So a lot of people aren't paying attention to the kinds of multiplayer games they're creating and keep making Time Attack lobbies. If you die in a time attack game, both players are sent back to a menu asking if you want to keep playing with that person and what level they want to choose (in other words, no checkpoints).
Forgettable doesn't necessarily mean it's bad though. Pretty decent for a side game on a handheld considering the probable lack of power/budget/focus/nostalgia.
I do understand that the Sonic fandom is a shining example of how diverse opinions can be though. That's why I typically stay out of it these days. Please excuse me.
But it's lacking for a Sonic title. Sonic games are generally very consistent in terms of their music focus, the composition, and the quality of instrumentation. The Sonic 4 games' music don't really come close to the calibre of even the Advance or Rush games.
Sciz's old Sonic Music Appreciation Thread highlights many of the finer points of Sonic music in general. A short, but updated, summary of the music in the series in the OP of the Sonic Community Thread, if you're curious.
The synth samples aren't that good, and I personally don't think they're very reminiscent of the YM2612. An imitation, but a lacklustre one. An improvement over Meow Mix from Episode 1, but in some cases we now have dying ducks. The loops aren't very long in this game either, so for the most part, I feel like the theme doesn't necessarily develop enough and just keeps looping.
Sonic soundtracks in general are very good. There hasn't really been a stinker, imo (I know others feel differently, but whatever), outside of Sonic Chronicles (which was done by Bioware, I guess). And they've gotten even better and better with people like Ohtani, Tokoi, Kumatani, etc. working on them and providing even more variation and different genres throughout the soundtrack. This isn't wholly about memorable tracks or catchiness, but it's also about how cohesive the soundtrack is, the quality of the samples, relative flow of the tracks, and length of the loop. The Sonic 4 games are generally lacking these qualities, imo.
Composition is one thing, but arrangement and choosing samples is another, and can make the difference between something that's good and something that isn't very good at all.
Liked what I played in the (short) trial, will probably grab it this weekend.
I also fired up Sonic Ep. 1 again just to see how it held up. Oh man, those physics are really awful. And the weird shiny character models are hard to look at, especially after Generations and even Ep. 2.
Then I tried Sonic CD again. I still have no idea what's going on in that game. Great looking stages and music though.
But it's lacking for a Sonic title. Sonic games are generally very consistent in terms of their music focus, the composition, and the quality of instrumentation. The Sonic 4 games' music don't really come close to the calibre of even the Advance or Rush games.
I imagine that the GBA hardware had some effect of that too. I'll agree that it's not the strongest soundtrack overall, but I do like at least a few of the tracks. *shrug*
I feel like I would have enjoyed this game more if it had been Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and was continuing off the Master System numbering instead. Not because I think they are "lesser games" or anything, but I would have went into it differently.
I'm not sure what it is, but I'm just not interested in this game as much as I was with Episode I, which I'm one of those crazy people that actually enjoyed half of the game as a time trial exercise.
Episode II is better for basic controls and they do fix some of the flaws that bugged me, but the level design and enemy placement just keeps me from wanting to get better at it, to try and have more fun playing around in the levels. Especially with the rubbish "tag move" and boss battles that I never want to experience again.
Tis a shame, but then I learned long ago not to expect to enjoy every Sonic game. I think I'll go replay Colours or Pocket Adventure, just to clean my pallet.
Looks like it's possible to force anti-aliasing for Nvidia graphics cards in the PC version of Episode 2 afterall. I don't have an Nvidia graphics card myself, so I can't test this, but someone in the Guru3D forums mentioned that this works for Sonic 4 Episode 2.
When you open Nvidia inspector, next to the driver version tab, there's a little icon with the screwdriver and a wrench, click on it.
After that, follow the steps in the picture:
1: Select the game executable, it should be located in steam\steamapps\common\sonic the hedgehog 4 - ep 2, and then it's the file Sonic.exe.
2: Write 0x000012C1 in the Antialiasing compatibility option.
3: Set the Behaviour Flags to None.
4: Change the Antialiasing mode to Override.
5: Pick the Antialiasing setting you want (I don't have an nvidia graphics card, so no idea what options it has).
6: Click in Apply Changes.
Note that this only works at 1280x720 though.
If SEGA decides to patch the game to actually be rendered at different resolutions instead of being upscaled or downscaled from 1280x720, this would work at any resolution.
Note that this only works at 1280x720 though.
If SEGA decides to patch the game to actually be rendered at different resolutions instead of being upscaled or downscaled from 1280x720, this would work at any resolution.
Metal Sonic get revived in SS: Bad Future? Is the BF from Sonic CD canon? Or maybe Little Planet gets destroyed in Episode III?
As far as the physics go, I think they're more faithful to the Genesis games than even Generations. I have no complaints, really. The tag moves didn't break the game like I thought they would, although the ball attack was really awkward. Sometimes it feels like Sega is just trolling us, it reminded me of this.
This is definitely one of Dimps' best Sonic games IMO. I don't really like their vision of Sonic, but that's just my personal taste. Let them finish out Sonic 4, but give Sonic 5 to someone else, i.e., Treasure.
I imagine that the GBA hardware had some effect of that too. I'll agree that it's not the strongest soundtrack overall, but I do like at least a few of the tracks. *shrug*
And there's nothing wrong with liking some of the stuff either. There's some stuff I like in Episode 2 towards the end, but it isn't stuff I'd go out of my way to listen to all the time (ie: for exercising, driving, walking, or studying) as it isn't my preference.
If you're coming off the platform half-way in the sand, to the left of this screen, in mid-run, you can just hold right through this section w/o using the tag roll thing.
If you're coming off the platform half-way in the sand, to the left of this screen, in mid-run, you can just hold right through this section w/o using the tag roll thing.
I went back for the red rings in some of the levels where I didn't get them the first time since I beat the game last night, but my general opinion of the game still stands.
I went back for the red rings in some of the levels where I didn't get them the first time since I beat the game last night, but my general opinion of the game still stands.
Speaking of which, how are the Red Rings this time around? Is it like Generations where the rings are for the most part reachable without any problem, or is it like Colors where they're tucked away in places where you'll have to use the game's gimmick (in this case the tag actions) to reach most of them?
So, based on the first two zones, this game is worse than the enjoyable but flawed Episode 1, and probably the worst 2D Sonic I've played. It doesn't seem to fix anything, and if anything the physics seem more intrusive. The first boss sucked and the second one killed me in one hit by destroying the ground without warning. Next time, I'd be ready for it, obviously, but there probably won't be a next time unless it suddenly turns into S3K. Which it won't.
On the positive side, the second act of the second zone was reasonably fun. I liked the Twinkle Park riff.
It seems like Dimps have a Mega Man approach to Sonic where its hell the first time you try getting through a level, but after you memorize the patterns, it flows better and becomes enjoyable again.
It seems like a lot of people don't like this game just because its different, or it takes time to adjust. I don't remember anything being particularly cheap like in Advance/Rush, off the top of my head. I feel like I've mastered this game in and out in < 2 days so I don't really understand the complaints. It doesn't feel exactly like the Genesis games, but it does have a basic vibe from them that justifies it being called Sonic 4 IMO.
I think this is the best you can do with Modern Sonic in 2D.
Speaking of which, how are the Red Rings this time around? Is it like Generations where the rings are for the most part reachable without any problem, or is it like Colors where they're tucked away in places where you'll have to use the game's gimmick (in this case the tag actions) to reach most of them?
A lot of them feel like Colours. Some of them, I found with little issues with but it felt like for much of them I had to use some of the team moves (ex: Copter combo a lot, and sometimes the Rolling Combo) to reach them.
A few cases where you have to avoid the boosters/springs to get the ring since you have to move left to get it.
Speaking of which, how are the Red Rings this time around? Is it like Generations where the rings are for the most part reachable without any problem, or is it like Colors where they're tucked away in places where you'll have to use the game's gimmick (in this case the tag actions) to reach most of them?
I think the hybrid sort of play in Colours works well since boosters and springs aren't thrown at you on a consistent basis, and the level design was rather competent and cohesive in that game. Colours' strongest points was its cohesion, and like Unleashed, it incorporated the homing attack very well in the level design as opposed to putting springs and bubble chains everywhere to get over a bottomless pit because it's an easy way of incorporating the homing attack.
Perhaps the only thing that might not have been that great was the double-jump, but overall, at least for the 2D sections, it was a good extension of the formula attempted in Unleashed's Day levels. They just need to take one further step, imo, for things to work completely right.
Yeah, for handhelds, not bad at all. My heart just sank though thinking that was a console version. Man that would have sucked.
It's funny looking back how much hysteria the first Sonic 4 caused, with hundreds of pages of arguments, complaining, mine-carting, and ruby damage control. Now here we've barely broken ten pages.
Holy shit you guys, Sonic 4 Episode 2 co-op is... weird. And kind of cool sometimes? And other times not.
Like, okay, you know how Sonic 2 has Sky Chase, where you play as Sonic walking on the airplane? S4E2 has something like that, called Sky Fortress, and if you play it in co-op it becomes BANANAS
Player 2 (Tails) gets free control of the plane
Player 1 (Sonic) can walk around like normal and even jump off the plane (you can press X to warp back on to the wing at any time).
It is SUPER COOL but REALLY WEIRD and requires genuine coordination, especially since you fight the Sky Fortress boss like that.
I just tested both, Tails doesn't lose rings on either.
Unless you're wildly swinging around the level, I don't really get this. Most of the time he's behind you, or pretty close to it, and further back than Sonic is.
I was sure he lost rings if he hit bombs, but I might be wrong. As for Tails blocking my view, he occasionally tends to block me from seeing bombs and those electric things appearing. Either way, I still consider him useless since he picks up like 10-15 rings tops. But at least I don't have to listen to his godawful VA in this game, like in Sonic Adventure, Sonic Heroes etc.
I played the first two areas and thought it played really nicely. Physics seemed fine, the Tails things were fun to use and there seemed to be some exploration at least.
I also watched my gf play through the Oil Desert and it really didn't seem that bad. That second trap room was difficult, but she managed to do it on her 4th go. You just have to be quick.
I don't like the music though. I much prefer Ep.1 tracks.
The worst part is how repetitive Episode 2's music is. It seems to only go for two or three bars (5 or 6 seconds) before looping. It never changes, there's no break downs, it's just this very, very short deliberately "retro" melody, looping over and over and over again.
Even the Super Mario Bros. theme on the NES took longer before it looped.
It's how my touch saves screenshots and then uploaded to imgur, when on a small retina screen it looks impressive in motion. Looking at the images shrunk down via quoting is much better.
It's very much the same as the console and pc versions just slightly lower poly, everything is identical.
Jesus, dat final boss. Challenging, but not as hard as the cheap-ass shit final boss in Ep. I that took like 20+ hits to defeat and gave you an insta-kill if you missed his floor-crunch move. Still, it suffered slightly from the same problem as the other bosses; it's just too elaborate for its own good, with too much shit going on at once on screen. Anyway, finished Ep. II. It's.. OK, I guess. Much, much better than the pile of shit that Ep. I was, even if it's obviously no Sonic 2.
BTW, do you get any special ending for getting all chaos emeralds and/or red rings, or is it the same as the regular ending?
The worst part is how repetitive Episode 2's music is. It seems to only go for two or three bars (5 or 6 seconds) before looping. It never changes, there's no break downs, it's just this very, very short deliberately "retro" melody, looping over and over and over again.
Even the Super Mario Bros. theme on the NES took longer before it looped.
I seriously don't understand people who say episode 1's music was better than 2. I mean don't get me wrong, 2's music is by no means great but episode 1's music is fucking terrible. It was way worse with the dying cat noises and this was the boss music.
There's like no zero ending to this game. The boss itself I suppose is some kind of Egg Heart? Honestly, it may have been luck or chance but that boss is easier then the desert boss.
I beat Episode Metal too, which I think it would've been a lot better if they just let you play Episode I as Metal Sonic, instead of the watered down version of Episode I in this game.
What has this game improved on over the Episode I?
-Graphics
-Physics (very slightly)
-New bosses, not rehashes
-Co-op (However lackluster it may be, co-op is better than no co-op)
-Music (Not all of it, some has improved, some has worsened dramatically.)
What it does worse compared to Episode I?
-Level designs (There's a lot more random deaths, and the Tails aspect will add to that count in the forced Tails segments)
-Random deaths (It's actually worse this time around)
-Bosses (Now while they may be original-ish, they play out to 5-6 minutes and last longer then the actual levels themselves. And it's not like an engaging fight, the fights are practically sleep inducing boring.)
-Music (There are tracks in this that don't really seem like they were done by a professional sound team. The creativity in some have lowered a lot from Episode I)
The Bad?
The Tails Team Roll aspect of this game is hardly used, and the only time you feel you "need" to use it is when the game forces you to do so to open walls and boxes. The Spindash in this game is more than powerful enough to make it almost useless. It also doesn't bring anything new to the table that the Spindash hasn't.
Super Sonic uses what appears to be the exact same physics from Episode I, meaning he drops like a dead weight out of nowhere due to not having momentum. Did someone forgot to copy and paste the other variables? Seems so.
In Sky Sanctuary Act 1, there are moments where you'll lose lock of the Homing Attack because the enemy placement removes your targeting causing more random deaths.
The random deaths. Where it may be pits with out warning, Tails losing grip over your character due to a design of the platform and not because he's tired, they are plentiful.
The Boss fights as stated above. Probably the worst aspect of this game is the bosses.
The PC version is only displayed in 720p, and even if you use a lower resolution, it'll upscale it making it look bad.
The Good?
Using Tails's flying aspect to save you from random pits is nice, and it reminds me how wall jumps save me in New Super Mario Bros.
A lot of the new normal enemies look cool and interesting, like the Polar Bear and Boar.
There are some gems in the soundtrack like White Park Act 2, Sky Fortress Act 2, VS Metal Sonic and Sylvania Castle Act 2.
The Graphics are an impressive improvement over Episode I, and it makes me wish the original game had these graphics.
Verdict?
Well, there are some good aspects to this game, but where there is good there is also bad tying it down. This game had the potential to be a lot better, and I honestly think they didn't put the effort in this they should have.
Perhaps the only thing that might not have been that great was the double-jump, but overall, at least for the 2D sections, it was a good extension of the formula attempted in Unleashed's Day levels. They just need to take one further step, imo, for things to work completely right.
I actually rather liked the double jump and I find myself missing it in Generations. I mean it wasn't the greatest ability ever, but I always found it handy for making small aerial adjustments. I do prefer how Sonic handles in Colours over Generations though, and both massively over Sonic 4, well Episode 1 at least.
I still find that the mix of 2.5D and 3D gameplay hasn't quite clicked with me completely yet like the Mega Drive games or SA2 did.
I felt like I was missing out on the *ahem* fun.
So i've already caved in, downloading it now like the weak willed man I am. I envision posts complaining about boss battles from me in the future, hopefully there isn't anything as annoying as that one from ep 1 where Eggman just sped away lobbing out various levels of bouncing balls, the only way I had any success at that was to spam the failed homing attack thing which randomly gave a speed burst.
So having played through the first two zone so far my thoughts are as follows...
- Sylvania Castle is an okay zone, nothing to gripe about and not much to trumpet either, music seemed okay. Act 3 got some pretty good use out of the homing attack, best use i've seen so far with it in 2D sonic at least. The boss took it's sweet time to die and i'm not even sure when it was trying to attack outside of the giant laser beam, just seemed to flail around with hitboxes that could be anywhere.
- White Park is a bit messy, the music in act 1 was pretty terrible, rolling ball team move is kind of pointless, seems like the sort of thing i'll end up killing myself with eventually. Act 2 as people have said is like the ultimate hold right to win, also got my first crush death, huzzah!
Act 3, well in a baffling moment of design near the end
there's that one bit underwater where if you don't stop using the tails swimming technique that you were made to do seconds earlier you'll likely die when those walrus chaps freeze off the entire pathway because you're too slow,
waiting to drown shouldn't be a thing that actually happens people!
Boss battle was okay, got cheesed by the whole floor destruction thing but it makes for a fun hazard the second time around.
- Red rings, i've seen like two and grabbed one, well hidden or stupidly hidden?
- Special Stages are still kind of bleh, Sonic feels sluggish in them but nothing too bad thus far (done 3, actually managed to miss the bonus ring twice because I suck that bad upon finishing a stage it seems), no doubt i'm tempting fate here and it gets much greasier. Still i've had enough of these tube/halfpipe bonus stages in Sonic games.
- Tails addition is something I could do without, parts when you need him don't add much at all, not a bad idea to try and implement but nothing great with it so far.
so far so okay, will oil desert prove to be the games undoing? I can hardly wait!
I also watched my gf play through the Oil Desert and it really didn't seem that bad. That second trap room was difficult, but she managed to do it on her 4th go. You just have to be quick.
I actually rather liked the double jump and I find myself missing it in Generations. I mean it wasn't the greatest ability ever, but I always found it handy for making small aerial adjustments. I do prefer how Sonic handles in Colours over Generations though, and both massively over Sonic 4, well Episode 1 at least.
I still find that the mix of 2.5D and 3D gameplay hasn't quite clicked with me completely yet like the Mega Drive games or SA2 did.
I don't mind the double-jump but in the Sonic Community Thread the other day, people were saying that they didn't like it. It's just good for reaching higher ground. But admittedly, when I went back to play Colours a bit the other day, I completely forgot there was a double jump since I play Generations a lot.
And you're not alone in preferring Colours over Generations. I feel the same way.
I felt like I was missing out on the *ahem* fun.
So i've already caved in, downloading it now like the weak willed man I am. I envision posts complaining about boss battles from me in the future, hopefully there isn't anything as annoying as that one from ep 1 where Eggman just sped away lobbing out various levels of bouncing balls, the only way I had any success at that was to spam the failed homing attack thing which randomly gave a speed burst.
Yeah, kinda, I guess. I was expecting something... better and more substantial (ie: more than 1 act per zone)? Also, tossing a lot of enemies and spikes at you is an interesting way of tweaking difficulty.
It's funny how it got easier towards the end, though.
Oh well. The most important thing is that I now know why Robotnik built Mad Gear!
Yeah, kinda, I guess. I was expecting something... better and more substantial (ie: more than 1 act per zone)? Also, tossing a lot of enemies and spikes at you is an interesting way of tweaking difficulty.
It's funny how it got easier towards the end, though.
Oh well. The most important thing is that I now know why Robotnik built Mad Gear!
He went to Casino Street, because as former Sega UK Community Manager Kevin Eva pointed out on Twitter, S4E1 specifically said that he was "out of money", yet in S4E2 he has enough resources to rebuild the Death Egg.
We can only assume that either Metal Sonic or Eggman are high rollers.
