I remember a time not too long ago where one could wake up to find out that their favourite blue hedgehog had taken up the hover board, had decided that swords were cool, or had a accumulated another new friend to add to the already brimming roster of colourful critters. At the time, Sonic had suffered a spate of mediocre to down-right poor titles, the most notorious being Sonic ’06. The prevailing morale of the online community was pretty low and on the morning of the announcement of Sonic Unleashed, images of the Werehog did nothing to inspire or reassure fans that a title of note was in the making. Forums lit up with debate, sites quizzed their audiences with “will it be good, won’t it be good?” polls and comment boxes became an arena for conflicts of opinion.
Many fans at the time, including myself, were certain that the train of thought implemented in the making of Sonic titles had become intrinsically flawed, with focus on graphics and sheen, rather than gameplay. Many desired to see a return to the roots of what made the classic Sonic titles so good, which ironically backfired somewhat with the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I. The last thing we were interested in was another gimmick, and this is what it looked like SEGA were about to present us with. On this occasion however, I couldn’t have been happier to be proven wrong. I love Sonic Unleashed, from the diverse soundtrack, to the lush worlds, to the level design to the Pixar feel of the characters. While not a perfect game in many respects, it was fun, and had elements to please both old and new fans. Not only that, Night of the Werehog was a fantastic little bonus; ten minutes of distilled genius and beautiful animation.
Fast forward six years and we seem to be back at this juncture once more.
Sonic the Hedgehog fans have had a lot of new information to assimilate over the last 48 hours with regards to the announcement of Sonic Boom, which will hit screens later in the year in both TV show and videogame incarnations. Scanning through my facebook feed, the general vibe from a lot of the younger members of the community is one of excitement at the prospect of another TV show, after all it has been a decade since Sonic X premiered on western screens (has it really been that long?). However, these announcements have been completely eclipsed by the news and images of the new character designs, which have in the cases for some characters, been fairly drastic.
But haven’t we been here before? If so, what is all the fuss about? Well, a few months back, we were all given a glimpse of some familiar shadows set against a wall. It was obvious that the main characters of the franchise were looking to get a makeover, and internet speculation about whether or not Knuckles had been hitting the gym exploded onto every Sonic-themed forum.
It seems almost seems surprising therefore, that the community has reacted in the way they have, given there was fair warning substantial changes to the character models were on the horizon. Indeed, Knuckles looks like he has now swallowed the Master emerald in a last-ditch attempt to prevent it from getting nicked. Other characters seem to have been less drastically altered, in most cases proportions have been subtly tweaked, and many would be forgiven in suggesting the team have had a recent run-in with the Andrex puppy. Admittedly, I’ve had a good giggle at some fan parodies and interpretations of these changes. Fortunately, fan reaction has been tempered by a follow up announcement that Sonic Boom would remain an isolated “sub franchise” and that these changes would not be canon.
So again, we come back to the question: what’s the big deal? Why has something like a change in the colour of Sonic’s arms hit such a nerve amongst fans?
Well, the likely answer to that is probably many fold. Firstly and most obviously, many fans probably fear that SEGA are back on down the gimmick route to promote new games. Sonic Lost World didn’t quite achieve the accolade many thought it might, and it’s understandable that there is apprehension over whether this is the dawn of the second era of the so-called “Sonic cycle”. Secondly, and more importantly I think, is the change in the base properties of the franchise. There aren’t many other fandoms that command such a loyal legion as Sonic does, and many are invested in the characters, the stories and the universe on the whole. So when something fundamental is modified, no matter how trivial it may seem to someone on the outside looking in, fans are going to react negatively; after all, why change something that isn’t broken? Indeed, most fans are questioning the necessity of equipping a hedgehog with a scarf and a copious quantity of sports bandages. Perhaps in some cases it is purely personal opinion. More curiously, many have noticed how pedantic SEGA have been in the past with regards to attention to character models, what they are allowed to be doing, and how they are represented in any media. Many perceive this as an almost complete U-turn on this previous ethos, and has opened up speculation to whether or not this is the result of a shift in those who call the shots when it comes to the franchise globally (although a recent statement from Iizuka picked up on TSSZ News announced that Boom will only be available to western markets).
The counter opinion of course, is that sometimes, change is good. You probably wouldn’t be seen dead in the clothes you were wearing a decade ago, and indeed, it could be seen as logical in this sense that over time, some things will inevitably update in order to remain fresh, keep with trends, and of course, interest a new generation. Back in 1998, Sonic underwent his transformation from a short fat spike-ball to a more athletic, green-eyed iteration of himself; that metamorphosis seemed on the whole a successful transition. Examining the timescales between those character models, it does seem like Sonic is well overdue a cosmetic overhaul.
Those of you who, like me, pine for another title with the same DNA as Unleashed, will no doubt be as giddy as I to see stunning pieces of concept art of environments, and some extremely amusing facial expressions from the cast, which lead to believe we will be getting a game with rich worlds to explore akin to Unleashed. Those worried about the game have had some reassuring news in that the development is in the hands of those behind the Uncharted and Jak and Daxter franchises (now developing under the name of Big Red Button), and if the quality of these titles are a reflection of what the next Sonic game will be like, we have nothing to worry about. The attitudes of SEGA have also markedly changed in the past half-decade, with the growth of an extremely competent and capable community team who have been receptive of fan feedback. On top of this, the connection to fans has been reinforced through events such as Sonic Boom in the states and Summer of Sonic in the UK, which have both received an incredible reception from attending patrons.
I think as a community we have matured in many aspects; after all, many have now been fans for over twenty years; some are now employed in the video game business and are more able to understand the intricate nuisances that go into making a video game. That said, I think we shouldn’t fall into the trap of becoming grumpy old women and men, and forming opinions on changes purely because they “aren’t as good as they were back in the good old days”. There isn’t a right or wrong answer to whether or not you think the new direction Sonic is taking will be good or bad, as after all the main component at the end of the day is personal preference. I hope as an older and somewhat wiser community, we can hold final judgement of the “Sonic Renaissance” until we’ve seen the final product.
After all, we’ve only just read the first page of this new chapter of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Here’s my 2 cents.
I’ve gotten used to the redesigns. They’re not too radically different and even Knuckles’ design never really rubbed me the wrong way to begin with. It was always just “Oh. That’s new.” for me.
The game looks to play fun. All I hope for is for them to fix up the character models, because they do look terrible. Like, unbearably so. I think that’s what people are more mad about than the designs themselves. They look terrible and it gives people the wrong impression.
I’m mondo excited for the TV show. It looks hilarious and a good representation for Sonic that hopefully will bring in a new audience. I know people are afraid that now there’s going to be even more 11 year olds on websites, but that’s always a give in. More fans = more money = more games. It’s good. My only problem with the show is that Sonic’s mouth moves from his front to his side. Please, just pick one and stick with it. Preferably side mouth. Is best mouth.
All in all, I’m excited, but I know people hate change, so I can understand (albeit begrudgingly) people not liking it.
I hear this a lot and I don’t get it. The character models look like exactly what you’d expect considering the designs themselves (putting aside the fact that the entire game looks like Sonic 06 2.0). Yes they’re bad, but they’re mostly bad for all the same reasons that the designs themselves are bad. Of course the cutscene-level CGI from the TV show looks better, that’s true of every game ever.
It seems like somehow this is striking a chord with the Adventure-crazy fans though, because this 06xHeroes hybrid seems to be stirring up more optimism than I can even comprehend, considering how much it looks like those two poorly received titles. But I suppose this is just the Sonic 4 for that generation and will probably suffer the same fate.
I refuse to believe this game will receive the same fate!! I just know SEGA won’t let history repeat itself. I just know it. 😮
To me, this really does look and feel like a Sonic Adventure 3, both in gameplay and world-building. Frankly, while this can’t sell a game single-handedly, and the dev team still has plenty of time to botch it, I’m appreciative of this new direction as an opportunity to take change at a fundamental level and make it something new and exciting. I’m going into this with skepticism, and yet with high hopes. They can really make something out of this: something that’s been missing to me from the franchise since around 2004. It already looks more finished than even the beta ’06 stuff, and Heroes has only grown on me, so I can’t really see how your comparison really means anything. The Sonic 4 equivalent is totally a concern, and you have every right to “told ya so” us later for it, Chaoticfox.
All the elements are here, so I won’t be negative until given a reason to be. If this is the new gen’s version of Unleashed, then bring it on!
I guess I just thought that it was a common belief that those games were generally bad for reasons BEYOND just the glitches, so I never expected people to so greedily lap up what (at first glance) appears to be nothing more than a more polished version of the same old crap.
Leave it to the party poopers to complain as if they’re the voice of the entire fandom. So what is you don’t like, that Sonic has green eyes in the gme, that it’s not just boost to win or gasp, that it’s not Solo Sonica.
Or maybe you just don’t like changes or differences because your one of those fans who can’t accept that the World and games changes.
Just cause you don’t like it doesn’t mean everyone else hates it. Hell, going by numbers alone the Adventure, hero and 06 game were somme of the most popular games in the franchise.
Bro I’m so happy you had the first comment, because now everyone can see your opinion first, which is EXACTLY (its almost scary how exact it is) the same to mine. You just said it better than I could so good job(:
Brushing off all valid criticism as people hating change? Okay.
Did you even read this article?!!? I recommend you stop making such annoying and sarcastic comments right here. We are supposed to IMPROVE the community not stay exactly the same! Get with the program.
Don’t borter, this is one of those fans who is only a fan to complain about everything.
I honestly prefer the mouth in the front. It looks silly on the side. I don’t see how people can possibly think it isn’t awkward to see his mouth on one side but then he turns his head the other way and he has no mouth at all.
Sonic Boom does it perfect with letting his mouth move to different spots continuously. Makes it easier to make him look good at any angle. Everybody wins.
Mickey Mouse and his strange ears come to mind, as you can always see both ears clearly no matter what angle you see him at.
Whatever man, everybody has different tastes. I personally prefer the side-mouth, I find it much more expressive, and it always moves to whatever side you’re facing. A middle mouth just feels static to me and only works on particular characters, like humans or Tails sometimes. But if you’re into the more “realistic” sort of thing, that’s fine.
This is exactly what I think! All the way Down to the mouth. That’s the only thing I dislike about this so far, along with the in-game models. Everything else looks and sounds very promising! The show and game just look fantastic! Cannot wait for this “new generation” of Sonic! Looks so god dang good!
Great stuff! Yeah I refuse to pass full judgement… Just yet but right now- I like it! It’s a bit of fun and it has be said I even like the little neck scarf! (Heeeee) but Knux? Hmm I just can’t get used to him… Looking forward to it though and hope I get to see both the series and a chance to play the game v soon… Brave move Sega- let’s hope it pays off! 😀
For me, this is the first time in quite a while where I have been genuinely excited for a new Sonic game. (Others beforehand were only modest joy.) Multiple characters with unique abilities, a larger focus on combat and exploration, and a bigger story are things I’ve been wanting to see in the franchise for some time. And this game looks like it’s going to deliver them all.
As for the designs, the only thing that I’m not really a fan of is Knuckles’ added bulk. Everything else looks fine to me.
I agree with this article in full, and i know that this is a sonic the hedgehog site, but to tell you the truth this type of “they changed the character designs, let all hate it” discrimination has happened to other franchises before. does anyone remember the backlash that came when they releases the look of the main characters from Transformers Animated. people said that they changed too much and looked two goofy…what happens next? people fall in love with the show and it turns out to be one of the best transformers TV series ever. not to mention the same happened with the original live action Transformers movie when the concept art leaked. I was always taught to never judge a book by its cover, and this new entry in the sonic series is just opening up, lets not trash it until its read in full…..oh and what tanner said about his positioning of sonic’s mouth…play Sonic Adventure 2 and see what i mean.
the good news is this design is only for the Sonic boom series while the sonic that i love is still there with sonic team
i dont have a wiiu so i am not bothered about this design at all i think that most likely when they announce a PS4 game it will feature the old design and from Sonic team .
also my guess is sega are trying to emulate the success the of skylanders and disney infinity so am expecting an announcement about companion toys for this game any time soon ( in my opinion i hate this kind of strategy )
I don’t see how any of this is related to Skylanders. I highly doubt such toys will be a thing, but it’s certainly a possibility. 😛
I don’t se anything wrong with companion toys, after all there is also a show coming out connected to this game so toys will come out regardless of their connection to the game.
They just said that that’s NOT what they’re doing. They’re only making separate action figures and stuff like that. I find the whole Skylanders thing to be a huge scam…and yet oddly I feel a double-standard when it comes to Disney Infinity. I don’t know why, but I guess for some reason I’m much more willing to accept Disney selling figures that are needed to play a game than I am with Skylanders. Anyway, I hope SEGA doesn’t head in that direction…but if they did, I would go along with it anyway, I’m into buying swag.
Oh god no Sonic legs in 2050 is happening.
I really don’t have a problem with Boom; it’s separate from the real series, so as long as it doesn’t affect normal Sonic or the comics, more power to SEGA for expanding the franchise and trying to make a spin-off that appeals to the younger generation.
I feel there was a bit of a missed opportunity to appeal to long time fans as well though; the redesigns and what not, don’t bother me but they pushed the changes so far that it ended up alienating some older fans. Plus, I guess the biggest problem with something like blue arms (which is being said that “it’s the new green eyes!” Lol) is the fact that Sonic having blue arms is associated with bootleg merchandise or “bad” fanart; I.e. Sonic having blue arms is an error made when someone is not familiar with Sonic. Someone had posted on Twitter “re-designs” of the re-designs, and kept things that were appealing (Sonics scarf, even the athletic tape and new shoes/Amy’s clothes) and just toned down how drastically the proportions were changed (I.e. Knuckles looking buff with broad shoulders, but not having those ridiculously long skinny legs) and I liked it nearly as much as regular Sonic and wouldn’t mind even if something like that had replaced original Sonic.
Looking at Boom myself, I like the Sonic series for the things like characters, music and the overall feel that I get from the universe, it’s something I’m attached to. I can get enjoyment even out of the worst Sonic games just due to that fact it’s Sonic (that doesn’t mean I’m a blind fanboy; I see the faults and acknowledge them in every game). I was waiting for a game to play like Boom all along; but everything that appealed to me that has kept me playing Sonic for nearly 20 years is not present now and I just see a Ratchet &Clank/ Jak & Daxter game with sonic characters. And hey, if it gets good reviews and is praised for game play, I’ll definitely take a look at it; it’s just too early to form a solid opinion one way or the other. I can see past aesthetic changes easily, as game play is what matters first and foremost (and the environments do look gorgeous, though I hope the character models are early in development, as the faces of the characters look a bit scary), but as of right now, its a game I’m keeping my eyes on but not necessarily one im excited for or plan on getting day one (first time I’ve ever said that about a Sonic game). I’m keeping my mind open, and being cautiously optimistic that the game play will change my mind and have me enjoying Boom like every other Sonic game I’ve played in the past.
Your complain make no sense.
It has nothing of the things that kept you playing Sonic games for 20 years, BULLSHIT. It has everythig in it from the past Sonic games, speed, alternate gameplay, Rings, Sonic ETC.
You just feel like complaing cause it looks different from Sonicteams games while trying to make it sound like you’re not one of so-called fans who can’t accept change.
Whoa man, someone needs to chill. It’s called an opinion; wasn’t “complaining”, I made it expressively clear that I wasn’t passing judgement on anything regarding the game, and I was keeping my mind open. We’ve seen one trailer, after all. Perhaps you need to realize that other people are allowed to have a different opinion then yours; or at the very least, stop attacking people for it.
I don’t have a way with words if you get what I mean, but I really like this article.
Thank you very much for the compliment.
Just Make Sonic’s arms beige and change his body a bit also change Knuckles how he used to be and I will like Sonic Boom.
PS. Also Eggman is fat not buff, and make his mustache longer.
*sniff* That was beautiful T-Bird! Wonderfully written. ;_;
This is why religion still exists, people buy into crap another fool creates and worships it as perfection when in reality is crap and lame.
Im just saying dont buy in to things so quickly, things can be better and THEY do listen to fans when many speak, but the reason SEGA has give us so much crap is because fans praise their crap so they continue to give us crap.
But what do you or most of the people here know, I could give you a bag of dung and put the name sonic on it and most of you would still buy it.
JEEZ! Calm down grouch! I don’t know what your damage is, but you are the only one here who is still trying to bash Sonic Boom and get people to not like it. The only thing you are doing is pissing off the community so I suggest you go into hiding and wait for the Sonic Boom craze to end before you start commenting again. Please, let us enjoy this great time in Sonic’s history.
Wow, you really are the god of war, aren’t you?
What I was trying to convey here is not to form an opinion on little evidence; It could be a bag of dung or a bag of gold. There’s nothing wrong about being optimistic.
Big Red Button is not trying to be clever and give us something good, they’re just people who are doing what ever the hell they want with Sonic, just like AOSTH and SATam. These people just know a few things about Sonic but they dont get Sonic’s essence. Am I the only sane person here? sure its a side franchise of Sonic but I know it could be better much better!
Correction. You are the only INsane person here. Everyone is pleased with at least one aspect of this Sonic Boom wave, but you just won’t even bother to actually think of the positives of this like everyone else has. If you don’t like Sonic Boom by any means than DEAL WITH IT! 😐
Correction, not everyone is excited, so please don’t speak for the fanbase as a collective. The game majorly divided the fanbase, some like it and some don’t. And looking through the comment section, I’m getting quite tired of people putting down others for their opinions and telling others to “deal with it” if they feel differently (and this isn’t just in regard to you). Quite honestly, I don’t even want to comment, as I know no matter what I’ll say, someone’s going to let me know how I’m wrong and not allowed to have an opinion. I know this is the internet, but usually tAonic fans on here aren’t this bad.
* sonic, not tAonic; don’t even know why autocorrect would change it to that.
Isn’t that what you’e doing yourself, Runnng around and putting others down for liking this game?
Dude what’s your problem? I left one comment, and it wasn’t even in response to anyone in particular; I stated my opinion in a respectful manner, and haven’t said a word since or put anyone else down. As I said, you just need to chill; I never have told anyone to not be excited or stated that “this game sucks”, I merely left a single comment.
I see what you’re saying Aries, SB isn’t going to magically fix Sonic’s problems, it’s just going to distract people from them. Call me paranoid but I think SEGA is pushing this shit as hard as they can so they can make it popular while slowly phasing out Modern Sonic. They only said they weren’t going to replace modern as a form of damage control. SEGA wants to get rid of modern because they made so many mistakes with him that they want to wipe the slate clean, but they can’t do that because of all the backlash they would receive. The plan is to get everyone hyped on SB, so when they finally DO kill modern, nobody will give. I expect Modern sonic to have 2 games left
Wonder if Sega picked the named because of the event, he he.
I agree, this game looks great and the designs didn’t bug me too much. The only complaint I have is how leggy Sonic is (it just, it seems improper ratio. Knuckles is freaky but, technically if you only worked out your arms…), which really freaked me out in the back to back cutscene. I was humming “Spiderpig” when I saw it ha ha. Or would that be Spiderhog?
The game looks gorgeous and it is still being tweaked and refined, and frankly, I’m all up for new worlds and lore. I play games for story as well as game play, so perhaps this is why I enjoyed games like Black Knight and Shadow more than a lot of people. Regardless I need a WiiU now, dagnabbit, but this was game number 5 I finally needed to have enough merit to pick one up (the others being All Star Racing Transformed, Pokemon Rumble/Scramble U, Sonic Lost World and Smash Bros 4) so yaaaaay XD
They picked the name similarly to how the event’s name was picked; becaus of the word sonicboom. It’s where Sonic’s name originates from, which is why there’s now a game, TV show, event AND a theme tune that uses the name. I think Sonic CD uses the theme tune.
Aye, I know he originates from that name. I just mused it would have been cute if they partially did it because of the big event for fans :3 (I still need to attend one of those, one of these days…)
when I woke up in the morning of the day of Sonic Boom being announced with Trailers and Images, I had over 30 notifications on facebook.
But I went straight here and watched the trailers myself with no criticism poking me in the ear from “fans” I sat down with my 21 year old younger brother
and we watched the trailers and not once did we go “nope dont like that” were like “this change looks epic!”
for those who know me, I am Australia’s Largest Sonic collector
and I was accused for being a “Fan Boy” and just a Follower of Sonic because I didnt have anything negative to say,
well I see it that I am exactly who Sonic Boom was made for, someone who accepts sonic in all shapes and forms,
doesnt have anything negative to say (granted I do have opinions like I think Metal Sonic is over used).
I just want to say bring on Sonic Boom! Bring on the possible sequels and possible other seasons!
this is a form of sonic and friends that I hope stays around.
You sir, are amazing. I whole-heatedly agree with you. Spread your wisdom to others. They could use it.
Nice to see someone more willing to accept a change in direction and giving things a chance. I had the same reaction upon seeing the news and was excited with nothing negative to say. I’ve always appreciated the many directions and styles the Sonic franchise went through over the years (cartoon/anime, dark/cheesy, speed/platforming etc). I don’t mind people not liking the designs because opinions and all that good stuff but the reaction does make me wish people wouldn’t dismiss something that’s only been revealed a few days ago with little details instantly let alone the game/cartoon not out yet. I’m happy Sega is really pushing for Sonic’s awareness even more and am excited at seeing what Sonic Boom has to offer.
I did a quick edit on how they could be fixed
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/Gween2/fixedboom_zps0900da2d.jpg
pass it on.
And by them I Mean Sonic and Knuckles, Amy and Tails are fine. Sonics height or legs are weird but I was too tired to fix it.
See? You are already improving. Keep up the good work.
That looks great! I agree
I laughed really hard when it said Knuckles swallowed the master emerald. XD.
I’m reminded so much about the way the fanbase acted in regards to Lost Worldwhen I see then complain over every Little thing they don’t like. Frankly, I thnk we should be happy that SEGA is willing to branch out the franchise to appeal to more then just one part of their fans.
I stil don’t understand why they hate the changes to the characers, they’re still clearly recognizable as Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and Amy.
I like that the writer refuses the acknowledge the existence, high sales or critical reception of Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. It’s like Sonic fans suddenly hate these titles because they actually sold well and were geared at a mainstream audience rather than the furrie fanfic obsessed Sonic fans who gush about how “brilliant” the Adventure titles were despite their flaws of fishing cats and Emerald hunting. It’s the “it’s popular, so it sucks” mentality.
Hate on Colors and Generations for not having the epic bad anime melodrama or being short and focusing on straight up platforming rather than being bloated, padded 20 hour slog fests. They sold and sold well for Sega, not just to Sonic fans and kids but to people who longed for something reminiscent of the Genesis era. Oh and I don’t want to hear “wisps were gimmicks.” So were Werehogs, playable friends, swords and guns.
Too bad Sega didn’t stay on the path of those games realizing that those were what the mainstream public wanted. Instead said “well that’s enough of that, here’s a game based on a parkour system.”
What I would like to see Sega do is release an Unleashed/Colours/Generations type game with multiple characters. THAT would be cool
Is your argument that SEGA should keep making the same games they were making four years ago?
FYI I thoroughly enjoyed both Colours and Generations.
No but they could’ve built on the gameplay established on what worked in those games. As thatDude pointed out, they could’ve implemented multiplayer with the characters in future games. Crazy experimentation should be for new IPs which is a problem with the industry these days.
The changes can take some getting used to, but I’m sure I will get used to them (Dr. Eggman is going to take the longest though). If Sonic cracks a joke about how Eggman got beefed up, then I’ll instantly be sold (maybe if jokes at Knuckles’ new muscles too). I have to say, after learning that this is a sub-franchise, I’m actually rather interested and, dare I say it, a little excited about this new branch. I’ll be able to take a step into the next generation while still being able to stick with the franchise that I know and love. At this moment, there doesn’t seem to be anything to loose, so long as SEGA doesn’t decide to do anything stupid further down the line.
Does anybody still care about the character design changes between Sonic R and Sonic Adventure? And that was a main series change, not just a subset. We’ll get used to them, they’re no big deal.
The way I see it is eventually characters, gameplay mechanics, etc. will eventually change. Some will be considered good changes, like what happened with Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider. Some will be considered bad, Like what happened with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. At the end of the day though, unlike some other characters in gaming that has been changed drastically. Sonic and friends don’t look that different. Sonic just got more messy quills and a scarf. He look pretty similar to how he did in Sonic Air Riders. Tails and Amy other than a few clothing differences look the same. Knuckles just got bigger and recieved hands. I can understand why people would be upset, and if you don’t like the way the characters look, then you don’t. Doesn’t mean the game or future games will suck. Besides unlike other characters that was changed, Sonic and friends seem to have the personality that they always did. All I’m saying is if you want Sonic to remain relevent in gaming culture then you’ll have to except some changes here and there. If not, it’ll just fade into oblivian with other games that were unable to keep up and reevent itself with the times. Shoot even Mario and Link has changed and tried something new on more than one occasion. Link had the wind waker, which changed the overall art style. Mario changes seem to be primarily gameplay related, but still counts.
Well said.
I’v been a fan since sonic 1, I think my opinion may be a little different about some of the design choices,i have mixed feelings, but more to the positive side, i actually really like sonics new design, except one thing, on the TV show it looks good, but on the game its bad, the spike on top of his head its not back far enough! its way too pronounced and noticeable. if they make it more subtle then it will be easy to accept for me. also when i first saw it i thought it looked more post apocalyptic, i wonder if I’m the only one… also, i think i had more apprehension about egg mans design than any other character… he looks to much like an american villain with a huge chest with tiny waist! weird!! unless this is an origin story and it shows him getting fatter… that might be kinda cool. as in regards to knuckles….. i think he will be fine, they just need to make him cool, and not lame and naive, he may be played by eggman sometimes because he is kinda naive but i don’t think he should be just some dumb lug, he needs to be cooler than that.however i think if they were ganna redesign knuckles, maybe they should take a Que from the original anime and give him that cool adventurers hat. that would be neat. anyway. that’s my two cents, i like it so far but i hope its not all set in stone…
The last paragraph was butiful to be and I love everything you said I am happy for looking forward to Way Past Cool Sonic Renaissance
I mean Beautiful… Sorry!
I’m really excited that I’ll get to experience a new generation of Sonic with my little nephew, and I see a lot of potential in Sonic Boom to really revitalize our fandom with new blood. I mean, let’s face it, we ARE getting stuck in a rut in our old-timey nostalgic ways.
I am one the few who doesn’t like Sonic Boom, while the game looks okay, the redesigns for Sonic, Eggman and Knuckles are awful and don’t make sense unlike the main redesigns which show the cast got older. The trailer for the actual show rubs me the wrong way, unlike every other Sonic canon working around Sonic’s spindash show breaking status, here he doesn’t have it, and instead uses a ELCTRIFIED rope Tails gives him, Eggman’s name was a nickname not his actual name in the main canon, the jokes get no buildup and the show seems to be geared for little kids only. Say what you want about Sonic Adventure titles gameplay but they had great stories and their canon was consistent with the rest of the series. I also find offensive that anyone who doesn’t immediately like this branch of Sonic canon is dumb can’t except change. I’ll give it five episodes to change my mind but until then I’m thinking Sonic Bust. Change isn’t always bad but isn’t always good either
Make it a bust. This whole thing wont generate a single drop of interest from kids. Not with that kiddy TV show. Kids today are playing stuff like Mass Effect and GTA. They’re not going to watch dumb shit like Eggman taking sonic to court. The show should have been darker and grittier. Kids like to feel “grown up”. They don’t like to feel babied. The only people who are going to watch this tripe are sonic fans. As for the game itself, yeah I’m not feeling it. I know it’s a lot more story-driven than previous games, but remember it’s based on the show which is aimed 6-11 yr olds so I expect to be as equally as shitty. The gameplay looks nothing like sonic adventure, it looks more like any other generic platformer you can find in the bargain bin.Plus games based on TV shows are usually shit anyway. Usually when games are made for the sole purpose of promoting something, quality often takes a backseat.
It’s about a blue hedgehog who runs really fast and fights a fat mad scientist.
“A game about a blue hedgehog who runs fast and fights a fat scientist guy needs to be dark and gritty!”
Oh and by the way guys Chris Senn is part of BigRedButton. Yes, the Chris Senn who worked on Sonic X-treme. I doubt we’ll be let down.
I detect sarcasm… ( =-=)
Will it be a good “SONIC” game? No.
Will it be a good game with Sonic in it? Maybe.
NO-ONE in this current industry knows what the hell a Sonic game is, and no amount of athletic tape, scarves, or steroids can fix it. All you can hope for is to see Sonic in a competent game that won’t make him look any worse than he already does.
It’s one thing to be optimistic, because you can only control your attitude, but it’s another thing to be delusional.
I’m going to choose to approach this whole “Sonic Boom” thing with optimism, but also with the knowledge that neither SEGA, nor anyone else in this current industry has the capacity to create a true “Sonic” game, and even if they did, I don’t think this community is ready for it yet.
Naughty Dog sure as hell can.
Which, ironically, is what most of BigRedButton’s staff is made up of.
The project name for Crash Bandicoot WAS called the “Sonic’s Ass Game”, after all!
Sega give sonikku a sword..
Let’s just forget about the black knight, it’s gone and we don’t ever need to speak of it again
I’ve got my fingers crossed, I like the gameplay and the designs look awesome(but dem models)but I won’t be surprised if it turns out meh, I think it’ll be decent at the very least but I really think this can be something amazing
I too love Sonic Unleashed; the beautiful, varied locations; the adventure feel. I loved the hub world. I even loved the Werehog levels that bought a different vibe (night jazz climbing and brawling vibe – awesome).
My main problem with Sonic Boom is that it’s only on Wii U. Sorry guys I don’t own one, can’t justify it at the current price. I have concern if Sonic becomes a Nintendo platform only game, especially given Nintendo have Mario and Sonic was one of few platforming icons that graced other consoles.