Sonic the Hedgehog

Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog June 2015 Solicitations – Worlds Unite continues!

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Coming this June from Archie Action its the continuation of the epic Sonic and SEGA, Mega Man and Capcom crossover Worlds Unite – which kicks off the month before in May. Courtesy of Archie, we have the latest solicits, featuring a milestone issue for Mega Man who hits the big five-oh (remember Sonic’s 50th, when Robotnik died? Seems like ages ago) and the premiere of a one shot comic Mega Man: Worlds Unite Battles #1, which expands on the battles taking place within the crossover event. Fans of older Archie stories, meanwhile, have Sonic Archives #25 which brings us ever closer to the 100th issue of the series.

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Swingin’ Report Show #76: Interview with Stealth, co-developer of Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Remastered

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On this week’s SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show podcast, we’re joined by Stealth, who worked on the official recent remasterings of Sonic The Hedgehog CD, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 alongside fellow developer The Taxman.

Stealth talks to us about how the remasters began development, the process of remaking classic Sonic titles, the much talked about the remastered Sonic The Hedgehog 3 proof of concept, and what fans can do to try and make Sonic 3 remastered a reality. Also featured is discussion of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 and the recent decisions SEGA has made with the franchise. If you love classic Sonic games and behind-the-scenes stories of game development, this is the show for you!

Also, Barry and George discuss the recently revealed ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove Kickstarter by Greg Johnson (who will be joining us next week) and Sonic Team’s mobile release Sonic Runners, which soft launched yesterday.

Support the Sonic 3 Remastered campaign: http://sonic3remastered.com/


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More SEGA and Capcom franchises are being added to the “Worlds Unite” crossover

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I spy with my little eye…

First announced today in IGN, the upcoming Worlds Collide comic book crossover of Sonic and Mega Man will not only include characters from the Sonic Boom and Mega Man X universe, but also characters from across different SEGA and Capcom franchises. According to IGN, more characters will be revealed later this week. For now, we have the teaser image to mull over. Tell us who you see in the silhouettes in the comments section.

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First 4 Figures Sonic & Tails Tornado diorama pre-orders open

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Last week, First 4 Figures teased a very cool Sonic & Tails Tornado statue which was the second in their Sonic Diorama line. Today, pre-orders have officially opened, and we now have a whole slew of photos, the dimensions, the expected release date, and most importantly – the price! Selling for $299.99 the diorama measures 17.5” tall x 14” long x 14” wide, is limited to 1000 pieces, and is expected to release Q4 2015 (the pre-order page accidentally lists “Q4 2014”). There is also an exclusive version, priced at $329.99, limited to 425 pieces, and featuring the inclusion of LEDs to give the rocket booster a flashing effect.

As you can see in the photos, found on the First 4 Figures pre-order page, the statue is a real beauty and is sure to be a hit with classic Sonic fans. But is it worth the asking price? Are you planning to pre-order the latest diorama? Sound off in the comments section!

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First 4 Figures teases Sonic & Tails Tornado diorama statue

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The First 4 Figures Facebook page is teasing an upcoming statue in the Sonic Diorama series of statues. Dubbed “The Tornado”, this impressive piece is to feature Sonic, Tails, and the Tornado bi-plane. Pre-orders are set to open Tuesday 10th Feb 2015 at First4Figures.com. Though no price is known yet, the previous Sonic Generations diorama sold for $299.99 and measured 12” x 10” x 12”. Let the countdown begin!

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SEGA of America going through another huge restructure, main office is relocating

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Here we go again.

First it was Europe, now SEGA of America is getting hit with some major restructuring. In a statement released earlier today, SegaSammy Holdings announced an “Implementation of structure reform” for SEGA of America. Included in this are some potential layoffs in the forms of “voluntary Retirement” and the San Francisco office moving to a new location in Southern California. Also, there will be a more narrow focus on the “amusement business” division.

However, it’s not all bad news. There will be a reinforcement in the “Sonic and merchandising businesses” and the PC and Mobile divisions will be getting a stronger push possibly due to strong current sales in those markets. The full statement can be found here.

I hope that not too many people are affected by the downsizing and those that do find themselves out of a job, that they find a new one quickly. I guess we shall see how this goes for SEGA.

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Dj CUTMAN’s “Spindash” – a Sonic the Hedgehog fan-made remix album available now!

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The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is not new to fan-made remix albums, and given the quality of Sonic music, I can’t blame the many artists out there for being inspired to put their spin on classic tracks. But every once in a while a really special remix album hits, and Dj CUTMAN’s “Spindash” is one of those. The album, licensed by SEGA, is a fitting tribute to SEGA’s blue mascot featuring diverse styles of music and even ventures outside of the 16-bit era to remix tunes from Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Colors.

“Spindash” is available now on Loudr, iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. Dj CUTMAN performed at this past weekend’s MAGFest, and SEGAbits was there! We’ll have coverage from the event up on the site soon, in the meantime check out the album and after the break, read the press release.

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Chikao Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor of Doctor Eggman, has passed away

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Sad news today, as we have learned that Chikao Ōtsuka has passed away at age 85. Chikao Ōtsuka was the Japanese language voice actor of Doctor Eggman, and the longest running Eggman voice actor to date, voicing the character since 1998’s Sonic Adventure. Chikao Ōtsuka’s passing was confirmed on the talent agency website for Aoni Productions, the cause of death was given as ischemic heart failure.

Our thoughts are with Chikao Ōtsuka’s family, friends, and fans at this sad time.

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Christine Cavanaugh, voice actress of Bunnie Rabbot in ABC’s Sonic the Hedgehog, has passed away

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Sad news as 2014 winds to a close, we have learned that voice actress Christine Cavanaugh had passed away on December 22nd. Her obituary, which was posted by the LA Times today, does not give any cause of death but the focus really should be on celebrating Christine’s life and her incredible work.

If you don’t know Christine Cavanaugh’s name, you’d undoubtably recognize her voice as she not only performed Bunnie Rabbot in ABC’s Sonic the Hedgehog, but she is also well known as the original voice of Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory, Chuckie from Rugrats, Marty Sherman from The Critic, and Oblina in Ahhhhh Real Monsters. Film and TV audiences will best recognize her as the voice of Babe in 1995’s Babe as well as playing a major supporting role in the classic The X-Files episode “Small Potatoes”. You can see Christine’s many roles at her IMBD listing.

Our thoughts are with Christine’s family, she will be missed.

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Duncan Gutteridge is attending Weston Super Sonic 2015

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Upcoming UK Sonic convention Weston Super Sonic has announced another guest, this time in the form of Duncan Gutteridge! 

Duncan’s work for Sonic goes as far back as 1993, as he illustrated every single piece of artwork in the official Sonic the Hedgehog calendar for that year; this artwork was later used in various pieces of Sonic merchandise throughout the 90s, and it’s now rather iconic! If that wasn’t awesome enough, he’s also the man behind the cover art for the SEGA Mega Drive hit, Streets of Rage II! 

This guest announcement is the latest in along line of amazing reveals: Weston Super Sonic previously announced that fellow Sonic the Comic legends Richard Elson, Nigel Kitching, Carl Flint and Ferran Rodriguez will also be in attendance, and that Mike Pollock, the voice of the nefarious Dr Eggman, will be conducting a live Skype Q&A at the event. There’s also activities like speedrun tournaments and art contests taking place during the day!

The event has already been successful, as all of tickets have sold out! However, don’t fear if you can’t make it, as SEGABits will be there, and provide impressions of the day!

Plenty of details are available on the official Weston Super Sonic website, for those who do plan to go!

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“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 7 is here, Impressions; and hedgehogs!

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Guess what time it is? That’s right: Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 7 is on Crunchyroll, and it brings with it everybody’s favourite blue hedgehog!

The episode picks up where last week’s left off, with Sonic arriving in the nick of time to fend off Eggman. And that he does, as he proceeds to trash Eggman’s mechs, leading to Eggy legging it. The girls, still unable to get out of Border Break, manage to hitch a ride from Sonic, who’s initially none too impressed at the girls grabbing onto his spines.

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“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 6 is here, Impressions

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Believe it folks! Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 6 is on Crunchyroll, and along with it comes an appearance from everybody’s favourite spiny blue hedgehog!

In this week’s episode, the Girls are tasked with an exam, in which they enter the world of SEGA’s online arcade mech shooter, Border Break! Furthermore, if they manage to destroy the core of the area, they’ll be awarded 25 credit medals; and 50 if they do it without a mech!

Having all the luck in the world, Saturn gets thrown into battle without a mech, whilst Dreamcast and Saturn get the armour. Dreamcast then struggles to get used to the controls, and ends up going missing, to the annoyance of the other Girls. Dreamcast only gets into further trouble when she discovers an enemy, and tries talking out their issues; at which point Mega Drive steps in to deal some sharp justice. Then, tactics become involved, as the girls use a decoy (in the form of poor Saturn!) to lure out the enemy, and promptly slaughter them. Or at least, Mega Drive slaughters them, as Dreamcast continues to fumble about.

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Sonic the Comic Artist Carl Flint is at Weston Super Sonic 2015

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Upcoming UK Sonic convention Weston Super Sonic has announced the next guest in it’s line-up; and it’s none other than Sonic the Comic artist Carl Flint! 

Carl’s work includes over 50 of the comic’s covers, and was also a regular in producing artwork for the Tails and Amy-centric strips throughout the comic’s run.

This guest announcement is the latest in an impressive roster that Weston Super Sonic has built up; they previously announced that fellow Sonic the Comic legends Richard Elson, Nigel Kitching and Ferran Rodriguez will also be in attendance, and that Mike Pollock, the voice of none other than Dr Eggman, will be conducting a live Skype Q&A at the event. There’ll also be plenty of activities such as speedrun tournaments and art contests to keep you busy through the day!

And as previously stated, SEGABits will be there on the day, and bring you coverage of the event!

Plenty of details are available on the official Weston Super Sonic website, and if you want to go you’d better grab your tickets quick, as the last update on tickets stated there were only 10 left! You can register for tickets by clicking here!

If UK conventions are your thing, why not check out our write-up of the recent Sonic the Comic Con?

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Opinion: What Modern Sonic can learn from Classic Sonic

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Like most long suffering Sonic the Hedgehog fans I have a love/hate relationship with the Sonic series. For every step forward Sonic takes, he takes two steps backwards or worse. I’m sure we call all agree, we’d like to see our beloved Sonic series shine again. Unfortunately we don’t all agree on how to achieve this goal. By creating various ‘generations of Sonic’ with a variety of differently play style,s SEGA have built a polarized, multifaceted fan base who all want something different from the series. From classic Sonic fans who like 2D side scrolling to Adventure fans who enjoy a varied play styles and a story driven experience and not forgetting the Rush fans that just want a good bit of fast.

Is any one group of the Sonic fan base more correct than the other? No, of course not- it takes all sorts. Though I do love the classics, I am no stranger to the modern Sonic games and I believe both have plenty to offer. I enjoy both Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations. I routinely return to Sonic Rush and it’s incredible OST. I spent an unhealthy portion of my teenage years in a stuffy dark bedroom playing the Sonic Adventure titles.

So is it possible to cater to the entire multifaceted Sonic fanbase? Probably not! But is it possible to create a Sonic game the majority of us can enjoy without it being a bloated hot mess? Maybe! Here are some of my suggestions.

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Comic Book Review: Sonic Boom Issue #1 (Archie Comics)

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When SEGA’s Sonic Boom was unveiled in October of last year, all we had to go on was four silhouettes and a press release detailing the people behind the TV series and the general direction. What a difference a year makes, as here we are now with a much better idea of what Sonic Boom is all about, as well as an expanded offering of Sonic Boom materials ranging from the TV show and video games, to toys and comic books. Never before has an offshoot of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise spanned so many forms of media, and such a broad spectrum says a lot about how invested SEGA West is in Sonic Boom. While the TV series is a little over a week away (Saturday, November 8th on Cartoon Network) and the games release in the following weeks, we have the first form of narrative content from Sonic Boom available to us in the form of Archie Comics’ Sonic Boom issue #1. I’ve read it, and now I’m going to review it!

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