Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing

As you said, you've only been here for two days, so you're still learning. No one here is going "OMG THIS BREAKS THE GAME!!!", let alone thinking that the world is gonna end because of that. We just find the extended extended title to be even more obnoxious than the normal title which is already too long, and the shoehorning of Banjo & Kazooie to be overdone, so you can lay off the facepalming.

Also, it doesn't matter if it comes directly from you or from the reseller you're buying the game from, you're still giving money to SEGA because someone bought it so that you could buy it later. Unless the game is used, of course, in which case the person you're buying it off from bought it for themselves and you're not adding to SEGA's sales.

 

Haha oh wow, I don't mind them sticking one of someone elses characters in the game, but slapping them all over the front cover like that is pretty shameless. Imagine if Smash Bros Brawl was called MARIO & NINTENDO ALL-STAR FIGHTING PARTY WITH SONIC AND SOLID SNAKE. Couldn't they just put him on the back of the box of something? Curious how the PS3 version will look now, seeing as that's the version I'll be getting.

 

That's why I said, private-seller! A private/civil person, not a online shop or so. I can wait for those games, I still haven't bought that Tennis game, and it goes for under 9,00 Euro used on ebay. So, I'm in no hurry!
I made the mistake once with Unleashed (360) and I still could bite me in the butt for paying 69,00 Euro for it (I preordered it on amazon), so, from now on, I'll wait until it's cheaper and untill I can buy it used from someone else. Like I said, I'm not willing to give Sega my money on a silver tablet. I might buy Needlemouse directly though (since it seems that it's going to be a downloadable title), if it is good that is.

 

They added a bonus character to the game! THOSE CUNTBAGS!

 

I'm noting the sarcasm, but the general pissyness is due to them putting the bonus character not only on the cover, but in the fricking title >_>

No problems with Banjo, but its totally unessasary, its not like Nintendo called Brawl "Super Smash Brothers BRAWL: Sonic the hedgehog and Solid Snake"

 

While it does say 'WITH BANJO AND KAZOOIE' on the cover I somehow doubt that will be the title of the game elsewhere, like on the title screen or anything (or even the side of the box'. It' just an obnoxious why of advertising that extra that Microsoft have obviously paid Sega good money to make sure people know about it.

The way they've laid it out makes it look like part of the title, when normally this kind of text would be floating somewhere else on the front of the box in a flashy star or something, like how they have that pointless 'Xbox Family games' circle on there, again Microsoft clinging onto this game as a highlight of their family line up as they don't have much first party stuff like it to advertise. I can bet right now that when this is advertised on telly and the like it'll be a primarily Xbox 360 commercial.

 

Yep, the box looks tacky and dumb, and the Smash Brothers analogies are spot on. No issue with the inclusion of Banjo, but it does look kinda odd the way the box SCREAMS AT YOU about it, especially when the box art for the other platforms doesn't (maybe they'll change them to be less subtle too?)

Makes me wonder if there is some reason for this: are Rare gearing up for a new release, and trying to set make sure the property is in the consumers' mind in preparation? But...Nuts and Bolts wasn't that long ago so...I don't understand. (sobs) Microsoft are obviously still so excited about getting one of the best developers as their own...like, 7 years ago.

Also, 'shopping out a Sega character in the cover to Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing, even if it was bloody Big, is pretty crazy.

The whole thing is more baffling than actually annoying.

 

Unfortunately Rare hasn't produced much worth anything since then. I'm not saying that they used to make great games because they were with Nintendo, but they did make good games during that time.

 

Did you play Viva Pinata? Are you dismissing it because you don't like the genre? Because thats something completely different from calling it a bad game. Viva Pinata was a good game with extremely limited appeal.

 

Hmm, makes you wonder whether that's the case, though. Reading interviews with Rare, they state that Nintendo were quite hands-off with regards to development, and just let them get on with it (which shocked me, to be fair, and perhaps the Stampers et al were just too scared to be honest about the Big N...? I jest!)

Perhaps Microsoft are 'peering over their shoulders' more, which in my experience can lead to a developer's vision being compromised more. Mind you, I think that's probably more to do with how games development works in the 2000s compared with the mid-90s, than anything else.

 

Rare is just a company. The talent they had during the nintendo days split from the company right around the time they became associated with microsoft. Additionally, it's hard for me to believe nintendo was "hands off" with Rare considering rare was the prime company in Nintendo's Treehouse division - intended to get the top coders and programmers together with up-and-coming employees in an almost mentorship program.

 

Admittedly the presence on the cover is ridiculous and lacks a pun involving "IE" and the vehicle looks very bland so far, but otherwise, I'm loving this.

The Banjo fan in me is jumping for joy.

Ha, Banjo couldn't even draw a crowd for his own game.

 

It's true. If anything, that last Banjo game obliterated half of his existing fan base. Sonic Unleashed clobbered Nuts and Bolts (as an example, since both games came out pretty close to each other.)

 

I don't really get the bitching though. I loved the old Banjo games, and since when is more characters a bad thing?

Would I have preferred Master Chief or something similar? Maybe. But I'm not disappointed with Banjo. If anything, this makes Sonic stand out from other mascots - despite not having a home console, he still has a status where he's able to mingle amongst other games.

 

I really don't think the character is what the problem is here, especially given posts on the last page. Another character is another character, which is dandy; more of a variety and such. The main issue is just how it's practically being pimped on the front of the box like it is.

I think people wouldn't be complaining as hard if the pimping were held on the back of the box, akin to how Brawl touts Sonic and Snake on the back without tacking on the SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and METAL GEAR SOLID logos on the front. It's purely a design thing.

I've no problem with Banjo being in, as I liked the first two games (though Tooie's aged pretty terribly. I saw the formations of every "mission" problem that N&B had in Tooie upon replaying it on Xbox Live Arcade. Still not too bad a game, though) but I do agree they need to shed some elements from the 360 box. It's just too crowded as it is.

 

The issue is that in order to include an additional character, someone else would have had to be cut.

 

The only thing I really have a problem with is Banjo. If this is the last time I ever see him I'll be pretty upset.

 

Then next thing you know he'll end up being in Mario Kart along with a talking clock, a chicken, and others.
Seriously though, why a title that takes up nearly HALF the damn box art, it's ridiculous. Also it's unfair if other consoles don't get exclusive, but it doesn't really bother me to be honest. Just...it clutters the box art and there isn't really a need for it.

 

:|

And yes, it still counts even though they removed him from the DS port.

Anyways, I don't really care about the boxart. That just adds another character I'd play as in the game, seeing as I never grew up with SEGA due to financial constraints (unless you count the Game Gear, and even then the only Sonic games I had back then were Sonic 2 GG and Sonic CD)

 

I'm aware of the game, it's what I was referencing =P