Stumbling through Sonic Generations

[davidn]

After having found myself with a lot of free time recently, I took the chance to look at a Sonic game that had reportedly started a new trend (i.e. it wasn't terrible). As someone who was mesmerized by the early Sonic games but hates what they then turned him into, it was an interesting experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpMQWI0iDM4&hd=1

This one was pretty enjoyable, apart from the presence of the floating tutorial-bot, who I have since caught and made into a toaster.

Comments

[rakarr.livejournal.com]

WHAT HAPPENED TO LIVEJOURNAL

Er, anyway.

The graphics are lovely, but I have to say that I think they're just a bit too busy in the side-scrolling stages. A game this fast-paced really needs better contrast between the playing area and the background. Although apparently you can hop between them, so what do I know?

I initially thought that the zoomy stages were a good illustration of why the older games were better, because the newer style seemed to favour flash over interactivity... but I guess it depends on the design of the individual level, because some of the seemed all right. I did think they were all a bit overlong and a little less than optimal, though - I saw you fall through the floor a few times.

I'm not against 3D Sonic in theory, though I've never really bothered with any of them. Sonic Adventure looks pretty fun, though.

The way Tails zoomed off at the beginning of that challenge forcibly reminded me of "Beat the ghost!" I'm starting to wonder if they really did take inspiration from Crystal Towers 2! It certainly is reminiscent of it in places. I mean, I know the likelihood that they did is very low, but still.

Thanks for another video! I think this game looks like a step in the right direction, although I still favour the old games over it. Especially for the lack of that annoying flying tutorial.

[davidn]

Livejournal seems to have caught the Windows 8 tablet bug that's been infecting a lot of things (have you logged into Paypal recently?) - unattractive boxy layouts, large fonts and little information!

The background/foreground situation is that... at certain points in the Act 2 stages (I can't remember it happening in the Act 1 once), you'll either be platforming sideways or running into the screen or in free movement, in segments that aren't always that well-defined. The issue is that I can't think of a way to make a challenging game out of them - they need to flow very smoothly to get the thrill of speed and nonsensical agility, but if a player fails to react and follow the thread, everything quickly comes to an unsatisfying halt.

There must surely have been games that had you going back into the main levels to beat challenges as a secondary progress token before I did, but... it is pretty strongly reminiscent :)

[kjorteo]

*Cough*

Anyway, the Act 2 stages look impressive if not downright spectacular to behold, but you'll have to correct me if I'm wrong since you were the one playing, it didn't look like there was an awful lot of actual control involved! The segments where Sonic was running forward into the screen looked like some sort of on-rails shooter, and when the camera spun around as you were going down some tube or something, those may as well have been cutscenes. Of course there was just enough control involved to make you press Jump to get onto the upper rail before the one you're currently on abruptly ends and sends you careening into a wall of spikes, but ... congratulations, now you're a Resident Evil cutscene!

That being said, it was awesome to watch, especially since pairing the newer generation's mechanics like that with the older aesthetic (Green Hill Zone Act 2, for example) really brings what we so fondly remembered back to life, in a way that really seems to work. :) (And I can completely understand why you were out of breath at the end of that!)