Would rather have the empty areas look like they have setpieces and Sonic stuff in the distance so you always have landmarks, than large roving empty locales with everything popping in 20 meters or less away.
Maybe that could have been something early in development (around 2008/2009) but changed before the announcement in early 2011. The one rumor I can recall is the Adventure-era gameplay based on Ryan Drummond's interview. Things like those are usually locked in fairly early in development before any meaningful reveals.
Statements of Adventure-era gameplay with Drummond were never a thing, IIRC, just a rumor. Not be confused with how Drummond almost got the role of Sonic back in 2010 but Sega didn't hire him because he was unionized (whew!).
I think Kishimoto just decided it'd be more dramatic / make more sense if + - SAGE took direct action instead of waiting for permission. Which it kinda is and it's even more in line with Sonic as someone who takes action instead of waiting, which she's supposed to be learning from. I don't think it's worth discounting the entire script over. Some parts are more what I'm seeking in the characters, like the bit where Sonic and Amy have an argument over their current task, and Amy's conclusion. Sonic's less "I'm your best friend ever! Just do your best, pal!" and more subtly "So what's troubling you, and how do you resolve that?" with a bit of impatience. In the English script it's just a really awkward argument, considering Sonic has been so blatantly supportive of her. Amy's also not stripped away of any attachment to Sonic just to further her supposed individuality. It's an actual conclusion she gets to speak on. I get that it's just pretty much differences in the two writing styles, but I feel like the story as a whole for both would've been better if there was a way to have a proper back and forth and it wasn't just Sonic Team Japan trying to do the best to make things consistent on their side and Ian Flynn trying to make things "consistent" on his side from the start, which seems to be the issue with the Pontaff writing anyways, trading out Saturday Morning writing experience with... Archie Sonic writing experience. I feel like at this moment it's clear what Ian's shortcomings are, but if the mentality is giving genuine criticism to Sonic Team for their Open Zone design and not settling for just what we've got, then I really hope Ian can iron things out on his side. But I'm afraid we might be stuck with outward best buddy Sonic forever. I think they just don't have all the pieces together, and I'd hate for Sonic Team to have to just give up and start translating the English scripts word for word - if only because then we get none of the original personality of the characters - when we could get so much better than either alone.
I’m not sure how you can look at most of that localization and say they were trying their best to make things consistent. It’s not even consistent with itself! Japanese fans are mad for a reason. Though for the record I think it’s a Kishimoto issue in this case rather than Sonic Team as a whole. I think if they got Toyoda on the job it would have been fine. And what’s with the scare quotes around Ian trying to keep things “consistent?” The guy literally wrote the story as he was told, references and all, and met directly with Kishimoto himself constantly as it was being made. The story you got in the English version is the story as it originally was as the game was being developed. Nothing was snuck in there. I get not liking the way he wrote it but let’s not pretend he was corrupting the Japanese side’s vision or whatever.
Hell, Ian Flynn probably had to jump hoops to even get his own personal ideas through. He did say in an interview that he talked directly with Sonic Team on submitting concepts and stuff, but generally he was writing what they wanted him to write. So any changes to the Japanese script was entirely by Kishimoto and anyone involved with the JP localization to try to "adapt it" for audiences less familiar with Sonic. Flynn didn't write the story, he wrote the interactions and script conveying the story, which means any weird story-telling decisions were all either done by Sonic Team, or greenlit by Sonic Team. That also means all JP script decisions were deliberate to make it appeal for native audiences, and mangled it in the process.
ah yeah I remember that BS rumour that "Generations was going to have Dreamcast Sonic at one point". It was a Did You Know Gaming video that originally made this claim with literally nothing to back it up other than a misinterpretation of Ryan Drummond saying he re-auditioned for the role back in 2010. Fans took the idea of "3 Sonics" as gospel and it spread like wildfire lol.
Considering we know that Jaleel white was considered in the early pitch phase, and generations had the idea of numerous things being pitched that early internally I wouldn't doubt three Sonics were at least considered. Also, Unseen64 and some other sites had the idea listed before DidYouKnowGaming if I remember right. By the actual design and concept art phases I doubt there was actually ever a playable third Sonic, but I'd love to know more about the early pitches.
Back on the subject of Sonic Frontiers, can someone explain Sonic's rolling behaviour in this game (and Forces)? Press down in 2D Cyberspace (not the open zone) to make him roll. But don't keep a hold of down or touch any other direction because he'll lose all speed and uncurl... Unless you do it on a slope, in which case he'll just roll on the spot. And like with Classic in Forces, sometimes he clings into walls or ceiling and travels along them at high speed when he's actually supposed to go airborne. I really don't understand what causes that.
Jaleel White being considered is a myth that arose from a joke Aaron Webber made as far as I know. As for Adventure Sonic in Generations, I’m 99.999% sure that was never a thing. Adventure Sonic is Modern Sonic.
I like to imagine the marketing team strong armed them into having only 2 Sonics, because 3 Eras 2 Sonics 1 Adventure sounds way better than 3 Eras 3 Sonics 3 Adventures.
Sonic Frontiers has the worst 2D platforming controls I have played in any game ever made. No exaggeration. It is borderline unplayable. Far worse than Sonic 4, which had terrible physics but was at least somewhat coherent in its own terrible physics. I find it scandalous how much Sonic 4 got criticised for its horrible physics but Frontiers has gotten away with murder in comparison.
People probably got it out of their systems with Forces. So now it's not worse than before, just more of it.
Probably has something to do with how Frontiers wasn't being aggressively marketed as "Sonic 5 as you truly imagined it".
Sure. I also understand that Frontiers isn't a 2D game. But I still find it astonishing how Frontiers has largely gotten away with having the worst 2D controls in the series and being borderline unplayable in that respect.
Honestly I think Sonic Frontiers is better at its peaks but its low moments are far worse than anything in Sonic 4.
There are 30 cyberspace levels in Frontiers and 28 acts (plus bosses and special stages) in Sonic 4 across E1, E2 and EM, so it's roughly the same number. Gun to your head, pick which ones you'd rather play through from start to finish: all of Frontiers cyberspace, or all of S4. And you can't just pull the trigger, because hell is the worst Sonic game and we all deserve to go there for continuing to buy into this franchise. Spoiler I pick Sonic 4
I'd personally pick frontiers cyberspace over sonic 4, cause sonic 4 has a few absolutely dreadful levels and I dont think frontiers has anything level design wise that actively frustrated me.
