Episode 2 is infinitely better than 1, but that's not saying much. It's certainly much easier on the eyes, but not much better on the ears. Also the level design is still somewhat shoddy, and most levels still retain the problem of feeling ripped off from earlier Sonic games rather than being new. It's not bad though, just kind of forgettable once you finish.
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Sonic Mania (8-15-2017, SEGA/Taxman/Headcannon/PagodaWest, PS4/XB1/PC/NX)
- Thread starter Hip Hop
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Episode 2 is infinitely better than 1, but that's not saying much. It's certainly much easier on the eyes, but not much better on the ears. Also the level design is still somewhat shoddy, and most levels still retain the problem of feeling ripped off from earlier Sonic games rather than being new. It's not bad though, just kind of forgettable once you finish.
SkylineRKR
Member
I think its worse.
Sonic 4 episode 2 has bosses that take like 5-10 minutes to beat. Their introduction is also gut wrenching if you failed. Another thing I hated was the fact you had to use the Tails gimmicks.
Sonic 4 is just shit in general, homing attacks on a row of enemies is just bad game design and doesn't persist on the Genesis (unless its to reach secrets).
Episode 1 and 2 are both the same amount of awful for different reasons.
Ep 1 is like playing nothing. I don't think I've ever managed to beat it. I just can't care enough to beat four zones. At one point you're just running through a level and it tosses like 20 lives at you.
Ep 2 has the second pause every time you do the team thing, and it wants you to do it a lot. The music is even worse. The stages are slightly better than the first, but only slightly. I haven't managed to beat it either.
Ep 2 may edge out because it's got better boss design I guess, but the above post is correct about the length.
Ep 1 is like playing nothing. I don't think I've ever managed to beat it. I just can't care enough to beat four zones. At one point you're just running through a level and it tosses like 20 lives at you.
Ep 2 has the second pause every time you do the team thing, and it wants you to do it a lot. The music is even worse. The stages are slightly better than the first, but only slightly. I haven't managed to beat it either.
Ep 2 may edge out because it's got better boss design I guess, but the above post is correct about the length.
Episode 2 is definitely better then Episode 1. Although if you own both episodes you unlock 'Episode Metal', which is like a hard mode version of Episode 1 zones with Metal Sonic as a playable character. Beyond that I will say that Episode 2 really shines towards the end of the game. Sky Fortress Zone Act 2 is a fast-paced and brilliantly designed level, sometimes I'll boot up Episode 2 just so I can play through Sky Fortress Zone Act 2 again.
HI you're me. I love the ending of Episode 2. The death egg zone music is downright good. They were headed somewhere really good with sonic 4, and I feel like an Episode 3 could have righted the ship.
At any extent mania looks fantastic, but I can't help but wonder how an episode 3 would have turned out.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
I played the demo for Sonic 4. I spindashed up a slope, going to the right, let go of the stick, Sonic dropped like a rock. A small tear ran down my cheek towards my mouth as I whispered, "No...this is wrong...". I then proceeded to delete the demo.
stargateheaven
Member
RowdyReverb
Member
Which jump sound effect is Mania using? The different jump sound was the first thing to jump out at me when I played 3
Yeah, the second half of Episode 2 really showed what Sonic 4 could be at its best. I would've loved to see an Episode 3, just to push the concept a little further and fully justify the Sonic franchise's experiment with episodic gaming. Regardless, I'm extremely excited about Sonic Mania and eagerly await the day Sega releases a downloadable demo
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Yep. Sonic 4 is a waste of time IMO.
Played through both episodes not too long ago.
Ep1 http://steamcommunity.com/id/pepsimanvsjoe/recommended/202530/
Ep2 http://steamcommunity.com/id/pepsimanvsjoe/recommended/203650/
They're pretty longish reviews, so I'd rather not quote huge blocks of text.
Played through both episodes not too long ago.
Ep1 http://steamcommunity.com/id/pepsimanvsjoe/recommended/202530/
Ep2 http://steamcommunity.com/id/pepsimanvsjoe/recommended/203650/
They're pretty longish reviews, so I'd rather not quote huge blocks of text.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
it sounds closer to Sonic 1/2 to me. As long as its not CD, I hate the jump sound in that game, and I hated that used it for Classic Sonic in Generations. Yeah, I'm that anal about it.
Hot Coldman
Banned
That's such a "we're using CD-quality audio, we need to make all these sounds super hi-fi" and it SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS
only bad thing about CD's audio tho
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Sonic CD is one of my favorite Sonic games, and the jump sound still bugs me.
War Raichu
Member
it's definitely not CD. That sound has stuck out to me ever since they used it in Sonic 1 Megamix instead of the Genesis sound
Tizoc
Member
Dont you mean jp palm tree panic
RomanceDawn
Member
Anyone else like the idea of 2nd screened controller(Gamepad, 3DS or Vita) acting as a full screen for the 2nd player? I've wanted something like that since the Game Boy Advance. Tails wouldn't be at the complete mercy of Sonic jetting off at the drop of a hat.
I hope this has co-op, has that been mentioned at all? Would be cool to do a Sonic & Knuckles or Tails & Knuckles team up as well. Didn't advance 3 try something like that? I imagine if you leave tails behind he'll just fly back like normal and if you leave knuckles behind he'll just glide or dig back into frame.
Someone's with me right?
I hope this has co-op, has that been mentioned at all? Would be cool to do a Sonic & Knuckles or Tails & Knuckles team up as well. Didn't advance 3 try something like that? I imagine if you leave tails behind he'll just fly back like normal and if you leave knuckles behind he'll just glide or dig back into frame.
Someone's with me right?
War Raichu
Member
I feel like at the very least they will give us a Sonic and Tails mode (Advance 1 did that), but beyond that, who knows. I'm just glad we're getting 3 characters period.
celsowmbr
Banned
If Sonic Mania Is “Longer Than Generations" then we gonna have at least 10 zones ? This is amazing !
Oh god stop please I can only get so excited!
Then again it isn't hard to make a game longer than Generations tbh. Still, great news!
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Well, I don't think we're getting less new zones then remixed zones, and I figure we're getting one for 1/CD/2/3/&K, which'd be five remixed zones, so matching that with new zones would make ten.
Personally I hope we get more new zones then remixes.
Mr. Smiley
Member
Longer than Sonic Gen is good news. 10's a good number but if they go for S3&K's number of 13, whoa baby
Chiming in on a bunch of things:
- Sonic 3 sprite > every other Sonic sprite. It perfectly nails that Felix The Cat inspiration and the look of cartoons from that era without giving up on what made Sonic such a slick character.
- Sonic CD jump sfx is just that weird amount of high pitched enough to be annoying, don't do that please.
- Stage Remixes
Sonic 1 - Green Hill Zone & Spring Yard Zone
Sonic 2 - Aquatic Ruin & ...¯\_(ツ
_/¯
Sonic 3 - Angel Island & Hydrocity
Sonic & Knuckles - Flying Battery & Lava Reef + Hidden Palace/Sky Sanctuary short segment
Sonic CD - Quartz Quadrant (Purely on the strength of its stage theme)
- Sonic 3 sprite > every other Sonic sprite. It perfectly nails that Felix The Cat inspiration and the look of cartoons from that era without giving up on what made Sonic such a slick character.
- Sonic CD jump sfx is just that weird amount of high pitched enough to be annoying, don't do that please.
- Stage Remixes
Sonic 1 - Green Hill Zone & Spring Yard Zone
Sonic 2 - Aquatic Ruin & ...¯\_(ツ
_/¯Sonic 3 - Angel Island & Hydrocity
Sonic & Knuckles - Flying Battery & Lava Reef + Hidden Palace/Sky Sanctuary short segment
Sonic CD - Quartz Quadrant (Purely on the strength of its stage theme)
Some of those arrangements are downright great. I don't like the brass instruments he uses in the Sonic 2 HD remixes, though, and Studiopolis by extension. Too corny imo
Tee Lopes? I wonder if he's Portuguese.Chiming in on a bunch of things:
- Sonic 3 sprite > every other Sonic sprite. It perfectly nails that Felix The Cat inspiration and the look of cartoons from that era without giving up on what made Sonic such a slick character.
- Sonic CD jump sfx is just that weird amount of high pitched enough to be annoying, don't do that please.
- Stage Remixes
Sonic 1 - Green Hill Zone & Spring Yard Zone
Sonic 2 - Aquatic Ruin & ...¯\_(ツ
Sonic 3 - Angel Island & Hydrocity
Sonic & Knuckles - Flying Battery & Lava Reef + Hidden Palace/Sky Sanctuary short segment
Sonic CD - Quartz Quadrant (Purely on the strength of its stage theme)
Alright might as well post my list:
Sonic 1: Starlight Zone (Green Hill is here already)
Sonic 2: Aquatic Ruin or Mystic Cave (either one is pretty much 👌🏾 )
Sonic CD: Quartz Quadrant or Stardust Speedway
Sonic 3: Hydrocity or Ice Cap
Sonic & Knuckles: Flying Battery or Lava Reef (also pretty much 👌🏾 )
I also hope there's more new than old too.
Sonic 1: Starlight Zone (Green Hill is here already)
Sonic 2: Aquatic Ruin or Mystic Cave (either one is pretty much 👌🏾 )
Sonic CD: Quartz Quadrant or Stardust Speedway
Sonic 3: Hydrocity or Ice Cap
Sonic & Knuckles: Flying Battery or Lava Reef (also pretty much 👌🏾 )
I also hope there's more new than old too.
I'm actually of the opinion that episode 1 is better. 2 has prettier graphics and less broken physics, but the level design is worse and way too dependant on the flow-breaking Tails gimmick, as well as having even more automated sections.
Neither are anything special, neither are huge dumpster fires of bad either. They're just fairly meh platformers.
Yep this is all I ever wanted
Sonic 4 Ep II is way better than the first for the simple fact that they kind of fixed the physics a tiny bit. Sonic has some air momentum instead of zero air momentum. Seriously, DEAD FUCKING STOP if you let go of forward while jumping in Ep I. Who the fuck even okay'd that shit.
megashock5
Member
Agreed, hoping for a physical release. Come on, Sega.
Chaotic-Strike
Banned
Well I'll post the stages I would like to see.
Sonic 1: Starlight Zone
Sonic 2: Casino Night Zone
Sonic 3: Hydrocity
Sonic 3 and Knuckles: Flying Battery Zone
Sonic 1: Starlight Zone
Sonic 2: Casino Night Zone
Sonic 3: Hydrocity
Sonic 3 and Knuckles: Flying Battery Zone
I Hope we get to an option to chose the old Sonic 3 Sprite. That was the best.
I mean they might do a classic CD case but with just a digital code inside.
I mean they might do a classic CD case but with just a digital code inside.
BlazeHedgehog
Member
Horns aren't corny! You're just weird about horns.
I remember you telling me to lay off the saxophone on some of my other songsThis is exactly my list as well. Also would like to see Aquatic Ruin, just for the music.
Looking forward to the original stages the most after seeing Studiopolis though. Man, it is so perfect.
Valjean Lafitte
Banned
I remember thinking the horns in Casinopolis Zone sounded corny back when I first played SA. That and the other brass-heavy songs in the Adventure series eventually grew on me, but I still think that sound is less suited for the classic series than the modern games.Horns aren't corny! You're just weird about horns.
I remember Yuji Naka once describing the music of the Genesis games as being more techno-influenced and SA more rock-influenced. I don't know about all that, but I do think there are only a handful of classic Sonic songs suited for trumpet or saxophone, mostly Nakamura tracks (Sweet Dreams being an obvious example).
Horns aren't corny! You're just weird about horns.
The saxophone isn't a HORN it's a WOODWIND GOD
I played the alto saxophone in high school band and heard this misconception a lot.
Horns are pretty common on the Sonic CD JP soundtrack, which is obviously an influence on Mania. Palmtree Panic, Quartz Quadrant, Stardust Speedway all use horns prominently.
allenpergallon
Member
Episode 1 arguably has better level design and stage gimmicks, but is as vanilla of a nostalgia grab as you can get. No real identity of its own in everything from level tropes to bosses, you'll really leave wondering why it exists.
Episode 2 has better graphics, better (still sloppy) physics, arguably better music, and is a fair bit more unique, but stages can get trivialized a lot by the team mechanic and never feels as satisfying as it should be. The bosses, while a little better, are some of the most offensive things out there in terms of how much waiting you'll be doing. Playing with another person makes it a bit more entertaining, however.
Episode Metal probably plays the best between the two since it's Ep 2 physics in Ep 1 stages....but you're essentially retreading retread ground.
Overall Sonic 4 is a very unremarkable experience. It comes and goes without much fanfare, and it's probably Dimps at its worst (even after 6 or so games they still haven't given up their bottomless pit and boostpad fetish).
I can't really relate to the excitement for the classic levels. If anything my only worry about the game is that they're gonna be half of the zones in it and I'll end up wanting more from a sequel that, knowing Sega, will never come.
But oh well, maybe it'll be worth it for the arrangements. Do we know if there was new music in GHZ or was it just the same as in Sonic 1?
But oh well, maybe it'll be worth it for the arrangements. Do we know if there was new music in GHZ or was it just the same as in Sonic 1?
GHZ's track is basically the original track, just remastered with more modern audio production. You can hear it in the Gamespot gameplay video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8EedQJk7Y
Since we're getting bosses in each act S3&K style, we might get an act 2 remix like S3&K had as well.
Awesome! Will pick up on PC. Been craving some more good Sonic after Generations. Though with the retro artstyle I'd really have preferred to play it on Vita, but this will probably do.
Grabbed a cheap SNES USB pad and added some blutack and tape to fix the buttons and have been going through SMB3 while listening to beastcast etc. Pretty good.
Grabbed a cheap SNES USB pad and added some blutack and tape to fix the buttons and have been going through SMB3 while listening to beastcast etc. Pretty good.
Wow, thanks! Taxman delivers!
IronicSonic
Member
Is there any info about how bonus stage will be handled? I tend to prefer hidden giant rings over lampost's.
Great
Great
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