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Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken.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 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.
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SEGA has surprise-announced a brand new 2D Sonic game at Summer Game Fest 2023, called Sonic Superstars!
Featuring 3D models and environments and focusing entirely on Classic Sonic gameplay, Sonic Superstars will see Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose go on a new adventure as they tackle Dr. Eggman in a scenario reminiscent of the 16-bit days… only this time, Eggman has help in the form of returning classic bad guy, Fang the Sniper!
According to IGN, the game will take place in a new location called the North Star Islands, which look like it’s going to be home to a whole lot of new gimmicks such as vines that shoot Sonic upwards, trees that the blue blur can grind along and chutes that work in a similar way to those found in Stardust Speedway.
Apparently the Chaos Emeralds are also back, and can be seen to unlock specific powers for Sonic and friends. We can see in one instance where the player makes clones of themselves, and another where the player travels up a waterfall using another Chaos Emerald power.
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) June 8, 2023
Sonic Superstars will be coming to PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC later in Fall 2023.
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Sonic as a franchise has always been…strangely averse to DLC. In an era where a lot of single-player games can get loads of post-launch content, SEGA has remained rather stingy when it comes to Sonic. Maybe we get some level packs reusing in-game assets, or cosmetics, or if we’re really lucky, some new characters or a couple brand new levels, but we’ve never really gotten anything substantial, even when you’d think a game was built for it. I mean, who wouldn’t have wanted more classic levels re-imagined in Sonic Generations or Sonic Mania?
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We’re less than a month out from Sonic Origins’ release, so the final details are now being added to some of the game’s storefronts. Specifically, we now have file size listed on both the Nintendo eShop and Xbox storefronts. Unfortunately, different sizes are listed in different places, which has made reporting on this messier than it really ought to be.
Over at Xbox, both versions of the game are listed at 6 gigs on the Xbox website. If that seems a bit big, that’s because it is: Sonic Mania’s size was less than 400MB, so this is a massive increase in size over that. If you check out the game’s listing on an actual Xbox One X, however, the game’s size is listed as a mere 324.89 MB.
Meanwhile, over at Nintendo’s website, we also have different sizes…between the different versions of the game. The standard version is listed at 3.6 gigs, while the Digital Deluxe version apparently has a size of 7.8 gigs. Finally, we have the game’s Switch eShop listings, which have the standard version at 3.5 gigs and the Digital Deluxe version at 3.8 gigs.
Given the version differences, that difference in download sizes seems a bit…extreme.
Obviously, they can’t all be right. In all likelihood, this will be corrected by the time the game comes out next month.
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UPDATE: Contest tweet has gone live. We’ve embedded it in the article.
Today, Xbox Wire has announced a contest to win a custom Sonic 2 Movie Sonic vs. Knuckles-styled Xbox Series S along with two truly reprehensible controllers covered entirely in thick blue and red fur.
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A trio of classic Xbox 360 Sonic the Hedgehog titles – Sonic Generations, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – will be enhanced on next-generation Xbox consoles thanks to the consoles’ ‘FPS Boost’ feature. The updates will take effect on all three games today.
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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.
Is it possible!? It looks like Sonic the Hedgehog is rolling his way into the Super Monkey Ball universe as an unlockable character in Banana Blitz HD!
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Microsoft held their second episode of Inside Xbox yesterday, in which they share a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s inner workings, and today’s livestream held a special announcement regarding backward compatibility on Xbox One.
The gaming giant revealed that a handful of backward compatible Xbox 360 games will become Xbox One X-enhanced, a beefy update through which last-gen titles receive a substantial performance boost on the most powerful home console on the market, after the presentation. Among them is none other than Sonic Generations, which also means that the 20th anniversary title celebrating Sonic’s history has also been finally retrofitted for the Xbox One family of systems as of today!
Episode 2 of Inside Xbox also revealed a ton of new original Xbox games being added to the backward compatible library, including SEGA’s own Panzer Dragoon Orta.
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Amidst the flurry of classic SEGA titles hitting Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network last week, it may come as no surprise to many that whispers of potential releases of other classic games are circulating. Continue reading Sonic the Fighters Rumoured for Xbox Live Arcade
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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.
ASSEMbler Games forum member ProtonX has discovered an unreleased game called Sonic Extreme via an Xbox development kit. The game sees Sonic try his hand at skateboarding, with gameplay much like the Tony Hawk skating games, tricks and all. Continue reading Unreleased Xbox Game “Sonic Extreme” Discovered
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In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine UK, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka has explained that Gamecube, Xbox and PS2 title Shadow the Hedgehog was aimed at U.S. gamers. Iizuka says the reason for this is because first-person and third-person shooters had garnered so much popularity in the U.S. market and the development team saw Shadow as the perfect character to work with shooter-based gameplay. Continue reading Iizuka: Shadow The Hedgehog’s Target Audience Was U.S. Gamers
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So could we be seeing downloadable characters, tracks, vehicles? Let us know what you’d like to see in the comments.
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European ratings board PEGI have rated the Xbox Original title Sonic Mega Collection Plus for Xbox Live Arcade. We can only assume they mean the ‘Originals’ section of the Marketplace, and not the Live Arcade itself. For those who don’t know, SMC+ is an Xbox re-release of a Gamecube Sonic compilation, with added Game Gear titles as well as a few hidden non-Sonic titles.
PEGI have rated the game 7+, which is odd because they rated the original Xbox version 12+, so could we see some cuts in this port? Another thing that’s odd about this is that the original Xbox version is backwards compatible with the Xbox 360 anyway, the Mega Drive games will soon be released in SEGA’s newest compilation (SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection) and two of those Mega Drive titles are already on the Xbox Live Arcade.
Oh well, if it’s going cheap and people can’t find the original Xbox game and want some added Game Gear action, this will be a good buy for them.
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Sketchy details have surfaced once again for Shadow the Hedgehog, the latest are hinting at Shadow not being the only playable character in the upcoming title.
Nintendo Insider tell us . .
More details have surfaced regarding SEGA’s GameCube title, Shadow the Hedgehog. According to Jeux France, Shadow won’t be the only playable character in the game, but Shadow will also be aided by Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and the infamous Dr. Eggman. Furthermore, the game features a unique time travel mechanism that allows players to alter their path in the game.
Whilst these details cannot be confirmed at the moment, if they are a sign of things to come could this turn around many of the negative responces and outcry of Sonic fans?
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Sonic Heroes has finally been released at a budget price, also becoming a “Player’s Choice” title for the Nintendo GameCube. The game has been re-released for $19.99 for GameCube, PS2 and Xbox.
“The tremendous retail success of Sonic Heroes across all platforms makes it clear that everyone’s favorite hedgehog is still at the top of his game,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Entertainment Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “And this value-priced re-issue is just the beginning; Sonic has a handful of other big surprises in store for gamers throughout 2005.”
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Sega has announced that Shadow The Hedgehog will be making its way to all 3 major video game consoles, the Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation 2, and Nintendo GameCube. The game will be released this winter and will be developed by Sega Studios USA.
“Since we first introduced him in [2001’s] Sonic Adventure 2, we have wanted to feature Shadow in his own game,” said Takashi Iizuka, game director, SEGA Studio USA. “We maintained Shadow as a mysterious character and now fans can control his destiny…”
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Xbox players looking forward to getting their Hunt on in Phantasy Star Online might be surprised at this news – according to a new report, there will be additional fees for access to the game on Microsoft’s home console.
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Phantasy Star Online players confused about the game’s extended downtime over the last week or so have finally been given an answer by Sonic Team. Apparently a rather malicious internet worm that has knackered a whole bunch of other sites and services made its way to PSO’s servers as well, so the developer took the action of taking things offline to fix it.
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It’s about time! Sonic Team fans with an Xbox console have been patiently waiting for the launch of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, and now it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The game will be released on Xbox in Japan and the West in early 2003.
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Chalk this one up to being one MASSIVE rumour at the moment, but reports are circulating that Xbox console manufacturer Microsoft could be eyeing up a takeover of SEGA. Shares in SEGA rose by 17 per cent as a result of the speculation.
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If you needed any proof that Sonic the Hedgehog was SEGA’s biggest franchise, then maybe this recent report will confirm it. A calculation of SEGA’s third-party game sales were made for the year of 2002, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle on Gamecube is currently the top-selling game of all of SEGA’s products.
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At Tokyo Game Show this year, Sonic Team reminded the world that they are still working on Phantasy Star Online for Microsoft’s Xbox console. It now has an official name, too – Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. That’s right, it’s the same game as the recently-released (in Japan) Gamecube version.
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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.
Looks like Xbox-owning Phantasy Star Online players will get something a little extra when the online RPG releases later this year. According to a report from TSSZ, Episode I & II will support Xbox Live’s voice chat system in addition to the usual text communications available on the Gamecube version. Continue reading Report: PSO Episode I & II Will Support Voice Chat on Xbox
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Some disappointing news in the Phantasy Star Online universe, depending on how you were hoping to play and whether you have deep pockets. SEGA has confirmed that the upcoming Episode I & II game on Gamecube and Xbox will require subscription payments – and no, you won’t be able to play between the different consoles either. Continue reading PSO Episode I & II Will Require a Subscription, Cross-Platform Play Killed
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SEGA has unveiled its E3 2002 showcase lineup, and it looks like Phantasy Star Online will get a fair bit of attention on the Sonic Team side of things. But, unless there’s a sneak announcement happening during the show, it appears that Sonic himself won’t be showing up in any form. Continue reading PSO Features in SEGA’s E3 2002 Lineup – But No Sonic
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Microsoft might be getting a wave of interest from Western gamers with its first ever video game console, but in Japan it’s a totally different story with SEGA’s discontinued Dreamcast managing to outsell the Xbox! Crikey. Continue reading Dreamcast Manages to Outsell Xbox in Japan
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Seems like the upcoming release of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is going to be much more significant than we thought, if recent rumours are to be believed. Apparently, the game will allow for cross-play between Nintendo Gamecube and Microsoft Xbox players. Continue reading Rumour: PSO To Offer Xbox and Gamecube Cross-Play
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Sonic could see himself running on another new console alongside the Nintendo Gamecube, as a fresh new deal between Tokyo-based Coolnet Entertainment and SEGA will allow for catalogue titles in SEGA’s history to be published on Microsoft’s Xbox. Continue reading Classic Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast Titles To Come to Xbox
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SEGA’s commitment to Microsoft’s Xbox console might be down to more than just a ‘platform-agnostic’ view of developing titles for the right machine. According to a new report, Bill Gates and his team in Redmond were in talks to merge the Microsoft gaming division with SEGA – or buying them outright – to gain a foothold in the growing console space. Continue reading Report: SEGA and Microsoft Were in Talks to Merge Companies
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Sonic Team head Yuji Naka revealed at SEGA’s Consumer Conference that the Gamecube release of Phantasy Star Online will be accompanied by a third-party controller by ASCII that features a small keyboard. On the Xbox, PSO will be unique in that it will support the broadband features of Microsoft’s console, as opposed to Dreamcast and Gamecube’s modem connectivity.
Read more on these, as well as the news coming from other SEGA developers and executives from the Consumer Conference, in Gamespot’s report.
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Good news for potential Xbox owners – Sonic Team has revealed at this year’s Tokyo Game Show that a version of Phantasy Star Online version 2 will be coming to Microsoft’s big black box. As Microsoft is intending to move into the online gaming space, it makes sense for SEGA to think about the Xbox as a viable platform for PSO. No more details were revealed, so we’ll have to wait and see what form it takes.
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Sega is preparing to show off a lot of titles at this year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo. Among the confirmed games on the show floor will be the upcoming GBA titles Sonic Advance as well as ChuChu Rocket from Sonic Team, but Sega titles on Xbox will also be revealed. Continue reading SEGA’s E3 Details Revealed
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Sega officially announced its commitment to third party development in a huge news conference this morning. The company outlined which of its development studios would align to which console, noting that Sonic Team, AM2 and Amusement Vision will largely focus their efforts on Nintendo’s Gamecube. Continue reading SEGA Reveals Third Party Plan: Sonic Team to Make Home on Nintendo Gamecube
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