Sonic Runners (iOS/Android) - Thread Version 2.0

[Cola]

Since we've been reset all the way back to August, we might as well start setting up the topics we're missing.

 

So, here's the Sonic Runners Thread - 2.0

 

 

For those not in the loop, Sonic Runners is a Sonic Team developed mobile game for iOS and Android. It features environments taken from Lost World, original compositions, and fun, fast-paced gameplay. Discuss it here!

 

Gameplay, courtesy of DarkspinesSonic's Youtube channel:

 

 

 

Oh, and links:

 

Google Play (US): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sega.sonicrunners

 

App Store (US): https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/id953019873?mt=8

[E-van]

Dude, this is fake, it's just a 4Chan leak. Why are people believing this?

[Cola]

Dude, this is fake, it's just a 4Chan leak. Why are people believing this?

 

My uncle works at nintendo this is a real game i swear ive played it

[E-van]

Why would Nintendo even have anything to do with this?

[Cola]

Why would Nintendo even have anything to do with this?

 

shows how much you know

[Diamond Sonic]

Can't trust these so called 'leaks'.

 

I mean, you'll be telling me Big the Cat is playable next.

[Blue Blood]

For those not in the loop, Sonic Runners is a Sonic Team developed mobile game for iOS and Android.

 

Holy fuck I'm glad I cross-posted this over on Retro. Credits analysis:

 

It looks like there's a lot of guys from the Olympics titles (SEGA Sports R&D) who worked on this as programmers. These names include Hirohshi Arai, Hirokai Yanagisawa, Yuzou Hirata and Ryo Abe. And the same sort of applies to the artists as well.. They all seem to come from SEGA Sports R&D and the M&S Olympics games, likeDaizo Kinoshita. So yeah, more than Sonic Team it's actually SEGA Sports R&D. Sonic Team has taken on only the lead roles, which SEGA Sports doing the rest. This game is actually hardly Sonic Team! Most of the Sonic Team members are as follows:

 

Takao Hirabayashi - Director

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) — Game Designer

Sonic Unleashed (PS3 & Xbox 360 Version) (2008) — Lead Planner, Night Time Level Designer, Combat System Designer

Sonic Unleashed (Wii & PS2 Version) (2008) — Lead Designer

Sonic Colours (DS Version) — Director

 

Sachiko Kawamura - Art Director

Same role on every major release beginning with Unleashed

 

Kentarou Tomii - Lead Programmer

Sonic Colors (2010)(Enemy Programmers)

Sonic Unleashed (2008)(Village Programmers)

Sonic Unleashed (2008)(Programmers)

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)(Programmers)

JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future (2002)(Programmer)

 

Maki Nishimori - Programmer

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2008)(Programmers)

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007)(Programming)

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)(Programmers)

 

 

Takayuki Okada - Game Designer

Sonic Generations (2011)(Game Designers)

Sonic Colors (2010)(Lead Level Designer)

Sonic Unleashed (2008)(Daytime Level Designers)

Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007)(Game Designers)

 

 

Takeshi Yamazaki - Game Designer

Street Fighter IV (2008)(Coordinators)

Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary (2011)(Game Designers)

Sonic Colors (2010)(Planners)

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (2009)(Planning)

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (2008)(Planning)

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2005)(Planning)

 

I don't know if this is even the same guy? Cause he'd be switching between SEGA and Capcom if so. 

 

Junpei Ootsu - Game Designer

Sonic Colors (2010)(Planners)

Sonic and the Black Knight (2009)(Game Designers)

Valkyria Chronicles (2008)(Map)

Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007)(Game Designers)

 

Naohiro Tsuchiya - Artist

Sonic Generations (2011)(Stage Artists)

Sonic Unleashed (2008)(Field Artists)

 

 

Shinkichi Tanahashi - Artist

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) — Character Artist

Sonic Unleashed (PS3 & Xbox 360 Version) (2008) — Lead Character Artist

Sonic Unleashed (Wii & PS2 Version) (2008) — Artist

Sonic Generations (3DS Version) (2011) — Artist

Sonic Lost World (Wii U Version) (2013) — Character Artist

 

 

Yoshinari Amaike - Artist

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) — Character Artist

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007) — 3D Designer

Sonic and the Black Knight (2009) — Character Artist

Sonic Generations (3DS Version) (2011) — Artist

Sonic Lost World (Wii U Version) (2013) — Character Artist

 

And yes, Takao Hirabayashi should definitely be out of a job and never employed in the games industry ever again.

[ChikaBoing]

Personally I woudn't say that this isn't a Sonic Team game. I mean the Lead Programmer is still from Sonic Team, and programmers switch departments frequently I'd imagine.

[Pawn]

I was pretty happy to unlock this little bugger last week:

 

 

I actually managed to unlock him twice on my first couple of tries. (Why is that possible?? Ugh. Give me Espio or Vector damn it.) Of course, I've failed to achieve another win with that ever since. They're giving away 50 red rings until the 15th so I'm about to have another spin... and Cyan Wisp. Bollocks.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

There's got to be another way to unlock Amy. The current way is absolute pathetic. I want my Amy, hope sometime in near future she will be a character egg or something, I rather gamble than painfully invite friends...

[Sami]

Spun three times. Nothing useful.

 

Fuck this game.

[Blue Blood]

I got an Angel Chao earlier. The ring boost is nice, but there's a lot more I could care about right now.

 

This game is really fun to start with, but all too soon it falls victim to the usual follies of freemium games. Random chance, lack of development in the gameplay, grinding to progress and the need to resort to IAPs to have a mere chance at getting the powerups you want. 

[TailsTellsTales]

Is anybody struggling to earn enough points to get through the episode? I use the double player mode which is draining my rings. Does the game after certain amount of time begin to lag on you because it does for me. Finally does the bottomless pits annoy people?

[Gabz Girl]

Not surprised that Sonic Runners turns out to be yet another bad freemium game in the end. All that praising just a few weeks ago... =P

[Mauro Fonseca]

Did you have a vendetta against it like me and Boom? Because you seem to actively be enjoying the backlash

[Ryannumber1gamer]

 

I won't make any opinions on Runners until I actually get the chance to play it myself.

[Doctor MK]

This game is really fun to start with, but all too soon it falls victim to the usual follies of freemium games. Random chance, lack of development in the gameplay, grinding to progress and the need to resort to IAPs to have a mere chance at getting the powerups you want. 

 

Couldn't have put it better myself. The game starts off extremely well and the sense of achievement is strong in the early stages, as a few decent runs will send you flying straight through the opening chapters and rewarding you with loads of items, rings, and red rings. The further and further in you get though, the less and less enjoyable it becomes. The core gameplay is still decent enough but tedium and repetitiveness steadily creeps in when you're forced to replay the same stage over and over again just to complete whatever arbitrary task each particular chapter happens to be about. It's alright in short bursts, but by this point in the game, that initial rush of rewards and unlockables is long gone - unless you sit down for a marathon session, it all seems a bit lacking and pointless.

 

And don't get me started on the roulette wheels. 50 red rings just for one luck-of-the-draw spin at a new companion or, god forbid, a new playable character? The other day I spent a whole goddam hour collecting enough red rings to have a go at winning one of the Chaotix, or at the very least a rare companion like Caliburn. What do I get for all of my efforts? A bloody Wisp. No, scratch that, a bloody Baby Wisp (what is this, Mario Kart 8?!) - and it was one I already had, too! Screw that nonsense.

 

As it stands, I'm finding it very difficult to muster up the incentive to play through and make any sort of progress now. If I could just outright purchase or at least increase my odds of unlocking the stuff I actually care about, I'd be having a blast with it, but its misleading first impressions have now sorely worn off on me and it's now simply yet another freemium game that I'll only play for five minutes when I'm sat around feeling bored with nothing else to do.

 

'Tis a shame, although I can't say it wasn't expected. I should have known it was too good to be true at first!

[Mania Pipe]

Welp. Isn't that a fucking shame to hear. I really wish I could play this game to have a full opinion on it, just to see how it feels but I just can't really muster up the care to do it. I really thought this game was going off on such a good start too, I really did... ;.;

[Doctor MK]

Welp. Isn't that a fucking shame to hear. I really wish I could play this game to have a full opinion on it, just to see how it feels but I just can't really muster up the care to do it. I really thought this game was going off on such a good start too, I really did... ;.;

 

It's not a bad game, it's just one that does very little to break away from the typical "freemium" model - which, as I say, is nothing we didn't already expect. The criticism really is because the game gives off such a positive initial impression, it's all the more disheartening when you realise that at its core it's still the same frustrating free-to-play formula that we've seen time and time again.

 

Considering that it's free, I'd still recommend playing it for the first handful of chapters, there's good fun to be had there. Just don't expect it to be something you'll enjoy in the long run unless you have the patience of a saint or are willing to splash out some cash.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

What I said about Amy being in one of those character eggs, I take it back.

 

It will be frustrating that to get all the characters in this game, you'll first have to be playing the game during these promotions, THEN have to spin the wheel PRAYING it will land on the egg AND it's the character you haven't already gotten.

 

Special Roulette you have a better chance of getting the character egg, but getting a Special Roulette is a complete joke so instead have to go on Premium Roulette and spend a ton of red rings. You may need to spend like 1000+ red rings before you land on a character egg.

 

I have like 14 special eggs...and I'm afraid to spend anymore of them. Downside of this is, I'm locked out of Premium Roulette until I spend 10 of my eggs. Screw that.

 

Fun at first, now it's becoming annoying. Sonic Team must fix the game before releasing this worldwide.

[Doctor MK]

Hey, I just remembered they gave out 50 free Red Rings yesterday! That's enough for a spin on the Premium Roulette!

 

I wonder what I'll get? Chip? Caliburn? One of the Chaotix...? Oh boy, I can't wait to find out!

 

...

 

 

OH FOR THE LOVE OF-!!! *explodes with rage*

 

This is like the third or fourth time in a row I've got a duplicate Baby Wisp. Shit be gettin' real old now, son.

 

Even when Runners tries to be generous, it ends up just making me more frustrated with it...

[Badnik Mechanic]

I'm tempted to re review this on TSS. It's a good game. But it's got a lot of problems that don't reveal itself until you put in several hours layer.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

#SaveTheAnimals, I'd recommend the skull Chao for this EDIT: If it counts to the total

 

 

 

So with this promotion, thanks to my Skull Chao I already saved 300 animals with 4 lives. SKULL CHAO IS A MUST HAVE for this promotion if you want to collect everything fast.

I'm on episode 22 and on a boss showdown. Buttt, I decided to not do the boss showdown and just go through the same run again and again until I have the necessary companions and items to continue. Because obviously, the game gets harder and harder after clearing each episode and I'm comfortable where I am now. Just wished I can go back to episode 1.

[Gabz Girl]

I still want to give this a try once it's released, especially since it's free and all. I'm just not surprised it ended up being blah.

[Badnik Mechanic]

It's not blah. It's still a fun game. It's just got some design problems for later game.