2014 is The Year Of Sonic "& Sports tape" *see post 1*

[Jason Berry]

Anyone else notice how everyone falls on their face in that one scene (including a certain flying fox who should have caught himself) except Amy who lands in a perfect badass Ironman pose? They really seem to be toughening up her image.

[Tara]

Honestly, the only real reservations I have with what we've seen so far is that how drastically they've changed Amy.  I mean, I'm not opposed to her having more fighting roles, but I feel it takes a way a lot of the charm and value the character established in SA1.  I felt the (strangely executed) lesson that she didn't have to be as tough as Sonic to do good or be contributive to the overall plot was an invaluable aspect for Amy, even though every game from SA2 onward sort of did let that go completely by the wayside.

[SuperLink]

I'll only have a big problem with her if they make her one-dimensional. Guys just aren't very good at writing women a lot of the time, they're too afraid to make them more than a core character archetype. Sonic Team Amy, despite her currently treatment, has always been more than just "pink Sonic girlfriend", even if not by much.

 

If the new Amy is only defined by being a no-nonsense badass, it'll be kinda lame. I hope all of the characters have multiple dimensions to their personalities. Since Amy's also the team's archaeologist though I'm not too worried?

[Gabz Girl]

Does anyone know what the Great Clement thinks of Sonic Boom and these new designs? I'm veeeeery interested in hearing his opinion.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I'll only have a big problem with her if they make her one-dimensional. Guys just aren't very good at writing women a lot of the time, they're too afraid to make them more than a core character archetype.

I thought it was because they focus more on their male leads and some subtle sexism from a portion of the audience and developers?

[MamboCat]

Does anyone know what the Great Clement thinks of Sonic Boom and these new designs? I'm veeeeery interested in hearing his opinion.

 

He's posted on Twitter:

 

sooo... cautious optimism?

[SuperLink]

I seriously can't believe that this time yesterday I was in this very thread ranting about how SEGA were too stupid to outsource Sonic away from Sonic Team. That was an uncanny topic of discussion in retrospect, extremely ironic that I got so heated about it when only a few hours later they.. did exactly that. Lmao x-x;;

 

I thought it was because they focus more on their male leads and some subtle sexism from a portion of the audience and developers?

Yeah that's part of it, but a lot of the time even when guys actually try to write "strong females" they end up being one-dimensional because a lot of guys don't know how to write "strong females" (I think they overcomplicate things and end up with this impression that girls and guys are really different when they're.. not really).

[Mauro Fonseca]

I want to believe that in that particular scene the joke is just that she's an absurd gymnast

 

then I look at her face in the art

 

Yeah no she's going to be stereotypical action THE GIRL CHARACTER

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Yeah that's part of it, but a lot of the time even when guys actually try to write "strong females" they end up being one-dimensional because a lot of guys don't know how to write "strong females" (I think they overcomplicate things and end up with this impression that girls and guys are really different when they're.. not really).

It's funny that they can make their male characters with all sorts of strengths and weaknesses that can move the plot while female characters are so black and white that they are strong with no weaknesses or weak with no strengths.

 

I know they're trying not to be sexist, but how hard is it really to hit a middle ground without making women too perfect or too useless?

[Tara]

Ambiguous and potentially questionable treatment of Amy aside, the interview that was linked last night had a really interesting point about ensuring that all characters share equal weight on the story and the gameplay.  While I naturally plan to take this with a grain of salt and not get too excited over what may just be puffery on Sega's part, I am particularly curious about this.  Poor usage of the secondary characters has been a long-standing complaint in the series since 2005 if not earlier, so it will be interesting to see how, or if, they manage to rectify that.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

Look at my avatar. Does she look like a no-nonsense badass? While they may look like they have toughen her personality a little, I just don't think they'll do a complete 180 with Amy. She'll probably still show some love interest with Sonic (although I guess she's no longer addictive about it like in previous games minus Lost World) and she most likely still have that Minnie Mouse voice since they are using the original VAs.

[VO.SUPER]

I hope Amy is not going to be the stereotypical tough girl who does nothing wrong. I'd like to have some comical bits with her like the boys get. But again, most female characters are usually the ones applying the slapstick (for predictable reasons) instead of being on the painful end of it like most male characters.

[SuperLink]

and she most likely still have that Minnie Mouse voice since they are using the original VAs.

Actually on that note I had a pretty important thought after I logged off yesterday.

 

Ok so remember how in all of Knuckles' modern roles he just sounds like Dan Green 2.0? And remember how in the Sonic Boom trailer when he says "this is paradise" he actually sounds really cool and emotive and nothing like Dan Green's XDD FUNNY DUM Knuckles?

 

Same Voice Actors

Motherfuckin VOICE DIRECTION.

 

I'm calling this now, without Sonic Team's mandates, and with an experienced western team, the voice acting direction and quality is going to be a lot better than what we're currently used to too. Some people also thought that the cartoon's Tails didn't sound like Higgins, but it's Higgins! All the VAs are returning, and so far, even the ones we were originally a bit ??? on, sound great!

 

If I'm right, I'm confident that with the new voice direction and badass Amy, you're all going to see how much of a VA champ Cindy Robinson really is. (skip to 0:46 - spoiler: she's the rabbit, spoiler 2: she's a fucking amazing VA))

[Salamander]

I had to quit the thread about halfway through yesterday, so I've only just seen a lot of what went down...

 

What stands out to me most is the fact that Boom is clearly a major new direction for Sonic, and yet it's not replacing Modern Sonic.  Good call there.  We can get the best of both worlds here.  It's going to be an interesting year.

[Sonictrainer]

 

Aaaaaaaand it's fix'd.

 

and now it's completely fixed

[Indigo Rush]

If Knuckles looked more like that last picture you posted, I think I'd be alright with him being bulkier. I think the primary issue isn't so much how much muscle as much as it is how tall he is in proportion to it. Really weird.

 

Again though, I'm warming up to Buffles regardless. It's just an odd design choice.

[Tani Coyote]

Okay good, the forums are no longer coocoo today and massive pages of death are no longer showing up out of the void.

I'll focus on the Year of Sonic rather than what was revealed at this since I'm sure they have more planned and there are topics for the game and show.

What else is there for this year...?

In all likelihood the Zelda DLC is something to look forward to; I assume the next Nintendo Direct would discuss it. It's a shame they ironed out so many of Lost World's flaws only after it hit shelves.

There is of course Sonic Boom 2014 as well on the convention scene. If we don't hear from it this month, it's a safe bet it's not during a big con. Or possibly abolished, but I hope not because that would suck. While watching yesterday's shenanigans, the one thing that kept crossing my mind was the hope Boom 2014 would be announced soon simply so I knew where the hell I'd have to fly to play this game early. If they really wanted to push the brand I could see them holding more than one but I doubt they'd do that; SEGA surprised me for once this year however so maybe?

Then there's the film. I'm positive it's legit if they really want to make sure Sonic makes a huge bang this year. I'm just really eager to see who will make it - I think Rainmaker/Blockade might have their hands full, but it would be very fitting.

[Sami]

and now it's completely fixed

 

Fuck I actually really dig this 

[JaidynReiman]

Actually on that note I had a pretty important thought after I logged off yesterday.

 

Ok so remember how in all of Knuckles' modern roles he just sounds like Dan Green 2.0? And remember how in the Sonic Boom trailer when he says "this is paradise" he actually sounds really cool and emotive and nothing like Dan Green's XDD FUNNY DUM Knuckles?

 

Same Voice Actors

Motherfuckin VOICE DIRECTION.

 

I'm calling this now, without Sonic Team's mandates, and with an experienced western team, the voice acting direction and quality is going to be a lot better than what we're currently used to too. Some people also thought that the cartoon's Tails didn't sound like Higgins, but it's Higgins! All the VAs are returning, and so far, even the ones we were originally a bit ??? on, sound great!

 

If I'm right, I'm confident that with the new voice direction and badass Amy, you're all going to see how much of a VA champ Cindy Robinson really is. (skip to 0:46 - spoiler: she's the rabbit, spoiler 2: she's a fucking amazing VA))

Yeah... honestly, Travis Willingham did a good job there. He sounded so deep I really, REALLY thought it was Kirk Thornton. And my wife, who's pretty good and picking out voices (I could not tell Silver was voiced by Quinton Flynn, her favorite voice actor, but she could easily pick it out; I STILL can't tell he sounds like Quinton Flynn), but even she thought that Travis Willingham sounded like Kirk Thornton in that line.

 

And Sonic himself... he kinda resembled Dan Green's Knuckles to me, which was really starting to confuse the hell out of me. Ugh.

[SuperLink]

And Sonic himself... he kinda resembled Dan Green's Knuckles to me, which was really starting to confuse the hell out of me. Ugh.

He sounds much more like Roger than Dan Green's Knuckles. He didn't sound much like Roger Sonic normally sounds, but I've heard Roger in tons of roles as well as seen him talking live and it's 100% definitely Roger.

[JaidynReiman]

He sounds much more like Roger than Dan Green's Knuckles. He didn't sound much like Roger Sonic normally sounds, but I've heard Roger in tons of roles as well as seen him talking live and it's 100% definitely Roger.

I said he sounded that way to me.

[SuperLink]

I said he sounded that way to me.

I know I was just trying to dispel doubts and stuff since I know a lot of people still genuinely aren't sure.

[JaidynReiman]

I'm genuinely sure now that its Roger and Travis Willingham, respectively. They just did a pretty good job of sounding different. And I kinda made an idiot of myself by spouting off that I heard Kirk Thornton, when after comparing it very closely to Kirk Thornton I could tell the voice was different even if it was very similar in pitch, very deep like Kirk Thornton's portrayals (both of Saix and Shadow).

 

Roger I caught first, even though it did sound different. When I first heard it I honestly did think it sounded like Travis Willingham. I had to listen to it several times before I caught it.

 

 

Which does make me curious; if other characters DO appear I wonder how different they would sound? That'd be interesting. I do really want to hear how Amy sounds now, as well.

[Cyrus]

I hope Cindy Robinson steps it up for her role if she's still Amy. I personally want less Minnie Mouse and more Lisa Ortiz. (Ortiz is still my favorite Amy.)

[Octarine]

Even Eggman sounds a little different in parts of the TV clip. Mostly he's still about the same as ever, but a couple of lines at the beginning, especially "you do that on purpose!", sound odd. Might just be that they used weird takes or something instead of an intentional change, but it's kind of neat.