Revealed: Why Sonic can't swim

Wow, if Sonic could swim in the new games that would open a whole new branch of possibilities and ideas for future mechanics in the games. I would like to see it, bring back the unused goggles from Sonic 1! :P

Great find by the way, Naka seems to be on the same boat a lot of people have been on lately.

 

Ooh, I'd love to see Prope make a Lemmings-style game.

Of course Lemmings is one of those games that if it came out today I suspect it would be reviled for pandering to the casuals, so it wouldn't be out-of-character for them.

 

All this talk of Lemmings reminded me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kopb0YKYCE (Fast-forward to 1:38 for relevant part)

That said, I liked my copout answer of he had a bit of Run-Run Fruit and can no longer swim. Good to see an official explanation though.

 

Of course, that would have rendered him completely immobile altogether, rather than being able to simply move slowly. Still, that's pretty clever.

At least Sonic's able to climb out of water, apparently.

 

I really don't care that Sonic can't swim, he can freaking RUN on TOP of water...so that's good enough for me.

 

I think the inability to swim in Sonic games added a more challenging element to water levels than there would have been if Sonic could swim. The slower movement and panic of getting through areas without drowning gives the player a pretty big rush; if you could just swim your way through, I don't think the incentive would be as powerful to develop player skill to get through as best as you could without being able to swim.

Plus the bouncing physics in water were awesome.

But yeah—I think we were better off. Nice read, though.

 

*Points to Sonic swimming in Brawl* Naw, I know it's non-canon.

Indeed, attributes from Lemmings were used to define Sonic's ability when it came to swimming, but very interesting find TC.

 

If Sonic could swim, labyrinth zone would've be as scary as it was when I first played it and could only think "oh fuck air bubble".

 

(sigh) I miss water-themed levels in my Sonic games. Sure, they may slow down the pace of the game a bit, but at least they offer up a bit of a different challenge in that your movements are indeed slowed and the need to be aware of air bubble locations.

I think I'm gonna go play Hydrocity Zone now.

 

*Demands a Sonic 1 hack where Sonic CAN swim*

 

I imagine that if Sonic could swim, it wouldn't be much different than playing NiGHTS. Sonic would probably do a bunch of show-offy acrobatics, all the while his legs spinnin' for momentum. Sonic so wouldn't use his hands to swim. It's pretty much all about legwork for him.

I would like to try playing this at least once.

 

I see it being more like Castle of Illusion or Buster's Hidden Treasure.

 

It would be odd fo you, but Shadow also has some problems with swimming and the first pages of the "Sonic Universe" comic proves it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLG5NKt-seo

 

This jumped out at me

... current games?

Now for my comments. Just because the main character can't swim doesn't mean water levels have to die. Give me water in 3D games!

 

I own the issues 0,1, and 2 of the Classic Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Comics series and Sonic can swim in it. He has different speed settings. The underwater speed setting was called Sub-Sonic speed. Ah here it is! Sonic the Hedgehog #0! the description says "For underwater undercover work- understand?" He doesn't actually swim until issue 1. Strangely enough, my issues 1 and 2 have entirely different covers than the ones seen in Mega Collection. I wonder what that's supposed to mean.... hmmmmmm.... Gotta love those early issues of Sonic the Hedgehog Archie comics series. I'd scan a picture for you to look at it but unfortuantely I don't own a scanner.

 

I also seem to remember seeing Sonic swim in an episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. It's been at least seven years since I've seen it, so I don't remember which episode it was.

 

No surprise really. The Archie comics series is the parent and future of AoStH, SatAM and, Sonic Underground television series.
The underwater physics are unrealistic in all the games that have them. Sonic Sinks too much like a rock. However this is nothing compared to pondering how Tails never breaks his Tails' bones when going Heli. (The way they twist is impossible without him breaking something. Maybe he dislocates his Tails or something but that would hurt rgardless.) I know Tails is a chacter and not a real living thing but it still is kind of weird.

Back onto the subject of Sonic swimming however there is some brief underwater Gameplay in Emerald Coast in Sonic Adventure. There are also Air bubbles in this spot as well. Many people should know the location I'm referring to so there's no need to explain it. But for those of you who missed look in windy and ripply.

 

There's also a small section in Twinkle Park (the pool where Big fishes for Froggy) that Sonic can go into that includes air bubbles. It's a shame that water levels aren't used anymore; playing a Labyrinth-esque zone in 3D would be quite awesome, IMO.