Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken. Links to posts may redirect you to the same article on the current Sonic Stadium website.
It’s hard to believe that THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO today, the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game arrived on store shelves. And since then, the heroic blue blur has catapulted himself to super-stardom, appearing on everything from comics to TV shows and movies, to coffee cups and t-shirts and a whole lot more!
SEGA’s mascot has had the kind of celebrity life that many can only dream of: the dizzying highs of ‘Sonic Mania’ in the early 1990s; the crushing lows of ‘Sonic 2006’ in… well, 2006; a series of make-overs and interesting fashion choices; the always-classic “five year lull”; and a comeback story that celebrates both his retro early successes (Sonic Origins, Sonic Superstars) alongside his more Adventure-ous contemporary works (Sonic Colours Ultimate, Sonic Frontiers).
If any character proved that they can truly stand the test of time, Sonic the Hedgehog is that guy. Several times.
To celebrate, SEGA shared an incredible fan art piece today by Serxx – you can see it below and catch the original SEGA post here.
We’ll be updating Sonic News throughout the day with cool things that the official Sonic channels have done to pay homage to the blue blur on this day. How will you be celebrating? A little bit of Sonic Adventure 2? Reading the latest IDW Sonic issues? Watching the Sonic 2 movie? Let us know in the comments below!
Oh, and don’t forget – today is also the day SEGA hosts its annual ‘Sonic Central’ showcase, which is bound to include a number of interesting surprises.
Happy birthday, Sonic!
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.
Did you know that Sonic the Hedgehog technically has TWO anniversaries? That’s right – even though SEGA’s blue blur first landed on the Mega Drive and Genesis on June 23rd, 1991, that was only in Europe and North America. In Japan, the original Mega Drive release of Sonic the Hedgehog was a month later, on July 26. That makes today Sonic’s official 30th Anniversary in his creators’ homeland!
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.
Thirty years. SEGA’s plucky blue hedgehog has been running for three whole decades. For some of us 1990s kids who grew up playing the original game on Mega Drive/Genesis, it seems absolutely crazy to think that not only would we still be playing Sonic games, but that the SEGA mascot’s popularity is stronger than ever in 2021. For those that grew up in the 2000s, the fact that Sonic Adventure 2 released twenty years ago may make you feel similarly ancient.
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.
Egmont Fleetway’s ‘Sonic the Comic’ may have been dead for nearly a decade, but it still has its die-hard fans. It would seem some of those fans are alive and well within SEGA – to celebrate today’s anniversary of Saturn racer Sonic R, the company has kept things appropriately British by enlisting the help of STC artist Rich Elson to design some new artwork.
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.
Two decades is a long time for most people. For Sonic the Hedgehog, it’s probably an absolute eternity, actually. On 24th October in the year 2000, I launched the very first iteration of The Sonic Stadium. I was fifteen years old, a year away from my high school finals and the worst of what we called the ‘World Wide Web’ was still only being foreseen by the late and great David Bowie. It truly was a different time.
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.
Twenty years. That’s how long this humble little Sonic the Hedgehog fan site has been kicking around for. The Sonic Stadium launched on 24 October 2000 and hasn’t taken a break (server crashes aside) ever since, making it possibly the oldest, longest-running Sonic site still active to this day. Over the next couple weeks, we will be celebrating our anniversary in style with special Twitch and Discord channel launches, special features and more!
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.
Funko has given us our first look at what they have in store for Sonic’s anniversary next year: new Silver and classic Sonic figurines. The regular versions of these figurines will be available exclusively at FYE for $12 each. Meanwhile, special editions of these figures are exclusive to two other retailers: the “flocked” (or fuzzy) version of Classic Sonic will be sold exclusively at Funko’s own online store, while the Glow in the Dark version of Silver will only be found at Hot Topic.
According to the 30th anniversary merchandise announcement last week, we have much more, including a Tails figure, in store.
Check out all four figures 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.
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.
Did you know it has been 24 years since the US release of SEGA Saturn classic NiGHTS into Dreams…? Well, SEGA certainly remembered, as their retro revival channel ‘SEGA Forever’ published a celebratory video all about the game. The company also included some long lost concept artwork that feels a bit more ‘nightmare’ than ‘dream’. Continue reading SEGA Celebrates NiGHTS into Dreams Anniversary With Weird Concept Character Art
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.
Two years ago today, IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog #8 was released to the public. With that comic, we were introduced to Whisper the Wolf (conceptualised by Ian Flynn, designed by Evan Stanley). She’s based on the playable avatar in Sonic Forces (amongst other influences), fitting considering the comic started with the aftermath of that game. But there’s so much more to her than that.
When she debuted, she already had a reputation as a capable hero who helped others out when they needed it, hence her nickname being the “Guardian Angel”. However, she never joined any resistance team, so she also had a reputation as a lone wolf. Her personality befit this to a tee, but not in a typical manner. While she’s very focused and professional when on missions, she’s extremely shy, to the point that she usually talks in…well, a whisper. Thanks to an incident in the past which ended in her team’s death, she’s reluctant to get close to anyone lest they suffer the same fate. |Conversely, thanks to meeting Sonic and Silver on a base infiltration, she’s been steadily letting these walls down, showing that when you get to know her, she’s very kind, compassionate and cares deeply for her allies (unless you’re Shadow. There were androids in the incident). Even the wisps she uses for her multi-wispon weapon love her like a mother!
Naturally, she’s helped out the heroes since, grappling with her aversion to crowds to aid in fighting Neo Metal Sonic, helping in Tangle’s home town, fighting against Mimic with the personal baggage that came with him, and holding her own during the Metal Virus disaster (including yet more heartbreak. Don’t worry, this one got better). After this, the potential for where her story could take her is practically limitless. But even going off what we’ve got already, she’s a well-developed, sympathetic and just really cool character, so it’s no wonder she garnered so much attention so quickly.
Even though she’s only been around for a relatively short time in the Sonic universe, her impact has been massive for a comic character. She instantly became a fan favourite, both within the comic fandom and the general fandom at large. There was so much demand for more of her that a miniseries was given the greenlight, showing how Whisper came to become the hero she is today and working with Tangle to move on from her past trauma, making their recent friendship very close in the process.
But that’s not all. Whisper (and Tangle) managed to do something that very few non-game characters have managed; to actually be featured in video games! As of last month, she became playable in both Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces mobile. While these are spin-off mobile games, they give a very good foot in the door for more to be done with her. And even if nothing does become of it, it’s still an achievement for a comic character, and a testament to how beloved she is both in the fandom and within the company.
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.
Today is August 15, which will be obvious to anyone who happens to be able to tell the time. But what might not be so obvious – unless you’re keen on checking calendars – is that Sonic’s fantastic 2D adventure, Sonic Mania, was released on this day in 2017. That was three whole years ago! Where has the time gone!? Continue reading Sonic Mania Was Released Three Years Ago Today
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’s June 23rd, and you know what that means. Today marks the anniversary of Sonic’s first adventure. Of course, in the game’s canon, he remains a 15 year old. But Sonic 1 released 29 years ago on this date, which means Sonic, and even Dr. Eggman, are now 29 years old.
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’s now officially the 24th October (in the UK, that is). That means only one thing. It’s the birthday of this humble little website about a speedy blue hedgehog, innit. We launched all the way back in the year 2000, which makes us 19 YEARS OLD today. I think we need a lie down, we’re getting too old for this. Continue reading Happy Birthday to Us! We Are 19 Years Old Today!
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.
Yes, it’s that time of year again – Sonic the Hedgehog officially turns 28 years old on this day, 23rd June 2019. I mean, he doesn’t -really- turn 28 because Sonic is not real (sorry), but today was the day, 28 years ago, that the original Sonic the Hedgehog game was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. So, that makes Sonic (and Dr. Eggman, technically) the same age. Continue reading Happy Birthday Sonic the Hedgehog! 28 Years Old Today!
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.
Can you believe that in three days time it will have been a whole 28 YEARS since the original Sonic the Hedgehog game launched on Sega Mega Drive? To celebrate, SEGA Japan is throwing a massive party at its Tokyo Joypolis arcade, on Sunday 23 June – and there will be special music events as well as awesome merchandise to collect. Take a look at what’s in store – you’ll want to check back on this page to check a livestream on the day too! Continue reading Tokyo Joypolis Hosting Sonic 28th Birthday Party & Ohtani DJ Set on 23 June
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 celebrated its 59th anniversary yesterday in style, publishing a flashy new corporate video that recalls the company’s history and promises plenty of exciting projects for the future – alongside a pledge to earn its status as a ‘game changer’ in the entertainment industry. Continue reading SEGA Reveals 59th Anniversary ‘Vision’, Vows To Be A ‘Game Changer’
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.
On 2 February 1994, one of the most important games in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise was released on the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) in North America. Sonic 3 was the highly-anticipated sequel to 1992’s global phenomenon that was Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and brought with it a tonne of new features and updates that not only gave the blue blur a fresh new appearance but also ushered in an era of ‘Sonic Mania’ that took the Western world by storm. Continue reading Happy 25th Anniversary, Sonic 3!
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 the Hedgehog 2 is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in the series – alongside the follow-up epic that was Sonic 3 & Knuckles, of course. And today, on 21 November, we celebrate the game’s 26th anniversary. That’s right, the game that introduced us to Miles ‘Tails’ Prower, Blast Processing and global launches happened on this day all the way back in 1992. Continue reading Happy 26th Birthday to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – And Tuesday Global Game Launches
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.
That’s right! On this very day, at the turn of the new millennium, The Sonic Stadium formally opened its virtual doors to the world. It was a very different world back then – people used Yahoo to search for things online instead of Google, Napster was the fresh new way to download music (not altogether legally), the hottest ‘meme’ was the Hampster Dance and the Sonic online community was just getting started. Continue reading Happy 18th Birthday, The Sonic Stadium!
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 celebration of Sonic’s 27th anniversary, SEGA is holding a Sonic game sale on both Nintendo and Playstation platforms. The sale runs from now until June 25, 11 AM EST. Check out the sale prices below:
PS4:
Sonic Forces – $23.99 (was $39.99)
PS3:
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Sonic Generations – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Sonic Unleashed – $7.49 (was $14.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 1 – $1.99 (was $3.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $1.99 (was $3.99)
Sonic CD – $2.49 (was $4.99)
Sonic the Fighters – $2.49 (was $4.99)
Sonic Adventure – $1.99 (was $3.99)
Sonic Adventure 2 – $3.74 (was $7.49)
Vita:
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – $14.99 (was $29.99)
3DS:
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – $14.99 (was $29.99)
3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $2.99 (was $5.99)
Sonic Lost World – $14.97 (was $29.95)
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal – $19.99 (was $39.99)
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice – $14.99 (was $29.99)
Wii U
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – $14.97 (was $29.95)
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric – $14.99 (was $29.99)
Sonic Lost World – $14.97 (was $29.95)
Switch
Sonic Forces – $23.99 (was $39.99)
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.
Can you believe it’s been 26 years to the day that the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game was released on Sega Mega Drive? The blue blur is now way too far gone for any ‘old enough to drink/drive (though not at the same time)’ jokes. In fact, he’s well on his way to being old enough to starting a mortgage and a family. Continue reading Happy 26th Birthday, Sonic the Hedgehog!
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.
For those who do not know, Zone Runners are a popular music-inspired hip hop trio. All their music takes inspiration from your favourite Sonic levels and is certainly worth a listen.
Despite making three releases since their debut, the group have yet to put any of their music to video. That is of course, until today!
In a special collaboration with The Sonic Show, the Zone Runners finally come to animated life in this original track based upon the 9th anniversary of The Sonic Show’s webshow. Featuring animation from a variety of artists, plus artwork and fan submitted dance moves, this is a neat little package that everyone here is proud of!
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.
Yes, on this day fifteen years ago The Sonic Stadium opened its virtual doors to the World Wide Web (that’s what we called the Internet that back in 2000). And over the years, I and a trusty team of awesome Sonic fans have done our best to entertain, inform and excite with news, features, columns, podcasts and videos of anything involved with everyone’s favourite hedgehog.
We started life as a simple fansite, formed of a collection of HTML pages. After several failed attempts, we added a successful forum in the SSMB. We grew to build a streaming radio station (which later introduced Sonic-themed podcasts), an annual awards ceremony, a fangame development team, a massive video/music depository and a network that included a fan showcase, video podcasts and competitive Sonic gaming. We also kick-started a series of events in the Summer of Sonic that led to the establishment of a number of fellow fan-run conventions.
We’ve accomplished an awful lot, and yet none of it would be possible without the insane amount of contribution of TSS Network staff, past and present. So to celebrate The Sonic Stadium’s 15th Anniversary, I reached out to a number of our old and current staff and asked them to reminisce and talk about their favourite memories and moments of TSS history. Continue reading HAPPY 15TH TSS! Legendary TSS Staff Share Their Fondest Memories
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.
Every main anniversary Sonic has had in recent years has been commemorated with some form of limited collectible figurine, and now First 4 Figures is asking us for ideas for what the all-important 25th anniversary piece should be.
The company reached out on Facebook asking fans for ideas and suggestions for what the should be implemented into the 25th anniversary statue:
So… About that 25th anniversary of Sonic.
The F4F ‘veterans’ amongst you will remember that SEGA commissioned us to produce a run of limited figurines for the 20th anniversary nearly 5 years ago, and now our creative cogs are turning once again for next year.
What would your ideal 25th anniversary statue look like? Throw your ideas/wish lists our way! There’s only a few things you need to keep in mind:
-Classic Sonic is to be the main focus, but don’t let that stop you from including other things from his history such as classic items.
-The statue needs to be as all-encompassing as possible
Unlike last time, SEGA will allow us to sell these to Sonic fans the world over, so let’s hear you!
My favourite part of this: We’ll actually be able to buy this one without having to pay small fortunes on eBay! Hurray!
Interestingly, First 4 Figures has requested to keep this piece as a Classic Sonic focussed piece… Interesting.
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.
Indeed, the blue blur we all love continues spin dashing on and celebrates his 22nd birthday today!
Isn’t Sonic getting a bit old for birthday parties now though?
[youtube]http://youtu.be/Tc6GcAUPjQ0[/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.
Brazilian Sonic the Hedgehog fansite Power Sonic is celebrating their 10th Anniversary today. The website launched in 2001, back when SEGA was celebrating Sonic’s own 10th Anniversary with Sonic Adventure 2’s release on their Dreamcast console. Power Sonic is a dedicated source for Brazilian Sonic fans, with regular news coverage and a large archive of content to explore that caters to all aspects of the fandom, be they video game fans or animation fans. The website also offers competitions and a huge amount of free media to download, both official and fan created. Power Sonic continues to prove that there are many passionate fans of the blue blur out there around the world and we congratulate them on this milestone.
All of us at The Sonic Stadium wish Power Sonic a happy birthday and hope to see them around for many more years to come.
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, we’re nothing if not truly grateful for the number of people who pass through The Sonic Stadium and take the time to enjoy the content we offer you guys. But I never expected such an awesome response to our 10th Anniversary – you can see some creations already submitted to us right here and the banners at the top of each page have been created by someone in the community too.
I’ve been sitting on these other fantastic submissions for a while now, so it’s time I gave these guys some love!
Tobibrocki has drawn some fantastic art pieces for us in the past, but this one surely takes the cake. Tails is more than happy to engage in reckless vandalism in the name of TSS, and Sonic’s celebrating the occasion by wearing some Way Past Cool threads. Sally’s gone and had our site name sketched on her boots, and Amy is admiring the reaction on Dr. Eggman’s face. If only we were called The Eggman Stadium, eh? Bonus points for random bird in the background. Thanks Tobibrocki!
‘Sonicismyhero’ took the time to do this brilliant sketch of Sonic partying next to a 10th Anniversary birthday cake. With the submission he wrote; “Though I am more of a lurker than a commenter, I browse almost every article you write up, and am always there for the latest news you post. Thank-you for all your hard work, and dedication you’ve put in through the years. I can remember the sites early years like it was yesterday.” Aw, well thanks for all the hard work for doing this awesome drawing, Sonicismyhero. I hope we can kick it for years to come.
This lovely picture was sent to me by CTOONfan1, who felt that the event was best marked by showcasing some of the most popular characters in the Sonic franchise. I’m not sure if Shadow really wants to wish TSS a happy anniversary – he looks like he wants to punch our heads in. Bad moods aside, we love this picture, so thank you CTOONfan1!
Kjeld told me that he went for a “new sort of [art] style” with this one. The result is above, and it makes me laugh for reasons unexplained. It might be the absurd stickman nature of the characters, or it might be Knuckles’ absurd grin, or it could be Tails’ absurd face. Either way, it’s delightfully absurd, and you’ll notice that Kjeld made a banner for TSS in this style too. Thanks for this mate.
Finally, TYoshi created this short video using Sonic Advance sprites to congratulate us on a successful ten years of existing. Blink and you’ll miss it, but it’s a great message and we really appreciate the time taken to make an animation for us. Cheers!
UPDATE: ProjectZuel was kind enough to create another image to celebrate TSS’ 10th birthday, and it features none other than Dreadknux himself, proudly standing tall with the =TSS= flag. I haven’t used the Dreadknux avatar in quite some time, so it’s pretty cool that someone remembers my neon green online persona. Many thanks, ProjectZuel, and we also wish you another 10 Way Past Cool Years. Erm, not that you’re not likely to see them, or anything… er… what I mean is, thanks.
We’ll be celebrating/catching up on more TSS content from the past over the coming weeks – particularly before the end of the year as it would cease to be our 10th Anniversary.
… it’ll be our ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY, which is even COOLER! Aw yeah. Screw our 10th. Can’t wait for our 11th. Everyone knows 11 is the new 10. Thanks once again for all the well wishes from everyone – whether you made something to celebrate the occasion or not – and we’ll keep trying to be the best fansite we can be! Much love!
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.
A while ago, Brad and I asked for some of you guys to get creative for The Sonic Stadium’s 10th Anniversary. We’ve had a couple of cool submissions since then – the fantastic banners from syaming-li and Roarey Raccoon notwithstanding of course!
First, here’s a nice art piece drawn up by lozfoe. Sonic and Tails throw a party, with the blue blur about to scoff some birthday cake. Tails looks like he’s having a mad time as well, even if it does look like his temperature’s being taken. A cute piece of artwork, and really appreciated lozfoe, thanks!
The second thing we got in our mailbox was this short video from FTA, one of the chaps behind Find the Computer Room. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow all opine on their favourite Sonic fansites. Apparently, this place is Sonic’s #1 site to chill out at. That’s quite some praise, coming from the ‘hog himself. Is it your favourite too?
Many thanks to lozfoe and FTA, and thank you all for supporting the site in all sorts of different ways! Let’s see if we can get through ten more years together! If you want to send in something to add to this post, send an email to dreadknux@gmail.com with your submission!
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.
Today’s the day! The Sonic Stadium is now a whopping ten years old, and to celebrate we’re dedicating a whole week’s worth of information, media and stories from the website’s own history vaults! Stick around for those, including back catalogue updates (at laaaaaaaaast!) and some real archive building.
You might have also noticed by now that the site has had a redesign. Call it a new birthday suit as it enters its terrible teens. Site sections have now been incorporated into a menu just below the banner up there, and thanks to some wicked coding wizardry from Bmn the sections react to rollovers. As I said before, we’ll be working on getting some content up to fill up this new layout right away.
The banners themselves have been made especially for TSS’ big 1-0. Roarey Raccoon and syaming-li have both contributed awesome images to decorate the site with as we metaphorically bang lots of pots and pans about our age.
Another change is in the topbar, above the banner. Now you can see a live ticker of the songs and LiVECASTs that are airing on SEGASonic Radio. Take a look now. Go on. That’s what’s playing right now. It’s a good song, isn’t it? Click the green icon to launch a popup window that will allow you to listen to the station and chat with friends at the same time. Noice.
Sidebars will be customised for each section of the website – the functionality of this is still being ironed out, so be aware that we’re updating the design on the right hand side all the time to make it look much cooler. If you have any ideas for quicklinks that you want to see on the sidebar in a particular section – latest updates to game pages, most commented on articles, that sort of thing – then do get in touch.
(By the way, if you’re seeing icons and sidebar links to a website called SEGADriven, that’s because it is the latest addition to our network of websites – run by Lewis Clark, formerly of Sonic Yoda. Go and check out his site, it’s awesome! Plus, you can use the same account you use to comment on TSS to post your thoughts on SEGADriven, so what are you waiting for? Pepper his website with comments!)
And of course, if you want to send in anything to celebrate TSS’ 10th, then you can do so by sending your works to dreadknux@gmail.com.
I hope my website has been entertaining and useful to you over the last decade, and I have no intentions of stopping either. To the future! Happy Birthday, TSS!
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.
We have had a lot of Sonic 2 stories on TSS lately, what with it launching on new platforms and going on sale. Yesterday, a TSS staffer reminded me that today was the 17th anniversary of the NA/EU release date of Sonic 2. It all made sense then. Let’s take a trip down memory lane again, eh?
With Sonic 1 establishing a rabid fanbase waiting for the next game in the series, the announcement of Sonic 2 made myself and the rest of the gaming world go bananas. When November 24th, 1992 came around, my uncle was one of the first in line (he’s only 15 years older than I am and he owned the Genesis… it was like having a much cooler older brother). Once we got back to his place, “Sonic 2sday” became one of the best days ever.
There was a new character in Miles “Tails” Prower, a new move, a plethora of new stages, new enemies, new bosses, and fantastic music. There was also a 2 player mode that we could not stop playing! We couldn’t ask for anything more. We played it for about three days straight.
Years later, I’d stumble across this dank corner of the internet known as the Sonic community. Prototypes uncovered lost levels and added to the mystique and grandeur of the game. I was playing Sonic 2 all over again to experience what could have been.
In celebration of today, we ask you to check out our recently recovered Sonic 2 section. Videos and screenshots await you.
I’ll leave it at the following video, the famous 3D version of the Sonic 2 ending that we’ve shown here a few times:
Glorious. The Sonic Stadium is interested in your memories of Sonic 2 and “Sonic 2sday.” Please share them with us in the comments 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.
Today is Monday. Unlucky for those of you who’ve just woken up thinking it was Sunday; you’ve just missed work. But 16 years ago, it was Tuesday. The most awesome Tuesday ever for a kid in Britain, or the United States. On November 24th 1992, the sequel to the hottest video game of the time was released – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Sega Mega Drive. Such a huge media circus this event was, that a special chartered ‘Sonic 2’ plane carrying nothing but crates of the game landed in London a few days ahead of the launch to masses of TV cameras and news reporters. Those were the days.
So here’s to Sonic the Hedgehog 2. A wonderful collaboration between East (Sonic Team, with Yuji Naka returning after leaving Sega briefly) and West (an enthusiastic American team called Sega Technical Institute that were heavily involved in the coding and designing). For a few moments, Sega wasn’t at each other’s throats internally and teamed up to produce what many fans consider the very best in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Can’t exactly disagree. Celebrate by playing the game and seeing if you can nobble that final boss without dying (always keep falling through his nose onto his spiky hands, the f&%$%*). Or even by trying out Sonic Retro’s work in progress, Sonic 2 HD.
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.
Today’s the day! The Sonic Stadium is now a whopping ten years old, and to celebrate we’re dedicating a whole week’s worth of information, media and stories from the website’s own history vaults! Stick around for those, including back catalogue updates (at laaaaaaaaast!) and some real archive building.
With Sonic 1 establishing a rabid fanbase waiting for the next game in the series, the announcement of Sonic 2 made myself and the rest of the gaming world go bananas. When November 24th, 1992 came around, my uncle was one of the first in line (he’s only 15 years older than I am and he owned the Genesis… it was like having a much cooler older brother). Once we got back to his place, “Sonic 2sday” became one of the best days ever.
Years later, I’d stumble across this dank corner of the internet known as the Sonic community. Prototypes uncovered lost levels and added to the mystique and grandeur of the game. I was playing Sonic 2 all over again to experience what could have been.