"Sonic Chronicles" trademarked by Sega

[Ngangbius]

So I am told that this game has already been leaked on the internet.

[Shadow Hog]

It has. I've already downloaded it. Haven't bothered to try it out, though, because Team Fortress 2 and Mega Man 9 are inevitably better.

Well, that and I'm A) not sure how well no$gba will run it, and B) I lack an R4 (which has problems with the game, apparently), so.

[Protodude]

It's a leak of the European version. I tried running it on my M3 DS Real but I just get a blank white screen.

[Ritz]

It runs swell in No$GBA v2.6. I played it up to the third chapter, and I'm really, really enjoying it so far.

At least, I was, but I'm going to have to put it off for a whole week, as I had the astounding misfortune of hosting a Blue Spheres tournament over at Sonic Retro and scheduling it to begin the very day after Chronicles' release.

And it's going to last for a whole week.

[Dasher]

So...is it worth buying Ritz?

[DackAttac]

I'd say two "really"'s preceding a positive inflection of enjoyment usually merits purchase, but that's just me.

[FlashTHD]

Edit: nvm. The delete button doesn't show up in here...

[Ngangbius]

Ritz, were you part of the people here who were originally skeptical of this title being good only for it to exceed your expectations when you finally played it?

[DBurraki]

They're officially echidnas from what I've seen in game so far. It seems that one in the screenshot's eyes glow because of magic or something.

Either way, I'm really enjoying this game- it's better then I expected it to be by far.

[Ritz]

Ritz, were you part of the people here who were originally skeptical of this title being good only for it to exceed your expectations when you finally played it?

Actually, I'm one of the few in either of the communities I frequent to have never batted an eyelash at the game. All I was expecting were some pretty visuals and respectable dialogue, and that's exactly what I'm getting here. The story took far too long to really come into it's own, but as of Chapter 5, things are starting to get interesting. I'm not entirely without complaints, but I can say with utmost confidence that this is certainly worth a buy.

Or mabye I'm just enjoying it because it's been years since I last played a decent RPG, and I've been desperately wanting to fill that void? Naaah.

[Ngangbius]

^Dude, you mean to tell me you haven't bought Etrian Odyessy and it's sequel, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, or any of the other countless RPGs for the DS?

[Segaholic2]

^Dude, you mean to tell me you haven't bought Etrian Odyessy and it's sequel, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, or any of the other countless RPGs for the DS?

I sure didn't.

[Hybrid]

It may just be because I'm not grinding enough, but I'm only like, 45 minutes in (Rouge has just been added to my party) and I'm getting destroyed by everything. Tails, Amy and Rouge miss every fucking time they attack, enemies are doing like 50 HP per hit (Sonic only has about 90 HP) and I find myself running back to the safe-house to restore my health after every second battle. I found two swatbots in the city and I think Tails, Amy and Rouge all died after four rounds of missing their attacks, Sonic dying soon after. Do I just suck, or is there something I'm missing? It doesn't seem right that after such a short time in the game, my party is already crap compared to the enemies I'm fighting?

Also, the pace of the game is way too slow. The transitions for opening and closing the menu are almost painful, movement is way too clunky (although apparently I'll get faster as I level up), and although the game tells me to save every five seconds, saving takes way too long; You've got to pick a slot, wait two seconds while it saves, them for some reason it "exits" to the chapter title, so I've got to tap the touch screen, and then it takes me back to the gameplay. It takes too long.

Basically, not looking promising. If anyone else can let me know if I should've been training more, that'd be great.

[Adamis]

Well, this is a RPG so yes, train more. I didn't die as much as you because I fought a lot. The plot will get faster and better later ;)

And I don't find the way to save the game that slow. I have known slower savings in games.

[Hybrid]

I figured "fight more" would be the solution, but when I fought every enemy presented to me up until that point and was still getting my ass handed to me, I thought that surely the game shouldn't have expected me to start grinding within the first 45 minutes?

Its not the saving that takes so long really, its the "menu screen transition - select save - select save slot - save - return to chapter title screen - tap screen - return to game" that just drags on.

[Ngangbius]

Hybrid, I've been told that the "Luck" stat is one of the most important stats of the game as it seems to affect the rate your attacks hit your enemy. The higher your luck, the less change you will miss. Also, in many impressions I've read it seems that regular attacks are near worthless and it is better to use POW moves instead--especially late in the game.

^Dude, you mean to tell me you haven't bought Etrian Odyessy and it's sequel, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, or any of the other countless RPGs for the DS?

I sure didn't.

Well of course, you wouldn't. I didn't really expect it you still play RPGs--at least on consoles. *shrugs*

Also, Ritz missed tons that were released on the other systems, incuding PC too so it sounds like he was more desperate for a good Sonic game than anything else.

[DBurraki]

I'm actually really enjoying the game so far. Some of the dialouges have actually managed to make me laugh.

As for getting your ass handed to you... go back to Green Hill and focus on killing armadillos and wasps. That, and some enemies require stragedy- like the SWATbots. They'll keep coming back up no matter how many times you kill them unless you kill their partners first. I have no idea how helpful I just was, but I only hope helpful enough.

[Ritz]

Also, in many impressions I've read it seems that regular attacks are near worthless and it is better to use POW moves instead--especially late in the game.

The problem there- which is, coincedentally, my biggest problem with the game- is that PP is always in criminally short supply. I'm at chapter 5, and all of my characters are at or around level 6 (Not as small as one might think), and everyone's got a max of about 9 PP. Since most all POW moves require 5 PP or more, I wind up having to binge on POW Candy after every battle. Which seriously irritates me in a subconscious sort of way, since I've been conditioned through years of RPG experience into thinking that all items (Sans potions) must be used as sparingly as possible. POW regenerating items are a dime a dozen, though, so it all works out in the end

^Dude, you mean to tell me you haven't bought Etrian Odyessy and it's sequel, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, or any of the other countless RPGs for the DS?

I don't own a DS. :(

Also, Ritz missed tons that were released on the other systems, incuding PC too so it sounds like he was more desperate for a good Sonic game than anything else.

I missed a lot of games! In fact, I've only bought two actual console games during these past four years (MGS3, Odin Sphere), and even then, it's not that I was actively seeking a decent RPG experience, so much as I was craving one on a subconscious level and didn't realize how much I needed one until I got into Chronicles.



Also, get this: There's this guy in an outhouse in Blue Ridge, right? When you speak to him, he tells you that he's "Going to be in there for a while", and subsequently sends you on a quest to fetch him a newspaper.

<Ritz> When you give it to him
<Ritz> "Wicked! I have this thing someone left in here. Pretty cool. Mabye it's something you could use!"
<Omen> what is it
<Ritz> Prune juice
<Omen> do you kid
<Ritz> No
<Ritz> It's a common item in this game
<Omen> common item, what !!
<Ritz> It rejuvenates body and soul and embues the consumer with 10+ attack points
<Omen> it makes you shit, though
<Omen> so are they powered by shit energy

This is a major plot element.

[Ngangbius]

The problem there- which is, coincedentally, my biggest problem with the game- is that PP is always in criminally short supply. I'm at chapter 5, and all of my characters are at or around level 6 (Not as small as one might think), and everyone's got a max of about 9 PP. Since most all POW moves require 5 PP or more, I wind up having to binge on POW Candy after every battle. Which seriously irritates me in a subconscious sort of way, since I've been conditioned through years of RPG experience into thinking that all items (Sans potions) must be used as sparingly as possible. POW regenerating items are a dime a dozen, though, so it all works out in the end

I've heard that you can recover PP through defending, confirm or deny? Though if it is true, then I guess it would drag out the battles a bit much if normal attacks are useless. Sounds like the game has too many balancing issues--especially if it is touted as a "beginner's RPG" for children.

Also, get this: There's this guy in an outhouse in Blue Ridge, right? When you speak to him, he tells you that he's "Going to be in there for a while", and subsequently sends you on a quest to fetch him a newspaper.

That's actually very similar to a fetch quest in Super Paper Mario that allows to to get a pxl helper to continue with the game, minus the prune juice.

[Ritz]

I've heard that you can recover PP through defending, confirm or deny?

Oh

I forgot all about that

Also, bottomless pit references? In my Chronicles?:

"Such adventure! I begin to see why you and Sonic do all this running and jumping and falling off things!"

Game of the year right here.

[Yami CJMErl]

I think I just saw a pig go by my bedroom window.

My bedroom is on the second floor of my house.

I'm scared...

[Hybrid]

I'm at chapter 5, and all of my characters are at or around level 6 (Not as small as one might think), and everyone's got a max of about 9 PP.

Wait, what? Okay, now I know I'm doing something wrong.

I've just encountered Big at the Mystic Ruins in Chapter 2 and my team is Sonic/Big/Tails(all Level 5)/Rouge(Level 4), and I'm getting beaten badly. By everything. I entered the place with the Marauders that you get to after activating the fans, and in the first room are two battles with 2 Marauders/2 Sentry Drone Mk. IIs, and I'm just not winning. 50% of my attacks are missing, the ones that do hit aren't doing much worthwhile damage unless they're POW moves (of which PP is dreadfully short, as you said), and the Sentry Drones tend to OHKO Tails and Rouge unless I perfectly block all their attacks.

Also, is the only way to change who's in my party to go back to Tails' workshop? If so, that's retarded.

[Hybrid]

gah, no edit button.

So I'm in Chapter 3, and I've just come across my first Scorpion battle in the Green Hill Zone.

I can't win. My party is all at Level 5 and I can't win. If your party is only at Level 6 in Chapter 5, Ritz, then I know I'm not underlevelled. What am I missing? Is there some fundamental rule of combat that isn't immediately apparent? I know how to use special moves/avoid enemy special moves, so it isn't that. Should I be using POW Candy every turn in battle? I might try that, but I've only got like 10 pieces so it won't last long.

This isn't the "one more go" kind of difficulty. This is the "Enemy Scorpions are 2HKO'ing me and there's not a damn thing I can do about it" kind of difficulty. Which is why I hope I'm missing something obvious, otherwise Ngangbius' above comment about the game having "balance issues" is pretty much the understatement of the year.

[DBurraki]

Welp, I've beaten the game. My biggest complaint is it's short, but apparently they're going to make several episodes, so...

Hybrid, this is going to sound obvious, but have you upgraded your equipment any?

[Ngangbius]

^How long did it take you to beat it, and is there a New Game+ Burraki?