How far Sonic Generations delves into the series' history will remain the subject of what's sure to be a prolonged guessing game by the fans – though it's unlikely we'll see much from the likes of the 2006 mishap nor Sonic and the Black Knight. That's a highlight that's likely to feature in Sonic Generations' roll-call of greatest hits – and interestingly, as well as being given a 3D makeover it'll also be given a 2D one as each and every level in the game is playable by both Sonics. It's a little reminiscent of the moment that brought Sonic kicking and screaming into the 3D generation in the Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure, as the giant killer whale chased the player down. In a handful of short minutes Sonic is spun and sped through the chequered hills with breathless pace, at one point taking a detour through a dank cave which he's chased out of by a giant chomping robot fish.
Thankfully, Sonic Generations seems to be taking many of its cues for the 3D sections from Colours, and it shares the Wii games hyperactive imagination. That means Green Hill Zone played out with the dynamism of Unleashed and Colours, the camera snapping between a side-on view and more cinematic angles. Unsurprisingly,+Green+Hill+Zone+looks+spectacular+after+its+HD+makeover.+ And what of modern Sonic? Brilliantly, Sonic Generations takes the old 2D levels and re-imagines them with the contemporary 3D mechanics.
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Expect full online leaderboard functionality come the finished article. Speed runs are actively encouraged, and hitting each checkpoint throws up a split time, telling the player how far down they are on their personal best time. There have also been a few concessions to the modern generation. It's not a pixel-for-pixel remake – Sonic Generations' take seems to be an amalgamation of Green Hill Zone's first two original stages, and Sonic, bizarrely, seems a little dwarfed by his surroundings – but it captures the spirit well enough, and there's a renewed emphasis on the verticality that's been missing from more recent Sonic games. For the initial reveal that's limited to a reimagining of Green Hill Zone, complete with the iconic music and, it seems, much of the level's furniture in place. Comparing Sonic Generations' classic 2D mode directly to its inspiration isn't too difficult either, thanks to the fact that this game's levels are all lifted from the series' illustrious 20 year history. Sonic's movement seems much less stilted in Generations than it was in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and gaining and maintaining momentum is a much more satisfying affair. On this occasion, with Sonic Generations, we've created a game with a totally different game and with completely different physics." Different, but for classic 2D Sonic it's exactly the same – or, more accurately, it's exactly the same as you remember it. "In Episode I, we didn't actually return to the old physics, and nor did we try to create something totally new," Iizuka says, "What we tried to do was respond to the voices we heard in the fans, and create something based on the feedback we were receiving from fans.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 did a good job of nailing the look of 2D Sonic, but it didn't quite recapture the feel, its physics and sense of momentum feeling a little wayward.Ī+whited-out+menu+that's+slowly+restored+to+full+colour+features+-+but+we're+yet+to+see+how+it+works.+ Sonic Generations' producer Takashi Iizuka understandably jumps to that game's defence, no surprise seeing as he was also on production duties for Sonic 4 – and has had a hand in the series since its 16 bit heyday.
For the classic Sonic sections, gameplay is simple and to the point, and what's really heart-warming is how fully it embraces the series' past. On the other there's the dynamic 3D acrobatics of modern Sonic, complete with homing jump, dash attack, and an added sense of speed. On one side you've classic Sonic, who plays through much as you'd remember him from his 16 bit days, with a combination of the d-pad and a single jump button.
What it does, is excuse a dual dynamic that brings the best elements of Sonic together.
So far so flimsy, but this isn't BioWare (and we all know what happened when it was). Sonic Generations sees the modern Sonic slipping back in time where he meets his classic counterpart, and the two team up against an as yet unnamed new nemesis as they stop him from obliterating the past. YES NO Best of all is how it makes use of both those disparate games.