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Sega marks down downloadable games for Sonic's birthday
To celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog's 19th birthday (the American release date of the first Genesis game was June 23, 1991), Sega of America is dropping prices on downloadable games and DLC, most of which is related to Sonic. Offers on each platform have a different start date and a different duration. The PSN sales will be active today through Tuesday, July 6, and include the PSP Sonic Rivals games ($10.99 or $13.99 for 1 or 2, respectively, or $17.99 for both) and discounted DLC for Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic the Hedgehog. iPhone sales run tomorrow through June 30, and include discounts on the iPhone's Genesis games (Streets of Rage and Golden Axe are at the magic 99-cent price at which they start to seem like a good idea) along with Super Monkey Ball ($2.99) and the iPad's Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition ($4.99). Finally, the XBLA sale will begin -- and end -- Thursday, June 24. If you want to buy any of the Genesis Sonic games for $3 each, you'd best have your Microsoft Points ready that day.
New Sonic battle modes revealed
Yet another video of Sonic Rivals 2's battle modes have been revealed. This time, see a Chao get kidnapped in this brand new mode. Remember, Rivals 2 will support Game Sharing, so we're expecting many (if not all) of these features to be available over one UMD.
Sonic Rivals 2 adds Knockout brawl mode
If Sonic doesn't end up in Super Smash Bros later this year, it looks like you'll have to resort to the PSP-exclusive Sonic Riders 2 for some hedgehog-on-hedgehog action fighting.Also in the upcoming Sonic Rivals sequel is the ability to play multiplayer with just one UMD, a feature that we love to see in PSP games. Now with this added battle mode and Game Sharing, it looks like Rivals 2 will greatly expand upon the previous game's offerings.
Sonic Rivals 2 officially announced, includes Game Sharing
A leaked retail release calendar accidentally revealed Sonic Rivals 2 a little too early. However, Sega has officially announced the title today. This PSP-exclusive sequel will feature a revamped rival "jostling" gameplay system for tighter head-to-head competition. (One of the problems of the first title was how limited conflicts were between the racers.) A brand new Battle mode allows two players to jump into six different multiplayer challenges. With Game Sharing, players will be able to partake in the challenges with just one UMD. Power-ups have been improved for the sequel, giving gamers a fairer chance at competing. In addition, Miles "Tails" Prower and other new characters have been added to the playable roster. A new single-player Free play mode will allow characters to explore each level at their own pace. Just as before, each character in the game will also have their own unique signature moves. Finally, card collection returns in Sonic Rivals 2: it now features more than 150 collectable cards, which will enable players to customize characters with new track suits, unlock PSP backgrounds, and unlock Cup Circuits. Sonic Rivals 2 is currently scheduled for a Fall release. Check out the first images of the game in our new gallery. %Gallery-4118%
Sonic Rivals 2 heading our way
The keen eyes at The Sonic Stadium have noticed mention of Sonic Rivals 2 on various websites. Considering how the first was exclusive to PSP, we shouldn't be afraid to think that the sequel will also be heading to the handheld. Game Informer Online features a mysterious listing and a leaked retail release calendar shows the title releasing some time in November.The first game wasn't too shabby -- although the execution was weak at times, the concept of turning Sonic into a racer was novel. Rivals, at the very least, included some fast and pretty visuals (albeit a sluggish framerate). Let's hope this potential sequel fixes the issues found in the first game.[Via NeoGAF]
PSP Fanboy review: Sonic Rivals
The Sonic franchise has certainly fallen quite a bit ever since it made the transition into 3D. The Adventure games failed to capture the feel of the original 2D platformers, and other spin-off games, like Shadow the Hedgehog are considered travesties at best. It seems like Sonic does best when trapped in two dimensions, as seen by this excellent Game Boy Advance and DS entries. On the PSP, Sonic Rivals attempts to blend traditional 2D gameplay with impressive new 3D graphics. The developers, Backbone Entertainment, have done a good job executing on some of Sonic's trademark features, but some poor design choices hold back the game from being as good as it can be.
Microsoft and Sega create new deal to promote Sonic Rivals
Sega will be running a pricey viral ad campaign through Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger to promote its upcoming games: Sonic Rivals on the PSP and Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox 360. One may notice that the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Sonic the Hedgehog is not mentioned. Just like Sonic and Silver pictured above, Sony and Microsoft are fierce rivals, and it appears that Microsoft wants no part in promoting Sony's next-gen platform. Of course, without a handheld gaming device from the Xbox folks (for now), it seems Redmond's empire is willing to litter your IM-ing experience with ads for the PSP Sonic.Expect a full review of Sonic Rivals and a giveaway soon.[Via Brand Republic]
Yosuke talks more Sonic Rivals
Yosuke Moriya, one of my friends at SEGA, recently talked to Gamespot about Sonic Rivals. While the interview doesn't reveal anything new, it goes over the entire game's structure very thoroughly. You may have missed a few points in our previous coverage of the game, so check this video out. It features some great footage of the game in motion.Sonic Rivals races to stores on November 21st.
Metal Sonic appears in Sonic Rivals
We hinted at the presence of a secret character in Sonic Rivals when we played the game at DigitalLife. Well, it looks like the secret's out (thanks to screenshots posted on Gamespot), and Sonic fans are going to love the news. Metal Sonic, the evil robotic clone of Sonic will be the final unlockable character, and you'll be able to play as him once you beat the game. For hardcore Sonic fans, this should be incentive enough to pick up the game when it comes out in November.
PSP Fanboy interviews Sonic Rivals' Yosuke Moriya
Fellow blogger Chris Powell did not like my somewhat negative preview of Sonic Rivals from the DigitalLife show floor. He told me on AIM that I should "play it until I like it." Well, buddy-- I tried to follow your advice. I spoke with Yosuke Moriya, product manager for Sega, about the PSP-exclusive title and he talked a little bit about the game, revealed some of its features, and played multiplayer with me. Mr. Moriya reassured me that some of the complaints I had were being addressed before the game ships in November. For example, the framerate certainly hindered the sense of speed the game needs: when debug mode was turned on, I saw that the framerate dropped frequently to 15-20fps. Music will obviously be added, but unfortunately, it appears that voice acting will not (the game currently features very short quips: Sonic says only "yeah" over and over again). The single player portion of the game will be meatier than I originally thought, as I was shown a few of the later levels and a very cool secret unlockable character (which we can't reveal, sorry!). You'll be able to collect rings and cards, which will be redeemed for new customization items for the characters: for example, you can get new shoes for Sonic, or a new outfit for Knuckles, etc. Sonic + Barbie = fun, right? The game was obviously designed with multiplayer in mind, and it became a much more fun, and lively game when playing against a human opponent. I got to trash talk Yosuke as I sped away, racing towards the finish line. The moments where we able to use special powers against each other were the most lively, and the game has to create as many opportuities for interaction as possible. You can bet cards at the beginning of each race, so I could've stolen Yosuke's shoes. I didn't, though... because I'm just that nice. I have to admit I had a blast, but unfortunately, the game will only support ad-hoc multiplayer with two UMDs. Without Infrastructure play, it might be difficult to find another human opponent to play against. And that's a shame, really, because the game does become a much more lively game with it.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Sonic Rivals
PSP Fanboy had a chance to play the upcoming Sonic Rivals at NYC's DigitalLife event. I had high expectations for the game because I hold a belief that the 2D Sonic games are much better than their 3D counterparts. With the impressive processing power of the PSP, I expected to see a vivid, colorful, living environment for Sonic and the gang to race through. The build I played (which felt very early: it didn't have music, or voice acting), didn't showcase the PSP's graphical prowess. Surprisingly, the game felt somewhat sluggish, with Sonic's notoriously fast speeds feeling somewhat subdued.While the gameplay is in classic 2D, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the fact that the game is not a platformer, but a racer. However, Sonic Rivals seems to find itself in a confusing place because neither the platforming nor the racing elements seem to feel right yet. The controls didn't feel tight enough: there were context sensitive options to certain parts of the level, but it felt like many button presses weren't doing what they were supposed to. Hit detection between Sonic and his rival also seemed iffy. For the most part, the game felt uninspiring. All the elements for a good Sonic game appear to be present: there are enemies, there are branching levels, and there are environmental hazards. But without a real sense of speed, or an incentive for exploration, Rivals feels fails to inspire. I haven't had a chance to play with all the characters, or play multiplayer yet, but so far, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Sonic Rivals speeds into stores in November.See also:Joystiq at Sonic's 15th birthday party
Gasp! Get your Sonic Rivals internet cards before they're all gone
Sega has been known to do some off-the-wall advertising for their games, just check out Beta-7 if you don't believe me. Now Sega, to hype up Sonic Rivals coming to the PSP, has released character artwork cards, and I really have no clue why.Among the lucky characters to be included in this batch are Sonic (Of course), Knuckles, Shadow and Silver. Honestly, I'm not really "feeling" these cards so much. Is there really a point in numbering them? I don't think anyone's going to try to trade a Knuckles for a Silver any time soon.Anyway, Sonic Rivials should be released Nov. 21. That means you only have a little more than a month to collect the entire set. You better hurry![Via DCEmu]
Sonic Rivals trailer
Sonic has been cursed with some pretty mediocre gameplay in the past generation when placed in the third dimension. But, the 2D platformers found on the Game Boy Advance were all very solid. Sonic Rivals, the upcoming PSP-exclusive title features 2D gameplay, but with 3D graphics.... So, will it fall into the same curse that all the other 3D Sonics have?This trailer shows off some solid (and very speedy) graphics, but the gameplay worries me. Does it seem a bit too shallow? I'm afraid that because of its focus on racing, it might forget the important platforming element so crucial to a platform game. You watch the trailer and you be the judge.
Games Convention to feature Vice City & Sonic
According to GameFront, it appears that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be presented to members of the press in next week's Games Convention in Germany. Also on-hand at the show, according to GamesIndustry.biz is Sonic Rivals, the first ever original PSP platformer starring Sega's famous mascot. With the convention pending, it appears that new screens of both games are making their way around the internet. CVG has posted new screens of Sonic Rivals, featuring the aptly named Silver, who boasts psychic powers. GAME also has new direct-feed screenshots of Vice City Stories in action, showcasing the "new" rocket launcher.[Thanks, Adriaan!]
