Is the Sonic Cycle a Myth?

[AppleQueso]

Portable sonic games in that time frame were very good.

"Very good" is subjective, but either way Sonic games are like Zelda in one respect: the portable games very much take a back seat to the main entries. The GBA and DS games don't make up for Shadow or Sonic '06, not even close.

A Sonic game is a Sonic game. Just because some people pretend handhelds are not the same "class" as video game as console doesn't mean they don't count. Ironically, you went out and brought up the word subjective when your statement was just that.

Eh, I don't think it's that handhelds aren't the same "class", it's just that Sonic is a console franchise. It's just like how people don't really count the console Pokemon games.

[BurningDoom]

Eh, I don't think it's that handhelds aren't the same "class", it's just that Sonic is a console franchise. It's just like how people don't really count the console Pokemon games.

But in the Sonic games' case, the handheld games are better than the console games that people are associating with the series.

[Konacha]

The Sonic Cycle was in full force during the mid 2000s. You can't blame Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2 in that mix because between the two games.... it was new and it was the semi start. If you want to start anywhere it would be Heroes (and damn it, I wish Shadow was DEAD, it killed everything he did in SA2) It was during SA time that Sega wanted a universal storyline in Sonic between different countries (in the US, he was on Mobius while in Japan it was Earth, before 1998) SA2 added two new characters and got rid of 2 others. The Portable games are debatable because you did have a mix (Blaze, Silver, Cream, etc) and really while they were ok, all you really had to do was push right more to win the game. But I'm not going to fight about them right now.

The place to start the cycle is Sonic Heroes up until Sonic 06. Sonic Unleashed, while the Night Stages were more like a God of War rip off, was really the first Sonic Game to break the cycle. It had only 1 character who has never come back, only 4 returning characters and the Day stages were great. I still say it needed some work (like what was up with the homing attack being Square then X?) but it was done right.

Now, Sonic Generations, I wish it was a bit longer did in fact blow the myth out of the water (I haven't played Colors so I can't comment on that). While it did have Sonic's old friends in it, there was no new characters and most of them were a cameo due to the fact that it was a game based on Sonic's 20th Anniversary so the extra characters made sense. Why no old side characters were shown that haven't been seen since the classic era like Nack the Weasel or Mighty the Armadillo I don't know but it was a good game. I haven't heard anything about a new game of Sonic but I like to see what is next for them.

[ZeroAX]

The Portable games are debatable because you did have a mix (Blaze, Silver, Cream, etc) and really while they were ok, all you really had to do was push right more to win the game. But I'm not going to fight about them right now.

Going a bit off topic here but....I completely agree with this, EXCEPT for Sonic Advance 1. Have you played it? It might have a modern graphic style, but to me it feels like the true sequel to the Mega Drive Sonic games.

I think portable games just never got the hype they deserve, which I don't understand. Sonic works better in 2D and DS and GBA games needed smaller budgets than the PS3/360/Wii/PS2/GCN games, so why did Sega never give them the promotion they deserved?

[BurningDoom]

The Portable games are debatable because you did have a mix (Blaze, Silver, Cream, etc) and really while they were ok, all you really had to do was push right more to win the game. But I'm not going to fight about them right now.

Going a bit off topic here but....I completely agree with this, EXCEPT for Sonic Advance 1. Have you played it? It might have a modern graphic style, but to me it feels like the true sequel to the Mega Drive Sonic games.

I think portable games just never got the hype they deserve, which I don't understand. Sonic works better in 2D and DS and GBA games needed smaller budgets than the PS3/360/Wii/PS2/GCN games, so why did Sega never give them the promotion they deserved?

Sonic Pocket Adventure on Neo Geo Pocket is even more like the Genesis Sonic games than Sonic Advance, even. It has to be the most underrated Sonic game, ever. It plays like it was released right after Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

[ZeroAX]

Sonic Pocket Adventure on Neo Geo Pocket is even more like the Genesis Sonic games than Sonic Advance, even. It has to be the most underrated Sonic game, ever. It plays like it was released right after Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

8-bit and Sonic don't mix well though. The games are good mind you, but don't have the multi-path level design of the mega drive games.

[BurningDoom]

Sonic Pocket Adventure on Neo Geo Pocket is even more like the Genesis Sonic games than Sonic Advance, even. It has to be the most underrated Sonic game, ever. It plays like it was released right after Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

8-bit and Sonic don't mix well though. The games are good mind you, but don't have the multi-path level design of the mega drive games.

Well no, none of the handheld games are as good as the Geneis games. But Sonic Pocket Adventure stands out as the best handheld game, by far. It's the best game on the Neo Geo Pocket, IMO. The extra modes and the Dreamcast link give it a ton of replay value on top of the top-notch designed main levels.

[ZeroAX]

Well no, none of the handheld games are as good as the Geneis games. But Sonic Pocket Adventure stands out as the best handheld game, by far. It's the best game on the Neo Geo Pocket, IMO. The extra modes and the Dreamcast link give it a ton of replay value on top of the top-notch designed main levels.

Best game on the Neo Geo Pocket I won't debate, specially since I don't know anything about the system's library other than the mentioned Sonic game that I played on an emulator once.

But no, I have to insist. Sonic Advance 1 is an amazing game with great level design like the original mega drive games. If ithad a more classic art style it would be just like the mega drive sonic games.

[BurningDoom]

specially since I don't know anything about the system's library other than the mentioned Sonic game that I played on an emulator once.

So you played the game once...and are debating the merits of how good it is? Huh. With no clicky thumbstick and being dragged down by an emulator, at that.

Well, I own both Sonic Pocket Adventure and Sonic Advance. It's not like it's a huge difference between the 2, as far as quality of gameplay are concerned. Both are fantastic Sonic games, and easily the 2 best handheld games for Sonic. But I feel Sonic Pocket Adventure is slightly better as it not only feels like a Genesis Sonic game, but even looks like one with similar sprites and artwork. And is more impressive since it wasn't a GBA game.

I didn't like the boss battles in Sonic Advance 2 & 3. They were always chases. So they rank lower than Sonic Advance 1 and Sonic Pocket Adventure for that reason, in my book.

[Crabmaster2000]

I REALLY enjoyed Sonic and the Secret Rings. I can't be the only one, can I?