Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (3DS)

[Doctor MK]

Just watched the Gamespot demo and... I didn't think I'd be saying this, but Shattered Crystal genuinely looks like the better game of the two so far. In parts, at least.

 

While I'm not a huge fan of the slow exploration stuff in the adventure levels, they at least look and feel more like a classic Sonic stage and it's nice to see the Enerbeam used for acrobatics more than it is for "yank off this robot's shield".

 

But oh boy that rival race with Sticks, that was awesome! I was expecting it to be a mess like the rival races in Generations 3DS, or be very similar to Sonic Rivals (which I guess it is, but whatever)... so to see a really fast-paced action-packed thrill ride to the finish with springs and loop-de-loops galore... yeah, I can dig that!

 

Not that it'll necessarily be a large or even frequent part of the gameplay, but at least it looks like something I might enjoy. And on the whole, I feel that by being more conservative in its design, the 3DS version will be a better experience as a result - which is just never the case with the handheld Sonic games.

 

Also I love how Knuckles' digging animation is so blatantly inspired by the Drill Wisp. Sonic Colours confirmed as experimental project for multiple characters in future games

[Blue Blood]

Shattered Crystal with direct deed audio

The music HRURRR is pretty GRRR cool, but it HYEAH keeps getting HAH interrupted.

[TheLaw34]

Wow look guys a sonic game! 

Have fun making jak 4 BRB im sure the kiddies will... survive it.

[Salamander]

I wonder why the race stages exist.  Maybe Sonic has to race his friends before they'll unlock, but that would only translate to three races.  Or maybe they could be the training wheels races to prepare you for later races against bosses and villains?

[Blue Blood]

Bloody hell, Sanzaru. Those voice clips after every single action? Fuck no.

[Dizcrybe]

Well at least the graphics don't look like total garbage... this far away.

[Willsy]

The gameplay looks very good from what I've seen so far, all three stages look fun to play. This one is a definite buy for me, with Rise Of Lyric being kept on pre-order unless there are bad reviews when it presumably releases earlier in the US.

But at least I'm completely happy with one of the games. And there's the TV show too.

[Biggs]

Shattered Crystal looks surprisingly good. Not exactly my highlight of E3 but I'm glad at least one of the games doesn't look too bad.

 

Why's Amy absent though?

[Da Blu Hedgie]

While not quite ps2 quality graphics, this is definitely the best looking sonic portable game, better than Rivals even. Seaside Jungle looks pretty fun though and that first music while not exactly sounding sonicy (I get some mario vibes from it) sounds so much better than the ambient orchestra of the wii u version though the second track sounds more like ambiance. The Shadow Canyons music reminds me more of Sonic Rivals music, which was ok, heck even the stage reminds me of Rivals but better. The worm tunnel music reminds me of Sonic Heroes Special stage music and it looks alright.

 

Hopefully this version will have Leaderboards too.

[Dizcrybe]

Shattered Crystal looks surprisingly good. Not exactly my highlight of E3 but I'm glad at least one of the games doesn't look too bad.

 

Why's Amy absent though?

 

Kidnapped by Lyric.

[StaticMania]

Amy is Kidnapped in this game and replaced by the new-comer character...Sticks the Badger, who is suppose to be Amy's best friend.

[Willsy]

Shattered Crystal looks surprisingly good. Not exactly my highlight of E3 but I'm glad at least one of the games doesn't look too bad.

Why's Amy absent though?

She's kidnapped by Lyric. I think this is an excuse to have Sticks playable though and not have to raise the character count beyond four.

[JezMM]

Goddamn the music is really great, this is what I wanted out of Boom's soundtrack.  It's different from past games but still has a distinct enough blend of rock and techno influences to sound "Sonic".  Worm Tunnel is my fave track but I really love Shadow Canyons too.  Seaside Jungle is fine and I like that there's a few varieties as you progress through the large stage.

[Milo]

I have to agree that the music is pretty good. The one for the racing one sounds like something straight out of Riders.

[Amalgamous]

During the E3 Demo, it's said that this takes place before the Wii U game. At first I thought it was the guy being a bit full of himself, but going off of what Lyric says in the Wii U trailer, what if the two games form some sort of Stable Time Loop?

EDIT: After watching the new gameplay above: wow those levels are expansive! And voice clips after every action (in the tube stage mostly) is a bit grating,..

[Blue Blood]

During the E3 Demo, it's said that this takes place before the Wii U game. At first I thought it was the guy being a bit full of himself, but going off of what Lyric says in the Wii U trailer, what if the two games form some sort of Stable Time Loop?

I'm pretty sure they said it comes before the TV show, not before Rise of Lyric. The events as we know them are...

- Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy start exploring this place

- Somewhere along the way they meet Sticks and Lyric

- Amy gets captured

- TV show happens

If Shattered Crystal happened first, things wouldn't make any sense. It's not a stable time loop in play here.

[Amalgamous]

I'm pretty sure they said it comes before the TV show, not before Rise of Lyric. The events as we know them are...

- Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy start exploring this place

- Somewhere along the way they meet Sticks and Lyric

- Amy gets captured

- TV show happens

If Shattered Crystal happened first, things wouldn't make any sense. It's not a stable time loop in play here.

I was thinking SC would take place during the time travel shenanigans of RoL, but this works too.

Also, great music is great.

[Badnik Mechanic]

 

 

http://www.sonicstadium.org/2014/06/metal-sonic-is-in-sonic-boom/

 

Is that a Metal Sonic I see before me? 

 

Not a photoshop, he's right here at 0:34 in the 3DS trailer.

[Cyrus]

Shattered Crystal with direct deed audio

The music HRURRR is pretty GRRR cool, but it HYEAH keeps getting HAH interrupted.

 

So now grunts are a problem

 

Wow look guys a sonic game! 

Have fun making jak 4 BRB im sure the kiddies will... survive it.

 

 

Oh good, the run button's mapped on the X button. Good for players with messed up shoulder buttons.

[SlickEvan]

METAL SONIC!? Wow that was quite the surprise. This looks pretty "traditional" so it looks fun. Definitely not what I'd thought it'd be but okay nonetheless.

[Blue Blood]

So now grunts are a problem

Grunts have always been a problem when they're so overly frequent and distracting like they are here.

Also Metal Sonic and seemingly without a massive redesign? Ooh er...

[slam422]

So I watched the footage of the 3DS game, and I gotta say that it looks fantastic! It seems like Sanzaru really know what they're doing when it comes to Sonic, and I'm loving the way the Rival Races look so far: like Sonic Rivals, but better!

 

AND DAT METAL SONIC! Gotta say I'm glad to see that metal bastard got at least SOME representation in this new continuity (I say knowing full well that I know nothing about the cartoon or games outside of what's been shown so far). Hope we'll be able to see more of that lovably evil robo-hog in the near future.

[Blue Blood]

GameSpot are doing well with uploading all the footage from their live demo without the commentary...

[Crippled Espurr]

Woah, this looks pretty neat!

 

All of the levels look very well designed and quite fun to play. I also like the fact that there are tons of alternate routes and extra rooms that contain unlockables and goods.

 

Soundtrack-wise... Well, it's awesome! Shadow Canyons' track just screams 'Rail Canyon' with a touch of Bullet Station (because adding a similar ambientation and tons of rails wasn't enough), but with a pace similar to Sky Troops'. Seaside Jungle it's pretty damn sweet, as well. The 'inside-the-jungle' track it's a bit off, though, but still good. The Tunnel theme reminds me of a special stage, for some reason.

The fact that Metal Sonic is going to be in the game hypes me up even more.

 

Also, it might be just my hype, but the game looks tons better than in direct footage and screenshots.

[kalion]

Guess who's back?

 

GUYS! RICHARD JACQUEEEESSS!

 

Sweeeeeeeeeeet<3 Love his style.

 

 

Gonna haphazard a guess that metal sonic's a rival character. In probably the later stages..He'd make a cool unlockable in aftergame tho'

ala SADX

 

Maybe if the time travel theory is correct, he's a robot made using their ancient technology that looks like Sonic, thus actually being Lyric's.

 

That'd be interesting...also Lyric The Lizard.

 

Can't believe I finally caught on to that alliteration..liking it even more now..