I have for a year looked forward to Riders 2 because I anticipated being able to see '06' next gen renditions of the Rogues. And the online play. Although after Sonic06 (and well.. Riders 1) I start to wonder if the game will even be good. Well as long as it's not like Riders 1 I'll be happy. (just watch ill come to regret saying that) If they make a racing game equivalent of Sonic06 it will still be good I think. Also I start to wonder if the game will even have online... Sonic06 didn't even have any online component... I feel naive for ever thinking that it would... but damnit. If it had online 2P, I would play it all the time. If Riders 2 doesn't have online, it will be like the biggest fail. And I have a feeling that it won't have online. It's just back-to-back frequent lowering of standards when it comes to the franchise isn't it? despite the next gen installments. Except that Sonic06 is really special.
Anyway, Secret Rings looked hot but Sonic06 left me really satisfied just being a fan. Secret Rings despite how neat it is doesn't seem stylistically superior, and it isn't the gameplay fix I'd need. In both ways it's a side release, despite being a very neat one after all. Most significant downside to it is the seemingly floaty controls and animations, just like Riders. The tricks made it look fun but even Riders had tricks and they were just as awkward as Secret Rings looks to be.
Although Shadow was essentially a side release and in retrospect, I really liked that game. (I've started remembering how great it was on my first run. Perhaps I liked Riders only because I was riding off of Shadow) Heh, so I guess Secret Rings depends on if it's the new Riders or the new Shadow.
In any case, I never really intended to own the game for myself in the first place. I intended to get a Wii for my nephew... his birthday is in 3 months, but he is moving in 1 month. ('housewarming present') and he's still playing Gamecube. Somehow just having it in the family is good enough for me. Besides, I don't even have the money or feel like spending so much just for another console for myself... teaming up with family to get it for him is the only way I can reasonably afford one. Although I realize in that case I may not be able to play it for myself for... well maybe even a very long time. It depends. But I'm cool with that.
SA2B is a masterpiece. I played it to death but I come back every time to realize that. What's this about memorizing everything in a level. It's the 2D games in which you can't see beyond the end of the screen in all directions. Being able to play in 3D is a god given gift. It works. I've also realized that being in 3D in itself makes a game better. SA2B camera has never been a peeve for me. The stages are very straightforward, except for Knuckles stages which give you free camera control.
