What is wrong with the Sonic series?
 

I'm writing an editorial on a more personal topic. namely, Sonic the Hedgehog. I want to try to list what problems are plaguing the series and what can be done to fix it since Sonic Team is trying to start over with this new game. I've got many ideas, but I'm keeping quiet. What do you think is wrong with the series? List anything. I'm not trying to slam the series (I'd kill myself first), but more like point out the flaws and draw attention to them so Sonic Team will take note while the new "Sonic the Hedgehog" (<<actual title of the game) that restarts the series is in development. This is a freash chance to start over, so it seems a good time to write this article. Sonic has always been on the same level as Mario in my mind, regardless of Sega's recent crap, and it just would help my piece of mind by writing this.

I dont think anything is wrong with the sonic himself, but. i do think he should get rid of some of the sidekicks.

Well, I don't play the games anymore myself, but from what I've noticed they've been trying way too hard to be 'cool'. The recent Shadow game is the most obvious example, but a cartoon hedgehog fighting ULTIMATE CHAOS in a ruined city just kind of strikes me as lame.

I'm sure I say this about almost everything, but that's what I've noticed.

I also say they should bring the cast back down to just Sonic, Tails and Knuckles...And change Eggman back to Robotnik, but that's just me being a b*tch.

As for gameplay, I was never fond of blind jumps and levels that are over within seconds and only require the player to hold down the D-Pad, but maybe that's part of the appeal. I dunno.

Iv'e really only ever liked the 2D sonics. Ever since the series switched to 3D the series has just gone down hill. I don't think Sonic was ever made to be in that type of an enviroment.

Note Sonic Rush, and the praise that it has gotten. Amazing how much a series can be good again when it goes back to its roots.

I think Sonic has just been used too much. Marios loved because we passionatly await his next game. Theres not a new one..that much time didnt go into making..coming out every other month...such as the sonic games.

Exactly my sentiments (cept for the being a b*tch part). The gameplay part is the reason I don't play the 3D games, you just hold down the D-pad and race through the level blindly jumping. I know that's basically what the 2D game was too (it feels more like skill in the 2D games than 'jumping blindly' though), but when you're playing that it just feels like a good game, whereas in the 3D ones it's just awful. I wouldn't touch the 3D games with a 20 foot barge pole, I took a chance on Sonic Adventure DX and now I can't get rid of it and played Sonic Heros once or twice before trading it in (it came free with my sister's PS2 so I took it for mine).

Does anyone else feel the same way as me, that they can't quite put their finger on why the 3D ones are so bad when the 2D ones are so good, even though both of them contain the reason that I can't stand the 3D ones (speeding through the levels blindly jumping)?

Besides the fact I rarely play 3-D games out side of Target's demo area (because, among other thigs, I'm poor), the only Sonic related media I have exposure to is the anime on Fox. Personally, I like Eggman over Robotnik. I dunno.... whenever I think of the Name Robotnik, I think of that goofy fat version with the hot Dog for a nose from that lame "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" cartoon

http://www.vegalleries.com/misccels/38sonic04.jpg

Mainly because it's so awful, it cracks me up.

Only thing I would love to see change in? A new action figure license. Bought an Eggman, and I don't even think it was worth 3 bucks, vs. the 6 I paid for it.

1) Fix the damned camera. I don't care what you have to do to do this, but it NEEDS done Sonic Team. Shadow was a good start, yes, but there's always room to get better.

2) Ditch the guns. NO GUNS. You freakin hear me? So help if you Sonic runs around with an 9mm. This isn't Grand Theft Chaos Emeralds here.

3) Get rid of all the stupid characters. Tails and Knuckles can stay, but turn Shadow back into Metal Sonic. If you need a badass, I would think Knuckles could pass pretty well. The dude has freaking SPIKES on his HANDS.

4) Speed. SPEED Sonic Team. Speed. Look at F-Zero GX... take notes... and use them. I wanna FEEL like I'm moving faster then I should be, not have to think I am.

5) Linear 3-D levels. I want to run, and I want to know exactaly where I need to run to. I want some loops to run through, I want coins to grab, and I want baddies to jump on. I want spin launchers, moving platforms, and death falls. I don't want to search for emerald shards. I don't want to destroy all the baddies. I just want to run really fast, and jump. Toss a bit of grinding in there, and you're good. I shoulden't have to spend more then five minutes in a stage.

Oh, and make each level a stage. I want around nine-ten worlds, with 3 stages and a boss battle.

6) Make the damn game hard. Sure, the first few levels should be easier... but slowly make them harder. And I want at least nine very diffrent worlds. I look back to Sonic two, going from running around in hills, to a chemical plant, then some woods.

7) Controlls. I want jump, and spin dash. That's it. No punches (unless Knuckle is in the game, then that'd be expected), no kicks, no stupid mecha for Tails to hide in. Just jump and spin dash. Two buttons, Sonic Team. Simple, but it works.

8) Eggman sucks. I want Robotnik back. I also want his flying sphere back, and I want to kick his ass at the end of each world. No more stupid robot battles, please.

9) Graphic wise... stop trying to make the cartoon characters 'hard core'. It doesn't work. Just give me smooth character models, semi-detailed worlds, and for the love of all that's holy, a steady 60FPS. If you can get it to run higher then 60 without the game taking a hit, then do it. The smoother it runs, the more ilusion of speed you'll get. It all comes down to making the game look insanely fast.

I'm sure I'll think up some more stuff...

Now that I think of it, take the grinding rails out altogether, they're extremely boring and all you do is watch the screen, bar the odd jump to get to another rail or to get a ring.

I concur with most of what is being said here. However, I was fond of Sonic Adventure. I just want to play as Sonic, not Amy, the cat thing, a robot, and whatever other flavor of the month they happen to throw in a game. Let's take it back to Sonic 3 & Sonic and Knuckles...or as I like to call it: "Happy Days."

I LOVE Sonic the Hedgehog! Well I loved it when it was just Sonic Tails and Robotnik (Eggman) The new show just seems to be going in a circle and the "Opps I lost the Emerald"

THe SEga older games rocked. I think the story should of went like the games.Find the Emeralds , become Super,Hyper Sonic and then win.But you have all these sidekicksand it's just ughh... the BIG problem with Japan is making kids the leaders,in control of the characters. Like for an example: TRansformers:Car Robots, Armada (Please kill those kids),Energon,Cybertron..... those shows had the kids in it and they where ANNNOYING and messed up the story.The shows wheren't that much fun anymore. THe deal with Sonic is just too many characters and astory line going in a big circle...

I'm going back to my old school gamesand maybe my Shadow game

The thing that made the 2D games a real joy was the level design. Just utterly fantastic in it's intricacies.

You could replay the same level 4 or 5 times and STILL find new paths to tread. There were hidden little secrets all over the place, paths would intersect, you had options everywhere you went, a variety of forcefields and power-ups, lots of badniks to jump on...and so much more.

Yet nothing I listed above could NOT be turned 3D. You can still have nonlinear gameplay in 3D, you can still have hidden power-ups and Chaos Emerald special stages, you can still have ALL of that in a 3D environment.


ALSO, I don't want to treasure hunt with Knuckles. I don't want to pilot a mech with Tails. I want to PLAY SONIC'S LEVELS with those characters, using their special abilities to reach certain areas and paths other characters could not. Like in the 2D games.

Again, no reason they couldn't do that in 3D. Mandatory treasure-hunting in SA2 was a crime. The game's supposed to be fast. FAST!


I have no problems with the extended cast of characters, just don't cram them down our throats. I'm sorry, but I just don't see what's so great about Shadow. Angsty evil twin? Yeah, like that's never been done before. Metal Sonic was cooler, anyway.

They can stay, just don't let them hog the spotlight anymore.


And yeah, I'm glad Sonic Team acknowledged "Robotnik" as Dr. Eggman's real name in SA2. That was a nice nod to American fandom that they didn't HAVE to do but did it anyway.

Just please, for the American voice overs at the very least, PLEASE call him Robotnik again. Eggman is just so...so...LAME.


So that's it, really. My main issues are level design and mis-use of characters.

I just got SICK of the games. I was the #1 Video game sonic Master in my area for 3 years but when it became 3 D it was making me sick and with my medical conidtion it just was harder to play the games.

What I liked best about Sonic was the speedand using your head quick when you went through hidden paths- the hardest was pahs where you had spikes as well as something to crush you....but nothing makes a sonic game great then the loops and those rings!

THe best Sonic trick I learned was clear thr ENTIRE level and end at exactly 9:59 you got 100,000 points plus a time bonus of 100,000 points! That ROCKED. Ah Sonic and KNuckles! Remember,"ROCK THE ROCK?" at Target wher you could play Sonic snd Knuckles? I won my division in Houston,TX and was suppose to go to the finals to compete but my MOM messed that up for me by saying,"Oh I have to help at this Church...":roll: I don't blame God but my mom costed me 50,000 dollors

3 words:

Super Sonic Independence.

We should be able to play as Super Sonic in any level again. After you get all the Chaos Emeralds in bonus levels, of course.

Things wrong with the Sonic license today.

1) Stupid characters. Anyone besides Sonic, Tails and Knuckles should not be in the game. I'll allow Metal Sonic, but he's not really a "character".

2) Speed. The majority of the 3D sonic games are slow and boring. There's nothing like moving so fast the screen can't scroll fast enough to actually see your character.

3) Drop the stupid gimmicks. I.E. Tails in the stupid mecha, Knuckles burrowing into walls, guns, etc etc.

4) Sh*tty techno music. Let's hear some classic tunes re-done for the new games.

Exactly.

Which means they first need to bring back the Chaos Emerald stages. As much as I appreciated the story in the SA games, and how the Chaos Emeralds were an important part of that story, I'd still much rather earn them for myself so I can be Super Sonic whenever I want.

The Super Sonic independance-thing hangs up there with the Knuckles and Tails independance-thing. I want to play them in the same level as Sonic, just making use of their special abilities. I don't want them to be relagated only to "special levels".

I think thisshould be perment in the game. THe down side of Super Sonic or Knuckles was the fact your rings run out. But I learned something Super Sonic can be a nonsense too if your in the wrong area.

BTW going back to Sonic THe Hedgehog 1, that game has 6 emeralds when was the 7th Emerald added and what reason ? And Sonic 2 the level the "Hidden Palace" was removed but some claim they found it. I NEVER saw Hidden Palace till S &K. That level was beauitful!

Hidden Palace is a lost level in Sonic 2, unaccessable by normal means. PM me and I'll tell you how to "get to it".


By the way, I agree with most of what is said, and I know that they are going to be stripping away all playable characters except Sonic for the new game. One point. They're rethinking the "run forward down one path" concept. They claim it is going back to open ended, multi path levels. Also, Sonic's model looks right for the first time in 6 years. That, and I hear they talked to Jpop band "Dreams Come True about the music (their drummer, Masato Nakamura, wrote the music to Sonic 1 & 2). Nothing confirmed, but just talking to them is enough to make me cream my pants.

Plus, this is the first Sonic game Naka will direct since the original SA in '99. Guess he's finally done fu*king around with his Phantasy Star crap. That's a big point right there. Those *******s in San Fransisco handled SA2, Sonic Heroes, and Shadow. They've apprently been banned from the franchise, as it's all their games that have dregged down the series. Keep it in Japan Sega. They call those lazy bastards "Sonic Team" for a reason. They also keep talking about Sonic 2 & Sonic & Knuckles when discussing design. Big damn words Sonic team. Live up to them.


Still, this video give me hope big time.....

http://www.sonic-cult.org/upcoming/s...ic-Nextgen.avi

All in game engine footage. May make your Media Player choke.

What's wrong with Sonic? Easy. Same thing that's wrong with Mario.

Too many games.

I agree with most of what was posted so far, but if those rumors turn out to be true, this new game looks promising. It would be even better if a new Sonic console game were made in 2D (it could still use 3D characters as long as they are set in a 2D environment), but I highly doubt that will happen...

Well, that's what Sonic Rush did, and it did a fantastic job of it too.