Sonic the hedgehog 4 - previews, interviews, and impressions topic

[Sega DogTagz]

Uhhh, anyone got a handle on the trophies for this game yet? A few of them are a tad confusing. How are you supposed to beat Oil Deserts boss for "golden wave"? It takes too long.

never mind, I think I figured that one out....

Edited May 17, 2012 by Sega DogTagz

[-Mark-]

Just downloaded the iOS version. Haven't tried it just yet, but from the description in the App store it doesn't even sound like it had 'exclusive' stages this time.

Here's hoping it's exactly the same as the console version. I'll start it soon and keep you posted later, provided someone doesn't beat me to it (leaving for work in a bit).

[TunDiam!]

iOS version is out? now i can enjoy both PC,PS3 and iOS versions!

[-Mark-]

Just tried a bit of the iOS version. It looks almost as good as the console version.

One irk is that (similar to Ep 1) the screen doesn't rotate to take into account how you're holding the device, meaning you can only hold it horizontally one way and not the other, which is a bit of a nuisance since it forces you to hold it in such a way where the headphone jack will always be in the way.

Glad to see there are no forced tilt controls this time.

Oh, and interestingly, you have to manually unlock Episode Metal, and you can do so at any point.

Out of curiosity, is there any way to go back and rewatch the Episode Metal opening cutscene in-game?

[TunDiam!]

Just tried a bit of the iOS version. It looks almost as good as the console version.

[Blue Blood]

Out of curiosity, is there any way to go back and rewatch the Episode Metal opening cutscene in-game?

[Milo]

Me personally, taking beloved tracks and raping them screams "worst Sonic soundtrack" to me. But hey, I'm OK with your opinion

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

If there's one thing I hate about this game, is the bosses. Well most of them. Sky Fortress and Oil Desert. These bosses are not fun, and they are extremely long.

And when you are so close, and you die at that moment, you're gonna feel like cursing the screen out because it was long and tedious, almost made it through and you have to all start over.

Cheap deaths from Metal Sonic White Park, when he starts destroying the track you run on. Okay, in hindsight I should have used the Copter Combo to avoid it. But when I first played the boss that didn't cross my mind.

Adding insult to injury, you *have* to watch those unskippable cutscenes when you just want to restart the action immediately. The cutscenes were alright at first, but you only need to see them ONCE in that particular session. Again, Sky Fortress and Oil Desert are the worst offenders.

[JezMM]

If there's one thing I hate about this game, is the bosses. Well most of them. Sky Fortress and Oil Desert. These bosses are not fun, and they are extremely long.

And when you are so close, and you die at that moment, you're gonna feel like cursing the screen out because it was long and tedious, almost made it through and you have to all start over.

Cheap deaths from Metal Sonic White Park, when he starts destroying the track you run on. Okay, in hindsight I should have used the Copter Combo to avoid it. But when I first played the boss that didn't cross my mind.

Adding insult to injury, you *have* to watch those unskippable cutscenes when you just want to restart the action immediately. The cutscenes were alright at first, but you only need to see them ONCE in that particular session. Again, Sky Fortress and Oil Desert are the worst offenders.

All the bosses have terribly long intros. With the exception of White Park, there is always over a minute between the start of the act and the first hit scored on the boss. Ridiculous. I was really hoping they'd make the cut-scenes skippable in the final game...

[Blue Blood]

Am I being really stupid, or can you not actually kill Spikes simply by rolling into his head? I'll give it a go later, but I think the only way to kill him is to attack when he let's his guard down after you've scared him. Not counting the combo roll and snowball smooshing of course.

[-Mark-]

Okay, I'm at the Oil Desert boss on the iOS version, and no signs of any shitty 'exclusive' levels so far. Good sign, hopefully there won't be any and it'll be a straight port of the console version.

[SuperLink]

Am I being really stupid, or can you not actually kill Spikes simply by rolling into his head? I'll give it a go later, but I think the only way to kill him is to attack when he let's his guard down after you've scared him. Not counting the combo roll and snowball smooshing of course.

My brother and I literally tried to kill one for about 2 minutes until it retracted its spikes.

So yeah annoyingly it's 100% invincible while its spikes are out other than combo roll or snowball.

[Blue Blood]

My brother and I literally tried to kill one for about 2 minutes until it retracted its spikes.

So yeah annoyingly it's 100% invincible while its spikes are out other than combo roll or snowball.

Cheers.

And speaking of snowballs, has anyone else messed around building the biggest snowballs possible?

[Barry the Nomad]

Okay, I'm at the Oil Desert boss on the iOS version, and no signs of any shitty 'exclusive' levels so far. Good sign, hopefully there won't be any and it'll be a straight port of the console version.

Yup! Looks like its 1:1 with console in terms of content.

Unless... it retains the missing ending?

Sort of bummed no online multi-player for iOS (I would have played you) but its probably due to some technical reason. Still, iOS version really is good looking.

And with the iPhone's ability to multi-task, you can have both episodes open and seamlessly switch between the two (via double tapping the home button). Much faster than launching between episodes on a console.

[SuperLink]

Hrmm.. more impressions I guess.

I couldn't help but notice while playing Death Egg that the whole philosophy behind Sonic then and now is so different, I can't quite put my finger on it but Death Egg 3&K was just so great and big and explorable and difficult and Death Egg mk.ii was like.. a straight path that threw you around a lot. Maybe the nature of being the Final Zone is what caused that.. heck it was pretty awesome compared to Ep1's final Zone. But the whole GO THIS WAY thing Sonic 4 has, boosters, springs everywhere.. if you took half of them out, would the game itself be a fair bit better?

Here's a ranty bit I'll put in spoiler tags for your convenience.

I really wish someone could just approach Iizuka and just..

showcase him a playthrough of Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, push his face at the screen and say

HEY LOOK

SEE THIS

WHERE ARE THE BOOSTERS?

THERE ARE A COUPLE IN CHEMICAL PLANT, THEY MAKE YOU GO SO FAST THAT YOU LEAVE THE SCREEN

DON'T FILL THE GAME WITH THEM

No seriously because the problems with S4 are as clear as day and it frustrates me to no end that no one can just go up to the game's designers and POINT THEM OUT

Have they been listening to the wrong fans or something?

Actually considering this bloody fandom I wouldn't be surprised.

..what if they actually had their own integrity as developers :'l maybe someday.

[-Mark-]

Yup! Looks like its 1:1 with console in terms of content.

Unless... it retains the missing ending?

Sort of bummed no online multi-player for iOS (I would have played you) but its probably due to some technical reason. Still, iOS version really is good looking.

And with the iPhone's ability to multi-task, you can have both episodes open and seamlessly switch between the two (via double tapping the home button). Much faster than launching between episodes on a console.

Yeah, you actually need to open Episode 1 at the same time as 2 to lock on and unlock Episode Metal manually.

EDIT:

Maybe it's just me, but do some of the bosses seem to need less hits in the iOS version? Maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but I could have sworn that Metal Sonic needed more than one hit per attack phase in Sky Fortress.

Edited May 17, 2012 by -Mark-

[Salamander]

I couldn't help but notice while playing Death Egg that the whole philosophy behind Sonic then and now is so different, I can't quite put my finger on it but Death Egg 3&K was just so great and big and explorable and difficult and Death Egg mk.ii was like.. a straight path that threw you around a lot.

S3&K levels were locations. S4 levels are obstacle courses.

[JezMM]

Hrmm.. more impressions I guess.

I couldn't help but notice while playing Death Egg that the whole philosophy behind Sonic then and now is so different, I can't quite put my finger on it but Death Egg 3&K was just so great and big and explorable and difficult and Death Egg mk.ii was like.. a straight path that threw you around a lot. Maybe the nature of being the Final Zone is what caused that.. heck it was pretty awesome compared to Ep1's final Zone. But the whole GO THIS WAY thing Sonic 4 has, boosters, springs everywhere.. if you took half of them out, would the game itself be a fair bit better?

Eh, S3&K Death Egg is a proper zone, whereas Death Egg Mk. II is more of just there to build tension in the leadup to the final boss. I mean I WISH it was a proper level but I'm cool with it being just cinematic flair since that's clearly what it was intended to be. Now, Death Egg and Sky Fortress Act 3, compare away.

[Blue Blood]

Maybe it's just me, but do some of the bosses seem to need less hits in the iOS version? Maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but I could have sworn that Metal Sonic needed more than one hit per attack phase in Sky Fortress.

Are you playing as Super Sonic? He does double damage to bosses.

[SuperLink]

Are you playing as Super Sonic? He does double damage to bosses.

Ooh that's a neat feature I'm glad they finally implemented something like that.

[-Mark-]

Are you playing as Super Sonic? He does double damage to bosses.

Nope, regular.

[Blue Blood]

Nope, regular.

Hm. Sounds like something might have changed then. Each boss is supposed to take 8 hits, sometimes even more if you're attack very quickly and land some hits the game doesn't count.

If the SF Boss does take less hits on the iOS version, then it's clearly the best version of the game. Anything to make it more bearable.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Blue Blood

[-Mark-]

I don't think it's all bosses, just that one in particular (and I think maybe the first Metal Sonic fight in White Park) needed noticeably less hits than in the console version.

Metal Sonic been nerfed for iOS, it seems.

But yeah, I'm honestly surprised at how intact the game is on iOS. It looks near-identical to the console version. The framerate's not ideal in places, but that's kind of understandable.

Edited May 17, 2012 by -Mark-

[Your Vest Friend]

Eh...not really enjoying the experience, to be honest.

I mean, I can play for slightly longer than episode 1 for spurts at a time, but Sonic feels really stiff throughout the game and it's put me off quite a bit. It's especially bad in the Special Stages, they're just no fun whatsoever (I usually enjoy pipe Special Stages, too). I can say with ease that White Park is currently my favourite zone of the Sonic 4 saga thus far (since I didn't have one in episode 1...maybe Lost Labyrinth at a push), but it's not really enough to make me want to finish the game.

[redhellc]

Since you can't use tails in single player and I don't have any friends who want to play the game with me I decided, since I had two controllers to try the multiplayer alone.

And I found that besides the bosses you can play really well alone, only needed to use the other controller when you needed to use combos and the only combo you need when playing with tails is the spindash one.

All this to say that I enjoy the game a lot more with tails than with sonic, I really like how he feels and it makes the game feel more classic since you don't have the homing attack. And the bubble chains are no problem when you can either fly above them or bounce on them.

Also it's nice to play a recent sonic game, with another character besides sonic.

I really hope they patch the game for you to use him in single player.