:v: :v: :v: :v: This is so perfect. Tails could wake him up from the dream with a slap to the face so hard it turns his eyes back to black
That may explain the random update Ep. 1 recieved a couple months ago. Could have been prep for this.
I think back to the Sega forums when Sonic 4, Episode I was released, and everything members of the fandom debated back then. I hadn't played Sonic 4, Episode I in about three years until today. I maintain it's just not a good enough game on a number of levels, though looking at it in terms of the design, I'm still of the opinion that what it needed first and foremost was a good, Genesis esque physics engine and more thought into how it should slot into the next space after Sonic 3 & Knuckles, instead of rebooting the ideas and removing all that made S3&K great (rolling physics, elemental shields, level design, no of acts and sub bosses, character choices, etc etc). Sonic Mania by comparison is effectively our "real" Sonic 4. I am both surprised and happy that my prediction on the Sega forums of a "fan game going mainstream" has effectively come true. Passion and love for the franchise has won out in the end over a corporate approach to effectively taking advantage of the support for a classic rendition of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic 4, Episode I and II will forever be remembered as the half hearted, cautious response to trying to appeal to a big piece of the fanbase - nostalgia itself - but they didn't go back enough and they certainly didn't back the racehorse that would have won them the accolades that other games have when they appeal to their nostalgic fanbase just right. I'm looking forward to seeing how Sonic Mania continues the 2D tradition apace.
Sonic Mania is Sonic 4 as I truly imagined it, except it's called Sonic Mania instead. Sonic 4 will continue on as one of many stains on Sonic's legacy, and I think that it's overwhelmingly negative reception from the fans that it was supposed to entice the most has helped shape the series as it is today.
Sonic 4 wasnt that terrible. It was a let down, sure, but I don't think it was say...'06 bad. Besides, clearly Sonic Mania is Sonic CD 2 as we imagined it :v:
Sonic CD - Sonic CD Sonic CD 2 - Knuckles' Chaotix Sonic CD 3 - Sonic Heroes Sonic CD 4 - Sonic Colours Sonic CD 5 - Sonic Mania Obviously.
I think Sonic 4 is an okay platformer, but the fact that they called it, "Sonic 4" gives you the impression that it's going to be a worthy follow-up to S3&K in the same way that S3&K built on S2 and how S2 built on S1. Instead we got Sonic 1.5 with Sonic Rush physics...yuck. They probably should have just called it Sonic Advance 4 and no one would complain lol, because at least then it wouldn't be trying to be something that it's not.
It wasn't supposed to be called Sonic 4, the name was just a result of SOA meddling. Iizuka should just come out and say that it's really called Sonic Forever: The game was always known as Sonic Forever. It's just that the iPhone home screen doesn't allow much room for names, so we just shortened it from "forever" to "4". The reason we called it Forever is because in the past you could only play Sonic at home. But now on mobile, you can play Sonic every where: When waiting in a queue, when sleeping, even when driving. You can now play him every where or "Forever". Hence the name "Sonic Forever". Now that the iPhone home screen is bigger, we can stop using the shortened name of Sonic 4 and call it by the full title "Sonic Forever". It's the sort of thing Iizuka would say.
You know, Tails, we really are the Sonic Forever. (Seriously though we're making up developer quotes now? Is Sonic Team fanfiction a thing now?)
I still think that DL was only tentative, like Project Sonic 2017 is now. The game was never intended to be called that, and then they finally made the very poor decision to dub it Sonic 4 in the end. Funny how much my trust in SEGA has changed since that terrible fallout.
It's probably worth defining what a bad Sonic game is some day. Thing is, while Sonic 06 is not a good game, it has in many ways unintentionally redeemed itself over the years. Ripping it apart is a good source of entertainment - its shoddyness is fun to watch, and now that we're a decade away from it being marketed as the best thing on Earth, it doesn't have this aura of ruining people's lives anymore. You're not paying £40 for load times and Silver - it's bought by the same people who buy games like Superman 64 - to see how horrible it truly is and perhaps get a laugh or two. It's appalling that it was ever created, worse that Sonic Team willingly acknowledge its existence, but nevertheless a fascinating specimin on how not to build a video game. Conversely, while Sonic 4's physics are also unique, its existence is downright offensive, willingly and openly talking down to its audience and failing to meet even the lowest of expectations for a 2D Sonic game. No part of the package shows any self respect - between copy-pasting ideas straight from Sonic 1 and 2 and digging out rejected content from Sonic 3D Blast, it's more of an exercise of extorting money from the generation who grew up in the 90s... and that's before the "4" comes into discussion. It plays better than Sonic 06, but its contempt for its customers is so much worse. At least now that money isn't a factor. The only Sega product that tops Sonic 4 in this regard is NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.
I thought it was pretty funny how the first boss in Sonic 4 Episode 2 pretended to be a rehash of the Aquatic Ruin one. That shows that they really were aware but just didn't care enough or didn't have the resources/skills to replicate the classic physics. At least they added air momentum in Episode 2.
The Sylvania Castle boss was so weird. They acknowledged the rehash criticism and made something original there, but still proceeded to create the Sylvania Castle and Skype Fortress Zones in their entirety which were total rehashes regardless. Then there's the other criticisms they didn't address at all, and it becomes plainly obvious just how much neither SEGA, Sonic Team nor Dimps actually cared.
