That, boost mode, homing attack and tricks, I would guess. Though I for one liked how they implemented the r-tricks, I thought it was a good way of making it unique, but by and large un-required, save for maybe sky canyon.
Pretty much. There was a discussion going on here at the time I wrote it about how Sonic Advance was the closest we'd ever come to another classic 2D Sonic game. I replayed it, and indeed, it is quite similar. Sonic Advance 2 put much more emphasis on speed, especially hitting that boost mode.
Dragon Road isn't really a good example I think. That spinning platforming section is everything that's wrong with Modern Sonic, with bottomless pits everywhere and focusing on homing attacking enemies to get by. Maybe if daytime Unleashed had less bottomless pit sections, water running, (which I still say is the worst thing, when you can't go underwater and it's insta-kill) and a drift that's more user friendly, it might be a better example of good Modern Sonic. Granted, Unleashed did have it's gems, but overall it seems Generations is far ahead of it's predecessor. At least in terms of control, bottomless pits, and exploration, from what we've seen so far. To answer the OP's question I'm gonna have to echo what a lot have said here: It's good, but needs work. A lot of work, actually. If you want to know how just read the posts before mine. I'll just summerize and say that it needs more emphasis on interactivity and less on 'WOW HE'S FAST' spectacles. Needs less boost pads (seriously why do we need this when we have a built in boost button already?) and less scripted or 'on rails' events. And I wish sliding would go away. It's a glorified QTE and just serves as a means to get the player to press something other than X. Least that's the way I see it, anyway. And I could also go without the chase scenes in every stage, but again, just my opinion and doesn't really impact the gameplay overall. So yeah, we're headed in the right direction, I think. Just a matter of Sonic Team actually improving the formula and not growing complacent with it. I think that's the only thing we have to worry about, really. Also Steven M's post makes a good point, in regards to how to design a Sonic game in general.
I love the modern gameplay, the current model they have to work with is one of my favorite things to play this entire generation. I adored both Unleashed and Colors and I'm dying to play the modern section of Generations. In my opinion, the modern gameplay is easily among the best platforming available this generation, and it's certainly unique compared to the Ratchet and Clanks, Mario Galaxies, Jack and Daxters, etc. I don't think they should ever really deviate from this model, IMO. Just continue making small tweaks to it like they have been doing. I'll easily accept the modern gameplay as the 3D version of Sonic the Hedgehog, just like how Mario 64 was wildly different from 2D Mario. With 2D sonic having returned recently, it's really taken my expectations off of Modern Sonic. It doesn't have to be exactly like the classics, because I have a whole game series which is trying to do that for me. I think they could make improvements, yes. Reintroduce tails and knuckles, but have them play like Sonic and give them special powers which grants them alternate paths, like Colors does, and they'd be golden. Maybe tighten up the controls a bit, which they seem to be doing. And continue being creative as hell. Beyond that, Modern Sonic is fixed IMO. The current modern gameplay is not only the best 3D gameplay this series has ever seen, it's a legitimately great gameplay model on its own.
Yes, please. I think we've enough distance from Sonic '06 now, and last I checked people overall don't have a problem with Tails (as long as he's not in a mech) and Knuckles (as long as he's not emerald hunting). I could easily see them fitting into the new gameplay style we've got. Just get Tails to focus more on vertical exploration and give Knuckles some beat em up moves and secret passages through the stages.
I hope to high hell that the characters in Sonic Generations follow you around, like Tails did in the classic games, and that they simply act as sonic dopplegangers. It'd be fucking awesome to have Knuckles following Sonic, like Tails did. Especially if that "swa[ characters" function does what it sounds like.
While I personally think it could use some improving, they are for the most part improving it game by game; City Escape is looking especially impressive and I can only hope other levels follow in its footsteps. At the rate they're tweaking and improving it, I reckon it'll be two or three games before they get it spot on enough to stop most arguments against it - depending, of course, on what these tweaks and changes will be. Mostly, I'm happy with the formula, but I think the games themselves could be a bit more 'meaty' and feel a bit more Sonic-y. Bring back some alternate characters, keep making levels with quality and nostalgia value like City Escape in Generations, and slowly reintroduce some of Classic Sonic's better moves to Modern Sonic's roster, such as replacing the slide with a roll and so on. The spindash could pretty much replace the boost too - it's overpowered enough. Overall I'm happy with where this formula is going, it just needs to keep stepping it up to stay fresh.
To this day, I still prefer the way Adventure 2 handled the game to the current, "Modern" formula. It don't sit well with me that the focus is solely on Sonic nowadays -- sure, he's the star of the series, but there's many more people who I'd love to see shine again in their own style. That said, with the formula as it is, they should really try encouraging the boost less and, well, put more variety per stage as far as the layouts are concerned.
Going on Colors, I'd say it's good, but it definitely needs a little work. If they could just bring rolling into the mix (properly), I'd say they would easily be half way there.
I actually like the "modern" gameplay, except for the Homing Attack (as I think it makes things too easy and I don't like easy games, but that's discussed another topic). So I suppose that's the second option for me. It could use some changes, yes, but in general I think it's good. EDIT:100th vote! :3
I like the modern Sonic games like Unleashed and Colors. The Hedgehog engine seems to have improved majorly on previous 3D Sonic games. The physics in 2D still need slight tinkering but Sonic Generations seems to have got it right, including the animation. I ultimately would have to play that game to make a more better evaluation but overall, I like the new games
I like "Modern" Sonic, but I'd like it a lot more if the boosting and homing attack were taken out. Instead, Sonic should have two types of Spin Dash (single button and crouching) along with his trademark rolling. Those should be the primary means of beating enemies.
I'd prefer a Z-targeting system over homing attack, and spin dash over boosting, but I think they're doing a pretty good job. The only thing I could reasonably request is that Sonic should control like he did in the Adventure games again; more controllable, less input lag, with faster acceleration and braking.
Fixed for truth. Sonic's ability to simply roll his way down and gain speed for momentum is now gone. And it has been gone since Sonic Heroes.
Improve the 3D sections. See: Sonic Adventure.. ..but eliminate "floating themed platforms over a pit" syndrome.
I like it alright. Actually Unleashed's day stages were downright exciting to try to keep up with. I really don't understand people saying that they played themselves. You had to do a lot to stay alive... which does bring me to one problem I had with Unleashed... If you mess up once on about 40% of the daytime sections it was an instant death. Gone are the days when levels were a momentum playground. I'll echo what's been said about the games needing to be more proactive rather than reactive. I really don't understand why people have a problem with the boost in terms of it being invincibility/an instant-kill because that's essentially what rolling did. Having said that, it has none of the momentum based rewards that rolling had, but its no more an invincibility move than rolling was. In short, I don't have a problem with the boost in and of itself. It should just be replaced with something better(like the spindash since that IS momentum based and it's not indefinite) I believe the boost was implemented because the unleashed formula wasn't intended to be momentum based and its a lot easier to make a level that you only have to think one directionally... ...as opposed to having to think backwards and forwards while designing a level-- If this hill is up this high then this is where momentum and acceleration COULD take the player and this is what he could do to get here here and here. It also requires the skill to be going this fast and the player must take full advantage of momentum and added momentum of a jump at x point. Instead it's "if the player presses this button at this second it doesn't matter how fast he was going before, he will get here as a reward; but if he doesn't he has no hope of getting back there or can but not without serious penalty" I definitely miss having to build up speed to get to some powerup or shortcut and being rewarded for planning ahead and skillfully maneuvering around the level building up to something you knew was coming. The boost has become a momentum work around. There is a lot that Sega has tried to "fix" with the boost. Oh, it's a fun gameplay mechanic, but it comes in lieu of something better. Classic gameplay also allowed for trial and error without insta-deaths and having to go back over the same area all over again for just one attempt to see if you might possibly be able to get to some previously unreached area. Put simply, you have multiple paths, but exploration is nearly impossible. In classic, failed trial either meant you were shot off in another direction. In modern it means you die... which makes the more casual gamer want to throw his controller through the tv. having said all that, this type of momentum based gameplay really doesn't seem to work in 3D. That's why we have the boost--- but I really don't see why we're still stuck with the boost in 2D segments. The classics capitalized on on interactive platforming ie. adding depth through momentum. We did see momentum based gameplay in the Adventure titles. We could spindashjump all over the place like in the classics and jumping off on upward ramp let you pretty much fly wherever you wanted. Starting with Sonic Heroes, however, Sega has thrown away Sonic's greatest asset and defining feature and the entire reason a hedgehog was decided as the protagonist. Another thing that needs to be improved is the control while going at lower speeds. In Unleashed and Colors it feels clunky and hard to control. Sonic adventure 1 and 2 made it easy on the player by making controlling sonic more consistent and more free. I would be fine if controls shifted seamlessly from a sonic adventure 2 control scheme to an unleashed control scheme as sonic sped up to say 150mph or used boost/spindash . it would solve a lot of problems with over jumping switches and the like. Sharp turning in the Adventure games made the slower platforming doable. This could be a little tricky though but between SA2 and Unleashed there seems to be a loss of complete control over sonic in these sections. I could keep going, but I'm getting a bit too tired to keep making sense and I already don't like how what I wrote was structured(I'm pretty picky about writing and when I wake up tomorrow morning I'll probably feel the urge to fix something in my post) Anyway, I like it and I think that it's going in the right direction. They just need to change the 2d sections to a classic momentum style and make controls more intuitive and tight in 3d with more openness and a momentum aspect. Also, we wouldn't be hurt to lose the boost and SLOW THE FREAKING GAME DOWN A BIT. There is no planning or reaction time-- just memorization. Or maybe I just don't have the hang of it.
Wasn't really a boost mode. The game was just a faster version of Sonic Advance 1. The addition was that when you went fast enough, you broke the sound barrier. You didn't become invincible and control was still the same. You had all the same items and level styles, and although the levels were more linear, still allowed to go up, and down, and backwards, and sometimes made you stop and think about what you were doing. Of course if you were an expert you could beat the levels nearly without slowing down at all, which is the same as people who can do speedruns of the classic Sonic's. Exploration was also key to finding the Chaos Emeralds, and you had 4 other characters to choose from which affected what route you took to progress through the game. Tails' flying was brilliant because you could take upper routes more easily, and Knuckles' climbing was perfect for exploration. Compare that to Sonic Advance or Rush, and the game is basically Sonic Advance, with added speed increase- which was given to players skillfully without some 'boost' button. Home attack is also basically useless, and more of a cool 'trick'. The fact you could do a single trick at the end of the ramp doesn't make it 'modern', in the same way that a few rails don't either. Rush, Unleashed and Colours would be that category. They give the boost, shun powerups more like 'invincibility' and 'speed up', blend different camera styles and boss styles together, create a level with a 'clear' path to follow with no need to deviate AT ALL, and give us only one or two characters to play as.
