Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity Confirmed.

[Dasher]

Meh, belive what you want! :P one word...3Dstudiomax scaling bwa ha ha!

[DackAttac]

The hands are definitely exaggeratedly larger in Riders. Like that "Maintaining" comic strip our paper just picked up. Good God. I can't even tell if the strip's funny or not (I have my doubts) because I can't get past those sledgehammers with fingers. Works slightly better with Riders, though, since it kind of goes with the streamlined sci-fi meets faux extreme feel they go for. (Mind you, just because it works better doesn't mean it's still any fun to look at.)

[Opa-Opa]

Thing is the game only looks good in motion. Which is a good thing, I guess. Better a racing game only looking good in motion than a racing game looking good only in screenshots. Actually, I guess that should apply to most genres.

[big_smile]

According to IT Media, the Japanese version of Zero Gravity is to be titled "Sonic Riders: Shooting Star Story" and is currently set for a January release.

Interestingly, the IT Media page only talks about the Wii version. This could suggest that the PS2 and Wii will have individual editions of the game. Or it could imply that the PS2 version won't be released in Japan. Or it might not signify anything.

Thanks to Hari Hari for the link

^_^

[Yami CJMErl]

Yeesh, what is it with Japan and shooting stars? First it's MegaMan, now Sonic?

[Isuka]

Aren't they, like, lucky charms?

[Zeta]

They're magically delicious.

[Opa-Opa]

Shooting stars is a major sport in Japan. That's why Tom Hanks never goes there.

[Shadow Hog]

Since this is where the "Simon Jeffery says Sonic's not cool past 12" discussion took place (back on page 2), regardless of how gigantically large a tangent that is, he decides to <a href="http://www.sonicstadium.org/articles/118/">elaborate even further</a>.

Notable details include the fact that Sega of America can't excise the 4Kids voice-actors, regardless of how much we moan at them...

TSS: Simon Jeffery, thank you for taking some time to speak with us. First, could we get an idea of your role in SEGA, and what kind of involvement you have in the games that are released, including in particular the Sonic series?

SJ: I run SEGA of America. We, like SEGA of Europe, are a subsidiary of SEGA of Japan. I have involvement with games that are built in the West, but not with games built in Japan. Therefore, sorry to say, I am unable to answer questions about Sonic Team – as they reside in Japan and do not come under my jurisdiction at all! Likewise, I know this will make you all mad; SEGA of America has no say in the voice casting. Absolutely none, so all of the online petitions and personal emails and letters that we get at SOA cannot be acted on, sorry to say.

...and more of him putting the latest <i>Sonic</i> games (because that's the hip thing to do, I'm sure).

TSS: You caught a bit of unexpected controversy over your implication that Sonic the Hedgehog becomes un-cool to kids once they hit 12 years old. But it can be argued that this is because the story, atmosphere and approach of recent Sonic games have made it unapproachable by adults. Would you agree with this statement?

SJ: Absolutely. The reason that Sonic is still around after 16 years, is that the character design was so endearing, had such longevity, that he has outlived all those other woodland critters like Bubsy the Bobcat and Awesome Possom! But there is more than that – Sonic has an attitude that can be related to by people of all ages, and can do things that no other videogame character can compete with. However, some of the Sonic games over the last few years have not lived up to expectation, and it is these games, not Sonic himself, which do not appeal to older gamers. Sonic is timeless!

Yeah... this isn't backpedaling at all, no.

[Zeta]

I'm surprised he still has a job. A spokesperson for NoA would probably be fired if he said something like "Mario is 4 littl3 babiez lols baby mario-loving faghomos!"

[Isuka]

But we can't blame him or the rest of Feka of America's goons for the current situation of the Sonic games, after all they were BUILT over at Japan.
That's a pity, I know that if he was in charge here, he could get things right because he noticed what's wrong in all this; recent Sonic games lacked on character design and attitude (like Bubsy's), not quality or half-competent programming and general design (both of which Bubsy had at his disposal, but weren't enough to take off a 16-year-old franchise for himself)!

[Dasher]

I guess I will always have to Import Sonic games from now on.

[Kogen]

Or just set it up "Japanese" in options. But really the voices aren't that bad, I thought everything in Sonic 06 was fine. They aren't important anyway considering everything else that's wrong.

I still blame Jeffery for allowing Sonic Genesis to exist. Even Sonic Team haven't taken their classic games and ruined them on purpose to cheat fans.

[Crazy Penguin]

Simon Jeffery is absolutely right, it's not the character of Sonic that is at fault but rather the presentation. To pull out an old cliche I really think that it's a case of "less is more". Sonic was just plain cooler and more relatable when presented without dialogue and various hanger-on characters. It's also worrying that the general art direction of the series as a whole hasn't had any spark or consistency since the excellent Sonic Adventure. I think Music Plant Zone and Toy Kingdom Zone killed whatever verisimilitude was left.

[Dasher]

Gee, first the gameplay should be honed to perfection, they should stick to SA1 and SA2s formula. STH2006 seemed like a noble attempt but it was failure. Second the story, Gee I wish I worked for them then everything would be so cool, I have so much plans I could Use for a Sonic game since it was the only games I played as a kid. You can say the Sonic spirit rubbed off on me and I understand completely what Oshima had in plan for Sonic. It is so simple, Sonic is one of those old 90's anime character. with awesome 80's pop, jazz and electronic type music and way of movement and actions. Also we need good character Voices, Im sorry 4kids fans but those voices are crap, no matter how much they improve, they remain crap. A good game needs good VAs. And lets see, they should refrain from keep using new characters and give Eggman a chance to create evil new schemes again. There is so much that can be done, its unfair that we are getting games like STH2006 which turn Sonic (a colorful Anime character) into a dark realistic piece of garbage with over used punk rock. But then there is the other extreme of turning Sonic into too colorful that it turns into cliche. The secret lies in combining the too. the best anime shows out there won because of this perfect merge of elements, quite simple really...you only need to know what the creator of the character wanted and learn all the elements needed to make the game and character succesful again. I understand what the creator wanted for Sonic...do you?

[FlashTHD]

Simon Jeffery is absolutely right, it's not the character of Sonic that is at fault but rather the presentation. To pull out an old cliche I really think that it's a case of "less is more". Sonic was just plain cooler and more relatable when presented without dialogue and various hanger-on characters.

Given the right voicework and script (preferably one from that guy who wrote Sonic Battle's - who was that?), dialouge can fit in fine. The number of playables could stand to be cut down, yes, but as the continuity is now, it's not so feasable to suddenly dissappear some of them - Shadow, Rouge, et al.; they've made themselves at home. Of course there's walk-on roles.

It's also worrying that the general art direction of the series as a whole hasn't had any spark or consistency since the excellent Sonic Adventure. I think Music Plant Zone and Toy Kingdom Zone killed whatever verisimilitude was left.

Sorta agreed, but I liked Music Plant :|

Deep down Jeffery is just another rep, so I hesitate to say much in response. I get that feeling that next time he's interviewed by someone with actual press cred, he'll forget/contradict at least half of what he's said here, like his vile underlings in PR are trained to do. In any case, saying that the Rush games have the "classic approach", and defending a dev team that - in the same paragraph - he about describes as having ADD, aren't the wisest ways to win my trust back.

Above all else: that Sonic Stadium now manages to get their foot far enough into the door to interview folks as high up as Simon and Ogawa gives me chills. Did Dread use his connections with Spong again?

[Ritz]

Sonic is one of those old 90's anime character. with awesome 80's pop, jazz and electronic type music and way of movement and actions. Also we need good character Voices, Im sorry 4kids fans but those voices are crap, no matter how much they improve, they remain crap.

You remind me of SegaSonic. You really, really remind me of SegaSonic.

[Ngangbius]

I think it is SegaSonic.

[Frieza2000]

I think everyone assumed that about a week after he changed names. And in case anyone missed the other swap, Arcade is Nova.

[Isuka]

And before Isuka, there were ChaosAngelZero, Der Neu Anfang and Zarathustra.
Yeah, I was a complete faggot too and it took me no less than four or five tries to finally (almost) "get the drift", so I sincerely ask you to please forgive me for every time I pissed you all off.

On SonicStadium, it's a little off-putting that a site that rates the original Sonic the Hedgehog with an 8 out of 10 and Sonic Adventure with a perfect 10/10 manages to get an interview with these people (in fact, their "reviews" don't review anything, only describe the games' story and characters and nothing else!).

[Dr. SEGA Monkey]

It is so simple, Sonic is one of those old 90's anime character. with awesome 80's pop, jazz and electronic type music and way of movement and actions.

Sonic looks nothing like an "anime" character. Infact....wasn't he designed to be reminiscent of an American style character? That was their whole point.

Also, I've mentioned this on another forum today, but I still think that "80's butt-rock" fits Sonic without a problem.

[Zeta]

It is so simple, Sonic is one of those old 90's anime character. with awesome 80's pop, jazz and electronic type music and way of movement and actions.

He's not an anime-character, you wapanese retard. He's based on Mickey Mouse.

[Isuka]

Ironically, post-Tezuka Japanese comic characters are based on Mickey Mouse too.

[Cuckooguy]

Sonic looks more like Felix the Cat.

Felix predates Mickey.

[Dr. SEGA Monkey]

Actually, he kinda looks more like a Looney Tunes character to me. I guess because he doesn't have that overly friendly look in his face compared to Disney characters. I'm speaking of the mid-late 40's of course, when the Looney Tunes gained their "final true design"



Hmmm...it seems I'm looking too much into this....