What would make you being excited about Sonic 2016?

[Nepenthe]

I'll admit, I may have found both scenes funny, but I definitely do prefer reaction faces to situations than simply having a few tongue-in-cheek comments.

 

 

I mean, I'm not gonna say Warren and Graff are the worst things to happen to the series like so many people do, but their random style of humor kinda feels off for the series. Its not because it isn't funny, fucking Zazz is the best character to come from them by far, but because it really doesn't mesh well with what we've known about the characters for these twenty years.

 

I agree that they're probably given too much guff, particularly since we don't exactly know the extent to which they've touched some of the games. And personally, I still like their general characterization of everyone in the series. All of the characters are enjoyable to watch in various situations, but I also agree that the humor doesn't mesh well with the rest of the series (it might've helped if they researched it better, ahyuck-hyuck-hyuck). Sonic has always been kind of cheesy, silly, and prone to taking references from other franchises, but I felt it didn't need to draw direct attention to itself by outright stating that, and that it was comfortable mellowing in its own fun at face value and using its combined universe as a springboard for actual plots we were meant to engage in sincerely. Similar to how Steven Universe is filled with cheesy-ass shit like random musical numbers and direct references to Nintendo franchises all over the place without the need to say "I'm playing Super Smash Bros.," and how none of this is an inhibitor for making one care about the characters or the conflicts they face.

 

Like, I can only imagine the Death Egg being introduced now instead of in Sonic 2 and how many deliberate verbal Star Wars jokes they feel they'd have to make in order to hammer home the fact that, yes, the Death Egg is a cultural reference, versus just simply allowing the Death Egg to speak for itself. An extended skit between Eggman and his cohorts directly referencing the first film's father twist might be funny in some context, but it's relatively more try-hard and juvenile than just letting the audience rely on their own knowledge in order to chuckle at an Eggman-faced Death Star.

[Wittymations]

I'm not sure if that's really the best description. Namely since Freeza enjoys destroying worlds where  Eggman does it merely to further a larger goal. But I think the dark humor touch up would fit him.

[Kuzu]

Are we just going to ignore the suggestion of Eggman as a PG Abridged Frieza because that'd be god damn hilarious

 

It'd be pretty great lol

 

I agree that they're probably given too much guff, particularly since we don't exactly know the extent to which they've touched some of the games. And personally, I still like their general characterization of everyone in the series. All of the characters are enjoyable to watch in various situations, but I also agree that the humor doesn't mesh well with the rest of the series (it might've helped if they researched it better, ahyuck-hyuck-hyuck). Sonic has always been kind of cheesy, silly, and prone to taking references from other franchises, but I felt it didn't need to draw direct attention to itself by outright stating that, and that it was comfortable mellowing in its own fun at face value and using its combined universe as a springboard for actual plots we were meant to engage in sincerely. Similar to how Steven Universe is filled with cheesy-ass shit like random musical numbers and direct references to Nintendo franchises all over the place without the need to say "I'm playing Super Smash Bros.," and how none of this is an inhibitor for making one care about the characters or the conflicts they face.

 

Like, I can only imagine the Death Egg being introduced now instead of in Sonic 2 and how many deliberate verbal Star Wars jokes they feel they'd have to make in order to hammer home the fact that, yes, the Death Egg is a cultural reference, versus just simply allowing the Death Egg to speak for itself as an actual homage. An extended skit between Eggman and his cohorts directly referencing the first film's father twist might be funny in some context, but it's relatively more try-hard and juvenile than just letting the audience rely on their own knowledge in order to chuckle at an Eggman-faced Death Star.

 

 

Ya know, since you said this it made me realize that its not the humor itself I have an issue with, but their constant need to explain the punchline. Its just so aggravating to have a joke explained to me instead of letting me figure it out. I know it isn't their intention, but it makes me feel like a moron that the writers are saying "This joke is so advanced for your little underdeveloped brain that we're going to explain the punchline just so you can get it kay :V" 

 

Like, the best jokes they've written are the ones that don't do this; Sonic's comment about Eggman's hair line receding had a genuine chuckle outta me and wasn't too marred by Tails`  immediate comment of " This is serious". More of that please.

[Solkia]

Probably nothing at this point.

 

I'll follow it regardless but to be excited for this series would mean a hell of a lot of changes at Sega and Sonic Team that won't happen for years. Pair that up with a number of things and I don't think I'll ever be excited for Sonic again.

[andrewtuell1991]

I've had enough of realism or close-to-realism in Sonic. Enough of the Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 and Sonic Adventure. I want some 10 years at least of only Sonic 1, CD, crazy textures nonsense going on.

[Clewis]

Besides, we've seen the evolution of 1 and CD's art style, it was called Knuckles Chaotix and looked like someone threw Sonic in a blender with the Problem Solverz.

[Diogenes]

So much of Unleashed just looks like a normal place, though. I mean, yeah, that was the point, they intentionally modeled it after real world locations...but that just isn't what I want out of Sonic. I miss the fantasy of it, the familiar-made-fantastic feel.

[Blitz 'n Burst]

SA1's voice acting alone is a million times funnier than all the legitimate attempts at humor the series has given us.

"oh no."

[Scar]

So much of Unleashed just looks like a normal place, though. I mean, yeah, that was the point, they intentionally modeled it after real world locations...but that just isn't what I want out of Sonic. I miss the fantasy of it, the familiar-made-fantastic feel.

[andrewtuell1991]

Maybe that's why he referred to Sonic 1 and CD specifically and not Knuckles Chaotix.

[Nepenthe]

I'm personally less concerned with the general style than I would be its use throughout the overall game. Things don't need to be grimdark all the time, but I'm not going to take a pivotal story moment during a bright sunny day all that seriously either. It would help if Sonic Team did color scripts or variable lighting for the levels again to service the tone of different levels and moments better, but I feel that would require caring beyond their means.

[Clewis]

Yeah, but the way Sega is nowadays, they'd eventually take that art style to that extreme again.  Balance is a word that's been foreign to Sonic Team for a while now.

[Roger_van_der_weide]

Huh? Sonic 1 more fantastical then Sonic 2/ 3 and Knuckles?
The only really wacky stage in Sonic 1 is Springyard, maybe Green Hills a bit, but the rest is pretty down to earth with very toned down colors. In fact the 3d Sonic game that reminds me the most of Sonic 1's art style would be Shadow, with all the depressing beaten down cities and industrial intensity. For those complaining smelly gritty cities have no place in Sonic, I always love pointing out they were there from the first game on:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4958/1950/320/starlight22.png

 

What I *Think* you meant is that you prefer having more alien colors in Sonic's color palette.
That's the one thing I can think of. Sonic 1 uses a lot more purple then other games, and Sonic Cd/ Chaotix love using pink and turquoise and all kind's of 80's neon colors. 
The focus on those colors became rare in Sonic games after that, only Sonic Colors brings them back to the foreground.

 

Anyway, about the humor from 2 pages ago, even if Sonic adventure's humor isn't super funny, what I really like about it is that it just naturally flows from the characters and situations, so even if it isn't funny, nothing's lost. Sitations are set up, the characters motivations and emotions are clear, and off we go. It's a mild joke that also qualifies as genuine dialogue.
It reminds me a bit of the Naked Gun movies. Not in Humor style, but in Pace. In those movies, I never even notice when a joke doesn't work, the story just keeps flowing like a train so I'm too concentrated on what's happening next then to worry about the failed puchlines.
....Altough looking back at Adventure's cutscenes years later, I am noticing how they have a ton of deadspace in them...

But with Colors and on, Pontac and Graff's comedy style doesn't just stop the plot dead in it's tracks for the characters to go on stand up comedian antics for minutes on end, sometimes the jokes completely overtake the story.
Notice how we never see Yacker getting saved in Colors after the dramatic set up that he's missing, or we never see Amy being released out of the jail in Boom 3ds. All that "wrapping up the plot" bussines would just get out of the way to Sonic and Tails going on about Sushi or Eggman's physical disfigurements.

"Well, can we just assume that happened offscreen? It's pretty obvious"
Why yes we could, but with that attitude I'm starting to wonder why we're having cutscenes at all. Just open with a text "Eggman does bad things, go out and punch his robots" and spare me the eternal cutscenes about nothing.

So yeah, Eggman's P.A. comments are amusing and at least harmless, they just happen during the game (Altough I never even noticed them because, as someone said, the music is too loud.)
Writing stupid commentary is Pontac and Graff's biggest talent (Their writing of the anouncers in Mad World was pretty decent too) so as long as their jokes happen off the sides, then sure, I'll live with it.
But please for the love of all Oriental, Norish and Egyptian Gods, don't let them write Dialogue.

[Dr. Detective]

I have a bad feeling that they're not going anywhere when it comes to dialogue. 

 

It's painful knowing what needs to be changed and yet at the same time you also know there's very little change it'll get changed,

[Omelette Omelette]

perhaps maybe there will be new characters and bigger maps. hopefully it wont be another recolor of sonic though

[Goro Man]

Personally, I really want to even demand that the SEGA Sonic Adventure 3! Or something like that with sane setting, interesting plot. About the relationship to Sonic with Eggman (perhaps even with the murder and resurrection of Eggman), or about the disclosure Sonic''s past (and maybe show it - my mother, who is - a true Ultimate Life Form)! And I personally for the second option. The story of the Sonic's past will help this game to sell at 2-3 million copies. After all - "WOW! In this game, there is the showing past of Sonic?! This news decade!! I do not need spoilers, I will definitely buy the game to find out myself!!". (And the script was written to Ian Flynn)

[andrewtuell1991]

Personally, I really want to even demand that the SEGA Sonic Adventure 3! Or something like that with sane setting, interesting plot. About the relationship to Sonic with Eggman (perhaps even with the murder and resurrection of Eggman), or about the disclosure Sonic''s past (and maybe show it - my mother, who is - a true Ultimate Life Form)! And I personally for the second option. The story of the Sonic's past will help this game to sell at 2-3 million copies. After all - "WOW! In this game, there is the showing past of Sonic?! This news decade!! I do not need spoilers, I will definitely buy the game to find out myself!!". (And the script was written to Ian Flynn)

 

I don't see why anyone would ever want a canon origin story.  According to Sonic 1's Japanese manual, any past encounter between Sonic and Eggman were just low-level skirmishes that didn't amount to anything.  It also implied that Sonic 1 was the first time Badniks and Chaos Emeralds came into play meaning a faithful prequel would have neither of those things and no other characters but Sonic AGAIN!  No thank you.

 

I wouldn't trust Ian Flynn to ever write for the games.  He drags plots out to their breaking point, is prone to extreme levels of flanderization, and his writing comes off as too melodramatic at time.  Between Flynn and Pontac/Warren, I'd pick the latter as the lesser of two evils.

 

If Sega was going to give Sonic an origin, they would've done it by now.  The fact that they haven't must mean his origin isn't anything interesting and therefore isn't worth seeing.  I'd prefer a new plot instead of more Classic fan pandering.

[Sami]

You know even though we kinda moved past this I gotta admit I'm still thinking about how hilarious it'd be and now I'm sad it'll never happen

 

 

Actually threatening Eggman who's cocky as shit yes please

 

"God, he broke Orbot, the Egg Dragoon, Egg Hornet, today's just been one giant mess. 

 

Oh, I should probably send Cubot something. Perhaps some juice, or a gift basket... or maybe gift baskets with juice!"

 

I mean hey it's silly but I'm still laughing thinking about it, I know we all love Eggman but he really hasn't been funny since Colors imo

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

Personally, I really want to even demand that the SEGA Sonic Adventure 3! Or something like that with sane setting, interesting plot. About the relationship to Sonic with Eggman (perhaps even with the murder and resurrection of Eggman), or about the disclosure Sonic''s past (and maybe show it - my mother, who is - a true Ultimate Life Form)! And I personally for the second option. The story of the Sonic's past will help this game to sell at 2-3 million copies. After all - "WOW! In this game, there is the showing past of Sonic?! This news decade!! I do not need spoilers, I will definitely buy the game to find out myself!!". (And the script was written to Ian Flynn)

 

No origin story for Sonic please.

 

One of the great things about Sonic is that he's a blue hedgehog with an attitude who can run at the speed of sound and yet he requires no explanation, no justification. He just is what he is.

 

I just like that yanno.

[Failinhearts]

I'm sure everyone here probably said "good gameplay" and... Yeah I agree, obviously despite the fact that I have a bad sense of quality sometimes. (I enjoyed Sonic's Story in 06.)

 

But is it wrong that I just want another vocal Sonic song in Sonic 2016?

 

(Also, no more Pontac and Graff. After Colors, their stories became painful. Lost World's story... Uggh.)

[Jango]

I feel like giving my 2 cents to this topic today, here goes!

What I really wish for an awesome, dreamy Sonic game, that would make me buy it day 1, is a return to Little Planet.

I would love to see the characters actually talk about it, things like: -Wow, it's been a while since we've been here. (Sonic to Amy). Or even Sonic comenting on Tails never really landing on LP.

In my opinion, stuff like this is very nice to see, because it feels like the characters acknowledge their world. The only time that happened was in SA, when Knuckles refers to Angel Island. And the only Sonic mytho they seem to acknowledge are the Chaos Emeralds. Not even the ME is mentioned anymore.

So, the story would go from there. Sonic, Tails and Amy go to LP to explore undiscovered locations.

I would love a completely throwback begining, so the first zone would be no less than Palmtree Panic.

In any case, right after PPZ, they discover that Eggman is there too, only messing around. I don't want go too much in detail, but I would like to see in-game time travel and the Time Stones.

Now, how would the game look and play?

It should look like Lost World, but a tiny bit more detailed, like Unleashed. Not as realistic, nor as flat and cubic. A between. Colors poping out, things moving on the background, movement, life!

Now for the gameplay.

Full 3D, not 2D. Pure platforming, like the original Sonic Adventure. No hack-n-slash, treasure hunting, mech shooting, just jump and run.

Can play as Sonic, Tails and Amy, at the same time, like Heroes, but improved of course. A few times would be only 2, or even 1 alone.Sonic's gameplay would be a mix between SA (main speed, spindash, movement) and the parkour from Lost World. Tails would control like him, minus the parkour, since he would be able to fly. And yes he will have the spindash. Amy would control like both, but instead of spindash, parkour or flight, she would use the hammer to perform various things like jump higher, boomerang distant badniks and break walls. Each one will have a special skill that would ad the other, think Tails caring Sonic and Amy.

Like I said earlier, in-game time travel, only Sonic can, it would be like his special move. But Tails and Amy would be able to travel as well because Sonic would leave a warp gate behind him. Anyway, the time travel would go like CD, past-present-bad and good futures.

The levels would not be long, but would be wide, meaning lots of ways of finish it.

Special Stages would be back, in act 2 of each zone, hidden. A giant ring is the portal to it.

One zone would be fucking Desert fucking Dazzle. All the rest are new, but keeping the tradition of same initials.

Music wise? Bring on all the crew like they did with Colors, Gens. From Othanis to Hatayas, from Tokois to Senoues.

So that's it. I don't know how I would call it, but maybe Sonic CD 2? Kinda weird.

[Gabz Girl]

But is it wrong that I just want another vocal Sonic song in Sonic 2016?

 

Naw I agree. I want another vocal Sonic song too. I know they can be pretty cheesy, but it's Sonic's trademark and it's one of the things that makes his games stand out from other platformers like Mario. I didn't like Wonder World and don't understand why it gets so much love when it's just so bland and generic sounding. There's no attitude, no rock, no cheesy lyrics...dammit Sega gimme back my vocal songs!

[Jango]

I agree. Reach for the Stars was the last real vocal theme, and it managed to be cheesy as hell, but I like it. I also adore Speak with you Heart.

Cheesy vocal theme songs in Sonic games always got me pumping for the adventure to come, it's some kind of magic shit. I especially like Heroes themes, not only for the so-cheesy-i-cant-hate lyrics, but for the guitar work.

[Komodin]

Eh, I can honestly live without having any more cheesy rock themes. My overall tolerance for them is nearly nonexistent nowadays, and I always thought that they were usually the worst parts of the past games music-wise.

[pppp]

Eh, I can honestly live without having any more cheesy rock themes. My overall tolerance for them is nearly nonexistent nowadays, and I always thought that they were usually the worst parts of the past games music-wise.