[Rika Chou]

Quote

I always look back and wish that the old Sonic games could implement an island/world map of some kind... basically level select with nice looking images and appeal... (or to put it simply... More like SMW)

This is something I want to put in my fangame... a level select that is more than a bland looking backdrop, and text lines thrown in your face. It's not gonna be an overworld map (not trying to completely rip off SMW) or anything like that... but an images of the islands and the world, (also airships, Death Egg and the like...) with dots for where each zone is... and a new level icon for each one. Just something that looks nice, and adds to the fun, in that you can freely move about zones, and have a nice looking level select feature. As a kid, I could care less... but looking back... if you pick a level, you start the ENTIRE game from that point... and the menus look shitty.

Just a couple things I wanna change in my project.

Basically, the same as what Sonic 4 did.

This post has been edited by Rika Chou: 05 September 2011 - 12:38 AM

[KingofHarts]

Rika Chou, on 05 September 2011 - 12:38 AM, said:

Quote

I always look back and wish that the old Sonic games could implement an island/world map of some kind... basically level select with nice looking images and appeal... (or to put it simply... More like SMW)

This is something I want to put in my fangame... a level select that is more than a bland looking backdrop, and text lines thrown in your face. It's not gonna be an overworld map (not trying to completely rip off SMW) or anything like that... but an images of the islands and the world, (also airships, Death Egg and the like...) with dots for where each zone is... and a new level icon for each one. Just something that looks nice, and adds to the fun, in that you can freely move about zones, and have a nice looking level select feature. As a kid, I could care less... but looking back... if you pick a level, you start the ENTIRE game from that point... and the menus look shitty.

Just a couple things I wanna change in my project.

Basically, the same as what Sonic 4 did.

I actually had the Sonic 1 Game Gear map in mind more than Sonic 4... but yes... same kind of concept. I always asked myself... Sonic 1 GG did it, it looked great IMO. Why did no other Sonic games of this time do it? Have a nice little graphic of an island, and dots that your cursor can follow to bring you to different zones and stages. I REALLY wanna see this kind of thing appear in someone's hack... but it wont, so I'm putting one in my game instead.

[KingofHarts]

PLUS... Sonic 4's map idea was severly flawed in the sense that you could start from anywhere right from the beginning. I want to have a starting point in the game, and as you progress... then you unlock the other places and can choose to play them later... I also have a couple other ideas to implement to make level selections more convenient... won't get into that now though.

[jasonchrist]

KingofHarts, on 05 September 2011 - 12:35 AM, said:

I always look back and wish that the old Sonic games could implement an island/world map of some kind... basically level select with nice looking images and appeal... (or to put it simply... More like SMW)

This is something I want to put in my fangame... a level select that is more than a bland looking backdrop, and text lines thrown in your face. It's not gonna be an overworld map (not trying to completely rip off SMW) or anything like that... but an images of the islands and the world, (also airships, Death Egg and the like...) with dots for where each zone is... and a new level icon for each one. Just something that looks nice, and adds to the fun, in that you can freely move about zones, and have a nice looking level select feature. As a kid, I could care less... but looking back... if you pick a level, you start the ENTIRE game from that point... and the menus look shitty.

Just a couple things I wanna change in my project.

How about... a station arena that acts as a data select of sorts. It would have transportation pods for each zone before a giant map screen, which become operational when you complete the zone.

[Ridiculum]

jasonchrist, on 05 September 2011 - 03:37 PM, said:

How about... a station arena that acts as a data select of sorts. It would have transportation pods for each zone before a giant map screen, which become operational when you complete the zone.

We could call it Station Square

But yeah seriously, I liked the way Sonic Adventure did it, honestly (adventure fields and all that). It works really well for the 3D games, and I was always sad that the only 3D game that really revisited the idea was Sonic 06. For the 2D games, though, it doesn't work nearly as well (Sonic Advance 3, for example).

An overworld map similar to SA2 would be cool, though. Maybe with branching paths? Could make for some really nice replay value (as long as it's not as hurrdurr as Shadow the Hedgehog).

Also, on the topic of "70 zones", I think the reason why they don't do more is due to how repetitive it'd get. They can only stuff so many zones into one game before it gets really dull. Then again, had Sonic 2 had the full amount of zones it was intended, it'd have been pretty long and awesome(er), without being all that repetitive.

This post has been edited by Ridiculum: 05 September 2011 - 04:12 PM

[MegaDash]

I liked the Adventure Fields very much. I just didn't like the excessive running-back-and-forth to figure out where I need to go. Had it been better structured, I think people in general would have thought much better of the Adventure Fields. But this is about Classic Sonic gameplay, so I'll leave it at that.

I'd very much like a Classic Sonic game with the surreal art style of CD and Chaotix, but the breadth and scope of SMW and possibly Chrono Trigger, in a way (I.e. traveling through time has more meaningful benefits and depth than just making a Good Future). Like, I'd still want the levels to be huge and distinct, with no more than 3 or 4 acts between them, but being able to travel a whole large island or continent of zones across a simple world map would be a great big step in evolving and deepening the Classic gameplay. In such a game's development, where budget and time aren't major constraints, developers could have a lot more freedom and room to create some captivating zones for Sonic and help really flesh out his world.

[KingofHarts]

I have a couple ideas for how I would want to flesh that out in my game... but I still wanna try to come up with a few more before settling on one... Also, any ideas that anyone else would have would be greatly appreciated.

And BTW... I'm not using an adventure field like the poor attempt used in Sonic Advance 3... or a HUB such as Knuckles Chaotix or Sonic in SAGE 2010. I like HUBs, and actually was originally thinking of doing a hub similar to Sonic SAGE 2010, where a player would be in a special zone, and use Sky Sanctuary-esque teleporters to go to their destination.

But for now, I like the idea of an island world map better.

Or perhaps a world map for the story mode? and a HUB for the Free Play mode?

[KingofHarts]

Getting back to the original topic at hand though, I did something else in the game that many people bitch about as being difficult... so many people bitch about the Death Egg Act 2 miniboss (the ball with the bumpers) being difficult... I found a very quick, easy, convenient and effective way of defeating him. I'm sure plenty of people on Retro already know... or at least I would hope... but for the benefit of the clueless, I'll supply a hint.: Stay on the ceiling at all times.

[Ritz]

jasonchrist, on 04 September 2011 - 12:43 PM, said:

As a child I got Sonic CD thinking it would be an absolutely huge game, it said "over 70 levels" on the back, which I took to mean 70 zones. Anyway fuck it, it's still a great game.

The one time I got fooled by box rhetoric is when Sonic 3D Blast Saturn promised me "secret stages". I guess they were talking about special stages, but who wouldn't know the difference between the two? Every time I broke a hidden wall, I'd get all excited thinking I was about to enter some hidden stage. What an asshole move!

[Ridiculum]

KingofHarts, on 07 September 2011 - 11:20 PM, said:

Getting back to the original topic at hand though, I did something else in the game that many people bitch about as being difficult... so many people bitch about the Death Egg Act 2 miniboss (the ball with the bumpers) being difficult... I found a very quick, easy, convenient and effective way of defeating him. I'm sure plenty of people on Retro already know... or at least I would hope... but for the benefit of the clueless, I'll supply a hint.: Stay on the ceiling at all times.

I've never found it hard, but it was awfully tedious and annoying (although it WAS impossible as super tails). It's an example of how NOT to do a 2D boss.

Ritz, on 08 September 2011 - 06:30 PM, said:

The one time I got fooled by box rhetoric is when Sonic 3D Blast Saturn promised me "secret stages". I guess they were talking about special stages, but who wouldn't know the difference between the two? Every time I broke a hidden wall, I'd get all excited thinking I was about to enter some hidden stage. What an asshole move!

This is definitely something someone making a fangame should consider. That'd be pretty awesome to have entirely separate zones accessible via secret passages and the like. Goes with the earlier idea of branching paths.

This post has been edited by Ridiculum: 11 September 2011 - 02:33 AM

[KingofHarts]

Ridiculum, on 11 September 2011 - 02:29 AM, said:

This is definitely something someone making a fangame should consider. That'd be pretty awesome to have entirely separate zones accessible via secret passages and the like. Goes with the earlier idea of branching paths.

If that's something you want, then boy am I glad you said it on my post... that is indeed something I want to implement in my game... granted, to a small degree, only a couple bonus zones here and there. but im planning for it.

[Chibs]

Ah, this topic's perfect to post this in. The Sonic episode of Game Center CX came out subbed today.




You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll scream at your monitor.
http://www.multiupload.com/CKCOJVK3IQ

[Jason]

So it's a Let's Play with a budget of greater than zero? Whoopie.

[muteKi]

Jason, on 18 September 2011 - 06:27 PM, said:

So it's a Let's Play with a budget of greater than zero? Whoopie.

Well professional editing goes a long way to making it more enjoyable. But that's only one part of the episode; although the (usually single-sitting, blind, and not always successful) challenge takes up most of the episode length, he also looks at arcades in Japan as a regular segment, and has a few other similar features.

These segements shown less fequently include reading of viewers' fond game memories along with old cheat screens and such, playthroughs of older and lesser-known game hardware, super game boy comparisons, release timelines, behind-the-scenes looks at the show's DS game...

Yes, the show's DS game. Arino is the Beat Takeshi (who also got his start as a standup comedian who made his own especially crazy NES game back in the day) of a new generation.

This post has been edited by muteKi: 18 September 2011 - 07:28 PM

[Chibs]

I hate being entertained