Sonic Robo Blast 2

[Candescence]

I've more or less been focusing my efforts on getting the seventh emerald (dear lord, is that special stage hard), and I'm not sure why people are ragging on Deep Sea. It's perfectly fine, despite that one waterfall jumping bit in DSZ2. SRB2 is better than ever. Egg Rock zone might be another story, though.

Also, SRB2 + mouselook = awesome. I can't believe I wasn't using it before.

Edited July 28, 2009 by The Sniper

[Kitsune]

"Feeling sick to your stomach" from turning and jumping? What?

How are the controls horrendous? Flying by everything is fun, but flying by everything in first-person is even better. Sonic's controls are NOT atrocious, they're just ridiculously fast and take some getting used to. Try playing Tails or Knux.

There's a way to fix most of the lag for you people on dual-core systems. I honestly can't believe how badly you guys are bashing this, it's loads better than the last version. I don't even wanna know what you would've said about that.

Egg Rock Zone's difficulty curve is due to the fact that there's a zone missing in between Red Volcano and Egg Rock. If you're going to whine that much, why don't you wait another couple of years for another major release?

Edited July 28, 2009 by Kitsune

[Blacklightning]

Egg Rock Zone's difficulty curve is due to the fact that there's a zone missing in between Red Volcano and Egg Rock. If you're going to whine that much, why don't you wait another couple of years for another major release?

I heard about that, but irregardless it doesn't change the fact that Egg Rock is fucking hard, and not in the good sense. And I feel I have every right to be annoyed about something that is for all intents and purposes bad, even if there's intentions to fix it. No thank you, I'd rather not wait half a decade simply for the right to complain.

Besides, this is more criticism than anything else. Start ignoring that and you go down the path of Ctrl + Alt + Del - and we all know how well that turned out.

[Sean]

I have more problem with the people complaining on the SRB2MB than anything. The game isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea, and if anything SRB2 deserves actual thought-out criticism, but that "Disappointed" topic was just dreadful to plow through. Hardly any of those complaints were even substantial. But I digress.

So I reached Egg Rock Zone with all the characters and I can't continue past ERZ2's entrance. Yup.

Gotta wait for a patch...

Edited July 28, 2009 by Jake

[Titanium]

In my experience, I've had ERZ2 crash only when going to the left at the beginning on rare occasions in 640x400 windowed mode(have the parameters "-win -width 640 -height 400" for it). If you take the right side at the start, you might be okay(unless it is crashing elsewhere if you are running a res in a multiple of 320x200).

[Sean]

Naw man, even taking the right path gets me sigsegvs when I flip gravity and reach the first moving blue wall. Using a supported aspect resolution doesn't help any, either.

At this point, it's kind of impossible for me to proceed with the game. Well, at least I can beat ERZ1 without dying now. Knuckles is actually more tricky to beat it with because of the last part; he doesn't jump as high as Sonic.

[TheGerkuman]

What I played of the game, I enjoyed. Sadly, ray-cast games like Doom, Wolfenstein and SRB2 melt my brain and make my eyes fall out So I can't play it.

[Rusty Spy]

By the way, is there a way to create custom levels on this game?

[Sean]

Yes. There are pages on the SRB2 wiki devoted to explaining how to go about doing this, and telling you what programs and files you'll need.

[SefHighwind]

Deep Sea Zone is the devil! I was enjoying the game, after I got used to the controls, but the second I made it to Deep Sea Zone, I just can't seem to enjoy it!! I can't even get passed act 1 at all!!

I do enjoy the level design to certain extent, but the only thing that really ticks me off is the amount of forward momentum when you jump. It's hard for me to control the way I want to go, and even flying as Tails gives me some issues. Other than that I really do enjoy the game. It just sucks that I had to put it on my mom's computer because I've got a Mac, and it doesn't help that she's on it constantly.

Go late night gaming!!!

[Unknownlight]

Attention all new players of SRB2. Never start off by playing Sonic. Never! Sonic is ridiculously hard to play as, starting off by playing him will only make you hate the game. I personally suggest starting off as Knuckles, he has the best handling. While Tails is easier, gliding as Knuckles is more precise than flying as Tails.

Anyway, I'm lovin' version 2.0, I really can't understand some of the complaints for the game. I got confused as to where to go once in AC Zone, but I only had to backtrack thirty seconds to get back on the main path. Right now I'm on ER Zone, and I just got killed by the vacuum. Okay, that's a problem, but I'm fine with the rest of it. Mind you, I've never even bothered to play the later levels as Sonic (which I can imagine to be an awful experience), but still. =/

[Sean]

Oh wow, so I actually managed to get far enough in ERZ2 and I got a game over in the mine area, where Sonic automatically moves forward (fucking moves too fast when I press left or right). Other than that the level hasn't been as bad as I was expecting.

Really, this level gets better with more practice and skill put into it. It's a totally fair level, which is more than what I can say for the Advance/Rush games. It also has the uncanny ability to fill me up with adrenaline whenever I play it.

EDIT: Shit, this part is busting my balls.

I mean at least I can find a way to pass the mine field and purple walls easily, but oh man, that last area with the diverging lanes kills me. I wish I had more lives as Tails. :x Who knows, maybe I'll start a new file trying to amass as much as I can, wouldn't be hard to get all the Chaos Emeralds with him again.

EDIT 2: Well, finally beat the game as Knuckles and Sonic. aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA

Edited July 29, 2009 by Jake

[Serperior]

However, I had two game overs at the 2nd boss. FIXING to give up (again, as I did last time) I went again and won finally. (That boss is evil, BTW. I destroyed him twice and died right then because he splattered Mega Mack on me!) Anyways, I went on to Deep Sea Zone, which is flat out evil, so THEN I quit. =P

How can you even die on that boss? All you have to do is stand in one spot that he flies by and then jump when he comes near you. Its simple. That even works when he starts jumping

[Sean]

Okay, I beat the game with all the characters.

Tails was actually harder for me to use against the final boss than Sonic, as I had initially expected. Knuckles was easy because there's a simple way to avoid his machine gun altogether, and Sonic's quick enough to use his thok and lay about six hits on the boss within the first minute. There's supposedly a way to use Tails's flying to nail in all eight hits within the first 30 seconds before the boss even has a chance to attack, but I haven't been able to pull it off.

Egg Rock Zone is fucking incredible you guys. Easily my favorite zone in the game, and there are still entire halves of the levels that I have yet to explore. Apparently the left route in ERZ2 is supposed to be absolutely mind-blowing.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Jake

[Rusty Spy]

Egg Rock Zone is fucking incredible you guys. Easily my favorite zone in the game, and there are still entire halves of the levels that I have yet to explore. Apparently the left route in ERZ2 is supposed to be absolutely mind-blowing.

So the broken camera, the MANY sections that catch you off guard without warning first time playing through, the trap rooms that kill you in a few seconds with little sign of a way out and the broken upside down sections didn't faze you? :blink:

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT AIMED AT YOU.

I'm sorry, but I can not comprehend anybody being able to beat this game, let alone with every character, let alone with Sonic. I'm obviously missing something here, but this game has just been one bitch-slap after another for me. It just feels like this game had no fresh testers what so ever, so the only testers were the ones who knew what to do, knew the whole layout of the game, and how everything works, preventing them from realizing that they created some of the most broken, and I can truly and fairly say UNFAIR level design I've ever seen.

Frankly, I take back everything I said about Deep Sea Zone, cause a level like that is a Godsend compared to the later levels, and I might have driven myself insane if I wasn't playing as Knuckles, who is a total game breaker, and yet another Godsend that saved my sanity throughout most of the game, but not even Knuckles can save my soul from Egg Rock Zone, which is Nintendo Hard, but for all the wrong reasons.

I'm sorry if this sounds like it's aimed at you, but I just need to get this of my chest. Good job beating the game anyway.

Edited July 29, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar

[Sean]

What broken camera?

I'll get into this in more detail when I get back, but ERZ's difficulty only filled me with excitement. I kept pushing to beat the level (and subsequently the boss) until I finally did. And I loved every moment of it.

Anyhow it's cool man, not everybody's gonna like the game and that's fine.

[Rusty Spy]

What broken camera?

In ERZ, at the very beginning on the right path, those crushers make the camera go out of whack, and in the very next room, the yellow bands going down the walls also make the camera go crazy. Not to mention many other instances, like jumping off a wall as Knuckles can be disorienting since the camera snaps 180 degrees and it can get disorienting, etc. It's quite annoying at times.

[Sean]

Okay, back.

In ERZ, at the very beginning on the right path, those crushers make the camera go out of whack, and in the very next room, the yellow bands going down the walls also make the camera go crazy. Not to mention many other instances, like jumping off a wall as Knuckles can be disorienting since the camera snaps 180 degrees and it can get disorienting, etc. It's quite annoying at times.

Huh~ I don't remember any of those problems occurring for me (not that I've ever had a problem with the camera in SRB2, anyway). I'm also pretty used to Knuckles's camera snap by now.

Frankly, it perplexes me that people can call ERZ unfair. I got many game overs in this level, even with characters you'd expect would have an easier time such as Tails, but it wasn't because I thought the level was unfair: it was because I sucked. Every time I died, I always knew I could do better and be less careless about what I was doing at the time. I kept trucking at it like a trooper, and now I can beat the level with the utmost of ease without losing so many lives, even with Sonic. There's some trial-and-error involved, but nothing that one or two lives lost and careful analysis of the upcoming puzzle can't solve. As for leap of faiths, I don't recall any instance in which I had to do this. I'm able to perfectly see what's ahead of me whenever I run head-long into something, and if you really have to blindly guess your way through, you're probably taking more risks than you have to with this zone. Almost every time I died, it was pretty much my fault. Even on my first run through ERZ2, I didn't have much trouble, because I got a lot better at being able to handle what was thrown at me in act 1. I would actually consider the most troublesome part would be the part in ERZ2 in which you automatically move forward, since that's one instance in which you do have to guess your way out.

When I say that I love Egg Rock Zone, that's no understatement. This truly is my favorite zone in SRB2. It's challenging but not impossible, sadistic but not unforgiving, vibrant with activity and traps but not unfair. If I just had to compare it to something, it would be Eggman. Eggman has always been diabolical, evil, and downright mean, but his classic design has always been bouncy, charming, giddy, and fun-loving. That's how I view this zone. It's hard, at least on my first several playthroughs, but it's just full of stuff. There's so much to explore in this level, so much to do, and I haven't even explored the left path yet, god damn it. These acts are divided into dozens of mini-sections that keep the level utterly interesting, and me on my toes. It's a gorgeous, fitting final level that has really left a strong impression on me.

If I had to point out unfair levels, it would be some stupid shit like Sky Canyon Zone from Sonic Advance 2 or Chaos Angel Zone from Advance 3, which aren't even nearly as difficult as Egg Rock Zone but are retarded as hell. In those games, that is when you have an abundance of leaps of faith.

[PSI Wind]

Techno Hill zone is awesome and has the best music, but its kinda unfair.

[Rusty Spy]

When I say that I love Egg Rock Zone, that's no understatement. This truly is my favorite zone in SRB2. It's challenging but not impossible, sadistic but not unforgiving, vibrant with activity and traps but not unfair. If I had to compare it to something, it would be Eggman. Eggman has always been diabolical, evil, and downright mean, but his classic design has always been bouncy, charming, giddy, and fun-loving. That's how I view this zone. It's hard, at least on my first several playthroughs, but it's just full of stuff. There's so much to explore in this level, so much to do, and I haven't even explored the left path yet, god damn it. These acts are divided into dozens of mini-sections that keep the level utterly interesting, and me on my toes. It's a gorgeous, fitting final level that has really left a strong impression on me.

On the left path, there's these small platforms that have crushers on the ceilings. Not only can I not see the way through, nor the crushers, my first time playing, I was instantly killed because I did not expect them to kill me like that. Not to mention because of those crushers, you're constantly moving, and coupled with the terribly imprecise control, it's a nightmare. On the right path, the room with the super floatiness, again, no idea it would do that, and over jumped the platform. Also, you have to have perfect accuracy to make it to the other platforms, and simply touching the walls means instant death. After that, there's a room with rising platforms that are actually crushers, again, no indication that it will do that, and practically no time to find out before it kills you. The worst part though is the last one, which I swear the upper platform is a mere few feet away from the ceiling, leaving an unbelievably small window to not get crushed. After that, there's the instant drowning room, which yet again, there is no indication it is going to do that, and you have to be very quick to make it to the top, and first time players are going to be caught off guard. After that there's a room with blue disappearing platforms. The first one is easy enough to cross, but the next has them moving across the room, which can be disorienting since there's no fluid movement and it goes all over the place. Then there's the upside down room filled with lava. Not only are the controls disorienting, but one mistake is nearly instant death from hardly being able to get back up. And here's the worst part. A vacuum room where your in this open area instantly drowning. There's a spring to the right that launches you way high up, but there's no time what so ever to get anywhere, and you just die. Again, a trap for first time players. And an alternate route around the aforementioned trap room is an upside down floaty room like at the beginning which is where I gave up from disorienting view and little idea what to do.

Unforgiving, unfair? I can hardly think of it as anything but.

And I don't know HOW you couldn't notice the camera screw in the first crusher room to the right in ERZ1, cause it ALWAYS happens to me.

Edited July 30, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar

[Sean]

post

Sounds about right!

Really, I wouldn't have expected anything less out of SRB2's final level. It's about damned time we actually got a last zone in a Sonic game that was thoroughly challenging and a satisfying kick in the balls. ERZ pulled out all the stops, and it was the most wonderful orchestra. I mean, I can't even remember the last time I even played a hard final level or boss in a Sonic game. I'll bet even Eggmanland has nothing on this baby.

By the way, I'm sure Eggman fans all over the world would be pleasantly surprised by ERZ2's little secret. ♥

[Rusty Spy]

I like a hard zone as much as the next guy, but there's a difference between challenging and just plain unfair. This zone in particular is a guilty culprit of fake difficulty and trial & error gameplay.

Challenging is a tough platforming section with collapsing platforms over a pit of lava. Unfair is a tough platforming section with imprecise controls, collapsing platforms that give no indication that they are about to fall or conveyor belts.

Challenging is a room you must clear where you have the constant danger of drowning. Unfair is a room you must clear where the drowning happens instantly without warning, and few safe spots that you are just barely going to make, coupled with imprecise controls.

Challenging is a vertical platform section that you must restart from the bottom if you fall. Unfair is a vertical platform section where there's a hazard constantly chasing you, restricting you from being more precise and the slightest slip, or taking too much time will result in taking damage and having to start from the bottom, coupled with imprecise controls.

Oh yeah, and get this, I just beat ERZ1 for the first time after God knows how many attempts, and upon starting Act 2, the game crashes........

Edited July 30, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar

[Sean]

Pfthahahahahaha I had that same problem.

Tips:

a. Use a supported resolution. Any multiple of 320x200 should do; it goes up to 1280x800.

b. Don't go left in the main entrance.

Well, good luck! ♥

Edited July 30, 2009 by Jake

[SuperStingray]

Well, I played through it. Most of it at least; it crashed early into the second act of the Egg Rock Zone. But for what I played, it was fantastic. It managed to be a simple, bona fide Sonic platformer where its openess and explorability isn't compromised by being straightforward. It had great physics, graphics, music- everything. If anything, though, I think the enemies should be more diverse and the camera should be fixed up a little. Also, a lot of the best level gimmicks seem to be concentrated in the Egg Rock Zone, so I think some should be spread out to the other levels. The online gameplay is very laggy (at least on the server I was on; I'm not sure if it's a universal issue) but there are a great variety of games and it's quite enjoyable. It's by no means a perfect game, but it's a damned good one. But what I like best about it is that it shows that Sonic CAN work in 3D.

[Rusty Spy]

After trying to find my way through the left path of Egg Rock Zone, after realizing that the red light was infact a laser barrier, I was able to continue forward, and to my surprise, I *GASP* liked it. Dun dun dun DUUUUN!!!

For some reason, the obstacles in this path were much better and a lot more manageable than the right path. I wasn't stricken with hard to navigate level design, and all the obstacles were challenging and not unforgiving. The only two parts I didn't like were the first room with the laser barrier which clearly looks like a light shining in that one part of the room, and by no means looks like a laser barrier, and the last gliding part as Knuckles. That and the gliding area before it were the only times where the camera snap when Knuckles jumps from a wall was a real problem, especially in the last part where you have to grab one of the moving walls and have little time to judge which direction you need to turn after jumping from the wall.

So from now one, I'm safe in the knowledge that I never have to touch the right path with a flaming 50 foot long pole ever again when I can take the path through the level that I can saftely say was design well.

Also, when I finnaly reached act 2, it was also much better from what I've played, still some flaws here and there, but I can safetly say that the leve is totally manageable now.

Edited July 30, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar