How Simplicity RUINED Sonic Riders Zero Gravity

[@edgelord8337]

I honestly wish these games just had a higher budget with more stages and characters. It's a shame that free riders killed this spinoff series.

[@ブラクマト]

What more characters could they add?

[@artistanthony1007]

As someone who's played Free Riders, the only issues I agree on is controls and story but everything else is actually amazing especially the graphics and quality of levels, you also race against Metal Sonic at the end who's been that Green Robot who's a member of Team Dark the whole time.

[@jaymyster7463]

@@artistanthony1007 if it wasn’t a Kinect game, other than it not being artistically appealing as the other two it was pretty good.

[@ブラクマト]

@Darek Młot oooohh cool!

[@Cinko420]

@@artistanthony1007 Free Riders also has some pretty eh music as well. I only remember 4 consistently and one is the main theme “Free”.

[@ALtheBoi]

I actually remember preferring ZG over the original *_because_* of its accessibility. I also think that the gear system prevents some of the tracks from being completely cheesed by certain characters that perform well in specific stages. But obviously these come at the cost of it being infinitely less mechanically rich, which I think is a major part of the dedicated fanbase Riders has. The more involved people get, the more attached they become to the game. _basically if you like Riders ur a nerd bye_ 👋

[@djChris_]

I love your content!

[@Janon743]

But if we’re being honest, Riders isn’t even hard, but people are just unwilling to learn some of the tokens of it. Its tech is much less physically demanding than say melee This is from a college student who just started playing Riders like two days ago, if I can pick it up like that, I think anyone can

[@Junkyardproduxtions]

@JRP gotta remember most of us probably just finished shitting ourselves when this game came out. I'm pretty sure I couldn't even read. Even now many people including fans of the game itself admit it can be unwieldy. A game being obtuse doesn't necessarily make it inferior and no one is saying ZG IS better. Many of us just really enjoy it and just want people to stop deriding it just to play up the original. But agreed from Al, liking anything Sonic related is grounds for being the big glasses.

[@yenice3652]

Now look up a zg speedrun and you'll see that it's even more cheese than the original. Lmfao.

[@DarrienGlasser]

For the most part the original game is cheesed by one board as is. Still good fun tho

[@MegaMario9001]

I think "RUINED" is a bit extreme. I feel like "held back" would be a more apt description. It's not a bad game by any means. It's still a well-made game that's pretty fun to play, even if it's ultimately not as good as the original game. It's certainly vastly better than Free Riders, that's for sure. (Also, you can use shortcuts on a first lap if you use an Extreme Gear that isn't a board. And even among boards, there are ones that can gain shortcut access on their first gear-change instead of the second.)

[@joakinglegend7664]

Yeah this guy is wack and close minded

[@shanecorcoran2542]

@@joakinglegend7664 no he’s not lmao, he’s just expressing his opinion

[@lazyvoid7107]

@@shanecorcoran2542 That should have been the video then

[@jammychoo]

@@joakinglegend7664 No. He just has a different opinion. I never played the game until yesterday. I thought it was great but thats because I haven't played any others in the series and Ive never played it before

[@8431832nick]

Agreed

[@Junkyardproduxtions]

I don't disagree that ZG is a step down from the core meta of the game and wouldn't mind seeing some stuff coming back. But I really feel like ZG isn't given enough credit how well it expounds on its addition of the gravity mechanic and how many places actually utilize it. Anyways I love the game is getting coverage but sad everyone keeps downplaying how fun it can genuinely be. In fact the simplified controls allowed me to introduce the game to more people.

i think that's just because the gravity mechanics aren't great to begin with. it's a slower drift, a boost only worth using in specific parts of the track and sticking into walls in a really clunky way. i agree about the accessibility tho, when i used to go to the church, we had a zg tournament and it was fun

[@KaiserShield]

You're free to have you own opinion, but it really was a step down. Likely due to the complaints of people who never got good at the mechanics in the first. Whined and spawned ZG.

[@Junkyardproduxtions]

I wasn't really asking to have my own opinion but thank you I guess lol. I don't think it's better than the normal game I just think ZG genuinely utilizes what it introduced well, if you want to use shortcuts immediately there are X-gears for that, and it just visually more appealing. Unfortunately despite how much better the first game is the honest truth is the only people still playing it are us who've relatively mastered it at our base levels. Whereas ZG was actually my introduction to the series and was the reason I went back to the original due to how much more open it is to new people. The only one I can turn people onto is ZG first because no one wants to learn to get food at the original just to try and have fun. I know it's all just opinion based so I'm trying not to wad up my panties too much but with how often people talk down ZG and little time and respect it's given I think you're all really minimizing the game that not only could bring in a new generation but might be possibly a gateway to bringing back Riders if enough publicity from all this exposure happens. Otherwise I guess we could go the Melee route but I genuinely want this series to comeback. We can even mix in the transformed, the team, or just racings power-ups since Riders power ups (in all of them) were pretty non-existent ngl. Anyways I'm just some kid yelling at the clouds because he's butthurt everyone dogs on this game, it kinda feels like no one wants to give the game its props when yes it did do a lot wrong, but once again in my opinion it also did quite a lot right.

[@bebopknux5857]

@@Junkyardproduxtions Nah what your saying makes alot of sense. In fact even though I played riders first I never really felt ZG was boring I actually enjoyed the gravity mechanics even if they were a slower version of the previous already liked mechanics such as drift and boost. ZG had alot of expectations placed on it because the people who love OG riders wanted *more* but instead they get disappointed because it's not as intuitive as the OG, J's title basically sums up why a riders fan would never like ZG.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

I full-heartedly agree. Though it takes playing the fan version to realize it. The track design in this game is *amazing* and at pretty much every turn, most jumps, and plenty of odd-sections there is a way for you to shortcut the track using the gravity ring. In no other racing game do you get so many 90 and 180 degree turns. And that is only possible with something like the Gravity Ring. The devs definitely delivered on the track design.

[@jjslider3026]

Zero Gravity is very nostalgic to me, even moreso than the first game. But, even though the critiques sting, they are valid. Still a very fun time for me, though.

[@gustavocolomaoporto2055]

Same dude, I played the hell out of that game back when I was a kid, mostly because that was the only console sonic game I had but still was really fun to play, eaven if i suckted at it

[@qunt100]

@@gustavocolomaoporto2055 I just like racing games in general. So I had to pick it up.

[@Moromom22]

It's a shame that a spinoff series is the peak of giving cartoon characters quirky facial animations.

[@MullerFan28]

fr

[@kbennett365]

I personally like ZG way more. The gameplay has been simplified but I don't find it as much as a bother. The OST is great and I kinda dig the story, going a bit more in depth of the babylons backstory. Even liked how big the stakes are for the finale, saving the earth from a BLACK HOLE. Shit is fun as hell.

[@TheAfricanNightDemon]

I prefer the original due to better gameplay and more skill and the story is more interesting but ZG was good

[@FormalFilmsProductions]

I agree. ZG is a lot more easier to handle due to the simplicity and it made it more fun to me personally

[@flyinghaze7599]

Was the first game really that hard for you guys?

[@HostedOnCrack]

Honestly, never played the first game only this one, but I always thought this was an amazing game, at a time when I was younger loving futuristic things like hoverboards this game was amazing, and even if this guy says ‘the story kinda bad’ I can never really see it. All I can remember is reminiscing of that broken robot grabbing the case when you think everything is okay, that scene still gives me chills

[@ryozaki96]

YES

[@shadowvincent8718]

While your critique of Zero gravity was fair. I personally love this game as much as the original. While i do miss the air trick and boost mechanic of the original game, for me though the gravity mechanic makes up for it because i find that mechanic really fun to experiment as you can do some crazy shortcuts if you master it. Its honestly sad that we probably will never get a TRUE follow up to these two games (Free riders does not count) as i feel like a follow up could combine the mechanics and best aspects of each game + more stages and charachters into one and that could make for an absolute masterpiece of a racing game.

[@artistanthony1007]

Free Riders still combines aspects and it does Gear Changes better, you switch stances to switch your Gear Parts (minus Bike) WITHOUT Rings and you can purchase a whole lot then interchange them, that idea was legit perfect and I would love to see it brought back and expanded more with more options but also any character can use the Grind, Air Ride and Power Type Parts so if Free Riders doesn't count, why is it having this mechanic work more like the first?

[@steampunk1610]

Despite the Downgrade in Gameplay, This game was the highlight of my childhood sonic Enjoyment. Unfortunately, I never had a good impression on the first game due to it being glitched and prefered Zero Gravity.

[@SpeedDemonPowerage98]

Same here Zg is my preferred riders game out of the three.

[@FormalFilmsProductions]

Same here

[@darkhorse744]

Same, the tutorial made it so much easier to get into than Rider's, the later tracks on the Heroes side were fun to play too. There were so many little ways you could cut down your times.

[@Sonic171K]

ZG was always my preferred game. Until I revisit the original after a long time months ago. I did play the og first but both games are my childhood. Free Riders just killed the series and gave us literally nothing.

[@steampunk1610]

@Paul Bell maybe for you but i remember experiencing some glitches as a kid, then again i was a kid at that time so it was probably different from when i remember it

[@Someguyhere111]

Riders never really said they were the descendents of genies, rather that was just Jet speculating that was the case. Although even if that is the case, there's nothing to say that what we know as 'genies' AREN'T aliens from another world. Babylon Garden rising from the ground is because that's where it's been ever since it crash-landed on Earth, waiting for the Babylonians to reactivate it.

[@lpfan4491]

It gets better. According to a fantranslation, Jet only says "Unbelievable. To think our ancestors were the spirits that appear in those stories."(Refering to the folk tales that have magic carpets in them). That means actual genies like in Secret Rings were never a part of this, the people just thought of both as a the same thing due to their similar elements. This would also mean that the babylon guardian is not a genie either.

[@edgelord8337]

I absolutely love the aesthetic of zero gravity. The music and cgi cutscenes are really cool but doesn't deliver in a lot of places. Also the music is absolutely fantastic. I can listen to it anyday.

[@GravityLoL]

Tbh? Despite ZG being regress, i love it's aesthetics. It was amazing and i still keep replaying it from time to time. And music.... God dammit, music is just a blast

[@jinmiguel6884]

Knuckles has always been established as a treasure hunter, ever since the adventure games. Why do you think he can find master emeralds shards and keys. Sonic even says "We're counting on you buddy, the worlds greatest treasure hunter." In Adventure 2 during the hidden base. Edit: the mods of these games look cool but its another case of the fans doing what Sega hasn't. Working on these games and refining them and or making best versions of them.

[@joakinglegend7664]

The guy who made this video is kind of a dumbass

[@DesignDoc]

That title is exactly my thoughts on it. I played this first in fall 2017, over 3 years before playing the original and it just turned me off of the whole series for a while. It's just boring. Zero Gravity didn't need simpler mechanics, it needed better teaching tools for the more subtle mechanics. Once you can consistently hit the respective shortcuts for each character type, it feels like your way closer to the skill ceiling than you should be. I honestly only had some fun after unlocking the skates (dunno why). Best menu and main theme though, can't say I remember the track themes though, the first track in particular feels like it's trying too hard to be dramatic which fits for the story mode but doesn't fit a normal race at all.

[@KirbyGotenksabsorbed]

I prefer the original game's ost hands down. It's fun, sporty, and energetic, and I think that fits Sonic Riders perfectly. ZG's OST was trying a little too hard to have a serious futuristic vibe in virtually every song, which doesn't really fit as nicely and just generally doesn't sound as pleasant to me.

[@chaos_doom1321]

@@KirbyGotenksabsorbed Nah, the serious tone of Sonic Riders Zero Gravity is one of the best things the game could have had. It's probably one of the last Sonic games with that "edgy" vibe but well executed, those were the good old days :( I agree that the mechanics have small flaws but it's the same with the first Riders, both games failed a bit in execution but their concept is amazing and totally accurate to a Sonic game. It seems like both games deserve a good remake, at least we already have Sonic Riders Regravitified :)

[@TheAfricanNightDemon]

@@KirbyGotenksabsorbed Disagree, Main Menu music & character select music is better than the one from the original OST although in terms of stage themes, gameplay, story and everything else the original is better and is overall the more fun and complete game

[@gemlik_rogue]

I remember skipping one day of middle school only to get this game day one because I was (and still am) a huge Sonic Riders fan. I still love SRZG, but I can't deny that it was a big step back from the OG gameplay. However I believe that the story plot was better than the first one, only that the characters feel so flat in comparison to the first game. Sonic himself barely does anything in the story except listening to Tails or Knuckles and proceed to the next level. Wave the Swallow suffers of this thing too. Comparated to her OG character she's kind of nerfed. She's not a complete asshole like she used to be in ZG. I don't think it's character development that made her calmer but yeah. Still, the music and aesthetic/atmosphere ZG gives are special to me.

[@rainpooper7088]

To be fair, Sonic’s personality being toned down and him barely doing anything except listening to other characters was just kind of a way the character was written in several stories in the mid-2000s, Rush and 06 say hi. I don’t approve of it, but I think they may have just tried being more consistent there.

[@SelectClay]

I agree that the story is a great step up from the first Riders, in fact I think it's one of my top 3 Sonic plots in the series. It does suck that Sonic doesn't do much in the cutscenes, but I think it gives some other characters moments to shine, like Knuckles acting as guide and translator in the Gigan Rocks and Tails piecing together the mystery of the Divine Wings. I thought the Rogues were also handled well overall. I'm a big fan of Wave, and sure, she isn't the jackass we know she can be but I think that's down to her feeling like she's not exactly competing. She's a lot more invested in Babylonian history and technology than Jet because Jet is always looking to compete, which makes some great character juxtaposition.

[@gemlik_rogue]

@@rainpooper7088 You've got a point there, but still. I'm always ok when other characters have time to shine, but Sonic in ZG was really doing nothing except standing.

[@odd-eyesvon]

Von again from Extreme Gear Labs! Thanks for the shoutout! The Project Trailers were edited and co-edited by me, so it's extremely humbling (and sorta surreal) to see them used in your videos! Thanks again!

[@pale9819]

The Babylon Rogues is one of my favorite teams in any Sonic game especially Storm. He’s such a goofy character and I’ve always admired his loyalty to Jet. He can be kind of one dimensional at times but deep down he has a good heart.

[@kieranstark7213]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3K0qaB3mLCen8U

[@airkingneo]

As the lead developer behind Sonic Riders DX, I certainly did not expect a shoutout of any kind in this video, especially since Regravitified should be taking the spotlight. I do appreciate the shoutout and hope you enjoy what comes next from Extreme Gear Labs with DX, RG, and a soon to be 3rd title under our belt (its not Free Riders!). Also... I hope you guys know you can press Y to toggle the ability to ride turbulence.

[@lightthegreninja2793]

Is this true or are you just joking about it?

[@airkingneo]

@@lightthegreninja2793 nothing I said it a joke, and I also don't know which part you thought was. I am the lead dev for DX, we are having a third title, and I did add the feature for ignoring turbulence via a toggle on the Y button (used to be on the Z button way back when).

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

@@airkingneo You are a god amongst people for adding a way to easily and consistently dip out of turbulence. And thank you for your work on these projects! They massively improve the play experience for those going back to the games years later.

[@iblobliboo8501]

Thank you so much for doing all of this!

[@WaterKirby1994]

I think the fact that you are actually making a 3rd Sonic Riders Game completely different from the already existing games sounds too good to be true. That's probably why Light the Greninja thought you were joking. How did you manage to make the story for your Sonic Riders Game? That & Voice Acting are a huge part of what prevents people from making entirely new games on this scale. If the Adventure Fans had your level of ability Sonic Adventure 3 would have happened by now.

[@Megaman.ExE7]

The meteor burst mechanic was so cool when you first play. Then you realize that's it. Speed. No tricks, no use of air to encourage skillful play. The soundtrack to this game is amazing. But Zero Gravity is definitely harder to go back to than the first game

[@artistanthony1007]

There's the Ring powered EG Chaos Emerald and Crazy Taxi, each burn down fast but not as much with Super Sonic.

[@Megaman.ExE7]

@@artistanthony1007 Interesting. I honestly owe this game another replay. This time focusing on the Meta aspects. Totally never knew about Crazy Taxi!!!

[@rinnnnnnnnnnrinRinOnishi]

@@Megaman.ExE7 i think youre better off emulating it with an unlock all cheat code this time around so you dont feel like your time was wasted on what could be a cheap gimmick, plus youll have all stages to play it with anyway

[@joakinglegend7664]

Nah Zero Gravity is way better than the first one

[@sxwriter8569]

I honestly still enjoy Zero Gravity even now, but with the simplification, I think it's best to take what it did right and combine it with the strengths of the other Riders game for a potential Riders 4. Riders: The Trick System, Boost, the speed, DRIFTING, fun character interactions, Zero Gravity: A SOLID TUTORIAL, replace the air gauge with the gravity gauge for the boost, track design, shortcut designs, a replacement for the gravity control using the trick system to get onto wall paths, and better layout for drifting, Survival Battle (shooting missiles at each other with Drift/Gravity was so fun), large character roster, strong story writing, final boss. Free Riders: Expansion layout, multiple pathways, references to the original series, more fan favorites in Vector and Metal Sonic

[@smugsneasel]

10:10 That cutscene is hands-down the best thing about the game. Especially with the "Eggman Again" remix as he gets away.

[@vanilla8956]

I prefer Zero Gravity, and the "lowered skill ceiling" is actually one of the reasons why. ZG is a game I can invite my friends over and introduce to and have fun with from scratch much better, and there's still alot of skills i can get good at. I think Zero Gravity is the Kirby Air Ride version of riders basically.

[@TheOUTSIDER1995]

Exactly, ZG is fun with everyone, like Mario Kart, you don't need hours to learn how to play well, and this review doesn't understand that, literally Mario Kart sells more for being that, simple

[@shotojae6007]

One of my favorite PS2 games by far, the soundtrack is godlike and love the zero gravity mechanic. Hilariously enough I didn’t beat the game until a bit later because the final boss freaked out kid me. still holding out that they’ll remaster the riders series I wanna play this game with better graphics so damn bad.

[@devonsharpe9260]

Daddy! 🤤

[@WaterKirby1994]

I never will understand how the weakest 6th Gen Console in terms of hardware can somehow manage to play this game. PS2 was literally the Wii of 6th Gen Consoles except it didn't experience shortages to meet demand back when it came out.

[@El_Mince]

I really like how expressive Sonic is in this game

[@nickjames8377]

I honestly like Zero Gravity the most.

[@joakinglegend7664]

Yeah is objectively the best

[@funnfungusie9622]

Yep, more mechanics doesn't make a game better

[@ryozaki96]

Me too

[@DoritoGOD2811]

Still own this game! Your complaint about the shortcuts being tied to the gear changes is a little strange. While that is true for the boards, there are other types of gear that come with the shortcut types built in to them. The skates are always able to grind, the bikes are always able to go through things, and the air-rides are always able to fly. I know those extra gears need to be bought in the shop so I guess your point kinda still stands, but you're still a little off the mark and it's kinda strange how you completely missed this.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

That is a very good point... since it does invalidate a major complaint of theirs completely.

[@aerostrafe1075]

Old comment but I can say that while you can use certain things to have shortcuts I still find it a flaw myself. This is because I hate using skates myself but if I want to take grind shortcuts well I have no well choice. I prefer the first game's approach. Everyone has their default shortcuts but certain boards let you have two with those boards not being too great to balance it out.

[@AccelerateHedge]

Also, you can save up to get the second upgrade instead of getting the first upgrade first, which usually takes less than 20 seconds in my experience.

[@benjoman8252]

The way you get X ranks on jumps is by holding one direction and tapping the jump button near the end of the ramp, for most of the jumps you hold backwards and your character will do a backflip, however with half-pipe ramps you push in the direction away from the ramp. The trick system isn't nearly as in-depth as the original riders, but it isn't mindless

[@benjoman8252]

Also I like zero gravity more because of the gravity system, you can link gravity dives with the gravity drift move to literally fly through the air, also the level up system has more of a risk Vs reward system as you can choose which upgrade you want, for example you could choose to get the upgrade which allows you to take type specific shortcuts, or you could choose to increase your gravity gauge in order to last longer in between trick ramps. Overall I think riders zero gravity is a lot more simple but it still has moments where quick thinking and decisions can lead to your victory or your downfall

[@edwardrobinson5470]

True. Plus Zg i like better because you don't have to constant worry about refilling your air with the pits. Making it less tedious. Thankfully Zg you don't need to worry about that too much.

[@benjoman8252]

@@edwardrobinson5470 yeah it's really cool, even though it's the easier riders game that doesn't detract from the experience

[@edwardrobinson5470]

@@benjoman8252Agreed. Simplicity can be a good thing. I like Zg a lot though I'm rescently play the first riders.

[@sonicplays8740]

@@edwardrobinson5470 Those are good points indeed, but I feel as though it lacks the flow and skill requirement of the first in terms of gameplay.

[@JM_CLARKO]

One thing I noticed about the cutscenes is that they’ll use SA1 models like at 10:19

[@goldenlightning8842]

No where near as good as the original but god I adore this game all the same

[@meccalovett4616]

This series honestly could’ve been the Mario Kart of the Sonic franchise. It fits perfectly into Sonic’s character and aesthetic. Too bad Sega is just really incompetent and mishandles almost anything they touch

[@Literalmente_Alguien]

*sonic team

[@Literalmente_Alguien]

still seems too much generalization

[@Chase1.9]

Good luck on Free Riders, J. You’ll question your sanity when you play that excuse of a game.

[@artistanthony1007]

It takes quite awhile to get used to the controls and get it right but he'll figure it out, trust me I've beaten SFR and played it so much but that doesn't mean the controls always work but if I can do it, so can he but he shouldn't begin Story nor Tutorial and just do Regular Races such as Time Attack, he should master the courses first because they're gonna need you to do alot of effort in them.

[@soni-switch5207]

I originally thought that's why he put the retrospective on hiatus, because Free Riders exists.

[@matrixpictures7799]

in his 1st riders review he said he wasnt going to make the free riders review probably because the game was unplayable and in this video he said he was going to make the sonic 4 review next.

[@soni-switch5207]

@@matrixpictures7799 No, he said that he would cover it, just later.

[@matrixpictures7799]

@@soni-switch5207 oh shit i forgot about that. sry lol

[@Sonic171K]

Don’t care how simple it is. I still love this game like the first. Of course the original still better overall except soundtrack.

[@ryancarless7921]

Eggman is too much in this game. His stealth is unmatched

[@coinsbuckets]

Riders always had that difficulty curve and had some sort of reward when mastering the game. ZG is easier to play and can get boring but I wouldn't say it isn't bad I like both games and I always come back to finish both start to finish. If I had to say which one is more fun I'd say the latter but it's the memories that bring me back to ZG.

[@Nash1t0]

I remember when i first tried this game i skipped the tutorial because i tought i allready knew how to play since i played the first game. Oh how wrong i was. I could't understand any of the new mechanics, and why Sonic would't grind on rails during the first lap. So when i finally tried the tutorial i was in awe because the gravity mechanics looked so cool, and i loved the fact that the extreme gears transformed to activate their type skills. In conclusion; i don't agree that simplicity ruined Sonic Riders gameplay, it just changed. And that's kind of the point of a good videogame sequel. It does suck that you can no longer make your own tricks when jumping a ramp, but to me, the cons in the gameplay are forgiven because its so much fun to play it.

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

Zero Gravity is a game where if you come to it right off of the first game, you will feel like you're doing everything horribly wrong even though you have a commanding lead over everyone else. I just want an extension of the first game where you can play as Blaze in that.

[@DeadInside-lh9xo]

It's somewhat sad that the first thing that comes to my mind whenever someone mentions this game is Hatsune Miku

[@nightwish1453]

not the xbox? (which is ironically funny because OG had a port but not ZG)

[@CaptainCFalcon]

_Why are my limbs slack? I can't see the end of the horizon._ *_HATSUNE MIKU!?!_*

[@keithfernandez2823]

Just FYI, Sonic Free Riders is just the worst game I ever fucking played. The motion control movement was just so awful that I couldn’t even get through one stage of the game and I just quit because the controls just won’t respond to my body while I’m playing Sonic on a hoverboard. J, if you cancel your review on Sonic free Riders I will completely understand. Sonic free Riders is just a terrible game that completely kill the Sonic Riders spin-off series which is a shame because I thought this game could’ve been cool, but damn it was handled horribly.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

I hope it gets a fan-mod version some day in line with Zero G. The game doesn't have as many redeeming qualities but just letting people without a Kinect try it out and have some of the simple staples back.

[@korowong22]

@@haruhirogrimgar6047 look up sonic riders x if you wanna play a fan made version, its still in the demo process tho, but it looks reallly good

[@Eldarin]

I recently played ZG after playing some riders and granted I didnt play them when I was younger but your thoughts on the game hit the nail right on the head for me..it feels too handholdy I guess the word would be and therefore boring compared to the original. Great video as always!

[@qunt100]

I tried it out again on my wii. I am a sucker for racing games. And I had to admit it was pretty awesome. I never really cared for the game back in the day. But I now like it way more.

[@xannied7268]

@@qunt100playing it on the Wii definitely gives the best experience

[@qunt100]

@@xannied7268 I definitely enjoyed it especially after I discovered it had gamecube controller support. Definitely not a bad game.

[@genuinelyjames4821]

idk who we gotta blackmail, but we need a revival of some sort of the riders series!!! MY FAVORITE GAME EVER

[@Skylancer727]

I only learned that the trick system isn't actually just timing based. The game keeps track of the direction you pointed the joystick when you jumped and won't give you an X after not moving it a different direction from the last 2 jumps.

[@xannied7268]

I’ve known this forever wish more people did too😂

[@AccelerateHedge]

Three jumps, actually. You also need to be going fast enough. How'd you find out?

[@Skylancer727]

@AccelerateHedge I watch a video from someone else who mentioned it. Forget the creator's name for the moment.

[@AccelerateHedge]

@@Skylancer727 GDubA?

[@emberthefox4951]

I feel this game could've been improved with a one up to Mario Kart Wii's Manual and Automatic modes. What I mean is having a mode select after choosing gear which has a mode that feels more like the original Riders having much less accessibility but a higher skill ceiling and a mode that's as accessible as regular Zero Gravity. That one change could have made this game much more interesting to come back to and play while still keeping it accessibile for new players.

[@inkchariot6147]

The only problem I had with this game was Snowy Kingdom. Fuck that track.

[@EN_les]

i always really loved both riders game and have a lot of fond memories playing zero gravity as a kid, but one thing that really stood out to me about riders 1 that honestly goes a long way to explain why ZG felt as stripped down as it was is because while riders 1 did have accessibility issues, at the time people saw that as the game being entirely unplayable. like, i dunno if we remember this now because of how beloved it eventually became, but people fucking HATED riders 1 during the first few years of its life, like, actually aggressively despised this game. pretty ironic now that it aged the best by far out of its little trilogy of spinoff titles

[@OccuredJakub12]

I have a soft spot for this game in terms of aesthetics. The music stopping and blasting right back when you use the gravity move, the stylish, futuristic tech on every character and in some of the stages and the dnb/trance-influenced tracks... it all just makes this game fun, if simplified compared to Riders.

[@digitaltailsmon4096]

Loved the riders series for being as fun as they are which is a shame that we probably won't be hearing anything nice for the 2010s despite Generations and especially not since you are doing 4 episode 1 as the first video and it sets a very sad presence for the rest of the era.

[@divagaciones1628]

It's sad that they decided to go for generic kart racing instead of building up on the concept of riders. Having hover boards felt so much more original and fitting for a Sonic racer.

[@Derpyderpderper]

yeah the gear change mechanics and tricks being removed was kinda dumbo tbh, but i really don't mind the boost and drifting being gone that much. Sure it was really ecstatic pulling off a clean drift and then boosting away the suckers that fucked it up but idk, the gravity moves are so much cooler lmao

[@SelectClay]

I may be parroting some comments here, but while it is pretty undeniable that the original Riders' mechanical depth and learning curve lead to a more satisfying gameplay experience (for those with the skill and patience to try it) overall, Riders ZG is still one of my favorite Sonic games. In defense of the simpler jumps, pulling off X ranks is so fun just because of the different animations for different characters on different gear types. They're all just cool, something also easily said for the game's visuals. The story has some of my favorite characterizations; I think Jason's rougher delivery for Jet is a perfect voice for him, it makes him a tad more menacing and he always sounds irritated; I love it. I really like Knuckles and Tails in the story too, they call back to Knux being a treasure hunter that allows him to be a guide and even translator for the team. Tails is unraveling the mystery of the plot since the 3rd stage in the game and finally understands when everybody is still asking questions; he uses his brain perfectly here. Even the AI provides more challenge for a single-player guy like me because they have some artificial speed that is just faster than the player. Combine this with the ability to use the gears you unlock and purchase (they only used their default in Riders 1) and you have some opponents passing you right at the finish line and leaving you dumbfounded but in a good way. Holy crap, I love this game.

[@SketchWing]

I was today years-old when I learned you have to double-click jump to grind in Sonic Riders

[@ghallgt6369]

Ya know, this is probably the Sonic game with the most multiplayer action from my family and me...well, we just wanted the new characters. We preferred the original Riders. God I want a remaster or redemption game from the Riders series

[@XGmastersX]

This was my sonic racing game, I played it first and just kept coming back. Never really cared for the first riders

[@neon5362]

Ima say it... Best menu music in a video game, EVER.

[@starmaster65]

Great video! From your perspective, I can totally see why ZG is boring. Like I said on the OG Riders video, ZG was my first Sonic game, so nostalgia probably plays a part in why I love it so much, but the courses, music, cutscens, presentation, a lot of it was a solid improvement from the first Riders imo. I do wish they kept the original trick system however. If a true Sonic Riders 3 is ever made, I'd love it to have a combination of elements from both games. Keep the gravity dive and turn from ZG, also the gear upgrades, but don't make them mandatory for shortcuts (like that mod). Bring back the OG trick system too, but keep the accessibility of the shortcuts in ZG (as in, jumping on a grind rail doesn't require you to press jump again). Bring back the World Grand Prix setting for the story from the original Riders, because it makes more sense for a racing game. Also, please keep the story mode menu style/mission unlock system from ZG. I found it much better than the first game. (Or just make customizable settings where you can switch between specific ZG and Riders differences) Again, great video, and can't wait to see the Free Riders one/2010 Sonic games videos! (This is the longest comment I've ever made on a KZbin video, jeez 🤣)

[@mistermagiusz]

When you described your KZbin experience watching Sonic music videos and cutscenes I felt such a rush of nostalgia. Totally relatable, that was me too! 🥺

[@iblobliboo8501]

Same here. I remember watching a bunch of sonic stuff on youtube has a kid, the really bad amvs, the ''movie'' cutscenes videos, let's plays, Archie comic dubs and those awful movie maker ship related videos and stories...Those were simpler and fun times :')

[@sambridgers9543]

​@@iblobliboo8501Yep.

[@pablozanoto5801]

Before, I thought anyone could take a Fly Type board and use the shortcuts they give, and that Wave and Silver couldn't actually fly. Then I found out that Silver has telekinetic powers, making him float... But to this day I don't know how Wave flies, since she doesn't have wings but arms.

[@000Dragon50000]

Honestly rather than Silver being Speed, Amy should've been Power. She has a huge fuck off hammer and is canonically always slower than sonic, why the heck outside of Heroes is she a speed type?

[@lpfan4491]

The funniest thing is that she is literally all the types at once. She can run, she can attack and she can even f*cking fly and glide with her spinattack for some reason.

[@antusFireNova]

The soundtrack is unironically one of the best in video game history imo

[@diegopansini3152]

It’s a shame that Mario Kart is more popular. Sonic Riders really make you feel the speed, and I love the arena mode!

[@artistanthony1007]

Also MK8 is a downgrade to SRZG, made 4 Years after and Nintendo just did a generic magnetic Kart racing game and they clearly didn't even try to do anything creative especially something to compete with SRZG having you initiate a dope transition when the mechanic is used to skip to the next part of the music.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

@@artistanthony1007 MK8's "gravity" gimmick definitely felt more like something the Devs were proud of and wanted to put on their resume rather than something great for the game. They literally had to make it so you boost when you knock into someone to notice *any* gameplay changes from riding on the wall or going upside down.

[@DanielFahimi]

Great video J! As always!

[@palloae]

ZG is so fun when you don’t have bitches in ya ear telling you how garbage it is compared to the original

[@linkeastwood3283]

Despite how disappointing this game was the ungravitify theme is easily the most underrated track in the whole series and maybe the best there ever was. Can we please be giving it more respect it is just pure magic.

[@modmaker7617]

Zero Gravity style OST & CGI cutscenes need to return.

[@diIlon3735]

Another review? And this soon? I feel blessed.

[@artistanthony1007]

SFR is gonna take longer, it took me like...I don't know? A week or so to get used to the controls and I fail so much, couldn't even figure out how to get the character to be in sync or move right and the Story Mode was rougher but I beat the game.

[@MineBro56]

I prefer to drift in a racing game instead of pause everything and turn 90 degrees.

[@Obsidian8R]

as someone who grew up with the original for years and finally deciding to play zero gravity for the first time recently, it's not really as bad as everyone says it is compared to the original, some aspects of it are slightly better but most aspects are just slightly worse or different. but slightly worse/different does not make it bad, since I grew up with the original game i played the original tracks to death and to have a similar game with much different tracks and mechanics its a nice refresher for me. (Also personally I find this game to be much harder than the first since you cant exploit the games mechanics as much once you know how the game works, the AI is especially crazy on tempest waterway for some reason)

[@omarnsouli1555]

13:54 pretty sure that's game dude reference lol

[@VXMasterson]

Pretty wild that Eggman references the Babylonians in Frontiers and Sonic mentions Jet

[@mikeyder344]

That menu music HAS to be inspired by the sonic OVA's opening. That's the song sonic plays on his radio when he's chilling on the beach

[@Nyanlathonep]

As someone that owned (still own, but can't play bc no CRT or HDMI adapter) the first, but not ZG (but I still played it once or twice at a friend's house) I just had way more fun with ZG in general. I can play the first one fine, it just didn't click with me the way ZG did. That might be because I don't know enough of the first game's systems, while I quickly grasped the gravity mechanics and easily had fun experimenting with it. Seeing as so many people think the game's a downgrade from the first I might give it another try whenever I get the chance. Who knows, maybe I will finally understand everyone's point.

[@artistanthony1007]

There's only two issues I agree on for Free Riders, Story and Controls because I've played and beaten the game, it has gorgeous visuals and is an amazing step up from HD Unleashed's graphics and is the exact same as in the OP Cutscene.

[@artistanthony1007]

@@jlev1028 No I said OP Cutscene as in Opening, not those ones but the backgrounds are accurate, it's hard to tell especially if your EG is moving but it is the same quality, those Screenshots you can find are how the actual levels look, it's not prerendered.

[@MobyDrip]

I'd have to disagree on the music part, I don't know if it's just me, but the first game's music is far more iconic and just better in general in my opinion.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

The 3 things this game has over Riders 1 is: 1. The Gravity Ring turning. 2. The track design. 3. The music I honestly believe if you just stole those 3 and crammed them into Riders 1, we would get the apex of the Kart-Racing genre. Nothing would be as fun except a similar-style sequel.

[@BlackTheBerserker]

I'm actually glad to see you feel this way. When I played the two games, everyone always told me the second was superior, but I never had as much fun. The lack of boost and the automated tricks kind of killed a lot of my enjoyment at least in a comparative sense. Also yes I got the gamedude reference.

[@IceisNice_FollowingChrist]

8:22 You can say that again.

[@Rex13013]

1:40 Oh yeah I definitely agree that the game has a fantastic ost, I love it. I like how you played Aquatic capital's theme first since it's one of if not my favorite stage theme in the game especially that part you played of it. And yeah the vocal themes are awesome too.

[@NapBlack]

Well done with this video. I enjoy re-watching your content and am a fan of the channel! great work!

[@nible8055]

10:22 never underestimate the athletic abilities of egg man even if he doesn’t look the part

[@johnnyp1986]

Anyone else disagree with him and think Zero Gravity is really good? I hold both games at the same level because each have something to offer that makes them good in their own way. Comparing them and then judging based off another game takes away from individual aspects that make the respective game unique and fun.

[@IvoryCaffeine_]

THIS MAN IS CORRECT

[@sunnystrathern8396]

1:06 Me, who saw that J had uploaded and clicked without looking at the title

[@georgiag1902]

This game will always have a special place in my heart. I first played it when I was 9 back in 2011, and I had so much fun with this game. Sometimes, I'd sit in the main menu and just listen to the awesome music it had.

[@bloodymagik348]

I really really really see exactly where you're coming from. I said a lot of the same things you did when i played this game from 08-12 but srzg really isn't as bad as you made it seem. It's just a bit of a different experience than the first game tbh.......but ... The first game was better so mechanically so I can't deny that.

[@BBK113]

Bro this and sonic and the black knight made up my childhood I stg. I remember hating the final boss on this but other than that, this was fye imo the soundtrack to this is so nostalgic to me

[@Universal035]

Sonic Free Riders started the beginning of Sonic's ruined legacy in 2010 thanks to Roger Greedy Craig Smith for money making purposes only.

[@themagicalandmarvelousgeek6132]

I had an interesting experience with this game. When me and my brothers were kids, we played Sonic Riders a lot and even had a whole multi-layered system for who’s turn it is to choose the stage. When Zero Gravity came out, we were super ecstatic and found a way to buy it. The game we got was totally different from the one we were used two and we all lost interest fast and ignored it for a long while. One day I picked up the game again because I wanted to master it and ended up enjoying it despite everything. I still like the first Riders game more because of the fun as hell multiplayer but I enjoy Zero Gravity for its map design and single player races for the most part.

[@Onaterdem]

This game is so COOL, the soundtrack, the gravity moves, the boards.

[@artistanthony1007]

It's actually more than just Boards and not just that, Skates and Bikes this time.

[@israelbattle5997]

Actually if you use the analog stick you can change the direction of the trick in combination with where you press A on the ramp.

[@VincentEternal]

On the topic of riders canon status, I think it’s safe to say they’re canon. In the idw comics the characters use extreme gear and the babalon rogues show up to help Sonic with the metal virus and they know who they are and even trade insults with each. While the idw comics aren’t canon to the games and are in their own split timeline from forces the games are canon to the comics so unless they want to say the riders games aren’t canon and Sonic and Jet net somewhere else in an adventure we didn’t see I think it’s safe to say these games are canon.

[@alpaca-ccino]

2:11 Oh wow, I feel like a secret part of my brain suddeny activated. It's been years since I last heard this song.

[@KunyeeYT]

I'm honestly excited for your free riders video I remember having so much fun with that game... When it wanted to work.

[@zaclownoverheavenalternati6322]

Nice vid bro, but what do you think about free riders?

[@aerostrafe1075]

The moment my friends and I couldn't rage at each other for that race start boost attack from Sonic Riders we knew this game had a limited life. Sonic Riders is more fun than ZG once you learn the mechanics. Its not even that hard to learn if a child could learn it. That is fully dependent on how much someone cares to learn a game. Now in the days of the internet a quick search is all you need to learn most if not all of a games basics. Simplifying might just be a death sentence in longevity because people bore easily now.

[@DJCube1701]

I'm glad you're doing Sonic 4 Episode 1 & 2 separately. I'm currently playing all Sonic games and it's quite surprising how different they are. Also, as the names make no sense, I've personally renamed them: Episode 1: Sonic Blast 2 (the 2D sprites made from a 3D model and the slowness of Sonic remind me of the Game Gear game a lot) Episode 2: Sonic & Tails (it's its own game, with unique Sonic & Tails mechanics). I really don't know why they sabotaged Sonic & Tails by making it Episode 2 of Sonic 4. I originally never played it because of how bad Episode 1 was.

[@Cinko420]

Sonic and Tails already exists, it’s the Japanese names for Sonic Chaos and Triple Trouble. That said, I can kinda see Episode 2 as Sonic and Tails 3.

[@erickvasquez001]

Fabulous 💪work man I finally have answers to why I set down this game when my friend rented it. I always won in the first game. And I hated not being able to drift and 1080 everywhere

[@Tronnus]

I can't wait for them battle network reviews!

[@WeightlessFlex]

As a kid getting a wii was hard enough but getting games for it was a whole different beast. When it came to games for the wii I was usually stuck with my old games from the gamecube: zelda ocarina of time: master edition, resident evil 4. These were basically my only good games. I did have some wii games like for example, the rrhythm hannah montana game, wii sports, mario kart and brawl. eventually I became bored and the last game I had that I hadnt played was this game. Honestly, this game was fun to me. It was just different. It was just cool. I loved playing the levels trying to get the fastest time. Looking back on it now, I don't think I would enjoy it as much. Thanks for the video :)

[@daneyal7162]

Tbh, I think that ZG's story was by far the best out of all the Sonic Riders games. There was an interesting mystery, an entire sect of robots that went rogue, an epic looking finale, and an actually badass final boss.

[@QuasiTheChemist]

This was the one that I had. I remember seeing cutscenes for the first game and thinking Sonic on extreme gear was the coolest thing ever. I went to GameStop one faithful day, saw this game and got it for the Wii along with Mega Man X Collection. I do remember thinking it was a bit weird at first, but I loved going through the two stories, getting stuck on the final boss, and loving the CG cutscenes. I need to play this again, I really think that the Riders style fits Sonic better, though I still like the All-Stars Racing stuff. Also…my head cannon was that the Riders stuff took place in the future or something.

[@theminecraft2516]

The futuristic city looks like something I would see in Clone Wars

[@rouge939]

2:32 Jesus bruh clean that controller please

[@PigDan]

Lol, his videos are really great with superb editing & execution of ideas in a review/overview video format... but if I had one major criticism to share, it would be that those little bits in the video really need to be improved. It's honestly pretty distracting and the only thing detracting from these videos and keeping it from being the very best of its kind on YT. Perhaps investing in better room lighting and improving the camera focus + more interesting viewing angles + cleaning all game-related components relevant to the video would help?

[@JsReviews]

I do really hate the lighting in this room. That much is true. As far as the controller is concerned, yeah guilty as charged, I just pulled it out of the dust bin and put it on camera. I feel those camera segments are often pretty rushed, so they do need to be improved.

[@rouge939]

@@JsReviews good video man. Don’t take it too serious I’m just joking