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One fan’s struggle to fix the worst game in Sonic history
The 2006 reboot of Sonic the Hedgehog was supposed to be a turning point for the blue blur. It was the character's first outing on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 hardware, and Sega clearly wanted to make an impact. The game, simply titled Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly referred to as Sonic 06), was a visual leap forward for the franchise and offered three playable characters, including telekinetic newcomer Silver, with separate but interwoven story lines. But the game was a massive flop. Critics slammed the ambitious but poorly written story, which combined time travel, all-powerful gods and a post-apocalyptic future filled with nothing but fire and abandoned skyscrapers. They hated the finicky controls, too, as well as the uncooperative camera system, agonizingly long load times and glitch-riddled levels. Patient players were rewarded with a passable-at-best blend of platforming and action as well as open-world zones that were barren and seemingly half finished. Oh, and it was also the game that had a universally hated kiss scene between Sonic and a human princess. Many consider Sonic 06 to be the lowest point in the franchise. The PS3 version has a 43-percent rating on the reviews aggregation site Metacritic, which is lower than Sonic Forces, Sonic & the Black Knight and Shadow the Hedgehog -- the hugely divisive game where Sega's black-and-red antihero skated around with sub-machine guns and said "damn" a lot. Most Sonic fans want to forget the game was ever released. But not Ian Moris, a developer known online by his handle ChaosX. Instead of condemning and ridiculing the title, he's one of a select few trying to fix it.
The Sega Genesis Mini is $30 off for Black Friday
After toying with lackluster miniature versions of its Genesis console, Sega finally hit its stride with the Genesis Mini. The HDMI-equipped emulation device faithfully recreates the 16-bit experience without the laggy or choppy performance of previous efforts, making it a worthy competitor to Nintendo's SNES Classic. The tiny console is currently on sale for $50 -- $30 off its usual price, making it an even more alluring purchase as a holiday gift.
'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie tries again with a new trailer
Paramount's original trailer for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie was... really something, wasn't it? The under-stylized body, the odd soundtrack choice, the teeth. Such was the Sonic fandom's collective horror that director Jeff Fowler swiftly announced the movie would be put on pause until the studio got the design right. Now, they think they've nailed it.
Sega is becoming its weird and wonderful self again
Sega is in an unexpectedly good place right now. The company was never on top of the industry; it's been beaten by Nintendo, by Sony, by the decline of the arcade. It spent years nursing the wounds from its fall from grace in the '90s, and through the '00s and early '10s could seemingly do little right.
The next 'Mario & Sonic Olympics' game has a retro 2D mode
Over the past 12 years, Nintendo and Sega have faithfully published their mashup, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, to correspond with the iconic sporting event. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will be a homecoming of sorts for the two mascots, who were both created in Japan. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Tokyo Games 2020 will also see them returning to their roots in 10 "Classic Events" that use 2D sprites and environments.
‘Cats’ trailer plunges into the uncanny valley of digital fur
VFX artists had a go with the feature film Cats. Universal unveiled a full-length trailer today that gave us the first look at what the film's human actors look like as CG-transformed felines. While the Broadway version of Cats relied on elaborate costumes and makeup, the Jellicle Cats in the Tom Hooper film are heavily aided by visual effects wizardry. Earlier footage revealed the film's actors performing in leotards with markers, with the promise of "digital fur" being added later in post-production.
'Borderlands: Handsome Collection' headlines June's free PS Plus games
With Borderlands 3 arriving in just a few months, it seems like a good time to start catching up on or revisiting Gearbox Software's FPS series. And, what do you know? Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the titles Sony is giving away to PS Plus subscribers in June.
'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie delayed to fix nightmare-inducing design
Sorry, Sega fans, you'll need to wait a little longer to see the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Paramount pushed back the release date three months to give the filmmakers "a little more time to make Sonic just right."
'Detective Pikachu' DP didn't like Sonic's look either
If anyone can appreciate the struggle of translating a beloved videogame character for the big screen, it's the team behind Detective Pikachu. Their flick is about to arrive in theaters, at the same time the first trailer dropped for Sonic the Hedgehog and immediately met with so much resistance that its director Scott Fowler promised changes are on the way. While we're still not sure what exactly went wrong when it came time to render a CG Sonic, comments from Pikachu's director and director of photography reveal their informed-by-experience takes on the situation.
'Sonic the Hedgehog' director: Changes are 'going to happen'
That the internet had an uneasy reaction to our first look at the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog live action movie isn't surprising, but the absolute horror induced by some elements of the furry hero's design has not gone unnoticed. This afternoon director Jeff Fowler tweeted "The message is loud and clear... you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen." He didn't say what changes were in store, but Sonic's detailed teeth, under-stylized body type and widely spaced eyes seem like potential places to start. Take a look at the trailer again and let us know what, if anything, would make it better in your opinion.
Watch the first trailer for the live-action 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie
Oh Sonic, what have they done to you? Today, Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for its live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. And honestly, I don't know what to say. We already knew that Sonic would look, well, nothing like the blue blur that everyone fell in love with during the Genesis era. Heck, I'd argue the scarf-toting version in Sonic Boom looked better than this. Thanks to another leaked image, we also knew how the nefarious Doctor Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey, would be portrayed on the big screen. Still, a small part of me wanted to believe that the movie wouldn't be a complete trainwreck. After all, Detective Pikachu looks okay, right?
Games of a Lifetime: Sam's Picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Some days, it seems like cynicism and derision earn more applause than kindness and optimism, and the things we love most can feel like they're the most neglected. So it can go with games, as we see hatred and vitriol spread online, watch quality of games dip and companies utilize decidedly unfriendly business practices on consumers. But there's a reason I got into this hobby, and there's a reason I got into this job: I love games. I want to see games continue to evolve, change and grow. I want my enthusiasm for them to never die, for my joy and sense of camaraderie in my fellow gamers to always persist. And so, at a time when it would be very easy to be jaded, we've decided to instead continue talking about why we love games. These are my picks for games of a lifetime.
Sonic Team's Sonic Runners announced for smartphones
The next game from the hedgehog hive mind of Sonic Team is Sonic Runners, and it's coming to smartphones next year. Sega producer Takashi Iizuka announced the game at a Sonic fan event in Tokyo, and Famitsu says more details will spill next month. For now we just have the name, dev, platform and 2015 window - and no word either way on a Western release. Sonic Team's last hog roast was Sonic: Lost World back in 2013, and since then the venerable studio's pumped out Puyo Puyo Tetris in Japan. It did supervise work on 2014's Sonic Booms, but they were chiefly developed by American teams Big Red Button and Sanzaru Games. We may yet see something more sizable starring Sonic next year. Earlier this year a German toy fair promo seemed to let the hedgehog out of the bag, noting a new Sonic game for PS4, Xbox One and Wii U in 2015. Sega quickly stepped in to denounce the info as "incorrect."
Deals with Gold: D4, Thief, Sonic the Hedgehog catalog sale
Oddball Xbox One adventure game D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die headlines this week's Xbox Live Deals with Gold offerings, giving subscribers the chance to pick it up for 33 percent off its regular price. Be warned: it's weird. Like, really weird. The Xbox One versions of Thief, Murdered: Soul Suspect, and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments are also on sale this week, while Xbox 360 owners can grab cheap copies of Sonic Generations, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and other games starring Sega's exalted hedgehog. Listed price drops remain in effect through November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Sonic Boom cartoon goes zoom zoom on November 8
"Sonic Boom" isn't just the name of two games due on November 11 for 3DS and Wii U; it's also the name of a cartoon tie-in that will air on Cartoon Network starting on November 8. Sega announced the series' debut date earlier this weekend at a fan event which just so happens to also be called "Sonic Boom." Each episode of Sonic Boom (the TV show) is 11 minutes long and co-produced by Sega of America and OuiDO! Productions. Sega also premiered a new trailer for the show, which has Sonic and pals apparently rooming with Dr. Robotnik (aka: Eggman), Big Brother-style. You can check it out after the break:
The slowest parts of Sonic Boom might also be the best
Poor Sonic. Ever since transitioning to 3D, our dear blue hedgehog has stumbled. His games find only so-so levels of success, and there's even a meme named after the cycle of hype and disappointment that each new title generates. And it's all because he's too fast. Focusing on speed worked in the days of the Sega Genesis – days when players only had to worry about going left, right, up and down. With the addition of another dimension however, too much speed makes Sonic difficult to control. The assumption, of course, is that making Sonic slow would strip him of his defining asset. Yet Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric developer Big Red Button Entertainment has done just that, and in an ironic twist, the slowest parts of the game may end up being the best.
Sonic eats poop because it's scientifically accurate
Now we know. [Images: Fox ADHD]
Sonic Boom reaches Wii U, 3DS in November
Sonic the Hedgehog will grace the Wii U and 3DS with his newly-lanky, traumatic dimensions in mid-November, according to Sega. First up is Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, a 3DS game crafted by Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time developer Sanzaru Games, which is slated to appear on November 11. Then, a week later, Big Red Button Entertainment will debut the Wii U-exclusive Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. Collectively dubbed the "Sonic Boom initiative," these two games will tell complementary tales that are linked in the surprisingly extensive Sonic the Hedgehog canon. While you won't need to play both games to receive a full story, those who fall hopelessly in love with this most recent incarnation of 1992's favorite spiny rodent can also look forward to comic books and an animated series to quell their thirst for hedgehog hijinks. [Image: Sega]
Sonic Boom speeds to the printed page in upcoming comic book
Alongside an upcoming Sonic Boom cartoon series and games for both the Wii U and 3DS, Sega's favorite speedy blue rodent has also earned a new comic book from publisher Archie Comics. Appropriately titled "Sonic Boom," the comic will be written by Ian Flynn with art by Evan Stanley. Both Flynn and Stanley have worked extensively on Archie's long-running Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, which should make them qualified for this new book (assuming Sonic's new, lankier dimensions and superfluous yet jaunty scarf don't throw everything off). "I'm really excited to be writing the series since it's a very different Sonic than our other books, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe," Flynn told IGN. "It's a more casual read with a focus on comedy and adventure than an on-going action-adventure drama." According to IGN, the first issue of Sonic Boom will debut this October. Following in the grand promotional tradition of the 90s comic bubble, it will be released with four unique variant covers which can be aligned to form the image seen above. [Image: Archie Comics]
Fan-crafted Sonic 2 HD project pokes its nose out once more
Okay, so Sonic the Hedgehog's move to 3D worlds and high-definition graphics hasn't proven to be a particularly great move. What's a hedgehog fan to do? Why, remake one of the Sonic games that was universally loved, of course. And so it was that Sonic 2 HD, a fan project that was teased in the yonder year of 2011, has come back from the dead and is once more looking toward eventual release. A Facebook post clarified the long silence from team members: "The leading reason behind the project's cancellation was due to the programming element being removed with no possibility of return in its existing form," it reads. The post explains that although the original team has disbanded, a fan of the project submitted his own engine, allowing a new team to effectively resume development. The group behind the project state that they'll be offering more details on how those interested can contribute in the following days. Now that the game is on track again, we wonder if they feel that they've gotta go fast. [Image: Sonic 2 HD Team]
