James

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Have any OBers picked this one up yet? I'm curious to know what you guys think about it. [/font]

[quote name='Boo' date='15 November 2010 - 04:19 AM' timestamp='1289758770' post='701837'] Well, speaking of soundtracks: the song they're using in the above video is absolute rubbish. It kind of kills any possible enthusiasm I might have had for the game. [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Haha, I don't want to overstate the importance of the soundtrack. I guess what I mean is that previous Sonic soundtracks have been [i]so[/i] far removed from traditional Sonic themes that they don't bear much resemblance to anything Sonic-related. When I talk about the music in Sonic Colors, I'm talking primarily about tracks that don't contain lyrics - because there are, still, a few junk tracks in Sonic Colors (and these are mostly the tracks with some sort of lyrics). I highly recommend checking out some of the other Sonic Colors clips on YouTube - you'll get a better sense of the new soundtrack as well as all the far more important stuff (like actual gameplay, for example). But anyway, I did buy this game last night and I played through a few levels. I don't think I've played enough to write an actual review, but I can definitely give some early impressions. The general presentation of Sonic Colors is actually a lot like a Mario game - specifically, Super Mario Galaxy. The game seems to take place in outer space and there are various hub-worlds with individual "Acts" inside them. I'd say there are normally six or seven Acts in a world, with a boss level at the end. The gameplay is probably most akin to the Sonic-only levels in Sonic Adventure. So often the camera is behind Sonic and you're running forward - just as with Sonic Adventure, there are boost pads and you can do a homing attack on enemies and objects. But a key difference is that the camera will regularly swing to the side and you'll be playing these kind of "2.5D" segments. These bits feel even more like "traditional" Sonic levels and they incorporate a lot more platforming segments. There are also the Wisps that I mentioned earlier - I would tend to think of them like Mario's suits. They are basically power-ups that provide a certain ability for a limited period of time. So far the drill has been my favourite. Unlike the drill in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where you pretty much dive from one side of a planet to the other, you can actually control the drill power-up in Sonic Colors. And it's really fun. Levels that contain the drill tend to have a lot of little hiding places for you to explore - best of all, this power-up doesn't really disrupt the flow of the game. It still feels very fast and smooth. Mixed in with all of this are a few of those semi-on-rails segments. In Sonic Adventure there are moments where you have very limited control over Sonic (like with, say...grinding on bars or moving from boost pad to boost pad). Those moments appear in Sonic Colors, except that for the most part the game gives you a greater degree of control. With some of those on-rails bits, you'll be able to dash left/right to avoid enemies (or to bump them over). It works pretty well, mostly because the camera can do all kinds of crazy cinematic stuff without you being too worried that you'll lose control and fall into a ditch or something. Anyway, so far, so good. Sonic Colors feels about right. It definitely lacks Super Mario Galaxy's polish, but it's head and shoulders above all previous 3D Sonic titles at this point. It just feels a lot more fun - the controls are solid, the level design has been great so far and the graphics are really pushing what the Wii is capable of. Also, I know that most Sonic fans probably don't care much about the story, but I have to say...it's surprisingly good. Not so much the plot itself, but the actual voice-acting and the cut-scenes are absolutely miles ahead of Sonic Adventure. Surprisingly, some of the cut-scenes are genuinely funny or interesting - the game is quite self-referential and makes fun of the genre conventions [spoiler](like when Eggman absolutely swears that he has no evil intentions [i]whatsoever[/i] and that he's dedicated to making up for his past evil deeds).[/spoiler] So, yeah, even at this early stage... I'd say if you're into Sonic, this is definitely worth picking up. I'm kind of relieved that this time, somebody actually made a real attempt to push Sonic in new directions without hanging weights around his neck.[/font]

[quote name='Sangome' date='14 November 2010 - 11:36 AM' timestamp='1289698574' post='701821'] [color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Query, have you played Sonic the Hedgehog 4 at all? From what I've heard, that was what was meant to bring Sonic back to his former glory, as opposed to this. That's not to say this won't be any good, but I've just not heard Colors being touted as "the return to the roots" as I have for 4. [People are pitching a fit to the contrary, natch, but...that's the Sonic fandom for you.][/font][/color] [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Well, you can pretty much read any review and you'll find just about everyone saying that Sonic Colors is a return to form for Sonic. That is to say, it is a reversal of years of badly-designed 3D Sonic games and a re-establishment of a solid path for Sonic in 3D. To some degree this comes from returning to Sonic's roots, but it also comes from (relatively speaking) solid game design. I mean, I may play it and not like it at all... but after playing Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii, I can't really imagine that it can disappoint me. Heh. I think that Sonic 4 is more a direct link to the classic 2D Sonic games. It's essentially Sega's answer to New Super Mario Bros. I tend to view Sonic 4 as being more about directly bringing the 2D Sonic titles into a newer generation, whereas Sonic Colors is kind of "what Sonic Adventure & Co. should have been all along". [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Sonic Adventure 2 has your favourite soundtrack of all time? o_O;; Okay, moving on, heheh. I haven't played Sonic Colors on DS yet - I'm wondering if I should get that too. Honestly I haven't played my DS in months and months. Not that there hasn't been anything worthwhile on DS (quite the contrary) but I've really focused on PC and consoles lately. Actually, coming back to the soundtrack - my objection with Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 wasn't so much that the soundtrack was [i]bad[/i] per-se (although I definitely didn't like the cheesy rock bits - there were a couple of okay tracks on some non-Sonic levels from memory), it was more that...well, it wasn't Sonic. It didn't bear any real relationship with the earlier Sonic soundtracks. That, combined with a number of other major changes, really took way the whole Sonic vibe for me. I blame this change in direction, in part, on the absence of Naoto Å?shima. Granted, he was involved with Sonic Adventure, but he also directed some of Sonic Team's greatest games - Sonic CD and Nights into Dreams. The team changed a great deal over the last decade and something went very wrong at Sega from a corporate level. Anyway, based on some recent comments from Sega, they seem to be pretty committed to bringing Sonic back to the AAA status it once had. Sonic Colors looks to be a first step, at least according to the reviews. So I'm very eager to pick this up - maybe next week. For anyone else who has played, I'd love to read your impressions here. [/font]

[center][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Wii[/font] [font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][size="5"]Sonic Colors[/size][/font] [font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][size="5"][size="2"][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBqarwN-1TU[/media][/size][/size][/font] [attachment=14920:sc1.jpg] [attachment=14921:sc2.jpg] [attachment=14922:sc3.jpg] [attachment=14923:sc4.jpg] [attachment=14924:sc5.jpg] [attachment=14925:sc6.jpg] [attachment=14926:sc7.jpg] [attachment=14919:sc8.jpg] [/center] [font="Palatino Linotype"]I have to start by saying that I'm a [i]huge[/i] Sonic fan. I owned all of the original 2D Sonic platformers (sans Sonic 2 on Master System) and I've bought probably two of those "Sega Collections" compilations. I even owned Sonic CD on the Sega Mega CD - now I really wish I hadn't sold it, but that's another story. I remember being really eager to play Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast when it came out in 1999. For the most part, I really enjoyed Sonic Adventure. It did feel somewhat rough though, compared to Nintendo's first 3D Mario. That is to say...there were things about it that felt very un-Sonic. I didn't like the fact that it was set in the real world (or something close to it - whatever happened to the alien landscapes of Moebius, with the grid-patterned earth and the vivid colours?) I also didn't particularly like Sonic Team's attempts to add complexity to the plot where none as needed. And I [i]really[/i] didn't like many of the additional characters - Amy and Big were, for the most part, completely un-fun. I actually thought they were horribly designed segments with shoddy/slow controls and very bland challenges. Yuck. At least the actual Sonic and Tails levels were generally fantastic; they also displayed the clear potential that Sonic had in a 3D environment. Sonic Adventure 2 improved the "Sonic" levels (or at least, Sonic and Shadow). But that was about it. The rest of the game was slightly improved over the first title, but it still seemed that Sega weren't bold enough to [i]just design a damn Sonic game in 3D![/i] After all, they had basically skipped the Saturn (Sonic Jam wasn't a serious attempt and Sonic 3D Blast was shockingly awful - thanks, Traveller's Tales). Without detailing the subsequent horrors that Sonic endured (Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox 360/PS3, Shadow the Hedgehog and many others - although I heard Sonic Heroes had its great moments), I think it's fair to say that Sega produced several write-offs as far as Sonic goes. I may sound harsh, but honestly, I think if you grew up with the 2D Sonic titles, it's hard to be very forgiving of the rocky road that Sonic has traveled in the 3D world. Given that Mario managed such a seamless transition (Mario and many other classic franchises), I can't really give Sonic Team a pass on this. Anyway, the one savior of Sonic seems to have been developer DIMPS. They were responsible for the Sonic Rush series on Nintendo DS (I've only played the first Sonic Rush, but it was absolutely true to the 2D Sonic of old). And it looks like DIMPS really came to the rescue in terms of Sonic in 3D. They partnered with Sonic Team to create [b]Sonic Colors[/b], which is now available for Wii and will hopefully become available for the HD consoles soon (I share IGN's hope with that). Apart from the fact that DIMPS seem to know what they're doing, it seems to me that Sonic Colors could almost be called [i]the first true 3D Sonic game[/i]. I say that even having played and enjoyed Sonic Adventure more than a decade ago. Sonic Colors does away with the peripheral characters and their terrible gameplay and focuses its attention on Sonic. Speed seems to be emphasized as you would expect, but Sonic Team/DIMPS have also expanded Sonic's platforming environments slightly, providing a bit of a hybrid Sonic/Mario feel (or at least borrowing some elements from the latter). A subtle (or not so subtle, depending on your perspective) element has been added as well: Wisps. These are essentially power-ups that allow Sonic to perform different actions for a limited period (like drilling through rock or bouncing from enemy to enemy). Apparently they aren't necessary to finish a level, but they do allow Sonic to access branching paths that may otherwise be difficult or impossible to find. Even a cursory glance at this game gives me the impression that DIMPS and Sonic Team are serious about both providing new experiences for Sonic fans, while also bringing Sonic back to the essential elements that make up a true Sonic game. Even the little things catch my attention - a return to whimsical/fantastical environments, a dramatic soundtrack improvement (not perfect, but so far no awful cheesy 80's rock), an emphasis on both full 3D and "2.5D" platforming and, as I mentioned above, a principal focus on Sonic himself. I haven't yet played Sonic Colors, but I'm intending to buy it. I'm keen to try it and see if, finally, I'm not going to be somehow let down by a 3D Sonic title (and I'll post my thoughts here, whether they are good, bad or ugly). What about you guys? Any interest in this one?[/font]

[quote name='Phenom' date='10 November 2010 - 10:07 PM' timestamp='1289390841' post='701717'] And that's pretty much it. I'm not into they typical Nintendo games outside of Zelda and even then I'm burned out on that series. I'm into hack n slashers. The only game I can say I'm truly interested in for the Wii is Mad World (And I'm against buying a system for 1 game). [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]So you wouldn't be interested in stuff like The Conduit 2, Silent Hill or even Red Steel 2? When I think about it, there aren't very many hack and slack type games on Wii that I know of. I imagine your best bet for that type of game would actually be the WiiWare or Virtual Console services. I'm not even really sure what hack and slash games there are on PS3 and Xbox 360, come to think of it. The genre doesn't seem as overcrowded as it once was. I still remember trying to beat Fighting Force on the original PlayStation with my sister. Heh. Lame, I know. [/font]

[quote name='Desbreko' date='11 November 2010 - 05:51 PM' timestamp='1289461902' post='701740'] [color=#4B0082] For the record, it makes me facepalm every time I hear someone say "o-nih-may" with the short O and I sounds. Especially when they hear me say it the proper way and actually try to correct me. [/color] [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]All I can say is, be very glad you've never heard me say "OtakuBoards". The only way I could ever say the word "otaku" properly is to put on a very deliberate Japanese accent, which sounds horribly lame coming from a western person. But if I say it in my native accent, it doesn't really remotely sound like the original word. So whenever I make my podcast debut, I might use the term "OB" instead. Haha. [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Great work, guys. Also, consider the OB Newsletter. I'll be sending it out once per month and it goes out to all of our members. So if you ever have anything you want me to specifically mention in there, please send me a message here on OB in advance. I'm also hoping to re-format the newsletter a bit better next time - since now I have a better email system on OB - so I should be able to really put emphasis on the podcast and some of our new features.[/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I think this makes sense primarily due to the moderation functions. The savings are a bonus. Generally I think Microsoft has had the right idea when it comes to online services. Sony is catching up, but I think Microsoft probably have the most comprehensive and refined system so far. And Nintendo, well...let's not mention them. Between clunky Friend Codes and a lack of central focus, the network gaming aspects of Wii is lacking in comparison. Nintendo could achieve a lot simply by having a universal "Nintendo I.D.", across all Nintendo platforms (Wii, 3DS, etc...). That, at least, would be a great beginning. But I could write a whole article on that.[/font]

[quote name='Lady Shy' date='10 November 2010 - 09:05 AM' timestamp='1289343952' post='701709'] Currently Audacity, as it works and I know how it does, but I'm looking into better stuff for Windows. :^D Any recommendations? [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Not really, heh. Since I use a Mac, I have GarageBand built in and that's pretty awesome for podcasts. I'm not really aware of an equivalent on Windows, at least in terms of the features offered by GB. It sounds like Audacity can pretty much do everything you need anyway. [/font]

[quote name='Lady Shy' date='10 November 2010 - 03:43 AM' timestamp='1289324620' post='701695'] Yeah his mic volume went up already by about 50%, but I didn't want to ruin the quality beyond that. Also, we [i]will[/i] do more of these, so Korey'll be expecting a mic in his German mailbox anytime now. 8D [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Haha, well, I've been thinking about ways we can help you guys with the podcast...a microphone is a pretty easy way to start. From there, we'll see how it goes. Just out of curiosity though, what software do you use to edit the podcasts? [/font]

[quote name='Phenom' date='08 November 2010 - 08:33 PM' timestamp='1289212428' post='701612'] I hear y'all and while my mom is determined to get a Wii I just don't have any interest in it. If they get more games that I'm interested in I'd probably have a little more interest. [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]What type of games are you into? Admittedly, if you aren't into the Nintendo fare (including core titles like Mario and Metroid), then life as a Wii owner is a little tougher. But there are quite a few pretty solid third party exclusives emerging as well. I own a Wii, but I play it the least out of my consoles (I [i]would[/i] play Xbox more, but it died...and I still haven't replaced it).[/font]

[quote name='ScrumYummy' date='09 November 2010 - 04:56 PM' timestamp='1289285766' post='701682'] Oh so. Apparently I signed up for these boards and then never logged in and totally forgot about it. Or something. XD Hi! [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Welcome to OB, I hope you enjoy your stay (and aren't scared off by the craziness...) [/font]

[quote name='CaNz' date='09 November 2010 - 03:56 PM' timestamp='1289282207' post='701679'] I'd like to welcome Allamorph, James, and Sangome to the Otakuboards! I think you new guys will fit right in. [/quote] [font="Palatino Linotype"]See the animation in my signature? That's exactly what I'm doing right now.[/font]

[quote name='AvalonAngel' date='09 November 2010 - 03:47 PM' timestamp='1289281645' post='701676'] [font="Tahoma"]Thanks for the feedback guys. Little clarification on the whole muffled Korey situation. I don't have an external microphone like Boo does, so I have to use my computers' built in microphone. When we record the podcast, I'm practically shouting anyways. Otherwise you really wouldn't hear me. So yeah, we're working on EP.2 and brainstorming ideas. [i](Glad everyone likes Boo though :V )[/i][/font] [/quote] [font="Palatino Linotype"]I was going to suggest doing some sort of post-production editing (i.e. increasing your volume relative to Boo), but that may not improve the clarity. It might be worth trying though. If you guys keep going on this podcast, I'm sure OB can organise a microphone for you Korey.[/font]

[quote name='Desbreko' date='09 November 2010 - 02:16 PM' timestamp='1289276213' post='701665'] [color=#4B0082]And this is why every single English dub voice actor sounds like an idiot whenever they say Japanese names. No one pronounces the vowels right.[/color] [/quote] [font="Palatino Linotype"]Do you mean they don't get them right because they are trying to pronounce them in the Japanese way and failing? Or is it that they pronounce them in the "American" way and that is incorrect? Ironically, when I see videos of American anime festivals and stuff...I notice that the majority of attendees don't seem to know how to pronounce Japanese words at all. And that's even amongst the enthusiast crowd![/font]

[quote name='Sangome' date='09 November 2010 - 01:54 PM' timestamp='1289274860' post='701663'] [color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]I think it's what happens when you merge two threads, but forget to change the name of the thread back to the original thread it was supposed to be merged with. Or something. So yeah. Oopsie? I'd change it myself, but this doesn't fall under my jurisdiction, sooo. But I see it's been taken care of, so s'all good now I guess. [/font][/color] [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Haha, no worries. It was actually a good reminder for me to put a little sub-title on here anyway. Just helps to direct people to the right spot. [/font]

[quote name='Allamorph' date='09 November 2010 - 01:09 PM' timestamp='1289272170' post='701661'] [FONT=Calibri]Although I sort of like the new title for this thread, I really think someone should double-check it. [/FONT] [/quote] [font=palatino linotype]Yeah, I don't know what that's all about...but the new title really doesn't work. The old title should remain in place I think. [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I'm juggling little bits of everything at the moment. I have discovered the joys of [b]Fallout 3[/b] - sure, a bit late to the party, but better late than never! I picked it up very cheaply as a pre-owned title and I'm really loving it. I hope New Vegas is at least as good. I am also back to [b]Final Fantasy XIII[/b], after lending it out to my sister for months. It's a little weird to get re-acquainted with the controls and stuff so many months later, but I'm getting there. Still a fun game, but terrible plot. And finally, there's [b]Civilization V[/b]. It has a few quirks that need to be ironed out, but generally I'm enjoying this one a lot more than Civilization IV. It's just so much more elegant and steamlined, but without compromising detail. They just need to improve the diplomacy! It's still frustratingly simplistic and annoying. Still, fantastic game - and the war is actually [b]fun[/b] on this, as opposed to Civ IV, where it could be quite laborious (and not in a good way).[/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I think Chibi could easily be a voice actor. And Boo's accent (as well as what he actually talks about) provides all-important comedy relief. This is why I'm glad I am not doing the show. If Boo's accent provides comedy relief, mine would provide...I don't know what. Crocodile Hunter flashbacks or something. [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Generally I will go through and do a general system clean-up every few months. That tends to include removing users who have been inactive for a very long time and who have almost no posts. So a few accounts get picked up that way. If you want your account deleted, you certainly have the right to request that - we can do that for you. Alternatively you can leave it and come back to it later if you want. It's really up to you. If you simply don't want to receive emails from OB, you can turn that off in your profile settings. [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Wow, really great stuff guys. I'm really impressed by your work. Your editing was great and you covered some fun topics; it's funny how this podcast feels much more OB-like than anything we've had before. In terms of suggestions for your next episode, here are a few (sorry, Boo): [list] [*]Korey's voice seemed a bit muffled compared to Boo. You're probably aware of this and there probably isn't much you can do, though. But I could definitely hear you both well enough. [*]I really like the background music - nice touch. I would consider turning it down a tiny bit, relative to your voices (mostly due to that slightly muffled effect). I really like the way you used the music for intro/outro and Chibi's report. [*]Um...that's it really. [/list] You covered quite a few topics and kept a really good pace. Putting Chibi in the middle was a great move - it kept things varied and refreshing. Because OB is slower these days, I know it must be hard to talk entirely about new OB topics, but I think you did a great job of balancing general chat with actual OB-related stuff. I like that you took a topic and turned it into a news piece/discussion. So, yeah...I don't have much else to say really. All three of you did a briliant job and I really hope that you'll keep treating us to your podcasts in the future. I think you will soon be giving our other podcast celebrities a run for their money. [/font]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I've been listening to a lot of different stuff lately, but one group is starting to really take my fancy: Ladytron from the UK. If you like Curve, you may like Ladytron. Although there's some variation, much of Ladytron's music fits loosely into the shoegazer genre. [center][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M5Ue0x3b6c[/media][/font][/center]