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This is the closest thing to a 3D version of classic Sonic gameplay I've ever seen. The 3D games (starting on the Dreamcast) might as well be an unrelated serie

This is the closest thing to a 3D version of classic Sonic gameplay I've ever seen. The 3D games (starting on the Dreamcast) might as well be an unrelated series to the Mega Drive originals. It plays surprisingly well, would have been amazing to have had a game like this in the Saturn days. There's a fan made tech demo called Sonic Z-Treme (a reimagining of the unreleased Sonic X-Treme) which shows how well the Saturn hardware can handle a Sonic style game. Would be love to see the awesome level design of Robo Blast 2 on that engine.

hnlmorg 5y ago
There are 3D Sonic games on the Saturn: + Sonic R + Sonic Jam I don't like Sonic R personally but some Sega / Sonic fans think it has an unfair reputation. However technical issues and game play aside, it's definitely a 3D Sonic . While most people will remember Sonic Jam for the Mega Drive era games that featured on it, Sonic Jam did have a 3D level used to select the different content in the package and that 3D level was the prototype for one of the failed attempts to bring a 3D Sonic to the Saturn. I also think it's worth highlighting this projects namesake too: Sonic 3D Blast. While it's isometric rather than "3D" it is definitely more sympathetic to the 2D Sonic games (which is unsurprising given Sonic 3D Blast was originally released on the Mega Drive too -- the Saturn release came later). There's also an updated ROM released from one of the developers from Traveller's Tales (the company behind Sonic 3D Blast). Personally though, I do think Sonic Adventure keeps a lot of the original feel too. Albeit you need to look past the City parts of the Adventure Stages. Even 20+ years ago those City levels feels weird. At this point it's also worth mentioning Sonic Generations (PS3 / Xbox 360 era) as that has some very nice moments that could be described as "Mega Drive in HD + 3D".
- sirwhinesalot 5y ago
  By 3D Sonic I really mean 3D movement with Mega Drive Sonic-style level design. Sonic R is 3D rendered but it's a racing game. Sonic Jam's 3D level is just a level select, not a full game. Sonic 3D Blast is isometric which isn't really it either. Sonic Adventure has lots of different gameplay styles for the different characters, none of which fits classic Sonic (Sonic's levels are too on-rails) Sonic Generations is extremely on-rails, while the classic Sonic levels are classic Sonic in how they play, but including being 2D gameplay :) Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the first game I've seen that: 1) has full 3D movement and 2) classic Sonic exploratory level design.
  - hnlmorg 5y ago
    > Sonic R is 3D rendered but it's a racing game. Only superficially. It's really more of a racing and platformer hybrid. In fact it's probably got more platformer elements than racing. Though personally I don't think the gameplay works at all. It's still a 3D Sonic game even though it sucks :) > Sonic Jam's 3D level is just a level select, not a full game. I said this myself. However lets not forget that the 3D zone did have have some mini-games in it. > Sonic 3D Blast is isometric which isn't really it either. Indeed it's isometric (I also said that myself) but you do have movement in 3D space. It's just not 3rd person. If you want to get pedantic then arguably this fan game isn't 3D either because the Doom engine is regarded as 2.5D. > Sonic Adventure has lots of different gameplay styles for the different characters, none of which fits classic Sonic (Sonic's levels are too on-rails) The classic Sonic games had different gameplay styles for different characters. But like with the classic Sonic games, you don't have to play as those characters in Sonic Adventure. You can just play as Sonic if you wanted (unfortunately the same cannot be said for Sonic Adventure 2). Also the levels are not on-rails. You have full motion in 3D space. The camera adapts to angle it towards the next path (maybe you're confusing "on-rails" with any game this isn't "open world"?) but that was because the game came from an era when controllers only had one analogue stick and game developers were still figuring out how to do 3D on consoles. > Sonic Generations is extremely on-rails, while the classic Sonic levels are classic Sonic in how they play, but including being 2D gameplay :) Yeah Generations is on-rails but it's still 3D. To be honest I think this style of 3D suites Sonic better than open world. > Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the first game I've seen that: 1) has full 3D movement and 2) classic Sonic exploratory level design. I think you're being too restrictive in your definitions here to suit your conclusion. For example of the games you've dismissed are more 3D than the Doom engine and have more exploratory level design than many of the classic Sonics. Sonic R for example is all about exploration (which, to be honest, is one of it's issues given it's a timed game). Sonic Adventure had Adventure Stages that were all about exploration. And there's a whole plethora of bad 3D Sonic games where the emphasis is on exploration. Then when you look back at the original Sonics, they actually weren't about exploration, they were a path from A->B. Sure you had a few forks in the path but all the forks converged on the end. If you wanted exploration then there were plenty of better suited platformers (like Super Mario Bros) that had more secrets, hidden levels, multiple exits on a level, etc...none of which Sonic had (and I say this as a massive Sonic fanboy!) What this game does that none of the 3D Sonics have done is gone for the heavily pixelated 16-bit style colour palette. Which is cute but honestly without modern lighting effects (which the Doom engine doesn't have) that actually makes the game harder to play is it's harder to distinguish between platforms in the distance. I don't mean this as a negative against the game, it's intended to be a homage to the 16-bit eta games. I just say this to point out that there is a reason why the 3D Sonics are styled the way they are.

hnlmorg 5y ago

There are 3D Sonic games on the Saturn: + Sonic R + Sonic Jam I don't like Sonic R personally but some Sega / Sonic fans think it has an unfair reputation. However technical issues and game play aside, it's definitely a 3D Sonic . While most people will remember Sonic Jam for the Mega Drive era games that featured on it, Sonic Jam did have a 3D level used to select the different content in the package and that 3D level was the prototype for one of the failed attempts to bring a 3D Sonic to the Saturn. I also think it's worth highlighting this projects namesake too: Sonic 3D Blast. While it's isometric rather than "3D" it is definitely more sympathetic to the 2D Sonic games (which is unsurprising given Sonic 3D Blast was originally released on the Mega Drive too -- the Saturn release came later). There's also an updated ROM released from one of the developers from Traveller's Tales (the company behind Sonic 3D Blast). Personally though, I do think Sonic Adventure keeps a lot of the original feel too. Albeit you need to look past the City parts of the Adventure Stages. Even 20+ years ago those City levels feels weird. At this point it's also worth mentioning Sonic Generations (PS3 / Xbox 360 era) as that has some very nice moments that could be described as "Mega Drive in HD + 3D".

sirwhinesalot 5y ago
By 3D Sonic I really mean 3D movement with Mega Drive Sonic-style level design. Sonic R is 3D rendered but it's a racing game. Sonic Jam's 3D level is just a level select, not a full game. Sonic 3D Blast is isometric which isn't really it either. Sonic Adventure has lots of different gameplay styles for the different characters, none of which fits classic Sonic (Sonic's levels are too on-rails) Sonic Generations is extremely on-rails, while the classic Sonic levels are classic Sonic in how they play, but including being 2D gameplay :) Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the first game I've seen that: 1) has full 3D movement and 2) classic Sonic exploratory level design.
- hnlmorg 5y ago
  > Sonic R is 3D rendered but it's a racing game. Only superficially. It's really more of a racing and platformer hybrid. In fact it's probably got more platformer elements than racing. Though personally I don't think the gameplay works at all. It's still a 3D Sonic game even though it sucks :) > Sonic Jam's 3D level is just a level select, not a full game. I said this myself. However lets not forget that the 3D zone did have have some mini-games in it. > Sonic 3D Blast is isometric which isn't really it either. Indeed it's isometric (I also said that myself) but you do have movement in 3D space. It's just not 3rd person. If you want to get pedantic then arguably this fan game isn't 3D either because the Doom engine is regarded as 2.5D. > Sonic Adventure has lots of different gameplay styles for the different characters, none of which fits classic Sonic (Sonic's levels are too on-rails) The classic Sonic games had different gameplay styles for different characters. But like with the classic Sonic games, you don't have to play as those characters in Sonic Adventure. You can just play as Sonic if you wanted (unfortunately the same cannot be said for Sonic Adventure 2). Also the levels are not on-rails. You have full motion in 3D space. The camera adapts to angle it towards the next path (maybe you're confusing "on-rails" with any game this isn't "open world"?) but that was because the game came from an era when controllers only had one analogue stick and game developers were still figuring out how to do 3D on consoles. > Sonic Generations is extremely on-rails, while the classic Sonic levels are classic Sonic in how they play, but including being 2D gameplay :) Yeah Generations is on-rails but it's still 3D. To be honest I think this style of 3D suites Sonic better than open world. > Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the first game I've seen that: 1) has full 3D movement and 2) classic Sonic exploratory level design. I think you're being too restrictive in your definitions here to suit your conclusion. For example of the games you've dismissed are more 3D than the Doom engine and have more exploratory level design than many of the classic Sonics. Sonic R for example is all about exploration (which, to be honest, is one of it's issues given it's a timed game). Sonic Adventure had Adventure Stages that were all about exploration. And there's a whole plethora of bad 3D Sonic games where the emphasis is on exploration. Then when you look back at the original Sonics, they actually weren't about exploration, they were a path from A->B. Sure you had a few forks in the path but all the forks converged on the end. If you wanted exploration then there were plenty of better suited platformers (like Super Mario Bros) that had more secrets, hidden levels, multiple exits on a level, etc...none of which Sonic had (and I say this as a massive Sonic fanboy!) What this game does that none of the 3D Sonics have done is gone for the heavily pixelated 16-bit style colour palette. Which is cute but honestly without modern lighting effects (which the Doom engine doesn't have) that actually makes the game harder to play is it's harder to distinguish between platforms in the distance. I don't mean this as a negative against the game, it's intended to be a homage to the 16-bit eta games. I just say this to point out that there is a reason why the 3D Sonics are styled the way they are.