Sonic-related pet peeves?

[Your Vest Friend]

On the topic of Sonic Chronicles, I just wanted to mention that this game, along with others like Sonic Spinball, Sonic R, Sonic's Schoolhouse, is the reason why SEGA should never let a Western developer work with Sonic.

I like Sonic R, but it fell flat on a decent amount of areas that only hardcore fans can appreciate it.

You're making Sumo Digital sad.

[Vertekins]

Sumo Digital were excellent when it came to Superstars Tennis and Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing.

They just need to break their obsession with Sonic Heroes a little regarding the latter...

[Your Vest Friend]

Sumo Digital were excellent when it came to Superstars Tennis and Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing.

They just need to break their obsession with Sonic Heroes a little regarding the latter...

I don't think it was -their- obsession, if other games are an indication...

[PerfectChaos]

What obsession? What am I missing? I'm confused...

[Vertekins]

What obsession? What am I missing? I'm confused...

The fact that all of the Sonic stages in ASR were adaptations of just Sonic Heroes stages.

[Blue Blood]

The fact that all of the Sonic stages in ASR were adaptations of just Sonic Heroes stages.

And on top of that, in other games made by SEGA themselves there's often over-representation of Heroes. The very least they could do is give Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace a rest. Hang Castle existed too, you know.

[Your Vest Friend]

Given that Mario and Sonic London had 3 Heroes stages representing 3 of the 5 Sonic dream events, Sonic Generations shoved Egg Emperor in the modern era as a boss, Seaside Hill was used before in Mario and Sonic Winter and the quote yesterday somewhat, I still wouldn't entirely blame Sumo for that.

And slightly ninja'd by Blue Blood there.

[Vertekins]

...and Rail Canyon/Bullet Station, Grand Metropolis/Power Plant and Frog Forest/Lost Jungle

Heroes had some really cool level tropes with potential for really great level design that deserve more attention in other games/spin-off's than Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace.

[Komodin]

Ah, speaking of Sonic Heroes, I'm also getting rather annoyed by its overrepresentation. Come now, SEGA, there are other Sonic games besides Heroes, ya know; show them some love, too!

Edited July 9, 2012 by Komodin

[PerfectChaos]

Erm, that's exactly what these guys were on about.

And yeah, come to think of it Heroes did get a huge representation in ASR. Never realised!EDIT- My bad, you said 'also'.

Edited July 9, 2012 by PerfectChaos

[Blue Blood]

I know that a fair few people have been clamouring for more story and continuity, but is anyone else particularly bothered by the fact that the series have very little identity? Voice actors have changed numerous times (some characters more than others), objects like sign posts and monitors that were so prominent in the past seldom appear any more, there aren't any recurring elements in the main games and most of all, there's no theme tune. Sonic Team really ought to fix that last one. Even if each game has it's own theme, the series itself needs one.

[Soniman]

Tropical Resort should be Sonic's Go-to theme.

[Kuzu]

I know that a fair few people have been clamouring for more story and continuity, but is anyone else particularly bothered by the fact that the series have very little identity? Voice actors have changed numerous times (some characters more than others), objects like sign posts and monitors that were so prominent in the past seldom appear any more, there aren't any recurring elements in the main games and most of all, there's no theme tune. Sonic Team really ought to fix that last one. Even if each game has it's own theme, the series itself needs one.

At this point; the series has gone through so many design, narrative, and personality changes that I don't even think Sonic Team know what Sonic is anymore, which is a damn shame. They better fix that quick or Sonic is gonna find himself having a drink with the likes of Gex and bubsy.

Let's think, other than nostalgia, what does the series even have going for it?

[Shade Vortex]

People who intentionally mispronounce character names. ROGUE THE BAT, SONIKKU (his name's SONIC goddamn it- it's an ENGLISH WORD, of course the JAPANESE are going to pronounce it weirdly! Hell, this applies to many things outside Sonic too- some Death Note fans seriously call Light Righto or something like that.), SANIC HEGEHOG and so on.

People who call Rings Coins.

Sonic's a video game character, not a cartoon character, no matter how cartoonishly he was aesthetically designed (yes, I know his original design was based on Mickey Mouse, who is a cartoon character). There is a difference. For one thing, he began as a video game character, and did not originate from animation. I'm not going to argue anything like "oh Sonic should or should not have serious plots" I'm just saying that he is a Fantasy Hedgehog, not a Cartoon Hedgehog, as he is not originating from a cartoon.

But on that note, aesthetics of a character of a character do not inherently nor automatically determine WHAT kinds of plots, characters, dialogue or events should "make sense" for the series, as long as they're done well it shouldn't matter (though swearing is very rarely handled well, especially in games). There are many gruesome or crude series' with "cartoony" aesthetics (and many ARE actually Cartoons), like South Park, Family Guy, Cleveland Show, Shin-chan, Happy Tree Friends, and (if you wanted some video games examples) even Team Fortress 2, Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac, etc.

Though it is a good argument to say that Sonic was not about or known for those things, until Adventure anyways, but as of Unleashed it's seriously gone (regressed, if you will) back to how it was (and as many would argue, is supposed to be).

[Kuzu]

Tropical Resort should be Sonic's Go-to theme.

It Doesn't matter is bettar.

In terms of a general main theme; Maybe the Sonic 1 title screen can be a general theme for the series, while "It Doesn't Matter" becomes Sonic's own personal theme, which can become like letimotif for him.

[-blank-]

Yes, the Sonic 1 title screen should be the main theme.

And going back to something someone else said above me, where the hell are the power-ups? You know, the invincibility, the speed-up shoes, the shields, what happened to them? I mean, I know Generations brought them back, which is great, but SEGA needs to start putting them in more games again.

[tenchibr]

I apologize for completely forgetting Sumo Digital.

That said, even Sumo's games have some things I don't like. For example, the lack of DLC in their games. I know it's probably SEGA's fault, but I find it hard to believe they try to give ideas and SEGA shuts them down.

On Sega Superstars Tennis, the main theme was annoying (it's stuck in my head - too roo roo, too roo roo, too roo, too roo roo roo roo roo...). On All Stars Racing, the main theme was... annoying as well.

My forecast on Transformed's theme song is ____________.

[Diogenes]

And going back to something someone else said above me, where the hell are the power-ups? You know, the invincibility, the speed-up shoes, the shields, what happened to them? I mean, I know Generations brought them back, which is great, but SEGA needs to start putting them in more games again.

What use are they when the boost plows through everything?

[Kuzu]

You gotta love how the Boost effectively kills the need for pretty much any variety in the games;

Shields? Boosting shields you

Speed Shoes? You're already running faster than anything.

Invincibility? Enemies can't do shit to stop boosting.

Seriously there is like no legit power up I can think of that the boost doesn't effectively render moot.

[JezMM]

I do find it kinda funny that Eggman has had more games with a recurring theme than Sonic has had.

E.G.G.M.A.N. has been used to signify his appearence in three games, and "Theme of Dr. Eggman" from Sonic 2006 was used in three games. He even had his own instrumental melody in the first two Riders games.

Personally I really think they could make an awesome permanent theme out of mixing all three of the above together... I dunno what it is but Eggman's themes have always been consistent in sounding like they could all totally be remixed together. They always have a strong pace to them.

Anyway in light of the fact that they can't use the Sonic 1 theme without paying massive royalties to Masato, I'll just post for like the millionth time that this would be my ideal Sonic theme to get remixed over and over again for the rest of time if such a thing was needed:

God seriously can you just not see an amazing title screen materialising to this music (with the animation finishing and "Push Start" appearing at about the 0:15 mark)?

Edited July 9, 2012 by JezMM

[Your Vest Friend]

Seriously there is like no legit power up I can think of that the boost doesn't effectively render moot.

You could theoretically give the elemental shields a purpose even with the boost, provided the right environmental hazards were used.

[Blue Blood]

I apologize for completely forgetting Sumo Digital.

That said, even Sumo's games have some things I don't like. For example, the lack of DLC in their games. I know it's probably SEGA's fault, but I find it hard to believe they try to give ideas and SEGA shuts them down.

On Sega Superstars Tennis, the main theme was annoying (it's stuck in my head - too roo roo, too roo roo, too roo, too roo roo roo roo roo...). On All Stars Racing, the main theme was... annoying as well.

My forecast on Transformed's theme song is ____________.

The DLC is expensive to produce and put up on XBLA. It's all SEGA's decision about whether or not Sumo can make more.

Also the SST theme was amazing. I've no idea what you're think of with your toos and roos, but it's actually SE-GA. Seriously, Richard Jacques said that's what the theme tune was based around- the classic SEGA chant.

[PerfectChaos]

His World would be a great recurring theme, in all its different iterations

[Blue Blood]

His World would be a great recurring theme, in all its different iterations

[Mangoaxe5]

name='Verte' timestamp='1341510892' post='511618']

Calling the anthrope characters in the games "Mobians". No, they are not Mobians.

Not once in game canon have these anthropomorphic sapient bipedal animal people been referred-to as "Mobians". The term doesn't even make sense when you consider that Mobius does not exist in the games. Sonic's kind have never been labelled with any specific indentifying name. Hell, it's never been revealed if they even have a name to start with!

Edited July 9, 2012 by Vampfox