The GHZ Forum

When playing Sonic Heroes, I always face the same frustrating problem when battling the enemies – I don’t know their names and so can’t create a witty insult before attacking them thus preventing me from progressing.
Good thing I bought the official Sonic Team strategy guide! ^_^

Yes, I have finally managed to free up enough webspace to host the scans. Originally I was going to scan the entire book, but as it is over 300 pages, that won’t be very practical. (Scanning even just a few pages is difficult, due to its weight). So instead I scanned all the good stuff:

Enemy Names:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... dies_1.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... dies_2.jpg

Moves list:
Team Blast
Intro/Speed
Power/Flight

Character profiles (It would be good if a Japanese reader could have a quick skim read of these just to see if SOA made any changes. I notice, for example, that the characters have no ages given, yet they do in the US manual. Are there any references to elements of past Sonic games such as the Chaos Rings/Master Emerald/Super Emeralds etc? Is Knuckles’ absence from Angel Island explained?):
Team Sonic
Team Rose
Team Dark
Team Chaotix

Special Stages (Again, it would be good if a Japanese reader could have a quick skim read of these just to see if there is any story information about the Chaos Emeralds or references to elements of past Sonic games):
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ial_01.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ial_02.jpg

Metal Sonic (Again, it would be good if a Japanese reader could have a quick skim read of these just to see if there is any story information about Metal Sonic/Super characters):
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... etal_1.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... etal_2.jpg

Strange stuff (I don’t know what these pages are about, but they look interesting):
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... nown_2.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... nown_1.jpg

Spare stuff (Two pages fit at a time on the scanner bed. Here’s some stuff that was scanned in even though it isn’t important).
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ntents.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ntents.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ntents.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... ntents.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... _items.jpg

And, as a bonus, here are a few highlights from Super Hard Mode (for people who haven’t unlocked it):

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E

Hard mode has a little bit more scope for exploration. Bullet Station provides a good example:

This switch is easy to miss as the player drops through the tunnel. However, if it is pulled, it will open an entrance to a secret room a few steps back….


…where two 1ups can be found. Most of the levels have an element like this and while it isn’t on par with the exploration found in Sonic 3 (or even the original Mega Drive Sonic title), it’s a pleasing feature.

The lightspeed dash is also more heavily used. A lot of the time, it is essential for crossing huge chasms. However, by smashing up boxes…

…a switch can often be found that will allow for a path of rings that provide a short cut or a handy way of escaping enemies:


As there are no special stages, the key cages often house power ups. Knuckles will frequently say “What’s it doing thereâ€￾, which is a nice touch.


In Hang Castle, the pumpkin ghosts are huge:

Their smaller brethren occasionally replace the torches that light the invisible paths:


The spider web returns, and, as mentioned earlier, features a new line of dialogue:


In order to cross the spider web, three switches need to be simultaneously pressed. While Knuckles is waiting at a switch he says “I guess ghosts like meâ€￾. Although, this isn’t a unique feature of Super Hard Mode, I found it amusing and thought I’d mention it (as most people don’t bother standing still to listen to the stage-specific lines of dialogue - Maybe the GHZ Museum pages should list them).

I don't remember this Metal statue in the main mode (not to say he wasn't there).


Beat the game and this ‘Thank You’ screen is your reward:


Stay tuned for more scans and details on how to purchase your own guide…
^_^

Neato, any pictures of the actual Metal Sonic? The second Metal Madness image doesn't work.

And send me that video!11 :P

The Metal Sonic statue was always there in regular mode as well.

Took an embarrasingly long amount of time before I noticed what it really was. Kept misaking the hole that represent Metal's jet engine chest for a mouth and his shoulder pads for a mustache. So I thought it was some kind of freaky Eggman grimace.


I love that image of Team Sonic posing on that Unknown2 page. Haven't seen that one before. Tails is so cute, trying to look tough.

Rlan wrote:Neato, any pictures of the actual Metal Sonic?

Nope.

Rlan wrote:The second Metal Madness image doesn't work.

Fixed.

Thanks for the scans, they're fun to look at. If only I could read japanese..
~Neo

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/big_smile/ ... nown_2.jpg

Tails looks awfully pissed in that picture. Did someone forget their drug money?

Owen Axel wrote:Took an embarrasingly long amount of time before I noticed what it really was. Kept misaking the hole that represent Metal's jet engine chest for a mouth and his shoulder pads for a mustache. So I thought it was some kind of freaky Eggman grimace.

Actually, what was neat about the Metal Sonic statue was that it DID look like Eggman's face, but you could only tell that it was actually Metal Sonic for about a couple of seconds as you zoomed past it.

It's such a tragedy that so many inspired little moments like that were wasted on this game.

So there are no listings for character moves? That's the main chunk of missing information I was after...

Aren't they in the instruction manual that <i>comes</i> with the game? Just about all of them are called the same thing for each team and even describe how they vary for each character.

Yeah, in English. It's nice to know the original, Japanese names, see if they're any different.

Most of them are the same, but there are some not mentioned in either manual. Big's belly flop, for example, which is my favorite new move in the game.

Green Gibbon! wrote:So there are no listings for character moves? That's the main chunk of missing information I was after...

Sadly, the only moves information is on the speed/flight/power pages. Although, I noticed that on the pages there is a picture of each character performing their moves with a caption underneath it. Maybe the name is given in the caption. (*Crosses fingers*) ^_^

So do you guys actually have contacts who can read Japanese to do the translating for you, or do you just ask around until one happens to turn up?

Green Gibbon! wrote:Most of them are the same, but there are some not mentioned in either manual. Big's belly flop, for example, which is my favorite new move in the game.

I can't get to the Gamecube at the moment to check, but I thought Amy and Cream mention the name of the move in-game. I'll check when I can get a open moment.

EDIT: I was right. Okay Green Gibbon, for your information, Big's belly flop is called "Body Press." If you want confirmation, just go to Casino Park with Team Rose, and go to any of those glass floors you have to smash to continue on. Each of them have those "?" info things. Touch it and they mention the name when they tell Big to smash the glass.

Owen Axel wrote:So do you guys actually have contacts who can read Japanese to do the translating for you, or do you just ask around until one happens to turn up?

G.Silver knows Japanese.

But, uh, he's currently in Japan.

Really?

Oh, is that why he disappeared? I figured he was dead, which would be a small loss for the world.

Yeah, he actually is. Some kind of stealth mission.

I was right. Okay Green Gibbon, for your information, Big's belly flop is called "Body Press." If you want confirmation, just go to Casino Park with Team Rose, and go to any of those glass floors you have to smash to continue on. Each of them have those "?" info things. Touch it and they mention the name when they tell Big to smash the glass.

Yeah, I figured most of them would be mentioned in the game through those hint things, but I was hoping to avoid having to do that.

I went out of my way to avoid touching them just playing the game.

Yeah, I fucking hate those. I don't think they're necessary at all, but since they seem so intent on including them since Sonic Adventure, they could at least give you the option to turn them off.

Like Chris in Burning Rangers. I wanted to slap that woman with my dick. Not even in a sexual sense, I just wanted to, y'know... slap her. With my dick.

Really? I didn't mind Chris. I thought she added to the whole atmosphere, whereas the ?'s and Tikal spirits are just annoying.
Chris was a little condescending, though... "When I say right, it's to your right. When I say left, it's to your left. Got it?"

I like it when Chris is condescending...