Wall of text incoming...This video was literally a year in the making and started off as a small video concept that quickly spiralled out of control! It's been a huge task and a joy to make, but really was a test at times as I got out of my element and trapped in a GIANT video. Honestly it feels like such a weight has lifted releasing this and I hope that you get some enjoyment from it. The aim with this video was to attempt to do something MASSIVELY different with Sonic, because to me, the franchise really needs to shake things up a bit. I used to do the same thing with plays back when I was doing theatre and with myself being a super fan of the Hedgehog I really wanted to re-examine what jumped out about the character to me when I was a child and how I'd recreate that in a modern setting. I've made bold decisions, but I hope you'll see from the video that I always try to back these up! If it's not obvious from the George Lucas references through, even I realise some of these ideas are wacky, but that's all part of the fun for me. This vision won't be for everyone I'm certain! But please watch with an open mind, Sonics a cool property to reimagine and this is a theoretical idea! No qualms against anyone who doesn't like the concept, but please let me know what you'd change, or if you disagree. Chat on these types of topics is fun to me! Huge thanks to my Discord Artists, this project would never have been possible without you: Why_ - ru-vid.com/show-UCPmh0mguU1YzTbg7QXWMBAg (Why's Sonic sprite is is an edit of the amazing sprite work done by Welber13 in his Sonic Mania mod available here:gamebanana.com/wips/48195 , apologies that you didn't get a more extensive feature here, didn't realise it was a modified sprite in a literal sense until post upload.) ReLodean - twitter.com/Relodean Fortune Cat - instagram.com/7fortune_kitty7 Pikkelssi - pikkelssi.newgrounds.com Jet Monkey - twitter.com/jetmonkeyarts Dupree - twitter.com/dupreedraws Ravioli The Designer - twitter.com/Ravioli_510 Perp3tual - twitter.com/Perp3tualMusic Ezno - twitter.com/icant_draw TSBlaid - ru-vid.com Hilm Aiden (the team mascot) Additional Thanks go to: - Sonic Stadium - Sonic Fandom - The Spriters Resource - Dan Root - GoodBloods Sonic Video (Literally wouldn't have started my own channel if I hadn't been inspired by this video) Thanks to these channels for additional gameplay footage: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yk6cgp7RcL8.html&ab_channel=anyakoku ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xXGtudsGUls.html&ab_channel=flamingeyeball1 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GJqZlkTHkDg.html&ab_channel=TheRealSonicFan ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ccpY14bXcug.html&ab_channel=Joshtrip1%E2%84%A2Gaming ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YTnofkt9IJA.html&ab_channel=TheSonicStadium ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-f-NjC3vBGzs.html&ab_channel=BerkStorm1 All Sonic, Rayman, Celeste, Ori footage used via Trailers from the respective games RU-vid pages. Majority of music sourced via Epidemic Sound. Sonic Intro Remix is from OC Remix's 'The Sound of Speed': OA - "A, B, C, Start!" by Halc, OA The Sound of Speed is from the same album, by Scaredsim. Available from: sos.ocremix.org/ TLDR, THANKS FOR WATCHING. Thanks to those who supported! This is just all my own opinion, hope you enjoy :)
I'd love this as some form of one-shot spin-off, I bet many people would give it a chance and enjoy it if they knew this wouldn't replace their beloved canon.
@@viz7618 yes but boom was this really big sounding spin off with a show and a game that would probs get sequels and merch it was BIG. if this was a smaller one-shot spin off with out all the extra merch and shows it will feel less threatening to fans probably.
Seriously fantastic work my dude! Sonic is an incredibly important game series to many, many fans and each fan holds their own values dearly of what they think are important elements. Something that's important to remember is that we all *love* Sonic and that there is, in fact, _room for everyone_ to have their own opinions on what they'd want. Love this video mate, it's produced to such a high quality, and that you've bothered to put forward an idea for how _you'd_ produce a Sonic game for you, and thank you for sharing it with us! Well done!
I cant see something like that that still is fast like sonic, atleast not in 2D, there is a bunch of exploration and more open world sonic fangames in 3d like Green Hil Paradise so i could see it working in 3d but a metroidvania sonic in 2d feels really clunky, atleast without me having something to visualise it
Having Sonic's origin tied into Robotnik directly is a bit too Crash Bandicoot in my opinion and having realistic hedgehogs alongside Sonic is perhaps a little off-putting. I think it would be neat to just have Sonic and his other anthropomorphic friends be employees of Robotnik's company (perhaps initially unaware of his evil plans), they share a world with the humans but aren't necessarily integrated within human society. Also a final point I'd like to make is that I think Sonic's Speed and things like Tails' flight, etc should just be innate as having a bunch of animals all with special abilities that are directly tied into Robotnik would raise the question of why would he try to make 'super-powered' animals multiple times which comes off as a little contrived. Great video though there is clearly a lot of passion for this subject.
Well believe or not there’s a comic book origin that does just that, only robotnik got mutated too making him the evil egg shaped villain we know today
Sonics origin being tied to Eggman is directly inspired by a ladybird book I had when I was a kid called 'Sonic The Story'. That and the Fleetway Comics also did something similar... Showed a screenshot of that in here very briefly with a brown sonic lol.
@@ArtistMarkFlynn yo I had that book as a kid too, I don't remember much from it but it's sweet to hear that's where some of it's inspiration is drawn from
@@ArtistMarkFlynn No offense; Sonic's world has simple design made it unique Good Blood's Sonic design looks like Adventure Time's art style. Also Sonic's shoes is based off Michael Jackson's Bad shoes with Christmas color scheme. Chaos Emeralds don't exist in this Reboot. Sonic's gameplay is momentum based like Sa1. Everyone in the Sonic universe has a backstory made it fits Otherwise great execution of you idea. I know it's an fan-fiction But this is an Hard-Reboot.
Amazing. The only disagreement I have, is that i love the crazy plots about the giant monster gods, and government coverups. I loved those plots to death BECAUSE of how ridiculous they are. However they dont need to happen every game. Sonic Spirit is a great concept and I'd love to see you attempt a sequel idea someday.
I think I love them because (specifically for the Adventure games, the Story Book games, Unleashed), they took those threats seriously, while not getting too edgy. It's part of why Shadow and 06 didn't work in one way, but Forces and Generations didn't work the other way.
I’d have to agree. They’re super crazy, but they have stakes. However in something like Sonic Forces, the plot is super basic, a plot like “what if evil guy won” has no stakes! Yet something like “what if bad guy got a bunch of magic gems to blow up the moon” has stakes!
You could easily incorporate the government into the plot, maybe Eggman is working for G.U.N, unaware of what they did to Maria and Gerald. Giant monsters aren't a stretch either, and make good boss fuel
Can we please emphasise just how fantastic those detailed drawings of Sonic, Eggman and metal are? Like. I would PAY sega to make that eggman design canon
Yea, the eggman design sort of feels like a more cartoony version of the 06 design, which I think works extremely well for the tone of this story, where eggman is less of a supervillain and more of a corporate giant, with the more realistic proportions reflecting that.
Probably worth noting too that I've seen a fair few other people do the Sonic w/ a red scarf re-design in passing this year. I think it's coincidental, but it seems like a lot of people have enjoyed that part of the Boom design with a new colour scheme!
I'm... conflicted on this idea. On one hand it sounds well thought out and a great interpretation of Sonic and Eggmans rivalry. On the other hand, it feels a bit too focused on Sonic 1 and other game ideas with little room to grow, almost to an oddly unfocused degree. With Sonic 1, the in-game story, or lack there of, is incredibly vague since it was just the game working with its blueprints. So there were many possibilities to take the series. The story seems too... one and done. Though, maybe that's my bias for the Adventure plots over the Classic ones. Here though. Some parts are... weirdly too directly connected. Sonic's speed and sudden urge to protect nature, coming from Eggman's own monopoly and boredom feels too convenient. It's a story that feels to concerned about erasing the slightly cartoony weirdness the idea is born from, even if it takes a tone I wouldn't mind all that much. With it being action focused, but somber when it should be. I think this confliction comes from my experience finishing Yakuza 2 (And Dust since that popped into my mind) just this morning. As I felt they completely wasted a character's potential simply because the story said the character can't exist. So this concept, to me, feels less like a reboot, and more like... some unintentional finale.
Honestly this pitch doesn't use anything of value from the Sonic IP, and feels like an entirely unremarkable-in-concept new IP that could potentially gain value through execution. The iconography is gone sans Sonic and Eggman's general designs, the setting is gone, the lore is gone, the mechanics are likely gone (you didn't go into detail on them outside of vague comparisons to Celeste and Rayman Origins/Legends), the tone is unlike any other Sonic game, and the story could easier pass as a Crash Bandicoot reboot than Sonic. It's interesting that you cite the Goodblood video, since like his pitch, yours feels like it's an interesting creative exercise that gains nothing from being tied back to Sonic. Also, at the start you say you're interested in a more mature take on Sonic, but it feels like this pitch didn't outline anything mature? It has an evil corporate monopoly, less colours, a surface level tech vs nature theme, and an emotional scene, etc, but all of these are either 1: things the actual Sonic series has done 2: are surface level concept/aesthetic choices with nothing to say, or 3: are so tame they wouldn't raise an eyebrow in the most safe, C tier, unremarkable children's movie. I may sound a bit harsh, but that's because I'm accessing this as presented: as a hypothetical Sonic reboot pitch, which needs to justify its own existence as an alternative to any opposing interpretation of this pre-existing IP. When accessed as a story idea you've come up with, that has inspired some really cool fanart, then it's generally good! I'd encourage you to pursue actually making something beyond a pitch, you clearly enjoyed conceptualising this, and although it's very very very hard bringing ideas to life, and near-inevitably involves compromise and scope reduction, you've proven you're willing to put the work in already just by spending a year on this video (I would recommend also swapping in an original protag and villain design, and taking full ownership of your story, but that's your call).
I frankly agree with your take. This sounds, way better as like an Original Idie Project rather than Sonic. With my major gripe being that it has too much of an definitive end to go anywhere past this one game. I honestly think rebooting Sonic is the last thing we should be doing. It's a series that should be expanded, but the higher-ups seem to want to keep it squeezed into such a safe place that it's gotten dull. I'm personally trying to write my own story, basing some of my own characters on Sonic Characters. Like for the character mostly related to Knuckles, deals with his troubling family issues and having to deal with the burden of protecting a sacred mcguffin, despite really having a grudge against his Father.
Allow me to bring up Mega Man Battle Network: this was a reboot that diverted away from all the established lore of the franchise: instead of focusing on Robot battles it was about kids fighting internet hackers. The main cast of Robot Masters were instead turned into computer programs to combat viruses. The series was reimagined into a "Monster of the Week" Saturday Morning setting with RPG elements and a Pokemon esque collection theme with battlechips. It was as far removed from the original series as you could get....and was a massive success. So much so that one of the installments(MMBN4) is the 2nd best selling game in the series behind 2 on the NES. Reboots by the very concept are supposed to take established lore and reimaginge and/or challenge settings within to create it's own individual identity. Clinging too hard to past elements can lead to it becoming a muddled mess that hinders it, such as Shadow being in Sonic Boom at all when he serves no purpose to the world or setting. "Familiar, Yet Different" is always the mantra for successful videogame reboots.
@@fawfulmark2 I think the big difference here is: Megaman Battle Network isn’t really a traditional reboot, it may not take place within the main Megaman timeline, but much like Megaman X, Megaman Legends, Megaman Zero, and Megaman ZX, it’s basically it’s own thing distinct from the classic series, with no interest in replacing it. Megaman Battle Network basically *is* a new, separate IP, but one which intentionally makes parallels in itself to other Megaman media. Which isn’t like this at all.
@@fawfulmark2 battle network was not replacing the main series, battle network had it's own end, it's own characters and it's own tale to tell and finish. none of the characters in BN affect classic, x or zero, and reverse is the same - after BN not having any game, classic still got 11 with it's own entire plot. mark's concept on the other hand suggests a replacement for the main franchise entirely - along with it's own end for everything in only one game. BN didn't end on the first one, and it's first game didn't get positive reception at all - it ended on sixth, and BN4 is, well, a 4th game.
Tbf if you ever wanted a Sonic game in the real world that's the best way of doing it, and unlike Crash, Sonic can talk, so we could really build onto this twisted father-son relationship they have that adds more emotional weight to their rivalry.
@@falteredstar Yeah, Mario and Bowser are frenemies, Link and Ganon aren't exactly in a dialogue intensive game so it's fine (though they do have the whole Triforce thing), but Batman and the Joker and Holmes and Moriarty have a clash of ideology and wits, in comparison to many other famous fictional rivalries Eggman and Sonic have no real emotional or thematic core to their conflict. There used to be an environmental theme but since that's been abandoned you need SOMETHING compelling behind Sonic busting Eggman besides him just being a nuisance to Sonic. Father/son or former friends is the most interesting I can think of. Crash and Cortex don't have that because Crash can't speak and Cortex was always a silly villain. But Sonic and Ivo COULD have something really gripping.
@@ChangedMyNameFinally69 I agree with this so much! You’ve pulled the words right out of my mouth. It just gives a lot of food for thought and could be REALLY interesting if done well! (Sorry if I can’t emulate this properly, not a native English speaker, feel free to add comments or ask for clarification!) With that narrative, I figured that Sonic always wanted to bust Eggman’s schemes mostly due to Sonic being AWARE how far Ivo Robotnik could go with his experiments and whatnot (him being a former experiment of his too, who had to tolerate this and that). Honestly it would be a cool touch knowing how Sonic gotten to the good guy mindset he has in the story if he was formerly Eggman’s experiment as well, like what were the circumstances that led up to that motivation? I also think that Ivo would also try manipulating Sonic in some ways or another, since after all Eggman likely knows Sonic’s capabilities and such, though it’s usually something related to their former relations with each other which could also add some stakes to their dynamic. (Whether through words, reminding memories, or taking advantage of Sonic’s potential weaknesses/limitations - though I prefer the former topics because it’s just an interesting layer to their relationship.)
@@falteredstar Would be especially interesting if he was initially up for being a weapon for Eggman and his employers (probably the US military or G.U.N. like in the live action movie, Eggman wouldn't stay their ally for long after learning about what they did to his grandfather and aunt though), but learning why that's bad from maybe Tails (who could also be an experiment) and seeing the horrifying extent of some of his experiments he decides to flee with Tails hacking into computer terminals to help him escape. I like the idea that his relationship to Eggman wasn't initially antagonistic, Eggman saw him as his prized creation and they genuinely had a father/son dynamic. It would also mean Eggman could use those happy memories against him.
As far as reboots go, I’d enjoy this. Though, I hate the idea of Sonic becoming a mute, and I’m not to keen on the series abandoning 3D as well. Adventure has shown how well he works in 3D, so running back to 2D just feels like going backwards. There could still be 2D games, but I don’t think that should be the default for Sonic anymore. And while I’m all for the eco friendly part of Sonic to come back, I don’t want it to come back at the expense of his freedom loving personality of the main series. I don’t think Sonic should get rid of his shoes at the end. Sure, sometimes he’d want to take it slow, but at his core, Sonic likes that feeling of freedom. I don’t think he’d ever stop running. He doesn’t need a reason to run other than it’s what he wants to do. Lastly, while it’s a reboot, I get why it’s only Sonic and Eggman, but I get the feeling you wouldn’t want to bring the other characters back, as that’s usually the opinion held by those who prefer 2D Sonic. At most, they’d bring back Tails and Knuckles. I’d want everyone to stay. More characters doesn’t somehow take away anything from the series. Just give them a purpose, like back in the 2000s. Even then, you could have mainstays (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Eggman, and maybe Amy), and have others who could show up every other game. I feel it’s a huge waste to get rid of the Sonic cast. People love to compare Mario with Sonic, so why does Mario get to keep its cast of characters, but Sonic should just forget about them? Add the fact that they all have stronger personalities than those from Mario, and it becomes even crazier to get rid of them. Just make sure they have actual reasons to be in the game. Oh, and give them their correct characterizations. I’m sure those who just want him gone would disagree, but the Shadow of today is not the same character from Adventure 2 or even 06.
Mario Odyssey somehow balanced 2d and 3d by adding 2d sections to get through an event. While you're playing in 3d, maybe they can use the 2d gameplay as way for what Eggmans point of view seeing through the cameras, looking at sonic bulldozing his way through. That could work as an event.
The shoe designs with the wings on them are a MASSIVE win in my book. Might be the best thing to come out of this reboot. In all honesty, this sounds amazing. It's everything that other video you mentioned before should have been. It understands why Sonic works and how to interpret that gameplay philosophy with modern capabilities. The silent story angle could also be so effective. I think so much of Sonic's original identity has been lost by making him too wordy, so having him be silent again is perfect to me. Expertly done Mark! You truly understand what Sonic the Hedgehog means to people. Now you've got me hoping for a game like this eventually to eventually get made!
As for the Good Vibes video, I wouldn't say "toxicity" took it down. I'll just paste a comment I found in the reupload: *"This is the kind of game designer that ruins the AAA gaming industry. He's not about making a product that provides enrichment and joy to the fans. He's all about the "charts", the "demographics", and changes everything disregarding entirely what makes a product so heartfelt and good to the fans. He seems like the kind of guy who would try to "make a meme" to see if it becomes popular and he can monetize from it. He goes with the "okay so... what's hip with the kids now?" morality and it's just lame. He's literally telling Sega to step aside after the Sonic Boom controversy... just to end up making another Sonic Boom, if not worse." - sergiomonty* Hopefully Good Vibes understood why people didn't like his video, but I dunno. I wish he would've responded to its removal when he had the chance. Also I hope he didn't shrug off the comments like they were toxic trolls... because they're anything but. In fact, while harsh, there are A LOT of intelligent comments in the section just like the one I posted above.
One could argue that "charts" and "demographics" were the very heart and soul of the original inception of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, though, so doubling down on that isn't exactly against the spirit of the franchise when you really think about it..... Corporate testing and cynicism don't automatically lead to a subpar product, if the development team still handles the project well. (P.S. Don't think I ever even saw the Good Vibes video, just making more of a general weird observation.)
@@Shalakor I thought of that, but then I read Console Wars and realized that despite them trying to create something to beat Mario, they still put a lot of heart and effort into it. Like when the American team came up with Tails backstory, one Japanese employee cried by how sweet it was or when the Japanese team tried to give him a jacket or a human girlfriend, the American side did everything in their power to get rid of it. Imo the jacket came off as the most "how do you do fellow kids" thing that a lot of companies would pull at the time. Overall, SEGA treated Sonic like a baby than a cynical cash-grab.The difference between them and Good Vibes is that Good Vibes saw Sonic as a product first.... which Tom Kalinske and his team knew was a bad approach from the start (Kalinske would always put characters/stories first). But other than that the story behind Sonic is sweeter than people give it credit for.
@@christophercarrasco154 True, or at the very least Sonic's inception was much better thought out than the constant string of tangents they try in the attempt to keep him relevant or whatever it is they're trying to do now. Highly doubt the different branch companies still have an open forum on what to do with the franchise now. Just corporate saying "it ships on this date, finished or not" and that's the end all be all.
Hello! I can't speak for their channel, but can only say that as a RU-vid creator, I would be hard pressed to take down something I had spent a lot of time making. I don't know the exact reason so I should have probably have said 'I ASSUME that toxicity was the reason it was taken down'. I can only put myself in his shoes and assume that is what happened, I've had a fair few fucked up comments come my way on this channel over the years for things that weren't even 'controversial', especially on the level of that video, I personally think if the comments were more like the above it wouldn't have come down. So that's why I'd say "toxicity" took it down in a nutshell.
@@ArtistMarkFlynn That's cool and I understand the pressure as a content creator (especially getting harsh comments, yikes). Also I agree. It must hurt for someone who probably spent months working on a project only to get mean comments. Sometimes it's hard to just tune out the loudmouths and figuring out who's being constructive. While I don't remember the old comment section (because it's gone), I can say the new one has some interesting advice on what not to do when attempting to reboot a beloved franchise... although he should probably be warned that there are still some mean comments like you stated lol.
I would love more video essays like this , these are the videos I enjoy the most on RU-vid, or any social media really . I just love hearing people's oppinions about the things they love .
This concept is decent, but I do have a few nitpicks. I think Eggman being the creator of Sonic's shoes is alright, but Sonic abandoning his shoes at the end of the story doesn't feel satisfying. Speed has always been something that Sonic enjoys. Turning his speed into a result of him being forcefully experimented on and something imposed on him against his will doesn't seem like the right direction. This origin story for Sonic also creates problems for supporting cast. How would other anthropomorphic beings even exist in this setting? Each and every one of them would have to be a result of Eggman's experimentations or polluting. How would Knuckles exist in this situation if he lives in an isolated island above the clouds? The problem ends up being that all of the anthropomorphic animals in this setting would have very similar backstories, and that would get stale very fast. Unless, there are no plans for implementing Tails, Amy, or Knuckles, which I would heavily disagree with. In the comics and old television series, Sonic has always been a symbol of freedom, while Eggman was a symbol of tyranny. I really enjoyed that dynamic between the two. While the story in this video is very close to hitting home with Sonic, I don't think it quite does the same with Eggman. In the games, Eggman was always portrayed as a Saturday Morning villain. He shows up, gets clobbered, then comes back again later on with a new evil scheme for world domination. I think it would be better if at the end of this story if it was made clear that Eggman did survive. He is still lurking in the shadows out there, and that he is an evil that cannot just be forgotten or defeated. This would create a need for Sonic to keep his sneakers instead of tossing them aside because he knows that threat still exists. I think it is also important to show the dynamic of how Sonic and Eggman appear to the populace in this world. In civilized society, Eggman would be a hero of sorts. His robots and weapons mean safety for the humans in the big cities, however Sonic is a menace that is destroying factories and progress, his freedom is dangerous. How would these people react to Eggman's defeat? Sonic would become public enemy number one, which would tie in very well with GUN's hostilities towards Sonic in a few of the games.
@@aizeehilario6454 I think it would be better in my opinion if he disposed of his sneakers but then kept running anyway. He has grown and doesn't give a flying fuck about comfort anymore, in both senses.
Really cool concept and I would like to see this made into a proper fan game, as unlikely as it might seem. However, this game really lacks the fantastical realism and wacky nature of Sonic's world. Gameplay is a very important part of a Sonic game and also needs as much as a proof of concept as the story needs. From what I understand the game is supposed to have more emphasis on speedy platforming rather on building your momentum, which was part of the original game's charm.
We wanted to do a bit more wacky concept art where we showed off level mechanics that would replace springs, checkpoints etc. but we just never got around to it in the end. It's definitely something one of the artists raised and I would've liked to implement a bit more for sure.
@@ArtistMarkFlynn I think it was a missed opportunity, since at the end of the day you didn't present the gameplay loop and the flow/rhythm of Sonic, something that Good blood's video was able to explain thoroughly. It is one thing to want the game to feel a mix of celeste and ori and another thing to show how those challenges could actually work. But I really liked the concept which was the point of the video.
I love almost everything except for: Sonic's shoes changing, they're too iconic and wonderfully simple, the scarf is a nice touch though. Run button, IMO Sonic made a statement back in the day about having a dedicated run button, I think we should consider analog control instead or something, him gaining speed via momentum and being weighty in his jumps would be a nice combo of ideas that drives home the idea of considering weight and physics, while keeping a bit of his old identity. I think him gaining his powers due to Eggman's tinkerings doesn't quite fit, I like the idea of Sonic being involved with eggman in the past and rebelling against him in the game, but I think the whole animals experiment is framed a bit darker and seems a bit too Crash (I know it was in one of his backstories but it doesn't fit nowadays IMO). Aside from that, loved it, you clearly had a strong vision and it is really good.
These designs are amazing, I think it's extremely hard to mess with Sonic's design-- not because it's perfect or anything it's just the fact if you change even one facet without consideration the whole thing loses its appeal. While I don't agree with a lot of the game play decisions, because frankly it's not sonic anymore, I totally dig just about everything else in this video. Good job, you spent a long time on this video and it shows ^^
Okay, I enjoyed the video, really well produced and well described and detailed pitch but I have many problems with the pitch. The main problem is that I fundamentally disagree with the concept of giving sonic a reboot, this have been attempted in the past with both sonic 06 and sonic boom and know those games turned out the way they did mainly due to sega but at the same time if boom was polished it would only be considered an average at best platformer, by rebooting the series and starting everything from scratch including getting rid of all the characters your effectively getting rid of something that many sonic fans really enjoy about the series and that is giving us these characters with fun and varied personalities and getting rid of everything that sonic has built up over the last 3 decades. I also think that sonic is definitely at it worse when it's afraid of it's legacy, when sonic fully embraces it's past it usually turns out incredibly well, take generations for example. Secondly I also fundamentally disagree with keeping sonic as a 2D platformer only as 3D offers much more potential for the series to blossom into something truly special. In terms of the actual gameplay I think that giving sonic a run button is completely contradictive of what the 2D sonic games are and why they are so good, sonic is all about using the physics and the momentum gained by using the physics to your advantage and finding new ways of doing this to get even faster times in the levels and replaying the levels to find different routes and different paths to get to the end in the quickest amount of time possible essentially making those games infinitely repayable and while I think taking inspiration from other sources isn't a bad idea I do think that going too overboard with those influences can be detrimental and in this pitch I think that is the case as it barley really represents what those 2D sonic games were about effectively making sonic lose his identity as an incredibly unique franchise since even to this day there really isn't much like sonic either in 2D or 3D aside from fan games. I like some elements of the story but I disagree with the extremely dark tone and concept as sonic, while it did take itself seriously, it was never so indulgent in it except for games that usually are bad such as sonic 06 and shadow the hedgehog, I think sonic needs a really nice balance of both which can be seen in games like sonic unleashed and sonic 3 where there are serious undertones and serious stakes on the line but still have a cartoony and comedic side to them but I do agree with the theme of nature and the industrialization of that nature and a balance of both being the true future to fight for and having some quieter moments to take in the scenery as I think it would be a nice way to take moments in and to take in the environments but the lack of classic characters such as tails and knuckles to have in the story or as different playable characters is something that I disagree with as well. Overall, while the video is well produced and I appreciate the time and effort you clearly put into this video and the passion you have for sonic is clearly presented in this video well but I think that this pitch falls into the same trap as the other video you mentioned where it's trying to turn sonic into something that he isn't, sonic is a franchise that blossoms due to it's unique concept and gameplay but by taking that away you are effectively turning sonic into just another platformer that isn't that unique when compared to competitors. I think that sonic should keep it's characters and continue the cannon that its established for the last 3 decades instead of rebooting which I feel would further split the fanbase thus making it harder to please as a whole, I do think that having a new gameplay style with 3D momentum based physics and open ended level design that allows for endless experimentation such as fan games like sonic utopia and sonic green hill paradise is the way to go gameplay wise with a story that is similar to unleashed where it feels like a grand and big adventure. I feel that sonic hasn't even scratch the potential it has in 3D yet and this is coming from a guy who considers sonic generations the best sonic game and his overall second favourite game ever.
This sounds like one of the coolest games I've heard of, I know Sonic is capable of something just like this, something with heart, soul and genuine art. One aspect I feel could be worked on was the ending, as the series would need to continue in some way through sequels or spin offs so having it be more of an open ending than it is would help sell the 'reboot' concept. But I love all the work that the fans put in, I love the simplified yet modern take you took the characters and I absolutely adore the final boss you came up with. Your videos are always great, please keep it up
That might be an interesting use for Knuckles, allowing for the development of the "friendly nemesis" moniker he always carried. I'd enjoy seeing an interpersonal journey where they end up helping one another. It wouldn't need to lean on the same save-the-world-from-evil-bad-guy crutch, while making both sides relatable. Something like Sonic 3 but more. Perhaps there were lingering environmental repercussions on the floating Angel Island biome that acted as a catalyst for strife, but end up finding that they can each solve one another's problems so they scratch each other's back.
While I wouldn’t like for the prime universe to be replaced completely (even if it’s a hot mess like you pointed out) due to seeing the prime universe as a Samurai Jack type universe where you COULD have Green Hill and Station Square in the same world... if Sonic were to have another spin off universe like Boom... I’d love to see how this version of Sonic and his world would develop. I’m not against the idea of having a new version of Sonic going through the heroes journey, but I am against losing the version of Sonic we spent all that time with. I could see this being like the Ultimate Spider-Man to the original universe’s The Amazing Spider-Man.
I love the introduction levels of Abe's Oddworld, where you slowly escape a huge super industrial factory that slightly reminds me of classic Blade Runner, with Abe eventually rediscovering a more natural world. Something like that would be pretty sweet for Sonic to witness what Robotnik has done to the environment. And of course, Sonic returning to the factory setting, and defeating the mad scientist.
This video was a year in the making and started as a small video concept that quickly went out of control! It's been a detailed task and a pleasure to make but was a test at times. As a Sonic fanatic, I wanted to re-examine what jumped out about Sonic when I was a child and how I'd recreate that in a modern context. I've made bold choices, but I always try to back them up. Please let me know what you'd change, or if you disagree! (Thanks to YourLocalHuman for the TLDR version of my pinned comment)
I would definitely appreciate a more artistic take on the 2D gameplay, I absolutely loved Rayman Legends and having something like that while incorporating high speed does sound legitimately fun
I have a slightly different take on the ideas presented here. I personally love the art style present and would like to keep these character designs. I also like the core ideas of the story: Eggman owns a corporation that's taking over islands and turning them into money-making machines. I'll keep those for my premise. However, I would change a few things. First of all, ixnay on the iny-animals-tay. It doesn't make much sense, and besides, I prefer Sonic having some sort of a group he's a part of (he's still a loner, but for personal reasons). So I'm taking a few leaves from Archie's and SEGA of America's respective books. The planet is called Mobius, which is actually a future Earth. Due to pollution and genetic experimentation, animals have become anthropomorphic. These animals are called Mobians, and humans and Mobians both live on this planet, in their separate corners. Meanwhile, mega-corporations have run their course, and are now on the same level as governments and militaries. One said corporation has come out on top, headed by a Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the Eggman, owner of Eggman Enterprises. Essentially, his goal is to make even more money, and to control land. So he commands his robot army made up of enslaved/roboticized Mobians to take over Mobian lands. Sonic and a few other Mobians who choose to team up with him (Sonic and Robotnik have a pretty rough history but essentially Eggman made Sonic Sonic) decide to take down the Eggman and save their friends. The gameplay premise is based heavily on Advance 2. Every zone is connected, there are a few islands with different zones in them, and you have to travel from zone to zone battling the robots and freeing your comrades. Then you can go to the mainland, where Robotnik has his HQ. The difference is that it's an open world, and the story missions just take you throughout the world. You are literally just running through a world that's persistent, and you can do the zones out of order. Once you "free" a zone, you gain access to side missions, like racing an NPC to a landmark. Speaking of racing… The main gameplay is 3D, and like a combination of Adventure 1 and Breath of the Wild. Sonic can spin jump, roll, bounce, and Spindash. All platforming is based heavily on gaining momentum through use of the terrain. In the place of a homing attack, the jumping physics are similar to those of Sonic Robo Blast 2, meaning gravity is decreased, enemies are the same size as or larger than Sonic, and hitting an enemy from a jump rebounds you. All level elements are dressed up to fit the theme of the level, but the level design is only a suggestion. Physics are constant, with no exceptions. So yeah, that's all I can think of. I like the idea of a 2D platformer, but I feel like Sonic is constrained by the decreased visibility, especially since SRB2 shows that precision can be just as high in 3D as in 2D. So the best idea would be either a 3D platformer or a 2.5D platformer, with the camera tilted towards Sonic's back.
I really enjoyed your pitch here. I think Sonic absolutely needs to change in some way and while I can see some diehards could dislike the lack of traditional Sonic things here, I think it’s brilliant. Great job
Okay but let's be real: 100% secret ending where Metal doesn't die and you get a shot of him and metal cleaning up the mess Eggman made of South Island
Congrats on the video. Must be a hell of a rush to get it done and uploaded after a years work! I agree with all you have said ...Top Job Love the concept art 27:22
I definitely love this concept. It's a great alternate take on Sonic that still fills the vibe of the franchise. Despite this though, I don't think something like this should take over Sonic. I think the characterization in Sonic CD's intro, the Sonic Adventures, and Sonic Unleashed are probably his best. I know that's a varied amount but I think they all can coexist within the character of Sonic. I think it's important for Sonic to quip and trash talk because he's a cocky character. Sonic is the definition of cool, he's the unstoppable force. I love him being silent when serious, ESPECIALLY in scenarios like the Sonic CD intro, but I don't think he always needs to be silent. He's a wise cracking teenager after all. As for the gameplay I definitely think speed based momentum platforming is the ideal, but I don't think it should be restricted to 2D. It can and has been done by fans in 3D, it's just Sega's alternatives have never really fully translated that design aspect. Sonic GT specifically comes to mind but I know there's more. Also I'm an advocate against a run button. The spin dash in my opinion already facilitates the ability to get instant speed so a run button would just be redundant. I know Sonics control in general is divisive, but I think the adventure games have a good start, the main problem being that Sonic's turning arc doesn't adjust to his speed. Fix that and his 3d control should be tight and responsive. Although I do think boost elements, primarily the stomp and drift, should stay. Generally they're nice additions and really complement his move set. As for story I really dig your interpretation, it's a nice idea and harkens back to the core message of Sonic, technology vs. nature. Over all this interpretation of Sonic is really refreshing and unique. I think it could definitely make it's own universe of media, kind of like a Sonic Boom gone right! Good job Mark and keep up the great work! ^^
Great job to everyone who contributed, this turned out great! Seeing this project develop and evolve was great, I hope we can get more collaborative projects in the future! 😊
Do want to acknowledge I definitely goofed with a credit in this video, Why_'s sonic sprite was a detailed edit from Welber13's Sonic Mania 'Toei Sonic mod'. I hadn't realised this when the video was rendered and uploaded. Sorry to Welber13 for the acknowledgment outside of the video itself, but it's a killer Mania mod that is available from: gamebanana.com/wips/48195
@@ArtistMarkFlynn would sonic return for another game in the reboot meaning he would take the shoes back and he will meet others . and will he start to speak soon
@The Artist Mark Flynn The idea you've presented for this reboot definitely sounds like you've thought about this a lot. I appreciate that. Though, I wonder... what are your thoughts on some discussions I saw regarding what and who Sonic is or could be: twitter.com/GreatLange/status/1228124553123004416 twitter.com/ToluPopoola5/status/1199922356489216001
Hey mark you're the best drawler ever Hope you do more animation ohhh Can you add tails and amy in the reboot design like sonic design if you do that well be the best.
I think he should sharpie over the eggman logo at the end making it his own or even just a classic slash circle, or rip the logo off the shoes. Having the freedom to go fast but not being able to kinda goes against his core character. Plus he could do more good with them on. This video was amazing!
In my opinion I don't think Sega should reboot Sonic because remember what happened with boom yeah I don't want the same thing to happen again but for fan projects yes (like you yours).
I would be a bit more optimistic, sega is astoundingly receptive of fan input. If folks are genuine and put forth the effort, they often give it their blessing. Speaking from my own experience working under Christian Senn on Project-S, and pointing to Taxman and Tyson Hesse for projects that made it to the finish line.
Not gonna lie... as someone who is a writer on Wattpad... I would love to write a novelization of this Sonic story based on your ideas with your permission. The very concept of this version of Sonic’s world is really interesting and ever since I first watched this video yesterday my creative mind has been going crazy with the potential of this universe of Sonic.
Sonic could pull a Crash Bandicoot and remake SA1/SA2,and just continue from there. Not saying for SA3 but a game that's in the same style without calling it that. And with Sonic prime having a multiverse they could pull a Crash in which every version is canon in a way
They should make a sa3 and have it ignore the meta era games and only make the adventure and unleashed, generations canon. Hopefully we will both get a new actual great sonic game with adventure gams remakes just as as great as og's and sonic mania 2 hopefully. I don't think there gonna reboot the franchise fully.
@@chadmanslmpster4644 Hill Top Zone in Sonic 2 (1992) has a zip line (like a few other classic levels), which is where the idea of Sonic using a zip line comes from.
Ngl I like the idea, tho the sprint button is dumb if you ask me though I understand why you would want that. Let's hope sonic 30th anniversary title is really good!
I'm a big fan of Sonic going back to environmental and animal activist roots, but not of him being alone or created by Eggman. I'd prefer if super powered animals already existed and Eggbotnic Industries started abducting them and performing experiments, leading Sonic to discover all the horrible things he's been doing.
Great video and interesting concept! But I don't think a full reboot is necessary. I just want the story to take itself a bit more seriously. With a tone similar to Unleashed and Black Knight. Not edgy like Shadow The Hedgehog, but also not making fun of itself and being a corny joke machine. I'd also want them to go back to the adventure style gameplay(totally unique idea I know). But for me and many others, the adventure games had the smoothest controls in the series. Also I miss spindash jumping.
I love it, though my favorites in the series are the adventure games I love the seriousness of your version which makes me more open to the 2D. Let's think about it. This is actually less hardcore than games like CD where canonically a mad scientist is trying to tear an 11 year old hedgehog to shreds so that the future can remain horrid like he envisioned it. It's a pretty dark game. This being dark also I'm sure has potential to cut onions because just hearing about metal Sonic growing a soul and befriending Sonic only to be torn apart made me tear up. Well done Mark. How would a sequel work though after the shoes are gone??????
Please stop trying to make reboots for Sonic, internet. The original concept was good enough and still has loads of potential. The problem is that Sonic Team is just too damn confused (and pulled at every side by its fans) to properly experiment with it (though Headcanon can probably take over well). Sonic has a very distinct look and feel to it, and most reboot proposals fail to recapture that.
I think the reboots are good and by original concept do you mean the classic era because if so then yes it is good enough but I think this video is going more so off of what we have now and saying this kinda sounds like your trying to tell people to stop making fan games but maybe that's just me also your right Sega does not know what their doing rn but they'll get it straightened out eventually but seriously dude open your eyes a little bit more bye.
@@firebroxp9784 If I ever told anyone to stop making fan games, I'd be a massive hypocrite, since my entire hobby is mods and fan games. I even got a job from that. I'm saying that by proposing reboots in specific fashions, people tend to be more out of touch with the appeal of Sonic than even SEGA is -- I still have chills from that one video that proposed Sonic as a cutesy CalArts noodle-limbed hedgehog with a backpack solving puzzles. The issue with Sonic isn't that it needs a reboot, because the supporting cast and their core designs are strong with great potential; look at anything written by Ian Flynn as an example. The idea of rebooting Sonic implies that its state by the outset is flawed and needs a rework; however, I think that the problem is that _what we already have_ hasn't been explored enough. SEGA is ashamed of being in charge of Sonic, and is afraid to do anything with it. Headcannon was proud to work on Sonic games, and the effort it put into the remasters and Mania are solid proof that it understands how Sonic can be used. A reboot, where everything gets redefined and the baby gets tossed out with the bath water, would effectively murder a perfectly fine franchise that has simply been held back by management that is so incompetent it has convinced several people that "go fast in a big map, be cool, multiple characters" is game design kryptonite. As a game designer, that's tragic.
@@mythosinfinite6736 ah a mighty fine argument you put up there kind sir now I understand what you are saying with a few misconceptions very fine indeed also dude you wrote a lot lucky I'm a good reader or I never would have made it through
It felt like Sonic + Crash bandicoot opening + Robots villain.....I dont know how I feel about him being the only animal with mind. but well is better than some of the recent storylines.
This is mostly for algorithm purposes to help this video get recommended more, because my word videos of this quality need to be seen more! Sonic Prime!
I like some elements, but first, I want Sonic to play like Sonic, not like Rayman Legends, Ori or anything else. There's a reason I play Sonic and not these. Also the fact that it's just a forest, you lost me there. Sonic was always about the pleasure of discovering new zones, and having it being just a forest during most of the game goes completely against that feeling. Also the end is too much final, which closes the door for a sequel, which is bad for a reboot. I want a Sonic reboot to still be a Sonic game, with new ideas, and starting over with the lore, but not be a complete transformation of the franchise that makes it not feel like a Sonic game
@@ArtistMarkFlynn You should continue this and make more game ideas to this. I would love to see Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Mighty, and Ray in this series. What about the chaos emeralds as well, I know it seems like I am asking to much but those are also some staples of the series and I just want to see your take. You should call the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos Quartzes, because they are more like Quartz crystals than emeralds
@@joshuabelizaire2880 they are magic, that's why. And calling them chaos quartzes just doesn't sound as cool. I think if quartz were supposed to be used it might as well be another thing
This vid was fantastic, I hadn't considered rayman legends type gameplay for sonic before; but I loved legends and thinking about it now, it seems perfect.
Hard disagree. Maybe if they marketed every sonic game like Zelda, where it’s literally a different world and it has no connection to the past games, but that’s clearly not at all what they’re doing. Its really hard to sink into the world, especially when they try to take themselves seriously like in Forces and Eggman tries to take over the world when I have no idea what’s in this world. where are all of the humans that were present in the story before? Why is Silver even here? It’s just a big narrative headache and it makes these characters feel like they’ve been lifted from their story of origin and plopped into some random world where they don’t belong.
Yeah, I love Sonic's un'fix'able canon. I like that the devs of each game can reinterpret things and do whatever the hell they want... Uh, well, except when sega meddles. It leads to such a storied and surprising series
Considering how that's one of the biggest criticisms of other series like Kingdom Hearts and part of the reason why the Sonic fandom has so much internal conflict only rivaled by Pokemon fans, gonna have to disagree on it being charming.
The heart, soul, artistry, and passion that’s gone into this video is incredible! I have never played a sonic game (Crash / Spyro fan) but youve got me hyped for a game that doesn’t even exist yet. Great effort, well done to all involved. 🦔
I definitely hold much different beliefs as to what Sonic should be (as I'm sure everyone else does) but don't get me wrong, this would definitely be a game I'd love to try out if it were its own thing, similar to how Sonic Boom is its own thing. That doesn't mean to say I'm downplaying it as an idea only worthy of being a spin-off but I think it's important to know that if Sonic Boom actually did well and pulled off what it wanted to do, Sonic Boom wouldn't actually be considered a spin-off but instead a "3rd branch" to the game series that would see it loved side by side with the classic 2D and 3D games if they also succeeded in their own ways and I think that'd be wonderful. The reason I make this sound like it isn't what we have already is because clearly Sega missed the mark with much of this. 2D and 3D Sonic isn't coexisting like 2D and 3D Mario is, they're fighting for the spotlight constantly in hopes that one of them doesn't die, and by objective standpoints you could say that 2D Sonic isn't "fighting" because it does pretty well in comparison, the 3D fans merely existing means it's them themselves which are fighting in hopes that they aren't scrapped and thrown away in favour of a singular style. I'm willing to bet things wouldn't be so "this OR that" if Sonic fans could just have the same confidence Nintendo fans have where it doesn't matter what type of game comes out because every fan knows eventually THEIR game will come out and while they wait, they can still play a quality one to pass the time. That's what this video makes me wish for because as it stands with the current state of Sonic, all I can say is "I don't want my ideal Sonic to die". Good video. You've clearly put tons of work into this.
This video was great though. The heart and the story are incredible and the relationship between Sonic and Metal is top notch. I'm more of a 3D Sonic guy myself so I'd like to see the gameplay in a similar style to what I mentioned in my video, but for what you were going for you absolutely nailed it and you should be really proud of this video
Somehow missed this comment! Cheers man, means a lot to me that you enjoyed it! And thank you, I am definitely proud of it now I've had 48 hours to digest it lol.
I admire your ambition with this fan game and I agree that Sonic games need to get back to their glory days. But I don't like reboots, I don't like huge changes. I'd rather the improvements get made without erasing everything and starting from zero on a new Earth (or a new Mobius in this case). The new characters, Sonic's look (and ability to speak), the 3-D levels I don't want them gone forever, even if it gives us a 5 star Sonic game. If it's a soft reboot where it's the same continuity and most characters just aren't in it, I could handle that. I just feel Sonic has to much history and a too beloved world for it to be erased and restarted. But with that said, this is a great fangame and I'm glad your back, and I look forward to your next best design video ✌🏻
Got ourselves a recreation🎶 A brand new incarnation 🎶 Done with a fresh vision 🎶 While respecting the tradition🎶 (It was pretty snazzy drawing art for this project👍) Thank y'all
Wow man, this is dope!! It reminds me of SATAM and the story in the instruction manuals (which you mentioned). You could really make a lot of cool stories with this concept. Honestly, I would only be a little concerned that the game itself would become darker or more dramatic. I feel like an important part of sonics lore is it being something that you have to discover by reading comics or even watching the cartoons. By playing the game, you'll get hints of this darker (not in a bad way) or different story, but I feel like the use of other media could branch out this story. Overall, the game sounds really fun and I'd like to play it. Good job to you and everyone who worked on this, it's an awesome concept.
Hey, I really loved this video! great concept! Ik, this is already 10 months old, but I have some concepts that'd be cool to add ! For example, I like that Eggman is basically a Elon Musk/Mark Zuc kind of character; it'd be cool for a section to see his influence affect the ppl of the city. You mention portions where sonic has to slow down and take in scenery, maybe have a stage where it shows the city actively be shown propaganda that says sonic is bad Etc. Eggman is spreading misinformation, and you see it on passing TVs in store windows, billboards, posters, etc. Maybe even have some sort of hipster group that is calling out the lies as well to give the city some variety in voice. It'd be cool to have this as subtle background elements, maybe something that you could probably not notice if not for the way it might affect gameplay. Maybe have some humans in your path that you have to avoid to stop you from going full speed without hurting them, or maybe it's more of a stealth section of not trying to be noticed in such an area. Another idea, maybe have eggman's displeasure for sonic slowly grow from not caring to taking it personally. Maybe at first eggman doesn't even care about Sonic having escaped, disregarding it the same way he disregards the environment. He then starts to care progressively per level as you take down different factories and technologies that are important to eggman. That would also explain an in universe reason for the bosses to get progressively stronger. The first level after escaping has the boss almost blindsighted, but then they go from being prepared for sonic, to seeking him out like metal sonic. Also, I think the origin makes a lot of sense. Sonic has always been saving animals in the original games, which is subtle storytelling about animals being used to power the robots, so it'd make sense for sonic, both motivation and creation wise to have an investment into eggman's story. Again, Cool concept! I'd play the shit out of this.
This would be a great concept! However, there is something very important missing - the Chaos Emeralds! Give one to each area of Eggbotnik's corporate empire - levels themed around industry, media, food, and so on. The reward for completion is an emerald and getting all 7 unlocks a secret epilogue boss fight and the true ending.
I never really liked the fact that Sonic was an experiment in that Comic. I think it adds so much unnecessary fluff to the character and raises more questions than answers. I prefer it so he is fast because that has always been his jam. Like the Sonic Movie
HI, have you heard about a fan game called "sonic freedom", I think your ideas share a lot of similarities. In case you haven't heard of it, it is a 2d sonic game with momentum based gameplay, an unique art direction that was inspired in the" sonic cd opening" and a few interesting gimmicks. I would recommend you checking it out if you haven't already. Btw nice video, I find your approach on a sonic "reboot" really interesting can't wait to learn about its development.
It bothers me how well-made this video is, because I disagree with almost everything in this video. I will never want the series to be completely rebooted, especially how it's described in this video
I honestly would loved this as a spinoff, i feel Sonic's world is pretty unique with humans and anthros alike I feel Sonic 1 to Colors stablished well a lore filled world This is coming from a guy who thinks Black Knight has the best interpretation of Sonic, a dude who doesn't see himself as the hero, he just does what he thinks is right because that's how he makes the best of his life; this is how i always interpreted Sonic through the 90's and 2000's, examples being like in 3&K there's this Super Sonic prophecy but the game never draws attention to it, i mean, Sonic could be the prophecy hero sure but he was already chasing Eggman not because he was the chosen one, but because he knew Eggman needed to be stopped; he was a man of action that didn't need a reason. So my solution would be to remove Forces to another timeline to not deny it's existence but that also doesn't damages the main one and after that just keep a consistent level of writting and story direction, SA2 and Unleashed created lore with the Ark and the Gaias but it still felt like part of the world. The main series still has hope Having said that.... This idea is amazing, you all people made a plot that makes you think a lot without the main character even speaking, that says a lot (ironicaly) The world, characters, simple but oh so effective narrative, the origins, the branding {EGG} the whole reboot sounds so rich And the gameplay with those modern mechanics, honestly this whole package would be my game of the year English is not my language so i'm sorry for gramatic errors
i feel as if taking away sonic's voice takes away alot, way i usually see sonic is someone who can be layed back and cocky in any situation with the ability to take things seriously if he has to. the sonic movie did sonic's voice and personality very well and honestly was one of my favorite interpritations of the blue cretin. i know sonic can get away with being very expressive without having to do so much as make a sound but i feel having the ability to speak even if very limited and only in specific cases might allow sonic to be alot more expressive and real feeling then he would with either a full speaking role or being completely mute. also i feel i remember hearing somewhere that someone thought sonic and by extension his buddies are the way they are mostly just through adapting to the way the world is, i do love almost everything else with your ideas and absolutely love the idea of robotnik essentially running a city through his tech business and chasing sonic down mostly for fun, it could even serve as an explanation for why alot of his own vehicles and machines are always so vulnerable.
Sprint button should never be in a sonic game in my opinion, its all about momentum, building up speed through slopes, sumps and precise platforming, letting you know when you're going fast and rewarding you for it. A sprint button wouldn't really have the same feeling and there's a good reason it wasn't in the megadrive games (seriously almost all the buttons were for sonic to jump) but apart from that this entire concept is absolutely amazing especially the storytelling and redesign
This is amazing in my opinion, but I feel like this is looking at parts of Sonic that weren't really apart of Sonic team's original vision, If I were too, I'd try and make it more momentum-ie, have more of a woodland world vs a technological dictatorship, I'd start it as Sonic vs Eggman, but I feel like there should be more of the feeling of there being a series, I feel like have more characters as the series goes on, I think gameplay would be great though, but I feel like maybe sequels could be reimagining's where Eggman tries to restart his business elsewhere, as Sonic, maybe other friends who join him, like Tails, Knuckles, Amy, maybe have obscure characters like Mighty and Ray there too, but I feel like the classic Sonic elements should be there, but maybe more like machinery Eggman makes or ancient tribal stuff. Also, I would say Sonic's design is great, but I feel like there some things that never should be removed from Sonic, like the spikes, white gloves, red shoes with white stripes, but mainly one I see always get removed is the skin colored arms, I feel like Sonic (and especially designs that are based off of classic Sonics) never look right with skin tone arms. (sorry if I sound like Christine Chanler)
Awful take that misses the point completely. All of this is fine as a pitch for a cartoon but it doesnt fix the games. It's a platformer series that lost its gameplay base in the 3D transition. You can't just fanfict your way into a solution with some fanart and scripts for intro cutscenes. Either you try and fix the 3D gameplay for good or you're really just muddling the water even more with further shallow aesthetic and story changes, which sonic could stop having already. Mario still has excellent mainline games and the plots are stupid simple, and gamey and nonsensical. But the gameplay is bulletproof, so everything falls into place. Sonic needs its gameplay fixed and figured out from scratch on 3D. The rest is secondary.
sonic was literally always known for having more of a focus on story - S3&K has more story than any mainline mario combined, and S3&K's story, while really simple and purely silent, is still praised by dozens of people. sonic was NEVER "stupid simple" and just focusing on the gameplay won't make a full sonic game. even sonic 2 brought many expansions to the story and even lore. and besides, what do you mean lost gameplay base in 3d transition? adventure was extremely close to S3&K in it's gameplay base, the sonic and tails gameplay especially.
@@marx4538 Classic sonic having "more focus on the story" than mario does not count as having the story matter ar all. It was always about the platforming and every game's plot was essentially "Robotnik is trying to conquer the world again go kick his butt". S3&K did a great job going a bit further in the middle, with some short, tasteful, silent in-engine cutscenes. It was nice but no one that is not autistic "praises" S3&K on its story merits. It is praised because of impressive display level design, length, amount and variety, coupled with a presentation that few games could sport, and sonic's momentum based gameplay that no other game had. Story was silent cartoon tier, which was appropriate. And then we got the adventure games, which were unfocused clunky messes with terrible writing that couldnt get the physics based platforming in 3D because the tech wasnt nearly there. Sonic's gameplay was alright but it was extremely rigid, linear and had none of the momentum and fluidity from the 2D predecessors. Sonic team knew this and was insecure enough to jam in 5 different mediocre gameplay types to compensate with variety. Time put SA games in its place and they just didnt click like the 2D ones, which is why they have been trying so many different things gameplaywise since then until they've completely lost it. Sonic Mania made all of these things evident from every point of view possible. Something about 2D games got lost in the 3D transition, and it definitely wasnt the goddamn story, of which sonic mania aggressively lacks.
@@gyuuyu have you read S3&K's japanese manual? or even sonic 2's? you can find the retranslation on sonicretro, if you're this paranoid, you can also ask an actual japanese person. you'll lose your shit. sonic mania is a game with some of the most pathetic bosses ever in a sonic game, absolutely embarassingly illogical transitions that look like a joke in comprasion to S3&K's (eg: HCZ is on angel island, wall breaks for no reason, sonic goes through, now he's on tornado in mirage saloon, AKA on westside island, with knuckles... what the shit, did someone forget an entire level inbetween this?) and 2/3rd of it's levels are straight copied from originals with almost no substantial changes other than more stolen gimmicks being thrown in. oh, and hydrocity got shitty boats in it now, yay! the only reason why mania works is because the 4 original zones from the original sonic discovery pitch were actually made by passionate devs, even though their color scheme is all fucked up and so are most of the color palettes overall, being extremely oversaturated, but that's nothing much. mania not having ANY story is one of the many examples of mania being much worse than all of the classics and misunderstanding them. i would explain in detail why mania overall has dozens of missed potentional and dozens of terrible elements, but that would be a bit offtopic. if you want, you can find some of my other comments on other videos, explaining in detail why i think so. unless youtube actually doesn't let others open that "previous comments" tab, which would be downright stupid but youtube's youtube.
I never liked that Good Blood video despite how well made it is because his idea completely dumped out everything that made Sonic Sonic. This is actually good though! I definitely wouldn't want it to replace what we already have, but it'd be a cool one off game. The only thing is that this Sonic origin story is basically the same as Crash Bandicoot's, but I don't think that's a big deal considering this is obviously a much more serious take. Also your Eggman design is super cool and I want more of him.
Love the idea but it’s personally too different from how I perceive sonic that I don’t know if I’d be okay with the series just being rebooted as this, even though this is a better overall concept than what we have now. Now, if you told me that this would function as an alternate universe Sonic series along the lines of boom, I would be super up for it. In fact, I wish they had just done something like this for boom instead of what they did, which was honestly too similar of a world to justify an alternate timeline series and just confused everyone. Other thoughts I had were how would you go about making a sequel to this? I know the video was already super tough for you but I feel like it could’ve used a little more focus on bigger picture what to do with the franchise as a whole. How do you make this a continuous story to be built upon? Does Sonic ever go off the island to see more of the world or does Eggman just keep doing the exact same scheme? Do you ever introduce Tails? What about Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow? How far do you go with that before it starts to feel like you’re recreating the same world again? I feel like at least those four characters, or at the very least just Tails, are, even when you strip everything away from Sonic, still a pretty vital part of how people view him. There’s a reason they put tails in the end credits of the movie. Anyway, I’d love to hear anything you have to say back. Great video regardless!
The one thing I don't agree with is Sonic throwing away his shoes in the end, is doesn't suit a character about being free, even without a mad scientist chasing him, Sonic can't feel free without his speed. (just my opinion) Edit: having special moves like in sonic advance or rayman like air kicks for damage and extra air time, and being able to rush forwards without the honestly gameplay hindering boost thing. Also being able to ricochet off enemies while rolled up would be cool. mushrooms for springs is cool (sorry too many words)
I’d like to imagine if spring yard and star light zone were adapted in this game they would be cities with multiple eggbotnik industry endorsements where you’d need to use stealth to avoid being spotted by other humans
And yet the Second movie dove deep into that lore you want to toss away so badly, and is going in even deeper with it on the third movie with shadow. That lore and sonic's fanbase that love that lore are large enough to ensure such a 'radical reinvention' doesn't happen anytime soon. Sorry man, you're heart's in the right place, but this is the most wrongheaded way to handle this iconic character's mythology, the lore is part of the series's lifeblood, without it's his story is no different from crash bandicoot or any other funny animal video game character mascot. If something like this came about, a lot of us would be out of the fandom so fast, Sonic Team's heads would spin.
I’m of the volition that, if you truly UNDERSTAND what sonic was MEANT TO BE, there’s NO reason to reboot him. Sonics fame was never lost cause he NEEDED to reinvent, it was lost BECAUSE he reinvented. Sonic has ALWAYS told good, serious, spiritual stories. The fight between nature and industrialization. The beauty of freedom. Sonic Unleashed is my favorite example OF a serious sonic story that works perfectly. Sonic doesn’t need a clean slate. Like Mario, he’s never needed to change. He failed BECAUSE he changed, and because when he changed, those who changed him did not understand sonic the hedgehog.
I can agree with you in some ways but i think there might be a few things you could be missing. I think you’re right about it failing because it changed. But i don’t think that’s exactly what he’s doing. From what it sounds like he’s trying to go back to those elements that made the stories enjoyable. Like how it takes itself seriously instead of cracking unfunny try hard jokes. The series hates itself which is really taking away the enjoyment. I think Hes trying to give it a story which is what the good games had just like unleashed. Sonic games now have definitely changed because the developers obviously didn’t like it.
I like your art and plot concept but disagree with the gameplay. I feel that you can do a metroidvania style Sonic without changing how he is controlled. For me Sonic is really about controlling your momentum and I feel if you are going 2D you should stick to the original engine as close as possible but maybe give him a wall jump mechanic but still keep with his pinball physics. But honestly if you REALLY want to bring Sonic to a mainstream audience you gotta go 3D. My suggestion is taking an inspiration from Jak and Daxter and even Open World RPGs like Witcher 3 and BotW is to make the island of South Island a 3D playground for Sonic to explore. Make it a blast to control Sonic and make the world around him a sandbox to do cool things. In fact you can make the city concept of take a new form with many settlements on the different biomes of the Island. You can have your big, Hong Kong/NYC like city, your deep forest, your green hills, ancient ruins, desert, beaches, volcano, snowy peak, etc. The sky is the limit of what you can do with an open world but the more important thing is to make Sonic in 3D have momentum and be fun to play. I love 2D Metroidvanias but they are not as popular as 3D Open World games which IMO is what a new Sonic game should strive for. Sonic is not some indie franchise that goes for artistic spritework as a budget crutch but a franchise player in need of a serious reboot. You can give the game a cell-shaded look to match the artstyle something like BotW but 3D is the way to go.
I love how you added this small but agile friendship between sonic and metal. The only thing that I would have done differently would be extending it just to the point where this can return
