Sonic '06 Done Right.

[HeroMystic]

The fuck is up with this "purely hypothetical" bullshit? The question presented was would you like Sonic 06 to be remade into a good game, and the super majority responded with an echoing "no!". The game would have to be dissected, beatened, remade, recasted, and rewritten from it's very core for it to be a good game, at which point you'd be making a new game anyway.

The OPer reiterated his agenda and said he simply wanted a new Sonic Adventure-esque game, and I don't see anyone disagreeing with that notion.

[Dejablue]

From my point of view I was trying to say that it would end up being a totally new game anyway. A vanilla remake would give you the same game but with maybe better gameplay. But that wasn't what I'd be aiming for. I was talking about something that would just take the game's place.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Dejablue

[dontblush]

Sonic 2006 to me always seemed like it would've done better as a 3D or animated move from a storyline point of view. I didn't dislike the story, but if maybe Elise was an anthropomorphic animal instead of a human female it might've felt more natural. I remember a friend of mine saying Sonic 2006 would've been a good way to reboot the character of Sally from the earlier days.

[Dejablue]

Don't cross the streams. For the love of all that is HOLY.

You do not cross the streams, dontblush. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THAT!! *shakes you like a madman*

Edited December 1, 2011 by Dejablue

[Xenos]

From my point of view I was trying to say that it would end up being a totally new game anyway. A vanilla remake would give you the same game but with maybe better gameplay. But that wasn't what I'd be aiming for. I was talking about something that would just take the game's place.

You mean like...a new game...?

I don't understand what you're asking here.

[Dejablue]

Yeah thats what I said. But I admitted a long time ago that what the OP was asking for was kinda impossible. A straight up remake I mean. So make another game that, when you get right down to it, better introduces Silver into the character line up.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Dejablue

[Salamander]

Less so much a remade Sonic '06 as an alternative Sonic '06, then.

[Dr. Crusher]

Seeing how I didn't even like that many points of the story let alone the gameplay, no, I'm not wanting a 2006 remake myself. I'd much rather they just carry on forward.

But I disagree with Solaris Phase 2 being the only good music in the game. Not only do I love the likes of Aquatic Base and Egg Wyvern (not to mention Solaris Phase 1), but due to overusage alongside songs like Live & Learn on YouTube tributes, I'm starting to think His World in general is overrated. Which is a shame.

[RDNexus]

Sonic 2006 to me always seemed like it would've done better as a 3D or animated move from a storyline point of view. I didn't dislike the story, but if maybe Elise was an anthropomorphic animal instead of a human female it might've felt more natural. I remember a friend of mine saying Sonic 2006 would've been a good way to reboot the character of Sally from the earlier days.

Edited December 1, 2011 by XRick

[dontblush]

I too went thorugh that approach months ago, even going as far as giving a short outline of what could be changed in a basic sense of Sonic's Story, but I think I remember receiving not many good responses...

But, as with Sonic Chronicles, SEGA could create their own version of the ArchieVerse cast. I might like it if done right.

I also would now prefer a new game that used elements from '06 to reintroduce Silver and retell Solaris story. A simple remake wouldn't cut it and Generations just proved it, I also see both Generations Crisis City acts as damn Life-Eaters.

Did you post that outline on this forum?

can I do a back search for it?

[RDNexus]

Here:

This just some ideas I had by the time I made that topic, about the '06 part of it I now believe a major revamping of the story itself would be for the best.

Edited December 1, 2011 by XRick

[Hyper-Shan]

Wow, that's a lot of negative comments for a possible '06 remake idea done right - quite ironic I guess. =(

Anyways, I like the idea of a '06 remake idea - Sure, it's not likely to happen, but if Sega/Sonic Team ever planned to, I have a few ideas;

CHARACTERS:

• Change Sonic's (& other anthro characters) design to his Generations model - Lanky Sonic appeared awkward with those noodle legs! XD

• Replace '06 Eggman's scary look to his Generations look.

• Make every realistic human less realistic (INCLUDING Elise) - I noticed how the humans in SA(DX) had an Anime-esc style. Make the character appear more Anime like, like in SA, or Zone Of Enders:

GAMEPLAY:

• Obviously this needs fixing from the ground up.

• Sonic & the others are much too slow - speed em up, but have as much control to them as in Sonic Adventure 1 &/or 2.

• The super speed sections were fun, but they were much too uncontrolable - Replace it with the Unleashed Day Stage gameplay.

STORY (This needs an overhaul)

• Replace a few elements, such as the Chaos Emerald given to Elise as a kid for something else possibly - that's a major time paradox!

• The dreaded kiss - change it into a prayer or something, or just completely get rid of that!

• & overall, fix the apparent glitches - To be completely honest, I haven't found that many glitches in the game.

I may be forgetting a few things, but it's been so long since I last played it on my 360 (& that game gave me the RROD)!

But just to clarify, I enjoyed some of the aspects of the game, such as the Adventure-styled gameplay, the music (except for Sonic's ending theme by Akon), the graphics, & even characters like Mephilis being the Shadow of Shadow.

[Sean]

The reason why a lot of people don't want a remake is because Sega's resources are much better used for brand new games. We've had a steady stream of well-received (to varying degrees) Sonic games since 2006, so there's no point in revisiting something that's widely labeled as inherently shit.

Sonic 2006's only real lasting impact on the series today was that it was Sega's wake-up call to get their fucking shit together (even if it didn't happen right away) after years of blunder after blunder. I'm honestly surprised that it wasn't Shadow the game itself that didn't get the message across to them, you'd think that Sega intentionally wanted to burn the series down with that idea.

[azoo]

I don't see the point of redoing the game's story and everything else if it's just gonna be nothing like the original game whatsoever. Sure, it'd be a good way to make a good story (and game) replace a dreadful one within the timeline (rather than forgetting anything happened there at all), but on it's own it'd be a waste of time compared to the other adventures Sonic could be having from there.

I'll humor you all, though, and give redoing 06 a shot for a second here. I had a couple of ideas floating around anyways.

--Posting in quote tags from the rest of this post--

So first off, if you're gonna rewrite 06, use a good and already existing princess character. Like Blaze. Not desperately pulling from Archie for Sally (eghhh, ewwww), not some original princess character, but Blaze.

In fact I still believe around the beginnings of production she was the princess of this story (I mean think about it. Sol Emeralds. Solaris. Soleanna. Plus 2005-06 was right around the release of Sonic Rush), and then somewhere down the line they thought it'd be a good idea to instead make it a do-nothing human princess who only served as a plot device and a failed (or one sided) love interest. If they really didn't intend her to be Blaze in the beginning then it sure does just fall in all the right places to make her be the infinitely better choice.

Next off, rewrite Mephiles/Solaris into a practical story that would fit Blaze's kingdom and dimension. Alright, let's go:

Many ages ago there was a magic-conjuring king named Mephiles, who became so engulfed in the idea of protecting his world that he became twistedly power-hungry. Using a mixture of light Sol Emerald power and dark magic, he was able to unlock the key to manipulating time and space and infuse the ability within his body; the price being that it started to morph his being into a shapeshifting mass of black matter, losing his grip on morality by the week, and his grip on reality by the day (that's right, I just made him the Time Eater). Before long, he had become so hungry for power that he decided to consume all the energy of the Sol Emeralds, becoming the winged flaming demigod Solaris, which contorted space and time while putting in flames and destruction the same world he vowed to protect.

His power was so immense that he was unstoppable, until one day a mage from afar appeared and summoned an other-worldly power similar to the Sol Emeralds (*coughchaosemeraldscough*). With the mixture of his own firepowers and the positive energy of these emeralds, he placed the power of the Sol Emeralds back in place, rendering Solaris to transform back into Mephiles. With the final blow, he decided to give mercy to the monster, placed him within Mephiles' own scepter; The Scepter of Darkness; and banished it into the deep undergound where the world would never see it again. The mage sent the mystic otherworldly gems he had used back to their place of origin forevermore (the special stages).

The mage became a hero known the world over and was placed as new heir to the throne. His bloodline has forevermore passed down throughout the ages and Blaze is the most recent descendent. Even the mage's own scepter, The Jeweled Scepter (as seen in SRA), is still passed down and protected in the palace walls to this date.

^The story above would basically be the strong bit of backstory to the game explained at some point all at once, instead of going to as high of detail throughout it's entirety. ^

The story synopsis:

Marine and a fellow servant koala ride in a dimension-portal boat (much like Tails' at the end of SRA). Arriving at South Island, they find the location of Sonic and Tails; lying on the beachside of the Green Hill Zone. Marine gives them a formal invitation to come to Blaze's coming-of-age ceremony; known as the "Soleanna Festival". Sonic, happy to go, decides to hop in the boat and come with Marine and the koala servant; but Tails is a bit worried of leaving their dimension without anyone there to stop Eggman's schemes if they ever happen. Sonic, assuring Tails that Eggman hasn't been around for months (and telling him that they'll only be there for the night), gets Tails to agree with him and ride off into Blaze's dimension.

Making it into the kingdom of Soleanna (it's more literally a castle town; the inside borders of the castle walls), Sonic and Tails are amazed by all of the color and beauty the town beholds, and the crowds that are awaiting the festival to start at sunset. As the sun finally takes it's course and the celebration begins, the ceremony is commenced, until suddenly interrupted by a descending, massive black shapeshifting monster (Mephiles) with a massive group of smaller but similar cronies, asking for the location of the seven Sol Emeralds. Blaze, fearful but stern, denies giving him the location, leading him to commence an attack on her. A massive whirlwind hesitates his attack, as Sonic and Tails zoom through just in time and knock away his cronies, much to Blaze's surprise. Angered by this, the monster them spawns more cronies and then tries to obliterate the location in which they stand, only to be blocked by a forcefield. A strange hedgehog (Silver) has protected them from his attack, which the light energy he beheld caused the monster to retreat, leaving his cronies behind to wreak havoc (causing the population from all over to flee). All three confused by who this hedgehog was, he told them to ask questions later and start removing the city of these creatures, in which they quickly replied.

After ridding the city of these blobbish shadow-creatures, Silver introduces himself: a psychokinetic hedgehog prince that descended from Blaze's bloodline well over a hundred years in the future, that learned how to manipulate time travel so he can save his kingdom from the "Flames of Disaster" that apparently began haunting this world at this very point in time. Blaze, being absolutely terrified by this news, worried Sonic, Tails (and Marine, which tagged along), for they didn't know what was scaring her so badly besides this. Blaze, knowing of the story of this kingdom's legacy, explains the story of the evil King Mephiles (which I wrote before this synopsis).

After telling of the tale, Silver explains that the causing of his release from the Scepter of Darkness was, according to tales passed throughout the century, caused by "two old fat crazy men", which immediately struck a realization to all four of the others.. Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega were the cause of his freeing. By this moment the battle plan was already made: find the Eggmen and get the Scepter of Darkness from them (so they could reseal Mephiles), find out what this magic power was that the mage-king used (to find how to reseal Mephiles), and to retrieve the Sol Emeralds (to make sure Mephiles doesn't obtain them first and transform into Solaris).

Blaze goes on the search for the Sol Emeralds (being able to sense their locations), Tails and Marine search for what could've possibly been the mage-king's power (through investigation and research), and Sonic chases after the Eggmen to find the Scepter of Darkness. Silver embarks on his own journey to fight Mephiles as a method of vengence for his future destruction.

^From there the story just goes on and evolves from there, but at least I gave the basic roundup on it all.^

There, I just gave an entire plot and some information on how things tie together regarding elements from 06 that I changed. Even so, like I said, it comes out nearly nothing like 06 and could easily pass as a retcon of 06 plus a spiritual sequel to Sonic Rush Adventure; because honestly the entire aesthetic, characterization, gameplay, and the rest of it would be completely different from 06 in every way possible.

[NiGHTS]

Here is my perspective on this game. SEGA wants to forget it. I know last year, if people remember, SEGA stopped producing making copies of all the negative bad made Sonic games, including 06, black knight I even believe Unleashed was under that to.

If you want to revamp the game.... just put all the material into a totally new game. Why waist on a game that had false hope, characters most hate. If SEGA ever remade it, people won't buy it even if it turned out well with no glitches.

[Dark Qiviut]

I'm honestly surprised that it wasn't Shadow the game itself that didn't get the message across to them, you'd think that Sega intentionally wanted to burn the series down with that idea.

Three reasons why it wasn't Shadow that "woke Sega up":

1. Shadow the Hedgehog and SNG were developed by two development teams from two different parts of the world. Next-Gen was developed by Sonic Team Japan whereas Shadow was developed by Sonic Team USA/Sega Studios USA.

2. Different development times. Next-Gen began development just as Heroes was getting close to completion. Shadow began development following Sonic Heroes.

3. Shadow the Hedgehog and Next-Gen failed for different reasons. Shadow the Hedgehog had a hideously low budget for a main Sonic-'verse title, and that can easily be seen through the graphics and clunky vehicle controls. Next-Gen's budget was much larger and was developed for the newer consoles, while Shadow was released on consoles that were reaching the end of their lifespans. Next-Gen had really great concepts such as the sunrise-sunset lighting system, but development hell forced the game to be rushed. In early 2006, Naka and thirty ST members (most likely the main developers of SNG) departed, leaving behind a struggling inexperienced backup to complete SNG.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Michael Coal

[Tommy.]

Here we go again.

[turbojet]

The game that shall not be named had no redeeming quality what so ever. Everything was stupidly broken in this debacle and remaking it might as well be a different game all together. It is the game that nearly killed this franchise or the reason why people want this franchise to die. It is Bomberman Zero to Bomberman. Megaman Starforce 2 to Megaman. It is the STD that kills videogame franchises: Laziness.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

I suppose it would be in everyone's favor if a different question was proposed, and we might as well put our hatred into something constructive.

If you were the director of '06, what story/gameplay direction would you have taken? What characters would star in it? How would it celebrate Sonic's 15th anniversary?

Some of you have already put good examples already, and I'm curious as to how the rest of you would re-imagine this... cherished classic.

(And please, don't answer "I wouldn't have made it/I would have canceled it." It's both painfully predictable and a waste of everyone's time. I know you guys have some great ideas up your sleaves, so no copping out).

Edited December 2, 2011 by Soma

[KHCast]

I suppose it would be in everyone's favor if a different question was proposed, and we might as well put our hatred into something constructive.

If you were the director of '06, what story/gameplay direction would you have taken? What characters would star in it? How would it celebrate Sonic's 15th anniversary?

Some of you have already put good examples already, and I'm curious as to how the rest of you would re-imagine this... cherished classic.

(And please, don't answer "I wouldn't have made it/I would have canceled it." It's both painfully predictable and a waste of everyone's time. I know you guys have some great ideas up your sleaves, so no copping out).

we already have a topic for that though. At least i think we do. Edited December 2, 2011 by The Boostin Reinhog

[Tiller]

The music.

Thats all Sonic 06 has.

Seriously, thats. it.

Even then there are few gems. The whole track reeks of unexciting and generic feeling jingles and tunes. It tried to turn Sonic into a full on epic but left it without a soul.

[KHCast]

Even then there are few gems. The whole track reeks of unexciting and generic feeling jingles and tunes. It tried to turn Sonic into a full on epic but left it without a soul.

The only tracks I felt were heart pounding and exciting were crisis city or wave ocean 2nd half. some other ones were good though Like Kingdom valley and aquatic base. But i pretty much agree with you. Edited December 2, 2011 by The Boostin Reinhog

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

we already have a topic for that though. At least i think we do.

*shrug*

Just trying to get us discussing something meaningful, instead of pages and pages of "no's."

Edited December 2, 2011 by Soma

[RDNexus]

That too would be more interesting to me...

I've already made my contribution on that matter, hope others try to do the same...

[DistantJ]

Spend more than 5 seconds thinking about the game and you'll realize that this is CLEARLY an attempt to go back to the Sonic Adventure formula. But you know what? I want to take some time and say NICE things about that game. (If you've played it recently, chances are this next set of things to say won't faze you since you'll remember how terrible it is. To anyone who has either not played it in a while, or has never played it but HAS seen it, from walkthroughs or LPs, then I want you to think back and imagine that this is a Sonic Adventure game: Fun, not broken.)

- ENTIRE POST -

This is a great post. Not only does it make loads of good points but it also makes a very interesting and entertaining read, thank you!

With Sonic '06, well...

OK, I'm an aficionado of bad movies, I think a terrible movie has real charm, and I make a habit out of collecting and watching awful films with my 'bad movie buddy' for a good laugh. As a result of this though we've also found a lot of films the internet considers 'terrible' but upon watching we've actually found to be quite good and well made, such as Alone in the Dark, and then you get stuff like Batman & Robin, which have brilliant ideas and structure underneath, ruined by terrible scripts, but clearly not bad enough to be included in my bad movie collection. The thing a lot of these 'they call it terrible but it's actually OK' films seem to have in common is that they tend to be something people have certain expectations for. They usually have something fantastic about them, be it a source material they were adapted from or a particular actor, character, plot point, effect etc. Batman & Robin had fantastic visuals, some excellent casting (aside from George Clooney as Batman...), stunning set and costume designs, and it was a real treat, until the script got involved, and it just destroyed it. The result? It's a cheesy movie, but it's OK. People, though, talk about it like it's one of the worst, down there with Ed Wood, or even a competitor to Manos: The Hands of Fate.

Why am I talking about bad movies and adaptations? Well, I'm about to make a comparison. See, Sonic '06 is a glitchy, load-screen-infested, poorly programmed piece of crap, full of bad ideas. BUT, it's not the travesty we make it out to be. See, everything listed in the opening post for this topic was a fantastic element of the game, the proof of this is in how excited so many of us got when watching the footage of the game, since the broken controls and glitches obviously weren't apparent in footage presented by SEGA. You know it was what we wanted at the time; Sonic Adventure 3. A thousand times more mature in tone than Heroes but not pushing it like Shadow did. A stunning soundtrack which didn't rely on either 80s power-metal or terrible pseudo-rap music. On top of that, we hadn't had a 'proper' Sonic game since SA2.

Come on, most of us non-purists were besides ourselves with excitement when those trailers showed up, with Sonic running from that fire tornado and everything.

Well, the higher you build a tower, the more of a mess it makes when it falls.

So what I'm trying to say is, the reason we see this as such a disaster rather than just a shitty game is that there was such a great game underneath it all that we felt furious that the terrible execution prevented us from actually enjoying it.

So yes, I would love a fixed-up re-release, but I can't see it happening. The game did so much damage to the brand that even after the likes of Sonic 4, Colours and Generations, it's STILL struggling to get back to being taken seriously by non-fans, putting the same game out would be suicide. Even with glitches ironed out, the controls would be poor. Fix those and you still have the problem of the awkward storytelling and 'relationships'. Replace the story and you have level layouts which are bland and empty in comparison to Colours, Unleashed and Generations... Once you've replaced the game engine, changed the controls, altered the story and put in different levels, well, you might as well just make a different game...