09/09/09 - Sonic's long-awaited return

Hello everyone! This is my first post since June when I suspended the blog. I said in the comments section of my "final" post that I would occasionally come back whenever something interesting happens. Well today (UK time), on the 10th Anniversary of the Dreamcast's North American launch, Sega announced what old-school Sonic fans have been waiting to hear for a very long time.

In an interview on GameSpot, Sega's brand manager Ken Ballough announced a new 2D/HD Sonic game, with the working title Project Needlemouse.

"Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay. Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed, but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots."

A trailer has also been released, stating "Speed returns, in an all new 2D adventure built from the ground up". This confirms the game will not be running on the Hedgehog Engine or be a remake of a previous title.

On the subject of visuals, Ballough said "You can definitely expect HD graphics". He did not confirm whether or not they would be 3D graphics on a 2D plane (as in Sonic Rivals), 3D models on a 2D background (as in Sonic Rush), or 2D sprites on a 3D background (like Namco's Klonoa). From the art that has been released, it looks unlikely that the game will be fully 2D.


The artwork released was found on the teaser website, with the filename "concept_art_snapshot.jpg". It looks to be based on Green Hill Zone, and has been rendered in 3D.

The game is set for release in 2010 on (probably) PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. I can hardly wait.


[Source: GameSpot via Kotaku]

P.S. Remember to check back here every few weeks or months - I will still occasionally post updates on major Sega events (such as this), and my time studying Games Design (which starts next week - ARGH!).

EDIT: The teaser site, containing the "concept art", is fake. This means the graphics may not be in 3D, and use one of the combinations posted above. I personally hope for 2D hand-drawn graphics, with layers upon layers of glorious parallax!

More All-Stars Racing info emerges

Thanks to E3, a lot more information has emerged concerning the upcoming kart game Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. More screenshots have been released, as well as a gameplay video.

The confirmed characters so far, according to Wikipedia, are:

• Sonic
  
• Tails
• Eggman
• Amy
• Shadow
• Big
• AiAi
• Amigo
• Ulala
• Billy Hatcher
• NiGHTS

In the screenshots we have seen Shadow, who is riding his motorbike; and Big, who is riding a tiny bicycle. Ulala, Billy Hatcher and NiGHTS are yet to be seen.

Joining the Seaside Hill circuit is a Billy Hatcher-themed ice level, complete with giant eggs. The tracks seem rather large with multiple routes, shortcuts and jumps. The gameplay video showed drifting and banked turns.

Also seen in the gameplay video was Sonic's "Star Move", where he turned into Super Sonic and sped towards pole position. Each character will have their own signature move relevant to them, such as Amy's Piko-Piko Hammer, and Shadow will probably "Chaos Control" to the front.

Power-ups seen in the video were speed shoes, shields, fish missiles (?), mines, and Chaos Emeralds (which trigger a "Star Move").

Aside from the E3 discoveries, many people in the community were concerned that the game would be download-only on the PS3, due to being listed only for PlayStation Network on the official website. This has now been changed to just PlayStation 3, and the PSN logo has been removed from the bottom of the page. It can probably be assumed that the game will come out on disc after all.

Hopefully more gameplay videos will surface from E3, as well as more character and circuit confirmations! Anyway, below is the gameplay video courtesy of GameKyo. See the new screenshots over on TSSZNews.

Vintage Collection dates released

Yesterday Sega revealed the release dates for the games part of Vintage Collection 2. The games will be available to download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

Some of the titles have added online functionality, such as the ability to play Sonic 3's Competition Mode over the internet.

A price for the individual downloads has not been released yet, and neither has confirmation of whether some of the games will remain XBLA exclusive.

Here are the release dates:

• Gunstar Heroes - June 10th (XBLA), June 11th (PSN), Online
• Altered Beast - June 10th (XBLA), Online
• Shinobi (Arcade Version) - June 10th (XBLA), No online
• Comix Zone - June 10th (XBLA), No online
• Phantasy Star II - June 10th (XBLA), No online
• Sonic 3 - June 10th (XBLA), Online
• Sonic and Knuckles - Late Summer 2009 (XBLA), Online

Hopefully more of the games will become available on the PSN, especially Sonic and Knuckles with its Lock-On technology that was (deliberately?) left out of Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. In fact, the best option is probably just to buy the compilation disc - most of the games in Vintage Collection 2 are available on it.

[Source: ShackNews]

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing announced

Sega have just announced their latest game, which will be entitled Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. It has a release date of early 2010, and will be available on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS.

The game will be the latest installment of the Stars series, which includes Sega Superstars and Sega Superstars Tennis. It seems the series has been renamed to include Sonic in the title, perhaps to make it more clear that everyone's favourite hedgehog is present.

Expect loops and corkscrews aplenty!

The title explains the basic premise of the game - cartoon racing with Sega's most well-known characters. Here is the official press release:

"SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA America, Inc., today announced Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, a fast and furious battle to the finish line in this supercharged racer. Developed for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the home video game system, Wii and the Nintendo DS system, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will speed into stores in early 2010.

In a frantic battle to the chequered flag, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in mediaeval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favourites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will race around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in AiAi's case - a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.

"Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is no ordinary racing game. Its huge variety of characters and vehicles, plus the ability to play both online and off set it apart from other games of this type" commented Gary Knight European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe Ltd. "The team have pushed the boundaries on what you would normally expect and created a different and unique party racing title whereby you really can't take anything for granted!"

And winning is only part of the fun in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing! Each character has a specific All Star move such as Super Sonic, Banana Blitz and Tails Tornado, allowing a quick way for competitors to get back into the race! Power ups and weapons can also be collected around the tracks and used against the opposition to ensure they don't become a threat to that number one position... Players can battle it out in single or multiplayer mode, allowing up to four friends to race in frantic split-screen action, or up to eight players to compete online in the ultimate racing showdown."

A new Sega game was expected to be announced tomorrow, but it has instead been brought forward one day. The title was said to be no "huge surprise", but I certainly couldn't have predicted this. I am actually glad - I've always wanted another Sonic racer!

Sega say there will be no new announcements at E3 next week, so this is the only surprise we'll get for the time being. Anyway, you can see the trailer for All-Stars Racing here:



[Source: C+VG]

Clues towards future Sonic Unleashed DLC found

Members of the Sonic Community have discovered hidden areas and files in Sonic Unleashed that have not been fully programmed, and may serve as future downloadable content.

Files called "BossHydra.ar" and "BossHydra.arl" have been found, suggesting that a boss was not fully programmed but was left on the disc. People have speculated that the boss may be completed in the form of downloadable content.

The werehog holding an unused javelin item

A hidden area in Empire City contains an unused javelin item, with a target nearby. This leads to the possibility of a javelin-throwing task being present in future downloads. Other hidden areas include a "water room" in Adabat and a canyon in Shamar.

Perhaps in the future these areas will be fully playable, along with the hidden items. A "hard mode" has also been speculated, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

[Source: TSSZ News]

OutRun Online Arcade released

The eagerly anticipated remake of OutRun 2006, OutRun Online Arcade, was released this week on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. The title became available yesterday on XBLA in Europe and North America, with the PSN version being released a few hours ago in Europe.

There are two competitions being run in celebration of the game's launch. The first is a chance to win a trip to the Ferrari Museum in Italy, which can be won by setting the fastest time on the Time Attack setting. The second competition is a chance to win a retro Out Run t-shirt. To do this, find "Challenge Sega" whilst online and beat them in a race.

At the moment the competitions are only available on XBLA, but should come to the PSN in the near future. To participate you must register first.

The game costs £7.99/€9.99 for the PS3 version, and 800 Points for the Xbox 360 version.

[Source: Sega Nerds]

OutRun Online Arcade to be released next week

Finally, after months of wait, it has been announced that OutRun Online Arcade will be released in all regions next week. The title, first announced late last year, was expected to be released in January (thanks to a blurry poster photo). Four months of rocking in a corner since then have certainly payed off.

For Xbox 360 users, the game will be released on the Arcade next Wednesday. For PS3 users (sorry Americans, no release for you), the game will be released on the Network next Thursday. By Thursday, I mean so late on Thursday that it's practically Friday. Europeans will know what I mean.

The game will cost £7.99/€9.99 on the PS3, and 800 Points on the Xbox 360.

Here are the dates and prices in quick, easy-to-read form:

• Xbox 360/XBLA (NTSC and PAL): Wednesday, April 15th 800 Points
  
• PS3/PSN (PAL only): Thursday, April 16th £7.99/€9.99

If you can't wait until then, play the PS2 or PSP versions. Or continue rocking in that corner.

[Source: Sega Europe and Kotaku]

Sega's arcade games coming to XBLA too

Last week it was announced that Sega, along with some other companies, would be releasing some of their true arcade games onto the Wii's Virtual Console. Now Sega has announced that they will be releasing some on Xbox Live Arcade.

Sega's previous offerings on XBLA include online versions of their Mega Drive classics, such as Street of Rage II. Now, they will be releasing the System-16 versions of Shinobi and Altered Beast, apparently making up "Sega Vintage Collection Volume 2".

Other future Sega games coming to XBLA include Virtual On, Comix Zone, Sonic 3, Gunstar Heroes and Phantasy Star II. More true-arcade titles will probably follow later.

Maybe Sega will eventually release some of their arcade games on the PlayStation Network. Hint!

[Source: Kotaku]

Why does Ultimate Collection feature SID music?

8580 for the win!

The recent compilation disc Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, perhaps following the trend of a certain YouTube fad, has an intro with very unfitting music. Having not bought the collection myself yet, I first realised this whilst watching a video review.

I know I am being quite picky, but to retro games experts such as myself (cough), using the SID chip to create music for a Mega Drive collection seems wrong.

For those who don't know, the SID was the sound chip used in the Commodore 64 computer, and was one of the greatest and most recognisable of all time.

You'd think for the intro they'd have used the Mega Drive's Yamaha YM2612 chip, or at least some samples from well-known games. But instead, they used an 8-bit sound chip to create some very generic-sounding video game music!

I don't know of many Mega Drive games to utilise music in this style, with delicious ultra-fast arpeggios among other things. The console had a sound all of its own, which should have been used in a context such as this.

I can imagine uninformed people buying the collection, listening to the intro music and saying "Oh, it's all coming back to me now! I can remember this music!". I can't help being so contrary, I'm a perfectionist!

Oh well, it's only a minor thing. I'll shut up now.
/END RANT

Famitsu confirms Virtual-On for Xbox 360

Yesterday's discovery of Virtual-On's classification provided us more speculation about Sega's re-trademarking of Dreamcast games. Now we finally know why they are doing it, thanks to a scan in Famitsu.

One of the rumours was true - Virtual-On is indeed coming to new consoles as a download. So far there has only been an announcement regarding an Xbox Live release, but the "multiformat" listing from the classification suggests that it will get a PlayStation Network release as well.

My wish for added features has turned into reality, as the game will be in widescreen, have online capabilities and include three new fighters. It will cost 1200 Points, which I think is around £10.

Hopefully Sega's other re-trademarked games will receive similar treatment. Expect more Famitsu news here this week!

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Mega Drive Ultimate Collection has a successful first week

The American version of Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, known as Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, has sold well in its first week on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

According to Amazon, the compilation has been this week's third best seller on Xbox 360 and the number one best seller on the PS3, beating both LittleBigPlanet and Call of Duty: World at War.

Clearly the lack of some extremely popular games on the collection has not deterred sales, and looks set to do well in Europe where it is released next Friday.

[Source: Gamasutra]

Weekly Famitsu: Volume 1054 (27/02/09)

Here's this week's Famitsu cover, and what a lovely one it is. Here we see Ryu feeling the wrath of Chun-Li's thighs, much to the amusement of onlooker Cammy and referee Necky. I have absolutely no idea who those other two are - Famitsu writers, perhaps?

As for Sega content, Famitsu have reviewed Shining Force Feather for the DS and Sonic Unleashed (known in Japan as Sonic World Adventure) for PS3 and Xbox 360. Both have entered the Gold Hall of Fame, which is surprising considering Sonic Unleashed is rather average. The game has only just been released in Japan for some reason - not for improving it I'm sure.

Shining Force Feather scored 32/40, and Sonic Unleashed actually scored better with 34/40.

Here are the scores needed to enter the Hall of Fame:

• Silver Hall of Fame: Total Score 30+
• Gold Hall of Fame: Total Score 32+
• Platinum Hall of Fame: Total Score 35+
  

More Famitsu news next time!

[Source: NCSX and Famitsu]

Sonic 3 and Knuckles missing from Mega Drive Ultimate Collection

One of the best Sonic games ever made, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, will not be present on the new compilation disc Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. Instead, both games will have to be played separately.

The producer of the game has said that "to shore up the development time necessary to get "Lock-On" to work in Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, we would have had to drop all of the bonus games from the disc. Faced with an "either/or" scenario, we chose to retain our title lineup in its entirety".

Surely Sega could have used the code from Sonic Mega Collection for the Lock-On technology? It seems stupid that the most epic of Sonic games must be played in two chunks, meaning that Tails cannot be played in Sonic and Knuckles and Knuckles cannot be played in Sonic 3.

The unlockables should have been included on the disc anyway, instead of them being thrown on at the last minute. The disc is far from perfect, still leaving out Mega-CD and 32X games and some more well-known arcade games, but I still think it is worth a purchase.

The not-so-ultimate Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is out today.

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Is Sonic Mega Collection to be re-released?

TSSZ News has discovered that Sonic Mega Collection Plus has recently been rated again for release on Xbox Live. Despite Mega Drive Ultimate Collection coming out next month, Sega seem to be releasing this anyway.

PEGI have rated the game a 7+, although as of yet there has been no official announcement regarding the re-release of this compilation. As if this didn't defy logic all ready, with the upcoming Ultimate Collection and recent re-rating of other past Sega games (including some Sonic ones), the original Xbox version is compatible with the Xbox 360.

Sega just can't stop re-releasing old games, can they? Some Mega CD and 32X games would be nice, though.

Yes, Ultimate Collection's arcade games are "HD" too

After browsing through the new screenshots of the arcade games present on Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, I noticed that they too have a "HD" filter on! I had not looked at them closely until now, and I can see that they have the same blobby filter present on the Mega Drive games.

The graphics-worsening effect is even present on the narrow-screened Zaxxon and Congo Bongo. I thought that with the arcade games generally having better graphics than the Mega Drive ones they wouldn't need this filter, but clearly Sega think they do.


Thankfully, you can turn the filter off to reveal something children are not familiar with - pixels! I can assure you that when I get this collection the HD visuals will be permanently off.

Have a look at Mega Drive Ultimate Collection's bezels

Some of the arcade games that are unlockable on Mega Drive Ultimate Collection have very narrow screens, and as such have new bezels to fill up our HD resolutions.

Zaxxon has a gradient background with the logo at the side, and Congo Bongo has a "jungle temple" style bezel.


The original Zaxxon didn't have much in the way of a bezel, with just side art. However, Congo Bongo did have a bezel so that could have been used, although there probably is not a high-quality version available.

All the other games seem to be in widescreen, so a bezel is not needed. Narrow screens were very common with earlier arcade games, with wider screens coming in during the mid-'80s.

See more screenshots here.

Mega Drive Ultimate Collection arcade unlockables revealed

Sega Europe have posted on their blog all the arcade titles that will be unlockable on Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. I was rather disappointed by them as I was expecting more sprite-scalers, but these are definitely an added bonus. Here they are:

1. Zaxxon, 1982
2. Congo Bongo, 1982
3. Fantasy Zone, 1985
4. Space Harrier, 1985
5. Alien Syndrome, 1986
6. Shinobi, 1987
7. Altered Beast, 1988

The fact that some of these games have their Mega Drive counterparts also on the disc makes them less exciting. Why not keep the arcade versions and replace the Mega Drive ones?

Sega confirms Q1 release dates

When I reported on this month's upcoming releases, Sega had not confirmed many definite dates. However, today they have provided some new information regarding Europe's early releases.

They have confirmed that House of the Dead: Overkill will be released on February 13th, with Mega Drive Ultimate Collection coming out a week later on February 20th.

Bleach: Dark Souls will be released on March 13th, although this is the last game Sega has released any information on. Hopefully by next month we will have more confirmed dates.

Win a Mega Drive Ultimate Collection record!

Yes, that's record as in vinyl. It features classic songs found on Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, released sometime in the next few months.

The record itself is blue, and has six songs:

Side A
Space Harrier - Main Theme (4:09)
Ristar - Star Humming (3:28)
Vectorman - Day 3/Tidal Surge (3:03)

Side B
Golden Axe - Turtle Village (2:13)
Phantasy Star 2 - Restration [sic] (2:07)
Vectorman 2 - Scene 18/Shout and Twist (3:46)

Unfortunately, the record is only limited edition, and is not available to buy. The only way to get hold of one of these is to win one of the competitions run by Sega Europe, on their Facebook and blog pages. I would so buy one if I could!

The song choices are not what I would have gone for. I would have chosen some Streets of Rage I/II tracks, and some Sonic ones. Revenge of Shinobi had ace music, and so did Columns! It would be too hard for me to pick just six songs from the Mega Drive's excellent musical library.

Some new screenshots of the compilation have been released, this time of the Phantasy Star series. See the rest on Sega Europe's Flickr.

Why try and appeal to the kids with "HD" graphics when it's the adults who will buy this?

PSN version of OutRun Online Arcade to be European exclusive

Yesterday, Sega released more information about OutRun Online Arcade. It turns out that in Europe, the game will be available on both the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, making it a PSN exclusive. In North America, the game will only be available on XBLA.

Also, the game will not be released in January as previously thought, instead being released in Spring. All fifteen tracks will be taken from OutRun 2SP, and will feature music from the original game. Yay!

Here is the full press release:

OUTRUN™ ONLINE ARCADE - YOUR JOURNEY AWAITS

SEGA's classic arcade racer returns! Experience multiplayer OutRun via Xbox LIVE® Arcade and Playstation Store all in stunning Hi-Definition for the first time.

Experience the mayhem and action as you race and rediscover 15 challenging courses, testing your time, speed and handling ability as you bring your next gen skills online with this coin-op classic. Feel the kick as you put your foot to the floor in one of 10 high-performance Ferrari cars racing your way across the U.S. From the steep streets of San Francisco to the beautiful beaches of California, it’s mile after mile of unrelenting acceleration, thrills and action.

Which route will you choose on your drive for the highest possible score? OutRun Online Arcade - it's a beautiful journey.

Features

• Competition
OutRun delivers online multiplayer for up to 6 players for the first time on Live Arcade and PSN.

• 15 Courses & 10 fully licensed Ferraris
15 glorious courses, 10 licensed Ferrari cars for the ultimate OutRun ride.

• Arcade Missions and Time Attack Modes
Fast paced arcade action thrills and OutRun, Heart Attack and Time Attack modes.

• Classic OutRun Tracks
Catch the cool sounds of OutRun as these smashing tracks feature alongside stunning new visuals.

• XBox LIVE® Features
Experience OutRun with Xbox Live features including, achievements, voice and leaderboards!

• PSN Features
Enhance the experience with PSN features including, trophies, voice chat and leaderboards!

[Source: Sega and Sega Nerds]