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Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii) thread of medievil hedgehogs with mythical swords
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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:53:00
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Sonic screens

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

PREVIEW

http://www.gamesradar.com/wii/sonic-and-the-black-knight/preview/sonic-and-the-black-knight/a-2008112513384546006/g-20080721153028947019

Are you sitting comfortably children? Right then, we can begin. Once upon a time there was a hero named Sonic. But he was no ordinary hero, he was a hedgehog. But he was no ordinary hedgehog; he was bright blue with red sneakers and Mickey Mouse gloves. Trust us, he was much cooler than he sounds. Anyway, one day Sonic found himself…

That’s the beauty of Sega’s speedy hero, you could pretty much end the above sentence any way you choose and no-one would bat an eyelid. One of gaming’s most unlikely heroes, Sonic is equally at home in an apocalyptic industrial landscape as he is in a colorful fantasy world. And that’s exactly what Sega’s Wii-exclusive spin-off series of Story Book Adventures is all about. It worked wonders with Sonic and the Secret Rings, a migraine inducingly colorful reimagining of the Arabian Nights stories with an added lick of speed.

Sonic and the Black Knight is the second game in the series, plucking its themes from an equally rich and well loved story by plonking our hero into the court of King Arthur. Yep, Sonic’s been summoned to a reimagined Camelot to do battle with the evil Black Knight. To do so he’ll be using his trademark speed, but the only way to really defeat a medieval ne’er-do-well is with a hefty blade. Thus for the first time in his 17-year-history Sonic will wield a weapon.

Unlike in The Secret Rings, Sonic’s movement is now controlled with the Nunchuk, leaving the remote free for sword-swinging duties. The game plays an awful lot like Sonic Unleashed with a focus on speedily traversing pretty landscapes with a mix of 3D and 2D platforming. The difference is, of course, the sword. Frequently Sonic has to slow down and slash his way through errant knights and obstacles. Better yet the blade can also be used to scale and descend sheer walls with style. There’s also an emphasis on collecting items and impressing townsfolk. Doing this will unlock hidden content and gain Sir Sonic followers. The more followers he gains the more effective a knight he’ll become, which in turn allows him to level up and access new abilities – much as he did in The Secret Rings.

There are issues we’d like to see addressed, mind. For instance, constantly curbing your speed to hack through enemies could make the pace feel a bit stuttery. Why not give Sonic a running attack to keep things moving? Also the old criticism of it being too on-rails applies – though this has been admirably sidestepped in Sonic Unleashed.

Still in its early stages, Sonic and the Black Knight is shaping up to be a thrilling tale of swashbuckling adventure powered by a jet engine. It’s another clever sidestepping of the traditional formula that adds something refreshingly different. Aside from the gorgeous Zelda-like visuals it looks to be fast, varied and, with emphasis on simple mission-based play, rewarding and fun. Following The Secret Rings was always going to be tough, but it looks like Sega might pull it off. With the Arabian Nights and Camelot taken care of, we’re already starting to wonder where the Story Book series will take Sonic next. Sonic in Wonderland, perhaps. Or Sonic and the Beanstalk even. How about Sonic in space? Now there’s a thought…

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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:06:58
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It does look a better than Sonic Unleashed, but that's about all I can say about this.

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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:18:39
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Ravenprose said:

It does look a better than Sonic Unleashed, but that's about all I can say about this.



Hey, you wanted Oblivion type worlds on Wii Nyaa

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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:33:49
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That screen with the lightning has me sold. Grinning

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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:54:59
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Some of this looks pretty epic in production terms. In the first screen the up close cobbling textures are all well defined and well drawn, the stages are huge, some of the grass and ground textures are detailed. Even that pic with the tent in it, the ground almost looks bump mapped. I think it's a pretty great looking game by a 3rd party on the system that will probably turn out to be like the other 3-D sonics. Not great.

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Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:43:55
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It's one of those things I'll have to try before I can be sure about it. It looks like a lot of work is being put into it, though.
Edited: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:05:07
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Listen to Iced Earth and play Doom

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Sat, 29 Nov 2008 05:03:21
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Looks excellent, I cant wait. It looks like a game that is made for the Wii, and will make good use of the wii. Unlike that other sonic game, grr.
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Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:53:29
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this game looks good ... but it doesn't look like a good game

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Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:02:38
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bugsonglass said:

this game looks good ... but it doesn't look like a good game

In other words, it looks like a Sonic game!

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Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:05:52
Wouldn't it be cool if this was basically zelda in the sonic universe? It pretty much looks like that anyway but you know they are going to basically have you running around at break neck speed.

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Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:31:27
gamingeek said:
Wouldn't it be cool if this was basically zelda in the sonic universe? It pretty much looks like that anyway but you know they are going to basically have you running around at break neck speed.



That would be the video game equivalent of a threesome.
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Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:41:05

Except it's a sonic game, so it'd be a threesome with Rosie O'Donnel!

(She counts as two people).

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Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:02:34
Dvader said:
gamingeek said:
Wouldn't it be cool if this was basically zelda in the sonic universe? It pretty much looks like that anyway but you know they are going to basically have you running around at break neck speed.



That would be the video game equivalent of a threesome.



This could be the way forward for Sonic, use his character and universe and just take other game styles and mimic them really well. Sonic the prince of persia? Sonic Galaxy?

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Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:31:26

More pics

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

Sonic and the Black Knight new screenshots

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Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:03:02

Few more:







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Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:24:20

New preview:

http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=202719

The Arthurian legends have been told and retold so often we reckon we're experts. After a quick Google-fuelled refresher we can tell you that the legendary king wielded a sword called Excalibur, had a pathological fear of right-angled furniture and looked a lot like Clive Owen or Peter Davison or Bradley James, depending on who you talk to.

Oh, and he had a bit of help from an electric blue hedgehog with zippy red trainers and a neat line in irritating wisecracks. Yes, Sega's worst kept secret,2 the follow-up to 2007's Sonic And The Secret Rings, is limbering up for release next year. Entitled Sonic And The Black Knight, it's a significant addition to the Sonic canon for fans hoping for a hedgehog hat-trick following the rather good Sonic Chronicles and the hopefully rather good Sonic Unleashed. The great news is that this is showing some early promise.

Comparisons with The Secret Rings are inevitable, but this new Wii exclusive owes just as much to Unleashed. More, even. The fantasy setting is gloriously colourful and a long way away from the real-world locations of the latter, but the emphasis on speed is remarkably similar. The camera sits behind Sonic most of the time, switching to a side-on view for certain combat and platforming sections - just like Unleashed. The winding track-like stages are as much racing game as platform game - just like Unleashed. And Sonic is steered with the nunchuk - just like Unleashed and not a bit like The Secret Rings' Wii remote-centric control scheme. So, why the switch? Well, you're going to need your remote hand free to swing your sword.

Yes, for the first time ever, Sonic has managed to get his hands on a weapon. Far sharper than his spiny coat, this baby can run through an errant knight's armour like a laser-powered chainsaw. Better yet, it can cleave solid stone blocks and help our boy scale (and descend) castle walls. But Sonic's new toy is a - wait for it - double-edged sword. It might bless him with a stack of new moves but it also slows things down considerably. Every time he takes on an enemy (all of whom appear to be knights in stage one) he has to stop to parry and lunge. In nearly any other game this would be immediately accepted - in a game series that's usually defined by its speed, it could prove unforgivable.

If Sonic's moves could be upgraded somehow to make them satisfying enough to be worth slowing down for, then a bit of flashy sword work would make a welcome change of pace. Encouragingly, there are some RPG-lite elements, as Sonic is required to collect items such as gauntlets and amass followers in the form of strange villagers that mysteriously stroll the landscapes. Sonic can gain their admiration by behaving chivalrously and he can also curry favour with a bribe of rings. Sonic will be able to earn Knight Titles when he gains enough followers - we reckon this could unlock extra athletic and attack abilities.

Other gameplay elements will see Sonic returning to completed acts to take part in a series of missions and earn more followers. Expect these to take the form of simple challenges such as speed runs and defeating a set number of evil knights. Later levels are likely to introduce slightly different play styles. We've even seen one that places Sonic atop a horse-drawn carriage, giving him the opportunity to fend off an ambush from a bunch of nimble assassins. We'd also be surprised if some of Sonic's woodland chums didn't turn up recast in roles that fit the new setting. We haven't seen anything quite as incongruous as The Secret Rings' dinosaurs yet, but hey, there's still time for all kinds of new things to be included.

Sonic And The Black Knight doesn't yet seem to offer anything far beyond what we've already glimpsed in Sonic Unleashed. But the fact that it's a follow-up to arguably the best hedgehog spin-off ever made is an encouraging thought. If this game lives up to expectations, the Storybook series could, just like Sonic in most of his games, run and run. If it does, Sonic old pal, we can safely say that it looks like the knighthood is in the bag. Watch out for more hedgehog-related info in future issues.


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Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:52:10
The preview guy already wants to hate on it. Sounds good to me.
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Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:54:22

I think he's just worried that the speed is being broken up. How many 3-D sonic games have there been now? I think it's about time Sega got it right, they must be learning by now. Unleashed has nearly everyone saying the same thing, the werehog is shite. They must test these things right?

As I said before, it's time to start using sonic as a great character and insert his world into a great design. They need to forget about this 3-D emulation of something that worked in 2-d better: speed. Copy mario galaxy in that it periodically switched to a 2-D perspective at times.

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Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:43:39

















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Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:25:46
How could I have let this go for so long?

*medieval

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