Sonic Boom Producer: "their biggest mistake was adding too many features"

[Coronius]

I haven't played any Sonic games in the last 10 years perhaps, but these new character designs are absolutely awful. Knuckles and Sonic both look retarded.

[GennGreymane]

I haven't played any Sonic games in the last 10 years perhaps, but these new character designs are absolutely awful. Knuckles and Sonic both look retarded.

About Knuckles...




(honestly I am fine with his new design though, it makes sense)

[Jester Joe]

About Knuckles...


(honestly I am fine with his new design though, it makes sense)

That's actually kinda funny.

But it does sorta fit Knuckles more, since before he had no bulk to appear strong with.

[Irian]

I don't really get why they keep going to these idiotic lengths with the Sonic Franchise when they already have perfect examples of how a very successful 2d and 3d sonic game is made; Sonic 3 for 2D, simplistic, fast-paced platformer, and Sonic Adventure 2 for a 3d game with a little more depth but not overly complex to the point of losing the spirit of what made the Sonic franchise so memorable.

Now I'm sure some people will say that they didn't enjoy Sonic Adventure 2, and while I agree on some stuff - for example, the emerald hunting stages were a bit of a screeching halt to the fun factor of the rest of the game (I actually liked the robotnik/tails stages, and I hear generally less complaints about them and although the smoothness of the controls could've been better, I think they added a nice change of pace) they could've easily replaced them with a sort of twist on the Sonic/Shadow stages and had gliding and wall-climbing be incorporated with a bit more of a hands-on, combat-oriented stage.

Instead they keep doing this stupid crap that just doesn't work. I'm not even a video game developer and I can tell them a few easy steps that would rejuvenate the entire Sonic franchise, and I'm not even the biggest fan.

1. Stop introducing some sort of bad fanfic character every game. Work with what you have. I feel like past SA:2 was kind of the breaking point with this where they started to just flood the franchise with characters that didn't even really feel like they belonged and more felt like some sort of bizarre furry fanservice.
Work with the classics and maybe some of the more popular new characters and introduce more recurring villains that are a bit more intimidating than an obese, egg-shaped mad scientist.

2. Make the game design simple. Sonic is based around a very straightforward concept: streamlined maps where you race your way to the goal as fast as possible, with an assorted set of baddies that attempt to keep you from said goal. Stuff like trucks and psychotic giant whales following you leads to a cool experience because it doesn't detract from the game's pacing. Shit like mazes are not for the Sonic franchise, at least not conventionally speaking.

3. Bring back Chao already, they were probably the coolest addition to the Sonic franchise in ages. Sure it'd take development time but it'd pay off in the massive droves of players who fell in love with the Sonic Adventure games solely for the little bastards.
You'd think every Q&A getting the question "Are Chao Gardens coming back this game?" would give them some kind of hint but it doesn't seem to set in.


I can virtually guarantee that if they did these things and the rest of the game wasn't riddled with bugs and issues like Sonic Boom/Sonic06 were, they'd have a huge hit. Or would've, anyway. People might be burnt at this point, especially when they read this attempted justification of a shit game being shit.

[Jester Joe]

3. Bring back Chao already, they were probably the coolest addition to the Sonic franchise in ages. Sure it'd take development time but it'd pay off in the massive droves of players who fell in love with the Sonic Adventure games solely for the little bastards.
You'd think every Q&A getting the question "Are Chao Gardens coming back this game?" would give them some kind of hint but it doesn't seem to set in..

I would instantly buy a game that's just Chaos for the 3DS or Vita if it came out. Like, day one pre-order even.

That would sell like hotcakes even, add more depth to the Chao evolutions, add more stages in the garden, more activities that can be down with the Chaos. Literally a goldmine.

[Edge-]

This guy was behind one of the games that may have finally destroyed a once beloved franchise.

Honestly, it's been Sega that's destroyed Sonic over the years, not any of the team leads for the various games. Sega hasn't had any kind of vision for what they want Sonic to be in over a decade, they've just been going with whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing at the time, often to very poor results.

[Jester Joe]

Honestly, it's been Sega that's destroyed Sonic over the years, not any of the team leads for the various games. Sega hasn't had any kind of vision for what they want Sonic to be in over a decade, they've just been going with whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing at the time, often to very poor results.

But Sonic R! :P

[Friendlyimmolation]

or...or




Even knuckles is like WTF!

That was a repressed memory till you showed that to me. I hate you forever now.

[Jester Joe]

That was a repressed memory till you showed that to me. I hate you forever now.

Really should of put a trigger warning on it.

...You know, usually I joke when saying that...

[Friendlyimmolation]

Really should of put a trigger warning on it.

...You know, usually I joke when saying that...

I had a psychotic breakdown.

[Deleted]

1. Stop introducing some sort of bad fanfic character every game. Work with what you have.

Oh god so much this. It's SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, not Deviantart: The Videogame. It got beyond cringe with SA:2 and Rouge and all them. Just make it with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and maybe a girl character who is definitely NOT A LOVE INTEREST. Shadow can be a bad guy, with Robotnik as the main villain. No more new characters, because I am certain they go to Deviantart at this point as part of the creation process.

Also if Sonic's whole thing is "gotta go fast" stop putting in puzzle sections, complex platforming, mazes, and all of that. Keep it simple; running along a level, jumping over the odd pit or onto a platform, jumping on monsters, collecting rings or items, and rescuing small animals with the odd boss fight thrown in. Have some big set-pieces (like the truck or whale from SA) and the job's a good-un. For playable Tails put in some flying sections, and for Knuckles put in destructible environments/vertical wall-climbing so it's more like an assault course than a runner.

Bring Chao Gardens back. Weave them in with the normal levels with secret unlockables/upgrades you can find in stages to improve replay-ability.

Also no more crazy stupid storylines about magic, aliens, and time-travel. Keep it as Robotnik is doing a thing, stop him doing the thing. And also less "real world" stuff. Like, it's really jarring that Robotnik is this cartoonish egg-shaped man, but there are normal looking humans everywhere living in cities completely oblivious to the fact there's a gigantic cartoon hedgehog running around. The aesthetic is just all over. If there are other "human" characters, they have to be stylised and hi-tech like Robotnik is. Anything else is just plain weird.

Sega should hire me.

[taliey]

Oh my god, that's what they think made Sonic Boom sucked?

How about making a decent game before you add any more features.

Fucking rofl.

[Jester Joe]

Oh god so much this. It's SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, not Deviantart: The Videogame. It got beyond cringe with SA:2 and Rouge and all them. Just make it with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and maybe a girl character who is definitely NOT A LOVE INTEREST. Shadow can be a bad guy, with Robotnik as the main villain. No more new characters, because I am certain they go to Deviantart at this point as part of the creation process.

Honestly I was fine with Rouge and Shadow, but past that it did start to get "eeeehhh". I mean, even like Emerl in Sonic Battle was okay, but still.

[Tech614]

Isn't terrible isn't something I'd use to describe a success though. Colors I haven't played but I heard good things about, and Generations I'd vouch for in awesome, but that's not counting you know, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings/Black Knight.

All of those games are before Colors though, when they started a redeeming trend. As I said in my post SA2 2000s sonic games where an atrosity, Sonic Team started correcting that with Colors.

And Lost World is a fun game, it has flaws mostly because they felt the need to force Wii U gamepad functionality into the game. The level design is mostly solid, the bosses could have been better. It is hardly something of the caliber of Sonic 06 or Unleashed garbage to make anyone lose any hope Colors/Generations generated.

[breadisfunny]

All of those games are before Colors though, when they started a redeeming trend. As I said in my post SA2 2000s sonic games where an atrosity, Sonic Team started correcting that with Colors.

And Lost World is a fun game, it has flaws mostly because they felt the need to force Wii U gamepad functionality into the game. The level design is mostly solid, the bosses could have been better. It is hardly something of the caliber of Sonic 06 or Unleashed garbage to make anyone lose any hope Colors/Generations generated.

or more likely nintendo forced it on them.

[Tech614]

or more likely nintendo forced it on them.

Like Nintendo forced them to make required use of the gamepad in Sonic Boom? Or forced Platinum to use it in Wonderful 101 or Bayonetta 2? Or nintendo forced their own studio in retro to use it in DKCTF(hell this game has a giant black screen on the gamepad ffs!)

Yea sorry, doesn't sound like your accusation is the most likely. Put on the tin foil hat though brah.

[Super Kami Dende]

The thing that killed Sonic?

changing it from a 2d side-scrolling platformer to ANY other genre.

[breadisfunny]

Like Nintendo forced them to make required use of the gamepad in Sonic Boom? Or forced Platinum to use it in Wonderful 101 or Bayonetta 2? Or nintendo forced their own studio in retro to use it in DKCTF(hell this game has a giant black screen on the gamepad ffs!)

Yea sorry, doesn't sound like your accusation is the most likely. Put on the tin foil hat though brah.

nice unfounded ad hominem you got there. you going to make to keep on with this rant or have an actual discussion? i suspect its the former. nintendo is notorious for shoehorning in gameplay mechanics with the wii and wii-u.

[Deleted]

At this point I think they should just kill Sonic. I don't think they know what they're doing anymore.

To quote Zero Punctuation:

Sonic is done. He's passed it. He doesn't need more games, he needs help! Specifically the kind of help that involves taking him behind the shed and tearfully putting both barrels through his confused, oblivious little face. Stuff him, mount him, repurpose him as a litter picking device.

Link to the review it's from: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...onic-Unleashed

[Jshadowhunter]

About Knuckles...




(honestly I am fine with his new design though, it makes sense)

I just hope somebody else picks up the Sonic Boom mess and rework it into a better sequel. After watching GGs play and watching the cartoon series, which surprisingly has a way better success than the game, I just can't imagine going back to the old school Sonic style characters, where their heads are almost as big as the rest of their body (as showed by the 06 screenshoot). I'd be happy to see Shadow and Rouge appear in it as well.