[Overbound]

1:15. Could definitely do much better but I'm here for reviewing, not time attacking!

(Also, if you silly people must insist issuing time attack challenges, at least have a time attack option.)

This is the second SAGE game I've tried so far and I must say, I'm quite impressed, however this game still has a few issues that stop it from achieving more than just "good".

Damn 1:15 isn't bad at all. Anyway thank you Chimpo I do so love it when people take the time to really analyze a demo, its one of the main reasons I'm getting better and better at making this game.

Visual wise, the game looks nice, however this is mostly thanks to the large amount of borrowed art. The original art is nice, but if you're going to put some original work in there, I suggest you put the quality up to par with the rest of the artwork you're using otherwise you just have this awful mash up. The Sonic sprite is a big criminal here. He just stands out way too much from the rest of the game thanks to all that shine you slapped on him. The animations are also a bit off. I don't know how you manage to mess up a walk cycle that was already done for you. Sonic walks with an incredible stiffness in him like he did in Sonic CD, and the enemies have some very basic animations. (Is the Rhino thing just one frame entirely? It would be nice if it had a turning animation.)

The Rino is 2 frames but its just the wheel spining your right about the turning animation consider it on the to do list. As for the Sonic sprite I fell in love with that sprite which is not mine some time ago and there is little anyone could say to convince me to change it. I do appreciate you pointing out its flaws though.

The level design in this is brilliant. It's a very nice blend of platforming and speed. The speed comes from the player figuring out the best route and using Sonic's abilities to his advantage (Spin-Dashing to get a quick boost, Peel-Out to build enough momentum to make a large enough jump and to skip an obstacle entirely, rolling down to get some speed.) The game I've tried before this depended on loops and a speed burst ability to get the sensation going, but you cleverly design the levels that it's up to the player's ability entirely to obtain it. Great job, I applaud this and hope that the rest of the levels follow the same design.

Very cool I'm really glad you like the level design and you description of it makes me like it even more. I've always felt that level design is what I am best and the old Time Twisted taught me a few valuable lessons: death pits suck, and get rid of the blockieness.

As far as the same level design I don't know about that entirely. I find that each Sonic zone requires a different style of level design for instance my water zone will be much more blocky than the rest and will not have any loops. In the end though I think it will be to your liking.

Music is pretty good. I don't know if these are original tracks or not, but they're quite catchy and memorable, exactly like they should be. Sound effects are mainly borrowed from other games so I won't comment on those.

LarkSS made me the original music he's going to make me a whole soundtrack isn't he the best? But I have to say my favorite piece he's made me I haven't even had a chance to use yet Perplex Puzzle Future Music

There are a couple of things that urked me in the demo. One of them being the inability to influence Sonic's jump after taking off. It made some sections that would be a cinch in the previous games a pain in the neck as you could not slow down his momentum by holding the opposite direction, so you had to be VERY precise on when and how high you jump. It's really quite annoying and I hope you take a look at it.

Your talking about the trouble of jumping over two spikes aren't you? You know I never thought about it being a jumping problem or not I always thought of it as a flaw in level design which I debated about taking out. Duh I should have thought of that a long time ago thanks.

The time traveling system is even more annoying than in Sonic CD. In Sonic CD, you still maintain control of Sonic after passing a signpost and you can easily cancel out of a time travel. In Time Twisted, you pass a post, you get shot ahead like a speed panel and you only have a second to react. I don't know what you have in plan for the time traveling gimmick in the future, but at the moment it seems awfully useless, as all it does is swap the way levels look. Layout, for the most part seems exactly the same and there's really no reason to travel through time, so why are there like a million signpost throughout the stage? It breaks up the brilliant fluid level design with these annoying pauses rather than benefit the game.

There are several different paths you can take that don't appear in both time periods. But your right the time travel is kinda worthless right now, the only function it serves right now is for story really there are two cut scenes in the game the first zone you have to be in the past to view it, and the second zone you have to be in the future to view it. Its a way to encourage users to use the time travel and exploration and hopefully make the story a little more interesting. In the final game the robotizisors will be back and when you destroy them in the past there will be no badniks in the future. That and of course its one way to get the good ending.

Now as far as the function goes, I get complaints no matter what I do honestly. When I had it the other way I was told Sonic CD's time travel is lame come up with a new way to do it. This is what I discussed and decided upon with the help of the SFGHQ community. Now that I have it this way I'm getting complaints about it too not just from you. I can only conclude while I love the time travel and the more exploration options it gives the player there are people that just don't like it. I want and will keep it but here's what I will do: I will get rid of some of the redundant posts in the level, and maybe... maybe when I make the final product I will make an option for turning time travel off completely.

So far, the game shows promise, especially if the rest of the levels are as fun as these were. But the jumping mechanics, and the time traveling system is holding it back from being a truly great game. But that's why these early demos are for right? Get early impressions and tried to fix complaints! Good luck on your development and I hope to see more.

You are correct sir and I will work on the stuff you said. Thanks for the more or less review you don't know how much I appreciate it.

[Chimpo]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that you should replace the sprite entirely. It can definitely be improved to go well with the other artwork.

And by keeping up the level design, I meant it in terms of keeping the same level of quality. Because this is some really great stuff. I'd love to see you do a Labyrinth Zone or a Marble Zone type levels with you behind the wheel as I can only expect something great.

By jumping, go ahead and do a spin-dash or peel out, jump, and hold the opposite direction of where you're going. Normally, Sonic's momentum will begin to slow down. This doesn't happened in the demo. He'll keep going at the same speed. It makes for some of the precise platforming at a faster pace become a little difficult.

As for Time Travel, I suggest you keep it the way it was in Sonic CD. While I absolutely hated Sonic CD's time traveling gimmick, a large part of it was because of loading times and terrible level design. The way you have it set up here here could work much better. I also suggest you do a little fade in and a second or two before Sonic reappears like in Sonic CD. Time Traveling in this gets confusing since the re-entry is instant and doesn't give me the ample time to readjust to the environment.

[Overbound]

So it sounds like your talking about a spin dash now not a jump? Sonic slows down when spin dashing by a factor of 0.125 per step or frame when the opposite direction is pressed.

[Chimpo]

So it sounds like your talking about a spin dash now not a jump? Sonic slows down when spin dashing by a factor of 0.125 per step or frame when the opposite direction is pressed.

No, I'm talking about the jump. If you get any decent speed going and jump, pressing the opposite direction doesn't slow you down, you just keep going at the same speed. I'm just suggesting to try it out with a spin-dash so you can see it.

[Overbound]

First post updated for SAGE 2010 ^_^. I've also updated the demo with a few fixes so if it wouldn't run before try it again.

[Squier Super Sonic]

Just wanted to echo everyone else's praise about the level design and also say that I actually prefer the way you did time travel here to Sonic CD's system because it's instantaneous. I always hated in Sonic CD whenever I was building up speed but then slowed down for whatever reason, lost the ability to time travel, and had to find another post. It just seems more streamlined with your system.

However, I do have one major complaint: the title screen is terrible.



I know it doesn't affect the gameplay but that doesn't mean it isn't important. It's the first thing people see and first impressions are critical. Potential players are likely to dismiss it because if the title graphic is bad then there's a good chance other aspects of the game are lackluster as well. This isn't the case for Time Twisted, but in most instances it's indicative of poor overall quality. I know this criticism sounds harsh, but you're really doing yourself a disservice by misrepresenting a quality game.

[Animemaster]

Just wanted to echo everyone else's praise about the level design and also say that I actually prefer the way you did time travel here to Sonic CD's system because it's instantaneous. I always hated in Sonic CD whenever I was building up speed but then slowed down for whatever reason, lost the ability to time travel, and had to find another post. It just seems more streamlined with your system.

However, I do have one major complaint: the title screen is terrible.



I know it doesn't affect the gameplay but that doesn't mean it isn't important. It's the first thing people see and first impressions are critical. Potential players are likely to dismiss it because if the title graphic is bad then there's a good chance other aspects of the game are lackluster as well. This isn't the case for Time Twisted, but in most instances it's indicative of poor overall quality. I know this criticism sounds harsh, but you're really doing yourself a disservice by misrepresenting a quality game.

This. I guess I'm more refering myself to the big sonic, I don't like the look of him. And the timetwiested tex needs fixing/editing.

[Overbound]

I rather like the Titlescreen myself. In fact I love it. MFZB made me that Sonic art its not 100% classic Sonic looking but that doesn't deminish the quality of it. I'd imagine that's the real issue rather than a problem with quality.

The instant time travel change was Chimpo's idea and it was a great one. Thanks again Chimpo! The time travel is quite different than how it works in CD there are a lot fewer time travel posts in STT (this demo anyway) and when you see one its always best to use it because where ever there's a time post there's a "better" path in the other timezone. Eventually the post will also lead you to Sonic 3 style big rings and maybe some other suprises.

[Effexor]

You know, maybe you could make it so Sonic spins around more than once, THEN you go to the timezone stated on the sign? It'd give people the chance to stay in the time zone they're in if they accidentally hit it by jumping off before they finish spinning around it without removing the "instant 88mph" time travel method you have right now.

[synchronizer]

After seeing the videos of this fangame, now I want a full map of the demo level so I can study water level layouts XD. (Really)

[Hinchy]

You know, maybe you could make it so Sonic spins around more than once, THEN you go to the timezone stated on the sign? It'd give people the chance to stay in the time zone they're in if they accidentally hit it by jumping off before they finish spinning around it without removing the "instant 88mph" time travel method you have right now.

To cancel a signpost, hold the opposite direction that you are running, and you'll skid after spinning around the time post rather than warping.

[Squier Super Sonic]

I rather like the Titlescreen myself. In fact I love it. MFZB made me that Sonic art its not 100% classic Sonic looking but that doesn't deminish the quality of it. I'd imagine that's the real issue rather than a problem with quality.

No, style isn't the issue at all. I wouldn't mind if the art was just in a different style but this depiction has some bizarre anatomical inconsistencies and looks sloppy overall. To name them:

- Big caveman brow ridges over the eyes: arguably a style issue but it seems unintentional and it definitely leads to other problems like ear placement and forming a weird profile.

- His left ear is coming directly out of his brow.

- His right ear is tilted toward to the background and doesn't seem to be attached to his head.

- His hand shows no attachment or spatial relation to his arm.

Overall, the figure is asymmetrical and has features that are contrary to anatomical common sense. It ends up looking more like one of these poorly made plushies than an attempt at an original style.

[Black Squirrel]

I've been half-following this project for x number of years now and I have to agree... Sonic's sprite is a bit poor, as he is on the title screen.

The whole idea with dithering and the very reason it exists was to give the impression of more colours. Big blurry CRT television sets and monitors weren't too great with pixels and so dithering appeared to create a new colour. And when you could only stick 64 colours on screen at once, it was a big help.

But these days most people have 16 million colours to choose from, and less and less people use CRT monitors.

Last year when I played this at SAGE, the fact it was made in Game Maker meant it ran far too slow on my old PC (which shipped with a CRT monitor). I got a new one and now it runs fine, but the difference is, now I use an LCD screen and dithering doesn't really work because it's able to produce much sharper images. I mean newer CRT sets are less blurry anyway, but that's besides the point. In order to run this game you need a fairly decent computer, and if you've got a fairly decent computer, chances are it shipped with an LCD (or maybe even LED) screen.



Also I must admit I don't really see any point in the time travelling feature whatsoever... though that might be because the game isn't done. It just seems to get in the way. It is a notable step up from two or three years ago when it first came to SAGE though, and the music is very good, as are the graphics that aren't Sonic.

[Overbound]

You know, maybe you could make it so Sonic spins around more than once, THEN you go to the timezone stated on the sign? It'd give people the chance to stay in the time zone they're in if they accidentally hit it by jumping off before they finish spinning around it without removing the "instant 88mph" time travel method you have right now.

That's actually a pretty good idea maybe next demo.

After seeing the videos of this fangame, now I want a full map of the demo level so I can study water level layouts XD. (Really)

I took this while designing the stage so its only about half the level and its small.

Also I must admit I don't really see any point in the time travelling feature whatsoever... though that might be because the game isn't done. It just seems to get in the way. It is a notable step up from two or three years ago when it first came to SAGE though, and the music is very good, as are the graphics that aren't Sonic.

In the final game you will have to travel through time to get to the different Special Stages hidden throughout the level. Right now each time post is place so that if you use it it will take you on a "better" path that you wouldn't have access to in the other time zone.

[jman2050]

I said it in other places, but the fact that you jump to full height no matter how hard you press the jump button is really really annoying. It's the only real issue I have with the game's controls, but I think it's a big one. I imagine that'll be addressed in some fashion later on :P

Also cause I'm a whore I made these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNRg3YoFNM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBXIEHpDiwU

This post has been edited by jman2050: 09 August 2010 - 06:49 PM