Sonic Unleashed - Kaizo Mode

[Nox13last]

Ok, so I got the new downloadable content for Sonic Unleashed.
I'm still in pain.

It basically turns Dragon Road into a 3D version of Kaizo Mario World. When Yahtzee made that complaint about needing foresight or memory of a past completion, he was on to something. I needed to memorise everything in the level and I STILL died seven times (scrabbling for a 'D' Rank at the end). It was just agony....and I still enjoyed it. I'm a stickler for pain, particularly the feeling of achievement you get when you're done..

Let me list some of the things you get:

• The cannons that require you to push a button or be turfed out, you get ONE second to react. Furthermore, pushing the wrong button will KILL you, not send you elsewhere.
  Huge gaps traversable only via Homing Attacks, half the enemies are INTERMITTENTLY ELECTRIFIED.
  Spiky rotating drums. You'll need a hurdle jump (tap jump). Go too low, and you die. Go too high, and you die.
  Things that require you to think outside of Sonic's train of logic. For example, interrupting a spring jump halfway after it's already happened, to avoid hitting a spike wall.
  Impeccably well-defended rocket-launching enemies.
  The Magic Roundabout in Swindon. The spinning platforms you have to run on. There's a whole section dedicated to those. They have rocket-launching enemies, machine-gunning enemies, electrified enemies, and more spiky drums.
  Falling platforms, also with electified enemies.
  Stretches of road with cascades of bombs, forcing you to quick-step like you're in the Riverdance.
  Bombs on stretches of the river you have to dash along. Touching one of those is death.
  Arbitrarily long and complex reaction sequences (A, A, Y, LB, A, B), with about four seconds to react. Failure likely ends in death.

Chun-nan used to love me. It treated me with loving scenery and Lung Draconic imagery, pretty music, and an awesome homestretch at the end. Now it wants me to die...

Has anyone else tried to beat it? Has anyone lived after trying to beat it?

 

[Space Spoons]

I guess it's Sega's way of getting revenge.

"You hate the werehog levels but you love the daytime levels, huh? You know what? Screw you, paying customer. Let's see how you like your precious daytime levels now."

 

[itsmeyouidiot]

This is why you always stick to the Wii version when playing Unleashed. Dimps is a lot more competent than Sonic Team when it comes to level design.

EDITZ:

Before anyone starts, I just have one thing to say. Stop fucking bashing Sonic, you trolls. (I'm looking at you, TsunamiWombat.)

We can all agree that the 3D games aren't as good as the Genesis originals, but, with the exception of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic '06, and some of the Spin-off titles, most of them are still pretty damn good. The games are getting better, alright?

 

[Internet Kraken]

This is why you don't buy terrible games in the first place.

 

[itsmeyouidiot]

I didn't even know Unleashed had enough players to warrant Downloadable Content. Yet alone content that makes the few fun things about this game excrutiatingly painful.

I've never played the DLC, since I only rented the 360 version, but I think I might like it. I loved Kaizo Mario World, and I think that challenging levels are fun. Is that so wrong?

 

[Nox13last]

I guess it's Sega's way of getting revenge.

"You hate the werehog levels but you love the daytime levels, huh? You know what? Screw you, paying customer. Let's see how you like your precious daytime levels now."

I like it. But...I didn't hate the Werehog stages. What did I do wrong?!

This is why you always stick to the Wii version when playing Unleashed. Dimps is a lot more competent than Sonic Team when it comes to level design.

Try watering down wallpaper paste and seeing if it'll hold your decoration up. Yeah. You can't stick to anything that has been WATERED DOWN below it's recommended elements. This is the one field where the X360 version trounces the Wii version. Wii version doesn't even have Towns and the missions therein. You just pick where you wanna go on the map and start running. It has all the depth of a puddle when you compare the two. I don't want the extra levels come packed, I want my story, I want free interaction with my characters.

Xbox 360 gets a second medal (sorry), for the whole 'DLC' thing anyway. You can't download stuff to buff your Wii games up.

They don't even use the Hedgehog Engine on Wii (one designed to fix the issues.) They use a modified engine (think about the engines that powered the last game(s), then reflect on this statement. Good? Nuh.)

I didn't say the level designs were BAD, and it IS Downloadable Content (not vital for completion of the story). All this content is is a patch that adds and moves stuff around and changes the level. For example, the Lung Dragon walkways are in the same place, you have to run along the same Great Wall, run through the same walkways and pagodas. It just has more spikes and springs and dash pads and spinny things. Therefore, Dimps would not excel in design compared to Sonic Team, not if this is an example to glean.

This is why you don't buy terrible games in the first place.

By this point, it's redundant for me to openly note that I consider your opinion biasedly invalid, so I'll leave this question in context:

"The reason you don't buy terrible games in the first place is because you're afraid that something may come out later which improves and builds upon it?"

I'd understand if it were only the Wii Version of the game that existed.

 

[itsmeyouidiot]

I guess it's Sega's way of getting revenge.

"You hate the werehog levels but you love the daytime levels, huh? You know what? Screw you, paying customer. Let's see how you like your precious daytime levels now."

I like it. But...I didn't hate the Werehog stages. What did I do wrong?!

This is why you always stick to the Wii version when playing Unleashed. Dimps is a lot more competent than Sonic Team when it comes to level design.

Try watering down wallpaper paste and seeing if it'll hold your decoration up. Yeah. You can't stick to anything that has been WATERED DOWN below it's recommended elements. This is the one field where the X360 version trounces the Wii version. Wii version doesn't even have Towns and the missions therein. You just pick where you wanna go on the map and start running. It has all the depth of a puddle when you compare the two. I don't want the extra levels come packed, I want my story, I want free interaction with my characters.

Xbox 360 gets a second medal (sorry), for the whole 'DLC' thing anyway. You can't download stuff to buff your Wii games up.

They don't even use the Hedgehog Engine on Wii (one designed to fix the issues.) They use a modified engine (think about the engines that powered the last game(s), then reflect on this statement. Good? Nuh.)

I didn't say the level designs were BAD, and it IS Downloadable Content (not vital for completion of the story). All this content is is a patch that adds and moves stuff around and changes the level. For example, the Lung Dragon walkways are in the same place, you have to run along the same Great Wall, run through the same walkways and pagodas. It just has more spikes and springs and dash pads and spinny things. Therefore, Dimps would not excel in design compared to Sonic Team, not if this is an example to glean.

This is why you don't buy terrible games in the first place.

By this point, it's redundant for me to openly note that I consider your opinion biasedly invalid, so I'll leave this question in context:

"The reason you don't buy terrible games in the first place is because you're afraid that something may come out later which improves and builds upon it?"

I'd understand if it were only the Wii Version of the game that existed.

You LIKED the hubs? You LIKED the awkward homing attack sequences and the "Press X to not Die" things? At least the Wii version doesn't give you harsh penalties for missing quick time events.

 

[AdmiralWolverineLightningbolt]

wii version is awesome
it also had bearable night stages
it also wasnt "hold boost button to win"

and whoever thought it didnt have enough players was an idiot
check sales
the game easily cleared a million sales

 

[petey hunter]

sonic unleashed is an annoying game if i cud
i would make a sonic game were the character runs the whole time with unlited lives and no traps to bother u

 

[Nox13last]

sonic unleashed is an annoying game if i cud
i would make a sonic game were the character runs the whole time with unlited lives and no traps to bother u

I'd like to point out that that wouldn't work, because there'd be no challenge.
ANd make some effort with your spelling and grammar, not many people txtspk here because, for the two extra seconds to add "yo" to the "u", they sound like they put effort in.

it also wasnt "hold boost button to win"

Yeah, now it's "waggle stick to win". The reason why that doesn't work is because your wrist would cramp up from painfully long (uh hur hur hur) Wiimote masturbation.

You LIKED the hubs? You LIKED the awkward homing attack sequences and the "Press X to not Die" things? At least the Wii version doesn't give you harsh penalties for missing quick time events.

You got a problem with that, buddy?

It's not really "Press X to not Die" (and anyone who says it's "Press A to not Die" is going to get smacked). One of the criticisms Sonic Team got on their games in unforgiveness. Therefore, SOME of them are "Press X to not Die", with about the remaining 70% being "Press X to go That Way, don't press X and Suffer Performance".

I found that the reason why Homing Attacks were so awkward was because they were mapped to the same button as "Light Dash", and trying to do one would invoke the other instead. Also, the targeting would lose interest by the time you pushed the button.
This was not the case here. The controls have been tweaked (not perfectly, but it's a start), and it makes HA'ing only a matter of timing and direction.

Ok, I'll agree with the hub thing, the hubs are padding, considering that Sonic Adventure tried it and wasn't looked at too kindly for it. But whenever I look back on them, I can only think of fond things to say. The hubs opened up for the optional missions, the hubs provide the same atmosphere as the levels (stating the obvious, I know) without the frenetic dashing about or hack'n'slash. If you wanted to relax ingame, I'd recommend Chun-nan night-time. I've allowed Sonic to doze off so I could listen to that music, because it just seemed friendlier than listening to the song with an...impersonal music player (is this the word I'm looking for?).
I just don't like the feel of picking where to go and simply appearing there in a flash of blinding digital stack-referring light. I like the sense of transition you get from hiking from gate to entrance. I suppose it adds to the immersion. I suppose THAT'S why I like the hubs.

 

[Miles Tormani]

Never played Hard mode in Sonic Adventure 2, huh? Sounds just as masochistic as that. As someone who unlocked Green Hill in that, I may enjoy the challenge.

You LIKED the hubs? You LIKED the awkward homing attack sequences and the "Press X to not Die" things? At least the Wii version doesn't give you harsh penalties for missing quick time events.

You mean, as in, those aren't in the Wii version? LAWL.

The Wii version's homing attack is even more awkward because if you're not locked onto something, you do that stupid "constant for five seconds and unable to cancel" boost right off a goddamn cliff. And the QTEs in Unleashed Wii are far more annoying than the ones in the 360/PS3 version, because get this. You can actually see the whole sequence you have to enter in the 360 version. In the Wii version it shows them one at a time but with the same time limit for input, so you can't be anywhere near as fast with responding.

As for the hubs, I'd rather have the hubs than a screen of awkwardly arranged (because they want you to do everything with the Wiimote and nunchuck, no doubt) locations that you click on, only to have Chip tell you that no one's there, making your click useless.

Did you actually play the game?

EDIT:

Ok, I'll agree with the hub thing, the hubs are padding, considering that Sonic Adventure tried it and wasn't looked at too kindly for it. But whenever I look back on them, I can only think of fond things to say. The hubs opened up for the optional missions, the hubs provide the same atmosphere as the levels (stating the obvious, I know) without the frenetic dashing about or hack'n'slash. If you wanted to relax ingame, I'd recommend Chun-nan night-time. I've allowed Sonic to doze off so I could listen to that music, because it just seemed friendlier than listening to the song with an...impersonal music player (is this the word I'm looking for?).
I just don't like the feel of picking where to go and simply appearing there in a flash of blinding digital stack-referring light. I like the sense of transition you get from hiking from gate to entrance. I suppose it adds to the immersion. I suppose THAT'S why I like the hubs.

I actually kinda liked the hubs in Sonic Adventure 1. Yes, realistically, they sucked, but it was nicer (and made more sense) to walk around and sightsee, see exactly what Casinopolis looks like before you enter it. Sure, sometimes it didn't make much sense (why does entering the front door of the casino as Tails deposit you in the garbage chute?), but it allowed for a nice overlap between characters. The Sky Deck isn't going to change between Sonic leaving it and Knuckles entering through the back for instance. Plus it was certainly nicer to find artifacts (whatever you call them) in the hub worlds than it was in the actual levels by going off on a mandatory alternate path the first time you play each level.

It just needed more polish, that's all, though lately the hubs seem to have less polish than Sonic Adventure 1's did. (Sonic '06, I'm looking directly at you.)

 

[Nox13last]

The Wii version's homing attack is even more awkward because if you're not locked onto something, you do that stupid "constant for five seconds and unable to cancel" boost right off a goddamn cliff. And the QTEs in Unleashed Wii are far more annoying than the ones in the 360/PS3 version, because get this. You can actually see the whole sequence you have to enter in the 360 version. In the Wii version it shows them one at a time but with the same time limit for input, so you can't be anywhere near as fast with responding.

And that sucks out everything I do in the 360 version. I will Sonic Boom compulsively, because it looks cool when you do it before you hit a ramp and Sonic whoops.
In a game where you're moving faster than a concorde, you're going to need reaction timing. So, "constant for five seconds and unable to cancel" sound hideous.
And I happen to analyse the sequence as a whole before execution, leading to slower reaction and quicker execution. If they're displayed one at a time...that screws the whole system up.

...I think I did SA2 Hard Mode, but Sonic Heroes' Hard Mode is a dead ringer here.

I actually kinda liked the hubs in Sonic Adventure 1. Yes, realistically, they sucked, but it was nicer (and made more sense) to walk around and sightsee, see exactly what Casinopolis looks like before you enter it. Sure, sometimes it didn't make much sense (why does entering the front door of the casino as Tails deposit you in the garbage chute?), but it allowed for a nice overlap between characters. The Sky Deck isn't going to change between Sonic leaving it and Knuckles entering through the back for instance. Plus it was certainly nicer to find artifacts (whatever you call them) in the hub worlds than it was in the actual levels by going off on a mandatory alternate path the first time you play each level.

It just needed more polish, that's all, though lately the hubs seem to have less polish than Sonic Adventure 1's did. (Sonic '06, I'm looking directly at you.)

Quoted for Agreement.

The transition between Adventure Field sections sucked, but they were supposed to be one whole area. If you enter Casinopolis's area from Station Square and come back, Casinopolis would still be there at its rough co-ordinates (so you'll need a Moon Jump or Debug to see it).

Source: http://sonic-cult.org/dispart.php?catid=3&gameid=4&subid=1&artid=15

 

[t_rexaur]

Both versions of the game are horrible. You don't buy a game hoping they fix it later, you buy a game and hope they add content to it later. If they are fixing it they failed somewhere.

Also take your rampant fanboyism elsewhere please.

 

[Nox13last]

No, fanboyism is where you'll defend an article to the death and not hear anything against it. Unless your a fanhater, where you'll attack an article to the death and not hear anything good about it.

Me and Miles are listing good points and bad points and giving it fair chance. I might be functionally biased towards the 'Good' end of the spectrum, but that's nothing I can help, and I'm STILL listing bad points, and not to the extent where it's 'rampant', either. I'm a fanboy, yeah (glance at avatar), but I'm a fair one, or I try to be.
Whereas you and Petey and Kraken are saying it's crap because you can, and YOU'RE not providing a good reason as to WHY it's terrible. Fanhate much?

If all you're going to do is point out fanboys, then your words are not valued. It's beating a dead horse, pointlessly. Why not comment on my avatar for the substance it has in this conversation, because it'd carry just as much weight as your "omgfanboy" jabs.

Translation: it'd be f***ing pointless.

Also, I know I didn't say the game was broken ANYWHERE. A little squeaky, yes, but not "broken". I haven't seen a single bug patch for this outside of the one you get when you first put the disk in.

 

[Miles Tormani]

And that sucks out everything I do in the 360 version. I will Sonic Boom compulsively, because it looks cool when you do it before you hit a ramp and Sonic whoops.
In a game where you're moving faster than a concorde, you're going to need reaction timing. So, "constant for five seconds and unable to cancel" sound hideous.
And I happen to analyse the sequence as a whole before execution, leading to slower reaction and quicker execution. If they're displayed one at a time...that screws the whole system up.

...I think I did SA2 Hard Mode, but Sonic Heroes' Hard Mode is a dead ringer here.

The reason the boost is constant in the Wii version is because you activate it by shaking the Wiimote (normally; I used a controller because sidestepping with the Wiimote controls involves holding a button to lock Sonic's running in one direction, then tapping left or right on the stick, a tedious pain in the ass), and apparently DIMPS figured that people wouldn't want to constantly shake the remote to keep boosting. So instead ring energy is divided into sections. Fill a section, and you can boost. That part of the boost meter drains (and you keep boosting) until it runs out. Works fine considering only the default controls, I guess, but it works horribly considering everything else in the game. Especially considering just how damn fast you're going.

I do the exact same thing with the QTE sequences. Need to get the game again. Rentals suck sometimes. Though I think Sonic Team needs to drop the 'hard mode DLC' concept and go back to including the hard mode from the get go. They pulled this same crap with Sonic '06.

EDIT FOR HATERS: See my post in the 'Games you liked but shouldn't have' thread if you want my response. I'm too lazy to grab it.

 

[itsmeyouidiot]

Both versions of the game are horrible. You don't buy a game hoping they fix it later, you buy a game and hope they add content to it later. If they are fixing it they failed somewhere.

Also take your rampant fanboyism elsewhere please.

Shut the fuck up, troll.

The games are decent, and you're just trying to make us mad. I find it ironic you're calling us fanboys when you are clearly a hateboy. As in, you hate Sonic because it's cool. Jump on, the bandwagon's fine!

sonic unleashed is an annoying game if i cud
i would make a sonic game were the character runs the whole time with unlited lives and no traps to bother u

You couldn't possibly make that statement any more grammatically incorrect without changing it to "i think sonic is a pretty cool guy. eh runs real fast and doesnt afraid of anything." Besides, a game with unlimited lives and no obstacles would be BORING.

 

[Internet Kraken]

This is why you don't buy terrible games in the first place.

By this point, it's redundant for me to openly note that I consider your opinion biasedly invalid, so I'll leave this question in context:

"The reason you don't buy terrible games in the first place is because you're afraid that something may come out later which improves and builds upon it?"

I'd understand if it were only the Wii Version of the game that existed.

By that I mean why would you buy a terrible game in the first place as any DLC that comes out for it is going to be just as bad (if not worse).

 

[Internet Kraken]

Both versions of the game are horrible. You don't buy a game hoping they fix it later, you buy a game and hope they add content to it later. If they are fixing it they failed somewhere.

Also take your rampant fanboyism elsewhere please.

Shut the fuck up, troll.

The games are decent, and you're just trying to make us mad. I find it ironic you're calling us fanboys when you are clearly a hateboy. As in, you hate Sonic because it's cool. Jump on, the bandwagon's fine!

I hate Sonic because it has poor game play, a terrible story, and it ruins a franchise that was once very successful.

 

[Nox13last]

Though I think Sonic Team needs to drop the 'hard mode DLC' concept. They pulled this same crap with Sonic '06.

EDIT FOR HATERS: See my post in the 'Games you liked but shouldn't have' thread if you want my response. I'm too lazy to grab it.

I'm okay for Hard Mode DLC. I play SU inside out, because it's a breath of clean air compared to '06. Dragon Road Day1 is my favourite level, and by strange convenience, it was supported by DLC. I guess I bought it on compulsion.

StH'06 didn't need Hard Mode when it looks like it was coded using '/facekeyboard.'. Hard Mode DLC is not very expensive here, and it makes for a gritty challenge when I feel I can muster it.

Also, link please.

By that I mean why would you buy a terrible game in the first place as any DLC that comes out for it is going to be just as bad (if not worse).

Because I'm one of the few hearts that won't break so easily. I'm still sure Sonic Team will get it right someday.
For the past decade, Sonic's been on life support and respiration, at Death's door. Sonic Team have heard the Fibrilation beep that was '06 and have stopped pumping the poor guy full of random chemicals, and are trying to research the right ones to give him. Now, he's taking his first steps out of the hospital bed. It's a hard and painful start, but I'm confident it will work. All it'll take is time and careful watch by Sonic Team. Sonic will be back in his heyday someday. And I want to be there to see him run again, and I'll let him know that I was praying for him all the way, never losing hope.

...bad analogy, sorry.

 

[Internet Kraken]

By that I mean why would you buy a terrible game in the first place as any DLC that comes out for it is going to be just as bad (if not worse).

Because I'm one of the few hearts that won't break so easily. I'm still sure Sonic Team will get it right someday.
For the past decade, Sonic's been on life support and respiration, at Death's door. Sonic Team have heard the Fibrilation beep that was '06 and have stopped pumping the poor guy full of random chemicals, and are trying to research the right ones to give him. Now, he's taking his first steps out of the hospital bed. It's a hard and painful start, but I'm confident it will work. All it'll take is time and careful watch by Sonic Team. Sonic will be back in his heyday someday. And I want to be there to see him run again, and I'll let him know that I was praying for him all the way, never losing hope.

...bad analogy, sorry.

sonic hasn't improved at all. His most recent game involved him turning into a Werehog (what). No wait, I forgot that other game in which he is using a sword to fight other people (because the combat in sonic games has been SO good).

Sonic Team isn't going to improve the quality of Sonic games because they DO make a profit from them. The few people who buy the game generate enough income to cover up the low production cost of each game. If this wasn't true then Sonic Team would have been destroyed long ago. Sonic will never improve.

Look on the bright side. At least he can't get any lower considering he's already at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.