E3 2011: Sonic Generations City Escape Gameplay

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc2RMHir8nU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUGCIxwkRc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

GameSpot.com showcased a live demo of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Sonic Generations this evening with SEGA’s Patrick Riley and the game’s director Hiroshi Miyamoto. In the demonstration is more of Green Hill Zone as well as an unexpected showing of the newly revealed stage City Escape, which was only shown behind closed doors up until now. Like with Green Hill Zone, the stage has been revamped for both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic, and as we told you in our eyes on preview, the GUN truck returns and is now more dangerous than before.

Anyway, what are you still reading this article for? Check out the gameplay videos of both Acts above courtesy of SSMB member Dusk Golem.

If you want to watch the whole demo, including more footage from Green Hill Zone and the full Q&A, SSMB member Woun has uploaded the whole thing to YouTube. We have that for you below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlPkZySUPE8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Thanks to Dusk Golem and Woun at the SSMB for the YouTube uploads!

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E3 2011: New Trailer Reveals 2 New Levels For Sonic Generations

SEGA has opened their E3 booth and kicked things off with a new trailer for Sonic Generations. The video reveals Sonic Adventure 2’s City Escape as a level in the game and teases another at the end, but we’ll leave you guys to discover and guess what that one is for yourselves. Lots of gameplay footage can be seen of both Classic and Modern Sonic dashing through City Escape, along with more beautiful CGI goodness. SEGA’s also unveiled the box art for the game, and it looks like the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be playable in 3D.

Check out the trailer below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe7GQ91VPNU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Thanks to ArtFenix for the heads up and to BlazingTales for the YouTube upload!

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SEGA Reveals E3 Lineup, M&S at the London 2012 Olympic Games Dated

SEGA has just revealed their lineup of software they will be showcasing at E3 2011, which includes Sonic Generations and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games among their various other franchises. Along with this news, SEGA’s also set rough release dates for both versions of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Nintendo Wii version will launch in November this year and the Nintendo 3DS version will be released in February 2012.

Check out SEGA’s press release with their full E3 2011 lineup below:

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (June 2, 2011) – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced its roster of titles to be presented at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2011). The company will present more than 13 new games across all major platforms, including several games in stunning stereoscopic 3D, support for PlayStation®Move for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Kinect™ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Nintendo 3DS™. The lineup spans multiple genres and includes adaptations of blockbuster film franchises, an original squad-based shooter from the creative mind of some of SEGA’s most popular franchises, the first “M-rated” game on Kinect™ for Xbox360®, AAA digital titles, an all-new title from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames and many more!

To celebrate this year’s 20th birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog, one of gaming’s most iconic characters, SEGA will be hosting a celebratory community event featuring Sonic Generations™ on Wednesday, June 8th, 6PM PST at the Club NOKIA in Downtown Los Angeles.

The list of titles in display at SEGA’s E3 booth (South Exhibit Hall, Booth 2023) includes among others:

Aliens: Colonial Marines™ (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, PC) – Launch Date: Spring 2012
From the award-winning first-person shooter powerhouse Gearbox Software comes Aliens: Colonial Marines, the highly anticipated horror-based action FPS set in the Aliens™ universe with cooperative multiplayer at its core. Bringing new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise, the game pits players against the universe’s ultimate alien killing machines, the Xenomorphs, in claustrophobic environments guaranteed to produce horrifying shocks and surprises.

ANARCHY REIGNS™ (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system) – Launch Date: January 2012
ANARCHY REIGNS is the much anticipated next title from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames. With ANARCHY REIGNS, PlatinumGames will be using their hallmark creativity and technical excellence to challenge the boundaries of the conventional brawler genre by allowing multiple players to get involved in heavy-hitting action simultaneously. ANARCHY REIGNS incorporates a diverse range of multiplayer modes to provide players with different challenges, including a co-op survival mode and an all-out Battle Royal mode, where players can challenge others in a full-on fight for victory. Additionally, all modes will be available as offline single-player experiences as well. In the single player campaign mode, players can choose between Jack and Leo for different story experiences.

Binary Domain™ (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system) – Launch Date: Early 2012
Binary Domain is an original IP by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator behind some of SEGA’s most well-known video game franchises, including the critically acclaimed Yakuza series. The atmospheric squad-based shooter puts players in the middle of a fast-paced and intense battle against hordes of deadly robots, and a secret that could threaten all mankind. Fighting upward through the derelict lower levels of 2080 Tokyo into the beautiful upper city, players control an international Special Forces squad, specializing in covert ops, which sets out to battle to the heart of the crisis.

Captain America™: Super Soldier (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Nintendo 3DS™) – Launch Date: (US) July 19; (EU) July, 15, 2011; 3DS in Fall 2011
Become Captain America™, the ultimate Super-Soldier, in the darkest days of World War II as you face the Red Skull and his army in this epic third-person action adventure. Wield Captain America’s legendary shield to take out multiple enemies at once, deflect incoming fire back at your enemies, solve puzzles, and scale walls. Above all, hurl yourself shield-first into the fray, with the superior force of the world’s first Super-Soldier at your fingertips. Engage in devastating open combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s massive and mysterious castle complex and battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and a host of nefarious enemies serving the Red Skull in an all-new Captain America story and adventure.

CRUSH3D™ (Nintendo 3DS™) – Launch Date: (US) September 6, (EU) September 9, 2011
Redesigned for Nintendo 3DS, CRUSH3D is the unique platform game that gives you the ability to change perspective from 2D to 3D as you try to solve brain-teasing puzzles. Built on the foundation of the award winning CRUSH™, CRUSH3D features a host of exciting new features specifically designed for the Nintendo 3DS system, including new locations, characters and an intuitive hint system. Navigate across the surreal platforms of Danny’s mind by ‘crushing’ your way from a 2-dimensional to a 3-dimensional world and back again whenever you need to.

Guardian Heroes™ (Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Network & Steam) – Launch Date: Late Summer 2011
Coming exclusively to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, get ready for more swords and sorcery than you can shake your magical staff at. An ancient evil threatens the world after years of peace. Step into the shoes of one of five mighty heroes; each with their own unique attacks and customizable stats. As you fight through forests, graveyards, castles and volcanoes, your every decision will decide the ultimate fate of the world. Do you have what it takes to be a Guardian Hero? Due out this summer, Guardian Heroes features Co-Op and Online play for you and your friends, multiple game modes, optimized graphics, and brand new achievements for Xbox LIVE®.

House of the Dead: OVERKILLExtended Cut (PlayStation® Move for PlayStation®3 system) – Launch Date: (US) October 25, (EU) October 28, 2011
The pulp-style reinvention of the classic light-gun shooter comes to the PlayStation®3 in this exclusive Extended Cut with an avalanche of new content including brand new levels, weapons, mutants and more. Experience the over-the-top, mutant blasting madness with your PlayStation®Move motion controller for PS3 all in stunning 3D and re-mastered HD graphics.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™ (Wii™, Nintendo 3DS™) – Launch Date: November 2011 (Wii™), February 2012 (Nintendo 3DS™)
Mario™ and Sonic™ will once again join forces on the Wii™ home video game system and, for the first time ever, on Nintendo 3DS™ as the much loved duo head to London to participate in the officially licensed Olympic-themed video game, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™. A host of exciting new headline events, including Football and Equestrian will debut on the Wii version appearing alongside classic Olympic disciplines, such as Athletics, Aquatics and Table Tennis. The new handheld system from Nintendo will bring a whole new dimension to the Mario & Sonic universe with glasses-free 3D visuals and around 50 original Olympic themed events playable using the unique control systems of the Nintendo 3DS.

Renegade Ops™ (Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Network, PC digital download) – Launch Date: 2011
Created by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios, Renegade Ops will unleash unprecedented mayhem and exhilarating destruction. Players are sent behind enemy lines in a mobile commando unit to defeat Inferno, a madman intent on global domination. Defeat enemies across a range of stunning environments using a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, from dispersing electromagnetic shock waves to the deployment of a huge Gatling gun armed to the teeth. Players have the choice to fight alone in single-player mode, team up offline with two-player split screen or join the dynamic 4-player online co-op experience.

Rise of Nightmares™ (Kinect™ for Xbox 360®) – Launch Date: TBA
Rise of Nightmares offers a spine-tingling horror experience unique to the massively successful Kinect. Using their whole body the player will experience fear and tension as never before in this first-person horror adventure. Fight off hordes of undead creatures and mad scientists in this uniquely horror themed adventure that sees players desperately searching for their kidnapped wife.

SEGA Rally Online Arcade™ (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system) – Launch Date: Out Now on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Coming Soon on PlayStation®Network)
When was the last time you enjoyed getting dragged through the mud? Race through five different types of terrain in more rally-bred vehicles than a baker can shake his dozen at – including the Ford Focus RS, the classic Lancia Delta Integrale and the ferocious Bowler Nemesis. Play through a slew of modes including Time Trials, Single Races, and Championship Events. Cut to the chase and face off online in a variety of 6 Player multiplayer racing events – isn’t it about time you showed your friends who’s numero uno?

Shinobi™ (Nintendo 3DS™) – Launch Date: September 2011
Shinobi for the Nintendo 3DS sees the eagerly anticipated return of the legendary Shinobi. We follow our hero, Jiro Musashi, through a wide variety of exotic locations as he battles his way past hordes of enemies using magical Ninja powers in this intense action-filled title. Shinobi will include some classic gameplay elements found in previous Shinobi titles, while introducing several exciting new features and experiences specifically designed to take advantage of the technology offered by the Nintendo 3DS system.

Sonic Generations™ (Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Nintendo 3DS™) – Launch Date: Holiday 2011
Delivering the definitive gaming experience for Sonic fans old and new and part of the celebrations for Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary, Sonic Generations sees Sonic the Hedgehog playable as both the much loved classic 1991 character, and the modern day video game hero he has become. In this exciting new fast paced adventure set across three defining eras from 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog, you can now speed through some of the most iconic environments, playing as Classic Sonic in re-imagined 2D side scrolling levels, and as Modern Sonic in all new, stunning 3D levels.

SEGA will be located at BOOTH 2023 in the South Exhibit Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. To schedule an appointment with SEGA at E3 2011, please contact media@sega.com.

Source: SEGA Europe Blog

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Sonic Generations Officially Announced for 3DS, Coming November 2011

SEGA has just officially announced the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, which was previously unveiled by Nintendo Power. Along with the announcement of this portable edition of the game, SEGA also announced a rough November release date for the 3DS version and the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

Check out the press release below:

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (June 1st, 2011) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. & SEGA® America, Inc., today confirmed Sonic Generations™ will be released on Nintendo’s new handheld system, Nintendo 3DS™ in November 2011. Set across three defining eras from Sonic the Hedgehog’s twenty year history, Sonic Generations™ for Nintendo 3DS will see SEGA’s mascot speeding through new stereoscopic 3D levels designed exclusively for the handheld console.

“Sonic Generations for Nintendo 3DS will combine brand new technology and twenty years of Sonic the Hedgehog videogame heritage” commented David Corless, Global Brand Director for Sonic. “Couple this with the ability to play as both Classic and Modern Sonic and you have the perfect gaming celebration for the landmark anniversary of our much loved mascot”

The specifically designed Nintendo 3DS environments, based on iconic levels from popular Sonic the Hedgehog titles, will include an exclusive unlockable ‘Special Stage’ allowing players to become even more immersed in Sonic’s world. Sonic Generations for Nintendo 3DS will also take advantage of the StreetPass™ feature by enabling players to collect new content and unlock bonus material each time they pass another player. In addition to this, the new two-player versus mode means fans can battle it out across some of the most recognisable Sonic environments in a completely new way.

Sonic Generations for Nintendo 3DS follows the same storyline as the previously announced platforms, with Sonic and his friends pulled back through time due to a mysterious new power which is causing chaos throughout the universe by creating strange “time holes”. Sonic Generations will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo 3DS system in November 2011.

For more information please visit www.sonicthehedgehog.com/generations

Source: SEGA’s website

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Sonic Free Riders Joins Games on Demand on Xbox Live Marketplace

SEGA has today made their first Xbox 360 Kinect title Sonic Free Riders available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace among the Games on Demand range. The game is the third entry in SEGA’s Sonic Riders racing series and features full-body control using Kinect to steer, jump, attack and boost your way through the game’s courses. Sonic Free Riders contains lots of new content, such as new courses, more characters (including Avatar support), more extreme gear, leaderboards and both offline and online multiplayer.

If you’re interested in Sonic Free Riders, you can buy and download it for £29.99/$49.99 from your Xbox 360 console, or you can purchase it from the official Xbox website. If you want to give the game a try, a demo is also available to download.

Source: SEGA of America Blog

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New Issue of OXM UK Reveals More Sonic Generations Details

Some pieces of new information about Sonic Generations have arisen in a new four page preview in the new issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK, which includes a short interview with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka.

New details from the feature are below:
* Current story details are:
“A mysterious new nemesis (Sega isn’t saying more than that at this time) arrives on the scene and immediately sets about eradicating the very fabric of space and time, as you do when you want to impress the new neighbours, The net result is that modern-day Sonic falls through a wormhole and winds up back in 1991, where he comes-to-face with his younger, squatter, flatter self.

1990’s Sonic isn’t much of a conversationalist, but since the entire world around them has suddenly been drained of colour, it doesn’t take a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation for the two of them to realise that something has gone desperately wrong. Hence, the two ‘hogs combine forces to form what Sega is calling a ‘Dream Team’ partnership, with the aim of restoring colour and vitality to some of Sonic lore’s most famous zones by besting them in both 2D and 3D.”

* Iizuka tells OXM that like Green Hill Zone’s new cave section, every classic level will feature a new visual element to keep things fresh.

* “One of the main rules Sonic Team has abided by during Sonic Generations’ development is that there would be no re-using of old assets or level designs – these are brand new courses with a stunning HD lick of paint.”

* While OXM feels Sonic 4: Episode 1 is an excellent platformer in its own right, they think Sonic Generations feels more like a true follow-up.

* “Sonic’s jumps are weighted perfectly and the sense of speed is as breathtaking as it was 20 years ago.”

* When asked how past levels were selected for the game, Takashi Iizuka responded:
“We took a democratic approach. We only get to celebrate Sonic’s 20th birthday once, so we wanted to make sure everyone got a say. What we did was poll every Sega worker – including those in Europe and America – and asked them to nominate their favourite Sonic levels of all time. Then we did some research with the core fanbase and we were able to draw up a shortlist from there.”

* OXM also asked Iizuka if it was harder to reverse-engineer 3D levels to work in 2D, or vice-versa, to which he answered:
“It was definitely harder to get the 3D levels working in 2D, because some of the famous contraptions – the things that define those levels – have been designed to work freely in three dimensions. It was a real challenge to get them to work recognisably in a 2D plain. Of course, many modern 3D stages also have 2D sub-sections within them, but Sonic has a different moveset in Generations than he did in those games, so that was another thing we had to take into consideration.”

* When asked if Sonic’s friends will be making an appearance, Iizuka replied:
“Of course, because they’re a big part of Sonic history! But they’ll only be making cameos, be it as part of the story or in the backgrounds. Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic will be the only two playable characters in the game.”

You can check out the full interview and the rest of the preview by grabbing the new issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK in stores now, or order a subscription online at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

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Sonic ’06 TGS ’05 Trailer Theme Music Found

Via Mefiresu from the Russian Sonic community, fellow fansite Sonic Scene has received an MP3 file of what is believed to be the theme music played in the Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) TGS 2005 trailer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59_cHorjNk&feature=related[/youtube]
When compared to the faint music heard in the highest quality version (it was never made available outside of camera recordings) of the trailer on YouTube recorded by Kikizo (above), it does sound identical.

You can grab the full 4 minutes and 58 seconds long track over at Sonic Scene.

Thanks to Woun for the heads up!

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Sonic Generations Demo Approved For Australia

Australia’s Classification Board today approved a demo for Sonic’s new PS3 and Xbox 360 title Sonic Generations. The board rated the demo ‘General’, which deems it fit for all audiences to play. With the demo being rated now and the full game not due out until the holiday season later this year, could we be getting to download a sample of the game sooner rather than later?

A demo for Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was released on Xbox Live Marketplace in September, rather than around the full game’s November release, as with most game’s demos. There’s always the possibility that this could just be a rating for a demo being shown to the press and/or public at various events though, so don’t get your hopes too high.

Sonic’s 20th Birthday is June 23rd and we’re sure a demo release around then would be a welcome surprise for fans.

Source: Australia’s Classification Board (via Siliconera)

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New Hi-Res Sonic Generations Green Hill Zone Screenshots

Some more screenshots of upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 game Sonic Generations have hit the net. Most of them are new, while a few are old, but are now available in hi-resolution. The screens show us more of both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic speeding through the Green Hill Zone, and we can even see Classic Sonic displaying the return of both of the classic ledge balancing animations. How cool is that?

Check out the screens and individual artwork of Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic below.

Sources: Sonic Scene and Aussie Gamer

Thanks to Woun for the heads up!

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Sonic Generations Announced For Japan, 2 New Screens & Artwork

Andriasang reports that SEGA has announced that Sonic Generations will be released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Japan this Winter. Along with the announcement, SEGA’s shared four screenshots (two old, two new) and a piece of artwork featuring both Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic. You can check out the new screenshots and artwork below.

Source: Andriasang (via CVG)

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3 More Sonic Generations Green Hill Zone Screenshots

It appears GameSpot managed to grab three more Sonic Generations screenshots after the game’s proper unveiling on Monday. The three images show more of the Green Hill Zone in both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic versions and the above screenshot in particular really shows how pretty the game is graphically.

Source: GameSpot

Thanks to Blue Blood at the SSMB and Rickyrick in the comments of a previous article for the heads up!

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Classic Sonic Won’t Be Saying a Word in Sonic Generations

SEGA’s RubyEclipse has revealed in some posts at the SEGA Forums on Monday that pudgy ‘ol Classic Sonic will not be gaining a voice box in the new game Sonic Generations.

Johnny_Boy at the SEGA Forums pointed out that Classic Sonic appears to have a short voice clip in the new Sonic Generations gameplay trailer, but RubyEclipse answered with the below post:

Actually, that’s just the modern voice being used in the trailer during classic gameplay.

Worry not, Classic fans. 🙂

Link

The voice clip appears to be an error made during the trailer’s production:

No, I’m not sure why it was added in the trailer. 🙂 I’ll poke somebody about the nuances of including modern Sonic’s voice alongside gameplay of Classic Sonic.

Link

RubyEclipse goes on to explain the reasoning behind the decision to make Classic Sonic mute:

It’s a big deal for some because Classic Sonic never really spoke in the old games. Save for Jaleel White, who voiced our blue hero in the old Sonic Cartoons, it’s generally taboo to have Classic Sonic speaking. Hope this explained a bit!

Link

Finally, RubyEclipse gives a straight confirmation of Classic Sonic’s silence and acknowledges how much it means to some people out there.

There’s a lot about the game that remains secret. Much of the gameplay is still in that realm, so I can’t offer new tidbits of info you may not have already seen there.

As to voices, it’s been already confirmed that Classic Sonic doesn’t talk, so I was happy to clarify – it means a lot to some people!

Link

What do you think about SEGA’s decision to keep Classic Sonic silent in the voice department? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks to KCG at the SSMB for the heads up!

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[UPDATE] Sonic Generations Getting Multiple Dubs In Europe

UPDATE: Sonic Paradise has heard confirmation of the Spanish dub from SEGA Spain and Gamereactor has heard confirmation of the German dub from Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka. [Thanks to MarcelloF at the SSMB for the Gamereactor news.]

Original story:
According to a report over at Gamekyo, SEGA Japan has confirmed that new Xbox 360 and PS3 game Sonic Generations will be dubbed for each European country. The website also says that SEGA France has informed them that the game will be dubbed into French with the voices of their respective country’s Sonic X voice actors. If this report is true, then this will be the first time a Sonic game has been dubbed outside of the English and Japanese languages and shows SEGA is really pulling out all of the stops for fans to mark Sonic’s big 20th Anniversary celebration.

SEGA’s not confirmed this information through any of their official websites or social media outlets, but if we hear anything we’ll update you.

Source: Gamekyo (via Sonic Paradise)

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New Sonic Generations Gameplay Video Confirms Classic Music

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmN0Z6GAfj0&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Spanish gaming website Meristation has posted a new video interview with Sonic Team head in which he confirms other characters will appear in Sonic Generations, but he wouldn’t say whether they would be playable or limited to the story. Plenty of direct-feed gameplay footage is also included in the video, which confirms the original classic Green Hill Zone music will play during classic Sonic’s stage, while a remix of the same music will play during modern Sonic’s stage.

Source: Meristation

What do you think of the game so far? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks to Ferr at the SSMB for the heads up and to Woun at the SSMB for the YouTube upload!

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Sonic Generations Previews and Interview With Iizuka

With the official announcement of Sonic Generations comes the first batch of hands-on previews and an interview with Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka from the internets top gaming websites revealing more details about the game. We’ve dissected a few of the features below if you just want the main points.

IGN
Classic Sonic plays as you remember him from the 16 bit days
“On the other there’s the dynamic 3D acrobatics of modern Sonic, complete with homing jump, dash attack, and an added sense of speed.”
IGN give the impression that this game embraces the classic Sonic games better than Sonic 4: Episode 1 did.
Takashi Iizuka responds to IGN’s criticism of Sonic 4: Episode 1 and says this game will have different physics to that game: “In [Sonic the Hedgehog 4] Episode I, we didn’t actually return to the old physics, and nor did we try to create something totally new,” Iizuka says, “What we tried to do was respond to the voices we heard in the fans, and create something based on the feedback we were receiving from fans. On this occasion, with Sonic Generations, we’ve created a game with a totally different game and with completely different physics.”
Momentum gameplay returns in Sonic Generations.
IGN says this game’s levels are all from the series’ 20 year history.
“It’s not a pixel-for-pixel remake”
“There have also been a few concessions to the modern generation”
Speed runs are encouraged
Checkpoints throw up a split time, letting the player know how far down they are on their personal best time, making online leaderboards very likely to be featured in the final game.
In reference to Modern Sonic: “Thankfully, Sonic Generations seems to be taking many of its cues for the 3D sections from Colours, and it shares the Wii games hyperactive imagination. In a handful of short minutes Sonic is spun and sped through the chequered hills with breathless pace, at one point taking a detour through a dank cave which he’s chased out of by a giant chomping robot fish.”
All levels are playable by both Sonic’s.

Gamespot
Current playable demo has the game’s first two levels
“The game will encompass the 20 years of Sonic’s history and will be set across three defining eras: the 2D Mega Drive/Genesis era, the introduction of 3D in the Dreamcast era, and the modern-day HD graphics era.”
“Instead of creating new levels, the developers have re-vamped a bunch of iconic stages throughout these eras in HD and have given players the choice of playing each stage in either classic side-scrolling 2D or in modern-era 3D”
Classic Sonic’s gameplay style and move set is from the classic era, while modern Sonic plays as he does in his respective era, “meaning the spin dash and spin attack for classic Sonic and the homing attack and sonic boost for modern Sonic.”
Green Hill Zone was played in both classic and modern
“Our head spun as we watched Sonic get back into old form in the classic mode, zipping around the various springs, slopes, and loops, jumping for rings, avoiding spikes and generally becoming reacquainted with all his old abilities (the spin dash is a favourite). It’s fast, but it’s nothing compared to what comes next.” From this we can assume that the spin-dash hasn’t been nerfed like in Sonic 4: Episode 1.
Modern Sonic has the camera follow closely behind him, as shown in the trailer and screenshots.
Modern Sonic can use homing attack
“This incarnation of the level also introduced zip lines, which Sonic glides across to avoid pits and large bodies of water. We also saw an underground part that has Sonic sliding across a zip line through a cave while being pursued by a giant mechanical fish. Things got crazy when Sonic decided to use his boost while zipping: it took the game from supersonic to hypersonic with no remorse for the poor sod watching (us).”
Multiple paths return for modern Sonic.
“Our demo was over before we knew it, but it left us feeling giddy with excitement. Or maybe just giddy.”

Gamespot also has an interview with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka.

Sonic Generations uses the Hedgehog Engine used in Sonic Unleashed
A “playable menu” lets you pick between classic Sonic and modern Sonic and their respective levels.
“Moving forward we would like to continue creating, and ensure Sonic is enjoyed by as many people as possible, not just in games but in other media as well.”
Iizuka says the team is trying to bring everything from Sonic’s 20 year history for all kinds of Sonic fans to enjoy in this new game.

Other previews can be found at Joystiq and Kotaku.

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SEGA Officially Announces Sonic Generations for Xbox 360 and PS3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV1Osnkr5Nc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

SEGA has just officially announced the title of their new Sonic game for Xbox 360 and PS3. As leaks and rumours suggested, the game is titled Sonic Generations and will be released Holiday 2011. SEGA’s also issued a press release revealing details about the game and its plot, as well as some screenshots and a trailer.

Check out the press release below:

Celebrate 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Generations™

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (April 18th, 2011) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. & SEGA® America, Inc., today announced details of Sonic Generations™, the highly anticipated video game title in development to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary. Delivering the definitive gaming experience for Sonic fans old and new, Sonic Generations™ sees Sonic the Hedgehog playable as both the much loved classic 1991 character, and the modern day video game hero he has become in this exciting new fast paced adventure. Sonic Generations™ will speed into stores for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for Holiday 2011.

Set across three defining eras from 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog video game history, the instantly recognisable environments of Sonic Generations™ have been re-built in stunning HD and are now playable in both classic side scrolling 2D from 1991, as well as modern 3D style found in Sonic’s most recent adventures. Each incarnation of Sonic in Sonic Generations™ comes complete with his trademark special move, Spin Dash and Spin Attack for Classic Sonic, and Homing Attack and Sonic Boost for Modern Sonic. An innovative new interactive menu system allows for complete immersion in Sonic’s universe with favourite characters and hidden treasures gradually being revealed throughout the game.

“Sonic Generations will certainly be a fitting celebration for Sonic’s 20th Anniversary” commented David Corless, Global Brand Director for Sonic. “By having the classic 1991 Sonic that many fans know and love team up with his modern day incarnation, we are bringing back the nostalgia of the early days of Sonic and combining it with the innovation and stunning HD technology of the modern gaming era. Sonic Generations will bring to life the last twenty years of Sonic’s universe in a truly unique and imaginative way”

Sonic’s universe is thrown into chaos when a mysterious new power creates ‘time holes’ which pull him and his friends back through time. As a result he encounters some surprises from his past history including Classic Sonic, Sonic as he appeared in 1991. Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic must defeat this strange new enemy, save their friends, and find out who really is behind this diabolical deed…

Screenshots can be seen at the games product page at SEGA’s website.

Source: SEGA of America Blog

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More Proof Sonic’s New Game Is Titled “Sonic Generations”

The recent temporary box art leak not enough to convince you Sonic’s new PS3 and Xbox 360 game is called Sonic Generations? Well, the recently registered web domains http://www.sonicgenerations.com and http://www.sonic-generations.com now link back to SEGA’s website’s games section, which in the past has meant a game’s previously discovered website is about to go live soon. UK equivalents of the URL’s that also link to SEGA’s website have also appeared: http://www.sonicgenerations.co.uk and http://www.sonic-generations.co.uk.

Hopefully this means we’ll get some information on Sonic Generations soon. SEGA of America’s Kellie said via Twitter on April 8th that more information is coming “Over the next few weeks”.

Thanks to Shaddix_Croft at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Now Available on Xbox Live Games on Demand

SEGA has announced that last year’s kart racer Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace’s Games On Demand service for Xbox 360. The download weighs in at 3.82 GB and will set you back £14.99/19,99 €/$29.99.

SEGA issued a press release, which you can check out below.

SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing™ is now for sale through the Xbox LIVE® Games On Demand platform for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The hit arcade racing game, starring SEGA’s eclectic ensemble of heroes and villains, is available for immediate download, allowing players to jump right in to frantic, explosive races with up to four local players, or eight online players.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing puts players on the track and in the shoes of a host of popular SEGA characters, from the blue blur himself to AiAi and Dr. Eggman, each with their own unique vehicle. Players must use their driving skills to drift and dodge their way to a checkered flag in a variety of single-player modes, as well as multiplayer races both off and online. The racer is the latest title to appear in SEGA’s growing library of download-ready games through Xbox LIVE Games On Demand, including hits such as Bayonetta™ and Aliens vs. Predator™.

For more information about Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, visit www.sega.com.

You can grab the full game, a demo, DLC and Avatar items at the Xbox Live Marketplace website or from your Xbox 360’s dashboard.

Sources: Gameplay Monthly and MajorNelson.com

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SEGA Facebook Poll Asks: “Which Version of Sonic is Your Favourite?”

SEGA’s RubyEclipse said yesterday that more questions and information regarding the new PS3 and Xbox 360 Sonic title were on the way to the official Sonic Facebook page, and today the page updated with one of those things; a question. A poll is now available at the page for you to take part in asking “Which version of Sonic is your favourite?”, with the answers “Classic Sonic” and “Modern Sonic” to pick from. Whether this poll is just for fun or will hold a significance to the game or anything else in Sonic’s future is unclear, but whatever it’s for, Classic Sonic currently has a very large lead of about 4,500 votes over Modern Sonic.

To place your vote, head on over to the official Sonic Facebook page.

Have you voted? Which version of Sonic did you pick? Let us know in the comments, but please, keep discussion civil. We’re all fans here, no matter what Sonic looks like.

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SEGA Officially Announces Dreamcast Collection

SEGA has today officially announced the Dreamcast Collection, a title that was rumoured to be on the way in November last year and later confirmed in December by SEGA’s Alan Pritchard. The collection will include all Dreamcast games that have been released or are currently on the way to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, which are Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5: Part 2 and SEGA Bass Fishing. There’s currently no word on if the Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut DLC will be included.

The Dreamcast Collection will be available for Xbox 360, PC and PC Download on February 25th 2011 in Europe and February 22nd in North America, February 24th in Australia and February 25th in New Zealand. It seems PS3 owners will have to stick to the individual releases on PlayStation Network.

The full press release sent out by SEGA is available below:

SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that a packaged compilation of classic titles from SEGA’s popular Dreamcast™ console will hit retail shelves on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PC. The Dreamcast Collection will be available on February 25th 2011 in Europe and February 22nd in North America, February 24th in Australia and February 25th in New Zealand.

The Dreamcast Collection includes the fan favourites Sonic Adventure™, Crazy Taxi™, SEGA Bass Fishing™ and Space Channel 5™: Part 2. Players will get to enjoy four very different Dreamcast experiences, from hopping behind the steering wheel of Crazy Taxi, to taking things a little slower by luring in their fish before catching them hook, line and sinker with SEGA Bass Fishing. Alternatively, take over as intergalactic news reporter Ulala in Space Channel 5: Part 2 and dance your way past the evil Rhythm Rogues, or make it all about speed in Sonic’s first Dreamcast outing, Sonic Adventure!

SEGA’s Dreamcast Collection features enhanced graphics for both platforms versions, providing an even more engaging experience. In addition to this, achievements and online leader boards will be available for each game providing a competitive edge and allowing players to prove their skills!

“The Dreamcast console is still remembered as a pioneering console for online gaming,” commented Gary Knight, VP of Marketing at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe “We are delighted to be able to offer to our large community of dedicated fans a collection such as Dreamcast Collection for them to enjoy old favourites on this generation of consoles”.

Dreamcast Collection will be available in Europe in February 2011 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PC and PC digital download.

Source: iTWire

Will you be picking up this collection? Let us know in the comments.

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Price Cuts on XBLA Sonic Titles, For Today Only

For today only, you can grab Sonic’s various Xbox Live Arcade titles at a discounted price as part of Microsoft’s Countdown to 2011 deals.

The full list of games and prices are:
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Was: 1200 Now: 800 (33% off)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Was: 400 Now: 200 (50% off)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Was: 400 Now: 200 (50% off)
Sonic the Hedgehog Was: 400 Now: 200 (50% off)
Sonic Adventure Was: 800 Now: 400 (50% off)
Sonic & Knuckles Was: 240 Now: 120 (50% off)

Unfortunately, Sonic Adventure‘s DLC isn’t included in this sale like it is in the PSN discounts. If you’re interested in Avatar items, the Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing themed Sonic car prop has also received a 50% discount for today only from 240 Points to 120 Points.

Remember, these deals are available for today only, so grab them while they’re there.

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Sonic 4: Ep 1 Avatar Items Now on Xbox Live Marketplace

SEGA has today released a bunch of new items for Sonic fans to purchase and dress their Xbox 360 Avatar’s with on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The items range from clothing and props themed around Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, which was released on Xbox Live Arcade in October.

The items and prices are as follows:

Chaos Emeralds: 240 MS Points



Sonic Plushie: 160 MS Points



Chopper Toy: 240 MS Points


Sonic 4 Ep. I Tee (Women): 80 MS Points



Sonic 4 Ep. I Tee (Men): 80 MS Points



Moto Bug Toy: 240 MS Points



Sonic 4 Cartridge: 160 MS Points

Will you be buying any of the items? Which one’s your favourite? Let us know in the comments.

Sources:
Xbox Live Marketplace
SEGA of America Blog

Thanks to Merry Swissmas at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Sonic Colours Rises Up The UK Top 40 Chart

With two full weeks of sales behind it, Sonic Colours has proven it has what it takes to stay relevant in the UK chart results for last week released by Chart Track today. Since last week Sonic’s latest adventure climbed two places to number 16 in the all formats chart and achieved similar success in the individual units chart by rising from 29th to 27th place on Wii and jumping four positions to number 31 on DS.

On the Wii only chart Sonic Colours rose up one rank to number 6 and beat out popular shooter Goldeneye 007, which placed at number 7. In the DS chart Sonic Colours remains seated at number 4, while Sonic Classic Collection drops one spot from 16th to 17th. Finally, in the Xbox 360 chart Sonic Free Riders stays put at number 19, but beats out some of the Kinect competition this week and interestingly places one position higher than SEGA’s well received third person shooter Vanquish.

Source: Chart Track
Top 40 All Formats
Top 40 Individual Units
Top 40 Wii
Top 40 DS
Top 40 Xbox 360

Share your thoughts on this weeks results in the comments.

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SEGA Resets Sonic 4 Xbox 360 Leaderboards

In the last few hours SEGA has completely reset the Xbox 360 version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1‘s online leaderboards. Announced at the SEGA Forums late yesterday by SEGA of America’s RubyEclipse, the move has been made to clear the huge amount of cheating times/scores, which consisted of impossible 0″00″00 times and 99999990 scores. The downside to this wipe however is that all of the legitimate players times and scores have been removed from the boards too, meaning those players will have to upload all of their records again.

Will this reset help the situation? It appears the answer is no, as already someone has uploaded a 99999990 record to Splash Hill Zone Act 2’s Score Attack leaderboard and taken top place, so it may be only a matter of time before the boards are ruined again. No announcement has been made by SEGA regarding whether the other versions of the game will receive a leaderboard wipe.

Do you think this is the correct way to deal with the leaderboard cheaters? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Sonic Free Riders Demo Now Available on Xbox Live Marketplace

If you have Microsoft’s new Kinect device for Xbox 360 and you’re on the wall about whether or not to purchase SEGA’s first Kinect title Sonic Free Riders, then you’ll be glad to hear that a demo for the racer has been released today on Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo, which weighs in at 401.4 MB, lets you play through the game’s first track Dolphin Resort as Sonic the Hedgehog or Jet the Hawk and is currently exclusive to Gold Members, but will likely be available to Silver Members (or Free Members as they’re now called) next week.

Thanks to Yong at the SSMB for the heads up!

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Sonic Colours Makes UK Top 20, Free Riders Drops Out

Chart Track has released the UK chart results for last week and with a full week of sales behind them compared to last week, we can now get a good idea of the UK’s response to Sonic Colours and Sonic Free Riders. In the all formats top 40 chart, both versions of Sonic Colours have together risen from 36th to 18th position, while Sonic Free Riders has dropped out of the chart completely after ranking 38th last week with only 4 days of sales behind it.

In the individual formats top 40 chart Sonic Colours placed at the lower 29th position on Wii and 35th on DS. In the top 40 Wii only chart Sonic Colours rose from 11th place to 7th, 2 places higher than popular shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops and 1 rank lower than old rival Mario’s universally acclaimed title Super Mario Galaxy 2. As for the top 40 DS only chart, Sonic Colours climbed from 12th position to 4th, being beaten out of the top 3 by Art Academy in 3rd, New Super Mario Bros. in 2nd and popular puzzler Professor Layton and the Lost Future in 1st.

Sonic Classic Collection has jumped 4 places from 20th position to 16th, proving Sonic’s Mega Drive titles still have sales power today. Finally, Sonic Free Riders has descended in the top 40 Xbox 360 only chart from 16th place to 19th. Other Kinect launch titles in the chart have also dropped positions compared to last week, but still beat out SEGA’s mascot racer.

So, with a full week of sales behind the game, Sonic Colours has shown some positive momentum after last weeks disappointing first 2 days, while Sonic Free Riders hasn’t seen the same benefit of more sales time. Will both games improve from here? Check back next week. Meanwhile, share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Chart Track
Top 40 All Formats
Top 40 Individual Formats
Top 40 Wii
Top 40 DS
Top 40 Xbox 360

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Sonic Colours & Sonic Free Riders Barely Reach UK Top 40

Chart Track has revealed the UK sales chart rankings for last week and new Sonic releases Sonic Colours and Sonic Free Riders just barely broke into the top 40 all format chart. Released on Friday, Sonic Colours on Wii and DS placed at 36 and Sonic Free Riders, which released on Wednesday for Xbox 360 Kinect placed just two positions below at 38. In the top 40 Wii chart, Sonic Colours climbed higher, but just missed the top 10 at 11th place and didn’t perform any better in the DS top 40 at 12th place. As for Sonic Free Riders, SEGA’s Kinect racer placed 16th, the lowest ranked of the Kinect titles to make the chart, with Kinect Sports being the highest at the number 2 position.

With mostly positive fan and critical reception, this is a bad start for Sonic Colours in the all format department. With a full week of sales behind it in next weeks chart, could the game perform better? Check back next week and we’ll let you know how Sonic Colours and Sonic Free Riders fare.

Source: Chart Track
Top 40 All Formats
Top 40 Wii
Top 40 DS
Top 40 Xbox 360

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Sonic Free Riders Out Now In Europe, Launch Trailer

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm5gOQUWjgQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Xbox 360 Kinect is now available in European territories and one of its launch titles is SEGA’s Sonic Free Riders, the third game in the Sonic Riders series and one that takes full advantage of Kinect’s abilities. To celebrate the European arrival of their first Kinect title, SEGA Europe has put out a new launch trailer with the return of the beautiful people from the earlier trailers to remind you how the game is played. More gameplay footage from the game’s various tracks is included, too.

Have you bought the game today? If so, share your thoughts on it in the comments. If you’re yet to buy it and plan to, Amazon appear to be the cheapest offer in the UK, with a price of £29.93. If you see a cheaper price, let us know.

Source: Sonic City Blognik

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English Voice Cast List, Blaze & Silver’s Voices, Free Riders Story Ending & Full “Free” Theme Song

UPDATE: Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat’s voices have been added to the bottom of this article. /UPDATE END

*SPOILERS BEFORE 09:48 IN THE VIDEO*

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXB5Z81UTHg[/youtube]

The English voice actors have just been revealed in the above new video of the story ending in Sonic Free Riders for Xbox 360 Kinect. The full credits sequence is featured in the video from the 09:48 mark and at the 10:54 mark you can see the full English voice cast.

Here’s the full list and large and small screen grabs:
Roger Craig Smith
Kate Higgins
Mike Pollock
Kirk Thornton
Wally Wingert
Cindy Robinson
Karen Strassman
Michelle Ruff
Mike Mycheck
Kent Hampton (Travis Willingham)

Large:

Small:

Kyle Hebert has also announced on his website that he voices Big the Cat in the game, but oddly he’s not in the credits.

If you picked up the new Kinect controller for Xbox 360, there’s a new Sonic the Hedgehog game out now called “Free Riders”. I voice the non-playable character, Big the Cat. I’m very excited to be added to this popular franchise!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64eTZ98r_Ek[/youtube]
The full theme “Free” can also be heard during the credits sequence or you can check it out above.

Big thanks for all this go to BoyleVoices or SonicBoom771 as he goes by in the Sonic community.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES2FJ5D1MCY[/youtube]
Thanks to Aquaslash at the SSMB, we now have Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat’s new voices to listen to. Thanks to SpiritsUnited for the YouTube upload.

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Sonic Free Riders: New Screens, Videos & Reviews

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV2chnj0-qU[/youtube]

More reviews for SEGA’s first Xbox 360 Kinect title Sonic Free Riders have rolled out to join IGN’s 7.5/10, GameInformer’s 5.75/10 and G4’s 3/5 that we reported about yesterday. GameTrailers put out the above video review, scoring the game 4.5/10. Elsewhere, Kotaku, a site that doesn’t give scores, called the game’s controls broken, but said if SEGA could fix them he would recommend the game. Joystiq put out the game’s lowest scored review yet, with a painful 1/5, but there has been another higher score from the U.S. Official Xbox Magazine that matches IGN’s score of 7.5/10. The main complaint among the reviewers is the controls and how poorly they work, especially the steering. Check out the reviews at the links provided and share your thoughts in our comments section.

In other news, SEGA Japan updated their official Sonic Free Riders website with fifteen more screenshots from the game and two images from later unlocked tracks Final Factory and Metal City. You can check out those screens and images below.

Finally, we have some new gameplay videos from Kotaku, Giant Bomb and GameTrailers:
GameTrailers gameplay video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqMtffhzX0Y[/youtube]

Kotaku gameplay video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDdDFytRjJY[/youtube]

Giant Bomb gameplay video part 1:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKfeENnObTY[/youtube]

Giant Bomb gameplay video part 2:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpUUXQ70fIs[/youtube]

Thanks to SSMB member Woun for the YouTube conversions and for obtaining the images and screenshots.

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.

First Recordings of the New Voice Cast In Sonic Free Riders

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLJzv9TfQKY[/youtube]

Thanks to a team effort from SSMB members Fantasy the Almiqui and XD375, we have some voice clips of the new voice cast in Sonic Free Riders. Fantasy the Almiquie bought a copy of the game this morning and has already beat the Heroes story and got hear a lot of the cast, but unfortunately hasn’t seen the game’s credits appear yet, so we can get the names of the cast. In order, the clips released are Amy, Sonic, Cream, Vector, Omochao, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Omochao, Rouge, Omochao. We have another set of clips from the intro movie below too:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_0qLosVY4c[/youtube]

Finally, we’ve got a clip of the Babylon Rogues voices:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WRZPaCHH0[/youtube]

If you have a copy of the game and can give us the names of the voice actors, please share the list in the comments.

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Sonic Free Riders Launch Trailer, Out Now In U.S.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C72gUrkteDI[/youtube]

The Xbox 360’s new motion sensing device Kinect is now available at U.S. retail today, along with a selection of launch titles, including SEGA’s Sonic Free Riders. To mark the occasion, SEGA’s released a launch trailer filled with CG goodness and in-game footage. You’ll also get to hear a good portion of one of the game’s theme songs Free.

A couple of reviews have been published so far to join IGN’s 7.5/10 review and we expect more will roll out during the day. Game Informer has given the game a 5.75/10 and G4 has scored it 3/5. We’ll keep an eye out for more, but if you spot any before us, share the links in the comments.

Finally, the new images of 6 of the easy and 6 of the hard tracks on the game’s official website have been made available, thanks to Woun at the SSMB. You can check those out below:
Easy:

Hard:

Will you be picking up Kinect and Sonic Free Riders?

Trailer source: SCRAWLfx.com

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Microsoft Gets Their Riders Crossed

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnYBlKuP_9c[/youtube]

Microsoft’s new Kinect sensor for Xbox 360 is hitting U.S. stores shortly and what better way to help grab interest than for Microsoft to show all Xbox 360’s Xbox Live users the launch game line-up in an Inside Xbox video, what could possibly go wrong? Well, it appears the Inside Xbox team haven’t paid too much attention to SEGA’s Sonic Free Riders, because they seem to have it confused with the original Sonic Riders title on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Gamecube. When Microsoft’s Bridget O’Neill gets to the game at the 02:34 mark, a trailer for Sonic Riders is on display, logo and all. Before the end of the video the Sonic Riders logo (seen below) is shown again and O’Neill refers to the title as Sonic Riders, too.

You have to wonder, how does the company behind the Xbox 360 confuse an original Xbox title with an Xbox 360 game, especially one that’s launching the next day, only on their new Kinect peripheral? Now, I wonder what SEGA would have to say about this comical promotional failure…

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Sonic Free Riders Website: Characters & Tracks Update

Sonic Free Riders is out for Xbox 360 Kinect in the U.S. tomorrow, so SEGA has given a big update to the game’s official website. Shadow, Silver, Eggman, E-10000G, Metal Sonic, Blaze, Amy, Cream, Rouge and Vector have been added to the characters section with new artwork and profiles, while the tracks section has now been unlocked with Dolphin Resort, Rocky Ridge, Frozen Forest, Metropolis Speedway, Magma Rift and Forgotten Tomb on display. The Final Factory and Metal City tracks revealed in the Achievements list are nowhere to be seen at the moment, but we do get a look at the alternate expert map of each of the tracks, along with an image and description of each one. Finally, SEGA have also added a voice command guide to the site for you to download.

The character artwork is available below:

Source: Sonic Free Riders official U.S./EU website

Thanks to HunterTSF at the SSMB for the heads up and obtaining the artwork!

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

Sonic Free Riders Multiplayer Trailer, 6 New Screenshots

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkEJUY_VhjE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

A new trailer for Sonic Free Riders has appeared on YouTube user SegaCzech’s channel, which showcases the various multiplayer modes of the game, namely VS Mode, 2 Player Co-op/Tag Mode and Relay Race. The trailer is just like the Introduction and Weapons trailers, in that people show how the game is played, actions and all. Plenty more gameplay footage can also be seen from the variety of tracks the game has to offer.

Elsewhere, IGN has released six more screenshots of the game, which you can view below.

Screenshots source: IGN

Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads up on the screenshots!

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.

IGN Gives First Sonic Free Riders Review

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN1XU0ST5J0[/youtube]

IGN has put out the worlds first review of Sonic Free Riders, SEGA’s first Xbox 360 Kinect title. Associate Editor Jack Devries has given the game a 7.5/10, just .5 less than the website gave Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Devries is very positive about the multiplayer aspects of the game, even the new relay and tag modes. The only real complaints expressed are that the game is shallow, isn’t so easy to jump into for casual players. You can check out the video review for yourself in the video above or read the written review at IGN’s website.

Outside of the review, we get a look at more gameplay footage from the various tracks and characters, as well as some of the static cutscenes and voice acting.

Source: IGN
Video review
Written review

Thanks to Doctor Eggman at the SSMB for the heads up!

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