Shorts - Naka at GC · Rush preview · PSU/Akadoko updates

[big_smile]

Naka attends German Game Convention
Naka to discuss future games and meet fans

Yuji Naka is to attend the 2005 Game Convention to be held in Leipzig, Germany from the 17th to 18th of August.

On the first day of the convention, Naka will talk to the German gaming press about his next-gen projects, future visions and the three forthcoming Sonic titles.

On the following day, fans will be able to meet Naka at a special hour long autographing session.

More information can be found at Spiele Planet.

Hands-on Sonic Rush report
Details of new attack move

Kikizo have posted a hands-on preview of Sonic Rush. The article offers little new information on the forthcoming DS title, but does briefly explain how the ‘rush’ bar functions. When full, the bar allows Sonic to perform a ‘charging attack move’ that provides him with invincibility, but also drains the bar. The bar will, however, automatically replenish itself when the attack is not in use.

The article also suggests that the fast pace of the game can cause travelling between the two screens to become a somewhat disorientating experience.

The full preview can be read here.

SOJ website updates
Updates for PSU & Akadoko


Both the Japanese websites for Phantasy Star Universe and Akadoko (Where do babies come from?) have been updated. Two new character profiles have been added to the former, while the second features a column written by Takumi Yoshinaga, the director of the game.

[Baba O'Reily]

On the following day, fans will be able to meet Naka at a special hour long autographing session.

HE GON' GET SHOT.

[The Doc]

IT'S GON' RAIN.

[Timestones]

[firemario1001]

I think that is the first negative thing I've heard about Sonic Rush from the industry.

[Gaz]

New Sonic Rush trailer!

[Esrever]

Sonic battles robot Dung Beetles!

[Frieza2000]

Sonic Advance 4.

[Brazillian Cara]

Sonic battles robot Dung Beetles!

Watch your mouth, those things can be dangerous; like this one.

[Locit]

Just seeing that picture reminded me of why I stopped playing Megaman. Didn't they make an onion boss or something?

[G.Silver]

I thought it was a sponge or a sea cucumber?

[Popcorn]

And I thought Scissor Man was ridiculous enough.

Speaking of Kiziko, did anyone else see that they 'confirmed' Shenmue 3 today? I'm trying not to get all emotional because I know I'm only going to get hurt...

[Green Gibbon!]

I actually don't think Ryugatogo Kokokoko whatever looks too bad, though I guess that's only because it strikes my Shenmue nerve.

[Cuckooguy]

Actually, Ground Scarab was my favorite boss in X6, mainly because it was a nice change of pace from the drama fest the X series tries to be (<i>I</i> thought Ground Scarab's attack and attack pattern was pretty funny anyway).

[Ngangbius]

Well, Sonic Rush does looks sorta fun and I'm digging the music(which I hope is the actual music used in the game and not 'special trailer music').

[G.Silver]

Somebody told me that the music is done by Hideki Naganuma, of JSR fame, he did Let Mom Sleep, among others.. I can hear a certain resemblence, but I'm not entirely convinced.

[Ngangbius]

Well, it sure as heck doesn't sound like Jun Senoue's usual work. I'm hoping it is Hideki Naganuma for a nice change of pace for the current Sonic franchise's musical scores(even if it is limited to a handheld).

[Baba O'Reily]

32 bit cheesy hair metal? Sign me up!

[LOUD-TREE]

I wish the new sonic games used the old Choas Emerald template. You know, the whole collect all seven chaos emeralds plus 50 rings and jump to become Super Sonic thing? The new games just don't have any replay value anymore. I'm not gonna collect emblems for crappy unlockables. I mean, HELL, I find myself playing Sonic 2 and 3 more than I do adventure. Untill that happens, these games are only worth a rental to me.

[Kishi]

Preach.

[Omni Hunter]

32 bit cheesy hair metal? Sign me up!

Ditto'd.

I think having Supersonic featuring in the newer games like he did in Sonic 2/3 would not have much effect as appealing as I find the idea.
It would effect gameplay but I don't believe that it would improve sales to an extent that Sega would recognise and use in the games.

[Green Gibbon!]

I rather think that the lack of Super Sonic is the least prevalent of the problems in the recent games... Infact, I would go so far as to say that a presence or lack of Super Sonic is almost entirely irrelevant to the overall game quality.

[G.Silver]

I rather agree. Super Sonic is nice "prize" to play around with, but if I go for emeralds it's because I want the full experience of the game (special stages included), and not because I want to play as Super Sonic, since he changes the way you play and (especially in S3&K, with that looping invincibility track) pretty much destroys any "ambience" the levels might have had.

I wonder about the lack of Super Sonic though. Since Sonic 2 didn't have a game save, Super Sonic served as kind of balancer, to get all the emeralds if you wanted, you could spend the time to get them and then you could blow through the rest of the game with ease, or you could have just spent that extra time playing as Sonic. I don't know how that relates to three's Super Sonic (except that there's obvious story connections to Sonic 2) but the Advance games all have battery backup so Super Sonic certainly can't be used like that, and it could be that you go so much faster and run into things more often that the designers either thought Super Sonic would be going TOO fast and break what little stage design flow the levels have in the first place (I go careening down bottomless pits enough as it is), or the faster gameplay might indicate that they were trying to get the game to be more like Super Sonic all the time, except for the parts where you accelerate really fast and are invincible. No one would miss those, right?

[LOUD-TREE]

I rather agree. Super Sonic is nice "prize" to play around with, but if I go for emeralds it's because I want the full experience of the game (special stages included), and not because I want to play as Super Sonic, since he changes the way you play and (especially in S3&K, with that looping invincibility track) pretty much destroys any "ambience" the levels might have had.

I wonder about the lack of Super Sonic though. Since Sonic 2 didn't have a game save, Super Sonic served as kind of balancer, to get all the emeralds if you wanted, you could spend the time to get them and then you could blow through the rest of the game with ease, or you could have just spent that extra time playing as Sonic. I don't know how that relates to three's Super Sonic (except that there's obvious story connections to Sonic 2) but the Advance games all have battery backup so Super Sonic certainly can't be used like that, and it could be that you go so much faster and run into things more often that the designers either thought Super Sonic would be going TOO fast and break what little stage design flow the levels have in the first place (I go careening down bottomless pits enough as it is), or the faster gameplay might indicate that they were trying to get the game to be more like Super Sonic all the time, except for the parts where you accelerate really fast and are invincible. No one would miss those, right?

Yes, that looping invincibility track really did piss me off. I think they should/should have used a different soundtrack when you became Super Sonic.

Faster gameplay to make you feel as if you're playing Super Sonic all the time is a concept that's a failure in itself. You're not invincible, and you dont look badass enough. Why not go all the way and just include him?

[Omni Hunter]

Why should Sega do so? Gameplay would be effected in a minimal fashion and it wouldn't effect the sales. In the later games like the Advance series seem to hit the nail on the head having Supersonic only playable in a single level to get the true ending. It's a good formula because it doesn't effect the flow in the level as it's pretty much a looping scene, plus you can't abuse the power to be Supersonic through most levels.