TheAggroCraig
Member
Definitely keeping my Switch CE order, and I'm sure I'll own it on Steam eventually as well on a sale or something. Going to play the shit out of this at launch and on my flight at the end of August!
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Sonic Mania - Pre-Order Trailer (out August 15th)
- Thread starter Hot Coldman
- Start date
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Solid SOAP
Member
I won't really mind the rehashed levels if the Act 2s continue to look awesome and completely different from what precedes them. It seems to me that the formula for classic stages is that Act 1 is primarily the same with expanded level design, while Act 2 completely changes it up.
If they put those animated cutscenes in between levels or "big moments" tho, omg. What they showed was lovely as hell and spoke to my inner geek. Looks so reminiscent of the OVA and just what I imagined Sonic was in the old games.
I'm thinkin I'll get this day 1 and wait on Forces if I even get it at all. Truly I want this game to sell gangbusters and Forces to flop so SEGA start focusing on making more classic style games. I'm sure this'll do well, but if it out-performs Forces then there may be a shot at more, err, "real" Sonic games.
If they put those animated cutscenes in between levels or "big moments" tho, omg. What they showed was lovely as hell and spoke to my inner geek. Looks so reminiscent of the OVA and just what I imagined Sonic was in the old games.
I'm thinkin I'll get this day 1 and wait on Forces if I even get it at all. Truly I want this game to sell gangbusters and Forces to flop so SEGA start focusing on making more classic style games. I'm sure this'll do well, but if it out-performs Forces then there may be a shot at more, err, "real" Sonic games.
jobrro
Member
I feel like they mostly wanted to show they were forgetting Sonic 4. This is the sequel to 3&K.
Aaron Strife
Banned
Sonic 4 isn't terrible, but it definitely doesn't live up to its name. It suffers from borked physics and lazy rehashing of level themes from previous Sonic games (Episode II mixes it up a little by combining certain level tropes, but even then it's all pretty boilerplate). And the music is all this godawful fake chiptune shit.
I think if they'd called it Sonic Gotta Go Fast or something no one would really care about it.
I don't really think they wanted to throw shade at Sonic 4, is just that Sonic 4 happens after Mania. Sonic 4 uses the actual Sonic model, not the Classic one.
That being said, Sonic 4 wasn't that good yeah. It was especially expensive for how short the two episodes where. It was made by Dimps, so that may give you an idea how the level design was.
Both. Episode 1 is really just a bad game that's not memorable for any reason other than being called Sonic 4. Episode 2 is inoffensive but still not really worthy of the name, and tries its best to ride the coattails of better titles.
Is there a reason sega never uses the old school sonic music anymore. The old title screen and invincibility music. I know it's just nostalgia but I still remember that shit as a kid and am always disappointed they don't ever bring it back. Especially in a game like this where it pretty much looks exactly like those games
Jimnymebob
Member
Episode 2 is fine, aside from the instruments used for the music, the fact that the Sonic and Tails tag mechanics don't add anything, and the multiplayer is stupid for the fact that the camera tries to follow both characters, and not just Sonic. Other than that, it's a fun little Sonic game, with some interesting levels.
Episode 1 is a bunch of garbage though. It's just a remake of Green Hill, Casino Night, and Metropolis Zone with an awful soundtrack, recycled bosses but with an extra gimmick, a boss rush, and the final boss having an instant kill attack as it dies that has little warning. The Mad Gear Zone theme is the sole highlight of it.
The Broken Ska Record
Member
Oh man. Mania is getting me right in the nostalgias. Especially with the way Sonic's portrayed in this trailer.
Sonic 1 and 2 music is owned by the composer, there's some legal fuckery everytime they want to use it.
Solid SOAP
Member
Awful. The game barely works, the physics are so damn bad. The level design is super lazy, often coasting you along boost pads with minimal input, then forcing you to make a last-second decision without warning. Visually the game is an eyesore; it shamelessly and pitifully apes the visuals of the classic games, and the music isn't much better.
Hitlersaurus Christ
Banned
I'd say the second game's a bit better, but the level design is somehow worse.
Fucked up man. I have the most nostalgia for those soundtracks compared to other sonics. They got to reuse some of it in generations but still never the damn invincibility track
Hitlersaurus Christ
Banned
Generations had both classic and modern versions of the invincibility track though?
Tizoc
Member
Is it worth playing for metal sonic?
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
BURN IT WITH FIRE
Hot Coldman
Banned
Just play Sonic CD, Generations, or watch the OVA.
Hitlersaurus Christ
Banned
Depends how much you like Metal Sonic, I guess? He's got a decent boss fight, pilots a ship for some reason and there's a Sonic CD style race against him. I liked his theme which is more than I can say about most of the soundtrack.
Unless you mean episode metal in which case absolutely not
Episode Metal is the worst part of Sonic 4.
Solid SOAP
Member
Definitely but like... I wouldnt recommend it to literally anyone. It's bland and competent at best.
I have great faith Mania will provide much more solid and lasting entertainment at $20 than both episodes of Sonic 4 did at $30, anyway. I cannot wait.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I don't know how they managed it, but they somehow found a way to make episode 2 even worse than episode 1.
Solid SOAP
Member
The graphics, music, and controls were better, but damn... that level design? Team attacks that take half a minute to charge up??? What were they thinking!
I also found it funny that SEGA advertised the "story" of the games as tho there was one at all, haha wtf. "Find out what happened before Episode I"? Wtf?
IMO Knuckles Chaotix is almost as bad as Sonic 4 (for different reasons), and deserves the same obliteration from our memories.
Atleast Chaotix had awesome art design and music.
The level design yeah, it was some weird shit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlqTd_VBeKY
Physics? Momentum? Good level design? Never heard of those things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiMi1fq79BE
I don't know how you came to that conclusion. Episode 2 is mediocre, definitely, but it doesn't come close to how bad Episode 1 was.
Episode 2 at least has some form of recognisable physics (e.g Sonic doesn't lose all momentum in the air when you let go of a direction). It also looks a million times better, with a decent lighting engine in place.
Episode 1
Episode 2
My main problem with Episode 2, like Episode 1, is the bland level design and bosses that take way, way too long to defeat. The space between the bosses attack patterns, and their weak spot opening is ridiculous.
Solid SOAP
Member
I'd be in for levels that use Chaotix assets while making completely new level design 👌
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
The level design in 2 was pure garbage and the forced co-op stuff completely killed the flow of the game. 2 looked better and controlled better, but with level design like that it doesn't even matter. It was even less fun to play.I don't know how you came to that conclusion. Episode 2 is mediocre, definitely, but it doesn't come close to how bad Episode 1 was.
Episode 2 at least has some form of recognisable physics (e.g Sonic doesn't lose all momentum in the air when you let go of a direction). It also looks a million times better, with a decent lighting engine in place.
Episode 1
Episode 2
My main problem with Episode 2, like Episode 1, is the bland level design and bosses that take way, way too long to defeat. The space between the bosses attack patterns, and their weak spot opening is ridiculous.
Hitlersaurus Christ
Banned
One noticinle difference between Sonic 4 episode 1 and episode 2 is that the latter knows it's meant to be a follow up to the Genesis games. The first Sonic 4 was made to be a small downloadable Sonic game with a classic coat of paint, mainly focused on mobile. The Sonic 4 name came later in development as a sort of marketing thing. I could be wrong, but I think Sega of America pushed for it? You can even make out the words "Sonic the Portable" in the background of Casino Street Zone.
Sonic 4 Episode 2 tried to mix in the Metal Sonic and Little Planet stuff to tie it in to the series as a whole. 3 was going to introduce Knuckles and have them land on Angel Island (and the idea of having Christian Whitehead direct with Sega of Australia developing was at least considered) but it was scrapped due to Sonic 4's reception.
Sonic 4 Episode 2 tried to mix in the Metal Sonic and Little Planet stuff to tie it in to the series as a whole. 3 was going to introduce Knuckles and have them land on Angel Island (and the idea of having Christian Whitehead direct with Sega of Australia developing was at least considered) but it was scrapped due to Sonic 4's reception.
Yep. The whole deal with Ep. I was that it was originally meant to be a iOS/Android small project by Dimps but SEGA of America took control of it. They wanted it on consoles and the marketing 'geniuses' thought slapping on the name 'Sonic 4' could make it sell better. So, they took a mobile platformer and threw it on consoles. But once the hints of it's mobile origins (two 'Act IIs' in the beta version) got exposed, they gave Dimps a few more months and extra funding to get it out.
Ep. II was the 'real deal' and I honestly really like the game. It felt like a nice Sonic Advance-esc game personally. Not perfect but not bad either. Just good. Does it live up to the Sonic 4 name? Heck no! But when letting it stand on it's own? It's a very enjoyable 2D platformer and a nice console adventure for Sonic despite it's odd level design issues.
I don't know if this was intended. But you can clearly tell from my tone that I've never played the game. So I don't know why you're asking me if I know about the physics, momentum or level design of the game.
Red Arremer
Member
Honestly I would love ALL of the Sonic 1-3&Knuckles + CD zones in this game... Maybe as DLC.
A re-imagining of the 2D levels of Unleashed would be cool too, the Chinese, Savannah and Arabic levels were amazing.
I remember being around back when the beta of Sonic 4 Episode 1 leaked on a development portal of XBLA. The Act 2 stages you referred to were entirely tilt controlled, completely intended for phones, but were controlled by the triggers on consoles. They were horrible. I don't remember exactly, but was it not the immense negative reaction to this that led to the game being delayed, and these stages being removed for new ones in the final release?
balladofwindfishes
Member
Sonic Advance was basically Sonic 4 years before Sonic 4 was a thing, anyway. Advance fits perfectly well within the "classic" Sonic series.
I usually forget 4 even exists.
I usually forget 4 even exists.
Damn straight, especially how repetitive and barren each acts of the same stage were between them. Such a waste of art and especially music.
Yep, act 2 from Casino and Labyrinth stage were tilt based (a pinball only and cart stage), done with phones in mind. They changed it for the consoles versions.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Advance was enjoyable, but I always saw the game as classic lite. It's in the classic style of gameplay, but not as good. But it's a solid game.
You could tell they were still feeling things out with level design too. It kind of breaks down in the later levels, and even at the start you can tell that they were just kind of throwing rails and enemies about haphazardly without much flow in mind.
Though playing as Amy was great and seemed to mitigate most of that, strangely enough.
Triforce141
Member
Aquatic Ruin would be my choice for a Sonic 2 stage, if only because I'd like to see what Tee Lopes would do with the music twice
I know he did do the Sonic 2 HD soundtrack, but I mean for Mania's case
Well... at least Hill Top Zone isn't
Tizoc
Member
Let us not kid ourselves; we all know hat the real sonic 2 rep stage we want is
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOz8yAl2c0
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOz8yAl2c0
Tarin02543
Member
I'd love to see Steam releases of the whitehead ports of sonic1/2/3.
At the moment the Steam versions are megadrive roms.
At the moment the Steam versions are megadrive roms.
The animation in that new trailer though.
If Sega would bitch slap the edge outta Sonic Team and force them to revisit classic Sonic style, the series could actually become good again.
I hope this team considers revisiting the Sonic Advance style for another revival. That series was the best 2D sonic has ever been.
If Sega would bitch slap the edge outta Sonic Team and force them to revisit classic Sonic style, the series could actually become good again.
I hope this team considers revisiting the Sonic Advance style for another revival. That series was the best 2D sonic has ever been.
NightwingRebirth
Member
Oh. I kinda need this in my life. I mean, I'm happy enough with Mania right now and Indivisible later, but a Sonic game after Indivisible from you guys would be amazing!
NightwingRebirth
Member
Damn, now isn't that the dream?
2D Unleashed and Colours levels would be beyond incredible.
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