All-new 2D Sonic rolling out in 2010

[Kogen]

So I decided to go to a Japanese time warp and gather the game's demo. Apparently it sucks.

Here is a list:

* All the graphics and so on take about 5 seconds to adjust to and anything you had against them is entirely forgotten once you realise the controls are entirely broken.
* You have to hold forward to move fast even if on a slope or spindashing/rolling (no rolling physics).
* The spinning sound is still wrong, leading to an obnoxiously loud spindash noise every time which is very annoying.
* Acceleration is slow, clunky, and simply broken; jumping is the same.
* Homing attack is just as weird as anyone expected, leading to stupid level design (like missing something you were just supposed to know you had to homing attack mid air) and it gets you hit or simply missing your target often.
* Level design is broken with targeted springs either not sending you high enough to go to other springs (thus some paths are either impossible or too hard to get to) or you just bang into an invisible wall to ruin it all anyway.
* Ducking under enemy projectiles still hurts you.
* Homing attack and physics in general get you in weird situations, like trying to jump off a wall at high speed to gain good height to go somewhere, only to repeatedly homing attack by accident into the same area/spring.
* Getting stuck on the side of walls and standing there to defy gravity is entirely easy.

For praise I will say the art direction all feels like a classic Sonic game, but what is the point if it barely works? This is an embarrassment.

[FlashTHD]

So my advice to you guys? Try as hard as you can to embrace the fact that this is something different and you may actually enjoy it.

I don't particularly care that it's different; I care if it's a half-baked turd. I'm sorry but for 3/4 of a Wii Points card, "average" at the least is unacceptable considering what else I could buy with that.

[Kogen]

There are about four good games on Wiiware that you could buy alternatively.

That is right, four games better than this! Count them, four!

[FlashTHD]

There are about four good games on Wiiware that you could buy alternatively.

That is right, four games better than this! Count them, four!

I had the Virtual Console in mind and this is on three other systems of course, but you get the idea, I hope.

[Locit]

Here is a list

I just played the demo and everything here is accurate.

For praise I will say the art direction all feels like a classic Sonic game, but what is the point if it barely works?

I don't think it even accomplishes this. I can't ever see paying for this game, and feel bad for anyone with a Wii who had to buy it without the chance to play it first. I understand that it is different from the older games and approached it with an open mind. If someone can produce a compelling argument on why I should give it a second chance I will --maybe Radrappy could give a fuller explanation of his experience, for instance. Right now, though, I don't see how altering my approach could make the game more enjoyable.

[Kogen]

I am going to get it for free supposedly, so no worries here! It really should have been 10 dollars, though. Other similar games are much better at a lower price (even if you factor in fake DLC like with Megaman 9/10).

Also the 'four' thing was supposed to be a Sonic Adventure joke, and I genuinely do think Wiiware is awful besides a few Konami games and maybe some 'indie' games (ReBirth series, Megaman 9, et cetera).

As for the art style I do think I probably over reacted about things earlier. Yes it is not perfect and I want a genuine style too, but it is not at all ugly. If the game had been programmed better and stuck to the classic gameplay, I am fairly confident this art style along with the level design would have been good enough in a minimalist view. It is not great, but it is not terrible either.

Finally I want to say it is SUPER AUTISM that you cannot go to the special stage in the demo.

[Kogen]

Not meaning to post too much, but I want to know if this is true:

Can you only play the Wii version with the Wiimote and not the Classic Controller?

[Shadow Hog]

Not meaning to post too much, but I want to know if this is true:

Can you only play the Wii version with the Wiimote and not the Classic Controller?

That's what I've heard repeated several times over, so... yeah.

[Kogen]

Not meaning to post too much, but I want to know if this is true:

Can you only play the Wii version with the Wiimote and not the Classic Controller?

That's what I've heard repeated several times over, so... yeah.

This is funny!

[j-man]

I'm fucking ecstatic.

[Protodude]

I've played through all of Splash Hill Zone and at least the first acts of all the other stages.

I actually like how most of the stages look a lot, especially Lost Labyrinth and Mad Gear, but not so much Splash Hill really. Some of the enemies look ugly and a little over-sized compared to their Genesis counterparts. Sonic looks okay except for when he's running. The oval running motion his legs make are too wide and there's this sort of "blur" looking effect his spines make to give the impression he's going fast, but really it just looks like his spines grew for a few seconds.

My initial impression when controlling Sonic was that he felt heavier, and took a little longer to gain speed, unless you happen to come across a loop or hill or whatever the official name for those dash-pad things are, then he'll take off, but never too fast. I can definitely appreciate the fact they kept his speed down in comparison to the Advance and Rush games.

The lock on really isn't that bad, although it is a little disappointing that 90% of the branching paths I've come across require you to use it on a row of enemies to get to it. The only time I had problems with it were one or two sections in Splash Hill Zone Act 3 strangely enough. Also the mid air dash you can do doesn't take you very far, which is okay with me. I've had fun on most of the levels so far, although once or twice there have been small sections that take me out of it where I can't help but think "Yup, this is a Dimps game all right". That said though I would venture to say it's left a good impression so far and could be Dimps best effort, or possibly rival Rush Adventure but sort of in a different way. This seems like a game you could beat in no time though, although I do plan on going back and replaying most of the levels just to mess around and attempt to find some of the different paths.

But man, the special stages. I just assumed they'd be exactly like Sonic 1 but they're a little different. You actually control the rotation of the stage itself, and you can press a button to make the stage violently shake like in a pinball game, only it does absolutely nothing. The background is now kaleidoscope effect instead of doves or whatever. Also, you're timed and you have to get a certain amount of rings to bypass these blocks in your path. But the best part? You can pause and retry any time lol

[Protodude]

Weeeelp, I guess I had pretty much played the best the game had to offer during my last post! Casino Street Zone is easily the worst bunch of levels. Third Mad Gear act is annoying. There's one puzzle in I think the second act of Lost Labyrinth Zone that broke the flow and took a little long to figure out, almost long enough for me to hit the 10 minute mark by the time I finished the zone. Not to mention the little Dimps Annoyances™ that occasionally pop up every once in a while. Also all of the boss fights are annoyingly hard, or just plain annoying. Especially in the last zone when you have to fight them all again, followed by a dumbed down version of the last boss in Sonic 2, followed by a crazy bunny-hopping-electrified version that I still haven't managed to beat.

Kind of a shame this game dropped in a quality so quick. I'd be hard pressed to actually call this game bad, but it's kind of a shame it showed promise then kind of pissed itself in the usual Dimps mediocrity.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

maybe Radrappy could give a fuller explanation of his experience, for instance.

Do they give adequate explanation as to why Sonic is running around? I don't want to kill poor robots without a proper reason; I'm not a monster.

[Shadow Hog]

Because Sonic must do what has to be done by him and face full-life consequences?

[Locit]

I am going to get it for free supposedly, so no worries here!

Hey same here! I'm glad I get to give the full game a go since enough people seem pretty positive about it. The demo just did absolutely nothing for me, so we'll see!

[MiraiTails]

Kogen: If you're referring to the posts below, Tails isn't playable, so you'll have to shell out your own money if you want Sonic 4.

Found this link on Sega Nerds:

http://www.needlemouse.com/

Dear Sega:

Please release for XBLA/PSN/Wiiware.
Please have fully playable Tails a la S2 and S3&K.
Please release a Saturn controller for all 3 systems to go with the game.

I swear to God, if you do all 3 I will buy 10 copies and give away 9.

Bonus: If you include a level editor I will buy 20 copies.

Sincerely,
MT

Update:

If the game has

1) fully playable Tails a la S2 and S3&K AND
2) Averages at least 75% on Metacritic or GameRankings

I will give away 10 copies.

If it also includes a level editor, I will give away 20.

I may just give away one copy a month until I run out of money or die. We'll see how good it is...

[Radrappy]

maybe Radrappy could give a fuller explanation of his experience, for instance.

Do they give adequate explanation as to why Sonic is running around? I don't want to kill poor robots without a proper reason; I'm not a monster.

Um. Your friends are inside those robots. METROID PRIME SUXXXXXXXXX

[Kogen]

Kogen: If you're referring to the posts below, Tails isn't playable, so you'll have to shell out your own money if you want Sonic 4.

Found this link on Sega Nerds:

http://www.needlemouse.com/

Dear Sega:

Please release for XBLA/PSN/Wiiware.
Please have fully playable Tails a la S2 and S3&K.
Please release a Saturn controller for all 3 systems to go with the game.

I swear to God, if you do all 3 I will buy 10 copies and give away 9.

Bonus: If you include a level editor I will buy 20 copies.

Sincerely,
MT

Update:

If the game has

1) fully playable Tails a la S2 and S3&K AND
2) Averages at least 75% on Metacritic or GameRankings

I will give away 10 copies.

If it also includes a level editor, I will give away 20.

I may just give away one copy a month until I run out of money or die. We'll see how good it is...

Tails quit liking Sonic and now builds gears for Mad Gear Zone. That is close enough !!!

But actually I was referring to someone else who was getting it for me possibly, not you. You only have to buy me Episode II.

[j-man]

Downloading this piece of shit right now. I'll let you know how I get on.

[j-man]

Completed with all Emeralds. It wasn't bad, I guess. Probably should've just renewed my WoW subscription instead. Last boss is a cunnnnt.

[Kogen]

That was worth the 16 month wait.

[j-man]

Yeah, I was just reflecting on that. I'm not sure what to make of it all. It's just so unlike any other Sonic game I've played. It's not like The Trilogy, or the Advance games, or Rush, and yet you can see aspects of each in it. It plays kind of like Sonic Adventure in 2D, I guess. A lot of polish went into this title, just not into some areas I would've appreciated. They could, and should, do better. Saying that, I still had a lot of fun with it. Last boss, though. Man.

Roll on Episode 2, I say.

...get it? Roll on? Ha! Ha ha. seriously fix the fucking rolling

[Alexrd]

The Good:
- Layout and presentation;
- Music;

The Bad:
- Physics; (so, they've delayed the release for nothing, I guess. Just because of this, the game is not worthy to be called "Sonic 4")
- Momentum; (because of the physics)

The Ugly:
- Homing attack; (that target lock doesn't belong in this game)
- Dash pads; (they are everwhere)

[Kogen]

Alexrd the Navigator, direct us further into this game's merits and faults!

[Malchik]

Boy, I was worried there for a second. I was scared that they'd try making some fun new bosses and not complete fucking rehashes. Jesus, fucking, Christ, The whole game was one continual nudge to my arm. "Hey, remember all these enemies from the last game you loved? Well, THEY"RE BACK! Just what you wanted right?" NO, you dumb fucks. Even the levels are a complete rehash. I will give them some points, they did try and make some uniques game play mechanics on all the zones, dynamite, lamps, etc. but it's lost in the mediocrity of the game. The music at times was a joke. Its not badly composed but the instruments used is a joke, though I never heard the Wii's improved score. The special stage was the best music and the boss is just down right laughable, especially if you visualize burning Iizuka with cigarette butts. Oh, and the "optional homing attack"-hey, nigger, please.

Ok, I need to calm down before I start really going into detail. I'm really glad I didn't put a cent into this game. I tried to persuade a friend not to buy it, lucky me. I want to see this game crash and burn, but the people who will lap up this per-verbal cum are stooges.

And you know, this game was how I envisioned it. Thank you, Ruby, you Sega mule. I think I'll go play some Mega Man 10.

Pros.
Special stages. They took and old concept and spiced it up. I like homage, not ripoffs.

Cons
-This game's existence and all the money Sega will make from a pompous half-assed sequel to an almost perfect trilogy.