Can Sonic Be Saved?

[Conn]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]I was thinking about how Sonic could revive his floundering career in the next generation of consoles.  I thinking Sega should drop the 3D gameplay, and go back to the classic style, only with cutting edge, layered polygon graphics.  Can you imagine a game like the original Sonic with mind-blowing graphics?  It could work. Other ideas? [/QUOTE]

If that was to happen, I expect a game like Kirby 64.

[Atarifever1]

Have they done anything based on Sonic X yet?  What a weird cocept that show has.  It's Sonic, Star Trek style.  Knuckles is both Scotty and Warf, Tails is Captain, let's say, Picard.  And Sonic is basically the ship.  Well, he's all the magical stuff the ship could do to solve the problems one week that were never again mentioned after the crew got out of whatever scrape they needed that magical thing for.  Yep, weird show.  And yes, I watch it.  And yes, Saturday morning over cereal.  Your mother.

[Anayo1]

Is there hope for sonic? Doubtful. There could be some visionary, uprising savior who comes along and turns Sonic back into the awesomeness that it used to be, but if I wanted to wish that big, I might as well wish for Sega to revive all their other great franchises (Vectorman, Streets of Rage, Panzer Dragoon, etc.)

I could elaborate a good deal more than this, but to put it short, I think all anyone ever needs to experience the "real" sonic is that "Mega Collection" disc they made for Gamecube and Playstation 2. You know, the one with all the Genesis games on it. Anything much further than that, as I've found, is just a "cash-in" title that Sega made hoping to make a buck off of their most popular mascot's enduring glory.

For example, "OMG. Look at this. This is a SONIC game! I used to play SONIC on my SEGA when I was younger! This must be GOOD."

Etcetera.

*lets out a big sigh*

-.-

[JustLikeHeaven1]

I am actually a little shocked at how little people care about this franchise anymore.  When the critic posted this thread I thought several people would defend the series to no end.  Perhaps Sega really does need to go back to the drawing board to make everyone love the hedgehog again.  I honestly don't know what they should do with the series because of its emphasis on speed.  While it worked great in 2D, it just doesn't mesh with 3D cameras.  Like I said earlier Sega should just focus on some other revival projects and forget about Sonic for awhile.

[bluemonkey1]

Sonic Adventure worked and it was faster than the 2D games.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

[QUOTE=bluemonkey]

Sonic Adventure worked and it was faster than the 2D games.

[/QUOTE]

It might have been passable, but the camera issues were a major complaint by mostly everyone who played the game.  Would you honestly say that the Sonic Adventure games were more successful and better overall than the original 3? 

[bluemonkey1]

At the time of release the camera issues were noted as a minor niggle.  It received typically score of 8.5-9.0/10.  The camera issues only pop up occasionally and once you've played a level once you know which way you are going so the camera only obscures you're view for one or two seconds max.  There had never been a faster, better looking 3D game at the time it was released on a home machine.  No game is perfect and the camera issues were rare and non crippling.

[VideoGameCritic]

[QUOTE=JustLikeHeaven][QUOTE=bluemonkey]

Sonic Adventure worked and it was faster than the 2D games.

[/QUOTE]

It might have been passable, but the camera issues were a major complaint by mostly everyone who played the game.  Would you honestly say that the Sonic Adventure games were more successful and better overall than the original 3? 
[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't say Sonic Adventure was better than the first three, but it was in the same ballpark.  After several attempts to put Sonic in 3D, it was the first really successful effort.  The game is fun and looks great.  Sonic Adventure 2 is even better, since it has more variety and got rid of the tedious "adventure" elements.  Sonic Heroes was good, but whenever a series tries to incorporate the whole "team" element, it means they're running short on ideas.  Shadow and Sonic Riders were pretty bad in terms of playability. 

It's clear to me that Sonic's 3D gameplay has gone as far as it can, and the 2D games all look the same.  However, there's potential in merging the two.  Imagine Sonic's simple yet fun 2D gameplay in a world with mesmerizing graphics and dramatic camera angles.  If you've played Pandemonium (Playstation) you know what I'm talking about.  It would be a huge hit.

Dave

[Alienblue]

I remember buying that great looking but miserable playing skewered-3D sonic chaos HOPING it was going to be like the similiar looking MARIO RPG on SNES. I think if they did that now, on the DS or even GBA it would take the series in a different direction.

Also how about -oh heck I forget the games name now but you know, the 2D character in a 3D enviornment. Sonic one's graphics on genny like the far reaching waterfalls looked almost like 3D, so how about 2D gameplay on top of 3D graphics?

I don't think Sonic is dead just stalled.

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic][QUOTE=JustLikeHeaven

It's clear to me that Sonic's 3D gameplay has gone as far as it can, and the 2D games all look the same.  However, there's potential in merging the two.  Imagine Sonic's simple yet fun 2D gameplay in a world with mesmerizing graphics and dramatic camera angles.  If you've played Pandemonium (Playstation) you know what I'm talking about.  It would be a huge hit.

Dave
[/QUOTE]

I've been saying this since I first played Pandemonium on the N-Gage.  In fact, I think platformers in general should be using 2.5D.