Sonic Dash now free and massively updated!

SEGA has released an update today that drastically changes the iOS game Sonic Dash. First off, the game is now free to play. Great news for those who have yet to buy the game, though it is a bit of a kick in the leg to fans who paid for the game initially. However, the game has been improved across the board. For starters, performance is much better on iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4 devices. I’ve noted much smoother gameplay on my own iPhone 4. Another big improvement is the tweaking of object placement. Before, players might run up a hill, only to reach the top and run right into a barrier with little time to react. Now, SEGA promises that players will encounter this far less. A major complaint lodged at the game was that it was very difficult to earn red rings, and there was a finite amount. Red rings allow players to buy additional playable characters.

Now, thanks to daily play challenges, players are tasked with collecting four puzzle pieces a day, which in turn can be redeemed for a daily prize. Day one gives 100 rings, day two gives two head start power-ups, day three gives five respawns, day four gives two red star rings. Day five is the big prize, as you have the chance to win five red rings, ten respawns, 200 rings, five head starts, or a new playable character (in the case of this week, it is Tails).

Do these changes make Sonic Dash a better game? Sound off in the comments section! Also, after the break a detailed list of what the update contains.

Sonic Dash releases to iOS, Android version to come

SEGA has created a snazzy release day trailer for Sonic Dash, now available for iOS devices, and has also revealed that an Android version is on the way. According to the “Upcoming Games” section on SEGA’s website, Android is listed alongside iOS devices. Having played a half hour of the game, I have to say that it is a lot of fun! Sure the game would have probably never existed had Temple Run not been a hit, but it wouldn’t be fair to call Sonic Dash a complete rip-off. While Temple Run does predate Sonic Dash, games like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic and the Black Knight in turn predate Temple Run. Share your thoughts on the mobile game in our dedicated forum topic.

After the break, check out a gallery of images showcasing the other characters available in the game. No, Shadow is not yet playable. Sorry.

Sonic Dash footage appears – watch 13 minutes of 3D run and jump action!

Via Touchgameplay comes 13 minutes of Sonic Dash gameplay, and the game is looking quite impressive! Coming off of the 2D iOS and Android title Sonic Jump, fans most likely expected a 2D sidescroller with similar graphics. Instead, SEGA and Hardlight are offering up a fully 3D third person endless runner. While the gameplay does very much resemble the Temple Run series, Sonic fans who enjoyed the on-rails running of the storybook titles should feel right at home in Sonic Dash. The game will be available tomorrow on the App Store for £1.49/$1.99.

SEGA announces Sonic Dash for iOS

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SEGA has officially announced that Sonic Dash will be releasing to the App Store “soon” and has confirmed that the game is developed by Hardlight and will be an endless-runner in which you challenge friends to beat your best distance and time records. For now, all we have is the above image as well as a larger render, seen after the break. As soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to share it!

Update: The SEGA Blog posted a short article on the game, most interesting is that the game is said to be in 3D. So, unlike Sonic Jump, could the game feature fully rendered 3D characters and worlds?

How long can you run?

That’s the question you get to answer now: SEGA is proud to announce Sonic Dash — the agile, endless, running mobile game will be available soon at the App Store for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad!

Our hero will be doing what he does best — making a fast and frenzied 3D dash through stunning stages, as he navigates over, around, and through interminable dangers. Challenge your friends and compete on leaderboards — you may know who the fastest is, but, for how long?

Stay tuned to find out more!

Hardlight studio working on second iOS Sonic title: Sonic Dash

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Via the Sonic Stadium comes news that SEGA’s Hardlight studio, the team behind Sonic Jump, is now at work on another Sonic title named Sonic Dash. The news came by way of job advertisements posted by the studio on LinkedIn. Sonic Dash is listed as a recent title, with Sonic Jump also being listed. The title has since been removed, but Sonic Stadium screen capped it to prove that they’re not talking nonsense. The job posting, pre-edit, read as follows:

Hardlight is SEGA’s third UK based studio and is focused exclusively on creating high quality, innovative game experiences for mobile and handheld platforms.

The Studio comprises small, agile teams working on new IP & well-known SEGA IP. Project durations are 5-10 months, building on the success of their first projects on iOS – Sonic Jump & Sonic Dash – Hardlight is now working on some new & exciting projects.

The team follows an ethos of staying compact, agile and focused – combining talent from a variety of game genres and backgrounds, and welcomes applications from candidates of all levels of experience.

More than likely, Sonic Dash will be a sidescrolling endless runner, not unlike the free app released around Sonic’s 20th anniversary entitled Sonic the Sketchhog or the more recent Sonic and Nike game Sonic X Vapor. The job listing appears to be for projects following Sonic Dash, which implies that the game is already finished and is awaiting release. Given that the game’s name came right from Hardlight and SEGA, we’re treating it as news but will slap a “rumor” tag on it just in case.