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A Japanese commercial for Sonic Spinball. Priceless. Why are the Sonic commericals in Japan so badass?
Just like clockwork, the latest Sonic the Hedgehog title is to get an original soundtrack release in Japan. Called ‘Sonic World Adventure Original Soundtrack: Planetary Pieces’, no doubt it will be a pretty comprehensive collection of tunes from all the stages, bosses and events found in Sonic Unleashed. If you’ve yet to hear the sublime music so far, you can catch a preview at the official Sega website. That Chun-Nan track sure is tight. Those wanting to sit patiently until the release date can file behind T-Bird for the 29th January 2009. Bring some crisps. And 4000 Yen.
Sonic World Adventure Original Soundtrack Planetary Pieces – CDJapan (thanks, Rob!)
While everyone seems to be jumping up and down about Sonic Unleashed, one thing that seems slightly off is regarding the game’s release date. According to the official Japanese website (the game is called Sonic World Adventure over there), the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are being held back until Spring 2009. The website states that this is to “improve the game’s quality”, something we’re not exactly against given the known rushings of past Sonic games.
Oddly though, this delay does not affect the Wii version, which is still scheduled for an 18th December launch. This release date confusion follows our report the other day, where we revealed that the European PS3 version won’t be released until December. Reasons were not given for the pushback, but other consoles are as yet unaffected.
AAUK, the Sega Community Manager for Europe, has stressed that the delays in Japan doesn’t mean that the Japanese version will be superior to the others.
Sonic World Adventure – via Siliconera (thanks Aly!)
At a press briefing of Sega’s own, Sega have announced their Japanese line-up for 2008/9 and among them is Sonic Unleashed or Sonic World Adventure as it’s being named over there. The game will be released in Japan December 18th 2008. Here’s a Google translation of the Sonic Unleashed announcement –
Action on behalf of Sega games, Sonic’s latest film series. The album is Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic UEAHOGGU The two types of character to operate the Games to proceed. PS3/Xbox 360 and Wii versions are slightly different, Wii version of Sonic the UEAHOGGU me to let my part, to wave attack when the Wii remote control features intuitive operation. But the attacks also NANDO is wielding a little bit tired (laughs). Features of the series is the same sense of speed with the fans of this series, if the contents of any problems with it? Release date is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2008. Priced at 7,140 yen (PS3/Xbox 360) and 6,090 yen (Wii).
A new screenshot from the Xbox 360/PS3 version was also shown
and an old Wii one
Reading the announcement it look’s like the Wii version Werehog will involve some waggle attacks among other things when using the Wii Remote. With the Japanese release date announced, hopefully the U.S. and Europe will get a date soon.
Source: Watch.Impress
Probably because they’d pronounce it “Un-reashed” and that would just be silly, SEGA Japan has taken it upon itself to rename Sonic’s latest outing for Asian territories.
There were massive rumours that the game had suffered a name change – heavily debunked by SEGA Europe, with the explanation that World Adventure was merely a work-in-progress title. Turns out nobody keeps each other informed in the land of SEGA, and now we have semi-confirmation (semi because it is Japan only after all) in the form of a new official website.
There’s really not a lot else going on with the website, so don’t expect waves of information. But if you’d like an updated Sonic Un… World Adventure experience check it out. The website does look very nice though.
We have had a limited availability of these special SEGA Vintage T-Shirts in the UK, but before we were able to grab them (assumedly via online only), this much sought-after range of clothing was available for a long time in Japan. Well, if by a long time you mean a week or so, before the lot was sold out.
Artist and general Australian bloke Elson ‘Darkspeeds’ Wong took a trip to the land of the rising sun back in March to see the sights and invest in a little Virtua Fighter with his homies, and managed to stumble across these magnificent T-Shirts – this is, incidentally, how we got to know about the UNIQLO SEGA range and, because we told you, how you all got to know about them. Continue reading Let’s look at Sonic T-Shirts in UNIQLO Japan
Those too-cool-for-school purveyors of video game research, X-Cult, have obtained a dump of the boot up system for the Japanese Mega CD 2 (ver 2.00). Hardly great shakes you think, until you realise that up until now nobody has actually managed (or been bothered) to dump the thing in the first place. Thanks to Spinel from the X-Cult community, you can now download and experience just how different the Japanese Mega CD 2’s were. Which doesn’t seem a lot, but interesting nonetheless – it includes Sonic doing his finger-waving pose that you’ll recognise from loading up an actual game on the CD add-on. Although here it kinda looks like someone’s taken a mallet to his head. Good find boys!
Mega CD 2.00 jap bios (X-Cult)
The official Japanese Sonic Riders: Shooting Star Story website has updated with three new characters.
Now added to the Characters page are Dr. Eggman, Nights, and “Emy” (lol, Engrish). We of course knew about Nights already, but it’s nice to have Amy and Eggman confirmed, and with some spiffy new CG art, too.
I’ll keep checking the site for more updates as the launch date draws near.
12/19/07 EDIT: Profiles of Shadow, Rouge, and Cream added as of yesterday. Also added is a new Extreme Gear section, which features previously-unseen Wheel and Yacht Gear types and what appears to be a listing of power-ups.
The Japanese site of Sonic and the Secret of the Rings has had a major update! They’ve released new info, new artwork, and much more new.
I realize many of you can’t read Japanese, so let me translate some of the highlights. The story is still about the same as we know; Sonic one day falls asleep while reading Arabian Nights, and awakes to meet a dijjin named Shahra. She tells him of an evil dijjin named Erazer, who is erasing the tales of Arbain Nights. It’s up to Sonic to stop him, for he was destined to by legend. Plus, if he doesn’t, Erazer will come to his world to wreak havoc. Sonic agrees and goes off to Arabian Nights! But when he enters the world, he encounters Erazer fairly early. Erazer calls Sonic a rat, then sends a fire arrow straight into Sonic’s heart. The arrow is slowly killing Sonic, but at the same time with Sharha’s help, Sonic can control the fire to his advantage. The only way to put out the flame is to defeat Erazer. Continue reading Sonic and the Secret Rings Japanese site update
While we’re all still waiting patiently for SEGA in the west to give us the other half of the original Sonic the Hedgehog on mobile phone, lucky Japanese ketai holders can get the sequel since November 1st.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 pretty much recreates the original Mega Drive classic, with a different looking HUD situated at the top of the screen. 903i models of mobile phone can get a special edition where “Eggman Battle” and “Special Stage Attack” appear as two bonus modes.
Check out the Sonic Cafe page for more info (in Japanese) and images.
Sonic Channel updates
Sonic Channel has updated in a big way this month. Instead of the usual character related update Sonic Channel has seen a complete overhaul, not longer is the site coded in flash, instead the whole thing is in HTML. This comes as good news to those who have wanted to save artwork and photos from the site, but that’s not all, the layout of the site has been changed too.
The Channel has been crammed with more than you can imagine, one could assume the recent change is in preparation for Sonic’s upcoming 15th anniversary, but either way this is a welcomed surprise. Continue reading Sonic Channel Overhaul
If you thought Sonic Cafe was a greasy ‘spoon’, where the Sonic cast go to have early morning fry-ups, whilst promoting ‘Privilege’ car insurance, then shut up and go home!
On the contrary my dear friend, Sonic Cafe is a range of Sonic games ONLY for Japanese mobile phones, and as if content to rub that in the faces of us mere westerners ‘SEGA of Japan’ have began promoting the Cafes latest additions. Continue reading New Sonic Cafe games and promotions
As most will be aware from earlier reports, the ‘Art Image Night 2005’ was a free event where numerous popular Japanese pop acts signed up to perform at a venue in celebration of HMV’s (the popular music/video/game store) 15 anniversary.
Among those to perform were none other than m-flo. Naturally SEGA’s sponsorship followed the band to the event in the physical form of ‘Shadow the Hedgehog’.
Thanks to Knuckles_X (of the ‘Sonic Stadium Message board’) ‘Sonic News’ has attained images from the event that were formerly only available from SEGA’s ‘Sonic Channel’. Continue reading Art Image Night 2005 Shadow Promotion Update
As I reported in the SSMB forums some months ago, an event know only as ‘Art Image Night 2005’ was to take place in Japan. Because of the location of the event (Japan) very little was known about it, all information on the event was presented in Japanese, but using the crudest of translation resources (Google translation) ‘Sonic News’ aims to bring you, what it considers to be, a vital piece of SEGA gaming news.
The event has now passed, and ‘Sonic News’ has been able to establish that ‘Art Image Night 2005’ was in fact a live concert to celebrate the 15th anniversary of HMV in Japan, which it would seem has a far greater role in the Japanese music scene than it does in any other territory. Continue reading Art Image Night 2005 Details Revealed
‘Sonic Channel’ have had a rather large update, with yet more promotional photos from the ‘m-flo’ event, and loads of downloadable goodies such as wallpaper and art sheets.
M-Flo Content
Sonic Channel has added to its site new images of the promotional event: where ‘Shadow the Hedgehog’ and the Japanese hip-hop soul group m-flo teamed up for a photo shoot. The photo shoot was to promote the soon-to-be-released Shadow remix of their song ‘TRIPOD BABY’ entitled: ‘TRIPOD BABY (SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG MIX)’. Continue reading Sonic Channel Updates
SEGA/Sonic Team has updated their Japanese Sonic sites. Now in addition to the original content, the Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Rush websites contain two new trailers.
So many have expressed their irritation toward a problem with SEGAs’ Japanese downloads. These Japanese video files exhibit an occuring problem. It seems that most computers have trouble connecting with the servers, so don’t expect the downloads to work.
SEGA of America, not one to be out done, finally released their official Shadow the Hedgehog site. At lased fans can finally read about StH in glorious English.
These sites are in flash, and so no specific page link can be given, you will however find the links to the main page of these sites in the ‘Info’ section of Sonic News.
All the major upcoming Sonic releases will be displayed to the Japanese public at the next generation World Hobby Fair, SEGA have revealed on their official ‘Sonic Channel’ website.
As with all gaming events in Japan, lucky showgoers will be treated to special hands-on test plays of Sonic Gems Collection, Sonic Rush and Shadow the Hedgehog. Free gifts will be showered upon visitors too, and the appearance is testament to SEGA’s further pushing of the blue blur. Continue reading Sonic Channel Updated
The first episode of Sonic X aired in Japan last week, and already some dedicated fans have managed to record a copy of the show and post it on the internet for fans to download and watch for themselves.
Continue reading Sonic X Episode 1 Leaks On The InternetNew Sonic the Hedgehog games are arriving (seemingly worldwide) in the Summer, but Japanese fans are the first to know when exactly those games will drop. Sonic Adventure DX on Gamecube will hit stores in June 2003, with the GBA’s Sonic Pinball Party arriving the month after.
Continue reading Japanese Sonic Adventure DX and Pinball Party Release Dates ConfirmedNo sooner has the ink dried on the deal between SEGA and Sammy to merge companies, has the House of Sonic had to issue a denial on several fronts of rumours that both Electronic Arts and Microsoft are planning a takeover.
Continue reading SEGA Denies Rumours of Buyout From EA and MicrosoftWe have a premiere date for Sonic X, the new anime series about the launch in Japan. The first episode will air in Japan on April 3 at 6:00pm. After that, episodes will run every Thursday at the same time.
Continue reading TV Tokyo Announces Sonic X Premiere DateSonic X might be the headlining event at this week’s World Hobby Fair, but Sonic Team will also be showing off Sonic Adventure DX and Sonic Pinball Party at the Japanese expo – along with some fantastic looking goodies and exclusive Chao downloads.
Continue reading Special Chao Downloads and Exclusive Sonic Merch Available at World Hobby Fair 2003It’s about time! Sonic Team fans with an Xbox console have been patiently waiting for the launch of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, and now it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The game will be released on Xbox in Japan and the West in early 2003.
Continue reading PSO Episode I & II Gets Xbox Release DatesWe’ve already covered the Sonic Advance 2 ‘Super Seal’ pre-order bonus on The Sonic Stadium, but we didn’t think it would cross over into the other Sonic Team game that’s releasing in Japan this month too. The seal also features in a brand new Japanese TV commercial for Gamecube compilation Sonic Mega Collection.
Continue reading Japanese Sonic Mega Collection Commercial Shows Off ‘Sonic Super Seal’You might (or might not) remember a short-lived, Japan-only collection of games on the Sega Saturn called SEGA AGES. Today, it has been announced that a selection of old-school SEGA titles will hit Sony’s PlayStation 2 in a comeback for the retro-revival series. Classic Phantasy Star games are said to form a part of the lineup.
Continue reading SEGA AGES Retro Series to Be Revived on PlayStation 2Chalk this one up to being one MASSIVE rumour at the moment, but reports are circulating that Xbox console manufacturer Microsoft could be eyeing up a takeover of SEGA. Shares in SEGA rose by 17 per cent as a result of the speculation.
Continue reading SEGA Share Price Rises On Microsoft Buyout RumoursSonic finally gets to do some racing in the next game on Sonic Team’s Japanese ‘Sonic Cafe’ mobile service. ‘Shift Up’ pits the blue blur against a number of challengers (including, naturally, Shadow) as they race to the finish line in race cars.
Continue reading Take Sonic on the Road in Shift Up, the Next Sonic Cafe GameSummer might be over, but SEGA is still planning to continue its ‘Game Party’ series of events throughout Japan. Following a successful ‘Sonic Party’ in August, the publisher will be hosting a number of shows starting on 2nd November focusing on its upcoming Gamecube and Game Boy Advance lineup.
Continue reading SEGA Plans Autumn ‘Game Party’ Events for November in JapanThe latest game to hit the Japanese ‘Sonic Cafe’ service challenges commuters with a daily number-based brain-teaser. If you think that sounds pretty boring, then wait until you hear that it’s all to help Tails decipher the hidden code of a bomb set by Dr. Eggman!
Continue reading ‘Eggman’s Number Panic’ Brings Brain Training to Japanese PhonesIn news that surprises absolutely nobody, it seems that a bunch of people are already cheating in the newly-released Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II game on Gamecube. The game only came out last week in Japan and yet Sonic Team has already received hundreds of complaints from players about the situation.
Continue reading Now People Are Cheating in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & IIIt’s going to be a big day for Sonic fans in Japan when Sonic Mega Collection releases on Gamecube, because the Game Boy Advance title Sonic Advance 2 will also hit store shelves on the same day.
Continue reading Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Mega Collection Releasing on the Same Day in JapanYeah, you read that correctly. That wasn’t a typo. This past week’s Media Create charts are in for the Japanese video gaming market, and SEGA’s swansong console managed to just about reach double digit sales.
Continue reading Dreamcast Sells Just 10 Units in Japan This WeekIt didn’t take long for more information on the PSO Soundtrack to come to light, and we now have some concrete knowledge on release date and track listing. The official title of the OST will be “Phantasy Star Online: Song of Ragol Odyssey ~Soundtrack Episode I & II~” and will launch in Japan on 19 September.
Continue reading New PSO Soundtrack Releasing 19 September in JapanIf you’re a fan of the atmospheric sounds of Phantasy Star Online, like we are, then you’ll be happy to hear that SEGA is planning to release a 2CD Original Soundtrack of the upcoming Gamecube version’s ‘Episode I & II’ music.
Continue reading PSO Episode I & II to Get 2CD Original Soundtrack ReleaseJapanese Sonic Team fans are being treated very well this Summer! Not only do they have a Sonic Party to look forward to, but according to a new report SEGA will be offering trial versions of GBA games at various Tokyo-based department stores so they can get a taste of Sonic Team magic. Continue reading Free SEGA GBA Demos Available to Japanese Shoppers This Summer
Sonic might be fighting Eggman on home consoles, but on Japanese mobile phones he’s having all sorts of fun. Following the release of a Golf, Tennis, Fishing and Billiards game, SEGA is launching a Bowling application for DoCoMo i-Mode phones featuring everyone’s favourite blue blur.
Continue reading ‘Sonic Bowling’ is the Next Sonic Cafe Mobile Game, Landing July 22
