Sonic Origins Plus Revealed: Playable Amy, Emulated Game Gear Games, New Box Art Shown

Well that didn’t take long.

Sonic Origins Plus, which has been the subject of two increasingly revealing leaks, has finally been officially announced. This new, expanded version of Sonic Origins will include playable Amy, add Knuckles to Sonic CD, add emulated versions of Sonic’s 12 Game Gear titles to the museum, and will also include all previously released Digital Deluxe content. It’ll release on June 23, in time for Sonic’s 32nd anniversary, and Sonic Origin’s own 1 year anniversary.

Sonic Origins Plus will release both physically and digitally for $39.99, with the physical edition including reversible box art and a 20 page art book. Current Sonic Origins owners can have all the new DLC for $9.99.

This announcement came via a trailer, which you can watch below:

Here’s a quick look at the physical packing, reversible box art and artbook from the trailer:

Check out screenshots of Amy, Knuckles in Sonic CD, and some of the Game Gear titles below:

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RUMOR: Sonic Origins Plus Coming in June, Will Include Game Gear Games & Playable Amy

So, Sonic Origins Plus’s announcement is probably coming pretty soon. A rating for the game released last month, and now ComicBook.com appears to have accidentally posted an article announcing the game early. Said article has now been deleted, but remnants of it can still be found via the site’s search engine and through Google caching. The article confirmed the following:

  • Sonic Origins Plus will release digitally and physically for $39.99 on June 23, owners of the original game can get the DLC for $9.99
  • All 12 Sonic Game Gear games will be include and playable via the museum.
  • Amy Rose will be playable across all the 16-bit games.
  • Knuckles will be playable in Sonic CD
  • All Digital Deluxe content will be included
  • Physical Editions will include 20-page artbook & new reversible cover art.

CB isn’t always the most reliable site, especially when it comes to rumors, but what makes this notable is the nature of the article. That it was posted as matter-of-fact news, that it was deleted, all make this notable…as a rumor. Since this isn’t coming directly from SEGA, and we have no way of confirming this ourselves, we’ve labeled it as a rumor, will be reporting it as such, and we encourage our readers to treat it that way.

An announcement is probably imminent…or maybe this was written up to fo up in a week, or a month. We’ll know soon enough!

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Sonic 3K ROM Hack ‘Hellfire Saga’ Has Been Completed After Five Years

The long-in-development gothic Sonic hack, Hellfire Saga, has finally completed development! The hack, developed by Red Miso Studio, creates a brand new Sonic game by hacking Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It utilizes significantly reworked sprites from a variety of games including multiple Castlevania & Ghost n’ Goblins titles, Splatterhouse 2, and Demon’s Crest among others.

Continue reading Sonic 3K ROM Hack ‘Hellfire Saga’ Has Been Completed After Five Years
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Headcannon Clarifies: They Remade S3&K, SEGA Developed Origins

While many were happy that Sonic Mania developer Headcannon was involved in Sonic Origins, it seems that their contribution was in the Sonic 3 & Knuckles remaster work itself and not the overall package. In fact, their part in remaking the game appears to have been contracted entirely separately from the context of Sonic Origins. In a thread, the studio’s official Twitter clarifies:

But as was previously announced, Origins has features beyond the original Retro Engine remakes, such as its story mode, the coin system, mirror mode, the Museum, and… whatever classic mode is (be it the emulated originals or just letterboxed). Even Mission Mode, which features scenarios outside of the original games (like modified level designs and Knuckles in S3K Death Egg Zone), was developed by a team in SEGA as Headcannon further explains:

There are a couple of consequences to this separation of development. It does imply that SEGA has a team that has done work within the Retro Engine, developing small level and gameplay modifications, as well as hooks from these modifications to the external launcher (I.E. replacing lives with spendable coins). It also suggest that the versions of the games are otherwise the same Retro Engine versions previously released (hence no Knuckles in Sonic CD).

Thanks to the SSMB for this news tip!

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Get Ready For Sonic Game Speedruns At Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online

It will be online-only for this year, but Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online is almost upon us. With just a month ago until the speed-running charity marathon event begins, the schedule of games was unveiled recently. And yes, the schedule includes a block of Sonic games.

Continue reading Get Ready For Sonic Game Speedruns At Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online

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This Sonic 3 & Knuckles Mod Keeps Getting Better and Better

If you asked the average Sonic fan what the best Sonic game of all time was, chances are Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) would frequently be the top pick. Incidentally, this same game is also the most requested game to get a remaster, yet has received none of the love that Sonic 1 or Sonic 2 has gotten in recent years. This changed when one talented programmer by the name of Eukaryot took it upon himself to provide what may be the definitive version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and unlike other mods and ROM hacks, this one requires you to legally own the game!

Continue reading This Sonic 3 & Knuckles Mod Keeps Getting Better and Better

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Steam & Humble Bundle Offer Sonic Fans Superb Savings With Week-long Sales

To celebrate the release of the Sonic movie, both Steam and Humble Bundle are offering Sonic games at a steep discount through the next week.

Steam is offering a “Sonic the Hedgehog Ultimate Bundle” an over $250 value, at less than $60, or 76 percent off. The bundle includes the following games:

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Sonic 3D Blast
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic CD
Sonic Adventure 2 (plus Battle DLC)
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic Lost World
Sonic Generations with Casino Night DLC
Sonic Mania with Encore DLC
Sonic Forces
Team Sonic Racing

The games can also be bought individually. For their individual prices, check out the bundle’s page on Steam.

If you just want deals on the newer games, and if you want some of your money to go to charity, you can check out Humble Bundle, which is having a Sonic week right now. Check it out here!

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The8BitDrummer Played an Amazing Cover of the Entire Sonic 3 & Knuckles OST in One Take!

Sonic 3 & Knuckles, compared to the original Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, had an entire team of artists behind the game’s musical score, compared to the talents of Masato Nakamura working on the first two games in the series solo. Spearheaded by the late Michael Jackson, the King of Pop himself, and Brad Buxer, the result was that nine different composers had worked on the soundtrack for the 1994 SEGA Genesis classic, leading to an incredibly cinematic and highly varied OST that still resonates with fans to this day. Continue reading The8BitDrummer Played an Amazing Cover of the Entire Sonic 3 & Knuckles OST in One Take!

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Freak-Out Friday: S3&K.exe with ParadoxPowerPlays

We’ve had a few Sonic oddballs brought to us by ParadoxPowerPlays (Sonic Paradox’s gaming channel) for Freak-Out Friday. With the Kaizo Trap CelestOrion accidentally set upon himself in Metropolis Zone to playing All Blanks Racing Transformed, the fun doesn’t end there!

The gang recently attempted another playthrough of Sonic 3 & Knuckles… but accidentally got the game running with CPU at 100% usage. Complete with commentary and messed up sound beyond belief, we’ve got the first two parts for your viewing pleasure right here! Watch as CelestOrion, Cosmic_Eternity, WhiteSonic, Dr. Mack Foxx, SSF1991, ShadowRemix, Recorderdude and Duskye tackle the perils of Devil Island for this week’s Freak-Out Friday!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xq-ESCscMA

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0Xb4nFYV4

You can check out the rest of the ongoing Let’s Play (along with a regular S3&K run) in this playlist.

We’ve got more PPP goodness lined up for next week, and don’t forget to send in your Freak-Out tips at vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!

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“Not Enough Rings” Webcomic Holding Kickstarter for Physical Comic Release

We know video game webcomics are a dime a dozen. Especially Sonic ones! But in all our years on the internet, we never came across the comic we wanted. No sprite recolors, no tribal Echidna warriors, definitely no werehogs — just a real comic retelling of the remarkable games we grew up playing.
~Veronica Vera

And the Not Enough Rings webcomic (which you can read at your own leisure), spoofing the Genesis saga from Green Hill all the way up to the Doomsday Zone, is nothing short of the latter.

notenoughrings_s2special

Veronica Vera and Oliver Bareham, the duo behind the affectionate Sonic the Hedgehog parody webcomic, are hoping to bring their work into print form, with a Kickstarter page gone live since yesterday. Going for a minimum goal of $6,500, the Not Enough Rings Kickstarter has already reached $5,300, and is open for donations up until July 19th!

Supporters can nab themselves a copy of the 106-page comic for as little as $25, but shipping will cost extra for those outside of the United States. Extra rewards include a signed copy of the book, a TIME OVER t-shirt featuring the Carnival Night barrel, a framed strip from the comic of your choice, advance copies of the Upstage card game for Bittersweet Candy Bowl (the duo’s main project), and if you’re downright insane, a Not Enough Rings-esque strip of any stage of any Sonic game of your choosing!

The only stretch goal to this project is to cover the funds to upgrade the books themselves into hardcover copies, the goal itself being a now realistic $10,500. Perks of supporting this project also include reading the already completed webcomic before it’s been fully uploaded online, as well as strips dedicated to the Sonic 3 Competition stages – BOOK EXCLUSIVE. Now THAT is a good deal.

That being said, head on over to the Kickstarter page and help this labour of love come to fruition!

notenoughrings_kickstarter

notenoughrings_kickstarter1notenoughrings_kickstarter2notenoughrings_kickstarter3notenoughrings_kickstarter4

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Mash-Up Monday: Closer at Ice Cap, Cooler at Tempest

It’s Christmas Eve now! Yow, was that ever fast!

In any case, it’s Mash-Up Monday now. Just chill out, you’ll get your presents soon.

First up, KenJones3023 brings together Ne-Yo’s Closer and that one Sonic the Hedgehog piece that everyone knows for one cool mash-up: the one and only Ice Cap Zone of Sonic 3 & Knuckles fame!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z8L7e_riKI

After the break is a crisp mash-up between Phendrana’s Edge from Metroid Prime and Tidal Tempest Present JP from Sonic CD, courtesy of Hauntershadow!

Continue reading Mash-Up Monday: Closer at Ice Cap, Cooler at Tempest

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Sound Test Saturday: Chills, Spills, and Thrills

Welcome back to Sound Test Saturday! I’m glad just about everyone appreciated the Sonic Paradox Remix Shorts and the work that has been poured into it! On behalf of the team, I wish to thank you all for the warm reception and support of the album!

Now let us return to our previously scheduled programming, and give the rest of the community a bit of focus, shall we?

Today, four remixes have been picked out for you all! True to today’s theme, only some of the most thrilling and spine-chilling of tunes have been picked out!

For Act 1, we return our attention towards a drummer who premiered on Sound Test Saturday with a most righteous cover of Hydrocity Zone Act 2! This time, with a groovy drum cover for the introductory act for Planet Wisp from Sonic Colours, we welcome back the one and only funkflash!

I had no words for this drum cover at first. Planet Wisp is one of my most favourite tunes out of the entire franchise due to its beautiful melody being handled by a piano, and hearing funkflash play along with the Act 1 track has rendered me speechless. While I love the original on its own, funkflash here has basically nailed the smooth feeling of Planet Wisp and, essentially, remastered the piece through his drumming prowess. Excellent, just as last time!

It reminds me of the last time a musician’s take on Planet Wisp was featured on the site… Similar feelings have been experienced.

In any case, let us turn our attention to Act 2 with a collaboration between Joshua Taipale and alexlp2k10 (or General Offensive! on Soundcloud) that is guaranteed to blow your mind!

For Underwater Maze Escape, here’s their take on Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 3 from Sonic the Hedgehog 4!

If Lost Labyrinth didn’t leave much of an impression on you for its music, it damn well should now, because this is one of the most righteous takes on this track ever! Incorporating a bit of Ancient Maze of Mystery (LL Act 1), Josh and Alex have done an amazing job at remixing this one together, with Alex handling the electronic tunes or Josh providing some breathtaking guitar magic. I oughta play this tune over the stage and see how it goes! Definitely one worthy of your playlists!

Act 3 now, and it’s one that definitely fits this week’s theme! Essentially breathing new life into Hydrocity Act 2 from Sonic 3 & KnucklesHeroBoy1092 turns this midi into a piece worthy of Sonic Generations!

With an entirely different approach on the track, here’s a Modern remix of Hydrocity Zone, for your listening pleasure!

I’ve never heard Hydrocity being played like this. Remixes I’ve heard, though great, were still somewhat close to their source material, but this right here is definitely one of the greatest interpretations of the piece ever. I can see Sonic going all over the water with this song: sliding down the slides, running, even surfing despite the are being confined! Kudos to HeroBoy for remastering an ish midi into something grand!

Speaking of Sonic Generations, we oughta wrap up this week’s playlist with a music video! So how about a cover of… Owl City’s Fireflies?

Released on the eve of the 20th Anniversary title’s release, Golden Rings is both a parody and a homage to Sonic the Hedgehog and his legacy. Some will get a good laugh while others feel like this track truly hits home.

Shadowlink4321 once again takes the stage while Tigura21 of Smash King fame handles the music video! Roll film, and have a good week everyone!

(Those who prefer it without autotune may find it absent here, with Shadowlink4321′s vocals intact!)

Be sure to return next week for the next instalment of The Sound Check! We’ll be with Dr. Mack Foxx as he speaks of his and EspioKaos’s Sonic Piano Reduxes!

Found an interesting cover, remix, or original tune somewhere? Have something of your own? Be sure to send your findings and wares over to me at vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!

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Mash-Up Monday: A Generation of Escape

Courtesy of KatamariParadox, this week’s Mash-Up Monday will feature a four-way mash of all known versions of City Escape’s “Escape from the City”: the original, the instrumental, the Classic, and the Modern!

Thankfully, it isn’t just all four sprawled across one another. Bits and pieces of each iteration of the track contribute to a complete piece!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4potGdOfEsc

See if you can spot the original Endless Mine in there.

Those seeking a download can head over to the Soundcloud page!

Found an interesting mash-up somewhere on the web? Want to have one of your own combinations featured? If so, then send it over to vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!

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Slam-Up Jamday 3 & Knuckles

Because there’s no such thing as Adventure 3.

Good afternoon, do-gooders! Today is Monday, and you all know what that means! It’s time for some more mash-ups! And not just any kind of mash-ups, no! Hope you’ve had some on your toast this morning, because if you haven’t, get ready to be blasted with a hefty dose of slam jam! Continue reading Slam-Up Jamday 3 & Knuckles

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Sound Test Saturday: Generational Stylings

Sonic Generations was a game that set incredibly high expectations for the fans for one reason, and one reason alone: the stages chosen to represent Sonic’s best moments in two different styles. This stretched not only to the gameplay and level design, but to the music as well.

The final release’s level selection was met with high praise, what with highlighting some of the greatest parts of Sonic’s history… but of course, not everyone is left satisfied. As a result, many people from the music community have decided to take matters into their own hands. Already numerous dubbed “Classic” and “Modern” remixes of Sonic favourites have sprouted around the web.

That is why, for this week’s Sound Test Saturday, we will acknowledge a few of these artists who have payed tribute to Sonic Generations and the history of Sonic in their own special way.

With that, let’s begin with a remix that literally raised the bar much higher than some would favour… a White World mix of Sky Troops from Shadow the Hedgehog!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-atvd_6m-kc

Continue reading Sound Test Saturday: Generational Stylings

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Mash-Up Monday: Rolling in the Depths of Hydrocity

You’ve been tuning in to either the radio, or maybe a few albums lying around the house. A person seated next to you might have her music on full volume from their iPods. There’s no denying that Adele is definitely one of the most popular artists in recent history, and it shows: it is almost foolhardy to escape or even drown out her music these days. Continue reading Mash-Up Monday: Rolling in the Depths of Hydrocity

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Sound Test Saturday: A Funky Premiere of Green Symphonies!

Hello, readers! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week through April’s first seven days. If not, then hopefully this is the sort of that is sure to boost your spirits! Ladies and gentlehogs, you are now reading the premiere article of an all new weekly column: Sound Test Saturday! Just like Mash-Up Mondays feature music mash-ups between Sonic and any other party, Sound Test Saturdays will highlight music – original compositions, covers, or remixes – made by the Sonic community. That’s right! Sound Test Saturdays will concentrate on music created by you! Continue reading Sound Test Saturday: A Funky Premiere of Green Symphonies!

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Awesome Games Done Quick Running Sonic Games (Again)

It’s that time again. For the last three years, the guys at Speed Demos Archive have been doing speedrunning marathons for charities, and at 8PM GMT, their latest Awesome Games Done Quick begins in aid of the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8G9CmPiGLk

That they’ll spend over 5 days beating who-knows-how-many games is a given. What isn’t, however, is Sonic representation. This year, though, four classics from the series are going to get ruined over the course of a 3-hour segment.

The whole schedule is here, but starting at about 9pm on Thursday, the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles (does that count as two games?) and Sonic Adventure 2 (with a 2-man race) are up.

Continue reading Awesome Games Done Quick Running Sonic Games (Again)

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Sonic Generations Now Available to Pre-order on Steam

PC gamers can now pre-order their digital download copy of Sonic Generations on the Steam service at a much cheaper price than its console counterparts. The game costs £19.99 in the UK and $29.99 in the US. As free pre-order bonuses, you’ll also get Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic 3D: Flickies’ Island/Sonic 3D Blast.

The game will be available to download worldwide November 4th.

Thanks to Kazozza, fluttersoard, Alex and Notification Guy for the heads up!

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The Sonic 3 & Knuckles Glitchopedia

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEOsmMOc_BA[/youtube]

I’m all for finding weird stuff in Sonic games and GoldS/ORKAL’s compendium has easily been one of my favorite YouTube series of 2009.  He goes in-depth with how-tos and annotations to help you duplicate every glitch of every level yourself.  All the glitches are performed using the 2-player Sonic & Tails gameplay, mostly through Tails’ flying mechanic.  It begs the question, “did somebody test this game?!”

The embedded video above is the introduction to the series.  For the entire list of videos, check out the series’ YouTube playlist or, alternatively, use this handy list at Sonic Retro.

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TSS REVIEW: Sonic 3 & Knuckles

When Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles are locked together, they produce one of the greatest Sonic the Hedgehog games ever made. This page largely focuses on the changes between playing the games together compared to playing them individually.

Our extensive guide starts off with when Sonic and Tails defeat Eggman at Launch Base. You don’t fight Big Arms from Sonic 3 in this extended version, which is nice. You are then moved on to S&K’s Mushroom Hill Zone, but SEGA have added an extra scene to the beginning of it. It features Knuckles being very sneaky and hiding something. Continue reading TSS REVIEW: Sonic 3 & Knuckles

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