Wii are very frustrated. (SatSR) [Minor Spoilers Ahead?]

[Zeta]

My initial impressions of the game are very positive, although it is true you need to play for an hour till the game actually "begins" (like all too many games these days, actually). I skipped the cutscenes because I was playing on my broken Wii, which I couldn't save to anyways, but I'll play more tonight and post more indepth later. So far my favorite aspect of the game is how the Homing Attack finally seems to have been perfected.

[Double-S-]

I don't think the Homing Attack was so much perfected as they simply designed the move and the levels so that there's rarely more than one possible target. The levels aren't exactly designed for freedom of movement, you're pretty much always going forward into the next enemy. Plus they gave it an indicator.

[Shadow Hog]

You can press 2 to restart if you fail a mission, but you can't press 2 to restart if you "completed" it. This is a problem when you're trying to beat the level with a gold rank. If you complete it with only a silver or bronze, there's no option to retry... you have to go back to the menu, reselect the mission, reselect your skill ring, and then OK to start. Every single time. Argh!

Ah, and I thought I was the only one. I hope the inevitable "sequel" (I use the term loosely since they'll probably take the plot/art direction and so on in a different direction, even if the gameplay stays the same) amends that.

And also lightens the demand on absolute perfection for Golds. There is no way in Hell that I am going to pull this off. I mean, I never pulled off the all As emblems in the <i>Adventure</i>s, and THOSE were considerably more lenient.

[j-man]

I still fully believe it's impossible to get higher than a D on Metal Harbor.

[Anon]

That's funny, because even at my worst I'm usually able to get a C rank on it.

[Delphine]

I still fully believe it's impossible to get higher than a D on Metal Harbor.

It is, in the UK version. It's a special feature.

[Shadow Hog]

You kinda have to figure out all the shortcuts to pull it off. Actually being able to finish the rocket thing all the way (ie: get on the top handle instead of the closest one) gets a lot of points, too, but if you mess it up (and you will, frequently), you'd have to start it over again. But hey, ignore it and you've got an easy B.

You know, for some reason I kinda wish that game was on the PC. Not <i>now</i>, sure, but at the time? It'd probably have worked. Plus now I could pirate it (I mean, I just pirated <i>Typing of the Dead</i> because purchasing the PC version costs <b>SEVENTY FREAKING DOLLARS</b>) and relive 2001. Good times... back when <i>Sonic</i> games may have been of debatable quality, but at least people tended to lean toward "good" instead of "bad".

[Esrever]

Yeah, the key to Metal Harbour is skipping over the normal missle handle and making it all the way to the higher one. I'm pretty sure that was how I got the A rank on that one.

(Ironically, it was one of the few levels where I actually DID get an A rank before I got bored and annoyed and quit.)

[DackAttac]

That's key, but I failed it for years because my TV sucked ass and I missed several important ring boxes in the shaft Sonic boards through. It wasn't until I got one that didn't enshroud half of every SA2 level in blackness.

[Light Speed]

I get sick of getting A ranks after I realized I had to do it on the hunting levels in under a time limit. Fuck that I say.

I just did what any lazy bitch would do, downloaded an unlocked save and realized quite quickly that it wasn't worth the effort cause a 3D GHZ is shitty.

[FlashTHD]

That's key, but I failed it for years because my TV sucked ass and I missed several important ring boxes in the shaft Sonic boards through.

Those? I frequently miss all of those and get the rank no sweat.

I get sick of getting A ranks after I realized I had to do it on the hunting levels in under a time limit. Fuck that I say.

I've found that the trick to those is to know enough about the level where you can use one hint, know where the gem is (or have a general idea), and grab it quick. Provided you were fast enough getting there, that's 3000 points from the first two gems for using one hint each, more if you luck out and find one before/after the other without any, and your time bonus carries most of the rest of the weight. Finding/smashing the Gold Beetle and any other enemies that happen to be in the way always helps of course.

That said, the SA2 hunting stages still suck hard next to SA1's set thanks to the busted radar and stages that are too big for their own good.

[big_smile]

I still fully believe it's impossible to get higher than a D on Metal Harbor.

It is, in the UK version. It's a special feature.

That's actually partly true. The 50Hz mode of the PAL version contains a double jump bug, which prevents the homing attack from working properly . This makes it impossible to pass certain areas of the game.

^_^

[Anon]

That said, the SA2 hunting stages still suck hard next to SA1's set thanks to the busted radar and stages that are too big for their own good.

I fully agree with you on the radar (that still irks me to this very day), but I liked most of the hunting stages in SA2. But then, my favorite hunting stages are also Meteor Herd and Security Hall, so take that as you will.

I just did what any lazy bitch would do, downloaded an unlocked save and realized quite quickly that it wasn't worth the effort cause a 3D GHZ is shitty.

I actually obtained all the emblems. At first I was thrilled, but after the excitement wore off I realized it wasn't all that great — or even good, for that matter. I think that it's possible to pull of a 3D GHZ, but not with Sega's current "let's make one straight path and suspend it in mid-air with pits everywhere especially on the sides" level designs.

[Senbei]

I got all the action stage emblems and had fun doing it in SA2, but couldn't stand raising the chao, so I still have yet to see the 3D GHZ. From what I've heard from friends who own SA2 Battle, it's a lot easier to raise them on the Gamecube. Probably something to do with a lack of VMU.

[Shadow Hog]

That and the ability to keep tabs on your chao's stats at all times, whereas in the DC games you HAVE to use the VMU to get anything done. Honestly, though, I'm too lazy to replace the batteries on those things (the fact that the battery door on one of them is royally messed up doesn't help matters), and the Chao never really were my favorite parts of those games, anyway; there's probably a good reason why we haven't seen dedicated Chao raising since <i>SA2</i> (GameCube ports and Tiny Chao Garden notwithstanding).

[FlashTHD]

I've always thought it was because they perfected the system to such an incredible degree of depth in SA2:B that there's no way whatsoever to improve it. We can think of the Chao system to be as tedious as we want it to be, but there isn't any denying that the sheer amount of ways to raise the buggers makes minds a-splode.

[j-man]

The Chao raising thing was one of the only bits I enjoyed, but then again I AM a huge pussy.

[Radrappy]

ummm you know what they could improve? Chao races. That crap is like watching a gold fish run laps in a tank (although not accompanied by awesome yodeling). I wish you actually had some control over the little shits. The same goes for Chao Karate. That was even worse as they would often turn the all time final martial arts tournament round into a staring/thumbsucking contest.

Also I wish that chao raising had had a bigger impact on the game besides emblems. For instance, maybe if it were speed based Sonic could take a chao with him and if it trail him like tails used to. Stuff like that. Yeah. There's always a way to improve anything. Perfect ten scores don't make sense.

[Shadow Hog]

The Chao raising thing was one of the only bits I enjoyed, but then again I AM a huge pussy.

Really? I thought that, if you were anything remotely negative like that, you'd be a dick. I mean, you're the j-<b>man</b>, not the j-<b>woman</b>.

Of course, since you're neither, but rather are "awesome", I suppose it's a moot point.

[j-man]

Aw, thanks babe <3

[Anon]

What pissed me off is how Chaclon got nerfed in SA2. In the first game he was sheer awesome, just lying there chillin' on his side until you got at the halfway mark, then take off and win the race in like ten seconds unless you had max stats. Now? He's just some above-average chao sans the personality.

I would try to raise my chao more, for I too like the raising of the waterdrops, but I need the VMU to raise IQ and get special plants. That, and I could never manage to get my chao to interact on their own. Sad tears.

[gr4yJ4Y]

Also I wish that chao raising had had a bigger impact on the game besides emblems. For instance, maybe if it were speed based Sonic could take a chao with him and if it trail him like tails used to.

I always had a feeling that this was where they were going to take Cream and Cheese. Imagine raising a chao and then using Cream with the chao you made to run the races or do a special stage or something. I dunno. It made more sense in my head than it does now that I've typed it out.

I got all the action stage emblems and had fun doing it in SA2, but couldn't stand raising the chao, so I still have yet to see the 3D GHZ. From what I've heard from friends who own SA2 Battle, it's a lot easier to raise them on the Gamecube. Probably something to do with a lack of VMU.

Yeah, me too actually. I really did try to get into the chao raising but never could. I did finally get to play 3D GHZ at a friend's who downloaded a save. It was cool, but not worth the pains of raising a chao.

[WW]

Going back to the topic of the 4Kids voice actors in the games for just a second, a person named Bolt at the Sonic Stadium message board posted this:

I've been hearing alot of this cast replacement thing again, but I recently recieved a message from Jason in which he says he hopes to 'make the next game even better.' I sent him one congratulating the cast for improving in SatSR, specially him and Dan Green. So, I took that as if they were keeping him...

There you go, if this is true than that means they're staying.

[Shadow Hog]

Am I supposed to be surprised? Because I'm not.

[WW]

Never said you should be. I'm just spreading info in the hope of destroying false hope.