Sonic Generations

[kid aphex]

searched and didn't find a topic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Generations
has anyone tried the demo yet? it's available on xbl and psn
i'm curious to see what this crowd has to say about this attempted recreation of classic sonic gameplay

[Zaarock]

The framerate is horrible in the demo and sonic's top speed is very high, which makes it a mess. Level design seems pretty boring too, worse than Sonic 4. I guess it could get better by release but eh.

[Klatrymadon]

Aye, I gave it a whirl earlier. It only consists of a single Green Hill Zone stage, so it gives nothing away as regards the intergenerational team-up idea, and doesn't really do anything that piques my interest, but it doesn't seem too awful. Just unremarkable at this point. The physics seem slightly closer to those of the Mega Drive games than to Sonic 4's (though perhaps weightier - young Sonic is squat and podgy), but the stage itself was a largely danger-free rollercoaster from A to B, reminiscent of the early stages of Sonic Adventure in 2D, so I can only hope that the level design gets more intricate as the game progresses. Also, it could just be that I'm playing on a smallish monitor, but at times it moved too quickly for me to take in everything happening on the screen. Blurry, ghostlike enemies whizzing past, etc.

Sorry I couldn't provide anything more illuminating, heh. That's really all it shows off - Green Hill Zone 2011.

[Kiken]

Yes, I D/Led the 360 demo earlier today. This is an earlier build of the engine and is not the same 'game' that those who attended E3 got to play.

Also, there are reports of input lag and poor frame-rate on the PS3 version.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Nice to see the classic Sonic look back.
Man, I hate the new rubberband look.

[kid aphex]

Interesting. I really like this game

Frame rate issues aside (and I'm only 'asiding' them because they're something that usually is improved upon drastically between demo builds and launches),
I am loving it.

Replayed the level a few times; found different routes and interesting ways to connect them to one another; had fun experimenting to find the fastest combo of routes.
I enjoyed the way the level was split into, well, levels.
If I had to, I'd posit one of the troubles the design team ran into was rendering the absurdist/abstract level design of Sonic games into a 3D environment...especially because of their height and color palettes.
I'm guessing that's why Green Hill added an 'underground'. Aesthetically, it's graphical juxtaposition (in terms of color use and shape) is a break for the eyes in what would otherwise be an un-navigable green blur.
I also loved the feeling of acceleration Sonic (finally) regained.

You still lose control over Sonic quite a bit...
Springs, for instance, propel you on a specific movement path that only releases you into the physics of the world at the last second.
Also, during transitions between the 2D and 2.5D "Chase Cam" moments, Sonic sometimes forcefully snaps into the "Chase Cam" canned-animation path, regardless of his momentum/direction prior.
These kind of glitches really break the immersion for me and only draw my attention to the more "limited" aspects of modern Sonic design.

...Oh, also, by moving the Spin Dash to a single button, and not requiring you to be A) immobile B) pressing down on the controller, it feels like they set themselves up for glitch exploits by advanced players. I already, through accident alone, have almost mastered the ability to spin-dash during movement.
I wouldn't necessarily mind that addition to Sonic's repertoire, if I wasn't so sure it was a glitch.
.

[null1024]

...Oh, also, by moving the Spin Dash to a single button, and not requiring you to be A) immobile B) pressing down on the controller, it feels like they set themselves up for glitch exploits by advanced players. I already, through accident alone, have almost mastered the ability to spin-dash during movement.
I wouldn't necessarily mind that addition to Sonic's repertoire, if I wasn't so sure it was a glitch.
.

Well, that was in Sonic Adventure 1...

As much as I like this, I genuinely hope it gets fixed, SA1 was pretty broken with it...

[kid aphex]

Well, that was in Sonic Adventure 1...

Yeah, but since I'm only talking about the Classic, 2D portion of this game, I can only really compare it to other 2D sonic games
Plus, SA1 is barely a game, more a tech demo (and yeah I liked it)

[louisg]

Well, that was in Sonic Adventure 1...

Yeah, but since I'm only talking about the Classic, 2D portion of this game, I can only really compare it to other 2D sonic games
Plus, SA1 is barely a game, more a tech demo (and yeah I liked it)

I felt like SA1 started hitting its stride in the later levels. Those are great-- I love the last stage with all the fan-propelled platforms and enemies everywhere. It's too bad about all the bugs though.

[BrianC]

The funny thing about SA1 is that the JP one was even more buggy (from what I read and played of it on an in store demo kiosk. The camera was actually worse).

[TransatlanticFoe]

I've seen a trailer and it looks mental... not in a good way either. The 2D bits look like they're way too big - something that annoyed me in Sonic Advance was the entrances to the special stages (and thus the only way to get emeralds) were hidden in the levels... but one missed jump and that was it, you'd never be able to get to it. I really hope they don't go down that route again (although whether I end up getting it depends on whether they release a PC version).

Sonic's 2D gameplay feels pretty dated anyway though, so I'm surprised they've not gone down the route of the Sonic levels from the Sonic Adventure games - which were actually really good (minus the odd leap of faith instant death scenario). I never finished Sonic Adventure 2 because the Knuckles/Rouge bits were so tedious and frustrating that I missed their special items, which are vital to finish the final scenario... so maybe I should give Sonic Colors a go. But Sonic Generations? I guess at least Sega aren't wheeling out a few ROMs like Nintendo did for the Mario anniversary or bringing out another collection of Sonic games (though a definitive catch-all would be handy at some point).

[Obiwanshinobi]

Can anybody on here say anything good about the gameplay of ye olde Sonic Heroes? I found it rather "meh" back in the day (NiGHTS way: moving fast, looking nice, but not very stimulating). Nowadays I have a bit more appreciation for speedy 3D Sega efforts. Was Sonic Heroes any worse than Sonic Adventures?

[Elixir]

Game looks messy and cluttered, camera feels way too close, goes blurry in motion to the point where I can't even see what's coming up next, and the demo is timed as if to imply it's a good game. Hilarious.

My eyes actually need to re-focus after the game slows down. I know Sonic is about speed, but even the original games could be played at your own pace.

[Treasurance]

SA2B is still the best Sonic game

[Daigohji]

It moves so fast that following any of the higher lines through the level becomes pure memorisation rather than something you could manage on reflex in your first run. You just can't see what's coming. In terms of handling, it's pretty good, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to direct Sonic onto platforms after he runs into the air off a ramp. At this point, I prefer the controls in Sonic 4, even though I didn't like how hard it was to get up to speed in that game.

Considering how far ahead of the game's release this demo is and that it's a recreation of Sonic 1's first level, I think it's meant to be an E3 gift for Sonic's anniversary rather than a representation of the level designs we'll see in Sonic Generations.

[junkeR]

SA2B is still the best Sonic game

Is SA2B better than the Dreamcast version? In what ways?

I played the demo for Sonic Generations last night. It was OK, but my feelings toward Sonic have really diminished this past decade.

[louisg]

It's really fascinating how Sega can manage to fuck up 3d Sonic so many times in a row. Maybe I should replay Sonic Heroes, but SA1 seemed like the best of the bunch, sadly. The amazing thing is that the original Sonics are games that should've been a slam dunk for translating the gameplay to back view, kind of like a racing game. That first Wii one mostly got it right conceptually, just not in the control department :/

[Obiwanshinobi]

Sega's persistence may have something to do with them Sonic games selling well. Apparently Sonic Heroes was a number 1 seller in the UK for a while in the heyday of 3D platforming (directly competing with the likes of Jak II, R&C2, Rayman 3 and I-Ninja). I don't recall a single enthusiastic Sonic Heroes review, mind you.

[Treasurance]

but...Sonic Heroes was amazing. Better than Colors, at least.

[Elixir]

Treasurance, may I ask what year you were born in?

[Treasurance]

Treasurance, may I ask what year you were born in?

what about early '95?

[Sumez]

The framerate is horrible in the demo and sonic's top speed is very high, which makes it a mess. Level design seems pretty boring too, worse than Sonic 4. I guess it could get better by release but eh.

Better than Sonic 4 IMO.
The game has potential, but we should all know better than getting excited over an upcoming Sonic game.

[StarCreator]

I tried the demo for about 2 minutes at a friend's place (he promptly deleted it afterward)... besides the terrible framerate, I also ran into a weird glitch where the perspective shifted to 3D for a downward spiral type thing... and Sonic just flew off-course into his death in the middle of it for no reason.

It's got promise, but there's a lot of work to be done to make this playable.

[JJXB]

It'll probably be less offensive than STH2006. and i know someone who 1000 gamerscored that.

[Shelcoof]

The framerate is horrible in the demo and sonic's top speed is very high, which makes it a mess. Level design seems pretty boring too, worse than Sonic 4. I guess it could get better by release but eh.

Framerate is absolutely horrible I can't even play the damn game. I keep crashing into badies because the game is just a blur. As for the level design, not sure about it but I'll have to see more stages to figure it out.

But as of now, its a no purchase for me.

[DrTrouserPlank]

I haven't seen anyone mention the HORRENDOUS jump-button-delay!!

You press it and it takes a good half a second for the old blue-sprited pensioner to jump.

I actually thought the demo was OK as a homage to what made him good in the 2D era, along with the 3D stuff to satisfy people who believe that games have been 3D since gaming existed. However the one thing I can't stand in a platformer where the toon moves at ridiculous speeds is controls that aren't immediate in their response.

It was nice. It even reminded me of sonic1/2, but the lack of immediacy as far as the controls went killed it for me.

[Sumez]

You are all addressing technical issues you'd expect to be gone by the time the game is actually finished.

[Icarus]

but...Sonic Heroes was amazing. Better than Colors, at least.

Opinions duly noted, and ignored.

Heroes was horrible. At least Colors managed to do what few modern Sonic games have managed so far: capture the sense of blazing speed without being horribly uncontrollable, and mix challenging 2D gameplay with fun 3D gameplay. Simplifying the controls during the 3D segments was a smart move by Sonic Team.

[Shelcoof]

You are all addressing technical issues you'd expect to be gone by the time the game is actually finished.

Actually.... I'm going to assume all those issues will remain in the final version. Won't be fronting my cash for this until I read reviews and confirm the framerate problem fix

[Treasurance]

At least Colors managed to do what few modern Sonic games have managed so far: capture the sense of blazing speed without being horribly uncontrollable, and mix challenging 2D gameplay with fun 3D gameplay. Simplifying the controls during the 3D segments was a smart move by Sonic Team.

nah, Colors had way too much "traditional" platforming (challenging 2D gameplay?) mixed in and felt more like a Mario Galaxy ripoff (well, it kinda was) than a Sonic game. I was expecting something more like Unleashed's day stages (which were awesome)