Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
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Jakks Pacific, the prolific manufacturers of various Sonic toys, will have a panel at this years San Diego Comic Con. The panel will take place July 21 at 9PM EST. The panel will be livestreamed on their Instagram at /jakkspacific.toys, though we will also have someone on the ground to provide coverage!
New reveals can be expected this panel, though chances are at least some of them will be ones that have already been leaked, such as their upcoming Blaze figure. Nevertheless, we should at least get time frames for upcoming waves!
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Yuji Naka, the man best known as the co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams, and his work on Phantasy Star, has been been sentenced to two and a half years of prison, but that sentence has been suspended for four year, during which time he’ll be on probation. Provided he has no trouble with the law, he’ll never serve time in prison. He has also fined two separate times for ¥20 million and ¥170 million, or a total of roughly $1.25 million USD.
This comes after a seven-month-long legal battle where Naka attempted to, among other things, blame his secretary for giving him information he wasn’t supposed to have in an attempt to get a lighter sentence.
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It’s time to party! Because it’s Sonic the Hedgehog’s birthday today! SEGA Japan has marked the occasion by sharing the latest artwork in its Sonic Pict series. And as you’d expect, the focus is on the birthday boy himself.
Staging a massive concert in the middle of Studiopolis Zone, Sonic is truly king for the day. And you can see many Sonic characters in the audience celebrating with him – Tails, Amy, Mighty and Ray are all rocking glowsticks and raving out with the blue blur.
SEGA Japan released this artwork with the following message (machine translated):
The highlight of this year’s birthday party is Sonic’s birthday live!
To thank you for always celebrating with us, we will perform a lively performance
Before I knew it, the studio police camera team had arrived, and the stage was getting more and more gorgeous…! The best night is coming!
Happy Birthday Sonic
Happy Birthday Sonic, indeed!
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It’s hard to believe that THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO today, the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game arrived on store shelves. And since then, the heroic blue blur has catapulted himself to super-stardom, appearing on everything from comics to TV shows and movies, to coffee cups and t-shirts and a whole lot more!
SEGA’s mascot has had the kind of celebrity life that many can only dream of: the dizzying highs of ‘Sonic Mania’ in the early 1990s; the crushing lows of ‘Sonic 2006’ in… well, 2006; a series of make-overs and interesting fashion choices; the always-classic “five year lull”; and a comeback story that celebrates both his retro early successes (Sonic Origins, Sonic Superstars) alongside his more Adventure-ous contemporary works (Sonic Colours Ultimate, Sonic Frontiers).
If any character proved that they can truly stand the test of time, Sonic the Hedgehog is that guy. Several times.
To celebrate, SEGA shared an incredible fan art piece today by Serxx – you can see it below and catch the original SEGA post here.
We’ll be updating Sonic News throughout the day with cool things that the official Sonic channels have done to pay homage to the blue blur on this day. How will you be celebrating? A little bit of Sonic Adventure 2? Reading the latest IDW Sonic issues? Watching the Sonic 2 movie? Let us know in the comments below!
Oh, and don’t forget – today is also the day SEGA hosts its annual ‘Sonic Central’ showcase, which is bound to include a number of interesting surprises.
Happy birthday, Sonic!
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Sonic’s differing US and Japanese design throughout the 1990s is well-documented, but Yasushi Yamaguchi appears to have inadvertently added a new piece of trivia into the history books. The original designer of Miles ‘Tails’ Prower recently revealed that, of all the issues SEGA Japan had with SEGA America’s take on the company’s mascot design, one of the most persistent was over Sonic’s little American crooked legs.
But after being shown photos of SEGA America marketing vehicles and materials featuring a brown Tails based on the old design, Yamauguchi decided to let it be known that SEGA Japan was often annoyed that the US office would ignore the Sonic Team’s design notes.
I have no knowledge of the [above] pictures or figures in the photos. At the time, Sega of America ignored the opinions of the development staff. They did not listen to our requests for the number of fingers on Sonic in the package art, or our request to fix his legs to be straight.
SEGA of America’s maverick approach to marketing and game development in the 1990s is well-documented – and it’s no secret that during the 16-bit console gaming era, the US and Japanese SEGA offices often did not see eye to eye, with the former often ignoring style, design and product guidelines from the latter headquarters.
Sonic the Hedgehog was regularly in the crossfire, with package art and various multi-media projects featuring artwork that differed from the original Japanese design. Most infamously, an entirely new backstory to Sonic’s origin was created by SEGA of America, seemingly without the knowledge of Sonic Team or SEGA Japan at the time. This had been made apparent in recent years with former Sonic Team alumni such as Yuji Naka expressing confusion at hearing stories about ‘Dr Ovi Kintobor’ at the Summer of Sonic convention.
Yamaguchi later added that SEGA Japan actually did not have the adequate resources to fully manage the company’s characters until after the release of Sonic CD, which might explain why there was suddenly a lot more cohesion between the East and West markets after in the late 16-bit era.
Despite all this hubbub in the 90s, it turned out that, according to the SatAM Historian, Sonic co-creator Naoto Oshima was apparently a big fan of the bow-legged American rendition of the hero! So, swings and roundabouts, I guess.
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Hallmark has their upcoming Christmas ornaments available on their website. Along with a new Sonic in spin-attack mode, comes a Sega Dreamcast with lights and sounds similar to what we got last year with the Sega Genesis ornament. The Sega Dreamcast has a tiny, 8-bit Sonic in the VMU and plays music from Emerald Coast.
The Sega Dreamcast ornament will retail for $22.99 US while the Spin-Attack Sonic will retail for $18.99 US. Both will be available on October 14.
Check out our Twitter page here and here to see video of the ornaments in action.
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After years of development plus a 24-hour delay due to bad weather, the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (aka JUICE) is just hours away from launching and starting its eight-year journey to Jupiter. JUICE will explore the Jovian system, particularly the icy moons of Ganymede, Callisto and Europa, before eventually settling into an orbit around Ganymede in 2034. If successful, JUICE will be the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than our own.
And Sonic will be along for the ride!
As we reported back in 2019, Sonic adorns the spacecraft as part of the logo for one of its instruments, the Radio & Plasma Wave detector (RPWI):
SEGA was nice enough to grant the team permission to use Sonic in their logo after the RPWI team leader, Dr. Jan-Erik Wahlund, requested it. According to Dr. Wahlund, Sonic was chosen due to his many adventures in space, as well as Wahlund and his team’s deep affection for the character. That the spacecraft is called “Juice,” a commonly used word by SatAM Sonic and his assumed name during the show’s Blast to the Past two-parter is purely coincidental.
The launch will occur at 8:15 AM EST and will be livestreamed from the ESA’s website here, or on their Youtube channel here.
The Sonic-adorned space craft will be launching from Guiana Space Center using an Ariane 5 rocket. It’ll be going on a little tour of the solar system over the next few years, using Earth, the Moon and Venus for various gravity assist maneuvers, before eventually passing through the asteroid belt (where it may do a fly-by of an asteroid) and reaching the Jovian system in July 2031. In July 2032, it will do a flyby of Europa before settling into a high-inclination orbit around Jupiter in order to study its polar regions and magnetosphere.
In December 2034, it will begin the aforementioned orbit around Ganymede, before crashing into the moon at some point the following year. That final maneuver may be changed if scientists conclude it may contaminate a liquid ocean.
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With Sonic #57, the Urban Warfare went underway. Sonic returned to Eggperial city where he recently defeated Surge and brought along Tangle, Whisper, and the new team leader, Lanolin. Tangle decided to name the team “Diamond Cutters” to honor Whisper’s old team which the wolf is NOT happy with. The group soon finds out that Eggman’s city is growing rapidly on its own by using up all the resources below the ground. The issue ends with Sonic barely escaping a portal that sucks up the rest of the team. He realizes that this adventure is too much even for him.
In Sonic #58, backup has arrived! Tails, Amy, Blaze, and Silver quickly show up to help Sonic look for his missing teammates while the rest of the Diamond Cutters are trapped in what appears to be another dimension, but in the same location. They can see and hear Sonic and their friends, but they can’t interact with them or the environment. During this time, we get some emotional moments with Tangle, Whisper, and Lanolin. Meanwhile, we get some fun action moments with Sonic and his crew.
REVIEW
Sonic #58 is one of my favorite issues in months! We get some emotional moments followed up with great action. Let’s start off with Lanolin. My biggest issue is her being made a team leader while being brand new. In issue #57, she gave off this over-serious, “Sally Acorn” vibe without really earning it. Here, we get her backstory and she admits that she’s new and inexperienced. While I still don’t like the idea of a brand new character who just stepped out of the background given a leadership position, showing her flaws does help me like her character more.
Meanwhile Whisper finally confronts Tangle about the “Diamond Cutter” team name. The team she lost. Tangle thought it would be a good way to honor Whisper’s former teammates. She knew how close they were to Whisper and hoped the same for herself so they wouldn’t drift apart again. She apologizes to Whisper with the most adorable and comical sobbing I’ve ever seen. Wrapping her tail around her face to hide her tears as she breaks down crying. Whisper thinks back to how others have been doing nothing but helping her as of late (both physically and emotionally) while she’s been keeping her distance. She realizes that constantly keeping her friends away isn’t helping anyone. It looks like Whisper is no longer acting as a lone wolf. It’s a huge moment for her character.
With that emotional moment out of the way, we get some fun action with Sonic and his friends. In the midst of taking down an Egg Hammer bot, Amy, with some telekinesis assistance (try saying that three times fast) from Silver, smash the robot with its own massive hammer. It’s one of the best Amy Rose moments I’ve seen in quite some time. Silver is absolutely floored as he confesses Amy did most of the heavy lifting. Even Sonic tells her she’s awesome. We also get some continuity with the previous annual as Blaze mentions she’s still on vacation and Silver is glad to be useful (although you’d think they’d get more use from a guy who has telekinesis and can fly). Both teams decide to head to the central control hub, just before a huge explosion happens and we are introduced to our third group, Team Dark. Looks like we’ll be seeing some antihero shenanigans in the next issue.
This issue had everything. Action, humor, and a lot of heart. This is the best work I’ve seen out of Ian Flynn in a while, giving us a more text-heavy issue than we’ve had in ages. It felt twice as long to read as most issues and I mean that in the best way. The art by Thomas Rothlisberger is both cartoony and expressive. Allowing the more emotional moments to go through while still having a great pace for humor and action. Tangle’s tearful apology was both sweet and hilarious. I’ve never seen a character sobbing drawn in such a humorous manner.
My main critiques of the issue are the same as the last one. We still don’t get a good showing of the city expanding. It would be nice to get some distance shots to help show its progression. Even some walls suddenly springing up around Sonic and his friends would help show off the environment better. Also, if the city is hollowed out from the earth below it, how is it not falling in on itself since it should be a massive sinkhole? Everything needs a foundation. But those are minor nitpicks of an otherwise solid arc so far. Can’t wait for the next two issues!
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Just a week after the release of Sonic Frontiers, SEGA’s looking to hire new developers to work on future games in the franchise.
SEGA of Japan’s Twitter account made the announcement yesterday, saying it was “looking for people to work on the Sonic the Hedgehog series,” before linking to a job listing.
Whether this is an expansion of existing development capability, or filling in existing positions, is currently unknown.
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Here’s a collaboration we weren’t expecting – PC motherboard manufacturer ASRock is apparently soon to launch a Sonic the Hedgehog-branded board, which will no doubt give your Steam-purchased Sonic the Hedgehog games an extra level of speed (it won’t, but it looks like it would).
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It looks like we’ve got a new mobile Sonic game incoming from SEGA Hardlight, if a new job listing on Gameindustry.biz’s jobs board is any indication. The job listing is for a lead artist, who will work on a “new Sonic game,” who will, among other things, need to be ready to “push the limits mobile gaming to near-console levels.” While not technically an official confirmation, it might as well be.
The job listing also includes another interesting detail: this new mobile title will be apparently be an “ambitious” narrative driven platforming game. This would be new for a Sonic mobile game, which typically focus on very arcade-y game play (such as autorunners or racing games), that only occasionally have a story mode, and have never tackled traditional platforming. Beyond this detail, little else is currently known about the project.
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Jakks Pacific has unveiled its upcoming line of Sonic 2 movie toys on social media. Ever wanted to own a toy of the Tornado, or Jim Carrey Robnotnik? Well now you can!
The line-up includes plushies, action figures, the aforementioned Tornado biplane, and Sonic on some sort of skateboard type thing, complete with a giant ring. All of the action figures include some sort of accessory as well. Sonic and Knuckles both have snowboards, while Dr. Robotnik has one of his egg robots and a…coffee cup. Tails, most interestingly, appears to have some sort of gun. Check out the toys below:
These toys will launch in the spring, likely around the same time as the movie’s release on April 8. What are your thoughts on these toys? Tell us in the comments below!
Credit to Josiahblaze for sending this into our Discord newstips!
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Sometimes, even the creators of a game don’t know what’s been shown of it.
A little over thirty-one years ago, the Japanese magazine Famicon Tsushin printed screenshots of Sonic 1, taken from the game’s Tokyo Toy Show 1990 build. A few days ago, those screens resurfaced on Twitter, shortly after the magazine was posted to Archive.org, thanks to @VGDensetsu. The screenshots featured a clear look at an unused Sonic 1 beta enemy, from before badniks were created. While this technically wasn’t the first time a decent screenshot of this enemy was found (and blurry screenshots were around in the mid-2000s), it did mark the first time it garnered widespread attention from the Sonic community…and Yuji Naka!
Naka’s reaction was one of surprise: he had no memory of screenshots of the enemy ever being taken. In a tweet, roughly translated by Google, Naka said “I don’t have much memory of putting this enemy on the screen, so it may be a screen I made, but I feel like I couldn’t do that at that time, so it’s a mystery.” Obviously, the usual caveats of relying on flawed Google translations apply here.
You can check out the VGDensetsu tweet here, and you can find the scan below:
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Did you check out the new Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania trailer that SEGA released today? If so, you may have noticed an interesting teaser at the end of it. And it features a familiar face we know all too well.
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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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It is hard to believe, but a blue hedgehog that runs at the speed of sound is now 30 years old today. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on the impact that the franchise has had around the world.
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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.
The Sonic Central broadcast confirmed the rumored collection of the Sonic collection of games. It is called Sonic Origins, and it is going to be releasing next year.
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Remember that retro SEGA-themed picross game announced last year? Well, we just got an update on it from its developer, Jupiter: it’s still alive! That may seem like an odd update to give, but Jupiter has been oddly silent about the project for sometime now, leading many to wonder if the project was dead.
Jupiter’s update didn’t contain any additional info, such as a release date or screenshots, but at least we know the project itself is still kicking! To reiterate what we already know: it will have puzzles from 59 Mega Drive/Genesis & Mark III/Master System games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd, and Phantasy Star.
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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.
Who likes financial briefings! Now, don’t raise your hands all at once, I know we’re all really excited to get new financial numbers, but for those of you who aren’t already sifting through the 74-page 2020 Results Presentation on SEGA SAMMY’s investor relations site, here are the highlights.
Although several other sites latched onto the “Super Game” mentioned eight times in the report, the way it appears in the presentation suggests “Super Game” might just be a term they use for a game that they can sell to a global audience. It may include new IP considering they have a separate 3-year plan to globalize their existing IP, but it would be very weird for a 5-year plan to include making some sort of global omni-game containing multiple titles. Not impossible, but very weird.
Other notable bits from the report include:
The Sonic series led traditional software sales with 4.4 million units sold, followed by Total War (4 million), Football Manager (3.8 million), and Persona (3 million).
Sonic is used as an example of strengthening the brand through media mix, specifically citing the original Sonic movie, the upcoming sequel, and the Netflix series Sonic Prime.
Games highlighted for release during fiscal 2021/2022 are Humankind, Shin Megami Tensei V, Total War: Warhammer III, Lost Judgment, and Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis.
SEGA’s European studio is working on an unspecified FPS project.
SEGA is instituting an approach of Remaster-Remake-Reboot in regard to current and past/dormant IP. Examples listed under past IP include Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Rez, Panzer Dragoon, NiGHTS, Shinobi, Virtua Fighter, Altered Beast, House of the Dead, Streets of Rage, and Soul Hackers, all with the asterisk “*Under examination of which IP to utilize.”
Game software sales stayed strong, and Free to Play titles were really strong throughout quarantine/social distancing.
SEGA SAMMY reiterates that they were hit hard by the economic effects of Covid, leading them to restructure (voluntary retirement, sale/restructure of arcade divisions). Spaces most prominently affected were the arcade business, arcade machines, pachinko/pachislots, and their resorts.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how much SEGA SAMMY is worth, they report having 367.6 billion yen in liquid assets as of March 2021 (or roughly 3.4 billion USD, 2.4 billion GBP, or 2.8 billion EUR). This amount is just liquid assets, and does not include the value of property the company owns or the IP it holds.
SEGA SAMMY acknowledges responsibilities regarding environmental sustainability, diversity, job satisfaction, and addiction prevention.
Oh, and hey, they’re working on a Gamera pachislot machine, which I personally like for esoteric reasons.
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It had been rumored for a little while, but now it’s official. Sonic the Hedgehog is getting a 3D animated series on Netflix, and you’ll be able to see it when it premieres in 2022.
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We’re chalking this up as a rumour for now, but there is some widespread chatter on the internet today about a Sonic the Hedgehog costume buried within the code of popular knockout party game Fall Guys on PC and PlayStation 4. Continue reading Has a Sonic Costume Been Added to Fall Guys Season 2?
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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.
If you’ve been following things, you may remember that this was leaked via a datamining of the game Ninjala for Nintendo Switch (these things tend to happen) where references to the Sonic franchise were found. Anyway, Ninjala makers GungHo finally revealed the existence of the collaboration with our fav blue Hedgehog. Only, that’s all for now! We’ll have to wait and see what the collaboration will actually be about. When that time comes, we’ll let you know!
Ninjala for those who don’t know is a free-to-play competitive action game that’s out right now worldwide exclusively on Nintendo Switch (from the director of Dissidia Final Fantasy on PSP, I am not kidding). So if you have a Switch, you can try it out now (find your regional store page on the official site) and see if it’s your thing, and it’ll hopefully give you an idea on what to expect from this collaboration.
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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.
In today’s “Japan gets all the cool stuff” news, SEGA is celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog’s 29th birthday by making sure its arcade-goers don’t go hungry. A select number of Tokyo-based SEGA Taiyaki stores will be selling taiyaki in the shape of the blue blur’s face! Continue reading Munch on Sonic’s Delicious Face With This Chili Dog-Flavoured Taiyaki
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It’s June 23rd, and you know what that means. Today marks the anniversary of Sonic’s first adventure. Of course, in the game’s canon, he remains a 15 year old. But Sonic 1 released 29 years ago on this date, which means Sonic, and even Dr. Eggman, are now 29 years old.
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Good things come in pairs, and following the Sonic sale on the U.S. Nintendo eShop, Microsoft joins in with intense 50% discounts on ten more Sonic games for multiple Xbox Marketplace regions, most of which aren’t part of the Nintendo sale. As a reminder, all these games are playable on the Xbox One, and will likely be playable on the Series X in the near future.
Prices in USD/GBP respectively.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) – $2.49/£1.69
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) – $2.49/£1.69
Sonic CD – $2.49/£1.69
Sonic the Fighters – $2.49/£1.69
Sonic Adventure – $2.49/£1.69
Sonic Adventure 2 – $4.99/£3.37
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I – $4.99/£3.37
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II – $7.49/£4.99
Sonic Unleashed – $7.49/£5.99
Sonic Generations – $9.99/£7.49
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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.
While at Comic Con last week, I managed to grab a SDCC exclusive copy of Tangle and Whisper issue number one, The very first IDW spin-off mini series based on comic exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog characters. Written by Ian Flynn with art by Evan Stanley.
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Yes, it’s that time of year again – Sonic the Hedgehog officially turns 28 years old on this day, 23rd June 2019. I mean, he doesn’t -really- turn 28 because Sonic is not real (sorry), but today was the day, 28 years ago, that the original Sonic the Hedgehog game was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. So, that makes Sonic (and Dr. Eggman, technically) the same age. Continue reading Happy Birthday Sonic the Hedgehog! 28 Years Old Today!
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The tie-ins won’t stop! Japanese mobile RPG game Idola: Phantasy Star Saga is running a special promotion where you can grab a “Special Soul Symbol” based on the recently released racing spin-off title Team Sonic Racing.
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In a recent interview with Japanese gaming website 4Gamer, Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team, answered some questions regarding Sonic’s future. The following excerpts from that interview were translated by Nintendo Everything.
When asked about Sonic’s upcoming 30th anniversary in 2021, Iizuka said that “planning would need to begin now,” and that he’d “really like for us to take on some sort of new challenge for it though.”
On the subject of Sonic in eSports, Iizuka was ambivalent, saying that because Sonic is primarily an action platformer, going into eSports “might not be feasible.” However, he did express a willingness to take on new genre challenges, bringing up the recently released Team Sonic Racing as an example. He indicated that “there’s always the chance that something suited to eSports might come out of those different projects.” The Sonic franchise is no stranger to spin-offs in other genres, so it would appear that an eSports focused Sonic spin-off is at least a possibility, albeit a remote one.
While this likely has nothing to do with Sonic’s still-far-off 30th anniversary, Iizuka did confirm that a new 3D Sonic title was in development earlier this year at SXSW’s Sonic panel.
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As part of Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct, we got a new look at Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020 for Switch. We got to see new footage of numerous events, as well as the release month of November 2019.
Sega also opened the website for the game showcasing the numerous events they’ve announced so far, starting with four new ones:
– Surfing – Snow Board
– Karate – Kumite
– Sport Climbing
– Skateboarding – Park
Sega also confirmed numerous characters, all returning from the previous games so far. The website displays Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser from the Mario series, and Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Eggman from Sonic’s series. However, others were shown in the trailer, including Donkey Kong and Silver.
Sega also confirmed the return of online multiplayer for the first time since Sochi 2014, though to what extent is not currently clear.
The trailer may also briefly features retro graphics for one of the events. Whether this is simply a flourish for the trailer, or a legitimate game mode is currently unknown.
Finally there are a few new screenshots to check out below:
I need to know more about this mode!!
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020 releases on Switch this November.
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We didn’t want to wait until the end of the month to talk about this one. Recorded the day after the trailer’s release, Jason, Alex and Chris discuss their opinions on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer. We may have seen leaked images early, but we weren’t going to pass judgement until we saw the hedgehog in motion. Well we did and…..it’s even worse than we thought. Join us and listen to what we thought of Sonic, James Marsden, Jim Carrey and more.
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