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Sonic Unleashed Wii: Should Dimps Be Trying Harder?

Posted by Nadia Oxford

Sonic the Hedgehog has the pull of a train wreck: no matter how tired you think you are of his lacklustre 3D adventures, you can't help but take a good long stare whenever one is announced.

Sonic Unleashed, for example, exists only as a handful of screenshots and a couple of trailers, but gamers who insist they're thoroughly tired of the hedgehog are still finding plenty to mouth off about. The August issue of Nintendo Power created a stir with some new screenshots for the Wii version of the game. When compared to the preview material for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, Sonic Unleashed for the Wii looks very...well, last gen.

Dimps, the company responsible for modern 2D Sonic titles like Sonic Rush Adventure, will be handling the level design for the Playstation 2 and Wii adaptations of Sonic Unleashed. Dimps' track record is pretty excellent; it's co-developing Street Fighter IV and it also developed a game called Rumble Fish (I've never played it, but any reference to S.E. Hinton is a-okay by me). I don't doubt that if Sonic Unleashed turns out decent, it'll turn out decent all across the board. But going by screenshot comparisons, it looks as if Dimps is doing the usual Wii phone-in, which involves one part Playstation 2 port and one part waggle.

This is especially disappointing considering Sonic and the Secret Rings not only looked good, it was developed around the Wii, not hammered into it. The Wii might not have the power of the Playstation 3 or 360, but let's face it, Super Mario Galaxy was not a bad looking game.

Regardless, screenshots tell very little about a game these days. Something that looks unimpressive in still-frame is wholly capable of blowing away the world when in motion. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, anyone?

We'll just have to see how things go.

Related links:

Trailer Review: Sonic Unleashed
The Ten Greatest Opening Levels in Gaming History
Alternate Soundtrack: Sonic the Hedgehog vs. Ratatat


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Comments

Derrick Sanskrit said:

The Wii screens definitely look unfinished, like they're missing lighting elements. Let's hope that's an accurate hopeful assumption on my part.

So if Dimps is designing the levels for the Wii and PS2 versions, does that mean they'll have entirely different stages from the PS3 and 360 versions? If so, based on each team's track records, the Dimps version will probably be more fun. Regardless of the quality of Sonic & The Secret Rings, it was a rather pretty Wii game, so any less would be decidedly weak on Sega's part.

July 1, 2008 3:56 PM

Amber Ahlborn said:

Secret Rings was a pretty good game under its warts.  If Dimps builds Unleashed on any Sonic game foundation, they could do no better than Secret Rings.

July 1, 2008 5:27 PM

Ian said:

I agree with the comment on 'Secret Rings'.  Sure, it isn't perfect, but I found it to be a pretty decent game (as well as a nice looking one).

July 1, 2008 6:31 PM

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John Constantine, our superhero, was raised by birds and then attended Penn State University. He is currently working on a novel about a fictional city that exists only in his mind. John has an astonishingly extensive knowledge of Scientology. Ultimately he would like to learn how to effectively use his brain. He continues to keep Wu-Tang's secret to himself.

Derrick Sanskrit is a self-professed geek in a variety of fields including typography, graphic design, comic books, music and cartoons. As a professional hipster graphic designer, his recent clients have included Hooksexup, Pitchfork and MoCCA, among others.

Amber Ahlborn - artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

Nadia Oxford is a housekeeping robot who was refurbished into a warrior when the world's need for justice was great. Now that the galaxy is at peace (give or take a conflict here or there), she works as a freelance writer for various sites and magazines. Based in Toronto, Nadia prizes the certificate from the Ministry of Health declaring her tick and rabies-free.

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