Sonic Mania delayed on PC until August 29th

If you are unlucky person, such as yours truly, then you will probably have to wait until August 29th to play Sonic Mania. That’s right, Sonic Mania on PC has been delayed until August 29th, all other console versions will launch on August 15th as normal. I guess I will have to purchase the game on consoles, digitally, to play it without it getting spoiled. I’m pretty sure SEGA and the people working on Sonic Mania didn’t want to delay it, its just how game development go.

The news was given out during the Sonic the Hedgehog live stream over at Twitch. Another bit of news was that 26 copies of the Sonic Mania Collectors Edition will be signed by Takashi Iizuka and Kazuyuki Hoshino of Sonic Team. Good luck with that one. Aaron Webber did say that all Sonic Mania PC pre-orders will get Sonic the Hedgehog on steam for free, which happens to be the non-Chrisitan Whitehead remake. It sucks, its nice that they are trying to give out a free game but is it enough? Sound off in the comments, what is your thoughts on Sonic Mania being delayed only on PC?

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Competition Mode Reaction

The good people over at SEGA just teased the all new competition mode for the upcoming Sonic Mania, which will allow two players to have head to head races throughout the in-game levels. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we go through all the rules of the new Sonic Mania competition mode, talk about the multiplayer modes from past Sonic the Hedgehog titles, discuss the fact that Sonic Mania competition mode will squish the aspect ratio, and much more. We also have a couple, minor news stories added in the video; like the first pictures of the Sonic Mania collector’s edition in the wild and the rumor that SEGA’s Takenobu Mitsuyoshi is the announcer in Sonic Mania’s competition mode! Let us know what you think of Sonic Mania‘s competition mode in the comments below. Only a week left until Sonic Mania officially releases!

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Sonic Mania revives the beloved Competition Mode

SEGA has announced a new Sonic Mania feature that many classic fans are sure to love: Competition Mode! Players will be able to take on their friends as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles with the winner determined by different factors: clear time, score, number of items acquired, number of rings acquired when clearing the level, and total number of rings acquired throughout the level. Rules can be adjusted via changing the available items in item boxes and the number of rounds.

Update: It is incredibly probably very likely that the announcer is Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.

Check out the mode in the video above, and after the break check out screenshots of the Competition Mode menu.

Fan Made: Sonic Mania Physical Release Box Art Round-Up

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Sonic Mania has fast become the most hotly anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog games in years, in large part because it is not only the return of classic Sonic but also the return to the graphics and gameplay that made the series so popular in the early to mid 1990s. While Sonic Mania is releasing to all major modern platforms, the development team has described the game as Saturn-esque with several fans taking things a step further and declaring Sonic Mania the Sonic Saturn game we never got but always wanted.

While we won’t actually be seeing Sonic Mania on the SEGA Saturn or the Mega Drive/Genesis, that hasn’t stopped fans from creating their own custom box art that can be printed out, trimmed and applied to an old Saturn or Mega Drive/Genesis case of your choosing! After the break, check out the fan made box art we’ve found online and in the comments share your own custom box art.

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Special & Bonus Stages Revealed

While last time we talked about the first screenshot of Sonic Mania’s special stages, but now SEGA has come back with footage showing a few of the special stages along with introducing the new (and I use that word lightly here) bonus stages and even reveal time attack. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss our thoughts special stages, discuss critics given online about the bonus stages and gush over time attack mode. According to SEGA this is the last big reveal for Sonic Mania, what with the game coming out in August 15, so hopefully you enjoy our big last SEGA News Bits for the game. Let us know what you think of all the new features SEGA showed off for Sonic Mania, in the comments below.

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Sonic Mania – Stardust Speedway Zone Act 1 music track released

The road to Sonic Mania continues and the Sonic the Hedgehog social media accounts are slowly releasing new content to keep fans hyped for the game’s release on August 15. Today we got the Sonic Mania – Stardust Speedway Zone Act 1 musical track, a popular stage from Sonic CD.

This takes the track and gives it that Tee Lopes oomph and it really sounds great. You have to give credit to Tee Lopes, I’ve been loving every single Sonic Mania track so far and I’m very excited to see what the full OST has to offer.

Night Trap Mania Lands in August, New Features, New Documentary

Screaming Skulls, Limited Run Games and My Life in Gaming teased announcements today regarding the re-release of Night Trap. Their main point comes with the release date slated for release on August 15th, the same day as Sonic Mania, on PlayStation 4 and Steam for digital download. Four days prior to that you can head over to Limited Run Games to buy a highly limited physical version of the PlayStation 4 version on August 11th. The Xbox One version is set to release at a later time.

In addition to the game, they’re also bundling a prototype, Scene of the Crime, as an additional feature. This served as the basis for Night Trap and has long since been unavailable to the public up until the 25th Anniversary release later this year.

Of course that still means that it’s going to be awhile before you can set traps for the augers and that’s where My Life in Gaming comes in. Their 50 minute documentary details the history of the game from it’s prototype, to it’s initial release on SEGA CD, up to the remaster featuring video game historians and developers to regale on the game’s lasting impact on the industry. Be sure to check out the documentary after the jump as well as some links you should check out regarding the game. There’s something really cool to see three small independent groups come together to help bring back video game history. Even though Night Trap does not hold up in terms of gameplay it’s at least admirable to see the lengths people will go for video game preservation.

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Panel Teases Special Stages & Animated Cutscenes

Our Sonic Mania San Diego Comic Con panel coverage continues, this time checking out the two big teases from the event, the special stages and animated cutscenes. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss our thoughts on the special stages, talk about our opinions on Sonic the Hedgehog special stages from the past and the idea of creating a Sonic Jam 2 featuring all the Taxman Sonic remakes? What are your thoughts on the special stages? Would you buy a new Sonic Jam package featuring all the Taxman remakes? Let us know in the comments below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Instruction Manual Quick Look

The Sonic Mania Comic Con panel has come and gone, with it we got news regarding lots of things Sonic Mania related (which will be covered in tomorrow’s video) but we also got to see a Sonic Mania’s instruction manual in the form of a promotional item that was given away at the event. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we look through some of the pages of the Sonic Mania instruction manual, talk about concept art for a never before seen Sonic Mania stage and cry that we didn’t get a manual for our personal collection. In the comments below let us know what you think of the Sonic Mania instruction manual and should there be a physical release for this game already? Feels like Sonic Mania has everything released physically besides the actual game, right?

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Jones Soda releases Comic Con Limited Edition Sonic Mania soda

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If there are two things I love, it’s weird food promotions and Sonic the Hedgehog. So when those two combine, I’m a very happy man (hey, I even made a YouTube series dedicated to such things). Jones Soda, creator of delicious and decidedly weird sodas, has teamed with SEGA to release Sonic, Tails and Knuckles inspired beverages to promote Sonic Mania. TheLimited Edition Sonic Mania Jones Soda bottles are currently exclusive to Comic Con, but comments on their Facebook demanding a wide release have been met with Jones Soda replying “stay tuned”. It is worth noting that Jones Soda has a robust online store, so perhaps an online exclusive is in the works? As for the flavors themselves, we have Sonic Blue Bubblegum Soda, Tails Orange Cream Soda and Knuckles Strawberry Lime Soda. If you are attending Comic Con, swing by the Futurism Pavilion at the Omni for a chance to win some.

Too bad Jones Soda didn’t release an Eggman Scrambled Eggs Soda. Hey, the company has already made Robin’s Egg Lemonade soda and Egg Nog soda!

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Vinyl Pre-Orders Announced

What better way to celebrate a retro inspired game like Sonic Mania than get its soundtrack on a retro format? Data Discs has announced that they will be taking pre-orders for the Sonic Mania vinyl this weekend! On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss all the information you need to pre-order the Sonic Mania vinyl, our thoughts on the design and a quick discussion of other Data Discs SEGA vinyl releases. What are your guys thoughts on SEGA teaming up with Data Discs for this Sonic Mania vinyl? Are you picking up a copy? Let us know in the comments below.

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SEGA to share some Archie Comics news this week

archiecomicscancelledDid you know that San Diego Comic Con is happening later this week? Its no surprise that the Sonic PR team did a live stream that actually mentions the whole Archie Comics and SEGA drama. If you don’t know what we are talking about, we did a whole SEGA News Bits episode discussing the matter, you can check that out. But basically comic pre-orders where cancelled for upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog comics, with people saying Archie Comics and SEGA have been working out a new deal for the hedgehog license. Its been months of radio silence on both ends but according to Aaron Webber, “the silence will be broken soon”, I assume we will have big news either way prior or at SDCC. The only thing that will be interesting is if SEGA stays with Archie Comics or if they move on with a new publisher.

The last Sonic the Hedgehog issue to be released has been Sonic the Hedgehog #290, which hit store shelves on December 28, 2016. So its been almost half a year. Its not like Archie Comics didn’t have more Sonic the Hedgehog issues planned as they sent out solicitations for #291, #292 and #293. They also haven’t released the super hyped, Sonic Mega Drive – Orverdrive one-shot that a lot of fans have been looking forward to.

Along with that, Aaron Webber has also promised more Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces news later this week, as teased in the live stream. What is your thoughts on the whole Archie Comics and SEGA licensing situation? Let us know in the comments below!

Data Discs Sonic Mania vinyl pre-order starts July 22, releases September

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Data Discs have announced that their Sonic Mania vinyl will be available to pre-order this coming Saturday, July 22nd, from their website. The album will be available in three editions: 180g Clear with Blue, Red, Orange & Yellow Splatter (Limited Edition), 180g Translucent Blue, and 180g Classic Black. The LP features 16 new tracks by composer Tee Lopes, as well as new gatefold art featuring Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in Green Hill Zone Act 2.

The limited edition is exclusive to the Data Discs site and will only be available to pre-order for a set amount of time. The sale will begin at 8:00am (BST) on Saturday 22nd July and finish at 12:00pm (BST) on Monday 24th July. Anyone ordering during this period will be guaranteed a copy. Once this period is over, they will not accept any further orders of the limited edition. However, the other two editions will remain available.

Data Discs also mentioned that their Streets of Rage 1 and 2 vinyls will be reissued and will be available for pre-order July 22nd with an August ship date.

[UPDATED] Data Discs to release Sonic Mania soundtrack vinyl

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Announced via a press release sent out on Sonic the Hedgehog’s 26th anniversary, Data Discs will be releasing a vinyl soundtrack for Sonic Mania! The exclusive vinyl is another SEGA release from the vinyl record company, and Sonic Mania is NOT the next in their numbered series of vinyls. The company has confirmed there will be no OBI (that paper strip found on the edge of other Data Disc releases) and the catalog number is DATA-S. The album will feature select tracks from composer Tee Lopes and exclusive gatefold art in the classic style of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in the remixed Green Hill Zone. Three variations will be released: blue, black and a limited edition version. Pre-orders start in mid-July, and the album will include a download code of the album tracks in both lossy and lossless formats.

After the break check out the press release and the cover art!