[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y7sz2zcKYw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Thanks to MarcelloF of the SSMB, we can reveal that Special Stages and Chaos Emeralds are in the DS version of Sonic Colours. MarcelloF attended Gamescom and recorded the above footage of the Special Stage. Those who have played the original Sonic Rush on DS will be familiar with the touch screen controlled half-pipe, but this time instead of collecting rings, you are collecting certain coloured spheres.
MarcelloF has explained the Special Stage and more at the SSMB:
First of all: Sorry about the low quality and lack of sound. We we’re using the camera of my friend’s mom and we didn’t know it didn’t record sound.
As you can see I was pretty noobish at the start because I didn’t know what to do. After a bit the Nintendo rep told me I had to collect the spheres of the same colors as the top screen. The rainbow ones can be collected at any time. And then there were checkered ones, that if you collected all of them you would get a 10 sphere bonus.
I didn’t film this, because I didn’t know until we stopped filming, but you get ranked in the Special Stages.
I have some other info that I don’t have on film.
Planet Wisp is Level 4.
Sonic’s model is a bit different from the other two Rushes. He’s much darker and unlike SRA his spindash has the classic form
Thanks again to MarcelloF for this.
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=awR6yj8sAj8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Three new videos of the Wii version of Sonic Colours have hit the net, straight from Gamescom. The first video is from SSMB Member and Spindash.de staff member Spark. The footage Spark and his friends recorded gives us a look at the fully animated title screen, where Sonic is running between all of the games Wisps. The video also shows the Act title cards have been redesigned a little to fit the current stage.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK1r6RJTIOw[/youtube]
The second video is from YouTube user ThomasBillstein, who has recorded footage from an updated Tropical Resort level. The video shows a couple of changes since we last saw the stage in the E3 demo. More crystals for use with the Cyan Wisp’s ricocheting power have been added to the end of Act 2, and destroying the Wisp Capsule at the end of an Act now results in a cool slow motion animation.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U62889MZ_hI[/youtube]
The third video is from GamezGeneration, which shows more of the updated Tropical Resort stage. Thanks to speedduelist at the SSMB for the heads up on this video!
We’ll look out for more footage of Sonic Colours from Gamescom and post it up as we find them.
Thanks to Spark for sharing the title screen video at the SSMB!
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
SEGA have today revealed more information about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 today, as they promised they would yesterday. Todays focus is on Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2, particularly the changes made to the controversial mine cart sequence seen in the leaked version of the game. The whole of Act 2 has been revamped for the console versions with the torch mechanic seen in the recent screenshots. The mine cart will now only be at the end of the Act and won’t be motion controlled. Could this mean that the iPod Touch/iPhone version is keeping the old Act 2?
Other smaller tweaks have been made to the game, tweaks that many fans have been requesting for ages now. The edits include a balance to difficulty to make tougher sections easier, Sonic reaching full speed and ‘wheel-of-feet’ faster, and an update to Sonic’s running animation.
You can check out the list in full at the SEGA of America Blog and Sonic City Blognik. SEGA promise another update with more changes will be released early September. Some hi-resolution versions of recent screenshots have also been released, check them out below.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
SEGA have today revealed the Pink Wisp for Sonic Colours, along with two new screenshots of its powers in action. The Pink Wisp strengthens Sonic’s spikes and allows him to stick to walls, abling him to reach areas that he couldn’t before. As the box art indicated, SEGA confirms that this Wisp is exclusive to the Wii version.
Sonic is not the only one with spikes in Sonic Colors!
Check out the Color Power of the latest Wisp to be revealed; Pink Wisp and its Sonic-like spikes! When Sonic absorbs Pink Wisp, he can use “Pink Spike” Color Power, meaning he has much stronger spikes. Pink Spike makes the most of the spikes and is able to stick to any wall and ceilings! Exclusive to the Nintendo Wii version of the game, Pink Wisp helps Sonic explore new routes in a brand new way through certain levels of the game.
The new screenshots below showcase a new and unidentified stage. Hopefully we’ll hear more on the new stage at a later date. Impressed with the Pink Wisp? Let us know in the comments!
Source: SEGA of America Blog and 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.
UPDATE: Apparently, no video of the new wisp was taken, and since it was not meant to be used on a public demo, the people over at Spindash likely won’t be able to get another chance. However, the description of the wisp does match it’s appearance on the Sonic Colors box art, and Spark’s description of the new title screen has been confirmed with video. All in all, I believe this to be credible./UPDATE
Seems something more than a new level is on display for Sonic Colours at this year’s Gamescom. Sonic Stadium forum member and Spindash.de writer, Spark, says a new wisp was also on display: the green hovercraft wisp. Here is what he had to say:
– the new Sweet Mountain Act introduces the green wisp, the hovercraft wisp. (We also got some videos, we’ll upload them soon)
– the green wisp changes Sonic’s form to a green Kirby with spikes, sonic heroes-shiny effect included!
– when Sonic is in hovercraft mode, he can use the light dash to grab some ring-chains
– bottemless pits are still there, but only a few. An exclamation mark will appear if you get to close to one.
– the “new” title screen is old school! After the Sega and Sonic Team logos appeared, you get to see the space (Metroid Other M-like) and Sonic is running from one side to the other just like in the old Sega Mega Drive title screens (but no iconic “Seeeeeegaaaa!” shout out). Seems like this will be the new standard for all future games, which is pretty cool
Of course, until he sends in the video, we’ll have to consider this a rumor. We’ll have the video for you as soon as SpinDash puts it 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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP93zD4SQYs[/youtube]
UPDATE: SSMB Member and Spindash.de staff member Spark has informed us that the booth seen in the above video is the public booth at Gamescom and will inquire with fellow staff still at the event about whether the demo is playable by the public. We’ll update you when we hear more. /UPDATE END
Sonic fans looking to try out Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect at Gamescom over the next few days are out of luck. The above video has been posted at YouTube this morning by theREALshoesy, in which we can see the demo is sealed off in an enclosure, very similar to the one at E3. SEGA staff are on hand again to show how the game is played, while the public can only watch from a distance through glass walls.
Yesterday however, the press got to try out the demo’s single track in full. You can check out a few of their videos below. GameTrailers also has a play test of the demo at their website.
GamesWorldGR
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQypT7QADo0&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
XboxFRONT
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duvbb30gwTY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Gamer365On
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLWYvLrYrFk[/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.
Though SEGA is not present at this year’s Gamescom, its games sure are! Sonic Colors is among them, featured on Nextplay.de’s Youtube channel. The featured video shows off gameplay from the newest level, Wisp World:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYRVPT2RBIo[/youtube]
If you look closely, you can see the ring counter pass 99 rings at one point in the video, dispelling the rumor that you can only collect up to 99 rings in this game.
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.
RubyEclipse has announced at the SEGA of America Blog that today’s new media releases for the Lost Labyrinth Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 aren’t the only updates planned. From tomorrow, fans can expect more info on changes made for the final build of the game, with footage of the Lost Labyrinth Zone coming soon, too. RubyEclipse says updates will be posted exclusively on the SEGA Blogs and the Sonic City Blognik. We’ll be keeping an eye out for the updates and post them here at TSS soon after. The above new screenshot has also just been released in hi-resolution. In it, we can see that Sonic will still be able to spin jump while holding a torch.
What changes to the game are you hoping for? 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.
UPDATE: The UK, AU and U.S. official Sonic 4 websites have also been updated with music for Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 1, three new badniks, concept art and more screenshots. The concept art and new screens have been added with the Japanese ones at the bottom of this article.
Thanks to Shoryuken for the heads up and thanks to Woun at the SSMB for obtaining the screens! /UPDATE END
SEGA has officially revealed the Lost Labyrinth Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 today. The update arrived on their official Japanese Sonic 4 website with eight new screenshots. The screenshots show that there has been a major overhaul of the stage, including new elements, such as dark areas in which Sonic will need to carry a torch to light up his surroundings. Sonic will also require the torch to light dynamite packs in certain areas to advance. The mine cart seen in the leaked footage of this level is still present, but it looks like it will only be used for a short period of time rather than take up a whole act. Judging by the screenshot, the mine cart moves forward without the need for tilting the screen.
We’ll keep an eye open for a U.S. and European update and let you know of any new info/media that may get released. Meanwhile, you can check out the screenshots below. If you saw the leaks, are you happy with the changes? If you didn’t, do you like your first glimpse? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks to Blue Blood at the SSMB for the heads up!
UK, U.S. and AU website:
Japanese site:
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.
Many of you remember that Sonic the Hedgehog got a new voice actor in Roger Craig Smith back in July. Roger revealed later that the Sonic voice actor for Alton Towers Resort was him. A lot of people out there weren’t too keen on the new voice, claiming that it’s too deep and too slow, but this was predicted to be the fault of editing work on the clips for the resort. Today, we can prove that the clips were indeed edited with the original high quality voice clips released by ArchangelUK on his Radio Redux shows, which you’ll notice are higher in pitch and a little faster than than those played at Alton Towers.
Folks over at the SSMB, Sonic Retro and SEGA Forums have had a good listen to the clips. So far, feedback is pretty good with most noting a significant improvement compared to past recordings. What do you guys think of the clips? Speak out in the comments.
Thanks to ArchangelUK for playing these and to Hero of Legend at the SSMB for getting a hold of them.
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=xd6BeriHAcI&playnext=1&videos=YoPn_F3zs3I&feature=feedu[/youtube]
During his rounds last week, SEGA’s Brand Manager David Allen stopped by GamesRadar’s offices where they got to check out Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect. In the video we see Tails in action as David guides Chris through the demos controls, shortcuts and many interactive items and weapons. Speaking of items, in this preview we get our first look at the “Soda Can” item, which you shake until it bursts and gives you a boost as you ride on it in cartoon fashion.
If you look closely, you can see an image of Eggman on the soda can with the words “Power Up”:
(Thanks to Hero of Legend for the image)
With the bowling ball, rocket, golf club and now a soda can item, it appears SEGA are really taking advantage of Kinect to make this the zaniest and most interactive racer out there.
Source: GamesRadar
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.
Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors, Colours, colors, colours, colors,
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=BQE9f86fRpY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
GamePro’s German division has put up the above video preview of the Wii version of Sonic Colours. The levels shown in the footage are the two usual suspects (Tropical Resort and Sweet Mountain) that we’ve gotten so used to seeing in E3 demo coverage, but much of the footage gives us a look at some new areas of those stages, which suggests that this is a newer build being shown to press.
Thanks to MarcelloF at the SSMB, we have a translation of the preview:
After the disappointing Sonic Unleashed, SEGA once again tires with a high-speed 3D Sonic. But, this time without bothersome Werehog stages. The “Sonic Colors” titles game is being release exclusively for Wii and looks phenomenal, as you can see in these impressions of the first level. Once again it proves that there’s a lot more in the Wii than muddy textures and “casual” simple graphics. Plus “Sonic Colors” runs unbelievably fast on the screen.
Similar to Sonic’s 2D adventures, you speed through set sections that are full of junctions and secret areas. Most of the time, you’ll see Sonic from behind while you’re speeding through the tracks. Time and again the perspective switches to the side perspective and your blue runner becomes tiny. Like this “Sonic Colors” plays almost like the classic 2D adventures. At least shortly, because the perspective usually switches fairly quickly back to the familiar “Hedgehog From Behind”.
As you can see, “Sonic Colors” is very colorful, but what does the reference to colors in the title mean? For that let’s see the World Map first. This is an overview of Dr.Eggman’s Interplanetary amusement park. The villain has converted the planets into attractions and it’s up to Sonic to free these planets. But, that still doesn’t explain the game’s title. Time and again Sonic encounters small, alien beings that are prisoned in capsules. If he frees them, he can use the powers of the blue or yellow creatures for a short time.
All that is done by a small waggle of the Wii Remote. If you have an alien, you just have to shake the controller to, in the case of the yellow alien, dig through the earth. The blue alien, on the other hand gives you a laser. Of course there are more colors in the final game to be found, but in our preview version, only the blue and yellow ones were implemented.
Overall, with “Sonic Colors” there finally seems to be a decent 3D game with the sneakered hedgehog in the making. We, at least, can not wait to play this Wii gem in its finished version.
GamePro has also revealed the below clear image of the games map (click to enlarge):
Thanks to Blue Blood 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.
Those awaiting updates for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be glad to hear that they won’t have to wait much longer. SEGA of America Community Manager RubyEclipse has revealed in a post at the SEGA Forums yesterday that the updates could be coming as soon as next week and hints at the next zone reveal by stating that the Sonic 4 website will be getting a new zone overhaul. In his post, RubyEclipse has a question to ask of the fans before SEGA reveal anything, “Would you guys like to know only about the biggest updates to the final version of the game, or would you also like to know about the smaller ones?”
Sonic 4 update question – for you guys!
Hi everyone,
With our Sonic 4 Birthday Contest wrapping up soon and our final Hedgehog Day prizes about to go out the door, I have a question for you all with regard to the next news about the game.
Coming up, we’re going to be revealing many of the changes that we spoke about a couple months ago when we announced the extended development. With the website getting another big zone overhaul (possibly as soon as next week), I wanted to pose another question to you guys and get your thoughts.
Would you guys like to know only about the biggest updates to the final version of the game, or would you also like to know about the smaller ones? I ask because though not every update is massively game changing, there are some nice minor touches that I think some fans would appreciate. In any case, I’d like to know what you guys think, since you’re all quite passionate and engaged. (You too, lurkers!)
Let us know which you’d prefer (only big changes, or all changes) in a post below. I’ll be looking over the feedback for a couple days until the end of this Thursday. Thanks everyone!
As stated in the above post, answers are to be posted in the SEGA Forums topic and must be in by the end of tomorrow to be taken into consideration.
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=OxYl1UXKoLI[/youtube]
In their latest “On The Spot” show, Gamespot got to interview SEGA’s David Allen about Sonic Free Riders. David also demoed the game on the show. Those who have been keeping up to date with the Xbox 360 Kinect title won’t see anything new in terms of the track shown, but we do get a better look at rail grinding and the player interaction required for that technique.
David Allen explains that they have taken the best bits from the previous two Riders games and combined them into this game. When it comes to controls, a lot of detail is given about how interactive the game is, such as its skateboard or snowboard like steering. David, however, is quick to be secretive in response to most of Ricardo Torres’ questions about content, like multiplayer options, modes, other characters, tracks and items. Instead, David assures that the team are trying to get in as much content as possible while rushing to get the game out for its November launch.
You can check out Ricardo’s hands-on preview from the 3rd August at Gamespot’s website.
Thanks to bolt7 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.
More than 800 people enjoyed the Summer of Sonic 2010 on Saturday, which took place in Shepherd’s Bush and featured the first public demos of Sonic Colours, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and an exclusive live performance from Crush 40.
At the end of the packed day, Svend ‘Dreadknux’ Joscelyne and Kevin ‘ArchAngelUK’ Eva took to the stage to formally announce the date of next year’s Summer of Sonic.
Those who wish to attend SoS 2011 will need to book their holidays for the 25th June 2011, the Saturday following Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary. After an intimate and exciting gig from Jun Senoue and Johnny Gioeli – only their second time playing together live, and the first outside of Japan – attendees were left astounded and wondering exactly how things can be topped for next year’s convention.
Feedback from visitors were mostly positive, with the lack of air conditioning in the venue not fazing Sonic fans eager to play games, watch Crush 40 and meet new friends. Unprecedented queues for Sonic 4, Sonic Colours and Crush 40 signings meant that there was some confusion in the venue, coupled with long waiting times.
Besides these drawbacks – which the team have taken on board to fix next year – the day went largely without a hitch, despite some issues with the venue and an alleged case of stolen equipment worth £3000 in total. Police are investigating the situation, after Roareye Black’s Sony Vaio laptop, netbook and HD camcorder went missing the very morning of the Summer of Sonic 2010 convention.
You can read recollections of the day from both ArchAngelUK and Dreadknux on the Summer of Sonic 2010 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.
Seems that SEGA’s finally comfortable enough about the progress of Sonic Free Riders to allow the press to play it and give their thoughts. We’ve already heard from 1UP, but what about some other members of the press? GiantBomb was able to get some time with the game, complete with video, which we have posted below.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqy73efhKCE[/youtube]
What do you think?
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=d5myak7EvRU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
SEGA Europe and SEGA of America have just unveiled an exciting new gameplay trailer for Sonic Colours with more CGI cutscenes and musical goodness. Also unveiled are release dates and box artwork for both versions of the U.S. copies of the game. European fans will be able to get their hands on both versions later this year on November 12th and U.S. folks can go grab it November 16th. We’ll keep an eye out for the Australian release date which was revealed yesterday to be sometime in November.
Interestingly, the box art appears to reveal the Wisp roster for each version of the game. The Wii version will have Cyan, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Pink, Green and Purple, while DS version will have Cyan, Yellow, Orange, Red and Violet.
The below press release has also been issued by SEGA Europe –
SEGA® Europe Ltd., is excited to confirm that Sonic Colours™, a brand new high speed action adventure in which Sonic the Hedgehog races through incredible theme park inspired worlds, will hit stores across Europe on November 12th 2010 for the home video game system Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ system.
In addition to this news, SEGA has today released their first gameplay trailer for Sonic Colours, showcasing the amazing new Drill and Laser Colour Power, as well as two vibrant theme park inspired worlds – Tropical Resort and Sweet Mountain.
Sonic Colours™ will be released for the home video game system Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ system on November 12th 2010. For more information about the game please visit www.sega.com/soniccolours.
Don’t forget, we’ll have the E3 demo of Sonic Colours Wii & DS at Summer of Sonic tomorrow. If you haven’t got a ticket, you can still join in the fun an hour after ticket holders from 11:30am onwards providing there is space inside the venue.
Are you looking forward to Sonic Colours? Speak out in the comments!
Source: SEGA Europe Blog and SEGA of America Blog. Thanks to Blue Blood 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.
Couldn’t make it to this years top event? DON’T WORRY. We have it covered! The Sonic Show is providing you with a live stream again this year! Complete with better audio 
And for those of you who can’t be here in London, we have some nice little exclusives for you, like the first trailer of Return To Little Planet 2, only available to the folks watching at home!
There will also be a live chat room for you all to speak directly with other viewers and the Disco Ponies 
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 Australia have issued the above release date schedule(click to enlarge) for their upcoming games and on the list we can see both Wii and DS versions of Sonic Colours are planned for a November release, which fits the original Late 2010 plan perfectly. No exact date is given, but at least Australian fans know what month to save their money for. Sonic titles don’t usually have a big release gap between regions, so hopefully the rest of the world will see a November launch too. We’ll update when we know more.
Source: GoNintendo
Thanks to Hero of Legend 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.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3x3n7OvPPE[/youtube]
1UP.com and IGN.com recently got some hands-on time with SEGA’s first Kinect for Xbox 360 title Sonic Free Riders, 1UP.com’s preview comes in video form and IGN’s in written form but they say a video version is coming. 1UP seem pretty positive and both testers agree it controls very well, while IGN think it will cater more to the younger crowd than the hardcore gamer.
New weapons are shown in 1UP’s footage including a bowling ball, which we assume replaces the bowling bomb in previous games, and a golf club. Did we say a golf club? Yes, a golf club for whacking your opponents with. Another thing you may notice in the footage is Sonic swimming, without his life jacket from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, we’ll let you debate that and everything else in the previews in the comments section.
Don’t forget to check out five new screenshots from IGN’s preview below –
Sources: IGN(thanks fammicomander at the SSMB) and 1UP via Spindash.de
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.
U.S. magazine Nintendo Power has grabbed some time for a chat about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 with renowned music artist Jun Senoue. Jun, as some of you will know, is providing the music for this new 2D entry in the series like he did with the last games in the classic series with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. In the interview, we see that maximum effort has been made to give Sonic 4’s soundtrack a classic and fun feel, even to the point that a Genesis/Mega Drive development kit would have been used if the right tech were available. Now THAT is dedication!
Thanks to Chaosmaster8753 at the SSMB, who grabbed a copy of the magazine, we have the interview in text form below –
Nintendo Power: What was your reaction when you first heard that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was finally going to happen after more than 15 years?
Jun Senoue: Takashi Iizuka and I worked together for a long time-from Sonic Adventure through NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Before that, the first Sonic game either of us ever worked on was Sonic the Hedgehog 3. So we first met…I think it was 17 years ago now. Anyway, he came to me one day out of the blue and told me that we were going to do a classic Sonic game again! At that moment, we didn’t know yet if it was going to be called Sonic the Hedgehog 4. But from the beginning, he wanted me to compose the music in the same style as the classic Genesis games. Both he and I were really excited about the project and had a lot of fun working on it.
NP: How did you change or adapt your musical style for this return to the classic-style Sonic?
JS: Due to hardware limitations of the Genesis, we could only work with a certain number of notes and a certain number of sounds. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a game for current consoles, but I tried to compose the tracks the old-fashioned way. I went back to the basics. I didn’t actually go back and use the old FM sound tapes, but I tried to compose with as few notes as I could. I went about it largely the same way I did with the music for the Genesis. Actually, I did try to dig up a development kit for the Genesis. But it requires an old Japanese PC from NEC-not a very common PC-and I couldn’t find one of those. So all I could do was sample some sounds from the original Sonic.
NP: What was your approach to creating the sound for the various zones in the game?
JS: Splash Hill Zone is the first level in the game and it’s very similar to the opening levels in the original Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and Sonic 2. So I wanted the music to be similar; the key word was “fun”. Likewise, the second level is a casino-themed world, so I tried to draw from Sonic 2’s Casino Night Zone. And I think the special stage music in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will remind you of the original game’s special stage. I tried to compose the songs with a similar beat or similar tempo to the first two games in the series. I want players to get the same kind of impression.
NP: Do you have a favorite track that you’ve composed for the game?
JS: I’d say the opening level of Splash Hill Zone. When I saw the game for the very first time, that track just came to me immediately. [Sonic Team director Toshiyuki] Nagahara really dislikes that song, though. He wanted me to compose a new one, but it was important to me, so I didn’t change it. [Laughs] I also really like the music for the first level of Mad Gear Zone.
NP: Since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was the first game in the franchise that you worked on, does it feel like things have sort of come first circle now with Sonic 4?
JS: Absolutely. There are people I work with now who played Sonic 3 when they were very young children! That’s pretty amazing to me.
Thanks again to chaosmaster8753 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.
Edit
SEGA has announced the UK and U.S. winners of Sonic’s Birthday Contest along with a full statement regarding the course of action taken in regards to selecting a winner after the contest’s voting was stopped due some irregularities found in the voting system.
The full statement from the contest’s official website is below:
Today we are very pleased to announce the winners of Sonic’s Birthday Contest! The contest challenged the community in coming up with a video that showed the passion and excitement of being a Sonic fan and we were completely blown away by the 300+ videos submitted by everyone! Having enjoyed watching each and every one we finally picked our top 10 videos. And today, at long last, we are very proud to announce the winners of our first, second and third place prizes…
But before we announce these, and to keep you in suspense, we would like to address the concerns with the user participation portion of the contest. As you know we discovered voting irregularities on July 16th and ceased user participation a few days later. It was our original goal to create an opportunity for a winner to be picked by the community but due to these voting irregularities we have had to come up with a different solution. It’s important to all of us at SEGA that this process is made as transparent as possible because we respect and admire all the hardworking fans that created videos in the Birthday Contest.
In looking at the voting data we learned we could not discern the difference between legit and non-legit votes with any accuracy we were comfortable with. We felt it would be unfair to scrub the votes down to the first day or two of voting and award based on that. We also briefly discussed creating a new voting system – but the delay in crafting this new tool would take some time and be extremely limiting; quite the opposite of what we wanted initially.
The goal of this promotion was to do something big, something new and something that would reward the ceaseless efforts of the Sonic community that we are so regularly impressed with. Therefore we decided the fairest option would be for the Sonic Team themselves, along with a team of SEGA employees from our Japanese, American and European offices who worked on the Sonic Birthday Contest, to choose the winners.
Each person within this group has voted on their top videos from the 10 that were pre-selected. And so, after much deliberation, we are very proud and hugely excited to announce the US & UK winners:
Here are the winners (which include TSS and SSMB founder Svend ‘ Dreadknux’ Joscelyne, congrats dude!) :
UK –
Grand Prize Winner
“Blue Sky Dreams”
Joe M. from Glasgow, Lanarkshire
A trip for two to Japan to meet Sonic Team and be of the first to play Sonic the Hedgehog 4
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58sTptVl3Mc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
1st Place Prize Winner
“Mobiuscard”
Kristian F. from Warrington, Cheshire
A 32 gigabyte iPod Touch with Sonic the Hedgehog 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSWNAQ0Qv28&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
2nd Place Prize Winner
“Sonic & Me”
Svend J. from Southend-on-Sea, Essex
A 32 gigabyte iPod Touch with Sonic the Hedgehog 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EKHkAfWe0c&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
U.S. –
Grand Prize Winner
“Needlemouse the Musical”
Nathan M. from Los Angeles, CA
A trip for two to Japan to meet Sonic Team and be of the first to play Sonic the Hedgehog 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48zUHUNFWr4&feature=player_embedded
1st Place Prize Winner
“Past Cool Birthday”
Tabitha W. from Galveston, Indiana
A 32 gigabyte iPod Touch with Sonic the Hedgehog 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94YRdocD8Dc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
2nd Place Prize Winner
“A Day in the Life”
Andrew S. from Walnut Creek, California
A 32 gigabyte iPod Touch with Sonic the Hedgehog 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgtfaY-2do&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Congratulations to all of the winners from everyone here at The Sonic Stadium!
Did your favourite get picked? Do you agree with SEGA’s decision for selecting the winners after what happened with the voting? 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.
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.
Until today, we’ve only been given vague hints of how long Sonic Colors will be. The good folks over at WiiNintendo have finally gotten us an answer! According to their exclusive interview with Takashi Iizuka, the game is going to be 20+ hours long! Sounds like a sizable chunk of platforming action, no? In addition to this news, Sonic Team has revealed their reasoning behind Colors’ exclusivity to the Nintendo Wii:
“Sonic is most successful on Nintendo platforms, and it is better for the developers to focus on one console. That makes for a better game.”
The interview has some other additional details, but given that this is their interview, I’d like to encourage you all to visit their site and see for yourself!
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 of you fortunate enough to be attending the Summer of Sonic this year will be the first to be able to get their hands on some Official Crush 40 merchandise! As well as a selection of T-Shirts, there will also be badges and guitar picks available for purchase!
Not only that, there will be a whole host of other Sonic the hedgehog related merchandise including plush toys and comics up for grabs – stocks will be strictly limited though, so if you want to snag yourself some bits and pieces, better do it early on the day!
You’d better bring your pennies with you!
EDIT: All C40 merchandise prices TBC
EDIT 2: I’ve also just been informed by Jun there will also be a selection of CDs available for purchase as well!
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.
It was back in 2008 that the Summer of Sonic started and oh my how it’s changed. One thing that hasnt changed is the great spirit from the community as seen in this classic The Sonic Show episode. Enjoy original exclusive Summer of Sonic coverage and footage! Featuring all the concert numbers by Richard Jacques, TJ Davies, and Lee Brotherton, T-Bird’s Quiz Show, and more, Oh yeah and see what was going on at SoS U.S.A 2008 (lulz)!
Check back next week as we look back at SOS 2009!
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.
Because AAUK won’t have already stuffed enough goodies into your free bag of goodnesss upon entry, and because you’ll not know whether you want to play Sonic 4 or Sonic Colours first, we know Summer of Sonic is going to be exhausting, what with all this excitement.
So, if you’re already nackered by the afternoon then don’t worry – you’ll be able to sit down, relax, and not miss out on any of the action, as there is a treat in store for you Summer of Sonic attendees! If you’re around the stage in the afternoon, you’ll have an opportunity to mellow out in the presence of Jun Senoue, who will be playing a selection of acoustic tracks from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe.
What will Jun play? I’m not going to tell you…it’s a surprise!
If you haven’t already registered for a ticket, I suggest you do so today – with over 700 guests already attending, you’ll want to get your skates on to avoid missing out!
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.
Here’s some news straight from Comic-Con: Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe series have a new editor and a new producer! Paul Kaminski, formerly the assistant editor of the Sonic books at Archie Comics, is the new Editor and Chief of both Sonic books.
In addition to him, fan favorite artist Jonathan Gray has been brought onto Archie’s in-house art production staff, we’re he’ll be making corrections on the in-book art and helping with Sonic related art production.
What does this mean for Sonic comic fans? We’re not sure at the moment. This change is all the news we currently know, but we will be conducting an interview with Kaminski tomorrow. It will be going up on Sunday.
Also, stay tuned for our Ken Penders video interview (which should be going up tomorrow), as well as some giveaways of books signed by Penders himself. Perhaps even some Spaz prints, if you guys are interested.
Correction: For all of you wondering why Gray would be on board as a producer, he’s not. Apparently, he is actually on Archie’s in-house production team. The article has been corrected accordingly.
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.
Announced earlier this evening at the Summer of Sonic website is news that advanced registration tickets for the event are running out fast, Urtheart has the full details below
“To the shock and horror of many we regret to announce that we may soon have to close registration.
In previous years, registration has usually got to a point where we have had to stop it in case we go over the legal limit of how many people we are allowed in the place we hold our events (health and safety and all that, any comments about us being PC will be met with a shotgun).
Despite us being able to hold double the amount of people in this venue, we are sadly reaching that limit again of how many people we can hold. If you are still on the fence about coming to Summer of Sonic, register anyway. This way, you get a ticket in case you do want to come. We will still try to get in all those who want to come and have not registered, but please be aware that ticket holders will get priority.
We are sorry that we have had to warn you of this before a week of registration has come, but demand for Summer of Sonic has once again been far greater than we anticipated with people all over the world trying to get to the event.
We will inform you if anything on this changes.
Joshua Urtheart Cartlidge
Source: Summer of Sonic 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.
Another big announcement has been made at the Summer of Sonic 2010 website that will get all of you merchandise collector types pretty darn excited. I’ll let ArchangelUK explain below:
“Before you even ask me, I don’t even know how I managed this one but Summer of Sonic and First 4 Figures are happy to announce a partnership that will see F4F as a sponsor of this year’s Summer of Sonic and will allow SOS attendees to gain possession of a special free gift from the specialist figure manufacturers.
All attendees will, whilst stocks last, receive free of charge one of First 4 Figures brand new Series 2 of their 2 inch Sonic figures line, which we are also exclusively revealing today. Series 2 will contain Super Sonic and Classic Amy Rose; these will be in shops soon where you can purchase them individually. Also at some select shops, F4F will be releasing a collectors 6 pack which includes both Series 1 and Series 2 together!
A 6-pack AAUK? Wait surely there must be another character then! Well you’d be right. The figure you will be getting is not Amy nor is it Super Sonic, attendees will be getting – before its even out on sale anywhere in the world – METAL FREAKIN’ SONIC!
That ladies and gentlemen is the look of a robot that is going to rip your face off the first chance it gets. GLORIOUS.
And there’s more – somehow…wonderfully… there is more!
First 4 Figures have been even more generous and they will also be entering all attendee’s names into a raffle draw where you can win one of the Super Sonic Exclusive statues – yes the ones that light up! We’re hoping to have the prototype of this figurine on display in our merchandise case this year as well.
Details of this prize draw will be made nearer the time, for now SOS attendees content yourself with the knowledge that a pocket-sized Metal Sonic is coming your way. Everyone else can check out these images of the new Series 2 figures and the limited six pack below.
My thanks to the incredibly generous First 4 Figures. For more details about First 4 Figures products, including the Super Sonic Statue and other video game figurines visit: https://www.first4figures.com/ ”
Source: Summer of Sonic 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.
After suspicions were raised around the Sonic community regarding abnormalities in the voting patterns in SEGA’s Sonic 4 Birthday Contest, the company has suspended voting on the contest’s poll page. A statement says that SEGA has looked into the situation and confirmed the alleged abnormalities. More details are expected in a future update. SEGA’s statement from the contest’s website reads:
SEGA has been monitoring the voting patterns and discovered irregularities on July 16th. On review, we have confirmed the irregularities and have therefore suspended all voting. Please stay tuned for a more detailed update.
We’ll keep an eye out for that update and inform you of SEGA’s plans for the contest’s future. Voting for the contest was originally scheduled to end July 27th and the winners declared soon after. Where do you think SEGA should go from here? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to ENVY16 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.
Another announcement has just been made at the Summer of Sonic website, I’ll let the awesome vger fill you in below.
“Okay so the Summer of Sonic 2010 has playable builds of Sonic 4, Sonic Colours (Wii) and a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing tournament, what more could you want in a Sonic convention?
Well how’s about some love for those of us who like to play their Sonic games on the go? Thanks to SEGA we will have a copy of Sonic Colours DS (E3 build) for you to play-test on the day.
For those of you who liked previous Sonic DS titles then this will be the game you want to try out first coming from the team that brought you the fast paced Sonic Rush series, under the supervision of Sonic Team, DIMPS. The game is similar to its bigger brother on the Wii, where you use Wisps as power ups to get to the goal in the quickest possible time, except instead of being distracted by those big expansive 3D environments you can play as Sonic in glorious 2D.
Don’t forget to register your tickets for Summer of Sonic here.”
Source: Summer of Sonic 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.
The Summer of Sonic team are pleased to announce that not only will the convention house a Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing tournament and a playable demo of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (E3 version), but we will also be giving you hands-on time with Sonic Colours on Nintendo Wii (E3 version). That’s right! Thanks to the good folks at SEGA, you’ll have access to another of Sonic’s upcoming titles before it’s released later this year.
The demo contains two levels for you to explore, Sweet Mountain and Tropical Resort. Players will also be able to try out two of the Wisp powers, including the Yellow Wisp (Drill) and the Cyan Wisp (Lazer). The game will be available in our Games Zone on our Wii pod.
We look forward to seeing you in the Games Zone and, if you haven’t done so already, you can register for your Summer of Sonic tickets here.
Source: SoS 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.
Those chomping at the bit to attend the Summer of Sonic 2010 convention can now register for an advance ticket from the event’s website. The benefits of doing so include fast-tracking of your entry, and exclusive entry for the first hour of the convention – doormen will only accept valid, printed-off tickets during this time.
Eager con-goers should visit http://register.summerofsonic.com/ and fill in their details. Once they do that, their registration will be processed and, if successful, a message will be sent out informing them of their unique ID and printable ticket. The Summer of Sonic website notes that entry will be denied for anyone modifying their ticket in any way.
In past years, advance registration has opened much earlier than the launch for the 2010 event. Delays in finalising the Terms and Conditions have meant that potential attendees couldn’t sign up until the terms were completed. The Terms and Conditions are important because every visitor must read and agree to these terms before being allowed entry.
There are many reasons for attending the Summer of Sonic 2010 convention this year – Crush 40, Nigel Dobbyn, Sonic 4, and free goodies are just some of the incentives already-announced, with more to come over the next few days.
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.
Not only will Summer of Sonic 2010 attendees be spoilt with a free performance by Crush 40, an appearance by Nigel Dobbyn, a go on Sonic the hedgehog 4, an All-Stars Racing tournament AND a whole heap of other stuff, there’s now even more EXCLUSIVE merchandise that will be given away, for nothing, at the event itself. Feast your eyes on this fancy draw-string bag, that will no doubt make your the envy of all your friends, and add to your cool high street fashion style.
Check out the Summer of Sonic Site for more details!
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.
