Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
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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).
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.
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A defining element of the Sonic the Hedgehog series is the superb soundtrack that has accompanied our favourite characters across 30 year’s worth of adventures. Here’s the top 10 of what our resident music maniac T-Bird considers the best of three decades of music featured in the Sonic Universe!
10. Sonic R
Often dismissed as cheesy (but come on folks, Sonic is often super cheesy), the Sonic R soundtrack is the first entry on my list. While not everyone’s cup of tea, very few Sonic series soundtracks come close to being anywhere near as upbeat at this first foray by Sonic into a more contemporary sound, drawing from late 90s dance and Eurobeat. Authored by the one-and-only veteran composer Richard Jacques and embellished with vocals provided by TJ Davis (previously of D:Ream and Gary Numan) Sonic R is packed with plenty of guilty pleasures – not that there should be any guilt of course! We think Sonic R has a solid-gold track listing, and we will always sing Can You Feel The Sunshine at Karaoke, given the chance!
Highlights: Can You Feel the Sunshine?, Living In The City, Number One.
9. Sonic Heroes
Follow in on the coat tails of the Sonic Adventure series, the Sonic Heroes soundtrack continued the tradition of maintaining a thematic landscape, heavily drawing on the rock sound that worked so well for the last two titles. Sonic Sound Director Jun Senoue once again utilises his links to the world of melodic rock to recruit the vocal talents of Ted Poley (Danger Danger) and Tony Harnell (TNT) for We Can, in addition to two belting themes from Crush 40. Employing industrial electronic act Julien-K to provide an angsty theme to Shadow the Hedgehog’s team in the form of This Machine is perfect. There are far too many great stage themes to list in this game, but the fact that Wave Ocean and Bingo Highway have seen so many reworks and remixes since 2003 is testament to the enduring nature of this soundtrack!
Highlights: What I’m Made Of, This Machine, Wave Ocean
8. Sonic Rush
A unique entry to this list are the funky tones of the Sonic Rush soundtrack. Lead by the rather eccentric Hideki Naganuma (if you don’t believe me check out his Twitter), the genius behind the unforgettable Jet Set Radio soundtracks, provides an infusion of funk, soul, drum and bass, and a mountain of samples from every corner of the music industry. Naganuma’s approach delivers something that is seldom replicated anywhere else, and will leave anyone earworms for days to come. From the happy-go-lucky Back 2 Back to the darker tones of Wrapped in Black for the final boss, you won’t believe that something so powerful can output from a DS.
Highlights: What U Need, A New Day, Wrapped In Black
7. Sonic Unleashed / World Adventure
In a tonal shift from most other Sonic titles, sound director Tomoya Ohtani elected to take the soundtrack to Sonic Unleashed down a more orchestral avenue, to reflect the more cinematic qualities of the game, the environment, and the exploratory nature of the game’s hub worlds. What is delivered is a grandiose performance from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, interjected with fast-paced and floaty drum and bass day tracks, and the cool jazz strings and flutes for night stages, more often than not arranged by an unsung hero of Sonic sounds, Fumie Kumatani. Although the Werehog battle theme finds itself being overused, its hard not to adore this soundtrack for its variety.
Highlights: Apotos Day, The World Adventure, Cool Edge
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive / Genesis)
It doesn’t get much more definitive than the theme to Emerald Hill Zone (with the exception of Green Hill of course) and as such Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s soundtrack ranks high in this list. Composed by Dreams Come True superstar Masato Nakamura, the music collection featured on the title is one of the most definitive to have featured on the Mega Drive / Genesis, exploiting the full range of channels available to deliver a soundtrack with depth and character, with catchy hooks and brilliant basslines. The game concludes with a rendition of DCT’s Sweet Sweet Sweet, to bring the feels as you save the planet once again.
Highlights: Emerald Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, Mystic Cave Zone
5. Team Sonic Racing
The most recent entry into this list is the soundtrack to Team Sonic Racing, another titled directed by Senoue-san. Not only is TSR packed with rearrangements and mash-up tracks from previous Sonic games, The SONIC ADVENTURE MUSIC EXPERIENCE, including long-time Crush 40 session bassist Takeshi Taneda and Crush 40 percussionist Akht, drive the heart of this assembly of octane-fuelled compositions, with a massive supporting cast including TORIENA, Hyper Potions, Tee Lopes, and Tyler Smyth (Dangerkids). As such, Senoue and company have delivered what is definitely one of the high-water marks in Sonic the Hedgehog music of the modern era.
Highlights: Ocean View Lap Music, Frozen Junkyard Lap Music, Boo’s House Lap Music
4. Sonic CD
I am going to have to cheat here in that this entry is a two-for-one and include both the American and Japanese soundtracks here (controversial, I know..and not the only time I will cheat either!) for quite different reasons. Naofumi Hataya and Masufumi Ogata’s masterful works are lined with J-Pop sounds, that while might sound a little contemporary and dated, are some of those associated most with Sonic games by the old guard. Spencer Nilsen’s soundtrack on the other hand delivers a much more ambient and darker tone to the game, completely changing the atmosphere; it really goes to show that a soundtrack can completely change the feel of a game. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you can’t deny that both games come armed with a great opening and closing vocal tracks.
Highlights: Sonic Boom, Tidal Tempest (US), Stardust Speedway – Bad Future (US), Comic Eternity (JP), Metallic Madness (JP), Boss!! (JP)
3. Sonic Mania
A modern classic. I probably don’t need to say much more than I have previously, in that Mania’s soundtrack is nothing short of a love letter to Sonic music through the ages. Fan-turned-professional musician Tee Lopes’s universal understanding of the DNA that comprises Sonic the Hedgehog soundscapes is nothing shy masterful, and has set a lofty standard for whatever follows in it’s wake in 2D Sonic titles. Lopes takes the best of the existing material and gives it a polish, breathing new life into well known tracks without detracting from what made them so brilliant in the first place. Additionally, Lopes demonstrates repeatedly throughout that his own compositions are just as phenomenal. Indeed, this is a soundtrack for the ages, and it feels criminal to select just three tracks as highlights!
Highlights: Prime Time – Studiopolis Zone Act 2, Blossom Haze – Studiopolis Act 2, Skyway Octane – Mirage Saloon act 1
2. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
A close call between this and the number 1 spot for sure, but many will hardly be surprised to see this game near the top of the listings. The songs of Sonic 3 & Knuckles are a culmination of tracks that are the very epitome of what makes Sonic soundtracks so good – a completely unique aural experience that has been much emulated but never replicated. Whether it’s the incredible “guitar” licks of Flying Battery, the “steel drums” of Angel Island, or the even the driving basslines of Ice Cap, this game sounds incredible even to this day, and further augments this great game. The calibre of the soundtrack is hardly surprising given that it’s authors include the likes of Senoue-san, Michael Jackson music director Brad Buxer, and in all likelihood the King of Pop himself!
Highlights: Hydrocity Act 2, Flying Battery Zone Act 1, Sky Sanctuary Zone
1. Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
The crowning jewels of the music of Sonic the Hedgehog are the timeless masterpieces that are the soundtracks of the Sonic Adventure series – and yes, I couldn’t pick a favourite. Pulling out all of the stops, Senoue et al. pulled out of the collective minds not one, but TWO massive musical landscapes to embellish the plethora of game environments, with no constraint on musical genre. Songs like the pop-punky Escape from the City and the spectacular power anthem that is Open Your Heart are unmatched in their power, driven home with a triple threat of galloping guitar work, thunderous percussion, and soaring vocals.
Nearly every playable character across the two games have their own distinct theme tune and genre, so their really is something for everyone. This format extends to the stages but is never forced, in fact quite the opposite; breaking into a vault to a jazz soundtrack has never felt so sincere to a 1960’s secret agent film with I’m A Spy…For Security Hall, or the slow Hawaii-esque guitar twangs of sitars that rings throughout Azure Blue World as Sonic adventures across the beach of Emerald Coast. I’m sure many fans will have stopped in Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and even a Chao Garden or two, to just pause and take in the atmosphere delivered by this soundtrack.
A perfect soundtrack for one of the most celebrated games of the series.
Highlights: Too many to list!
Honourable mentions:
Here’s a handful of soundtracks that just missed out on featuring in the top 10:
Sonic Triple Trouble (Game Gear) – there are lots of 8-bit gems that missed out here, but Sonic Triple Trouble is a real diamond in the rough; Sunset Park Act 3 is a real highlight, and Fang the Sniper’s theme exudes a Mexican standoff – perfect for this rootin’ tootin’ sharp shootin’ Wolf. Or Gerboa (who knows!)
Sonic Colors (Nintendo Wii) – A tonally different game once again, Colors deserves a mention here as it’s soundtrack perfectly complements the lighter tone of the game itself, and Tomoya Ohtani gladly provides this in his distinct fashion.
Sonic Forces – Controversial, but why not! Forces, while being one of the poorer outings of Sonic in recent years, has some crackers in the soundtrack, and a smattering of catchy drum and bass-centric vocal songs. Let’s also not forget the heavy hitting Theme of Infinite provided courtesy of the Dangerkids!
Sonic Generations – This has probably missed out on the top 10 for being more of a revisiting of old soundtracks, but is nonetheless brilliant, and there are some phenomenal reworkings of Sonic CD’s Sonic Boom, and a blistering version of Heavy Arm’s theme.
Shadow the Hedgehog – Not to everyone’s taste, but I adore this soundtrack, which is heavier than a heavy thing, and a firm favourite of metal fans for sure. The theme song, I Am…All Of Me, is one of the most powerful Crush 40 songs going, and never fails to get the blood pumping.
Sonic Song Sin Bin:
Sonic Underground soundtrack – Apologies to the Sonic Underground gang, but this falls firmly in the sin bin – and although I am often one for a bit of cheese, this is too difficult not cringe through. Sonic and his band should probably not give up their day jobs! I will make one exception here – and that is the theme song, performed powerfully by Michael Lanning. That rocks.
Wonderman by Right Said Fred – During the advertising campaign in the early 90s, SEGA teamed up with dance-pop act Right Said Fred to create the bizarre Wonderman, which while making tenuous mentions to spin attacking and power sneakers in the lyrics, has little else to do with Sonic. It peaks at number 55 in the British charts, which tells you everything you need to know. Watch the bizarre music video below:
Sonic Jam (Games.com) – Barely a soundtrack, this game features single-channel renditions of stages from earlier Sonic games, that are unrecognisable due to having their tempo reduced by an order of magnitude.
Agree with our list? Don’t agree with our list? Let us know your favourite Sonic songs and soundtracks in the comments!
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For the second year in a row, Summer Games Done Quick is going to be an online-only event. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be any speed-runs. And for Sonic fans, you’ll be able to see some speed-runs of 5 different Sonic games this year.
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The Sonic Official Extra Life 2020 charity livestream that had been recently held had a special treat for Adventure fans. For the first time, fans got to see a handful of concept art from three 3D Sonic games.
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Recently, Sony announced that it was making big changes to its PlayStation Store. From Monday 19 October, you will no longer be able to purchase PS3, PSP or PS Vita games from a desktop web browser, and from 28 October on mobile browser. This may have an impact on your ability to buy and download a range of Sonic games, so consider this a Public Service Announcement.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
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.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of Jason Berry and dot not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TSS staff.
Guilty pleasures. Fan favorites. Cult classics. Names used for a variety of entertainment from movies to music and of course, video games. Usually, it refers to something that is flawed, but nonetheless, enjoyable.
The same can be said for a lot, and I mean a LOT of Sonic games out there. Games that are seriously flawed, but still have some fans who enjoy them. I’m still baffled by some people who say that they loved Sonic ‘06 but hey, don’t let me tell you what not to enjoy. Heck, I kinda like Rise of Lyric and that game is in an even more unfinished state than ‘06. But what I want to talk about are Sonic games that were poorly reviewed by critics, but still enjoyed by fans or vice-versa. Games that are on the cusp of greatness, but some element holds it back. Games that make you say “yeah, it’s not the best, but I like it.” Games that are polished in their design, but their design is ultimately flawed. These are my five Sonic games just shy of greatness.
Sonic and the Black Knight
This is low on the list because it’s genuinely a bad game in the design department, but it has two elements that really shine. Sonic and the Black Knight was the second in the short-lived storybook series just after the arguably better Sonic and the Secret Rings. So why is this one on the list and not Secret Rings? While I didn’t care much for the constant stop-and-slash gameplay of Black Knight, there were two things that really stood out for me.
One, the story is actually one of my favorites in the series. Sonic is back in a storybook world, only this time, he has the knowledge from the previous game to know that his friends are not the same ones from his world and only look the same in appearance. Also, Sonic’s smart enough to realize that something’s off with the titular villain and the surprise twist reveal is something I didn’t see coming. It also includes a moral that, well… you don’t see very often.
Two, the music! Crush 40 is back along with a great, guitar-heavy soundtrack by Jun Sunoe and other talented composers including Tommy Talarico. There are also a few remixes of previous Sonic music, but overall a rockin’ soundtrack to a sub-par game.
Sonic Lost World
Boy did everyone love this game when it made the early rounds at preview shows like E3 and Comic-Con. Most people gave this new and very different entry in the Sonic series a lot of love… until it came out. It’s not that changing the formula for once wasn’t a good idea. I love the boost formula but could’ve used a break. However, once again as most games you see on this list, the biggest flaw is the game design.
Sonic Lost World was doing it’s best to rip off Mario Galaxy and it just didn’t work. The level design, for the most part, was very good. It was the controls themselves that fell apart. Sonic with a run button just felt wrong. Not allowing a more analog run control was a mistake in my opinion, but the other problem was the game’s newest gimmick, the parkour control. Basically, Sonic could climb and run alongside walls in a parkour-style to traverse certain levels. However, it was very hit and miss. Sonic would start to slide off the wall very quickly and it was hard to bounce from wall to wall. It took a more advanced level of skill than normally required from a platformer. Surprisingly, the 3DS port had the opposite problem. The parkour controls worked very well and should have been implemented in the console game, while the level design was pure torture. Had we had gotten both solid, parkour controls along with good level design, Sonic Lost Word could have been a hit.
Sonic Forces
Looks like classic Sonic, but doesn’t quite play like him.
Sonic Forces COULD have been a great game under the right circumstances. It’s using the Hedgehog Engine 2, Classic Sonic is back, you have your classic 2-D and boost gameplay just like Generations. You can even design your original character (do not steal), making every Sonic fanfic writer’s dream come true. In fact, it did okay with critics or at least critics who weren’t that familiar with Sonic. But as a fan of Sonic, you played the game and realized right away that something was off. It looked like Generations, but it didn’t quite play like it.
I think the main problem lies in that a good amount of the team from Sonic Colors worked on this game including the director, Morio Kishimoto. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Sonic Colors. But that game has very different platform physics than Generations or Unleashed. However, this game seems to have the engine of Generations, but with the jumping physics of Colors. Casual game players might not notice, but if you’re a Sonic fan, it’ll throw you off a bit. Like riding a bicycle, only now the bicycle controls like a unicycle.
What also doesn’t help is the terrible writing once again from Pontac and Graff. I’ll admit, I loved the story in Colors and laughed at Eggman’s PSA’s but those two are comedy writers, and every time they attempt drama in Sonic games, it falls flat. Sonic was supposed to be captured by Eggman and tortured for months, but when we see him, he’s the same ol’ Sonic he’s always been. Crackin’ jokes with (not) Zavoc.
Sonic Heroes
“What goes up, must come down…” Much like the quality of gameplay in Sonic Heroes. Now, Sonic Heroes is definitely one of my “guilty pleasures”. It has a lot going for it that I like. It offers the 3-D gameplay similar to the last Sonic Adventure games, but stripped down to a level-by-level structure, much like the 2-D classics. The new gimmick in this one is that you control three characters at once. One for speed (Sonic, Shadow, Amy, Espio), one for power (Knuckles, Omega, Big, Vector), and one for flight (Tails, Rouge, Cream, Charmy). Four teams with four stories of their own. Sonic Heroes did a lot right. It brought back the Chaotix, introduced Omega, and had probably Jun Sunoe’s and Crush 40’s best tracks in any of their games. “What I’m made of” is unironically a damn good song and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise (not really). For the most part, the “three at a time” formula works and helps keep the platforming gameplay moving at a fairly fast pace. It even did fairly well by critics (for a Sonic game of that era). Seaside Hill is still a joy to play. So what’s keeping it from being one of the best? Level design. That’s the biggest problem. Sometimes it works great (like the aforementioned Seaside Hill) while others are a disaster. Casino Park and Bingo Highway still infuriate me to this day. The game’s difficulty constantly spikes. You can be having a great time of it only to have one of the most frustrating experiences on the very next level. It also doesn’t help that this was the first Sonic game to introduce a massive amount of annoying talking during gameplay. I just want to reach into my screen and choke Tails every time he says “Look at all those Eggman’s robots!”.For a child with a high IQ, he sure has poor grammar.
Now, if you’re a big fan of Sonic Heroes, I understand. There’s a lot to love here. But it’s definitely not without its faults. Speaking of a very faulty Sonic game that I love…
Sonic Unleashed
I friggin’ LOVE Sonic Unleashed! But it’s definitely got its flaws.
It starts out soooo good! That Marza animated intro is the best Sonic…. Anything! (Speaking of, when’s that “Lupin the 3rd: The First” movie hitting the western markets?) We then meet Chip and… yeah, his mileage may vary depending on if he grows on you or not. We then meet humans and OMG!! They actually fit well in Sonic’s world for once! Giving them a cartoon appearance works perfectly. Then, after some story introductions and a training level, we are introduced to our first full level in Apotos, “Windmill Isle Act 2” and OMG is it amazing!! Sonic’s running at incredible speeds through narrow streets that blur by. Dodging buildings left and right, grinding rails and smashing through Badniks. It was the first Sonic game to introduce the 3-D boost mechanics that are still present in the latest games. It all feels sooo good and it’s over too soon. And then it happens. The Werehog. The thing both critics and fans felt was a bad idea and frankly, still is. Now, don’t get me wrong. The gameplay of the Werehog is actually not that bad! You’re running, jumping, getting into brawls and shimmying on ledges and it works out okay. It just doesn’t feel like that kind of gameplay belongs in a Sonic game. Also, each level is about a half-hour long or more. Compare that to the Sonic daytime levels that clock in at about five minutes. I’m bored ten minutes into the Werehog levels. The one thing the Wii did right was to break them up into smaller levels so you could take a break from them. The Wii version also didn’t have the frustrating medal hunt. Don’t have enough sun medals for the next Sonic daytime level? Too bad. Back to the old Werehog levels to hunt them down.
With all, it’s faults I’d still be lying if I didn’t say that Sonic Unleashed was one of my favorite 3-D Sonic games. The Werehog isn’t gonna be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are far worse Sonic gameplay options out there (I’m looking at you, Big in Sonic Adventure.)
So what flawed Sonic game do you enjoy? Are there any you think I should have put on the list? Let me know in the comments below.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
Neo Metal Sonic, the antagonist of Sonic Heroes, will finally get his first piece of official merchandise in the form of a skateboard deck, 15 years after his video game appearance!
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2010 was the year Sonic the Hedgehog came back. Yes, we all heard the stories about how the franchise had declined not long after the jump to 3D, how gaming news outlets and critics even now would begin their pieces with some variation of “Sonic has had a rocky history,” and how every new Sonic game released around the “dark ages” period couldn’t shake off the dreaded “Sonic Cycle.” Continue reading The Spin: How SEGA is Ignoring the Middle Children of Sonic’s Legacy
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Isn’t this that time of year where you put on a costume and threaten to prank strangers if they don’t give you candy? You know, New Year’s!
Boom jokes aside, the season of Halloween is indeed upon us, and for tonight’s Sound Test Saturday, we’re putting the remix spotlight on one of the more haunted locales of the entire Sonic series: Mystic Mansion from Sonic Heroes. Naofumi Hataya and Jun Senoue masterfully set the tone for the teams’ respective treks through the eerie manor, crawling with evil spirits and spooky scary skeletons around every corner. Continue reading Sound Test Saturday: Spooky Scary Mystic Mansion
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The Chaotix Detective Agency: the team that never turns down work that pays, a force where one and one makes three, and experts at taking a look at… more clues. Now, the subject of this week’s Mash-Up Monday!
When Team Chaotix was brought back and redesigned from Knuckles Chaotix into their more modern iterations established in Sonic Heroes, their re-debut came with an awesome and really catchy self-titled theme song with vocals by Gunnar Nelson. It also turns out it mashes together quite well with the Mariko Nanba’s Area theme for Sweet Mountain from Sonic Colours, as YouTuber Newbiespud found out by bringing both tunes together.
Check out their tribute to Vector, Espio, and Charmy below!
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This past Thursday, Sega released 4 new Sonic themes for the 3DS Theme Shop in NA. One of the which, the 25th Anniversary theme, is free to download! The other three can be bought individually for $2 USD each (sadly I can’t find the CDN prices) or in a 3-theme bundle for $4.99 USD or $6.49 CDN.
The 4 themes with their names and songs are:
Sonic series: 25th Anniversary (Music: Sonic Heroes “System Screen: Team Select”)
Sonic series: Sonic Style (Music: Sonic Generations: “System Screen: Option Menu”)
Sonic series: Classic Style (Music: Sonic the Hedgehog 3: “System Screen: Character Select”)
Sonic series: Boom Style (Music: Sonic Boom: “Main Theme”)
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The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
US ratings board the ESRB has rated Sonic Heroes for the PlayStation 3, suggesting the PlayStation 2 game will finally be making its way to the US PS Store following its release on the European PS Store last February. No official word from SEGA or Sony, but as soon as there is, we’ll be sure to pass on the details.
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Let’s kick off the New Year of Freak-Out Fridays with an oldie but a goodie!
One day, UltramasterBDJ discovered the unholy magic of Action Replay.
And then he had a bit too much fun with his Sonic Gamecube titles.
Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Sonic Heroes, and Shadow the Hedgehog are put to the test in this 20+ minute compilation of hacks and laughs! Part 2 is found after the jump!
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The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
What is this day filled with so many wonders, casting its spell that I am now under?
…oh yeah, it’s Saturday! And what other wonder is there to feature on The Sonic Stadium save the Sound Test?
We’ve got a trio of remixes put together by members of the Sonic community: one that can only be done beautifully through the ebony and ivory, one that allows listeners to soar above raging dogfights, and one that can only be spelled through guitar as an epic win!
First up is, believe it or not, a compilation of all 4 Sonic Heroes themes in a wonderful 6 minute medley on the piano. Yes: Follow Me for Team Rose, We Can for Team Sonic, Team Chaotix for… well, Team Chaotix, and This Machine for Team Dark. Imagine my reaction when this landed in my inbox!
Without further ado, here’s Mister Macanulty with Heroic Hedgehogs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi8yJN1vjnM
Now this is the kind of thing I love seeing in my inbox! There’s nothing like a good piano rendition of some of my favourite tunes, you know? And Macanulty here did a spectacular job here weaving four entirely different tracks together. Nerves were soothed, emotions were calmed, and it was a start to a great day. Thanks for sending this gem over, Mac!
For Act 2, Dill Tasker sent over his take on Sonic 4 Episode 2‘s sky-piercing stage, Sky Fortress Act 2 D&B Remix!
Does this make you want to get up and dance like a pro? …or dance like an idiot when no one’s around, maybe? Yes? Good. Smooth to the ears, but with a fast pace to keep you going. A definite winner for a remix on a Sonic 4 piece. Great job, Dill!
And for a bombastic finale, we got something for the metalheads! To those who grew up with Sonic in the 90s, this mouthwatering medley put together by 331Erock is for you! Here’s Sonic Meets Metal!
Eric Calderone’s feat here is nothing short of the word amazing. I feel faint just listening to him tear his instrument a new one. As if his solo towards the end didn’t spell “awesome” out for you, this mixture of Green Hill, Emerald Hill, Chemical Plant, and the theme to SatAM is a true love letter to a way past cool childhood! Special thanks to Etna on the SSMB for the find!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be abusing the replay button to each of these tunes over and over again until I end up turning deaf.
Found an interesting remix, cover, or original track somewhere on the web? Got one of your own you’d want to show the world through The Sonic Stadium and SEGASonic: Radio? If you’ve answered yes to either question, then send everything you got over to vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!
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A total of three animations were featured in front of a live audience. First up is Shadow the Hedgehog in Brief, followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 in Brief, both parodies handled by Frobman, who previously animated Ring Energy’s Before the Machine and Sonic Heroes in Brief, the latter having been made for Summer of Sonic 2011. Though some would say they’re parodies, some would say both shorts depict each game as is… but that’s for you to decide!
The third and final animation is brought to you by Sonic Paradox! Instead of going with Shorts, the team took a more different route through Sonic Heroes with a music video. With Recorderdude on lyrics, Seaside Denied is split between four animators to handle the four different teams with numerous singers and voice actors, poking fun at every opportunity at both the game itself and the Paradox’s signature Shorts.
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My readers, this day is what all true Sonic fans strive for!
Yes, today is June 23rd, and you all know what that means! The Blue Blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog, is celebrating his 21st birthday today!
So, let’s have a bit of an extravaganza ourselves! 21 is the magic number, so why not go for that many tracks, just for today? A great number of these tracks have been tipped by you guys, and I thank you all for your contributions!
Due to the sheer amount of music to be featured beyond the jump, I’ll refrain myself from commenting on each track. Instead, I will leave you all with this. If everything goes according to plan here, Sound Test Saturday will be moved to SEGASonic: Radio next week. Yes folks, SS:R will return sooner than you think! And with the big move, we will introduce a new feature on our weekly music column: interviews! First ones up are Freen in Green, followed by xTrickyWolfy and Ring Energy should all go well!
If there is any particular artist you would want featured on a future Sound Test Saturday, if there are any remixes, covers, or originals you want to share, if you have work of your own you would like to see up on the site, then do not hesitate to notify me at vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!
That being said, Happy 21st Anniversary, Sonic the Hedgehog! Still unstoppable after 21 years!
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Rocketing temperatures, trips planned to a number of resorts, schools closing their doors, burdens of all sorts being lifted from people’s shoulders… It can only mean one thing!
What time is it? Summertime! It’s our vacation!
And, to celebrate the oncoming season, it’s only fair that this week’s Sound Test Saturday joins in on the party as well, wouldn’t you say? We’ve got a total of five tracks to mark this joyous occasion (barring insanely hot temperatures), so kick back, take a nice swig of whatever you have in your glass or bottle, and relax!
First up on the playlist is a cover of Emerald Coast’s “Azure Blue World” from Sonic Adventure, put together by jparecki95!
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For this week’s Sound Test Saturday, we will be taking a look at a couple of remixes dedicated to Sonic Colours, a Nintendo exclusive entry that breathed new life into the franchise with some of the most zaniest yet colourful stages, gameplay mechanics, and of course, music, in the entire series.
Let’s start with something unique: a House mix of the Green Hover Wisp theme by Stylez-T!
Update: The video has been removed. Thanks to Darksonic20 for the notice.
As if the Hover theme wasn’t relaxing enough. Stylez here somehow managed to make a blissfully happy and sleep-inducing track even more sleep-inducing and happy. Of course, what’s most impressive is how Stylez turned a short, soft, situational loop into a full fledged 4 minute track! Definitely the last sort of thing I expecting! His “Hover House” mix at least deserves that credit.
And now, we dive into a unique remix, combining Aquarium Park with… Mystic Mansion from Sonic Heroes!
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This week’s Mash-Up Monday provides you with yet another Michael Jackson/Sonic mash-up… through an interesting combination that hasn’t even been tried until now! MJ’s “Thriller” meets Mystic Mansion from Sonic Heroes in “Michael’s Mansion”!
Quite fitting, I’d have to say! Makes sense considering the tropes of both songs!
Found an interesting mash-up? Want to send in one of your own and get it featured? Then send it over at vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!
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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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Our good friend Kevin “ArchangelUK” Eva got up to quite a bit in his time at Sega UK, so it stands to reason he’s got his fair share of rare Sonic merch. Now the former Community Manager is raising funds with a load of his stuff seeing the light of eBay.
Now I’m no merch hog, but most of this stuff I didn’t even know existed, so if you like your collectables, you know what to do.
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PS2 Classic Sonic Heroes has randomly been released on the European PlayStation Store today. PS3 owners can download it for £7.99/€9.99, and if you do purchase it, you’ll need to make sure you have 4.5GB of storage space free. There is no word from SEGA or Sony about whether this game will also be made available on the US PS Store.
If you want to refresh your memory or have never seen/played Sonic Heroes before, here’s an old trailer for the game.
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Summer of Sonic is delighted to announce alternative electronic rock actJulien-K will be appearing as part of the amazing line up at this year’s Summer of Sonic convention! Julien-K defined the sound of Team Dark with their fan-favourite track “This Machine” for Sonic Heroes, and returned a few years later to perform the song “Waking Up” which was featured on the soundtrack to 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog title. The band have since worked on a whole host of projects including the soundtrack to the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, released their first album Death to Analogue and have collaborated with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington on his solo project Dead by Sunrise.
Ryan Shuck, Amir Derakh, Elias Andra and and Anthony “Fu” Valcic will be joining us during their current European tour to perform a music set as part of the afternoon’s entertainment on the main stage. The band will also be appearing later in the afternoon for a meet and greet session to give all you boys and girls the opportunity to meet the band in person as well as grab a few autographs if you wish.
The band will also be playing the London Borderline on the 22nd of June to promote their upcoming album We’re Here With You, so if you’re in the neighborhood go and check them out!
Get ready to rock at this month – Summer of Sonic is going to be a scorcher!
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What is a “Decade Moment?” It is a moment from the past ten years that us here at TSS remember vividly to this day. A game announcement, completing a tough level, or acquiring some slick merchandise… everything memorable and certifiably Sonic counts.
In the last ten years of running Sonic forums, playing Sonic games, and just simply being a fan, there is one moment that trumps all… and it’s from the least likely of places: a pre-order bonus for a Mario game. In October of 2003, Nintendo announced that the long-awaited entry in the MarioKart series would be giving away demo discs with a pre-order. I could care less for demo discs and the crap that they try to push on people. Even today, with Nintendo’s DS Download Service, they rarely have anything worth checking out. This demo disc was different though… it was stacked.
Check out this line-up: Mario Party 5,F-Zero GX, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike.
About three games out of those four ended up being any good (and in F-Zero and Rogue Squadron’s case… fantastic). You would think that this list would have me hooked right then and there. I was surprisingly not sold, however, until I got to the bottom of the list and read “Sonic Heroes.”
Flashback to a few weeks ago. A trailer had just come out for Sonic Heroes that was SEGA’s trailer of the decade. It gave me goosebumps to watch words fly at you, Sonic and company blazing past bright and colorful levels reminscent of the Genesis days, and to hear a movie trailer voice-over narrate it all. But nothing… nothing prepared you for the fangasm that was “The Return of Metal Sonic:”
Needless to say, I was a happy as a sophomore in high school could be. My childhood icon was calling back to his 90s glory. I knew that I was going to get Double Dash!! but this demo alone sweetened the deal. Once the option was available, I immediately went to put a pre-order down at GameStop so that I could get my hands on “the return of a legend.” Luckily, the store is not too far away from my house. I was only a permit-carrying driver at the time, so with my parents at work, I was breaking the law. I couldn’t contain myself though… I needed this demo disc.
I put $5 down and got back home safe and sound. The only thing that wasn’t safe was my grades, because I’m pretty sure I gave a big “fuck that” to my homework that night.
There were only two levels: Seaside Hill with Team Sonic and Bullet Station with Team Dark. Those two levels turned into hours of entertainment and eventually became days of satiating my desire to play the full version. I had to keep myself occupied until January 5th.
Sonic Heroes fulfilled the insane amount of hype that I had running through me once I purchased it with my two Best Buy gift cards on that fateful day in January. I played it for months until I got all A-ranks. Still, the memories of playing Sonic Heroes until completion have faded and standing strong today six years later… is a demo disc for a Mario game.
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2009’s almost out. That means we’ve enjoyed a whole decade of Sonic the Hedgehog goodness in the last ten years, from 2000’s Sonic Shuffle (for Americans, we didn’t get it until the year after, damn SEGA) to 2009’s Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. So, rather than just round up the games of the year, The Sonic Stadium crew have taken to list their Top 10 Sonic games of the decade!
This is how we’ve done it. A bunch of TSS Staffers wrote over their unique Top 10 (which will be listed at the end of this article). Along with it, a short paragraph as to why they ranked each game the way they did. When bunching all of these lists together, we formed an average by giving points to each game’s placement on each staffer’s countdown (so a #1 position would get 10 points, and a game in 10th place would get 1 point). Add all the points up, and we have our own, not-so-scientific average. What game will get TSS’ #1 Sonic Game of the Decade? Read on, dear reader… Continue reading The Top 10 Sonic Games Of The 2000’s
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With Sonic’s new super-form revealed, let’s take some time to reflect on some “super” moments from the past. Metal Sonic’s return in “Sonic Heroes,” a game that I really enjoy for some reason, was nothing short of awesome. BlazeTBW captures the moment Metal goes berserk and becomes an “overlord” in his piece “Fight with the Overlord.”
BlazeTBW drew this work for the Black Knight contest and didn’t win. Like I said with a previous rejected entry, the ones that were picked must be amazing if they didn’t accept this one. BlazeTBW sketched the work in pencil and uses her Wacom tablet, Photoshop, and Corel Painter X to color and detail the whole thing. She thinks that it is her best Sonic work to date and I certainly agree.
My own take on this work relates the expressions on Knuckles and Tails’ faces. I like to think that they aren’t grimacing over Metal Overlord and his ability to “ownz jOO,” but rather, why they don’t get a super form, something that we all questioned within the community when Heroes’ ending was revealed. Look at Knuckles, he’s so mad about not getting his super form! Haha…oh, I’m getting sidetracked. Nice work, BlazeTBW.
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Sonic Heroes has finally been released at a budget price, also becoming a “Player’s Choice” title for the Nintendo GameCube. The game has been re-released for $19.99 for GameCube, PS2 and Xbox.
“The tremendous retail success of Sonic Heroes across all platforms makes it clear that everyone’s favorite hedgehog is still at the top of his game,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Entertainment Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “And this value-priced re-issue is just the beginning; Sonic has a handful of other big surprises in store for gamers throughout 2005.”
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Last year, just after the release of Sonic Heroes in the UK, McDonalds and SEGA Europe held a promotion involving various miniature Sonic the Hedgehog electronic toys inside Happy Meals.
During Christmas and earlier this year, a new wave of Sonic McDonalds Happy Meal toys have been released for mass consumption within the USA and Australia respectively. This week, McDonalds chains in the UK will be promoting the new ‘Sonic Electronic’s over the course of the next few weeks.
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Righty then. Wednesday. Sonic Scansday. Been missed a few times. So here we go – enjoy the huge deluge of scans we have for you this week. We have new boxart for SA2Battle, Sonic DX and Mega Collection, thanks to Rally the Cheetah. Then we have new Scanned Material for Sonic Heroes (8 pieces), Sonic DX (2 pieces) from Psychobob, and a music page on theSupersonic EP, a Sonic single that was released in the UK, with scans also by Psychobob.
Finally today, the Sonic Sprites section had a few sheets added to it – expect the amount of sprite sheets to balloon over the next few days too. We have a dedicated sprite ripper – Dark Sonic – to help out with the creation of sprite sheets for new Sonic games, so expect some more Sonic Advance 3 sheets soon. As for the gaps, they will be filled very quickly. More scans to come tomorrow – including a whole TON of new Sonic Comic material, including scans from a very intruiging SEGA Manga that I acquired some time ago! Make sure you don’t miss it!
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In most locations, if you buy a item at Best buy (CD, game, movie, so on), you’ll get a free DVD that has coming attractions. In it, you can watch a trailer of Sonic Heroes that shows off the teams and gameplay.
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IGN has new Sonic Heroes movies to view, check those out by clicking HERE.
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In the last ten years of running Sonic forums, playing Sonic games, and just simply being a fan, there is one moment that trumps all… and it’s from the least likely of places: a pre-order bonus for a Mario game. In October of 2003, 
I put $5 down and got back home safe and sound. The only thing that wasn’t safe was my grades, because I’m pretty sure I gave a big “fuck that” to my homework that night.