Happy 30th Anniversary to Sonic The Comic!

Thirty years ago today, the very first issue of Egmont Fleetway’s Sonic The Comic hit store shelves in the UK. And with it began a revolution in video game universe storytelling that gripped an entire generation.

‘STC’ initially started out as a more general SEGA-themed comic book that happened to feature Sonic the Hedgehog as the headliner. Early issues always had a one-shot Sonic story at the front, but also ran strips for other Mega Drive titles such as Ecco the Dolphin, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage and even Decap Attack.

The first few Sonic adventures were pretty simple affairs, without much substance beyond the blue blur taking on Dr Robotnik’s “mean trap of the day”. But Sonic the Comic really came into its own some ten books in, when writer Nigel Kitching decided to break away from one-shot stories and introduced a universe-setting event that would allow for much more interesting plots and multi-issue arcs.

As the comic evolved, so too did the complexity of the characterisations of SEGA’s mascot and his friends. Sonic, as a hot-headed leader of a pressed team of freedom fighters, often plays against incredible odds in order to take back Emerald Hill and the rest of Mobius from Robotnik’s rule, while Knuckles’ ancestry and duty to Angel Island is explored through multiple side stories and adventures with the Chaotix crew.

And while the Fleetway team was careful to stay incredibly close to the video game source material (unlike the US Sonic comic of the time by Archie Comics, which leaned more towards the DiC cartoon universe), in doing so they were able to create original, vicious enemies that really felt like they could have belonged in a Mega Drive game. Robotnik’s near-invincible robot general Brutus gave Sonic – and Robotnik – a serious challenge, while the Brotherhood of Metallix took the Metal Sonic concept and evolved it into something more of a creepy and incredibly dangerous robo-cult bent on transforming the universe.

Over the years, characters such as Tails, Knuckles and Amy got their own strips (pushing out the other SEGA IP until Sonic the Comic was filled with nothing but blue blur adventures) with equally-interesting arcs (Tails having a secret life in an alternate dimension as a Troll-defeating knight of honour?), and many of these crossed over to great effect.

Knuckles would co-star in Tails adventures, while Knuckles’ strips often canonically ran alongside – or preceded – the events that were taking place in the headline Sonic story. Even minor Fleetway-original characters like Tekno the Canary and Shortfuse the Cybernik had their fans, and starred in strips of their own.

Throughout all the years of incredible game adaptations, original story arcs and crossover events, Sonic the Comic sadly came to the end of its original run at the end of 2001, the publication squeaking along for a few years more as mere reprints of what happened before. In a world where many video game IPs now have some form of expanded universe multimedia, the UK’s Sonic the Comic arguably blazed a trail and set the standard for what could be done. And in our view, it still hasn’t been topped.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Sonic the Comic! Share your favourite stories and memories in the comments below!

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Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit’s Final Update, Android & Mac Versions Out NOW

After nearly 10 months of work, Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit has received its final update, as well as its long-awaited Android and Mac ports, marking the end of a fan project that began more than a half-decade ago. In a video on his Youtube channel, STT16 director and programmer Noah Copeland revealed everything that the final update would add, before revealing the it and the ports were all being shadowdropped today.

The final update makes some notable changes: it adds a new special stage, a new boss for Knuckles’ campaign, additional cutscene material for the Sonic campaign’s true ending, speed gates for speed runners, and various quality of life improvements.

  • The new special stage was cut from the initial release, and has the player launching their character into the air in order to collect blue rings while bouncing off black spheres and avoiding the canons that will launch you out of the stage. Collecting 100 blue rings will net the player a life.
  • Eggman and Metal Sonic become a part of Knuckles’ end game boss rush, with a boss battle specifically built around his climbing and gliding abilities.
  • The “speed gates” are a new togglable feature that opens special hidden shortcuts in each Act 2. They were specifically added for speed runners, and need to be reached within a certain amount of time or else they’ll close.
  • Quality of life improvements include the ability to shorten or skip the snowboard mini game, skip the credits and vs mode cutscenes, four checkpoints during Atomic Destroyer’s elevator ride, and an option for continuous play in the Free Play mode.

Copeland also confirmed that Android mobile players will have both touchscreen controls and external controls as options. It is not possible to move the placement of the touchscreen controls, but it’s at least possible to move the placement of the life counter.

Finally, the game’s stellar soundtrack has finally been given an official release! You can download it at the game’s website, which has also received a big update, here. You can download the final update and the ports from the game’s Game Jolt page here.

Copeland also alluded to his future plans: a brand new original game! Be sure to stay tuned to his Youtube channel and Twitter for more news on that project.

For a look at the update, check out Copeland’s announcement video embedded below:

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Rumor: Aubrey Plaza Being Considered For Role in Sonic 3 Movie

Hold on to your hats, because it’s Sonic Movie Rumour Time once again! The latest gossip to float around the internet this week is that Parks and Recreation and White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza is being heavily considered for a villain role in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

The news comes from Giant Freakin Robot, which claims that – according to “trusted and proven sources” – filmmakers behind the Paramount Pictures sequel have Plaza as their “top choice to play a villain in Sonic 3.”

Of course, no other details were offered on what particular role the actor would be taking on or even if she has been approached to sign on to the movie. So take all of this with the largest pinch of salt that you can find. A handful, if you like. Chuck it over your shoulder, just like that.

Despite the lack of information, there is room for speculation here. If this rumour ends up being true, odds are that Rouge the Bat would be a possibility, given the suggestion that Sonic 3’s storyline (of which we also know nothing about right now) would follow that of the Sonic Adventure 2 video game in some way.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was announced in February 2022 alongside a Knuckles spinoff TV series, and a release date was later set for December 20, 2024. So we have plenty of time to learn more about the film between now and then.

Story Image Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr.
Used under license (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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F4F’s Sonic Adventure Statue Priced, Up For Pre-Order

First4Figures’ latest Sonic PVC statue, based on Sonic’s iconic Adventure 1 box art pose, is finally priced and up for pre-order. The statue comes in three variants including basic, collectible, and definitive, though only the latter two are currently available on F4F’s website. This is notable, since the website won’t charge you the full price immediately, and also allows for installation payments. F4F’s website gives the statues a broad Q4 release date, while Entertainment Earth says they will be released in November, and SEGA Shop Europe gives them an October date.

Details on the statues, including photos, pricing, and pre-order links are below:

Basic

The cheapest statue, it lacks any sort of the bells and whistles of the other editions, including the circular base. It’s dimensions are H: 8.3″ (21cm) x W: 6.3″ (16cm) x D: 5.6″ (14.2cm). Not available on F4F’s website.

Can be bought at Entertainment Earth for $89.99 here. Europeans can obtain a statue from SEGA Europe’s shop for £79.99 here.

Collector’s Edition

This statue includes a circular base illuminated by an LED. The lighting can either be static or animated. It’s dimensions are H: 9.1″ (23cm) x W: 6.5″ (16.5cm) x D: 6.9″ (17.5cm), and it’s priced at $119.99/£99.99.

You can get it from F4F’s website here. You can get it from SEGA Shop Europe here.

Definitive Edition

This edition adds a resin ring around Sonic, illuminated by LEDs. The LEDs can either be static or animated. The speed of the animation can be adjusted with a dial on the back. Only a limited number of these statues will be produced, and each statue will receive its own number and authentication card. It’s dimensions are H: 10.8″ (27.5cm) x W: 10.6″ (27cm) x D: 7″ (18cm). The statue currently has an early bird price of $279.99 on F4F, which will last until June 26. After that, the statue will be priced at $299.99. It’s £259.99 at SEGA Shop Europe.

You can pre-order it from F4F’s shop here, or from SEGA Europe here.

Finally, if you want to see these statues in motion, you can check out the Youtube video below:

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Sonic Returns to Minecraft in the Sonic Texture Pack, Available Now

The world’s fastest rectangle gets a few more friends and enemies.

Continue reading Sonic Returns to Minecraft in the Sonic Texture Pack, Available Now
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Sonic Underground Returns to DVDs With Complete Series Release From NCircle

We are increasingly living in a golden age of Sonic television media. We not only have two TV shows in production, but nearly every Sonic TV show is now back in print with new Complete Series releases! The latest show to get this treatment is DiC’s final Sonic show, Sonic Underground. This releases marks the show’s first appearance on physical media since 2017, and the first time it has ever received a Complete Series release in a single volume.

The show will span 4 DVDs, and has an MSRP of $24.99. It is scheduled to release on July 25, 2023. You can find the original listing we used for this report here. If you want to read up on Sonic Underground, we have a helpful guide on Sonic’s many forays into TV here.

Check out the DVD box art below:

With this release, only a few Sonic TV releases remain out of print: Sonic Christmas Blast, and more frustratingly, Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM and the Sonic the Hedgehog OVA. Here’s hoping this is rectified soon!

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Sonic Music, Costumes, and a Delay Hit Samba de Amigo: Party Central

But more importantly, someone, somewhere in SEGA remembers Rhythm Thief.

Continue reading Sonic Music, Costumes, and a Delay Hit Samba de Amigo: Party Central
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Sonic the Comic’s Nigel Kitching Among Writers Confirmed for Sonic’s 900th Adventure One-Shot

It’s starting to feel like a little Sonic the Comic reunion! Nigel Kitching, a writer known for his work on Fleetway’s UK-exclusive Sonic the Comic series, has been confirmed as one of the six writers who will be working on the Sonic’s 900th Adventure one-shot. He will be joining fellow Sonic the Comic alumni Richard Elson, who was confirmed as one of the comic’s cover artists last week. Elson has not yet been announced as one of the comic’s interior artists. The other members of the writing team include the comic’s current headwriter, Evan Stanley, longtime Sonic writer Ian Flynn, Scrapnik Island author Daniel Barnes, as well as Caleb Goellner and Aaron Hammerstrom.

The comic has also been confirmed for an August 16 release date, roughly two week ahead of IDW’s “Endless Summer” Sonic one-shot, which’ll be arriving August 30. The comic’s story will center around Sonic and friends playing “hot potato” with the warp topaz, trying to keep it from warping the world into oblivion.

via PreviewsWorld

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Sonic Symphony Goes on a World Adventure This Fall, Going into 2024

SEGA has revealed some dates for the Sonic Symphony’s upcoming world tour. The show will be debuting in London on September 16 at the Barbican Hall, followed by a showing in Los Angeles on September 30 at the Dolby Theatre. Further showtimes will be revealed in the future, and the world tour will continue to run into 2024.

As for ticket pre-orders, Sonic Symphony newsletter subscribers will get to pre-order their tickets at 10AM local time for the venue on May 25. The general public will get to pre-order a day later on May 26, at 10 AM local time for the venue. In order to buy tickets (and sign up for the newsletter), you’ll need to head over to the Sonic Symphony website.

The symphony will include a wide range of songs from across Sonic’s 30+ year history, including symphonic renditions of classic 8-bit/16-bit tracks, EDM and rock. The press release only confirms that the rock music will be played “by a rock band,” but certain shows will have special guest stars, to be confirmed at a later date. The exact songs to be featured at these shows have not been confirmed at this time, though it will presumably share many picks from the original streamed show from 2021.

Stay tuned to Sonic Stadium for future details!

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SEGA Interested in Making More Movie Adaptations of its IP

SEGA executives have expressed an interest in adapting other company IPs and brands into big-screen movies, following the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog Paramount films.

VGC reports that, during an investor Q&A that has just been translated into English, SEGA Sammy CEO Haruki Satomi and CFO Koichi Fukazawa were asked about the possibility of making non-Sonic movies to “improve their brand power”.

In response, the company said, “We would like to take on challenges outside of the Sonic IP should the opportunity arise.

“If we can match the timing of game launches to the release of movies, it would be extremely effective from a marketing perspective and there are also significant benefits, such as increasing awareness of our IP and increasing the number of touch points for customers, as we achieved with the Sonic movie.”

It’s no wonder that SEGA is keen to explore this. Sonic the Hedgehog was produced by Paramount Pictures, released in 2020 and grossed around $320 million at the box office – while its sequel premiered last year and generated over $400 million. As a result, a third movie is planned for release in December 2024 and a Knuckles TV show is in production for streaming service Paramount Plus.

Back in August, SEGA even announced that it was exploring movie adaptations of Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone in partnership with Picture Start. So there could yet be more to come on that front.

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IDW Sonic #61 ‘Eggman Showdown’ Preview Page Circulates Early

Well that was quick! IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #60 has barely been on store shelves for a day or so, and already preview pages are appearing for Issue #61.

The above page was spotted by a keen-eyed social media account, as most likely an advance leak from the usual original comic preview sources such as Previews World (which currently doesn’t have pages for this issue lined up yet).

As a reminder, Sonic #61 is set to be the finale of the current arc, so it’s probably fair that IDW wants to get preview pages out sooner rather than later so they can wrap things up for the next storyline.

Via Twitter

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Tenacious D’s New Song Gets Sonical

We love good music here at Stadium Towers. It’s not all just Crush 40 and Tomoya Ohtani either – sometimes we listen to good old ‘normie’ bands as well. Like Tenacious D, a rock comedy duo featuring frequently topless middle-aged men that sing acoustic melodies about karate and dodgy sex acts and… hm.

Anyway, the double-act of Jack Black and Kyle Gass have recently released a new song, all about video games! And not only is it a banger, it also features Sonic the Hedgehog references!

Watch it below:

The Sonic cameo appears at the 0:20 mark, and involves Black and Gass assuming the roles of Sonic and Tails respectively. The pair also insert themselves into a number of other video game series, while they sing about not really being interested in the hobby (although they secretly kind of are).

It’s a great short song, with some brilliant animation, and we wanted to post it here and help brighten up your day ahead of the weekend ahead. Happy Friday!

Big thanks to Hill Top Terebi for the tip!

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First4Figures Lifts Curtain on Sonic Adventure Statue With Full Reveal

First4Figures has been on a roll with their line of Sonic statues lately, and this latest one appears to be no exception. After an initial tease last year and a confirmation of pre-order dates last week, the company has finally revealed its upcoming Sonic Adventure PVC statue.

As you can see, the statue looks incredibly faithful to the iconic Dreamcast Sonic cover pose, and comes complete with the Sonic Adventure logo and base. F4F posted a brief video teasing the product further on social media, alongside a reminder of the May 25 pre-order date.

We won’t know the statue’s price until pre-orders open, but it will surely be in the hundreds of dollars/pounds/euros and will almost certainly come in a multitude of variations.

You can register your interest here. Check out a still image and a video of the statue below:

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Knuckles the Dread’s Pirate Ship and Sonic Prime 2.5″ Figures On Sale in July

In addition to the 13″ plush toy and 5″ action figures already announced, Jakks Pacific has revealed that it will be also using its merchandise licensing deal with SEGA to release waves of smaller 2.5″ figures, as well as a replica of Knuckles the Dread’s Angel’s Voyage pirate ship as seen in the Sonic Prime TV series.

First, the small 2.5″ figures. Unlike their 5″ bigger brothers, these are sold in packs rather than individually. In the Wave 1 set you get little cute versions of Sonic, Rusty Rose, Tails Nine and the Prism Shard with a base to display it with. This multipack is ‘New Yoke City’ themed, which suggests that future Waves will focus on other Shatterverse worlds. The set goes on sale in July for $19.99.

Now this is really cool! Jakks is also releasing a toy vehicle replica of the Angel’s Voyage pirate ship, seen on Netflix’s Sonic Prime show. And it looks massive – there’s storage space for other 2.5″ figures (so you can hide away your Wave 1 multipack toys in there), three launching cannons, rolling wheels and even a trap door! The set comes with a Knuckles the Dread 2.5″ figure, so even if you don’t have Sonic in you can at least sail the seven seas with Knuckles. This also goes on sale in July for $39.99.

All of these Sonic Prime toys are releasing in July to coincide with the release of new episodes of the TV show on Netflix.

What do you think? And who do you want to see in future multipacks? Let us know in the comments below!

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Licensed Sonic Prime Plush Toy and 5″ Action Figures Coming July

SEGA and Jakks Pacific have announced a new licensing deal that will see the launch of a series of Sonic Prime toys to coincide with the continuation of the Netflix animation series. Among these is a new 13″ Sonic the Hedgehog plush toy and the first wave of Prime-themed 5″ articulated figures.

The Sonic the Hedgehog 13″ plush toy is posable, and “made from super soft fabrics and stuffing” (as per the press release we received for these products). Looks like you could give him a huge cuddle for days, to be fair. It will be on sale for $19.99.

Meanwhile, the first set of 5″ action figures will offer over 12 points of articulation, so you can really go for it and recreate some creative scenes from the TV show (or from your own imagination). Wave 1 of the figures includes Sonic, Tails Nine, Thorn Rose and Mr. Dr. Eggman, and will be available individually for $14.99 each.

All of these products will be available in physical stores and online retailers in “North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa” (so practically everywhere, then) in July. Just in time to start playing along with the new episodes when they air on Netflix.

Which ones are you getting?

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Sonic Prime ‘Season 2’ Premieres on Netflix July 13

Netflix has announced a release date for the continuation of its ‘Sonic Prime’ animated series. The ongoing series run – which is being dubbed ‘Season 2’ by fans – will premiere on the streaming service on July 13, 2023.

A new image has been released by the company, along with a synopsis reminding everyone of the overall plot of the show. You can see both below.

Sonic Prime: Season 2. (L to R) Deven Mack as Sonic, Ian Hanlin as Big the Cat, Ashleigh Ball as Tails, Vincent Tong as Knuckles, Kazumi Evans as Rouge, and Shannon Chan Kent as Amy in Sonic Prime: Season 2. Cr. NETFLIX © 2023

Synopsis: The action-packed adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog go into overdrive when a run-in with Dr. Eggman results in a literal universe-shattering event. Desperate to piece his prime reality back together and save his old friends, Sonic races through the Shatterverse, discovering strange worlds and enlisting new friends in an epic adventure of a lifetime!

The first batch of Sonic Prime episodes launched on Netflix back in December 2022, and only contained eight episodes. We hope this next set of episodes is larger and fully fleshes out Sonic’s journey across the Shatterverse worlds. For instance, how does Shadow play into the proceedings and how do the pair work together to help fix the broken dimensions?

We’ll have a good couple months to wait and figure it all out. Who’s excited!?

Source: Netflix

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SEGA Considering Higher Game Prices

Will they soon be part of the $70 club?

Continue reading SEGA Considering Higher Game Prices
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SEGA Taking Part in Summer Game Fest 2023

SEGA may be showing something new next month, as the publisher has been announced as a participating partner for the upcoming Summer Game Fest showcase on June 8th.

The live event, which has grown in recent years and has seemingly replaced the cancelled E3 2023 convention originally planned for this year, will feature over 40 game companies “that plan to update fans” on current and new projects.

Last year, SEGA was in full attendance of Summer Game Fest where it used the event to reveal more about Sonic Frontiers. The company also offered demos of the game to press at SGF’s associated ‘Play Days’ hands-on event.

It’s not clear what kind of “updates” SEGA will bring this year – the showcase will run close to the release of Sonic Origins Plus, so there may be some last-minute reveals relating to that (although it is unlikely as we probably know everything there is to know about that DLC pack now). Sonic Frontiers is also due some additional expansion content, so we could get an update on that (Sonic’s Birthday DLC will be coming soon).

Of course, there’s every chance that SEGA may just be revealing non-Sonic projects and updates too – or, if we were to cross our fingers really tightly, maybe a new Sonic project announcement of some kind?

Whatever is announced, we will be there to update you as always. Summer Game Fest showcase takes place on June 8th at 12noon Pacific Time (that’s 8pm in the UK).

What are you hoping for?

Source: Twitter

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IDW Releasing Two Sonic One Shots, Plus a Silver-Centric Issue This August

IDW has revealed their line-up of Sonic comics for August, and it’s a doozy: the month will see the release of two jumbo-sized Sonic one-shots, plus the monthly comic’s 64th issue, which’ll be all about Sonic.

First, we have a special issue about Sonic’s “900th” adventure, which appears to be commemorating Sonic’s 900th issue of sequential storytelling, including all the comics and manga released over the decades (which you can read about here, FYI, though I really need to add Sonic Adventures & fix some typ-os). Check out the solicit below:

Saving the world is a piece of cake when you’re a speedy blue hedgehog. And Sonic is about to go on his 900th world-saving adventure! Sonic and his friends are playing a game of hot potato! Only the potato is the Warp Topaz, and it could warp the whole world into oblivion! The gang is passing off the Warp Topaz in a relarace to get rid of it once and for all. 

The story will retail for $5.99 and feature contributions from “various” writers and artists. Amongst the writers, Ian Flynn has confirmed he’s writing the comic’s bookend framing device. Daniel Barnes (Scrapnik Island) and Aaron Hammerstrom have also been confirmed. Aaron Hammerstrom will also be penciling his story, and Mauro Fonseca will also be penciling a story. Nathalie Fourdraine and Reggie Graham have both been confirmed for colors, and Rik Mack will be handling some of the issue’s inks.

The comic will also have seven different covers, all from pretty notable Sonic comic artists. Easily the most surprising (and most familiar, for our older British readers) is legendary Sonic the Comic artist Richard Elson. His cover was not among the ones shown today, unfortunately.

In addition to elson, we’ve got other legendary Sonic artists such as Tracy Yardley!, Jon Gray, Yuji Uekawa, Adam Bryce Thomas, Evan Stanley, and Nathalie Fourdraine. You can check out Uekawa’s (B) ,Thomas’ (D), and Fourdraine’s (retail incentive) covers below:

Next, we have “Sonic the Hedgehog Endless Summer,” which is part of a larger line of IDW one-shots of summer-centered stories featuring other characters including My Little Pony, TMNT, and Dungeons and Dragons.

We’re bringing you an endless summer with everyone’s favorite characters in four unique one-shots! Wave goodbye to the office and say hello to the beach! Sonic drags Jewel on a well-deserved beach day to spend time with her besties, Tangle and Whisper! But when they all settle in for some rest and relaxation…they realize the Babylon Rogues had the same idea… at the same beach. The only way to settle this is with a totally tubular beach showdown!

The issue will feature writing by Gale Galligan and art by Tracy Yardley! and retail for $7.99. It will also feature three covers from Tracy Yardley! (cover A), Jack Lawerence and Reggie Graham (cover B), and Natalie Haines (retail incentive cover). There will also be a coloring book version of Yardley’s cover. You can check out all of these covers below:

Finally, we have issue 64, which’ll be a special Silver-centered issue featuring two stories. The story is part of a larger story arc about the villain Mimic infiltrating the Diamond Cutters. This will, oddly enough, be the second time Silver has attempted to weed out a potential traitor in a Sonic comic.

This issue is all about Silver the Hedgehog! First, he’s incredibly suspicious of the Diamond Cutter’s new member and he jumps to a conclusion that leads him to some hasty accusations. Awkwardness ensues. Then, Blaze comforts Silver as they bond over being away from home and in Sonic’s world.

The comic will retail for $3.99 and feature writing from Evan Stanley, who is writing the comic’s main story, and Ian Flynn, who will be writing the back up. It will also feature interior art by Aarom Hammerstrom and Evan Stanley, as well as three covers from Jack Lawerence (A), Jennifer Hernandez (B), and Nathalie Fourdraine (retail incentive). Check them out below:

Although these comics are all currently scheduled for August, this could change in the future, as IDW has been known to delay comics. Stay tuned for future IDW Sonic updates!

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Whoa! This is Happenin’: First 4 Figures Sonic Adventure Statue Preorders Open Soon

Purveyors of high-end Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise First 4 Figures are due to begin taking pre-orders for a Sonic Adventure-themed statue at the end of this month.

Last year, First 4 Figures teased a statue based on the infamous Sonic Adventure “spaghetti” pose.

It appears that the product will be one or two variants of the statue as two different height and material options are available.

Interest can be registered via the following link.

Will you be preordering? Let us know in the comments!

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GoodSmile Tails Nendoroid Revealed, Available for Pre-Order

Got a spare eye on this. Or three.

Continue reading GoodSmile Tails Nendoroid Revealed, Available for Pre-Order
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Crocs Releasing Sonic-Themed Clogs and Charms in New Collaboration

Fancy getting some funky new footwear to show off this summer? Well, fashionable shoemaker Crocs will have you covered. In a brand new collaboration with SEGA, you will soon be able to buy a set of Sonic-themed clogs, as well as a variety of character charms to decorate them with.

The clog design itself is classic Crocs all over – with the colour of the shoes matching Sonic the Hedgehog’s iconic red sneakers. The kicks also feature a white trim to suit Sonic’s red-and-white footwear, too. It looks like the Crocs come complete with a set of charms in the box – you can see chili dogs, rings and Chaos Emeralds adorning the shoes in the image above there.

Crocs’ Sonic clogs come in three different sizes – Toddlers ($44.99), Kids ($49.99) and Adult ($59.99) – so everyone in the family can wear matching shoes while on the beach.

And if you wanted to give the shoes even more flair, you can purchase additional charms – known as ‘Jibbitz’ for some reason – for the princely sum of $4.99 a piece (or $19.99 for a set of five). That way, you can push Sonic to one side and decorate your Crocs with your actual favourite character.

The Crocs and Jibbitz will be available for sale in the US on May 23, and will launch on May 24 in the rest of the world. You can head to the Crocs website to get yourself a pair.

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Android and Mac Versions of Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit Announced

If you’re enjoying the 16-bit remake of Game Gear classic Sonic Triple Trouble, then you’ll be happy to hear that the fan game’s developer, Noah Copeland, has announced that more content is coming soon – alongside a Mac and Android version of the game.

Copeland shared the above image on his social media account, highlighting an upcoming reveal event where details of the content update will be shared. The event will take place on May 26th at 7pm CDT on Copeland’s YouTube channel.

Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit was completed and released to the world in August 2022, and has been a fan favourite ever since launch due to its creative translation of the Game Gear original into Mega Drive/Genesis hardware. We’re super excited to see what kind of content is being planned for this new release, so we’ll make sure to update you as soon as we know what it is!

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Cook and Becker Teases New Classic Sonic Art Print

Cook and Becker, the art company behind the incredible Sonic the Hedgehog 25h Anniversary Book, is teasing a brand new project on its social media channels – and it appears to be a print run of a Classic Sonic art piece.

The above image was shared on the publisher’s Twitter account yesterday, with the text “Get ready, Sonic fans! Something fast and exciting is coming your way.”

Some keen-eyed fans have already discovered the full image – a huge Sonic the Hedgehog 2-inspired piece created by artist Dave Rapoza. Rapoza previously shared the image on his own social media back in January, and even sold his own prints of the artwork for a short while. It seems like he’s made a deal with Cook and Becker to make a bigger print run.

We’ll wait and see what Cook and Becker’s full reveal for this is, but even if it’s a print run of the above piece, we’re all for it. Would you buy this artwork and frame it for your wall? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Rumor: ‘Minecraft Sonic Textures DLC’ Image Uncovered in Reported Leak

Take this with an extremely huge vat of salt, but an image purporting to be an official banner image of a new upcoming Sonic x Minecraft crossover DLC pack has begun circulating around the internet. 

The above image, according to a number of social media gossip accounts, was apparently pulled from the Marketplace API from within Minecraft itself. As you can see, it illustrates a new set of Sonic the Hedgehog-themed textures for the block-building sandbox game, allowing the ability for players to create accurate depictions of various characters and Badniks from the Sonic game universe.

While we’d be careful of fully believing this until something is officially announced, the image does look pretty authentic, and it wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for additional Minecraft DLC to become a reality soon. With the original Sonic DLC released back in 2021, SEGA and Microsoft have since worked together to launch updated packs, with the most recent appearing last year.

Regardless of whether it’s true or not, do you want to see more Minecraft Sonic DLC? Let us know in the comments section below!

Via Twitter

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IDW Reveals Online Exclusive Variant Cover for Sonic #60

The 60th issue of IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog series is right around the corner, and to entice fans further the comic publisher has revealed a special variant cover that is only available online.

The below cover has been created by artist Gigi Dutreix, and makes a big deal out of the number ’60’ (which is a bit off as it’s not exactly a milestone issue number for comics). It looks pretty cool though, so if you want to get a copy you’ll have to do it via IDW’s website (pre-order price is $10).

It’s reported that a special foil version of this very cover will also be released as a Convention Exclusive, meaning you’ll have two ways to get this new variant. The foil version sounds like it’ll probably be very good indeed.

We’ve covered this already but in case you need a reminder, here’s the synopsis for the upcoming issue.

The battle rages on! But how do you fight a city?! Sonic and friends race to stop Eggperial City from expanding, badniks from attacking, and Dr. Eggman from…doing whatever it is Dr. Eggman does.

Sonic #60 is set to be available from 17th May.

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Sonic Frontiers Breaks New Record For 3D Game Sales With 3.5 Million Copies

Sonic Frontiers has seemingly become the fastest-selling mainline 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game ever, as SEGA casually announced yesterday that its latest open-zone adventure has sold 3.5 million units. This puts it above the last officially-released sales data for Sonic Heroes (in 2007), which previously held the title with around 3.4 million units.

The new milestone means that Sonic Frontiers has sold an additional 300,000 units since the start of April 2023, and puts it on a course to be one of the franchise’s best-selling titles. SEGA confirmed that they will be seeking to keep the momentum of the game’s sales going by continuing its strategy to develop cross-media products, merchandising and a regular game release cadence.

The information was revealed on stage during a SEGA/Rovio joint press conference that took place in Helsinki, Finland. The meeting was to formally establish SEGA’s acquisition of the Angry Birds mobile studio that took place last month and to give some insight as to what integration and partnership plans are being considered.

Things were interesting on that front as well, with a slide and mention that plans were in place to establish cross-media collaborations between a number of SEGA and Rovio IPs. While the company stopped short of outright announcing a Sonic x Angry Birds crossover, you can see from the slide image above that the publisher is undoubtedly looking at ways to further expand fanbases of both brands in similar ways.

We’ll wait to see what happens on that front. For now, it seems like there’s enough celebrating to do with Sonic Frontiers’ newly-found title as fastest-selling 3D Sonic game! Congratulations SEGA and Sonic Team.

Via Radical (Twitter)

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SEGA HARDlight Teases New “Dragon Hunter Lancelot” Alt Character

What do you do when you start to run out of alt characters for your mobile game? Make alts of the alts, of course! SEGA HARDlight is getting creative with this latest tease of a new Sonic Forces: Speed Battle runner. Meet ‘Dragon Hunter Lancelot’!

The above image was shared on the mobile developer’s Discord server, with more information published on Sonic Forces Mobile’s news feed. We’re assuming the design is a Shadow-based take on the Monster Hunter crossover designs that we recently saw in Sonic Frontiers, only using Sonic and the Black Knight’s Lancelot character as a base. 

As you can see, this new alt character’s stats are a little different to the regular Lancelot – you can see the skills that you can use once you unlock this character in the image above too.

If Dragon Hunter Lancelot tickles your fancy, you should be able to unlock him during a new upcoming event called ‘Dragon Slayer’, which will run from 18th May until 25th May.

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New Set of Sonic Frontiers Art Prints Now on Sale at Moor-Art Gallery

UK-based pop culture art outlet Moor-Art Gallery has launched a new set of official Sonic the Hedgehog prints, based on concept artwork developed by Sonic Team for the open-zone adventure Sonic Frontiers.

Each set contains four selected pieces, each 10″x 8″ inches in size (25.4cm x 20.3cm) and printed on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell art paper. The prints each highlight a significant scene in Sonic Frontiers, that helps tell the story of Sonic Team’s planned concept for the final game; Sonic exploring vast open worlds, battling monster-sized enemies and encountering mysterious foes.

You can’t get these prints individually, so if you like one you’re going to have to get them all. Which is fine because they all look fantastic anyway. Each set is hand-signed and numbered, with only 150 sets available for purchase, so if you want to frame some awesome-looking Sonic Team art on your wall you better be quick.

Sets cost £39.99 and can be purchased from Moor-Art Gallery’s website here.

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Wave the Swallow and Marine the Racoon Battle in May Sonic Channel Fantasy Poll

In what has become a monthly tradition, SEGA’s Japanese Sonic Channel team has opened a poll to ask fans which character they would like to see in the next Isekai ‘Fantasy Artwork’ episode due later this month. This time around, Tails will be the star of the show, but only Wave the Swallow or Marine the Raccoon can ultimately join him.

Just like many of the previous polls, both options feature side (or minor) characters that would benefit from some new official artwork. Wave the Swallow made her debut in the spinoff racing series Sonic Riders, while Marine the Raccoon’s only appearance has been in the Nintendo DS sequel Sonic Rush Adventure.

It is probably the latter fact that explains why Marine is currently pulling ahead in the poll at time of writing, which is now taking place on a Google Form rather than directly on Twitter. There are many fans that want to see more of Marine, it seems!

As for the scenario, as per usual that is mostly a mystery but we do have some clues. According to machine translation of the Sonic Channel’s social media accounts, Tails will be presented as a “prince of the entertainment world”, and whoever wins this next poll will join him as his “princess”.

Who would you like to see win the poll? Let us know in the comments section below!

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