[讨论]What's Really Wrong With SONIC? 《索尼克》系列的兴衰成败发展史

ninigou

What's Really Wrong With Sonic

October 31, 2008



Notice the lack of a question mark in the article title? This isn't an article meant to ask everybody's favorite question (which Sega has no intention of answering). This is meant as an explanation from a former Sonic fan. First though, let's get something straight. I am not a Sonic the Hedgehog hater. I grew up with the little blue bugger. I worshiped the games, watched the cartoons, used the colored pencils, ate the short-lived cereal, and bought the underwear…the whole shebang. Mario & Sonic—for many years you couldn't force me to choose between them...until 1996. I was told to "Get N, or get out."...so I got out. Sure, I trailed along like many of you over the years, letting my nostalgic love for the character drive me to give Sega chance after chance to redeem him. But eventually I reached that point where I couldn't take it any more, and just let go.

Why did we all love the old games, yet hate everything post Dreamcast? It's simple when you boil it down. 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog was actually a slow game by modern standards. Sure, at the time Sonic ran circles around the chubby little plumber, but in retrospect there isn't so much of a sense of speed as there is a sense of fluidity. The gameplay had a natural flow about it. You run, roll to attack, jumped from ledge to ledge, and then roll down a hill and into a loop only to hop onto a nearby platform and do it all again. It wasn't about a blind rush to the finish. You had to plan a route through the stage, time every jump, memorize every enemy location, and dodge every spike trap. Once you had the whole thing laid out in your head from a few clean runs, then and only then could you begin speed-running through the stage. It wasn't about the race to the finish. More so, it was about how you got there. Sonic games were about platforming, and more specifically—brilliant level design. Mario games were like this as well, but Sonic was so much more naturally suited to speed. Yet the thing to remember was that the speed was an afterthought. Sure, you had your shuttle loops and downhill "OMG! Blast Processing!" moments, but these were just there to add the wow factor to the experience. Without the brilliant level design, the branching paths with multiple routes to the finish, character specific passages, and all the other small details the classic titles were known for...well, you get what we have now -- a pale shadow of former greatness.




Branching paths, secret routes for different characters, attention to detail, a unique image, and a perfect balance between core platforming skills and a natural flow of speed -- that's what set the classic Sonic apart from the convulsed mess of backwards priorities that is the modern Sonic.


Let's get something straight. Sonic Adventure was a great start to 3D Sonic. Yes, the game was deeply flawed. Clipping problems were everywhere. There were glitches galore, invisible holes in the floor, frame rate issues, and so much more. But the thing that counts is that the game had its heart in the right place. It needed another year in the oven, but Sega couldn't afford to wait that long. Rushed release dates are a curse that has plagued Sonic for over a decade. The game was so hurried, that a large percentage of discs manufactured for Dreamcast's launch were faulty and wouldn't even boot.

""Gritty reality and talking hedgehogs don't go together. It's like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, except Judge Doom won. We left Toon Town for a slightly stylized version of the familiar and stale realm of reality.""

Let's also not forget that in the transition to 3D, Sonic lost his image. As poor as most of his (few) Saturn outings were in comparison to the Genesis, they hadn't yet lost the trademark "Sonic style". You know what I'm talking about…that strange cross between reality and trippy fantasy. One moment you're in an aquatic ruin with ancient temple sculptures and swamp water, then the next moment you're in a bustling casino city ricocheting off bumpers, flippers, and circular light pillars in an airborne pinball machine maze. Mystical floating islands, mechanical metropolis with seas of oil and smog, underground crystal palaces with magical waterfalls, and lots and lots of para-loops. The classic world of Sonic the Hedgehog was like something ripped straight out of an acid trip. The games didn't have a story. They didn't need one. It was all about fun filled romps through checkered green hills and techno mecha-palaces. Now, Sonic is like a character transplanted into our world. Gritty reality and talking hedgehogs don't go together. It's like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, except Judge Doom won. We left Toon Town for a slightly stylized version of the familiar and stale realm of reality.

Classic Sonic vs. Modern Sonic...


Oshima's Sonic lived in a world of rolling checkered hills, giant casinos, and glittering underground lakes. The unimaginative real world setting of modern Sonic games clearly show how disconnected the current members of the modern day Sonic Team are from the original concept as well as expose Sega's total lack of commitment to the integrity of the character and the things that made him appealing in the first place.


But above all else, Sonic Adventure (and more so in its sequel) started a disturbing trend that has since uprooted everything the Sonic series was originally about. After the rushed transition to 3D, much of the game simply played itself. Shuttle loops (a franchise trademark) were hard to execute in 3D, so Sonic Team had the entire thing automated. You just hit the ramp, and "ZOOM". The camera pulls back and the game completely takes over. With each successive sequel, more and more gameplay elements that you controlled in 2D became automated since Sonic Team couldn't figure out how (or was just too lazy) to make these Sonic staples work in 3D. In retrospect, these "automated high speed" moments should have been dropped entirely for something that worked better in 3D. Super Mario 64 made similar compromises to the old formula when Nintendo went 3D, but Sega mistakenly placed an emphasis on speed over platforming—the entire foundation of the original Genesis-era games success.




The shuttle loops and other trademark "Blast Processing" moments in classic Sonic games were simply "wow" moments to excite you during gameplay. Speed was secondary to level design. When you reverse that mind-set, you get the modern Sonic games which almost play themselves. I think we can all agree which ones were better.


You can tracks the departure of key Sonic staff over the years as each post Sonic 3 & Knuckles sequel stepped a little further away from the franchise's heralded roots. Hirokazu Yashura -- game planner and level designer for Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD -- left for Naughty Dog in the mid-90s. The first game after his departure was Knuckles Chaotix, which while still entertaining also showed a blatant lack of direction. Ironically, Naughty Dog has since served as one of Nintendo's spiritual rivals in the platforming genre following Sonic's fall from grace. With games like the first three Crash Bandicoot titles in the late 90's, and then Jak & Daxter on PS2, we can see a lot of the style and substance that Sonic fans enjoyed in the 90's. Crash Bandicoot, then Jak & Daxter...how funny that Naughty Dog and Sony's rise with mascot platforming titles began just as Sega's mascot began his trip downhill with the loss of Sonic Team's first visionary. How even more fitting then, that after the departure of Naughty Dog and Yashura from their own Crash Bandicoot franchise (Universal kept it when Sony purchased the studio), the whole thing is generally regarded as having gone down the toilet much in the same way as Sonic. Now days, Yashura floats around the industry as a consultant.





Same dad, different mothers.


Character and scenario artist Naoto Oshima left after Sonic Adventure's completion. Though Sonic Adventure may have been ridden with technical problems and questionable level design choices, most would agree that it still felt like a Sonic game. The personality was still there, the style was in place, and the feel was right. Oshima is the man who created the character we know (as well as NiGHTS). Sonic was selected from a list of other potential mascots after Hirokazu Yashura's "character who can roll up into a ball" game was deep in development. Oshima created the fantastical style and endearing characters that defined the franchise in its golden years. Sonic Adventure 2 was the first Sonic game developed totally without his input, and it showed glaringly. Gone were the green hills, sparkling beaches, and wacky environments instead to be replaced with city scapes, earthy terrain, and the ultimate cliche' of an angsty, dark anti-hero for Sonic to face off against. Even though the Sonic brand has been tarnish beyond redemption to many, people still cling to the character in hope of a revival. This alone speaks volumes for the talent and quality of Oshima and his stylistic character design. He currently presides over the independent game development studio Artoon, known for such titles as Yoshi's Island DS and Blinx: The Time Sweeper.


"While Sega tried to copy many things about Nintendo back in the day, their greatest downfall was that they failed to keep hold of their most important resource; the one thing Nintendo has ***ivated for over a century...talent."


Yuji Naka was the lead programmer who wrote the original Sonic game engine. He was known for being a perfectionist, and an anal one at that. Famous for his temper, he left Sega around 2004. With his departure, the quality of programming and bug testing of the Sonic series took a nosedive into such shameful territory that the 2006 outing was nearly unplayable. It was mostly Naka's ego, temper, and power-hungry nature that drove the other two members of Sonic Team away. With their departure, Naka took full creative control of the franchise, misleading people to believe that he alone was responsible for the creation of the character. His leadership alone showed that he really didn't understand what the franchise was about with it's turn towards story-driven plots and automatic gameplay, probably derived from his experience as lead designer of the story driven Phantasy Star franchise. After his departure around 2004 due to conflicts with Sega's new management (Sammy), he left a negative example for the future teams to follow which sent the Sonic franchise spiraling down into the identity crisis it now suffers.

Today, all of the core members of Sonic Team (along with their influence) who actually made the classic Sonic games have long left Sega. What we have left are memories of the good days, and a bunch of developers who don't know what to do with the character or understand what the franchise is about. It's not like Sega has any clue either. After three failed franchise reboots (and one in the making), many look at Sonic's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as his final bow -- a tribute to the days when he was Mario's equal in the eyes of millions of gamers. While Sega tried to copy many things about Nintendo back in the day, their greatest downfall was that they failed to keep hold of their most important resource; the one thing Nintendo has ***ivated for over a century...talent.





We miss ya' buddy. We really do.


Obviously, the character of Sonic is without a doubt one of the appealing designs ever. The face of Felix the Cat, the smart-ass attitude of Bugs Bunny, and a red, white, and blue color palette that makes you feel patriotic inside. It's that appeal which continually endears us to him as a character even now with the games at such a low level of suckage. But sadly, all that's left of him is that winning character design. The talent left Sonic Team a long time ago, and without talent, just what have you got? A failed franchise with no real identity or place in the gaming world beyond the memories of the people that remember the good ole' days and hopelessly keep it afloat, dreaming of a revival that isn't coming. Sonic is dead, yet he is perversely alive...just like what happened to Crash Bandicoot, and just like what happened to Spyro the Dragon.

Like this article? Please Digg it!



原始链接：
http://www.kombo.com/article.php?artid=11909.

lusg97

既然全篇都是英文就没必要标题再加个中文

梦在延续

有几个人看得懂？楼主发贴要符合国情

该用户已被禁言

没有中裕司的SONIC，不玩也罢

yaoshi

发现自从中裕司离职后，SONIC游戏的质量就一直在下降！

sonicsnake

仔细看了，写的挺像学校论文的
对于我来说，歌不好听了，关卡垃圾了，再加上个养查欧的小游戏没了
还玩个什么

欲死

玩到现在最好玩的就是DC上的索尼克2了，唯一打穿的，歌也好！

该用户已被禁言

变3D不是问题，关键是游戏性