I don't see why everyone is orgasming over the new super sonic theme, it sounds like it was ripped straight from the soundtrack of "The Adventures of Epicenter". I like the invincibility theme better.
I just got finished with my first session of Sonic 4.. Played until LLZ's boss and then quit in a fit of rage. I managed to nab 4 emeralds before that though, I got emerald 3 on my first try with .40 of a second left after hitting that damn bumper and coming way too close to the GOAL blocks. Overall I like the game quite a bit more than I thought I would and it is what it is. I'm actually kind of glad I'm stuck on a boss in a Sonic game, it's been 15 years since that's happened to me. I give this game a 7, it would be a 9 if (blahblahblah physics)
Anyway, on the subject of rolling, here's some fast rolling in SHZ. Not the best example, but the best video I could make at this time.
I can't wait until I can be super Sonic... so far I've only gotten two emeralds That third special stage is going to be a bitch, I can tell.
Heh, if we're going to be specific - it's not the speed of the rolling in Sonic 4 that's the issue, it's the rates of acceleration/deceleration. In all those examples in the video, the maximum rolling speed is achieved at the initial execution of the roll, it doesn't pick up speed, it either slows down or not at all depending on the angle of the terrain. In the original Sonics, the rolling is such that the acceleration rolling down a hill is stronger than the deceleration rolling up. It's specifically designed that way so you get faster and faster like some crazy buzz saw of doom. I don't think there's any point trying to "defend" Sonic 4's physics. There's no denying it, the game behaves differently. It's like playing billiards and pool. Same table, different rules.
So it's not even available for UK players yet? What a load of shit. I just checked on my Wii and PS3 and nothing...
Played the demo. Physics are fuckin' terrible. Seriously, the gamegear games were much more fluid than this and I hated those.
It's a shame I've been away from everything since Thursday. I'm browsing the web on my iPod so I'm not up to speed with the Wii release, or all the stuff you guys are discussing. I did get Sonic 4 upon release on the iDevice, and I completed it the very same day. It's actually a decent game, very much like how NSMB Wii is different to the other classic Mario games in terms of physics and character abilities. There are some bugs which aren't fixed, which don't affect gameplay- it annoys me that people are still moaning and posting things about wall-sticking. It is an issue, but I find it hilarious myself. The physics should have been improved, though I don't mind uncurling and I don't mind automatic ball-curling either. The game is much more robotic than the previous entries and it was expected from the release details we got and saw. It's a good game with some flaws- I died at the end boss 20 odd times due to the unexpected spike in difficulty. How many hits does that thing have? I also had problems with the 2nd and 3rd emerald stages using the iPod motion sensor, and got the rest after 1st time, minus the last which took 3 goes. I found after the 3rd emerald that you can change the controls, and swiping works so much better. I think it's almost as good as the classics in it's own way. As good as the Advance games at least, and a lot better than the Rush's. It could have been absolutely perfect had the physics been similar to the classic or Advance games. They obviously went out of their way to take a new direction on physics, and I can't ever see another game with classic physics again, so people who aren't impressed may as well never play Sonic again. Also, I was previously right, the physics are nothing like Rush's.
I will be getting the PS3 release right away. The release is due today (the 12th) but since it's only 3am for me, it must not be going on the PSN until later today. No midnight release party for this game, so as soon as I get back from college I will be checking in on it to make sure it is there. That last demo video that was shown on Sonic Retro's homepage yesterday already has me sold so I will report back after getting this.
As we said on the first of the month release date times are as follows: 11th October – Wii (US territories) 12th October – PSN (US territories) 13th October – XBL (All territories) and PSN (EMEA territories) 15th October – Wii (EMEA territories)
I can leave bigger impressions later, but I agree with a lot people are saying about the physics in particular. There are some things they should have been able to have fixed they didn't which stand out like a sore thumb (spin dashing and rolling being completely nerfed, Sonic stopping on a dime, Sonic automatically getting full jump height when jumping) however I believe these issues stand out especially since the game does manage in many ways to FEEL like the classics. This might be part nostalgia, but I honestly think it's the level design. While I have a few complaints with the level design (I don't recall that many enemies being placed directly in the line of fire of the player in the originals, there's some more obvious hidden shortcuts in the stages; This particularly stood out to me in Lost Labyrinth where there were shortcuts to skip entire portions of stages,) I will say they nailed a lot of stuff down in it which made the game a more enjoyable experience and actually made it feel in many ways fun like the classics and also does the best job in supporting multiple ways to play, it's fun to race through just as much as it is fun to go exploring, something I can't say is true for the other Dimps Sonic games. I also will go on record to say this felt more like Sonic 4 to me than Sonic Advance did. Now this next thing likely just is because I am fundamentally different than you guys, and I don't blame anyone here for feeling like this, I completely understand where you're coming from.... But it's in my nature not to compare things and instead judge them as their own experiences. Now if I'm doing a review of course if it's a sequel or sequel in spirit I am going to compare them, but for my own enjoyment I approach each game as a new experience. And while I do have my complaints, the game was a lot of fun in my opinion and while playing it I had a blast. And for all of our words, all the fans complaining, in the end is the most important thing and what will help it sell. To compare though I thought it was worse than Sonic 3 & Knuckles, CD, and 2 but I enjoyed it more than Sonic 1 ( felt this game was better designed than Sonic 1 even if the physics were a bit worse and shorter) and also I think it is better than my two favorite Dimps attempts, Sonic Advance 1 and Sonic rush Adventure. I loved those two games so glad they could top it, just I don't think the title deserves the name of Sonic 4 quite yet. I know that will attract sales but I think people would be enjoying it more if it wasn't called Sonic 4. If they can improve based on feedback for the future episodes that would be fantastic. However I'm afraid they can't because then they might not be able to do lock-on... and I really want to play as Tails and Knuckles in episode 1. ;3;
Just completed the Wii version. My opinion - It's not as good as most of the 16-BIT ones ("most" meaning not Sonic Spinball). It's far better than almost all the other ones ("almost" meaning not Sonic Pocket Adventure). Thanks Sega.
I call shenanigans. Find a slope, jump at the edge, press down. You'll roll at a speed much faster than you were moving in the air, and your roll will carry you really far (to the edge of the screen if you try it at the start of SHZ act 1. If you're not getting faster and faster when rolling you haven't realized you need to hold the direction you're moving. P.S. Final Boss, spoilers, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARG8ACqqWY
Also! One thing that bugged me, it was minor but is important for Score Attack Mode. In the classics when you got a "combo" on enemies it multiplied your score for each Badnik defeated. Now this game does that... While you're in the air. However what really stood out as another nerf to the Spin Dash was that I spin dashed through three Burrowbots and each one was only worth a hundred points, when in the classics and what would make sense for score attack mode is that each enemy gets multiplied in succession for a successful spin dash killing three enemies in one roll, instead of being forced to either jump or home attack enemies for combo points. I forget if the multiplier takes more than three enemies to start but that really bugged me as it just made it seem they want to replace lots of the functions of the Spin Dash with the Homing Attack when I think the Home Attack and Spin Dash should be equal and players should have a choice instead of nerfing the Spin Dash so that Home Attacking is the superior answer.
No shenatigans mate, try this: In splash hill act 1, find the section where there's a breakable rock followed by a downward slope, then a loop. Walk slowly, start rolling and hold right. If this was Mega Drive Sonic you would be able to clear the loop with no problem. Why doesn't it work in Sonic 4? because the deceleration going up a slope isn't weaker than going down like it is in the original engine. I'm just pointing out that game physics are significantly different. Whether or not it makes Sonic 4 good or bad is up to the player, not me.
That angle isn't very steep. So find one in the genesis games, and try it. You won't move much faster. And I've done it in sonic 4, and I can tell you, it works. If you do it with no momentum? No. But if you did it with no momentum in the classic games (unless you just jumped) nothing would happen either. Still, I managed to clear the loop, so... hah.
You'll probably need them for the massive number of bottomless pits surrounded by those horrible locust things in Mad Gear.
