mario kart has had a decent amount of non-mario characters in them (diddy kong, R.O.B., donkey kong JR), and mario kart works fine as a name
But Mario and DK have always shared a universe. And R.O.B. has never had his own universe, really.
If Samus or Link showed up in Mario Kart, I'm quite confident some eyebrows would be raised. Regardless, I agree the name is awkward and a rather obvious marketing ploy.
And geez, Sega has got to have the coolest back catalog of characters of any publisher. I'm so excited for every character announced so far, and am holding my breath for more of my favorites. If they have the stage, there MUST be a playable dragon, right? I hope it's Orta.
The transformation thing is a bit strange. I worry how it will work with some of the other characters. Ryo Hazuki, for example, has never been known for piloting boats, or aircraft. Maybe he could use the jet from After Burner? And ride on the boat bound for Hong Kong (after saving his money, of course)? I don't know, I just hope he's still in.
Alex Kidd has got to be a shoe-in to return: Bike --> Speedboat --> Copter.
This is going to be awesome.
That would be great.
And hmm... I guess I should have checked here before starting a new thread for this one. Figured it'd be like Mario Kart vs. Mario 3D Land, separate threads and all...
mario kart has had a decent amount of non-mario characters in them (diddy kong, R.O.B., donkey kong JR), and mario kart works fine as a name
But Mario and DK have always shared a universe. And R.O.B. has never had his own universe, really.
If Samus or Link showed up in Mario Kart, I'm quite confident some eyebrows would be raised. Regardless, I agree the name is awkward and a rather obvious marketing ploy. .
Pac-man was in a couple of Mario Kart games, and so are Miis.
As for sheer amount of awesome and iconic characters, I have to believe that Sega and Nintendo are by far the gold standard. Those two companies in my mind form the foundation for modern gaming. Together, those two companies put out as many memorable characters (to me at least) as Konami, Capcom, Sony, and Microsoft combined.
I would kill for a true sega cross over, like the SSE mode in Brawl. When you really dig deep into sega history, a lot of the 80's stuff actually took place in the same universe - Hang On was a part of Outrun which was a part of Afterburner. Shinobi and Altered Beast were even in the same universe, with Altered Beast being a theater performance. The biggest cross-over among Sega franchises, however, has to be Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. Characters, levels, and even the entire setting - the Fantasy Zone - appear in both games frequently. Opa-Opa is your help in Planet Harriers, the last level from Super Fantasy Zone is the Assemble, which is also the last level from Space Harrier. There is an entire level from space harrier (level 5) in the x68000 port of Fantasy Zone (complete with roof). Their stories even tie together, with both Opa Opa and Space Harrier fighting the same war. In fact, in the bad ending for the most recent game in either series, Fantasy Zone II DX , has
opa-opa going crazy and turning evil just like his dad, and Space Harrier kills him
.
Sega has a lot of places it could go in this game. When you sit back and think about the number of characters associated with Sega, and how the game supposedly has a huge budget behind it, you can't help but get excited. I hope they bring back Toejam & Earl - they wanted to bring them back in the first game, but since Sega doesn't own TJ&E, they would have had to pay to use them. Hopefully, with a budget in hand, they can bring them around this time. That Ristar is in the game shows that they're clearly looking deeper into Sega's past.
I would kill for a true sega cross over, like the SSE mode in Brawl. When you really dig deep into sega history, a lot of the 80's stuff actually took place in the same universe - Hang On was a part of Outrun which was a part of Afterburner. Shinobi and Altered Beast were even in the same universe, with Altered Beast being a theater performance. The biggest cross-over among Sega franchises, however, has to be Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. Characters, levels, and even the entire setting - the Fantasy Zone - appear in both games frequently. Opa-Opa is your help in Planet Harriers, the last level from Super Fantasy Zone is the Assemble, which is also the last level from Space Harrier. There is an entire level from space harrier (level 5) in the x68000 port of Fantasy Zone (complete with roof). Their stories even tie together, with both Opa Opa and Space Harrier fighting the same war. In fact, in the bad ending for the most recent game in either series, Fantasy Zone II DX , has
opa-opa going crazy and turning evil just like his dad, and Space Harrier kills him
.
I've always dreamed of a united SEGA universe... I knew that the Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone games were connected, but the rest? Shinobi and Altered Beast? Hang-On, OutRun, and After Burner?
Please, enlighten me on these. And what else shared universes?
And on that spoiler... please tell me there's video of that.
I would kill for a true sega cross over, like the SSE mode in Brawl. When you really dig deep into sega history, a lot of the 80's stuff actually took place in the same universe - Hang On was a part of Outrun which was a part of Afterburner. Shinobi and Altered Beast were even in the same universe, with Altered Beast being a theater performance. The biggest cross-over among Sega franchises, however, has to be Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. Characters, levels, and even the entire setting - the Fantasy Zone - appear in both games frequently. Opa-Opa is your help in Planet Harriers, the last level from Super Fantasy Zone is the Assemble, which is also the last level from Space Harrier. There is an entire level from space harrier (level 5) in the x68000 port of Fantasy Zone (complete with roof). Their stories even tie together, with both Opa Opa and Space Harrier fighting the same war. In fact, in the bad ending for the most recent game in either series, Fantasy Zone II DX , has
opa-opa going crazy and turning evil just like his dad, and Space Harrier kills him
.
I've always dreamed of a united SEGA universe... I knew that the Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone games were connected, but the rest? Shinobi and Altered Beast? Hang-On, OutRun, and After Burner?
Please, enlighten me on these. And what else shared universes?
And on that spoiler... please tell me there's video of that.
When Altered Beast ends, and the people leave the play, they're walking in the city that is Stage 1-2 from Shinobi.
That's the motorcycle from hang-on in Afterburner. There's a matching cutscene featuring the car from Outrun, too.
There are even more connections between games. Opa Opa appears as a miracle ball in Alex Kidd in The Lost Stars. Alex Kidd obviously takes place in Shinobi's world, given the game "Alex Kidd in Shinobi World," which further reinforces the connection between Shinobi and Altered Beast because Alex Kidd's grave is in Altered Beast. Alex Kidd also appears in Kinseiden. Opa Opa is a fully featured, main-character in Zillion. The various shining games are all connected as one huge story, but it's not linear (i.e. Shining Force III doesn't take place after Shining Force II, but rather 10 years after Shining the Holy Ark).
There are others, too. I'm just thinking off the top of my head.
As a kid, this used to be my favorite poster:
I always dreamed that there would be a real "The Sega Adventure" game and it'd look like that and all the games would cross over. Sadly, it's never come (no, Segagaga doesn't count).
So, I used to only own a gaming computer, but recently I got a PS3 and a xbox360 as well. So does anyone out there have any suggestions for which version of Sonic 4.2 I should get?
I've been on a media blackout, but I was surprised to hear it was coming out today. I thought it was June 15th, for some reason. Downloading the demo right now.
Played the demo a few times. The movement feels like it was cut from the same cloth as Episode 1, but Sonic is much more responsive. A little of little tweaks here and there make it feel like a far better game. Sonic no longer unrolls if he shoots off a ramp, plus I think he started to gain (or at least maintained) momentum when rolling down a slope.
Even if you hated Episode 1 (I did), give the Episode 2 demo a try.
It's out on PSN/Steam right now and XBLA tomorrow.
Edit: The demo only gives you two minutes to play, then it boots you back to the title screen. I'm not really a speed runner when it comes to Sonic, but I'm wondering if the level can be finished before time runs out.
It's out on PSN/Steam right now and XBLA tomorrow.
Edit: The demo only gives you two minutes to play, then it boots you back to the title screen. I'm not really a speed runner when it comes to Sonic, but I'm wondering if the level can be finished before time runs out.
Okay, I am thoroughly impressed with Episode 2 so far. The levels are creative, the tag team powers work really well once you get used to them, and the music is great (though it might bother you if you really hate those synths).
The very first boss even manages to poke fun at Episode 1's tendencies to rip bosses straight out of Sonic 2, with
The pillars from the Aquatic Ruins boss rising on either side of the arena, only for Eggman to reveal a totally new (and pretty damn cool) robot that proceeds to smash the pillars.
There are also a lot of musical queues taken from older games, the most obvious being Twinkle Park in White Park Act 2, but there's some more subtle ones that I've noticed, like Pyramid Cave in Oil Desert Act 3, and I'm sure there's more I didn't pick up on right away, and I'm only about halfway through the game as it is. Definitely great so far.
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Yeah, caved, got it.
It's still got some problems, but initial impressions; big improvement over Episode 1. Tag moves are a fun gimmick, adds a new depth to side scrolling Sonic. The level themes all feel very fresh, it's nice not to start out in a 'green' level. ;D
I still hate the music. The composition is great, but those synths. Eurgh.
The new physics work for the most part, but they can still feel awkward. The opposite to Episode 1's problems, now instead of feeling too floaty and having no momentum, Sonic can glitch out and be hard to stop, I find. The Special Stage feels very stiff at first, but ends up being more controllable than the original from Sonic 2, imo.
The special stages actually have a bit of a learning curve, as unlike Sonic 2, you actually have forward momentum that you gain/lose depending on your usage of the boost, the terrain, and whatever obstacles you hit. Managing that momentum is key.
i feel the biggest decline from sonic 3/knuckles to sonic 4.1 and 4.2 is the music. none of the new tracks have really captured me so far. i dont really care for the team up powers in single player either; it makes it too easy to stop and take the high road whenever you desire. works well with co-op though. the bonus stages are especially fun with a partner. still waiting to do the extra stages that came with episode 1.
At first I thought the combo powers were a nice way of adding in Tails' extra abilities, and the new rolling thing is a bit like how Knuckles could smash through walls in Sonic 3 and S&K. But then I realised the only point of those abilities was that they allowed you to see things in subsequent playthroughs that you couldn't as Sonic. They add replayability. There's simply no point in allowing you to use other characters' abilities when playing as Sonic.
You're not playing as Sonic, though. You're playing as Sonic and Tails. The whole game is designed around their abilities together, and there are still tons of paths to take for replay value. Just because you can choose whichever one you want (assuming your skills are up to snuff) from the get-go doesn't mean that they don't exist.
You're not playing as Sonic, though. You're playing as Sonic and Tails. The whole game is designed around their abilities together, and there are still tons of paths to take for replay value. Just because you can choose whichever one you want (assuming your skills are up to snuff) from the get-go doesn't mean that they don't exist.
I just don't think it works. It's weird. It's a platformer, when it comes down to it you don't need flying and if it's there from the get-go there's hardly any point in it. If anything, there's less of an explorative aspect to this than the 2D bits of Generations, which only had Sonic. You know something's wrong when the game has to signpost where you're supposed to use your combo powers in the last level of the game.
Man I don't understand all these negative reviews. The game is pretty solid, if I have any complaints it's that I felt the game was far too short, but if you want more of it, that's a good sign isn't it?
I think it would be a complete shame if Sega stopped here, because it honestly feels like they are on the right track, but I guess that's just me.
I'm going to write one hell of a positive Review about this, just because I can.
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My only complaints are that the game is too short (but considering it's essentially a Part II, I wouldn't be as bothered if it was cheaper) and that it was way too easy. There were only a couple of places where I lost any lives (and both of those involved flying with Tails and timing your movements carefully), but I felt the last boss was not only surprisingly difficult but also incredibly fun, which was a nice surprise after Generations terrible last boss.
I can’t say that I would recommend this game at the $15 price point it’s currently selling for; perhaps if both Episode I and II were combined at that price, it would be different. If you can get it under $10, the four or so hours it takes to beat the game start to finish would probably be justified. The meat of the game–the actual zones themselves–just feel too amateur and fangame-y to really recommend, and though there are some genuinely neat and fun parts of Episode II to consider, they’re not strong enough to override what are some really boring-ass levels. If more care had been taken into making interesting levels (especially with the rumors of an Episode III and more backward-compatibility) I would feel differently, but that’s the main stumbling block on what would otherwise be a solid improvement over S4E1. Sadly, for all the flaws of Episode I‘s levels, they’re pulled off better. If the design issues can be resolved (and, for the love of God, some better music can be placed in here), we might finally have a game that could honor the Sonic 4 name by any theoretical Episode III.
tl;dr: It’s OK, but it’s probably not worth $15–wait until you can get it on sale.
The Episode 2 zones look way barren than Episode 1. Lots of stretches of nothingness that rely heavily on boosters and springs to get you through it. Episode 1 didn't exactly have stellar level design to begin with, so that's a harsh remark.
Episode 2 is averaging in the 60s on metacritic, which seems accurate if we go by the assumption that 60 is "okay." Reviewers certainly aren't rating it worse than '06 (at least not many), which has an average of 42.
It's something about Sonic games. Like how Sonic Unleashed was rated lower than Sonic 2006 by some publications. While Unleashed is obviously by no means a perfect game, it's at least finished, as opposed to the broken, glitchy, overall terrible mess that '06 ended up being.
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But Mario and DK have always shared a universe. And R.O.B. has never had his own universe, really.
If Samus or Link showed up in Mario Kart, I'm quite confident some eyebrows would be raised. Regardless, I agree the name is awkward and a rather obvious marketing ploy.
And geez, Sega has got to have the coolest back catalog of characters of any publisher. I'm so excited for every character announced so far, and am holding my breath for more of my favorites. If they have the stage, there MUST be a playable dragon, right? I hope it's Orta.
The transformation thing is a bit strange. I worry how it will work with some of the other characters. Ryo Hazuki, for example, has never been known for piloting boats, or aircraft. Maybe he could use the jet from After Burner? And ride on the boat bound for Hong Kong (after saving his money, of course)? I don't know, I just hope he's still in.
That would be great.
And hmm... I guess I should have checked here before starting a new thread for this one. Figured it'd be like Mario Kart vs. Mario 3D Land, separate threads and all...
Pac-man was in a couple of Mario Kart games, and so are Miis.
As for sheer amount of awesome and iconic characters, I have to believe that Sega and Nintendo are by far the gold standard. Those two companies in my mind form the foundation for modern gaming. Together, those two companies put out as many memorable characters (to me at least) as Konami, Capcom, Sony, and Microsoft combined.
I would kill for a true sega cross over, like the SSE mode in Brawl. When you really dig deep into sega history, a lot of the 80's stuff actually took place in the same universe - Hang On was a part of Outrun which was a part of Afterburner. Shinobi and Altered Beast were even in the same universe, with Altered Beast being a theater performance. The biggest cross-over among Sega franchises, however, has to be Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. Characters, levels, and even the entire setting - the Fantasy Zone - appear in both games frequently. Opa-Opa is your help in Planet Harriers, the last level from Super Fantasy Zone is the Assemble, which is also the last level from Space Harrier. There is an entire level from space harrier (level 5) in the x68000 port of Fantasy Zone (complete with roof). Their stories even tie together, with both Opa Opa and Space Harrier fighting the same war. In fact, in the bad ending for the most recent game in either series, Fantasy Zone II DX , has
Sega has a lot of places it could go in this game. When you sit back and think about the number of characters associated with Sega, and how the game supposedly has a huge budget behind it, you can't help but get excited. I hope they bring back Toejam & Earl - they wanted to bring them back in the first game, but since Sega doesn't own TJ&E, they would have had to pay to use them. Hopefully, with a budget in hand, they can bring them around this time. That Ristar is in the game shows that they're clearly looking deeper into Sega's past.
I've always dreamed of a united SEGA universe... I knew that the Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone games were connected, but the rest? Shinobi and Altered Beast? Hang-On, OutRun, and After Burner?
Please, enlighten me on these. And what else shared universes?
And on that spoiler... please tell me there's video of that.
FFXIV gear checklist
When Altered Beast ends, and the people leave the play, they're walking in the city that is Stage 1-2 from Shinobi.
That's the motorcycle from hang-on in Afterburner. There's a matching cutscene featuring the car from Outrun, too.
There are even more connections between games. Opa Opa appears as a miracle ball in Alex Kidd in The Lost Stars. Alex Kidd obviously takes place in Shinobi's world, given the game "Alex Kidd in Shinobi World," which further reinforces the connection between Shinobi and Altered Beast because Alex Kidd's grave is in Altered Beast. Alex Kidd also appears in Kinseiden. Opa Opa is a fully featured, main-character in Zillion. The various shining games are all connected as one huge story, but it's not linear (i.e. Shining Force III doesn't take place after Shining Force II, but rather 10 years after Shining the Holy Ark).
There are others, too. I'm just thinking off the top of my head.
As a kid, this used to be my favorite poster:
I always dreamed that there would be a real "The Sega Adventure" game and it'd look like that and all the games would cross over. Sadly, it's never come (no, Segagaga doesn't count).
OH WHY DOES DIABLO 3 HAVE TO COME OUT AS WELL!?
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Near-complete lack of advertising, pretty much no previews on the game sites, released same day as Diablio III... what else am I forgetting?
Yeah, given the massive hype surrounding the release of Episode 1, the whole "I guess this exists" attitude is baffling.
Ah well. Anyone pick it up? How's the physics?
Sega
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Even if you hated Episode 1 (I did), give the Episode 2 demo a try.
Edit: The demo only gives you two minutes to play, then it boots you back to the title screen. I'm not really a speed runner when it comes to Sonic, but I'm wondering if the level can be finished before time runs out.
The first stage of most 2D Sonic games can be blasted through in about 30-45 seconds or so. The internet says it's possible in this one, too.
FFXIV gear checklist
The very first boss even manages to poke fun at Episode 1's tendencies to rip bosses straight out of Sonic 2, with
There are also a lot of musical queues taken from older games, the most obvious being Twinkle Park in White Park Act 2, but there's some more subtle ones that I've noticed, like Pyramid Cave in Oil Desert Act 3, and I'm sure there's more I didn't pick up on right away, and I'm only about halfway through the game as it is. Definitely great so far.
It's still got some problems, but initial impressions; big improvement over Episode 1. Tag moves are a fun gimmick, adds a new depth to side scrolling Sonic. The level themes all feel very fresh, it's nice not to start out in a 'green' level. ;D
I still hate the music. The composition is great, but those synths. Eurgh.
The new physics work for the most part, but they can still feel awkward. The opposite to Episode 1's problems, now instead of feeling too floaty and having no momentum, Sonic can glitch out and be hard to stop, I find. The Special Stage feels very stiff at first, but ends up being more controllable than the original from Sonic 2, imo.
FFXIV gear checklist
I just don't think it works. It's weird. It's a platformer, when it comes down to it you don't need flying and if it's there from the get-go there's hardly any point in it. If anything, there's less of an explorative aspect to this than the 2D bits of Generations, which only had Sonic. You know something's wrong when the game has to signpost where you're supposed to use your combo powers in the last level of the game.
I think it would be a complete shame if Sega stopped here, because it honestly feels like they are on the right track, but I guess that's just me.
I'm going to write one hell of a positive Review about this, just because I can.
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Here's Sonic Retro's review: I've posted the end for those who don't want to read the whole thing:
Episode 2 is averaging in the 60s on metacritic, which seems accurate if we go by the assumption that 60 is "okay." Reviewers certainly aren't rating it worse than '06 (at least not many), which has an average of 42.
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The Steam Summer Sale is roughly 6-7 weeks away. Generations was quick to go on sale after its release, and Episode 2 will follow suit.
I'm sure Diablo 3 can last you most of that wait. Then just exercise a little restraint.
Do note that it is a complete and utter waste of time.
It's something about Sonic games. Like how Sonic Unleashed was rated lower than Sonic 2006 by some publications. While Unleashed is obviously by no means a perfect game, it's at least finished, as opposed to the broken, glitchy, overall terrible mess that '06 ended up being.
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