I’ve only watched the first lot of episodes this far and I’ve enjoyed it for what it is. It’s no SatAM, but it’s a damn sight better than Adventures or Underground.
What did you not like about it?
My main critique is that I don’t like the look of the characters. All the alternate Egg-Men had faces that would make late 90s Veggie Tales look big budget by comparison.
I thought Shadow’s characterization was off. Seemed more like a hardened soldier than the edgelord I love. Maybe he was an alternate Shadow, but his Prime design was indecipherable from his standard render.
I know that Sonic (and Mario also) is first and foremost for the children, but I was hoping for more of an aged up interpretation? Something more in line with Adventure Time for tone. I think the comics have shown that can be done well and that is something I’d like to see from a modern show.
Lastly, Sonic has lots of cool characters! I wish they had included more of the peanut gallery instead of multiple Knuckles and Tails.
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I can understand several of your points, but personally I don’t think they make the show bad per se, but obviously it’s rather subjective.
My main critique is that I don’t like the look of the characters. All the alternate Egg-Men had faces that would make late 90s Veggie Tales look big budget by comparison.
I actually kinda like them, it feels very Spider-Verse to me. Same for the other characters. That said, perhaps a lifetime of reading comics and all the variations of characters you see there (616 vs 1602 vs Ultimate, Earth 2, New 52, Flashpoint, etc, etc) I’ve grown more accustomed to accepting variations of characters. Having said that, I actually like the Boom designs, so maybe that tells you more? 
I thought Shadow’s characterization was off. Seemed more like a hardened soldier than the edgelord I love. Maybe he was an alternate Shadow, but his Prime design was indecipherable from his standard render.
As mentioned I’ve only seen the first half of the eps and Shadow isn’t in those a heck of a lot, so I can’t comment too much on this. Personally, I have something of a love/ hate relationship with the character. I quite like his character in Adventure 2, but after that I find him something of a poorer doppelganger trope. The comics have fixed this a little, but I’ve just never really taken to him (need to re-evaluate him in time for the their film 
). All that said, I always felt his character in A2 was that of a soldier, possibly more battle tired than hardened. He was made as a weapon after all. 
I think a more mature tone would be a cool to see in a show. It is surprising they didn’t go that route given the tone of Frontiers, but I’d say that they are probably trying to reach younger fans of the films. That said, I think Sonic works either way.
Lastly, Sonic has lots of cool characters! I wish they had included more of the peanut gallery instead of multiple Knuckles and Tails.
Agreed! Where’s Blaze and the Chaotix!?!
Ken PendersFor those following along, the 14th volume of the IDW graphic novesl again pushes what SEGA probably accepts for themes their characters can be involved in - let alone the idea of an all ages comic - to the limits. It gets pretty dark with some of the ideas of abuse of power and the effects that abuse can have on the people on the recieving end. Evan Stanley is proving to be just as capable a writer as Ian Flynn.
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The stills look good! It’s looking exciting.
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I agree, I just always worry when they add new gimiks as it’s not always panned out well. I don’t dislike change, but I’m scared of it in regards to Sonic incase it breaks something
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I’ve been avoiding a lot of the info. Sometimes we see so much of a game before release it feels you’ve already played it!
TotK made that mistake. I would love to have not known who the main antagonist was until that opening… I would have lost my mind! But that’s for another thread.
I hope all these gimmicks don’t take too much attention away from the core gameplay. Heck, i hope it’s playable without the Emerald Powerz or whatever they’re called.
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I finished the second season of Sonic Prime. My only complaint is that the “we have the shards. No, we lost the shards. Oh, we have them again. Ooops, where did they go?” thing went on a bit. Felt like they could have done without an ep or two of that and introduced another world or something.
Other than that I’m still enjoying it.
Final Frontiers update comes out the end of September. The trailer doesn’t give heaps away, but this is the one that’ll introduce the new playable characters. I wonder if Eggman will be one of them?
Also, some interesting skins coming for Superstars as part of the digital deluxe edition. I’ll be getting this physically, so here’s hoping these are available outside of the deluxe DLC, especially that certain one (if you know, you know)
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Thoughts on the below?
Sonic Team Doesn’t Think Pixel Art Will Be A ‘Viable’ Style In The Future
“We look at the pixel art—it’s great—but when we think about 10-20 years in the future, we don’t think it’s going to be a viable art style or presentation for our players,” said Iizuka. “And in order to advance and really step things up, we did want to make sure that we’re presenting something that 10-20 years down the road we’re still evolving and creating new content for.”
I mean, to me it’s nonsense (I’m sure more than a few experts in the industry laughed at Minecraft’s blocky graphics style when it first released). But I get it – in an interview for your upcoming game, you’re just going to say whatever will hype up that game.
At the same time, I can only imagine what goes through the minds of younger audiences when it comes to this sort of thing. Perhaps surveys and whatnot show that kids do tend to scoff at 2D pixel art. It’s sensible for the devs to focus on their primary target audience.
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Well, on that note, the author did provide this anecdote:
I’ve talked to and played games with younger family members and friends and whenever they see me playing pixel art games, like Shovel Knight or Sonic Mania , they often dismiss them as “old looking” or “ugly.”
So maybe kids these days just ain’t interested in pixel art.
So maybe kids these days just ain’t interested in pixel art.
Anecdotally, yeah. When I was teaching I’d sometimes have a copy of RetroGamer on my desk, or I’d wear a tie with pixel art on it or have a poster with 16-bit graphics or something. Most of the time the kids would think it was some kind of Minecraft thing, but either way they always seem more perplexed then interested.
While I do very much like pixel art, I don’t personally see a problem with SEGA not going in that direction anymore, especially for their leading franchise. I mean, you don’t see people begging for the next Tomb Raider to be low count polly or the next GTA to go back to the style of the first one. I think for something like Sonic, or any big franchise, that kind of graphical call back is fine for an anniversary/ celebration type game like Mania, but franchise-furthering titles should be moving forward.
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kids don’t know what 16 bit is anymore, the west truly has fallen…
just kidding, but if you’re not teaching your kids about SEGA I think you should have your children be taken away from you. True failure as a parent is not teaching your kids about the Mega Drive.
I think one of the claims is this mess Sega is essentially saying we shouldn’t expect a Mania 2.
I think the problem is that there’s a certain mentality that sees pixel art as a regression from 3D real-time renders. I don’t see the 2.5D art of the new game as a progression from 2D pixel art, I just see them as different art styles. Saying “we’ll never utilize a pixel art style because it’s dated” is nearsighted and similar to when Disney thought the future of animation was 3D and ceased all 2D animation. They eventually had to go back on that decision because 2D hand drawn animation is a style, not something that gets replaced due to progress. So I think Sega has a narrow view of the artistic aspect possibilities for future Sonic games. And these things go on waves. Sure, there have been a lot of pixel art games in the last several years, so maybe people feel it’s over saturated. But after a period of hiatus a new audience will be interested in it. I can almost guarantee that gen B or whatever will probably “discover” pixel art and be all about it, after gen A gets their fill of 3D during Sega’s projected timeline they reference in the quote.
I think one of the claims is this mess Sega is essentially saying we shouldn’t expect a Mania 2.
That’s been known for a while. Superstars is kind of a spiritual successor.
I think the problem is that there’s a certain mentality that sees pixel art as a regression from 3D real-time renders.
Totally agree. It’s a shame people think this.
Saying “we’ll never utilize a pixel art style because it’s dated” is nearsighted
So I think Sega has a narrow view of the artistic aspect possibilities for future Sonic games.
I think you’re possibly reading too much into this. Remember, too, that the above was translated and subtleties are often lost in translation. SEGA have done a lot of things that are out of left field with Sonic, just look at the recent Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog game. I don’t think SEGA will turn their back on pixel art completely, more that they have decided they want to update the Classic line, which IMO is fair enough. I could totally see them going back to pixel art for some kind of special release game similar to Murder.
SEGA may be a lot of things, but ignorant of their history and legacy is not one of them.
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Very cool, @corpseprincess
So last night my wife and I went to the world premiere of the Sonic Symphony World Tour. It was phenomenal! The first half were renditions of the games’ music, including some new medlies of music from the 3D games. Second half was the rock half with all the vocal songs being performed. The whole crowd was singing long, all gettin involved. It’s was great!
If you’d like to see a brief video from the night, you can do so HERE.
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