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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Wii/PS3/360; downloadable episodic release - [Update: $15?]

So is there any difference between the different versions of this? I want to bend over for the proper platform at least. :D

I've ruled out 360 due to dpad, but really don't know between psn or wiiware. Both cases would require me to buy a $20 card, and leave me with enough left over to get nothing I want :p So will my crap SD tv notice a difference in the PS3 version? Or is this known yet if there are performance differences?
 

WillyFive

Member
The fan game looks great, but there is too much detail. Smash Bros. Brawl had the same problem, there was too much detail on-screen, and made it hard to keep track of.

Also, the video makes the colors look bad.
 

RobbieNick

Junior Member
Mega Man's Electric Sheep said:
So is there any difference between the different versions of this? I want to bend over for the proper platform at least. :D

I've ruled out 360 due to dpad, but really don't know between psn or wiiware. Both cases would require me to buy a $20 card, and leave me with enough left over to get nothing I want :p So will my crap SD tv notice a difference in the PS3 version? Or is this known yet if there are performance differences?

I played the Wii version at E3. It's the same 60fps speed as the 360/PS3 versions and in SD, the only difference you may notice is a slightly lower color palette. But barely any difference otherwise.

EDIT:

Speedfreak at Sonic Stadium has discovered a youtube video which not only shows the world map, but the final build of the game. (Yea, more fucking Splash Hill. I know.) Also, the guy playing the game goes through the first level never doing the homing attack. (I'm not sure if he realizes he can or not. I think he really sucks at the game.:lol )

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/2010/10/sonic-4-world-map-discovered/

nff60.jpg


Check out that shaded area to the left. That start of episode 2 map perhaps?
 

Blueblur1

Member
ILikeFeet said:
I still wonder how Sega can allow those problems that plagued Sonic 4, not happen in Colors :lol
There's a serious lack of consistency. Regardless, we're here to point the flaws out if necessary. You can't really trust the gaming press to do that which I think is sad. (I'm referencing the Nintendo Power mini-review.)

If it weren't for us, this game would have been out by now with no changes at all.
 

ILikeFeet

Banned
Blueblur1 said:
There's a serious lack of consistency. Regardless, we're here to point the flaws out if necessary. You can't really trust the gaming press to do that which I think is sad. (I'm referencing the Nintendo Power mini-review.)

If it weren't for us, this game would have been out by now with no changes at all.

Sega's inconsistancy is appaling to me at least :lol
 
You know, thinking about it sega never really needed to delay sonic 4 to start with, they added in a map and changed two levels around but otherwise not much else was being done, shitty physics still stand which is 90% part of a sonic game.
 

ILikeFeet

Banned
Diablohead said:
You know, thinking about it sega never really needed to delay sonic 4 to start with, they added in a map and changed two levels around but otherwise not much else was being done, shitty physics still stand which is 90% part of a sonic game.

at least there's Colors. acutally, I think this game could still be decent-good. it won't match the expectations (entirely Sega's fault) but it will another step in the right direction
 
ILikeFeet said:
at least there's Colors. acutally, I think this game could still be decent-good. it won't match the expectations (entirely Sega's fault) but it will another step in the right direction
Before the delay there was a chance this game was going to be 800 points to buy going by partnernet, it makes the delay feel like they want 400 msp more from us all.
 

TL4E

Member
Rather sad that fans can make a (seemingly) better game without a professional team and formidable budget. To Sega's credit though they're not under time constraints and so it's easy to just make one really good level.

(Sonic Adventure 2, of course, only had one good level as well) :lol
 
Diablohead said:
You know, thinking about it sega never really needed to delay sonic 4 to start with, they added in a map and changed two levels around but otherwise not much else was being done, shitty physics still stand which is 90% part of a sonic game.

The physics are improved, but as I said before at some point when they first announced this, they can't really change the entire physics system without redoing huge chunks of the game. They should've done it right the first time, but there's only so much they can fix, I'm sure Sega was pretty pissed the game was delayed in the first place.

That said, they have added a lot of touched to improve the game. The more animated title screen, the new map screen, more seamless loading of zones (using the title cards instead of a dedicated loading screen), there's more animated detail to Splash Hill and some other graphical changes in other zones, they changed how the game handles the end of zones, and some other things I'm sure we're unaware of.

They have changed the physics, not for the best, but for better. The air dash is not nearly as effective for building up speed, they've tweaked the running, and Sonic doesn't seem as prone to standing contrary to gravity. The only thing I can't understand them not fixing is the spinning off the ramps thing leaving you vulnerable. I actually like the animation, it reminds me of Sonic CD's cinemas a bit, I just wish Sonic would still function like he was attacking during it.

And they seemed to get pretty creative with the two new zones. One has a lot of card-based gimmicks, and the other has a special mechanic with a torch that wasn't present at all in the original game. That does take work and time, and I'm glad we got it over a zone designed with the iPhone in mind, and a really lame pinball table filler.

If taken to their word, which I hesitate on, they're treating Episode 2 as a semi-sequel rather than an actual episode, so there should ideally be more improvements to the physics there. They've heard the message, they've heard it from everybody, they know they screwed up, but there's only so much they can do to a game that was effectively done. Getting the game delayed and improved was probably a monumental task for the team... hell, you're a Sonic fan, you know these have a tendency to be rushed to market broken and abandoned rather than delayed and improved.

Clearly they haven't done enough for you, so skip this one and wait to see what they do with Episode 2. It's not like you're going to need to worry about the plot or anything, you're just missing on playing a couple of zones in an engine you don't like. Others think it's going to be good enough to be enjoyable, even if it's not perfect, so we're going to buy it. Arguing any further about what Sega should or shouldn't do with it is pretty moot at this point.
 

Nabs

Member
TL4E said:
Rather sad that fans can make a (seemingly) better game without a professional team and formidable budget. To Sega's credit though they're not under time constraints and so it's easy to just make one really good level.

(Sonic Adventure 2, of course, only had one good level as well) :lol
Forget the level (Emerald Hill 1), look at Sonic. It's a shame how much better he moves.
 

loosus

Banned
That said, they have added a lot of touched to improve the game. The more animated title screen, the new map screen, more seamless loading of zones (using the title cards instead of a dedicated loading screen), there's more animated detail to Splash Hill and some other graphical changes in other zones, they changed how the game handles the end of zones, and some other things I'm sure we're unaware of.
Do you know what all these things have in common? They're things that nobody will care about after the first day that they play it. So, rather than fixing something that needed fixing, they chose to "improve" (if you even want to call it that) superficial parts of the game that nobody will even notice.
 

TL4E

Member
Nabs said:
Forget the level (Emerald Hill 1), look at Sonic. It's a shame how much better he moves.
Yeah, definitely. Looks (feels?) just like the Genesis games-plus no homing attack!!
 
loosus said:
Do you know what all these things have in common? They're things that nobody will care about after the first day that they play it. So, rather than fixing something that needed fixing, they chose to "improve" (if you even want to call it that) superficial parts of the game that nobody will even notice.

That's hilarious, you said Sonic fans don't obsess about the details. :lol

It's more like those improvements came as a bonus while they developed the new acts (something that needed fixing, according to all the people who bitched about the mine carts and pinball table) and did tweak the physics some. Drastic physics changes would've meant rebuilding and retesting the stages from scratch, since everything in the zones is laid out around the existing physics system, and there was no way the team were going to get approval for that.
 

loosus

Banned
Kulock said:
That's hilarious, you said Sonic fans don't obsess about the details. :lol
Believe it or not, more than just "Sonic fans" are going to buy this game.

It's more like those improvements came as a bonus while they developed the new acts (something that needed fixing, according to all the people who bitched about the mine carts and pinball table) and did tweak the physics some. Drastic physics changes would've meant rebuilding and retesting the stages from scratch, since everything in the zones is laid out around the existing physics system, and there was no way the team were going to get approval for that.
Sure, that's obvious because the physics still aren't fixed. It's Sega's fault and only Sega's fault that this game wasn't fixed. Sure, that might mean making substantial, time-consuming changes, but Sega chose shitty physics over a delayed-but-better game. Not sure why you're defending that decision.
 

Lijik

Member
RobbieNick said:
Also, the guy playing the game goes through the first level never doing the homing attack.

Except for that one time where he uses it on a rock.
I like how not using the easy-win button is "sucking at the game" now :lol
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
RobbieNick said:
I played the Wii version at E3. It's the same 60fps speed as the 360/PS3 versions and in SD, the only difference you may notice is a slightly lower color palette. But barely any difference otherwise.

EDIT:

Speedfreak at Sonic Stadium has discovered a youtube video which not only shows the world map, but the final build of the game. (Yea, more fucking Splash Hill. I know.) Also, the guy playing the game goes through the first level never doing the homing attack. (I'm not sure if he realizes he can or not. I think he really sucks at the game.:lol )

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/2010/10/sonic-4-world-map-discovered/


Check out that shaded area to the left. That start of episode 2 map perhaps?
Spindash up the slope you idiot! Spindash up the slope!

Why are these people always terrible at the games they demo?
 

RagnarokX

Member
RobbieNick said:
I played the Wii version at E3. It's the same 60fps speed as the 360/PS3 versions and in SD, the only difference you may notice is a slightly lower color palette. But barely any difference otherwise.

EDIT:

Speedfreak at Sonic Stadium has discovered a youtube video which not only shows the world map, but the final build of the game. (Yea, more fucking Splash Hill. I know.) Also, the guy playing the game goes through the first level never doing the homing attack. (I'm not sure if he realizes he can or not. I think he really sucks at the game.:lol )

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/2010/10/sonic-4-world-map-discovered/

nff60.jpg


Check out that shaded area to the left. That start of episode 2 map perhaps?
He uses it on a rock and air boosts a couple of times to gain speed/change air trajectory.

That fan game is pretty much just a remake of Sonic 2 with worse visuals. Both it and Sonic 4 don't look that great to me visually, but the fan game does look like better gameplay.
 
RobbieNick said:
I played the Wii version at E3. It's the same 60fps speed as the 360/PS3 versions and in SD, the only difference you may notice is a slightly lower color palette. But barely any difference otherwise.

EDIT:

Speedfreak at Sonic Stadium has discovered a youtube video which not only shows the world map, but the final build of the game. (Yea, more fucking Splash Hill. I know.) Also, the guy playing the game goes through the first level never doing the homing attack. (I'm not sure if he realizes he can or not. I think he really sucks at the game.:lol )

http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/2010/10/sonic-4-world-map-discovered/

http://i55.tinypic.com/nff60.jpg

Check out that shaded area to the left. That start of episode 2 map perhaps?

Cotdamn did he spindash or ball form even once while running? How does one suck so much at Sonic? I was physically in pain when he kept WALKING up the hills.
 

chemicals

Member
I love Sonic, really.. looking forward to this game. For those of you who have been there through the constant reloads of this franchise, what is your favorite? I think they were heading in a good direction with the daytime levels in Unleashed.. but other than that I'd take the old 16-bit games anyday.
 

WillyFive

Member
chemicals said:
I love Sonic, really.. looking forward to this game. For those of you who have been there through the constant reloads of this franchise, what is your favorite? I think they were heading in a good direction with the daytime levels in Unleashed.. but other than that I'd take the old 16-bit games anyday.

I am excited too. You never know, it might be good.

I guess my favorite would be Sonic Advance and Sonic Adventure 2, the rest haven't captivated me as much.
 

erlim

yes, that talented of a member
My god, just wanted to pop in and say I played this---it's like an iOS or mobile game...I mean the 2.5D parts of Sonic Generations are a masterpiece to the way Sonic 4 plays.
 
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