SA1 Comes to XBLA & PSN.

The PSN update is live. Get it while it's hot.

 

It's up, there's a demo too. You need to install 3.50 first.
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/09/20/...ore-update-157/

Edit: The DX update is there too, for an additional $4.99. The description says that it adds 60 new missions (mission mode?) and metal sonic as a playable character. (Doesn't mention whether or not you need 130 emblems for it like in the GCN version) But I don't see the demo on the store.

 

I bought the DX add-on, and all it does is give you the original 60 missions that were in DX (with some slight changes, as mentioned above) and the ability to play as Metal Sonic in the trial mode when you collect all the emblems. Sucks ass that they don't give you Metal Sonic right away, but hey...

But my god is raising Chao the legit way fustrating. No matter how high the stats are, it just doesn't seem to make my Chao stop taking naps in the middle of races and tripping. I know stamina can affect this, but since I only need 2 more emblems to get all 130 and I only have two more races to win to get them, having my Chao lose on the basis of it's own incompetence and the lack of my own input while it's racing - it makes me want to quit right now. Really miss having the drives from SA2 to improve a specific stat rather than using animals. :\

I also miss racing in general in Sonic Adventure 2. At least that gave a little more control over how your Chao performs during the race.

 

If/when someone gets Metal Sonic, has his standing still pose been fixed?

 

The "Now Loading" text seen in the XBL release doesn't seem to be present in the PSN version.

Anyway, the game looks sharp, and has a draw distance and framerate increase over the Gamecube version. Emerald Coast seems to be sporting new water textures, and I'm sure there's more elsewhere. The 4:3 aspect ratio is a -huge- downer though. Seriously. Patch that shit up, Sega. There's no excuse for that.

Interestingly, the sign for the diner in Station Square seems to be back in place, where it was absent in the DX version. Yet other seemingly random changes from the DX version are still present, such as the burger shop building's color scheme, and the missing windmill fixtures in Windy Valley - The Air. They've reinserted all of the airborne searchlights and whatnot in Twinkle Circuit, as well.

Also new, is during the At Dawn segment of Speed Highway, if you look up at the beginning, there are posters of Chao being abducted by UFOs. I don't remember those being in any other version. Marble Zone strikes back? There seem to be new posters hanging around the first batch of rooftops, as well.

There's also the odd missing sound effect, usually in cutscenes, such as eggman transporting away after feeding Chaos the first emerald, or the sound of Sonic and Knuckles colliding after their fight. The helicopter in Speed Highway made no noise for me, as well. What's more, they altered the sound of Sonic falling headfirst into the beach after Sky Chase Act 1. It's a similar sound, but at a different pitch. Odd shit.

Each port of SA has the most random changes, I swear. Where's Dude when you need him?

 

I've noticed the timing of the voices is different; much more fluent at times.

 

I don't have the equipment for that (sadly) but it's noticeable enough that people who've gone through the game can pick up on it. Would audio be fine?

Some sound effects are really muted, including the helicopter rotors in Speed Highway. Going Down!?'s segment also has far fewer helicopters than I remember and there's issues with lighting on Casinopolis' sign in Station Square (it's not lit up at all). Lighting in general seems to be an issue, as the rings look odd at times or lighting is strange.

I managed to glitch the game when restarting from screwing up a shortcut in Ice Cap 2 where the level reloaded but loaded up the wrong textures, so all the rocks were metal tubing similar to Final Egg. It made the level look cool, sure, but it's really sloppy as hell.

Bosses seem faster, but it may just be the 60fps. Chaos 4 went by much faster than usual and Egg Hornet dove at me at almost teleportation like speeds.

Sonic also had an amusing spazz out when walking to Twinkle Park with Amy. His walking animation was moving double or triple the speed it should have been in that cutscene.

The control stick is very sensitive. It made running on the moving platform ramp near the beginning of Speed Highway much harder than its ever been. The billboard in Speed Highway 3 is also entirely solid, meaning you can't walk along the frame to take the hidden shortcut there. Damn shame, I was hoping that one would at least be fixed from SADX.

Load times aren't too bad. As Shade mentioned, PSN version has no "NOW LOADING" screens. Still wouldn't mind a 16:9 update in the future since I'm not really digging the side bars.

I love review copies. Where do I submit these for bug fixing? I mean, I clearly have done more work in an hour than whatever work the quality assurance people (assuming there were any at all) did.

 

So has anyone attempted to copy/modify the Chao save? I want to know if the Tails Chao and other special Chao are in this.

 

They'll definitely be in it, cause they were in the PC version. Chances are that like in that version there's not going to be any way to get them.

 

They'll be $0.50 DLC.

 

Fixed. You have no idea how SEGA works.

 

Just downloaded the demo for shits and gigs.

The least they could have done was update some of the things in this game that are clearly out dated and don't match the in game models, such as the instructions graphics, the menus, the life icons and 1up icons, and the speed shoe icon. They should have done that in the PC version too, but of course they didn't. Or they could have taken the easy route out and just give the game how it originally was with dreamcast models and all, and the crappy icons would have fit better

 

that's why I was wondering if maybe hacking it in would be possible, same with Omochao

 

Oh it's out on PSN? I'd get it immediately if it weren't for the fact that this isn't actually the Dreamcast version. I really wanted to try it out, but apparently they had to port the inferior PC version instead.

 

Oh man, top thought, SA2 Omochao interactive Avatar prop would rock

 

I'd only want it if my avatar would throw it at other people in my party.

 

After buying 40 Chao Fruits, purging Casinopolis of all blue-type wildlife and reacting to numerous numerous "UBBAH AH BUU"s, I've managed to get the 5 Chao Garden emblems all over again. I only have 10 more left until I reach 130 (I left Gamma's extra missions for last), so tomorrow I should be able to confirm anything about Metal Sonic that may have been changed (for example, K2J wanted to know if the 'standing still' pose has been fixed).

 

Not an awful port, would have been nice for them to add widescreen, but whatcha gonna do. Don't think I'm gonna get the DLC though, mission mode seems tedious.

 

Metal Sonic looks exactly the same to me, though I have the 360 version.

Anyone know if Metal Sonic's sound effects and Eggman's character selection screen voice are on the PSN version?