Sonic Mania (August 15th 2017, Christian Whitehead, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) - The New Classic

[Chris Knopps]

7 hours ago, Ajavalo said:

Nice response from the (Tax)man himself we've got here to someone asking about the Death Egg in Mania:

What could this mean? It seems 'buttnik was unable to salvage his space station after the third assault in Sonic & Knuckles destroyed it. Or...?

Aw man, if the Death Egg isn't returning there goes my prayers for Sonic 4 Episode 2's plot being concluded in Mania...

That poor MK II and the eternally doomed Little Planet within, forever lost in the eternity of space.

[Salamander]

I can live with the Hard-Boiled Heavies betraying Eggman in some way so long as Eggman is still the final boss.

Bearing in mind it has to be something you can show in a silent sprite-based cutscene, I could picture them maybe just wanting dibs on Sonic and regarding their master and creator as simply getting in the way.  The idea of them trying to convert Eggman into a badnik out of misplaced respect is compelling, too.  Maybe the leader, the most Eggman-like of the five, comes to believe that it's as important as Eggman, and the other four's programming causes them to obey the leader before Eggman himself.  There are interesting possibilities.  Not sure how this is going to work if you destroy them one-by-one across the course of the game, though!  Heavy Gunner isn't going to have much time to betray anything if it gets smashed to pieces three acts in.

[Zippo]

I'm more than fine with the Death Egg finally being done away with. It had it's time in the classics, and it's time to move on. Give me an awesome, gigantic, brand new base for a final level. 

[Chris Knopps]

5 minutes ago, FFWF said:

I can live with the Hard-Boiled Heavies betraying Eggman in some way so long as Eggman is still the final boss.

Bearing in mind it has to be something you can show in a silent sprite-based cutscene, I could picture them maybe just wanting dibs on Sonic and regarding their master and creator as simply getting in the way.  The idea of them trying to convert Eggman into a badnik out of misplaced respect is compelling, too.  Maybe the leader, the most Eggman-like of the five, comes to believe that it's as important as Eggman, and the other four's programming causes them to obey the leader before Eggman himself.  There are interesting possibilities.  Not sure how this is going to work if you destroy them one-by-one across the course of the game, though!  Heavy Gunner isn't going to have much time to betray anything if it gets smashed to pieces three acts in.

I GOT IT!!

Imagine this...

A final boss where you're going all out against Eggman...

Then at the last minute, the Heavies intervene when you're about to deal the final blow to whatever it is Robotnik/Eggman is inside of, and assuming it's some kind of mech of sorts, they merge with the mech to "Protect the Master" basically only to go totally crazy after merging, turning the mech into some psychopathic annihilator out of Robotnik/Eggman's control leaving him trapped inside, the villain turned the damsel basically.

...Random idea, yay or nay?

[Tenko]

I wonder if Izuka would allow the Mania team to ever touch the idea of Christmas Island as a location with zones in it, much like South Island or Westside Island. Or perhaps as a zone itself. Or if Sonic's place of birth will always be a mystery like much of his past and how he first met/came to blows with Eggman etc.

Perhaps that could be used in an eventual Mania 2 when they hopefully get to go full on original content.

[Zippo]

https://mobile.twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/856498820980457472

https://mobile.twitter.com/SonicJPNews/status/856435693840683008?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fboard.sonicstadium.org%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcore%26module%3Dsystem%26controller%3Dembed%26url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsonicjpnews%2Fstatus%2F856435693840683008

Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces information and footage tomorrow. 

[TheBlueGuardian]

8 hours ago, Ajavalo said:

Nice response from the (Tax)man himself we've got here to someone asking about the Death Egg in Mania:

What could this mean? It seems 'buttnik was unable to salvage his space station after the third assault in Sonic & Knuckles destroyed it. Or...?

It could be hinting towards a Zone that involves the player to navigate the underwater remains of the Death Egg, to find out about Robotniks plans in Sonic Mania's story, I call it Sunken Egg Zone. (I don't know if my theroy fits into the game's story but I tried though).

[Spooky Mulder]

21 minutes ago, TheBlueGuardian said:

It could be hinting towards a Zone that involves the player to navigate the underwater remains of the Death Egg, to find out about Robotniks plans in Sonic Mania's story, I call it Sunken Egg Zone. (I don't know if my theroy fits into the game's story but I tried though).

I've been pitching a Dead Egg Zone on here for years with the ruins of the Death Egg overgrown by vegetation and scattered about the jungle. A sunken portion could be cool too. I should have pitched it on Retro instead, maybe Taxman would have seen it and appropriated the idea for Mania.

If anyone here ever makes a real Sonic game, please steal my idea. Pleaaaseee

[Potada]

It could be hinting towards a Zone that involves the player to navigate the underwater remains of the Death Egg, to find out about Robotniks plans in Sonic Mania's story, I call it Sunken Egg Zone. (I don't know if my theroy fits into the game's story but I tried though[emoji14]).

I've been pitching a Dead Egg Zone on here for years with the ruins of the Death Egg overgrown by vegetation and scattered about the jungle. A sunken portion could be cool too. I should have pitched it on Retro instead, maybe Taxman would have seen it and appropriated the idea for Mania.

If anyone here ever makes a real Sonic game, please steal my idea. Pleaaaseee

Call it the Green Egg (and Ham) Zone and we got us a level!

 

I wonder, though, when you do fight the HBH throughout the game, if they'll simply get destroyed or if they'll get seriously damaged and flee? Maybe there will even be an HBH boss rush near the game's end?

[Chris Knopps]

59 minutes ago, Tenko said:

I wonder if Izuka would allow the Mania team to ever touch the idea of Christmas Island as a location with zones in it, much like South Island or Westside Island. Or perhaps as a zone itself. Or if Sonic's place of birth will always be a mystery like much of his past and how he first met/came to blows with Eggman etc.

Perhaps that could be used in an eventual Mania 2 when they hopefully get to go full on original content.

I don't think that's a matter of Iizuka allowing it or not, I think the primary factor is demand above all else. Even in a position as high as his, the consumer ultimately decides what's done and what isn't in the grand scheme.

If we get a definite majority asking for it, not impossible.

[CleverSonicUsername]

1 hour ago, Zippo said:

https://mobile.twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/856498820980457472

https://mobile.twitter.com/SonicJPNews/status/856435693840683008?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fboard.sonicstadium.org%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcore%26module%3Dsystem%26controller%3Dembed%26url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsonicjpnews%2Fstatus%2F856435693840683008

Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces information and footage tomorrow. 

I doubt we'll get anything new, reveals so far have largely been done through Western channels, with the exception of the new Green Hill Act 2 music being revealed through their Japanese site. But hey, who knows.

 

[Chris Knopps]

4 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

I doubt we'll get anything new, reveals so far have largely been done through Western channels, with the exception of the new Green Hill Act 2 music being revealed through their Japanese site. But hey, who knows.

 

It's funny how they decided to reveal that when the Whitehead team worked so hard to keep it a secret/teaser kind of thing. lol

[CleverSonicUsername]

1 minute ago, Chris Knopps said:

It's funny how they decided to reveal that when the Whitehead team worked so hard to keep it a secret/teaser kind of thing. lol

I almost wonder if it was accidental. Maybe they got a more current build to show at a later time, but for whatever reason recorded footage off it. Then again, perhaps they're just ready to start showing off content from that build and they were the first to be given the green light.

~it is a mystery~

[Chris Knopps]

Just now, CleverSonicUsername said:

I almost wonder if it was accidental. Maybe they got a more current build to show at a later time, but for whatever reason recorded footage off it. Then again, perhaps they're just ready to start showing off content from that build and they were the first to be given the green light.

~it is a mystery~

I dunno, I think the East are the ones that actually have their bums clenched tighter than monkey wrench at the moment, nothing has been able to squeak outta them this time around that wasn't intended, so I think it was a purposeful Easter Egg kind of thing.

[FReaK]

didnt aaron say in the stream 2 weeks ago that they will talk more about mania and forces this week? maybe there actually IS a slightly bigger reveal tomorrow.

[CleverSonicUsername]

34 minutes ago, FReaK said:

didnt aaron say in the stream 2 weeks ago that they will talk more about mania and forces this week? maybe there actually IS a slightly bigger reveal tomorrow.

I only remember them saying they'd have something to show "in a couple months," which I took to mean around E3.

[Chris Knopps]

1 minute ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

I only remember them saying they'd have something to show "in a couple months," which I took to mean around E3.

Mmm...

We might be reaching a point where the company isn't as sure how to market Mania and Forces now that the release is getting closer and closer. It's possible a tug-of-war scenario is starting to happen as to whether to push or keep under wraps.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Just now, Chris Knopps said:

Mmm...

We might be reaching a point where the company isn't as sure how to market Mania and Forces now that the release is getting closer and closer. It's possible a tug-of-war scenario is starting to happen as to whether to push or keep under wraps.

I think it's more to do with the fact that as we get closer to E3, most companies tend to withold larger reveals until just before or during the conference. This has been true of Sonic games in the past.

[Chris Knopps]

Just now, CleverSonicUsername said:

I think it's more to do with the fact that as we get closer to E3, most companies tend to withold larger reveals until just before or during the conference. This has been true of Sonic games in the past.

I'm actually surprised E3 still seems to maintain such a key importance to some companies. By and large isn't E3 pretty much dying out? At least in the past five years or so, it's just not the big thing it used to be I don't think, especially with more folks turning to other locations and especially the internet for marketing.

Wonder if E3 will still be around in another five or ten years... I heard not too long ago they considered pulling the plug on the event unless more folks actually bothered to host stuff there.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Just now, Chris Knopps said:

I'm actually surprised E3 still seems to maintain such a key importance to some companies. By and large isn't E3 pretty much dying out? At least in the past five years or so, it's just not the big thing it used to be I don't think, especially with more folks turning to other locations and especially the internet for marketing.

Wonder if E3 will still be around in another five or ten years... I heard not too long ago they considered pulling the plug on the event unless more folks actually bothered to host stuff there.

Yes, it's losing its relevance. That's why a lot of big reveals end up happening just prior to the event now. Even stuff like major console reveals is no longer E3 exclusive.

Five or ten years? Probably won't be around, at least not as we've known it. There's been talk about opening it up to the public, which would give it a shot in the ass, even if it might be the antithesis of what E3 was meant to be.

[Chris Knopps]

10 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

Yes, it's losing its relevance. That's why a lot of big reveals end up happening just prior to the event now. Even stuff like major console reveals is no longer E3 exclusive.

Five or ten years? Probably won't be around, at least not as we've known it. There's been talk about opening it up to the public, which would give it a shot in the ass, even if it might be the antithesis of what E3 was meant to be.

Well, pretty much anybody can get in so long as they've got the cash/credentials.

Hell, even my bum had the doors opened a while back thanks to an invite from Natsume so it's a matter of playing the right cards.

[YuTwo]

So I'm going to have to apologize as I'm beating a dead horse at this point but I believe I have discovered even more information in regards to the leaked animation.

I was looking up additional information on PagodaWest Games because I wanted to learn more about there background in games.

I saw this on the Google image search:

Immediately this made me regain interest on this subject because this is the protagonist of the OK KO show and I wanted to find out what this picture was for.

This is the tweet that was a part of this picture:

So on February of 2016 Pagodawest was a apart of an event made by Cartoon Network called the Game Jam.

Here's the post promoting the event:

Here's a news report showing the event as well: http://katu.com/news/local/cartoon-network-game-jam-comes-to-portland

This event was in Portland which is where PWG is based in so that's why they took part in it.

It was basically a competition of various developers creating a game in a limited amount of time and which ever developer won would have their game published.

PWG didn't win the competition but there was more which led me to do more digging.

Here's another tweet:

It shows that the creator of the show (@ianjq), the one holding the controller by the way, was involved in this event. 

I've discovered that he has stated being a fan of Sonic as well.

I'm entering speculation mode once again. Even though this event took place last year perhaps he saw Sonic Mania being developed and wanted to have some kind of request to have animation for the game.

Now that I got a second look on this subject I realized I had forgotten a detail on Studio Yotta. They had already made an animation for a game.

That game being Rivals of Aether:

I'm starting to think that maybe the animation could just be used in a trailer or promo video and could possibly be uploaded on the official Sonic channel.

So now we have the creator of OK KO saying he's a fan of Sonic and has also kind of already met PWG.

Again I do apologize if I'm beating a dead horse but I really wanted to share some more information I found and this will be the last time I bring this up as I now feel like I've seen all I wanted.

[Zippo]

https://mobile.twitter.com/seganama/status/856721456687849472

Awesome Sonic Mania Merchandise. 

[Zippo]

Starts in over an hour. Some sort of Mania coverage will be there. 

[FReaK]

1 hour ago, Zippo said:

Starts in over an hour. Some sort of Mania coverage will be there. 

Doesnt seem to Start, sadly