#I know Sonic Mania is considered a great game… but I haven’t played it yet so haven’t included it in the conversation

[kira-the-cat]

So now that I’m feeling better after last night, lets talk about why I and a lot of other people are not happy with Pokemon Lets Go. Full disclosure, if you’re happy and excited that’s fine. Please respect that people aren’t. Don’t go yelling at people who aren’t. Same applies to people that aren’t happy about it. Don’t blast people that are. This got long while I was typing so its going under a cut.

With that out of the way the main reason I’m not personally happy about it is that its once again Kanto. I understand that this is a test game, however there were numerous other ways to test the Switch’s power with Pokemon. Even if they wouldn’t have been Sinnoh remakes we still haven’t gotten a new Mystery Dungeon game since Super (which I find a missed opporotunity since we could have had Ultra Mystery Dungeon to keep with the themes from USuMo and getting to pick some Gen 7 mons would have been neat), there’s the neglected Ranger series, since the game is less battle oriented than usual we could have gotten our first actual Contest themed game, there’s the highly neglected Orre region, etc. What I’m saying is there were a lot of ways to do this that weren’t just Gen 1 again.

That brings me to my next point; the fact that we are once again restricted to just the first 151 Pokemon (I’m not counting whatever the new one is because I’m of the opinion that its probably just Zeraora since it was never legitimately released for Gen 7 despite having code in USuMo) plus a handful of their Alolan forms to even the type chart out. I have absolutely no idea why they were doing this when it was completely hated in FRLG. And while I’m aware that Gen 5 essentially did the same thing the difference is that Gen 5 was all Unova Pokemon. You had to adjust to new Pokemon and moves and abilities instead of relying on the ones you knew how to work with. And then once you finished the main story you had the option to mix your party up besides the Unova mons. Everyone knows how good/bad the Gen 1 mons are. All this does is lead to people with the exact same teams because there’s barely any variety. There’s also the fact that PoGo has up to Gen 3 so there’s zero reason for such an arbitrary restriction except to pander to nostalgia.

This feels suspiciously like what happened with Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania and I already see the issues that those two games caused popping up in the main tag. Let’s Go is basically Mania in that its designed to mostly pander to the nostalgic crowd and “casual” PoGo players who either have no interest or find the newer games overwhelming. The 2019 game is Forces. A game with a lot of hyped up potential and very little information right now. Pretty much rumored to be designed with the more solid fanbase in mind. Now at first glance this doesn’t seem to be an issue, GF/Sega is playing to both sides, trying to keep everyone happy. On the surface that’s a great idea. In reality all it does is create a shit ton of tension between the people who are, justifiably, sick of all the spotlight treatment Gen 1/Classic Sonic gets especially in recent years and the people who think that that much spotlight focus is no big deal.

The removal of wild battles in favor of overworld encounters. While this has been confirmed to not carry over to the 2019 game this still leaves a sour taste in a lot of people mouths especially when trainer battles are kept and Exp gain seems to be linked to catching Pokemon which is another thing bothering people because of catching being exclusively motion control related. Now whether they will or will not be optional is another story entirely but given how skewed the RNG is in PoGo I don’t have high hopes for it in this game. Also I understand that this doesn’t exist in the GameCube games, however there’s a plausible reason for that. This is just copying PoGo.

The weird state its in. Apparently its a main title according to Game Freak, albeit one for casual fans, yet it feels like a side game with the gimmicky feel of it. And that’s not to say gimmicks are bad, just that this feels a lot more like a side game than a main one.

Speaking of casual, the assumption that Pokemon is a hard series to grasp that it needs a game like this baffles me. Pokemon is far from a hard series, and this is from someone that plays games that tend to be unforgiving and has been playing games with limited lives for years. Especially recently Pokemon has gotten much easier, going as far as to railroad the player via cutscenes in Gen 7 and the implimentation of the Exp All which is on by default. Sure there’s been some difficult puzzles, most of which are optional, but the answer can be nowadays found on the internet so most of the challenge is removed there. Even still, the series has remained one of the easiest to play as well access. Every game in the series, from Gen 1 to 7 can be accessed and played. You can work your way up through the games to learn how they work. The claim that Lets Go is designed to make the series even easier makes me feel like people underestimate just how easy the games truly are.

And my ultimate gripe with the game is that they brought back the one mechanic I, and a lot of other people, have been asking for since Gen 4 and its so far restricted to Gen 1. Every single Pokemon thus far has a walk/run animation as revealed by Dataminers last year when USuMo came out. Hell that game was the one that so heavily teased it by having interactable Pokemon in the overworld, showing the Pokemon outside their Pokeballs in cutscenes to the point that Hau’s starter will always follow him outside of it. 

I don’t like the insinuation that they brought back a highly requested feature only to dangle it behind the ever obnoxious presence that is Kanto and Gen 1. Now if its in the 2019 game that’s something different, but considering they’re marketing this at “casual” players I feel like it won’t be in the other game because its apparently not what the so called “hardcore” crowd would want. It really sucks that the one feature about this game I desperately want is tied to a region I have grown to really loathe since Gen 6. It hurts, because I missed following Pokemon so much and when I saw that there were Pokemon I could play with in the overworld for USuMo I had high hopes that it was in the full game only it wasn’t. I’m really bitter over that fact because it hurts that it was teased so damn much only to result in this. 

Honestly when this is all said and done I don’t want to hear another peep about Kanto for at least the next three Gens. You got what you wanted, let the rest of the series be free of this.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Lets Go

[geek-gem]

Infinite's An Asshole

Just saying I’ve been thinking about this for some time and even mentioned in my last post about Chaos in Sonic Forces. Including when searching up Tumblr infinite sonic forces I’ve decided and even thought more when liking some stuff of finally making this.

Including I thought of making more where it’s other characters from other forms of media.

I know with the lyrics in Infinite’s theme seems like he has a tragic back story. Which seems very nice I like that. Yet what your about to read is very harsh yet funny. The characters even make some 4th wall mentions because they don’t give a shit. Including just I keep thinking Infinite is just the biggest asshole…also it may have some of my own thoughts in it.

Please be aware of not just spoilers but very…brutal and kind of dark things said in this that might bother you. Yet supposed to be done in a funny way.

Infinite to Shadow.

Infinite: Your whole existence is the reason why everyone on the Ark died. You are basically the reason why Maria died. Basically you killed your own family by existing.

Shadow: *looking disgusted and pissed off* how dare you.

Infinite to Sonic.

Infinite: Your up beat positivity and outlook on life sickens me. One of these days your gonna break down and realize how much of a failure you are. Your the reason why I exist and why the world’s gone to shit being taken over by Eggman and me. It’s all your fault.

Sonic:…the game hasn’t released yet and I don’t know if I know you in anyway. Also the breaking down thing I’m feeling depressed at times I’ll think about it…or wait till I see what the game has to offer.

Infinite to Chaos.

Infinite: All Chao’s deserve to die. Your a piss ass guardian and Chao’s are weak and deserved to be slaughtered to out right extinction.

*Chaos now instead of one middle finger and now puts up his arms, forms huge hands and puts up both middle fingers with his eyes looking like he’s pissed*

Infinite to Metal Sonic.

Infinite: You a weak copy of the real Sonic. You will never beat him and never be the real Sonic. Your life is filled with misery, your father hates you because you fail to do the one thing you were born to do. I’m surprised you haven’t decided to end your life yet. You will always the worst thing Eggman has ever built.

Metal Sonic: Must…kill…now. *puts up both middle fingers and his red eyes flash*

Infinite to Zavok.

Infinite: Nobody will give a shit about your achievements in Sonic Lost World. You will always be forgotten and never considered one of the greats. Even people didn’t know who you were in the E3 trailer. Shows how much of an impact you left because you hardly left an impact.

Zavok: *sigh* it’s true. *He looks down to the ground just being all depressed as fuck*

Infinite to Dr. Eggman.

Infinite: I find it embarrassing of working for you despite the game isn’t out yet. I don’t care how threatening you are and what achievements you’ve done in your life. Your a weak villain who can never beat Sonic until now and you had my help. I’m surprised you haven’t committed suicide yet. In fact Ken Penders is more of a villain then you and we all hate him.

Dr. Eggman: Orbot hold my beer. *Left hand gives beer to Orbot* Exuse me while I get the Egg Dragoon and kill this sorry exuse of a villain WHO SAID KEN PENDERS WAS MORE OF A VILLAIN THEN ME!

Infinite to Silver.

Infinite: I honestly feel sorry for you. Your birth is so tainted in a game were sick of joking about. Yet our memory still stays strong remembering your horrible exuse of a debut. Unless Sega and Sonic Team reinvents you in canon. You’ll forever be taunted and your potential will never be reached and remain as a joke forever.

Silver: I’m sorry ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRY! *Has tears being formed in his eyes*

Infinite to Mephiles. Had to look on Google twice for Mephile’s name.

Infinite: I don’t care what people say. You were never the greatest Sonic villain. Your such a dumbass that you would of killed Elise at any chance. I don’t care if you wanted to be an asshole just for the sake of it. The way you are written. Also even when Elise dies old everyone’s gonna die anyway. Your plan is so flawed…you just fucking suck and the game you debuted in sucks.

Mephiles: *sigh* I know. *Like Zavok just looks to the ground being depressed as all fuck*

Infinite to Classic Sonic.

Infinite: I don’t care if your pandering. You have no exuse to me here with your pandering ass even if I talked about that. Your a God damn punk ass who was inspired by Mickey Mouse and Felix The Cat and might never speak in this game maybe.

*Classic Sonic just looks sad with tears forming in his eyes. Along with his mouth being messy*

Infinite to Buddy the wolf the custom character.

Infinite: YOU FUCKING SUCK YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE IN THIS GAME! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE! THEY SHOULD OF LET ME BE THE THIRD PLAYABLE CHARACTER! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE EXISTING AND NEVER SHOULD OF EVEN BEING IN THIS GAME IN THE FIRST PLACE! I’LL BE ALMOST SICKENED IF IM RELATED TO YOU BECAUSE YOU DESERVE NO LOVE JUST NOTHING!

*Buddy just falls to the ground crying sobbing uncontrollably kind of like a baby but in his own voice*

Sonic: Jesus Christ Infinite what the fuck is wrong with you!

Infinite: What I’m an asshole!

Sonic: You didn’t have to make him cry like that my God seriously you made him feel more like shit then the others.

Infinite: I’ve been wanting to save the worse for him cause he deserves it.

Sonic: This is just GeekGem speaking isn’t it.

Infinite: What if GeekGem is Infinite.

Sonic: What.

Infinite: Or Jessie Eisenberg is Infinite.

Sonic: GOD DAMN IT INFINITE CAN YOU WAIT UNTIL THE GAME IS OUT!

Infinite: Damn it I just hope I’m really cool and I pick up buildings and throw them at people and me screaming I AM THE DEVIL I AM SATAN! Yeah I need to chill out and wait but I’m still an asshole.

Sonic: Damn it just Jesus Infinite.

Went to tags by mistake on that last part when choosing the word Infinite. To be honest the Classic Sonic part I don’t mind as long as they well the dimensions thing is an explanation.

Yet the custom character. I actually said in my head looked when making the you don’t deserve to be in this game I thought in my head or some shit the design looks cool. Seriously my head saying random shit okay it does don’t lie to self.

I’ve even made a post saying when I play the game I will make my own opinion about if I like the custom character or not. Saying I will not do anything special by just making the custom character look like what he’s been looking like. Because I rather not give a shit. Just don’t like to myself I could hate it or not.

We just have to wait and see. I wanted to make these pretty maybe not as harsh ha normal to smile yet well the funny parts are of how characters react Infinite’s insulting basically roasting them.

Well got tags down and forgot to mention Sonic Mania fuck it that looks good as fuck just as Sonic Forces and some new messages 4 by the same person scared me when getting the tags down.

edit this is funny read what I typed. Also fixed oh to or on the Jessie Eisenberg part

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic forces #sonic forces infinite #sonic infinite #sonic forces custom character #buddy the wolf #classic sonic #shadow the hedgehog #chaos #metal sonic #dr. eggman #silver the hedgehog #mephiles the dark

[freezingicekirby]

DAY 25 - A GAME YOU PLAN ON PLAYING

I suppose there are a few I could list off here, like “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “Yooka-Laylee”... two titles I’ve been interested in for quite some time, but I haven’t bought them yet because of one reason or another (the biggest mainly being my budget just hasn’t been agreeing with me as of late).  And I suppose Sonic Mania also counts, since I pre-ordered it on steam and (at the time of typing this) I’ve still got a few days left before it gets unlocked.

But believe it or not, the one game I’m currently looking forward to playing the most is an indie title called “Lobodestroyo”.  Why?  Well, if you know me, been reading my previous 30 Day VG Challenge entries, or follow me here on Tumblr and have taken notice to what I love reblogging on an almost-daily basis... then I’m sure it’s not too hard to guess why.

For starters, Lobodestroyo is to be a 3D Collectathon Platformer, and I’m pretty big on those.  Before Yooka-Laylee was announced, this game was trying to help bring back a presumed-dead genre, and that got me really excited as a result.  And despite Yooka-Laylee’s appearance and release, I’m still excited for it... hey, the more the merrier, I say!  Secondly, I’ve been following the developer’s Twitter account for some time now, and to be perfectly honest, I get a really good sense that this guy knows what he’s doing.  Basically, he’s not just some schmo who’s trying to make a 3D Platformer because why the hell not... both he and his team really seem passionate about it, and I truly believe they’re going to deliver on something that’ll hit it out of the ball park.  Plus, I liked their kickstarter pitch a lot more, mostly because it wasn’t just “Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Banjo Banjo Donkey Kong Banjo Banjo Banjo give us money” like someone else’s pitch video.

(Count this as the second entry I’ve posted in this 30 Day Challenge that’ll make me a few more enemies now. lol)

Third... and again, if you know me even a tiny bit, then you can see this one coming from a mile away... one of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to Lobodestroyo is because of its main protagonist.  Not only does Mutt have a pretty good character design (imo), he’s also a wolf... a good wolf, no-less!  Considering my love for the animal and how I yearn to see more good ones in entertainment (not to mention how much I wish the “Every wolf is the big bad wolf” cliche’/belief would simply die already), you can imagine just how thrilled I was to not only see this game come to be, but to also see it meet its Kickstarter goal!  Whenever it does get released, it’s gonna be a day-one purchase for me!

...I just wish I knew when that day will come.  I’ve no idea how close they are to completion, and they’re rather hush-hush about release details, so... could be this year, could be the next, who knows!  But I’m a patient man, and I’ve no problem waiting if it means they’ll take the time to do everything right... because lord knows, I don’t want Lobodestroyo to become another Kickstarter indie title that gets called “Better than nothing” like some others out there...

#tdvgc #30 day video game challenge #30 day challenge #thirty day video game challenge #lobodestroyo #3d platformer #3d collectathon #3d collectathon platformer

[upsidedownshark]

The Best Games of 2017

By Tom Baker

So the dust has settled on another year of video games and the Games Awards has crowned The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as 2017’s game of the year. Now in this writer’s humble opinion, there could be no other winner; the sheer scale, variety and resplendent beauty of the game makes it one of the all time greats, and one that should be held in the same regard as Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto 3 and The Sims as a game that redefined what the medium is capable of.

However, that isn’t to say Link and co. didn’t have some stiff competition; 2017 saw a stellar line up of video game releases to help us escape from our increasingly depressing journey to post-mortal oblivion. With that being said, here’s Upside Down Shark’s best video games of 2017.

Mario Odyssey

One of the later launch titles for the Nintendo Switch, Mario Odyssey is a belter, I tell you what! Just like in the world of cinema, for far too long it felt like Nintendo and other major studios were rehashing their existing franchises in a lazy attempt to make a cash cow – Mario Odyssey bucks this trend and then some. Rather, it takes the mustachioed mascot and thrusts him in a fresh, original direction; new worlds, new mechanics and new challenges make playing it an absolute delight and a testament to Nintendo’s expertise in game design.

If you have a Switch, it’s an absolute must buy.

That’s an order.

Sonic Mania

Sonic the Hedgehog has been dragged through the mud for the better part of a decade, with titles ranging from mediocre to traumatically awful (we’re looking at you, Sonic Unleashed), so you’d be forgiven for acknowledging a new game featuring the titular blue Erinaceidae (look at us, using the big words) with little more than a tut and derisive shake of the head.

Sonic Mania proved us all wrong.

Designed by freelance SEGA superfan Christian Whitehead, Sonic Mania is the quintessential labour of love. Repurposing the visual assets from the first generations of the series, it strips away the awful gimmicks to give us something that not only evokes the warmth of nostalgia, but does so with a polished, almost modern presentation. In an era where pop-culture seems to be obsessed with reliving the ‘good ol’ days’, it’s refreshing to see something that manages to balance celebrating the past while also looking to the future.

Playing while eating a chili dog isn’t mandatory but is strongly encouraged.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is good, m’kay.

The sequel to 2014’s The Stick of Truth, The Fractured But Whole manages to capture the puerile, offensive yet oddly charming humour of the TV show and incorporate it into some pretty solid game mechanics. Classic turn-based RPG battles are tense and challenging, the character progression system is satisfying and just like its predecessor, the art direction makes it feel like you’re playing through a genuine episode of South Park.

I won’t spoil any of the gags or plot here but needless to say, if you’re a fan of the show and enjoy a healthy dose of cringe, The Fractured But Whole is definitely not to be missed.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Shifting swiftly from the groin-grabbingly funny to a harrowing portrayal of the future, next up on our list of the best games of 2017 we have Horizon Zero Dawn.

Set in a primitive post-apocalyptic society infested with deadly robots (most of which look like something that could be cooked up by Boston Dynamics), you play as Aloy, an outcast hunter gatherer on a quest to make sense of the world around her. And exploring this world is a rip-roaring good time; a combination of addictive RPG elements, a compelling story and a vibrant map make this a title that could easily become a multi-game franchise.

What’s more, the inclusion of a strong female protagonist should not go unnoticed nor uncelebrated. During a time in which the established (and quite frankly ridiculous) gender roles within society are being challenged more so than ever, it’s important for the next generation to have a variety of different role models to look up to, regardless of gender, orientation or race. If Horizon Zero Dawn helps to achieve this in some small way, then it must be considered an important piece of cultural art.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

It’s an amazing how much good a year off can do.

With several less than stellar titles being released in recent years (not to mention an even less than stellar film adaptation), it’s fair to say that Assassin’s Creed was going through the doldrums. Skip forward to October 2017 and Assassin’s Creed Origins has flip reversed that trend in the best possible way.

As the name implies, the game is set during the beginnings of the centuries old conflict between the Assassins and what would become the Templar Order at the height of Ancient Egyptian culture. The idea of Origins being a new start isn’t limited to the narrative of the game, as the mechanics, graphics and gameplay all feel revitalised and fresh for the first time since Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.

A special mention must also be made about the nigh on ludicrous size of the game. When Upside Down Shark started playing, it took a solid 4-5 hours of wandering and general pottering about before we even got to the title screen – in that time you could complete The Order: 1886 four times and walk up the shop to trade it in! At the time of writing we still haven’t completed the game, so if you’re looking for maximum bang for your buck when considering your next gaming purchase, look no further.

And that’s a wrap on the best video games of 2017. Here’s hoping 2018 see’s even more excuses for me to shirk all real world responsibilities and run away to the realm of pixels and polygons.

What were your favourite games of the year?

Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter & Instagram and subscribe to our Youtube channel. While you’re at it, listen to Upside Down Shark Radio on iTunes, Stitcher and anywhere that all fine podcasts are found for more pop-culture chat, music, memes and tomfoolery.

#video games #legend of zelda #best of the year #mario #nintendo #sega #sonic #assassin's creed #horizon zero dawn #playstation #lists #upside down shark #udsradio #blog

[crystalnet]

Sonic Forces is Good

Sonic doesn't really slot into any of the semi-nebulous interests that this blog has previously covered but I just had to make an exception because I have thoughts on the blue blur's new game, especially in light of everyone going crazy for Mario Odyssey and the fact almost all professional reviewers as well as various critics on youtube have been basically taking a wrecking-ball to this game. Sonic fans themselves are left mostly enjoying the game (if the subreddit is any indication) and kind of sheepishly acknowledging the pretty low metacritic scores with a bit of a shrug--a pose any true Sonic fan has gotten used to taking in the past decade. I want to talk just very briefly about the problem with Sonic in 2017 and anytime past the year 1998 really and why perception of his non-side-scrolling games seem critically flawed and misguided...

First of all, 3D Sonic has basically always been a mess. Now I should mention before getting deep into this, Forces is my first Sonic game since Sonic Heroes and Sonic Advance 2, the former of which wasn't even as fun as the flawed SA2 and the latter of which should be considered Sonic 5 (or 6 if you count Sonic CD) for all I care, in that it is an excellent expansion of OG Sonic style (shit like grinding on rails, updated Sprites and even Amy as a playable character were great additions). Those two games though are indicative of the whole series: the 3D ones are always problematic while the 2D ones don't seem particularly hard to make well. 

I think there is a big range of how fans and critics view the series, but it seems as if the 3D games are either held to the standard of Adventure 1 and 2, which were always pretty flawed games, or else held to some non-existent and unattainable standard. But we should be clear: Sonic never had his Super Mario 64. Adventure 1 comes close, and that game does a lot very well, but it introduces a lot of things which would plague the 3D games forever. I'm mostly talking about the fact A1 and A2 are want to have all these additional playable characters besides Sonic and yet, Sonic (or Shadow) levels are always clearly where the best level design and most fun is to be had. 

Why force characters like Big the Cat or E-102 Gamma down our throat, when almost all the Sonic levels are amazing compared to levels where you shoot at things or hunt for emeralds. Like extra characters are kind of intrinsically fun when your a kid, but it always felt a bit like padding to me to play the Tails/Eggman and Knuckles/Rogue levels in SA2. So the gold standard for the 3D games becomes about 1/3rd of the content in the first two games?

What I'm trying to say is that Sonic Team never knew exactly what they were trying to achieve with these games it seems. It's like they continued the tradition of Sonic 2 and 3 with Tails and then Knuckles being added by eventually just adding a shit ton of characters to every game, effectively diluting the experience. I'm not even a big fan of Mario 64, but clearly that game is critically lauded, whereas the Blue Blur just couldn't seem to make that same transition. Heroes is literally all about adding characters, along with bright, colorful presentation which barely masked the weakened level-design. Then beyond the critical face-plant that is Sonic ‘06, Sonic Team's goals with these games seem even more unclear than ever and the warm embrace of 90s Sonic seems further away then ever before during the past decade or so.

You have a couple of weird "story book"-style spin offs on the Wii like the Black Knight and Secret Rings which really push the boundaries of what a Sonic game can be (seemingly to mostly bad reviews), Sonic Unleashed, which is literally split between somewhat traditional 3D gameplay and the kind of totally different style of gameplay a la non-Sonic levels in the Adventure titles (werehog Sonic...) and then a few games that seem to be headed in a more stable direction: Sonic, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations and to a slightly lesser degree, Sonic Lost World . 

Like I said,  I haven't played any of these since Heroes, but I've been reading up and looking at all of Somecallmejohnny's videos on youtube to get a sense of how people feel about these, and these last 3 seem to be on the up-and-up in terms of critical reaction from both critics and fans. But Generations was in 2011 and since then it's been mostly an onslaught of Sonic Boom games and I'll do us all a favor and gloss over those completely. While Lost World tweaks things a bit with a run-button, Colors and Generations built on the more traditional half of Unleashed and heavily featured the boost mechanic which lends itself to a new kind of level design which is considerably different than that of Adventure 1 and 2.

I guess the long-winded point that I'm trying to make is that Sonic Team has basically been having an identity crisis since 1998. Not a single one of these stands as a true precedent for the series in that the best of their lot--Generations-- is still one of those meta, self-aware entries since it combines modern and classic sonic, quite literally. I do really wanna play those last 3 I mentioned because they seem like they are on the right path, but I'm sure for every fan, there is still a disappointed nay-sayer. 

This leads me to my final point though, and that is that Forces, for me personally, is a pretty damn good idea of what 3D Sonic is. I think people were putting a lot of pressure on it since it's been a while since a true 3D entry that wasn't a Boom spin-off, but also because of Manias success. Mania from earlier this year was really great, but it's great in a mostly regressive way.  Yes, the four new levels are fantastic and Christian Whitehead did a awesome job of capturing the "magic" of the first 3 games while refining things like the controls and amount of sprite-frames and adding some cool extras as well as those dope Chaos emerald bonus zones, but the success it had is based off of design-principles from nearly 25 years ago. 

I can't complain at all, because it's a really fun game and a great way to revisit classic vibes and levels, but I hope it's the beginning of a sea-change for Sonic Team's approach and not just a blip. Mania 2 for instance could revisit/remix the underrated Advance trilogy, or Sega could grow some balls and let Whitehead and other fan-developers like him step up to the plate and either design a full fresh side-scrolling entry OR something like oh I don't know Sonic Adventure 3?

Either way, the game generated a lot of hype which Sega capitalized on by dropping Forces a few months later. And me and like half of hard-core fans are pretty happy with the game and that's about it. Same old story since SA2: new 3D game comes out, gets mediocre reviews, half the fans are on-board while the other seem even more disappointed than professional critics. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of what Sega should be doing with their 3D games, but no one can really agree. 

Well I for one think Forces is on the right track. It's not perfect, but it's not really trying to be the next big game (they make that clear every single time they release a 3D title that isn't SA3). It's only 40 USD which I think denotes that it's to played in-tandem with Mania, so you got your classic Sonic on one hand, and your new-fangled and always-problematic-to-somebody 3D Sonic on the other. Also it's worth noting that I play this on the Switch. I think the Switch magically makes any game better for being played on it, and yeah I can't really imagine playing this on PS4. The option of portability makes any game better IMO, and Switch just adds this x-factor to any game right now, I can't totally explain it (will write another post all about it).

The game hold ups though, and beyond the novel trifling that is the character-designer/OC, the level-design is better in my opinion than most are letting on. I'm not sure yet if anything comes close to my personal gold-standard for 3D Sonic levels (Radical Highway and City Escape) but the sense of speed is often phenomenal, but I don't think there is any more of those moments where you are forfeiting control than there has always been since even the Genesis games, which is something I've seen some critics complain about. I admit I was slightly taken back by the locked camera, and often-times narrow corridor-esque levels, but once I got the hang of it, I realized that this is a more faithful translation of classic Sonic into 3D than the more free-roaming styled levels of Adventure games. 

People seem to get mad when there's too much precise platforming in Sonic (Marble Ruins..) just as some assail it for feeling like an auto-scroller at other times. It's like fans approach the series with the same confused priorities that Sonic Team themselves have sometimes displayed. I like the generally arcade-y feel of the levels though and re-visiting them for the purposes of refining my runs/time is enticing in the way it was back in the Sonic/Shadow levels in SA2.

Sonic is a weird, platypus of a genre unto himself: Neither pure platforming, racing or trick-based sports game a la Tony Hawk/SSX, he is all of these things and none of them at the same time. And I think these levels capture that excellently. What he isn't are slow and awkward Emerald-hunting levels or shoot-em-ups, but Sonic Teams seems to always shoot for more diversity in game-play than just Sonic levels would allow for, and that's where the Avatar levels come in, retaining the style and speed of the Sonic levels, while also expanding it slightly with Ratchet and Clank-style gun-play that seems to stand-in for awkward shit like the Eggman/Tails levels in SA2. And yeah this does mix it up nicely. 

Something else I've been seeing is that it's too easy and the levels are too short, and I just hope people are playing this on Hard mode (the requisite for hard mode is simply if you have played Sonic before according to the game itself). Other criticisms I've seen simply don't resonate, like people complaining about the controls of the Sonic levels, which just did not stand-out to me as being something I noticed. I like the variety of 2D and 3D, and think it strikes a good balance. 

So yeah, I basically just wanted to write this big ass post to explain why I think it's good and why other people should STFU, basically. Sonic isn't Mario, and never had been. His games are not explicitly all-ages, timeless crowd-pleasers. His games have always been faux-edgy, psuedo-platforming/racing hybrids that click hard with some and leave others cold. They are also explicitly for kids in a way that Mario games aren't, and it's a kind of complicated point but I think professional critics should take into account this shit was never designed for a 30 year-old to enjoy. That's literally why Mania exists. A 10 year old now-a-days might enjoy Mania, but a lot of that game nearly amounts to being a joke that someone born after 1999 couldn't really get. 

So, basically I'm all for trying new things, perfecting a formula that never quite existed and honing in on the good parts of some of the first Sonic games, and I think that's what Forces does. Also the story is sick. Some Sonic fans actually get caught up on the story which is insane to me because its like following the plot of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, but this shit hit some fan-service high-points for me (great cast of characters that mostly glazes newer shit and honors OG Adventure 1 and 2 shit, a slightly "darker" tone, Classic Sonic seeming chill af compared to real Sonic, and cameos from old-school bad guys, for instance). So that shouldn't be a factor in your review if your over the age of 9, is what I'm saying, but I actually dig it despite that. 

Yes, it could be improved upon, but I think it’s an excellent starting point for the developers to build on, so hey why not add Whitehead to this team, as well as few of the level-designers from the other Boost games (Colors, Generations, Lost World), refine the controls and level design a bit and BAM, you got yourself a worthy candidate for the true, long-awaited Sonic Adventure 3 that all true fans have been waiting for forever (even though the Adventure games weren't perfect to begin with so this is a wish that contradicts my other points but still). What I think I'm saying, is if this is what they can do in a $40 title with a relatively small dev-team from what I've read, then what can they do when they go all in? Or are they too scared? Well these reviews might scare them off from even trying again and that's what I'm worried about, but Sega needs to grow some balls, and go all-in for the next release and lay-off the Pachinko-onslaught, or at least funnel some of that Pachinko-gold into developing the next game. Like I said, Sonic isn't Mario, and he doesn't need to be, or need to have games like the big cross-generational 3D Mario games that come out every 5-8 years or so. But you know he could if he wanted to, and I think Forces shows a pretty good way forward. Until then, try opening your heart to the Blue Blur if it's been a while-- who knows, you might just be surprised. Smell ya later, dreamerz~

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