CVG has published a new interview with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka today. In the interview we find out Iizuka’s thoughts on how Sonic Colours compares to past 3D titles and why this latest entry isn’t being released on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Iizuka explains that the comparison between past 3D Sonic games and Sonic Colours is the cast of characters. The older titles had a large playable cast, while Colours has Sonic alone, which he says is what the fans want.
If you look at previous 3D Sonic games, it began with Sonic Adventure and moved on to others. Those titles always had Sonic as the main characters but also had different rival characters. Those characters were like different action characters – Sonic was the speed character. This time around in Sonic Colours the team really wanted to focus on high-speed Sonic, which is what made the Sonic games special to begin with. The focus was always on the Sonic character itself, they wanted to make Sonic as the only playable character because fans only want to play as Sonic.
Instead of having other characters with different gameplay twists, Iizuka says this time they decided to implement the Wisp power-ups, so they could keep Sonic’s fast-paced gameplay and not break the tempo.
At the same time they also want a different twist to the gameplay and that is why we introduced the Colour powers. The focus is on high-speed Sonic and those colour powers are in more of a complimentary role. We wanted high-speed to be the main focus and didn’t really want to break up the tempo. It’s more like we tried to blend in those actions in a more efficient way, not really distracting the player from the core gameplay.
When asked if Sonic fits with the Xbox 360 and PS3 audiences, Iizuka details why they went with the Nintendo platforms for Sonic Colours and that Sonic still has an audience on the HD platforms.
It’s not that Sonic is for the Nintendo platform, it’s more like when we looked at the target audience for this particular title we wanted to expand the franchise more to newcomers. That is why we chose the Nintendo platforms.
This doesn’t mean that the PS3 and 360 don’t have an audience for Sonic any more, it’s just this title in particular is more tailor made for the Nintendo platform fans – more like fun, enjoyable and vibrant, which Nintendo platforms excel at. It’s more that this type of game is more tailored to those platforms.
Finally, Iizuka tells CVG how Sonic Team recognise there are different needs in the Sonic fanbase, how some want speed, others want platforming and the rest want something new. He says they are looking forward to developing more titles in the future that cater to these different groups of fans.
This year the reason the team is releasing Sonic 4 and Sonic Colours in the same release window is because we recognise there are different needs in terms of Sonic games and characters. There is the platforming, the high-speed and people looking for something new. This is the style that the team thinks works best, looking at the classic fans in one way and the new one in another.
It’s pretty hard for the team to satisfy those two very different fans with just one title. We probably look forward to developing titles which are made more towards the core and casual Sonic fans, that’s probably one of the ways the team thinks it can keep Sonic popular and expand fans for the future.
For the full interview, head over to CVG.
I figured as much. I would say this is probably one of the few things I’ve seen Iizuka say that I’ve completely agreed with, as a lot of what he says can quite easily be misinterpreted. I can certainly see where he’s coming from in regards to multiple characters. There were certain portions of past games that made the experience jarring (SA2: Eggman/Tails levels, SA1: BIG THE CAT OH MY GOD.) and keeping it Sonic is probably a good thing, I also feel it’s given them time to explore the concept a little more in-depth, without having to worry about tailoring an engine to more than one gameplay style. Reading this, a lot of what he’s said in the past makes sense now. (Barring the whole 2D-3D camp thing. That was too black and white. Though this seems to be a clarification on that past matter) so… Yeah. Rock on Iizuka. People kinda forget he directed one of the fandoms most revered Sonic titles, I’m sure he’s at least half aware of what he’s doing by now.
I like the first quote. “THE 3D SONIC GAMES SUCKED BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS ARE DIFFERENT” and “SONIC IS SPECIAL BECAUSE HE RUNS FAST”
It’s like something from the fake twitter account.
I don’t feel the series needs to focus on just Sonic, but rather have a similar gameplay feel for all characters. Looking at sonic 3, Tails and Knuckles still generally played like Sonic, though had one unique ability to each of them to make using them feel slightly different. I wouldn’t mind if 3d Sonic did something similar, just so that when I go back to replay levels I can make the whole experience feel mildly different but that’s just my opinion. I’d love to see Knuckles play like a normal “speed type” character again.
Mmfff.. no… I disagree with a lot of this. I believe there is a way to satisfy many different types of Sonic fans in one game. I’ve explained my vision for that many times so I won’t go on like a broken record. I also disagree that speed is purely what made the first Sonic games special, and that fans only really want to play as Sonic. I’m not forcing my opinion down on anyone here, but I’d like to see a show of people who think back and believe they fell in love with Sonic because he was fast. I didn’t.
Sonic 1 was THE first game I ever played and I think what I loved most about it (and the sequels) was the massive simplicity and ease of use, the colourful worlds and characters, and Sonic’s look and personality. The speed was the icing on the cake, but for me Sonic is about all that he is and the world he speeds through.
On a bigger note, I want to play as Tails, Knuckles and Amy, Iizuka-san!! Tails and Amy have not been fully and properly (Tails’ mech) playable in a 3D title since Sonic Adventure 1 and Knuckles since SA2. Sonic Heroes is debatable considering you played as 3 characters at once. There is a happy medium between Sonic and a bunch of newer characters and just Sonic. I’ve grown up with Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Dr. Eggman almost as much as I have Sonic himself. They are very, very important to me as a Sonic fan. I also believe that including these three characters would allow for different kinds of gameplay while retaining the basics in one game, thereby appealing to more kinds of fans.
I don’t really get what Iizuka-san is driving at here. He keeps reassuring us that he acknowledges all these different fans and what they want and need from the series, then he goes on to say that Sonic Colours is really for all the fans and that he’s happy it’s getting a positive response from us older lot, (well, who wouldn’t be?) But then he maintains this vision of different kinds of Sonic games for different fans. So which is it, Papa Iizuka?
There are no games for those of us who actually LIKE being able to play as the extended cast…
@Ben *raises hand* Me. Sorry. As much as I am willing to sit here and admit that I was subject to Sonic before I was to Mario, given the choice, I picked Sonic every time. Equally colourful and whimsical in terms of worlds and both simple in terms of gameplay. But Sonic had the speed, the music and the attitude. And that swung it for me for life.
As for what you’re saying… Yes, you’re right. But to expand upon what I wrote rather briefly… I don’t think the time for adding characters is now. If anything is clear from the last few years, Sonic Team have a job and a half on their hands. The last ream of games were poorly recieved if we look outside of the fanbase, and the attempts to add multiple characters to the fray have quite frankly been appreciated, yes, but tepid at best. I played Sonic Adventure hoping that there would be more Amy, E-102, Knuckles (but NOT Big. Think they got his stage tolerance balance pretty much perfect there) and they weren’t there. It didn’t feel like enough, the engines were glitchy and for the most part I just ended up feeling like the experience should be over. Again, I appreciate the application and the diversity, but for the most part I do not feel as if it was given enough thought or attention to be truly good.
The same could be said for Sonic 3. I’m sorry to trample on a classic- I love Sonic 3- but to direct this at @secretchaos… Really? You would enjoy playing something with a similar mechanic in terms of Sonic 3 again? Yes they all had ONE extra mechanic that somewhat deviated from Sonic’s slightly, but that was it. Slight. I know full well if this concept were to be approached again in a very similar fashion, there would be hundreds of people complaining that it wasn’t enough. I don’t think that’s the way forward.
Why am I saying not yet? Because it’s been clear for a while that Sonic Team needed to tackle Sonic at the root of the problem in order for the franchise to have proper staying power- Sonic. They found a formula and now it seems they’re spending time perfecting that mechanic. And to be honest I think they need to focus on that before they start bringing more characters into the fray. If they plan to do this whilst aiming at the younger (read: new Sonic fans) in the process then, so be it. I think it’s high time for some proper classic fundamentals for a few oldbies to remember where it first began with some fresh takes on the franchise, and I think the new Sonic fans need something to relate to other than mediocre outings with a sword-weilding, carpet-riding hedgehog. The Sonic alone things may not well stand forever, but considering past mistakes, it’s probably a good place to start.
Indeed. You can’t please one side of the fanbase without upsetting the other. It’s quite sad really.
Um, in a way i agree..
But tbh, i loved most of the sonic cast..
Sonic
Tails
Knuckles
Shadow
Amy
Rouge..
Wonder if they’ll be in future main series Sonic games..
We don’t ONLY want to play as Sonic. We just want the other characters better used. Knuckles as a treasure hunter was lame. Knuckles playing as Sonic was awesome.
Personally, i think he’s done good.
While fans typically bring up that the other characters slow the game down, I’m not sure “high speed Sonic” is the best way to go. I much prefer Sonic’s levels in the Sonic Adventure series over Sonic Unleashed, which Colors is clearly a successor to.
Of course, the thing that really gets me is this latest “why we excluded PS3 and 360 owners from being able to play the latest major Sonic game” quote. I can appreciate Sonic Team working on one build of the game so that they can focus on making it as good as can be, rather than spreading their resources thin across three different versions of the same game. On the other hand, I don’t appreciate being told that I’m not a part of Sonic Colors’ target audience, since I’m as much a Sonic fan as anyone else. I don’t own a Wii, and now I get to watch as a major Sonic game passes me by. It’s one thing to miss out on a spin-off like Sonic Riders, or a handheld title, but actually missing out on a major Sonic game, because they couldn’t be bothered to make it a multi-platform title because they’re cheap?
Bought Sonic Adventure on 9/9/99. Waited out in the cold, morning air to get into Toys R Us the moment they opened and bought Sonic Adventure 2 the day it came out. Bought Sonic Heroes within its first few days of being on sale. Got Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Sonic Unleashed, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (XBLA), Sonic & Knuckles (XBLA), and Sonic Adventure (XBLA, with DX Upgrade) on their launch dates. But I’m not a part of your target audience. Well, you won’t be getting my money for a major Sonic game for once. Congrats on that.
“more like fun, enjoyable and vibrant, which Nintendo platforms excel at.”
WOW, he hit the nail right on the head. I agree with Iizuka on many of his points and am really looking forward to Sonic Colors.
@Ben
i agree with you too, I fell in love with Sonic because of his personality and persona. I do not mind extra characters. I love the Babylon Rogues, I love the Chaotix and dare I say I even love Big the Cat. I think they had the right idea with SatBK by including more characters, but making them optional.
The thing is, the whole “the Wii is for fun, vibrant games and the PS3 and 360 are for hardcore experiences” thing is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The devs all assume arcade/”vibrant” game fans have a Wii and hardcore gamers have a PS3 or 360 and they allocate the games accordingly, which has created this interesting split which wasn’t there in previous generations. Kinda sucks because I’d love to see more colourful platform games and such in HD, other than just Ratchet & Clank and LBP.
@Brianzilla2004 You know what? I was personally miffed by that line, because if anything else, I think the Xbox 360 and PS3- outside of Kameo and Ratchet & Clank, are SERIOUSLY lacking platform titles. They could have nailed that demographic in one shot. But seeing as it’s tailored to Nintendo’s engine, we’ll have to see how that baby pans out.
@Syaming Li
Tailored to Nintendo’s engine? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this built using the Hedgehog Engine? The game does not look like the Wi version of Sonic Unleashed at all. On the other hand, everything from the Sonic model and its animations to the way the game looks in action seems to be pulled directly from the HD version of Sonic Unleashed. It seems like this could’ve been a pretty simple port. I see games all the time that are identical across all three major platforms, but the HD versions have superior graphics. If Jurassic: The Hunted can do it, why couldn’t Sonic Colors?
@Sam
That’s exactly what I was thinking. That, and the fact that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 can both render much MORE vibrant, lush environments and characters than the Wii (which is a huge factor in why I chose the 360 over the Wii).
@Brianzilla2004 The hedgehog engine was only created for HD consoles. So it isn’t. ( As far as i’m aware)
@Brianzilla2004: Maybe you should get a Wii then? You said that you’ve own all the major Sonic titles. The Wii doesn’t even have it’s own major exclusive Sonic game. It mostly get the spinoff titles like Mario and Sonic, the storybook games, etc.
@ Brianzilla2004: There’s been no word of this game using the Hedgehog Engine and as far as I’m aware that was built for HD consoles and is only compatible with HD consoles. Still, they’re doing a great job of replicating the graphics of the HD versions of Unleashed without it.
@Brianzilla2004 At the moment, I’m aware of a couple things… I thought the Hedgehog Engine was used for 360/PS3 Unleashed? Either way, I’m sure that Sonic Team are more than blindingly aware that the way Sonic Unleashed was approached on the Wii was, quite frankly, terribad. And as developers they would more than likely fix this to the best of their ability. This isn’t to say that the Hedgehog Engine for Unleashed was amazingly perfect mind you, or that they’ve even used it for Colours at all (evidence seems to point that way, but at the moment I’m sure that this hasn’t as of yet been completely confirmed) hence why I said what I said.
Iizuka appears to have reasons for going for the Nintendo console. Ones he’s stated (demographic, demographic, demographic) and probably ones he hasn’t. There’s not much we as consumers can do other than shrug and assume that once they have the mechanics down, they’ll expand. Oh, and complain. Again, the platform market on the HD consoles is more than wide open, and I don’t think it’s as entirely dead as most developers like to think it is, so that’s more than likely a “we’ll see” from the future.
Should learn to refresh before I post comments. Thank you Shadz for confirming this for me, I thought I was going crazy or something.
@sonfan1984
The 360 and PS3 only had one major Sonic game that wasn’t released for the Wii, and to compensate, SEGA divided up Sonic Team and had a massive chunk of them start work on SSR. So yeah, that one major game that wasn’t on the Wii? That game got the shaft to accommodate Wii fans. It’s also worth noting that, while Sonic Unleashed was a multiplatform game, the HD and SD versions were two different games altogether, so time had to be taken out of the development of the version that Sonic Team seemed to find most important (the HD version) in order to, once again, accommodate the Wii’s fan base. And you know, I don’t really mind that. Or at least I didn’t until Sonic Colors. Now that the Wii’s coming out with a a major Sonic game, what do HD consoles get in return? If you adopt a Kinect, you can get a Sonic Riders spin-off. If you have a PS3, you’re screwed.
For the record, I once had a Wii. I was VERY excited about two games (SSR and Godzilla Unleashed), and they turned out to be two of the worst games I’ve ever played. I managed to have very little fun with any game that I got for the Wii, and it was hands down the worst investment I had ever made (with the sole exception being this corndog I got once at some fair. It was something like $3.50, and it was lukewarm and awful and it made me stomach feel dreadful). I sold the Wii so I could get some 360 Sonic and SEGA games. This is ultimately irrelevant though, because it doesn’t change the fact that Sonic Team is excluding a lot of fans from enjoying Sonic Colors, and the one game that could be viewed as an alternative, Sonic 4, is coming out for the Wii too. Telling somebody that they should get a Wii for Sonic Colors is kinda like saying that they should get a Kinect for Sonic Free Riders. But at least the Kinect looks like it has some good games coming out on it.
ZING!
My dear Izuka, We didn’t hate the idea of playing as a character other than Sonic. We hated the idea of playing as a character that is nothing like Sonic. People love Tails and Knuckles, why? Because they were basically like playing as Sonic with slightly different powers, and they didn’t have any emerald hunting or racing to make them FEEL different. I don’t get why you don’t get that. And is platforming and speed REALLY that hard to bring together?
I agree with almost everything he said, but I miss playing as some of the characters. I really want Tails, Knuckles, and Amy to be playable again, but I know that won’t happen, because in 3D, Tails and Knuckles break the game because of their abilities. Have you ever used action replay on Sonic Adventure, and then went to sonics levels as Knuckles or Tails? They can literally skip huge chunks of levels without breaking a sweat. I wish there was some way to make them playable, while keeping their abilities.
@Brianzilla2004
The 360 and PS3 are not screwed. Sure the Wii has some spin off titles but it doesn’t have Sonic Unleashed (The true version apparently) and it doesn’t have Sonic the Hedgehog, it also doesn’t have Sonic Adventure DX (Sure you can play the Gamecube version but you know what I mean) and it doesn’t have Sonic Free Riders.
Well, I’m not saying that you should get a Wii just for Sonic Colors. Maybe you should pick up Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 along with it. There’s plenty of good games out for the Wii, you just brought some crappy games. You shouldn’t have sold your Wii cause you made a bad purchase.
“fans only want to play as Sonic.”
Not all fans…….
“Fans only want to play as Sonic”
The BORING fans! >.>
No Tails, Knuckles or Shadow? WTF!? They’re popular for a reason! Similar but different gameplay! >:U
I can understand not having too many USELESS characters or too many characters in one game (especially in Sonic Heroes where all their levels were the same in the order) but they’re interesting and provide ne plot OR are temperary but can be used again for specific new plots at random selection. If you think about it there’s not THAT many.
Just give us Tails, Knuckles and Shadow but make them optional like extras after the game’s beaten. ^_^
The man has to learn that giving other characters completely different gameplay styles makes other characters hated.
He must know that they need to play like Sonic with a few differences.
How long will he take to figure this out? Who knows……
Here’s an idea. Give Shadow gameplay like SA2 only polished while Sonic has his improved gameplay. Knuckles can have his gameplay like the Adventure series (which is like the classics only with punching) and Tails his Sonic Adventure 1 gameplay.
But then for their levels, don’t make them the same as Sonic even if SOME are in the same AREAS. Also, allow them to be able to just go through the levels like Sonic and only make the racing/treasure hunting like for ONE level if any at all as a special task or mission for that level.
Have their stories be optional to play which is their point of views like the Adventure series but isn’t needed to beat Sonic’s story/Final ending story (like extra unlockables after beating the game.)
Amy can make cameos for Sonic while Rouge does for Shadow. And Omega SOMETIMES (as in only in select few but not all game) Team Chaotix can make cameo appearances or be unlockable extra multiplayer (along with Omega and Rouge and Metal Sonic and Babylong Rogues and such. I’d like to see them in gameplay without hoverboards for a change. Like in Black Knight only in a GOOD game. xD)
Just the whole “Sonic only” thing seems so boring and dull and all it makes me think of is Sonic 1, which is okay, but is my least favorite of the classics. Sonic 3 & Knuckles was great BECAUSE of the multiple characters and more detailed plot. Sonic 2 was just exciting (plus Tails lol)
All they gotta do is design levels that go along with Tails, Knuckles and Shadow’s move-sets. C:
And there actually isn’t a character I dislike as all have provided a LITTLE charasma. Even Big who is just the lazy but nice guy, or Omega, a hardcore rebel Robot. Or even freakin Cheese, the toughest Chao there is! XD They don’t need major focus, but c’mon! They have their own fans each for a reason. xD
But hey, at least Sonic Colors is fun. If you only improve on it rather than take out the good things, the next few games will be good too. =)
It seems that we won’t be able to play as the other characters in a platform game for a long long time.
Why don’t they make it like SATBK, everyone play just like Sonic with some small differences.
I only like to play as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
I like to play as anyone as long as their fun to play.
Come on, at least let us play as Tails for once!
I agree with Ax, I think, if any characters, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow and Dr. Eggman make for a great cast in themselves. If it was just them, I’d be perfectly fine. But, doesn’t matter, Colors still looks amazing!
The whole “Sonic is the good character to play as” thing is absurd. I thoroughly enjoyed all three play styles in Sonic Adventure 2, and the first Sonic Adventure only had two characters I wasn’t crazy about (Amy and Big). To be fair, Amy is still fairly fun, and Big just suffers from being entirely out of place (and, once you cast your line, has the worst camera I’ve ever had to use). On the other hand, Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, two games that focused on Sonic-style levels exclusively (albeit with unique gimmicks in both games), were dreadfully underwhelming.
The two later main Sonic games have their own brand of problems that hinder supporting characters. Sonic 2006 was terribly underdeveloped, and as a result many characters felt half-baked, and some of them didn’t even get their own levels (which makes me wonder why they were included at all), and the Werehog, while fully functional, was a tedious bore.
The Dreamcast offerings are proof that having multiple playable characters can work, and they don’t even require much change between play mechanics. Sonic, Knuckles and Tails all felt very similar until you factored in their special moves (much like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles was). And of course, there’s always the option of bringing Shadow, Blaze, Metal Sonic, Espio, or even Amy into the game with identical game mechanics to Sonic, making them more like alternate outfits than anything else. The fact that you can only play as Sonic (and a Sonic robot) in even the co-op segment of Sonic Colors just has me… baffled.
Ugh… that should read “Sonic is the only good character to play as.”
Here’s a handy Retro quote: http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=21099&view=findpost&p=508832
As for the characters: seriously, we don’t need to inundate the franchise all at once with characters that have had the poor graces of being in mediocre to passable games AND be poor annoying characters. Stick to Tails and Knuckles for now, since they were there when the series was great. Then maybe we can think about bringing back some of the older unused characters from Sonic’s handheld past, or stick with the ones we’ve got so far. Just PLEASE don’t make Knuckles a stupid gullible colorless idiot, Amy a psychotic piece of pink cardboard with the words I MUST HAVE SONIC scrawled forlorn on its surface, Shadow an irritably brooding Mr. Darkguy, and the Chaotix a pack of mismatched ridiculous morons–that’s mostly aimed at Vector. FYND THA COMPUTEROOM.
Tails is okay as he stands, even as a non-field guy engineer. It just wouldn’t kill him to remember that his tails make him on average as fast as Sonic, and he can at least spindash on things to kill them. On that note, I’d actually be okay with him forgetting how to do a super-spindash just for the sake of him having a flaw that could be a humorous plot point. Imagine a young scientific prodigy building all these fantastic machines and learning binary while forgetting one of the first tricks he ever learned.
Oh, and as far as Rouge and Omega are concerned: either character development or die in a fire.
@Treleus
Yeah, like Sonic Drift or Sonic Labyrinth were greater than Sonic Adventure 2. XD
Techincally, It’d be Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Metal Sonic and Eggman for the classics. However, Shadow is overrated by one side and underrated by another. I’m neatral on rating him. But truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with him anymore than Sonic himself and that’s just cuz they changed him. He was awesome in SA2, which WAS when the series was great.
Stick with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Metal Sonic and Eggman. Espio, Charmy and Vector (Sonic Heroes) were in the series during those classic days too btw.
You’re basically saying to exclude the Babylon Rogues (who are comic relief thus they get the job done and are successful characters) and get rid of Silver (who still has a lot of fans and is a unique character) and most of all you want to get rid of BLAZE, the best of the female characters! XD
Like I said, have a set number of characters as long as it’s not just Sonic only, then the extras can rotate, take turns based on the plot or be extra unlockables. I mean you’re tying them down to specific bad games, but ALL of them were in Sonic 06. So it doesn’t make sense.
If you add these “mediocre characters” to GOOD GAMES, there’s a chance to improve each of the characters to being great. But for the most part, characters like Charmy, Vector, Blaze and Big are very common character types in a lot of stories. It’s not like they aren’t doing what they were meant to do. If having all the characters there but optional, it doesn’t effect you because you can ignore them. But not ever putting them in a game ever again affects the fans of those characters as they don’t have a choice at all. =P
There’s always fan games if they can ever make one good enough. xD
*sigh*, here we go again…
Anyways, I completely agree with Iizuka, especially about the playing only as Sonic part. It’s not that we don’t want to play as Tails and Knuckles, we do, but if the standard Sonic gameplay is broken, how on earth are they going to get the extra characters down? This is meant to be a return to form, and from here, THEN we would like to see Tails and Knuckles added. It does make a difference in the level design, after all. Tails needs stages that are more geared towards his flying ability, and Knuckles would need levels geared towards his strength, climbing and gliding abilities. These would all be great, but the first step is making sure the core formula works. And ever sense Sonic Heroes, the formula has been broken and repetitive. Not one of the 3D games that has come out since Sonic Adventure 2 has really gotten what makes a Sonic game special. It IS the speed, it IS the platforming, and it IS the different paths. And Tails and Knuckles NEED those paths and secrets to work.
So yeah.
tl;dr version: Sonic Team needs to learn how to make multiple pathways before adding other speed-based characters.
We should focus on getting Sonic back up to speed (Hah!) before we start concentrating on other characters. I’d like for them to keep at least Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow and Metal Sonic as regulars in the cast. But this isn’t the game or the time to be shoving them into the games. It’s about Sonic, and until they feel comfortable with where they have him I don’t think they should work on the other characters too much. But that doesn’t mean I want them to give up on trying to put multiple characters in the games. I want to be able to play as them again after all.
I just wanna play as Blaze in a full 3D Sonic game…kinda like how they do it in Sonic Rush Adventure! You can choose to play as Sonic or Blaze at ANY TIME. You’re not REQUIRED to play as Blaze.
I’m a fan and I like Sonic games WITH LOTS of playable characters. Recently we haven’t seen other characters in Sonic games and that worries me. I’ve really missed playing as them (Not playing as them in sporty events or races and stuff but playing adventures as them like Sonic AD1, 2, heroes or sonic ’06.)
I love the other characters in the game I;m gonna miss em’ đ
I like the other playable characters!
I liked playing as Tails and Knuckles in SA1, and, yes, even in SA2. It always did mystify me why those playstyles were so reviled.
Nevertheless, I would like to see them in their SA1-type roles again…
…but first, I would like to see them get 3D Sonic down pat. If they can bring Sonic’s gameplay in 3D back up to its’ Sonic Adventure heights, THEN they can start reintroducing the other characters.
If everyone’s so hung-up about ‘different needs’ and gimmicks and character casts, why don’t they just do a Need For Speed and split the franchise up? Have a Colours-style franchise, a Sonic Adventure-style franchise, a Sonic 4-style franchise…everybody’s happy. Amirite?
I love the Blue Blur, but I don’t really mind the cast too much. At least… not the main ones.
But I love just being Sonic.
I don’t care what Iizuka says, Sonic Team has had, like, 20 years to get it right and they still fail…
make no mistake, Sonic Colours won’t be the best, and and as long as they keep trying to please new people, they never will make the best.
They struck gold with (Sonic)one, then they went downhill from there… (I could go into specific detail, but I don’t feel like writing a page…)
What they need is new blood…
Also, no one at SEGA has ever sat down and developed Sonic as an actual character…
He’s been a lame-ass mascot since Sonic 2… (Sonic3 was alright.)
———————–
In-addition, it’s quite a shame that SEGA and Sonic Team has a lot of good ideas, but they try so hard to compete with other games and to “please” everyone, that they usually fail, and are overshadowed by the rest of the failed gimmicks… (YES, “old-school” and “back to formula” are gimmicks)
hopefully Colours will be fun at least. (it does look interesting, if not filled with one-shot gimmick)
ugh… dry-heaves…
I’ll shut-up now…
Im offended! You talk bout needs, and still not listen. WHAT WE ALL WANTED WAS A GOOD GAME! Not gimmicky. GOOD! G.O.O.D FOr flip sakes! youve been trying to get a new flipping audience with the past title already! The only time you tried catering to the main was probably unleashed! That was a decent game! Black knight and secret of the ring Both were gimmicky! Both using ‘motion’ control. Hereos was aimed at Kids and so was Shadow the hedgehog! When it shouldnt have!(i.e shadow) But no, you had to say that this game was catered for a new audience…FOR THE NINTENDO AUDIENCE! Fine this was made for the intent of fun and platforming in mind, BUT JUDGING BY THIS GAME. YOU COULDVE DONE THE SAME EXACT THING ON THE 360 AND PS3, BECAUSE THIS HAS NO GIMMICKS! the controls been mapped perfectly and the graphics isnt that big of a deal as long as its a good game! WE would have enjoyed just as much as if we played it on the nintendo consoleS! Didnt you say you listened? Then why didnt you make the game for all the genres?! Sonic unleashed wasnt a bad hit on the consoles. It actually did pretty well, you got a solid reception from that at least! This game was meant to be Sonic unleashed in the day time levels only. THEN WHAT MAKES THE WII SO SPECIAL?!? ALL THE DAY TIME LEVELS ON EVERY CONSOLES WAS DAMN NEAR PERFECT! GREAT, you listened to what? The sales of sonic Games on the 360 and PS3 compared to the Wii, thats What!
KjrinKA2, so are you saying that Sonic hasn’t been great since Sonic 2? What, really?? You don’t even like gems such as Sonic 3 & Knuckles, one of best games in the franchise?
So if you don’t like a Sonic game since Sonic 2 then I guess there’s really no pleasing you anyway and you don’t like Sonic in general.
Oh btw, Sonic didn’t go downhill since Sonic 2. Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Sonic 3 and Knuckles only made Sonic even more popular and their far better games instead of Sonic 1.
Yeah, I’m actually with sonfan on this one. Sonic 1’s a rather solid game that got SEGA’s foot in the door, but Sonic 2 clinched the character’s popularity, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles continued it with mixed results at the time.
As for you, Ax, say hello to MY wall of text:
“Yeah, like Sonic Drift or Sonic Labyrinth were greater than Sonic Adventure 2. XD”
*HAR HAR HAR!!! But no. Nice cherry-picking though.
“Techincally, Itâd be Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Metal Sonic and Eggman for the classics.”
*Aesthetically, Amy wasn’t nearly as annoying in Sonic CD and her characterization didn’t end up failing her in a sequel, like in SA2. Metal Sonic may as well just retooled, retconned, or resigned to the scrap heap already. How about Mecha Sonic or Super Silver Sonic? Or Mecha Knuckles and Tails? Or some other super-death-robo-doppelganger for a change, if we really wanna keep that trend going. Eggman’s the de facto bad guy, so no need to mention him. I’m talking about Sonic’s mostly pointless “friends”.
“However, Shadow is overrated by one side and underrated by another. Iâm neatral on rating him. But truthfully, thereâs nothing wrong with him anymore than Sonic himself and thatâs just cuz they changed him. He was awesome in SA2, which WAS when the series was great.”
*SA2 was a refinement of SA2, but also a crucial step towards Sonic’s steep drop in quality and likeability. Well, okay, I’d actually reserve that for Heroes, but one thing led to another. Speaking of which, are you assuming Sonic’s a perfect character, or that his nostalgic appeal covers up any unappealing aspects of his personality, like his inability to emote something other than smug, spirited, or some mild GRRR? Shadow’s not much better, but at least he was a little cooler in SA2 then he ever was since unless you count his demeanor and resolve in ’06 as cool.
“Stick with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Metal Sonic and Eggman. Espio, Charmy and Vector (Sonic Heroes) were in the series during those classic days too btw.”
*Yeah, thanks, I’m well aware of that. I also didn’t mind them back then for the same reason I didn’t mind Amy: less moronic talking and lame personalities.
“Youâre basically saying to exclude the Babylon Rogues (who are comic relief thus they get the job done and are successful characters) and get rid of Silver (who still has a lot of fans and is a unique character) and most of all you want to get rid of BLAZE, the best of the female characters! XD”
*She’s fine, but admittedly as overrated as the games she starred in. Eggman Nega on the other hand is just a fucking recolor for the sake of making Blaze directly analogous to Sonic. Maybe it would’ve worked better if we played more of Blaze’s alternate dimension, which could be some weird fantastic world–oh wait no it’s just Mobius 2: Now with more koalas and raccoons. Strewth!
“Like I said, have a set number of characters as long as itâs not just Sonic only, then the extras can rotate, take turns based on the plot or be extra unlockables. I mean youâre tying them down to specific bad games, but ALL of them were in Sonic 06. So it doesnât make sense.”
*No, I’m not tying them to any one specific game. I’m tying them to most of the 3D Sonic games, some of the 2D games, and Sonic X. And yeah, pretty much everybody sucked in ’06, but Shadow seems to have gotten a decent shake in it. Knuckles seemed to try and be Shadow, but then he ends up being the same comic-relief doofus and little bitch when in comes to Rouge making fun of him. Tails over-emotes as usual.
“If you add these âmediocre charactersâ to GOOD GAMES, thereâs a chance to improve each of the characters to being great.”
*There’s a bigger chance of them being underused and taking up space for paltry reasons.
“But for the most part, characters like Charmy, Vector, Blaze and Big are very common character types in a lot of stories. Itâs not like they arenât doing what they were meant to do.”
*You mean clutter Sonic games with empty vapid roles, like fishing and looking for froggy?
“If having all the characters there but optional, it doesnât effect you because you can ignore them.”
*I could, but they seldom were optional. If you didn’t have to play as them or watch cutscenes with them, they’d tag along with you in Shadow the Hedgehog. This is why I liked the Chaotix and Amy back in the Genesis days: they were simpler, a little more fun, and never talked.
“But not ever putting them in a game ever again affects the fans of those characters as they donât have a choice at all. =P”
*I didn’t say they could never be in a game. But if they’re going to be in a game, USE them. Develop them into more than just the cheap stereotyped characters they have the unfortunate reputation of being, OR make them silent protagonists. Hell, make them appealing rather than annoying.
“Thereâs always fan games if they can ever make one good enough. xD”
*Yeah, there’s that too.
@Treleus: I like Amy’s personality, it’s different from other and can be used in comedy. Also I like how she is the only one that Sonic scared of.
Amy’s not that interesting. Sure, her persistent puppy-dog love for Sonic can make for some humor, but she seldom ever shows any interesting character traits or development other than just that. Whatever happened to her tarot card readings or things like that?