The Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Megathread

What you said about not alienating the newer fans...

Think about it. If the rehashed content was original content instead, what would the classic fans have in this game? It's the other way around to what you said. With different controls and physics already in play, something had to exist to avoid alienating the classic fans.

It's also why we are seeing clear rehashes in lieu of old tropes done anew. One glance at the level select screen doesn't just say generic ideas of "green, party, water, industrial"; anyone can immediately name the 4 zones being copied from '91 & '92. It's a deliberate wave to those players. The oldschool fans are the ones they worked to not alienate.

 

Still think that's bullshit. If Capcom can make several different iterations of Mega Man exist without a problem, then SEGA can do the same for Sonic.

 

Not seeing how this hurts my guess at all. It's not some master plan as this is really more a mix of sticking with the new looks and incompetence here and there. They probably feel that rehashing things from Sonic 1-3 gives them a free pass to call this a 4 with physics issues being the habit/fuck-up side of things. They are trying to make classic fans like this but that's it. Certainly not in the way you guys are thinking.

I was thinking Zelda instead but you have the right idea. Many (me including) were hoping for at least Classic Sonic to be the side guy just like Toon Link but SEGA just wasn't committed.

 

Don't you think that the idea of different iterations working successfully is franchise dependent? What may work for one franchise may not necessarily work for another.

 

Not at all.

 

I wouldn't say that's necessary now. Classic Sonic has been on hiatus for a long time. On the other hand, modern Sonic games play so different to the originals that they should have their own character. Still probably not worth their time now, but...

 

That would really help with the continuity, even though Sonic's continuity has hardly been any good (still better than Zelda's though)

If the 2D games have their own timeline, it would at least allow space for further numbered installments, whilst keeping the [hated] 3D titles running by themselves nicely.
If this is the case (and the rest of the numbered titles are actually any good), it will keep both the retro fans, and the new fans happy, am I right?

 

OSM: To clear up, I meant "working not to alienate" as opposed to "actually aiming to please". As in the oldschool fans are something they are adding into a strategy based on a different market.

Scarred Sun: Yes, a marketing plan is more likely than incompetency. Despite the misunderstanding I'm with OSM on the perspective that it's too simple to get wrong in this way. I mean, as if someone just said "Let's deliberately avoid classic physics and make him uncurl off a quarterpipe now" - due to being a bit dim. And the whole team went for that. No way. This is a professional group of people playing with the most valuable IP Sega owns. They have a strategy in place.

 

I understand where you coming from, Deef. What makes matters worse is that Dimps did Street Fighter 4.

Let that sink in for a while. One of the greatest retro games in modern gaming, yet when they decide to continue the classic Sonic series with Sonic 4, it can't compete with the classic Sonic games?

Something is fishy here. Incompetency? Maybe. But when a developer shows that it can make fantastic games, yet fails with another for reasons so obvious that the audience knows that the developer knows they should fix them, then there's a problem.

Or the guys at Dimps could be ignorant. It works any way possible. But incompetence surely does work in every situation.

 

Or it could be Sega doesn't like good Sonic games.

Remember Sonic Lightning? That became Sonic Rivals.

 

It could be something simple like incompetency, or ignorance. Maybe they didn't have enough time to make a real engine? Or this could be Dimps' chosen (read: awful) direction for the Sonic series.

 

True. If Sonic Lightning was actually made, it would given me a reason to buy a PSP.

My thoughts on this whole conspiracy.
Dimps are making a Sonic game, Sonic 4 no less.
What in the name of fuck are Sonic Team doing.
Aside from Izuka, we have no Idea if the rest of the team are even involved.
If Sega do have anything planned, Sonic 4 may be just a cover for a potential blockbuster (or credibility buster depending on the quality)
Though I don't like the idea that Sonic 4's name be taken in vain for a measly coverup, I do like the idea of Sega using a diversion to keep eyes of a 3D game under development since Unleashed (Really going into wishful thinking here)

However, it probably is as Scarred Sun said, pure ignorance or incompetance on Dimps' part.

 

Or Sega/Gimps just likes to throw in the design that is more appealing to their real target demographic. You know, to make more money. More fast, easy, cheaply earned, money.

When it comes to pleasing old school Sonic fans though, Sega/Gimps is most definitely incompetent. "Trying" to make a sequel to the classic games, yet making more of a fusion of various 2D Sonic games (taking elements from each that would be the easiest to recreate (Rush physics, classic music, classic level concepts + - (and I don't mean reusing the regular zone tropes, I mean blatantly rehashing Casino Night, Labyrinth, and Metropolis, badniks and level obstacles included)   )). Honestly, they throw all kinds of things from the classics into the game, but they forgot to bring back the most important part - the physics (and Sonic's design if that bothers you as much as it bothers OSM). They're either be incompetent, or deceptively cunning. + - Or both.  

Don't get me wrong though, I think the game looks fantastic, I just hate how they took the easy route and stitched together pretty much all of the wrong parts of different 2D Sonic games.

 

Where did this conspiracy come from? I must have missed it somewhere.

Regardless, it's stupid. Dimps has experience with Sonic games. Sonic Team came to Dimps to develop for it. Dimps pitched a few ideas (possibly even came up with the idea of Sonic 4 themselves), Sonic Team gave them a small time-frame and budget to work with it.

Small time-frame + budget = reuse of an engine, and even some assets (such as Sonic's and Eggman's models). Since the whole idea is a sequel to the classic series, Sonic Team themselves probably requested the reuse of old badnik, stage tropes, Eggman boss battles, etc. Dimps or whoever probably pitched the idea to sell the game to the old school fans who haven't touched a Sonic game in a long while. And guess what? It'll work. I know plenty of people who are in that situation and will buy the game because of that. They see the motobug and the Eggman wrecking ball and say, "Oh! That looks like the older games!"

They don't care about the engine, they probably won't even notice that the game plays differently. They'll think it's exactly like the older games. And this business strategy works. It works in Dimp's favour that they're reusing everything, because it makes a cheap budget game that everyone will like. It's all business, no conspiracy.

Now, whether or not Sonic Team themselves is making a big, grand-scale Sonic game for the new anniversary (seeing as they're not doing much else) is another whole question. Personally, I think they have something in store- it's been awhile since Unleashed and the anniversary is coming fast.

But anyway, yeah. I just wanted to give out my opinion on the whole situation. Since I'm getting into the business, I'd probably understand a little more than the casual fan. But anyway, yeah. Conspiracy is dumb.

 

I'm sincerely hoping they decide to cancel the game, but it won't happen. Sonic Advance 2=/=Classic Sonic, no matter what bullshit excuse SEGA tries to throw across. Actually, it's more like an amalgamation of everything but Classic Sonic. The homing attack is your source of momentum, what the hell.

Sad thing is this is going to sell very well, and there is nothing we can do about it. Just like that PR faggot said, we're no longer their core audience. They're just doing this to stay in business and to appease the press who have been proclaiming every 3D abomination SEGA shits out the "death of the franchise."

Oh wait a minute, they fucked that up too.

They're doing this shit on purpose.

 

Warning: the following may come as a shock to some of you...




Unfortunately, I can't get the two animations to sync up properly (they do at one point if you wait long enough), but if you can get the timing down for one, then compare to the other, be amazed. If you don't believe me, boot up the original games and compare to the leaked footage (the first one, actually) to see for yourself.

 

After playing Sonic Advance 1 again, if the future episodes are of the same calibre as this, I am fucking sold. That game was easily (in my view) the last 'Megadrive era' Sonic game. It was fantastic.

Dimps may have slipped up, but they had a goldmine with that game. Shame they screwed it up completely in the next two games.

EDIT - Sorry, should have elaborated. This first episode screams rehash, and while Advance 1 is too in a couple of ways, it was still original in more ways than Sonic 4 is. That is why I said 'future episodes' Also, I loved Rivals 1, but not the second. If Dimps made that, proof to me that they can do well, but seem to slip up sometimes (for reasons unknown to me).

 

Wait, what's supposed to be such a shock about Sonic jumping?

...

Did I miss some debate about Sonic's jump height or something?

Thanks for inspiring yet another stupid parody image!



...Best I can do in MS Paint, guys, sorry.