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Sonic Robo Blast 2 (3D Sonic fangame in development for 20+ years) releases huge new update. [New July 2020 update.]

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TheCongressman

TheCongressman

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,064
It's incredible the amount of work they have done on such a restrictive engine. I'm in awe.

This game was a huge part of my adolescence. It feels so surreal to see it like this.
 
Camjo-Z

Camjo-Z

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,499
Must have been at least 10 years since I last played this, time to finally jump back in. I gave SRB2 Kart a try earlier and was shocked at how good it was, had more fun messing around online with that than I did with the Kartrider Drift beta.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Unicorn said:
Just played about 30 minutes (and 1 TT of the Kart racer). The NiGHTS bonus stage are like a dream for a NiGHTS fan that has been forgotten since the first game and disgraced since the Wii game.

I will try the 3D model pack, but I feel like the lack of a circle shadow is making platforming hard (as well as gaining momentum and speed AFTER jumping). Psychonauts had the same issue with not having a drop shadow to mark my landing - hard to tell where I am in the space, especially going fast.

Edit: Oh, that 3D model pack has a drop shadow in the trailer...
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The unlockable NiGHTS stages are far more like the original game than the Sonic-ified special stages (it uses the original graphics and sound effects, it does the whole multi-loop orb collecting thing, etc.) The only problem for you is you have to beat the main game before you can start unlocking them.

If you end up not finishing the game, the wiki will probably be updated with the right console cheats at some point so that you can skip to any level.
 
Gradon

Gradon

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,461
UK
Oh man, a huge new update? I first played this 13 years ago. It was literally my pre-teenhood. I absolutely loved it, and it's the best fangame to ever exist.

When I started playing there was barely any zones, Invader Zim was a character that had no animation, Knuckles sprites were bad. My favourite zone Deep Sea didn't exist yet. Castle Eggman was 1000% different than the 2.0 version.

I played SRB2 online almost everyday for 2 years.

I love that Sonic Team Jr have still been working on it.
 
kurt

kurt

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,747
Yep this is al more what a 3d sonic should be.... But it feels (again) to floaty
 
Laxoon

Laxoon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,829
Ok actually got it loaded up and damn I was wrong about the sprites looking wrong, did they update them too? I don't remember them looking this smooth. Game's so much improved.
Unknownlight said:


If it's not compatible yet, it definitely will be soon.

(Man, those levels look hilariously outdated after playing 2.2.)
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Yeah that's the one, would still love to play the game with these but after what I've been seeing it definitely needs to be updated cause there's lotsa new stuff.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Laxoon said:
Ok actually got it loaded up and damn I was wrong about the sprites looking wrong, did they update them too? I don't remember them looking this smooth. Game's so much improved.
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Yeah, all character sprites (and many others) were remade for the update.

They polished up so many things. They really seem to be treating it like a professional game. You can even enable subtitles for sound effects! (Even though off the top of my head I can't think of any time where it would be needed...)

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Deleted member 2474

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,318
really a huge disservice calling this 2.2. this is 3.0. they redid SO much shit, even stuff that hadn't been touched in like 15 years. goddamn.
 
EdibleKnife

EdibleKnife

Member
Oct 29, 2017
7,723
If you asked me when I was first playing Mario 64 what an N64 3D Sonic would look like, this is what'd come to mind. Looks great!
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Nov 2, 2017
10,539
detuned radios said:
really a huge disservice calling this 2.2. this is 3.0. they redid SO much shit, even stuff that hadn't been touched in like 15 years. goddamn.
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It was honestly so weird to play through such a wildly unfamiliar game, and then get to Egg Rock Zone and discover that it was the same shit it's been since 2009.

It wasn't a bad thing; oddly, it kind of felt like a victory lap. But man does it feel dated. Once upon a time that zone stood above the rest as the most advanced level in the game, but it feels kind of rough and unpolished now. The zoom tubes have got to go.

It's not the oldest part of the main campaign though. That honor goes to the Techno Hill boss which has remained almost completely unchanged since 2003! Why fix what ain't broken?
 
Zephy

Zephy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,160
I'd never heard of it before now, but it looks nice, you made me want to try it OP.
 

Deleted member 21709

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
23,310
It looks amazing. I love the combination of high-res 2D sprites on 3D levels. (what was the PS3 JRPG that had this aesthetic?)

This should become an official Sonic game.

It kind of looks like a never-released Saturn title.
 
jman2050

jman2050

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
5,784
I remember the decade-and-a-half-long refrain that slopes would never be a thing because the Doom engine doesn't have them and it'd require way too much work to implement them.

To be fair I doubt anyone involved thought they'd have 20 years to try.
 
Ashlette

Ashlette

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,254
Just started playing through this, the revamped deep sea zone music is amazing overall.
 
The Anonymous Wizard

The Anonymous Wizard

Member
Sep 28, 2018
1,073
The endless dedication of hackers, modders and fan game developers in the Sonic community never fails to amaze me.

There must be something about the physics and momentum style gameplay of the classic Sonic games that drives people to want to get into it... Couple that with SEGA's willingness to allow or even support fan creations and their unwillingness to return to the formula of the classic game for so long and you have a recipe for creativity.
 
Unicorn

Unicorn

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
9,507
Honestly if they changed it so you don't gain momentum while in the air (but still allow slowing down) I wouldn't have any complaints. The acceleration while in air (not the Thonk or w/e) is the only thing frustrating me due to platforming. I bet gyro with the steam controller would work really well for this too.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 2, 2017
10,539
fontguy said:
What the fuck. What the fuck.
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EVA UNIT 01 said:
What in the fuck
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Great minds think alike?

Unicorn said:
Honestly if they changed it so you don't gain momentum while in the air (but still allow slowing down) I wouldn't have any complaints. The acceleration while in air (not the Thonk or w/e) is the only thing frustrating me due to platforming. I bet gyro with the steam controller would work really well for this too.
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You might want to experiment with turning auto-brake off. What I think is going on is that auto-brake is slowing you down in the air, so you instinctively try to hold forward to keep your current speed, and instead you accelerate forward.
 
Unicorn

Unicorn

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Oct 29, 2017
9,507
I'll try that, but I'm honestly too hooked on SRB2 Kart to head back to that yet.
 
Tailzo

Tailzo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,910
For playing this game on a handheld, is the 3ds or vita version most up to date?
 
Pasokon Deacon

Pasokon Deacon

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Oct 25, 2017
1,686
Devil Halton's Trap
jman2050 said:
I remember the decade-and-a-half-long refrain that slopes would never be a thing because the Doom engine doesn't have them and it'd require way too much work to implement them.

To be fair I doubt anyone involved thought they'd have 20 years to try.
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Doom Legacy's also a generally outdated Doom source port by now, with slopes and room-over-room features found much earlier in other source ports before now (mainly the ZDoom family). I wonder if and when loops can become part of the SRB2 level design repertoire, assuming they're possible at all. Then again, the maps made for this mod show how much you don't need loops in order to have great 3D Sonic levels.
 
Sacul64

Sacul64

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 27, 2017
6,749
Made it past the egg castle boss, like the willey coyote stage. Hated red mountain with a passion the space level was mostly ok but the gravity gimmick was inconsistent with how it worked and the one time it changes every jump you make I would have it not switch at times. I have now lost over 50 lives on Black Core and have wanted to toss my wired controller across the room. The two difficulty spikes I have hit aside I like the game but its probably been over a decade since a game has made me as made as this one is.
 
Vibed

Vibed

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
1,504
Man this game was my life between 2007-2008 with version 1.9.4. Basically the only game I ever played online every day, and the WADs were all wonderful. I've tried it at various points after that and it's amazing how much it's grown. When you get used to the controls its probably one of the best 3D Sonics out there, fan game or official.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Nov 2, 2017
10,539
BlazeHedgehog made excellent Steam Library custom art for the game.

BlazeHedgehog said:
Sonic Robo-Blast 2
SWl3IdB.png
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Sacul64 said:
Made it past the egg castle boss, like the willey coyote stage. Hated red mountain with a passion the space level was mostly ok but the gravity gimmick was inconsistent with how it worked and the one time it changes every jump you make I would have it not switch at times. I have now lost over 50 lives on Black Core and have wanted to toss my wired controller across the room. The two difficulty spikes I have hit aside I like the game but its probably been over a decade since a game has made me as made as this one is.
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Look on the bright side: In previous versions of the game, getting a Game Over on the Metal Sonic race would bump you all the way back to the beginning of Egg Rock. :P Now you get infinite tries.
 
Goomy

Goomy

Banned
Aug 31, 2019
88
Damn, this looks awesome. Surprised that I've never heard of this game, not even back when I frequented the Sonic Retro forums.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Member
Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Sacul64 said:
On the other brightside complaining about a part here lets me clear it in less then 5 tries.
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Congrats! Of course, there's a lot more to do after beating the game. One playthrough may not take particularly long (not unlike the classic Sonic games), but seeing everything will take you dozens and dozens of hours.

lnopYaK.png
 
evilromero

evilromero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,365
Kart racing looks dope. This is exactly what Sega should've gone for on the Genesis even if it would have to be drastically scaled back. Or maybe on the Sega CD with its scaling and rotation effects.
 

Deleted member 9035

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,686
This thread is kinda blowing my mind. It's like a peek into an alternate history where sonic made the transition to 3D without sucking. Feels so weird!
 
Jamesac68

Jamesac68

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,376
It's weird to realize that, as long as it's been since opening utorrent, I had no idea if it was even still installed on this machine. :)
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Jamesac68 said:
It's weird to realize that, as long as it's been since opening utorrent, I had no idea if it was even still installed on this machine. :)
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I do find it amusing that the reason they launched the update as a torrent was to try to keep the website from crashing... and it keeps on going down anyway.

At some point once the rush of people subsides they'll replace the torrent with a direct download, but that's probably a week away or more.
 
Veldin

Veldin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,181
Deep Sea Zone is astounding to me in how good it looks and plays. The lighting and underwater warping effects look great and the multiple paths through both acts are significantly diverse in design. Music is very fitting too.

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Dartastic

Dartastic

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Oct 25, 2017
3,779
This is legitimately really cool. I wish the camera and movement were tweaked a bit, because the general design makes sense. It feels like Sonic, but designed like a Spyro game almost? Good stuff. Gonna keep playing.
 
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Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Dartastic said:
This is legitimately really cool. I wish the camera and movement were tweaked a bit, because the general design makes sense. It feels like Sonic, but designed like a Spyro game almost? Good stuff. Gonna keep playing.
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...Huh. I'd never considered that before. I think you're right, there are definitely some similarities.

That's so weird. I really love Spyro 1 in particular, and describing SRB2 as a fast-paced non-collectathon version of Spyro rings true to me. (Disregarding that SRB2 predates Spyro, of course.)
 
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