[TheKazeblade]

Sonic's obviously been portrayed in multiple ways over multiple games. My question is, what is everyone's personal favorite art directions for Sonic games? In this case, art direction pertains to in-game art as well as box/ official art.

This isn't a location to argue about whether Oshima or Uekawa's design of Sonic is better. This is regarding the visual style each game or piece of official artwork that have been used, or is hoped to be used in the future.

As far as in-game art goes, I would have to say Unleashed (HD) has been my favorite style that a Sonic game has been portrayed in. The somewhat photo-realistic approach used in the nature-based levels meshed with the type of environment needed for a Sonic game makes for some pretty surreal imagery. Some good examples of what I'm talking about is Jungle Joyride and Cool Edge.





As for artwork not in-game, I've actually really grown to love the cover for the Sonic Rush Adventure OST.



I love the pop-art feel, it reminds me a lot of Roy Lichtenstein's adaptations of comic strips, as well as photo-montaging in general. It's stylistic and eye-catching, and feels perfectly Sonic. I wish such an approach would be taken in future games for box art, in-game menus and whatnot.

What's everyone's preferences?

[SonicGenesis89]

My favorite art direction gameplay wise is firstly Sonic CD. I love the surreal, trippy and futuristic feeling CD gives off. Each Zone had its own surrealism that made it unique. Seeing the different era's for each Zone was just a plus. Not only were regular levels very colorful and unique looking but so was the Special Stages. The futuristic cities in the background or rainbow colors just really grab my attention. The detail in that game for its time to me was something very special and each level had something in it visually that really appealed to me greatly. Secondly would have to be Unleashed HD as well.

Unleashed took realistic locations around the world and made them surreal and Sonic styled. Making them look new and fresh and just visually stunning and appeasing to the eyes. I also love Colours because it brings back some of that surrealism I liked in CD. Very colourful and outer worldly, Planet Wisp for example is just visually gorgeous. The vegetation and coloring in that Zone is just so eye appealing I really can't wait to see it in Generations in HD. As for art designs my favorite is Sonic CD style and secondly the Oshima Sonic 3 and Screen Saver art style. I absolutely love those with all my heart.







The Sonic CD art style is just so charming and Classic to me. It's very cartoony, cute and also badass at the same time. Sonic looks cool and with his attitude while looking tough and cute, I also like how they design his spines and he looks more hedgehog-ish and has more spines then his regular Classic art style. It's always been one of my favorite art designs of Sonic since I was a kid. If they were to make a Sonic anime series or comic this is how I wish they would make Sonic and friends look. Make Amy look like her CD style, Tails, Knuckles and Eggman their OVA styles which is very similar to the CD style and also inspired from it.







The Sonic Screen Saver / Sonic 3 artwork has also always been my favorite. Sonic looks so cute and cool in these pictures. I love how cute Tails looks and how badass they make Knuckles look. I've always loved the way Eggman is drawn as well. This would also make a kick ass anime or comic series if drawn in this style. I have probably looked at these pictures and used them as my Desktop pictures more than anything else. They are also very colourful and surreal to some degree. It looks like Earth but absolutely beautiful, very vivid and surreal. It just attracts me so much like a magnet. This art style is also very cute but badass looking as well.

I also love Oshima's early Sonic concept art, Sonic always looked really badass and tough in those images and looked more adorable to the degree of wanting to hug him. This art style to me is very timeless and Classic making Sonic a very iconic image which he was inspired off of like Felix and Mickey. I also have to say I love how Sonic's model looks in games now, absolutely love his Unleashed / Colours / Generations model. For Modern Sonic that's the best model yet and I hope they continue to use it for future installments.

This post has been edited by SonicGenesis89: 02 July 2011 - 02:32 AM

[fifthelephant]

Classic Japanese Sonic and Sonic from Sonic Jam are my favourite ones. I really love the model for Sonic World and for Sonic The Fighters, really makes me wish that they made a Saturn Sonic.

[ICEknight]

I'd also say both Sonic CD and those promotional pics that ended up in Sonic the screensaver.

That style was still evolving when it suddenly turned into something completely different. So much potential lost. =\

This post has been edited by ICEknight: 03 July 2011 - 06:19 PM

[SonicGenesis89]

Classic Japanese Sonic and Sonic from Sonic Jam are my favourite ones. I really love the model for Sonic World and for Sonic The Fighters, really makes me wish that they made a Saturn Sonic.

Same here omg, all Sega needed to do was make Sonic World a Saturn game. Sonic World was your Tropical Trope just make it larger, add badniks and a Eggman boss, then add your Ruin, Water, and w/e other Tropes etc with bosses and badniks, make Tails and Knuckles optional playable or tag along characters and you have a fun Sonic game for the Saturn. It's not that hard, I also love his Sonic World model he looks like Sonic CD Opening and Ending Sonic in 3D. I'd just run around Sonic World for hours more than anything else, it was cute and fun and thought it was a good take at that time of taking Genesis Sonic and making it 3D.

[SpeedStarTMQ]

Late Dreamcast/Sonic Advance cartoon style is my favorite style of Sonic art. Though I love the original styles just as much (and there are many styles for the original Mega Drive games), I feel there is where Sonic's style became a 'good medium', and his style became constant for a good while, following really from Sonic Adventure 2 (though Sonic Adventure really started this new style), through to Sonic Rush Adventure. He's not as 'stylized' as he is now with the Sonic Colours/Sonic 4/Sonic Generations art, and he's a decent hybrid between the 'now' and 'then'. He has green eyes, but the overall style was still much more rounded and outlined then it has been since the release of Shadow The Hedgehog, where it changed and became more 'real' with the style of texturing and lighting. He also looks laid back and happy, rather than showing a constant "AWESOME" emotion. He looks like he could still be cute and smile, and could still give a little blank look akin to Sonic CD's style if he wanted to. Sonic Advance's running animation also has him looking stern like in the originals. Whenever he used to run I imagined him furrowing his brow, which he obviously does in the Mega Drive and Advance games, like shit's going down when he kicks into action.

You can see here up until Shadow The Hedgehog, Sonic maintained an almost constant style from Adventure onwards;
http://tquinnathome1.deviantart.com/art/So...paper-200447915

This post has been edited by SpeedStarTMQ: 03 July 2011 - 06:36 PM

[FlackoWeasel]

I mostly enjoy this kind of Sonic drawings:



Why I love this style?
I mostly enjoy these soft colours and shading. They also look very young and cute. I should try out maybe I can do similar way some of my works as I have had this idea for a long time now to try and practise some different colourings.

2nd style I enjoy looking



I love the design Sonic has and the very roundy body and thin legs. I also enjoy the colouring on this too.

3rd is advance style my favourite.

[jasonchrist]

I love Sonic 1, CD and Colours the most in terms of art direction.

In terms of artwork, I love all the Japanese Classic stuff.

[Mr. Mash]

I really like the level art in the Advance games

As well as the Ristar-looking art in Chaotix, the pallets are really nice.

I'm not sure about HD/3D levels, I'd prefer them to be a little more abstract. Colours was a nice step in that direction and I like this unleashed concept art, but I like the brush strokes and sketchyness or the art, which gets lost in the actual game.


My favourite artwork of Sonic is the Sonic 3 promo art (like Flacko's second choice) but not the Sonic 3 box art we got over here. Jesus god no.

[NinjaCoachZ]

I'll also go with Sonic CD for the aforementioned reasons. The environments are really detailed, and they make Sonic 1 look plain in comparison. Stardust Speedway and Tidal Tempest are simply gorgeous.

For 3D games, I'll say Sonic Heroes for faithfully translating the bright, classic style to the modern era.

[Nova]

In terms of design, I like Sonic CD the most. As has been said, he looks 'cute' and cartoon-like while still retaining a cool edge and a badass attitude. The quills are what make it for me.

In terms of art direction in modern games, I'd go for Generations. Green Hill Zone looks absolutely gorgeous and I'm looking forward to seeing Chemical Plant Zone and Sky Sanctuary.

[Herm the Germ]

Personally, as far as in-game style is concerned, I, strangely, tend to prefer the more realistic environments more. I know, it goes against everything the series originally had going for itself, but, eh, I don't really care. It looks nice to me for the most part.

Boxart wise I wouldn't mind them using Channel-style again for the characters themselves though the rad renders used since Shadow are pretty good and visually appealing to me, too.

The art style from screensaver is just about the best in terms of classic Sonic art, though. Maybe it's the gradients, I don't onow, it just looks pretty nice for that general style of character portrayal. Can't see it working with modern Sonic, though.

[True Dude]

My favorite style is American Sonic.



I'm serious. Japanese Classic Sonic is a close-second, though.

[Aurapandora]

I must admit I love both classic and mordern artwork from al lthe sonic games.

If I had to pick one, I would say the artwork for Sonic Riders. I like that sketchy, jet set radio look to it.

[serpx]

First off, I 100% adore the Japanese style of Sonic for Sonic CD, and the classic era period. Though, I am warming up to and even falling in love with this next-generation classic era.



Words cannot describe how much I love this direction. Seriously, I may love it MORE than I enjoyed the Genesis/Sega CD classic designs. I want to see original levels that are as visually stunning, and are as nongeneric and unique as that CPZ remake. No more typical-Earth level designs. Bring in the fun shapes, the fantasy-ish environments, and the stuff that made Sonic worlds so cool to run in.

This post has been edited by serpx: 16 July 2011 - 08:38 PM