Zero Punctuation: Sonic Boom - Boom or Bust

MaddKossack115

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crazygameguy4ever said:
MaddKossack115 said:
crazygameguy4ever said:
Yahtzee, I think it's past the time to take sonic out back behind the shed...
Nah, I don't think we need to do that with poor old Sonic - just the head-up-the-ass SEGA execs who keep screwing him over and over. Seriously, the reason that Sonic 06 and Sonic Boom sucked so much was that SEGA simultaneously sliced and diced the team that was creating the games, and forcing the poor sods left to work on a rushed timeline to boot the misshapen mass that the "game" had become out the door for an arbitrary deadline. Just look at these articles to see how the Sonic Boom development team got shafted, had to severely cut back on the game, and STILL couldn't release what was left in a workable state:

http://www.sonicstadium.org/2014/11/the-spin-sonic-boom-what-happened-part-1/
http://www.sonicstadium.org/2014/11/the-spin-sonic-boom-what-the-heck-happened-part-2/

On the plus side, the Sonic Boom cartoon show seems to be doing pretty well, even if it's gotten some criticism from die-hard Sonic fans: pretty ironic that a TV Sonic would be doing pretty well, while its actual games would be considered just passable (Shattered Crystal) or downright broken (Rise of Lyric).

I caught an episode of sonic boom and it's really bad.. and stupid.. it's just plain awful in every sense of the word.. at least you don't have to pay $60 to watch it.. which is the only upside.
Ok, I admit that the Sonic Boom cartoon definately isn't for everybody, and that those who want a Sonic show more about adventure than comedy would be unarguably better off with Sonic SatAM or Sonic X instead. But Sonic Boom does a good job at being a lighthearted, not-at-all-serious comedy show for Sonic and his pals, and it certainly isn't AS bad as some other Sonic TV shows (*cough!* Sonic Underground! *cough!*)
 

Evonisia

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Jun 24, 2013
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I wonder whether Sonic Boom is worse than Sonic Unleashed? I do wonder whether this game is an example of Yahtzee mellowing out over the years seeing as he bought SU for the same purpose but found it aggravating.

I can't imagine SB to be worse than Sonic '06, because nothing is worse than Sonic '06. But it could be close, I suppose.
 

Qizx

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Thanatos2k said:
I too wonder who the people are that keep buying these games such that they're profitable. I mean, they are profitable, aren't they? Or they wouldn't keep churning out this garbage?

Hey people, whoever you are! Stop buying bad games!
I think we found one.
Logience said:
Fuck you, Yahtzee. You don't get to call Sonic automatically shit just because Sonic 06 happened. How about you justify your insults before you proceed to say "Only retards like and/or play Sonic".

And stop driving that stupid "Sonic sucks" meme into the ground, it's not funny and never was funny.
But seriously, why are you so annoyed that someone pointed out that they hated that game? He admits that the games were at one point awesome so he clearly isn't a person who just hates sonic, there's a reason for it. The recent ones have been terribad, and it's hard to deny that, he dislikes some games I love but he USUALLY has some valid reasons (just blows them out of proportion/I don't care about the reasons as much as he does).
 

SD-Fiend

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Well... Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 were good Sonic games that had multiple characters. If it wasn't for Sonic 06 messing up the Adventure Formula we might have had Sonic Adventure 3 by now.
 

Thanatos2k

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IamLEAM1983 said:
Well, based on the linked articles on the previous page, it feels as though Big Red Button didn't really care about the project. They started out with one concept, Sega barged in with the idea of connecting their project with another handheld release and a planned cartoon series - and everything they'd built up in terms of concept art and design propositions had to be scrapped. They spent the rest of their allowed time scrambling to make ends meet with an engine that was barely stress-tested for the Wii U.

I mean, CryEngine 3 felt sluggish even on the 360 and its optimal PC requirements are still slightly insane. Considering how quickly 3D Sonic games have to update what's visible at max draw distance, I can see how the engine would buckle under pressure. Boom was hastily cobbled together, the cartoon is only slightly better - great visuals, meh writing - so yeah.

Chalk it up to Sega's inability to find a competent outsourced team and to said outsourced team's generally not giving a shit.

It's a crazy thing when the best thing the Sonic license has going for it as of the last decade is the Archie comics line. Even that's not saying much, with Sega stamping down on the team's creative license as of Robotnik's change into Eggman in said comics. Archie's Sonic went from an overwrought Greek tragedy-slash-soap opera with robots and anthros to Sega's printed promotional material peddler.
That's how I can tell a Sonic fan with standards from one who does not (and is likely the ones somehow keeping this series afloat). The good ones call him Robotnik. The bad ones call him Eggman.
 

JimB

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Zachary Amaranth said:
Obbi said:
I think Jim Sterling nailed the Sonic problem - they just change it up too much, and can't settle down on anything that works long enough to polish it.
Also, bounce pads.
I haven't played the game, but from what I've seen, the bounce pads seem to be an attempt to insert Sonic speed into a 3D world by imposing essentially 2D movement. It's not a bad idea, but it seems badly executed, since little player input looks to be required.
 

Darth_Payn

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Zachary Amaranth said:
"You bought me!"
"Touché."

May have been the greatest closer in aaaaages.

Obbi said:
I think Jim Sterling nailed the Sonic problem - they just change it up too much, and can't settle down on anything that works long enough to polish it.
Also, bounce pads.
That's right up there with the end of his FarCry 2 review, with the joke ending in "...and whistled for a baboon."

OT: Don't think I didn't notice the old Sonic Team logo as a splatter of blood on that Easter Island head, and that's a nice touch there. I also like the different names Yahtzee uses for the 4 playable characters and mixing up Dr. Robotic and Egg-man, like SEGA still can't decide what his name is.
 

Saika Renegade

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LordTerminal said:
Saika Renegade said:
Sure, Battletoads didn't have horrific glitches that broke game sequence or simply failed to render even basic concepts like the floor, but note that I said as a game, not as a programming exercise. I should also specify I'm referring to the home console versions. Last-second reaction-test track runs, flat combat, and unhelpful controls do not help a game age well. We can use so much more than just plain difficulty to engage a player these days, and Boom and BRB not remembering those lessons when making a modern-gen reboot didn't help Sonic either.
Really? Because apparently people would argue otherwise regarding plain difficulty considering how successful the Dark Souls games were.
Dark Souls also has people talking about it for atmosphere, world details, mechanics, and most importantly, solid gameplay design. It's more than just a hard game--it is difficult but it can keep us in it for so much more than just 'my god, this is difficult.'

Battletoads, in modern times, is known mostly for its difficulty and a somewhat clunky control system. Getting to the end of Battletoads at home is definitely an achievement, but I'd argue it's not a very fun one to reach, unlike most of Dark Souls.

I know it's hardly fair to judge an over 20 year old game like Battletoads by modern standards, but I'll just say I felt the same way when it first came out too. Yeah, it's hard, but is it enjoyable to defeat the difficulty? It didn't feel like it then, and not any more so now.
 

RenegadeDuck

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Yet another entry in the series that self-conscious Sanic fans will groan at as they realize that every new horrible installment in the franchise will make more people think that only the mentally impaired and prepubescent are fans of the little blue blur.

Anyway, I'm startled that folks from Naughty Dog actually worked on this tripe. I figured everyone from that team had an inkling of an idea of what they were doing.
 

IamLEAM1983

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Thanatos2k said:
That's how I can tell a Sonic fan with standards from one who does not (and is likely the ones somehow keeping this series afloat). The good ones call him Robotnik. The bad ones call him Eggman.
I'll take that as an indirect compliment, and I'll thank you for it. :)

That said, Best Robotnik is SatAM Robotnik. I swear, Jim Cummings could reuse that sepulchral tone for a late-night emcee sideline.

"And now, filthy peasants, I, DJ Robotnik, will soothe your evenings of relentless oppression with a selection of Slow Jazz classics. Get yourselves in the mood, if you know what I'm saying, my dear Mobians; as this is the last pleasure I'm willing to let you enjoy. Screw each other to Barry White, my little rabbits; I need more organic carcasses for my Roboticizer.

Isn't that exquisite, hm? Oh yeeees, that's exquisite indeed..."
 

iller3

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This game is literally life imitating fan art. ...and by that I mean the Sonic Fandom coming full circle to reap what it has sewn since it's obvious the people who graduated full sail and are building games these days were the children most influenced by Chris-Chan and everything else that started going awry 10 years ago.


I'm expecting a video game about Steel Doughnut any day now, since there was just one made about Spider-Bread.
 

marioandsonic

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I haven't played a Sonic game since Generations, and I certainly will not buy this. I did watch a livestream of someone playing it, and...Jesus Fucking Christ.

As you can tell by my user name, I grew up with the Sonic series, with its ups and downs. And I believe that Sonic Boom is the lowest point in this franchise's history. Yes, even worse than Sonic 06.

I am not joking when I say this: I would fire everyone. Every single person who worked on this game deserves to lose their job. It's a level of incompetence that's on a level not even Ubisoft can reach. You look at Sega about this series, and they seem completely clueless.

The Sonic series, this once excellent franchise, is an atrocity, and everyone involved with it needs to go.
 

Quiotu

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IamLEAM1983 said:
Thanatos2k said:
That's how I can tell a Sonic fan with standards from one who does not (and is likely the ones somehow keeping this series afloat). The good ones call him Robotnik. The bad ones call him Eggman.
I'll take that as an indirect compliment, and I'll thank you for it. :)

That said, Best Robotnik is SatAM Robotnik. I swear, Jim Cummings could reuse that sepulchral tone for a late-night emcee sideline.

"And now, filthy peasants, I, DJ Robotnik, will soothe your evenings of relentless oppression with a selection of Slow Jazz classics. Get yourselves in the mood, if you know what I'm saying, my dear Mobians; as this is the last pleasure I'm willing to let you enjoy. Screw each other to Barry White, my little rabbits; I need more organic carcasses for my Roboticizer.

Isn't that exquisite, hm? Oh yeeees, that's exquisite indeed..."
See, this is more proof of what really needs to happen. It won't happen, but it's one of the few ways of saving Sonic other than just burying the IP in a time capsule and unearthing it after a generation has gone by without him.

Archie Comics basically took the Sat Am cartoon and ran with it, later on implementing the game lore within it as well. And for some reason they're really good at keeping the universe fresh, are fantastic at keeping things canon even when they really shouldn't (Amy Rose), and do things Sega would never do in their stories... like have Sonic troll Robotnik to the point that he has to be institutionalized.

Sega is awful with story, the Sonic team is awful with story, and it shows because the only time the games were good is back in the beginning... when it didn't really have a story, just an intro in the manual. Any time they tried to add plot or story it was terrible, except on the rare occasion when Sonic's not always the MC (Sonic Adventure). This is because Sonic is a one-dimensional douchebaggy character, and can't carry a whole game with actual story. This is where the Sat AM cartoon and Archie got it right, they just threw in a lot of support characters more interesting than Sonic himself. Sonic is the Will Farrell of game characters.

Sega basically needs to play nice with Archie and start making games in their universe, because Sega's Sonic universe is awful and keeps getting worse. Now that'll never happen, and it would mean Sega'd have to wade in the festering sewer that is Archie's Sonic comic character IP hell, but I fail to see Sega alone making anything decent with the Sonic franchise again without fresh blood, and a lot of it.
 

Flunk

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GENERATIONS WAS GOOD.

This looks more like a Sonic Unleashed, terrible because they focus all on the "not Sonic" gameplay.

I'm tempted to start working on my own Sonic rip-off. I'll have to change just enough stuff to not get sued but I can rip off the gameplay from Sonic 2 & 3 almost totally (it's not like Sega is using it). I'm almost not kidding, maybe after my current contract is finished.
 

CaitSeith

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Johnny Novgorod said:
Toblo1 said:
Johnny Novgorod said:
I suppose Yahtzee has a new Worst GOTY contender for his end of the year list. Which would go something like:

1) Sonic Boom
2) The Evil Within
3) Thief
4) Lightning Returns
5) Hyrule Warriors
I disagree on Hyrule Warriors. Yahtzee didn't exactly say it was bad/horrible, just that it was boring to him and the plot was nonsensical(to him, at least.).

I say Risen 3, Sacred 3, Advanced Warfare, Amazing Spider-Man 2, Watch_Dogs or Destiny fit better on the list than Hyrule Warriors does.
This is what he called Hyrule Warriors:

"Blatant marketing exercize"
"It's Dynasty Warriors with Zelda in it"
"Plot goes through the usual motions"
"I enjoyed the story mode because it kept making me laugh"
"Standard" and "Hackneyed"
"I found the gameplay rather dull"
"There's never any sense that the training wheels are coming off"
"Switching between weapons is incredibly awkward"
"There's got to be a better use for a touchscreen controller in a battlefield simulator"
"The [Zelda] games are interchangeable"
"The game climaxes before the end and then walks awkwardly for five more missions"
"The game is basically a bland reminder that the franchise exists until the next proper game comes out"

Not saying the games you mentioned are better or worse or don't have just as many negative quips to them. But Yahtzee didn't find Hyrule Warriors "just boring".

Then again, that can just be my inner Nintendo fan talking........
That depends. Would you try to defend Sonic Boom, another Nintendo game?
I think Assassin's Creed Unity will end up in 5th place (after all, when you drop onto the the floor in Hyrule Warriors, you don't keep falling thru it)
 

Slegiar Dryke

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You know what, I'm straight up going to say it. this game makes the 06 game look BETTER. hub areas had people and things to find, the characters didn't break the 4th wall by going "OOH jump pads!", and, oh yeah, most importantly for those that grew up with sonic on the genesis, the characters in the 06 game LOOK LIKE THE BLOODY CHARACTERS!

yeah okay, tails 's pretty hard to really fuck up, and amy as well. but I do have to agree, what's with sonics neckscarf, and all the bandages on him and knuckles....and what's with making knuckles an IDIOT....and on STEROIDS............

people will probably disagree, but if you can't look at both games and cringe LESS at a game that doesn't let you ultimate jump by pressing the start button...........well, that's your opinion....they're both bad.... but I actually wanted to play and finish 06 for an interesting story. not one single thing related to Boom is getting a single red cent outta me.
 

marioandsonic

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Slegiar Dryke said:
You know what, I'm straight up going to say it. this game makes the 06 game look BETTER. hub areas had people and things to find, the characters didn't break the 4th wall by going "OOH jump pads!", and, oh yeah, most importantly for those that grew up with sonic on the genesis, the characters in the 06 game LOOK LIKE THE BLOODY CHARACTERS!

yeah okay, tails 's pretty hard to really fuck up, and amy as well. but I do have to agree, what's with sonics neckscarf, and all the bandages on him and knuckles....and what's with making knuckles an IDIOT....and on STEROIDS............

people will probably disagree, but if you can't look at both games and cringe LESS at a game that doesn't let you ultimate jump by pressing the start button...........well, that's your opinion....they're both bad.... but I actually wanted to play and finish 06 for an interesting story. not one single thing related to Boom is getting a single red cent outta me.
While I agree with you about Sonic Boom being worse, it's like saying "Of these two reproductions of the original Sonic design document created by flicking fountain pens at a pile of shredded paper, I think this one is less likely to get my hands covered in ink."
 

Slegiar Dryke

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marioandsonic said:
While I agree with you about Sonic Boom being worse, it's like saying "Of these two reproductions of the original Sonic design document created by flicking fountain pens at a pile of shredded paper, I think this one is less likely to get my hands covered in ink."
oh, don't get me wrong XD despite my helping dig the pit deeper for Boom, I won't say 06 is suddenly amazing. I may have liked parts but there were some whacky bugs in there......but I do like that analogy =) agreed fully there ^^