Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken. Links to posts may redirect you to the same article on the current Sonic Stadium website.
Now that we’ve had a small taste of Sonic Frontiers gameplay, we can now show you some high-quality screenshots and the logo for the game, courtesy of SEGA Japan.
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Wait, what? SEGA dropped the first gameplay video for Sonic Frontiers today, seemingly out of nowhere. The 30-second teaser finally gives us our first glimpse of what an “Open Zone” Sonic looks like and notes more details are coming throughout June on IGN.
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We’re less than a month out from Sonic Origins’ release, so the final details are now being added to some of the game’s storefronts. Specifically, we now have file size listed on both the Nintendo eShop and Xbox storefronts. Unfortunately, different sizes are listed in different places, which has made reporting on this messier than it really ought to be.
Over at Xbox, both versions of the game are listed at 6 gigs on the Xbox website. If that seems a bit big, that’s because it is: Sonic Mania’s size was less than 400MB, so this is a massive increase in size over that. If you check out the game’s listing on an actual Xbox One X, however, the game’s size is listed as a mere 324.89 MB.
Meanwhile, over at Nintendo’s website, we also have different sizes…between the different versions of the game. The standard version is listed at 3.6 gigs, while the Digital Deluxe version apparently has a size of 7.8 gigs. Finally, we have the game’s Switch eShop listings, which have the standard version at 3.5 gigs and the Digital Deluxe version at 3.8 gigs.
Given the version differences, that difference in download sizes seems a bit…extreme.
Obviously, they can’t all be right. In all likelihood, this will be corrected by the time the game comes out next month.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 may be out on Paramount+ and other streaming services, but that hasn’t stopped people from going to see it in theaters! Sonic 2 has made another $10 million globally, including an estimated $3.1 million in the US over Memorial Day weekend, getting it 7th place. Sonic 2 fell behind Everything Everywhere All At Once and Bad Guys, and as also bumped down by newcomers Bob’s Burgers and Top Gun: Maverick.
In total, Sonic 2 now sits at $385 Million globally, including $185.7 million in the US, and $199.8 million in the rest of the world. With Sonic 2 continuing to perform solidly, $400 million is increasingly looking like an attainable goal for its final box office.
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The third Sonic the Hedgehog movie is likely to be released in theaters in 2024, and Paramount is already in talks with a Hollywood actor to play the role of Sonic’s newly-announced rival in the upcoming sequel.
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2022 marks the return of Georgia’s premier SEGA-themed convention, Sonic & SEGA Fan Jam!
The event, which began back in 2014, is dedicated to celebrating everything SEGA and Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates the company’s eclectic video game history, playing host to industry figures (such as Sonic Adventure voice actor Ryan Drummond) and prominent creators in the fan community.
Pledge levels include virtual attendance for those who can’t make it in person, all the way up to event sponsorship.
At current time of writing, the event has just passed the 50% mark to reaching it’s goal of $7,500.
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Everyone’s favourite Iblis Trigger Disaster, Sonic The Hedgehog (2006), has made a surprise re-appearance on the old Xbox 360 Marketplace game store. It’s not forwards-compatible with Series X/S consoles yet, but it’s dirt cheap so get it while it’s here!
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And sure, that’s all well and good, but if you’re like me, these releases aren’t about the movies, they’re about the special features, and according to the iTunes listing (when viewed within iTunes), there are some solid bonuses here, including deleted scenes, a behind the scenes featurette, Q&A with Sonic’s voice actor Ben Schwartz, and most significantly, a new animated short!
UPDATE: A brief clip from Entertainment Tonight shows off quality animation, and a non-Elba voice voice swap for Knuckles:
A small part of the Sonic Movie 2 shorts was revealed. The animation quality for this is honestly incredible! I seriously hope the Knuckles show is up to this quality! The voices for Tails and Knuckles are different, but nothing too distracting. pic.twitter.com/5kj0rutHtD
— Sam Procrastinates (@SamsProStation) May 23, 2022
No word yet on if these will hit Paramount+ or the disc release (it probably will, but we don’t have confirmation), so keep an eye out, and once again enjoy that one scene where Knuckles misinterprets a lighthearted thing in a deathly serious manner.
Thanks to tailsBOOM! for the news tip and Shigs for the video link!
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It’s been a little while since our last, proper box office update! Sonic rushed passed $350 million earlier in the month, but I didn’t run it because I wanted to wait until we got the international numbers…which skipped a week unfortunately.
But we’ve got the international numbers, and the latest US weekend numbers, and despite it being out for nearly two months now, it’s still going surprisingly strong! Globally, Sonic 2 has now passed $375 million, putting it more than $55 million ahead of its predecessor. That number includes $181 million in the US, and $194 million internationally. In the US, Sonic 2 has remained in the top 5 for the past three weekends, with the movie remaining in third place during May 6 and May 15 weekends, and falling to fourth place this weekend. Sonic 2 has demonstrated some remarkable staying power, sticking around even as most of its other competitors have fizzled in the wake of Doctor Strange 2’s release, earning another $20 million in the US in the process.
This is, notably, the last weekend before Sonic 2 hits Paramount+ and Epix broadcast channals, so this may be the last major box office jump we’ll be getting until its Japanese release this summer. At $375 million, Sonic 2 is now just $25 million away from $400 million. Can it reach it? Maybe. Not everyone has Paramount Plus, and if Sonic 2 can continue to make a few million in the US and a few million over seas every week for another month, that will add up. The big wild card, of course, is Japan.
While Japan can be a major market for movies (Jujutsu Kaisen 0 made $100 million, and Fantastic Beasts 3 made $30 million), Sonic has never been an especially popular character there. Couple that with the original’s $1.5 million total gross there (albeit, released in the middle of a lockdown) and its hard to expect much from the movie there. I would certainly expect Sonic 2 to easily beat out its predecessor in the country, but it wouldn’t expect anything on the level of $25 million.
Since this may be my last box office post for awhile, I guess I’ll end this with my own personal expectations for Sonic 2’s future. I think its going to gross another $10 million globally outside of Japan over the coming weeks. I think its total Japanese gross will be $5 million. That would put Sonic 2’s total global box office at $390 million. While that’ll still be well short of the highest grossing video game movie (Warcraft’s $439 million), that’s still a really good haul. Its no wonder Paramount seems to be betting so big on Sonic.
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While many were happy that Sonic Mania developer Headcannon was involved in Sonic Origins, it seems that their contribution was in the Sonic 3 & Knuckles remaster work itself and not the overall package. In fact, their part in remaking the game appears to have been contracted entirely separately from the context of Sonic Origins. In a thread, the studio’s official Twitter clarifies:
To address a misunderstanding regarding Headcannon's involvement in #SonicOrigins– We DID NOT work on Origins itself, nor did we do any additional work on Sonic 1, 2, or CD. We were contracted to build a Retro Engine version of S3&K as a separate project from Sega's Sonic Origins
But as was previously announced, Origins has features beyond the original Retro Engine remakes, such as its story mode, the coin system, mirror mode, the Museum, and… whatever classic mode is (be it the emulated originals or just letterboxed). Even Mission Mode, which features scenarios outside of the original games (like modified level designs and Knuckles in S3K Death Egg Zone), was developed by a team in SEGA as Headcannon further explains:
To further clarify, as it's been asked, yes, this includes Mission Mode. Sega's team developed the missions, as well as Boss Rush, Mirror Mode, etc internally. The only distinct mode that Headcannon created was Blue Spheres, and its implementation into Origins was handled by Sega
There are a couple of consequences to this separation of development. It does imply that SEGA has a team that has done work within the Retro Engine, developing small level and gameplay modifications, as well as hooks from these modifications to the external launcher (I.E. replacing lives with spendable coins). It also suggest that the versions of the games are otherwise the same Retro Engine versions previously released (hence no Knuckles in Sonic CD).
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It’s a weird time to be a person who engages in…any sort of media. From reboots, to unprecedented crossovers, to entire works of media built around meta commentary, the modern media landscape is unlike anything humankind has experienced before.
That of course, means that Movie Sonic’s original design popping up in a Disney movie reboot of Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers that’s also got meta comedy and also acts as a spiritual successor to Roger Rabbit is a thing that just happened that’s surprising, but not that surprising. “Ugly Sonic,” as he is apparently called, has been confirmed by multiple reviews of Rescue Rangers. The character, which will be voiced by Tim Robinson, will be more than a background cameo, and has at least some dialogue in the movie. According to one reviewer, Ugly Sonic works the convention circuit, and says to Dale “The internet saw my human teeth and burned the place down.” Well…he isn’t wrong!
The movie will hit Disney+ later this week on May 20.
And yes, this means Sonic has four separate voice actors right now.
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UPDATE: We now have confirmation that this video is 100% official, and was posted on the official Korean Sonic the Hedgehog Facebook page.
While we don’t quite know this video’s origin, we do know this Korean language version gameplay video shows off some significant features in Sonic Origins the reveal trailer didn’t share:
We are marking this as rumor purely because it isn’t through official or confirmable sources at this time, but every other aspect of this looks pretty authentic. Treat this as we have high confidence but not 100% confidence in this. The button layout in the videos use ABXY, so the footage itself was taken from a Switch, an Xbox, or a PC.
While those who have played the other Retro/Star Engine ports will be quite familiar with some of these features, this gives a very brief overview of ones not present in the original 16-bit releases, including the Drop Dash and Super Sonic in Sonic 1, Tails as Knuckles’ sidekick in Sonic 2, and the prototype Hidden Palace stage connected to Mystic Cave.
Further, the video shows off a bit of the game’s interface, including Missions. In one, the player has to collect 50 rings in 50 seconds as Tails in Palmtree Panic, and another puts Super Sonic in Metropolis with a similar goal (but with the challenge of your rings being slowly depleted). In both cases, the stages are modified from their original 16-bit versions, changing formations of platforms, rings, and blocks. The rank letter in the top corner (shown in previous official screenshots) updates in real time, letting you know how well you’re performing.
If those bonus missions or getting to team Knuckles with Tails on a console platform gets you excited, Sonic Origins releases June 23 with these and many other announced features.
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SEGA Sammy has reported that the Sonic the Hedgehog game series has sold a total of 5.8 million units worldwide in the past fiscal year (ending March 2022), an increase of 30% over 2021 on the back of new release Sonic Colors: Ultimate.
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.
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.
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.
Today’s the day, IDW Sonic fans! Modern Sonic is back for Free Comic Book Day 2022 with a brand new story meant to serve as part of the lead up to issue 50. The story features Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in a new adventure!
Both US and international fans can find participating comic book stores here. The comic features writing by Ian Flynn and art by Adam Bryce Thomas.
For those of you who can’t make it, don’t worry: a digital copy should be officially available in a few weeks on Amazon via Comixology! This was the case last year, anyway.
We’ve got the cover and synopsis below, but first, a brief PSA: although the comics are free, stores do need to pay for them. So if you can, try to buy something while your there! Maybe a comic, graphic novel, or manga. Lumberjanes, Atomic Robo and Mamo are personal favorites of mine! Invincible is also great if you don’t mind a lot of gore.
Anyway, on to the cover and synopsis:
Sonic’s racing into a brand-new adventure with his best buds (and co-stars of the hit new movie) Tails and Knuckles by his side! But Sonic’s not the only super-speedster in town . . . Get caught up with everything you need to know about Sonic’s evil counterpart Surge before she and Sonic go head-to-head in the epic issue #50, a story years in the making! Exclusive Original Material Rating: All Ages
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Today, in an announcement that the event will be partnering with IMAX, Summer Game Fest released a brief compilation trailer featuring a number of upcoming and released games. Among them was Sonic Frontiers, but before anybody gets too excited, no, it isn’t new footage:
At this time, we don’t exactly know if this is being shown as a confirmation of some games that will be there or to highlight games previously part of the Game Awards/Summer Game Fest ecosystem, so for the time being, we’re reporting this as rumor until we hear explicitly that it will be present. Other games shown in it include the already-released Elden Ring and Tiny Tina’s Wonderland, as well as the yet-unreleased One Piece Odyssey.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 9 at 11 AM PT, 2 PM ET, and 6PM GMT, and will be available streaming and in IMAX theaters in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.
This is the second time Frontiers has been given a significant spotlight within the broad Keighley-sphere. Late in 2021, The Game Awards premiered a teaser trailer that partially revealed the open world nature of the game alongside a trailer for Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2. SEGA’s remained tight-lipped on the game (despite a handful of leaks), and we’ve yet to see any actual gameplay footage of the Holiday 2022 title. Sonic’s presence at Summer Game Fest should hopefully clear up a few more lingering questions about the title.
Thanks to Dodger24848 for the news tip!
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This morning, Netflix After School released a new sizzle reel for upcoming animated kids and family shows, with a brief (very brief) bit at the end featuring Sonic Prime:
Sonic content begins at 1:48
The scene shows off Sonic running in Green Hills (featuring rings and Sonic running in his figure-8 style). He mugs to the camera, delivers a line about how cool he is, and… that’s kind of it for now.
It’s not a lot to go on for now, but the performance sounds Roger Craig Smith-like in voice, but with a little bit of Ben Schwartz delivery. It plays up Sonic’s ego a bit (which isn’t a facet they play up much in the games, but shows itself prominently in Sonic Boom and the movie), but this is inferring a lot based on a single line. Hopefully this means that we’ll be getting a full trailer in the near future.
Netflix also appears to have updated its website with some more details. As you can see from the screenshot above, the new voice of Sonic is Deven Mack. A range of new voice actors are also listed, none of which appear to be connected to the current video game acting cast.
More details as we get it. Thanks to Lemanic for the news tip!
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For as polished as Sonic Unleashed’s graphics are, its biggest visual flaw is its framerate. The Xbox 360 version played at a mostly steady 24-30 (capped) FPS, while the PS3 version was worse for wear despite an uncapped framerate that would bring the game up to 48FPS on occasion, but dropping to 24FPS or below ruining the flow of the game.
In many ways, the game’s graphic-intensive “Hedgehog Engine” was a bit too ahead of its time. It couldn’t keep a steady 30 FPS on the most powerful system of that era. It would take 2011’s Sonic Generations to iron the kinks out. While the Werehog levels weren’t affected too much by the framerate, several daytime Sonic levels dropped frames horribly. Jungle Joyride became a slideshow at times. Now, in 2022, Sonic Unleashed’s full potential has been unlocked thanks to the Boost Mode on the Xbox Series S/X, bringing the game to a steady 60 FPS.
To me, this brought the game from a guilty pleasure to a legitimately good Sonic title. Sonic’s daytime levels run as smooth as silk, giving you better handling and control. Even the Werehog levels feel less cumbersome as Sonic now feels faster and more responsive. There seems to be less blur as well. The high framerate allows for a faster response time. I can honestly say I was actually enjoying the Werehog levels for a change.
That doesn’t mean the game’s old flaws aren’t still present. Medal collecting near the end game is still soul-crushing, the Werehog levels are still a bit too long, and having the camera suddenly change position when you’re balancing across a steel beam is still as irritating as ever. That said, if you love this style of Sonic gameplay, it’s never looked or played better than it does on Series S/X.
The Series S/X boost mode also improves other Sonic titles as well. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed gets a 60 FPS boost, and Sonic Generations runs at both 4K resolution and 60FPS.
To see Sonic Unleashed in action on the Series S/X, check out our gameplay video below.
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Sonic 2 has officially surpassed its predecessor at the global box office, logging an estimated $323 Million by the end of Sunday. Of that amount, $160 million is from the US box office, meaning that Sonic 2 has also beaten Sonic 1’s record-setting $149 million and become the highest grossing video game movie ever in the US.
In the context of the overall 2021 box office, Sonic 2 now sits at number 5 globally, after falling behind Fantastic Beasts 3, which now sits at $329 million. This largely comes down to a lack of release for Sonic 2 in China, where FB3 has made $17.5 million, as well an overall stronger performance internationally. In the US box office, Sonic 2 now sits in second place, after surpassing Uncharted, leaving it second only to The Batman, which sits at $369 million.
So what’s next for Sonic 2 at the box office? That’s going to depend on a few factors, including: how well it can weather the release of Dr. Strange 2, how well its Japanese release does this summer, and whether or not it can secure a release in China. Dr. Strange 2 ought to be huge, as the year’s first MCU movie and the first summer blockbuster, so its quite likely it will at least lead to a reduction in the number of screens showing Sonic 2. Sonic has never been all that big in Japan, the first movie only made $1.5 million there (albeit in the immediate aftermath of the global COVID-19 lockdowns), and Sonic 2 is getting a very late release there. Finally, China has been far less open to western movies compared to two years ago.
On the whole, $350 million is looking like a plausible final tally for Sonic 2, a really good number but one that falls well short of the current global video game box office record holder, Warcraft and its $439 million. Though without China, which made up more then half that number, that was always going to be a difficult number for Sonic 2 to beat.
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