Sonic 4 interview in latest Nintendo Power

[Octarine]

There aren't 3D models in game but the sprites used are made from them.

Think Donkey Kong Country but with HD graphics.

A more appropriate example might be... gulp... Sonic Blast.

I had a feeling Tails at least would be in this somehow; I'm glad to have a semi-confirmation. It'll be the first time he's been playable in a platformer since... er, 2006? God, I hope not.

It's good to see that the story's going to be getting a bit of attention, too. It'll help the "episodes" feel a little less arbitrary if they mark divisions in the plot as well as the release schedule.

[Rusty Spy]

There aren't 3D models in game but the sprites used are made from them.

Think Donkey Kong Country but with HD graphics.

Ah, clever.

[Thirsty Pocket]

Floaty LBP physics? I WISH LBP's physics could be called floaty. The characters jump like one would imagine a sack of potatoes with tiny legs. The game tries to emulate real physics. Not the best idea.

ON TOPIC: I take it Episode 2 features Sonic, Sonic & Tails, Tails, and Knuckles playmodes, with no other characters besides Eggman appearing.

Not sure were Amy, Metal, Fang, the Chaotix, or the other pre-dreamcast era characters all fit into the timeline ( aside from those who debut in Sonic CD. ) So I won't hold my breath for any of them in the story. But I will continue to wish for most characters, classic and modern alike, as DLC later. ( personally, I think Amy should be playable too. She was Sonic Advance's hard mode. )

[Candescence]

Sorry to be a downer, but there is no chance in hell I'm going to get hyped up by Iizuka of all people, who hasn't made a good Sonic game in years.

Nothing suggests that it'll be that. It says find new routes, not get passed regular routes. And in the air no less, so it will most likely be a form of aerial Goomba stomping to reach up high platforms.

Nothing suggests that they'll do both. The use of the homing attack on enemies to get to places in any capacity has gotten seriously old, and the homing attack itself should have been discarded ages ago.

No floaty LBP physics. Classic Sonic Gameplay, classic Sonic speed. Says Izuka.

He claims that, yet the physics can be nothing like LBP and still be crap. This means nothing.

Not 3-D, but all CG pre-render.

We already know this, and it looks hideous.

"If Sonic 4's return to form (there they go again. ) is the Sonic experience you have been waiting 16 years for, then we strongly encourage you to try this."

Again? Another hype killer.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Masaru Daimon

[Blue Blood]

What about Tails and Knuckles you ask? "Fans will be very pleased with the cast in episode 2."

=D

Episode 1 is a prologue.

Interesting

Moves include: Spin Dash, Rolling Attack, homing attack and a new move yet unknown.

I hope the new move isn't the light speed dash. I like moves where I do things, not just tap a button and watch the world go by.

About homing attack: "I wanted the user to enjoy an easy-to-play feeling by the attack sequence that this [homing attack] allows, and find the fun routes in the air."

Fun routes in the air translates to homing attack stepping stones. No biggie, unless they're as common as they are in 06.

Classic special stages make a return.

Specifically the Sonic 1 stage. One of the achievements tells us to collect all the rings in the first Special Stage- hopefully they'll be a fun challenge.

Hornet Badnik. (Forget his name. Not Buzzbomber) Shown in screen shots.

Buzzer from Sonic 2. You can catch a very brief glimpse of him in the leaked video.

Other screenshot shows Sonic smash though a wall that becomes a bunch of checkered bricks.

Wouldn't be Green Hill Zone without them. Splash Hill may not be overly original, but it's a pretty homage.

Another screenshot shows Sonic grabbing a handrail which goes across a wire. (Very Advance)XP

We kinda saw it in the second teaser. Cool, though.

No floaty LBP physics. Classic Sonic Gameplay, classic Sonic speed. Says Izuka.

Physics did look different to 1-K in the video, but by no means bad. I'm sure they're just fine.

Not 3-D, but all CG pre-render.

That's kind of lame actually, because you can always notice. Maybe not so much with an HD game though. Models > sprites in this sort of game any day. Whatever the levels themselves look like though doesn't worry me, because if SHZ is anything to go by, then the entire game will be a treat for your eyes.

Gamers will get classic "try again" ending if not successful at getting all emeralds. If you get all emeralds, you get cliffhanger ending for episode 2.

Epic.

"If Sonic 4's return to form (there they go again. ) is the Sonic experience you have been waiting 16 years for, then we strongly encourage you to try this."

BAAAAAWWWW GREEN EYES

Edited March 7, 2010 by Blue Blood

[Candescence]

That's kind of lame actually, because you can always notice. Maybe not so much with an HD game though. Models > sprites in this sort of game any day. Whatever the levels themselves look like though doesn't worry me, because if SHZ is anything to go by, then the entire game will be a treat for your eyes.

I know your mileage may vary and all, but I consider this complete bullshit. There are many things 2D sprites can do in terms of visuals that 3D models simply cannot do, and vice-versa, so models are not inherently superior to sprites, even in a HD game.

Besides, I'd take sprites over Sonic 4's lifeless, dull and ugly-looking pre-rendered CGI any day. Honestly, pre-rendered CGI for a Sonic game is an epic wallbanger, it looks absolutely horrendous with parallax scrolling. And everything except Sonic, Eggman and the enemies (speaking of which, the flat enemies also look out of place alongside Sonic) looks like plastic, tacky and fake, no life to it at all.

[Doctor MK]

The return of Tails and/or Knuckles in Episode 2 is very exciting news, here's hoping if the episodes do 'lock-on' to each other you'll be able to play as them in the zones from Episode 1.

"Knuckles in Sonic 4: Episode 1"... I can see it now !

Plus, Episode 1 is just a prologue? Veeeeery interesting...

[Djawed]

The game is basically dead to me. I hoped that the homing attack would be sorta like in rush where it wasn't really needed to progress, or played a big roll in the gameplay.

About homing attack: "I wanted the user to enjoy an easy-to-play feeling by the attack sequence that this [homing attack] allows, and find the fun routes in the air."

What a guy..

Edit: I don't get it, what was broken/wrong about just jumping on an enemy?

Edited March 7, 2010 by Jaouad

[Candescence]

Oh, yeah, why didn't I notice it before? "Easy to play"? Is he serious? Classic Sonic only uses one button, for God's sake, that's simple enough for anyone to get, and the classic games were easy enough without the homing attack. Is he trying to remove all challenge whatsoever? Because it seems like it. Adding the homing attack in a 2D Sonic game and making it not useless is effectively the equivalent of giving the player the Crissaegrim right off the bat in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Masaru Daimon

[Remy]

Not really, symphony of the night can actually be challenging.

[Flyboy Fox]

Knuckles and Tails in Episode 2? HELL YEAH. More hyped than ever now =D Man, Sonic 4 just canNOT get here fast enough!

Come on, ONM D:

[Candescence]

Not really, symphony of the night can actually be challenging.

At times, maybe, and if you take on Galamoth without either the Crissaegrim or the Shield Rod+Alucard Shield (or take him on as Richter, but Galamoth is a bonus boss), but SOTN is ridiculously easy to break into pieces, and it's second-only to Harmony of Dissonance in terms of how easy it is. And that's just Alucard. Play as Richter, and you have the Hydro Storm, and Maria... Yeah.

Look, my point is, the Genesis Sonic games were actually pretty easy, especially compared to the platformers on the NES and SNES, with a few challenging boss moments here and there where they didn't give you any rings whatsoever to work with, the homing attack will likely make things too easy. The Sonic games were never known for difficulty, but I prefer at least a little challenge to none whatsoever.

[Detective Shadzter]

Screenshots scan courtesy of JasonTheJackass, thanks again -

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/sonic-4-interview-in-latest-nintendo-power-game-informer

[sjmaster92]

They may have put the homing attack chain in the game to please the fans who prefer the modern Sonic games and if they never played the classics it would be easy to play for them. It's just my guess.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

About homing attack: "I wanted the user to enjoy an easy-to-play feeling by the attack sequence that this [homing attack] allows, and find the fun routes in the air."

Fun routes in the air translates to homing attack stepping stones. No biggie, unless they're as common as they are in 06.

Fucking hell.

I'd say it is a biggie. The guy's talking up the fact that it's going to be a Homing Attack cakewalk. "Easy to play fun routes in the air with the Homing Attack" says to me "Hovering badniks over bottomless pits everywhere".

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

EDIT:

AND WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT. There it is. Top right pic.

BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Edited March 7, 2010 by Frozen Nitrogen

[Blue Blood]

I know your mileage may vary and all, but I consider this complete bullshit. There are many things 2D sprites can do in terms of visuals that 3D models simply cannot do, and vice-versa, so models are not inherently superior to sprites, even in a HD game.

Besides, I'd take sprites over Sonic 4's lifeless, dull and ugly-looking pre-rendered CGI any day. Honestly, pre-rendered CGI for a Sonic game is an epic wallbanger, it looks absolutely horrendous with parallax scrolling. And everything except Sonic, Eggman and the enemies (speaking of which, the flat enemies also look out of place alongside Sonic) looks like plastic, tacky and fake, no life to it at all.

I didn't word it right. They're using sprites made from 3D models. They looks like models, but they're actually just 2D images. They look fine in still and usually in motion, but sometimes they'll cause a few oddities and look a bit iffy. NSMBDS does the same thing (Mario, Luigi and bosses are 3D, but everything else is 2D).

Case in point: 3D models look better than pre-rendered 3D. Drawn 2D sprites would be no problem at all (quite awesome in fact).

Edited March 7, 2010 by Blue Blood

[Detective Shadzter]

Cool to see the tubes(whatever they're called) from the classic games are back.

[SykoTech]

Floaty LBP physics? I WISH LBP's physics could be called floaty. The characters jump like one would imagine a sack of potatoes with tiny legs. The game tries to emulate real physics. Not the best idea.

Gonna have to disagree there. The characters in LBP are very light, not at all like a heavy sack of potatoes. And while jumping like that may have seemed unorthrodox at first, it created quite a lot of clever platforming methods by making players build up and apply momentum to the physics. Not to mention it was incredibly charming and unique to any other platformer.

I'm certainly not saying that Sonic should have floaty physics though. I hope Iizuka is telling the truth, as the jumping in Sonic Advance 3 was a game breaker to me.

Anyway, sounds cool and screenshots look good. Not much else to say. I guess I could rip apart every sentence and cry over them individually. A Sonic fanboy's favorite pass time!

No thanks. I just want more footage.

[Shaddix Leto Croft]

Moves include: Spin Dash, Rolling Attack, homing attack and a new move yet unknown.

Light Speed Dash i bet that that the unknown move if it not meh i tryed to guess XD

Edited March 7, 2010 by Crash And Burn Like 1976

[Marcello]

The new move will be Sonic Tornado from Heroes xP

[Detective Shadzter]

I bet it will be the cancelled Spin Slash fron Sonic Xtreme

[Doctor MK]

You're all wrong, the unannounced move is obviously going to be the OMG SONIC BOOST from Rush/Unleashed!

On a more serious note, as long as it's something that isn't totally stupid or ruins the 'classic' gameplay, I don't mind what it is.

[Carbo]

'dem bricks on the first picture man

'dem bricks

[Djawed]

You're all wrong, the unannounced move is obviously going to be the OMG SONIC BOOST from Rush/Unleashed!

On a more serious note, as long as it's something that isn't totally stupid or ruins the 'classic' gameplay, I don't mind what it is.

Since theyve allready gone astray, why not add a boost, because that would be totally awesome [/sarcasm]

[Light]

Thank goodness for some nice screen shots! Can't wait for this game!

I bet the new move that they're talking about is the bounce attack.

<Edit> Forgot the obligatory "I hate being pigeonholed into using homing attack." If that's really going to be the case. Not that it will be game breaking for me; just a small gripe.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Light