Sonic the Hedgehog

[numbuheightbitstar]

What's yer fave'rit Sonic the Hedgehog game?

So far, mine is Sonic 1, because it's the most challenging of the series (next to some of the Game Gear titles).

[numbuh3]

I also think Sonic 1 was challenging. Eventhough it's difficult, it's the best because you could get addicted to playing it. I always get addicted to a new video game when I get it.

[maxk]

I haven't played that many Sonic games because I've never owned a Genesis, but I would have to say the first three sonic games were pretty sweet (I have friends with Sega Genesis's.). Don't get me wrong, some of the Sonic games nowerdays are fun too, but they don't have the same charm like they've used to, IMO.

[numbuheightbitstar]

One of my friends got me the Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube ^__^ that sooooo made my day!

[kiyosuki]

My favorite Sonic game's probably 2.

I don't know why, it seems like an inbetween of 1 and 3. 1 having the "first game" charm, and 3 being the most advanced of the original games. Like an experiment, but for some reason I had the most fun playing 2. I've always had a soft spot for Tails. Back then there was a certain something about the little bit we had of his character that I found inspiring. How in the story supposedly, he's seen as somewhat of an outcast "different" kid, but when he see's Sonic and wants to run just as fast as him, he doesn't at first since ofcourse no one's as fast as him. But he doesn't give up and keeps trying, and eventually learns to use his tails like propellor's to both fly and propel himself forward at a faster rate. Not as fast as Sonic potentially, but he kept up with him. There was something very endearing about that to me. Ofcourse now he's a little more officially fleshed out than mostly assumed, but I think his character had a certain charm that he hasn't had in later games (Same with most of them I guess.)

And it was the first time Super Sonic was seen.

He wasn't really hyped up like he was in 3 and on, it was sort of cool how SS was such a mysterious and new thing we knew little about.

Just at the time it was released, the stages and especially the music were very catchy to me (To this day I think out of all the series' stage songs 2 had some of the best.)

The game had its share of faults, it really was sort of an experiment title. But for me personally for some reason, its my favorite of the series. Its the one I had the most fun playing.


1 was very difficult I agree. But it was such a fresh and new thing at the time you just couldn't hate it. That and really Sonic is one of the best video game character designs in its entire history I think. You know, cute but in a sort of mean way, his shape, the way he moves, everything about him could really be taken to any enviornment. 3 was cool, the full effect just isn't felt unless you have Sonic and Knuckles AND Sonic 2 though, then its just classic. S&K and Sonic 3 had some difficult moments itself, and it had a great adventurous feeling too. I really wish Chaotix got more attention too just off of how cool the Chaotix' designs were.

But Sonic CD is a close second. Along with the animated sequences that were just the coolest thing back in those days, the level design and concept had a really cool and unique feel I haven't felt in the series since. I think this game really captured what exactly differentiated the atmosphere of the older games and the atmosphere of the newer games.
The older ones feel like they had this feeling of freedom and adventure, like when riding a bike along a less populated area of the coast and feeling the wind of the sea in your face while cruising, something like that. Even in the animated sequences it just felt more subtle and cool. The newer games I've found have been trying to hard to be hip and cool, and establish this kind of "tied into reality" feel that I feel's sort of limited that otherwordly feeling the Sonic series used to have that was so cool.

They're not all bad though, Sonic Adventure was probably the closest to having the original feel in a 3D enviornment, and the GBA games arn't bad.

But I feel lately the series has just gone down hill unfortunatly. I know its just that time goes on, but I can't help but feel like Yuji Naka keeps trying to throw Sonic in this direction he's not supposed to go in. Sonic was always cool and badass, but the games never had to really spell it out for you like the newer ones do. Too much in your face and not the subtlety I think it should have. But maybe I'm biased, I don't like the in your face thing.

But yeah, Sonic 2 and CD are my favorites. Few in the states have played Sonic the Fighters, but regardless that was a pretty cool game too. That and seeing Tails beat Sonic up never gets old ;D

[numbuheightbitstar]

You know, there was a problem I had with Sonic 3 and S&K.

They were, to me, representative of when games began to get too easy.

I mean, in Sonic 2 it wasn't easy to make sure you always had enough rings to stay in Super Sonic mode for a particularly long length of time (not to mention it had the hardest special stages of the series), but in S3&K I had no problems having 100 or even 200 rings at any one time, and I'm now to the point where I have all the emeralds by the end of Hydro City.

I also completely agree with the older games having a sense of freedom and adventure... that's a huge part of why I love a lot of older games. It's not just Sonic that has this problem. I mean, look at Final Fantasy--the first game threw you into this fantasy world with only the most necessary of explanations, and left you to explore, fight, and knock them all down. In Final Fantasy 7 you have characters distracting you from more important points so you can hear a bunch of information that you really don't need and has no relevance to the game (there's an example early on where a character forces you to look at a scale model of Midgar).

I've thought about picking up the Sonic Adventure titles though, because I hear one of them (for the Gamecube anyway) includes all the Master System/Game Gear Sonic titles.

[kiyosuki]

Ah I knew you'd respond quickly.

Out of all the old big series's I think Sonic transferred to the new gen's the worst of them all unfortunatly. Mario lost a certain something but I felt it also gained a certain something, same with Zelda. Give and take. (IMO Metroid is the one that lost the least. Prime really surprised me with how well it captured Metroid's atmosphere in a 3D enviornment)

The Adventure titles are okay to me. They're fun, and they really got that sense of speed captured well. But like you and I said, that otherworldly feeling of adventure and rush just wasn't there. I thikn personally its the lack of anything subtle in the atmosphere. Instead of just "being" like the older titles, I feel like its trying to hard to be cool and just missing the point totally. I realize that the character's never really talked or anything in the originals like they did in the Adventure titles, but there was still some hints and such, but my main thing is the atmosphere of the game itself. The music, the storylines, it was all very simple and flowing, it was almost surreal.

I really believe that Sonic could retain that atmosphere while transfering to the 3d world, and having the character's be more rounded. I think its just a matter of the series trying to be too in your face, and the pace of it just not flowing very well. Its like its trying to be something its not. I really believe thats why the series hasn't done as well as it used to before. The charm it had just isn't there, but I believe Yuji can still get it there. Its not just the 3D thing, the GBA titles also feel like they're missing a certain something, so it is the atmosphere.

After Sonic Heroes which was just so ....bleh (sad cause it was also the return of the Chaotix. I love those guys. XD But where's Mighty? And what was up with Vector's Ghetto getup? lol So much for being subtle. Well Ninja Espio was awsome though...) I think Yuji really needs to go back and look at what made Sonic what it is. It wasn't just having the game go fast, it was a certain something I think he almost had in Adventure, but lost with the second Adventure. Go back and remodel Sonic again, because I really don't think the Adventure motif is working anymore.

On the FF comment, I feel series like that are unique compared to others since each game is sort of a totally differnet ordeal in game engine, storyline, world, and atmosphere. Where as Sonic, Mario, Metal Gear can change but they essentially are the same thing. Thing with Final Fantasy is that I don't think the games quality has gone down hill because every game is its own distinctly different game and world. Each one has its own feel and style so I think its really a matter of someone's personal opinion on those kinds of games. Series's like that, that radically change with each game are widely opinion based when it comes to quality. Like I thought VII was great because of its unique "its not fantasy, but its not sci fi" odd sort of modern steam punk-fantasy thing, but that's cause I love that type of thing. I loved VIII's world to death but felt the game's engine and how the story was paced could of been better. I thought IX was charming, but X wasn't my favorite. Where as not all the classic FF's were great imo. II (The REAL II, not IV) Was dreadful imo, and V was really average to me, although Gilgamesh (Best cameo EVER. Which game other than V he appears in is a spoiler, but you must know what it is.) and the distinct job system were great, the story and world just didn't draw me in at all. But IV, VI, and the good old original are fantastic. They're all widely opinion based.

[numbuheightbitstar]

Kiyosuki said:

On the FF comment, I feel series like that are unique compared to others since each game is sort of a totally differnet ordeal in game engine, storyline, world, and atmosphere. Where as Sonic, Mario, Metal Gear can change but they essentially are the same thing. Thing with Final Fantasy is that I don't think the games quality has gone down hill because every game is its own distinctly different game and world.

More or less. While it's true usually each game handles things a whole new way (Job system, Junction, typical EXP system, etc) they each basically end up accomplishing the same thing in the end, and there are a lot of aspects that are distinctly FF no matter what the system.

Whatever the case, I tend not to compare games, preferring to take them on their own. I didn't like FF7 because I found some of the things it did quite annoying. I'm also not a huge advocate of the whole "Storylines" crazy that started in the mid-90s. I've never believed that games were about having a good storyline and only ever take them into account if they're there and the game they're attached to was good enough to warrant me wanting to hear it.

Though I do believe there was a distinct rift of sorts between VI and VII.

Where as not all the classic FF's were great imo. II (The REAL II, not IV) Was dreadful imo,

The one with the weapon proficiency system and the "you don't really level up, you just advance your stats" style of upgrading? Yea, that one was a doozy.

But IV, VI, and the good old original are fantastic.

^__^ I personally like III as well.

As for Sonic... to be truthful, I never really accepted his Sonic Adventure-style wild-looking image with the green eyes. Whatever happened to the Sonic who used to be a cartoon hedgehog? THAT was Sonic, IMO. We don't need this "sleek" one.

Since we both seem to like video games BTW, have you ever seen my gaming site?
www.angelfire.com/comics/nes_star/index.html

(Personally I'm trying to expand it so that it's got more than just reviews and articles, but I'm not sure what to do with it... I thought of putting up sections dedicated to pen n' paper role-playing games, but I don't play them enough to warrant that).

[irong]

My fandom for Sonic is even bigger than my fandom for KND!

My fave is SA2. Everything was perfect.