Sonic Boom Discussion Thread (TV, Games, and Everything Else)

[Randroid]

I pre-ordered the game and now that I've just seen the show, I'm glad I did. The characters are charming. Ep1 was a bit mediocre but ep2 was fantastic. If any of that charm carries into the game then I'll be satisfied.


A bit off-track, but I can't believe we've got good sega tv from both the west and japan right now.

[Radrappy]

Was just talking to someone who has a copy already in Canada because of the broken street date and he claims it's technically less functional than 06.

RIP Stephen Frost
RIP Big Red Button's reputation

[Trippled]

I mean like you said, next to the crappy ones,  there were good ones coming out as well. Usually during the same span of time and on different platforms. Sonic labyrinth and sonic blast were more like exceptions because there was still sonic 1,2, chaos and triple trouble to make up for those crap game gear games. Now sonic R and onwards I can agree on.

It's all excuses, at this point you could just say Sonic has 80% spin-offs so it's a-ok.

[Aki-at]

I mean like you said, next to the crappy ones,  there were good ones coming out as well. Usually during the same span of time and on different platforms. Sonic labyrinth and sonic blast were more like exceptions because there was still sonic 1,2, chaos and triple trouble to make up for those crap game gear games. Now sonic R and onwards I can agree on.

I cant take that sentiment of lesser appreciation for SEGA away. For me personally it'd take something phenomenal to get back my attention... or a public apology for sonic 4. They would have to acknowledge that game being one of the worst decisions ever. I wouldnt be surprised if Iizuka and Jun senoue were still proud about what they made.... holy shit man. What the hell is wrong with these guys

I don't think you're taking this well, or even logically. Publicly apologising? What?

Sure they screw up from time to time but come on, there are limits to gamer entitlement. You can't just single out one instant (Considering each region is autonomous. SoA going on a license game spree had no bearings on SoE plans.) and expect that to reflect on the whole company especially since the month prior we got Alien: Isolation and just on the same day we're getting a Valkyria Chronicles port.

SEGA like all third parties are going to make bad decisions but I don't think you should factor in the Sonic franchise as an indication of their status.

[Trippled]

If the Co-op has such performance issues they should have just cut it out, I hate that kind of developer mentality.

Other than that, it just looks really bland thus far.

Is there any combat variety? Just Y-button mashing?

[Aki-at]

If the Co-op has such performance issues they should have just cut it out, I hate that kind of developer mentality.

Other than that, it just looks really bland thus far.

Is there any combat variety? Just Y-button mashing?

Just spamming. Worse still is at time the game retains 3D control but gives the player a 2D perspective, it can cause a lot of unnecessary deaths that. Also there was one hit instant death boss chase segments in the Eurogamer demo and it kept glitching out. Not the best idea they had!

Big Red Button seems to have really phoned it in with this one, not particularly a great start for a new developer.

[Trippled]

So I watched some more footage, and while I don't it's  the 06 disaster that GAF makes it out to me, its seems just really boring.

I really despise the Wii-version of Unleashed, and would compare Boom to that. It's extremely bland, with like no sense of design or inspiration behind it.

[Barry the Nomad]

One thing I've learned to stop doing is making proclamations on the quality of a game until I've played it. While yes, Sonic Boom Wii U looks like it has issues and is not a very good game, I want to play it before making statements on the game's quality. A large part of this is because of what I do here at SEGAbits. I'll be reviewing the 3DS version and George and I will be talking to the developers next week, so I'm not going to be an asshole on Twitter by RTing funny GIFs and declaring the franchise dead via the SEGAbits twitter account - I'd prefer to make such statements once I have firsthand knowledge to back it up.

I will say this, as a franchise I think Sonic Boom is salvageable. The cartoon show had a strong start for me and looks entertaining, the comic book is well drawn and funny and I love that it is devoid of all the baggage of the Archie Sonic canon. The 3DS version, which we've heard very little of from those who got early release copies, looks to be a pretty good handheld platformer with more playtime than Lost World 3DS and without all the gyroscope gimmicks that plagued later levels.

The Wii U game is the one aspect that is causing people to freak out, and while I'm not defending the apparent issues the game has, I will say that it is not the second coming of Sonic 2006 for several reasons:

• SEGA of Japan was wise to have SEGA West make this a branch of the Sonic franchise and not a reboot of the main series. As Aki mentioned, it is no different from All-Stars Racing in terms of franchise status. Does it stink that the Wii U version will likely be met with poor reception? Of course! Will is taint the Sonic franchise? A little. Has the franchise endured in the past when such things happened? Yup. See Black Knight, Secret Rings, and the Mario & Sonic titles.

• Sonic Boom is not Sonic Team's reputation on the line. Sonic Team's next game - which is due 2015 for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and likely Wii U - has Lost World to be compared to, and will appear on many more platforms than SLW or Boom. Sonic Team's 2015 game, in the eyes of Xbox, Playstation, and PC gamers, has Generations to compare to, which was a highly praised title.

• I'd even argue that Sonic Boom as a whole would not be destroyed by one negative aspect, that being the Wii U game. The cartoon series has 20+ weeks, and there are more toys on the horizon. The comic book series is also still going. If Boom remains a success without the Wii U game, which I think is possible, then we could see Boom move into 2015 as a TV/comic book/toy property with less emphasis on the games. This worked with the ABC series, and I could see it working with Boom.

[Trippled]

George and I will be talking to the developers next week

Really cool, I appreciate you guys getting all these guests in your podcasts.

Big Red Button have seem to gone absolutely quite ever since it's the initial negative reception.

[Barry the Nomad]

Really cool, I appreciate you guys getting all these guests in your podcasts.

Big Red Button have seem to gone absolutely quite ever since it's the initial negative reception.

Should be a fun discussion, I met them at the New York event, so will be good to have a real conversation with them.

A bit of an aside:

I'll be honest, I never approach these things with a hidden agenda or as a means to attack people for things I don't like. When I visited SEGA of America, I recall people on Twitter asking me to grill them about Shenmue and Dreamcast 2. I think some people forget that George and I would like to maintain our relationship with SEGA and other folks, and while that does mean being friendly, it also means that if we're professional enough, we can get into some really great conversations and still tackle more difficult stuff but in a fair way for both sides.

I've mentioned this interview to others, following Boom's early info, and I got the "ho boy!" and "here we go!" sort of comments. What, are we expected to drop everything and nerd rage now? I'll leave that sort of stuff to TSSZ, just look at how many burnt bridges that got them.

One of my favorite shows was with Tom Zito of Digital Pictures, sure I could have gone off on FMV games and the SEGA CD's failures, but I'm far more interested in the development processes and how games came to be- regardless of their quality. I like our guests to enjoy themselves, and to speak for themselves. I just hate uncomfortable attack interviews, like some of those folks on major game sites who treat everything like TMZ.

[MadeManG74]

I've mentioned this interview to others, following Boom's early info, and I got the "ho boy!" and "here we go!" sort of comments. What, are we expected to drop everything and nerd rage now? I'll leave that sort of stuff to TSSZ, just look at how many burnt bridges that got them.

Obviously there's a big gap between just nerd raging about "WHERE MUH SHAMMOO 3?"and just writing a PR piece. I'm interested to know if they are refusing any questions or topics? Are you planning to ask about the reviews/reception/quality of the game at all?

Either way I haven't played it or seen much footage, I find it very hard to believe anything on this earth could be more broken or less functional than Sonic 06 though.

I am disappointed that it's been so poorly received though, this was such a prime opportunity to do something different and really make a great Sonic game to belt it out of the park. Why is Sonic as a franchise so hopeless? I thought Sonic Team was just horrible, but even Obsidian and now Big Red Button can't make a good game of the franchise.

[JRcade19]

Obsidian made a sonic game? Since when?

Mademan...if you dare to have confused Obsidian with Bioware I will end you.

[MadeManG74]

Obsidian made a sonic game? Since when?

Mademan...if you dare to have confused Obsidian with Bioware I will end you.

Huh, I thought it was Obsidian who made Chronicles, not Bioware. My mistake.

Don't worry, I know there is a great big difference between the two developers.

[Barry the Nomad]

Obviously there's a big gap between just nerd raging about "WHERE MUH SHAMMOO 3?"and just writing a PR piece. I'm interested to know if they are refusing any questions or topics? Are you planning to ask about the reviews/reception/quality of the game at all?

Either way I haven't played it or seen much footage, I find it very hard to believe anything on this earth could be more broken or less functional than Sonic 06 though.

I am disappointed that it's been so poorly received though, this was such a prime opportunity to do something different and really make a great Sonic game to belt it out of the park. Why is Sonic as a franchise so hopeless? I thought Sonic Team was just horrible, but even Obsidian and now Big Red Button can't make a good game of the franchise.

Questions were submitted before impressions released, though we did phrase some questions with the intent that George and I played the game (which we will have by the time we speak). Can't share what was not approved, though they were generally the ones you'd expect to not get approved (nerdy canon questions, scrapped concepts, SEGA of Japan stuff).

[ROJM]

Well it looks like SONIC BOOM is a average to bad game with excellent spin off material in the cartoon and comic book. Wonder how the 3DS or whatever its called now will fare...