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Classic Games (Games) Games

New 2D, HD Sonic Game Coming In 2010 123

Posted by Soulskill from the now-with-more-speeding-pixels dept.
Anonymouse writes "Sonic the Hedgehog is going back to his roots, but with a fresh coat of HD paint. 'An all-new 2D side-scrolling High Definition Sonic game is coming with a 2010 release date, according to a new teaser trailer from Sega.' Sega's Ken Ballough had this to say: 'Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay. Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots.'"
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New 2D, HD Sonic Game Coming In 2010 More

New 2D, HD Sonic Game Coming In 2010

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  • A chance at a _good_ sonic game since the genesis.
    • I rather enjoyed Sonic Adventure 2 on the game cube.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by nkh ( 750837 )
        GameCube or Dreamcast? I loved the Dreamcast version (the 1st one was bad) but the only Sonic game I player on the Cube was... weird.

        • GameCube or Dreamcast? I loved the Dreamcast version (the 1st one was bad) but the only Sonic game I player on the Cube was... weird.

          I think that was a joke.

          Sonic Adventure 2 was viewed as less fun than the original by many, and the GameCube's version of 2 suffered poor sales.

          But I could be wrong.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      This gives me the opportunity to ask about something that I've always had trouble finding info about... cart pulls.

      A cart pull is when you yank one cartridge out, put another one in, and hit reset, based on the fact that the Genesis does not wipe RAM when you hit reset, and some games did not initialize all variables properly. This aspect is well-known in that Sonic 1 lets you get the first chaos emerald, hit reset, play from the beginning of the game until getting a chaos emerald (which will be the second

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by Z80a ( 971949 )
        something like this?

        http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=38&title=Cart-Swapping%20Tricks:%20Cheating%20at%20Your%20Own%20Risk [sega-16.com]

        i seen they do that trick with rambo III once, but never performed it myself.

      • I discovered this with sonic 1, though couldn't care less as the game wasn't actually all that difficult to beat properly without cheating.

        What I found rather interesting was that with the game sonic 3d (and I vaguely recall this working with at least one other cart) if you gave the cartridge a good tab on the front of the game it took one directly to the cheat menu.

        Was this a deliberate thing or just a handy fluke? It was discovered by a friend of mine who gave the console a thump after a fit of rage induc

        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by Canazza ( 1428553 )

          Sonic 3D Cheats menu: B,A, Right,Right, A, C, Up, Down Down, A (It spells Barracuda) one of the more memorable cheats :)

      • My favorite part of Reset not clearing variables is in X-Men. The game actually required you to press RESET on the console in order to finish it. Talk about exploiting a quirk and turning it into a unique game enhancement. With console operating systems and system-land and user-land distinctions, those days are gone, man.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by KDR_11k ( 778916 )

      You make it sound like they haven't made 2D Sonic games since then. There's 3 GBA ones and two DS games. The level design in the GBA ones was arse (hey, let's end a lengthy run sequence right on top of a set of spikes that pop up you can only know about with trial and error!), the DS versions were hit and miss (some good stages, some bad ones) though the second DS game was grindy (had to repeatedly play stages to get the parts you needed to reach the next level) from what I heard. Sure, none of them were ma

    • I doubt it.

      One of the interesting factors I've found with Sonic is any time Sega uses the word "Adventure" in any sonic game, the quality goes towards the crapper.

      For example, Sonic Rush was pretty good. although it added another friend, but Sonic Rush Adventure was a useless grindfest that made you play stages over and over and over. nowhere near the first Rush.

      Also in original games, the word Adventure is almost never found. It's nowhere on Sonic 1 or 2 either on the box art of the manuals. It's on Sonic

      • If you think Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles sucked, there is no hope for you. Maybe you're arguing that they should only be viewed together, but that doesn't make the individual games suck.

  • Sonic Cycle (Score:5, Funny)

    by TejWC ( 758299 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:18AM (#29386023)

    Before you get your hopes up, I would like to direct your attention to what is called the Sonic Cycle [imageshack.us].

  • It would be nice to buy a new sonic game that doesn,t suck. Some of the best times I had growing up was playing Sonic and Knuckles with my dad. It would be cool to be able to do that with my children.
    • Is there anything stopping you from playing S&K with your children on an emulator? I remember doing that ten years ago (one player with the keyboard, the other with a joypad). I vaguely remember having to cat two rom images together to play with Knuckles in other games, simulating the 'lock on' technology it had in the original carts.

  • Nice! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by maroonhat ( 845773 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:26AM (#29386065)
    I always thought Sonic's transition to 3d was much less graceful than say, Mario's. Maybe it was the high speed and the weird feel of the Dreamcast controller that made me feel like I was influencing Sonic's motions, not controlling them.

    • Re:Nice! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Shadow of Eternity ( 795165 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:46AM (#29386149)

      Well mario made sense because he was a slower platformer to begin with and even in 2d had a reasonable amount of exploration already built in (mario3).

      Sonic games... if you look at "maps" of the levels, they're ENORMOUS. Doing that in 3d would be almost impossible so they needed to both slow down sonic and find ways to make you feel like you were going faster and farther than you really were. Thus you get lots of grinding and levels that are basically roads floating in the middle of the air. Since Super Sonic basically went even faster still and was invincible except for crushing and falling into pits he had to go out the window too, it'd be impossible to control or map for and remove their carefully planned interruptions.

      Going back to 2d and not on a handheld means there's a chance to get those looooong levels that aren't based on "haha didn't see that coming" tiny screen cheap shots and grinding/rocketing/whatevering level gimmicks back. Along with hopefully the old emerald system.

      • Re:Nice! (Score:4, Interesting)

        by SlashdotOgre ( 739181 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @02:22AM (#29386511) Journal

        I have to agree, although personally I don't think we need to throw 3D all the way out. Something along the lines of what Capcom did with Street Fighter IV would be pretty awesome. I've said it before, and will say it again. I wish these classic series would start sticking to their roots. When will companies realize it's not in their best interest to reinvent the wheel when it comes to classic series? I'm dying for modern remakes of several classic titles (Raiden, Gunstar Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, etc.), and I'm confident that doing them 2D is not only the cheaper approach, but will lead to the superior product.

      • Going back to 2d and not on a handheld means there's a chance to get those looooong levels that aren't based on "haha didn't see that coming" tiny screen cheap shots and grinding/rocketing/whatevering level gimmicks back.

        2D sonic games look(ed) fast because of fast scrolling and nothing more. If you have enough time to see what's coming ahead, this means scrolling isn't that fast, hence the whole game seems comparatively slower (big screen or not, high res or not). YVMV, but I wouldn't expect substantial gameplay improvements on this aspect.

    • Re:Nice! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Freaky Spook ( 811861 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @01:07AM (#29386219)

      Sonic's transition to 3D was the same as NBA Jam, confusing and everything that was fun about the game got lost in translation.

      It's good to see it going back to 2D, heaps of 2D Xbox live games have proved to be a huge success with a HD touch up, this should be the same.

      Now all we need is them to do NBA Jam TE in HD and I'll be a very happy person.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wisty ( 1335733 )

      Many games went downhill when they went to 3D. Even HMM (a strategy game) became less playable, because stuff was harder to click on than in iso. People like 3D for the graphics, not for the ability to get lost, for the ability to lose "obvious" items behind ferns, and other annoyances.

      FPS is the exception.

    • Actually I really liked Sonic and the secret rings except for the pointless story and music.
      But the gameplay really was the 2d gameplay really well transitioned into the 3d realm. The trick simply was to push Sonic back on rails hence you could get the speed back.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sgbett ( 739519 )

        But original sonic was written with emeralds not ruby?

        (sorry)

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KDR_11k ( 778916 )

        I don't think it is much like the 2D games but it does use the advantage of 3D that you can look ahead and control Sonic at much higher speeds, it's pretty much a redesign into a racing game which IMO was the right direction to take for 3D Sonic.

        • Well I think it is not too different, the 2d games were like run as fast as possible and dont hit the obstacles in the way by jumping.
          Secret rings was, run as fast as it gets and dont hit the obstacles in the way by jumping and getting sideways.
          The reason why it feels like a racing game is, that burnout took a lesson from sonic and sonic in itself is a racing game sort of.
          (well it has very similar mechanics)

          But I think they got the formula defintively right in that game. I still wonder why this game got med

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Waccoon ( 1186667 )

      The Sonic Team was showing off too much in Sonic Adventure. You had limited control over the camera, and it would zip around all over the place on its own. An unpredictable camera is horrible, no matter how much work went into the AI to predict what the player wants to see.

      The proper way to use the camera for any high-paced 3D game is a fixed viewpoint, so when controlling the character, you don't fight with the camera. It's not a visibility issue, it's a control issue, so smarter camera AI isn't going t

    • I always thought Sonic's transition to 3d was much less graceful than say, Mario's. Maybe it was the high speed and the weird feel of the Dreamcast controller that made me feel like I was influencing Sonic's motions, not controlling them.

      Sonic was never meant to be 3D. He's hard enough to control in only two dimensions. I could just about handle him on the Genesis but on the Dreamcast? Forget it. Uncontrollable.

      The DS version is where they needed to go. 3D engine locked onto the traditional 2D track. Looked pretty, played well, no 3D track BS. Only problem is that I'm just not very good at it.

    • Sonic's transition to 3D was the same as NBA Jam, confusing and everything that was fun about the game got lost in translation.

      It's good to see it going back to 2D, heaps of 2D Xbox live games have proved to be a huge success with a HD touch up, this should be the same.

      Now all we need is them to do NBA Jam TE in HD and I'll be a very happy person.

      The NBA Jam series did make a successful transition to 3D. While Acclaim acquired the license to the Jam name and released a series of awful 3D titles, Midway released a 2D NBA game (NBA Hangtime) and then a 3D game (NBA Showtime: The NBA on NBC) - both of which preserved the great game mechanics of the original Jam titles.

      As for an HD version of the original Jam games? That would be a fun trick. Developers would have to go through the laborious process of taking new HD photos for the game's "digitized" gr

    • I always thought Sonic's transition to 3d was much less graceful than say, Mario's. Maybe it was the high speed and the weird feel of the Dreamcast controller that made me feel like I was influencing Sonic's motions, not controlling them.

      Or maybe, Nintendo are just much better at making games than Sega.

  • A list of what not to include (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Haoie ( 1277294 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:31AM (#29386077)

    -Every character except Sonic, Tales, and Knuckles
    -Clumsy, overbearing storyline
    -Rail grinding
    -Furries

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Trogre ( 513942 )

      Don't forget Dr Robotnik.

    • Doesn't Tails qualify as a furry?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by stwrtpj ( 518864 )

        Doesn't Tails qualify as a furry?

        He gets a pass because he's one of the original characters. Plus, if they do it like the original games where he tags along with you, you get to have fun watching him blunder into things, get himself "killed", and then helicopter back onscreen by spinning his two tails.

        Ah, the simple pleasures of yesteryear ...

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by PenisLands ( 930247 )
      And also voice acting.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by vadim_t ( 324782 )

      No furries? Who would star in the game, Chris Thorndyke and Princess Elise?

      Hedgehogs are furry (and have actual fur on the belly), foxes and echidnas are too. And lizards, dragons, snakes and birds are included in the furry fandom even if they lack actual fur.

  • Yeah, right. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Perseid ( 660451 ) on Friday September 11, 2009 @01:04AM (#29386207)
    This is Sega making a Sonic game in the 21st century. You just KNOW they're going to find some way to fuck it up. It's company policy.

  • If they let fans down with this one, it'll be the end of the brand, for sure. Sega cannot afford that. After all the recent letdowns, this looks promising seeing as (they say) they're looking to emulate the "old skool" Sonic feel. Play control is a must, and creativity as well. True to the Sonic Cycle, my hopes are up, but I'm not going to pass solid judgment until I know a lot more.

  • This isn't going to happen (Score:1, Informative)

    by nyt ( 18341 )

    from http://www.needlemouse.com/

    You've found our Needlemouse project! Congratulations!

    You may think you're looking at a sample of the upcoming Sega game, which according to recent speculation is called Project Needlemouse. What you've stumbled on is actually a fan-created game that weâ(TM)ve been calling Needlemouse: The Emerald Hills since we began working on it a few months ago.

    oh well.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by alienunknown ( 1279178 )
      That site is fake, apparently [destructoid.com].

      Yesterday we were all freaking out over the announcement of Project Needlemouse, a codenamed game that promised to be a brand new 2D Sonic the Hedgehog due for release in 2010. Don't worry, the game itself and the trailer we posted is genuine. However, a Project Needlemouse site featuring Green Hill-esque artwork has been confirmed as false.

  • Trine is a "2d" side-scroller, but makes beautiful use of pixel & vertex shaders, along with fun gameplay.

    I haven't remembered a SEGA game being fun in ages (aka Dreamcast days)

    • Not really trine is 3d but in 2d/3d look like Pandemonium was. Btw. as for Sega I really liked the Nintendo DS sonics and funnily I personally loved Sonic and the Secret Rings.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by hal2814 ( 725639 )
      If you don't remember SEGA being fun since the Dreamcast, then you need to pick up a Super Monkey Ball game.
  • I don't think this will work out exactly the best because you just know some higher up douche is going to pressure them into adding something complex, flashy, and "modern." It's like developers aren't allowed to make simple, awesome games anymore unless they're making them in flash online or something. They'll probably end up giving him a rail gun or letting him pull out a laptop and blog in the middle of a level or something idiotic like that. I want my damn simple sonic, damn it!
  • Well if there is a sonic cycle or not, I still got my hopes up. Why? Because I am a positive person. Like it or not but they made good Sonic games. They were on Genesis but there were there. So they should be able to make a good Sonic game again. After 10 years of sucky Sonic games (with an exceptions of Sonic Adventure) they had enough time to think about it.

    When it's released, I'll look for reviews and screens, and if it's released for the PC, I'll probably buy it.

  • There has been a load of 2d sonics, but they were only released on the handheld consoles, needless to say they were quite good.

    • 'Sonic Rush' and its followup on Nintendo DS are some of the best Sonic titles available. I would say they easily rival the classics from Sega's heydey. Most reviews had high praise for the games speed, non-linearity and relatively small number of extra (but useless) side characters.
      • I should say, high speed and relative non-linearity of the level design.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Rhaban ( 987410 )

        I tried Sonic Rush Adventure on the DS. Took me 10 minutes of dialogs and stupid stuff before I could play a platforms level.

        I never touched that game again. I usually play on my DS for short sessions, and if I want to play a sonic game I want a fast platform game. I don't care about a storyline that's as dumb as the worst teletubbies episodes.

    • Actually, the three Sonic Advance games weren't that good. They had poor level design. Sonic Rush was a step up with the tricks system, better level design, and great music, but it's still not the same thing as the original series. Everything is still about going fast. The original series was about good level design with platforming, and momentum. Not constant speed.

  • The Coca-Cola Classic of video games. When you've got a great formula, don't go changing it.

  • ._. (Score:1)

    by Spewns ( 1599743 )
    What kind of crappy trailer was that? Text on a website would've sufficed. I mean, if you got nothin' to show...

    Also, apparently I have the complete opposite reaction than a lot of you. The 2D Sonic games are really boring and dated, yet the original Sonic Adventure for Dreamcast was by far one of the best games of its time. Seeing as it's the only 3D Sonic game I've played though, I can't really vouche for anything further.

    • I'm with you. Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 I really loved, and I didn't play the original sonics in the 80s so I don't have the nostalgia that everyone else has. But the 3d sonics after adventure 2 are horrible full of fail. I tried heroes, and it was painfully lame. Then sonic was a werewolf. then sonic got a sword. wtf?

      I don't have a lot of hope for this. But the sonic advances and rushes for handhelds were pretty cool. so maybe.

  • We'll see if it is actually faithful to the original Sonic or if it ends up being more like the crap, Sonic Rush on the DS. Excluding the frustrating boss fights, the game was completely 2D. The sense of speed was present, but the stages were poorly designed with all sorts of traps, obstacles and falls to constantly trip up a player. The game was constant trial and error trying to figure how to get past sections. But even worse, pacing was awful. The game encouraged, even required high speeds but then would

    • I think you're being a bit too harsh on the game. The tricks system is there exactly to get you through the obstacles unharmed and maintain your speed. As for the level design, it's not that bad. Try the Sonic Advance games to see what bad looks like. Too many large bottomless pits.

  • Face it, those old games weren't that great. Take of your nostalgia glasses and realize they were ok for being on a a system that came out 19 years ago. When you were 10 years old they seemed pretty ok. You have to realize a entire game consisting of holding down the right directional pad for an hour to win is hardly the stuff of the ages.

    • You're obviously entitled to your opinion. While I definitely am of the retrogaming mindset, I personally didn't own a Genesis and never played the original games at the time. I did get the Sonic Mega Collection for the PS2 (a system I only got a few years ago), and enjoy them a lot.

      Basically, you could argue that it's nostalgia for that *type* of game, but there are people playing the game now that weren't players of the game series originally.
      (I never had a NES either, and played Super Mario Bros for a

    • What are you talking about? Honestly, if you're talking about a game that consists of holding the direction button down, try Sonic Adventure or the other 3D sonic games, where you do nothing watch Sonic run through scripted loops and somersault scenes (where you'll fall to your death if you do anything other than hold the analogue stick forward).

      The original three Sonic games are much more interesting and challenging than anything than anything that Sonic Team has put out since the 90s.
  • For some reason when I opened the link and the trailer started loading up, I started feeling sick to my stomach and just closed that tab. I'll just wait to see it when it comes out. I don't want this to be drawn out any longer than it has to. Yes, it does sound too good to be true. I just don't have any strength left to hold out hope for another good Sonic game. Please make it as good as Sonic CD.

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