Sonic on 32X...would it have made a difference?
- Thread starter RetroAV
- Start date
I have a soft spot for the 32x, excellent ports of mk2, nba jam, wwf and primal rage, vf and Star Wars.
I honestly don't think a sonic game would have changed anything. For Saturn early on yes.
32x never had a chance with the Saturn and the Japan USA split and resources.
But I do have fond memories of it.
I honestly don't think a sonic game would have changed anything. For Saturn early on yes.
32x never had a chance with the Saturn and the Japan USA split and resources.
But I do have fond memories of it.
Alexios
Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
That's apparently Sonic Robo Blast 2 (ie Doom engine Sonic fan game that's actually good/fun) ported to 32x, very nice. Makes a good case for Saturn Sonic that never happened too. But the know how clearly wasn't there back then as they were happy to put out stuff like Bug! and Clockwork Knight.
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Avid Reading Horse
Member
Looks like shit to me, would rather just play the Genesis Sonic... and c'mon let's face it guys this whole it's a platformer but look how fast he runs shit doesn't have that much of a shelf-life compared to timeless Mario gameplay.
The Pleasure
Gold Member
2 and 3 hung out right there with Mario.
I'd say no. Mainly I say that because the financials of the 32X didn't make any sense for a gamer. I mean I figured a lot of gamers looked at it like this. In order to play the 32X I first need a Genesis and I probably have a bunch of games for it too. The system is $170 and the games are $70 each so I spend $240 for my first 32X game. However if I was tired of the games I'd consider selling off the Genesis and the games and maybe get $100 for it. Well a Playstation is $300, a game is $50 so the total there is $350. However if I did sell the Genesis and games and put the money toward the PSX then it I only need $250. So my choices are a 32X for $240 or get rid of games I'm tired of and get a PSX for $250. Yeah I think most people would just go for the PSx.
Team Andromeda
Member
The game is shit and the 32X was utter pants .
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RetroGamingUK
Member
Indeed, fuck that thing.
How Sega Japan were conned by Sega America into green lighting that thing I'll never know.
Oddly enough the only good games on it were by Sega Japan.
Team Andromeda
Member
Well to be fair SEGA Japan had always had a idea for a 32bit Mega Drive I remember reading about the GigaDrive before I had my Christmas launch Pal Mega Drive.
That's to overlook SEGA Japan did ask SOA to make a counter system to combat the perceived threat from the upcoming Jaguar.
The moment it was clear that the Jag wasn't a threat and the Saturn would hit Japan in the fall of 1994 was the time the 32X was killed and all focus put on the Saturn.
RetroAV
Member
Sega of Japan abandoned the Genesis and 32X to focus on the Saturn. While this was understandable, it was also the reason those platforms died off the way they did.
Crayon
Member
As a 14-year-old who is excited for every upcoming system under the sun including the 3DO and virtual boy, 32x came off as a gimmick.
Though I have to say, part of that was because all these other systems had fake as f*** screenshots being printed in magazines constantly. And I believed all those. I didn't see anything like that for 32x. Missed opportunity to fool my gullible little mind!
Though I have to say, part of that was because all these other systems had fake as f*** screenshots being printed in magazines constantly. And I believed all those. I didn't see anything like that for 32x. Missed opportunity to fool my gullible little mind!
Sooner
Member
Not even close
The Pleasure
Gold Member
If you were around during that era, yes it was close. Sonic 2 had great gameplay, then add finding all the Chaos emeralds, becoming Super Sonic and using him in game, playing as Tails and a decent split screen game. Now add in a decent length, a great advertising campaign with Sonic 2uesday, and was a very compelling reason to own a Sega Genesis.
Sonic 2 in terms of advertising, mind share and excitment generated upon release was in the same ball park as Mario 3. Sonic Tuesday was a big deal. Sonic 2 really raised Sega to the next level in late 1992, which helped them in 1993 eclipse Nintendo. Mortal Monday would be pretty close too in terms of impact.
Sonic 2 was an excellent sequel. Anyone doubting Sonic's influence, just look at how well Sonic CD did on the the Sega-CD. Another excellent game.
Maybe you had to be there, sure glad I was.
Soodanim
Member
I grew up with the Mega Drive and Sonic. They were great fun. I've enjoyed my time with some Sonic games over the years since then.
But the truth is that the idea of Sonic is better than the games. I enjoyed the comics (UK) more than the games, and now the movies are far more popular than the games (not difficult in the 3D era). Sonic has always struggled in 3D.
Sonic has a good world with good characters, but there have been more misses than home runs.
Sega's hardware division is largely the same. More misses than not. Console add-ons don't work, as we've found out time and time again throughout the generations. Sony knew that when pushing DVD and BD, but forgot it when it came to VR.
All that is to say that 32x Sonic wouldn't have made much more of a difference than Knuckles Chaotix did, and I'm sure we all enjoy the 1 mention a decade that game gets.
But the truth is that the idea of Sonic is better than the games. I enjoyed the comics (UK) more than the games, and now the movies are far more popular than the games (not difficult in the 3D era). Sonic has always struggled in 3D.
Sonic has a good world with good characters, but there have been more misses than home runs.
Sega's hardware division is largely the same. More misses than not. Console add-ons don't work, as we've found out time and time again throughout the generations. Sony knew that when pushing DVD and BD, but forgot it when it came to VR.
All that is to say that 32x Sonic wouldn't have made much more of a difference than Knuckles Chaotix did, and I'm sure we all enjoy the 1 mention a decade that game gets.
nkarafo
Member
I tried this and the controls are too lose, i have a hard time turning, hitting enemies and collecting rings, needs a bigger hit detection for the rings and a homing attack. Though i dig the first person view (kinda like a Sonic DOOM mod) but that makes it even harder to play.
The Sonic Utopia demo has much better controls.
I doubt it, The Jaguar was always marketed as 64bit and yet Sega branded their addon as 32bit. They were more worried of the 3DO, DOS Pentium and SNES SuperFX which were way more capable than what the MegaDrive could do.
BlackTron
Gold Member
Sonic 2 release was Sega's finest hour, no doubt. They took the momentum they had mustered and catapulted it. There are so many stories in gaming of flirting with success, but failing to keep that momentum going. Sega seized the moment (until they didn't).
RAIDEN1
Member
Not really, the 32x was built as a reaction to the Atari Jaguar, with little regard for the fact that the Saturn was already a more capable machine....though having said that you can see that even Knuckles Chaotix didn't have a troubled development like Sonic X-Treme did, and even then Chaotix only somewhat played to the 32x's strengths at the time...
DenimDevil
Neo Member
Would it have made a difference in 32X sales? Probably.
Would it have saved the 32X? Unlikely.
It would have probably saved the Saturn to have a decent to good Sonic game at or near launch though. That and a lower price.
Would it have saved the 32X? Unlikely.
It would have probably saved the Saturn to have a decent to good Sonic game at or near launch though. That and a lower price.
Geometric-Crusher
"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
saving 32x is the same as saving Sega's hardware business.
the first problem with 32x is conceptual and when the problem is conceptual the best alternative is to change the concept, in other words 32x should not exist.
The Sega Saturn would need to change (the same way it changed in real life) instead of Sega adding chips to make the product more expensive and still be inferior in 3D, it would need to focus on low prices, removing all 3D. Making Sega spend on 3D hardware was Sony's war strategy, giving in to this was a big mistake on Sega's part. Nintendo realized the trap and avoided CD-ROM in the N64, this would make the product more expensive resulting in fewer sales.
the first problem with 32x is conceptual and when the problem is conceptual the best alternative is to change the concept, in other words 32x should not exist.
The Sega Saturn would need to change (the same way it changed in real life) instead of Sega adding chips to make the product more expensive and still be inferior in 3D, it would need to focus on low prices, removing all 3D. Making Sega spend on 3D hardware was Sony's war strategy, giving in to this was a big mistake on Sega's part. Nintendo realized the trap and avoided CD-ROM in the N64, this would make the product more expensive resulting in fewer sales.
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Horseganador
Member
One of the most regrettable chapters for Sega was not having a Sonic for Saturn (historical ridiculousness that Nintendo released Super Mario 64 in 1996 and Sega had to port Sonic 3D from Mega Drive quickly to have something...), the 32X didn't matter, it was a peripheral that was born doomed.
RetroGamingUK
Member
Yuji Naka was quite the diva.
Nights was what he wanted to make and that's what we got.
That's not true. They tried Sonic on the Saturn, but the hardware couldn't support the slopes and loops of a Sonic level in 3D. That's why he made NiGHTS instead of a Sonic. NiGHTS allowed the Sonic-style movement in 3D, but the levels were still flat as the character was flying.
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U n i o n 0015
Member
In retrospect, Sega as a whole should've consolidated their resources around Saturn and not mucked about with the CD and 32X. SoJ should've also listened to SoA more because they were a lot more forward-thinking in terms of hardware design.
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Unknown?
Member
Uhhh SRB2 is quite awesome actually.
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
That's too shitty to come out
We have Knuckles Chaotix, which is a great game. Maybe we could get a great Sonic on the Saturn. Remember that Adventure started as a Saturn game, but they made the better choice to move to the Dreamcast
Wolzard
Member
Impressive for an amateur homebrew, it explored the 32X's 3D capabilities well, the visuals are beautiful.
As a game itself, I think it's problematic, as the game is slow for a Sonic game. In my opinion, Sonic on the Saturn should have been 2.5D, like Crash Bandicoot and Pandemonium.
As a game itself, I think it's problematic, as the game is slow for a Sonic game. In my opinion, Sonic on the Saturn should have been 2.5D, like Crash Bandicoot and Pandemonium.
cireza
Member
This is all software rendering, after all this is the what the 32X was designed for. So a game that has a good, optimized software renderer becomes a candidate for a system like the 32X because you will not be ignoring some hardware 3D components anyway. You have to optimize your renderer for the dual SH2 architecture/memory, and then push your framebuffer.
Not saying that it was easy. Rather than it was a logical choice to push this game on this platform. Great work.
Same thing for Open Lara, by the way.
Not saying that it was easy. Rather than it was a logical choice to push this game on this platform. Great work.
Same thing for Open Lara, by the way.
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SF Kosmo
Banned
It's been out for years and is one of the most beloved Sonic fangames.
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
As a fan game it's very much great. If was a official back in the day game, no
SF Kosmo
Banned
The market tolerated far jankier early 3D platformers in the years leading up to Mario 64, man. If you had a time machine to send SRB2 back to 1994 or 1995 when 32X was a thing, it would have blown minds, because the standard bearer wasn't Mario 64 or even Crash Bandicoot, it was Jumping Flash and Bug.