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Three new screenshots for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing have appeared on Toys R Us’s U.S. website, nothing new is revealed but we do get another good look at Alex Kidd and Amigo’s All Star Moves which see Amigo gather his fellow racers in to a conga line and Alex Kidd jump into his little helicopter. We’ll bring you more news in the run up to release as it’s revealed.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuCTTPm-a2w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
As seen above Game Reactor have had a recent interview with Steve Lycett of Sumo Digital about their upcoming racer Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. In the interview Steve is asked about Ryo Hazuki’s coming to be which he reveals to be from the obvious demand from the fans. Steve is also asked about balance in regards to the mighty All Star Moves and shortcuts which Steve rests assured are very balanced and definitely not game breaking.
Source: Game Reactor’s YouTube Channel
ShopTo.net have uploaded a new picture to their Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing Wii version product page. The new picture contains the game and what look’s like a Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing themed Wii Wheel peripheral. The peripheral has the game’s logo and SEGA’s logo making it look pretty official.
No info is given on the product page about the peripheral so there’s no telling wether this comes as standard, wether it’s a ShopTo exclusive or not or even wether it’s for pre-orders only.
Least the price hasn’t gone up and there’s no seperate listing for this bundle so we can at least guess that this peripheral is a free gift. We’ve had a look around many other retailers websites and can’t see this peripheral so for now at least it’s a ShopTo exclusive but it wouldn’t be surprising if the wheel comes as standard like with many racing games on Wii such as Mario Kart Wii and F1 2009.
Source: ShopTo.net
Thanks to Hero of Legend for the higher res pic.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2tIFj97M6c[/youtube]
Steve Lycett under his S0L nickname has responded to rubber banding discussion’s over at the SEGA forums by detailing how it all works in Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing.
Here’s Steve’s response –
You can enable catch-up for human players (in Multiplayer that is, both online and split-screen), but the aim is for the weapons and All-Stars to do the movement through the pack.
Or you can turn it off – and see who is actually better at racing 😛
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S0L
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So, very good news for gamers who hate ‘rubber banding’ in multi-player games like Mario Kart and should make for some interesting race’s online. No word on single player but the way Steve says “in multiplayer that is,” we can assume it is in single player, we’ll let you know if we hear any different.
Meanwhile, are you happy with Sumo Digital’s decision to make this optional in multiplayer? Let us know in the comments.
ShopTo.net don’t seem very pleased with the recent announcement of Banjo-Kazooie being an Xbox 360 exclusive, they’d rather the bear and bird come back to the Nintendo side and be included in the Wii version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. The site has even left the Xbox 360 box art blank compared to the other 3 box arts out of protest.
But seriously how did they make an error like that with the box arts?
EDIT:
Seems ShopTo have fixed the error now but it was still funny none the less.
Xbox 360
Wii
UPDATE: PC box art revealed.
Amazon’s UK site has revealed the final UK box art for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing which looks to be matching the U.S. box art including the Xbox 360 version’s ‘With Banjo-Kazooie’ sub title. ShopTo.net have also revealed the PC box art.
(Click to enlarge)
Also worth noting on Amazon’s UK site is that they are now selling Bentley Jones new songs from his So Much More… album in MP3 format as an album and individually, those who prefer CD’s are out of luck. As far as I’m aware this is the first time a UK retailer is selling any of Bentley Jones songs so this is very good news for Bentley Jones and the fans. Hopefully we’ll see more UK retailers follow suit.
Source: Amazon UK
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n87VS0RB3J8[/youtube]
As a Christmas present to all fans of upcoming racer Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing, SEGA Europe have released the above trailer. It show’s more footage of the Billy Hatcher Blizzard Castle track to someone singing a SEGA themed version of the classic carol Twelve Days Of Christmas. Nothing new is revealed in the trailer before anyone asks.
Source: Sonic City Blognik
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing is on track for an Early 2010 release.
P.S. Yes the pun was intended.
SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have issued a press release regarding yesterdays official announcement of Banjo-Kazooie and Avatar’s presence in the Xbox 360 version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. An high quality trailer has also been released on SEGA Europe’s website. SEGA of America have also uploaded the U.S. version of the trailer to their YouTube account.
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (18 December, 2009) – SEGA® Europe Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc. and Microsoft today announced an exciting new partnership for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing™. For the first time ever in a racing game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, you will be able to jump in to the game in the form of your Avatar and race against your favourite Sonic & SEGA characters. In yet another addition to the character roster and exclusive to the Xbox 360 version, Banjo and Kazooie will make a welcome return to the console and take to the starting grid in their Bolt Bucket all terrain vehicle!
Working closely with the Rare Studio to bring the popular characters to life, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Banjo and Kazooie taking their place on the starting grid alongside classic SEGA characters such as Sonic, AiAi, Amy, Knuckles and Ryo Hazuki. As well as mastering the drift system to get the best out of the tracks, and picking up weapons such as Sonic speed boots and homing rockets along the way, Banjo and his faithful sidekick Kazooie will be able to unleash their own unique All-Star move in a bid to cross the finish line in pole position!
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will also be the first racing game for the Xbox 360 to feature fully playable Avatars. Have you ever pictured yourself speeding around the lush green hills of Sonic’s Seaside Hill Zone? Or wondered how you’d look rolling around the levels of Super Monkey Ball? Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will allow your Avatar to hop in to the All-Stars Racing “Avacar” and put your pedal to the metal around SEGA world inspired tracks! If you find yourself towards the back of the race, or taking hits from everyone’s weapons, it’s your friends that will come to your rescue in the Avatar All-Star move, with recognisable faces from your Xbox LIVE Friends List offering a helping hand!
“We’re very excited to see Banjo and Kazooie back on the screen racing against these great SEGA characters” said Shintaro Kanaoya, Head of Business Strategy and Development at Rare. “We’re also very proud to see the Xbox 360 Avatars, which were conceived of and developed at Rare, incorporated into the game and allowing players to put themselves in the driving seat. The project has been an excellent collaboration between Rare and SEGA, and we’re looking forward to its retail release and tearing around the tracks!”
David Gosen, Vice President, Xbox EMEA says “Avatar characters are fast becoming integral to gaming for the Xbox 360 owner. We are therefore really excited to be bringing them to life as fully playable in this world exclusive. It’s even more thrilling to be launching this activity with such a big title especially when it heralds the return of Banjo & Kazooie to the platform.”
“Having characters as big as Banjo and Kazooie in the Xbox 360 version of game is huge for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing,” commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe Ltd. “SEGA are proud to have been able to work with such an acclaimed development team as Rare and to go one step further by being one of the first publishers to put truly playable Avatars in a game, really cements SEGA’s commitment to working with first party partners, bringing the best possible content for individual platforms.”
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Are you gonna be faster than Sonic?
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing featuring Banjo Kazooie will be in stores Early 2010.
The U.S. version of the Press Release (revealed via the SEGA of America blog with the Banjo-Kazooie artwork) ends a little differently –
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing featuring Banjo Kazooie will be in stores Feb 2010.
Let’s hope a European release month/date is revealed soon.
Nintendo Power have previewed the Wii & DS versions of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing and have also received a few new screenshots of both versions. Nintendo Power re-affirm their earlier confirmation of a Space Channel 5 character presence in the game, no specific character is mentioned but our bets are on Ulala the star of that series. No new information is revealed unfortunately but its always nice to have a look at how the game is looking on the Wii & DS with so much attention always on the HD versions.
Check out the article below(Click thumbnail to enlarge).
Thanks to Emerl over at the SSMB for the scan.
With the official unveiling of Avatar’s and Banjo-Kazooie’s appearances in Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing some new screenshots have been revealed of those characters in the game. One interesting tidbit in the screenshot showing the Avatar’s All-Star move is the updated HUD that has a tracking bar instead of a map indicating how far you and your opponents are from the finish line. Wether this will be used instead of a map or as a seperate option to maps we can only guess until we receive confirmation from SEGA/Sumo Digital.
Check out the other three screenshots below (Click the thumbnails to enlarge)
Sources:
Official Xbox UK site
MundoRare
Thanks to NinMicroSega over at the SSMB for the non-Silverlight link.
UPDATE: Now on YouTube –
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fdhHMlxsj4[/youtube]
A new trailer for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing featuring Banjo-Kazooie has just hit Xbox Live on Xbox 3660. The trailer weighs in at 72.12MB.
The trailer is now available via the Marketplace on the official Xbox web site too.
The trailer reveals your Xbox 360 Avatars are playable in the game for a more custom experience. The trailer also lays to rest any hope fans had for exclusive characters in the other versions of the game with the voice-over confirming “Exclusive Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing characters only on Xbox 360.”
Examining the trailer:
– Shadow’s All-Star Move is, you guessed it Super Shadow!
– The Avatar’s All-Star Move gathers your friends Avatar’s to lift your vehicle and run while carrying your car to give you what looks to be a comical boost in speed while bashing through opponents.
– A track that looks like Dino Mountain from Billy Hatcher is shown.
– A Tokyo type city track is also shown, possibly representing Yakuza, Shenmue or Jet Set/Grind Radio.
– Banjo-Kazooie’s vehicle’s license plate says BANJO for anyone interested.
– Final Fortress from Sonic Heroes also appears as a new track.
– Banjo Kazooie’s All-Star Move has Kazooie peck Banjo’s head then get out her magical wrench from Nuts & Bolts to throw Jiggies behind them to attack their opponents.
– Amy is shown attacking Tails with a giant blue ball item.
– Banjo Kazooie’s vehicle has the Rare logo as a hood ornament.
– The trailer’s description reveals Banjo-Kazooie’s vehicle to be named the ‘Bolt Bucket’ Jeep and the Avatar’s vehicle to be called the ‘Avacar’.
– The UK official Xbox site is now displaying the same box art as the U.S. with Banjo Kazooie on the front so that’s the UK Xbox 360 box art confirmed.
The desert track shown is from Super Monkey Ball. If you pause the trailer at the part where Banjo stands up and waves at everyone behind him to the left you can see a giant stone wheel with AiAi and Mee-Mee’s faces on with a picture of a banana. The track also has banana peel obstacles too. Super Monkey Ball character statues can also be seen at the end of the trailer.
Steve Lycett from Sumo Digital under his nickname S0L has confirmed via the SSMB that the Tokyo track is from the Jet Set Radio games.
Steve also assures fans that Bajo-Kazooie are on the disc and not downloadable content.
SEGA of America community staff member Kellie has officialy unveiled the Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing U.S. box artworks via the SEGA of America blog, in hi-res too. Banjo-Kazooie are still on the Xbox 360 version cover confirming their presence in the game 1,000 times over. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo is still present on the Wii and DS box arts laying to rest any worries about the online feature for those versions.
Check out the hi-res U.S. box arts to the PS3, Wii and DS versions by clicking the thumbnails below –
UK retailer Argos is now displaying what could be the final UK box arts for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing but one major difference to the leaked U.S. box art is the absence of Banjo & Kazooie on the front. So could SEGA of America be using the bear and bird as a selling point on their box art while SEGA Europe don’t feel the same or could Banjo Kazooie’s appearance on the cover have been scrapped for the final box art?
Another difference is the lack of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo on the DS version compared to the leaked U.S. box art that contains the logo.
One more difference is on the PS3 box which oddly contains both the old left side Playstation 3 banner AND the new top header PS3 banner compared to the leaked U.S. box art that only contains the new top header PS3 banner.
Argos’s listed release date has been changed from March 26th to February 19th so could a release date be coming soon from SEGA Europe?
Argos links –
Xbox 360
PS3
Wii
DS
We’ll let you know of any developments, meanwhile check out the hi-res boxes of the Wii, DS and PS3 versions:
(Click the thumbnails for hi-res)
Leave it to Steve Lycett (S0L) himself to tip us on a preview for his own game!
IGN UK today has posted a preview of the upcoming mascot kart-racing title. They enter the preview rather pessimistically, stating that Sonic R and Sonic Drift were heading in the right direction, but all hope was lost with the Sonic Riders series. However, they immediately turn the corner once they start playing the game and giving props where props are due:
Scratch under the surface, though, and there’s every reason to get excited. The SEGA cast is more than just window-dressing for a straight-up clone; they’re lovingly woven into Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing’s very fabric, with the company’s back catalogue treated with the kind of respect one wishes the more recent Sonic games had displayed.
IGN UK also tried to guess what’s coming down the pipe for the title in the form of unlockables, secrets, and downloadable content:
Our guesses – which ranged from a playable Opa-Opa and Fantasy Zone level to an Outrun themed stage – were met with wry grins and refusals to comment from the PR. They’re all lovingly worked in, their stages replete with familiar chimes that will set SEGA aficionado’s hearts aflutter. It’s first-class fan service throughout.
All in all, IGN says that ASR feels tight and responsive, thanks to Outrun 2‘s drifting engine. It also feels like a more complete SEGA package than Sumo Digital’s last mascot-parade, SEGA Superstars Tennis. I’m excited now (and this is coming from somebody who said “uuuggghhhh” when he saw the first trailer).
Nintendo of America have revealed their Q1 2010 release schedule and among both Wii and DS lists is Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. The Sumo Digital developed racing game is down for a March release which is very different to all of the U.S. retailers speculating a February release. Up until now SEGA of America and Sumo Digital have only given an Early 2010 release of which March is well within that barrier.
With Microsoft revealing the full online and offline features, Nintendo now revealing the release month and a special announcement due this week from SEGA/Sumo Digital things are sure to get very exciting from now until release.
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing has now been rated by 4 of the world’s ratings boards where the game will be released. Most surprising is the U.S. ratings board ESRB’s statement that the game contains Mild Suggestive Themes.
Nothing revealed in the game so far would warrant such a rating so it’s quite curious as to what Sumo Digital haven’t revealed in the game yet. Fans are speculating Ulala’s appearance in the game, past games in which the character as appeared have always contained been labelled with the Mild Suggestive Themes statement by the ESRB.
The full ratings line-up is as follows –
Comic Violence
Cartoon Mischief
Mild Suggestive Themes
OFLC G General. Experience may change online.
UPDATE: Steve Lycett from Sumo Digital under his S0L nickname has confirmed the Nightopian sightings are just environment reflections. However Steve has seen how keen the community is to see NiGHTS in the game and still doesn’t confirm either way wether the character is in the game or not.
I feel slightly like I’m spoiling your fun here – but it’s purely the reflection of the environment you’re seeing there…
You guys really are rather desperate to see NiGHTS in there aren’t you!
Put it this way – that would have taken some quite extensive photo-shopping – and you’re also credting us with fair more deviousness than even I have!
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S0L
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UPDATE END
Original story below:
Editor’s note: Those are not in-game gold rings…
I’ve just spotted another Nightopian in the above picture. It’s in the shiney wood finish in the red circle, turn your head to the left and you’ll see its head, eyes and large white collar. It would explain the sparkles in the screenshot too.
Eagle eyed SSMB member HunterTSF has spotted Nightopians in the above old screenshot of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. Nightopians are small residents of Nightopia seen around various stages in the NiGHTS games. This isn’t confirmation but could very well mean our favourite jester NiGHTS could very well be in Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing after all.
Let’s hope NiGHTS is the now possibly delayed special announcement Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett has been talking about recently.
Thanks again to HunterTSF and his eagle eyes!
Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett under his S0L nickname has informed everyone via the SSMB that the special announcement planned for this week regarding Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing might be delayed until next week now.
Rumour has it the announcement that was due this week – will be next week instead BTW. Apologies for being a tease on this, like I say, I’m not in charge of PR and Marketing 🙂
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S0L
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If it has been delayed at least it’s only another week and with that week being closer to Christmas you could say it’s a Christmas present from Sumo Digital. Now what could the announcement be…
SEGA Netherlands have unveiled their current release schedule for 2010 to Dutch Playstation site PSFocus.
* Bayonetta – January 8, 2010
* Vancouver 2010 – January 15, 2010
* Aliens vs. Predator – February 2010
* Planet 51 – February 2010
* Yakuza 3 – March 2010
* SEGA & Sonic All-Star Racing – early 2010
* Resonance of Fate – Spring 2010
* Iron Man 2 – Spring 2010
* Alpha Protocol – Spring 2010
* 2 Valkyria Chronicles (PSP) – Spring 2010
* Aliens: Colonial Marines – unknown
Despite rumours it looks like SEGA are still planning on releasing Aliens: Colonial Marines afterall and Valkyria Chronicles won’t be too long a wait.
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing is surprisingly still slated for an Early 2010 release, not even a release month is mentioned though in recent previews Sumo Digital staff have stated the game is still far from finished.
It looks like fans are going to have to stay patient in the meantime but if you really are eager then October’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games on Wii & DS should keep crossover enthusiasts busy for now.
Toy company NKOK has acquired the rights to SEGA characters through a licensing agreement with SEGA of America. The company will use their new gain to produce a line of RC cars and slot car racing sets based on the upcoming Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. President of NKOK comments:
“Sega has had a wonderful history of introducing exciting brands and characters to gaming audiences around the world. With the release of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing we’re extremely excited to bring these evergreen characters to life through our product offering,”
NKOK currently plans to release products in North America around the game’s launch in early 2010.
[Via Playthings]
After yesterdays announcement that Bentley Jones’ new song So Much More will be the theme song for upcoming game Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing some fans were worried that Richard Jacques involvement might not come to be after all but Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett(AKA S0L) has laid those worries to rest.
In the SSMB’s Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing topic Steve Lycett posted the following:
For those worried that Rich Jacques isn’t behind the music in the game – rest assured he very much is. All the menus are Mr Jacques creations, as well as other music used throughout the game.
Bentley’s tune is used for the end credits, and it’s pretty damned awesome. You can blame us for the extravagent Guitar solo used in it – we forced it on him 🙂
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S0L
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Look’s like the soundtrack is shaping up to be as fan pleasing as every other area of the game. Excited? We sure are.
U.S. retailers Gamestop and Walmart have updated their product pages for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing with some new tid-bits of information. If the information is true the game will have 20 characters and 24 tracks total.
Here’s the information as listed on their site’s –
* Party racing fun Battle it out in single player, challenge your friends in 4 player split-screen or compete in 8 player online action! Game modes include Grand Prix, Arcade and Time Attack.
* All your favorite racers Choose from 20 different characters from the Sonic & SEGA universe including Sonic, Tails, AiAi and Amigo.
* High Velocity Vehicles Every character drives their own unique vehicle including sports cars, bikes, monster trucks, planes and even a giant banana to perform special maneuvers!
* All-Star moves Race by a competitor with a variety of pick-up weapons (missiles, mines and other obstacles) or one of the 20 unique character moves such as Tails’ tornado, Samba’s conga line, and much more!
* Stunning visuals Race over medieval castle ramparts, under lush rainforest canopies and through bustling cityscapes as you battle through 24 challenging tracks from the Sonic and SEGA Universe.
The information looks like a legit press release of sorts that SEGA could have passed on to retailers but we’ll wait for a full confirmation from SEGA/Sumo Digital. In terms of the character and track totals, we could hopefully see more via downloadable content though if the leaked box art info is right plus Sumo Digital have previously expressed an interest in it so fingers crossed.
Look’s like someone revealed something they shouldn’t have, namely the above image. After yesterdays revelation of this ‘work in progress’ Sonic & SEGA All Stars box art Chris Lewis’s site has been blocked, no doubt by Sumo Digital and SEGA Europe.
Using the ‘down for everyone or just me’ tool you can see the site is blocked from everyone.
The mysterious disappearance of the website appears to add credibility to the fact that the image is leaked, but as with all things we can never be too sure. We just won’t be surprised if a popular bear/bird combination actually does appear in the game. The question is, WILL YOU?
[UPDATE]: We can now confirm DLC will also be in Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. Looking at the back cover you can see one Xbox Live feature with 3 words and looking at Xbox Live features listed on the back cover of Xbox 360 games only one feature contains 3 words and that feature is ‘game-content download’. Could Sumo Digital be listening to the fan’s character/track request’s? [/UPDATE END]
The box art for the Xbox 360 version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing has been leaked and on it we can see the rumours regarding format exclusive characters were true. The back cover reveals Rare’s Banjo and Kazooie will be appearing in the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Now we’re left to wonder who will be appearing in the PS3, Wii and DS versions. With Wii and DS both being Nintendo formats it’s likely the same character will appear on both of those formats. So perhaps Mario on Wii and DS? Ratchet and Clank on PS3? There’s no telling who will be in the PC version. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Thanks to Spark from Spindash.de for bringing this news to our attention from Chris Lewis’ Website who is Sega Europes boxart designer.
Chris say’s on the page that the box art is a work in progress but this still obviously confirms Banjo and Kazooie.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PleEZKLvgj8[/youtube]
French gaming website JV247 have recently interviewed Sumo Digital’s Craig Duncan about Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing which you can check out in the video above.
In the interview Craig reveals –
– His favourite playable character is an unannounced old classic character
– When talking about Sonic Team he mentioned there is an unnanounced IP in the game.
– Downloadable content is a possibility.
– You earn SEGA Miles through in races which you can use to buy music, new tracks, characters and artwork.
– The final character and track list is a combination of what both Sumo Digital and SEGA wanted in. Each of them had to drop some of their choices.
– Alot of attention has been spent to detail on each IP so it’s perfect for the IP owners and the fans.
– Wii Wheel control is quote “excellent and we’ve just got that to the point where it’s starting to feel really good. A big fan of that”.
– Some new Sonic concept art behind him and parts of Tails concept art to the left.
Thanks to NinMicroSega at the SSMB for the link and thanks to Dusk the Crypt Keeper at the SSMB for converting the video to YouTube format.
[UPDATE] Sumo Digital staffer Steve Lycett AKA S0L has just revealed in the comments section that the DS version will have multiple control schemes and the Wii version will also have Classic Controller support. [/END UPDATE]
French Sonic fansites Eversonic.fr and Planete Sonic got to try out all four console versions of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing recently. In Eversonic’s preview two control schemes are revealed Wii Remote and Nunchuk and Wii Wheel support, so if your not into motion control at least you have another option. No details on wether the Gamecube Controller will be another option.
In Planete Sonic’s preview it is revealed that the Wii version will not support Mii’s, so those that like a more personal experience and would like to have themselves race against their favourite SEGA character are out of luck.
Planete Sonic also reveal that the DS version will be controlled using the buttons but one odd control choice is that the R button will be used to accelerate which according to them could cause give you a cramp.
Let us know what you think of these developments in the comments.
Fox Gungrave from fellow Sonic fan site Eversonic was recently invited by SEGA France to playtest all 4 console versions of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing and was given screenshots from the PS3, Wii and DS versions of the game aswell as pictures of some old and new artwork.
You can check out Eversonic’s preview here but be warned, it’s obviously in French.
Here’s the screenshots below:
DS –
Wii –
PS3 –
New art –
Media retailer HMV are now listing the PC version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing for pre-orders at just £12.99, currently they are the only retailer listing this version which will be released on PC DVD ROM in Europe and PC Download in the U.S.
Looking at the listed release date, HMV have it down for 31st March 2010 which is a week later than the 26th March 2010 release date listed for the other versions on their site and many other retailers sites.
So could we be seeing the PC version released a week late? If so, why? Only time will tell, we’ll let you know when and if more information becomes available.
Steve Lycett who began his developer diary for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing which we reported about earlier has revealed a couple of new screens and a piece of Amy Rose conept art to SEGA of America’s blog where they too have posted the diary entry.
Will we see more in the next diary entries? We’ll keep an eye out, for now here’s the pics –
Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing’s Executive Producer, Steve Lycett, has written a post on SEGA Europe’s official blog discussing the upcoming mascot racing game. Although mostly an introductory post, Lycett mentions the genesis of the game, which was staged very much like Sonic R as opposed to Sonic Drift.
“We started off with… Sonic running. Yes running. Not in a car. Not Super Sonic, but Sonic running full pelt around a test track.” Lycett revealed on the SEGA blog, “Next we added Eggman, riding in his Eggpod, but with robotic legs attached. He was running too. Then we added Tails. He was in his Tornado, the red biplane from Sonic 2. Next, we thought ‘It’s a racing game, lets try a car’ and dropped in Amy, in a nice bright pink Amymobile.”
Other characters included Gilius Thunderhead from Golden Axe, riding atop a Chicken Leg creature. Despite how awesome this setup sounds, Lycett tells of development difficulties in maintaining the flow of gameplay.
…It wasn’t all that much fun to play. Our main problem was that all the characters were different sizes. Sonic was Sonic sized, but he was really small compared to Eggman and Gilius on their rides. Worse still was Tails’ Tornado – it was huge! The wings made it really wide.
Coders at Sumo managing to make Amy’s car drift threw up even more possibilities, hampered by the difficulty in giving Sonic a drift function on foot. “How do you get a Hedgehog to drift [like Amy’s car]? Worse still, how do you get dwarf in full battle armour on a parrot faced lizard to drift?”
And hence, the result is everyone in a vehicle, as you see here. Lycett humorously asks fans angry about putting Sonic in a vehicle to direct their venom at the creators of Sonic Drift, but also throws down this final nugget of information, hinting at how the planes will handle in Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing:
For the flyers we didn’t want them to have too much of an unfair advantage, so we decided to treat these like hovercraft, they wouldn’t be affected by surfaces that slow the other cars down, but they also wouldn’t have high acceleration. As such Tails’ plane needed a re-design.
Interesting stuff. You can read the whole blog entry at SEGA’s Blognik.
Okay, so this is a Sonic the Hedgehog fansite. But we have a long history with the Dreamcast, Shenmue, and just SEGA in general. So it’s with some excitement that SEGA today revealed that Ryo Hazuki, the forklift driving wanderer endlessly looking for his father’s killer, is going to be a playable character in Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.
Obviously the chap managed to find a way out of Guilin and stop what he was doing to race with Sonic. Racing on the motorbike found in Shenmue, it seems Hazuki’s power up involves hopping into his docklands forklift truck (…!!!!) and mowing down his opponents.
The only thing that could make this better is if the racing game had collectible capsule toys and Ryo’s dialogue consisted of finding sailors. Watch the announcement trailer below.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di-fAECDjqY[/youtube]
SEGA of France will be showcasing Sumo Digital’s Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing at this years Micromania Games Show in Paris. The event will be running fromt October 30th until November 2nd and will start at the Grande Halle de la Villette. No information on format/s and development build/s have been released.
We’ll be hunting for information and media as soon as things get started and give you all the coverage we can so stay tuned to TSS throughout the event.
Source:
Planete Sonic
Will you be attending the event? Let us know in the comments below.
Many different news sources are reporting that a SEGA America FTP bungle has resulted in a communication with Sony Computer Entertainment America being leaked on the Internet. The document, appearing to be notes from a meeting dated 5th August, include mention of special console-specific DLC characters for Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing, a new ‘Sonic Anniversary’ title to arrive on PS3 and multiple ways of SEGA offering exclusive content to Sony’s home console – including an introduction of classic Dreamcast titles on the PlayStation Network.
Of most note to Sonic fans, the ‘Sonic Anniversary’ project appears to be a new title – either in development or consideration – that aims to collect “all Sonic games on one BD [Blu-Ray Disc] disc”. The document ponders a retail price point of $99, which may be reasonable depending on whether it really is an entire collection of Sonic titles. Most intriguing is a note that says: “SCEA would love PSN exclusive power ups/different game modes (like Castlevania’s flip it over/backwards)” – raising hopes that such a collection would be in the vein of Sonic Jam more than simple emulations like Sonic Mega Collection. Spin Dash in Sonic 1 once again?
Speaking on Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing, special non-SEGA characters could make an appearance in the form of DLC with the following note; “Open to DLC to differentiate PS3 SKU – not ratchet and clank but other characters… maybe characters from Rare or Fable universes”. The latter two franchises suggest that the same sort of DLC is planned for the Xbox 360 version too, although who would we see? Kameo? Joanna Dark? The dog from Fable? A shame that Ratchet and Clank is ruled out (probably something Sony said), as it sounds like a good fit for the game.
According to the document, Sony also has intentions to sell PS2 games on the PlayStation Network, referencing an unnamed Sonic game and GTA Vice City as examples. SEGA also muses the possibility of Dreamcast digital titles, stating a possible exclusivity deal with Sony; “If we provide a list of DC titles SCEA will let us know which ones they’re interested in having exclusively… If we give them a long period of exclusivity they’ll give us more marketing support.”
If true, it all seems to be very exciting news for both SEGA fans and Sony PS3 owners alike. It also means that this is the latest in several incidents where SEGA America’s FTP team has leaked documents by uploading them publicly by accident. You can see the entire thing at Sonic Retro.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va528cmGn7c[/youtube]
SEGA have revealed some new screens and a trailer for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing at Gamescom and in them we can see some new characters. We now have Knuckles(which according to reports is the last Sonic character in the game), Beat from Jet Set Radio, Billy Hatcher(you can guess what game he’s from) and Alex Kidd(you can guess that too).
Some new tracks are also on show such as Bingo Highway, another track from Sonic Heroes, a jungle level from Super Monkey Ball and another track seen in the screen shot below. If you know which game its from let us know in the comments.
The game looks to be shaping up well and can only improve before its 2010 release in Europe. The U.S. version of the trailer moves a step further and reveals a February 2010 release date for that territory. Stay tuned for more info from our playtest at Summer of Sonic later this month
Check out more screens over at SEGA Europe’s website.
Those going to this year’s Summer of Sonic convention (a joint venture between The Sonic Stadium, Sonic Wrecks and Sega Europe) will have yet another few reasons to get excited, as Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing make their first ever playable debuts in the UK.
Both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of Mario and Sonic’s new athletic adventure will be playable in the Games Zone, alongside a bunch of Xbox 360 demo pods that will feature classic games from Sonic’s gaming past. Sega reps will be on hand to help fans trial the game, and there may even be a contest or two for those who take to the games very well indeed.
A PlayStation 3 pod will also house a playable copy of Sumo Digital’s upcoming multiplayer, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing – this will be the first time outside of E3 that a copy of the game has even seen daylight, let alone the first time anyone from the gaming public will get to try it. Sumo Digital’s Executive Producer, Steve Lycett and Lead Designer, Travis Ryan, will also be present to demonstrate the game.
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is set for an October 16th release in the UK, with Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing due for release TBA 2010.
One of the more surprising announcements to come out of E3 for Sonic fans, perhaps swamped by all the news of motion controllers and revamped handhelds, was the announcement of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. I think a lot of people were wondering, after a few attempts at tacking the hedgehog onto a racing game, when exactly SEGA were going to try and go for Mario Kart’s crown as multiplayer king. It certainly seems to have some quirks to it, when you watch the gameplay videos that have gone online. It could well be the manic, fun and non-super-hyper-realistic-epic racing game that Sonic Riders never really was.
As much as I’m dying to get my hands on the gameplay to make a final judgement, I’m most impressed with the design of the game. A lot has been borrowed from Sonic’s past, including the Green Hill/Seaside Hill fusion that brilliantly has some loops and other crazy things involved. But a lot has been spent towards other ‘Superstars’ in SEGA’s lineup too, including a Bill Hatcher stage which I heart. Because Billy Hatcher is awesome. It just seems like, while games such as Sonic 06 and Sonic Riders had a premise which didn’t fit Sonic’s style whatsoever, this racing game just gels with the character of Sonic perfectly.
SEGA put up a load of high-res screenshots recently, so we’ve taken the liberty of putting them on TSS for you to download. They’re from the 360/PS3 versions of the game, and they’re quite large. Use them as a wallpaper or something. That’s what I’m doing with that gorgeous Green/Seaside Hill track screenshot there.
