Unpopular Sonic Opinions

Easy method to overcome the clunkiness issues and have a Sonic CD intro visual in gameplay is just to make a fully on rails Sonic rhythm game with QTEs switching paths and routes based on success or failure. Something akin to (the only one I really know of) a 3D version of Ninjammin Beat'Jutsu.
Throw some traditional platforming segments to break the pace where control is given back to the player.


The game is somewhat of a fossil now, it's hard to find gameplay videos of it...

The storybook games tried something similar, but didn't lean into the rhythm game aspect.

People may not like the on rails concept, but it is a legitimate way to overcome every single obstacle in the way of translating the Sonic CD intro into a game.

 

If I might add to this topic - I find it very frustrating how pretty much every "Classic physics in 3D" -fangame has an "uncurl" mechanic, even though it's by all accounts a fundamental misunderstanding of how rolling works in Classic Sonic.

First of all, going from running to rolling on flat ground in the Mega Drive games slows you down to a crawl, making you lose all the speed you gained from running almost instantly. But most importantly, while rolling down a hill in them does grant you a ridiculous amount of speed, it has two major drawbacks:

1. Your aerial controls are severely restricted. If you jump or roll off a cliff when rolling, you can barely control where you land.
2. Once you start rolling, you cannot go back to running. If you want to stop rolling, you have to either jump or hit a wall/obstacle.

Drawback #2 especially is a fundamental part of how the games were designed. By implementing an "uncurl" function, you can go back from the wild, frantic and uncontrollable roll mode into the stable and controllable running mode by just letting go of a button. It removes virtually all challenge when it comes to managing your speed, and is therefore no different than the SA1 spamdash.

 

Point 1 of what you just said is a bad thing, and I am glad that they ditched that in CD and then later on Mania and Superstars by disabling the roll lock.

Point 2 does not matter at all. All it means is that you cannot maintain all the built up speed because jumping is nothing. But if you are smart and can either react or know the level, you can just jump off the hill while it is still in decline. This makes even that neglible, if you don't gain more speed if the decline is steep enough.

I would not call having to memorize a level to know what hills to roll down and what not a legitimate source of challenge. I will take it as something to think about in optimizing speedruns or whatever. But ultimately, as far as the ability to uncurl, I do not care at all. And I don't think adding that ability to the games would really even have that much effect.

What I think is far more offensive is what SA1 does in being not only to start a spindash while moving, but the fact that the spindash lets you reach your highest possible speed in that game.

I can't really even call Generations Classic spindash as overpowered because in that game, Classic sonic actually has weight and momentum to him and you can't just stop whenever you want when you have built up speed unless you have like the bubble shield equipped. So you actually do need to use that power with a bit more care or you're going to fly face first into some spikes.

There is also the fact that Generations gameplay balance is not completely broken by it due to Generations being...

you know...

A good game.

 

SRB2 doesn't let you uncurl and heavily restricts turning while you roll. Though having to jump to stop a roll you can barely control can be very unruly in 3D, so it make sense so many go the other way despite me appreciating the challenge. My big physics problem with Utopia specifically is how you can just eternally roll at a fixed speed on flat ground like Wheel Kirby. It works sort of OK in of itself but feels so wrong in a game trying so hard to look and feel like ~ideal Classic Sonic~.

 

I think the "challenge" in SRB2 as far as rolling has less to do with the fact that you can't uncurl and moreso the turn radius itself. You have to actually aim yourself at what you are rolling through before you begin rolling or you won't be able to turn into it.

It's hitting stuff that is a "challenge." Not managing your speed.

 

I think uncurling is a good addition to the gameplay, actually. It serves no purpose in 2D, but for 3D when there's 360 degrees of slopes to get caught on the wrong way, it's good that you can quickly get out of it. SRB2's stiff and unrelenting movement while using it is actually why I don't use it unless specifically for a slope.

As for the jump lock while spinning.. I think that's better as a universal variable, both on ground and air. The faster you go, the more control is lost to inertia. Otherwise, I'd rather jumping out of any state be a way to reduce the inertia and regain control.

Ease of play is important. Low skill floor for everyone to learn, high skill ceiling for the avid player to master. Sonic's always had trouble with seeming unapproachable even since the Genesis days, hence I'm sure why ST relies so much on automation. So it's best to not make basic controls be a pain.

 

When I posted my original "unpopular opinion", this is kinda what i was trying to communicate, but I'm under educated and have very poor socialization and articulation skills (like sometimes I forget the word "articulate" when I want to use it lol).
Yeah, fans very much have a say in the stuff they like, especially Sonic, and my perception of this series is very much shaped by fan content.


However, sometimes, certain part of the fandom are completely dissatisfied with official output and modern fan circles, to the point they want to "divest" from the fandom.
Which honestly, it's not bad or wrong necessarily, but then gradually become more and more insular as time goes by, and their dissatisfaction grows deeper.

This leads to some issues I've witnessed. For one, information becomes much more inaccessible, like let's say you have interest in classic/90's Sonic aesthetics and direction, and want to study the material with a community, well you have to engage with a section of audience that has genuine disdain for anything new and the conversation in these circles can be off putting and unwelcoming.
Another issue is that a deeply shared interest can blind you to some of the real issues present in the fandom.
Like one of my favorite fanartists, Fernsnailz, said how disappointed they were when of their sources for niche shadow lore, turned out to be a major transphobe, and I think that sucks, it sucks that we have to go through so much distress and nonsense to get access to information that intrigues us, but we have to deal with such conflicts, whether they are genuine, like dealing with bigots, or non genuine, like dealing with a different taste that you are VERY opinionated about and can't really get along with others because of it.

 

Here's one that I'm sure is unpopular: I don't like different tunes for different Acts of a Zone, unless there's some fun musical shenanigans going on between them (like Metallic Madness Acts 1 and 2 in Mania) or they're very different everywhere else too (like Lava Reef Acts 1 and 2).

Sometimes the music changes a lot but the feeling of playing the stage doesn't, and it's slightly jarring. It doesn't always lead to nicer versions of a song, and it's kinda frustrating when it does but it's kind of a throwaway act (like Planet Wisp Act 3). Often, the definitive Act 1&2 mix is the best version you'll ever get (Sky Babylon comes to mind).

Now I like variations though, but I wish there was another way to incorporate that. Like one version per character instead of per act; or different versions as unlockables you can buy at a ring store. But something that overrides all acts of a Zone! Unless, again, it's a Press Garden Act 1/Act 2 situation.

"Well what would then determine when two acts are different enough to warrant different music?" my personal taste of course

 

We got Zavok and you didn't like him.

 

I don't know I think @Londinium had that covered

 

I've been replaying Unleashed and Colors back to back and these games are way, way more similar than a lot of people would like to admit. A lot of what people criticize about Colors nowadays is also present in Unleashed, things that people praise Colors for are also in Unleashed. It surprises me people act like they're so different to the point that they group them in separate "eras" with games they have nothing in common with.

 

Most of the stuff people love about each other mostly surface level.

 

I don't remember Unleashed being 95% 2D sections, nor do i remember it having blocky platforming and gimmicks that interfered with the standard platforming. Saying that Unleashed is similar to Colors is like saying that Adventure 1 and 2 are similar games. While both may have the same style of gameplay, they are presented in each title in very different ways, with Unleashed more focused on raw speed and reaction skills while Colors focuses more on the platforming aspect, just like how SA1 is more presented as a traditional platformer/treasure hunt/survival horror/fishing simulator while SA2 focuses more on score building.

 

I've been saying this for a while now in various places and tend to get ignored

Can't suggest anything bad about Unleashed nowadays ig, especially daring to compare it to that awful Colors that ruined the series! (I have a lot of built up negativity about this).

In all seriousness tho, you can draw a straight line from Unleashed to Colors to Gens because they do share a lot of team members despite being separately made by Sonic Team's A and B teams. Similar level design (yes even the blocky 2D levels), story and tone, limited important character count, solo playable Sonic, shared art direction, even something like how the camera is constantly shifting in both 3D and 2D is very distinct to these games compared to what came after. Always weirds me out seeing people compare Forces and Colors when any similarities those games share aren't unique to them, and the similarities are unique they're very superficial.

 

I agree, but while they may be different in many ways, nobody considers SA2 so different that it's considered a separate "era" from SA1, and most of the things people like AND the things they hate about SA2 can ALSO be found in SA1. It's the same with Unleashed and Colors. Colors has its own identity, but it's still very much a direct sequel to Unleashed that builds from and iterates on the same core concepts, and Generations has even more in common with Unleashed. I always thought of them as the "boost trilogy," in the same way I think of Sonics 1, 2, and 3 as a trilogy.

I really think the only reason some people don't see it that way is because the English voice and localization crew changed with Colors, and if you're someone who cares a lot about story and not as much about gameplay, maybe that makes a bigger difference? Even then though, Unleashed was pretty light on story, paired the cast WAY back, and had a number of fourth wall breaks and cheesy "trying to be funny" moments, especially with Chip. As someone who usually plays these games in Japanese especially, I didn't see a huge difference between them even on that front.

 

This is something i really should have elaborated on in my post because i knew you were going to post this. The werehog is it's own thing entirely. It does not ACTIVELY interfere with the boost gameplay like the wisps do. What makes the werehog different from the wisps is that it has it's own set of stages and does not interfere with the day portion of the game. The only time it even comes close to interfering with the boost gameplay as far as i can remember is in Eggmanland when you have to swap back and forth between day and night.

This is also something i should have elaborated on. I have no argument for it being a separate era because i believe it should not be considered separate either.

Also i see how the formatting on my post came out quite screwed. Woops. That's what i get for quoting the entire thing instead of just bits and pieces.

 

The DS version of Sonic Colors is kind of mediocre.

It's fun enough and I do like the special stages and bosses quite a bit, but I dunno. You can tell it had a much lower budget than Dimps' previous DS games, because I feel like it's a massive step down in production value and quality from Rush and Rush Adventure, and is especially lacking in those departments compared to the Wii version. I can't play it for long without thinking that I could just be playing the Wii version or the Rush games instead.