Talk about a bolt from the blue! Completely out of nowhere, a brand new version of Sonic Dash, curiously titled Sonic Dash S, has hit iOS and Android devices in Japan. While it doesn’t appear to differ too heavily from the current edition of the game available elsewhere across the globe, this iteration does bring with it some new features and refinements.

First up, Sonic Dash S actually seems to have some sort of plot to it. No longer is Sonic just aimlessly running for the sake of running – now he’s on a high speed chase to stop Dr. Eggman, who has once again made off with the elusive Master Emerald (Knuckles just can’t catch a break, can he?). Sonic Dash S also sees the return of the Chao who, in a similar fashion to their appearance in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, provide Sonic and his friends with special abilities to boost their skills. That’s not the only thing bumping up the blue blur’s stats in this version either – you can upgrade the characters themselves by acquiring bonuses and levelling up. Essentially, it sounds like the same Sonic Dash experience, but padded out with a few additional elements to spice things up.

SSMB member SwiftWinds also notes that characters have their own special abilities when they reach a certain level – for instance, Tails can fly out of a pit, Knuckles can overcome bombs and spikes, Amy increases your banked ring count, and Shadow increases the rings you earn at the end of a run. Additionally, characters can be unlocked using normal rings in Sonic Dash S rather than the red rings that are otherwise required in the standard version of Sonic Dash.

There is no word yet on whether Sonic Dash S will hit any other regions, be it as a brand new download or as an update to the existing game – but stay tuned to TSS and we’ll keep you in the loop! Thanks to SSMB member Woun for bringing it to our attention in the first place.

What are your first thoughts on Sonic Dash S? Let us know in the comments!