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Has Streets of Rage 4 been a bigger success than Sonic Mania?

Which game did you personally prefer?

  • Streets of Rage 4

    Votes: 64 67.4%
  • Sonic Mania

    Votes: 31 32.6%

  • Total voters
    95

Kazza

Member
I just randomly decided to check out Steamspy today, and noticed that, on PC at least, SoR4 seems to have performed better sales-wise than Sonic Mania:

SoR4:

93aFeZU.png


Sonic Mania:

Mje8k6L.png


Both have done very well, praised by both critics and fans alike. Maybe this is just a PC thing, and Sonic absolutely slaughtered SoR4 on the Switch. The former certainly has more mainstream recognition and mind space (especially after the success of the movie). I don't really associate either genre (side scrolling beat'em ups and linear, non-metroidvania 2D platformers) with PC gaming, so I'm really glad to see SoR4 break the half a million mark on the platform. Maybe it's the online co-op mode, or the competitive nature of the combo system that helped it edge ahead on PC?

Which game did you all personally prefer (poll added)? In terms of fun I've had playing them, I'm going to take the boring answer and say I like both equally, but I will give my vote to SoR4 purely for the fact that we didn't get a game in that franchise for 25 years, whereas Sonic has always been around (even with some 2D games, even if they didn't play exactly like the 16-bit titles). I never doubted that Sonic Mania would be a success, but with SoR4 there was always the danger that the hype was due to a small but vocal hardcore crowd and that it would be a very niche title (like what happened with Shenmue 3).

Shenmue 3:

Hzq012Z.png


With 1.5 copies sold on all platforms back in September of last year (so maybe 2 million + now?), I don't think SoR4 can be described as just a niche series. A Golden Axe 4 game seems like the obvious next choice for the Dotemu/Lizardcube team. They could pretty much get away with just using a modified version of the SoR4 engine and just change the setting and characters. I think Golden Axe has a roughly similar amount of name recognition and nostalgia as SoR4, so I would expect that game to sell over a million too. I would personally love to see a new Shinobi game, but I'm not as confident that it would do as well sales-wise as SoR4. I suspect that they would make it a metroidvania in order to fit in with current trends.
 

Kazza

Member
As an aside, I wonder if Sega regrets not publishing the game now? Would they have done so if they knew beforehand that it would sell in the millions?

I have to say, I don't quite understand their policy of farming out their classic IPs to other publishers. Getting non-Sega developers to actually make the games is fine by me (after all, the likes of Ancient, Appaloosa, and Treasure weren't a part of Sega back then, despite making "Sega" games), but relinquishing thing is a bit of a head scratcher, especially as the lie of Dotemu and Forever Entertainment haven't exactly spent money on lavish marketing campaigns promoting these titles. If they are just going to go the social media promotion route, then Sega may as well just do the publishing themselves.
 
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kingfey

Banned
Rage
Mania
Shenmue

I like sega names sometimes. Much better than Xbox weird game names. I mean who names their games Avowed, grounded. They need better names.

As for games, street of rage 4 is on gamepass pc and xbox, unlike sonic mania. That might have given its advantage. These type of games dont do well on xbox and playstation. Much better on switch and steam though.




some sad news for switch.

Twitter doesnt work very well on work for me. Sorry if there is a problem with the ink.
 
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Orta

Banned
Despite my avatar, SOR defined Sega 'cool' for me.

SOR4 btw, its an infinitely better, deeper and more enjoyable game than Sonic Mania.

And cooler of course.
 

Saber

Gold Member
Sonic Mania did actually bring Sonic bad from a streak of mediocre and cringe retarded games. Not only that, Taxman did what Sonic Team and Dimps could not in decades of crappie games(they were so lazy that is possible they didn't even tried). They delivered a closer physics to the classics Sonic.

Street of Rage 4 is pretty good, but never gonna beat Cadillac and Dinosaurs simply because of some questionable game choices, like spam of super armors and making some characters extremelly slow to the point of enemies turning in circle around them. And since specials are tied to the final score, you're never gonna feel like use them. Other than that, the visuals are superb.

I would agree that we need games like those 2 nowadays. Feels like they were made from people who really loved the series.
 
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cireza

Banned
I doubt it. And I prefer to see them as both being successful anyway. Even if they both feel pointless to me, but that's another topic.
 

RAIDEN1

Member
Streets of Rage 4 puts the bad western release and music in general of 3 in prespective....3 is the lowest point in the series.....they should have saved it for the Saturn seeing as that system was built as a 2d powerhouse..
 

yurinka

Member
I'm a beat'em up fan, so SoR4 for me.

But I think Sonic Mania is super awesome and it's the path Sonic must follow for the future. I'd cancel future Sonic 3D games and remakes, and instead to make Sonic Mania 2.
 

BabyYoda

Banned
As a long time SoR and Sonic fan, they were both great, but SoR's gameplay has aged a lot better imho, so obviously I preferred SoR4. Sonic Mania was class, don't get me wrong, but I always feel like the game would benefit from being slower paced, a more deliberate platformer, which I know is totally against the philosophy of Sonic...but it's all a bit chaotic (pun unintended) for my liking, loved it when I was a kid though! SoR4 was everything I could ever want in a sequel, couldn't ask for more, SoR 2 has aged incredibly well mind you, still la really fun brawler with excellent music (perhaps the best of the 16bit era)!

For a new Sonic game, I'd like the camera to zoom out a bunch when you build up speed, add more story and rpg progression/flesh out the move-set, going metroidvania wouldn't be a terrible idea either, man that series is stuck in a rut... Even better would be a true open world 3D sonic game with his full speed on display and the controls, level design and fov to make it not too frustrating. Make it hub based, perhaps go for an aesthetic that reminds people of the anime intro of Sonic CD, it's possible now. Instead I suspect what we'll get will be more of the same, uninspired, on-rails and cheesy.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
Fuck no..

if SOR4 had the look of blasphemous sure
 
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ethomaz

Banned
You are basing the date in single store that accounts for very few % os sales.
Consoles is where both games sells the most and we have not date from there.

Said that the only official data we have trends do say Streets of Rage 4 sold more:

Sony Mania: 1 million (about 8 months)
Streets of Rage 4: 2.5 million (about a year)
 
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tkscz

Member
Rage
Mania
Shenmue

I like sega names sometimes. Much better than Xbox weird game names. I mean who names their games Avowed, grounded. They need better names.

Funny you should say Sega. All these new games outside of Sonic Mania (SoR4, Shenmue 3, Alex Kidd, Wonder Boy) aren't developed or even published by Sega. They aren't even on Sega's official site.

Both awesome games.

Took like 20+ years for Sega to do something decent with some of there best franchises

Like I said to kingfey kingfey , Sega had next to nothing to do with this.
 
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As a long time SoR and Sonic fan, they were both great, but SoR's gameplay has aged a lot better imho, so obviously I preferred SoR4. Sonic Mania was class, don't get me wrong, but I always feel like the game would benefit from being slower paced, a more deliberate platformer, which I know is totally against the philosophy of Sonic...but it's all a bit chaotic (pun unintended) for my liking, loved it when I was a kid though! SoR4 was everything I could ever want in a sequel, couldn't ask for more, SoR 2 has aged incredibly well mind you, still la really fun brawler with excellent music (perhaps the best of the 16bit era)!

For a new Sonic game, I'd like the camera to zoom out a bunch when you build up speed, add more story and rpg progression/flesh out the move-set, going metroidvania wouldn't be a terrible idea either, man that series is stuck in a rut... Even better would be a true open world 3D sonic game with his full speed on display and the controls, level design and fov to make it not too frustrating. Make it hub based, perhaps go for an aesthetic that reminds people of the anime intro of Sonic CD, it's possible now. Instead I suspect what we'll get will be more of the same, uninspired, on-rails and cheesy.
so... just the Sonic Adventure games and Unleashed
"add more story" check (SA1, SA2 and Unleashed are very story focused)
"RPG Progression/Fleshed out moveset" (Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 did that, with the Upgrade system, Sonic Unleashed also allowed you to level up the Werehog and get more combos and moves and such)
"open world 3D Sonic game with his full speed on display" (according to a supposed Game Tester on 4Chan, this is going to be the next Sonic game)
 
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BabyYoda

Banned
so... just the Sonic Adventure games and Unleashed
"add more story" check (SA1, SA2 and Unleashed are very story focused)
"RPG Progression/Fleshed out moveset" (Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 did that, with the Upgrade system, Sonic Unleashed also allowed you to level up the Werehog and get more combos and moves and such)
"open world 3D Sonic game with his full speed on display" (according to a supposed Game Tester on 4Chan, this is going to be the next Sonic game)
I meant that all that stuff for a 2D platformer. But yeah, if the next 3D Sonic game is open-world, then cool, I don't trust them to not screw it up, but I hope I'm wrong.
 

kingfey

Banned
Funny you should say Sega. All these new games outside of Sonic Mania (SoR4, Shenmue 3, Alex Kidd, Wonder Boy) aren't developed or even published by Sega. They aren't even on Sega's official site.



Like I said to kingfey kingfey , Sega had next to nothing to do with this.
I ment the names. The new chapters where from other companies, But the game was started by sega. Unless I am wrong with that,
 

Kokoloko85

Member
Funny you should say Sega. All these new games outside of Sonic Mania (SoR4, Shenmue 3, Alex Kidd, Wonder Boy) aren't developed or even published by Sega. They aren't even on Sega's official site.



Like I said to kingfey kingfey , Sega had next to nothing to do with this.

I know but its still there IP. Taken this long to get another studio to make good work of it
 
I’ll go with SOR4. It’s success might also be because we haven’t had a new Streets of Rage game in so many years while we get Sonic games fairly often with some being hit or miss. Funny thing is, it seems like Sega wanted nothing to do with SOR4 at first for many years as well.
 
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01011001

Banned
it really helped that Streets of Rage 4 was day 1 in gamepass I think. that really can help with getting people to talk about the game and recommend it to friends.

but also as a game I think Streets of Rage 4 was a bit better
 
As an aside, I wonder if Sega regrets not publishing the game now? Would they have done so if they knew beforehand that it would sell in the millions?

I have to say, I don't quite understand their policy of farming out their classic IPs to other publishers. Getting non-Sega developers to actually make the games is fine by me (after all, the likes of Ancient, Appaloosa, and Treasure weren't a part of Sega back then, despite making "Sega" games), but relinquishing thing is a bit of a head scratcher, especially as the lie of Dotemu and Forever Entertainment haven't exactly spent money on lavish marketing campaigns promoting these titles. If they are just going to go the social media promotion route, then Sega may as well just do the publishing themselves.

Are you really surprised? This is SEGA here; they have made a lot of genius games over the years, but their marketing has honestly always been pretty spotty except in a few instances (Genesis/MegaDrive marketing in USA/Europe, early Dreamcast marketing, Virtua Fighter advertising in Japan, and Sonic 2 and Adventure marketing being notable ones).

I think some of the same board members responsible for disastrous marketing decisions during the Saturn era in the West, etc. are still there on the Japanese side in some capacity, and maybe it's just a relic of the older corporate culture they haven't shaken off, because a sensible company wouldn't of given up publishing rights to a Streets of Rage 4 considering how much demand there has been for a sequel for over two decades. And as you've mentioned, it's not like it'd of needed a ton of budget on the marketing, I don't even think the game's production budget is particularly high, certainly not compared to an average AAA game.

Hopefully someday their advertising/marketing decisions catches up with the general output of their software releases because their games really do deserve more marketing and fanfare than many of them get. Thing is, SEGA needs to realize you don't need to blow out tons of cash for smart marketing, just hook up with the right firms and channels and get creative with modest marketing/advertising budgets. That's literally it.

Anyway, I still need to get both of these games, they should be on GOG now so that is where I will pick them up, probably around August, finally give them a play. They've been on my to-do list for ages!
 
btw i don't think it was bigger than mania, the former made tons of noice inside and outside the fanbase, with everything from being made by fans for fans to being ""the best sonic game in years"" (according to a certain group of fans), SoR4 however was pretty forgotten about, barely saw anyone talking about it.
 

Kazza

Member
Are you really surprised? This is SEGA here; they have made a lot of genius games over the years, but their marketing has honestly always been pretty spotty except in a few instances (Genesis/MegaDrive marketing in USA/Europe, early Dreamcast marketing, Virtua Fighter advertising in Japan, and Sonic 2 and Adventure marketing being notable ones).

I think some of the same board members responsible for disastrous marketing decisions during the Saturn era in the West, etc. are still there on the Japanese side in some capacity, and maybe it's just a relic of the older corporate culture they haven't shaken off, because a sensible company wouldn't of given up publishing rights to a Streets of Rage 4 considering how much demand there has been for a sequel for over two decades. And as you've mentioned, it's not like it'd of needed a ton of budget on the marketing, I don't even think the game's production budget is particularly high, certainly not compared to an average AAA game.

Hopefully someday their advertising/marketing decisions catches up with the general output of their software releases because their games really do deserve more marketing and fanfare than many of them get. Thing is, SEGA needs to realize you don't need to blow out tons of cash for smart marketing, just hook up with the right firms and channels and get creative with modest marketing/advertising budgets. That's literally it.

Anyway, I still need to get both of these games, they should be on GOG now so that is where I will pick them up, probably around August, finally give them a play. They've been on my to-do list for ages!

Not surprised, just curious about whether the now feel that they underestimated demand for the game. Maybe they felt that the likes of Alex Kidd DX, Panzer Remake, wouldn't make enough to be worthwhile publishing, but were happy to let others take the risk and just sit back and take a cut. I think the HotD remakes might be another franchise that might sell more than they expect (although they really need to sort out the lightgun situation)
 
S

SpongebobSquaredance

Unconfirmed Member
Both are absolutely fantastic. Streets of Rage 4 could be one if not the best game of its kind and Sonic Mania is the best classic style Sonic game out there.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


Streets of Rage 4 has plenty of meat on the bone to keep us entertained with online co-op, multiple difficulty levels, lots of unlockables, and of course the upcoming DLC that will be adding multiple new facets to the experience. The old school beat ‘em ups might not be for everybody these days, but as far as those go, Streets of Rage 4 is one hell of a game.
 
While Sonic Mania is incredible Streets of Rage 4 is straight up cemented in my top 5 games of all time.

It’s a true masterpiece in every sense. Very deserving of the success.
 
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Labolas

Member
I loved SOR4 more but both are great in their own. But man the dlc puts this over the top for me. Easily one of the best beatemups out there. Goty for me so far.
 

The Shepard

Member
Whilst I did really like sonic mania and it was the best sonic game since the mega drive I got to give it to Streets of rage 4, the best streets of rage game and the best side scrolling beat em up of all time, game will age like fine wine. Hopefully sonic mania 2 and streets of rage 5 are in the works.
 

Soodanim

Member
Thanks to the brilliant new DLC, I’ve gone over 100 hours in Streets of Rage 4. 3 new characters and reasons to revisit every old one (which is every version of every character), plus a new mode that is a lot of fun.

Sonic Mania was good, as was its DLC. But I wouldn’t say it’s the best Sonic game, nor would I say it changed anything. Its biggest change was giving us Ray, which is indicative of what it set out to be: a (most likely) temporary revival of the past for the fans of the classic games. Its project pitch was probably “Let’s give these talented fan game creators some budget and make a proper product at reduced cost compared to a full game”.

It’s apples and oranges. One’s a mere iteration, one’s evolution on a much bigger budget.

Streets of Rage 4 is excellent.
 
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