Sonic Generations Megathread

Oh wow. What have we done? D: (No wonder the page took decades to load.)

Anyway as for the whole 'separate character' thing, I doubt that'll ever happen. Classic Sonic will probably be treated in the same vein as Baby Mario, I'd imagine.

 

I'll back this one up too. We should all be pretty aware by now that Sonic has been pushing the 3D angle since Sonic 2/Sonic CD at the very least with huge emphasis on it both during special stages and during gimmicks such as the corkscrews and the strange quarter-pipe ramp thing that shows up in Palmtree Panic. And it kept getting more prevalent as the classic series went on with lots of standing rotation in Sonic 3 and Knuckles with various platform gimmicks as well as inward curling ramp gimmicks in Angel Island and Lava Reef. In fact, I think it's safe to say that there was at least one gimmick in every zone of Sonic 3/Knuckles that had the character sprites rotating around some axis.

 

That's what I personally think is doubtful, though. As a few other people have mentioned, I think a time-bending/traveling game would be a nice way to keep each iteration of Sonic where he's supposed to be. If Classic Sonic were given the Baby Mario treatment, I imagine people would be more bothered by the fact that they were using Classic Sonic as an all-the-time gimmick rather than just as Sonic from the past.

 

I think the best way to implement classic sonic would be some sort of present-flashback storyline with modern sonic being unlocked for classic stages after beating the game and vice versa. Because having two Sonics as separate characters would be the most retarded idea of all time.

 

My take on the two Sonics:

I don't think they need a story to why he's back. Doesn't really matter to me. As Mark from CGRHD said in his Revenge of Shinobi review, he loves how in early games they suspended disbelief in such a great way. (The bridge level where nuns ripped off their clothes and the other cars/people are oblivious to the fact that a ninja is on the bridge jumping near 20 feet, beating bad guys all while trying to get to the Nuclear warhead going down the highway without a care in the world). It doesn't have to make sense to me as long as the game itself is fun.

 

I like to think of classic Sonic as just being an old way of drawing (or sculpting, I guess?) Sonic. The SAME Sonic.
Sonic's Sonic. Whether you draw him with the green eyes or with the big belly, it's still the same Sonic.

I'd be rather annoyed if Sonic changed styles in the middle of a game because of some plot device within a game. It simply wouldn't work.The styles of the designs are too different for classic Sonic to suddenly 'transform' into the modern design. It'd just be clashing styles... Kind of like throwing an S3&k sprite in an Advance level. Y'know, for the plot. :D

Though on the other hand, I'm also not a fan of the whole 'different character' theory. Once again for the same reason.
It'd be like drawing a cartoon hedgehog on cardboard, and putting that next to a real life hedgehog, and then pretending both hedgehogs are just plain hedgehogs. I may be exaggerating, but think about it, it just wouldn't work.

And you might be thinking 'but Gardow, it works for the trailer! Why wouldn't it work in a videogame?'
Because the example I just used above would work for a trailer, and be funny. In a full plot, it'd be a little too fucked up to really work...

With that said, I am all for the costume treatment of the two designs.

 

Does anyone else think that the trailer is merely a teaser, and the story will likely not have two Sonics? My best guess is that there will be some kind of interchangeable skin between modern and classic Sonic.

 

That's what I'm thinking. I see this game having possibly no plot at all.

Like not even a simple "Go and stop Robotnik" plot. I think it's literally just going to be play through old levels in lush 3D!

 

That would be the best way in my opinion to do it, a nice compilation of redone classic levels, without worrying on how to explain why classic sonic is there.

 

Plus if you think about it, if this game is redone classic levels, plot wise the game would make no sense, because Sonic 1 2 and 3 technically take place in different locations. How could they explain going from GHZ to Carnival Night and then off to the Oil Ocean?

But one thing that I was thinking that didn't involve plot shenanigans was this. Do you think other characters will be playable in this? At least like Tails and Knuckles? I'm not just suggesting this though out of me simply wanting Tails and Knuckles, but also if they add Sonic 3 levels, what are they going to do with the alternate character paths? Make them accessible to Sonic alone, remove them from the layouts entirely, or just keep them there and not expect you to ever see them?

Or maybe we won't even get the original level layouts at all, maybe we'll get only a similar environment and not a complete remake. That would certainly be interesting to see a different take on GHZ or Hydrocity, but could they do a good job at it?

 

Honestly, something's telling me Classic Sonic won't even be in the game. For some reason I feel like he's just in the trailer to point out that this is a game celebrating Sonic's 20th anniversary.

Sounds baseless and pessimistic, yeah, but I just have a feeling.

 

I doubt they would bother to work on a high-quality Classic Sonic model and not use it in the game, that'd be a waste of time.

 

I don't think that's how it works. Each of both Sonics was designed with a (very) different fan base in mind.

Old classic Sonic was designed to universally appeal people all over the world in the same way classic characters like Mickey Mouse were gathering fans no matter how old they were. It was more like a corporate image in form of a mascot that would not just appeal to kids (it was even kept for the Sega Karaoke logo until recently, I think). Modern Sonic, on the other hand, was redesigned to ditch all that corporate image thing, and to be more "edgy" and at least appeal the younger fans, but more in a "Poochie" way.

 

I don't doubt it. But hey, it's my feeling. I'll probably be proven wrong, but this is just one of those gut feelings.

 

I'm actually wondering if this will work more towards the vein of what Mega Man Universe was going to be, where you could play through the game with several different characters. This way, you could play as Modern and Classic Sonic, as well as several other characters such as Tails and Knuckles, sort of like the old lock-on cart.

Just a thought.

 

Classic Tails wasn't a Fixer Sue. Put them both in the same game and he'd be the only one actually doing anything.

 

So no one (or almost no one - I may have skipped a post or two) has had the idea that if there were levels being redone from older games, that the respective Sonic would be used for that level? Think about the supposed name, "Sonic Generations," for a bit.

Just throwing that out there. Beats one Sonic being the other's son.

also invisible embeds suck

 

The fact that we were introduced to modern Sonic running in Green Hill Zone seems to fly in the face of that theory though.

(I'm hoping we can mix and match now that I've just visualized the hilarity of Classic Sonic in City Escape).

 

I understand what you all are saying, after all this is just a teaser. However, the Werehog appeared (almost) in the teaser for Unleashed, and he was in the game. The teaser for Colours had Wisps. It's a teaser, but judging by the previous teasers Sonic had, I think it's pretty obvious we can expect Classic Sonic to have a role in the game, even if the whole idea of 2 Sonic may sound stupid.
There must be a reason why Sega showed Classic in that teaser, especially considering all the details they put on him. There is no way he is just a cameo.