Sonic the Hedgehog RPG for the DS
 

And by BioWare of all people!

Bioware is a pretty respectable company. They created Baldur's Gate titles and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I do wonder how the hell this deal came into place. I just can't imagine them doing an RPG based off the Sonic world. I'm guessing Sega and BioWare staff were drunk at the time.

It actually isn't as exciting as it might first seem. I'll paste something I read about it earlier. Still, I feel sad when I say it'll still likely be better than anything Sega has done lately...

"No, you don't understand, it's not even that Bioware has no experience with handhelds, it's that this is a 100% new studio that they put together a number of months ago to work exclusively on handhelds; I doubt any people from the Bioware that you know and love will actually be working on it beyond possibly producing."

It will probably take Jade Empire or some other game's system that would be too complex for the DS and simplify it to two buttons.

It'll be good for a few laughs I guess.

Still kind of a "lol what the fuck" thing though.

Super Mario RPG? Probably not, but hey stranger things have become classics...

Part of me has always wanted Sonic RPG, though that part of me wanted the Satam animated universe instead.

If it has Amy etc in it, and it will likely will, its gonna take some really good writers to make it work.

SONIC HAS DEFEATED THE EGGCARRIER.

SONIC LEVELED UP!

SONIC LEARNED ULTIMA!

...

What the fuck is this? This is like Square Enix announcing a Real Time Strategy or EA making a new game or something.

Couldn't Sonic just run away from every single battle? I mean, he is the FASTEST thing alive, right?

But then how would he learn Ultima? :( :( :(

I doubt this will be similar to a JRPG in any way shape or form as this is Bioware we are talkin' about. I also think alot of unnecessary skepticism is being tossed their way, as they're one of the few RPG devs that have an impeccable record when it comes to quality games. So i don't think they quite deserve the "OMG THEY"RE BOUND TO FUCK IT UP" shtick that people seem to be spewing when they hear about this .

I'm also glad that Sega decided to choose bioware over say SE, as non-japanese devs have been surpassing their counterparts in all fields for the past couple of years. I also have a feeling that the game will most likely be in the action-adventure vein while adopting standard fare RPG traits like shops and story progression.

Not to mention from what I've heard, the best Sonic games were developed in the US.

No doubt there are great JP developers, but both Sega and Square had been sucking latly.

The assorted RPGs starring Mario have all been quite good; I think the original Super Mario RPG really surprised everyone in how much it didn't suck. It's not impossible for this to actually be good. In fact, outsourcing the game to anybody but Sega is good news.

Even if the game is good, I do see one downside, though. Fifty internet dollars says that Bioware will just make up a whole new cast of characters, rather than draw on the series' already uncontrollably burgeoning cast. I feel sorry for the people who try to have favorite characters in the Sonic series.

I think using the SATAM characters would be a better idea, the concept, story, and characters can work in an RPG setting. A modern one at least. Not to mention each character has a combat archetype that actually functions, whereas in the Japan cast, we have 3 goddamn hedgehogs that just about offers similar ablities, a theif, flyer, digger, some lil girl with a hammer, and a bunny... And Chaos.

Its stuff that fans of satam dream of, where we already have a setting, a fighting for their freedom rebellion story (which I know has been done in FF7, but its better than the crap Sega JP did, and it technically came first since the show was in 1994), and each character contributes something in battle. Sonic is speed, Sally has brains and can hack, Bunny is the tank and main heavy duty attacker and much cooler than Cream, Tails has flying support, Rotor has mechanic support. if the show went on Knuckles was suppose to appear as well, along with Tails helping out in hacking and techs with Sally as he grows.

They also have other guest characters as well. Whether in a typical JRPG or Bioware's style, this concept works alot better than Amy hitting things with a giant hammer...

But hey, this is all prob just me.

Thing is, if this RPG is meant to have a more serious tone, the Satam universe fits. If its trying to go for more comedic and light hearted like the Mario ones, by all means use the Japan characters.

http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/edigi...074000458.jpeg

:gonk:



Anyway, hopefully they don't think that just because it's on DS, they need to simplify not only the interface (one button controls all, both attack AND selection!) but the content (a massive two stat bars to build or something). Bioware has lately been moving towards more.. console-like titles, so the worry is there.

Even the best of developers seem to go insane when developing for the DS and come up with the weirdest and most ridiculous design choices. "Let's make it in stages!" "Reset levels and skills!" "Minimal plot!" "Emphasis on rubbing screen for no reason!"

I am still intrigued to see how this will turn out. I've never been a big Sonic fan, so there's none of the "this HAS to be great because we must learn the secrets of Shadow's tragic past!". It's simply such a bold and new move on Sega's part that I applaud and hail their choice of style and developer regardless.

Yeesh, the more I think of Shadow's back story the more typical kiddie anime archetypes all the characters are. Hell even Knuckles was reduced to the gullible and abrasive idiot in the anime. And Sonic instead of the speedster with the attitude is reduced to a brooding more stoic hero, and the attitude only pops up when he taunts his enemies(especially Knuckles when hes being gullible again.) And he's kinda lazy too, always taking naps, where as in Satam they made a point that he never takes naps cause he's hardly tired. Oh, and the bratty 12 year old love interest makes Rinoa look like a strong indepent non -clingy woman.

At least Rouge was cool.

Still the trouble with working on those characters is that they're too much like the archetypes, and there's only so much development you can do. I mean god, if I see another Eggman teams up with Sonic cause the world is in more shit than he can handle... Ergh. If more season of the anime are being made, is gonna repeat itself over and over again with this sort of plot, along with mindless kid's anime filler in between.

It would take alot of work for the DS game to break out of it.

Well you have to realize Bioware doesn't make jrpgs, so their narration and storytelling won't go along anime style or characterization either. I doubt they'll be making a Sonic game with D&D ruleset, but it'll almost definitely have a more western approach than you're thinking.

And no, that doesn't mean merely chilidogs either~

Hence my suggestion (and many others) of using the Satam characters, cause I can see it working in a western approach, cause, well, its written by Westerners and the characters are much better and have flexliblity in further development. The Satam version isn't just about chillidogs you know :P.

I wanna see Sally again.

I mean, just look at a character like Amy, would Sega let them develop her into a competant fighter and indepedent woman? That's like asking them to change Minnie Mouse into Buffy the Vampire slayer type. Not even the guys are Square change her that drastically, I doubt Bioware can. Satam however can develop their characters even under the rating limations or the original character archetype limit.

I suppose I just don't see any of the cartoon characters working in an RPG, unless it's done for complete laughs, something I can't see Bioware doing, and the game would be completely pointless.

Are you sure you didn't mix up Satam with the Adventures series? Cause the adventures one is Tex Avery style light hearted stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_t...ies_.282007.29

oh wow. I had no idea it was an RTS.

However, your post (the part I omitted) has led me to consider to wait until we at least get some screenshots or magazine scans before making any judgments on the game.

The DS, like the Wii is built around one gimic and as such, developers feel they need to utilise that gimic to justify releasing their game on the system. If they're not going to stick in hundreds of crappy screen-rubbing minigames they might as well make it for the PSP and have a bit more processing power to play around with.

As well as up to three potential customers!

As for the game itself, I'm kinda into the idea of a Sonic RPG. It's not the worst idea ever, and Bioware is pretty awesome too. I'm happy to see that at least on this forum the gut reaction hasn't been WORST IDEA EVER like everywhere else. The way some people talk about this game it's like it raped their mothers or something.

I wonder if this means more ridiculous new characters? Perhaps they'll contact Infernal for permission to use Gazumbo the Giraffe....

I don't know how I feel about this. I just long for a decent 'normal' Sonic game.

Sonic 2 was part developed by Sonic Team and part by Sega Technical Institute, which was a U.S. division of Sega. Sonic 3 was also partially developed by STI, but only by Japanese staff; the American staff worked on Spinball. Traveller's Tales did Sonic 3D and R. Sega Studios USA did Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog. Backbone Entertainment developed Sonic Rivals.

Mixed pedigree there. :\

EDIT: Traveller's Tales is British and Backbone Entertainment is Canadian. Forgot that Western != U.S. :(

That's not strictly true, there were a few whiteys on the team, namely on the music team (including my main man Scirocco!). But yeah other than that all Jappies. Man, that was a good game.

Speaking of Japanese people (okay maybe not), I wonder whether they're going for 3D or pixels in the graphics department.

Well, if it is 2D, it'd be the first 2D game BioWare ever made: Shattered Steel, Baldur's Gate, KotOR, etc. I'd reckon we'd get something more along the lines of those games.

I'm pretty certain that Baldur's Gate was a 2D game.

I think this is great news, though I can't help but wonder how they're going to do this. A simple turn-based game wouldn't work, and I'm not sure how you can make an RPG about Sonic's speed... Maybe it'll be like Shenmue, but with Sonic characters. Amy will be Nozomi.

It plays isometric, but I thought at least the characters were rendered. Maybe I'm confusing it with the sequel or another game entirely.

I don't remember any 2D characters in Baldur's Gate either.

Maybe I am thinking of one of the 34859458945 expansions though.

My interest grows more and more as I think about this, mostly because I'm wondering what kind of characters they will use, how they will develop them, what story they will give, etc.

People are going to bitch and moan either way probably since "OMG THIS ISN'T HOW SONIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE FU BIOWARE >=0!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Also Heroes of Mana is an okay game, not really GOOD but better than the latest x of Mana travesties.

I've seen flash based RPG games for Sonic around longer then I can remember, so the prospect of a real company doing it for a change raises all kinds of questions. Either this will add to the confusion of the already plot hole riddled history of sonic by doing yet another alternative world or side story (sup secret rings), or wishful thinking this might actually be the thing to finally tie everything together in the sonic universe... and I mean wishful thinking... :rolleyes:

Given that they've made two fighting games, a racing game, and a pinball game with Sonic in it, I think it'd be really hard to claim that anything deviating from the norm is "wrong".

I will note here, though, that part of what makes the various Mario RPGs feel appropriate is tone and gameplay. It's only appropriate that an RPG starring a platform hero be more action based than the usual model (or how the usual model used to go, anyway :(). Will Bioware actually make the game play like something, well, Sonicy?

A Sonic RPG? It's about friggin time. It was bound to happen one day and I finally get to see it come to light. Now I have to hope that the story and the gameplay will be good. I would've preferred if they had used the 360 or the Wii for it but I can settle with the DS. Also by this time if they don't substitute the shitty 4Kids people with the original Adventure cast, then there had better be an option to turn on Japanese voices like in Secret Rings (even though the game wasn't that great). This also depends on if there's any voicing at all in this game.

Kairi Li, I can see where you're coming from but let's face the facts. Sega would never use the SatAM cast, no matter how popular it is. I will agree it would be very awesome if they did because like you said, the setting and the mood is already there.

Alright, hope more info is announced this coming July at E3.

I have a feeling that i'll probably be TBS to a degree but it'll have a real time element in there sorta like HP rolls down in real time and attacks are timed hits based (Earthbound and SMRPG/Magical Starsign). Though how aweosme would the Knights of the old republic system be for this?

That said, if we could actualy use the established cannon whithout having to intrudce a whole new bunch of chracters for no discurnable reason whatsoever, that would be the "nintendo" diffrence between Sonic Team and Bioware.

Huh.

I've got my eyes peeled on this one, but considering the idiocy of both the fans and the haters of the franchise, I see Very Bad Things happening even if the game doesn't fail--actually change that to "especially if the game doesn't fail."

I predict nothing on the RPG until October or thereabouts.

I think Namco Tales Studio would be a better choice for a fast paced RPG game (that won't involve boring turn based battles) anyhow the only way to do a large scale Sonic game is to have a world 2X the size of Zelda Twilight Princess and just make it a really long Sonic Adventure game where you only play as Sonic...

The last time they had a game where you play only as Sonic...it didn't turn out that great. Let's face it the story sucked, the gameplay was innovative but Sonic just can't work with steering, and the music overall sucked with the exception of a few songs.

A world 2X the size of Twilight Princess? Holy crap...well that wouldn't be as bad since Sonic could scour the world fast with his speed and it wouldn't be as bad as running the world map on Dragon Quest VIII. That would be interesting to see.

Sonic and the Secret Rings wasn't that bad... sure the story was ass but the gameplay was pretty good... unless you're refering to the other recent Sonic game for 360 and PS3... then I have nothing to say (but the music was ok)

Nah, I was referring to Secret Rings. The other Sonic game for the 360 was much better. Sure people had some problems with glitches but seriously, what games aren't without their flaws? Hey, it still doesn't measure up to the Adventure games though.

you thought the loading time/glitch fest was better than Secret Rings? Thats amazing... well I was mostly disappointed at the slow pace of the game... the only redeeming feature was the mach speed zones which played out identical to Secret Rings anyway.... but the load times were more lengthy than most stages... so it was still a painful experience.

Wouldn't that make it not an RPG, but just a really long action-platformer?

Does Sonic + RPG make any sense? I mean what are they going to do? "Sonic lost his running shoes (Again!) ... he thinks Dr.Robotnik took them... but he's not certain."

The question here is would that make games like Kingdom Hearts and Brave Fencer Musashi not Action RPGs... but instead really long action platformer games...

Mario + RPG doesn't make any sense either, and yet those all worked. Heck, the original Mario RPG's storyline had a rather complex undertone to it that didn't clash at all with the source material.

Sonic Adventure is strictly an action platformer, and your suggestion of a really long Sonic Adventure in a Twilight Princess-sized world would still be just an action platformer, so I'm not sure where you're drawing these parallels.

I'm just saying games that have been classified as action RPGs have nothing that really seperate them from a 3D platformer... it seems like a developer can throw in a fancy menu, experience points, and levels and get away with calling it an action RPG these days.

Oh and I've never played Super Mario RPG.

I would call that a fair point, but I'm struggling to think of examples besides the two Kingdom Hearts games, and those had more than just menus and stats to differentiate themselves from platformers. You couldn't even really call Oblivion a FPS with RPG elements tacked on.

Also, if you want to catch up, there's four other Mario RPGs out there too. Paper Mario is a bit too old, but the sequel is on Gamecube (and therefore playable on Wii), and the Mario and Luigi games are for GBA and DS.

yeah I may pick them up for GC since I have a Wii.