Sonic and the Secret Rings update

[Serephim]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/757/757110p1.html

Ive been waiting for SOMEBODY to get an update on this game, and SEGA seems to have gotten to IGN for it.

The Gameplay videos make me ALOT happier than the ones i saw of Next. Thankfully the animations are done closer to the work they had in Sonic Adventure 2, instead of the horrible animaiton work from Shadow the hedgehog onward.

Highlights changed from the E3 version:

-He doesnt stay stiffly foward while turning when your running through the stage

-Jumping/Homing/attacking/engine in general has been greatly polished, and doesnt look out of place anymore. Nice effects have been added, and the homing attack has some cool looking animations/effects to it.

-Im not sure, but it really looks like more general control has been added in places that were previously all rail, like the first section of the stage. Might be because the jumping looks a bit more natural.

-Sonic seems to be being followed by some kind of Tikal "orb", and conversate throughought the level.

-Graphics/textures have also gotten a very great deal of upgrading. You can actully see the shading/mapping on sonic, and the game looks less "GCN" ish.

-Grinding has been added, although im angry the SA2 Tilting has been removed again. Like in Next, jumping on a rail seems to grant invisible speed. Hopefully the low par grinding animations show that its still in development.

-This stage in general seems to have gotten alot of new interactivity, like springs, enemies and destructables, and those pot things.

IGN also said that the side "missions" (the ones ST said they were having alot of) also offer branching paths, and skill points thats used to grant sonic new abilities.

In all, im really happy to see the game start to look alot more like a game. Granted a few more things get their due polishing, and they keep up the seperate paths, this will be the first Next Gen sonic game i purchase. (because im NOT getting StH.)

[MidimanNull]

This game is going to be killer, that is all.

maybe this'll ____ing stop SFGHQ from bitching about LOOPS all the ____ing time.

[DimensionWarped]

If they do things right, this might actually be the single best 3D Sonic for gimmicks. Its still nothing like a Sonic game though.

[Serephim]

Ive seen a corkscrew, so we should see loops.

This is the ONLY sonic game that i know for a fact will be able to remake any of the Genesis Stages. (i can visiualize Emerald Hill or Chemical Plant in this game pretty well.)

EDIT:

BTW, in these videos i actully seem to forget the game is on rails. They added plenty of things to jump onto, into, and off of, as well as added elevation to the stages.

Im excited. While IGN never really said they had fun playing the Sonic Next demo, im guessing SatSR is going to be a better game because its focus is actully control this time around.

[ila]

Even better would be if people stop bitching about people bitching about loops, Midi.

[Duckboy]

I didn't even know people bitched about loops?

I don't have high hopes for any new sonic game anymore. So I'll just wait and see

[Aaron C-T]

"Like in Next, jumping on a rail seems to grant invisible speed."

What the heck does that even mean? The only thing I can think of that would make sense are like.. sparks, but then that wouldn't make sense because sparks were in Next when you grind. Explain what you mean because 'invisible speed' doesn't cut it. Are you supposed to see how fast he's going or something?

I would care more about this game if I had money and a Wii. However, I do not. It looks interesting but not really like something that'd make me buy a system, ya know? It's basically all stuff that could've been done in Sonic Next and the basic idea of dodging and jumping over stuff while flying down a path actually was used in the mach speed bits. It's basically a tighter and mroe controlled mach speed section with SA2-styled platforming bits. Not sure how this is significantly different. That being said, I'd no doubt play it if I had the chance but it's not like.. groundbreaking, imho.

Edit: Just watched the first video. And I've really gotta say that I don't get it. There's even an automated section similar to one of the loops from Wave Ocean. I'm not going to lie and say I wouldn't have fun playing it but then, I'm also not one of the people who complains about that sort of thing, either. Still, I'm more interest in obtaining Last Hope.

[Serephim]

Yes, Serephim. We get it: you don't like Next so it makes sense that you wouldn't buy it then. Why tell us?

"Like in Next, jumping on a rail seems to grant invisible speed."

What the heck does that even mean? The only thing I can think of that would make sense are like.. sparks, but then that wouldn't make sense because sparks were in Next when you grind. Explain what you mean because 'invisible speed' doesn't cut it. Are you supposed to see how fast he's going or something?

in SA2, grinding was a bit more realistic, in where you had to stay ontop of the rail. Wasnt a huge fan of the tilting, but it was cool for Grind Races.

Heroes, i think the tilt was removed, and the Croutch button also gave you a small speed hop before they Croutched.

In sonic Next, no matter what speed you hit the rail at, it put you on a specific speed and direction. They actully took Croucthing off, and just kept the little spin trick, but it has no place because it doesnt grant you any extra speed because *GASP*, it was automatic.

But enough about that, im tired of bitching about that game, having people bitch at me about bitching about that game, and having props set up to defend that game.

This is about Secret Rings. I was simply saying like in Next, jumping on the rail seems to...well, put you on rails. (speed rails, in which all you can do is jump off.) I just thought that was pretty lazy of them. While watching the video it actully deterred from the sense of speed and control. Its no reason the rails should be like that when their using the Wiimote.

[Slingerland]

That being said, I'd no doubt play it if I had the chance but it's not like.. groundbreaking, imho.

Sonic hasn't been associated with the word "groundbreaking" since Sonic Adventure. They broke up right before the release of Sonic Adventure 2. It was a short relationship.

lol

[Aaron C-T]

Serephim: Pull the stick out, please. No one told you or even provoked you to rant about grinding. You used an incredibly vague and odd term when you decided that "invisible speed" was a good choice of wording. Note that nowhere did I say anything about the quality of the grinding engine in any of the games. All I asked was if you mean the spark animations that play when you grind as spark animations in the game are visible. Speed however is not something that's visible. When you drive your car at 60MPH there's no image that pops up and you go "hey.. visible speed." Nice rant and all but you're completely mistaken if you think that you were somehow made to defend yourself, bidge about it, and rant/whine.

Slinger: I mean like.. this isn't much different from what I've heard you all, and I'm being general here, complain about.

[Guest Shadix]

Sereph bitching about people bitching about Next? OH THE IRONY. (paradox established)

edit: Apparently Paradox unestablished, since I found out now that he is bitching about people bitching about him bitching about a game he has never played, just like FF12, the whole Square Enix merger as an excuse to justify his dissatisfaction with games by SE (and leading to auto-condemnation of games he hasen't played, believing that "ENIX IS HOLDING SQUARE BACK".), and err, I can't remember the other example.

[Blue Frenzy]

I think this is the last chance for sonic team. Otherelse sonic will be lost.

[Kain]

The way the first video started, it didn't get my hopes up very much with its use of clumsy homing attack and rails. However, I'm glad the rest of the videos show lots more promising gameplay.

The presentation of the level as you move around it looks great. And there seems to be ample variety to divert your attention from the on-railness of the game. Well, now I'm convinced that this is a Wii game worth looking forward to. Hope it isn't plagued too much by the standard ailments of 3D Sonic games in terms of clumsy controls and jerkily railed physics.

[Slingerland]

Sereph bitching about people bitching about Next? OH THE IRONY. (paradox established)

PARADOX ESTABLISHED!!!!

[Aki-at]

Well been following this game for a while, here's what I can add. All of Sonic's friends (okay probably not all, I think about eight of them considering there seems to be 4 secret multiplayer characters...for some reason) would be associated with some character from Arabian Nights, Knuckles is Sinbad, Tails is Ali Baba and the Doctor is the sultan of Persia apparently. Also the main villain happens to be a Buu-esque villain called Erazer (sounds about right for someone who erases book pages) and some ring-fiary spirit thingy thing that serves kinda like navi, but only talks to Sonic all the time...anyway scans from Nintendo Power.

Knuckles as Sinbad and some new stage

A view of that Dinosaur level

The new villain Erazer

Some other screenshots

Mini-games

And since the IGN preview has been posted, here's another one, however they complain about the controls saying that Sonic goes awary a few times...

http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=155871

[Serephim]

Wow, im even more impressed.

Reading some text on the side of one of the scans you posted, they say that completing missions earn sonic Skill points, which can be used to level his abilities and skills up RPG style.

They said he has over 100. Skills i saw were things like speed breaks (moving faster i guess), faster left/right movement, longer homing attack, and certian manuverability skills like jumping off walls/ceilings, and even a Ground Pound.

They said that even though you can get lots of skill points by completeing differnet missions, you'll almost never have enough to equip every skill at once, so you would have to choose skills to better fit a level. (Which i can see opening up TONS of different path oppertunities.)

I dont know if the 100+ skills will all be as cool as jumping off ceilings and ground pounding, but im pretty happy they are making sure that we dont get bored with it on second playthrough.

EDIT: It also says leveling sonic up increases his ability to use his Special Moves that he starts with (his speed burst), and some Time ability (describes it as Matrix Mode in the scan.)

BTW, im getting all of this from this link aki posted, on the right side.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Teknoman_EX/?action=view&current=scan0003.jpg

[MidimanNull]

OK, it is official, I want to get this game, no matter what SFGHQer has to tell me about loops.

the cleverly placed RPG factor without the [opinion] CRAPPY MMO STORYLINE AND GAMEPLAY[ [/opinion] is a great addition

Also, if you guys haven't noticed, I hate RPGs, just to make sure nobody says " ____ you midiman RPGS are awesome "

[Aki-at]

FUC U MIDI RPG R OHSAME!

Ahem, the game has a rumoured Febuary 2007 release date, but I haven't seen this apart from fan speculation and Wikipedia so I'm not sure about that. And if anyone wonders what the Ring fiery pixed girl thing thing looks like...

Name's Shrezza or something like that (can be seen on the right)

[DimensionWarped]

Shrezza sounds like a horribly warped version of Scheherazade.

Lol score:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheherazade

[Asuma]

in SA2, grinding was a bit more realistic, in where you had to stay ontop of the rail. Wasnt a huge fan of the tilting, but it was cool for Grind Races.

Heroes, i think the tilt was removed, and the Croutch button also gave you a small speed hop before they Croutched.

In sonic Next, no matter what speed you hit the rail at, it put you on a specific speed and direction. They actully took Croucthing off, and just kept the little spin trick, but it has no place because it doesnt grant you any extra speed because *GASP*, it was automatic.

But enough about that, im tired of bitching about that game, having people bitch at me about bitching about that game, and having props set up to defend that game.

This is about Secret Rings. I was simply saying like in Next, jumping on the rail seems to...well, put you on rails. (speed rails, in which all you can do is jump off.) I just thought that was pretty lazy of them. While watching the video it actully deterred from the sense of speed and control. Its no reason the rails should be like that when their using the Wiimote.

You are in violation of Prop. 21.

[MidimanNull]

FUC U MIDI RPG R OHSAME!

Look at me, I found the button that activates fanboys.

EDIT: Don't ____ing jump the SFGHQ, that isn't a serious reply. or is it? you decide.

[Aki-at]

Nevermind...

[MidimanNull]

Wait wait wait.

What does me being african american have to do with anything?

EDIT: oh, I totally misread that.

[DimensionWarped]

Aki-At, you aren't cool enough to play the censor bypass game.

Cοck

[Perfect Chaos Zero]

Actually Midi I was going to respond with a "= ( your mean Midi, I don't like you anymore even if your ____ is black..."

But I just didn't have the soul to press the reply button! I'm so ashamed ;-;

EDIT: Argh d-a-m-n c-o-c-k is censored for me?

Uhh... what? Can someone please translate the gargantuan load of unintelligible babble that I'm seeing in the previous post? Is he saying what I think he's saying?