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Sonic 4 Ep 2 2 info revealed, New Physics Engine, new Graphics engine, playable Tails

I like how he's careful to say they haven't necessarily fixed the physics, but things that made the bad physics more noticeable have been addressed. They've made Sonic not stick to walls and not uncurl off of ramps. Call me when he doesn't stop on a dime when you let go of a direction and he rolls faster than he runs.
 
This is quite literally the only thing I'm looking forward to so far.
Q: Can you discuss how the "new physics" engine will be like in Sonic 4: Episode 2? Will they be similar to the Genesis physics that some Sonic fans have been looking for?

Lord Iizuka-sama: Genesis physics? (Laughter) No. For Sonic 4: Episode 2, we wanted to go with the physics of more recent memory. So we are more focused on physics from the Modern Sonic games and from the previous game, Sonic 4: Episode 1, where we've touched up inadequacies in the physics engine that players have taken issue with such as jogging up a wall or uncurling.
 
Generations not so much. It's a great game, but the rolling physics are still embarrassing.

True. But on the other hand, they still got Sonic's speed and responsiveness to be much better feeling. That and the classic remixes actually sound like what you'd expect from a modern day Sonic title built in the style they were going for with 4 ep.1.

Dunno why they insist on Sonic coming out of a spin while rolling or semi-automated ramps though.
 
The changes Ken talks about seem too good for Dimps, I think either it's Sonic Team alone or Sonic Team has a lot more involvement then they did on Episode 1. There is no way this is just Dimps.

Q: Can you discuss how the "new physics" engine will be like in Sonic 4: Episode 2? Will they be similar to the Genesis physics that some Sonic fans have been looking for?

Lord Iizuka-sama: Genesis physics? (Laughter) No. For Sonic 4: Episode 2, we wanted to go with the physics of more recent memory. So we are more focused on physics from the Modern Sonic games and from the previous game, Sonic 4: Episode 1, where we've touched up inadequacies in the physics engine that players have taken issue with such as jogging up a wall or uncurling.

XD

I wonder how he would react to be called Iizuka-sama
 
True. But on the other hand, they still got Sonic's speed and responsiveness to be much better feeling. That and the classic remixes actually sound like what you'd expect from a modern day Sonic title built in the style they were going for with 4 ep.1.

Dunno why they insist on Sonic coming out of a spin while rolling or semi-automated ramps though.

I thinks it's because they hate rolling because Sonic is less recognizable in ball form. Like they are in love with their models and hate seeing it obscured by rolling or something. They wanna see him run instead, so they nerfed the crap out of rolling. At least Sonic Generations still required you to roll to break breakable walls. In Sonic 4 Sonic can just break them with his face if he's going fast enough.
 
I'm curious about how it'll look this time around.

Because man, Episode 1 looked so weird. Like pre-rendered graphics from 1990 done in high res. Like graphic libraries from Klik n' Play.

Portions of NSMB DS had this look too.
I dont know why either company thought it looked good.
 
The changes Ken talks about seem too good for Dimps, I think either it's Sonic Team alone or Sonic Team has a lot more involvement then they did on Episode 1. There is no way this is just Dimps.



XD

I wonder how he would react to be called Iizuka-sama

Fun fact: Dimps version of Generations is the one with better physics.
Like I wouldnt be surprised if Ep 2 had shitty physics but lets stop pretending this is somehow above Dimps.

(also these "it cant be dimps" posts make me recall when people thought Sonic Rush Adventure was going to be handled by Sonic Team for some reason)

(also also how do you multiquote in the mobile gaf on secondapps)
 
Portions of NSMB DS had this look too.
I dont know why either company thought it looked good.
Hahaha yes. I thought the same way when I saw the NSMB DS reveal trailer. Very weird and cheap looking, like the uncanny valley of videogame environments.
 
I thinks it's because they hate rolling because Sonic is less recognizable in ball form. Like they are in love with their models and hate seeing it obscured by rolling or something. They wanna see him run instead, so they nerfed the crap out of rolling.

That does seem like something they would think.

Sonic is the first character I think of when I think of rolling in a ball, Samus is second.
 
The title of this thread has lots of pretty words, but my ears are caked in from previous lies. I'll let my eyes do the judging when gameplay is shown.

Unless this is truly amazing I'll probably just wait until all the episodes are bundled together (although going from one ep to the next will screw with me because of the physics and graphics changes.) I'm a big fan of platformers, but $15 per episode... can't muster up the will to buy when each ep is so small.

And at the risk of port begging, no 3DS release?

Thankfully it is on everything else. Wait, I don't see a WiiWare logo... odd they'd do Ep 1 for WiiWare but not Ep 2. I don't really mind that, though.
 
It is weird there is no WiiWare logo. You'd think the WiiWare version would have sold the most simply by virtue of being the only console version to not have a demo. :P
 
The title of this thread has lots of pretty words, but my ears are caked in from previous lies. I'll let my eyes do the judging when gameplay is shown.

Couldn't agree more. I remember the lofty promises of episode 1... Absolute lies.


I'm hoping they do that for the rumored retail collection. But they said they couldn't change Ep 1's physics "without changing the level design" so my hope is low...

Probably a lie.
 
Sonic 4 looks a lot less cohesive without consistent physics between games. Would sure be nice if they upgraded the first episode to the new games' physics if they really fixed it. Not holding out any hope though.

I'm hoping they do that for the rumored retail collection. But they said they couldn't change Ep 1's physics "without changing the level design" so my hope is low...

Ah, this is how SEGA gets you to buy a retail release of Sonic 4, muhahah.

Exactly.
 
Well, it sounded to me like the physics are going to be the same as Episode 1 because "they have a framework" or something like that and they've only addressed cosmetic things like sticking to walls and uncurling (don't get me wrong, uncurling was stupid). But the really really important stuff is the instant loss of momentum when releasing a direction and slowing down when rolling. Tell me you fixed that, Sega, and I'll maybe start caring.
 
Well, it sounded to me like the physics are going to be the same as Episode 1 because "they have a framework" or something like that

It does sound like that, but they are saying it's a completely different engine. I would expect they are 'reworking' it, and I don't see why they would try to get it the same as the first one after the backlash. Although, he did mention momentum, but promptly changed the subject to the smaller issues. Doesn't exactly give me much hope. That and the fact they aren't showing footage. These teasers don't do anything for me.
 
Portions of NSMB DS had this look too.
I dont know why either company thought it looked good.
Augh, I disliked the NSMB look too (for both games). :/

The changes Ken talks about seem too good for Dimps, I think either it's Sonic Team alone or Sonic Team has a lot more involvement then they did on Episode 1. There is no way this is just Dimps.
To be fair, Dimps's Classic Sonic physics in Generations 3DS were pretty good. I'm hoping that it might be a Sonic CD-like affair (ie: fans giving input), but I doubt that's going to happen.

XD

I wonder how he would react to be called Iizuka-sama
He's certainly dressed for the role, as demonstrated in the new Generations interview that 4gamer posted today! So spiffy.

022.jpg
 
Thanks to the internet, I just know someone at Sega is sleeping with that lifesize sonic doll every night for horrific reasons.
 
Augh, I disliked the NSMB look too (for both games). :/


To be fair, Dimps's Classic Sonic physics in Generations 3DS were pretty good. I'm hoping that it might be a Sonic CD-like affair (ie: fans giving input), but I doubt that's going to happen.


He's certainly dressed for the role, as demonstrated in the new Generations interview that 4gamer posted today! So spiffy.

022.jpg

xD, well, that's certainly an improvement from how he usually dresses, maybe he got inspired by Nagoshi, but i did notice Iizuka wears black all the time.

Not to go off topic, but did he say anything interesting in that interview? XD
 
Oh goody, the carnival is back in town

Q: Can you discuss how the "new physics" engine will be like in Sonic 4: Episode 2? Will they be similar to the Genesis physics that some Sonic fans have been looking for?

Lord Iizuka-sama: Genesis physics? (Laughter) No.
Followed by awkward silence, Iizuka then gets up and leaves

Lijik said:
(also also how do you multiquote in the mobile gaf on secondapps)
Is it possible?
 
"Alright, I have a gun. I'm only a watermelon away from being a stereotype." :lol

"Look at me, I'm a matrix!" Lol.

Eh hem, anyways. Back to your regularly scheduled Sonic thread. Although there isn't much to talk about, the trailer showed jack and we can't exactly trust the dev's words on things.
 
I didn't even notice the plush in the background until you guys pointed it out.

That thing is weirding me out.

ShadiWulf said:
Not to go off topic, but did he say anything interesting in that interview? XD
So far (still reading it and it's really damn long), it's mostly stuff we already know. For a question about how the Sonic games are usually released two years apart, that it was strange the we got Colours the previous year and Generations this year, Iizuka responds that says that Generations and Colours were developed almost at the same time.

From how he's saying it, it seems like Generations 3DS was almost like an afterthought. But since the 3DS was new, and Sonic was popular on Nintendo systems, they decided to make the 3DS version a reality. With Generations HD, Sonic 2006 and Sonic Unleashed, they had expertise/production know-how with those systems and engines and they were developed in a timely manner. Generations 3DS needed more time for development since it was on new hardware.

Around the time of E3, he says that Generations HD's stages were pretty much completed and they went into an "adjustment period" with that version (I guess to polish it up), but the 3DS version was far from finished at that point. Green Hill was pretty much the only thing they could have showed.

He talks about how the stages were picked, but we already know how those got picked. Because Sonic Colours was not completed at the time the voting for stages started, Sonic Team picked the Colours stage themselves.

When asked about other characters, he said the inclusion of the other characters as playable characters was a "no" from the start. This is Sonic's 20th Anniversary and the focus should be on him. While this is an anniversary game, though, the other characters are still important, and they wanted them in the game, so they decided to include them via challenge stages, game cutscenes or gallery pictures/art.

Edit: With regards to the different audiences intended for each version, Iizuka says that the HD version (White Space and Time) was intended for those players who like high-quality games (ex: I think he's talking about graphical quality here), and the game also aimed to "revive the past" for these players. It also features skills and skill customization for those players who want to improve the experience. The 3DS version (Blue Adventure) is made for new and old fans alike, and to be accessible to even children who have no knowledge of Sonic['s past]. It omits the skill customization element, but it's easier to play.

Edit again: He's grateful to Nakamura for allowing the Sonic 1 and 2 music to be used in the game.

When he heard the final arrangements for the new Sky Sanctuary theme, because it was one of the stages he originally designed, he thought it was breathtaking. During the production for Generations HD, the graphics were finished first, so he felt it was a good reproduction. At that time he wasn't even thinking of the music. Sky Sanctuary is a personal favourite of his.

The Sonic Generations OST is a 3-disc set with 90 BGMs from both Sonic Generations HD and 3DS and will be out January 11, 2012.

He talks about how great the Sonic birthday events around the world were, particularly for the fan enthusiasm shown during every event. There were costumes, stage dramas, and people from all over the world at some of the events like the one in London, where some people even came there from Hong Kong.

He talks a little bit about how he came to be at SEGA in 1992. Talks about how Sonic Adventure was a change for the series in terms of playstyle and character design. It was interesting to work on the new hardware such has the Dreamcast. Similarly, when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were about to come out, working with new hardware is sometimes difficult, but they finally got it in 2008 with Sonic Unleashed (huh? I thought they said they had production know-how befo--nevermind). Stuff we know.

A huge topic in 2011 concerned the launch of the PlayStation Vita. But since this year (2011) was the year of Sonic's anniversary, and since they didn't have an accurate timeframe for Vita's release date, they didn't bother with a Vita version of Generations. But will Sonic games exist on Vita? The Vita system is quite attractive, but it's just only been released! It's more of a business decision because they need to determine if there will actually be a user base for Sonic games on that particular platform.

Yeah, I think that's most of the interesting stuff in this interview. It was loooooooooooong.
 
Nothing for Wii? Well damn, I really dislike having to buy sequels on different systems.

Oh well, on the plus side my lack of strong interest means I can just wait for a PSN sale.
 
Hey, he mentioned it. :lol

 「白の時空」は,「ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ(2006)」や「ソニック ワールドアドベンチャー」での制作環境やノウハウがあったので,主に時間やボリュームとの勝負でした。
It's more about production know-how in terms of time and volume, I guess. lol, I'll edit it to clarify.
 
Sonic 4 was terrible. Let's hope this one is more like the generations 2D. Just finished generations myself and I was delightfully surprised at how solid it was. Sonic 4 was just putrid shit.
 
The platform list has me worried. Windows Phone 7 devices have utterly garbage graphics hardware, so the game will still be held back even though the Wii has been ditched.

It has to be asked, why would you release on Windows Phone 7 and not on Steam? Generations just sold very well on Steam and its as if Sega have an aversion to money.
 
The platform list has me worried. Windows Phone 7 devices have utterly garbage graphics hardware, so the game will still be held back even though the Wii has been ditched.

It has to be asked, why would you release on Windows Phone 7 and not on Steam? Generations just sold very well on Steam and its as if Sega have an aversion to money.

Steam, 3DS, and Vita. No reason it can't be on all of these, especially since they're bending over backwards to support WP7 as you said.
 
I didn't even notice the plush in the background until you guys pointed it out.

That thing is weirding me out.


So far (still reading it and it's really damn long), it's mostly stuff we already know. For a question about how the Sonic games are usually released two years apart, that it was strange the we got Colours the previous year and Generations this year, Iizuka responds that says that Generations and Colours were developed almost at the same time.

From how he's saying it, it seems like Generations 3DS was almost like an afterthought. But since the 3DS was new, and Sonic was popular on Nintendo systems, they decided to make the 3DS version a reality. With Generations HD, Sonic 2006 and Sonic Unleashed, they had expertise/production know-how with those systems and engines and they were developed in a timely manner. Generations 3DS needed more time for development since it was on new hardware.

Around the time of E3, he says that Generations HD's stages were pretty much completed and they went into an "adjustment period" with that version (I guess to polish it up), but the 3DS version was far from finished at that point. Green Hill was pretty much the only thing they could have showed.

He talks about how the stages were picked, but we already know how those got picked. Because Sonic Colours was not completed at the time the voting for stages started, Sonic Team picked the Colours stage themselves.

When asked about other characters, he said the inclusion of the other characters as playable characters was a "no" from the start. This is Sonic's 20th Anniversary and the focus should be on him. While this is an anniversary game, though, the other characters are still important, and they wanted them in the game, so they decided to include them via challenge stages, game cutscenes or gallery pictures/art.

Edit: With regards to the different audiences intended for each version, Iizuka says that the HD version (White Space and Time) was intended for those players who like high-quality games (ex: I think he's talking about graphical quality here), and the game also aimed to "revive the past" for these players. It also features skills and skill customization for those players who want to improve the experience. The 3DS version (Blue Adventure) is made for new and old fans alike, and to be accessible to even children who have no knowledge of Sonic['s past]. It omits the skill customization element, but it's easier to play.

Edit again: He's grateful to Nakamura for allowing the Sonic 1 and 2 music to be used in the game.

When he heard the final arrangements for the new Sky Sanctuary theme, because it was one of the stages he originally designed, he thought it was breathtaking. During the production for Generations HD, the graphics were finished first, so he felt it was a good reproduction. At that time he wasn't even thinking of the music. Sky Sanctuary is a personal favourite of his.

The Sonic Generations OST is a 3-disc set with 90 BGMs from both Sonic Generations HD and 3DS and will be out January 11, 2012.

He talks about how great the Sonic birthday events around the world were, particularly for the fan enthusiasm shown during every event. There were costumes, stage dramas, and people from all over the world at some of the events like the one in London, where some people even came there from Hong Kong.

He talks a little bit about how he came to be at SEGA in 1992. Talks about how Sonic Adventure was a change for the series in terms of playstyle and character design. It was interesting to work on the new hardware such has the Dreamcast. Similarly, when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were about to come out, working with new hardware is sometimes difficult, but they finally got it in 2008 with Sonic Unleashed (huh? I thought they said they had production know-how befo--nevermind). Stuff we know.

A huge topic in 2011 concerned the launch of the PlayStation Vita. But since this year (2011) was the year of Sonic's anniversary, and since they didn't have an accurate timeframe for Vita's release date, they didn't bother with a Vita version of Generations. But will Sonic games exist on Vita? The Vita system is quite attractive, but it's just only been released! It's more of a business decision because they need to determine if there will actually be a user base for Sonic games on that particular platform.

Yeah, I think that's most of the interesting stuff in this interview. It was loooooooooooong.

Iizuka-san wil be pleased this was translated. now a larger audience can read his wise words.
 
The platform list has me worried. Windows Phone 7 devices have utterly garbage graphics hardware, so the game will still be held back even though the Wii has been ditched.

It has to be asked, why would you release on Windows Phone 7 and not on Steam? Generations just sold very well on Steam and its as if Sega have an aversion to money.

I own a WP7 (truly now a 7.5 device). It not a top tie hardware wise but the OS is pretty fast (a single core device blows up a dual core Android). It is not garbage graphics wise, but since you have to use C#/XNA and cannot use C++ a simple port is not possible. When you make things specifically for WP7 the graphics show up (like IloMilo, Fable Coin Golf, and even HydroThunder).

Besides, at the time of release of Sonic 4 ep2 we may already have Windows Phone 8 devices (target july/august if I am right), plus 7.5 devices are already faster.
 
"We definitely have a framework for the way Sonic 4 in general runs so within that framework we were able to sort of identify what are the features we can really fix."

That inspires zero confidence. And funny how he calls bad aspects of the gameplay model "features".
 
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