All-new 2D Sonic rolling out in 2010

[Patches]

I do think the idea of having sort of like 'direct-to-video' sonics will eventually work out. Well um maybe...

Like , I really think if they just focused on one type of zone for like five different episodes, but make them all kind of more like caricatures of like maybe Marble zone or something. But there could be one episode that is the temple area, and another one that is like a weird cave in the hills, and maybe a third one that has metal sonic. They would pay some ok designer to design these more elaborate zones and just make sure I guess, flesh out the zones really a lot and just make sure the mechanic of play is feasible.

And they can really work with the bosses now that it is 2010, what a travesty to see how reduced the pinball boss is! It was clearly so they could put it in the boss roulette thing or whatever that they tacked on, gosh!! >: ( ; )

[Dr. BUGMAN]

>: ( ; )

Looks like a guy giving himself a titty twister.

[Delphine]

Tell us more about your thoughts on men's nipples.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Fun unless you run.

[Patches]

Fun unless you run.

In slight contrast to modern sonic games, which are ``functional only when you run``! : )

[Wombatwarlord777]

More like "functional only when you don't run".

[Kogen]

Sonic 4 official Zone 1, Act 1 music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dyhhBXXoeQ

Random scraps from a canceled fan game with 9 views: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52d7TukeHLA

[FlashTHD]

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/ninten ... jun-senoue

Senoue would have used actual Mega Drive sound equipment for the project, but couldn't find any, so that's why he fell back on the droning, screechy-ass fake synth racket in the final product. If you're going to Summer of Sonic and you happen to meet him, you might do us all a favor and soak his head with whatever is handy.

Seriously, where was the Sega Ages producer in all this? Treasure staff described the guy as ridiculously hardcore into vintage Sega stuff, and his team was able to scrounge up the equipment to make Fantasy Zone II DX on System-16 hardware - like, two years ago. I'd think those guys would be the ones to ask about this.

[Kogen]

How is that an excuse? People make Genesis music at home on their computer.

Also the SEGA AGES guy is from M2, right? He does Konami games now to my knowledge (and keeps their sound correct!).

[Edgerock]

http://sagexpo.org/events.html

So apparently according to this page RubyEclipse is going to have a live Skype interview tomorrow (presumably about Sonic 4 and the like) with rabid Sonic fans while being listened to by rabid Sonic fans. Also you have the opportunity to join in the chat as well to ask questions.

http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?t=339097

Also this from RubyEclipse.

Sonic 4 update question - for you guys!
Hi everyone,

With our Sonic 4 Birthday Contest wrapping up soon and our final Hedgehog Day prizes about to go out the door, I have a question for you all with regard to the next news about the game.

Coming up, we're going to be revealing many of the changes that we spoke about a couple months ago when we announced the extended development. With the website getting another big zone overhaul (possibly as soon as next week), I wanted to pose another question to you guys and get your thoughts.

Would you guys like to know only about the biggest updates to the final version of the game, or would you also like to know about the smaller ones? I ask because though not every update is massively game changing, there are some nice minor touches that I think some fans would appreciate. In any case, I'd like to know what you guys think, since you're all quite passionate and engaged. (You too, lurkers!)

Let us know which you'd prefer (only big changes, or all changes) in a post below. I'll be looking over the feedback for a couple days until the end of this Thursday. Thanks everyone!

[Ritz]

Another announcement of an announcement, and we actually get to choose which updates we'll be hearing about! How can one man be so kind. Big updates, or small updates? How am I supposed to choose?!

Isn't there some way we could sabotage this man's career? Anyone whose occupation is so thoroughly intertwined with that of a community this repugnant is about as vulnerable as a tipped cow. We can crack him.

[Kogen]

I say we pick the small one. Everything else is already ruined, so no point in changing track now.

[Edgerock]

Japanese website got updated with new screens of Lost Labyrinth Zone:

http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicTheHedgehog4/

Looks like Act 2 got replaced with a level where you use a torchlight... though the mine cart is still there.

[Kogen]

NO MINE CARTS

Those were not in Sonic 2 without complaints at all.

I started playing Sonic games on ROMs 3 years ago, so you can trust me.

[j-man]

I'm excited again! DAMMIT

[Esrever]

I still think this level looks pretty nice, visually. Still not my first choice of art style, but It's a much more harmonious mesh of old-school Sonic and modern prerendered detail than the other stages we've seen.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I like it too. More so than Splash Hill or Casino Street.

So that torch also lights bundles of dynamite? Neato.

[j-man]

Here comes a new challenger!
Official US site updated with screens, concept art, badniks, music, etc. It all looks quite special.

[Arcade]

I am suprised for the lack of fire related jokes...

[j-man]

I guess it's a... burning... issue for you?

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Boo-urns.

[Delphine]

Why is he so reflective? Is Sonic made out of mirrors?

[Segaholic2]

looks cool jk looks like a gay mans poop

[MiraiTails]

Why is he so reflective? Is Sonic made out of mirrors?

Yes. He's made of the shattered hopes of countless Sonic fans.

[James McGeachie]

I really hope that in the end it doesn't turn out the staff have just been polishing the underlying turd to its shiniest. I still have absolutely no idea if this is actually fun to play.

Lost Labyrinth definitely looks much better though than Splash Hill, but that was pretty apparent from the first footage anyway. I can only assume the levels had entirely separate art teams as the difference in attention to detail is astonishing.