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I don't understand how you're supposed to play Sonic games.

Spinluck

Member
I thought Sonic games played themselves?

Odd that a bunch of children in the 90s are smarter than a bunch of adults in the 2000s.

Pick up the controller, and get to the end of the stage.

It's a 2D physics based platformer.
 

Khezu

Member
No real secret OP.

Sonic is exactly what it looks like.

You can do all that shit, or don't, it really doesn't matter.

Just go forward, slow or fast, it also doesn't matter.

People like it because the minute to minute gameplay is polished and it feels nice to control sonic through the pointless levels. That and Sega had great marketing in the 90's.

If you don't like it now, you probably never will.
 

Puruzi

Banned
I definitely got that vibe. And even still it's kinda weird considering the most possibly confusing 2D games are 1 and CD. Other than that it's pretty simple.



You asked how was there exploration. I told you, and you're here on some "There's no point in having this conversation -ish."

shrug bruh.

Also, you can hold right to win in any Green Hill stage, but they all still have assets of exploration.

There really isn't much exploration at all though, especially Speed Highway. That stage is unbelievably linear, and I like linear games. Exploration isn't even a big deal to me, but I don't like it when you can hold boost to win, and clearly I don't mean that literally. You have to jump sometimes too lmfao. They're bad and you don't have to do all that much while you play them. Colors is better.
 
Honestly, just play the game. As with every game, you learn and figure out everything by just playing it. Will you be perfect and grasp every little thing on your first attempt? No, of course not. Just...play it.
 

Exodust

Banned
Sonic is a game where the goal is to beat the level as fast as possible, which is why there are traps, obstacles, enemies, platforming, different paths, etc. It's like you people expect the game to be just "hold right to win" and are disappointed when that isn't the case.

That's the goal. In order to attain that goal the game is built around momentum. You gather momentum by running, spindashing, planning your routes, using the springs to your advantage, so on and so forth.

Nothing about the game is counter intuitive. Calling it counter intuitive is like calling any sort of whatever in your way in any game that you need to do counter intuitive. Games usually have challenges, it's not shocking that a game about maintaining speed has obstacles that get in the way of that.

It's fine to not like Sonic games, it's idiotic to pretend there's inherent flaws to it when it's play style doesn't suit you.
 

Spinluck

Member
All the shitty hot takes regarding Sonic have bled together so they all seem the same to me.

Amen, this thread is hilarious.

Sonic threads have been a target for shit posting since I got on GAF or even before that. A lot of the time they run off topic about the series needing to die and so on, it's just so old hat by now.

It went from Sonic Cycle, all of the 3D games are garbage (most of them are), and now the infamous "the 2d games were never good."

At this point, you can't really give people the benefit of the doubt. Or at least it's just difficult to.
 
There really isn't much exploration at all though, especially Speed Highway. That stage is unbelievably linear, and I like linear games. Exploration isn't even a big deal to me, but I don't like it when you can hold boost to win, and clearly I don't mean that literally. You have to jump sometimes too lmfao. They're bad and you don't have to do all that much while you play them. Colors is better.

Speed Highway is an easier stage, after all it's one of the earlier ones. I don't enjoy attempting to go fast only to come across an obstacle in the main path that requires a power up, especially when the power up breaks my speed.

Colors definitely has platforming, but not for the better, in Generations it works better in a manner that everything you come to you can overcome on your own, and if you're a perfectionist like me, once anything breaks your speed, you hit that restart button.
 

VeeP

Member
The first stage is very overwhelming actually, there is a constant flow of new information being thrown at the player which gives you little time to digest each idea and because of the fast nature of the game it's alot for your senses to take in at once. It wouldn't hurt if the first level was slower paced and more linear to get the hang of the basics before introducing alternate paths and stuff.

Yes I know about the chaos emeralds but I don't remember if it's indicated in the game that you need X amount of points to enter the bonus stage, or if it just throws you into it without you knowing exactly what you did to get there. Like does the game provide feedback so that you know what caused the ring to spawn at the end?

The game doesn't provide much explanation, I'll agree to that. Could it provide more? It could. But you could just keep playing and learn, that's how I figured it all out. If you don't want to, thats understandable, but that doesn't make it a "bad game" imo.
 
The game doesn't provide much explanation, I'll agree to that. Could it provide more? It could. But you could just keep playing and learn, that's how I figured it all out. If you don't want to, thats understandable, but that doesn't make it a "bad game" imo.

There's a weird mindset from some that any form of "trial and error" isn't good design and feel as the game should either hold your hand or tell you everything without the player bothering to use even the smallest of context.
 

Wildo09

Member
I always had the same questions OP. At the end I just concluded Sonic games are not for me. They have great aesthetic and style, but I found the actual gameplay really terrible.
 

Spinluck

Member
Would be interesting to see the barrel of doom in this game. Wonder how many newcomers would be able to figure it out.

JuaKSdEm.jpg

this was legit bad
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Speed is beneficial for maintaining momentum often for the 'upper routes', as in staying as close to the top of the screen throughout the stage. That route most often features the greatest rewards and the quickest path to the goal(sometimes most laden with secrets along the way as well).

The reason you get frustrated with spikes and pits and other brickwall obstacles is that the lower routes usually act as a form of punishment. They are designed to often be a bit slower, force the player to pause and consider ways to reach higher ground again to get back to the loop-de-loops and ramps and coin staches, etc...

The games don't spell it out really, so I understand it can be alarming and confounding for players to think "push right, go fast, WTF not working!!??" but there is skill in trying to balance speed and keep on that chosen route. The satisfaction and thrills are seeped in doing so. Give it a try next play.

Very well said :).
 

Toxi

Banned
The Carnival Night barrel is poorly designed in one way: Jumping on it creates downwards momentum, so players assume the solution to getting past it is physics-based. It doesn't help that you can almost clear it by just timing jumps.

The problem wasn't that people were stupid, it's that the game was actively misleading them.
 

Puruzi

Banned
Speed Highway is an easier stage, after all it's one of the earlier ones. I don't enjoy attempting to go fast only to come across an obstacle in the main path that requires a power up, especially when the power up breaks my speed.

Colors definitely has platforming, but not for the better, in Generations it works better in a manner that everything you come to you can overcome on your own, and if you're a perfectionist like me, once anything breaks your speed, you hit that restart button.

It is much better for me, as I don't need to be going a million miles an hour to have fun. It's fun when you have to try to maintain speed, but when you can hit boost and instantly be at max speed without worrying about anything it's kinda meh, especially since there's the stupid signs warning you about pits as if you can't infer it on your own. It's just lame and boring.
 
It is much better for me, as I don't need to be going a million miles an hour to have fun. It's fun when you have to try to maintain speed, but when you can hit boost and instantly be at max speed without worrying about anything it's kinda meh, especially since there's the stupid signs warning you about pits as if you can't infer it on your own. It's just lame and boring.
Why you keep trying to downplay those stages like Cool Edge or Arid Sands wasn't busting anybody's ass? And Unleashed didn't have the pit signs.


it was easy, but it was also terrible design

It was.
 

Roni

Gold Member
I entered the thread genuinely thinking: "you know what? I have the same doubts..."

Good to know it's an open-ended design, might try it.
 

Unknown?

Member
With all the hype and positive words said about Sonic Mania, I'm seriously considering picking it up. However, I have no idea how to play a Sonic game.

They've always been confusing to me. Are you trying to acquire and hang onto as many rings as possible, or do they not really matter outside of lives?

Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore? The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?

Should you be seeking out every TV to smash? What rewards do these garner? What about enemies? Should you be trying to kill them all or is it okay to just run past them?

What do you need to do to acquire the giant ring (no idea if that's what it's called)? What makes it invisible/unattainable and what unlocks the ability to acquire it? What's the benefit of acquiring the giant ring?

I have other questions, but I guess I'll just leave it at that for now.

You literally could have all of these silly questions for any game!

Like wut...
 

ghostjoke

Banned
Go fast and generally aim to the right.

Please don't take this statement out of context in relation to the events of the past few days.
 

Puruzi

Banned
Why you keep trying to downplay those stages like Cool Edge or Arid Sands wasn't busting anybody's ass? And Unleashed didn't have the pit signs.




It was.

Thought Unleashed and Generations were easy as shit lmao. Didn't know any particular stages were supposed to be hard but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Colors was also easy but I had more fun playing it and I felt like I was actually doing more rather than watching a stage play out mostly on its own.
 
Sonic is a game where the goal is to beat the level as fast as possible, which is why there are traps, obstacles, enemies, platforming, different paths, etc. It's like you people expect the game to be just "hold right to win" and are disappointed when that isn't the case.

That's the goal. In order to attain that goal the game is built around momentum. You gather momentum by running, spindashing, planning your routes, using the springs to your advantage, so on and so forth.

Nothing about the game is counter intuitive. Calling it counter intuitive is like calling any sort of whatever in your way in any game that you need to do counter intuitive. Games usually have challenges, it's not shocking that a game about maintaining speed has obstacles that get in the way of that.

It's fine to not like Sonic games, it's idiotic to pretend there's inherent flaws to it when it's play style doesn't suit you.

Thank you.
 
Yikes. You're over thinking it.

Your main goal is to beat the levels.
Like pretty much all classic games coming out of arcade roots, you can go beyond simply winning by getting a higher score and finding secrets.

Do whatever you want. Explore sometimes.. Seek out lives because you're low on them, maybe. See if there's a different route to beating this stage. Maybe there's a powerup behind that wall which will help you.

I don't think this is necessarily you, but your post could be a satirical take on a younger gamer who grew up following quest markers.

The classic Sonic games have a winning formula.
Just play how you want and have fun!
 

Puruzi

Banned

Yeah, the parts where you run on the light are pretty much playing themselves but the 2D sections don't really.

Not sure if the Adabat video is supposed to prove it's hard though, that doesn't really change the fact that I thought Unleashed's difficulty wasn't shit.

Dunno why you keep trying to convince me that Unleashed and Generations are good when they're not
 
God, Unleashed day stages were amazing, really hope the stages in Sonic Forces are like that.
I do too, but I'm worried because Park Ave. looks more like Colors, than Unleashed or Gen. I hope the stages maintain depth. Really didn't want to deal with wisps a third time around.
Yeah, the parts where you run on the light are pretty much playing themselves but the 2D sections don't really.

Not sure if the Adabat video is supposed to prove it's hard though, that doesn't really change the fact that I thought Unleashed's difficulty wasn't shit.

Dunno why you keep trying to convince me that Unleashed and Generations are good when they're not

Colors is the weakest of the trilogy.
 

watomsk

Neo Member
With all the hype and positive words said about Sonic Mania, I'm seriously considering picking it up. However, I have no idea how to play a Sonic game.

They've always been confusing to me. Are you trying to acquire and hang onto as many rings as possible, or do they not really matter outside of lives?

Are you trying to complete levels as fast as possible or are you supposed to regularly stop and explore? The focus on speed in the game is a little confusing to me, as it seems like you'll be quickly ushered through gigantic parts of the game in the name of speed. Are you expected to kind of backtrack and explore the area that you just zoomed through?

Should you be seeking out every TV to smash? What rewards do these garner? What about enemies? Should you be trying to kill them all or is it okay to just run past them?

1. You are trying to get as many rings as possible because they give you both lives, and work as your HP.

2. You are supossed to do both. Sonic games have some issues with the speed aspect because you can't see the obstacles ahead, but the stages are meant to be replayed and memorized. In theory you have to master the stages, so you can speed through them (while exploring for the best path to take), and the game is short enough that multiple playthrough are expected. In practice none of this works because the stages rely on careful platforming, making speed a liability.

Funny thing is that Mario games do a much better job with the running and speed part.

3. The TVs are power ups. Are you supposed to get every flower in Mario games? No, but they help. Get them if you can, or don't. Same with enemies, but you do get a bonus for killing them and freeing the animals, so you should try.
 

Adam Prime

hates soccer, is Mexican
I put Sonic Mania in the hands of my 5 year old daughter today and told her "You move with the stick and push the button to jump." That's it. I didn't even tell her to "move right towards the end".

She loved the game, of course.
 
I put Sonic Mania in the hands of my 5 year old daughter today and told her "You move with the stick and push the button to jump." That's it. I didn't even tell her to "move right towards the end".

She loved the game, of course.

My 5 year old daughter loves Sonic too, it's the most challenging thing I've had to deal with as a parent so far.
 

m4st4

Member
I thought Sonic games played themselves?

Odd that a bunch of children in the 90s are smarter than a bunch of adults in the 2000s.

Pick up the controller, and get to the end of the stage.

It's a 2D physics based platformer.

Terrible post.

OP, you managed to ask the right question, glad some people have the ability to see exactly what you mean.

I can't wait to try the latest game since I never really got the Sonic hype but I do appreciate the level design and the music.
 

Gestault

Member
Sonic is a game where the goal is to beat the level as fast as possible, which is why there are traps, obstacles, enemies, platforming, different paths, etc. It's like you people expect the game to be just "hold right to win" and are disappointed when that isn't the case.

That's the goal. In order to attain that goal the game is built around momentum. You gather momentum by running, spindashing, planning your routes, using the springs to your advantage, so on and so forth.

Nothing about the game is counter intuitive. Calling it counter intuitive is like calling any sort of whatever in your way in any game that you need to do counter intuitive. Games usually have challenges, it's not shocking that a game about maintaining speed has obstacles that get in the way of that.

It's fine to not like Sonic games, it's idiotic to pretend there's inherent flaws to it when it's play style doesn't suit you.

This is particularly well stated.
 

SilentRob

Member
I just pray, keep going to the right (and sometimes left) with no sense of where the fuck I'm going and tell myself I'm having fun. Sounds like a hot take, but is the actual truth. I'm at Stage 8 and the controls are floaty and imprecise and the levels are incomprehensible clusterfucks of springs and tubes and death traps but I'm kinda having fun?

I think what you actually have to do is play these stages very slowly about a dozen time so you can then play them fast and make it look as fun as in the trailers...but that doesn't really seem like a lot of fun and also kinda seems to go against anything Sonic stands for? I also never actually want to try precise, deliberate jumps because those controls are absolutely not built for that. Man, I dunno. These games are weird.
 
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