Everything runs at 60fps (dunno how the GC handled it, but the DC dropped frames plenty of times, especially during cutscenes). But everything does not come in 16.9. All CG cutscenes are still 4.3 and some non-CG ones were left at 4.3 as well.
I had not played this game in literally 10 years and thus it feels considerably more difficult than I last remember it. Well, if I'm not mistaken, when I was enveloped in it on the Dreamcast, I was trying to get an A rank for all missions - didn't happen. Probably A ranked a lot of them, but not all of them. The overall challenge in the game is fairly fair. Fairly fair? Yes, because this is the Sonic Adventure series where the collision is downright terrible. I had collision that reminded me of SA1 where you're running through a long narrow curve, run into the side of the wall and your char is literally running in circles from colliding with the sides.
I'm unaware if there were any improvements made to the game (1-player only), and if there were, I'm oblivious to them.
Before I dive into my "adventure" running through the game from Hero to Last, I want to say that while I found most of the game fairly challenging, the most challenging thing that I had to do back in the day... only cost me 1 life (Shadow vs Biolizard) and it wouldn't have cost me any lives (and maybe not even any rings) if I was aware that you could lose a life sitting in the water. Haha, I don't remember that ever happening before in the past. For the record, I want to point out that particular battle in all Sonic games that I've played feels iconic. It's a battle that literally stood out from the entire game where you have the usual David vs Goliath theme, but the track during the battle, is EPIC. The lyrics (hard to hear during the actual game FOR ONCE, granted it's the song that does that) are literally telling Shadow's turning point in this silly story. It's a really nice touch. That and the final battle are similar in that regard. It's such a powerful presentation that helped the game end on such a high note.
Throughout the game, nothing's really changed, I mean, I can point out that after you finish a stage with Sonic, instead of showing off his profile, he's staring at YOU (former was better, IMO - the latter just reminds me how wrong the in-game artwork was for him). The Sonic & Shadow stages for the most part are still the best and I MIGHT even speed run a Sonic and Shadow stage. White Jungle is easily my favorite Shadow stage thanks to it's EPIC MUSIC, the sense of SPEED you get from watching Shadow swing on vines. With Sonic, my favorite is Final Rush, and if you know how I enjoy playing Sonic by now, then you would know that Final Rush is probably simultaneously the fastest and the slowest Sonic stage. Rail grinding in this stage is SO AWESOME, and it tends to be high risk/high reward. I really dislike how Sonic runs in this game and spin dashing is so derpy with the herp derp collision. (Side note: I realized Sonic's voice in this game sounds similar to his current Japanese voice.) Oh, and unlike Generations, you get to use all sorts of Sonic's moves through the main stages! Rouge & Knuckles' stages... either I got lucky a few times (finding emeralds that weren't on the radar a few times) or it wasn't as annoying as I remembered. My scores were low, but I was expecting a 20 minute run in Meteor Herd, but did it in maybe 5. One small thing that I didn't get to experience before was the exclamation mark that pops up when you're pretty much next to the Emerald Shard. Still, not very replayable. I do very much enjoy the presence of Knuckles and Rouge in this game, but this gameplay design... if not just the level design itself, sometimes comes off as a bit extreme. Last but not least, Tails/Eggman stages. To some extent, I've enjoyed this gameplay, granted the targeting does seem a bit nerfed from SA1. It might just be me, but I found some of the stages to be too drawn out and it doesn't help that the gameplay itself is pretty linear. It's not always easy, though. Even though I may be able to target enemies quickly, I often forget that the ones with projectiles/or long range attacks are targetting me and I can't just sit and point and shoot.
And YES. PLENTY OF CAMERA ISSUES. Overall, I don't regret getting this game, but I've run into a bit of a problem. You see, I have gotten into raising Chao and doing that requires simply playing the game and there's not a lot I want to do. I just might find myself not playing the game for some time again, but now that I think of it... I just might have a solution to this issue. Last but not least, I hope this game outsells Sonic 4 Episode 2. Why? Just for the lulz... seriously. I don't want Sega to go back to Adventure style gameplay because everything that's wrong with the Sonic/Shadow gameplay just makes me want to play Unleashed and Generations more because Unleashed and Generations - make sense!
Oh, shoutouts to Sachiko Kawamura... PLEASE HAVE MY BABIES... if not, I'll be your lover forever - I just want to watch you draw Sonic. :3
Overall, SA2 is still mediocre at best. It has it's highs, but it has it's lows which are just as prominent and unfortunately more frequent. Speaking of highs and lows, why the hell didn't Sega fix the volume? The music plays over the voices, especially Shadows and Eggmans.
I almost want to play Sonic Heroes. Apparently, I don't think I've ever mentioned that game in my blog as I haven't labeled it. Honestly, that was... the 2nd worst Sonic game I've ever played (Ep1 being the worst). No, I think I'm just curious or retardedly nostalgic... or both. It must be this Adventure gameplay I've been diving into lately. Before SA2, I was playing SA1 for a bit (which reminds me, SA2 doesn't make me feel like shit, unlike SA1). So I suppose my brain is just reminding me of what was next in line. I still own Heroes on the PS2, but I think I would rather play the seemingly better XBOX version of the game... providing I can find it. Probably not worth it. There is nothing wholeheartedly memorable about Heroes.
My tone in this blog has shifted. Been feeling more energetic lately, but - that's for another blog~
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Derp, Microsoft. Derp.
Seems like the download for SA2 doesn't work directly through consoles, so... it is possible to download it on xbox.com. Just remember the DL will start after you log in on your console.
Day 1 purchase? Man, it's Friday... I ain't got no job... and I ain't got shit to do...! Sure, why not. I just hope that I don't have the same issue with SA2 as I have with SA1, and that is... SA1 gives me splitting headaches when I stare at it over time. Don't know why. Do you?
Day 1 purchase? Man, it's Friday... I ain't got no job... and I ain't got shit to do...! Sure, why not. I just hope that I don't have the same issue with SA2 as I have with SA1, and that is... SA1 gives me splitting headaches when I stare at it over time. Don't know why. Do you?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
YEAH, SA2. YEAH.
I'm honestly not excited about the re-release of this game. Sure it's deserving of it... and there is a great chance that I will grab it once it becomes available next week. But to me... it's just SA2 in 16.9.
On the other hand, there is the Battle DLC upgrade, and the 2-player mode, which is probably... probably... something in a Sonic game, 90% or more people can say, "Fuck yeah!" about. I never owned the GC version of the game, so after seeing it as I had the DC version... well, I felt somewhat, just somewhat shafted with the whole Chao aspect of the game.
The Dreamcast pretty much forced you to use it's Tamogachi-like memory card to play with your Chao. It was also the only way you could view your pets stats, but the biggest drawback I experienced was simply the memory cards having a rare to occasional case of amnesia when abandoned. Not necessarily talking about losing a Chao, but losing your save files. Mmhmm.
Sonic Adventure 2 for me, did many things right and many things wrong. Now, I'm actually not going to go into the wrong, but I will go into the right, starting with what I feel was SA2's greatest strength and that would be:
-The Soundtrack. The reason why I am going to get this game is because of the amazing soundtrack, lead by Senoue, but I give a lot of credit to the other people who contributed tracks here such as Kenichi Tokoi. I mean, where Senoue is literally THE MAN with a guitar that will rock your world, Tokoi's music is great at being soothing or very mid-tempoed. His work in SA2 really makes me think of how I'd expect Sonic music to sound through his stage themes for Rouge. With Unleashed and Colors, I felt like he was able to bring those games alive, and though his music often sounds as if he literally wrote it while within the real-life atmosphere which inspires Sonic stages (such as Unleashed), I feel like his sound comes with such a dynamic feel to it. If I hear Planet Wisp's theme and I'm playing Sonic Colors or Generations - yes, I am in Planet Wisp. But if I am outside on a mid-late sunny afternoon where the grass is very much a dark green, under a cerulean sky, while this theme is playing... then I am very much outside on a mid-late sunny afternoon where the grass is very much a dark green under a cerulean sky... with my eyes open or closed. That is what makes Kenichi Tokoi's music special. His sound can be as much of a fantasy as it can be a reality. However, I felt like most of his work after SA2, though excellent... was leaning a bit more towards reality... just a bit... and moreso in Unleashed than Colors.
-The Interface: Although this isn't something I feel is super serious, can we just... look back at the main series games for a sec. All of them, from Sonic 1 to Sonic Generations. Sonic Adventure 2's interface was beautifully dolled up in a variety of colors and simple shapes and awesome character art of course. It makes SA1's interface look like something out of a 1980's Atari game. Combined with an epic soundtrack, it might sound strange, but it was a pleasant experience just... going through the options of this game before beginning to play it, and it seemed even better in Battle.
-Sonic/Shadow Stages: Yeah... a huge improvement over SA1, but I just want to point out my favorite aspect in this game - rail grinding. It has a sense of challenge when it came to balancing (now Sonic is so leveled up, he perfectly balances on it in Unleashed and up) and you get the most sense of speed... because just about everything else in SA2 feels pretty slow. (I will add that the GC version felt like it played faster than the DC version).
-Chao: Sega may have deprived fans of a hub world, but I feel like the Chao gardens were a good enough escape from simply throwing a character into a stage and having to go through that stage that may or may not have feel interesting enough to replay. Either you loved it, or you hated it.
Last but not least...
-Characterization: Because the story sucked, but... this was a nicely fleshed out cast and most people felt like Sonic in this game was more "Sonic" than he's been as of late. In short, he acted his age and had the attitude down vocally. Two main series games before this one, he didn't need a voice to express his attitude, but it does seem like the current Sonic has... in comparison to SA2's... softened up a bit... okay, a lot.
... and everything else in SA2 is pretty much mediocre or bad... ! You know, I can honestly say that the only thing I'm really looking forward to from playing this (outside of Battle and 2-player) is... everything moving at 60fps from start to finish. But I think I'll wait for some reviews... hmm... *goes to metacritic*
Score: 1- Bad experience over again... -terrible collision (you can bug this game many times). -Inconsistency in soundtrack (pure rock + vocal) - don'
Score: 10 - i lyk plin a sanic i tink itas fun rolling in ball and runn fast through stages and i clear every act gam is in hd high definitnietion you can
i think sanic adventures 2 is a pretty cool guy, eh goes fast and doesn't afraid of anything GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GOT FAST GOTTA GOT FAST GO
On the other hand, there is the Battle DLC upgrade, and the 2-player mode, which is probably... probably... something in a Sonic game, 90% or more people can say, "Fuck yeah!" about. I never owned the GC version of the game, so after seeing it as I had the DC version... well, I felt somewhat, just somewhat shafted with the whole Chao aspect of the game.
The Dreamcast pretty much forced you to use it's Tamogachi-like memory card to play with your Chao. It was also the only way you could view your pets stats, but the biggest drawback I experienced was simply the memory cards having a rare to occasional case of amnesia when abandoned. Not necessarily talking about losing a Chao, but losing your save files. Mmhmm.
Sonic Adventure 2 for me, did many things right and many things wrong. Now, I'm actually not going to go into the wrong, but I will go into the right, starting with what I feel was SA2's greatest strength and that would be:
-The Soundtrack. The reason why I am going to get this game is because of the amazing soundtrack, lead by Senoue, but I give a lot of credit to the other people who contributed tracks here such as Kenichi Tokoi. I mean, where Senoue is literally THE MAN with a guitar that will rock your world, Tokoi's music is great at being soothing or very mid-tempoed. His work in SA2 really makes me think of how I'd expect Sonic music to sound through his stage themes for Rouge. With Unleashed and Colors, I felt like he was able to bring those games alive, and though his music often sounds as if he literally wrote it while within the real-life atmosphere which inspires Sonic stages (such as Unleashed), I feel like his sound comes with such a dynamic feel to it. If I hear Planet Wisp's theme and I'm playing Sonic Colors or Generations - yes, I am in Planet Wisp. But if I am outside on a mid-late sunny afternoon where the grass is very much a dark green, under a cerulean sky, while this theme is playing... then I am very much outside on a mid-late sunny afternoon where the grass is very much a dark green under a cerulean sky... with my eyes open or closed. That is what makes Kenichi Tokoi's music special. His sound can be as much of a fantasy as it can be a reality. However, I felt like most of his work after SA2, though excellent... was leaning a bit more towards reality... just a bit... and moreso in Unleashed than Colors.
-The Interface: Although this isn't something I feel is super serious, can we just... look back at the main series games for a sec. All of them, from Sonic 1 to Sonic Generations. Sonic Adventure 2's interface was beautifully dolled up in a variety of colors and simple shapes and awesome character art of course. It makes SA1's interface look like something out of a 1980's Atari game. Combined with an epic soundtrack, it might sound strange, but it was a pleasant experience just... going through the options of this game before beginning to play it, and it seemed even better in Battle.
-Sonic/Shadow Stages: Yeah... a huge improvement over SA1, but I just want to point out my favorite aspect in this game - rail grinding. It has a sense of challenge when it came to balancing (now Sonic is so leveled up, he perfectly balances on it in Unleashed and up) and you get the most sense of speed... because just about everything else in SA2 feels pretty slow. (I will add that the GC version felt like it played faster than the DC version).
-Chao: Sega may have deprived fans of a hub world, but I feel like the Chao gardens were a good enough escape from simply throwing a character into a stage and having to go through that stage that may or may not have feel interesting enough to replay. Either you loved it, or you hated it.
Last but not least...
-Characterization: Because the story sucked, but... this was a nicely fleshed out cast and most people felt like Sonic in this game was more "Sonic" than he's been as of late. In short, he acted his age and had the attitude down vocally. Two main series games before this one, he didn't need a voice to express his attitude, but it does seem like the current Sonic has... in comparison to SA2's... softened up a bit... okay, a lot.
... and everything else in SA2 is pretty much mediocre or bad... ! You know, I can honestly say that the only thing I'm really looking forward to from playing this (outside of Battle and 2-player) is... everything moving at 60fps from start to finish. But I think I'll wait for some reviews... hmm... *goes to metacritic*
Score: 1- Bad experience over again... -terrible collision (you can bug this game many times). -Inconsistency in soundtrack (pure rock + vocal) - don'
Score: 10 - i lyk plin a sanic i tink itas fun rolling in ball and runn fast through stages and i clear every act gam is in hd high definitnietion you can
i think sanic adventures 2 is a pretty cool guy, eh goes fast and doesn't afraid of anything GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GOT FAST GOTTA GOT FAST GO
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