Sorry, forgive me, I'm tired :3 I'm sure a compromise for the music between the CD style and Classic style would be suitable. As for graphics, I think that any use of geometric shapes on natural objects is quite surreal on it's own. Although, there was less of this as the games went on.
I had an idea like that where Sonic starts off in a sort of greenery place and Metal Sonic starts off at the final level. Sonic travels to the right and ends where Metal started, and Metal runs to the left and ends where Sonic started. They each try and take over each others base. Ok so not quite the same but still. As for your idea with the moon, how about the Unleashed intro, only minus the werehog. Everything else can stay the same, only no werehog. And the first level is in space.
Stick with the Genesis style for music. It seriously peevs me when someone considers Sonic CD's soundtrack part of the classic series. Its the black sheep of the series and it ought to remain that way. If you wanted to make a true Sonic 4, you best stick with 80s/90s themes. I've always thought that some form of Genesis' Land of Confusion would make a SICK Scrap Brain type theme. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XjAAmGoGq8[/youtube]
I think Tanks was talking about the style, rather than the quality of the music. Either way I think the style of the music is largely irrelevant, providing the music sounds good and fits the situation, it can be anything in my opinion. As for the actual timbres, I'd recommend against using VOPM or the Mega Drive Soundfont, as if the art isn't 16 bit, the music shouldn't be.
Agreed on this. I would love Sonic CD-style music personally, but would it fit Sonic-4-as-Jay-imagined-it? No. As I imagined it was something very like the NiGHTS: Into Dreams soundtrack, which I love.
NiGHTS may share developers but its musical aims are very different. The whole idea of NiGHTS is that it's supposed to be a dream world of sorts - the stuff isn't interchangable with Sonic... unless you're treating Sonic 4 as a series of Dallas or something and plan to call the whole thing a dream Sonic CD is a mess. Different set of developers, different aims and goals. If what it put forward was considered important, its design would have influenced Sonic 3. That didn't happen. Sonic CD is a side quest, spin-off, alternative timeline, whatever - not "pure" like Sonic 1, 2, 3 &K. Chances are it would have been ignored had Sonic 4 been released in the mid 90s. Sonic CD is to Sonic 4, as Super Mario Land is to Super Mario World.
Stylistically, Sonic 4 would have to be pop music half-rehashes and semi-homages to popular riffs and motifs. Really. Back when, I didn't know this - and so when I heard NiGHTS' soundtrack for the first time (and what with it being Sonic Team) I imagined how it would fit Sonic. That's all, was just how I'd see it.
Sonic CD's soundtrack is getting unnecessary flak. It is just as well if not better composed than the classic series, with the added benefit of aging better. You're looking through a nostalgia screen. It's Sonica's choice, and one is as good as the other, though classic composing makes more sense, technically.
If you're including a Casino type stage, you should include something Mardi Gras or Brazilian Carnival themed stage. Flying floats making up a lot of the level, providing some crazy variation in gimmicks for each giant floats theme. Can double as a Star Light type stage fused with Casino Night.
Casino stage? That reminds me, I changed my mind about the music. Sonic-4-as-I-imagine-it-RIGHT-NOW would have a motherfucking SWING soundtrack. Big bands with trumpets, blues, jazz and all that, uh, jazz. Because Casino Night Zone's theme is the best videogame music ever, and I'll fight anyone who denies it.
Kind of, but it fell short very early on. You rarely rode on any of the floats, which were just scenics in the background. Almost the whole time you were just in this random pretty industrial place. Some 'Carnival.' Best we got was the Whale float in the DS version, which was just a tiny platform, rather than a gigantic chunk of stage. Besides, Robotnik versions of stuff like this would be pretty cool, especially with his own ugly mug on it. A float could even be a mini-boss or behave like the battery from Angel Island 2. A few of the float sections could even be carnival-ized call backs to previous stages, like an Oil Ocean float where the cannons suddenly shoot you to the next float.
I really like this project so far, and I wanted to add to your idea Sonic should be trying to balance his weight on the slope.
Could do both. Slanting feet on shallow slopes, and a bit of a struggle on steeper slopes, but he can't stand on that steep a slope. EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_4-8yJZhLw Walls in the engine for those following.
I have this feeling that at some point Game Maker will cripple and an engine change will be required. I've never seen the program cope well under graphical pressure. That's not to say it can't cope, but... things tend to go wrong with bigger projects... which might explain the lack of finished ones. Also it's bloated and I don't like it. Also if you were ever to dip into 3D for whatever reason (e.g. a special stage) it becomes less nice.
Howzabout using that *insert difficult name to remember* engine that Mercury made for Time Twisted? It emulated Scrap Brain Act 1 almost flawlessly as I recall. Also... Final Zone Idea Ok, so I had this idea of the first zone being a moon base (Emerald Moon Zone) which has a missile system primed to destroy Westside Island. The final zone could be a lush, tropical island -only a big, sprawling and dangerous one- (called Egg Island Zone) which houses Robotnik's base and the systems which control the Emerald Moon missiles. (Inspiration: Gerry Anderson stuff and early Bond) Also, the final boss could be deep underground in the base, then the final part of the game (kinda like an extra Doomsday bit) could be a race across the island against Metal Sonic as the place is about to self-destruct. You see Tails flying along in the Tornado as you furiously race to the edge of the island for him to pick you up.
