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

[Voyant]

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.

Knowing Dimps...this won't happen. Not even some big name companies do it...and thats like...fucked up.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Voyant

[Sega DogTagz]

Knowing Dimps...this won't happen. Not even some big name companies do it...and thats like...fucked up.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Sega DogTagz

[Phos]

The more I see of this game the more it looks like they didn't really change anything, I guess they found it easier to just have Ken Baughlow just tell people they did. Chances are they just told him they did. OK, so it doesn't look like one of those 90's CG 16-bit games anymore and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that they've removed uncurling (like it matters with these levels) which I should add I am very hesitant to do. I really don't care about this game enough to look it up for real, but aside from that...

Oh wait, I'm selling this game short. Now it looks less like Sonic Rush, more like Advance 3, complete with the really dumb team moves, long underwater sections, and plethora of crushers, only now you can also 69 with Tails if you want. I guess there's at least one group of users who will like it. Of course, in normal usage its start up takes so long and it doesn't actually appear any faster than the normal spindash so you'll probably never use it outside of the times where you have to, making it another blue key puzzle.

[-Mark-]

Played a bit more of the console version last night, and yeah, I'm pretty sure every encounter with Metal Sonic has been made easier in the iOS version. I think he only ever needs one hit per attack pattern in that.

I also noticed a bunch of the achievements are slightly easier to get; the I Love Tails one only needs you to play as him 15 times, rather than 50 (likely due to the lack of online multiplayer), and I think the Red Star Ring achievement doesn't require you beat the last boss again after getting them.

EDIT:

Okay, just got all Emeralds on the iOS version. Those of you who raged at the final special stage for being cruel/ unfair/ evil/ all of the above will be pleased to hear that they've eased up on the difficulty a little bit. Ring requirements are less; still challenging, just a reasonable challenge rather than an unfair one.

So yeah, in general; iOS version = console version with all the frustrating, unfair parts made tolerable and fair.

That said, despite what I said about Metal Sonic being made easier yesterday, in Death Egg Act 1 it took three hits as Super Sonic to kill him just earlier. D:

Edited May 18, 2012 by -Mark-

[JezMM]

That said, despite what I said about Metal Sonic being made easier yesterday, in Death Egg Act 1 it took three hits as Super Sonic to kill him just earlier. D:

[-Mark-]

Even weirder is that I swear as regular Sonic once it only took one hit on iOS. D:

[SuperLink]

You know what's really upsetting? The Sonic Advance games had so much content.. really nice spritework, lovely music, pretty much perfect physics and a nice medium between classic gameplay and Rush gameplay.

DIMPS made those, what the hell happened Dimps? I definitely wouldn't object to having Tails Knuckles and Amy as optional characters again.. or loads of unlockables.

[Voyant]

DIMPS made those, what the hell happened Dimps?

They stopped giving a fuck and I'm sure our constant backlash isn't motivating them to do better. Same thing Ninja Theory is doing with dmc.

At this point regardless of fan feed back they know that they will make money...so that is all they are worried about.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Voyant

[Sega DogTagz]

They stopped giving a fuck and I'm sure our constant backlash isn't motivating them to do better. Same thing Ninja Theory is doing with dmc.

At this point regardless of fan feed back they know that they will make money...so that is all they are worried about.

On top of that, their creative leash got neutered pretty good by Sega. On top of the advance series, Rush and Rush adventure were both pretty expansive games (w/ 2 characters to boot) but after that they have been stuck on port duty, attempting to re-create Colors and Generations on the go.

Dimps does their best work when they are free to do what they are good at - namely creating a captivating sonic experience suitable for play in short bursts.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Sega DogTagz

[-Mark-]

Oh, I will also say that I was a bit disappointed at the fact you can't just drop-in/ drop-out with co-op play like you could in Sonic 2 and 3. Does make a bit of a barrier to it and makes it a little less player-friendly that someone can't just pick up a controller and join in.

[Linkabel]

Yesterday I finished playing Sonic 4 after getting all the Chaos Emeralds and Red Rings. I think it was an average game that had its moments and I really liked how they made Tails role a bit more important by helping you more. Though saying that I think that when you acquired Super Sonic, Tails becomes useless (except for some parts) like in the old games and if you are playing when someone they basically get the short end of the stick. They could've made a Super Tails or something so the second player could keep up and keep playing.

I also love the Special Stages but didn't really think of them as a challenge until the 7th stage, but even then the pattern was easy to figure out (that last part where you have to use the boost to get the rings that go around the pipe before the 350 rings checkpoint you can pretty much end up with more than 400 rings if you get them all).

Overall I think this is a better improvement than Episode 1 and if there is an Episode 3 I'll know that they will do a better job at it (I hope )

[JezMM]

So I just played through the whole game as Tails on Local Co-Op. Here's a little guide for anyone who is determined to play as him by their lonesome:

Sylvania Castle

All pretty simple. You'll need to hit P2 jump to get Sonic back into the game to do the first combo roll barrier but that's it. The boss is pretty easy to defeat, Sonic will only get hit a couple of times and he usually falls onto the rings anyway.

White Park

All completely doable, again you'll just need to hit P2 jump a couple of times during Act 1 for the mandatory combo rolls. The boss is relatively simple, just make sure to babysit Sonic by combo-flying if Metal Sonic attacks him.

Oil Desert

In Act 1, you'll need to combo-fly to clear the final section. You may have thought it'd be easier with Tails alone, but in fact he's a lot more fiddley to control, and unlike when you combo-fly, you don't get any extra P1 jump pushes to see you to the end (I'm pretty sure this area specifically lets you fly for longer). I never managed to make it to the end. Act 2 is simple enough. Act 3, things get complicated. The second-to-last sand rising area is incredibly difficult to get through without taking direct control of Sonic to homing attack the barriers. However, as long as he's in play, you CAN get through using combo rolls at the last possible second. Just make sure to combo-fly with Sonic periodically to keep him in tow for the second lot of heavy breakable walls. The boss is fairly simple since Sonic will go off-screen into floaty mode before you reach the arena, unlike the first two bosses. You'll just need to push P2 jump to get him back for the pinch mode, and don't forget, Eggman will likely aim for him when he lands in the center.

Sky Fortress

Hoo boy, things get complicated here! Act 1 is very possible. Hold P1's controller in your left hand to move the plane, with P2's controller in your right hand to operate Sonic's jump, the tornado spin, and the callback. Obviously switch completely to P2's controller for the on-foot section. Act 3 requires Sonic's homing attack to use the shooty things, but only two are mandatory - the one you can shortcut to by jumping over a spring after a loop that sends you back through the loop - and the final one. The rest you can fly to their exit points. The boss... is unfortunately your journey's end for a lone Tails player. Try as I might to do it alone, you really need two people co-ordinating for the most part. I believe it's possible as long as Sonic never gets hit once, which IS a lot easier since Tails has full control of the plane - there is no speed-up period as dictated by Sonic's movement. You can move sharply at all times. It may very well be possible to beat this using the same method as Act 1, but I didn't have the patience and enlisted Molly to control Sonic. The second wave of this boss is SO easy in 2P mode it's really quite fascinating.

Death Egg Mk.II

Act 1 is tricky but doable. The boss battle requires a little luck with regards to Eggman's, and the energy balls' movements, but it's completely possible to catch up to, and damage Metal Sonic three times with no help from Sonic at all. The race absoloutely requires the combo roll. Tails just can't break down the closing doors fast enough without the homing attack. The final boss is pretty easy, just have to P2 jump Sonic back into the game for the final three hits, and make sure to stay close and combo-fly up to Eggman at all times from that point on.

Special Stage

Unfortunately these are pretty rubbish playing Tails alone. Not only will Sonic not move, making the connection ropes completely useless, but unlike the AI Tails in Single Player he DOES lose rings when hit, so yeah. No luck there. Still, if you're feeling masochistic remember you can get in front of him by simply jumping or boosting.

Edited May 18, 2012 by JezMM

[Spooky Mulder]

I just finished the game. Final boss was probably the highlight of the game. I love that thing! It's probably one of my favorite final bosses from the franchise.

It's not too hard, but it is still on the challenging side, and the design is very original. It gave me kind of a Sonic CD-vibe. Regardless, it's leagues better than the Episode I boss.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Spooky Mulder

[Emmett L. Brown]

Played through the game, so I can finally take a look at this sub-forum again. Not for fear of spoilers, mind you. I just wanted to make up my own mind on the game before reading everyone else's impressions.

Frankly, I enjoyed the game a lot. I was never all that bothered by Sonic 4's mechanics, but this second episode is noticably improved. Really weird that Dimps can't make Sonic's physics the same as in the earlier Sonic games made by Dimps, but whatever. The level design was really excellent, with tons of alternate paths, and bottomless pit hazards kept minimal up to the air ship level where bottomless pits are logical and a valid option.

Incidentally, I totally called it on the team mechanics when we got the teaser trailer. In your face, all you people who said I was crazy! Said mechanics work pretty decently. The sparkle effect really should have been used only once per level or just the first time you use an ability, but the double rolling move is so much fun! Kudos to the level designers for letting you use flight and rolling not only where you're supposed to, but also where you're just really clever to try. That red ring that requires you to roll up an oil slide was a very nice touch.

The bosses are pretty good with the oil desert and sky fortress bosses being the low points in my experience. The Metal Sonic fights and the final boss were all challenging and really fun. Speaking of using abilities where you're not supposed to; using the double roll move to utterly embarrass Metal Sonic in the final race was golden!

All in all, the second episode feels a lot more like the developers wanted to make Sonic 4, instead of just taking a near-complete unrelated Sonic game and slapping a 4 sticker on it, which was pretty much the case with the first episode.

Adding extra levels where you can play as Metal Sonic as a lock-on bonus was pure fanservice and appreciated.

I'd rate this game: "a good game".

[Speederino]

Adding extra levels where you can play as Metal Sonic as a lock-on bonus was pure fanservice and appreciated.

I really regret buying Episode 1 on the Wii now. Unlike most people here I really like E1, but I don't really want to buy it again for the PS3. Maybe if PSN runs a sale on it sometime, I'll consider getting it for Episode Metal.

So, I'm having really weird feelings on E2. I like E1, I even replay it pretty often. I feel positive that E2 is a superior game. So why am I just not feeling this? I have no desire to replay it right now, not even for the red rings. I think the problem is that, despite having superior level design and genuinely fun gameplay, the game just isn't as memorable for me. Save for a few sections of White Park, there's no particular section that stands out from the crowd. No big moments that I will remember for years and years to come. There isn't even anything that special about the soundtrack.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

My random thought I had while I was eating dinner:

Sonic 4 tries too hard to be like the classics, instead of trying to be A classic. SEGA back in the 1990s had to put their all into making the first Sonic game because if they didn't they wouldn't be able to outshine Nintendo and their mascot, Mario. A classic is made because you put your absolute best into it (or for Magnum Opus Dissonance, your most minimal attention). Which is why Sonic 4 will never be a classic; it holds itself back so it can claim to be classic, but in reality, it's only shooting itself in the foot.

End of random thought, have a nice day/night!

[Emmett L. Brown]

Finally beat all the special stages. Took some time getting used to having an accelleration mechanic after playing Sonic 2 so darn many times. I gotta say, these are actually really good special stages. Unlike the horrible ones in Sonic Pocket Adventure, you always have a chance to spot mines in time to avoid them, and the patterns have enough logic that you can spot when one starts. And like the Sonic 2 originals, there's always enough rings that you can make the third wave really easy or really hard depending on how well you do on the first two.

Seventh stage was a bitch, though. The part where you stretch a line all around in a circle through a tunnel of rings was brilliant, but the end part that consists of nothing but collect x/x rings was hell, especially since it's the first out of all seven stages where mastering the accelleration is mandatory to catch spread out groups of rings in a split second.

Thank goodness they kept the Retry option, so I didn't have to replay a full level for every time I ran short on that last special stage.

EDIT: Got the last red ring. Are having all the red rings and Emeralds supposed to do anything ending-wise? The only difference I can see is there's no Eggman monitor telling me to "TRY AGAIN". I enjoyed sleuthing for red rings, because it tickles my exploration bone, but I was expecting something. Anything.

Also, beating the final boss as Super Sonic was one of the most fun puzzle bosses I've played in years. Turning into Super Sonic to skip past all the electricity, then turning back to normal to damage the boss, and so on - felt like some mad skillz yo.

EDIT 2: I found it weird that the time travel aspect of the Little Planet never got explored. Then I realised that time travel is exactly the reason why the planet goes from being surrounded by scaffolding in the background of the first Metal Sonic boss fight to being completely finished by the time you get to space. Bad Future hello!

Edited May 20, 2012 by Grumpy Old Guy

[Doctor MK]

Here's my personal review of the game...

Oh boy, here we go again. Almost two years after the release of the first episode of Sonic 4 - which, as is pretty much common knowledge by now, received very mixed opinions from fans and critics alike - SEGA has finally decided to release the next chapter in the series. Featuring the return of Miles "Tails" Prower and flaunting brand new physics and graphics engines, is this finally a game that can live up to the classics?

Following a brief cutscene showing Sonic and Tails arriving on the Tornado bi-plane, you kick off your new adventure in Sylvania Castle Zone and everything seems promising. The visuals look very nice indeed, and Sonic handles a lot better too. His physics, while not spot-on in comparison to the MegaDrive trilogy, have been greatly improved and you'll be able to relive the joys of rolling down hills and spinning through loops whilst picking up momentum, something which Episode I was sorely lacking. The level itself is pretty nice and a good introductory stage, showcasing the big new selling point of Episode II - a certain two-tailed fox. This time around Sonic can team up with Tails to pull off 'tag' combos, allowing the 'hog to be carried into the air, pulled along in the water, or (in a rather dubious position) perform a super-duper spin attack that blasts through walls. They're all pretty nifty and make exploration that bit more enjoyable.

The fun continues on in White Park Zone too, a brilliant snow-meets-carnival level with some great set-pieces. It's also here that you come face to face with Metal Sonic in arguably the best boss fight of the game - with an amazing tune pumping in the background, you chase down your robotic foe across the rollercoaster rails and take him down. Genuinely, it's thrilling, and it's moments like this where Sonic 4: Episode II really shines.

Unfortunately, that's where the enjoyment ends and frustration begins to creep in.

The third zone, Oil Desert, is - on the first playthrough at least - a royal pain in the backside. Next to the unique and bright Sylvania Castle and White Park, it's a drab affair, seeing Sonic run through an oil refinery of all places. There's some painfully bad level design on display and an over-reliance on forcing the Tails combos on the player results in some cheap moments where a single mistake (and often one that you can't see coming) will see you plummeting into a bottomless pit.

The only thing going for Oil Desert Zone is its slight originality, though even that's debatable. But compared to the zones that follow it, it's basically brand new. Sky Fortress and Death Egg mk.II are essentially ripped straight out of Sonic 2 design-wise, complete with a Sky Chase act at the start, and it feels like such a waste of potential. The game started out with a glimmer of creativity, but alas, it fades as fast as it appears. That's what makes Episode II such a disappointment. It comes within touching distance of brilliance, but falters before it can get there. Ironically, it's a bit like one of the many moments you'll experience where you're just about to reach a ledge, but Tails runs out of breath and down you go, falling towards certain doom instead.

The bosses are yet another example of this. The battle with Metal Sonic in White Park aside, all of the bosses in this game quickly become a test of patience - not necessarily because they're hard (although a couple are rather testing), but because they drag out for far too long. Every time you lose a life you have to sit through the intro to the boss fight and it can take up to a minute before you can actually hit the damn thing, and particularly with the final boss, you can spend ages making your way to getting the last blow... only to die and have to sit through it all again. Prepare to rage hard on quite a few occasions. The special stages are a similar experience, with the last couple in particular being absolutely brutal. Thankfully, there's a retry button so you don't have to keep beating a stage with 50 rings over and over again.

All in all, Episode II is better than Episode I from a technical standpoint, but it somehow lacks some of the charm of its predecessor. It gets so many things right - the graphics, the physics, the originality - and yet gets so many things wrong - the poor level design, the over-use of combo moves, the rehashing in later zones. It's worth playing through for the few moments where it truly stands out (and also if you have Episode I you get the bonus Episode Metal, a short but decent collection of additional levels), but apart from that this is yet another instalment that doesn't quite deserve the title of Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

And what's really annoying is that, for brief moments, it seemed so close this time.

VERDICT

+ New graphics are very impressive

+ Improved physics work wonders, at least compared to Episode I

+ Some interesting new ideas and concepts

- Cheap level design and long, drawn-out boss fights

- Blatant rehashing towards the end of the game

7/10

[Burnt Ash]

Well, I'm playing the iPod version, and I just beat all the Special Stages, so I equals happy. The iPod version has a lower ring quota than the console versions (Special Stage 7 only has you getting 400 rings instead of 500, and other ring differences in other Special Stage). Luckily, in Special Stage 7, I was able to get 400 rings before the last stretch (forced usage of the rubber band thing), so luckily I just had to dodge bombs and then I was done. Super Sonic makes several acts plenty easier, which was a real help during White Park Act III and Oil Desert Zone Act III. I only wish it'd help me in Sky Fortress Zone Act I .

[-Mark-]

You know, I just realised something; Is the Little Planet going to just be forever left as the Death Egg mk. II now then or what? The ending did seem a bit inconclusive in just leaving it as-is. D:

[JezMM]

The Death Egg does shut down as the credits roll but yeah, we're just gonna have to hope Episode 3 gets made or we'll be left with ANOTHER plot hole.

Or more of... a disturbingly bleak addition to canon until otherwise solved.

[-Mark-]

I did joke with my brother actually, how many of Eggman's old space stations/ satellites etc are actually left floating around the planet now, anyway?

But seriously, it wouldn't have taken much to show the metal exterior crumbling away from Little Planet as the credits rolled. ;___;

Edited May 23, 2012 by -Mark-

[Blue Blood]

I did joke with my brother actually, how many of Eggman's old space stations/ satellites etc are actually left floating around the planet now, anyway?

But seriously, it wouldn't have taken much to show the metal exterior crumbling away from Little Planet as the credits rolled. ;___;

Hm, yeah. What happened to the Death Egg in 3K? There's the Ark, Babylon Garden (not Eggmans, but eh), all the Egg Stations from E2, the entire fleet from Unleashed, Starlight Carnival, Egg Utopia and probably more. Damn. That fool's got no consideration for the space environment, especially with Little Planet.

It does kind suck that they didn't do something about it.

EDIT: Wait. Little Planet is constantly Time Travelling. If it goes back in time, the Death Egg will still be working. After all it wasn't actually destroyed. They should have written in that Eggman went back in time to build it, ala all the machines in CD.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Blue Blood

[-Mark-]

I just hope they don't use the fact it's still there as an excuse to use it again in a future game. It'll border on kinda cheap if they do. D:

[Komodin]

I just hope they don't use the fact it's still there as an excuse to use it again in a future game. It'll border on kinda cheap if they do. D:

Well, if they were to go that route with the Deatheggificated!Little Planet, I hope that game actually does something substantial with it...