Sonic Generations Playstation 3 at Amazon
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Playstation have come a long way since their primary solace supplying back in 1994. Back then gamers were content to compete versus a greatest or most complete or best possible of one other player (short of physically connecting two TV’s and consoles by way of meters of cables) in a clammy 32 bit environment. Now with the advent of the Playstation 3 (or PS3 as it is affectionately known) Gamers have been opened up to a new vista of prospects contained within this one console. The PS3 transcends being labeled as just a computer game console. Sony’s seventh generation supplying is likewise a home theatre scheme with inbuilt blue-ray, DVD and CD playing capability, a multi Gigabyte hard drive, and a website for internet access. Its slick casing surely makes it appear very much ‘at home’ in the modern lounge room. Its multi-functionality adds another level of attractiveness to the PS3 for young humans or those on a tight budget as it means that they may fundamentally score a DVD, CD and Blue ray player in one purchase! Programmers from the 1980′s would scarcely be competent to believe the levels of sophistication and technical wizardry they helped pave the way for. One may imagine the bug-eyed look on their faces had somebody traveled back through time with a making something publicly available of the PS3′s capabilities. The graphics are sharp and crystal clear, with characters in sports games bordering on the real and the blue skies in racing games bordering on radiating warmth out of the TV screen! One wonders how close the time is when we shall not be competent to distinguish amidst the real and the computer generated in video games. So which games are featured as an pardon to wonder through the amazingly rendered 3d fantasy reality, the gateway to which we call the PS3? Familiar titles Sonic the hedgehog, Ridge racer (returning in it is seventh incarnation), and Virtua fighter (in it is fifth form) are reappearing in bigger, more realistic and more stimulating installations. Resistance; fall of man is a gloomy surrealistic sci-fi shoot ‘em up revolving around forcing an invasion strength of humane hating evil aliens out of Britain. Throughout the course of the game the player is coerced through stunningly devised 3d renders of Siberia and London which will leave you thankful that everything you just experienced was generated by your PS3 and not your local news channel! Motorstorm is another game which showcases PS 3′s astonishing graphic capabilities. Zooming the player through unbelievable computer generated environments at top speed. Both these games have been topping best vender lists since their releases. The PS3 genuinely is a portal into a whole realm of wide ranging possibilities. On the personal level it may serve as an archive or inventory of stored music (Mp3′s, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+ and MP4′s all being supported). Photographic storage capability allows for browsing of your virtual photo library on your TV screen. On a communal level it affords the prospect to link up with other gamers around the world through the internet to pit your attainments or just have fun with members of the growingly tight global community which is being brought closer together by inventions such as the PS 3. Most helpful customer reviews 25 of 27 people found the following review helpful. 9 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Ahem. What were we talking about? Ah, yes, the review! Sonic Generations. Just about brought me to tears. If you ever liked a Sonic game, from any era, you will be hard-pressed to dislike this game. Each level is based a zone from past Sonic games. Here, you can play either as “Classic Sonic” (as seen from 1991-1998), rolling through the levels in 2D side-scrolling fashion; or “Modern Sonic” (as seen from 1998 onwards), racing through the stages in 3D. One level from every major Sonic game is remade in Sonic Generations. The fairly simple plot is concerned with the fact that during Sonic’s 20th birthday, some dark creature crashes the party and takes away all of Sonic’s friends. As Sonic chases after them, he finds they all have traveled through time. The mysterious being is some “Time Eater”, wreaking havoc across history. To stop this threat, Modern Sonic teams up with his younger, “Classic” self. The resulting game is fantastic. All of the levels and boss battles are beautifully rendered, featuring multiple pathways to the goal. Classic Sonic plays very closely to the way he played in the early 90s, and Modern Sonic plays like he did in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors. The result is not only a great variety of level design, but also well-thought-out gameplay physics. And the music, oh, THE MUSIC! Sonic games are known for great soundtracks, and this is no exception. The remixes presented here are beautiful (Rooftop Run, how I love thee!). Classic Sonic features remixes in a early 90s techno style (in many ways mimicking the 16-bit limitations of the SEGA Genesis), while Modern Sonic features more layered, rock-inspired (no, NOT Shadow The Hedgehog style. More in line with SONIC UNLEASHED (WII)). Now as a gamer, I think this title is excellent. It is high-quality, fun, and light-hearted. As a Sonic fan, however, this game is nothing short of EPIC (even though the main story can be beaten in under ten hours. Shame)! There are so many homages to Sonic’s history spread throughout this game. Not only are past titles referenced, but even (albeit in subtle ways) the classic TV show Sonic The Hedgehog – The Complete Series and the comic book series are hinted at. The story is full of in-jokes known throughout the series and fandom. Plus, as you play, you unlock various bits of music from the past. These music tracks can then be selected to play during ANY LEVEL OF THE GAME! This just adds to the variety presented here. This game, of course, is not perfect. Maybe 95% so, but like anything, it still leaves room for armchair quarterbacks to leave “helpful suggestions”. Here’s me being an armchair quarterback (and I don’t even like football!). Every once in a while, while traveling at high speed or transitioning to another portion of the stage, a momentary (read: fraction of a second) freeze of motion is seen. It is not common, but when it happens, it is noticeable. On some occurences, slight framerate slowdown is apparent. Now, for me, growing up playing Sonic on the SEGA Genesis, where this was fairly common, playing “Sonic in slow-motion” was something I thought was awesome as a little kid, so even this has a tinge of nostalgia for me. The story, like with Sonic Colors (being that the same writers worked on this title), is still very light-hearted. Nothing —-I repeat—-nothing, is wrong with that. It was not terribly executed in Colors, and it was even more enjoyable here. The fact that this game’s story ties directly to Sonic Colors just makes me smile with happiness (narrative continuity in a series Sonic title? Amazing!). I’m still holding out for an “epic” storyline like Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 featured. The game, though detailed and fairly expansive, can be completed in under ten hours (story mode). To collect all of the little souvenirs and unlockable skills will take some more time, but all in all, this is a relatively short game. Again, I’m missing that Sonic Adventure series “epicness”! In the end, I am blown away. Now, I’ve spent to much time here already—-gotta get back to the game! Happy 20th Birthday, Sonic! Ryan Robledo 9 of 12 people found the following review helpful. The plot is simple enough, and voiced with perfection by the new voice cast Sega brought in with last year’s excellent Sonic Colors. Sonic’s friends get sucked into a sort of time vortex by an ominous enemy known as the Time Eater. In order to get them back and defeat the new villain, Sonic must travel back through some of his past adventures, teaming up with his younger (and more portly) self from the Genesis games. Nothing too deep, sure, but it’s an excuse to travel back and see the best of Sonic’s levels put into glorious HD. And glorious is the best word to describe the makeover these levels have gotten. Sega didn’t skimp on the budget this time around, obviously hellbent on making their mascot relevant again. Each level is filled with vibrant colors that suck you right into the cartoonish world that the blue hedgehog and company inhabit, making for a more immersive experience than past entries. This is the best-looking Sonic game in years, and the visual spectacle alone is worth the price of admission. But looks aren’t everything, which is why Sega didn’t neglect the gameplay aspect of things. In order to tackle a Zone, a player must utilize both Modern and Classic Sonic in one Act each. Both Sonics control with an entirely different moveset that suits what area of the franchise they’re representing. Modern Sonic controls much like the ever-evolving character he’s been since Sonic Adventure in 1999. Complete with sliding, griding, and homing attacks, this version of the hedgehog is an incredibly versatile character who seamlessly nails both 2D and 3D gameplay. This is the most refined gameplay to come out of the franchise in quite some time, and Sonic Team should be proud of the work which went into this part of the game. What I didn’t like so much, however, was Classic Sonic. I’m a sucker for the old Sonic games, I’ll admit, but the inclusion of the retro controls in a new game feels done out of obligation and not out of genuine concern of whether it feels natural or not. It would be a bold-faced lie to say that these levels are bad, because they are, in fact, quite fun. It’s a blast revisiting Genesis-era levels with the control scheme that they are made for, and seeing 3D levels done with 2D in mind is an interesting treat. However, these levels never really reach the level of raw energy and speed exuded by the Modern Sonic levels. While I do acknowledge that the point of these stages was to capture the more steady pacing of the older titles, it made me want to actually play the old Sonic games instead of seeing their gameplay shoved into a new entry. Perhaps this will dispel the notion from people’s heads that they want more Retro Sonic, and remind them that if the new Sonic has excellent gameplay, they won’t need to sit around and wish for the “good old days” to return. Still, the notion of putting these levels in was still a nice gesture from Sega, and a good trip down memory lane for longtime fans. Even with my gripes, Generations still stands as a great entry in the Sonic franchise, and brings together the best of both worlds from the hedgehog. Sega’s commitment to restoring their flagship franchise to it’s former glory is admirable, and is beginning to be what fans always wanted Sonic in 3D to be: fast, inventive, edgy, but most of all, fun. And at the end of the day, you can’t find much fault in that. Story: B+ |
Not one, but two Sonics finally return to their former glory!
A Spindash Towards The Top