Dr. Crusher Presents: The 30 Days of Sonic the Hedgehog Mk.II (Daft and Tolerating It)-PAGE 72, FIN

[TailsTellsTales]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

I like Sonic 3D Blast on Sega Genesis there. It was the first Sonic game I had for Sega and my third Sonic game I ever played. I do have nice memory of the game back in the day. It was the first Sonic game I ever beaten. The special stage was much easier. The music itself was super great awesome. I can understand why it is not as liked because of the slower game play and the not being able to play as Super Sonic that was sad there. Though it not liked much I still do like it since it was the first sort of 3D type Sonic game than.

[MegasonicZX]

Question #8: Which disliked game do you like regardless?

 

This one is actually a bit tough for me since I like almost all the disliked ones for equally valid reasons but if I had to pick one or two the first would be

 

 

Sonic heroes, seriously its no secret that I love this game to death heck as a kid I practically played it to death even going as far as to constantly replay the tutorial level when me and my cousin rented it as kids since the disk didn't play the others...and I still replay it sometimes to this day. I see so much hate for this game but I honestly can't really bring myself to hate anything about it (well, besides some things), the music is awesome, I love the levels and the themes that they went with for them, the graphics still hold up greatly to this day and it has gameplay that I honest to god love from the bottom of my heart, sure it has its kinks but I just love the prospect of controlling all three of the characters instead of just using them one by one like in other games.

 

My second choice is a pretty obvious one if anybodies ever tuned into my conversations

 

 

Yeah how the heck would I even be able to live with myself if I didn't mention this game, while yeah this games a bit more mixed than generally disliked I feel as though it leans a bit more on the disliked side. Anyway, this is pretty much my favorite sonic game (or my favorite game in general really) there really isn't much more that I can say that already hasn't been said but man this was just so many things for me when it came out, number one being that it was the first 3D sonic game with the boost function, something that I had actively hoped for ever since play rush and man did I get more than I bargained for with this; Linear yet really well constructed levels that once you mastered you could pretty much dominate them, an awesome brawler side of the game that once I think about it was probably the first side gameplay in the series that was really well developed, an orgasmic soundtrack and visuals, literally everything else lol.

 

Needless to say while I might not have put my thoughts out there in the best way hopefully you guys can get what I mean when I say this is my favorite sonic game, I could go on for a whole page about the abundance other things I like in this (and heroes) but I unfortunately don't have the time so you've all been spared my ramblings for now

[Brad]

For me this is probably Sonic Advance 3? I see it gets a lot of negative air around here which I fail to understand. I think it's a much better game than Sonic Advance 2 - the partner mechanic could have been expanded on for sure but beside that I thought the levels were well designed and looked great, it had a decent amount of variety, gave us some really funky music... I just find quite a bit of enjoyment with it! It combines the blistering sense of speed which Advance 2 delivered while providing much more platforming and exploration variety for people who preferred the original like I did. And also, finding the Chaos Emeralds wasn't nearly as stupidly ridiculous as it was in Advance 2 to get the good ending. 

 

Beside Advance 3, I'd probably say I overall find Sonic Lost World to be a good game. Nothing amazing, but I really think it was onto something great with the ideas it was going for, and something about its world design and visual aesthetic felt more realised than other games to me. I liked how it brought back classic sensibilities in badniks and such and some of the levels were really great to play once you know how the parkour works. Not to mention I pretty much love the soundtrack as a fan Ohtani, and it gave us Sea Bottom Segue which I consider to be one of the best songs in the franchise.

[Drawloverlala]

ohh i just skipped some days.. too busy latelty.. T-T

 

but well..

Day 8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

Shadow the hedgehog... original the character pls!

so edgy!

 

i don't play it too much often so .. when i miss it. i play it.. and regardless its soooo slippery and confusing about the story and gameplay..

i still enjoy it so much..  music and cg cutscenes are just so awesome.. i can't say no to play it (ok.. only when i lose my patience with it at The ARK heeehehe  )

 

-----

another one..

Tails Sky Patrol!

not many people likes it because its too easy to die on it..

but i have many patience .. the game its not so long.. and i love the music and to smash the bosses against the walls or the floor

[Rusty Spy]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

All too often I see people rag on this game, and it's the case where it's flaws honestly don't bother me as much as other people. I still consider it a very solid platformer that still holds up today. Not particularly great but could replay it and still have fun.

 

Also:

Not sure if this one counts, it seems more like people are just really apathetic towards this game, but regardless, this is probably one of my favorite racing games ever, for it's really inventive, if unpolished mechanics. The trick system alone makes this game so damn fun to play despite, and the different gear types add many awesome perks on top of the gameplay.

[RosaRosaRosalina]

DAY EIGHT: INFAMOUS GAMES YOU LIKE

 

...Oooooh boy.

 

 

Sonic 4. Not just Episode 1. Not just Episode 2, but Sonic 4 as a whole was really negatively received either critically or fan wise for the two years Sega's put up with it. Okay, okay, it probably isn't as great as some hoped to be, but I still found it to be a generally fun time regardless. 

 

I don't really mind the whole physics ordeal the games have surrounding the both of them, I was never really all that fussed up over the level designs (yes, not even the overabundance of springs and/or speed boosters made the game any worse. Except for that section in Oil Desert Zone Act 2, seriously what the fuck was up with that?) And I could go on about the topic of reusing past tropes, but to me it seems that with every old idea reintroduced in that game was brought with something new.

 

I actually think this game manages to do some things a bit better than what they were in the Genesis games, the Special Stages being one of them.

 

This game is no Sonic 3, however. I know how many flaws it has, I know what was wrong with the game in the eyes of others. But at the end of the day, I had my fun with both Episodes. It's a shame there won't be a third to finish it off. I mean, really, two is a weird number to end on.

 

Honorable Mentions: Sonic Chaos, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Lost World and Sonic Boom (both games)

[Sapphire]

Yikes… I'm a little behind. Had family in town and couldn't access my computer. It's still 3 days since day 4 in my time zone, and I truly didn't see the post about the time zone thing until now, so I really hope it still counts! If not… well, I'm still answering them anyway. I'll just do better from now on.

 

Day 4: What Were Your Most Difficult Challenges For You During Your Early Years With The Series?

 

• Freaking Security Hall in SA2. The emerald hunt stages in that game were pretty brutal for me when I was little, so doing it in 5 minutes was IMPOSSIBLE. 
• Sonic 1 Special Stages. I actually still have trouble with these, to be honest. I don't know what exactly it is about these ones, I'm fine with the half pipe-style ones, and excellent at the S3&K ones, but the Sonic 1 ones are sooo hard for me to control. 
• Big's fishing stages in SA1. God damn I could never catch these stupid fish. I always had to have my older brother do them for me.

Day 5: What sort of unseen or unrecognised interpretations/traits do you like to imagine for certain characters?

 

I have always seen Knuckles as very one with nature. To me, he is one of those people who know every species of plant and tree simply by seeing its leaf, knows which mushrooms and berries are safe to eat, and knows amazing factoids about different rocks and insects. He obviously has a lot of time to himself while guarding the Master Emerald, so he spends all this downtime learning all there is to know about the nature surrounding him on Angel Island.

 

I always imagined that Sonic has a little sentimental side. He saves little things from each adventure he has collected over the years in wherever he lives (maybe he even keeps them at Tails' workshop). For example, he might have a bolt or piece of scrap metal from taking down the Death Egg, a souvenir from Twinkle Park, Elise's feather, Chip's necklace, etc. I can't blame him; if I did as much adventuring as he did, I'd want to save a little something from everywhere I went! 

 

Day 6: What is the single most hilarious thing to come out of the entirety of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 for you?

 

The townspeople. To be completely honest, I have NOT played much of this game. But from what I have played/seen other people play, the townspeople never fail to crack me up. The man's unenthusiastic "Hey." when you start a conversation, how their lips don't move, how their arms go completely nuts, how that ONE SINGLE townsperson is fully voice acted and the rest aren't… it's just a complete mess. A HILARIOUS complete mess. 

 

Day 7: Which character(s) do you think would have the easiest time adjusting to the real world?

 

Cream and Vanilla. They seem to have a very normal-seeming life in comparison to the rest of the Sonic cast. Cream lives with her mother as normal children her age do, and Vanilla does motherly things like cook and make sure Cream gets what she needs. I think they would actually very much enjoy spending some time in the real world. They could go shopping together, experience all the interesting real world recipes, and explore parks and cities together. How adorable!  

[Bowbowis]

Day 8. A Game I Think is Damn Good but Everybody Seems to Hate

 

 

Time for a little personal history. I was nine years old when this game came out and back then it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. And I'm not just speaking for myself, everybody I knew, even people who weren't Sonic fans, loved this game. For example I once ran into a couple of guys I know (who aren't Sonic fans) chanting this...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPWrHPNekvE

 

My point here is two fold, First that instead of being mired in all the negativity surrounding the game when it released I was instead in an environment where I wasn't swatted down and forced at gunpoint to change my opinion on the game simply because I liked it. Second, and more generally, my point is that the views of the critics and fan-base, are, in many cases just that. The views of the critics and fan-base and don't necessarily extend to the general public, who in this case weren't thinking that "this game is too dark for Sonic," or "Shadow should have stayed dead after Adventure 2," because they were too busy thinking "Guns? And motorcycles? And explosions? And aliens? And conspiracies? Holy shit this is the best game ever!" Just seems like something worth noting since this question revolves around the majority opinion.

 

Anyway I have to say that my only real problem with the game is the swearing. It's not even that the characters swear, seriously if the other games want to start using damn, and hell they can go right ahead, I mean even Mega Man (Classic) was allowed to use "damn" without people losing their heads.

 

My problem is how they swear every chance they get, like their flaunting how dark the game is. But hey it doesn't ruin the game, and I can forgive the story being weird because of the whole choose-you're-own-adventure deal, which is inevitably going to end up creating a weaker narrative, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. 

[Tani Coyote]

Day 8: Games I Like That Few Others Do, or Come at Me, Bro.

 

 

Sonic and the Black Knight.

 

So maybe the controls are finnicky at times. Maybe the game isn't exactly the fastest in the world.

 

But right off the bat, Crush 40's beats are a huge injection of nostalgia of the Adventure era that continues on throughout the game due to Jun Sunoue's music. It even culminates in Merlina's serene, sorrowful theme turning into a piece of rock music, which was oddly refreshing after we'd been treated to a sudden shift to orchestral final boss music after 06.

 

Then there's the story and heart. Like holy shit. There are some genuine plot twists here. First you get the smallest one in the kidnapped child actually turning out to be the Lady of the Lake testing Sonic's priorities to see if he's a true hero. Then you have King Arthur turning out to be an illusion and holy shit, not-Shahra turning out to be the real archvillain. Then there's Sonic turning out to be the real King Ar- well actually I thought that was kind of contrived but anyway.

 

The fact they have It Doesn't Matter - bonus points for nostalgia - play in a riff before Sonic turns into Excalibur Sonic is a huge plus. This is the last major performance (as I recall) of the 4Kids cast, and they went out with a bang. Sonic's reaction to Caliburn's "death," and his continued determination even as Merlina curbstomps him come to mind.

 

...now granted Knuckles deciding he should kill himself was a bit overdramatic, but at the same time it kind of makes sense since it /is/ Knuckles, you know, the guy who probably has the highest sense of duty of all the main characters. The real Knuckles obsesses (usually... some of the time) over a giant gem, so it's not too odd with that in mind that Gawain becomes briefly suicidal when he fails to serve his King.

 

A small point, but I also like the fact that as easy as Lancelot is in story mode, he makes up for it by turning into Sephiroth in his bonus fight. How often do you have a genuinely intense Sonic vs. Shadow battle these days? The one in Generations falls so flat by comparison. I just wish the music was better.

 

Speaking of music...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54YnDn1xYU

 

This. Johnny and Jun did a great job breaking out of their darker rock mold for this one and the delivery was certainly better than Sonic Heroes.

 

Just as Unleashed has the message about seeing the world, this game has the message you're kind of stuck in the cycle of life and death, and while that sucks, you can make the most of the time you have. A lot of games have subtler messages, but I think having Merlina be someone who is blatantly obsessed with immortality conceding defeat to Sonic was a powerful way to end the game.

[Guest]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

That's an easy question for me too answer Sonic Lost World. I enjoy almost everything about this game it's definitely underrated and disliked by a lot of people but that doesn't bother me. Because I always tend to look at the positives more than the negatives about anything really. Anyway the things that I enjoy about

Sonic Lost World are the parkour system I think it's really fun! And another thing I enjoy is Most of the stages in Lost World most of them really fun!

Oh yeah! I also love the music! It's not the best Sonic soundtrack but it gets the job done.

The story is also pretty good! It's very humorous and fun to be honest. Also that part where Eggman saves Sonic from failing into the lava was pretty jaw-dropping I say myself.

I also had no problem with the Wisp returning but they were in my mind completely unnecessary. Because they just didn't fit in to the game to be perfectly honest.

Well with that being all said. See ya later!

[Sean]

8: Game I like that most don't

Against everything including my rock-bottom expectations, I had a blast with Sonic Lost World and it's one of those games whose reception leaves me scratching my head every time I think about it. Honestly as far as the modern games go it's the most fun I've had with the series in years bar Generations, even though Unleashed is technically my favorite 3D game. It brought back a lot of the kinds of things I enjoyed about SA1: multiple paths and motherfuckin spin dash exploitation. This is probably THE ultimate speed-up move in the series and it's incredibly satisfying to be able to cut through levels like they're nothing when you're able to. Aside from Tails's flight in Sonic 3, the SLW spin dash is probably my single favorite regular ability in the series.

I also love Sonic 2 8-bit a lot. I kinda have Jez to thank for this since it's his favorite Sonic and I was able to play through the superior MS version first before putting my skills to the test for the GG version, and I even was able to figure out a method to defeating the Underground boss pretty easily. One of those games I probably wouldn't have appreciated nearly as well if I had just played the handheld version first.

[The Deleter]

Day 6: Personal funniest Sonic 06 moment

 

There are quite a few things in 06 that I have found quite funny, such as Eggman's paralized, terrified free-fall into boss debris, Mephiles twirling off-screen, Silver, the glitches, and the multiple let's-plays the game has spawned, but for me, the most amusing aspect of 06 that was deliberately designed were these guys:

 

 

As far as humans go, they're not the worst in the game. They're stiff, souless, and have ridiculous animations. Just average mediocrity. But their first mission... oh man

 

 

So the princess was attacked by Eggman. Sonic saves her. Eggman kidnaps her again. Sonic saves her again. Sonic and the princess return back to the city. Then Eggman kidnaps the princess yet again. So Sonic goes up to the royal guards, asking them to open a door so that he can get back to saving the princess, yet again.

 

What do the royal guards do?

 

They send Sonic on a criptic interrogation spree that would have been about as hard as an average Professor Layton puzzle if the guard at the top of the stairs wasn't so terrible with improv riddles.

 

Seriously. These guys have seen Sonic rescue the princess multiple times; They even know his name. They're not doing this to confirm that he's smart enough to pass, they're just blocking him for laughs. The Royal Guard is keeping the Royalty unsafe for longer than necessary because they're pretty much just plain bored. And it's not just the underlings, it's the high-ranking commander that comes up with such an asinine task. And that is hillariously stupid.

 

And if they weren't doing this as a prank, and legitimately needed help figuring out who was commander again... welp, congratulations, Sonic 06, you've finally outdone Super Mario Sunshine with the most idiotic task force in video games. Bravo.

 

Day 7: Which Sonic character would fit into the real world the easiest?

 

Hmm... I'm inclined to go with Vector, since he knows his way around the bills and stuff, even in Sonic's universe, but... I think I just remembered someone who just might work out better... Holy wow would he work out way much better...

 

 

Hatsun the Pigeon

 

 

 

Oh super wow it's Hatsun! I dont think anybody but him would fit this bill. Pele the dog is super close but I think Hatsun beats him by quite a bit. See, Hatsun can eat tasty things off the ground to live and woo the female pigeons with his triple sweet dance! He'd have to watch out for big moving guys and overall tricky activity though, he isn't used to it. Came from 06, which was a ultra-bummer of a game. He still might make it, though, because I'd say he's pretty moderately tough.

 

 

 

Day 8: Welcome to my world, pal

 

 

Okay, let's get the obligatory Rise of Lyric post out of the way.

 

Yep, Sonic Boom is an unfinished game. Yep, it's a Sonic game without speed at it's core. And also, yep, I enjoyed this game despite all that. Not as much as I would have if it was actually finished, mind you, but I still genuinely enjoy the direction this game was setting for this sub-series. I enjoyed the platforming, the combat, the story and script, the hubs, even the graphics to a degree, due to the art style.

 

However, I'm pretty sure all of this is pretty well known on the SSMB by now, so I'd much rather talk about one of the more underrated underdogs that I root for in the midst of all the flak it got...

 

Sonic and the Black Knight

 

 

Despite some wonky physics and eh level design, I actually really enjoy this game. The storyline is one of the best that Sonic's ever had, and is certainly the most involving gameplay-wise, the music is great and balances hard rock and Celtic music to represent the source material and the main series perfectly, the graphics are great for the Wii, the alternate characters are fun to play as, and the ranking system is handled really well here, due to the game pretty much being an on-rails score attack game.

 

However, the core gameplay isn't all that great. In fact, if it had remained the way it was at the beginning of the game, I probably wouldn't like the game all that much. So what changed that?

 

This move:

 

 

When you level up your spin-jump enough, you can use the homing attack (which usually doesn't do jack on it's own) with it in tandem to get massively long chains in with it. And I looooove using this move in this game. Where once all of those enemies used to give me trouble, they became the most absolutely fun stepping-stones I have ever seen in an on-rails, or even in a Sonic game, ever. Just jump, HA, then swing your sword before you make contact, and awaay you go. Chained with speed break and soul surge in more precise points of the game, the sword gameplay becomes so much more fun to play around with, and you can chain together some pretty thrilling speedruns with all these moves, as well.

 

The bosses are another high point of the game, as well. The Knights of the Round Table were fun, Merlina was pretty cool, and Lancelot Returns was hard as-all-get-out. My favorite one, though, despite the flak he gets, is the Black Knight's final boss.

 

 

And there's a reason why this guy gets his flak: If you don't know what you're doing or aren't paying attention, you're not going to do well.

 

This guy tests you. He makes sure you're versed enough in your 3D movement to keep dodging his attacks, fast enough with your methods to keep up and eventually hop onto him, and perceptive enough to see his attacks coming and counter them. He's not that difficult to defeat if you get a couple of hits in every mount and just wait a while, but if you want to 5-star him, you better know what you're doing.

 

Also, the soul surge being stronger and refilling when used at just the right points. It may be a little clunky in the main gameplay, but I think it works quite well with the sword gameplay. It's just so rhythmic, and in the cases of the bosses, makes your rival seem pretty unpredictable.

 

But yeah, overall, I really liked this game. I can see why most wouldn't, as even I wouldn't have enjoyed it that much had I not found out about that move, but overcoming the rest of the game by discovering that move really boosted my enjoyment of the game. And the rest of the perks that come with the story, music, graphics and characters make for a pretty neat Sonic game.

 

Days 6, 7, and 8: Complete!

[Ducktor Naldush]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you liSonic and the Black Knight

 

 

 

Hey all. Of course.

 

I am not ashamed in saying that this is one of my favourite Sonic games, with a good place in my Top Ten (It's between Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Rush, probably). But why is that?

 

I'm not going to lie. First time I saw that scan of Nintendo Power on this very board? I was afraid. I mean, it is Sonic with a sword. A new instalment in what was going to be a subseries of the franchise, now called "The Storybook Series".  Shadow had guns, and we all know how that turned out. I still liked that game, and I never regretted buying it on day one, but I can't say that it was a perfect game, can I?  So now comes this game. "Sonic & The Black Knight". Monty Python jokes are countless, and everyone is crying "Sonic's dead". And here is Nald, asking himself "Will I hate this game? Will I love this game? It has Sonic on it, it can still be good, right?"

 

 

 

Oh, silly past me, you were adorable when you still had that mindset . But cynicism got you a few years later. Such is life. By the way, if you'd like some good numbers for the lottery, give me a call. Sincerely, future you. Pic used for dramatic effect; I was 18 when the game got released.

 

So, yeah, long story short; on day one I went to the local game store, bought the game, popped the CD in my Wii and started playing. And all my worries were gone. I was playing a better version of Secret Rings, another game I sincerely enjoyed. Aside from those missions with the jars. Those can go f*ck themselves.

 

The music was great, Crush 40 gave me not only a good dose of nostalgia (Freaking "It doesn't matter" playing before the final boss, oh my god), but excellent new tracks too. (Knight of The Wind is on my MP3 player since it was released and I've bought the OST of the game slightly after, that's love, I say).

 

The levels? Between Great  Megalith, Misty Lake, Titanic Plain and Crystal Cave, I lost countless hours of my gaming life. Spinning and Swinging that Sword Slashing through my enemies feels that good.  I get it, the controls may be repetitive and wonky at times, but it didn't stop me from freeing Avalon and enjoying this game.

 

And playing as other characters was a choice I warmly welcomed back in the series. Sure, I didn't know at the time that Sola Sonica would win and years would have passed before another unspeakable game gave us that choice back, but the hints were still there.

Blaze, Knuckles and Shadow Percival, Gawain and Lancelot were a good way to break the monotony of playing as Sonic, even though the blue hedgehog still had enough to make you come back to him, just like in the classic games, I may add.

 

Speaking of Lancelot, though, I have to make a special mention.

 

 

Knave, before this is over, I'll show you the true power of ass whoping.

 

Lancelot Returns is an optional mission you unlock later in the game, where you face Arthur's most faithful knight in a comeback duel. And this time. He. Isn't. Joking. One of the most challenging boss in the whole series, if you're going for that "Every attack has to damage him"  title. And you'll try. And try. And try. But he will give you the Guinevere treatment.

 

But the satisfaction of 100%ing the game by beating this mission? Priceless.

 

And now we have to speak about the elephant in the room.

The Story.

Say what you will, but this game still has the most beautiful, well-written, characterized story in the series. Never before I cared about Sonic the character this much, some moments in Secret Rings aside. This isn't the boring and bland blue dude with an attitude America wanted to push in everyone's mind. This guy is someone who is cool, sure, but doesn't brag about it. He lets his actions speak for themselves. Helping a kid despite not having the time to do so, slaying a dragon, changing the lives of Arthur's knights, making them realize their king is long passed and that there's more to life than chivalry, all while still keeping his unique sense of humor and determination. Now, that's a hero I can look up to. And his interactions with the rational and serious Caliburn? Out of this world. I love these kind of things.

Yeah, take my word for it. You probably don't even know what I'm talking about. Just smile and nod.

 

The twist and turns of the story make you want to see more of this world and characters, from the humble Blacksmith to the sad-looking Merlina. That's good storytelling, at least according to me.

 

Sonic & The Black Knight is a game I still play from time to time, and still find engaging and charming. And that's all that matters to me.

[Komodin]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

With this sort of question, one game immediately comes to mind for me:

 

 

I know what you're likely thinking? "Sonic Labyrinth? Why not something like Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic and the Black Knight, or even Sonic '06?" You'd be missing the point a fair bit, though! As infamous as those games are, they at least have one somewhat notable instance where there's something to like about them. Shadow has its unintentionally narmy hilarity going for it; Sonic '06 has that along with a generally decent soundtrack; Black Knight has instances of genuine hilarity along with a legitimately respectable story. Sonic Labyrinth? Barely anyone speaks of it outside of a negative context, when they even remember i to begin with.

 

For me, though? I honestly like Sonic Labyrinth. Ever since I first played it on the Gamecube release of Sonic Adventure DX, I liked it.

 

Sure, its attempt at a story is a bit naff--"oh, Sonic's asleep? I, the great Dr. Rrrobotnik, will just stick some heavy boots on him instead of shoving him into a robot!"--but its gameplay genuinely appeals to me. It's essentially a Sonicy take on Marble Madness, another game that I like a lot. With its emphasis on using the Spin Dash to get from place to place, it offers a unique challenge for me when it comes to Sonic stuff. Also, I do have a bit of a soft spot for its few 8-bit BGM tracks. It's a pretty short game, but I don't mind that all that much--better to have a fun short game than a long boring one, I feel. All in all, people may hate (or be neutral with) this game, but I will always like it and that's not a meh thing.

[Willsy]

Day 8

I think I am going to have to say Sonic Lost World. Firstly, I know that the game is flawed, in fact it's painfully obvious to me. I'm not sure what it is about it, as the level design is pretty average to just plain bad in areas, but I still enjoyed it. First of all, I liked the return to moves such as the spin dash and the bounce, especially the spin dash which was a lot of fun to use. Secondly, I appreciate that Sonic Team wanted to try and do something new, even if I do not agree with the lack of consistency in the franchise, it was nice to see that they at least weren't resorting to milking a specific formula. Finally, I LOVED the visuals and soundtrack. The visuals were really vibrant and colourful, and while they were simplistic, I liked the inherent idea behind them. However I don't think that the blocky geometry of the levels really did the style much justice, if any. I think if applied to more complex terrain, the art style would really shine. As for the music, I agree that it is probably the weakest main series soundtrack in recent years, but it's still great. Tracks like Sky Road 1, Sea Bottom Segue, Frozen Factory 1, and even Windy Hill 1 were among my favourites.

Overall, while it failed in the execution department, Lost World brought a lot of interesting ideas to the table and I can appreciate it for that. I would also say Sonic Heroes and Unleashed, for the same reasons actually.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Was at a con where the internet sucked in my hotel, so I'm gonna do a bit of catching up.

 

Day 5: What sort of unseen or unrecognised interpretations/traits do you like to imagine for certain characters?

Well, the one interpretation I'd like to imagine is Eggman's lust for power and grandeur being because of his grandfather's tainted legacy and betrayal, which led him down the path of absolute control over the world to prevent such corrupt acts from happening so easily, if ever again. And this would tie into his ruthlessness, because if such acts that happened to Prof. Gerald could come into fruition like that, then it would only make sense for Eggman to have an "ends justify the means" mindset so long as it accomplishes his goal of world domination. And his grandeur would arise from how he wants to remake the legacy Gerald had created, but instead of being soft about it - which that would have made it easy for Gerald to be caught off guard when GUN came knocking on the ARK - Eggman wants to force his greatness on people so that they can never see it as anything less.

 

Day 6: What is the single most hilarious thing to come out of the entirety of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 for you?

That goddamned script of the whole game's plot when its not as cringeworthy. I can watch the dated dialogue and scenes from SA1 without wanting to wince at it, but Sonic 06 is like them making a plot with the cheesiness of the Power Rangers television shows and expecting it to be as serious and moody as Final Fantasy stories. That's pretty funny in itself.

 

Day 7: Which character(s) do you think would have the easiest time adjusting to the real world?

Depends on what aspect of the real world we're talking. If it's the normal, easygoing aspects, then Vanilla and Cream would fit very well as they're the most well mannered characters of this franchise. There's also Big the Cat who is the most relaxed character in the franchise, and can be pretty self-sufficient in living his life.

 

If we're talking the more cutthroat and ruthless characters, without going into near war-criminal territory, then Rouge the Bat would definitely find a lot of easy being adjusting to this world, especially as an agent.

 

Then there's Tails, who could just as easily adjust to the science and engineering of computer systems and mechanics that a lot of our daily lives revolve around, to the point he could come up with a number of breakthroughs.

 

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

I'd say SA2, but that isn't exactly disliked as much as we'd like to think.

 

So I guess I'll go with the two titles, Sonic Chronicles and Sonic Advance 3. Sonic Chronicles is special, because I dislike it as well, but only regarding the gameplay and Sonic's dialogue choices. But it's story is one of the things I think needs to be brought back and remade due to the amount of depth it gave that we hadn't gotten since either the Adventures or Sonic and the Secret Rings. For all it's liberties and fumbles in the game's settings and lore, it actually managed to expand upon the previous narratives of other titles, mainly SA1 and Sonic Battle, emphasizing a greater history of the background behind Angel Island, the ancient echidnas who lived on it, the ancient world in which they warred in, and explaining the mysteries that I feel actually reinforced a lot of things introduced in this franchise. And I love the Nocturnus Tribe, especially Shade (who is bland in character, but awesome in design), and Ix who could be a great secondary villain in a future game.

 

Sonic Advance 3 is another odd case. It's level design is as schizophrenic as Advance 2, maybe even worse depending on the levels, but it's expansion of the buddy system was perhaps one of the most brilliant things I think has come out of it. Just like in the old Classics where you could have Tails buddy with you, here you can do that with not just Tails, but Knuckles, Cream, Amy, even Sonic himself. There was greater choice in which combination of characters you wanted to select, and a greater movepool of abilities that you could use depending on the combination you choose:

• Want to jump hella high? Use Tails while standing on the ground.
• Want to make your boss fights easy? Use Cream and take control of Cheese to sic on the bad guys
• Need more speed? Use Sonic launch you faster than you could spin-dash!
• Need more power in your attacks? Use Knuckles to augment your abilities.

And so forth. And those five characters had lots of interesting combinations, so just imagine if they used more of the cast like Rouge, Shadow, or the Chaotix.

[MamboCat]

Hmm, sorry I missed a few days due to having a lot of stuff on my plate last weekend,  but yeah if you'd indulge me:

 

Day 06: Funniest Shit in Sonic 06

 

Shadow roundhouse kicking Silver in the head, c'mon we all think that's hilarious. Then there's the shoddy voice acting; ITS NO USE DONT TOUCH THAT EEEEEEEEELIIIIIIIIIISE!!

 

But personally I think the funniest stuff to come from Sonic 06 has been things other people have done to it. Who did that mod where Eggman was wearing a sombrero the entire time and there was bullshit but funny subtitles in Spanish for all of his dialogue?

 

Then there's the aforementioned three hour rant review by Clement. Bless his Canadian cotton socks, even though he didn't do a full LP he still had to play that piece of shit to make his videos.

 

Day 7: Who would adjust to the real world best?

 

Wait, you mean Sonic's planet isn't the real world? *guffaw guffaw*

 

Probably Sonic; after landing in our world and realising he wasn't in Kansas Zone anymore, he'd just shrug, go for a run.... then get arrested for breaking the speed limit.

 

In STC Sonic actually ends up in London, and he doesn't seem very impressed.

 

 

Right you are Sonic, right you are...

 

But he's able to leg it from London to Edinburgh without getting lost(!), so I suppose he's pretty good at adjusting to and navigating a new landscape? Even if he doesn't like the place very much.

 

Then again, in STC Amy and Tekno had also ended up on Earth in their galaxy-hopping adventures, so perhaps he'd had some advice from them? Uugh, what am I saying? The real answer to this would be Amy and Tekno, hahah!

 

Day 8: Sonic games Mambo likes that everyone else hates

 

For me it's most likely Sonic Heroes..... well, most of it. For me, playing SA2 was a weird experience as it was the first Sonic game I'd played since the Classic era. I'd not really followed where the series went after then... and the differences SA2 had from the Classic games were quite jarring at the time. So when Heroes came out, I welcomed the return to what I perceived as "Sonicesque" levels in terms of design and organisation (no more character roulette!), I liked that you could play as most of the Sonic cast at once and that the game play for them was similar enough but they also had special skills to differentiate between the the three main types. (Also as it was multiplatform I could actually have my own copy of it, instead of hassling my stepdad to let me play on his Gamecube! )

 

OK, so the chatter/voice acting was kinda cheesy in places, the story was heading into overconvoluted territory, Metal Sonic became Monster of the Week... and as for Chaotix's missions... ugh, no. But overall I enjoyed Heroes. I felt it was a step back in the right direction. Shame it was followed by the angst of Shadow and Sonic 06... blargh.

[Adamis]

Question 7: Who would adjust to the real world best?

 

I'd say Tails, because he's the most logical of the main team. Sure, he'd certainly be amazed by some bits of our technology, but he could also study them and enhance them.

 

Question 8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

Sonic 2006.

 

I like the story. I generally like time-travel stories and this one is a nice one. I like Silver and Blaze's duo (and I would love to see them becoming friends in the current games), Mephiles wasn't a bad villain (he managed to kill Sonic, after all) and I don't care about the kiss that makes people flip x) (heh, if you grew up with Who framed Roger Rabbit, you'd be used to see that)

I didn't spot that many glitches when I played through the game... but I hated the loading times :/

I also liked Silver's gameplay and I'd like to see it back.

[Covskin]

I don't think my views on the games i've played are particularly controversial, as I've avoided a lot of the dreck that has been released (Shadow taught me to be a lot more careful).

 

I suppose for me then it is Tails Sky Patrol.

 

Most people tend to dismiss it for the difficulty, which I can kinda understand. But if you can pass the Training Stage, you'll be able to complete the rest of the game with few problems. It is short - easily completeable in an hour or so. However, it is an entertaining enough diversion that I appreciate.

[Your Vest Friend]

Day 8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

Put another one in the ring for Shadow for me.

 

 

As much as it is try-hard with the tone and the plot nonsensical at time, I still find it an enjoyable experience. I like the gameplay, the guns are implemented pretty well (this coming from someone who cannot do shooters to save her life). The script has its moments of interaction that I enjoy, and there are some levels that really stand out as greats (even though I can still manage the ones which aren't just fine). Plus it even threw in that 2P assist thing that was totally unnecessary but pretty touching. Not a favourite of mine, but I like it quite a bit.

[Ripe]

Day 8: Which generally disliked game do you like regardless

Sonic Heroes

This game seems to get lot of hate and while I can see why, I really like the game myself. Team-based gameplay is really good while not perfect. Controls are bit slippery but I can get used to it. And yes, you need to play the game at some way 4 times but it doesn't bother me that much because level desing is overall very good (with the exception of casino and canyon levels). And music is fantastic and visuals are good for PS2 game. My ideal Sonic game would be SA3 but I would definetely also want Sonic Heroes 2.

Sonic 06

I like Sonic's part of the game. Is it technically heavily flawed? Yes. Is it one of the worst games of all time as many have said? If it is my worries about overall quality of games have been for nothing.

[Forte-Metallix]

Day 8: A hated game that I love:

 

 

Sonic Heroes was my very first Sonic game. I was instantly drawn in by the colorful characters, high-speed teamwork action, and kickin' soundtrack! Yes, I'll concede that the controls are slippery (especially in those accursed Special Stages!), Team Chaotix's missions are more miss than hit, and having to play the same stages four times is repetitive... but I can't bring myself to hate this game. Say I'm blinded by nostalgia, or what have you, but I'm just gonna keep blasting through with SONIC SPEED! ("Okay!" "Alright!")

[TCB]

Question #8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

Alright guys, time for me to gush about how much I enjoy this game even after a decade+ you were warned I usually don't type this much about something I really like ok here we go:

 

 

WE'RE....SONIC HEEEEEEEROES

 

 

This was my proper 3D entry into the series; which propelled my liking for the series to greater heights. As as youngu'n I asked my mother to get this for me for my 10th birthday. With the airing of Sonic X on 4KidsTV it made my hype for the game even bigger. After being improperly introduced with Sonic Advance I wanted my own home console Sonic game to play.

 

When I finally got to play it...I was completely captivated by the colorful graphics and the music of the opening video. I knew I was in for a fun adventure. Seeing Sonic, Tails and Knuckles along with other characters I had no idea who they were fully (besides from Amy of course, since I played SAdv1) pretty much made me even more curious about who these characters were and where they came from. Since this was my first 3D Sonic game I thought these cast of characters made their debuts here, so I was confused as to Shadow's role in the game at first hahaha.

 

Anyway, once I properly started playing...I was treated to the opening cinematic for Team Sonic. I guess you can say that is when I fully wanted to be like Sonic as a child and made me visualize doing the things he did. You can say I looked up to him in that regard. 

 

Annnnnnnyway...onto the actual gameplay right? 

 

Let's just say when I played Seaside Hill for the first time...oh my gaaaawd I loved it. The ashetics, the colorful graphics and the memorable music really cemented how much I love the series. This game, to me, had what I wanted to play in the series on the visual front; crazy, surreal, colorful landscapes for Sonic and the others to explore. From the gritty industrial areas to the utterly bizarre; playing through Team Sonic's story was the most fun I had playing a game up to that point. Sometimes I did get frustrated with certain moments in the game, like those pesky helmeted Egg Hammer bots or the final part of Lost Jungle. But you know what I enjoyed it all the same. Back then while I did take notice of some of the flaws I didn't let it fully damper my experience of the game. 

 

Lemme talk about the environments a bit more ok? Ok so yeah I love them. From Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace to Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion it was like a much more exaggerated and surreal take on common locations in our world so it felt like I was trekking through them all. Again, I was completely taken in by how the locations had that classic-inspirational touch to them.

 

When playing the other teams' stories I never minded either, even if was cutpasta'd four times in total. I just had a good time getting to know these new characters, their motives and personalities (even if now this game treated the story and characterization as anything but). This game made me wanna know more about who these characters were and to play the games they originated from. When I got to the Last Story I felt a sense of personal accomplishment as the first Sonic game I completed. Then Metal Sonic appeared. Yeah sure his Neo form was narmy as all hell, but screw it I liked it, and still do to this day. It's kinda weird, as this made me want to know MORE about Metal than any other character in this game. I thought having a robotic counterpart to Sonic was cool as hell.

 

Now...onto the my favorite part of the game...the music. Holy crap it's no wonder this is my favorite Sonic soundtrack hands down. I still feel it holds up pretty well and while it's no Sonic Adventure OST it's still a well done OST all things considered. A good majority of the tunes still stick with me, ESPECIALLY the opening levels, Hang Castle, Grand Metropolis, Casino Park, Frog Forest, Egg Fleet, Final Fortress...I can go on and on on how much this soundtrack still resonates with my inner Sonic fan. The variety, again not as revered as SA1, still holds up. Each piece perfectly goes with the location, and now that I know what they were going for the Genesis 2/3 Act with a Zone structure of sorts it makes the overall level trope for the tracks fit even more. This was also the game that introduced me to the Character themes. I will say and I'm not ashamed to admit, that when I was younger I used to jam out to Team Chaotix and What I'm Made Of often. 

 

This game is really special to me as it really opened my eyes to all things Sonic. Seeing how Crash and Spyro formed part of my early gaming years Sonic cemented my liking for the platformer genre with Heroes. I still tend to reminisce playing it and having a good time. I know now it became the 'Sign of Bleaker Things to Come' and whatever, but I don't really care. Nostalgia or not; this brought me into the world, characters, music and everything Sonic fully. Sonic X and Advance were stepping stones. Oh yeah the game definitely has its flaws no doubt about that. It's slippy control movement, and enemy health bar system (!) the bare-bones plot notwithstanding. But I still have someway to enjoy it despite that. Usually while I like some meat on a story in a Sonic game as most of you here, and Heroes definitely wasn't the game you are gonna get it. But I think this is why I don't feel so bothered about it; it's the gameplay and music for Sonic games I look forward to the most.

[Strickerx5]

Day 8: What's a Sonic game that everyone *because they're wrong  :V* seems to hate besides me?

 

 

 

Sonic and The Black Knight

 

If there is one thing that this game is always criticized for, it's the use of motion controls. It's often been called to be just a waggle fest. To be honest, I really didn't find anything really wrong with it. Sure, some of the levels are a bit linear but I honestly had fun with this one. Each level had a unique setting within the King Arthur fantasy world. The graphics were great (at least for the wii), there were a bunch of hidden items and things to do, and it had one hell of a story (not to mention the 4kids actors doing one hell of a job as well 0_0; they really went out with a bang here). I think the only thing I didn't like about this game was the second King Arthur boss, and that's just because I didn't know what I was really doing with it at the time. Add in that you could actually play as other characters (Knuckles, Shadow, and Blaze) and I truly think this game just didn't get the recognition it deserved.

 

Runner up- Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

[Pawn]

Day 7: Who would adjust to the real world best?

 

Considering how well they adapt to their environments, I'd say Sonic and Rouge would be fine. Tails and Eggman have their brains on their side, but the former might struggle with having to avoid government pressure to contribute his expertise to whatever weapon they're researching. Big, Cream and Amy would likely do fine, while awkward powerhouses like Blaze, Shadow, Knuckles and Silver might find it difficult to fit into a world even more outside their experience than their own.

 

Day 8: Which generally disliked games do you like regardless?

 

 

Many of the less popular games that I used to enjoy, like Sonic R and Spinball aren't games that I can really go back to anymore. Chaotix, however, is something I can still get a real kick out of. There's enough good in the variety of characters, unique level themes and music, and to some extent the special stages, to bolster my nostalgia and keep me coming back every so often.