Adamis
Artist Hume
Yay
Posts: 1,339
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Post by Adamis on Sept 6, 2011 15:15:22 GMT
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Slender Man
Big Time Boomer
And then I just chundered, everywhere.
Posts: 347
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Post by Slender Man on Sept 7, 2011 15:01:24 GMT
This is still better than Sonic '06.
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Post by Arch on Sept 8, 2011 10:31:39 GMT
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island, 1996 - Mega Drive/Saturn A lot of people have hate this for this game and I really don't know why. It's a slight diversion from the usual platform format - set on an isometric world, you've got to find 5 Flickies in every level - but it's basically still the same Mega Drive adventure you've played 4 times already. Control Sonic, grab the Rings, beat the Badniks, defeat Robotnik, collect the Chaos Emeralds, win the game. Obviously, the collecting aspect is possibly the bit that divides players the most. The levels themselves are really nice to look at (on the MD at least, I don't know if Saturn levels look any better). Everything that's meant to shine glistens and the backdrops (the bits where you should be able to go but can't seem to) look extremely detailed for the time. Green Grove's your standard green level (in 3D!!1!), Rusty Ruins is an atmospheric haunt and one of my favourite early levels (with "Vector" and "Charmy" Badniks, no less), Spring Stadium's a bit rubbish but it leads into the glorious Diamond Dust and (sometimes scrappy) Volcano Valley. They're really using the tropes, here. Gene Gadget finally seems like a challenge. Panic Puppet, with the absence of Flickies in Badniks, feels like a real finale. The collecting aspect is the same in almost every level - beat 5 Badniks in every area, collect their Flickies, jump through the Ring and head on to the next bit. It's obviously easier if you save them one by one, since the Red Flicky's a [censored] to catch if you lose him, but I don't know anyone who does that. While people complain about the rescuing mission, it'd be a lot worse without it. A ROM appeared a few years ago that removed the need to catch Flickies, with all the exits being open already. It was the quickest, most boring Sonic game I'd played. Bosses are a nice challenge, unfortunately most of the challenge comes from the slightly dodgy camera angle that doesn't let you aim for tight platforms (I'm talking about you, Rusty Ruin). Final Fight's a great finale, but annoying how you have to play it twice. I also like how the boss music alternates each level. In fact, I love the music in general, particularly DD and SS. Sonic games have almost always got it right. Special Stages are alright, but ridiculously easy. I generally aim to complete early ones before the second checkpoint's even reached. Nice to see Knuckles and Tails in there (in their shiny glory), but I'd appreciate more from them than being guardians to the mystical bridges over lava and midair. Sonic 3D marked the end of the 16-bit era. Although not the best swan song Sega could have released for their most successful console and franchise, it's a perfectly playable game and one that I keep going back to.
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Post by Beeth on Sept 8, 2011 10:51:28 GMT
Sonic 3D isn't a bad game at all. Played both the PC and MD versions (PC version is more or less the same as the Saturn version, but with a sadly massively inferior version of Saturn's special stage). I've always rather enjoyed it, and have never understood why so many berate it as one of the worst Sonic games. Engaging gameplay, brilliant soundtracks on both counts, decent level design and aesthetically sound. I'm surprised at how many times I've replayed this over the years.
Oddly enough, I seem to be only person who has more trouble with the green flickies than the red. The red ones do jump about and are quite fiddly to get, but at least they stay in one place. The bloody [censored] green flickies will think nothing of leading you into the most dangerous area in the level as you attempt to catch them, costing you rings or even lives on occasion.
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Post by Nam on Sept 8, 2011 12:00:50 GMT
As I said about Labyrinth: Labyrinth sets up with the same thing as Sonic 3D, in showing that massive isometric levels are possible, but they're almost always big flat plains with little in the way of actual jumping and very few enemies. It might be why later 3D Sonic games opted for narrow pathways suspended continuously above bottomless pits. The levels are far too big and empty, with very little to do in them, bar the last level. It's a flaw in the gameplay, the grid based isometrics do not suit the trap design, and there aren't as many actual obstacles, as the view doesn't suit complicated jumping sections, nor crushing objects and swinging spikes, nor any of the other obstacles that worked in 2D, and without any idea of the sort of obstacles that do work in Isometric 3D. Also agreed, the Flickies are [censored]s, Lose Red and you'll be driven mad trying to jump into it, lose Green and you'll be hunting around the entire level, but worst is the one in Volcano Valley that knows it can jump around in the lava that surrounds the level, and requires a fire shield to retrieve. But there is a good game here, it's just the Flicky collecting is dull, and because it's a core part of the game, the majority of the game becomes dull, yet once you finally get free of the Flickys, in that last act, the game actually becomes fun. dashing through the level, chasing after Robotnik, just feels fun, and it's what makes a Sonic game a Sonic game. Gone is the requirement to search for the Flickys, which is essentially a glorified escort mission, and you just get to make it through a level. It's too bad that that's the last level, as just as the game is becoming fun, it ends. Also, yes the special stages are easy (they don't actually change, they just sort of get faster, same amount of rings, same requirement to succeed, it's just faster), but The Final Fight bonus level sort of justifies it as it's actually a really fun true final boss. Also the music is, as is often said, nothing short of brilliant.
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Post by ShayMay on Sept 8, 2011 16:24:40 GMT
I love the Saturn version of this game. It was one of the first games I ever bought, and pretty much everything about it appeals to me. I love the music especially - when I got to Rusty Ruin after not having played it for about a decade (I lost the disc), I nostalgia'd so hard I nearly cried. To be honest, I tend to treat it very little like a Sonic game. It requires a lot more of a thoughtful and careful approach to the levels than other Sonic games. The larger penalty for taking a hit really makes me think through my moves before doing them. And I'm with Arch, if the Flickies weren't there it'd be crap.
I can see why people hate it, but this is one of those games I secretly cherish, along with another game that will inevitably be on this list.
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2011 16:46:44 GMT
A playable game, but at no point does it ever really break into being a Sonic game. It also never really looked that appealing. The pre-rendered graphics and the isometric view just never really worked that well. It looked bizarre and jarring in 1996 and it looks ugly and dated in 2011.
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Post by Nam on Sept 8, 2011 22:02:03 GMT
I do find playing it one thing is better now than it was back in '96; nowadays, playing it on Mega Collection, means you get to use an analogue stick. A godsend for this game, the D-pad is nowhere near as helpful or comfortable to play a game where you keep going in circles than an analogue stick. This is the one game I own for Mega Drive, and also have on collections, that is better on the collections, and for that one reason.
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Post by L. T. Dangerous on Sept 8, 2011 22:50:55 GMT
Sonic 3D isn't a bad game at all and it gets far too much flak. But is it a Sonic game, beyond the characters? Not really, I suppose. It's undoubtedly a giant deviation from the formula and, hindsight being 20-20, S3&K would have been the ideal swansong, but that's not how it works.
The levels are very nice to look at and the music is incredible for the MD (Green Grove act one is still one of my favourite video game tunes to this day and may be the best thing Senoue's ever done), though I've not played the Saturn versions so I can't comment there. Without the Flickies, yes, it's a pointless and crap game and they must have realised that (I imagine at some point they had to actually make the Flickies a design choice, rather than something that was present throughout the entire planning stage). The bosses are pretty great, it must be said.
A good attempt at something different and far, far, far from the worst Sonic game, as we'll get into as this list goes on even a little bit.
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Post by madhair60 on Sept 9, 2011 11:48:14 GMT
It's very good, but only on PC where you can save. The sprawling levels mean that beating it in one sitting is unlikely.
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Post by Arch on Sept 12, 2011 9:35:45 GMT
Sonic the Fighters, 1996 - Arcade Like just about everyone else, I didn't play this fighter until it came out on Sonic Gems and I was pleased to get the chance to try it out. I'm not a fighting game fan by any means, I majorly suck at old MK/VF titles and I even accidentally [censored]tered my PSP by playing Tekken. So it's not a surprise that I can't play this game. It doesn't help that it feels like it'd be utterly unplayable even if I was the world champion at Street Fighter. In a world where there's suddenly 8 Chaos Emeralds and Tails can only build a one-seated space shuttle, you simply have to control one of eight characters, beat everyone else (and yourself), take on Metal Sonic and then quickly beat " Dr. Robotonic" in (I think) under 30 seconds. It's a fun enough premise, but the fights just don't seem that fun, which is a major problem. Basic punches, kicks and smacks on the chops are fairly stilted, so you'll want to be utilising the highly convoluted combo list. This is probably standard fare for the average tournament player, but I get routinely lost. Fortunately, moves like Sonic's Spin Dash can easily get you through 3 of 5 enemy shields and avoid most attacks. Metal Sonic is a [censored]. I hear that if you get to the finale without losing a round, you become Super Sonic. Even if you could get past the irritating AI throughout the tournament, you surely have no chance against Metal. His diving missile type attack, or dropping you from height, both deal colossal damage and you almost have to hope he doesn't feel like using them today. I actually can't remember what Robotnik fights like because I just don't have the will to fight past Metal anymore. The character roster is good enough, throwing in the likes of Nack and Espio from recent games as well as introducing new one-shots Bark and Bean. Shame you couldn't control Robotnik or Metal in story mode, but that kinda defeats the point of the story. I just can't get the hang of using some characters; Nack's popgun is remarkably crap and Bean's only saving grace seems to be spamming bombs when the enemy is down. I continuously forget how much I dislike this game everytime I go back to it and sincerely regret it once I've played it through. Like I said, maybe it's just a bitter non-fighting fan, but this is seriously one of the worst in the series. The quirky polygonal style is perhaps the only saving grace, which would be somewhat refined for the next game.
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Post by Beeth on Sept 12, 2011 10:13:45 GMT
As a major connoisseur of sucker for fighting games, I can honestly say that this isn't really very good. Even for when it was released, it's okay at best. The "Robotonic" battle in particular is poorly implemented. Surely the whole point of the final round is that it be difficult and hoover up your credits? Instead of actually making him a difficult and proficient fighter, they make him more or less useless and limit the fight to FIFTEEN SECONDS. I mean what? Just what is the point?
Anyways, the bottom line is this. Whether you want a fighting game or a Sonic game, there's better ones than this out there either way. If you want both Sonic and fighting though, get Sonic Battle.
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Post by Arch on Sept 12, 2011 11:07:01 GMT
If you want both Sonic and fighting though, get Sonic Battle. This. Although Battle has its flaws, too. *getting ahead of myself*
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Post by madhair60 on Sept 12, 2011 11:23:28 GMT
I played this in Segaworld when I was a bairn. And SegaSonic. I felt priveleged at the time.
Anyway, game sucks. Awesome music and presentation though.
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Post by Juliett. Bravo. Alfa. on Sept 12, 2011 12:46:26 GMT
I love the "tom and jerry" ness of this game. Hands and feet grow to giant proportions and your opponent's head will go flat.
It did used to have the whole mystique of not being on a console. Till Gems Collection.
Kinda like the basic mechanics. But Fighting Vipers is a lot better.
But everyone isn't talking about Honey the Cat, so I'll just mention her. Yeah.
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Post by madhair60 on Sept 12, 2011 13:17:39 GMT
ohhhh nooo what have you done they're coming
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Post by Nam on Sept 12, 2011 17:52:37 GMT
I beat that game once, as Bean, spamming bombs left right and centre. Didn't beat it without dying mind, so no invincibleness for me. It's a quirky little fight that has a bit of depth, but isn't overly complicated.
I must admit, I do like the style of it. There's something charming about the way it's polygon models are lit up and whatnot. I also like how this is the only fighting game that makes any sort of attempt to justify picking the same character to fight (player two is a clone made by Robotonic).
But yes, being an arcade port, it doesn't have much re-playability, and no unlockables kills it's lifespan immediately, but it's fun to play for a short while if nothing else.
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Post by Arch on Sept 13, 2011 10:52:36 GMT
Sonic R, 1997 - Saturn/PC So, the final game in the 'classic' era. Seven MD games, twelve Game Gears and a few other oddities later and it's still only 6/7 years after we've started. There's definitely no need to get that excited, though. Sonic R is hardly the great final hoorah for a console that never got its own Sonic platform game. Sonic R recycles the racing idea of the Sonic Drifts, but this time most of the racers are on foot. The roster seems decent enough, until you realise you've just got 5 characters and 4 robotic versions of those 5 characters. Of the 'starting' characters, the majority of people are only going to use Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. Robotnik is a nice idea, but his bombs are fiddly and don't slow the opponent enough to be worth it. Nobody can win with Amy (unless you're Samface). The robots are alright at first, but there's nothing that makes them stand out. For a racing game, there's a criminal lack of courses. Even the original Drift had 6 which could be altered on 3 difficulties to provide 18 experiences. The only variation here is taking the 5 courses and putting them on 'reverse'. A bonus is the multitude of different routes you can take to find Emeralds and power-ups. Unfortunately, this has the downside of not feeling like a race when you never see your opponents. Resort Island is a nice enough start, but can be bypassed too easily by flying over water. Radical City is possibly the best, but something too easy to get lost. Regal Ruins is another idea, but fiddly and dead-end-y in places. Reactive Factory is a bit of a mess, really. Radiant Emerald is a lacklustre attempt at a Rainbow Road. There's a few bonus modes in Sonic R but they're too infuriating to enjoy. Finding 5 balloons can be excruciating, particularly if you're looking for a green one in the grass. Tag is another fun one for a while, unless you pick a slow character and you're paired with Super Sonic to catch. Even picking Supes as your chaser can be tough, since the controls are too slidey to even contemplate getting Super in the same spot as someone else at the exact right time. The music is much maligned, but I like it. It's an experiment that adds to the overall experience of Sonic R. Cheesy as Hell, but not everyone thinks that's a bad thing. They're memorable, at least, which is more than can be said for some more modern level tracks. Sonic R, as a racing game, is a big improvement on Drift, but they can still do better. It'll just take them another 9 years to try another racing game (although racing mini-games are another matter).
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Post by ShayMay on Sept 13, 2011 11:17:10 GMT
I have two problems with Sonic R. The fact that there are only five bloody courses, and the fact that all the characters are unbalanced as Hell. Other than that, I love it. I honestly adore this game. Even the music. Especially the music.
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Post by Juliett. Bravo. Alfa. on Sept 13, 2011 12:02:56 GMT
I love this game too.
I can't explain it.
Cant help thinking Traveller's Tales should make more Sonic games. [censored] THE WORLD.
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Post by Nam on Sept 13, 2011 15:25:15 GMT
It's got a certain level of campness to it that makes it enjoyable even though it's stupid, broken, idiotic at times, and infuriating. It's just good enough to be a competent game, but without that camp charm it would be received much worse than this. It is just a shame it's really short. The whole thing can be completed by an amateur in around two hours, including unlocking all the characters.
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Post by Alex on Sept 13, 2011 15:39:22 GMT
Fairly unplayable and what is playable is more like a demo than a real game.
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Post by Arch_one_zero_one on Sept 13, 2011 16:59:30 GMT
Loved it when I first bought it (I had a splitting headache the first time I played it - dont know why I remember that), but I think it would be a different story if I played it now. Was bloody short though.
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Post by Beeth on Sept 13, 2011 17:07:43 GMT
The game was later released on PC in 1998, and is now widely available on the Xplosiv budget label. Copies can be found in your local supermarkets or wholesalers for a fiver or less.
I remember when I got mine on PC, during my "getting back into the Sonic series" phase around 2001. Bought it for a fiver round Morrison's I think, like a number of budget PC titles I got around that period; I also got Sonic 3D and Worms United (available on the "Sold Out" label) at the same time as R, on a 3 for 2 offer. It was a pleasant occasional distraction for a couple of weeks before I completed it.
I later got to play it on Gems Collection. I finished the whole thing in an evening. I've spent more time listening to the music than I have playing the game, really.
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Post by madhair60 on Sept 13, 2011 21:04:36 GMT
I like Sonic R for the twenty minutes it takes to 100%
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