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Sega needs to really capitalize on the Sonic Adventure 2 nostalgia like RIGHT NOW

jcorb

Member
I'd probably consider myself a Sonic fan in general, although I wouldn't say I'm die-hard or anything. I didn't really enjoy Frontiers, although I *am* excited by the team branching out and trying something new.

And really, the two movies that have come out so far have actually been... I'll say, *decent*. The first was inoffensive but pretty week, but I actually daresay I *enjoyed* the second movie. Ironically, I think Jim Carey is maybe the weakest link of the bunch (his humor just hasn't *quite* landed, imo).

But something I've heard *loads* of people say, over and over again, is how hyped they would be to just hear "Live & Learn" blasting in the third movie. And by all accounts, it seems like a lot more people were into Sonic Adventure 2 than I guess I ever realized?

It's really got me thinking, Sonic Adventure 2 was really the last time that Sonic was "at the top of the game", so to speak. The gaming industry obviously changed quite a bit, and I'd probably argue that Sonic Team's benchmark for quality started to slip, but it's clear that people remember SA2 in particular very fondly.

Just coming from a marketing perspective alone, I feel like Sega could actually *really* capitalize on that. But they'd need to start like RIGHT fucking NOW.

For example, I would totally get a "Chao Garden" app in the works, fucking immediately. The combination of a tamagatchi/digimon sort of game, they could obviously slap in some gatcha elements easily enough, and would be the easiest thing in the world to add promotions for all their games. Again, it's just another avenue to tap into peoples' nostalgia. For my part, I would personally pay like any amount of money possible to see re-issues of the original SOAP Scorchers (ie. "grind shoes" from SA2). Or even improve the design with something more authentic to Sonic's actual shoes in SA2.

But yeah, I think they've got a golden opportunity, especially with the third Sonic movie on the way, which obviously has Shadow.

The time is now, Sega.
 

Astral Dog

Member
Shadow x Sonic Generations, along with the third Sonic movie is their way to 'capitalize' on the brand,the next mainline Sonic game is still years away

Sonic Adventure 2 is one of my favorites for its unique style i also enjoyed Frontiers i thinks its a legit good game they can improve the sequel with more polish and higher budget(they can always bring back Shadow for a main role on the next Sonic Frontiers if it probes that popular)
 
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Saber

Member
Nah. Adventure 2 was the worst time for Sonic. Tried to look and sound edgy with "dark" story, only to be a fucking circus.
Sonic is a mess trying to find some kind of sucessfull formula scrolling through the internet.

If anything, relaunching Generations was a good move and if they do it properly it will have a good synergy with the film.
And when I say properly, I mean doing a good job relaunching the game. Not like the turd mess they did with Colors.
 

T-0800

Member
Arrested Development Tobias GIF
 

cireza

Member
We are getting Sonic x Shadow Generations and this is great news, it will by definition be much better than Frontiers and its shitty open-world.

Frontiers success means we are getting a direct sequel, so brace yourselves for more boredom and busywork.
 
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I think Sonic is shit but as a casual from the outside looking in at Adventure 3. Yeah I'd buy it from playing the first two back in the day. Only problem is character choices, there's so many fucking Sonic characters now.
 
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I loved SA2, I’d gladly buy a remake right now. I always hear mixed opinions about it. I played it on GameCube when I was kid, my siblings and I played it for hours. Chao garden made the game fun to grind. Never understood why it got hate. Finding the chaos emeralds was also a fun part of the game. Soundtrack was fun too. Space trip steps goes hard. I’m on the I like it side.
 

BlackTron

Gold Member
IMO the ideal Sonic game is a bunch of Hedgehog platforming levels played in sequence from beginning to end.

1. You got this in SA1 through level select. Until then, you had to deal with the Adventure Field stuff between stages.

2) You got this in SA2 through level select. Until then, you had to deal with clearing all the treasure hunting and mech shooting levels thrown at you.

Which was worse? You decide. In the end, if you were hungry for 3D Sonic, they were both critical entries. I finished each game once, then replayed the hedgehog levels of both countless times. This is why Sonic/Shadow Generations seems like a good idea, the thing is SA2 had good physics and Gens was broken. For me the defining factor whether this game is a success is whether they fix the physics. Otherwise SA2 will still be the best way to play City Escape, graphics be damned.
 

Saber

Member
Sonic had it worse during 2003-2007. Sonic Adventure 2 still managed to have a charming vibe and aesthetic, Shadow the Hedgehog was fucking horrible.

Shadow was inspired by those concepts of edginess. Adventure 2 fails in both plataforming and gameplay, thanks to some mix ideas taken from Adventure 1 but terribly expanded and implemented. Its a game where you're supposed to "go fast", but it doesn't quite work because of the controls and plataform doesn't help.
 

jcorb

Member
I actually prefer the first Adventure game over the sequel, as well. I enjoyed the game, and I think I appreciated it more over time, though I was initially disappointed (I actually liked the open "Field" stages). I actually think it would have benefited from like "RPG-lite" elements, like a little Metroid-vania unlocking new routes.

Alternatively, I actually think a Sonic game would do really well to draw from something like the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, truly utilizing momentum and movement.

But in any case, it's clear that SA2 was still hugely popular. And I think Sega would do well to capitalize on that nostalgia right away, because there's honestly a pretty small window to *really* get that hype going. I absolutely think a stand-alone Chao Garden game would do incredibly well, especially if they could somehow bring all of the content from both of the Dreamcast games forward, along with some new stuff. Maybe nixing the "dying/reincarnating" systems, and you actually play *as* whichever Chao you want? And maybe the "special variants" (ie. default normal/Hero/Dark Chao, the Chaos/Light/Angel Chao, and character-specific Chao) would have locked appearances, or let you customize them, while still having loads of personality for any others you want to customize.
 
It was rushed out the door unfinished because the writing was on the wall for the Dreamcast.
It wasn't rushed out. It felt far more complete and less buggy than the 1st game and looked and sounded amazing. It was just the sad fact that the team cut the adventure side of it completely and decided to give other characters a major part in the game rather than it just being about Sonic.
At least in Sonic Adv the choice to play as other characters was optional.

It was a game design choice that was a step backwards for me
 

Impotaku

Member
what nostalgia?
The nostalgia of falling through the platforms or the camera spazzing out if you even remotely dared to make it veer off of its strict path. Or those fun sections of grind rails where you just constantly fall to your death due to shitty controls.

Both games were plagued with that annoying shit, they were average at best.
 

SonicJams

Member
Sonic adventure 1 and 2 are my favourite games, but i feel a remake wouldnt work for them. The levels and the game are just too short. The shooting and treasure hunting stages were not favoured either.

Sonic adventure 3 would be the way to go. More and lengthier sonic and shadow levels, with branching paths for other characters.

But after frontiers, i dont trust the current team to nail the story tone, dialog, gameplay Etc. That game is so lifeless, difficult to do any platforming and just plain boring. Running around an empty field to do tiny puzzles that dont respect sonic's core gameplay, while everyone in the story is super depressed. They dont understand what made the adventure games so loved.
 
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Like I said, they rushed it out the door because the Dreamcast was going away. They cut the "Adventure" out of Sonic adventure.
It had nothing to do with SEGA pulling the plug. The game was way into production when the team learnt of SEGA pulling out. Sonic Team thought Sonic Adv was help the DC even more
 

nkarafo

Member
Nah, they should make Sonic Mania 2 instead. No 3D jank and bad physics, no horrible story/cutscenes/voice acting.
 

Shin-Ra

Junior Member
My memory of SA2 (original Dreamcast release) is I didn’t like it and it made me question if my enjoyment of SA1 was just launch game spectacle goggles. I remember the rail grinding being annoying.
 

The Stig

Member
Nostalgia for Sonic Adventure 2? That game was such a disappointment for me.
same here. the sonic and shadow levels were pretty good (not all of them) but the tails and robotnik levels sucked and the knuckles/rouge levels? They were straight up garbage fires. I HATED them.

They weren't just crap, I actively wanted to commit violence on something when I dealt with those levels. SOMEBODY has to pay for that shit.
 
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SpiceRacz

Member
I don't think there's some giant overlap between people that grew up playing Sonic Adventure 2 and people lining up to see the new Sonic movie. Unless you're a man-child.

SA2 is not a great game and it's aged poorly. The way you're forced to play those mech levels and the shard hunting drag the game down big time. Not to mention it's janky and controls like shit. It looked great at the time though. I'll give it that.
 

Puscifer

Member
Who is nostalgic over that shitty game? Serious question.
I kinda have to agree with this. Those games are products of their time, Mario 64 competitors that came YEARS too late. Anyone here really nostalgic to go fishing with Bigs The Cat? Sonic's identity is what happens when you create something just because the competition has it.
 
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