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Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken.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.
It’s been almost one year Since the Sonic Boom franchise officially launched with both the games and T.V. series and we celebrate by looking back on the first season. Join Jason, GX and guest Evil Dr. Reef as we discuss not only Sonic Boom, but the latest Sonic news and make Stick puns. Mostly by accident.
After that, Jason gets a one hour, one-on-one interview with the man who made Sonic the coolest thing on Twitter, Sega’s own Aaron Webber! He talks about Sonic Boom, the upcoming Sonic Lost World and much more including some exclusive Sonic Boom info This one’s a must-listen!
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Although we uploaded our last episode very recently, it’s actually been almost 6 months since our last podcast. But now that we’re back on our feet, you can expect more of Sonic Talk in the upcoming months.
In this episode, Jason and GX go on a lengthy discussion on “Toys to Life” games including Disney Infinity 3.0, Skylanders Superchargers and Lego Dimensions while Alex gives us his two cents on the Metal Gear Solid series. We then discuss the recent delay of Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice and why we feel it may have been delayed. We’ll also go into GE Entertainments new line of Sonic plushies, a certain hedgehog soon to show up the Sonic Boom cartoon and why the cancellation of the Sonic Boom comic and Super Special magazine could be good for the Sonic digests. All this and more on Sonic Talk!
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Although Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice has been delayed until next year, that’s not stopping Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s from promoting the game with Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice Cool Kids Combos . While they’re nothing too spectacular, they’re miles above what you got in the Del Taco Sonic Boom kids meal. You can collect up to four different toys in the set which each kids combo meal you purchase. These toys include…..
Splat Ball – See Sonic Boom characters on this soft, squishy ball.Turn your best friends into your greatest enemies as you splash them with water in these cool winter temperatures.
Sonic The Hedgehog Figure – This rolling Sonic the Hedgehog figure really shines! (Note to self: Get a few of these. Spray paint Sonic gold and make into award trophies for next Sonic fan convention.)
Board Game – You can play as Sonic, Tails, Sticks, Amy or Knuckles! Be the first to reach the end and win, but watch out for enemy attacks.Like the Del Taco toy, you have to build your own dice, but it does look like a more traditional board game.
Communicator with Secret Compartment – Lift the top off of this wristband to reveal a secret compartment.This can also be great for cosplay if you’re making a Sonic Boom costume for Halloween.
The promotion will be going on until early November. You can check out the website for more info at www.carlscoolkids.com. While you’re there, check out the funzone for Sonic Boom Wallpapers and more.
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It looks like Sonic Dash 2’s soft launch is near it’s finale and will be making it’s way to other countries fairly soon. In this video, we get some more details on the game and a little bit of a “behind the scenes” look into the studio. This is just part one of a three part series so stay tuned for more! t.
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Welcome to the TSS premiere of Sonic Talk! We’ve moved our show from Segabits to here at the Sonic Stadium. Sadly this episode is very late but great and worth the wait! In this comic book heavy episode, we get a nice, long interview with Sonic comic book scribe Ian Flynn! We talk about the Sonic/Mega Man crossover,”World’s Unite”, the recent Sonic story arcs, writing comedy for Sonic Boom and a little behind the scenes on the reboot. Meanwhile, Alex gives his final two cents on a previous Sonic writer who shall remain nameless, but you can probably guess who. All this and more in the first Sonic Talk on Sonic Stadium!
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Check out our coverage of the Archie action panel from San Diego Comic Con. Check out some new art, new info on World’s Unite, the fate of Sonic Boom, the new Silver arc and much, much more! Professionals chatting include Bill Freiberger (Sonic Boom), regular Sonic artist and writer of “The Silver Age” Evan Stanley, Marketing Man Alex Segura, New Archie Action editor Vincent Lovallo and Archie President Mike Pellerito. Headphones recommended as their voices echo in the room.
Credit for video goes to Alex Peal AKA Nuckles87. He’ll have a video interview with Vincent Lovallo up on Segabits very soon with even more new stuff.
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.
Welcome to the ninth episode of the Sonic Boomcast! In this week’s episode, join me, Lidice, Christian and Johara Finley as we look towards the future with a sneak peek into the plotlines of the second half of the first season and talk about the Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice reveal trailer and much more.
Speaking of that game, the second half of the show has a full interview with lead level designer, Matt Kraemer from Sanzaru games! We talk all things about Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice (and Knuckles) for the 3DS. Who’s writing it? What do the fire and ice elements do? What about multiplayer? Speed runs? Voice acting? All that is revealed and more in this special episode of the Sonic Boomcast. So listen in and enjoy.
P.S. Sorry for my horrible photoshop skills. Also, they are NOT changing it to “Fire and Ice and Knuckles” just to be clear.
NOTES: First Half was recorded on 6/15. Matt Kraemer Interview was recorded on 6/23. Takes me awhile to edit audio. XP
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As someone who covers Sonic news and previews for Sonic Stadium, this has been one of the worst E3’s ever for Sonic news. Despite Sonic Boom : Fire and Ice and Mario and Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympics coming soon, neither of them were on the show floor. The closest things to Sonic games at E3 are Freedom Planet (a preview is available for a limited time on the Nintendo E-Shop) and Rodea the Sky Soldier. A game designed by Yuji Naka and published by NIS America.
Rodea the Sky Soldier is an action platform game that heavily involves flying. You play as Rodea, a cyborg, cat-like boy who has woken up from being asleep for 1,000 years only to find the enemy he destroyed centuries ago has returned. The game play itself is very reminiscent of NiGHTS and a little bit of Sonic Adventure which I will get into momentarily. In the game, Rodea has an arsenal of different moves at his command. The main one being a targeting lock-on that let’s Rodea fly to enemies and locals. You can also hit the “B” button to fast attack targets such as large, hovering robots.
If you remember that in Sonic Adventure, Sonic can get special shoes that allow him to quickly grab a trail of rings that are in the air. That aspect is in Sky Soldier as well. You can target a line of yellow crystals and fly to them. This often acts as a trail to quickly get to the next floating island or set piece. When done properly, it gives the game a sort of speed-run feeling. You also use this targeting system to target enemies and boost to them for an attack or find a piece of island to land on before your flight meter runs out. Flying around these crystals, enemies and such gives the game a bit of a “NiGHTS” feeling while still being pretty original. However…
The Wii U controls are very difficult to get a good handle on. I tried the demo on two different occasions and during both times I found myself target the wrong spot and flying either into a wall or on the underside of an island before falling to my death fairly often. Both moving your character and targeting are on the same stick while the camera control is on the right, but you can’t use the camera controls if locked onto a target. It made it so I was having difficulty getting through even some of the earlier stages. Even after learning what does what and playing the game for over half an hour, I still couldn’t master it. Perhaps it’s the regular button/dual stick combo that is the problem. This game was originally meant as a Wii game only and I can see Wiimote/Nunchuck controls actually being a benefit as it feels like targeting would be much more effective by aiming with the Wiimote thus allowing your character to move while targeting. Sadly, I found out from the gentleman showing off the game that only the Wii version (which comes with the Wii U version of the game) has those kind of controls.
One other minor negative is that the graphics haven’t really gotten much of an HD upgrade from the Wii version. It’s definitely a higher resolution, but the low polygon count and bland textures remain. Even the CGI cutscenes are still fairly low res. The biggest highlight here is the 2-D artwork looks very high-res and sharp on the Wii U version. However, since the graphics aren’t a major upgrade, it may give me a good reason to stick with the Wii version included.
Which is a shame since this game shows a ton of potential and originality. It’s the most…”Yuji Naka” of Yuji Naka’s Prope Studio games. It feels fresh while still having feature reminiscent of NiGHTS and Sonic Adventure. However, it also feels like a game from those times as well. It’s controls are archaic and the game itself seems about ten years behind the times. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing more on Rodea the Sky Soldier and hoping the full version proves my fears wrong.
Rodea the Sky Soldier will release on Wii U (with Wii version included) and 3DS in North America on October 13th and in Europe on October 16th.
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Hey folks! This is just a little opinion piece VLOG I did yesterday for the reaction of Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice. I wanted to answer people’s question on why this game exists considering the last one didn’t do all that well and how they can easily make a profit off of this one without having to sell many units. Enjoy!
P.S. Yes, I’m well aware of how messy my room is. XP
“Fire and Ice” by Pat Benetar.
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Now’s the best time to add a collection of Sonic games to your PC! Humblebundle.com is having a huge sale on Sega games, including the Sonic Hits Collection for a whopping 85% off! The collection not only has just about every Sonic Genesis title, but also includes Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Sonic C.D., Sonic Generations (+DLC), Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing 1 & 2 (+DLC) and Sonic 4 episodes 1 & 2. All for the low, low price of $16.94 (USD). You can also pick up All-Stars Racing Transformed by it’s lonesome for $3.99. The sale is only going on for a few days, so hurry and save!
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I think to have a proper mindset for the Sonic Boom cartoon, you have to first remember that this series is a spinoff FEATURING characters from the Sonic franchise, but not necessarily in the same tone as the regular video game series itself. Unlike all the other Sonic cartoons, it’s much less about action and adventure than it is more of a domestic situation comedy similar to the recent Looney Tunes show. There are many differences between this Sonic and the one we’re used to, but does the humor of the show pull it above it’s less adventurous storylines? Let’s a take a deep look into Sonic Boom and see what’s better about the new take on these characters and what simply doesn’t work.
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We have a great episode this month. Lidice and I got not one, but TWO special guests! First up is Sonic Boom co-executive producer and writer on Sonic Boom #5, Bill Freiberger. We discuss all things Sonic Boom including the more minor characters. Next, with the release of Sonic Runners soft launch, I got Big Fish Games narrative designer and die-hard Sonic fangirl, Joanie Rich to talk with me about the new game and how successful the mobile industry can be. This is easily the best episode of Sonic Boomcast yet, so tune in!
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Galaxy Trail games founder Stephen DiDuro Recently posted this image on Twitter. Freedom Planet, the high speed, action platformer will be making it’s way to the Wii U E-Shop in the near future. So why bring this up on a Sonic fansite? In case you didn’t know, Freedom Planet originally started it’s life as a Sonic fan game and was featured at SAGE several times. Price and date have yet to be announced.
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NEW UPDATE: English translation of the trailer at the bottom of this post.
UPDATE: More new info can be found on the official English site here.
Sega Networks has released the first Sonic Runners trailer with actual footage from the game! The game looks like a fun mesh of the autorun of Cabalt mixed with the high speed and item collecting of Jetpack Joyride. We can already see some unlockable characters that will be released including Rouge, Shadow, Amy and the Chaotix. Also, shown are some of the items that can be purchased and used in game.
The game is still targeted for spring in Japan, but no release date news for the West or Europe just yet. However, at one point in the video, you can hear Roger Craig Smith yell “Sonic Record!” so it’s all but guaranteed to show up here sometime this year.
Thanks to Chad in the comments section, here’s a translation of the trailer.
THIS sonic is appearing on smartphone!
Sonic’s appearing on smartphone!
Sonic with his friends, is running through on smartphone!
Sonic (Type Speed), Tails(Type Fly), Knuckles (Type Power)
Adding thrilling new characters in the future!
Break through levels using your favorite character!
Level up from acquired rings!(Level up characters!)
Additionally, Score up faster with “Otomo” friend support! (Powerful “Otomo” friend support)
One by one get Otomo by the Premium Roulette!(Get Otomos)
Prevent Dr. Eggman’s numerous ambitius plots
(Aim for the top in Sonic Record!) Break your own record in Sonic Record
Exhilarating speed-of-sound action using one finger (Exhilarating speed-of-sound action with one finger!!)
Run, Jump, Aim for the top
Sonic Runners
Let the exhilaration become a habit!
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Join me, Lidice and new guest, Johara Finley as we discuss the recent Sonic Boom episodes, comic issues 3 and 4, the Rise of Lyric patch, Sonic Runners and the latest happenings at Sega of America. Also, we tend to ramble on other topics such as Disneyland, San Diego comic Con and the end of Club Nintendo.
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This panel has both a flying Knuckles and Sticks REALLY liking Tails hand. I think Evan is secretly trying to ship them.
From a writing standpoint, the Sonic Boom series of games, comics and cartoons seems to be at odds with one another on how to exactly interpret the characters. In the games, Amy is a athletic, smart leader while in the cartoon in much more of a den mother of the group who is much more ladylike and loving. Sticks is over the top crazy in the 3DS game while a bit more subdued in the cartoons. Knuckles comes off as very dumb in all media, but shows more confidence in himself in the Wii U game while being more silly and fun loving in the cartoon. The thing is, both the game and the cartoon were being done almost simultaneously with each other, so while they had a game plan of how the characters would act, there were a lot of nuances that were still different from one another. Basically, they had an IDEA of how each character would be, but it was never exact so we didn’t get a perfect interpretation across the board.
This is a blatant lie!
This brings us to the first two Sonic Boom issues by Ian Flynn. It’s my belief that Ian Flynn may not have gotten enough material from both Big Red Button or OuiDo! studios to get a proper interpretation of the characters. That the only explanation I can think of as to how Ian managed to make the worst, most mean grammar Nazi version of Amy Rose ever. With that, let’s look at the first two issues of Sonic Boom “Getting a little Boulder” and “Knuckleduster” (BTW, why is the first issue “part one of one” when it ties directly into the next issue and ends on a cliffhanger?).
STORY SYNOPSIS
Issue one starts off Sonic and the gang fighting off one of Eggman’s giant mechs. With the exception of Sticks, each character gets a little indtroduction (along with an old-school logo name) and we get to see a sample of them in action. The mech is taken down and they head back to their village area where Sticks (who is also introduced via logo in a joke that gets old by the second issue) informs them that Tails house has been robbed. Not part of his house, the ENTIRE house as it was uprooted and picked up by a giant cyborg rock golem. The rest of the issue comprises of some jokes between the cast and basically Amy insulting Knuckles for no good reason other than he’s dumb and has trouble following directions.
Dang girl, that’s just mean!
You see, Knuckles isn’t too bright. Something they are fully aware of, but instead of Amy treating him with kid gloves when he doesn’t understand something and asks a ton of questions, she insults and berates him. I know it’s done to provide character conflict to resolve in the next issue, but all it does is make Knuckles look like a HUGE idiot who can’t understand the most basic of things and worse, make Amy look like a horrible Sally Acorn wannabe with a total lack of patience. It’s the worst interpretation I’ve seen of her character and I really don’t care for it.
He didn’t actually say that, but I’m sure he was thinking it.
Before I leave issue one though, I have one last note. What’s REALLY up with the Golem? Everyone assumes it was a giant Eggman robot, however….
A.) The Golem took Tails house at the same time everyone was fighting Eggman, so he wasn’t in control of the robot unless it was programmed to go off on it’s own.
and…
B.) When Sonic and company destroy the Golem, it breaks off into stone pieces with no mechanics shown.
Ergo, it’s my belief that this was not one of Eggman’s monstrosities, but something else entirely. Maybe something they’ll explore in a future issue, perhaps?
Knuckles just figured out how babies are made.
Issue two improves on the humor (although the logo jokes return again), but I’m still a little sour on Amy. It begins with Sonic and the gang (sans Knuckles) attacking the same giant robot they fought at the beginning of the first issue. They start to realize this when Eggman finally launches his secret weapon..Knuckles! Knuckles captures all the heroes in small cages with the exception of Sticks who, in a hilarious moment, captures herself in a cage she happened to have with her. With the heros captured aboard the giant robot, Eggman tries to decide weather to conquer or destroy the village as he has Pork Chops thawing back home.
I gotta admit, I laughed pretty hard at this.
Inside the robot, Sonic is freaking out from being in such a tiny cage “Gotta go Fast!” while Knuckle finally reveals it was all a trick. He fooled Eggman and them. Only Amy reminds him they are still captured so he technically is working for Eggman at this point. Knuckles finally realizes this and it sends him into a sad state of depression. Knowing they can’t get out of the cages and stop Eggman without his help, Amy and Tails cheer him up only for Knuckles to go out and stop Eggman himself, stupidly leaving the others still inside the cages.
Luckily for a very panicked Sonic, Sticks frees him and the others (she never said she was LOCKED in her cage)and Sonic bounces around n a gleeful frenzy. Meanhile, Knuckles finally reveals his “cunning ploy” to Eggman and proceeds to destroy his robot single-handedly. This includes a scene of him gliding which is something this version of Knuckles can’t do. Sonic and the others burst out of the robot as Eggman barely escapes again. Amy finally gives an apology to Knuckles (she does apologize earlier, but it doesn’t feel sincere) only to realize she’s lost in hammer in another cliffhanger ending.
Look guys, it was funny at first, but now it’s just overkill.
Nobody likes a grammar Nazi, Amy.
OVERALL REVIEW
As far as quality goes, I believe Sonic Boom will pick up greatly over time. The humor is definitely there (especially in the second issue) and it reminds me a bit of the old Mike Ghallager days of the original Sonic comic. Evan Stanley’s art was very expressive and fun to look at. However, as I said in the beginning of this review, it’s apparent that Ian Flynn was not given enough material from either the show or the game to get a firm grasp of the characters. His version of Boom Sonic is exactly the same as it is in the regular Sega Sonic comics rather than the straight man he is in the cartoon. Knuckles is INSULTINGLY dumb in this, even compared to the cartoon version who can’t read. He can barely bring a thought together. Not to mention the gliding. Something Boom Knuckles can’t do (looks like Ian pulled a Joe Edkin, who once had a panel of Amy flying in Sonic X). Tails and Sticks fared fairly well. Surprising with Sticks since she’s a brand new character who might be hard to nail down in terms of personality.
Then there’s Amy. I can’t exactly blame Ian for not getting this version of the character nailed down. In the cartoon, she’s level-headed and more of a peacemaker and denmother. In the games, she’s an independent adventurer, field leader and gymnast. Those are two drastically different versions of the same character. It seems Ian went with more of the game version with Amy being the field leader. However, in order to provide character conflict, they made her lack any patience and be insulting towards Knuckles who really didn’t do anything wrong outside of being dumb and confused. It makes her look mean-spirited and unlikable.
Evan Stanley’s great at showing a wide range of emotions. Poor, sad Knuckles. Ya just wanna hug him.
Then there’s the logo jokes. It was definitely funny in the first issue, but than gets recycled in the second issue and it starts to become tiresome. If you want to have a humor comic book where the characters break the fourth wall, there’s other ways to do it than repeat the same joke over and over. Having Sonic mention Eggman almost smashing the credits was a nice touch, but I think a comic format is prime for some real fourth wall craziness. Have them climbing over panels! Have them burst through the cover only to have some of them hiding behind the back cover. Be crazy!
Okay, I’m starting to nit-pick here. Overall, Sonic Boom 1 and 2 had plenty of action and humor that really gave me some old-school vibes of the early days of the original Sonic comic. Evan Stanley’s art is also very expressive and humorous. I think once the writers get the hang of the characters, it will be a great book. Besides, I doubt they’ll be re-using the logo joke and making the characters act like jerks to each other again, right?
Maybe I spoke too soon.
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In this short episode, we look at the Sonic Boom franchise in 2014. Was it a boom or a bust? Also, Sonic Boom was a pretty big disaster as far as Sonic games go. But is it worse than Sonic ’06? We also do a quick review of the last two Boom episodes and discuss how our Christmases (Christmasi? Christmass?) went.
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Sorry for being so late on this one folks (two weeks after the recording), but as a retail clerk, you can imagine it’s been a real busy week for me. I even forgot to add the intro and ending music! GAAHH!!
Anyway, this is the episode that’s been four other episodes in the making! No more speculation, no more talking about demos or trailers. Sonic Boom is fully out there now and me, Christian and Lidice will be discussing the comic, the cartoons and the games in detail.
You can also catch me doing more talk on the Sonic Boom games on my other Sonic podcast, “Sonic Talk” over at Segabits and I’ll also be a guest on Act 64 of the Spindash podcast at nevershutup.com.
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Giving exploration incentives in a platformer can be a tricky business. It can be a fun aspect or make your game an absolute chore. Sonic Colors does it very succesfully by having you look for red rings to unlock bonus levels. Unleashed does it poorly as it forces you to look around for sun and moon medals to progress to new stages. Many times making you return to some boring, 30-minute Werehog level desperatley looking for sun medals so you can get a new, fun daytime level with Sonic. Sanzaru Games’ Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal works both ways. At best, it can be a thrilling, fun platformer where you’re going a a full speed flow. Juggling homing attacks, enerbeam swings, springs and speed boosts into a beautiful blend that feels like a mesh of classic Sonic and Sonic Rush. At worst, you’re contantly stopping your character without pausing to scroll the bottom map and look for blueprints and crystal shards you need to progress further in the game like your on GameFAQs. Ironically, it’s usually on the exact same level. Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
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Not to be left out, there’s also a new Japanese trailer for Sonic Boom:Shattered Crystal (AKA Sonic Toon: Island Adventure) for the 3DS out today. The new trailer still shows a lot of footage from the first world, but also shows some of the new world maps Sonic and friends can travel through as well as Tails hut for what appears to be blueprints for new robots or mechanical items while Quincy has a shop for toy capsules with items inside. While I’m still a bit uneasy about the Wii U version, I’ve been very excited for the 3DS game since E3. We’ll see how the full games pan out come November 11th here in the U.S.
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Recently, a new game trailer for Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (AKA Sonic Toon: Ancient Treasure) has been released from Sega of Japan. The trailer shows off brand new areas, brand new gameplay and a multiplayer party mode featured in the game. The trailer also gives us a good idea of what the final game will look like and it’s looking much better than what early gameplay and screenshots have shown. I gotta admit, this trailer has me more excited for the game than any English trailer that has been shown yet. A ton of action oriented gameplay is shown and the Japanese announcer sounds like he couldn’t be more excited about what’s on screen. Finally, this game is looking like it might just deliver the goods. We’ll know for sure once the game hits U.S. Store Shelves in less than two weeks on November 11th. Big thanks to Ace0902 on the SSMB for the find.
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Sadly, this is our final Sonic Boomcast…….before all the Sonic Boom media hits!
Yeah, you’re not getting off that easy. We got plenty to talk about this week including the latest Sonic Boom news and Tanner “Ogilvie” Bates fills us in on his trip to the Sonic Boom 2014 event. I also give you a rundown on the brand new Sonic Boom toys just released including prices and a short review. We’d like to keep up the monthly comments section, so keep commenting and if we like (or occasionally hate) yours, we’ll talk about it on the air.
I got an extra Knuckles and Sonic. Do you want them? Just listen to this episode and be the first to answer my trivia question somewhere during the show. You’ll get Sonic, Knuckles and the spindash roller. They’re used but it great condition. UK and USA residents only.
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Knuckles – “I wanna see Nemo.” Sonic – “We’re not at Disneyland and this is not a submar-” Knuckles “I WANNA SEE NEMO!”
Recently the Japanese website for Sonic Boom (AKA Sonic Toon) released some new screenshots of the upcoming game as well as some info on new vehicles and weapons. Also shown were some brand new screenshots of some levels including ones that haven’t been seen before. Check below for screenshots, descriptions and of course, my hilarious captions. They are hilarious aren’t they? I NEED VALIDATION! The first pic you see at the top is the “Battle Boat”. A four-seater where one person steers and the others man guns. I’d love to see how this plays out in co-op.
Sonic- Anyone getting Phantom Menace vibes? Knuckles – “Meeza tink so!” Sonic – Shut up Knuckles.
The Submarine “Angler” is a two-person submarine craft “that specializes in high speed navigation” and “can respond to fierce fighting in water”.
PREPARE FOR THE TICKLING OF A LIFETIME!
If I’m reading this translation right, this feather sword can shoot feather blades from a long distance at enemies. It’s also a bit weak in power, but good for a long range attack.
I hate to toot my own horn but…..Oh who am I kidding. I LOVE to toot my own horn!
Again, going by the translation, the Battle Trumpet can put out a good blast at a short range.
“C’mon baby! Let’s do th-” What? too obvious?
The Cyclone Generator produces a good size twister and is a powerful support weapon.
Now THAT’S what I call “Burnbot”!
The Explosion Switch creates a big boom and is the most powerful of the support weapons.
I knew that trip to ToonTown would come in handy!
The “Hand Gun” is a comical, but powerful short range weapon.
Yup. It’s a water balloon alright.
The Water Balloon. Old tech robots and water don’t mix well.
Now check out some more screenshots.
“Welcome to the jungle! We got fun and games!”
Come at me windmill! My name is Amy Rose, the woman of La-Mancha!
Good thing that trail of rings shows me where to jump or else I might have hit those thick lasers that are obviously in front of me!
Oh yay! More of that level we’ve seen a million times!
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UPDATE: I now got the full set of figures and have some new news on this toy set including pricing. Prices are actually pretty darn fair.
After heading to two different Toys R’ Us’s yesterday, I managed to snag some of the Sonic Boom action figures that have just been released from Tomy. Outside of my video review, I wanted to give a few more details.
Prices and figure sets. (Prices are from Toys R’ Us USA)
Check Toysrus.com for prices on other Sonic Boom toys and plushies.
There are two Sonic head molds. One with a frown (Sonic & Burnbot) and one with a devilish grin (Sonic & Amy)
While the vehicle sets are in a plastic bubble, Sonic and Burnbot are in an open box.
Burnbot has been the toughest toy I’ve ever taken out of a package. He had the wire twist-ties going inside of his body and all around. Sonic was hard to get out as well.
No bumpy elbows means slightly less articulation, but more detail on the toys and they stand up much easier. Shoulders still have huge bumps for articulation. Not noticeable on Knuckles or Tails.
I had a hard time getting Eggman’s foot to fit in the peg in the Eggmobile as it was too close to a ramp in it’s floor.
All figures can stand pretty easily. Even Burnbot if you keep one claw down.
Except Orbot and Cubot who are basically PVC figures with no moveable joints and can barely stand if at all. Cubot was the worst and he’s a freakin’ cube! I added two black lego pieces that are hard to see to keep his head up enough to make him stand.
There was only one Sticks on the rack and plenty f Knuckles and Sonic single figures leading me to believe she may be single-packed (one per case) like many female figures tend to be.
While Amy has her skin color all the way around the back of her head behind her hair/quills, for some reason, her and Sticks are ummm…..”going commando”. I guess they ran out of white paint doing the sports tape.
As mentioned in juvi’s video review (check comments section), Tails “tails” start off as one and only split into two near the end.
That reviewer had a problem with Sticks’ head being wobbly, but mine’s fine.
While the paint detail of Sonic with his spin dash vehicle in a bubble was nicely detailed, for some reason, finding a Burnbot Sonic with a good paint job was next to impossible. Many having the white of his eyes bleeding onto his muzzle.
Neither Eggman or Knuckles can turn their heads
There are 3 different toys that come with a plain Sonic action figure.
Overall, they stand up well and look nice on a shelf but lack articulation (which may be a good thing in this case) and the paint detail can be a bit off (or none in the case of poor Amy and Sticks undergarments).
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.
UPDATE: I now got the full set of figures and have some new news on this toy set including pricing. Prices are actually pretty darn fair.
After heading to two different Toys R’ Us’s yesterday, I managed to snag some of the Sonic Boom action figures that have just been released from Tomy. Outside of my video review, I wanted to give a few more details.
Prices and figure sets. (Prices are from Toys R’ Us USA)
Check Toysrus.com for prices on other Sonic Boom toys and plushies.
There are two Sonic head molds. One with a frown (Sonic & Burnbot) and one with a devilish grin (Sonic & Amy)
Left Sonic – “I get bundled with Burnbot. You?” Right Sonic – “Pantiless Amy!”
While the vehicle sets are in a plastic bubble, Sonic and Burnbot are in an open box.
Burnbot has been the toughest toy I’ve ever taken out of a package. He had the wire twist-ties going inside of his body and all around. Sonic was hard to get out as well.
No bumpy elbows means slightly less articulation, but more detail on the toys and they stand up much easier. Shoulders still have huge bumps for articulation. Not noticeable on Knuckles or Tails.
I had a hard time getting Eggman’s foot to fit in the peg in the Eggmobile as it was too close to a ramp in it’s floor.
All figures can stand pretty easily. Even Burnbot if you keep one claw down.
Except Orbot and Cubot who are basically PVC figures with no moveable joints and can barely stand if at all. Cubot was the worst and he’s a freakin’ cube! I added two black lego pieces that are hard to see to keep his head up enough to make him stand.
There was only one Sticks on the rack and plenty f Knuckles and Sonic single figures leading me to believe she may be single-packed (one per case) like many female figures tend to be.
While Amy has her skin color all the way around the back of her head behind her hair/quills, for some reason, her and Sticks are ummm…..”going commando”. I guess they ran out of white paint doing the sports tape.
As mentioned in juvi’s video review (check comments section), Tails “tails” start off as one and only split into two near the end.
That reviewer had a problem with Sticks’ head being wobbly, but mine’s fine.
While the paint detail of Sonic with his spin dash vehicle in a bubble was nicely detailed, for some reason, finding a Burnbot Sonic with a good paint job was next to impossible. Many having the white of his eyes bleeding onto his muzzle.
Neither Eggman or Knuckles can turn their heads
There are 3 different toys that come with a plain Sonic action figure.
Overall, they stand up well and look nice on a shelf but lack articulation (which may be a good thing in this case) and the paint detail can be a bit off (or none in the case of poor Amy and Sticks undergarments).
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.
This is the Sonic Boom podcast about Sonic Boom being at….Sonic Boom! In this episode me, Christian, Lidice and Ogilvie discuss recent Sonic Boom news, the upcoming Sonic Boom event in New York and if your expectations on Rise of Lyric may be a bit off. We recorded this episode last week, but a busy schedule and a horrible toothache kept me from posting until now. But, at least it’s still just before the big event! So sit back, open a new tab and listen while you surf the web.
….And yes, I’m aware of the poor rush job I did with the image header. I didn’t realize my mistake until I had already finished it in Movie Maker.
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PLEASE READ THE HEADER BEFORE WATCHING (Otherwise, it looks like Sonic wants to hit on Amy and is too shy to go for it.)
The GameStop Expo had a new build of the Toxic Waste level from “Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric”. This time, you can go through the whole thing and head outside. I thought I had made a second recording of this, but something happened and the first half of this cutscene got lost. The beginning of this scenario goes as follows (this is not word for word, but close)…
Sonic and Amy escape with the crystal in hand. Amy looks around at the new area they’ve discovered. “It’s beautiful!” She says. Sonic is growing impatient. “Let’s keep moving!” Amy asks him to wait. “We’re finally done being chased by giant robots. Let’s just rest for a second and soak it all in!” Sonic decides to wait, but it’s obviously killing him inside. The video follows from there.
Look closely and you can see the beginning of the next level.
There was a few new bits of dialogue during the level as well. At one point while collecting rings, Sonic retorts “I got more rings to rule them all!”
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Not since the Sonic and the Secret Rings Target exclusive has Archie comics content been included in a Sonic video game but this November, you won’t need to go to any one store to enjoy an exclusive Archie Sonic Boom Story written by Ian Flynn and art by Evan Stanley. IGN has a full article and coverage of several panels from the included comic. As you can see, they are all in a letterbox format to fit the 3DS screen. What I wonder is, will the Comic Art be in 3D as well? Also, will it be available from the start or as an unlockable?
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The second episode of Sonic Stadium’s monthly Sonic Boom podcast is here! In this episode, we discuss several things including the more recent demo from San Diego comic con that me and some of the others have tried, the new pre-order offer from Gamestop, Shadow and the extra members announced and more. Our main topic will focus on some of the positive aspects of Rise of Lyric that we’ve seen so far. We pretty much wrap things up in the first half, but if you wanna hear some Sonic fans ramble on about recent comic stories or the plot holes in Unleashed, then by all means, keep listening.
Commentators, WE WANT YOU! If you have any questions on Sonic Boom you’d like to hear our opinions on, please leave your questions in the comments section of this episode’s post and we may read them on the air in next month’s show.
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.
While at the San Diego Comic Con, I managed to capture some footage of the new speed level from Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. The demo starts off with Sonic and crew in a cave you can explore a little bit (not shown in the video) from here, you can take off and go through the new speed course which does feature a few obstacles, but only at the beginning and ending. Leaving the cave into the lush jungle is a beautiful scene. What I find odd is that they decided to go with this new, shorter speed level rather than the old one. Especially since this new one has had some glitch issues in every other playthrough. My feet fell through the floor in one, Ben over at Segabits had a similar problem and the guy demoing the game for me fell through into nothingness at one point too. Why rush out a new, not tested enough demo when the old one worked fine and was longer? Oh Well. BTW, if you see some frame skips, that’s from my iPad recording and not the game itself. A small update on the Sonic and Amy Chemical Factory level. I got confirmation from Kellie Parker that my eyes were not deceiving me and that the games graphics have improved a touch over the E3 build. Also, during the cutscene with Quincy, Amy and Quincy’s mouth now move during their conversation. It might have just been me, but while playing the level again, I found more areas with secret items and it made me want to explore the level more. Combat’s still weak though. One other new thing is that while the opening cutscene with Tails and Knuckles is gone, you get more gameplay near the end with another Guardian chase. This time you have to dodge and jump over pipes while running away from the giant robot. The game is starting to grow on me, but don’t get too excited. Right now, it’s gone from a C- to a C+ in my book. That puts it at average licensed video game fare like the mediocre Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures.
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While at the San Diego Comic Con today, I decided to head to the Nintendo Lounge to see if the Sonic Boom demo had been updated at all from the E3 build. I found out that there was some differences made since the E3 build. I can honestly say that I did see some improvements made, a brand new level and one omission most likely due to the feedback from E3. Here is a list of the few differences I noticed.
1.) First off, the original speed level has been replaced with a brand new one that starts out in a cave. You can smash some boulders and there’s some small secrets around the cave. Before I hit the boost pad, I was switching around characters and ended up with a glitch where Knuckles and the others were halfway through the floor. I ran up to the front and hit the speed boost and it fixed the glitch. The speed section itself is a bit more difficult. There are more obstacles in the way and at least one or two alternate routes. The level did seem shorter though. I will say the best part was riding the enerbeam out of the cave and into the lush jungle. It was really a breathtaking scene.
2.) There were only three choices for levels compared to the four from E3. This is because they took out the Knuckles mine cart level from the E3 demo. I think it was a wise choice not to show the level that got the most negative reaction from E3 when showing off the game to the public. It’s a very slow and plodding level and they only need to really show one adventure level so it might as well be the more action packed one.
3.) It might just be the TV, but the visuals seem to be a bit improved. The colors really popped out more and the lighting seemed better. The E3 demo’s colors seemed bland but as I said, that could have been the screen too.
4.) Again, it might be me, but lassoing the robots seemed to be a faster experience from before. At least in the Sonic/Amy level. The fight with Eggman seemed exactly the same as before.
And there you have it. New speed level, no Knuckles mine cart level and some slight graphical improvements…..I think. If I hadn’t played the original E3 demo, this would have left me with a slightly more positive view of the game. As of now, my view of the game is just a bit more positive.
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Welcome to the first episode of Sonic Boomcast! A monthy podcast dedicated to the Sonic Boom franchise where we’ll be talking all things Sonic Boom related along with a few other Sonic things should the need arise. Hosted by me, Jason Berry of that other Sonic podcast (Sonic Talk). I’ll have a slightly different roundtable of guest hosts each month with some staying for the long run. This months hosts include Shayne Edwards, Lidice Garcia, Tanner Bates (Oglvie in the SSMB) and Christian Gausin. You may know them as the folks who helped bring the first big Sonic convention “Sonic Revolution” to life in Southern California. This months episode focuses on the history of the franchise from before the major announcement back in February all the way to the recent comic book announcement. So listen in, and I hope you enjoy!
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Sonic fans, get ready to open your wallets a little more to make room for THREE monthly Sonic titles. While not officially announced yet, Archie Comics own website has a brand new Sonic Boom comic available for subscription with the first issues cover officially revealed. Here’s the official description.
Here comes the BOOM! Get in on the ground floor with the ALL-NEW ONGOING SONIC COMIC BOOK SERIES from Archie Comics based on the new hit TV series and video game: Sonic Boom! This ground-breaking new chapter in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise puts a new “spin” on all your favorite heroes and villains—plus new faces and hilarious new stories chock-full of action—and it’s all brought to you by the folks that bring the hit series Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe to you each and every month! Subscribe today and own a piece of Sonic comic history!
But “GASP!” does this mean that Sonic Universe could be cancelled as some have pondered?! The bigger question is, why would it? It’s not like regular, old Archie has a million other titles under his belt and Ian Flynn’s written four books a month before. Not only that, but Sonic X has a had several writers during it’s short tenure. As this is based on a show known for short stories, the basis could be the same here. Myself, I wouldn’t be surprised to see two or three short stories in each issue.
Big thanks to SSMB poster PC The Hedgehog for finding this on Archie’s site.
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Iizuka – “Why does that scary fat man keep following me?!” Jason “Hhhhiiiiiiiiiiiii.”
To be honest, if it wasn’t for Barry’s Weekly five list on Segabits, I probably wouldn’t have been inspired to do my own Sonic List column. Seeing how people comment and react to my opinions gives me a great feeling of pride (and sometimes shame). The first time I did one of these columns and saw all the replies, good or bad, it was one of my favorite Sonic related moments. That’s what today’s column is all about. My favorite moments in Sonic-dom. Weather it’s from a game, a cartoon or just part of my life. These are the moments that I remember back with great fondness. Click below and enjoy! Continue reading The Sonic List: My favorite Sonic related moments
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Pictures courtesy of Christian Gausin and 50 Rings Photography. This past Sunday was the first ever gathering of Sonic Revolution at the Holiday Inn at Buena Park. It’s the largest organized Sonic convention in the U.S. similar to “Summer of Sonic” in the UK, but still fairly small so far. We also are encouraging other Sonic fans across the U.S. to make their own Sonic conventions or at least a “meet and greet”. Sonic Revolution was founded by Shayne and Charles Edwards, Christian Gausin and Lidice Garcia. It started with them organizing “Sonic Boom U.S. West Chapter” (it was in response to Sonic Boom moving to St Louis) in September of 2013. During our little meet and greet, she asked if we’d like to be involved in building up the community for a full on Sonic convention and we were all in!
The gang who made it happen.
So how was it? It was great! We had some wonderful guests and a nice amount of attendees. Guests included gaming composer legend Tommy Tallarico, Archie Comics Evan Stanley, artists Elson Wong and Devin Taylor, my brother John and his girlfriend Debbie selling her hand-made jewelry, Darian Gonzalez with his very Sonic-like fan game “Bingo the Multiva” Chris Wilcots of fan film “Sonic Prologue” and rock band Serenity Seven. Not to mention the extra surprise of Sega’s Aaron Webber and Stephen Frost who stopped by to check out the event. We even had a real life hedgehog show up!
“Where’s Amy at?”
The schedule of events included a cosplay contest, a panel with Tommy Tallarico talking about his life and video game music (he confirmed that Michael Jackson was the composer on Sonic 3), two concerts by Serenity Seven, Chris Wilcots showed off two exclusive scenes from his upcoming fan film “Sonic Prologue”, Aaron Webber and Stephen Frost had a Q&A panel (or course someone shouted “When do we get Shenmue 3?”), a very tough trivia contest (hosted and prizes supplied by yours truly), a one minute art contest in which Evan and Elson had to draw Sticks auditioning for Sonic Boom, a gaming competition (with several consoles in the back showing off many Sonic games) and finally, a raffle for some cool prizes and one more concert by Serenity Seven. It was an absolute blast and I can’t wait until next year! Let’s get to the pics!
Our Gaming Tournament booth.
Tanner “Ogilvie” Bates showing off his display of Sonic merchandise for sale.
Our program guide.
Blaze and Rouge enjoying themselves.
Bishop’s son enjoying the show.
Now THAT’S a big Sonic.
Tails – Don’t worry Shadow, I’m sure there’s someone who wants a giant, ugly Shadow plush.
More of Tanner’s merch.
Bishop Gahram’s Silver poster.
Rouge with what appears to be a piece of the Master emerald.
Letting people in to enjoy the show.
Blaze the Cat.
Shard’s here and ready to party!
Mariaaaa!!
Aaron and Steven Arrive on the scene.
“Sonic the what now? Never heard of it.”
Tommy Tallarico hangs out with Serenity Seven.
Tommy talks to the crowd about his music career.
Aaron and Stephen enjoying the show.
It was so cool getting to meet a musical legend like Mr. Tallarico.
This father and son were in line at least 3 hours before the show opened
“Gasp!” It’s the Chaos Emeralds!
“Time to go super!”
Some classic Sonic merchandise.
“Hmmmm yes. This does play quite like Sonic. You’ll be hearing from our lawyers soon.”
Here, Aaron is showing off a fan’s concept art for a game idea Stephen had were Tails (who’s deathly allergic to bee’s in his official bio) is being chased by Charmy and the object of the game is to keep the pair apart.
This is Aaron idea for a game. Big’s Big Fishing Adventure 3.
Guess who won first place in the cosplay contest?
Aaron and Stephen answering questions on stage.
The fans soaking in the Q&A panel.
Fan’s at Evan, Elson and Devin’s booth.
Founders Shayne and Lidice enjoying the fruits of their labor.
Evan won the one minute art contest with her drawing of Sticks jugging. Elson was apparently drawing her on a surfboard,but didn’t quite get to finish.
Well, that’s a wrap for now. There’s plenty more pics on our Sonic Revolution Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/sonicrevolution . There, you can check ou-wait! What’s th-..
Oh dear lord!!
RUN AARON AND STEPHEN! RUUNNN!!
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