Sonic the Hedgehog 4

[Ebby]

I can't wait for this topic to reach 100 pages....

Okay, my two cents about Special Stages

I know it's already been said, but I'd love some non-mandatory Special Stages. I was happy to have them in Heroes, but not just to fight the last boss. I miss, "Yes! The last emerald! All I need is 50 rings and jump/double jump! Huzzah! Super Sonic!!!"

But what would really shock me would be Hyper Sonic! I think he'd look awesome in 3D. I know he's a rather pointless character, but I'd be in shock if they had him and the Super Emeralds.

Also, in an earlier post (which I'm too lazy to find), that they need to make a new type of Special Stage. I totally concur. I enjoy the "get-the-rings-in-the-half-pipe", it's classic, challenging, and always fun, but we need something new.

When I saw the Sonic Heroes special stage I thought, "Uh? Get blue spheres?" but I was totally wrong. Also, it's the only special stage, that I can recall, that involves actually RUNNING to the emerald rather than a "Complete this task" format. That was so new and different. I know Heroes was bad, but man the Special Stage design was great!!! Well minus the glitchiness. XD

[TheSoulPurge]

I know, the mandatory special stages were annoying. I really wanted to beat the game without emeralds, then I get try to get in to the special stages. The mandatory special stages are like doing missions to get to another cutscene/ level. So yes, they can get annoying, at least they help to complete game more. It is something 'extra',I guess.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Adek

[Blue Blood]

I don't know why exactly, but I LOVE looking hard for bonuses. The Emerald Races as they were in Rush Adventure were out of the way entirely and you have to make concious effort to find them. The same goes for Advance 1 and the special stage springs (though not knowing which act they were in was slightly annoying). Once you knew where they were they became easily accessible, but you had to search in the first place. And they were merely bonuses (...in Advance). The art books and records and videos OH MY in Unleashed were another example of bonuses that you could just get if you wanted. Do that again please, be it with special stages or an unimportant extra/100% complete bonus.

[Gabz Girl]

I never EVER want those special stages from Sadv2 to return, especially finding all those stupid coin things. It was tedious, boring, and the special stage was an effing NIGHTMARE to control!

Something like Sonic 3, though much easier, would be a thousand times better.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Gabz Girl
Oh lookie, I made 99 pages! X3

[Diogenes]

Advance 2's special stages in themselves I can't say much about (as I only actually got to it once), but yeah, the special ring collecting thing is garbage. It's the sole reason I've never properly beaten the game, when I've 100%ed every other modern Sonic game that I own, even games I hate (like ShtH) or that have hellish 100%ing requirements (like Secret Rings).

I'm really not sure what kind of method I would like...in part it depends on how the game plays. Using S3&K's hidden big ring system wouldn't work so well if this is more like the Rushes, where you're encouraged to keep moving towards the goal at top speed, for example. As long as it's not frustrating or tedious, it should be fine.

For the actual special stage, if they're going to reuse a style, my full support is for the halfpipe. I'd love to see something like the Saturn 3D Blast special stages done with modern graphics and some more neat tricks added in.

[Sean]

I actually did 100% complete Sonic Advance 2, even with Amy.

Really, it's one of those accomplishments that you don't feel proud about, such as beating all Robot Masters in Mega Man 3 without any weapons... It's one of those "why did I waste so much time doing that?" moments.

Also, the Special Stages in this game need to be RHYTHM GAMES.

[Rusty Spy]

For Special Stage ideas, I fancy the idea of straight up, pure unadulterated platforming craziness. While it was an idea that I thought of mainly for the 3D games, it could work in 2D as possibly a vertical climb to the Chaos Emerald.

Aside from that, a rhythm game like Jake suggested would be awesome too.

[Chaos Walker]

Ah, how refreshing to actually be able to talk about Project Needlemouse in the Project Needlemouse topic.

To any who would rather not have a special stage, I have one thing to say. Replay value. Special stages add replay value, just as any hidden goodie does. And since we know it will be in there anyway (2D, for the Classic fans? Seriously, how can it not?), all we can really do is hope it won't be boring,tedious, or hard to controll. But here's an idea. What if certain emeralds had their own special stages? Kind of like how each emerald in S3&K had it's own assigned blue sphere layout. There could be 2-4 different special stages that are specifically assigned to a certain color emerald.

And now to sit back and let people tell me I'm wrong.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Chaos Walker

[Octarine]

Do you mean special stage types, or just (using the example of a half-pipe) ring arrangements, say? It's certainly not unprecedented to have a variety of special/bonus stages in a game, since S3&K had blue sphere collection plus three varieties of bonus stages.

What if special stages were character-specific? I mean, if more than just Sonic is playable, of course. It might be an interesting way to differentiate the characters without fiddling with the core gameplay too much and it'd add replay value if the stages were fun enough. If they really wanted retro points, every character could even have a special stage based on the one from the game they originally appeared in.

...and speaking of, what about bonus stages themselves? Did anyone really find them necessary in S3&K? I'm pretty indifferent, personally, but they might be a nice touch.

[Chaos Walker]

I would be upset if there were no bonus stages. One of my favourite aspects of S3&K was the amount of minigames they snuck in there. There were 3(or 4). Slot Machine, vending machine, and the climbing orb thing. Some might also argue that hitting the signpost was a minigame. These little interuptions to the speed are part of what made the classics so awsome to me.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Chaos Walker

[Blazey Firekitty]

I hope there are special stages, and with them the chance to play as Super Sonic in-level again. Though, I personally hope that the stages are achieved through the "Grab fifty rings" method from Sonic 1 and 2 on the Mega Drive/Genesis. If they do make players search for the stages, I hope the process isn't as complicated and tedious as Advance 2.

[Phos]

In terms of Special Stage entrances, I really thought Sonic 3 had the best system. As for the special stage itself, I'd like to see a Sonic 3D (Sat) kind of thing. I actually own Sonic 3D for the Saturn, but it's so laborious to actually enter them that it's not really worth the trouble, and I'd also like it attached to game that isn't so flat.

My favorite special stage is actually the one from Advance 3. I didn't have trouble with the depth perception, I actually think it's one of the best implementations of Mode 7 style effects I've ever seen. The musichelps the whole experience, along with that tricky way it blends the music into that other track that plays during the emerald screen I also love the way Sonic animates during it, and wholely crap, Sonic's standing on the wing of the Tornado instead of the tail.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Phos

[gato]

HOLAS:

I enjoyed almost every classic special stage (sonic 3D Blast Genesis is the only one I didn't ), my favourite is "blue spheres" but as some people already said, there was a whole game about that so I don't think it should be in needlemouse...

In terms of Special Stage entrances, I really thought Sonic 3 had the best system. As for the special stage itself, I'd like to see a Sonic 3D (Sat) kind of thing. I actually own Sonic 3D for the Saturn, but it's so laborious to actually enter them that it's not really worth the trouble, and I'd also like it attached to game that isn't so flat.

I never had a Saturn so I couldn't enjoy 3D Blast Special Stages, but I watched some videos and I agree with you

My favorite special stage is actually the one from Advance 3. I didn't have trouble with the depth perception, I actually think it's one of the best implementations of Mode 7 style effects I've ever seen. The musichelps the whole experience, along with that tricky way it blends the music into that other track that plays during the emerald screen I also love the way Sonic animates during it, and wholely crap, Sonic's standing on the wing of the Tornado instead of the tail.

I wouldn't go as far as to say it was my favourite overall, but I agree that was the best special stage in the advance series, and yes, the music is awesome.

But what if we try something different?

The Emerald Races as they were in Rush Adventure were out of the way entirely and you have to make concious effort to find them.

I liked this one, shame it was mandatory to complete the game (damn you 7th race and my downgraded ride)

I think if we (and by we I mean whoever is making this game) take off the waterbike and make it optional and we will have a pretty good choice for a special stage , it would be like "Sonic Blast" (game gear) Special Stages, but this time they will be fun. =D

I also had this weird idea of making the special stages... you know... "special stages"?

Let me explain, just put an extra stage (a really pretty stage with flashy lights and everything) wich you have to complete to get an emerald, I'm thinking something between the lines of Unleashed's DLC.

Then again, this ideas aren't "classic-like".

Edited November 3, 2009 by imarafan

[Marcello]

I also had this weird idea of making the special stages... you know... "special stages"?

Let me explain, just put an extra stage (a really pretty stage with flashy lights and everything) wich you have to complete to get an emerald, I'm thinking something between the lines of Unleashed's DLC.

Then again, this ideas aren't "classic-like".

I don't understand this.. Can you explain again, and what was the Unleashed DLC? I don't have it. I thought it was just extra acts?

Oh and about emeralds being mandatory to beat the game: ITs been like that since Sonic 3. There you got a new boss with the emeralds. And Sonics 1 and 2 both had different endings if you collected the emeralds.

Edited November 3, 2009 by MarcelloF

[Kiljoy]

I think Sonic 2 had the best special stages, so hopefully it'll be like an evolution of that.

[Ebby]

I think Sonic 2 had the best special stages, so hopefully it'll be like an evolution of that.

But we've had so many variations of that. If they wanna reuse another special stage, let it be a different one. How about the Sonic 1 maze (has anyone mentioned that?), that would be so awesome in 3D. Maybe painful on the eyes too....

[Marcello]

Err.. You do know the games going to be in 2D, right? Unless by 3D you mean like in Sonic 3 or Sonic 2

[Blue Blood]

I don't understand this.. Can you explain again, and what was the Unleashed DLC? I don't have it. I thought it was just extra acts?

Unleashed DLC is mostly stages that revolve around a special gimmick. Arid Sands act 3 was chao hunting (epic win to the most epic win levels), Jungle Joyride Act 4 and 5 were elaborate water running courses and Savanah Citadel had the boss area turned into a circuit and a tower climb level.

I dunno about that idea though, because I prefer the Special Stages to function differently. If they were 3D perhaps, like the S2, S3/K, KC, CD etc etc etc Special Stages then it may be different however.

[Guest Jordan4K6]

I hope this game is actually good ' since Sonic has been failing since 2005

[Ebby]

Err.. You do know the games going to be in 2D, right? Unless by 3D you mean like in Sonic 3 or Sonic 2

...Oh yeah! I ACTUALLY forgot for a moment. I was really getting into special stage talk. Oops! ;;

[Arioch]

I liked this one, shame it was mandatory to complete the game (damn you 7th race and my downgraded ride)

I think if we (and by we I mean whoever is making this game) take off the waterbike and make it optional and we will have a pretty good choice for a special stage , it would be like "Sonic Blast" (game gear) Special Stages, but this time they will be fun. =D

I also had this weird idea of making the special stages... you know... "special stages"?

Let me explain, just put an extra stage (a really pretty stage with flashy lights and everything) wich you have to complete to get an emerald, I'm thinking something between the lines of Unleashed's DLC.

Then again, this ideas aren't "classic-like".

Instead of making it mandatory to beat the game they could make it for you to see a secret ending. Not only would the special stages not be in the way, but it's something you could do after you beat the game.

[Blue Blood]

I hope this game is actually good ' since Sonic has been failing since 2005

Yeah, you speak for everyone when you say you hope the game is good. But the again, who (besides idiots) would want the game to suck? And not everyone gonna share the opinion about Sonic failing since '05.

[Guest Jordan4K6]

Yeah, you speak for everyone when you say you hope the game is good. But the again, who (besides idiots) would want the game to suck? And not everyone gonna share the opinion about Sonic failing since '05.

I mean he's been going downhill. Like they messed up Sonic 06 by releasing it while in beta (True story) and they messed up Unleashed with the Werehog and Sonic And The Black Knight was just constantly shaking the Wii remote ' I don't see how Sonic can get better.

[Shiny Gems]

So I've been thinkin' maybe if we get this topic to reach 100 pages SEGA will finally release a true trailer.

EDIT:. Oh shit, this is the first topic on page 100!

Okay, I know this has been friggin' said before, but now that we are at 100 pages in talking about Project Needlemouse, I think I should be the first (other than Solid Soap, maybe) on this page to ask: When the freaking heck is Sega gonna give us some new information or trailers on this game?

Is Sega just trying to make us wait for information for so long to torture us as punishment for being a bunch of whiny, complaining, socially disorganized group of fans (and the senseless, ridiculous (though that does not apply to everyone) criticism we gave Sega and they had to deal with?)

[JamieDawg]

They'll release some new info as soon as Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is near release date.

It's what they've been doing to every game now...