Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (3DS)

[Tails spin]

I'm digging this version more than the Wii U version, honestly. I also heard this is going to be the prequel of the Wii U version story-wise. No real problem with that, I just hope not to be plotholes or unanswered questions everywhere because of this.

Other way around. Shattered Crystal continues from rise of lyric. Since the gang meet sticks and this new world on the wii u. Plus sticks is already besties with Amy by the beginning of this game

[JezMM]

I'm not sure why people are complaining about Amy getting kidnapped; in the Lyric boss fight introduction, it shows everyone but Sonic captured. Not sure why Amy has to be singled out like this, especially since she gave him an actual reason to kidnap her.

 

Because the rest clearly become playable, she, as far as we know, does not (especially considering the character select on the touch screen fills the entire thing with four of em).  You're asking why we're singling her out, why are the game designers singling her out?

 

They could've easily have created a new NPC to be kidnapped who knows whatever Amy does.

[Crippled Espurr]

I'm not sure why people are complaining about Amy getting kidnapped; in the Lyric boss fight introduction, it shows everyone but Sonic captured. Not sure why Amy has to be singled out like this, especially since she gave him an actual reason to kidnap her.

 

I think it's because some people are getting tired of the "OMG I'M A DELICATED GIRL THAT HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!!! SAVE ME, MY HERO!!!" thing.

[Tails spin]

Because the rest clearly become playable, she, as far as we know, does not (especially considering the character select on the touch screen fills the entire thing with four of em). You're asking why we're singling her out, why are the game designers singling her out?

They could've easily have created a new NPC to be kidnapped who knows whatever Amy does.

Sticks?

[JezMM]

I also feel, while it's better than the situation we used to be in, I've already grown tired of this era of "let's respect girls more by having 1 playable girl to 3 playable guys" in nearly every single game featuring four playable characters.  When I first saw the 3DS screenshot with Sticks I was like "oh good it's been a long time since Sonic had a playable girl let alone 2 out of 5 characters!" but welp guess not.

[Tails spin]

I know what your saying I just guess they think girls dont play much

[Sonictrainer]

As I mentioned before, this version reminds me a lot of Crash Bandicoot.

[JezMM]

Well it's not even about that, girl characters shouldn't be included "because girls need someone to play as", female players can play as whomever they wish, it's just a fact that female characters don't appear as an option for anyone nearly as often as male characters do, and that shouldn't be the case.  But let's not get in too deep with gender representation in a topic that's just meant to be about this game specifically lol.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Hey, I'm a dude, but I'm not ashamed to say I main Peach in Super Mario 3D world. Honestly, I expect that Amy will be playable in this version at some point, just like I believe that Sticks will be unlockable in the Wii-u game(which is why she is not initialy stated as playable, because they have to meet and establish her first, just like the relationships between the the team, then post game and in the competitive multiplayer she will be playable)

[Tails spin]

Its kind of interesting how shattered crystal has more story to it revealed than the wiiu version

[The Deleter]

Because the rest clearly become playable, she, as far as we know, does not (especially considering the character select on the touch screen fills the entire thing with four of em).  You're asking why we're singling her out, why are the game designers singling her out?

 

They could've easily have created a new NPC to be kidnapped who knows whatever Amy does.

I wasn't really talking about it from a gameplay standpoint. I was speaking about the concerns of her character, and how it's going to be handled, such as the comment below.

 

And as for why the developers singled her out, she's the archaeologist of the group. It only stands to reason she would be the first to know about the shards.

 

I think it's because some people are getting tired of the "OMG I'M A DELICATED GIRL THAT HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!!! SAVE ME, MY HERO!!!" thing.

The problem with that logic is that all of the characters besides Sonic got captured, as well. Does that make them wusses, too?

[Crippled Espurr]

The problem with that logic is that all of the characters besides Sonic got captured, as well. Does that make them wusses, too?

 

The difference is that they will actually help on the story and try to do something to rescue her friend before getting caught at some point, while it's likely for Amy not to do any relevant effort to free herself.

 

Now that I think about it, Amy could be playable as some sort of support character, something like in Sonic '06, if she decides to escape taking some sort of hidden passage or something in the plot. I don't know.

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Maybe Lyric captures Knuckles and Tails TO KEEP THEM FROM HELPING SONIC? TO MAKE SURE THAT WHETHER OR NOT HE CAN RID HIMSELF OF THIS PEST, HE'LL MAKE HIS LIFE A LIVING HELL? He captures Amy for a specific reason, but Knuckles and Tails just to make sure?

[JezMM]

I wasn't really talking about it from a gameplay standpoint. I was speaking about the concerns of her character, and how it's going to be handled, such as the comment below.

 

And as for why the developers singled her out, she's the archaeologist of the group. It only stands to reason she would be the first to know about the shards.

 

The funny thing about writing is you have control over the whole story.  Who cares if Amy is an archaeologist?  They could've made the thing Lyric wants not be archaeology related!  There are a million ways they could have altered the motives of the bad guy or anything to keep Amy in the fray but they didn't.

[Blue Blood]

The funny thing about writing is you have control over the whole story.  Who cares if Amy is an archaeologist?  They could've made the thing Lyric wants not be archaeology related!  There are a million ways they could have altered the motives of the bad guy or anything to keep Amy in the fray but they didn't.

 

I'm gonna guess that they decided they only wanted to have four playable characters, or couldn't think of a way to add Amy to the game in a meaningful way. Unlike the Wii U version where you only have certain characters at any time, the 3DS one gives you access to everyone on the fly. To have five characters in that situation is asking a lot so they they all get equal use and none of them feel under or overpowered. And then, they either decided that they had to definitely use Sticks because she's a new character, or they weighed up the options and decided she was a better fit than Amy because of the that possibilities her Boomerang brought up. 

 

It sucks that Amy isn't going to be playable, but maybe that was just the decision they made over time and they decided to give her an important role in the story any way.

[Cyrus]

I saw GameXplain's footage again and suddenly the running doesn't seem as overpowered as it did to me. I guess the blur and characters often running out of their position of the screen for a split second gave me the illusion that it's boost speed. It still looks a little too fast for an instant speed mechanic in a side-scroller. In this case I wouldn't mind Sonic running at "Mario speed" if his default walk never speeds up.

[Salamander]

Maybe it's not a true Metroidvania, but if they were edging even remotely close to Metroidvania status, my first thought would've been to have all Sonic's friends be kidnapped and let you liberate them in whatever order you want.  I'm all up for exploration gameplay, though.

[Splash the Otter]

I don't really see what's so bad about Amy being the one who was captured. It makes sense in-universe, and we can't be sure she won't still have an active role in the plot. Sure, I was hoping she would be playable like everyone else, but she's playable in Rise of Lyric so it isn't that big a problem.

[Willsy]

This version actually bears a lot of resemblance to the Dimps games in terms of aesthetic (not gameplay though). The whole slingshot between sections is very reminiscent of the giant springs from Lost World 3DS, and the graphic quality looks similar to Gens and Lost World 3DS. There are probably things that I'm missing but there are similarities. It makes you wonder, are Dimps perhaps helping Sanzaru the same way Sonic Team are helping BRB?

[MamboCat]

I don't really see what's so bad about Amy being the one who was captured. It makes sense in-universe, and we can't be sure she won't still have an active role in the plot. Sure, I was hoping she would be playable like everyone else, but she's playable in Rise of Lyric so it isn't that big a problem.

 

Perhaps, given she is now the archaeologist of the group... but this "save the girl" plot, the female character being a plot device, is very old. Considering Boom is meant to be new! exciting! different! it's a bit sad to see traditional storytelling devices being used. :/

 

Also I wanna hit things with hammers! XD

[JezMM]

Yeah, I guess I'm just gonna have to hold off on judging until the product is in my hands and we see what they actually did with Amy for sure.  But nothing said in defence of the decision so far has made me okay with the new take on Amy's character not being playable in this version, that's the bottom line.

[Tara]

The funny thing about writing is you have control over the whole story.  Who cares if Amy is an archaeologist?  They could've made the thing Lyric wants not be archaeology related!  There are a million ways they could have altered the motives of the bad guy or anything to keep Amy in the fray but they didn't.

What's the fun in anything if the characters seem to not be in immediate danger whatsoever?  Yeah, there's a lot of things they could have done, but I don't see why being abducted is such a taboo thing.  I understand, and totally agree with, being sick of the whole "save the damsel in distress," thing that's plagued video games since... well, arguably the very beginning of the medium.  But it's too early to judge the context or how it will be done.  I'll happy accept complaints if it turns out to be exactly that though.

[JezMM]

As said, the lack of playability in the main adventure (if not the entire game) will bother me far more than anything else, even if the kidnap plot is well done and justifies itself.  I was looking forward to playing as her again.  "At least you can in the HD version" doesn't mean much when fans of the other characters get to play as them in both.

[JAiRO]

Excuse me? I wasn't aware that I wasn't allowed to post my thoughts. And I opened the post with the info from the press release along with a video preview to boot. Pretty sure you wouldn't even be saying this if my opinions were glowing.

You're silly, Blue Blood.

After having watched more of the gameplay I seriously think the majority of the levels are going to feel very same-y. The speed levels don't look fun at all.

EDIT: I also think Amy being kidnapped is just a reason for Sticks to be playable. Which I assume they think is a selling point, her being a new character exclusive to this version and all.

[MegasonicZX]

I saw GameXplain's footage again and suddenly the running doesn't seem as overpowered as it did to me. I guess the blur and characters often running out of their position of the screen for a split second gave me the illusion that it's boost speed. It still looks a little too fast for an instant speed mechanic in a side-scroller. In this case I wouldn't mind Sonic running at "Mario speed" if his default walk never speeds up.

There may be something I'm missing here but wasn't that just sonic's normal running speed? It didn't seem too fast considering the stages and it seems like one of those things that you'd use after beating the game once already to do speed runs and such.