Advanced Gameplay Idea Challenge

[Skull Leader]

I'd like to start this thread to discuss how characters can be featured in the 2-D Genesis styled games and the gameplay mechanics that could be implemented, since one of the things that I think are yet to be exploited is just how versatile the Genesis formula is, allowing to accomodate characters that can either follow the style of Sonic like Tails or Knuckles, more unique and original ones like Amy (whose entire moveset is exclusive and copies none of Sonic's moves) or even different ways of playing with the physics like Knuckles' Chaotix use of rubberband mechanics to exploit the already existing set of physics.

Likewise, while simplicity is often good, there comes a point where it can become restrictive. Personally, I like to have as much control as possible over the actions of a playable character and think that sometimes there are additions that do fulfill this purpose. (For example in the Contra games, the use of the shoulder buttons to lock the aim while moving in any direction/locking the movement to aim in all 8 directions without the character moving)

A few points that should be established before starting:

* Characters cannot use/copy any of Sonic's signature moves (especially rolling/spindashing, though spin jumping is OK) since the idea is to create characters that offer a more fresh approach rather than something that feels the same or doesn't offer much replay incentive as well as their unique moves being something that will actually be used all the time and not just for reaching some high spot that Sonic can't reach.

* Any character is fair game, including those from alternate media (cartoons, comics) if you feel that their abilities could bring something new. Likewise, you can try to come up with new ideas for the existing cast like Tails or Knuckles and how they could be more unique.

* You can create controls schemes with either one or two buttons, with this last being the maximum allowed number of buttons.

* Please try to create abilities that serve a purpose. One of the things that I felt was a trouble in the first Advance was the way the secondary button was used on characters like Sonic as a mere placeholder. Just like not every character needs to use two buttons, there are also characters that would benefit from having a secondary one in order to fully display their abilities.

* List the characters' abilities, followed by the command input and a description of how said moves would work.

* Additional ways of interacting with existing gimmicks are welcomed. (For example, Amy hitting springs to launch herself much higher than the other characters)

* Try to not go overboard with the number of moves for each character. The maximum should be somewhere between 6 - 8.

 

 

For starters, this is what I'd do with Amy, who I think was the last character in the 2-D games to actually try something new:

Hammer attack: B button (can also be performed in midair more than once, unlike Advance 1. The range is superior to Sonic's insta-shield but is slightly slower and can't deflect projectiles. If springs are hit, she'll be launche pretty fast and high)

Jump: A button (Amy's standard jump has her jump uncurled, but is slightly higher that Sonic's)

Hammer Jump: Down + B (Amy hits the ground to launch herself high and fast into the air but during this move she can't perform any type of attacks. Can also be used on loops/slopes like regular jumps to build momentum, but with an extra boost of speed)

Hammer whirl: Down + B in midair (Amy will cancel all forward momentum and will drop vertically, continuously boincing on the target(s) and gaining extra height with each bounce, which prevents her from trivializing boss fights while on a side bonus, featuring another way to find alternate paths with a little bit more skill involved. Can also be used for platforming sections where precision is a must)

Amy-dash: Up + A (functionality is very similar to the Super peel-out, but less fast)

Giant steps: Down + A (Amy performs a quick jump that covers plenty of horizontal distance, but has very little height. Ideal for quickly jumping between platforms or to climb very steep slopes that the other characters can't using a spindash)

Hammer-copter: A while in midair (Similar to a move from Heroes. Amy spins using her hammer, gaining a little bit of extra impulse forward. Think of it as a mid-air jump that mainly covers horizontal distance)

Insta-duck: down while on the ground (Amy will crounch almost instantly, even when she is running top speed. This can be helpful on those carnival stages where you have springs facing each other that can cause the placer to bounce back and forward constantly)

Now, for an existing one, I'll give my take on Espio.

Double jump: A button while in mid-air.

Kunai slash: B button (Espio uses his kunai to attack enemies. His range is not as goid as Amy but his attacks are performed much faster)

Ninja dash: tap forward twice. (Espio performs a run similar to that of the more dignified ninjas like Strider Hiryu. Sorry, Naruto fans. He still gains speed when running down on slopes but unlike other characters like Amy, he can still use his Kunai to attack while running)

Shuriken ring: Up + B button. (Espio throws a ring towards the enemy. Note: this move can be performed ONLY if Espio has any rings available, substracting one per attack, so use wisely, especially if you have only one left)

Ninja slide kick: Down + A (Espio performs a slide attack that is very fast, but does not cover much distance. It alternatively can be use to slide into very tight spaces that not even rolling characters can get into, as well as an evasive maneuver to avoid attacks)

Wall cling: jump towards any wall (Espio will cling to a wall as soon as the character makes contact with it)

Ninja Catapult: while clinging to a wall, press the opposite direction + A button (Espio will launch horizontally at high speed, covering 1/2 screen of distance and gaining a bit of height. Ideal for parts that not even Knuckles can climb)

Ninja magic: A + B buttons simultaneously. (Espio rapidly performs the kuji-kiri, causing all on-screen enemies to be destroyed. This move will substract 100 rings and on boss fights, it instantly substracts them 3 HP of damage)

 

 

 

[Multikaris]

Clove the Pronghorn (lacks a spin jump ability)

 

Gallop: Jump again after landing on the ground. Clove’s gallop not only makes her fly higher into the air, but may also deal damage. 

Scythe Attack: B Button. The scythe attack goes forward and cuts through her enemy. 

Blade Toss Attack: Hold B and release to make her throw her scythe at targets. This attack moves in an arc. 

Horizontal Slash: B in air, and any direction. Clove spins while holding her scythe in any given direction. Useful for bouncing off enemies.

Vertical Cutter: A+B in air. Clove wildly slashes her scythe around, slicing through Knuckles walls. 

Grapple Attack: Press B in air and Clove will reach for any hanging posts and ledges to hang onto them with her scythe. Press up to pull yourself upwards.

 

Ray (revamp from SM+)

The big difference is that he loses his spin capabilities, with them replaced by new abilities. 

 

Glider: Works exactly like in Mania, but...

Spinner Dodgem: Press B in gliding to do a barrel roll and spin away from enemies. If this glide has gained enough momentum, it is also damaging and not just invulnerable. Spin 3 times to obtain speed boosts, but if you do it 10 times, Ray will start to helplessly fall down.

Membrane Attack: Press B to attack enemies with Ray’s big tail. This can also be used to push blocks away. Unless he has the Water Shield, he cannot break blocks this way. 

Grabbing Maneuver: Press Down and B to lift an object up with your tail and flick it away. Useful for puzzles, and he can break blocks by using this power. 

[Iko]

21 hours ago, Skull Leader said:

...One of the things that I felt was a trouble in the first Advance was the way the secondary button was used on characters like Sonic as a mere placeholder.

Sonic wasn't perfect and for sure it could have been improved (for example, HA on A and Insta Shield on B instead of both on A; better stomp move, maybe working like the bubble shield instead of that thing we got), but his basic melee attack in Sonic Advance 2 was very useful, it was basically a speedrun tool and one of the most useful moves in the game.

The melee attack is a small boost at fixed speed that sets you to a stop when it's finished. If you end into a spring or a dash panel, or any other gimmick, before the move ends, you would cancel the stopping part and benefit of the initial small boost. This way you can rush many sections without the need to slowly build momentum or stop and charge a spindash. Actually, once you learn how to use it, you will miss it when playing other characters/games... I suppose Advance 1 Amy can replicate a similar effect with down+A and B, but it's much slower (you must crouch first) and requires more space and timing.

 

Anyway, while I already have some movesets ready for some characters, the no roll thing forces me to change those movesets a bit, or to do the hipster and do Infinite instead

 

Infinite (6 moves, 1 button only).

*Directional input: Basic movements, just like any other character, with the exception that he always floats (like Super Sonic) and he is unaffected by slippery terrain (unless it's a level gimmick such as the water slides in Labyrinth). He's floaty! Low gravity and horizontal acceleration while in air just like if he's on land.

 *A: Jump, he jumps uncurled, but when he jumps he's surrounded by those phantom ruby cubes that work like the orbiting green shells in Mario Kart; they last 1 hit and then disappear, when they disappear you are vulnerable, but you can restore them by landing and jumping again (you have 5 ruby blocks around Infinite and they spin slowly around him).

*Down in air: Increased gravity. You make Infinite fall at regular gravity instead of the default floaty one; once you release the button it returns floaty, so you can manouver him in complex stage sections by switching the gravity mode at will.

*A + Down in air: Creates a temporary illusory platform that lasts 5 seconds, then disappears. When he creates it, he also does a small double jump and caps the horizontal momentum to a maximum speed that allows the player to eventually land on the platform, regardless of the previous speed; though, it's not mandatory to land on the platform, and keep in mind that the gravity is affected when you push the down direction (the platform is not solid, it means that you can jump through it from below). You can only have one platform at time, and you will be unable to make a new platform until you land on actual ground (the new platform will eventually make the previous one disappear).

*A in air: Infinite floats at constant altitude for a second (kills the vertical momentum, not the horizontal one) and in the process, he also launches the ruby blocks away damaging (or destroying) anything they hit (each block goes straight in the oposite direction as Infinite's actual position, so, since they're in a circle formation around him, they are scattered away from him); this move doesn't work if you have no ruby blocks remaining, and it also happens automatically (minus the floating for 1 second thing) when you are hit and you have at least 1 ruby block. You can't do any other move until you land again, this includes altering the gravity, you can't (so you can't spam the move, you are stuck with the floaty gravity); also, still for the sake of balancing, the distance the ruby blocks travel to is limited, then they vanish (there is a stamina value, it automatically slowly recharges itself, and you consume it each time you perform this move... if you do it too often, it won't cover a big distance and will become considerably less useful).

*A + Down on land (the temporary platform counts as land): Instead of charging a spindash, Infinite creates an illusory cannon and launches himself with it. While the cannon exists, you can change the aim and press the A button again to charge it: the longer you hold A, the faster you are launched away when you release it. The cannon disappears after a while or if the terrain below disappears as well. When launched, you are curled in a ball (with some phantom ruby effects around you but they are only visual), and you do damage to anything you hit just like you would do by jumping as Sonic (bouncing back if you hit a boss).

When Infinite runs, he is vulnerable, because offcourse no roll, but he has the tools to hit enemies at long range, eventually slow down and build speed again with the cannon move, and put himself to safe spots by creating the temporary platform.

[Multikaris]

Heavy:

His big perk is that there is little difference to him between falling and jumping, despite his low speed.

Jump: Heavy’s Jump is uncurled, but has Mario-styled Jump damage, to the point where he can reveal hidden objects and attack most enemies standing on floating platforms by bumping them. This damage factor remains constant even when bouncing from a spring or bumper, or even if merely falling. So, less of a risk of landing on an enemy. With enough momentum in his fall, even spiked enemies are no match to Heavy’s hiny.

Flutter Jump: Hold A to make Heavy’s gangly legs flutter in the air for a float over enemies. Heavy will never stop fluttering, but it becomes less effective over time. 

Ground Pound: Tap Down Twice in air, even if falling or knocked back. Heavy dives down with his posterior upon his enemy. If it strikes a spring, Heavy bounces even higher than Amy would. This also leaves shockwaves around Heavy to damage foes. It can even safely let players land on spikes! This is a great way to break floors.

 

Beware, Heavy sinks like a rock in water. But he can break walls too tough for Knuckles. At top speed he can damage enemies by running into them.

 

Lift: Down+A near certain objects. Heavy picks up an object and can then move it around. This is great to create platforms for Heavy to climb on. This also makes block and switch puzzles a ton easier and quicker. 

Block: B. Heavy can block attacks from the front, on the ground or in air, but is made less stable when jumping, and can not lift objects. His handling is also diminished, and he loses the ability to find hidden objects and attack enemies from below while blocking. 

[Skull Leader]

Knuckles the Echidna. (Retains rolling, spindashing and glide)

* Punch: B button.

* Knuckle sandwich: forward, forward + B button (Knuckles smacks his target between both of his fists, causing double damage on bosses)

* Ground pound: Down + B button on the ground (Knuckles punches the ground, causing it to shake and knocking all on-screen enemies who are left stunned and vulnerable. If there is a crack on the ground, Knuckles can dig into it and control like the Drill Wisp from Colors, but you only have a limited time as the ground quickly collapses behind him and if not fast enough, Knuckles can end up buried and lose a life)

* Climbing: jump towards a wall or ceiling (unlike previous games where Knuckles can only climb on 90 degree vertical walls, here he can latch to walls and ceiling of different degrees of inclination, much like in the 2014's Strider. His climbing speed is also improved to make him more agile)

* Rising Knuckle: forward, down, diagonal + B button (exactly like a shoryuken. This attack allows Knuckles to hit targets that are too high for the reach of his normal jump)

[Multikaris]

Cassia

 

Jumps uncurled. Jumps fairly high. Her jump can also perform similar tricks to Mario. These include backflips, triple jumps, long jumps and wall jumps. 

 

Tonfa Attack: B button performs a series of quick attacks with your Tonfa. In air, this can grab hold of ledges.

 

Tonfa Hop: A+B to perform something akin to Mario’s spin jump. 

Fire Attack: Press C to shoot a fireball that arcs. 

 

Cassia never drowns. She can also grind on rails. 

 

Turbo

 

Watch Turbo’s pressure meter. This is his big deal. The lower it goes the lower his jump, and he faster it takes to drown.

B: Sting Strike. Turbo’s stinger tail hits opponents. He automatically swings his tail around when jumping to hit enemies. Press it in air for the tail to grapple around grapple points and make him swing. Hey can climb between posts this way.

 

Cream: take Advance 2’s Cream and change a few things. 

She no longer curls when jumping, and her spin Dash is replaced by Amy’s Giant Step. She also has no spin attack.