Sending Sparks Fly For Some Sonic Concepts

Last month I offered up some ideas for games within the Pokémon franchise, with the three fitting roughly into the labels of main game, side game, and spin-off. This month I am doing the same for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Now, it would be easy to say for a main game Adventure 3 – specifically Chao Theory (that old concept of mine from back in 2013), but I’m not. What I want to see from a main series game these days is something that Lost World failed to execute beyond basic implementation.

That being free-form movement, otherwise known as parkour. It was a system in Lost World that was rigid and restrictive, but showed a lot of promise had it been expanded on in future games. Instead, we return to the boost formula with Forces. A boost formula that was watered down greatly from Generations. I’m proposing a return to the Lost World formula, but opening it up a lot more. There’d still be two speeds, but instead of jog and run, it would be run and boosted run.

Not boost as already known, but a way to go faster that poses a risk if you run into enemies while using it. This greater speed is what is needed to access the freeform movement options, but to a greater degree than Lost World offered. As you run up walls, you will naturally lose momentum, so the greater the angle of ascent up the wall, the faster that momentum will be lost.

There would also be more freedom in the other moves Sonic could perform, with the ability to air dash off walls, and then into a bounce. Or perform a bounce into an air dash to a wall, where you’d then be able to launch higher up by jumping. Even enemies can be used in such a fashion, where homing into them and pressing the dash button at the right moment will see Sonic launch away from them rather than destroying them, allowing greater forward momentum should you need it.

That’s the main game, but what of the side game? I consider the Rivals games to be side games, since they rely on platforming as well as being a racer. Those were 2D platformers, using multiple characters that shared roughly the same moveset trying to win out against the other while using powerups to hinder the opposition or help themselves gain an advantage. Remind you of anything?

I certainly seemed to think so in 2013 when first proposing the idea in the first What I’m Waiting For. Helped along a bit by using a current rumour that was going around, I made the proposition that it sounded similar to not only the Adventure games, but also to Rivals. From there, I created the idea of having a Rivals game in 3D, though left it at that. The idea hinted at was to use Adventure 2’s multiplayer – specifically the action races – as a base to create this new 3D Rivals-like game.

And this is where I borrow some parts from that Adventure 3 idea I mentioned above. The fourteen stages from that concept would be halved, giving just seven stages with three zones each. Two regular race zones and a boss zone. The gameplay would stick closely to Adventure 2, and being in 3D there would be multiple routes through levels offering varying levels of distance and difficulty. The AI opponent would make decisions based on your own position as to which path it would take.

That’s all I’ll mentioned with that one, as there’s the spin-off game to mention as well. And that spin-off game is building off what Forces gave us in the Avatar system, but turning it into an action-RPG. It’s been suggested plenty of times around – or at least in terms of giving the Avatar characters their own spin-off series, and I’ve been thinking about that and this is sort of building off an unreleased concept I’ve considered for the main games.

Yeah, a main game built as an action-RPG sounds crazy. But it was something I was thinking of a few years back, and then Forces happened which changed the tack of the idea. The Wispons would be expanded to give greater capabilities than what Forces offers, giving varied movement and combat options that would be expanded as your character levelled up. The grappling hook would also play a part in that, and would be able to freely be used, going into bullet-time whenever you aimed it.

The story wouldn’t need Sonic to be a part of it, or any of the main cast. Eggman wouldn’t even need to be the villain. It allows a different view of the world that we never really see. And if you say that doing such a story breaks the flow of continuity, I’d say that’s just being limiting. Sonic can’t be everywhere at once, and while he would be the hero of any situation he comes across, it also stands to reason he wouldn’t hear about everything that goes on in the world.

That’s three ideas within the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, each offering something new while expanding on things previously seen within the games. There’s nothing ground-breaking or wacky about these ideas, but I feel all three can work. What about you readers, though. Do you feel these ideas a re worth pursuing, or do you have something better? Sound off down below.

Mario and Sonic and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - First Impressions

I remember vaguely getting the first of these games and having a great time with it. Back when the Wii was still the most popular machine in the house. Back when I was still growing into the man of gaming culture that I am today. But while I enjoyed the game, I didn’t get another within the series until it moved to the WiiU with the Winter Sochi Games, where I similarly enjoyed what it offered.

And now, the first game in the series on the Switch is here, and it again provides the fun that is expected of the series. It feels as though it has lost a lot of the charm that makes the games, however. The characters from both series are still here, and with the story mode there’s some interaction between the two worlds, but other things stop it from being that greatest of crossovers between the two.

Yes, it is the Olympics, so there has to be representation of the real world within it. But the best thing about the games was always the extras that brought the elements of the two universes to the fore. Dream Events would always bring smiles of delight at seeing what interesting spins on events and the locations they take place, and it is kind of lost here.

The three events that are here are fun distractions, with the best for me being Dream Racing. Sochi was king for me in having a variety of different ways to race, so of course I’d latch onto the racing event of the new one. Despite the fact there’s only one track based on Metropolis from Sonic Forces, it executes the feel of racing well, so two runs never feel similar. Dream Shooting is the next bets for me, since Dream Karate feels too random to have much of an impact.

As for the main events, there’s plenty on offer giving the usual bout of mayhem, from regular inclusions such as the 100m and swimming, to new events such as skateboarding and sport climbing. Some favour speed, while some favour a more strategic approach, but all are fun to play through. And that goes for the Tokyo ’64 games, as well. They bring the retro feel to the Olympics, and are great fun even if not as long-lasting. It’s a double-edged sword, for me, I guess. I like retro games, but at the same time can’t feel any immersion from them anymore.

As for the story, it brings both 2020 and 1964 Olympics together with a simple story that serves its purpose to get players experiencing everything that the game offers – including the unlocking of a few guest characters and minigames that are playable within the Games Room. And while above I did say there’s interaction between the two worlds, it’s very surface level interaction. It offers some good character moments at times from what I’ve played of it (and I’m about halfway through it), but it’s dressing to get you to the gameplay.

And now, I’m back to those things that make it not the best it could be. I know I usually avoid comparisons when it comes to reviews (or first impressions), but there’s a lack of that magic that only sparks during the Dream Events but can’t really be fully set alight. The key component of doing a crossover such as this is the fan service – especially since it’s a party game. There’s very little in the way of recognisable music – whether remixed or not – from both series. There’s no customisation options available which means there’s little in terms of visual fan service as well.

This is a first impressions post, so I’m not going to dive into it, but I have ideas on making an ultimate version of a game in this series that includes a lot of what is missing here. And if a core component of a series is missing, is it really worth it to buy?

The gameplay is solid and there’s fun to be had, especially with friends gathered together. And while I’m strongly wanting the fan service to be there, that might be something that others aren’t wanting as much. So in terms of recommendations, if you’re here for the fan service, there’s little to get from this one. However, it’s a party game, and while there’s not any sort of mode that brings that feeling here, it still stands as one to add to the collection for those who enjoy a good game for a bit of multiplayer mayhem wanting something new.

Super Sonic Racing - Putting a Full Game Into Action! [Gaming]

There’s a lot of excitement and curiosity about this new racing game from SEGA. Unless a mis-direction, we know it to be a kart racer – but that’s it. As you’ve no doubt seen, I like talking ideas, with post three having recently been added of the Future of Mario Kart series. Much like ideas for a future Mario Kart game, I’m doing the same with this Sonic racer. Everything will be contained within this post, with levels, characters, and other ideas within. And no racing game is complete without the tracks to race on, so we’ll start there.

For this idea, there are eight cups of four tracks, but each cup is effectively part of an island. Each island is a hub that the tracks are accessed from, but also becomes a track itself for the final challenge. As for those islands and tracks, I have taken a level from every major Sonic game release and a number of spin-offs as well. Each section of the island [or biome as I’ll call them] is formed with two stage themes, and as such are named to easily identify those themes.

Green Coast – Green Hill / Emerald Coast / Leaf Forest / Windmill Isle

Ancient Sea – Aqua Road / Rusty Ruin / Wild Water Way / Coral Cave

Canyon City – Canyon Cruise / Megalo Station / Radical Train / Red Gate Bridge

Spooky Sands – Mirage Saloon / Mystic Mansion / Sandopolis / Skeleton Dome

Winter Forest – Iron Jungle / Press Garden / Frozen Factory / Botanic Base

Cyber Mine – Aquatic Mine / Cyber Track / Crystal Cave / Digital Dimension

Skybase – Wing Fortress / Quartz Quadrant / Altitude Limit / Egg Rocket

Galaxy Amusements – Tropical Resort / Radiant Emerald / Twinkle Park / Carnival Night

As for how this plays out – a championship starts each biome off, with the four tracks within being a cup. The winner of the cup is then challenged to a one-on-one race on each of the tracks with special challenges being active. Collecting the most rings or attacking the other racer the most, for example. Winning all four of those will net the player the ability to race the boss of the biome. Upon beating the boss, a Chaos Emerald is obtained. Once this has been done on all biomes, Galaxy Amusements is open for business. A championship still happens on Galaxy Amusements, but instead of facing off against one-on-ones on the tracks, all seven bosses will challenge the player to a race on the biome itself.

Of course, that’s just the adventure mode, but other modes I’m proposing include rivals [the one-on-one races, but with the player setting the conditions], riders [effectively the versus mode], mania [completely random settings which include racer selected, tracks chosen, and ability rules], rush [time trials], and advance [basically the same as a Grand Prix]. Yes, it’s using game names to represent the modes, but it’s just a neat little referencing.

As for the online and local multiplayer, there’s several options. For local, you can play any of the modes with two players, or riders and advance modes with four players. Yes, I’m saying you can do the adventure mode co-op. Well, competitively anyway, as the winner will be playing the one-on-ones. But the player who hasn’t got the chance to race gets to ghost, being either help or hinderance to the other player.

As for online, along with riders and rivals, there are some online-only modes available. Heroes mode groups racers into teams of three, with the objective being to have the most points by finishing in the higher positions. Whichever team gets the most points upon each race gets the point. The first team to three points wins, so it might be best in larger groups instead of randoms. Unleashed doubles the amount of racers on tracks, so instead of twelve it would be twenty-four.

Both local and online also get blast and forces. These two are more about battling than racing, with blast giving each racer three lives in a last-man-standing type battle. Forces has one player being an attacker whose job it is to turn other racers into attackers as well. If even one defender remains upon the completion of the three laps, the attackers lose.

Now, I mentioned ability rules. That’s because one idea I am proposing is to not use items in the way most other kart racers do. Instead, each track will be littered with rings to collect. These rings offer two abilities to use – attack or defend. Both abilities have three tiers. The first tier are basic abilities, such as activating a shield or using a quick burst of an element [water, fire, electric]. The second tier would be using a character’s abilities such as Sonic’s speed or Tails’ flight. The third tier would be off-limits to the top three as it includes speed boosts and invincibility bonuses. In one-on-one races, this third tier would be off-limits at all times. The reason I’m suggesting this? It makes use of a Sonic staple, which is rings to give power. Yes, usually all rings do is keeping the player alive, but think to when they’ve been currency to buy abilities or even Adventure 2’s multiplayer. That’s the thing I’m going for here.

As for the tracks themselves, I won’t say that all of them need to be point-to-point, but having different areas to go to each lap would make the tracks themselves stand out. Take Press Garden for example. The starting line would be within the factory, with the first lap being mostly outside. The second lap would be fully inside the factory, needing to avoid the pressing machines as they work. The third lap would take the racers up a level, through a window to get outside, then complete the circuit. It gives variety, especially for those like Windmill Isle or Tropical Resort where structures are similar. For those where stage themes change with levels – Quartz Quadrant being the obvious one – a point-to-point would effectively show them off. Unlike with Mario Kart, I’d expect the difference between the two styles of races to be 50/50. That doesn’t include the biome tracks, as they are adventure-exclusive.

Now is the fun part. Characters. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Shadow, Rouge, and Omega. Amy, Cream, and Big. Espio, Vector, and Charmy. The Heroes Majority, as I call them. Since most of these have pretty much been the core cast [with only Cream and Big having dropped off] since Heroes released in 2003. Bringing those two back just for this game wouldn’t hurt or affect the cast list. In terms of other characters, seven are the bosses of the biomes. Silver is boss of Green Coast. Marine is the boss of Aquatic Sea. Bean is the boss of Canyon City. Fang is the boss of Spooky Sands. Bark is the boss of Winter Forest. Mighty is the boss of Cybermine. Ray is the boss of Skybase. Each boss is unlocked upon first completion of the adventure mode.

As for other characters, Eggman is a must, as is Metal Sonic. Orbot and Cubot take a vehicle for themselves, and repping the Hard Boiled Heavies is Heavy Rider – since the motobug it’s riding is already a vehicle. Zavok and Zik team up in a vehicle, with Jet, Storm, and Wave of the Babylon Rogues each getting a position in the list. That leaves Blaze, Tikal, and Chaos 0 to round out the list to thirty racers. If I wanted to push it a bit further, I’d put Infinite in the list, along with classic versions of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Zazz and Zor would be together, along with a group of Wisps. Pushing it even further, a Hero and Dark Chao together in the same vehicle. The GUN Commander. A group of the animal friends from the original games [so Ricky, Pocky, Flicky, Rocky, Cucky, Pecky, and Picky] within the same vehicle. And the one villain sure to get up everyone’s nerves if he’s does get in – Mephiles.

Overall, I can see most of this being possible in some form. Of course, if this is a kart racer, then all of what I’ve just stated will work. If this is an on-foot racer, some changes need to be made. All the modes will stay the same, but the biomes and stages will be catered to make use of on foot racing mechanics. The roster would be reduced to allow such a set-up to work. The Heroes Majority would stay, as would the Babylon Rogues, Silver, Blaze, Marine, Mighty, Ray, Bean, Bark, and Fang. Metal Sonic would be the only villain to stay on. That’s twenty-four racers. Still a sizable amount. Abilities would still work the same, but each character would also fit into one of three categories that give them extra field abilities. Speed, power, and fly. For the Heroes Majority it’s easy, as Heroes already put them into distinct categories for the team mechanic. Fitting the rest of the characters in proves easy for some, and hard for others.

Speed – Sonic / Shadow / Amy / Espio / Jet / Blaze / Metal Sonic / Mighty

Power – Knuckles / Omega / Big / Vector / Storm / Fang / Bark / Marine

Fly – Tails / Rouge / Cream / Charmy / Wave / Ray / Bean / Silver

The Babylon Rogues easily fit within the speed-power-fly dynamic of teams, having been designed that way thanks to Riders using the same classifications. Metal Sonic has been built to be as fast as Sonic, so choosing the speed class is easy. Mighty was designed from the concepts of Sonic – which included an armadillo – so he also gets into speed. Ray is a flying squirrel, so that choice is easy as well. Bark is a large polar bear, so gets into power. Bean is a bird, making that an easy choice as well. Fang is difficult to place, as are Marine and Silver. Silver has been shown to use his psychokinesis powers for flight, so he gets put into there. Marine has some sort of energy blast she can use with her fists, so power is the best place for her, and with Blaze being a speed character – the only position for Fang if we were to keep these classifications equal would be power. He uses weapons to attack, so it’s not a stretch to imagine him using explosives or the like.

A new mode is added just for this type of game. Colours restricts character choice to one of the three classes. It might seem a bit unfair to do so but keeps everyone on an even playing field. Per race, the class changes, meaning selecting a character per race is needed.

I’m hoping at least some ideas can make it into the actual game, but it should be a good one no matter what. Sumo Digital are hopefully behind it again, and really, the only way I can see the game being even further from Mario Kart than what I’ve suggested is if it was basically the Sonic version of Forza Horizon. When this finally gets its full reveal, it’s going to be interesting to see how it compares with Mario Kart.