If Sega were to make a new 2D Sonic game.

[Dummy Bear]

Formerly that Sonic 5 thread...

Do you think Sega and Sonic Team should just take the Classic Sonic engine from Sonic Generations and build the game off that? Also, should it be another downloadable title or a full fledged retail game?

Edited May 18, 2012 by Slash

[Stritix]

Yes. They should make Sonic Adventure 3 while they're at it.

[The drunkard from space!]

Using the classic physics from Generations would def be a win in my book. I would also like the game to NOT be episodic and be a full-fledged game.

Also, Classic Sonic ktnxbye.

[Cola]

Absolutely not.

Sonic 4 is enough. I'd rather they keep the Genesis games as relics from the past.

It's the same reason they shouldn't make a Back to the Future 4. Thankfully, Universal knows what they're doing.

[sonfan1984]

Honestly I would rather they just leave the classic series alone and focus on making new retail 2D games that have no ties to the classic games. I've always thought that S3&K is never in need for a sequel in the first place. The game was fine the way it is but fans wanted a sequel to it for some reason.

Edited May 18, 2012 by sonfan1984

[Diogenes]

Do you think Sega and Sonic Team should just take the Classic Sonic engine from Sonic Generations and build the game off that?

Hell no, Generations Classic is terrible. They need an engine that gets this shit right.

[TheOcelot]

I think SEGA has made it clear with Sonic 4 that they are not bothered with going back to the genesis physics and level design, which is such a shame.

SEGA could get Christian Whitehead to help design Sonic 5. After all he did such a good job with CD. I would like a full box product but I think download would be the likely choice. A Sonic 5 with Generations graphics-but not Generations physics would pretty cool.

[Kuzu]

Hell no, Generations Classic is terrible. They need an engine that gets this shit right.

Oh here we go...

Anyway, I wouldn't be against it, I'd definitely be more willing to buy it than Sonic 4, but I think they should just move on and start modernizing some more 2D games.

[Nepenthe]

I'd rather they not do an S5 at all. The series had been abandoned for years in both name and spirit, inevitably allowing nostalgic fondness to grow excessively which is always a bitch to cater to, the games have delved into different territories and essentially moved on, and the franchise and developer's reputations have fluctuated wildly in that time all the while being accompanied by a persistent and unyielding echo chamber online making the classics the only relevant point of comparison for every other game in the series. There was never any real chance for them to live up the the classics' reputation even if they had gotten the physics right the first time. The controversy surrounding Ep. 1's mangling of the formula shouldn't have been all that much of a surprise, and with all of I've outlined, I see no reason to continue down a path of anger, disappointment, and cynical mediocrity by insisting they keep trying until they get it right, especially not when the 3D games are on the up and up. Overall, I'm just ready to move on.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Dummy Bear]

I wish I knew how to change the thread title. I'd change it to "If Sega were to make a new 2D Sonic game".

[Kuzu]

The only way people would accept a Sonic 5, if it was 16 bit, had only Sonic, Tails,and Knuckles playable and basically did everything Sonic 3 & Knuckles did.

[Old dead account]

As long as Dimps gets a restraining order from it. I'd really prefer the next full retail game to be a fully 3D game though. /unrealistic expectations.

[SuperLink]

Of course they'll make new 2D Sonics.

Yes I would like a Sonic 5, so sue me.

Both episodes of Sonic 4 are made with the same framework so were bound to be similar, if they approach a new game with a new progressive philosophy rather than a backwards one, and everything they've learnt from S4/Generations feedback, I'd be happy.

Generations had great speed and a decent mix of running/platforming, the physics were off but I think it had a better classic feel than S4 does.

whatever they do in the next 2D Sonic I hope that they stuff it with unlockable content rather than taking the annoying "simplicity is tha best" route. People say they don't want shitty gimmicks, that doesn't mean they want the game to have 4 zones with 7 chaos emeralds and that's it.

give me unlockable Amy!! I played the hell out of Sonic Advance 2 to get her!!

[Ekaje]

Considering the reaction to 4, making a new 2D game called 5 would be a terrible idea. I'd be fine with another 2D game in general though, as long as it isn't as lazily made as Sonic 4. I don't care about Genesis physics, I would just want it to be good, since even without comparing them to the Genesis games.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Ekaje

[Indigo Rush]

I'd love for there to be a Sonic the Hedgehog 5, but things need to change. It can't be the same stuff we've been seeing in the Sonic 4 saga, despite the steps forward (few as they are) that have been made. Classic Sonic is a particular kind of game that still has potential to be great, but it's not something that can just be outsourced. This is something that Sonic Team needs to do, whether or not it's a boxed product. Even though I genuinely like Sonic 4 and find it to be fun, it just isn't a true Genesis title beyond (some) aesthetics and naming convention. There are certainly many different ways to go about making a Sonic game, but if we're going to solidify the Genesis series as its own identity within the franchise, there needs to be consistency, and messing around with even the slightest variables are putting it in danger of ruining everything... Sonic 4 as a saga has proven that. Whether or not you like the games and find them to be fun, you can't examine them objectively and call them a true sequel to the Classics. They're cheap cash-in titles... and there is a time and place for that, but this isn't it.

So, tl;dr, if there IS going to be a Sonic 5, which I do want, they're going to have to seriously overhaul their production values and intent, because not only would it produce a fantastic game in the series, it would also help to restore Sonic's legacy as one of the best platforming series in the industry. Sonic 4 really should have been called "Sonic Genesis" or something, because it isn't a true sequel from an objective and technical standpoint.

[Sean]

I wish I knew how to change the thread title. I'd change it to "If Sega were to make a new 2D Sonic game".

Go into the full editor mode.

[Scar]

If they were to make a new 2D Sonic game, be it Sonic 5 or otherwise, it needs to have a budget and be made by Sonic Team. Yeah they don't have the classic design down 100%, their level design is on the whole significantly better.

Generations Classic (HD), had very good level design that was clearly designed with the physics and mechanics the game engine provided, in mind. If they were to get 100% accurate Mega Drive physics, I'm sure that quickly enough they'll start getting the hang of actual classic level design. Even if they don't though, its still very well-designed and intricately layed out.

[C.J]

I don't think they should make a Sonic 5, I'm not saying it's a bad idea though, I wouldn't mind if they did but I I think a new and fresh 2D game in general would be better, I think Sonic 4 is enough, even if the physics were right, I don't think they would be able to surpass the Classic games. If there was a Sonic 5 they would have to make a few changes, I'd like if the game wasn't released in episodes, a full game/box product would be much better, it shouldn't include the same things from both episodes of Sonic 4, they should also add more original content to the game. I don't think it should happen though, they should make room for new games to enter the spotlight.

[Doctor MK]

It's inevitable that they'll make more 2D Sonic games, but personally I do not want Sonic the Hedgehog 5, unless they are going to take it deadly seriously.

My main gripe with Sonic 4 is, and always will be, that it isn't a true Sonic 4. In my opinion it's an average Sonic outing with some ups and some downs, and were it a standalone entity, I wouldn't take issue with it. It'd just be a slightly sub-par take on the series, end of. But because it's billed as a direct sequel to the classics, it just looks and feels horribly out of place. I know it sounds generic but I really wish they'd gone the Mega Man 9 route and used the same 16-bit style as the old games, at least then it might have appeared to be part of the same continuity, because as it stands it's too radically different. And frankly that's what I hope they do if they ever fancy their chances of going down the "new entry in the classic story" line. I'm not a retro fanboy, I love me some Modern Sonic too - but playing a Sonic 4 that doesn't even look like Sonics 1-3 just feels... wrong. Especially when the physics and level designs are way off like they are in Episodes 1 and 2 respectively, at least.

So yes, give me more games like Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush if you're going to make new 2D games, because I love those two series. Something familiar, but that feels fresh. Sonic 4 just feels like a cheap (albeit playable and at times enjoyable) attempt at copying the original games that has fallen flat on its face.

[SilentDoom]

The thing with 2D Sonic games though, is that there hasn't been any advancement in them since the Advance games and they've already at least have had a chance to peak excellence with the classics and Advance titles. The 2D games now are only getting worse. I'd rather they focus on developing the 3D formula because they have yet to truly make a real 3D masterpiece. There's so much potential when transferring Sonic's momentum based formula to a 3D setting, but no game has truly reached that potential. Not saying there haven't been fun 3D Sonic games, just saying that there hasn't been any really phenomenal 3D games.

That said though, if they manage to advance the classics formula or even the Advance formula I'd be all over it. It's just that 2D Sonic has only gotten worse, whereas 3D Sonic is at least steadily getting better.

[Diogenes]

... but playing a Sonic 4 that doesn't even look like Sonics 1-3 just feels... wrong.

That's dumb. The classics had no reason not to refine and improve on their graphics (and in fact did, as much as they could manage on the same hardware) and the only reason that classic Sonic games are tied to that look is because of how much they fumbled between S3&K and SA. Had we got a proper Sonic game in that time period, you can be damn sure they would've tried to improve the graphics, and unless they were ugly in themselves no one would mind. Fear of change is not a good reason to use an outdated graphical style.

[Doctor MK]

That's dumb. The classics had no reason not to refine and improve on their graphics (and in fact did, as much as they could manage on the same hardware) and the only reason that classic Sonic games are tied to that look is because of how much they fumbled between S3&K and SA. Had we got a proper Sonic game in that time period, you can be damn sure they would've tried to improve the graphics, and unless they were ugly in themselves no one would mind. Fear of change is not a good reason to use an outdated graphical style.

I know it's dumb, and I'm not saying that if a Sonic 4 had come out at the time of the classics, it wouldn't have upped the graphical ante.

But with 16 years apart, if I were to line up Sonic 1-4, then the latest instalment just looks out of keeping with the original trilogy. I do like Sonic 4's visual style and think it's a good job of bringing the classic feel to a HD environment, but seeing as it borrows so heavily from the originals, it does just feel like Sonic HD as opposed to a true sequel. Had everything been new like Sylvania Castle and White Park, I'd have been fine with the graphics, but if I wanted to see Green Hill/Labyrinth/Casino Night/Metropolis/Wing Fortress in high definition, then I'd rather just have a remake of the original games, not one that supposedly follows on from them.

[Big Boss (legendsneverdie)]

A new 2D Sonic game based around, but not a sequel to the Mega Drive games? Sure.

Sonic 5? Fuck no.

[Milo]

If we got a new 2D/2.5D Sonic game, I'd like it to be a modern 2D game, thank you very much (although I wouldn't mind if the borrowed a few staple elements from the classic games).

What I would like to see is more or less a retail spiritual successor to the Advance games (although I wouldn't mind if it was downloadable, but only in the case that it wasn't episodic in the fashion that Sonic 4 was). At least Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy playable as a minimun. Local and online 2P co-op multiplayer would be nice, as long as it was done in a simple fashion like how S3K did. Local/online competitive multiplayer (up to 4P) would pretty much be more or less a must for lasting appeal.

If they do go ahead with a classic(-based) 2D Sonic game, don't give it the "Sonic 5" label unless they're dead serious on having the game live up to it's title as a classic sequel. Not to mention that they should pretty much get everything necessary for it to be in the same league of the classic games (physics, level design, advancements, music, content, etc.) in, and have it all done right. And no Dimps, no exceptions. Sonic Team should develop the game themselves, and if not that then give the project to/co-develop the game with a capable developer who doesn't set their bar of quality to a mediocre standard, like Sumo Digital. Or just give Taxman a hefty payday and let him do whatever he wants.

I also agree on how it would be nice if Sonic Team tried building on the Advance gameplay. Not so keen on this Sonic Team working on the classic gameplay though, considering that they think "ceiling running" and mandatory co-op moves are positive advancements of the classic gameplay.

Oh and a decently-sized/large budget for any of the two titles. I don't to hear any PR bullshit on how "we can't have any of the characters playable by themselves otherwise it will break the game herp derp" or how the "new physics engine" turned out to be a slighty modified (for better at times, for worse at others) Episode I engine (or as shown in Super Sonic's case, the same engine!), while the graphics got a full-blown makeover.

[Crazizzle]

I don't care at all if a new Sonic 2D game plays like the classics exactly, it just has to be good. Look, none of the retro 2D franchises play the same in the new entries. Well, except Mega man 9 and 10. But New Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Rayman Origons...they all use modern elements intermixed with classic sensibilities. Hell, I gave DKCR the Sonic 4 treatment for a long time, despite it's quality. It's so different...but I got over it.

Just be good, and that should be enough. If you can't do classic physics, don't do them. Just use Modern Sonic in a rero styled game. Use the enviornments, level structure and maybe bring back classic bosses and whatever...but just be honest and say you're playing as Modern Sonic with Homing Attack, slide and a modified Rush style boost.

I'd rather see the Sonic version of NSMB than another retro failure. And make it difficult for hardcore gamers (like NSMBWii), so a Sonic Colors length ofgame would work just fine. 6 or 7 zones, 6 acts or so per zone.