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| SonicKi Demo
Review, by Sonic360: The Spriteman makes a game SonicKi is the first attempt at a fangame by the well-known (and might I say very good) spriter, Showoffboy. Being a first attempt you'd think this was most likely a novice-standard game lurking at the bottom of the pile of fan games in terms of quality. Most first attempts are usually bad because the creator has usually had no prior experience at making fan games. This is exactly what I was thinking when I opened SonicKi. Luckily, I was in for a very large shock. The Curse has been broken The first thing you'll notice in SonicKi is the graphics. The level reuses old background objects to create an entirely new zone. Using a combination of a rainforest background (Angel Island zone) and a woodland foreground (Wood zone) and adding a touch of some completely new original graphics you get something which keeps the theme of the level all the way through. The new graphics which have been included match the other objects almost perfectly. Grind poles, vines and woodtubes have all been given that jungle look which suits the level very well. Even the badnik sprites are completely new. Instead of relying on previous badniks used in the old Genesis Sonic games you have a very accurately drawn Gun robot from SA2. As you'd expect from a renowned spriter, the SonicKi sprite is something to gawk at. It is clean, crisp and animates very smoothly. You'd be forgiven for thinking this was a perfect 3D to 2D conversion of the 3D Sonic model used in SA2. The jump, run and roll animations all look the same. I was amazed at how well the sprite mirrored the sleak and cool look of our spiked blue friend in his latest 3D incarnation. Use the Ki Sonic, use the Ki! In terms of gameplay, SonicKi doesn't disappoint. All of Sonic's basic moves are there, with the addition of the very original and somewhat interesting 'Ki' power. When attempting to Spindash a blue flame appears around Sonic with the Ki meter in the top left hand corner rapidly increasing. Once a the meter surpasses a certain amount you'll notice a blur effect on the sprite and ability to perform a double jump. This comes in very handy as certain parts of the level require you to double jump up a ledge, or double jump across spikes. Speed pads and grinding rails have been so carefully positioned you can make use of them almost anywhere and do something which I personally love - multi grind. There a certain parts where grind rails/vines allow you literally grind and jump your way through segments of the level with ease. Ontop of this, signposts are generously located wherever a grind vine, enemy or other object are close by. Despite there being a large window increasing the much needed viewing distance, some things are just too far away to see meaning you could awkwardly collide with a robot which appears out of nowhere, or miss a grind vine you'd wish you'd use. Fortunately, the signposts remedy this problem giving you a better experience of the game. It can't all be good, can it? No game is without its problems, and SonicKi is no exception. One thing I noticed was that there a quite a few little glitches in SonicKi, but no major problems. This is very fortunate, as most of the bugs encountered can easily be fixed, and I'd expect that Showoffboy has remedied most of the problems by now. But still, the problems have to be noted. The first thing I noticed was the lack of control on springs. Trying to get on ledges via springs becomes very tedious when at the end of a spring jump the character won't move. Although it is possible to move after a spring jump, there is still a certain stiffness which is very frustrating. Next, is the one problem that plagues too many fangames. The culprit of course being...stopdead. The speed pads and grind rails actually do quite alot to make the game as fast flowing as possible, but despite their help, the stopdead destroys what could have been very fast fluidic gameplay. Lastly, there is the problem of getting stuck in walls. It is a well-known fact that it is caused by the platform engine included in TGF/Cnc/MMF and not the actual creator. The reason why I am stating it, is because at the end of the demo, a spring propels you onto the ledge with the giant gold ring and each time I hit the spring I got stuck in the wood panel object to the top left of the ring. Even though getting stuck in walls is a rare occurance, when it happens (especially when your mere inches away from the end) you just want to do something 'unpleasant' to someone. The final verdict Graphics - 8.5 Despite being a remix of old backgrounds, the new graphics and the way the whole level stays in theme just makes you want to stare in admiration. Gameplay - 8.0 The 'Ki' brings a nice innovative change and the use of grinding is some of the best I've seen but the lack of control on springs and stopdead problem bring it down slightly. Music - 9.0 The music suits the level so well you just can't help but keep on playing. All the classic sound effects are there too. Lifespan - 8.0 The great level design, carefully positioned grind rails and power pads create a game that you just can't help playing again and again. Final comment - Despite the problems, SonicKi is a joy to play and a gem to look at, good work Showoffboy. Sfghq grade - B+ |
