I've played Sonic1,2,3,K,3+K to death now. I want something fresh.

Oh right, yeah. All things considered, the special stage entry method in Rush was a darn load better than in the Advance games, I must say.

Double-post caused by shitty connection failing as I was actually posting. Grr, heh.

 

I'd check out the Advance Series. Definitely check out Sonic Rush, they're my favorites of the handhelds even if the special stages in Rush Adventure can be a load of bollocks due to the stupid Johnny being gay crap

I could suggest hacking all the rings out of Sonic 1-3 and Knuckles if you're looking for a challenge or something but that'd take a while I think... That or find a way so the rings don't add to your ring count.

I think that "Sonic 4" would never exist and SEGA's current track record with them making Sonic games... lets just say Sonic the Hedgehog (360) and Sonic and the Secret Rings didn't shine too bright in my eyes. However non Sonic Team made games like Rush are great. Also if Sonic Team does go the route of Capcom and whoever makes Gradius and make a retro game in Genesis style I'll just be skeptical all the way like I currently am for Sonic Unleashed.

I wouldn't mind a 2D higher resolution PS1 styleish Sonic game though, kind of like Megaman X4... I should so make some sprites that would look great on about that size screen of Sonic and some other stuff and see if anyone can make a fan game on it since I have no idea how to code.

 

That's Konami.

Also, considering Fantasy Zone II DX... I don't see why Sega isn't thinking about it. Well, they probably have, They might even be workin on it...

 

If the mechanic had a useful, unforced mechanic that didn't simply give you nigh unlimited use of a gauge that essentially takes the whole emphasis on building up your speed out of the game, I'd be inclined to agree with that train of thought. If in addition to that, there were any actual rhythm (believe me, I love a good skillful rhythm game) associated with it that required some degree of skill? Then I'd be even more inclined to agree with it. As it stands though, it's just added button mashing to provide filler for parts that otherwise are too boring even to the few people who love that mechanic. In the end, that mechanic is all about punishing you for sitting there and doing nothing when the game throws in a gimmick where you sit there and do nothing. They'd have been just as well off giving you infinite boost guage and forgoing the tricks entirely as far as mechanics are concerned... seeing as the only time you ever run out of boost in that game is when you are sitting still on a rock for five minutes.

So it's not so much that I'm underestimating the power of a good simple game mechanic as it is that I find it to be a boring one that adds nothing to the game really. It's about as exciting to me as the "get a rope" duel game in Mario Party 5. See, it never stopped me from saying "You know, this level is kind of empty and kind of samey". It just gave me some time to look away from the screen while tapping the R button until I stopped hearing WHOO HUUUAH YEAH! all the while wondering what it was that made people love that one so much more than any other Sonic Advance game. And for the one level in the game that looking away while grinding and constantly hitting R gets you killed by a bottomless pit masquerading as a laser? Well, that level was just pointlessly brutal in the first place...

So basically, my overarching point is this. More substance, less bullshit. Please.

 

Honestly, I don't see many hacks out there that play like the Sonic I knew. With Sonic 1-3K and CD, there was one thing that really stood out in my eyes. That was the solidity of the engine. At any given moment, Sonic jumped, accelerated, and fell at a fixed rate. You knew where he was going, you could see where he'd bounce off an enemy, you knew how far up he'd fly. Not because you've played it so much, but because the engine was absolute. No Light Dashing into a pit, no targeting the wrong enemy with the Homing Attack, just pure unadulterated Sonic action. Every movement had the right figurative price tag. A similar story is told by the level design, where the levels are there. You don't question the levels' existence because they're right there in front of you and there'd be no hope in trying to change them.
In fact, Sonic World from Sonic Jam had the closest-to-classic official experience hands down. Despite being a prototype for Adventure, it's more fun to run around in than the final product. Any other alternatives? Sonic R's time trial mode, sorta. It was solid, but it was solid in the wrong direction. You're not playing as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. No, you're driving tanks. (Although with Amy's car...)
The closest to a solid 3D Sonic experience we'll get is, in fact, a fan-made game. Sonic Robo Blast 2. It's been in production 10 years, so it was technically developed before Sonic hit the fan. Solid engine? Check. Basic-ish moves? Check. Immobile level vibe? I'd say yes.

 

Sonic Robo Blast 2 is absolutely nothing like a real Sonic game though. It just lacks too much of the physical nature that made the originals. Don't get me wrong, no 3D Sonic game even comes close to having that kind of terrain interactivity, but SRB2 has absolutely none of it. And it doesn't have anything to interact with either. You just jump from plane to plane. Sure, it's fun in it's own right, but as far as Sonic is concerned, its not even as solid of a Sonic game as Spyro the Dragon is.

Basically, it's Sonic in name and sprite only.

I find that most people who promote it as such only do so because they have vested some of their interest into modding it.

 

Eh... I like SRB2. It's got a very classic, Sonic-y feel to it, even if the physics are a bit shoddy and hard to work with. With some tweaking and maybe even a new engine, it could be a pretty solid game. I doubt the engine is going to be changed so late in development, though, so I don't see that happening.

I haven't played it online, but I hear that's decent fun, too.

 

I can't believe no one's mentioned Sonic Megamix by name. Jesus Christ, that's the best Sonic Hack there is. I'm really not trying to suck Tweaker off over this, I honestly feel it's the best rom hack we've ever had.

 

Unfortunately it's dead now, if I'm not mistaken.

 

No, you're right; the team disbanded what must be like half a year ago. Still, it WAS enough for me to burn onto a disc and play on my Sega CD a few times.

 

Actually Megamix has been directly mentioned in the very first reply.

 

I'd almost dare to say that Sonic 1 Megamix is THE best Sonic hack around. Thinking about how much work and effort must've gone into it makes me dizzy.

 

Of course, if you do like Megamix -- at least the first two stages -- then you may also want to try Sonic Rush. Pretty fun and fast, though the precision platforming on this one is a bit on the more annoying side.

 

I see no one has mentioned Sonic Adventure, yeah it's 3D and kind of glitchy, but still.

 

That's because Sonic Adventure 2 is better.

Fuck yeah, playing as Eggman. Fuck yeah, 3D Green Hill Zone (though I still haven't unlocked it yet). Fuck yeah, Shadow's only good appearance.

EDIT: Say, dust hill resident, why don't you make your own new hack? With the experience gained from playing all the games to death I'm sure you'd make a good one.

 

That I will disagree with you on -- anyone who's going to go play SA2, especially for the speed character sections, may instead want to check out Sonic Heroes, as there's a lot more of it for what you get. Also has a PC release that I found pretty stable and runs well on slightly-above-average machines (of course depending on settings). I found a copy for like $2 at Gamestop and think that's a better deal than when I bought SADX for what must have been $20.

 

Gaming expericence != hacking experience =P

 

Yeah, but surely you'd learn lots about level design and such that way, right?

SA2 has the Chao Garden. Ergo SA2 automatically > Heroes.