Minasan, Kon’nichiwa! A few days ago, the Tokyo Game Show trailer for Sonic Frontiers was unleashed while our Nintendo nerds rejoiced for Pauline and Diddy Kong joining the roster in another update for Mario Strikers: Battle League Football later this month [22] [27] [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. There has been a lot of hope for Sonic the Hedgehog’s open-world adventure to excel, despite some doubtfulness and demands for a delay back in June [61] [64]. Optimism flourished when another gameplay trailer within this year’s Nintendo Direct Mini showcase came out and the story trailer revealing more about the plot came two months later [60] [62] [63]. The gameplay demo of Sonic Frontiers has received approval from Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series at Tokyo Game Show [5], which is indeed a green flag being waved gracefully. Even though I am still not swindled into ever considering myself a fan of the blue speedster again [4] [6], despite the potential for great ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) with a Sonic Frontiers theme [2], I am here to preach hopes for the best outcome of the game for the fifth time after tittering at Wade Wilson’s charming and quirky fourth-wall-breaking in the first volume of Deadpool: Samurai while our Nintendo nerds get ready to make more artistic chaos in the newly released Splatoon 3 [10] [11].
What has been revealed in the Tokyo Game Show trailer to further increase the hype for the game? Firstly, there is a volcano on Koros Island [32] [33] [36] [49] [65], leading to the possibility of some puzzles being set across flowing lava that does not look like tomato soup, unlike in Bowser’s Castle in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii [23] [24]. Next, we see more of what awaits a Sonic supporter on Ares Island, including rails that are constructed into giant rings [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. The blue speedster is later seen confronting a large foe whose textures and facial structures vaguely remind me of Venom, the iconic antiheroic symbiote from Marvel [11] [56]. It has been revealed that gathering all seven emeralds will allow Sonic to become Super Sonic once again, which is what I suspect can also lead to some tension in a cutscene that leads to a final boss battle [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. Aside from what appears to be the finishing touches to advertising Sonic Frontiers in terms of promising trailers, one of the game’s official theme songs is “Vandalize” by ONE OK ROCK, which sounds amazing in both Japanese and English [29] [30] [43], but only using the censored versions would be essential since the game will be rated 7 in Europe and E10+ in North America [28] [32] [36] [49] [65].
There will be side quests to evaluate the sense of adventuring and keep the gameplay experience varied besides speeding up with Sonic [48]. Remember how frustrating the fishing gameplay in Big the Cat’s story in Sonic Adventure was to some players [34]? Well, the opportunity to go fishing with Big will return in Sonic Frontiers [14] [39], much like how he will make an appearance in Sonic Prime [16]. The big difference will be that the fishing gameplay will only be a minigame in an adventure mostly centred around Sonic [14], which is what I believe will be for the best with some technical differences when it comes to giving Big’s own thing another chance [34]. Furthermore, the fishing minigame may hopefully be nearly as exceptional as fishing in the Animal Crossing series [19] [20] [21]. Let us just hope that there will be no small fries that subtract fifty points, unlike in the fishing game in Wii Play [25]. Surely, Big’s character can be upgraded with some new exploration at some point [14] [39]. Alternatively, if there will not be much character exploration in a new game, there can always be some in a comic book series [8] [9]. The fishing minigame is an interesting way to keep the gameplay experience varied besides solving puzzles across Starfall Islands [14] [48].
What else is there is say and hope for in terms of gameplay and such? It turns out that the keys are for gathering the chaos emeralds as the game progresses [39] [48]. Speaking of progress, the impact on Sonic’s powers will be increased and he will gain new abilities throughout this quest as the game’s difficulty increases in new areas, which can make the journey engaging and satisfying without any sign of staleness. As much as I am up for a multiplayer mode in an update or DLC pack for Marvel’s Midnight Suns [57] [58], I am still up for a multiplayer mode in Sonic Frontiers that could be part of an update [60]. As previously stated, Player Two can either be Metal Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog or Silver the Hedgehog as the second player competing as a recolour of Sonic just like in the Wii version of Sonic Colours can be rather uninspired [60]. And speaking of DLC, there will be a collaboration with Inugami Korone within DLC which is a new pair of interestingly designed shoes with matching gloves [40]. Aside from Super Sonic’s eventual time to shine and the cuteness of the Inugami Korone-themed DLC, I deeply appreciate the ambition the main gameplay appears to consist of [32].
Overall, the potential of Sonic Frontiers just keeps becoming more and more promising, which makes up for the backlash towards it back in June [54] [64]. Unlike the Japanese marketing for the game [34], the marketing for Sonic Prime does not seem to be very effective so far possibly due to uncertainty in figuring out the right time to market it after the series’ completion [41], along with many employees being sacked from Netflix Animation resulting in some issues [55]. On a lighter note, we might as well also look for fun in the third season of The Cuphead Show, despite the heebie-jeebies that the cliffhanger at the end of the Season Two finale caused us [1] [18]. As for our bronies and pegasisters, they are sure to behold even more magic of friendship that will make its mark later this month [15] [17]. Hopefully, there will be a new story trailer for Sonic Prime that will boost the hype for it back up very soon, almost to the level of the hype for Sonic Frontiers. Is anyone up for a princess tea party battle in the meantime [44]? What has been revealed in the Tokyo Game Show trailer for Sonic Frontiers, along with Sakurai’s approval at the convention might just be the icing on the promotional cake [5] [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. Sayonara!
References
Aside from the brief evaluation within an overview [48], there is still a little more to analyse from the new trailer associated with this year’s Tokyo Game Show [33]. [32] [34] [49] [65] |
There will be side quests to evaluate the sense of adventuring and keep the gameplay experience varied besides speeding up with Sonic [48]. Remember how frustrating the fishing gameplay in Big the Cat’s story in Sonic Adventure was to some players [34]? Well, the opportunity to go fishing with Big will return in Sonic Frontiers [14] [39], much like how he will make an appearance in Sonic Prime [16]. The big difference will be that the fishing gameplay will only be a minigame in an adventure mostly centred around Sonic [14], which is what I believe will be for the best with some technical differences when it comes to giving Big’s own thing another chance [34]. Furthermore, the fishing minigame may hopefully be nearly as exceptional as fishing in the Animal Crossing series [19] [20] [21]. Let us just hope that there will be no small fries that subtract fifty points, unlike in the fishing game in Wii Play [25]. Surely, Big’s character can be upgraded with some new exploration at some point [14] [39]. Alternatively, if there will not be much character exploration in a new game, there can always be some in a comic book series [8] [9]. The fishing minigame is an interesting way to keep the gameplay experience varied besides solving puzzles across Starfall Islands [14] [48].
What else is there is say and hope for in terms of gameplay and such? It turns out that the keys are for gathering the chaos emeralds as the game progresses [39] [48]. Speaking of progress, the impact on Sonic’s powers will be increased and he will gain new abilities throughout this quest as the game’s difficulty increases in new areas, which can make the journey engaging and satisfying without any sign of staleness. As much as I am up for a multiplayer mode in an update or DLC pack for Marvel’s Midnight Suns [57] [58], I am still up for a multiplayer mode in Sonic Frontiers that could be part of an update [60]. As previously stated, Player Two can either be Metal Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog or Silver the Hedgehog as the second player competing as a recolour of Sonic just like in the Wii version of Sonic Colours can be rather uninspired [60]. And speaking of DLC, there will be a collaboration with Inugami Korone within DLC which is a new pair of interestingly designed shoes with matching gloves [40]. Aside from Super Sonic’s eventual time to shine and the cuteness of the Inugami Korone-themed DLC, I deeply appreciate the ambition the main gameplay appears to consist of [32].
This is not the first time Inugami Korone was associated with Sonic the Hedgehog as she was in an interview in honour of his 30th anniversary [51]. [39] |
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