Sonic 4 interview in latest Nintendo Power

[Sean]

I can't even see where Sonic is in that damned video.

[Swiss]

I actually think it looks horrible. No disrespect to the creator, as you can definitely see how much work he's put into it, but it's just not Sonic AT ALL.

How Sonic 4 should have been done? Seriously, no thank you!!

Edited March 14, 2010 by Sinister Swiss

[Phos]

That depends entirely upon who you ask, and "is always scowling" is not going to come to everyone's mind.

Even so, it's not something that comes close to "looking like shit". The models are still similar for the most part and not as drastic as it is made out to be.

EDIT: And actually, so long as he has a smile on his face it isn't something that can be considered "scowling". And even if it were scowling, it's not like his modern incantation is the only one that had a scowl if we were to use Black Spy's example of the models from Sonic 1, CD, R and 4. Even his classic ones had scowls to them at times, especially when it comes to their models in-game.

Adding a smile to an otherwise scowling face results in a slasher grin...

... Unless he's doning something where a relaxed face

Even when classic Sonic had a scowl, it was still much less pronounced and much less douchey.

That couldn't be more of a SIMILARITY than anything; both modern and classic designs have their fair share of both scowling and un-scowling looks.

New sonic has a scowl in all of your examples of him. I'd have a hard time believing that any 15 year old is going to have a notch on his brow like that with a straight face.

[Rusty Spy]

Adding a smile to an otherwise scowling face results in a slasher grin...

... Unless he's doning something where a relaxed face

Even when classic Sonic had a scowl, it was still much less pronounced and much less douchey.

New sonic has a scowl in all of your examples of him. I'd have a hard time believing that any 15 year old is going to have a notch on his brow like that with a straight face.

I don't know about you, but the more pronounced brow adds more personality than the classic designs anyway. Besides, it all depends on who you ask.

When I think of 'scowling', I usually think of something like this, not this. When I think of slasher grin, I think of this, not this.

New sonic has a scowl in all of your examples of him. I'd have a hard time believing that any 15 year old is going to have a notch on his brow like that with a straight face.

So Sonic is your everyday 15 year old?

[speedfreak]

Some of you people argue over the most pointless shit. :/

[Phos]

I don't know about you, but the more pronounced brow adds more personality than the classic designs anyway. Besides, it all depends on who you ask.

When I think of 'scowling', I usually think of something like this, not this. When I think of slasher grin, I think of this, not this.

Thinking about it, assigning a specific facial expression to it doesn't really get the point across very clearly. The center of his brow line is much wider and set much lower than the classic design. Coupled with the crease on the center of his forehead, this facet of the design is very off putting to me.

So Sonic is your everyday 15 year old?

This is a question of ascetics, not feasibility ("Does he look 15?"). I don't mind the crease, It just looks off for it to be visible on a supposedly straight face.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Phos

[Marcello]

I think Sonic 4 looks better than that Fangame. It just looks too cluttered and stuff. I'm very happy SEGA went with the style they went for over this. IT doesn't look very Sonicish.

[The-Master-Board]

(kinda off topic)

Wow as anyone seen this yet on Sonic Retro looks amazing

http://www.sonicretro.org/2010/03/new-sonic-fan-project-shows-promise/

There is more on a topic on the Sonic retro forums

http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=19981

:Edit:

There is also a short video aswell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS7aXOZShX0&feature=player_embedded

You Sonic fans puzzle me.

I completely agree on the claims that this is what Sonic 4 should have looked like, this exactly what I think of when thinking HD sequel in classics style. While it is very "busy" I think that adds to it, the thing juts looks superb, much better than the plastic shiny all-round odd style they've decided to go with for Sonic 4.

The only thing I would change with that is to make Sonic bigger compared to everything else.

The grass in this just looks stunning, not a chunk of plastic like Sonic 4, and the level has enough originality to not feel like a rehash of Greenhill zone, yet still familiar enough to feel like the clique grassy/ocean opening level.

I am really disappointed that I will never get to play this game now that I have seen what Sonic 4 could've been like.

Edited March 14, 2010 by The-Master-Board

[Carbo]

Honestly if it wasnt for the video I could easily mistake that screenshot for something thrown together in Blender.

For a fangame its rather impressive yes but it's way too cluttered to my taste and its like there's some artistic OCD between the realistic and non-realistic elements, plus at points it just looks plain out flat which while Sonic 4 has elements of such too, it works a bit cause of the simplicity. So yeah I preffer the current Sonic 4 over that.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Columind

[Chooch]

Some of you people argue over the most pointless shit. :/

Sonic's shoes in Sonic 4 are candy apple instead of a brilliant scarlet.

Sonic's buckles are more rectangular than they should be.

See, I can do it too!

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Even when classic Sonic had a scowl, it was still much less pronounced and much less douchey.

Then clearly, "is always scowling" isn't a problem. It's how pronounced it is. As for "douchey", you're on your own with that one, because it looks more "determined and daring" than anything else. I could argue that classic Sonic had a much blander expression compared to the modern one.

You Sonic fans puzzle me.

For not liking the 2 seconds of footage of a game that shows even less of what we knew before Sonic 4 like you do? I hardly see what's puzzling about us disliking what you like.

I completely agree on the claims that this is what Sonic 4 should have looked like, this exactly what I think of when thinking HD sequel in classics style. While it is very "busy" I think that adds to it, the thing juts looks superb, much better than the plastic shiny all-round odd style they've decided to go with for Sonic 4.

Are you concerned more with the visuals or how the game should play? Because the way the game plays would be more of a deciding factor of whether it plays like the classics over the visuals the way I see it.

Looking like something and playing like something are two different things.

Edited March 14, 2010 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[HunterTSF]

Even when classic Sonic had a scowl, it was still much less pronounced and much less douchey.

I'd have to say that's debatable...

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I'd have to say that's debatable...

I gotta say that he looks even more of a douche in the classic shot and more relaxed in the modern shot in that comparison.

[Blue Blood]

You all need to stop saying "classic" and "modern". In the above example, you see the American design, which was designed to look full of attitude. Check the Japanese design and compare he eyes of that one as well.

Case in point- 3 main designs: 'classic American', 'classic Japanese' and 'modern'.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

You all need to stop saying "classic" and "modern". In the above example, you see the American design, which was designed to look full of attitude. Check the Japanese design and compare he eyes of that one as well.

Case in point- 3 main designs: 'classic American', 'classic Japanese' and 'modern'.

Now wouldn't that just stir up an extra debate? As far as I see it, Classic Sonic comprises of either American or Japanese designs. We've hardly separated them in the past, so why do it now?

Edited March 14, 2010 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Blue Blood]

Now wouldn't that stir up an extra debate? As far as I see it, Classic Sonic comprises of either American or Japanese designs.

You're all saying:

"Grr Sonic is scowling!"

"Yeah but classic Sonic did even more!"

Me: *classic Sonic looked very calm...*

There's more than just 2 designs. The only thing is that the two old ones were both replaced with a single design at the same time.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

You're all saying:

"Grr Sonic is scowling!"

"Yeah but classic Sonic did even more!"

Me: *classic Sonic looked very calm...*

It's more like:

"Sonic is scowling!"

"Yeah, but classic Sonic did too."

"They've both had scowls and non-scowls on their face."

It's not like we're trying to denounce one in favor of the other, but moreso that both designs have already done it so why complain about either one?

There's more than just 2 designs. The only thing is that the two old ones were both replaced with a single design at the same time.

With that single design being altered several times over its lifetime. If we start separating the classic models, we might as well start separating the modern ones as well.

Edited March 14, 2010 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Dr. SEGA Monkey]

Still the same face.

Case in point- 3 main designs: 'classic American', 'classic Japanese' and 'modern'.

Actually, I like Dread's explanation that modern Sonic has 2 different "designs" too. (The Dreamcast-era design, and the post-Dreamcast design.)

[Rusty Spy]

Steering this "debate" away, the model in that fan game reminds me of this.

[Eternal EX]

Okay after a busy week playing modern warefare 2 and workin blah blah hours, I come home to a sonic topic that does nothing but disappoint me. Did you people really waste 2-3 pages bithing about sonic's many designs? I mean damn I'd expect yall to be bitchin about sonic 4 or that random fan game (which does look fantastic) but sonic's many different designs? Come on what has the the world come too? All your going to see is his in game self not the artwork. Unless you just really like looking at sonic's pics. I mean WOW, what the heck.

Anyways on topic, nice scans. I'll probably look at a few of them to see what new info Nes power and GI gave us but until then back to MW2 and music.

[Aquaslash]

Unless you just really like looking at sonic's pics. I mean WOW, what the heck.

Considering I have at least a thousand of them saved, I suppose I do XD

[Eternlo]

Just view the image on it's own, then copy the URL, then while posting, look for the "inset image" button, then paste the URL into the text box.

Anyways, just here's the image he was speaking of, also, someone used the wrong Sonic model if they were going for R...yey

EDIT: Eh, to save space, I'll delete mine and just let Black Spy put it up.

Thanks to you and Black Spy i think i understand now, thanks for the help.

[The-Master-Board]

For not liking the 2 seconds of footage of a game that shows even less of what we knew before Sonic 4 like you do? I hardly see what's puzzling about us disliking what you like.

Are you concerned more with the visuals or how the game should play? Because the way the game plays would be more of a deciding factor of whether it plays like the classics over the visuals the way I see it.

Looking like something and playing like something are two different things.

No what puzzles me is why Sonic fans are shown something that is basicaly the quintessence of classicness in HD and all I see are negative results and praise for Sonic 4 which quite frankly, looks like a plasticy rehash-fest and prefer that over something with so much colour and detail and actually looks like the successor to the classics.

And yes, yes I am concerned more with visuals. I am a man of asthetics, hence why I hate Sonic Unleashed, it had somewhat enjoyable gameplay but felt nothing like in keeping with the Sonic style. Similarly I would much rather a game that looks like the same surreal fantasy of the classics (only with revamped HD visuals ie; like that video) but that doesn't play all too great, I could very much forgive the game and still enjoy it as long as it looks like classic Sonic.

That small vid looks amazing, and to me at least, damn well better than anything I've seen in Sonic 4 so far.

Edited March 15, 2010 by The-Master-Board

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

No what puzzles me is why Sonic fans are shown something that is basicaly the quintessence of classicness in HD and all I see are negative results and praise for Sonic 4 which quite frankly, looks like a plasticy rehash-fest and prefer that over something with so much colour and detail and actually looks like the successor to the classics.

Because they probablly don't see it as anything like the classics. The negative results is probably because the 2 seconds of that video is mainly focused on the details of the environment and nothing more.

Sonic 4, however, is looking less like a rehash-fest the more information we get from gaming outlets. So the less they hear of it being a rehash, the more they're looking foward to it.

And yes, yes I am concerned more with visuals. I am a man of asthetics, hence why I hate Sonic Unleashed, it had somewhat enjoyable gameplay but felt nothing like in keeping with the Sonic style. Similarly I would much rather a game that looks like the same surreal fantasy of the classics (only with revamped HD visuals ie; like that video) but that doesn't play all too great, I could very much forgive the game and still enjoy it as long as it looks like classic Sonic.

I'm not trying to shoot down your interests nor am I trying to force you to believe otherwise, but I do think you have things backwards in terms of importants.

I love the asthetics of a game as much as anyone else, but asthetics are hardly what makes a game a "game". It can look like a successor to a game as much as it wants to, but if it doesn't play as such because of the mechanics actually bog the game down than add to the experience, visuals don't really mean much of anything. That's the reason I play games in the first place; asthetics are something that add to the experience.

I'm not going to say that you're wrong for liking asthetics over gameplay, even despite how backwards I think it is, but you would do well to understand the other side of the argument that favors it the otherway around. Looks mean little to them compared to how it is in action.

Edited March 15, 2010 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Phos]

Now wouldn't that just stir up an extra debate? As far as I see it, Classic Sonic comprises of either American or Japanese designs. We've hardly separated them in the past, so why do it now?

Don't know about you, but most people who know of both designs think of them as separate, hence the name "Ass Face Sonic".