neezTHEhuman

It has more watch sonic go fast bits than normal but the level design was big and varied enough on the whole that i didn't mind it that much

For a game that requires the player to explore for 100% completion, those parts were too frequent.

What Wraith said. The automation isn't excessive but there were some unnecessary fast sections in some of the acts where you feel like a passenger.

Eh, I'd say "requires the player to explore for 100% completion" is a little subjective.  It's not like the game demands you find every single special stage ring, just enough to collect all the emeralds.  If you get thrown into an automated section that prevents you from exploring an earlier portion of the level, it's not really that important unless you're on Titanic Monarch Act 2, y'know? (And even then, only in No Save Mode technically).  And just as an automated route can make you miss a special stage ring, so too can many non-automated routes.

I definitely didn't mind them, there's like one or two that are overly long but even those ones are hardly the only route through the level.

Strangely my only real grip with Mania is the same one I have with S3&K (though the automated routes are annoying) and that is that the levels are way to huge and time consuming. Unfortunately for me my preferences have always leaned more into the short but challenging to clear arcade mentality of the prior games and why I prefer the end of stage bonus stage ring to the in stage rings scattered everywhere. It just incentivizes me to play better more so than explore every square inch of a level so you can get Super Sonic faster which is hypocritical of me since I enjoy the freedom of being able to choose between both options to get the good ending of CD.

Its no Sonic Advance 2 at least so there's that.

The only instance I felt it was too automated was the bottom route of Studiopolis Act 2. That route is a disaster with anyone other than Mighty. Other than that though... not really, unless we're applying a really loose definition of automation. 

I think the most notable automated section for me was the one near the end of Flying Battery where you spend like 30 seconds whizzing around the outside of the ship on those protruding U-shaped curves over and over again.  Just goes on a little longer than it probably needed to.  That's the one I always think of.

I agree with Sonic Fan J though that I KIND of prefer the simplicity of the 50-ring challenge/end-of-stage entry point for special stages.  Just feels tidier in terms of pacing.  Going fast AND holding onto your rings is way more fun to me than going fast and exploring/performing a tricky route - especially considering reaching that special stage ring will result in your "going fast through the levels" activities coming to an immediate halt.

Having said all that, almost hypocritically, finding a special stage ring after unlocking Super Sonic feels much lamer for not rewarding you with a whole mini level to play.  Meanwhile the absence of a special stage ring at the end of a stage doesn't feel lame in that same way since it was never necessary for you to hold onto your rings again - but managing to still feels good (assuming you are opting to not use Super Sonic after unlocking him lol).

I like finding the ring special stages just fine since it's a fun value to manipulate on replays. It's fun to see how early I can earn Super Sonic and I like to see how many rings I can rack up at the end of the stage for the score more than I do time.

That being said boy would I like the satisfaction of just passing the sign and finishing the level from Sonic 2 to come back. I wouldn't mind less bosses in general.

Yeah, fewer bosses would be fine with me too. A lot of them just drag things out and they're my main complaint with Mania. 

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

That's my DAD!

We don't know yet.

Sure why not

if there is a god he will be

Yeah, yeah.

It's a nice story, but I don't care for around the ending where Robotnik denys that his actions are bad. He's always proud to be Evil, and it's made pretty clear in the games that he's purposly trying to control the world.

Plus having it take place on real Earth is not gonna fly well for some.

Definitely! “Never Stop” is my jam!

You'll love this too: 

Pretty nice, I like it. It does take a bit too long to get going for my tastes though.

I wonder if it'd still be as well recieved if their ports weren't utter shite.

And that's it.

Nothing else.

well except mania dlc but otherwise

NOTHING. ELSE.

I'm the opposite of Stricker. I totally want something else. I'm so done with Mania and Forces.

Oh trust me, I'm done with both of them but I feel as though mania dlc is both likely and the least controversial thing they can do atm.

The thing is, whatever shit is still boiling from the absolute episode that was last year is just going to transfer to the next title if it gets announced this soon. It just won't stand a chance. The main series needs an hiatus.

Rather have a Riders 4 or the racing game be an adaptation of the Boost; but I'm not too fussed either way.

Other than that all I hope for is individual Mania sales numbers (and really good numbers at that) and a Mania physical release.

And we'll never get another Riders game

The main series just HAD a hiatus. I'm not ready or willing to sit through another one. Generations came out in 2011 and Lost World was shit came out in 2013. Forces was 2017.

I care very little for the dramatic stupidity of most people in this fandom and how they react to stuff. I also don't care for any good or bad reasons for why something should or shouldn't happen.

 I just want to play a new main Sonic game to play that isn't Mania or Forces. That's all. I just want a play a video game.

There's also a fairly good chance that if it comes out this soon after they wouldn't have had time to make the necessary changes internally to not put out another meh game... jumping straight into anything other than a spinoff right after you put your main series into a whirlwind just isn't a good move imo. But hey, the extra time didn't seem to help last time so what ever.

I just liked being able to log into SSMB and not be greeted to a forum wide panic attack everyday over the past few months but hey.

I don't think they really consider it a whirlwind since the game did fine financially as far as they're concerned, so one's mileage may vary on that one.

And eh, I'm fine with a bunch of stupid people on the internet having panic attacks if it means I have a new game to entertain myself with. They'll live. It's just a game, after all.

Between the racer basically confirmed to be a Sonic-only Kart racer, the state of the mainline games, and the likelyhood of DLC for Mania, I'm not interested in any game announcements that there could be atm

Now the movie, on the other hand... *rubs hands together*

Details here:

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2017/September/Important-information-about-the-closure-of-the-Wii-Shop-Channel-1285994.html

Seems it'll be open until February 2019, but you can only add points until 26th of this month.

Smooth Criminal.

Also:

Tossup between Smooth Criminal, Jam, Who Is It and Dangerous. Can't narrow it down any further.

@Patticus yay for someone else who appreciates the masterpiece that is the Dangerous album. Who Is It and Jam are also right up there for me!

@neezTHEhuman Jam I have to love just because of its overt connection to Carnival Night Zone, but it's really dang catchy to boot.

This fan remix is also good.

I got 3:

The last one just became my favorite.

I probably have atleast 10 favorites

Could make a list as long as my arm but instead here's something I'm really digging right now: 

alL oF THEM?? OK not really, but seriously it is hard to pick when there are so many great ones...SOME of my favorite songs from him are (in alphabetical order because having to put them in order would just make it even harder) Bad, Beat It, Billie Jean, Blame it on the Boogie (that one's a The Jacksons song), Dirty Diana, Earth Song, Remember the Time, Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel, Thriller, and Who Is It. I haven't actually listened to all his music yet (I'm actually an extreme newbie fan) so there may be even more favorites I don't know about...also probably some I'm forgetting...

It's MUCH easier to name my least favorite song of his: Carnival Night Zone. He was right about the sound coming out of the system, I find the instruments off-putting. Come at me bros.

Free Willy!!!

Stranger In Moscow:

@Monkey Destruction SwitchWelcome to the MJ fandom! His later stuff is worth checking out too, especially the History album and then there's all the unreleased bootlegs and remixes for you to enjoy too.

after listening to MJ for the better part of 7 years, there are only a handful of MJ songs i dislike. i love most of his work, including a lot of the bonus songs and unreleased tracks i've been able to find and listen to. however, i've always been easily able to identify my personal favorite song. billie jean is probably his best work (it's almost sonical perfection) but my personal favorite is: 

very odd choice, i know, and i can't really explain why i love it, but i do lol. same with the album as a whole tbh; not his best work, but my favorite all the same.

@neezTHEhuman Thanks! I have listened to HIStory and love it, but I couldn't decide which songs to put on my list and it was already long enough, haha.

Beat It is my favorite.

@PennyThere's a few absolute gems on the 'Michael' album: Behind the Mask, Much Too Soon, Hold My Hand and Best of Joy are my faves..... maybe I need to give Monster a re-listen 

That is such a hard question to answer...if I actually was forced to pick one song as my favorite I would go with one of the lesser known MJ songs:

Break of Dawn: so smooth, so soothing, so beautiful...I absolutely love it. 

@Kiah This song OML and Butterflies too....

Uh let's see...

Smooth Criminal, Beat it, They don't care about us, Way you make me feel, Billie Jean, Dirty Diana...

im still lowkey salty that the heroes rumor wasn't true

Nope. Everything about it is looking like it's happening. 

@Ferno Why? 

because to me that's atleast more exciting than another kart racer

Hey as long as they dont have the transformation gimmick im down for another kart racer

No transformation equals an inferior Mario Kart clone and an absolute deal breaker for me. 

If they're gonna do a racer again I'd atleast wanna see them try something on-foot for the first time since R. Also I was interested in the Heroes rumor because Sonic Team's never done a remake before and I wanted to see how they'd handle something like that.