Was Knuckles' Chaotix really a bad game?

[ClassicKnuckles]

I really enjoyed it, and it was the closest thing we got to a Sonic game during the Saturn Era. (3D Blast, Chaotix, R, and Jam)

[ZERO_ninja]

Cool idea, great gameplay and characters. Some nice bosses at times. Completely empty levels that go on forever and feel interchangeable beyond the visual. Plus even the visual lacks any staying power in terms of being memorable.

Overall I'd say it's okay, definitely weak for the era though. Which is a shame because a game that actually had great level design and used its brilliant mechanics well could have been incredible.

[molul]

Same here. When I first played (through emulation), I though I got a bad rom because stages were empty. Nearly no enemies or dangerous stuff. I liked the ring bound mechanic, but it wasn't polished enough and it was confusing sometimes. 

Characters were really cool, and I loved the idea of a game starring Knuckles instead of Sonic.

Becoming giant also seemed totally unnecessary, just something to show that 32X was able to scale like Super Nintendo.

I'd say yes, it was a bad game for me. But "bad" as "unfinished and unpolished".

[Cayenne]

Knuckles Chaotix is pure style over substance: It has amazing graphics and music for 1995, but the actual game is very empty and mediocre, with some odd, disjointed choices. Imo, it tries and fails to mix the level design of a Genesis Sonic game with a different gameplay mechanic that wasn't made for it.

[ClassicKnuckles]

I feel like the level design could have used some work, but I thought the gimmicks were pretty fun, and it is the fastest Classic Sonic game.

[ClassicKnuckles]

Sorry.. Wrong topic.

Edited December 21, 2017 by ClassicKnuckles

[NikoS]

I enjoy Chaotix's ideas, the presentation is really spot on, as is the music, but the sling rings mechanics could be better implemented, as well as the overall level design improved, but i would really like to revisit Isolated Island in another game someday...

[E-122-Psi]

The game was rushed as hell, and looking through the beta leftovers you can tell a lot of levels ended up completely barren because the developers couldn't program most of their gimmicks to work properly on the new 32X in time (even basic stuff like loops and water seemed to be halfway implemented but omitted because it wasn't working yet).

[ClassicKnuckles]

So it seems like the game could have been better... Now if only we could get a Mania-styled Chaotix 2.

[Tornado]

It depends entirely on what you were looking for. It doesn't play that great, and the level design is fairly poor and randomly jumbled (albeit not as bad if you master the mechanics); but aesthetically the game is a treasure. You see the original trilogy and they are great looking games that worked hard to get around the limitations of the hardware, and then you see Chaotix which was designed in the same style but without the limitations. It's clear a lot of very talented people spent a lot of time on a game that they had to know was going to flop, and the series is better for it even if the end result was mediocre anyway.

[ClassicKnuckles]

1 hour ago, Tornado said:

It depends entirely on what you were looking for. It doesn't play that great, and the level design is fairly poor and randomly jumbled (albeit not as bad if you master the mechanics); but aesthetically the game is a treasure. You see the original trilogy and they are great looking games that worked hard to get around the limitations of the hardware, and then you see Chaotix which was designed in the same style but without the limitations. It's clear a lot of very talented people spent a lot of time on a game that they had to know was going to flop, and the series is better for it even if the end result was mediocre anyway.

Well said. I feel like I might be a bit biased, because I've mastered the mechanics...

[molul]

Another mistake, IMO, was the zones approach. 5 acts per zone was way too much (3 was too much already), especially when they are almost empty.

A game so based in speed is not very coop-friendly. They tried with the ring mechanic in Chaotix, but it didn't really result in an enjoyable 2-player experience. 

[superman43]

13 minutes ago, molul said:

Another mistake, IMO, was the zones approach. 5 acts per zone was way too much (3 was too much already), especially when they are almost empty.

A game so based in speed is not very coop-friendly. They tried with the ring mechanic in Chaotix, but it didn't really result in an enjoyable 2-player experience. 

5 acts per zone are too much in any Sonic game. 

 

Opinions for Chaotix: Basically random, but I see it being hated as well as Sonic CD. Sonic CD for being diverse, but slow and Chaotix being fast, but bland. 

As for me: Sonic CD is ok on its own, it´s just not comparable to the 1,2 by much (retrospective comparation). To Chaotix, the same applies. It´s far removed from any Classic game that it is the game on its own. You either love it or hate it. Chaotix may be the worst of the era,  but there were certainly games that were less enjoyable afterwards.

[ClassicKnuckles]

6 hours ago, molul said:

Another mistake, IMO, was the zones approach. 5 acts per zone was way too much (3 was too much already), especially when they are almost empty.

A game so based in speed is not very coop-friendly. They tried with the ring mechanic in Chaotix, but it didn't really result in an enjoyable 2-player experience. 

*cough* Sonic Colors *cough*

[AzureLakeSanic]

LOVED IT AS A KID! Because Knuckles was in his own game (), Botanic Base's theme, the idea of the Combi Confiner, Techno Tower... sadly I never played it even though I had Kega Fusion installed. I didn't even play Sonic CD for that matter! All I had were the Genesis quartet.