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I don't understand how you're supposed to play Sonic games.

D

digitalrelic

Banned
With all the hype and positive words said about Sonic Mania, I'm seriously considering picking it up. However, I have no idea how to play a Sonic game.

They've always been confusing to me. Are you trying to acquire and hang onto as many rings as possible, or do they not really matter outside of lives?

Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore? The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?

Should you be seeking out every TV to smash? What rewards do these garner? What about enemies? Should you be trying to kill them all or is it okay to just run past them?

What do you need to do to acquire the giant ring (no idea if that's what it's called)? What makes it invisible/unattainable and what unlocks the ability to acquire it? What's the benefit of acquiring the giant ring?

I have other questions, but I guess I'll just leave it at that for now.
 
Rubik8

Rubik8

Member
Sounds like you've figured out what many of us have known for years... That Sonic games are terrible.
 
P

Phediuk

Member
You can explore, you can go fast, you can collect rings, or you can ignore them. Play how you want.

why do people's brains turn off when they encounter anything sonic-related.
 
I

Illusive_Juan

Member
You can play however you want. You can try to reach every bonus stage and complete it. You can try to get as many coins as you can. You can just try and complete each stage and collect what you can as you fly by. Or you can speed run.

There's no singular way to play it like there's no singular way to play any other game.

How do you play the Witcher? Are you supposed to compete every side mission?

Are you supposed to collect every skull in halo?

Are you supposed to collect every articfact in Uncharted?

Ask yourself this: Am I having fun? If you're not, play another way or play something else.


Edit: I play 2D Sonic games to reach the end of the stage and collect the chaos emeralds. I try to get to the end quickly but not as fast as I can. I try not to go super slow and focus on platforming. I try to get 100 rings to get an extra life. I collect a power up if I want it. I just want to mindlessly beat the games whenever I see fit because they are so easy to pick up and play for me.
 
J

Jezan

Member
You get S in all stages.

In Adventure and Adventure 2 you play to rise Chao and get attached to them forever. 💖
 
S

SomewhatGroovy

Banned
As someone who has yet to beat a 2D Sonic game, here is what i am learning: You have to work against your instincts when playing a Sonic game and not keep you finger pressed down on forward. It's just a platformer like any other. Take your time, and as soon as you repeat play the levels, you learn the layout and muscle memory takes over. Until then, just explore and mind your speed.
 
V

VRMN

Member
The answer is... Any of those that you personally find fun to do? The classic games are designed for replayability, with multiple branching paths that can be either explored to find secrets or rushed through to try and get the best score or the best time.

The fastest speeds and routes are discovered when you learn the levels through exploration and come back to them later having mastered the mechanics and knowing how to manage Sonic's speed, not just going top speed all the time.
 
C

Champloo4

Member
digitalrelic said:
Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore? The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?
Click to expand...

Get out of my head OP. I have often had the same question - but no answer.
I have always played them as fast as possible, but always feel like I missed a lot.
 
F

feint_ruled

Member
This article captures this aspect of Sonic quite well

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/27/why-sonic-the-hedgehog-incorrect-game-design

In short, it does a lot of things 'wrong' but somehow still works.

In his excellent book on game design, A Theory of Fun, Raph Koster, says the essence of good game design is teaching – a well constructed level slowly introduces you to its themes, and shows you how to beat them. Learn, test, master.

Sonic doesn't do this – all it establishes at the beginning is that speed is important. In a single playthrough, you only ever get a passing feel for the levels; you miss vast areas – all the rules are broken...new players always find it hard to read the screen, because it's not working like a good game.

To reach the more reward-intensive upper levels, you need to master the exact distances and timings between launch pads and obstacles, but it's impossible to garner this information on a first run-through because the speed of the game – its main appeal – hides everything from you. In Sonic, you must learn through repetition rather than observation. This is confounding for a lot of people
Click to expand...

Great article, articulates what is odd about Sonic.
 
C

CircusOfClouds

Member
I think you just have to practice levels over and over. Whenever I play sonic I just constantly run into things and it's pretty annoying and stressful
 
S

Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew

Banned
Mostly, things are tied to rings. Your goal is to collect as many rings as possible while dashing past enemies and avoid losing rings. Levels (in a good Sonic game) are designed so that you running should be enough to pass the stage, with some platforming elements.

Getting 50 or 100 rings unlock the bonus stages e.g. the giant ring.

However, when it come to playstyle, it shouldn't really matter. Walk fast, walk slow, do nothing, kill all, don't kill all. It's all up to you. The main goal is to fight Robotnik and get all the emeralds at the end of the bonus stages.
 
K

Keym

Member
This is what happens when game developers neglect to add tutorials and fun QTE prompts.

When will they learn
 
Z

zMiiChy-

Banned
I also feel this way.
I never thought the old Sonic games were good, and Mania doesn't seem to fix much of anything.
 
O

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
the goal is to make it to the end of the stage in less than ten minutes. whatever else you do is up to you.
 
B

BiggNife

Member
Play how you want. I don't really think there's a "right" way to play Sonic.

What I do is just play to get to the end in my first playthrough, then I focus on exploring and getting the emeralds in my second.

And wow, the anti-Sonic shitposters sure came into this thread quickly. Why do so many people feel the need to tell everyone they hate Sonic? It adds nothing to the discussion, and "Sonic was always bad" isn't a hot take anymore.
 
B

backflip10019

Member
Phediuk said:
You can explore, you can go fast, you can collect rings, or you can ignore them. Play how you want.

why do people's brains turn off when they encounter anything sonic-related.
Click to expand...

Because the concepts of speed and exploration are at odds with one another.

I've never really understood how to play them either. I have the most fun when I go through levels quickly but always seem to die faster. It seems like the only way you can go fast and win is by memorizing the levels, which isn't very fun.

If you go slowly, the sense of speed is lost (which the game is purportedly all about), but I can typically get further in the game.
 
Alx

Alx

Member
Phediuk said:
You can explore, you can go fast, you can collect rings, or you can ignore them. Play how you want.

why do people's brains turn off when they encounter anything sonic-related.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just play it the way you find it more entertaining and don't overthink it. Rings are useful for scoring, getting extra lives or making it easier to survive mistakes, but you can do without them if you decide to. Same for enemies and exploration.
 
S

Spaced Harrier

Member
Rubik8 said:
Sounds like you've figured out what many of us have known for years... That Sonic games are terrible.
Click to expand...

clevbrowns94 said:
Yep, much worse gameplay and design than Mario games. But...gotta go fast!
Click to expand...


Really fantastic and interesting contributions guys.

OP, I suggest playing the game, it might help, there is no tutorial mode, just a bizarre intuitive level design and a philosophy of learning by doing and encouraging experimentation, which was common in games from the 90s, which were in turn aimed at kids with brains less developed than adults.

And yet it was a massive success, almost like the kids didn't have a problem figuring out what to do themselves.
 
P

Pachimari

Member
I asked the same questions and they were answered in the Sonic Mania OT:

Pachimari said:
I feel the hype and I want in on it, so this is probably a damn strange question but how do one play a Sonic game the right way?

I've played all from the Sonic 2D games on Gameboy to Sonic Adventure and very quickly dabbled in Sonic Generations but I've never really got it.

Is it about getting through the stage as quick as possible? Kind of like time trial. Is it about collecting the most rings? Is it a mix of both? Is it about getting the greatest scores? Shall one explore and platform ones way through the stages?

I've never really understood the gameplay of Sonic and it frustrates me, especially now with a great new game out.
Click to expand...

Robin64 said:
Yes.

To clarify, yeah, do all those things. Just enjoy it, play how you want. Seek out secrets, they are there if you want them. Or don't, just blitz to the end. You won't get the best ending if you do, but you'll have fun.

There is a dedicated Time Trial mode for when you want to absolutely break the game and pelt along. (Still not sure how people are doing GHZ A1 in under 30 secs..)
Click to expand...

NotLiquid said:
In standard terms you just want to beat the level. Rings are like a bunch of second chances but also contribute to your score which carries the tension of risk the more you get. The levels are multifaceted, with the high road usually being considered the harder/faster route, and exploring what the levels have to offer yields things like power ups, secret paths and bonus stages where you can collect Chaos Emeralds which are like this game's version of the super secret collectible. It's not really about getting to the end of the stage as quickly as possible, but because of the mechanics of the game, it heavily encourages you to go fast and employing the mechanics of speed in order to access additional areas, which is part of the reason why the best Sonic games are built to be just as good for platforming as they are for speedrunning, even if many games sometimes end up prioritizing one over the other. The Genesis games, and Mania, strike the best balance and are more crafty when it comes to this.

2D Sonic games are heavily contingent on rolling. This is going to be your main move throughout the game. When you're faced with slopes and inclines you want to roll in order to build up proper momentum and go even faster than you would if you were running. Rolling also protects you against enemies that may be in your way or destructible obstacles. If you can learn to pull that off well, you'll be able to go fast while also going safe.

The caveat of course with rolling is that you sacrifice control and that you also have to perform it on proper areas, as well as already having inherited momentum, to maintain your speed, or else you'll grind to a halt, so while there is some risk with it, there's more reward when done right and you can trust that rolling is your "safer" state so to speak most of the time.

Mania also helps finally give Sonic a unique incentive of playing by giving him the Drop Dash which is a fantastic ability that can maintain momentum whenever you feel like you need to regain momentum after a jump.

Basically, learn to use the level design as a tool and applying Sonic's pinball-esque physics for going fast.
Click to expand...
 
M

Mama Robotnik

Member
At least with regards to the good Sonic games:

digitalrelic said:
They've always been confusing to me. Are you trying to acquire and hang onto as many rings as possible, or do they not really matter outside of lives?
Click to expand...

Its down to preference. Rings give you a safety net for damage, grant extra lives and enable access to special stages. Its completely up to you if you want them or not.

digitalrelic said:
Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore?
Click to expand...

Its down to preference. If you like going fast, go fast. If you want to go less fast, then go less fast and explore. There is no right way.

digitalrelic said:
The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?
Click to expand...

Its down to preference. If you want to build up speed then do so, but its up to you.

digitalrelic said:
Should you be seeking out every TV to smash? What rewards do these garner? What about enemies? Should you be trying to kill them all or is it okay to just run past them?
Click to expand...

Its down to preference. You can seek them all out for various powerups. You can kill enemies for points. You don't have to though.

digitalrelic said:
What do you need to do to acquire the giant ring (no idea if that's what it's called)? What makes it invisible/unattainable and what unlocks the ability to acquire it? What's the benefit of acquiring the giant ring?
Click to expand...

Its down to preference. Giant rings are hidden in levels and grant access to special stages. They are optional and its up to you if you want to pursue them.

In short, the games (at least the good ones) are designed in a way that allows you to play them in the way to prefer to. I personally, for example, forego most of the speed stuff to explore. Its completely up to you though.
 
G

Gaogaogao

Member
I think youre supposed to move slowly until you know the environment well enough to go fast. or until the game goes fast on its own. its always had pacing whiplash.
 
L

Lumination

'enry 'ollins
What timeline is this where people think all Sonic games are bad?

OP, it's about replay potential. There are typically two "ways" to play it. You can do gotta-go-fast and just try to beat the game as fast as possible. Enjoy the speed. The goal is to stay moving for as long as possible. There's no incentive to do so outside of personal enjoyment (maybe some speedrunning achivements?) and that's how it's meant to be.

You can also go slower, collect the rings to unlock the secret chaos emerald stages or whatever and collect whatever the reward there is (super sonic or some other unlock maybe). What's the point? Do it if that's your thing.

For instance, I played Generations twice. My first playthrough was just going as fast as possible, exercising my reactions and intuitions to stay on the high road for as much as possible, dodging enemies, timing jumps, etc. My second playthrough was collecting all of the red rings (kind of like yoshi coins in Super Mario World) and really learning the levels and understanding how every path in the levels intersect and flow into one another.

It's really whatever you want to make of it. It's a different platforming experience from 2D Mario since there's really only one way to play those.
 
S

spindashing

Banned
uh lol... I can't believe this is a thread but I'll humor you rather than shitpost.

digitalrelic said:
They've always been confusing to me. Are you trying to acquire and hang onto as many rings as possible, or do they not really matter outside of lives?
Click to expand...

Collect as many rings as possible. When you get hit, you lose these rings. If you get hit without any rings, you lose a life.

Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore? The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?
Click to expand...
Play the levels as you want. It's a platformer so it's pretty much get from point A to point B. If you want to challenge yourself, you can try to get better times or explore different routes.

Should you be seeking out every TV to smash? What rewards do these garner? What about enemies? Should you be trying to kill them all or is it okay to just run past them?
Click to expand...

Some screens offer shields, some offer some rings, some offer invincibility. You don't need to break them all.

You don't need to kill all of the enemies.

What do you need to do to acquire the giant ring (no idea if that's what it's called)? What makes it invisible/unattainable and what unlocks the ability to acquire it? What's the benefit of acquiring the giant ring?
Click to expand...

I don't have Sonic Mania yet so I can't answer this one. In Sonic 3, you just find these rings in specific places in the levels. When you beat the special stage within that ring, you'll get an emerald.
 
M

Mesoian

Member
What even is this thread?

They're straight forward platformers.

Unless you're on of the people who think all of the sonic games are like Sonic 06', an admitted failure of a game, there's not that much to consider when playing these.

Like, real talk, is this thread the culmination of people shitting on the Sonic fandom and embracing Sonic memes, never having played a sonic game before? This is some straight up, "why can't metroid crawl?" business.
 
C

CLaddyOnFire

Neo Member
You need all the chaos emeralds (bonus stages) to get the "good ending" (whether that's an actual different ending or just that you can be Super/Hyper Sonic). You need 50/100 rings to access bonus stages. Enemies make you lose your coins if you get hit by them. TVs either give you coins or make it easier to avoid/kill enemies.

Do what you need to do to get through each level and bonus stage. Either avoid all the enemies or take the time to kill them so you don't risk losing coins to them. It's a really simple concept.

Speed makes no difference other than the meaningless score you get at the end of the zone.
 
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