In an entry to the SEGA of America Blog, Kellie announced today that SEGA will be attending annual pop culture themed street fair, the J-Pop Summit Festival this weekend. Plenty of SEGA’s latest games will be on show, including Vanquish, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Sonic Colours, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, and Yakuza 4.
As a juicy bonus, from Noon until 2pm, SEGA will be showcasing Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 in playable form on the big screen in the movie theatre at VIZ Cinema. As if that isn’t enough, some goodies are going to be given away too.
Interested in attending? Check out the details from SEGA below:
Who: Team SEGA and you!
What: J-Pop Summit Festival 2010
Where: Post Street between Webster St. & Laguna St., Japantown, San Francisco, CA.
When: 11am – 6pm (Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I in the cinema from 12noon until 2pm only)
Why: Because you like free swag, playing fun games, and hanging out with us!
You can take a look at/print off a guide and schedule for the event below:
For more information about the event, head over to the J-Pop Summit Festival’s website.
Source: SEGA of America Blog
Will you be attending the event? Let us know in the comments.
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu801S53aDM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
SEGA Japan has updated their Sonic Free Riders official site with a MUCH higher quality version of the games Tokyo Game Show trailer, which was originally revealed on their USTREAM account. Now you can view it without the blurry mess and get a better look at the game in motion. View it in widescreen at YouTube or the games website at the below link.
Source: Japanese official Sonic Free Riders website
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the YouTube conversion.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
In the lead up to SEGA’s TGS press conference, they showed a series of trailers for their upcoming games on their online ustream. Among them was a compilation trailer, ending with the screen I’ve posted below.
That’s right. As part of SEGA’s PSO Tenth Anniversary celebration, we are finally getting a true sequel to the game that started it all. The game is expected to be released sometime in 2011, and will be exclusive to the PC. It is not known at this time whether or not Sonic Team is developing the game.
Special thanks goes to SEGAbits, who provided the information. Be sure to check their website for a full account of the trailer. We’ll be sure to update this post with a trailer when it becomes available. Or, alternatively, you could check SEGAbits, as they’ll probably post it first.
Update: SEGAbits has posted the trailer! I’ve no idea how to post Blip.tv commercials on TSS, head over to SEGAbits to catch it. SEGA apparently pulled it from Youtube, so catch it while you can.
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.
At the SEGA of America Blog, RubyEclipse has revealed a few more minor pieces of information about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and the changes made during the games delay. Two of the changes in this latest update were already revealed yesterday by Gamespot and Sonic Stadium founder Svend Joscelyne aka Dreadknux. These changes include a World Map replacing the level select screen and the option at the end of an Act to progress to the next Act, without returning to the World Map (or level select screen as it used to be).
The final and all-new update is the removal of the invisible wall at the end of an Act. You’ll have seen in gameplay videos that when you run past the Act completion sign post and to the end of the screen, you will always hit an invisible wall and can’t run off-screen like you would in the classics. The wall has now been removed, so you can speed away off-screen to the next part of the adventure (or whatever is hiding there) in true nostalgic fashion.
RubyEclipse also gives a heads up on what to expect in the future:
That’s all for today’s mini-update, though we’ll be announcing Sonic 4’s release date, the pricing, and revealing another zone on the website soon. Update Blog Part 2.0 will also be arriving within the next few weeks, and with it, word on the second big level redesign within the final version.
Source: SEGA of America blog
What do you think about these latest changes? Speak out in the comments.
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.
If you’re planning on going along to London’s MCM Expo this October, then you’ll have an opportunity to meet Sonic voice actor newbie Roger Craig Smith, who will be in attendance this autumn for a meet and greet session over the weekend. As many of you know, Roger has also voiced many other video game characters such as Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore De Firenze, Resident Evil’s Chris Redfield and Naruto’s Deidara and is a popular choice as a voice actor amongst many fans.
Guess this means you’ll have to fight other fanboys for his attention! It’s Roger’s first time in the UK, so be gentle with him if you’re going!
To find out more about attending the London MCM Expo, head to their main site.
…
…
WATCH OUT FOR DOCTOR EGGMAN! WHOAAAAAA!
I’m so very, very sorry…
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.
Along with his impressions of Sonic Colours, Gamespot’s Mark Walton has also posted his impressions of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Those of you sick of hearing about Splash Hill Zone will be glad to see the preview is focused entirely on Lost Labyrinth Zone.
Walton begins with Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2, which is entirely dark apart from a small amount of light given off by a torch that Sonic carries through the Act. Not only does this torch aid you visually, but you’ll need it for puzzles. One puzzle sees Sonic in a room where he has to light lanterns in the correct order to release platforms, or else they disappear before Sonic can make his escape. Another couple of puzzles are based around lighting dynamite that Sonic will have to light to explode large blocks.
The lack of light was used for several puzzles in the zone. In one area, there were lanterns on the wall, which we could ignite using the torch. Each lantern extended a platform, which we needed to climb up to escape the room. However, the lanterns had to be lit in a certain order and at a particular time; otherwise, the platforms would disappear before we could make it all the way to the top.
Later in the level, we found another use for our fire torch: igniting dynamite. Some large stones blocked our path, which rather handily had dynamite attached to them, along with a fuse. By igniting the fuse, we could blow up the blocks and clear the path. Another area had several explosive blocks in it. We had to carefully choose which blocks to ignite and which to leave in place so we could jump up to a secret area at the top of the screen.
Other classic platform game traps are built around boulders, Walton explains. One point has you time jumps to avoid being hit by falling boulders, while in another you have to jump on a rolling boulder and move your analogue stick/press your d-pad left and right to maintain Sonic’s balance.
The dynamite section was swiftly followed by one involving boulders, which dropped down into a pit below. We had to time our jumps just right to make it across the pit without falling into it. Later, a boulder was released from behind us Indiana Jones-style. Rather than just run away, Sonic jumped on it and we had to maintain our balance by pressing left or right while it rolled down a long track.
Walton then talks about the infamous minecart, which if you’ve been keeping up to date, you’ll know has been revised in the console versions of the game. The minecart is now limited to a small portion of the stage and is no longer motion controlled, it instead rolls along while you make a few jumps to avoid hazards and falls.
The final section of the level featured a mine cart sequence, which required some quick reflexes. After jumping into a cart, we sped off down a long track where we had to jump over obstacles and avoid falling down bottomless pits. The lack of light made it difficult to see upcoming hazards, so we had to be especially alert to make it out alive.
Walton says that fans should rest assured that while these are new mechanics, you’ll still find plenty of familiar classic elements in the stage.
While these sections added something new to the series, we found there was still plenty of classic Sonic action. All the loops, springs, and insane speed from the original games were there, along with plenty of tricky water hazards and spikes to avoid.
At the end of the preview, Walton reveals the game now incorporates a world map instead of a basic stage select screen.
Though we weren’t able to try it out, we spotted a casino-themed level on the world map screen, which indicates there is still plenty more to be revealed about Sonic’s HD outing.
TSS founder Svend Joscelyne aka Dreadknux, who also played the game at SEGA’s press event last week has confirmed this world map screen in a post at the SSMB.
It’s a proper map. 🙂
Joscelyne then revealed that classic progression is an option, so you don’t have to return to the world map if you don’t want to.
I forgot to mention. There’s a choice, actually, of whether you want classic progression or not. Once you pass that Act Clear marker, and the score counts down, a button will appear at the bottom of the screen (I think it was Triangle on the PS3 preview version or something), that says “Jump to Next Act.” If you don’t do this before the fadeout, you go back to the World Map screen.
Note I said World Map – as in “awesome, detailed static world view,” and not “shitty, confusing 3D world hub.” =P
For the full preview, head over to Gamespot
What do you think of the preview? Are you happy with the change to a world map? Discuss in the comments.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
UPDATE: I’ve been informed by fellow staff member nuckles87, that the DLC pack is already available on Xbox Live Marketplace and I too can confirm it is available. Edward@Sega officially confirms this on the SEGA of America blog, along with some details:
Final piece of news: there is also a DLC pack available for the game — if you wish, you can download it and convert this original Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure into the “Director’s Cut” version, Sonic Adventure DX! Sonic Adventure DX was the enhanced version released on the Nintendo GameCube, and includes 60 additional missions as well as Metal Sonic as a playable character.
/UPDATE END
SEGA Japan has confirmed today that Sonic Adventure‘s Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network ports will be released there September 29th. Not only that, downloadable content will be simultaneously available, that when purchased will upgrade the game to Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut. This extra content will be priced at ¥500 (about £3.74) on PSN and 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live. No word on whether the rest of the world will see this content on the same date or not.
SEGA also revealed the Xbox 360 version will support Avatar Awards and the PS3 version will support Home Rewards, but the company hasn’t revealed what those Awards and Rewards actually are. With the Xbox 360 version out in the U.S. and Europe today, we’ll likely see the Avatar Awards revealed soon.
What Avatar Awards and Home Rewards would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Andriasang
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In2YfrjRvIw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
UPDATE: SEGA Europe has issued a press release and a launch trailer for the game at the Sonic City Blognik. /UPDATE END
Sonic Adventure‘s downloadable re-release is now available to Xbox 360 owners from the Xbox Live Marketplace, but in an update on Twitter, SEGA has stated that the PS3 version won’t be hitting the PlayStation Store until next week on September 22nd. A SEGA staff member had previously stated a 15th September release for both versions, so we assume some wires got crossed.
The game is priced at 800 Microsoft Points and weighs in at 1.49GB. If you would like to give it a try before you hand over your points, a trial is also available to download and 10 new screenshots are available to view in the Marketplace too. The game supports online leaderboards and downloadable content, which leaks of the game revealed will be features from Sonic Adventure: DX.
Will you be downloading the game? Let us know in the comments.
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.
Gamespot’s Mark Walton has posted up a preview of his recent hands-on time with Sonic Colours‘ Planet Wisp stage. The preview is very positive, so much so that he claims the game “is a marked departure” for Sonic, due to the lack of gimmicks which many in the press have rated the Sonic series down for in the past.
Sonic Colors is a marked departure for the little hedgehog that could; you don’t turn into a werehog or wield a giant sword. In fact, there is a distinct lack of gimmickry about the game, which instead offers a purer 3D experience not seen since the likes of Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast. There are tons of fast loops to roll through and springs to leap from, as well as new wisp power-ups that have been tuned to fit in with Sonic’s breakneck speed.
Walton reveals that Planet Wisp is in-fact the opening stage of the game and as seen in gameplay videos at Gamesom, looks very familiar to the opening stages of older Sonic titles.
Our hands-on focused on the opening stage, named Planet Whisp. Like the opening stage of earlier Sonic games, it featured familiar visuals, with lush green plants, waterfalls, and simple badniks.
Walton informs that players will need to use the B button on the Wii Remote to get around turns and that doing so will not only make you drift, but gain a speed boost too.
To make our way around the huge banked curves, we had to hold down the B button, which gave us a burst of speed in the corners and made Sonic’s famous red sneakers glow bright yellow.
Walton then goes on to explain the three Wisps that he got to try out, namely the Rocket, Lazer and Hover Wisps that we know all too well by know. This is the first time we’ve heard of the Lazer and Hover Wisps presence in Planet Wisp, so it seems SEGA have been updating the stages to incorporate more stage exploration with the games variety of Wisp power-ups, which can only be a good thing.
In Walton’s final thoughts, he seems very impressed with the games Wisp power-ups and how they build on Sonic’s gameplay when compared to past gameplay styles like Sonic Unleashed‘s Werehog. The visuals also get the thumbs-up from Walton.
What stood out the most from our time with Sonic Colors was how much the power-ups have been integrated into the lightning-fast platforming that has become a hallmark of the series. Unlike the mindless werehog combat of Unleashed, the wisps serve to enhance the core gameplay experience and not drastically change the pace. The visuals in Colors also look good, and Sega has put a large amount of detail into the backgrounds, with the lush foliage-filled Planet Whisp looking particularly impressive.
For the full preview, head over to Gamespot.
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.
Gaming media giants, IGN and 1UP have given their opinions on the downloadable port of Sonic Adventure that is due to hit Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network today. It appears both of reviewers didn’t have a lot of fun with the game, just look at the scores, IGN’s Arthur Gies gives the game a 3.5/10 and 1UP’s Ray Barnholt a D.
Why such a low score and a low-grade? Both put an emphasis on complaints about poor controls, a bad camera, outdated graphics and sections that don’t require any player input. IGN’s Gies goes so far as to say the game borders on unplayable:
The game was so fast, in fact, that you probably didn’t even realize how broken it actually is. Sonic Adventure is so fundamentally flawed that it borders on unplayable – the sections that move the fastest, that work most, that are even slightly interesting, require the least input from the player. In fact, in many of these sections, input from the player will result in death or catastrophe, and there’s really no way to know which until you either fly through not completely sure what happened or die, also not completely sure what happened.
1UP’s Barnholt also seems very frustrated and think the developers should have implemented some improvements to the game:
But the thing is, Sonic Adventure DX wasn’t all that improved over the original version, so all of the questionable physics and maddening controls are still here; not once re-evaluated, not even thought to be improved. If you remember getting Sonic caught on loop-the-loops or practically begging Amy to jump a little higher over one little ledge, you’ll experience all of it in the same spots. If levels like the Sky Deck drove you insane with its narrow walkways that were so easy to fall from, prepare to go crazy again. And while the game was already somewhat touchy, it also feels like it wasn’t even tuned for the Xbox 360 controller and its analog sticks. Listen carefully and you can hear the shattering of rose-tinted lenses.
For the full reviews, head over to IGN and 1UP.
Do you agree with IGN and 1UP’s opinion’s? Do you plan on downloading the game today? Let us know in the comments.
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9IUiBplNE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
French gaming website, Gamekult.com has uploaded three new gameplay videos of Sonic Colours on Wii. The first one gives us another look at the recently revealed co-op mode, but there’s something very different about this video, since the second player is a glowing orb that follows player one’s every move, which is very similar to what we’ve seen in the latest batch of DS screenshots You’ll also notice that the second players HUD is darkened out too. For now, it’s unclear what this could be, apart from its name: Doctor Eggman’s Sonic Simulator. We’ll have to wait until we get official word from SEGA.
Doctor Eggman’s eagle eyes at the SSMB, have spotted that the first co-op area shown in the video is built to look like Sonic 1’s Green Hill Zone. A very nice tribute there, Sonic Team.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grv6awOcIVo&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
The other 2 videos give us a further look at what appears to be new Act’s of the Sweet Mountain and Tropical Resort stages. The former in which you’ll hear a small sample of Tails’ new voice, which sounds a lot more boyish than his last voice.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmbVivX70VI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Do you like what you see and hear? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to SSMB Member Woun for the YouTube uploads.
Source: Gamekult.com
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.
SPOnG has posted up their full interview with Sonic Team Producer Takashi Iizuka, an interview they posted a sample of on Friday, which revealed that the light-hearted and pick-up-and-play gameplay style of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series influenced Sonic Colours.
The interview was held by Sonic Stadium founder Svend Joscelyne (aka Dreadknux), who works as a journalist at SPOnG. In the interview Joscelyne asks some very interesting questions that are certainly a step-up from most interviews that ask the same tired old questions.
The interview begins with Joscelyne querying the inspirations behind the various Wisp powers in Sonic Colours, which Iizuka explains are to help Sonic reach news areas in the game.
The basics for all the colour powers come from the desire to let Sonic go to places that he normally can’t access on his own. When we sit down to think of new Wisps and their functions, we look at the kind of areas that Sonic cannot reach, despite his speed and platforming powers.
We’ve all seen that the game borrows its speed from Sonic Unleashed, but just how much focus is there on speed in this game? Iizuka says that you can speed through the stages without the aid of Wisp powers if you like, but you won’t get to truly explore the stages and gain those hidden red rings without them
You can speed through each stage as fast as you like, without using Wisps, but what those colour powers actually do is give players a chance to explore and replay all of those stages too. Collecting the hidden red rings is one reward for doing so, and the world map shows how many you have found in each level. Without using the Wisps, you won’t always be able to get those red rings.
Some fans may have wondered if Dimps is working on the Wii version of Sonic Colours, after helping out with Sonic Unleashed on Wii. Well, this interview gives us confirmation that Sonic Team are working solo on the Wii version and Dimps is working solo on the DS version.
For Sonic Colours, our two teams worked quite well together on the concept, but we developed the 2D Nintendo DS and 3D Wii versions rather independently. The Wii version is fully developed internally, because we know a lot more about 3D Sonic development than some other developers. Dimps has the experience to make a 2D Sonic game as best as they can, and so they have exclusively worked on the Nintendo DS version – they had no real input in terms of the Wii development.
In recent months there has been more interest in the Sonic fan-base growing towards Sonic Colours over Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Joscelyne asks Iizuka’s thoughts on this.
It’s not so much a feeling of surprise, but the team and I really appreciate that a lot of classic fans are looking forward to Sonic Colours as well. I mean, Sonic Colours was created largely as a 3D title for the people who have become fans of the Sonic franchise most recently, but it’s good to hear that the game has been received so well from the older fans too.
Next, Joscelyne asks Iizuka about THAT recent statement about Sonic Colours being built for a ‘younger audience’, a statement that was later corrected by a member of staff from SEGA. Joscelyne asks why a distinction was made and if it was a misquote or a mistranslation, to which Iizuka responds with the below answer in full.
It wasn’t really a misquote or a mistranslation. The reason why I said ‘younger audiences’ is because the team and I wanted to capitalise on the new audience that we gained through the success of the Mario & Sonic games. Those titles in particular really worked well for Sonic as a character because it made our potential audience much broader than existing Sonic fans.
That created an opportunity for us to build a bigger fanbase, but we noticed that there weren’t that many mainstream Sonic titles available for the Wii and DS post-Mario & Sonic. That’s why Sonic Colours is a proper platforming mainstream game, so that those new fans can discover and learn more about the franchise beyond those spinoff titles. In that way, it’s not really focused on young audiences in terms of age, but more as in maintaining that broader market.
Even though this is the case, if you look at the core gameplay elements of Sonic Colours, you’ll notice that this is a true platforming action game that the core fans can also enjoy. The ultimate goal for Sonic Colours has always been to make the best Sonic title we can for the widest possible target audience. The market nature that the Wii and DS have is the reason why I used the term ‘younger audiences’.
Next, Joscelyne asks for Iizuka’s feelings about Sonic’s downward spiral in recent years and Yuji Naka’s exit from Sonic Team in 2006 to create his own company, Prope. While Iizuka was sad to see Naka go, he gives fans assurance that Naka’s absence hasn’t changed the team as much as some people would like to think. “Sonic Team is always Sonic Team” he says.
I really miss Naka-san and was sad to see him leave when he decided to form his own company. But even at that time, he wasn’t the only person making decisions for the games. Concepts and gameplay elements were all discussed as a team, for example. So while it was very sad to see him go, Sonic Team is always Sonic Team and it didn’t necessarily mean that Sonic was destined to head in a different direction post-Naka-san. At least, not as different as some people may think.
The interview ends with a little something fans of Sonic Colours direction will be glad to hear, as Joscelyne asks Iizuka “Is it safe to say then, that future Sonic titles will have the same kind of colourful, simple, laid-back feel that Sonic Colours has?” to which Iizuka replies:
Yes, that’s the vision that I have.
To read the full interview, head over to SPOnG.
Joscelyne also reveals some interesting details from his playtime with Sonic Colours on Wii:
Taking a producer role on Sonic Colours, the Sonic Team head demonstrated two new Wisp powers that the blue blur can take advantage of – the Red Spikes and the Green Hover. Like the other abilities, these work as optional gameplay gimmicks that can help Sonic overcome otherwise challenging platforming segments, but they can also be used to open up new routes and explore the stages in their full glory.
Spikes will let Sonic stick to any given surface and roll along it, making him invincible at the same time. Pressing the B trigger on the Wii Remote will let Sonic perform a traditional spindash move and zip along the surface he’s on.
Using the Hover ability turns Sonic into a giant green Sonic head and gives you the power to hover, of course – which is very handy in levels where you might need to take advantage of any platforms sitting in the sky. If there’s a trail of rings, pressing B will make Sonic automatically follow it until its end. A bit like the Light Speed Dash in Sonic Adventure games, only without the potential death.
These new Wisps were being demonstrated on a brand new level, called Starlight Carnival – a beautifully bright, colourful stage set in space that reminds me a hell of a lot like a combination of Sonic CD’s Stardust Speedway and Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road.
Platforming, dodging and floating was all going on against a backdrop featuring a fleet of Dr. Eggman’s starships. Iizuka is keen to stress that the presence of starships “is not as serious as it sounds,” pointing out the light-hearted Disneyland-inspired level design and the infectiously happy soundtrack.
What do you think of Iizuka’s latest statements? Discuss in the comments.
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.
Videogamer.com’s Jamin Smith has posted up a preview of his play test of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 at SEGA’s recent press event in London. While some fans in the Sonic community have found a lot to complain about in Sonic 4‘s mechanics, Jamin Smith thinks the homing attack is the only real change.
This is the only fundamental change to the core mechanics of the game; everything else is pretty much how you’d remember it.
Smith has taken note of other new elements in the game though, such as Lost Labyrinth Zone’s torch mechanic and feels new ideas like this make the game live up to it’s title.
Of course there are new features to make it worthy of the number four in its title, and the few I saw were fairly well sewn into the experience. The second act of the Lost Labyrinth Zone, for example, is completely bathed in darkness. Thankfully Sonic is sensible enough to have brought a torch with him, which illuminates the area immediately around him. It’s also used to light candles, which open doors and raise platforms around the level.
An interesting puzzle with the torch is mentioned about that same Act of Lost Labyrinth too, one that Smith seemed to have some trouble with.
There was a particular puzzle late in the level that involved lighting candles in the right sequence so that the correct platforms are raised in the correct order to progress. This stumped me for some time, however, and I actually managed to reach the ten minute time limit that each level has in place. I’ve never quite understood why this would kill Sonic, but it does, and I died.
Overall, Smith thinks the game is a good platformer and looks great, but had much more fun with Sonic Colours.
I’m slightly concerned that with Sonic 4, my judgment has been clouded somewhat by the mists of nostalgia. If I’m honest with myself, I think I enjoyed Sonic: Colours more than Sonic 4, which isn’t at all what I would have predicted a few weeks back. Don’t get me wrong, Sonic 4 is a very competent platformer, paying homage to the originals whilst bringing something new to the series at the same time. It looks great too, with gorgeous 2.5D visuals and slick new animations. Still, I couldn’t help thinking it should have offered something slightly more, but quite what that ‘more’ might entail I have no idea. The only thing that will prove or soothe these worries is playing the full game, and despite a few reservations, I’m very much looking forward to doing so.
Do you agree with Jamin Smith’s thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1? Discuss in the comments.
For the full preview, head over to Videogamer.com
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.
CVG has released some new screenshots of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, three old and three new. While three of them are new to the eye, they actually appear to be from an older build, because Sonic is running in his old animation rather than the recent blurred one SEGA changed it to.
You can check out the rest of the screens below.
New:
Old:
Source: CVG
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNxDlHcPrVQ[/youtube]
SEGA has revealed a few new trailers via their Tokyo Game Show USTREAM account, where they will be streaming events at their booth live. The trailers are for Korohyo, Shining Hearts and Sonic Free Riders. The Sonic Free Riders trailer gives us our first footage of Rocky Ridge and a previously unseen shortcut or two in Dolphin Resort. Also shown is the co-op element that the games Xbox.com product page has listed since the games announcement. In this mode it appears that you can hold hands with another player and pull off some joint tricks on jumps, but unfortunately that’s all that is shown in regards to co-op for now. We also get to hear some new music for the game, which is just as catchy as we’ve come to expect from the Sonic Riders series.
What do you think of the trailer? Speak out in the comments.
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads-up and to Woun at the SSMB for uploading the trailer to YouTube.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
UPDATE 2: SEGA has released clean, hi-resolution versions of the Rocky Ridge screens CVG released earlier, as well as some old Dolphin Resort screens on the Sonic City Blognik. /UPDATE END
UPDATE: CVG has released three high quality, but watermarked screenshots of Rocky Ridge. They also claim Rouge, Shadow and Silver are in the game.
Characters announced so far include Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Shadow and Silver. Sonic Free Riders will also support the use of Avatars.
/UPDATE END
Original article below:
Some photos of Sonic Free Riders‘ have hit the net courtesy of Andriasang, with two of them giving us a glimpse of ‘Rocky Ridge’, a track that SEGA Europe Community Manager ArchangelUK recenty hinted at in an entry at the Blognik and named at the SSMB. The photos were taken at Microsoft’s Media Briefing, which was held in Tokyo recently to promote Kinect and its software line-up in Japan.
One photo shows Knuckles riding a hoverboard through an environment surrounded by tall rocky hills. It’s no wonder where the track got its name eh? The other photo of ‘Rocky Ridge’ sees Tails in the minecart that ArchangelUK mentioned, a section where he said “you actually have to pull a lever left and right to change the points and avoid rockfalls. It looks quite slick actually.”
Andriasang also posted their brief impressions of the demo:
Next, I tried Sonic Free Riders by Sega, which also launches on the same day as the Kinect hardware. My menu experience didn’t go so well here. I was stuck on the menu screen, which appears to require that you make selections by holding your right arm out and sliding diagonally in a relaxed motion. The Sega representative had to step in and make the selection for me because I just wasn’t getting it right despite my efforts to try to imitate his movements.
Sonic Free Riders is a racing game featuring Sonic and his “wonderful” friends. Movement is automatic, just like Crossboard X, so you have to just wave your arms to each side to collect rings and power ups, and make the occasional jump to the next part of the stage.
Many of the elements one expects of a sonic game are in here. When you’re hit, your rings go flying out. You’ll have to shake your hands to get them back. Sonic also has a speed boost. When a power gauge on the lower right side of the screen fills up, you can make Sonic dash forward by moving your left leg forward then swiftly kicking back.
The demo required three laps around the course to reach the goal. I have to admit to being a bit tired after the three laps.
What do you think of the new track? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Andriasang
Kinect impressions
Photos
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.
Well, here’s something that will give you a shock. In a preview of the latest build of the iPhone version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, IGN’s Levi Buchanan has stated that the controversial minecart Act in Lost Labyrinth Zone (that has been removed from console editions), “was actually more fun than the universal stages I tried.”
The reasoning behind Buchanan’s statement is that he feels Sonic runs too fast and he can’t progress through a stage without fear of falling or hitting spikes and losing all of his hard-earned rings.
Here’s why: Sonic has a tendency to get away from himself. Granted, that’s by design. Sonic is all about speed and you’re supposed to get going as fast as you can, blasting through stages with the constant fear that one false move will send your 112 rings into the gutter. But that doesn’t necessarily appeal to me anymore. In fact, I’m sure I groaned aloud many times at SEGA’s office when I was cruising toward the finish line only to fail a small jump and drop onto some spikes. My rings scattered and any hopes of enjoying a bonus stage (more on those in a moment) were dashed against the rocks.
Buchanan goes on to say that the minecart stage has less chance of death, so you can relax and enjoy the ride(pun intended).
But the mine cart stages are more measured than that. There is a sense of exploration as you tilt Sonic through the maze in his cart, looking for bumpers to blast you across chasms or finding the switch to open a sealed door. Death is not as ever-present here, which lets you relax and appreciate a few things. One, the tilt controls in the mine cart stages are well done. I felt like I had complete control over Sonic’s plight. Two, the art work in here is really nice.
As for the Sonic 1 inspired Special Stages, Buchanan finds the new control method of tilting the maze to move Sonic much better than manoeuvring Sonic himself in the Mega Drive/Genesis iteration.
So, bonus stages – they’re back in Sonic 4. Remember the spinning labyrinths you had to guide Sonic through to capture the chaos emeralds? The bonus rounds in Sonic 4 are very similar, but now you tilt the device to rotate the maze rather than control Sonic. This is a big improvement and cuts down on frustration. Easing Sonic through the maze toward the chaos emerald is still tricky (there’s a time limit and plenty of opportunities to drop out of the stage), but at least you feel in control rather than swimming upstream through an auto-rotating screen.
What do you think of these statements? Discuss in the comments.
For the full preview, head over to IGN.
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.
According to a post made on SEGA’s Twitter account on Friday during a giveaway event, the PS3 version of Sonic Adventure will be hitting PlayStation Network the same day as the Xbox 360 version, which was announced a couple of weeks ago to be available for download from September 15th on Xbox Live Marketplace.
The post reads:
We are all out of shirts! Congrats to @evilslash13 and all our winners today! Reminder – Sonic Adventure on PSN / XBLA on 9/15/10!
Will you be downloading this Dreamcast classic? Let us know in the comments.
Source: SEGA’s Twitter
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.
According to the LinkedIn profile of Bioware’s Mitchell Fujino, the developer has a unnanounced handheld game in development. Fujino previously worked on Bioware’s last handheld title, the poorly received at retail Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for Nintendo DS, which was Sonic’s first step into RPG gaming. The game’s ending left the story wide-open for a sequel, so could this be that sequel? With the Nintendo 3DS on the way, could the game (whatever it is) be headed to that system? Speculate away in the comments, but remember that Bioware are now linked with EA, so this could be anything at all.
Source: Mitchell Fujino’s LinkedIn profile via GoNintendo
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.
Electricpig has posted up a new preview of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, featuring thoughts on the whole of Splash Hill Zone and Act 1 of Lost Labyrinth Zone. The versions available were the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, of which they played the former and glimpsed the latter. The previews author, Ben Illis found both to be visually identical, but control wise were very different. Illis seemed to struggle to play this game with the Xbox 360’s analogue stick and d-pad, and feels the controls on PS3 will be “preferable”.
What might set them apart is the controls: since Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 is a 2D game, the Xbox 360’s analog stick is somewhat irritating, and the time it takes to pull from all the way left to all the way right when he’s hurtling along at speed is irksome, not helped by the awful D-pad on the controller. We have a feeling this one’s going to be preferable on the PS3, or with Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 gamepad (Though buying it just for this would probably be overkill).
The levels, Illis feels “trod a fine line between retro nostalgia and inventiveness” and “were a blast to play”, so much of a blast that Illis thinks this an ideal return to 2D gaming for Sonic.
“Tearing through the green loops and bouncing up the cliffs of Splash Hill while rescuing bunnies and bouncing off robot fish transported us back to our childhood, and seems like the ideal way to return to 2D Sonic gaming.”
The preview then moves on to the Lost Labyrinth Zone, where Illis says the game “ramps up the learning curve a tad.” At one point with the boulders, a graphical glitch is mentioned, but it’s good to hear it is the only one.
“Here, you’ll be dodging falling boulder, Indie style, or even rolling along on top of them (Which caused the only graphical glitch we saw), and as with older Sonic games, it becomes no longer possible to simply hold right and jump now and again.”
The preview ends by describing the games small amount of zones and stages, but Illis says that “SEGA fans of old will relish these morsels of pure fun.”
For the full preview, head over to Electricpig.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
‘The Takashi Iizuka Chronicles’ continue with another statement from the Sonic Team boss, who recently spoke to gaming website SPOnG in an interview that will be posted in full at a later date, but for now SPOnG has shared a portion to whet your appetite.
Some Sonic fans have felt that since the Sonic Adventure titles, the series has relied too heavily on story and character development, which is very different to the earlier games simple plots. Iizuka feels the same way and thinks Sonic should be headed in more of a fun and ‘pick up and play’ direction for Sonic Colours, similar to the Mario & Sonic Olympics games.
“What I felt was that the franchise had become too serious and the story had become very deep, whereas I see Sonic as more of a laid-back, enjoyable and fun experience. I kind of rediscovered that through Mario & Sonic in a way, because that game was very much a ‘pick up and play’ affair that everyone can jump in and enjoy.
I think that’s a better direction for the Sonic brand, and that’s why Sonic Colours has a much more fun, enjoyable kind of setting.”
We’ll look out for the full interview and report back. Do you agree with Iizuka’s statement regarding Sonic Colours direction? Speak out in the comments.
Source: SPOnG
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 has revealed on its Tokyo Game Show website that their upcoming Xbox 360 Kinect title, Sonic Free Riders will support 2-8 players in its online multiplayer mode. This is 4 players less than Xbox.com originally stated on their website, before the information was quickly removed, but it’s still a good total that most racers support. This is an exciting new feature for the Sonic Riders series, but with the game being restricted to Kinect, will the lobbies remain very busy for long? That will depend on the success of Kinect.
Has this feature gathered your interest in the game? Let us know in the comments.
Source: SEGA’s Tokyo Game Show website
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 of America has just released a batch of screenshots and artwork for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1‘s iPhone/iPod Touch release, as well as their other future iPhone releases in a new blog entry. The screens are taken from Splash Hill Zone, Lost Labyrinth Zone and a Special Stage, the latter being our first ‘official’ glimpse of any Special Stage at all. Details at SEGA’s blog confirm that the iPhone version will support HD visuals.
CLASSIC SONIC STAGES! Race through traditional Sonic Zones rendered in full HD visual quality.
NEW MOVES! All of Sonic’s classic moves are available, including the newer Homing Attack which will add a new level of control and excitement.
SPECIAL STAGES RETURN! A staple of the Genesis-era games, the special stages return allowing fans to collect the chaos emeralds and turn into Super Sonic.
REVAMPED CLASSIC BOSS BATTLES Dr. Eggman returns with new and improved mechas and will go berserk when he accumulates damage.
Even larger versions of the ‘box-art’ and logo are available at SEGA’s Flickr.
Source: SEGA of America Blog
Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads-up!
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
In a post at the Sonic City Blognik this morning, SEGA Europe Community Manager, ArchangelUK has revealed seven more facts about Sonic Colours and also unveiled official artwork for robot duo Orbot and Cubot, the latter who was revealed last week in a Sonic Colours manga book.
Here are the seven new bits of information:
1) Orbot’s compatriot is indeed called “Cubot” as some detectives have been able to deduce. He’s a cube shaped robot – ‘Cube-Bot’, much like Orbot is spherical, (quite literally ‘Orb-bot’ and also an anagram of robot if you hadn’t noticed) who is… er… a little defective shall we say.
2) Since you like Orbot so much, here is his character render in high quality PNG format. He has had a bit of a paint job by the looks of things.
3) FOXY FACT: Tails can read binary fluently.
4) Contrary to reports elsewhere, Amy Rose does NOT feature in the story of Sonic Colours Wii. Seriously, unless she’s become an invisible mute post-Unleashed I’ve seen nothing to indicate otherwise.
5) We will see the “consequences” of Sonic destroying a giant robot… in more than one sense. DUN DUN DUUUNNNN!
6) The curly haired Wisp is called Yacker, he is the Wisp Sonic and Tails communicate with to find out what is going on. A silent guide if you like to the world of Wisps.
I officially award kudos points to Umiyuri incidentally who identified the name first, as far as I can see.
7) Oh, okay then here’s Cubot’s character render too.
ArchangelUK also revealed at the SSMB today, the name of the new Sonic Free Riders track he spoke of in another update this morning. The track is called “Rocky Ridge“.
Source: Sonic City Blognik
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.
Sonic Free Riders is a game SEGA’s been keeping close to its chest until recently. Leave it to Sonic City Blognik’s AAUK to finally drop us some info!
– The next track to be revealed has a Wild West theme, including waggon trains and a minecart section (MOAR MINECARTS!) where you actually have to pull a lever left and right to change the points and avoid rockfalls. It looks quite slick actually.
– Someone’s return in the pre-race configuration screen is still gaining momentum!
– Since you guys apparently love anything Roger says as Sonic (e.g. “…consoles…”) here’s another line for you: “Place your hand on Start!”
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The conclusion to Archie’s “Tails Adventure” story arc, which acts as an adaption to the Game Gear game of the same name, has just hit comic shops today. This issue will also be revealing the winners of the “Tails Fan Art Contest”. Tails fans might want to take a look at this!
SONIC UNIVERSE #20
“Trouble in Paradise” Part Four of Four
Deep in the enemy base, Tails and his friends fight to survive the assault from the terrible Mole Mech! But even if they come out on top, do they stand a chance of escaping with their lives? Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn.
ART: Tracy Yardley!, Jim Amash, Phil Felix, and Jason Jensen
On Sale at Comic Shops: 9/8/2010
Newsstands: Week of 9/21/2010
32-page, 40 lb glossy stock, full-color comic
2.99 US
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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTId0VoKf1s[/youtube]
YouTube user, unikentaro has uploaded some new gameplay footage of Sonic Free Riders from a Press Briefing that Microsoft held in Tokyo yesterday to unveil Kinect’s release date and launch software in Japan, which Sonic Free Riders will be part of.
The track shown in this demo is the same old track we’ve seen since E3, but this appears to be a new build, because you’re now ranked after you (the player) jump and again when your character lands. Why this happens is unclear from the footage, but it is a very odd change. Your ranking now also appears at the top of the screen, instead of the bottom left. The controls look a little more responsive than in the E3 build of the game, but actions still seem to happen on-screen a second or 2 later.
Do you see any other changes? Let us know in the comments.
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.
Those disappointed with SEGA’s earlier line-up for this years Tokyo Game Show will be glad to hear they have updated it with more titles, and its good news for Sonic fans. On top of already announced Sonic Colours (both Wii and DS), Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Sonic Free Riders and Sonic Adventure (XBLA) will now be available on the show floor. Other SEGA titles added include Crazy Taxi (XBLA) and Virtua Tennis 4 (PS3).
The full line-up is below:
PS3:
Vanquish
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (PSN)
Virtua Tennis 4
PSP:
Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity
Black Panther Yakuza New Chapter
Shining Hearts
K-On After School Live
Wii:
Sonic Colours
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (WiiWare)
DS:
Sonic Colours
Xbox 360:
Vanquish
Virtual-On Force 360
Sonic Free Riders (Kinect)
Sonic Adventure (XBLA)
Crazy Taxi (XBLA)
The Tokyo game Show will be open between September 16th and 17th for press and September 18th and 19th to the public.
Source:
SEGA-Mag
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 of America’s Kellie has revealed via their Twitter account that SEGA will have a booth at this years New York Comic Con. A look at the conventions official website’s exhibitor list re-affirms this. Currently, no details have been announced as to what games SEGA will be bringing to the show, but if recent events the publisher has attended are anything to go by, then you can expect them to bring demos of their Christmas line-up. We’ll keep an eye open for more information.
There’s some interesting news for Sonic fans attending the convention, specifically the merchandise collectors. The ‘show exclusives’ guide at the conventions website reveals that Mythical Fair will be at the event selling their Chaos Emerald replicas for $50, with the optional stand costing just $2.
The Emeralds are made of solid crystal and measure 100mm across in their largest size. They will also be available in a variety of other sizes/colours. If you can’t attend the event and are interested in the Emeralds, you can order them online at Mythical Fair’s website for the same price.
New York Comic Con will be open from October 8th until October 10th at the below hours:
Professional Only Hours:
Friday, October 8, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Open to the Public:
Friday, October 8, 2010 — 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 9, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 10, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
You can buy your tickets here.
Will you be attending this years convention? Let us know in the comments.
Source:
SEGA’s Twitter
New York Comic Con Official Website
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.
Aaron Webber just wrote a post over at the Sonic Retro forums regarding the amount of changes that will be made to Sonic the Hedgehog 4’s physics for the final game.
There are some minor changes to music, most notably being one act that has actually had its music revamped completely. We’ll reveal which act this is as part of our S4 Update Blogs.
Physics in general are not going to see too many massive changes, though know that I did push months ago to see how much would be possible. The biggest hurdle here was the level design, and the many ways that even small physics changes require updating almost every stage. It is never as easy as many might think, but I did ask and made sure it was brought to certain people’s attention.
Our biggest focus with the updates has been to make a game that people can have fun playing. When you play Sonic 4, whether you’re an old fan or a new fan, that you can enjoy the levels and not have any moments that are too frustrating or difficult, or that make you want to stop playing. No moments where a random gimmick forces you to lose the fun factor that the game had. This is why Lost Lab Act II saw major updates from the original design, and why other parts of the game are also being polished, including another big level update I think you guys will be glad to hear of.
In addition to the big stuff, and though physics won’t be changed to the extent I know some people here would like, we have thrown in a number of small but important updates to other minor parts of the game. They are things that I doubt most reviewers will ever take note of, but that you guys as fans will hopefully appreciate. Some of these will also be revealed in our next S4 Update blog coming this month.
Though it’s impossible to fulfill every request,I hope that the changes we have made will prove that our claims to have been listening are founded solidly, and that while we can’t make every single person happy, we are doing what we can to make the game more enjoyable for everyone.
Aaron Webber is a member of SEGA’s Community Team and has been their main liaison between Sonic 4 and the fans for awhile.
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.
Sonic fans have been very vocal within the last month, since an interview retailer GAME held with Takashi Iizuka hit the net. The reason being, because Iizuka stated that Sonic Colours is being targeted at the six-twelve age group, while Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will cater to older fans. This comment worried and angered many fans, making them feel isolated and lead them to believe that this game will be too easy or won’t be any fun at all for them.
Well, now concerned fans can put their fears to rest. When asked by Destructoid about Sonic Colours‘ target audience, Sonic senior brand manager Judy Gilbertson said “Sonic Colors is for everyone! Let’s say that right out of the gate,”
Gilbertson then went on to say:
“But to clarify further, we definitely don’t want to isolate any of our fan base — we’re absolutely thrilled to see the positive reaction Sonic Colors has gotten from fans and the excitement in the community about its upcoming release on Wii and Nintendo DS.
“Obviously, everyone at SEGA has a deep-rooted love for the Sonic franchise, and we’re always working on bringing new and exciting Sonic experiences to our fans. This year, we have three very different but equally great Sonic titles coming out; each with their own unique design philosophies and approaches to gameplay and all of which are created for Sonic fans and gamers, both those new to the franchise as well as those who have followed these games from the very beginning.”
Gilbertson explains that the game is being developed to be accessible to younger gamers as well as ‘core’ fans, that their mission is to try to cater to existing fans and potential new fans.
“With Sonic Colors, we’re looking to deliver a fast and fun Sonic experience that blends both 2D and 3D game mechanics in a way that a lot of fans have desired for some time,” Gilbertson adds. “But we’re also looking to create a game that is accessible to younger gamers as well as our ‘core’ fans.
“In short, Sonic Colors is designed first and foremost to be fun; the emphasis is still on everything that makes Sonic great, so there will be things there that will please long time fans in addition to elements in the game designed to bring in new Sonic fans as well. We expect that all of these aspects of gameplay will result in an experience that gamers of all ages will truly enjoy. And the game is a great compliment to both Sonic 4, a title that focuses on that retro style of gameplay and is also being released later this year as the first true sequel to the SEGA Genesis line of games, and Sonic Free Riders, which is the first game of its kind on Kinect this fall.
“Sonic fans continue to be vocal and supportive of their favorite franchise and we’re very aware of, and appreciate, that loyalty and dedication. In short, there’s something for everyone in our Sonic line up this year.”
What do you think about this new development? Discuss in the comments.
Source: Destructoid
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
