• Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,754
I don't feel very strongly about bosses in Sonic games, I agree. The final bosses usually make for good set pieces, but they're not that hard. I was obsessed with Finalhazard in SA2 as a kid though, I think the space setting + Super Sonic + Live & Learn etched a permanent mark on my childhood mind.

I will say though, I think bosses in platformers are usually mediocre all around so I don't think this is a problem exclusive to Sonic. Mario has this problem too, so does Rayman. Tropical Freeze is the only platformer I'd argue had some pretty good bosses (no coincidence since Retro also made the greatest boss battle of all time with Prime 2's Quadraxis), but even then many people will argue that some of those bosses went on too long. When I think of my favorite bosses in video games, almost none of them are from platformers.
 

Bomblord

Self-requested ban
Banned
Jan 11, 2018
6,390
Almost literally impossible on Game Gear with the restricted view distance
 

fontguy

Avenger
Oct 8, 2018
16,151
Honestly the only point I was trying to make was that Sonic bosses have just never been that good anyway.

I don't really want to get in a big debate about whether or not it's the same thing because the patterns are replicated in various ways, but I just never cared that much for the bosses in any classic game outside of maybe CD where they only take 3-4 hits and don't overstay their welcome. I never saw Mania as a huge departure from the way the Genesis bosses were designed, particularly with how much was recognizable from those Genesis titles.

Like I said, you can recognize bits and pieces but the way they're put together kinda makes all the difference, and I think that applies here. Sonic Generations was (occasionally) masterful in this regard.

I guess all I really need to say to convey my position is this: S3&K is among my all time favorite games, whereas I don't really care for Sonic Mania.
 

ckareset

Attempted to circumvent ban with an alt account
Banned
Feb 2, 2018
4,977
It's very strange how people always make sweeping generalizations about the Sonic series. I honestly don't get it, people will play one game, watch one video, maybe even a commercial and make declarations about the entire series. It's how we got people hyping up sonic 4 as a return to form, or people that still think sonic friends are playable. Very annoying. Mania has a few aggressive bosses that seemingly took post hit invincibility into account but not really the norm for the series and not enough to declare sonic bosses trash.
 
Last edited:

fontguy

Avenger
Oct 8, 2018
16,151
It's very strange how people always make sweeping generalizations about the Sonic series. I honestly don't get it, people will play one game, watch one video, maybe even a commercial and make declarations about the entire series. It's how we got people hyping up sonic 4 as a return to form, or people that still think sonic friends are playable. Very annoying. Mania has a few aggressive bosses that seemingly took post hit invincibility into account but not really the norm for the series and not enough to declare sonic bosses trash.

I noticed a lot of game critics who maintained that Sonic was never good just so happened to really enjoy Sonic Mania. Them and people who strongly prefer CD (my least favorite of that era) to the other classics.

I so often wonder what it is about our brains that works so differently.
 

andymcc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,271
Columbus, OH
I noticed a lot of game critics who maintained that Sonic was never good just so happened to really enjoy Sonic Mania. Them and people who strongly prefer CD (my least favorite of that era) to the other classics.

I so often wonder what it is about our brains that works so differently.

Sonic CD is my favorite. Pick my brain if you want lol
 

Vidiot

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,454
I thought most were great in Mania. Can't agree here at all but to each their own.
 

Laxoon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,831
Maybe I've just gotten really good at collecting my rings back after a hit idk. I can imagine ppl finding it stressful but you kinda get used to spindashing across the ground to collect your rings again, timing it with their bounces.

When I see people play Sonic often times I notice how little people utilize spindashes, I can blast out one quick dash and get where I wanna be to save my ass or get a hit in and it feels great.
 

Dark Ninja

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,070
I agree the bosses at Sega in charge of Sonic are mishandling the franchise by putting out mediocre titles that scrap all the work of the previous entry instead of building on them to get a better game. How a Sonic Mania sequel wasn't immediately green-lit after the success of both commercially and critically is mind-boggling.
 

Deleted member 33571

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 17, 2017
907
A couple times a year I think "ok, I'll play through sonic mania for a second time" and then I get up to the dumb helicopter boss in the studio zone and get a game over and give up. I think I have like 4 save files at that point in the game now.
 

ffdgh

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,893
The Mushroom Kingdom
Sonic bosses are never too hard most of the time. There are a few that are just plain infuriating though.
Scz_boss.png
 
Nov 17, 2017
12,864
I really liked the runner bosses in Sonic Advance 2. I think it works best for Sonic to be running while fighting a boss as it just suits him and the gameplay than being in a small arena.

The bosses are probably my least favorite thing about Sonic games, I agree. That's partially why my favorite boss in the entire series is the race with metal sonic: it's a boss that is simply more level.
My favorite version of this is the Perfect Chaos boss fight from Sonic Generations.



Actually I think Sonic Generations had some of the best bosses in the series (Metal Sonic, Shadow, Silver, Egg Dragoon) but also unfortunately one of the worst(Time Eater).
 

Roliq

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Sep 23, 2018
6,179
At least the bosses of Mania look and attack different unlike 2D Mario, like seriously what's the point of giving the Koopalings different attacks if each time you jump on them (which you can do 5 seconds in the fight) they do the same thing: spin around, get out, get hit, repeat
 

Sixfortyfive

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,615
Atlanta
At least the bosses of Mania look and attack different unlike 2D Mario, like seriously what's the point of giving the Koopalings different attacks if each time you jump on them (which you can do 5 seconds in the fight) they do the same thing: spin around, get out, get hit, repeat
It was especially illuminating to have played through both Sonic Mania and Mario Odyssey for the first time at roughly the same time. When a typical Mario boss more or less draws a big obvious X on the weak point and barely obstructs your ability to hit it, it was refreshing to play a platformer that asked you to actually learn and think about a few patterns at the very least.
 

Garrod Ran

self-requested ban
Banned
Mar 23, 2018
16,203
i can't actually think of a 2D sonic boss i legitimately enjoy

Generations had some slick ones though, Silver's managed to redeem his whole existence
 

Gelf

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,294
I like them in the main. Mania does has too many of the on the run bosses which I was never a huge fan of though. A major reason I don't like Sonic Advance 2, it's all running bosses.
 

Gelf

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,294
There are only 2, and it's debatable as to whether one of those actually counts.
My memory was failing me so I looked up a boss run. I was only half remembering, it's not just the all out running type but generally bosses that have a scrolling portion rather than just being set in a more static arena.
 

Horohorohoro

Member
Jan 28, 2019
6,723
It's very strange how people always make sweeping generalizations about the Sonic series. I honestly don't get it, people will play one game, watch one video, maybe even a commercial and make declarations about the entire series. It's how we got people hyping up sonic 4 as a return to form, or people that still think sonic friends are playable. Very annoying. Mania has a few aggressive bosses that seemingly took post hit invincibility into account but not really the norm for the series and not enough to declare sonic bosses trash.
People generally do whatever it takes to dunk on even the good Sonic games. It's why we have such a prevalent amount of people on the internet exclaiming "Sonic was never good!" as of late. I don't think Mania is absolutely perfect but I never once thought the boss fights were absolutely awful like some people in this thread. I just don't get it. The boss fights ranged from average to good, nothing really felt, like, bad, y'know?
 

RagnarokX

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,754
The premise of this thread is bad. Sonic Mania's weakest point is the bosses and doesn't reflect the Classic games well. The best boss in the game is Weather Eggman from Studiopolis Act 2, which is the closest to a classic Eggman boss. Sonic bosses work best when they're Eggman with something attached to his Eggmobile and you can beat him as fast as you can. Mania tries to do way too much with most bosses.