Outlaw

This game came out today. Has anyone gotten it yet? The scores have been better than the previous Sonic games. And one thing that they keep mentioning is that its more like the 2D sonic games than the previous 3D ones. I've been watching this one for awhile now and it looks pretty good, I'm thinking of picking it up but they didnt' have it at BB yet and told me to come back tomorrow.

flashburn

Was looking forward to it, until I played the demo. I thought the controls were terrible.

darkside

Yeah, I really didn't like the demo. I passed on it as well. Seemed to much like Sonic Adventure 2, bad camera and controls included.

sararekuforever

The full game was supposed to fix the control problems seen on the demo...the GC version will have improvements..the PS2/Xbox much more.

Decker

Reviews in EGM and IGN were less than stellar -- I'll pass.

Homer Simpson

I'm on the fence on this one. Anyone have it that can vouch for any multiplayer options? My kids love the multiplayer options in the other one. The races are pretty fun.

PixyJunket

Quoted for truth.

PixyJunket

Again, quoted for truth.. specifically the bad camera found in all Sonic Team games.

huh?

so, the ps2 and xbox versions will have better controls than the gamecube version? that makes no sense. if they know how to fix the control problems, why would they only do it for 2/3 of the games they produce?

Gizmo

Thats false. Every magazine has said the GC and Xbox version are nearly identical in graphics and load time, while the PS2 one should be avoided because it is VERY choppy and has slow loading times. As for controls, I beleive Game Pro or EGM has said the Cube control seems to work a little better.

The only reason the Gamecube version came out before the Xbox and PS2 did was because they wanted extra sales on the Cube system as well as to launch it with Sonic Battle.

Outlaw

aww that sucks. But I do agree about the camera stuff. When it comes to camera controls Sonic Team is terrible at it .

I think I'm gonna rent this one first. Its the first new sonic game in an long time aside from the GBA versions, so I was hoping that it would be better than the previous ones.

I was looking at Gamespots review, they gave it a 7.5. It would figure that Sonic Battle on the GBA might turn out to be better than this game.

huh?

i was attempting to be sarcastic.

wildside74

Here you go, boys and girls. This article explains the differences in each console. So stay away from the PS2 version.

This afternoon, GCA chatted with SEGA regarding their latest release, Sonic Heroes. What's this? An upcoming announcement...

Earlier this evening, I had the pleasure to chat with several Product Managers within SEGA regarding their latest release, Sonic Heroes. Done via conference call, the open-media session started with an introduction from SEGA Product Managers, Brett and Norm.

It was first made clear that Sonic Heroes was the first "true" new Sonic game in the last 3 1/2 years, as the previous titles have been ports or collections. The Sonic Team developed title was released today on GameCube, and is scheduled to ship for PS2 and X-Box on January 27th.

Sonic Heroes focuses more on the multi-character usage within the levels, staying true to Sonic Team's usual high-speed type of play. In fact, we were told that although the game still hangs around its Genesis roots [with golden rings], the title will certainly feel fresh. SEGA believes this combination could be a winning one down the stretch.

The levels stray away slightly from the previous titles' "tropical theme" and adds several new gameplay environments such as water levels, a Giant Pinball Machine, a Jungle, a Haunted House, and even a Grand Canyon-like level. Even better, the levels are around five times bigger than previous Sonic Adventure levels - so expect huge environments throughout the game.

Level objectives are totally team-based, where different team combinations can alter both the level itself, and the objectives to fit the style of your playable team.

These teams (Easiest to Most Difficult: Rose, Sonic, Dark, Chaotic) will feature levels to exploit the strengths and weaknesses of each team, as each will have varied gameplay. Each of the teams will be available at the start of the game.

Graphically, Sonic Heroes will run at 60 fps for GameCube and Xbox owners, while PS2 owners will receive 30 fps to keep the game from graphically tearing, according to SEGA. The GameCube version will run in Progressive Scan, and the Xbox in 720p, while the PS2 version won't receive any visual enhancements.

Asking SEGA regarding their decision to have Sonic Heroes on all consoles, I was told that Yuji Naka himself made the decision to have the game on all consoles. Being a humble gaming genius himself, Yuji Naka believes that the title should be played by all gamers, so that they could try out for themselves the
"new" Sonic.

The different versions of Sonic Heroes is strikingly similar. With its new style of gameplay with more "adventure" elements featuring racing, shooting, and run-through-zoom-levels, Sonic Heroes is a Sonic title that's balanced as ever.

The multiplayer features in Sonic Heroes are for 2-players, and have varied types of gameplay modes. Gamers can race with the Sonic Karts, Race-To-Collect-Rings, and even battle one-on-one. Although SEGA admits that the multiplayer in the game isn't that deep, the modes are a great distraction and an extra activity for younger gamers alike.

The GameCube version of Sonic Heroes doesn't have any GCN/GBA connectivty however. Still, GameCube fans get the game earlier than anyone else right? Unlockables for the game have yet to be revealed as SEGA urges gamers to discover the magic for themselves.

Lastly, SEGA has plans to make a major game annoucement sometime in Late January. I'll leave it at that.

Josh H

It didn't get a very glowing review in EGM. I believe it was 8.0, 6.5, 6.5, but that's just off the top of my head. I'm positive about the two 6.5's not as sure about the 8.0.

PixyJunket

Quoted for Great Justice.

sararekuforever

Move Zig?

Groucho

Sounds fun, although I'm going to wait for the price to drop a bit.

PixyJunket

If you liked Sonic Adventure 1/2 you'll enjoy this new one.

zero

I loved Sonic Adventure 1, I had some small problems with 2 but I still found it fun. We have Heroes on display at work and so far its been a blast. At one point in the game you make Sonic leap onto walls and bound off of them to get across a large gap. The level design for this game is much improved over SA 1/2, and it does have a very old school feel to it. Hitting those loops and jumping great distances just rules. I'll be picking this one up very soon.

Dah-Dee

Sonic Adventure one-half?

As you can see, graphics were a little choppy.

jediwicz

I've been playing it for a couple days and it's alright. The camera isn't the only problem though, I've found myself falling out of bounds during battles and miscalculated launches. The graphics are quite good especially in progressive scan. Background visuals are on par with F-Zero GX-the canyon level and jungle level are cool. Control of the three is smooth and you are forced to switch often (sometimes automatically). Check it out if you liked the last two Sonics-or wait unit a sale.

Superboy

Rented it, and it's a travesty.

Controls are still as bad as ever, as is the camera. The only teams worth playing as are Sonic and Rose. The levels are huge to be sure but it's still on the wrong track - sonic games were never designed to be like mario games. Many areas are poorly designed - it's easy to fly off into nowhere and fall into a bottomless pit. The graphics are awesome to be sure but they lack a certain something - creative energy perhaps? Same goes for the music. Last of all, and most distressing, i beat it in a few days.

P.S. I played the GCN version.