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Just remembered why Sonic 1 is my least favorite of the Genesis Four

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Dr. Corndog, Feb 13, 2013.

  1. Dr. Corndog

    Dr. Corndog

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    I like to turn on my Sega Genesis and replay the Sonics at least every year or so. So tonight it was Sonic the Hedgehog.

    That special stage. If I'm not hitting the same reverse sphere over and over and not getting anywhere, then I'm bouncing off the star spheres in the wrong direction, or I'm slipping past the path to the emerald, or I'm getting forced down a path to the goal spheres. The worst is when I'm on the wall and trying to jump off and the controls are completely unresponsive. Once I sat on the same two neutral spheres long enough for the maze to rotate a good 90 degrees, tapping the C button over and over, with nothing happening, until it finally dumped me on the goal spheres.

    And that's saying nothing about the times I lost all my rings right before the signpost, or the downright unfair traps in Scrap Brain Zone.

    But it's still a good game, even though...blarrgh. Anyway, onto Sonic 2 tomorrow night.
     
  2. Josh

    Josh

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    Sonic 1 is my least favorite of the early games for the same reason Sonic CD is second from the bottom: level design.

    Some games (Advance 2 for instance) have had a problem wherein you can go too fast with little effort. Sonic 1's level design is often such that you can't go fast at ALL, no matter how skilled you are or how well you know the level. Marble Zone is probably the worst offender of this, but I always hated the up-down platform blocks in Spring Yard as well.

    Sonic 2 and beyond had a much better balance of speed-as-reward gameplay but with the capacity for slower exploration, and are much better games for it.
     
  3. The original has grown to be my absolute favorite of them all specifically because it's more of a platformer than a "hold right to win" event.
     
  4. I agree fullheartedly with the special stage complaints. It's always felt like it just doesn't quite work like it should.
     
  5. TheKazeblade

    TheKazeblade

    "Our Life is More than a Side-Effect" Member
    The first is easily the most difficult, at least for me. I rarely am able to get past Spring Yard Zone because I am so impatient I lose a lot of lives on Marble Zone trying to skip past the floating lava block sections.

    For this, I just am not able to get through the game often. I have only beaten the game once all the way through not using the level select, and that was without the 6 emeralds. I just can't drive myself to do it.

    I've beaten S3K far more than either S1 or 2.
     
  6. It is quirks like these that make Sonic 1 less of a favorite of mine too, but I have noticed when playing hacks that add Spindash, or make the speed cap behave more like Sonic 3's I find that it is now broken. The special stage isn't really there for anything but an additional bonus in Sonic 1 because it doesn't really reward you other than the extra points/lives/continues you may rack up as you get to the Emerald in the middle, and all that does is change the ending ever so slightly. But then again, the reason why this is like this is because it was the first in a line of "experiments" trying to prove that this kind of fast-paced game can work. By the time both sequels came out, the refined the formula to change how things worked to give you a better experience.
     
  7. Dan Lioneye

    Dan Lioneye

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    Y'all must suck at Sonic. :colbert:
    [​IMG]
     
  8. jasonchrist

    jasonchrist

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    Most people who don't Sonic 1 are shit players. And yes, Dan it's precisely because it takes ages to get good at Sonic 1 that it's so fucking awesome, and imo the most rewarding of the bunch. Shit, it's almost like there's a science to mastering Sonic 1.

    Sonic 3 and Knuckles - while I love it as a big epic experience, when it comes down to the nuts and bolts, the game holds your fucking hand like nobody's business alot of the time! The automation and forced moves everyone complains about today? It's all fucking there in Sonic 3 and Knuckles - albeit not to as great an extent.
     
  9. LockOnRommy11

    LockOnRommy11

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    Funny this, as I LOVE Sonic 1- I prefer it to Sonic 2 though Sonic 2 was my favourite game for a loooooong time. I really appreciate the style and the level design, and the way the game gives you speed but restricts you from attaining it unless you're totally awesome at the game. There's still Green Hill Zone, Spring Yard Zone and Starlight Zone where you can go massively fast, though it mixes and breaks this up with platforming sections.

    Even then if you're good enough you can go the higher routes and avoid all this stuff to finish the act quickly.

    Also, the special stages are great and I find no control problems. I enjoy the fact it's a giant mind game and it makes you bounce about all over the place. It's pretty tense, especially on that big maze (is it the 3rd one?) which is just a single room with a lengthy bouncy hourney to the centre which takes AGES.
     
  10. Skyler

    Skyler

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    Sonic 1 is the best of the four in terms of basic level design because it's a platformer first and foremost, and it's a rewarding platformer. You have to earn your right to gain speed and beat the level quickly. The game gets better the more you play it, for it is only as good as you are.

    You lot disappoint me.
     
  11. Rosie

    Rosie

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    Sonic 2 is my least favourite because I suck at it. Funny that. Why is this a discussion?

    If you suck at Sonic 1 you're doing it wrong.
     
  12. Dan Lioneye

    Dan Lioneye

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    Protip for Sonic 1 Special Stage 1:

    Don't touch the controls until you pass the no-return "barrier" to the area containing the emerald. :eng101:
     
  13. Sorry but the classic games are terrible there were no guns and like NO characters and the ones that were there didnt talk that stuffs for babies

    No but seriously, I enjoy Sonic 1 but I prefer Sonic 3 & Knuckles more. I played Sonic 1 the other day because I've pretty much memorized S3&K to the point where it's not really fun any more, and I had a lot of fun with it. I can see why people don't enjoy it as much as the sequels, but it can be pretty fun. Marble Zone gave me issues the other day to the point where I rage quit and now I probably won't touch it for another 10 years.
     
  14. D.A. Garden

    D.A. Garden

    Sonic CD's Sound Test Member
    I disagree with a lot of the sentiments on this page relating to Sonic 1. I love platformers, which is probably why I love Sonic 1.

    The first Zone I ever got to play was Marble, which might explain a lot.
    The thing about Sonic 1 that stands out is having to find ways to roll and pick up speed.
    All the other Sonic games gave you a dash move that practically said "Here's your top speed, now go!".
    Sonic 1 doesn't do that; it requires rolling down slopes, jumping from ramps and using your terrain.
    OK, so Sonic 2 might do the same, but what's the point when you can just stand still, rev a spindash and release to get that same speed?

    I like Sonic 1 for what it is; a solid start to the series with a heavy emphasis on platforming. There's nothing wrong with that.

    ...and I can't wait for Jayextee's response in this thread. :rolleyes:
     
  15. minichapman

    minichapman

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    That's the thing I like about Sonic 1. The speed. It was fast for the time but not fast enough.

    Green Hill showcases the 'look, It's sonic. He's fast! Zoom!'. Marble Zone is more 'With speed comes consequence. Take your time with this zone.'
     
  16. Jayextee

    Jayextee

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    My ears are burning, looks like I'll have to stop lurking.


    This, pretty much. I could elaborate on this, but I been there and done it and it's a waste of time typing it all again.
     
  17. Dark Sonic

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    I get Sonic 1. I've played it, I can beat it easily now a days (Save for the Labyrinth boss... can't actually beat him still). Still don't find it as fun though. I get it, I'm pretty good at it. But at the end of the day, for me, Sonic 3K wins, then Sonic 2, then Sonic CD, then Sonic 1. I don't like the environments outside of Green Hill (Scrap brain is prob my least favorite Robotnik environment and I don't know what Spring Yard Zone is supposed to be but it reminds me of the bronx with bumpers... who the hell would want to play it a level that looks like the outside of the projects with the words "COPE" and "CPU" flying around.), I don't like the special stages just because they seem kinda dull to me, and I don't really like the 3 act system.

    End of the day, I just don't care for Sonic 1. Also it was the last of the Sonic games I played, so it didn't have the same magic as Sonic 2 (and to a lesser extent) 3 had.
     
  18. TheKazeblade

    TheKazeblade

    "Our Life is More than a Side-Effect" Member
    This is kind of the same for me. I didn't own a Genesis until long after I owned the Sonic 3 collection and Sonic CD on PC. I got 3D Blast, Sonic R and Sonic 2 (on the Sega Smash Pack 2) for PC later, and for quite a while, I thought Sonic CD was Sonic 1, since it was the only traditional Sonic I knew of that wasn't numbered (I lived a sheltered, hardly any internet life back then, shut up). Sonic 1 was the last of the classics I played, and when you go from S3&K/2/CD to the first, it's a bit of going backwards.
     
  19. JaredAFX

    JaredAFX

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    No, there is nothing wrong with that. There's nothing WRONG with the game, it's just that most of us here like having an instant boost and level design based around that. My first experience with the classic series was Mega Collection, after 4-5 year old Jared fell in love with Adventure 2. Of course, I started with Sonic 1. I thought it was all right. Then I went to Sonic 2. I didn't go back to Sonic 1 for a looooong time. I think the Spin Dash just appeals more to people than using their surroundings to gain speed.
     
  20. Mercury

    Mercury

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    Buh-buh-blasphemy! =P

    I kind of like the way the zones in Sonic 1 and CD aren't so specific like the later games. I mean, Casino Night is definitely a casino, but what's Spring Yard? Who knows! That makes it kind of cool IMO.