Sonic 4 Playtested By Community Member

[Tornado]

Classic style gameplay for Advance 1 and 2 was, genuinely, what they were about.

Not even remotely accurate, to the extent that it makes me doubt that you've even played the Advance games.

The formula is there, the exact structure is there and the gameplay style is there.Sonic's moves didnt complexify like Advance 3 or Rush, they were kept to the minimum of the Genesis games. My point still stands.

The differing factor in that game was level design and that the general speed of the game was upped.

Advance 2 plays nothing like the first Advance. The physics engine was completely different, with the only similarity being that it was still somewhat momentum-based. The control timings were modified. The homing attack was implemented. The spring collision data was modified. The trick system was introduced, and was made mandatory to use in order to beat the game. Rail grinds went from being a fun diversion in a few levels to also being mandatory to beat the game. Character skill differences were made low key and largely irrelevant, and everyone was streamlined into playing much the same. Advance 2 is far closer to Advance 3 and Rush than it is Advance 1. In fact, the only functional difference between Advance 3 and Advance 2 is the tacked on partner system and gimped character skills.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Tornado

[Phos]

Advance 2 is more along the lines of some kind of 2D racing game than a platformer. Worse yet is that Sega can't seem to make this distinction either.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Phos

[Carbo]

Not even remotely accurate, to the extent that it makes me doubt that you've even played the Advance games.

Doubt whatever you want, guy, last time I played an Advance game was years ago, and I'm not the one to be a tech geek. I just know what I like to call a momentum-based game and not.

Advance 2 plays nothing like the first Advance. The physics engine was completely different, with the only similarity being that it was still somewhat momentum-based. The control timings were modified. The homing attack was implemented. The spring collision data was modified. The trick system was introduced, and was made mandatory to use in order to beat the game. Rail grinds went from being a fun diversion in a few levels to also being mandatory to beat the game. Character skill differences were made low key and largely irrelevant, and everyone was streamlined into playing much the same. Advance 2 is far closer to Advance 3 and Rush than it is Advance 1. In fact, the only functional difference between Advance 3 and Advance 2 is the tacked on partner system and gimped character skills.

The momentum based gameplay was what I was talking about the entire first place, and in general I never actually bothered to draw any comparisons of the different characters but Sonic only in this certain ocassion.

I never bothered to use the trick system at all to the point that I forgot its inclusion in the actual game, until I actually reached Sky Canyon.

As for the other things that I didnt remotely bother to talk about, coo'. Hands up on that one.

Edited February 19, 2010 by May

[Hero of Legend]

I'm all for firing his ass if he LEAKS anything, which he pretty confidently is claiming he will do today. He seems to think he will not only leak video, but also code for others to play it. That's not only fireable, it's illegal.

OH, I see.

Maybe I was taking it the wrong way, I'm sorry if I was.

[Barry the Nomad]

Ah, no worries. The community member has been silent all day and has popped in and out of the Retro boards posting nothing. He is either (a) scared, ( in a G.U.N. helicopter or © holding out until tonight to post what will lead to his losing his job.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Doctor Eggman

[EXshad]

Ah, no worries. The community member has been silent all day and has popped in and out of the Retro boards posting nothing. He is either (a) scared, ( in a G.U.N. helicopter or © holding out until tonight to post what will lead to his losing his job.

I don't want him to post anything if he'll lose his JOB over it!!!! It's not worth trying to impress the fan-base....

Hell, if it was me, I'd put up with a bunch of fans calling me a liar than leaking something that could cause me to lose a job that I love (if he does enjoy his job....idk, I'm just saying).

[Dejablue]

I don't want him to post anything if he'll lose his JOB over it!!!! It's not worth trying to impress the fan-base....

Hell, if it was me, I'd put up with a bunch of fans calling me a liar than leaking something that could cause me to lose a job that I love (if he does enjoy his job....idk, I'm just saying).

Wait so was this guy trollin or wasn't he? I'm still confused.

[Carbo]

Wait so was this guy trollin or wasn't he? I'm still confused.

He's not posting any of this "proof" he said he had so most people on Sonic Retro likes to think he was.

Reserving judgement for anything however.

[Dejablue]

From what I've heard the guy is a respectable guy who isn't known for being a jerk/troll. At the last minute he may have decided that posting more footage of the game would get him (rightfully) ganked by Sega so he can't come clean with his promise. But if that's true the guy was still an idiot for promising to post illegal footage to begin with.

[EXshad]

Wait so was this guy trollin or wasn't he? I'm still confused.

The staffers seem to trust him, so I don't think so.

Still, he could be "TROLLIN" about this. I don't know at the moment, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Edited February 19, 2010 by EXshad

[Barry the Nomad]

The problem is that, according to Brad on the main page of TSS, the guy seems to have been invited for a quick playtest of the X360 version of the game on a Developer’s Console. A very brief "in and out" (lol).

Yet Endri, the leaker, began in saying that he was invited to playtest the game and then later acted as though he has the whole game available at a moments notice. So, uh, was he invited to play it somewhere or did he have it the whole time? Language barrier be damned, this guy can speak and write english.

Also, I don't buy that this is the final version of the game. SASAR was rated months ago and yet S0L said they were still refining the game during the past month.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Doctor Eggman

[EXshad]

The problem is that, according to Brad on the main page of TSS, the guy seems to have been invited for a quick playtest of the X360 version of the game on a Developer’s Console. A very brief "in and out" (lol).

Yet Endri, the leaker, began in saying that he was invited to playtest the game and then later acted as though he has the whole game available at a moments notice. So, uh, was he invited to play it somewhere or did he have it the whole time? Language barrier be damned, this guy can speak and write english.

Also, I don't buy that this is the final version of the game. SASAR was rated months ago and yet S0L said they were still refining the game during the past month.

I don't know what to say about a good chunk of that.... but I'm really beginning to believe the last part. There's no way it can be gold now. If it was, why aren't we waiting for the game to be released in early March?

[speedfreak]

I'm just going to wait and see how it turns out. It might not be as good as the classics but it should still be fun. Too many people act as if a new Sonic game isn't exactly like the classics then it's shit, no inbetween. I had a blast with the Advance and Rush series so I'm sure I'll enjoy it either way.

It's not like them calling this Sonic 4 could hurt the quality of the classics even if the game doesn't live up to the hype.

[Aquaslash]

but don't knock it untill you try it.

Here's a better idea. You spend YOUR money and try it for me, and if I don't like it, I 'll use MY money for something useful!

[Carbo]

Here's a better idea. You spend YOUR money and try it for me, and if I don't like it, I 'll use MY money for something useful!

Or an even better idea, if you have a 360, download the demo of it considering every XBLA game has one and gets released the same day as the game itself.

[Barry the Nomad]

Here's a better idea. You spend YOUR money and try it for me, and if I don't like it, I 'll use MY money for something useful!

Woh, major board rage there, dude.

[Dejablue]

Adamantium RAGE!

Oy. I think my brain is just about ready to shut down and go into hibernation mode as far as Sonic stuff is concerned. I personally don't think the guy was being a troll. That'd be really stupid if the guy values his online reputation. I mean he could be the kind of guy who doesn't care either way...but still.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Dejablue

[SuperStingray]

I can't believe that fans have stooped so low that they want a playtester fired because he gave his honest opinion that says the game they've been waiting for may in fact may not be all roses and be the usual crap Sega's been putting out.

"WAH, this guy actually played it and says it in fact sucks? FIRE HIS ASS FOR HIS LIES!!!"

*sigh*

They want him fired? It seems almost hypocritical since Sega did the same thing to Sonic 06's playtesters who complained.

[Barry the Nomad]

complained =/= promising to upload the code

[Nepenthe]

It will always be easier for someone on good standing with people to get away with wrongdoing through a defense of arguable excuses than it will be for someone who has already been branded a liar, even if that liar was telling the absolute truth.

[Carbo]

Adamantium RAGE!

Oy. I think my brain is just about ready to shut down and go into hibernation mode as far as Sonic stuff is concerned. I personally don't think the guy was being a troll. That'd be really stupid if the guy values his online reputation. I mean he could be the kind of guy who doesn't care either way...but still.

For the sake of reputation it'd have been better off if he hadnt even posted that to begin with. Sure, giving the fellow fandom some insight and maybe some sort of rage vent judging from what he said but he was never obligated or had to do so, and he could have gone without the plausible risk of Sega shitting on him if he displays material not meant to be released. Considering the Sonic fandoms fast-as-shit tendency to eat everything up, especially in this case, he could have foreseen it.

Edited February 19, 2010 by May

[Detective Shadzter]

I'm seriously doubting this guy is going to show up now even with the 5 hour behind U.S. time. If he's wise he wont do a thing since its not only his job he's risking he will also be breaking the law and probably taken to court by SEGA for copyright among other things.

[Tyranno]

Wait, the fact that there are a bunch of friends sticking up for him makes this more reliable?

Do you guys have any idea where we are?

It's the bloody internet.

[BlazingTales]

Wait, the fact that there are a bunch of friends sticking up for him makes this more reliable?

Do you guys have any idea where we are?

It's the bloody internet.

Agreed, anything he says/his "friends" say could be just as false as what anyone says... but there is a chance it could be true.

Right now, I don't totally trust him. His statements were too general and somewhat contradictory at times. However, I acknowledge that he is pretty well trusted in the community, and the fact that he has even made a fan game gives him quite a solid foundation.

So, he's either:

A) Being truthful

or B ) totally trolling us for the fun of it.

I'm just going to take everything with a grain of salt and see how it plays through.

Edited February 19, 2010 by BlazingTales

[Machenstein]

Even if what Endri says is true, do any of us know when this demo was originally uploaded? It can't be that new if the demo was made for private use only. Of course, a public demo, one extracted from the latest build of the game, would play much better. The demo Endri describes sounds like the kind of demo playtesters would use to report bugs that are in the game. I don't think there's much to worry about here until a public demo comes out and it ends up sucking too.