Sonic Generations Demo (360/PS3)

[Alex_976]

First impressions - The Good.

Looks how Sonic 4 should have looked - The sonic game we've been waiting for since SA2.
Nice mix of taking existing ideas and adding new ones.
Different routes through the level.
The badniks look amazing in their new world.
Loving the remixed music.
So far i've found item boxes with rings, 1up, and speed shoes. Anyone found any others?

The bad.
He still jumps weird. Make him jump like in the orignals FFS
He takes too long to get up to speed and when he does get up to speed its too fast. Even worse when I had the speed shoes on.
The camera zooming in and out is annoying, ran straight into the first badnik you encounter. Zoom it out and keep it fixed.
The rings look crap, esp when you get hit.
The hit animation looks off.
No animals jump out the badniks when u kill em has Dr. Robotnik changed his ways?
Physic issues when going around the loops.

If they fix these things it may look promising.

[Yakumo]

Guys, if you've played as many in production games as I have you'll know that little touches such as missing animation, missing enemies, graphical touches and camera work all get added at the last minute. I see no reason why Sonic won't have these issues addressed. The only thing we really need to worry about is the slight lag and frame rate. These are problems which don't always get fixed due to the amount of work needed.

[Team Andromeda]

However common it is, like I say, he only goes at full speed at specific points when the level design allows it and when the level is designed around it so that he can go at full speed without danger. The example you posted is a perfect example of this. He goes at top speed when there's absolutely no danger at all, but the level slows him down (by sending him up a hill) when he's about to come into danger.

I was simply pointing out how fast Sonic could go in Sonic II, so this assumption that Sonic Gen is too fast is wrong (Sonic been far faster in Sonic II) and Sonic II the 1st few levels were all about speed and there many moments where Sonic was travelling faster than in this demo

Thats true... though they seem to have forgot to put hazards in the sonic generations demo,

Yes that's right like there was loads of hazards in the 1st level of Sonic, that's why most people even kids could breeze through the 1st level in under 30 seconds.

It's like people never played the 1st Sonic games and forgotten how simple and fast they were , it wasn't until Sonic CD and Sonic III that some decent depth and the game was slowdown a peg or too.

The only thing we really need to worry about is the slight lag and frame rate

IMO the Jumping needs fixing that's the real issue

[saturn-gamer]

I played it some more and I think this is the best post-16 bit era Sonic. This is Green Hill 1, ofcourse its easy.

There are some glaring issues but I give Sega the benefit of the doubt because the game isn't being released by next week. They have plenty of time left and for this anniversary game they'll probably going to listen to feedback.

Generations is not entirely accurate, but Sonic 1, 2 and 3 were different from eachother too. In S1 sonic was very fat, and in S3 and CD it was more about platform gameplay. This feels like how Sonic 4 on Saturn should've been.

Without the input lag, or better said, on a decent PC where this game will likely hit a locked 60fps this will be a stunner.

[toythatkills]

I was simply pointing out how fast Sonic could go in Sonic II, so this assumption that Sonic Gen is too fast is wrong (Sonic been far faster in Sonic II) and Sonic II the 1st few levels were all about speed and there many moments where Sonic was travelling faster than in this demo

Okay, maybe I phrased my initial criticism wrongly. Sonic Generations is too fast in all the wrong places and his normal top speed is far higher than the normal top speed of the Megadrive games.

Maybe he does go quicker sometimes on the Megadrive but not when he's just running on flat ground and that's not the point, the point is that he's too quick all the time in Generations, including when it's not safe to be.

[Team Andromeda]

the point is that he's too quick all the time in Generations, including when it's not safe to be

I don't think Sonic is anywhere near too fast in Gen and there were a few parts on Sonic II where he'll go a bit too fast and you couldn't see what coming next and either get squashed in by a moving platform or fall to your death (and in Sonic CD too) . Rose tinted classes are a wonderful thing.... There's was plenty of speed and the cheap deaths in Sonic CD and Sonic II and Sonic 1 was simple beyond belief, but somehow that's all forgotten or over looked, thanks to being hailed as a Classic in a classic generation of consoles...

[Zaki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdnBWpHwayA&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[sj33]

Guys, if you've played as many in production games as I have you'll know that little touches such as missing animation, missing enemies, graphical touches and camera work all get added at the last minute. I see no reason why Sonic won't have these issues addressed.

It's most likely because we've been here before with Sonic, far too many times. People's doubts are justified, I reckon.

[toythatkills]

I don't think Sonic is anywhere near too fast in Gen and there were a few parts on Sonic II where he'll go a bit too fast and you couldn't see what coming next and either get squashed in by a moving platform or fall to your death (and in Sonic CD too) . Rose tinted classes are a wonderful thing.... There's was plenty of speed and the cheap deaths in Sonic CD and Sonic II and Sonic 1 was simple beyond belief, but somehow that's all forgotten or over looked, thanks to being hailed as a Classic in a classic generation of consoles...

Actually I played them not more than a year or so ago, rather than wearing rose tinted glasses.

But you're right, the speed in Generations is fine. I'm not trying to imply that they should slow him down. They just need to pull the camera way back so to compensate for it, so that you can see what's coming before you've run into it.

[Team Andromeda]

Actually I played them not more than a year or so ago, rather than wearing rose tinted glasses.

But you're right, the speed in Generations is fine. I'm not trying to imply that they should slow him down. They just need to pull the camera way back so to compensate for it, so that you can see what's coming before you've run into it.

That's always been a issue with the Sonic game in parts though , I'm playing Sonic on my old Multi Mega and the Camera is no more zoomed in or out than in Generations , or Sonic CD imo (the two 16 bit Sonic I play the most) . My major issue is with the Jumping and ST need to nail that as jumping is an essential part to get right in a Platform game.

[toythatkills]

That's always been a issue with the Sonic game in parts though , I'm playing Sonic on my old Multi Mega and the Camera is no more zoomed in or out than in Generations , or Sonic CD imo

Yeah, the camera is about the same as it ever was. That's why it's such a problem that Sonic goes faster, the camera needs to be further away. It's just not any fun when you can't react to what's coming.

Also, the demo is missing the animation where Sonic balances on the very edge of platforms. That better make it in to the final game.

[Team Andromeda]

Yeah, the camera is about the same as it ever was. That's why it's such a problem that Sonic goes faster, the camera needs to be further away

Imo Sonic Gen is no more faster than in most of Sonic 16 bit games and the camera view pretty much exactly the same (though you can't look up or down ) . The really issue for me, is the Jumping it's not quite right

Also, the demo is missing the animation where Sonic balances on the very edge of platforms.

It is just a demo of old Alpha code, they'll be more things put in as the game approaches the polishing phase

[Fader209]

I suppose technically this isn't the proper original Sonic in this game as in the first game he didn't have the super dash attack thing.
This is a disgrace!

I'm hoping the bad guy in this turns out to be Dr Robotnik rather than that Eggman fella :P

[prinnysquad]

I thought this demo has a lot of potential. The visuals are stunning - lovely backdrops and so, so vibrant. However, in motion, the oft-criticised low fps is a real eye-skanker. I first played this when I was burbured up, and it made me feel a bit queasy. Sober, a few days, later, it felt exactly the same!

To play, the spin dash sometimes felt a bit awkward, and the jumping felt a little bit 'off' - maybe underpowered? - but the level design struck a neat balance between speedy bits and pottering-about bits. I loved the perspective shifts, and often stopped to look at the detail in the backdrops.

This could be excellent, if the above complaints are sorted out. As it stands, I enjoyed it, but can't say that it's an early purchase.

[hudson]

I went into the demo all excited after seeing a video of it and imagining the good ol' days, but I came away from the demo thinking that it's not for me anymore. The speed was good, zooming from left to right, but I felt like I was missing out on the rest of level. I had the urge to stop and smell the flowers for goods and secrets, but Sonic wasn't really designed to move nimbly in close quarters. Ultimately, I came away realising that Mario kicks Sonic's blue bum.

Just my personal opinion (don't mean to rattle a Sonic fan's cage). I've never ever really favoured one game over the other. Maybe the demo had too much of a 'been there, done that' feel to it.