Article Date: 20 July 2016

Article Number: 3

The smooth flowing, momentum based physics, and how the characters collide with surfaces, are one of the most crucial aspects of the classic Sonic games. It’s all well and good having loops, ramps, curvatures and half-pipe structures, but without the physics and collision to work with them satisfyingly, it can all fall apart. It is thus essential that Sonic 5 adopts Sonic 3 & Knuckles’ physics engine and collision detection.

Accessibility isn’t just about giving various gameplay choices in terms of characters and save files, it’s also about being easy to use for a wide audience. To appeal to more people, Sonic 5 will feature large font, high contrast modes for the H.U.D., menus, and other text; colour labels for Emeralds; and audio level boosting.

Multiple paths and hidden goodies, combined with a rich roster of gimmicks and badniks unique to each Zone, all brought together with a smooth flow of speed and platforming. This kind of level design in Sonic 3 & Knuckles will be returning in Sonic 5, with more elemental shields and a new Bonus Board to boot.

Sonic 2 introduced the ability to choose playable character combinations, as well as items that appear in 2 Player VS mode. Sonic 3 & Knuckles expanded upon this in Competition mode, by adding Grand Prix, Match Race and Time Attack options. In Sonic 5, everything from installation to controls will be highly customisable.

Community recognition is very important, and particularly so for what this game aims to achieve. As such, things like constructive feedback on the project, and the ability for people to play together, mean a lot to me. Sonic 5 will sport online and offline multiplayer, along with a variety of match types and objectives.

The aesthetic approach of Sonic 5 will primarily take after Sonic 3 & Knuckles, with semi-realistic visuals boldly contrasting against the Sonic characters’ cartoony designs. There will also be more fantastical graphical cues inspired from Sonic CD, in addition to dynamic décor and intricately detailed environments.

The Act-specific level and boss tracks of Sonic 3 & Knuckles make the game musically stand out among other classic Sonic entries. It also executed impressive usage of 16-bit capabilities. Sonic 5 will follow in Sonic 3 & Knuckles’ footsteps, with a 16-bit soundtrack and further expansion on context-specific audio playback.