Sonic Series As A Whole

[Dr.Pepper]

Lets face it, the steps forward are not doing the blue blur any favors, so a new genisis style sonic game would be perfect.

As a spin off series, that would work. Although reverting Sonic back to the old ways would be making many of the same mistakes as Nintendo has with Mario.
One of the reasons that I like Sonic games so much is because you don't ever know what to expect in the next release. The game play mechanics as well as the level design changes, and occasionally an interesting new character is introduced into the series. Sometimes that's a bad thing, yes, but it's always refreshing. If Sonic just kept running around in circles with the same old thing that used to be new and interesting, I would have lost interest in his games altogether a long time ago. There is a point when a series should move on and try something different, even if it has to fall a few times before succeeding.
Take a look at Mario. His latest adventure is at heart, still the same mission-based crap that lost its novelty after the N64 era. Nintendo needs to change Mario's direction a little further before can I regain any interest at all in his games. I'm tired of running around aimlessly in rather puny stages, hunting for totally useless coins.

 

[Sonnarkku]

Lets face it, the steps forward are not doing the blue blur any favors, so a new genisis style sonic game would be perfect.

I don't trust Sonic Team or Dimps to make this kind of game again

Ahhh, I see where you are coming from now. Well who says they have to make it? The project could go to another of Sega's other companies, Dont forget that Sega do make good games, its Sonic team who mess them up slightly.

Sorry, but that is upside down.

 

[JEV3]

Except you generally expect a video game series to be alike "at its heart" and different in the way it is executed. The only exception is when the series translates from 2D to 3D where it probably needs to be changed so substantially that comparisons are more about common elements than common framework.

Aside from a spin-off, the Sonic series should be the same formula at its heart. All of the games from Sonic Adventure to Sonic Next Gen were the same formula, and they have been slowly decreasing in quality to the point where Sonic Team needed to rethink Sonic's transition into 3D, and offer an alternative interpretation. I feel that, with refinement, the Unleashed/Secret-Rings formula is the most effective core framework for Sonic to move forward with under the current circumstances. This is because:

* It immediately sets Sonic apart from every game in the same genre
* It introduces a new kind of gameplay that focuses on factor Sonic is most identified with (which is effective, like it or not)
* It still allows a great deal of freedom within its general formula for unique games (compare Secret Rings with upcoming Black Knight)
* Returns to the "gameplay-is-king" arcade appeal and departs from the adventure RPG kind of appeal
* Is capable of a tremendous amount of polish, especially with concerns to the flaws found in every platforming game (linear platform-over-pit design, camera, strange artifacts)

This is what the critics want, but seems to be what most of the communities I've seen don't want. For that matter, perhaps it would just be best to have the same kind of Sonic Adventure/Sonic Heroes formula for the mainstream franchise, and just have this new formula run alongside it in the storybook series. Chances are though, we are going to see prominence because of the success of Sonic Unleashed and the critical reception that maintained that the nighttime (read: SA-formula methodical platforming) bogged down the good part of the game (read: Secret-Rings formula).

 

[MegamanZero29292]

Sonic and the black Knight is a mix of Unleashed and Secret Rings...hope that comes out good

 

[tertu]

The communities will never be happy.

 

[Shane]

...it's definitely more refreshing than Nintendo's constant rehashes.

Thank you.

 

[SuperSonicZX]

The communities will never be happy.

Ain't that the truth.