Got this game gifted to me on Steam a few days ago, it is really frustrating for me to play this, not because of the quality of the game since they did make some improvements, but the lack of graphical settings in the options menu. Unfortunately I only have a laptop with Intel GMA X4500 integrated graphics, which does not work well with Episode II as there is some lagging present, with sounds being played before I even see Sonic and Tails getting to an object. If I can change the settings on other games like Portal 2, why not with Sonic 4? It's just ridiculous that SEGA refuse to do nothing more than a shoddy job with PC ports, yet they charge people ridiculous prices to buy the game. At least I didn't pay shit for Sonic 4.
That's because SEGA ported the game and didn't change the screen scaling to native resolution... (As mentioned before by others)
From what I noticed in the level design, the reason is to hide the "night time" feel of Act 3, so starting underwater means you don't hear the crickets nor do you see the moonlight. A good alternative would have been just an indoor section, which the zone already had a few. A best alternative would have been S3K act transistions.
but that would mean having to actually program the game to automatically send you to the next level. Totally killing the point of my signature pictures.
Which brings up the question, why have I got to select a option to proceed, otherwise it forces me to a level select. Now I know its only a button, and I am not complaining about it or be listed as a whiny Retro member in a Brainscratch video but it just seems like a odd design choice in my opinion. And I don't see why they felt the need to cover the moonlight surprise up, Splash Hill act 3 was in the sunset and they didn't feel the need to hide it. But you never know they may have wanted suspense but even when seeing it I didn't go wow.
As I've seen before, it would have made more sense (and more natrual from the series' point of view) to have the player press the button to go to the map select instead of to the next act.
You actually do start "indoors" in Splash Hill Act III. I don't see how starting underwater is bad level design.
What bugs me about it is that it's so sudden. At the end of Act 2 they're above water, then Act 3 comes and suddenly they're underwater. A little transition would've gone a long way.
Man, Act 2 is afternoon, Act 3 is night. No transition needed. Act 3 obviously doesn't happed RIGHT after act 2.. Maybe an hour or two after?
But the MGZ(afternoon)-->CNZ(night) transition is shown in a matter of seconds. Some sort of transition wouldn't hurt.
Y'know, the final Zone of this game reminds me of a fangame. I think it was in Multimedia Fusion 2, used the SatAM continuity for a base, had a more gritty, dark look to it. Anyone else recall that game, cause I've spent the past hour trying to relocate it.
No, the one I'm thinking of had Bunnie Rabbot playable and Sonic taking on Metal Sonic after being launched into the skies... I found it, Sonic Nebulous, but the video I was talking about is gone. Ah well, looks like I was mistaken about the whole gravity thing, though =/ Sorry.
Play Special Stage 5, miss the spring and you get 1 game over with 5 seconds.Do it 50x more and you can get the I love Tails faster.
Good call on that, I followed this advice a couple of days ago when I saw it mentioned elsewhere. I was going to come in here and post an update to that but I forgot. Seems the best way to do it, especially since it seems like it doesn't count online plays towards the achievement (on 360 anyway)
I know what you're talking about, and a level or two in Nebulous did do the same thing as the Tikal & Chaos fan game/Death Egg Mk II. It was some dark.. gothich-ish level with hot air balloons or something.
As much as I like the fact that Tails doesn't have the homing attack, it was very, very weird to play without it. I've become accustomed to homing in Sonic (4). :X