Billy Hatcher and The Giant Egg

game will be out soon enough. anyways, i plan to use this thread to try to get me interested enough in it to buy it by the time it's release date comes.

anyways, here's what im guessing are some new characters...

Rol
http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/ch_rol.jpg

CC
http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/ch_cc.jpg

Ban
http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/ch_ban.jpg

here's some multiplayer pics.
http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/vst4.jpg http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/vst1.jpg
http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/vst2.jpg http://www.sonicteam.com/giantegg/images/vst3.jpg

didn't like what i saw at E3, so i didn't bother playing it. wouldn't mind getting my hands on the demo though, saw a trailer of it recently and thought it had great music, so that sorta made me want to check it out.

impressions would be appreciated.

Hmm, Usually playing as guy dressed as giant chicken is not my idea of the game. But I promise to give it a rent. Might end up being a fun platformer, who knows.

Well I have played the demo a few times, has a Sonic vibe to it. Makes sense I guess since its from Sonic Team. But it also has a slight Monkey Ball control mechanic to it when you are rolling on an Egg. I found it to quite fun and found the environments and enemy design to be rather charming. I am suprised you have not played it Lucas, I would have fihured you would have gotten the Gamecube Demo disk on day one.

only thing i was interested with on that demo disc was Viewtiful Joe, wasn't worth $10 since i was (well, did) get the import not too long after it came out.

sorta the same thing with Hatcher now, interested, but don't want to pay $10 for a demo.

The demo to this game left me feeling cold. I don't think the entire egg rolling play mechanic is very fun.

I really enjoyed the demo. Since the game isn't soaked in blood and has you controlling a chicken boy, it might fall on deaf ears, but I found the play mechanics very appealing, dare I say...EGG-cellent. :(

If this is old news, I apologize, but is there a hidden level in the demo? I heard mentions of it, but I never got confirmation....anyone?

yeah there is. i think all you have to do is hold down the A Button when hitting start at the main menu or something like that.

I loved the demo disc, and the Billy Hatcher demo is one of the key reasons why. The demo featured two very fun levels, and the egg rolling, and egg feeding (I guess that's what you'd call it) were neat. Not $50 neat, though.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Not $50 neat, though.

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It is $40 ;)

Kick-ass.

I love the look of this game. From what I have seen in screenshots and especially movies it looks super fun. The music sounded great too. This game's vibe is totally up my tree and I love Sonic Team anyway. If and when I get a Gamecube this will probably be the first game I buy - as long as it turns out well, of course.

THe music in the demo is quite good. I'll check it out for that alone, as well as my faith in Sonic Team to make an amusing game.

I loved the demo, but the only thing that really worries me is the fact that it's structure so mirrors Mario Sunshine. I don't want to replay each level 5 times to get all the chicken-shines or whatever.

I couldn't find a single place in my city that would sell me the demo but I will check out the game when it comes out. Sonic Team rarely lets me down but I'm a little worried considering they'll go the tedious route like with Sonic Adventure 2.

you seem to have some horrible luck when it comes to finding the most common stuff. where do you live?

Vancouver, B.C. It's like EB practically has a monopoly here now. I don't remember what other common stuff I complained about before though.

neither can i, but i know it's happened atleast twice before.

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Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

I couldn't find a single place in my city that would sell me the demo but I will check out the game when it comes out. Sonic Team rarely lets me down but I'm a little worried considering they'll go the tedious route like with Sonic Adventure 2.

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Neo, let's hope it DOESN'T remind ANYONE of SA2. Call me crazy, but I wasn't a huge fan of the Knuckles/Rouge levels at all, not to mention the horrific, dizzying camera. :eep: It put a damper on the game, for sure.

I like the character art, the designs themselves aren't bad either :p It's pretty obviously in the vain of Sonic Adventure's.
Here's to hoping this game is awesome. The demo was fairly unremarkable good fun but had lots of potential. I have faith in Sonic Team, they've never let me down before, though I never really played SA2...

Goddamnit Lucas, this was my thread! :p Anyway, I can't wait for this game. The videos I've seen look wonderful, I love the look and sound of the game, and the gameplay sounds like a lot of fun imo.

I think it looks great.

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg Conference Call 3MB - 30 Minutes Long

I was really excited seeing the first shots of this, and bought that demo just as much for Billy Hatcher as I did for Viewtiful Joe. I'm a big fan of pretty much everything that Sonic Team has done (enjoyed both Sonic Adventure titles a lot despite their flaws), and this game let me down (at least the demo did).

Control wasn't bad but it did feel quirky, in-game music was nothing great (the opening song and the one heard in trailers is however), and it suffered from *horrible* pop in. Not things in the distance of the level, but things twenty feet in front of where you can run, large trees or boulders would pop in (I can't remember if it was fade in or pop in, but I want to say pop in). It was bad enough to the point where it was distracting. There's slowdown too but I wasn't bothered by that.

There's hope however, seeing as how it was a demo. But the review in Play magazine did mention both pop-in and slowdown, so I'm guessing it hasn't been fixed more, which is a shame.

Added to all that, the gameplay in the demo was too simplistic to be all that engaging. I hope it doesn't end up where the game's childish look translates into childish difficulty.

I hear there's some bonus secret involving everyone's favorite blue hedgehog, so that's some added incentive for me at least. I do hope the game turns out to be pretty good in the end.

I should also add that the game plays nothing like Sonic Adventure 2 for the people that didn't enjoy that game (which seems to be a large majority of you).

And the "second level" in the demo is the first level, which starts in daylight, with different item and enemy placement. It's pretty underwhelming for a secret level.

this is easily the best CG that Sonic Team has ever done. looks much nicer than anything that they've ever done. not to say that they're anything special when it comes to CG, but this is still noticeably better than anything else they've done.

anyways, just saw the newest movies at IGN, and the game is looking like a buy, but a definite rental.

Magicbox-

Sega announced that the upcoming GameCube action game Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg will contain 4 bonus games, which can be downloaded to the GameBoy Advance. The games include: NiGHTS into Dreams, Puyo Pop, Chu Chu Rocket and an unannounced title. Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg is scheduled for a September 24 release in US.

NiGHTS on GBA? Im so there.

Damn, beat me to it. Here's the full press release from Sega-

Get ready to save the day! No, really. A wicked plot by a sinister raven and his massive flock of monstrous crows has cast Morning Land into darkness. Only Billy Hatcher and his friends from the human world can bring the dawn again to the lands of the Chicken Elders. Get ready to discover a wild and unpredictable world, from the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, where you'll use the surprising power of the Giant Eggs, and the creatures they contain, to make your way through countless puzzling realms and challenging missions. Bounce 'em, dunk 'em, shoot 'em, dash 'em! You'll be surprised by what you can do with these eggs but it will take quick moves and a Rooster Suit to foil the fowl forces of Dark Raven.


A vast realm to explore with lands of water, fire, ice, wind and more.

4 great playable characters, each with their own skill and style.

More eggs than a henhouse and every one hatches something surprising and helpful. Some even breathe fire.

4-Player Battle Mode with 3 unique types of gameplay.

Unlock classic games for your Game Boy Advance, including NiGHTS into Dreams, Puyo Pop, Chu Chu Rocket and more!

Courtesy of www.Game2Extreme.com

im assuming these are just gonna be what was in PSO Episode I & II.

anyone know of the ChuChu that was in that was the complete version?

GAF posted a movie today (not sure if it is the same one Lucas posted, I didn't d/l that one), along with the new screens:

http://gamesarefun.com/cgi-bin/newsp...1819045,52092,

This game definitely won't be for everyone, but I think it looks completely brilliant. The movie is great. The graphics look even better now. Thank goodness they went with that cute kitchy music as opposed to the godawful yobrawk from the Sonic Adventure games. :p This game is going to be seriously fun. :)

I'm going to need a http://the-nextlevel.com/board/image...custom/gcn.gif.

Ok. That chick Heather from Sega sounded like she had *no* idea what was going on. Maybe she hadn't seen/played/heard of the game before the call but it sounded like she was scripted. I take that back -- just got the the Q&A and she sounds pretty well versed in the gameplay and ideas behind it...mostly.

And the "save the light" theme seems straight from Sunshine. I don't mind playing the same level, exploring different parts for different goals as long as there are plenty of levels to play. Didn't she say seven levels with various themes? Is seven enough? Five or Six goals per level are ok if there more than seven levelsbut if we're looking at 20 goals on each seven levels... :xx:

LOL! She said "appeal with the hardc0r3 gamers". That is ridiculous coming from -- what kind of questions are these? Damn. Oh! There's my question. 8 missions per stage each with a boss. So we're looking at 56 total missions and bosses - hopefully most of them different from each other.

Thinking about it, this sounds alot like Sunshine+Yoshi's Island.

And, in closing, are these guys more eloquent in writing than they are in speech? I, um, mean, um can you, um, yeah so are the stages, well, when does the controler rumble? :rolleyes:
I'm not an AP quality newswriter nor am I TV-newsanchor-worthy, but I don't pretend to do either :chick:

I think it's on my purchase list anyway, if I can get away from school enough to play any.

That was a mostly worthless post.

cube-europe reported 09/29 that a sega product manager did not mention that the gba games were pull, BUT
"He did tell us that Sega has removed the information from its website, and that it was not supposed to have been there."
click here for the full story...

Just europe or is possibly US too? i checked the sega site and there is no info on any of the GBA before mentioned titles :(

New Trailer - ASX File

shows all kinds of shit, like a new level. also makes the game almost seem like it's gonna be more than a rental. oh, and apparently Sonic is in the game.

Okay, that actually convinced me to buy it. I was afraid all you were gonna do was roll the stupid egg around but it looks to be much more involved than that. And what the hell was up with that saccharine pop? Made me sick this early in the morning...

Hmm, I will definately rent it when it comes out. I love Sonic games, and hopefully this play very close to those. Chickens and eggs are not my idea of fun, but as long as it plays good I will be there :)

From Cube-Europe

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The three screens below illustrate Sonic's appearance in the game. Furthermore we found out that his special power, as seen in the second screenshot, is that he can easily defeat an enemy with his enormous speed. The third picture shows the egg in which you will be able to find Sonic.

http://www.cube-europe.com/games/giantegg/70.jpg
http://www.cube-europe.com/games/giantegg/71.jpg
http://www.cube-europe.com/games/giantegg/72.jpg

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yeah, so i already mentioned this in the thread, but it seems like a lot of people missed it, and well, this has pictures too.

Since it was first announced I know Billy Hatcher was a must buy, but after that video, any doubts I may have had are certainly gone. This game is going to kick ass. Anyone else notice the little NiGHTS influence?

Awesome that Sonic is in it, by the way!

thanks buddy.

IGN have it a 7.7-
http://cube.ign.com/articles/450/450845p1.html

I only got the audio from that video, but its such a catchy song that i don't even care what the video is, cause im buying this game. Sonic Team is the best when it comes to vocal songs in videogames.

I rarely buy games at $50, but i'll be there on day one for Billy because the $40 price is much easier to swallow.

Flash Demo

it sucks really bad. i hope the game isn't anywhere near that bad. im sure it won't be though.

Picked up this game today. Very solid platformer, most of my worries were unfounded. Level variety is decent, bosses are fun. Levels are not horribly similar to each other like the ones in the demo. I like the style alot. It's definately very worthwhile.

But the multiplayer is where it's at. As a 4 player party game I enjoyed the hell out of it. Got together with some freinds and played it for a couple hours. Definately one of the best 4 player games I've played lately.

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Originally Posted by Lucas Barton

Flash Demo

it sucks really bad. i hope the game isn't anywhere near that bad. im sure it won't be though.

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It's not. There's more to the game than "run around, collect eggs, and press the spacebar". You have to press the R button instead! ;)

I don't get to play this till Friday, but someone can maybe answer my question... did they fix the horrible, horrible pop-in that the demo suffered from? It was pretty jarring stuff.

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Originally Posted by NoFace

I don't get to play this till Friday, but someone can maybe answer my question... did they fix the horrible, horrible pop-in that the demo suffered from? It was pretty jarring stuff.

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Sorta kinda. It's fade in, and it happens at a much farther distance, and the level layout seems to be such that you don't see it as much. It's still there, but it's not as bad as in the demo where it was actually disorientating.

I never noticed pop-in during the demo, so odds are, I won't notice any during the full game. Thank for your impressions, Frogacuda, have you had a chance to try out the included games on it, like Nights, Chu Chu Rocket, etc. or are they unlockable?

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Sorta kinda. It's fade in, and it happens at a much farther distance, and the level layout seems to be such that you don't see it as much. It's still there, but it's not as bad as in the demo where it was actually disorientating.

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Very good to hear. If you noticed how bad it was in the demo and think it's an improvement... well then it's already better. Looking forward to Friday and being able to play this.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Picked up this game today. Very solid platformer, most of my worries were unfounded. Level variety is decent, bosses are fun. Levels are not horribly similar to each other like the ones in the demo. I like the style alot. It's definately very worthwhile.

But the multiplayer is where it's at. As a 4 player party game I enjoyed the hell out of it. Got together with some freinds and played it for a couple hours. Definately one of the best 4 player games I've played lately.

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Nice impressions. This is probably the first game I'd buy if I got a Cube. :)

I am happy to hear about the nice multiplayer mode. What is the nature of the multiplayer games?



Until I get the game I need some mp3s or something..... :sweat:

I want this...

But I probably won't be getting it anytime soon. I love the character for Billy.

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Originally Posted by sggg

I am happy to hear about the nice multiplayer mode. What is the nature of the multiplayer games?

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Basically it's a big deathmatch. You all build up your eggs and run around trying to smash each other and hatch eggs to get powerups.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

I never noticed pop-in during the demo, so odds are, I won't notice any during the full game. Thank for your impressions, Frogacuda, have you had a chance to try out the included games on it, like Nights, Chu Chu Rocket, etc. or are they unlockable?

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They included the full Saturn version of Nights in Billy Hatcher?

(if its still in there) its the gba nights minigame or whatever that was a pso gc downloadable

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Originally Posted by Tyler_Durden

They included the full Saturn version of Nights in Billy Hatcher?

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If they had done that, I'm sure you would have seen a lot more people going crazy over the game. With good reason I suppose.

Played it for a little more than an hour. I'm not sure how I feel yet.

There is definitely some replay value for those into getting good grades, similar to how it worked in NiGHTS and Sonic Adventure.

Picked this up today and put a couple of hours into it in single player and multiplayer.

I really didn't know what to expect, so the heart of the gameplay was a pleasant surprise to me. This game has a lot more old-school platforming than I expected, and that to me is a good, good thing. The first level kind of just gets your feet wet letting you figure out your moves and what good the eggs are for you. It's not laid out very complicated, but it's pretty tight in that it does 'train' you in your basics well. The egg rolling is a lot faster than I expected, and so is the egg growing. It's not as though you have to really nurture these things like a tomagochi or something. You run around collecting food like you would coins or rings in a Mario or Sonic, though they are not as plentiful so as to make it somewhat challenging (though not very) to get your egg large enough to hatch as fast as possible. The different types of eggs are pretty much power-ups once you've hatched them, giving you different abilities, though simply rolling over enemies or using your egg in a yo-yo like fashion damages or kills the baddies.

It took me a while to figure out that I had a double-jump of a sort, which I needed in order to jump higher to access a launcher ring I couldn't otherwise reach to get to a higher elevation and open up a door to expand the level. Once that occured, the level was obviously more well designed than I originally thought and some of the true charm of the platforming became apparent. I can also see the potential for some fun puzzles.

Once I got to the second level, it was immediately apparent that Sonic Team did put some good time into level design, as it was almost as if I'd entered a large outdoor pinball machine with semi-old style mine-cart type moving in parts and floating rings similar to the bumpers in Sonic games that propel you through the air in the direction you need to go, ... if you hit them. The second level kicked my ass several times in a row, mostly due to really needing to get my bearings and figure out what I needed to do next. One thing about it, inclines give you a lot of downward momentum when rolling the eggs and you really need to plan ahead. Some inclines are like slides which you are unable to ascend should you miss something on the way down. After dying at the bottom of an incline a bunch of times, I took a break and played some multiplayer with my son.

This is good stuff! We played deathmatch, which is like you'd think it would be, but the weapons you use are based on the eggs you hatch. Most of the weapons you aquire when hatching an egg are partners similar to weird Pokemon-like beings who follow you around with special abilities, such as projectile firing, freezing or bombing large areas. One we ran across that was pretty funny was a bull that you could put into a rage and he'd go ramming everything around him. We also ran across a couple of SEGA franchise characters, the guy from Nights, Knuckles, a Chu, a Chao, all with their own special abilities to help you out. The deathmatch felt exactly as it should, like any other good huntdown and kill match, but with everything based on the game's major premises. Fun was had by all.

With a good multiplayer and a single player mode with a grading system for how well you perform and how fast you get through the level, it looks to me like Billy Hatcher has good replay value. I think fans of Treasure's Wario World will enjoy this game, eventhough it's lighter on beat-em-up and heavier on platforming. It's got the feel of classic gaming and has been really enjoyable thus far. The first boss is a walk in the park, but I doubt the rest will be quite that easy. The camera takes some manual adjusting that doesn't feel natural when you are running full steam ahead with a huge egg in front of you, because you *really* need to see where you're going always since falling off an edge is instant death, but the eggs become transparent and it's not as though you're penalized for slowing down and putting the camera back behind you. It certainly wasn't irritating to me so far. And I haven't noticed any pop-up that is distracting; the levels so far are laid out in a way that doesn't give you visibility that far off and what does get drawn in does so in a smooth, almost natural way. If I gave games scores after 2 1/2 hours play, I'd give it an 8.:)

--Scourge .

Very good impressions, really looking forward to tomorrow afternoon now. Thanks for a good read.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much you all seem to be enjoying the multiplayer. And I'm excited to hear that NiGHTS and Knuckles are in there too.

I have to back up what scourge said. One point of contention though: While the camera [i]does[i] require manual adjustment, you don't have to stop and fuck with it, and I had zero problem adjusting it on the fly in the middle of running around and squashing things. Doing so felt very natrual right from the get-go. Not like Mario Sunshine at all.

I sometimes feel I'm the only one on Earth that didn't mind Mario Sunshine's camera... in fact I rather liked the level of freedom it allowed for. So if Billy Hatcher is anything like that, but easier, that's cool too.

I am very excited about purchasing this.

Scourge: Thanks for the excellent impressions. The game sounds great. :)

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Originally Posted by NoFace

I sometimes feel I'm the only one on Earth that didn't mind Mario Sunshine's camera...

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the mario sunshine camera would be great if it could go through walls.

being poor sucks :cry:

i want this game. I thought the demo was very clever. It made it seem like there will be a lot of puzzle solving in the game, like trying to figure out which special abilities to use where to get to new areas. I just like the way Billy clutches the egg and rolls around on it. It made me happy.

Alright. Got to spend a large amount of quality time with this game this afternoon, and gave single player and 3-player battle mode a good workout.

A lot of the problems I had with the demo a few months back are either lessened or fixed. The horridly annoying pop-in has been replaced, and while there's still a large amount of fade-in going on as you play, it doesn't detract from the experience much at all. Control also seems to be a bit tighter, and cornering/turning while rolling an egg seems a bit better. I could just be imagining that though (maybe just extended playtime allowed me to get used to the controls). It isn't drastically different than what the demo exhibited, but it definitely feels improved.

The game itself... very fun stuff. It's not revolutionary in any way shape or form, but if you enjoy 3D platformers with a nice mix of action and minor puzzle solving, you won't be disappointed. The game is composed of six different worlds, each with five different emblems to collect. I'm not sure if there's more past that other than maybe a final boss fight. You might have done the math and decided that 30 different objectives doesn't sound like a lot, and in reality it probably isn't. I'll bet you could finish the game in a day if you wanted... it's short to be sure, but it's not Wario World short at least. I'd say it's probably twice as big as Wario World, and if you want to collect all the coins (to use the Sonic egg, five per objective) or hatch every type of egg (72 in all) you're looking at a much larger chunk of time. If there was nothing but the single player portion of the game, it'd still be worth it.

But thankfully, there is more. Multiplayer. As has been mentioned, it's a lot of fun. Sonic Team included a few difffernt variations on the deathmatch formula, but nothing spectacular. Choose from a timed match, a points match (which has an interesting catch... if you take out an opponent you get all their points. So you're constantly playing for a larger and larger pot, and going crazy trying to knock out the player in first), and a standard survival match. Where things do get interesting, however, is in the different powerups you can get from hatching eggs. There's a pretty huge variety of powerups, and because of that battles are usually nuts... which equates to a good deal of fun. I wouldn't have expected a multiplayer mode in a platformer to be that much fun... I can think of a few failed attemps (Donkey Kong 64 for example) and only one decent one (Conker). Made me think if a Mario Sunshine multiplayer mode could have been fun, with some FLUDD action.

Other things... I heard gripes about the music, but I think it's pretty good. It fits the game at least. Very cheerful stuff. I'm not sure what one expects to hear when controlling a young boy wearing a legendary egg-controlling chicken suit. Graphics... other than the fade-in, I'd say this is a pretty good looking game. Billy himself has some great animation, very cartoony and charming. The environments in the game look good, not amazing. The game's engine is also able to throw a very large amount of enemies on screen and usually this doesn't result in slowdown... the slowdown that's there usually comes at odd times.

Last thing... the game has some great boss fights... very clever all around.

So, like when all is said and done, I'd probably give this game an 8 as well. Need a 3D platformer fix for your Gamecube? This'll do nicely.

Well, I've put some real quality time in on this this weekend, as well. I'd like to say that Frogacuda is correct about the camera. During play for my first impressions, I did not become aware of the 'snap to' feature using the left shoulder button until very late in my play time. After several more hours of play, mostly today, I am a LOT happier with the camera in this game. I was originally using the C-stick when I first played, and that's extremely slow and really only works well in conjunction with the left shoulder button as a 'look feature.'

Also, I didn't even notice that each level was broken up into several stages in my early rounds with the game. Normally, I'd think that was fine, like in Mario Sunshine where you go back in to a stage a bunch of times to complete a new task. In Billy Hatcher, it's actually WAY better because you don't simply replay the stage with a new objective to focus on: the stage itself opens up into a new area, so you're treated to a new level connected to a portion of the previous level! There are actually between 5 and 7 emblems to collect in each stage, and so far, the ones with 7 are played with Rolly, the Amy-ish girl character, instead of Billy, so that's cool.

I am totally enjoying this game! The platforming is really clever and there's actually more beat-em-up action than I realized early on (or crush-em-with-an-egg, as the case may be.) It's pretty fun to go tumbling your egg over 10 or 15 little enemies as quickly as possible to get your egg hatchable, but it's REALLY cool when there are several mini-bosses strewn about to impede your progress, which makes it more challenging and involves more thought as how to kill them than do the small enemies, since you have to kill them in a particular manner or wait til the time is right.

Everything remains fast paced in this game, which is really a plus. Sure, there are times when you come to a ledge and need to look ahead to figure out your path, but overall it's hectic platforming that harkens back to the days before platformers became collect'o'thons. I'm really surprised at the half-hearted reviews I've read of this game, even though they've been in the 7's, because their biggest complaint seems to be that the one-player experience isn't all that compelling. I'd like to state that if you are a fan of classic platformers, that view is 100% wrong. While nothing is really groundbreaking in this game, the levels are really well designed with quite a lot of diversity, the bosses are very fun (and I was right, things picked up quickly after the first boss), and the control is tight. Puzzles are strewn about liberally, and while none of them are of the brain-cramping variety, they all actually compliment the platforming well.

Buy this for the one-player experience. The multiplayer experience just happens to be one hell of a bonus.

--Scourge .

Has anyone gotten to the level where you have to beat "Champion Runny"? I'm going nuts trying to beat this.

Hrm. My posts in this thread are redundant and somewhat pointless, but I'll say it again! Thanks for all the feedback to everyone. I was already anticipating this game quite a bit but your comments have obliterated any doubts that I'll love the game. It's totally up my tree.

It might even be the killer app that gets me to buy a Cube. While there are a handful of decent Cube games, this is the first one that really makes me excited enough to consider a purchase.

I am not sure if this was mentioned yet, but there are some nice goodies on Sonic Team's Japanese site:

* http://sonicteam.com/giantegg/ge_dl.html

Must.. own... this... game... :sonic:

get it now. it's really fun. (and i LOVE the character designs of the main cast. I'd dare say the best word for them is, adorable) :)

How come they can't animate Sonic as well as they can animate Billy (and company) for this game? His facial expressions are great... I love the way he can go from looking surprised to a big toothy smile... adorable is a good word to describe a lot of this game.

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Originally Posted by bahn

get it now. it's really fun. (and i LOVE the character designs of the main cast. I'd dare say the best word for them is, adorable) :)

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I adore the character designs too! And the music! It's remarkable how the music in this game is soooo good when the music in the recent Sonic Adventure/Heroes games is sooooooooo bad.

Anyway, as great as the game looks, I don't feel like spending $100 usd + the cost of the game just to play it tho'. I wish there were more GCN games I wanted so I could justify it. I dunno, maybe in a few months. :)

Oh and thanks for the link sggg... some nice, big, colorful wallpapers to be found there.

It's cool how when you first start a stage and it's covered in darkness, the music has darker tones to it, but once you brighten the island the music switches gears into full-blast, umm, "sunny" music. The levels just feel more fun once that happens.

And I'll agree that the one track from Sonic Heroes is eye-rollingly bad ("Sonic Heeeeroes..."), but a lot of the Sonic Adventure music I find to be pretty awesome (save for almost all of Knuckles stages... the lyrics in particular "This is Knuckles, and you have reached the Death Chamber... death chamber... death chamber"). Billy Hatcher music isn't nearly as cheesy though, that's for sure.

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Originally Posted by NoFace

Oh and thanks for the link sggg... some nice, big, colorful wallpapers to be found there.

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Looks like my post was not pointless after all! ;)

wallpapers? nice. *grabs*

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Originally Posted by Schlep

Has anyone gotten to the level where you have to beat "Champion Runny"? I'm going nuts trying to beat this.

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Is that the penguin race? If so, first, you need to position your egg to the side of him before you talk to him, otherwise he'll bang into it and get a big lead on you. Second, you have a speed burst move that you should immediately use to get ahead of him. Use it on the straightaways and it shouldn't mess you up with any of the jumping sections. And avoid getting hit by him at all costs during the race. As long as you speed burst, that shouldn't be a problem though. And you have to hit the flag pole to finish, so don't miss it or he'll hit it first.

--Scourge .

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Originally Posted by NoFace

The game is composed of six different worlds, each with five different emblems to collect. I'm not sure if there's more past that other than maybe a final boss fight.

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There are. There's 3 more characters with their own sets of levels.

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Originally Posted by Scourge

Is that the penguin race?

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No, I don't think I've gotten to that one yet, but I beat the one that I was on. Now I'm stuck on finding all 8 chickens on the ice/snow stage...it's making me a bit upset. :mad:

This game is everything I expected it would be. Thats a good thing, for the most part. If you love similar Sonic Team games, you'll really dig this one too.

I really like that song in the dark version of the ice level.

Anyone let the game run at the title screen long enough to get the second intro? (Not the Lalala one, the one with the girl singing in engrish). I like that song for some reason. It gets stuck in my head.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Anyone let the game run at the title screen long enough to get the second intro? (Not the Lalala one, the one with the girl singing in engrish). I like that song for some reason. It gets stuck in my head.

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Yep, that's good stuff! It kind of balances out the other songs. I'm quite pleased with the soundtrack on this game, though. It's fitting and damn catchy. But I'm a sucker for this adorable stuff. My son and I agree that an OST would be cool.

--Scourge .

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Originally Posted by Scourge

Yep, that's good stuff! It kind of balances out the other songs. I'm quite pleased with the soundtrack on this game, though. It's fitting and damn catchy. But I'm a sucker for this adorable stuff. My son and I agree that an OST would be cool.

--Scourge .

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That damn commercial makes me want it so bad, and I'll probably get it with my paycheck on Friday and put another 40 on Viewtiful Joe. My Cube is getting quite a workout lately.

Is the song in the commercial used in the actual game? I like it even though my sister says the whole thing is gay :(

I should stop reading this thread... I only get to play this when I head home on the weekends, and all this thread is doing is making me want to play the game more... arrgh.

Your impressions and the combined poor scores of IGN and Gamespot have convinced me to (eventually) buy the game. After reading IGN and Gamespot's reviews of P.N.03 and then feeling the exact opposite of the reviewers, I've decided to go directly for any game that they hate :)

:lol:

That tactic will probably serve you better more times than not Kabuki. I'm sure you'll have a good time with the game.

I've gone through all of the first four levels, getting 32 chicken-shines. I really like the variety in the levels and that it's not marred by a terrible camera (although there are a few places where the camera could be a ton better).

Fun game so far. :D

My first time playing the game was in multiplayer, and my C-stick wasn't calibrated, so the camera was constantly spinning to the left... I didn't realize this until I had played for about 10 minutes, and was ready to curse the game for making me dizzy. After I fixed the controller, the camera (by comparison) seemed to be the best camera ever :)

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Originally Posted by kabuki

Your impressions and the combined poor scores of IGN and Gamespot have convinced me to (eventually) buy the game. After reading IGN and Gamespot's reviews of P.N.03 and then feeling the exact opposite of the reviewers, I've decided to go directly for any game that they hate :)

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I read the review at gamers.com last night. Talk about sucky reviews. I can understand a difference of opinion, but they've got their facts wrong.

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Gamers.com review:
It's also too easy to accidentally let go of the egg while running around. A button or power-up to magnetize it to your hand would've been helpful.

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No, it's not. If anything, sometimes when you'd like to let go of the egg, you can't.

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Gamers.com review:
The other problem with the eggs is that they're not incorporated into the gameplay enough. It's almost too easy to ignore their powers and simply get one to full power and use it for an entire level so you can kill the bigger foes in one hit. That is, if you want to confront them at all--you can just run past almost any enemy you encounter.

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Many foes have to be beaten to unlock doors. All platforming and puzzle solving in this game requires use of the eggs.

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Lastly, the straightforward level design and formulaic "boy gets special power, vanquishes evil" story lack surprises.

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That storyline jab is just stupid since this is a platformer. The levels may push you in one direction, but the variety within the level of the different types of platforming you'll do is fabulous! Contiually opening up new areas to the level that overlap previous areas as you get tokens is a much better way to do this than in games like Mario Sunshine, where everytime you visit the level for a new objective it's the same level as before.

--Scourge .

I'm playing through the 3rd level in the Sand stage currently (trying to wrap the game up), and dying on this ramp part where you roll down.

Is it just me, or has the whole game had a problem with control on these ramps? It seems like sometimes I can barely tap the stick left or right and I stay on just fine. Other times I feel like I'm going to break the thing off I'm holding it so hard to one direction, and I go flying off like I'm not holding it at all.

Frustrating. :mad:

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Originally Posted by Scourge

I read the review at gamers.com last night. Talk about sucky reviews. I can understand a difference of opinion, but they've got their facts wrong.

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Gamers.com review:
The other problem with the eggs is that they're not incorporated into the gameplay enough. It's almost too easy to ignore their powers and simply get one to full power and use it for an entire level so you can kill the bigger foes in one hit. That is, if you want to confront them at all--you can just run past almost any enemy you encounter.

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You can only use each hatchling like 5 times before it disappears. Idiots didn't even play the game.

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Originally Posted by kabuki

Your impressions and the combined poor scores of IGN and Gamespot have convinced me to (eventually) buy the game. After reading IGN and Gamespot's reviews of P.N.03 and then feeling the exact opposite of the reviewers, I've decided to go directly for any game that they hate :)

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You should be all over the Army Men games, then.

*sigh* I really dont see why some people didnt like this game... Its just, I dunno- its fun. Some levels frusterated the HELL outta me (Fire Mountain collect 40 blue coins... I hate those little tracks to roll the eggs on) But, I love this game.... if you havent bought it, and can afford it- just give it a try.... and keep an open mind.

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Originally Posted by BarryWeen

I hate those little tracks to roll the eggs on

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Same here. They turn an 8/10 experience into a 6/10 pretty fast. It's not that I don't enjoy a challenge, but isn't it enough for me to have to stay on the track in the first place? Why does it have to go and make me fly off the edge because the game doesn't respond to the direction I'm pushing? Very frustrating.

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Originally Posted by Schlep

Same here. They turn an 8/10 experience into a 6/10 pretty fast. It's not that I don't enjoy a challenge, but isn't it enough for me to have to stay on the track in the first place? Why does it have to go and make me fly off the edge because the game doesn't respond to the direction I'm pushing? Very frustrating.

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I think he meant the little rails that you have to push your egg onto and then run to go catch it on the other side. Those were incredibly fristrating, particularly in Circus Park 1 where you have to roll the golden egg on 2 of them in a row. They're glitchy and sometimes the egg will drop right through it, or pull you with it. It's not much of an issue in the other levels because you have the opportunity to fill the egg up which makes it easier, and you don't lose a life for dropping non-golden eggs.

The rolling downhill parts aren't that tricky. It's all about being steady. You can't make sharp turns, you need to ease into things.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I think he meant the little rails that you have to push your egg onto and then run to go catch it on the other side. Those were incredibly fristrating, particularly in Circus Park 1 where you have to roll the golden egg on 2 of them in a row. They're glitchy and sometimes the egg will drop right through it, or pull you with it. It's not much of an issue in the other levels because you have the opportunity to fill the egg up which makes it easier, and you don't lose a life for dropping non-golden eggs.

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Those are the easy ones...all you have to do is jump on it with your egg. They set it up the other way to confuse you. :p

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The rolling downhill parts aren't that tricky. It's all about being steady. You can't make sharp turns, you need to ease into things.

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I am doing gradual turns, but it stops responding and I go flying off the edge. I just think they could've found a more inventive way to add challenge to the game than putting these things in...and the 360 degree rotating rings, while I'm at it.

You guys know you can actually roll with the egg on those right? All the problems you're mentioning are alleviated when you just jump on the track while holding the egg. And if you think you're going to fly off the edge at the other end, just jump and you'll stop in your tracks.

Problem solved.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I think he meant the little rails that you have to push your egg onto and then run to go catch it on the other side. Those were incredibly fristrating, particularly in Circus Park 1 where you have to roll the golden egg on 2 of them in a row. They're glitchy and sometimes the egg will drop right through it, or pull you with it. It's not much of an issue in the other levels because you have the opportunity to fill the egg up which makes it easier, and you don't lose a life for dropping non-golden eggs.

The rolling downhill parts aren't that tricky. It's all about being steady. You can't make sharp turns, you need to ease into things.

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I haven't had any problem with the rails you have to ride your egg across, except the very first one where I wasn't sure what I was doing so I kept pushing my egg off the edge. The ones where you place your egg and then try to beat it running another route are tough, but they don't seem to make up much of the game, so... But that's the area I was talking about where letting go of the egg can be a problem sometimes. I still maintain this game is an 8. It's really fun and any frustrating parts still make you want to keep at 'em until you've figured out how to do it successfully. And again, I only had trouble rolling down hills when I first got to them early on, but it never had to do with being able to navigate the hill. Once you get used to the momentum you build up rolling the egg down an incline, you understand the nuances. Hopefully those having problems with the momentum will get used to it and figure it out, because it is controllable. The variety of platforming in this game owns.

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Originally Posted by NoFace

You guys know you can actually roll with the egg on those right? All the problems you're mentioning are alleviated when you just jump on the track while holding the egg. And if you think you're going to fly off the edge at the other end, just jump and you'll stop in your tracks.

Problem solved.

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Only on the cyan rails, not the red ones. We're talking about different parts.

I'd say the game's a 6. It'd be an 8 if there weren't so many spots where missing by a split second (literally) killed you, and if the control didn't seem so floaty.

I'm trying to decide whether I even want to finish the game, to be honest. (and I'm on the rainbow)

I didn't find the rolly parts problematic in the least, really. They're not floaty, nor picky. They're pretty generous, really. I only died on a couple. Had far more deaths on the real platforming parts.

You can only use each hatchling like 5 times before it disappears. Idiots didn't even play the game.[/QUOTE]


I suppose you're referring to the "animals", right Froggy?

On a side note, as I briefly highlighted in the latest edition of the gaming report --- billy hatcher seems typically targeted for younger audiences, but it's got a substantial degree of challenge that can appeal to older, veteran gamers as well. :)

Rolly's levels seem a bit more difficult then Billy's as Amy was to Sonic's levels in Sonic Adventure.

I have a couple questions:
First, when double jumping, how can you avoid landing your egg on ledge while you fall back down?

Second, in the last stage, how do you open the door behind the 4 SMS-like mud puddles that need to be swept up with the egg?

1) No way that I've found.
2) You need to sweep each puddle up 100%. When you finish one, there'll be a graphical effect to let you know you did it. Do that to all four ... every little pixel must go. Bigger eggs let you do this more easily.

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Originally Posted by RedCoKid

I have a couple questions:
First, when double jumping, how can you avoid landing your egg on ledge while you fall back down?

Second, in the last stage, how do you open the door behind the 4 SMS-like mud puddles that need to be swept up with the egg?

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1) Turn around before you do it, or do a couple test bounces to make sure you're lined up right. If you have the room on the other side, hitting "R" to fling yourself forward at the peak of your jump will do nicely as well.

2) Just roll over them. Make sure not to leave any small bits behind, and the "seal" will light up. Then move on to the next one.

I found 6 of the eight chickens, but I'm lost after that. Basically, I don't know what to do with that long red winding track that you can only roll the egg on.

Also, when you first start out on the level. You shoot through the big hoop onto that second island. Now your given a choice of two ways--left or right. Right being the hill with the spikes protruding from the ground. When I get into that area, I have no way of getting back up the hill.

I know there are three green hoops on the left that appear to let you make your way up to the beginning of the leves. But there is too great a distance between the first two green hoops.

If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about, please, lend some asisstance.