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The Sonic Colors DS demo has finally hit American shores through the Wii Nintendo channel. So you folks who have been patient all weekend can finally try it out!
Whether you have the U.S. or Europe demo, give us your fastest time in the comments or just say how you are enjoying the game.
UPDATE: Get it while you can, because this demo ends on Nov 7.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1XU0ST5J0[/youtube]
IGN has put out the worlds first review of Sonic Free Riders, SEGA’s first Xbox 360 Kinect title. Associate Editor Jack Devries has given the game a 7.5/10, just .5 less than the website gave Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Devries is very positive about the multiplayer aspects of the game, even the new relay and tag modes. The only real complaints expressed are that the game is shallow, isn’t so easy to jump into for casual players. You can check out the video review for yourself in the video above or read the written review at IGN’s website.
Outside of the review, we get a look at more gameplay footage from the various tracks and characters, as well as some of the static cutscenes and voice acting.
Source: IGN
Video review
Written review
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads up!
SEGA Europe has released 11 more screenshots of Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect this morning, showing more of the game before it hits store shelves Thursday in the U.S. and 6 days later on the 10th in Europe. The screenshots are focused on the 2 player races and co-op Tag Modes and also give us more glimpses of the Frozen Forest, Metropolis Speedway, Magma Rift and Forgotten Tomb tracks, which were named among others in the Achievements list revealed yesterday.
Check out the rest of the screenshots below and share your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks to ArtFenix at the SSMB for the heads up!
What’s this? Another high score for Sonic Colors? Seems that way. According to Sonic Stadium’s Dusk the Horror Keeper, the German version of GamePro has given Sonic Colors an 87%.
You can expect this news post to be updated with any new review scores that trickle in over the next few days, to prevent additional reviews from clogging up TSS’s news feed. You can also expect that wonderful image above, created by NeoGAF’s Technomancer, to accompany any more review news. Provided the scores continue to warrant it, anyway.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZleG9Nfi9ig[/youtube]
It appears that UK retailer Argos won’t be limiting the Jazwares made Sonic and Wisps action figure to pre-orders of either version of Sonic Colours. Argos is now listing the figure for pre-order on its website and its in-store catalogue for £14.99. The figure available is the one seen in the Wii version of the Sonic Colours special edition listed in certain countries, which comes with the White, Cyan and Orange Wisps, leaving us to assume that the Blue, Yellow and Red Wisps are ultimately exclusive to the DS special edition figure bundle. With the figure holding a £14.99 price tag, we highly recommend you pre-order a copy of Sonic Colours Wii/DS at Argos and grab the figure for free, if you’re interested in purchasing both items of course.
Elsewhere, Australia is getting another pre-order bonus on top of the one already offered there at EBGames, where you can get a free Sonic hat with pre-orders. Instead of a hat, JB Hi-Fi are giving away a blue Sonic Colours themed Classic Controller when you pre-order the game. Both retailers are stocking the special edition of the game with the Sonic and Wisps figure too.
Source: Aussie-Nintendo.com
Finally, a Jazwares made Big the Cat & Froggy action figure set has appeared for sale across online marketplace eBay and should be hitting retailers such as Toys R Us soon, if not already.
Here’s a description from eBay:
Being offered is the BIG THE CAT & FROGGY figures from the SONIC THE HEDGEHOG series by Jazwares. The detailed, massive BIG figure stands about 4 inches tall and FEATURES OVER 12 POINTS OF ARTICULATION… while FROGGY measures about 2.25 inches tall. Unopened in factory sealed packaging. Officially licensed product.
Will you be grabbing any of these? Let us know in the comments.
The Achievements list for Sonic Free Riders has now been revealed. The game contains 50 Achievements, with a total Gamerscore of 1,000G. There appears to be quite a variety of challenges to keep players busy, ranging from time attacking, using weapons so many times, collecting rings, unlocking things and more. The list also reveals some track names and some previously unknown modes in the game.
Check out the Achievements below:
Source: SuccessFull.fr
New Sonic voice actor Roger Craig Smith attended London’s MCM Expo today to help promote Ubisoft’s new game Assassins Creed Brotherhood, in which he plays the role of Ezio Auditore De Firenze, but that didn’t stop him from gladly speaking to Sonic fans at the event too. SSMB Members Doctor Sonic and Jaymeister got to meet Smith briefly and both had nice things to say about the voice actor.
Jaymeister feels he has a passion for his role as Sonic:
It was also interesting when I talked to him at MCM. He actually noted how there wasn’t the best reaction to the original Alton Towers clips, so I guess that may have also been an influence.
Really nice guy though, I can tell just by our 2 minute conversation, he really cares about his role and is very willing to listen to feedback in order to give what the fans want. He just seemed totally natural when talking to the fans, be they of Assassins Creed or Sonic. I hope to meet him again one day.
Doctor Sonic found out some interesting information from Smith behind the voice direction for Sonic:
I met Roger today at the MCM expo in London. Hes a really nice guy and was very happy to talk about voicing Sonic.
Without me even mentioning the deepness of his Sonic voice he said he had been told by Sega that they wanted Sonic to sound older. From what he said it sounds like Sega consider this to be an important factor in the current relaunch of Sonic.
So there you go, the deeper voice is what Sega wants, so it looks like it will be staying,
If you recall the clear and unedited Alton Towers voice clips, Smith did portray a lighter voice for Sonic back then when compared with the voice we revealed as part of a joint-exclusive with Sonic Retro and Sonic Wrecks yesterday.
Have a listen to both voice clips below for comparison and share your thoughts on the voice direction in the comments.
Clear and unedited Alton Towers voice clips:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp7M7QrKzr8[/youtube]
Sonic Colours cutscene:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pVHJeIUWOI&feature=player_embedded#at=36[/youtube]
Roger Craig Smith will be back at the MCM Expo tomorrow if you missed out today and would like to meet him. More information about the Expo can be found at the events official website.
Thanks to Doctor Sonic and Jaymeister at the SSMB for the information.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpLWHPXaD1E[/youtube]
After two recent appearances at Gamespot, SEGA continues their promoting of Sonic Free Riders with more brief demonstrations of how the game is played at IGN, such as items, jumps, shortcuts, skills and co-op. There’s nothing we haven’t already seen before, apart from some more colour variations of the E-10000 series robots. We do get to hear more Sonic and Tails voice clips from their new voice actors though. Check out the other two videos at the bottom of this article.
Source: IGN
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the YouTube conversions!
In other news, JPX Brutality, the Xbox360Achievements.org forum member with an early copy of the game, has shared some more details from the game’s manual.
New details with quotes from the manual include:
– Story Mode/World Grand Prix Mode synopsis.
“If you consider yourself the fastest Extreme Gear rider, why not enter the World Grand Prix and prove it? Riders who enter the Grand Prix will tour around the globe to compete on various courses designed solely for this extreme racing event. The season opener will kick start on a brand new course on Dolphin Resort, so don’t miss your chance to become the undisputed champion of the world. See you all at the starting line with your Board Gear!”
– A shop run by Omochao, where you can buy new parts to customize your Extreme Gear with.
“Access the shop from the Main Menu to purchase additional Extreme Gear and parts with accumulated Rings. Select an item from the list to display details and parameters, then drag the item onto the Cashier panel at the bottom right to purchase”
– Character bios
Sonic the Hedgehog
“Sonic is a hero who loves to live free and does not tolerate any devious deeds. He can be short tempered at times, but is always there for those who are in trouble. He usually travels at supersonic speed on foot, but with his new and advanced Gear, he’ll be cruising even faster in style at the Grand Prix with his teammates Tails and Knuckles.”
Miles “Tails” Prower
“A kid fox with two tails- hence his nickname “Tails.” He loves tinkering with machinery, and has developed various devices to support Sonic’s adventures in the past. All of Team Heroes’ Extreme Gear are built and customized by this brilliant engineer.”
Knuckles the Echidna
“Knuckles is the defender of the giant Master Emerald on the floating island in the sky known as Angel Island. To bring toughness to the track, his Extreme Gear is built to enhance his physical abilities.”
Jet the Hawk
“Jet is the captain of a treasure hunting team known as Babylon Rogues. He is considered the most technically gifted Extreme Gear rider with the ability to accurately read the wind streams. He holds high standards and considers Sonic as an ultimate rival since he is the fastest on land. As a team leader, Jet also dislikes showing any sign of weakness to anyone.”
Wave the Swallow
“Wave is the only gal on the Babylon Rogues, who also happens to be their top mechanic. Being a super achiever, she’s in charge of upgrading all of the Extreme Gear and their airship and even analyzes unknown treasures in her spare time. Although she is older than jet, she faithfully respects and follows him as her leader.”
Storm the Albatross
“Storm is the heavyweight rider of the Babylon Rogues. As his frame indicates, he has enough strength to crush a boulder with little effort. He is scorned by Jet for many of the things he lacks but he is happy to defer to Jet’s leadership and to be his right-hand man.”
Amy Rose
“Amy is always hot on Sonic’s heels as his self-professed girlfriend. With a spark of energy and her trademark item- the Piko Piko hammer, she is ready to track down the blue blur wherever he goes. Hoping Sonic will be racing at the Grand Prix once again, she decides to join the event.”
Dr. Eggman
“An evil scientific genius who is always coming to blows with Sonic and his friends, since he is always scheming for world domination. The question is how this mad scientist will attempt to crash the party this time around.”
Shadow the Hedgehog
“This dark hedgehog boasts running speeds to rival Sonic’s. Though uninterested in the Grand Prix itself, he is eager to test his riding skills and would like to beat Sonic.”
– Specs
Offline: Players 1-2, Co-op 2-4
Online: Multiplayer 2-8, Leaderboards, Voice
No downloadable content feature is listed.
– Kinect specs
KINECT sensor required, Voice enabled, Players 1-2, Co-op 2-4, In-game Avatar, Activity level: Standing/active
JPX Brutality finishes by explaining the various offline and online modes in the manual:
Tag mode is really cool. Its the games version of co-op. You work as a team to win the race and you can combine riders by facing eachother and locking hands. This brings the screen to just one instead of split and you share rings, air, and have increased speed and jump capabilities. Very cool looking. So far this game looks like one of the best actual co-op games for Kinect. You actually interact with eachother instead of just standing in the same screen.
Relay race is also really cool. 2 players race one lap with the other two waiting outside of view and once you get back the the start line your player enters the pit and you trade spots. While in the pit you can pump your arms up and down to collect air to use. This can be done 2 vs 2 or you can can do 4 vs cpu.
For Xbox live you can race online against up to 7 other players. Modes include Quick Match: Quickly search and enter available online races. Custom Match: Use search filters to find online races you wish to enter. Create Match: Create a race and invite other Xbox LIVE players. Xbox LIVE party: Set up an online part to easily connect with up to eight players.
There’s still no picture proof, so we’re still going to have to treat this all as rumour for now.
Source: Xbox360Achievements.org forums
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-nx2-uEP2I[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBx3hfhygo[/youtube]
If you live in Europe or Australia, you can now take Sonic Colours on Nintendo DS for a brief spin. A demo has been made available for download today via the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, allowing fans to have a playthrough of Tropical Resort Act 1. In this stage you can get to grips with the White Wisps that give you a speed boost in Sonic Rush fashion and the Red “Burst” Wisp that turns Sonic into a fire-ball and allows him to charge a Burst Jump that he can launch in any direction.
If you’ve given the demo a try, share your experience with it in the comments below.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLleSepBWco[/youtube]
A trailer for Xbox 360 Kinect’s U.S. launch on November 4th has hit the net, which showcases the games that will be available on the device’s release date. Sonic Free Riders makes an appearance with some new clips of gameplay footage from a few of the various tracks on offer.
In other news, a retailer error has caused some Kinect games to be delivered to pre-order customers early, but loading one of these games up before launch will request that you download an update to be able to play them. Unfortunately, this update is not available yet and trying to download it will result in you being temporarily locked out of Xbox Live. More on that at Kotaku.
Xbox360achievements.org forum member JPX Brutatility says Gamestop are the retailer in question, because he has received a copy of Sonic Free Riders early from them. JPX Brutality claims he has also ended up being locked out of Xbox Live temporarily for trying to play it early in an attempt to find out what the game’s yet to be revealed Achievements are, but has now offered to share details from the game’s manual instead. One question from Miles Prower CC about the Extreme Gears in the game has been answered so far, revealing that 20 Extreme Gear will be available to purchase from Omochao’s Shop:
“Extreme gear are available in two basic types (board and bike), offering riders a total of 20 gear to choose from, if you unlock and/or purchase them all at Omochao’s Shop. Each Gear has its own characteristics and enhancements, so finding the perfect match for you and your character adds another dimension to the race”
That is the exact quote so to mean it seems like you will be able to choose your board/bike from an option of 10 bikes and 10 boards. So yes he can ride a bike. The motions for the bike are fairly interesting as well. You have to act like you are holding handle bars and tilt them left or right to steer. The graphics are quite hilarious.
No picture proof of the manual and quote has been made provided, so we’re treating the information as rumour for now.
Source: Xbox360achievements.org forums
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads-up on the trailer and YouTube conversion!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMXpEN1MnM[/youtube]
Gamespot has released the latest episode of their On The Spot show and featured in the show is the second part of their Sonic Free Riders final build demonstration that they promised last week. This time SEGA’s Fabian Doehla and a fellow colleague show how the co-operative Tag Mode works, while also showing a new track based in a city at night.
Tag Mode sees you and another player join hands and work together as one, but you are able to separate during a race and change to a split-screen view. If you want to rejoin each other, the further ahead of you can wait at certain points in the track for the other to catch up and sync back up with you. When asked about photo features, Doehla says you’ll be able to take photos of yourself and put them on the in-game billboards. The demonstration also features plenty of voice clips from Sonic and Tails’ new voice actors.
Thanks to Hero of Legend at the SSMB for the YouTube conversion!
SEGA Europe has announced that the classic Dreamcast puzzle game ChuChu Rocket is now available to download from the App Store on the iPhone/iPod touch at €3.99 /£2.99 / AU$5.99 and in HD – on the iPad for €5.49 /£3.99/ AU$8.99. In other news, a Halloween Sale has been announced, with discounts across five titles, including Sonic’s latest classic revival Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1.
Here are the full list of titles and prices:
Shining Force
Was: $2.99 £1.79 Now: $0.99 £0.59
Ecco the Dolphin
Was: $2.99 £1.79 Now: $0.99 £0.59
Streets of Rage
Was: $2.99 £1.79 Now: $0.99 £0.59
Sonic 4 Ep 1
Was: $9.99 £5.99 Now: $6.99 £3.99
Football Manager
Was: $4.99 £4.99 Now: $2.99 £2.99
The sale is only for a limited time, so grab those bargains while they’re there.
Source: SEGA Europe Blog
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRn689FviJQ[/youtube]
A new trailer for Sonic Free Riders has just been released by SEGA Europe, this time focusing on the game’s various weapons. The trailer shows how to use these items with Kinect, such as the Octo-ink, which allows you to squirt ink at your opponent to obstruct their view, the Soda Rocket, which you shake until it bursts and gives you a speed boost and the Tee Shot, which sees you use a golf club to fire a golf ball at your opponents. Plenty of new footage from the various tracks in the game is also on show and we get to some hear a tiny bit of the new voice acting, too.
Source: Sonic City Blognik
Issue 62 of Official Nintendo Magazine is available from today in stores across the UK for £3.99 and inside are reviews for both Wii & DS versions of Sonic Colours. The game grasped an impressive 86% score from reviewer Chris Scullion on Wii, closely followed by an 85% score from reviewer Simon Bramble for the DS edition. The Wii version is highly praised for not containing any gimmicks that ruin the game, such as the Werehog, talking swords or the motion controlled gameplay of Sonic and the Secret Rings. Scullion sees the Wisps as a gimmick, but says they don’t ruin things and are completely optional, so you can completely ignore them if you like. Scullion especially likes the Yellow Drill Wisp, saying “You’ll have a blast manoeuvring Sonic through the dirt and underground passages at stupidly fast speeds,”.
Another feature praised about the game is the new voice acting of Roger Craig Smith as Sonic the Hedgehog. Scullion says Roger makes Sonic seem pretty cool and not the equivalent of The Simpsons‘ Poochie The Rapping Dog. Elsewhere in the sound department, the music receives some positive criticism, with Scullion saying the ONM team were humming along to the tracks for each level. Speaking of levels, Scullion doesn’t rank them as high as the best of the daytime stages Sonic Unleashed had to offer, but he is happy with lots of the stages. Scullion wasn’t impressed with multiplayer and says “if you’re buying this for multiplayer, you’ll probably be disappointed, as Sonic Colours is far more enjoyable when played on your tod.”
Scullion finishes the review with a statement that many fans will be happy to hear:
“Colours hits the jackpot for Sonic fans. It’s one of his best 3D outings since the Dreamcast days. Round of applause for Sonic Team – the Sonic cycle has finally been broken.”
As for the DS version, it’s highly praised for being developed by Dimps who did the very well received Sonic Rush titles, because this game sticks closely to the fast-paced gameplay in those games. Bramble says Sonic Colours on DS is at its heart “speed-run gaming at its finest” and has a lot of good things to say about the replay value of going through levels again to improve your performance and earn a higher rank and/or using later unlocked Wisps in earlier stages to find new paths and goodies. Like Scullion on the Wii version, Bramble is happy to see the Wisps are completely optional in this version, so you can speed through in usual Sonic fashion without ever using one if you so wish to.
The only complaint Bramble brings up about the DS version are the boss battles and bonus levels, because they break the flow of the game and says “the story’s a tenuous load of old tosh – but at least Sonic doesn’t talk.” The review is ended like the Wii one, with another positive statement that will put a smile on the face of fans.
“In fact, Colours on DS manages to silence not only its star, but those looking for yet another Sonic game to complain about. By ignoring the mistakes that did for recent titles, Colours manages to glide along, happy and oblivious, just as you will when you play it.”
For the full reviews, pick up a copy of Official Nintendo Magazine issue 62 in stores now, or order online at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
SEGA has been doing a lot of promotional work for their games these past few months by attending many gaming related events and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon, with news that their Swedish division will be showcasing some of their games at Sweden’s Gamex expo. SEGA games available to play at the Pan Vision booth include Sonic Colours (Wii and DS), Sonic Free Riders, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Vanquish. Fans will also be able to meet Sonic the Hedgehog himself. Gamex will be held from the 4th to the 7th of November at the Kista Expo Center, which is centrally located in the north of Stockholm. Doors will be open from 10:00 to 20:00 CEST Thursday to Saturday and from 10:00 to 17:00 CEST on Sunday. If you’re interested in attending, you can buy your tickets here.
For more information, head over to Gamex’s official website.
Will you be attending? Let us know in the comments.
Following an announcement on SonicFanFilm.com, Eddie LeBron (the director of the Megaman Fan Film) appears to have recruited the classic vocals of Jaleel White, the voice of Sonic throughout the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and the SatAM cartoon series, in order to reprise his role for a short 10-20 minute fan film.
To quote a statement from LeBron on the site:
As of early October, we have officially signed Jaleel White to voice to do the voice of the titular character, “Sonic the Hedgehog”. Jaleel White first entered the public eye as Steve Urkl in the TV sitcom. “Family Matters” and since then, he has been in various feature films and has also entered voice acting. One of his most popular voice acting roles was as Sonic the Hedgehog in various cartoon adaptations. He is widely known by fans as THE voice of Sonic; as we do. Thus, we want Jaleel’s involvement on this.
LeBron goes on to detail the format of the live action movie, which hopes to take most of its inspiration from the earlier Sonic titles, as well as to include a completely CGI Sonic. It is hoped the final production of the short will be premiered at the Screw Attack Gaming Convention in 2011.
For more details head over to the Sonic Fan Film site.
Let us know your thoughts and feelings in the comments section!
SEGA West CEO Mike Hayes has made it clear in an interview with IGN that the company doesn’t want to make any more bad Sonic games. From here on out Hayes says that SEGA will be listening to what the fans want in future titles and feels this strategy will bring the Sonic series back up to the quality standard it once had.
“It’s all part of a general strategy with Sonic where we are passionate about getting Sonic back up to the quality levels we’ve had historically,” Hayes explained. “We’ve gone through a major segmentation analysis of Sonic and where it would appeal to the different fans.”
Hayes explains that SEGA are targeting different audiences for different platforms. The company is going after the younger audience with titles on Wii & DS, while catering for the more devoted Sonic & SEGA fans with other brands.
“On the Wii and Nintendo DS, we’re driving those brands to the younger audience,” he said. “We have our Mario and Sonic brands that are very mass-market. Then we have our brands where we will focus on our SEGA and Sonic loyalists and we made the decision there to listen to what their feedback is.”
“We delayed the launch of Sonic 4 to make sure we got that as right as we could and we’re still listening because as we progress the series we want to make sure we get that right.”
Hayes then reveals that development on Sonic titles will take a different approach depending on the age group a game is targeted at.
“Where I think we provide Sonic for a younger audience, there we have to take innovation ourselves and try and understand and work out what will be the best game for a more 8 to 12 year old audience,” he said. “For the core fans, we definitely want to hear what they have to say about Sonic.”
“It’s just such a vital brand for us, and the most important thing is to get relevant quality, and that’s what we’re going to spend a lot of time and money doing over the next three or more years to get right.”
Source: IGN
Thanks to Mr.Isklue at the SSMB for the heads-up!
What do you think of SEGA’s new development and marketing strategies for the Sonic the Hedgehog brand? Speak out in the comments.
SEGA has today opened the characters section of the U.S. and European official Sonic Free Riders website, revealing new artwork, small profiles and a new music track from the game. The only characters unlocked at the moment are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Jet, Wave and Storm, but the website states more are “Coming Soon”. Thanks to Gamespot’s exclusive demonstration of the final build, we currently know of 17 characters, which include Metal Sonic, Vector and a blue E-series robot likely called E-10000B that are new entries to the series, so we can expect plenty more profiles to be featured on the site.
Check out the rest of the new artwork below:
Source: Sonic Free Riders U.S. and EU official website
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads-up!
SEGA France announced on their blog “The Blue Room” on October 15th (yes, we’re a bit late noticing this) that they will be attending the Paris Games Week event that begins this Wednesday October 26th and ends on Sunday 31st. SEGA will be bringing along some of their recent and upcoming titles, including Sonic the Hedgehog‘s latest bunch.
The full list of titles and pods available include:
Sonic Colours (Wii) = 4 pods
Sonic Colours (DS) = 4 pods
Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360 Kinect) = 2 pods
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 = 2 pods
Crazy Taxi = 1 pod
Space Channel 5: Part 2 = 1 pod
Vanquish (PS3, Xbox 360) = 3 Xbox 360 pods and 3 PS3 pods
Virtua Tennis 4 (PS3) = 2 pods with PlayStation Move and 3D support
Yakuza 4 (PS3) = 2 pods
Also, Atsushi Inaba, the co-founder and Producer of Platinum Games developed title Vanquish will be in attendance on Saturday and Sunday to make some presentations and sign your copies of the game or posters that you can only get exclusively at this event.
Finally, Atsushi Inaba, co-founder and Producer of PlatinumGames VANQUISH come specially from Japan on Saturday and Sunday to make several presentations-hourly news soon-but especially to sign copies of VANQUISH you’ve purchased per thousand and / or large posters printed exclusively for this occasion.
(Google Translate)
Source: SEGA France’s “The Blue Room” blog
SEGA France to attend Paris Games Week announcement
Space Channel 5: Part 2 at Paris Games Week announcement
For more information about Paris Games Week, head over to the events official website.
Will you be attending Paris Games Week? Let us know in the comments.
Some of you may have seen these covers during the NYCC coverage, but we thought we’d like to share more info in closer detail. (Plus, it’s about dang time we started doing these.) Straight from Archie comics own website come previews of upcoming Sonic books for January 2011.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #221
“Changing Tempo”: Sonic’s eager to hear the new sound of Mina and her band – but will he like what he hears? Tensions are running high, and that’s before an evil presence starts lurking in the shadows! Then, in “Second Impressions,” Nicole and Espio deal with the fallout from the Iron Dominion invasion- along with a surprise third party!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn
ART: Ben Bates, James Fry, Terry Austin, John Workman & Matt Herms
COVER: Ben Bates
Shipping Date: 1/19/11
On Sale at Comic Shops: 1/26/11
Newstands: Week of 2/8/11
Comic, 32 pgs, 40 lb. glossy stock, Full-Color
$2.99 US
SONIC UNIVERSE #24
“Treasure Team Tango” Part Four: The wild grand finale to our craziest story yet! Four teams vie for the precious Sol Emerald! Will Team Rose help Blaze save her world? Will Team Dark beat them into submission? Will Nack’s “Team Hooligan” cash it in, or will the Babylon Rogues beat them to it? You can’t miss this blockbuster conclusion!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn
ART: Tracy Yardley!, Jim Amash, Phil Felix and Jason Jensen
COVER: Tracy Yardley!, Jim Amash & Ben Hunzeker
Shipping Date: 1/5/11
On Sale at Comic Shops: 1/12/11
Newstands: Week of 1/25/11
Comic, 32 pgs, 40 lb. glossy stock, Full-Color
$2.99 US
SONIC SELECT #3
The highly acclaimed Sonic Select series of graphic novels returns with a vengeance! Inside you’ll find three epic tales: “Battle Royal,” where the Freedom Fighters throw down against the Chaotix, “Brave New World,” the series changing fan-favorite, and “Return of the King,” the story that set off the “World Tour Saga”! All that and more!
SCRIPT: Michael Gallagher, Ian Flynn
ART: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante, Sam Maxwell, Dave Manak, Nelson Ortega, Jim Amash, Rich Koslowski and Barry Grossman.
COVER: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante
Shipping Date: 1/5/11
On Sale at Comic Shops: 2/9/11
Soft Cover, 6″x9″, pgs, glossy stock, Full-Color
$11.95 US
The rumour mill is churning again and this time it’s from a random 4chan forum member who goes by the name Wentos The Travelling Salesman, who some may recall spoke out early last year claiming to be an employee at SEGA. This guy claimed to know that the next “main” game in the Sonic series would be based on Sonic Unleashed‘s daytime stages, but never provided any proof to his identity or claims. The claim may have turned out to be true, with Sonic Colours‘ stages playing out like those levels, but these are predictions anyone could make given such positive feedback on those stages from fans who played the game that SEGA quickly became aware of.
New rumours from Wentos’ sudden return to the 4chan forums begin with SEGA going for something different in the next Mario & Sonic game, straying away from the sports theme of the last two games in the franchise, but wouldn’t say anything more on the subject.
“Without giving anything away…this time, it’s not a sports game. It’s turning out quite well. I think some of you may be a little surprised.”
When asked why Sonic Colours isn’t on PS3 and Xbox360, Wentos cited cheaper development costs and developmental freedom as reasons.
“…Wii/DS is a much more cost-effective pairing, especially for an ‘experimental’ Sonic game like this where they needed the financial and developmental freedom to craft 50+ (!) stages,”
Wentos also claims that development of an HD version of Sonic Colours is all set to go, but first SEGA will need high sales of the Wii & DS versions to justify it ever leaving the cutting room floor.
“The technology and design plan is all set up to do the port on Sonic Team’s end,” he said. “Of course, they need strong sales to justify releasing it on the other two platforms (with enhancements, more money spent, etc) in the first place, so it’s all up to you guys.”
Again, no proof of Wentos’ identity or his claims has been provided and for the most part these rumours have been going about since Gamefest 2010, so we’re strictly filing this under rumour and suggest you take this with the tiniest pinch of salt possible.
For more and an extract of a chat log with Wentos, head over to SEGA Bits.
The game may not be out for another few weeks, but it appears that Sonic Colours is already performing very well in the sales department, because Toys R Us Canada’s website is now out of stock of the DS version of the game. We checked for the Wii edition, but their website isn’t listing it at the time of this article’s publication. The fact that the game is selling out is good news for SEGA’s sales, but for some fans it may mean having to get those pre-orders in and buy early if they’re looking to nab a copy before Christmas.
Will this sales performance continue with other retailers and other countries? We’ll keep an eye open and report back. Meanwhile, share your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Toys R Us Canada’s website
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjjO2zaweY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
DualShockers has posted up a video interview with SEGA’s Dan Gallardo where they discuss the publishers first Xbox 360 Kinect title Sonic Free Riders. Nothing is revealed that we didn’t already know, but we do get some assurance that SEGA has treated this game as a full Xbox 360 title and not a quickly put together mini game title. Gallard explains, “It will be online, you’ll get the unlockables, you’ll get the characters, you’ll get the variety of environments, you’ll get everything you expect with a 360 title, all in one.” With all of the game modes, tracks, characters and features shown in the final build of the game on Gamespot’s On The Spot show, it’s no surprise that some hard work has been put into this title.
Apart from the interview, you get to see plenty of new gameplay footage of the Western themed Rocky Ridge track from the Tokyo Game Show demo of the game, complete with huge jumps and minecart steering action.
Source: DualShockers
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the YouTube conversion!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-V3ItAjmZM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
The official Japanese Sonic Free Riders website has received a makeover today, along with new updates that include the above new trailer and some new screenshots. In the screens and trailer we see more of Dolphin Resort and Rocky Ridge played in both single player and co-op modes, in which one mode sees you synchronized with another player. The trailer also acts as a tutorial to show you how the game is controlled, including the stage specific elements such as swimming, steering a minecart and riding a newly revealed bobsleigh. It looks like there is plenty of physical interaction involved in the game to keep players fit.
Source: Official Japanese Sonic Free Riders website
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads-up!
Many new screenshots for both Wii & DS versions of Sonic Colours have arisen at Andriasang, which feature the Aquarium Park stage and our first real look at the Asteroid Coaster stage. Asteroid Coaster lives up to its name, with the levels built around rocky asteroids, which appear to have been polluted with toxic waste, and yes, a roller coaster is present, a skeletal prehistoric themed one. The DS screenshots reveal the Violet Wisps “Void” powers, which give Sonic the ability to float and to suck up enemies into his vortex. This Wisp is exclusive to the DS version. The Wii screenshots allow us to see more of the yesterday revealed Purple “Frenzy” Wisps chomping powers in action. This Wisp is exclusive to the Wii version and judging by the screenshots, it can be used in both 2D and 3D spaces. The bosses from both stages in each version are also on display in full force, giving us a peek at their battle strategies.
Check out all of the screenshots below:
Asteroid Coaster
Wii:
DS:
Aquarium Park
Wii:
DS:
Source: Andriasang
Asteroid Coaster
Aquarium Park
What do you think of these stages and the Violet “Void” Wisp? Share your thoughts in the comments.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlcArvA644E[/youtube]
As part of their On The Spot show, Gamespot has posted the first of 2 parts of a Daily Demo of Sonic Free Riders, in which SEGA’s Sam Mullen is on board to show off the final build of the game. In this part we get to see various modes available in the menus, including World Grand Prix, Time Attack, Free Race, Tag Race, Relay Race and Tutorials, which Mullen navigates with the recently revealed voice recognition feature.
We’re given a brief tease of the World Grand Prix (story mode), in which we see Eggman ruling the tournament dressed like a king. This mode looks to be played from 4 teams of characters available.
Sonic, Tails and Knuckles
Shadow, Rouge and a new blue E-Series robot, which we assume will be called E-10000B, since he’s blue.
Amy, Cream and Vector
Jet, Wave and Storm
A silhouette of Eggman can also be seen. Maybe this is a final/last story unlockable?
Speaking of characters, we see quite a few new entries to the roster, some you may have seen in yesterdays trailer and others brand new. Shadow, Cream, Rouge, Blaze, Silver and Vector will all be included in the game as playable characters. We get a taste of Wave’s new voice actress at the end of the video, where Sam demos the volcanic themed track shown in screenshots yesterday with her on the returning Hang-On bike.
Gamespots Ricardo Torres says we can expect part 2 of their demo next week, in which they’ll be showing the multiplayer modes of the game, including a new “Date Mode”. We’ll keep an eye out for the demo and bring you all of the new information revealed.
Source: Gamespot.
Thanks to Hero of Legend at the SSMB for the YouTube conversion!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk2DbZZC4r0[/youtube]
SEGA has just released a new trailer for Sonic Colours, which gives us our first look at the Purple Wisp and its “Frenzy” power in action. This power sees Sonic chomp through enemies and various other obstacles in his way. We also see plenty more gameplay footage showing the Blue “Cube”, Pink “Spike” and Green “Hover” Wisps in use, all exclusive to the Wii version of the game. Some more CGI footage is shown in the trailer too. A piece of hi-res artwork of the Purple Wisp is also available below.
Source: SEGA of America blog
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_nOX_tiZAo&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Sonic Reikai staff member ashthedragon has uploaded a gameplay video (recorded by boyfriend RACCAR) of herself playing Sonic Colours on DS at the recent Gamefest 2010 event, which SEGA’s Spanish division attended. The video gives us a look at Tropical Resort Act 1 in full and shows the full potential of the Red “Fire” Wisp and its Red Burst power, such as flying around the stage, attacking enemies and launching Sonic from a ferris wheel designed catapult. Apart from that, the usual high speed Sonic Rush style gameplay is shown in full force.
Source: Sonic Reikai
Thanks to Seraphinprincess for informing us at the SSMB!
At NYCC, Archie Comics Editor in Chief Mike Pellerito said that the Penders legal challenge was ended with one phone call with Archie’s legal department. Today, Penders has released a statement on his website that “it’s not over”.
This will be short and sweet.
Contrary to claims made recently at the NYC Comic Con by Archie’s Mike Pellerito, I continue to maintain copyright ownership of characters I created and this issue has not been resolved.
My claim has merit and I continue to use every legal means at my disposal to protect and preserve my rights. It’s bizarre that Archie would make a public statement that indicates otherwise.
More later at the appropriate time.
Despite these claims, it should be noted that, according to research done by TSSZ, Penders has only been granted copyright ownership of one of his characters, Hershey the Cat. It should also be noted that many of the character’s he’s named in the past as falling under his copyright, he has not actually filed a copyright claim for. Archie has continued to release stories penned by Penders through it’s Archives series, most recently his most well known work “End Game Saga”, and will be featuring several Penders made characters it next month’s issue of Sonic the Hedgehog.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81A3sHCufKI[/youtube]
SEGA Europe has just unveiled a new trailer for Xbox 360 Kinect exclusive title Sonic Free Riders. The trailer showcases a variety of tracks, including some we’ve never seen before, such as a volcanic themed area and an ancient ruin themed area. A new piece of music is played in the trailer and fits well with the series usual fare. The trailer focuses on introducing viewers to the game and how it works with Xbox 360’s new device, such as turns, speed, jumps, ring grabbing and track specific motions like swimming.
Black Spy at the SSMB has spotted a new character joining the series in the above screen-cap. Yes, it seems Metal Sonic had so much fun competing in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing that he decided to take part in this game, too.
Source: Sonic City Blognik
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads-up!
A bunch of new screenshots of the various tracks shown in the trailer have appeared at Xbox.com, too. You can check them all out below.
Source: Xbox.com’s Sonic Free Riders product page
Sonic Free Riders will be available when Kinect launches November 4th in the U.S. and November 10th in Europe.
UPDATE: The UK site is now live. Those having problems accessing the U.S. site should be able to access this one.
Thanks to gato at the SSMB for the heads up! /UPDATE END
SEGA has just unveiled their official English Sonic Colours website. As you can see, it is based on the game’s World Map, much like the Sonic Unleashed website was. The website features character profiles, including Wisps and their powers, a stage section that contains music from each currently revealed stage and a game info section. Asteroid Coaster is currently locked out, as are stage videos and both the Purple and Indigo Wisps. As a bonus, you can obtain wallpapers by gathering Wisps around the website.
A SEGA representative has revealed in an interview with Hip Hop Gamer that their first Xbox 360 Kinect title Sonic Free Riders will feature voice recognition. Players who aren’t keen on navigating and making selections in the game’s menus with their hands will be able to use Kinect’s microphone to choose things like their characters, extreme gears and tracks with their voice instead. HipHopGamer himself shares his views from his playtest with Sonic Free Riders throughout the interview in his usual excitable manner and has the most positive opinion seen from the press yet. Accoring to HipHopGamer, the game works really well in terms of controls, so well that he says they’ve nailed it where most Kinect games haven’t.
To see the video interview, head over to Hip Hop Gamer.
In other news, a couple of very short gameplay videos of the Rocky Ridge track have hit YouTube, which give us a look at the minecart section of the stage, where players will need to steer with the lever like you would a real minecart.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZbsDUNbBRc[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30BITG_9tGs[/youtube]
According to reports, the UK edition of NGamer magazine has put out their review of Sonic Colours on Wii in their new issue released to store shelves today and it’s good news, because the magazine has given the game a score of 86%. NGamer has many positive things to say about the game, praising the single player, the Wisps and the replay value given when returning to stages to find hidden routes with later unlocked Wisps.
“The Similarity to the Mario Galaxy Games is it’s abundance of ideas. This is Sonic Team in an uncharacteristically creative and generous mood. It’s one that suits them well. The addition of the power-altering wisps is what does it.”
– “These aren’t powerups, they’re toys – single-use shots of pure fun that have the happy side effect of opening up new pathways in already pleasingly labyrinthine stages.”
– “The lists of powers goes on and on, and backtracking to find new areas in which to use them is a big part of the fun.”
NGamer weren’t too keen on the multiplayer section of the game though, claiming it can feel like a tug of war at times.
“As a multiplayer game Sonic Colours is less than perfect (the speedy action often results in a game of tug of war using the screen as a rope).”
The review reveals a new feature in the game’s multiplayer mode, the ability to play as your Mii.
– The ability to swap Sonic for your Miis means there’s still throwaway fun to be had.” (in multiplayer)
They finish the review up with a high note in their summary.
Summary – “Colours Rockets Sonic closer to the stratospheric heights of past glories and hints at a great future. Welcome back old friend, it’s been to long.”
For the full review, pick up the latest issue of NGamer in-store now or you can order it online from MyFavouriteMagazines.co.uk
Source: Sonicka at the ONM Forums
Thanks to SiLeNtDo0m at the SSMB for the heads-up!
In addition to the release date of December 22nd this year, details have emerged that the Sonic Colors album “ViViD SOUND X HYBRiD COLOURS” album will be a 3CD affair (hence it commanding the price of ¥4200 – around £35 / $60) and will include a monsterous 82 tracks including pieces recorded with a live orchestra in Amsterdam.
Details can be found on the translated Game Watch Site. Thanks to Woun for the heads up!
European and Australian Wii owners can now finally purchase the WiiWare version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 from the Wii Shop Channel. The game costs 1,500 Nintendo Points and weighs in at 387 blocks of memory. Those hoping for multiple control schemes such as the Classic Controller and Gamecube Controller will be disappointed, because the game only supports the Wii Remote. Special Stages do have some control choices however, with the option of playing with the d-pad or with motion control.
Will you be buying Sonic 4 on WiiWare today? Let us know and share your thoughts on the game in the comments.
Thanks to just4lolzz in the comments for the heads-up on the Australian release.
Sonic Colors is coming out in less then a month, and SEGA is finally showing the game off. Today, they’ve released three new videos based on the green, pink, and orange wisp powers, as well as the fire and rocket powers on the DS.
Wii:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIoRd1oBuR4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGgOvk9X7sE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5hm3tTQ1A&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkASTdvQh2s&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
DS:
http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicColors/#/action/ds_red
http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicColors/#/action/ds_orange
You can also find a load of Sonic Colors screens here.
Special thanks goes to Sonic Stadium Forumer Woun for ripping the videos.
