Bahahaahaha they literally changed nothing

Good critique. Can you please keep me updated on the masterpiece you are working on? With your level of knowledge of video games I'm sure you will be pumping out hits in no time.

>>389843209
Shut the fuck up retard

>>389843145
it has more paths, that bubble mechanic, and slightly more difficult underwater sections in general.

Great thread OP but it seems you accidentally pasted an 8ch logo on your pic! Whoops!

>>389843234
lol u mad

>>389843145
The original was literally perfect. What could they even have changed? They just updated it, can't improve perfection.

Act 1 was completely different while Act 2 had a different start and boss. They probably thought they couldn't really change what is already the perfect act. Wish they didn't use the Act 1 background for Act 2 though. It's so plain compared to the updated Act 2 background that was used for Act 1.

>>389843145
Really feel like that and Oil Ocean were padding and weird zone choices overall.

>>389844454
How was Hydrocity a weird choice? It's most people's favorite water zone and some people's favorite zone in classic Sonic period.

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>>389843145
You got me curious so I made a comparison image of the maps.

>>389845021
So only the start of mania is new it seems.

>>389845021
This is just embarrassing

>>389845021
I think they specifically switched around the "Act 1 is the same/Act 2 is different" thing with Hydrocity. Act 2 is basically a classic of classic Sonic itself.

>>389843209
>masterpiece
top kuck
kys delusional fanboy

>>389844072
>>389845449
>Act 1 was completely different
This is true but it didn't feel that way for some reason
The bubble mechanic wasn't that fun to use

>>389843209
fpbp
>>389843234
>>389845458
Ouch. Looks like we got some ass pain in here. Gonna need to get some Raid and bomb for these roaches.

>>389845541
The bottom route only has you use the bubble riding twice for very short moments. Most bubble riding usage comes from the mostly dry top route.
Hell, I've seen speedrunners go a specific route that has no bubble riding.

>>389845449
They did that first with Stardust Speedway

>>389845639
:)

>>389843145
>He plays sonic games
Is there any worse taste?

>>389845639
t. sonic deviantartist

>>389846000
trips confirm no

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>>389843145
HCZa2 is probably the one stage in S3K that got more work done on it in it's original release than any other stage.

In all of the classic games, it has the most synergy between gimmicks and sonic's control as well as the best designed applications of stage platforming transitions hands-down.

Chemical plant (especially mania's rendition of act 2) is a close second, but as-is, hydrocity is practically a marvel of game construction with how meticulously the details were lined up to be 'just' right.

Making too strong an alteration to act 2 could run the risk of damaging the natural rhythm that the stage brings to itself.

Even though I will defend FBZ to my dying breath, I'm not stupid enough to deny why HCZa2 is praised so much. From a design standpoint, almost every aspect of it is timed and measured like a work of art.

If I had to compare it to anything outside of games, it's practically as smooth as the detail on Bernini's statue "The Rape of Proserpina".

trying to improve on it is implausible and it's best you just try to leave as much of it alone as you can.

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>>389846267
>Hydrocity Act 2 is legitimately a work of modern art

File: YAGpXPd.png (115KB, 636x440px) Image search: [Google]

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>>389846376
It's the only stage that you can play in precise time
to the music to, so... yeah. I'd say so.

>>389846267
>Chemical plant (especially mania's rendition of act 2)
Why? That act is extremely linear and automatic

>>389846635
Also the music is absolutely masterclass.

>>389846651
No it isn't

>>389845021
Where did you get this map? I've been looking for the level maps since launch.

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>>389845021

Fucking lazy, Hydrocity is by far the low point of the game.

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>>389847143
A Sonic Mania modding server had a channel where someone dumped most of them. Here if you want them:
https://mega.nz/#!LM0jUTgI!Y29rhZ8uZVEVI8_DPx4IPeJvjN5X2NrS-5jGdPU3RxE

It's missing Stardust Speedway Act.2's boss map & Titanic Monarch Act.2.

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>>389846651
>miss
Not sure what kind of response that was or what your aim in going there was, but
if you're implying that a stage can't be regarded as good for taking on an identity
of it's own with it's own sense of unique design philosophies and interesting
mechanics regardless of exploration interests, I think you might be less interested
in enjoying the full spectrum of what a game has to offer and playing them at all
as opposed to getting an answer of any sort that could satisfy you.

>>389846753
Undoubtedly. When even Tee Lopes couldn't bring himself to tinker with it too
much, that's telling you something.

>>389845021
I love both stages but it's weird how it's copypasted compared to every other level in the game. Even the other similar ones, like the whole lava reef, have many little differences, this one is has just some obstacles and hidden walls removed or changed.

>>389847529
He said as much during a livestream playthrough of Sonic Mania he did. He didn't want to change it too much.
Lots of good insight into his music making process during that stream. I think I remember hearing his personal favorite track he made for the game was Lava Reef Act 2.

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>>389847538
see
>>389846267 and >>389846635

>>389847363
It's weird how it seems that Egg Reverie very early on might've been a short actual zone with a title card and everything.

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>>389847709
It's also neat how Lava Reef Act.1 was different & it's still in a playable state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Pp9F1GOkI

>>389847807
Interesting. Looks like it was at first going to be very much the same as 3&K's Lava Reef before they decided to mix aspects of Endless Mine into it and give it more of a mining area flavor, going into Lava Reef Act 2 being basically just Quartz Quadrant.

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>>389846267
Why people are writing essays like this only now
For years everyone was a sucker for ice cap and only lately hcz2 is getting the recognition it deserves

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>>389843145
>Redditchan logo

>>389848117
I honestly don't get Ice Cap's over-adoration. I don't hate it (Act 2 is actually really speedy) but I much enjoy Hydrocity more.

>>389848143
It's a screenshot from the first leak of the game four days before street date. 4+4chan's /v/ board owner got the game early from Amazon and the code worked on his Switch before release. He also got 12 game overs on Oil Ocean.

>>389843209
>if you criticize it's your duty to do better

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>>389848117
Because it was already assumed by most people back in the day that it was just an
unspoken fact that didn't need any pointing out.

All other raving about favorite stages pretty much amounts to people mentioning which
is second best since it's just really otherwise no contest.

Even if you might not like them, etika and cobi reacted authentically to hydrocity's
existence (they refused to spoil themselves and went in mostly blind, unaware of it
being in), and basically turned into babbling children on christmas morning, purely on
grounds of act 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNpYJqV5Cm0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsOefGVAAOE

>>389849118
I saw Cobi's reaction first ages ago. That was legitimate total joy he was feeling when he saw Hydrocity load up after Stardust Speedway.

>>389849087
Rule of thumb in civilized countries is don't complain about something unless you have an answer on how to fix it ready

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>>389843145
low effort

>>389849118
>When he nuts over Press Garden Act 2
I fucking love seeing people react to Sonic Mania for the first time like this.

>>389849426
civilized countries aren't full of autistic losers who play sonic games lmao

>>389849535
yeah I love forced hype from smelly nig nogs too

>>389850338
I was actually expecting a reply like this. Was expecting it sooner though.