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Bioware Making a Sonic RPG on the DS
1up has the news that Bioware (makers of classic RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights) is collaborating with Sega to make a Sonic the Hedgehog roleplaying game for the Nintendo DS. "Sega's latest effort clearly illustrates the company's increasing interest in (and reliance on) Western content developers and Western audiences ... Now all we need to do is sit back and wait for the patented Bioware mid-game reveal which unmasks Tails once and for all as the evil Dr. Robotnik. Who needs Mass Effect? When the angst-ridden backstory of Knuckles the Echidna is your muse, the world is your spiky-headed oyster." For the record? I need Mass Effect. Now.
I always had my suspicions about Big however...
"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
for someone to make a nice RPG of Sonic. With bioware heading up the project it would be pretty fun, even if a little kiddie. I can see something similiar to Mario RPG. A Quake RPG or something would be fun as well.
"Do not want!"
I remember when I played the orginal Sonic back in the day, all I wanted was to stop running, running, running all the time and just live in his world for a while..
And please, allow me to, as Sonic, to walk around asking the vaguely Japanese-yet-Medieval European townspeople the same questions over and over, as well as allowing me to boldly stroll into their houses and rifles through their belongings for heal potions.
It was bad enough when they started making Sonic about exploration, even though everyone who played Sonic to begin with liked it because it was about racing through pretty scenery and neat little set pieces as quickly as possible. Now they're making a Sonic game in the genre which is the complete antithesis of this style of game? Come on, Sega, you're killing me here.
On the bright side, if you're going to make a Sonic RPG, you might as well have BioWare do it.
Rob
I, for one, loved the first Sonic Adventure. It seems to catch a lot of flak these days, but remember that it got excellent reviews in its time.
That said, I can understand why fans of old school Sonic did not like the new direction of the series, even if it was quite well executed, and I readily admit that Sonic Adventure 2, Heores, etc. were less fun. I have high hopes for this new title - the change in genre doesn't bother me at all.
I think this doesn't really apply, unless Sega bills the game as being a proper Sonic game. This is rather akin to when Nintendo made Super Mario RPG, imo. The important thing to remember is that Sonic is a setting as much as it is a game, and using that setting in a different style of game doesn't violate the originals at all.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
Obviously the submitter doesn't understand the whole concept of development teams (of which, IIRC, Bioware has 3 or 4), and that this in no way affects the release of Mass Effect.
For a quick history lesson, Square did the same thing for the Mario franchise way back in 1996, with Super Mario RPG. It is widely regarded to be one of the best Mario games, and one of the best RPGs ever produced.
The fun bit is that it appealed both to first-time RPG players, and to experienced RPG veterans.
Now, if only Square (and the rest of the industry) would get its act together, and start releasing games for multiple consoles, I'll be a very happy man.
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
It's a fair analogy, but I never thought that a Mario RPG was ever quite as completely ridiculous as a Sonic RPG would be.
Rob
I think the problem is not so much that Sega wants to put its favorite icon in all sorts of game. The problem is not so much that they made these games, but that they STOPPED making classic sonic games. That's the sad part. There's no reason they can't do both. I think it's been long overdue that game makers get over their phobia of 2D.
Property is theft.
Note how they are listed in the summary as makers of KotOR and NWN... I would've thought that the classic Baldur's Gate would've been of greater importance (I heard that NWN was only worthwhile with the expansion sets, made mostly by a dedicated community), but I could be wrong. I suppose it's all relative.
Sometimes I wonder if I think too much.
Yeah, it's true. New Super Mario Bros was like a breath of fresh air for me, I haven't played a Mario game I liked since Super Mario World (I recognize the popularity of SM64, but I just think Mario should not be in 3-D. Ever.). Maybe the success of that game will lead to more 2-D platformers, here's hoping!
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
It can't be all that bad if Sega aren't responsible for making it. I haven't seen a good Sonic game from them since 1996.
I agree completely. Fortunately, there are signs that Sega does have an inkling of understanding of this problem, as they have made a few relatively simple 2D Sonic games for handhelds over the past few years. I don't know how good they are, though.
There's no real reason why a good old-fashioned Sonic game can't be 3D, though. All you have to do is make a decent camera and move past the idea that all 3D platformers have to have extensive exploration in them. Interesting level design is really the easiest part.
Rob
Sonic Rush is still old school sonic, and its really good. Check it out if that's what you're looking for. I think a sequel is in the works too.
Honestly, if they have to make an furry-based RPG, I really wish they would do Starfox.
The latest DS game and Starfox Adventures have already taken steps to flesh out the universe (and expand to new genres).
Also, the whole furri-ness thing is easier to swallow when you can just pretend that they're all just alien species who happen to look like anthropomorphic creatures. Personally, I've found Sonic's furry-creature-mixed-with-bland-humans to be, at its best, kinda creepy.
Add in Starfox's high-flying space opera setting, and I think you could have a game with a much more interesting premise than Sonic RPG could ever be.
D.
On the bright side, if you're going to make a Sonic RPG, you might as well have BioWare do it.
I hope it's fun.... I was reading the post about Mario RPG and was thinking "Hey, that would be awesome!", I started having a lot of old school memories and thought how great such a game would be with the Sonic universe. Somehow a Bioware game would seem to me like the antithesis of that! As long as opinions are being thrown out, it's not exactly what I would want. But who knows, it could pull a Metroid Prime and have me finishing the game 6 times with 100% on Hard.
Twinstiq, game news
I never had that much fun with sonic games. They tended to be more frustrating Mario clones. They had their moments and I enjoyed Sonic CD but it hasn't aged well. I think the brand name has been repeatidly tarnished. Not much more you can do to make it worth less.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
I wonder how the control scheme will work out for a Sonic RPG? Could Bioware make a battle system that mixes both RPG elements and the speed people want from Sonic games? Would there be a slew of attacks, possibly activated by the touch screen? In my opinion, this sounds like an interesting idea that could make for an awesome Sonic game.
"but that they STOPPED making classic sonic games."
Bullshit; Sonic Rush is out on the very system this article is referring to.
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WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?
I've thought the same thing, incidently thinking about it the day it was announced so it was quite a pleasent suprise to hear the announcement. As far as Bioware itself, yeah I guess Mario RPG style isn't really there thing, but then again they're quasi-real time combat style from KOTOR does seem a little better suited than (imho the superior) turn-based system. Atleast for a game staring Sonic as it's main character, it would.
I think they could pull this off, but they'd have to provide levels/zones/environments suited towards some rather well defined characters. We can't have Sonic fast just because he gets a +3 speed bonus over other characters for every level he earns. The RPG portion would have to run in the paths of abilities (like different jumps, rolls, attacks) rather than stats, levels and weapons (though it might work for some characters.) The environments themselves would have to be a lot more "on-rails" designed than other RPGs, or you again lose the feel playing as Sonic. Personally,I don't think an RPG really seem like it would work with Sonic, atleast not for everybody. A complex, traditional, multi-path RPG does however seem perfectly suited towards a certain villain of 300 IQ in the Sonic Universe...
Demented But Determined.
But i'm enjoying Sonic and the Secret Rings, its pretty much just go real fast, jump on bad guys, its not fantastic, but its pretty good.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
What's the point in Sonic Rush though? It doesn't have anything that Sonic 1 on the Gamegear didn't have. Except it has more boring levels.
"I can has chillidogz?"
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
"The rage of the blue hedgehog! UNLEASHED!"
The same could be said about Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Oh god no...no...no...please..NNNNOOOO!!!!
They came out 15 years ago, how can they release a game like that today and call it 'new'?
Because people wanted just that, the mechanics of an old game with a new set of levels?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
This is a great conversation. "Sega doesn't make games like the old ones anymore" "Yes, they do" "Who wants to play that old shit?"
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
Actually, Sega didn't make them, but a company named Dimps. From what I hear, Sonic Advance was passable, and the two sequels dropped the ball. It's with Sonic Rush that they got it right.
:(
Sega has severed contact with Dimps since then, though, apparently.
That's the point though, after fifteen years of technological innovations, surely they should be able to come up with something better? Otherwise they may as well just re-release the megadrive.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.