Sonic the Hedgehog: Next Gen

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-03-sonic-game-for-playstation-4-and-xbox-one-spotted-report

A listing at a Toy Fair has been spotted for a new Sonic game coming this year to XBO, PS4 and WiiU. There's some speculation about whether this is the unannounced third WiiU exclusive thats now gone multiformat, I'm inclined to think its not and that it's a seperate title. However, given the quality of Lost World my expectations are at a franchise low.

[sj33]

Lost World was a disappointment, but was also co-developed by Nintendo with a lot of creative input by them. While this sounds like it should have resulted in superior quality, it resulted in a game that didn't really feel like a convincing Sonic game. The pacing was much closer to a Mario game.

I'm hoping for a game closer to Sonic Colours, which was genuinely a great game (better than Sonic Generations in my eyes). They found the correct formula with Colours and Generations, and I hope they build upon that.

[charlesr]

I'd like to play a mash up of super-hang on / subway surfers / temple run / fzero with Sonic characters on their feet (not in karts), and not just 3 lanes, but more like Burnout with bonuses for close shaves. Something really fast. Spike traps. Bridges with fish. Tubes. Coins. Not free2play though.

[nakamura]

I'm not even sure why I clicked or even why this thread was even started. It's like going back to an ex girlfriend over and over and then remembering why you left.

[Asura]

I share the concern of some in this thread. Sonic Generations had some brilliant parts (though it was ruined by terrible bosses IMO), and right now I'm playing the DS Sonic Colors and really enjoying it (as it's just more Sonic Rush, which is no bad thing), but given Sega's track record, I'd be very surprised if they manage to turn this into something genuinely good, when Sonic 06 (despite being an unfinished mess) actually sold very well (it only recently dipped under ?20 2nd hand in CEX, and it's a PS3 launch game; shows the demand has been pretty constant).

I'd like to play a mash up of super-hang on / subway surfers / temple run / fzero with Sonic characters on their feet (not in karts), and not just 3 lanes, but more like Burnout with bonuses for close shaves. Something really fast. Spike traps. Bridges with fish. Tubes. Coins. Not free2play though.

I think the closest you're ever going to get is Sonic Dash. Sonic's main audience (like or loath it) is still kids, which is why titles like Sonic Heroes, Sonic 06 and Sonic & The Black Knight did pretty well. The perception is that those kids are far more likely to have Tesco Hudl's, Kindle Fire's and iPads in the future than traditional, ?300 consoles, and they've grown up in an era where they expect everything to be "free" (freemium games, music videos on YouTube supported by ads, Netflix paid for by parents), and buying a full price game is unthinkable.

Don't get me wrong, we're still going to get Sonic titles on console, but I imagine those games will be very console oriented, i.e. getting the best out of using a controller and buttons. The more "casual" stuff will go all the way and be freemium.

I'd love to be wrong, but I can't see it going any other way. I remember when I was Sonic mad as a kid, and back then I was just the right age to be the kind of kid playing Moshi Monsters on dad's iPad today. Knack has made more money than Mario 3D World, and I'd bet that Subway Surfers has made even more than Knack.

I'm not even sure why I clicked or even why this thread was even started. It's like going back to an ex girlfriend over and over and then remembering why you left.

Quick, someone post the Sonic Cycle image!

[EvilBoris]

Last time we got a next gen launch Sonic it went really well....

[DANGEROUS-3]

Big Sonic fan here- I have been waiting for this.
My only concern is that if it's on the Wii U as well, they will use the Wii U version as the basis for the PS4/XBO versions instead of giving us a truly next-gen Sonic game.

I have not played Lost World, but imo Colours and Generations were both excellent titles and the best Sonic games since S&K. I thought they perfected the Modern Sonic gameplay/formula in Generations, Green Hill Act 2 was the greatest/most perfect Modern Sonic level ever created. And Colours was a revelation after years of dross.

Despite my love of Modern Sonic done right, my dream Sonic game would be a return for Classic Sonic with cutting edge graphics and Yuji Naka's orginal gameplay code which he won't let SEGA use for copyright reasons. The only part of the Classic Sonic gameplay in Generations that felt right was the running.

[Asura]

I agree, on principle. As someone who was a kid when the original games were doing the rounds, I'm probably a bit of an anomaly as I like the original and Sonic Adventure 1&2, despite their flaws. I even like Sonic Rush.

Between the better parts of Generations, Rush, Colors (both versions), Unleashed and hell even '06 (the very few there were) there is enough material to cobble together one of the better platform "character" games of next gen. It's a question though of if they can get it right!

Despite my love of Modern Sonic done right, my dream Sonic game would be a return for Classic Sonic with cutting edge graphics and Yuji Naka's orginal gameplay code which he won't let SEGA use for copyright reasons. The only part of the Classic Sonic gameplay in Generations that felt right was the running.

Is that really true? Because the recent new versions of Sonic 1 and Sonic CD for the iPhone (and various other formats) by Chris Whitehead (I think that's his name) nailed it perfectly, or at least I thought so - and those weren't just better emulators; they were remakes of the existing games in an entirely new engine. They were certainly better than the trash Sega had the gall to call "Sonic 4".

[sj33]

To be honest, I felt the classic Sonic sections of Sonic Generation were the weakest, not because there was much particularly wrong with them, but because the formula actually moved on quite a bit with Sonic Colours.

It is still cool to hate Sonic games, and this isn't helped by the appearance of a dud every couple of years. But in fairness, Lost World is the only mediocre game we've had over the past couple of years. I felt Colours was pretty flawless, and the modern sections of Generations were a good continuation from that. More of this.

[Asura]

To be honest, I felt the classic Sonic sections of Sonic Generation were the weakest, not because there was much particularly wrong with them, but because the formula actually moved on quite a bit with Sonic Colours.

It is still cool to hate Sonic games, and this isn't helped by the appearance of a dud every couple of years. But in fairness, Lost World is the only mediocre game we've had over the past couple of years. I felt Colours was pretty flawless, and the modern sections of Generations were a good continuation from that. More of this.

Are you not being a bit selective there? I mean do we regard Unleashed, Sonic 4, The Black Knight, Rush Adventure, the various hoverboard racing games (especially the Kinect one) and The Dark Brotherhood as recent?

EDIT: For the record, I know that the actual "Sonic" bits of Unleashed and Rush Adventure are considered quite good, but I was told they were marred severely by the non-Sonic bits.

[sj33]

The above games were all pre-Colours, which I consider to be a significant turning point in terms of quality. It was also when Sega delisted all the rubbish games.

[DANGEROUS-3]

Is that really true? Because the recent new versions of Sonic 1 and Sonic CD for the iPhone (and various other formats) by Chris Whitehead (I think that's his name) nailed it perfectly, or at least I thought so - and those weren't just better emulators; they were remakes of the existing games in an entirely new engine. They were certainly better than the trash Sega had the gall to call "Sonic 4".

This is the word on the SEGA forums.
As for Taxman's improved Classic Sonic games, my guess is they were allowed because they were just improved versions of old games. It appears Naka would not let Sonic Team use his coding in Generations hence the nerfed Classic gameplay.

To be honest, I felt the classic Sonic sections of Sonic Generation were the weakest, not because there was much particularly wrong with them, but because the formula actually moved on quite a bit with Sonic Colours.

Actually there was quite a bit wrong with them...
-The roll was broke- he slowed down when rolling downhil when he is supppossed to speed up.
-To accomodate this many of the hill jumps had automated invisible boosts
-the jump felt to heavy

As you note the Modern acts were great, if those had been coupled with the true Classic Sonic gameplay in the first acts, it would have made for an awesome experience.

[Asura]

The above games were all pre-Colours, which I consider to be a significant turning point in terms of quality. It was also when Sega delisted all the rubbish games.

I was very surprised to see a level based on Crisis City in Sonic Generations. As you imply by your use of the word "delisted", I would've thought Sega would've really wanted to distance themselves from that game. Given the entire Sonic series to pick from, I've no idea what made them go for that, unless Sega were keen to have levels from a game that was still currently available at retail (Unleashed/Colors made more sense as they were much more recent).