Sonic Relief Founder MK Skillz has issued the following announcement –
And so, the curtain falls on another Sonic Relief campaign. Despite things getting off to a pretty slow start, your entries soon flooded in and we’ve had another successful year of Sonic-related fundraising!
Following last year’s surprising £102 total, we tried to be a bit more experimental this time around. Some of the new features worked well, others not so much – the introduction of JustGiving allowed anyone to make a donation to our cause, whereas the “something sporty” theme was perhaps a bit more limiting. Needless to say, we will be taking all of these things into account in the future.
One thing to keep in mind is that Sonic Relief is still relatively new, and still something unknown to many people in the community. With more time, more publicity and more support, there is plenty of potential still to be unlocked. I’d also like to clear up a possible misconception and say that Sonic Relief is not just a charity campaign – it’s a creative showcase for the community, with your efforts going towards helping a good cause.
Now, before I move on to the announcement of this year’s grand total and our winning entry, I’d like to thank a few people. First, a huge thanks to everyone who entered and donated – I said it last year and I’ll say it again, we couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks also go to T-Bird and Urtheart for donating prizes, to Pelly, ArchangelUK and Vger for helping to promote the campaign and for their general support, and to Dreadknux for letting us hold another Sonic Relief here on The Sonic Stadium. And of course, a massive shout out to my good friend Shadzter who helped to make this whole thing possible for the second year running.
Right then, I think I’ve kept you in suspense long enough! I can reveal that the grand total raised by Sonic Relief 2010 is…
£375.55! (or, if you include Gift Aid, £417.29 !)
That’s an absolutely whopping total, folks! Everyone who participated deserves to give themselves a huge round of applause. If we can raise this much even with a lack of publicity, imagine what we could do if the whole community got involved!
But what of those people who participated though? For the first time in Sonic Relief history we’re giving away prizes for our favourite entry, and we’ve had some real crackers this year. It was certainly tough picking a winner, and everyone who entered should be proud of their work, but here is our favourite entry of 2010…
Winner: Tina Jackson
This entry was picked as the winner because it truly represents what Sport Relief is all about – bringing the worlds of sport and comedy together! Congratulations to you, Tina – you’ve got your hands on those exclusive Sonic and Knuckles plushes, as well as a copy of Sonic Heroes on PC!
I’d also like to make a special mention to Gavvie and his Songs For Sonic album, which raised £100 all by itself. Unfortunately we haven’t got any more prizes to give away, but we can’t thank you enough! Creative ways of fundraising like this are something we want to promote in the future…
And that’s about it for this year’s campaign. Will we be back in 2011? I’m certainly up for it, but it’ll depend on how much the community will get involved – so the more support we get from you guys, the better!
In the meantime if you have any suggestions for future campaigns please do not hesitate to get in touch with either Shadzter or myself, your ideas are much appreciated! Or you can do us a huge favour and just help to spread the word about Sonic Relief!
Thank you all once again for your support and we’ll hopefully see you again soon for more fundraising antics!
Huge thanks goes to Sonic Relief founder MK Skillz, without all of his work this achievement couldn’t have been possible. Thanks from myself also go to everyone who contributed, Dreadknux, T-Bird, Urtheart, Gavvie, Pelly, ArchangelUK, Vger and to everyone who entered the competition and made donations.
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DQPID-OPg[/youtube]
The Sonic themed downloadable content for Media Molecule’s innovative PS3 title LittleBigPlanet has barely been out for a day and there’s already some imagination at work. The above video showcases user Green_Scorpion’s very well crafted rendition of Sonic 1’s rotating maze Special Stages together with similar music.
Very well done to Green _Scorpion! Thanks to JasonTheJackass for the heads up and recording the stage.
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The official Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 website has updated with Buzzers full in-game animation and a brief description. No mention of any new actions or features like some of the other badniks.
Four new screenshots of Splash Hill Zone have also been added to the Screens section showcasing more of Act 3 in which the level is played at sunset. The extra life item box is seen in one of the screens which like the ones in the classics contains Sonic’s head on the screen. Also seen in the new screens is badnik Newtron in which he looks to have a new jumping action to avoid Sonic’s spin attack, either that or he’s just about to change into his rocket form.
The next badnik has a timer of 2 weeks until it is revealed, could we have seen the last of the Splash Hill badniks? Could we be seeing the next zone soon? As usual we’ll keep an eye out for new info and media.
Head over to the site to check it all out.
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the Buzzer pic grab!
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Yet another Sonic 4 preview has hit the net, this time from Gamespot who seem to be more concerned about the game than IGN and GamesRadar. Gamespot seem to think the game will strike a chord with classic fans but are worried about how the controls will work seeing as their preview was eyes-on rather than hands-on.
An interesting part of the preview is the details regarding special stages where we find out the giant ring that requires 50 rings to enter the special stage at the end of an act is returning. Also revealed is that the Sonic 1 type maze special stages will contain barriers in them that only open when you have the required amount of rings.
If you reach the end of these levels with more than 50 rings collected, you have the opportunity to jump into a giant ring that takes you to a bonus level. These levels are similar to those found in the original Sonic the Hedgehog in that you have to guide Sonic through a rotating maze. The interesting thing here is that in the Wii and PS3 versions of the game, you can use the Wii Remote or the Sixaxis controller to rotate the level manually to guide Sonic through (the 360 version will just use the analog sticks). There are barriers in the maze, but these can be unlocked by collecting a specific number of rings.
Check out the full preview with a few new screenshots over at Gamespots website.
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Busy day for Sonic 4 news today, first GamesRadar post up a Q&A after getting a look at the game and now we have a preview from IGN who also got to check out the early stages of the game. IGN say some kind words about the game and even think it’s better than the original classics. The homing attack’s presence that alot of fans are worried about is also given alot of praise saying that it’s been worked well into a 2D space and is an invaluable tool to chain enemies together in order to maintain speed.
Those who claim IGN are IGNorant to Sonic may want to think again after reading this Sonic 4 preview.
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads-up!
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GamesRadar’s Justin Towell has recently got to have a look at Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, the first 3 levels to be exact and so asked the public to submit some questions about the game via their Twitter and Facebook. Today Justin has posted up 4 pages worth of the questions and his answers for your viewing pleasure.
Check them all out over at GamesRadar.
Thanks to Tornado over at the SSMB for the heads-up!
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Today is the day for the Sonic themed LittleBigPlanet items you may remember we reported about last week. The items are out now in todays PlayStation Store update but that’s not all as a lot of other Sonic related goodies including a price drop on PSP title Sonic Rivals 2 from £11.99 to £6.29. Continue reading UPDATE: Sonic LBP DLC Out Now, Sonic PSN Price Reductions
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UPDATE: Avatar items now available on the Xbox Live marketplace. /UPDATE END
Sonic Wrecks owner and SEGA Europe Community Manager ArchangelUK has revealed full details together with a picture of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Xbox 360 Avatar items. The items will be made available today at the Xbox Live marketplace.
Here’s a full list of the items you will be able to purchase –
Ryo Hazuki Jacket (160pts)
“I hope they do Ryo’s jacket!” I think we can manage that! Its the most iconic leather jacket in the history of video gaming and yes its got the tiger on the back. Caution: May make your avatar suddenly feel the need to hunt down sailors.
Dr.Eggman Glasses (80pts)
Villainy has never looked this good, the Doctor’s mirrored glasses are yours for the taking. The world maybe not so much.
Crabmeat Prop (240pts)
Own your very own Badnik! This Crabmeat can be summoned at the snap of your fingers and is totally under your control… sort of. Watch your toes! (This one was very much my baby, I insisted it was made so make sure you buy it!! – AAUK)
Sonic Car Prop (240pts)
You may have seen a little sketch of this perhaps? Summon your very own Sonic RC racer!
Tails Tornado Prop (240pts)
When you’re alone in your chair, you can just go about wishing for a Tails Tornado RC plane as well. Shazaam! Your wish is our command.
SEGA T-Shirt (80pts)
You’ve been waiting for this one and we’ve made it happen! A SEGA logo t-shirt!
Billy Hatcher Helmet (80pts)
Its Billy’s chicken hat, what more is there to say? Epicluck-cluck win.
Beat Glasses (80pts)
The Rokkaku fashion police won’t be stopping you with these fancy shades of Beat from Jet Set Radio.
Samba De Amigo Sombrero (80pts)
Shake your maracas Amigo-style with this funky Sombrero, star eyes not included.
AiAi T-Shirt (80pts)
Wear the funky monkey’s iconic orange “A” t-shirt!
AiAi Monkey Ball Prop (240pts)
…or AiAi himself in a Monkey Ball!
SEGA helmet (160pts)
Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing Helmet (160pts)
Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racesuit (160pts)
Available in both ladies and gents styles, suit up with some highly appropriate racing equipment.
Sonic and SEGA All-Star Racing T-Shirt (80pts)
Sonic and SEGA All-Star Racing Cap (80pts)
Sonic and SEGA All-Star Racing Beanie (80pts)
Source: Sonic Wrecks and Sonic City Blognik
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Two new Sonic 4 Wii screenshots have been added to Nintendo of America’s Sonic 4 product page they opened last month along with an hi-res version of a screenshot seen a while ago in Nintendo Power(the waterfall one). The page also confirms online leaderboards will be in the Wii edition of the game.
Features
• Classic Sonic gameplay with enhanced new features
• All new 2D adventure
• Full HD resolution and wide-screen format
• Special Stages return along with the 7 Chaos Emeralds
How does this game use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection?
Compete with your friends to see who’s the fastest with online leaderboards!
Nothing else of note is present on the page right now but we’ll keep you posted if anything new appears. For now you can check out the other 2 screenshots below –
Source: Nintendo of America
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It’s been a month since Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was released in the U.S. and to mark the occasion SEGA have released the last game in the Superstars/All-Stars series SEGA Superstars Tennis on the Xbox 360 Games On Demand service. The game costs £19.99 in the UK and $19.99 in the U.S. and weighs in at 3GB in size so it’s not too big compared to other Xbox 360 titles. If you’d like to take a swing at a court first you can download a free demo before you net yourself the game. Let’s hope this re-release will get the online multiplayer ball rolling or in this case bouncing again.
UK Xbox Live Marketplace
U.S. Xbox Live Marketplace
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Official Nintendo Magazine UK have posted up their Sonic 4 interview which contains questions fans sent into ONM staff to be put forward to SEGA’s Takashi Iizuka.
Here’s the list of questions and answers below –
Why has Sonic 4 taken so long to come about? – BADGERGAMER
Takashi Iizuka: Ever since Sonic Adventure was released in 1998, Sonic has evolved into a game which is faster and features new actions for Sonic. On the other hand, the sense of speed from side scrolling means that the popularity of ‘classic’ series still remains high. Even now a lot of fans enjoy playing those classic games via the Wii’s Virtual Console. The aim for Sonic 4 is to provide a ‘new classic series’ using modern techniques that have only been around for the past few years for fans from all around the world who love the ‘classical’ series.
How long has Sonic The Hedgehog 4 been in development and how has the approach for designing a downloadable game differed from the way you design other Sonic games? – MK Skillz
TI: About a year including concept development. As this is a downloadable title, the data size and price is very different from a packaged title. We just focused on old school classic game content to minimise data size and price.
Why did you decide to make it episodic? – Aki-toriko
TI: The object of this project was to make a game with a lower price which can be played and downloaded easily from the beginning. We are exploring making each episode volume small and having an increased number of possible episodes.
Why did you decide to use the WiiWare service rather than releasing the game on one disc? – Deku Scrub
TI: As stated previously, this was always planned as downloadable exclusive title. We thought the users who purchased classic games like ‘Sonic 1’ and ‘Sonic 2’ through the Wii Virtual Console would be the most interested in the downloadable titles.
Were you inspired by the success of New Super Mario Bros on both Wii and DS? In terms of giving the retro fans what they wanted? – FlibyFlow
TI: At first we weren’t aware of it. At the beginning of the development we wanted to create a downloadable exclusive title but knowing that the Wii version of New Super Mario Bros. has become a major hit in Japan and also around the world, it encouraged us as even now 2D platform action is loved by a lot of people.
All The classic games since Sonic 2 have featured Miles “Tails” Prower. Will Tails be featured in any one of these episodic adventures? – SuperKnightAI
TI: Tails won’t appear in Episode I. I’ll leave it to your imagination whether he’ll appear for further episodes!
What made you decide to include the Homing Attack, and does it have any impact on the classic- gameplay? – MK Skillz
TI: As you know, Homing Attack was an action featured from ‘Sonic Adventure’ and it didn’t appear in the classic series. In Sonic 4 the Homing Attack is added, and this provides sense of speed that none of the classic series have.
Can we expect only levels or enemies inspired by the original games or will there be anything completely new? – bleedOrange
TI: Sonic 4 stages have motifs that remind us of previous series, but they have been designed to be completely new for this game. We prepared many gimmicks and devices that are classic and also some you have never seen before!
Now Sonic has returned to his old roots, will he remain this way from now on or will we still see him return in his 3D adventures such as Sonic Adventure and Sonic Unleashed? – Dooby
TI: I think Sonic 4 is positioned as a game which provides simple classic gameplay, so it is not considered the same as something which evolved as a 3D action series. I cannot answer how 3D action series will expand from now on unfortunately.
Will Super Sonic be available to players who collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds? – Sonic Boom
TI: It is one of the biggest characteristics of the classic series but whether it is in this game or not, I’ll leave to your imagination.
In your opinion does this game have most in common with the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, the Sonic Advance games, or the Sonic Rush games? – spambot404
TI: Of course Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy is the one this has most in common with. With the DS Sonic series, you have various actions like grind or boost. What I am creating with this title is a simple platform action game that you can enjoy with one button.
Any chance we could see a return of the Vs Mode from Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, where you have to race a mate to the end of the zone? – Random_guy_14
TI: We don’t provide Vs Mode in Episode I. Unfortunately, I cannot answer about further episodes at this point.
Will the Wii version offer something different to the PS3 version? – The Batman
TI: Basically we prepared identical game content so users could enjoy playing with their preferred hardware platform. However, some hardware specific capabilities are implemented. For Wii, you can enjoy a special stage by using the Wii Remote’s tilt control.
What is your favourite thing about the game so far? – Flash7
TI: What I like most is being able to provide new [games like the] classic series after 16 years. Developing a classic Sonic world that used to be pixel art and making it high-res by using CG rendering means a lot for me as I was one of the developers of the original classic title.
Source: ONM
Thanks to Velotix Lexovetikan at the SSMB for the heads up!
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UPDATE: After fixing the Wii leaderboards, the DS online leaderboards have now been fixed too. /UPDATE END
You may have heard word about a glitch in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing revealed yesterday that can be abused to rank high on the time trial modes online leaderboards with very short lap times. The glitch is in all 3 home console versions Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii but the Wii version aswell as the DS version also contain times achieved using cheat devices.
Good news is that Sumo Digital and SEGA are aware of the glitchers and cheaters and are hard at work to fix the problems. The Wii version has today had the problem players times removed from the leaderboards and the names of those players filed so if they try to cheat/glitch their way onto the leaderboards again they will be banned.
Here are some statements from Sumo Digital Executive Producer Steve Lycett at the SEGA Forums –
I’m trying to decide, is this a thread bemoaning an exploit, or the Wii online?
I’m taking a look into this now with SEGA, then we’ll decide what to do to address it.
Watch this space
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Whilst you’re busy bashing the Wii – I’ve just cleared all the hacked times and glitch times from the Wii leaderboards
I’ve got a log of the folk doing them too. Don’t make me break out the ban hammer
Just looking into the other platforms now.
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A response from Shadi Wulf –
Yeah =P but how long is that gonna last until people start uploading more glitched times.
Link
Back to Steve Lycett –
“I’ve got a log of the folk doing them too. Don’t make me break out the ban hammer ”
*cough*
As above
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Another post from Steve at the SSMB –
Yeah, I’ve sorted the Wii out, just looking into sorting the others. I don’t want a few people ruining the fun for the majority
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We don’t condone the glitch and cheats so to not encourage people to perform them we aren’t posting the methods of how to perform the glitch or info for the cheats. We’ll let you know if and when the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions get a fix.
In other news, Sumo Digital staffer SumoRex at the SEGA forums has made a comment regarding the upcoming DLC –
Well. It’s impossible to please everyone, with people who love, and others who hate the same content. That was one of the things that made me quit. You can’t please everyone. No matter how hard you try.
Anyway, without giving anything away, the stuff you’ll get is nice. IMHO.
I dunno what the price is, but it’s not just an unlock, it represents LOTS of man hours.
Link
Thanks to Starlight Rage Zone at the SEGA Forums for the heads up on SumoRex’s statement.
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Emerald Coast owner, SSR DJ and all around cool guy Vger reports that UK collectibles retailer Forbidden Planet are now stocking three characters namely Sonic, Tails and S&TBK Sonic from a range of new figures priced at just £4.99. The back of the packaging informs that more are on the way but no information as to who or what they are. We’ll keep an eye out for them and report back here.
Meanwhile if you’d like a closer look at the three figures currently available head over to Emerald Coast.
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The team at the Official U.S. PlayStation Blog have set up a new feature simply called PlayStation Blog Share where users can set up suggestion polls to get their idea’s out there for consideration and get a clear idea of how high or low demand is for said suggestion with a positive and negative vote system.
Casanova at the SSMB has set up a suggestion poll there for Sony exclusive characters for DLC in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing PS3. If you are interested you can place your vote here.
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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.
SEGA have updated the official Sonic 4 website with 8 new screenshots and some music from the Splash Hill zone, the first level of the game. The music gives off a very retro feel that the game is aiming for. The screenshots give us a better look at Sonic’s ‘wheel’ running animation seen very briefly in the leaked footage, another homage to the classic Mega Drive/Genesis titles. Also shown is more of the homing attack and and the return of some retro items in the form of the star post checkpoints, the vine swings and the item boxes/tv’s that we’ve seen before. Eggman and his profile have also been unveiled next to Sonic in the Featured section.
You can check out all this new media at the Sonic 4 website.
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In 2 posts today at the SSMB Steve Lycett Executive Producer at Sumo Digital has spoken out regarding some files in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, first shared by nineko at Sonic Retro and then searched through 12 days ago by imarafan at the SSMB who found some unused voice clips in the files. The voice clips referenced a mirror mode and a rivals mode.
Here’s what Steve had to say on the matter –
I was going to reply to that post too, but I think I’d been to the boozer and couldn’t quite type properly when I saw it 🙂
As with all games, we recorded the commentary quite early on, so we recorded more than we planned to use, with some alternatives in case we made any late changes. Some things didn’t make it into the game, or made it in but in a different form.
The rivals one is quite interesting, what we *used* to do is have each character having a defined rival, so of course as Sonic, your rival would be Eggman. If you beat them in a GP, you’d get something extra. In the end we took this out as it wasn’t massively intuitive or clear, though… It still will give you a few extra miles even now for beating Eggman as Sonic in a race (or indeed any of the rivals we picked!)
If you’re expecting the un-used commentary to be used for DLC though, you’re barking up the wrong tree 😛
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Well, that was part of the problem, it’s not immediately clear for some characters who their rival would be…
Ryo though has Jacky and Akira as his rivals, all martial artists, you see. You’re right about Samba and AiAi though 😛 I can’t remember off the top of my head who we had Beat have as a rival. Bear in mind of course, we considered these friendly rivalries 😛
Reverse tracks were something we originally planned to do, but as you’ve probably guessed, most of the tracks wouldn’t work the other way around due to some the jumps. We decided to focus on making them all fun the right way around! So if you do grab those VO clips that TSSZ has rather cheekily posted, now you know why 🙂
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Got an Xbox 360 and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing? Enjoying the game? Fancy yourself as a bit of a pro? Want some competition? Like prizes? Well Xbox Live Addicts are hosting a racing league with SEGA Europe as official sponsors, which means you have the chance to win some official SEGA prizes. The league is open for 6 weeks and sign up for week 2 has just begun, if you’re interested you can go put your name down here. You must be a member of the league and the site to play of which you can register for here.
Source: Sonic City Blognik
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UPDATE: CVG have just posted up part 2 of their interview, though nothing Sonic is included but it’s still a good read. Check it out here. /UPDATE END
CVG have posted up part 1 of an interview they’ve had recently with SEGA’s head of the western territory Mike Hayes. The interview discusses SEGA’s game plans for 2010 covering all IP’s including Sonic the Hedgehog where questions about Sonic 4 arise. Mike Hayes reveals the following game plan he holds for Sonic in 3 franchises, Sonic, Mario & Sonic and the All-Stars. Mike Hayes informs that Sonic 4 is being made for the ‘legacy’ fans which should make people who fall under that category happy to hear as long as the final product is what they hoped for. The question about episodes as seen in many interviews pops up again to which Hayes responds with a number of reasons such as low costs which means it is a better option to test how this kind of game is received.
You can check out the Sonic related section of the interview below:
Talking of classic Sega IP, we’ve seen the new Sonic game…
Doesn’t it look great?
For a 2D fan – yes, it does. What was the thinking behind its creation? Bizarrely, it’s a next-gen, old-school title…
The thing with Sonic you need to understand is that there are different parts of the Sonic family. This is how we’re building the whole strategy. In one corner you’ve got Mario & Sonic franchise, in the next you’ve got Sonic The Hedgehog. Then you’ve got the All-Stars – that’s pretty much everybody. Then you’ve got something we haven’t seen for a while, which is like Sonic Heroes, multiplay-type game.
Those are the four areas we want to develop. Interestingly, each of those is going to have different audiences. With the Sonic The Hedgehog brand, we have a lot of people who are legacy fans in a way. And that’s where the new game came from: Wouldn’t you like to play in the style of your old Genesis or Megadrive but in the beauty of re-enhanced high definition? It doesn’t mean we won’t tap into the All-Star games, or we won’t take Sonic in other directions in future.
Why make it episodic rather than a standalone New Super Mario Bros-style release?
Kind of a mixture of reasons. A lot of it is the whole digital entertainment part. We like everybody else are trying to learn how best to deliver entertainment in the future to consumers. This was a relatively low cost part of Sonic. We wanted to see how it was received via that delivery.
For something like Sonic 4, the consumer will often be quite core. They play a lot of multiplayer, a lot of downloads off XBLA and PSN. We’re feeling our way if we’re perfectly honest, but it seems to make sense.
We’ll keep an eye out for part 2 of the interview and let you know if anything Sonic is discussed.
Full interview at CVG
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The first piece of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing at least has hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. Priced at 400 Microsoft Points you get what is essentially a key to unlock all content in the game, so those hoping for characters, tracks or music will have to wait a little bit longer.
The content is described as below –
Race past the competition and speed your way to victory with a whole host of Sonic & SEGA All-Star characters and exhilarating tracks. Unlock all 24 tracks and 22 characters from the start with this exclusive download. Winning has never been so sweet!
In a post at the SSMB Steve Lycett Executive Producer at Sumo Digital has confirmed there is better DLC coming –
Yeah, that’s the boring DLC, it gets better
Laser gates? LOL – yet another one to add to the gaffe list. The Final Fortress tracks used to have laser gates that popped out of the tracks to block you. We took them out as they really slowed the race down – and could pop up right when you least wanted them.
Of course there was a cameo on the Final Fortress tracks too….
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This first piece of DLC hasn’t hit the PS3’s PlayStation Store yet but we’ll keep an eye out for it.
UK Xbox Live Marketplace
U.S. Xbox Live Marketplace
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SEGA of America community staffer RubyEclipse has posted a new topic at the SEGA forums informing the Sonic community that SEGA are ready to reveal new information about Sonic the Hedgehog 4 but they want to get the fans involved again. SEGA are holding a poll with two topics to choose from, either the homing attack or music and sound effects.
RubyEclipse’s post is below –
Hey everyone,
In the near future, we’re going to get a chance to talk to you guys more about Sonic 4, including some in-depth discussion about the finer parts of the game.
So, we’d like to let you guys decide which parts you’re most curious about and would like to hear more info on. There may be even more polls like this in the future, but this time around we’re letting you choose between more details on how the Homing Attack works in the game, or, alternatively, the Music / SFX in the game.
Cast your votes between now and this Friday – there’s not an “all of the above!” option just yet, but we’d like to see what interests you the most.
Thanks all!
If you are interested in taking part you will need to sign up for a SEGA Pass if you don’t have one already.
Source: RubyEclipse’s topic posted at the SEGA Forums
Thanks to Dusk the Biohazard Keeper at the SSMB for the heads up.
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Jut a quick heads up, Chart Track have today unveiled last weeks UK video game sales chart for the week ending 13th March. Final Fantasy XIII has taken the top spot of the all-formats chart but how have Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and Sonic Classic Collection fared?
All-Formats Top 40:
ASR down from 5th to 7th place
Sonic Classic Collection 35th
Individual Formats Top 40:
ASR –
Wi version down from 12th to 15th
DS version down from 17th to 21st
Xbox 360 version down 19th to 36th
PS3 version down from 27th to 40th.
Sonic Classic Collection 32nd
PS3 Top 30:
ASR down from 6th to 10th place
PC Top 20:
ASR hasn’t placed in full price or budget charts
Xbox 360 Top 40:
ASR down from 6th to 8th
DS Top 40:
ASR down from 1st to 2nd
Sonic Classic Collection 6th
Wii Top 40:
ASR stays at 2nd place
It appears all versions of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing minus the DS version have dropped a little in the charts though remaining in the top 10 is still a positive to say the game has some heavy competition in games like Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Will Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing be able to stay put in the top 10? We’ll let you know next week.
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM2jZxmiPw0&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Sonic Classic Collection bringing Sonic’s legendary Mega Drive titles to a portable platform has just been released today in Europe for Nintendo DS and to mark the occasion SEGA Europe have issued a press release and a launch trailer showcasing the game in action.
SONIC CLASSIC COLLECTION OUT NOW!
LONDON (12th March, 2010) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® America, Inc., are pleased to confirm that Sonic Classic Collection™ is now in stores. For the first time ever, the original games from legendary gaming icon Sonic The Hedgehog™ – Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles – will be playable on the Nintendo DS™!
Sonic Classic Collection allows fans both old and new to speed through the much loved zones of the four original Mega Drive adventures, in a bid to collect the chaos emeralds and save the world. Optimised to take full advantage of the Nintendo DS system, Sonic Classic Collection will feature a new save anywhere feature, a first in this original series, meaning that the games can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime!
For more information please visit www.sega.com/sonicclassic. For press assets please visit www.sega-press.com
Thanks to Sonic Wrecks owner and SEGA Europe Community Manager ArchangelUK for the heads up!
Press release at Sonic Wrecks
Launch trailer direct link at SEGA Europe’s YouTube Channel
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Have you ever wondered how Jazwares make all of their finely crafted Sonic merchandise? Well wonder no more as SEGA of America’s Kellie has obtained all of the answers along with concept art and photos from Joe Amaro who works in Jazwares Product Development department.
Topics discussed are concepts, prototypes, approval, where the toys are made, fan input and even Joe’s favorite character. You can check out the Q&A and pictures at SEGA of America’s blog but you may want to get yourself some refreshments as it’s a very long interview.
Thanks to D00dlebug for the heads up.
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SSMB Member Yuluga has just brought to our attention a cameo appearance from Sonic Underground’s Sonia in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing’s Roulette Road course discovered by members of Sonic Reikai forums. Continue reading UPDATE: Sonic Underground’s Sonia Spotted in ASR Wii & PC
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You may remember when we informed you about a competition being held at Sonic Wrecks to win some Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing goodies. Site owner and SEGA Europe Community Manager ArchangelUK has now revealed every prize in photo form including the never before seen Big the Cat concept art.
The competition is open for just 2 more days so if you haven’t already taken part then head over to Sonic Wrecks now to get your entry in.
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Nintendo Power subscriber Illuminou_Orb over at the SSMB has just received the latest issue and has kindly scanned up the promised Sonic 4 interview which as an added bonus also contains plenty of new screenshots from Splash Hill Zone. The interview with Takashi Iizuka confirms fan favourite Jun Senoue will be the music director for this game so we know the music is in very good hands.
Thanks to Illuminous_Orb for providing the scans at the SSMB.
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UPDATE: In a post at TSSZ correcting a statement made in an article regarding the upcoming ASR patch Steve Lycett has revealed the patch will not only prepare the game for DLC and fix some problems but will also give Xbox 360 and PS3 owners the ability to access the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace in-game. Steve also reassures fans that the update will be released soon.
You won’t have to pay for the update – that’s going to go out free. It purely add’s support for us to do DLC and provides in-game access to the PSN store and XBLA marketplace. As a bonus, it’s allowed us to address a few concerns players are having to boot.
End of that day, sometimes things get missed, despite extensive testing. It does work for the majority of users, just there are fringe cases where it doesn’t. We know why and it’s fixed now, update not too far off.
—
S0L
—
/UPDATE END
There have been reports from some but not all PS3 owners of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing including myself claiming that the Dreamarena Trophy will not unlock. The bronze Trophy is described as “Play with a Friend online.” but despite many efforts it still wont unlock but now you can put your worries to rest as Sumo Digital have discovered the cause of this problem.
In a post at the official SEGA forums Steve Lycett Executive Producer at Sumo Digital had this to say –
I’ve been looking for the thread of this…
We are looking at it, especially as we’ve figured out why it doesn’t work for some folk. It’ll be sorted soon…
—
S0L
—
A member at the SEGA forums has received the following e-mail response from a query they sent in about the problem but doesn’t state their source be it a rep from Sumo Digital or a SEGA rep. Here is the response –
just to let you know i got a reply today..
“Thanks for your email. We’ve been looking into reports with an issue with the Dreamarena trophy. It seems depending where the player exists in your friends list, sometimes this may not trigger.
We are looking to release an update to support new DLC in the near future, our plan is to include some new code to address this.
Apologies for the problem you’re having, hopefully we’ll have the update out soon and it should make this work as expected!”
Yiippeee hopefully it will be fixed soon!
Also of interest is the mention that the patch will enable the game to support the earlier reported to be coming sooner rather than later DLC, so anyone worried that the DLC will just be an unlock key for content already on the disc can now rest assured that this will be pure and fresh new content.
We’ll keep an eye out for the patch and any further information regarding this and DLC then update you here.
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Chart-Track has updated today with last weks game sales, week ending 6th March. Last weeks chart update the game had only been on sale for a couple of days but today with a full week on sale in the UK we can now get a better idea of how well the game is doing and its very positive.
Here is the full list of places each version charted in –
Top 40 all-formats 5th place
Top 40 DS 1st place
Top 40 Wii 2nd place
Top 20 PC Didn’t make the full price or budget titles chart
Top 30 PS3 6th place
Top 40 Xbox 360 6th place
All in all the game looks to be quite popular and despite Mario Kart Wii and DS the game has been selling very well on those platforms with the DS making the top spot. We’ll check back with Chart-Track next week to see if the DS version can hold its place at the top of the chart and wether the other versions will be able to hold their high positions or maybe even do better.
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Ever wondered what Sonic 3 mashed with one of Lucky Star’s most annoying yet funny character would sound like? Akhts decided to try it out in the below video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KZ8iY4XjdM&feature=sub[/youtube]
Direct link
Thanks to Pearl at the SSMB for the heads up.
If that wasn’t enough Alex Day has expressed his thoughts about modern Sonic games in song which even the most hardcore Sonic fans should get a laugh out of.
Direct link
Thanks to Indigo Dude at the SSMB for the heads up.
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UPDATE 3:
More info from the same NeoGAF member –
Some more info…
While Sonic 4 will have shields, Episode 1 will only include the one hit shield. Just enough to help get your rings to the end of the stage.
Izuka says the reason they went episodic is that the game is too big to smaller hard drives (Wii and iPhone likely?) to fit in all at once and he didn’t see players paying $60 for a 2-D Sonic game on disc. (Hellllooo. New Super Mario Bros Wii anyone?!!)
Thanks to Dusk the Biohazard Keeper at the SSMB for the heads up.
UPDATE 2: Game Informer screenshots confirm the reports at NeoGAF and also reveal tunnels from the classic series are back thanks to JasonTheJackass for sending us the screenshots.
UPDATE: We’ve got word in that Game Informer magazine also have a Sonic 4 interview with Takashi Iizuka according to a member at NeoGAF who claims to have a copy –
Game Informer interviewed Izuka who gave some new info on the game. Highlights include..
What about Tails and Knuckles you ask? “Fans will be very pleased with the cast in episode 2.”
Episode 1 is a prologue.
Moves include: Spin Dash, Rolling Attack, homing attack and a new move yet unknown.
About homing attack: “I wanted the user to enjoy an easy-to-play feeling by the attack sequence that this [homing attack] allows, and find the fun routes in the air.”
Classic special stages make a return.
Hornet Badnik. (Forget his name. Not Buzzbomber) Shown in screen shots.
Other screenshot shows Sonic smash though a wall that becomes a bunch of checkered bricks.
Another screenshot shows Sonic grabbing a handrail which goes across a wire. (Very Advance)XP
No floaty LBP physics. Classic Sonic Gameplay, classic Sonic speed. Says Izuka.
Not 3-D, but all CG pre-render.
Gamers will get classic “try again” ending if not successful at getting all emeralds. If you get all emeralds, you get cliffhanger ending for episode 2.
“If Sonic 4’s return to form (there they go again. ) is the Sonic experience you have been waiting 16 years for, then we strongly encourage you to try this.”
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB and JasontheJackass in this articles comments for the heads up.
Original article below –
According to subscribers of Nintendo Power the U.S. official Nintendo magazine the latest issue contains an interview about Sonic 4 but no details further than that have been given as of yet. A scan of the magazine cover supports the fact it does indeed contain something Sonic 4 related. If you have the issue we’d appreciate it if you could send us any new information revealed to shadzter@sonicstadium.org and we’ll credit you in this article.
In other news the magazine has reviewed Sonic Classic Collection for DS and given it a score of 7/10.
Source: GoNintendo
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UPDATE: The same YouTube user has posted game play from Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 2. Thanks Eggman123 and Pearl for the heads up.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r13WkjqaNdM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4aR9khM0E[/youtube]
Original article below –
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dUQZFDihaQ[/youtube]
Thanks to YouTube user RondoOfBloodX fans of Sonic’s Mega Drive/Genesis series who are on the wall about purchasing Sonic Classic Collection on Nintendo DS can now rejoice as from this footage we can see everything is running perfectly smooth, graphics are fine and the sound seems to be fine too. Check it out in the above video and let us know if its a yes or a no from you in the comments.
Direct link to video
Thanks to sagagadego09 at the SSMB for the heads up!
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We all know Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a joint venture between Sonic Team and Dimps but what about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2? We’ve barely seen much of Episode 1 but the staff over at Xbox360Achievements.org are already looking into Episode 2 according to a new listing at their site in which they have the below info.
Episode 2 listing –
Developed By:
Dimps
Published By:
SEGA
Genre:
Platformer
Release Date:
US:
Europe:
Japan:
ESRB: E for Everyone
Episode 1 listing –
Developed By:
Sonic Team/Dimps
Published By:
SEGA
Genre:
Platformer
Release Date:
US:
Europe:
Japan:
So as you can see there is a difference in developers, if the site has got this right then Episode 2 will be a Dimps solo project and the game looks to have already been given its ESRB rating too which to no surprise is an E but oddly they havent listed Episode 1’s E rating we’ve known about for ages.
Take all of this with a very teency pinch of salt for now, we’ll let you know if we hear anything more.
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Released just 5 days ago in Europe the EU PAL Wii version of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing has already been hacked by the Wii game hacking community who are giving themselves benefits to use in online races such as abilities to always hold items and which of those items they would like to use at their will among many other things.
I for one found a hacker online earlier today hosting a room who in races would blast off ahead at incredible speeds, wait at the finish line for everyone on the last lap before oddly allowing everyone to cross the line before him/her then in other races simply win as quick as possible.
If more hackers do the rounds in online play this could become a large problem for Wii players searching for a fair game online. The online feature is part of Nintendo’s free service but game fans may well feel shortchanged from their purchase of the title if these hackers ruin the experience. We’ll keep an eye on this issue and update you if things become better or worse.
Note: We dont condone the hacking of games and so we’re not disclosing our source or info about our source.
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You may remember a while back a couple of photo’s hit the internet outing Sonic Adventure DX: Directors Cut for Xbox Live Arcade, well a Destructoid reader picked up a recent issue of 360 Gamer magazine which contains a review for the game in which the port received a 5/10 as the reviewer doesnt think the game has aged well. Details such as price and release date are to be confirmed which is more than likely due to the fact SEGA havent announced the game on any of their websites, we’ll keep you posted.
Source: Destructoid
Thanks to Brad for the heads up!
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Sonic Wrecks have just announced a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing competition in which you can of course win Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing merchandise but a couple of the prizes arent your average type of merchandise they’re large prints of concept art for Sonic’s car and Big the Cat’s bike.
So how do you enter?
What do you have to do to enter?
What are the rules?
Are there any runner-up prizes?
Here’s the full details from Sonic Wrecks:
THE TASK
Imagine through some ingenious act of blackmail, presumably involving photos and/or inciminating video footage, Sonic Wrecks has procured a spot on the SEGA board and has already made sure there is a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing II. Yay us! Now being a benelovant and charasmatic despot we’ve seen fit to grace our fans with the chance to participate in choosing new characters to add to the roster – I should point out in this fiction NiGHTS is already in so you’ll need to think of someone else that can be from any point in SEGA’s past. Anyone at all, though maybe you think we might be able to tie up an exclusive character for our Wii2, PS4, XBox 720 or DS2 formats and have a suggestion? Well the suggestions box is OPEN.
We want to know:
•The Character
•The Series
•The Vehicle
•The All-Star Move
•And why they’d make a good addition
“WHAT CAN I WIN, AAUK?”
No you can’t win AAUK silly… but we do have 10 prizes to give away! The best justified suggestions as judged by the Sonic Wrecks staff will be awarded the following prizes.
1st Prize – A large Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing print of the Sonic The Hedgehog car concept art.
2nd Prize – A large Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing print of the Big The Cat bike concept art.
3rd prize – Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – Double sided A2 poster + door hanger.
7 Runners Up – Receive a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing door hanger.
HOW TO ENTER
Simply leave the details for your prospective ASR2 entrant in a comment which you can write at the bottom of this page – hey why not sign up for a user account on SW while you’re at it and set your own avatar and other details. Please note: Comments are moderated so will not appear immediately, this does not mean your entry has not been recieved.
THE RULES
•Entries must be received before 12:00 UK Time on March 12th.
•The contest is open Worldwide, yes even Puerto Rico and Quebec.
•One entry per person.
•Entrants must include their email address in the required comment field.
•All decisions are final.
•Abusive comments will not be approved and your entry will be invalidated. Sonic Wrecks retains the right to refuse any entry.
•Winners will be individually contacted by email and asked to supply name and address for postage, refusal to supply or failure to reply to the email will result in the prize not being sent.
Good luck!
Note: The above info is a quote from Sonic Wrecks where the competition is being held so please dont post your entries in OUR comments box :p
Source: Sonic Wrecks
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