Sonic Generations Megathread

Wow, one of those malls is really, really close to where I live. I'm totally hitting that shit up....

If I remember by then.

 

Didn't Sega Spain already confirm it?

 

I don't know, I'm taking Sega Spain announcements with a grain of salt, but an extremely small one. Who knows, maybe communication is so bad between the multiple branches that a message to keep quiet on a PC port didn't get all the way through. Besides, we've got a lot of evidence this far pointing to one - the Steam entry especially.

 

Full ONM interview with Iizuka about the 3DS version: http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/29335/sonic-generations-interview/

Wait what?

 

I think he may be referring to multiplayer matches, unless I'm missing something there.

 

Of course WA gets screwed, because they already have two locations in CA. I'm used to it.

 

But the whole point of my idea is to disregard the original tile-based graphics and render the scene in 3D, with a (more-or-less) fixed 2D perspective, positioning the objects by snooping in 68k RAM. There's a lot you can do when you can specialize the emulator to function with one specific ROM. All 3D objects would be created by hand, not converted from tilemap data.

Think of it like if someone remade a classic movie using the original scripts but with the capabilities of modern technology.

 

Ah, I see what you're saying. So you mean all the art would just be custom level art, but the physics, collision and such would all come from the emulator?

 

Unless it's more than the Classic GHZ demo, I'm not seeing much reason to head out to Houston (I would probably try to find some other stuff to do).

 

Physics, collision, and all internal engine logic. The whole point of it being driven by emulation is that you don't have to worry about accuracy to the original physics and object behavior, because everything is actually being driven by the original game logic. The 3D engine grafted on top of it can do a ton of stuff smoother or better because it can have access to the entire game state at all times. Input could just be passed the same as any other emulator. The only VDP facilities you'd really need would be interrupts so the game logic would run at the correct speed. Sound could be handled via partial Z80 emulation (presence of Z80 RAM may be sufficient to snoop the requested music tracks and sound effects and replace with newer ones if desired (or use original sfx and remade music).

 

So! How's everybody's best times coming along. Here's mine, in modern Green Hill:

 

Wait what

How did you get the Modern demo? Is it up?

 

No, it's just possible to hack the demo into running in a different mode. It's been discussed many, many pages back.

 

Wait, so why aren't Sonic Team just doing this? Is it because it would take too much effort, or just incompetency on their part? And I mean like, hypothetically, obviously they can't NOW..right?

 

There isn't a single person left on the dev team who knows how the M68000 functions, for one.

 

Yeah that's what I thought.

Tch, shame, that.

 

I noticed an overuse of speed-boosters on the long dips in Classic Chemical Plant. Here we go again with SEGA trying to hide the butchered physics with an overabundance of speed-boosters/speed-panels.

 

This is Chemical Plant.


It's like.....the one level where using a lot of speed boosters is ok. We have played the demo, and we know the physics, save rolling, are pretty good.

 

That's why they need to hire some of us =P

 

From a game development standpoint, snooping RAM values and emulation hacks aren't friendly to artists and designers at all. When you consider that games today often have artists that also do some scripting on the side, the quality of development tools is crucial.

The Sonic gameplay isn't so unique that it requires emulation, it just requires an understanding of the underlying algorithms that are used in the various states of Sonic's gameplay. I think people often get so caught up in the mindset that "IT HAS TO BE 1:1 code" that they ignore the vast amounts of potential for new things with today's technology (new stage gimmicks and effects, 2.5D mechanics etc).