Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken. Links to posts may redirect you to the same article on the current Sonic Stadium website.
Last year saw some very high-end pieces of merchandise produced to celebrate Sonic’s 20th Anniversary (including statues, crystal cubes…even pocket watches!), but by far one of the most desirable objects offered were reproductions of Jun Senoue’s signature Sonic the Hedgehog ESP guitar. The guitars are now in full production, and Senoue-san has been to the ESP factory to oversee production!
Continue reading Production of the ESP Sonic the Hedgehog Guitar
At the beginning of October we set the challenge for you guys and gals to get your cameras out to recreate your favourite scene from the Sonic Universe in order to win a Sonic 20th Anniversary statue kindly donated by SEGA Europe for the launch of Sonic Generations. We gave few prerequisites for entry besides the image could not be digitally enhanced; other than that, complete creative licence was given…and what a range of entries we received!
We had nearly 100 entries with a whole host of original ideas, but unfortunately we can’t show them all – instead we’ve lined up some of the highlights from the pictures that were submitted, along with the winning entry. The winner was selected by the staff writers and SSMB staff…and believe us when I say this was the toughest competition we’ve ever had to judge! Although not everyone can be a winner – you should all be proud of your creations!
So, on with our runner up entries!
CONTEST RUNNER UP ENTRIES
Joshua M sent us in this picture perfect photo of Sonic wading through an autumnal Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles – we love the execution of the shot and the craftsmanship of this home-made Sonic. Nice one Josh!
Sterling C has produced a striking scene of the Egg Carrier coming into shot, with a smoke machine or a dry ice machine giving us the impression we are flying through the skies in Sonic Adventure. Complete with Lego Egg carrier we love how this pic really captures the vibe of the moment!
We’re feeling a chill coming on from Rio H’s entry! Sonic and Tails square off with the Ice Cap Zone mini boss from Sonic the Hedgehog 3…in his freezer! The cute characters really make this scene and we love how you thought outside of the box (and inside your fridge freezer!).
Now here’s a “way past cool” entry from Donna M! Donna has reproduced the ending scene from the opening titles of SatAM Sonic in the surroundings of nature with a host of amazingly detailed and expertly crafted paper children. We’re really impressed with this one…even if Antoine isn’t!
Mark H’s entry is a piece of cake! No, really, it is! Dubbed “City Escake”, Mark has given Sonic Adventure 2’s infamous opening level a delicious background…maybe he will send us some pieces to eat?
Although it’s not 2012 quite yet, Matthew P is already warming up for the Olympics! Luigi races Shadow in the 100 metre hurdles, in a scene from Mario and Sonic at the Olympics…hopefully their thumbs and arms aren’t too sore from all that button bashing and arm flailing!
It looks like Sonic has got that sinking feeling in Kelsey G’s entry! Here Sonic is taking a float around Kelsey’s fishbowl (hope the fish are ok!) which has been transformed into the Labyrinth Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 1. We love the attention to detail like the jaws and the orbanaut in the background!
Logan H and friend have teamed up as Espio the Chameleon and Charmy the Bee to form a scene from Knuckles Chaotix. We love the outfits and the attention to detail in the costumes which obviously took a lot of time and effort to create. Now, go back inside before you catch a C-HOLD! [Yeah, a bad pun…I know! –T].
Wow! What’s not to love about this City Escape playset complete with Gun track, board, dash pad and Chao in Space 2 poster! Beautifully and painstakingly crafted work from Kieran B...we all want one now to play with! Maybe Jazwares have a job opening?
I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly! Ciara T takes us to Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with Sonic and Tails in paperchild form, skimming over a sea of mecha mac…and yes, that is actually made of jelly!
You won’t look at Sonic and the Secret Rings the same way again thanks to Will P and Luke G, with their rendition of the end scene from this Wii title. We have already used a mountain of tissues wiping away our tears here in the office! Great spirit there guys (or should that be great genie?).
SonikkuForever made us laugh and laugh with this entry, recreating the infamous “My hat is on fire!” scene from the Sonic OVA movie. A very, very simple idea, perfectly executed with an extremely original use of materials. We adore the totally outrageous and quirky character design that really captures the zany moment. Well done! [and keep away from my hat – T].
Finally, Dan B gives us a fantastic replica of the Big Arms battle from the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, created from papier-mâché. Incredibly detailed characters with simple-but-effective backdrops make this one of the most stunning entries we received. This entry just missed out on “grabbing” the prize [Yeah, I know, I’ll show myself out –T].
CONTEST WINNER
As we said before it was so incredibly hard to pick a victor from the entries we received, but in the end we decided this entry really deserved top prize. So without further ado…
…
CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL S! You are the VERY lucky recipient of an exceedingly exclusive Sonic 20th Anniversary Statue!
All of the judge were blown away by this incredibly unique entry, created using layers of acetate and card to project the image of the familiar classic scene of Green Hill Zone. The execution of the imagine is spot-on thanks to the lovingly crafted pieces which produce an amazing result giving phenomenal depth, vibrant colour and an overall spectacular result. Many congratulations go out to you, and your well-deserved prize will be winging its way to you shortly!
Commiserations to all our other entrants who didn’t win a prize this time, but give yourself a pat on the back – the calibre of the entries was outstanding, and we hope that it will only get better in the future! Don’t forget there will be plenty more goodies to snag in the near future on TSS and SEGASonic: Radio’s Project 24 (news about that real soon folks!).
Let us know all about your favourite entries out of our featured entries in the comment box too…we might have a little something lined up for the most commented on entry as well!
So far we have seen both Sonic Adventure titles as well as the Sonic Heroes soundtracks re-released this year in abridged formats, along with the two upcoming Sonic Generations soundtracks which are already on the way…not to mention the Masato Nakamura release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 original music and demos! To add to that, the soundtrack to Sonic the Hedgehog CD will now be seeing a release later this year! Unlike the other soundtracks, this will be the first time this soundtrack has made it to an official release, with select tracks only appearing on other compilations.
The release date is scheduled for the 23rd of November this year, with a RRP of ¥2400 (about £21 / $32). To date no track listing is available.
So, SEGA…when will we be seeing a US soundtrack re-release? Oh really? Thought not.
To pre-order the CD, head over to CD-Japan.
Some of you may remember an iOS app made especially for Sonic’s 20th Anniversary that was released in Japan back in June. Well, we’ve got word that SEGA quietly released it on the iOS App Store in the west last Wednesday. For those not in the know, the app features a Sonic the Sketchhog game, Sonic 20th Anniversary news updates, iPod Touch/iPhone wallpapers and a Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 trial. Best part is, the app is free of charge.
We have the full details and screenshots available below.
Sonic 20th Anniversary
iOS iPhone
In 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog made a iconic debut with his first entry on the Sega Genesis!
2011 now marks the Blue Blur’s 20th Anniversary and in celebration, Sega is proud to offer a FREE Anniversary Companion Application for iPhone and iPod Touch! With updated news, downloadables, trials, and a NEW Sonic title, this app is a one stop shop for all Sonic fans!
—–
DRAWN TO LIFE
Simplify your Sonic experience with Sonic the Sketchhog! This all new Sonic title comes integrated with GameCenter so you can compare scores and compete against other players across the globeNEWS ON THE GO
Keep up to date with all hedgehog related stories with Sonic’s 20th Anniversary news portal!A DASH OF SONIC FOR YOUR DEVICE
Get access to custom Sonic iPhone/iPod touch wallpapers delivered to you on a weekly basis!FREE TRIAL GAME
New to Sonic? Give Sonic a spin with a trial of the critically acclaimed Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1!What’s new
Fixed minor bug.
Source: AppShopper.com
Masato Nakamura, the mastermind behind the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 soundtracks and member of the popular Japanese super-band DREAMS COME TRUE will be producing a commemorative CD soundtrack to be released over the summer.
Not only will the soundtrack contain songs taken from the first two Sonic the Hedgehog titles for the SEGA Megadrive/Genesis, it will also include a reprint of the original sound demo tapes from both games, along with other bonus tracks yet to be announced.
This will surely be a must-have item for every fan amongst the community, let alone videogame music connoisseurs. Similar to the Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes re-release soundtracks, this CD album looks set to only be available to Japan.
Sonic Stadium will keep you up to date as we learn more about this fantastic compilation!
UK gaming magazine Games Master is celebrating Sonic’s 20th Birthday with a Sonic 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition. This special magazine takes an in-depth look at Sonic’s history over the last 20 years and covers all areas of the franchise from games to merchandise. The Sonic Stadium’s own Dreadknux, T-Bird and Flyboy Fox are even featured. Fans of collectibles will also want to pick up the mag for the variety of free gifts included (pictured below).
SSMB member Hogfather purchased the magazine from WH Smith and explains in more detail about what you can expect from the magazine below:
The magazine contains.
Detailed information about every Sonic game for the last 20 years.
Early concept art including the now infamous madonna, Pyjama Eggman, Mr Needlemouse, Oswald the Unlucky Rabbit, Bart man, American Wolf and Dopey the fucking Bulldog!
There is even a section dedicated to all the power ups you can get in the game!
Sonic 1 beta screens!
Four pages dedicated to rare and obscure sonic merch/toot that was written by TSS’ own Svend Dreadknux Joscelyne and photographs by our very own Uncle Adam T-Bird Tuff and Flyboy Fox!
Scans of Mario & Sonic at London that I’ve not yet seen (mind you I’ve not been following it very much)
A huge feature on Sonic Generations (Just green hill but some epic screens)
Big interview with Iizuka.
A look at ALL the enemies of Sonic including Metal Knuckles, The Tails Doll! Battle Kukku Army and even Wendy Witchcraft!
Theres even a page looking at the urban legend regarding did Michael Jackson do the music for Sonic 3!
A look at a lot of badniks.
A look at the Sonic Hotel room!
This is by far one of the greatest Sonic publications I have ever seen…. But if doesn’t end there!
It comes with several free gifts. 4 pin badges! One of which is the Sonic 20th logo, the other is of Classic/Modern sonic from Generations. And theres a double sided poster.
Games Master’s Sonic 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is in UK stores now and costs £7.99.
Big thanks to Hogfather at the SSMB for the heads up, description and pics!
With the Sonic Adventure soundtrack released only a few weeks ago, details of the second anniversary soundtrack installment are now coming to light.
Sonic Scene have obtained a high quality image of the soundtrack cover, along with the full track listing on the album. Many of you will be pleased to know the abridged 30-song tracklist is the cream of the crop, featuring themes of all of the main characters along with Escape from the City, Metal Harbour and Pumpkin Hill to mention a few.
The album will be released on the 22nd of June, and will be the modest price of ¥2,400 (£19/$30) as stated on the Japanese Sonic 20th Anniversary page.
Thanks to Woun for the heads up!
A few months ago Hachette Partworks Ltd. announced the production of a fortnightly Sonic the Hedgehog Chess Set Collection, in which fans could subscribe to a magazine in order to receive their chess set piece-by-piece over the course of several months. This stirred several fans into a frenzy, with promise of individually tailored pawns in the form of eight different chao and classic badniks. However, no launch date was given, and fans subscribing to the magazine earlier this year have grown increasingly frustrated with no news, confirmation of their subscription or delivery date being announced.
SSMB forum member Stiv has been one of the first to receive a letter of apology this week stating the reason for delay: the magazine will not be making it into mass production. Quoting from Stiv’s letter:
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to cease publication of Sonic the Hedgehog Chess Set Collection.
As we are unable to complete the series at this time, we would like to apologise by enclosing a LED keyring free of charge.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
No doubt many fans will be disappointed and frustrated to hear this news. However with the huge array of Sonic the Hedgehog 20th Anniversary merchandise being released over the course of the next few months, some fans may be relieved that they will now have a little money in their pockets.
Did you subscribe to the Sonic Chess Collection Magazine? Let us know your thoughts and feelings in the comments!
SSMB forumer Woun has kept their finger to the pulse with SEGA Japan’s 20th Anniversary twitter feed, who treated followers to a sneaky peak of a piece of official 20th anniversary merchandise we will be hopefully able to get our merch mittens on soon! There’s no indication of sizes, costs or availability yet, so I all of you fans hungry for some anniversary goodies will have to wait for more details to come to light. Still, gotta love that nice shiny base!
Stay tuned for more details!
UPDATE 1: Looks like this item will be a Japan UFO catcher figurine, roughly 18cm tall, and will be released i late June.
In amongst the influx of 20th Anniversary news, particularly surrounding music, it appears that we most certainly have not seen the last of reworkings of classic soundtracks, even after the announcement of a special edition of the Sonic Adventure Soundtrack! Tony Harnell, ex-TNT frontman and of course the legendary vocalist from “We Can” and “It Doesn’t Matter”, has confirmed via his facebook page that he will be shortly be visiting the studio to record a new version of the Sonic Adventure 2 track “Escape From The City”. Fans will no doubt be pleased by the prospect of hearing a reworked version of their favourite track, along with the prospect of what might further be in store!
If you haven’t added Tony’s new band Tony Harnell and the Mercury Train to your likes on your facebook account, head over there and show your support for one of our favourite singers – and check out his new material too (10,000 lovers is fantastic). Oh…and don’t forget to say that T-Bird sent you on his most recent status update, amongst telling him how excited you are about hearing the new version!
Looking forward to hearing the new version of Escape from the City? Hoping for any other remastered tracks? Let us know in the comments!
Quick on the heels of news that SEGA and Wavemaster Entertainment have things in the pipeline for Sonic’s 20th Birthday celebrations, a number of websites across the internet have already begun advertising a Sonic Adventure Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition album.
Those who have been despirate to own a copy of this seminal soundtrack will be pleased, as the original Sonic Adventure “Digi-LOG Conversation” CD double album has been out of print for many years, and now fetches in excess of $150 on ebay auctions.
The album is tipped for a April 20th release this year in Japan, at the rather modest price of ¥2,400 ($30/£20). Those with keen eyes may have noticed this is currently tipped as a single CD release, and as no track list is available at present it is unknown what portion of the entire soundtrack will be included, along with any possibilities of remixed or reworked material.
Relieved you can now get an official copy of the soundtrack? Let us known in the comments section!
Props to Woun on SSMB and SoA at JunSenoue.com for the heads up!
Happy New Year Everyone!
We hope you’ve all enjoyed whatever celebrations you’ve attended over the past weeks, and are looking forward to what the New Year has to offer! 2010 has been and gone, and boy it’s sure been a rollercoaster year! We’ve seen the long-awaited Sonic the Hedgehog 4 released and met with mixed reviews. We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the new cast of Sonic voice actors and with how fantastic a title Sonic Colo(u)rs turned out to be. Some of us got the opportunity to rock out with Crush 40 at Summer of Sonic ’10, and some of us have probably fallen over while trying to play Sonic Free Riders.
If you’re resident to the UK then no doubt your parents or grandparents will have insisted on watching the Queen’s speech on Christmas day, where our majesty usually talks about something relevant to the past year’s events. Well, I’m not royalty, but I’d like to talk to you guys and gals about friendship and tolerance. One of the things that makes this fan base so unique is the variety of talent and knowledge that you all harbour…not to mention the kindness, the generosity and the good nature you all display on a regular basis. I know a lot of you have forged strong friendships and have even found love through a mutual passion for Sonic. These principles of friendship are undoubtedly the backbone to many elements of what this community provides from general day-to-day conversations on the forums to real life meet-ups. Another thing that makes the community special in many ways is the diversity of opinions. I’ve always maintained we’d have one pretty boring world if we all agreed on everything, and it’s been rewarding to have lengthy discussions debating music, games and merchandise with many of you over the many years I’ve been a part of this community. I’m sure many of you who share the same passion will have had similar experiences.
Of course sometimes this passion can mean we lead with our heart and not with our minds, and from time to time discussion can become heated. More often than not the result causes an exchange of words that serves any purpose but to antagonise the other party. I am pleased to say that over the last year I’ve seen a massive decline in this happening in the comments on articles or on the SSMB forums, and I hope that you guys will continue this attitude, as well as to extend this to our brethren across all other sites and forums as well. Opinions are exactly that: opinions. We are all allowed to have them, and regardless of whether or not you agree with them, you have to respect the opinions of others. I hope TSS will continue to be a place where thoughts, feelings and opinions can be shared and discussed constructively.
Our network of friends continues to expand every year, and we are pleased to have been able to add many new names to the list of sites we communicate with, and we hope to add more to that this year as well as reinforce our bonds with those we already work with. 2010 has also seen our connections with SEGA grow even stronger; this has included opportunities for exclusive news, but it has most notably manifested with the increasing support we have had for the Summer of Sonic convention. I’m sure that the near thousand-strong crowd who came along to play games before anyone else, to pick up prizes and freebies available nowhere else and to see the UK’s first Crush 40 performance will agree that this event was something special.
These things don’t just pop into existence however; without the creative powers of Dreadknux (our very own Svend Joscelyne) and AAUK (Mr. Kevin Eva, SoE) to mobilise the massive undertaking, without the financial support from SEGA, and without the band of merry men and women from TSS, Sonic Wrecks, Emerald Coast, Nights Into Dreams (who will also be celebrating NiGHTS 15th anniversary this year!) and so forth, Summer of Sonic simply wouldn’t happen.
Our ties with SEGA still don’t end there though; we’ve also been fortunate enough to have been in a position to be able to give our feedback on games such as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 directly thanks to SEGA Community Events (attended by our very own Brad Flick late last year). Events like these are heralding the beginning of a paradigm shift to an era in which SEGA are listening more and more to what the community and to what the fans want. Even if you don’t think Sonic 4 is the perfect title, the feedback our community contributes will assist future direction to the franchise. For those of you were totally unimpressed with the title, exercise tolerance; creating the perfect game is surely an iterative process, and thus we should exercise patience as frustrating as it is. In any case I toast AAUK, RubyEclipse (Mr. Aaron Webber, SoA) and the many others who have taken the time to make this their mission to talk to us fans, and hope they will continue their work on into 2011 and beyond.
For those of you still sceptical, then I invite you to come along to Summer of Sonic this year and meet fellow fans for yourself. Dread often talks 
of something that has now become affectionately known as “SoS syndrome” – the fantastic feeling you get from coming along to Summer of Sonic, and which usually lingers for weeks after the event. I’m sure it will change your mind.
So what does 2011 have in store for us? Well it looks like there are two or three new Sonic titles to look forward to, as well as Sonic’s 20th anniversary, which is already being teased by SEGA of Japan’s website. Of course if that wasn’t enough, you can expect Summer of Sonic ’11 in June as well; I can guarantee you won’t want to miss this year’s festivities! As per usual we’ll have some awesome stuff to give away to you guys as well, so keep your peepers peeled for new competitions just around the corner!
On behalf of all the staff here at TSS, I wish all of you the best for the year to come, and we hope you all enjoy sharing and celebrating two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog with friends new and old with us here at the Sonic Stadium!
T-Bird, TSS Staff
