Editorial: Can Sega Make Sonic 4 Succeed?

Yesterday Sega unveiled Sonic The Hedgehog 4 to the world, and in flurry of excitement and burning anticipation we brought that news to you at IQGamer. Today the dust has settled and a dead calmness has set in, bringing with it feelings of anxiety and doubt as to whether what we saw yesterday could really live up to its promise. The legacy sewn by those faithful four original Megadrive games is not something easily replicated, even for Sega who produced the graphically impressive but rather flawed Sonic CD some 17 years ago.

Given Sega’s track record these last few years, filled with failed 3D attempts to capture that 16bit essence, a disastrous reboot in the form of a next-gen Sonic Adventure sequel, along with a handful of outsourced 2D handheld instalments which seem to completely forget just what Sonic games were all about, my cause for concern is far from being misplaced.



Having this all-new 2D Sonic game as a sequel to Sonic and Sonic & Knuckles is a tall order to fill. Creating a canonical successor in a similar style and with respect for the source material is no easy task, especially some 16 years on. Only a few developers such as Capcom with Street Fighter IV, Mega Man 9 and Bionic Commando Rearmed have truly succeeded in doing this.

Sega looks like it’s trying its best with what they have, and in an interview with GameSpot, Ken Balough seemed to be addressing most of my concerns, along with other die-hard fans. Essentially he told GS that the team was going back to the MD games, and using them as the template for Sonic 4, however the style and tone of the game would be as if the series was created today rather than 16 years ago.



In the trailer released the visual look of Sonic 4 was clearly a natural follow on from the likes of Sonic 2, with a hint of Sonic 3 and demonstrating a modern twist on the proceedings. However there are certain things which don’t look quite right. Sonic’s character model for starters looks a bit iffy, almost like a throwback to the design used in Sonic and the Secret Rings, and currently suffers from some uncomfortable running animations. The stage shown in the trailer also looked a little too much like it was from a well made mugen game, and lacked the style you'd expect from a true sequel to Sonic and Knuckles, whist also feeling slightly unfinished from a graphical perspective. However the inclusion of parallax scrolling in the background brought a twinkle to my eye, and it was rather impressive seeing the effect updated using todays hardware. From a stylistic point of view though, Surely Sega should be looking at replicating a new take on the style featured in Knuckles Chaotix, or at the very least Sonic 3, especially as Sonic 4 is supposed to be a proper game in the series?



Maybe this will change as development progresses, though seeing as the release is only a few months away I have a sneaking suspicion that it probably won’t. Still, at least we have a style that fits in with the original Sonic games, with an updated look for the current generation. It could be much worse.



Gameplay wise it was most certainly impossible to gauge just how Sonic 4 will pan out. With only a couple of seconds of footage showing very little other than Sonic briefly jumping on a few enemies, and speeding through a corkscrew platform before reaching the end of the stage. Although comments from Sega’s Ken Balough can allow us to at least assume that they have forgotten about Sonic being about speed, and will instead be focusing on having cleaverer level design based around building up momentum; finding that ‘perfect path’ through the level, and effectively achieving max speed via skill instead of by simply holding down the d-pad in the forwards direction.

This is what needs to happen, as this insistence on speed is what killed the GBA games, and made Sonic Rush nigh on unplayable for anyone used to the MD games of old.

Sega should also create new enemies in the style of the old ones, rather than simply rehashing and updating existing badniks for the 21st century. Old bosses should be given new tweaks, and mixed up with some innovative new ideas all in keeping with what the classic franchise is known for. Maybe they should look towards both Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaoix for inspiration, as both these games had more elaborate set pieces and boss designs than their MD counterparts. In essence creating a really authentic follow up in the form of Sonic 4.



Musically rather than just also reworking old themes as with the graphics, Sega should ideally be looking to create original new music for both the title theme and the tunes to be used in the various stages themselves. A new theme tune, if they come up with one, should be in keeping with the style and direction the series was heading in with Sonic & Knuckles, whilst taking care not to parody the series iconic sounds, and simply build on the foundations laid down all those years ago.

Ultimately this latest instalment cannot be just a cheap fan service attempt, certainly not if Sega expect it to be taken seriously as a proper Sonic 4, although that would still make for a potentially lovely game, it wouldn’t do the franchise any real justice. And that is what they need to show, if they are to redeem the brand and successfully move it forward looking to the future.

Anything that fans do complain about, or which they feel maybe isn’t quite right, I do expect Sega to listen to and correct in further episodes. I also expect they’ll expand upon the things that worked in the first episode, the style and ideas explored, whilst evolving them forward in preparation for potentially Sonic 5. That is, of course if they manage to hit the ground running with part 1 of Sonic 4.

Either way, Sonic 4 represents a trial and proving ground to see if a revival can be done, and if Sega still has what it takes to make this happen.

For the sake of the character and the franchise I really do hope so.

Sega Announces Sonic The Hedgehog 4

Today SEGA finally revealed just what Project Needlemouse is all about, and unlike what you may have thought; it’s not just a return to the character’s 16bit roots, but also a fully-fledged sequel to Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Say hello to Sonic The Hedgehog 4!

Sonic 4 is to be released as an episodic series of download titles making its way to all three major platforms (PS3, 360 and Wii), and will be a proper 2D game created using 3D graphics and visual effects. Both 360 and PS3 versions will run natively in 1080p whilst the Wii version gets 480p instead. Motion controls are being added to both the Wii and PS3 versions, though the PS3 game will only have mild Sixaxis usage.

SEGA also plans to rework some of the music from the classic 16bit titles, along with creating new tunes in a similar style for Sonic 4. We also assume all the classic sound effects will be brought back or updated in the same way too.

With regards to the gameplay, Sonic 4 will feature only Sonic as a playable character, and will keep his entire repertoire of moves from the first four Megadrive games, whilst including the homing attack from the Sonic Adventure series.

In an interview with GameSpot Sega associate brand manager Ken Balough stated: “We're going to deliver a Genesis-era Sonic game as if it were created today that goes to the core of what classic Sonic fans desire.”

Certainly hearing that, and seeing the short but sweet trailer, gives us hope that this really will be Sonic’s shining return to form.

Sonic 4 Episode 1 is due out for download sometime this summer.

Iwata Clarifies Wii HD, DS2 Rumours

Late last year various rumours started to materialise about how Nintendo might launch an enhanced Wii HD console shortly in order to both appease hardcore gamers, and to delayed the release of a true successor to the current system.

Today at an investors meeting in Japan, Satoru Iwata denied that he ever stated that there even was a HD version of the Wii in the pipeline. He continued by adding “If I were asked if a Wii that's been made compatible with HD -- just high resolution compatibility -- would be bought by players throughout the world, I'd of course say, 'Do you think it will sell with just that? It needs something new.”

In addition, rumblings about the successor to the Nintendo DS was also rife after Asahi Shimbun Daily reported that the next iteration of the DS would feature High-resolution graphics and motion sensing capabilities, along with at least two touch screens. However it appears that Iwata in the interview with them didn’t actually state this either. When asked the question he replied: “These are of course thought to be required. However, would it sell with just this?” however, the paper simply removed the second half of his response, according to Iwata.



Now whilst we probably can shoot down any rumours of a Wii HD, the news of a high resolution DS successor does make sense. Back in November last year, brightsideofnews.com reported that nVidia had been given the contract to work on Nintendo’s next hand-held system, specifically using their Tegra chipset. Though unconfirmed by Nintendo, and the fact that the source has been a little unreliable in the past, it does make sense that Nintendo would partner with someone like nVida, Ati or ImgTech this early along.

If a version of Tegra (a CPU/GPU on single chip) is used, it’s likely to be one of their med-to-high end varieties, and would produce visuals similar to the original Xbox or GamCube, and supports shader model 3.

As the timeframe for a new Nintendo handheld approaches, we’re sure to find out more sooner rather than later.

GT5 Possibly Delayed Again?

After $60 million and five years of development work, you’d think that Kazunori Yamauchi’s Pièce de résistance would be ready for release fairly shortly. Not so according to James Armstrong, an executive from SCEE’s Portuguese division. In an interview with Canarias Al Dia, a Spanish site, he stated that he thinks GT5 will arrive “this fall, before Christmas", before also saying that it’s "not yet decided". Right?

So when is Gran Turismo 5 likely to come out? Well, your guess is as good as ours, considering the gap between GT4 and GT5 is two years longer than the one between GT3 and GT4 on the PS2, and it’s not even out yet. It took only three years for GT4 to arrive after part 3 if you’re wondering.

Our best guess is that GT5 will arrive at the earliest, sometime this summer in Japan, with September being the very latest it could hit. Between September and Christmas sounds likely for Europe and North America.

Naturally, none of this has been confirmed by Polyphony Digital, though we wouldn’t be surprised if this there isn’t a smidgen of truth to be found.

The magical roundabout continues…

Halo Reach Engine: Early Tech Analysis

A few days ago Bungie released the first batch of in-game screenshots from their newest Halo title. Interestingly these appeared to be in full 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, and didn’t seem to be upscaled. In addition, the screens at first glance also showed off a few improvements to the Halo engine, such as possible AA (anti-aliasing) and for the first time, AF (anisotropic filtering).

Whilst it’s not uncommon for companies to release higher resolution rendered screens to the press with higher IQ than the final game, and Bungie did the same thing with Halo 3 (remember those 720p native screens?), the first official sighting of Reach’s gameplay looks to hold some truths in regards to the engine used in the final game.



The above screen was posted on Bungie.net and is obviously in 1080p. However there appears to be a huge level of AA on display, far more than the 4xMSAA used in certain 360 titles such as Dirt 2 and Race Driver Grid. This simple excess of AA can be explained away with the use of supersampling, a simple process in which an image is rendered at a much higher resolution, and then downsampled to form a cleaner smoother final image. This is basically a form of AA which requires a huge amount of processing power, due to having to render at a higher resolution than the one you want to display at, but is also very effective at eliminating jagged edges across the whole scene.

It seems that this shot was originally rendered at 2560x1440 (thanks to AlStrong for the pixel counting) with no AA, and then downsampled giving the smooth 1080p image. This is certainly something that won’t be seen in the final game. Instead we expect Reach to render either in full 720p, or using the same dual 1152x640 buffers found in the previous two games. Currently we have no idea on whether any form of AA will make it into the game, that all depends on if they’re using the same HDR lighting method from before, or if they have adopted the use of tiling in order to fit a 2xMSAA frame buffer into the 360’s 10mb edram.

Either way, in order to render in 720p or using the 1152x640 dual buffer method with MSAA, they will need to title. Especially as they claim to be pushing more enemies and vehicles around on screen than before at any given time.

However whilst we can’t judge what AA will be used (if any), or at what resolution Reach will be rendered at, it is possible to see at least 4x AF + maybe trilinear at work, or just AF with a bias towards certain textures. If you look closely at the ground you’ll see it blur much further into the distance than with both Halo 3 and ODST.

Texture detail in itself, has also been improved, with greater levels of normal mapping and improved shaders on many surfaces. Combined with the use of AF, the numerous bumps and curves of the cliff faces and surrounding scenery are much more apparent than before.

You can also find small elements of SSAO (Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion), particularly on some of the environment details, although rather subtle. It doesn’t appear to be present in the entire scene, with only a few points of visibility in other areas. A clear example can be found in the screenshot below, look at the metal shelving in the bottom right. The shading there isn’t quite correct, a usual side effect of using SSAO.



There’s no sign of the improved lighting model in the first-person screenshot either, though it’s very hard to tell, especially without seeing the same area, but from different angles as to analyse the shadowing and lighting. At present it looks very similar to ODST, and there’s no sign of the multiple independent light sources that Bungie stated is going into the game. Though those have been witnessed in other screenshots released, showing what looks to be from in-game engine cut scenes. (see above)

Arguably the gameplay build we’re seeing here is very early, and is almost certainly likely to see a noticeable improvement by the time the beta launches. Between now and then, we still have many questions that need answering. Will Bungie still be keeping the benchmark HDR of the last two games, in addition to the 30 or so real-time light sources being added? Are we going to be seeing AF plus a proper 1280x720 frame buffer. Or will the HDR be dropped for an easier 1152x640 with 2xMSAA and AF approach using titling?

We just don’t know yet, and I guess the beta is when we will find out about some of this stuff. The rest will no doubt have to wait for a more complete single-player build of the campaign, in which nothing will be paired down to deal with lag, split-screen and other concerns, which almost certainly impact on graphics.

Anyway, this small insight into Halo Reach’s graphics tech is all we have for now. But stay with as, as we’ll be following any developments very closely.

Review: Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom (Wii)

The last two years have seen an unexpected resurgence in 2d beat’ em ups, as well as various titles associated with the hardcore scene; Street Fighter, King Of Fighters and Bionic Commando all making their well deserved comebacks, with the mainstream stalwart NBA Jam recently added to the shortlist. So it comes as no surprise that another instalment of the popular Vs. series was on the cards and ready to cross-combo, super-cancel us into oblivion.

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom has arrived!

Now nobody really expected this particular instalment to arrive on these shores, what with the many licensing issues plaguing the Tatsunoko brand over in Europe and the United States. In addition with what must have been some very obvious concerns as to whether it was worth the time and financial effort to do so, given the fact that the brand remains a virtual unknown around these shores.

However it seems that those problems have been taken care of, with the exception of Hakushon Daimao whose licensing in European left him shafted from the game. Other than that, everyone is correct and present, and making up for the delay Capcom have added in a few extra unlockable characters not found in the original Japanese version, and an online play option exclusive to us.



It’s a great thing; it really is, as TvC provides some of the most intensely enjoyable tag-team Vs. action since the original Marvel Vs. Capcom. Every aspect of Tatsunoko screams out personality on its sleeve, from the completely eccentric J-Pop infused theme song, to the bizarrely odd end credits sequence. You will find a mix of uniquely styled characters, impressive background set pieces, and some of the most balanced action the Vs. series has seen. And it’s all completely bonkers!

The basics are much the same as with previous games, albeit here they are slightly simplified. In Tatsunoko you only use three attack buttons, Light Medium and Heavy, with a fourth button dedicated to special attacks, like calling in your teammate for a few extra hits, or to simply tag them into action. Punches or kicks are dependent on which direction you push the d-pad or stick in combination with any of the three attack buttons. Sometimes the differences will be subtle, like going from a straight punch to a basic uppercut. Or if you happen to be jumping in for a basic combo run, a flying kick can change into a punch or throw, and then cancelled into a hyper using the P button followed by the correct motion.



This system at first feels a little random, however after a few play throughs you find that it has a huge level of depth. Just accurately thinking about which attack to use and in combination with what direction instinctively, is almost as deep in some circumstances as having the full six-button set-up. What’s more it allows a degree of simplicity allowing inexperienced players to effectively have a good button bash and feel like they are at least kinda playing the game properly. With the same token it allows anyone to step in and have fun, more so than with Street Fighter IV.


Then you have all the intricacies of the Assist Moves, Hypers, Team Hypers, and various other nuances, in which hardcore players like myself will no doubt spend many hours learning and exploiting in the heat of battle. In fact there’s so much to learn and master here, you could almost argue that it’s almost as complicated as SFVI. Just through the sheer amount of moves on offer and how they change with the different button presses and combo team-up scenarios.

Perhaps the most intriguing element of all this is, is how one special move can turn into three just by changing which button you use. The effect and outcome is completely different, allowing a great range of intros and juggles to be played even at the most basic level. You could even combine some of these with the basic L, M, and H in quick succession as a perfectly usable starter for some of the games more intricate combinations.

Of course this is using either the Arcade Stick or Classic Controllers. A much simpler Wii Remote, or Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination is also supported, which strips down the controls even further. Using this option there is only one button for regular attacks and one button for specials, with the moves you do depending on which direction the D-Pad or Analogue stick is pushed. However it’s not possible to pull of anything but simple combos along with some special moves and hypers.



It’s lots of fun playing TvC, regardless of controller set-up, and the range of characters complement the move sets nicely. In fact anyone looking for various Ryu and Ken clone characters need not apply. Whilst the majority of moves are performed using the standard quarter-circle forward + attack technique, their styles can vary greatly. You won’t find twenty different versions of the same fireball or dragon punch here. In fact, the range on offer is something akin to an SNK fighting game, mixing many styles and personalities together.

In terms of modes, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom simply features five; Arcade, Versus, Survival, Time Attack, Training, and Online. The Arcade Mode words as the game’s Story Mode, basically having you fight through a number of stages, coming up against a sub-boss around half way, and then squaring up against the obligatory final boss at the end. Versus, Training and Survival should all be is self-explanatory by now. And that just leaves Online.



Online play in TvC works surprisingly well, with very little lag in matches both domestically and ones found half way across the world. It’s surprising good compared with the problems I’ve been having with lag in SFIV recently. Naturally, running only a 1 Meg (I’m being upgraded to 8 Meg as I write this apparently) connection means that I do frequently experience some small amount of lag in worldwide matches, though nothing game breaking. The largest problem is the barebones matchmaking system, and the hassle of having to enter those somewhat pointless friend codes. It is actually easier to set up a random match, in which the CPU automatically pairs you up with an opponent, and then select them as a friend when the match finishes rather than painstakingly add people manually.


The only real issue is with regards to paired up matches. It’s completely automatic; to the point of where you literally cannot choose whom you fight against. This means you have no way of telling if the person you have been paired with has a good connection, though you can tell if they are of a similar skill level to you. A small icon lets you know what kind of player they are; defensive, offensive, combos-based etc. Plus looking at their Player Icon (like in SFIV) gives you a good idea; a higher end player is one most likely to have unlocked some of the really cool icons not available just by playing the single-player modes.

Unfortunately, whilst I was online I found there to be only a small community of players at any one time, and kept being pared up with the same three or four people constantly. I checked back a few hours later and things got much better, though bizarrely there were times in which I would go through a few different opponents, and then others where I was being pared with the same one a couple of times. This is perhaps the biggest problem with the auto matchmaking system; it can be really annoying to play against the same players over and over in such a short space of time.

So the single player modes work well enough, and the online is at least serviceable; well it’s outstanding in terms of performance, just poor in terms of matchmaking. However the game feels a little shallow with regards to the overall content available. It won’t take long to play through the game a few dozen times to unlock the extra characters and see all the endings, and then online with its limitations certainly won’t prove as addicting as SFIV service. But despite this TvC has so much going for it, and those issues niggling away at it are just that, little niggles which disappoint slightly but that don’t really damage the game.



Graphically you’ll find that Tasunoko Vs. Capcom features some of the most exuberant and fantastical visuals on the Wii. The style presented here is in the same form as with Street Fighter IV; 2.5D polygonal models coated with rich hand painted textures, and some lovingly created frames of animation. Backgrounds are full of little details and moving set pieces, some displaying some lovely specular sheen and reflective effects, along with excellent texture work. In addition some of the projectile and hyper combo effects are just staggering, featuring multiple-layered textured geometry being distorted, twisted and pulled apart. Most impressive is at the end of a hyper combo, which sees the screen form into a pane of glass before shattering to reveal the characters and continue the battle.

The style really appears to be more like the Capcom 2D fighters of old, mixing in styles found in previous Vs. games with the likes of Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter III. You could say that the visual style is even more suited to representing the 2D sprites and animations of the past, more so than in SFIV.

With regards to the technical side of things, there’s no use of any kind of AA (anti-aliasing) solution here, though texture filtering appears to be at least of a trillinear quality, and the overall look appears to be clean and sharp, much like both Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3. The game certainly looks great on a standard CRT running in 480i via the official RGB cable, and it also fares better than most when upscaled on a fixed-pixel display. Naturally jaggies are more pronounced this way, and the heath bars look quite blurry, but the game still retains its clean and rather sharp image.



Moving on, I can honestly say that TvC represents another smooth return to form for Capcom and their incredible 2D beat’em up legacy. Whilst it may not be perfect, and lacks the long-term longevity that garners the rabid SFIV fan base, it does have its foot firmly in the dojo. And I can definitely see a small, but strong, hardcore following continuing to play and master all the intricacies available, both at home and in the arcade scene.

Admittedly, some may find the lack of recognisable faces a turn off, or the eccentric nature of the presentation and music off-putting, but I would urge them to give this a go. Especially any fans of previous 2D fighting games or even a more casual user who just recently got into Street Fighter IV. There’s a lot of fun to be had, and it would be such a shame if it all got lost due to unfamiliarity with the source material, or the inhibition to try something different.

Overall, the foundations have been solidly laid, and will no doubt be revised and expanded upon with the inevitable sequel. Given the quality and success that Tasunonko Vs Capcom deserves, it couldn’t come sooner. We highly recommend anyone with a penchant for 2D fighting games to pick this up and show your support, it’s worth it.

VERDICT: 8/10