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Joystiq goes hands-on with some upcoming titles
Our overlords at Joystiq recently got their hands on some titles Wii lovers care about, taking the time to write up their impressions as is their job. And, we'd be neglecting in our job if we didn't do our best to present you with anything and everything Wii-related out there on these great big internets. So, if you've yet to check out their coverage on these Wii titles, then be sure to hit up the links below. Sonic Unleashed impressions: all Sonic, no Unleashed Joystiq hands-on: Rock Revolution Platinum Games: MADWORLD eyes-on, first trailer and screens Joystiq hands-on: Skate It (Wii) %Gallery-22964%
Little bit of new Sonic screens unleash big impressions
Click for high-resolution image. Hey folks, we've got new images of LittleBigSonic Sonic Unleashed! Pardon the little joke there; it's just funny that every time we see this game (or at least see it at a side view) it reminds us of that world-creation sim by Media Molecule. Perhaps it's the bright and vibrant atmosphere that gives us this impression. Or, maybe it's the image of a tiny Sonic avatar navigating around such gigantic levels. Whatever it is that makes us think this way, the association is nevertheless a positive one. We're definitely keeping both titles on our radar for good reason. Sonic's a bit tougher to keep watch on though ... he's just too fast. Har har har. Just check out the gallery already. %Gallery-19734%
Sonic Unleashed has Cube controller support
Hidden deep within Matt Casamassina's eyes-on preview of Sonic Unleashed on the PS3 and 360 is the news that the Sonic Team Dimps-developed Wii version would not only support a Wiimote/nunchuk combination, but also the GameCube controller, and possibly the Classic controller.Being the outrageous cynics that we are, we initially suspected this meant we'd be getting a downgraded port of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 game, but Casamassina also points out that the stages in the Wii iteration are "very different." So now we don't know what to think -- heck, maybe Dimps just believes the game feels nicer with the Cube controller.%Gallery-19031%
Sonic Unleashed impressions: all Sonic, no Unleashed
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Sonic_Unleashed_impressions_all_Sonic_no_Unleashed'; If you were hoping that Sega was going to use its recent Gamers Day event to show off the "unleashed" half of Sonic Unleashed, you'll be disappointed to learn that the speedy blue hedgehog is still very much "leashed" ... even after breaking out of his cage some months back. Despite being unwilling to sway from its rigid marketing schedule and share what we're assuming is going to be the game's key selling point – the nighttime (and "unleashed" werewolf Sonic we presume) half – Sega does want us to reconsider a traditional Sonic game working in 3D. That would be the daytime half.The presentation began with an explanation that, although the game is being developed by Sonic Team – the very same development team that delivered the universally panned next-gen Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006 – it is in fact a different team that "didn't work on the last one." Apparently the game's lead designer, Yoshihisa Hashimoto, "understands well where the failings were there." If you find it comforting that Sega's owning up for the previous title's shortcomings, you're not alone but we're a long way from being sold on the latest outing.%Gallery-19737%
Sonic Unleashed: Almost everything we knew was a lie
We'll have to mark this as rumor, since the source is Kombo's writeup of a Play Magazine article, and thus a little too far abstracted for comfort. According to Kombo, a recent interview with Sonic Team's Yoshihisa Hashimoto about Sonic Unleashed revealed a bunch of stuff about Sega's latest attempt to refresh the franchise. What he had to say put basically everything we thought we knew about the game into question.For example, the Wii game is being outsourced. Given the identity of the developer (Sonic Rush's Dimps), that's mostly a good thing, but it's still surprising to learn that we've been misled into thinking Sonic Team was simultaneously developing all three versions. That means that the "Hedgehog Engine," which we thought was being used for all three games, is not being used for the Wii. Furthermore, Dimps is doing not only the coding, but also level design for the Wii game, which means it's a different game.Worst of all is the news that Sega has already started downplaying the 2.5D aspect of the game. We believed that the whole game played as a sidescroller, but Hashimoto said it'll be about half 2D and half 3D. Great!None of this means that Sonic Unleashed on the Wii or any other platform will necessarily be bad, it just means that it won't be what we thought it was.%Gallery-19031%
Sonic scanned and Unleashed
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Tons_of_new_Sonic_Unleashed_info'; The latest edition of the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine comes with an extensive eight-page preview of Sonic Unleashed, complete with gameplay details, fresh screenshots, and an interview with the project's lead designer, Yoshihisa Hashimoto. There's also new information aplenty on Sonic's darker alter-ego (dubbed "Were-Sonic" by the magazine). Apparently, this character only appears at night, can traverse stages using his longer arms (ONM describes this as "Donkey Kong-esque"), and is slightly slower (yet more agile) than regular Sonic. Oh, and he's not evil. Just ... different.Speaking of being different, Hashimoto appears super keen to disassociate the game from more recent Sonic outings, insisting that Unleashed will have "more in common with the older Sonic Adventure games" and "no relation to Sonic the Hedgehog (PS3/360) or Sonic and the Secret Rings." Hit up French site Wiiz for the rest of the preview.%Gallery-19031%
Put Sonic's face on your chest
There are many reasons to desire a shirt emblazoned with the countenance of Sega's spiky, azure mascot -- perhaps as a celebratory measure following the formal announcement of Sonic's upcoming 2D/3D adventure, Sonic Unleashed. Maybe you want to want to make your own personal Jaleelitude known to the world. Or just maybe, you want to warn could-be attackers that you've seen the Sonic PSAs, and that you know how to protect your bathing suit area from uncomfortable touches. Such a shirt exists, as do a number of other garments featuring characters from other Sega mainstays (such as Virtua Fighter and House of the Dead) from a Japanese clothier named UNIQLO -- unfortunately, said tees are only available in Japan. However, as our controller-waggling brethren at Wii Fanboy discovered, UNIQLO has stores in the UK and in New York -- so at least we can hope for a timely port. %Gallery-20312% [Via Wii Fanboy]
Sonic Unleashed: "no relation" to latest Sonic titles
Well, thank God. In a recent interview with Official Nintendo Magazine (what, you don't subscribe?), Sonic Team's Yoshihisa Hashimoto noted that Sonic's latest outing, Sonic Unleashed, "has no relation" to his previous next-gen effort Sonic the Hedgehog (or the Wii's Sonic and the Secret Rings for that matter). For those of you who missed out on Sonic the Hedgehog, you should know that Sonic Unleashed having no relation to it is a very, very good thing. Giving us more reason to hope (and thus greater hopes to be dashed), Hashimoto says that Sonic Unleashed began as Sonic Adventure 3, adding that "this game will have more in common with the older Sonic Adventure series." While many would argue that Sonic Team should look back even further for inspiration (oh sweet, sweet Sonic 3), it's still a damned sight better than the 360 Sonic the Hedgehog.So, potentially good news then. Dare we have the audacity to hope that Sonic Unleashed might actually be good?
Sonic Unleashed reboots series, ignores last two games
Thanks to Batman Begins, we're now all familiar with the concept of "rebooting" a series -- ignoring one or more of its previous installments to start over with a clean slate. Sega's apparently familiar with the concept as well, as Sonic Unleashed has "no relation" to either Sonic the Hedgehog on PS3 and 360, or Sonic and the Secret Rings, and will instead be more like a Sonic Adventure 3, only with more hulkhogs.Official Nintendo Magazine talked with lead designer Yoshihisa Hashimoto about the direction of the new title, and learned that the team went back to square one with both the design and engine for the game. The game is said to be comparable to the aging Sonic Adventure games, albeit with a few new tricks and hopefully improved platforming. Regarding the hulkhog, Hashmito reveals that Sonic's altered form controls more slowly (duh), but can knock objects out of the way rather than dodging, and propels himself forward Donkey Kong-style with massive forearms used to swing across the ground. We're all for rebooting the series, but we personally hope that Unleashed shares more in common with Sonic's pre-Adventure titles, rather than the character-laden, awkward-camera experiences in the Dreamcast outings.
Sega teases Sonic lycanthropy
Or lyc-hedgehog-py, or whatever. You know, the werewolf thing that we all knew was coming, because we all saw the leaked screenshots? It's real! Sega's latest trailer focuses on this aspect of Sonic Unleashed, giving us a sneak peek at the thing we've already totally seen. Of course, we don't yet know how this figures into gameplay. Soon we'll find out whether a (cartoon) wolf (who is also part hedgehog) is faster or slower than cartoon hedgehog.As a bonus, you get to hear how the Sonic voice actor (sorry, Sonic voice-acting aficionados! We can't tell which one it is!) interprets the sound of a hedgehog turning into a werewolf. Do they teach that in acting class?%Gallery-19031%
Sonic the Hulkhog unleashed in new teaser
Ignore for about three seconds Sega's laughably broken Sonic Unleashed marketing which released gameplay footage before a teaser trailer (above), and just focus on what we'll soon be calling -- with great frequency -- Sonic the Hulkhog. Sonic done gone and got himself rabies, girrrrrl!We have no clear idea of what's going on in the teaser, but this probably has something to do with the "unusual situation" Sonic is faced with in Unleashed and the images of Wolf Sonic we've seen. We're sure to get more information soon, unless Sega's marketing keeps up its new reversal trend and releases the game before they give out any more information. %Gallery-19737%
Sonic Unleashed teaser trailer features whistles, grunts
Kind of strange to have a teaser trailer after gameplay footage was leaked to the 'net, but oh well. Here you see Sonic frothing at the mouth (we would assume) and tossing a ring into the air ... and then smashing it into the ground with his inner furry. Not fury. Furry. He gets hairy. It's weird, but we'll probably get more details as the game gets closer to release.
Rumor: New Sonic Unleashed Teaser?
It seems as though Sega's new Sonic game, Sonic Unleashed, will end up being leaked in one form or another until the thing is finally released. Though it does seem silly after seeing gameplay video of it, the newest leak of the game is the story teaser. The story is said to involve some sort of "Were-Sonic" type character, and this teaser seems to confirm that, implying a quick transformation as a ring flies through the air. Is it real? It's likely, as the other leaks did end up being real themselves. Whether this is good news or not is another idea altogether. You decide for yourself whether or not emulating the Lord of the Rings camera work is appropriate to a super-speed hedgehog. You decide whether or not the newest Jekyll/Hyde story device is a good use of the license. As for us, we made our decision, if the gameplay is good, who cares about the story?
Wii Warm Up: Dare we unleash Sonic?
It's official: the hedgehog is back, in what many Sonic fans are already starting to call a possible return to form. But every new Sonic game gets called a return to form, because they always look great in initial screenshots -- and because fans' goodwill for the character has yet to be fully eroded.We're not going to go too far into our personal opinions about Sonic and his recent games -- we'll just say that previous 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games have failed to meet many fans' expectations. Are you ready to give him another chance? Does the new trailer and the promise of side-scrolling gameplay resonate with you? To be honest, it totally does with us. That trailer worked, and we don't want to be the only ones who thought so.%Gallery-19031%
Sonic Unleashed is really real
Click for high-resolution image. Sonic Unleashed was accidentally ... unleashed to the gaming world, and videos and screenshots from Sonic's upcoming outing spread through the internet like wildfire. Well, Sega's finally admitting that Unleashed is real, and it's coming to PS3 (and Xbox 360, Wii and PS2).The world has apparently been shattered into pieces by Dr. Eggman, and once again, Sonic must save the day. A new night and day system will have the hedgehog take on a new menacing form -- one that could also consume Sonic.Classic 2D gameplay will be integrated into a dynamic 3D world, courtesy of blast processing Sega's new "Hedgehog Engine." Once again, we're all praying that this might be the first decent not-horrible Sonic game in ages. It'll be readied for the holiday season this year. Check out the trailer, after the cut.%Gallery-19734%
Sonic Unleashed Officially Announced
Well, after on the worst media leaks we've ever seen, it was really, really, obvious that Sega had a new Sonic game in the works. Though Sega remained tight-lipped, most out there knew gameplay footage (early as it was) when they saw it. So now, a relative infinity later, we have have the official response from Sega declaring the: "Latest Installment to Extend Sonic's Signature Style. but with a Twist!" (we swear that period is not our typo, straight Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V from the press release). The press release doesn't have a whole lot of details, but as with every other major Sonic release a ton of promises for the game are made. The funny part is that we would genuinely be excited about everything in the press release, were it not for previous broken promises with the franchise. The best snippets of the press release can be found after the break.
Sonic Unleashed officially announced, slated for Holiday 2008
Though we've been feeding it leftovers since last month, Sega of America has finally knocked on our door and confirmed that the adorable stray cat in our care did indeed have its origins in the publisher's bag. Much to our surprise, Sega also informed us that the cat is actually ... a hedgehog. We thought it felt a bit strange petting the dear thing, but are no less alarmed by Sega's evil habit of stuffing small creatures in bags. Developed by the "renowned" Sonic Team, Sonic Unleashed promises a return to the blazing blue mammal's roots in "an unforgettable high-speed journey around the globe." Set for release on the Xbox, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2, the game ditches low-tech blast processing for the "Hedgehog Engine," which "introduces seamless 3D to classic 2D camera transitions, whilst delivering a rich and expansive world with multiple paths to choose from." It certainly sounds like we're taking a step in the right direction, but given our previous next-gen brush with Sonic, we're not convinced we won't just clip right through the floor and fall out of the level.Sega further notes that Sonic is faced with an "unusual situation" this time around, with gameplay changing from day to night (must be the wolf thing) and "combat fighting" becoming possible. We'll learn more about what exactly that means closer to the game's late 2008 release. (For now, watch the trailer -- posted after the break.)%Gallery-19737%
Sonic Unleashed: confirmed for Wii, 2.5D [update]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Sonic_Unleashed_confirmed_for_Wii_2_5D'; Update: Trailer! While we had no trouble believing that Sonic Unleashed was a real game and that the leaked screens and video were really that game, we had no solid evidence that it would show up on Wii. Sega of Europe has confirmed the existence of the game in a press release, and announced the platforms on which it will be released: pretty much all of them, including the Wii!Sonic Unleashed will use a new "Hedgehog Engine" and will feature side-scrolling gameplay rendered in 3D graphics, as Sonic battles Eggman and attempts to reassemble the broken world (by running over it?) The werewolf thing also seems confirmed, as the press release says "As the sun sets in Sonic Unleashed, a different type of adventure will awaken in Sonic's newest quest ..." unless they just mean the type of adventure in which you can't see anything. Check out the first two official screenshots of Sonic Unleashed (but still not the Wii version) after the break.%Gallery-19031%
Rumor: GameStop dates Prototype, Splinter Cell V, Sonic Unleashed, Rogue Warrior and more
One of our loyal X3F Army tipsters has outed himself as an employee of GameStop, but to make up for it he sent us a camera phone image of a few release dates. While you should take these dates with a grain of salt some of them are accurate, specifically Ninja Gaiden 2, Soul Calibur IV and Civilization Revolution.Fueling the fire of the Sega's Sonic Unleashed leak is a release date of November 4 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2. EA's NFL Head Coach 09 is slated for a September 3 release and based on the release of the original in relation to Madden, the time frame seems accurate. A few titles we haven't heard much from are Bethesda Softworks' Rogue Warrior (November 10) and Edios Interactive's Shellshock 2: Blood Trails (September 1), which is being developed by the team at Rebellion.Other dates include Sierra's Prototype from Radical and the Xbox 360 exclusive Splinter Cell: Conviction from Ubisoft which are dated for October 21 and October 2 respectfully.Remember, pre-order focused retailers tend to guess-timate releases on a regular basis to structure their sales goals for the final two quarters of the year. However, some of the names on this list make us really glad we have a rumor category.[Thanks, Travisto]
Sonic Unleashed confirmed, mostly
Some video and screens came out of what looked like a new Sonic the Hedgehog game, identified as Sonic Unleashed. After this leak, Sega issued a press release to a German magazine called Sega On confirming the existence of the game -- and then Sega On removed it. Which means that we don't know what's real, if anything. We also don't know which platform or platforms the game will come out on -- the information out there says 360 and Wii, at least.Sega On now says that Unleashed is an unprecedented collaboration between Sega teams in Japan, Europe, and the U.S., designed to "rebuild the Sonic brand and prove that it could work in 3D environments." It involves a werewolf-style Sonic, either as a player transformation or as an enemy. It's all very confusing, but we can at least say with some certainty that some Sonic game is coming to some system. Check Gamersyde for a bunch of (likely) screenshots, and hit the post break for a video! It looks ... really cool, and mostly 2D -- which the game was described to be in some possibly fake gameplay details.%Gallery-19031%
