R2TRRFF: High-speed Hedgehog Monogatari

[null1024]

I think I am going to go test the physics in Generations to see how they are in comparison to this. What I dislike about Generations isn't really that the 2D physics are bad, it's that the 2D controls in general are just stiff and terrible, and Forces made it even worse.

even Sonic 4 and Rush handle these situations, and the physics model there is... lacking.

I played Sonic 4 Episode 1 the other day for some reason, and I think it's fair to say that the entire game is just a giant piece of shit. Its only redeeming value is that I can simply choose to not play it and do something/anything else instead.

The 2D physics in Generations are... something.
Sonic has a sense of weight to him, but it's really weird. Sonic's jump ignores slope angle. The game does some "3D character sandwiched between two flat planes" thing to handle 2D sections in general, so sometimes Sonic will attempt to move in a direction not aligned to the 2D plane. Going into a roll nudges Sonic forward a bit, which feels really weird at low speed.
It still ends up feeling better for the most part than Sonic 4, but like, that's not an accomplishment. I really don't know why Sonic's air deceleration is so high in 4 [or Rush if I'm honest].

Also, the greatest sin in Generations remains that Sonic doesn't immediately curl up if you land while holding down. More than anything else, this is the most fundamental aspect of how the classic 2D Sonic games play.

Just comparing this to the footage of Superstars, I'm already feeling a lot better about Superstars.

[cfx]

10 minutes of gameplay via IGN Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zltQZNdhnV8

Music seems bland, but I'll take bland over the awful music in the Sonic Adventure games.

[null1024]

The idea of saying the music there is better than anything in SA1/2 is the funniest goddamn thing.
It's not just kind of bad, it's aggressively unfitting, and I'm just going to assume it's a placeholder.

The stage design in that video has me a little worried, but the more I see of the way Sonic moves, I feel like we might be fine in terms of physics.
I am admittedly getting my hopes up now.

[TransatlanticFoe]

That music is another kind of dreadful.

The levels look like they might suffer from being Sonic Advance huge, so hopefully they stick to the old "50 rings at checkpoint" to access chaos emerald stages. Never did properly finish Sonic Advance because it was a pain to find even the entrance to the special stages, never mind work out how to play their terrible 3D.

[Air Master Burst]

10 minutes of gameplay via IGN Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zltQZNdhnV8

Music seems bland, but I'll take bland over the awful music in the Sonic Adventure games.

I always thought Sonic Adventure 2 had one of the best soundtracks of its generation on the strength of the Knuckles and Rouge tracks alone.

[cfx]

I always thought Sonic Adventure 2 had one of the best soundtracks of its generation on the strength of the Knuckles and Rouge tracks alone.

Can't stand those in particular. Nothing is a quicker turn-off than rap and hip hop.

[Air Master Burst]

Can't stand those in particular. Nothing is a quicker turn-off than rap and hip hop.

Well then I feel sorry you probably missed out big time on the Jet Set Radio and Def Jam wrestling games.

Also that boss fight against Shredder in Shredder's Revenge where Ghostface battle raps in character as Shredder against Raekwon doing all the turtles was the single best video game moment in years. That and Sonic Mania both made me feel like I was 8 again, and you can't put a price on that.

[cfx]

Can't stand those in particular. Nothing is a quicker turn-off than rap and hip hop.

Well then I feel sorry you probably missed out big time on the Jet Set Radio and Def Jam wrestling games.

Also that boss fight against Shredder in Shredder's Revenge where Ghostface battle raps in character as Shredder against Raekwon doing all the turtles was the single best video game moment in years. That and Sonic Mania both made me feel like I was 8 again, and you can't put a price on that.

Didn't miss out on anything. Played a demo of JSR and hated it; no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Terrrible music, awful gameplay for my tastes, ugly graphical style and a stupid "anti-establisment" theme.

Wrestling games aren't even on my radar and if they were one based on Def Jam would be the last thing I'd ever look at.

Shredder's Revenge I skipped because of its soundtrack. That one I probably would have bought otherwise, but the soundtrack of a game is as important as any other part and I won't play a game with music I can't stand.

Obviously our tastes are about as far removed from each other as is possible. I used to think the being fans of this site's genre would lead to other common likes in games but spending time here that's clearly not the case.

Videogames didn't exist when I was a kid, and it's a time of life I'd rather never remember.

[Steven]

That music is another kind of dreadful.

It's from Sonic 4, which is why.

https://youtu.be/YeK_OdVJ6OY

This is actually some of the better music from Sonic 4, too. The stage end jingle is from Mania, so I think these are likely placeholders. Please be placeholders...

[null1024]

The only part of cfx's post I'm willing to touch is JSR's gameplay -- the first JSR genuinely handles like fucking ass. I really wanted to like the game, but fuck man. I got pretty far into the game, and I'm just like "this isn't fun, missing this ledge for the fourth time despite it being right fucking there isn't fun, there are missiles heading towards me so why the fuck are the controls like this".
JSRF plays a ton better right out the gate.

It's from Sonic 4, which is why.

That's actually hilarious.

[Mortificator]

Those vines remind me of Sonic Rush and you do NOT want to remind me of Sonic Rush

I assume they're going to put in more enemies, right now the stages are ghost towns right out of Sonic Chaos

I always thought Sonic Adventure 2 had one of the best soundtracks of its generation on the strength of the Knuckles and Rouge tracks alone.

This still gets play in the background when I'm working. Smoooooooooooth...

[Sima Tuna]

The only part of cfx's post I'm willing to touch is JSR's gameplay -- the first JSR genuinely handles like fucking ass. I really wanted to like the game, but fuck man. I got pretty far into the game, and I'm just like "this isn't fun, missing this ledge for the fourth time despite it being right fucking there isn't fun, there are missiles heading towards me so why the fuck are the controls like this".
JSRF plays a ton better right out the gate.

I'm of two minds about JSR and JSRF. The first is I totally understand where you are coming from. The controls feel very bad when you first start playing. Even after a while of playing, they can still feel rough and overly punishing. The camera can be jank and there are many frustratingly difficult challenges.

But at the same time, Jet Set, to me, captures the feeling of a sports game better than most others. Because there is a skill element with the controls. It's similar to Sonic in that way. You have to get used to how the inertia is going to whip you around, and work with the controls rather than against them. You have to learn those tight timings to nail tight jumps. You have to know how to apply the brakes so you can actually stop on the platform you landed on.

If Jet Set controlled like Mario Sunshine then I don't think it would feel right. You are on roller blades and certain actions should be more difficult. That said, JSRF went a long ways towards correcting JSR's control issues. I'd say it about perfected the controls while still retaining the unique, intertia-based system. Turns are a lot easier and you can do more precise maneuvers without studying them for 100 hours.

As for the music, Jet Set Radio's music stomps all over Future's. Future has some hilariously, infamously obnoxious tracks (birthday cake,) while most of JSR's songs are straight bangers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9eAg7Nhq-o

I do like this one from JSRF:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSZIej-ZraE

Jet Set, as a franchise, epitomizes a game made deliberately NOT for everybody. But those who enjoy it, will enjoy it a lot.

[Air Master Burst]

Because there is a skill element with the controls. It's similar to Sonic in that way. You have to get used to how the inertia is going to whip you around, and work with the controls rather than against them. You have to learn those tight timings to nail tight jumps. You have to know how to apply the brakes so you can actually stop on the platform you landed on.

I haven't played the first JSR in a few years now, but I bet I could hit all the infinite grinds with about 5 minutes of practice. The handling is kinda janky but remarkably consistent, so once you actually get used to it you can totally get in the zone. The only thing that still infuriates me after all this time is trying to dismount from a rail without jumping 30 feet away from it. JSRF handles a lot better, but everything else about the gameplay is worse, so hopefully Bomb Rush Cyberfunk threads that needle.

As for the music, Jet Set Radio's music stomps all over Future's. Future has some hilariously, infamously obnoxious tracks (birthday cake,) while most of JSR's songs are straight bangers.

See, and I always thought the soundtrack was the only thing Future did better, although it's a pretty tough call.

Also, Cibo Matto is fucking amazing, and Birthday Cake is a good song.

ETA: For the record, it goes like this:

JSRF soundtrack
JSR eu soundtrack
JSR jp soundtrack
Sonic Rush soundtrack
Ollie King soundtrack
The World Ends With You soundtrack
JGR us soundtrack

I love Jurassic 5 dearly (and somewhat controversially think Dragula is actually a pretty good choice for JSR), but it's really not worth sitting through JUST GOT WICKED and whatever that other butt rock numetal track was.

[XoPachi]

I cannot wait for SuperStars. Oh my goodness, what a treat!

[Steven]

Here, have over two and a half hours of Sonic 3&K glitches. Yes, I did watch every single one of these in their entirety and it was glorious. Glitch activation instructions are in the captions, so don't forget to turn those on.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 21403E0594

[BIL]

I always thought Sonic Adventure 2 had one of the best soundtracks of its generation on the strength of the Knuckles and Rouge tracks alone.

This still gets play in the background when I'm working. Smoooooooooooth...

Those Knuckles tracks, I played SA2 shortly post-release with a bad fever in authentic West Indies summer heat, I was trying to sleep wondering if I'd dreamed 'em Strange experience, having gone straight from NES/MD to my first paycheque and a big honkin DC. I have to say they've aged well.

[kid aphex]

Yikes, that new Sonic looks and sounds awful.
I think it’s ALMOST impossible to reproduce the vibe/gameplay/look of 2D Sonic in 3D.
The only way it could be achieved is with a lot larger budget and more time, neither of which I’m sure SEGA are willing to devote to a title that’s likely not going to sell very well.

I’d like to see them loan the IP to Retro at Nintendo and give them time to cook it. I think they’re capable of loading it with the kind of detail that’s required to make it pop.

[null1024]

Aesthetically, I think it's just super bland. I'm hoping it gets a bit better by release, but I don't expect massive changes.
AFAIK all the music so far is placeholder, and Tee Lopes [you know, guy who did Mania's OST] is on the project, so I 100% expect that to improve.

[BrianC]

Tee Lopes also did Shredder's Revenge's soundtrack, which is one of the highlights of the game.

[XoPachi]

SuperStars is gorgeous to me. I don't know where people are coming from saying it's ugly. Looks like a proper, faithful transition to 3D visuals. The animations on the characters are lovingly detailed, and the festive saturation of the levels is splendid.
And yeah Jun Senuoe and Tee Lopes are on the music.

The music in the demos is White Park from Sonic 4-2. That's absolutely not the final music.

[cfx]

And yeah Jun Senuoe and Tee Lopes are on the music.

I'll have to wait until I can hear the entire soundtrack before getting this then, because that means the chances of music I can't tolerate are high.

[XoPachi]

Tee Lopes also did Shredder's Revenge's soundtrack, which is one of the highlights of the game.

I honestly like his work in Shredder's Revenge more than Mania and I do not say that lightly.

[null1024]

https://twitter.com/CFWhitehead/status/ ... 2493470720

Will have more to say on this when it's appropriate, but the Mania physics were indeed fully translated to modern 3D

Having outright confirmation of this from Christian Whitehead has made me fully, properly excited for the game.
Sure, Sega can still pull a Sega, but god damn it, hearing this get confirmed has quashed pretty much all of my fears for the game.

[Steven]

That's pretty much the fastest way to sell me a Sonic game. Day 1.

Spoiler

Please don't have Denuvo... it will, but please don't. PS5 to the rescue...?

[Air Master Burst]

I guess it's a start, though poor level design will crater this thing just as quickly as poor physics.

The graphics look pretty generic and soulless to me so far, but I always feel that way about franchises with gorgeous pixel art transitioning to 3D models, so it's probably just a personal hangup.

[cfx]

240P on an RGB CRT? Pixel art wins always.

HD display? This style or high-res 2D sprites (like the last two Shantae games) all the way most of the time, including here.

Besides, Sonic Mania looks practically exactly like the old Megadrive games. Yet another game with the same appearance would feel more like an expansion pack than a new game.

I'll never understand the bland and generic comments. Not liking the sytle, sure.

[Lander]

Will have more to say on this when it's appropriate, but the Mania physics were indeed fully translated to modern 3D

That seems like a hell of a flex for a game whose bread and butter is primarily 2D, unless they're holding back some more substantial 3D content beyond the brief special-stage-looking glimpse in the trailer.

Make a proper 3D game you cowards.

[Lemnear]

Have you seen Sonic Superstars?
The chromatic palette is nice, is cross-gen, and more importante, i did'nt expecting this coming.
Wait what means R2TRRFF?
EDIT: oh...i forgot that was in the first post.

Are those Pooh bedsheets?

Ye, too much satanic?

[XoPachi]

Posting this here because it's by the Mania boys. I was waiting for them to show this and I didn't expect it today.

https://twitter.com/EveningStarStdo/sta ... 65669?s=20

I'm SO EXCITED

[cfx]

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBigeYDiqm0

Horrible character design...