You talking about the camera in the levels is the most interesting thing in the world. Like seriously, no one cares about the camera so much, but this makes me always so happy and stunned
It's bothered me so much how the camera in recent sonic games like forces and frontiers feels so stiff and lifeless whereas in Unleashed and Generations(sort of) it's super dynamic and makes everything feel fun. I'm happy it's being noticed more.
This man cranks out videos like EA throwing out sports titles, except the videos are insanely polished. Haven’t even finished the video, but it's already full of quality.
I think what I love about Skyscraper Scamper is that it perfectly exemplifies Sonic's world design. The design of the highways that suddenly twist and curve into impossible loops, buildings that shoot upwards impossibly tall around them while remaining perfectly spaced to provide their rooftops and ledges as refuge, and metal girders that bend and snake through the skyline tying it all together, it's all so abstract in a way that makes you believe the world is built to be Sonic's playground! It's the same vibe across other great city levels in the series, like Speed Highway, City Escape and Rooftop Run to name a few, and it's what I often love about Sonic's level theming, taking a concept that's so fundamentally understood like a city or grassy plane or a beach and turning it into an interactive abstract art piece!
So true, I also love that this level gives us BOTH sides of the spectrum on this. The bridge + further is very believable, it's like they snuck in Sonic geometry into something that was already there. But the 2D section represents a Sonic level first and foremost. You can see the way they plotted everything out clearly, and how they used elements from the environment we've already seen before (road loops / windowpanes / etc.) to color it up. It's a hell of a level!
33:04 its not because difficultly. If you remember the story, the whole reason Sonic runs through here is because Professor Pickle told him about a bunch of robot sitings in Empire City.
Yeah I do feel like that is the case. But I also really like the final center statue. It looks really golden, and enough like a goal ring, to the point where it tells the player, one final push through the level, and then we are done
Oh yeah, I forgot that Empire City is a country where there are absolutely no Gaia Temples on where it takes place, Sonic only goes there thanks to the Badniks around invading the city Honestly, really cool way of complementing the level with the storytelling, because thanks to the story it makes sense for it to be the level that has so many enemies on it, and thanks to that it makes the level harder Not only that but it also makes sense for Sonic to defeat the robots at the end for the Goal Ring to appear, to show that he's completing his objective on there, and it also complements with what is said in the video, the level ends with Sonic destroying robots to maybe remind you that you faced so many enemies throughout the stage And it fits both it finishing with you trashing badniks (it's the whole reason Sonic went there) and there having so many enemies throughout the whole stage (There are a lot of them invading the city)
These videos made me realize that one of the most underrated aspect of Sonic Games is the camera movement. The more I think about it, the more I feel like they just don't do those like Unleashed did. Also, if not NYW, I feel like either Las Vegas as a level, or something like the far west (with Cowboy vibes) or the Grand Canyon could be a nice representation of the United States. Also also, you mention a lot about the fact that the grind rails stops abruptly and you fall if you don't switch rails fast enough but I think that's what the rings are here for. To incentivize the rail switch.... At least that's how I feel since they saved me a lot during my 1st playthrough. Also also also Jungle Joyride my beloved Anyway, great video! Love your series.
Oooo Las Vegas is a shoe-in, especially with how much casinos are spotlighted in the franchise, that could be awesome. Sonic speeding down the strip, probably some cool interior/exterior stuff too. I think the rings are the 1 saving grace for those girder gaps, you're right. I just think even alone, they could've made it a bit more clear. Maybe like slowly darkening the rail up to the gap? Jungle Joyride has a similar thing with the collapsing docks at the start. Not as egregious as like Final Rush X's, but still helpful. Stick around for the Jungle Joyride video because we'll have a lot to talk about lol. It's... SO good. Thanks for the comment!
29:08 This is peak writing from Sonic Team actually because *they make the gameplay a character analysis.* See, Sonic doesn’t hesitate, he takes opportunities the moment they come at him. He trusts his instincts, he doesn’t fear the fall, he’s cool on the edge, he’s the dragon on the road. So, when Sonic Team makes these reaction-based levels, they typically put an obstacle in your path that can be conquered with a single button press, should you react on time. When you do, they send you an opportunity for faster progression that can be reached *if* you react on time with the appropriate button. It’s a little signal that your first opponent is your own hesitation. And a set-piece like this is a single that your second opponent is your fear and paranoia, telling you that reacting blindly will only set you back and you should _only_ wait long enough to see your next obstacle or opportunity. Good Sonic games are immersive, not because they make you feel like Sonic, but because they challenge you to _think_ like Sonic, to follow his philosophy.
@@Ajakes Even Forces carries this design format in bite-sized pieces. It proves the formula still works, it just needs to be challenged appropriately and the dev team needs to trust their players to approach these challenges competently.
Damn I didn't think Shadow was in Sonic Unleashed but he's everywhere in this stage!!!!! Skyscraper Scamper has always been a favorite of mine for just how busy it is, and mastering it always made me feel like I had learned the fastest way to get to work in a morning commute in NYC. Can't wait for the inevitable videos on the rest of Unleashed's stages dude!!!!
I'm really glad I found this channel, I love your commentary and analysis on Sonic, and your Unleashed videos remind me just how much I miss certain elements like the challenge and presentation.
I'd love for a similar jump in difficulty in the newer games. Shad Gens was pretty tough in the last levels tbh, but they should've raised the S rank amount for the normal Sonic stages, would've loved that!
@Ajakes I definitely agree. Not only do I wish for more challenging S ranks as I've never been the type to speedrun levels just for speedrunning's sake, but that the levels were more inherently challenging as opposed to just being an easy level that you have to optimize.
@@KaleBennett I feel like the challenge gates could've been a good place to fit in more difficulty if they didn't want to touch the main stages. Some of the doppelganger races are just the same exact level, would've been a perfect place
@@Ajakes The challenge gates were a highlight of Sonic Generations; I just wish certain levels were longer or were harder to get S ranks on since even at their best like the Planet Wisp obstacle course, they still felt more like diet Unleashed.
Skyscraper Scamper makes me feel like I'm late to work and taking every shortcut to make it on time No joke, once you deep dive into most city levels in Sonic, the arquitecture is VERY questionable, (City Escape and Speed Highway being the best examples imo), but in Skyscraper Scamper? It somehow looks like you're going through infinished arquitecture, places that do kinda make sense (most of time) if you assume it's under construction, the best examples being pretty much every road at the start of the level (missing walls, cones all around, those roads ending abruptly into the abyss) and the chase bridges that literally start and end with no clear connections to anything The music has a lot of power, and even tho Unleashed takes that "high energy" approach to pretty much every day track, I think this one is the purest expression of that, with a clear composition but seemingly chaotic, almost as if it recognizes the dangerous routes you are traveling, and the calmer parts I interpret as the realization, like the feeling of looking down and seeing just how far you can fall, which may as well be because those parts tend to come when you do the big jump into the first bridge or are well into the grinding section, some of the most vertigo-inducing parts imo Maybe I'm overanalyzing what's meant to be functional level design, but I feel like Skyscraper Scamper feels way different than other city level because of the perceived danger, as you said, you never touch the ground, and even compared to the most similar one, Speed Highway, you still go inside buildings, you still go ON buildings, so that sense of stability is somewhat there, and while similar stuff does happen here, it's, first, mostly at the start with a clear progression in terms of danger, and second, way less overall than in Speed Highway. That's what I love about the level, taking the most mundane location and making it feel very dangerous (also helped by being one of the 3 hard Unleashed levels, which I entirely agree) To end this coment (which I never expected to be so long OMG...) I'll say that my interpretation of why the goal is set up like that to is precisely to contrast the dangers of the rest of the level, think about it, roads, bridges, rails, only some buildings at the start and the rest is unstable, but then you reach that final building with a cool monument, almost like saying "you have done it, you are safe", and having the goal available instantly would not sell that as well as actually taking a bit of time to appreciate it
"Construction" is a very powerful (and in hindsight, easy haha) way to make Sonic gameplay geometry feel believable in a city level. We started seeing it in City Escape tbh, but Skyscraper Scamper also carries the torch. Besides the single 2D section, a lot of the paths make sense within the environment (to an extent lol, maybe don't take the family sedan on the Empire City mega loop). And with the amount of physics objects they lay out for you, it does feel like they're still "building" the course. The music in this stage is very powerful too, I didn't go into it much, but it's such a wild combination. Like, Gershwin style big city score combined with... drum and bass? It's the type of music I imagine you'd here in your brain on like a busy stock floor lol. I think Skyscraper Scamper really shines above a standard "city level" as you said, because of the mix of authentic big city potential (Skyscraper) and bottomless danger with enemies galore (Scamper). Also I like your interpretation of the ending! Besides the cylinders, it's the 1 part of the level where you really slow down and look AROUND you. Great comment, fantastic read man, thanks!
This level is probably my favorite in Sonic Unleashed, its so busy like you said but when you master it it is oh so beautiful. Its very satisfying, and hearing sonics joy throughout makes him sound just as confident as the player
Alright this gag you do at 24:04 is starting to become my favorite of your edits. Like... c'mon, we've all imagined Sonic turning into a splort multiple times throughout (badly) playing the series, and it honestly does point out where the levels either slow down a touch or otherwise get'cha pretty well.
this level doesn't get enough love, I suppose the same can be said abt most unleashed levels but I think this and "The Big One" are underrated in spite of their popularity. something I'm a bit sad you didn't mention was the song used, everything about it is soooo fitting for what EC is all about. the beginning with the sax starting super high octane as sonic speeds down the freeway, as opposed to the other level's songs raising up to that before really kicking in, the super grand trumpets blaring extravagantly fitting the very "new york parody" theming it has, and since there's no stakes and any story significance I think the main melody really make the level feel like sonic just wanted to have a run through EC. its such a fun song to hear when playing Skyscraper Scamper
Yeah it def needs more love. I think all the fun foreign locals kinda overshadow what a lot of people believe to be just another "city level." In any other game Skyscraper Scamper would be the star of the show. I don't touch on the music too much since admittedly I don't know much about music besides how it makes me feel haha, but I agree with your sentiment. It's an insane mix, plus that sax rips me to shreds everytime.
Its how I imagine the same anxiety of someone who love roller-coaster, a tightening feeling that builds up and releases over and over again through every section with cold wind blasting all around you. Its very kewl.
I think the reason why I love Unleashed's Day stages so much is that they really do feel like an exhilarating roller coaster ride. While the level layouts may not be as open as the Adventure games, Sonic 06, or even parts of Shadow Generations imo, it maintains this rush that Unleashed is able to convey so well to me compared to other boost titles. It's a near non-stop ride with twist and turns and alternate routes with great camera that just makes me love these stages. And ofc, the music adds a lot to these stages, especially Skyscraper Scamper here. Hearing that sax at the beginning with always hit, no matter what
I love your little doodles, especially this one at 31:05. Poor Professor Pickle, taking a vacation from Spagonia and Sonic is still crashing through his walls. 😂
That's what I always saw in my brain when Sonic absorbed the XP. Reminds me of the Chao mission too, where they just swarm Sonic as he stands there like a statue. Thanks as always dude, appreciate you sharing it! 🙏
Taking the time to see how all these amazing levels were built and what makes them special is so interesting... I hope you review all of them eventually. Thank you for doing this! :]
I plan to tackle all of them eventually! Unleashed was the first game I thought, "man, I could talk endlessly about every single one of these stages..." so it's getting the full-game treatment. Thanks for commenting 🙏
As an amateur photographer and just overall enthusiast of photography and filmmaking, you consistently speaking on the camera techniques used in these various Sonic stages to convey different senses from the end player, whether that be from different angles, perspective shifts, focal points etc, is incredible work man. I think we really take for granted just how utterly slick, seamless, and precise the creators were with the camera during these levels, and the amount of effort and skill that was needed to pull all of that off. You describe these aspects in a way that is both easy to follow and digest, yet is so much fun to nod along to if you’re a bit more knowledgeable or versed in this stuff. It’s masterful, good sir, very well done indeed!
Ey a photographer! I bet you'd be able to pick out a lot of these things too haha, it's really fun to see the work they put into these games. The camera doesn't get enough credit, they're pulling of so many amazing things. For instance, look at the framing on every goal post when you spawn in on it. The damn shots are like paintings, its beautiful. You could make a whole video on that alone, they're setting stuff up constantly! Anywho, thanks for the kind words, glad to hear my observations are coming through clearly!
@ You’re too kind! It feels like you just gave yourself an idea for a future video, Ajakes! Or at least… I would personally love to see (hear?) you wax poetic about the smaller details in these games, like the goal posts! There definitely is a ton of fun to be had when diving into these technical and artistic aspects, things that I love to mentally point out to myself now whenever I revisit some of the stages you’ve gone over. Hell, even the aspects that I would appreciate the most, like the framing and lighting, are greatly enhanced now that I have a newfound outlook on them!
@@danieldickerson4838 Hmmm... I have been wanting to talk about that for a while now... There's just too many fun video ideas AHH. I might bring it up in certain levels from here on, because it's highlighted very well in stages I haven't tackled yet. You're so right, there's tons to uncover here, thanks for the inspo dude!
Hot damn dude you are PUMPING these out! These videos are so good they really make me want to play the proper unleashed game! As a kid I had UnWiished and had no idea what I was missing out on, it honestly feels like I missed a whole ass game 😔
Empire City just passed you by, it's NOT FAIR. Yeah if Unleashed was more available, I'd encourage you to give it a try. You can always do the herculean task of buying an expensive new Xbox and getting it digitally, OR find it somewhere on your computer on the internet on a website or something kinda like that im not suggesting anything here. OR just wait until they rerelease it, surely they will, please god. I gotta tackle Unwiished eventually and see what YOU experienced, very excited for that. Thanks for watching dude, these are so fun to make! 🙏
13:43 Something I would like to point out is how the lightspeed dash is an "unintentional punishment path". If you're insane like me and enjoy going for some of the collectibles, doing the lightspeed dash will force you onto the dash pad and into the 2D section. But if you go the bottom route and manually go to the building without hitting the dash pad, there is a Sun medal hidden on the left side near those tables in the back. Going the fast route is "punishable" for people like me since we miss out on the medal. However I think it's clever how they added that Eggman Robot in the background, sort of as a way to entice us who love collectibles. Because it's clear that it's meant to be hit, and if go out of our way to hit it, then there might be some goodies nearby. And sure enough they do that well. Not as bad as that one stupid hidden Moon Medal in Windmill Isle's Act 2.
Haha good point. For the longest time I thought that Egg Launcher was just for show, but you can actually catch the glimmer of a 10 Ring floating above it. When I stopped to grab THAT, I decided to check out the rest of the roof and boom, Sun medal. Dragon Road has a lot of medals off the beaten path too, some are hidden inside the buildings or water you grind over
The more analysis videos you release, the more I think you must secretly be a sneaky Sonic Team dev... But amazing work as always! It's great to see how intricate and well thought out the level design of Unleashed actually is!
Amazing video! I definitely agree that the last three levels of unleashed come with a difficulty spike but I feel like jungle joyride had its own difficulty spike as I remember that one being so much harder than the previous two levels. Can’t wait to see an analysis of that level and understand why it felt so much harder.
Jungle Joyride is a cut above. I did NOT like it on my first run and it took me some TIME. But now... it's up there. Real high up there. Once you S rank that one, you feel like you can do anything (it was the 2nd level I ever S ranked!)
These individual breakdowns are so good! There's so many elements you bring up that I never would have given a second thought, and it makes me appreciate these stages a whole lot more (and I already love the daytime Unleashed stages).
After watching and playing an endless amount of Sonic Unleashed, I can say Skyscraper Scamper and its uniqueness makes it one of the best levels that Sonic has ever run through. It's my personal second favourite though. I look thoroughly towards the Cool Edge video as the level design, combined with the music, is one of the strongest connections I've seen in any Sonic game.
Not many Cool Edge enjoyers out there! I do have a question: do you have a reason or two about why you think that level is strong/what is special about it? I wanna hear more people talk about it, and am very curious
@@Ajakes Ok, this one might be a bit of a weird love because I am a musician so I certainly take the music into account whilst playing them. I'll leave that for the last paragraph though. So, Holoska really emphasizes the openness and "airiness" when being compared to all the other continents. This is really shown in the opening shot as well. This is the first level that starts with Sonic already running as well. The camera circles around Sonic and really shows that the frozen tundra is more open than any place before and despite the pillars of ice and snow obstructing your view, you feel the cold and almost nothingness with it. The openness expressed and communicated ion this opening and it certainly is not the only time it returns. (I'll explain why I enjoy the openness in the second last paragraph, you can jump there if you'd like to know right away). Anywho, after you gain control of Sonic, you immediately grab a set of rings and, instinctively by this point in the game, start boosting. However, this first 3D section pulls an insanely good check on the player to make sure they're still paying attention and not losing focus because of the expanse of the level. The game throughs igloos and snowmen that Sonic can break while boosting, the main purpose is to block the purple spikes up ahead, the constrast of which should in theory make it easy to dodge. However, due to the debris, Sonic has a good chance of hitting or barely missing the spikes (on a first playthrough). I barely dodged it on my first experience and it took me a bit to regroup and ended up with me sort of swerving, trying to correct my forward path as if I was on ice (even though this section doesn't have ice). This part gives you a cold snap in telling you to focus and that this level is where the difficulty and speed start increasing. (There are also some camera traits from Windmill Isle that you have shown that in this stage as well, however, I'm not nearly qualified enough to talk about them, but do know they are there, mainly in transition sections) The 2D section right after the lake throws Sonic into actual ice physics which gives reality check on the player coordination with the Blue Hedgehog. If they do their hops right, it is possible to get through this entire section after the rainbow ring without boosting, however, on first playthroughs, again, it gives a check on the player before sending them into the true action: The Slippery Drift section after the ramp out of the 2D section has two paths, one that is basked in sunlight and is easier to take, or the one through the icy wall which is harder and less visually "available" due to it being in shadows. The wall colour helps it stand out a bit though. Anyways, this section is wide and allows the player to see the full length of Sonic's drift on ice and see just how much they need to adjust. By now though, the player has realized they need to dial in and this drift section typically goes smoothly, even on accident, for new players (who are also aided by the dash pads). The open element peaks its head back in with the sunlight poking around in places before being shut down by a stomp switch and a group of enemies. After this switch is the toboggan/bobsled section which many people don't like, but I personally enjoy. The reason behind it is actually due to speed gauge as the bottom left of the HUD. Now, boosting is disabled here, however, jumping is still available and trying to balance the speed and jumps actually collecting rings or medals (for the rank or completing the game). It is fairly niche and it is more a personal prefernce, but I love the bobsled as it relies on finesse and gives you a break from quick reaction/adjustment times, especially after playing through some of the most inconsistent surfaces a few moments prior. The whale and the jump are an absolute gorgeous piece of the level as well because we don't really get to see other animals in Sonic Unleashed very much. Yes, Savannah Citadel had wildlife, but you're rushing by so fast and the lighting is so focused on the stage that you' don't really observe the animals. Cool Edge really brings out the natural side of the continent which is something that is only really showed in Jungle Joyride, and even then, the latter half of that stage contains plenty of elements of structures made by something or someone. Holoska is pure. It's open. It's 100% natural. And it is an absolute joy to run where no one has touched before (presumably...) The ice cave and frozen ocean section are absolutely genius when it comes to the camera work and feel of the section. You land after a massive jump and run into a massive cave where you can hear and see giant icicles coming loose, read to fall on you. While you're just bring your eyes back from the first icicle, you notice the cave taking a drop with another icicle above so you glance down to see where it'll land, only to witness a huge hole after going down the hill. Now yours eyes are flying up and down to ensure you don't die and its chaotic, and frantic. There's so many options and paths to take and it's almost daunting due to the suddenly closed area (this is where deaths are actually most common in this level based on what I've seen others do). The panic eventually subsides as the player and Sonic see a huge lake and know that openness is back and that speed can be achieved in its true form. The Frozen Ocean (I know its not an ocean... but it's a cool name) is first seen with the light shining from the end of the cave. The openness has returned and Sonic can boost again. Once you touch the water, the sound effect of it sells the fact that you are light and free, only to immediately be struck back with the sound of the ice structures collapsing as you approach them. This aesthetic detail, whilst unrealistic, foreshadows Jungle Joyride's tower collapse sections. The ice structure that looks like an arch collapses in Sonic's would-be path had a booster not pointed him away to side step it. This section can be best described with the music and openness metaphor so don't worry, this section is just as amazing as the rest, I just haven't much to say currently because of how much it is carried. The Whale, Stomp Switch, and final 2D section all culminate into one final challenge which may also be a personal bias as I know plenty of people who dislike this section. I would defend it, but this is already going on way too long and this section feels more like that final 2D section from your Windmill Isle Act 2 video, Not all sections serve a purpose. Sometimes, a little bit of filler is needed! The last bobsled section keeps Sonic and the player in this cramped, closed section with not much light to shower where the main path forward is. The ice sheets bend in ways that toss and turn your sled until you don't know where you're going... atleast until that final jump. It's one ramp... launching you high up so you can take one final look at the beauty of the landscape (or lack there of at this point because of the ocean that takes up a lot of the screen) before landing you safely into the goal ring. OPENNESS: So, I've done a lot of "readings" per se on the philosophy of Sonic. To boil it down, one of the main things that Sonic values, is freedom. He does things because he can. He doesn't care what others think (Sonic and the Black Knight had an amazing example of this). Sonic just does his thing and does what he can to help others also just do. He believes there are ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES in the world and that the abilities to choose how you LIVE LIFE is one of the most beautiful things that a person can do. Holoska is just a symbol of this openness where, yes, there will be dark times where things may rain from the sky and ruin your momentum, but you manage past it and see the light at the end of the tunnel. You boost forward and even though things are still crumbling, you just keep going for it. Pushing to the end. Hearing the wind fly by and feeling the coldness against your skin. But none of that matters. What matters is being true to yourself. Being natural. All of which Holoska emulates/is. MUSIC: So, this track is undoubtebly the simplist in the game. I have made a cover of this piece and I will say, even the music sells the openness of the stage. The lead guitar/melody is set so that it playing long, open, extended notes compared to the harmonies and drums. It also stays very safe by only really using the first, second, fourth, and fifth notes of the key in the melody. It's very simple, but also very solid. It can be compared to Ice Cap zone as well, where the Ice could be felt in the frosty melody. The Bass and Drums start the stage off and almost match Sonic's footsteps against the ground. The bass doesn't feel so locked in yet and it has a little bit of pitch shifting which is what Sonic and the player have to do in order to keep their footing and not slide off into a cave or ocean. The reverb on the guitars create almost an echo that you would hear if you were to be in frozen tundra like Holoska. So, believe it or not, that's my basics of this stage. I have a lot more to say, however, I've rambled on for far too long. I would love to keep going though and I also REALLY look forward to the Cool Edge video!! Also, thank you for explaining so many of the techniques used in Sonic Unleashed leve desing. Between this video and all your others ones so far, it truly gave me a great understanding of why I enjoy playing these stages more than others games, as well as helped me explain the small details and metaphors that I think make Cool Edge the best day stage. Anyways, I hope you liked reading this and I await your next videos patiently!! Thank you!!
@@Ajakes "Not many" Cool Edge enjoyers?? Surely you must be joking! Hands-down my favorite level in Unleashed (though it has some tough competition). Maybe I'm just a sucker for ice aesthetics, but the level is just gorgeous to me. There's nothing like running across the water with icebergs all around, knowing that stopping means death but not worrying because there's so much space. The whole level could be just that and I'd be happy. I'll admit the bobsled segments aren't my favorite part of gameplay, but I appreciate that they prevent boosting, which slows you down a little and forces you to appreciate the now-unmuffled music, which is as beautiful as the visuals. Also, the wiki says the whale sounds are repurposed from Skies of Arcadia, and that's adorable.
I absolutely love these level analysis videos! Thank you so much for taking the time to dissect each little section of these amazing levels! Skyscraper scramper is also one of my all time favorites! The amount of paths available as well as the use of the environment to complement the level design is just genius!
I reckon I know a good amount about how I like my sonic levels and analyse them in my content, but the way you discuss the camera and the little tricks they employ using it is inspiring chief, gets me thinking about my faves and how they use these ideas. Keep up the sublime work xx
Thanks bro 🙏 there's always fun little details you can suss out from these levels, honestly SLOWING them down and walking through them helped me see much more of what I was missing.
This is the video where I learned I didn’t have notifications on. My mistake. Anyway, I LOVE this level, definitely one of, IF NOT MY NUMBER ONE, favorite Sonic city level. The music, level design, aesthetic are all just amazing.
Bro I cannot get enough of this sort of content. Not only is it sonic (which is peak), but the hyper-analyzation of almost everything is just so enjoyable, and the simplistic but goofy art style tie it in really well. I wanna keep comin back for mooooore
Oh wow this showed up in my recommended right as I was about to cook. Fitting I'd say as this was another great stage deep dive! This is one of the levels in Unleashed I was never really able to experience bc it was too hard for my brother to beat as a kid (and when he did, I wasn't around to see). And since we had both Unleashed on the PS2 and PS3, half the time I didn't even know it existed. Needless to say, I'm definitely looking forward to playing the stage when I get around to my 3d Sonic games marathon! As for how how the level makes me feel? You really did put it into words how challenging and dare I say perilous the stage is. It makes you appreciate just how cool Sonic is to not only tackle a metal jungle gym like Skyscraper Scamper, but also enjoy it and run through the twisting, winding roads and rooftops with effortless style.
I think there should've def been an option to "shut" sonic up during gameplay, but hearing him having fun, makes him look SO cool. Like, Sonic, these robots are trying to immolate you, the Interceptor wants to smash you to pieces, and yet you're having the time of your LIFE?!? Nothing stops this hedgehog, I swear to god. Sorry to hear you missing the level by the way rofl, I feel like a lot of people stuck with the Wii version share your sentiment. This and Savannah Citadel are kinda the surprise levels that never were. Good luck on your 3D Sonic marathon btw! Hypothetically, do you got one you're gonna tackle first? Release order or personal preference?
@@Ajakes When people say Sonic lost his cool I have no idea what they mean because he's literally running above the clouds in some of these stages with a smile on his face the damn adrinenaine junky XD! I get his constant noise is a little annoying but ah I'm just a sucker knowing he's having a blast! (On a semi related note, I cannot WAIT to meet Jason Griffith in person in January 🙏) I'm going to start in release order! I'm really excited to see if my opinions of these games will line up with the broader community or if I'll have my very own to share. I often hold myself back from Sonic game conversations because I don't have the experience playing alot of them so I don't want to chime in knowing jack shit about the gameplay XD
@@infidel5928 rofl I hear you, I plan to go through most of them with the Gens comparisons anyways, so thankfully you'll have familiarity with most of the series. I expect massive 40,000 word essays on every Heroes stage though, sorry. Also have fun meeting Jason Griffith in Jan, sounds like a dream come true!
@@AjakesWe'll see! Maybe I'll be one of the weirdos and like how everyone appears to have rubbed soup on their shoes LOL I missed him this year at a big con in my city so I'm super excited I get to make up the chance!
35:47 As an Idahoan, it could actually be really cool haha, seeing sonic run thru all the different types of terrain, deserts, forests, lakes, and the rocky mountains. But realistically, I think the best option would be San Francisco or Seattle. Great video, I love how you highlight the camera and depth perception, makes it feel like a film review.
I love how much you love this game it's awesome. I'd love to see a Windmill Isle analysis, maybe even both acts since the first one is so short and looking at tutorials can be fun. I was also gonna suggest a Speed Highway comparison cause I think that would be a really cool video, but it sounds like that might already be next based on the end of this one :p Generations comparison, might not be too different from this one, darker, no flames, that's definitely Speed Highway.
You're onto something there... just sit tight. We ain't done with highways yet. Windmill Isle is definitely coming up soon, I really love that one. Thanks for the comment!
this video just showed up in my youtube and i was like "am i really able to watch an almost 40 min analysis of a sonic level? i'm into sonic but not thaaat much" and then i tried it, and woah it got every single micro-second of my attention. you just got me the best lunch time ever, thank you so much! now imma watch some more of your videos because this content is BUSY.
Aaaahh, I was so hyped for this one! (Seeing my own comment in the outro low-key made me squeak with excitement) You hit on pretty much everything I like about this level, like the impressive sense of vertical scale, compared to Cool Edge's horizontal scale, and the 2D section in the middle. I legit never noticed all the geometry oddities there, which honestly shows the flowstate feeling pretty well, as if we're suddenly seeing the world how Sonic sees it: An abstract environment that's really just an elaborate free-running playground
That's a good way to put it, Sonic probably sees less city and more just shapes to bounce around on lol. Horizontal scale on Cool Edge is also a great point, I'll be thinking on that. Thanks for the suggestion dude!
This is one of my favorite Sonic levels, it's always just stuck out for me. I've never really understood exactly WHY that is, but this video explained it really well and I agree on pretty much all of it. I also just love the presentation of this video it's very well made.
Another great video! Can't wait until you get to jungle joyride, that level is amazing. I'm really enjoying these videos man, looking forward to the next one 👍
Saw the title and said "Hell Yes". Skyscraper Scamper is one of my favorite sonic levels ever, and when a Sonic level gets high praise like that, you just know it reaches special heights!
I’m excited for the next comparison video. If I had to guess it would be from regular gens. I’d love to see crisis city because that’s my favorite level in gens it’s just so good. (Also thanks for throwing my comment in again keep up the amazing work)
I’m very grateful for this video because I actually have not finished unleashed (yet) so this is my first real introduction to the skyscraper scamper stage and it’s AWESOME
Sweet! I've been waiting for this. And by "waiting for this", I mean I watched your Dragon Road video before going to work today, and thought, "Man, it sure would be great if he does Skyscraper Scamper next."
I found your channel yesterday bc your Rooftop Run comparison video popped up in my feed (miraculously as I fell back into my love for Unleashed) and have been going through all your Sonic videos since (still churning through your "20 years of Sonic: Personal Timeline" video)... I kept asking myself, "man.... I hope they do make more Unleashed level analyses. I love them!!" And then this video popped up!! Exciting!!
I was in a pretty crappy mood but your Energy in this video made me forget why I was even mad, and its about Sonic. So Thanks dude! Keep up the hard work and can’t wait for the next video 🫡
Your video just got recommended to me, and I instantly fell in love. Your sence of humor is wonderful and your drawings are so cool and funny! Sonic is my favorite francise, so seeing such in-depth videos that are so fun at the same time is a treat! I already watched all your other Sonic-Level videos and can't wait for your next! Jungle Joyride is my favorite Boost-Formula Sonic Level, so thats the one I'm looking forward the most. As for Skycraper Scamper: As someone that lives in a comparatively small town in Germany, a giant city reaching above the clouds is exactly as I imagined a level based on america in a Sonic-Game. I remember that I was frustrated with my first run through the level (I fell really often to my doom), but now I love the constant speed with setpiece after setpiece through such a "busy" city, as you called it.
MAN that was something I forgot to ask in the end, I want to know how people OUTSIDE of America viewed this level, so thanks for sharing. I never really considered it until your comment. Now I'm wondering myself how you would set a Germany Unleashed stage... Glad you got to catch the video, Jungle Joyride is one of my favorites as well, so stay tuned for that one!
@@Ajakes Interesting question, I think a Germany-themed Unleashed stage would be kind of similar to the a stage in Black Knight. Of course not the medieval setting, but the grassy fields and running through small towns with a castle or other old building as setpiece. We have a lot of those, haha.
And yet another amazing video friend! I watched gameplay of this level I knew nothing about and didn't find the level that interesting but your on point analysis really changed my mind! Somehow I knew Skyscraper Scamper was going to be your next project and I was not disappointed! Everything I said about your other videos applies here (detailed explanations on level design and camera and environment work, good comedic moments) but I also want to point out the great music selection and the art you made yourself. It is also present in your other videos and I love that! The art is really good and you clearly have your own touch, it is minimalistic (few colors, simple outlines) cartoonish and also has funny quotes or situations! I always look forward to the new drawings whenever a new section comes up! Keep up the stellar work, super hyped to see the next video (if I had to guess with your hints I'll say Speed Highway and yessss this level rocks, the music and level design in gens is just chefs kiss). Cheers from probably the only person watching your content in France because let's just say that the English language is not doing too well over here😅 Thank you for your quality content!❤
MY ONE FRENCH VIEWER, hello again. Glad you got to learn a little more about the level. Tbh before I ever played Unleashed, I didn't even know it was in the game, and when I saw the flag alone I thought "who cares, it's just another city." How wrong I was. Thanks for catching all the little details too, I spend a lot of time on them (maybe too much lol) so I appreciate it. Excited for you to see the next one... you seem to have caught on already... I've been dying to compare it so it's gonna be fun 👍
I love this level. Finding all the shortcuts and stringing them together for the S rank was one of the more rewarding moments of Unleashed. It all goes by so fast and you have to be on your A game. Really captures the difficulty this particular game is all about without being too bullshit
I’ve been watching your level analysis since your Dragon Road video and it’s one of the most interesting things on RUclips for me recently, keep up the good work❤
This video just gave me a much greater appreciation for levels designers! Never in a million years would I have conciously noticed ANY of what was highlighted in this video! Makes me wonder if I really wanna tackle making a sonic-esque game for fun in the future lmao
I haven’t played much of Unleashed , but visually Skyscraper Skamper is one of my favorite levels (This may be a bit biased because I grew up in the states). I just love how big and opposing the skyscrapers look as you run across rooftops and speed through the highways in the level, makes you really feel so small in such a big city, it’s a bit personal for me because I don’t go into big cities that much, but seeing such tall buildings is such a spectacle to for me, and this level really sells it. And I’m unsure if this is really a hot take but I absolutely LOVE Skyscraper Skamper’s music both day and night, they’re some of my favorite tracks in the ost. I love the jazzy tune they have. The day theme makes you feel like you’re really in a hustling and bustling American city in the early hours of the morning. And the night theme has a more low and less energetic tone but it still makes you feel like you’re in the hustle and bustle in the later hours of the city. I may have a massive skill issue when it comes to Unleashed, but I still love this level.
I'm not around a lot of tall building's either, so this level still makes my jaw drop. Sonic skidding up and down these things is a spectacle in itself. And I'm right there with you on the music. It's one of the rare stages where I love the Day and Night music equally, typically I lean towards the Day, but Skyscraper Scampers' night song almost feels like a Day song with how lively it is. It's very upbeat, as opposed to all the more harder tracks of the werehog stages.
Really love the effort put into these videos! All of your drawings and edits added over the gameplay footage really help keep the video engaging, and now every time I see you drop a new video, I’m like “Awwww hell yeah!!” Keep up the good work and take all the time you need for future videos :)
my favourite series of all time omg i can watch this without blinking ty! when i was playing this lvl i never even noticed how busy it is :0 cant wait for the jungle joyride analysis for at least its music, but ik there will be a lot.
I appreciate your analysis. Skyscraper Scamper is my favorite level in Unleashed. I recall the first time I took the left path after the initial loop, I thought, "OH MY GOD, that shortcut is so cool." Then, I saw a video of the shortcut where you have to jump off the rails following the chaser segment onto a rail far below and I went "OH MY GOD THAT IS AMAZING". the last one is still my favorite shortcut ever in a Sonic game.
I had to put that last shortcut in perspective for my own sake, for a while I thought it was just a shorter path through the rail section, I totally forgot it SKIPS the skybridges rofl. It's insane.
ive been having a super stressful week trying to get my work in order for my finals tomorrow and seeing an analysis of one of my favorite levels from unleashed (despite those scary ass drifts) automatically made the hard ass hussle worth it ty ajakes very cool
I feel that out of all the levels Skyscraper Scamper is the best at giving you that pure dopamine rush. Feels like so much happens throughout the level with all its set pieces and a lot of it is challenging so it feels so satisfying when you get that master each of its sections. Or hell even when you don’t, I still remember as a kid when I would get to the rail grinding and wall running section I would just intentionally jump off and kill myself at the end so I can play it again, that’s how much fun I was having 😂
I’m really glad you’re analyzing the levels from my favorite Sonic game ever, and making me realize things that i’ve never noticed before, only furthering my love for Unleashed. I really hope to see Arid Sands and Jungle Joyride! The “hard” levels that you mentioned before are also my favorites!
30:39 I LOVE this camera shot. Sonic is spiraling down a rail, weaving in and out of those supports, but the camera is rigidly following the center of that spiral, heading _straight forward_ without turning to point at him at all, until finally pulling in to catch up with him at its end. Unleashed only pulls this trick on rare occasion (it happens with similar spiral rails in Windmill Isle and Rooftop Run), but every time it does, it's a treat.
Yep, was about to bring up the Windmill Isle spin but you beat me to it. I forgot it's in Rooftop Run as well! I think my favorite part is that the RAIL itself doesn't end rigidly, it twists just a tiny bit before it gets straight again, so we get this great little "bounce" with the camera before it catches up with him super tight. Almost like if Sonic was snowboarding, kicking up powder during a turn, and we're following the powder TO his snowboard, it's awesome.
Bro always rambles about what I never seem to pick up on these levels no matter how many times I've played them. It's crazy how I learn more about games that I've played since I was 10 and gain even more of an appreciation for it.
HOLY, i didn't remember this level looking so good! Gosh this game aged not too bad compared to stuff nowadays. Oh and by the way, your channel helped me so much in learning cinematography direction, i can't thank you enough bro
Having played the PS2 version as a kid, I never knew why my game didn’t have this level or even the 3D hub worlds. Always thought I was missing something, some secret code or setting. Now I finally understand that only the PS3 could handle the Flowstate Freeway. Also amazing work on your videos as always, your attention to detail & appreciation for all the things you look at is very inspiring and cool, and the animations are so so great, visually interesting, even. Thanks for all of your hard work, I hope Santa brings you all of the Grimace wedge pieces you could ever wish for.
i love how the monument almost poses as a goal ring to trick the player, like you wouldn't think much of how it looks as you're descending it's just spherical, spinning and golden which is what you're used to throughout the whole game, so when you finally see what it really is, you realize something isn't right and the game tricks you with enemies, its so fun thinking about how many layers there is to something so simple even if it maybe wasn't intentional in the end
Keep up with these videos! Just like you said, not expecting the *lighting* of all things to be the source of (presumably intentional) difficulty in this level!
Man these videos are just so fucking awesome. Your analysis is really entertaining. If I could suggest a level for a comparison video it would be Seaside Hill.
Lovely video! Honestly, these are making wanna replay sonic unleashed again I'm very excited to see the arid sands video, it is my favorite unleashed level both gameplay wise and aesthetic wise (being based on Jordan)
Every time I watch your videos I feel joy. I really like your jokes, your drawings, and I love your love for "small things" that make things cool! I don't know if you are planning to do any Sonic Adventure level but anything from SA/SA2/Heroes would be awesome. Final Rush would be specially interesting since there are rails that to this day I don't know how to get to them. Maybe a Final Rush + Final Chase comparison with Shadow Gens' Ark would be cool too!
Yeah when I hit Shadow's Space Colony Ark, I might just use both "Final" levels for the comparison, since it uses a lot of both. Also thanks for the kind words!
My favorite section of this whole level is at around 21:27 where if you jump just right and nail the landing you can get right to the rail that leads to the rainbow rings that skip the wall running section. Essentially allowing you to skip the entire area in one risky jump if you're daring enough.
I've seen people do a similar thing with the final rail on Jungle Joyride's hard level (DLC Act 1-2). I always wanna attempt it on an S rank run but it scares me so much lol
As a New Yorker, Skyscraper Scamper hits a specific nostalgia center in my brain; imagining Sonic racing between traffic and Subways, running up the Empire State building, grinding the suspension of the Brooklyn Bridge, all while riding in my mom's minivan.
I've been playing Unleashed for years and I never knew some of those paths in the rail segment of Skyscraper Scamper existed. Makes me want to get back on Unleashed for the millionth time and try them
Sadly, I never got to play Skyscraper Scamper even though I played Unleashed. That's because I only got the PS2 Version of the game, which doesn't include it. But after your analysis, I can really image how great it would feel to rush over those rooftops.
If you want a great tip that I found going through "The drift of Death", Sega actually does a great deal of preparing you for this drift as they knew that people would go flying off the edge if they weren't careful. They put a bunch of dashpads that slow sonic down to about half his speed as sonic exits the tunnel. This speed is the perfect speed to go through the curve while also not going off the edge. If you stop boosting once you hit those dash pads, all you have to do is keep going straight (even near the edge as moving left or right before the curve can increase sonics speed to a point where the drift will send you flying towards the void for a second) and drift just before the turn actually starts. You can tell when it actually curves by the yellow road lines on the ground. I feel like the effort that sega went into for actually preparing players for this was really smart and goes unnoticed to the naked eye. In my opinion, this is the only time they really "hold your hand" in Skyscraper scamper. The road lines curving to clearly show where the curve starts, giving players a visual depiction of the turn they have to complete, in addition to the lines themselves being well lit and yellow to contrast with the grey road. The dash pads slowing sonic down, setting him to the perfect speed to go through the curve seamlessly, and the actual corner itself being put right near the start of the stage so that players are more likely to remember it when they reset or die. I feel like the reason people struggle on it is that they don't really know whats coming up, keep going fast, and then miss interpret their surroundings. It's why flying off the edge is so common, and most people find running around the corner to be more suitable. You could also learn to do the "hop skip teleport". That works to :) Btw, love your videos man. I feel like analysing and breaking apart stages is such an important thing, especially in a sonic game. The designers of Unleashed put so much time and effort into the camera movement, lighting, environments, buildings, and all sorts of other elements that go completely unnoticed, but still make people feel that same sense of wonder, anticipation, and excitement, they just don't really know who or how. I feel like more people should take the time to really break apart a stage like this as it allows you to really open your eyes to the beauty, excellence, and understanding on how sega makes some of these stages feel so alive and brilliant, and even come to your own conclusions as to why this is. Your videos tackle this analysis in such a creative and funny way. It just feels like a kid talking about videogames to their parents, explaining all the intricate little things that they love about the game, even if their parents don't understand what you're talking about. It just makes my day whenever I see "I love it" Adam in the bottom right hand corner of my screen, or any of the fun illustrations for that matter; And I love it *Insert "'I love it' Adam" here*. Keep up the good work man, you're doing great. By the way (2), I'm curious about if you're going to tackle any stages from sonic forces. Maybe a comparison between sunset heights forces and sunset heights generations. I've never really bothered to try and look into the more intricate side of forces, or really take the effort that Sega put into forces into consideration as, much like your perception of Sonic 06, I hate forces with a burning passion. I don't hate the people that support it, but the game just sucks, so I'm curious to see what your perception on the stages is. You would probably have more open eyes to picking apart the good stuff forces does with it's levels, compared to me who really doesn't see anything outside the bad.
The trick I've used now for the "Drift of Death" is: starting the drift in the center lane, as you pass the first tunnel's shadow, and not letting go of the thumbstick until you're in the next tunnel. I think another thing people forget is that the drift is much tighter than they expect (without boost) if they DON'T stop turning. In my past experiences, I would end drifts early since I thought they were getting too wide, but when I hold on and keep turning, I realize it arcs perfectly. Something I did NOT recognize is that the dash pads reset your speed to help you with the turn! You're totally right. Instinctively, I see all dashpads as "speed boosts" so I always forget that Unleashed will sometimes use them to actually make you go slower lol. Very handy! Thanks for that ending btw, means a lot. I do want to make these feel more energetic than academic, by just speaking plainly about the things I love , instead of finding an intentional reason for it. Sometimes, I think something is cool just because it's COOL, and that's totally fine. The fun of it is breaking down why, and that's kind how these videos developed. Plus, I want people to feel like they can give their own subjective analysis in the comments too, that's where we get all the fun observations. I think writing about the reaction you get, instead of the intention, is much more exciting. Anyone can explain "why" something was done, but only you can explain how it made you feel, right? idk where im going with this lol, but THANK YOU, I love chopping up Sonic in these big comments (not literally). As for Forces, it's def on the list, and moving up higher than I expected. I think that and Kingdom Valley were the 2 huge surprises from Shadow Gens, and I want to get to it eventually. Plus I want to see if I can find some good in Forces. Consider it happening (just not yet lol). Thanks again for the comment!
If you were wondering, Skyscraper Scamper pretty much makes me feel the same way you described it, busy. The music is predominately electric and brassy, the stage gives off this flow of a rush that feels energetic and sporadic, and it all just has this feel of intensity, excitement, and a small dash of anxiety sprinkled throughout. It's probably Sega's most accurate representation of a big city, even though I have also never been to NYC. I wish they would make a stage based on the outback because then my kangaroo littered brain would be able to make all the connections to Australia :) In terms of the game using dashpads to slow you down, Sega does it all the time, especially during transitions to 2D. When speedrunning without using the "Hop skip teleport" (Because I don't know how to do it) most of the time it's actually faster to hop over certain dashpads as you will keep your velocity for a little bit before the game finally sets what I like to call "The speed Limit" (Basically, the speed limit is this imaginary limiter that caps sonics max speed on the speedometer. "The speed limit" is actually one of the reasons why I don't think the Speedometer isn't the greatest thing about sonic unleashed as most of the time, it's completely inaccurate to sonics true max speed. It's still cool, but I just wish it was consistent as the max speed in 2D is eons slower than the max speed in 3D, yet the Speedometer says you're travelling at the same speed). One last thing, when you inevitably go to S rank or beat Eggman land (whichever you haven't done yet), my biggest tip would be to take you time. Seriously, take it slow. This stage has the most amount of leeway when it comes to the time bonus for the S rank, and it's the only stage in the game where dying halfway through will still lave enough points littered throughout the stage to bank an S rank. Hell, I've seen people die in the 2nd last hedgehog section and still get an S, so take it slow and don't give up just cause you died once. I haven't S ranked the stage cause I wanna do a perfect run; I've been at it for around 3 months now ;-; (not literally, I haven't been grinding my life away at the funny hordgeheg game, but you get the point),
@@Sonicspeeder2023 This is what I'm saying dude, we need an Unleashed 2. Send Sonic to the outback. New Kangaroo character!?? What's not to love. Interesting about the dash pads, someone actually mentioned that with my 60fps bug on Dragon Road, I could almost never take the higher path on the first 2D loop, and I learned if you hit the dash pads before it, it actually glues you to the ground which makes the hop way harder. I thought people jumping over dashpads in speedruns was just to show off lol, I never realized that it was an actual technique. As for Eggmanland, I have beat it before, but only that 1 time haha, never went back. And I think my ranking wasn't too bad either, might have been a B. BUT, I wanna make it an S. And if I am, it's getting a video (regardless, I wont have a LETTER stopping me)
skyscraper scamper is a cool level, it makes me feel like I'm living the rush of getting up late to work but making it in time. something I noticed about this level, the grind gallery part was replicated in two of forces levels, the sonic only level and the duo level of metropolis. I've also interpreted those clouds scattered throughout the level as polution, since it's a big city with little vegetation.
Pollution also works, combines well with the dark "exhaust" clouds we see sometimes. I need to replay Forces but I'm interested in seeing what you mean. Do you remember the names of those 2 levels?
Great video, really enjoyed your analysis. Also want to point out, with how many "city levels" in Sonic games, there are surprisingly few, that really embodies that busy and colossal urban vibe of the really big city. All yours Station Square, city from City Escape, Sunset Heights, even Westopolis to some degree, all feel more like middle sized coast city without any oppressive urbanism (Crisis City is close, but post apocalypse is still the main theme there). Empire City is the best at it and one of more unique "city level", that really well contrast with Sonic free loving-nature spirit.
It's also uniquely focused on the sky rather than the ground, and is noticeably DENSE. You are boxed in by skyscrapers a ton in that level, a lot of your horizon shots just show more buildings for miles and miles. It's cramped in a fun way, which encourages great setpieces like the wall run.
Once again, a GREAT video! I feel like Skyscraper Scamper shows how busy New York City FEELS to be at (like you I've haven't been to NYC), and it looks like a great place to eat Hot Dogs. Now for my sugesstion and answer to the conclusion Question: For the next comparison between the source level and a Sonic Gens level, I reccomend looking at EIther A) Sunest Heights from Shadow Generations (if u have forces to compare the levels) or B) Speed Highway from Base Sonic Gens. Both are fun Levels in a city and each game is interesting to compare in theor own rights. Shadow gen's Sunset heights mixes Ghost Town, SUnset Heights, Park Avenue, and Enemy Territory into 2 acts, and Speed Highway only really has 1 setpiece due it it being from Adventure 1. As for what level do I think would Represent America, people outside the US would probably think of the WILD WEST! So why not a Level set in a sonic-ified Wild West Texas, maybe something like "WIld Ride" Or "West Side Ranch" (I'll let you have the say on which name's better). Keep up the good work, loving the awesome Sonic Content, not to mention the flair of the artstyle being so appealing.
How about, Wacky Wild Riptide Westside Workbench Waltz? Rolls off the tongue. Yeah I think the West would be a great locale, considering they already did a bit of that in Mania. It might be cliché, but put Sonic on a runaway train! Hell, just do a Gens remix of Mirage Saloon, that's a shoe-in right there. Also I didn't know Sunset Heights took from so many Forces levels, I thought it was remixing just one lol. I haven't played in a while, but I gotta get back to that. As for Speed Highway well, I think there's more than 1 setpiece in it from Adventure, but we'd have to look into it.. 😉
@@Ajakes Yeah, I played through Both acts a noticed the following: - The Start of the Level is like Sunset Heights - Act 1 and 2's underground Section resembles the Underground of Park Avenue and Ghost Town - The Main in-level cutscene of Act 1 is a longer reference to Red Gate Bridge's Pre-Boss QTE - Spikeball Plaza is Present in the first Minute of Act 1 (In Sunset Height and Park Avenue the big spinny SPikeball is not present, but it is in Enemy territory) - In Act 2, there are water dumping Hazards that look that the openings in the Underground of Park Avenue and Ghost Town Backgrounds Like You, I pay attention to detail, not to mention I have access to forces during both acts to double check since it's on my Switch. Also, that level name is for the WIld West level is PERFECT! I can already imagine the Camera Angles on a rail grind under a Train Bridge and a boss that is a Runaway train!
You talking about the camera in the levels is the most interesting thing in the world. Like seriously, no one cares about the camera so much, but this makes me always so happy and stunned
I got a shameless infatuation with it, I can't lie!
The camera is what makes or breaks literally *any* 3D game. IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO GET IT RIGHT.
It's bothered me so much how the camera in recent sonic games like forces and frontiers feels so stiff and lifeless whereas in Unleashed and Generations(sort of) it's super dynamic and makes everything feel fun. I'm happy it's being noticed more.
Sir, a 4th ajake level analysis has hit the building
😩😩😩
LOOK OUT HE HAS ANOTHER ONE!!
Oh wait it's just a... A PICTURE STAGE
Don’t you mean a field
*crude doodle of Sonic smashed like a bug after slamming into a wall*
This man cranks out videos like EA throwing out sports titles, except the videos are insanely polished. Haven’t even finished the video, but it's already full of quality.
John Maddam's 2024 Sonic Audit
I think what I love about Skyscraper Scamper is that it perfectly exemplifies Sonic's world design. The design of the highways that suddenly twist and curve into impossible loops, buildings that shoot upwards impossibly tall around them while remaining perfectly spaced to provide their rooftops and ledges as refuge, and metal girders that bend and snake through the skyline tying it all together, it's all so abstract in a way that makes you believe the world is built to be Sonic's playground!
It's the same vibe across other great city levels in the series, like Speed Highway, City Escape and Rooftop Run to name a few, and it's what I often love about Sonic's level theming, taking a concept that's so fundamentally understood like a city or grassy plane or a beach and turning it into an interactive abstract art piece!
So true, I also love that this level gives us BOTH sides of the spectrum on this. The bridge + further is very believable, it's like they snuck in Sonic geometry into something that was already there. But the 2D section represents a Sonic level first and foremost. You can see the way they plotted everything out clearly, and how they used elements from the environment we've already seen before (road loops / windowpanes / etc.) to color it up. It's a hell of a level!
30:52 it really made me laugh lol
33:04 its not because difficultly. If you remember the story, the whole reason Sonic runs through here is because Professor Pickle told him about a bunch of robot sitings in Empire City.
Yeah I do feel like that is the case. But I also really like the final center statue. It looks really golden, and enough like a goal ring, to the point where it tells the player, one final push through the level, and then we are done
Oh yeah, I forgot that Empire City is a country where there are absolutely no Gaia Temples on where it takes place, Sonic only goes there thanks to the Badniks around invading the city
Honestly, really cool way of complementing the level with the storytelling, because thanks to the story it makes sense for it to be the level that has so many enemies on it, and thanks to that it makes the level harder
Not only that but it also makes sense for Sonic to defeat the robots at the end for the Goal Ring to appear, to show that he's completing his objective on there, and it also complements with what is said in the video, the level ends with Sonic destroying robots to maybe remind you that you faced so many enemies throughout the stage
And it fits both it finishing with you trashing badniks (it's the whole reason Sonic went there) and there having so many enemies throughout the whole stage (There are a lot of them invading the city)
@@ThisisTheUltimate Honestly this might be it, good thinking
These videos made me realize that one of the most underrated aspect of Sonic Games is the camera movement. The more I think about it, the more I feel like they just don't do those like Unleashed did.
Also, if not NYW, I feel like either Las Vegas as a level, or something like the far west (with Cowboy vibes) or the Grand Canyon could be a nice representation of the United States.
Also also, you mention a lot about the fact that the grind rails stops abruptly and you fall if you don't switch rails fast enough but I think that's what the rings are here for. To incentivize the rail switch.... At least that's how I feel since they saved me a lot during my 1st playthrough.
Also also also Jungle Joyride my beloved
Anyway, great video! Love your series.
Oooo Las Vegas is a shoe-in, especially with how much casinos are spotlighted in the franchise, that could be awesome. Sonic speeding down the strip, probably some cool interior/exterior stuff too. I think the rings are the 1 saving grace for those girder gaps, you're right. I just think even alone, they could've made it a bit more clear. Maybe like slowly darkening the rail up to the gap? Jungle Joyride has a similar thing with the collapsing docks at the start. Not as egregious as like Final Rush X's, but still helpful. Stick around for the Jungle Joyride video because we'll have a lot to talk about lol. It's... SO good. Thanks for the comment!
Good thinking, always pay attention to ring trails! They’re developer guides to the fastest path!
Generations’ levels are peppered with that design.
Overrated*
29:08
This is peak writing from Sonic Team actually because *they make the gameplay a character analysis.* See, Sonic doesn’t hesitate, he takes opportunities the moment they come at him. He trusts his instincts, he doesn’t fear the fall, he’s cool on the edge, he’s the dragon on the road.
So, when Sonic Team makes these reaction-based levels, they typically put an obstacle in your path that can be conquered with a single button press, should you react on time. When you do, they send you an opportunity for faster progression that can be reached *if* you react on time with the appropriate button. It’s a little signal that your first opponent is your own hesitation.
And a set-piece like this is a single that your second opponent is your fear and paranoia, telling you that reacting blindly will only set you back and you should _only_ wait long enough to see your next obstacle or opportunity.
Good Sonic games are immersive, not because they make you feel like Sonic, but because they challenge you to _think_ like Sonic, to follow his philosophy.
Hey that's some great insight there! I didn't even think of that. That could be a whole video on its own, how these games make you THINK like Sonic.
@@Ajakes
Even Forces carries this design format in bite-sized pieces. It proves the formula still works, it just needs to be challenged appropriately and the dev team needs to trust their players to approach these challenges competently.
A
@@Linkatiko
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@God-xd1wr oh wow, I texted by mistake when I nodded off due to lack of sleep. First time for everything I suppose.
Damn I didn't think Shadow was in Sonic Unleashed but he's everywhere in this stage!!!!! Skyscraper Scamper has always been a favorite of mine for just how busy it is, and mastering it always made me feel like I had learned the fastest way to get to work in a morning commute in NYC. Can't wait for the inevitable videos on the rest of Unleashed's stages dude!!!!
Even worse, he keeps getting in Sonic's way!
I'm really glad I found this channel, I love your commentary and analysis on Sonic, and your Unleashed videos remind me just how much I miss certain elements like the challenge and presentation.
I'd love for a similar jump in difficulty in the newer games. Shad Gens was pretty tough in the last levels tbh, but they should've raised the S rank amount for the normal Sonic stages, would've loved that!
@Ajakes I definitely agree. Not only do I wish for more challenging S ranks as I've never been the type to speedrun levels just for speedrunning's sake, but that the levels were more inherently challenging as opposed to just being an easy level that you have to optimize.
@@KaleBennett I feel like the challenge gates could've been a good place to fit in more difficulty if they didn't want to touch the main stages. Some of the doppelganger races are just the same exact level, would've been a perfect place
@@Ajakes The challenge gates were a highlight of Sonic Generations; I just wish certain levels were longer or were harder to get S ranks on since even at their best like the Planet Wisp obstacle course, they still felt more like diet Unleashed.
Skyscraper Scamper makes me feel like I'm late to work and taking every shortcut to make it on time
No joke, once you deep dive into most city levels in Sonic, the arquitecture is VERY questionable, (City Escape and Speed Highway being the best examples imo), but in Skyscraper Scamper? It somehow looks like you're going through infinished arquitecture, places that do kinda make sense (most of time) if you assume it's under construction, the best examples being pretty much every road at the start of the level (missing walls, cones all around, those roads ending abruptly into the abyss) and the chase bridges that literally start and end with no clear connections to anything
The music has a lot of power, and even tho Unleashed takes that "high energy" approach to pretty much every day track, I think this one is the purest expression of that, with a clear composition but seemingly chaotic, almost as if it recognizes the dangerous routes you are traveling, and the calmer parts I interpret as the realization, like the feeling of looking down and seeing just how far you can fall, which may as well be because those parts tend to come when you do the big jump into the first bridge or are well into the grinding section, some of the most vertigo-inducing parts imo
Maybe I'm overanalyzing what's meant to be functional level design, but I feel like Skyscraper Scamper feels way different than other city level because of the perceived danger, as you said, you never touch the ground, and even compared to the most similar one, Speed Highway, you still go inside buildings, you still go ON buildings, so that sense of stability is somewhat there, and while similar stuff does happen here, it's, first, mostly at the start with a clear progression in terms of danger, and second, way less overall than in Speed Highway. That's what I love about the level, taking the most mundane location and making it feel very dangerous (also helped by being one of the 3 hard Unleashed levels, which I entirely agree)
To end this coment (which I never expected to be so long OMG...) I'll say that my interpretation of why the goal is set up like that to is precisely to contrast the dangers of the rest of the level, think about it, roads, bridges, rails, only some buildings at the start and the rest is unstable, but then you reach that final building with a cool monument, almost like saying "you have done it, you are safe", and having the goal available instantly would not sell that as well as actually taking a bit of time to appreciate it
"Construction" is a very powerful (and in hindsight, easy haha) way to make Sonic gameplay geometry feel believable in a city level. We started seeing it in City Escape tbh, but Skyscraper Scamper also carries the torch. Besides the single 2D section, a lot of the paths make sense within the environment (to an extent lol, maybe don't take the family sedan on the Empire City mega loop). And with the amount of physics objects they lay out for you, it does feel like they're still "building" the course. The music in this stage is very powerful too, I didn't go into it much, but it's such a wild combination. Like, Gershwin style big city score combined with... drum and bass? It's the type of music I imagine you'd here in your brain on like a busy stock floor lol. I think Skyscraper Scamper really shines above a standard "city level" as you said, because of the mix of authentic big city potential (Skyscraper) and bottomless danger with enemies galore (Scamper). Also I like your interpretation of the ending! Besides the cylinders, it's the 1 part of the level where you really slow down and look AROUND you. Great comment, fantastic read man, thanks!
This level is probably my favorite in Sonic Unleashed, its so busy like you said but when you master it it is oh so beautiful. Its very satisfying, and hearing sonics joy throughout makes him sound just as confident as the player
I've heard people bring that up before, that Sonic's confidence in these levels is super palpable. Even in S ranks he remains effortless, it's awesome
Skyscraper Scamper Day and Dragon Road are my favorite Day stages
Alright this gag you do at 24:04 is starting to become my favorite of your edits. Like... c'mon, we've all imagined Sonic turning into a splort multiple times throughout (badly) playing the series, and it honestly does point out where the levels either slow down a touch or otherwise get'cha pretty well.
this level doesn't get enough love, I suppose the same can be said abt most unleashed levels but I think this and "The Big One" are underrated in spite of their popularity. something I'm a bit sad you didn't mention was the song used, everything about it is soooo fitting for what EC is all about. the beginning with the sax starting super high octane as sonic speeds down the freeway, as opposed to the other level's songs raising up to that before really kicking in, the super grand trumpets blaring extravagantly fitting the very "new york parody" theming it has, and since there's no stakes and any story significance I think the main melody really make the level feel like sonic just wanted to have a run through EC. its such a fun song to hear when playing Skyscraper Scamper
Yeah it def needs more love. I think all the fun foreign locals kinda overshadow what a lot of people believe to be just another "city level." In any other game Skyscraper Scamper would be the star of the show. I don't touch on the music too much since admittedly I don't know much about music besides how it makes me feel haha, but I agree with your sentiment. It's an insane mix, plus that sax rips me to shreds everytime.
Its how I imagine the same anxiety of someone who love roller-coaster, a tightening feeling that builds up and releases over and over again through every section with cold wind blasting all around you. Its very kewl.
Probably pretty chilly in Empire City too, doesn't look like a SUNNY day. I like the idea of a cold morning, helps with the fog
I think the reason why I love Unleashed's Day stages so much is that they really do feel like an exhilarating roller coaster ride. While the level layouts may not be as open as the Adventure games, Sonic 06, or even parts of Shadow Generations imo, it maintains this rush that Unleashed is able to convey so well to me compared to other boost titles. It's a near non-stop ride with twist and turns and alternate routes with great camera that just makes me love these stages. And ofc, the music adds a lot to these stages, especially Skyscraper Scamper here. Hearing that sax at the beginning with always hit, no matter what
the rollercoaster comparisons are boundless with these games, ESPECIALLY Unleashed, like holy shit
I love your little doodles, especially this one at 31:05. Poor Professor Pickle, taking a vacation from Spagonia and Sonic is still crashing through his walls. 😂
Pickle can't catch a break from that hedgehog... 😔
33:30 was so good lol
Loved this video too! Never considered the camera and lighting much but your videos are super eye opening!
That's what I always saw in my brain when Sonic absorbed the XP. Reminds me of the Chao mission too, where they just swarm Sonic as he stands there like a statue. Thanks as always dude, appreciate you sharing it! 🙏
Taking the time to see how all these amazing levels were built and what makes them special is so interesting... I hope you review all of them eventually. Thank you for doing this! :]
I plan to tackle all of them eventually! Unleashed was the first game I thought, "man, I could talk endlessly about every single one of these stages..." so it's getting the full-game treatment. Thanks for commenting 🙏
Sweet! I look forward to it!
33:29
Okay, that honestly got me -- excellent comedic timing there, man. 😂
God this level is crazy... You covered it so well and pointed out so many things I never noticed!! AMAZING VIDEO
As an amateur photographer and just overall enthusiast of photography and filmmaking, you consistently speaking on the camera techniques used in these various Sonic stages to convey different senses from the end player, whether that be from different angles, perspective shifts, focal points etc, is incredible work man. I think we really take for granted just how utterly slick, seamless, and precise the creators were with the camera during these levels, and the amount of effort and skill that was needed to pull all of that off.
You describe these aspects in a way that is both easy to follow and digest, yet is so much fun to nod along to if you’re a bit more knowledgeable or versed in this stuff. It’s masterful, good sir, very well done indeed!
Ey a photographer! I bet you'd be able to pick out a lot of these things too haha, it's really fun to see the work they put into these games. The camera doesn't get enough credit, they're pulling of so many amazing things. For instance, look at the framing on every goal post when you spawn in on it. The damn shots are like paintings, its beautiful. You could make a whole video on that alone, they're setting stuff up constantly! Anywho, thanks for the kind words, glad to hear my observations are coming through clearly!
@ You’re too kind! It feels like you just gave yourself an idea for a future video, Ajakes! Or at least… I would personally love to see (hear?) you wax poetic about the smaller details in these games, like the goal posts! There definitely is a ton of fun to be had when diving into these technical and artistic aspects, things that I love to mentally point out to myself now whenever I revisit some of the stages you’ve gone over. Hell, even the aspects that I would appreciate the most, like the framing and lighting, are greatly enhanced now that I have a newfound outlook on them!
@@danieldickerson4838 Hmmm... I have been wanting to talk about that for a while now... There's just too many fun video ideas AHH. I might bring it up in certain levels from here on, because it's highlighted very well in stages I haven't tackled yet. You're so right, there's tons to uncover here, thanks for the inspo dude!
Hot damn dude you are PUMPING these out!
These videos are so good they really make me want to play the proper unleashed game! As a kid I had UnWiished and had no idea what I was missing out on, it honestly feels like I missed a whole ass game 😔
Empire City just passed you by, it's NOT FAIR. Yeah if Unleashed was more available, I'd encourage you to give it a try. You can always do the herculean task of buying an expensive new Xbox and getting it digitally, OR find it somewhere on your computer on the internet on a website or something kinda like that im not suggesting anything here. OR just wait until they rerelease it, surely they will, please god. I gotta tackle Unwiished eventually and see what YOU experienced, very excited for that. Thanks for watching dude, these are so fun to make! 🙏
13:43 Something I would like to point out is how the lightspeed dash is an "unintentional punishment path".
If you're insane like me and enjoy going for some of the collectibles, doing the lightspeed dash will force you onto the dash pad and into the 2D section. But if you go the bottom route and manually go to the building without hitting the dash pad, there is a Sun medal hidden on the left side near those tables in the back. Going the fast route is "punishable" for people like me since we miss out on the medal. However I think it's clever how they added that Eggman Robot in the background, sort of as a way to entice us who love collectibles. Because it's clear that it's meant to be hit, and if go out of our way to hit it, then there might be some goodies nearby. And sure enough they do that well. Not as bad as that one stupid hidden Moon Medal in Windmill Isle's Act 2.
Haha good point. For the longest time I thought that Egg Launcher was just for show, but you can actually catch the glimmer of a 10 Ring floating above it. When I stopped to grab THAT, I decided to check out the rest of the roof and boom, Sun medal. Dragon Road has a lot of medals off the beaten path too, some are hidden inside the buildings or water you grind over
dude you are quickly becoming one of my favorite creators here, great video :3
Thank you very much!
The more analysis videos you release, the more I think you must secretly be a sneaky Sonic Team dev... But amazing work as always! It's great to see how intricate and well thought out the level design of Unleashed actually is!
gonna sneak in the most gratuitous camera shots in Frontiers 2, just you wait. (and thank you for the kind words 🙏)
@Ajakes if 90% of Frontiers 2 is Tiny Sonic then I'm here for it
Amazing video! I definitely agree that the last three levels of unleashed come with a difficulty spike but I feel like jungle joyride had its own difficulty spike as I remember that one being so much harder than the previous two levels. Can’t wait to see an analysis of that level and understand why it felt so much harder.
Jungle Joyride is a cut above. I did NOT like it on my first run and it took me some TIME. But now... it's up there. Real high up there. Once you S rank that one, you feel like you can do anything (it was the 2nd level I ever S ranked!)
These individual breakdowns are so good! There's so many elements you bring up that I never would have given a second thought, and it makes me appreciate these stages a whole lot more (and I already love the daytime Unleashed stages).
After watching and playing an endless amount of Sonic Unleashed, I can say Skyscraper Scamper and its uniqueness makes it one of the best levels that Sonic has ever run through. It's my personal second favourite though. I look thoroughly towards the Cool Edge video as the level design, combined with the music, is one of the strongest connections I've seen in any Sonic game.
Not many Cool Edge enjoyers out there! I do have a question: do you have a reason or two about why you think that level is strong/what is special about it? I wanna hear more people talk about it, and am very curious
@@Ajakes Ok, this one might be a bit of a weird love because I am a musician so I certainly take the music into account whilst playing them. I'll leave that for the last paragraph though.
So, Holoska really emphasizes the openness and "airiness" when being compared to all the other continents. This is really shown in the opening shot as well. This is the first level that starts with Sonic already running as well. The camera circles around Sonic and really shows that the frozen tundra is more open than any place before and despite the pillars of ice and snow obstructing your view, you feel the cold and almost nothingness with it. The openness expressed and communicated ion this opening and it certainly is not the only time it returns. (I'll explain why I enjoy the openness in the second last paragraph, you can jump there if you'd like to know right away).
Anywho, after you gain control of Sonic, you immediately grab a set of rings and, instinctively by this point in the game, start boosting. However, this first 3D section pulls an insanely good check on the player to make sure they're still paying attention and not losing focus because of the expanse of the level. The game throughs igloos and snowmen that Sonic can break while boosting, the main purpose is to block the purple spikes up ahead, the constrast of which should in theory make it easy to dodge. However, due to the debris, Sonic has a good chance of hitting or barely missing the spikes (on a first playthrough). I barely dodged it on my first experience and it took me a bit to regroup and ended up with me sort of swerving, trying to correct my forward path as if I was on ice (even though this section doesn't have ice). This part gives you a cold snap in telling you to focus and that this level is where the difficulty and speed start increasing. (There are also some camera traits from Windmill Isle that you have shown that in this stage as well, however, I'm not nearly qualified enough to talk about them, but do know they are there, mainly in transition sections)
The 2D section right after the lake throws Sonic into actual ice physics which gives reality check on the player coordination with the Blue Hedgehog. If they do their hops right, it is possible to get through this entire section after the rainbow ring without boosting, however, on first playthroughs, again, it gives a check on the player before sending them into the true action:
The Slippery Drift section after the ramp out of the 2D section has two paths, one that is basked in sunlight and is easier to take, or the one through the icy wall which is harder and less visually "available" due to it being in shadows. The wall colour helps it stand out a bit though. Anyways, this section is wide and allows the player to see the full length of Sonic's drift on ice and see just how much they need to adjust. By now though, the player has realized they need to dial in and this drift section typically goes smoothly, even on accident, for new players (who are also aided by the dash pads). The open element peaks its head back in with the sunlight poking around in places before being shut down by a stomp switch and a group of enemies.
After this switch is the toboggan/bobsled section which many people don't like, but I personally enjoy. The reason behind it is actually due to speed gauge as the bottom left of the HUD. Now, boosting is disabled here, however, jumping is still available and trying to balance the speed and jumps actually collecting rings or medals (for the rank or completing the game). It is fairly niche and it is more a personal prefernce, but I love the bobsled as it relies on finesse and gives you a break from quick reaction/adjustment times, especially after playing through some of the most inconsistent surfaces a few moments prior. The whale and the jump are an absolute gorgeous piece of the level as well because we don't really get to see other animals in Sonic Unleashed very much. Yes, Savannah Citadel had wildlife, but you're rushing by so fast and the lighting is so focused on the stage that you' don't really observe the animals. Cool Edge really brings out the natural side of the continent which is something that is only really showed in Jungle Joyride, and even then, the latter half of that stage contains plenty of elements of structures made by something or someone. Holoska is pure. It's open. It's 100% natural. And it is an absolute joy to run where no one has touched before (presumably...)
The ice cave and frozen ocean section are absolutely genius when it comes to the camera work and feel of the section. You land after a massive jump and run into a massive cave where you can hear and see giant icicles coming loose, read to fall on you. While you're just bring your eyes back from the first icicle, you notice the cave taking a drop with another icicle above so you glance down to see where it'll land, only to witness a huge hole after going down the hill. Now yours eyes are flying up and down to ensure you don't die and its chaotic, and frantic. There's so many options and paths to take and it's almost daunting due to the suddenly closed area (this is where deaths are actually most common in this level based on what I've seen others do). The panic eventually subsides as the player and Sonic see a huge lake and know that openness is back and that speed can be achieved in its true form.
The Frozen Ocean (I know its not an ocean... but it's a cool name) is first seen with the light shining from the end of the cave. The openness has returned and Sonic can boost again. Once you touch the water, the sound effect of it sells the fact that you are light and free, only to immediately be struck back with the sound of the ice structures collapsing as you approach them. This aesthetic detail, whilst unrealistic, foreshadows Jungle Joyride's tower collapse sections. The ice structure that looks like an arch collapses in Sonic's would-be path had a booster not pointed him away to side step it. This section can be best described with the music and openness metaphor so don't worry, this section is just as amazing as the rest, I just haven't much to say currently because of how much it is carried.
The Whale, Stomp Switch, and final 2D section all culminate into one final challenge which may also be a personal bias as I know plenty of people who dislike this section. I would defend it, but this is already going on way too long and this section feels more like that final 2D section from your Windmill Isle Act 2 video, Not all sections serve a purpose. Sometimes, a little bit of filler is needed!
The last bobsled section keeps Sonic and the player in this cramped, closed section with not much light to shower where the main path forward is. The ice sheets bend in ways that toss and turn your sled until you don't know where you're going... atleast until that final jump. It's one ramp... launching you high up so you can take one final look at the beauty of the landscape (or lack there of at this point because of the ocean that takes up a lot of the screen) before landing you safely into the goal ring.
OPENNESS: So, I've done a lot of "readings" per se on the philosophy of Sonic. To boil it down, one of the main things that Sonic values, is freedom. He does things because he can. He doesn't care what others think (Sonic and the Black Knight had an amazing example of this). Sonic just does his thing and does what he can to help others also just do. He believes there are ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES in the world and that the abilities to choose how you LIVE LIFE is one of the most beautiful things that a person can do. Holoska is just a symbol of this openness where, yes, there will be dark times where things may rain from the sky and ruin your momentum, but you manage past it and see the light at the end of the tunnel. You boost forward and even though things are still crumbling, you just keep going for it. Pushing to the end. Hearing the wind fly by and feeling the coldness against your skin. But none of that matters. What matters is being true to yourself. Being natural. All of which Holoska emulates/is.
MUSIC: So, this track is undoubtebly the simplist in the game. I have made a cover of this piece and I will say, even the music sells the openness of the stage. The lead guitar/melody is set so that it playing long, open, extended notes compared to the harmonies and drums. It also stays very safe by only really using the first, second, fourth, and fifth notes of the key in the melody. It's very simple, but also very solid. It can be compared to Ice Cap zone as well, where the Ice could be felt in the frosty melody. The Bass and Drums start the stage off and almost match Sonic's footsteps against the ground. The bass doesn't feel so locked in yet and it has a little bit of pitch shifting which is what Sonic and the player have to do in order to keep their footing and not slide off into a cave or ocean. The reverb on the guitars create almost an echo that you would hear if you were to be in frozen tundra like Holoska.
So, believe it or not, that's my basics of this stage. I have a lot more to say, however, I've rambled on for far too long. I would love to keep going though and I also REALLY look forward to the Cool Edge video!! Also, thank you for explaining so many of the techniques used in Sonic Unleashed leve desing. Between this video and all your others ones so far, it truly gave me a great understanding of why I enjoy playing these stages more than others games, as well as helped me explain the small details and metaphors that I think make Cool Edge the best day stage. Anyways, I hope you liked reading this and I await your next videos patiently!! Thank you!!
@@Ajakes "Not many" Cool Edge enjoyers?? Surely you must be joking! Hands-down my favorite level in Unleashed (though it has some tough competition). Maybe I'm just a sucker for ice aesthetics, but the level is just gorgeous to me. There's nothing like running across the water with icebergs all around, knowing that stopping means death but not worrying because there's so much space. The whole level could be just that and I'd be happy. I'll admit the bobsled segments aren't my favorite part of gameplay, but I appreciate that they prevent boosting, which slows you down a little and forces you to appreciate the now-unmuffled music, which is as beautiful as the visuals. Also, the wiki says the whale sounds are repurposed from Skies of Arcadia, and that's adorable.
Everybody knows that Jungle Joyride Day is the best Sonic level in the entire franchise, with Modern Seaside Hill as the distant 2nd place.
Hard agree
this man speaks for all us
@@Iilhipvery hard agree.
Ehh, Speed Highway>>>Both
@@Kelps.mp4 i find that stage overrated, there are better SA1 stages than that, and most SA2 speed stages are better then speed highway
I absolutely love these level analysis videos! Thank you so much for taking the time to dissect each little section of these amazing levels!
Skyscraper scramper is also one of my all time favorites! The amount of paths available as well as the use of the environment to complement the level design is just genius!
I reckon I know a good amount about how I like my sonic levels and analyse them in my content, but the way you discuss the camera and the little tricks they employ using it is inspiring chief, gets me thinking about my faves and how they use these ideas. Keep up the sublime work xx
Thanks bro 🙏 there's always fun little details you can suss out from these levels, honestly SLOWING them down and walking through them helped me see much more of what I was missing.
This is the video where I learned I didn’t have notifications on. My mistake. Anyway, I LOVE this level, definitely one of, IF NOT MY NUMBER ONE, favorite Sonic city level. The music, level design, aesthetic are all just amazing.
You've been blessed by the bell, thank you 🙏
Bro I cannot get enough of this sort of content. Not only is it sonic (which is peak), but the hyper-analyzation of almost everything is just so enjoyable, and the simplistic but goofy art style tie it in really well. I wanna keep comin back for mooooore
Stick around, I'm planning to keep going!
Oh wow this showed up in my recommended right as I was about to cook. Fitting I'd say as this was another great stage deep dive! This is one of the levels in Unleashed I was never really able to experience bc it was too hard for my brother to beat as a kid (and when he did, I wasn't around to see). And since we had both Unleashed on the PS2 and PS3, half the time I didn't even know it existed. Needless to say, I'm definitely looking forward to playing the stage when I get around to my 3d Sonic games marathon!
As for how how the level makes me feel? You really did put it into words how challenging and dare I say perilous the stage is. It makes you appreciate just how cool Sonic is to not only tackle a metal jungle gym like Skyscraper Scamper, but also enjoy it and run through the twisting, winding roads and rooftops with effortless style.
I think there should've def been an option to "shut" sonic up during gameplay, but hearing him having fun, makes him look SO cool. Like, Sonic, these robots are trying to immolate you, the Interceptor wants to smash you to pieces, and yet you're having the time of your LIFE?!? Nothing stops this hedgehog, I swear to god. Sorry to hear you missing the level by the way rofl, I feel like a lot of people stuck with the Wii version share your sentiment. This and Savannah Citadel are kinda the surprise levels that never were. Good luck on your 3D Sonic marathon btw! Hypothetically, do you got one you're gonna tackle first? Release order or personal preference?
@@Ajakes When people say Sonic lost his cool I have no idea what they mean because he's literally running above the clouds in some of these stages with a smile on his face the damn adrinenaine junky XD! I get his constant noise is a little annoying but ah I'm just a sucker knowing he's having a blast! (On a semi related note, I cannot WAIT to meet Jason Griffith in person in January 🙏)
I'm going to start in release order! I'm really excited to see if my opinions of these games will line up with the broader community or if I'll have my very own to share. I often hold myself back from Sonic game conversations because I don't have the experience playing alot of them so I don't want to chime in knowing jack shit about the gameplay XD
@@infidel5928 rofl I hear you, I plan to go through most of them with the Gens comparisons anyways, so thankfully you'll have familiarity with most of the series. I expect massive 40,000 word essays on every Heroes stage though, sorry. Also have fun meeting Jason Griffith in Jan, sounds like a dream come true!
@@AjakesWe'll see! Maybe I'll be one of the weirdos and like how everyone appears to have rubbed soup on their shoes LOL
I missed him this year at a big con in my city so I'm super excited I get to make up the chance!
35:47 As an Idahoan, it could actually be really cool haha, seeing sonic run thru all the different types of terrain, deserts, forests, lakes, and the rocky mountains. But realistically, I think the best option would be San Francisco or Seattle. Great video, I love how you highlight the camera and depth perception, makes it feel like a film review.
I know nothing about Idaho, but if it's possible, I want a stage there. You gotta design it tho
Glad to see ya cover my favorite so early on in this series
I love how much you love this game it's awesome. I'd love to see a Windmill Isle analysis, maybe even both acts since the first one is so short and looking at tutorials can be fun. I was also gonna suggest a Speed Highway comparison cause I think that would be a really cool video, but it sounds like that might already be next based on the end of this one :p Generations comparison, might not be too different from this one, darker, no flames, that's definitely Speed Highway.
You're onto something there... just sit tight. We ain't done with highways yet. Windmill Isle is definitely coming up soon, I really love that one. Thanks for the comment!
Love this! The way you edit your videos while going in depth is so awesome. Not to mention this is one of my favorite in the game
this video just showed up in my youtube and i was like "am i really able to watch an almost 40 min analysis of a sonic level? i'm into sonic but not thaaat much" and then i tried it, and woah it got every single micro-second of my attention.
you just got me the best lunch time ever, thank you so much!
now imma watch some more of your videos because this content is BUSY.
meal-time videos are my bread and butter (pun intended). Feel free to take them in chunks, they can get kinda WORDY
Your deep dive into the sonic level design with your funny drawings and voice all come together to make me really dig this.
Aaaahh, I was so hyped for this one! (Seeing my own comment in the outro low-key made me squeak with excitement)
You hit on pretty much everything I like about this level, like the impressive sense of vertical scale, compared to Cool Edge's horizontal scale, and the 2D section in the middle. I legit never noticed all the geometry oddities there, which honestly shows the flowstate feeling pretty well, as if we're suddenly seeing the world how Sonic sees it: An abstract environment that's really just an elaborate free-running playground
That's a good way to put it, Sonic probably sees less city and more just shapes to bounce around on lol. Horizontal scale on Cool Edge is also a great point, I'll be thinking on that. Thanks for the suggestion dude!
34:17 "You're not here to dodge the hustle. you're here to ride it." That's so relatable.
Every video of yours i continue to be impressed by your depth of analysis and editing. Great stuff per usual.
This is one of my favorite Sonic levels, it's always just stuck out for me. I've never really understood exactly WHY that is, but this video explained it really well and I agree on pretty much all of it. I also just love the presentation of this video it's very well made.
I really wish it got more buzz, I think the "city" aesthetic throws a lot of people off. Thanks for the comment 👍👍👍
Another great video! Can't wait until you get to jungle joyride, that level is amazing. I'm really enjoying these videos man, looking forward to the next one 👍
Saw the title and said "Hell Yes". Skyscraper Scamper is one of my favorite sonic levels ever, and when a Sonic level gets high praise like that, you just know it reaches special heights!
This is my favorite level in the series so it feels great to see it analyzed like this! I've been wanting more people to talk about it for so long!
It's slept on way too much!
I’m excited for the next comparison video. If I had to guess it would be from regular gens. I’d love to see crisis city because that’s my favorite level in gens it’s just so good. (Also thanks for throwing my comment in again keep up the amazing work)
I’m very grateful for this video because I actually have not finished unleashed (yet) so this is my first real introduction to the skyscraper scamper stage and it’s AWESOME
It's a hell of a stage, lemme know what you think when you finally get to it!
9:29 nah im dying. Yea brah, I only got that drift right once lol
Sweet! I've been waiting for this. And by "waiting for this", I mean I watched your Dragon Road video before going to work today, and thought, "Man, it sure would be great if he does Skyscraper Scamper next."
I read your thoughts (sorry)
I found your channel yesterday bc your Rooftop Run comparison video popped up in my feed (miraculously as I fell back into my love for Unleashed) and have been going through all your Sonic videos since (still churning through your "20 years of Sonic: Personal Timeline" video)... I kept asking myself, "man.... I hope they do make more Unleashed level analyses. I love them!!" And then this video popped up!! Exciting!!
I love Unleashed to death, so we're gonna keep that train running. Thanks for checking out my other videos, I appreciate that!
I was in a pretty crappy mood but your Energy in this video made me forget why I was even mad, and its about Sonic. So Thanks dude! Keep up the hard work and can’t wait for the next video 🫡
Keep your chin up, there's always some blue rat to talk about! 👍👍 And thanks, excited for you to see it!
Man I really love this videos, they are really well done! thank you for your work!
Your video just got recommended to me, and I instantly fell in love. Your sence of humor is wonderful and your drawings are so cool and funny! Sonic is my favorite francise, so seeing such in-depth videos that are so fun at the same time is a treat! I already watched all your other Sonic-Level videos and can't wait for your next! Jungle Joyride is my favorite Boost-Formula Sonic Level, so thats the one I'm looking forward the most.
As for Skycraper Scamper: As someone that lives in a comparatively small town in Germany, a giant city reaching above the clouds is exactly as I imagined a level based on america in a Sonic-Game. I remember that I was frustrated with my first run through the level (I fell really often to my doom), but now I love the constant speed with setpiece after setpiece through such a "busy" city, as you called it.
MAN that was something I forgot to ask in the end, I want to know how people OUTSIDE of America viewed this level, so thanks for sharing. I never really considered it until your comment. Now I'm wondering myself how you would set a Germany Unleashed stage...
Glad you got to catch the video, Jungle Joyride is one of my favorites as well, so stay tuned for that one!
@@Ajakes Interesting question, I think a Germany-themed Unleashed stage would be kind of similar to the a stage in Black Knight. Of course not the medieval setting, but the grassy fields and running through small towns with a castle or other old building as setpiece. We have a lot of those, haha.
And yet another amazing video friend! I watched gameplay of this level I knew nothing about and didn't find the level that interesting but your on point analysis really changed my mind! Somehow I knew Skyscraper Scamper was going to be your next project and I was not disappointed!
Everything I said about your other videos applies here (detailed explanations on level design and camera and environment work, good comedic moments) but I also want to point out the great music selection and the art you made yourself. It is also present in your other videos and I love that!
The art is really good and you clearly have your own touch, it is minimalistic (few colors, simple outlines) cartoonish and also has funny quotes or situations! I always look forward to the new drawings whenever a new section comes up!
Keep up the stellar work, super hyped to see the next video (if I had to guess with your hints I'll say Speed Highway and yessss this level rocks, the music and level design in gens is just chefs kiss).
Cheers from probably the only person watching your content in France because let's just say that the English language is not doing too well over here😅
Thank you for your quality content!❤
MY ONE FRENCH VIEWER, hello again. Glad you got to learn a little more about the level. Tbh before I ever played Unleashed, I didn't even know it was in the game, and when I saw the flag alone I thought "who cares, it's just another city." How wrong I was. Thanks for catching all the little details too, I spend a lot of time on them (maybe too much lol) so I appreciate it. Excited for you to see the next one... you seem to have caught on already... I've been dying to compare it so it's gonna be fun 👍
I love this level. Finding all the shortcuts and stringing them together for the S rank was one of the more rewarding moments of Unleashed. It all goes by so fast and you have to be on your A game. Really captures the difficulty this particular game is all about without being too bullshit
I’ve been watching your level analysis since your Dragon Road video and it’s one of the most interesting things on RUclips for me recently, keep up the good work❤
This video just gave me a much greater appreciation for levels designers! Never in a million years would I have conciously noticed ANY of what was highlighted in this video! Makes me wonder if I really wanna tackle making a sonic-esque game for fun in the future lmao
you need to make Sonic Adventure 3 so i can point out everywhere the sun touches
I haven’t played much of Unleashed , but visually Skyscraper Skamper is one of my favorite levels (This may be a bit biased because I grew up in the states). I just love how big and opposing the skyscrapers look as you run across rooftops and speed through the highways in the level, makes you really feel so small in such a big city, it’s a bit personal for me because I don’t go into big cities that much, but seeing such tall buildings is such a spectacle to for me, and this level really sells it.
And I’m unsure if this is really a hot take but I absolutely LOVE Skyscraper Skamper’s music both day and night, they’re some of my favorite tracks in the ost. I love the jazzy tune they have. The day theme makes you feel like you’re really in a hustling and bustling American city in the early hours of the morning. And the night theme has a more low and less energetic tone but it still makes you feel like you’re in the hustle and bustle in the later hours of the city.
I may have a massive skill issue when it comes to Unleashed, but I still love this level.
I'm not around a lot of tall building's either, so this level still makes my jaw drop. Sonic skidding up and down these things is a spectacle in itself. And I'm right there with you on the music. It's one of the rare stages where I love the Day and Night music equally, typically I lean towards the Day, but Skyscraper Scampers' night song almost feels like a Day song with how lively it is. It's very upbeat, as opposed to all the more harder tracks of the werehog stages.
The camera from unleashed is just so peak, glad to see someone like you care so much about it
Really love the effort put into these videos! All of your drawings and edits added over the gameplay footage really help keep the video engaging, and now every time I see you drop a new video, I’m like “Awwww hell yeah!!” Keep up the good work and take all the time you need for future videos :)
my favourite series of all time omg i can watch this without blinking ty! when i was playing this lvl i never even noticed how busy it is :0
cant wait for the jungle joyride analysis for at least its music, but ik there will be a lot.
I appreciate your analysis. Skyscraper Scamper is my favorite level in Unleashed. I recall the first time I took the left path after the initial loop, I thought, "OH MY GOD, that shortcut is so cool." Then, I saw a video of the shortcut where you have to jump off the rails following the chaser segment onto a rail far below and I went "OH MY GOD THAT IS AMAZING". the last one is still my favorite shortcut ever in a Sonic game.
I had to put that last shortcut in perspective for my own sake, for a while I thought it was just a shorter path through the rail section, I totally forgot it SKIPS the skybridges rofl. It's insane.
ive been having a super stressful week trying to get my work in order for my finals tomorrow and seeing an analysis of one of my favorite levels from unleashed (despite those scary ass drifts) automatically made the hard ass hussle worth it
ty ajakes very cool
Bit of a late reply but good luck on today's finals! YOU GOT THIS
Unleashed is my favourite game EVER, so i am just here for the level analysisof each one. Love hearing your rundown of things too, its great!
my favorite level in sonic Unleashed and top 5 Sonic levels for me. seeing someone go through a building sparked my love for speedrunning.
I feel that out of all the levels Skyscraper Scamper is the best at giving you that pure dopamine rush. Feels like so much happens throughout the level with all its set pieces and a lot of it is challenging so it feels so satisfying when you get that master each of its sections. Or hell even when you don’t, I still remember as a kid when I would get to the rail grinding and wall running section I would just intentionally jump off and kill myself at the end so I can play it again, that’s how much fun I was having 😂
I did a lot of "sonic self-death" on my early runs cause I wanted to see where each rail led lol
I’m really glad you’re analyzing the levels from my favorite Sonic game ever, and making me realize things that i’ve never noticed before, only furthering my love for Unleashed.
I really hope to see Arid Sands and Jungle Joyride! The “hard” levels that you mentioned before are also my favorites!
They are incredible levels, (some of the best imo) so I'm hyped to get to them. Thanks for watching!
30:39
I LOVE this camera shot. Sonic is spiraling down a rail, weaving in and out of those supports, but the camera is rigidly following the center of that spiral, heading _straight forward_ without turning to point at him at all, until finally pulling in to catch up with him at its end. Unleashed only pulls this trick on rare occasion (it happens with similar spiral rails in Windmill Isle and Rooftop Run), but every time it does, it's a treat.
Yep, was about to bring up the Windmill Isle spin but you beat me to it. I forgot it's in Rooftop Run as well! I think my favorite part is that the RAIL itself doesn't end rigidly, it twists just a tiny bit before it gets straight again, so we get this great little "bounce" with the camera before it catches up with him super tight. Almost like if Sonic was snowboarding, kicking up powder during a turn, and we're following the powder TO his snowboard, it's awesome.
talking about how unleashed uses lighting for difficulty is fascinating, i never caught that, but it does it so well
Bro always rambles about what I never seem to pick up on these levels no matter how many times I've played them. It's crazy how I learn more about games that I've played since I was 10 and gain even more of an appreciation for it.
THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED RAHHHHHHH‼️‼️‼️🔥
also definitely recommend comparing sunset heights in sxsg to forces
Peak videos have returnedddd
these videos bring me so much joy, thank you
You and J’s reviews are the goats of Sonic analysis
HOLY, i didn't remember this level looking so good! Gosh this game aged not too bad compared to stuff nowadays.
Oh and by the way, your channel helped me so much in learning cinematography direction, i can't thank you enough bro
This game is over 15 years old, it's incredible. And anytime dude! Try slowing these levels down, you'll catch a lot of these things yourself 👍
Having played the PS2 version as a kid, I never knew why my game didn’t have this level or even the 3D hub worlds. Always thought I was missing something, some secret code or setting. Now I finally understand that only the PS3 could handle the Flowstate Freeway.
Also amazing work on your videos as always, your attention to detail & appreciation for all the things you look at is very inspiring and cool, and the animations are so so great, visually interesting, even. Thanks for all of your hard work, I hope Santa brings you all of the Grimace wedge pieces you could ever wish for.
I need a full-scale Sonic built out of sloped Grimace faceplate, directly from Santa (or you, thank you 🙏)
i love how the monument almost poses as a goal ring to trick the player, like you wouldn't think much of how it looks as you're descending it's just spherical, spinning and golden which is what you're used to throughout the whole game, so when you finally see what it really is, you realize something isn't right and the game tricks you with enemies, its so fun thinking about how many layers there is to something so simple even if it maybe wasn't intentional in the end
that's TRUE, I wonder if some people tried to land on it and got bounced away from the collision lol
@@Ajakes that would be funny
Keep up with these videos! Just like you said, not expecting the *lighting* of all things to be the source of (presumably intentional) difficulty in this level!
If there is ever a level that grew on me overtime, it's this one. Fantastic.
Man these videos are just so fucking awesome. Your analysis is really entertaining.
If I could suggest a level for a comparison video it would be Seaside Hill.
Thank you! And noted, it's a level I really wanna get to
Lovely video! Honestly, these are making wanna replay sonic unleashed again
I'm very excited to see the arid sands video, it is my favorite unleashed level both gameplay wise and aesthetic wise (being based on Jordan)
Arid Sands is in that hard-level trifecta, such a wonderful stage that goes SO many places
It is simply criminal how the videos can be made this quick at this length with this quality and not have more views or subs
Every time I watch your videos I feel joy. I really like your jokes, your drawings, and I love your love for "small things" that make things cool!
I don't know if you are planning to do any Sonic Adventure level but anything from SA/SA2/Heroes would be awesome.
Final Rush would be specially interesting since there are rails that to this day I don't know how to get to them. Maybe a Final Rush + Final Chase comparison with Shadow Gens' Ark would be cool too!
Yeah when I hit Shadow's Space Colony Ark, I might just use both "Final" levels for the comparison, since it uses a lot of both. Also thanks for the kind words!
11:10 “there are more bombs here but nothing you can’t get around” proceeds to crash into a bomb
My favorite section of this whole level is at around 21:27 where if you jump just right and nail the landing you can get right to the rail that leads to the rainbow rings that skip the wall running section.
Essentially allowing you to skip the entire area in one risky jump if you're daring enough.
I've seen people do a similar thing with the final rail on Jungle Joyride's hard level (DLC Act 1-2). I always wanna attempt it on an S rank run but it scares me so much lol
As a New Yorker, Skyscraper Scamper hits a specific nostalgia center in my brain; imagining Sonic racing between traffic and Subways, running up the Empire State building, grinding the suspension of the Brooklyn Bridge, all while riding in my mom's minivan.
rofl that's awesome, I used to imagine Sonic running on power lines when I looked out the backseat. Poor little dude would've been TOAST
He’s at the Empire City Hot Dog stand and the framerate isn’t tanking, he’s a magician.
It's cause of the closeups, no need to render all those people
I've been playing Unleashed for years and I never knew some of those paths in the rail segment of Skyscraper Scamper existed. Makes me want to get back on Unleashed for the millionth time and try them
編集お疲れ様です！Sonic Unleashedが美しい(そして獰猛な)理由を、小気味の良いジョークや落書きと共に解説してくれるAjakesさんの動画が大好きです。
カメラワークや構図の話、ライティングを含めたシェイプによる視覚効果の話が特に面白かったです。次の動画も楽しみにしています。このチャンネルに出会えて本当によかった！
Thank you very much, I hope you get to see the next video! 😊
Sadly, I never got to play Skyscraper Scamper even though I played Unleashed. That's because I only got the PS2 Version of the game, which doesn't include it. But after your analysis, I can really image how great it would feel to rush over those rooftops.
We need a remaster already, please god
thank u for making this, i'm playing through sonic unleashed right now and i'm chewing on anything about it that i see like a small dog
stick around, thou shall be FED
The guy who’s never played Unleashed: hmm yes I want to watch a third video about Unleashed from this guy
you've been Pre-Leashed
If you want a great tip that I found going through "The drift of Death", Sega actually does a great deal of preparing you for this drift as they knew that people would go flying off the edge if they weren't careful. They put a bunch of dashpads that slow sonic down to about half his speed as sonic exits the tunnel. This speed is the perfect speed to go through the curve while also not going off the edge. If you stop boosting once you hit those dash pads, all you have to do is keep going straight (even near the edge as moving left or right before the curve can increase sonics speed to a point where the drift will send you flying towards the void for a second) and drift just before the turn actually starts. You can tell when it actually curves by the yellow road lines on the ground.
I feel like the effort that sega went into for actually preparing players for this was really smart and goes unnoticed to the naked eye. In my opinion, this is the only time they really "hold your hand" in Skyscraper scamper. The road lines curving to clearly show where the curve starts, giving players a visual depiction of the turn they have to complete, in addition to the lines themselves being well lit and yellow to contrast with the grey road. The dash pads slowing sonic down, setting him to the perfect speed to go through the curve seamlessly, and the actual corner itself being put right near the start of the stage so that players are more likely to remember it when they reset or die.
I feel like the reason people struggle on it is that they don't really know whats coming up, keep going fast, and then miss interpret their surroundings. It's why flying off the edge is so common, and most people find running around the corner to be more suitable.
You could also learn to do the "hop skip teleport". That works to :)
Btw, love your videos man. I feel like analysing and breaking apart stages is such an important thing, especially in a sonic game. The designers of Unleashed put so much time and effort into the camera movement, lighting, environments, buildings, and all sorts of other elements that go completely unnoticed, but still make people feel that same sense of wonder, anticipation, and excitement, they just don't really know who or how. I feel like more people should take the time to really break apart a stage like this as it allows you to really open your eyes to the beauty, excellence, and understanding on how sega makes some of these stages feel so alive and brilliant, and even come to your own conclusions as to why this is.
Your videos tackle this analysis in such a creative and funny way. It just feels like a kid talking about videogames to their parents, explaining all the intricate little things that they love about the game, even if their parents don't understand what you're talking about. It just makes my day whenever I see "I love it" Adam in the bottom right hand corner of my screen, or any of the fun illustrations for that matter; And I love it *Insert "'I love it' Adam" here*. Keep up the good work man, you're doing great.
By the way (2), I'm curious about if you're going to tackle any stages from sonic forces. Maybe a comparison between sunset heights forces and sunset heights generations. I've never really bothered to try and look into the more intricate side of forces, or really take the effort that Sega put into forces into consideration as, much like your perception of Sonic 06, I hate forces with a burning passion. I don't hate the people that support it, but the game just sucks, so I'm curious to see what your perception on the stages is. You would probably have more open eyes to picking apart the good stuff forces does with it's levels, compared to me who really doesn't see anything outside the bad.
The trick I've used now for the "Drift of Death" is: starting the drift in the center lane, as you pass the first tunnel's shadow, and not letting go of the thumbstick until you're in the next tunnel. I think another thing people forget is that the drift is much tighter than they expect (without boost) if they DON'T stop turning. In my past experiences, I would end drifts early since I thought they were getting too wide, but when I hold on and keep turning, I realize it arcs perfectly. Something I did NOT recognize is that the dash pads reset your speed to help you with the turn! You're totally right. Instinctively, I see all dashpads as "speed boosts" so I always forget that Unleashed will sometimes use them to actually make you go slower lol. Very handy! Thanks for that ending btw, means a lot. I do want to make these feel more energetic than academic, by just speaking plainly about the things I love , instead of finding an intentional reason for it. Sometimes, I think something is cool just because it's COOL, and that's totally fine. The fun of it is breaking down why, and that's kind how these videos developed. Plus, I want people to feel like they can give their own subjective analysis in the comments too, that's where we get all the fun observations. I think writing about the reaction you get, instead of the intention, is much more exciting. Anyone can explain "why" something was done, but only you can explain how it made you feel, right? idk where im going with this lol, but THANK YOU, I love chopping up Sonic in these big comments (not literally). As for Forces, it's def on the list, and moving up higher than I expected. I think that and Kingdom Valley were the 2 huge surprises from Shadow Gens, and I want to get to it eventually. Plus I want to see if I can find some good in Forces. Consider it happening (just not yet lol). Thanks again for the comment!
If you were wondering, Skyscraper Scamper pretty much makes me feel the same way you described it, busy. The music is predominately electric and brassy, the stage gives off this flow of a rush that feels energetic and sporadic, and it all just has this feel of intensity, excitement, and a small dash of anxiety sprinkled throughout. It's probably Sega's most accurate representation of a big city, even though I have also never been to NYC. I wish they would make a stage based on the outback because then my kangaroo littered brain would be able to make all the connections to Australia :)
In terms of the game using dashpads to slow you down, Sega does it all the time, especially during transitions to 2D. When speedrunning without using the "Hop skip teleport" (Because I don't know how to do it) most of the time it's actually faster to hop over certain dashpads as you will keep your velocity for a little bit before the game finally sets what I like to call "The speed Limit" (Basically, the speed limit is this imaginary limiter that caps sonics max speed on the speedometer. "The speed limit" is actually one of the reasons why I don't think the Speedometer isn't the greatest thing about sonic unleashed as most of the time, it's completely inaccurate to sonics true max speed. It's still cool, but I just wish it was consistent as the max speed in 2D is eons slower than the max speed in 3D, yet the Speedometer says you're travelling at the same speed).
One last thing, when you inevitably go to S rank or beat Eggman land (whichever you haven't done yet), my biggest tip would be to take you time. Seriously, take it slow. This stage has the most amount of leeway when it comes to the time bonus for the S rank, and it's the only stage in the game where dying halfway through will still lave enough points littered throughout the stage to bank an S rank. Hell, I've seen people die in the 2nd last hedgehog section and still get an S, so take it slow and don't give up just cause you died once. I haven't S ranked the stage cause I wanna do a perfect run; I've been at it for around 3 months now ;-; (not literally, I haven't been grinding my life away at the funny hordgeheg game, but you get the point),
@@Sonicspeeder2023 This is what I'm saying dude, we need an Unleashed 2. Send Sonic to the outback. New Kangaroo character!?? What's not to love. Interesting about the dash pads, someone actually mentioned that with my 60fps bug on Dragon Road, I could almost never take the higher path on the first 2D loop, and I learned if you hit the dash pads before it, it actually glues you to the ground which makes the hop way harder. I thought people jumping over dashpads in speedruns was just to show off lol, I never realized that it was an actual technique. As for Eggmanland, I have beat it before, but only that 1 time haha, never went back. And I think my ranking wasn't too bad either, might have been a B. BUT, I wanna make it an S. And if I am, it's getting a video (regardless, I wont have a LETTER stopping me)
I like that you name every segment of a level lmao
skyscraper scamper is a cool level, it makes me feel like I'm living the rush of getting up late to work but making it in time. something I noticed about this level, the grind gallery part was replicated in two of forces levels, the sonic only level and the duo level of metropolis. I've also interpreted those clouds scattered throughout the level as polution, since it's a big city with little vegetation.
Pollution also works, combines well with the dark "exhaust" clouds we see sometimes. I need to replay Forces but I'm interested in seeing what you mean. Do you remember the names of those 2 levels?
Great video, really enjoyed your analysis.
Also want to point out, with how many "city levels" in Sonic games, there are surprisingly few, that really embodies that busy and colossal urban vibe of the really big city. All yours Station Square, city from City Escape, Sunset Heights, even Westopolis to some degree, all feel more like middle sized coast city without any oppressive urbanism (Crisis City is close, but post apocalypse is still the main theme there).
Empire City is the best at it and one of more unique "city level", that really well contrast with Sonic free loving-nature spirit.
It's also uniquely focused on the sky rather than the ground, and is noticeably DENSE. You are boxed in by skyscrapers a ton in that level, a lot of your horizon shots just show more buildings for miles and miles. It's cramped in a fun way, which encourages great setpieces like the wall run.
Once again, a GREAT video! I feel like Skyscraper Scamper shows how busy New York City FEELS to be at (like you I've haven't been to NYC), and it looks like a great place to eat Hot Dogs. Now for my sugesstion and answer to the conclusion Question: For the next comparison between the source level and a Sonic Gens level, I reccomend looking at EIther A) Sunest Heights from Shadow Generations (if u have forces to compare the levels) or B) Speed Highway from Base Sonic Gens. Both are fun Levels in a city and each game is interesting to compare in theor own rights. Shadow gen's Sunset heights mixes Ghost Town, SUnset Heights, Park Avenue, and Enemy Territory into 2 acts, and Speed Highway only really has 1 setpiece due it it being from Adventure 1. As for what level do I think would Represent America, people outside the US would probably think of the WILD WEST! So why not a Level set in a sonic-ified Wild West Texas, maybe something like "WIld Ride" Or "West Side Ranch" (I'll let you have the say on which name's better). Keep up the good work, loving the awesome Sonic Content, not to mention the flair of the artstyle being so appealing.
How about, Wacky Wild Riptide Westside Workbench Waltz? Rolls off the tongue. Yeah I think the West would be a great locale, considering they already did a bit of that in Mania. It might be cliché, but put Sonic on a runaway train! Hell, just do a Gens remix of Mirage Saloon, that's a shoe-in right there. Also I didn't know Sunset Heights took from so many Forces levels, I thought it was remixing just one lol. I haven't played in a while, but I gotta get back to that. As for Speed Highway well, I think there's more than 1 setpiece in it from Adventure, but we'd have to look into it.. 😉
@@Ajakes Yeah, I played through Both acts a noticed the following:
- The Start of the Level is like Sunset Heights
- Act 1 and 2's underground Section resembles the Underground of Park Avenue and Ghost Town
- The Main in-level cutscene of Act 1 is a longer reference to Red Gate Bridge's Pre-Boss QTE
- Spikeball Plaza is Present in the first Minute of Act 1 (In Sunset Height and Park Avenue the big spinny SPikeball is not present, but it is in Enemy territory)
- In Act 2, there are water dumping Hazards that look that the openings in the Underground of Park Avenue and Ghost Town Backgrounds
Like You, I pay attention to detail, not to mention I have access to forces during both acts to double check since it's on my Switch. Also, that level name is for the WIld West level is PERFECT! I can already imagine the Camera Angles on a rail grind under a Train Bridge and a boss that is a Runaway train!
@Kagikarma this is all very helpful actually, I might refer to this when I get to that level... 👀
11:11 "There are more bombs here but nothing you can't get around"
*Proceeds to get hit anyway*
dont look at that