Can Sonic Be Saved?

[m0zart1]

[QUOTE=Atarifever]I think what Sega needs to do is make something for the consoles that looks as good as a cartoon (with big sprites and fluid animation and all that) and just make the best 2D platformer in years, and not be ashamed of the fact that Sonic is best in 2D.  At the very least they need to avoid this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naVshTpD9l0&eurl=
Seriously, watch just two minutes of that, and try not to be very mad at Sega.[/QUOTE]

 

Holy ...!!!

 

That is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!

 

This one part of the game had to be loaded a seemingly infinite number of times, each one from 10 to 15 seconds.  I laughed out loud the first time it took 15 seconds to load a screen that had Aristo telling you "You're correct" for less than a second -- only to pop immediately to another 15 second load time.

 

I like how he points out that this puzzle is the same as the box counting puzzle in Big Brain Academy.  Only, this Sonic variant took about 10 minutes just because of load times.  The same puzzle in Big Brain Academy is done in under a minute.

 

Man... Sonic has always been about speed.  How could Sega not have realized that slowing things down with 30 load times of 15 seconds each robs Sonic players of the momentum?

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=m0zart]

 

Man... Sonic has always been about speed.  How could Sega not have realized that slowing things down with 30 load times of 15 seconds each robs Sonic players of the momentum?

[/QUOTE]
The simple truth: they knew, and didn't care.

[Conn]

[QUOTE=RememberShaqFu?]Personally, I think that Sega should put some of their franchises into the oven for just awhile. With the exception of the Virtual Fighter series(which Sega still does right, in the eyes of many), Sega's franchises have grown extremely stale. Think about it, Sonic hasn't had a great game in so many years, Phantasy Star has grown tiresome, the Vectorman project looked poor and was eventually cancelled, Shinobi sucked, as did Nightshade, etc...oh, and the last Outrun sucked as well! Sega can't even do new franchises well, either....Billy Hatcher was horrible, Amazing Island was a pile, the F-Zero made for GC was alright but FAARRRRR from the best one. It sucks having such fond memories of the Sega from just twelve years ago and watching them fumble. I was relieved, in a way, when they took the software route because it ensured their survival. I'm not so relieved now, I simply just don't care anymore.
[/QUOTE]
Overexagerate much? I agree that Sega is a horrible developer, but to say they've put out nothing good since the Dreamcast days is false.

[Leo Ames]

Did you actually play Outrun 2 or Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast? They were far from sucking, they were some of the best arcade racers available for the PS2/Xbox/GC generation and are examples of how to properly update a classic arcade title.

[feilong801]

Well, the short answer: Yeah, it can happen. Tomb Raider proved that.

 

Sega really should invest some serious R and D money on Sonic from here on out, and get it right. Sonic is one of the best "mascot" characters of all time. Cute, yet somehow sinister in a way that appeals to somewhat older gamers, it was the perfect antidote to Mario and a huge part of that classic gaming rivalry.

 

The fact that the games still sell OK is reall more proof that it is a great intellectual property for them. But they CAN and ARE ruining it by poor games... that'll catch up with them eventually. However, hope is never lost, as PAC-MAN is still widely recognized, and if Namco ever found some way to make a game that would do him justice, PAC-MAN could vault back into number one as well (it can happen, despite many failed attempts).

 

Hate to say it, because some here will groan, but does any gaming company nurture and keep their mascots going as skillfully as Nintendo does? Most companies are lucky to get just one such character, but not only does Nintendo have many great characters, but RARELY do the games that feature them ever drop below B- level.

 

I think that's partly because they aren't afraid to hold some out for awhile until the right game can be found. Samus took quite a long break before re-emerging. There have been big gaps in Zelda games. New Super Mario Bros. was the first true Mario 2D platformer since the SNES days.

 

-Rob

www.therobzone.com

 

[RememberShaqFu?]

Conn, Sega has done some decent handheld games over the past several years but, aside from Virtual Fighter 4/Evolution, what have they done of any substantial value? If Sega was doing their job, this wouldn't be such a frequent topic on this forum. Conn, I used to love Sega and would love to see them properly update their old franchises but they really need to take a break before crapping out their next Sonic, or revising the extremely boring Phantasy Star Online formula YET AGAIN! I don't think I'm exxagerating by saying that Sega misses far more than they hit! They aren't the only ones, either.

 

Square Enix: Final Fantasy CC? Unlimited Saga? Dragengard(or however that was spelled)? There used to be a time that company hit far more than they miss but lately....oh, and that Dirge of Cerebrus? Hmmmm.

 

Namco, Konami, Nintendo, Capcom, etc., while all still make their fair share of great games, are hardly the companies they used to be. Each company has had their fair share of garbage....trust me, Conn, Sega is not alone in this but they could actually take some time and try to make one of their games great, for a change. I forgot one, Crazy Taxi 3, while hardly anything amazing, was really fun.

[Conn]

[QUOTE=RememberShaqFu?]Conn, Sega has done some decent handheld games over the past several years but, aside from Virtual Fighter 4/Evolution, what have they done of any substantial value?[/QUOTE]

- Jet Set Radio Future
- Super Monkey Ball series
- OutRun 2 and OutRun 2 SP (Coast 2 Coast)
- F-Zero GX, AX
- House of the Dead 3 (pales in comparison to House of the Dead 2, but still good)
- Yakuza
- Sonic Battle
- Panzer Dragoon Orta
- Gunvalkyrie

Overall, Sega is still a terrible developer, easily beat by other companies like Konami, Namco, SquareEnix or Nintendo.. but to say they haven't put out ANY good games since the Dreamcast is absurd.

[RememberShaqFu?]

For the first time ever, Conn, I am going to admit defeat in this argument:-). I completely forgot about Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, HoD3, etc. However, I still COMPLETELY disagree on the shallow, crappy Outrun 2006! Say what you will, but I had more fun playing Enduro for the old Atari! Lol!

[Bartman]

I think Sonic should be gone for at least a couple years. Sega needs to seriously not keep reviving him. That Xbox 360 game reviews had barely 40%. I mean, I have all the 16-bit titles of Sonic (except Sonic and Knuckles although I have a PC version of it) and they are good. Sonic 2 is definately the best one and so is Sonic 3. I played other Sega games that company made including Ristar, Comix Zone, Vectorman one and two, Streets of Rage series, Super Hang-on, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Shining Force and Columns. Those are really good games. All that Sega mainly makes is Sonic and Virtua Fighter.