Sonic 4 interview in latest Nintendo Power

[Frozen Nitrogen]

You realise of course, that people who are challenging your posts aren't exactly "apologists". I wonder if you even realise how bat-shit insane you look when you type. I don't even have this much venom for Sonic 06. Why do you have to sound like Iizuka is taking your dog and knifing it? And if your response is "replace 'dog' with 'Sonic' and you'll know why" then I think you just need to go outside and drink a beer or something. I mean, it's okay to be disappointed and all, but Jesus.

*Corrects monacle, straightens top-hat, lights new cigar*

"I say, old bean, this stuff is looking decidedly balderdash, what what? New-fangled homing attacks? In TWO dimensions? Well I never. Frightfully useful in 3D, I do say, but seems it might detract somewhat from the skillful hopping and bopping and such which made the games so whimsically droll back in the day.

This Iizuka fellow (a Jap, say? Marvellous little people, marvellous! Their Nikkei's doing delightful this fiscal quarter too, wouldn't you agree? Where was I...) is being a bit of a blighter switching out those zonal curiosities with enemy chains. Why, back in '91 we didn't have all these new-fangled 3D-imported "innovations", and we loved it more than we loved a cold glass of scotch on a hot afternoon in British Sandopolis. Ha ha! Yes, those were the days, what what? Did I ever tell you about the time I lost eight men to the dreaded ten-minute-monster while hunting for a route past Bouncing Barrel Pass in Carnival Night? ...Yes? Repeatedly, you say? Well, that just goes to show how much you must have enjoyed the tale! It all started one lovely evening in Marble Garden..."

Better?

Edited March 8, 2010 by Frozen Nitrogen

[Flyboy Fox]

I'm just gonna sit under a rock until it's okay to like Homing Attack again ;_;

I think the reason I like it is because I actually suck at it XD Therefore, when I actually succeed at it and reach an area that I couldn't have got to otherwise (or an alt route), then I feel immensely satisfied and proud.

But I can also be happy just going the 'natural' route, so help me.

I dunno. I don't NEED Homing Attack, but it's not gonna kill the game for me as long as it's not painfully abused. To me, it has the fun of disappearing platforms that you have to exercise precision and speed on to utilise, and it's fun to master, if not strictly necessary.

But damn, I'm too hyped about Knuckles and Tails maybe being in the next chapter to really care anyway 8D

[speedfreak]

I'm indifferent to this whole situation. If Sonic 4 turns out to be good I'll be happy. If it turns out bad, oh well. I'll admit that it is fun seeing people flip out about every little thing though.

Also it was only said Knuckles and Tails would be part of the cast of episode 2, not that they would be playable. It's likely they will but not yet a guarantee.

[Flyboy Fox]

I'd love for them to be playable, but I'll be happy so long as they appear.

I'm expecting playable, as I'm not expecting huge long cut-scenes in a classic-themed game... and they've already both been introduced. So, I can't really see what they would do if they're NOT playable. But guess we'll see.

[Doctor MK]

Also it was only said Knuckles and Tails would be part of the cast of episode 2, not that they would be playable. It's likely they will but not yet a guarantee.

I'm hoping they'll be playable, it seems a waste to just have them as supporting cast. Plus, it gives a good reason they weren't in the Project Needlemouse character countdown thingy a while ago - they're not playable in Episode 1, but will be in future episodes.

I imagine the story across the game will be something along the lines of:

Episode 1 - Sonic relaxing on his own, Eggman shows up, Sonic gives chase and discovers his new plans

Episode 2 - Sonic calls upon his friends to help him take down Eggman's new schemes, only the super power of teamwork can save the day!

And assuming there's an Episode 3 or beyond, that'll just be the continuing struggle against Eggman with any necessary twists and turns along the way.

I'm aware I've probably just stated the obvious, but it makes a change from ranting about homing attacks at least

[Diogenes]

"Let's see, we could put a cool, themed gimmick or speed-based ramp to get Sonic up and over this pit... ah hell, just slap 3 badniks a spring there and let's go for lunch."

Oh god S3&K has springs I've never played it but they must have ruined everything by replacing every object in the levels with springs because that's the only thing that they could possibly do, right?!

You sound like a lunatic.

[Dreadknux]

Better?

Hey man, all I'm saying is chill out. If you want to respond to that with an immature meme of some kind, then I guess we can't really have a conversation at all, can we?

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Oh god S3&K has springs I've never played it but they must have ruined everything by replacing every object in the levels with springs because that's the only thing that they could possibly do, right?!

You sound like a lunatic.

"Ah, but springs aren't supposed to be trying to kill you, now, are they old boy? I say, much as those "robots" were dastardly blighters back in '94, at least one knew what one was getting into when you squared up to duel pistols at dawn. With an enemy, one knows where one stands. With a neutral? Good lord, who knows what they're thinking. Just floating there all platform-like and whatnot. Bally-ho!

Balderdash and piffle about the "never playing", though, old bean. If pre-emptive discourse isn't your cup of tea and biscuits, well then, one is not required to cross wits on the topic before release. But I find the speculation quite copacetic, what what."

Hey man, all I'm saying is chill out. If you want to respond to that with an immature meme of some kind, then I guess we can't really have a conversation at all, can we?

"Not at all, my good man! Obfuscating one's actual thoughts on a topic behind a watered-down veneer of pretencious civility is truly a splendid idea! A rollocking lark!"

Edited March 8, 2010 by Frozen Nitrogen

[Swiss]

SO....anyone got any idea as to when the earliest point we could be seeing some scans is?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Designing the bosses around their contrived counters to the Homing Attack is not, methinks, going to give you the cool Robotnik-bopping gameplay of Ye Olden Timez.

And what exactly is the difference when most of those same bosses could be beaten by bopping on them in one spot? It would be no different than if you were using the fire shield and attacking them, because it was basically the precursor to the homing attack before it actually began homing in on the enemy.

[Blue Blood]

Also it was only said Knuckles and Tails would be part of the cast of episode 2, not that they would be playable. It's likely they will but not yet a guarantee.

Not even that- only that we'd be pleased.

[Swiss]

I don't think Knuckles will be introduced until (if there is one) Episode 3. Still, as much as I've never really been a Tails fan, I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

[Tyranno]

The homing attack making it hard or impossible to backtrack?

I remember lots of those in older games.

especially in Sonic and Knuckles.

[Diogenes]

"Ah, but springs aren't supposed to be trying to kill you, now, are they old boy?

That's an entirely separate argument. Do you have a response on that point, or are you just trying to change the subject?

I say, much as those "robots" were dastardly blighters back in '94, at least one knew what one was getting into when you squared up to duel pistols at dawn. With an enemy, one knows where one stands. With a neutral? Good lord, who knows what they're thinking. Just floating there all platform-like and whatnot. Bally-ho!

Koopa Paratroopas aren't some abomination against enemyhood, I don't see why a similar mechanic would be an abomination in Sonic games. It's not as if it'd be the first time a 'bot had some useful feature; one of the game gear games had 'bots with springs on their backs, and I think one in Chaotix was pretty much just a platform.

Balderdash and piffle about the "never playing", though, old bean. If pre-emptive discourse isn't your cup of tea and biscuits, well then, one is not required to cross wits on the topic before release. But I find the speculation quite copacetic, what what."

But this speculation should be tempered with common sense. Assuming homing attack chains would be the end of all other level design elements is as ridiculous as assuming springs would ruin S3&K (or any other game).

[Tornado]

I don't see how something can be based off of another when it is essentially the exact source material with alternate level design.

Because it wasn't the exact source material with alternate level design.

And I don't see how it isn't trying to be like the classics when it's made from a classic game.

Because it plays nothing like them.

Also, Sonic Megamix ( the version I played was 3.0 for the record ), may not have had the intent of being like the classics, but the bosses were copy pasted from Sonic 1. Homing attack was not effective in any way.

I'm unsure about 3.0 having not played it in forever, but the final version of Megamix offers a classic mode, where the game is literally the Sonic 1 with the Megamix abilities:

"I misjudged my jump in the first boss and I am about to be hit by the ball. Homing attack out of the way!"

Or

"I'm about to be crushed by the cylinders in Final Zone. Homing attack out of the way!"

Or

"I'm gonna fall in the bottomless pit after hitting Robotnik in Spring Yard. Homing attack onto the platform!"

[Detective Shadzter]

First we make CVG and ONM, now we've made Destructoid

http://www.destructoid.com/loads-of-sonic-4-episode-1-details-hit-166131.phtml

I'm surprised no-one has scanned the Nintendo Power article yet, ONM's new issue is out this Friday which will have a preview of the game too. GamesMaster, OXM and OPM should be out soon too so I wonder if they will have any Sonic 4 coverage too.

[Eternlo]

This is sad, very sad. People complaining about things you COULD do with the homing attack, and not realizing they dont HAVE to.

Sure we dont know how its going to work fully, but from what i gatherd is that it wont be part of the main path.

Izuka did say FIND the fun routs in the air, and if im thinking right FIND usually means you have to look for it off the normal path.

And on the matter of Shadow (the character) and Sonic 06 (which i hate ALOT, but thank god it isnt actualy cannon) i have this to say, At least shadows story in 06 was cool and he wasnt emo like in Shadow (the game).

Speaking of Shadow (the game) how can it be considered fully cannon when we dont know which path is the true story, unless i missed something and sega told us which one it was.

That is all.

[Doctor MK]

ONM's new issue is out this Friday which will have a preview of the game too.

I've got the new ONM issue, there's no preview as such (though the game does get a mention).

They do say there'll be screens and impressions in their next issue, I made a topic about it here in the Sonic 4 forum if you want more details

[Aquaslash]

If you knew what you were doing with homing attack, you could DOMINATE several bosses in the 3D games. Egg Hornet, both Shadow battles, and some of the GUN fights spring to mind.

On the same token, if you knew what you were doing with Spin Attack, you could dominate just about every boss you came across.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Aquaslash

[Detective Shadzter]

I've got the new ONM issue, there's no preview as such (though the game does get a mention).

They do say there'll be screens and impressions in their next issue, I made a topic about it here in the Sonic 4 forum if you want more details

Oh cool thanks, thought I saw it mentioned by one the staff on their site today but he must have meant their next issue after this one.(EDIT: I was getting mixed up with the voting thing they say is in Fridays issue -

http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=15737 )

With this cleared up we can now have a laugh at Tristans new article about ONM having a preview in Fridays issue, the April issue when its going to be in the May issue

http://www.tssznews.com/2010/03/08/sonic-4-preview-coming-in-april-onm/

[Paul Str337]

Cheers MK Skillz Check the front page.

[Doctor MK]

Cheers MK Skillz Check the front page.

Glad to be of help

It feels good to be the ONM Ambassador, of sorts

[Eternlo]

Im gonna have to find someware neer me that would have ONM, curses i hate my town.

[Phos]

EDIT: In b4 apologist "Splash Hill's got the LBZ pulley." Firstly, it's not original. Secondly, one rehashed mechanism does not cancel out Iizuka's apparent implication of massed Homing Attack Bonanza.

I'll never understand where anyone got the idea that that pulley operates like the one from Launch Base Zone. Looks to me more like the one from Sonic Unleashed, and here it appears to basically be serving as a stand in for grinding.

[Thirsty Pocket]

Some one also suggested that when the pulley stops, it spins, like those things in Mushroom hill. I can see it.