Well, I never had faith in this game, but it’s turning out pretty good from what I’ve seen now… The official website has just opened:
View the tutorial section, it’s a nice video that shows some of the novelties presented in the game. Granted some are simply different implementations of features seen in games like WipeOut, but it seems different enough and looks like it can be good fun.
I will bet $20 with anyone that it gets reviews that all say something like:
“Sonic Team should be ashamed for trying to sell this, because it wants to be ( F-Zero / Mario Kart / insert-cartoon-racer here )”
And it’s nothing like that game AT ALL.
People accuse games of being unoriginal, yet very few actually want anything original anymore, least of all casual players who stick with what they are familiar with.
I’m looking forward to Sonic Riders - it’s putting its own unique spin (ho ho) on racing games, and seeing it in action on the IGN website everything appears to move very fluidly in quite lavish and varied environments. The intro cinematic at least is superlative - in fact, I like the art style in general. The angular edges and hatch-shading suits the speedy scream-by nature the first image of Sonic the hedgehog reminds me of the cocky, smug grin of Bart Simpson, appropriate for this sort game of daring and one-upmanship. Also, ah, erm, um erm… is it wrong to think that a fictional anthropomorph bat actually looks quite enticing in that garb? :anjou_embarassed:
Furthermore, even though I despise rock music I couldn’t help but tap my feet along to “Sonic Speed” - which is a promising indicator for the game’s quality. My only gripe at the moment is that the voice acting seems to ber of indifferent quality if the site trailer is anything to go by, but that’s par for the course really, I won’t get agitated over it.
With regards to the issue of the game’s storyline, I greatly appreciate it how there’s actually a legitimate reason for Sonic to be strapped to a board when he could win any race at a light jog - it’s the rules of the contest, for one, and he’s meeting a challenge thrown down by Jet - Sonic considers himself the fastest thing alive, whatever the mode of transport, and this race is going to prove it! This game is about Sonic defending his honour and protecting his pride. In the games since Sonic Adventure, Sonic has been characterised as a happy-go-lucky and easygoing fellow (“What you see is what you get / Just a guy who loves adventure” and so on), so Sonic Riders in this sense seems to be a refreshing return to Sonic’s original tagline as “The Hedgehog with Attitude”, which I, being a S.T.C. veteran where Sonic never smoothed out his rigid edge, welcome. 
Bloody Great post and so true. Its next to impossible to make anything new. Every type of game been done to death now .
All that matters these days is how the game plays , that all I care about
What?!
There is ALWAYS room for innovation and I bet there are a lot of games introducing new concepts this generation.
[quote=“Gehpnaet”]What?!
There is ALWAYS room for innovation and I bet there are a lot of games introducing new concepts this generation.[/quote]
Every genre been done to death. It all but impossible to make a totally original games these days.
You can mate a game with an original look, or some original features , but odds are it will be in established genre (like Fighters, Music, Puzzle ect)
First of all originality doens’t mean a game has to create a new genre by itself;at least not in my book.
And secondly : Nintendogs (example)
Nintendogs is best summed up with a quote from “The Decline of Video Gaming”.
“Oh look, another attempt to appeal to the whole market at once.”
[quote=“Gehpnaet”]
And secondly : Nintendogs (example)[/quote]
That what I mean . Its nothing new.
God Pet sims were all the rage on PC’s a few year ago (remember Cats and Dogs’s ), Never mind the likes of Seamman on Dreamcast
Okay forget my second point then.