Wii are very frustrated. (SatSR) [Minor Spoilers Ahead?]

Yami CJMErl · Post by **Yami CJMErl** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:44 pm

Cool, destroying false hope is always enjoyable.

Hybrid · Post by **Hybrid** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:49 pm

I finally got around to getting this. First impressions as follows:

You guys weren't kidding. The game starts out really slowly. I've only just opened up Levitated Ruin (I haven't actually played any of it yet), so my time with Speed/Time Break are limited, but so far the game has been fairly underwhelming. Its definitely moving in the right direction, and I'll trust you all that it gets better as I get more skills, but I have a feeling some things will irk me for a long time. Mainly walking backwards, which seems grossly non-responsive to me. How are you meant to do it? Are you meant to twist the remote towards yourself, are you just meant to pull it toward your body, or do you have to actually lean backwards (which is the only reliable way I've found so far to activate it)?

The game really doesn't do itself any favors in the opening two hours or so. Who's smart idea was it to throw in that stupid Pterodactyl Egg mission in there so early? I think that mission has made me far less impressed with the game than I would have been otherwise, since the stage houses many good examples of the "constant forward motion" idea failing. Same goes for those damn cactus that can kill you right at the end of the "Don't Die!" challenge. The tall one at the u-turn seems absolutely impossible to get around quickly, let alone without being hit.

In fact, Dino Jungle is just a stupid level all around.

Speed Break and Time Break seem fun, but I haven't really spent enough time with them to comment. The boss of Sand Oasis is definitely awesome though, and made me a lot more optimistic that the game is going to get better the further on I get. I also felt pretty cool because I beat Uhu in Sand Oasis fairly easily after hearing all this stuff about him being impossible to beat, although I'm guessing that's the one place he is actually easy.

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll wait until Sonic stops being ridiculously underpowered before I pass final judgement.

WW · Post by WW » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:00 pm

Same goes for those damn cactus that can kill you right at the end of the "Don't Die!" challenge. The tall one at the u-turn seems absolutely impossible to get around quickly, let alone without being hit.

Either high jump over them, or speed break through them. Simple.

Post by **Delphine** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:12 pm

Hybrid wrote:How are you meant to do it? Are you meant to twist the remote towards yourself, are you just meant to pull it toward your body, or do you have to actually lean backwards (which is the only reliable way I've found so far to activate it)?

Who the FUCK knows. I get it to work maybe 1/3 of the time, and every time I do the EXACT SAME THING.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:11 pm

I love Dino Jungle for the art, but it is definately the worst planned out stage in the game.

gr4yJ4Y · Post by **gr4yJ4Y** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:07 pm

I actually really like Dino Jungle. Oh well.

To move backwards, you have to twist the remote towards you, so the botton-side of the controller is horizontal, facing you. The side without any bottons should be facing upward. You might have to twist it a little farther back than that.

The one thing that I've been having trouble with are the catapault-things in Dino Jungle. I usually have to try it three or more times before I shoot off.

Post by **Esrever** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:41 pm

Levitated Ruin is definitely my least favourite. It feels like an on-rails version of Shadow the Hedgehog's level design.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:42 pm

The stages in this game are the most creative I've seen in Sonic, or any platformer, in years. They really used the setting to their advantage, building on elaborate ideas rather than just making it all generic Arabian adventure stages. I mean, a jungle full of dinosaurs, a factory inside of a volcano, a stage on the back of giant flying manta ray/gargoyle things, and a stormy sea full of pirate ships? All very distinctive, yet they fit in with eachother. The instage music is pretty awesome too. Too bad the main theme sucks.

Anyways, I just unlocked Skeleton Dome. How high can you level up Sonic, anyways?

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:10 pm

I didn't care for Levitated Ruin much either (although the chase on the back of the gargoyle was rad, even if you weren't doing much), nor did I like Evil Foundry.

The most fun, I think, were Skeleton Dome and Night Palace, which is a shame since they're the last two!

I heard that if you get so many gold medals you unlock two other worlds? Is that true? Has anyone anywhere even accomplished it?

Radrappy · Post by **Radrappy** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:18 pm

I'm pretty sure that was 100% a rumor that has been proven quite false. Logically, if sonic team were already whoring out levels with challenges to expand replayability, there's no way in hell they would keep one, much less two, complete worlds secret.

FlashTHD · Post by **FlashTHD** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:22 pm

Zeta wrote:Anyways, I just unlocked Skeleton Dome. How high can you level up Sonic, anyways?

Caps at level 99. Dunno what the limit on skill points is though.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:39 pm

Radrappy wrote:I'm pretty sure that was 100% a rumor that has been proven quite false. Logically, if sonic team were already whoring out levels with challenges to expand replayability, there's no way in hell they would keep one, much less two, complete worlds secret.

Yeah, that's what I figured but the only thing making me think otherwise is that in the Special Book section, even after getting the full ending, there's still a slot open in the movies section that says it won't unlock until you get so many medals. So I thought "well maaaaybe..."

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:54 pm

My favorite stage is a cross between Pirate Storm and Levitated Ruin, for artistic purposes alone. The interpetation of the Roc as giant flying manta rays is so surreal and beautifully done.

Night Palace is great too, as is Sand Oasis.

I hate Skeleton Dome, though, since I got stuck behind one of the teleporters once and had to restart because the game wouldn't let me back up. That's the only glitch I've found in the game thus far.

Erazor's regular form is the hardest fucking boss ever, and super fucking cheap. The only way to even hope of beating him is to spam Time Break and load yourself up with Spirit Boosting skills.

Hybrid · Post by **Hybrid** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:13 pm

The game is slowly growing on me. Strangely, I've probably had the most fun with Levitated Ruin so far, but that is mainly down to Dino Jungle sucking and Evil Foundry refusing to show me any missions after the first one. One thing I have decided though is that the idea to always have Sonic going forwards is a bust and the game would've been much better without it. It blows because Sonic can't stop going forwards; If you brake to a stop, then start charging a jump, you'll slide forward slowly for some unexplained reason. Some of the jumps in the game are simply too precise for this idea to work well, even with the jump cancels and braking mechanisms.

It seems much of the difficulty in this game is going to come from Sonic wanting to move too much.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:28 pm

The sliding is the only trouble I've experinced with the setup. It really is too much trouble to have to specify to break, then hold down the jump button, to make precise jumps. The sliding mechanic really blows and needs to never been in another Sonic game ever.

FlashTHD · Post by **FlashTHD** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:17 pm

Hybrid wrote:One thing I have decided though is that the idea to always have Sonic going forwards is a bust and the game would've been much better without it. It blows because Sonic can't stop going forwards; If you brake to a stop, then start charging a jump, you'll slide forward slowly for some unexplained reason.

Huh? When I was playing Sand Oasis, I slammed on the brakes and stopped in front of a couple flamethrowers. While still holding 1, I charged up a jump with 2 and didn't go anywhere until I let go of 2. That's as far as I remember it.

Anyhow, this game wouldn't really exist as it is without Sonic constantly moving, so it boils down to the gameplay not being too bright an concept. I think some of the flaws I anticipated from day one never went away in all that time and here they are now.

Hybrid · Post by **Hybrid** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:43 pm

FlashTHD wrote:While still holding 1, I charged up a jump with 2 and didn't go anywhere until I let go of 2.

Well, I didn't realise you could use both buttons at once. Seems obvious now, but I'd thought it was more a transitional thing (as in stop with 1 and then release, then quickly press 2 to jump). Pirate Storm is making me more fluent at stopping on a dime, but it still definitely doesn't work as it should. Its too much effort. Brake and Jump should be on the same button; Hold 2 to brake and begin charging, tap 2 to do a light jump. Mapping it to two buttons is just confusing and needlessly complicated.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:05 am

Mapping too many actions to the same buttons that don't have any relation to eachother is a tradition of the series.

Shadow Hog · Post by **Shadow Hog** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:07 am

At least here, given how many buttons are easily accessible on the Wii controller at once, they have an excuse.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:19 am

Honestly, I didn't use the brake system very much after Pirate Storm because it takes too long to stop. An easier way, I thought, was just to slide with 2, do a short hop and then jump cancel - and you're dead in your tracks and charging for the next leap.

Post by **Esrever** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:48 am

That's pretty much what I do as well. Using the jump cancel is the easiest way to come to a dead stop in a pinpoint position, something which you do constantly in the later levels. Once you get into the swing of it, it has a really nice feel to it.

I just earned the second top speed upgrade. It makes things get pretty brain-melting in places, but it's a lot of fun. But there's absolutely no way they could have let Sonic run at this speed from the beginning of the game... controlling the faster Sonic would be incredibly hard if you hadn't already had a chance to get a handle on the controls and level layouts at a slower speed. I think I can see now why they make Sonic's top speed something you earn... to give the game a more gradual difficulty curve. It's somewhat akin to the 50cc, 100cc and 150cc situation in Mario Kart.

WW · Post by WW » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:29 am

The Super Speed Up upgrade? HAH! Wait til you get the Hyper Speed Up.

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:12 pm

Man he is right. It is face-meltingly fast.

I actually ended up liking Skeleton Dome the most. I thought it had a good mix slow and fast segments, if a few janky bits with gate switches. I really enjoyed the variation during the stage as well, and thought the music was top notch.

gr4yJ4Y · Post by **gr4yJ4Y** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:29 pm

Skeleton Dome was the level I liked the least (tutorial level not withstanding). There's the center area, where you go around and around until you finish the goal. Then there's the teleporation area where there's not really anything interesting going on other than a ton of enemies.

It seemed like the least inspired level to me. I pretty much love all the others though.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:35 pm

Yeah, Skeleton Dome's exterior was kinda cool though. Too bad it lasted all of five minutes. What was that stuff supposed to be if it wasn't snow, anyways? Zombie Djinn dandruff?

Oh, and brilliant idea for the sequel: Sonic and the Ruby Shoes.

The Wizard of Oz is in the public domain now, I believe. Sonic as Dorothy, trying to get home, with an adorable talking dog as the sidekick. Then Amy Rose as the Tin Woodsman, Knuckles as the Scarecrow, and Tails as the Cowardly Lion, and Dr. Eggman as the Wizard himself. Battling legions of evil Gnomes and Flying Monkeys. And racing through the Emerald City and the Poppy Fields and the Witche's Castle. How could that not be full of win?