Sonic Mania & Forces Interview(s)

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

So what are your expectations for sonic mania's final zone? What do you think about a doomsday zone esque final level?

Personally, I hope it's something more original than that like a super sonic boss underwater or something. Or a final boss that takes place during a blizzard.

[Celestia]

I think it'd be cool if there was a Super Sonic boss but it uses the standard gameplay instead of Sonic flying through space or whatever. Especially if that means Tails and Knuckles can access it too (though you'd still need all the Emeralds of course).

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

Hmm... sorta like after the sequel's final boss with that owl robot? I'd be down for something like that. It was totally different.

[Chris Knopps]

9 hours ago, Zippo said:

Sonic Mania is coming out next month. 

Next Month.

Next Month!

NEXT MONTH!

As long as I get Lava Reef Zone.

As far as the final boss, how about your character in Super form fighting a massive mecha as you rocket through the exploding base Robotnik uses in mania, if there is a base?

Everything blowing up and falling apart around you as both you and Robotnik try to escape while beating the hell out of each other.

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

I think a sky chase esque super sonic level would be pretty cool though. You're like, blowing up and destroying giant airships as super sonic until you make it to the flagship and you fight dr. Robotnik's giant mech suit mano e mano.

[Psychicmoose103]

On 7/1/2017 at 1:53 PM, Chris Knopps said:

As long as I get Lava Reef Zone.

As far as the final boss, how about your character in Super form fighting a massive mecha as you rocket through the exploding base Robotnik uses in mania, if there is a base?

Everything blowing up and falling apart around you as both you and Robotnik try to escape while beating the hell out of each other.

Lava reef is awesome!

[TheOcelot]

This is a surprisingly good hands-on preview and interview

First he gives his impressions on both games and then an interview with Iizuka.

Praises Mania, then gives his thoughts about Forces:

Quote

Given how Sonic Mania is a fan dream come true it’s a little more difficult to get excited about Sonic Forces than it might otherwise have been. The game is a spiritual sequel to 2011’s Sonic Generations, in that you control both modern and old school tubby Sonic in a mixture of 2D and 3D levels.

The production values are fairly high, with decent graphics, but the 3D sections still seem as imprecise as ever. To the point where you only seem to need to point Sonic in roughly the right direction to succeed. The demo level did get harder as it went along, but we never felt fully in control – and a lot of the obstacles appeared to come and go without any real inconvenience.

The same is true of the 2D sections, which compare poorly to Sonic Mania. For a start, the view is zoomed out too far, so that you’re often squinting to make out what’s going on, but the controls also aren’t as tight and it doesn’t even seem to be as fast.

Sonic Forces – still a hell of a lot better than Sonic Boom

We had a quick go on the Nintendo Switch version as well, which looks exactly the same but only runs at 30fps (including when docked) rather than 60fps. And for those that think that doesn’t make much difference it’s actually a perfect illustration of how syrupy and unresponsive a fast action game can seem when it’s not running at a faster frame rate.

All of which sounds quite critical, but our complaints our only in comparison to the excellence of Sonic Mania. Sonic Forces seems fine really: family-friendly junk food compared to the fine dining of Mania.

 

This is interesting part of the interview:

Quote

GC: I’m sure you’ve heard about the concept of the ‘Sonic cycle’ before, where fans get excited about a new game but are ultimately disappointed. What can you do to assure them that this time will be different?

TI: [laughs] I’m really confident for both these games! For Forces I had 3D titles like Colours and Generations in mind, and using the modern and classic Sonic to present the different elements of gameplay. And in addition to that I added a third customisable character. So it’s like a new character but it also has the same high speed action element of a Sonic game. So people who like that high speed action from the past Sonic titles can also enjoy Forces.

For Mania, I’m really confident to deliver this title. It’s a classic 2D, horizontally-scrolling action game. So this is aiming at those people who like their action from the past titles. The developer of Sonic Mania – from the music to the graphics and everything – they have a really deep love for classic pixelated Sonic games. So fans who really like those past titles will be really excited about this.

 

GC: You mention Colours and Generations, but that’s what I still don’t understand about the recent history of Sonic. You were doing well with those games, and then seemed to abandon that progress in favour of Lost World and Sonic Boom.

TI: Like you say, after Colours and Generations those titles that came after are basically Boom titles. And they were limited to the Nintendo platforms. And those titles were led by Sega of America from back in the day – not the current Sega of America. So part of the reason is because Sonic Team weren’t involved in those titles. So that’s one reason, in that we couldn’t put our past experience of creating a quality game to use with those games.

 

GC: The other thing I don’t quite understand about Sonic is how he’s managed to stay so popular with kids all these years, considering we’ve often gone long stretches without any good games. Is that just the merchandise keeping them interested?

TI: Sonic is not just limited to the games. We’re actually using Sonic as a brand, with all the merchandising and the TV series – which is in its second series right now. So, our approach is what we call ‘Sonic Everywhere’. We try to expose people to Sonic in many different media, and make sure he is not just limited to the games. We give an opportunity for the kids to see Sonic is not just in the game, but something else. So I’m trying to make kids interested in Sonic even if they only see him in the merchandising.

 

GC: To me, as an older fan, Sonic Mania looked great and Sonic Forces was only okay. Is it the other way round for kids? In terms of which they prefer?

TI: The target audience for Sonic Mania is the fans who like the Mega Drive from back in the day. We didn’t conduct playtesting with kids for Sonic Mania, since it’s not really about what kids think about Mania. But for Forces we did conduct broad research and playtesting, and made sure it’s accepted by a broader audience, from kids to adults. But the surprising thing about Mania is that when we were conducting research, there’s like a voice from the kids that they actually like pixelated and 2D Sonic too. So I think there’s a market for Mania amongst kids as well.

 

GC: What do you do about elements in Sonic Forces which older fans might not like but kids will? Sonic’s friends, for example. The goal in the demo level is to find Shadow. And, really… I don’t want to find Shadow. I’d prefer he stayed lost.

TI: [laughs] In the past two decades Sonic games have been trying to target a broader audience from kids to adults. And Forces has that same idea, so that means a wider range of characters that we know children like. Even if other fans may not be quite as keen.

But for Mania it’s kind of like a new approach. To target specifically 2D fans. So we don’t know whether it’ll be accepted positively in the market. We’ll find out after the game’s released, and we can figure out the direction of future titles after seeing the reaction.

 

GC: In terms of Sonic in general. The complaint that’s often levelled against the core games is that they’re relatively shallow compared to other platfomers – that all you’re doing for a lot of the time is just pushing right on the controller. How do you respond to that?

TI: [laughing with translator] Of course I love Sonic, and I think a cartoonish character with enormous speed is really unique in a game world. So I’ve been creating Sonic games because I really love those characteristics. The franchise has sold for such a long time because of that high-speed action element, and that’s supported by the fans and the players.

 

GC: He’s gotta go fast.

TI: [laughs]

 

GC: Is Mania also part of Sega’s implied plan to bring back some of their older franchises? Or is this something separate from that? It seems like a concept that could be applied to many older titles.

TI: It’s a completely different approach, it’s designed to bring back old fans but not necessarily an old game. Mania originally came from the 25th anniversary plans. I wanted to bring back the core fans from a long time ago, and also Sonic fans that haven’t played recently, and I wanted to give an opportunity for them to play pixelated 2D Sonic titles. And to also get them interested in Forces.

I like how Iizuka ignored SLW and pretty much blamed SoA for why the Booms game suck :V

"But for Mania it’s kind of like a new approach. To target specifically 2D fans. So we don’t know whether it’ll be accepted positively in the market. We’ll find out after the game’s released, and we can figure out the direction of future titles after seeing the reaction."

- well, maybe there is hope for future 2d games.

[Mark1]

His ignorance to the modern game feedback is so meh.

Completely ignoring Lost World in his response to the lacklustre games doesn't add to the reliability of Sonic Team as he says lol.

Reading the rest of the interview I wonder how the next few years will be following the release of Sonic games. Definitely think at this rate that we will see more games like Mania (and Forces too - despite the overall average reception amongst here I still think it will do somewhat decently). 

[Zippo]

Yeesh, he's fucking digging into Iizuka with all of these critical questions. I'm surprised Iizuka's translator didn't come over and say "Hey, that's enough. This interview is over."

[JosepHenry]

18 minutes ago, Zippo said:

Yeesh, he's fucking digging into Iizuka with all of these critical questions. I'm surprised Iizuka's translator didn't come over and say "Hey, that's enough. This interview is over."

You think so? I think he should be harsher. Iizuka is still doing a lot of dumb crap that he should know by now.

[Dejimon11]

1 minute ago, Joseph Mello said:

You think so? I think he should be harsher. Iizuka is still doing a lot of dumb crap that he should know by now.

There's a huge different between asking important questions and just being rude. Even if he has his faults there's no reason that the interviewer should be disrespectful. 

[JosepHenry]

1 minute ago, Dejimon11 said:

There's a huge different between asking important questions and just being rude. Even if he has his faults there's no reason that the interviewer should be disrespectful. 

Who said he needs to be rude and disrespectful? I think the guy should ask more questions calling out some questionable things that Iizuka is doing since 2010. 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

2 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

questionable things that Iizuka is doing since 2010. 

You mean aside from getting the series back on track then?

[Dejimon11]

11 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

Who said he needs to be rude and disrespectful? I think the guy should ask more questions calling out some questionable things that Iizuka is doing since 2010. 

You literally just said he should of been harsher because of Iizuka was doing "dumb crap" 

[JosepHenry]

1 minute ago, JovahexeonJunkoJoranvexeon said:

You mean aside from getting the series back on track then?

Yes he did that and I'm happy about that, but look how we are now, no one here cares about Forces as much as Mania! Because of the recycle of the same ideas that should be fixed by now to make it a better game.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

16 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

much as Mania!

A game which partially has him to thank for its existence and state of being. 

16 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

Yes he did that and I'm happy about that, but look how we are now, no one here cares about Forces as much as Mania! Because of the recycle of the same ideas that should be fixed by now to make it a better game.

Look around man.  Forces' main weakness has been lack of advertising compared to Mania honestly. 

Not sure we can throw blame at Iizuka for that. 

[JosepHenry]

Alright you got me, I'm not trying to offend Iizuka or anything like that... I'll just shut up now.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

4 minutes ago, Joseph Mello said:

Alright you got me, I'm not trying to offend Iizuka or anything like that... I'll just shut up now.

Hey, hey, hey man! It;s alright!

Man,  don't let that get you down to the point you feel you have to silence yourself! We all make mistakes here and there. Heck, maybe ya have a special reason to feel the way you did.

Much as we may debate or contest them, I'd hate to have you feel you should just drop out of the conversation!

[JosepHenry]

1 minute ago, JovahexeonJunkoJoranvexeon said:

Hey, hey, hey man! It;s alright!

Man,  don't let that get you down to the point you feel you have to silence yourself! We all make mistakes here and there. Heck, maybe ya have a special reason to feel the way you did.

Much as we may debate or contest them, I'd hate to have you feel you should just drop out of the conversation!

Thanks, I just can't. I'm not good at debates anyway  Getting off topic sorry.

I just think Sonic Team as a whole should know about some things that they have been doing that is... Not good enough? Anyone can agree that some things should be better... And the one who commands Sonic Team is Iizuka right?

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

1 minute ago, Joseph Mello said:

I just think Sonic Team as a whole should know about some things that they have been doing that is... Not good enough? Anyone can agree that some things should be better... And the one who commands Sonic Team is Iizuka right?

I have confidence that, classic Sonic aside, Forces looks to be more the the faithful successor to the boost formula that is naturally evolving it. Heck, we've even gotten to see hints at Modern Sonic controlling much more fluidly and better than in Generations.

The unfortunate thing about it sadly, is the presence of Classic Sonic and the amount of marketing that has allowed the game to show off more of what it can really do.

I have it in faith that Forces will turn out to be a remarkable title, but i won't against the faulty nature of its marketing presentation. Which, I will admit, Iizuka has played somewhat of a hand in.

That said, he has yet to actually, actively lie, regarding Sonic Forces despite what some people will believe.

[Chris Knopps]

5 hours ago, OcelotBot said:

I like how Iizuka ignored SLW and pretty much blamed SoA for why the Booms game suck :V

What do you expect? It's pretty well known SEGA of Japan and/or Sonic Team wanted nothing to do with the BOOM franchise as a whole for the longest time, only "gracing" the team working on BOOM with pointers on character designs and tweaks to various things, they wouldn't touch any BOOM stuff with a 10 mile long pole.

Had they actually felt like cooperating with the project and lending a hand during development it could have turned out fairly well, but all SEGA of Japan did was go behind the BOOM developers back and shove their project into Wii U exclusivity when it was really never meant to run on that console.

But of course he'll never fess up to that fact of life. Lets not forget they didn't even want BOOM in Japan period at first.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

6 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

But of course he'll never fess up to that fact of life.

Well, it's not really his place as head of Sonic Team to really go into that anyway, so I don't what more you want out of the man in that regard.

[Chris Knopps]

Just now, JovahexeonJunkoJoranvexeon said:

Well, it's not really his place as head of Sonic Team to really go into that anyway, so I don't what more you want out of the man in that regard.

Nothing really. It was just a random nitpick out of agitation. I was one of the... I suppose few legitimately hyped for RoL during the announcement and, as everyone did, watched it spiral into nothingness along the way due to all the mismanagement and refusal to work together properly.

I still find myself looking at the game and yearning for what was and/or could have been but... Tis' only a dream, distant and lost.

[Zippo]

https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=35709&st=5715

Stealth posted something on Retro a while ago. I can't see it, though. Can anyone else see it?

[Chris Knopps]

1 minute ago, Zippo said:

https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=35709&st=5715

Stealth posted something on Retro a while ago. I can't see it, though. Can anyone else see it?

Huh... He's a stealthy one... I see nothing as well. Thus I know nothing too...

Somehow I'm okay with that.