[Joltanz Mantis]

IGN gave Sonic 4-1 8.0.
IGN gave Sonic 4-2 6.5.

Here are the closing comments for 4-2

''CLOSING COMMENTS
When it was first announced to be in development back in 2009, the promise of SEGA's "Project Needlemouse" seemed incredible – it's no wonder fans of the Sonic franchise got their hopes up so high. Episode I then came along and, for many, failed to deliver on that potential. Episode II is a better game than that one was when it comes to the fans' key criticisms, but yet this second – and final – installment of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 still seems bland. Buy it and enjoy it as much as you can if you're a longtime Sonic follower. Just don't get your hopes up too high again. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, once more, has not been the true second coming of your hero.''

...I understand they're two different reviewers but this is just stupid. OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable. Yours to decide.

[The Fralin Boy]

Joltanz Mantis, on 19 May 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

IGN gave Sonic 4-1 8.0.
IGN gave Sonic 4-2 6.5.

Here are the closing comments for 4-2

''CLOSING COMMENTS
When it was first announced to be in development back in 2009, the promise of SEGA's "Project Needlemouse" seemed incredible – it's no wonder fans of the Sonic franchise got their hopes up so high. Episode I then came along and, for many, failed to deliver on that potential. Episode II is a better game than that one was when it comes to the fans' key criticisms, but yet this second – and final – installment of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 still seems bland. Buy it and enjoy it as much as you can if you're a longtime Sonic follower. Just don't get your hopes up too high again. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, once more, has not been the true second coming of your hero.''

...I understand they're two different reviewers but this is just stupid. OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable. Yours to decide.

Never trust IGN with any review ever

[Vaiz]

Joltanz Mantis, on 19 May 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

IGN gave Sonic 4-1 8.0.
IGN gave Sonic 4-2 6.5.

Here are the closing comments for 4-2

''CLOSING COMMENTS
When it was first announced to be in development back in 2009, the promise of SEGA's "Project Needlemouse" seemed incredible – it's no wonder fans of the Sonic franchise got their hopes up so high. Episode I then came along and, for many, failed to deliver on that potential. Episode II is a better game than that one was when it comes to the fans' key criticisms, but yet this second – and final – installment of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 still seems bland. Buy it and enjoy it as much as you can if you're a longtime Sonic follower. Just don't get your hopes up too high again. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, once more, has not been the true second coming of your hero.''

...I understand they're two different reviewers but this is just stupid. OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable. Yours to decide.

IGN. Don't fucking make me say it.

[Trunks]

Joltanz Mantis, on 19 May 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable.

IGN is a twisted corporation now. It's not about games and reviews, it's about pure marketing. They have horrible business practices, and I'm going to go off topic for a moment.

Spoiler

I saw that IGN was having a deal where if you signed up for Prime, you got a free copy of Orcs Must Die. Since it was only $6 to sign up as opposed to $15 for the game by itself, I figured I would try it.
When I signed up, they said they were out of keys. There was nowhere in their advertising that said the keys were limited, and I couldn't get a refund.
Not only that, but they wouldn't let me close my account either. So I was consistently being charged $6 a month, and I had to keep making a claim against them via PayPal to get my money back.

IGN can suck a fat one.

[HeartAttack]

I love how they say the physics are fixed and true to the 16-bit era. I mean yeah I'm happy with the physics overall, but to say they're a near perfect replication of the classic physics is laughable. IGN has no clue what the fuck they're even talking about.

[Lord Nero]

SpeedStarTMQ, on 19 May 2012 - 12:50 PM, said:

Yeah, basically just to confirm what's been said but just confirming something else here- Episode Metal goes straight inbetween Ep I & II, as it ends with Sonic & Tails flying off on the tornado. They have left behind the rocket that Sonic used to get the to the E.G.G Station. Sonic 4 Episode I ends with Sonic in Splash Hill so Sonic obviously met up with Tails there and camped out a bit- they then flew off on a long journey through the desert linking Episode I to Episode II. Metal chases them and ends up finding them in White Park again. And then it goes from there.

Indigo Dude has the game order spot on.

This also confirms why Dr Robotnik decided to build other Metal Sonic versions between Sonic CD & Sonic 4 I am loving SEGA right now.

By the way guys, I've seen a few of you a bit disappointed that Metal Sonic has been depicted in the bad future of Stardust Speedway- the only explanation there is is that after Sonic saved Little Planet and the future became good again, because this was still set in the present of the Little Planet, it's still bad look despite Eggman's presence no longer having a hold over the planet. When playing Sonic CD, you travel to the good future if you enter there yourself through a signpost or Sonic does behind the scenes between each level after collecting the Time Stones/destroying capsules automatically. it's still the future, so the present is still in whatever mess it was, but the evil influence is no longer there years afterward.

Where Metal Sonic lays is only a year or so after Sonic CD when the Little Planet returns over Never Lake, so the future hasn't yet set in

Also, it takes its graphics from the Generations version of the Metal Sonic race- Sonic travelled back in time there himself to replay fighting Metal, so it seems the event is also related there too, seeing as he's now lying in the middle of the road. It seems this time travel in Generations has also affected the outcome of the battle, or maybe I'm overthinking this. Remember at the end of Generations they turn Super and the Super Sonic music for Sonic 4 plays? Then Classic Sonic goes back to his time? Yeah...

Time travel is confusing.

The only problem with leaving it just with Sonic CD and not Generations is that in Sonic CD you HAVE to get the Time Stones BEFORE the end of Stardust Speedway in CD, and this generates the good future of the Metal Sonic boss. The only reason this is plausible is if Generations fucked with the time travel, like when Trunks goes back to the past and changed it in DBZ.

Eh. I'll leave that for you to digest.

I like to think that Stardust Speedway is shown in the bad future motif because Eggman took control of Little Planet again by building the Death Egg Mk II over it, so really, Little Planet once again has a bad future until Sonic and company free it from the Death Egg Mk II's control.

Not to mention, Generations assets

[Blue Blood]

Joltanz Mantis, on 19 May 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

...I understand they're two different reviewers but this is just stupid. OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable. Yours to decide.

It's improved, but not improved enough. For a sequel is feels lack lustre, and in the time between Episodes 1 and 2 there's been a lot of competition in the downloadable market that offers better value money which E2 can't match up to. One Generations reviewer who also reviewed E1 said something to the effect of "Generations is better, but the reason I've rated it slightly below E1 is because I think that that was better compared to the other games on the market and you get more content for the price" or something to that effect. It why reading reviews is important, and not simply relying on the score which means different things in different places.

[Black Squirrel]

Honestly the only views on the net you should trust are the aggregate scores and your own.

http://www.metacriti...og-4-episode-ii - 63
http://www.metacriti...og-4-episode-ii - 61
(at the time of posting)

± 10 or so to account for the Metacritic system. GameRankings is about the same.

[SmashX5000]

After finally getting to play it, I have to say I really liked it. The graphics were pretty good, the levels (while some of them were essentially rehashes graphically) felt a lot more unique, and I liked how some things used to the homing attack in unique ways. I'm fine with the homing attack when it's used in unique ways rather than Bubble chains. Though, why are there even those chains if Tails can fly you over them? I guess for multiplayer, but in that the other player could fly you over. Still, there weren't as many as there were in Episode 1. I only remember a few, and I just played it through this morning.

The music I liked, but at the same time, I didn't. The songs are nice, but they loop so quickly that it bothers me. You know what would work better? Take the 3 songs of a zone, make them 1 long song, and make alterations for the different acts. Like, you know, S3&K.

The Special Stages I liked at first, but after playing the last few I prefer Episode 1's. But, being able to restart mid-Special Stage in these ones is a lot easier. Doesn't change the fact that I hate the last few of em though.

Overall, I really liked it. Even if some motifs were reused, they made an effort to do unique things. The physics were a lot better, too.

[Joltanz Mantis]

Blue Blood, on 19 May 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

Joltanz Mantis, on 19 May 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

...I understand they're two different reviewers but this is just stupid. OR, it's just that IGN is overall unreliable. Yours to decide.

It's improved, but not improved enough. For a sequel is feels lack lustre, and in the time between Episodes 1 and 2 there's been a lot of competition in the downloadable market that offers better value money which E2 can't match up to. One Generations reviewer who also reviewed E1 said something to the effect of "Generations is better, but the reason I've rated it slightly below E1 is because I think that that was better compared to the other games on the market and you get more content for the price" or something to that effect. It why reading reviews is important, and not simply relying on the score which means different things in different places.

I read both reviews. In 4-1 they praise the nostalgia factor. In 4-2 they praise the combos and the graphics, while thinking that the rest is bland. The problem is that 4-1 used gimmicks from the old games while 4-2 was more original, but Dimps lacks imagination, justifying the blandness. Still, 4-2 deserves a higher score to me. It may be lackluster, but compared to 4-1, it's gold.
I think the reason 4-1 is more popular is that it was the initial nostalgia cash-in, and since it was a decent playable game, it was loved by many.
4-2, however, came after Generations, which was a fantastic game, so it does pale in comparision. If it wasn't done in episodes, I doubt the reviews would point out how the first four acts were better.

Generations set the gold standard for ''nostalgia'' in Sonic.

[Blue Blood]

Black Squirrel, on 19 May 2012 - 02:25 PM, said:

Honestly the only views on the net you should trust are the aggregate scores and your own.

http://www.metacriti...og-4-episode-ii - 63
http://www.metacriti...og-4-episode-ii - 61
(at the time of posting)

± 10 or so to account for the Metacritic system. GameRankings is about the same.

More accurate aggregate scores show that the game is more like a 70 than a 60.

[Master Emerald]

EDIT: Derp patch doesn't work DRM fail.

I already emailed the code Jackfuste sent me to Ken! Let's wait now!

This post has been edited by Master Emerald: 19 May 2012 - 09:53 PM

[upg]

OK this question is a bit off topic sorry dudes..

I don't know much about this but, do you think that the reason they can't use the Genesis physics in Sonic 4 is due to Yuji Naka not being a part of it?
I was just thinking because I had read or heard somewhere that he blocked them from using the physics in Sonic X-Treme or something? Correct me if I'm wrong please

If so, then that's no good

Spoiler

Back to regular scheduled programming..

[Sonic Warrior TJ]

upg, on 19 May 2012 - 03:42 PM, said:

OK this question is a bit off topic sorry dudes..

I don't know much about this but, do you think that the reason they can't use the Genesis physics in Sonic 4 is due to Yuji Naka not being a part of it?
I was just thinking because I had read or heard somewhere that he blocked them from using the physics in Sonic X-Treme or something? Correct me if I'm wrong please

If so, then that's no good

Spoiler

Back to regular scheduled programming..

You've got the right idea, but it was the NiGHTS engine he wouldn't let STI use to make X-Treme. I wouldn't think Naka has exclusive rights to the old games' physics.

This post has been edited by Sonic Warrior TJ: 19 May 2012 - 03:49 PM

[Skyler]

upg, on 19 May 2012 - 03:42 PM, said:

OK this question is a bit off topic sorry dudes..

I don't know much about this but, do you think that the reason they can't use the Genesis physics in Sonic 4 is due to Yuji Naka not being a part of it?
I was just thinking because I had read or heard somewhere that he blocked them from using the physics in Sonic X-Treme or something? Correct me if I'm wrong please

I don't believe so. What he blocked from STI was his engine for NiGHTS being used in Sonic X-Treme.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

This post has been edited by Skyler: 19 May 2012 - 03:56 PM