Sonic the Hedgehog 4 thoughts

[+Cafeman]

I got Sonic 4 for X360 tonight. I played for an hour and a half , stopped at one of the dark mine ("Labyrinth level" I think) levels.

 

Quick , first-play thoughts from me - I loved all the Genesis games, the Sega CD version, and I enjoyed Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 mostly. After that I lost interest - didn't really like the Sonic Advance games or Sonic rush as much as the Genny ones.

 

Okay - I must admit, at first I felt the dread of just making a bad game purchase. The reasons: although it looks nice, the first level music didn't do much for me, the first 3 acts are extremely easy, and the gameplay feels weird until you get old-school momentum-based Sonic out of your head. When you stop pressing right on the stick (analogue or d-pad, doesn't matter), Sonic stops dead. He doesn't ever keep running or keep rolling, it seems. In the Genesis games, you had to be cautious of the duration you'd hold left/right because you knew Sonic's momentum would keep him moving; you just needed some taps to keep going in the desired direction. But now - you must press hard-right and hold it there. It isn't bad control, just different. Also, as reported, Sonic uncurls at the top of a hill. But with the lock-on attack (read further) its really a non-issue. Another big "feel" difference is you no longer use your roll to go back-n-forth up and down the walls of a U-valley. Instead, Sonic's run is what carries him up vertical walls, not his roll.

 

After a while, I think I realized why its this way - because in-air you can press the button for a lock-on attack against enemies or bumpers. It just takes some getting used to.

 

Well, once I got to the Casino Street Level, I was starting to enjoy it much more - more complex level designs and better music, and more classic Sonic props and enemies along with the new takes on things.

 

Then you get to the Labyrinth zone. Its partly underwater with Sonic 1 spears, those little red ball enemies with the spike balls circling around their heads, and the enemies that pop out of the ground. But then in further acts of the Labyrinth, you start to carry a torch and have limited vision. Sonic must light wall sconces to trigger opening doors, and he lights dynamite fuses too to open up things. One 4-wall-sconce puzzle had me stumped and I timed out at 9:59! The exaggerated mine cart sequences occur here too but are problem free and kind of fun - these only last a few moments after all.

 

One prop that I thought was cool was a ball on a mine cart rail. Sonic has to start running backwards as he balances on each big ball to cross levels.

 

There are bottomless pits. Oh, are there ever. That's how I went from 18 lives to 3, trying to figure out how to propel myself over gaps and falling into various bottomless pits. Once the level is learned I'm sure it isn't difficult to pass these sections, though. It is the unfamiliarity which made me keep dying as I experimented.

 

I'm tired now, just wanted to blog something out on this forum. Need to get some rest and play the rest of the levels tomorrow evening.

[Atariman]

I purchased Sonic 4 last night for the 360 as well. I agree that it just feels a little "weird" to control Sonic in this game when I really was expecting similar controls to the original games. It took me awhile to realize that he wasn't really that sluggish, I just needed to let go of some assumptions I had about how he moved. After that, it was pretty good.

 

Another thing that threw me was the new take on the bonus levels from the first Sonic game - instead of slowly rotating the level and allowing the player to maneuver Sonic around in it, the player actually rotates the level around Sonic, instead. It took me a minute to fully realize everything they had done differently in this stage. Needless to say, I didn't get the chaos emerald the first time.

 

One thing I really like is that you can go back and play a level over and over until you "get it right". Unlike the old games, Sonic 4 isn't totally linear and allows you to try new levels at your own speed - I also like the fact that they allow you to jump to the next level by pressing 'Y' at the end of a stage rather than forcing you to come out to the map every time.

 

While I was a little disappointed at first, I think that ultimately I do like the new game, but it certainly took some getting used to.

[+Cafeman]

I played for another hour tonight, and I feel the same way. I like it. I haven't beaten the 3rd act of the final level yet, and I've only gotten 1 emerald. I replayed the earlier levels some more too. I do applaud how Sega has made these Sonic 4 levels as amalgamations of 2 or even 3 prior Sonic game levels.

 

Oh, and although 15-year old Caf Jr beat the game with all emeralds in his first day playing it, I don't find the game easy. You've got to learn the levels and replay some to get through without getting squashed or otherwise losing a life.

 

My opinion is: its a good start. I hope Sega can make further progress on Episode 2.

[+SpiceWare]

Thanks for the info - I'd been debating StH4, but like you had lost interested after the non-Genesis ones. I'll have to nab it weekend.

[StoneAgeGamer]

So far this game seems very polarizing based on the "professional" reviewers. Some say "Sonic is back baby!" and others say "Too much like original Sonic games and that's not a good thing because its out dated." I don't think Sega will ever win with Sonic now that they have messed it up so badly the last 10 years.

 

People cry that they should make it more like the originals and they do and then people cry that its not modern enough. In the end this is more Sega's fault than anyone. IMO they should have went all out on this game like New Super Mario for the Wii instead of this episode download stuff. IMO they might have played Sonic 4 too safe.

 

I really want to buy it though, but I am not sure if I should hold out for a possible physical release when all episodes have been released.

[Draikar]

Will this game eventually come to CD or DS card, or just as a download only game ?

[Lord Helmet]

This will likely only be a DL game unless they release it on a compilation later. they did that with Pac-Man CE on the 360.

[cimerians]

"Too much like original Sonic games and that's not a good thing because its out dated."

 

I'm part of that crowd. I don't think it's "outdated" though, to me its just more of the same (kind of like been there\done that)

 

I certainly wont pay more that 10 bucks for it.

[StoneAgeGamer]

"Too much like original Sonic games and that's not a good thing because its out dated."

 

I'm part of that crowd. I don't think it's "outdated" though, to me its just more of the same (kind of like been there\done that)

 

I certainly wont pay more that 10 bucks for it.

 

Yeah I can completely see that. I think if Sega would have transitioned Sonic correctly to 3D this wouldn't be an issue. However its like if you've worked a long time on something, but made a huge mistake. To correct that mistake it would take longer than to just start over. I think that's the position they are in now and probably why they made it just a downloadable game. They basically started over from where they were with Sonic & Knuckles and added a new move: Homing Attack. I do hope Sonic 4 does well enough that they decide to possibly make a Sonic 5 that may be that next step in the series they should have made originally on the Dreamcast. Don't get me wrong SA was an alright game, but I don't think its the direction it should have went.

 

Sonic Colors looks like it could be good, but I've said that before.

[cimerians]

"Too much like original Sonic games and that's not a good thing because its out dated."

 

I'm part of that crowd. I don't think it's "outdated" though, to me its just more of the same (kind of like been there\done that)

 

I certainly wont pay more that 10 bucks for it.

 

Yeah I can completely see that. I think if Sega would have transitioned Sonic correctly to 3D this wouldn't be an issue. However its like if you've worked a long time on something, but made a huge mistake. To correct that mistake it would take longer than to just start over. I think that's the position they are in now and probably why they made it just a downloadable game. They basically started over from where they were with Sonic & Knuckles and added a new move: Homing Attack. I do hope Sonic 4 does well enough that they decide to possibly make a Sonic 5 that may be that next step in the series they should have made originally on the Dreamcast. Don't get me wrong SA was an alright game, but I don't think its the direction it should have went.

 

Sonic Colors looks like it could be good, but I've said that before.

 

 

I totally agree, I wasn't impressed that much by SA when it first came out. I think force feeding old Sonic titles in the very recent past HAS hurt them but at least they are now kind of trying to get that old vibe back its just that for me its a bit tired since all I've ever done is go back and play the first 2 or 3 games all the time.

[+Cafeman]

3rd evening trying out Sonic 4.

 

I got to replay the earlier levels and do well enough to finish with over 50 rings, and earn the bonus round. I got the first 2 emeralds, but failed at the 3rd bonus round - they seem to ramp up in difficulty quickly!

 

I beat all the levels and got a SUPERB TREAT with the "real" final level. I don't know if I should spoil anything , so I'll just say that you get to battle the prior Robotnik boss battles all over again but this time there is a final incarnation that will be very familiar to everyone! And I didn't beat him! His different patterns through me enough that I died before completing it.

 

I like Sonic 4 much more than my first impression. I have adjusted to the difference in Sonic's "feel" now and don't even think twice about it. There seems to be a nice balance of "hold right and run through the level" and actual stop, look, jump and react real platforming. And the game is not too easy thankfully. When you beat the last boss with all the emeralds (Caf jr did it) , there is a very brief teaser image for Episode two...

[+Cafeman]

You can play as Super Sonic through all the levels after you've achieved all the Chaos Emeralds. Its been a long time since you could do that in a Sonic game.

[Austin]

I totally agree, I wasn't impressed that much by SA when it first came out. I think force feeding old Sonic titles in the very recent past HAS hurt them but at least they are now kind of trying to get that old vibe back its just that for me its a bit tired since all I've ever done is go back and play the first 2 or 3 games all the time.

 

I was blown away by Sonic Adventure when it came out.. The visuals, the fluid framerate, the killer speed.. That wore off quickly though when I got to the first "adventure" area. Ugh.

[Animan]

Got it on the Wii yesterday. The feel is slightly weird at first, but it's easy to adjust. Same with the homing attack.

 

Lost Labyrinth has some serious glitches. Wasted a lot of time in that zone.

 

I have also learned it is impossible to please some Sonic fans.

 

"The physics are off, the levels look too modern, the homing attack is useless, the levels aren't original enough, sonic's modern look shouldn't have been used, Sonic takes up too much of the screen, the new special stage's controls are messed up, the music sucks"

 

How about you try making your own Sonic game, people!

[Atariboy]

I think a lot of people hoped they would take the Mega Man 9/10 approach with this rather then something more akin to what Nintendo did with the New Super Mario Bros. series.

 

I think they did a decent job and I intend to purchase it (Hoping for a retail compilation that packages all the episodes though so I've held off so far). But I don't see the harm in people having wished the game was programmed to mimic what was done on the Genesis.

 

It's what I had hoped for until I started to see things like screenshots and knew it was a reimagining of the series in 2d that just took some inspiration from the Genesis titles, rather then just pretending that the past 15 years never happened. I don't think it's unreasonable for someone to criticize it for not living up to what they had hoped it would be.

 

How about you try making your own Sonic game, people!

 

You can't criticize something if you've never done it yourself? What's the logic in that?

Edited October 24, 2010 by Atariboy

[Vic George 2K3]

How about you try making your own Sonic game, people!

 

You can't criticize something if you've never done it yourself? What's the logic in that?

 

On the one hand, we can make critical judgments on games we haven't created so others will know whether the game is good or garbage, and that hopefully the developers will know what to keep, what to improve on, and what to discard. On the other hand, since we're NOT the developers of those games, we're still at the mercy of whether those developers will either listen to those suggestions or end up doing things however they see fit to do so. Sometimes, because fan suggestions can be so many and can even contradict one another, the developers may have to go with a decision that may annoy certain gamers who want things to go their own way.

 

If you're still not happy with how a game turns out and you feel nobody's really listening to you, there's always homebrew or developing your own game...if you're willing to put the talent and effort into it.

[jeremysart]

How about you try making your own Sonic game, people!

 

Haha.. well, good timing to drop into this thread.

Rather you have played Sonic 4 or not, or liked or disliked it for that matter, I suggest checking this out:

 

http://sonicfanremix.com/

 

Because personally, I found this to be more fun to play than Sonic 4, and better looking in my opinion.

So far, its only a 3 level demo, and they could use cleaning up some of the over used vines, but other than that, this is pretty amazing.

 

 

No, this is not just a shopped up peice of fan art.. this is the actual game, screen is taken straight from the playable demo.

Edited October 25, 2010 by jeremysart