Bioware - Sonic the Hedgehog RPG for the DS

Dritz

Fat Shadow is actually kinda cool looking if you ask me. I'm probably not seeing something creepy about the picture though. As for the video posted before I didn't think I could like that song any less but here we are.

Dirtchamber

TheSonicRetard wrote: »

So fucking NSFW

Hey, wasn't that one done by UK:R as a joke?

Darmak

TSR, everything you just posted is made of win.

Pata

Darmak wrote: »

TSR, everything you just posted is made of arrrggg my eyes! Why god why!?.

BlueDestiny

TSR, I'll see your horrid fanart and raise you one Second Life. I would dare you to try and top it, but I'm afraid that you might be able to. And I would like to die happy.

Incenjucar

Dritz wrote: »

Fat Shadow is actually kinda cool looking if you ask me. I'm probably not seeing something creepy about the picture though. As for the video posted before I didn't think I could like that song any less but here we are.

It's the "stuffing fetish."

Basically, a lot of people get off to seeing characters being fattened up.

Chubby chasers++

It's an extremely unhealthy fetish.

Dritz

Incenjucar wrote: »

Dritz wrote: »

Fat Shadow is actually kinda cool looking if you ask me. I'm probably not seeing something creepy about the picture though. As for the video posted before I didn't think I could like that song any less but here we are.

It's the "stuffing fetish."

Basically, a lot of people get off to seeing characters being fattened up.

Chubby chasers++

It's an extremely unhealthy fetish.

I really didn't need to know that. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

Rami

Reminds me of Feeders, although really the less said about that the better I think.

Men who keep women at home and constantly feed them so they become grotesquely obese to the point where they can't move themselves.

Darmak

Rami wrote: »

Reminds me of Feeders, although really the less said about that the better I think.

Men who keep women at home and constantly feed them so they become grotesquely obese to the point where they can't move themselves.

That's totally fucking crazy.

I THINK MY GIRLFRIEND IS DOING THAT TO ME, GOD HELP

LBD_Nytetrayn

...um, yeah.

So anyway. I say base the mechanics on Paper Mario. Except make it to Mario what the platforming Sonics were to Mario.

If that makes any sense.

Roshin

Fiaryn wrote: »

Axen wrote: »

David Gaider, Lead Writer for Drangon Age posts on their forum often enough. He posted on their forum as recently as June 19th to clear up some questions about how the class system works. Which sounds sorta cool.

They desperately need to start putting some information on, ya know, the main website.

OT, but I want to give you some information about DA.

DA is a long way off yet, so that's why the site is a little empty. It is essentially just a placeholder right now. Most of the information can be found in the forum, which can be found here:

http://forums.bioware.com/forums/viewforum.html?forum=84

Loads of stuff have been gathered up in this thread:

http://forums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=557686&forum=84

It's a good read and the game sounds very promising, IMO.

Edcrab

Yar, I used to frequent the BioWare forums and it sounds to me like Dragon Age is shaping up pretty damn well (despite being in the design stage more than anything else).


The thing about a Sonic RPG is that, for me, the original games never relied on narrative, more on the player (i.e., Sonic) actually being a part of everything significant that happens. You can say that the story was good for a platformer or whatever, but I'm not sure what I'd make of it unrolling into something with various characters and... dialogue options

bruin

New interview up at Game|Life - http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/07/qa-bioware-spea.html

Game|Life: What attracted BioWare to the Sonic RPG project?
Ray Muzyka: We are huge fans of Sonic and of the Nintendo DS! BioWare has also been interested for some time in developing games for handheld that appeal to both younger and older gamers, both for domestic and overseas audiences. When the opportunity arose to work with such an internationally recognized and beloved IP, we jumped at the chance.

GL: Many feel that the Sonic franchise has lost its way. Do you see this RPG as a chance to revitalize the property?
RM: Sega and BioWare are committed to delivering a high quality game. Story driven games have been BioWare’s bread and butter for years, so we’re certainly utilizing the knowledge and experience we’ve learned to create a brand new and immersive Sonic with a rich adventure and story that’s fast-paced and incredibly fun to play.

GL: Though Sonic games have had some story elements to them, the franchise is, at its heart, a simple platform game. You run, you jump, you collect rings. How do you see that making the transition to a genre that is traditionally far more character and story based?
RM: We plan on taking those core Sonic elements that fans love about games and incorporating them into a brand new adventure that will feature the best of both worlds: all the fast-paced action of Sonic, plus a deep and engaging storyline that will keep players on the edge of their seats. By staying true to those Sonic elements that fans are already familiar with, and injecting our own unique BioWare flavor, we plan to make that transition as smooth and exciting as possible.

GL: BioWare’s previous efforts have been for the PC and the Xbox (and now the 360 with Mass Effect). What is the appeal of designing for the DS?
RM: The handheld group at BioWare is certainly very excited about the innovation that can take place on the DS platform. We’re really innovating what a BioWare RPG is with this title - we’re looking forward to offering new and unique ways to enjoy a fast-paced, story-driven experience with tons of exploration, customization and progression. We’re very excited by the opportunity to use all the cool features on the DS, and to make BioWare’s first handheld RPG, one with a lot of action too, since it’s based in the Sonic universe!

GL: BioWare’s RPGs are pretty grand in scope and size, something difficult to pull off on a portable system. Will Sonic RPG still “feel” like a BioWare game?
Greg Zeschuk: We have some of the world’s best writers and designers working on Sonic, many of whom worked on previous BioWare games. The Sonic game will definitely have all the best elements that make up a great BioWare game.

GL: Will the game stay true to the Sonic universe, or will it take the characters and put them in an all-new environment? (In other words, will Robotnik/Eggman be the villain, will Sonic be collecting rings and/or gems, that sort of thing.)
GZ: We aren’t ready to discuss details of the game just yet, but we can say that we are committed to delivering an original and truly amazing experience within the Sonic universe. You’ll see all the popular characters and story elements that Sonic fans love. We will also add a bevy of new features and environments that will provide some exciting new experiences.

GL: Given BioWare’s wealth of RPG experience, what have you learned not to do for this project?
RM: With this project our team will be crafting an RPG that is still rich in story but which also has awesome pacing, full of those “wow” moments that keep you wanting to find out what happens next. Sonic is perfect for that, since the Sonic universe is full of very cool characters and is already very fast-paced to begin with. Also, people don’t tend to spend quite as many hours in a row on the DS as they would when playing a BioWare game for console or PC, so gamers can expect the Sonic RPG to not only be fast-paced, but very easy to pick up and play at length or in shorter bursts – whichever they prefer!

I'm hopeful.

UnbreakableVow

New drinking game!

Take a shot every time he says fast-paced in that interview.

Smug Duckling

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

New drinking game!

Take a shot every time he says fast-paced in that interview.

You bastard.

I threw up for 3 hours...

LBD_Nytetrayn

Still not terribly informative. Sounds like the usual "we want to make a good game, we think you're going to like it" bit.

But knowing that they want to maintain the pace is good news. I think.

Edcrab

This pace they wish to maintain. It is... fast?


Cautious optimism, but based off the fact we're talking about Bioware. It's a bit too early for anything revelatory in interviews.

Skelly B

So I hear it's a Sonic Underground GuitaRPG. Battles play out like space channel 5. Robotnik steals Sonic's hands, so he most roam around looking for his missing carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges to regain his rocking ability.

Ok, that's a lie, but if it sucks it might as well be epically bad.

cloudeagle

Yes, I know there's another thread, but after screwing with search for 15 minutes I'll be arsed if I can find it.

Anyway, IGN has hands-on impressions. And.... it needs work.

Sonic Chronicles is, for lack of a better analogy, SEGA's attempt to create its own Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi for a gaming platform. It's a role-playing game (RPG) that takes place in the Sonic universe, with players controlling Sonic and company in a top-down environment and stylus-exclusive input. Players will explore the environments by using characters specific to certain tasks – jumping, flying and climbing are required in exploration, so you'll need to make sure your team has the appropriate characters to make the leap, or fly, or climb up the sides of cliffs to access different portions of the environment. As players progress through the game, they'll unfold the storyline through dialogue, with each conversation having multiple choices. Choose well when you're talking.

Like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, the game introduces an interactive turn-based battle system. When players encounter an enemy, the game will zoom out of its overhead 2D perspective and whoosh into its fully 3D battle engine where players will fight for life. Each attack is selected via the touch screen and a menu system, and many attacks require real-time input from the player. In one attack, for example, we had to tap a circle as it appeared on screen – timing and accuracy counts. In another, we had to tap and hold the stylus on the screen, and then follow the circle as it rotated around. This was one of the tougher motions in the game. The battles were nicely rendered and moved at a pretty decent framerate, but like the chunky overhead perspective engine, it still needs a bit of polish before it really wows us.

At the very least in this early rendition feels less like a Sonic game and more like an role-playing game that features Sonic characters. It definitely needs a bit more of what makes a Sonic game, namely speed – it's cool to follow a story featuring all the critters from the universe, but we need a bit of blazing speed for it to really work.

http://ds.ign.com/articles/866/866494p1.html

And my fears have come to pass... RPG-izing it has drained Sonic of his speed. Argh.

Xagarath

Old sonic games were not about speed. They were about momentum.
The bad sonic games were about speed.

Kuribo's Shoe

you know I don't even look at that as a sonic game anyways

when I read about them saying it was an rpg that just happens to star sonic characters, I'm fine with that.

cloudeagle

Xagarath wrote: »

Old sonic games were not about speed. They were about momentum.
The bad sonic games were about speed.

No, the bad Sonic games were about horrible control and 47 unnecessary new characters.

Yes, it needs to be done well, but he's SONIC the hedgehog. Give me speed.

King Riptor

cloudeagle wrote: »

And my fears have come to pass... RPG-izing it has drained Sonic of his speed. Argh.

Does it really matter?

Dartboy

I wonder if Sonic will get a Werewolf limit break in this?

cloudeagle

King Riptor wrote: »

cloudeagle wrote: »

And my fears have come to pass... RPG-izing it has drained Sonic of his speed. Argh.

Does it really matter?

Yes, because I'd like an RPG specially suited to Sonic and co's abilities (namely, speed), much like the Mario RPGs played off of Mario's strengths. This sounds like a generic RPG with Sonic plopped in.

McAllen

That picture with Amy Rose and the card deck holder is pretty tight

Zetetic Elench

From the screenshots, this is... painful. It feels like a lost opportunity. They're taking an RPG and bending it to fit SONIC ideas and characters in, when they should be doing the reverse.

I'd really love the idea of a traditional sonic with levelling up, entirely from a 2d-platforming perspective, with AI teammates jumping around at blinding speeds to defeat robots, switching to Tails to explore a high-up shack that turns out to be a shopkeeper with a sidequest, and so on. Even if it looked like an old SEGA game with no 3d it would still fit the DS perfectly.

LewieP

Played this at PAX.

It's basically Paper Sonic, in a good way.

darunia106

LewieP wrote: »

Played this at PAX.

It's basically Paper Sonic, in a good way.

I also played it and I concur.

apotheos

I've played a great deal of this game and while great, I don't see it being really Paper Sonic in any way.

I guess I don't really get what you mean though.

LewieP

How it plays mostly.

The battles are really similar in how they keep you involved.
The chao system looks pretty similar to badges.
How members of your party allow you to do different things in the game overworld.

Xagarath

So it's good? Actually, really good?

Excellent.

apotheos

Hey wait.

I guess it is Paper Marioish.

I mean when you put it that way.

LewieP

Xagarath wrote: »

So it's good? Actually, really good?

Excellent.

The thing that made the Paper Mario games for me was the dialogue, and I saw none of that...


At worst it is going to be playable, at best it could be awesome.

Xagarath

Paper Mario 1's dialogue ws kinda flat, but yes.
Depends if Bioware are having an off day I suppose.

Drakenhawk

Xagarath wrote: »

Paper Mario 1's dialogue ws kinda flat, but yes.
Depends if Bioware are having an off day I suppose.

Is that supposed to be a pun? I'm not disagreeing with you, but...:?

Xagarath

Accidental puns are the best kind.

XeroxKopy

So, this was posted today... Developer Diary # 1 "It's got to get to the Bioware level of quality."

Well, I'm even more jazzed for this game now. Bioware really seems to be taking care of the lil' blue hedgehog. If this actually manages to suck somehow, I will be the saddest boy who's ever lived.

Xagarath

Eurogamer review (Arguably a spoiler present):
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=243188
They are generally reliable, so I suspect some of us got our hopes a little high
Oh, well.

cloudeagle

Low difficulty, not always obvious where you can go on the map, repetitive combat... Dang.

Incidentally, that article casually tosses out a massive spoiler.