Categories xxOLDReviews

E3 2010 Preview: Sonic Adventure XBLA

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Author Nuckles87
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Really, what is there to say about Sonic Adventure? A lot of people love it. Some people hate it. A lot of people seem to forget just how good it was and call it crappy because a successor released in 2006 was utter tripe. This game will hopefully remind them of just how good the original was.

But, more than that, this game has actually made some technical improvements over the original as well. The game itself feels a bit tighter; it’s more difficult to get caught on environments, and I have yet to fall through the floor. The overall collision detection is noticeably better, and I was only able to push myself through one of the white picket fences once. That isn’t to say the game’s collision detection is completely FLAWLESS, of course, but the bugs remaining at this point don’t seem so consequential. I’m not even able to take my short cut near the end of the level, where I shoot myself up the white ramp, move over to the right, and fling myself over to the next island. The frame no longer misses a beat either. I threw myself at enemies a couple times when I was loaded with rings, and the frame rate remained smooth, unlike in past incarnations of the game, where it would often stutter.

Yes, this whale still hates blue hedgehogs with a passion!

The game’s visuals have also seen a noticeable HD upgrade. The colors are more vibrant then they were before, and the Sonic model definitely looks like it has more polys then it does in the Gamecube version.

Overall, SA plays like the original, with minor improvements. I (stupidly) forgot to ask about wide screen, but that’s something I’ll rectify tomorrow. I don’t really think this is worth the purchase for anyone who has already experienced, at least from what I’ve seen.  The changes are there, but aside from the minor HD upgrades, they may be hard to notice. We’ll see if there is anything about this game that’ll make it worth a repurchase when it comes out later this year.

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic 4 XBLA and iPhone Gameplay Footage

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Author Shadzter
23 Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HTT4ji3HJo[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAbo1dfjRjA&playnext_from=TL&videos=gZVAsVTNcNc&feature=sub[/youtube]

After bringing us some video helpings of Sonic Colours and Sonic Free Riders, Destructoid give us some footage of the Xbox Live Arcade version Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Shown in the footage is the Splash Hill Zone which SEGA informed before the event kicked off is the only level available in the E3 demo and in it we can see some of the few tweaks that have been added already such as momentum, speed and jump fixes. SEGA stated before the event kicked off that many more changes are to be made during development before release Late 2010.

On top of that, another media outlet Touch Arcade give us a look at the iPhone version which judging by the footage is looking as good and playing as well as the console version so portable gamers can’t go wrong with this version.

We’ll keep a look out for Sonic 4 media and post back here, for now debate away in the comments. Thanks to mickbyte for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

4 Minutes of Sonic Colours Wii Footage

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Author Shadzter
27 Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHMHMupoSDE&feature=channel[/youtube]

Destructoid have uploaded a new video of their experience with Sonic Colours on Wii and it’s much longer than the extremely short gameplay video that hit the net earlier. In the video we see an whole act in action which contains plenty of things for Sonic to interact with including balloons, rails, trick rings and tight spaces for Sonic to slide under. Sonic’s techniques are taken straight from Sonic Unleashed such as homing attack, stomp and slide, movement control looks to also be similar to Unleashed.

Cyan and Yellow Wisp’s special abilities are also shown in this video though as cool as they look their powers are over within the blink of an eye so it appears they aren’t very interactive apart from aiming which may disappoint some fans. White Wisps appear to not aid Sonic with any powers and are instead collected then freed at the end of a stage.

We’ll keep an eye out for more media regarding Sonic Colours and post anything we find right here, meanwhile you can discuss this video in our comments section.

Thanks to EXshad at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic Free Riders Gameplay Video

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Author Shadzter
17 Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kFJdxjm2c&feature=channel[/youtube]

Destructoid have posted up the first gameplay video of Sonic Free Riders on their YouTube channel. As we informed earlier, the demo is limited to demonstrations by SEGA staff only within a clear glass box for press to view the game through. The demo contains a selectable character roster of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Jet, Wave and Storm (though Amy can also be seen as an AI character) and a few laps of just one track.

The game looks to be going back to its air system seen in the first game where you gain air depending on a ranking you obtain from pulling off tricks on jumps then spending your air on boosting, only now players don’t leave air streams behind to drag others off course. As explained in the games press release you can use Kinect’s motion controls to launch items at your opponents but it seems you can also use Kinect controls when attacked such as clearing sludge off your screen when it is thrown at you. Kinect is also used in the track demoed to swim in a short water area, the faster you swim the quicker you move which fits in well with a racing game such as this.

Check out the video yourself and let us know your oppinions in the comments!

Thanks to riaz976 at the SEGA Forums for the find!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

2 Sonic Colours DS Gameplay Videos

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Author Shadzter
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1up.com have posted up 2 gameplay videos of the DS version of Sonic Colours, one showcases an act which as guessed from screenshots plays very much like Sonic Rush while the other video contains a boss battle where we see the red Wisp’s fire powers used in combat. Nothing much else is shown but we expect this is only the start of more media to come flooding in regarding Sonic Colours.

1up video 1
1up video 2

Thanks to PC the Hedgehog at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

First Sonic Colours Wii E3 Gameplay Footage

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Author Shadzter
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEqfP2RVA5c&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

A user called tmacvskb8 has posted up the first Sonic Colours Wii gameplay footage from E3, the clip is very short but gives us a look at Sonic’s movement and the lock-on homing attack aswell as Sonic’s ring loss animation. Not much else to see in this short teaser but if anything more significant hits the net from the show floor we’ll post it up.

Thanks to Azure Lakeara Zone at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDInterviews

E3 2010 Q&A: Takashi Iizuka on Sonic Colors

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Author Jason Berry
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Two fat, sweaty men got to talk to the head of Sonic Team.

Although we were running very late and exhausted (fat men were not meant to run!), we got a chance to interview Sonic Team’s head guy, Takashi Iizuka. We once again apologize to Sega for our lateness. Dang traffic.

The interview was focused solely on Sonic Colors for the Wii. He played two levels for us. One from Tropical Resort and another from Sweet Mountain. At the end of his game session, it was time for questions.  We were short on time, so we were only able to get a few questions in.

SS – Is this game made with just children in mind, or more for a general audience?

Iizuka – Of course, we are putting in kid friendly elements, but it’s not just for kids. The are some challenging elements put in as well.

SS – Who are the music composers for the Wii and DS versions?

Iizuka –  There’s not one composer. It’s the Sega Sound Team. It’s pretty much the same people who worked on Sonic Unleashed.

SS – What was the inspiration behind this game?

Iizuka – First we wanted to work with what was successful in the past. Like Sonic Unleashed’s daytime game play and add the Wisp Color powers to give it more variety.

SS – What was the decision behind making this Wii/DS exclusive?

Iizuka – It’s difficult to get into details. We basically used Sonic Rush and Sonic Unleashed Wii as models for the game play.

SS – What is the length of the game, in hours?

Iizuka – The game’s still in development, but in previous Sonic games, there would be an act 1 and act 2 of a zone. In this case,  for each of these worlds there are several stages. Also, once you get more color powers from other worlds, you can go back to older levels and find new paths to access. It also depends on how dedicated you are to finding all the items in the game.

SS – Is this game made from the ground up, or does it use any previous assets?

Iizuka –  Completely new as far as art and engine. Obviously, the game play is inspired by Sonic Unleashed.

SS – When is the game due?

Iizuka – This holiday season.

SS – What is the little Robotnik ship flying around the planets?

Iizuka – (Laughs) Sorry, we can’t talk about that yet.

SS – Last question,  any chance of a new NiGHTS or Burning Rangers game?

Iizuka – (Laughs) We can’t talk about that right now.

SS – Thank you so much for your time. .

Iizuka – You’re welcome.

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Categories xxOLDReviews

E3 2010 Preview: Sonic Colours

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Author Nuckles87
22 Comments

Let’s face It, Unleashed was not a perfect game, even in its daytime segments. It had annoying QTEs, which became huge, overbearing insta-death button mashing sessions in the later stages. It was easy to send yourself careening off an edge by doing a mid air boost by accident, because a homing attack was slightly out of reach. The game play was linear, with very little in the way of hidden secrets or multiple paths.

In Sonic Colors, Sonic’s latest outing, this has all changed. It takes the best of Unleashed, such as the fast paced game play, and huge, twisting levels, and adds layers to it. The QTEs are now gone, replaced with simple “press the A button to gain altitude”, and the mid air, target-less homing attack is gone, replaced with a simple double jump that you’ll need to get wisps that are slightly out of reach of the normal jump.  The linear level design is gone, replaced with large, multilayered levels that, according Takashi Iizuka “doesn’t have one or two paths, but several”. During my hands on preview I saw people accessing areas of the level that I still have not seen, so there is most definitely some truth to that.

Control wise, the game controls much more closely to next gen version of unleashed, except you now have more control over Sonic while he was boosting. You drift with the nunchuck, which works surprisingly  well.

The first level of Colors, the entrance to the Egg Park, is fairly barren, with a few enemies here and there. The main focus of the level is to ease you into the game. The first level is most definitely more easy then a lot of past “first levels” in Sonic games.  There were lots of secrets to explore, the yellow wisp drill especially opens up a lot of alternate paths.  The second level is where things get fun, though! The second level features a lot more platforming, and there are even more areas to explore. There are more enemies (my personal favorite being one with an Egg Beater…get it? XD).

The wisps, so far, are fun and unobtrusive. There are three available in the demo: one simply fills up your boost gauge, another, the laser, acts as both a super fast boost and a spin dash of sorts. The third one, the yellow drill, is by far my favorite. Yes, it lets you dig through levels. But it’s used far better then it was in Super Mario Galaxy 2. This level is your key to a lot of this game’s exploration. You can use it to not only find hidden items, but whole new LEVELS. I found several paths through this method alone, and it REALLY opens up the game’s levels.

I’ve often heard that “Sonic is back” or “this is the big return!”, but I will forgo these oft used phrases. Instead, all I’ve got to say is this: Sonic Colors is a genuinely FUN game. It’s got loads of high speed hijinks, and no excess gimmicks to slow it down. It’s like Unleashed in a lot of ways, but with more thoughtful design; the speed isn’t quite as fast, but it allows for better control. The homing attack is limited to targeted enemies and items, but this prevents you from throwing yourself off the edge. The wisps add an all new dimension to the game play, without slowing it down (unless, of course, the purple one turns you into Big). The levels are multilayered, offering more optional exploration than any other Sonic game I have ever played, 3D or 2D. Simply put, it’s the Sonic game I’ve wanted since Sonic Adventure 2. Whether it’s the Sonic game you want or not, that’s up for you to decide, but if you ever liked any of Sonic’s past 3D games, be excited; because this is one of the good ones.

This isn’t all of our Colors stuff. We also got to meet and briefly interview Takashi Iizuka after he demonstrated the game to us. You can expect a transcript and audio of the interview (which includes music from the Sweets level and menu music) which outlines some nice game play details I didn’t detail here, off screen movies, and a more in depth, analytic “second take” preview later in the week, after I’ve logged more time on it.

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Inside SEGA’s E3 Booth, Sonic Free Riders Not Playable

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Author Shadzter
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SEGA of America have posted up some photo’s on their blog of the innards of their E3 booth aswell as a few details about the games being showcased, the blog confirms Sonic Free Riders is at the booth but not in playable form so anyone interested in the game will have to watch a member of SEGA’s team play the game through a clear glass box.

The game is being demoed in a semi see-through room, so you can watch the player twist, jump, throw, and lean to interact with the game.

Looking at the screen in the photo you can see the player is controlling Storm and all of the usual Riders series HUD is back including a gauge but there is nothing to show if this will control air or a gravity mechanism yet. Sonic’s other upcoming 2010 titles Sonic Colours(both Wii and DS versions) and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 are also present at the booth in playable form.

For pictures of SEGA’s booth outside of the Sonic departments visit SEGA of America’s blog.

Thanks to Stasis Colours at the SSMB for the heads-up!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic Coming To 3DS

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Author Shadzter
15 Comments

Nintendo’s E3 press conference is over and among the 3rd party publishers confirmed to be creating titles for Nintendo’s new 3DS device SEGA’s name was shown. After the conference a document hit the net(displayed above) showing a list of titles confirmed to to be in the works by various publishers reveals both Sonic and the Super Monkey Ball franchises will be hitting 3DS. Nothing apart from the tentative titles is shown but we’ll keep an eye out for anything substantial.

Thanks to remy at the SSMB for the document and Gnasher for the heads up!

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SEGA Japan’s Sonic Free Riders Site Now Live, First 3 Screenshots

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Author Shadzter
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After yesterdays official reveal of Kinect for Xbox 360 title Sonic Free Riders SEGA of Japan have now launched their official website for the game which gives us our first look at the game via 3 screenshots and a background image on the site showing one of the tracks. The screens show how the game is played via a silhouette displaying body actions for steering, balancing and collecting rings. Nothing else is shown on the site apart from already seen artwork of Sonic and Jet but no doubt the site will expand as time goes by.

Thanks to Sweet Mountain Zone at the SSMB for the heads up and thanks to Woun also at the SSMB for grabbing the screens and background!

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More Wii & DS Sonic Colours Screens and Joystiq Preview

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Author Shadzter
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After CVG revealed 5 new Wii screenshots SEGA have released more screens of both versions of Sonic Colours via their Flickr account aswell as some hi-res pieces of artwork. From the new Wii screens we learn that Wisps will be contained in capsules much like the ones we’ve seen items be held within in pretty much every game since Sonic Adventure. In the DS screenshots we can see how Sonic Rush inspired the game is with the boost returning and the bright 2D stages but with both Rush games so well received that can’t be a bad thing can it? Check out all of the screens and artwork at the bottom of this article.

Joystiq have posted up their impressions of the E3 demo of the Wii version which sounds pretty positive, here are some of their main points –

•Sonic doesn’t talk. There are no conversations or text screens — just Sonic running around a lot, very quickly. The game was described to me by a developer as, “Sonic Unleashed minus everything but the running,” and that seemed an apt description, as Sonic races over huge walkways, bounces off of springs, and homes in on enemies, combo-ing them them in groups if timed exactly right.

•The cast is kept to a minimum. Well, the “colors” could be counted as friends, I guess, but they’re really just power-ups, activated by waggling the Wiimote. In the part I played, Sonic hit a yellow color creature, and waving the remote turned him into a drill that had him digging in any direction across a 2D plane, seeking out secret stashes of rings in the giant environment. A green color creature creates a laser that will aim Sonic and then launch him back out into the level.

•It’s fast. Sonic Adventure fast. The levels I played were bright and colorful, one long sprint of dodging and jumping and Sonic doing what he does best.

•I was told that there wasn’t a hub world, but there was definitely a map screen, showing off a series of planets in space from which Sonic could visit and access levels. In fact, my first reaction to seeing the game was: “Sonic Galaxy.” That’s not a bad thing, right?

Full Joystiq preview
Thanks to Mr.S at the SSMB for the heads up on the preview!

SEGA’s Sonic Colours Flickr set

Wii screens:

DS screens:

Artwork:

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Sonic Colors E3 Trailer

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Author Jason Berry
39 Comments

There’s no gameplay footage, just more CG. But you get a sample of the theme song.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7bt49zGN8g&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

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Categories xxOLDArticles

Monday @ E3!! Under construction.

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Author Jason Berry
17 Comments

Sorry folks, if you’re looking for Sonic news, move on.

I picked up Alex around 1 PM, and we head straight for the Convention Center. He had a little trouble getiing his. Badge. I guess the printed invite and page proof wasn’t quite enough, but in the end, they decided to let him pass. Not me though. Alex had to pay $500 to get me in!! I owe him big time. Lunch and parking is on me all week.

In the meantime, wee looked around the empty lobbies. Banners were up and everything is still under construction. I did manage to get some pics though. Here’s a look at a more empty E3…

The front

Car

APB

FF

EM1

EM2

EM3

sony

Tron

Yes, he made me make him a sign to pick him up at the airport.
Looking like a dork.

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CVG Preview, Including New Hi-res Sonic Colours Screenshots

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Author Shadzter
35 Comments

CVG have just revealed the above batch of new screenshots of the Wii version of Sonic Colours that SEGA have released to the press for E3 which showcase the two areas Tropical Resort and Sweet Mountain that Nintendo Power readers will have exclusively seen previously but now you can see the levels in beautiful high resolution. If SEGA’s previous multi-format title media releases are anything to go by we will no doubt see a DS batch of screenshots soon enough which if come to light we’ll post here.

CVG have also posted up their preview of the E3 demo where they reveal the game will have Acts and Wii Remote controlled drifting will be used for sections of stages to maintain speed like in Unleashed. In their final summary CVG reiterate the difficulty level being aimed at younger gamers but they think older gamers will find plenty to do.

The general difficulty of Sonic Colours will suit younger fans; zones still fly by and you’ll wonder at times just how much control you actually have. But each level is crammed, throwing you from one experience to the next. Couple that with the vibrant, colourful new world though and hopefully older Sonic fans will have enough to go at too.

Source:
Full CVG Preview

CVG Screenshots

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Categories #Games, News

SEGA Announces Sonic Free Riders For Xbox 360 Kinect

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Author Shadzter
38 Comments

SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have officially announced Sonic Free Riders for Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360. The the much-rumoured title was revealed as a launch title at Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference for its Kinect peripheral, which will launch in North America November 4th 2010. Continue reading SEGA Announces Sonic Free Riders For Xbox 360 Kinect

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Gamespot’s E3 Sonic 4 Interview With Gameplay Footage

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Author Shadzter
46 Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oobVTAz_0U[/youtube]

E3 2010 is getting closer and some of the media are already kicking off their coverage including Gamespot who yesterday posted up the above Sonic 4 interview with Ken Balough who’s role is Associate Digital Brand Manager at SEGA. Ken reveals all 3 Act’s of Splash Hill Zone will be playable at E3 including the boss battle, he says they’ve taken the Special Stages(where motion control’s will now be optional) out of the demo to keep the queue moving so everyone can get to play the game.

Alot of the info gained from the interview we already know from past interviews but the footage shown is new in the sense that we can just barely see some of the changes already implemented such as a fix to Sonic’s speed momentum and accelleration meaning Spin Dash is more useful, tweaks to the jump appear to have also been made so it’s less floaty. Ken says you won’t see all of the changes made in the E3 demo so we’ll have to wait until a later date to see those. Judge for yourself from the footage and see if you notice any changes then let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Gamespot
Thanks to Sykotech at the SSMB for the heads up and thanks to Phos there for the YouTube coversion of the video.

TSS Staffer nuckles87 and new member of the team Jason the Jackass will be attending E3 to bring readers of The Sonic Stadium exclusive coverage of all things Sonic aswell as bringing SEGA Bits exclusive coverage of SEGA’s other titles on the show floor so stick with us for all of your E3 Sonic needs.

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Categories xxOLDArticles, xxOLDReviews

RETRO REVIEW: SONIC 3-D BLAST (SATURN)

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Author Jason Berry
20 Comments

Is this game as dull as you remembered? Or did circumstances surrounding it give it a bad rap?

Review by: Jason Berry

I’ve recently been on a bit of a retro gaming kick as of late. I’ve just had the urge to play some of the games I loved in the past that I can’t find on recent collections or on Virtual Console. I’ve recently picked myself up a model 2 Genesis with a Model 2 Sega CD. Also, I managed to pick up a Sega Saturn for $30 American and a few games. One of those being Sonic 3-D Blast. Now, many of you may only know Sonic 3-D Blast through the Genesis version which you either played back in the day or on the Mega Collection. If that’s the case, then sadly, you’ve been playing the far inferior version. Yes, the level design is the same, but Graphics and sound can make a big difference in your enjoyment of a game.

Sonic 3-D Blast was originally intended to be a Genesis only game developed by Traveler’s Tales with some help from Sega of Japan. However, the Saturn was suffering not only in sales, but from a complete lack of any Sonic titles. Sonic Extreme was in development Hell at the time and would not make Christmas release. (Then again, it would not make ANY release as it was cancelled shortly afterwards.) In seven weeks, Sega managed to port the game over to Saturn, polish up the graphics, change the music from Jun Senoue’s tunes to new,  jazzy ones by Richard Jaques and add what is arguably one of the best bonus stages in Sonic history.  That’s quite a feat for a seven week port!

In Sonic 3-D Blast, Sonic goes to Flicky Island to visit his bird buddies. But once again, those Tweety Bird wannabes have been turned into Badniks by Dr. Robotnik. He wants to use their special dimensional warp rings to help him find the Chaos Emeralds. It’s up to Sonic to free the Flickies and stop Dr. Robotnik before it’s too late.  The graphics are made of CG Rendered sprites similar to Donkey Kong Country and other games of that era.  In the game, Sonic roams around seven different lands jumping on Badniks to free the Flickies while dodging lasers, traps and spikes.

Probably the best thing about 3-D Blast that stands out from its Genesis version is the music. Richard Jaques compositions are wonderful and is easily in my top 5 Sonic soundtracks of all time. Of course, Jaques gets a big advantage here, as Jun was stuck composing with the Genesis sound chip. The graphics are much more colorful and clean compared to the Genesis version and on certain levels, have some cool effects like fog. There are some cool power-ups scatted throughout the game. Mostly in the from of shields similar to ones you got in Sonic 3. A standard shield that lets you take one hit, a fire shield that of course, protects you from fire and a gold shield that gives you a homing attack. Yes, even in the first “technically 3-D” Sonic game, he’s got a homing attack. Also, there’s a nice feeling of exploration to it. The levels are laid out as a sort of large, isometric maze. Your constantly wandering around for Flicky’s to free, shields to find and rings to collect. It’s the latter part that’s important. Hidden in the levels, you will find Tails and Knuckles just standing around looking bored. (Tails even yawns.) Give them 50 rings, and they will send you to what is absolutely the best part of the game, the Saturn exclusive Bonus Stage!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wbcuAKgAHg[/youtube]

For me, these stages alone are worth the price of admission. The music is one of the most funky tunes I’ve heard in a Sonic game and the levels play like a slightly improved version of the Sonic 2 Bonus Stage. No Tails to steal your rings, it’s a bit easier (AKA less frustrating) and the ability to roll or jump higher adds a new twist. It’s because of these bonus stages that I’m more cautious during the game. It sucks to have over 50 rings just to get hit by a Badnik or get knocked into a trap. This also helps bring me to my complaints about the game.

The main problem I have is with the controls. They’re not horrible, but just imprecise enough to be annoying. The game takes place on an isometric field giving the game a “psuedo 3-D” look to it. This allows Sonic to go in any direction, but it also kills any sense of speed. You’re constantly being careful of how fast you go so you don’t run into anything. I’m taking it slow in a Sonic game! With the clunky controls on the D-Pad, it’s too easy to run too fast and go right into an enemy or go bouncing of the walls into a trap. If you have a 3-D pad on your Saturn, I’d highly recommend it. Occasionally, you’ll get an imprecise attack that will knock out all of your rings and send your Flicky’s running from you. You’d think your fine, feathered freinds would come running back to their savior. But no, they go scattering and you gotta go pick their sorry butts back up even when they’re flying around a pool of lava. Also, the animation on Sonic is way off when he runs. Almost as if he’s sliding (which makes sense on the ice level) or he’s pinching a loaf the whole time (Sorry to give you mental image). Besides that, Sonic has lost his sense of speed. Only in the bonus stages does Sonic run  fast. For the rest of the game he’s barely doing a jog. Furthermore, the game just doesn’t feel like a “Sonic” game. With Sonic’s speed gone, you could swap Sonic with anyone from the Mario cast, or even Crash Bandicoot and the game would feel no different. Lastly, they left out the important save feature. Something that was prominent even in the Sega CD era! If you want to go back to where you left off, you have to use a cheat code. There’s no excuse for any game during that time not to have a save state.

Overall, I enjoyed this game much more than I remembered. It’s definitely not the best Sonic game by any stretch, but I think it gets a bit of a bad rap due to it  being a poor replacement for Sonic Extreme and  having a much weaker Genesis version out at the same time. However, I played it for 4 hours during my first play though and found myself enjoying it quite a bit. If the Genesis version is the only one you’ve played, you haven’t played the REAL Sonic 3-D Blast.

OVERALL: 7/10

DID YOU KNOW?
The warp rings seen in 3-D Blast are used often in current Sonic comic storylines. Especially by Dr. Finitivus.

An unused Dr. Robotnik tune by Jun Senoue on the Genesis version of 3-D Blast is being used for the first time as boss music in Sonic 4.

The music in the first level of Rusty Ruins was remixed and re-used in Sonic Adventure?

By the way, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jason Berry. Some of you may know me as JasontheJackass on the forums. I’m also the writer of the Sonic X parody comic, Sonic Eggs and the newest staff member here at Sonic Stadium.

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Categories #Games, News

Sonic Adventure Officially Announced for XBLA and PSN With Enhancements

Posted on
Author Nuckles87
49 Comments

Well, if the leaked Sony documents, various ratings from the different ratings boards, and leaked photos from Xbox Live’s BETA service weren’t proof enough, SEGA has finally announced that Sonic Adventure, along with Crazy Taxi, will be coming to Xbox Live and PSN. These games will be the first in a slew of Dreamcast games that will be hitting the service in the future. Continue reading Sonic Adventure Officially Announced for XBLA and PSN With Enhancements

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Categories xxOLDSite Updates

TSS and SEGABITS team up to bring you SEGA E3 coverage from the showfloor!

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Author Nuckles87
9 Comments

This is a bit of news we have been sitting on for awhile. But now that we have received the invite, we can now officially confirm to you all that Sonic Stadium will be going to E3! What does this mean for you guys? Well, we’ll be bringing you hands on previews, photos, and videos directly from the show floor! In addition to that, we’ve also scored interviews with several SEGA developers, including Sonic Team. So be sure to tune in during E3 to catch all the latest, including the kind in depth analysis of the upcoming Sonic games that only a Sonic website on the show floor can provide!

Of course, that’s not all, as SEGABITS will be hosting content for the rest of the SEGA related parts of the show, including hands on previews and videos of games like Phantasy Star Portable 2, Vanquish, and The Conduit 2! Also be sure to check the website for impressions on 3DS, Move, and Natal, as well as any other console surprises from the big three!

We would like to send out a huge thanks to SEGA of America’s community team for inviting us to this event. Without them, a fan site like us would lack the credentials to go to E3 in any other capacity. Because of this, TSS can exclusively provide the kind of coverage that Sonic fans crave for games that have not yet been released.  We would also like to thank AAUK for getting us a slot with Sonic Team. It’s awesome when a big company like SEGA reaches out to it’s fans, and it shows just how much SEGA values it’s fanbase.

Though, one thing I do need to stress regarding this event: I will be the only member of TSS attending, as SEGA had no slots left for invites. I have never been to an E3 before, so some minor problems may arise regarding the coverage. For example, I have no idea whether or not SEGA will actually allow me to take off screen footage. I will do my best to serve you guys well, though!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic Adventure and SADX rated for 360, PS3, and PC by ESRB

Posted on
Author Nuckles87
60 Comments

Well, we’ve seen Sonic Adventure rated by South Korea, and Australia’s OFLC…but now we’ve finally got a confirmation from America’s ESRB.

Interesting thing to note here: both Sonic Adventure AND Sonic Adventure DX have been rated, individually. Perhaps both versions will be available in some way? Hopefully, we’ll find out at E3.

Source: SegaBITS

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Categories xxOLDArticles

The Sonic Stadium Soundtrack Squad Review: Crush 40 – The Works

Posted on
Author Adam Tuff
8 Comments


Jun Senoue – The Works
by T-Bird

Released last November, “The Works” is as much a collection of Senoue’s best pieces , as it is a real celebration of some of the masterful work Jun has produced not only during his long reign working for SEGA, but with his many unique side-projects as well. What really puts this compilation on a pedestal over the similar releases last year (True Colours, Best of C40) was the quantity of material that wa previously unheard of on western shores. I think the first thing that becomes apparent with this album is the incredible range of talent Senoue has worked with over the years. I’m sure many would kill to have worked with the likes of Eric Martin (of Mr. Big) and Ted Poley (Danger Danger), as well as to have produced some memorable power anthems of this calibre in the process.

The album blasts off with three such fine examples including “American Dream”, “Sons of Angels” and “Batter Up!” which ooze that definitive Senoue guitar, thunderously supported in vocals by Martin. Again the frustrating matter for me regarding these these tracks is that  (particularly with the tracks taken from the Japanese Baseball  title Pro Team Yakyu wo Tsukuro! 2) there are more of these tracks out there that have not yet made it to print on any CD. As well as these examples of collaborative work, the album plays host to a selection of acoustic and instrumental pieces. What is most notable here particularly during the absence of guitar-heavy tunes is the sheer diversity of what Senoue can produce – from the gorgeously plinky-plonk piano piece in “Afternoon Tea”, to the ambience of “Dusk of the stadium”.

Although I don’t particularly judge this to be a negative, the album does not contain a large number of Sonic related tracks. Personally, this is refreshing considering the hardened music collector would find this simply a repetition of material they have heard time and again. Even in this case however, those tracks we have come to know and love have been totally revamped and reworked. “After the Adventure”, as the name insinuates is a reworking of material from Sonic Adventure, the emphasis here being the Station Square theme composed a-la 70’s lounge stylee. Not only this, “Cheerleaders A-Go-Go” mashes up Space Channel 5’s theme with the likes of “Open Your Heart” and (again as the name suggests) “Skydeck A-Go-Go” from Sonic Adventure to create an incandescent harmony of favourites.  If you were lucky enough to pick up the JXJ album a few years back, you’ll recognise “Where I want to be” , with Junko’s vocals replaced by Sweetnam. I must admit this is the only track I remain polarised on, as I think the English lyrics sound more forced than their Japanese counterparts.

There seems to be no loss of steam as you plough through the track listing, with the up-tempo Daytona USA and SEGA Rally tracks keeping the pace all the way through to the end, before ending on “My Own Destiny”, a beautiful mid-paced , ambling-lead finisher.

In my opinion this collection blows the winter 2009 competition out of the water, speaking purely from the standpoint of someone who has heard a lot of Senoue’s previous work. If you desire something more Sonic-filled, I’d suggest you might be better off going for a Sonic soundtrack, but if you’re half the Senoue fan I am, you’ll find it very hard to fault this near-perfect array of tunes. One can only hope there is more of this to come… [9]

EXTATICUS
From the AC/DC-influenced guitar licks of the stylish rock version of “The Star Spangled Banner” to the serene and sublime solos of “My Own Destiny”, The Works is yet another classy compilation from SEGA’s favourite – hell, everyone’s favourite – axe-wielding guitar god, Jun Senoue. Featuring a massive spectrum of styles and sounds, this awesome album will have even the most ardent and experienced rock fanatic slavering and salivating over its powerful melodies and captivating riffs; it truly is a wonderful display of what real rock should sound like, and is also a prime example of why the guitar (however non-mainstream it may be) remains a force to be reckoned with.

The Works is another work of genius from this guitar prodigy, and should be regarded as one of the best (if not THE best) SEGA-related compilations ever to have been produced. It’s a magnificent mix of styles and emotions and creates a first-rate blend of both calm and adrenaline-fuelled rock, whilst managing to retain all of its freshness and originality throughout the entirety of its highly enjoyable duration. Make no mistake: this is Japanese guitar-based music at its absolute finest; bereft of nigh-on nothing and filled to the absolute brim with truly timeless classics, The Works is an exceptionally excellent compilation that just “works” – it’s work that Jun should be well and truly proud of. Aside from the marginal (and, indeed, ignorable) low-point, The Works is – to be as blunt as possible – perfect. What else is there left to say? [10]

Thumbs Up!: The nigh-on orgasmic guitar solos in Dreams of an Absolution; as Admiral Ackbar would have said it: “Your ears can’t repel guitar-power of THAT magnitude!”
Thumbs Down: Hearing Where I Want to Be, and truly wanting to be somewhere else. God only knows what was going on in Senoue-San’s head when he ousted Junko Noda and replaced her with a sickly-sweet-sounding Miley Cyrus clone…
Killer Track: Open Your Heart

BLITZCHRIS
Jun Senoue. No matter how you pronounce his name, you have to respect all that he has done for Sonic. His latest solo album features some of that Sonic you love, but would be more accurately described as a pallet of his work over the years. From sports games (J League Pro Soccer) to driving simulators (Daytona USA), you’re likely to find a song on the disc from a genre close to your heart. Being a Sonic remix lover, “Cheerleaders A-Go-Go” and “After The Adventure” do stand out as two of my favourite tracks. The first is a remix of Space Channel 5 with the “Live & Learn” riff, which strangely grows on you, while “After The Adventure” is a relaxing, more acoustic sounding rendition of “It Doesn’t Matter”. The JS vs LB remix of “Dreams of an Absolution” is there too if you haven’t heard it on any of the other Sonic albums it was released on. Not being very familiar with the rest of the games, I found “Soul on Desert” to be the most exciting track on the album; it really does have a desert racing feel to it that is hard too describe.

I’ll agree it is not the dream album for every sonic fan, and probably not what most fans were expecting. It is however a solid album full of juicy guitar goodness, and any fans of Jun will enjoy it. The tracks do grow on you, so before you criticise, give the album a shot. Lastly – Jun, if you’re listening, we NEED an instrumental of Cheerleaders! [8]

Thumbs Up!: The first time listening to “Cheerleaders A-Go-Go” and wondering if I was going mental. Then squealing like a little girl when I realised the riff was intentional!
Thumbs Down: I would have loved more representation from the Sonic franchise, you can never have enough remixes.
Killer Track: Soul on Desert

JEZMM:
Similar to Crush 40’s recent compilation, I found myself phasing in and out of this because a good deal of the songs are very similar in style. However at the same time, despite this there were still certain songs that really jumped out at me and I loved from start to finish. “Lift You Up!”“Road to Win” really reminded me of some of the stuff he came up with for SA2; really energetic and uplifting (as the name suggests!). also grabbed me with its almost magical and nostalgic quality to it, another fantastic cheerful track with some lovely piano work too. As another bonus to Sonic fans, there are neat lounge remixes of Station Square and It Doesn’t Matter within “After The Adventure”, and the surreal “Cheerleaders A-Go-Go” features a few sneaks of memorable Sonic tunes. I also found myself loving the short acoustic guitar instrumentals of “Afternoon Tea” and “British Rain”, and “My Own Destiny” was a brilliant ending.

Overall this is a fantastic album – there are just a few tracks I found so similar in vibe, a couple could have been cut for a more concise listening experience. Having said that, if you’re not familiar with where the songs came from, reaching track 11 and suddenly realising “hang on… the last 6 tracks were ALL about baseball” is certainly a unique experience to get from an album. [7]

Thumbs Up: The fantastic selection that really shows off Jun’s versatility – from his classic rock stylings to relaxing acoustic and catchy techno mixes.
Thumbs Down: Track order can be a little uninspiring as an overall album experience, with many similar songs grouped together too.
Favourite Track: Lift You Up!/Road To Win (I can’t choose!)


A fantastic collection of pieces, including some wonderful reworkings of old classics and huge selection of new and unheard material. Don’t be put off by the lack of Sonic tunes if you are a Senoue fan!

The Works is still available for purchase from play-asia, and CD-Japan.

Got your own opinions on the album? Think we’ve got it all wrong? Let us know in the comments!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Summer of Sonic 2010 Intended Venue Revealed

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Author Dreadknux
21 Comments

Heads up! The Summer of Sonic website has revealed the intended location for this year’s convention. Following the announcement some months ago that the venue would be situated in London, attendees now know to head to Shepherd’s Bush for The Pavilion, a 1000-people strong space that offers a huge opportunity for some Sonic-based fun!

The website also provides a notice explaining the reason behind the venue’s delayed announcement. From the post:

“Various factors come into play when it comes to hiring a professional venue for an event – there’s signing of contracts, adding of accounts, and various clauses that need to be discussed at length before a deal between parties can be made final. Last year… we went through a similar process to this year to lock down the Truman Brewery. The fact that we have changed our venue for 2010 means all of that background work had to be done again.”

So there you have it. But, you already booked your hotels and flights and travel months ago anyway, right? So the delayed announcement is something of a moot point. As it happens, Shepherd’s Bush Tube station – one of the closest to the venue – is simple to get to on the Central (red) line on the London Underground map. A Google map location can be found here.

Click here to head to the Summer of Sonic 2010 post regarding this announcement.

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Categories xxOLDCommunity News

A Sonic Convention for the US? SoniCon 2010

Posted on
Author Adam Tuff
67 Comments

Now either I’m very slow off the bat (in which case this probably isn’t news for you), but it looks like the US are getting a Sonic Convention…for a second time: apparently the DFW Hedgehog Show and SoniCon is now in it’s second year. The event is being held in Plano, Texas in early November, but looks to be a much more wildlife-ish related affair compared to what goes on with Summer of Sonic. Amongst a whole host of hedgehoggy people and gothic looking rock bands (I hope they give the hedgehogs ear plugs) is Eggman voice actor extrodinaire Mike Pollock, who will also be making an appearance at the event.

If you live state-side and are planning on going to this, let us know!

You can find convention information at the DFW Hedgehog Show Convention webpage.

Alternatively, come to Summer of Sonic (shameless plug, yes).

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

ONM’s Sonic 4 WiiWare Preview

Posted on
Author Shadzter
34 Comments

UPDATE: We’ve just been given the following info via the comments section from long time ONM subscriber and Sonic Relief founder MK –

MK says:
2 June, 2010 at 11:29 pm (Edit)@Shadzter: Hate to break it to you, but this is a preview from an old issue that they’ve only just now put online. So everything you read is at least a month or two out of date.

So the removal of motion controlled act’s may still be rumour for now.
/UPDATE END

Official Nintendo Magazine UK have posted a new preview for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 on their website together with a bunch of screenshots of Splash Hill Zone in the WiiWare version. Most interesting is the part about the Special Stages and motion control aspects where ONM confirm rumours going around the Sonic community that the two motion controlled Act’s have been removed from the console versions of the game.

A Special Surprise

The Special Stage is a fantastic update of the spinny, psychedelic one from the first Sonic game. In the original, you had to guide Sonic through a maze of coloured stones to reach a Chaos Emerald. It’s exactly the same here, with the same lovely sound effect going off every time Sonic bumps into one of the colour-changing gems, and the same familiar chime when he picks up the Emerald at the end of the stage.

There are a couple of additions this time though. There are also ring gates that you can’t get past unless you’ve collected enough rings, so if you haven’t managed it you need to go back and get more. What’s more, the Special Stages also have motion control, so you’ll be tilting Sonic left and right with the Remote.

I Second That Motion

This is the only time you’ll be tilting the Remote in the game, and it works. The Special Stages look superb and the addition of tilting controls doesn’t seem to detract from the experience whatsoever. And yes, the rest of the main game is very much the traditional D-pad and buttons setup from previous Sonic games.

Overall the preview is very positive, ONM continually throughout express their love for the games classic Mega Drive controls, feel and design especially the momentum required to build up your speed from the classic Sonic games. You can check out the preview for yourself in full with screenshots over at ONM’s website.

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Rumour: Sonic Free Riders Coming To XBLA?

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Author Shadzter
74 Comments

According to a report from Joystiq a new Project Natal compatible entry in the Sonic Riders series will be announced for Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade at this years E3 giving you the ability to play as your Avatar on one of the games Extreme Gears using the Natal’s motion controls. Microsoft will be holding a seperate show to their Press Conference specifically for Project Natal and it’s software so we’ll keep an eye out there for this title(if it’s real). Would you like a new entry in the Sonic Riders series? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Tirann0 at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic Colours and Sonic 4 Playable At E3

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Author Shadzter
51 Comments

The Official Japanese Sonic Channel Blog has today confirmed in a new entry Sonic Colours will be present and playable at this years E3, an earlier entry posted 21st May confirms Sonic 4 will also be present and playable too. No other info is given as to what builds to expect or any new trailers or other assets so we’ll have to just wait and see. Be sure to check back with us during the show as we’ll be relaying all info and media that hits the net back to you here.

Thanks to HunterTSF at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Categories xxOLDCommunity News

Sonic Plays Best Hedgehog At Wedding

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Author Shadzter
31 Comments

SEGA France’s blog The Blue Room have added a new entry today regarding Sonic making a special guest appearance on Saturday at the wedding of a young woman called Alexandra who according to the blog makes regular appearance’s at trade fairs.

This Saturday the little Alexandra-some of you know her for having crossed here and there when attending trade fairs, married. Sonic himself came to him a little surprise visit to congratulate her at the exit of the town hall. Nice of him

PS: I said, it’s Sonic’s left and not the husband Alex

You can join us to congratulate her, of course!

Can’t say I know who Alexandra is myself but SEGA France sound like they know her, regardless congratulations anyway Alexandra from all of us at TSS. I wish Sonic could have attended my wedding, how about you guys and gals?

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