Iizuka Affirms Sonic Generations a One Time Format

68 Comments

1. While it maybe a bold move on SEGA to leave Generations gameplay as a one-time only deal (read: moronic), I also have the feeling that maybe it SHOULD be that way, to make Generations that more special and unique as a grand 20th anniversary title.

2. I say…use chubby sonic to continue Sonic 4 episodes 2 and foward.
   Use green eyes sonic to the other main series.

3. @RogerMyers JR – YES! That would be PERFECT!

4. I totally agree with this decision, making Sonic’s 20th anniversary special is a great idea and make it stand out as one of the best games. Although classic Sonic is good and well, Sega has been giving in to old school fans for a while. Maybe its best to not continue trying to bring back classic Sonic.

5. Good. Green eye Sonic is cooler looking then chubby sonic.

6. Hopefully SEGA will change their minds when they see Generations being the first Sonic game in a decade to get an 80+ on metacritic.

7. Well he also said that he will continue the format of the wherehog in the next sonic game…and here is the next game and there’s no wherehog nearby…
   🙂

8. @Matriculated
   http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1
   http://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/sonic-rush
   Might explain Generations’ gameplay too.
   On topic: Still doesn’t make Storybook 3 or SA3 any more believable.

9. I don’t get where the “unbelievable” or “read:moronic” comments come from. This is frankly the best course of action. For one thing, it will keep Generations special. For another, there’s really no way to do it otherwise. How the hell do you keep getting Classic Sonic involved without using the same basic plot for every game? Presents some logic problems moving forward.
   A special anniversary project isn’t quite so special when every game is basically the same thing.

10. @Matriculated – Sonic Rush, Advance and Advance 2 say hi (even Sonic 4 Episode I on Wii oh god why)
    Yes I am kidding

11. @Play38 – Don’t count him out just yet… >.>

12. While Classic and Modern Sonic is my OTP, I do agree that Generations should be a one time deal… until the 40th anniversary.

13. I don’t mind if classic Sonic isn’t here to stay…….
    …..but it would not hurt to make “classic skins” of Sonic and other characters playable in future Sonic 4 episodes that are optional to use. For default characters, the skins are available to use right from the beginning, whereas for other characters, their skins are unlocked the same time they are unlocked.

14. @dl316bh Please don’t mis-interpret my opinion versus business predictions. I, personally have been a fan of Modern Sonic, even considering the fact that I grew up with Classic Sonic. And I PERSONALLY believe that this is a good call in regards of making the title special in this way. However, in business perspective, we don’t know how the fanbase at large is gonna react to this news, and the classic fanbase may OR may not feel snubbed by this. I don’t know. It could very well BE a moronic move by SEGA…but if you asked for my personal opinion, shoot, I love it.
    Then again, yer asking the opinion of a Sonic fan who loves Shadow the Hedgehog and bad movies like Super Mario Brothers and Howard the Duck.

15. It’s frustrating that they won’t continue with Classic Sonic, because it would obviously be a commercial success for them if nothing else. Seems logical to just have them in separate games in the future.

16. At the end of the day, they’re just models.
    Just because Classic Sonic is Generations-exclusive doesn’t mean Sega has to stop making platforming levels or ALWAYS focus on boost-centric gameplay. Colors was a fantastic mix of both worlds, and in all likelihood is probably going to stand out as a better and more polished blend (although I would love to be proved wrong).
    Seeing classic Sonic again is certainly charming and endearing, but as long as Sega keeps making good games, I really don’t think it matters much which model they use.

17. Also, it should be noted that at least in this particular interview, the wording is that the Generations “format” will not become the STANDARD for future titles. It doesn’t explicitly state that you’ll never again see classic Sonic – just that they probably won’t (and I completely agree that they SHOULDN’T) pair him up with modern Sonic in a dual-style gameplay setting again.

18. Old fans like me are happy to see classic sonic return with beautiful graphics^^ but i m also sur they would appreciate to see remixes of old genesis games in HD, same levels, new design^^ or maybe if sega could delete our memories about sonic 4 ep 1 and make a decent, proper sonic 4, a real sequel of sonic 3&k, with hd graphics, OR EVEN with 16 bit graphics, would be so cool^^ the thing i miss the more is the “genesis era spirit”^^

19. Sounds like he is talking about the classic and modern in a game together to me. I’d like to think we haven’t heard about Episode 2 for so long for a good reason

20. “I’d like to think we haven’t heard about Episode 2 for so long for a good reason”
    Dimps.
    Just wanted to be the mean asshole and crush all of your hopes and dreams with a single word.

21. I think what they’re doing makes sense. Classic Sonic is special and should only appear in Sonic Generations. Since they’re making the 20th so special, I think they should make the 25th special by making SA3. I’m not even an Adventure fan, but still, for the 20th, they brought back Classic, the first style of gameplay. For the 25th, they should bring back the second style of gameplay, Adventure!

22. While i do think Generations is a great concept, doing it twice would kill it for me. I mean that’s one of the many reasons i hate Super Mario Galaxy 2.

23. Good. In all honesty I prefer Modern Sonic, I like how he looks and plays too. Times change, Im over it.

24. @darkgomugomu I couldnt have said it any better myself. Making a sequel to a game like this would be missing the point. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a great game, but it took away from the magic of the first SMG. Too bad this kind of thing happens all the time, especially with movies.

25. I thought he meant both classic and modern gameplay. The I would have been like wtf? Now we have to wait for the 40th anniversary. Also, I think that Sonic 4 episode 2 should have modern Sonic and the homing attack, except this time, make it less of a needed staple, like the insta-shield in Sonic 3. You could go through the whole game without using that. Just fix up the physics a a bit.

26. You guys didn’t realize this from the beginning?
    REALLY?

27. People really belived that classic was returning? I think WE SHOULD MOVE! Now what we will divide series into classic and main series. I wont mind if they cancel Sonic 4.
    In my opinion ST should focus on making good characters playable an give them important role in story instead of making other crap characters (werehog, chip and yacker dont mind if spelled wrong)
    Jus give us brand new gameplay formula. Because Unleashed formula gets old really fast.
    At beggining I liked Unleashed Day formula but later I began to see that its no longer platform game ITS MEMORY GAME ONE MISTAKE-DEAD!
    Maybe a bit slower gameplay with more platforming involved. And cast of playables with unique abilities but no alternate gameplay (personaly I like treasure hunting but majority of fanbase dont so you know the drill) In my opinion this will be best playables cast:
    -Sonic (you doubted?)- He will be fastest of characters his levels will be neutral on fighting and platforming.
    -Tails-A lot slower than Sonic but still really fast his stages will have least fight and lot of air platforming. Special ability-flying
    -Knuckles-a bit slower than tails his stages will have least speed sections but lot of fighting. Sometimes he will need to find switch to open door etc. Special ability-gliding and climbing
    Shadow-A little little bit slower than Sonic. His stages will have more fighting and the same ammount of speed sections as in Sonic levels. Special ability-He will have chaos energy meter that will let him use chaos powers such as chaos spear, chaos control etc.
    -Silver- Lots of air platforming, some speed sections while he hover and lots of fighting with his Psychokinesis powers. Special- like shadow but with psychokinesis.
    Blaze-Lot of platforming, neutral fighting and some speed sections. Specials- She have fire energy meter that let her use boost and fire powers.
    This way we get 6 playables with unique but not altenative gameplay.
    Hope you like my ideas reply if you want to discuss it.

28. @SA3 2011
    I like where you’re going with this! Just one thing, Sonic should have one act of Unleashed gameplay, and 2 acts of Adventure gameplay! Oh, and have a few mission acts, in different places than in the other acts, but should be similar to the Unleashed missions.

29. @Shan
    Its not a bad idea!
    Maybe 1 act of unleashed gameplay(but sonic only) one act of adventure gameplay and then mix of both. I explain
    White Acropolis before entering the base you need to rush trough snow wasteland and destroy some robots(unleashed gameplay) and when in base you will have adventure gameplay. Or begin with adventure gameplay and then switch to unleashed.
    But unleashed gameplay should be more like a gimmick so go with it to minimum (so no unleashed bosses etc.)

30. Shadow’s btw? boom, Sonic hey.

31. Iziuka makes a point, so from that game on it is green eyes only 😉

32. Okay in regards to the story book series deals…well they’ve done Aladdin, they’ve done King Arthur…well what would fit? I’m like brain dead here… so just to be a smart ass I’ll say it Dr. Suess style.. LMAO… No I don’t like Swords and Rings I don’t….I’d rather spin dash or boost will! or how about something like “Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are rings to be scored. There are emeralds to be won. And the magical things you can do with chaos control will make you the winning-est winner of all.”
    HEHEH yeah I’m warped! Sorry :p

33. That’s fine with me, as long as we don’t get countless years of Sonic Rush or SatSR. 😛

34. Well I’m glad Classic Sonic is back to say hi to his future…
    as for the storybook series… I would love another one… as long as the Wii remote isn’t the only thing you can use…

35. great does this mean from now on “Modern Sonic” is going to be…
    BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST
    correct yes?

36. @blueblur
    …Seriously…? Have any of you people who think it’s nothing but a boost-fest even played Colors? I doubt you people have.

37. @blueblur:
    Hey, guy. That flanderization thing you did there about Modern Sonic’s gameplay? Cut it out. It’s making you look like a troll.

38. You guys are really butthurt, aren’t you?

39. Define “butthurt”.

40. @Stephan
    Colors might turn out to be an anomaly. The modern section of GHZ is almost ENTIRELY boost-boost-boost (trust me, I’ve played it), with very few 2D sections or platforming areas… From the looks of it, Sonic Team has decided that Unleashed is a better representation of modern Sonic than Colors is… and if that’s the case then blueblur isn’t that far off.
    And Let’s not forget the Rush formula that is completely dominating the handheld titles right now.

41. @ChaoticFox
    Maybe handelds situation changes with PSVita.
    And yeah I HIGHLY prefer Adventure gameplay with slower platform sections than bost fest. But fans should blame fanbase. “Sonic is all about speed you know” this phrase is enough to explain this situation.
    Retro fans YOU GUYS GOT WHAT YOU WANTED!

42. @blueblur You don’t even deserve to be called blue blur, because you only like Classic gameplay, not Sonic as a whole, like proper fans!
    @EVERYONE
    I’m certain Sonic Storybook 3 will be a Wii U exclusive, maybe even a launch title. It will not be made for the Wii! Think about it, they’re focusing 100% on Sonic Generations this year (It even looks like they’re post-poning Sonic 4 episode 2), so they’ll release it next year, the year Wii U is gong to be released. The storybook titles were even Wii exclusives, they will obviously want to keep it on Nintendo home consoles, and since the Wii U is the successor of the Wii, SEGA will most likely want to release it onto the Wii U. They probably want to try the new controller as well, and what’s a better chance than a storybook game, a game that’s not main series, where they can change the gameplay because it’s based on some book!

43. ^@blueblur You don’t even deserve to be called blue blur, because you only like Classic gameplay, not Sonic as a whole, unlike proper fans!
    ALSO: I know that this has nothing to do with the article, or even my above comment, but I have to ask this, Do you think Sonic will be playable in Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS? What about other Sonic characters?

44. @ChaotixFox
    I thought there was a good amount of platforming in Modern City Escape. Maybe I should look at the gameplay footage again.

45. Well, I’m not surprised, at ALL. It’s the best thing they can do right now; putting Classic Sonic would just kill the magic. 🙁

46. @Shan
    Probably, he was the most wanted character to appear in SSBB, so either he’s in the default roster or maybe he can come back through popular demand…idk. The game, from what I heard, hasn’t even started development yet….
    And as for a ‘certain’ person going on about the whole ‘boost to win’ formula, the statement is false. Last time I checked in Unleashed, the ‘boost to win’ didn’t help me much in Jungle Joyride, Dragon Road, and pretty much every other stage other than Windmill Isle. The formula is still somewhat new, and Sonic Team can probably add more to the Modern Sonic gameplay.

47. Of course C Sonic won’t be returning. That’s stupid.
    The real question would be is C Sonic’s GAMEPLAY returning.

48. Ever since Classic Sonic and his gameplay has been confirmed, people have been bashing Modern Sonic senseless. And it’s gonna get worse because I KNOW every review is gonna show more praise to Classic than Modern. This is the ONLY thing I hate about Classic Sonic, believe me or not. And even though it’s gonna be a one-time thing, Modern Sonic is STILL going to be bashed in the future despite having a winning gameplay style, especially if you actually BELIEVE what Jim Sterling says.
    But that’s the only complaint I have about Generations though. I would just hate it if Classic got all the spotlight, but I still want him to be praised and I can’t wait to play the game. Does that make sense to anyone else?

49. @blueblur That would be true…if everyone used the boost. Me? I forget I even HAVE a boost button half the time.

50. Wait… did people really wonder if this would continue? It was obviously the theme of this game. Why would both Modern and Classic Sonic continue being playable seperately in the same games? That wouldn’t make ANY sense! It’s like you’d be turning Classic Sonic himself into the new “Addition to the roster” or something.”
    I think it’s better this way as a one time thing. Tho in the future a developing gameplay from both of them would be cool.
    Tho I guess when I say both of them, it’s really gameplay from Modern Sonic and Adventure Sonic, since Adventure Sonic is Classic Sonic in 3D plus homing attack. And since Modern Sonic has homing attack, there’s no difference there, but he has 2D sections, so Adventure Sonic’s spindash will thus allow us to mimmick Classic gameplay for the sidescrolling and 3D gameplay. lol
    Still…
    “Suddenly, yesterday’s news becomes even more believable, and Iizuka himself becomes even more unbelievable.”
    I didn’t quite understand what that was implying.

51. Actually, not to be an Adventure-series fanboy (I remember when that was the entire fanbase XD)
    But if I would as for a gameplay type to return, I’d ask for the Adventure series gameplay.
    It was similar to Classic Gameplay only in 3D plus homing attack. It had more free space, more freedom. It was more vibrant, explorable, adventurous and exciting. It was more…. well more. It was basically “3D Classic Sonic and more”. xD Not that I don’t like Classic Sonic’s gameplay and all, just, I’d want it to be as good as it could, and it seems like the only things that could make it better would end up pretty much being Adventure series gameplay. lol :3 (to me XP)

52. @SA3 2011
    Waddya mean bad characters D:? Chip was cute and so was yacker :<.
    Chip was a BIT annoying in the tutorial, but hey, he isn't completely like omochao. He's hilarious and cute XD. The same for yacker.

53. @HeageHawg
    Yeah. Yacker never really annoyed me in any way, and Chip gains points for pulling off a “Power Rangers Megazord” on the Dark Gaia battle. XD

54. @Heagehawq and Stephan
    No actually its not my point. My point is that Sonic Team is making one time characters without character development instead of giving a chance to characters such as Knuckles, Shadow, Silver or Blaze.

55. @SA3 2011
    I don’t think Chip was a bad character either and Sonic in his Werehog form looked really cool and awesome IMO maybe they wanted to take a break from those characters as they appeared a lot in past games….

56. @SA3 2011
    I’ve actually gotten pretty sick of all of them but Blaze. Fangirls ruined them for me. XD

57. @ChaotixFox
    But it wouldn’t really make a difference and would actually make LESS sense of the story if they used Knuckles instead of the Werehog, if they didn’t have a reason for Knuckles being apart of the story. They gave a perfectly good reason for the Werehog existing in the story. The problem isn’t the CHARACTER. The problem is the GAMEPLAY of the Night Stages. It was just like a repetitive Beat ’em up that could’ve actually been a lot better.

58. @ChaotixFox
    After thinking about….I was disappointed when Shadow and Knuckles got scrapped from Unleashed but I think it was for the best to tone down the appearances of characters and focus on Sonic and Chip mainly….Personally I liked Sonic’s gameplay in his Werehog form once you upgrade him more it’s much more fun and relaxing (HD Version I mean) well that’s what I think IMO It’s challenging and fun for me 😀

59. @SA3 2011
    What r u talkin about? Those weren’t crap characters…..Chip was a special character that only made that one appearance in SU and The Werehog is still Sonic but in a different form The Werehog wasn’t that bad even though it could have some improvement and Yacker well Meh He wasn’t crap but meeeh
    Plus characters like Shadow, Silver,Blaze etc were overused waay too much they deserved the break…..Think about it Sonic Adventure, Adventure 2, Heroes,Shadow,06,Secret Rings ,Rivals,Rivals 2, Rush, Rush Adventure,Sonic Riders, Sonic Riders ZG, Olympic Series,Black Knight, All Stars Racing,Free Riders etc
    All spin offs, Main games , action and racing games they have been overused It’s great SEGA took of the characters they needed a break….I have a soft spot for Tails, Amy,Cream and maybe Espio and charmy 😛 and possibly Knuckles though he’s been overused quite a bit

60. @Stephan
    Well, the story is pretty ridiculous already, to be honest. Adding Knuckles into the mix would have forced a change in story, it’s true, but that can only have been for the better.
    I’m not suggesting that merely having a Knux model with the exact same gameplay would solve anything… but using Knuckles instead of the Werehog gimmick would have changed the mindset of the developers from the get-go and geared them toward a much more positive direction.
    The story would have benefited from it (anything involving established characters and themes is better than making up yet another way-too-serious cliche about “light vs darkness”), and I think the gameplay would have as well. Less stretchy arms and more gliding/climbing would have made for much more entertaining combat AND platforming, thus making the nighttime stages a much more pleasurable experience.

61. I think classic Sonic (the model) should only return as a playable skin in future Sonic 4 episodes and any Sonic the Hedgehog # games.
    I would be delighted to see classic gameplay, physics, and other elements of the games (i.e. elemental shields) become a staple in 2D games, though. Maybe even them implemented in 3D games.

62. @ChaoticFox
    Meh it was nice for Knuckles and SHadow not to appear as they have been overused for a lot of games and have no main role or reason to be in it…So it was a good move

63. @KY
    Shadow is overused and worthless as all hell, I agree. Knuckles isn’t – he’s just been used POORLY (besides, when was he last seen, really?).
    Shard hunting for the “power” type character? Give me a break. If anything, he DESERVED a chance to redeem himself with beat-em up/platforming gameplay, which, like I’m saying would have actually been GOOD if they hadn’t given it to a stretchy armed goofball.
    Don’t get me wrong, I actually think the werehog is kind of a fun concept… but the stretchy arm gimmick totally cheapened a lot of his gameplay.

64. @ChaotixFox
    I’m guessing you don’t like the chained swords in God of War, huh? XD

65. @stephen
    LOL. xD
    sonic unleashed = less violent version of god of war

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67. @ChaoticFox:
    The stretchy arms were based off of Ristar the Shooting Star, and even further back, Sonic’s original concept. A rabbit with stretchy ears that can grab objects and throw them.

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