Support NeoGAF

[Linkstrikesback]

Gonna start an almost blind playthrough tomorrow evening (did the first level and it seemed fine to me, though it took me a moment to work out how to run), so you can all laugh at me.

Hopefully the wii u version isn't as bad as I'm hearing. It started decently any way!

 

[Teknoman]

Im buying some Oreos tomorrow.

 

[Neff]

I just finished the Wii U version, fantastic game. Easily the best 3D Sonic and possibly the best Sonic IMO.

The new systems are initially awkward, and if I'm being honest it only really started to come together for me toward the end (out of pure necessity- the final world is a stone cold bitch), but once mastered, the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is immense. The variety is stunning. Borrowing so heavily and blatantly from Nintendo has really paid off. My only complaints are some slapdash sections, the mostly superfluous Wisps, and the dull, economical approach to story as shared by Colours.

Otherwise, I love this game.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

Replayed through the stuff I played yesterday and I think I liked it a bit more. The core mechanics have potential, the stage design just isn't selling it properly. If it was this Sonic in a more Colours styled stage/game design it'd be fantastic but this just... isn't.

 

[NTom64]

"That actually looks decent"
*special stage*
D:

I went back after the stream to try and get the emerald. I got it, but in order to actually play I had to stand up and turn on the spot when I needed to go left and right. Why they thought 360 gyro was a good idea for a handheld title I have no idea.

To those playing the 3DS version, take my advice:
Either invest in a swivel chair or just ignore the Emeralds altogether. It's not like they unlock the final boss anymore anyway.

 

[Arc Christelle]

I think Sonic Team kind of wishes gamers put more emphasis on speed running and S-ranking the game rather than just beating the game. It is quite an old school way of seeing it maybe, but a lot of the challenge in the day stages of Sonic Unleashed was beating them quickly and with a high rank, not just beating them. I guess they did fail at making it addictive enough for people to dedicate themselves to it.

Learning the course, learning all the multiple paths it offers, taking advantage of them to get the best time possible and the highest score possible is not easy in Sonic Unleashed (day stages), but not a lot of people want to do that... which means that not a lot of people will want to replay the stage over and over and will complain that it only takes like 5-6 minutes to beat a stage and that there are not enough stages (not considering how much time it takes to create such gigantic stages you run though super quickly at Sonic speed ).

This is one of the reasons I loved the various missions, Multiplayer, powerups and Chao Garden of SA2, it pushed replayability for me and made me love that game. Also, unlocking Super Sonic so easy in Generations kinda ruined it for me. Motivation wise. Along with that bitch made score system. But I can always go back to Unleashed.

 

[Zafir]

Most of the Sonic generation levels you could get S rank without even trying much.

 

[Spades]

and possibly the best Sonic IMO.

Wait, what?

 

[branny]

I just watched ~80% of a playthrough of the 3DS version... and it seems to be terrible :/ The level design is a huge mess.

Was kind of thinking this, too. =\

I just finished the Wii U version, fantastic game. Easily the best 3D Sonic and possibly the best Sonic IMO.

Interesting.

 

[Dark Schala]

I've been watching some story cutscenes, and is it me or is Sonic and some of the other characters (not Eggman--they got him down perfectly) just... written kind of strangely in this game? Sonic, for example, is more of an asshole instead of snarky. It's strange, because they got the snark down in Sonic Colours.

Like Sciz said before, maybe they should probably just get Ian to write some stuff...

 

[Nocturnowl]

Sonic seems about the same as usual, now Tails on the other hand dabbles in the art of dickery and I don't find it to suit him much at all.

 

[NotLiquid]

I've been watching some story cutscenes, and is it me or is Sonic and some of the other characters (not Eggman--they got him down perfectly) just... written kind of strangely in this game? Sonic, for example, is more of an asshole instead of snarky. It's strange, because they got the snark down in Sonic Colours.

Like Sciz said before, maybe they should probably just get Ian to write some stuff...

This probably comes from being forced to co-operate with your mortal enemy. It was a different matter altogether in Adventure 2 where there were too many factors to consider, this is Eggman basically tagging along for an extended period of time and the both of them having to suffer with each other. They always dealt with that through continuous battles where they're excited about having the chance to ruin each other's day. After all, Sonic's attitude change doesn't happen until after they team up.

I actually think they pulled the characters off fantastically, especially Tails. A lot has been said how much of an asshole he is in this game but to be honest I don't see why that's an issue. The game shows that just like Sonic, he has his own triggers to deal with, and throughout the game Sonic practically damages Tails' pride by never once listening to him until it's too late. The entire reason they're in this mess is because Sonic wouldn't take the time out to listen to him, and the biggest insult is that Sonic instead decides to partner up with Eggman to solve that issue. I mean, I know Tails has been a pushover for many of the games but honestly, who wouldn't feel embittered about your best friend ditching you for someone you hate?

It kind of shows how Sonic still considers him a kid in many aspects and I think it's fascinating how much culpability they're infusing in him.

Spoiler

The scene where he's left alone to his own devices with him presuming Eggman to be dead, Tails to possibly have been turned against him and him not seeing any signs of life from his friends on the surface was actually kind of sad to watch. I mean, how often have we seen that guy actually show signs of huge regret for legitimate reasons? If only the game hadn't fallen apart during the endgame, it could probably have ended up meaning a lot more.

 

[kunonabi]

How much screen time does amy get?

 

[NotLiquid]

How much screen time does amy get?

Four cutscenes or so.

She doesn't really have any impact on the plot, but making her Sonic's contact on ground-level makes her feel far less shoehorned in here than she was in Unleashed as she actually ends up serving a purpose.

Knuckles on the other hand...

 

[deddonpachi]

i unlocked all 7 chaos emeralds.. how do i activate super sonic? (wii u version)

 

[TheOGB]

I've been watching some story cutscenes, and is it me or is Sonic and some of the other characters (not Eggman--they got him down perfectly) just... written kind of strangely in this game? Sonic, for example, is more of an asshole instead of snarky. It's strange, because they got the snark down in Sonic Colours.

Like Sciz said before, maybe they should probably just get Ian to write some stuff...

Sonic seems about the same as usual, now Tails on the other hand dabbles in the art of dickery and I don't find it to suit him much at all.

Everybody in the game seems like a dick from what I've seen. The bad guys, obviously; Sonic, slightly more than usual; Tails with sarcasm to a degree previously unseen; Eggman, understandably, given his situation (and Eggman just is a dick); and even Knuckles seems to be spending the little time he's around bragging that he could do better, and rather undervedly.

 

[Zafir]

I still don't really even get

Spoiler

Hidden World Act 1, I assume you were just meant to survive since that's what I did and passed it...

Spoiler

Hidden World Acts 2 and 3 were fun, 4 was average.

 

[Spinluck]

Sonic seems about the same as usual, now Tails on the other hand dabbles in the art of dickery and I don't find it to suit him much at all.

He's tired of being pushed around.

 

[branny]

It's silly, but playing Pokémon is making me look forward to actually running around in this game.

Also, I really want to skate around like Kula Diamond in the ice levels.

 

[Rlan]

I feel this image of Sonic: Lost World accurately portrays the general feeling of the game by everyone.

 

[Dougald]

So GAF, is the game worth buying for someone who disliked Colors but really enjoyed generations?

I had it on pre-order but my supplier let me down and cancelled it on release date. Hearing about mixed reviews has me on the fence about whether I should bother with the game any more.

 

[Neff]

Any prospective 1up farmers might like to turn their attention to the hidden stage in world 6, you can get 10-12 in about 3 mins, which is a godsend for world 7.

Unfortunately I have no idea how it's unlocked, or any of them for that matter (only found one other in world 1).

So GAF, is the game worth buying for someone who disliked Colors but really enjoyed generations?

It's a spiritual sequel to Colours, by way of Mario Galaxy, 3D Land and DKCR. If you like the sound of that, go for it.

 

[Zalman]

So GAF, is the game worth buying for someone who disliked Colors but really enjoyed generations?

Just curious, what made you dislike Colors if the 3D gameplay in Generations is basically the same? I don't know if you'll like Lost World, but I say give it a shot if you find it for a good price. It's really not as bad as some reviewers say it is.

 

[Dougald]

Just curious, what made you dislike Colors if the 3D gameplay in Generations is basically the same? I don't know if you'll like Lost World, but I say give it a shot if you find it for a good price. It's really not as bad as some reviewers say it is.

Honestly I just disliked the level design, I found a lot of them fustrating. The 3D gameplay I didn't have a problem with, nor the Color powers. I just found most of the stages either bland or annoying

 

[Yoshi]

So GAF, is the game worth buying for someone who disliked Colors but really enjoyed generations?

I had it on pre-order but my supplier let me down and cancelled it on release date. Hearing about mixed reviews has me on the fence about whether I should bother with the game any more.

Not easy to say, the game is different to both games. It's closer to Colours than to Generations, though.

 

[NotLiquid]

Honestly I just disliked the level design, I found a lot of them fustrating. The 3D gameplay I didn't have a problem with, nor the Color powers. I just found most of the stages either bland or annoying

The level design is pretty different from Colors but the setup is mostly the same. A lot of the block-like elements that defined a good deal of Colors' 2D stages can be found in here but those mostly come to play in the 3D stages where the design feels like some fusion of Colors, Super Mario 3D Land and Galaxy.

 

[Dougald]

Hmm I think that I will pick this up then, but I'll probably wait until next year given the plethora of other titles this year

 

[Caayn]

Ok so I just picked this up from the eShop. It was promoted with the download code for the "Deadly Six" DLC. But I haven't recieved any code When does one normally receive such codes from the eShop?

Also is there no way to play with the pro controller instead of the gamepad?

 

[Regiruler]

Ok so I just picked this up from the eShop. It was promoted with the download code for the "Deadly Six" DLC. But I haven't recieved any code When does one normally receive such codes from the eShop?

Also is there no way to play with the pro controller instead of the gamepad?

You need a club Nintendo account for the code.

 

[Caayn]

You need a club Nintendo account for the code.

I have a club Nintendo account. And it's linked to my Wii U. Sonic itself nicely registered in my catalog on my club Nintendo account. But I don't see a code or anything were I could retrieve said code.

 

[Azure Dream]

A couple pages back I posted that really bad Super Sonic video. Here's a much clearer one, and unfortunately, it shows how... "rough" his implementation is. A lot of animations revert to just standard Sonic spines and don't look particularly Super.

Another video shows that it doesn't even properly switch the side-mouths, which standard Sonic does, so he has double-mouth all the time.

They even bothered to put in a waiting animation for skydiving, so I think this hints at Super Sonic as a very rushed inclusion.

Spoiler

There's no secret boss or extra scenario, either.

3DS version of Super Sonic

 

[Zonic]

So it's Colors all over again when it comes to Super Sonic? Man, they really haven't been able to do much with him aside from Colors on DS & Generations.

 

[TheOGB]

A couple pages back I posted that really bad Super Sonic video. Here's a much clearer one, and unfortunately, it shows how... "rough" his implementation is. A lot of animations revert to just standard Sonic spines and don't look particularly Super.

Another video shows that it doesn't even properly switch the side-mouths, which standard Sonic does, so he has double-mouth all the time.

They even bothered to put in a waiting animation for skydiving, so I think this hints at Super Sonic as a very rushed inclusion.

Spoiler

There's no secret boss or extra scenario, either.

3DS version of Super Sonic

So it's "Gotta Go Fast Mode"?

 

[GooeyHeat]

So it's Colors all over again when it comes to Super Sonic? Man, they really haven't been able to do much with him aside from Colors on DS & Generations.

I still prefer that to "lol here comes the apocalypse gotta go super". That said, the animations are pretty lame-looking.

 

[eXistor]

Well, I'm thorougly enjoying the game myself. Controls take a bit getting used to, but they're okay. Levels are pretty diverse and have decent if not great level-design. Music's great so far and the story as it is is fine as are the Deadly Six (the actual battles do kinda suck). Reviews have once again proven themselves useless. I thought Generations was kind of shitty outside of its premise, I like Lost World a lot more personally.

 

[Dr. Buni]

I am listening to the soundtrack on youtube now and I am loving it! Sega Sound Team delivered again.

 

[Lynd7]

I just played the Nights DLC level, then it disappeared from the menu? Do I only get to play it once? Tell me it comes back.

 

[Nocturnowl]

I just played the Nights DLC level, then it disappeared from the menu? Do I only get to play it once? Tell me it comes back.

It comes back, I had to quit out of the game and then re-enter for it to return.

 

[Zalman]

This game is worth playing for the music alone. Absolutely incredible. Here are some of my favorites:

Frozen Factory - Zone 1

Tropical Coast - Zone 3

 

[Dusk Golem]

This game is worth playing for the music alone. Absolutely incredible. Here are some of my favorites:

Frozen Factory - Zone 1

Tropical Coast - Zone 3

I am still fully surprised that Tropical Coast Zone 3 has topped Planet Wisp for me in pretty stage music for a Sonic game, and Frozen Factory is on par with Diamond Dust for me personally, which is also an achievement.

 

[Frodo]

I played it and... where on earth, by the mercy of gawd, is this game slow, IGN? Seeeriously? Who reviewed it? A F1 pilot?

Not saying the game is the best thing ever since the sliced bread or anything, but it most certainly IS NOT slow.

 

[cyberheater]

So still no sign of the demo? Come on Nintendo. Sort it out.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

I played it and... where on earth, by the mercy of gawd, is this game slow, IGN? Seeeriously? Who reviewed it? A F1 pilot?

Not saying the game is the best thing ever since the sliced bread or anything, but it most certainly IS NOT slow.

IGN said the game is slow? Jesus christ. This game has legit problems, but speed is not one of them. In terms of speed it's the best and most balanced Sonic game in years. Slow compared to the ridiculous constant speed of the boost does not equal slow.

 

[Yoshi]

I played it and... where on earth, by the mercy of gawd, is this game slow, IGN? Seeeriously? Who reviewed it? A F1 pilot?

Not saying the game is the best thing ever since the sliced bread or anything, but it most certainly IS NOT slow.

As someone who rated it 8.5 I have to say: It is slow. Everywhere, even if you use

Spoiler

Super Sonic

and hold both, ZL and ZR. Not compared to Mario, but compared to other Sonics. When I first played the game at Gamescom, my girlfried came by and said "That's the new Sonic? It's really slow; you probably don't like it, do you?" and she is not a Sonic-fan or a speed freak.

 

[MIlky1985]

As someone who rated it 8.5 I have to say: It is slow. Everywhere, even if you use

Spoiler

Super Sonic

and hold both, ZL and ZR. Not compared to Mario, but compared to other Sonics. When I first played the game at Gamescom, my girlfried came by and said "That's the new Sonic? It's really slow; you probably don't like it, do you?" and she is not a Sonic-fan or a speed freak.

What the hell, its not slow if you going forward, if your changing directions while in a tube/half pipe you slow down or if your not holding the trigger (which i honestly suspect a lot of reviewers were not doing, because the game is a bit terrible at telling you how to do things, only just found out last night how to monkey bar my way across ceilings).

I can accept that its slow if you haven't got your speed up (like any other sonic game) but once your dashing and avoiding stuff, the speed is there.

It may be a bit slower than some recent games however, which is a good thing because some of them were too fast in places, no time to react to anything.

 

[Yoshi]

It is not a bit slower than the last few Sonic games, it's a LOT slower. For this specific kind of level design and gameplay structure, that's a necessity, but I would have preferred a new Sonic game that's at least the speed of Sonic Generations, preferrably faster.

 

[TranceKuja]

Boy I was really enjoying the game up until the Ice World. I spent ages looking for the exit to the first zone, which just kep sending me in circles, before a wing power-up popped in front of me and teleported me to the finish line. Now I am stuck in the second zone because enemies keep either destroying my snowball or blowing me off the platforms, and I can do nothing against it because physics, unless I'm missing something.

Also, what's the point of collecting (a lot of) coins if you lose all of them with every hit?

It's such a gorgeous game though, I wish it wasn't so frustrating to play.

 

[Arc Christelle]

Boy I was really enjoying the game up until the Ice World. I spent ages looking for the exit to the first zone, which just kep sending me in circles, before a wing power-up popped in front of me and teleported me to the finish line. Now I am stuck in the second zone because enemies keep either destroying my snowball or blowing me off the platforms, and I can do nothing against it because physics, unless I'm missing something.

Also, what's the point of collecting (a lot of) coins if you lose all of them with every hit?

It's such a gorgeous game though, I wish it wasn't so frustrating to play.

Damn, when's the last time you've played Sonic? lol

Rings keep you alive and they effect overall score. As well as a necessity for Super Sonic.

Past games Rings helped you get into Special Stages to get a Chaos Emerald.

 

[NotLiquid]

As someone who rated it 8.5 I have to say: It is slow. Everywhere, even if you use

Spoiler

Super Sonic

and hold both, ZL and ZR. Not compared to Mario, but compared to other Sonics. When I first played the game at Gamescom, my girlfried came by and said "That's the new Sonic? It's really slow; you probably don't like it, do you?" and she is not a Sonic-fan or a speed freak.

The game definitely could have afforded to be faster, even if I'm glad they slowed it down.

That said it doesn't end up mattering in some levels I realize. Desert Ruins Zone 1 does a good job making you "feel fast" through design, ramps and clever camera angles, and it constantly feels like you're in control too.

 

[Zalman]

Boy I was really enjoying the game up until the Ice World. I spent ages looking for the exit to the first zone, which just kep sending me in circles, before a wing power-up popped in front of me and teleported me to the finish line. Now I am stuck in the second zone because enemies keep either destroying my snowball or blowing me off the platforms, and I can do nothing against it because physics, unless I'm missing something.

Also, what's the point of collecting (a lot of) coins if you lose all of them with every hit?

It's such a gorgeous game though, I wish it wasn't so frustrating to play.

Just get past that world and you'll be fine. I think it's the worst part of the game too, even if the music is brilliant.