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NEWS: U.S./French Sonic Boom Show & Game's Trailers Posted


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Soundmonkey44



Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 1243
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:00 am Reply with quote
Can't wait for the premiere, may be the first solid sonic toon we've had since the SATAM/AOSTH days. And digging Amy's new look, much better then that lil red dress she had. Maybe this go around she'll be more them just a creepy rabbid sonic Fangirl.

I'll admit, beffy Knuckles is a bit meh, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Edit: @Hyp: You do realize sonic was a franchise made to appeal to the U.S. & International market right? It's never been a "Japanese franchise". SEGA has always pimped sonic around the world since his inception in the 90s. Also the Archie & Fleetway comics would like a word with you, as would the countless other cannons much better then the mess that was Sonic X.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2381
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:18 am Reply with quote
Soundmonkey44 wrote:
You do realize sonic was a franchise made to appeal to the U.S. & International market right? It's never been a "Japanese franchise". SEGA has always pimped sonic around the world since his inception in the 90s. Also the Archie & Fleetway comics would like a word with you, as would the countless other cannons much better then the mess that was Sonic X.


Sonic always was meant to be an international franchise, and the US teams helped out every once in a while since the first games, but the grand majority of design and development for most of Sonic's life was in Japan, by Japanese creators. It's had consistency problems every once in a while, usually because two sides of development couldn't agree on something (the handheld developers tend to disagree with the console developers a lot), but the stuff that the vocal fans invested the most in after the first generation of games were the story and characters. Part of what gets me about the recent games being developed almost solely in the West is that... they lack any sort of actual character development and their stories aren't... interesting. To me, at least. They all feel like awkwardly-placed filler. Sonic '06 was horrible because the development team was forced to wrap up its development early, and the story is most definitely crazy complex, but at the very least, it had emotional impact (I'm no furry, but I was never freaked out by Elise's crush on Sonic) and I found it to work really well (when I wasn't distraught by the gameplay, which was actually fun once I threw out all common sense and just played around with the glitches, much like I did in Adventure and Adventure 2).

I'm not going to claim either are superior. At the very least, a few of the Western games have really picked back up on great platformer gameplay (except I haven't found Lost Worlds actualy "fun" yet, and I'm over halfway done with that game...). I also know how convoluted Sonic's story got when so many teams were involved and especially after Naka Yuji left. But I still felt more invested in the story-based games with story progression than any of the recent games.

I just hope that, from what it looks like in the trailer, they work hard on creating another continuous story (and hopefully with more consistency), regardless of canon. And the characters aren't too simplified. Already, my favorite character in the franchise, Knuckles, REALLY irks me here for obvious reasons. I will still explore it, but my "inner Sonic fanboy" will probably give up on this iteration if they don't give me something to actually look forward to... and the trailer looks nice. The Japanese-developed games usually carried the sensibilities that I cared for most, but I'm willing to keep giving the Western developers chances to work things out.

[Disclaimer: This is all my opinion. I don't subject the creators to my values. I just can't personally get invested in the games like I used to and I'm expressing why that is.]
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Thatguy3331



Joined: 18 Feb 2012
Posts: 1790
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:28 am Reply with quote
I already posted about this yesterday but eh, I'll say it again: I don't think the designs are as terrible as I thought they be. To be honest all I'm concerned about is how stiff some of the animation in the cartoon trailer looks and whether or not the game play for the prologue game will work well enough. It's a thing on the side so really it doesn't warrant much of the worry I've seen over the web.
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Soundmonkey44



Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 1243
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:49 am Reply with quote
@Juno: Fair enough. Although I'll admit I'm one of the odd ducks who growing up really got into sonic because of the comics & toons. I've enjoyed the games as well, but despite knowing Sonic is a Video game character, the secondary media is what has always kept me invested in the property. That's why I'm excited for Boom, both Underground & X Were kind of disappointing, but this looks like it could be fun to watch like SATAM & AOSTH were.

As for the game adaption, to early to tell, could be fun, could be bleh. Just have to wait & see.
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6253
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:36 am Reply with quote
For some reason, when I think of Sonic boom I keep getting this image I found from Kotaku:

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GrilledEelHamatsu



Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 703
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:08 pm Reply with quote
Mister Ryan Andrews wrote:
American takes on Japanese franchises always go badly... remember that old Zelda cartoon or Captain N?

Knuckles is just.. why?


SEGA of Japan has their own plans. A new anime series will be announced this Spring.
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R315r4z0r



Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 717
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:40 pm Reply with quote
The game looks interesting. I'd play it.

But Knuckles looks terrible. I really, really, really hope they change his design.
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Looneygamemaster



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 192
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:58 pm Reply with quote
Juno: I guess we differ then. I haven't played any of the 3D Sonic games except Adventure and Colors, but I have seen cutscenes from Shadow and 2006...and my gosh, their stories are horrendous.

Sonic, to me, has never really lent himself well to a serious and gripping storyline. SatAM and Adventure did a decent job with that, but otherwise...no. The approach taken by Colors and onwards--quippy, silly, bright and action-filled--seems to fit the hedgehog much better.
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kanechin



Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 447
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:24 pm Reply with quote
mook: Sir, Amy has acquired a new dress in the new Sonic Boom cartoon.

34boss:....hmmmmm......RULE 34...ASSEMBLE!!!!!
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Soundmonkey44



Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 1243
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:49 pm Reply with quote
GrilledEelHamatsu wrote:
Mister Ryan Andrews wrote:
American takes on Japanese franchises always go badly... remember that old Zelda cartoon or Captain N?

Knuckles is just.. why?


SEGA of Japan has their own plans. A new anime series will be announced this Spring.


Your Fanfics are very entertaining reads.

Although if there ever is another anime. Heres hoping it's better then X.
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Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:55 pm Reply with quote
Even if there was another anime (which sense GrilledEelHamatsu said there will be, I now very much doubt it) it's not like it won't be crap. Probably would have the same character designs as well.

Though since Sonic Team is'nt making the Sonic Boom games, I'm assuming they are busy with the xbone/PS4 game like that sign suggested. Wonder if that game will feature the same look as well.
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Davy0



Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:29 pm Reply with quote
Rahxephon91 wrote:
Even if there was another anime (which sense GrilledEelHamatsu said there will be, I now very much doubt it) it's not like it won't be crap. Probably would have the same character designs as well.

Though since Sonic Team is'nt making the Sonic Boom games, I'm assuming they are busy with the xbone/PS4 game like that sign suggested. Wonder if that game will feature the same look as well.


They already said it's only for the "Boom" Universe. It's in an alternate reality from the games.
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Jave



Joined: 08 Aug 2013
Posts: 198
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:42 pm Reply with quote
Soundmonkey44 wrote:
Also the Archie & Fleetway comics would like a word with you, as would the countless other cannons much better then the mess that was Sonic X.


Seriously? Laughing Archie's Sonic comics have so many retcons, reboots, alternate universes, and continuity issues they make Marvel and DC comics look like See Spot Run in simplicity. Sonic X was pretty much an adaption of Sonic Adventure 2 with some new stuff thrown in. Much more straight forward and truer to the games.

Juno016 wrote:
Part of what gets me about the recent games being developed almost solely in the West is that... they lack any sort of actual character development and their stories aren't... interesting.


I think it's because the west keeps trying to retool Sonic into something he's not. From the American cartoons/comics to this game which doesn't look anything like a Sonic game. This game looks more like a Ratchet and Clank game. Bioware tried to make a Sonic RPG a few years back, and that was pretty bad too.. but at least it looked like Sonic.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2381
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:09 pm Reply with quote
Looneygamemaster wrote:
Juno: I guess we differ then. I haven't played any of the 3D Sonic games except Adventure and Colors, but I have seen cutscenes from Shadow and 2006...and my gosh, their stories are horrendous.


What is Shadow the Hedgehog...? Is that a game...? Do you mean to say it's a thing that exists...?
...
I didn't think so. Anime hyper

But yeah. The criticism against Sonic '06 has its foundation. Its story was overly complex and its ending caused some rage (as did the kissing scene). Not to mention, the game itself was completed before it was actually complete, due to a sped-up deadline and incompetent marketing teams, leading to a game that was barely playable in the long run. It's an embarrassment in the Sonic franchise for sure... but it had so much potential, and to be honest, I loved the story anyway. Or rather, I love overly complicated stories and time travel never turned me off, and neither did endings that erase the events of the story itself. I followed it for what it was and enjoyed it. Even though the game was hilariously bugged beyond the playable range... Anime hyper

Sonic was never truly vast as a franchise in terms of story, but what it did establish was enough to get a good set of characters out of it, as well as some nice setting and whatnot. I enjoyed it immensely growing up and I like to return to it every once in awhile. I don't consider it truly well-written overall, but I still can't help but find it unique and enticing to someone like me, and I know that a lot of people feel the same.

Quote:
I think it's because the west keeps trying to retool Sonic into something he's not. From the American cartoons/comics to this game which doesn't look anything like a Sonic game. This game looks more like a Ratchet and Clank game. Bioware tried to make a Sonic RPG a few years back, and that was pretty bad too.. but at least it looked like Sonic.


Indeed, I get this vibe. Even Shadow, which was considered part of the canon story, was far too different from what we would usually expect out of Sonic... and it was just horrifyingly immature with the themes it dragged out. Bioware's RPG game looked like Sonic, but even that just... didn't feel like Sonic at all--not so much because of the gameplay, but because of the world and story itself. I got to the end, but never actually finished it or even cared to...
And then there's the recent stuff, starting from Colors, moving onto Generations and Lost World... They're so... silly. Sarcastic and... the dialog... I just... I dunno. Is it me, or does "well-written" dialog seem to always consist of characters being as clever with their speech as possible in the west? They're either making clever comebacks to their enemy's speech or making a pun or... whatever. And sometimes, the puns are bad, but even when they're good, I just... I can laugh at them. But I don't care for them in the end. The silliness in the newer games is forgettable and, even though I prefer this to some of the other iterations in the franchise, I just can't get past the whole cartoony aspect of it.

Like, Sonic SatAM and even some of Underground was nice. Worth its own place in the franchise, even if it was drastically different than what Sonic ever was meant to be outside the West at the time. Because they actually involved a deeper story (albeit inconclusive) and some well-rounded characters. Episodic as they might've been, I only watched SatAM's first season a few years ago (so I have no nostalgia factor for it), but I was actually impressed by it. I didn't like many cartoons from its era, so that's saying something about its writing... at least, to me.
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Soundmonkey44



Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 1243
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:52 pm Reply with quote
Jave wrote:
Soundmonkey44 wrote:
Also the Archie & Fleetway comics would like a word with you, as would the countless other cannons much better then the mess that was Sonic X.


Seriously? Laughing Archie's Sonic comics have so many retcons, reboots, alternate universes, and continuity issues they make Marvel and DC comics look like See Spot Run in simplicity. Sonic X was pretty much an adaption of Sonic Adventure 2 with some new stuff thrown in. Much more straight forward and truer to the games.

Juno016 wrote:
Part of what gets me about the recent games being developed almost solely in the West is that... they lack any sort of actual character development and their stories aren't... interesting.


I think it's because the west keeps trying to retool Sonic into something he's not. From the American cartoons/comics to this game which doesn't look anything like a Sonic game. This game looks more like a Ratchet and Clank game. Bioware tried to make a Sonic RPG a few years back, and that was pretty bad too.. but at least it looked like Sonic.



The comics only had 1 reboot recently because of the issue with Ken Penders. And given it's been around over 20 years is say that speaks for itself.

Also sonic can't be retooled into something he's not as those early toons & comics were based on early games which had very little story.


All the toons, games, anime, comics, etc are sonic no matter what any of us think of them.
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