Could a Sonic game work without the Chaos Emeralds?

[HellCat]

A few weeks ago I completed Shadow the Hedgehog. As I'm sure most folks know, the plot of the game has Shadow hunting down the Chaos Emeralds in the belief they'll restore his memory and them later playing a part in the last story. Question is, after 15 years, is it time to give the Emeralds a rest?
I'm not saying completly scrap them but since the plot driven games of Sonic Adventure, the Emeralds are always key to the plot. In Adventure sure, it made sense with the story. But with each subsequent game it gets repetetive. For that matter, why does Sonic never keep hold of them like Sonic 3 established he did after Sonic 2?
Sure, the Chaos Emeralds are one of the oldest parts of Sonic mythology but it might be nice just for a game or two to not have the fate of the world hinge on them or Super forms (or at the very least, give Super Sonic some new tricks. Heck knows he's absorbed the Chaos energy enough times to justify some mutation).

[Lord Dalek]

Well, Sonic CD doesn't have the Chaos Emeralds and everyone generally considers that one to be the best of the franchise.

[HellCat]

Well, Sonic CD doesn't have the Chaos Emeralds and everyone generally considers that one to be the best of the franchise.

True, but the Time Stones are basically the Emeralds in concept.

[Kenshirou]

^^ Yup. Although I <3 Sonic CD. Anyways, since the Emeralds are intertwined with most of the story much like the Dragon Balls of the Dragon Ball series, you can't really get rid of them. They don't neccesarily have to play as big a part, but I feel they should always be there in the game itself.

[Lord Dalek]

True, but the Time Stones are basically the Emeralds in concept....Except they don't do jack. The real incentive in that game is to blow up Eggman's time machines.

[HellCat]

...Except they don't do jack. The real incentive in that game is to blow up Eggman's time machines.

They auto correct the damage Eggman had done to history, because they give Sonic control of time.

[Lord Dalek]

They auto correct the damage Eggman had done to history, because they give Sonic control of time.No they don't, you still have to "Make a good future in Act X" everytime + get the time stones to beat the game. Doing one without the other still gets you the bad ending.

And since the past time machines whipe out the badniks in each Act plus make Eggman a whimp in Act 3 then they are the most important.

[HellCat]

No they don't, you still have to "Make a good future in Act X" everytime + get the time stones to beat the game. Doing one without the other still gets you the bad ending.

And since the past time machines whipe out the badniks in each Act plus make Eggman a whimp in Act 3 then they are the most important.

Most strategy guides/FAQs I've read have said getting the Time Stones nullifies having to go destroy the generators and as a result gives you the good ending. If this is a lesser good ending (like completing S3&K with the Chaos but not Super Emeralds) I don't know. I've personally only completed the game once with only one or two Time Stones.

[HellCat]

After viewing it's cutscenes, Riders seems to have a more relaxed attitude to the Emeralds. One more reason for me to pick it up.

[Artimus Gigan]

After viewing it's cutscenes, Riders seems to have a more relaxed attitude to the Emeralds. One more reason for me to pick it up.
Yeah but you don't do much riding

you have to keep a constant supply of air, and once you lose it you're done

it's not like Wipeout or FZero or even SSX(which I thought it would play like)

the entire air/extreme system is apparently flawed in SR, you can't reallly race all that good.

I'd wait to pick this up with a Dual pack with Shadow or Heros, both Sonic Adventure games can be found together for 10 bucks and the same goes for Heros and Sonic Mega Collection, so I wouldn't really buy it new.

[HellCat]

Yeah but you don't do much riding

you have to keep a constant supply of air, and once you lose it you're done

it's not like Wipeout or FZero or even SSX(which I thought it would play like)

the entire air/extreme system is apparently flawed in SR, you can't reallly race all that good.

I'd wait to pick this up with a Dual pack with Shadow or Heros, both Sonic Adventure games can be found together for 10 bucks and the same goes for Heros and Sonic Mega Collection, so I wouldn't really buy it new.

I'm pretty current with the games (still need to get Sonic Battle though). Shadow quickly shot down in price within a month but Riders seems to be getting better reactions.

[Artimus Gigan]

I'm pretty current with the games (still need to get Sonic Battle though). Shadow quickly shot down in price within a month but Riders seems to be getting better reactions. Riders is scoring in the high 60's which is slightly worse than Sonic Heros, Shadow has the lowest scores out of the new Sonic games, but there is bound to be double(or triple) packs down the line to clear inventory. There's also Sonic Gems which is probably going to be put in one of these packs as well.

Sofar the best recent hands down good Sonic game is the one for the DS

[HellCat]

Riders is scoring in the high 60's which is slightly worse than Sonic Heros

Fan reaction I've seen has been generally positive, especially from the old timers like myself who miss the fun and are tired of every one of the games now being a melodramatic epic. Plus, although it doesn't factor much on the gameplay, the voice acting seems much improved over Shadow.

[Artimus Gigan]

Fan reaction I've seen has been generally positive, especially from the old timers like myself who miss the fun and are tired of every one of the games now being a melodramatic epic. Plus, although it doesn't factor much on the gameplay, the voice acting seems much improved over Shadow.
Meh I have Sonic 1,2,3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, and Knuckles Chaotix, and though I too want a good series of sonic games. Riders just isn't apparently cutting it even close, it seems that Adventures 1 and 2 made it an epic. Heros and Shadow were just basically junk.

I think what really ruined the series was the introduction of too many useless characters, they made too many and tried to give them a fair shake(i.e. biggs the cat) but their quests seemed to take away from the intial core gameplay of sonic.

Allthough once I get the funds, I plan on picking up Gems, because I never played Sonic CD and Fighters seems to be an interesting former japanese exclusive(I rmemeber reading about it when it first came out and always wanted to play it)

[Lord Dalek]

Yeah Sega/Sonic Team really hasn't figured out yet that people like old-school Sonic titles like the Genesis and Advance games because they aren't heavy in illogical RPG nonsense. This is why they continually get grades in the upper 80's-90's and the quality of the quality of their 128 bit cousins gradually deteriorate.

[HellCat]

Definetly agree on the characters. Each game we're getting more and than that just means even more characters who have to appear. Heck, even though she's one of the oldest, I could do with a break from Amy's fangirlishness. It was nice to see her back in Adventure but the joke with her just isn't funny. I hope Yuji Naka keeps his word on taking the next game back to the "Sonic alone vs Eggman" roots.

As for Gems- good compilation. Fighters is a fun little game and unlocking Super Sonic in it takes skill.

[Duke]

I'd wait to pick this up with a Dual pack with Shadow or Heros, both Sonic Adventure games can be found together for 10 bucks and the same goes for Heros and Sonic Mega Collection, so I wouldn't really buy it new.
The time I've seen these "Dual-packs" have been TRU, and Shadow's still $50 there.

Fighters seems to be an interesting former japanese exclusive(I rmemeber reading about it when it first came out and always wanted to play it)
Actually, it was never Japan-exclusive. I remember playing an English version about 5 years or so ago in San Diego. It's a really simple fighter, but it's decent. I actually wouldn't mind if Sonic Team made a sequel.

[Bubblegum Girl]

Knuckle's Chaotix didn't have Chaos Emeralds. It had Chaos Rings. ;)

[Artimus Gigan]

The time I've seen these "Dual-packs" have been TRU, and Shadow's still $50 there.


May just be store specific, Shadow seems to be bargain priced last I rmember

It could eventually happen that they make more multipacks, allthough that TRU 10 dollar sale clearned alot of inventory out, those duo packs are 10 bucks each, so each game ran around 5 bucks. Mostly though I see Sonic Heros/Mega Collection, Sonic DX/Mega Collection, Sonic DX/Heros, I think Sonic DX/Adventure Battle is the hardest to comeby though. But All things considered those were all the recent Sonic console games. Being that the others were pretty much Meh there's a good chance that this could happen for them as well.

[Duke]

May just be store specific, Shadow seems to be bargain priced last I rmember
Where, exactly? The lowest I've seen is $40.

[Artimus Gigan]

Where, exactly? The lowest I've seen is $40.
They may have had a sale ATT, because I distinctly rmember seeing it for 30 at TRU(then again TRU doesn't always seem to mark their prices clearly at the ones by me, and in some cases they mislabel things)


but checking Amazon they sell it for 40 and GS sells it for 50

[HellCat]

In ye olde England, the game can go as little as £17

[Duke]

In ye olde England, the game can go as little as £17
If only the shipping costs to here weren't murder. :P