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Effective character design: Sonic now vs Sonic then

Yes.

I honestly read the OP with a sense of confused bewilderment. I think the old/new thing is most commonly associated with the age of the observer. The younger they are, the more likely they are going to like the voice, overly in your face cool guy Sonic than the more understated yet probably better realised version.
This reminded me that sooner rather than later we're probably going to start getting people who are nostalgic over Sonic '06.
 
Though ideally I'd want the best of both worlds, like the Sonic Nendoroid figure:

D7ok40z.jpg
I like this. This is what I want Sonic to look like from now on.
 
I do not like the green around his pupils, he looks demonic

The original design he had a bigger head and belly, now he has long legs and looks like a character trying too hard to be cool
 
Yes.

I honestly read the OP with a sense of confused bewilderment. I think the old/new thing is most commonly associated with the age of the observer. The younger they are, the more likely they are going to like the voiced, overly in your face cool guy Sonic than the more understated yet probably better realised version.

For the record the design is not my issue with any of the Sonic's. Except 3 and Knuckles, he really did just look shit.

I'm 27. I like the modern design is better.
But I also didn't get into the series until much later in life since I was a 'Nintendo guy'. Now I'm a complete Sega nerd.
My favorite Sonic games in order are Generations, Sonic 3, Chaotix, and Sonic Heroes. So I don't know where I'd be pigeon-holed.
Adventure and Adventure 2 have aged absolutely horribly though, the Sonic segments are just 20 degrees of awful compared to Colors/Generations.

I'm also not a fan of the green eyes. Modern Sonic with black eyes would be ideal to me.
 
I'm 27. I like the modern design is better.
But I also didn't get into the series until much later in life since I was a 'Nintendo guy'. Now I'm a complete Sega nerd.
My favorite Sonic games in order are Generations, Sonic 3, Chaotix, and Sonic Heroes. So I don't know where I'd be pigeon-holed.
Adventure and Adventure 2 have aged absolutely horribly though, the Sonic segments are just 20 degrees of awful compared to Colors/Generations.

I'm also not a fan of the green eyes. Modern Sonic will black eyes would be ideal to me.

Chaotix and Sonic Heroes over Sonic 1 and 2?

I need to go ly dow
 
I always wondered what it would be like once the younger generation growing up with shit Sonic and Poochies like Shadow and Silver instead of classic Sonic and Tails becomes articulate enough to make threads like this.


feels bad man
 
I'm 27. I like the modern design is better.
But I also didn't get into the series until much later in life since I was a 'Nintendo guy'. Now I'm a complete Sega nerd.
My favorite Sonic games in order are Generations, Sonic 3, Chaotix, and Sonic Heroes. So I don't know where I'd be pigeon-holed.
Adventure and Adventure 2 have aged absolutely horribly though, the Sonic segments are just 20 degrees of awful compared to Colors/Generations.

I'm also not a fan of the green eyes. Modern Sonic with black eyes would be ideal to me.
Maybe you just like games that let you believe in THE POWER OF TEAMWORK
Generations god-awful tag team final battle counts as teamwork

I used to constantly try to convince myself Chaotix wasn't complete shit since I loved the art and music and honestly kind of dug the Chaotix themselves. At least the closest thing they had to a Sonic recolor from that group was actually a reused prototype design for Sonic, which was kinda clever.
 
Worst thread currently on GAF front page. Congrats.

Don't know who Village is, but dude clearly knows shit all about character design. Modern Sonic is an homogenised abomination on the same level as modern era CGI Mickey Mouse. Remove all the art-style, replace with smooth 3d rendered gradients!
 
actually up to unleashed, every almost every single modern sonic game character has art like that.

yes even werewolf sonic

1042px-Sonic_Art_Assets_DVD_-_Werehog_-_1.png

Hedgewolf/Hogwolf/Hedgehogwolf

The "were" in "werewolf" means "man"

Everyone has their niggling little pedantic tics, this is mine.
 

I honestly can't recall a single song from the game except for Green Hill Zone, and that's only because that song, for whatever reason, keeps getting remixed. I guess it's iconic for what it is, but I don't like the song.

The backgrounds look like one of those ugly educational DOS games from the late 80s. I guess the palm trees looked cool though.
 
Worst thread currently on GAF front page. Congrats.

Don't know who Village is, but dude clearly knows shit all about character design. Modern Sonic is an homogenised abomination on the same level as modern era CGI Mickey Mouse. Remove all the art-style, replace with smooth 3d rendered gradients!
Mickey Mouse inexplicably speaks fluent French now and is back to his 1930's era-design while delivering croissants on a talking moped, christ get your mickey mouse lore right
 
I do not like the green around his pupils, he looks demonic

The original design he had a bigger head and belly, now he has long legs and looks like a character trying too hard to be cool
Demonic?
Sonic 1 is probably my least favorite of the mainline games. It's just not fun, looks ugly, and the music is forgettable.
You have made a terrible mistake. You have gotten away with its just not fun but come on its ugly? Beautiful sparkly waters, Blue sky, dat nostalgic checker print ground, red lava and taint sky of marble zone. Then you say music is forgettable dat title screen, dat SEGA!!! yes thats music, GREEN HILL ZONE, MARBLE ZONE, SPRING YARD ZONE, SPECIAL STAGE. Are you cray?
 
You have made a terrible mistake. You have gotten away with its just not fun but come on its ugly? Beautiful sparkly waters, Blue sky, dat nostalgic checker print ground, red lava and taint sky of marble zone. Then you say music is forgettable dat title screen, dat SEGA!!! yes thats music, GREEN HILL ZONE, MARBLE ZONE, SPRING YARD ZONE, SPECIAL STAGE. Are you cray?

Considering he thinks Chaotix and Sonic Heroes are better than Sonic 2... He cray-cray :p
 
This thread is amazing because nobody is understanding each other.

The thing about Sonic fans you have to understand is every Sonic fan has their own personal batshit weird opinion about Sonic, and to them everyone else's opinion is fucking crazy for one reason or another.

Like for example:
Considering he thinks Chaotix and Sonic Heroes are better than Sonic 2... He cray-cray :p

Yo I dig Chaotix a lot, and I think 2 is the worst of the original trilogy but.... wat son
boy a damn fool
 
The thing about Sonic fans you have to understand is every Sonic fan has their own personal batshit weird opinion about Sonic, and to them everyone else's opinion is fucking crazy for one reason or another.

Like for example:


Yo I dig Chaotix a lot, and I think 2 is the worst of the original trilogy but.... wat son
boy a damn fool

Absolutely but I mean, people totally miss the point of some posts.

A will say: Classic Sonic is uneffective.
B will say: Yeah but I liked Sonic 3 artworks.
C will say: How can you like Sonic 3, Sonic 2 is better.
 
How is this possible? Imo chaotix is the worst 2D sonic to me all that tag along bs. One of those tails games were probably better.

Chaotix is pretty fucking bad, but Sonic Blast for the Game Gear is definitely worse. Sonic Labyrinth, Tails Sky Patrol and and Sonic 3D Blast are also kinda stinky.

Yo I dig Chaotix a lot, and I think 2 is the worst of the original trilogy but.... wat son
boy a damn fool

The teamwork concept used in Chaotix and Sonic Heroes is interesting, but Sega just sucked at actually making compelling gameplay based on it.
 
Given this was announced with such close proximity to the release of Sonic Generations, I honestly figured that game would end with both old and new Sonics merging together to form this as the permanent new design for the character. Was seriously disappointed when that was not the case.

never saw this figure before, but now i too am sad this didn't happen.
 
In my experience, Modern Sonic is pretty hip with the kids. Guess that's the important part.

Reminds me of when I went to see Wreck-It Ralph, and when Sonic cameo'd the kids in the theater got all excited. I feel that's the important part.
 
This thread is amazing because nobody is understanding each other.

Welcome to 90% of discussions I have witnessed about what Sonic the Hedgehog is, and what Sonic the Hedgehog "should be"

Sonic has been so many things to so many people over the last 21 years that it's rare to get a clearly defined consensus. Even if some people agree on a few statements, they will never agree on universally all of them
 
every single sonic design has a huge amount of 'dickishness' to it, for want of a better word. that was fine to me when he never spoke & had little-to-no in-game personality but as the series has progressed the way sega wants, it's getting more & more unbearable.
 
Point taken. :lol


But I shouldn't talk shit as a non-native English speaker. The OP got his point across and understanding it made me feel bad. :(

Yeah that's true, I'll give him that. Can't be easy. I was more referring to the rambling nature of the OP than the grammar or anything, though.

I get his point regarding the modern designs, but the comments about the classic designs, those are just opinions. Like, "he's blue which is bad"- really? That's a rule, is it?
 
I'm sorry, what? The only personality I'm getting out of those pictures and your descriptions is that they're one dimensional, shitty characters. At that point why even try? Mario does a far better job of appealing to kids by simply being cute.

at that time we played video games for fun rather than emotional moments of tears or joy.
if you wanted more emotions, you just watched the cartoon series or movie.
that was the case with Mario, Sonic and (unfortunately) Zelda.


regarding more serious attempts, the perfect video game to animation adaptation is the OVA Ancient Book of Ys. At the time it was released it must have been revolutionary.


with the advent of CD and extensive video and speech videos, there wasnt really a need for a TV series anymore, since in-game sequences were more appropriate and as the creators wanted them to be.

Hence why the best Sonic cartoons were the ones who did not take themselves too seriously and were independent of the game plot, while the 2003 Japanese version tried to add a serious story and characters. They messed things up (except the short romance between Tails and Cosmo).

Same with the Mario cartoon or Captain N. it was so funny and low budget. Too bad that wackyness never translated into any Mario game

Really, after the Multimedia revolution, Video game to Animation adaptations were never the same again.

Kids playing video games after the CD console days will certainly have a more emotional impact. Hence it is hard for me to find any emotion out of those new designs, though a kid will have a completely different opinion on them.

regarding an effective desing for children with emotions, you'll find it in illustrated book for children rather than video games. Or even in animated movies and shorts.

video games, with the exception of some indie production, dont deviate from the norm that much.
 
Sonic 1 is probably my least favorite of the mainline games. It's just not fun, looks ugly, and the music is forgettable.

Forgettable? Then why can I still hum every tune over twenty years later as if I heard them today? Not liking them I can get, I still think you're crazy, but I can get it. Calling the music 'forgettable' though is just factually wrong.
 
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