Sonic Colors

[Deleted]

I was hopeful when I saw Sonic and Tails, but six seconds in those squid things came in and I automatically defaulted to "oh god they're introducing more characters" mode. I guess we'll see where this takes us, but....

May 26, 2010 15:06:32 GMT -5 Arcadenik said:

So... Sonic Colors, huh? I wonder if Sonic gets the amazing ability to transform into several Sonic recolors that are plaguing the Internet.

Sonic fancharacters are an abomination. It's easy for somebody to color Tails blue, give him a mohawk, a nosering, and Knuckles' knuckles, and call him an original character (DON'T STEAL LAWLZ!!!), and that's all Sonic fans are capable of doing. Case in point:



It doesn't help that I just downloaded a pack of Sonic characters for Gmod that's absolutely drowned by stupid, pointless recolors...Pink Tails! Yellow Knuckles! Vomit Shadow! So stupid.

[8bitretroshit]

[Koopaul]

Its because Sonic character all have the same damn formula to their design.

[Shrikeswind]

I was hopeful when I saw Sonic and Tails, but six seconds in those squid things came in and I automatically defaulted to "oh god they're introducing more characters" mode. I guess we'll see where this takes us, but....

I'm pretty sure those guys are intended as a one-off shiny technicolor version of Chao.

[kirbychu]

It's the "oh god new characters this game is terrible" attitude that I can't understand. I can't think of a single series that DOESN'T do new characters, and Sonic does proportionally fewer than most.

I once made a list of all the characters that've been either playable or accompanied the hero on their quest in the Mario series and the Sonic series, and even including characters like Super Sonic and the knight doubles from Sonic and the Black Knight, the Sonic list didn't make it even to a fifth of the length of the Mario one. So why wasn't everyone freaking out about the Lumas?

It's especially strange to me since Sonic characters are generally introduced only when they're needed to introduce a game mechanic, while Mario characters tend to be thrown in just to be there, even though there are plenty of characters that could already fill their space.

[The Qu]

I think it's a combination of the fact that most people perceive the drop in quality occuring about the same time as the influx of new characters, (It really didn't, but they became more common after it.) and the fact that Mario games tend to use side characters again in some capacity.

Look at Galaxy 2, for instance. The Gearmo, the Bees and the Luma are back, the last in a greater capacity than before. Pianta, Bob-omb Buddies and Penguins also return, in addition to two new races. And those are just the generic nameless characters!

Note that I don't really have an opinion on the Sonic series currently- some new games are bad, some decent. I don't think that has anything to do with new additions to the cast.

[kirbychu]

Most of the new Sonic characters have appeared at least twice, even if the second was as a multiplayer character. That just seems to upset the fans more, though.

You're probably right, though. After all, it's not like new characters was ever a new concept to the series. The only games they ever made which didn't introduce at least two knew characters were made after Sonic Adventure 2.

EDIT: New art from Nintendo Power.

[Nester the Lark]

I didn't get the impression that the Wisps were characters as much as power-ups.

From the Sega blog:

The alien Wisps featured in the game each have a unique “Color Power” that, once freed, Sonic is able to absorb while speeding through the various theme park inspired planets. The Wisp energy enables Sonic to create new paths through the stages by drilling through the ground (Yellow Drill) for example, or speeding through the stage as a laser (Cyan Laser). Stringing the Wisp power-ups together creates a combo that increases Sonic’s boost gauge even more quickly. Exclusive Wisp power-ups will be available for both Wii and the Nintendo DS versions, ensuring a unique and super speedy gameplay experience for Sonic fans everywhere.

[The Qu]

Flickies for the 21st Century. That's what they should be,

EDIT: Geez, Mario Galaxy also introduced Star Bunnies. I find it a bit unfair Galaxy introduced all of these new races, and the Sonic series gets pissed on for introducing one character ever game or so.

[Deleted]

Hmm, I noticed something...



Just sayin'. ;D

May 27, 2010 4:26:50 GMT -5 kirbychu said:

It's the "oh god new characters this game is terrible" attitude that I can't understand.

May 27, 2010 4:30:39 GMT -5 The Qu said:

I think it's a combination of the fact that most people perceive the drop in quality occuring about the same time as the influx of new characters, (It really didn't, but they became more common after it.)

The Qu pretty much nailed it. Sonic games have always added new, important characters, usually one with every installment. Even in the early days! Tails, Knuckles, Metal, Amy...the only ones that have been there from the start are Sonic and Robotnik. Some Sonic fans - myself included - associate the constant influx of new characters with the disappointment we feel with newer games. Sure, Cream and Rouge are hardly at fault for the drop in quality, but they were still introduced in this time and so bear the burden of our ire.

My biggest hang-up, and you all know this by now, is with Shadow. Sonic Adventure 2 marked the decline of the series (this is all in my opinion - just fair warning), with Shadow serving as the central plot point. He's a cliche - an emo, angsty, literally dark doppleganger (that people somehow managed to confuse with Sonic, which is another cliche set apart from the rest), and SonicTeam has done little to improve him. So not only do I associate Shadow with everything I dislike about Sonic, but I also associate him with all of the negative qualities these new characters have - which is bad, as they're mostly filler and have little redeeming traits. Blaze, Rouge, Omega, Headfungus Silver, Mephiles, Cream, Elise, whoever the little dude was in Sonic Unleashed...you get the idea. Every new character is just another shovelful of dirt in the grave.

(While I consider Sonic, Robotnik, Tails, Knux and Metal as The Only Sonic Characters That Count, I'm still fond of the Chaotix, Big and Gamma. Chaos and Tikal are aight by me, too, but it's got to be an all-or-nothing deal for me.)

That said, it looks like I was wrong about the Squidlies. I've got nothing wrong with Power-Up Animals like Flickies, or Cute Little Sidequest Blobs like Chao, so, yeah.

EDiT: Oh, and as for why Mario games get away with introducing all sorts of new characters without the fans getting all in a tizzy...Mario games are still good. Even characters like Waluigi and Daisy have a solid fanbase because of that association.

[kirbychu]

May 27, 2010 14:55:05 GMT -5 @sgtmajorkururu said:

EDiT: Oh, and as for why Mario games get away with introducing all sorts of new characters without the fans getting all in a tizzy...Mario games are still good. Even characters like Waluigi and Daisy have a solid fanbase because of that association.

There isn't a Sonic character without a solid fanbase either, it's just that Sonic is the only series where the fans will decide a game is going to be terrible purely because they saw an unfamiliar face in a screenshot.

Apparently this game is being developed by Sonic Team for the Wii and Dimps for the DS. No surprises there.

[Dances in Undergarments]

I don't even follow Sonic, but I'm pretty sure the drastic difference is that quite often, when a new character is introduced in Sonic, it changes the fundamental gameplay drastically - Sonic is a game about speed, then you get, I dunno, some werewolf who turns it into a brawler, and wasn't there some cat that turned it into a fishing game?

In the Mario games, any playable characters that are introduced do not fuck around with the basic idea of Mario. In Sonic, they do. It seems pretty simple.

[kirbychu]

That's kind of a moot point, since Mario has already done pretty much everything it's possible to do on his own anyway. But that's mainly down the the fact that Sonic has a character-based plot, while Mario doesn't really have a plot.

If Mario wants to play golf, or race cars, or fly around in space, or drive a submarine, or hop around in a shoe, or turn into a paper airplane, he can do that without it seeming too crazy. Sonic could probably get away with it too, but they tend to want justify the gameplay additions plot-wise.

The biggest problem Sonic Team have is that Sonic is a game about speed. But everyone wants games that have amazingly detailed graphics, and last for days. Put those three together, and you have a formula for bankruptcy. You've got the choice to make a really detailed game that takes an hour or two to finish, a bland-looking game that lasts for a long time, or a speedy great-looking game padded out with slower gameplay elements.

[Deleted]

Honestly, I would love a great-looking Sonic game that lasts two hours, so long as the replayability is there. Portal is a fantastic example: looks beautiful, has a background story that's mostly told via exposition while playing the game (and still mostly unexplained at that), and can be beaten in two hours. Simple, fun, lots of physics puzzles, and the most awesome final boss in the history of video games; it's doable, but Sonic Team just isn't Valve.

[kirbychu]

And Portal wasn't a full-price standalone game. It came bundled with Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episodes 1 & 2 and Team Fortress 2, all for just $60 (it's available in the UK now for £12, about a quarter the price of a regular game).

I'd be okay with a Sonic game that only lasts a few hours. But I'm not the majority. If somebody (especially a kid) is going to spend $60 on a new game, they're going to spend it on one that'll last them until they can afford to do that again, not one they'll have finished by the next day.