Which Sonic game to play?

penev10

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well in a lot of peoples opinions no other platform game comes close to matching Super Mario World. It doesn't mean that all other platformers are crap. Sonic 2 is no where near as good as SMW but it's still an amazing game. As for the Mean Machines review, that's just the opinion of one reviewer and while I think the first Sonic game isnt as amazing as some people think it's still very good.

Then there's the fact that Sonic games are too easy, which is a moot point considering Sonic games are built to be replayable with multiple routes through each level to discover.

I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said there. I wasn't trying to poo-poo the Sonic games outright - I'm just surprised by the love they still receive despite, in my memory, their reception at the time of release.

I cited the Mean Machines review as it was the only balanced one (there were no console magazines with an adult target-audience at the time, ZERO and ACE covered consoles a bit but they were PC/Amiga-centric) and their sentiments seemed to echo what my contemporary peers felt.

I like the Sonic games, they have a certain charm and are aesthetically quite impressive at times, but the reverence they command is out of proportion.

Retr0gamer

What I don't understand is the love people have for the Sonic Adventure games. In retrospect they aren't that great.

richymcdermott

Well for me personally sonic was the first game i ever played and was the reason i play games , it holds a nostalgic feeling where me and my dad knew secret passage, ever hidden ring were and the easiest way to collect all the chaos emeralds.

The fact i can go back to the game and like mario can still be played without being felt lie it aged badly shows the two iconic game characters were truly masterpieces. I was never a mario guy but i could easily appreciate the games.

On the other hand im a sonic guy , on his good days and bad because it holds a place in my gaming heart

wampyrus77

i wish for once they put sonic twin sister Sonia and twin brother Manic into a sonic game

Myrddin

penev10 wrote: »

I'm always surprised by the levels of devotion the Sonic games seem to elicit. I've nothing against Sonic but, having grown up during the 16-bit era, at the time they never seemed to cut the mustard or be taken entirely seriously.

Well in gaming, its always important to remember that not every game is for everyone. I for example have no time for certain very well established games & IP's. Some games totally go over my head, while I love certain others that others may not. Simply put, vintage Sonic just might not be for you

The first game got a meagre 79% in Mean Machines iirc (who regularly handed out 90%+ to anything half-decent) and was cited as being ridiculously easy and all style over substance. I couldn't help agree with that verdict then and now.

It never ever ceases to amaze me, how people let reviews colour their own perceptions about a given game. I couldn't give a flying fukc what some blokes musings are on a game...I play it & make my own mind up. For sure there is worth reviews, but I'd never take them as gospel. Saying Sonic 1 only got 79% in Mean Machines means absolutely nothing.

The sequel did fare better but it was released after Super Mario World! How could Sonic 2, which could be completed on your first session, ever survive in the shadow of such a deep and involving rival.

Certainly it was mascot versus mascot, but they're two completely different types of games. Super Mario World is nothing short of a masterpiece, but Sonic 2, whilst being nowhere near as deep, is also a masterpiece of 16bit game design in its own right.

The level design is really beautiful, if you take your finger off the right d-pad button for a few secs & actually go explore the levels. Sonic never interested me as a speed-run game, it was always finding new paths & exploring that appealed to me. If you slow it down, you'll see how well its put together.

The music also deserves a mention. Every single Zone has a timeless & instantly recognizable anthem of very very very good music. Chemical plant zone, Greenhills, Mystic Cavern, Sky Fortress...I could hum any one of them from memory.

The franchise was old hat by the time 3 came out. I don't think it sold all that well either (relatively speaking).

Again game sales figures don't necessarily speak for quality. I'm sure the John Madden games of the era sold in their droves :rolleyes: But yes, Sonic 3 didn't have quite the charm that the others did. The graphic design changed somewhat from 3 onwards, not for the better in my opinion.

Was it a younger generation (whose memories are of the only game on their older brother's console they could actually play) that has helped forge this series' legacy as one to behold? Perhaps Sega were 20 years ahead of Nintendo in aiming their mascot at the, now fertile, under-10s market?

Well I grew up gaming on an Atari 2600 & then onto a C64...so it's certainly not a young generation thing. If anything, the garbage that passes for Sonic games today seems to be enjoyable to people who didn't necessarily grow up during 'the golden era' of 16bit gaming.

As I said, it simply isn't for everyone...but then again, no game is