Fwiss

Has he ever not betrayed Sonic, except at a final boss stage (Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Sonic Unleashed)? Not to mention, the enemies are the "Deadly Six," but there are 7 Chaos Emeralds. It would just make sense that there's one extra zone, and that would be either another monster like the Deadly Six, or, more probably, Eggman.

Well, I guess it's called "Lost World" because Sonic Extreme was "lost". Well, I'm ecstatic about this game. Luckily, I have a 3DS to use. Sadly, I don't have a Wii U, but someone in my immediate surroundings might... As far as their console choice goes, I really wish SEGA didn't make it Nintendo exclusive, but given the financial situation they probably don't have much of a choice. Of course, these kinds of decisions are probably not made by people who have the fans' best interest in mind anyway, if SEGA is anything like Capcom. Nevertheless, I have to say that Nintendo was the most obvious choice, since Nintendo had the most exclusives anyway (The storybook series, Sonic Chronicles, the 3DS version of Generations, Sonic and Mario at the Olympic games. Although Nintendo did get the short end of the stick when they released Unleashed...). SONY did get Sonic Rivals, but... well, Sonic Rivals. Also, Microsoft and its Xbox One was a no-no for any smart developer, and the PS4 is more targeted towards older audiences and darker games. Sonic almost fits as a Nintendo game. I'm pretty lucky on the console part, though. As was said earlier, a lot of countries aren't targeted by Nintendo, so they are essentially excluded from this game, which looks amazing. But man, we should really talk about the actual game. The first thing I noticed about it was its new art style. Like Unleashed and Generations, it has a high-polygon, light art style; yet it's somehow very different. It is really reminiscent of Sonic Jam's Sonic World and, of course, Sonic Extreme. It's got a lighter, but less shiny look, I think. The models don't looks polished or glossed over. I really like it, from what I've seen. It's simple, and way off-scale. Really reminds me of Kirby 64: It's not as realistic-looking as Unleashed and Generations. Really trippy. And man, that gameplay looks orgasmic. I would really like to compare it to that fanmade Sonic X-treme remake, Project AXSX. This game looks just really expansive, and they could do a lot with it. P.S: What's the deal with Sonic, in the trailer, about to confront the Deadly Six, then just running away?

Denial-of-service attacks have been used for decades to deny access to a resource for normal users. Even before the internet, people sent 'black faxes' and rang up a certain telephone number excessively. A denial-of-service attack is, in modern computer terminology, essentially sending a large amount of special traffic to a server to overwhelm the server or its connections so that legitimate users can't access the service. More recently, this kind of attack is accomplished by multiple computers and connections instead of a single system to increase the bandwidth of the attack and the difficulty required to block the attacks. These attacks are called DDoS attacks, or distributed denial-of-service attacks, and they are usually accomplished by a large amount of individual users, a large amount of compromised computers controlled by a central source (called a botnet), or a combination of both. Examples of DDoS attacks would be the attack on the Mastercard in retaliation for Mastercard cutting off donations to Wikileaks. Most recently, a very large-scale (and sophisticated) attack of historic proportions against Spamhaus was launched. The main question about DDoS attacks is that of what a DDoS attack is meant to be. For some, a DDoS attack is a way to freely express your opinion by 'occupying' the infrastructure leading to a website. To others, a DDoS attack is a malicious attack by a small group to take down specific targets. Because of the nature of DDoS attacks, it's extremely tough to distinguish between a centrally-controlled attack and a decentralized 'protest.' So what do you guys think? Is DDoS a protest using public infrastructure to 'talk to' a server excessively, or is it more comparable to illegally occupying private places, such as a home or business?

Well, a work's artistic value is the same no matter who created it. It may be better or worse-recieved, but it's still a work. By this reasoning, Fish's actions are unrelated to whether or not the game is good or bad. Of course, if there are bugs in the game itself, that's a different story, and detracts from the work as a whole. In that case, then the developer's actions are relevant to whether the game will be improved. If he acts immature and asanine, it implies an unwillingness to improve himself, and possibly an unwillingness to patch his game. Nevertheless, a mass-torrenting of the game is just a terrible. That's not what piracy is all about, yo. I'm not going to stop them, but it does reflect badly on pirates and really all consumers when somebody pirates for this reason. It's sure as hell not going to lead to Fish's emotional development, and he can't really say "sorry" in any meaningful way now. It's a pointless escalation of a minor conflict. Let's put it this way: the Internet generally cannot punish everybody who acts like/is an ignoramus. He's harmed easier because he is a game developer; we can't do that to most McDonalds employees or CEOs. Not to mention its easier to reach a huge amount of gamers to organize a boycott than it is to reach most consumers to boycott a soap company or something. The point I'm trying to make is that while boycotts are cool and all, but Fish is at most your common case of inflated ego, and I don't feel like such severe sanctions should be taken against the dude. There are a lot worse people out there -- torturers, corrupt officers, murderers, backpacker murderers, poison jellyfish, razor-sharp coral -- who aren't so much as scolded, and we choose this guy to attack? As for the pixel-art style -- I just don't get tired of it. As long as it's done well (Cave Story, Sword and Sworcery, DustForce arguably), it can be beautiful. The screenshots look good, so I can't say anything bad. Of course, it's developed by one dude, and pixel art is much easier to make than 3D models or even HD sprites, so it's not just an artistic choice. That said, single-man developers are not limited to that 8-bit style; ZUN draws great modern sprites and things (the only thing he can't do well is character portraits, and most regular people can't do as well as him even at that). I still plan to purchase the game when I get the time (exams are keeping me down, even though they are my favorite part of the year), so I can't say anything about it right now.

Fez seems like a really fun game to play. It was featured in Indie Game: The Movie, and I really enjoy open-world games, especially with a kind of funny, silent character like Gomez. Generally, puzzle-style games don't float my boat (Braid was scary), but this seems like it will be a very relaxed game which won't tax my planning skills very much. The art also looks very good, especially the 3D 8-bit parts. It kind of reminds me of a lighter version on Cave Story's art. What do you guys think of this game?

Anime/Manga(/Light Novels/Wall Scroll/Dakimura) discussions go in Off-Topic, along with Top 5/10 lists. General SEGA discussions are something to consider. For now, they should be posted under Gaming or Off-Topic.

These are amazing renders. May I ask what the background is in the second-to-last render?

Wait just a baby-kicking minute here. Sonic Excursion. Excursion (synonyms): Journey, trip, adventure. Sonic Excursion. Sonic Adventure. Wow. They almost got me, too. Darn, is it just me, or are there more unfounded rumours of Sonic games as of late (this year) than the others? Maybe I wasn't paying attention as much, but it seems like there's more hoaxes now. Maybe it's because it's been a long while since a new traditional (and by traditional, I mean main-series kind of thing, unlike Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed, or the remake of Sonic 1, which I'm not exactly mad or even disappointed over) game has been released, so there's more suspense and tension over it. Realistically, I'd like to see what direction SEGA takes with its next Sonic game. They've already tried returning to the old Sonic with the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 series, Sonic Generations, and the Taxman remakes of CD and Sonic 1. Fans have been asking for a long time for a 'retro-styled' Sonic Game, and SEGA has pumped out three series of that theme. Has it eroded your confidence or zeal for a retro-style Sonic game like it has me? Looking back, you can't say SEGA hasn't tried (though you can argue their development times on these games could have been merged into one ultimate game of some sort). But now that they have gone the retro route, they realize they need to do the new-style Sonic, still. Though I could be terribly, horribly wrong, I think the Hedgehog engine used in Unleashed and Generations (and Colors for the Wii) has become exhausted. Will the next Sonic game be with the Hedgehog engine, or will it be with entirely new physics?

Great gameplay so far. The first boss was very original. I can't seem to get sound support working on my current emulator/setup (KEGA Fusion on Gentoo); do you have a link to the soundtrack?

Is there an example of a daydreamer, for clarification? It seems like an irritating thing to be, but I would like to know how it could be considered God-modded. Please enlighten me.

I'm Fwiss, administrator of the English site. I enjoy Sonic, which I got into by playing Sonic 2 (well after its release date, sadly), but also a whole range of other things. I'm trying to juggle my studies between computer programming, game design, system administration, and electrical engineering. I'm constantly trying to find the ideal match between the artistic and the pragmatic. In the time I don't study, I enjoy hanging around SCANF and the chans, gaming (Sonic, of course, but also Megaman, Touhou, Patapon, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and a whole plethora of lesser-known games), watching anime, and reading light novels.

Hmm, Generations was short, but all the old Sonic games were pretty short, too. Nevertheless, the shortness was definitely the most anticlaimactic point of the game. The standards of game design have changed so that lengthy games are really to be expected. Shorter games were acceptable back in the 'day because cartridges could only contain so much data and development was extremely slow because of the low-level tools required for the game. But now, knowing that there are no such limitations on the systems or developers, it's tough to justify having such a short game. Yes, the art assets take much longer to perfect, and yes, there are budget and people constraints. We all recognize that no developer has unlimited resources. However, it still reflects badly on the development team to make such a short game. Do you think that maybe the developers should focus less on art quality and more on art quantity? I mean, Sonic 1, 2, and 3 had a looping background for most of their levels, but they did more than OK. You can hardly argue that the art in those games were bad. Clever repitition of a few graphical assets contributed to the experience of Sonic 2, for example. In Sonic Heroes, for example, you had that one scene where a stone rolls after you. Did that stone ever show up again? Nope. In the old games, if there was a gimmick that was used only once, it was regarded as an irregularity. Maybe the unwillingness to reuse certain art assets is what shortened the game so drastically.

I recommend this game if you have the time for it. Beware, though; like a lot of RPGs, it's extremely engaging. You might forget to do other stuff. It's a few hundred hours to get all achievements. Personally, my favorite weapon was the Brimstone because of its piercing attack, long range, and instant speed (normally it takes shots a while to reach the other side of the screen) which makes it more accurate and powerful. Ever have trouble with those Trites, the large spiders that hop towards you in the mid-high levels. I always seem to get run into a corner and can't kill them in time, so they just bump into me.

We're researching alternative possibilities to lower bandwidth usage. If you want, you can suggest something in this thread (or on our IRC channels on irc.badnik.net, #sonicscanf and #sonicscanf-en) and we can discuss the project's feasability. It pains us to know that, even temporarily, fans can't access the comics for now. We also know that for everybody who bothers to make an account and follow our progress, there are probably ten more people who are not speaking of it, but suffering in silence. Alone. Comicless. Perhaps even... terrified? We all wish to restore full capabilities as soon as possible.

Quite a nice drawing of Ashura Manic Scourge, sonicfangirl482. What software did you make it with, anyway? Keep on drawing, if you enjoy it!

Hmm, nobody seems to like Chris. It's kind of become a running joke to bash Sonic X solely because of Chris, make videos of Sonic characters beating up Chris, et cetera. I think it's because Chris, while not the only human character, is the first human character Sonic sees. He really has no abilities, and so people get the feeling that they had to put in Chris as the token 'human-world' character. Also, since the plot of SA1 and 2 is roughly outlined in Sonic X, Chris' very existence at that point is rather hilarious, like if someone put in their personal fancharacter, "Jelly the Donut," into a Sonic game and called it canon. He's also further bashed because while characters in SatAM and AoStH are also backed up by the comics and official games to some extent, Chris (until the rather late Sonic X comics) was just in Sonic X. So essentially, he has no powers and the importance of Bean the Dynamite, but he appears far more than some consider necessary. This makes him a rather unique character in comparison to virtually any other Sonic character, and naturally, he's a target of hilarious pranks.

Hmm, looks interesting. I think there was something similar released at SAGE a few years back. Well, I couldn't find the SAGE Booth for it, but here's a link to a trailer for it on YouTube with a download link or two: I remember there was an old fangame where they tried to remake Sonic Adventure DX that died long before I knew of it. There's also a Sonic Heroes 2D being developed as a ROM hack of Sonic 2; not sure if it's being actively developed, but I'll see if I can find it.

The music was pretty likeable; at least the tune was. Everybody complained about the instruments, though.

I think it is an interesting game in its own way, though it didn't get anywhere near the classic feel. It felt like some small -- almost roomlike -- chambers that were puzzles between each checkpoint. There was essentially no branching. The physics were still unusual, too, but not something that takes away from enjoyment of the game. The music was actually pretty amazing to me, at least in some of the levels (Dat Metal Sonic). As usual, though, the game felt too short.

I haven't played either version of episode I, but I have heard that there are some differences between the mobile and HD versions, such as the Mine Cart level. Since Episode I was recently ported to the Android, I thought it would be nice to have a topic solely for the iOS and Android versions. On a side note, has anyone tried it on Android x86 yet?

Interesting choice of font, NEO METAL SONIC. I'm also miffed by its console exclusivity. I know some people who are fans of the strategy and RPG industry (I dislike strategy RPGs, but I do prefer turn-based and action RPGs). My friends would probably enjoy this game very much, except they're not big fans of the characters in the game. It looks like the game was released back in October, and with no Sonic characters, not even cameos. Some SEGA series were involved though. It's pretty cool that Megaman X is in the game, but I find it way, way cooler that Kite and Black Rose from .hack are playable, along with Skeith as an enemy unit and Aura with a cameo. Not to mention Kos-Mos from Xenosaga. Are there any characters you think are interesting in the game?

Hmm, I got Cave Story+ in the Humble Bundle 7, and I gotta say, it's pretty cool. It has remastered graphics and 2 new soundtracks (though they might just be the Wii soundtracks and the 3DS ones...) The coolest thing it has, in my opinion, is the Seasonal Graphics. It's kind of like a Christmas Special version.

Haha, Sonic Generations was the only Sonic game I ever got all S-ranks. I thought the difficulty was very nice once you got used to it; much easier than Sonic Unleashed, which I never could seem to adapt to. Yeah, I can see how the 3D levels would be bad with the keyboard controls. The game was actually so short, my friend came over, picked it up, and beat it in one all-night run, and he had not really played much Sonic before... I feel like the physics and design techniques are so different in Generations that being a long-time player doesn't really help.

You didn't convey that very well; could you elaborate?

Yeah, it reminded me of that kind-of traditional-modern hybrid look they had in Sonic R and Sonic Jam's Sonic World. I suppose it's similar to Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood's model.