Well, without the Sonic knowledge I have today, I try and see what happens by taking the series into a different direction. I would do a more speed oriented game called Sonic Velocity, and see what the fans think. The next game would be "Knuckles Adventure" where something would happen to the Master Emerald and you would play as Knuckles to try and save it.

Next I would do the SatAM game. Then maybe another SatAM game depending on how good that one did, and then pick up the Velocity series again... then I WOULDN'T do Sonic Adventure... somethin else

Mr Socks, you would honestly do a SatAM game? Maybe 2? The whole there's too many pointless characters in the Sonic franchise memo completely missed you? Especially seeing as you would be playing as some megalomaniac squirrel princess's lackey.

What I would do if I was in charge of the Sega, you say? I would get myself a rag tag group of game developers featuring The Undertaker.

I would (despite my objections) develop a successor to Sonic Unleashed/World Adventure. Drop the Werehog from a cliff on to spikes. The story is simple: Robotnik is capturing animals and putting them into robots. You must stop him.

Levels would be: Tokyo/Las Vagas Hybrid, London ripoff, Abu Dhabi ripoff (skyscrapers appearing from nowhere in the sand), Some mountain range, Brazil Rip off, Some Volcano island thing, France countryside thing ripoff?, Return to Angel Island for some reason and the Moon. (Of course the Moon.) And an underwater level. Plus a proper successor to Adventure!Sky Chase.

Day would be unchanged from Sonic Unleashed, where as Night time would see you play as Sonic in similar stages. Possibly with more 3D puzzle solving elements.

Pretty much every Sonic character would cameo. Shadow, Blaze, Amy and Metal Sonic would be unlockable skins DLC.

Achievements for trying to put level select cheats into the sound test and title screen.

While this is going on development would also be developing on a proper 3D Sonic game engine with momentum and gorgeous scenery based on the classic games, with fully explorable levels. Only using Sonic rip offs and Silver (because I have an ego complex, I can make him good.) I would design a simple game. Blaze would have the boost button and tricks, Shadow would have proper Halo style controlled vehicles and Metal Sonic would be the best character in the game. All would have a super form. So yes, you would get a proper look at Neo Metal Sonic.

Sequels would involve trying to bring in more playable characters but good, certainly Espio would be like the invisible Prince of Persia, Knuckles is Knuckles, Tails would be Sonic Adventure!Tails with bombs, Rouge is Tails and Knuckles put together with ceiling climb, Amy would kinda play like Mario I suppose. With hammers.

Then Sonic alone game. And it would be better than Mario Galaxy. In my mind it would be. And it could.

Possible Sonic Heroes style game in one of those sandbox game things. 4 Player teams and online co op possible.

Then I would leave Sega until they gave me a Ferrari.

YAY PRODUCER CREDIT.

Sonic Riders 3. It'll be good.

John, that last sentance was the shiz, man! XDD

Hukos, you've clearly forgotten Knuckles' Chaotix and Sonic 3D. Sure they aren't shining examples, but they were proper big adventure platformers.

Anyway, to answer the original intended question (what would you do in the five year gap between S3&K and SA), I would have shot Yuji Naka in the face until he gave me the Nights engine so I could do Sonic X-Treme. Failing that and I accidently kill Naka, I would have seen the demo of Sonic Jam's "Sonic's World" area and stood up and said "F***! This should be an entire game!" It would've been done and it would've given Super Mario 64 a run for its money.

On the flip-side, to answer in the style that everyone else will be doing (what would you do as head of Sega NOW):

• I would make a Sonic Adventure 3 building on the physics of SA2, and fiction-wise I would make it re-write Sonic'06 (Shadow's a G.U.N. agent) but G.U.N. would be a secretly evil organisation. [*]I would make more Sonic Rush games, which include more playable characters with only slight changes in gameplay i.e. Knuckles takes more subterrainian routes/Tails can call upon his walker-mech for brief periods/<insert character name> has to do some scavenger hunting before reaching the goal ring etc. [*]A new Sonic R. In other words, another multiplayer racing game but without air-boards or other vehicles. Similar to the SA2 Sonic/Shadow 2-player mode. And unlockable alt-costumes! Also it'd use a control style like Unleashed's to allow for wicked awesome drifting. [*]A Knuckles and the Chaotix revival game akin to Chainspike's "Knuckles Adventure", but without such a derivitive title. Knucles breaks the M.E. for some reason again [*]Sonic Chronicles 2 with more of a melee-style combat system with commandable A.I. Party allowing for a little more strategy (a la Tales of Symphonia). Players won't be forced to use the stylus to control with, and bigger map area's to allow for a little more speed in the exploration parts. [*]Finally my pièce de résistance, ignoring all this hoo-haa over Project Needlemouse for a second, it has been a long-term dream of mine to see a console Sonic game that looks and feels like the Sonic CD cel-animation intro. Warioland: Shake Dimension has prooved that its now posible to have a 2D platformer that looks just like cel-animation. In fact Wario did more rolling in that game that Sonic does these days. So I would partner up with the almighty Toei and use those old character model-sheets to have a brief reprisal of the old Oshima style Sonic and let him run in a traditonal Sonic platfroming adventure with just a spin attack, spin dash and maybe the odd super peel-out at your disposal to save the day. Oh yeah, it with have 2D animated cutscenes too, and it'll be the best Sonic game ever. [/list:u:a6217f641b]Outside of the technical aspects of the games themselves:
  [*]I'd kill Silver [*]Tails would have a more prominant brotherly relationship with Sonic [*]Knuckles wouldn't be such a bafoon anymore [*]I'd fire 4Kids and their sh**y voice-actors and recast the originals. [*]I'd recast Aaron Dismuke as Tails... assuming he can still sound like a kid and his voice hasn't broken. [*]I'd get The Offspring as guest artists to provide some music for a game. Maybe the new Sonic R one. Yeah. Cool. [/list:u:a6217f641b]
   

I have not played Chaotix but I have played Sonic 3D. It was a fun game, but what I meant was preferably "Cannon" (But remember, I'm a pretentious dork about these kind of things, excuse me XD) adventure. Not sure if 3D is considered in the Canon series or not.

But eh, *Shrug*

Ah! I get you now. Nah, I supposed 3D isn't "canon" (as in, its never been referenced in other "canon" games). However, I don't think whether a game is canon or not effects its validity in relation to a rival franchise where canonicity is irrelivant. In fewer, less complicated words, Mario's never canon, so why does it matter with Sonic? Its just about the games on their own. That's where I was coming from anyway.

So, blue, since Deem Bristow is dead, would you keep Mike on board as Eggy? I'm not an big fan of Mario like I am Sonic so I don't know about console games, but there is some continuity in the Paper Mario series.

In Paper Mario-
The castle from SM64 is there
Luigi keeps a diary that foreshadows Luigi's Mansion and mentions Kart racing, Tennis, and Parties
Koopa Bros indirectly mentions PM as the sequel to SMRPG
Dry Dry Desert the course from Mario Kart Double Dash is based off an area with the same name in PM

In Paper Mario: TTYD-
A picture of Jr. Troopa is seen in an E-mail
Two e-mails mentions Toad Town (main hub world of the first Paper Mario)
Bow and Butler, allies in Paper Mario, appear after you beat the final boss
Parakarry, one of Mario's partners in PM, made an appearance
Other miscellaneous characters/areas from Paper Mario 1 are mentioned throughout the game
A Hammer Bro mentions that his grandfather was a enemy in World 7-1
Bean people from Superstar Saga also appear in this game

In Super Paper Mario-
Cards of ALL the partners in the first two games can be obtained

I'd do a game based more around Knuckles just for the chuckles lol

And maybe take a shot at another Tails game. I know its possible to make a good one. I'd be one of those people who try to integrate story into the games but I'd try a lot harder to keep things streamlined.

A new Sonic Riders because we all know we love those quirky fun time Babylon Rogues! And just to piss people off I'd FIND a way to get the werehog into the game and make him fun to play.

EDIT: Actually the werehog would just be an unlockable in Riders 3 and probably in Sonic Adventure 3 as well. I'd bring back Station Square because I love it.

Yes, John, I would do the SaTAM game with possibly MORE than 1 sequels. The Archie characters would STAY in that series and no characters from outised would be in, either. Why? Because I think it's a cool looking untapped style of gameplay. I guess you could do it without the SaTAM parts but, well, the two just work. It would be pretty sweet on the DS/DSi NOW adays. It just looks awesome.

wait forget what I said before.

If I were in charge of Sega.....

Big's Totally Awsome Fishing Adventure. Nuff said.

So, blue, since Deem Bristow is dead, would you keep Mike on board as Eggy? I'm not an big fan of Mario like I am Sonic so I don't know about console games, but there is some continuity in the Paper Mario series.

I'd maybe find someone else. I know a lot of people would keep Pollock in that roll in the same scenario, but I find that I can't take the good Doctor seriously as a villain due to this slight comedic excentricity tone to his voice under Pollock. Deam had a glorious gruffness in his voice that Pollock fails to capture - so no, I'd cast someone entirely different. Maybe I'd get a guy called Richard Newman (famous for playing Rhinox in Beast Wars), his voice would be good for Eggy. Maybe David Kaye just for kicks. Eggman would be way more awesome he he periodically said "Yeessssss~"

As for Mario's canonicty, I see there being a fine line between referencing other games in the franchise, and inlcuding plot elements that effect the future of the series as a hole. For example, everything V2 mentioned is just self-refrential for comedy purposes (an in-joke in other words), or a cameo/fan-service, whereas if was Luigi was killed in Paper Mario 2 and never appeared again in a game outside of a grave, that would a Mario/Paper Mario canon. If Luigi then came back in Super Paper Mario, that would interfere with the assumed pre-existing canon timeline. Unless it was a prequel. Or if he was a zombie. That'd be awesome. Zombie Wee-gee.

Basically, if you can fit it all into a sensible time-line without/very little contradiction and with enough evidence and no plot-hole filling -thats a canon baby! Marios' games have never took their storylines too seriously, unlike Sonic, and trying to establish a canon is ultimately futile. Now, Metroid and Zelda. That's a whole kettle of fish that I DON'T want to open here.

I'd do a game based more around Knuckles just for the chuckles lol

But unlike Sonic, Knuckles doesn't chuckle.

Sorry, really bad attempt at a gag. Continue.

On a slightly less silly note, I love to hear David Kaye as Eggman.

lol If Eggman were voiced by David Kaye I'd hate it. I'd keep comparing him to Megatron and it just wouldn't work out

A Tails adventure game that takes place almost entirely in his plane yet is somehow not a rip off of Star Fox.

A StarFox ripoff is fine, too.

Oh, who am I kidding... I just want to play another new StarFox (a good one).

But unlike Sonic, Knuckles doesn't chuckle.

Thanks to the Internet, this is now a double entendre. 😮

That one's gonna need to be explained to me ^_^;

Don't worry Vulpix, I said David Kaye for a lark. The chances of that happening are... well... there is no chance. Sega wouldn't fly in Drummond across the country to voice Sonic, I doubt their gonna fly anyone in from Canada. That a whole other country. Ah, one can dream though.

I like Griffith better than Drummond. If Sonic had a more cartoon-y style like in the 90's, and had cutscenes, I would have stuck with White.

That one's gonna need to be explained to me ^_^;

No. It doesn't.

I nominate James Avery for voicing Robotnik. If he can voice 80's Shredder, than Uncle Phil Can voice Robotnik.

I also nominate Gilbert Godfrey as Amy Rose...

James Avery sounds familiar to me...

That one's gonna need to be explained to me ^_^;

Don't worry Vulpix, I said David Kaye for a lark. The chances of that happening are... well... there is no chance. Sega wouldn't fly in Drummond across the country to voice Sonic, I doubt their gonna fly anyone in from Canada. That a whole other country. Ah, one can dream though.

I can never understand why their whereabouts is an issue anyway. If Disney could record 100+ episodes of "DuckTales" in the 80s with Launchpad McQuack being on the other side of the continent the entire time, there is no reason why someone can't phone in their lines from Canada

DW

Sega wouldn't fly in Drummond across the country to voice Sonic.

I thought it was 4Kids that did not want to work with out-of-area voice actors.

I know I'm partially to blame but I don't like how this conversation is slowly creeping into voice actor rant territory. That has little to nothing to do with how good a Sonic game will turn out.

To answer the original question properly:

If I was in charge of the Sonic series from 94 this is what I would do:

1995: Can Chaotix for the 32X and work on a Saturn version. 32X wither and dies
1995: Sonic game released for the Saturn launch window. Basically 2D generic Sonic with better graphics, Sonic moves faster than Sonic 3&K and more insertion of storyline. Chaotix, Tails and Amy appear but are unplayable. Semi sequel to Sonic CD.

1996: Release Sonic 3D on the Mega Drive and Saturn. It wasn't that bad and the music is awesome.
1996: Release Chaotix with Knuckles appearing in it.

1997: Depending on the success of the Saturn at this point, whether or not the Launch Sonic game has improved the Saturn's outcome, review on possible 3D Sonic for either Saturn or the Saturn's successor.
1997: Sonic Jam and Sonic R released. Teasing 3D Sonic in the future.

And there it gets hard, I mean maybe a Sonic launch game for the Saturn would have changed the fate of the Saturn a bit. Certainly there might have been: Saturn! Sonic Adventure or Sega wouldn't have needed to push the Dreamcast out so rapidly.

I mean the Saturn's 3D processor was poo. But Saturn could do 2D so easily. Giving them more time to do a 3D Sonic game for the Dreamcast rather than Saturn.

I've completely ignored Sonic Xtreme because Sega should have!

After Sonic Adventure 2 , I would have waited at least 3 games before reintroducing Shadow. So Sonic Heroes wouldn't have had a Team Dark. In fact If I had made Sonic Heroes the only playable characters would have been Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. So then of course no Shadow the Hedgehog game. The hand helds I'd leave alone since I'm ok with most of them.

But then we get to 2006. Oh boy. I don't even know where to begin. If I wanted to challenge myself, I'd rewrite the story. Excluding NOBODY from the original script.(except Team Dark of course) Yes that means keeping Elise but rewriting them all into a good story.
A mass overhaul of the game play and I would have taken a considerably longer amount of time to polish the game before releasing it.

Then after that comes Unleashed of course. Aaaand A few years after that Something like "Sonic Adventure 3" with the grand reintroduction of Shadow and most likely Rouge and Omega as well. Spin-off games like Riders and Secret Rings would have also gotten more scrutiny before being released. And yes I'd actually release Black Knight as well because nobody complains about the waggle in Twilight Princess. Hypocrites....

You know why Metal Sonic is so totally Awsum Sauce? Because we barely see him in a game. He is an enigma while Shadow was a popularity whore.

Also, I would have given Sonic Chronicles to Nintendo. Yes I'm serious. I'm sure they have a better idea of what Sonic is than Bioware.

<strong class="quote-title" B Vulpix wrote:

---

You know why Metal Sonic is so totally Awsum Sauce? Because we barely see him in a game. He is an enigma while Shadow was a popularity whore.

Quoted for TRUTH!

Actually, I agree with a lot of what you saw there, Vulpix. I doubt anyone would find Shadow as irritating if it took a few more years for him to resurface. Although I don't think that Sonic Heroes should have just been Team Sonic. Unless you plan to expand the game with more stages and more challange modes and what have you, The game would have been REALLY short and nowhere near as good as the final product. Also, Sonic Heroes led to the reintroduction of Chaotix. That was really awesome. And their gameplay style added a nice layer of diversity and challange to an otherwise ordinary game. Maybe if you added another team to replace Team Dark that included Mighty and Ray or something, then I'd be with you 100%.

Yeah I would have added more levels and modes if I made Heroes just Team Sonic. With most other characters being cutscene only. Perhaps in my hypothetical SA3 I'd introduce the Chaotix. Not exactly sure how though. Most likely they'll be working for GUN or solving some kind of mystery. That way their story would run parallel to the main story. So you'd have to play the game twice to get the whole story. And unlike the laziness that was 06 I'd make sure that AT LEAST 70 percent of their levels are completely new. The other 30 percent being reworkings of previous levels from the main story because the Chaotix and other characters have to cross paths at some point.

EDIT: Meh. Now that I think about it. In Sonic Heroes I guess I would have included Team Rose.