Unpopular Sonic opinions!

[ArtFenix]

- Its not important to have a massive central cast to generate a Sonic game with a good plot or an expansive universe. See Unleashed.

2 recognised Sonic characters, and 2 other important characters. Only 1 character was playable. The story itself was simple in concept and not terribly well written (in terms of dialogue at the very least), yet it felt as though it had a greater scope than SA2, Shadow or 06 (each of which had far more complex and "epic" stories). Thing is, it was better realised because effort was spent generating the world the characters were running around in. Each hubworld and location was extremely well fleshed out and was alive. There were people, throw-away characters though they may be, which you could talk to and it made the world of Sonic Unleashed feel like an actual connected world.

Only a handful of central characters are necessary. 4 or 5 at the most I'd say. Yeah, other characters can exist and each game should feature a different set of characters to work with Sonic (and possibly Tails). Maybe have cameos of other characters as NPC's in a hubworld somewhere who you can talk to breifly, but play no major role in the story that is unfolding.

Edited June 8, 2012 by ArtFenix

[Scar]

OK, since you suggested continuing our discussion in this topic, let's do this.

Unleashed felt more alive, yes. Yes, it was because there were HUBs that were pupulated with people and they all had something to tell you about. However I think no way it had a greater scope than Sa2 or other games you mentioned. It didn't take itself serious enough until the end and that's the main problem with this game. I mean, the planet was freaking torn apart and yet people behaved no different than they always had! Yeah, there were some line like "We're all doomed" but all in all, nothing changed. And there was that stupid humor. Sa2 and Shadow the hedgehog didn't even have hub worlds so I don't see how you can compare the games to Unleashed. And in those games there were more cutscenes which were related to the story. And less filler cutscenes like in recent games.

Yeah, the behavioral problems with the NPC's was a problem in Unleashed. I admitted it wasn't perfect. It was still better than most other attempts. Shadow was just silly in almost every way. Juvenile at best. SA2 only found scope towards the end and that one cutscene where Eggman blew up the moon. It is essentially no better than Unleashed.

Even though I agree with you that having NPCs with their own little backstories and problems is great, I do not understand why they should be humans instead of SONIC characters!

How many canon Sonic characters are there? I already suggested in that paragraph that it would be a good idea to have a few Sonic characters in amongst the crowd of NPC's in some Hubworlds. Still, you can't just have Sonic characters, because there aren't enough and they don't ALL need to be involved in a single game.

We don't need any ugly pickles when we have a smart little two-tailed fox whose role was taken by Chip as well.

How old is Tails? How old is Pickles? Doesn't matter how smart Tails is, he fundamentally lacks the experience of a Sonic or indeed a Professor Pickles (who by the way was a great character). Pickles is essentially Tails academic mentor and there is room for such a character, because Tails is young and inexperienced.

Chip didn't usurp Tails' role, because the story wasn't focused on Tails. Unleashed's story was about Chip. I'm pretty sure somebody else can explain why, much better than I can, but here's a butchered attempt. Unleashed's story was basically about Chip (aka Light Gaia) who was so busy in his previous incarnations trying to stop Dark Gaia, that he didn't leave enough time to enjoy the world he was protecting. His relationship with Sonic allowed him to have fun and see the world.

Unfortunately, Tails isn't Light Gaia and therefore cannot undergo the same character arc.

We can have a HUB world with no humans, just some Sonic characters and that would not be enough. But if there are a lot of Sonic characters it will be better. Some of them would be playable, some of them would be a part of the story and some would be NPCs. Isn't that great?

Every character doesn't need to be in every game.

A HUB world with pretty much no Sonic characters is almost just as lifeless as an amusement park without anyone whatsoever.

Nope. Because there must exist people OTHER than Sonic's friends. Yeah, Unleashed probably could have used some Sonic NPC's here and there, but along side the human NPC's. If you got rid of all the NPC's in Unleashed and replaced them with Sonic characters, the hubs would have been as sparse and lifeless as they were in 06.

We're talking about SONIC universe? Let there be SONIC characters, not some rendom NPCs that everyone will quickly forget . That's the way I see it.

Sonic characters aren't the only part of Sonic's Universe. Those random NPC's are necessary to make a location feel alive, because it means that there exists life beyond Sonic and his friends.

Furthermore, Sonic has been characterised as a drifter. He roams around with no real stationary home. As such not every Sonic game needs to involved the whole world (it gets boring after a while). The whole story can take place on a single island or continent. As such not every Sonic character in existance needs to be involved. I don't believe that every Sonic character just follows Sonic around everywhere. For a given game maybe a handful of characters are needed, the rest being ideally a mixture of human and anthro NPC's.

Maybe occasionally we get a story which involves the whole world and therefore most characters, but not every game.

[ArtFenix]

Shadow was just silly in almost every way. Juvenile at best.

Yeah, that was the problem with the game's dialogs. A lot of them are trying too hard or just awkward. But I'd take it over Unleashed humor any day.

How many canon Sonic characters are there? I already suggested in that paragraph that it would be a good idea to have a few Sonic characters in amongst the crowd of NPC's in some Hubworlds. Still, you can't just have Sonic characters, because there aren't enough and they don't ALL need to be involved in a single game.

So that means Sonicteam should make MOAR characters xD. awaiting the shitstorm, hides in the corner. OK, yeah there are two solutions:

- a mixture between Sonic character NPCs and human NPCs

- completely Sonic NPCs like in Sonic Rush Adventure. Seriously, no one gave a shit about those guys and yet it was great having Sonic NPCs in that game.

Every character doesn't need to be in every game.

Ok, I agree but see the above post.

How old is Tails? How old is Pickles?

Is it even possible for a 8 y.o. boy to make a freaking PLANE that transforms and has jet engine or a portable translator that understands alien language? The point is: age doesn't matter in Sonic games AT. ALL.

Professor Pickles (who by the way was a great character)

Alright, seems that we have different views on that character.

Nope. Because there must exist people OTHER than Sonic's friends. Yeah, Unleashed probably could have used some Sonic NPC's here and there, but along side the human NPC's. If you got rid of all the NPC's in Unleashed and replaced them with Sonic characters, the hubs would have been as sparse and lifeless as they were in 06.

Again, look at Sonic Rush Adventure. Those were not friends of Sonic.

Yeah, Unleashed probably could have used some Sonic NPC's here and there, but along side the human NPC's.

I agree... even though I hate Unleashed humans design with passion. And my answers above apply here as well.

[...]

I do not care for Shadow The Hedgehog as a Sonic character at all.

[SoniClub]

Sonic Shuffle is godlike. It's an immensely fun and surprisingly deep party game that I still play off and to to this day. No kidding.

Amen to that brother. I found that it's so much more enjoyable than Mario Party, which brings me to tears with boredum. The nostalgia I have for it is unnerving. Even when Amy steals my fucking Special card.

I think Sonic Chronicles is an atrocious game and deserves as much bad rep' as 06. It was over in under 10 hours, the music was painful, the gameplay was sub-par/laborious and the whole thing just looks horrific. The 'hand drawn' style makes it sound like a Disney film, but i've seen better stuff from members on here.

Oh and those Cutscenes, really? How the heck did they get past quality control? Knuckles looks like he has some sort of inverted lump on his head.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Wordy

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

After being entreated to an admittedly excellent intro to Sonic Unleashed, a Sonic game I had been avoiding for some time, my fears seemed trivial. The werehog wasn't too far off, sure, but I would handle that when it came. For now, I could enjoy a new and innovative system, one where the Blue Blur could once and for all shine as the fastest thing alive. I had convinced myself that no mere gameplay gaffe was to keep me from enjoying such a triumph in history. Surely, nothing could ruin this moment. And then, from the buttocks of Sonic, as if from the buttocks of the developers, it made its horrific and malicious being manifest.

Its very appearance seemed to mock all forms of biology. Not a ferret, nor rabbit, nor bird nor dog, nor like anything the world had known. I sat back in my seat in shock, surely this must be some terrible mutation spawned of some wicked nightmare. And yet there it was, spewing from its lipless mouth a pale imitation of the English tongue as if a horrendous actor in front of a live audience. The spectral forms of the under-paid Sega writing staff haunted its every cutscene. "Laugh," they exclaimed, "What the small abomination does is several styles of charming and humorous!" The music pieces accompanying its scenes futilely attempted to strike a funny bone that never existed, treating its obsession with dessert and buffoonish antics as something worthy of high comedy. It threatened madness at every checkpoint, driving its tired running gag into my skull as if I were some toddler that could not comprehend its highbrow excellence. If there was one moment of its screen time in which I was not tempted to break all laws of reality and thrust my fist into the monitor to bludgeon it and its ridiculous hair, that moment shall forever be lost in time.

It became increasingly clear that Dark Gaia was but a child's toy. This... this thing was the ultimate villain of Sonic Unleashed. And thus I wept, for I understood fully the blight we had unleashed upon humanity. Forgive us, future generations. We knew not what we had wrought.

tl;dr: Chip wasn't necessarily my favorite character.

[Nintendork Z]

I think the special stages from 1 are the best. I like 3D Blast, R, and Fighters. I don't like the first three games that much. I like all of the characters except for Big, Charmy and Omachao. I want multiple playable characters. I love Unleashed for the PS3. The Game Cube had the best Sonic line up (Mega Collection +, Adventure DX, Adventure 2: Battle, Heroes, Shadow). I like the bigger, more expansive, story lines. Colors is vastly overrated. Chao Gardens are awesome. AoStH > SatAM > Underground. Advanced 3 is the best in the trilogy. I like the Modern design better in every aspect. Yeah, I'm definitely weird.

[tenchibr]

On the topic of Sonic Unleashed...

I didn't like the Night of the Werehog or the optional cutscenes made by the same team. They are well animated, but I hate the lack of voice.

[Vertekins]

- I think that SatAM's intro theme "The Fastest Thing Alive" is amongst the most annoying Sonic songs of all time and epitomizes all that is irritating about Sonic's "Mascot with Attitude" aspect that he pioneered.

- I love love love the more fantasy-ish and surreal art direction of Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix compared to the Mega Drive quartet's greater realism. There's more intricate detail in CD's and Chaotix's visuals and I think that the surroundings actually..."gel" more with Sonic and Co's character designs.

- On the Sonic cartoon intro's subject, Sonic X's english intro (NOT the American intro) is the worst song ever made and it's an insult to musicians the world over to call it a "song". I mean, listen to this shit;

[Rexeljet]

Here's another unpopular opinion of mine; I much prefer Sonic's sprite in Sonic 3 to the ones from Sonic 1, 2 and CD. People seem to think that Sonic's sprite in Sonic 3 looks too chunky or goofy, but I don't see that. (He looked goofy in Spinball, I'll give you that, and his walk cycle in Sonic 3D was goofy). In sonic 2, I actually thought his body was too small in comparison with the his head and legs. I really like the ticked off look he has in that game, and I think the animations are a little more fluent, and I prefer the way his spines look in Sonic 3, having a full set of spines and not just one set like American classic Sonic.

I disliked Sonic's sprite in the Sonic 3 HD Pre-demo, along with Sonic 2 HD's demo and one of the proposed Sonic sprites for sonic 1 HD, because they all made him look like some bumbling, smiling nit where his peeved look in the original MD games stood out to me.

Knuckles Chaotix was a great game, with possibly the best art style out of all the Sonic games, and I kinda liked the randomised level order and the team-based mechanics. I think it ought to be ported more than Sonic 3D and most of the portable titles. However, I don't think it's so good that I should get a 32X just to play the game. I'll just wait for an XBLA release (Which will probably be never)

Edited June 10, 2012 by OldFreddy

[JezMM]

Sonic 3 was my fave classic sprite too. I think because of that, something felt just a little off about Classic Sonic's 3D model in Generations. He looked almost a bit TOO cute to be the same Sonic from Sonic 3 (even though he must have already had that adventure at the point Generations takes place, unless it literally happened between Sonic and Tails meeting and Sonic 2, which'd be kind of odd).

[Badnik Zero]

Speaking of sprites, I can't stand the Advance 1 sprite. He's cluttered. And his feet begin to wheel at the knees. Sonic runs with the lower half of his legs in this game. Lol go ahead and try to run like that.

[Nepenthe]

I think the SA:DX model is superior design-wise to its Dreamcast counterpart and gets way too much flak simply because some texture artist at Sonic Team didn't turn down the eccentricity enough. The Dreamcast one looks like a botched attempt to update the classic design; it doesn't work well with how thick and blocky the overall model is, and we're left with something a little frumpy-looking. SA:DX skip the bullshit and makes him look more like his Adventure era self. I like the longer spines and limbs, and actual digits. It serves to make him look so much better.

I also still like the Riders series designs. The flaying of their lower limbs helps accentuates the extreme sport nature of the series as well as it's intended comedic and cartoony nature. Using the regular models and just throwing some goggles on them to call it a day misses the goddamn point. xP

Edited June 10, 2012 by Nepenthe

[lounge]

I also still like the Riders series designs. The flaying of their lower limbs helps accentuates the extreme sport nature of the series as well as it's intended comedic and cartoony nature. Using the regular models and just throwing some goggles on them to call it a day misses the goddamn point. xP

Do you mean the anime designs or the in game models?

[Nepenthe]

Do you mean the anime designs or the in game models?

The in-game models.

[Yoko/葉子]

My complaints of Sonic 06 are not the load times, Elise or glitches, mine were Mephiles impaling Sonic (he was my first video game hero ever and first "super hero" for that matter when I was 3 or 4) and the overlapping bosses.

[Rexeljet]

Speaking of sprites, I can't stand the Advance 1 sprite. He's cluttered. And his feet begin to wheel at the knees. Sonic runs with the lower half of his legs in this game. Lol go ahead and try to run like that.

Talking of the Sonic advance sprites, I just dislike them in general, I really don't like the fact that Sonic's standing sprite jitters about like he's dancing, and I dislike the overuse of them in things like sprite cartoons and fangames from places like Yoyogames; there are lots of Sonic sprites to choose from, why choose these really small and pixelly ones? granted the animation is a little more fluent, but a lot of these really bad fangames from places like Yoyogames hardly display this fluency by making the animations ridiculously fast (making the standing animation look all the more stupid) and not feature any sort of transition or flow between different animation cycles.

[JezMM]

You complain about the bounciness and overboard animation the moan when they are underanimated? Lol.

But no I get what you're saying. It's pretty obvious why everyone uses them, they have more animations than any other Sonic sprite made. Between the four game boy advance games you have more poses than you could ever need, especially for non-animated stuff.

They're also literally the only option if you want to use the modern character designs.

To be honest I love the fluid and fun Advance sprites. Sonic's stiff and blocky character model in Rush was a downgrade.

Edited June 10, 2012 by JezMM

[Alice Twilight]

Sonic's S1/CD sprite always did look a bit Chunky to me I guess.

When compared to Metal Sonic here

Sonic just seems unnaturally bigger.

[tenchibr]

Bad example, because Metal Sonic is facing a totally perpendicular direction to Sonic's.

Get a shot of them racing... But I know what you mean.

[Yoko/葉子]

I like Sonic 1 GG/SMS more than Genesis, just seems harder (boss levels included)

[Johnny Boy]

I think Sonic 1 is the worst out of all the genesis titles, it could be because I had a bit of a hard time without the spindash.

[Ekaje]

Unless you're including random spinoffs as well, I don't think that's unpopular at all. Personally I would like Sonic 1 on the same level as the other games, but some aspects that came from it being the first game (Some of the levels just aren't made well. Marble isn't bad, but it's generic and could be put in pretty much any other platformer with minimal changes, and Labryinth is the worst water stage) hold it back for me.

[...]

I think that Sonic Adventure 2 is one of the worst 3D Sonic games.

[KHCast]

I think Digital Circuit is one of the most creative Sonic levels created. I mean your inside a freakin computer!

I honestly want a 2d Ghibi styled Sonic movie more than a CGI one. I feel it would work better. although a cgi one could be cool.

Oh and I feel that silver has the potential to be a really good sonic character if they modify his personality, story and such.

And the colors bosses I find (while dull and shallow) Pretty creative and cool looking.

Edited June 11, 2012 by Sora