Shorts - Sonic X-treme · Famitsu survey · Web updates

[big_smile]

X-treme discoveries
New X-treme article & video

Even though it was never released, Sonic X-treme has become one of the most over-exposed Sonic games, to the point that the aura of mystery it once had has all but disappeared. Despite this, the game remains relatively unknown outside of the online Sonic community. The latest issue of popular UK publication Retro Gamer Magazine gives the title a slight nudge in the mainstream by reflecting on the most interesting parts of its troubled development process. Its chronological account will not only appeal to newcomers, but also to Sonic fans, as it provides a logical order to myriad of concept pieces that have been released in recent months.

The article also manages to garner some new information about the game by interviewing the winner of the recent X-treme auction, which saw a one-level demo of the game being sold for $2500.

Scans of the article have been made by HXC and are hosted on his website.

Rather fittingly, a video of the demo discussed in the article has finally been released some five months after the auction ended. It is available at Assembler.org, which, incidentally, is where the auction originally occurred.

Sonic 49
Hedgehog’s debut appears in Famitsu poll

Famitsu recently invited its readers to select the 100 greatest videogames. Given the readership the publication attracts, the survey offers an insight into the tastes of Japanese gamers.

Predictably RPGs were some of the most popular games, with the Final Fantasy series featuring heavily in the list. The original Mega Drive version of Sonic the Hedgehog came in at number 49, which isn’t surprising, as Sonic has never been extremely popular in his native territory. No other Sonic Team games were in the list, although adopted franchise Puyo Puyo appeared at number 64 in the form of its 1992 release.

The full list can be found at Kikizo.

Sonic web updates

The Sonic Channel site has been updated with new artwork and a profile for the Chao.

A behind-the-scenes look at the production of the Sonic Riders anime intro has been added to the official game site.

[Professor Machenstein]

I don't see why only the first Sonic game is on these top 100 lists. They can be assed to include a whole bunch of variations of Final Fantasy, Mario Kart, and even some obscure CD-i games (That was an exaggeration), but they could not bother to include Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, or even Sonic CD for that matter, which is basically the first Sonic on steroids. I probably shouldn't care. That list doesn't include Gunstar Heroes anyway.

[j-man]

Because the Japanese are fucking pussies.

I liked that behind-the-scenes stuff on Sonic Riders. I was all "Wow, storyboards, now I can see the intro as a series of shittily-drawn thumbnails" and then I saw that Production IG was behind this. I won't lie to you, I haven't seen the intro yet, but from the stills it all becomes too obvious; the style really smacks of Dead Leaves, which can never be a bad thing.

[Ngangbius]

Any top 100 video game list that names FFX as the best game of all time is already invalid. Not even the inclusion of Valkyrie Profile or Mother 2 can save it. XD

[Light Speed]

That is a terrible list. The japanese have weird tastes in games, funny how some of the best games come out of there. Not to mention the whole heart of the industry.

[Kishi]

Americans have weird taste in games, too.

[Light Speed]

Shut up, we are superior to every country on earth in every way imaginable... and then some.

[Ngangbius]

If EGM had a readers top 100 list, I'm sure something like GTA III or Madden would be number 1. =P

Anyway this list doesn't neccesarily reflects the taste of most Japanese gamers. If it did, then Animal Crossing or a Brain Training entry would be number 1.

[Esrever]

Sometimes I feel like the original Sonic WAS the best. It had a sort of purity of concept that none of the other titles ever achieved. :)

The Japanese's choices for best games ever are a little baffling, but they're probably way less depressing than what North Americans would choose.

[WhoopA]

Gibs probably said it best when he said "some gunmetal gray shooting game." Becuase that's all they are, the entire crop of them. Would it hurt developers to use a palette of more than grays and browns?

[One Classy Bloke]

Famitsu lost it's credibility when they gave Nintendogs a perfect score.

[Kishi]

I think that was motivated at least in part by the fact that Japan is so ridiculously overcrowded that owning an actual dog is pretty much out of the question unless you're rich or live out in some rural area. From that perspective, a portable, sophisticated dog-owner simulator would naturally be looked upon as a godsend.

[smiths32]

That list sucks: two versions of Street Fighter 2, Resident Evil 4 and Dragon Quest V on the same list; Final Fantasy III on the top ten; no Soul Calibur, Ape Escape, NIGHTS, or Mega Man 2 (he was completely ingnored suprisingly); and, the obvious facts of FFX being number 1, the top 25 being RPG dominated, no love for the other Sonics, the list goes on (pardon the pun).

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

I wasn't expecting Tokimeki Memorial to be up there so high at Number 25.

[Baba O'Reily]

The gaming community loves RPGs.

[big_smile]

If EGM had a readers top 100 list, I'm sure something like GTA III or Madden would be number 1. =P

Anyway this list doesn't neccesarily reflects the taste of most Japanese gamers. If it did, then Animal Crossing or a Brain Training entry would be number 1.

According to Edge, Brain Training was extremely popular with older people, business executives and various other consumer markets that cannot be classed as typical ‘gamers’ as they do not normally play games.

^_^

[Ngangbius]

I'm sure many people in that segment play games--only in the form of Tetris, Bejewled, or any thing of that ilk on the Internet or their cell phones. They are just not "gamers" in the traditional/stereotypical sense.

Famitsu lost it's credibility when they gave Nintendogs a perfect score.

They never really that much credibility to begin with according to people who regularly recieves the magazine. The reviews are usually compared to Gamepro's :x The only reason why so many people put the magazine on a high pedestal is because they are usually one the publications that get info and screenshots of Japanese-born games first.

[Zeta]

Famitsu lost it's credibility when they gave Nintendogs a perfect score.

Hush, or my doggies will virtually bite you.

[chriscaffee]

Gibs probably said it best when he said "some gunmetal gray shooting game." Becuase that's all they are, the entire crop of them. Would it hurt developers to use a palette of more than grays and browns?

If you seriously think this you probably don't have much experience with shooters. I know a few that are just as colorful as the most psychedelic platformers. But barring those examples, there is a reason why the military is switching to a new BDU of only gray and brown. Of course if the (attempted) realisitic palette common in some shooters isn't appealing there is always Halo 2, Farcry and, to an extent, Doom 3 (the problem with this one is not brown nor gray, but black).

As for the list itself. It's pretty lame. I see loads of RPGs and none of them are related to TSR's genius AD&D 2nd Edition rules or the slightly inferior derivative that is Wizards D20 System. Grand Theft Auto and no Halo/2? I'm leaving feedback for Weaksauce.

[Light Speed]

I don't really want to comment on the color palette of FPSs, but you have to admit there are way to many freaking shooters nowadays. Every single game that comes out is a shooter and none are really that different, there is either the Rainbow Six 3 tactical kind, or the rambo Halo kind. I love shooters as much as the next guy, but They really aren't doing much to distinguish themselves and I'm getting kind of sick of the genre. Despite me still eyeballing Prey and Gears of War.

[Ritz]

Back to the X-Treme discussion.

Just so's I don't get chewed out for linking to something without putting some meat in my post; basically, another X-Treme demo surfaced, with allegedly three times as much content as the last. Naturally, serious internets drama goes down in a matter of hours, and- Fuck you all, I wasted my entire day catching up. Share my pain.

[chriscaffee]

I don't really want to comment on the color palette of FPSs, but you have to admit there are way to many freaking shooters nowadays. Every single game that comes out is a shooter and none are really that different, there is either the Rainbow Six 3 tactical kind, or the rambo Halo kind. I love shooters as much as the next guy, but They really aren't doing much to distinguish themselves and I'm getting kind of sick of the genre. Despite me still eyeballing Prey and Gears of War.

First I don't know if there are too many shooters or not. I know that shooters populate more of my Xbox collection than any other genre, but that is by my preference not based on whats available on the market.

Out of the shooters I have, I can honestly say not one feels, looks or plays like any other. Even Halo: CE and Halo 2 which have similar weapons, vehicles and play mechanics are very much different beasts. The entire genre is not just tactical games or twitch fests. I look at Brute Force, FarCry: Instincts, Doom 3, Halo: CE, Halo 2, BattleCry, XIII, MechAssault, MechAssault 2, and to an extent Pandora's mercenary multiplayer character and I see very, very different experiences. I don't feel when I am playing any one of those games that I am just playing "the same thing" as another one.

[Light Speed]

I have several FPS's for Xbox and GCN, and I love the genre. However, I do feel several of them either fall into the twitchfest or tactical category and don't do a whole lot to differentiate themselves, maybe you see something I don't. I still think the FPS genre is an overpopulated market though.

Of the games you mentioned that I've played, I'd say Halo 2, Doom 3, and maybe XIII (I didn't play the multiplayer much) come pretty close to each other, except Halo 2 just does it better than the other two, which is why it is played more. Mech Assault and MA2 are completely different types of games, the only similarity would be the control scheme. Tactical games like the Rainbow Six series and Ghost Recon seem to play similarly as well. Sure they are all subtly different, but not really enough for me to purchase all of them.

[Double-S-]

The console versions of Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon are not anything like the real versions. I'd say they're closer to Halo (without the jumping and recharging shield thing) than they are to the originals.

[Light Speed]

I haven't played much Ghost Recon at all, but I would not say Rainbow Six 3 is anything like Halo at all. I'd say it is more like Counterstrike.