Sonic the Hedgehog Thread

[Magma]

Some new Team Sonic Racing pictures

I think it's kind of nice to see some characters we don't see a whole lot of anymore in a game where they won't be too intrusive to people who don't really like them. However, the whole "team based" racer aspect still has me skeptical.

 

[๖ۣۜHex Scout]

Maybe Cream will get her chance another day...

 

[Metal]

 

[Glowsquid]

is there any reason to get sonic jam if i already sonic mega collection gc

does the change made in "normal mode" notably improve the level design or changeu p the gaem?

 

[TB100]

is there any reason to get Sonic jam if I already own Sonic Mega Collection GCN

do the changes made in "normal mode" notably improve the level design or change up the game?

Ehhhh, lemme go into detail seeing as I've played a bit of Sonic Jam via emulation.
For one,
The games themselves aren't that much different from other versions and despite being ported as opposed to emulated
they didn't really fix a lot of the issues those games had. (Knuckles' Pallete is still off in Sonic 3&K for example) There's some changes,
but not enough to say they're worth buying and some IMO bring down the ports a bit for me personally, and considering there's better versions of these games out there both officially and unofficially such as the iOS/Android and 3DS ports of Sonic 1 & 2 as well as the Sonic 3 Complete romhack. (Which you can get legally via a steam copy of Sonic 3&K and the steam workshop, which allows you to apply hacks to legit copies.) There's not much reason to get Sonic Jam these days, the price tag doesn't help either with used copies on Amazon going up as high as 70 bucks at the lowest.

They're great ports for their time and still are among the best ports of the original Sonic trilogy, but with there being better ports released since Jam and later compilations having more games then Jam, I don't see much reason to get Sonic Jam, unless you can find it for cheap.
Or the extra content, which is some pretty great stuff.

The time attack and chao emerald challenge modes, the easy and normal difficulty options, and all that are very neat additions and arguably the only real reason to get Sonic Jam as they give the compilation that extra love that Mega Collection and other Sonic compilations lack and gives it quite the edge despite not having as many games. (Quality over Quantity you can say.)

Though the cream of the crop in terms of extras is the Sonic World mode, a little hub area that has plenty of little goodies surrounding it, from buldings hosting trailers, music and artwork (Including an fun original short film called Man of the Year) to little missions to cards showing you various cheat codes for the original games, There's admittedly not much to do, but it's charming as all hell and is probably the best part of Sonic Jam IMO.


Fun fact: Sonic World is a early prototype for what would later become Sonic Adventure


Though if none of that interests you and you just simply want the games, then I would just stick to Mega Collection,
as the extra content is really the only reason to grab Sonic Jam IMO. (Well that, and you don't have to start up Sonic 2/3 & Sonic & Knuckles 30 times each just to get Sonic 3 & Knuckles or Knuckles in Sonic 2. Seriously, fuck that shit in Mega Collection and Mega Collection Plus.)

As for Normal Mode differences, Normal Mode is not much different from Original Mode, there are some modifcations made to the games to make it a bit easier like the Special Stages being easier to complete and some slight level design changes, but the overall experience is very similar and you're not missing out much really.

Hopefully that explains it, Sonic Jam is a pretty good compilation with a ton of love and some meaty extras compared to later compilations, but if none of that interests you and you just simply want the games, then I would just stick to Mega Collection or whatever.

 

[Glowsquid]

There's not much reason to get Sonic Jam these days, the price tag doesn't help either with used copies on Amazon going up as high as 70 bucks at the lowest.

I was planning on getting the Japanese release which averages $30 canbux on ebay. But thanks for the detailled impression!

 

[TB100]

Forgot to post this, but here's a little dev diary video
about both Mighty and Ray and the overall art and design of Mania.
It's some neat stuff really and considering Mania Plus is coming out in a few days,
seems apt.

 

[TB100]

Also some news regarding Team Sonic Racing

Team Racing System


This game’s characteristic is the team race system in which the players race for the best rank in a team. Whenever you play the game by yourself, with your friends, or compete with worldwide users through network, you will be in a team of three to reach the best team position.

Cooperation with your teammates is the key to the victory. Share the joy of victory with them!

*Conventional singles races are also available.

Characters


Many characters from Sonic series will be playable. This time we introduce the characters from Team Sonic, Team Dark and Team Rose. The three characters for a team can be chosen freely, so players can combine any types together.
[Team Sonic]
Speed Type: Sonic
Power Type: Knuckles
Technique Type: Tails

[Team Dark]
Speed Type: Shadow
Power Type: Omega
Technique Type: Rouge

[Team Rose]
Speed Type: Amy
Power Type: Big
Technique Type: Chao

And because nobody else posted it.

 

[Metal]

 

[TB100]

Here's Team Vector.
On one hand, best Sonic girl makes it in. On the other hand, the loss of the Chaotix is very disappointing.
I guess Espio and Charmy are not into racing. (Seeing as they were also absent on Sonic Free Riders.)

 

[Glowsquid]

o neat, Blaze!

 

[Magma]

Here's Team Vector.
On one hand, best Sonic girl makes it in. On the other hand, the loss of the Chaotix is very disappointing.
I guess Espio and Charmy are not into racing. (Seeing as they were also absent on Sonic Free Riders.)

I'm struggling to think, if they really wanted Silver and Blaze, who else could they put as their 3rd member?

 

[Metal]

I will buy if Zeena becomes playable

 

[warelander]

Had Sonic Underground on my mind recently, because me and a friend talked about in passing, since we both watched it back when it ran on Super RTL (a german kids centered TV channel) many years ago.

I'll admit, it's not really a good show, but I have a ton of sincere love for it, since it was my introduction to Sonic, way back when I was 4 or 5 and before I even caught wind of the games via Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.

It likely helped that I grew up with the german dub, especially since I do find the english dub rather grating much of the time, though the theme song in both versions is pretty darn dope, as the kids used to say 20 years ago.

 

[warelander]

After having a 'maybe later' attitude towards Mania in general since it's release, I finally got myself Sonic Mania Plus last saturday and have been playing unhealthy amounts of it over the weekend. I was planning on getting the game anyways, but I got that sudden itch to not wait any longer, all thanks to....my above Sonic Underground nostalgia...

...You'd be surprised how much of my Sonic fandom I owe to that show.


But I digress, Mania has been long out by now, but I want to give my personal impressions anyways, since this is the first new Sonic game that I bought since 2013, after the blandness of Lost World, the failures of the Boom games and Forces and the general idiocy of how SEGA handles the franchise, have turned me away from Sonic, for a while.


To start with the presentation, the game looks great. Vibrant colors, expressive sprites with wickedly smooth animations, tons of small details and visual references to all kinds of Sonic related things and Saturn style 3D visuals that add to the retro charm. The music is good too, not one of my favorite Sonic soundtracks, but it has plenty hits, especially the Egg Reverie and Super Form themes.


In terms of gameplay the game recreates the Mega Drive Sonic experience very faithfully, physics and controls are on point, the Elemental Shields getting more uses is a great idea and the levels are some of the largest (and longest) that the Classic style has ever seen, while still rewarding a sense of curiosity all the way through. This faithfulness does come with some iffy things as well, mainly the questionable crusher detection in Chemical Plant's block climbing sections or the baffling inclusion of a time limit (which can at least be turned off) which outright discourages exploring those huge levels, since taking your time would get you punished. That's the kind of stuff you leave in the past.

When it comes to the zones I really give tons of credit to the effort that went into adding enough new stuff to the returning zones, to make them feel like remixes, rather then rehashes and it goes a long way to keep them interesting and fun, even if you played the originals a million times already. With that said the new zones are even more creative, original and just the best part of the game and it is still disappointing that there aren't more of them, the Act 2 versions of Press Garden and Mirage Saloon in particular are simply marvelous.

The bosses are okay, there are some stinkers like Heavy Rider, the rehash portions of the Hydrocity Act 2 and Titanic Monarch Act 1 bosses aren't terribly interesting and the Heavy Magician boss is surprisingly shallow, once you get over the novelty of Team Hooligan making a sorta, kinda return. There are some really great ones though, the Green Hill Act 2 and Hydrocity Act 1 bosses are really fun plays on old battles, Metal Sonic get's a cool one and actually getting to play a round of Puyo Puyo against Robuttnick is a thing of beauty.

The Special Stages are some of the better ones the series has seen so far, the slipperyness is something you need to get used to, but once that happens they are rather comfortable to play. I am however a bit mixed on Blue Spheres being the Bonus Game you get at check points. I love Blue Squeres and the idea of playing it for extra goodies, but unlike the Bonus Games in S3&K it doesn't give you any inherent benefits for the main gameplay, like shields or rings, which makes it feel disjointed from the rest of the level progression.


Encore Mode is alright. besides the added Angel Island section and Mirage Saloon Act 1, it really doesn't do anything too fancy with the level design and the character switching would have been neater if you could switch everyone available, rather then just two at a time. Mad probs to the Pinball Bonus Game though, especially since it precisly adresses the one problem that I had with Blue Spheres as a Bonus Game.


The unlockable goodies are all neat stuff, things like the Blue Spheres and Puyo bonus game modes are something that didn't need to be there, but are all the cooler because they bothered to put them in there. Being able to choose between all of Sonic's classic series abilities allows for more options in how you want to play, which I'm always down for. I haven't tried out Debug Mode yet, but it's something that is always fun to mess around with and the & Knuckles option is a enjoyably silly way to embrace a meme, without being onboxious about it.


The playable roster is also a very good one. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles play as expected and the addition of the Drop Dash for Sonic, makes for a nice additional move, that's pretty much entirely centered around getting better times, which I'm more then down for. I also love Mighty, his shell being able to deflect projectiles or protect him from spikes makes for fun ways to mess around with many sections and using his ground pound from high up to crash into the ground is immensly satisfying. Above all else though I was very surprised that Ray ended up being my top pick for the game, his glide is a blast to use, once you know how to use it effectively and a great risk-reward mechanic.

The lack of Classic Amy is a huge bummer though, especially since the Sonic 1-S3&K hacks where you play as her with her Sonic Advance gameplay style are my favorite way to play the classics these days. Mighty and Ray are a more then neat enough surprise addition to not make it too big of a deal, but the lack of Amy still feels like a very glaring omission.


I guess I could also talk about the story, but there isn't much here, which isn't a huge deal, but it is a big step back in comparison to Sonic 3 & Knuckles, which was very charming in the ways it subtly and quietly told it's story. Even the zone transitions feel far more half hearted here.



On the whole there's a reason why I already played Mania so much and that's because it's a really good game, a great celebration of Classic Sonic and just all around a very pleasent game to bring me back into my Sonic fandom. I do really want a Mania 2 though, that's all original zones and adresses the few things that bug me about Mania, but Mania is absolutely a keeper and a great time all around.

 

[DollopOfShobe]

(Sonic Jam analysis)

I'm late in replying to this but this is all pretty spot on. I wanted to chime in and concur how much charm Sonic world had and still has for me though. If you want a vintage way to replay Sonic games you can't go wrong with Jam.

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong but a couple of recoverable assets from the failed Sonic Xtreme project made their way into Sonic world as well from what I remember reading.

 

[TB100]

So it has been 25 years since a little oddball of the main Classic Sonic platformers was released.
That being

Released on the Mega CD on this very day 25 years ago in Japan, Sonic CD is as I've mentioned, a bit of an oddball in the franchise. not only is it not as well known as it's 2 predecessors or it's successor (Due to the game not being as rereleased as the other games and being on the Sega CD, which was a bit of a flop), but it's gameplay, presentation and visual design was also very different and unqiue from them.

From the now iconic animated intro and ending


to it's distinctive and colorful visual design

to the time travel mechanic

to the two different soundtracks between Japan/Europe and America.



Sonic CD was a seperate project developed around the same time as Sonic 2 and by a completely different team then the latter (Sonic CD was helmed by Naoto Ohshima and was primarily developed in Japan, and Sonic 2 was helmed by Yuji Naka and was primarily developed in the west.) and because of that, it had a very distinct feel and atmosphere that was not seen again till more recently with the likes of Mania and other later games. It was a lot wackier and colorful then anything we've seen prior and even after it and that alone makes CD a very stand out and unique game from the other Classic era Sonic titles. even today.

It also introduced us to what are two very iconic Sonic characters.

Sonic fangirl and self proclaimed love interest, Amy Rose
and

The original anti Sonic and robotic doppleganger, Metal Sonic

And both characters would go on to become reoccuring, popular and very iconic characters in the Sonic franchise. (Though Amy is a bit divisive.)

And while historically not as well known as it's predecessors or it's successor, CD is a highly beloved title by many Sonic fans even to this very day and thanks to Taxman's incredible port a couple of years back, Sonic CD is easily accessible and playable compared to the past. (And has become more well known these days as a result of that port as well as Sega taking more steps to acknowledge it's existence, including outright bringing back the Little Planet and making it a key plot point in Sonic 4: Episode 2.)

Now what are my feelings on it personally.

Honestly out of the four 90s Classic Sonic platformers, I consider CD to be the weakest of the four.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad game, I fucking love CD's presentation and soundtrack (CD's japanese soundtrack specifically is one of my favorite Sonic soundtracks of all time.) and I've definitely replayed and come back to CD several times. but it's level design is incredibly confusing to traverse through as well as inconsistent at times, the time travel gimmick was clumsily implemented and can be very annoying to deal with, Especially if you've never played CD before. (Though fortunately, you are allowed to just simply get 50 rings and go to a special stage at the end like in Sonic 1), the bosses are mostly laughably pathetic and easy even by Sonic standards (Except for the Metal Sonic race in Stardust Speedway, which is a pain in the ass.) and there are some very questionable design decisions and object placement throughout, like here in Palmtree Panic for example.

What moron puts a fucking rock near the end of the stage before the goal (and after a backwards spring too)? Seriously, the game is filled with weird and often stupid placement like this and combined that with the confusing level design and it can be incredibly obnoxious to deal with. (Especially in later levels.)

However despite the above complaints, I still like Sonic CD due to the sheer charm of this game.
As I've said, I adore the presentation and soundtrack to this game, I love the secret images that you can unlock in sound test

I enjoy the super peel out, I love the crazy special stages and how they look. (Though those fucking UFOs can be a son of a bitch to deal with sometimes.)
,

I like how instead of animals, flowers come out of badniks (Weird, but okay.) I fucking adore the intro and ending and I love Toei's unique take on the beloved Hedgehog. It's just a charming game all around IMO.

And once you master the time travel mechanics and you know the level design and where to go, it can be fun to come back to and replay on subsequent playthroughs. (At least, IMO)

Sonic CD may not be the best of the Classic 2D Sonic games, but I'm definitely happy it exists and I still enjoy coming back to it despite it's faults. (Especially with the recent port, since it fixes a lot of the collision issues and has a more traditional spin-dash as default instead of CD's weird more limited Spin-dash)

It's a bit of an oddball alright, but it's a charming, memorable and enjoyable oddball
and I really couldn't have it any less.

Happy 25th birthday Sonic CD! you flawed but charming little game. (Artwork source here.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now I wanna know, have you played CD in any form and if so, what are your feelings on the game as whole?
I'm curious to know your thoughts?

 

[Glowsquid]

i've heard Sonic CD's level designs "makes senses" if you speedrun it but that's not a playstyle I particularly enjoy.

pretty cool game. I love the japanese soundtrack"

 

[TB100]

So yesterday we have gotten the first teaser poster for the Sonic movie and....ummmmmmmm, okay
I know this is just a silhouette, but I'm not at all liking what I'm seeing here.

 

[๖ۣۜHex Scout]

I went on a 6 hour rant about this mistake of a design...