Humans in Sonic Games

[The-Master-Board]

Unleashed Humans. In fact, I think everyone here wouldn't mind Unleashed Humans in future Sonic games.

Speak for yourself.

I'd personally go for any style BUT that from Unleashed's freaky looking humans. Slight anime style of the Adventure games or the realistic look from '06 I could live with. Personally I don't particularly wanna see humans in this game though. Just want a large amount of all of the Sonic cast, don't mind if Gerald, Maria, or Elise show up for one reason or another but I don't particularly wanna see background NPC #12300089.

[Scar]

Meh, NPC's do nothing to hurt the game at all. So there wouldn't be a problem in having them.

Also, Unleashed style people please. I'm sorry, but having those style of humans, fits with Sonic and his Anthropomorph buddies, a whole lot more than Realistic humans, or even anime humans.

[Indigo Rush]

It never fails to boggle my mind how people can take a cartoon character like Sonic, and a realistically proportioned human being, put them together, and expect it to work. The argument never ever works, even on an opinionated standpoint, because Dr. Eggman is a stylized caricature of a human being, and for the sake of making a point, so was Madonna in early concept artwork.

If you want realistic humans to work, then you need to make Sonic himself look more realistic, and the last time we tried that, we got one of the most uninspiring visual designs in a mascot game since Bomberman Zero! (weren't they both released in the same year?)

The presence of humans and their designs are different issues, though. Wendy Witchcart always manages to elude the minds of those who argue for a "no-humans-except-Robotnik" kind of setting for the series.

Actually, you know what? Screw this:

This cartoony human thing, the humans even being present thing, was never ever new. Ever. It's not something introduced in Adventure and Unleashed.

Can the arguments for no humans and realistic humans die now? Both are actually pretty bad.

Edited June 7, 2011 by Indigo Rush

[The-Master-Board]

Can the arguments for no humans and realistic humans die now? Both are actually pretty bad.

[Indigo Rush]

Nope.

People love shitty Unleashed's realism,

[azoo]

Nope.

People love shitty Unleashed's realism, yet Sonic is cartoony, what's the diffence there? I can't see why a cartoon like furry can't exist with real-ish looking humans. Personally I don't hate humans and not want them in the game I just dislike the mass use of them, but I especially hate the stupid pixar exaggerated facial features humans from Unleashed. Adventure's anime style is a good compromise, not exactly over the top in your face stupid looking humans but not exactly real looking either. But I don't mind Elise or the other '06 humans look either.

[Indigo Rush]

Another thing I'd like to bring up. The levels in Unleashed are no more trippy than any of the Adventure levels. Please point to me in Europe where there are giant loops, grind rails and massive barrels with spikes on them rolling around in random places. It's no more "out-there" than Emerald Coast or Green Forest.

[Tatsumaki]

Billy Hatcher-esque humans

I see where you're going thurr. >

I wouldn't mind Billy Hatcher humans, as a matter of fact. But I think they should be used for more cute versions of Sonic games, if you know what I mean.

I mean, it'd look pretty funny if something like Modern Sonic being taller than a whole bunch of humans that are about Keebler Dwarf-sized, as he runs through Midget-Town. ^^

[Indigo Rush]

Billy Hatcher-style humans are okay in my book, but they really aren't that different from the characterization in Unleashed anyway. So I could go either way with that.

[Tatsumaki]

Nope.

People love shitty Unleashed's realism, yet Sonic is cartoony,

Unleashed never had realistic-looking humans in the first place. They're just cartoony, like in Pixar. Like a cartoon, looks, noses, eyes, glasses, head-size, or anything else is pretty much exaggerated. And I think Unleashed was like a cartoon: mildly exaggerated.

And as far as I know, cartoons ain't real.

Billy Hatcher-style humans are okay in my book, but they really aren't that different from the characterization in Unleashed anyway. So I could go either way with that.

Yeah.

I was thinking along the line of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

Even though I don't dig the games, a look similar to this for a Sonic game would be nice. But obviously, Sonic needs to shrink as well. Also, I would be slightly bothered if this were to be a main game, too. But if something like this turns up, I'd deal with it.

Edited June 7, 2011 by Tatsumaki

[The-Master-Board]

Unleashed never had realistic-looking humans in the first place. They're just cartoony, like in Pixar. Like a cartoon, looks, noses, eyes, glasses, head-size, or anything else is pretty much exaggerated. And I think Unleashed was like a cartoon: mildly exaggerated.

And as far as I know, cartoons ain't real.

I was talking about the locations not the humans. If people can argue how stupid it is to have Sonic who is cartoony mixed with realistic-ish humans then why do people defend and love Sonic Unleashed, a game with a cartoony character running through very realistic locations, so much?

[Indigo Rush]

I was talking about the locations not the humans. If people can argue how stupid it is to have Sonic who is cartoony mixed with realistic-ish humans then why do people defend and love Sonic Unleashed, a game with a cartoony character running through very realistic locations, so much?

Because the environments are no more realistic than any place else in the Sonic games, save for maybe the casino levels and special stages.

[Scar]

I was talking about the locations not the humans. If people can argue how stupid it is to have Sonic who is cartoony mixed with realistic-ish humans then why do people defend and love Sonic Unleashed, a game with a cartoony character running through very realistic locations, so much?

Realistic?

Battlefeild 3 is realistic.

Sonic Unleashed can be called anything, but realistic, it most certainly is not. Considering that ALL Sonic games have had inspiration from the real world (How can Sandopolis NOT remind of the Egyptian Pyramids). Oil Ocean Zone, reeks of Middle East. City Escape is San Fransisco. Casino Night Zone is Vegas. Speed Highway is in a City. Radical Highway is on the Golden Gate Bridge. Station Square looks like Times Square from New York. Shadow had a goddamn Whitehouse. Soleanna was literally based on Venice.

Besides, I don't see what's so bad in Sonic basically being a parallel, batshit insane version of the real world. The real world is a gorgeous place, if you look at all the beautiful ruins, forests, valleys, waterfalls. Taking inspiration from the real world is not a bad thing, because the real world is more beautiful than you seem to give it credit for.

Besides, is it impossible for all of the levels from Sonic 1 through to Sonic 3 and Knuckles, all happened on the same planet as Unleashed? Is that inconceivable? I mean heck wasn't South Island from Sonic 1, supposed to be in the Pacific Ocean?

[dabbido]

Sonic Unleashed humans, hands down. The other humans are as generic as they can get. I think it fits the style. Would definitely like to see Prof Pickle again....well he will probably appear if theres cucumber sandwiches involved =P

[Octarine]

If humans are to appear in any way, I would like for them to appear as they would in that particular game, although technologically-limited designs would be upgraded. I keep reiterating this game is a celebration of the entire franchise, thus I would like Sega to honor that by sticking as close to the artistic approaches of the respective games as possible instead of glossing over the known fact that, yes, Sonic games fared a bit of aesthetic inconsistency for a number of years.

Basically this. Unleashed's art style for humans is just about the only one in the entire series that I've really enjoyed, and in any other game I'd want to see any returning characters portrayed in that style. This is a game that's giving us two Sonics and two Eggmans, though; pointing out how inconsistent things have been over the years is kind of the point. 'Sides, seeing huge-nosed eyeless Pickle side-by-side with dainty Elise would totally make my day. Bonus points if they keep her orange legs.

I don't expect too many non-Eggman humans, if any, to show up in any meaningful way, though. It'd be nice, but most of them just haven't been important enough to justify their inclusion over the various animal characters. The GUN Commander and Elise are probably the most prominent non-Eggman human characters in the series, but neither is particularly popular and both mostly played out their roles in a single game... and more vitally, neither was ever playable. I don't expect Chip to reappear in Generations and I don't expect either of them to.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I was talking about the locations not the humans. If people can argue how stupid it is to have Sonic who is cartoony mixed with realistic-ish humans then why do people defend and love Sonic Unleashed, a game with a cartoony character running through very realistic locations, so much?

Why don't you apply that argument to a series that does the same?

Kung-fu Panda has realistic representations of China, and they even flat out call it China as opposed to something else. There's the cuisine, the weaponry, the vehicles, the environments and buildings...One problem, they have no humans whatsoever, all filled with cartoon talking animals.

Heck, Pixar themselves do it. Take human characters in Finding Nemo and compare them to the city of Sydney in which they live in. Or how about UP and the environment of South America? The Incredibles in their realistic city and forests with caricaturized humans?

I could go on, but the point is that environments aren't the same as the people who live in them. They can be realistic or come straight out of a fantasy and they won't look anywhere out of place together. Characters on the other hand are a different story when it comes to their respective series. You don't put a mismatch of character designs and say that it works, you have to MAKE it work.

[Indigo Rush]

$#!+%& REALISM?! RUINED FOREVER!

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

$#!+%& REALISM?! RUINED FOREVER!

That's a shame. I kinda wanted Starlight Zone instead.

On a more serious note, watch someone pick out the sharp right turn in that image as a way to show how unrealistic the game is.

Edited June 8, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Indigo Rush]

On a more serious note, watch someone pick out the sharp right turn in that image as a way to show how unrealistic the game is.

Welcome to Lombard Street. I've been there, myself. Sadly, not rolling around at the speed of sound, but taking a nice stroll.

The real world is beautiful:

I'm glad Sonic has levels that are based off of real world locations.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Indigo Rush

[Nepenthe]

I've only been asking why Sonic fans seem to hate their own home planet and advocating for them to pick up a National Geographic for years. Or hell, if you hate reading, watch

Finally someone else gets it.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Welcome to Lombard Street. I've been there, myself. Sadly, not rolling around at the speed of sound, but taking a nice stroll.

...

...

That shit is real?! Oh, there's no argument here.

[Djawed]

Wow those are some beautiful pics Indigo

I can see this

Turned into level.... *faints of awesome images*

Edited June 8, 2011 by Jaouad

[Saint Nathan]

I was talking about the locations not the humans. If people can argue how stupid it is to have Sonic who is cartoony mixed with realistic-ish humans then why do people defend and love Sonic Unleashed, a game with a cartoony character running through very realistic locations, so much?

[Carbo]

I've only been asking why Sonic fans seem to hate their own home planet and advocating for them to pick up a National Geographic for years. Or hell, if you hate reading, watch

Finally someone else gets it.

Personally I just think it's far more creative and interesting to actually come up with own worlds and assets.

Basing levels off of real worlds in Unleashed worked that once but it's a difference between completely basing off of a country/setting and just taking inspiration from real life locations, and I really wouldn't want shedding possible locations that are as creative as Green Hill Zone, Stardust Speedway and Sky Sanctuary Zone in favor for stereotyped countries with parody names.

So yeah I don't mind the "realistic inspiration". There's always been some of it in Sonic games, but it's been handled with care and it still remembers that it's a colorful platformer with fantastic locations.

[Scar]

Personally I just think it's far more creative and interesting to actually come up with own worlds and assets.