Iizuka: Sonic 4 Episode 2 coming 2012; Episode 3 might not happen

Calling dibs on a forest level, a flying battery, a desert and a cybernetic one.

 

I LOVE the Flying Battery/Wing Fortress trope. It seems to be a theme that's found it's way into the 3D-verse as well. Sky Deck, Final Fortress, and more I'm sure. It's the one idea that has been recycled but has been fresh each and every time, UNLIKE Green Hill Acts 1 through 999.

 

Sky Deck *sigh*

Sky Fucking Deck!

Why wasn't this in generations again?

 

Because Speed Highway, Jason.

EDIT: And presumably At Dawn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuUpKmDeDMc

Anyways, we haven't even seen a Sonic Adventure stage yet, so maybe they'll throw us a curve ball. Or maybe not. Who knows? Maybe the Egg Carrier will crash into Speed Highway/attack Station Square and there's your Sky Deck, I dunno.

 

A forest level would be nice to see actually, something along the lines of Jungle Zone from the 8 bit Sonic 1 would be great to see as that really is an original level.

Another nice touch would be something like Sky Hill but the storm version as I don't think they've really done anything like it.

I am hoping that they do push the boat out and come up with something truly original. But I'd like to see an level whe you have ice at the top, rock in the middle and fire/lava/magma at the bottom. Would be fairly unique. Or do the abandoned level from Sonic 2 and the Dino enemies it in.

 

We already know what the levels will be

 

That's probably the weakest composition in the whole SA soundtrack...

There, I said it. Shock, horror, etc. =P

 

You need an ass whoopin'.

#argh

 

I like that track, but compared to other Sonic Adventure tunes it is relatively basic. I'm not too sure what they'd do to remix it. Adding a funky beat just wouldn't sound the same. Now this is funky;

I'm not sure if I've posted it before, but, my god, I had to do it again if I had already.

This is epic. I am actually in love with it.

 

That's a funny way to say the first section of Windy Valley.

About S4:E2.. I would really appreciate some stages we don't often see in the classic Sonic trope list. A desert stage, ice stage, volcano stage, jungle stage, anything like that would be cool as long as it isn't to follow the same art style and layout setup the first episode had to offer.

On that note, that makes me think: are they going to take the same engine refinements they have put in Gens3DS into the next episode? And as well as that, will they make the homing attack optional like they seem to be doing there? It really makes me curious on the matter.. I also hope they put in the classic Generations model, but I doubt that will happen.

 

Yep, sales will determine it's future.

Anyway, one of the advantages of having episodic games is Sega can learn from their mistakes and fix many of them in the next Episode. I expect Episode 2 to take a lot of fan feedback into account.

 

I dunno. A development system that counts on the last episode's failures to be rectified in later episodes? Why not just do it right the first time? This isn't even about the physics, but also the level design and the amount of content in Episode I. I'm thinking this was all a bad idea, and it should've been just one big game that had no prologue filled with copycat stages and bosses.

 

Episodic games also don't come out years apart. :p

 

In regards to, "A development system that counts on the last episode's failures to be rectified in later episodes?" isn't that something almost all sequel games do? I'm sure Sonic Team/Dimps thought they had good design when they were developing Sonic 4, but at its release to the public, learned that what they thought was good wasn't what the public thought (and I'm assuming it was too late to scrap everything to "do it right the first time.") So, for the sequel, they'll apply what lessons they learned to make the next game better.

 

That's just how they described the episodic approach, though: to take feedback from the first iteration so future iterations are improved. Sounds fine on paper, but how does that affect the development of the first iteration? It's not something you normally say about typical sequels, even if it effectively does the same thing.

 

That's wouldn't be possible because the fans wouldn't have been able to play the game and then give feedback. I definitely agree that it should have just been one good game, I'm just stating that that's one, if not the only, advantage of making episodic games.

 

Suddenly, after you made this post, Half-Life 2 Episode 3's release date was announced! :P

(edited for clarification)

 

Oh whoa!...now I just have to play Half Life 2.