Sonic Discussion
[Sticky] Project Needlemouse has been declared Sonic the Hedgehog 4!!

Yeah, we kind of got that already :) - see my recent blogpost or the other Needlemouse topic. Some people on this forum (they know who they are :P) are slightly less optimistic about it than you or I though!

The footage isn´t quite right to me, but the 4 seconds of Sonic running a pseudo green hill zone looks interesting... As a defender of the old stuff I don´t like the fact that I will not have the package of the game (as it will be only downloable) but anyway... I hope they release more stuff... and I love the fact that Project NeedleMouse wasn´t Picachu with a Sombrero lol.

I'm excited either way. It's easy at times to be extremely critical of the franchise these days, but even if the game isn't all that amazing, it's certainly a step in the right direction.

I'm actually more excited about the soundtrack than anything else. Hoping for some subtle nods to past tunes.

Tailsspain:Have you seen the level of lifes you can get? there are 3 numbers in the indicator. (x000) Another thing that I would like to know if the kind of special stage we are going to play. It would be nice that they put a real 3D special stage (2D is nice but I don´t think that 3D was as bad as they say)

I know, I noticed that. It's the first time they've ever gone over a max of 99. Very interesting, but do you really need more than 99 lives?

Regarding the Special Stage, look very closely at the text "in 2010 the adventure continues" text in the trailer, about 30 seconds in. There's a video within the colour of the text itself and it looks an awful lot like an updated version of the Sonic 1 special stage.

Yep, seen it! This is quickly becoming the thread for slightly late Sonic 4 news! Fair enough though no one else has made comment on it yet. :)

There was also a short video of what appears to be (hopefully) alpha footage of the first portion of Splash Hill Zone Act 1 doing the rounds - don't know if it's still available. If not I have it downloaded if anyone wants it and can't find it anywhere anymore, I know Sega requested it be taken down from a lot of places. There's a number of interesting things in it, but some not quite perfect, possibly glitchy physics.

I was concerned initially to see that the Green Hill clone will be joined by Casino Night, Labyrinth and Metropolis ones - was really hoping for more of an original game than that. I've come around to them though, particularly Lost Labyrinth and Mad Gear - Casino Street obviously represents a much more cliched level type that doesn't look that original or really necessary. Those little screen shots at least suggest some interesting level-specific objects and structures, like what appears to be a massive spherical boulder falling from the top of Lost Labyrinth. in general they look really colourful and bursting with life, which is really important.

What concerns me more is the possibility that these four might be the only levels in this episode, making for an extremely short Sonic game, even with three large acts. If that's the case and they plan on charging full price for each episode, that's rather devious of them. These are supposed to be (at least) two full Sonic games combined as one, if the statement about them mimicking S3&K's lock-on thing is true - not a single, normal-sized Sonic game split in half to try and make more money.

The original leak about levels, before Sonic 4 was even announced said that there would be seven though, ending in a level called "E.G.G. Station". It could be the last level of the second episode, but I think/hope the statement was referring only to the first. Everything else it predicted was true. Well, we'll find out in good time I guess.

Ok, here's the video's link from Splash Hill Zone 1 (no more working)
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/28004

Have you seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu3dHB-ZuH4

This is so much reminding me Sonic Rush... it should be called Sonic Advance 4 instead of Sonic the Hedgehog 4....... ?

Check it out, a list of achievements for the game has been revealed: http://www.tssznews.com/2010/03/05/sonic-4-achievements-revealed-super-sonic-returns/

Fortunately, they don't go and spoil too much for us (though if you don't want any spoilers at all, look away now)..

..It at least confirms the existence of the whispered E.G.G Station Zone, proving that there will indeed be more than four levels afterall, AND Super Sonic will be playable in levels again!

I think I really WILL like this game. The only danger is that it could be a photocopy of Sonic 1... I hope this doesn´t happen

Nintendo Power scans: http://www.tssznews.com/2010/03/09/scans-of-the-sonic-4-nintendo-power-interview/

The full interview, and a lot more screenies of Splash Hill, showing off many little trinkets such as spikes, moving platform, green shield, classic invincibility stars (a welcome return!!) Sonic 2/3 style checkpoint, log bridges with Masher badnik, speed-up item, breakable cliff edges, and lovely waterfalls. Enjoy!

As I've tweeted, Iizuka (is it Iizuka or Lizuka? I'd assume the first but I can never tell) has told Dimps to focus on Sonic 2 style level design above all else because it's his favourite, and this is in spite of the fact that he was a level designer for Sonic 3. Personally I would have favoured the rich multiple routes and variety offered by S3&K design, but Sonic 2 is by no means bad either. Compared with its brethren, it's very sort of linear, in a directional sense, and flowing and in that way kind of has similarities with Sonic Advance 2 in particular, which according to reports, Sonic 4's level design is vaguely similar to. Hopefully it won't mimic the length of an average Sonic 2 act. With ten levels Sonic 2 could afford to have short acts, but at only four for this episode, we'd be looking at about half an hour of gameplay!

Still, as if there were any doubt, it's clear indication that the team are following the patterns set by the classics and actually looking at how they work. They're following something akin to a kind of Photoshop tutorial on how to make a classic Sonic game in its purist form, but if that's what they need to do then so be it. You would have to assume that all other recent Sonic games probably only really take inspiration from the two or three that preceded them, which is why we've slowly ditched more and more of these old mechanics as time has gone on. While I'm all for new things, the stuff I've mentioned above that are visible in these screenshots should never be forgotten entirely, so I think it's great that they're being refreshed, refurbished a little and used again to bring them back into the cycle. One can't help but get a little nostaligic buzz when you see a sinking log bridge or winding tunnel in use again after so many years. :)

maza17:Something you didn't expect at all.

See this!!
Someone at SonicRetro leaked some images from Sonic 4:

The title screen:
http://www.sonicretro.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/269.jpg

Splash Hill Zone (first level?)
http://www.sonicretro.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/268.jpg

Probably the Level Select:
http://www.sonicretro.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/267.jpg

I heard a rumor that the title of the game is actually Sonic 4 episode 1. But their wrong apparently.

About Splash Hill Act 1 music: At first listen it didn´t impress me. But it grew... It´s a catchy tune that sure will improve in act 2 and act 3. One thing that I was thinking about was the length of the game. Since it´s going to be 3 acts plus boss act.....3 minutes per act, 2 minutes for the boss....11 minutes per zone!That makes an average of 44 minutes plus special zones, it´s almost the same length as Sonic 3. When the next episodes are available we will have the hugest 2D Sonic game in history!

Evidence of water at last!

The physics still seem a bit on the floaty side in the video, at least initially. Sonic reaches a high speed fairly quickly, but as the level design begins to vary it's not particularly noticeable. It's different from the exact classic physics but that's not necessarily a bad thing - as long as it's easy and fun enough to play. We'll only know that for sure as we traverse the later levels ourselves. It's easy to miss but Sonic gets a speed-up item at about 55 seconds, after the line of Bubbles badniks, which then allows him to walk up the following wall fairly easily. I don't think the physics would allow that otherwise so that bit may not be quite as weird as it seems.

The level design I don't think I can fault. It's definitely more Green Hill/Emerald Hill than say Leaf Forest - not all slopes and long roads. The paths really begin to vary and toss you back and forth between them, maintaining flow. Should be great fun, plus you can see plenty of alternate routes separating and converging along the way - looks fairly open and exactly the type of level design a classic 2D Sonic platformer should incorporate for its first level. Listen out for the Sonic 3 extra life jingle too! And of course the essential S3&K level complete jingle, back in its classic form!