What do you see in the future of Sonic?

[Chaos Warp]

More rather boorish games based on this same shallow concept, no I don't care about how many rectangles or spots where you had to go slightly sideways there were in SSZ.

Out of pure curiosity (not trying to be a dick), what would it take for you to like a Sonic game?

[SilentDoom]

You hit the nail in the coffin, Doc.

I believe the expression is "hit the nail on the head". Nail on the coffin is generally what you say when you reach a conclusion to a series of bad events or something like that.

[Dr. Crusher]

I believe the expression is "hit the nail on the head". Nail on the coffin is generally what you say when you reach a conclusion to a series of bad events or something like that.

Unless of course it's referring to the coffin of the fanbase itself, in which case that would be a coffin I'd be very happy to hit nails on.

[The future]

If recent games have given us any indication, it seems like the next step for Sonic will be the re-addition of Tails as a playable character. Though it's kind of depressing to think it's taken this long to refine and perfect Sonic's controls, abilities, and gameplay - to the detriment of other playable characters - I think Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations have finally nailed the template for the modern Sonic game, so it's time to re-introduce other characters to give some variety.

Personally, I am hoping for another Sonic game where Sonic plays exactly like Modern Sonic in Sonic Generations in 3D sections, and a bit more like Classic in 2D sections, with Tails as an additional character. Sonic's abilities should be shared with Tails to create some diversity; for instance, Sonic should roll , bounce (ala Sonic Adventure 2) and spindash, while his sliding, stomping, and crawling is taken up by Tails - there's no reason for Sonic not to ball up at every opportunity, and it makes more sense for the spine-less Tails to use his feet and/or tails to attack, and de-powers Sonic. The only way new characters can be unique in the games is to strip Sonic of some of his abilities, and sharing them out to his friends seems the best way to do that. Ideally, I'd like to see a limited two-player co-op function like Sonic 3 where a second player, or CPU, can control Tails to carry Sonic over distances and obstacles, and a seperate two-player race, battle, collect mode, and the return of on-rails Tornado chase sections (with Sonic on the damn wings for a change!)

I wouldn't expect Knuckles to re-appear in a playable role, though I would love to see him at least appear as a non-playable character like Amy in Sonic Unleashed, as I'm fairly certain the next step will be able re-introducing Tails to the gameplay. I've like to see a better, more Sonic Colours-ified Super Sonic implemented and an epic boss battle that makes up for Sonic Generations lame ending.

I would rather have Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to have the same basic moves (spin jump, spin dash, running fast) and have their signature moves for beating bosses and to go their own routes in levels.

[Phos]

Out of pure curiosity (not trying to be a dick), what would it take for you to like a Sonic game?

A game where it's fun to move Sonic around, where it doesn't sacrifice a world you can move around in for cheep thrills, where levels are things you can move around in and navigate, and fluent things are gameplay rather than scripted sequences.

[Chaos Warp]

A game where it's fun to move Sonic around, where it doesn't sacrifice a world you can move around in for cheep thrills, where levels are things you can move around in and navigate, and fluent things are gameplay rather than scripted sequences.

Well...Okay. I'd say that the Modern gameplay fits most of these criteria, but that's my opinion.

[Scar]

A game where it's fun to move Sonic around, where it doesn't sacrifice a world you can move around in for cheep thrills, where levels are things you can move around in and navigate, and fluent things are gameplay rather than scripted sequences.

@Bold/Italic

You say that a lot. I don't actually even know what that means. Do you mean, like a large feild or something?

Edited January 26, 2012 by Scar

[Kuzu]

I also see Sonic being the only character playable for a good while.

[Phos]

Well...Okay. I'd say that the Modern gameplay fits most of these criteria, but that's my opinion.

Seems like the opposite to me, basically just a point to point ribbon of pathable area. Aside from the little bits where they kind of try to be a platformer (That aren't very interesting), it's like playing outrun only the Ferrari steers itself most of the time.

@Bold/Italic

You say that a lot. I don't actually even know what that means. Do you mean, like a large feild or something?

Whenever you zoom out on a level you really get an idea of how narrow it is:

It literally looks like a ribbon.

A field doesn't really seem like such a good way to describe it, but it isn't really that bad a way. It's a set up that isn't common in these days of tightly scripted closely guided game design. Probably the best way would be to start with the overview: The area (or part of it, barring any large overall turn in the environment) could be abstracted as a rectangular prism with a ratio between it's length versus it's width or height being less than 10:1. Then you fill that with level.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Phos

[Luigi]

Sonic's still around? Since when?

[Kuzu]

Sonic's still around? Since when?

Are you going to be an ass or are you going to contribute.

[krazystitch]

A game where it's fun to move Sonic around, where it doesn't sacrifice a world you can move around in for cheep thrills, where levels are things you can move around in and navigate, and fluent things are gameplay rather than scripted sequences.

I can understand where you're coming from with the levels nowadays being pretty narrow and all, but..how else exactly would a level be mapped out in a Sonic game? Other than hub worlds, I really don't see how else they could give a character like Sonic wide area to run around in for a level.

That is, unless you mean for them to design levels like they did for the adventure games, but to go back to that would mean to decrease Sonic back to what his speed used to be and most likely get rid of the boost, because trying to explore these places with the way Sonic is now would be practically impossible. The levels are designed the way they are now in order to keep the players in track of the goal, even at incredibly high speeds.

Not doubting your idea or anything like that, I honestly think it could turn out to be pretty interesting, but a bit more description on how exactly this would work out would be good.

Edited January 28, 2012 by krazystitch

[Scar]

Sonic's still around? Since when?

That isn't witty or humerous......at all.

Seems like the opposite to me, basically just a point to point ribbon of pathable area. Aside from the little bits where they kind of try to be a platformer (That aren't very interesting), it's like playing outrun only the Ferrari steers itself most of the time.

C'mon, that isn't true at all. Maybe in Unleashed and Colours' few 3D sections, but definately not in Generations.

Whenever you zoom out on a level you really get an idea of how narrow it is:

It literally looks like a ribbon.

A field doesn't really seem like such a good way to describe it, but it isn't really that bad a way. It's a set up that isn't common in these days of tightly scripted closely guided game design. Probably the best way would be to start with the overview: The area (or part of it, barring any large overall turn in the environment) could be abstracted as a rectangular prism with a ratio between it's length versus it's width or height being less than 10:1. Then you fill that with level.

So you want a stage which is almost as wide as it is long. Or at least not so narrow that its like.....a......side-walk or something.

Thing is, I'm not sure that's particularly easy to do. The example you provided above with Savannah Citadel Day Act 1, is the best for illustrating your point, but I'm not convinced its true for Eggmanland or most of the Generations Modern stages after Chemical Plant, particularly Seaside hill and Planet Wisp, its true that they aren't exactly examples of sprawling feilds, but large enough to give the sensation or at least the illusion that you're in a large-ish 3D space which you can move around in, at least moreso than in most Unleashed stages (and Green Hill Modern) where you're blocked to literally a little narrow strip. Even if they are narrow, what's wrong with narrow? If the level is fun to move through, then surely its fullfilled is purpose?

Edited January 29, 2012 by Scar

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Sonic's still around? Since when?

Since 1991, smartass. Try to actually be funny next time.

At any rate, it's hard to say what I see in the future of Sonic. The most I can say would be that of the narrative, and that's just guessing at best. There's a possibility we'll get a much larger story that makes appropriate and good use of the other characters, and the narrative will continue to improve as time goes on.

Gameplay-wise, it's either a continuation of the current formula we have with little deviation, or we'll get some huge additions that greatly broaden the formula. I'm not going to say we'll get an all new formula in the near future, because that would likely take some time to make it work, and the only ones I would think who could have the time to try would be the indie developers who have the free time to make them. We might be able to use the other characters at some point, but who knows?

[...]

Sonic's still around? Since when?

That's not funny.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Let's get back on topic, because looking back on his 19 posts I'm starting to think he's purposely trying to troll here.

[...]

Let's get back on topic, because looking back on his 19 posts I'm starting to think he's purposely trying to troll here.

True, true. >_> Maybe he's just some Nintendo fanboy trying to make us mad.

[hoggys2much]

This is what I see in Sonic's future, More bad games with terrible controls, inconsistant difficulty and short as hell games with the worst stories in gaming unless SEGA Japan gets rid of Iizuka and Sonic Team.

The modern era has been an absolute nightmare for the franchise. I am amazed it is still with us as I have seen franchises die whilst producing less rubbish games than Sonic has.

Shadow set the ball rolling, Sonic 06 put it in hospital, Unleashed put it on critical life support and Generations killed it!

The only way it is going to get anywhere now is for SEGA to give the franchise to someone else (I don't care who. I would love to be Platinum Games. Travellers Tales will do as well) so they can reboot the franchise and inject some new ideas into it as it is clear in my opinion Iizuka hasn't got any ideas left and and a lot of fans like myself are getting bored of Solo Sonica. We want the other characters back.

[King Frosty]

Well dude, like Azu and CSS have been saying in the Is Sonic an interesting character? topic, we're in a safe mode because of Sonic 06 and Unleashed's backlash. So it'll be a while before we get more characters and better stories. THOUGH I have hope the next main series game will have a better story.

[...]

This is what I see in Sonic's future, More bad games with terrible controls, inconsistant difficulty and short as hell games with the worst stories in gaming unless SEGA Japan gets rid of Iizuka and Sonic Team.

The modern era has been an absolute nightmare for the franchise. I am amazed it is still with us as I have seen franchises die whilst producing less rubbish games than Sonic has.

Shadow set the ball rolling, Sonic 06 put it in hospital, Unleashed put it on critical life support and Generations killed it!

The only way it is going to get anywhere now is for SEGA to give the franchise to someone else (I don't care who. I would love to be Platinum Games. Travellers Tales will do as well) so they can reboot the franchise and inject some new ideas into it as it is clear in my opinion Iizuka hasn't got any ideas left and and a lot of fans like myself are getting bored of Solo Sonica. We want the other characters back.

Dude, your views are so radical, that it's not even funny. =| What you think about most Sonic games is the bipolar opposite of most people's opinions. (i.e. Sonic Generations). Iizuka and Sonic Team are doing fine with the franchise at this point. It's also funny how you said you wanted to delete your account, but you're still here. No one wants to believe your opinion if you force it on them. It was bad enough you spread this crap on the SEGA forums, now on here. Solo Sonica is starting to go away, now that Tails will be playable in Sonic 4: Episode II.

Also, Traveller's Tales did a horrible job with Sonic R. It's probably one of the worst Sonic games I've ever played. You think anything that's good is crap, (i.e. again Sonic "Genercrapations"). If you're not going to contribute, you best well be quiet. :^

[ArtFenix]

The only way it is going to get anywhere now is for SEGA to give the franchise to someone else (I don't care who. I would love to be Platinum Games. Travellers Tales will do as well) so they can reboot the franchise and inject some new ideas into it as it is clear in my opinion Iizuka hasn't got any ideas left

Wouldn't it be much more easy to just replace Iizuka with someone else? Why change the whole developmers team?

[Scar]

Why is Iizuka getting all the blame here. He's the producer, he basically supervises the production, he has no real control over the production or content of the game.

And Hoggys2much, your opinions are quite extreme and seemingly based upon the simple fact that Sonic is the only playable character. Sola Sonica isn't the reason the games are bad (in fact, the games have recently been much, MUCH better than the total garbage like SA2, Heroes, Shadow and 06, we saw before it).

Generations hasn't really killed Sonic, maybe to you, but you aren't everybody, or representative of everybody. Most people would say Generations breathed new life into the hedgehog. Don't like the direction, don't play it. There is no reason for getting rid of Iizuka or Sonic Team, because sales are on the up and quality and reputation is on the up too. No matter how much you kick and scream they ain't going nowhere, because people; a lot them mind, love the games. It ain't perfect, but it is by no means bad.

[...]

Why is Iizuka getting all the blame here. He's the producer, he basically supervises the production, he has no real control over the production or content of the game.

And Hoggys2much, your opinions are quite extreme and seemingly based upon the simple fact that Sonic is the only playable character. Sola Sonica isn't the reason the games are bad (in fact, the games have recently been much, MUCH better than the total garbage like SA2, Heroes, Shadow and 06, we saw before it).

Generations hasn't really killed Sonic, maybe to you, but you aren't everybody, or representative of everybody. Most people would say Generations breathed new life into the hedgehog. Don't like the direction, don't play it. There is no reason for getting rid of Iizuka or Sonic Team, because sales are on the up and quality and reputation is on the up too. No matter how much you kick and scream they ain't going nowhere, because people; a lot them mind, love the games. It ain't perfect, but it is by no means bad.

[ArtFenix]

total garbage like SA2

Please, don't start this crap.

Heroes was a pretty good game too [aside from the shitty story].

Edited January 29, 2012 by ArtFenix

[Scar]

Please, don't start this crap.

Heroes was a pretty good game too [aside from the shitty story].

I appreciate that it was a special game for many, I don't mean to undermine that. I too loved its story, but the amount of frustration. No game was that frustrating, not even Eggmanland. In my eyes, as a game, SA2 just isn't very good, as a narrative on the other hand; no Sonic game beyond perhaps S3K can hold a candle to it.