Time Attack, with the New Build
When he’s not busy trying to discredit the authenticity of stories he hasn’t yet read, Aaron Webber is an avid player of Sonic 4. He and the rest of the Sega of America community team brought it with them to the J-Pop Summit Festival in San Francisco this weekend. They had a new build, and someone had a camera.
At the festival there appeared to be a little time attack competition among attendees. Before the video was recorded, a top time of 1:13.98 was recorded. Even with a few missteps, Webber narrowed it down to an even 1:13 through Splash Hill Act 1–to oohs, aahs, and eventually much applause.
But you shouldn’t care about that. You should, however, care about the fact this is a new build on display, with new running animation and all. The video is off-screen and a bit blurry, but can you seek out any changes? Take a look at the video below, and tell us in the comments. One big change–the loading screen is gone.
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Looks like they had a lot of fun! I can’t wait to play it myself
The game looks awesome =D
…. I hate it when people scream “ooooOOOOOOooohhhhh” whenever somebody does or doesn’t do something cool x.x It’s rather annoying
LOL – this made me smile, I love the old friend gathering for time-attacks. 8 )
And finally, someone who knows what they’re doing when playing, the game looks like a lot of fun.
Since I only have my HDMI cables for my PS3, not my 360 – I think I might get it on that.
Classic Time Attack
Nostalgic tear drop here =)
Nice to see they spent the last few months fixing nothing in the core gameplay because you know when it comes to a 2D game I care more about loading screens, 6 frame title animations and dancing flowers over actual gameplay
Homing attacks and uncruls all over the place Mr.Webber is a snake oil salesman.
@Lucas
Ahh yes brings me back way back, I remember having to spam the win button and the win booster to break under 30 seconds in Green HIll Zone Act 1 made out like a guddam bandit.
Glad you guys liked the run! The crowd was a lot of fun.
One of the big reasons for all the ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ was that they’d all gotten to play the stage themselves beforehand. They knew where the high path was, where the most dangerous enemies were, and how it progressed. They were all really good sports about the competition too, cheering and clapping for everyone when they ran past the goal sign, no matter how long they took.
A great event with a fantastic amount of Sonic fans there – a little shout out to all of you who came by! Hope you guys had fun, because we definitely did. : )
Sega has Falcon punched me with nostalgia.
Past the thick layers of PR how do you really feel Aaron?
@ThE InFoRmEr
What nostalgia? You mean level art don’t you? I’m not seeing anything that resembles the classic design past a few loops and other blatant rehashes such as the tunnel, the tunnels misses the whole point of why they were in Sonic 1 to give you a big thrill when you rocket out of it into the air hitting a big set of rings and bounces on badniks, in Splash HIll Zone it’s just another means to a end an even sends you into a wall to kill all momentum.
You can keep throwing “fun” around all you want Mr.Webber I see through it clear as day clear as crystal. You failed to get the physics improved so you have to re-assure fans it’s fun anyway, why don’t you do ahead and talk some trash about the old physics to justify 4.
Looks great.
Looks fun to me, Eggfang. Looks like everyone there is having fun. I don’t understand why this is an issue.
I see people genuinely having fun with Sonic 4. That is the point of video games. Sounds good to me.
Wow, look at Sonic go…..Blurry feet, Blurry feet, Blurry feet. Try saying that 10 times, really fast.
I so can’t wait for the release date to be announced.
@ThE InFoRmEr
LOL, Sega has Falcon punched me with nostalgia as well.
To be honest, it looks as good as Sonic 2 to me, gameplay-wise. And it aint easy for me to say that since i grew up with the trilogy. Sooo yeah, go Sonic 4 :3
This done something to me to actually start to anticipate this, I havnt had a chance to see it in action so i dont know of the flaws in physics but the feet blur def made it more appeailng to me, It makes it look less sonic rush and more sonic the hedgehog.
Still itching to know what the classic mode is going to be
i hope the changes are good & noticleble.
Man guys watch this
Looks fun Sega has INTERNET MEMEd me in the stomach.
@Gooch
Compare that “speed run” to an actual one of the beloved Sonic 2.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/CornetTheory/videos/4/
Nothing I have seen in Sonic 4 indicates that anything on that level is possible, the rebound and bounce chaining is one of my favorite things about those games and it has been thrown out in favor of sterile win buttons designed in the idea that the audience are skill-less morons that can’t handle platforming.
I was very happy with the delay I thought it would bring gameplay change and for once a Sonic game would get extra time for polish, instead that time was spent animating flowers and a level map. Oh they had to design two levels? So what teams back in the 8-bit and 16-bit days had to design entire games if they time they had to make two levels. Sonic was badly rushed to the market and had many features and levels cut but in spite of that it remains not only as one of the best in the series but one of the greatest of that era. Hidden Palace that is one hell of a lost level not minecart gimmick level and score attack level.
@Dr Eggfang: are you serious? We get Sonic 4 and out of most people on this site… You piss on and on and on about how bad or rehashed or something about physics! Jesus christ stop moaning! SEGAs not gonna listen to negative feedback or whatever.
GOD!
@Aaron webber: cool ^_^
“When he’s not busy trying to discredit the authenticity of stories he hasn’t yet read”
And you wonder why everyone hates you?
Dr. Eggfang is a horrible person and he should feel horrible.
As much as I may not be in favor of Eggfang’s negative approach against King Aaron; he does seem to offer some very valid points. Lol, Ya’ll did see the same speed run I saw right? He doesn’t seem to be like the typical Sonic hate-er that say: only destructive things Nd offer no tips for improvement. He’s just a pissed off paying customer that’s been constantly burned and abused.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/CornetTheory/videos/4/
However, even tho I agree with Eggfang at times, I still believe SEGA did a fine job with the new build.
I’m in love for Sonic4
@blueblur: ” SEGAs not gonna listen to negative feedback or whatever”
If someone is clearly intelligent enough to know there are problems, they should complain. The mine cart itself was worth complaining about, and strangely enough, they did listen to that negative feedback. But in another turn of events, it gave them more of a chance to also justify what’s wrong with the game as well. I opt for Iizuka’s departure from the SEGA company, due to his justifying overly-abundant speed boosters. Only thing I’ve agreed with him on is to make a game for all audiences from ages old enough to play a game until you’re one of the old grandpas/grandmas playing Wii Bowl.
Just because we don’t agree with what’s going on in development doesn’t mean that the developers should ignore helpful criticism. There is a reason why we complain, and it’s because we want them to better their games to be of good quality.
Wrong. People complain because they’re nitpicking about little details that only fanboys will notice. That’s the problem. This isn’t constructive criticism.
Believe it or not, some people may not want to play the game that YOU want.
Ristifer – by your standards then, nobody should ever be allowed to say anything, or have an opinion of any kind. Just because there’s no such thing as a universal standard doesn’t mean that people’s personal likes and desires are worthless.
If this game was flat out BAD in every sense of the word, would you be singing the same “some people may not want to play the game that YOU want” tune? Maybe some people like bad games. Maybe “bad” shouldn’t even be a word because everything is so subjective. By that standard, there is no such thing as constructive criticism, be it fanboy nitpicking or general consensus.
I swear to God, I’m so sick of people jumping down the throats of anybody with a negative opinion. You’re SO much more annoying than the people who are only criticizing a game because they’d like to see it improved. Nobody wants to hear your fucking “let’s all hold hands and appreciate the game just because it exists, it doesn’t matter if it’s good or not” bullshit.
You like the game the way it is. FINE. Some people don’t. FINE. You’re not any more high and mighty just because your opinion is the more positive one, so cram it.
@Eggfang: What the hell are you going on about? Aaron doesn’t work on Sonic 4 directly, He only takes note of fan feedback and tells SEGA or Dimps what they said, it’s not his fault if things don’t get fixed/changed, so please back the fuck off =_=
I don’t care if people have negative opinions, but don’t even get me started. Let’s list the bullshit people have complained about:
1) Running animations (which have been improved)
Graphics being a little weird on colour
2) Green eyes
3) Rehashes (I will admit, there are similarities)
4) A homing attack that will never be taken out
5) Music
6) How many rings spill out
7) Sonic’s stance
9) The way Sonic jumps
10) No elemental shields in THE FIRST EPISODE
11) Sound effects
12) Level design (even though it’s pretty straight-forward stuff)
The list goes on, but that’s 12 things off the top of my head. It’s nitpicking at its finest. There’s a difference between hating everything in the game and whining about it, and then actually providing solid criticisms. I’ve seen a lot of whining and not a lot of worthwhile criticisms. Not to mention the fact that people base all of their garbage after seeing an illegal leak.
Provide actual criticism, and people may take your suggestions seriously. Otherwise, you sound like moronic fanboys, and I love Sonic just as much as you do. So don’t try to tell me otherwise.
Shall I continue?
13) Sonic’s stance when standing near a cliff
14) Gimmicks (even though every Sonic game has had at least one)
15) The fact that Robotnik looks small
16) The fact that Robotnik is called Eggman. Jesus, get over this one already.
17) The HUD of the game itself
18) Sonic’s actual model and how it isn’t a classic sprite
Seriously, just stop me where I’m wrong. I don’t think S4 looks perfect, but it’s only the first episode and it already looks fun as hell. I’m surprised it looks good at all to be honest. I thought it was going to look pretty crappy after it was announced. Some of the things I’ve mentioned can be improved, but a lot of them are stupid, worthless points.
Let’s not forget the people who bash the people who are actually playing the game itself. Since they’re playing it, they MUST be able to fix things just for you internets people who continuously whine about how it looks in someone else’s hands.
Level design, homing attack, and a great deal of the rehash material (ie. bosses) are all more than valid points of criticism because they are all directly related to game playability. Sure, maybe they are “good enough” for some, but what would this world be like if everybody settled for “not bad”?
I’ll fold on the color of the eyes or the name change for Robotnik being moot points, but jumping physics (and by extension: physics in general) or that whole uncurling thing are indeed significant “issues”. Can the game still be fun despite them? Sure. Should we all shut up and settle for less than stellar just because the game is still moderately enjoyable? No.
Personally, I think the music (and to a much lesser, but still relevant degree – the sound effects) is a HUGE deal. My opinion on the music put aside, if people have a problem with it – that’s a very valid concern. Sonic games are KNOWN for their spectacular soundtracks, particularly the Genesis titles. Not living up to fan standards in that regard is an outright blasphemy. Granted, you can’t always please everybody, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t have a right to complain and criticize. I would be infinitely LESS excited about this game if I didn’t like the music, and I would feel shafted if the sound effects to this “long-awaited sequel” weren’t pitch perfect replications of their classic counterparts. That’s something SO unfathomably easy to accomplish that there is literally no excuse for failure to do so, ESPECIALLY after having made such a HUGE deal about “going back to the roots”. If Sega PR is going to make a huge deal about a couple of sunflowers, they had damn well better give us proper sound effects.
I think this game DOES look fun as hell, and I AM actually able to look past it’s (many) shortcomings. That being said, I’m not going to jump all over the naysayers and critics just because they have justifiably higher standards than I. Many of their complaints and concerns are completely valid, and I stand behind their right and desire to express them, even if I still believe the game will be fun despite them.
@ChaoticFox: I am sick of hearing that rehash crap, the stupidest of all arguments >_<, when will people shut the fuck up about it? This is ONLY EPISODE 1, NOT THE WHOLE FUCKING GAME!! And enough about the stupid homing attack, this fanbase is truly pathetic -__-
@ShadowMasterX5 – if so Da** stupid that u still don’t understand ChaoticFox’s point after that thorough explanation, then u just need to Shut the He** up! Go play Shadow the Hedgehog and continue being the loser u are!
@Xprs: You idiot, I’m talking about the senseless complaints about stupid things like the rehashes and homing attack, not every negative opinion. Just the ones about nitpicking and shit, so shut the fuck up! Go play Sonic 06 and continue being a condesending prick!
Which episode it is makes no difference. Justifying the rehash nature of the game by saying “it’s only episode 1″ would be like creating Sonic 3 as a complete rehash of material from Sonic 1 and 2 and then saying that Sonic & Knuckles redeemed that lazy lack of creativity by adding more levels on top of that.
Whether the entire game is a rehash or not, having a fourth of the entire game feature little to no new content is more than a big deal. Does it make the game less fun? Not necessarily (although I will argue that playing the same bosses I’ve already defeated a thousand times before in a new game with half the actual difficulty is extremely disappointing and most likely a major bore). It will, however, be less unique, less creative, and overall less memorable than its predecessors.
Complaining about the homing attack may be beating a dead horse, but it is far from a nit-picky or pathetic complaint. Yes, you can play the game without it, but the fact that you now shoot off of ramps in a completely vulnerable position almost makes it a necessary evil in order to properly defend yourself against certain enemies. There are plenty of other valid points people could make, but at this point no one is really listening anymore, so it is admittedly a somewhat fruitless endeavor.
@ChaoticFox: Ok fine, but do take note that some people were being nitpicky about the homing attack just for being in the game just like they were with “Baw, green eyes!” or “Where’s my classic Sonic!?” that’s what I’m talking about, it’s more nitpicking than constructive criticism =P. If they would say something like “The homing attack makes the game too easy” or “The homing attack chains are just lame” that would be more constructive. And now about “which episode it is makes no difference” actually in this case it does make a difference because SEGA said that episode 1 is the prologue and that it was mainly a trip of nostalgia and all that. Since we clearly know that SEGA won’t change the level art for episode 1, we could say that we want new art for Episode 2, new badniks, new bosses, and many new gimmicks. And last but not least, the homing attack and the uncurling are seperate problems
, and I agree that they should fix that upon release.
I agree that criticism and complaints and at this point should be directed at and focused on improving Episode Two, for the sole reason that they are literally not listening anymore regarding Episode One.
They’re not in a position to change anything so drastic this late in the game (not that they would anyway), so our ONLY hope of redemption is to focus on ideas for making Episode 2 a better experience. Unfortunately, things like homing attack, uncurling, and anything related to physics are most likely set in stone (they’re not going to release sequel episodes with different gameplay controls and physics – sorry).
That being said, the complaints about Episode 1 are still valid, and I hope the critics address them ruthlessly in their reviews, since that MAY be the only way to keep Sega / Dimps from repeating them in the future.
Bitching about things that will clearly never be changed will probably never accomplish anything… but I can’t blame people for trying, since a lot those things piss me off too. I’d LOVE for the powers that be at Sega to get some of that in heads, so I can’t help but cheer on the critics and naysayers. They’re doing a lot more for this franchise than the people who will swallow anything they’re given with a smile on their face.
@ChaoticFox: Alright, everything you said sounds reasonable to me, and yeah complaints are still valid for episode 1, I never said they weren’t, I was only talking about the stuff that’s been rehashed and that we can’t expect them to change any of that in Episode 1 since it’s already too late =P, but people can complain if they want, no one’s gonna stop them with that. Also I don’t think all hope is lost for improvements in physics and fixing the uncurling in Episode 2, because maybe they can patch episode 1 with episode 2′s physics or some kind of DLC or Add-on, I think it’s possible. And also, sorry for yelling at you up there. I think we’d better drop this before we get in trouble or something like that, if you feel like you wanna continue the conversersation in an IM service you may
, just let me know……….
@Dr. Eggfang
You are every definition of the word troll. I hope you get permanent IP banned.