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Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing DLC released early on PSN, removed
On Thursday, the UK PS3 version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing received a new downloadable racer and a new stage: Metal Sonic and the Egg Hangar, respectively. Then, in what seems like an inadvertent April Fools prank, it disappeared, having evidently been released early as a mistake. The Sega blog post announcing the actual DLC release for this week (Shenmue's Ryo Hazuki in his forklift) makes a point of noting that "This is the only DLC item out today." For a few lucky, Sonic-fast buyers, it was some early DLC. But for the rest of us, it's the source of some footage, captured by reader Hogfather, that we can watch after the break to preview some upcoming DLC.
Leaked video tours Sonic 4's Splash Hill Zone
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/sonic-4-splash-hill-zone-video/'; Wondering what you'll see the first time you boot up Sega's upcoming, returning-to-roots platformer, Sonic 4? Well, it'll probably be that blue-on-white logo where the robot choir sings the company name. Then, some kind of circular logo for the game, which Sonic will burst through, making an edgy hand gesture. After that, though, you'll see Splash Hill Zone Act 1 -- the entirety of which was recently captured on video and posted after the jump. In fact, if you're not very good at Sonic, you'll see the exact series of events depicted in the video. Seriously, dude dies in, like, 12 seconds.
Sega All-Stars Avatar items are looking for sales
We may not usually condone the capricious waste of Microsoft Points on Avatar frippery, but we must admit that the Sonic & Sega All-Stars clothing set makes a pretty good argument for the existence of Avatar clothes. And that argument is "here's Ryo Hazuki's jacket." It's available for men and women for 160 ($2). The other available items strike similarly at the heart of Sega nerds, including Beat's sunglasses, a little AiAi-in-Monkey-Ball prop, and a Samba De Amigo sombrero! You can even buy a Crabmeat to decorate your virtual Green Hill Zone (by which we mean your dashboard). See the full set at Xbox Live Marketplace. [Via Sega]
New Sonic 4 screens capture sundown in Splash Hill Zone
Click to enlarge Feeling blue today? Maybe it's because you sensed that Sega was going to make your eyes tear up (in a good way) with these razor-sharp new Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 screenshots. Or maybe you're just down in the dumps; in which case, we're sorry to hear it -- and we really hope these screens cheer you up. The new images feature the already revealed Splash Hill Zone, this time with Sonic racing through it at sunset. Of course, without any more information, we don't know if this is a later act in the stage, or if the time of day will change dynamically mid-level. We can tell you that we think the lighting looks great, even if Sonic's true blue coloring appears to be unaffected by it (probably due to a clause in his contract). Check out the full set of screens in the high-res gallery below. %Gallery-89026%
Sonic the Hedgehog pack coming to LittleBigPlanet this week for $5.99
Tired of making replica 1-1 levels from Super Mario Bros. in LittleBigPlanet? Well, it's time to explore the other retro gaming classics. Sonic the Hedgehog is coming to LittleBigPlanet this week with a new sticker and costume pack for $5.99. Unfortunately, this isn't a level pack akin to Metal Gear Solid 4 or Pirates of the Caribbean, so don't expect any high-speed game modifiers. Instead, this pack is solely for Sonic fans that want to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik, and yes ... the Werehog. In addition to the costumes, the DLC will introduce new Sonic-themed stickers, making it even easier to make real Sonic-themed levels, a la "Sonic the Hedgehog: Greenhill Zone" from Kiminiski. You can check out a video after the break.
See Sonic 4's Splash Hill Zone, Eggman
For those of you who have yet to decide to boycott Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega has released some new media of the downloadable rodent-racing platformer. Including ... the second known character to appear in the game. Okay, before more of you start boycotting, it's just Eggman (or Dr. Robotnik, or whatever). And he's shown in one of his spheroid flying vehicles, implying that he's in the game in boss capacity only. The site also features a few screens, music and a description of Splash Hill Zone, which can be summed up as "Green Hill Zone in HD." And that's a good thing, right?
Sonic fans remix Sonic 4 intro, get way too excited
Oh, Sonic fans. Every time a new Sonic is announced, you joke about not getting fooled again and you promise that, this time, you won't be taken in. And we believe you -- why would you go back to Sonic after everything he's done to you? But then a few weeks go by, and suddenly we click a link and find you remixing the 10 seconds of intro screen music that's been revealed from Sonic 4. Seriously? Did you have to create a rock version, an 8-bit version and even a Dreamcast-style version? Sure, they're cool, and sure, we've embedded them after the break, but isn't this exactly the kind of excitement we all agreed we wouldn't have for the new game? Yes, we're glad to see that longtime Sonic musician Jun Senoue has been announced as the composer for new game, and we're looking forward to hearing more music when the Sega blog releases it. But as your history teacher said, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Let's wait until we play the game before we start remixing it 10 seconds at a time.
Mega64 explains the appeal and letdown of Sonic ... the restaurant
If you were to ask us what to expect from most fast food joints, we'd probably tell you to look inside your garbage can and basically expect that -- but, y'know, inside of your stomach. We don't know; it's all the same pre-processed, assembly line garbage to us and we manage to successfully avoid it for the most part. But the Mega64 dudes instead find themselves in an almost perpetual, Groundhog Day-like loop when it comes to one particular establishment: Sonic. Even though each trip usually makes the guys wish they never went in the first place, the thought of returning oddly enough fills them with hope that things will be different each and every time, only to suffer the grim realization again. It's such a departure for Mega64, but we can't help but feel like there's some kind of correlation to a current gaming news item in here -- so we thought we'd post this to see what you all think they're talking about. While we think on it, head past the break and check out the video.
Sonic fans create the best boycott of all time
[Fanpop; bramcurtis] digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/26/sonic-fans-create-the-best-boycott-of-all-time/'; Thanks to the internet, the word "boycott" no longer conveys an element of gravitas. In fact, we're pretty certain that this collection of 1080 (and counting) Sonic fans doesn't actually understand the point of a boycott. The petitioners are upset about Sonic the Hedgehog 4, knowing full well from the leaked footage that it will "simply not be anywhere near as good as the original Sonic games." They're not going to stand for this and have threatened to hurt Sega where it hurts the most: sales. "We will not buy it," the petition explains. "We will in fact buy Sonic 1 on release in protest of Sonic 4." Take that, Sega! Instead of giving you money, these people are going to ... give you money? Ha! Lesson learned. But in all seriousness, we do want to take a moment to offer some advice to the protesters: The best way to show Sega your disapproval isn't to buy another one of its games. Instead, satiate your desire to hurt Sega and needlessly throw away your money by sending a check or money order to: Andrew Yoon c/o AOL, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. Thanks, Sonic fans! [Via Destructoid]
Metareview: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
It could just be our lowered expectations for games including kart racing, Sonic or "All-Stars" in the title, but we were pretty surprised by the positive buzz for Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing; the Wii, PS3 and 360 versions are all doing well with a 79 percent average on Metacritic. Here's what's being said: GameSpot (80/100): "Although the core of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is obviously pulled straight out of Mario Kart, this wacky racer can stand on its own four wheels. The tight controls and excellent track design ensure that head-to-head competition is always exciting, but it's so fun just to play around with these karts that it's easy to lose hours climbing the online leaderboards in Time Trial mode." 1UP (B): "Though it has some hiccups, unexciting party modes, and a questionable difficulty curve, All-Stars Racing is a respectable effort that makes a good kart racer at its core (and is at least much more cohesive than Sega Superstars Tennis)." Nintendo Power (8/10): "It isn't quite the fan paradise it could have been, but it's a very good racer that makes great use of classic Sega franchises. We wouldn't mind a sequel with more franchises and tracks included." IGN: (8/10): "It's pleasantly surprising to find out that the Nintendo Wii edition – apart from the lower resolution – gets similar treatment with close to the exact same features as the stronger hardware."
Sonic Classic Collection seemingly lacks multiplayer
If the screens above are accurate, it would appear that Sonic Classic Collection has ditched the multiplayer modes present in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3. Taken from Sega Europe's Flickr account, the screens don't display the option for multiplayer in either game, unlike the title screens on the original versions of the games. Granted, the multiplayer certainly isn't the main draw of either game, it is reasonably entertaining and would be well suited to the DS' wireless multiplayer abilities. For what it's worth, the GameStop listing for Sonic Classic Collection notes the game is a single-player game. It's not too surprising that the modes were cut, as it would require additional programming beyond simple emulation of the original games. After all, you can't plug an extra Genesis controller into your DS. Still, it would have been nice to see the multiplayer as a bonus mode outside the games. Just to be sure, we've contacted Sega for the final word on the matter. [Via Aussie Nintendo]
Rumor: Sonic 4 screens and footage leaked
If this is really leaked off-screen footage and screenshots of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 sent in to 1UP, we're surprised to say that it really, for real looks like a Sonic game. Despite a lazy jump animation, it actually looks like something that could satisfy those of us desperate for a genuine Sonic experience. Therefore, we predict either that this stuff is an elaborate fake, or that, after the first level, Robotnik freezes Sonic solid and you spend the rest of the game as Amy Rose dragging Sonic in a little red wagon. Those are the only ways we can reconcile what we see and what we know about Sonic games. Visible in both the video and the screens is a menu that reveals stages called the Splash Hill Zone, the Casino Street Zone, and the Mad Gear Zone (which probably isn't a Final Fight crossover), as well as a Sonic 1-style Special Stage. Check out the video after the break and face the terrifying proposition that you may become interested in a Sonic game. Frustratingly, this footage is as wobbly as all furtive "leaked" off-screen game footage is -- despite the fact that the person shooting it clearly had enough control to turn on the system and start the game on demand, suggesting that this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment video opportunity. Maybe the shaky-cam effect makes it look more like what people expect of a leak.
Australia and Spain get a special Sonic Classic Collection
click to Sonic-size It's a sad fact that essentially the only good Sonic games are the old ones. Thus, we were pretty excited to find out that Sega was bringing the first three Sonic games and Sonic & Knuckles to the DS in Sonic Classic Collection. And here we are, faced with the first good Sonic game in quite some time, and Sega goes and makes a limited edition solely for Spain and Australia. The limited edition includes a tin, art cards, a nifty Sonic figurine and, of course, the game itself. Don't get us wrong, we're thrilled for Spain and Australia and hope they enjoy this wonderful gift from Sega. Our only question to Sega: Why not share the love with the whole world? %Gallery-85264%
We sure hope the new Sonic 4 isn't a remake of this Sonic 4
Here's a fun little piece of 16-bit history for you -- did you know that when Sega made its big announcement last week, a game called Sonic 4 had actually been floating around for 14 years? Sure, it's not an official Sonic game, mind you -- it was merely a modded version of the classic Sunsoft SNES platformer Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Bandidos. 1UP recently shared the game's illicit history -- a group of Peruvian hackers known as Twin Eagle Group got their hands on the game in 1996, removed all instances of the hasty Mexican mouse, and replaced them with Sega's spiny mascot. Check out a gameplay clip of the unsanctioned Sonic 4 after the jump. Yeah, it doesn't look great -- but to be fair, Sonic doesn't whip out a gun at any point, nor does he engage in light bestiality, so we guess it has its charms. [Via Kotaku]
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing demo and theme now on Xbox Live
We'll be honest -- we weren't too interested in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing when we first heard about it, but every time the publisher announces a new playable character, our desire to play the game intensifies. (For the record, Sega? You had us at Ryo Hazuki.) We'll definitely be trying out the new demo -- released on Xbox Live today -- which features Sonic and Banjo as playable racers on a sample track. To accompany the demo, Sega has also released an All-Stars Racing theme for 240 ($3). However, we highly suggest checking to make sure the game's any good before proudly tattooing your Dashboard background with its logo. Shortcuts: Add the demo / theme to your Xbox 360 download queue [via Xbox.com]
Hands on with Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games [iTunes link] brings a mobile version of the Sonic franchise to the iPhone for this timely-themed product. It is officially licensed by the Vancouver Olympic games. With it, you can try your hand at curling, figure skating, snowboard cross, and skeleton, i.e. sports you probably never thought you'd actually be playing on an iPhone. If you're a big fan of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, and you like the way the Sonic games play on other devices, you'll be pleased that a lot of the same feel and gameflow have been ported quite successfully to the iPhone. As with other Sonic games, you select the character you want to portray and you are randomly matched against other characters in the Sonicverse. You can choose from single player one-sport events, multiplayer, and circuit mode, where you play all four events. The graphics are superb and the user interface development is top notch. A lot of care and programming have gone into the tiny details that make up this game. Between the animated icons (info is a book with flipping pages, settings are a rotating gear on top of a building, game selection is a happily bouncing stadium), sound design, and small interface details like how menus slide onscreen, I was really impressed; congratulations to Sega for developing an interface that really matches and works with the iPhone platform. I wish the actual game play could match the overall look and feel. Unfortunately, I found playing the events to be less thrilling and poorly conceptualized. Take the figure skating, for example. It was easily my favorite sport in the game, but the way the game you focus on tapping the right spot at the right time (you have to synchronize your tap to a shrinking circle) or tracing your finger along a given design (so you can perform spins and jumps), totally took away from actually enjoying the event. Great iPhone interactive sport apps put you right into the middle of the action. You submerse yourself into experiencing the game play and your device interaction gets outsourced to your motor control as your eyes drink in the visuals . With figure skating, I could barely see the (beautiful!) graphics, let alone enjoy the music, because the game mandates that my eyes and fingers had to be working on locating, tapping, and drawing in just the right place and at the right time. There was a big disconnect. And because of that disconnect, the actual skating seemed to be taking place somewhere else -- somewhere I couldn't really enjoy. The skeleton and snowboard cross events better offered submersive interaction. They more or less mimic every downhill iPhone game you've ever played. You ride downhill and collect gold rings. The controls are based on tilting the iPhone both side to side and front to back. For snowboard cross, you also get to ride through Mario-style cubes with question marks for special power ups. Both downhill events were pleasant enough to play. At the bottom of the pack, I found curling tedious to the extreme, which is a shame. Because if Sega had designed this event with faster gameplay and the ability to keep playing over and over in one go, it could have been quite fun. The problem isn't pushing the stone and sweeping (those parts are actually enjoyable), the problem was waiting and waiting for a turn, as the opponent operated in real time, and in all the setup/take down time for each match. The fun bits are simply lost within the administrative overhead. Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games offers a reasonable value for the money (it's a slightly hefty $4.99) but while the games were pleasant but none of them really made me want to play them again. I admired the work that went into creating the product but I can't really recommend it to anyone who isn't a big Sonic fan to begin with.
Alex and Jen really want you to play Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
The other day, our friends Alex and Jen invited us up to their loft to play this new racing game for the Wii. We were a little leery about going (Jen kept yelling things like "Waaaah! Super horn!" and "Shortcut cheat!," which was weird), but they promised us it was kart racing "with attitude," so we went anyway. It was okay, we guess. You could ride planes and cars and stuff (Jen was really excited about riding bananas for some reason), but when Alex and Jen kept yelling random competitive cliches in between these weird clinical explanations of powerups, we got kind of freaked out and started checking our watches. Things got a little uncomfortable when Alex threatened to make Jen cry like a little girl, and when she replied with a confident "Bring. It. On," we knew it was probably time to call it a night and quietly excused ourselves from their apartment. On our way out, we heard Alex creepily mumbling about "the sweet taste of victory" under Jen's nonsense shouting. They've already called us to see if we want to hang out next weekend for a "rematch," but uh, we think we're probably busy then.
Sega Ultimate Genesis Collection bringing official Genesis emulation to iPhone, pain to your wallet
After packaging and re-marketing to us our childhood over Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console and in a multitude of other forms, Sega is putting another platform to good use in its eternal quest to make us poor: the iPhone. Due for the App Store next month, the upcoming Sega Ultimate Genesis Collection will bring together some of Sega's existing, disparate releases for the iPhone under one roof and add a bunch more, allowing users to buy Sega Genesis games directly from the app. The first one's free, of course (Space Harrier II), but after that you'll be paying a decent amount for your emulation fix: Sonic is $6, Golden Axe is $5, and Ecco the Dolphin and Shining Force go for $3. The variety will undoubtedly grow over time, but we would hope that at some point Sega will offer some sort of discounted megabundle, since you can currently get 49 notable Sega titles for around $20 in the form of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Basically: we're not sure if this is all supposed to make us worse or better about jailbreaking.
UK gets Sega All-Stars Racing wheel bundle
click to Sonic-size Sega has now revealed the promised racing wheel for the Wii version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing. The wheel will be available as part of a bundle in the UK. It won't be available outside of European territories at all, which is unfortunate, as the All-Stars Racing wheel seems just a bit sharper than Nintendo's own peripheral. Get a closer look at the wheel and the bundle packaging in the gallery below. %Gallery-83448%
Xbox 360 Platinum Hits lineup adds Halo Wars, Orange Box and others
Xbox.com has listed several new games as Platinum Hits, including Fable II (aka Game of the Year Edition), Halo Wars, Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Ninja Gaiden II, Kung-Fu Panda, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Sonic Unleashed. A Microsoft PR agent couldn't confirm the full list of new Platinum Hits (are we missing any above?), but said that if a game is listed as such on Xbox.com, it's a Platinum Hits title. The changes seem to have taken effect on major retailer sites, as GameStop and Amazon now reflect the discounted Platinum prices (if not always the the Platinum Hits branding), which range from $20–30. With Orange Box requiring only one Jackson ($20), it's now literally a crime to not own it. Conversely, if you're dead-set on committing a crime, buy someone Sonic The Hedgehog or Sonic Unleashed at $20 each. [Thanks, Stephen]
