Your thoughts on Trip the Sungazer?

[The Swordsman]

I like Trip, I just wish there wasn't this weird hesitancy when it came to telling her story. Like the base structure and at times (as seen with that level with Amy) what they want the emotional core to be seems to be there but it just isn't fleshed out and seems to be held back because of the idea of this being a Classic title. So its not "allowed" to go further into detail even though Classic Era titles of old were very ambitious story wise (for the time) when it came to the original versions before Sega of America or Europe changed everything in the manuals. For instance aside from Sonic 3&K working much through its limitations to tell a compelling narrative through the gameplay, the manual included several amazing details for Knuckles which included foreshadowing for Chaos who did not make a appearance till Sonic Adventure 1.

On 10/26/2023 at 3:41 AM, Salamander said:

Trip's Story doesn't point to most of those though.  It's literally just a carbon copy of a Knuckles playthrough.  X is chilling with their animal friends, suddenly Eggrobo, badniks are everywhere and destroyed Robotnik bases are back and carbon copies of the bosses but harder have appeared, and there's a surprise alternative final boss at the last second.  It didn't make sense in 1994 and it doesn't make sense now, but it's not there to make sense.  It's there to be an alternative harder campaign, and in that respect the only real misstep in Trip's Story is calling it Trip's Story and not Hard Mode.

Trip's story lower-case, the plot of Story Mode and Last Story as a whole, have issues towards the end which could use clearing up.  But Trip's Story with a capital S is there just for fun.  (At which it also fails, but that's a whole other topic of discussion.)

Knuckles' campaign does make sense? They outright show you it takes place after Sonic's campaign (Which in Mecha Sonic MK2 notably survives) and why would the greatest evil scientific genius just give up on the most powerful magical artifact in all of the canon when he has left over forces? If he succeeds then next time if he ever finds out how to cancel the Chaos Emeralds power with the ME's power Sonic is left without one of his biggest advantages, while Ivo has the only power source he'll ever need. Remember at the time Mecha Sonic MK2 was considered to be Ivo's strongest creation, better than even Metal Sonic.

[Sega DogTagz]

I liked her character. They did a good job with her title screen hide and seek and her on again off again tendency to trip during her victory pose. It makes her very endearing as a lovable klutz. She's a cute little thing.

That being said, her being the 5th classic character was DOA as soon as they decided to make her a hybrid character. She climbs better than Knuckles and can double jump like Amy can. There is no reason to cheapen two OG characters by keeping a new one around that can outclass them both. Then on top of that is her superform. The ability to free-form fly like that breaks level design. They would have to design every level in the game around the ability to contain it properly, and that is leg work and manpower you can avoid by having her not be playable.

[Danj86]

1 hour ago, Sega DogTagz said:

The ability to free-form fly like that breaks level design. They would have to design every level in the game around the ability to contain it properly, and that is leg work and manpower you can avoid by having her not be playable.

Having attempted to play through Egg Fortress Act 2 as Super Trip, you'd be surprised at how the difficulty doesn't really change that much. Sure, badniks are no issue but the moving platforms are very much an issue. Trying to fly through the level, literally and figuratively is a very good method of ending up standing on the wrong place as a platform moves. Speed is practically the enemy in this level and yes, I have been careless and gotten crushed more times than I care to admit.

Spoiler

I also learned that the big Fangbots popgun attack will insta-kill Super Trip. She will also be hindered by those bloomin' spiderweb things and has a larger hitbox, making Super Trip a significant hindrance in that boss battle.

Granted, I'm specifically talking about one of a handful of levels that take place indoors.

As for Trip herself, I like her. Her timid nature does come across pretty clearly in certain parts of the game. I was a little worried that Classic Amy being playable would undermine her evolution of becoming playable in the modern games, but with what they did with Amy in Superstars, nothing of the sort happened. You could even argue that Amy played a significant role in Sonic and crews victory. After all, Fang had successfully stolen the Chaos Emeralds and it was Trip that helped get them back, through the interaction with Amy.

Anyway, I'm losing track of my point so I'll end my post here.

[Kuzu]

2 hours ago, Sega DogTagz said:

That being said, her being the 5th classic character was DOA as soon as they decided to make her a hybrid character. She climbs better than Knuckles and can double jump like Amy can. There is no reason to cheapen two OG characters by keeping a new one around that can outclass them both. Then on top of that is her superform. The ability to free-form fly like that breaks level design. They would have to design every level in the game around the ability to contain it properly, and that is leg work and manpower you can avoid by having her not be playable.

To be entirely fair, redundancy has never really stopped them from introducing new characters before and it ain't gonna start now. 

 

I think her design is cute and it fits well enough with the rest of the Classic cast; I like her arc on paper, but its kind of executed badly since we really don't have enough context for what exactly is her role on the Northstar Islands.

Spoiler

She has a unique Super form, even compared to Sonic, and the true final boss has a similar design to it and apparently can seal it away. But none of that is explained.

 

I haven't played Superstars yet, but I think people are missing the fact that she plays more like the Spike Wisp than Knuckles. Knuckles can only scale vertical surfaces, while Trip can scale both vertical AND horizontal. 

 

I wouldn't mind her returning because the Classic series definitely needs another female besides Amy. That said, that does mean they're gonna have to explain where she is in the Modern timeline at some point. 

[Sega DogTagz]

2 hours ago, Danj86 said:

Granted, I'm specifically talking about one of a handful of levels that take place indoors.

 

Even so, quite a bit of that difficulty spike goes away when you realize you can toggle the super form on and off as long as you are above the 50 ring benchmark.

You can save rings by doing it, and utilize regular Trip for areas where its safe and/or advantageous

2 hours ago, Kuzu said:

To be entirely fair, redundancy has never really stopped them from introducing new characters before and it ain't gonna start now.

Sure, but I am talking about in the context of being the 5th member of the group. Her hybrid playstyle and extreme divergence super-form don't fit that mold.

[Kuzu]

Didn't they try to add Cream though and she was basically just Tails again?

[Maple Syrup]

I absolutely LOVE TRIP! SHE IS SO ADORABLE! She has lots of potential so I hope SEGA does something with her and not toss her aside like Cream. Or Sticks. Or Rouge. I think it's cool that she can turn into a dragon! She's similar yet better than the rough knucklehead. I hope I get to see more of her in other games. I wish I could know more about her personality. Overall, I adore her and she will be the best thing about Superstars!