Sonic the Hedgehog 4

[turbojet]

Wait? This game is just for PSN and XBL?

[Indigo Rush]

SEGA's known to be brutal when it comes to teasing us. I mean, how many teaser sites have they put up in this past year?

[FeathersMcGraw]

Wait? This game is just for PSN and XBL?

The word HD was thrown around a lot in the interview, which would suggest a PSN and XBLA (and PC?) release. That doesn't necessarily mean there wont be some form of Wii version, though.

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[SuperLink]

I think people are mostly just assuming that 2D + Console + HD = Download game. Personally I'd like it to be retail so it can have more stuff, but we'll wait and see. It's not hard to believe if they want to make it download, especially if it was inspired by something like MM9.

[Ben CG]

I can only judge what I've seen. What I have seen is this teaser and those somewhat dodgy looking HD Green Hill Zone renders. I think though it was that classic Sonic title screen emblem that really put it into my head. That they're pretty much trying an HD Megadrive-style Sonic game.

I completely understand those who don't want to get hyped up about this because of how much they've been let down before, and I understand those that do want to because it's ignited that little spark of passion you have for the Sonic series, but let me say to both sides... in the past, the first thing we've been shown of a new Sonic game has included ultra-realistic military robots, Sonic turning into a werewolf, Sonic jumping into books and experiencing two different fairytales. What we've been shown here is purely an upfront explanation that they're going back to Sonic in it's purest form. I'm not saying get hyped or wait to be proven wrong. I'm saying we've seen worse!!

Before, I've had to resign to being cautiously optimistic. But at this very moment in time I can't find something to fault so consider me happy. =D

[FeathersMcGraw]

Hopefully this game will retain the accessibility of the originals, whilst my family and friends are quite happy to play the classics, problems seem to arise when they attempt to play the 3D games (usually related to their somewhat over-complex nature and constantly shifting perspective and controls), so it'd be nice to have a game that is accessible whilst still challenging again.

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[AdventChild]

CGI cutscenes? Well, if this game is anything like the Genesis Sonic games, then I doubt it. In fact, I would be happy if there is little to no story just like in Sonic 1-3, and playing more b/c of (hopefully) good gameplay and the fun factor rather than playing for a complex storyline that could be riddled with plotholes on every turn.

Also, what would definitely make me more excited is having Tails along your side and have S. Sonic in every levels or else just get rid of Super altogether.

[Machenstein]

Am I the only one here who hopes that Sonic will have his old appearance back for this game? Not that I'm a classic fanboy or anything, but I do find that look much cuter for Sonic.

[FeathersMcGraw]

Am I the only one here who hopes that Sonic will have his old appearance back for this game? Not that I'm a classic fanboy or anything, but I do find that look much cuter for Sonic.

Yeah, your definately not alone. Considering the feel they're trying to go for with this game, Chubby Sonic would make far more sense for me.

...don't let anyone here hear you saying anything good about the classics, though .

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[Leonard]

Agreed. Lovely 2DHD >>>> 2.5D anyday if you ask me...

Well, there are some truly genius 2.5D rehashes of old series' out there, no? New Super Mario Bros., Mega Man X8, etc.

I think they could pull it off. And make it awesome. :v

Also, I want just one vocal song, that you unlock for beating the game: "Sonic Boom", by Crush 40.

THROUGH THE DARK

THROUGH THE LIGHT

IT'S A SUPAH SONIKKU FLIGHT

Johnny's voice isn't as sexy though, bro. :c

Also, SONIC CYCLE etc. But I see that's already been said.

I'm skeptical nevertheless.

[Agent York]

CGI cutscenes? Well, if this game is anything like the Genesis Sonic games, then I doubt it. In fact, I would be happy if there is little to no story just like in Sonic 1-3, and playing more b/c of (hopefully) good gameplay and the fun factor rather than playing for a complex storyline that could be riddled with plotholes on every turn.

Also, what would definitely make me more excited is having Tails along your side and have S. Sonic in every levels or else just get rid of Super altogether.

for the story I hope they do something LIKE Sonic 3 & Knuckles but a little more in-depth. Have short intermissions that explain the events that are going on that don't last more than a few seconds, but then in the stages themselves have fine detail littered around that explain more of what's going on and leaving the story somewhat open ended for us to interrupt. Tell a story through the stages, for those who look.

And actually, Super Sonic in stages didn't even hit me until now, but this could very well have that.

(imagines Super Sonic in HD with lots of special effects)

Well we all know Sonic is in. Besides Eggman I don't think there's anyone we can really pinpoint, but hope will (not) be in the game.

[SuperLink]

Wario Land >>>> NSMB

Megaman ZX >>> Megaman X8

In terms of visuals. (for me atleast)

I don't hate chubby Sonic, I just hate people saying new Sonic sucks.

It would be completely hypocritical for someone to hate all the new Sonic games and then just so happen to love the first Sonic game in 10 years that had chubby Sonic in it. Why is it that I can see that happening?

If Sonic Advance 1 had Sonic 1 visuals, the nostalgia goggles would instantly put it right up there as one of the all time greats.

Edited September 9, 2009 by SuperLink

[FeathersMcGraw]

Wario Land >>>> NSMB

Megaman ZX >>> Megaman X8

In terms of visuals. (for me atleast)

I don't hate chubby Sonic, I just hate people saying new Sonic sucks.

It would be completely hypocritical for someone to hate all the new Sonic games and then just so happen to love the first Sonic game in 10 years that had chubby Sonic in it. Why is it that I can see that happening?

If Sonic Advance 1 had Sonic 1 visuals, the nostalgia goggles would instantly put it right up there as one of the all time greats.

I agree with you to a point, but none of us are above the simple reality of human nature, it's just basic association. People just naturally associate superficial qualities of something to help with identification. If people preferred the games with Chubby Sonic, they're instinctively going to be more receptive of games with the same superficial features (in this case classic Sonic) regardless of the quality of said game, initially, at least. Conversely, if they disliked newer titles, they'd be naturally less willing to accept a game with Sonic as he appears in said disliked titles.

In the long run most tend to overcome the superficial and see something for what it really is, but it definitely does have an impact on the initial reaction.

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[SuperLink]

Yeah I can understand why it would effect initial opinion, but some people are too stuck in the past to accept that Sonic is no longer chubby without saying "Sonic's not meant to be [this and that]" as if their own personal view on the character's design is somehow superior to that of the series creators and designers.

It's even worse when they disregard an entire game because of it.

[Leonard]

Wario Land >>>> NSMB

Megaman ZX >>> Megaman X8

In terms of visuals. (for me atleast)

Well, I'm not saying it's better or worse, that's not for me to decide. I just believe they could make a high quality 2.5D as much as a high quality pure 2D game.

Either way, whatever floats your boat personally, I guess.

I don't hate chubby Sonic, I just hate people saying new Sonic sucks.

It would be completely hypocritical for someone to hate all the new Sonic games and then just so happen to love the first Sonic game in 10 years that had chubby Sonic in it. Why is it that I can see that happening?

If Sonic Advance 1 had Sonic 1 visuals, the nostalgia goggles would instantly put it right up there as one of the all time greats.

Like FeathersMcGraw said, it's a completely natural reaction. They grew up with the chubby Sonic and he was really everywhere back in these days. So it does feel a little unnatural to have to get used to the new look.

Not to mention that most people probably associate the new Sonic with the quality of his latest games automatically in their head.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Leonard

[Tiller]

So what does everyone think of the concept art? Looks like actual "flat" looking set pieces, which is a bit different than what Unleashed had done with it's dynamic 2D.5 camera work and level design. Looks like the camera would be static and levels will look more surreal/Dr. Seuss like than slightly realistic tone Unleashed set. A bit more than what I expected, but it's still concept art.

Oh well, if it had ball mechanics, no boost button, and requires a useful spin dash, then they can truly say that it plays like it's predecessors. Hopefully this takes advantage of the wonderful Hedgehog engine too. Color me exited, though skeptical.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Rauzaruke

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Anyway, it's nice that people like to criticise games they've never even seen and be cautious and all that jazz, but don't you feel it's kind of sucking the positive energy out of the community a little bit? Can't we just be happy that a new Sonic game is around the corner and, for the first time in 7 years (minus handhelds) it sounds like the developers/people involved have a bit of a clue?

I want it to be good, Dreadknux. I really do.

But The Cycle Never Lies.

That site's designs remind me of Worms more than anything else.

Urgh. Yeah. From the looks of that, they seem to have misinterpreted what Green Hill Zone is. A sunny tropical paradise starter level with dancing animals. Not a Tim-Burton-esque mindscrew of drug-trip scenery where the level looks like it's about to eat you.

Again, I HOPE that his "concept" of art gets heavily revised. But then I remember The Cycle, and I stop hopeing quite so hard. Y'know, what with the futility and all.

I've never been a "back to the roots" kind of person. I was hoping that Sega would be able to erase that kind of thought by just making current Sonic better, which is what they should do.

...

I don't think Sega should listen to their fans anyway. They're the professionals, they should take advice or inspiration from other professionals or just try harder. Their fans are idiots split into two camps that couldn't disagree more with each other.

^ This.

Legendary Emerald, I think, hit the nail on the head with what's going to happen here.

But if by some cosmic chance SEGA manages to create a TRUE sequel to the 2D Sonic trilogy, then I will forgive them for all their recent mistakes (*cough* Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, Sonic Chronicles, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic games, Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis */cough*). If the game turns out to be terrible, I can honestly say I will never buy another Sonic game again. And I'm not like some of the fans here; that is the very first time I have EVER said that.

The game will not (and probably cannot, if they're trying to sell it as "Everything you loved about Sonic 1, but new!") live up to the crazy rose-tinted nostalgic explanations of the retro crowd - if only because The Cycle Never Lies. So what this game will actually accomplish is SEGA reaching back in time to contaminate the memories of halcyon 90s platforming with the taint of their modern-day suck, disenfranchising some retro gamers out of the series altogether and leaving everyone else, at best, markedly underwhelmed.

MARK MY WORDS.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Frozen Nitrogen

[FeathersMcGraw]

Yeah I can understand why it would effect initial opinion, but some people are too stuck in the past to accept that Sonic is no longer chubby without saying "Sonic's not meant to be [this and that]" as if their own personal view on the character's design is somehow superior to that of the series creators and designers.

It's even worse when they disregard an entire game because of it.

From what I gather, it's not so much people disliking New Sonic "because he looks different", it's because they associate this with the worse games in the series, the cries of "Sonic looks stupid now" are simply just a knee-jerk reaction to the intial causation (notice how there was no widespread bawing during his intial re-design in the Dreamcast era).

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[JaidynReiman]

Here's some of my thoughts on this.

Since this is supposed to be a sort of "back to the classics" thing, officially, I'd say that it should be an HD game, sidescroller, but still with a lot of classic elements. Example, have a few playable characters with numerous alternate paths to take. I'd say 5-6 is a good number.

Also, since its an earlier game, characters such as Shadow, Omega, Cream, etc., should not appear. However, since Rouge's introduction in SA2 is rather ambiguous, and she and Knuckles clearly have a past before the beginning of the game, I think Rouge IS a good choice to make an appearance. That can't be said about Shadow, because he was sealed for fifty years and RELEASED in SA2, Omega was created either DURING or AFTER Sonic Adventure, and Cream is fully introduced in Sonic Advance 2. The only way Cream could appear is as a cameo character.

Now, that doesn't mean they can't reference Shadow. Heck, maybe in cutscenes Eggman can allude to finding Gerald's diary, and Shadow could potentially be a secret character (like Amy in Sonic Advance 2), but plot-wise is a no-go for him.

Another thing I think would be a good idea to include is optional cutscenes and voice acting. Perhaps Sega can include features in the options menu where people can specify if they want to have cutscenes or not, and the same goes for voice acting. I do think the game should have cutscenes and a plot, but if they want to capture plenty of fans, a feature like this is a must. Adding on to that, they should also allow you to specify if you want cutscenes and/or voice acting when starting a new game, and of course, after that you can change it in the options menu any time you want.

This doesn't mean there can't be speechless little segments between stages, though, as is typical for the classic titles.

Character-wise, quite simple. Sonic & Tails (playing as Sonic), Sonic alone, Tails alone, Knuckles, and Amy. I think it would be also nice to have a couple additional ones, such as Rouge, and perhaps if they're going that far, throw Fang into the mix. If not, maybe Espio. And again, Shadow I think would work well filling in Amy's role in Sonic Advance 2, or in Sonic and the Black Knight (unlock him after the events of the game).

Other obvious things should be that Eggman is the boss of every stage, and the final boss of the game. There are two to three acts per stage, with around 7-8 zones minimum, but hopefully more. Frankly, I'd prefer leaving "Zone" out of the title, but since that's another "classic" feature, they're bound to include that, as well.

On one final note, before this ever came up I had already heard about this "Project Needlemouse" from somewhere, but I just don't remember where it was. Either way, it doesn't matter, we know it exists now, and its clearly going to be the "main" game of 2010. We'll definitely have a new 3D game for 2011, though, so don't worry about that, guys.

[Blue Blood]

So what does everyone think of the concept art? Looks like actual "flat" looking set pieces, which is a bit different than what Unleashed had done with it's dynamic 2D.5 camera work and level design. Looks like the camera would be static and levels will look more surreal/Dr. Seuss like than slightly realistic tone Unleashed set. A bit more than what I expected, but it's still concept art.

Oh well, if it had ball mechanics, no boost button, and requires a useful spin dash, then they can truly say that it plays like it's predecessors. Hopefully this takes advantage of the wonderful Hedgehog engine too. Color me exited, though skeptical.

I love the look of that, because it'crazy. It's like Green Hill Zone got caught up in a tornado or something, and whooshed out all twisted up. But I hope the game isn't 2.5D. Mixing 2D sprites on a 3D world is ugly, and according to the interview...:

GS: What can you tell us about the game?

KB: I can tell you it

[SuperLink]

I've never said I'd never buy a Sonic game again, but I have said I'd be less willing to buy all of them (there are 2 or 3 spin offs I've pass on since then)

If I said I'd never buy it again I'd be lying, especially since I enjoyed Unleashed so much. The problem is if people think that a game like this can magically solve all of Sonic's problems, they're sorely mistaken.

[FeathersMcGraw]

I love the look of that, because it'crazy. It's like Green Hill Zone got caught up in a tornado or something, and whooshed out all twisted up. But I hope the game isn't 2.5D. Mixing 2D sprites on a 3D world is ugly, and according to the interview...:

Makes me expect a 2D game.

I think the way he delibrately avoids using the word "sprites" despite the interviewer's question would suggest the characters and whatnot will be 3D. Seems like a pretty safe bet considering the environments, anyway.

Anyone willing to bet that teaser site will slowly develop, adding new elements or revealing hidden meanings as per Sega's typical viral advertising?

Edited September 9, 2009 by FeathersMcGraw

[Blue Blood]

I think the way he delibrately avoids using the word "sprites" despite the interviewer's question would suggest the characters and whatnot will be 3D. Seems like a pretty safe bet considering the environments, anyway.

Yep, that's PR talk. I totally missed that he only said "HD graphics". I'll still hope, but not expect.

[PaddyFancy]

All I can say is, if you guys rip the tripe out of this game if it comes out, you've all lost your minds.

[Flint]

What I think of the announcement: cool. Nice trailer.

What I want: a good game.

What I don't want: pointless retrowanking that tries to desperately suck the collective penises of the rose-tinted classic twits, by being a pale imitation/copy of the old games. References or sly nods towards the past are cool but it would be nice if this is a game that stands on its own two feet rather than just trying to mimick the past. If you get what I mean.

What do I think of the game so far: nothing! We have no info afterall.

What are my expectations: optimistic. Unleashed and my recent purchase of the Sonic Heroes OST have made Sonic slightly run around my heart again so this news comes at a good time. Excited? Maybe not that far, but I'm definitely interested in seeing what's coming out and I'm not condemning it.

What makes me facepalm: topic full of daft whining.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Flint