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SEGA has uploaded a clean version of that Sonic Superstars opening animation that we recorded during our Summer Game Fest coverage last month. With this, we also get our first taste of the game’s soundtrack! It seems Tee Lopes has confirmed that this particular track was produced by both him and Jun Senoue.
You can check it out at the Sonic the Hedgehog Youtube channel, or in the embed below:
Sonic Superstars is expected to launch sometime this fall.
SEGA Japan’s President and COO Yukio Sugino has hinted that a number of “reboots and remakes” of classic game IP could be on the way, specifically mentioning the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
In a new interview with Famitsu (interpreted by DualShockers in this article), the SEGA exec shared his delight at the worldwide success of the Sonic IP over the last fiscal year, pointing to the warm fan reception and sales success of Sonic Frontiers along with the monstrous box office smash that was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie.
“That… makes me happy, and I was also happy to receive a lot of messages, mainly from users in North America, such as ‘I’m very happy that Sonic is heading in the right direction,” Sugino reportedly said.
Elsewhere, while discussing Samba de Amigo: Party Central – a new game in a Sonic Team series recently brought back from the dead – Sugino noted that, while Party Central is not a reboot in and of itself (rather, “a new game in the series”), he is interested in exploring reboots and even reboot-like features within new games.
He referenced the upcoming Sonic Superstars as an example to his point – “a return to 2D action, and although it is a new game, I would like to implement reboot-like measures as well” – and added that full-on “reboots and remakes” will be considered when plotting out future plans for each IP. Especially Sonic.
“Of course, we have to do new things, but as with all IPs, we don’t have new works or reboots,” DualShockers quotes him as saying. “We will develop while selecting which is appropriate at this timing for each IP, such as ‘This is the best way to do this IP’. ‘Sonic’ is also SEGA’s signature IP, and in parallel with the new game, we are considering reboots and remakes.”
Seeings as a large chunk of the Twitter Sonic fanbase is fantasising over a Sonic Heroes remaster, it’s fair to say that Sugino’s proposal wouldn’t be an unwelcome one in the broader Sonic community. Many of the blue blur’s past works can no longer be purchased or accessed on modern hardware – the Sonic Adventure series and Sonic Unleashed are some key examples (although if you have an Xbox you can of course play these via backwards compatibility).
It would be great to see even the less-adored spinoffs like Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Rivals resurface, for preservation’s sake. What would be the kind of remakes, remasters or reboots you would like to see and why? Let us know in the comments section below.
The annual Japan Game Awards has officially launched its public voting period to decide which video game should be crowned Game of the Year 2023 – and SEGA’s own Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins (Plus) have both been admitted into the final shortlist.
For both Sonic the Hedgehog titles released in the last year to be nominated for the yearly game award is a pretty big deal, and proves just how far Sonic Team has come over the last five years to bring the Sonic series back into the public eye in such a positive way.
Interestingly, Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins also cover two distinct eras of the 32-year-long franchise – so whether you prefer Sonic’s modern adventures, or think the blue blur was best back in the 1990s, there’s no reason not to choose Sonic!
It’s a public voting event, so if you want to do your part and help Sonic Team win an award, you can visit the Japan Game Awards 2023 website (Japanese), click the button that reads, “投票する”, and then in the blue search area use the text field to search for either Sonic Frontiers or Sonic Origins Plus by using the following:
Each of the above games have multiple entries relating to their specific console platform, so feel free to pick the version of the game/s you want to win specifically.
When you’ve done that, let Sonic Team know you’ve supported them via their social media channel here.
Good luck, Sonic Team!
SEGA’s confirmed appearance at Gamescom 2023 has sent pockets of the Sonic fanbase into a frenzy, with many assuming that the publisher will announce a remaster of Sonic Heroes at the event.
This particular rumour is based off of zero hard facts and information, of course. There have been no clues that SEGA will be bringing anything other than what it has already publicly announced to the Cologne game show. Which means, we assume, Sonic Superstars (although SEGA has not yet shared a list of games it will be bringing to the expo).
But Sonic Twitter has taken it upon itself return to a recent TailsTube sketch on last month’s Sonic Central showcase, in an attempt to find some clues to support the latest rumour.
The screenshot above, taken during the 23 June Sonic Central, shows a distorted screenshot of a cutscene from the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox classic. It was shared by Twitter user ‘DTBROS’, who highlighted the fact that SEGA’s Sonic social channels have a habit of hiding teasers of upcoming games in plain sight.
To be honest, the TailsTube ’glitch’ is a pretty sound theory to support the idea that something is cooking at SEGA. But it’s not proof that anything will be announced at Gamescom – a show that has not traditionally been a venue for significant reveals by AAA publishers (with one or two exceptions).
Of course, the vast majority of fans who are frenetically wishing for a Sonic Heroes remaster on Twitter just seem to be doing so at random. Which honestly sounds like Twitter in general, to us.
All of this is to say that nobody truly knows what Sonic Team and SEGA have planned down the road. They may well surprise us all and announce a Sonic Heroes remaster – if that happens, you’ll be sure to find out about it first here.
The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe is now open for business, and as you’d expect it is full of fast, filling Sonic food and fun! New images and details about the menu, merchandise and pricing have been revealed for anyone curious to find out before they visit (or stuck in the UK, like me – no, I’m not bitter).
These images come from the YouTube channel Parks and Cons (via the SDCC Unofficial Blog), who took the time to pop in to the pop-up on its early opening day yesterday. You can see the special branded packaging above that comes with your sides and chili dog – definitely worth unfolding and keeping if you’re a dedicated merch hunter!
Speaking of sides and mains, it appears that we weren’t told the full menu in our previous report by the restaurant organisers, as the above photos outline some helpful vegan options as well as alternative sides with some great names (we would totally go for a Chao Down Combo just for the title alone).
And here’s the part that we’re particularly interested in – the exclusive merchandise! You can order yourself a hoodie, hat or t-shirt, with an exclusive black t-shirt available in limited quantities for those ordering a “Gotta Go Fast” SDCC Bundle. We will have @Jason Berryvisit the pop-up to fully cover this as well as other Sonic elements of SDCC 2023, but I have to say personally I’m quite jealous that I won’t be able to waste my credit card on the above items myself.
You can check out the full video from Parks and Cons below.
Back in the early 90s, Sonic was so big that SEGA was ready to put him on everything. That includes a remake of Nihon Falcom’s popular PC88 sidescrolling action-RPG “Popful Mail.” For decades, it was thought that the game was once going to be localized in the West as “Sister Sonic,” before being mysteriously canceled in favor of a straight-up localization of Popful Mail. As it turns out, that isn’t the full story. The people at Did You Know Gaming have discovered that Sister Sonic wasn’t just a western localization of the game, but it was going to be the SEGA CD version of said game, with an altered story to suit the new character.
This revelation comes from DYKG’s latest Sonic video. In it, they reveal that they dug through various Japanese language primary sources, discovering in an interview that Sister Sonic was to be one of five initial games developed under SEGA Falcom, a joint venture between SEGA and Falcom meant to remake Falcom games for SEGA hardware.
In an interview from the November 1992 issue of BEEP! Megadrive, which DYKG used as a source, SEGA Falcom’s director said that they chose this direction because “it makes more sense for us to use Sonic, who’s already popular all around the world.” He also confirmed that, despite the name, the game wasn’t about “Sonic’s sister” but instead a female relative. She was to be the first female Sonic character, She would still be a bounty hunter, like Popful Mail, but she would be a “more mature girl” with a “flirtatious and sexy charm.”
At the time of the interview, Sister Sonic was one of five SEGA Falcom games in development, and also the furthest along. It was expected to release in Japan and overseas with Japanese subtitles at nearly the same time. Ultimately, a letter writing campaign from Popful Mail fans would cause SEGA to rethink its plans, leading to Sister Sonic’s cancellation.
Popful Mail would eventually launch for the MEGA CD in April 1994, followed by an American release in February of ‘95. These days, Popful Mail is considered a SEGA CD classic and one of the best games on the platform, though the US localization is generally considered a downgrade due to its difficulty being increased during localization. Thankfully, there is a fan patch out there. These days, the game is quite rare, and typically goes for a pretty penny.
You can find the full Did You Know Gaming video here.
Love playing Sonic Dash but absolutely hated having to collect (and lose) all of those tokens in order to feel like you were progressing through the character roster? Well hate no more, because SEGA HARDlight has announced it will be revamping its character reward system by introducing new ‘character cards’.
The idea is this: players grab Character Cards that appear on the track (in much the same way as Character Tokens before), but these items will then go into a special collection where you will get to keep them forever. Meaning that it will only be a matter of time before you earn enough cards to unlock and upgrade your characters.
According to the announcement from HARDlight, there will be four rarities of card available – Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary, with Legendary cards only being available during special events.
It sounds an awful lot like the system in place for the mobile developer’s other game, Sonic Forces Speed Battle – which is a system that makes sense, so it’s good that HARDlight is integrating it into its older Dash title to keep things up to date.
The Character Card update will be released on Thursday July 13th.
Via Twitter
We have firm details and hi-res photos of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog pop-up restaurant in San Diego, offering a little taste of what fans can expect to see when the venue opens. And it opens on July 13th! That’s tomorrow!
Called the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe, the restaurant is the result of a collaboration between SEGA and Secret Sauce Society restauranteur Andy Nguyen, with blue blur iconography throughout the venue as well as themed food to order.
And yes, chili dogs ARE on the menu.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
There will be much more on offer than just ‘dogs, though. The full menu features a crispy fried chicken “Knuckles Sandwich”, as well as an egg salad “Evil Genius” sandwich alongside “Sonic’s Classic Chili Dog”, with “Golden Ring” onion rings and “Fast Fries” on offer as tasty sides. For drinks, you can order a “Blue Blur” blueberry slushie (representing Sonic), a “Smashing Echidna” cherry slush (Knuckles), a “Flying Fox” mango orange slush (Tails) or a “Team Dark” mocha milkshake (Shadow).
Best of all, for all you merch hunters out there, there will be exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe merchandise available to buy on site including t-shirts, hoodies and hats. And if you’re that way inclined, the food itself will come with Sonic-themed packaging too, so you can take that home if you don’t mind your bedroom smelling of chili.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe will be situated at 910 J St Space 2, San Diego, CA 92101, and will formally open on Thursday July 13, 2023. The pop-up will be open until August 20, 2023 – so you will have a month to visit if you wish. After that, the venue switches back to its old Chick’NCone location.
For those attending San Diego Comic Con, there will be a special pre-con launch party for the restaurant on July 19.
Photo Credit: Noah Red
Here are the opening times:
If you’re going to be at San Diego Comic Con 2023 in a week’s time and you’re hungry for some chill dogs (we assume the restaurant will be serving child dogs… there’s kind of no point to doing this otherwise), why not take some time out of the convention hall and have a little search for Sonic?
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story (Wed 12 Jul, 08:50am UK) focused on two off-street photos taken from a user called ‘royabagheri‘ and posted on the SDCC Unofficial Blog. We include these photos below and have edited the rest of the story to reflect updated information.
SEGA’s Sonic Community Manager got a little more than they bargained for this past weekend after a seemingly harmless question about new Sonic game genres generated thousands of responses from Sonic fans desperately seeking their favourite hero in a new RPG or fighting game.
It all started simply enough. Sonic social lead Katie Chrzanowski casually posted, “What’s your dream genre to see a Sonic game (or more Sonic games) created as?” But before too long, an army of Twitter users with starry eyes and big dreams bombarded the reply box with requests for a follow-up to cult spinoff games such as Sonic Battle and Sonic Chronicles.
Of over 2,200 replies in just over a day, it was clear that the fanbase has long been yearning to see the blue blur in a role-playing scenario once again. Former Sonic social manager Sergio Montealegre elaborated on this by suggesting IDW’s work could form part of the universe:
Honestly? After Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Battle, I think we’re due for another official Sonic fighter. Runner up is an earnest attempt at a Sonic RPG. Chronicles left much to be desired, but there’s a viable path if you put IDW characterization with a good battle system
IDW writer and author Evan Stanley added, “my greatest wish is for a little point and click adventure game or an RPG,” but generally wanted to see more done with the open zone mechanic introduced in Sonic Frontiers. ‘MrPasquale’ referenced BioWare’s Nintendo DS RPG, Sonic Chronicles, while explaining how SEGA could pull it off with a seasoned internal team…
I would go crazy to see another full on Sonic RPG. Chronicles had the right idea, it just needed way more budget. If Atlus got involved with a project like this, that would legit be a dream come true.
Twitter user ‘Arcade Awesome’ took the role-playing concept to the extreme however and suggested a dating sim that… well, you can read the full thing on his social post here but here’s the elevator pitch.
I need a Sonic the Hedgehog RPG dating sim…. However, it would star Big the Cat and Sonic is his wingman (the player). The mission is helping Big go from being a zero to a hero with the ladies. Level up Big the Cat and turn him into the ultimate bachelor.
Elsewhere, there was just as equal a response for a new Sonic fighting game. Many users referenced GBA brawler Sonic Battle and arcade classic Sonic the Fighters, but a few fans had ideas of their own – like Sonic Stadium member Linkabel suggested the following:
A 2.5D fighting game, especially something with a similar visual style to the Uekawa artwork. It could even be a three-on-three fighting game to keep the teams that other games have used. (Team Sonic, Team Dark etc etc)
Even the NiGHTS fanbase got involved! ‘Digi Valentine’ went big with the vision, imagining a full-on SEGA roster that matches up with that of Sumo Digital’s kart-racing series, SEGA All-Stars Racing.
SEGA All-Stars fighting game (that features a selection of Sonic characters). You can put Sonic front and centre because that’s to be expected, but it would be incredibly cool if such a game could utilise SEGA’s catalogue of other IP’s too.
‘TRiPPY’ also felt that a fighting game was the most exciting idea, as “Fighters Megamix was such a great game and I’d love to see the Sonic lot take on other famous iP again.”
And then you had fans who went right down the middle of both action-RPG and fighting. “A Beat ’em up in the style of Shredder’s Revenge. I’ve always wanted to see something like that,” wrote Balena Productions, while everyone’s favourite Meme Bean Machine threw in a concept image to illustrate what that may look like.
So! Everyone has lots of ideas! If anything can be learned from this madness, it’s that Sonic really is quite a versatile enough character to fit into most genres of games. And everyone wants to see him in everything! So really, if this was some secret exercise by SEGA’s social media team to poll what their next Sonic spinoff project could be… well, let’s hope the response has helped them get a little bit closer to a decision!
What’s your dream genre / type of game for Sonic that hasn’t been realised yet? Let us know in the comments section below!
The results of an election that would determine whether or not SEGA of America workers will unionize are in, and it’s official: they are now unionized. This makes SoA’s union, AEGIS-CWA, the largest multi-department union in the game industry. The results weren’t especially close, at 91 for, 26 against. AEGIS must now go to the bargaining table with SEGA management to hammer out a union contract.
You can read all about what led to the union forming here. This election comes months after AEGIS announced its formation and requested voluntary recognition from SEGA management. When SEGA refused to grant it, an election date for the union was chosen near the end of May. A few weeks later AEGIS accused SEGA management of interfering with their right to organize ahead of the election. AEGIS said SEGA management “initiated an anti-union campaign.”
So, where do things go from here? Well, I’m no expert on unions, but I’ve followed unions enough that I think I can give you a broad idea. For one, SEGA and AEGIS representatives will need to meet to work out the details of a union contract. This contract will cover a certain number of years, and guarantee SEGA employees certain benefits. This tweet likely gives us an idea of what AEGIS will be trying to get.
Once union leaders have a tentative contract with SEGA management, they will take it to their union members for a vote. If a plurality of members vote for the contract, it becomes official. If SEGA and AEGIS are unable to agree on a contract that can win a vote from members, a strike becomes a possibility. A union may authorize a strike ahead of or during negotiations. If a contract can’t be agreed upon, AEGIS members will be able to strike, which will allow them to refuse to work until a contract is signed. We are a long way from a strike, however. AEGIS hasn’t given us any sort of time table for when a contract will be agreed to, but we’ll know more in the coming weeks and months.
via Twitter
San Diego Comic Con is right around the corner, and IDW Publishing is hyping up its annual Sonic the Hedgehog panel this year with teases of sneak peeks for upcoming works and brand new announcements – promising it will be “one for the history books”.
Titled “Sonic the Hedgehog: Speeding to the 900th Adventure!”, the event will no doubt be heavily discussing the latest one-shot comic (called, funnily enough, “Sonic the Hedgehog: 900th Adventure”) – but as this special book represents something of a landmark for IDW’s licensed series, it’s understandable that the publisher would also want to celebrate a little by announcing something cool there too.
For those attending (and for those curious to follow the news live with us online), IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog panel will take place on Sunday 22 July between 10am – 11am Pacific Time (that’s 6pm – 7pm in the UK), in Room 25ABC. Comic editor David Mariotte and writer/artist Evan Stanley will be present to discuss and answer questions, and there will also be a signing event taking place just after (11:30am – 12:30pm PT) featuring Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Min Ho Kim and SEGA’s Mike Cisneros.
Full details from IDW’s press release below (courtesy AIPT, where you can find schedules and information on all the other IDW Publishing panels as well, such as TMNT and Star Trek):
Panels:
SUNDAY, JULY 22
Sonic The Hedgehog: Speeding to the 900th Adventure!
10:00am-11:00am, Room 25ABCGotta go fast to the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog panel at San Diego Comic-Con! Join the creative team – including Sonic editor David Mariotte and writer Evan Stanley – as they celebrate the upcoming 900th adventure of the Blue Blur with super fun stories that will leave fans spinning. Get ready to race into action with exciting sneak peeks and announcements that will make this panel one for the history books.
Signing Schedule:
SUNDAY, JULY 23
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
11:30am-12:30pm
Evan Stanley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Mike Cisneros, Min Ho Kim
You can bet your bottom dollar we at the Sonic Stadium are preparing our trip there so we can give you top coverage. As always, keep an eye on the Sonic Stadium for the latest news (and post in our forums to discuss the latest before we even get to it!).
Yuji Naka, the man best known as the co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams, and his work on Phantasy Star, has been been sentenced to two and a half years of prison, but that sentence has been suspended for four year, during which time he’ll be on probation. Provided he has no trouble with the law, he’ll never serve time in prison. He has also fined two separate times for ¥20 million and ¥170 million, or a total of roughly $1.25 million USD.
This comes after a seven-month-long legal battle where Naka attempted to, among other things, blame his secretary for giving him information he wasn’t supposed to have in an attempt to get a lighter sentence.
via Twitter
Sonic Prime Season 2’s debut episode is almost everything I was hoping it would be…up until the final moments. Shadow, who was only scantly featured in the show’s first 8 episode batch, features in a big way here, and he’s the best he’s been in any official media in literal years.
The episode begins right where the previous season left off, with Sonic encountering Shadow after being blasted out of the pirate world. This begins an extended exposition sequence as Sonic learns about the void between shatterspaces, Shadow’s predicament, and most importantly: the fate of Green Hill and how it can be restored.
Shadow is a true highlight through all this. His characterization has been…controversial amongst some fans over the last several years, and while I find it all overblown, it’s still hard for me to disagree. SEGA has long seemed content to leave Shadow as a flat, cardboard caricature of a character, one who likes no one, needs nothing, and is one-hundred-percent pure-uncut grade-A angst.
It’s subtle, but Prime’s Shadow is emotive and motivated in ways he hasn’t really been allowed to be since the Archie Sonic days. This is largely thanks to a combination of Ian Hanlin’s stellar voice work, the effectively animated acting, and the solid script. This gives Shadow’s characterization some depth, making him feel less like Angsty McAngsterson and more like Sonic’s more serious, scolding older brother.
Shadow’s clearly angry over Sonic’s careless actions, distraught over what’s happened to Green Hill and its denizens, and genuinely appears to care about what’s going on. One big issue i’ve long had with Shadow over the last 15 years is that it’s never really been clear to me what motivates him to do good. Was it duty to GUN? An obligation to Maria? Since it hasn’t really felt like he actually cares about anyone, why fight Eggman?
In Sonic Prime, the answer seems to be that Shadow genuinely does care about people, even if he remains pretty standoffish about it. Like I said: it’s subtle, but it’s definitely evident here, and that makes a world of difference when it comes to Shadow as a character. Hopefully this is a sign that SEGA is loosening its grip on Shadow, but even if it isn’t, I’m just glad Prime got to do this with him.
Shadow’s scolding of Sonic eventually leads to fisticuffs between him and the blue blur, and that’s when we get to the episode’s other highlight: the action. The action sequences of Prime were a highlight in the initial 8 episodes, but the fight between Sonic and Shadow is truly something special. This is the sort of Sonic action I’ve been waiting decades for.
Sonic and Shadow’s fight is fast and exciting, full of dynamic camera angles, superb choreography, and the sort combat you could only hope to get from a properly animated Sonic versus Shadow fight. This, more than anything else, really makes me hope Sonic Prime can exist beyond its initial season, and maybe explore other story arcs and corners of Sonic’s world. Just imagine the possibilities if they were able to bring characters like Surge into this show!
Unfortunately, by the end of the episode, it’s clear this isn’t about to become a Sonic and Shadow adventure. Shadow is still locked out of the shatterspaces, thus also locking him out of most of the plot. I admit, I hoped Shadow would join the show’s main cast with this episode, since an adventure focused around Sonic and Shadow having to work together simply sounds fun. Alas, that is not to be, at least not for now. Maybe in the final batch of the show’s 24 episodes?
Nevertheless, Sonic Prime’s second batch of episodes looks to be expanding on the shatterverse crossovers that started happening at the end of season 1. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the various versions of each character interact.
Sonic Prime’s second season is set to debut on Netflix July 13.
Sonic Frontiers may be a 2022 release, but it’s still managing to chart, as a top selling game in 2023! As of May, Sonic Frontiers amongst the year’s 20 best selling games, hanging on at the 18th spot, the same place it held back in April. This comes despite the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which instantly took the number two spot on the chart.
This info comes courtesy of Circana Group, formerly NPD Group, which has long tracked US video game sales. The chart below was released by NPD analyst Matt Piscatella on his Twitter.
While Sonic Frontiers has managed to stay in the top 20 for 2023, it did not manage to chart in May-only sales.
via Twitter
DiC’s Sonic the Hedgehog, AKA Sonic SatAM, is finally returning to DVD with a new box set from NCircle. A pre-order listing for the DVD has appeared on Amazon, with a price of $19.99 and a release date of September 19, 2023. The series will be printed on two DVDs, and has new box art. The listing and the box art do not mention this containing any of the extras from the old Shout! Factory box set, which unfortunately may mean it won’t have them.
Check out the DVD’s box art below:
Sonic SatAM was among the last Sonic cartoons to still be out of print, with Sonic X, Sonic Underground, Sonic Boom, and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog all receiving complete series releases over the last few years. NCircle has been responsible for the bulk of these releases.
You can pre-order the DVD here.
SEGA has filed a trademark for what appears to be another Sonic game, “Sonic & Friends.” The trademark was published today in the Japanese trademark website “Chizai Watch,” where it was filed on June 23rd. Some cursory research suggests this is almost definitely a game, as it shares many many of the same categories including Machines and Appliances, Toys, Clothing, Paper, and perhaps most importantly, Education and Entertainment. Toys, paper and clothing likely apply to merchandise, as Frontiers’ trademark possessed both of these categories in addition to “leather.”
The trademark also makes mention of “commodity service programs for home-use television game machines.” As is typical of game trademarks, a variety of potential media and other things are also mentioned, including magnetic tape and magnetic disks. But most importantly, ROM cartridges and optical disks are also mentioned. The trademark does mention games for mobile phones, but Frontiers did as well, so that is not necessarily relevant to the platform.
For a look at the full trademark, translated on the website by Google, take a look at the screenshot below:
So, this being a game seems to be extremely likely, but what could this be, exactly? We’ve known for some time that a new mobile game from SEGA Hardlight is in development. I attempted to compare this to a mobile game trademark from SEGA, but the only one I was able to find was 404 Game RE:SET, which more or less utilizes the same game related categories as this and Frontiers. So it could certainly be a mobile title.
Alternatively, it could be some sort of spin-off. Perhaps a party game? Well, whatever it is, we’ll probably find out about it in the coming months. You can find a link to the trademark here, though as of this article’s publication the page appears to be having issues loading.
Please note that the Sonic & Friends logo used for the feature image is not the logo the game itself will use. Special thanks to Twitter user Dejimon11 for the news tip!
“Will Microsoft buy SEGA” is a question that has survived within the community since the death of the Dreamcast, but after years of speculation, we now have a concrete example of them trying to do just that… but very, very recently. As reported by The Verge, an e-mail from Xbox’s Phil Spencer shared during Microsoft’s FTC hearing shows that Spencer was seeking approval to approach SEGA Sammy in November of 2020.
Spencer touts SEGA’s portfolio and global appeal as big benefits for their Game Pass service; however, SEGA was among several companies being considered, including Supergiant Games, IO Interactive, and even Bungie. As history as borne out, none of these possible acquisitions were seen to completion, and Microsoft began pursuing Activision Blizzard following ABK’s repeated scandals.
Despite the will-they-won’t-they dogging Microsoft and SEGA over the years, buying SEGA comes with some complications, which Spencer acknowledges in the e-mail. Beyond the cultural barrier, SEGA is a major component of the larger SEGA Sammy group of animation studios, music labels, toy makers, travel resorts, pachinko machine makers, Japanese sports teams, and online-enabled arcade dart machine services. Even if Microsoft wasn’t able to buy SEGA outright, Like a Dragon and Persona fans can still find a hearty chunk of SEGA’s modern library on Game Pass.
Sonic’s Birthday was the primary focus on this week’s Sonic Station Live Japanese livestream, but in covering all the major Sonic Central announcements, they included a full playthrough of Bridge Island Acts 1 and 2, including several special stages. The full footage is here (and timestamped), but underneath we’ll break down just a few of the details noticed within:
Online discussion has assuredly picked apart dozens of Summer Games Fest playthroughs, so some of these details may already be known. Even so, there’s a bunch of bits worth highlighting in the footage:
The stream also covered new trailers and merch announced in the latest Sonic Central, and featured birthday well-wishes from vtuber Korone and troublemaking mascot Chiitan. It also seems that Eggman has gotten the vtuber model treatment.
Spoilers ahead to those sensitive to them.
There are only three constants in life: death, taxes, and game patch data containing hints at upcoming content. It wasn’t long before the community (specifically Bluwolfblitz on Twitter in this case) began dissecting the game’s new files and discovered new animations, textures, and weapon models for Sonic’s soon-to-be-playable buddies.
The full thread is available here with screenshots, videos, and textures, but there are a few worth highlighting:
Each of the three have some form of weapon associated with them, Amy fighting with both Tarot cards and her iconic hammer, Tails getting a “Cyblaster” gun or turret, and Knuckles either punching or taking the form of a drill.
The series, thoroughly doubling-down on Amy as a fortune teller, has incorporated her deck into an attack. The cards have the same texture as those in the IDW comics, Sonic Origins, and the upcoming reproduction set releasing this November.
Far from the days of Sonic Adventure 2’s wall crawling, Knuckles’ climb animation here is much more aggressive. He’ll also squat down in idle like a stereotypical anime delinquent. (And really, is Knuckles anything but?)
And finally, Tails does what Tails does best, fly in ways that defy physics and poke at invisible machines. Without context, we don’t know the constraints to his flight yet, but one must imagine it would be quite useful on the more vertical islands.
Finally, it appears that each character may get their own skill tree. Sonic’s tree in the game totals to 15 moves (many of which are combat finishers), and Tails, Knuckles, and Amy appear to have the same quantity as Sonic himself if the 1-15 labels are any indication. It’s probably safe to assume the numbers are placeholders.
As a caution, Bluwolfblitz notes that the update also contains much of the third update’s script text. They’ve opted not to share them, but for those wary of story spoilers, the info will likely be out there elsewhere.
Looks like someone let the cat out of the bag. Although the Sonic Central showcase from earlier today announced a Fall 2023 release for Sonic Superstars, a listing on US retailer Target has the game down for a much more specific date: October 17.
The website prices the game at $59.99, and details the pre-order bonuses announced earlier in the Sonic Central showcase today; a LEGO Eggman Minifig character skin – alongside an acrylic display stand and reversible game cover.
If you wanted a closer look at that nice and shiny PS5 game cover as well, you can see that for yourself below.
While October 17 isn’t officially confirmed, obviously, it’s worth noting that retailers often get these kinds of details ahead of time and every so often they let those legitimate details slip. It would certainly fall into SEGA’s previous release window of ‘Fall 2023’, but that date also puts Superstars in direct competition with Super Mario Bros Wonder, a 2D Mario game that is releasing on Nintendo Switch on October 20.
No matter how much time has passed, we always somehow come back to that classic 1990s battle, between Sonic and Mario. When will this war ever end?
Following today’s latest Sonic Superstars trailer, the official Sonic Superstars website updated with the new LEGO reveal, the pre-order deal, and character profiles. Most notably, this includes the new and returning antagonists Fang (or “Fangs” according to his profile image file name) and Trip:
Not much is known yet about Trip, the mysterious girl first encountered by Fang on the Northstar Islands. While a bit clumsy, Trip is heavily armored and has been enlisted by Fang and Dr. Eggman to protect and guide them around the wonders of this uncharted region.
Fang is a springy jerboa that is light on his feet and is always looking for the next big score. A bounty hunter by trade, Fang the Hunter has been known by many different names over the years, likely due to his “WANTED” status with the authorities. Always trying to stay one step ahead, he’s constantly modifying and upgrading his primary mode of transportation, the Marvelous Queen.
To those looking to justify their need for canonical consistency, it seems Fang may have previously taken on a pseudonym and… pseusospecies in Triple Trouble. Meanwhile, this is our first clear look at Trip, a clumsy girl in heavy armor guiding Eggman and Fang around the island.
It was only a matter of time before we’d hear about this, so it’s not surprising that we got to hear about the next batch of major content that is coming to Sonic Frontiers. Sure enough, today’s Sonic Central broadcast confirmed new details on the update, including the news that you’ll be able to play it later today!
Read more: Sonic Frontiers Update DLC #2 Is Out Today!There was 3 noteworthy parts of the update. The first one was probably the most obvious one: Sonic and the Starfall Islands got festive for the Blue Blur’s birthday. There’s also some new moves, including the return of Sonic’s signature Spin Dash. It seems to use the stamina meter, the same meter that Sonic uses for boosting.
There’s also new Challenges and Koco. However, the biggest addition that this update has is that there is a New Game +! They didn’t elaborate more on what New Game + is like, but fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The update will be available to download for free later today!
Via Twitter
It’s really happening: Classic Amy is getting her own one-shot comic from IDW in celebration of her 30th anniversary. This will be in keeping with the Classic Sonic and Tails 30th anniversay one-shots, which have practically made these Classic Sonic comics an annual tradition.
The comic will be written by Ian Flynn, with art by Aaron Hammerstrom and Reggie Graham. The issue will release in September for $5.99. Check out the full solicit with the plot summary below:
Cool, sweet, and pink! All words that describe our absolute favorite hedgehog. That’s right, step aside, Sonic, and have no fear, because Amy Rose is here!
Ian Flynn, Aaron Hammerstrom, and Reggie Graham are back for another Classic Sonic special! And this time, Amy’s doing the saving!
After Metal Sonic interrupts her picnic, Amy uses her Fortune Cards as a guide to free her friends and stop Doctor Eggman. Can she save the day and still get back in time for tea?!
The comic has three covers, with Cover A done by Aarom Hammerstrom, Cover B being done by Mauro Fonseca, and the retail incentive cover being done by Jennifer Hernandez. Check them out below:
The Sonic Origins Plus DLC has officially rolled out on all platforms as of midnight EST. Playstation, Xbox, and Switch players can all play it, and Steam users can…well, buy it, at least, for a slight mark-up.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the Sonic Origins 2.0 patch with all the fixes and DLC content has yet to become available on Steam, meaning Steam players are locked out of the DLC even if they buy it. This will hopefully resolve soon, but anyone on Steam hoping to play the game at midnight will need to hold off.
Steam users are also currently being charged a dollar more for for the DLC, for some reason. We have reached out to SEGA for comment.
Building bonuses.
Continue reading Pre-Order Sonic Superstars to Get an Acrylic Standee and to Fight… LEGO Eggman?We already know how big of a deal it is that Sonic Origins exists. We raved about it in our review, after all. Finally getting a Sonic 3 & Knuckles re-release after a decade in legal limbo (and a full-on Headcannon remaster at that)? Experiencing the Taxman and Stealth remasters of Sonic 1, 2 and CD on home console and PC? Some minor bugs aside, the overall quality and sheer importance of this release made it instantly worth buying by default.
But now, a year later, SEGA is offering an expansion in the form of Sonic Origins Plus. Will it similarly be worth your money? All signs point to ‘yes’ – with some caveats.
Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic Origins PlusShe doesn’t want to talk to you, just like the real Sage.
Continue reading Sonic Frontiers’ 8-Inch Sage Plush Available for Pre-Order From GEE(Spoiler Warning, but hopefully you know what you’re getting into if you saw the article title).
One point of the fanbase’s longstanding curiosity with Sonic Origins Plus and its addition of Amy Rose has been “Will she have a super form?” It appears we may have an answer. A video posted to YouTube channel “Sekaimen” feature all four character’s Super and Hyper transformations, including the previously unseen Amy transformations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx4mQrn8M8A (embed prevented, region blocked)
While you (like me) may be skeptical of the footage this early given the strange nature of the channel itself, we took a good look at the sprites compared to other official sources, and they do line up. Much like most other Super forms, Amy gains enhanced speed, though she does not appear to have a unique sprite to her form (much like Tails or Knuckles). Her Hyper form doesn’t seem to visually change her, nor does this video show off any additional abilities (if there are any).
SEGA has kept a tight wrap on Amy footage up until yesterday’s Sonic Official Stream, but with the DLC releasing next week, this might be our first external peek at what she can do. Those hoping Amy’s Super inclusion would buck a visual trend set across the 16-bit styled games may be left wanting, but her consistency here and her inclusion in Superstars has cemented her as an important character to the Classic Sonic series.
Thanks to _jubbalub on Twitter for the tip!
The Knuckles series cast list just got a little bit longer! Variety has revealed that five new actors have joined the cast, including Christopher Lloyd. Lloyd may be best known for his roles as “Doc” in Back to the Future and for murdering cartoon characters in as “Judge Doom” in Who Frame Roger Rabbit. He’ll be joined by Stockard Channing (West Wing, Six Degrees of Separation), Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Princess Bride), Rob Huebel (Children’s Hospital, Bob’s Burgers) and Paul Scheer (The Greatest Event in Television History, Veep).
Paramount+’s Knuckles is expected to debut later this year. According to Kid Cudi, filming has already wrapped and it’s set to release this fall.
via Variety
When Sonic Superstars was announced, SEGA was quick to reveal that the game would feature a new character designed by Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima. We got our first look at the character yesterday, and today we now have a name: Trip. The name seems to be based on the fact that the character trips…a lot. Both in the game’s opening animation, and even in the one cutscene we have from the game:
Iizuka confirmed this in an interview IGN released today, which you can check out here. There’s still much we don’t know about this character, including their name (though their tail looks like a raccoon….or a Zigzagoon). Be sure to stay tuned for further details on Trip and Sonic Superstars!
When it came to revamping Sonic in 2D, Sonic 4: Episodes 1 and 2 didn’t exactly bring about a new, exciting era. In fact, it failed to thrill most fans. Sega tried again with Sonic Mania, this time bringing the franchise back to its 16-bit roots, and it was a pretty big success. However, SEGA and Sonic Team seem determined to make a more modern, HD polygonal interpretation of 2D Sonic work, one that turns “Classic Sonic” into its own branch of the franchise. I recently got the chance to check out Sonic Superstars at the Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles. Does the game hold up to the classics, or do we have another Sonic 4 on our hands?
Continue reading Sonic Superstars Hands-on ImpressionsThough Takashi Iizuka focused on who IS making Sonic Superstars in a recent interview with VGC, he also discussed two notable groups who aren’t involved: Christian Whitehead and Headcannon, the developers behind 2017’s Sonic Mania… though not for a lack of trying.
Continue reading Whitehead and Headcannon Not Involved with Sonic Superstars, But Were Once in Talks for Next 2D SonicIn an interview with VGC, Takashi Iizuka noted that Naoto Ohshima and his company Arzest are the primary developers of Sonic Superstars, with long time series composer Jun Senoue working on the game’s audio.
Continue reading Ohshima, Arzest, and Senoue: We Know Who’s Making Sonic SuperstarsWhile we’ve uploaded a significant amount of off-screen snippets of Sonic Superstars, IGN Japan has uploaded an HD quality video containing both acts of one of the game’s levels, “Speed Jungle.” You can find the video here, but we’ve decided to take the time to highlight some interesting details from the video below:
The level has a grappling hook gimmick, which can be activated by hitting a yellow switch floating above it. It is then possible to run up it! There are also some badniks that disguise themselves as ring boxes, and fly when you get close.
Later on in the level, we see a few more gameplay elements. There’s a holographic pulley that the player needs to hold onto while a timer counts down to earn rings. There are four pulley, meaning up to four players can use it at once. We also see a spinning blue portal above a checkpoint post, which likely leads to some sort of bonus stage. Finally, there’s a part of the game level where you can see Tails running in the background. In footage our own Jason Berry took of this level, we saw Sonic running in the background at one point while someone played Amy. So maybe these moments are meant to convey other characters participating in the adventure during single player?
Next up, we see the first of those “ginormous creatures” mentioned in the PR materials: a fat flicky! He appears in a cutscene introducing Speed Jungle’s first mini boss, which utilizes a grappling hook similar to what was used in the level earlier. Sonic must spindash up it in order to hit the boss. Afterwards, the flabby flicky celebrates with Sonic at the end of the level.
Act 2 introduces a new gimmick, where Sonic must use a glowing butterfly to illuminate a darkened area of the level. We also get our first look at Sonic’s edge-of-the-platform animation!
Next up, we get to see how physics work on the games grinding vines! Rather than being automated segments with automatic momentum, or something you can fall through if you lose speed, Sonic will instead simply walk when he loses momentum. This is demonstrated when a frog badnik slows Sonic down and he has to regain his speed to grind again.
The final boss attacks Sonic with a extendo arm that goes through the ground, and missiles. Rather than attack the boss directly, Sonic has to avoid the arm until it eventually strikes the boss on its own, and can also damage the boss by knocking blue missiles into it.
Finally, we got a look at an end level cutscene! We got to see this game’s version of an animal capsule, as well as the in-game models of Fang and a mysterious new character (almost certainly the one that was designed by Naoto Ohshima). Fang and the newbie got a humorous little cutscene that also calls back to a trap utilized by Eggman in the first episode of Sonic Mania Adventures!
The Sonic Stadium is on the ground at Summer Game Fest 2023, and we’ve been able to capture loads of off-screen clips of the game in action! For anyone curious, we’ve got some gameplay footage of the windmill/seaside stage presented in the trailer. Let’s take a look at some of the gimmicks and interesting things we’ve seen!
There’s a lot to unpack in just a couple of minutes here, so let’s dive in and see what we can see:
First off, classic Badniks are back – but it looks like some of them may come with a few modernised tweaks to catch veteran 2D players off-guard. This Buzzbomber comes complete with a full-fat laser that doesn’t leave any room for Sonic to dodge from.
We also get to see one of the Chaos Emerald powers at play here – this one allows Sonic and friends to ascend through waterfalls. You’ll notice that there’s a meter in the bottom right corner there, which likely tells you how long you have left to use this special ability.
This stage is full of unique gimmicks that throw Sonic upwards into the air and even back and forth into the scenery! In this screenshot, you can see one of the curved silver loops that litter the stage – when Sonic runs into one…
…he shoots in the direction of the curve. Players can seemingly use these broken-loop pieces in clever ways to navigate to higher platforms.
Finally, there’s this little glimpse of a couple of collectables found within the stage. One is a giant blue ring, which looks similar to a Special Stage ring from Sonic 3 & Knuckles/Sonic Mania. The other is a golden Sonic coin. We wonder what these are for and where they take you…?
We’re capturing lots of media from the Summer Game Fest show floor, and we’ll be sharing our hands-on impressions of the game in a day or so’s time as well! Here are some more videos we captured as well, for your entertainment (be careful, some of them may be spoilery):
Knuckles vs Speed Jungle Boss
Amy Enters a Special Stage
Sonic Fights Eggman Boss on Bridge Island
Tails Gameplay from Speed Jungle
Vine Grinding Action
Amy Fights Speed Jungle Badnik Boss
Bridge Island Zone Act 1 Opening Sequence
Water Emerald Power Tutorial and Game Play
Amy Surfs the Vines in Speed Jungle
So stay tuned to the Sonic Stadium and Sonic News for all the latest, and chat about the videos we’ve captured in the comments section below.
If you’ve been a fan of the prior 2D animation projects in Sonic Mania, Sonic Origins, and others, get excited, because Sonic Superstars has its own sequences! Our man-with-the-camera over on the show floor this week snagged a clip of the start screen, and the full intro cinematic! You can check it out here:
The video includes a number of known aspects, like Fang, the multiplication power, and some weird robot armor dude? Is this our new antagonist?
Beyond that, the intro features plenty of action from the cast as Tails and the Tornado catch Sonic mid-fall while Knuckles and Amy bash Badniks in a carnival.
We’ll continue to share fresh footage throughout our Summer Game Fest coverage, so stay tuned!
