14 DAY TRIAL // Sonic Chronicles is yet another game whose single claim to fame is that it's got Sonic's name plastered all over the title. It's currently in development by BioWare and the guys there want to have it shipped to eager players on the Nintendo DS by fall. But until then, studio manager Greg Zeschuk has detailed some plans to bring Sonic's sidekicks to the forefront.
He said: "I think maybe the challenge there, if people are not as excited about having the friends, is making them worthwhile, making them a good part of the game." It seems to be a well-known fact that most fans look at the Sonic characters that are not Sonic as being entirely unimportant. So, why is BioWare trying to go against the flow and against the wishes of the gaming enthusiasts and make them important to the story of the game?
Ray Muzyka, one of the co-founders of BioWare, seems to think that it's a matter of choice that needs to be explored. He stated that: "The choice is moment to moment; it's in the story, it's within your exploration. It's also within your choice of companion characters and sidekicks. You're going to have a different experience in BioWare games depending on who you bring with you."
The good thing is that selecting sidekicks seems to be entirely optional and that, at least, there will be plenty of characters to choose from. The bad news is that BioWare thinks it's an interesting idea for the game developers to create games where dislike is a major part of the experience, as Muzyka further says: "Hopefully they [the players] dislike some characters. And if we can bring that and maximize that, it'll be really fun".
I don't really know why Big the Cat is such a disliked character in the Sonic games, but it seems unwise to create an experience that's centered around not liking a certain aspect of the game. We'll see how it plays out when Sonic Chronicles ships later in the year.