410 replies to this topic

[DiGi Valentine]

I'm still unable to get the feeling of this game. Perhaps when i get the chance to play it i may open up a bit more. I still think putting '4' on there is a very big bet to make. I grew up with the first games on Mega Drive and this feels a little detached from it. But we'll see, i hope to be proven wrong and i end up enjoying it. Lord knows i really want to.

On the other hand, Sonic Colours is utterly epic and totally took me by surprise. If Sonic 4 fails i believe it won't be all doom and gloom this time with Colours being around.

[viperxmns]

Yeah although Iizuka still does things that make me shake my fist at him with Sonic 4, he's lucky he's managed to do something right with Colors (Colors better get high reviews or so help.. everyone). I think if he used the same mentality as Colors for NiGHTS 3, hopefully we'd be in business.

Though from the look of things with Sonic 4, I'm wondering if this time around critics might be more lenient than the fans. For better or worse people who have played the game so far haven't seemed to point out any faults, according to Ruby. Doesn't mean the game doesn't have them, but it seems possible for people to just play it straight and ignore them. We'll see how it goes. Ken Balough is on the Sega forum now, so hopefully he knows to push to get uncurling out of Sonic 4 for further episodes. Though my wish is that then any 'lock on' could let you play ep. 1 without uncurling, or if Sega could release a patch to download to fix it.

[DiGi Valentine]

Well, here's something that you may not have seen coming - Sonic 4 release dates

Yes, that's correct. Sonic 4 will be available within the next two weeks max.

Didn't time just really fly by there? o.o

[Nemoide]

Oh snap! That's soon! Do I even have time to be playing video games?

Also: isn't 1200 points a lot for something which is only 'Episode 1?'
Still, this is the first console-based Sonic game in a LONG while I feel that I must buy. And hopefully the uncurling won't be a real gameplay issue.

[iLLViLLAiN]

The price is kind of off putting but they did say it'd have a good amount of replayability to hold us off until the second episode. Still, I wish it was $10.00.

[Noctourne Wonderland]

That was fast.

I really hope the price goes down with future episodes, even though I can't imagine it will. If there's four episodes, it's already almost $50.

[Nemoide]

Although to be fair, that's how much a classic Sonic game would have cost when it was new.

[viperxmns]

Pretty world map

[iLLViLLAiN]

Pretty world map http://i536.photobuc...stuff/s4map.png

I kinda wish I hadn't seen this since I wanted to wait for the game to come out to see the rest of the game but now that it's there I might as well comment on it. After immediately seeing the picture I thought about Spring Valley. My mind was in the process of going, "Holy sh*t! New NiGHTS!" Then I remembered I was in a Sonic thread.

[Mitsuu]

Why couldn't they release this for PSP as well? Besides the rampant piracy thing of course... T_T

Also, I didn't see anything on the forums about this fan remake so...

http://info.sonicret...Sonic_Fan_Remix

http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded

[viperxmns]

I kinda wish I hadn't seen this since I wanted to wait for the game to come out to see the rest of the game but now that it's there I might as well comment on it. After immediately seeing the picture I thought about Spring Valley. My mind was in the process of going, "Holy sh*t! New NiGHTS!" Then I remembered I was in a Sonic thread.

Ha, you're right.. sorry for the minor spoiler ^ ^'

[Noctourne Wonderland]

Looks like Sega's put a great deal of effort into making this look good. I know I can't wait!

[viperxmns]

Seems there may be a way to override uncurling- http://forums.sega.c...ad.php?t=347402

Also, Gamesradar has given the game a 9 out of 10

IGN- 8


random- haven't seen this fangame before- http://gamevideos.1u.../video/id/31746

[DiGi Valentine]

Reading the IGN review fills me with one piece of dread - the back to back boss battle for the last level. I really don't like that.

One of the reasons i gave up trying to complete Unleashed was because it was just one boss after another and it dragged and drained me. Sonic Advance 2 was the same, boss after boss for no reason other than to provide an annoyance (though some others would call it a challenge, i suppose).

All in all, the favourable reviews for 4 have perked my interests again so i'm 'feeling' the game once more. That last boss battle is what i'm dreading now.

[Nemoide]

The only part of this game that looks annoying are the special stages - the Sonic 1 style special stage was my least favorite. And it's strange to me that a game with only four levels would have seven emeralds/Super Sonic. But whatevs!
I'm still definitely going to be getting this.

[viperxmns]

There's a demo, which I wasn't expecting. I'mma jump on that.

1Up grade: B http://www.1up.com/d...age?cId=3181842

Eurogamer gave it a 9 http://www.eurogamer...i-review?page=1

[DiGi Valentine]

I managed to grab the demo on Xbox this morning (i currently can't afford to buy the full game).

You know how i was saying i was looking forward to Sonic Colours more than this, because i felt Sonic 4 wouldn't be that good and that it looked like it handled like sh!t? .....yeah, f*** that.

This game is wonderful. It truly is, and i'm surprised i'm even saying this. Sonic 4 is GOOD, people. If you didn't take in to the hype around the game because you thought it wouldn't live up to it (like me) then honestly i can sit here and say i'm eating my words. Sonic 4 is really really wonderful.

I can't believe it. Sonic 4 and Sonic Colours are honestly breaking the Sonic Cycle, piece by piece. And it feels so weird to hear and SEE how good these games are turning out.

Don't think about it, just go and get it. If you ain't got the money then grab the demo like i did. It will win you over, you'll want to play more.

It's a really good time to be a SEGA fan. Hell, it's a really good time to be a Sonic fan.

Also, Sonic's looking-upwards animation in this game is cute. It's really stuck with me and i don't know why, lol.

[iLLViLLAiN]

The demo felt so weird at first. The new physics literally left me dumbfounded and I was about to write off the game but I've played SHZ Act 1 so many times because this sh!t is really addictive. I really wish I could buy the full game right now but this demo is something I can't stop going back to. I found myself quitting out of some of my blu-ray games just to play the demo when it crossed my mind.

[Nemoide]

I wish I had more time for video games, so I could play this. @_@

[viperxmns]

I agree, the new physics do feel odd; the game doesn't have to be that way, it should be better than it is. But I'm still itching to play the rest. I only wonder if any sales are likely to show up during the holiday season.

I also find Sonic's new 'look up' animation quite charming.

[Noctourne Wonderland]

I haven't played the game yet, but I'm amazed by the reaction! It's almost eerie without the Sonic Cycle.

[viperxmns]

Joystiq's biting review http://www.joystiq.c...isode-1-review/

Sonic 4 is certainly polarizing, that much is obvious.

Gamespot review- http://www.gamespot....topslot;thumb;3

[DiGi Valentine]

Yeah, after playing it properly last night i'm beginning to feel Sonic is a bit 'grounded' and the momentum isn't there enough. Especially in later levels where you really need him to jump and make it over a bottomless pit and half the time it feels like he's being weighed down by cement shoes.

Playing the demo gives off a really good vibe, it seems like it's great. But playing the game fully and later levels really does require you to get to grips with Sonic's new feel. I'm still playing through it but it's another case of stocking up on tons of lives on the first stage just so i can make it through the later ones.

I still love it though, i'm going to give this more chances than i did Sonic Unleashed anyway ....unless that last boss really is a wanker.

[Zero-Shift]

I haven't beaten this game yet, but I am enjoying it. Initially I was ecstatic because it really plays pretty well. Honestly though, I think there are two big problems with the game.

1. Deja vu: Sonic 4 borrows from past games. In fact it borrows so liberally I think a Sonic fan would be hard pressed to not find some major similarities with past experiences. There is very little truly original design here and while it's still fun, it's lacking ambition and doesn't excite like a new installment should. The familiarity somewhat dulls the experience because it's all been done before, we've played it all before and we've played better. I have yet to play a level of the same caliber as anything in Sonic 3 or S&K.

2. The Price: I'm sorry, but 15 dollars is too steep. I was willing to swallow this pill for more ambitious stuff like LIMBO, but when you can purchase 360 games on demand for 20 dollars, I don't think digital marketplace games have much reason to be over 10 dollars. The alleged replayability isn't all that high really. Beyond getting all the chaos emeralds there is score attack and time attack with leaderboards but that's it. And for how much of this game is taken from past installments I don't feel I've entirely gotten my money's worth.

I'd give it about a 7/10 for now. Might change after I beat it. Good, but not great. While my opinion isn't as harsh, the Joystiq review does bring up a lot of valid complaints. Nobody is going to say this is a terrible game because we've had far to many Sonic titles as of late that fall into that category and this is far better than those. The thing is the game plays it very safe and people will either praise or criticize it for exactly that reason.

[APSJ]

Sonic 4 is a good game, but I have a big problem with it: it's called Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It's not worthy of that name.

A staple of the Mega Drive games was the physics. The momentum and inertia in those games really helped give the games their sense of speed and made the controls for platforming feel natural. I beat Sonic 4, then beat it again with all seven emeralds, and I STILL can't get over the bizarre physics. Sonic drops straight down from a jump, no matter how fast you're going, as soon as you let go of the d-pad/joy stick. He quickly loses speed when he rolls in a ball uphill (it goes against the habit of holding down to traverse long distances from the old games). He doesn't pick up speed when he runs downhill... I had a lot of trouble clearing jumps my first time through the game because the physics go completely against what I've gotten used to from playing platformers (especially Sonic) growing up.

I also don't like that the game has no new ideas. Sonic 2 added co-op, Super Sonic, 3D special stages. Sonic 3 added different shield types, flight for Tails, and the split-second shield thing for Sonic. Sonic & Knuckles added, of course, Knuckles, the dual scenario level design, and lock-on. Sonic CD had time travel. What does Sonic 4 add? The homing attack is not a new concept.

But it's still a good game. It could have been a great game if they got the physics right and had new ideas (and an awesome one if they ironed out the other minor problems in the game). And you might be all like, "Well they designed the levels for the new physics." No, not really. There's no reason at all for Sonic to control the way he does. But I'll stop griping. The one thing Sonic 4 gets right about the old games is the type of level design that drives you to constantly move forward; for me that's one of the most defining elements from the classic Sonics. I honestly had fun pretty much the entire time I played the game, and that's a fact that I can't go back and change no matter how much I analyze the game; It would be like laughing at a joke, then going back and trying to convince yourself it wasn't funny. The most important thing about Sonic 4 is that, even though it doesn't show any real progress over its Genesis predecessors, it's a good, thoroughly enjoyable Sonic game. Discounting the handheld Sonic games, I haven't been able to say that with confidence for sixteen years.

[Nemoide]

Allow me to complain a little:

My biggest problem so far: the Casino level reminds me a lot like the Carnival level in Sonic Rush. In the sense that if you aren't going on a super-specific path, you fall into a gigantic bottomless pit and die. I don't remember this being nearly so big an issue in the 16-bit games, which had their fair share of bottomless pits, but always felt fair enough to provide alternate paths (or at least a chance to go back and try again without losing a life) for people who miss one jump in a sequence of timed ones.
But then, I have so many lives, it's not really an issue.

Uncurling isn't as big an issue as it could have been, but I don't like it. If Sonic is in the air, he should be spinning IMO. I do like the homing attack/burst of speed mechanic though.
The physics aren't great, but the game really seems to be primarily taking off of Sonic 1, which was easily the worst of the 16-bit games. And if most of the game is recycled, why even call it Sonic 4?

I don't think it's a *bad* game, though. It's certainly a welcome addition to the Sonic canon. But it feels more like a side-story game more than anything else. And yet, it seems to be the best Sonic game on a console since the Dreamcast era?

[Innotech]

Ive enjoyed it so far. Yeah theres a few instances of maddening physics, but its not bad. In fact, its better than that. This game is good and a lot of fun.

[7Force]

everyone is going on about the physics and how bad they are but i dont think they are game breaking and payed no notice to them. The game itself is very good fun and i had a great time with it. While it will never reach the godly heights of the 16bit game its still a good game in its own right and i think SEGA have done a good job with it.

[viperxmns]

http://www.gonintend...y.php?id=143608

Heated debate over at the Sega forum, there is.

[ShadiWulf]

http://www.gonintend...y.php?id=143608

Heated debate over at the Sega forum, there is.

lol
fun times.

Did anyone watch destructoid live stream lastnight? it was great

SEGA Community manager Fabian was there with some destructoid dude just randomly talking about random stuff while the destructoid dude was torturing himself trying to beat EGG Station Zone.

[iLLViLLAiN]

Every time I read "ceiling running" I start to chuckle. I think the first time I saw it I burst out laughing. It's one of the lamest excuses I've ever heard.

[viperxmns]

EU sale http://forums.sega.c...ec-22nd-Jan-5th

Hope a US sale comes along..

[iLLViLLAiN]

There seems to be a sale on the iPod version in the U.S. It's only $2.99 today so I definitely took advantage and bought it. I surely wasn't going to pay $9.99 for that version. I think there'll be a sale on XBLA and PSN as well so I may be buying it on the PS3 as well since my thumbs get really stiff after playing the iPod version for more than five minutes.

[viperxmns]

USA SALE http://www.segabits.com/?p=6423

Ep 1 is ten bucks. Hmmmm..

[viperxmns]

http://www.destructo...gs-195253.phtml

Question is, will they actually fix what needs to be fixed, for real.

[iLLViLLAiN]

http://www.destructo...gs-195253.phtml

Question is, will they actually fix what needs to be fixed, for real.

For real, for real. After the massive wave, no, tsunami sized wave of negativity for the first episode it'd be suicide to not listen to our cries.

[viperxmns]

Episode 2 announcement coming on the 29th http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?390792-The-HINT!&p=7006688&viewfull=1#post7006688

[iLLViLLAiN]

BOOYAKUSHA!! New interview and teaser... http://www.gamespot....est;all;title;1

[viperxmns]

New graphics/physics engine has me really excited right now

[iLLViLLAiN]

Yeah, me too! I was really hoping we'd get an actual trailer but the physics and graphics news makes up for that.