The details regarding the mysterious SegaSonic Bros continue to leak out like an old dripping tap. Thanks to more information provided by and some fine detective work by the Sonic community, we now have a lot more details regarding the game and how it plays.
The biggest surprise is that this isn’t a platform game, but a puzzle game. A post made back in 2014 explains how the game worked, a rough fan translation has been doing the rounds which explains the puzzle mechanic.
The game was a falling-block puzzle game using ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (similar to Tetris or Puyo Puyo).
The multi-colored Sonics in round spin attack form
In a 田 shaped block, a set of 4 fall downwards. You can rotate the block, and they will pile up at the bottom, and when Sonics of the same color surround a different colord Sonic, it disappears.
This can happen by forming a ring with the same colors or by using the walls. I’ve drawn the possible scenarios below. This character ■ (Same color) represents the Sonics that surround × (which can be any color) which are Sonics that will disappear:
Using the bottom
□□□□□□
□■■■■□
□■××■□
□■××■□
Using bottom + one side
□□□□□□
■■■■□□
×××■□□
×××■□□
Using bottom + both sides
□□□□□□
■■■■■■
××××××
××××××
Not using the bottom (for example, making a ring) might have been allowed too, and I think you could drop one block to complete two enclosures at once, but I can’t quite recall what would happen in that case (but I imagine that they disappeared in any case like that).
If you’re a puzzle game lover, you can probably imagine the game was a bit frustrating and difficult. If you make just one mistake with placement, your plan will fall apart, and it’s extremely difficult to start stacking over again. It’s also problematic that there so many blocks, since they come down in fours.
Since the surrounded blocks can be any color, as a bit of advice, it becomes extremely important to pay attention to the color as the game progresses. It’s infuriating to throw away a block when it turns out you needed it, –unsure–
Not just limited to the falling blocks, the game further adopted the concept of ‘encircling.’ While playing, (according to the rules) while keeping track of the situation inside and outside of the boundaries, it’s necessary to follow the tracks of the boundary line. It’s a difficult game where your eyes have to take in wide scope of things all at once. That concept reappeared in some later, released games.
Fans were also able to track down an actual in-game screenshot pictured below.
ShouTime’s tumblr also updated today with another ingame screen, this time displaying the tutorial from the game.
So there you have it, this was in fact a puzzle game and not a platformer or a prototype of the release SegaSonic Arcade game, but a completely new and original idea.
Wow. My guess of this being an early build of SegaSonic was wrong, but I a still standing by my thoughts of those other Sonics being early Mighty and Ray.
Except they were obviously different colored Sonics to make up different colored round balls. That’s all. They probably didn’t even have different names outside of “Red sonic and “Yellow Sonic”.
Sonic, Ronic and Yonic ?
By that logic, Sonic would be Bonic.
No, it would be blonic. (What an original joke I just made.)
“I’m Not Bonic I’m My Own Original Character, Blonic!!”
OR, the balls could represent THEIR colors. Yonic could be purple for all we care, and the ball would correspond to THEM.
OK so this is not a hoax. I figured it wasn’t. I wouldn’t have guessed this being a puzzle game. It had potential. I would have checked it out if it materialized.
So it pretty much ends up resemling a beta for Robotnik’s mean bean machine more then SegaSonic.
Go figure.
Please don’t insult Puyo Puyo.
Aw, I was hoping it was more than just a mere puzzle game. Then again, it could explain why it was cancelled…
Soon as I found out it was a puzzle game, I lost all interest. Completely indifferent to puzzle games.
Soooo….instead of being the prototype to SEGASonic The Hedgehog, it’s the prototype to Sonic Eraser? But this one actually looks fun…
I would still like to play it. I wonder how the music sounds.
Makes sense since, in the other article, it was mentioned it was by the people behind Bubble Bobble which everyone else here seems to have happily ignored…
As someone bad at even simple puzzle games like tetris, this sounds like a special kind of hell.
We need this as the 25th anniversary game.
Remember to put in Crush 40 music. lol
…..that is worst Sonic game idea I have ever heard in all my time on this comment section.
FUND IT!
Ah so this idea must have become columns
Makes sense since, in the other article, it was mentioned it was by the people behind Bubble Bobble which everyone else here seems to have happily ignored…