Who is da all-time best sonic character?

[Owen Axel]

Here's a crazy idea to laugh and scoff at; how about a Sonic game where you play as only the title character througout the whole game?

It's just insane enough to work, innit?

[Zeta]

Here's a crazy idea to laugh and scoff at; how about a Sonic game where you play as only the title character througout the whole game?

It's just insane enough to work, innit?

Name one game franchise in which only one playable character existed throughout the entire series.

Go ahead, I dare you.

And yeah - series implies multiple games. So don't say "Flicky" or something.

The truth is, people didn't complain about the extra characters in Sonic Adventure 1, 2, and Heroes because they were there. The reason those characters didn't mesh was because they were all different game styles.

Like someone cramming together a fishing, shooting, action, adventure, and racing game all into one edition.

And well - everything was crappy in Sonic Heroes. The multiple character system wasn't BAD, it was just mediocre.

[Ngangbius]

Name one game franchise in which only one playable character existed throughout the entire series.

The Legend of Zelda.

And Mario did just fine as the only playable character in Super Mario 64 and SMS.

[Crazy Penguin]

Sonic Adventure 2 was one of the worst offenders.

6 characters. 3 of which are straight clones of the other 3. 3 different gameplay styles, 2 of which nobody cared about. You don't get to choose which character you play as, you're shifted around between a group of 3 and their differing gameplay styles.

Heroes was bad too. There was no need for Team Rose or Team Dark to be there - they played virtually the same as Team Sonic, only one was shorter and easier and the other was more enemy filled and harder. Not like you'd be able to get the Chaos Emeralds without Team Rose though.

Sonic Advance 1 and 2's extra characters were way too similar, and in the latter you had to get all of the emeralds with all of the characters (essentially doing the same grueling task 5 times) to unlock all of the extras.

Chaotix was a really awesome idea, but there was no payoff for which characters you chose, and they played all too similar. It could've taken S3&K to the next level, but it didn't.

Sonic Advance 3's use of characters is a big step up from the afformentioned games in terms of character use, but still nowhere near what was achieved in S3&K, and still only played about in the shallow end of the pool that is the partner idea that Chaotix wasted entirely.

[Owen Axel]

Having a Sonic game where you play only Sonic today would be breaking away from the pattern of recent years, so my point still stands.

I don't see Peach and Toad running around squirting water in Mario Sunshine.

[Zeta]

The Legend of Zelda.

Nope. Though multiple playable characters have never been touted as a special feature in the Legend of Zelda:

Zelda is playable in the CD-I games.

Link can transform into a Goron, Deku, and Zora in Majora's Mask. Sure, they were all technically link, but it's still as bad as having a Sonic game in which Sonic transforms into blue versions of Tails and Knuckles and saying that there's only one playable character.

But most importantly, in Wind Waker, using the Command Melody, you're able to play as Medli and Makar in two temples.

And Mario did just fine as the only playable character in Super Mario 64 and SMS.

Agreed. But the point I'm trying to make is that all game franchises eventually gain other playable characters and similar gimmicks in order to make the series more interesting.

Hell, even in Super Mario Sunshine - you really played as a team of Mario and Fluud - and the result was that playing as Mario didn't quite feel the same as playing as Mario.

You didn't see Toad and Peach running after Mario in Super Mario Sunshine, but it Mario with a talking robot hose strapped to his back isn't quite the same as playing as Mario. It's like taking Sonic and tying a flamethrower to his stomach. It was a good game, yes. But to say that the playstyle in SMS was as "pure" as a Sonic game featuring Sonic alone would be isn't quite the truth. They still had to add a cheesy gimmick to the game that bogs down the concept - even if it isn't as bad as 8 extra characters that all play the same.

Having a Sonic game where you play only Sonic today would be breaking away from the pattern of recent years, so my point still stands.

Yeah, well - just because a game could feature Sonic alone doesn't mean it would be GOOD.

We have Sonic 3-D Blast as proof of that.

[plasticwingsband]

That may be true, but Sonic 3D Blast was developed by Traveller's Tales.

[Bo]

3D Blast really was a solid game. Not a Sonic game, but a fun isometric looking thing. The Genesis version, anyway. The Saturn version's load times were utterly unbearable. What the hell was it doing to that poor disc?

[aso]

Loading the soundtrack?

The soundtrack was the best part of the Saturn version, really. Though the Genesis version had nice tunes, as well.

I'll agree with the consensus that 3D Blast is an okay game. Not really a Sonic game, but an okay game that just happens to star Sonic.

[Spazz]

I think that the soundtrack from the Genesis version of Sonic 3D Blast was the better one. I mean, they even brought a few of those tunes into Sonic Adventure.

[Light Speed]

The only thing I didn't like about 3D Blast was how hard it was to jump with any amount of precision. That wouldn't have been a big deal except for that one boss that made you jump from one tiny strip of metal to another or fall into the lava. I never got past that boss. Oh and this was the Genesis version, I never played the Saturn version. I doubt my problem was any different for the Saturn version though.

[Spazz]

Damn, the control on the PC makes the game about 10x harder if you're just using the keyboard. Is the PC version the same as the Saturn version? Because the music and graphics ar alot different from the genesis version.

[Popcorn]

The PC version is the same as the MD/Genesis version, I think. Or at least it had the Mega Drive special stages. Or something. Goddamnit, this is the forum of the very website to answer your question. Can we ban Spazz yet?

[Esrever]

The PC version is thae Saturn version, only with original speical stages. Since the rest of the game didn't require any support for 3D graphics, I guess it just seemed silly to heft a huge PC videocard requirement onto the overall package for such a small portion of the game.

[Spazz]

Goddamnit, this is the forum of the very website to answer your question.

Damn! Sorry, forgot to check the site. Thanks, and no offence, but seriously, if you're going to get pissed over a question like that, why don't you just <i>not</i> answer and let me suffer?

[gr4yJ4Y]

Going back to the idea of playing as only Sonic in a Sonic game nowadays seems like it would be a great idea in my opinion.

Unfortunately Sonic Team sees using only one character as wasted space. They probably think something like, "Why not change a few things and have another character go through Sonic's levels? We already have them made, so it'll save developement time. The time to beat Sonic's game is kind of short, so this will add longer game time."

Really, if they made a Sonic game with just Sonic, it only makes sence that they let the player play as other characters (this does contradict Sonic Adventure 2's design though...).

[Crazy Penguin]

Extra characters aren't bad things. Extra characters can enhance something that is already a good one character game. See Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic Adventure.

Recently though, extra characters haven't been used to enhance good games, but to pad out bad games.

[Esrever]

No matter how much you flesh out stupid, it's still stupid.

[Light Speed]

Just more stupid than before.

[Zeta]

Exactly. I mean, being able to play as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles really enhanced S3K. I don't think it would have been as good as it was without the variety.

It's not the extra problems that's the problem. The problem is that the extra characters just happen to be in games that are crappy to begin with . . .

[Ngangbius]

I think the current Sonic Team should take on one step at a time on the 3D games. They should really concentrate on how to excellent sets of levels(multiple paths, plane not suspended in midair and less bottomless pits) for the title character first than to concentrate on adding the supporting characters. It will probably take more time to complete this game than the average Sonic 3D game, but hey--good things come to those who wait.

With 2D games, they themselves need to design them(not Dimps) and just throughly study the level designs of all Genny-era games. Actually, they need to do that also for the 3D games.

[The Scarlet Scorpion]

Every time I go on this forum I can sense a little more of my childhood being stripped away...

Only a little?

Well, then, we'll have to get SuperKnux in here to talk about his "Natalie Portman porn".

The GHZ is gonna make a man outta you yet, boy.

You're right...

*Grabs -wyvern by the arms. *

Somebody grab his legs.

Hey Del, wanna deflower him?

Anyways, I'd actually like to see an updated Sonic R with a larger cast of playable characters . . . They could base the engine around a combination of SA2: Battle's courses and the original Sonic R. Hopefully, they'd include more than 5 tracks. Sonic R was good - it was just too short.

But can you imagine the imense amount of playable characters in a sequel? So many have been added to the franchise since then . . . We'd have Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Shadow, Rogue, Big, Gamma (Battle version), Omega, Vector, Charmy, Espio, Omachao, and Eggman. And if they really wanted to dig some stuff up - there'd also be EggRobo, Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, Tails Doll, Super Sonic, Fang, and maybe a little 3-D version of Chris that we could chase around with the villain characters and shoot in a battle minigame . . .

Okay, that idea rules.

Oh, and could they also work in Ray, the Boobowskis, and the "Sonic Adventure" version of Mecha Sonic? What can I say, I'm a completeist.

I think the current Sonic Team should take on one step at a time on the 3D games. They should really concentrate on how to excellent sets of levels(multiple paths, plane not suspended in midair and less bottomless pits) for the title character first than to concentrate on adding the supporting characters. It will probably take more time to complete this game than the average Sonic 3D game, but hey--good things come to those who wait.

With 2D games, they themselves need to design them(not Dimps) and just throughly study the level designs of all Genny-era games. Actually, they need to do that also for the 3D games.

You raise some very good points there, Ngangbius.

While I have yet to own copies of either S.A.2, S.H., or any of Dimps's offerings, from what I have been hearing they have all of the problems you just brought up. Truth be told though, I also loved the more mature stories some of the games have had, such as "Sonic Adventure"; I definately think plot should be a major part of a game, something which you all have implied is lacking from recent games.

Just me twae pence.

[Light Speed]

You could have made one large post instead of four. You'd have to type in your quotes manually though.

[-wyvern]

In all my years of nerdy web slinging, I have never encountered someone who quadruple posted. This site really does have everything.

[Segaholic2]

The soundtrack was the best part of the Saturn version, really. Though the Genesis version had nice tunes, as well.

And the special stages. Dangit, you can't forget the special stages. Not the ones in the Genesis version, duh. The Saturn version's special stages were downright awesome. Maybe it's because I always liked the Sonic 2 special stages best anyway, but... Man. I play that game just for the special stages. Too bad the rest of the game wasn't that good, because those were downright awesome.