SEGA games at Gamescom 2010 (Sonics & Virtua Tennis 4)

[Alex Supersonic]

Just returned from Gamescom, there were Sonic 4 (XBLA), Sonic Free Riders, Sonic Colors and Virtua Tennis 4 playable, even if SEGA wasn't at the show.

Unfortunately I didn't play Sonic Free Riders, there were too many people waiting in the Kinect queue. But I saw a lot of it, it was the same level (and maybe build) that we all already know from youtube videos. I made 2-3 videos but I won't post them at the moment, there is nothing new you could see I think. People had quite difficulties to play it (in general for Kinect games too). Can't say more about it without playing.

Virtua Tennis 4 was there in playable 2 player mode or with 3D. I played with the 3D one, which was pretty cool. The game itself, hmmm, maybe a Wii Sports with better graphics. But strange gameplay as you all saw in the video from Segastuff on the mainpage. I had some difficulty to play and would prefer a normal Virtua Tennis instead of this. I made a video, but am unable to upload it at the moment. But you can't really saw anything new that you saw from the video from SegaStuff.

Sonic Colors (Wii), very very nice. Got to see the power of a wisp (yellow) and a some new stages that I haven't seen before (but don't know if they were new). Very good game.

Sonic 4 (XBLA), there were playable the first 3 acts and the boss. I think it's the same build as E3, Comic Con and Summer of Sonic. But it was the first time I saw it live and I really looked forward to it. It's great to play and I love the homing attack in the game. Only a few Sonic movements are a bit strange, but you all know them from various youtube videos I suppose. I made some videos too, but again, I think there is nothing new to see. Overall I enjoyed it really much.

If you want I can upload some pictures in the weekend and maybe some videos.

[Sharky]

Thanks for the impressions I think I share the same opinions on most of these games.

[Suzuki Yu]

i don't know if this video posted yet ? but i think it's the best of what  I've seen so far for the game

[youtube:3tvz50k5]5NElbXKfdys[/youtube:3tvz50k5]

[SOUP]

The first person view's really throwing me off.
I imagine that it'll probably feel fine when actually playing it.
Maybe more similar to actually playing tennis (which I suck at btw)

[Sharky]

The game looks alright, but I'm REALLY hoping for a mode where it just plays like Virtua Tennis... Where I can control the run and the camera stays put behind the player.

[Alex Supersonic]

I uploaded some Youtube videos, but only for Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors.

The Virtua Tennis 4 video is a bit boring (just like the game...) and in Sonic Free Riders you can't really see much, but as said, it's the level everybody knows already.

[youtube:29uqaq6p]6b0X5tHGJQw[/youtube:29uqaq6p]
Sonic 4 on Xbox 360, Splash Hill Zone Act 3

[youtube:29uqaq6p]i7ggxv3wt7w[/youtube:29uqaq6p]
Sonic 4 Splash Hill Zone Boss

[youtube:29uqaq6p]Yop0pdh2wPs[/youtube:29uqaq6p]
Sonic Colors on Wii, played by a guy from Nintendo who really knew the game. You can see also the new green Wisp in action.

Vanquish was playable too at the Microsoft booth, but unfortunately nobody knew it... At the Gamescom you have always to enter in closed booths for games that aren't allowed to children (the 18 year titles) so Microsoft had a closed booth with Halo Reach and Fable III and the queue was very long. The Microsoft people then you asked if you want to play Halo or Fable III but if you asked esplicatly about Vanquish you were able to play that. Too bad I discovered that the day after I was there...

[Orta]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0X5tHGJQw

From 2:05 to 2:25. I rest my case. This game is going to be bad. Which is a damn shame because everything before looked just fine apart from maybe a bit too many speedboosters (not that it bothers me really) and the fucking homing attack automating almost every move the player wants to do. Takashi Iizuka, you suck.

don't get me started on the boss fight that was completely bastardised by the fucking homing attack ARGH

[Sharky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0X5tHGJQw

From 2:05 to 2:25. I rest my case. This game is going to be bad. Which is a damn shame because everything before looked just fine apart from maybe a bit too many speedboosters (not that it bothers me really) and the fucking homing attack automating almost every move the player wants to do. Takashi Iizuka, you suck.

don't get me started on the boss fight that was completely bastardised by the fucking homing attack ARGH

Are you the kind of guy that, If you walked in on a drunk naked man you'd have to suck his dick because it was an option?

If so, then I guess Sonic 4 is ruined for you, if not then the homing attack is STILL optional.

[CrazyT]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0X5tHGJQw

From 2:05 to 2:25. I rest my case. This game is going to be bad. Which is a damn shame because everything before looked just fine apart from maybe a bit too many speedboosters (not that it bothers me really) and the fucking homing attack automating almost every move the player wants to do. Takashi Iizuka, you suck.

don't get me started on the boss fight that was completely bastardised by the fucking homing attack ARGH

Are you the kind of guy that, If you walked in on a drunk naked man you'd have to suck his dick because it was an option?

If so, then I guess Sonic 4 is ruined for you, if not then the homing attack is STILL optional.

The game is built around the homing attack so even if there are a lot of parts where you don't have to use it, you wouldn't get the max out of the game. The homing attack itself brought nothing inovative and building the gameplay around the move only resulted in automated homing chains.

If it were REALLY optional than it would really be an option. As in the game would be default without the homing attack, but if you wanted it you'd have an option in the menu or whatever to play with the homing attack. That would be ideal.

The homing attack does not belong in a 2d sonic game and i'm gonna keep saying that till they officially change it, if not in episode 1 i'll keep on fighting for it to become an option in episode 2.

Ending result= everyone will be happy, and I hope that's what we all want.

[Orta]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0X5tHGJQw

From 2:05 to 2:25. I rest my case. This game is going to be bad. Which is a damn shame because everything before looked just fine apart from maybe a bit too many speedboosters (not that it bothers me really) and the fucking homing attack automating almost every move the player wants to do. Takashi Iizuka, you suck.

don't get me started on the boss fight that was completely bastardised by the fucking homing attack ARGH

Are you the kind of guy that, If you walked in on a drunk naked man you'd have to suck his dick because it was an option?

If so, then I guess Sonic 4 is ruined for you, if not then the homing attack is STILL optional.

Optional? First, you can't disable it. Ultimately everybody will end up doing it by accident. If you can't disable it then it's not optional.

Second, there seem to be sections based entirely around the move. Level design around the move doesn't make it optional otherwise I would be able to enjoy the ENTIRE game instead of just a couple of routes because I don't want to use Iizuka's magical idea. If I can't enjoy the whole game without the attack then it's not optional. If they wanted to include the move as an unlockable I'd be all for it as I said before, but then what's the point of Super Sonic? The homing attack makes the game ridiculously easy already.

Third, watch the boss fight, it's a joke. The twist they introduced is pretty much irrelevant. There is no challenge. Stand on the far edge of the platform, press jump twice, rinse and repeat.

Fourth, the game was already ruined from the moment Sega announced Iizuka would be producing the game. These videos prove it, I'm not talking physics or animations or colour of the eyes. I'm talking basic game design.

Put it this way: for someone to enjoy the entire game (and by that I mean exploring all the levels), they will have to resort to the homing attack. Sure, you can beat it just fine without the attack. It's still not optional. If you still think the move is optional, well, okay, to each his own.

[cube_b3]

I hae to say that I belong to the "FOR" Homing demographic, personally I love the homing chaining attacks, and I don't understand what problem you have with bouncing from enemy to enemy but I do agree that the Boss fight has lost the challenge it may have had, but I never found this paticular boss fight a challange back in the day.

Nonetheless after reading the comments here I can't help but agree with the people that it should've been an unlockable for people who like it, if you are trying to target the orignal fans of the series then don't force them to play with the new mechanic that was instrumental in their decision to leave the series.

[Sega Uranus]

Entirely what Orta said. It just is not optional, and like he also put, the levels are designed with it in mind. It is to the point where if they gave you an option to actually turn the homing attack off, it would just make the general experience worse as you are just gimping yourself because the level design is based with it in mind!

I mean, it even makes the spindash useless in almost every case too because it instantly makes you go to your fastest speed instead of stopping to rev yourself up.

Even so, I honestly do not hate it as much as most of these people do, if anything it kind of helps Sonic stand out a bit more from other platformers and the obvious inclusions of Knuckles and Tails in future episodes. My game design points still stand however, and the decision to include it at all was overall a poor decision. It is needed in the 3D games I believe, but never the 2D ones... The proof is that they were all forced in some of the Advance games and both Rush releases. They sucked and no one used them.

Sharky probably likes that food level from Colors too, the prick.

[MadeManG74]

R.I.P. Good 2D Sonic Games.

[crackdude]

Third, watch the boss fight, it's a joke. The twist they introduced is pretty much irrelevant. There is no challenge. Stand on the far edge of the platform, press jump twice, rinse and repeat.

No challenge? On the original game I beat that boss in about 8/9 seconds. It's my record. It's supposed to have no challenge.

[Orta]

Your "record"? That doesn't sound like your first attempt. And they added the twist. For nothing, but they did.