Current things in the franchise that make you happy

I really enjoy the 2D gameplay that's been coming out. It actually shows they care about the 2D plane which (IMO) is the best plane of gaming.

Now, why do they keep messing up the physics, I can't tell. But it's not too bad...

 

I like how there's always high quality graphics. Rouge's new voice actor is pretty awesome. Modern Sonic's gameplay is second-best to Adventure 2 Sonic's gameplay.

My favorite part is how everyone's making so many changes to Sonic Generations!

But there's a heck of a lot of changes I don't like. To each his own, I guess. My biggest quarrels are the stories and how they're treating everyone else...

 

That reminds me, didn't Yuji Naka hint at there being an actual official Sonic movie in the works?

 

I remember the topic being brought up a few times, but I don't recall anything concrete. To be fair, I haven't looked it up in quite some time either. I tend to dismiss most claims for movies as hoaxes.

 

If SEGA had a movie in the works, they'd really have to be specific on what the hell its plot would be about. Maybe.. something new and unrelated to any of the games? I'de like to see a Sonic movie with a fresh start to the series, since at the moment, no one knows where it's going.

I would be starstruck to see another Sonic movie as great as the first -- it would really push the franchise forward IMO.



... strange isn't it?

 

Suck my balls, I LOVED the modern portion of Sonic in Generations. I love the GOGOGO and the boost boost boost and the blah blah blah that shit is great. I have an absolutele blast playing as him, and I hope for more in the future. I can understand why they made some of the choices they made, because giving players more control of the camera in the Adventure series made bad things happen.

I'm curious what Sonic is going to be like on the next-generation consoles. I hope for more epic storylines (I.e. Sonic CD, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic Adventure), and less basic childish cartoony crap. (I was on the bandwagon for simple stories after Sonic 06, but then I realized epic stories really did add to my Sonic experiences, IF they were made properly).

 

I have always loved the music in the Sonic games. I personally think the rock music goes great with Sonic for main themes and such. Hard rock with lyrics as background music not so much. I think the only game that I have been disappointed in music wise is Sonic and the Secret Rings. Most of that music was ear grating. Aside from the music though, the current control style is great. There could be improvements, such as trying to improve the jumping (it still feels clunky in the 3D environments), but other than that I think the controls in Generations were nearly perfect. I actually enjoyed playing the modern stages more than the classic stage

 

Actually, couldn't agree more with all of this. I'm a huge fan of the current gameplay, "GOGOGO BOOST BOOST BOOST" is a great way to describe it and some of the more advanced levels really make for some challenging speed running.

On the childish, cartoony aspect of the series... I'm liking it, but like you, I kind of want to see something epic again. Not epic as in 06-style 'epic' or as dark as SA2, but something like Sonic 3 & Knuckles using the current style. There's nothing wrong with making an epic story, as long as it makes sense within the confines of Sonic's world. A story where the stakes are extremely high for everyone involved, one where even these 'cartoonish' characters can take a moment to view the situation more seriously, would be great.

EDIT
Also agreeing with the above poster, I've always loved what they've done with the music in the series. From the hard rock anthems of the Adventure series (they fit really well) to the current synthopop (I'm not sure how I'd describe the series' current musical direction) craze they seem to be on, I love it.
The new style (Cash Cash are mostly to thank for it) fits the great new direction the series is taking.

 

The fact that the rumor that the Sonic Skylanders game with the radical redesigns is probably fake makes me happy.

Seriously, when you finally get something right, you don't abandon it and go with something else that is sure to piss fans off to no end.

 

Even though that reboot rumor is almost definitely fake (lol tssz), would a reboot of the series really be a terrible idea? After all, the series became kind of a mess overtime, has massive consistency issues, was whored terribly, etc. However, I don't think a reboot would be a decent idea unless the new direction of the series was fantastic and not whored terribly. But that's not going to happen because SEGA relies on the franchise way too much. So if a reboot were to happen, it would probably be handled terribly. Best they just go in a direction of trying to improve what they have to work with.

 

A reboot would be good in the sense that it could be a canonical reboot. If they were to throw the old continuity out the window, it would give them a chance to give the characters new purpose and new personalities. Knuckles might not have to guard the master emerald anymore since it might not exist, Shadow might never have had his little memory relapse, hell some characters could possibly just no longer exist. It might also allow for a redesign, and given that they understand the appeal of classic Sonic's style now, it could even be more along the lines of a dedesign, or a combination design combining some elements of Modern and Classic (A slightly taller classic with green eyes and modern shoes with slightly longer spikes (But not too much longer)).

Cute fluffy kitten's tinhat conspiracy theory did have one good idea though. They suggested that the game may be more open world, with zones being different parts of that world, and the levels themselves would be missions. It's one of those ideas though that could be really good or really bad. Depends how it works out.

 

For the part I bolded, I would absolutely love that. The more I think about it, the better a reboot sounds. Maybe the Sonic franchise could do what Neurotically Yours did and make it a self aware reboot where something happened that caused everything to become rebooted.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3OM7rZg1g[/youtube]

The flash series did that largely because Neurotically Yours become such a formal shell of itself that this was essentially a nuclear option, and that decision revived my interest in the series. When you compare a great episode like this to a fucking horrendous episode like http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/558718, it made the reboot decision absolutely justifiable. The show became such a mess that I could barely tolerate watching it anymore and went from being a big fan to someone who has paid barely any attention to the series in the last few years until recently.

When you think about, the Sonic series became part of quite a similar situation. Except instead of rebooting everything, it has tried to revive itself. The series has definitely become a lot more respected than it was five years ago, but it's nowhere near its former glory and you have to wonder what is the longterm plan with the franchise. Lately, it's been trying to run on nostalgia a lot and very boost emphasized gameplay, but that can get very old overtime. If a reboot is handled very well, it could do the series a lot of good but it could also lead to disaster. I generally hate gaming reboots since it generally seems so lazy, but I'm not opposed to that happening to the Sonic franchise since it's a total mess in a lot of ways.

 

Sonic Generations' gameplay in an open world where every street, field or building is ripe for speed running and you can pick or even change the route you're taking half-way through.

That is my dream. :v:

 

The main Sonic continuity isn't that bad. It just has a lot of shitty side stories and some may or may not be canon. It's also getting cleaned up, so rebooting the series would ruin all of the effort they've put into it in the past few years.

 

Well, I think as Sega have lost the way of the likes of Sonic the hedgehog fans. I hope Yuji Naka return of the company and restore everything they did.

 

Not like he left with the series in great shape.



With the exception of Sonic '06, the series has done nothing but improve since he left. I don't even dislike the game Shadow the Hedgehog, but there's no way that game can compare to titles like Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. I fucking hated Sonic Heroes though. Him leaving was probably a good thing since he proved to be a much shittier game producer than he is a game programmer.

Edit-

Only one of the "big three" that I can think of who could make the series go back to its glory days is Hirokazu Yasuhara, but he jumped ship before the other two did.

 

I totally agree with you!

 

Generations pretty much nailed it for me:

-Balance between high speed and platforming sections. Both are essential in a good Sonic game.

-More exploration possibilities with open stages. I LOVED exploring modern Seaside Hill for Rings.

-Stages are long because of the free-roaming options, an not because of actual size. Also, the stages' look varies as you progress: best example is Rooftop Run classic.
A level like Planet Wisp but less evil would be PERFECT for me.

-Combining 2D and 3D. This allows for more variety of gimmicks.

-Environment effects like the Mega Chopper in GH2 or the explosions in CP2.

-No damage sponge bosses (S3&K failed here) an AMAZING cutscenes/attacks/locations for them.

-Funny, sometimes hilarious script.

On the flip side, one thing I miss a lot when playing this game is the lack of imagination for underwater sections: ALL water in Seaside Hill was thrown inside temples, with little more than stone walls to look at. I'd like it if SEGA made a water stage with a lively ocean/lake background like Aquarium PARK but with proper controls and some 3D sections. What do you think?