Sonic the Hedgehog 4

[JD_Slasha]

So a few months ago Sega announced that they were going to yet again create a new Sonic the Hedgehog game. Now some of the older members of this site (and even maybe a number of younger ones too) probably can recall a time when Sonic the Hedgehog games were in top form. I am talking of course about the Genesis era Sonic games which included Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles (the latter two when combined together create a massive and epic game). That being said, pretty much all (or really close to all) Sonic titles after these games have fared poorly and have really degraded the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

That being said, it's understandable that I am EXTREMELY skeptical about this upcoming Sonic game. I had really high hopes for Sonic Unleashed as the gameplay trailers of the daytime levels were pretty magnificent to watch. Unfortunately, Sega likes to make Sonic their little bitch and they ended up creating the "werehog" persona that was really gimmicky and pretty much hammered yet another nail in Sonic's video game coffin. Project Needlemouse is supposedly a return to Sonic's roots that will include HD graphics and a return to 2D gameplay "built from the ground up" as the trailer states. As of two days ago Sega has released a teaser poster with the names of potential characters that will be in this new game. With the passing of each day, they take off who will not be making it into the final game:

As of Day 3:

I'm pretty sure this is a stupid little gimmick by Sega because all that will be left by the end of the week will be Sonic (and if it's not, then I will truly abandon the Sonic franchise). What does bother me, however, is the omission of Tails and Knuckles, the ONLY other characters besides Sonic that I truly feel deserve to stay in a game and be playable. In my honest opinion all other characters can be taken away for good (although Amy would be a good sub character that Sonic has to save or something, whatever, etc.)

My final thought on this "Project Needlemouse" is that it's going to be a revamp of Sonic 1, but with HD graphics. I almost guarantee it. Back in 90' and 91' before the original Sonic the Hedgehog game was released Sonic was known as "Mr. Needlemouse". While a revamp of Sonic 1 would be interesting and not entirely bad, I feel that it's a freakin' cop out by Sega of making a new GOOD Sonic game. Anywho, what's everyone's thoughts on this? If Sega fails at this and creates another bad Sonic game, I'll really stop following the franchise and give up on the ol' blue blur.


Project Needlemouse trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNAiS8_TgrM

 

[Sabao]

I actually thought the two Sonic Adventure titles that came out on the Dreamcast were partially okay (By partially I mean just the Sonic/Shadow stages. I could tolerate the Tails/Eggman stages too, somewhat, but those Knuckles/thatbat stages where you dig around for stuff? Horrid.

Moving on and hopefully adding more to discussion, what with all the flopped gimmicks Sega's thrown out, what exactly should Sega do to save their mascot? Is the classic formula of insane speed albeit in a 2D environment enough to actually launch the franchise back into its glory days?

 

[Venetia]

Yeah I really really liked the Sonic/Tails missions in SA1 (and to a lesser extent, the Amy missions) and the Sonic/Shadow missions in SA2, but I agree that the rest of the games were crap and the attempts at plot were laughable at best. I haven't played a 3D Sonic since that one on the Wii because it was apparent that Sonic Team was no longer interested in making the games fun anymore. Though the 2D DS titles, like Rush, are still great.

If they went back to their roots, truly did, and just focused on fastpaced gameplay, and killed all the snarky bad voiceacting and the terrible bands playing theme songs, and all the attempts at differing gameplay dynamics, and killed off 99% of the characters, and STOPPED TRYING TO MAKE AN EDGY PLOT (really!!!! robotnik being a badguy who hurts animals is ENOUGH OF A PLOT, no need for furry fanservice!!!!!!!!),

...then I will perhaps CONSIDER this as a viable game. After reading reviews. The sonic series used to be my fave as a kid but after all the failures even I'm skeptical of everything

 

[Jason]

Venetia, maybe you should rent/buy Sonic Unleashed, and play the daytime levels, the nighttime are terrible, it's just a gimmick to make the game longer, since 2/3 of the missions are nighttime anyways... and they're TONS longer, but the daytime levels are fucking immense

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMngGVd0Ujs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8LMRWyhAw&feature=related

 

[Venetia]

I'm not renting a game because 1/3 of it is cool

 

[JD_Slasha]

I actually thought the two Sonic Adventure titles that came out on the Dreamcast were partially okay (By partially I mean just the Sonic/Shadow stages. I could tolerate the Tails/Eggman stages too, somewhat, but those Knuckles/thatbat stages where you dig around for stuff? Horrid.

Moving on and hopefully adding more to discussion, what with all the flopped gimmicks Sega's thrown out, what exactly should Sega do to save their mascot? Is the classic formula of insane speed albeit in a 2D environment enough to actually launch the franchise back into its glory days?

I liked SA 1 & 2 partially . . . . SA1's Sonic & Tails levels were fun, and SA2's Sonic/Shadow levels were fun (I'm still freaking mad that Tails got stuck into a mech), but neither brought back the magic I felt as a kid playing Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

What I honestly believe will help the series and possibly revive it is a return to what made Sonic games great in the first place. If Sega were to reduce the number of characters to the classic 4 teams (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sonic & Tails) and made their levels a mixture of old school Sonic 2-D games and Sonic Unleashed's daytime levels, then I think that Sonic can perhaps once again be a good franchise.

Yeah I really really liked the Sonic/Tails missions in SA1 (and to a lesser extent, the Amy missions) and the Sonic/Shadow missions in SA2, but I agree that the rest of the games were crap and the attempts at plot were laughable at best. I haven't played a 3D Sonic since that one on the Wii because it was apparent that Sonic Team was no longer interested in making the games fun anymore. Though the 2D DS titles, like Rush, are still great.

If they went back to their roots, truly did, and just focused on fastpaced gameplay, and killed all the snarky bad voiceacting and the terrible bands playing theme songs, and all the attempts at differing gameplay dynamics, and killed off 99% of the characters, and STOPPED TRYING TO MAKE AN EDGY PLOT (really!!!! robotnik being a badguy who hurts animals is ENOUGH OF A PLOT, no need for furry fanservice!!!!!!!!),

...then I will perhaps CONSIDER this as a viable game. After reading reviews. The sonic series used to be my fave as a kid but after all the failures even I'm skeptical of everything

Vennie's post describes my exact thoughts on the Sonic series. Basically, I agree that the corny 80's rock themed songs need to go. In my personal opinion, I was very appreciative of Sonic Unleashed's orchestral arrangement, I've also enjoyed the Rush series' techno-y inspired themes. If Sega can perhaps blend these two types together, I think it'll sound WAAAAY better than what they have currently.

I just know that if Sega really pulls of a true 2D classic adventure, it'll score higher than what prior games have been getting. I mean, all the Sonic Advance games and both the Rush games have all scored pretty high . . . . HINT?!

 

[Venetia]

No one remembers but SA2 got fairly good review scores. Because the Sonic and Shadow levels were fun enough that you could ignore all the other crappy character missions and the entire plot.

Honestly if they busted out a Sonic-only (maybe throw in the other fast, core characters too but they should have similar dynamics of speeding through a level) game reminiscent of SA2, with all the franticness and gravity puzzles and grinding, without any of the shitty ass plot or voiceovers or any of that crap, and if they FIXED THE CAMERA, I would be INCREDIBLY PLEASED.

 

[JD_Slasha]

This one dude over at Deviantart created mockups of what he calls "Sonic Beyond"; ideas of what his new Sonic game would look like. Shit, even though it's very fanboy-ish, the shit this guy drew is 100 times better than recent Sonic titles. And look he even included various characters from the Sonic series, BUT THEY'RE ALL BACKGROUND CHARACTERS AS THEY SHOULD BE.

Spoiler: Sonic screenshots

Spoiler: Tails screenshots

Spoiler: Knuckles screenshots

Anyways, just some random info. :D

 

[moog]

SA 1 almost got a perfect score from Famitsu if im remembering correctly.

 

[JD_Slasha]

SA 1 almost got a perfect score from Famitsu if im remembering correctly.

Weeeeeeird. Although I did enjoy the Rashomon style storytelling in SA1

 

[Jason]

Meh, all I want from a Sonic game, is the daytime levels in Unleashed, along with the soundtrack, or something VERY similar, since both these areas were amazing...

Although we already know needlemouse is going to be HD 2D anyways, lol, I hope they do something amazing with it...

 

[moog]

sonic unleashed is primarily trash man, even the daytime levels get a tad repeated after a while, and jesus those nocturnal stages

if this is like rush ill play it in a heartbeat though.

 

[Venetia]

yeah out of allllll the new characters they've trotted out I can deal with Blaze or whoever the cat was in Rush. Because she was basically Sonic and Tails combined sort of, and a little faster. Her stages were pretty fuckin fun.

 

[psiclone]

A 2D Sonic game with 'next-gen' graphics added to it is exactly what I've wanted since I first got my systems. Mega Man went back to their roots (albeit they kept the graphics of those days, too), so I've been expecting Sega to do the same thing with Sonic, because Sonic does not work in a 3D world.

 

[moog]

yeah but all mm9 was is an indirect clone of mm2 with a harder difficulty, its not like they made it innovative or anything, and in fact alot of mm fans think they should have ended it at 6.

 

[JD_Slasha]

y'know I've never actually played Rush, just watched videos of it and it looked neat/ Maybe that's what I'll get next

 

[Sabao]

I feel like their returning to their 2D roots is more a step back than a step forward. Actually, that may have been the intention. It's a novel move on their end- if they do this just right a lot of the fanbase will probably come back. I just don't think it's enough to push the franchise back forward though. I mean Mario's evolved to be more than what he used to be in the 8-bit era and all. I'd expect Sonic to do the same innovating in a good direction as well. Like we seem to all agree on, the Sonic/Shadow levels in the SA series and the daytime levels on Sonic Unleashed were actually very good. If they wanted to go 3D they just had to keep to the old formula and stop shoving in all the other gimmicks.

 

[Venetia]

y'know I've never actually played Rush, just watched videos of it and it looked neat/ Maybe that's what I'll get next

its pretty fun it's actually kind of challenging too

 

[Jason]

I feel like their returning to their 2D roots is more a step back than a step forward. Actually, that may have been the intention. It's a novel move on their end- if they do this just right a lot of the fanbase will probably come back. I just don't think it's enough to push the franchise back forward though. I mean Mario's evolved to be more than what he used to be in the 8-bit era and all. I'd expect Sonic to do the same innovating in a good direction as well. Like we seem to all agree on, the Sonic/Shadow levels in the SA series and the daytime levels on Sonic Unleashed were actually very good. If they wanted to go 3D they just had to keep to the old formula and stop shoving in all the other gimmicks.

Like I've said, if the entire game is like the Sonic Unleashed Daytime levels, I will seriously buy and play the fuck out of it... I just LOVED the effects of it switching from 2D to 3D, like Paper Mario on the Wii or something... and since it was so fast and high speed, it was just... wow.

... Yeah, they need that.

 

[JD_Slasha]

So they've updated their "character roster" list thingy or whatever:

I swear to god if anyone BUT Sonic remains on this list . . . .