If Dimps uses their Classic Sonic physics engine for Sonic 4: Episode 2, we don't have much to worry about. I don't really care about the rehashing as long as it plays well.
I'm cautiously excited. I'm hoping for, as Balough said, a fresh experience that's a change from Episode 1 for the better. If, like we've been told, they truly have listened to the fans and taken criticism on board, this could be great. On the other hand, as soon as screenshots or trailers show this to be another rehash collection or physics-lite shitfest, my money is going elsewhere and so should yours. :v:
It had better! I don't mind people who genuinely like Sonic 4, but people who hate it AND buy it anyway (several times) piss me off. Not only do they have no principles or standards, but they're giving Sega an incentive to make more of the same shite, thus postponing any real chance we have of a truly classic sequel. Sonic CD topping the PSN sales charts I hope will wake Sega up. Damn, I can't believe we were so close to playing actual new classic zones (desert dash/final fever).
The smart thing to do would be to incorporate those trashed levels into the Sonic 4 episodes. It would be a win-win.
Take that back. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-vQi3jOK5U[/youtube] An American desert stage would be really cool.
That looks alright, though the level design seems alot like generic Dimps to me. There's nothing that makes that a desert level, besides the fact that there are cactuses in the background and those weird lasso things. The level design seems more like a rollercoaster built in a desert rather than an actual desert level... dunno... there's like, nothing exciting about deserts. They're just... sand. I mean, if they followed a goldrush/canyon theme, I guess it'd be pretty cool, but the level design would have to play off of that, and there'd need to be some good gimmicks. I think it could be done... but it's just difficult to make flat, hot, dry plains of sand exciting... at least, to me...
Just imagine Sonic getting chased by a giant tumbleweed. :v: Or a cactus-shaped badnik trying to poke Sonic's spikey butt. It'd be fun.
Lol, well the point of it anyway is that the desert trope in Sonic games is pretty under-developed. They tend to all look fairly similar and be styled after Egypt. Frontier Canyon is another spin on it, but there's plenty of other potential variations available too. There's no reason they all have to be "just sand".
I propose Sega sit down and watch some Wile E. Coyote cartoons. Those tend to have some fun with American Southwest desert landscape.
That's why I said "LOOKS like generic Dimps", I wasn't sure who made it, but it was still just a "hold right to run around a rollercoaster". Backbone or not, it's still following the design principles what Dimps uses.In other words: BE FAST AND LOOK COOL! But, as I said, I'm sure a good desert zone COULD be done. Just so far there hasn't been any that had anything that I found interesting or original. And it's not just Sonic games either! Mario desert stages are bland as well. The most recent 2D Mario stages have had wirlwind gimmicks, which is helpful, but still not enough to make it interesting, in my opinion.
Super Mario Bros. 3 had a Whirlwind gimmick. Or atleast in it's remake, Super Mario Advance 4. So it's not that recent. But if they incorporate the mine cart gimmick again (INB4 rage), it might make it interesting. And also being chased by a boulder, in a mine cart.... Yeah, stop listening to me now.
I wonder how much dev time they're getting with this. I think that might have been the problem with EP1. Or maybe not, I dunno. I'm no researcher, dammit!
If they were to do the mine cart again, they could do it similar to how Triple Trouble did it, where you had to spin dash to activate it.
Why would they do the minecart again? The way it was done in the final console version was fine anyway. It was just like a rollercoaster ride with jumping.
The problem with it was that it wasn't very interactive and it felt out of place. I was suggesting a better method of implementation if it was reintroduced as part of a western desert trope.
