character creator years ago as the Sonic recoloring has become a genre in and of it's self.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

I wonder if OCs will ever emerge in other media, or if it's a disease limited to video games for whatever reason. It's certainly exploitable, even if it compromises authorial intent if not more.


...I'm sure Micheal Bay is working on it right now.

[big_smile]

I used to work for a company that did OCs for kids books. Parents could make an OC based on their kid and it would appear in the book.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I used to work for a company that did OCs for kids books. Parents could make an OC based on their kid and it would appear in the book.

Did any of those books involve global conquest, environmental devastation, and really godawful song lyrics?

[big_smile]

Nope.

Force reminds me of 06 in that it's trying hard to be epic but it doesn't know how. I guess that shouldn't be surprising because it's the same director.

Although as bad as 06 was it had some great character moments. But I guess those will be missing given this time round that Pontac and Graff are back.

[Frieza2000]

Force reminds me of 06 in that it's trying hard to be epic but it doesn't know how. I guess that shouldn't be surprising because it's the same director.

No, 06 was Shun Nakamura. Morio Kishimoto was Colors and Lost World.

[big_smile]

That's right. Shun is back as the Forces producer. Morio Kishimoto is still the director.

[big_smile]

New Forces video:
https://www.sonicstadium.org/2017/06/so ... ch-stream/

Basically, it's got an ugly UI. They've gone for a flat design look which is hideous. There's also some references to Chemical Plant, so it may be a returning stage.

[Jingles]

That footage has made me at least a bit more optimistic. The UI really, really sucks - it makes it look like you're watching the game in a video player window or something - but I smiled when the classic GHZ boss led into a 2D Egg Dragoon fight. I also think the Modern stage looks far better than the likes of Colours or Generations - there are plenty of circular, open spaces for you to muck about it. Making a new engine was the right way to go - it's been nearly a decade since Unleashed and I wouldn't want the developers to be handcuffed to an aging framework.

[Malchik]

>watches video optimistically
>Vector, Charmy and Silver start talking
>stopped caring.

Why do they they deem it necessary to cram these unneeded and unliked characters in?

[Malchik]

Also, I don't understand the classic and modern Sonic gameplay. Why have them? They don't make sense outside the anniversary game. Are they just trying to combined shit that previously worked in hopes to make a likeable game? Unless I get some context, this game seems like a hodgepodge of shit I've already seen a couple of years ago.

[G.Silver]

Wow, look at all those Death Egg robots.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I was cool with all the ancillary characters until I saw Charm's dire visage again. It looks awkward to have your buddies' animated, floating heads pop in and say a line or two as the apocalypse is obstensively raining down. Plain old radio chatter feels a lot more appropriate given the in-game situation.

I imagine Sega will probably release the models of all of Sonic's old pals as custom character DLC, which is the only reason we're seeing them in the game at this point.

[Jingles]

New trailer. Looks like there's more than one resistance. You won't believe who's back...

[Malchik]

Let's throw twenty-five years of stuff at the wall and see what sticks.

[big_smile]

The game sucks and is devoid of any imagination, but I won't lie: I felt a giddy thrill when I saw the team up.
I think this is going to end up like Sonic 4, where nostalgia is cheaply used to draw you in, but then results in bitter disappointment.

[big_smile]

Sega has posted artwork of the new villian here:
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/zLh ... %20Art.jpg

There's also this press release:

Today, SEGA® revealed Sonic Force’s exciting new key art along with the latest trailer. The trailer features an all-star cast of Sonic villains and introduces a brand-new powerful, mysterious enemy, Infinite. Infinite joins Eggman’s evil group of henchmen in Sonic Forces which includes Chaos, Metal Sonic, Shadow and Zavok who have already taken over the world and are ready to create next-level panic and disorder.
While more about Infinite will be revealed in the future, other villains making an appearance in today’s trailer include:
Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik: The original Mad Genius Doctor, and Sonic’s nemesis. After countless failed attempts, his plan to take over the world seems to finally be succeeding.
Chaos: An ancient power thought to have been quelled after the events of Sonic Adventure. His return is a mystery.
Shadow: Once called “The Ultimate Life Form,” Shadow fights for his own reasons. He appeared in Sonic Adventure 2.
Metal Sonic: One of the evil doctor’s most powerful creations, Metal Sonic first appeared in Sonic CD, and has returned at a few key moments since.
Zavok: The leader of a group known as The Zeti, Zavok is a powerful warrior who was first seen in Sonic Lost World.

[G.Silver]

They're really missing a chance here to make the new villain character be an evil, cooler-looking version of the player's created avatar. Imagine though! Sega makes an angsty "original character" based on your original character. How delicious.