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PSP Sega Genesis Collection doesn't ship alongside PS2 version
Sega recently announced Sega Genesis Collection is now available in stores ... on the PS2. In the press release, Sega said the PSP version will ship later this month.This really surprises me, because I've been expecting the two versions to ship simultaneously, and even IGN still has the PSP version with a Nov. 7 ship date. However, if we can believe Gamestop, they have the game set at a pre-release date of Nov. 16.Sega gave no reason for the delay, but did mention the game will be rated "T" for Teen. I guess 15-year-old Genesis games can be too much for those 12-year-old kids out there.
2 new bundles revealed for France
These two new DS Lite bundles of popular Sega games Sonic Rush and Project Rub are not confirmed to be limited edition DS Lites like the ones we've seen with Pokemon and Final Fantasy characters on them, instead featuring the black and pink DS Lites respectively. However, each bundle does include a limited edition pack-in, such as a Sonic figurine and T-shirt. The Project Rub bundle is stated as costing 129,99 € and the Sonic Rush bundle is stated as costing 169,99 €.
Wii and GameCube side-by-side
Loads of people, especially Nintendo haters, have been questioning the quality of the Wii graphics. French site, NGCFrance, has put up 13 sets of images from games featured on the GameCube and Wii one after the other to compare the difference, if any. We wouldn't completely trust these screens, fellow Wii fanboys/gals. We aren't saying that the site intentionally altered screens to try and make a negative point nor that the pictures are wrong due to our Nintendo fandom, we are just saying to look with an open mind. We especially love the Fire Emblem comparison. Magic blast vs. magic blast. Sweet. On a lighter note, Google translator is teh awesome. Check out what a Nintendo Fanboy from France had to say in Nintendo's defense: me yesterday I played there the mgs and DIFFERENCE EAST MUCH CLEARER than that!!!!!!!! because laWii same on a screen of 120cm reacted very well and remains super beautiful!! and sonic be superb!!! not no concern it above Wii will be more beautiful, more powerful and heuresement!! ^^ zelda tp pouwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwa!!! brilliant comamdes!!! Word.
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.
SonicDS homebrew Alpha release
As if the current Sonic game available on the DS isn't enough, you can now look to the homebrew community for some ring-gathering, side-scrolling action. In the alpha build of his project SonicDS, coder Bonic's first game looks to bring the speedster's style and addicting action of old to the handheld. The current build is a very early version of the game and has many bugs, so be warned.
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.
New Sonic breathes life into the franchise
Andrew Yoon of PSP Fanboy and Joystiq recently got the chance to have a go at Sonic and the Secret Rings, and he came back bubbling over with excitement. This new game seems to be all about the old games -- or rather, the original high speed style. The upcoming Sonic is on rails, putting the focus back on the speedy completion of levels rather than on running around and checking things out. Instead, you just have to deal with things as they come at you, and the Wiimote adds a level of gameplay that keeps it from becoming repetitive.And while there may be a few visual problems, Andrew promises that Sonic and the Secret Rings still manages to be one of the best looking games forthcoming on the Wii -- maybe even too impressive, with colors bursting out in a dazzling array. Despite less than stellar textures, he had nothing but praise for the rest of the visual effects in the game. Excitement is contagious, you know ....
Hands-on: Sonic and the Secret Rings
Nintendo Wii's exclusive Sonic and the Secret Rings was playable behind closed doors at DigitalLife, and I came out thoroughly impressed. Sega's Ben Harrison was able to speak about the game on camera (see past the break), and as you'll be able tell from the huge smiles on both our faces, this game is pure fun. It made me regret that only the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Sonic games were available on the showfloor, because this game is without a doubt much better. As Blake mentioned at E3, this game is one of the best looking titles on the Wii. Although the textures aren't great, the special effects, lighting and steady framerate made the game a real treat to the eyes. Unlike the sandy level that's been showcased over and over again, the new level overloads the player with visual information. It feels like every few seconds, an explosion happens somewhere around Sonic. The game moves insanely fast, and when unleashing Sonic's special attack, the world blurs in a dizzying amount of color. It's very impressive, and gives the player a real feeling of empowerment.
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
Joystiq at Sonic's 15th birthday party
The blue dude with an attitude turned fifteen years old yesterday and he celebrated at NYC's DigitalLife show. Fans and confused onlookers watched as Sonic was presented a ridiculously large birthday cake by psuedo-celebrity Lacey Chabert. Hungry attendees of the show (myself included) scarfed down the cake, and laughed at the man inside the Sonic suit, knowing it was impossible for him to blow out the candles on his cake, let alone eat it. Sonic, the cake was delicious.When questioned about how it felt to be 15, Sonic responded, "It's strange. I'm growing hair in places I've never had hair before." He then sped away and, like in his upcoming Xbox 360 game, my camera was unable to follow him. Read on to see more pictures, and video from the celebration.
Japan gets some prices for their PS3 titles... it's not too bad
Not too bad is about the extent of it. While one price shouldn't be indicative of any other game prices, there's at least a little comfort in the recently announced pricing of Resistance: Fall of Man, Motorstorm, and Genji. 5980 yen. Roughly $50 US. That's really cool, should the prices remain the same upon the North American release. Will they? Maybe. Maybe not. No use guessing, but we can pray to the almighty lords of gaming to make it so. Let's not forget that Sega also released some prices a few weeks ago: Sega Golf Club and Sonic are both being priced at 7140 yen (about $60)... the expected next-gen pricing, but didn't someone see Sonic for cheap somewhere? Maybe that was a dream. Seems the pricing will be stuck around $50-$70. Oh well. Is anyone unnaturally bent out of shape about this?
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 reveals -- Miles! Er, Tails... Miles Tails? Tails Miles?
We've got a link to some screens here... screens o' Tails for the PS360 Sonic title. Did you like that? Who would have ever thought of combining those two consoles? Me. That's who. Anyway, check out the screens and you'll also notice what appears to be some sort of character selection screen... where one selects their character. To play as. But on this screen are many shadowed characters. So, for all you Sonic buffs out there, can you name the characters just from their shadow? Your prize is... respect. That ain't nothin' no carnival can give you.
Japanese release date and price for Sonic revealed
We can get our speed on with the blue hedgehog by the end of this year, assuming our release date coincides with Japan's. Sega announced today that the PS3 version of Sonic the Hedgehog will grace the Playstation 3 on December 21st at a price point of 6800 yen (the same as the current gen game prices, apparently). Also announced was the price of Sega Golf Club... it's also 6800 yen. No word on the 360 version of the game yet. Does this portend well for American game prices? Not really -- Japan doesn't have a singular price of games. We can probably expect a $60 price tag on our games, as previously asserted by Activision. Some bigger titles may run up to $70, but hey, that might tack on the "special edition" label to somehow make it easier to swallow. Nevertheless, let us hope Sonic comes stateside by the end of the year -- we want to move really, really, really fast. Now then, let's go play Ogre Battle 64 (quite possibly the slowest pacing ever in a game... still amazing, but damn is it sluggish).
Sonic demo is craptastic
If Sonic creator, Yuji Naka, knew that this is where SEGA wanted Sonic to go, it's no wonder he left the company. The Sonic demo, if you haven't played it yet, is bad. Really bad. Believe me, I am a Sonic fan. I write for 360 Fanboy it's true, but I am a SEGA fanboy at heart. Thus, it hurts me even more to tell you that the demo is just not very good. It's not unplayable, but parts of it are close. Read on for more.
BIH content, 9/27: Sonic the Hedgehog edition
Another day, another demo in the latest batch of X06 content. Today we get a brand spanking new demo of Sonic the Hedgehog. Is it possible we could see a new demo every day? The possibility is titillating. As for the rest, well, there isn't much. Just this:Kane & Lynch: Dead Men trailerIt should also be noted that the Alan Wake theme and picture pack are also available now, though they weren't mentioned in yesterday's official list. The picture pack is 80 MS Points and the theme will cost you 150. Curious by their absence are the promised HD trailers of Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. We can only hope they'll hit sometime today as scheduled. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, we're downloading the Sonic demo and working on the sh*t-ton of X06 info that is starting to hit. Stay tuned.
BIH content, 9/26: Lego Star Wars edition
Another day, another batch of BIH content. See what we did there? BIH. See, it's an acronym for Bringing It Home. Pretty sweet, huh? Anywho, here's the almighty list for today: Forza 2 Physics & Damage trailer NBA 2K7 trailer Sonic The Hedgehog trailer Shrek 3 trailer Just Cause trailer NHL 2K7 trailer The Darkness trailer LEGO Star Wars II demo(!) A potent list indeed, capable of discombobulating even those of the strongest constitutions. The real winner here is of course the demo of the UK's recent chart topper, LEGO Star Wars II. On a more peculiar note, wasn't there a trailer for The Darkness up yesterday? Is this one different? We'll be back shortly with our thoughts on the LSWII demo. We're sure you're waiting with bated breath.
Sonic and the Secret Rings details
In absolute defiance of the game's title, the Sonic Team has come forward to reveal some details about these so-called "rings". It seems as though Sonic is the one and only playable character, speeding through an Arabian setting in at least 70 separate missions. Despite the plethora of levels, however, the game is estimated to take only around ten hours for the average gamer to complete. Medals and unlockables will extend the playtime for those perfectionists out there, however, and no less than 30 minigames are planned to be included as well. Also discussed is the evolution of the game. Originally, the Sonic team wanted to make the gameplay far more active than it currently is, in the traditional 3-D style utilizing the nunchuk attachment. However, the team noted that the gameplay was too "strenuous", which most likely signifies that the controls were tiring players out before long. So, the decision was made to switch to the current, on-rails version. Sonic and the Secret Rings is currently scheduled for a March 2007 release.
TGS 2006: Sonic and the Secret Rings trailer
With the Tokyo Game Show in full swing, we're sure there will be plenty of posts like these to follow. While it may seem suffocating, these videos are for your own good. You need to see them. You want to see them. And this latest trailer for Sonic and the Secret Rings is no exception.Continue into the post to see the embedded video.
