[Caniad Bach]

Personally, I'd want a Sonic 4 to take fresh ideas on new tropes. I really like the art style of the picture you've got up there, but it just screams Emerald Hill Zone 2.0. All the classic Sonic games had similar tropes, EG a green level to begin with, but always took a different way of approaching them. Of course it's too early to tell where it's going at the moment. I personally think a lush, perhaps misty in places Amazonian forest would be a neat idea for a level that hasn't really been done yet. It would lead for great room to have swinging vines, high platforming paths on top of trees, water sections and sinking mud. Maybe Sonic could grab a parrot and be lifted to areas, which could either be an automatic A to B, or controlled by the player like the gliders in the GG games.

Wall jump might be a good idea if implemented well, but to me one of the joys of Sonic is its simplicity, and the one button play is part of its 'pick up and play' charm, in my opinion. It would take some careful balancing to make sure it didn't slow down the gameplay for people who want to speed through the levels (a right which must be gained by ability rather than FASTFASTFASTBOOSTERS), and I wouldn't want to be jumping towards a wall and accidentally stick to it. Knuckles can already jump between walls.

Also I'd like Sonic to look like he does in the intro to SCD, because to me that's the coolest fucking art style for him ever.

I wish this project the best of luck and hope it really is Sonic 4 as well all imagined it!

EDIT: Fuck the homing attack. Fuck it with a wall full of sandpaper cocks.

This post has been edited by Caniad Bach: 18 March 2012 - 04:08 PM

[dsrb]

Caniad Bach, on 18 March 2012 - 04:07 PM, said:

I'd like Sonic to look like he does in the intro to SCD, because to me that's the coolest fucking art style for him ever.

This.

And hey, you could rationalise it canonically by claiming that the angularity in Sonic World was intentional!

[Aerosol]

What would like to see in Sonic 4?

*Fully hand-painted levels
*Buttery smooth, cartoony animation on characters (ala Sonic CD intro!)
*A return to the level structure of S3K, including:
-Minibosses
-Level transitions
*A brand new kind of special stage, or atleast an honest-to-good original twist on an old one
*Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as playable characters
*Homing attack as a shield ability

If I think of more I suppose I could edit them into this post. I'm waiting for more info on UbiArt myself. I can't wait to *maybe* use it!

This post has been edited by AerosolSP: 18 March 2012 - 04:17 PM

[Rockman Zero]

I'd like to see some inspiration from the Sonic OVA for at least one or or two levels. I would also love to see Metal Robotnik/Black Eggman as a boss.

Instead of using sounds from the MegaDrive, I'd prefer if the music sounded like the Japanese soundtrack of Sonic CD—house music. Maybe a mix of MJ's style from the Dangeous era and house. Both of those styles fit Sonic so well.

[Dr. Felix]

Can it have a Werehog? :P Kidding. But, yeah, I agree. Try to put in some OVA throwbacks, maybe that scrapped level from Sonic CD.

[jasonchrist]

For music, I'd go for the Sonic CD feel myself.



You have an entire back catalogue of awesome stuff from the Madchester/Hacienda scene and mid 90s eurodance to draw inspiration form... hell, even rip off if you want to.

Always been a big fan of your work, Sonica! If you want someone to help out with level design/layouts and concept art, I'd love to help out.

[Caniad Bach]

AerosolSP, on 18 March 2012 - 04:15 PM, said:

*A brand new kind of special stage, or atleast an honest-to-good original twist on an old one

Oh God this! A new, truly innovative special stage. Perhaps a 3D race of some kind? Obstacles slow you down and you need to get [a] certain time[s] to get the Chaos Emerald.

[Machenstein]

Instead of the Homing Attack and Air Dash, I would prefer a retooled version of the Insta-Shield which makes Sonic bounce twice as high from enemies and monitors than he would from simply jumping on them. I would also put in a wall jump that behaves more like the one in Rayman Origins and less like Mighty's wall jump from Knuckles Chaotix.

This post has been edited by Machenstein: 18 March 2012 - 06:01 PM

[Blivsey]

Black Squirrel, on 18 March 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

Most importantly you shouldn't listen to the actual Sonic 4 at all because not a single idea it put forward was good.

They gave Motobug the ability to turn. That was a good idea

Also, SpeedStarTMQ pretty much relayed what I was gonna say. Other than that, I posted a few words on the Homing Attack somewhere in the S4E2 thread.

[jasonchrist]

If you decide to include a new move, do it AFTER you've designed all the levels. That way it makes the move entirely optional, like the spin dash was in Sonic 2 and the elemental shields in Sonic 3.

Oh, and don't make it the homing attack.

[SpeedStarTMQ]

Just remember that any abilities you include must be totally unique. For example, bouncing higher is something that a bubble shield can achieve. Thinking about it, even wall jumping isn't very 'classic Sonic', because it replaces what would be Knuckles' climbing move and makes Sonic more of an ultimate character rather than the standard. I and a lot of people saw Sonic as an all round character rather than anything ultra special in all the classic and Advance games. He could run fast, even later had a few flips and special spins, but he couldn't glide, couldn't fly, couldn't swim, and relied on skill rather than 'cheating' moves.

To stay 'classic' without feeling like you're going in to the realms of a fan game, I personally would actually just bung all of his current attacks in for him (the spindash, the insta-shield and the super peel out), if you're not thinking of including the homing attack that is.

This post has been edited by SpeedStarTMQ: 18 March 2012 - 07:27 PM

[W.A.C.]

-Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles should definitely be playable along with at least one other playable character, preferably Amy Rose.
-Sonic CD's musical style with some influences from S3&K's soundtrack would be badass. I wouldn't go in the route the actual Sonic 4 went in trying to severely limit themselves since that did not work out well at all. Hell, Generations had some great ideas as well when it came to how to approach Classic Sonic's music.
-Some of the Sonic screensaver art had some damn good ideas. [LINK]
-Sonic 1-3 and CD started off with a green level. While doing that for this version of Sonic 4 would be a safe move, feel free to take risks throughout the game when it comes to the type of levels in it. In other words, don't play it too safe. Experiment.
-Please give me the option to disable the time limit if you include it in the game.

Those are some ideas for now. I'll probably come up with more later.

Edit-

Please include Sonic's peel-out move from CD. That move is boss.

This post has been edited by W.A.C.: 18 March 2012 - 07:35 PM

[Machenstein]

SpeedStarTMQ, on 18 March 2012 - 07:22 PM, said:

Thinking about it, even wall jumping isn't very 'classic Sonic', because it replaces what would be Knuckles' climbing move and makes Sonic more of an ultimate character rather than the standard.

If you're thinking of Mega Man X's wall jump, I'd agree. What I would prescribe for Sonic would be a wall jump that's only useful in confined spaces such as in New Super Mario Bros. or Rayman Origins. Sonic would only be able to jump up walls if there is another wall right in front of it. Knuckles, on the other hand, wouldn't need another wall in close proximity in order to go up them. He would just climb up them as usual.

Also, if there is going to be a fourth playable character in this Sonic 4, I would recommend it be Espio. Not only can he walk up walls, but on ceilings as well. I'd also throw in his invisibility move from Heroes which would make him invulnerable to specific hazards. Just think of the different alternate routes that could be made with those abilities in mind.

This post has been edited by Machenstein: 18 March 2012 - 07:36 PM

[Solid SOAP]

The art style certainly looks cool thus far, but keep in mind that Sonic 4's art style (SEGA's, not yours) took a bit TOO many ideas from the classics. Make it a bit different in design, with different zone tropes and new approaches to classic ones. Don't simply make Emerald Hill Zone in HD, make it your own. It looks good otherwise, but keep that in mind.

[W.A.C.]

SpeedStarTMQ, on 18 March 2012 - 02:07 PM, said:

Well firstly, I'd actually like to see the homing attack. It's all good and well for people to dismiss it because of how Sonic 4 handled it, but if you're trying to make your Sonic 4 a game which feels like it progresses in the same way the originals all did, then you'd have to include it. Sonic CD introduced the Super Peel Out, Sonic 2 introduced the standard spindash, Sonic 3 introduced the insta-shield, and Sonic 4 should include something else, and that something else should be the homing attack.

SpeedStarTMQ, on 18 March 2012 - 07:22 PM, said:

Just remember that any abilities you include must be totally unique. For example, bouncing higher is something that a bubble shield can achieve. Thinking about it, even wall jumping isn't very 'classic Sonic', because it replaces what would be Knuckles' climbing move and makes Sonic more of an ultimate character rather than the standard. I and a lot of people saw Sonic as an all round character rather than anything ultra special in all the classic and Advance games. He could run fast, even later had a few flips and special spins, but he couldn't glide, couldn't fly, couldn't swim, and relied on skill rather than 'cheating' moves.

I don't know how anyone could view Tails and Knuckles as cheating characters while supporting the idea of Sonic having the homing attack. If someone views Tails and Knuckles as cheating characters, I don't agree with them but okay, I can understand the reasoning behind that view. If someone thinks Sonic 4 should have the homing attack, I also don't agree with that view but hey, the homing attack can be awesome if implimented well like in Sonic Megamix so I understand why some people would want it in Sonic 4. To feel the homing attack should be included while also viewing Tails and Knuckles as cheating characters just makes no sense to me at all.

SpeedStarTMQ, on 18 March 2012 - 07:22 PM, said:

To stay 'classic' without feeling like you're going in to the realms of a fan game, I personally would actually just bung all of his current attacks in for him (the spindash, the insta-shield and the super peel out), if you're not thinking of including the homing attack that is.

And this makes me more confused on what you want out of Sonic 4. You make it clear you don't want Sonic to feel equal in abilities to Tails and Knuckles because you think of them as cheating characters, yet you also feel Sonic should have the homing attack which takes more control out of the player than Tails' flying or Knuckles' gliding and wall climbing abilities.