Ideas for Side games focusing on the other characters

[Swing]

I'm not really sure, if spinoff games really work for Sonic that well. For this we first have to have characters that really stand out from the series main character. Take the Mario series for example. Characters like DK, Diddy, Yoshi, Wario and Luigi have a very different style than Mario in terms of presentation, personality and ideas. They can offer enough to create their own directions for a spinoff game. 

Most of Sonic's pals are just way to close to him so that you can not really come up with their own types of games and universe. A Blaze game for example would just feel like a Sonic game, but with Blaze instead of Sonic and a Tails game would also just feel like a Sonic game but with a flying Tails gimmick put into the mix. This is why I think that spinoff games do not really work for the typical Sonic characters. Fans of those characters expect them to be fast and cool just like Sonic himself. This is also the reason why Shadow's own game never really felt like a Shadow game it was a traditional Sonic gae but with Shadow as the main protagonist.

The only characters I can see been in their own spinoff game are characters, that are really distinguishable form the classic Sonic characters and those are characters like Merlina, Shahra, Elise, Maria and Lah, the ghost girl from Night of the Werehog.

I would take those 5 girls and put them in their own type of game. I was thinking of a mix between an action adventure and a fun racer. In  this game you will play as one of the 5 girls and you have to build your own vehicle and have to use it to solve puzzles in Zelda like dungeons, or help out some town folks with their own side missions: Transport, racing, battling etc.  I think we haven't had such a concept before. This sounds really weird, I know, but I think if we would get a Sonic spinoff game it should really be very different in terms of gameplay style and atmosphere. 

Look at Mario vs. Yoshi's Island vs. DKC vs. Wario Land. Sure, their all jump'n runs in the end but all of them have their own characters, style and even world. This could not really be done with characters like Tails, Knuckles or Silver because their all just way to close to Sonic.

 

[ShadowSJG]

9 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

That could easily work. Makes me think ot "The Misadventures of Tron Bonne" game (at least in the story apartment. If we want Metal and other badniks, there would be some tweaks). Villain could be Eggman Nega, which would work perfectly for "Vs mode". (eventually GUN, new villain and Nega would exist just for 2 player mode). 

Personaly I considered Devil May Cry type of game featuring Shadow. That's the best way to put all of his powers (possibly even guns) to use. And story should hit similar tones, MDC/Metal Gear only aimed for younger audience. I feel like this is only way to give Shadow game now: something that takes is self seriously and yet feels like parody at the same time.

Also take Breath of the Wild and put Knuckles in it. I feel this might be the only way to use his full moveset in 3D.

Sounds interesting but please, no guns. Though shouldn't the game focus on his speed?

[SupahBerry]

Quote

Characters like DK, Diddy, Yoshi, Wario and Luigi have a very different style than Mario

I'm not really sure why you'd consider Luigi not "way too close" to Mario when he literally started as a clone of Mario, but his sprites colored green. He's Mario's brother, after all.  Besides, I feel people back then might've been repulsed by the idea of a Mario game where you can't jump, collect stars or use power-ups. They'd go on to say it'll never catch on, and years later we have an awesome sequel to what people thought was a awesome game. All that despite Luigi still being playable in the main Mario games. If people can enjoy a Mario game where you can't jump, then I don't really don't see the problem with a Sonic game where speed is not the focus.

[Salamander]

I would suggest a potential difference in that Nintendo's spin-offs tend to be gameplay-led rather than character-led.  There's really nothing about Luigi's Mansion or WarioWare which required having anything to do with Mario, while Yoshi's Island expands on an alternative gameplay style which had already been presented.  In other words, I feel that a successful Sonic spin-off would have to be based on a sound gameplay idea, rather than being based around a desire to make a spin-off based around a particular character without having gameplay in place.  The series is no longer in a position where any one character is so insanely popular that they can slap their name on anything and have it sell; Knuckles Chaotix and Shadow aren't exactly great advertisements for this approach.

[Swing]

5 hours ago, SupahBerry said:

I'm not really sure why you'd consider Luigi not "way too close" to Mario when he literally started as a clone of Mario, but his sprites colored green. He's Mario's brother, after all.  Besides, I feel people back then might've been repulsed by the idea of a Mario game where you can't jump, collect stars or use power-ups. They'd go on to say it'll never catch on, and years later we have an awesome sequel to what people thought was a awesome game. All that despite Luigi still being playable in the main Mario games. If people can enjoy a Mario game where you can't jump, then I don't really don't see the problem with a Sonic game where speed is not the focus.

Luigi has a different, let's say image to Mario. He is always scared, is a coward, is very clumsy and unlucky and always in the shadow of his older brother. Luigi has a character that is very different towards that of his brother Mario. 

We can not really say the same thing about Sonic characters. Sure their not exactly the same, but in the end all most all of them are action hero animal characters who run really fast. Their is not much to separate them from Sonic. Also how would their universes be? The same like Sonic. Should they all run in levels and defeat robots like Sonic does? Then why create a spinoff if it will just feel like Sonic in the end? Look at DKC as an example. This character could offer much to get it's own spinoff series. The Sonic characters can not do that because their whole purpose why their where created was to be just like Sonic.

[MetalSkulkBane]

1 hour ago, Swing said:

Luigi has a different, let's say image to Mario. He is always scared, is a coward, is very clumsy and unlucky and always in the shadow of his older brother. Luigi has a character that is very different towards that of his brother Mario. 

We can not really say the same thing about Sonic characters. Sure their not exactly the same, but in the end all most all of them are action hero animal characters who run really fast. Their is not much to separate them from Sonic. Also how would their universes be? The same like Sonic. Should they all run in levels and defeat robots like Sonic does? Then why create a spinoff if it will just feel like Sonic in the end? Look at DKC as an example. This character could offer much to get it's own spinoff series. The Sonic characters can not do that because their whole purpose why their where created was to be just like Sonic.

....wait

Are you telling me that Lugi is sooo different from Mario, when Sonic and Cream are basically the same thing? (I'm exaggeration, but still)

I'm sorry, I don't agree. I don't see why Tails can't have a RPG adventure, without spin dash and bounce pads. Or Cream's Chaos Garden. Chaotix point-click adventure.

And even if we were stuck with 2D platforming, Wario is a very similar of Mario, just with a bizarre feel to his world. So Knuckles Sand Box could have elements of Sonic, just with enough of his own personality to work.

The problem isn't with concept. It's just spin-off characters have incredible hard time succeeding. Name one successful spin-off series (as if "made more than one  successful  game") that doesn't ties to Mario.

[EzSonic01]

4 hours ago, Swing said:

Luigi has a different, let's say image to Mario. He is always scared, is a coward, is very clumsy and unlucky and always in the shadow of his older brother. Luigi has a character that is very different towards that of his brother Mario. 

We can not really say the same thing about Sonic characters. Sure their not exactly the same, but in the end all most all of them are action hero animal characters who run really fast. Their is not much to separate them from Sonic. Also how would their universes be? The same like Sonic. Should they all run in levels and defeat robots like Sonic does? Then why create a spinoff if it will just feel like Sonic in the end? Look at DKC as an example. This character could offer much to get it's own spinoff series. The Sonic characters can not do that because their whole purpose why their where created was to be just like Sonic.

If we're talking about gameplay in Mario platformers or main games, Luigi is not different at all, except for jumping higher than his brother and running a bit faster than him (with worse traction), and these particular skills of his are not always present. I don't see how's that different from Tails and Knuckles not differing from Sonic other than running slower and flying/gliding and climbing. 

If we're talking about the "image" or personality of a character, then again, I don't see how the characters are not different from Sonic. Maybe you could explain this to me? As I see it, Tails is calmer, a bit more scared, and thinks more, Knuckles is serious and short-tempered, Amy is crazy and obsessive, and I could go on, just mentioning the most important classic characters who also happen to be Sonic's friends. They're too close to Sonic? The answer is yes, but aren't Luigi, Yoshi, Wario, or Donkey connected to Mario as well? Luigi is Mario's brother, who started off being nothing more than a green palette swap, identical to Mario in every possible way and also happens to be his sidekick. Yoshi is probably Mario's best friend, and even in his own games he goes around protecting Baby Mario. Wario started out as an evil version of Mario and is his rival. Donkey was originally Mario's pet. They're all great and (deservedly) star on their own titles? Yes, but at the end of the day, they're considered Mario characters.

If we talk about running in levels and destroying robots, then imagine the Mario spinoff series had never existed, and that same logic can be applied: Why should Nintendo develop or work on them if they're gonna be the same as Mario?

[edgeyhedgey]

On 1/5/2018 at 10:04 AM, SonicWindAttack said:

I'd be down for a Silver game in the style of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Oh Yes. I would also personally like a story heavy metroidvania game with team dark, a chaotix/knuckles game that plays similarly to a lego game, and a story heavy rpg featuring satam characters (action rpg or Jrpg).

[Thigolf]

I'm waiting, Sega :I 

I'd honestly play this, not gonna lie

In all seriousness, like many others stated before, I'd much prefer it if they just found a solid foundation for Sonic himself (if we're talking Modern here) and then added other characters with their own unique abilities that enhance and add to the gameplay without distracting from it - so basically what the Classics did and other games in the series successfully mimicked. Alternatively, do it like Shadow the Hedgehog or Knuckles Chaotix, but WELL this time: Take a core Sonic-like gameplay and switch out the main characters, add a new, solid gimmick to give it some unique flavor and give characters focus like that. But again, there has to be a solid foundation first.

Besides that, most genres that I'd love the Sonic Universe to delve into in spin offs (again), RPGs, Beat em Ups/Musous, for example, would benefit much more from an All-Star cast than limiting it to certain characters or groups, so...yeah, I'm not craving for any character-specific spin-off games right now.

Besides

Marine the Raccoon: Battleship, of course, which really should happen

[HywelAtTheMoon]

Rouge doing undercover missions, separate from Team Dark. Maybe a prison escape, but handcuffed to another inmate (possibly Nack). 

[A person, that exists]

• A knuckles beat-em up.
• A DMC-esque game with Team Dark as playable characters.
• Maybe a Blaze spinoff, that plays like Rush?