[Josh]

Hope it works well! Thanks to everyone who posted in my, "Why do you like Sonic?" topic a few weeks back.

[Super Egg]

Oh my, my body is quite ready for this Josh.

[Skyler]

I like how you differentiated things like "Princess Sally" and "Amy Rose" in the different videos.

[steveswede]

I love these videos you are doing, they have been the best analysis of the classic games I seen.

[Covarr]

My favorite part is 7:45.

[Qjimbo]

Great job - and the soundtrack selection turned out really good!

[steveswede]

You know this video got me thinking, has there ever been a Sonic CD hack with different level design?

[Machenstein]

Great video, even for a fan of Sonic CD such as myself. The only part I disagree with is the notion that a level is badly designed if it's hard to speedrun in. Like I said in the other thread, your enjoyment of the game depends on your goals. I don't play Sonic games to speedrun them, I play them to soak in the atmosphere, play around with the physics and interact with the various level gimmicks. That's why Spring Yard Zone and Casino Night Zone are my favorite levels in Sonic 1 and 2 respectively. That's also why I'm... okay with Wacky Workbench. I enjoy bouncing off of that floor and doing the bounce trick on any nearby badniks. While the level fails to provide a sense of speed, at least it provides a sense of flight which I can dig.

Even with that said, Sonic CD isn't even my favorite 2D Sonic game. I gravitate more towards Sonic 2, 3&K and maybe the first Advance title. Those games managed to strike some sort of middle ground between speed and exploration whereas Sonic 1 and CD are more about methodical platforming. The only reason I slightly prefer Sonic CD over Sonic 1 is because there's more to do in Sonic CD. That and there's less bottomless pits.

[Crappy Blue Luigi]

The only way these videos could've been better would be if you'd

Spoiler

"given the edge" to the US soundtrack in the JP/EU video and vice versa.

[MastaSys]

The dual sountrack was really a great idea (and a bit tongue in the check.)
And those little differences are just the cherry at the top of the cake.

(And in a way very smart... it's very probable that who likes the JP or US ost, prefer using Eggman/Amy/etc. or Robotnik/Sally/etc. respectively.)

[Josh]

steveswede, on 31 July 2014 - 02:48 PM, said:

I love these videos you are doing, they have been the best analysis of the classic games I seen.

Ah, thank you! Glad you're enjoying them.

steveswede, on 31 July 2014 - 04:00 PM, said:

You know this video got me thinking, has there ever been a Sonic CD hack with different level design?

The only Sonic CD hack I can even think of is Sonic CD++, which adds in the Genesis spin-dash and a Megamix-like midair dash/homing attack. It makes the game MUCH faster, makes time hopping a breeze, and is my preferred way to play,even if it does make the game easier.

Crappy Blue Luigi, on 31 July 2014 - 04:28 PM, said:

The only way these videos could've been better would be if you'd

Spoiler

"given the edge" to the US soundtrack in the JP/EU video and vice versa.

Heh, I did consider doing that. Actually, as I was doing my final view before rendering, I had a pretty funny idea. I wish I'd thought of it sooner, so I could've gotten someone to combine the UK or JP versions of Sonic 3 and S&K for the last shot.

[Tanks]

Josh, I've been following your videos for a while and enjoy your commentary, but it was mostly with an attitude of agreement. Like Sonic 2, for instance, was me nodding my head to information I already knew. Not saying this is bad, considering you've put that information in such a way others who may not have gotten a full experience out of the game or are simply brand new can get an awesome perspective on it.

But you actually TAUGHT ME today and put my head on straight when it comes to this game. Its all the things I have ever wanted to say about Sonic CD, but never could put my finger on the issues to know just what to say or how to say it. We all know its been the black sheep of the community, considering Sonic 2 has the bulk of support when it comes to the "Which is the better sequel" argument that always comes up. Yet every Sonic 2 supporter has that odd respect for CD, like its this game that we can't wrap our heads around, and just don't understand why. This video cleared it up for me and actually makes me want to break my Sega CD out again just to see if I've gained some new respect, or at least, an understanding for just what Sonic CD is.

[Sodaholic]

Sonic CD is absolutely my favorite of the 16-bit games.

And I much prefer the JP soundtrack despite being a yank who grew up with the US soundtrack. The US soundtrack is nice in a lot of places, but as a whole, it fails to capture the original atmosphere and feel that the game was designed for. Given that it was very last minute, it's also frankly shit in a few spots that weren't given enough time to polish beyond what sound like very rough drafts. The US music in Metallic Madness and Quartz Quadrent's future come to mind.

As for the slower level design and exploration, perhaps I'm crazy, but I prefer that over Sonic 2's linearity. I also think that Sonic 2, while the end product was pretty good, was still rather flawed due to sloppiness and rushing. There's not a single piece of art in Sonic CD that I can honestly say looks bad. Sonic 2 has loads of bad art in its nooks and crannies, just look at Sonic's new animations; they don't stylistically match up, the shape is wobbly and weird, and the shading is downright horrendous (but is masked by S2's shitty low-contrast blue palette).

Not saying that SCD is flawless, mind you, but I do think it had a lot more effort (or at least time) put into it than S2, and it scratches my gameplay and aesthetic itches far more than S2 does.

[SpeedStarTMQ]

Another great video, I really enjoy yours more than most. Great presentation, great voice over (American voices are usually better for this thing anyway, great pronunciation, clear, enthusiastic etc.) and some really good points.

I like how though it's your least favourite you weren't biased and didn't shit ALL OVER the game like a lot of people would have. Respect!

Gotta say though, Sonic CD has a quite a few of levels where you can go really fast. It's not specifically that it does it's best to stop you FULL STOP, it's more than it'll more than likely stop you if you haven't learned it's poker face and at least memorized some sections as it doesn't always hint at what's next in the level layout and design like the others often do.
Gotta say though, you're dead on with that stupid springy bouncy section of Collision Chaos where you just have to give in to the springs and try and bounce your way forward, as well as the entirety of Stardust Speedway (if you fall below the highest route). Wacky Workbench is just a bitch if you haven't mastered jumping from the rotating platforms (and you can do this most of the way through the zone) and Metallic Madness Act 2 is also a conundrum, but given that it's the final stage can be let off.

I always think of CD and Sonic 2 as being the two branching paths of Sonic 1's development too, in the same vein as how Majora's Mask and Wind Waker branch from Ocarina of Time. They're based on the same ideas and play in very similar ways, but the environments and tasks in the game ensure that despite similar engine/controls and character abilities and basic play similarities, the two games end up being played in very different ways. Not one of the ways is wrong and the other right, just very different...

...but then again, not so different depending on how you play. It's almost like Sonic CD carries on from Sonic 1, in the same way as S&K carries on from Sonic 3. It's definitely not like SMB: The Lost Levels, but it's like it carries on from the sort of gameplay Labyrinth Zone and Scrap Brain Zone offer.

Your video's definitely made me question the score I gave Sonic CD though, which is 10/10. Seeing it from the other side, it's definitely not perfect, though it is one of my favorite games ever.

This post has been edited by SpeedStarTMQ: 01 August 2014 - 03:15 PM

[FollOw]

I always disliked Sonic CD when I had it for PC and Sonic Gems Collection MANY years ago, I could never get it to save properly. Once Taxman re-released it on the retro engine my opinion completely changed. Today I love it almost as much as sonic 2 and 3. Great review!

This post has been edited by FollOw: 02 August 2014 - 05:58 PM