MINECART RETURNS! (Japanese Site Update)

[Nepenthe]

Wow. Just wow. I had no idea that I'd be waking up today to be reinvigorated by Sonic 4 of all games. Under the spotlight of high-quality media, Lost Labyrinth is absolutely beautiful. Even as yellow as it is, the foreground temple's hardly an eyesore. The background helps that out and looks less like an obvious patchwork and more like a painting. And then the torch gimmick; It's simple and elegant. I'm genuinely excited to see more of this game now.

And I'm hoping Sonic's spine being on fire is the intentional start of a unique idle animation. A little bit of a clumsy moment won't hurt.

[speedfreak]

By the way-

I just had a thought, how is Sonic going to spindash while holding that torch? Maybe he'll have a flaming spindash!

[Indigo Rush]

Maybe he'll have to relight the torch? Rolling on the ground puts out fires, ya know.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Obligaory.

[Blue Blood]

Yeah. Will he be holding a lit torch constantly, a stick that he was to relight or does he need to put up new ones? Probably the first, however ever odd jumping and spinning may be.

EDIT: Oh Nitro, that's such bad taste. +1 rep for the extreme funnies

Edited August 18, 2010 by Blue Blood

[Gatestormer]

What is this shit? This isn't a videogame.

This is fucking ART.

Look at those backdrops, those aren't sprites, that's all artwork. This has to be one of best looking Sonic games ever, I mean seriously, the lighting here from the torch and everything rivals Unleashed and I'd argue is better than. I didn't really think much of Lost Labyrinth when the leaks came around but now, I'm astounded. Absolutely can't wait, even just to see it all in motion on my TV.

Edited August 18, 2010 by ENVY16

[Marcello]

Oh, hey:

Impelenting old unused ideas? Cool

[Barry the Nomad]

Playing Eagle Eyes again (I miss the SASASR days...), did anybody spot the supposed Eggman Empire symbol on the TNT?

Edited August 18, 2010 by Doctor Eggman

[Blue Blood]

@ Marcello: Haha, hadn't noticed that before, even months ago when we had the leaks. These new ones take place on rails and move automatically (you just have to not fall off). I hope they got rid of the cheap one though. It was longer than all the ones before and suspended over... you guessed it! A bottomless pit. Bleck.

@ Doc: I don't see the logo. The yellow mark is an explosion and and the red bit in the middle I think is part of the same. EDIT: Yup, you're just seeing things. It ain't the EE logo.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Blue Blood

[Rusty Spy]

The basic shape of the red bit doesn't match the shape of Eggman's logo. Unless it's a picture of Eggman's logo exploding.

Also:

OBLIGATORY

Impelenting old unused ideas? Cool

Perhaps in the next episode Sonic gets abducted by aliens and Shoryukens a palm tree.....

A man can dream. =(

Edited August 18, 2010 by Black Spy

[Barry the Nomad]

@ Doc: I don't see the logo. The yellow mark is an explosion and and the red bit in the middle I think is part of the same.

I dunno, i see a small bit of white/yellow at the top bit of the inner red portion which could be Eggie's spectacles. Also, it would make sense for the TNT to be Eggman brand, as he probably planted it along with the badniks.

[Xieldos]

I have to say I think it looks beautiful, can't wait

[Blue Blood]

I dunno, i see a small bit of white/yellow at the top bit of the inner red portion which could be Eggie's spectacles. Also, it would make sense for the TNT to be Eggman brand, as he probably planted it along with the badniks.

Nope, pretty sure you're mistaken on this'n. The logo just isn't there.

[Barry the Nomad]

Nope, pretty sure you're mistaken on this'n. The logo just isn't there.

I think I need to get you a "Start seeing motorcycles Eggman" bumper sticker.

[Diogenes]

I dunno, i see a small bit of white/yellow at the top bit of the inner red portion which could be Eggie's spectacles.

I'm pretty sure that's just a little highlight; it lines up with the highlight on the rest of the red parts of that stick. Plus if it was meant to be an Eggman logo I'd imagine it'd be easier to see; if you can't clearly make it out from a zoomed image right on your computer screen, you're not going to be able to see it while playing.

[SykoTech]

I didn't look at the leaks, but I do recall a lot of horror stories about the Minecart level, so it's nice that Sega seems to have addressed it. And I approve of the torchlight thing. It should add a unique pace to the level.

Also, has the game always looked this good visually. I remember it being nice when it was first revealed, but not this appealing.

Sonic 4, Sonic Colors, and even Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing early. I can't remember the last time there were a lot of new Sonic titles out and I was actually looking forward to ALL of them.

Oh wait, Sonic Free Riders....nevermind, lol.

[Barry the Nomad]

Yeah, you're probably right. It probably isn't him and is just the same highlight that is on the other sticks.

Sometimes, I just want to see Eggman in everything...

[Marcello]

I think it would've been awesome if it was his logo.

[Detective Shadzter]

From SEGA of America blog -

At long last, the next big update to the Sonic 4 website has arrived!

Today’s new additions offer a brand new Lost Labyrinth zone theme, plus new downloadable music, new screenshots, and a first look at what the final version of the game is shaping up to be!

For many weeks now all of you on the forums and the blogs have been asking us to make good on our promise that we were extending the development of the game to make it even better. Today, those of you with a quick mind will begin to spot the fruits of that labor, which our teams have been hard at work at.

But the good news doesn’t end there. After a poll conducted on the Sonic 4 forums, we have decided to begin releasing additional information about the other changes we’re making to the game directly to everyone in the community, which will be posted exclusively here on the SEGA Blogs and the Sonic Blognik!

To further that excitement: the first blog listing some of these new changes will be arriving tomorrow. We’d like to think that this sound effect just started playing somewhere.

What’s next in the Sonic 4 pipeline? Beyond today’s screenshots and details of more changes, we also plan to show you what Lost Labyrinth looks like in action soon. We hope you guys are pleased with today’s update, and that you’ll join us for the rest of the run towards launch. There’s still much more to come on the Sonic 4 front!

What do you guys think of the update?

http://blogs.sega.com/usa/2010/08/18/sonic-4-website-reveal-explore-the-new-lost-labryinth/#more-5781

[Blue Blood]

Wootage!

Also, jumping with the torch looks deadly. =P

[Diogenes]

So a video of Lost Labyrinth "soon". I think that's going to be what makes or breaks this game, regarding the hardcore community; if they don't see the changes they want, they likely won't happen, and that'll be it for them.

[Detective Shadzter]

Here's that new screenshot in lovely hi-res -

SEGA's Flickr

[Blue Blood]

So a video of Lost Labyrinth "soon". I think that's going to be what makes or breaks this game, regarding the hardcore community; if they don't see the changes they want, they likely won't happen, and that'll be it for them.

Remember that 'video coming soon' icon they had in the SHZ section of the site? Still waiting.

Seriously, I know that that was all messed up by leaks and delays.

[Octarine]

More information tomorrow, too? It's almost scary how quickly this new stuff has taken me from being mildly interested to being edge-of-my-seat excited again. Someone made a Christmas comparison a while back, and that's definitely appropriate; I'm going to have to fight with myself this evening over whether I should stay up to try and catch Santa Claus in the act or be a good little boy and just wait 'til morning. Something tells me that this'll be a mid-afternoon update anyway, though, so I guess it'll be the latter... god help me when I start dancing around at work out of sheer fan joy when the information's posted. I only hope that they've made the right changes. Eep.

[agoodusername]

HOLY SHIT THOSE GRAPHICS LOOK REALLY GOOD! It never seemed to look that good in Splash Hill.

As for this: Torch gimmick: Awesome

Dynamite gimmick: Awesome (BEEEEEAAAAAAN!)

Underwater sections: Awesome

I got the feeling that this or the stage that looks like Metropolis will be my favorite.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Edge