Sonic Generations - we still haven't played it

The Hedgehog Engine is a rendering engine. Nothing to do with gameplay.

 

And I got ninja'd.

There's nothing preventing them from remaking City Escape in the Hedgehog engine using the same gameplay style SA2 had, though I suppose they'd bring mechanics from Unleashed like the drifting, quick stepping and improved rail switching, along with properly mapping different abilities to different buttons.

And yes, Colors is slower paced, between the heavier platforming and the nerfed Boost (less opportunities to fill the boost meter) Colors is slower than Unleashed.


*EDIT* And I forgot that the compilation was supposed to be in Unleashed/Colors style *EDIT*

Call me crazy, but both the compilation and future 3D Sonic games could benefit from something that appears in... wait for it... Sonic 2006 .

I'm not joking, I played the 360 demo the other day, which is the first section of Kingdom Valley, and while obviously the game is a complete mess, it did something very well, at least with that section of Kingdom Valley, alternate paths, I remember being able to go through multiple different paths to reach the goal ring (which is located where the eagle is in the full version), they could take the concept of alternate paths and refine it, add the 3D platforming of Sonic Adventure 1/Sonic Unleashed, the 2D platforming of Sonic Colors and you have a recipe for success, or disaster if they rush it again.

 

That fact cannot be emphasized enough.

But yeah, I'm in agreement with 360. Thrilling as the high-speed stages in Unleashed may be, I still can't get over how much sheer immersion and deep gameplay (not to mention graphical and memory resources) is sacrificed for having Sonic go too fast and consist solely of reflex-actions and, ultimately, trial-and-error gameplay. I'd much rather play a game with the Adventure games' engines, albeit finely tuned and with the Hedgehog (Super CGI-Rendering) Engine. That Colors gutted much of Sonic Unleashed's day-stage gameplay with some actual 2D platforming and different kinds of bosses is a testament to how much more fun less speed is.

 

Why all this fuss over City Escape? It was crap. It's just another linear level with too many dash pads from SA2. If they're going to remake any level from SA2 it needs to be White Jungle. The stage had an awesome sound track, slightly better design and a lush green, almost classic styled, setting.

 

So wait, is this supposed re-release Sonic Adventure album the entire soundtrack redone like a tribute or what?

Also everytime I see this thread bumped I'm expecting actual news, and I love Escape from the City. Quit hatin.

 

I wanna see Radical Highway and Final Rush remade if anything.

 

So Escape from the City had a mostly linear design (tell that to the camera). It was still well designed, visually and as an introductory stage. And it still rocks my face harder than any 3D Sonic game level that came after it, with the exception of White Jungle. It's the combination of having such a rockin' bombastic intro theme juxtaposed with falling from the sky and skateboarding down curving inclined roads with trick ramps that made it such a memorable and enjoyable level. Oh, and the giant GUN truck that chases you at the end with it's own theme song.* Nothing since then has ever reached such a high level of rock-awesome. In comparison, Radical Highway was awesome, but not quite as awesome.

*Even the stuff in between was memorable. Running up and down winding steps with hand-rails and being boosted into a vertical run down a building. Seriously, Escape from the City was pretty awesome.

 

It says something when the game is more fun to watch someone else play than to actually play yourself.

 

True, but, I personally hope its a formula we have for a while. Just too tired of average Sonic titles. Please pause the experimentation, and just refine what works. I'd love to play some new actually good Sonic games for a little longer (for the love of god).

 

Radical Highway was shit too. They're just hold forward to win levels, about watching Sonic/Shadow go through a loop. They offer little challenge and little replay value. The best speed levels in SA2 were White Jungle and Final Rush, everything else was done better in SA1. The reason SA2 is held in such high regard is it's high production values and the nine years of failure that came after it.

If Sonic Team do make a collection of past levels from previous games, will they link it by story (oh god, I'd rather they didn't) or just leave it as a playable selection. If it's a story how are all the locations going to linked?

 

You expected difficulty out of the first level(s)? I dunno, man. I haven't got a problem with replaying Escape from the City. Maybe Radical Highway. I do agree that I prefer Sonic Adventure 1's level designs.

 

So was the "leak" that talked about a "best of" remix of levels proven false? I can't remember if I found out or not.

City Escape is one of the levels I go back and play the most often. I love it; at the time, I thought that that was the world Sonic should be in and how he should function in it. However I can pretty much say I love all of the Sonic levels from SA2. Crazy Gadget was one of the most infuriating levels for me as a kid (I couldn't for the life of me figure out the puzzle room for a long time. Don't judge). But now adays I can go back and love it.

I can say the same for the Shadow levels too.

 

Radical Highway had a number of shortcut and a few minor alternate paths that made the level a bit more than hold forward to win. Radical Highway isn't challenging, but neither is Emerald Hill.

If Sonic Team were to link levels from the genesis days to the 3D era via a story, I have a feeling that Silver would have to be involved somehow. lol

 

There has been no evidence to prove it false yet - but also not much in the way to make it true, either. As I remember the rumor came from a single website which later started backpedaling.

What really lent it credence was the official leaked Sony memo about a year ago where a "Sonic Anniversary" game was listed, as a $100 end-all be-all PS3-exclusive "every Sonic game from 1991 up through the PS2 era on one Blu-ray" collection with graphical enhancements and extensive bonus features.

But I get the impression that's something Sony put on the table, given the proliferation of PS3 exclusive retro game collections in these last 9 months (God of War Collection, Sly Cooper Collection, Tomb Raider Collection, Prince of Persia Collection, the forthcoming Splinter Cell Collection and ICO/SOTC collection, a rumored MGS collection, etc.). Sony probably went around to various developers/publishers asking for this kind of stuff and the "Sonic Anniversary" collection was part of that campaign.

The rumor, however, was for that "Sonic Anniversary" game to appear on almost every current platform (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS and 3DS, as I recall). If Sony was the one who initially proposed the "Sonic Anniversary" concept, it doesn't make much sense for Sega to take that idea and run with it like that - Sony would be understandably chuffed if their wonderful, PS3-exclusive idea suddenly became Sega's 2011 multi-platform blockbuster.

So no, I don't believe it's real, personally.

And even if it is, trying to recapture Sonic's lost nostalgic charm usually results in Sega and Sonic Team embarrassing themselves by openly displaying their ineptitude on the subject. I'd rather they don't. We need more forward-thinking games like Sonic Colors and less retrospective games like Sonic 4.

 

Remaking what once was as a glory tool for the 20th Anniversary is beyond crap. If the company cannot make something amazing and original at the same time to coincide with Sonic's 20th they shouldn't bother.

Sonic Adventure 2 at the time is something along these lines. Yeah, the story was bogus and the game-play had some issues but at least they had the heart in the right place to commemorate the 10th by creating something original. Where's the pride in saying: 'I reskinned Green Hill Zone for the 20th' (a gross over exaggeration, but apt in many regards)? I personally hope that this isn't the case and that they *create* something rather than rehash it. Even if it sucks ass I'd have more respect for them as a company instead of playing it safe.

 

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=17695529

If you read it carefully, it actually says something different.
Sonic Anniversary is one thing, then it says "Could put out collectors edition", meaning the "Best of Sonic part" may just be a limited release, not the whole game. Also, I remember the other leak, the Anniversary one, confirmed it for all consoles, but not for the 360 (something along the lines of "An XBOX 360 port could not be confirmed at the show, but that may be soon to come"), but I can't find that article.

If they are going for a Best of Sonic PS3 collection, it will be just a collection of normal ports. The Anniversary game is something different, but it could still be what that leak originally said (a collection of Sonic Stages from Sonic The Hedgehog to Sonic Adventure 2, but remade in HD). However, there is no way to know if either are legit or not.

 

WOAH! I just understood what that doc said! Sonic Anniversary is the game, and Sony wants a PS3 exclusive that has a compilation as a bonus disc!

Way to be tardy to the party, Kail. -_-

 

I don't see why people think a story reason for revisiting old levels won't work. I mean, really?
"WHY IS SONIC ON CITY ESCAPE AGAIN?!?!?!?!"
"Because Robotnik dropped robots here."
"Oh. OK. Wow, that was simpler than I thought. What about Chemical Plant Zone?"
"Robotnik, robots."
"Green Hill?"
"Robotnik, Robots."
"Stardust Speedway?"
"GODDAMN IT ROBOTNIK, ROBOTS, FINAL."