Sonic Generations

[Malchik]

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-20 ... ons/715384

Luckily, Dimps managed to kill this stage with boosts, un-curling , and automation up the yin-yang for their 3DS version.

I was scared Dimps track record may have been at risk.

[Zeta]

Yeah, see the thing is, since every act is going to have a Modern and Classic version, 50% of the game is going to be completely new and only using the setting as a theme. Did you really escape 2-D city Escape to play like a recreation of the SA2 stage with the screen flattened or something? Or GHZ Modern to play identically like GHZ classic but with the ability to pit death to your left and right? Because that's stupid.

[Neo]

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-20 ... ons/715384

Well I think we can all agree that this version looks like shit.

Here's hoping for a PC release of the HD version!

[Malchik]

What's gross is the 3DS version looks exactly like Sonic-fucking-4.

[Neo]

Yeah, see the thing is, since every act is going to have a Modern and Classic version, 50% of the game is going to be completely new and only using the setting as a theme. Did you really escape 2-D city Escape to play like a recreation of the SA2 stage with the screen flattened or something? Or GHZ Modern to play identically like GHZ classic but with the ability to pit death to your left and right? Because that's stupid.

Your face is stupid. Did I complain about Green Hill? That stage looks fine to me, save for the 2D grinding which is always stupid and fucking pointless, and the unfitting corkscrew. It's pretty and it looks fun to play. City Escape isn't really screaming fun to me, especially the 2D part, and on top of that doesn't remind me of the stage it's supposed to be based on!

I think it's really funny to see you desperately trying to force me to like something just because you like it too. It's like you're some sort of fanboys or something.

What's gross is the 3DS version looks exactly like Sonic-fucking-4.

At least Sonic 4's stages have decoration.

[Zeta]

Your face is stupid. Did I complain about Green Hill? That stage looks fine to me, save for the 2D grinding which is always stupid and fucking pointless, and the unfitting corkscrew. It's pretty and it looks fun to play. City Escape isn't really screaming fun to me, especially the 2D part, and on top of that doesn't remind me of the stage it's supposed to be based on!

Then say it doesn't look fun, not that it doesn't look like the original version, as your main complaint.

[Ritz]

Gamespot streamed all of City Escape about half an hour ago. Classic, modern.

[Radrappy]

Man I have mixed feelings about all that. The Modern segment was filled with some really really ugly/crappy design decisions. Sonic's handling doesn't seem to have gotten tighter since Unleashed as he is barreling all over the place uncontrollably. This is extremely jarring in 3d platforming segments that look impossible to do precisely without the homing attack. There were quite a lot of ugly bottomless pits that called to mind some of the worst segments from Unleashed (empire city). That and the design in general was a bit too close to the original City escape at times which had layout problems of its own. I'll take good design over nostalgia any day. The truck sequence looked extremely annoying as well. On a more positive note, the classic sonic looked great and the bottomless pit warning graphic is very cute.

[FlashTHD]

Neither is very impressive beyond the eye candy. The truck stalking Sonic in the classic stage was funny, but nothing else struck me as anything I would want to play or weren't already tired of in the last two games.

Did anyone else happen to catch that the truck in the modern stage seems to deliberately hold itself back when Sonic runs out of boost? There's this stuttering motion at about 2:38 like the game is stopping it from successfully running Sonic over. The buzzsaws and flying godmode rocket engines (!) were flashy, but if all you have to do to not be hit by the truck is hold the stick down and sidestep once or twice, there goes the tension of the whole bit.

[Radrappy]

Totally, Flash. They should have opted for a more top down view for the chase, so that the buzzsaws could be tracked and avoided with precision timing. It's pretty sloppy as is. Ughhh. As for the truck stopping, this happens in SA2 too. So this is what you get for copying a flawed source material so closely.

[FlashTHD]

I haven't played SA2 in a while, but I recall that the truck would not hesitate to ram your ass if you slowed down too much, and only after hitting you would it slow down. (I once got it to temporarily back itself up the hill with some spindash-jumping antics and hitting its' collision box where it wasn't painful.) The truck also accelerates when it needs to, and if you managed to pull out a lead on it, it would speed up dramatically to try to catch you; you can see that behavior in speedruns. It was certainly a lot more vengeful/intelligent than the scripted whale/avalanche in SA1 at least.

[Radrappy]

Oh, I thought you were referring to it slowing down when you get hit. Which is retarded by the way.

[Rob-Bert]

I love how Classic Sonic rolls down the grind rails. I also find it incredibly weird seeing him beating the GUN robots in one jump when we're all used to seeing Modern Sonic homing attack them.

And come on, you gotta admit the Skateboard monitor was a nice touch. That'll probably be the closest thing we get to a Game Gear reference in here.

[Malchik]

http://www.tssznews.com/2011/06/08/e3-n ... nerations/

Huh, so if that prick Webber is correct, don't expect any more classic Sonic titles in the near future after generations.

[Rob-Bert]

Wow. What a fucking load.

[Malchik]

I wouldn't take anything SoA says with too much weight. Hell, I don't even think SoJ even realizes SoA is still on the payroll.

[Alexrd]

I wouldn't take anything SoA says with too much weight. Hell, I don't even think SoJ even realizes SoA is still on the payroll.

Still, if they don't make more classic Sonic games (I don't care about the model, just the gameplay), then they won't have my money either. Maybe if this game is successful, they will change their minds.

[Radrappy]

So I just came back from Sonic Boom and am still a bit drunk. Stay tuned for my pictures an shit

[Radrappy]

ok here we go

Almost immediately when I get in line, this spiky haired guy demands to know whether I'm a "classic" or "modern" fan. He is quick to profess his love of crush 40, dark storylines, SA2, and modern Sonic.


people brought their kids. I like to pretend it was his choice to dress like this.


Hope this isn't permanent.



As we walked inside people took pictures of us on the carpet. god knows why.


Me, inside the event.


the bar


the stage


having a go at generations(noticeable wince)


Iizuka and the director of Generations


A girl dressed as Shadow. Yes those are contacts.


Charmy Bee


Obligatory



So to summarize, it was a lot of fun. I'm typically a pretty bitter guy but when they started playing "escape from the city" live and the guy next to me is going mad with excitement, it's hard to be a hater. I did get to play quite a bit of Generations, both modern and classic portions of the GHZ. I played each about 5 times so I can answer any goddamn questions you have and feel pretty confident about it. My overall impressions were very positive.

Classic Sonic. . .

-feels great. The physics are just about perfect in this man's opinion.

- is lovingly unforgiving in terms of shortcuts. If you fuck one up, you don't get to try it again, much like the classics.

-looks great.

All in all: classic sonic was great to play and was definitely the stronger of the two.


Modern Sonic. . .

-Feels pretty much identical to Unleashed. A little weightier which is good. He still maneuvers like shit at slow speeds during 3d segments. Those of you who hate "racecar" sonic are in for more of the same unfortunately.

-has much better level design than I expected. It is more open feeling than Unleashed and there are many alternate routes.

-has the best new move of this generation, the "spindash drift". This new move hasn't gotten a lot of coverage as most players thus far haven't even bothered to use it. What it is is with a tap of the trigger button on a turn, sonic will start to spindash and drift at the same time. It looks great, feels great, and is probably the most exciting new gameplay element. It feels extremely tight and responsive, which is more than I can say for drifting in Unleashed/Colors.

All in all: was fun to play but inherently worse than Classic gameplay for its reliance on boosting alone. Still hard to control Sonic at times and a little over complicated for its own good. Will probably scare critics away.

So yeah. That's pretty much the whole of it. Cheers.

[Brazillian Cara]

There's just something hilarious about a bald/shaved head security official with his back turned to a crowd wearing spiny blue wigs.

[Malchik]

The autism... it... BURNS!!!

[cjmcray]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Jo2kHm ... r_embedded

This is why they shouldn't have served alcohol at the event.

[Radrappy]

You know as I got to thinking this morning about the game, the event last night, and the future of the franchise, It occurred to me just how remarkably unstable the whole affair is. This game is really teetering precariously between greatness and absolute schlock. It's the key decisions as to which crowd to pander to which will ultimately make or break it in terms of how it's quality is perceived from a more objective(that is to say, NOT fans) point of view. For instance, having "escape from the city"(which is, lets face it, awful) blaring loudly during what would otherwise be an enjoyable experience for anyone, will ultimately be alienating for non sonic fans. I can only hope that in Sega's crusade to jerk off every sonic fan at the same time, they don't forget to make a good game that will in turn be able to attract new players to the franchise.

[Malchik]

After seeing a legion of grown adults wearing Sonic wigs, I now know for certain, Sega can produce absolute shit and fans will lap it up.

Sonic really did produce a generation of manchildren who'll buy anything to relive their autistic childhood.

[Alexrd]

After seeing a legion of grown adults wearing Sonic wigs, I now know for certain, Sega can produce absolute shit and fans will lap it up.

I always thought that those fans who bought any shitty Sonic game Sega has been making over the last decade were kids and teens. Neve thought there were "adults" of that kind like some on those pictures.

Sonic really did produce a generation of manchildren who'll buy anything to relive their autistic childhood.

What has been seen, cannot be unseen.