New Issue of OXM UK Reveals More Sonic Generations Details

Some pieces of new information about Sonic Generations have arisen in a new four page preview in the new issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK, which includes a short interview with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka.

New details from the feature are below:
* Current story details are:
“A mysterious new nemesis (Sega isn’t saying more than that at this time) arrives on the scene and immediately sets about eradicating the very fabric of space and time, as you do when you want to impress the new neighbours, The net result is that modern-day Sonic falls through a wormhole and winds up back in 1991, where he comes-to-face with his younger, squatter, flatter self.

1990’s Sonic isn’t much of a conversationalist, but since the entire world around them has suddenly been drained of colour, it doesn’t take a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation for the two of them to realise that something has gone desperately wrong. Hence, the two ‘hogs combine forces to form what Sega is calling a ‘Dream Team’ partnership, with the aim of restoring colour and vitality to some of Sonic lore’s most famous zones by besting them in both 2D and 3D.”

* Iizuka tells OXM that like Green Hill Zone’s new cave section, every classic level will feature a new visual element to keep things fresh.

* “One of the main rules Sonic Team has abided by during Sonic Generations’ development is that there would be no re-using of old assets or level designs – these are brand new courses with a stunning HD lick of paint.”

* While OXM feels Sonic 4: Episode 1 is an excellent platformer in its own right, they think Sonic Generations feels more like a true follow-up.

* “Sonic’s jumps are weighted perfectly and the sense of speed is as breathtaking as it was 20 years ago.”

* When asked how past levels were selected for the game, Takashi Iizuka responded:
“We took a democratic approach. We only get to celebrate Sonic’s 20th birthday once, so we wanted to make sure everyone got a say. What we did was poll every Sega worker – including those in Europe and America – and asked them to nominate their favourite Sonic levels of all time. Then we did some research with the core fanbase and we were able to draw up a shortlist from there.”

* OXM also asked Iizuka if it was harder to reverse-engineer 3D levels to work in 2D, or vice-versa, to which he answered:
“It was definitely harder to get the 3D levels working in 2D, because some of the famous contraptions – the things that define those levels – have been designed to work freely in three dimensions. It was a real challenge to get them to work recognisably in a 2D plain. Of course, many modern 3D stages also have 2D sub-sections within them, but Sonic has a different moveset in Generations than he did in those games, so that was another thing we had to take into consideration.”

* When asked if Sonic’s friends will be making an appearance, Iizuka replied:
“Of course, because they’re a big part of Sonic history! But they’ll only be making cameos, be it as part of the story or in the backgrounds. Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic will be the only two playable characters in the game.”

You can check out the full interview and the rest of the preview by grabbing the new issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK in stores now, or order a subscription online at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

143 Comments

  1. sweet, still i wish they will make a dreamcast version of sonic, kinda like the in between modern and classic, the best of both worlds.some one needs to ask if there are even though it probably obvious they aint. am i the only one that wants a dreamcast version of sonic?

  2. Only modern and classic sonic, classic Tails and Knuckles better be asecret unlockable.

    1. Iizuka says in the interview that only Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic are playable, and that other characters will only appear as cameos, so unfortunately that’s just how it is.

      1. Exactly. It’s the same reason Classic Sonic is disappointingly mute. A lot of people would probably whine and complain otherwise, and that’s something Sonic Team is going out of their way to avoid this time.

        To the purists, even including Modern Sonic at all is pushing it.

        1. Crap that is!
          They don’t have to be mandatory just available if someone wants to play them in classic Sonic’s levels.
          I believe it would be a mistake not to include those two as playable.

  3. This is game is going to be awesome!

    I’m glad that Sega are taking their time with this, so that it can be polished and hopefully perfected.

  4. I’m getting a bit of an Epic Mickey vibe from this. Main character meets up with a long forgotten past version of himself (i.e. Mickey/Oswald) to save classic worlds from losing their colour (the Epic Mickey equivalent would be paint thinner).

    Not saying it’s a rip-off by any means, but it’s an interesting similarity.

    1. The only resemblence I see is that Epic Mickey themes Classic Disney and has paint while Sonic Generations themes Classic Sonic and has to do with color. (Epic Mickey never really focused on color itself as the painting was actually an ability he had to erase enemies or part of the world or create it while Sonic just goes through the stages like normal. These characters also aren’t as ‘forgotten’.)

      I also see a Turtles Forever resemblence where he meets another version of himself to save the worlds from being erased by saving the core worlds. But in Turtles Forever they were litterally from different continuities and the white was actually the world being erased, not just it’s color.

      But hey, it’s a common theme for such a franchise that has the ability to do this amirite? lol

      1. The color thing could also have been borrowed from De Blob, as it is the main premise of the series to restore color to lifeless environments; I always thought that be a cool gimmick for Sonic. Okami and it’s DS sequel had some similar elements.

        The one thing that I’m worried about this game (besides the fear of any good elements from Colors not being present in Modern Sonic) is that is has ANOTHER “epic” storyline. Didn’t we learn from Colors (and to an extent Unleashed), that lighter and less complicated plot lines are better. You start bringing a threat screwing around with time and space, and you’re just asking for a clusterf…. well, we don’t want another Sonic 2006 would we?

        1. That depends on how it’s handled which Sonic 2006 did pretty poorly. Just cause there’s some time traveling in it doesn’t mean it will be more complicated and ‘epic’

        2. I wouldn’t say “borrowed” from any other specific games. Just that it may be similar to it because it’s a common thing to think up with a series that has a long timeline, history and it’s own eras and/or continuities to work with in whatever way you want.

          As for Sonic Generations, given the style of Unleashed and Colors, the gameplay and the model of Modern Sonic, that alone gives me the vibe it’s going to be a similar style and tone as Unleashed and Colors ANYWAYS. So I can understand why you’re worried about it, but when you said “didn’t we learn from…”, it sounds like you’re suddenly absolutely SURE the story will be in a different style.

          At the same time, Sonic 2, 3, S&K, SA1 and SA2 are the most successful games in the franchise and have my favorite storylines in the franchise. Sonic Unleashed had an “epic” storyline anyways (world broken apart?) It’s just it was very bland as in not much happened. Personally, stories like Heroes, Unleashed and Colors put me to sleep and insult my intelligence. Colors was the best of the 3 but was still a rehash of Unleashed (Unleashed – convert the temples. / Colors – convert the generators)

          Sure, we can have a somewhat lighter tone, but can there at least be events that occur in the story in enough detail to actually be entertaining as a bonus to those of us who like a good story? A plot that actually looks like it takes talent and creativity to write rather than just some bland scenario that someone pulled out of their ass?

          With Generations, I’m sure I’d like the story whether it had depth or was bland due to the fact the story revolves around all the past stories anyways. lol

          Besides, what are you worried about? 2 of the writers from Colors are working on Generations! XD

  5. 3D levels to work in 3D
    you Mean: 2D levels to work in 3D

    Any ways this is all really cool stuff even though this isn’t released until winter, I still squeal like a schoolgirl whenever I see an update on this game. I am very much looking forward to seeing a 3D section in 2D and the unvaling of more zones to come .

    I wish all those working hard at SEGA GOOD LUCK!

    1. Thanks for spotting that. Fixed it now. The magazine says it’s 3D levels to work in 2D, but it says “or vice versa afterwards”, so it’s doesn’t matter which anyway :p

  6. I want to see Sonic’s friends had huge role in the story mode as cameos not appear in background levels.
    By way, who can be SEGA will make change their minds and make Sonic’s friends their huge role in story and playable characters in Sonic Generations.

    1. Doubt it , Gamers and nearly most people in the world, only wanna play as sonic the hedgehog, they don’t care about the other characters, in fact the other characters are hated by most gamers with the exception of tails, knuckles,robotnik and metal sonic being the only ones people like, its only the fan base that likes the other characters, because when you ask people who’s not in the fan base they cant stand shadow,amy, silver,marine etc etc, list goes on, they just want sonic, as along as sonic remains the only playable one in every game onwards you’ll see the games getting more love, hence why they hated free riders not only was it a bad game but having the other characters just ruins it, just put sonic ,tails, knuckles and robotnik thats all we really need, less = More anyway

      1. You don’t speak for all the gamers and nearly everyone else in the world. Believe it or not, there’s people out there who likes the other characters and wants to play as their favorites besides only Sonic because there’s people who is sick of Sonic and miss playing as other characters. Knuckles, Tails and Metal Sonic don’t get a free pass cause they’ve existed in the Classics. Knuckles, Tails and Metal Sonic NOW suck just as much as the other characters that you’re claiming that “people outside the fanbase don’t like them”. Also people hates Sonic Free Riders for being a MULTIPLAYER game?! What is Sonic going to do, only race himself? So Sonic is the only franchise that’s not allowed to have multiplayer games where you can play as other characters? If we get more games where Sonic is the only character then we will end up with more awkward cutscenes of Sonic talking to himself and robots cause he has no one else in the games to talk to.

        1. BTW, I’m one of those people who doesn’t care about characters like Shadow, Blaze, Elise, etc. and would like to play as Knuckles and Tails in a main Sonic game again but I’m ONLY speaking for myself and not anyone else saying that only the fanbase cares about them and the games will get so much love cause Sonic is solo is false. Even after Sonic Colors and Sonic 4, there’s still people who prefer the Sonic Adventure games over them and there’s people who is upset cause the anniversary title isn’t Sonic Adventure 3.

        2. You should really speak for yourself no offense. I seriously and I mean seriously HATE THE LIVING S*** OUT OF AMY. But, the gameplay that she had in games like Heroes and SA2 made me give her just a little respect. I would go with the idea of at least making them optional like in Black Knight, you didn’t have to paly as Shadow Knuckles and Blaze but they gave you the choice anyway. The only actual characters I would like to see playable in a game like Sonic Generations are as followed:

          Shadow, He plays like Sonic but has some added tricks like he did in SA2 and Heroes.
          Rouge, You just can’t have Knuckles without Rouge I mean – Come on!
          Tails and Knuckles, The main reason why I loved SG was because I thought you could play as Shadow, Tails and Knuckles but you should though because you can’t have a 20th anniversary that involves time travelling without Tails, Knuckles and our bad boy chaos controller Shadow.
          Silver, The game is about time traveling right? Then you should know where I’m goin with this.

      2. Pssh. There are people who could’ve bought Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors but didn’t because Tails wasn’t playable.

        I want to play as Knuckles and Shadow as well. Why do I want to play as Shadow? Um, because he’s COOL? And his gameplay was like Sonic’s Adventure series gameplay. If they do that right then it’d be perfect.

        Blaze is the most successful “new” character to be added and has similar gameplay to Sonic as well with her own quirks that people LIKED.

        Silver offers psychokinesis which can be fun. A lot of people like him for his determination and good will. A lot of people like Amy for whatever reason. She’s the girly character. She can also offer fresh platforming gameplay. Rouge plays like Knuckels and Cream plays like Tails.

        Seriously, if they made other characters at least OPTIONAL everyone would be happy. Those who only wanted Sonic would only play Sonic and those who want MORE TO CHOOSE FROM will be able to. I believe the most successful games allow you to play as someone other than just Sonic. Sonic 2 – Sonic and Tails. Sonic 3 – Sonic and Tails. Sonic & Knuckles – Sonic and Knuckles. Sonic 3 & Knuckles – Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. Sonic Adventure – Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big and Gamma. Sonic Adventure 2 – Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Eggman and in other modes Amy, Metal Sonic, Chao, Dark Chao, Chaos, Tika and EggRobo.

        JUST SAYING. :U

        1. You are right and for all of those people who say ” Tails ruined the sonic franchise!” UP YOURS!! You have gotten to play as ONLY sonic for the past three years. And don’t give me the excuse about black knight on how you had to play as the others. YOU DIDN’T it was OPTIONAL!!!!!

  7. ” Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic will be the only two playable characters in the game.”

    Son I am disappoint…

  8. NONONO no cameos!!!!!!!!!!! Sonic can’t be the ONLY playable character!!!! And wutt about 2P MOde??????
    Overall, I’m SUPER Xcited about the game, and can’t wait 2 C how it duzz.
    THINGZZ i WUNT
    1. Angel sland!!!!
    2. SONIC VS. SHADOW
    3. Death Match: Giant Mech!!!!!
    4. Casinopolis!!!!!!
    5.STARDUST SPEEDWAY
    6. Mystikk Kave Zone
    7. Tropikall Resort
    8. Labyrinth ZONE…
    9. SKY CHASE
    10. Ice Kapp!!!!!!!!

    1. I had never thought about bringing more than the stages, but you got a point. There are some experiences from past games that are not stages themselves but deserved to be remembered, like the battle against Shadow you mentioned. Brilliant! Could there be other experiences like that? I know that many people are expecting to see the race from Stardust Speeday. It would be cool to battle Chaos. Now I’m thinking of so many memorable boss battles… I loved first Eggman from Sonic & Knuckles, I really loved the Eggman from Marble Garden (though the chances of seeing that in Generations, I think, are zero), and the epic boss from Lava Reef! So many possibilities!

    2. Sonic vs Shadow only if its Classic Sonic vs Shadow, imagine how awesome that’ll be…

  9. I’m glad that Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic are the only ones we play as. =P

    Still looking forward to Generations! =D

  10. To the people that wants the other sonic characters: Everyone just wants sonic the hedgehog, gamers and people alike don’t like the others namely shadow the hedgehog, Sonics friends are only loved within the fan base, outside the fan base you’ll noticed that everyone hates them and only likes sonic,tails,knuckles,robotnik and metal sonic.

    I for one am Glad sonics the only playable, thats all we need, he is the main star and shouldn’t have the other characters taking his limelight like he had in the past, besides its Sonic’s 20th Birthday let him Have the limelight.

    1. This is the 6th game where Sonic have been in the limelight.

      Sonic and the Secret Rings
      Sonic Unleashed
      Sonic and the Black Knight
      Sonic the Hedgehog 4
      Sonic Colors
      Sonic Generations

      I like Sonic but I miss playing as other characters, too. After beating Sonic Colors, it just makes me miss them even more and wish that Sonic has more characters to interact. And like I’ve said before, you don’t speak for everyone outside the fanbase cause believe it or not there’s people outside the fanbase who also likes Shadow, Blaze, Shade, etc. Also, if these people hates the other characters so much then why is so many people inside the fanbase and even outside the fanbase still begging for Sega to make an SA3? SA3 means more multiplayer characters.

        1. No, I mean Sonic Adventure 3 cause the last two Adventure games has six playable characters in the story. Sonic Heroes has 12 and that right there is pushing it.

          1. Correct he is hogging all the games. I get how sonic is the main man but I miss being able to play as tails, knuckles and maybe amy, and shadow. And cameos? seriously? you just gave me one reason not to buy this game.

    2. Pssh. Tails, Knuckles and Shadow were fun. Plus, the more characters there are the less boring it is. Why play 1 story when you can play 6? Why would I want LESS content? I mean, at LEAST agree to wanting optional extra characters. XD

      1. Yes, I don’t mind extra playabe characters as long as they’re optional like how they was with Sonic and the Black Knight. That way people who only wants to play as Sonic is happy and the people who wants more to choose from besides Sonic is happy.

        1. That’s what I’ve been preaching. I don’t have a problem with only playing as Sonic or people wanting only to play as Sonic. But it’d be cooler if we could play others too and would be great if it were optional so no one had to go through what they didn’t want. Tho I wasn’t thinking of Black Knight at least there’s an example. I was originally thinking of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. =P

      2. The thing with having six story characters is that six separate focus characters make it difficult to give all of them equal focus while also constructing a plot that makes sense, crosses those character’s regularly and in a logical fashion, and yet still emphasizes Sonic as the lead character.

        And even still achieving that, if the choice of play-styles for these characters happens to be too different from Sonic’s (for example Big’s fishing, which is not platforming, or the Werehog[still Sonic]’s levels, which have too many combat sections), it’s still an unavoidable part of the game if you want to complete the entire story, and so you end up slaving away for plot. You’re not having fun there, are you? You suddenly don’t want to play the actual game anymore.

        This has been a massive fault in nearly all 3D Sonic games that ‘allow’ you (more like force) to play as multiple characters. The only game that doesn’t do this is Sonic Heroes – which plays only in one style and offers multiple ‘routes’ for different characters in each level, and different goals for each team. And that game already has several other issues to make up for that.

  11. I am for one delighted that Classic and Modern Sonic are the only playable characters. As much I enjoy playing Tails, Knuckles, Shadow and Silver (and yes I said Silver) in past games. This is Sonic’s 20th anniversary game, If there is a game that Sonic needs all the spotlight, It’s Sonic Generations.

    However I will say that future games after this should included multiple playable characters again. Sonic has been solo for almost every game since after Sonic 06 and it’s getting old.

  12. It seems like THIS game should be the one called Sonic Colors! *buh-dum, chhh.*

    Anyway, I’m getting so pumped for Generations… seriously, it’s gonna kick ass! 😀

  13. Even if they’re not playable… I still wanna see things, like, Sonic vs. Shadow boss, also Sonic vs. Metal Sonic. It’d be epic to have remakes of those two racing boss battles….. ^^

  14. Other Characters make Cameo appearances but not invovled in SM?

    So once again he goes solo…I’m disappointed how long has been since they have been playable in 3D Games 06? Secret Rings? wheras Sonic Rivals 2 and Chronicles are the last 2d Handheld games to have most characters avaliable :whereas they are only playable in Spinoffs? :\

    It’s gone too long now……despite all that The game will hopefully be as good like Unleashed was But I’m still disappointed I hope the next main Sonic game won’t be like this….Sorry But I think this has gone for too long…

      1. WHOA WTF? calm down dude Despite all this I’m still gonna buy Generations Still it would be nice to see others playable Hopefully next year things will turn out even better but TAKE IT EASY DUDE It’s just my opinion I like being able to play as Sonic but I’d also like a variety of other characters to choose from.

          1. OMG That was so sly XD I don’t think it sucks I’m just diappotined that The others aren’t playable for 2P Mode

  15. Only Classic and modren Sonic playable?
    SEGA it’s called DLC, you better use it!

  16. To all the people with the character complaints: i would like to see more characters playable but this is Sonic’s big moment… not only that, but everyone i know who ever played a sonic game as a kid instantly tunes out if shadow, silver, blaze and even characters like amy show up… I think this game should just be sonic, with tails and knuckles maybe as unlockable skins or summet lol i dunno lol im happy with solo sonic tbh, tails and knuckles would be nice but not essential

    1. Sonic has been solo for the past couple of years. Him beling solo in this game isn’t anything special, and as Sonic’s big moment he should be surrounded by his friends. At LEAST give them each 2 or 3 levels to play in. It’s supposed to celebrate the 20 years of Sonic history, so this should be the excuse to have the most variety of characters available even if for a little bit because they all helped shape Sonic’s history, plus it just makes the game better thus a better celebration.

      1. Sonic been going solo for 4 years actually and he had 6 games where he’s s a solo character since 2007 so it’s nothing anything special anymore. Colors and Sonic 4 makes me wish that Tails and Knuckles were playable characters. Colors and Sonic 4 was fun but they’re way too short with little repay value. After I beat the game and collect everything then it got boring.

  17. It’s called Sonic Generations not Sonic and friends Generations. Though I do admit I’d love to play as Knuckles in a 2D Pumpkin Hill we didn’t start playing Sonic games for the side characters alone (Yes, I’m aware of Tails Adventures and Knuckles Chaotix XD). It’s Sonic’s 20th B-day and therefore it should center around the dude with the tude!

    1. Yes, I agree but I’m hoping in the next game we get to play as Knuckles and Tails again. They haven’t been playable characters in a main Sonic game since Sonic 2006.

    2. Yeah, and in these different generations he met different friends that we occasionally got to play as.

      You know, they put in the favorite levels from throughout the games. Considering Radical Highway is one of the popular favorite levels and is only played by Shadow, I’m doubting this game REALLY has everyone’s favorite levels. But that’s okay, cuz they’re still have a lot of levels that are SOMEONE’S favorites I guess. lol

      1. Besides, that’s like saying Sonic Adventure isn’t called Sonic and Friends Aventure so only Sonic should’ve been playable. *shakes heads*

        1. Oh and about SA1, that’s the only 3D Sonic game that didn’t go crazy with overusing it’s characters. As Sonic contains more lvls and the main focus is on him. Also, they just don’t slap one extra lvl for Sonic to make it seem like he’s the main character in the game (I’m looking at you SA2 and 06 lol). *shakes butt* Wait WHAT?

      2. You miss my point. You realize the more “friends” Sonic has the more attention is taken away from the blue hedgehog. SA2, Sonic Heroes and 06 are a huge example of this. Look how much time you play as Sonic compared to the other characters in those games. Now don’t get me wrong I love all those games (Even 06 OH SNAP!!!!) but it really didn’t contain that much of Sonic in them. All the side characters I need in a Sonic game are Tails and Knuckles (And maybe even Amy so Robotnik can beat the heck out of her XD).

        1. You know what? Sonic can share attention with others and still have the MOST attention. It’s not like others having attention is a bad thing. In fact they’re often still in the storyline just not playable! Yeah, for those who want to play other characters, we’re already giving them attention we just have nothing to do with it.

          Give Tails and Knuckles 5 levels and give Sonic 10. What’s the big deal!? You know what happens when they try to give a variety of gameplay with just Sonic? You get Sonic and the WereHog. Any many ppl said the WereHog’s gameplay would’ve been cooler if it were Knuckles instead. SO THE GAME WOULD’VE BEEN BETTER IF IT WERE A 3D “Sonic & Knuckles 2”.

          Sonic Heroes takes away a lot of attention cuz there’s no plot basically to focus on Sonic’s character placement. ALL THE CHARACTERS HAD SONIC’S GAMEPLAY AND STAGES. SA2, yes I agree he should’ve had more stages, but nonetheless it was one of the few best Sonic games out there. So what’s your point? Sonic 06 doesn’t count as an example for ANYTHING but music.

          And in case you didn’t know, in Sonic 06 he has no less levels than Silver and Shadow. o3o

          1. In 06 it’s named Sonic The Hedgehog but you actually play as Silver the most which doesn’t corrospond at all with the game’s title. You may be right about the Werhog but SEGA isn’t hopefully going to make that mistake again now that they know what fans want. Sonic is alone in Colors and it didn’t need any extra playable characters to make it great. SEGA is leaning and giving us the same aspect for the Modern stages in Generations. If your truly a Sonic fan why complain about Sonic being the only option in the game? As I said before it’s Sonic’s b-day and no one deserves anymore attention then him in that game. There will other opportunities for Sonic’s friends to lend a hand.

  18. This game will be the best ever i will be the first to pre-order it.
    But we need labyrinth zone, if they made aquatic ruin as the water level, i’m gonna be dissapointed a little bit.

    1. lol ur a mario fan, and u really like this game 😛 I too like Mario and Sonic

  19. Alright, awesome.
    At least the other characters will have cameos. I can wait for S4Ep2 for the other characters lol

    I agree with UltimaHedgie, I’m interested to see what they’ll be using for bosses. Personally I wouldn’t mind fighting Perfect Chaos and the Biolizard one last time (if they consider the biolizard as a sonic boss since it was originally Shadows) lol

  20. Sonic 20th anniversay list:
    1.Mario and Sonic at the 2012 London Olympic Games
    2.Sonic Generations
    3.Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2
    4.Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing Arcade
    5.Sonic 3DS

    Rumors:
    6.Mario and Sonic party game *Sonic Shuffle/Mario Party crossover*
    7.Sonic Chronicles 2
    8.Sonic & SEGA fighting game *Super Smash Bros. clone*

  21. Wait. I need shadow to be in this. Somewhere, and i don’t care where, he needs to make an appearance with his OLD voice. The new voice is crap. Sorry Sega, it’s true.

  22. Ok, I for one would have liked to play as Knuckles and Tails as well, but to be honest am happy that it is just Sonic who is playable. As a lot of people have already pointed out it’s Sonic’s Birthday, not Tails’, Knuckles’ or Shadow’s etc. So Sonic deserves the spotlight again. Atleast the other characters will be making an apperance so it would be interesting to see how they react with each other having two Sonics side by side.

    I would love to see Sonic vs Knuckles, Sonic vs Shadow and Sonic vs Metal Sonic too. I really hope that happens. Plus we don’t know who is responsible for Sonic and his friends getting sucked into the worm hole in the first place, even though we are all thinking it’s Eggman. However, wouldn’t SEGA mention it was Eggman in the first place, because nearly every title apart from Secrect Rings and Black Knight usually say” Doctor Eggman is up to no good again…” That’s not to say that Eggman won’t play a big part in the game. You can’t celebrate Sonic’s Birthday without having his arch nemesis involved somehow, and technically it’s Eggmans Birthday too.

      1. It’s both Sonic and Eggmans 20th anniversay
        It’s both Shadow and Rouge 10th annivesary
        And Silver and the Babylon’s 5th anniversary 🙂

        1. Actually that’s right it is Shadow’s, Rouge’s, Silver’s and the Babylon’s birthday too. However a 20th birthday is bigger than a 10th of 5th. But like I said before a lot of other characters are making camo apperances, so they possibly will get their time to shine in the game at some point. Plus am really hoping for an epic boss battle between Sonic and Shadow.

          1. So? Shadow and Rouge were playable in Sonic’s 10th anniversary. Silver and Babylon Rogues were playable on Sonic’s 15th anniversary. Those are multiple eras/generations of Sonic’s history, so I don’t see why they can’t also be playable in Sonic’s 20th anniversary especially when it’s Sonic GENERATIONS, which means it would make sense to include other characters.

            Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited for Sonic Gens, but it just be a slight bit better and cooler if other characters were playable.

            For the ppl who DO like playing as more than just Sonic but are giving reasons why it should be just Sonic sound to me like they’re just coming up with excuses as to stay positive and psyched about the game rather than disappointed. While I agree that we should still be happy with what we have as it’s pretty awesome, there’s no reason to claim that other characters being added would be wrong or anything. lol

  23. I’m surprised no one has mentioned who this mysterious enemy could be. Robotnik from the future or metal sonic? and if sonic from the past and present show up, future sonic is bound to show up!

  24. Wait, I hope this means that there will be a stage from every sonic game so far. Even if that means a pretty awesome speed stage from sonic 06. Shadow’s voice needs to be changed back, too. I’m hoping that the old Amy will appear as well. And the 3d stages need to be all 3d, not swapping in and out between that and 2d. I hope there are people siding with me…

  25. Sounds brilliant so far, but if they have a Sonic CD level Classic Sonic better be able to do the figure 8, super peel out, what ever they call it, or I’ll be sadface, that was an awesome ability that needs a come back 🙂

    On a side not, weren’t there articles etc where they said Sonic World Adventure aka Sonic Unleashed was based of the Adventure series, thus making it the third game? Shouldn’t people be requesting Sonic Adventure 4 then? Just cause it doesn’t have a number in the title doesn’t mean it isn’t part of a certain series.

    1. What was so awesome about it? It did the same thing as spindash only you could get hurt when running into an enemy.

      The Adventure series still had Sonic use the spinny feet but it didn’t blur and we saw him from behind so no one really noticed, so they stopped and made it just “running”. Maybe they should make it a circular motion again like Classic Sonic in Generations and say when he boosts it does the figure-8 peelout! =D

      As for Sonic Unleashed, what they sais was it was originally SA3 in developement but it became “Too different” so they changed the title and made it a totally unrelated game of it’s own. So SU is not SA3. They also recently said it could still happen indicated it doesn’t yet exist. =P

      1. Sonic’s all about speed right, i just remember playing Sonic CD when it was new. Being able to rev up on the spot and take off running thinking it was awesome. I personally used it alot during the Metal Sonic race and to speed round loops etc. Just thought he looked better running than in a ball 😛 Didn’t they have a version of it in Triple Trouble where you were invincible for the first second or so after releasing it?

        1. That’s what I figured and was trying to confirm. The peelout is only popular because it looked cool, and it looks cool because it’s an exaggerated design. xD

  26. Yea that’s true in mean of u guys opinion.That there hasn’t been any other playable characters for a long time an i respect that.Will just have to wait for S4 E2 but who knows when that will be teased or revealed only the future knows.

  27. It does bother me a bit, but eh. I can live with that. It is his 20th, after all. I mean, compare this to 06. SEGA at least acknowledged the existence of all of Sonic’s friends from Genesis and Master System to Wii, PS3, and Xbox, unlike 06.

    I think the most SEGA can do with the characters’ playabilty is do a skin of all the characters with some small voice clips. Obviously, Tails won’t be able to fly, nor will Knuckles be able to dig or glide. They’ll just run as fast as Sonic and have their recycled voices and moving sprites. (Which I don’t mind at all.) But. it’d be pretty awkward to hear SA2 Knuckles’s voice in a PS3, XBox 360 game again. O_O

    But I just HOPE that they release a good Sonic game with all our friends being playable once more. For some strange reason, I have started to grow a certain affection with all SA characters. I didn’t like ’em too much. 😀

    1. You probably hit the nail on the head with that one, it looks like it’s designed with Sonic in mind. Flying, gliding, climbing etc would have to be taken into consideration when designing the levels. What’s the point of having characters when they can’t use their skills, that would just upset those characters fans. Let’s face it, it’s Sonics 20th, we do get to see the others, and there’s going to be more Sonic games in the future which they can include the others in. I’m personally just glad that it looks like alot of love and care are going into this celebratory game. Who knows maybe actually revisiting Sonics roots via redesigning some classic favourite levels will give them even more insight into what it was and is that makes Sonic so awesome!!

      1. Amen to that, dude!!! 😀

        I just hope that Sonic Adventure 3 is created thanks to Generations. Though maybe it won’t happen…

  28. ooooh the favorite stages returning? I for one would like to see Icecap Zone!

    1. Hell yea Icecap Zone with the snow boarding bit in the being of the Zone would be insane in 3D an 2D.Hell i can imagine it write now with some sick remixed music damn im getting hyped g2g lol.

  29. “Then we did some research with the core fanbase and we were able to draw up a shortlist from there.”

    Right there! I’m so proud of SEGA!!! They are actually going along with some of our ideas, its just awesome!

    1. Not our IDEAS. If they did that then SEGA would definately make a crappy game. This is just them choosing zones from the past they’ve already made and seeing which ones were most popular to help decide which to choose. lol Our ideas. lol

  30. I think it’ s pretty disappointing that Classic Sonic is mute, but I guess it makes sense since he never talked in the old games.
    I’m scared of this fact though, I know it’s just a game and not real but…
    If Sonic goes back in time, wouldn’t whatever he does change the future?
    It could mess up Sonic history!!!
    But I think the enemy could be the one shown at the end of a Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon where it only shows it’s red eyes, yet, they glow and they are REAL eyes, not robot ones!
    And they never even showed more about that, I think.
    I can’t wait to see how SEGA plots this one out…

  31. I’m really displeased that Sega either has Sonic and a million other characters playable, or just Sonic. Don’t they know that the three of them, Sonic Tails and Knuckles, together is what made those games?

    1. It makes me wonder what kind of cameos they will get. Cutscene cameos? Standing in the background cameos? Would be neat if they had them involved in gameplay in some way even tho they aren’t playable. Like during a quick time type event or something, similar to that fish bit in modern Sonics green hill zone. Like a section where you get airlifted by Tails, or Knuckles breaks a wall for you to get through or something, without interrupting the speed and flow of the level.

      1. Well I think it’s possible that Tails goes back with Sonic through the entire thing just like he tags along in Unleashed and Colors, but also possible that he comes across some of these characters the way he does in the storyline, such as fighting Knuckles and Shadow and teaming up with different characters for different arcs. Metal Sonic will likely show up one way or another. Silver might show up. Eggman freakin Nega might even show up. lol Gotta admit, Mecha Sonic possibly showing up would be interesting too. XD

        They said the characters might EFFECT gameplay elements too but idk what that means. I thought it meant Tails following classic Sonic in Sonic 2’s era might be a possiblity but now I think it’s less likely. =P

        1. Who said that the characters might have Effect gameplay?

          And that would be SO COOL IF THEY COULD INTERACT IN THE GAMEPLAY! But still are you just saying this, or did SEGA say this?

  32. Very interesting. Here’s hoping Radical Highway made the cut (I loved that level…Finding the Chao was a pain though. Seriously, how did he get all the way up there?!), because I’d love to go to a redesigned level of it. Makes me wonder how the characters are going to occur. All the characters will probably get cutscene cameos, and probably be present to cheer them on in the final fight.

    Ha ha, but seriously…Impressing the neighbors, huh? Sounds like a villain that isn’t completely on his rocker, eh?

  33. Only Sonic is playable. Dang, I feel like they really lost some good unlockable potential there.

    I hope you’re HAPPY, Sonic “fans”, you’re systematically killing off everything in this series that isn’t Sonic! D’:

    1. And that Sonic Brand Manager said that they will NEVER put a lot of Sonic characters in a game anymore! He said they would only appear in a Party game or something… aka Mario&Sonic London. I’m kida hope we will get to play as other characters too! Cuz sadly, one day I’m gonna get tired of the Sonic series if I’m only gonna be playing as Sonic.

      And btw, there have been details/rumours that SEGA has been working on a new console, called the Dreamcast 2. That would be so cool if it turns out to be true! And then maybe we could get our Sonic Adventure 3!

  34. How about having Nack The Weasel as secret boss fights for the Chaos Emeralds?

    1. Liking it, I want bosses against Knuckles and Shadow as well. (Well I aware Knuckles were originially a boss (apart 4rm SA1) But I hope they re-live Sonic and Knuckles rivalry

  35. well S4E2 might have Knuckles and tails playable hopefully. but back to the info about this awesome! This makes me more curious about the level design of the stages now. i also hope they add awesome avatar awards like a wisp or chao pet or hell even a flicky! does anyone have any awesome ideas for avatar awards? ;P

  36. Geez it’s Sonic’s 20th! I don’t see why everyone’s complaining about just playing as Sonic. Sure he’s had a few solo games as of late but why not? It’s not called “Vector Adventure” or “Cream Heroes” or “Shadow Colours”, the game series is called SONIC THE HEGEHOG!! Sure people have their favourite characters in the series, but there are so many now that you can’t possibly please everyone. They are bringing back classic Sonic, they are revisiting classic stages, you have the option of 2D and 3D, they are including his friends as cameos I’m guessing in their respective time periods stages, Sega have really pulled out the stops beyond the not including other playable characters and the videos and screen shots look amazing! What more do you want!? Oh right, to play Sonic’s birthday game as Storm the Albatross. Remind me to turn up to Mario’s 30th with a present for Yoshi and complain bitterly when that Mario guy turns up 😛 lol

    1. No ones complaining! We’re just saying it’s a bit disappointing. Everyone’s gonna love the game. We’re just saying IF 2 or 4 other characters were playable or unlockable we’d love it even more cuz we’d have more content and play as our favorite character from the “Sonic” franchise. It’s the 20th anniversary of the franchise celebrating the franchises history, so other characters being involved is not unheard of. Sonic is the MAIN character. That means he is the number one character out of a group of characters. Having other playable characters does not make him less of a MAIN character, it gives him a bigger opportunity to be a main character because he’s actually a selection out of a group of choices where he can be the MAIN choice. Otherwise he wouldn’t be the main character. He’d just be… the character. XP

      I guess Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Jet, Wave, Storm, Cream, Rouge, Shadow, E-10000G, E-10000R, Eggman, NiGHTS, AiAi and Ulala weren’t supposed to be in Sonic Riders cuz it wasn’t called “Tails Riders” or “Amy Riders” or “Shadow Riders”, at le ast that’s what I get from your logic. XD

      Apparently the only way to have 6 playable characters in a Sonic game is for it to be called “Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy and Eggman Adventure” or “Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy and Eggman Generations”, everybody. XD

      What do we want? We want to play “Sonic and more”. Key word is “more”. The more the merrier. The more content. The more game to play. The more to choose from. The more styles to play. The more to unlock. The more to look forward to. The more for the VA’s to record and get paid for. The more to help mold a multiplayer mode to allow more players to play at once with each other. All we need is that little “optional” feature for the characters who aren’t Sonic and have less stages than him, and it’s PERFECT. 😀

      1. That’s not the logic i was pointing out at all >.<
        There were people that were pointing out that Sonic has had nothing but solo adventures for quite awhile, sounding negative about it, which in essence is a complaint. I was pointing out, that this is a franchise built around Sonic, or as you put it the "main" character. People being disapointed or negative about only being able to play as said franchises main character just confuses me is all.

        No one complains that Sonic 1 only had Sonic in it (granted that was before other characters showed up), no one complains that Sonic CD only had Sonic playable in it, in fact it has been hailed by some as the best Sonic game ever. And after what alot of people deemed a failure in their last almost adventure'ish foray in '06 and then the success they found in Colours (Sonic alone again) perhaps they are concentrating on getting the main characters gameplay right, the one that the franchise is built around, before going all in and tackling the other characters and trying an adventure type game again?

        Having a dozen characters in a racing game where all they have to do is put everyone in vehicles that go around a track that has the same principles for everyone with the exception of the individual all-star moves is one thing. But creating individual levels for a large roster of playable characters with a story for each, or even having one set of levels that can cater to each playable character and their varying abilities is not a simple task, and is probably seen as quite a risk at the moment what with the by and large negative reviews by the critics and gaming press up until Unleashed etc, and now Colours.

        Lets face it, we are all Sonic fans here, of different and varying degrees, with different tastes and likes. We love Sonic no matter what, most of us even cherish the games even we ourselves think were not that great. Sega even has a hard time pleasing us half the time and we are the big fans. Don't get me wrong, i love all the characters to varying degrees, even tho there is an overkill of supporting case members to pick from already i would love to see Nack (Fang) and Mighty and even Ray return one day, i would love to see Tails and Knuckles playable in this anniversary game, to have the original trio back in playable form together again. But with so many supporting characters you can't please everyone and if this is what it takes to keep the franchise as a whole moving in the positive scoring direction then i am willing to wait a bit longer to play as the other characters.

        Character wise it is Sonic's (and Eggman's) 20th birthday, irrespective of the franchise as a whole, so i personally think one more solo game, with classic throwbacks to the past level's to incite nostalgia, and the return of classic Sonic with 2D levels in HD, with the franchise's supporting cast standing back as cameos to help the Sonic's along on their birthday adventure sounds like the perfect way to celebrate until they are ready to try another adventure'ish game 🙂

        I hope this clears things up a bit, i did not mean to come off sounding quite so negative myself.
        P.S Sorry for the wall of txt, i would love to hear some feedback on my views again if you have any.

  37. Sonic only gameplay is a good thing. Sonic’s levels should be satisfying enough. (You dont hear Mario fans complaining about not playing as Toad and such) Sega need to work of perfectly SONIC gameplay before they even DARE think about other characters. In the past Sega introduce multiple characters and a lazy way to lengthen the game (Rush, Heroes). They were the same levels for the most part. Am surprising this is such an issue. I dont like playing as Tails in 3D anyway. Doesnt work for me (apart from SA2).

    I dont mind cameos or unlockable characters AFTER story mode (I’ve always wanted to play as Shadow in 2D mode. But in Sonic mode; I only wanna play as Sonic.

  38. Damn it, I want to see Sonic’s friends in cutscenes and the story in this game!
    Like we could figure SEGA’s mind to let use their playable characters.

  39. I am also looking forward to this game. I am not a big Sonic gamer but this looks like it might finally be worth getting a copy. It would be cool if amy was in it. XD Think of her when she sees two Sonics.

  40. It’s great to know that they will be creating all new assets for each level, and new track courses. It’ll be interesting to see how each game’s level will be interpreted! I’m especially looking forward to the Adventure series. How will those levels be interpreted into an Unleashed style? And of course a 2D style.

    And, if they polled fans, that means we’ll be seeing Ice Cap Zone for sure then. Everyone loves Ice Cap Zone!

  41. Levels I hope to see:

    Green Hill Zone
    Hydrocity Zone (Or any water-base Zone)
    IceCap Zone
    Carvinal Night Zone (Or any Casino Zone)
    Windy Valley
    City Escape
    Radical Highway
    Egg Fleet
    (Any Space Stage w/ Gravity changing switches)

  42. Let “Dooms Day Zone” the final boss battle and I will marry you SEGA <3
    And I also want Star Light Zone <3 Music was so epic.

  43. I really like the concept of there being seperate levels for each game. They could possibly revive the 06 levels, let shadow play his own levels and have a sysdtem like the final story in sonic adventure 2.

    I just want to know what happens when the levels leave the original sonic games. When we enter sonic adventure, will chubby sonic still follow? So many questions.

  44. I’ve been curious about this new interactive menu system.That allows for complete immersion in sonic generation’s.I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing?Because i’ve only played the classic games and S4 E1 no comment lol an yea i was just curious?

        1. maybe Sonic runs off screen on to a new screen with the level name and theme on it then you press up and Sonic goes up the lane and into a Sonic colours style act select screen like the one we were shown in the pics that were released around the announcement of this game the ones with a banner saying GREENHILL in block caps

  45. Ok, I am seriously very annoyed at people defending the “only Sonic” factor with the fact that only his name is in the title, or that it’s his 20th anniversary. I agree with an optional function (unlockable, or DLC, doesn’t matter) to play as a few more characters. Does everyone remember Metal Sonic being ‘playable’ in Sonic Adventure? It was just playing all of Sonic’s story with the appearance of Metal Sonic. Did fine. If it were up to me, I would make Tails & Knuckles (classic & modern) unlockable in the game, and make them play through stages (as more of a mission mode, like going back for better ranks in Sonic Heroes for example) using their differing gameplay styles, such as Tails’ flying or Knuckles’ gliding & climbing. Then also make 1 classic-only character (Mighty the Armadillo for example) playable in classic & modern stages as DLC, and 1 modern-only character playable in both stage styles (Shadow most likely) as DLC. Let it be a fun option like how the recent Pac-Man edition allows you to select your background, sprite, and music style, with no direct effect on the game as a whole, not a requirement to “fully” beat the game that is passive-aggressively forced upon you. Does anyone else see where I’m coming from?

    1. Dont’t worry, I understand you. Its those crazy fans that made SEGA think that ONLY Sonic is the only important character, when he’s not. Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, Rouge are all important too! They deserve to have gameplay of their own too. I just hope SEGA snaps out of it, and realizes that its not JUST about Sonic. And SEGA should also stop listening to the fans. SEGA should make their own creative game, without any support from fans. I hope SEGA realizes this one day. And not to worry my friend, at least Sonic 4: Episode 2 will have a ‘cast of characters’ (as Iizuka said) and that most likely means Tails will be playable, and other characters like Knuckles, etc. Could be playable too! 😀 I just hope SEGA will put classic Sonic in Episode 3, because Modern Sonic doesn’t fit with the legendary 16-bit SONIC the Hedgehog titles. Let’s hope SEGA will give us some playable characters in Episode 2! 🙂

  46. As a personal sonic the hedgehog fan I have been playing all their games from an early age and apart from the games sonic adventure 1&2 & sonic heroes & sonic next gen I just feel that the sonic characters haven?t really been given the chance to be created to their full ability. What I mean is that in the “sonic x” series there are some very impressive moves that sonic does, which I have not seen in any sonic games and other than sonic I have not really seen tails, shadow & knuckles and other sonic characters, use their abilities to their maximum. what I mean is that tails doesn?t seem to fight anymore physically 2 defend himself, in sonic adventure I can recall that tails was very defensive and had a good range of attacks which were really good and creative which I liked about the games but however when I played sonic heroes its like u took away that ability completely, the attack that I am talking about was tails ability to attack his foes with his actual two tails which is something I really think Sega should bring back to a new sonic the hedgehog game. other characters such as shadow and knuckles are liked by a lot of other sonic fans such as myself and appreciate the way that Sega has created them especially in their previous appearance in sonic the hedgehog next gen but recently I feel like Sega doesn?t want to involve them further in the future sonic games. I believe these characters are important because they all make sonic the hedgehog games interesting because sonic is not able to save the world by himself and adding more characters to the future sonic the hedgehog games will attract more fans and customers to purchase this game therefore giving Sega more profit. I must say that I like the way Sega has created sonic the hedgehog games from the early 90’s to now and how there have been some interesting characters that all have their own ability which makes them stand out but what I think will make sonic the hedgehog a better game is if Sega brings back multiplayer and have modes such as “battle mode” & “racing mode” allowing all characters to play in both and created to their maximum ability, also I personally think and hopefully other sonic fans think that the villains in sonic games should also be made playable which will surprise and impress fans. on story mode I like that way Sega made the story mode for sonic the hedgehog next gen because it was a really interesting story explaining each of the main characters origins and missions and also made each one have one ability which allows each of them to stand out. However, one thing that I did not really agree with in the game is the fact that the new recently introduced character known as “silver the hedgehog” hasn?t been seen or re introduced in any other game and I don?t thinks that?s good because you can?t just bring someone new into a game and not bring him in any other games. In addition, I think that Sega should give sonic and sonic characters the opportunity to do combo moves in battle allowing the fans to feel like the characters (no Xbox kinect) and bring in villains such as metal sonic, Mephilis and chaos and allow them to have the ability to transform. In addition, when Sega gives sonic and the other characters the ability to do their combos it is very important they study each character from previous games and the TV show “Sonic X” which shows each character fight at their best ability. I like the way Sega has used their great imagination to create sonic generations which is connecting the two Sonics together which will get the attraction of fans who used to play the sonic from the early 90’s and current sonic fans together which I like and the game play that I vet seen on the internet seems to be very impressive and will be a very good game when it is released but I personally think that it would of been more better if thought about mixing it a bit with the game play of sonic the hedgehog next gen and add at least 4 or 5 playable characters who are important to the game and Sega. However, personally, I think that Sega should include silver the hedgehog and blaze the cat in more sonic the hedgehog games which will make it more interesting. a idea for the future of sonic the hedgehog games should be the continuation of this game for example there should be a sonic generations 2 where instead classic sonic and 3 other classic characters come to the future where he meets Morden sonic and other characters and also bring back villains such as chaos?s , metal sonic, egg man and mephilis which will make it interesting and seem like hard game with a lot of characters to help modern sonic defeat his enemies and introduce classic sonic to some new features like allowing him to homing attack his foes which will be a surprise to fans. thank you for taking time to read this I hope you understand I don?t mean to offend if I said anything that is offensive I just want to say what I like to see in the future sonic the hedgehog games which will impress customers and fans such as myself I hope that my ideas help and hope you contact me soon about your opinions

Comments are closed.