In Defence of Boost

[Liars]

I think it's an overall good mechanic and so far, it's worked pretty well in some games, like the Rush series. I agree that it doesn't flow as good in the 3D games though.

And I also agree with Azoo's argument that Boost does make the game a lot easier and maybe that's what they should work on the next game. 

 

[Regulus]

I mean don't get me wrong guys, Boost isn't my favourite gamestyle, I like the 2D Classic Sonic games far more than any other style. I'd like to see a new 2D Sonic game, but after Sonic 4 I'm a bit skeptical, although that was made by DIMPS and I think Sonic Team nailed Classic Sonic's stages in Generations.

But that said, I still think the Boost is fun. I acknowledge that it's a simplistic game formula, although just because Boost is simplistic doesn't mean it is necessarily bad. I'd take Boost over Lost World any day, and although I think Generation's best stages were better than both Adventure titles, that may be in spite of Boost because the level design was excellent. So maybe you guys are right...

I don't know, Boost just seems to be enjoyable when I play with it, and I still argue that it's unique among the gaming market.

[GamerGirl54321]

It should be limited, though. The boost gauge can stay almost completely full for the whole level, and minus pitfalls and the like, it makes Sonic practically invincible. If they're going to keep it around, they need to nerf it.

[Azul]

2 hours ago, StaticMania said:

"Picking up the pace" means to get running again so you can reach top speed...again.

You're not explaining how you can do this and ignoring that...

2 hours ago, StaticMania said:

While rolling, you slow down until you stop completely and the only way to regain momentum is by lightly jumping so you can start up your running animation.

So basically, you're saying that rolling does slow you down and to counteract that, you have to "get running again" which doesn't even explain anything. From here, I can just assume you mean "keep on pressing forward until you go fast again" even though this section of the argument revolves around how this boost mode can effectively maintain speed while not addressing this specific issue but still insisting that it can.

 

3 hours ago, StaticMania said:

While dodging obstacles, there are bound to be straightaways that'll let you pick up speed or atleast some decent length platforms that you can run on. Timing jumps so that you won't slow down too much.

This isn't a guaranteed thing. Level designs vary. Besides, this is something that doesn't doesn't really work better for either boost. In the HE boost, you'd either have to be quick and accurate enough to leap from platform to platform or know when to stop. In this proposed version, you only get the first option. However, unless this boost doesn't move exactly like the one we already have, you'd also have to factor in the large sliding lag you get when you brake which could cause you to slip off. Furthermore, this version lack the ability to slow yourself down in mid-air which could also spell out your doom. Even if it is up to the player, this alternative boost comes with more cons than pros.

3 hours ago, StaticMania said:

That last sentence is about how even though jumping slows you down, it doesn't matter.

 

If you're asking what this "new" boost adds...I said earlier that it doesn't add nothing because it's just another roll, since all it does is make you hurt enemies and you move slightly faster. It only works in a 2D game and in 2D Sonic level design, any time you're going fast, it's most likely by rolling or some small spectacle speed section which stops you anyway at the end.

No you didn't. You've been defending it the entire time as if it did add something.

So basically this entire conversation was pointless. The only reason I addressed the alternative boost was because it takes away more than it adds while at the same time makes the game even easier since to become the unstoppable wrecking ball of death, something that many people already show a disliking towards, all you have to do is hold forward. It only adds to the problem that people already have with the first boost. So you admitting that it doesn't add anything defeats the entire purpose of you defending it in the first place.

 

3 hours ago, Azoo said:

Boost has a myriad of problems. It has little to no mechanical depth (press X to fast/invincible), it's too easy to gain / too hard to lose, requires two other buttons just to move around correctly with it, pigeonholes the gameplay into straight foward speed running with little to nothing else,

The bold statements contradict each other. The addition of Quick Stepping in conjunction with the lack of free movement is mechanical depth. And the later part of that sentence is a fallacy when you consider obstacles, QTEs, drifting sections, platforming sections, or the option to take different routes.

3 hours ago, Azoo said:

and makes clearing a several-miles-long stage take about 3 minutes tops

Dude, this is the definition of a typical Sonic game. You can't complain that you're going fast in a game that's all about going fast.

[StaticMania]

Just now, Azul said:

Just now, Azul said:

No you didn't. You've been defending it the entire time as if it did add something.

So basically this entire conversation was pointless. The only reason I addressed the alternative boost was because it takes away more than it adds while at the same time makes the game even easier since to become the unstoppable wrecking ball of death, something that many people already show a disliking towards, all you have to do is hold forward. It only adds to the problem that people already have with the first boost. So you admitting that it doesn't add anything defeats the entire purpose of you defending it in the first place.

Actually I was defending on how it wouldn't necessarily be "hold forward to win" as your assumption prompted me to respond. I don't assume the level design would automatically be pushing that mentality from the Advance 2 boost mechanic. I would assume that the level design would actually challenging the mechanic so it'd be satisfying to keep.

 

I mentioned the problems with it in my first response to you and explained why it added nothing much. They weren't related to that mentality that would make the game boring to play, but it was related to its activation and usefulness as a feature.

 

It's not all that useful, it does add something...it could help for speed running since it gives you a boost in speed, you'd get better times depending on how good you are at keeping it up for however long is possible.

 

Btw: Those wer actually your own quoted words in that second quote box there...hmm.

[Diogenes]

2 hours ago, Azul said:

The bold statements contradict each other. The addition of Quick Stepping in conjunction with the lack of free movement is mechanical depth.

Limiting your movement to "go x units left, go x units right, or do nothing" is not mechanical depth by any definition that I know of.

[Badnik Mechanic]

2 hours ago, Azul said:

The bold statements contradict each other. The addition of Quick Stepping in conjunction with the lack of free movement is mechanical depth. And the later part of that sentence is a fallacy when you consider obstacles, QTEs, drifting sections, platforming sections, or the option to take different routes.

I've not played it, but didn't you just describe Sonic Dash 2 Sonic Boom? Would you describe that game as being mechanically deep?

[azoo]

3 hours ago, Azul said:

The bold statements contradict each other. The addition of Quick Stepping in conjunction with the lack of free movement is mechanical depth. And the later part of that sentence is a fallacy when you consider obstacles, QTEs, drifting sections, platforming sections, or the option to take different routes.

Mechanical depth was referring to the fact that there's nothing to the boost except "top speed at a constant and instant invincibility". Quick Step and Drift are extra moves only necessary because steering while boosting is impossible without it. Not as much depth as it is a crutch.

And the latter points about all those objects aren't very natural or flow based, and they too are extremely simple. It's "go on one automated path or the other depending on if you were boosting or not" for ramps or nearly anything.

Not even to mention that everything's based around moving top speed as much as possible, but I'll get to that in a sec.

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Dude, this is the definition of a typical Sonic game. You can't complain that you're going fast in a game that's all about going fast.

Except it's not, completely at least.

Put yourself in the game or level designer's (or environment artist's) chair.

Would you rather create an environment and put all these details into a map that's around 10 miles long that can have nothing done in it but run top speed and thus just see everything in a blur..

Or would you rather build detailed environments half as long that can be played in various ways, at any pace the player feels (even if the implied best way is fast), and then be given the chance to make these areas places that reward the player for platforming and exploring? Where the player gets to see and take in as much content that your team made as possible?

Heck, not even being in the designer's chair, which would you rather play? 

[Badnik Mechanic]

2 hours ago, Azul said:

Dude, this is the definition of a typical Sonic game. You can't complain that you're going fast in a game that's all about going fast.

Well... you can if it's your first, second or even third crack at the level and you're utterly destroying it because of a device which makes you pretty much invincible for the whole stage and able to perform ridiculous stunts to bypass huge chunks of level without any level of skill.

[Multikaris]

Yeah, I'd go with SAdv2 Boost Mode. It's got a nice visual effect to go with it as well.

[Wittymations]

I'm not a fan. It's very difficult to run out (I don't think I ever really have). It's like having Super Sonic Lite or something. You have max speed and short invincibility. You don't even use rings for it, but its own energy. All that's missing is flying and glowy glowy-ness.

 

It's boring, to me. It was fun, at first. For like the first hour or two, but after a while, I just grew really, really bored. Just give me good ol' spindashing and I'm a happy Witty.

[azoo]

And once again, to reiterate. I'm not saying boost gameplay isn't fun, nor that it can't be part of a very great game, nor that it doesn't sometimes (through level design) make for some extremely hype and exciting moments.

But it's not very wholesome, or deep. It's complex on an arbitrary level, and severely restricts the game to one type of play, and it's entirely centered on pure twitch reaction and little to anything else.

A game using it, I feel, needs a lot of other content to help flesh out everything surrounding it to extend its lasting appeal. Unleashed's extra context puts boost gameplay in a title that (even without Werehog) has a lot of longevity and replay value, thanks to it's mildly engaging story, explorable hub worlds, surplus of unlockables, missions, NPC interactions, second and third acts, and even DLC stages. The fact that they reuse content all throughout that (while keeping it fresh) is also a workaround to the problem of making a bunch of geometry, lighting, and textures for so little time seen in the main stages, so that's all a good way to go about it too.

But that's way different from after you're done mastering Colors or Generations' main levels.  You'll be left wondering "uhh now what?" since there's really nothing else to do, thanks to their barebones structure. Well, besides the Sonic Simulator in Colors and the missions in Generations, but those oddly feel more monotonous and unfun than any mission did in Unleashed..

Which is most of why I'd argue following a different formula. Why blow resources on a tower of extra content to make the stay worthwhile when the main game (and a more modest amount of extra stuff) should be more than fine? Especially when you try to make that more modest game and it ends up feeling empty?

And you may not feel that way about it, and you wouldn't be alone (far from it). But I'm not alone on this either, also far from it. It's a very divisive concept.

[Azul]

2 hours ago, StaticMania said:

Actually I was defending on how it wouldn't necessarily be "hold forward to win" as your assumption prompted me to respond. I don't assume the level design would automatically be pushing that mentality from the Advance 2 boost mechanic. I would assume that the level design would actually challenging the mechanic so it'd be satisfying to keep.

It wasn't an assumption. The main issue people have with the current Boost Mode is that they feel it turns the game into less of a challenge since it decimates almost any obstacle in their path. At least with the current one, you can flicker it on and off at a whim with the press of a button but the one that Soni proposed, ergo the one you've been defending, is the same thing except, taking cues from the Sonic Advance games, it'd be achieved by pressing forward long enough without getting hit or stopping. So basically, you're achieving the same thing that people were already complaining about in the first place except, again taking cues from Sonic Advance, it can be achieved at any point in the game and the addition of rings only makes it easier to achieve. And judging from how ring plentiful the games have been as of late, this would actually make the games even easier, which is the exact opposite of what everyone who's expressed distaste for it wants. And again, challenging level design is something that can be addressed with either Boost Mode. Actually, that's one solution to the issue at hand: making levels that challenge your use of Boost Mode.

2 hours ago, Diogenes said:

Limiting your movement to "go x units left, go x units right, or do nothing" is not mechanical depth by any definition that I know of.

There's also jumping. Or slowing down. And sliding and homing attack. Point is: you only three 

Mechanical - (of a person or action) not having or showing thought or spontaneity; automatic.

By the very nature of Boost Mode being activated by the press of a button combined with several things trying to kill you, it's actually not mechanical. Sure, you're being propelled forward at high speeds but that's combined with you pressing forward. 

Depth - complexity and profundity of thought.

Actually according to Google, mechanical depth is an oxymoron.

The fact that they made several events and obstacles that don't literally make levels "boost to win" shows they did put some thought behind how they'd like to implement it and the complaints are less about the levels being painfully easy and more them being good at the game and blaming it on a game mechanic. It's not super deep but it's about as deep as you can get with a mechanic that turns you into a high speed death ball that's nearly invincible.

1 hour ago, Detective Hogfather said:

I've not played it, but didn't you just describe Sonic Dash 2 Sonic Boom? Would you describe that game as being mechanically deep?

Depends. Does it have drifting or platforming sections? I haven't played it either but correct me if I'm wrong, it's basically Sonic Dash with Boom characters. And Sonic Dash has four options of movement with a Boost Mode that literally makes you invincible. Also, the movement is much more rigid than anything made on the Hedgehog Engine.

Actually, why did you bring up Sonic Dash when it plays entirely different than Sonic Unleashed, Colors, and Generations?

1 hour ago, Azoo said:

Mechanical depth was referring to the fact that there's nothing to the boost except "top speed at a constant and instant invincibility". Quick Step and Drift are extra moves only necessary because steering while boosting is impossible without it. Not as much depth as it is a crutch.

And the latter points about all those objects aren't very natural or flow based, and they too are extremely simple. It's "go on one automated path or the other depending on if you were boosting or not" for ramps or nearly anything.

The faster an object moves, the more mass relativistic mass it has. Meaning the faster something moves, the more likely it is to knock a 40 ton robot into orbit. Also, it's harder to change direction with with faster moving objects. You're complaining about an accurate portrayal of physics.

Your last point is legit.

1 hour ago, Azoo said:

Except it's not, completely at least.

You're right. Saying "all about" is a stretch. But it is a core component of the appeal, if not the driving force behind the games.

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Plus, would you rather create an environment and put all these details into a map that's around 10 miles long that can have nothing done in it but run top speed and thus just see everything in a blur..

Or would you rather build detailed environments half as long that can be played in various ways, at any pace the player feels (even if the implied best way is fast), and then be given the chance to make these areas places that reward the player for platforming and exploring?

Heck, not even being in the designer's chair, which would you rather play? 

You do realize that the games with the Boost Mode have both, right? I mean, your first example is an obvious hyperbole and sections of nothing but running at top speed isn't something new to Sonic, but that's describing at least 5 games.

1 hour ago, Detective Hogfather said:

Well... you can if it's your first, second or even third crack at the level and you're utterly destroying it because of a device which makes you pretty much invincible for the whole stage and able to perform ridiculous stunts to bypass huge chunks of level without any level of skill.

Completely ignoring the stunt argument because sometimes, they go over bottomless trenches. So you're telling me I can beat any level solely by boosting because, your words, it...

1 hour ago, Detective Hogfather said:

makes you pretty much invincible for the whole stage

and not because I, the player, is actually doing anything to sustain it? The way you phrase it, it's a free pass to the goal at no expense.

 

[Diogenes]

13 minutes ago, Azul said:

There's also jumping. Or slowing down. And sliding and homing attack. Point is: you only three 

Yeah, I only three because you were talking about quick stepping and the boost's control limitations, not the entire gameplay package. Any quick step section degenerates into choosing one of (usually) 3 lanes, which is "mechanical depth" on par with those shitty LCD handheld games, not the kind of thing that a modern 3D platformer should be aiming for. And none of your other abilities in a boost game meaningfully change that.

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It's not super deep but it's about as deep as you can get with a mechanic that turns you into a high speed death ball that's nearly invincible.

Wow, you almost got it here. Yes, that is about all you can do with a mechanic like the boost: produce shallow, shitty gameplay.

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The faster an object moves, the more mass relativistic mass it has. Meaning the faster something moves, the more likely it is to knock a 40 ton robot into orbit. Also, it's harder to change direction with with faster moving objects. You're complaining about an accurate portrayal of physics.

"Accurate physics" aren't actually worth a damn if they don't result in compelling gameplay.

[azoo]

2 hours ago, Azul said:

The faster an object moves, the more mass relativistic mass it has. Meaning the faster something moves, the more likely it is to knock a 40 ton robot into orbit. Also, it's harder to change direction with with faster moving objects. You're complaining about an accurate portrayal of physics.

True, but it doesn't justify anything for people who don't see why Sonic is able to instantaneously go into and retain speeds up to 300mph with little repercussions. 

Sure, his name is Sonic and he's supposed to be fast, but you don't see Mario having a forever jump just because he's good at jumping. If we did, we'd have extremely tall stages with obstacles scattered in the air you have to dodge, and.. well, you get the idea.

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You're right. Saying "all about" is a stretch. But it is a core component of the appeal, if not the driving force behind the games.

Also true, but it's balanced in different ways depending on where you look.

For example, the classics are at least thirded by speed, platforming and exploration. The Adventure games are closer to between half about speed and the other two in quarters.

And boost gameplay is more like 75%-80% speed, with platforming taking up most of the remaining pie, and exploration somewhere in the lower end of the single digits.

So yeah. Speed has always been a vital part to it, but it's grown so important over the other elements that Sonic's a completely different beast now. There's a reason the brand is so commonly thrown under "gotta go fast" and where everyone collectively forgot rolling in a ball was even a thing.

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You do realize that the games with the Boost Mode have both, right? I mean, your first example is an obvious hyperbole and sections of nothing but running at top speed isn't something new to Sonic, but that's describing at least 5 games.

No other Sonic games make platforming and slower paced areas feel as sluggish, irritating and borderline punishing thanks to how the mechanics are as fine tuned to top speed movement, though. Once again, attached to my above statement.

[StaticMania]

Just now, Azul said:

It wasn't an assumption. The main issue people have with the current Boost Mode is that they feel it turns the game into less of a challenge since it decimates almost any obstacle in their path. At least with the current one, you can flicker it on and off at a whim with the press of a button but the one that Soni proposed, ergo the one you've been defending, is the same thing except, taking cues from the Sonic Advance games, it'd be achieved by pressing forward long enough without getting hit or stopping. So basically, you're achieving the same thing that people were already complaining about in the first place except, again taking cues from Sonic Advance, it can be achieved at any point in the game and the addition of rings only makes it easier to achieve. And judging from how ring plentiful the games have been as of late, this would actually make the games even easier, which is the exact opposite of what everyone who's expressed distaste for it wants. And again, challenging level design is something that can be addressed with either Boost Mode. Actually, that's one solution to the issue at hand: making levels that challenge your use of Boost Mode.

 

Except it doesn't decimate any obstacle in your path, it only stops enemies from being a threat. Spikes, springs, and bottomless pits are all still hazards to be wary of even when you have the boost mode.

 

You say atleast you can choose when to use the Unleashed Boost, but that's why it makes the game easier. You don't earn it, you just choose when activate it and there's almost never a reason not to use it. With the Advance style Boost mode, you don't have a choice...it'll just happen and you have to be skilled enough to keep it going. You literally won't be able to keep the boost mode throughout the level, so there's a difference there.

 

Also, this isn't about the levels being difficult, that's another thing entirely. This is about the level design challenging your ability to keep the boost mode active. Being able to react and memorize where obstacles are so they don't slow you down. It's purely for replayability and maybe speedrunning.

[Strickerx5]

This is a topic that's been brought up a lot over the past few years and honestly, my answer has remained largely the same. The boost is the most solid gameplay mechanic we've gotten since the SA2 days. It combines the thrill and skeptical of fast movement with the combination of accurate timing that was apparent in even the classic games. While I understand that a lot of people don't see it as such and say that it more or less tries to take away from platforming elements, we saw how this became less of the case as Colors and Generations came out. Both games largely improved on the solid foundation Unleashed brought while pulling it back and making platforming a larger (and more fun) aspect of the games. This is the main reason why I want to see the boost return above all else. You saw that Sonic Team was actually going somewhere with the mechanic and, with the proper refining, could (and still can) be something that the majority finds appealing in most aspects.

Simply calling for it's head and claiming that it's a means to hold down a single button and win is literally as inaccurate as one can get with this series. The whole argument has been false from the time of it's inception. I get where people are coming from in dramatizing the issues Unleashed had with the overpowered boost and scaled back platforming but there's only so long that this remains an actual complaint before it just seems like needless hyperbole. The fact remains that Colors and Generations have been some of the most well received games this franchise has had in a long time and they were both built on a refined boost mechanic. In levels like Modern Sky Sanctuary and Modern Seaside Hill we've seen just how solid the mechanic can be. So the question is, why on earth do you want Sonic Team to toss that out? We saw the result of this in LW and I don't think it's unfair at all to point out the quality drop from Generations.

Going forward, what I would love to see is a continuation of the boost formula refinement along with other interesting platforming mechanics like the parkour. I think these two mechanics have a high possibility of working well together. I think it's an important statement to make that the boost doesn't have to mean less platforming.

I guess my overall point here is this: Yes, people have a valid point when looking back at Unleashed and saying just how much the boost impacted meaningful platforming segments. But should Sonic Team throw out the progress they've made since then in favor of trying something else completely new? Please no, not again. It's like deleting an entire document you're working on because you messed up on a couple of sentences. This series desperately needs some form of solidarity and overarching system. While I'll be the first one to say that the boost is by no means perfect, I will say that it isn't nearly as broken or hopeless that some make it out to be. With the right improvements, it could easily be the means to another great game.

[Diogenes]

4 minutes ago, Strickerx5 said:

The boost is the most solid gameplay mechanic we've gotten since the SA2 days.

That's really not saying much, considering the time between SA2 and Unleashed was when the series crashed and burned.

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It combines the thrill and skeptical of fast movement with the combination of accurate timing that was apparent in even the classic games. While I understand that a lot of people don't see it as such and say that it more or less tries to take away from platforming elements, we saw how this became less of the case as Colors and Generations came out. Both games largely improved on the solid foundation Unleashed brought while pulling it back and making platforming a larger (and more fun) aspect of the games. This is the main reason why I want to see the boost return above all else. You saw that Sonic Team was actually going somewhere with the mechanic and, with the proper refining, could (and still can) be something that the majority finds appealing in most aspects.

The problem is that I didn't see them going anywhere with it. They did nothing to integrate the boost with platforming. The sections where you used the boost stayed basically the same, shallow, linear, automated, borderline quick time events. And the platforming was dull and simplistic because the game's mechanics weren't actually designed around it, and usually all they did was throw in a few blocks for you to jump on. They had 3 games to prove they could unite the two, and they struck out.

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We saw the result of this in LW and I don't think it's unfair at all to point out the quality drop from Generations.

Yes Lost World kinda sucked, but that doesn't make me like Generations any more. If I have a choice between something new that I might like and something I already know I don't like, the conservative option does me no good.

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While I'll be the first one to say that the boost is by no means perfect, I will say that it isn't nearly as broken or hopeless that some make it out to be. With the right improvements, it could easily be the means to another great game.

If anyone could ever actually articulate what these improvements are supposed to be, I might be inclined to believe that.

[Strickerx5]

@Diogenes I fail to see how Modern Seaside Hill was anymore linear (if that's the term we're now using to define multiple pathways for some reason) than any other Sonic game. Even the classic's level design can be boiled down to 3 or 4 different routes that would lead to the generally the same area in the level before maybe diverging again before the goal post. While I do see that MSH doesn't have that many routes going at once, it's definitely more varied than people give it credit for. This can be said for quite a few levels in Generations in general.

I think saying that the boost is the most solid thing we've gotten in a while is a major positive mark for it. Especially since there was a good 7 year gap of nothing but sub par and often just plain bad mechanics. I'm sorry, but if LW is anything to go by with Sonic Team's methods of trying anything new for a while... going with anything but the boost seems like a poor decision. How is the boost being the only solid form of gameplay the main series has seen in over 15 years not noteworthy?

Generations and Colors were received by many to be major high points of the series. They're generally good games with solid gameplay. I won't claim to have all the answers when it comes to improving on them and bringing platforming more to the forefront but I just find it to be a ridiculous move to just forget about the boost entirely. Whether it means to power it down a bit and make it less of an invincibility and more of a means of fast progression for skilled players or making it a bit harder to obtain in general, I believe it can be done. Adding in the parkour could also make for more varied level design with even more varied routes than before.

Frankly speaking, I'm tired of seeing Sonic Team try to master completely new ideas off the bat when they can't even seem to grasp basic game design elements as it is. It just about always turns out to be sub par (or just plain bad) and I don't think I'm alone in this sentiment. I want to see things improve on the level design side of things just as much as anyone else, but I just don't think throwing out mechanics that worked and going back to the drawing board every time is the answer here.

[azoo]

I guess a lot of people see some value (if not moreso) in what preceded it in Sonic 1 - SA2, and think it's legacy doesn't need to be lost. I'm one of those guys of course, because really I don't see a single reason why Spin Dashing / rolling were abandoned considering that's the exact thing that made Sonic's gameplay so good in the first place. And not just any of that, but I want to know why any small attempt Sega has made to revive it comes up nothing like it originally played (LW, Generations Classic, Sonic 4, etc).

That said, I'd take boost gameplay if it meant a really great game with lots of content, and they somehow found a way around the gameplay being too restrictive (which I doubt would happen). I just want them to make rolling a central part of Sonic's arsenal again, and I want them to not make a game that's just a high octane obstacle course with the replay value of a week, tops.

 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

One subtle problem with the Boost is that its rigidity, and critical popularity, perpetuates this crippling overspecialization that makes it all the more harder for Sonic to adapt into something more flexible and worthwhile. And any tampering with that might lead to people bashing it for doing it wrong, because according to these people "Sonic is about running fast. That's it."

And whats funnier is how some of these people will compare Sonic to Mario over how things should be done, when one of the core things about Mario that allowed him to last as long is his sheer adaptability in the first place. A Jack of All Trades, but a Master of None, is oftimes better than a Master of One, but this often isn't realized and leads to stagnation. It's flexibility that makes games like S3&K be remembered by fans as the absolute best Sonic game because it has more to it than just speed given the various abilities other than the spin-dash and running that lets you get around obstacles. Yet this game is overlooked over the more rigid by comparison Sonic 2 which is generalized by just speed.

[MetalSkulkBane]

For me boosts formula is very satisfying, but not complicated. It's basically a really fun rhythm game. Definitely better for noobs, but come on, look at quick step sections. There is no freedom or thinking, just push button in the right moment...okay, that's how all games can be described, but you get what I mean.

Still, the speed does feel sweet and if Sega decided to stick to boost for now, I could live with it. It's the quality and tone of the games that really concerns me.

[Regulus]

I've been convinced by you guys that maybe Boost isn't the way for the franchise to go forward. Well done guys!

I don't think Boost should be dropped entirely though. How about making Special Stages Boost stages, or making the odd Boost stage in one Zone? 

[FriendBot]

Or maybe get Dimps to continue the Rush series, those games seem fine to keep the Boost in. You have to constantly do Tricks to fill up your boost gauge so it kinda makes sure you won't just be holding the Boost button all the time. Or makes the Boost into a invincible Boost Mode, I still feel that could work somehow. The Boost overall is just a short-term fix, I wouldn't want future Sonic games to continue using it.

[ShadowSJG]

I actually enjoy the boost quite a bit. It really captures the feeling of going by really fast.