Sonic and the Quest for Phallic Compensation

[Isuka]

Sonic the Comic the Game.
I'd buy it instantly, personally.

More like Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog Comic: The Game. Although a STC: The Game couldn't be that bad.

I'm talking Sonic Adventure 2 here, man.

Oh, yeah, my bad. You mean we should move on to such Western names as Naka, Iizuka, Hoshino, Katano, Senoue and Toyoda in the games' credits. We've been getting them since forever, some great, some not so great, some of them an utter blunder. But they always got a warmer reception at western shores, that's for sure.

[j-man]

Yeah, SA2 was a bad example. You know what I mean. I know it's par for the course now to drag out the old "let another team have a go" argument, I was just thinking about relocating the character somewhere he's appreciated, although with popular opinion being what it is it'd take some serious work to get anyone excited, regardless of where the game is made. I think any more talk of "revamps" or "series roots" would cause the fabric of spacetime to unravel.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I know a similiar question has already been asked in the Weekly Poll section, but what specific American developers did you have in mind? Perhaps a new team at SEGA of America, or a third-party developer?

This is purely a personal choice, but I've always liked (or at least tolerated) Dimp's take on the Sonic formula. They seem to know how to make Sonic's gameplay fast and furious, but still engaging enough to prevent the gameplay from feeling automatic. The daytime stages of the Wii and PS2 versions of Sonic Unleashed were their best efforts yet, and their level design seems to keep improving in each Sonic game that they make. If they could add a little more depth to their games and perhaps more engaging platforming sections, they could be the new Sonic developer team to beat.

[Crazy Penguin]

I just want the Donkey Kong Jungle Beat/Super Mario Galaxy team to make the next Sonic game. That's some platforming talent right there.

Also, screw Dimps. Sonic Rush Adventure was fun, but it shouldn't take five instalments to get to a product that still doesn't come close to rivalling the Mega Drive games. The Sonic Advance titles were thoroughly mediocre, added nothing of value to the series and had some infuriatingly poor design choices. Almost everything that was praised about Dimps' Sonic games could be found in the classic titles with infinitely more graceful execution.

[Rob-Bert]

I just want the Donkey Kong Jungle Beat/Super Mario Galaxy team to make the next Sonic game. That's some platforming talent right there.

That would mean a 50/50 chance of them loading the game with old-school Sonic references or replacing every token Sonic element with something that looks completely different but performs exactly the same function. Not a risk I'm willing to take.

[Radrappy]

mark my words, you let Americans do a sonic game and the art direction will be utter tripe.

[Edgerock]

mark my words, you let Americans do a sonic game and the art direction will be utter tripe.

Retro Studios (Metroid Prime 1-3) begs to differ.

[Radrappy]

Retro Studios (Metroid Prime 1-3) begs to differ.

Im not saying all western art direction sucks. Not at all. But could we really do that great a job with sonic? I mean honestly we've already tried and ended up with AoSTH and SATAM, both of which are ugly as sin. Also were the prime games really anything special visually? Especially 3, I could barely make out what was around me since everything resembled the same mish mash of pseudo organic pipery and space shippery.

[j-man]

Sega Europe, then?

[Delphine]

Like Europe's good for anything.

[j-man]

Culture and stuff?

[Delphine]

That's what Japan is for.

[Senbei]

More like Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog Comic: The Game.

Sonic MMO!

The new Prince of Persia game is pretty much what I'd expect Western developers would make of Sonic. It was basically a super-long QTE with some platforming and exploration.

[P.P.A.]

Sonic R Evolution

With music by Richard Jacques!
Developed by Traveller's Tales and Sumo Digital in cooperation with Artoon.

[Ngangbius]

The new Prince of Persia game is pretty much what I'd expect Western developers would make of Sonic. It was basically a super-long QTE with some platforming and exploration.

I thought Mirror's Edge is considered to be a Westernized take on Sonic?

[Delphine]

A really brilliant puzzle game ruined by lol everything must be a shooter lol?

[Segaholic2]

Actually Mirror's Edge was just boring shit.

[Rob-Bert]

You really hate everything, don't you?

[j-man]

Not everything.

[Neo]

Sonic R Evolution

With music by Richard Jacques!
Developed by Traveller's Tales and Sumo Digital in cooperation with Artoon.

Was the "R Evolution" thing on purpose? Because now it's probably on its way to the Wii.

[P.P.A.]

Sonic R Evolution

With music by Richard Jacques!
Developed by Traveller's Tales and Sumo Digital in cooperation with Artoon.

Was the "R Evolution" thing on purpose? Because now it's probably on its way to the Wii.

Actually yes. I thought this up back when the Nintendo Revolution was new and cool and I couldn't have expected it to crash and burn that horribly quality-wise.
Remember that trailer for the Kirby game for Gamecube? And when Twilight Princess looked awesome in those two trailers? Ahh, good times, good times.

[Wombatwarlord777]

Neo wrote:

P.P.A. wrote:
Sonic R Evolution

With music by Richard Jacques!
Developed by Traveller's Tales and Sumo Digital in cooperation with Artoon.

Was the "R Evolution" thing on purpose? Because now it's probably on its way to the Wii.

Should I take it that Sumo Digital is another crap developer?

[FlashTHD]

Neo wrote:

P.P.A. wrote:
Sonic R Evolution

With music by Richard Jacques!
Developed by Traveller's Tales and Sumo Digital in cooperation with Artoon.

Was the "R Evolution" thing on purpose? Because now it's probably on its way to the Wii.

Should I take it that Sumo Digital is another crap developer?

That would be a...dangerous assumption.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

That would mean a 50/50 chance of them loading the game with old-school Sonic references or replacing every token Sonic element with something that looks completely different but performs exactly the same function. Not a risk I'm willing to take.

Hasn't that already happened, what with classic badniks like Caterkiller replaced with Gundam rejects, etc.? Hell, I don't think anyone here would mind the trimming of the supporting cast, if that's the case.

Im not saying all western art direction sucks. Not at all. But could we really do that great a job with sonic? I mean honestly we've already tried and ended up with AoSTH and SATAM, both of which are ugly as sin. Also were the prime games really anything special visually? Especially 3, I could barely make out what was around me since everything resembled the same mish mash of pseudo organic pipery and space shippery.

Sanctuary Fortress from MP2 is probably the most gorgeous 3-D environment I've ever seen, and not at all unfitting for a Sonic setting.

[CM August]

SATAM

ugly as sin

I found a lot of that show's art direction very impressive for what it was. Wah wah, it doesn't have checkered hills and geometric landscapes. I wonder where else I haven't seen them lately...