Sonic The Hedgehog

[gunswordfist]

Me too!
Today I beat Studiopolis today (5th time, I think. Losing track). I figured out how you're supposed to fight the mini-boss! Jumping with the hills makes dodging the missiles easy. I beat it without taking a single hit and got 192 or 193 rings. Not even sure I've ever beat a stage with that much before. Before that, Knuckles made Act 1's boss easier with his glide but now it's easier than that for me with Sonic & Tails. Act 2 is still much much much harder as Knuckles. Not necessarily that hard but you can beat Robotnik in like 15 seconds with Sonic, probably even without Tails whiule Knuckles actually has to wait for him to lower down to hit Eggman lol. I also had no clue you could run to make the Bingo pieces pop around in Act 2. All in all, I like Studiopolis even MORE now. The mini-boss was my only complaint and Act 2 seems that much more fun to me.

[gunswordfist]

Haven't played Sonic Mania since last time I was here but I got to say that Titanic Monarch is probably the best final Sonic stage ever. I love the music and sound design, like listening to the theme as you bounce off of the yellow bumpers and the stage is actually fast and fun, unlike literally every other last level in any other Sonic game I've played. They made it fun without it being remotely overly hard and it's basically a pinball stage in disguise. Jeez, it's so hard trying to figure out what's my 2nd favorite all new stage. They are all so good!

[Avaitor]

I was at a party, and as I know of the guests/housemates is a big Sonic fan, I asked him about Mania, and he pulled out his Switch for me to try it out! So I picked Knuckles (naturally), and made it up to the boss fight of world 3.

I really enjoyed what I played of it, though! It's really tightly structured, and generally just a treat to go through. And I think my favorite thing that I discovered thus far was the Mean Bean Machine boss fight!

[gunswordfist]

I loved that boss fight! Mania has my favorite boss fights in the series.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The game really is great. The developers understood everything about 2D Sonic so well that it's almost scary.

[gunswordfist]

Beat Flying Battery. Yeah, I still don't care for the level. Well at least on the outside path on Act 2. The in/out doors path is fun though, I just got to remember/learn it.

[Daikun]

Sonic 3D Blast is getting a Director's Cut.

[Foggle]

So I'm watching a playthrough of Sonic Forces and WOW does it look like a step down from Colors and Generations, to say nothing of Mania. The level design is embarrassingly simple with straight-line boost-fests everywhere and only the most basic platforming imaginable. Each stage is no more than a couple minutes long and the boss fights alternate between resembling early PS2 titles and mobile endless runner games. Oh, and there are quick time events too. The characters never shut up with horrible dialogue and bland voice acting while the story is laughable in how poorly-executed it is. It honestly gives off bargain bin vibes at times. The character creator is surprisingly deep and music is good (below the usual Sonic standard, but still), though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

They also retconed Classic Sonic to being Sonic from another dimension. In other words, the classic games and universe is no longer canon with Modern Sonic. They literally split the fanbase even further than before. Sonic Team didn't think any of this through.

Sega really needs to get the Utopia guy and work with him to make a AAA game. In the same year as Odyssey and Mania, this isn't the type of experience Sonic should be putting out.

[Nel_Annette]

I was initially happy to be returning to the Unleashed/Colors/Generations gameplay style, but I've been extremely wary since I saw that the level design team for this game was a few newbies and a person from the Lost World team.

It's a shame, really.

[gunswordfist]

So I'm watching a playthrough of Sonic Forces and WOW does it look like a step down from Colors and Generations, to say nothing of Mania. The level design is embarrassingly simple with straight-line boost-fests everywhere and only the most basic platforming imaginable. Each stage is no more than a couple minutes long and the boss fights alternate between resembling early PS2 titles and mobile endless runner games. Oh, and there are quick time events too. The characters never shut up with horrible dialogue and bland voice acting while the story is laughable in how poorly-executed it is. It honestly gives off bargain bin vibes at times. The character creator is surprisingly deep and music is good (below the usual Sonic standard, but still), though.

This showed me everything I needed to see about Sonic Forces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqaP9GOYk-E&t=7s

[Rynnec]

They also retconed Classic Sonic to being Sonic from another dimension. In other words, the classic games and universe is no longer canon with Modern Sonic. They literally split the fanbase even further than before. Sonic Team didn't think any of this through.

Afaik, it's only Mania and the Sonic 4 games that are part of the alternate timeline, and Mania's ending leads directly to Forces. Everything from Sonic 1 to S3&K still happened.

I'm more disappointed that

Spoiler

All of the "returning" villains are just copies created by the Phantom Ruby.

[close]

[Foggle]

Afaik, it's only Mania and the Sonic 4 games that are part of the alternate timeline, and Mania's ending leads directly to Forces. Everything from Sonic 1 to S3&K still happened.

But... in Sonic 4 you play as Modern Sonic. Sega pls

As far as I'm concerned, Sonic Mania's ending leads into Generations and that game's setting is the alternate timeline.

Spoiler

I'm more disappointed that

Spoiler

All of the "returning" villains are just copies created by the Phantom Ruby.

[close]

[close]

Spoiler

Even worse, there's no boss fight with Shadow (the real one shows up, kicks him in the face, says "it's a fake," and the cutscene ends) and Chaos never appears again after the prologue.

[close]

[gunswordfist]

They also retconed Classic Sonic to being Sonic from another dimension. In other words, the classic games and universe is no longer canon with Modern Sonic. They literally split the fanbase even further than before. Sonic Team didn't think any of this through.

Afaik, it's only Mania and the Sonic 4 games that are part of the alternate timeline, and Mania's ending leads directly to Forces. Everything from Sonic 1 to S3&K still happened.

I'm more disappointed that

Spoiler

All of the "returning" villains are just copies created by the Phantom Ruby.

[close]

Kappa
And fuu, I was trying to get all the Emeralds again for my 6th playthrough today and still nothing. Goddamn UFOs...

[Spark Of Spirit]

... Why is Sonic Mania another dimension? That is such a pointless and utterly dumb retcon.

But from what I've seen the whole story is dumb.