Post by Marik on Feb 22, 2007 16:13:43 GMT -5
Ok, new Sonic game out, and it seems to be the only one for a while so it better be good. Well it is.
What they did was throw out all the ideas that made Sonic infamous in the last generation and focus on a new way to play it. Well the outcome is good. the way a Sonic fan can describe this is think Sonic 2's special stage minus halfpipe as the game.
Sonic's reading Arabian Nights and a pink haired anime chick genie comes out pleading that the story is disappearing from the pages, so with this magic ring that is the contract between him and the genie, he goes in the book to save the day. Later he sees familiar faces but they're not who they are. Eggman, Tails and others are characters in the story and Sonic meets up with them. Now this story isn't told like other Sonic games, instead of normal cutscenes, it uses the "comic" style where panels pop up on screen with limited animation. It tries to portray the picture book motif, which looks good cause normally when a game uses that style, it would look cheap, but with voiceovers and some good transitions from one panel to the other makes it feel fluid. In between the cutscenes and gameplay there are nice looking menus that display a LOT of flames and rock music. After laughing at the music, it felt more natural listening to it. There's one thing they did right.
Secret Rings is an impressive looking Wii game, very detailed and great art style which matched the Arabian theme or the theme that level is supposed to have. Totally looks better than the GameCube games in the past(more likely due to the lack of a PS2 version). Two things done right.
Now the gameplay, the most important part and the thing Sonic lacked in most his 3D adventures. Gameplay is branched to multiple things: Controls, responsiveness to the controls, camera and camera control. Since it's a scroller, the camera stays in place for the exception when Sonic is doing something different like sliding against a wall. Now since it stays in place, IT DOES ITS JOB RIGHT. First 3D Sonic game without camera issues. Well Wii games are special with controls due to the totally different way of playing. You plat with the remote like a NES controller, Sonic runs automatically with maneuvering the Wii remote to steer him, 1 button to brake and 2 button is to jump. Holding 2 stores energy to jump higher. jumping and flicking the controller forward does his homing attack. You gain abilities as you level up. Here's where judging isn't as "They did it right" like I spouted with everything else. Cause it's flawed. Sonic doesn't accelerate fast enough(upgrades change that, but it needs to be default) making the game very slow at start and when you slow down. But Sonic speed nicely once he goes. Now why couldn't Sonic Next have the sense of speed this game gives after Sega spouted all that next gen garbage last year. One huge problem(once again) is the homing attack, When you jump off a cliff to home into someone, you expect to kill it, doesn't all the time. The idea of flicking the Wii remote like that for a move that you need to use that much is odd too. Like other Sonic games(Sonic Next, Sonic Rush, Sonic Advance, Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2), little gameplay problems and too much speed causes cheap deaths and frustrates players. Also, it goes by a medal system, meaning like the rank system Sonic games had in the past, if you do well you get a better medal. These things are HARD. I've seen 1 silver medal so far. These could have been totally resolved in this game which it fails to do. It plays very well though compared to recent games and whats nice is that it doesn't make the Wii controls feel gimmicky.
There's also a Party mode which simulates Mario Party. It's pretty forgettable.
As a Wii owner it's a must have due to little releases, and it's not a gimmicky game. One of the very few games that incorporates normal games tweeked with motion sensing.
As a Sonic fan, you'll be happy and pissed at the same time.
-Happy cause it's a good game. If Sega keeps Sonic on the Wii like this, but more Sonic related, he can get some credit back.
-Happy cause Sonic's attitude is (somewhat) back, he's cocky and sarcastic. For some reason, it emits a SatAM feel personally(and personally that lowers points cause I hate SatAM).
-Pissed cause it degrades all other Sonic characters but Sonic. They take the characters (even Omochao!) and dump turbans and stereotypical Arabian clothing and give them bit parts in Arabian Nights. Sonic should have been the only Sonic character.
-Pissed cause it's doesn't feel like a Sonic game at all. Yes it's good and all that, but even Sonic Next felt like a Sonic game. This is Arabian Nights: The game starring Sonic the Hedgehog more like it.
In conclusion, if you have a Wii, pick it up. With 10 levels and 100 missions with getting gold medals for them, you have enough to do. It's not gimmicky(single player I mean), so like Zelda, you're not focused mainly on that remote. It is the best 3D Sonic game in the last 5 years too. Also no word on another Sonic game so who knows when you'll see another.
What they did was throw out all the ideas that made Sonic infamous in the last generation and focus on a new way to play it. Well the outcome is good. the way a Sonic fan can describe this is think Sonic 2's special stage minus halfpipe as the game.
Sonic's reading Arabian Nights and a pink haired anime chick genie comes out pleading that the story is disappearing from the pages, so with this magic ring that is the contract between him and the genie, he goes in the book to save the day. Later he sees familiar faces but they're not who they are. Eggman, Tails and others are characters in the story and Sonic meets up with them. Now this story isn't told like other Sonic games, instead of normal cutscenes, it uses the "comic" style where panels pop up on screen with limited animation. It tries to portray the picture book motif, which looks good cause normally when a game uses that style, it would look cheap, but with voiceovers and some good transitions from one panel to the other makes it feel fluid. In between the cutscenes and gameplay there are nice looking menus that display a LOT of flames and rock music. After laughing at the music, it felt more natural listening to it. There's one thing they did right.
Secret Rings is an impressive looking Wii game, very detailed and great art style which matched the Arabian theme or the theme that level is supposed to have. Totally looks better than the GameCube games in the past(more likely due to the lack of a PS2 version). Two things done right.
Now the gameplay, the most important part and the thing Sonic lacked in most his 3D adventures. Gameplay is branched to multiple things: Controls, responsiveness to the controls, camera and camera control. Since it's a scroller, the camera stays in place for the exception when Sonic is doing something different like sliding against a wall. Now since it stays in place, IT DOES ITS JOB RIGHT. First 3D Sonic game without camera issues. Well Wii games are special with controls due to the totally different way of playing. You plat with the remote like a NES controller, Sonic runs automatically with maneuvering the Wii remote to steer him, 1 button to brake and 2 button is to jump. Holding 2 stores energy to jump higher. jumping and flicking the controller forward does his homing attack. You gain abilities as you level up. Here's where judging isn't as "They did it right" like I spouted with everything else. Cause it's flawed. Sonic doesn't accelerate fast enough(upgrades change that, but it needs to be default) making the game very slow at start and when you slow down. But Sonic speed nicely once he goes. Now why couldn't Sonic Next have the sense of speed this game gives after Sega spouted all that next gen garbage last year. One huge problem(once again) is the homing attack, When you jump off a cliff to home into someone, you expect to kill it, doesn't all the time. The idea of flicking the Wii remote like that for a move that you need to use that much is odd too. Like other Sonic games(Sonic Next, Sonic Rush, Sonic Advance, Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2), little gameplay problems and too much speed causes cheap deaths and frustrates players. Also, it goes by a medal system, meaning like the rank system Sonic games had in the past, if you do well you get a better medal. These things are HARD. I've seen 1 silver medal so far. These could have been totally resolved in this game which it fails to do. It plays very well though compared to recent games and whats nice is that it doesn't make the Wii controls feel gimmicky.
There's also a Party mode which simulates Mario Party. It's pretty forgettable.
As a Wii owner it's a must have due to little releases, and it's not a gimmicky game. One of the very few games that incorporates normal games tweeked with motion sensing.
As a Sonic fan, you'll be happy and pissed at the same time.
-Happy cause it's a good game. If Sega keeps Sonic on the Wii like this, but more Sonic related, he can get some credit back.
-Happy cause Sonic's attitude is (somewhat) back, he's cocky and sarcastic. For some reason, it emits a SatAM feel personally(and personally that lowers points cause I hate SatAM).
-Pissed cause it degrades all other Sonic characters but Sonic. They take the characters (even Omochao!) and dump turbans and stereotypical Arabian clothing and give them bit parts in Arabian Nights. Sonic should have been the only Sonic character.
-Pissed cause it's doesn't feel like a Sonic game at all. Yes it's good and all that, but even Sonic Next felt like a Sonic game. This is Arabian Nights: The game starring Sonic the Hedgehog more like it.
In conclusion, if you have a Wii, pick it up. With 10 levels and 100 missions with getting gold medals for them, you have enough to do. It's not gimmicky(single player I mean), so like Zelda, you're not focused mainly on that remote. It is the best 3D Sonic game in the last 5 years too. Also no word on another Sonic game so who knows when you'll see another.
