32 replies to this topic

[randomizer]

I am a fan who will probably not be buying this game unless I read some very good reviews from people who are not game critics.

[furrykef]

This is one of the pitfalls with modern games, I think: the graphics have got so good and the gameplaying community are so used to almost lifelike characters and textures and landscapes that trying to make something like an old school Sonic game might well be going too many steps back.

I disagree, somewhat. I think 16-bit graphics have a fine aesthetic on their own (although I think the SNES usually did a much better job of it than the Genesis did, but Sonic games have always been on par with SNES graphics). Usually the only time that the "16-bit-ness" of old games really bothers me is when they were trying to be too gimmicky, trying too hard to push the limits of the system in ways that didn't actually benefit gameplay. (The most egregious example would be a typical platforming game that has full-screen photographic cutscenes, complete with a cheesy voice clip. Obviously, that's much less impressive now than it used to be...)

But there's definitely something to be said for games like, say, the new A Boy and His Blob, which are built on the same principles as the 8- and 16-bit games, but approaching them with modern 2D graphics. I'd like to think there's still room for the 16-bit aesthetic, though...

- Kef

[Velvet D'Coolette]

Oh, I agree that, say, the first Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive looked great, and personally I find the imagery perfectly acceptable. What I meant was, do kids these days expect far more than that. For all its shading and light, bobbing ocean in the background and fiery explosions, would Sonic the Hedgehog 1-style art be enough any more, compared to what else is out there?

[Morgan]

Aw...do actually miss the older Sonic games. I'm unsure how well this one will be pulled off though.

[CTM]

I wonder how many nostalgics and fans there actually are, though? I mean, for all the division in the Sonic fandom, how many would happily buy a game like this one?

I would, for one. I haven't played a single Sonic game since Sonic 3D Blast. 2D Sonic defined the series for me. Any game that promises to deliver on this old concept at the very least has me interested, even if I don't have all the details yet.

If such a thing were to come to pass, though, I'd like to see a few things. For starters, Sega can get rid of the other, newer characters (i.e. Big, Rouge, whoever the hell else); as far as I can tell, they have never been a good addition to the series. Why does any given game need to see so many of them at once? Even the Mario games, which have been doing the same thing, have kept the appearance of extraneous characters to a minimum to any given game starring the plumber (save Mario Party and sports games, where it makes sense). They can do the same with the hedgehog. Exception is Shadow. I don't want to see that bastard anywhere.

Pure instrumental music would be nice to hear again, too. I may be proving my ignorance here, but any time I've seen a 3D Sonic game, the music that always accompanies the scene is some guy singing. Keep the vocals far away, thank you please; I've never heard anything that sounded good or what I felt was fitting for a Sonic game. In a series that glorifies speed and traditionally lacked voice actors (dammit, I really hate the 3D Sonic games), the music defined the scene. Voices just kill the action, especially in a series that also didn't have much of a plot, something else Sega is moving disturbingly close to trying to fulfill. Sonic was never about that, and it's obvious to me that Sega can't tell a good story. Why the hell else would they start a spin-off series based (very loosely, I might add) on One Thousand and One Nights, or a game where he turns into a...wolfhog (I refuse to say werehog, because it shows people's ignorance of the English language)? The series was about moving real fast and plowing through stages of awesome music, with some chances for exploration tacked on for good measure. Gameplay was king; the story only served to supplement it. What happened, Sega? (Right. I know what happened. They got bought by Sammy and all their game divisions were axed. It's really sad, when you think about where the company stood in the 1990s).

[An7imatt3r]

Ok I know I have been gone for ever, but I work more or less in the game industry ATM. I didn't read every post, but it sounds as if you guys are still unsure if this is for real or not. I am here to tell you it is for real and Sega is the one making it. Just look on the PR site: http://segapr.segaam...GA_FTP_NAV.html
ftp://segapr.segaamerica.com/SEGA_GAMES/P...%20Needlemouse/
Anyway if you guys already figured that out then w/e. I figured that all of you would have found this by now, I know wanted to cry tears of joy when I saw this two days ago.

[Morgan]

I'm not really interested honestly...and I'm unsure it'd even turn out good like the classics anyway.

But I guess we'll see.

[fishtheimpaler]

Best remark I've seen on this is "fool me seven times, shame on me."

[Chaosmaster8753]

I would, for one. I haven't played a single Sonic game since Sonic 3D Blast.

Then how do you know quite a lot about the games after 3D Blast?

Might even seen an old-old school 2D (Pre-SOTN) Castlevania. -IT COULD HAPPEN!

http://gonintendo.co...ry.php?id=96508

Looks like you got your wish.

[CTM]

Then how do you know quite a lot about the games after 3D Blast?

Because I don't live under a rock. I am also a longtime member of a forum that likes to talk about Sonic games occasionally.

[BigWigRah]

Best remark I've seen on this is "fool me seven times, shame on me."

yeah, noobtoob right?

Not sure what to make of this. Considering we have no details as of yet, i'm withholding my judgment until we see game footage. I'd be interested to see if they decide to go with the "2.5D" concept. Something about that gameplay/art style that I find compelling, allows for greater depth in backgrounds.

I guess I will stay optimistic about it for now, even though I don't have a handheld system.

[Chaosmaster8753]

I dunno. I'm not particularly fond of 2D games unless they're the classics. I'm more interested in 3D, but we'll see how this game turns out.

I actually like 3D better than 2D myself, 3D has more possibilities.

[Misk]

At this point in time, I am only of the hoping that it is not a remake of the first Sonic game, or any previous Sonic game for that matter. If that criteria is met, I will more than likely obtain this game provided it is not for a console I do not own.