Sonic Team

Takashi Iizuka says Sonic Mania Plus physical release is ‘everything we could do for the Sonic Mania Project’

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Sonic Mania was a hit for the indie developers behind the project which included Christian Whitehead, Stealth from Headcannon and PagodaWest Games. It made a lot of older fans come back to the Sonic the Hedgehog brand with delight and soon we will be getting Sonic Mania Plus with added Ray and Mighty.

One thing a lot of hardcore fans want to know, will we see a sequel to Sonic Mania?

“Maybe the next one will be Sonic Mania’ (Dash) then [laughs]. Jokes aside, with the release of the physical version in Sonic Mania Plus, it feels like we did everything we could for the Sonic Mania project.” – Takashi Iizuka

You can check out the fully translated Famitsu interview over at Siliconera, where he even talks about how Ray and Mighty are ‘sealed’ characters that where never mean’t to be in a future game. Interesting?

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What is the best 3D Sonic the Hedgehog video game?

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Sonic the Hedgehog launched in glorious 3D back on the Dreamcast (at least officially, there where other attempts prior) and since 1998 it seems that the blue blur has had some trouble really defining what a 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game should be. We have went from the Adventure style games to the boost gameplay that we know now.

But what is the best 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game? 

To me this is hard to answer, like the retro Sonic the Hedgehog games that first came out all had a feel and flow to them, but the 3D ones seem to be all over the place. Even Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 are completely different in tone. For me, it has to be Sonic Adventure and that probably has to do with nostalgia, the fact that I preferred the flow of the game compared to Adventure 2 (letting you pick who you wanted to play instead of forcing you to switch between characters).  Is Sonic Adventure perfect? Nah, but no game is. I will also like to give a special shout out to Sonic Generations, which I enjoyed quite a bit. What about you?

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Sonic Forces Super Sonic DLC is now free, forever

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If you guys remember last year, we ran a story that Sonic Forces Super Sonic DLC was free for a limited time, after the initial release (January 23rd) they would be charging users $1.99 to download the ability to turn into Super Sonic. We rightfully complained about this since Super Sonic has been a free unlockable in Sonic the Hedgehog games since the transformation was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The idea of turning a long running feature of a franchise into a product didn’t sit well with us and other Sonic the Hedgehog fans.

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Sonic the Hedgehog panel returns to SXSW this year

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Last year SEGA held the first “Gotta Go Fast: The Official Sonic the Hedgehog Panel” at SXSW, a Austin, Texas based convention. This year? They will be back and will be calling the panel the same exact name! The Official Sonic the Hedgehog panel will take place on March 16, 2018 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM featuring Takashi Iizuka, Austin Keys, Aaron “Meme Lord” Webber, and Tyson Hesse.

According to the SXSW event description:

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Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka joins SQUARE ENIX, returns to programming

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Yuji Naka has always been a big name to SEGA fans, not only did he program Sonic the Hedgehog on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, he also has a long history of being a company man. Yuji Naka’s first game for SEGA started way back in the SG-1000 days with Girl’s Garden (in 1984!). After that he helped launch SEGA classics such as NiGHTs Into Dreams…, Samba De Amigo, ChuChu Rocket!, Burning Rangers, Phantasy Star Online, and the list goes on.

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Sonic Forces and Puyo Puyo Tetris gets ‘2 Hits Pack’ on Nintendo Switch

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It seems that Europe, specifically France, will get a ‘2 Hits Pack’ which will include both Sonic Forces and Puyo Puyo Tetris on a Nintendo Switch cartridge(s). The 2 Hits Pack will be published and released by Koch International and not self published by SEGA. According to the Amazon listing, this 2 Hits Pack will cost 49,99 EUR (about $59 USD). Which is a deal considering Puyo Puyo Tetris is listed for 34,99 EUR and Sonic Forces is listed for 29,99 EUR. That’s quite the savings, if you can put up with the bad box art.

The Amazon listing says that shipping starts January 5, 2018. My only other question is if this will come in a single cartridge or will the bundle ship with two separate cartridges? I guess we will find out in a few months. I have heard people online state that they should have included or had Sonic Mania on this ‘2 Hits Pack’ instead of Sonic Forces. Personally think Sonic Mania will do well with a stand alone release, try that before putting it in a bundle like this. But it is a bit shocking that Sonic Forces just came out and its already being bundled with another game to move copies. I mean, that can’t be a good sign, right?

[Via: Amazon.fr]

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Sonic Forces Japanese debut sales barely surpass 10k units sold

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We all know that Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t a very strong brand in Japan, but I don’t think a lot of people know just how unpopular it is. According to this weeks Media Create Sales, Sonic Forces sold 10,624 units, counting both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions. That’s rather low, seeing Call of Duty: WWII has a staggering second week with sales passing 60k! That’s a game based on the American viewpoint of the war Japan lost and they rather play that by a large number than Sonic Forces. That says something.

But is that a bad thing? Sonic Generations never charted in Japan when it came out in 2011. If anything Sonic Forces is selling higher in the region than expected. The Sonic brand usually makes most of its money in America and Europe, so we will have to see how it performs in those regions before we call it a bomb. You can check out the top selling software titles of the week in Japan by hitting the jump.

[Via: Gematsu]

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Demo Impressions (PS4 & Switch)

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Just the other day Sonic Forces Japanese demo hit both PSN and Nintendo’s eShop, unsurprisingly today we get to talk about our thoughts on said demo. Today on the SEGA News Bits we discuss Sonic Forces demo including Modern Sonic gameplay, Classic Sonic Gameply, Avatar style gameplay and of course discuss the differences between the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions of the game. So listen in on the episode and let us know in the comments below what you thought of the Sonic Forces PSN & Switch demo.

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Sonic Mania physical version coming to Nintendo Switch, hints ESRB

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Sonic Mania has been out for a few months and while the game got physical collector’s edition, the game itself was never available in a physical medium. There is still a pool of gamers that are hoping SEGA does a physical version of the game and that might be happening. Earlier today, the ESRB twitter account posted a updated ESRB rating for Sonic Mania. If you look into the replies, someone already asked what we are all thinking: Why re-rate a game that has been out for months? ESRB’s reply:


When the ESRB account was pressed more on its reply, it said they don’t know if Sonic Mania is going to be released physically and that they only rate games. But they did say that all physical games need a ESRB summary, which is why the rating had been updated. We could be seeing a physical version of Sonic Mania, at least on the Nintendo Switch. Would you buy Sonic Mania again and if so, how much are you willing to spend on a physical version of the game?

Update: According to Sonic the Hedgehog social media manager Aaron Webber, this ESRB update actually has to do with the Collector’s Edition. Still not adding up why they would update the ESRB summaries months after the game released.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Hooters Japanese Promotional Event

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Today on the SEGA News Bits we will be going all the way to Japan to look at the Sonic Forces x Hooters crossover promotional event that is going on right now! Well, maybe we won’t be going there in person but thanks to the power of the internet we can see what the Sonic Forces x Hooters crossover event has to offer. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we look at the Sonic Forces Hooters event, talk chili dogs, and give our thoughts on the promotion. What do you think of Sonic Forces having a promotional event at Hooters? Let us know in the comments below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Space Port Gameplay And Infinite Boss Battle Revealed

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Sonic Forces comes out next month and SEGA is getting ready to let new information out of the bag. Earlier today they revealed the Space Port gameplay, Rental Avatar hero mode and even the first glimpse at a Infinite boss battle. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss all the new information, talk Sonic Forces‘ marketing and did Sonic Team referencing Rent-A-Hero? Let us know what you think of the ‘new’ Space Port gameplay, the Rental Avatar hero mode and of course the first look at Infinite in action in the comments below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Comic Book Tie-In Discussion

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The first, free digital issue of the Sonic Forces tie-in comic being titled ‘Moment of Truth‘ has been released by SEGA. This promotional tie-in issue is set to give users a taste of one of the many created avatars that have joined our Sonic the Hedgehog heroes in the fight against Eggman. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we will give you our opinion on the Sonic Forces ‘Moment of Truth’ tie-in comic, our thoughts on the story, tone, and what we will like to see in future issues. Tune in and let us know what you’re thoughts on the Sonic Forces ‘Moment of Truth’ promotional tie-in comic!

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic the Hedgehog Comics Return April 2018 Discussion

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We all know the long story about how SEGA and Archie had a disagreement with the Sonic the Hedgehog license and that they are now relaunching the long running comic book series under publisher IDW. Thanks to the New York Comic Con ‘IDW Sonic Comic Town Hall panel’ we now know new information on the relaunch that has been confirmed for April 2018. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we talk about getting four issues in April 2018, Ian Flynn being named head writer, Tyson Hesse doing promotional art for the event, and the return of The Freedom Fighters? Tune into the episode and let us know your thoughts on the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comic book relaunch in the comments below!

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces PSN Trophies Leak, Reveals New Info

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Welcome to a new SEGA News Bits, today we will be discussing the Sonic Forces early PSN trophies leak that happen yesterday. On this episode I’ll be going through all the interesting information that the leaked PSN trophies revealed including Silver Moon Rings, Secret Stages, Daily Missions, and lots more. So tune in and let us know what you think of Sonic Forces’ PSN Trophies and are you planning on getting a Platinum on it? Let us know in the comments below.

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