Sonic Boom

Can someone please provide a different download link? it won't let me download it from the current one.

 

http://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sboom.zip

 

Video
Recorded with Kega, so you need the codec installed to watch.


I counted 11 jumps(12 if a double jump counts as 2) quite a few were unneeded. I made 3 unneeded jumps near the end because I mistimed a jump, and a few could have been cut out if I pressed the d-pad in the right direction. I'm not saying the new moves are not useful though, they are, but the game can be done without using any of them.

 

This. Really, this.

I won't deny that I was really impressed with the technical part. In this, the Hack is light-years ahead of almost 90% of the Hacks we find here, or anywhere else. No one can deny that this is an achievement, and that creators deserve to be congratulated.

On the other hand, I couldn't have much fun playing it, for several reasons. First, the movements are largely unnecessary, except in the bosses, as someone said. During the level, the only movement I felt was really necessary is the double jump, and only in some parts. The fact that it doesn't cost rings, and that it's the more useful move, practically eclipses all other skills.

Moreover, they are a bit "strange" to use. In my head, instead of placing each button (ABC) to activate a different ability, maybe it was more interesting to choose one to focus all of them, using combinations with the directional pad to activate, and the other buttons to jump. For example, the double jump by pressing any jump button 2 times, the Diagonal Dash be used to hold the "action button" (like, A) + left/right, the Flying Kick be used to hold the "action button" (A) + down, etc. But it's likely that this is a matter of habit, as I am not familiar with a Sonic game with so many functions spread in the control, it may be that after some hours playing this feeling eventually disappears. So, this paragraph can be ignored. :v:

The second reason is the level design. Sonic has always been a game with traps to catch rushed players, but they all (or at least most of them) offer the player enough time to react. In most cases, you have more than half a second to realize that there is "something wrong approaching", and brake/jump/roll to dodge. It isn't pure trial & error. In this hack, also because of the great speed (which is needed to go up in slopes, and go through loops - the level design encourages you to run), the time you have to respond is often minimal. Often, even *knowing* that there was some obstacle, I hadn't enough skill to dodge it. Especially in the 3rd act, where I memorized much of the layout, and still could not react in time.

(But I understand that there are many Sonic fans that like whem a game is more difficult. After all, there are people who play games like DoDonPachi, something I cannot stay longer than 10 seconds without dying. The difficulty level is just too high for my ability. Especially the boss of the 2nd act, I *had* to play using savestates, after dying [no exaggeration] 30 times in a row. And still died 30 more times. Maybe I'm just that bad. Damn.)

And finally the art, which although isn't bad, it also don't catch a lot of attention. In fact, the impression I have is that this is more the fault of the background than the foreground - because it's too simplistic, with no details, leaving the level without much life. Perhaps the colors don't help much, but I'm not sure, I only know that when looking at the backgrounds of the original games, it stand out more. Sometimes you know that there's something wrong in one thing, and simply cannot find words to describe. I wish I could say something more specific...

Well, that's my opinion.

 

Thanks, I have to say I enjoyed it although I haven't yet been able to defeat the King Orbi boss yet in act 2 which was way too hard in my opinion. Plus it has to be said, if its a sonic game it has to have eggman.(its not a sonic game with out eggman) When I saw king orbi in act 1, I was like yes a mini boss! but when I saw it again in act 2 I thought oh dear... where is eggman. Its a hard level, but its cool but insainly to fast for its own good IMO.

Edit: completed it, act 3 was insane but awsome at the same time. You guys have seriously outdone yourself awsome game.

 

There is no freakin' way to make any better what's already there. No way. This hack totally deserved the HPZ trophy! I've been waiting for it since you sent the private video to me, iojnekns. In the end, act 2 and 3 were much better than act 1. I would also like to say something to the bosses: Act 1 - cool, though it's kinda easy to beat him if you don't want to save every single ring. Act 2 - I collected over 500 rings and I died. I DIED! Dude, this is the hardest boss I've ever seen! Next, act 3. I have to admit that I used savestates here, as there was no freaking way to jump for me. You need a very good reaction skill and I don't have that. Still, an awesome escape zone and I really wish if there would be something like this is the next zone. Last but not least, the credits. I didn't expected custom credits at all, but now I'm feeling even better, because it was damn awesome. And finally, the music. Tweaker, Rox, nineko and SOTI did an AWESOME job here. Those are probably the best voices I've ever heard. The music fits perfectly to each act and, more important here, all songs are sounding simalar, so you have a new medly in your ear but still the same voices.

So, to describe the hack with one thing:

 

Wow, I just started playing this and I'm impressed!
Just the orbs in a power plant were reminding me of pokemon, a pokemon tuneplays! hah.

 

I also got hit by one of the SBZ-style lightning beds nearly every time I took a blind jump from a high ledge if I recall correctly. Rather frustrating. I suppose it doesn't really matter in the end as long as I've still got rings, at least at this point, but I still don't see it as the pinnacle of level design.

I entirely agree.

 

OK so I jsut finished this hack and teh only thing I can say after this is: WOW!

This hack is technically very impressive! It could perfectly be called a revolution in teh sonic hack scene! The guys who are making this hack are genius!

 

Ironically enough, I converted the song which won the Piano Trophy (and others). But thanks

This also means that I kinda won the Piano Trophy twice in a row.

 

Fix'd.

 

I must say, I was very impressed, though the difficulty was a tad much. I managed to get a time over on act 2's boss, and accidentally discovered a gamebreaking glitch (sonic got stuck nowhere) in act 3.
Act 3 was very impressive. I fucking loved trying to keep out of those flames. =P

 

Overall, pretty enjoyable. I'm not the biggest fan of the overwhelming speed, but it just depends on preference, really, so I can't criticise it for that.

That said, there's just a few moments that really ruin it for me, and it'd be far better without. In act 1, a few springs launched me so fast that I went off screen. Not in a Chemical Plant situation, but to the point where it took a few seconds to even catch up with me, by which point I'd landed in an area with the Scrap-Brain-electric-orb thingys, and lost all my rings. This felt more like a bug than level design.
However, in Act 2, I reached an area where there was no floor, and a path of rings led downwards. In Sonic games, this is normally an indication that it's safe to jump. Here, that was not the case, and I landed straight in an electric pit thingy. Just... No. That's misdirection of the worst kind. (EDIT: It's at about 3:23 in Tweaker's video)

There's a lot to impress here, though. King Orbi Mark II is one of the most impressive looking bosses I've seen, and the boss truly seems chaotic. Of course, that meant that most of the way through the battle, I didn't have a clue what was going on, but... Yeah, incredible to look at. And are those t0ms0nic's Sonic sprites? They fit very well.

 

Okay! I finished my video. You guys can check it out here. Once available, I highly suggest watching in high quality; YouTube's OGG decoder somehow screwed up during post-conversion, leading to several clicks and decreases in audio quality. I have no idea why, but hopefully it doesn't take away from the overall watchability of the video.

As I mentioned earlier, I died quite a few times; not all of them are left in. For contrast, the original length of the video was double what it is now—30 minutes compared to the 15 it is now. Regardless, I hope this gives you a better idea on how the game should play and that you enjoy watching it.

 

high quality isnt even making a difference, the HQ button isn't there, and extending the URL just seems to stretch the image.

 

I feel faint.

This hack is awesome, and that's really all I can say.

 

Although I do agree that it is a challenging hack, I am really enjoying it thus far. The use of rings for speciality attacks is pretty nifty, as is the speedometer. Music is pretty cool as well.

Amazing job guys.

 

Incredibly technically impressive. Probably technically one of the coolest hacks out there. Great graphical work, the special moves are interesting, etc.

However, gameplay-wise, this is just not what I want out of a Sonic game. The overwhelming speed is not a positive thing, as mentioned before, and if this is 'the best' hack, gameplay-wise, that's a sad statement regarding where the community is today. :/

 

In a strange way, this game to me is like a "what if Sonic Spinball was all platform?"

Its fun to begin with, but goddamn will you get very frustrated at points.