All-new 2D Sonic rolling out in 2010

[Shadow Hog]

Funnily enough, in the other leaked video, the exact opposite was true - he gained speed incredibly slowly! Just like Sega to overcompensate.

It was a bit too fast, but given that all Dimps has developed since ~2003 are ultra-fast titles like Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Rush, it's not terribly surprising. Still, it looks okay. I'll probably play it. It isn't as good as the Genesis games, though, not by a long shot, and really shouldn't have been called Sonic 4.

And dear God is that screen zoomed in. Very hard to actually keep up with the gameplay considering.

[Locit]

I actually laughed when he barreled head first into that Motobug at the beginning. Sonic gains speed waaaaay to quickly for my liking.

I think that problem would be solved largely by not having Sonic positioned well to the right*** of center screen. As it is, I don't see how you could possibly avoid hitting that motobug on the first run, much less every other enemy in the game. It certainly seems like a basic, easily fixable design flaw that severely hampers the possibility of any enjoyable gameplay. Re: stage design, I'm with Esrever. Looks a lot like Sonic Advance. It's sort of interesting (read: disappointing) to see Dimps revert to that style after doing the two Rush games. Though as SH said, it's not really surprising.

***oh hey missed that first three seconds where the camera shifts to the left for unexplained reasons. Maybe the guy just sucks?

[Ngangbius]

Just what I always wanted another attempt at a sequel of Sonic Advance 2!

[Segaholic2]

Welp, that's it. Physics are shit, animation is shit, game looks like shit.

[Rob-Bert]

Other than Sonic picking up speed really quickly, I liked what I saw.

Anybody else weirded out by that new "falling" animation they added after Sonic runs up a ramp and flies through the air?

[G.Silver]

Anybody else weirded out by that new "falling" animation they added after Sonic runs up a ramp and flies through the air?

I want to like it, I mean, I like that they thought to include it, but it certainly looks unnatural.

It looks less like a case of Sonic gaining speed faster to me (though that doesn't strike me as a bad thing necessarily) but that running on a slope doesn't work against him as fast as I would think. His acceleration is fine, but the "power" end of the formula is too big a number?

I am sure that in previous 16-bit Sonics, Sonic ends up further away from the side of the screen he's running towards (ie, running right, so the screen compensates by putting his position more to the left) as you build up speed. Hard to think that they'd have missed that one, or at least not thought of it (even the Advance and Rush games do that, don't they?)

[Kogen]

Looks a lot like Sonic Advance. It's sort of interesting (read: disappointing) to see Dimps revert to that style after doing the two Rush games.

Rush looks like dog shite gumbo, though. Not saying Advance is the prettiest thing ever, but at least it never had cheap (ugly) '2.5D' graphics. I am glad to see they at least made Sonic a bit bigger instead of that tiny model he has had recently in 2D games (might actually be able to hit stuff now!).

Also I do not understand this game. Where is the boost button???

[Malchik]

Welp, that's it. Physics are shit, animation is shit, game looks like shit.

You forgot the music, it's shit. Now I just can't wait to see how the controls fail.

[FlashTHD]

Also I do not understand this game. Where is the boost button???

$10 DLC.

[Esrever]

I think Sonic only looks like he is off-center to the right because of the position of the dude's camera. I think a lot of the screen is getting chopped off the right side of the video feed.

Sonic was always perfectly centered on screen in the old games! They didn't start pulling the camera back until the GBA days, probably because of the smaller screen. Although really, it's such a sensible thing to do, I'm not sure why they didn't do it sooner. But if they did here too -- with a game that is running in widescreen -- you'd be seeing more of the path in front of you than ever before in a Sonic title! Wouldn't that be nice?

The falling animation does seem weird... but then, so does Sonic flailing his legs about like he's still running while he's in midair. I like the pose he struck when he ran off the side of things, though.

[P.P.A.]

I think Sonic only looks like he is off-center to the right because of the position of the dude's camera. I think a lot of the screen is getting chopped off the right side of the video feed.

Sonic was always perfectly centered on screen in the old games! They didn't start pulling the camera back until the GBA days, probably because of the smaller screen. Although really, it's such a sensible thing to do, I'm not sure why they didn't do it sooner. But if they did here too -- with a game that is running in widescreen -- you'd be seeing more of the path in front of you than ever before in a Sonic title! Wouldn't that be nice?

The falling animation does seem weird... but then, so does Sonic flailing his legs about like he's still running while he's in midair. I like the pose he struck when he ran off the side of things, though.

Sonic CD did in fact do that already. When you charged a peelout or spindash or otherwise gained a fair amount of speed the camera shifted to the right leaving Sonic in the first quarter of the field of view.

[(No Imagination)]

The only other 'old' Sonic game I can think of to feature those horizontal screen adjustments was Sonic 2 for GG - whenever you face a different direction there, the whole screen shifts radically to show what Sonic's supposed to be looking at. Sonic 1 and Sonic 3 did have vertical screen corrections throughout the levels, though...an easy Sonic 1 example of those would be around the first lamp post from Green Hill act 2 (making that pit beneath you bottomless and the jumps across it much clearer).

Useful dynamic camera adjustments by input or level design are among the things I missed most in Advance games and Sonic 2 - they really help against blind leaps and runs. (Why does it take an eternity for the screen to shift down after Sonic crouches? Argh.)

By the way, the Sonic 4 splash hill act 1 play video had already been removed. :(

[Alexrd]

Splash Hill Zone Act 1: http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4534/8141.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Act 2: http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2341/7720.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Act 3: http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9246/1090.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Boss: http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6848/7863.mp4

Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1: http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7383/8267.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6210/9209.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 3: http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1030/4362.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Boss: http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/8728/6809.mp4

[Kogen]

By the way, the Sonic 4 splash hill act 1 play video had already been removed. :(

Pick a DIMPS game, add some Sonic 4 art, then make the animation and models/sprites weird and jerky. There you have it!


After taking some time to reconsider what the game is, I do think it probably plays alright. What could have been a decent attempt is of course shot down 20% by the homing attack taking a shite all over the 2D gameplay, but the art I think is what still bothers me the most. I know DIMPS games are always playable, but I really expected this game to look nice instead of Majesto quality graphics. I am just not sure what happened to these guys, as I thought their games used to look nice on NGPC and GBA, despite the questionable style.

But phack, I really cannot get over the atrocious 3D models used on a 2D plane. I expected this sort of thing on DS, but on an HD console? I just cannot get myself to understand the logic involved when they decided to do this. Is it just really cheap to do it this way, proving that they do not care about the game? Or do they lack the artists that can even make sprites? Or do people actually think it looks even remotely good?

[Kogen]

Splash Hill Zone Act 1: http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4534/8141.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Act 2: http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2341/7720.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Act 3: http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9246/1090.mp4
Splash Hill Zone Boss: http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6848/7863.mp4

Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1: http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7383/8267.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6210/9209.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 3: http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1030/4362.mp4
Lost Labyrinth Zone Boss: http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/8728/6809.mp4

It is normal to almost vomit when watching the cart level? I mean literally from the strange motions.

[Ngangbius]

This game looks pretty lame, but that mine cart level specifically looks dreadful.

[Neo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6u9qPdyzWk#t=0m55s

It's the Sonic Rush engine. I can tell from the physics and from having played a lot of Sonic Rush in my time. Also the way Sonic lands dry on a slope and is still able to surmount it by just holding right.

I am sure that in previous 16-bit Sonics, Sonic ends up further away from the side of the screen he's running towards (ie, running right, so the screen compensates by putting his position more to the left) as you build up speed.

Nope. Only Sonic CD does that. Sonic 1, 2 and 3 (and Advance, which is built off 3) all let you outrun the camera, so Sonic gets closer to whatever side of the screen you're running towards. Sonic Advance 2 ditched this completely and Sonic is always on the screen. The camera also pans forward like in Sonic CD, but it's done much more fluidly and isn't as intrusive.



Anyway, I'm still probably gonna buy it. It's not really noticeably worse than any of the Advance outings, but calling it Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is an atrocity. That and--

Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6210/9209.mp4

Okay what the fuck. Ignoring the fact that the game is being played by an amputated chimpanzee (why does he keep turning the screen upside down!?), what the shitting fuck? Is this supposed to be a Sonic game? Really? Is this how low we've sunk? Jesus motherfucking Christ.

I know it's just one level, but why does it have to exist? Why aren't you guys as pissed off as I am?

Also what's the point in having Uni-uni and Unidus when you can just crack them open with a homing attack

[Kogen]

I thought he was blinking when killing the spike enemies? And regardless, I could kill them in Sonic 1 without getting hit by timing the jumps.

I also asked around and not a single person is liking the mine cart level. I am surprised this made it in.

[Ngangbius]

^I'm surprised you are surprised that it made the cut, considering the director of this project.

[Alexrd]

Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6210/9209.mp4

Okay what the fuck. Ignoring the fact that the game is being played by an amputated chimpanzee (why does he keep turning the screen upside down!?), what the shitting fuck? Is this supposed to be a Sonic game? Really? Is this how low we've sunk? Jesus motherfucking Christ.

I know it's just one level, but why does it have to exist? Why aren't you guys as pissed off as I am?

I am, you just don't know it. The only good levels that I've seen were Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1, Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 3 and Lost Labyrinth Zone Boss.

Also what's the point in having Uni-uni and Unidus when you can just crack them open with a homing attack

I thought the exact same thing.

[Kogen]

So it is OK to be able to kill the spiked enemies in Sonic 1 with timed jumps, but it is suddenly a flaw to be able to do it in Sonic 4?

Nice logic, guys.

[(No Imagination)]

So it is OK to be able to kill the spiked enemies in Sonic 1 with timed jumps, but it is suddenly a flaw to be able to do it in Sonic 4?

Nice logic, guys.

Depends on how you do it, and how difficult it is. I'd consider it a flaw if those nasty enemies were suddenly very easy to kill. There is a big difference between steering Sonic manually to get a pixel-perfect hit between the spiked orbs or pressing a button for the second time to do it for you.

...these guys are pretty easy to kill with a press-jump-twice move in Sonic 3, but in order to do them in consistently, you still need to practice your timing.

Why aren't you guys as pissed off as I am?

Personally, I'm not as pissed because I can't get the bloody video to work. I suppose it's for the best...

[Alexrd]

So it is OK to be able to kill the spiked enemies in Sonic 1 with timed jumps, but it is suddenly a flaw to be able to do it in Sonic 4?

Nice logic, guys.

What? How do you kill an Uni-uni with timed jumps in Sonic 1?

[Blount]

By timing your jumps? It's easier said than done, but that's all there is to it.

[Rob-Bert]

My standards must be astronomically low, because I did not see one thing wrong in any of those videos. Game looks just as fun as Sonic 2 or 3, Rush engine or no.

Oh, and that mine cart level looked trippy as hell. Can't wait to play it.