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Was Press Garden originally going to be 2 completely seperate Zones?

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by HEDGESMFG, Sep 5, 2019.

  1. SuperSnoopy

    SuperSnoopy

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    Slice of life visual novel, coming soon...?
    I guess Christian or Stealth could've answered if they were still around, but they more or less left this place two years ago right after Mania's release. Part of me hope they're working on an awesome mania 2 sequel and they're under nda, but that doesn't look to be the case.
     
  2. HEDGESMFG

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    Upon closer inspection of the maps, I can see some assets that were re-used between the acts. Namely the triangular window tiles, the cream colored pillars/brick tiles, the large wheels (with a palette change), and some decorative brick tiles.

    However, the gimmicks, enemies, design structure, and the concepts are still completely different, so my question still remains. Conceptually they still seem to be the basis for 2 radically different levels.

    Or fans could rebuild them as such if some were so inclined, similar to how re-used tiles for Emerald Hill also led to Hill Top.

    Thanks for the thougts so far, guys. I'd forgotten about the background changes in that prototype shot too. Clearly there were at least some major changes to the level at some point.
     
  3. Dark Sonic

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    It's also worth noting that Press Garden Act 1 had an unusually large amount of unused gimmicks that still exist within the game, so it might be safe to say that act in particular underwent some major changes throughout it's development. Also wasn't that one of the last new acts were shown prior to the game's launch?
     
  4. Xilla

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    I could be wrong, but I can't recall Press Garden even being officially shown prior to release?
     
  5. HEDGESMFG

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    It wasn't. That screenshot was all we had.
     
  6. Well, I think there was some concept artwork, but it was all for act 2.
     
  7. Frostav

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    To be completely honest, I think PGZ is just taking the fact that in S3&K zones started to have slight differences art-wise between acts to the next level (not like that's even a new idea--SA1 does basically the same thing even though it technically doesn't have the same act-based structure, though with SA2 and after that all got thrown out the window, thanks Iizuka x__x). All four new zones in Mania do this, since obviously with the returning ones, they can't change them too much (Even zones which change backgrounds between acts either retain the same basic theme and level art [Green Hill, Lava Reef, etc.] or already had multiple unique backgrounds from their original game [Stardust Speedway and Metallic Madness]). While Mirage Saloon and Titanic Monarch don't change too much, Studiopolis and Press Garden are effectively two loosely-linked zones together each.

    Like the game in general design-wise, it's just taking what S3&K started to the logical next level. You go from Lava Reef having a change in palette or Marble Garden/Ice Cap having different backgrounds to each act of Studiopolis/Press Garden having completely unique gimmicks, art, enemies, even themes which are different but still connected (Crazy TV-themed city > TV studio, and Giant printing factory > Sakura garden which supplies the factory, respectively). Why wouldn't you? Helps make zones feel even more like cohesive places in a real world that exists (which is actually kinda funny given that Mania has no real cohesive world and just jumps around randomly akin to S1 and S2 than S3&K) and it means you can expound on the themes of one zone by showing two different sides to it.

    Which is why I really want a Mania 2 with all-original zones to be a thing one day...imagine if they could get this creative and wild with EVERY zone.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2019
  8. ICEknight

    ICEknight

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    Just theorizing here, of course, but I think that the original plans might have been something like:
    • Press level Act 1: Final Press Garden Act 1
    • Press level Act 2: Printing plant, using the ink and printer gimmicks
    • Garden level Act 1: Botanic garden, the level seen in the prototype screenshot
    • Garden level Act 2: Final Press Garden Act 2
     
  9. Black Squirrel

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    I think you're probably overthinking it... although it is a bit sad we don't have Taxman and Stealth here to actually discuss these things.


    There are only four totally new stages in Sonic Mania. Studiopolis came before everything, Mirage Saloon is clearly a "we finally got a Dust Hill Zone" level, and Titanic Monarch is the last stage and so has to be relatively sensible for the narrative to make sense.

    Press Garden was probably the last brand new stage implemented and by that point they probably realised that crazy = better. None of the others really have that luxary because they're imported from older games. I would imagine that if a Sonic Mania 2 ever gets made (and they're not wasting level slots with recycled content), more zones will look like that.


    p.s. "Press Garden" is a lovely play on words. "Pulp Solstice" is not.
     
  10. Blue Blood

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    Press Garden is a play on words? It's a printing press and it's a garden... What am I missing? It's just describing the level in the same way that most other level names do. I'm genuinely asking here, I'm not just being snarky.

    And for the record, I never quite understood "Solstice" in the original name for the level.
     
  11. Sid Starkiller

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  12. Naean

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    Perhaps around this stage of development...

    [​IMG]

    ... "Solstice" was more directly related to the Zone? Act 2 in Encore Mode does have darker visuals compared to the original in Mania Mode, so maybe they scrapped their original solstice-based design(s), but still wanted to reference that a bit with Act 2 in Encore Mode? I think that I might be stretching with this theory, though. Then again, Sonic Mania is known to reuse/repurpose various beta/scrapped things from previous Sonic games, so I suppose the developers doing a bit of self-reusing/repurposing on their own game isn't entirely out of the question. (Although the Encore Mode colour palette changes could, of course, simply be unrelated to the Zone's beta name.)

    Until/unless we get official input regarding the Pulp Solstice name, who knows eh? :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  13. Black Squirrel

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    It's the outside equivalent of a press room, i.e. a place where journalists go to cover an event. In the UK they recently had one set up outside Westminster for the various Brexit votes.


    Although having said that I thought this was a widely used term but Google isn't bringing back anything (except for Sonic Mania). Perhaps I watch too much Newsnight.
     
  14. MykonosFan

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    Myself, I like to think that they leave these sorts of questions unanswered so that future fans can uncover the answers years later and keep the fun going. A lot of discussion would be less interesting if one of them immediately popped on each time and gave the blunt answer. Though I do understand the irony of posting that on a message board attached to a wiki that chronicles such valuable info, lol.
     
  15. Cooljerk

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    They're both still around
     
  16. TheInvisibleSun

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    Winter Solstice?
     
  17. SuperSnoopy

    SuperSnoopy

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    Slice of life visual novel, coming soon...?
    Not on the forums, I think. Of course they're still active on Twitter and the like, so it's not like they went completely mia.
     
  18. Cooljerk

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    They are.
     
  19. SuperSnoopy

    SuperSnoopy

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    Slice of life visual novel, coming soon...?
    Do you mean they're hanging around in the oldbie lounge or any other inaccessible area for normal members? You can't post super short answers like that man, you gotta be more specific :P
     
  20. ICEknight

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    Maybe he means they read some posts from time to time, I haven't seen them interacting around here lately either.