Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
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Nintendo held a Direct today, but you probably already knew that. However, you may be surprised to learn that a new trailer for Sonic Superstars appeared in the presentation. You may be even happier to learn that this trailer contained some new information about the game, and showcased some new gameplay!
So, where to start? Well, the first thing you probably noticed is the music playing. It is more than likely music from the game, which means that we finally got an idea of what the game’s soundtrack may be aiming for. And the music is actually really good. If this is what the music is for the rest of the game’s soundtrack, then I don’t think fans will have to worry about them taking a musical route similar to Sonic 4’s. There’s a new render too, potentially the game’s box art, which you can see right here.
Other than that, there were a lot of small tidbits throughout the trailer, including some things that you’d miss if you blinked. We got to see a pinball area for some carnival zone that hadn’t been shown before. Fang appears in the background of some cutscene, and we get to see that we will be fighting him as a boss.
SEGA showed a new emerald power, which seems to function similar to the Sunglasses and Treasure Scope that Knuckles and Rouge get in Sonic Adventure 2, respectively. It causes hidden things to become visible, including platforms and rings. And speaking of the emeralds, we actually got our first look at how the Chaos Emeralds look in this game. Well, one of them, anyway.
We even learned that Tails can carry Sonic and friends, just like he could in Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic Mania. Perhaps the biggest piece of info we learned from the trailer, however, is the news that there will be a total of 12 new zones in the game. It’s more than some fans were speculating, and it was a big factor in how justified some people felt the $60 price would be.
We’re still hearing a fall release date, but there was a Sonic Central announced for Friday. It’s doubtful that there will be any further information about the game, but clearly SEGA has more Sonic news to share. Whether we’ll get more Sonic Superstars info there is another matter entirely. In the meantime, check out the trailer down below!
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A lot of people got to play Sonic Superstars at Summer Game Fest Play Days. Unfortunately, if you weren’t able to go, obviously you weren’t able to do that. However, if you’re not able to attend any gaming events in the future, there may be some hope. Some hands-on impressions from Portuguese site Game Blast are suggesting that a public demo of the game may be coming in the future.
It’s not something that SEGA directly told Game Blast, but they reached this conclusion based on something they saw in the Summer Game Fest Play Days demo that was available. According to Game Blast, “the words ‘trial version’ were discreetly hidden in the bottom right corner of the game’s opening screen during my playthrough”. They feel that this suggest that “the developers may be planning to release a public demo for the game”.
In case you’re feeling like that’s not enough info to verify this as true, someone else that was at Summer Game Fest and had an appointment next to the game’s booth confirmed that there was, indeed, a “Demo Version” text on the game’s title screen. So, that is now 2 people that have confirmed that this was on the Summer Game Fest Play Days demo.
Now, it is worth noting that it is absolutely up in the air when a public demo, if it does happen, would be released. A similar thing happened with the demo for Sonic Frontiers last year, and a public demo for it wasn’t released until after the game had come out in November of 2022. So, it’s possible that a public demo may not even release before the actual game launches. Nevertheless, it’s another aspect to this game’s pre-launch period that is going to make a lot of fans curious.
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Whenever a Classic Sonic game makes an appearance, one of the biggest questions that Sonic fans always asks is the accuracy of the physics. It hasn’t helped that games like Sonic 4 and Sonic Forces have amplified the discourse on this topic. The good news is that, based on remarks by Christian Whitehead, Sonic Superstars is not looking like it will be joining that club. Sonic Mania’s physics are fully translated into modern 3D!
Christian Whitehead’s response came as a reaction to the Sonic fandom on Twitter comparing Sonic Superstars gameplay with the gameplay of the original classic trilogy. It is something that fans have been doing ever since the game was revealed. This comparisons have been very identical, and the hands-on impressions from media outlets have only made the optimism grow.
Of course, there’s nothing more that can reassure Sonic fans that Sonic Mania physics are still around than one of the devs of Sonic Mania confirming that themselves. And, well, that’s exactly what happened. No official word from SEGA or gameplay footage could really compete with that. It probably goes without saying either, but there are a lot of hardcore Sonic fans that are likely very happy to hear this news.
Whitehead does say that he’ll “have more to say on this when its appropriate”, so there may be some more information about the matter in the future. Said information will likely be shared on his Twitter, so if there’s anything of note to share with you, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, hardcore Sonic fans may be getting just as impatient as Sonic himself is in regards to this game! We’ll just have to wait a little while longer when Sonic Superstars releases this fall.
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Sonic Superstars was at Summer Game Fest Play Days, where attendees were able to try out the game before its release later this fall. You’ve seen the gameplay footage, which we’ve already covered here on Sonic Stadium. However, we haven’t talked about what people’s impressions were about the game after being able to play it. So, let’s take a look at some previews!
Before I begin, I should probably mention one particular preview. it just so happens that our own Jason Berry was able to play the game himself, and he recently shared his own hands-on impressions of the game here on Sonic Stadium. His thoughts are the most passionate out of all the previews I’ll be mentioning in this article. Oh, and he did enjoy the game too!
With that all said, let’s get the general consensus out of the way, because this was probably the thing that stood out the most. Let me take a moment to say that there weren’t as many hands-on impressions for Sonic Superstars as Sonic Frontiers had, but the reason for that is likely because Sonic Frontiers had the advantage of being a completely new Sonic experience that was never seen before, so people were understandably much more curious. Other than the Emerald Powers and 2.5D graphics, Sonic Superstars is much more familiar to people. Of course, it also helped that Sonic Frontiers was the first main Sonic game in 4-5 years, so people were extremely hungry for news. Nevertheless, the previews were overwhelmingly positive for Sonic Frontiers last June. There were only a few folks that didn’t really care for it.
So, that minor detour aside, how did Sonic Superstars do? Well, despite the diminished quantity, Sonic Superstars can happily say that it, too, was flooded with positive reviews. In fact, remember when I said that a few folks didn’t really care for Sonic Frontiers in their hands-on impressions last June? Sonic Superstars didn’t even have that! The game had absolutely unanimous praise from various outlets, with not a single person expressing any distaste in what they played. This, needless to say, is absolutely incredible for a Sonic game.
Okay, so that’s the general consensus of the game. But let’s take a little more of a deep dive into the previews. Because, of course, there are some questions and worries that fans have about this game. It is worth noting that, for the vast majority of these previews, they only played a couple of levels. Some of them had a 15-minute playing session with this game, with others had a 30-minute playing session.
Anyway, let’s begin with Fadel, also known as GamesCage. Believe it or not, he was one of the first, if not the very first, to provide insight on what the game was like when Summer Game Fest Play Days 2023 began late last week. And he doesn’t really have any complaints whatsoever, even calling it “perfect”! I can be argued that this may have set the tone for the previews to come.
Oh, and when the previews began to come in, they came in at a consistent pace. Andy Robinson of Video Games Chronicle offered his insight, followed by Game Informer. Easy Allies was next. And the previews just kept coming. However, all of them agreed that this was a very promising game, and the criticisms were very few and far between.
Of course, the physics have been a hot topic in regards to the discussions about this game. So much so that Iizuka was asked about it in every single interview he did. And even when he wasn’t, he mentioned it anyway because he knew it was a big deal. A lot of the previews went into talking about the physics though, and they all loved it!
For example, Game Informer compared the physics of the game to being more Mania-like, saying that the game is “giving off a feel of picking up momentum that is loyal to the classic 2D entries in the series”. Robinson said the game’s movement “feels just like original Sonic”. Steve Bowling of Good Vibes Gaming said it “feels like Mania’s back”. WorthPlaying said “this IS classic Sonic gameplay”. Push Square says that “the 4 characters feel good to control, both on the ground and in the air”. There are reports that the physics are so accurate for Classic Sonic that you can jump loops, a speedrunning technique, and the characters will go so fast that they’ll make it off the screen, just like in the old games! And that’s just the physics and controls!
So, what about the level design? There was lots of praise for that too, but here’s some examples. Game Informer praised the branching paths of the level as something that “encourage you to explore each part of every Act”. Robinson said the levels have “tons of verticality”. Game Reactor mentions “the occasional switch to the background and the differently rewarding paths”. Prima Games noted that “there are multiple routes through levels and you’ll often miss most of what you’re looking at on your first go through. replaying the stages as each of the different characters changes how you interact with the level, and the path you’ll take to the end”. And Push Square called the platforming “satisfying, with ramps and boosts making you question where you might end up”.
Tech Raptor got really descriptive with the level design. They “had a blast exploring the absolutely gargantuan levels”, called the environmental interactions in the levels “pretty fresh”, said that the level design took the Sonic Mania route in “a focus on verticality and exploration” and admitted that “I’m sure if I replayed a level, I wouldn’t get to the end the same exact way”. They even noted that there is precision platforming in this game on occasion, but the game “knows when to let you off the leash and just enjoy the ride”.
Kinda Funny was probably the most positive out of all the previews I came across. They compared Sonic Superstars as being similar to Mania multiple times. The level design? They felt it was more like Mania than Generations. The gameplay? They called it “Sonic Mania gameplay”. Oh, and they outright said “this is not Sonic 4” and “this is closer to Mania”. Their only wish was that it was Sonic Mania 2, and even then, that was just out of personal preference and not even meant to be a complaint!
I think you get the picture. But the general consensus was pretty unanimous in just about every way possible. Probably the only preview of Sonic Superstars that was really critical in any way was Prima Games‘ preview, and that wasn’t even a negative review! They loved what they played, and they’re not even a Sonic fan! They were the only ones that mentioned that “As with most preview builds, the game had some small frame drops and slowdown”, though they also admitted that it was nothing severe or impactful. And they criticized the controls, saying that “it can feel a bit floaty at times, and I had trouble making some easy jumps. This was mitigate by using Knuckles glide, but the platforming doesn’t always feel crisp and can sometimes kill your momentum”.
This is just a small chunk of the previews that we got from media outlets this weekend. I didn’t even dive into Tech Radar‘s preview. Or Digital Trends‘ hands-on impressions. I didn’t even mention GameSpot‘s! But, at this point, I’d just be repeating myself because, as I said, the general consensus has been the same. Tech Raptor’s perspective is probably the only one that didn’t completely follow the vast majority’s opinion, and even then, they praised the game! To say that media outlets are excited for Sonic Superstars may be an understatement at this point.
Of course, these are just previews. All the hands-on impressions only got to experience a few levels at most. We haven’t seen all that the game has to offer yet. Obviously, the game isn’t out yet either. But there will likely be some more previews to come. And if there’s one thing that really helps a Sonic game gain some traction, its hands-on impressions. Physics and controls are very important in a Sonic game, and its these previews that give us our first insight into how they are.
Later this fall, we’ll be able to find out for ourselves. In the meantime, we’ll just have to deal with interviews, previews and the occasional trailer and press release from SEGA to make the wait a little easier. Meanwhile, Sonic Frontiers is supposed to get its second major update very soon, so it’s not like we’ll have nothing to do to pass the time. Of course, we’ll have much more coverage of Sonic Superstars here on Sonic Stadium as we get closer to the game’s release.
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Sonic Superstars has been getting a lot of praise since it was announced last week, but one criticism that fans have had is that, well, the game’s co-op mode seems to be local only. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that the developers have ignored online completely. An official email sent out to Sonic Frontiers newsletter recipients confirmed a Battle Mode, which will be available locally and online!
Now, it is worth noting that they didn’t really give much in the way of details about this mode. All they said is that the mode will enable you to “challenge players from around the world”. What, exactly, this will be is unknown. SEGA hasn’t really talked about this at all in any interviews. In fact, were it not for this random email they sent, we probably wouldn’t have known that this was even a thing!
Unfortunately, for some, this may not be enough. The Co-op mode still seems to be local only. Of course, the fact that this game will have an online Battle Mode may just raise more questions about why the developers didn’t want people to play co-op mode online. It’s also very weird how such a huge mode in this game was only confirmed via an email.
Nevertheless, it’s very possible that we will learn more about this mode in the future. There’s still a while to go until the game releases, and SEGA hasn’t really talked much about the game’s side modes as a whole. They’ve been focusing on the main part of the game, for obvious reasons. Still, if you were wanting something to do online in this game, at least you’ll be able to battle other players when Sonic Superstars releases this fall!
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Sonic Superstars looks absolutely gorgeous. We should know, we said it. But that’s on the most powerful hardware – if you’re wondering whether the game also looks great on the Nintendo Switch, we now know the answer is ‘yes’, kinda.
The first still images of Classic Sonic’s latest outing running on Nintendo’s hybrid gaming console have arrived, and you can take a gander for yourself below.
Now, it clearly doesn’t look as sharp as its PS5 or Xbox cousins, but that is often the case with Nintendo Switch versions of cross-platform games. But at least the colour, character and charm doesn’t seem to have been impacted.
As with most things of this nature, it’s best to wait until we can see the Switch version moving and in action. Sometimes these lower-IQ situations aren’t as noticeable while actually playing. In the meantime, what do you think?
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It’s fair to say we’re super-excited about tonight’s reveal of Sonic Superstars – it’s already looking like a promising like a true return to form for the colourful and attitude-heavy series! SEGA has just released some official screenshots of the game in action, and we thought you’d might like to take a look for yourself.
As you can see, Sonic and the game world just look absolutely gorgeous, with eye-popping colours and vibrant environments throughout. Hopefully we’ll see some original takes on some classic gameplay tropes.
One of the big features about this particular game is the inclusion of up to four-player local co-op, which means that for the first time Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy can all go around kicking Dr. Eggman’s mechanical Badniks in unison! We’re hoping that this will open the door for some creative co-op play and routes only accessible by using certain characters’ moves.
It seems like, for all its Classic Sonic approach to gameplay, Sonic Superstars does pick up a few things from the more Modern Sonic titles. Such as this set-piece which sees Sonic being chased by a massive…. robot fish thing.
Amy Rose is playable for only the second time in the Sonic series (after her gameplay debut in the upcoming Sonic Origins Plus, of course). Here she is running around with her Piko Piko Hammer – possibly deadly for any robots standing in her way.
As reports have revealed, there are special abilities that can be unlocked using retrieved Chaos Emeralds in the game. This could be one of those powers in action.
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SEGA has surprise-announced a brand new 2D Sonic game at Summer Game Fest 2023, called Sonic Superstars!
Featuring 3D models and environments and focusing entirely on Classic Sonic gameplay, Sonic Superstars will see Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose go on a new adventure as they tackle Dr. Eggman in a scenario reminiscent of the 16-bit days… only this time, Eggman has help in the form of returning classic bad guy, Fang the Sniper!
According to IGN, the game will take place in a new location called the North Star Islands, which look like it’s going to be home to a whole lot of new gimmicks such as vines that shoot Sonic upwards, trees that the blue blur can grind along and chutes that work in a similar way to those found in Stardust Speedway.
Apparently the Chaos Emeralds are also back, and can be seen to unlock specific powers for Sonic and friends. We can see in one instance where the player makes clones of themselves, and another where the player travels up a waterfall using another Chaos Emerald power.
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) June 8, 2023
Sonic Superstars will be coming to PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC later in Fall 2023.
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The next wave of Jakks Pacific’s 4” figures come out next month, and we’ve finally got some images!
This wave has some of Sonic’s less popular friends. Amongst the modern characters, we’ve got Amy Rose and Vector the Crocodile, and for the classic characters we have yet another Classic Sonic, and…Ray the Flying Squirrel!
Merch for both Vector and Ray tend to be quite rare. I’m fairly certain this is the first time Ray has ever gotten an action figure, while this is only Vector’s second action figure ever.
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Site writer Shigs live tweeted the Jakks Pacific panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, and while there isn’t a whole lot we haven’t seen through retailer leaks and prior reveals, consider this a round up of what they’ll be offering this year, and where they might be exclusive to.
These Funko Pop masks won’t hit Walmart until November, but I think we can agree that they’re truly frightening at any time of the year. They’re listed as “half mask,” so expect business in the front, and absolutely no party in the back.
This Fall will feature several new “Deluxe” costumes for Sonic 2’s Knuckles, Tails, and Dr. Robotnik, and hey, even Baby Sonic! Your entire face is their muzzle for the true 4-eye effect! Dual-tails have been attached to the full back of the costume to prevent accidental flight.
The Egg Mobile battle set was previously revealed during the most recent Sonic Central presentation. The set includes accessories to transform into a variety of boss vehicles from Sonic 1 and 2, from the classic ball-and-chain from Green Hill, to the double-drill machine from Mystic Cave.
Exclusive to Target will be this Flying Battery Zone playset, featuring spinning propellers, rotating flames, a sprite art Technosqueek, and two, TWO spike traps! Can you push those spikes for secrets? Who’s to say! Expect the set this Fall.
Jakks did highlight a few items that are currently available, such as their 6″ solar-powered Sonic figure with tapping toe and moving eyelids. But at least we get to enjoy a big MS Word explosion star shape with tiny lettering. And that’s worth something, right?
They also showed off their Modern Sonic Collectors Edition figure with a Tropical Resort base (6″ tall, to go alongside their Classic Sonic Collectors Edition figure on a Studiopolis base). Like his classic counterpart, Modern Sonic comes with a number of facial expressions, hands, and a Cyan Wisp buddy to complete the scene. The figure is currently… available, but is also out of stock at most online retailers.
Finally, Jakks wrapped up with their small figure sets. The next wave of 2.5″ figures includes modern Tails and Shadow, and classic Sonic, Knuckles, and Eggman. At 4″ are an additional wave of Sonic 2 movie figures of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Super Sonic with accessories, and a Walmart exclusive Skateboard Sonic with additional articulation and thick black lines to imitate a hand drawn style.
We’ll continue to cover any major SDCC news through the convention, but be sure to follow us on Twitter for immediate updates! And of course big thanks to Shigs for his live reporting from the convention.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
Earlier this month, IDW released a new Sonic comic as part of this year’s Free Comic Book Day. That comic is now available to download for free from Comixology!
The comic takes place in IDW’s Classic Sonic universe, and largely focuses on Amy Rose as she explores a new hobby. The entire comic is not devoted to this story, however, as the comic also features a recap of the primary IDW Sonic universe, to prepare readers for the road to issue #50.
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Sonic Team figurehead confirms that Sonic’s Classic iteration will “hopefully be a part of the blue blur’s future” in an interview with Retro Gamer Magazine.
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Sonic has returned to Free Comic Book Day with a brand new story featuring the classic game cast. The issue features Amy exploring a new hobby: making Sonic comics! To find participating retailers in your area, go here.
Check out the cover, preview pages and story synopsis below:
(W) Gale Galligan (A) Thomas Rothlisberger (CA) Tracy Yardley Celebrating 30 years of the world’s fastest hedgehog! There’s no telling how Sonic will react when he sees the results of Amy Rose’s new hobby-she’s been making tell-all comics about her adventures with Sonic, Miles “Tails” Prower, and their friends! New York Times bestselling author Gale Galligan (The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels) spills the beans! Plus, fun extras to catch readers up on Sonic’s ongoing adventures, on the road to issue 50! Sonics 30th anniversary celebration will be a huge priority for IDW and Sega this year!
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.
If you’ve been wanting to add some extra Sonic pizazz to your holiday celebrations, your in luck: Classic Sonic ornaments have been revealed as part of Hallmark’s 2021 catalog.
There are two ornaments in total: one with Sonic & Tails, and another with Knuckles. Both ornaments were designed by Matt Johnson, and will be priced at $19.99 and $17.99 respectively. Neither ornament has a release date yet, though the Knuckles one will be made in limited quantities.
Check them out below!
Not much else is known about these ornamented at the moment, though you can find their sizes in the source below.
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Sonic has had a presence at Free Comic Day for well over a decade now, but this year IDW will be using the occasion to celebrate Sonic’s 30th anniversary with a comic featuring Classic Sonic!
Revealed today as part of this year’s complete FCBD line-up, the issue’s cover features classic Sonic characters. Whether this is a wholly original story or just a free version of the upcoming Classic Sonic mini series is currently unknown. Instead of its usual “first Saturday of May” date, this year’s FCBD is scheduled for August 14. For a list of participating comic stores and featured comics, check out the FCBD website here.
Check out the full cover below:
At the moment, the FCBD website gives no further information on the issue, including who is writing it and who drew the cover. Stay tuned to Sonic Stadium for all the latest!
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When SEGA and Sonic Team are hard at work creating the next Sonic experience, some fans of the series are left to fill the gaps with their own creative endeavors. One of the more promising fangames is the impressive “Project Hero” which showcased the possibilities of a fully 3D action platformer that incorporates the best qualities of Sonic gameplay throughout the years.
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If you were the least bit worried about Modern Sonic being tossed aside for Classic Sonic or vice versa, you can lay those fears to rest. According to Sonic Team leader Takashi Iizuka, neither are going anywhere, and both will be “taken care of.”
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While the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie is pumping out toys and merchandise, there still seems to be room for vintage Sonic apparel! Merchandise and media outlet Zavvi have just announced an exciting new line of shirts and mugs for Sonic and friends, and they all have a charming Japanese aesthetic to them. Also, in a limited time deal, you can snag a Sonic mug for free if you buy two or more shirts.
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Collectibles Shop Eaglemoss has announced that three more characters will be revealed for their line of Sonic figurines in the coming weeks. They revealed a teaser for the first of these characters on their Facebook page, which you can see below:
You can purchase Eaglemoss’s Sonic figurines from their UK 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 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.
Earlier at the tail-end of September, we reported on a leak that indicated that Sonic the Hedgehog was going to be an unlockable extra character in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD! And thanks to a data-mine, we now know that’s true! What we didn’t realize, however, was that it would feature Sonic’s “classic” design!
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SEGA’s most downloaded mobile game just won’t quit! Sonic Dash has been the most frequently updated Sonic game on mobile devices, and that’s not changing anytime soon, as SEGA HARDlight announced on Twitter that they’re planning on celebrating Sonic’s Birthday, and a certain popular villain will be making an appearance!
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Just over a month ago, I set myself a little personal project, I decided to research the various official Sonic Mascot costumes which have been used over the years, I wanted to see how they changed, if there was any relation in design to the games, as well as how other regions created their mascots.
It was supposed to be a short project, I thought ‘there can’t be ‘that many, this will probably be just a 5 min video at best’, I was very wrong. Not only did this project take a full month to complete, it ended up being one of the strangest research trips I have ever undertaken. You can view the full end result video at the end of the article.
For now, enjoy these highlights.
If you’ve ever attend any video game convention or event, chances are you’ll see at least one official mascot, every big publisher tries to have one near their stand. They’re like people magnets, you put a mascot at your stand, people go over to it, it’s a great way to get people to look at your game who may have otherwise past it by.
Sega knows this well, and with nearly 30 years of Sonic games, there has been nearly 30 years of these official Sonic Mascot costumes… And some of them are wild…
The Classic Era (1990 – 1995)
During the madness which was Sonic 2’s release, Sega created a Sonic & Tails mascot in the UK. The costumes appeared numerous times in the pages of Sonic the Comic but also appeared in video form on Bad Influence’s 1992 Christmas Special. The Mascots also entertained visitors to the Future Entertainment show in 1992 as well as the 1992 Sega Championship Finals.
The United states also had their own Sonic & Tails mascots at this time, whilst the Sonic was similar in design, their Tails took a different approach, it was still huge but was much less furry and and was a different colour tone.
Japan had a few costumes around this time, but this is the most infamous of the lot, because it hung out with Michael Jackson during the promotion of Sonic 3.
The costume has a very friendly look to it and a “Nice smile” but what you might not realise, the smile is actually a vital part of the design… it’s where the performer looks out of.
Adventure Era (1999 – 2005)
At the 1999 E3 expo, Sega debuted an entire cast of new costumes, Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles all got the mascot treatment. Whilst this was a major E3 for Sega, there exists very little media of the costumes at the event.
However, the costumes were so good and popular that they also appeared at several events in Japan and were even brought back into service when Sega were promoting both Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic X and even Sonic Battle!
Over time, Sega increased the number of characters to go along with this line, such as Rouge, Shadow, Eggman and even Cream! Cream made her only appearance at the 2002 Worlds Hobby Fair in Japan and from all accounts has never appeared at any other event since.
Shadow and Sonic’s costume was brought back temporarily to help promote Shadow the Hedgehog, but the other cast would remain dormant until eventually re-designed for later events.
Joypolis (? – Present Day)
This is probably the longest running Sonic costume in history, probably because it’s so good! Tokyo Joypolis has had this guy entertaining guests for at least 10 years, he’s normally available daily for photos at the park and during special occasions like Halloween and Christmas, Sonic will often dress up to get into the spirit of things.
Sega Republic (2009)
Sega Republic was Dubai’s answer to Tokyo Joypolis, a huge indoor theme park with Sega themed rides and attractions. To help promote the park, they had three mascots based on Sonic, Tails and Amy.
Whilst Tails and Amy were reserved for media events, Sonic was a daily sight in the park, guests could get a photo with him and he would even attend birthday parties which you could book at the park itself!
Sonic Boom (2014 – Present Day)
Regardless as to what you may think of Boom, a lot of effort went into these creations, Tails and Amy especially since they’re completely original. Whilst the Sonic was based off the main Sega Sonic costume used at the time, they still went to the effort to give him new shoes and accessories.
Modern Era (2010 – Present Day)
Chances are you are more than familiar with these two costumes, they have been used at almost every video-game event since 2010, the above one has been a regular feature of Summer of Sonic.
The modern design has slimmed down the costume from the more bulky ones seen in the 90’s and in Japan, this means the performer is able to make more energetic motions, at Summer of Sonic this costume was even seen dancing with Crush 40 on stage and even attended the Alton Towers Sonic Spinball launch event and entertained guests with a number of recognisable poses.
It was used worldwide up until very recently… until this costume replaced it…
This costume uses much higher grade materials which means it still looks really good after a long days use. The shoes are much higher quality and it has a ‘nice smile’ instead of the creepy Sonic Heroes grin that the other costume has.
The Werehog
It was only ever used for one Tokyo Game Show, yet… look at it! They made a Werehog costume to help promote the launch of Sonic Unleashed, despite the size of the costume the performer is able to move very easily in it.
What little video exists shows the costume jumping, waving their arms in the air, walking quickly with confidence and even pulling some of the Werehog poses from the game
And from what I can tell… it was used for less than a week at one event, despite being one of the best costumes Sega have ever made!
…And The Rest
This was just a little look at some of the better and most iconic costumes which span the 27 years (technically 28) in which Sega have been promoting Sonic. There are many more and some of them….
…Are certainly unique…
Check out the video below if you’re interested and want to see the full history since it’s quite in depth.
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With Gamescom having only just commenced, new information on Sonic Forces is already coming to light. Alongside the solo stages for modern Sonic, classic Sonic and the Avatar, there will also be a tag team option available.
From early information, it appears that this tag team mode involves the Avatar character teaming up with either Sonic, allowing their skills to be used in conjunction with each other for interesting gameplay combinations. In addition, there’s a unique feature to tag team mode called the double boost, which allows you to go even faster than the regular boost will allow.
As always, The Sonic Stadium will keep you up-to-date on all of the Sonic news coming out of Gamescom this week.
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A video showing Classic Sonic playing through Green Hill Zone has been uploaded today. Much longer than the snippet seen in the Nintendo Direct, it follows Classic Sonic as he traverses the entirety of the zone, presumably the first one Classic Sonic will go through in the game. Get the video below and screenshots;
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Remember how I told you that London Toy Fair doesn’t usually have much in terms of Sonic? But New York and Germany are the ones to watch out for? Well… told you so. Spielwarenmesse is currently underway and as expected, there was a huge showing of Sonic merch! Someone managed to get inside Tomy’s booth and took photos of everything in sight! Resulting in one epic haul of Sonic merch for 2017 and beyond!
Based on the photos taken, the Sonic Boom toy line continues to be very profitable. Yes it is profitable, because if it wasn’t they wouldn’t keep making them… That’s how making money works, you make more of what is selling!
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The first images from the Tomy 2017 toy catalogue are beginning to surface, and show that their Sonic the Hedgehog license is set to continue well into next year.
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Japans Sonic twitter account announced today that there would be a number of new 25th Anniversary pieces of merchandise released later this month. One of those was this rather nice figurine of Classic Sonic. Continue reading Classic Sonic 25th Anniversary Figurine Announced
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So the latest issue of Licensing Today Worldwide has a rather nice surprise on the cover, it’s Sonic! Inside the issue there is a two page interview with Jason Rice, Sega’s Director of Brand Licensing for EMEA.
Despite this, most of the information is already known, except for one really odd detail.
That being, the Sonic franchise is divided into two licensing programmes; Sonic Boom and Classic Sonic. Wait…. what about Modern Sonic? Well… that’s the thing, Modern Sonic is not mentioned at all anywhere in the article.
Stranger still is that when you look at the imagery used in the article, it’s just Classic and Boom, whilst Modern Sonic is present, it’s just in a group shot showing how Sonic’s design has changed over the years.
Now the article is for the 25th/2016 celebrations, so it’s likely that Sega are just putting the Modern Sonic license on hiatus for a while.
But this is really interesting, we’ve speculated for a while that the 25th anniversary would be a Classic focused affair, with several companies confirming they’re making Classic themed products, but it’s never been stated that the Modern Sonic license isn’t being issued for the 25th?
Given how Modern Sonic appears on the cover and Sega have been using him in their promotional material, odds are he’s not been axed or is now just classic Sonic, even if that’s how the article initially reads, but it’s beginning to look a lot like there won’t be any Modern Sonic merchandise produced for the 25th anniversary, unless the Classic Sonic License now includes Modern Sonic?
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Polygon has published a lengthy new article detailing the history and future of the Sonic brand, and it contains several key contributions from big names such as Yuji Uekawa, Christian Whitehead, Al Nilsen and Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team. It also comes with some very… peculiar looking art to accompany it.
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First4Figures have today revealed 2 renders for their upcoming additions to their Sonic the hedgehog statue range. The 25th anniversary statue depicts Sonic inset into a base playing games consoles, which according to the images are interchangeable, including a SEGA Dreamcast.
The Silver statue will conform to the “modern line” of statues (which so far includes Sonic, Shadow and Super Sonic) and feature a Kingdom Valley base (No Crisis City love?) and lighting in the exclusive version as seen previously with similar models.
Many thanks to Peter Robinson for the spot at Weston Super Sonic!
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