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[MikeXXIeaf]

Sonic Team's character design fell off with Sonic Adventure. We have Sonic go from a more cartoony version of a genuine hedgehog:

To this lanky, anthropomorphic mess:

The transition was terrible. I'm sure most people would have been okay with him remaining somewhat "cute". Instead the character design shifted into this awkward teenage Sonic with a more exaggerate personality. "THIS Sonic is mature. Look at his girlfriend!" Sure a certain demographic bought into it but was the change worth it? Once you've grown into adulthood the blind interest in the "alpha male" should stop. You don't watch a Bruce Willis film and still think "damn, this guy is cool" anymore do you? SEGA alienates adults and young children alike with such poor presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTP-JbDBSCw&feature=youtu.be

The characters seem a lot better presented here. The dialogue exchange isn't so goofy you can't stand it and the Sonic/Robotnik exchange felt sincere for the first time since the original cartoon. Knuckles actually looks like a tough guy and you can just look at Tails once and understand that he's the "smart one". Amy still look...eh.

 

[Alienous]

Absolutely not.

GAF has done a better job with the redesigns. They're terrible. They aren't an improvement from the Adventure era in any way.

 

[liquidtmd]

I keep thinking Sonic has three double chins.

Knuckles has made me laugh a lot this weekend though.

 

[Nintendoga]

It's like Big the Cat lost weight and they just photoshopped Knuckles' head on top and painted him red.

 

[Sojgat]

What's with all the wraps?

 

[Y2Kev]

What's with the bandages?

 

[Marjar]

I'm sorry but there's no way you can convince me that Nathan the Drakehog and Torso the Echidna were good design decisions.

 

[JonCha]

Tails aside, I think they're all mediocre designs. Despite the interviews where BRB explain the reasons for the semi redesign, I still don't understand why they've done it.

Fair play to them for trying something that's different regarding gameplay, but did there really need to be another design for the characters?

 

[Angelus Errare]

Totally thought this was going to be about Guile for some reason.

 

[SolsticeZero]

I like Sonic and Amy, I really like the new Tails, but the new Knuckles is fucking horrible.

 

[Chuck]

Why does he need shoe bandages?

 

[Anticitizen One]

Sonic Boom's style is just as unnecessary as the 00s redo of Sonic. The original character designs are fine. There is a reason Nintendo rarely fucks with Mario's design.

 

[PhoenixDawn]

I mean, they're great for allowing people to quickly distinguish what the defining attributes of each character is (aside from Amy, I suppose), but there's just too much inconsistency and odd additions to the designs. The sports wraps and the extremely long legs are the two features that stand out the most to me as things that have no reason to exist at all.

 

[DJIzana]

The only "new style" I like about this Sonic game is its world design and the look of Tails. Not a fan of the design for Sonic and Knuckles.

 

[L Thammy]

I think you forgot to post an image after "To this lanky, anthropomorphic mess".

Honestly, I don't think they're terrible after a second look. They seem like they're redesigned from an action-oriented Western cartoon sensibility to me, whereas the originals were more in the line of Felix the Cat.

Knuckles just looks silly though.

]

 

[Astral/H3X]

Isn't Sonic Boom supposed to be sort of a Jak and Daxter/Rachet game? If so, the designs make a lot of sense. Adapting them for something other than a platformer is what they should do.
Now, I'm not saying the designs are great, but I think part of it is the fact that they are redesigns, so we have existing ideas on how they should look.

 

[TomShoe]

I'm not a fan of the designs myself. Then again, I'm not the target demographic, young boys ages 4-12 are. They didn't do anything too drastic, we'll accept them over time.

 

[Derphoof]

Honestly, after seeing the pictures and videos a lot, the new style is already starting to grow on me. Plus, the art style will probably be really good for the western cartoon show they plan on rolling out after the game.

 

[udivision]

What's with all the wraps?

What's with the bandages?

Why does he need shoe bandages?

Blame yourself or blame Rock Lee.

 

[MrBadger]

To be perfectly honest, I think all the characters look more or less the same as they did before, only with different and new accessories. Well, except Knuckles, who I'm really not a fan of. As for the cartoon, the dialog exchanges between Sonic and Eggman are amusing, but they're really not that different to the kind of back-and-fourth they had in Colours and Lost World. The part when Sonic's tearing apart Eggman's robot name choice is really similar to the part in Colours just before the final boss when Eggman makes a lame pun and Sonic calls him out on it.

 

[bobbychalkers]

The sports tape makes sense on Knuckles but it looks ridiculous on Sonic and Tails. Why is it on their shoes? It looks like they ran through a toilet paper factory. Knuckles's proportions look pretty off. Other than that it doesn't bother me.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

I actully like Sonic more with blue arms.

 

[javac]

Absolutely not.

GAF has done a better job with the redesigns. They're terrible. They aren't an improvement from the Adventure era in any way.

Well I mean it's 'easier' to tweak and change a few mm here and there. Shrink the arms a tiny bit. Make him a tiny bit shorter. It still takes effort with the photo editing software and all that but let's be honest changing a beloved character that's well known and an important mascot for not only Sega but video games in general isn't really that easy task for Sega at least from their pov. A lot of give and take and agreements and specifications have to be met. You'd be surprised at the restrictions put in place and things to keep in mind. Like how it translates to toys and the TV show and other merchandise. Has to be new but recognisable. Sega will want something. The Sonic team will want something. It's tedious stuff.

 

[Codeblue]

I'd be ok with the designs if the in-game models came close to the artwork.

 

[robot]

Yea the whole bandage thing really doesn't make sense. Sonic and Knuckles are covered in them, looks like they broke free from a mummification ritual.

I prefer most of his designs from Sonic 1 to Sonic Adventure (artwork, not in game) but this isn't his worst form by a longshot.

 

[NotLiquid]

Knuckles' design has warmed up to me, especially when compared to his original design.

And I really don't care for all the "fixes" people are doing to the characters. With the exception of maybe Sonic's arms, I'm completely fine with the redesigns since they wanted to portray them as just a smidge older.

What's with the bandages?

Sport tape.

 

[synchronicity]

Totally thought this was going to be about Guile for some reason.

Lol, that's the first thing that popped in my mind too. And Sonic fans are a passionate bunch. It's a shame they don't get treated better in regards to Sonic releases. (At least that's the impression I gather from listening to them.)

 

[Khezu]

I have never really cared for any design of the sonic characters.

So I don't really have a problem with these.

Except Knuckles... He looks fucking creepy.

 

[Twin Tails]

I think sonic looks okay the only one that I really terrible is Knuckles.

 

[ZealousD]

Knuckles looks like he would snap under this own weight. He's so buff in his upper body but his legs are as lanky as anyone's. I think if he were a bit shorter and his legs a bit thicker I really wouldn't have a problem with his design.

I don't really understand why Sonic needs his extra accessories. The scarf is kinda of weird. The sports tape seems silly on him. I kind of understand it with Knuckles, but not Sonic. I don't have a problem with his hair or new arm coloration,

Amy and Tails are just fine. We didn't need Amy with a skirt and I rather like Tails because his accessories fit his character.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

I actully like Sonic more with blue arms.

Am I the only one that didn't even notice?

 

[Salmonbottle]

The bandages thing actually has precedent in real life. In my opinion, that puts it a million steps ahead of Final Fantasy's belt fetish.

Swole Knucks is a bit of a shock, but it looks a lot better in the screenshots.

I think people will warm up to these designs over time once they're no longer new or shocking. Especially if the game actually ends up good.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

I like how you call the Adventure redesign a lanky mess when the Boom design is even lankier.

 

[freethoughtbubble]

Agreed, I actually greatly prefer the new designs to even genesis era sonic, which has always looked off-model to me. Like a bad attempt at what the character was supposed to look like, if that makes any sense. Adventure era sonic seemed "cool" back when I was a teenager, but time has not been kind to that "edgy" design…

Spoiler

There is something wrong with Knuckles face, though.

 

[Adam_Roman]

Sonic runs fast, so it makes sense to have long legs and a thinner stomach.

Knuckles punches shit so it makes sense for him to have a larger upper body.

Tails is a mechanic so it makes sense for him to have a tool belt and different tech-related abilities.

Amy... swings a hammer so it makes sense for her to... dress slightly differently?

 

[Nimajneb]

I actually like the concept art, but the in game models shown in the trailer are absolutely terrible.

 

[Codeblue]

Am I the only one that didn't even notice?

I didn't notice until someone pointed it out either. Even the I had to search for an old picture to compare.

 

[TriAceJP]

These designs look very French.

 

[Bunta]

 

[Ultimadrago]

Am I the only one that didn't even notice?

It took someone to post about it.

 

[EvaUnit02]

I genuinely can't believe the level of interest people are putting in to this.

This feels like refusing to shop somewhere because they updated their logo.

 

[To Far Away Times]

You don't watch a Bruce Willis film and still think "damn, this guy is cool" anymore do you?

Ahnold, Bruce Willis, and Stallone in their prime are cool.

Classic Sonic is also cool.

The Sonic Boom designs are somehow worse than the ill advised Sonic Adventure redesigns. A downgrade of a downgrade, if you will.

 

[kitsuneyo]

The dialogue exchange isn't so goofy you can't stand it

It's not?

 

[Adam_Roman]

I actually like the concept art, but the in game models shown in the trailer are absolutely terrible.

I'm hoping that since it's early in development, they'll fix the models so they look closer to the ones in the show.

 

[Spieler Eins]

The way modern Sonic developed this/last generation was fine.

Not as good as the originals, but good enough. The new designs are pretty much fanfiction level.

 

[Buttonbasher]

I bet this style only sticks around for this game, and Generations 2, or whatever they do next for multiplatform just reverts to the regular design.

 

[lensoftruth]

Sonic may or may not need a redesign. but that fact remains that it needs some effort put into it - it;s a franchise that sells regardless and sega don't care it seems.

Such is modern game development.

 

[Wishmaster92]

I actually like the concept art, but the in game models shown in the trailer are absolutely terrible.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I hope they manage to fix that, the in-game models do not look good at all. The concept art looks great though.

 

[MikeXXIeaf]

What's with the bandages?

He's been running so fast his shoes ripped in half.

 

[javac]

The way modern Sonic developed this generation was fine.

Not as good as the originals, but good enough. The new designs are pretty much fanfiction level.

He should take some medication for that heartburn.