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SEGA has uploaded a clean version of that Sonic Superstars opening animation that we recorded during our Summer Game Fest coverage last month. With this, we also get our first taste of the game’s soundtrack! It seems Tee Lopes has confirmed that this particular track was produced by both him and Jun Senoue.
You can check it out at the Sonic the Hedgehog Youtube channel, or in the embed below:
Sonic Superstars is expected to launch sometime this fall.
Jakks Pacific, the prolific manufacturers of various Sonic toys, will have a panel at this years San Diego Comic Con. The panel will take place July 21 at 9PM EST. The panel will be livestreamed on their Instagram at /jakkspacific.toys, though we will also have someone on the ground to provide coverage!
New reveals can be expected this panel, though chances are at least some of them will be ones that have already been leaked, such as their upcoming Blaze figure. Nevertheless, we should at least get time frames for upcoming waves!
via Twitter
The ESRB has given Sonic Superstars its US content rating, and yes, it’s what you’d expect: E for Everyone. Obviously, this isn’t especially surprising, since every Sonic game has been rated E or E10, even the one where Shadow goes out of his way to curse and murder Dr. Eggman.
Sonic Superstars’ received its E rating for “mild fantasy violence.” The rating also mentions in-game purchases, and lists the following as the game’s rating summary:
This is an action platformer in which players assume the roles of Sonic and his friends as they zoom around colorful zones and attempt to defeat Dr. Robotnik. As players speed through whimsical environments, they can jump on enemies’ heads, causing them to transform into small creatures; Sonic and friends react to damage by losing coin-like rings and falling off-screen when defeated. Boss battles can depict more protracted combat, with cartoony explosions.
Sonic Superstars is expected to release sometime this Fall, with a leaked release date of October 17.
via ESRB
SEGA Japan’s President and COO Yukio Sugino has hinted that a number of “reboots and remakes” of classic game IP could be on the way, specifically mentioning the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
In a new interview with Famitsu (interpreted by DualShockers in this article), the SEGA exec shared his delight at the worldwide success of the Sonic IP over the last fiscal year, pointing to the warm fan reception and sales success of Sonic Frontiers along with the monstrous box office smash that was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie.
“That… makes me happy, and I was also happy to receive a lot of messages, mainly from users in North America, such as ‘I’m very happy that Sonic is heading in the right direction,” Sugino reportedly said.
Elsewhere, while discussing Samba de Amigo: Party Central – a new game in a Sonic Team series recently brought back from the dead – Sugino noted that, while Party Central is not a reboot in and of itself (rather, “a new game in the series”), he is interested in exploring reboots and even reboot-like features within new games.
He referenced the upcoming Sonic Superstars as an example to his point – “a return to 2D action, and although it is a new game, I would like to implement reboot-like measures as well” – and added that full-on “reboots and remakes” will be considered when plotting out future plans for each IP. Especially Sonic.
“Of course, we have to do new things, but as with all IPs, we don’t have new works or reboots,” DualShockers quotes him as saying. “We will develop while selecting which is appropriate at this timing for each IP, such as ‘This is the best way to do this IP’. ‘Sonic’ is also SEGA’s signature IP, and in parallel with the new game, we are considering reboots and remakes.”
Seeings as a large chunk of the Twitter Sonic fanbase is fantasising over a Sonic Heroes remaster, it’s fair to say that Sugino’s proposal wouldn’t be an unwelcome one in the broader Sonic community. Many of the blue blur’s past works can no longer be purchased or accessed on modern hardware – the Sonic Adventure series and Sonic Unleashed are some key examples (although if you have an Xbox you can of course play these via backwards compatibility).
It would be great to see even the less-adored spinoffs like Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Rivals resurface, for preservation’s sake. What would be the kind of remakes, remasters or reboots you would like to see and why? Let us know in the comments section below.
Well, this merch announcement snuck right past us! It appears that Sonic the Hedgehog will be immortalised this Fall as a collectible BE@RBRICK figurine, forming part of the Japanese brand of toys’ Series 46 lineup.
This will actually be the second time Sonic has appeared as a BE@RBRICK – the last time being around 2011 for Series 23 to coincide with the blue blur’s 20th anniversary. That previous figure had a slightly different design (and honestly looked pretty goofy with his massive nose), so this new design actually feels a lot closer to the real deal.
Sonic will be one of 21 special BE@RBRICK designs (six of them are secret) in the Series 46 set that you can collect, but as is tradition with these kinds of Japanese toys, actually getting him will require a significant amount of luck as you have to buy these figures in “blind box” packaging. Meaning you won’t know which figure you will get until you actually open the box.
But if that’s a risk you’re willing to take, for a figure that looks like this, then you will be able to order individual Series 46 BE@RBRICK figures from this website when they officially go on sale around August 2023 (it seems the website is sold out for pre-orders at this time). Each figure will cost around $8 USD.
If you’re a masochist with bags of money – in this economy! – you can also get a full blind box set of 24 figures for $184 from the above website (or for a little more sane $115 USD from this store instead). We would hope that would guarantee you get the Sonic figure, for that price, but nothing is truly certain in this world.
Story via Sonic City
The annual Japan Game Awards has officially launched its public voting period to decide which video game should be crowned Game of the Year 2023 – and SEGA’s own Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins (Plus) have both been admitted into the final shortlist.
For both Sonic the Hedgehog titles released in the last year to be nominated for the yearly game award is a pretty big deal, and proves just how far Sonic Team has come over the last five years to bring the Sonic series back into the public eye in such a positive way.
Interestingly, Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins also cover two distinct eras of the 32-year-long franchise – so whether you prefer Sonic’s modern adventures, or think the blue blur was best back in the 1990s, there’s no reason not to choose Sonic!
It’s a public voting event, so if you want to do your part and help Sonic Team win an award, you can visit the Japan Game Awards 2023 website (Japanese), click the button that reads, “投票する”, and then in the blue search area use the text field to search for either Sonic Frontiers or Sonic Origins Plus by using the following:
Each of the above games have multiple entries relating to their specific console platform, so feel free to pick the version of the game/s you want to win specifically.
When you’ve done that, let Sonic Team know you’ve supported them via their social media channel here.
Good luck, Sonic Team!
SEGA’s confirmed appearance at Gamescom 2023 has sent pockets of the Sonic fanbase into a frenzy, with many assuming that the publisher will announce a remaster of Sonic Heroes at the event.
This particular rumour is based off of zero hard facts and information, of course. There have been no clues that SEGA will be bringing anything other than what it has already publicly announced to the Cologne game show. Which means, we assume, Sonic Superstars (although SEGA has not yet shared a list of games it will be bringing to the expo).
But Sonic Twitter has taken it upon itself return to a recent TailsTube sketch on last month’s Sonic Central showcase, in an attempt to find some clues to support the latest rumour.
The screenshot above, taken during the 23 June Sonic Central, shows a distorted screenshot of a cutscene from the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox classic. It was shared by Twitter user ‘DTBROS’, who highlighted the fact that SEGA’s Sonic social channels have a habit of hiding teasers of upcoming games in plain sight.
To be honest, the TailsTube ’glitch’ is a pretty sound theory to support the idea that something is cooking at SEGA. But it’s not proof that anything will be announced at Gamescom – a show that has not traditionally been a venue for significant reveals by AAA publishers (with one or two exceptions).
Of course, the vast majority of fans who are frenetically wishing for a Sonic Heroes remaster on Twitter just seem to be doing so at random. Which honestly sounds like Twitter in general, to us.
All of this is to say that nobody truly knows what Sonic Team and SEGA have planned down the road. They may well surprise us all and announce a Sonic Heroes remaster – if that happens, you’ll be sure to find out about it first here.
The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe is now open for business, and as you’d expect it is full of fast, filling Sonic food and fun! New images and details about the menu, merchandise and pricing have been revealed for anyone curious to find out before they visit (or stuck in the UK, like me – no, I’m not bitter).
These images come from the YouTube channel Parks and Cons (via the SDCC Unofficial Blog), who took the time to pop in to the pop-up on its early opening day yesterday. You can see the special branded packaging above that comes with your sides and chili dog – definitely worth unfolding and keeping if you’re a dedicated merch hunter!
Speaking of sides and mains, it appears that we weren’t told the full menu in our previous report by the restaurant organisers, as the above photos outline some helpful vegan options as well as alternative sides with some great names (we would totally go for a Chao Down Combo just for the title alone).
And here’s the part that we’re particularly interested in – the exclusive merchandise! You can order yourself a hoodie, hat or t-shirt, with an exclusive black t-shirt available in limited quantities for those ordering a “Gotta Go Fast” SDCC Bundle. We will have @Jason Berryvisit the pop-up to fully cover this as well as other Sonic elements of SDCC 2023, but I have to say personally I’m quite jealous that I won’t be able to waste my credit card on the above items myself.
You can check out the full video from Parks and Cons below.
You might be a bit too distracted watching Sonic Prime on Netflix to notice right now but, SEGA HARDlight has also released a launch trailer for the companion game from Netflix Games, called Sonic Prime Dash.
The game was announced during the Sonic Central 2023 showcase last month, which actually feels like a year or so ago now. As you might expect, it’s Sonic Dash, featuring Sonic Prime characters. If you have a Netflix subscription, it’s a free download, so we imagine a lot of the grinding required of the original free-to-play Sonic Dash will be reduced or removed entirely. We’ll see!
Check out the cool trailer above, which SEGA HARDlight posted on their social media channel linked below, and why not download it and play while you sit on your couch watching the rest of Sonic Prime Season 2, eh?
Via Twitter
Today’s the big day! The “Second Season” (that’s what everyone is calling it now) of Sonic Prime has officially launched on Netflix worldwide – so go off now and start watching it!
If you cast your mind back about six months ago, towards the end of the last set of episodes, we saw Sonic trying to desperately fix a fragmented ‘Shatterverse’ after his (mis)use of the Prism Shard. Along the way he visited several different realities, each with their own versions of Tails, Knuckles, Amy and more.
The eight-episode run ended with Sonic taking on a giant Eggman, facing off against Shadow and having to deal with an irritated Tails Nine – who has skipped through a warp hole with most of the Prism Shard crystals. So, the blue blur has got a bit of a fight on his hands yet.
In case you missed it, check out the trailer for the new season below. And hit up Netflix to watch the whole season!
It’s no secret that Youtube isn’t exactly the best place for animators these days. From radical shifts in the algorithm to unfriendly policy changes, animation channels have had it rough. Youtube’s latest method of making things difficult for animators stems from its habit of forcing random animated videos to be marked as “Made for Kids,” seemingly only because the video in question features animation and children-friendly characters.
Amongst the channels they’ve seemingly targeted in order to force this designation is the Sonic animation channel Balena Productions. They’ve been going after Balena since last year, marking several of their videos as “made for kids.” Balena’s latest video, their “Sonic in Scared Stupid: The Final Chapter” preview video, was hit by this not long after it was uploaded. You can check it out below, but be forewarned, this “kids” video features a werehog zombie with its flesh falling off:
So, why is this such a big deal? Videos hit by this designation have their ability to do well in Youtube’s algorithm neutered, while also having their comments disabled, and existing comments deleted. And as a side effect, videos that clearly aren’t made with kids in mind end up finding their way into Youtube’s supposedly kid-friendly app, effectively defeating the purpose of the whole thing.
To give you an idea of how targeted towards animation this is, even our own Youtube has been affected by this, with most of our uploads focusing on animation from the games forcibly being marked “Made for Kids.” The latest video of ours to be hit by this was our off-screen recording of Sonic Superstars’ animated opening. Our other off-screen recordings of the game remain untouched.
But what is a minor annoyance for us can be apocalyptic for channels like Balena Productions, which relies on their channel’s ad revenue to fund their animations. Since MFK videos do very poorly in Youtube’s algorithm, that limits a video’s views, and thus its ability to generate revenue, affecting a channel’s ability to survive. Of course, when a video is marked MFK, it can be appealed, both through Youtube’s built-in appeal system and through Twitter, but these appeals are often rejected, sometimes within minutes of the appeal being made. Anyone who follows Balena on Twitter is probably familiar with how this typically goes with Team Youtube at this point. They’ve sometimes managed to get the designation removed from a video, but it’s always a fight.
What’s especially strange about all this is that it even goes against Youtube’s own policies, as Balena has pointed out. Specifically, videos made for “everyone” aren’t required to bear this designation. Balena’s videos are not usually brimming with cursing and gore, but they are very much something made for general audiences, something many of their videos note at their start (though this doesn’t always save them.)
So…what can be done about this? Well, you can check out the marked videos for one, like the ones we embedded above. You can also watch older videos and like, comment, and subscribe on the affected channels. You can see what Steven Page had to say about this at his Sonic Revolution panel here.
In the meantime, Youtube’s policy adds even more uncertainty and stress to animation Youtubers who are typically already dealing with a lot. On Twitter, Page has increasingly indicated that, due to Youtube’s policies, continuing to make these animations is becoming untenable. He may be near the end of his rope, “For the past week since the teaser was flagged, I’ve had a migraine and mild panic attacks. I also haven’t been sleeping much, and I feel numbness traveling through my body. It’s a ton of pressure to even stand up to these creeps, and it’s not worth it anymore.”
Hopefully, YouTube will eventually change this strange policy. The whole point of Youtube Kids is to make Youtube compliant to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (or COPPA). Something tells me that forcing videos featuring zombified hedgehogs and a violent video game death to be made for kids doesn’t exactly make them COPPA compliant. Youtube’s community of animators deserve better than this.
Back in the early 90s, Sonic was so big that SEGA was ready to put him on everything. That includes a remake of Nihon Falcom’s popular PC88 sidescrolling action-RPG “Popful Mail.” For decades, it was thought that the game was once going to be localized in the West as “Sister Sonic,” before being mysteriously canceled in favor of a straight-up localization of Popful Mail. As it turns out, that isn’t the full story. The people at Did You Know Gaming have discovered that Sister Sonic wasn’t just a western localization of the game, but it was going to be the SEGA CD version of said game, with an altered story to suit the new character.
This revelation comes from DYKG’s latest Sonic video. In it, they reveal that they dug through various Japanese language primary sources, discovering in an interview that Sister Sonic was to be one of five initial games developed under SEGA Falcom, a joint venture between SEGA and Falcom meant to remake Falcom games for SEGA hardware.
In an interview from the November 1992 issue of BEEP! Megadrive, which DYKG used as a source, SEGA Falcom’s director said that they chose this direction because “it makes more sense for us to use Sonic, who’s already popular all around the world.” He also confirmed that, despite the name, the game wasn’t about “Sonic’s sister” but instead a female relative. She was to be the first female Sonic character, She would still be a bounty hunter, like Popful Mail, but she would be a “more mature girl” with a “flirtatious and sexy charm.”
At the time of the interview, Sister Sonic was one of five SEGA Falcom games in development, and also the furthest along. It was expected to release in Japan and overseas with Japanese subtitles at nearly the same time. Ultimately, a letter writing campaign from Popful Mail fans would cause SEGA to rethink its plans, leading to Sister Sonic’s cancellation.
Popful Mail would eventually launch for the MEGA CD in April 1994, followed by an American release in February of ‘95. These days, Popful Mail is considered a SEGA CD classic and one of the best games on the platform, though the US localization is generally considered a downgrade due to its difficulty being increased during localization. Thankfully, there is a fan patch out there. These days, the game is quite rare, and typically goes for a pretty penny.
You can find the full Did You Know Gaming video here.
Love playing Sonic Dash but absolutely hated having to collect (and lose) all of those tokens in order to feel like you were progressing through the character roster? Well hate no more, because SEGA HARDlight has announced it will be revamping its character reward system by introducing new ‘character cards’.
The idea is this: players grab Character Cards that appear on the track (in much the same way as Character Tokens before), but these items will then go into a special collection where you will get to keep them forever. Meaning that it will only be a matter of time before you earn enough cards to unlock and upgrade your characters.
According to the announcement from HARDlight, there will be four rarities of card available – Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary, with Legendary cards only being available during special events.
It sounds an awful lot like the system in place for the mobile developer’s other game, Sonic Forces Speed Battle – which is a system that makes sense, so it’s good that HARDlight is integrating it into its older Dash title to keep things up to date.
The Character Card update will be released on Thursday July 13th.
Via Twitter
To the surprise of probably nobody, SEGA has been announced as attending the upcoming Gamescom convention taking place in Germany next month. Which is potentially great news for Europeans hoping to get some hands-on time with Sonic Superstars!
Of course, SEGA’s lineup at the Cologne-based games expo has yet to be confirmed, but with the new 2D Classic Sonic adventure hitting store shelves in the Fall, it would make sense for this game to make the cut.
No doubt some of SEGA’s other new and upcoming titles will be on show as well, including Creative Assembly’s loot shooter Hyenas (which also happens to feature Sonic… sort of).
SEGA has been a longtime partner of Gamescom, and last year we got to see some gameplay demos of Sonic Frontiers (and we had an exclusive chat with Takashi Iizuka about the game then too). The Sonic Stadium is also going to be at Gamescom this year, so we’ll hope to bring you all the latest info and details from the show floor!
Via Twitter
Four old-school legends of the Sonic the Hedgehog online community are “getting the band back together” to reminisce about the origins of classic Sonic game research and modding at an upcoming retro gaming convention.
Andy Wolan, Rlan, SSNTails and Saxman – each of them original alumni of the Sonic Stuff Research Group (SSRG) website that has been in operation since 1996 – will be guest speakers at two panels during the Retro World Expo in Hartford, CT.
One panel will focus on the history of the SSRG website (which is generally considered the birthplace of classic Sonic game modding and research) and the journey it has gone through over the last few decades, while another will be a general overview of modding and the origins of community efforts to research classic Sonic titles.
While the panels should be interesting for anyone who wants to know more about the Sonic modding scene of the late 1990s and 2000s, the guests themselves are also noteworthy for their contributions to the Sonic online Community.
Andy Wolan was the co-founder of SSRG, as well as the creator of early-2000s popular retro game website Emulation Zone, while Rlan is best known as the creator of Sonic Fan Games HQ and current operator of the ‘Sonic the Hedgeblog’ social media accounts. SSNTails is the co-creator of Sonic Robo Blast 2, arguably the most iconic Sonic fan game ever made, while Saxman is the creator of many famous modding guides for Sonic 1, Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
If you’re interested in turning up, the Retro World Expo takes place on August 26-27 in the Connecticut Convention Center. Tickets start at $40 for Saturday and $30 for Sunday attendance, with various packages available.
We have firm details and hi-res photos of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog pop-up restaurant in San Diego, offering a little taste of what fans can expect to see when the venue opens. And it opens on July 13th! That’s tomorrow!
Called the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe, the restaurant is the result of a collaboration between SEGA and Secret Sauce Society restauranteur Andy Nguyen, with blue blur iconography throughout the venue as well as themed food to order.
And yes, chili dogs ARE on the menu.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
There will be much more on offer than just ‘dogs, though. The full menu features a crispy fried chicken “Knuckles Sandwich”, as well as an egg salad “Evil Genius” sandwich alongside “Sonic’s Classic Chili Dog”, with “Golden Ring” onion rings and “Fast Fries” on offer as tasty sides. For drinks, you can order a “Blue Blur” blueberry slushie (representing Sonic), a “Smashing Echidna” cherry slush (Knuckles), a “Flying Fox” mango orange slush (Tails) or a “Team Dark” mocha milkshake (Shadow).
Best of all, for all you merch hunters out there, there will be exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe merchandise available to buy on site including t-shirts, hoodies and hats. And if you’re that way inclined, the food itself will come with Sonic-themed packaging too, so you can take that home if you don’t mind your bedroom smelling of chili.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe will be situated at 910 J St Space 2, San Diego, CA 92101, and will formally open on Thursday July 13, 2023. The pop-up will be open until August 20, 2023 – so you will have a month to visit if you wish. After that, the venue switches back to its old Chick’NCone location.
For those attending San Diego Comic Con, there will be a special pre-con launch party for the restaurant on July 19.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
Here are the opening times:
If you’re going to be at San Diego Comic Con 2023 in a week’s time and you’re hungry for some chill dogs (we assume the restaurant will be serving child dogs… there’s kind of no point to doing this otherwise), why not take some time out of the convention hall and have a little search for Sonic?
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story (Wed 12 Jul, 08:50am UK) focused on two off-street photos taken from a user called ‘royabagheri‘ and posted on the SDCC Unofficial Blog. We include these photos below and have edited the rest of the story to reflect updated information.
SEGA’s Sonic Community Manager got a little more than they bargained for this past weekend after a seemingly harmless question about new Sonic game genres generated thousands of responses from Sonic fans desperately seeking their favourite hero in a new RPG or fighting game.
It all started simply enough. Sonic social lead Katie Chrzanowski casually posted, “What’s your dream genre to see a Sonic game (or more Sonic games) created as?” But before too long, an army of Twitter users with starry eyes and big dreams bombarded the reply box with requests for a follow-up to cult spinoff games such as Sonic Battle and Sonic Chronicles.
Of over 2,200 replies in just over a day, it was clear that the fanbase has long been yearning to see the blue blur in a role-playing scenario once again. Former Sonic social manager Sergio Montealegre elaborated on this by suggesting IDW’s work could form part of the universe:
Honestly? After Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Battle, I think we’re due for another official Sonic fighter. Runner up is an earnest attempt at a Sonic RPG. Chronicles left much to be desired, but there’s a viable path if you put IDW characterization with a good battle system
IDW writer and author Evan Stanley added, “my greatest wish is for a little point and click adventure game or an RPG,” but generally wanted to see more done with the open zone mechanic introduced in Sonic Frontiers. ‘MrPasquale’ referenced BioWare’s Nintendo DS RPG, Sonic Chronicles, while explaining how SEGA could pull it off with a seasoned internal team…
I would go crazy to see another full on Sonic RPG. Chronicles had the right idea, it just needed way more budget. If Atlus got involved with a project like this, that would legit be a dream come true.
Twitter user ‘Arcade Awesome’ took the role-playing concept to the extreme however and suggested a dating sim that… well, you can read the full thing on his social post here but here’s the elevator pitch.
I need a Sonic the Hedgehog RPG dating sim…. However, it would star Big the Cat and Sonic is his wingman (the player). The mission is helping Big go from being a zero to a hero with the ladies. Level up Big the Cat and turn him into the ultimate bachelor.
Elsewhere, there was just as equal a response for a new Sonic fighting game. Many users referenced GBA brawler Sonic Battle and arcade classic Sonic the Fighters, but a few fans had ideas of their own – like Sonic Stadium member Linkabel suggested the following:
A 2.5D fighting game, especially something with a similar visual style to the Uekawa artwork. It could even be a three-on-three fighting game to keep the teams that other games have used. (Team Sonic, Team Dark etc etc)
Even the NiGHTS fanbase got involved! ‘Digi Valentine’ went big with the vision, imagining a full-on SEGA roster that matches up with that of Sumo Digital’s kart-racing series, SEGA All-Stars Racing.
SEGA All-Stars fighting game (that features a selection of Sonic characters). You can put Sonic front and centre because that’s to be expected, but it would be incredibly cool if such a game could utilise SEGA’s catalogue of other IP’s too.
‘TRiPPY’ also felt that a fighting game was the most exciting idea, as “Fighters Megamix was such a great game and I’d love to see the Sonic lot take on other famous iP again.”
And then you had fans who went right down the middle of both action-RPG and fighting. “A Beat ’em up in the style of Shredder’s Revenge. I’ve always wanted to see something like that,” wrote Balena Productions, while everyone’s favourite Meme Bean Machine threw in a concept image to illustrate what that may look like.
So! Everyone has lots of ideas! If anything can be learned from this madness, it’s that Sonic really is quite a versatile enough character to fit into most genres of games. And everyone wants to see him in everything! So really, if this was some secret exercise by SEGA’s social media team to poll what their next Sonic spinoff project could be… well, let’s hope the response has helped them get a little bit closer to a decision!
What’s your dream genre / type of game for Sonic that hasn’t been realised yet? Let us know in the comments section below!
The first image of Jakks Pacific’s upcoming Blaze the Cat figure, which had its listing leaked earlier this year, has been…leaked. In addition to Blaze, photos the entirety of the fourteenth wave of Jakks Pacific 4” figures, which she is a part of, has also been leaked. Interestingly, we have brand new figures of Modern Knuckles and a new variant of modern Sonic. The final figure, Shadow, is a simple re-release.
This leak comes courtesy of Sonic Merch News, whom posted the images to their Twitter earlier today. Check out the toys in the gallery below.
It is currently unknown when these toys will release, though since we now have images, they are probably coming later this year.
The results of an election that would determine whether or not SEGA of America workers will unionize are in, and it’s official: they are now unionized. This makes SoA’s union, AEGIS-CWA, the largest multi-department union in the game industry. The results weren’t especially close, at 91 for, 26 against. AEGIS must now go to the bargaining table with SEGA management to hammer out a union contract.
You can read all about what led to the union forming here. This election comes months after AEGIS announced its formation and requested voluntary recognition from SEGA management. When SEGA refused to grant it, an election date for the union was chosen near the end of May. A few weeks later AEGIS accused SEGA management of interfering with their right to organize ahead of the election. AEGIS said SEGA management “initiated an anti-union campaign.”
So, where do things go from here? Well, I’m no expert on unions, but I’ve followed unions enough that I think I can give you a broad idea. For one, SEGA and AEGIS representatives will need to meet to work out the details of a union contract. This contract will cover a certain number of years, and guarantee SEGA employees certain benefits. This tweet likely gives us an idea of what AEGIS will be trying to get.
Once union leaders have a tentative contract with SEGA management, they will take it to their union members for a vote. If a plurality of members vote for the contract, it becomes official. If SEGA and AEGIS are unable to agree on a contract that can win a vote from members, a strike becomes a possibility. A union may authorize a strike ahead of or during negotiations. If a contract can’t be agreed upon, AEGIS members will be able to strike, which will allow them to refuse to work until a contract is signed. We are a long way from a strike, however. AEGIS hasn’t given us any sort of time table for when a contract will be agreed to, but we’ll know more in the coming weeks and months.
via Twitter
San Diego Comic Con is right around the corner, and IDW Publishing is hyping up its annual Sonic the Hedgehog panel this year with teases of sneak peeks for upcoming works and brand new announcements – promising it will be “one for the history books”.
Titled “Sonic the Hedgehog: Speeding to the 900th Adventure!”, the event will no doubt be heavily discussing the latest one-shot comic (called, funnily enough, “Sonic the Hedgehog: 900th Adventure”) – but as this special book represents something of a landmark for IDW’s licensed series, it’s understandable that the publisher would also want to celebrate a little by announcing something cool there too.
For those attending (and for those curious to follow the news live with us online), IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog panel will take place on Sunday 22 July between 10am – 11am Pacific Time (that’s 6pm – 7pm in the UK), in Room 25ABC. Comic editor David Mariotte and writer/artist Evan Stanley will be present to discuss and answer questions, and there will also be a signing event taking place just after (11:30am – 12:30pm PT) featuring Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Min Ho Kim and SEGA’s Mike Cisneros.
Full details from IDW’s press release below (courtesy AIPT, where you can find schedules and information on all the other IDW Publishing panels as well, such as TMNT and Star Trek):
Panels:
SUNDAY, JULY 22
Sonic The Hedgehog: Speeding to the 900th Adventure!
10:00am-11:00am, Room 25ABCGotta go fast to the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog panel at San Diego Comic-Con! Join the creative team – including Sonic editor David Mariotte and writer Evan Stanley – as they celebrate the upcoming 900th adventure of the Blue Blur with super fun stories that will leave fans spinning. Get ready to race into action with exciting sneak peeks and announcements that will make this panel one for the history books.
Signing Schedule:
SUNDAY, JULY 23
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
11:30am-12:30pm
Evan Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Mike Cisneros, Min Ho Kim
You can bet your bottom dollar we at the Sonic Stadium are preparing our trip there so we can give you top coverage. As always, keep an eye on the Sonic Stadium for the latest news (and post in our forums to discuss the latest before we even get to it!).
Sonic’s only foray into the RPG genre, Sonic Chronicles, famously ended on a cliffhanger, one developer Bioware had plans to resolve in a sequel. Nearly 13 years later, that sequel seems extremely unlikely to happen, but we at leas finally have some idea of how it’s plot would have played out, thanks to research done by Did You Know Gaming.
In a new video released earlier today, DYKG dished on the canned sequels plot. The previous game ended with the defeat of Ix, the Nocturnes echidna clan chief, in the Twilight Cage pocket dimension. Upon returning to Earth, Sonic and friends found that their world had been conquered by Eggman. Sonic Chronicles 2 would start with Sonic’s friends being separated and forming separate parties in different parts of the world. The world has now been remade in Dr. Eggman’s image: people have been rounded up and enslaved, with world landmarks like the Pyramids of Giza and the Eiffel Tower remade in Dr. Eggman’s image.
This all came from DYKG’s interview with Sonic Chronicles Lead Designer Miles Holmes. In the video, Holmes compares the game to Terminator’s future on a few occasions, saying Eggman’s machines have created a very dystopic “Terminator future.” Eventually, the aforementioned different parties will start freeing populations from around the world, so that they can “build a multinational army to storm Eggman’s base and restore world order.”
Just before Eggman’s defeat, a God alluded to in the previous game, Argus, shows up, forcing Sonic and Eggman to team up to defeat him. Even Super Sonic isn’t enough to defeat Argus. During what is presumably the game’s final boss fight, Eggman has to fire Super Sonic out his “mega death laser” to even beat the boss’s first phase. This weakens Argus enough to allow all of the races imprisoned by Argus to escape, and engage in a climactic final battle to defeat the god.
The aftermath would apparently re-establish the status quo (echidnas aside), with Dr. Eggman running off again. DYKG also says that Shade and Knuckles will be able to “continue Knuckles’ bloodline.” The game would end with a final teaser that would set up future plot points: the reason Argus imprisoned races in the Twilight Cage to begin with. An oracle told Argus that one day, he would die at the hands of a mortal, so Argus trapped the universe’s most powerful races in the Twilight Cage.
In reality, however, the oracle was tricking Argus into building a team that would eventually destroy him. The identity and motivation of this oracle, or as Holmes calls them, a “trickster god,” was something that could be explored further in future games. Any future games would not have been made by BioWare, however, since they considered their obligations finished after the first game.
The video also reveals that Takashi Iizuka expressed interest in using Shade and Argus in other games, meaning that Chronicles could have had a larger impact on the franchise had it been allowed to continue. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t really give us any new insights on why a sequel never happened, though they speculate that it might have been due to the Ken Penders lawsuits. They interview both Penders and Holmes on the lawsuit, but we aren’t really given any new insights.
You can find the full video here. The video also reveals new info on Sister Sonic and Sonic Day, which we will cover later!
IDW Sonic’s 900th Adventure is getting a lot more action-packed with the reveal of two new cover variants for the upcoming one-shot comic. Evan Stanley brings us a whale-biting encounter with the book’s Cover C, while the Retail Incentive artwork offers a Fleetway throwback courtesy of legendary UK artist Richard Elson.
As we’ve come to expect from Stanley, her Cover C artwork is a phenomenal piece, featuring a fantastic art style that really captures the dynamism of both Sonic and Amy as they try to escape a whale (what is it with whales?). The IDW writer also shared a clean version of this artwork as well as some thumbnail sketches on her social media channel, as a treat.
As for the Retail Incentive cover? Well, UK-based Sonic fans who grew up in the 1990s are in for a real treat with this one, as this cover is by none other than Sonic the Comic artist Richard Elson. And those with the ‘STC Style’ burned into their memories will truly appreciate Elson’s familiar take on Sonic and Dr. Eggman here.
Stanley and Elson’s work join a number of well-known Sonic comic artists who are collaborating and contributing to this one-shot, including Sonic Team’s Yuji Uekawa, Tracy Yardley and Adam Bryce Thomas. Sonic the Hedgehog’s 900th Adventure is slated for an August 30 release and will be on sale for $7.99 USD.
Yuji Naka, the man best known as the co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams, and his work on Phantasy Star, has been been sentenced to two and a half years of prison, but that sentence has been suspended for four year, during which time he’ll be on probation. Provided he has no trouble with the law, he’ll never serve time in prison. He has also fined two separate times for ¥20 million and ¥170 million, or a total of roughly $1.25 million USD.
This comes after a seven-month-long legal battle where Naka attempted to, among other things, blame his secretary for giving him information he wasn’t supposed to have in an attempt to get a lighter sentence.
via Twitter
Sonic Prime Season 2’s debut episode is almost everything I was hoping it would be…up until the final moments. Shadow, who was only scantly featured in the show’s first 8 episode batch, features in a big way here, and he’s the best he’s been in any official media in literal years.
The episode begins right where the previous season left off, with Sonic encountering Shadow after being blasted out of the pirate world. This begins an extended exposition sequence as Sonic learns about the void between shatterspaces, Shadow’s predicament, and most importantly: the fate of Green Hill and how it can be restored.
Shadow is a true highlight through all this. His characterization has been…controversial amongst some fans over the last several years, and while I find it all overblown, it’s still hard for me to disagree. SEGA has long seemed content to leave Shadow as a flat, cardboard caricature of a character, one who likes no one, needs nothing, and is one-hundred-percent pure-uncut grade-A angst.
It’s subtle, but Prime’s Shadow is emotive and motivated in ways he hasn’t really been allowed to be since the Archie Sonic days. This is largely thanks to a combination of Ian Hanlin’s stellar voice work, the effectively animated acting, and the solid script. This gives Shadow’s characterization some depth, making him feel less like Angsty McAngsterson and more like Sonic’s more serious, scolding older brother.
Shadow’s clearly angry over Sonic’s careless actions, distraught over what’s happened to Green Hill and its denizens, and genuinely appears to care about what’s going on. One big issue i’ve long had with Shadow over the last 15 years is that it’s never really been clear to me what motivates him to do good. Was it duty to GUN? An obligation to Maria? Since it hasn’t really felt like he actually cares about anyone, why fight Eggman?
In Sonic Prime, the answer seems to be that Shadow genuinely does care about people, even if he remains pretty standoffish about it. Like I said: it’s subtle, but it’s definitely evident here, and that makes a world of difference when it comes to Shadow as a character. Hopefully this is a sign that SEGA is loosening its grip on Shadow, but even if it isn’t, I’m just glad Prime got to do this with him.
Shadow’s scolding of Sonic eventually leads to fisticuffs between him and the blue blur, and that’s when we get to the episode’s other highlight: the action. The action sequences of Prime were a highlight in the initial 8 episodes, but the fight between Sonic and Shadow is truly something special. This is the sort of Sonic action I’ve been waiting decades for.
Sonic and Shadow’s fight is fast and exciting, full of dynamic camera angles, superb choreography, and the sort combat you could only hope to get from a properly animated Sonic versus Shadow fight. This, more than anything else, really makes me hope Sonic Prime can exist beyond its initial season, and maybe explore other story arcs and corners of Sonic’s world. Just imagine the possibilities if they were able to bring characters like Surge into this show!
Unfortunately, by the end of the episode, it’s clear this isn’t about to become a Sonic and Shadow adventure. Shadow is still locked out of the shatterspaces, thus also locking him out of most of the plot. I admit, I hoped Shadow would join the show’s main cast with this episode, since an adventure focused around Sonic and Shadow having to work together simply sounds fun. Alas, that is not to be, at least not for now. Maybe in the final batch of the show’s 24 episodes?
Nevertheless, Sonic Prime’s second batch of episodes looks to be expanding on the shatterverse crossovers that started happening at the end of season 1. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the various versions of each character interact.
Sonic Prime’s second season is set to debut on Netflix July 13.
Netflix is once again giving fans an early taste of Sonic Prime, as their Netflix After School YouTube channel has posted the first full episode of Season 2. Picking up directly after the end of Season 1, the episode sheds light on the mysterious echoes of Shadow Sonic encountered.
The full Season 2 premieres in little over a week, July 13, promising Shadow to take a more pronounced role and Shatterverse bleed over, though a third season is expected to fulfill the previously announced series length of 24 episodes.
Sonic Frontiers may be a 2022 release, but it’s still managing to chart, as a top selling game in 2023! As of May, Sonic Frontiers amongst the year’s 20 best selling games, hanging on at the 18th spot, the same place it held back in April. This comes despite the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which instantly took the number two spot on the chart.
This info comes courtesy of Circana Group, formerly NPD Group, which has long tracked US video game sales. The chart below was released by NPD analyst Matt Piscatella on his Twitter.
While Sonic Frontiers has managed to stay in the top 20 for 2023, it did not manage to chart in May-only sales.
via Twitter
DiC’s Sonic the Hedgehog, AKA Sonic SatAM, is finally returning to DVD with a new box set from NCircle. A pre-order listing for the DVD has appeared on Amazon, with a price of $19.99 and a release date of September 19, 2023. The series will be printed on two DVDs, and has new box art. The listing and the box art do not mention this containing any of the extras from the old Shout! Factory box set, which unfortunately may mean it won’t have them.
Check out the DVD’s box art below:
Sonic SatAM was among the last Sonic cartoons to still be out of print, with Sonic X, Sonic Underground, Sonic Boom, and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog all receiving complete series releases over the last few years. NCircle has been responsible for the bulk of these releases.
You can pre-order the DVD here.
If you’ve been looking for some Photo Mode enhancements for the PC version of Sonic Frontiers, then this new community project might just do the trick. YouTuber Blue Vivacity has released a download for the open-zone adventure called the ‘Emotes Mod’, which adds over 130 poses and expressions to the game.
Once installed, you will be able to launch Photo Mode and take advantage of a whole bunch of ’emotes’ that can really add extra comedy, tension or drama to a particular scene – and it works with official DLC content too such as Sonic’s Christmas outfit or the Monster Hunter costume. There are even poses for Super Sonic.
On top of this, the mod comes complete with a Sticker and Frames pack, so you can further decorate your photos with cool Sonic themed borders and funny little images. We particularly like the Sonic the Hedgehog Master System box art-inspired framing, that very specifically caters to Dreadknux’s interests.
All of these poses have been created by a team of community modders alongside Blue Vivacity, including The Duck Dealer, SonicPox and others, and are “inspired by artwork from the Sonic community”.
If you’re interested in getting this on your system, check out the description in the YouTube video embedded above for the download link – the video also includes a tutorial on how to install the package. We want to see some of your best Photos taken using this mod, now. Feel free to share with us in the comments section below!
Via Twitter
Sonic Channel has launched the latest poll for its Sonic Calendar 2023 art series, and this time fans are being asked whether they would like to see Blaze the Cat partnered with Silver the Hedgehog or… Omochao.
The poll is open until Friday 7th July, so if you want your voice heard hit the Google poll and make a choice. Whoever wins will feature in a special Calendar artwork for August 2023, matching the special theme of “Isekai Ohgiri” (which is a ‘fantasy scenario’ series that puts Sonic characters in new and interesting situations).
Blaze and Silver, of course, have already featured in official fantasy art pieces in previous months, but we suspect that the legion of “Blaze x Silver” (Silaze? Blilver? What do you call it?) subfans out there will make it their lifelong mission to game the results so their favourite ship can get together. We voted for Omochao, pretty much to just piss Twitter off.
Best of luck to both not-real cartoon candidates!
Via Twitter
SEGA has filed a trademark for what appears to be another Sonic game, “Sonic & Friends.” The trademark was published today in the Japanese trademark website “Chizai Watch,” where it was filed on June 23rd. Some cursory research suggests this is almost definitely a game, as it shares many many of the same categories including Machines and Appliances, Toys, Clothing, Paper, and perhaps most importantly, Education and Entertainment. Toys, paper and clothing likely apply to merchandise, as Frontiers’ trademark possessed both of these categories in addition to “leather.”
The trademark also makes mention of “commodity service programs for home-use television game machines.” As is typical of game trademarks, a variety of potential media and other things are also mentioned, including magnetic tape and magnetic disks. But most importantly, ROM cartridges and optical disks are also mentioned. The trademark does mention games for mobile phones, but Frontiers did as well, so that is not necessarily relevant to the platform.
For a look at the full trademark, translated on the website by Google, take a look at the screenshot below:
So, this being a game seems to be extremely likely, but what could this be, exactly? We’ve known for some time that a new mobile game from SEGA Hardlight is in development. I attempted to compare this to a mobile game trademark from SEGA, but the only one I was able to find was 404 Game RE:SET, which more or less utilizes the same game related categories as this and Frontiers. So it could certainly be a mobile title.
Alternatively, it could be some sort of spin-off. Perhaps a party game? Well, whatever it is, we’ll probably find out about it in the coming months. You can find a link to the trademark here, though as of this article’s publication the page appears to be having issues loading.
Please note that the Sonic & Friends logo used for the feature image is not the logo the game itself will use. Special thanks to Twitter user Dejimon11 for the news tip!
Californian baseball fans were given a super Sonic treat over the weekend, as the regional team Oakand Athletics paid a tribute to SEGA’s mascot while celebrating their players on the Jumbotron during a recent game.
The video above, shared on social media by ‘Dizzydennis‘, features a number of present and past A’s players as they raced around a Green Hill Zone style level collecting baseballs and knocking out evil robot villains. At the very end, former player Eric Chavez appears to ‘win’ the game, while the team’s elephant mascot dances in victory.
It’s a really cool thing for sports fans to see, and just goes to show how mainstream Sonic the Hedgehog still is across all forms of media. Let us know what you think of this tribute in the comments below.
