There's been a lot of skepticism about Sonic and the upcoming games around here (and probably rightly so). These days it's pretty much taken for granted that any Sonic game is going to be awful. I pretty much feel the same way.
But the thing is, I don't think most people realise how much of a tragedy it really is. Sega was never as popular as Nintendo, even back in the day, so it's probable that most people haven't played the old (good) Sonic games.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention Sonic 3 and the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge. I recommend to anyone that's never played it, to give it a try.
I'm not going to review the game or anything. I just wanted to mention it because that's how Sonic should be remembered.
I remember when Sonic 3 came out. It was the first Sonic game I actually beat. I had the others but there was no save feature in them, so I never really spent that much time with them (also the Death Egg Zone in Sonic 2 is impossible without Save States). And then about six months later Sonic & Knuckles came out and the lock-on technology expanded the whole thing into one epic adventure.
I do have my gripes with the game - I didn't like the new Sonic sprite and I think it's fairly lame releasing half the game six months later. It should never have been two separate games, in my opinion (Seriously imagine if they did that today, with Zelda or Mario). And also, it seems to me that all the fun levels were on the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge. These days I don't find the actual Sonic 3 game as fun as it should have been (I absolutely hate Hydro City and Marble Garden is fairly boring, especially compared to Lava Reef and the Death Egg Zones).
But still, I consider Sonic 3 & Knuckles to be one of the best games of the 90's and even a better game than Super Mario World (Blasphemy!).
Actually, after playing that game, I really thought that Sonic was on the way up, going to continue the series with even better games.
But then Sonic 3D came out .... and it was all downhill from there.
Black Flag NC
Well said, dude. It breaks my heart to see Sonic struggle as well. Sonic 1, 2, and 3 are very much a part of why I love gaming to this day.
I wish I could play Sonic CD, as I hear it's the best of the old games.
John Gibson
I still own Sonic CD after all these years. Never beat it. Sonic 1 and 2 are my favorites.
Black Flag NC
John Gibson wrote:
Sonic 1 and 2 are my favorites.
Same here. Casino Zone, baby!
coldguy
It is Sonic 3 and Knuckles, Sonic CD is like Sonic 1 with new graphics and a "find the baddy" game.
Splodge
I only really played Sonic CD once. It is alot like Sonic 1 but it's got some interesting time travel stuff in it. I never really figured that out though.
I'm definitely going to make time to play it properly soon.
Actually I think Sega's marketing department must have messed up with the Sega CD. I was a hardcore Sonic fan. I read 'Sonic the Comic' and watched the cartoons etc. but I had no idea what the Sega CD was. I was aware of it but I thought it was a completely different console. If I had known that it was just an add-on, I definitely would have gotten it.
It's kind of weird that I was a hardcore Sega fan and I wasn't even really informed about their stuff.
Also, Sonic 2 is actually probably the best game in the series, but I've got a bigger attachment to Sonic 3 (I don't think there's any game I've beaten more times). Still, I do love the Chemical Plant.
KT Kore
Re: Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)
Splodge wrote:
so it's probable that most people haven't played the old (good) Sonic games.
I'm only 23 and this statement makes me feel old.
It's a shame what Sonic has come to. 3D hasn't been good to the hedgehog. I think the main thing is that Sonic's speed doesn't lend well to 3D gaming. And since speed is Sonic's main gimmick, it's going to be hard to create a great 3D game that still feels like Sonic. I mean Sonic Adventure and all those games all feel like they're playing themselves when it comes to the high-speed element, which, to me, isn't good. It's why Sonic lends himself best to the sidescrolling platform. The GBA games are very good and feel much like the classic Genesis games.
Perhaps Sonic 3D should die off and the Sonic franchise become a budget series that's available on stuff like WiiWare, PSN and Xbox Live Arcade, where they could make new side-scrolling games in the way Sonic was meant to be.
There is one Sonic game I'm keeping my eye on, though. The Sonic Chronicles RPG DS game from BioWare. Perhaps that could do for Sonic what Mario RPG did for Mario.
Unshrewd
Protip: Sonic cd is available on Sonic Gems collection for the Nintendo Gamecube lol.
But seriously, I own that, and damn it brings back good memories. 3d sonics are just awful........(well sonic adventure wasn't THAT bad), but the new one thats coming out, Sonic Unleashed looks pretty good. But overall I think sonic should take the megaman route and stick to 2d
John Gibson
I feel the new Sonic game they're working on will NOT capture the feel of the original Sonic.
I won't fall into the whole "Fan of" trap again like I did with Mega Man, but I did like the Sonic games back in the day, when it was 2D. The move to 3D was just terrible.
It seems that in order for the game to hold anyone's attention, it HAS to be in 3D. If it's 2D, eh, put it on the DS.
Unshrewd
I totally agree with that statement. Thats why I've liked the sonic DS games better than any other 3d sonic games. I think they should do a 2d sonic game and release it on the PSN, XBL Arcade, and Wii Ware.
launchpad25
I've heard good things about the first two 'Sonic Adventure' games. After that, the series started going downhill. I'm willing to give 'Sonic Unleashed' a chance, but i'm also afraid it might end up like the previous games. here's hoping.
Splodge
Sonic Adventure 1 was a passable game. It wasn't great by any means but it was enjoyable. The Sonic Levels were fun enough but the Tails and Knuckles missions were not. Playing as Tails, you had to do the Sonic missions racing against Sonic. The Knuckles missions were sandbox situations where you had to find things (pieces of the emerald, I think). It was really tedious.
You could choose your character though, so you didn't have to play the other character's missions if you didn't want to.
Sonic Adventure 2 was godawful. The biggest change was that you were forced to play the Tails and Knuckles levels. You'd do a Sonic Level, then a Tails Level (Tails is in a Mech this time, for some reason) and then a Knuckles level. The pattern would repeat like that.
So you'd play a mildly entertaining Sonic mission and be forced to play two really boring (mind-numbingly tedious) levels until you could have fun again.
That in itself wouldn't be too bad if the Sonic levels were worth it. They just weren't - they were barely fun at all.
The depressing thing is that they got alot right. The Knuckles gliding and wall-climbing controls were a pretty good transition from 2D to 3D and Sonic's new moves - the homing attack etc. - worked pretty well. It was in the game itself - the level design etc. that they really messed things up in.
Still, these games have alot of fans, so give them a try if you haven't already. Still, I'd recommend Sonic Heroes over either of these games (take that whatever way you want).
Quote:
I'm only 23 and this statement makes me feel old.
I'm 23 aswell and I do feel old seeing how far Sonic has gone from his roots. Those days aren't coming back.
Black Flag NC
I liked Sonic Adventure 1. Like you say, it's not great but still fun. They did a good job with making it still "feel" like a Sonic game even though it's in 3d.
I'd been wondering about Sonic Heroes. Is it decent, Splodge?
Splodge
Not really. It's not as bad as people make it out to be but it's still not great.
You might have fun the first couple of levels but it gets boring after that - there's not enough change in it - all the levels feel the same.
