Sega signs next 3 sonic games into Nintendo exclusivity

[Barone]

Sega Corp.se is filthy.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

The sonic fan base is so bitchy that this isn't surprising. Unless Sonic Team is spoon feeding them nostalgia they'll never be happy. The main complaint with this game is that it's different and not the Generations 2 everyone wanted. I honestly don't see that as a problem. I'll still get the game and make my own decision of it's quality, just like I did for Unleashed. Which despite similar mixed reviews, I found Unleashed to be a fantastic game.

A "bad" Sonic game is typically still a well made and decent game aside from obvious exceptions (2006). I bet if this game was some other mascot other than Sonic it would be getting better reviews.

[Lan Di]

The sonic fan base is so bitchy that this isn't surprising. Unless Sonic Team is spoon feeding them nostalgia they'll never be happy. The main complaint with this game is that it's different and not the Generations 2 everyone wanted. I honestly don't see that as a problem. I'll still get the game and make my own decision of it's quality, just like I did for Unleashed. Which despite similar mixed reviews, I found Unleashed to be a fantastic game.

A "bad" Sonic game is typically still a well made and decent game aside from obvious exceptions (2006). I bet if this game was some other mascot other than Sonic it would be getting better reviews.

I would believe that, but when is the last time Nintendo a made Mario or Zelda game that the fans complained about? Nintendo fans are the most picky and blatantly arrogant fans alive and they worship their lord and savior Mario without much murmuring. Nintendo is loyal to its fans when it comes to Zelda/Mario. Quality is truly job one. Sonic team does not produce quality games to the degree that Nintendo does with Mario and Zelda. Back in the 16 bit era Sonic blew Mario World out of the water. Nintendo was at a loss when it came to quality until rare dropped Donkey Kong Country. Then came along Mario 64 and Sega has been trying to play catch up ever since. Sonic Adventure 1 was great. Part 2 was a chore but enjoyable. Generations and Colors were the awesome, I love both games. But the rest of the Sonic games simply lack quality and polish.

[bultje112]

This sucks. I am not really a Sonic fan myself but I still want to see the franchise (and SEGA) do well.

sonic generations was one of the best games of the past generation and maybe best sonic game ever made and that was 2 years ago?

[spiffyone]

I would believe that, but when is the last time Nintendo a made Mario or Zelda game that the fans complained about?

Let's see:

Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros. DS
Super Paper Mario

Yeah, there's some rabid fanboys that hold those games up way too high, but there's the rest of us Nintendo fans who understand that those games were very, very disappointing. Sunshine in particular is one of those games that the rabid fanboys just can't see the flaws in, even though they are quite apparent (FLUDD mechanic making the basic platforming way too easy, with the platforming in the levels seemingly not designed around its uses other than allowing for the "hover" mechanic, etc.).

Nintendo fans are the most picky and blatantly arrogant fans alive

I'd say us Sega fans are the most picky. Just go through the reviews on this site, and the discussion topics for examples of that. There are games that one would think would be universally agreed to be "great" or "good", but that isn't the case. And it really is nitpicky stuff, like the art direction and character design in, say, Comix Zone and Eternal Champions being "bad", which speaks more to a dislike of American super hero comic book art styles rather than the designs themselves being "bad".

Arrogant? I'd say the Sony fanboys fit that bill in the game industry. The Google fanboys, particularly the Android faction, fits that bill overall. Many would say the Apple/Mac/OSX/iOS fanboys, but actually read the comments sections, discussions, etc. on iOS and/or Android related news and you'll see it's the 'droid fannys with the rabid mentality outside of the realm of reality. Case in point: going on about the 5S being "weak" compared to 'droid phones.

Sonic team does not produce quality games to the degree that Nintendo does with Mario and Zelda.

Eh...I agree with this...somewhat. Then again EAD is a much larger studio than Sega's Consumer Entertainment R&D (Sonic Team is now a team within Consumer R&D, alongside Nagoshi's group, etc.).
Like EAD, the different Consumer teams work on different IP, but I think EAD as a whole is much larger. They also (and this cannot be stressed enough) take their time to develop games. Sega has a penchant of rushing things out. They did the same back in the Genesis days, of course, but back then it was "easier" to pull that off than nowadays where teams are large and development more complex.

Back in the 16 bit era Sonic blew Mario World out of the water. Nintendo was at a loss when it came to quality until rare dropped Donkey Kg. Nintendo is loyal to its fans when it comes to Zelda/Mario

On platformers? Yeah, I'd agree that Sonic was far better than SMW (I've gone on about the flaws in that game in topics both here on this site and elsewhere). DKC was also quite a good game (though, IMO, nowhere near better than the Sonic games up to that point, save, perhaps, for Sonic 2 which is a good deal overrated and is flawed, albeit not nearly as flawed, fundamentally, as SMW). But overall in other genres? Super Metroid, Link to the Past, etc. were all great games.

It's worth pointing out, though, that the games that Nintendo absolutely excelled at over Sega that gen were in genres that Sega didn't, or weren't as well done on Genesis as a whole (in this case, action/adventure games). They really did complement each other, those two consoles. A weak spot on one was a strength on the other. Never anything like that in the console industry before, or since.

Generations and Colors were the awesome, I love both games. But the rest of the Sonic games simply lack quality and polish.

Eh, I think Unleashed was damned good in spots (particularly the daytime levels). The Dimps developed portable games have ranged from "okay" to "very good". Hell, even the Hardlight developed mobile games have been good (Sonic Jump, Sonic Dash). Sonic Team themselves did a pretty good job making Sonic 4 better with Episode 2.

[o.pwuaioc]

They really did complement each other, those two consoles. A weak spot on one was a strength on the other. Never anything like that in the console industry before, or since.

I'd say the Saturn/N64/PS1 were the last consoles that complemented each other so well. PS1 and Saturn overlap a bit, but 2D was generally better on Saturn, PS1 had its RPGs and excellent games like Metal Gear Solid, and the N64 had the best FPS's, better 3D platformers, Mario Kart, and better multiplayer experience. A person who was lucky enough to have had all three back in the day would have been really set. The PS2 and Xbox overlapped too much, and the PS3 and 360 even more so. The distinction is getting less and less, to the point that the 360 had only about 5-10 exclusives (I forgot the exact number I counted). Fortunately, Nintendo has kept up its exclusivity, and what a line they have, with great titles like Last Story, Xenoblade, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Muramasa, Ivy the Kiwi, and of course Mario Kart Wii. The only thing the 360 really has going for it are shmups.

[Lan Di]

Let's see:

Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros. DS
Super Paper Mario

Yeah, there's some rabid fanboys that hold those games up way too high, but there's the rest of us Nintendo fans who understand that those games were very, very disappointing. Sunshine in particular is one of those games that the rabid fanboys just can't see the flaws in, even though they are quite apparent (FLUDD mechanic making the basic platforming way too easy, with the platforming in the levels seemingly not designed around its uses other than allowing for the "hover" mechanic, etc.).



I'd say us Sega fans are the most picky. Just go through the reviews on this site, and the discussion topics for examples of that. There are games that one would think would be universally agreed to be "great" or "good", but that isn't the case. And it really is nitpicky stuff, like the art direction and character design in, say, Comix Zone and Eternal Champions being "bad", which speaks more to a dislike of American super hero comic book art styles rather than the designs themselves being "bad".

Arrogant? I'd say the Sony fanboys fit that bill in the game industry. The Google fanboys, particularly the Android faction, fits that bill overall. Many would say the Apple/Mac/OSX/iOS fanboys, but actually read the comments sections, discussions, etc. on iOS and/or Android related news and you'll see it's the 'droid fannys with the rabid mentality outside of the realm of reality. Case in point: going on about the 5S being "weak" compared to 'droid phones.



Eh...I agree with this...somewhat. Then again EAD is a much larger studio than Sega's Consumer Entertainment R&D (Sonic Team is now a team within Consumer R&D, alongside Nagoshi's group, etc.).
Like EAD, the different Consumer teams work on different IP, but I think EAD as a whole is much larger. They also (and this cannot be stressed enough) take their time to develop games. Sega has a penchant of rushing things out. They did the same back in the Genesis days, of course, but back then it was "easier" to pull that off than nowadays where teams are large and development more complex.



On platformers? Yeah, I'd agree that Sonic was far better than SMW (I've gone on about the flaws in that game in topics both here on this site and elsewhere). DKC was also quite a good game (though, IMO, nowhere near better than the Sonic games up to that point, save, perhaps, for Sonic 2 which is a good deal overrated and is flawed, albeit not nearly as flawed, fundamentally, as SMW). But overall in other genres? Super Metroid, Link to the Past, etc. were all great games.

It's worth pointing out, though, that the games that Nintendo absolutely excelled at over Sega that gen were in genres that Sega didn't, or weren't as well done on Genesis as a whole (in this case, action/adventure games). They really did complement each other, those two consoles. A weak spot on one was a strength on the other. Never anything like that in the console industry before, or since.



Eh, I think Unleashed was damned good in spots (particularly the daytime levels). The Dimps developed portable games have ranged from "okay" to "very good". Hell, even the Hardlight developed mobile games have been good (Sonic Jump, Sonic Dash). Sonic Team themselves did a pretty good job making Sonic 4 better with Episode 2.

I respect your opinion and I do agree that SM Sunshine was indeed a turd of a game. Washing an island was kind of a dumb concept, I forgot all about that game.

And as for Sony fan boys, they are arrogant, but IMO not to the degree of Nintendo fans.

I was referring to mascot games when I stated that Nintendo lacked the quality of Sonic in the 16-bit era. I adore Super Metroid and Super Castlevania 4, two of the best SNES games ever created.

[Knuckle Duster]

I respect your opinion and I do agree that SM Sunshine was indeed a turd of a game. Washing an island was kind of a dumb concept, I forgot all about that game.

And as for Sony fan boys, they are arrogant, but IMO not to the degree of Nintendo fans.

I was referring to mascot games when I stated that Nintendo lacked the quality of Sonic in the 16-bit era. I adore Super Metroid and Super Castlevania 4, two of the best SNES games ever created.

SMW was fantastic, universally praised, and was lacking in nothing at the time. You didn't say they were lacking in quality though, you said Sonic blew it away. Which is also a ridiculous statement, by any objective measure. Like it or not, the game and it's sequel Yoshi's Island were massive benchmarks for platformers and gaming as a whole.

[Metalwario64]

A problem with Sunshine is too many people go into it expecting a traditional Mario game. It tries something different, and I think it's very fun. I like the level design, and enjoy trying to utilize the water pack as skillfully as possible to clear the levels as quickly as I can. My sister's not that big a fan of Mario games and she likes it.

I rarely see positive opinions of it, which is a shame.


The first New Super Mario Bros. was pretty disappointing though. It felt very rehashed and didn't really take the series forward. I find the sequels are much better. Wii's multiplayer is awesome, and 2 brought back the Raccoon leaf. I still wish they had high resolution hand drawn sprites. They could reuse them continuously, so it's not that big an investment.

[Obviously]

Every fanbase is broken and overly sensitive.

Seriously, it shouldn't be a contest. Anyone blinded by brand loyalty needs to have their opinions taken with a grain of salt.

[old man]

I agree with everything spiffyone said, but that bit about DKC. I played DKC and it's sequels a while back, and I can't see how people can put those things on such a high pedestal. Jaleco had better platformers than DKC. S3&K was a thousand times the game all three DKC games were combined. I attribute that game's success to Nintendo's marketing prowess in the 16bit era more than anything else. For sonic games like Lost Worlds, I think the worst thing about them is that Sega gets so close making something good, but always fumbles somehow.

[Kamahl]

Sonic 1, 2 or 3 > SMW >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DKC > Yoshi's Island

[Lan Di]

Sonic 1,2,3, Sonic CD, S&K >DKC1>SMW, Yosi's Island.

[Yharnamresident]

Yea I've been pondering for years, deciding if I like SMW or Yoshi's Island better. I'd still say they're equal.

Though I've been discouraged to play SMW, I've heard people say that Princess Peach won't even allow Mario to get to second base. All that work for nothing.



Ultimately I don't think Mario is as good as he was in the 8-bit and 16-bit days either. It seems hard for a franchise to really stay consistent.

[Obviously]

Sonic 1, 2 or 3 > SMW >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DKC > Yoshi's Island

This is where I fall too. I don't like DKC but Yoshi's Island never clicked with me at all.