• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD Teaser Trailer and Website (fan project)

M

Mama Robotnik

Member
After a countdown lasting a week or so, the Sonic 2 HD website has gone up. There are a few new screenshots, and a nice teaser trailer.

Trailer HERE - make sure you select 720p or above.

screenshot1.png


screenshot2.png


screenshot3.png



I like it. I know in a previous thread someone commented that remaking low-quality assets into a higher resolution might not work, but I think they're doing a pretty good job. Its bold and colourful, and I'm really looking forward to a playable build. There's a really bold range of colours that have certainly been missing in Sega's own pitiable efforts.

Of course, given how many years the team have been working on this, I'm hoping the project has advanced beyond the Emerald Hill zone.
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
THAT'S what Sonic 4 should have been like (but with new levels). This build looks much better than their previous builds.
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
revolverjgw said:
I appreciate the hard work and skill that went into this but I do not like what that looks like, at all.
Click to expand...
But it looks like Sonic 2.

So I guess I agree, since I thought Sonic 2 had the weakest visuals out of all of them.
 
S

SimonM7

Member
Hrm. The problem with high res, gradient heavy, chunky visuals like this is that they evoke Flash web games in the worst possible way.

OhwaitInoticedthetrailer okay it looks pretty sweet. :O
 
J

jman2050

Member
Hey guyz look at all these gradients! Aren't they awesome! That's totally worth taking four years to port 3% of a 20-year old game!
 
A

Articalys

Member
Ah, delightful. I wanted to bring attention to this but can't make threads and didn't want to bump the existing Sonic ones.

Looking at this with the usual skepticism associated with any Sonic-related announcement, fan project or no, though it looks like they know what they're doing. Will wait to see how it plays before any judgment.

And my god are the Retro forums blowing up with people mad at the hype leading to basically another announcement and nothing else.
 
A

_Alkaline_

Member
Sixfortyfive said:
But it looks like Sonic 2.

So I guess I agree, since I thought Sonic 2 had the weakest visuals out of all of them.
Click to expand...

The first time I saw Sonic 2 I actually felt quite similar. My instant impression was "Green Hill looks better."

I think it's mainly just Emerald Hill though. The visuals get better throughout the game (and the somewhat similar aesthetic in Aquatic Ruin is pulled off considerably better than Emerald Hill).
 
J

jman2050

Member
Articalys said:
And my god are the Retro forums blowing up with people mad at the hype leading to basically another announcement and nothing else.
Click to expand...

After three (or whatever) years of pretty much that, I think most people are tired of it by now.
 
B

BlazeHedgehog

Member
*wrinkles nose*

Looks like they're trying to tweak their artwork to be more stylized rather than the "Sonic 2 remastered in HD frame-for-frame, pixel-for-pixel" concept they were originally going for.

Not sure that I like some of what they're doing.
 
R

RagnarokX

Member
jman2050 said:
Hey guyz look at all these gradients! Aren't they awesome! That's totally worth taking four years to port 3% of a 20-year old game!
Click to expand...
I hated the look of it with previous screenshots, but shrunk down to a youtube-size screen it looks pretty nice. A bit TOO smooth, but at least it looks better than what Sonic 4 did. The animation looks good.
 
J

jman2050

Member
RagnarokX said:
I hated the look of it with previous screenshots, but shrunk down to a youtube-size screen it looks pretty nice. A bit TOO smooth, but at least it looks better than what Sonic 4 did. The animation looks good.
Click to expand...

Sonic 4 looks better solely by virtue of having an actual visual style, however drab and stale it was.

Even conceding that point, the fact that it still looks worse than stock Sonic 2 means there's no real point to the project.
 
R

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
I actually like the gradients. It gives it the same feels as the original artworks that Sega produced.

where-did-sonic-go-wrong-20090220041523458.jpg


SSS_SONIC12.png
 
L

Lijik

Member
Sega1991 said:
For comparison, this is what Sonic 2 HD used to look like, back from the old renderer tech demo:

http://i52.tinypic.com/k20aic.png[IMG][/QUOTE]

Outside of the hands and shoes, I much prefer how Sonic looks here.
He's too pillowy and soft in the new screens.
He looks great on the redone title screen though
Click to expand...
 
A

Azure Dream

Member
I think it looks good. I'm not sure why people keep wanting to use "gradients" like a profanity, like smooth color transitions aren't something you want out of an HD remake? If you do straight, hard shadowing and shading, then you get the "it looks just like a flash game!" arguments.

They are taking a few liberties compared to the original sprites, but it's clearly with the original promotional art style in mind, and does add more character to the remake, so I feel it works.
 
B

BlazeHedgehog

Member
Magnus said:
Is Sega involved in this at all?
Click to expand...

Not in any official capacity, no. But they more than likely know about it. Sega Community Manager RubyEclipse has been known to post in the Sonic Retro forums and there have been weird partnerships and things (for instance, apparently Sonic Retro forum staff and Sega partnered to covertly gather feedback on Sonic 4... until Sonic Retro descended in to absolute madness over the game, leading to discussion about the game being repeatedly banned multiple times, all because nobody could behave).
 
S

Seagoon

Member
Looks pretty close to the original if you ask me.

How come the fan made Sonic remakes always seem better than the Sega developed ones these days?
 
H

Hitlersaurus Christ

Banned
Love the trailer style and the logo and animation at the end, but it still looks pretty bland. I mean, it's better than the old tech demo, but it still just looks like Sonic 2 blown up and airbrushed a ton... which is what they're going for I believe, so I guess it's a success? Looks better in motion than in screen shots, though.
 
C

Crumpet Trumpet

Banned
I dunno, I feel as if it looks kinda lifeless compared to that Sonic Fan Remix project. I really like the logo though.

Of course it still looks miles better than Sonic 4...
 
B

Burai

shitonmychest57
Seagoon said:
Looks pretty close to the original if you ask me.

How come the fan made Sonic remakes always seem better than the Sega developed ones these days?
Click to expand...

Because Sega has things like budgets and schedules to keep to.

To produce something like this in a professional environment would cost an absolute fortune and take forever. Look at the development of SSFIIHDR to see how hard a project like this is when you're relying on making money from it.
 
C

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Warren Ellis said:
too clean, and they remaking the worst sonic game released on genesis. Do not want
Click to expand...

The fuck am I reading

Sonic 2 is the best of the Genesis games. Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Spinball are the worst (and I don't think Sonic 3&K was as good as Sonic 1 and 2 either).
 
A

_Alkaline_

Member
Combichristoffersen said:
The fuck am I reading

Sonic 2 is the best of the Genesis games. Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Spinball are the worst (and I don't think Sonic 3&K was as good as Sonic 1 and 2 either).
Click to expand...

People have opinions mang.

Besides, Sonic 3&K was the best.
 
C

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
_Alkaline_ said:
People have opinions mang.

Besides, Sonic 3&K was the best.
Click to expand...

There's having opinions, and then there's just being absolutely wrong :p

S3&K had ugly, grainy graphics, fugly new Sonic sprite, too long levels and shitty Knuckles. Still a good game though.
 
S

Suairyu

Banned
Hrm.

Yeah, just doing a straight high-resolution redraw of low-resolution graphics doesn't produce the most aesthetically pleasing results, to be sure. But I can appreciate all the effort going into this.

If nothing else, it'll be an excuse to do another run-through of the game.

EDIT - Oh we're doing "which one is the best"? Personally, I can never decide if I prefer Sonic 1 or Sonic 3K the most. They're very different and have their own charms. Sonic 2 is also good, but not quite as good as either. Sonic CD is merely okay, but is forgiven for have not one, but two great soundtracks to choose from. Sonic 3D is poor yet oddly enjoyable so long as you're playing the Saturn version for that kick-ass Richard Jacques soundtrack.
 
A

_Alkaline_

Member
Combichristoffersen said:
There's having opinions, and then there's just being absolutely wrong :p

S3&K had ugly, grainy graphics, fugly new Sonic sprite, too long levels and shitty Knuckles. Still a good game though.
Click to expand...

There's factually wrong opinions and there's the acceptable but still questionable 'watcha talkin' about willis?" opinions. His was the latter.

S3&K had by far the most creative and satisfying level design. Granted some of its gimmicks were more tedious than fun, and Sandopolis in particular was mediocre, but its heights were higher than 2. Not to mention an exceptional colour palet, superior level flow (despite 2 having the incredible Chemical Plant, which is second only to Ice Cap) and the wonderful transitions from act to act. Plus no Mecrapilos Act 3!
 
C

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
_Alkaline_ said:
There's factually wrong opinions and there's the acceptable but still questionable 'watcha talkin' about willis?" opinions. His was the latter.

S3&K had by far the most creative and satisfying level design. Granted some of its gimmicks were more tedious than fun, and Sandopolis in particular was mediocre, but its heights were higher than 2. Not to mention an exceptional colour palet, superior level flow (despite 2 having the incredible Chemical Plant, which is second only to Ice Cap) and the wonderful transitions from act to act. Plus no Mecrapilos Act 3!
Click to expand...

Eh, I still consider it to be utter madness :p

Sandopolis and Marble Garden were absolutely godawful, probably the worst zones in any of the main trilogy games. The rest of the levels weren't too bad, even though they tended to be a bit too long, making them drag on. And the colour palette in S3&K is meh as far as I'm concerned, as it far too often looks like someone vomited up a bunch of colours. Also prefer the clean, sleek look of Sonic 1, 2 and CD over the grainy look of S3&K.

And not even Ice Cap can beat Chemical Plant.
 
P

plufim

Member
Every sonic 2 fangame always shows off emerald hill zone. Kind of tired of it, epsecially since fangames often never make it past their initial stage.

At least tease us with Chemical Plant Zone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Square Enix NFT Art Project ‘Symbiogenesis’ Reveals Main Visual Teaser Trailer
News Game Dev
17
1K
TransTrender replied
SEGA boss on Sonic Frontiers success, considering remakes and reboots
Game Dev
8
1K
stickkidsam replied
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Fan Made PC Port Released, Weighing In at 256GB
Drama 2 3
128
18K
poppabk replied
Sakura Wars 2 (Fan) Translation Project Announcement
News
14
1K
SlimeGooGoo replied
Time Extension: The Long-Awaited English Fan Patch For Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 Is Out Now
News Retro
10
964
StereoVsn replied
Top Bottom