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[jarrod]

STI (Sega Technical Institute) made StH 2 and, while they are based in the US, as far as I know they have little (nothing?) to do with Sonic Team USA.

Sort of... the game had STI staff on board but it was still designed mainly by Sonic Team members (working in the US). The second Sonic Team USA was similar, just Sonic Team staff relocated to California. Here's the Sonic developer breakdown...

Sonic Team
-Sonic the Hedgehog (SG/mobile)
-Sonic Jam (SS)
-Sonic Adventure (DC)
-Sonic Mega Collection (GC)
-Sonic Advance 2 (GBA)
-Sonic Battle (GBA)
-Sonic Mega Collection Plus (PS2/XB)
-Sonic Gems Collection (GC/PS2)
-Sonic Rush (DS)

Sonic Team/STI
-Sonic the Hedgehog (PC)
-Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (PC/SG)
-Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PC/SG)
-Sonic & Knuckles (PC/SG)

Sonic Team/Traveler's Tales
-Sonic 3D Blast (PC/SG/SS)
-Sonic Blast (GG)
-Sonic R (PC/SS)

STI
-Sonic Spinball (GG/SG/SMS)
-Tails and the Music Maker (Pico)

Sonic Team USA
-Sonic Adventure 2 (DC)
-Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (GC)
-Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (GC/PC)
-Sonic Heroes (GC/PC/PS2/XB)
-Shadow the Hedgehog (GC/PS2/XB)

Sega-AM2
-Sonic Championship (AC~ Model 2)

Sega-AM3 (later Hitmaker)
-SegaSonic (AC~ System 32)

Ancient
-Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GG/SMS)

DIMPS
-Sonic Pocket Adventure (NGE)
-Sonic Advance (GBA)
-Sonic N (NGE)
-Sonic Advance 3 (GBA)

SIMS
-Tails' Sky Patrol (GG)

Hudson Soft
-Sonic Shuffle (DC)

Jupiter
-Sonic Pinball Party (GBA)

Compile/STI
-Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (GG/SG/SMS/mobile)

Orion Interactive
-Sonic Shcoolhouse (PC)

Other Internal SOJ teams
-Sonic The Hedgehog (GG/SMS/mobile)
-Sonic Eraser (MD)
-Sonic CD (PC/SCD)
-Sonic Chaos (GG)
-Sonic Drift (GG)
-Sonic Game World (Pico)
-Sonic Triple Trouble (GG)
-Sonic Drift 2 (GG)
-Knuckles Chaotix (32X)
-Sonic Labyrinth (GG)
-Tails Adventures (GG)

 

[dark10x]

Holy shit, that isn't nearly as impressive as I had imagine it to be. Or are those just shitty capturest?

No, those are nearly flawless VGA captures. That's pretty much what it looks like. Of course, it does help to see it in motion. However, the backgrounds always bothered me. It has a somewhat unpolished feel (compared to the rest of the game), but is still worth seeing. Remember, this level is simply based on Green Hill. It is not an actual remake. There are some recognizable areas (the giant group of rings in the air, for example), but it's mostly quite different.

Those segments always bothered me as well. It just looks awful when Sonic rolls through them.

 

[Spectral Glider]

Sonic and Sonic 2 for me.

Count me among those that weren't so happy with Sonic CD. I fucking hate that pinball level in that game.....like really, really, really fucking hate that level. No, really, I mean fucking hate it. I also didn't like how they set up going to the past and the future. At times, all I wanted was to try and blast around a level and instead I have those signs popping up and transporting me. And then it seemed like when you wanted to actually transport there would be too much shit in the way. And the bonus level in Sonic 2 I thought was more impressive.

 

[D-X]

Remember, this level is simply based on Green Hill. It is not an actual remake.

I'm pretty sure it is a straight out remake minus some motobugs and sign posts.

I agree with your point about Tails' levels. They really should have given Tails his own stages. Or at the very least give him alterations of Sonic's stages so that they are played differently.

They did slightly alter the levels to allow Tails to fly through boosters

Also as someone already posted here SA2 shooting levels are incredibly well designed if you are trying to get an A grade. The radar system on the hunting levels was a step down seeing as you could only hunt down 1 emerald shard at a time.

Sonic Heroes: too much falling off the edge and multiple hits gets boring fast.

 

[Warm Machine]

Sonic 1 and 2 were as good as games get at the time.

SA was a technical achievement at the time but a very hard game to enjoy.

 

[Ryck]

Ok this thread inspired me to dust off the cube and start playing through The Sonic's. I beat one and two and am about to start 3 (which I never did play back then ) Do I just start 3 or should I bother unlocking Sonic 3 & knuckles first, does it play out as one long game when they are combined or is it the same thing to play 3 then S&K?

 

[Zeo]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of my three favorite games ever (along with DKC2 and FFVII). I played that thing nonstop for days. I think it was what caused me to get glasses. Heh.

Man, I don't see how anyone could find Sonic 3 disappointing. Amazing level design, best graphics of the series, arguably the most well done music of the series (best last boss music, pretty much ever, Ice Cap, Bonus Round..), kind of fun multiplayer (don't know how you can say it was dumbed down from Sonic 2, it was pretty much the same idea).

rays for Sonic 4:

 

[Ryck]

Ok this thread inspired me to dust off the cube and start playing through The Sonic's. I beat one and two and am about to start 3 (which I never did play back then ) Do I just start 3 or should I bother unlocking Sonic 3 & knuckles first, does it play out as one long game when they are combined or is it the same thing to play 3 then S&K?

^^^^^ Someone knows the answer damn it!

 

[Suerte]

Speaking of Sonic, today (June 23rd) is his BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC!

I have the same birthday as Sonic, oh yes.

 

[jgkspsx]

Do I just start 3 or should I bother unlocking Sonic 3 & knuckles first, does it play out as one long game when they are combined or is it the same thing to play 3 then S&K?

Sonic 3 & Knuckles makes Knuckles a playable character. It doesn't change the Sonic/Tails game.

... does it?

You must play Knuckles in Sonic 2. It's a wee bit broken but it's loads of fun.

 

[D-X]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles makes Knuckles a playable character. It doesn't change the Sonic/Tails game.

... does it?

You must play Knuckles in Sonic 2. It's a wee bit broken but it's loads of fun.

As far as I know the Sonic 3 knuckles and boss music changes. The Launch Base Act 2 Robotnik boss is missing the final transformation (the red hands) when you play as Sonic and Tails. There is a small opening with Knuckles looking suspicious at the beginning of Mushroom Hill and obviously Tails can play through Sonic and Knuckles levels.

 

[djtiesto]

I need to go through Sonic 3 + Knuckles locked on again, I did that once a long time ago, but hardly remember it. Right now I'd say Sonic 3 is my favorite... the graphics I thought were some of the best on Genesis, the levels were cool and long, but not excessively long (Hydropolis and Marble Garden have some awesome designs)... and the music was great. I love love the Ice Cap song.

 

[Instigator]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles makes Knuckles a playable character. It doesn't change the Sonic/Tails game.

Well, in addition to what people posted, there's the obvious addition of the new bonus games to the Tails/Sonic portions.

 

[Jeffahn]

Everyone's forgetting...

...

 

[Diablos]

Sonic 2.

 

[op_ivy]

sonic cd was my favorite, followed by sonic 2, then sonic adventure.

 

[midnightguy]

best Sonic game... hummmmm lets see...... It's definitally the new next-generation Sonic game that Sega showed behind a closed doors Sega-theater at E3

 

[Lyte Edge]

The original Sonic The Hedgehog is still my favorite Sonic game as well. I like the levels and music more than any of the other games in the series. There's just something about the game that none of the Sonic games released after it were ever able to top.

 

[Instigator]

The original Sonic The Hedgehog is still my favorite Sonic game as well. I like the levels and music more than any of the other games in the series. There's just something about the game that none of the Sonic games released after it were ever able to top.

And thanks to emulation, I was finally able to track down a Japanese copy of the game, with its subtle graphical improvements (added parallax scrolling and some warping) making this title ever so more the classic. Over a decade ago, it was already impossible to find this cart in import shops.

 

[Rain]

that's easy.. Sonic 2...

for some reason, i never liked sonic games at all... sonic 2 is the least unbearable one...

for some reason, the whole past/present/future in sonic cd pisses the hell out of me... but hey... at least it has some nice opening sequence..

 

[Lyte Edge]

And thanks to emulation, I was finally able to track down a Japanese copy of the game, with its subtle graphical improvements (added parallax scrolling and some warping) making this title ever so more the classic. Over a decade ago, it was already impossible to find this cart in import shops.

IIRC Sonic Jam on Saturn had the Japanese Sonic 1. Can't remember if Sonic Mega Collection did, although all I ever noticed were the moving clouds on the first stage.

 

[radioheadrule83]

The Advance games are quiet nice. They're not mentioned much in the thread...

I'd go with:

1) Sonic 2 (Master System hand glider version rocked too)
2) Sonic & Knuckles
3) Sonic the Hedgehog
4) Sonic Adventure 2: Battle / Sonic Heroes / Sonic Adventure... in that order of preference, but they're all in the same kinda quality region imo.

Haven't had the pleasure of playing Sonic CD yet. Really looking foreward to Gems collection. Sonic Rush looks fucking hot as well.

 

[Instigator]

IIRC Sonic Jam on Saturn had the Japanese Sonic 1. Can't remember if Sonic Mega Collection did, although all I ever noticed were the moving clouds on the first stage.

The Marble zone and the Spring Yard zones finally get parallax scrolling (they didn't before) and the Labyrinth zone has warping effect under water.

P.S. I was playing emu games before the release of Sonic Jam.