Sonic and the Black Knight

[ShadowV7]

I think it looks pretty good

 

My main concern was the speed when you were using the sword, but there's no slowdown so it's all good.

[mcj metroid]

Does this... excite you?

 

I just see another generic, heartbreaking sonic game. This one has to do a lot to get me interested.

 

tell me about it...

 

but look we still COULD be wrong about this game .. I see some funny threads on other forums now and then// showing this trailer and demanding how it could not be good for the doubters.. makes me laugh everytime

[not_so_tiny]

I want to be excited about this game, I really do, but then I always remember this...

 

[Diageo]

I really liked Sonic Adventure 2 battle, Sonic and the secret rings, Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush adventure and the first level demo for sonic unleashed. So i don't think i'll be disappointed with this game.

[Paj!]

I think Sonic's "friends" can be worked in fine, if they just do a back to basics, Sonic Adventure style (but better) game.

 

Playable should be Sonic, with Tails in some levels. Maybe have extra levels as other characters, or you can play as other characters on replays or something, but keep it simple, most characters being supporting cast.

 

Hey, maybe even more of an RPG format? That could work. RPG elements into the adventure formula maybe?

[Retro_Link]

Playable [in multiplayer] Character models:

 

[Diageo]

Knuckles looks pretty cool...

[Dante]

New Info:

- European release: 13th March

- No Wii MotionPlus on this game. They never confirmed that feature

- They have implemented HDR lighting. First time for SEGA in Wii.

[D_prOdigy]

I'm not sure if that date is new info or not. Someone tell me if it's been announced before because if not, I'll post it.

 

Just in case, got a source on that info, Dante?

[ShadowV7]

The date sort of got released last month at somepoint, the US for the 10th, Japan 12th, though the European date said the 10th of March aswell, but folk just assumed it was the 13th since that was the Friday of that week.

[Dante]

I'm not sure if that date is new info or not. Someone tell me if it's been announced before because if not, I'll post it.

 

Just in case, got a source on that info, Dante?

 

the source + here.

[Ike]

GAME changed the date to the 13th last week, so I'd say it's correct.

[Ganepark32]

You'd have thought that perhaps SEGA would have picked a better date to release this on. It's going up against Resi Evil 5 on the other consoles and while those that don't have the other consoles could plonk for this, I doubt they will. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe, they'll all go,' Oh, it's Sonic from that Mario and Sonic game. Maybe it's good. I'll get that.' You never know.

[ShadowV7]

I don't see those two games 'competing' with each other though since there going towards different audiences. Just me though.

[mcj metroid]

not competing against each other at all. different systems ,way different audiences. I mean only hardcore gamers buy games on day 1 and let's face it who in their right mind would go for sonic instead of resident evil..

 

no sonic's target is american kids. I think sonic has nothing to worry about.

[Diageo]

i would rather play this than resi 5 XD

[Paj!]

Same.

 

I kinda want this, unless it gets AWFUL reviews.

[Dante]

New IGNs Hands-On

 

- Sonic & The Black Knight, the latest hedgehog game from SEGA and developer Sonic Team (Japan), is the next in the franchise's storybook theme, the first of which was the Arabian-style Sonic and the Secret Rings. This time director Tetsu Katano (lead programmer, Sonic Adventure games and Sonic Heroes) takes the blue blazer into the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, where he gains a magical sword and must work his way through a series of areas, both saving villagers and collecting rings, so that he might finally do battle with the king himself, who has become corrupted with power. A magician pulls Sonic into the era through a time warp and charges him with the task of saving the land -- a challenge he begrudgingly accepts as he wolfs down chili-dogs in a nicely produced cinematic that opens the storyline.

 

We've spent a few hours with Black Knight so far and the game seems to share more in common with Sonic Unleashed than it does with its storybook-themed predecessor, Secret Rings. This is primarily true because you control the hedgehog as you do in Unleashed, utilizing the nunchuk's analog stick to strafe him left and right as he soars through on-track environments. You'll have the freedom to slow down and jump backward if you pass by and object or enemy of interest, but the camera will not turn around, and thus the title oftentimes feels like an action racer. This straightforward, linear design allows the developer to keep Sonic mostly glued to a set path so that it can predict actions and supply players with a more cinematic presentation, which it has done with Black Knight. Sonic fans can once more look forward to some lightning fast, unpredictable track designs filed with rail slides, wall jumps and more. That being true, we have yet to encounter any trademark loop-de-loops or corkscrews.

 

As always, the developer has shied away from a purely traditional Sonic game and introduced a new gimmick -- in this case, the mascot's trusty sword. Whereas the daylight stages in Unleashed emphasized fantastic level constructions and pure-adrenaline speed, a harkening back to classic Sonic design, Black Knight is much heavier on character combat. Sonic regularly encounters evil guards and knights as he runs about environments, at which point the action will stall until he fights them off. You'll be able to strafe ever so slightly left and right with the nunchuk, erect a temporary frontal shield by holding Z button, jump and dive forward by pressing A button twice, or flip backward by holding back on the analog stick and pressing the same button. You can also jump into the air and waggle with the Wii remote to execute a sword spin attack.

 

Attacks are handled entirely with lots of Wii shakes and waggle. The game does not differentiate between horizontal and vertical swipes so you're free to shake aimlessly as you battle enemies. You can quickly string together multi-combo hits if you waggle incessantly. Combat seems to work passably, although we've noticed on several occasions that we're better off gesturing early as we soar toward enemies in order to cue the attacks as we come blazing upon them -- otherwise, they might attack first. Our favorite new fight mechanic. Gone are the traditional mid-air enemy lock-on attacks. Instead, the developer has engineered a new, highly cinematic lock-on system tied to the B-trigger. Press it and the action will slow into bullet-time, the camera will pan closer to Sonic, and a red reticule will appear around the nearest enemy. Gesture with the Wii remote and Sonic will zip toward them, sword drawn, and take them out, at which point the reticule will auto-lock on the next foe. This is how you execute multi-enemy attacks, but you'll need to be mindful of an on-screen meter that determines just how much time you can spend in the mode because when it runs out, you'll be back to regular waggle attacks and no more lock-on.

 

Honestly, we're still hopeful that Sonic Team will consider enabling the option (very least) to tone down the waggle in regular combat. Mapping jump to A button and all attacks to gestures is overkill. We'd much prefer that jump be mapped to the still-unused C button and regular attacks to A button, or vice versa, cutting down on the excessive amount of shaking going on during battles.

 

Although speed junkies will find plenty of zippy action in Black Knight, Sonic Team has also included elements clearly designed to slow the action down. For example, obstacles that pop up in a flash, like spikes and crates, slamming the hedgehog to a dead stop in his tracks. And certain challenges require that Sonic slow down and interact with villagers in mid-level, rescuing them or giving them coins, before he can be on his way again.

 

Black Knight includes a variety of compelling extras sure to enhance replay value. As Sonic screams through stages, he earns unlockable items that are stored in the treasury section of the game, accessed from the main menu. There are 247 items possible -- we have about 40 so far -- and at any time you can click over to the treasury, select an item and choose to trade it with a friend over WiiConnect24 (and yes, friend codes are required). Competitive Sonic fans can also show off their skills in a world rankings leader board, which additionally uses WiiConnect24. And the game sports a multiplayer battle mode in which two ore more players compete against each other or team up to fight enemies in small arena-style challenges. The action takes place on a single static screen and each of the 12 selectable characters -- Sonic, Tails, Shadow, to name a few -- have unique special moves.

 

SEGA's latest Wii-exclusive Sonic offering has production values to spare, whether it's the slick fully rendered cinematic, the amazingly stylized graphical interface (which looks like a medieval map) or the in-game engine, which regularly spits out fast-moving, detailed environments. And speed junkies will probably be pleased with some of the high-octane scenarios we've seen so far. Indeed, the game's biggest issue is once more tethered to the unrefined gimmick that Sonic Team has utilized as the backbone for the project. If the developer can quickly present some control alternatives before Black Knight ships, the end product may still impress. But all the loose waggling that comprises the present package is just as frustrating as interesting.

 

Be sure to check out new screenshots of the game in motion by clicking here.

[Paj!]

Still interested, I am, as I haven't played (and therefore haven't been disappointed by) recent Sonic offerings.

[Helmsly]

 

 

Couple of video's at IGN; that show somone using the motion controls for the sword:

 

http://uk.wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14268379/sonic-the-black-knight-/videos/sonicblkknght_020609_nycc2.html;jsessionid=1gx99v9363i1i

 

http://uk.wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14268379/sonic-the-black-knight-/videos/sonicblkknght_020609_nycc.html

[Hero-of-Time]

This months Nintendo Power apparently gave it the score of 8.0, not bad at all.

[mcj metroid]

This months Nintendo Power apparently gave it the score of 8.0, not bad at all.

 

not bad for np i must admit... looks it's the unleashed scenario.. if you love sonic games you'll love this if you didn't like the other 3d ones stay away from this.. igns hands on didnt sound THAt possitive i must say.. doubt it will get an 8.0 from them.

[Cube]

not bad for np i must admit... looks it's the unleashed scenario.. if you love sonic games you'll love this if you didn't like the other 3d ones stay away from this.. igns hands on didnt sound THAt possitive i must say.. doubt it will get an 8.0 from them.

 

I don't think that's going to change any time soon.

[Retro_Link]

Didn't look all that fun from those gameplay videos.

Seems to share more in common with Secret Rings than I thought.

Not really sure about this now, will probably give it a miss, at least at first, and wait and here ALOT of impressions!

[Zechs Merquise]

Didn't look all that fun from those gameplay videos.

Seems to share more in common with Secret Rings than I thought.

Not really sure about this now, will probably give it a miss, at least at first, and wait and here ALOT of impressions!

 

It's basically the same as Secret Rings but in another fantasy setting. I played Secret Rings and it looked great and could've been wonderful if it wasn't for the awful jumping.