I find it worrisome that springs don't seem to be used for anything other than moving Sonic between planetoids (at least in the U version). The jump looks pretty "bowling-ballish" too.
This shouldn't be a shocking revelation. PCs are the primary development platform for pretty much all embedded devices, including consoles. I don't know of a single console (past or present) where developers had to run the compilers directly on the target system instead of running the compiler on a PC. (Sidenote: Nintendo used to provide GCN emulation libraries that provided things like the GX API for Windows, which developers could use to test a GCN game without having to set up the development hardware. Obviously it wasn't as thorough as testing it on the real thing, but it was probably more convenient.)
Remember when Sonic levels were given a distinct sense of place and served to help further the storytelling?
Yeah, but that was only really done well in two games -- Sonic 3 (by which I include S&K, naturally), and Sonic Adventure. Other than that for 90% of the gameplay the story may as well not matter.
I disagree, I think Sonic 1 had a great sense of advancement, and although only loosely tied (especially the latter stages), the fact that you get kicked back down to Labyrinth at the end just completes that sense that you've traversed the whole island and it's all interconnected. What really helped was that the backgrounds seemed to hint at what was to come- the sea/lake with caves which forewarned Labyrinth, the city behind Spring Yard that hinted at Star Light etc. Sonic 2 was similar, but some of the stages were clearly just placed randomly. Sonic Advance 1 and 2 also had some great interconnected levels and the latter physically showed your progression. There's more, but you get the picture. :v:
remember when sonic games had level who were organic and not just blocky platforms placed in a void background JPG?
Remember the days before Mario's suit gave him super speed and a homing attack? (Remember when the WiiU thread whined about how Nintendo was playing it too safe with its games development?) I mean, what, do we suddenly need Pepperidge Farm to create every damn video game any more?
I sure do. I'm pretty tired of seeing generic blocks and "landscapes" made of straight lines and right angles. Sonic was different from Mario not only because of the speed component to the gameplay, but also because of the slopes and hills in levels that created said organic environments. I agree with your point wholeheartedly.
I think those level blocks actually fit a lot more in this game's style and the level design in Lost World. I did mind it in Sonic Colours and Generations, not so much here.
Some incredible positive impressions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iUJc8g-e10 Apparently the controls are great, except for the Wisps which are annoying to use.
I love that that guy knows what he's on about. Who is he? Referring to the Antons by name is awesome. Certainly beats this preview that talks about Sonic and "Robotica". The controls for this game are clearly more complicated than before, the the physical control over Sonic is going to feel really different too. Calling it now- that's going to be the number on issue in reviews. This game would really benefit from a forced tutorial level at the start with some pretty hard to miss hint icons. Something like Windmill Isle Act 1 in Unleashed.
I'm pretty sure they are limiting the use of springs in this game. Springs should be used to allow players to reach alternative paths or hidden goods, and not to make him move around, and that's pretty much why we are not seeing much of it (Act 2 of Desert Ruins have a spring by the end of it, altough this one is used to move Sonic instead of leading him to hidden goods like I mentioned). You can spot a few here and there if you take a closer look, specially the yellow ones which is nice to seeing come back (too bad they're unnecessary since most of the spring paths are programed separately instead of having specific forces like the classic games used to had, but still, nice little reference). Those big springs that we see in Windy Hill Act 1 shouldn't be considered really springs, imo. It's better to think of them as being like those blue mushrooms in Rayman Origins that take you to other parts of the stage, or as those orange stars in Mario Galaxy that makes you travel through planets.
I'm curious about how the 3DS version will turn out. I wonder if more screenshots have emerged for that one yet.
I think what's always been so significant about Sonic 2 Beta for me is that it indicates a team with storytelling potential. I think the blocks for S3K are buried in Sonic 2's development and I really am just dying to see a 3D platformer that builds on that sense of plot development through level design.
There's plenty of new'ns on SEGA's Flirckr. Interview with Aaron Webber. http://youtu.be/dC777ddpids He goes into a bit of detail about the Nintendo exclusivity. SEGA wanted to use the GamePad Sonic has always done well on Nintendo Makes most sense SatSR, SatBK and Colours were already Nintendo exclusives "Colours was phenomonal for SEGA". We know from sales that it did better than Gens. And one more tidbit:
