All the S@nics - the end

[KobaBeach]

The Werehog stages are usually 20 minutes long, so there's the same Werehog to Sonic ratio in length while the actual stages are more of an even split.

What do you mean by this?

The funny part is that I was okay with Werehog's sheer girthy length when I was younger but these days I just get burnt out. Old age is hitting hard. Need to check if every 3D Sonic stage that goes beyond 5 minutes does that to me now or not, again, when I was younger I was just okay with more Snoic [sic].

A thing that might worsen things is that Werehog is kind of hard, Savannah Citadel 1 kept owning me at the final enemy rush and it's like the second Were stage, I was swearing up a storm. They're also not very... Fun? Fighting isn't bad if super basic, but the "monster rooms" and everything else just gets in the way and hampers pacing.

Also I too just drop by on a video on occasion when I'm bored. Keeping up with raocow series I'm not 100% into is just not worth it. I'm not one of those raostans that watches every series anymore, and I really never want to be. I did watch Momo4 exclusively to help populate the thread though. Didn't really post much though.

[Bean]

What do you mean by this?

Number of stages: Even enough between Sonic & the Werehog to this point.

TIme spent in levels: Way, way in favor of the Werehog because the main night stage is one long experience now instead of being divided up into three or more mini-stages like the SD version.

[KobaBeach]

What do you mean by this?

Number of stages: Even enough between Sonic & the Werehog to this point.

TIme spent in levels: Way, way in favor of the Werehog because the main night stage is one long experience now instead of being divided up into three or more mini-stages like the SD version.

Ah, I see

[Bean]

And oh no. I just remembered what the next night stage is. Tonight's vid could be a fun one in the not so fun way. Man, I don't like the Chun-nan levels.

[QuiEstFaba]

Maybe there's a reason this last one was so short.

[Paragraph]

And oh no. I just remembered what the next night stage is. Tonight's vid could be a fun one in the not so fun way. Man, I don't like the Chun-nan levels.

yeah this level sucks lol

I do respect how balls-out stupid they are willing to get with the mechanics in the Acts >1. Yeah make an entire level just about carrying things, awful idea that should have been smothered in the crib but hey, some level designer really got to dip into it and explore it from every (horrible camera) angle, that's nice for them

[Bean]

Yeah, basically the hot dog missions are pointless in the grand scheme of things, but the HD version makes up for it with these mini-acts that expect you to know the mechanics here. In this case, it's knowing that you can set a box down on the edge of one platform, jump over to the next, and then grab it. Granted, you can make it across those platforms with running jumps, but it's more dangerous. That life counter's pretty much back to nada now as a result.

[Grounder]

so yeah, the ghosts are from the night of the werehog short

strangely, the third one, lah, doesn't appear in unleashed

[ano0maly]

I was thinking that raocow is quite invested in leveling up the combat bar for werehog, but does he actually check how to perform those moves? Apparently he addressed that today.

And I wonder how this game would have been if it spread enemies throughout the level layout and mixed them more with obstacles like a traditional platforming game, instead of sequestering most of the enemies into fight zones. The HD version does this mixture more, but enemies are still mainly there to be swatted away in kill rooms, which individually can be fun but collectively feel like the same general deal. Having enemies integrated into the level design may have made them more interesting, if perhaps reducing the stylish action element in exchange.

[KobaBeach]

you're not the boss of me now

[Lord Ruby]

I thought the platforming in today's stage looked pretty nice. But yeah, with most fighting being on flat pseudo-arenas, it kind of does feel like there are two systems progressing separately throughout the night stage (along with the total separation between night and day). Integrating the two more could make the combat more interesting, but I think they've already shown that their slow 3D platforming has potential (though that potential is not always realized).

[Bean]

Glad to see you dump what you got into strength even if it didn't get you a level. It meshes with your playstyle more anyway.

[Donut]

I was thinking that raocow is quite invested in leveling up the combat bar for werehog, but does he actually check how to perform those moves? Apparently he addressed that today.

And I wonder how this game would have been if it spread enemies throughout the level layout and mixed them more with obstacles like a traditional platforming game, instead of sequestering most of the enemies into fight zones. The HD version does this mixture more, but enemies are still mainly there to be swatted away in kill rooms, which individually can be fun but collectively feel like the same general deal. Having enemies integrated into the level design may have made them more interesting, if perhaps reducing the stylish action element in exchange.

When I compare the werehog gameplay to, say, Devil May Cry 3, I think the critical difference between the two is that DMC3 is much more demanding of the player on a moment to moment basis. Most individual enemies are a threat, and arenas are often specifically designed to force you you to think about the enemy placement. The fact that Sonic Unleashed is aimed at a much younger set means the gameplay is meant to be less demanding, but that comes at the risk of removing that central element that makes character action games interesting. I don't think it's impossible to make a fun DMC Lite, but I think there needs to be a balance towards giving the player let and making them feel engaged with the fight, and I just don't think the werehog got there. I think a good place to start would have been giving each enemy a specific attack style instead of making them, as raocow so helpfully described last night, "vaguely defined enemies."

[QuiEstFaba]

[Grounder]

ha ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha ha, ha, one one one one

[KobaBeach]

^ fart buttoned

[Bean]

When the eel's hit by ice, can't land the last claw slice, that's Dark Mor~ay! There really isn't much to that fight in either version, is there?

[QuiEstFaba]

Hey, who wrote "Shamar?" Even having the genres and year didn't narrow it down much.

[raocow]

it's one of those 'Qui askes who wrote a song and then later when I wake up I answer' kind of day!

beitegeuze

[QuiEstFaba]

Thanks again, raocow.

[QuiEstFaba]

and speaking of the playlist:

holy shit, i know these guys.

No, really. The drummer was my teacher in college (one of them), and the double-reed player is (also) a huge figure in the modern jazz scene where I used to live. I'm even on an album by the latter--but then again, so was anybody who happened to be in the room with him when he remembered to pack his recording device. I don't play anything, he just had me (and ninety some-odd others, including his bandmates, his in-laws, and his kid) recite some bits of poetry off a sheet of paper he had on him, for use in the arrangements.

[Grounder]

yeah, empire city is an entirely optional place not seen at all in the sd version

surprise!

[Grounder]

[Bean]

Hey, those big guys with the clubs? They're the worst enemy in the game. There is one obtuse way to not get comboed with their jump attack spam, but I want to see if you can figure it out first. And yeah, this not America part of the game is very filler-y.

[kurt91]

Wanted to point something out regarding the completionist angle of "All the Sonics".

I skimmed the episode list and didn't see too many of the McDonalds Happy Meal games. Well, SAGE (Sonic Amateur Gaming Expo, which despite the title is not actually 100% Sonic themed and has TONS of indie games and stuff) is going on right now, and one of the entries is supposed to be a replication of a majority of the McDonalds Happy Meal games.

https://sonicfangameshq.com/forums/show ... gins.1352/

It apparently even goes so far as to present the instruction booklets and view everything within a digital LCD toy.

Might be worth taking a look and seeing if it's worth using to fill out the game list. (Plus, if raocow happens to come across some cool stuff he wants to play on video, that would be a plus. I always love seeing people's reactions to stuff like this.)

By the way, the main site for the expo is

www.sagexpo.org

Just in case anybody's interested in seeing the full entry list.