Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken.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.
The annual Japan Game Awards has officially launched its public voting period to decide which video game should be crowned Game of the Year 2023 – and SEGA’s own Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins (Plus) have both been admitted into the final shortlist.
For both Sonic the Hedgehog titles released in the last year to be nominated for the yearly game award is a pretty big deal, and proves just how far Sonic Team has come over the last five years to bring the Sonic series back into the public eye in such a positive way.
Interestingly, Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins also cover two distinct eras of the 32-year-long franchise – so whether you prefer Sonic’s modern adventures, or think the blue blur was best back in the 1990s, there’s no reason not to choose Sonic!
It’s a public voting event, so if you want to do your part and help Sonic Team win an award, you can visit the Japan Game Awards 2023 website (Japanese), click the button that reads, “投票する”, and then in the blue search area use the text field to search for either Sonic Frontiers or Sonic Origins Plus by using the following:
ソニックオリジンズ – Sonic Origins
ソニックオリジンズ – デジタルデラックス – Sonic Origins Digital Deluxe
ソニックフロンティア – Sonic Frontiers
ソニックフロンティア （ダウンロード版）- Sonic Frontiers (Download Version)
ソニックフロンティア デジタルデラックス – Sonic Frontiers Digital Deluxe
Each of the above games have multiple entries relating to their specific console platform, so feel free to pick the version of the game/s you want to win specifically.
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The Sonic Origins Plus DLC has officially rolled out on all platforms as of midnight EST. Playstation, Xbox, and Switch players can all play it, and Steam users can…well, buy it, at least, for a slight mark-up.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the Sonic Origins 2.0 patch with all the fixes and DLC content has yet to become available on Steam, meaning Steam players are locked out of the DLC even if they buy it. This will hopefully resolve soon, but anyone on Steam hoping to play the game at midnight will need to hold off.
Steam users are also currently being charged a dollar more for for the DLC, for some reason. We have reached out to SEGA for comment.
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.
We already know how big of a deal it is that Sonic Origins exists. We raved about it in our review, after all. Finally getting a Sonic 3 & Knuckles re-release after a decade in legal limbo (and a full-on Headcannon remaster at that)? Experiencing the Taxman and Stealth remasters of Sonic 1, 2 and CD on home console and PC? Some minor bugs aside, the overall quality and sheer importance of this release made it instantly worth buying by default.
But now, a year later, SEGA is offering an expansion in the form of Sonic Origins Plus. Will it similarly be worth your money? All signs point to ‘yes’ – with some caveats.
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(Spoiler Warning, but hopefully you know what you’re getting into if you saw the article title).
One point of the fanbase’s longstanding curiosity with Sonic Origins Plus and its addition of Amy Rose has been “Will she have a super form?” It appears we may have an answer. A video posted to YouTube channel “Sekaimen” feature all four character’s Super and Hyper transformations, including the previously unseen Amy transformations.
While you (like me) may be skeptical of the footage this early given the strange nature of the channel itself, we took a good look at the sprites compared to other official sources, and they do line up. Much like most other Super forms, Amy gains enhanced speed, though she does not appear to have a unique sprite to her form (much like Tails or Knuckles). Her Hyper form doesn’t seem to visually change her, nor does this video show off any additional abilities (if there are any).
SEGA has kept a tight wrap on Amy footage up until yesterday’s Sonic Official Stream, but with the DLC releasing next week, this might be our first external peek at what she can do. Those hoping Amy’s Super inclusion would buck a visual trend set across the 16-bit styled games may be left wanting, but her consistency here and her inclusion in Superstars has cemented her as an important character to the Classic Sonic series.
Thanks to _jubbalub on Twitter for the tip!
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The first full look of Amy Rose gameplay in Sonic Origins Plus has been revealed by SEGA’s Sonic social media team, during the latest ‘Sonic Official’ livestream. In it, you can check out some of Amy’s unique moves and how she controls in Sonic CD, one of the four titles in the collection where you will be able to play as the rosy rascal.
As you can see, Amy has a “Drop Dash” move equivalent when playing the 2D classics – when you hold the jump button in mid-air and land, she will speed ahead while mashing her Piko Piko Hammer. That move smashes anything that happens to be in her way, including Badniks and item boxes. Amy also has a cool double-jump spin involving her Hammer, which we imagine can be used as a sort of buffer when attacking enemies in the air.
The action starts at 36:40 in the video above, so scroll over to that time and check out the gameplay for yourself.
What do you think? Game changer, or more of the same? Let us know in the comments below!
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Sonic Origins Plus is right around the corner, and to keep the hype going the Sonic social media account has released some new official artwork that highlights one of Sonic 2’s biggest remastered secrets.
The artwork is excellently produced by Tyler McGrath, a favourite of ours who has worked on many amazing Classic Sonic art pieces over the years. It’s great that his work is being tapped by SEGA and hopefully this leads to more official recognition!
As you can see, the piece features the Classic Sonic team posturing in Mystic Cave Zone. Knuckles is beckoning the others down a chasm that he has found, but what could be Hidden (Palace) down there..?
Of course, the whole thing is a reference to the introduction of a Sonic 2 lost level that was re-imagined and restored in the Christian Whitehead-led iPhone remaster of the 16-bit classic. Because Sonic Origins (and Plus) includes this new version of the game, Hidden Palace Zone can be accessed the same way on consoles and PC now too.
All you’ve gotta do is keep to the low route on Mystic Cave Act 2 until you hit a chasm with a drawbridge lever. Ignore the lever and just fall right into the hole. Just… make sure you’re only doing that on the iPhone or Sonic Origins versions of Sonic 2. You don’t want to give it a go on the Mega Drive/Genesis originals…
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If you’re tempted to get a physical copy of Sonic Origins Plus when it releases in a couple weeks’ time, then you may want to check in with European limited editions specialist Pix’n Love Games, which has announced that it is working with SEGA and PLAION to release a ‘Collectors Edition’ of the compilation.
Posted on the company’s social media channels earlier today, Pix’n Love Games called for all “die hard Sonic fans” to simply stay tuned for more details. No details have so far been revealed as to what such a Collector’s Edition might include, but Pix’n Love is no stranger to working with SEGA on special game releases, so chances are there may be some additional things here that would be worth your time.
It appears that the tweet from Pix’n Love announcing the Sonic Origins Plus Collector’s Edition from yesterday (as reported above) has been deleted. The only reference to anything Sonic-related is a tweet from 7 June asking fans to “see you tomorrow”. We’ve reached out to Pix’n Love for an update and we’ll share if we get an answer.
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.
Those of you who like all your gaming bits and bytes on a physical medium may be in for a little disappointment with the upcoming Sonic Origins Plus release this month. According to information on the game’s box, the additional ‘Plus’ content – playable Amy Rose, Knuckles in Sonic CD the Game Gear titles and more – will only be served to players in the form of a downloadable code.
The information came from eagle-eyed Sonic fan SnazzySonic, who saw a bunch of promotional Sonic Origins Plus boxes on his local GameStop store shelf. “I almost had a heart attack when I thought my GameStop was selling Sonic Origins Plus early,” Snazzy said. But for other fans, the heart attack would be had after looking at the back of the box.
As you can see on the blurb there, the physical edition of Sonic Origins Plus comes complete with all of the bonus content DLC originally released for the base game last year (which actually IS present on the disc/cartridge), as well as the new playable characters and Game Gear titles. But there is a line underneath the Plus-specific content that reads, “Downloadable via included code.”
For many, this won’t be too much of a problem, but there are plenty of people out there that are passionate about game preservation who will feel that the lack of the additional content on disc risks Amy, Knuckles in CD and the GG games being lost media in the far future. You might even wonder why there’s a physical edition in the first place if you’re not getting all of the content on the media. So you can see why this is a bit of an issue.
Still, at least the GameStop had a rad looking Sonic Origins Plus poster to show off at least. So you know, the day wasn’t a total loss, right?
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.
If you ever wanted to have the chance to create something Amy Rose-y in pixel-perfect proportions, then SEGA Japan has you covered. The company released a reference sheet of the Sonic series heroine, for fans to get crafty ahead of the release of Sonic Origins Plus.
As you can see, the sprite reference features Classic Amy Rose’s new standing pose and running animation, as seen in trailers for the upcoming compilation pack. A new addition to the Sonic Origins collection, Amy Rose is an extra playable character that can be used in Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Photos courtesy SEGA Japan Official Twitter Channel.
SEGA’s official Japanese social media channels shared a link to the Downloads page where you can find the PDF reference sheet, along with the above photo to show what you can do with it. The company also appears to task fans with an Iron-on Beads art challenge over the coming Japanese ‘Golden Week’ national holiday.
You can visit the downloads page here, there are other characters available to get creative with too, from Sonic to Tails and Knuckles.
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.
In a tweet that went up a few hours ago, Headcannon confirmed that they have contributed to the upcoming new content for Sonic Origins Plus, including Amy Rose’s new sprites and Knuckles’ campaign in Sonic CD.
It's coming – Sonic Origins Plus! We're happy to announce that we’ve once again cooperated with SEGA to update this project; you know we can't resist Sonic! Here’s some of what you can look forward to in Origins Plus: [continued in thread] https://t.co/X46RoXPfsD
Headcannon specifically calls out the work of team members Andy A-Start and DashPadSPD for design and data management in the expansion. In addition to the character updates, Headcannon also supplied additional enhancements which were not specified. Closing out the thread, the team thanks SEGA for their openness to the developer’s feedback and suggestions, and they appreciate the level of trust SEGA put in them.
Headcannon was responsible for bringing Sonic 3 & Knuckles to the Retro Engine in Sonic Origins’ initial digital release. While our staff has had very positive experiences with collection, some members of the community and members of Headcannon itself have expressed dissatisfaction with its technical shortcomings.
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.
Sonic Origins Plus, which has been the subject of two increasinglyrevealing 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:
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.
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!
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 looks like an updated version of classic compilation Sonic Origins is in the works, as the Game Rating and Administration Board of Korea has recently listed a product titled ‘Sonic Origins Plus’.
The listing, spotted by Gematsu, simply details the name of the product. No other information has been unveiled, but given the original compilation was released on a number of modern platforms (including Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series and PC), it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume this ‘Plus’ version would be destined for the same.
The listing suggests that SEGA is preparing an updated version of the Sonic Origins package with some new content – possibly new games?
The original Sonic Origins release contained a slew of classic Mega Drive Sonic titles – Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. However, references to Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Flickers’ Island and Knuckles Chaotix are included in the game’s menus and museum mode. Could we see these games represented in a ‘Plus’ revision? Or perhaps a selection of 8-Bit Sonic titles to fully represent the blue blur’s 1990s roots?
When more detail comes, we’ll be sure to let you know!
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.
![Pix’n Love Announces Sonic Origins Plus Collector’s Edition [U]](https://archive.sonicstadium.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/9CAE0F03-F372-4F28-8DAF-BAD355371358.jpeg)
