All-Stars Racing Transformed: The Track Roster Thread

[PsychoJosh]

Ratchet and Clank.

Jak and Daxter.

Sackboy.

Crash Bandicoot.

Spyro the Dragon.

Parappa the Rapper.

Parappa IS Japanese. As for those other characters, well, they're mostly just smirking, 'tude-filled cartoons for the hip kid crowd, not as ageless as say, Mario. Not that I don't like them, I enjoyed Ratchet, Jak and Spyro.

But those characters are the exception in any case. Western game protagonists these days are all like Nathan Drake, Cole Mcgrath or Rico Rodriguez. Just boring, completely normal-ass dudes. In a game like this I suppose Alpha Protocol characters would be unique in how utterly bland they are. They're unique precisely because Sega doesn't want their characters to be like that.

Edited October 18, 2012 by PsychoJosh

[Marcello]

Ratchet and Clank.

Jak and Daxter.

Sackboy.

Crash Bandicoot.

Spyro the Dragon.

Parappa the Rapper.

You're really using Sackboy as an example of a well designed character?

[buba]

You're really using Sackboy as an example of a well designed character?

It is very appealing design wise, the costumes just make it better.

[#EndyGate]

So there's a King Kong/Jungle area in Samba Studios. This track just gets better and better the more we learn about it!

Edited October 18, 2012 by That Bastard Cero

[Chooch]

Parappa IS Japanese.

The character designer for Parappa and the style of the Parappa games in general is credited to Rodney Alan Greenblat. An American graphic artist I.E. not Japanese at all whatsoever.

The games themselves are Japanese but he is a western designed character, so he fits your dumb criteria as far as I'm concerned.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Chooch

[PsychoJosh]

The games themselves are Japanese but he is a western designed character, so he fits your dumb criteria as far as I'm concerned.

Alright, so what? You're missing the point. I wasn't talking about characters like him anyways, I was talking about the "completely normal dude" character archetype which has skyrocketed as a trope in Western games. Parappa and those other characters you mentioned are the exception that proves the rule as characters of that type are vastly uncommon in Western games.

Edited October 18, 2012 by PsychoJosh

[WarioBone]

Alright, so what? You're missing the point. I wasn't talking about characters like him anyways, I was talking about the "completely normal dude" character archetype which has skyrocketed as a trope in Western games. Parappa and those other characters you mentioned are the exception that proves the rule as characters of that type are vastly uncommon in Western games.

:V

Changing the rules so that you win does not make you win. "Normal guys" in Japanese games are equally boring, if not more so, because they're usually overdone as hell.

[FourCartridge]

Am I the only one around here who actually like the "everyman" archtype? =(

But anyway, last topic I could find before it got derailed;

Would that mean that Valkyria Chronicles wouldn't fit into the game then? They were created with a cartoony look, and Alicia/Selvaria have their Valkyrian forms to be classed as not specifically human (like NiGHTs and Reala).

Gallia also has blue skies.

Kinda sorta, yeah, VC does have a cartoony "cel-shaded" look, but the thing is, everything in the game is being classed in one art style, so if a VC track or character got in, there's a chance it couldn't be recognized as something from VC. Thematically the series fits, but visually... =(

Edited October 18, 2012 by FourCartridge

[Ruhm]

Kinda sorta, yeah, VC does have a cartoony "cel-shaded" look, but the thing is, everything in the game is being classed in one art style, so if a VC track or character got in, there's a chance it couldn't be recognized as something from VC. Thematically the series fits, but visually... =(

[PsychoJosh]

I'm wondering if we'll see any of the HOTD bosses in the new track. I'd like to see Justice, Temperance or the Magician.

[FourCartridge]

I'm wondering if we'll see any of the HOTD bosses in the new track. I'd like to see Justice, Temperance or the Magician.

From what we've been told, the HOTD stage seems to be based more off EX than the "mainline" arcade shooters.

A massive fan of the series I talk to on another forum has apparently been told something that made him real satisfied, as he's stopped clamoring for anything related to the series, which he did alot.

[PsychoJosh]

Doesn't matter. Justice still appeared in EX.

[jords]

Are we only getting 3 new sonic stages? not counting the retro stages

[FourCartridge]

Are we only getting 3 new sonic stages? not counting the retro stages

Seems like it. Keep in mind Sumo aren't doing the whole "3 tracks per location" like they did in ASR, so all of em are in different places, and the other series only get 1 new one.

[jords]

well hopefully they add at least one more sonic stage, most of the tracks look very fun and unique. so its all good anyways

edit: how many battle stages are we getting?

Edited November 1, 2012 by jordine

[Kori-Maru]

From what we've been told, the HOTD stage seems to be based more off EX than the "mainline" arcade shooters.

A massive fan of the series I talk to on another forum has apparently been told something that made him real satisfied, as he's stopped clamoring for anything related to the series, which he did alot.

Hehehehe.

[RK64]

well hopefully they add at least one more sonic stage, most of the tracks look very fun and unique. so its all good anyways

edit: how many battle stages are we getting?

I believe we are getting four battle tracks; based on the Starlight Carnival Seaside Hill, House of the Dead, and Afterburner tracks. In regards to additional sonic tracks, don't count on any more on-disk ones as Sumo stated that there are only five Sonic tracks spread across three new tracks and two retro tracks.

[PsychoJosh]

well hopefully they add at least one more sonic stage, most of the tracks look very fun and unique. so its all good anyways

There's only three new Sonic tracks and two returning ones from the last game. There aren't going to be any more Sonic tracks.

[SilentDoom]

Discussion revival go!

Everyone's favourite tracks so far? Out of the ones I've played (which is all of them except Race of AGES and Graveyard Gig) I must say that my absolute favourite track is Adder's Lair. I adore its atmosphere and it has my second favourite theme in the game. I just kinda have a thing in general for fire based levels in racing games but this one stands out. It's gives off a really powerful and menacing aura. I dunno, it seems like less of a race and more like a fight for survival. It's wonderful.

Other stages I love: Dragon Canyon, Outrun Bay, Dream Valley, Rogue's Landing and Seasonal Shrines. The track design in general for this game is incredible.

[Faseeh]

The only ones I hate are Race of Ages (the design is just not my type) and the Burning Rangers one. Other than that, this game's track roster and design is frikkin A.

[Ferr]

Welp, I really like Burning Depths. Yeah its really hard but not unfair, and the atmosphere and music is fantastic. Feels one of the most "racer" tracks for me.

About the one I dislike the most, I would say the JSR one. The design seems a clusterfuck and is easy to get stuck in some odd places.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Ferr

[Djawed]

I simply love em all. But if there is one that fucked me over a lot of times, it is the of that billy hatcher level

[Balding Spider]

The Burning Rangers track is out to be my nemesis track, if I'm not being knocked into the walls and robbed of items by the other racers I'm being fucked over by the water segments.

[RK64]

The tracks are the best part of the game; wonderful remixes for classic themes, great design, and tons of variety My favorite's are the Burning Rangers, Nights, Panzern Dragoon, and Golden Axe tracks.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

The Burning Rangers track is too narrow in most parts. Very bad for online, considering the collision.