Source: seganerds.com
Recently I wrote a feature in direct response to an article on Wired Blog, Game|Life, as to why Sega should not kill off Sonic, but rather should kill off (or just stop using) all the random extra characters from the Sonic universe in Sonic games.
Now I bring you part 2 of the feature, and look at ideas, that Sega could look at, which should help Sonic become one of the great video game characters again.
And all that jazz…
One big issue I have with modern Sonic games is the music. Now, I actually don’t think that modern Sonic games have bad music per se (with exception to Sonic and the Secret Rings, which was effing terrible). But do they have great music?
Sure the fast rock music, we find in many recent Sonic titles, should work well with a fast game, but it actually doesn’t in this case. If you ask me to hum/whistle ANY level on Sonic 1 or 2 – I reckon I could do it no trouble, or at least very nearly get it right. But ask me to do the same with any Sonic game post Sonic Adventure, and I wouldn’t know where to begin!
The music used in the original Sonic games was very memorable, addictive and worked perfectly with the games levels and the gameplay. Sega should chuck out the modern rock/rap music, and quite simply replace it with “Video Game Music.” Others have said a similar thing in our forums.
You compare the music of Aquatic Ruins, Marble Zone, Flying Battery Zone, or even the boss music to that of modern Sonic games, and tell which ones you think are better suited for a video game?
When cartoon characters invade.
Next thing to change would be the settings. Why has Sonic suddenly started mingling with humans?
There have always been humans in Sonic games, what with Dr. Robotnik being a human. But the main point was that Robotnik had invaded ‘Sonic’s world’ – the animal world – turning bunnies and birds into robots for his own evil deeds, and Sonic decided to help them out and defeat Robotnik.
But lately the opposite has happened, and Sonic has ‘invaded’ the human world. It looks wrong, it feels wrong. Stop it. Send Sonic back to the Green Hills and Ice Cap Zones, and have Robotnik come to him, in a true bad guy style.
Or if you must have it set in a human world, at least have some more talking animals. In Sonic Adventure and Sonic 06 the only animal characters are Sonic and his friends, the main characters. It seems strangely odd that the only fast moving, fast talking animals in this world happen to be the ones directly related, and involved, with the main events happening in the game.
All the random NPCs that inhabit the cities are humans, it would make more sense to, (at the very least), have more random talking animals for Sonic and friends to interact with. But, personally, I think it would just be so much better for Sega to send Sonic away from the human cities, and have Dr. Robotnik try to take over Sonic’s domain, once again.
Are we making a movie or a game here?
One of the other annoyances found in modern Sonic titles is the use of story driven gameplay. With the use of FMV and cut scenes, it was inevitable that Sega should start making bigger storylines for Sonic games, other than “Robotnik is trying to steal Chaos Emeralds.”
In fact the best (proper) story I have seen in a Sonic game was possibly Sonic Adventure. The story was simple enough, with Robotnik stealing Chaos Emeralds in order to build up the power of “Chaos” – a monster who harnesses the power of the Chaos Emeralds and can reek destruction upon the world. Simple, but enjoyable enough to watch the cutscenes.
However since then Sonic games have had more complex stories, which go too far. Now they involve saving princesses, dimension and time travelling, pirates, dinosaurs etc…
I don’t have a huge issue with Sonic games having stories, but at least make them either interesting or relevant to the Sonic world and not ridiculous.
One of my biggest problems with Sonic Rush Adventure was the setting and the retarded story involving robot pirates, dimension jumping, plus the introduction of that damned Racoon – who did nothing but piss me off the whole game.
We also have Sonic and the Secret Rings, with the strange Arabian Nights setting… featuring dinosaurs…. which wasn’t terrible – but was it necessary?
Once again the best solution I can see here, for the time being at least, is to give a modern Sonic game the most simple story possible – have Robotnik steal some Chaos Emeralds, enslave some fluffy woodland creatures and have Sonic clean up the mess. Just like in the good old days of Sonic 1, 2 and 3.
What platform to choose?
What kind of game is a Sonic game? Back in the days of the Megadrive/Genesis and GameGear Sonic was a platform game, competing directly against the likes of Mario Bros.
Over time, while Mario has remained (relatively) true to his platforming heritage, Sonic seems to have gone off to one side, slighty. Now rather than being a platform game, modern Sonic games seem to mainly consist of running along a set route, with very little platforming involved.
Sure they still having jumping segments, but they no longer have the real elements of a true platform game. Credit to Sega for trying to keep Sonic games fast, but the idea of Sonic games was that players usually took their time over a level when they first played, learning the levels, the routes and the jumps and then speeding along on the next run through.
It seems that now Sonic games have replaced the core platforming sections with just running forwards.
2D or not 2D? That is the question.
As I mentioned in part 1, the biggest complaint amongst fans is that Sonic should return to his 2D roots. I have no problem with that, but I don’t think it is entirely necessary.
One of the 3D Sonic games I enjoyed the most was Sonic Heroes- yes everyone gasp and cut your wrists, but hear me out first! Now firstly I will just say that the gameplay involved in Sonic Heroes is not bad at all, the idea was unique, some people liked it (not just me I assure you), but many thought it was trash.
However, the things that stood out to me in Sonic Heroes was just how damn good the level designs were. You could run through them at speed, you could see ahead clearly (unlike Sonic ‘06), it also had multiple routes and some half decent platform bits. I also liked the story it was simple, just like the first Sonic games. I think the main issue players had with the game was that you had to play as all these extra characters, and you had to play with 3 characters at once.
Now take away ALL the playable characters bar Sonic, and have just him run through the levels, and I would guarantee that the game would have easily received higher scores.
If Sega should really feel the need to introduce new characters into a game, to make the story fresh/interesting, for the love of God, I beg that they make the new characters just a story piece, and not playable.
Spin-Off the beaten track.
Another thing that some people suggest is to scrap all the Sonic spin-off games, such as Sonic Riders. I disagree.
I think there is nothing really wrong with spin-off games, just make sure they are fun. Also make sure developers explain that spin-off games are actually spin-offs. Take Shadow the Hedgehog, a terrible game, but on often mistaken as a “Sonic game.” It’s not - it is a spin-off - let’s keep it that way.
Games like Sonic Riders, Sonic R, Sonic Shuffle, Sonic Fightersetc… are fine in my eyes, they are the games that Sega should use to promote their other characters and mix up the gameplay of Sonic titles. It is better this way than throwing more and more playable characters into a real Sonic game.
To help summarise:
I think it is clear that Sega has made the Sonic universe (and games) far too cluttered. You are no longer playing a fast platform game, but rather a mixture of platform, running, search quests, action, driving and sailing – all in a game but completely split up.
Essentially gamers are no longer buying Sonic games, but they are buying games featuring Sonic.
Taking Sonic back to his roots, with gameplay, level design, music, number of playable characters and story is the best way I can see to saving the franchise.
As for 2D or 3D, I think either has the potential to work, Sega just need to sort all the other areas out first.
~G~
Gamers who purchase the PlayStation Network version of Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will receive an exclusive album called “Street Fighter Underground Remix” that they can download for FREE! The album is seperate from the game, but will include hip-hop remixes of classic Street Fighter II songs from the likes of Redman, Hieroglyphics, DJ Qbert, DJ Toure, Zion I, Mistah F.A.B. and Oh No. 
