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[Jmille99]

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.

I think the main problem is the split second reaction that most other games dont expect you to have, not just that there is stuff in the way.

Think of a racing game. It still has a sense of speed while giving you a distance to see and work with whereas if it was like Sonic you could only see 5 feet in front of you and expected to make quick turns where you any hesitation would result in a crash.

So yes, it is a lil frustrating to be told to go fast, but not give people proper time to react to most things in a level. And if you think other games are like that, you are sadly mistaken.

 

[zeemumu]

You get S in all stages.

In Adventure and Adventure 2 you play to rise Chao and get attached to them forever. ��

That's the only way to play the Sonic Adventure games.

To answer OP's question I was under the impression that your goal was to complete the stages as quickly as possible for a better time bonus to add to your score. Unfortunately the level design of some of the earlier games didn't always lend itself well to that goal unless you were really good. Newer Sonic games sacrifice level complexity to allow you to maintain your speed throughout most of the stage.

As for the point of rings, I think it's divided between the ring bonus at the end of each stage along with gaining extra lives for getting 100 and giving you more of a chance to regain some rings when you get hit. If you get hit and you were carrying 20 rings, you'll have an easier time picking up at least one than you would if you were carrying 1 ring all the time. A lot of boss fights will end up with you carrying a single ring though. Also in the super sonic stages you need rings to keep your super meter up.


Always seemed pretty straightforward

 

[PK Gaming]

I think the main problem is the split second reaction that most other games dont expect you to have, not just that there is stuff in the way.

Think of a racing game. It still has a sense of speed while giving you a distance to see and work with whereas if it was like Sonic you could only see 5 feet in front of you and expected to make quick turns where you any hesitation would result in a crash.

So yes, it is a lil frustrating to be told to go fast, but not give people proper time to react to most things in a level. And if you think other games are like that, you are sadly mistaken.

You don't need split second reaction time because you don't need to be constantly moving at high speeds.

Approach the game like a platformer like others have noted, and you'll have a much better time. Moving at Sonic Speed™ is reserved for people who have a strong understanding of the stage's layout.

 

[Lucky Seven]

Wow. How anti-fun do you have to be where you can't understand how to play Sonic and believe it's confusing? My younger siblings understood just fine, but lets put it in the wise words of Reggie: "PLAY. THE. GAME.".

 

[FanDeNintendo]

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.

And that's it.

When I was young I tried to go as fast as possible and finish the game. Then, I tried to get all the extras exploring the stages.

 

[BassForever]

I love Sonic games but I've also always understood the disconnect behind Sonic's premise. Platformers with secrets are generally about taking things slow and navigating tricky areas to find your reward. Sonic has these elements in his levels... surrounded by tons and tons of opportunities to go super fast and miss all that stuff. Even play though Mania I constantly found myself pulling back to take another path for hope of finding another chaos emerald ring.

The reason I'd argue it works is that Sonic games are designed around the player replaying them multiple times. You're not expected to get all the chaos emeralds on your first play through or know either the most efficient route to blast through a stage or where to crawl around to find all the secrets. Once you've played though a game a few times it all clicks, you know the fastest and most efficient route to blaze through the stages and get the true ending. The fact even the longest sonic games are fairly short helps this replay incentive.

 

[blummer102]

You can either play Sonic games speedrun style or a little slower, where you try to collect all the Chaos Emeralds.

Really don't get why this is a difficult concept to understand

 

[Professor Beef]

You get S in all stages.

In Adventure and Adventure 2 you play to rise Chao and get attached to them forever. 💖

-shoves chao in the trash-

 

[Teletraan1]

When I was a kid I would kind of scout out the levels and then attempt to just run and jump through the level as fast as I could while keeping speed, avoiding enemies, platforming and collecting rings. There was always a good route through each stage where everything just flowed and looked really cool. The later sonic games I either lost the patience to find these routes, I sucked or the level design took a nose dive because the later games never felt as good as the first few in terms of flow through the levels, at least not as consistantly.

 

[Steiner]

There are a lot of heated answers and rebuttals in this thread, but the conclusion I've drawn is that more competitive players and more impatient players are less likely to have fun with Sonic games.

You have fun by being surprised by the stages, the obstacles, and the bosses. You kind of have to accept that the challenges in this game are going to take you by surprise the first time, and welcome that novelty.

Yes, you're supposed to complete the stages as flawlessly as possible. No, it's not possible to react with lightning quick reflexes to evade or pursue things when you're traversing a stage at top speed for the first time.

But try! Go wild! Go fast! Have fun! Be reckless! Do that a few times, and you'll find that you'll be mastering stages faster than you thought possible, and having a hell of a time in the meantime. Accept everything as it comes to you and adapt as fast as you can. That is both the challenge and the delight of playing a Sonic game.

 

[spazchicken]

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.

 

[Arc Christelle]

A protip is two press down to roll when you gain lots of speed that way its harder for enemies to interrupt you.

 

[Ash735]

People think it's all just "Gotta Go Fast" but this is where they fail, for your first few times playing it's about taking it slow, exploring a level, finding out where the enemies, traps, boosts, etc are, finding out which bosses are for each level, best path to acquire chaos emeralds.

THEN put your knowledge and what you've learned to use to go fast and see how quickly you can ace levels.

People have this seriously difficulty grasp on Sonic but let's apply it to other games, it'd be like watching the speed running communities for Mario and expecting that the game HAS to be played like that first time. Do you now realise how stupid that is?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

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.

Right?

What is it with this forced misunderstanding. There are so many games with infinitely more complex overlapping gameplay systems, yet people walk into a Sonic game like

You get from point A to B. If you wanna explore, do it. Learn and master the stage like you would in any skill based platformer and learn the best more rewarding routes to boost your score. How is this so foreign to people?

 

[Cow Mengde]

The answer is... Any of those that you personally find fun to do?

That's the problem. None of it is fun. That's why I end up doing everything just like the OP.

 

[Exodust]

I think the main problem is the split second reaction that most other games dont expect you to have, not just that there is stuff in the way.

Think of a racing game. It still has a sense of speed while giving you a distance to see and work with whereas if it was like Sonic you could only see 5 feet in front of you and expected to make quick turns where you any hesitation would result in a crash.

So yes, it is a lil frustrating to be told to go fast, but not give people proper time to react to most things in a level. And if you think other games are like that, you are sadly mistaken.

Split second reaction is an overreaction of how it plays, honestly. Even then the game does teach you to roll when possible in order to avoid enemy damage. It teaches you that pretty quick. Green Hill Zone in particular has enemy placement that shows you the effectiveness of when to jump, when to roll, etc. One of the main inspirations for Sonic was Pinball, which you'd think would be apparent now. It wasn't just random design as one would think. S1, 2, 3&K were very deliberate with the level design, branching paths, enemy placement, what have you.

And in spite of what we see in this thread, it doesn't have a steep difficulty curve either. The game was designed around that, that's what the branching paths are for. The bottom level isn't so much to punish you, it's done to both be something anybody could beat and help teach you the mechanics in order for you to do better.

You are never told to go fast, your goal is to go fast. How is that something that eludes detractors? Sonic is not a racing game.

 

[Puruzi]

That's the problem. None of it is fun. That's why I end up doing everything just like the OP.

If it ain't fun then don't play it

 

[LordKasual]

To be honest this is a pretty fair question. There are only really one Sonic game that I feel have adequately answered this question for players:


Sonic Adventure 2 Includes a ranking system, EVERY character's abilities are tied to the ranking system. So the goal is to:

a) get to the goal ring
b) with as much score as possible

Beating the stage is usually easy. Beating the stage with enough score to A-rank it requires practice and knowledge of the stage and your abilities.

Furthermore, killing enemies actually serves a secondary (primary, depending on the player) purpose, which is that they give you items for the Chao Garden. Collecting rings and beating the stage with them ALSO is useful for this purpose, as rings can be used as currency in the Chao Garden. Searching around the stage also has hard-to-obtain animals for the Chao as well. So:

c) Gather rings, animals, and chaos drives for the Chao Garden.

This is really the only Sonic game that was designed like this. The future Sonic games all include ranking systems, but they're extremely shallow and so easy to break that all you usually have to do to S-rank a stage is not get killed.



Shoutout to Sonic Rush, not because it also has a ranking system, but because it is the only fucking 2D Sonic game that includes a Ghost Racing feature, allowing you to actually race yourself instead of a stupid clock. Even the Unleashed era games don't include this, which is silly because those games are almost strictly speedrun-based by design.

 

[Exodust]

Sonic Adventure 2 Includes a ranking system, EVERY character's abilities are tied to the ranking system. So the goal is to:

a) get to the goal ring
b) with as much score as possible

That's the basic goal in every Sonic game.

 

[Cow Mengde]

If it ain't fun then don't play it

I haven't touched one in over a decade.

 

[Polioliolio]

I think the main problem is the split second reaction that most other games dont expect you to have, not just that there is stuff in the way.

Think of a racing game. It still has a sense of speed while giving you a distance to see and work with whereas if it was like Sonic you could only see 5 feet in front of you and expected to make quick turns where you any hesitation would result in a crash.

So yes, it is a lil frustrating to be told to go fast, but not give people proper time to react to most things in a level. And if you think other games are like that, you are sadly mistaken.

If you have a better memory than a goldfish, you'll learn the static hazards after encountering them, particularly if you're interested in speeding through the stages.

 

[Anustart]

Yeah sonic is baffling to me. He controls like shit if going slow, and the game does everything it can to keep you from going fast. I'm not going to play through levels multiple times to be able to run through it. I've never found the games very fun at all, but to each their own.

 

[Raptomex]

But the games are not fun when you are going slow. It's weird, a game that it's at it's peak when you are going full speed, but the level design is actively disencouraging you to speed up.

Yes, but I'm just saying, you have the option. It's designed for speed but you don't have to. It's a side scrolling platformer.

 

[Ash735]

So how do you play old Mario games? Do you just have to get to the end of level? Do you have to collect all the coins? Do you have to beat the level as fast as possible? I'm always holding down the sprint button but I keep messing up? Do you have to kill all the enemies? The game isn't telling me anything, I don't get it.

 

[Nerokis]

Wow. How anti-fun do you have to be where you can't understand how to play Sonic and believe it's confusing? My younger siblings understood just fine, but lets put it in the wise words of Reggie: "PLAY. THE. GAME.".

There are way too many posts like this in this thread. You guys shouldn't find the concept of someone having a difficult time clicking with Sonic games so confounding. Seriously, the fact that your 5 year-old selves found Sonic absolutely fantastic is hilariously irrelevant - the OP isn't about difficulty, but about vocabulary. The OP is wondering how to understand Sonic, what the various components are supposed to mean. As a 5 year-old, you're happy just looking at the pictures.

I beat Sonic 2 last year, and had a good time with it. I was never sure how to get the most out of the game, though. I'm glad the OP posted this thread, and that some have attempted to answer thoughtfully, as I've always been curious how people who love the franchise typically approach it.

 

[Swarlee]

I can see why Sonic confuses people. The game encourages you to go fast and puts a large number of hazards in front you. The longer you're running the more tension builds up for a most certain hit. Some people see it as a flaw but thats what makes it fun.

The levels are like a skate park with a beginning and an end. What you do the middle is up to you. As you learn the levels it's fun to experiment with different paths. Personally I like finding the the most rings possible while keeping a a good flow and very little back tracking.

 

[LordKasual]

That's the basic goal in every Sonic game.

Score is worthless in every sonic game except SA2.

it basically just exists. As if the number is just there for tradition's sake.

SA2 is the only game where it's actually integrated into the gameplay

 

[Cow Mengde]

He controls like shit if going slow,

I completely forgot about that. Sonic really does play terribly as a platformer.

 

[Camjo-Z]

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.

Couldn't have said it better. The "Sonic is bad because you're supposed to go fast but level design make you go slow!!" meme needs to die already. Video games put forth challenging obstacles to stop you from achieving a goal, what a surprise! Do people seriously play these games expecting literal "hold right to win" gameplay where nothing ever prevents you from reaching light speeds at all times?

There are way too many posts like this in this thread. You guys shouldn't find the concept of someone having a difficult time clicking with Sonic games so confounding. Seriously, the fact that your 5 year-old selves found Sonic absolutely fantastic is hilariously irrelevant - the OP isn't about difficulty, but about vocabulary. The OP is wondering how to understand Sonic, what the various components are supposed to mean. As a 5 year-old, you're happy just looking at the pictures.

Honestly, not understanding how Sonic works really is laughable. The OP is full of questions that are either extremely self-explanatory when playing the game or completely up to the player's interpretation. It's like if someone posted a "I don't understand how you're supposed to play Mario" thread. Am I trying to collect all the coins? What's the benefit of finding a secret exit? Should I try to kill every Goomba???

 

[ckaneo]

Now that I think about it, what do coins do in Mario?

 

[Cow Mengde]

Now that I think about it, what do coins do in Mario?

Collect 100 and you get extra life. Actual tangible reward.

 

[butman]

OP, you are not alone!

+1. Never understood the way to play it.

 

[Ash735]

Collect 100 and you get extra life. Actual tangible reward.

...and in Sonic, Collect 100 rings and you get an extra life, but it's just too confusing for some people apparently.

 

[Lelcar]

Why would they give you 10 minutes to complete each act with multiple paths and secrets if the "goal" of the game is to beat the levels as fast as possible?

 

[Cow Mengde]

...and in Sonic, Collect 100 rings and you get an extra life, but it's just too confusing for some people apparently.

That wasn't the only problem he had. The rings part is silly. The rings were the most straight forward part of the game.

 

[Gestault]

Why would they give you 10 minutes to complete each act with multiple paths and secrets if the "goal" of the game is to beat the levels as fast as possible?

To let either play style do their thing and also have a cutoff for if someone gets legitimately lost?

 

[Ash735]

Why would they give you 10 minutes to complete each act with multiple paths and secrets if the "goal" of the game is to beat the levels as fast as possible?

10 Minutes to explore the level, find out where the end goal is, what the boss is, how to defeat them, etc.

Then use what you've learned to find the best path TO get the best time and best score.

Seriously, apply these question to Mario, and you'll notice how stupid it sounds "What's the point of hidden areas/hard to reach places if the "goal" is to just beat the level?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Score is worthless in every sonic game except SA2.

it basically just exists. As if the number is just there for tradition's sake.

SA2 is the only game where it's actually integrated into the gameplay

And Heroes
and Shadow
and Black Knight
and Secret Rings
and Sonic 06
and Unleashed
and Colors
and Generations
and Forces.

but ok

Collect 100 and you get extra life. Actual tangible reward.

It's less of a reward than in Sonic. Rings give you extra lives and bonus stage access as well as acting as extra hit points for Sonic if you have at least one, which is easier to maintain if you have collected many. Additionally, rings inherit additional value once you collect all the Chaos Emeralds and collecting them becomes the only way to sustain your Super Sonic state. Mario should take notes. At least Odyssey has actually given them some tangible value this time.

 

[Cymbal Head]

I think the main problem is the split second reaction that most other games dont expect you to have, not just that there is stuff in the way.

Think of a racing game. It still has a sense of speed while giving you a distance to see and work with whereas if it was like Sonic you could only see 5 feet in front of you and expected to make quick turns where you any hesitation would result in a crash.

So yes, it is a lil frustrating to be told to go fast, but not give people proper time to react to most things in a level. And if you think other games are like that, you are sadly mistaken.

The balancing force to this is the incredibly forgiving ring system. I don't know many platformers that give you a virtually limitless number of hits without having to turn on some kind of easy mode.

The designers know you'll be running into obstacles a lot. It isn't some kind of mistake that someone made in the first game that was inexplicably preserved throughout the series.

 

[ckaneo]

Why would they give you 10 minutes to complete each act with multiple paths and secrets if the "goal" of the game is to beat the levels as fast as possible?

Cause that's wrong. The goal of the game is literally to beat the game by reaching the checkpoints and defeating the bosses. How fast you do it is on you within the ten-minute limit.

The idea that you have to go as fast as possible is exactly why people dont get it. You go fast in parts that require you to go fast as that's the only way to continue through the stage. You go as fast/slow as needed to make it through the other obstacles.

 

[Polygonal_Sprite]

You tell yourself you're having fun over and over again until you believe it.

I've tried this while playing Crash and it doesn't work.

 

[IrishNinja]

This thread is nonsense and you should all be ashamed of yourselves.

the "sonic was never good" crowd doesn't understand complicated feelings like shame

cause they're dumb

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Why would they give you 10 minutes to complete each act with multiple paths and secrets if the "goal" of the game is to beat the levels as fast as possible?

I'm sure you have an issue with 2D and 3D Mario stages having time limits as well, right?

 

[Ash735]

I've tried this while playing Crash and it doesn't work.

Ohhh, you're one of those guys. I understand now.

 

[Shanlei91]

This thread reminds me of when GTA4 came out and a 50 year old coworker asked me to explain to her what GTA was, and then the conversation navigated to me explaining the rules of Tetris.

Except I think the difference of age is swinging the opposite direction in this thread. Time really is a flat circle.

 

[allenpergallon]

And Heroes
and Shadow
and Black Knight
and Secret Rings
and Sonic 06
and Unleashed
and Colors
and Generations
and Forces.

but ok

Let's not forget Rush, Rush Adventure, Colors DS, Lost World 3DS either.

And I mean... this series has an arcade foundation and works similarly in the "better performance, better reward" mentality. Score (i.e. # of rings, time used in completing the level, enemies destroyed) in the old games can be useful for judging your general performance or help plotting different routes without the need for an arbitrary rank and, surprise surprise, you can also get extra lives and continues from a high enough score. This doesn't even bring up the fact that, like Time Attack, people still do like to engage in Score Attacks for some of these games because it's a personal challenge.

Come on guys.

 

[shawnbuddy]

I've tried several times over the years to get into the 2D Sonic games and theyve never, ever clicked for me.

 

[LordKasual]

And Heroes
and Shadow
and Black Knight
and Secret Rings
and Sonic 06
and Unleashed
and Colors
and Generations
and Forces.

but ok

the ranking system didn't have a fraction of the depth or gravity in any of those games that it did in SA2

but ok


As i said, getting top rank in those games is almost as simple as beating the stage relatively fast without dying. I don't even know what the criteria is for getting them in Unleashed and onward, if you are halfway decent at the stage and don't die, you just get an S-rank.

That's a requirement in SA2, but it is not the only criteria to meet. Homing strings, grinding, interacting with specific gimmicks, killing specific enemies, and mixing that all together in chains is the way the game is meant to be played, and the scoring system provides a deliberate way to let you know that.


Getting x score and being rewarded with an Extra Life is the most basic shit in gaming, they could remove it and i bet people wouldn't even notice

 

[nded]

If you're absolutely new to the classic Sonic games, approach them like you would a Tony Hawk Pro Skater game. You can't just do whatever from a standstill, most of the game is about finding ways to build up and control momentum.

 

[Omega Kirby]

Sonic is too good for the likes of OP