Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

[Ramparter]

Μ'αρεσει παντως που χρησιμοποιουν πολυ τον ορο adventure στα Sonic (ακομη και στους τιτλους) αλλα εχουν ισως το λιγοτερο adventure στοιχειο σε σχεση με αλλα 2D ή 3D platforms.

[Xeno]

Βασικα σου λενε εμμεσα το ownage που θα φας καθε φορα που δινεις λεφτα για Sonic ελπιζοντας να το απολαυσεις. Περιπετεια απ' τις λιγες.

[Sinclair]

Το σκεφτόμουν κι εγώ να το κάνω αλλά έπρεπε για λόγους ιστορίας να το κάνει ο Loggo με τόσο Sonic που έχει παίξει στη ζωή του

Πάμε τη συνέντευξη στο Gamespot. Την κάνω quote ολόκληρη για υγιή σχολιασμό( let the bashing begin δλδ xD)

GameSpot: Why do you think Sonic has lasted almost 20 years now? What’s his appeal?

Ken Ballough: Sonic is a gaming legend, first and foremost. He comes from a series of games that defined a generation in gaming history, and his iconic personality was the epitome of speed in the early ‘90s, pushing the limits of what gamers knew and expected from high-speed action and platforming games. Throughout the years, Sonic has evolved with numerous different adventures, and likewise, his appeal has also spread for different reasons. Many older gamers appreciate him most for his attitude and the speed of his 2D games, while some younger and newer fans look up to him for his courage and his freestyle personality. Sonic appeals to many different people for many different reasons, but if there's one thing that has always stayed appealing, it's this: He's fast, he's blue, and he's a way fast cool hedgehog.

GS: What games do you think have captured that essence best over the years?

KB: Personally, the games that first come to mind are the Sonic Legacy titles, (Sonic 1, 2, 3, & Knuckles), Sonic Adventure, Sonic Rush, and Sonic’s speed in Sonic Unleashed. I think each of those games did a great job at propelling the series forward to a new generation, both visually and in terms of gameplay.


GS: What games do you think didn’t quite nail it?

KB: I think Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos was put in a bit of a situation. Coming out on the Master System with 8-bit graphics after you had seen Sonic on the Genesis in full 16-bit glory was a bit rough. Visually and speedwise, it was just not as impressive as its Genesis brethren.


GS: Do you think the expansion of the universe with additional characters helped or diluted Sonic’s image?

KB: I think it definitely added more depth to the character and created a much richer universe. A solid supporting cast gives you options, not only where to go with the story, but also where gameplay can go. I remember the first time I saw Sonic 2. What really stood out to me was the inclusion of Tails. I thought the idea of Sonic having a sidekick was awesome, but even more so was the fact that you could actually play Tails. I remember spending countless hours playing Sonic 2 with my little brother. Then came Knuckles, which was that final ingredient. If you think about it, you had all the key elements that make up your quintessential superhero: speed, flight, and strength. Once Sonic 3 came out, you felt like you had everything you needed. In the end I think Sonic’s image is much stronger because you have a solid core of supporting characters. Sonic is still Sonic, and he’s still your main hero. The rest of the cast just gives you a richer tapestry.



GS: Who do you think were the most successful companions? And, who do you think he could have done without?

KB: I think when it comes to characters, it’s all about what you do with them. It takes time to develop a cast and for them to find their niche. A lot depends on if there is a good story that allows the character to develop and grow. Tails and Knuckles, to me, are essential to Sonic. They bring the perfect blend of personalities to the mix. But those two have had over 14 years to grow. I think Shadow, Silver, Blaze, and Rouge have also been developed really well into interesting characters. I would love to see Tikal developed because I think she could be very interesting as well. I think the one character that has yet to find his place is Bark the Polar Bear. I hope he does eventually. It’d be nice to have a cool bear character.



GS: Over the past 19 years, Sonic has been in a variety of different games, some of which were a stretch. Were there any that didn’t happen because they were a little too out there?

KB: Not to my knowledge. There are definitely a lot of ideas that come up when we make games--any game. Some are left on the discussion table and some incorporated into the final product. The great thing about working on the Sonic franchise is that it’s a wonderfully collaborative effort, so we definitely try and refine good ideas and make them work within the gameplay framework. I have yet to be part of a project that was cancelled while in development.



GS: Looking back now, what do you think the biggest challenges have been in updating Sonic?

KB: When you break it down to the fundamentals, Sonic games stand for high-speed action with an edgy attitude. And it’s this essence that you want to keep, regardless of the platform. Sonic has such a rich history and a wide assortment of adventures that in reality, our biggest challenges at Sega are outdoing what we did before. How can we make the speed work better? Can he go faster? How do we build levels that allow Sonic to go to new places? These questions are what keep us working toward bigger and better games.



GS: Sonic CD is touted as the best Sonic ever made in some fan circles. Do you agree? Do you or the team see another as being the all-time best?

KB: Sonic been around for almost 20 years, so people have grown up with Sonic on several different platforms at different ages. I’m partial to Sonic 3--Sonic and Knuckles being my all time favorite. But that may be because I have the fondest memories playing that game. I definitely loved Sonic CD, and the great thing about this franchise is that there is a lot of choices and it’s not hard to search for the Sonic adventure that’s right for you.



GS: Why did Sega decide to bring Sonic back to 2D? Did the success of Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure play a part?

KB: Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay. Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots.



GS: What can you tell us about the game?

KB: I can tell you it’s a brand new 2D adventure coming out in 2010, it’s in HD, and to definitely stay tuned.



GS: With HD makeovers of classic games being popular right now, can we expect the game to use chunky old-school sprites or hi-res HD sprites?

KB: You can definitely expect HD graphics.

GS: Thanks for your time.

[Ramparter]

Να γιατι λεγεται project needlemouse

[N-TG]

Πάντως σαν φαν του Σόνικ ελπίζω σε ένα καλό παλιό στυλάκι του... Δεν θα με πείραζε να ηταν 3D ή και 3D 2D αρκεί να ήταν παλιό στυλ του... Από την μία άκρη της πίστας της άλλης. Έχω βαρεθεί να τον βλέπω Ιππότη, λυκάνθρωπο, ψαροντουφεκά, σνιπερίστα ή ζαχαροπλάστη θέλω ένα παλιό και κλασικό Σόνικ...

Το παιχνιδάκι εκείνο που έδωσες θα το εκτιμήσω δεόντως...

[Loggo]

Το παιχνιδάκι της SEGA με τους χαρακτήρες του επερχομένου HD 2D Sonic τέλειωσε, με τον Sonic να είναι τελικά ο μόνος που θα πρωταγωνιστεί. Η ανακοίνωση στο blog της SEGA, αλλά και το πρώτο δείγμα artwork, του οποίου η αισθητική παραπέμπει σε κλασικό Sonic.

Happy Friday everyone!

The big day is finally here. After a week of blog comments, facebook posts, forum threads, and twitter updates, we have arrived at the end of the Needlemouse Character Countdown – and we think many of you are going to be pleased with the results.

First off, some well deserved kudos to all of you out there in the Sonic community! Together, you broke the records for most/fastest comments on any SEGA Blog entry, ever. On Tuesday, you did the same for Facebook statuses. On Wednesday, you guys set a new record for the most amount of users ever logged into our forums. And yesterday, on Twitter, all of us – with some help from Segata Sanshiro – created the biggest push to get SEGA on the trending topics list in history.

What you all have accomplished in these last five days is something you should be proud of. It speaks to the passion that drives many of us who still have so much hope for Sonic, and for the games he stars in.

Today, we are about to break the trend that has continued on for many years. To the thousands of you out there asking for a game where Sonic is the only playable character – rejoice. As of today, your wish has been granted.


In Project Needlemouse, there will be no new characters – playable or otherwise. The focus will remain solely on one blue hedgehog. If you’re now the most overjoyed person in the world, or even if you’re still curious about more, let us know in the comments below!

In addition, we’re pleased to also present the first piece of Project Needlemouse Concept Art as a bonus – a special thank you to everyone who took the goals we’d set and then raised the bar even higher!

This art reveals an enemy from the game – but at the same time, it also reveals much more about the spirit, and direction, that Project Needlemouse is taking. For all of you older fans who were stoked by the news above, this should be the icing on the cake. Take a look, and click to see the full-sized image.


There’s much more in store for Project Needlemouse – including lots more info on the game that is soon to come!

And so, after five days of awesome interaction and thousands upon thousands of correct trivia responses, you all can now take a well deserved break – even if your anticipation levels for this game may have just increased tenfold! We hope you guys are as excited for this game as we are.

From all of us here at SEGA – well done!

[Evans]

Ως τώρα καλά το πάνε εκεί στη Sega, 2D Sonic με μοναδικό πρωταγωνιστή τον Sonic KAI CRAB ΠΟΥ ΝΑ ΠΑΡΕΙ! Πιστεύετε ότι αξίζει να ελπίζουμε και πάλι; Ας εχουν τουλαχιστον σοβαρο συνθετη, δε θα αντεξω παλι ηλιθια μουσικη.

[Hipster Luffy]

σε 2 χρονακια θα πεζετε πλατφορμ παιχνιδι απο τα χερακια μου...

[Ramparter]

Ως τώρα καλά το πάνε εκεί στη Sega, 2D Sonic με μοναδικό πρωταγωνιστή τον Sonic KAI CRAB ΠΟΥ ΝΑ ΠΑΡΕΙ! Πιστεύετε ότι αξίζει να ελπίζουμε και πάλι; Ας εχουν τουλαχιστον σοβαρο συνθετη, δε θα αντεξω παλι ηλιθια μουσικη.

Εγω θελω πισω τον Tails.

[Loggo]

Βασικά Ραμπίδη δε ξέρω αν το λες για πλάκα, αλλά κι εγώ θα ήθελα να έχει Tails και Knuckles μέσα. Όπως και να το κάνουμε είναι κομμάτι της χρυσής εποχής της σειράς. Πληρώνουν όμως το αρνητικό κλίμα που έχει δημιουργηθεί, μετά τις ορδές από άσχετους και αντιπαθητικούς χαρακτήρες που έκαναν την εμφάνισή τους στους μοντέρνους τίτλους. Το σωστό cast πάντως είναι αυτό:

Πάντως πολύ μου άρεσε που το artwork φαίνεται να αλλάζει, δεν άντεχα με τίποτα αυτά τα απρόσωπα generic designs των εχθρών στους μοντέρνους τίτλους. Τέλος πάντων, ελπίζω η αλλαγή στο artwork να φέρει πίσω τον σωστό Sonic, τον καρτουνίστικο με τη μπυροκοιλιά. Όχι τη μοντέρνα, trendy, version του.

[Ramparter]

Εχω ασχοληθει ελαχιστα με τη σειρα αλλα αν μου εχει μεινει κατι απο τοτε που το επαιζα σε ενα φιλο, ειναι πουμονιμως επαιρνα tails και με βολευε που με τις ουρες εμενε στον αερα.

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles και μια καλη θυληκια Sonic χρειαζεται για να συμπληρωθει το (κλισε) cast.

[Hipster Luffy]

Εχουμε admin που δεν εχει τερματισει Σονικ... και μετα δε ξερουμε τιο φτεει στο φορουμ... αχχχ..

[Ryu_gr]

Εγω θελω πισω τον Tails.

+1 αγαπητέ! Γιατί το ψωμί μαζί με το μέλι θέλει και βούτηρο! Επίσης, Supa Sonic! Βέβαια δεν ξέρω με πιο υλικό να τον παρομοιάσω! Αλλά οπωσδήποτε Super Sonic!

[straier]

Εχω ασχοληθει ελαχιστα με τη σειρα αλλα αν μου εχει μεινει κατι απο τοτε που το επαιζα σε ενα φιλο, ειναι πουμονιμως επαιρνα tails και με βολευε που με τις ουρες εμενε στον αερα.

+1 σε όλα. Παφεμπιπτόντως δεν είναι κορίτσι ο/η Tails?

[Ryu_gr]

Μπα όχι. Το περιοδικό Games υποστήριζε με σιγουριά οτι ο Tails είναι κορίτσι αλλά σε κάποια παιχνίδια ο Sonic αναφέρεται με "he" σε αυτόν.