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'Project Sonic 2017' is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo NX
While fans will celebrate the series' 25th anniversary with a 2D throwback game in Sonic Mania, the Sonic Team (Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations) is working on something new. Tonight Sega dropped this teaser trailer for "Project Sonic," which is due for the 2017 holiday season on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's NX. Everything in the trailer is CG, but it does indicate that we can expect both a "Modern" and "Classic" Sonic to make an appearance.
'Sonic Mania' looks like the 2D sequel fans deserve
Sonic The Hedgehog is more than just a trash-talking Twitter account. To celebrate the franchise's 25 year anniversary, Sega is taking the series back to its 2D roots. Sonic Mania looks like it'll strip away all the extraneous bloat that's barnacled itself to the core gameplay since the Blue Blur's glory days, with a focus on what always worked so well. Namely, going fast, collecting rings and moving from left to right.
Sonic comes to the Apple TV
If even you still own an old Sega console, the chances are you haven't played it in years. Luckily, a number of the company's most popular games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, have been ported to modern app stores. That means you can get your gaming fix, even if it is on a mobile device. If you've already downloaded or are tempted to buy Sonic the Hedgehog 1, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic CD on your iPhone or iPad and own the new Apple TV, we have some good news: you'll soon be able to play them all directly on the box for the very first time.
Sonic to star in a 'live-action and animation hybrid' movie
If you've played the most recent Sonic the Hedgehog games, you might be wondering how life can get any worse for the blue blur. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric was universally panned by the press, and previous efforts such as Lost World and Unleashed didn't fare much better. How could his reputation be dragged any lower? Well, perhaps with a film. Not just any film though -- a worrying "live-action and animation hybrid." The project, which is currently still in the planning stages, was revealed by Sega president and CEO Hajime Satomi in an interview with The Worldfolio.
Recommended Reading: Michael Jackson's music in 'Sonic 3'
The Michael Jackson Video Game Conspiracy Todd Van Luling, Huffington Post If you paid attention to the music in Sonic 3, you likely noticed some of the audio resembles Michael Jackson's tunes. While Sega admitted the King of Pop was involved with the soundtrack, it claimed to have nixed all of his work from the final version despite obvious nods to the singer. As it turns out, that's not exactly the case and Huffington Post details the a decade-spanning search for the truth from some of Sonic's biggest fans.
Spend an afternoon with the 'Sonic' charity marathon
The fine folks at Respawn Point are in the middle of a non-stop, seven-day Sonic the Hedgehog marathon, livestreamed on Twitch and benefiting UK charity Special Effect, which helps people with disabilities play video games. The stream started on December 27th and runs through January 3rd. Respawn Point's stream team is playing a lineup of historically significant Sonic games, starting with 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog and including notoriously awful installments like the 2006 Sonic disaster.
Lost 'Sonic' arcade game will soon be playable
Even the most diehard Sonic The Hedgehog fan could be forgiven for missing out on playing Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car. The 1991 arcade game was released exclusively in Japan for small kids, placed within a car-shaped cabinet that was big enough for junior and their adult minder. Thankfully, the title, which had been thought lost for the better part of two decades, has now been found. If you're prepared to wait a little longer, then the game will be available on the MAME arcade emulator along a forthcoming software update.
'Sonic the Hedgehog' tribute games reflect a mascot's fall from grace
It'd be an understatement to say that the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise hasn't held up well over time. Sonic was once nearly as big as Mario, but a long string of bad titles (with exceptions) ruined his rep -- you're more likely to spot him in dodgy fan fiction and internet memes than a popular game. And the homebrew developers from Arcane Kids know it. They've built the Sonic Dreams Collection, a batch of tiny tribute games for Macs and Windows PCs that acknowledge the Sega mascot's fall from grace. It masquerades as a leaked set of Dreamcast protoypes, but it's really a nod to the weird places Sonic fandom has gone in the 21st century. There's a "Sonic Movie Maker" where the hedgehog calls you his dad, and "My Roommate Sonic..." well, let's just say it turns romance stories on their head.
Mario and Sonic look absolutely stunning in Unreal Engine 4
Unreal Engine 4 has shown us what the next generation of video games can look like: large, realistic and mind-bogglingly gorgeous. Frankly, its tech demos are breathtaking -- technical marvels that show off photo-realistic apartments and stunningly beautiful landscapes; but what happens when you cram cartoonish mascots like Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog into these technical marvels? Mind-blowingly awesome YouTube videos, that's what.
Amazon wants to give paid apps away for free
Downloads from Amazon's Appstore almost assuredly aren't the raging success that the company's ventures like Prime are, but the retail juggernaut isn't giving up on it yet. In fact, the former looks like it's getting an injection of the latter's DNA with something called Unlocked. According to a leak obtained by TechCrunch, Bezos and Co. are experimenting with the idea of offering paid apps and in-app purchases free of charge. It apparently isn't limited to games either, as Monument Valley and Sonic Dash sit alongside productivity apps like OfficeSuite 8 + PDF Converter.
Sonic eats poop because it's scientifically accurate
Now we know. [Images: Fox ADHD]
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]
Sonic The Hedgehog's gotta go fast on Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift and other virtual reality devices might be gaming's future, but who says we can't use them to enjoy a bit of our past, huh? The Sonic GDK for the Rift gives players a chance to see the world from the Blue Blur's point of view, and it looks ... pretty cool, actually. But then, there's a reason The Sonic Cycle exists. Chadtronic, the Rift owner playing the demo, warns that those who get woozy on rollercoasters and other such rides may want to steer clear, and we can't say we disagree. It's one thing to watch someone play the game on a single screen - we can't imagine what it would be like to have the game completely take over our vision via virtual reality. Well, at least we learned one thing today: despite having two irises and pupils attached to one eyeball - which you would think would mess up depth perception, at least - Sonic seems to have perfect vision. We always wondered about that. [Image: Chadtronic]
Layoffs hit Sega Europe following restructure in US
Sega Europe suffered "a limited number of redundancies" due to a restructuring in Sega of America's Sonic and mobile divisions. The layoffs follow those that hit Sega of America in October 2013 due to another restructure. "Sega is in the process of consolidating certain functions of the Sonic and Mobile departments within Sega of America, where the management and production for those areas of the business reside," Sega told Joystiq via email. "As part of that strategy a limited number of redundancies have taken effect in our European office, based in London." Sega slashed its profit forecasts in February for the fiscal year ending March 31, cutting its expected net income by 36.2 percent to 30 billion yen ($293.5 million). [Image: Sega]
Sonic multiplatform 2015 game listing 'incorrect,' says Sega
Sega wagged a finger of "nope" to reports of a Sonic game coming to PS4, Xbox One and Wii U in 2015, after a promo at a German toy fair seemed to let the chili dog out of the bun. "The recent information coming out of Nuremburg Toy Fair was incorrect," Community Manager Kellie Parker wrote on the Sega forums, as later reiterated by Sega to Eurogamer. "Sega has yet to announce details of upcoming console video games for Sonic the Hedgehog, or further details regarding the new Sonic CG TV series." The placard in question was put up by Sonic merchandiser Jazwares, and it omitted a third Nintendo exclusive following Sonic: Lost World (above) and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. Nintendo and Sega entered a partnership on three Sonic games in 2013. Is Sega being economical with the truth here? Nintendo deal or no, we can't see the spiky mascot and his predilection for big multiplatform releases being staved off for too long. [Image: Sega]
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Rumor: Sonic game due in 2015 for Xbox One, PS4, Wii U
A photo from a toy fair held in Nuremberg suggests that Sega's blazing-fast mascot will make his way to the next-gen consoles in 2015. Spindash's report, as translated by Sonic Stadium, notes a placard at the event from toy manufacturer Jazwares that hints at a Sonic game for the PS4, Xbox One and Wii U. Jazwares currently has a line of Sonic merchandise, so it would make sense for them to know about future Sonic projects. The image notes recent Sonic games in addition to the "new 2015 title TBA" game, but it doesn't make note of Nintendo's "worldwide partnership" with Sega to release three exclusive Sonic games on Nintendo platforms. Sonic: Lost World kicked off this supposed trilogy and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games served as the second installment, so it's unclear whether the TBA game used to be Wii U exclusive, or if another Sonic game is still in the works for Nintendo platforms. [Image: Sega]
Review: A high-speed trip down memory lane with Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of those games that's on every conceivable platform, from the Wii U to the Vita to Mac and now iOS. Oftentimes, games that are spread across so many devices suffer in the transition to a small screen, but Sega's familiarity with the iPhone means that its character-based racing game completely avoids that fate. Transformed is a cartoonish racing title in the vein of Mario Kart and the previous Sonic & All Stars Racing title, with characters from a variety of games converging on racetracks pulled from Sega's IPs. You can play as Sonic and race on a track from Super Monkey Ball, or play as Ulala from Space Channel 5 and race on a track inspired by Panzer Dragoon, for example. There's a ton of variety, and you're guaranteed to find a character and track that give you a pleasant dose of nostalgia. As the title points to, the races are given a bit of a twist with transforming vehicles. Each of the characters' vehicles can shapeshift from a traditional road racer to both a boat and a plane. The tracks make good use of these changes, with flooded areas and long gaps that require flight. The controls -- which allow you to steer with either tilt controls or the touchscreen -- are responsive and smooth, but the real treat here is the iOS 7 controller support. Using the Moga Ace Power or SteelSeries Stratus offers dual-analog stick control that feels fantastic. If you have the option, this is the way to play it. There are a ton of different options for how to approach the races. You can play in single-player tournaments, take on tracks in a specific order, compete in daily challenges or play local and online multiplayer. In short, there's a lot here to keep you busy. The only drawback of the iOS iteration of Transformed is its heavy emphasis on in-app purchases. You can skip just about every requirement, from paying race entry fees to unlocking new characters, simply by buying your way. You don't have to, of course, but when you're racing online against players who very clearly bought every racer in the game, it feels kind of cheap. For US$4.99, I would have liked to see less in-game economy and more of an emphasis on the actual racing itself, but there's no denying that the high-speed battles are a ton of fun. If you're looking for a completely unrealistic racing experience -- and especially if you have an iOS 7 game controller -- this one is an easy recommendation.
Yoshi's Island Zone is one of two Sonic: Lost World DLC stages, out now
Sonic: Lost World will receive two pieces of downloadable content on Wii U, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced during today's Nintendo Direct livestream. The DLC stages will be based on Nintendo properties, the first being a level pulling inspiration and elements from Yoshi's New Island, Nintendo's 3DS entry in the series due out in spring 2014. Called Yoshi's Island Zone, the first piece of DLC is available now for free, and has Sonic "speeding through areas filled with pipes, coins, Shy Guys and Piranha Plants." A brief look at the level can be found in the archived Nintendo Direct presentation.
Sony Pictures URL registrations point to Sonic the Hedgehog movie
Sony Pictures has registered several web domains that suggest a film based on the Sonic the Hedgehog universe could be in the works. Kotaku noticed that "sonicthehedgehog-movie.com," "sonicthehedgehog-movie.net" and "sonicthehedgehogmovie.net" were registered to Sony last week, though Sony themselves have yet to announce any film adaptation of Sega's iconic mascot. Sony Pictures Animation has created both fully-animated (Open Season) and live-action-plus-CG (The Smurfs) in the past, so it's hard to say which way a Sonic movie, should it ever be made, would go. If it's the latter, we're telling you right now Sony, making it dark and edgy - complete with Dr. Robotnik/Eggman torturing someone - has already been done. Sonic the Hedgehog - The Movie. Coming sometime. Possibly. Running time (if it happens): fast.
Sonic Dash gets first-ever boss battle to celebrate Sonic: Lost World
Sonic Dash, the endless runner app for iOS devices, is currently featuring a guest appearance by Zazz, an enemy from Sonic: Lost World. Zazz is one of the members of anti-Sonic brigade The Deadly Six, and uses a flying mech. Players will need to swipe left and right to avoid his projectiles, or swipe up to jump over them. The update that enables Sonic Dash's first boss fight also introduces the Deadly Six Card Collection Challenge. In this challenge, players collect unique cards that will unlock special Lost World-themed prizes when enough have been collected by the community. The card challenge and boss fight against Zazz are only available for a limited time, though the press release announcing the events did not specify at what date the events would end.
