New Patreon Jimquisition: Sonic Gloom

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

So this is Jim Sterlings second Jimquisition to come of him working all indie now.
Bandages are cool! What do we think of this? I have to admit, I was one of the people crying that Sonic hasnt been good for a decade, I didnt realise Colours was well received by fans.

 

[McMarbles]

Well, at least the cartoon's decent.

 

[Jiggle Counter]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

But most of what nintendo puts out can be argued as being for children as well like Mario or Kirbys Epic Yarn. Yet adults can enjoy them because for us it takes a little more than pretty colours and cartoon tie ins for us to enjoy it. It takes good gameplay mechanics, and children can appreciate those too.

 

[Jiggle Counter]

But most of what nintendo puts out can be argued as being for children as well like Mario or Kirbys Epic Yarn. Yet adults can enjoy them

But that can be argued with Nintendo having Shigeru Miyamoto, and Shigeru Miyamoto is a super awesome man-child who never wants to let go of nostalgia, ever.

On Sega's side, they have... Err, Peter Moore? Who went to Microsoft and then to EA, or something like that. Money, money, money.

Long story short, Sonic's dad is an asshole.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Jim is right. Sega can't lock down on one good idea for Sonic, even when they do get it right, like with Colors and Generations. I'm sure even after hearing of this monstrosity of a game, people still semi-interested in Sanic will be excited for a sequel to Generations, if not also Colors. Too, bad the most that came out of a Colors sequel is poor concepts for new wisp abilities used in Lost World. They just don't have any direction for the Blue Blur. They can't even do nostalgia right, seeing as Sonic 4: Ep. 1 had "physics" that were closer to Lost World's/Mario Galaxy's than to the Genesis/Megadrive titles that it was supposed to draw from.

I just hope they don't start going in a loop. This one seems to have elements of Sonic Heroes (both having switchable teammates follow you and the unnecessary chatter during levels). I'd shudder to think of the next one either having gun toting anti-hero hedgehogs or Sonic engaging in inter-species romances.

 

[deleted+75193]

DELETED

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

You are correct in that Sega is successful in creating a game to appeal to children.

However, I would argue that if we want our children to grow up cultured and refined, no leniency should be given to kids movies. Just because it's for kids doesn't make it immune to criticism of stupid elements. To use movies as an example: when we have Toy Story, Up, Wall-e and various other classics that kids love, should we really give Baby Genius any quarter?

 

[Something Amyss]

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Kids are notoriously easy to please. I'm not sure that particularly means anything.

 

[Monkeynet]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

I agree, but frankly some of the issues in Sonic Boom should be addressed even if it is "just a kid's game".

1. The ridiculous framerate
2. The also ridiculous amount of glitches
3. The bad graphics

I think even if things are for kids they should at least have some sort of redeemable quality or feature and a lack of glitches and overall technical issues.

 

[Something Amyss]

I think even if things are for kids they should at least have some sort of redeemable quality or feature and a lack of glitches and overall technical issues.

Hey, why should kids today have it better than kids in my day? I mean, we had Dick Tracy and Battletoads!

<..>

GET OFF MY LAWN!

 

[GrumbleGrump]

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Kids are notoriously easy to please. I'm not sure that particularly means anything.

I've heard that just because kids are easy to please that doesn't excuse a lack of quality. I'm not really sure about that either, though. I feel that media that appeals mainly to children are going to attract a adult audience most of the time, which will attract some criticism towards said media.

I guess anyway.

 

[Something Amyss]

I've heard that just because kids are easy to please that doesn't excuse a lack of quality. I'm not really sure about that either, though. I feel that media that appeals mainly to children are going to attract a adult audience most of the time, which will attract some criticism towards said media.

I guess anyway.

Unless, it's, you know, good.

I mean, you'll always get some complainers, and that's not even just with kid's stuff. But part of the thing is that this is media we're generally asked to consumer as well.

 

[Nazulu]

Ha! I remember poking fun of the name 'Sticks' when they said she was a great character before the game was released, but Lyric does take the cake.

Jims point rings true to me, but I'd say it's a lot more than that. I love the classic Sonic Genesis & Adventure games because I love their design. It was sharp, fast, functional, had so much in each stage, awesome music, great themes, and the style fit perfectly well; everything I don't see in new Sonic games. Sonic used to be mean, and everyone loves that.

 

[Jiggle Counter]

Kids are notoriously easy to please. I'm not sure that particularly means anything.

I think it depends on the kid.

My niece is open to most games, she mostly enjoys the type of RPG that comes with severe amounts of reading.

My nephew is... Well I'll let you decide, he skips all cutscenes, skips all dialogs, skips anything that's skippable.

Every game with my nephew ends up being like this -

Him: I don't know what to do!
Me: Maybe you could listen to the game? Read the text? Don't skip scenes?
Him: But I don't care about the story, I just wanna play!

Sometimes I wanna powerbomb him through the coffee table.

 

[Quellist]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

I have to cautiously agree here. Watching the video i kept thinking, ok Knuckles looks like a tool and there are too many bandages but it really does look cool and fun for someone less cynical than me.

In the end if kids are the target audience and they like it then its not so terrible, ok its a game with issues but its hardly unique in that! *cough* Assassins Creed *cough*

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I'm 27, been around the days of classic Sonic, and can utterly agree with Mr Sterling.

However...

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Considering it's a game for children, what with all the bright colours, saturday morning cartoon dialogs, and a mythology that's as deep as a cereal box, I don't think we adults (young and old) should care anymore.

Mr Sterling basically says that Sega has been doing the wrong thing, how it needs to be the same good ole stuff, just improved slightly and polished. And I'm sure that method would please the ENTIRE fan-base.


However, if Sega's goal is -

1. Make a children's game.
2. It must feature Sonic.
3. Be enjoyable enough to engage children.

Then I think for all intent and purposes, Sega was successful.

And NOW whenever I see a YouTube personality or a game reviewist shitting all over Sonic Boom, I can't help but see a fully grown adult telling the world how he or she didn't enjoy themselves when they were playing with a kid's toy.

I liked any game as a kid. I beat every game I owned as a kid at least 15 times (if I could beat it once. It being the NES/SNES days). Kids don't really have developed tastes.

 

[Laughing Man]

When I see my not-yet-in-highschool nieces and nephews playing Sonic Boom and having a gay ole time, unable to shut up about it during sleep-overs or even when we pick them up at school, then I end up wondering if our bitching of our beloved franchise even matters anymore.

Damn dude I think you may well have hit the nail on the head there. This is EXACTLY what me and my mates would did back in the day when I was in school. A party /sleep over and then just play Sonic 2 or 3 two player to death and love the game for just what it was. I guess I could go with Mr Sterling and moan about how the game isn't what it was and that Sega are just throwing ideas at a wall and seeing if any thing sticks and when it doesn't it mixes up something new and throws that instead of refining the mix but fuck if a new gen of kids are doing exactly what I did with Sonic and more importantly loving it just as much as I did then does it really honestly matter if Sonic has lost his way in the eyes of the older gamers who used to play his games?

 

[Mikeybb]

You are correct in that Sega is successful in creating a game to appeal to children.

However, I would argue that if we want our children to grow up cultured and refined, no leniency should be given to kids movies. Just because it's for kids doesn't make it immune to criticism of stupid elements. To use movies as an example: when we have Toy Story, Up, Wall-e and various other classics that kids love, should we really give Baby Genius any quarter?[/quote]

That's fair, but there is room for a range of age group focused movies/games/cartoons.

Some are like the examples you listed, with layers and levels on which you can enjoy it.
They almost seem to grow with the child as they age and develop the capacity for further nuance in their understanding, sometimes prompting questions that will in turn help such development.
Others are less complex, simple and still enjoyable.
Granted, there is a difference between something light and something stupid, though occasionally a thing can be accused of being stupid due to the absence of depth, as opposed to the presence of genuine stupidity.

I may be a little more sympathetic towards the entertainment that aims for simplicity due to the cartoons I grew up with.
Watership Down and Plague Dogs stick out in my mind.
If you've seen them, you'll understand immediately the fondness for something bright and happy.