New Sonic Unleashed stages released

[PSI Wind]

^ The 360 ARCADE is cheaper. That version doesn't even have Backwards Compatibility for XBOX games. Also, I would be flat broke because of the the DS. Still not saying though a 360 is crap though, theres just not many games I won't get ethier as well.

Anyway, enough ranting. Whats the hardest Day & Night stage from the DLC?

[Detective Shadzter]

^ The 360 ARCADE is cheaper. That version doesn't even have Backwards Compatibility for XBOX games. Also, I would be flat broke because of the the DS. Still not saying though a 360 is crap though, theres just not many games I won't get ethier as well.

Anyway, enough ranting. Whats the hardest Day & Night stage from the DLC?

Is the 60GB 360 not cheaper than the Wii in the U.S.? Over here in the UK the 60GB 360 is £10 cheaper than the Wii.

Hardest stages of the DLC? Erm... not completely sure as I haven't played some of the night stages yet and cant remember all the day stages off my head. That first Adabat daytime stage I played earlier which was essentially the hard mode version of Adabat was fairly hard and so was the second dlc stage. JezMM pretty much summed it up earlier in the review.

[SuperStingray]

Isn't a 360 cheaper than the Wii now? I don't see why everyone doesn't just get a 360, there's really no point in just owning a Wii when the 360 usually gets the best versions of games.

Only the crap version with no harddrive or xbox compatibility is. Of course, if you get it you will need a harddrive thus preventing it from being cheaper than the Wii, so no.

But regardless, I think the 360 may end up taking over the Wii since Natal takes away from the Wii's uniqueness.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Mantyke

[Phos]

I doubt that this is the last DLC altogether. 'Cause...what about that CG render of Super Sonic that was in a Dengeki magazine ad? Somehow, I really doubt that they'd go through the trouble of making a CG render for him just to be used in a one-page magazine ad...and especially since he's only at the last boss and all...

I wonder if AAUK can shed some light on this?

It takes barely any time at all to make something like that if you already have it modeled and rigged.

[Blacklightning]

It takes barely any time at all to make something like that if you already have it modeled and rigged.

Having actually tinkered with custom content before, I can definitely vouch for this. Model swap + speed increase/infinite boost + perma-invincibility switch = instant Super Sonic. Hell, I could probably do it myself with direct access to the code and a bit of time searching for which functions and assignments to alter.

Don't hold me to that though.

[PSI Wind]

Whats the point of a Super Sonic when you technically already have infinate boost and invincible?

[Blacklightning]

Whats the point of a Super Sonic when you technically already have infinate boost and invincible?

I dunno, ask the fandom. It seems it was their idea.

*obligatory short rant about why Sega shouldn't listen to Sonic fans followed by more obligatory link to lengthy pre-meditated rant on why Sega shouldn't listen to Sonic fans LOL*

Edited June 12, 2009 by Blacklightning

[Jetronic]

Whats the point of a Super Sonic when you technically already have infinate boost and invincible?

You're not invincible while boosting I'll have you know :/

Edited June 12, 2009 by Jetronic

[Lux Klonoa]

Whats the point of a Super Sonic when you technically already have infinate boost and invincible?

Even while boosting, you could still run into bombs, spikes, and laser-shooting robots that'll hurt you and slow you down no matter what. So its not 100% invincible.

Plus, some people would rather prefer to see a golden yellow hedgehog of death blasting through the levels like there's nothing to give a crap about. That's another reason.

Btw, I've read your rant, BL...but I don't want to go off topic here. Is there a topic that you made on this somewhere on here?

[Phos]

Having actually tinkered with custom content before, I can definitely vouch for this. Model swap + speed increase/infinite boost + perma-invincibility switch = instant Super Sonic. Hell, I could probably do it myself with direct access to the code and a bit of time searching for which functions and assignments to alter.

Don't hold me to that though.

No, I was talking about the CG picture. Pose, light, render, done.

Super Sonic DLC would probably take considerably more time because they would have to make new animations for everything because Sonic's quills are animated and Super Sonic's quills are shaped differently... Unless you want to go old school and make most of Super Sonic's action's pallet (or in this case, material) swapped versions of regular Sonic. Drifting, Grinding, Pushing stuff, the occasional roll (... I can think of only one time where Sonic rolls), sliding, grabbing those zip line things, sliding, everything... Unless Havok Animation is even more tricky than I expected and they can just change his quills and it sorts out everything else.

[JezMM]

^ The 360 ARCADE is cheaper. That version doesn't even have Backwards Compatibility for XBOX games. Also, I would be flat broke because of the the DS. Still not saying though a 360 is crap though, theres just not many games I won't get ethier as well.

Anyway, enough ranting. Whats the hardest Day & Night stage from the DLC?

In this pack, the hardest are Adabat Day Act 4 and Adabat Night Act 1-2. For new levels only, I'd say Empire City Night Act 3.

In ALL the DLC, the hardest are probably Chun-Nan Day Act 1-2 and Shamar Night Act 3. Again, for new levels only, I'd say Spagonia Day Act 5 or Holoska Day Act 3.

[Eternal EX]

In this pack, the hardest are Adabat Day Act 4 and Adabat Night Act 1-2. For new levels only, I'd say Empire City Night Act 3.

In ALL the DLC, the hardest are probably Chun-Nan Day Act 1-2 and Shamar Night Act 3. Again, for new levels only, I'd say Spagonia Day Act 5 or Holoska Day Act 3.

Okay I'd have to disagree with this. Spagonia D act 5 was a breeze. Homing attack your way to victory, Way to easy. Now Holaska D act 1-2, 3 are beastly. Those are the only ones out of the packs that i have not gotten a B rank or higher. (lied...mazuri act3 day is another but I only played it once )

Night stages? Shamar N act 3 only because of the beastly titan and the small platform. I'm sure I could blow through it now since I beat it once and now know what to expect.

[Blacklightning]

Btw, I've read your rant, BL...but I don't want to go off topic here. Is there a topic that you made on this somewhere on here?

Bam.

No, I was talking about the CG picture. Pose, light, render, done.

Super Sonic DLC would probably take considerably more time because they would have to make new animations for everything because Sonic's quills are animated and Super Sonic's quills are shaped differently... Unless you want to go old school and make most of Super Sonic's action's pallet (or in this case, material) swapped versions of regular Sonic. Drifting, Grinding, Pushing stuff, the occasional roll (... I can think of only one time where Sonic rolls), sliding, grabbing those zip line things, sliding, everything... Unless Havok Animation is even more tricky than I expected and they can just change his quills and it sorts out everything else.

Super Sonic has a perfectly good model and animation set from the Perfect Dark Gaia fight. You could just build up on that to fill in the bare essential poses (most of standard Sonic's animations should translate pretty easily anyway) and you'd be right to go. Come to think of it actually, a spinjump/homing attack aura would look pretty sweet in lightning-bright yellow.

Also, I wasn't aware that Sonic's quills were actually animated with Havok. Where'd you learn that? That's actually a fairly interesting tidbit to know.

[JezMM]

Okay I'd have to disagree with this. Spagonia D act 5 was a breeze. Homing attack your way to victory, Way to easy. Now Holaska D act 1-2, 3 are beastly. Those are the only ones out of the packs that i have not gotten a B rank or higher. (lied...mazuri act3 day is another but I only played it once )

Night stages? Shamar N act 3 only because of the beastly titan and the small platform. I'm sure I could blow through it now since I beat it once and now know what to expect.

Spagonia Act 5: Well, the top route requires painfully accurate timing with those light dashes, and the lower route has those evil spiked springs near the end. I dunno, it is a short level, but I'm yet to beat it first time. I've S ranked it and stuff, but only after many many lost lives.

As for Shamar Act 3: The funny thing is, I'm the opposite. I breezed through it first time, but second time the rage caused by the Titan cost me my laptop. I've learnt to be calmer with hard games since, lol.

Holoska 1-2 I didn't find so bad. It's hard to get through unscathed, but simply beating it without dying gets an S rank, which I didn't find too tricky once I'd learnt all the timing for the bottomless pits (mainly the 2D areas).

Edited June 12, 2009 by JezMM

[DaBatGuy]

Whats the hardest Day & Night stage from the DLC?

I haven't played the Empire City/Adabat pack yet (left my PS3 in Georgia so no gaming until it officially summer ) but so far I'd have to say Chun-nan act 2-2(day) because of some glitchy areas and Shamar act 3(night) but only because of the cheap titan fight at the end, every other DLC night stage I beat on my first try.

[DarkDefeater]

I just spend the last two hours trying to S-rank the first dlc empire city night stage. Skyscraper Skamper act 2.

I have failed quite completly due to always falling to my doom when crossing those chains of gaia bats. One of the shooting bats hits me, and I'm unable to recover; down I go....

I'm really angry at Sonic Team right now for creating such awful, cheap, level design. Although, that could just be a defense mechanism due to refusing to admit I'm simply playing poorly right now.

[Eternal EX]

Spagonia Act 5: Well, the top route requires painfully accurate timing with those light dashes, and the lower route has those evil spiked springs near the end. I dunno, it is a short level, but I'm yet to beat it first time. I've S ranked it and stuff, but only after many many lost lives.

As for Shamar Act 3: The funny thing is, I'm the opposite. I breezed through it first time, but second time the rage caused by the Titan cost me my laptop. I've learnt to be calmer with hard games since, lol.

Holoska 1-2 I didn't find so bad. It's hard to get through unscathed, but simply beating it without dying gets an S rank, which I didn't find too tricky once I'd learnt all the timing for the bottomless pits (mainly the 2D areas).

Sorry I meant Holoska 2-2. I was able to beat 1-2 with a C rank and never went back to beat it. Now 2-2... Almost cost my controller, MY LOVELY BLUE CONTROLLER. And chun-nan Day 2-2 was crazy (my opinion) but I didn't like 2-1 soooo that didn't really help.

EDIT: ADABAT DAY ACT 1-2 IS PROBABLY THE BEST DLC STAGE RELEASED!!

Words cannot explain how fun and awesome that stage is. If you didnt download the new pack you should. Just Adabat day act 1-2 and night 3 are worth it soo far.

I'm trying the rest and will update this when I finish.

Edited June 12, 2009 by The 360©

[Ashley Marsh]

EDIT: ADABAT DAY ACT 1-2 IS PROBABLY THE BEST DLC STAGE RELEASED!!

Words cannot explain how fun and awesome that stage is. If you didnt download the new pack you should. Just Adabat day act 1-2 and night 3 are worth it soo far.

The comments for Adabat 1-2 and the pack in general really do make me smile. I would just like to say that this stage and the other Day stages are quite awesome and that I'm glad people are downloading it and liking it. A lot of effort went into this pack, so thank you all for enjoying it ^^

[Jason Berry]

GRRRRRRRR! Stupid 360's in the shop........AGAIN!!

[Eternal EX]

^Haha sucks to be you jason.

Okay my review of the stages:

ADABAT DAY:

act 1-2: PERFECT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY WAY. My 1st run of the stage I died and still got a S rank. I mean if you don't have fun on this stage you should stop playing sonic games all together.

act 4 (?): Its a good short stage. It takes you on a water trail which if I had was a very very VERY short trail. I finished it within a min. And its not a hard stage just takes a few runs to learn it.

Act 5 (?): Good. Basically another water trail but now your in a cave like area, about 1/2 in you meet up with the 3 robo chaser things. I think if you can take out all 3 you get S rank.

Night stages:

Act 1-2: ehh is all i can say. You start the stage fighting a titan and smaller enemies. Wow that was a intense fight. Then you fight i think 3-4 more before finishing the stage. Make sure your leveled up fairly high 'cause even with Kaokin (unleashed power) it will take a few good STRONG combos to finish them.

Act 3: Very nicely done. Talk about Platforming, if this doesnt count as a real platforming stage then I quit video games. Oh yeah its fairly easy as long as you can stay DRY.

NOW FOR EMPIRE CITY.

Day stages:

Act 1-2: I hate it. why make a hard version of this stage. The easy/normal version was perfect. EGGYLAND hard for sure.

Act 3: Amazingly this is the only day DLC stage (no counting that garbage hard mode) you get from empire city. But it is one of the best stages ever. Highway chase with the BIG robo chaser and the 3 smaller ones. RB and LB (360 version) is your best friend.

NIGHT STAGES

act 2: Didn't I play this stage before? Oh yeah that one play it cool area i think. It just basically that with a few strong titans.

Act 3: Bust a machine thingy, then another then another. That's really all you do here. Oh there's a Titan fight.

And that ends my review for this pack. I'm sad that this is the final one, unless sega is keeping the SS/eggy pack hidden until they are ready for us to beat it. All in all, this is by far one of the best. I'd rank it 2nd next to apotos/shamar and Spangonia as 3rd. The EC/adabat pack gets 4.5 hogs out of 5. (only because EC 1-2 is a bitch)

[Phos]

Adabat's day stages were nice, rest of the pack was tripe.

Night Act 3 is platforming... But I don't care unless it's as Sonic using Sonic's proper physics. It's also pretty terrible. Lol camera + omni present pitfalls + No checkpoints = fuck this.

[Erazor]

Man. I wish I had 40 more points. I've been waiting on the Empire City pack.

[Eternal EX]

Man. I wish I had 40 more points. I've been waiting on the Empire City pack.

Ehh the EC part of the DLC isnt worth it. I hated it with a passion. Only good level out out of it was Day act 3. Adabat was the main buy here.

[DarkDefeater]

Just finished s-ranking all the stages from the recent dlc. The empire city night stages I found frustrating with its titans and gaia bat chains. Other, than that, I really love this final dlc.

The new act of empire city, (act 2, not the the act 1 hard mode) I found really compelling. Just going down at max. speed down a straight highway. Very nice.

Once again, I'm grateful for all the effort Sonic Team put into these extra levels. Great job, Sonic Team!

[Phos]

Bam.

Super Sonic has a perfectly good model and animation set from the Perfect Dark Gaia fight. You could just build up on that to fill in the bare essential poses (most of standard Sonic's animations should translate pretty easily anyway) and you'd be right to go. Come to think of it actually, a spinjump/homing attack aura would look pretty sweet in lightning-bright yellow.

Also, I wasn't aware that Sonic's quills were actually animated with Havok. Where'd you learn that? That's actually a fairly interesting tidbit to know.

Havok Animation, a part of the Havok suite that allows for different animations to be blended together and transition smoothly from one to another. I learned it in that japanese page about the HE, the one that showed off how many lighting effects they layer to come up with whit what you see on screen. You know how when Sonic goes from walking to running, he naturally moves his arms behind him? In most games, his arms would snap behind him suddenly when he switched to the faster animations. Like In Sonic Adventure 2. Man, Sonic's animations were terrible in that game.