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Today, Microsoft has revealed at a press event in Tokyo that Kinect will be available for Xbox 360 in Japan November 20th of this year. Titles available at launch will include newly announced brain training game Lead: New Brain Training Where You Answer With Your Body, Kinect Sports, Dance Evolution, Crossboard 7 and SEGA’s first Kinect title, Sonic Free Riders. SEGA Japan has backed-up Sonic Free Riders November 20th release date in an update to the games official website this morning.
Some new screenshots for Sonic Free Riders appear to have slipped under the radar late last month, from InsideGamer.nl. The screens are taken from the same old track that we’re used to seeing since E3, but we do get a close-up look at Sonic’s in-game model and see how different it is to the past games in the Riders series. InsideGamer.nl also posted up a preview last month, but be warned, it doesn’t translate very well using Google Translate. Check out the rest of the screens below.
Source:
InsideGamer.nl
Those of you fortunate enough to have made it to one of the many worldwide live performances of Video Games Live, an orchestral showcase of some of the greatest suites from classic video game titles hosted by Tommy Tallerico and Jack Hall, may have had the opportunity to experience the magical rendition of the Staff Credits from Sonic the Hedgehog 1.
According to Destructoid, fans of the show can expect a CD and DVD release of the show performed recently by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans. Alongside the Sonic Medley, the CD and DVD will also feature music from Zelda, Super Mario, Halo and a rocking version of One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII, complete with Tommy rockin’ out on his axe. The CD run time is currently pipped at 75 minutes for the CD, so you’re really getting as much as they can shove on there! The DVD will include over 3 hours of bonus material and behind the scenes footage in addition to the 100-minute performance.
Video Games Live: Level 2 will be released State-side on October 19th, 2010 – so far there are no details on prices or a worldwide release – but I guess there’s always the option to import!
To check out the full track and set list, follow this link!
If you haven’t heard the medley before, check out this video from their London Hammersmith performance…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Je8Faq3HQ[/youtube]
…and if you haven’t seen me on stage making a fool of myself that year, enjoy this video. Yes, Tommy is wearing my hat. No, I didn’t win.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvVa0lMci9E&feature=related[/youtube]
It appears the UK will be getting the Sonic and Wisp figurine that is being packaged as part of a “Special Edition” with Sonic Colours in some parts of the world. UK retailer, Argos is now listing the figurine as a free gift with pre-orders of either version of the game.
Free Sonic wisps figurine when you pre-order at Argos! Get your figurine of Sonic and the whisps which appear in Sonic Colours, delivered free with your copy of the game of the day of release.
It is odd that the figurine is being given away free with pre-orders in the UK, since the “Special Edition” with the figurine is listed at a higher price than the game alone, so could there be more than just the figurine bundled with that edition? Argos is listing this as an “Online exclusive” offer, so it appears they won’t be stocking it in-store. No other UK retailers are currently listing the gift. Argos also appears to be SEGA’s retailer of choice for pre-orders of the game at their website.
If you’re interested in the figurine, you can pre-order the Wii version for £33.99 and the DS version for £25.99. Will you be pre-ordering at Argos for this bonus?
ToyGlobe is now listing a Sonic Colours action figure. No picture of the figure is available, but the description says it is Sonic and measures in at 5 inches. The figure comes with a Wisp, but there’s no clarification on what kind of Wisp it is. According to the retailer, the figure will be released in November this year, which is the same month the Sonic Colours game is released on Wii and DS. The figure is available to pre-order for $14.95 on ToyGlobe’s website. Could this be the same figure being packaged with the “Special Edition” available for pre-order in some parts of the world?
Thanks to Seraphinprincess at the SSMB for the heads-up!
Sonic Colours won’t be released in the UK until November 12th, but already you can grab a fantastic deal on both versions of the game. Online retailer Zavvi.com now has the Wii version of the game available for pre-order for just £24.95, with free delivery. At Coolshop.co.uk, you can pre-order the DS version of the game for the low price of £21.70, with free delivery. Great bargains for those trying to save some money or after a cheap Christmas present for a Sonic fan.
Links:
Zavvi.com: Sonic Colours Wii £24.95
Coolshop.co.uk: Sonic Colours DS £21.70
Looks like we got our first look at the new bot in town. Orbot’s new buddy helps make this team the new “Scratch and Grounder.” These images are from a recently released Sonic Colors manga:
Big thanks to R@qH1eL in the TSS forums for the pics.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMdwLrry2MM[/youtube]
UPDATE: SSMB member Hero of Legend has re-uploaded his video with all 3 clips in, thanks dude! Also, thanks to SSMB member Woun, we have all 3 clips in HD at the below links:
Game Land 1: Act 2
Dig Underground
Teamwork
/UPDATE END
Footage of Sonic Colours‘ co-op mode has been revealed, courtesy of IGN, who recently got some hands-on time with this feature. Do you remember that robotic head on the games map screen that looked a little like Metal Sonic? Well, it isn’t Sonic’s robotic rival. It’s a planet called Game Land where all of the co-op levels are staged.
As described in IGN’s preview, two players take control of a robot Sonic each and advance through the level by working together, while also trying to compete for the most rings. In the footage we can see some of the various Wisp combos that IGN mentioned, such as the Spike Wisp combo that has both players tethered together in a similar fashion to the old Mega Drive 32X title, Knuckles’ Chaotix. A Lazer Wisp combo is also shown, where both players combine together to form a stronger and larger double lazer attack on a string of enemies.
The levels look as odd as in the original screenshot, but the stage design seems to fit the speed and co-op play to a button. No split-screen is shown, so it appears both players have to keep up with each other on the one screen, but since co-op actions are required to advance through stages then this shouldn’t be a problem.
Source: IGN:
Dig Underground
Teamwork
Game Land 1: Act 2
Thanks to speedduelist and Diogenes at the SSMB for the heads-up!
17 new Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 screenshots have appeared on the Xbox Live Marketplace, which give us more insight into the recently revealed Lost Labyrinth Zone, as well as more of Splash Hill Zone. The screenshots look to be taken from the recent demo being shown to press, since we can see some of the changes in effect, such as Sonic’s speed-induced blurred running animation.
Since these screenshots are currently not available anywhere on the internet, I’ve taken the pleasure of capturing them on camera from my TV, so apologies for the quality. If we see better versions of the pics, we’ll update. If you have an Xbox 360, you can view them on your TV at the games section in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Unfortunately, the screens haven’t been added to the games product page at Xbox.com.
Check out all 17 screenshots below:
Thanks to Nsonic22 at the SEGA Forums for the heads-up!
After some hands-on time with Sonic Colours, SEGA Europe Community Manager ArchangelUK has revealed 7 new pieces of Sonic Colours information via the Sonic City Blognik today. The information focuses on story, characters and call-backs to Sonic Unleashed. Some teases are also made to news coming in next week, which we’ll be sure to report on as soon as it is revealed.
Here’s the full list of information below:
1) Dr. Eggman has built his park after developing a sense of remorse for his past “indiscretions”. Hmm… a likely story.
2) At one point in an early cutscene Sonic “breaks the fourth wall” and talks directly to the gamer.
3) SA-55, the round red robot also known as “Ergo” by fans who appeared in Sonic Unleashed will return, but slightly more jaded than before. Oh and by the way SA-55 ISN’T his name… his name is actually “Orbot”
4) Orbot also has a counterpart this game… who we’ll be revealing next week.
5) Tails’ “Miles Electric” handheld device that appeared in Sonic Unleashed makes a re-appearance.
6) The boss you have already likely seen from Tropical Resort Dr. Eggman refers to as the “Big Boy”.
7) The curly haired white Wisp is important to the Colours story and its name is…. something you’ll have to tune in next week to find out!
Not long ago, Amazon.de began listing “Special Edition” bundles for the upcoming game Sonic Colours. Now, it seems, we may know what these bundles will come with. The Dutch video game retailer “Nedgame”, has now listed its own Sonic Colours bundle on its website, “Sonic Colours + Figurine (Bundel)”. Forum member Kjeldo posted this on our message boards, took the screen cap which I have included below:
At the moment, nothing is officially confirmed by SEGA in regards to a “special edition” bundle. Some kind of Sonic Colours related figurine? I’d get one!
In a new preview, IGN has revealed details behind Sonic Colours’ multiplayer mode, which was recently leaked via a screenshot at Amazon JP. As suspected, multiplayer will be a co-op experience with various coloured Sonic robots. Players will need to use techniques and the Wisp powers to progress through stages.
Wisp powers can be combined in a number of ways, which IGN are told “throughout a total of 6 tiers of three levels each.” The red special rings seen in the single player stages now have a purpose revealed. These rings are collected to unlock all of the multiplayer stages, so you won’t be able to play multiplayer co-op right away.
Check out the full preview at IGN.
Thanks to speedduelist at the SSMB and Woun at the SEGA Forums for the heads-up!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFNIgxtLBho&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
A new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 has just been released by IGN. The trailer shows us gameplay footage of the recently revealed Lost Labyrinth Zone and the updates made to the game in action, such as the torch mechanic, faster acceleration and running animation. No solid release date yet (just a change from Late 2010 to Fall 2010), but downloadable games don’t usually get a release date until about two weeks before release. SEGA, in their last Sonic 4 update said we could expect more updates “early September,” and with this new trailer released, we expect they will be speaking more about the game sooner than expected. To accompany the trailer, IGN also posted a preview of the latest build.
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads-up and the YouTube HD upload of the video!
It may not have been on SEGA’s list, but apparently, Sonic Free Riders will be at the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend. It will be available at Microsoft’s Kinect booth, #682. The Penny Arcade Expo is an event open to the public and will run from Friday to Sunday of this week. As with most major gaming events, you can expect Sonic Stadium to be there to get you videos, interviews, and previews from the show.
This will mark the first time Free Riders will be playable to the public in the US. Now, we can all look like this:
UPDATE: SEGA of America have backed this news up with a new blog entry, which contains 8 new screenshots that you can check out at the bottom of this article. /UPDATE END
Microsoft’s ‘Major Nelson’ has today revealed, via his blog, the Xbox Live Marketplace releases for the month ahead, which includes Sonic Adventure for the Xbox Live Arcade. The Dreamcast classic will be available to Xbox 360 owners on September 15th, priced at 800 Microsoft Points. There’s no word elsewhere from Sony or SEGA about the PS3 version, but we’ll let you know when we hear something.
For more information about Sonic Adventure on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, check out the games product page at SEGA’s website.
SEGA of America has just revealed the U.S. box artwork (seen above) for SEGA’s first Xbox 360 Kinect title, Sonic Free Riders. SEGA also revealed that the game will go on sale for $49.99, which is $10 cheaper than normal Xbox 360 titles retail for. No information is given as to when the game will be released, but the game has been said in the past to be a launch title for the device, which will be launching in the U.S. November 4th and November 10th in Europe. We’ll keep an eye out for more information.
Source: SEGA of America’s Blog
SEGA has revealed their line-up of games that they will be bringing to this years Tokyo Game Show, which will be open between September 16th and 17th for press and September 18th and 19th to the public. Sonic fans will be pleased to know that both Wii and DS versions of Sonic Colours will be at SEGA’s booth, but Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and Sonic Free Riders won’t be making appearances.
The full list of games and formats are as follows:
PS3:
Vanquish
PSP:
Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity
Black Panther Yakuza New Chapter
Shining Hearts
K-On After School Live
Wii:
Sonic Colours
DS:
Sonic Colours
Xbox 360:
Vanquish
Virtual-On Force 360
Source:
SEGA’s Tokyo Game Show Official Site
Thanks to Michael Myers at the SSMB for the heads-up!
If there is one common complaint I’ve heard from my chums over in the UK, it’s the difficulty in finding the Sonic Archie comics. I’ve often heard stories of people struggling to get issues months after they’ve come out, usually from a store called “Forbidden Planet.”
Well, while they may still not be available on your newsstands, Archie is now finally offering everyone overseas something even better: they’ll mail it straight to your door. That’s right! Archie Comics now provides international shipping for subscriptions of all of their comics series, including Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe.
International subscriptions will be going for $35.50 for 13 issues, $13 over normal subscriptions. You can buy your subscriptions over at Archie Comics’ Sonic Store.
The German branch of online retailer Amazon is now listing a “Special Edition” for both versions of Sonic Colours. No information is given as to what is packaged with this edition of the game, but both versions are €10 higher than the standard versions, so we can expect at least a little something extra to justify the higher price. We’ll keep an eye open for any updates.
What would you like to see in these Special Editions? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Amazon.de via Spindash.de
According to segabits.com, it seems some folks have figured out that the domain name of PSO2.jp has been registered. While there’s no confirmation as of yet, there have been some rumors going around about a sequel to Sonic Team’s Dreamcast original for quite some time.
Phantasy Star Online will be celebrating its tenth anniversary next year.
[via SEGAbits]
Nintendo Power magazine reveal this month in an indepth interview that SEGA sound director and Crush 40 guitarist Jun Senoue will be sound directing Sonic Colours for the Nintendo Wii. The interview also goes into detail about Senoue’s past, his musical influences, how he became involved with SEGA…and again there is another attempt to learn about Michael Jackson’s involvement in Sonic 3!
To check out the full interview pick up this month’s issue of Nintendo Power and check out their Power Profiles section!
Props to Shadzter and Hero of Legend on the SSMB for the heads up!
In the previous issue of Nintendo Power, various game developers opinions on Nintendo 3DS were gathered and among them was Takashi Iizuka, producer at Sonic Team.
Takashi Izuka – Producer, Sonic Team:
“At Sonic Team, we’re already studying the Nintendo 3DS. We’re very interested in the platform. We think the depth of 3D could really help the sense of speed, especially when you’re playing Sonic from behind-the-back perspective.”
Fans may recall a document that hit the net, confirming SEGA’s planned Super Monkey Ball and Sonic the Hedgehog titles for the handheld, but SEGA has yet to announce or show anything officially. Iizuka’s comment is only based on concepts, but would you like a handheld Sonic game with a “behind-the-back perspective” like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours? Discuss in the comments.
Source: GoNintendo
Summer of Sonic co-organiser and webmaster of Sonic Wrecks, Kevin ‘ArchAngelUK’ Eva, has written a heartfelt open letter to the Sonic fanbase explaining his departure from leading the annual convention. Exhaustion, funds and career aspirations are all cited as reasons for the initial announcement on Twitter some weeks ago.
“[The] truth is all these years of being battered and battering myself with endlessly long hours for SOS I’ve just reached a limit and had enough,” writes AAUK in a statement on Sonic Wrecks. As an integral member of SEGA Europe’s Community Team, AAUK’s role in co-organising the Summer of Sonic has been nothing short of an extremely important one, arranging internal budgets and pitching the concept of the event to Brand Managers and other executives in the company.
Such campaigning is starting to bear fruit, as AAUK mentions the sudden interest from key members of SEGA Europe management during the execution of this year’s well-recieved convention. “I think you simply won’t need me by [2012],” AAUK writes, “Some SEGA/Sonic high-ups had actually been in the [2010] venue and already offered much more help than I got this year in securing wonders for you.”
Another reason is the inability to afford the costs of setup. AAUK contributes within the region of £500-1000 of his own money each year into the Summer of Sonic – while other members of the organisation staff also contribute a similar number, since 2008 the contributions AAUK has had to make has resulted in some “real financial headaches… I’m not THAT well off ya know and I’ve a family I need to take care of.
“I kinda hope by then I might’ve moved either onwards or upwards by the time people start thinking of an SOS12,” AAUK continues. “I don’t want to be Sonic Community Manager forever, I actually think I could contribute to the brand higher up.” Following this, he mentions his final and possibly saddest reason for leaving his role behind – the fact that he has simply lost the love for the event.
AAUK stresses that he is not exactly leaving the fanbase – “at least not yet.” Before parting with the announcement of a few final surprises to come for the event, the Community Manager finishes with thanks to “all the Summer Of Sonic staff who’ve helped so magnificently and magnanimously over the years – you’re all awesome sauce incarnate,” along with “all those who’ve come to SOS over the years and hey its not over yet – we’re just reaching the end of this particular chapter.”
Svend ‘Dreadknux’ Joscelyne: Speaking personally, as the creator and co-organiser of the event as well as a personal friend, I know that the Summer of Sonic event would never have become a reality without the knowledge, passion and dedication that AAUK has put into this project over the years. I may be so bold as to say that he is truly unaware of just how much respect and acknowledgement he has earned from everyone in the Sonic community for this convention, and everything he has worked for and achieved besides in his role as Sega Community Manager.
Ultimately his health, happiness and family come before anything else, and I would not have it any other way. He leaves the role knowing that he is directly responsible for helping create an event that touches so many Sonic fans’ hearts today. The Sonic Stadium, the Summer of Sonic attendees and the Sonic community at large salutes you, dude. All the best in your future Sonic (and non-Sonic) related endeavours.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeJZM8p4JIQ[/youtube]
Rawiioli.de has released the above footage of Sonic Colours on Wii from Gamescom 2010. Previous footage recorded only let us see so far into this act of the Planet Wisp stage, but now we get to see the final part. In this last section, we see more use of the Quick Step and the return of a launcher contraption from Sonic Unleashed, which displays a button on your controller. By tapping the button displayed, you will be launched in the best direction for you to continue on. There are also stairways, which you’ll need to collapse by having Sonic hit a nearby switch.
Previous footage can be seen here, here and here with music.
Now you’ve seen the whole of the Planet Wisp Act in the Gamescom demo, what do you think of it? Speak out in the comments.
In an interview with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka, GamesTM Magazine reaveals that the man behind upcoming titles Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Sonic Colours “would personally love to make a third NiGHTS game”.
Iizuka also reveals that he has considered making both Tails and Knuckles games in the past: “I actually considered making a game like Knuckles Chaotix at one point, but Sega has unfortunately not given me the green light to do so.”
Although there are no current plans to make either title, the interest of the head of Sonic Team could mean that there could be a possibility for the creation of these titles in the future; something that should give die-heard Knuckles & NiGHTS fans a small ray of hope.
The rest of the article can be read in next month’s edition of GamesTM Magazine, available to purchase in the UK from the 2nd of September, 2010.
Jazwares, the company behind a lot of Sonic merchandise in recent years, has released more goodies for you to spend your hard-earned cash on. An update at their Facebook page states that Metal Sonic and Eggman figures should now be in stores, along with The Super Pack and the large Racers Pack(seen in the photo above). Big and Froggy figures are said to be coming later this year and Vector and Espio will be packaged together in the latest Comic Book Pack.
***SONIC UPDATE***
Hey guys, so I know you all have been asking what the deal is with Sonic and I wanted to give you a clear layout of what to expect for the coming months!Metal Sonic and Eggman should be hitting the stores
now.
…So should the The Super pack and the large Racers Pack.Big
and Froggy are later this year, no images yet.
Vector and Espio will
be together in the latest Comic Book pack.
Some fans will be interested to know that Jazwares are hearing your calls for Mighty the Armadillo, Rouge the Bat and Omega figures. In a second Sonic update to their Facebook page, they say they have passed these requests on to the design team and will keep everyone posted. If we hear more, we’ll let you know.
As soon as we have images I will post them! Also, I
know a lot of you have requested Mighty the Armadillo, Rouge the Bat,
and Omega. I have put all your requests in with the design team, and
will keep you posted! Thanks!!
Thanks to fellow TSS Staff member Jason the Jackass for the pic of the large Racers Pack and to Jix Hedgehog for the pic of the Dr.Eggman & Metal Sonic pack. Vector and Espio pic courtesy of eBay seller tbhouse(thanks to SSMB member Aquaslash for the link). We’ll keep an eye out for a pic of the Super Pack figures and update when we get it. If you have the figures and could take a picture of them, please send them in to shadzter@sonicstadium.org and we’ll credit you in this post.
The latest issue of Nintendo Power magazine is now available on newsstands in the U.S. and inside is a preview of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The demo they got to play was of a new build, one which contains all acts and boss battles in Lost Labyrinth Zone and Mad Gear Zone. Nintendo Power says Lost Labyrinth Zone is heavily inspired by Sonic 1’s Labyrinth Zone with familiar elements, such as “endlessly looping waterfall mazes, pulley-based moving platforms, retracting spikes, and underwater segments that require you to grab air bubbles before you run out of oxygen.” Reaffirmed is the removal of the infamous mine cart stage and the torch mechanic put in its place, though nothing more is revealed than what’s is obvious in the screenshots, like lighting sconces to take down obstacles which block your path.
Nintendo Power also details two new features seen in the recent screenshots, including the orb that Sonic is standing on and a boulder that Sonic is running from. Sonic must keep his balance while the orb follows a specially designed track and other sections will see him be chased by giant boulders that fall out of the sky, requiring quick reactions. Nintendo Power also inform us that players will also have to escape a giant wall that threatens to crush you, while the stage fills with water.
In their playthrough of Mad Gear Zone, Nintendo Power compares the stage to most end of game stages in the Sonic series, “hard edged industrial stages full of steampunk-style machinery that practically screams you’re on the bad guys’ home turf.” The stage is said to not only contain stage mechanics that you’ll recognise such as pneumatic transportation tubes, steam geysers and giant pistons, but also some new ones. Sonic will have to run on top of cogs, some will help move Sonic to new areas, while other cogs will open heavy metal doors.
Nintendo Power states the difficulty increases significantly for the third Act of Mad Gear Zone, where an enormous drill machine chases Sonic in a similar fashion to the giant wall from Lost Labyrinth Zone. While the machine pursues Sonic, Nintendo Power says “you must leap spikes, hit switches, and dodge momentum-reversing blasts.” Sounds like it’s quite the challenge. Nintendo Power also reveals that players can choose to play the game’s four zones in any order they like.
The preview doesn’t mention anything in terms of any of the tweaks to physics, running animation, acceleration etc that SEGA of America’s Ruby Eclipse spoke of recently, but it does come with five new screenshots of the Lost Labyrinth Zone. To check out the screenshots and the full preview, pick up a copy of Nintendo Power issue 259 at your local newsstand.
Thanks to SSMB member Doctor Eggman for the info!
UPDATE:Amazon has removed the screenshot from the page. Did the retailer jump the gun on something SEGA weren’t ready to reveal yet? /UPDATE END
Amazon’s Japanese website has posted a new Sonic Colours screenshot on the game’s product page there, which reveals a co-op mode. In the screen. we see two Sonics, one blue and one pink (or red?). Two separate HUDs can also be seen on the left and right of the screenshot with no split down the middle, suggesting that this is indeed a co-op mode. What’s odd about this picture is the environment. For a game titled ‘Sonic Colours’, there sure isn’t much colour in this stage. Also odd are the antennas that both Sonics have on their heads. Could we be seeing Sonic robots, like the Shadow robots in Shadow the Hedgehog’s multiplayer modes?
What do you think about this interesting development? Speak out in the comments.
Thanks to Hero of Legend at the SSMB for the find!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwFOweNuVBg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
UPDATE: Updated with HD video. Thanks to Woun for sharing this at the SSMB! /UPDATE END
IGN got their hands on the Wii version of Sonic Colours at Gamescom and recorded a short video of their time with the game. What makes this different to other videos we’ve seen is that this time, we get to hear the stage’s music. The track sounds like it’s straight out of a game in SEGA’s NiGHTS series and is a good fit for the alien planet theme of the level. We also get to hear grunts of Roger Craig Smith’s Sonic voice.
What do you think of Planet Wisp’s music? Discuss in the comments.
Source: IGN
Thanks to Torcano at the SSMB for the heads up!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DItY3CQSpRQ[/youtube]
(Footage starts at 03:53 and ends at 05:58)
Those left hungry for more from the taste of Planet Wisp that we got from Nextplay’s recording will be happy with gamer365On’s footage from Gamescom. This recording starts a lot earlier in the level, where we see some open turns for drifting, some wall running and some rail grinding sections. Later in the stage, we see more of the alternative routes that you can take if you fall from higher areas. That’s no doubt some good news for those who hate death pits.
Do you like the look of the Planet Wisp stage? Discuss in the comments.
Thanks to Jimmy Kudo at the SSMB for the heads up!
In a blog entry posted on Friday, SEGA of America announced they will be attending the annual Penny Arcade Expo this year in Downtown Seattle, WA. The event will run from September 3rd until September 5th. SEGA will be bringing along playable demos of their upcoming releases for attendees to try out, which include two Sonic titles, namely Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and Sonic Colours. No details are given regarding what platforms will be there and whether the demos will be of newer builds.
In addition to this, SEGA will be hosting a community event in their Gameworks arcade, located right across the street from the PAX venue at 8pm on September 4th.
We’re throwing a community event to celebrate all the fun we’ve been having in the SEGA community; if you are at PAX or around the Seattle area, we want you to attend! The event kicks off at 8pm on Saturday, September 4th right across the street at the SEGA Gameworks Arcade. It will be first-come, first-served, so get there early if you want to be guaranteed a spot inside. Attendees will have access to free food & drinks, exclusive SEGA swag, musical performances, free Arcade play, and raffle prizes throughout the night from SEGA’s past and present.
You can RSVP for the community event at the Facebook event page.
For more information about PAX 2010, head over to the event’s website.
Thanks to Shaddix at the SSMB for the heads up!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yop0pdh2wPs[/youtube]
More gameplay footage of Sonic Colours has rolled in from Gamescom for both the Wii and DS versions. The above footage is from YouTube user supersonic83, which gives us a look at the updated Sweet Mountain Act 2 and the Green Wisp. In the video we can see the Green Wisp will be very handy for picking up bonuses, such as the red Special Rings and extra lives.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSR0EnOiweA[/youtube]
Next up, we have more of Tropical Resort Act 1 from Nintendo-Online. Nothing really new that we haven’t already seen, but we do learn that you can now gain ‘combo’ bonus points with the Cyan ‘lazer’ Wisp.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzzUGsKmFnA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Finally, we have some footage of the DS version’s Tropical Resort Act 1. The video was recorded by SSMB member MarcelloF, who brought us footage of the DS version’s Special Stage. Hard to tell if anything has changed since we last saw the Act at E3. If you spot any differences, let us know in the comments. Thanks to MarcelloF for sharing this at the SSMB.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wabA5AKXpj0[/youtube]
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 footage from Gamescom has hit the net, courtesy of YouTube user blogociomedia. Those hoping for footage of Lost Labyrinth Zone will be disappointed to see the demo is showcasing Splash Hill Zone Act 3. It is unclear whether this demo is of a build later than the one shown at E3 or not, but it appears to be the same old demo.
Here is a video of Splash Hill Zone Act 3 from an earlier version for comparison:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXU9I9hWVe8[/youtube]
Do you see any changes? Let us know in the comments.
We’ll keep an eye out for any more footage and try to find out whether this demo is from a later build or not.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9j3nKjP8TE&feature=player_embedded#at=22[/youtube]
UPDATE 2: SEGA have released new screenshots of the Green Wisp in a new stage.
/UPDATE 2 END
UPDATE: SEGA have just officially revealed the Green Wisp at the Sonic City Blognik. We also have a new gameplay video from Gamescom above, which gives a better view of the Green Wisp’s Green Hover power and our first look at its Ring Dash ability.
Video source: Revogamer
Thanks to nuckles87 for the heads up and to JasonTheJackass for the find! /UPDATE END
SEGA has issued the above artwork and information about the Green Wisp today, previously revealed at Gamescom. Along with the new artwork, some official information about the Wisp’s powers has been detailed:
Go Green with the Green Wisp in Sonic Colours!
Sonic Colours gets more colourful all the time! The Green Wisp is the next in line to unveil its special Colour Power. By absorbing the Green Wisp Sonic gains the ability to soar in the air with the “Green Hover” Colour Power enabling you to find hidden paths, or explore much higher levels than normal! With help from the Green Wisp’s Colour Power you are able to perform a Ring Dash near a series of rings!
More Colour Power reveals soon…
We expect SEGA will officially reveal the Green Wisp later in a blog update. We’ll let you know if anything new appears.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9WBsHXafXY[/youtube]
GamerLive.TV grabbed the above interview with Sonic Free Riders’ Brand Manager, James Gray. In the interview, James confirms that the game will support 2 players offline and will also contain a 2 player co-op mode. This information matches what is on the Xbox.com product page. Online multiplayer is also confirmed, but James couldn’t reveal how many players will be supported at this time. Characters will play exactly the same, with the abilities focused instead on what customization of gear you choose to play with.
James says that all of your favourite Sonic characters will be there, but couldn’t reveal any that aren’t in the demo. Tracks outside of the demo also couldn’t be revealed, but emphasis is put on there being “a very good amount, with different landscapes and different routes.”
Some more gameplay videos have also come out of Gamescom, including one from Spark at Spindash.de. You can check out the videos below.
Spark at Spindash.de
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVa2KA6yOtQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
SegaStuff.de
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhZU6RGJeZI[/youtube]
Videogamer.com via xsuperstargamesx YouTube channel
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZXNzScXPRw[/youtube]
EnglishMumdotcom
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svcWK4J5msw[/youtube]
wwejerk85
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeYceCFcJsQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV11UW_RmSQ[/youtube]
Yesterday, we told you, via an eye-witness account from Spark at Spindash.de, that the Wii demo of Sonic Colours at Gamescom contains an updated version of Sweet Mountain Act 2 with the Green Wisp. Spark’s team tried to replay the stage and get footage, but Nintendo booth staff wouldn’t allow people to play the stage publicly. Now, Spark has just informed us via the SSMB that his friends at SEGA-Portal.de managed to sneak in the above recording of the stage, with the Green Wisp in action, too.
In the footage we can see Sonic’s ‘mutation’ to a hovercraft form, complete with hovering powers that allow Sonic to reach new heights. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see the light speed dash ability of the Green Wisp that Spark mentioned.
Thanks to Spark and SEGA-Portal.de for the info and footage!
