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Sonic Mania (8-15-2017, SEGA/Taxman/Headcannon/PagodaWest, PS4/XB1/PC/NX)

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N

Narroo

Member
Solid SOAP said:
I'm perplexed as to how anyone can not like these visuals. Aside from Sonic's sprite being based more off of CD than 3, the graphics are clearly an evolution of SEGA Genesis visuals to more replicate something from the 32x or Saturn. Brilliant move.
Click to expand...

Something does seem to be slightly off. Sonic looks a bit washed out?
 
.la1n

.la1n

Member
Game looks amazing and I know with Christian involved it will be great to play as well. I do dig the idea of remixed older zones. I would have preferred brand new levels that were a continuation of things after S&K but ultimately it's just great to know a 2D Sonic is on the way that will actually play and feel like classic Sonic.
 
M

Mr.Fletcher

Member
What a time to be a Sonic fan. I feel like we've seen an eruption of latent love for the series in the last few days.

The pining and desire for a true classic-style game for so long, makes the announcement all the sweeter.
 
C

Chronoja

Member
Something I don't think has been brought up (not in this thread I don't think, maybe it has been mentioned elsewhere, not sure), I completed Valkyria Chronicles earlier today and noticed Studiopolis inc in the credits, seemed interesting so I looked it up.

Studiopolis inc. are a "post-production" studio based in Studio City, LA. and they work on various things including video games, most notably in this case, the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Maybe it's just a big coincidence but since Studiopolis seems to be a city stage with a lot of focus on audio / visual stuff, I'd wager it could be an inspiration.
 
S

Solid SOAP

Member
Narroo said:
Something does seem to be slightly off. Sonic looks a bit washed out?
Click to expand...
Really? I feel like he looks great. The sprites look to have more depth and... shape to them than in the previous games. What I mean is that he looks less like a flat sprite this time and more three-dimensional without resorting to making a shitty 3d model ala Sonic 4.
 
A

Aaron Strife

Banned
The Taxman said:
All the screens and footage of GHZ are from the playable demo, which was just the first act. GHZ Act 1 is probably the tamest classic level of the lot, but I can't say much more than that until Sega reveals more info on the story and stuff in the future.

The reception for Sonic Mania has been pretty wild, and I'm really happy most people seem to dig it. I realise Saturn-esque retro 2D stuff isn't for everyone but this was the most effective way for our indie sized team to develop a good chunk of fun content in the time frame, rather than something like 4 zones with potentially forgettable HD graphics.

P.S. there are some nice CRT filters in addition to those "highest quality, uncompressed pixels" ;)
Click to expand...
Speaking as a lifelong Sonic fan (Sonic 2 was my first game), I just want to thank you for everything you've done for the community over the years and I'm really glad you've been given this opportunity. The 1/2/CD remakes have been a rare, purely bright spot in a franchise that always seems to have something hanging over it.
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
Guess Who said:
Oh, don't get me wrong, in high-level play there are quite a few uses for the insta-shield, but it's still more situational than, say, Tails or Knuckles's abilities, and honestly I think a lot of players just never really learned or understood how/where to use it. Drop Dash's use cases are more obvious and more frequent, and I think it gives non-elemental-shielded Sonic a nice tool for keeping momentum that gives him a distinct identity as a speed-focused character compared to Tails and Knuckles.

As to "why not both", I'd guess it's probably so Sonic doesn't become too useful compared to Tails and Knuckles.



I'm very familiar with all this, and yes, it's very likely there are different varieties of Orbinauts in Mania. That said, while you could insta-shield kill this type of Orbinaut in Sonic 3, I think these types of Orbinauts work better as obstacles to be rolled under (which is how they were largely used in Sonic 1).
Click to expand...

I'd say it's because they are adhering to the idea that Sonic games only have 1 button and the d-pad.

Indigo Rush said:
I think Amy could work, though. She's a classic character as much as Knuckles or Metal Sonic and such.
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Yes, and she should play like that. No spinning at all. She's essentially hard mode.
 
S

Seven Force

Banned
RagnarokX said:
Yes, and she should play like that. No spinning at all. She's essentially hard mode.
Click to expand...

For however many ways Advance 1 missed the point of the 2D games from a level design standpoint, Amy and her Advance 1 moveset were probably the best thing to come out of that trilogy.
 
T

TrueBlue

Member
I would love to see Classic Amy playable. Though I do think she should at least have the ability to roll into a ball, if not necessarily Spin Dash or curl up while jumping. At least then she would have a utility that is also present with Sonic, Tails and Knux while also retaining a unique feel and higher difficulty.
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
TrueBlue said:
I would love to see Classic Amy playable. Though I do think she should at least have the ability to roll into a ball, if not necessarily Spin Dash or curl up while jumping. At least then she would have a utility that is also present with Sonic, Tails and Knux while also retaining a unique feel and higher difficulty.
Click to expand...

Nah, the whole point of Amy's Advance moveset is you have to work around her inability to spin and use her hammer. It makes her unique. She can super peel out to get out of a jam.
 
RomanceDawn

RomanceDawn

Member
So what are all of Sonic's moves in this game?

1 - Super Spin Attack - Just running and pressing down to roll?
2 - Spin Dash
3 - Drop Dash(new)

What else?

I'm extremely excited for this. I didn't like the sprites from any of the Advanced games and hate how modern Sonic looks in a 2D setting. Smash Bros Sonic looks just right on a 2D playing field though. I guess I should clarify that I enjoyed how the sprites from the Advanced games moved for the most part I just didn't like how they looked. The run animation on Sonic and Tails always just looked so off to me. Tails' tails should look like spinning blades gosh darn it!

So to see this super amazing style brought back almost exactly as I remember it has me jumping up and down! Tails will have flat helicopter blades behind and above him at full speed right?

Oh and if we get a 2 player co-op with Sonic and Tails or maybe even a combination of all 3 that would be amazing! Sonic, Tails of Knuckles could be the leader and only Sonic can't be the helper. If left behind Tails just flies in like normal and knuckles could either just glide in or dig in. Though I imagine it will just be left to Sonic and Tails.

You know one of my dreams ever since the Game Boy Advanced hooking up to the Cube was to have classic 2D Sonic with Sonic focused on the TV and Tails focused on the handheld. With the 3DS or Wii U this could totally be done! It would allow Tails to be in more control and not at the total mercy of Sonic's high speed whims.

Hopefully this eventually makes its way to NX but I'm just so happy it's getting made at all.
 
T

TrueBlue

Member
RagnarokX said:
Nah, the whole point of Amy's Advance moveset is you have to work around her inability to spin and use her hammer. It makes her unique. She can super peel out to get out of a jam.
Click to expand...

Actually yeah, I can get behind that. Plus if Sonic can't perform the peel-out, it's only fitting that the move instead goes to a character who debuted in CD.
 
M

Mr. Smiley

Member
If Sonic isn't going have to his Insta-Shield, I like the idea of Amy having an offshoot of it with her hammer in a classic title. While she doesn't turn into a ball of course.
 
G

Guess Who

Banned
Prototype Viktor said:
Only needed 4 companies to do it
Click to expand...

Essentially the entire core development team working on this game is in this photo.

h9BTEVz.jpg
 
A

Azure J

Member
I'm very happy to see so many people backing Amy for a fourth "hard" mode difficulty. Advance 1 really did something unique with that style and I'd definitely back a DLC campaign or extra that was basically more of that with this team's attention to detail and gameplay balancing. Edit: Super Peel Out would be a rad method of acceleration without losing this niche tbh.
 
N

Narroo

Member
The Taxman said:
All the screens and footage of GHZ are from the playable demo, which was just the first act. GHZ Act 1 is probably the tamest classic level of the lot, but I can't say much more than that until Sega reveals more info on the story and stuff in the future.

The reception for Sonic Mania has been pretty wild, and I'm really happy most people seem to dig it. I realise Saturn-esque retro 2D stuff isn't for everyone but this was the most effective way for our indie sized team to develop a good chunk of fun content in the time frame, rather than something like 4 zones with potentially forgettable HD graphics.

P.S. there are some nice CRT filters in addition to those "highest quality, uncompressed pixels" ;)
Click to expand...

Good CRT filters? Not those cheese ones you see in things like the MM collection?
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
Azure J said:
I'm very happy to see so many people backing Amy for a fourth "hard" mode difficulty. Advance 1 really did something unique with that style and I'd definitely back a DLC campaign or extra that was basically more of that with this team's attention to detail and gameplay balancing. Edit: Super Peel Out would be a rad method of acceleration without losing this niche tbh.
Click to expand...

In Sonic Advance 1 she had a move similar to the Super Peel Out where she would skip forward into a run.

That move was replaced by the Super Peel Out in this Sonic 3 hack.
 
N

Neoxon

Junior Member
The Taxman said:
All the screens and footage of GHZ are from the playable demo, which was just the first act. GHZ Act 1 is probably the tamest classic level of the lot, but I can't say much more than that until Sega reveals more info on the story and stuff in the future.

The reception for Sonic Mania has been pretty wild, and I'm really happy most people seem to dig it. I realise Saturn-esque retro 2D stuff isn't for everyone but this was the most effective way for our indie sized team to develop a good chunk of fun content in the time frame, rather than something like 4 zones with potentially forgettable HD graphics.

P.S. there are some nice CRT filters in addition to those "highest quality, uncompressed pixels" ;)
Click to expand...
While I do hope that you guys make an NX port, I'm definitely happy with what I'm seeing so far. Keep up the good work.
 
M

Mr. Smiley

Member
Yeah I always loved Peel Out for the flair of it but thought there was no need for it once Sonic 2's spin dash was adopted. Perfect fit for hard mode Amy.

This has made me realize I skipped out on Advance 1 though I played the other two. Really feeling like picking up Advance 1 to try out Amy.
 
S

Spinluck

Member
The Taxman said:
The reception for Sonic Mania has been pretty wild, and I'm really happy most people seem to dig it. I realise Saturn-esque retro 2D stuff isn't for everyone but this was the most effective way for our indie sized team to develop a good chunk of fun content in the time frame, rather than something like 4 zones with potentially forgettable HD graphics.

P.S. there are some nice CRT filters in addition to those "highest quality, uncompressed pixels" ;)
Click to expand...

Vindicated.
 
R

RK128

Member
I'm going to talk about the series here again, because why not? Not going to let sour comments or negativity push my away from talking about something I like anymore.

Anyway, Sonic Mania! Man, this announcement made me scream YES! late at night XD. SEGA finally did it and let the great fan game and hacking community developers work on the series after years of working with them on fantastic iOS remasters of the 2D Classic titles.

Taxman, Stealth, Tee Loops....all three working together on a big Sonic project is a dream come true and I can't wait to see more of this game. It screams polish and love of the series. The animations, the sprite work, the music; it all clicks together amazingly.

Wonderful way to kick off a new Era for Sonic and I can't wait to see more!
 
S

Sciz

Member
Guess Who said:
Essentially the entire core development team working on this game is in this photo.

http://i.imgur.com/h9BTEVz.jpg[img][/QUOTE]

That was a downright heartwarming picture right up until the point that I noticed the Totino's logos plastered all over the backdrop and nearly spat out my drink.
Click to expand...
 
goldenpp72

goldenpp72

Member
DeathSparks said:
Not yet sadly, maybe Limited run games can hook up with SEGA to do a limited run or get someone like Yacht Club to do it. Who knows but I hope it does at some point
Click to expand...

That will never happen, Sonic is way too important to be handled by that small of an operation, Sega could obviously handle the process it would just be if they will.
 
A

Ash735

Member
stargateheaven said:
is there a reason it's not sonic 3 sprite? i'm fine with it it's just sonic 3 sprite is my favourite.
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Because each game changed up the sprite slightly, and they don't have the extra animations for Sonic 3's sprites, so, instead of shoehorning in extra frames to the old sprite sheets, go full out with new sprites.
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
stargateheaven said:
is there a reason it's not sonic 3 sprite? i'm fine with it it's just sonic 3 sprite is my favourite.
Click to expand...

Probably because Sonic CD sprite has a lot of animations that they like like Sonic spinning when he hits a spring and they didn't feel like redrawing them for Sonic 3's sprite.

Let's just hope they don't use Chaotix Knuckles.

Ash735 said:
Because each game changed up the sprite slightly, and they don't have the extra animations for Sonic 3's sprites, so, instead of shoehorning in extra frames to the old sprite sheets, go full out with new sprites.
Click to expand...
But Sonic 3 is newer than CD. And the Sonic CD Sonic's sprite clashes in style with Knuckles.
 
A

Ash735

Member
RagnarokX said:
Probably because Sonic CD sprite has a lot of animations that they like like Sonic spinning when he hits a spring and they didn't feel like redrawing them for Sonic 3's sprite.

Let's just hope they don't use Chaotix Knuckles.


But Sonic 3 is newer than CD. And the Sonic CD Sonic's sprite clashes in style with Knuckles.
Click to expand...
But they're not using Sonic CD sprites, these are redrawn, taking influence from Sonic 1/CD but also have extra animations not seen before (check out the other gameplay videos). I assume Tails and Knuckles will be redrawn too so they all fit in this new colour palette.

Even most of Green Hill Zone is redrawn, the fact that most people think this is just ripped out the old games just shows how well they've done to match the classics style! :D
 
M

MrHoot

Member
The presentation was a laughing stock (although endearing) but damn ...

Sonic Mania looks fucking amazing.

I'm already supremely happy that Whitehead is working on this. But really, they NAILED the presentation on this one: visuals, animation, music...

I was just typing in another thread ("What's the appeal of sonic") about how I felt one of the elements of older sonic games is that you felt you had a red carpet laid down in front of you to enter the greatest attraction when you started playing sonic 2 or 3&k, because back then it was one of the top 2d experience you could get. And after years of debacle i'm glad to feel kinda like that again seeing these snippets of Sonic Mania. It's obvious that there's been a great amount of care in the details of both the world and the game itself, physics included, to make everyone feel as good as possible
 
K

Kouichi

Member
I've always preferred the Sonic 1/CD Sonic sprite over the Sonic 3, so I'm glad they're going with that as the base and adding a bunch of new animations to it. It look so beautiful now. Can't wait to see Tails and Knuckles in action.
 
M

MrHoot

Member
Kouichi said:
I've always preferred the Sonic 1/CD Sonic sprite over the Sonic 3, so I'm glad they're going with that as the base and adding a bunch of new animations to it. It look so beautiful now. Can't wait to see Tails and Knuckles in action.
Click to expand...

Knuckles I'm curious about since he never had a "Sonic 1" look. I wonder if they're gonna reuse his Sonic 3 look or chaotix look, or a mix of both with extra sheen
 
D

DedValve

Banned
Probably not the best thread to put this in but I absolutely loathe almost every single special stage ever in every sonic stage.

What would be cool is if the special stages were like the red gem stages of Rayman Origins. That would be so dope.
 
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