The Sonic Center

Sonic Central => General Sonic => Topic started by: KnucklesSonic8 on December 22, 2006, 04:00:33 pm

Title: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on December 22, 2006, 04:00:33 pm
This thread has been created to track the upcoming Wii game, "Sonic and the Secret Rings", as you already should have guessed by the title of this topic.

Let's start by noting the newly-updated official JPN site for the game: http://sega.jp/wii/sonic/

Let's get the ball rolling here.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on December 22, 2006, 04:38:48 pm
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=747480
Based on what this preview says, the Wii Sonic game is turning out to be a real winner so far. The controls have a learning curve, but once you figure them out, they're really responsive.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on December 22, 2006, 07:26:47 pm
And it's recieving much more praise than 06, that's for sure.
Critics are calling it to be the game that will revive the series as it will be the closest 3D game to try to go back to Sonic's original "roots".

SEGA has done a great job at creating a lot of hype and not to mention anticipation for barely revealing a lot of info on the game and this is obviously a marketing strategy they're using.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on December 22, 2006, 07:30:20 pm
Since I have a higher chance of getting a Wii than I do a 360, this might be the only game where I could have the championship if it gets added.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on December 22, 2006, 10:17:28 pm
It will be interesting to see what kind of competitive potential this game has. You bet I'll be competing in this game when it comes out.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on December 23, 2006, 03:17:34 pm
As will I. I hope to develop or assist in developing a list for competition divisions as has been the norm for me now since my original topic.

I also can't wait to see the potential this game has. I'm sure some of the missions and even the mini-games will have potential. Who knows, maybe that Violin game will, dare I say it, catch on. :P

Groudon, I can't wait to face you in this game for competition. Who knows, maybe even in other ways depending on what Nintendo decides to do with WiiConnect 24 for this game. ;)

I also wonder if Shadow and Rouge will appear but I think there's a high chance they will.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: sonicandamy on December 23, 2006, 06:51:50 pm
Since I have a higher chance of getting a Wii than I do a 360, this might be the only game where I could have the championship if it gets added.

hay you forgot sonicandamy, if it has blaze in it I will own the records.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on December 23, 2006, 07:19:42 pm
don't forget me, as long as the reviews don't completely suck i'm definitely going to get it, and of course compete in it(heh, i'll probably attempt to time attack the first level before I even beat it once normally)

I doubt i'd get the championship though, seeing as I completely suck at score attacks, and ring attacks to an extent.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on December 23, 2006, 08:55:25 pm
As I said, this is maybe the only game I could be championship material for.  And s&a... Just because Blaze could be in the game doesn't mean she'll be playable.  To be honest, unless you start demolishing records in every catagory in Rush, you'll never get the championship.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Super Azrael on December 24, 2006, 02:21:23 am
Sonic 360 (an unfinished GAMMA) bombed because Microsoft wanted to beat Sony into the Next-Gen market.

I bet all my Chaos Emeralds that the fans are gonna cry about the camera again.

I know absolutely NOTHING about this game.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: SONIC EXE on December 31, 2006, 10:51:57 am
i really don`t like the game much it`s going to be hard with the wii remote i am sorry but what i seen of the game is not good only sonic as a playable character and i know that the game hasen`t come out yet but i like the 360 sonic game better game for me
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: douglas on January 01, 2007, 06:42:13 pm
only sonic as a playable character
Bloody YES.  About time Sonic Team realised throwing millions of new characters at each game doesn't make it better.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Ring Rush on January 01, 2007, 10:45:13 pm
Constant forward motion? That will make RAs much trickier, as you can't backtrack nor can you take multiple paths. Of course, it will remove a lot of the fun of check manipulation, but you can't have everything.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: JBertolli on January 01, 2007, 10:57:54 pm
I'll definitely get this game as soon as I can. Constant forward motion makes time attack more of finding tricks that will make you go faster. Scores will probably be collecting rings and killing all enemies (if there are no shortcuts/alternate routes) and ring collecting will be very tricky!
No matter, I'll take you all :P Well, I'll try my best anyway.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 01, 2007, 11:07:21 pm
Constant forward motion? That will make RAs much trickier, as you can't backtrack nor can you take multiple paths.

Yeah I can imagine. Can't wait. ;)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: stanski on January 03, 2007, 10:56:12 pm
Constant forward motion? That will make RAs much trickier, as you can't backtrack nor can you take multiple paths. Of course, it will remove a lot of the fun of check manipulation, but you can't have everything.

It says that if you tilt back on the controller and turn it you can turn 360 degrees. More like a race car game without having to press a button to go.

I personally might buy a wii just to play this if its good enough, if not I'll wait till smash bros comes out, pick up a wii, and pick this up too.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on January 04, 2007, 12:14:41 am
On rails game play could also mean that TAing of the game won't be as glitch dominated as other 3D Sonic games, which was the best thing about TAing ShtH (it had some glitches, but it was a lot less buggy than other games).
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 04, 2007, 11:37:59 am
On rails game play could also mean that TAing of the game won't be as glitch dominated as other 3D Sonic games, which was the best thing about TAing ShtH (it had some glitches, but it was a lot less buggy than other games).

Sonic Heroes, Team Rose TA anyone?
I'm also looking forward t this feature.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: SONIC EXE on January 08, 2007, 12:37:58 pm
i don`t like the game for me it`s stupid and i don`t like sonic as the only playable character i like alot of characters
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on January 08, 2007, 02:44:12 pm
Well, stay away from Sonic 1 and Shadow.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: JBertolli on January 08, 2007, 06:16:22 pm
Oh! As long as it is nothing like Shadow was, I will like it.

Maybe they could add some levels with a 2-D/3-D effect (like Sonic Rush) where you tilt the controller left and right to move.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Alondite on January 11, 2007, 03:00:54 pm
As will I. I hope to develop or assist in developing a list for competition divisions as has been the norm for me now since my original topic.

I also can't wait to see the potential this game has. I'm sure some of the missions and even the mini-games will have potential. Who knows, maybe that Violin game will, dare I say it, catch on. :P

Groudon, I can't wait to face you in this game for competition. Who knows, maybe even in other ways depending on what Nintendo decides to do with WiiConnect 24 for this game. ;)

I also wonder if Shadow and Rouge will appear but I think there's a high chance they will.


I'm guessing the game will be pretty good, from everything I've heard. And TAing it will come down to precision control I think, since there isn't a huge range of controls, so it should come down to taking the best route (if there are routes) and nailing everything just right, as opposed to exploiting glitches and the physics for low times. Also, I heard Sonic is supposedly the only one in the game, at least that's playable. It may have Tails and Knux, but it shouldn't have any more than that. All these new characters are boring and just down have the same appeal that the original 3. That's just my opinion.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 11, 2007, 03:12:22 pm
As will I. I hope to develop or assist in developing a list for competition divisions as has been the norm for me now since my original topic.

I also can't wait to see the potential this game has. I'm sure some of the missions and even the mini-games will have potential. Who knows, maybe that Violin game will, dare I say it, catch on. :P

Groudon, I can't wait to face you in this game for competition. Who knows, maybe even in other ways depending on what Nintendo decides to do with WiiConnect 24 for this game. ;)

I also wonder if Shadow and Rouge will appear but I think there's a high chance they will.


I'm guessing the game will be pretty good, from everything I've heard. And TAing it will come down to precision control I think, since there isn't a huge range of controls, so it should come down to taking the best route (if there are routes) and nailing everything just right, as opposed to exploiting glitches and the physics for low times. Also, I heard Sonic is supposedly the only one in the game, at least that's playable. It may have Tails and Knux, but it shouldn't have any more than that. All these new characters are boring and just down have the same appeal that the original 3. That's just my opinion.

Oh, didn't you hear? Tails, Knux and Amy are all confirmed for Multiplayer. Further info on other characters in Multiplayer plus cameos has yet to be revealed.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on January 20, 2007, 03:58:38 pm
http://wii.ign.com/articles/757/757110p1.html
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=747480
Hands-on impressions of a 85% complete version of the game. Two words describe the reactions to it so far. It rocks! Apparently one of the minor complaints about the game at E3 (jumps slowed down the flow of the game) has been fixed for the most part. The game play can best be described as being like StH mach speed sections, only with MUCH more precise controls. Thanks to the new game play style, the camera is no longer a problem. I'm predicting that this game will score somewhere between 8.5-9.3 from critics based on some of the glowing previews I've read. It also helps that its one of the best looking Wii games as of now. One of the few problems so far is a slight learning curve to adjust to the wiimote, but once you get over it, the controls are really smooth.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 22, 2007, 04:24:04 pm
More new info:

New villain and picture of Shaara revealed as well as information regarding Multipayer - 8 selectable characters! [http://www.dengekionline.com/news/200701/20/whf/n20070120_whf_sega01.jpg]

Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on January 22, 2007, 04:37:44 pm
oh hell yes.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 28, 2007, 12:15:50 pm
Updates:

*Unofficially confirmed: Eggman is a playable character. [http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33264876]
*After doing the same thing that the user did in the GFAQS Board link above, I came to realize that the third icon on the bottom resembles a silhoutte to that of Rouge... ;)
*SEGA Japan has updated their character page for Chaos. I wonder why... Hm... ;) [http://sonic.sega.jp/chara/chaos/index.html]
*My insights on another character(s): I don't know much about this "Ali Baba" character so I took the liberty of checking out the Wikipedian page on it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Baba). After learning more about it, I think it's safe to say that this "treasure" that Ali Baba finds may also be the same that Tails finds in the game, and guess who these/this "thieves/thief" will be? Oh, I don't know... maybe...uhh...  Jet (and possibly Wave and Storm as well).
*One stage-specific mission for Sand Oasis will have you going through the stage in reverse [http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33286891]. Uh.. Sonic R much?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on January 28, 2007, 12:28:16 pm
Using GameFAQ's as a source is highly lol.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on January 28, 2007, 12:49:46 pm
Yeah I know but s'all I got ATM... XD
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 01, 2007, 11:21:13 am
Important Update:

Multiplayer characters have been revealed to be... SHADOW, CREAM, BLAZE, and SILVER! :O

More updates on the way; will source possibly.

edit: http://www.sonicstadium.org/sonicnews/259/
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: P.P.A. on February 01, 2007, 12:02:34 pm
As long as they're only in multi-player... o_O
I want Chao!
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 01, 2007, 12:08:24 pm
board game multiplayer? That's so fantastic.

It's all coming into place now. This is shaping up to be a great game.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 01, 2007, 12:18:06 pm
Tell me about it! Sonic Shuffle was and still is one of ym favorite games so hearing this news was music to my ears. I was just surprised Rouge didn't turn out to be one of the secret characters...

No doubt, though, she'll apepar in the main storyline somehow..

I can't wait! Only 19 days left for me! I don't have the $ yet but I really hope I can save up for it. I'll leave MP8 and SSX Blur till later. This is my first priority. The first thing I'll do when I get the game is test out the mini-games. :D
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 01, 2007, 12:47:22 pm
Oh dear.

My anticipation level drops further :/
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 02, 2007, 07:57:36 am
I never played Sonic Shuffle. I just fancy the idea of having a pseudo sequel wrapped in the new game. There's something about Sonic side games in general that gives me a fuzzy feeling. (That's maybe why I liked Riders way more than I should have.) Of course, the minigames seemed pretty nice in the first place. Secret Rings could compete equally with the other minigame games for the Wii. And some of the games like the violin contest struck me as nice ideas and definitely savvy to the versatile nature of the Sonic world.

My main sources of anticipation is the the human characters and the new trailer on Gametrailers.com.

Human characters means that the game is stylistically in line with Sonic06 as opposed to a Sonic-only Sonic Heroes. (I am beginning to find out however that the game is nothing like Sonic06 is more ways than I previously imagined.)

The new trailer on GameTrailers has a really cool song playing and it did it for me, now I feel the magic. I almost wasn't sure if the song is even from the game or just applied to a silent promo. And the reason for this is because we already heard like a bunch of lyrical songs for this game, which is, wth? But this brought me to my newest revelation -- this game's soundtrack is crazy! All the music I heard, even the level music, has lyrics, and feels distinctively mainstream rock. (and the 'stage complete' is an actual song, making the soundtrack feel like a radio, or like one of those racing games that plays music even during menus and loading) I'm not sure if I will like the lack of the themed melodical music that Sonic06 did extremely well, but one thing is for certain in my mind at this point, that Secret Rings is completely off the hook. So much about the game strikes me as either smart, bold, or just looks extremely fun. The controls, collisions, and Sonic still look awkward which was (and still is) my main beef with the game, but Sonic is still beautiful and the game is shaping up to be the same. And I thought the gameplay would just be moving left and right to avoid stuff, but I see now there's so much more to it that that, finding out from this guy's five part video of the game's first stage:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Captainbravo101

I gotta save up, as new consoles are very expensive. I think I will change from Gameznflix's 3 game out plan to only 2 games out. Whoa! I'm really penny pinching now! XD
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 04, 2007, 05:59:31 am
Oh man, I didn't even know that Sonic characters will be making cameos in this game. That's just so awesome. I remembered ks8 made a passing comment about Tails finding a treasure, but I didn't get the memo.

This is going to be great.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 05, 2007, 12:40:13 pm
You got that right! Can't wait to get it.. 15 days left! :o (No $ though.. XD)

edit: Potential Spoilers: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33411889. I know I'm still lame for listing GameFAQS sources but give it a look if you're not too afraid...

Also, I'm still very anxious to know about the WiiConnect24 functionality in this game. I really hope it's online play but based on what the last update was for 06, it's probably something redundant unless Sega learned their lesson.

In one of the recent trailers on IGN, you'll see the line on the screen "You found a Fire Soul" or something along those lines. I've seen one in Sand Oasis and Dinosaur Jungle screens as well. I have yet to realize what they are for but probably to fill up your bar I imagine, like in ShTH.

edit: There are unlockable modes and secret stages. Races and Hard Mode anyone?
edit: For those out of the loop, there are new mini-games revealed from a lengthy trailer, screens found here: http://www.sonicstadium.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25578&st=80
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 05, 2007, 07:41:16 pm
Wait, when is this game coming out? =S
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on February 05, 2007, 08:17:43 pm
February 20th in North America.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 05, 2007, 08:50:20 pm
I must get this game when it comes out.
*Rick begins to wait*
BTW, anyone know of a place that will hire 14 year olds.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 06, 2007, 12:04:27 am
February 20? That's so damn soon.

Gametrailers says March 6. But that's pretty much the same. I thought it would be a while longer before we see this game.

I might still wait until May before I get it though.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on February 06, 2007, 07:00:44 am
It originally was March.  The date was changed about a week ago.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 06, 2007, 10:39:52 pm
US Official Site Added: http://www.sega.com/gamesite/sonicrings/
I strongly suggest you all check it out.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 07, 2007, 04:32:28 pm
13 days left...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 07, 2007, 07:04:36 pm
omg this game is so beautiful
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: PsyBorg on February 07, 2007, 07:37:44 pm
When are wiis going to be in stock ok.


...looks like I won't have this game for a long long time if ever. And s2006 statistics aren't even up yet. :(
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 07, 2007, 11:17:57 pm
omg this game is so beautiful

You're telling me! I can't wait. I'm so excited; I've started the charts once again. What'll you do when you first get the game? For me, I'll see the Mini-Games first. I'm dying to know how they feel and how it all runs. I can't wait to unlock Blaze and Silver. ;) It'l be my first time ever playing as Blaze.. :o

I'm very interested, as well, to see the "100 Skills" and the EXP system for the Rings; sounds very cool. I'll head to Party Mode, then Specials then Story Mode. :) Can't wait to see Tails in action. ;)

I wonder what my playtime for this'll be... After all, I have played Riders for almost 400 hours I believe or is it 300.. I've lost count. XD

Thanks for keeping this alive, eggFL. What else are you stoked about for the game?

When are wiis going to be in stock ok.


...looks like I won't have this game for a long long time if ever. And s2006 statistics aren't even up yet. :(

tell me about it.. I'm SO glad that, as a Canadian, I have a Wii. I can't wait to get SSR. I REALLY gotta start getting $ somewhere... XD
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 07, 2007, 11:46:42 pm
Like at first all we saw anything of was the first desert stage which was nice, and that dumb dinosaur stage that always turned me off. Now we're seeing all this crazy stuff. The indoor stages look hot. The one at night at sea during a hurricane is completely unexpected. And the soundtrack keeps getting better, maybe it can stand up to Sonic06 after all.

Annoying though how even on the game site you have EGM idiots proclaiming how it's a clever take on the 2D gameplay even though the game isn't in any way more like the 2D games than the 3D games.

The 100 skills I am not really interested in. But the speed break ability sure looks cool if you use it in the right place.

First thing I'd do when I get the game is play story mode of course. =O err, or... I'll play party games, pick Shadow, and start the violin minigame, and just.... revel in the awesomeness: Shadow playing violin! hoooly crap

Anyway Erazor Djinn, sweet character. He has a giant razor and he's trying to "eraze" Arabian Nights. Could I even come up with this kind of stuff?

But even so since I don't have a Wii I might just take it easy on this one and wait until I get the opportunity. I'm cool with that... I guess.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: P.P.A. on February 08, 2007, 11:10:39 am
They won't change the name until the release, will they? *sigh*
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 08, 2007, 04:59:23 pm
ALRIGHT!! The Babylon Rogues ARE in the game! Sah-weet! (Warning: Minor Spoilers topic)
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33513033
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 08, 2007, 05:05:46 pm
I think the only thing on my wishlist below getting this game now is a lethal injection.

EDIT: Just read the sources URL. lol.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 08, 2007, 05:08:43 pm
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2007/01/31/103,1170238285,66432,0,0.html

^ RPG really loves to burst my bubble and I enjoy countering it. :)


edit: 5.00 added to savings for the game out of.... XD
Something I noticed.. the first page of the Special Book, the tab contains "Character Unlocks and General Unlocks". Now, notice the screenshot at the bottom of the page that displays this page...

The 7, 10, 11, and 15 Unlockables have been shown:

Can anyone make out what 7 is? I can't...
10 is Amy and it looks like she sports her old look from Sonic Shuffle. Coincidence much?
11 is Shadow.
15 is... ;)

The other pages of the Special Book are:

Pages 2-7 - Artwork

Pages 8-9 - Music

Page 10 - Magic Carpets

Pages 11-12 - Other [?]

Pages 13-14 - Gold Medals

Pages 15 - Secret Unlocks [New modes]
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 08, 2007, 05:41:47 pm
7 looks depressingly like Charmy.

13 looks like Storm.

Iono. All this unnecessary character recycling makes me want to cry.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 08, 2007, 05:47:26 pm
7 looks depressingly like Charmy.

13 looks like Storm.

Iono. All this unnecessary character recycling makes me want to cry.

Yeah I thought I saw Vector in there too...
Don't wanna jump to conclusions cause it would be ncie to have the Chaotix in this game but I'm not getting my hopes up...

13 is Cream, Rouge and someone else beside Rouge.. S'that Shadow? I dunno where you got Storm from, RPG.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 08, 2007, 05:55:07 pm
I saw something big and grey
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 08, 2007, 06:04:55 pm
I saw something big and grey

Still don't get it..
Anyway, 12 days left and 65.00 to go. XD
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 08, 2007, 06:17:19 pm
Like at first all we saw anything of was the first desert stage which was nice, and that dumb dinosaur stage that always turned me off. Now we're seeing all this crazy stuff. The indoor stages look hot. The one at night at sea during a hurricane is completely unexpected. And the soundtrack keeps getting better, maybe it can stand up to Sonic06 after all.

First thing I'd do when I get the game is play story mode of course. =O err, or... I'll play party games, pick Shadow, and start the violin minigame, and just.... revel in the awesomeness: Shadow playing violin! hoooly crap

Anyway Erazor Djinn, sweet character. He has a giant razor and he's trying to "eraze" Arabian Nights. Could I even come up with this kind of stuff?

Yeah, I like all the stages thus far. I just learned that the Dinosaur stage was based on the Sinbad tale, actually.

Oh and Shadow needs to be unlocked, BTW. XD
I look forward to playing as Silver and Blaze.
Did you also notice Shadow on the multiplayer screen that he apepars to have a new costume of some sort? I thought I was the only one that noticed that. It looks like an outfit that would fit into the game from what I can make out anyway.

Speed Break for proper TA records would be easily compared to ShTH and CC.

I also got that unintended pun on Eraser's name...I mean Erazor. :P

I'm also wondering what the "Special Unlocks" are on the 15th page. Maybe, like 06, you can replay Story Mode stages with other characters? Anyway, despite that crazy theory, I'm still curious, nonetheless.

I REALLY hope I can get enough money to get the game the day it comes out! :) I'm really excited for this game, so much so I'm putting Blur (comes out 7 days later) and MP8 on hold for a while until I get more money...

Anyway, can't wait to share all my findings on the game here. Anyone really curious on stuff, let me know now and I'll look it all up for you and see what I can dig up. Competition is my first priority, though. I wanna see if the secondary missions are C-worthy (some are, some I'm not so sure). I think I'll also take a gander at the Special Book first and foremost (should be available) and see what unlockables I can uncover and I'll share them with you all. Anyone looking forward to Super Sonic? I'm not, to tell you the truth. I hope he's not in the game. period.

Anyway, info seems to be coming out a lot nowadays. It's like everyday, I hear of something new. Today it's the Babylon Rogues, tomorrow it'll be something else.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: stanski on February 09, 2007, 12:51:15 am
you don't even know if the games good yet (it probably won't be) and you're already looking to time attack it?

wow.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 09, 2007, 03:58:31 am
you don't even know if the games good yet (it probably won't be) and you're already looking to time attack it?

wow.

let's see you tell that to the admin!
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rolken on February 09, 2007, 09:20:18 am
Who's this sombrero guy on gamefaqs and why should anything he says be taken seriously?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: douglas on February 09, 2007, 10:13:29 am
you don't even know if the games good yet (it probably won't be) and you're already looking to time attack it?

wow.
Is it wrong to be anticipating Sonic gameplay with a Wiimote?  Optimistic, perhaps, but whatever.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 09, 2007, 10:15:31 am
Who's this sombrero guy on gamefaqs and why should anything he says be taken seriously?
Sombrero has been a reliable source of information about the 3D Sonic games for the past 11/2 years. For the most part, everything that he has told the Sonic community about ShtH and StH 06 has come true. A lot of people trust him because he has an excellent track record when it comes to getting correct information about the games.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: General Throatstomper on February 09, 2007, 11:12:31 am
I'm holding back judgement until I actually play it, but it looks promising so far.

If I don't like it, I reserve the right to complain and say something along the lines of "I knew this game wouldn't turn out well from the start".

Out of curiosity, who else is getting this game on the 21 (you know, the one day it takes for shipping)?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 09, 2007, 11:40:40 am
Me for sure. But only got 5 bucks ATM.. >_<

I dunno where I should buy it from, though. I'm thinking Future Shop, EB or some place like that in my (Canadian) area.

edit: Final secret level is kinda like a Last Story for the game. I swear, although I've never played it, it's just like End of the World from 06. I don't know if that's a good thing or not but the stage keeps shifting between all the levels you've journeyed to apparently... Not that bad I guess.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Marth on February 10, 2007, 08:14:23 pm
You're telling me! I can't wait. I'm so excited; I've started the charts once again. What'll you do when you first get the game? For me, I'll see the Mini-Games first. I'm dying to know how they feel and how it all runs. I can't wait to unlock Blaze and Silver. ;) It'l be my first time ever playing as Blaze.. :o

I'm very interested, as well, to see the "100 Skills" and the EXP system for the Rings; sounds very cool. I'll head to Party Mode, then Specials then Story Mode. :) Can't wait to see Tails in action. ;)

I wonder what my playtime for this'll be... After all, I have played Riders for almost 400 hours I believe or is it 300.. I've lost count. XD

Thanks for keeping this alive, eggFL. What else are you stoked about for the game?

When are wiis going to be in stock ok.


...looks like I won't have this game for a long long time if ever. And s2006 statistics aren't even up yet. :(

tell me about it.. I'm SO glad that, as a Canadian, I have a Wii. I can't wait to get SSR. I REALLY gotta start getting $ somewhere... XD
Yeah, I saw some Revolutions in the flyer. What store was it, again? Toys R Us? But I don't care. By the time I try getting one,
they'll be as common as GameCubes are now.

When I get the game? Options menu. Language- Japanese. Then, thoughts of redoing the voices, and more hatred for Sonic Team's stupidity.
Then, the main mode. Story, or whatever. Maybe the voices shouldn't bother me so much, but they do.
It's as if all the characters were replaced with the most unlikeable characters ever, thanks to this, and it just ruins the perfection
of the game (if there is perfection). Another thing is that any average Joe or Mark could go and do way better voices and acting,
and without even practicing or anything.

I'm already waiting with about 40% eagerness and 60% dread for the next Sonic game after this one.
What'll they do? Butcher it even more? Decide that Sonic X really is the true Sonic, and that every future game will be based on it?
Glitch it beyond playability? Find actors that are even worse than those of Sonic X?
But then, maybe it'll turn out perfectly: they do such a good SA3 that I feel as if they took all my ideas, and they hire all the SA actors,
and they get a new Robotnik who sounds almost exactly like Deem Bristow or Long John Baldry, and they set a reasonable
release date so they can polish the game as much as is necessary to make it way better than SA1!

Yeah, right.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 14, 2007, 01:46:15 pm
TONS of new info. Going to release shortly.

To give you a heads up, Amy has been confirmed to play the role of a maiden, in search of a man. Can you guess who she feels fits the bill? >_>

Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 14, 2007, 01:57:55 pm
Man, I just came up with a REALLY sarcastic comment right now in response to that info (and as a parody of Sonic and Amy's relationship in general) that would be perfect to roast Sonic with.
-magnum: Awwww, how sweet. You two are a couple. Don't try to deny it. There's all sorts of screwed up couples out there. Don't make me get the hose!
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 14, 2007, 02:04:12 pm
TONS of new info. Going to release shortly.

To give you a heads up, Amy has been confirmed to play the role of a maiden, in search of a man. Can you guess who she feels fits the bill? >_>



Eggman?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 14, 2007, 02:14:21 pm
^ How's that for sarcasm, magnum. Lol. Actually, I was gonna say Knuckles but Eggman sounds funnier.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 14, 2007, 02:45:39 pm
Okay, info time!
First of all, some of the info contains SPOILERS. Giving you a heads up now.
Next, I strongly suggest you take a peek at the JPN Site. It's been updated and I gotta say it's looking REALLY sweet! :)

Now for the info. First source is from ONM, who rated the game an 81%. Here's some info they revealed: [Quoting from http://www.sonicstadium.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25864]

"
Sonic's Wii debut is by no means perfect, but it's still a fantastic game that finally gives the blue blazer the sort of fast-paced, slick action he deserves. It's tricky to master but once you do, it really shines.

[...]there are the odd occasions where the game will switch to a dramatic camera angle amd throw your sense of direction a bit. This can be annoying at first, but once you get used to the way the game works you'll quickly become accustomed to it.

Another minor quibble was that players may be "slightly disappointed" at the "jogging pace" that Sonic starts out with, but assures us that

[...]the pace soon picks up, reaching ridiculously fast speeds in later stages.

The lock-on system has been praised, and ONM also assures us that the difficulty with back-pacing from the earlier versions has now been fixed and

despite initial concerns the controls have actually turned out pretty well.

Moving onto special abilities, we're told that there are 104 in total, including

top speed and acceleration boosts (which get rid of the early slowness problem) to the ability to turn left and right in mid-air to the ability to only lose 20 rings when you're attacked instead of all of them.

Each ability uses up a number of points, which you build up as you go through the game, meaning you can't just turn on all the abilities and have a super-charged Sonic - you'll need to think tactically.

Basically we're told you can store up to 4 different ring configutions (eg, one with speed skills for simple levels, one with time-stop and mid-air freeze for more frantic ones etc), so it's important to choose a good set for whichever mission you're attempting.

Speed break and Time break (particularly the latter) are praised.

ONM confirms that completing different tasks (finish without dying, finish with 50 rings, etc) does indeed unlock "concept art, vintage art, Sonic Team videos and so on" as game bonuses (iiinteresting!).

Bosses are varied, we're told, and the article references the crab-horn battle we've already seen, as well as a scorpion boss, and another battle which is very reminiscent of Sonic Rush boss battles.

Onto the graphics.

Graphically the game's very impressive. Each stage seems almost to have been created to push as many different graphical tricks as possible, from the water in the opening desert level to the pouring rain on the pirate ship stage, to snow and reflective floor effects later on. And once you've equipped Sonic with a load of speed abilities the levels zip by extremely smoothly with no hint of slowdown.

However, we're told that the game isn't without fault and that

As enjoyable as the control system is, there are still times when you'll get pretty frustrated when you can't get past a certain part of a level and will die repeatedly, such as an area in a fire-based level where you have to do a homing attack on an enemy across a huge pit without large falling objects hitting you.

We're told that eventually you'll get past and have less trouble next time, but that "the initial encounter is far too frustrating to be enjoyable".

The article suggests that the "Japanese pop-rock" is not to everyone's auditory tastes, but they personally felt it was "catchy: cheesy but fun".

Although we were glad to see that you only had to play as Sonic and not any of the less popular characters such as Shadow or Amy Rose, he's still accompanied by an annoying fairy character named Shahra. She's apparently a Ring Spirit who's there to help Sonic but is really just a pain in the backside, spouting some awful chat that makes us cringe. And of course Sonic gives it the old 'embarrasing dad' patter again, with the sort of 'hip' phrases that would get him a kicking in a nightclub.

Of the rest of the cast, they inform us what we pretty much already know (and flag Aladdin as another featuring character, though they don't say who he's 'played' by).

Onto the minigames! Sadly, ONM aren't too impressed, complaining that "the majority of these games are just too short".

With a bit more work the Party mode could have been excellent, but it just feels slightly empty[...] Nevertheless, with 40 games on offer, you're still sure to find some that you will enjoy and play again with mates. It's just a shame that so many of them don't last long. It seems a bit of a wasted opportunity as there's clearly a lot of potential here. Shame.

Their final word on the game as a whole is this.

Whether these problems are enough to completely ruin your enjoyment of the full game is down to your personal taste, but we still had a great time with Sonic and the Secret Rings. We feel it's the best of Sonic's 3D platform adventures (the original Sonic Adventure included), but whether it's the best Sonic title of recent times is open for debate (we still feel that Sonic Rush on the DS gives a truer Sonic experience). Still, it's certainly a solid, enjoyable game that will restore your faith in the blue hedgehog. And once you've got your head around the new controls you'll have a great time with it. "
"
_______

So that's the official review. That's not what I'm all excited about (or was in chat) but I thought I'd post it to let you all see how it did. Next, are answers to questions posed to a staff member on ONM who played the game extensively. I requested Alondite to post my questions there and if he did, I would've had answers to the questions I REALLY wanted to be answered. Nevertheless, be forewarned, SPOILER alert (not huge ones as in the Last Story for 06 but still) and bold tags will be added by yours truly for emphasis.

Here we go....

"
How does it controll? Do they work well?
Yup, the controls work well enough. As you probably know, you control Sonic by holding the Remote on its side and tilting it left and right. For the most part this is accurate, and you do feel in control most of the time.

It is alot like a 2d game, right? It's on 'tracks'.
Well, yeah, sort of. When we say it's like the 2D games we mean it takes the game back to its roots with just fast gameplay and simple controls. We don't mean it plays just like the 2D games because they offered more freedom (you could walk eithe rforwards or backwards). It's maybe not the best example because it makes it sound worse than it is, but it's more like the bonus stage in Sonic 2 or Sonic Rush.

Does it have multi player?
Not in the main Adventure mode. It does allow up to four players in Party mode though.

Do you find that the sheer speed of the game increases the difficulty? In some videos it looks far too fast to be able to react to things quickly enough.
Yes and no. Many of the times when it looks like it's going stupidly fast you're usually not in control (it's a set-piece or something). The game deliberately starts things off quite slow (well, slowish) so you can get used to the controls, then when you later unlock speed upgrades the game will progressively get faster.

Is it as long a Zelda Wii?
No. Nothing is.

Is it breatakingly hard or not?
It can be tricky at times, but I'll get into more detail later.

Who's the main enemy and is there anyone Sonic will meet along the way like Shadow in SA2 and Blaze in Rush ?
The main enemy is Erazor Djinn, an evil genie. Though you meet other characters throughout the game they only appear in the cut-scenes.

I actually like the look and sound of this. Can you please reassure me it's not going to be as goshdarned awful as most modern Sonic titles?
Well, I dunno if I can reassure you since I can only give my opinion. But for what my opinion's worth, I think it's much more enjoyable than the recent slew of terrible Sonic console games (culminating in the abysmal 360 and PS3 game).

What is camera control like, because in recent 3d sonic games I find the camera quite annoying, especially if you trying make a jump and the camera wont line up behind sonic then you end up missing and dying ¬.¬
The camera is rarely an issue actually, since because the game's effectively "on rails" the ideal camera angles have already been set up. This means it usually follows behind Sonic until he reaches a set area, at which point it'll automatically change.

With all the hype surrounding how fast it is, Is it too fast? because in 2-D it would be a lot easier to see where enemies are, so is it hard to see where enemies are?
It's set out in a way that the enemies are either large enough to see in the distance, or are positioned after jumps. See, whenever you hold 2 to charge a jump, targets appear around the enemies. When you let go of 2 those targets change to red, allowing you to attack them by flicking the Remote forward. So although you may be going too fast to see some enemies, whenever you jump you'll see the targets pointing them out.

What is the difficulty like? Very easy, moderately difficult or frustratingly difficult, and are there any stand out moments where you can get truly stuck?
The difficulty's a strange one. At times it's quite straightforward but at others you need split-second timing to proceed. At times it can get a bit frustrating, but usually once you manage to get past an annoying bit once, you'll be able to do it much easier the next time. And of course, some frustrating parts are easier to deal with if you configure your ring properly.  

How on earth do boss fights work? An on rails boss sounds pants.
It depends on the boss, because they all work in different ways. The first boss is a giant enemy scorpion which keeps running away while trying to attack you with its pincers. You have to chase after it, running left and right to avoid it, then when it misses its attack you use your homing jump to attack the middle of it. So the camera's still behind Sonic as in the normal game, but the stage loops constantly until you defeat the scorpion. Later boss stages are controlled slightly differently, including a side-on one that's similar to the Sonic Rush boss battles.

What's the music like? Sonic games normally have awesome music, hopefully this will keep up that tradition.
Yup, it's the same sort of thing. Plenty of Japanese rock and hip-hop stuff.

What would you rate it 1 - 10 graphic wise? it certainly looks good on the video!
Ha, if I'd to give it a number I'd give it an 8. The videos that you've seen already haven't even featured the most attractive levels yet.

How may different playable characters are there, inc sonic?
Just one in Adventure mode. In the Party mode there are eight.

Are the loading times good,unlike the Xbox version?
Yes. Of course there are still loading times, but they're only average loading times and never feel too long, certainly not to the extent that anyone can really complain about it.

Would you say it's the best 3D Sonic game so far?
I'd say that although they're slightly different games, it's up there with the first Sonic Adventure.

Do abrupt stops ruin the flow of it? On the videos it looks like it take a fair bit of time to get back to speed, does this get aggravating at all?
It does get annoying every now and then, but as I said previously, the further you get into the game the faster your acceleration and top speed becomes.

were your eyeballs popping out from intense speed
No, my glasses kept them in place.

Previous 3D sonic games have failed, as they have never felt right or been able to compare to the original games on the Mega Drive. Could this game break the mould or Sonic 3D games and be closer to teh original games' success and all around brilliance than the other 3D games?
With a bit of luck, yes. My only worry is that the recent string of rubbish Sonic games have dented Sonic's reputation, meaning Secret Rings may not sell as well or be as successful, simply because a lot of people have lost patience with 3D Sonic games, which is a shame.

What are your reactions to the Party Mode, are the minigames as good as they look?
Much like Monkey Ball, they're a bit hit-and-miss. Some of them are fun but others feel pretty pointless. A lot of them are also over much quicker than they should be.

r there more unlockable characters 4 multiplayer aprt fomr the comfirmed 8
No.


Is tails cool as ali baba
Yeah, but he's only really in it for a minute or so.


can the camara keep up with the pace of the game?
Yup. It's locked to the speed you're travelling at, so if you go at 100mph the camera will go at 100mph.

how big are the bosses?
Pretty damn big. The first level's scorpion thing is large, and the other boss battles, while not alays featuring huge bosses, are still pretty spectacular. While the final bos isn't exactly large himself, the battle is excellent and features a pretty sweet way of defeating him.

For me, the appeal of the decent sonic games is the arcade feel- which has never been present in Sonics 3D escapades. Is this present in Secret Rings?
Yup, it definitely feels like the sort of thing you'd see in the arcades. 

For me, the appeal of the decent sonic games is the arcade feel- which has never been present in Sonics 3D escapades. Is this present in Secret Rings?
Yup, it definitely feels like the sort of thing you'd see in the arcades.

this is a 3D Sonic game- one which rumoured to remove the negative thoughts '3D Sonic' brings... Is this game just going to be identified as another 3D Sonic game, or is this actually good?
It depends. As I said before, the poor quality of recent 3D games may have already pushed people's opinions too far, so many may pass this off as "another 3D Sonic game" without trying it out. For what it's worth, I see it as completely seperate from Sonic 360, Sonic Heroes etc.

What gaming genre best describes this, driving or platformer... or a bit of both?
It's more of a platformer, especially in the later levels where there's a lot of jumps and it's not just a case of tilting left and right through open plains.

Will it have any replay value, such as collectables, e.g Twilight Princess has heart containers, poe souls, bugs e.t.c
Well, each level has a number of missions, and doing all those will take you a while. You'll also have to unlock all 100+ abilities that you can then store on Sonic's ring. Every time you finish the level you'll also get a completion time, meaning you may want to replay some missions over again to try and beat your best time. ONM Challenge section anyone?

Will the game challenge more advanced gamers... someone mentioned 10 hours play time, not much really, but will it offer some sort of challenge, or will you fly through it with no problem atall?
At first it seems quite simple but some of the missions are extremely tricky. I've seen some experienced games journalists break down in fury during the final battle.

I remember whilst playing other Sonic games, I felt I could not play as quickly as the game itself suggests you can. The reasoning for this is that enemies get in your way, and you then have to collect back all your rings... Do these annoying pauses occur in this new Sonic game? Or is it more like Sonic rush where you can blaze through enemies without making the game too easy...?
There are generally less enemies than there are in other Sonic games, so there aren't a lot of situations where you'll run blindly into one.

What makes this 3D Sonic different from other 3D Sonics, such as Adventure and Heroes?
It's good.

Was sonic rideing a bulit bill in one of the screenshots or was it a normal overly lage bullet does it have a face?
It was a large bullet, not a Bullet Bill. There's no Sonic/Mario crossover here.

exactly how compleate is the game right now and how much have you played?
100%, all of it.

Being a long time Sonic fan I wonder is this Sonic game actually worth buying? I'm getting really annoyed about Sega and how they keep giving us average games and yet I still buy them anyway! Will this be the best Sonic game since Sonic 3?
I think "best since Sonic 3" could be tricky, since I think Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic CD were sweet too. But yeah, if you're a long time Sonic fan (as I am) you should be happy with this. There are still some annoying things (such as the terrible voice acting) but it's an enjoyable enough game.

Does Sonic have specific 'powers' or items which he needs to help him in a certain level?
Yup, some levels will have specific items, such as winged pots that Sonic needs to jump into and fly upwards (by moving the Remote up and down quickly). He also has the 100+ abilities that you can unlock.

Does it play like the E3 version?
It's improved since that. It's a lot easier to walk backwards if you miss something, and it's not as glitchy. 

Is Robotnik in the game?
Yes, but only for a minute in a cutscene.

do you know if SEGA will release the soundtrack "Seven rings in his hands" over here too?
Don't think so, since the other soundtracks were never officiall released here as far as I know. You never know though.

is they storyline interesting (no need to tell me what its about if u dont want to, just asking whether or not its interesting)
Well, it's certainly different. It's interesting to see Sonic in a different situation, but whether you prefer that to the usual "trying to get Chaos Emeralds before Robotnik" storylines will be down to your personal taste.

Will fans of the Adventure series enjoy it?
Yup, they should do.

i really feel Sonic's switch to 3D has been far from smooth. I dont even think its been done properly yet. Does the Secret Rings change all that or is yet another shameful attempt to bring Sonic into modern gaming.
It's certainly not shameful, it's a great attempt.

[***VERY KEY***]
Please, tell me that only Sonic is in this game and no one is unlockable...
It's just Sonic. Well, sort of. You'll see what I mean when you get near the end.


should I get it if I don't have the money for all the other "top" games coming out this year aswell?(that includes Fire Emblem)
Well, considering Fire Emblem won't be out for ages (the Japanese version's not even out yet and it'll take an age to translate), it shouldn't really affect your decision. But it's certainly a good game, and worth your money.

Can you find anything that is flawed about the controls and how could they have been improved?
There's always room for improvement, after all the Remote's still quite new in gaming. For the most part the controls are fine but I was a bit annoyed when trying to control the winged pots I mentioned above. Those are quite rare though.

Are the chao's back? I want my chao! There is a Chao garden, isnt there?
Nope, sorry.


Just how repetitive does this game plan to be? I am very likely to avoid it because the party games look like Super Monkey Ball/Mario party rips and the main game is just tilting left and right.
Trust me, there's more to the main game than tilting left and right. After all, would you say that Sonic Rush was just running left and right?

Is the game really set in Arabia?
No, it's set in the various stories of the Arabian Nights. For example, Dinosaur Jungle's based on a Sinbad story.

Does the game feel any better without all the added characters, like Silver, Shadow, etc?
I'd personally say so, yup. Even as far back as the first Sonic Adventure I didn't really like the Big The Cat, Amy Rose or E-102 Gamma levels, and would always find myself going back to the Sonic ones. So this does away with trying to make five different gameplay styles and focuses on one major one.

How much does this compare to Sonic's other 3D outings (including Sonic Rush)?
I personally don't think it's as good as Sonic Rush, but that's because I'm a sucker for 2D-style platforming.

Is better using the Wii remote to control Sonic?
Depends on what you're comparing it to. Compared to a Mega Drive controller, it's not (since nothing will beat the originals, it seems). But compared to an analogue stick (such as the God-awful 360 game) then it's much better.

Do the graphics do the Wii justice?
Absolutely.


Sort out your video vault it's rubbish hardly any videos work including the Sonic and the secret rings one, and its not just my computer
The Video Vault's fine, but you need to install the very latest Quicktime software, since it's encoded in the latest high-quality Quicktime codec. If you don't have the very latest Quicktime you'll only get sound and no video. 

Woah, look at all the questions... bet Chris is kicking himself for doing this
Yes I am.

Anyway, I was wondering, are all the levels based on famous books? I can see what looks like Jurassic Park (was a book first, folks) and Arabian Nights in there, but I've seen a pirate level and something which looks like Castle in the Sky as well. Well?
No, they're all based on Arabian Nights stories. No Jurassic Park, no Castle In The Sky, it's all Arabian Nights stories.

we all know that tails and knuckles will be in it as ali baba and sinbad, but are they invovled in the story and ,if you can play as them, how do they play?
They literally show up at the end of their respective level in a cutscene. Sonic recognises them, but they don't recognise him. It's a case of "Tails!" "Eh? I'm Ali Baba, who are you" etc.

How many levels will there be, and what will some of them be based on?
From what I can remember, there are eight worlds, including a pirate ship, a floating island, a lava-based level and the fantastic final level.

How do you get from level to level (Advwenture had a city, Adventure Battle just had a map)?
There's a level select screen.


Wii or Xbox360 version?
Wii, by a substantial margin.

When will it be out?
2nd of March.

Is this finally a return to form for Sonic Team (Japan, not USA) or is this further confirmation that the once legendary dev team is DOA.
It's definitely a return to form, partly thanks to the return of Ogawa-san: this is his first Sonic game since the original Sonic Adventure (arguably the best 3D Sonic game).

Do the controls feel tacked on or an integral part of the game.
They're definitely integral, since the game was built for the Wii from the ground up as opposed to being a GameCube game that was changed at the last minute. The game would simply be rubbish with an analogue stick, since it wouldn't feel right to have a control system with up/down controls and not have them be used.

What's the ninth panel in the Multiplayer screen if it's not an extra character?
It's a "Random" button, letting you pick a random character.

How big are the cameos of the other Sonic characters in this game?
Assuming you mean in the main mode, they're very small cameos.


How does the 'Wild fire' meter work?
It's now called the Soul Gauge. It builds up as you collect the glowing orbs that lie around the stage. When it builds up you can use special moves (such as a huge speed boost or the ability to slow down time).

Just how 'evil' is Erazor? There has only been two 'really' evil villians in the Sonic game series.
Well, he's wrecked all the worlds in a big story book so he's pretty evil. And he keeps calling Sonic a "rat" so if you think that's evil then there you go.


If eggmans in it, does he look like he used to (a bit comical, funny, doomed to failure), or like he does in the 360 one (evil, bald man, less fat, sinister madman)?
Like I said, he's barely in it. But when he is, it's old-school all the way.

I've been told from a number of sources that Sonic is the only playable character. Yet it seems that you can play as Knuckles and co. in mutliplayer mode. Does this only apply for multiplayer?
In the main Adventure mode, Sonic is the only playable character. There's no multiplayer in this mode. In the Party mode (the mini-games), you can choose from one of eight characters.

is Shodow the hedgehog going to be incorperated in any way
He's selectable in the mini-games.

Does the game have any glitches you know of?
Well, it wouldn't be a 3D Sonic game without glitches! Seriously, I played the game for a lengthy period of time and only remember encountering one glitch. In other words, it's no more glitchy than any other platformer. It certainly feels more "solid" than the other Sonic games, Sonic doesn't feel like he weighs about a stone. 

Will the Special Book's 225 pages of special bonus materials keep us busy for long?
Depends. Most of it's artwork and such.

Is there an animated/CG intro at all?
Yup, and it's sweet.


Does the skill modifying work well?
Yeah, there's a noticeable difference between the speed modifiers, and some of the abilities (like being able to stop moving forward mid-air) are really handy.


Will you need to custom much to get through all the different levels?
You won't need to, but it'll make it much easier. For example, in a level with a lot of jumps and pits (like the Foundry level), you might want to de-equip the speed abilities and add stuff like the aforementioned ability to stop mid-air (in case you overshoot a jump).


Are the voices acted well?
About as well as they usually are. So no.

Does Sonic's Time Break move slow him down at all or does he continue on fast while everything else freezes/slows?
It literally slows down the whole game, including Sonic. Its very handy for accurately aiming somewhere instead of trying to position him at a hundred miles an hour.

Do the party characters differ in how each of them play in the games at all? I doubt it but thought I'd ask.
Nope. Other than the fact that Knuckles looks naturally cooler when he plays a violin.


Is this game going to have any advertising campaigns like TV ads, magazine ads, web ads, posters etc...
Yup.
Posters you say? Check the new issue of ONM.

How many skills can you equpi to each of sonic's 4 rings?
It depends on how many experience points you have. Each skill is worth a certain amount of points, so you can equip as many as you want as long as you have enough points. Though obviously, some of them clash and you can only pick one (such as only one acceleration boost).

Does Sonic start out with 1 of the skill rings and have to earn the other 3?
He only ever has one. The four "rings" are actually just four different editable configurations for the same ring. It basically means you can customise four different configurations at once and select them quickly instead of having to reconfigure after every stage. So you might want to set up a speedy ring for missions where you have to complete the level in a certain time, or set one up with loads of defensive abilities for missions where you have to complete the level without dying.


[***ALSO KEY***]
Does super sonic make a return to form? Is he even in this game??
There's no Super Sonic as such, but there's a Super Sonic-esque devlopment. I refuse to spoil it though.



Look up at the two "KEYS" I mentioned. Any speculations that wanna go around?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 14, 2007, 02:57:55 pm
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33621963 also reveals some info.
Quote:

If you were expecting a final battle fighting as Super Sonic in a boss fight versus a giant reptillian monster, you'll be suprised.

First off, Super Sonic is not in the game. This isn't new to you guys, I know, but many have questioned what it is. My response to you is this; Though there is no Super Sonic, there is a supior being in the game.

Is it some new form of a more powerful Sonic? No. Sonic is himself the whole battle. What is it then, you ask? Shahra uses the power of the Secret Rings to become a full blown dijjin. She lends her help with Sonic to face the final threat- Who I will reveal later :P.

Here's what I can tell you, though. You may be suprised. I will tell some traits of this battle, however.

First of all, this is one of the most frusterating battles of all time. Not cause of glitches and camera problems and bad controls, though, it's cause the boss is crazy. Rings are scarce, and the boss is a mad attacker, with giant lasers that fill up 75% of the arena, giant sowrds chasing Sonic around and around, summoning 20+ enemies to deal with Sonic. It is no walk in the park. I havn't played the boss yet myself, but I've watched various people play it and get frusterated at the sheer difficulty. I actually havm't seen anyone beat the final boss as of yet when I was watching players. One person got to one-2 more hits left, but then the boss went into a mad scurvey and sped up his attacks to so freaking high speeds, it would be some type of miracle not to get hit.

More on all of this for days to come.

Another topic created by same guy reveals all character roles: [http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33616209]

"Eggman is a king who wants revenge on the one that attacked him who he beleives is Sonic.

Tails is a young man who is determined to save the one he loves and be proven to be a brave man.

Knuckles is a full-hardy sailor who got himself captured by beast and got locked in a cage. He is hotheaded and beleives Sonic wants to join his crew.

Amy is a maiden who is looking for a man to settle down with, and she beleives Sonic is that man.

I'll talk more in-depth later. From what I've seen, this is fairly accurate, and I'll try to find out more.
"

And for those that missed it: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a280/lightning89/homochao.png.
Guess who... XD
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 14, 2007, 04:44:31 pm
Another minor quibble was that players may be "slightly disappointed" at the "jogging pace" that Sonic starts out with, but assures us that

[...]the pace soon picks up, reaching ridiculously fast speeds in later stages.

That's horrible.... godamn speed jerks are spouting complaints again. Sonic Rush wasn't enough? How fast does Sonic have to go?? If the game is enjoyable why push it?

Quote
As enjoyable as the control system is, there are still times when you'll get pretty frustrated when you can't get past a certain part of a level and will die repeatedly, such as an area in a fire-based level where you have to do a homing attack on an enemy across a huge pit without large falling objects hitting you.

We're told that eventually you'll get past and have less trouble next time, but that "the initial encounter is far too frustrating to be enjoyable".

Yes a funny thing for Rush fan to complain about. But was that part fast enough to their tastes? =/

Quote
Although we were glad to see that you only had to play as Sonic and not any of the less popular characters such as Shadow or Amy Rose, he's still accompanied by an annoying fairy character named Shahra. She's apparently a Ring Spirit who's there to help Sonic but is really just a pain in the backside, spouting some awful chat that makes us cringe. And of course Sonic gives it the old 'embarrasing dad' patter again, with the sort of 'hip' phrases that would get him a kicking in a nightclub.

Yea, 'less popular'. Shadow isn't any good, but let's get excited about 104 different abilities. Now what use would I have for 104 different abilities?

And again Sonic is criticized for the elements that have defined him as of late. I haven't played Secret Rings, so I don't know if Sonic's banter is really actually bad, but I haven't heard anything out of him that's so terrible, but admittedly it does -seem- worse since he's by himself with a genie. And this is coming from someone who always loved "PIECE OF CAKE, NO SWEAT!!"

Quote
Whether these problems are enough to completely ruin your enjoyment of the full game is down to your personal taste, but we still had a great time with Sonic and the Secret Rings. We feel it's the best of Sonic's 3D platform adventures (the original Sonic Adventure included), but whether it's the best Sonic title of recent times is open for debate (we still feel that Sonic Rush on the DS gives a truer Sonic experience)".

That's just sick.

Quote
It is alot like a 2d game, right? It's on 'tracks'.
Well, yeah, sort of. When we say it's like the 2D games we mean it takes the game back to its roots with just fast gameplay and simple controls. We don't mean it plays just like the 2D games because they offered more freedom (you could walk eithe rforwards or backwards). It's maybe not the best example because it makes it sound worse than it is, but it's more like the bonus stage in Sonic 2 or Sonic Rush.

"makes it sound worse than it is" Let's be perfectly honest, as good as Sonic Rings might be, it will always have that disadvantage of being what is effectively a copout entry in 3D Sonic. It removes the freedom, and that's that, you don't need to spin it up just for the sake elitism. "It's like the 2D games because <etc>!"

Quote
With all the hype surrounding how fast it is, Is it too fast? because in 2-D it would be a lot easier to see where enemies are, so is it hard to see where enemies are?
It's set out in a way that the enemies are either large enough to see in the distance, or are positioned after jumps. See, whenever you hold 2 to charge a jump, targets appear around the enemies. When you let go of 2 those targets change to red, allowing you to attack them by flicking the Remote forward. So although you may be going too fast to see some enemies, whenever you jump you'll see the targets pointing them out.

Because the 2D games were really great at letting you see enemies in the distance.

Quote
Would you say it's the best 3D Sonic game so far?
I'd say that although they're slightly different games, it's up there with the first Sonic Adventure.

...

Quote
For me, the appeal of the decent sonic games is the arcade feel- which has never been present in Sonics 3D escapades. Is this present in Secret Rings?
Yup, it definitely feels like the sort of thing you'd see in the arcades.

what... the ....

Quote
I remember whilst playing other Sonic games, I felt I could not play as quickly as the game itself suggests you can. The reasoning for this is that enemies get in your way, and you then have to collect back all your rings... Do these annoying pauses occur in this new Sonic game? Or is it more like Sonic rush where you can blaze through enemies without making the game too easy...?
There are generally less enemies than there are in other Sonic games, so there aren't a lot of situations where you'll run blindly into one.

huh... ookay. You know, these guys should just stick to Rush and Burnout Revenge.

Quote
i really feel Sonic's switch to 3D has been far from smooth. I dont even think its been done properly yet. Does the Secret Rings change all that or is yet another shameful attempt to bring Sonic into modern gaming.

how many times can one ask "does this game SUCK like the other SUCKY SONIC GAMES?"

Quote
Are the chao's back? I want my chao! There is a Chao garden, isnt there?
Nope, sorry.

Sonic haters love their chao!! jesus christ

Quote
Just how repetitive does this game plan to be? I am very likely to avoid it because the party games look like Super Monkey Ball/Mario party rips and the main game is just tilting left and right.
Trust me, there's more to the main game than tilting left and right. After all, would you say that Sonic Rush was just running left and right?

Actually I would. Rush is shit.

Btw the reason Secret Rings has shown the potential to be good (to me anyway) is because besides running left and right (in a follow camera which makes it boring) there is also platforming and grinding, as well as a few running sequences with a fixed camera. It's the tricks. If only Secret Rings was an ideal 3D Sonic with merely the option to stop moving forward taken away from you. Although in many respects it is seeming like that's what it is, so that's good.

Quote
Is better using the Wii remote to control Sonic?
Depends on what you're comparing it to. Compared to a Mega Drive controller, it's not (since nothing will beat the originals, it seems). But compared to an analogue stick (such as the God-awful 360 game) then it's much better.

okaaay

sigh

Quote
Look up at the two "KEYS" I mentioned. Any speculations that wanna go around?

Ok... Sure I'll have a go at it. Umm.... you play as the genie in part of the final stage... and um... I guess she dies and Sonic gains her powers and basically becomes a genie for the final encounter.

hmm... that works
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 14, 2007, 05:04:59 pm
eggFL, the keys I was referring to was that of the "Super Sonic" comments.

For the final battle, though, it is claimed to be both frustrating and challenging. But actually...

SPOILERS




Shahra uses the power of the Secret Rings to transform into a "full..Djinn" and both she and Sonic take on the final boss.

The keys I referred to was that of when the question was posed, "Is Sonic the only unlockable character" and the answer was given, sort of, "you'll see what I mean" in the end; and when asked if "Super Sonic was in the game", the reply was no, but what replaces it is Super Sonic-esque and he wouldn't spoil it. :o So no Super Sonic, but something else. Thoughts?

Maybe it'll be something like the fabled Amigos rumor in 06 whereby you could play as the Amigos in each of the stages. Maybe this unlockable (probably a transformation or a skin or an outfit or something) can be used in other stages. This would increase competition for TA, I presume.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 14, 2007, 05:58:32 pm
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33621963 also reveals some info.
Quote:

Here's what I can tell you, though. You may be suprised. I will tell some traits of this battle, however.

First of all, this is one of the most frusterating battles of all time. Not cause of glitches and camera problems and bad controls, though, it's cause the boss is crazy. Rings are scarce, and the boss is a mad attacker, with giant lasers that fill up 75% of the arena, giant sowrds chasing Sonic around and around, summoning 20+ enemies to deal with Sonic. It is no walk in the park. I havn't played the boss yet myself, but I've watched various people play it and get frusterated at the sheer difficulty. I actually havm't seen anyone beat the final boss as of yet when I was watching players. One person got to one-2 more hits left, but then the boss went into a mad scurvey and sped up his attacks to so freaking high speeds, it would be some type of miracle not to get hit.

Yes. Finally, a final boss for a Sonic game that's legitmately hard without being linked to flawed mechanics. This is the sort of boss fight I've been waiting for. Bring it on! Then again, I'm the type of crazy gamer that believes that the Mega Man Zero series should be the standard by which all games compare in terms of challenge. (Those games are known to be tough but fair with perfect control, very few cheap deaths, and bosses that are just nasty.)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 14, 2007, 07:51:59 pm
I believe I knew what you meant ks8. You offered me to speculate on what the 'other character' and 'super sonic' of this game were.... my guess was the genie, and sonic with djinn powers, respectively.

I never heard of an Amigos rumor for Sonic06. I'm not even sure what you mean by Amigos. You mean Tails and Knuckles? Or the character from Samba de Amigo?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Crowbar on February 14, 2007, 08:37:39 pm
Words

Shut the fuck up.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 14, 2007, 08:49:06 pm
Best post ever.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: yse on February 14, 2007, 08:50:29 pm
Words

Shut the fuck up.

This post is CERTIFIED GOLD~
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 14, 2007, 09:54:12 pm
Words

Shut the fuck up.

Noble Prize material.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 14, 2007, 10:24:40 pm
Really, that's fine.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 15, 2007, 12:27:43 pm
I believe I knew what you meant ks8. You offered me to speculate on what the 'other character' and 'super sonic' of this game were.... my guess was the genie, and sonic with djinn powers, respectively.

I never heard of an Amigos rumor for Sonic06. I'm not even sure what you mean by Amigos. You mean Tails and Knuckles? Or the character from Samba de Amigo?

Tails, Knuckles, Rouge and the lot of them. It was a big rumor and a lot of people - including myself - believed it to be true that they were playable once getting all S Ranks and then all Mission Medals.

And Sonic with djinn powers... I don't even want to imagine what that'll be like..but it's very possible.

Anyway, it's only a matter of time now... only 5 days left. :O (Not including the one day it'll take for me to get it/to travel to retailers here; getting it Wed. hopefully.)

edit: BTW, snow level FTW. [http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=fr_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jeux-france.com%2fimages7_4_19202.html]
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 15, 2007, 09:39:32 pm
TH Time Break has serious glitch-finding potential. It's like a TAS, only they actually allow you to do it.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Stardust Speedman on February 16, 2007, 08:45:56 am
Words
Shut the fuck up.
I actually pretty much always agree with pretty much everything that EggFL sais and he is one of my most favorite Sonic Comunity Members. I pretty much only really disagree with the things he sais about Sonic Rush, which is my most favorite game of all time (although SatSR has potential to top it).
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Crowbar on February 16, 2007, 12:54:20 pm
Words
Shut the fuck up.
I actually pretty much always agree with pretty much everything that EggFL sais and he is one of my most favorite Sonic Comunity Members. I pretty much only really disagree with the things he sais about Sonic Rush, which is my most favorite game of all time (although SatSR has potential to top it).

Das coo'.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 16, 2007, 07:21:30 pm
This just came up an hour ago.


http://gamevideos.com/video/id/9318

They think it's hard. I don't think you'll have a problem with it, though.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 18, 2007, 01:33:51 pm
3 days left! :o
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 18, 2007, 03:33:57 pm
For you maybe but, for me it's 1 day left.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 18, 2007, 03:47:32 pm
For you maybe but, for me it's 1 day left.

You serious? How come?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 18, 2007, 04:08:59 pm
For you maybe but, for me it's 1 day left.

You serious? How come?

Yes I'm serious. A mini store around where I live has the game in stock and they're giving one away in a contest. I dominated that contest and am getting that game in the mail tomorrow.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 18, 2007, 04:17:03 pm
For you maybe but, for me it's 1 day left.

You serious? How come?

Yes I'm serious. A mini store around where I live has the game in stock and they're giving one away in a contest. I dominated that contest and am getting that game in the mail tomorrow.

Now that is sweet! You must feel special. :) [What was the contest about? *Now you've sparked my curiousity.*]
I invite you to help us in the "Secret Rings Competition Thread" if you're interested. Enjoy the game as I have to wait 2 more days after you before I get the game. ;)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 18, 2007, 04:24:44 pm
Now that is sweet! You must feel special. :) [What was the contest about? *Now you've sparked my curiousity.*]
I invite you to help us in the "Secret Rings Competition Thread" if you're interested. Enjoy the game as I have to wait 2 more days after you before I get the game. ;)

The contest? Let me give you a hint: Trivia.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 18, 2007, 06:42:07 pm

Sonic Trivia? If so, then nice find. Do you remember the question, by any chance? How open was the contest?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 08:56:06 am
Rick, let me know when you get the game. :)

2 days left!!
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 19, 2007, 12:38:20 pm
Can do ks8. As for the questions they were pretty easy. To every one else it was difficult because they 50 cent Bullet Proof. That guy wouldn't last 10 seconds in the 99 cent store. <_<

I won that contest when my opponent said Miyamoto was the creator of Sonic.

Edit: I have about 10 hours before my prize gets here so, yeah...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 03:06:33 pm
Can do ks8. As for the questions they were pretty easy. To every one else it was difficult because they 50 cent Bullet Proof. That guy wouldn't last 10 seconds in the 99 cent store. <_<

I won that contest when my opponent said Miyamoto was the creator of Sonic.

Edit: I have about 10 hours before my prize gets here so, yeah...

Nice and that's kinda funny.
Like I said, keep me posted. Mind if I ask a couple of q's once you get the game? Stuff you can answer right off the bat.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on February 19, 2007, 03:07:41 pm
pretty lucky, I never knew of such a contest :P

anyway, tell us if the game sucks or not when you get it, because I have high hopes for it yet at the same time I have a feeling itl'll suck :/
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 03:44:17 pm
pretty lucky, I never knew of such a contest :P

anyway, tell us if the game sucks or not when you get it, because I have high hopes for it yet at the same time I have a feeling itl'll suck :/

I'm confident it'll be one of the best Sonic games yet...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 19, 2007, 04:42:44 pm
Knowing SEGA, his copy'll come with a formal paper explianing a review embargo.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 04:54:35 pm
Yeah really :P

I have some new info about the game to share also.
I'll start with this ... don't forget SPOILERS...











Erazor is the final boss for the Story Mode, known as the "Master of Arabia". HOWEVER, there is another entity who you must battle in the game's... yes it's true... "Last Story", or, the secret unlockable stage.

Keep your eyes peeled. (I never understood that expression. Wouldn't that hurt? :P)

On that note, collecting all Seven "Secret Rings" will open up the Last Story. Personally, I think it's a stage where Sonic's on a ticking time bomb to escape the book or maybe the world and Arabian Nights world have merged... What an intriguing revelation. :) Oh, and can anyone say Heroes?









edit: So who's getting this game on Wednesday?
-Me, obviously
-SJ?
-eggFL?
-RingRush?
-Rolken?
-WingedInsignia?
-Paragod?

And we all know who's the first TSC'r to have it, now don't we...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on February 19, 2007, 05:06:35 pm
damn right i'm getting it :) unless the store runs out or something knowing my luck it will.. but then again no one around here that I know of plays sonic so maybe it won't.

and I reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally hope your right about it being the best sonic game ever, because it'd be about time as the last really good one was sonic adventure 2.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 05:14:33 pm
damn right i'm getting it :) unless the store runs out or something knowing my luck it will.. but then again no one around here that I know of plays sonic so maybe it won't.

and I reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally hope your right about it being the best sonic game ever, because it'd be about time as the last really good one was sonic adventure 2.

I've been following the game very closely and from what I've seen, it will live up to that. But it all depends on what you value most in a Sonic game, I guess. Thankfully, though, camera issues aren't a problem for those Sonic fans who were very picky about that (not including myself in that; was only annoyed in Heroes on some occasions).

I also hope they'll have some on Wednesday. I'm thinking Future Shop...If not... I'll have to think of another place... (I'm CDN BTW).

Also, some critics even claimed it being better than SA; some say it was up to par with it. They said it is the best 3D Sonic Title thus far so that counts for a lot. I find that the majority of complaints stem from Party Mode but you guys don't have to worry about that. It's only me that really cares about that. Even still, knowing me I'll probably enjoy 30-35/40 of them.

But like I said, it depends on what you value in a Sonic game I guess. I can't wait to say that there's only one day left. By the time we get it, Rick will be on Dinosaur Jungle or Evil Foundry.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 05:30:33 pm
Talk about perfect!

See here: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932811&topic=33722330
Canadian, FTW.
Quote: "Yeah, I called my boss this morning )I work in a future shop) and she says we should get it tomorrow by 11am, but since I'm in Canada, it could be a day or two later... "

I might even try tomorrow!! :o
If not, I'm going to FS anyways at like 11:00 Opening Time so that'll be so perfect! :D
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on February 19, 2007, 07:38:33 pm
time will tell! the only research i've done on this game is it's name, i'll let everything else be a suprise. (City Escape II would be cool, but I doubt it'll happen)

I never had a problem with the camera either from casual play, only very occasionally when time attacking a select few levels, but that was mainly because the shortcuts/tricks used were untraditional and stuff that wasn't meant to be done (like skipping the coaster in twinkle park/sonic)

/me continues playing SA2 while impatiently waiting for the big day
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 07:45:52 pm
It's gonna be great for competition. :)

And the things you'll see in the game, I'm sure you'll enjoy. (But no, no City Escape :P)
I can't wait.

If only Rick were here. He's probably playing the game, laughing at us right now.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 19, 2007, 07:50:50 pm
That comment someone posted about this game being the new Riders... I found that an interesting comparison... Yea, this game /is/ going to be the new Riders isn't it... I guess I don't need the game after all, it's not going be to very good. >__>

Seriously though, I'm not getting this game when it comes out... I probably won't even play it in a long time.

btw camera has never been a true problem in a Sonic game, people should stop being camera nazis, it's destroying 3D gaming and tearing us apart! *runs away squealing in tears*
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 07:56:33 pm
That comment someone posted about this game being the new Riders... I found that an interesting comparison... Yea, this game /is/ going to be the new Riders isn't it... I guess I don't need the game after all, it's not going be to very good. >__>

Seriously though, I'm not getting this game when it comes out... I probably won't even play it in a long time.

btw camera has never been a true problem in a Sonic game, people should stop being camera nazis, it's destroying 3D gaming and tearing us apart! *runs away squealing in tears*

Umm... no.. Riders II is supposedly going to be announced this year. :o
But seriously, you seemed so excited for the game like me. What's with all the sudden changes?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: douglas on February 19, 2007, 08:00:32 pm
Yes, people should stop being camera nazis.  I mean, it doesn't matter that you can't see where you are or where you're going, or that the controls switch all the time to accommodate that.  People should stop whining and learn the layouts, positions of traps/enemies, character quirks and camera glitches off by heart to complete the game instead of wanting to play one that's actually fun, and anyone who says otherwise is an idiot Sega-hater.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 19, 2007, 08:07:34 pm
I agree.
After a certain amount of speedrunning, SA2B isn't fun anymore.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 19, 2007, 08:46:50 pm
I agree.
After a certain amount of speedrunning, SA2B isn't fun anymore.

Tell me about it...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 19, 2007, 10:08:38 pm
I have for a year looked forward to Riders 2 because I anticipated being able to see '06' next gen renditions of the Rogues. And the online play. Although after Sonic06 (and well.. Riders 1) I start to wonder if the game will even be good. Well as long as it's not like Riders 1 I'll be happy. (just watch ill come to regret saying that) If they make a racing game equivalent of Sonic06 it will still be good I think. Also I start to wonder if the game will even have online... Sonic06 didn't even have any online component... I feel naive for ever thinking that it would... but damnit. If it had online 2P, I would play it all the time. If Riders 2 doesn't have online, it will be like the biggest fail. And I have a feeling that it won't have online. It's just back-to-back frequent lowering of standards when it comes to the franchise isn't it? despite the next gen installments. Except that Sonic06 is really special.

Anyway, Secret Rings looked hot but Sonic06 left me really satisfied just being a fan. Secret Rings despite how neat it is doesn't seem stylistically superior, and it isn't the gameplay fix I'd need. In both ways it's a side release, despite being a very neat one after all. Most significant downside to it is the seemingly floaty controls and animations, just like Riders. The tricks made it look fun but even Riders had tricks and they were just as awkward as Secret Rings looks to be.

Although Shadow was essentially a side release and in retrospect, I really liked that game. (I've started remembering how great it was on my first run. Perhaps I liked Riders only because I was riding off of Shadow) Heh, so I guess Secret Rings depends on if it's the new Riders or the new Shadow.

In any case, I never really intended to own the game for myself in the first place. I intended to get a Wii for my nephew... his birthday is in 3 months, but he is moving in 1 month. ('housewarming present') and he's still playing Gamecube. Somehow just having it in the family is good enough for me. Besides, I don't even have the money or feel like spending so much just for another console for myself... teaming up with family to get it for him is the only way I can reasonably afford one. Although I realize in that case I may not be able to play it for myself for... well maybe even a very long time. It depends. But I'm cool with that.

SA2B is a masterpiece. I played it to death but I come back every time to realize that. What's this about memorizing everything in a level. It's the 2D games in which you can't see beyond the end of the screen in all directions. Being able to play in 3D is a god given gift. It works. I've also realized that being in 3D in itself makes a game better. SA2B camera has never been a peeve for me. The stages are very straightforward, except for Knuckles stages which give you free camera control.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 20, 2007, 02:47:12 pm
I've also realized that being in 3D in itself makes a game better.
Sorry, but I fail to see the logic behind that. If I'm following that train of logic correctly, it literately means that 3D games are innately superior to 2D games by sole virtue of being in 3D. By that logic, that would mean that Drake and the 99 Dragons (average score of 2.05/10), Bomber Man Act Zero (3.5/10), and Super Man 64 (2.3/10) are innately better than games such as Mega Man Zero 2 (8.2/10), Viewtiful Joe (9.2/10), and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (9.3/10) because they're in 3D. Not being able to see beyond the end of the screen should not be an issue if the level design is solid. Take the MMZ or Castlevania series for example. Those are challenging games, but cheap deaths because you couldn't see whats ahead do not occur very often in those games (although it does occur a lot in 2D Sonic games). Most of the challenge there is from nasty bosses and enemy placements, not bad level design. (Most 2D Sonic levels are fine, the cheap shot issue is just something that needs some form of fixing such as giving the player more room to look around by having the game on a non-portable console.)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 20, 2007, 02:54:07 pm
Within reason.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 20, 2007, 03:09:29 pm
I know. Extreme comparisons are a tactic used in sarcasm and satire to point out some major flaw in something. Anyway, here's the first official review posted on game rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/932811.asp Gaming Age gave Sonic 06 an F BTW, meaning that this game must be a major improvement. According to them, the controls are near perfect. The only real problems they had with the game was that it had a nasty level of difficulty and the party games are hit or miss. A true redemption for the series.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 20, 2007, 03:16:15 pm
I've seen it.
GameFAQs is useful for something :/
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 20, 2007, 03:19:30 pm
If you thought I meant that all 3D games are hands down better than the best 2D games, well I didn't.

Here's my observation. Rather than sticking to 2D or 3D, Megaman X7 flip flops between both. Ultra fail. However, the 3D segments, are generally better than the 2D, and are even better the more '3-dimensional' the areas are. Those areas are inherently more fun and more interesting than the handicapped, ugly rendition of classic 2D Megaman forced into 3D graphics could ever be. Being able to move and explore in 3D is an undeniable blessing and an advantage that some developers just seem flat out afraid to take advantage of in some cases.

Also, very ironic you mention Viewtiful Joe against Bomberman Act Zero in your comparison... when both games are 2D and 3D. Both of those games have 2D gameplay using 3D graphics. You have failed, my friend.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 20, 2007, 03:50:32 pm
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3157332 (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3157332)
Haha! 7.5
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings (*Spoilers*)
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 20, 2007, 03:52:19 pm
OMG!!!

Read this, taken from: http://www.familyfriendlygaming.com/Reviews/2007/Review%20Sonic%20and%20the%20Secret%20Rings.html

"The genie part of this game seems way more fantasy to me, and does not get occultic. Sonic takes a fiery dart for Shahra, and this selfless act costs him. Still this sacrifice is very honorable. At times Sonic cares more about fun than stopping the evil character, but that is more of Sonic having fun while stopping evil. "

:o!!

More spoilers and other info as I learn of them
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 20, 2007, 03:54:45 pm
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3157332 (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3157332)
Haha! 7.5

Saw you post that on GFAQS. :P

Summary:
"Although Sega deserves praise for Secret Rings' innovative single-player adventure, the less said about the four-player party mode, the better. It's another low-budget Mario Party rip-off that stretches out a few weak gameplay concepts into multiple multiplayer contests. Seriously, the haphazard canoeing mechanic barely works -- why make four different variations of it? A few bright spots (a clever violin-playing contest, catching fruit on skewers) don't make up for the poorly executed whole. Stick with the main game -- you can surely do multiplayer Wii-waggling better elsewhere."

I told you multiplayer was the main thing they had probs with. But I don't care aobut revies unlike others here so that's a relief for you all that the Main Game is excellent, I'll bet.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on February 20, 2007, 03:59:09 pm
Updated Wii status.

The site I use to get info on any Wiis at a local Wal-Mart has crapped out and replaced with something that is 100% unreliable.  There are several other things I want (like a 360 and Sonic '06, as well as Diddy Kong Racing DS), and I can't cash my $250 check until I know I can get to a Wii.  As a result, anything Wii-related will have to wait until May 2007 at the latest.  By then, Wiis should be readily available.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 20, 2007, 05:37:32 pm
-Alright. This game is getting some pretty good reviews. Based on what I've read, I'm most likely going to have much more fun playing this game than I did Sonic 06 (such a disappointment when I really think about it due to all of its bugs, camera problems, cut content, boring hunting/hunting like stages with Knuckles and Rouge, etc.)
Here's my observation. Rather than sticking to 2D or 3D, Megaman X7 flip flops between both. Ultra fail. However, the 3D segments, are generally better than the 2D, and are even better the more '3-dimensional' the areas are. Those areas are inherently more fun and more interesting than the handicapped, ugly rendition of classic 2D Megaman forced into 3D graphics could ever be. Being able to move and explore in 3D is an undeniable blessing and an advantage that some developers just seem flat out afraid to take advantage of in some cases.
-Sorry for going off topic for a second. From the reviews I read, the general consensus was the exact opposite. The 2D sections were regarded as better from a gameplay perspective. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/454/454630p2.html http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=294939
-Gamebrink just gave it an 8.1 with the gameplay getting an 8.75.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: eggFL on February 20, 2007, 06:37:55 pm
The Gamespot review doesn't even say that, that's just the IGN review. And frankly it doesn't matter what game reviewers say, especially any one game reviewer, so don't even start with IGN of all sites.

I played X7 too, so I know very well what's good and bad about it.

Reviewers like that guy say that 2D is better because it more accurately provides a view angle for the platforming challenges, but what they miss is that the 3D gameplay is /actually more fun/.

It's funny because the only parts of X7 that I remember to even be all that difficult in the first place is the 2D stages, not the 3D.

And it's really lowering your standards because the quality of the 2D gameplay in X7 is vastly worse and more clunky than any fully 2D Megaman X before it.

Let me tell you something about IGN. ("you can't spell ignorance without IGN") Have you ever heard their "Role of the Reviewer" podcast? They got to make themselves look like assholes and put themselves on a high horse and moral superiority for an hour. You might afterwards want to read my blog (http://rockshard.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=15162) regarding it if you're interested.

Game reviews shouldn't be thrown around as if it's some factual-based statistic to disprove the opinions of Joe everyman. (unless you like being an asshole) It really comes down to one opinion against another's and really doesn't help anyone.

Some tidbits some apparently don't know about IGN:
 - They gave SA2 a 9.4, yet they gave SA2B a 6.9.
 - Megaman X7, Star Fox Assault, and 50 Cent Bulletproof are each rated better than Shadow the Hedgehog.
 - They gave Megaman X6 an 8.0, they gave Megaman X5 an 8.5, and they gave Megaman X4 a 7.0.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: MrNomad on February 20, 2007, 08:15:26 pm
This is why i gave up on what "professional" reviewers think of games. At least on gamefaqs you can see the reviews that the common people say and think. Besides you dont hafta tell me most top game-reviewing sites have biased reviewers, i mean really they said Iron Phoenix wasnt any good.Iron Phoenix was a good game, and it deserves better than what it got, besides, IT WAS THE VERY FIRST OF ITS KIND, AND SO FAR ITS THE BEST YOU CAN FIND. What pissed me off more is that they praised Mortal Kombat Deception. I wanna kill gamespot for ever thinking that was even decent of a game..
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 20, 2007, 08:32:21 pm
Ready for questions my fellow...T...S...C...

Don't bombard me with 8-20 questions in one post `kay?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 20, 2007, 09:41:24 pm
IGN review, 6.9.
COuld be better, but look at the last paragraph.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/766/766214p1.html (http://wii.ign.com/articles/766/766214p1.html)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 20, 2007, 09:45:33 pm
Since IGNorance type reviews phail I refuse to read that.

*rick disco dances because he feels like it*
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Waxwings on February 20, 2007, 11:34:54 pm
GS review is up, you find the link.
7.6
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: magnum12 on February 20, 2007, 11:42:44 pm
-Someone beat me to the GS punch. Great game with some control problems, frustrating difficulty and hit or miss party games. Still a solid choice for Wii owners. So far the average score is an 8.0 with IGN as the negative outlier. I've heard that the actual person reviewing the game is the member on the staff that hates Sonic games but then again, its a rumor. Some have said that his review is so low because he got his butt kicked and reduced the score because of it, but whether its true or not is purely speculation at this time. So far there haven't been many complaints about glitches affecting the game yet, so I'm crossing my fingers that this will be a 3D Sonic competition that isn't dominated by glitches. (I'm one of those gamers that believe that ALL glitches regardless of if they're positive or negative, are inherently bad when they reach the final version of a game.)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: douglas on February 21, 2007, 06:30:52 am
Looking good - shame they spent time on these damn minigames instead of more core gameplay, but meh.

Glitches - if you have to work for them they're amusing.  If they come and slap you in the face when you're just trying to play, they're not.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 21, 2007, 01:40:37 pm
Looking good - shame they spent time on these damn minigames instead of more core gameplay, but meh.


You're kidding right.. >_>

Anyway, good to hear you got the game, Ricky. And nice reference there. ;)
But seriously, it was written by a guy who like hates Sonic anyway so yeah....

Um, anyway, I have like 25 questions I'm currently awaiting for answers from another person so I think I'll be okay. If you could, though, I'd appreciate it if you test out some of the missions for me and let me know what's tabulated at the end of them (Times, Scores, Rings, etc?). If you want, you can tell me the names of the mini-games unlocked from the start but as I'm sure you're still in excitement over the game, you don't have to worry about that if you don't want to. :)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: General Throatstomper on February 21, 2007, 02:23:32 pm
I just got the game.

My time for the first mission was: 0:35:10

I hit one of the walls. Now, I am the first champion of SatSR by default.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Cream147 on February 21, 2007, 02:29:24 pm
When I get this game (March 15th, no sooner no later), I'm going to submit some times in near immediatly. That way, I just might come in the top 10!
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on February 21, 2007, 03:57:33 pm
odds are it will take much longer than that before there's even 10 people submitting for the game, so i'd hope that you would be in the top 10.


so who else got screwed out of getting this game? all the stores I went to said it doesn't come out until march 27th or something so I guess it'll be a few more days before I can get it, assuming they're wrong.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Rick_242 on February 21, 2007, 07:22:31 pm
Now, I am the first champion of SatSR by default.

*raises eyebrow*

I will not mention or submit my pwnsome records until everyone else is competing. Now some of you might ask why? The reason is that I don't want a handicap. So, When you guys get the game around March or whatever I will be submitting times. Just wanted you guys to know.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 22, 2007, 04:11:08 pm
I just got the game.

My time for the first mission was: 0:35:10

I hit one of the walls. Now, I am the first champion of SatSR by default.

That's what my topic is for. Geez, do people like not read.. >_<
(For those confused for whatever reason, it's in the Comp. Central thread..)
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: blackcanoflysol on February 24, 2007, 09:38:55 am
I got this game on  the 21 since my gamestop received their shipments the day after launch. =[

I 'beat' it on the 23, but I still have missions I haven't unlocked and gold medals to get on them.

I was very surprised, and it is indeed better than some of the more recent Sonic titles. Constant forward movement is something that you need to adjust though, and honestly, the storyline kinda sucks.

Go get the game as fast as you can though, its really great.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: X-5 on February 24, 2007, 10:57:14 am
I got the game 2 days ago and i'm dissapointed. The game itself is okay at best (5/10, so far atleast) but I'll say right now i'll never compete in it. Even if I did, i'd never get any records anyway, I hate the constant forward movement and lack of freedom, I can't play like that worth a damn, and there's really no skill involved getting fast times(Kinda like how time attacking heros sucked, only much worse)


and from what I can see ring attacking will be nonexistent, because you can only carry  a very small amount of rings anyway


yeah..hopefully the game will get better to just casually play, but I see no hope at all when it comes to me time attacking it. I guess a SA/SA2 like game will never be made again :(
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 24, 2007, 11:06:25 am
I guess a SA/SA2 like game will never be made again :(

Sonic '06 ftw
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: MrNomad on February 26, 2007, 09:15:16 am
I guess a SA/SA2 like game will never be made again :(

Sonic '06 ftw
hahahaha no
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 26, 2007, 01:41:24 pm
I got the game 2 days ago and i'm dissapointed.

A lot of you are gonna be surprised but I only rented the game. I'm SO glad I did... the Party Mode is stellar despite the negative criticism it's been getting. I would buy this game if it were not for one thing that totally destroyed my thoughts of the game, and that being the story. The whole genie-magic-wishing-I'm gonna rule the world concept did not appeal to me at all. I'm glad I made the right choice as now I can worry about something more important. Like.. oh I dunno... SSX Blur or Mario Party 8! :P
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Groudon on February 26, 2007, 02:41:34 pm
I've dealt with games that had good gameplay, but a WTF story.  For me, if the story is lame, but the gameplay is good, that's enough.  This game shouldn't be too different when I get it.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 26, 2007, 02:49:10 pm
I guess a SA/SA2 like game will never be made again :(

Sonic '06 ftw
hahahaha no

Evidently youve not played it.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 26, 2007, 03:04:42 pm
I've dealt with games that had good gameplay, but a WTF story.  For me, if the story is lame, but the gameplay is good, that's enough.  This game shouldn't be too different when I get it.

Knowing you, not just based on what you said, I think you'll enjoy it. I just still can't believe I didn't... It was all the Story, man... the "ridiculous" story...
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: MrNomad on February 26, 2007, 07:32:07 pm
I guess a SA/SA2 like game will never be made again :(

Sonic '06 ftw
hahahaha no

Evidently youve not played it.
no but i was fortunate enough to see the glitches, the loading, and the not-so great gameplay on youtube, so i dont hafta waste money buying such an awful game. out of the two new ones, Sonc/Secret rings is the only one worth getting.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Stefan on February 27, 2007, 08:03:11 am
s06's gameplay is wonderful. Loading screens and glitches, not so much.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: MrNomad on February 27, 2007, 08:36:02 am
s06's gameplay is wonderful. Loading screens and glitches, not so much.
Sonics gameplay wasnt any interesting at all, he moves slower and glitches are there either way. The problem with this game is they messed up sonic's gameplay and the game was meant to be a return to his roots. Instead it became the opposite. Sonic/Secret Rings however does a much better job at this.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: Bilan on February 27, 2007, 12:14:40 pm
Sonics gameplay is fine, and their are much less glitches than you'd expect, just by playing and TAing normally Ive found very few.

Although I cant refute the loading times being awful, but you get used to them.

Also exactly how can you say the gameplay is bad when youve not actually played it.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: F-Man on February 27, 2007, 01:59:52 pm
Sonic '06 is an authentic platorming experience and that alone makes it better than SatSR anyday.

What was this topic about again?
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: KnucklesSonic8 on February 28, 2007, 05:15:42 pm
What was this topic about again?

Yeah really... >_>
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: MrNomad on February 28, 2007, 06:42:34 pm
Sonics gameplay is fine, and their are much less glitches than you'd expect, just by playing and TAing normally Ive found very few.

Although I cant refute the loading times being awful, but you get used to them.

Also exactly how can you say the gameplay is bad when youve not actually played it.
Because ive seen the gameplay, and i notice that a couple of ideas/stages are a lot lik copied versions from sonic adventure, meaning there really isnt much idea put into those portions of the game >.> And to F-Mans quote, thats your opinion and all, but your opinion does nothing against facts about the game. Besides, Go to SEGA forums or gamefaqs, you'll realize a lot more people, both fans and non, choose SatSr over sonic '06 Apperently, your opinion is full of crap.
Title: Re: TSC and the Secret Rings
Post by: yse on February 28, 2007, 06:59:45 pm
*sigh*

*lock*