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Sonic The Hedgehog is 10 years old
- Thread starter TheDinoman
- Start date
PeakPointMatrix
Member
I appreciate the utter scope of this game. The stage themes are sublime, and the soundtrack even more so. Like another poster mentioned, it really felt like the last of it's kind, a AAA big-budget third party platformer. I adored the theme of a Venetian locale, and the atmosphere that came with it.
On paper it sounds like the true successor to Sonic Adventure 1; Three playable characters with unique story paths, each with three amigo tag-team partners for a grand total of 9 playable characters (christ) not to mention their super forms, 10 different stages, each with a version for all main characters for a total of 30 variants, RPG leveling system for items and powers you could purchase in stores from rings collected from missions and stages, the cut day/night cycle (remember that?), physics based platforming and puzzles, the list goes on and on.
Ultimately, this ambition is what led to it's downfall. Clearly the dev team was stretched to it's very limits. Learning the architecture of the HD consoles, let alone the cell processor proved to be a nightmare for Sonic Team, on top of the last minute decision to split the crew in half to allow production on Secret Rings to begin, utterly crippling the over-budget production's crawl to the finish line for 06.
Incomplete features, remnants of code and items, nearly incomprehensible gameplay progression at points, horrid performance, and bizarre glitches galore, this barely passes as a beta, and is one stray line of code away from being unbeatable and unplayable.
But again, it did give us one of the best soundtracks in franchise history. For now it serves as a fascinating window in a darker time of Sonic history. I would like them to attempt a game of this scope once more in a vein between Sonic 06 and Unleashed, but you know, tested and actually complete. We'll see what's in store for project 2017.
On paper it sounds like the true successor to Sonic Adventure 1; Three playable characters with unique story paths, each with three amigo tag-team partners for a grand total of 9 playable characters (christ) not to mention their super forms, 10 different stages, each with a version for all main characters for a total of 30 variants, RPG leveling system for items and powers you could purchase in stores from rings collected from missions and stages, the cut day/night cycle (remember that?), physics based platforming and puzzles, the list goes on and on.
Ultimately, this ambition is what led to it's downfall. Clearly the dev team was stretched to it's very limits. Learning the architecture of the HD consoles, let alone the cell processor proved to be a nightmare for Sonic Team, on top of the last minute decision to split the crew in half to allow production on Secret Rings to begin, utterly crippling the over-budget production's crawl to the finish line for 06.
Incomplete features, remnants of code and items, nearly incomprehensible gameplay progression at points, horrid performance, and bizarre glitches galore, this barely passes as a beta, and is one stray line of code away from being unbeatable and unplayable.
But again, it did give us one of the best soundtracks in franchise history. For now it serves as a fascinating window in a darker time of Sonic history. I would like them to attempt a game of this scope once more in a vein between Sonic 06 and Unleashed, but you know, tested and actually complete. We'll see what's in store for project 2017.
Federation Force, because without Sonic 2006 we would never have the Pokecapn Let's Play of Sonic 2006.
happy first base human-hedgehog relations day
Knuckles kills me every time. I think it's the blink. Reminds me off that gif that zooms in on the dudes face.
Robotnik's reaction after the kiss is even better. He has this exasperated "I don't fucking believe this" look.
I'm of the exact opposite opinion. If anything I'm glad that the failure of this game made Sonic Team completely re-evaluate their approach to Sonic's story and universe. It felt like they needed to make the Sonic series "grow up", with a deep storyline, realistic settings and things that tonally don't fit in with the franchise's roots or concept. it comes off as a bad anime, or the game equivalent of an edgy teenager rebelling against their parents. Sonic 06 was a game that never took a step back and said "is this necessary?" Generations and Colours are far better because they have more focus.
Sonic now feels the same way but on the opposite end.No bite, none of the cheesyness that was even in the orginal games, just vbland nothing generic whatever. Say what you want about sonic boom ROL, but they tried to do something.2017 gives me hope though. Maybe they will learn you can have a balance.
You describe it as a rebellious teenager, but it feels like a kids cheesy ass anime. Sonic now seems like a rebellious teen ager, who really wants you to forget he liked that nerd stuff. But hes way less interesting for it.
KeyBladerXIII
Member
The only joy this game ever gave me was the Game Grumps playthrough. What an absolute shitshow.
Gai Murakumo
Member
My thoughts exactly. I did not hate the game as much as some people did. Some scenes including the infamous kissing scene are down right hilarious to me, especially seeing other people's reaction to it. Plus the OST is top notch and my favorite Sonic song comes from this game which is Aquatic Base Level 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDUI2GXRS6E
This is a remix of the song which is absolutely fantastic.
Galactic Specter
Member
Knuckles knows he should be stopping this but decides to watch anyway.
Galactic Specter
Member
So you're telling me the design decision of THIS was a good idea and is in no way jarring at all?
Realistic humans and silly cartoon animals do not go together unless it's Roger Rabbit, if anything, Sega straying from the realistic setting that started in the Adventure games is something we should be thankful for. I'm not saying Sonic should go all the way to replicate Mario but the series should at least be consistent in the setting of it's characters so nothing clashes. Unleashed pulled off the real world setting way better by making the characters seem like they could all fit in the same world.
MaximumSpider
Banned
I think this is probably the lowest point in the entire franchise.
happy first base human-hedgehog relations day
Unknown?
Member
Yeah with a year of polish it would have not been such a turd. Also Eggman was actually pretty evil scientist in this and fantastic! Not some weird looking bumbling fool!
BasilZero
Member
You monster
The Sum of Zero
Member
After finishing the story, I got S rank on all of Sonic's stages and that was enough for me.
CriterionDog
Member
Kingdom Valley has one of the best tracks in Sonic's history.
It's a shame that this game has some of the best Sonic music ever.
It's a shame that this game has some of the best Sonic music ever.
JamsTheKuma
Member
Get out
maniac-kun
Member
JamsTheKuma
Member
Have you played Sonic R?
maniac-kun
Member
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Anyone else remember when this game was first revealed?
There was already a significant, growing consensus that Sonic had gone off the rails. Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 may have had a mostly positive reception at the time, but from the start people weren't too hot on his "shitty new friends" cocking up the gameplay, or the stores going to more and more convoluted, weird places. I remember Sonic Heroes getting a lukewarm but not bad reception, but when Shadow the Edgehog was announced, shit just hit the fan. It looked like a parody.
There's a reason why the next game was just called "Sonic the Hedgehog." It was initially billed as a return to form, paring down all of the garbage that had been accumulating in the previous 6 or 7 years. The earliest screenshots suggested as much, too. But then Yuji Naka retired, Sonic Team went back to the well of the worst aspects of modern Sonic, went even further back to the well of scrapped ideas that Sega of America told them were terrible back in 1991 (Human love interest), and The Sonic Cycle was born. And then they also rushed it out while it was still in beta, I guess.
What a wonderful, fascinating train wreck.
Perfect.
There was already a significant, growing consensus that Sonic had gone off the rails. Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 may have had a mostly positive reception at the time, but from the start people weren't too hot on his "shitty new friends" cocking up the gameplay, or the stores going to more and more convoluted, weird places. I remember Sonic Heroes getting a lukewarm but not bad reception, but when Shadow the Edgehog was announced, shit just hit the fan. It looked like a parody.
There's a reason why the next game was just called "Sonic the Hedgehog." It was initially billed as a return to form, paring down all of the garbage that had been accumulating in the previous 6 or 7 years. The earliest screenshots suggested as much, too. But then Yuji Naka retired, Sonic Team went back to the well of the worst aspects of modern Sonic, went even further back to the well of scrapped ideas that Sega of America told them were terrible back in 1991 (Human love interest), and The Sonic Cycle was born. And then they also rushed it out while it was still in beta, I guess.
What a wonderful, fascinating train wreck.
Perfect.
Hot Coldman
Banned
You think?!
littlebigman
Member
I feel like this should be stickied to the top of every thread about Sonic so that we can get it out of the way of the actual discussion.
happy first base human-hedgehog relations day
Truth be told I'm still surprised amy wasn't pissed about that lol.
Sonic R ain't so bad once you start using the shoulder buttons
I think she was just in as much a state of shock / disgust as us that it didn't register with her. That or she was just like ok whatever as long as it brought him back to life so I can continually sexually harassing him.
Hot Coldman
Banned
Sonic R is pretty bad! It's not really fun, thanks to dodgy controls and the open track design not really working out. But at least it looks and sounds like a Sonic game. (Hell, it looks and sounds like all Sonic games after it should have - Mania is the only one since then that looks anything close.)
Rapscallion
Member
Just a hilariously abysmal game all around. I bought this piece of junk for $60 on release day. Beat it and then never looked at it again.
It's a terrible game, no doubt, but Sonic Fans overlook the bigger travesty of a game that proceeded it: Sonic and The Black Knight,
It's a terrible game, no doubt, but Sonic Fans overlook the bigger travesty of a game that proceeded it: Sonic and The Black Knight,
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Fantastic first post.
This is mostly my experience with it too. I didn't find any more or less bugs then the other 3D sonic games. Overall I enjoyed it. A shame this topic will be filled with either people who didn't play it or people who were convinced they hated it before they played it.
The Xtortionist
Member
Required playing imo. The game is a testament to just how fucked up shit can get. Has to be experienced to be believed.
The Pokecapn LP validates its existence, though.
The Pokecapn LP validates its existence, though.
Emperor Bohe
Member
happy first base human-hedgehog relations day
what the fuck were they thinking
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
All I remember is the first teasers looking to be amazing and then apparently everything went to shit along the way.
Anime.
GoldandBlue
Member
Can't wait for Sega to reveal the PC port they've been working on is this.
At least the load times and would be better, right?
have you seen the fan base
Stone Ocean
Member
9 of which were spent loading
Maybe we can celebrate this magical anniversary with a look back at my Retrospective on this 'lovely' work of art.
The game has some fantastic music and to be honest, Shadow's portion of the game is the most polished of the three story paths. It has a lot and I mean ALOT of problems.....but you can get a sick, morbid sense of fun with the game if you walk in saying "I know this is a bad game, but lets see what happens."
Edit: I refined my thoughts and did a better job covering the game through a 3WIREL article I published over the summer.
The game has some fantastic music and to be honest, Shadow's portion of the game is the most polished of the three story paths. It has a lot and I mean ALOT of problems.....but you can get a sick, morbid sense of fun with the game if you walk in saying "I know this is a bad game, but lets see what happens."
Edit: I refined my thoughts and did a better job covering the game through a 3WIREL article I published over the summer.
That first post that nails it.
happy first base human-hedgehog relations day
Gross. Is she a shotacon? Does she not realise Sonic the Hedgehog is 10 years old?
Rapscallion
Member
Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks 2006 was basically Sonic Adventure 3. It's a bad and unfinished Adventure game, with no Chao Garden.
The Sonic Advance games are fantastic.
I actually agree with this, but I think some of the "gimmick ideas," are really good. But they're still ultimately not really what I want from a 3D Sonic game, it seems like the series at its best in the last 10 years has mostly just been these sort of hyperlinear rollercoaster platformers. Which might be more similar to the 2D games in terms of gameplay but it's not really enough like what I want out of Sonic in 3D, having loved the Adventure games.
I basically got half of what I want with the open-world structure of Unleashed 360/PS3 and the other half in the way Lost World played at its core, but both of those games were marred with pretty significant issues that prevented them from being very good.