Well it was the first proper free roaming platform game. There were some very lazy efforts on the PSX before it like Cheezy(I think thats what it was called for real) and it was a total crap.
Wasnt Mario64 3 years in development before release? Quite an achievement. Although I must say the camera and the analog stick were a pain in the ass for me.
Since after a succesful game like Mario64 everyone starts copying and improving on that game\'s ideas I think its hard to see a platform game having the impact Mario64 had back in summer 1996 now.
And usually a pioneer game has many problems on top of the great new features since its was the first to ever implement them.
Mario64 was like a revolution. Now all we can get is an evolution unless someone finds a brilliant idea no one has ever thought of. Something which is very hard. Lets see what the Wii will do
I am positive Sonic can make an impact of some sort if its done proberly in the platform genre. It can probably be the first platform game to offer unmatched speed and platforming action never seen before in other platform games(not counting the previous 3D Sonic games). But only if done proberly.
I am sure if Sega put all the talent and effort in a Sonic game and spent a couple of years or 3 they would have done wonders with it.
But they dont set high standards or high goals for their games anymore, unlike in the past.
The appropriate controls I think can make Sonic a very cool, enjoyable platform game I would like to call the Devil May Cry of the Platform genre
(I have a few ideas in my mind)
