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.

My work-in-progress Sonic game

The mysterious "Welcome" sign is present in my game.

As I said over a month ago, I am currently working on my own Sonic game. This is not the first - I have been making games since 2002 and started a Tails-only game. This was deleted when the computer had to be wiped, as were most of my other projects.

I have also helped make Knuckles fangames, which are now practically unplayable by today's fangame standards! My programming and graphics skills have vastly improved since then, although I rarely release games. Most don't get beyond the prototype stage.

Spike pits are one of the many hazards you must avoid.

Anyway, back to my current game. It is based on the 8-bit versions of Sonic, mixed with the alpha and beta stages of the 16-bit version. This means levels will include the infamous Green Hill ball, Marble Zone UFOs and other deleted oddities.

As for the gameplay, you are (somewhat ironically) always moving right, with jump and roll your only moves. You must jump over obstacles such as spikes and rocks, and roll through tunnels and enemies. Not very original, but the Sonic theme adds extra depth.

Green Hill includes bridges, something which the 8-bit versions lacked.

So far I have completed most of the engine and Green Hill Act 1. The game is currently on hold until summer, as I have too much work to do at the moment. By July I will have total free time, which is when I hope to finish other projects as well (which includes an Out Run game).

That means these screenshots are all you're going to see for a while!

New Aliens game confirmed for Q1 2009

Aliens: Colonial Marines has had a difficult history. First announced in 2006, the game has been reported dead many times, with the developer firing many employees last year causing more concern for its status.

The game was reported as "still alive" back in November, and today Sega has confirmed that it will see a release in the first quarter of this year on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Sorry Nintendo fans.

[Source: VideoGamer]

More Mega Drive games rated

Ooh, I haven't played these on multiple platforms in the past before!

A few more of Sega's Mega Drive back-catalogue have been rated by ESRB. But these aren't just for Virtual Console releases, as the rating include the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well.

But why would Sega want to release these when Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is coming out next year? Perhaps the ever-optimistic possibility of online versions? Probably not.

Sega explains Empire: Total War delay

Sega has made a statement about the delay of Empire: Total War. At the time of reporting yesterday, Sega had made no comment, but now they have issued this press release:

"The extra development time will allow us to finalise and polish Empire, making it the most accomplished and epic of the Total War series.

Significantly the additional time will also allow Creative Assembly to implement the underlying technology for a much desired feature; a multiplayer campaign mode. An opportunity to participate in the 1 versus 1 multiplayer campaign mode beta will be made available to all Empire: Total War buyers post release."

It has also been confirmed that Russia will be a faction in the game. Anyway, at least Sega is actually using delays to improve titles. Maybe they should do that with their Sonic games in future!

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Empire: Total War delayed until March 2009

Sega's upcoming RTS PC game Empire: Total War has been delayed until March, one month after its original February release date.

When asked about this Sega had "no comment". This could be because the release date is just a rumour, or maybe because a slip of one month is not that significant. Either way we'll just have to wait for an official announcement.

[Source: Computer and Video Games]

Empire: Total War goes Steam

Sega Europe announced today that Empire: Total War will use Steamworks as its online client. This means that Steam will be used for multiplayer, updates, downloadable content, friend lists and achievements.

“We are delighted to be working with an infrastructure as effective as Steam” said Mike Simpson, Studio Director at the Creative Assembly. “Having their matchmaking and support systems on board for Empire: Total War makes a huge difference both for players and for the development team. It not only helps make multiplayer slick and sizzling, it also frees up a huge chunk of the team’s time which helps make the whole game better.”

“Total War has become one of the most successful franchises in PC strategy gaming, one of the industry’s mainstay genres,” said Gabe Newell , president of Valve. “We’re honoured Sega selected Steamworks as they expand the franchise with leading-edge online services."

Sega announces Empire: Total War special edition

Grass not included.

Sega announced today that they are to release a special edition of Empire: Total War alongside the standard version.

This premium set will feature exclusive elite units and a high-quality print of the game's Campaign Map. The special edition is aimed at hardcore Empire fans.

Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition and the standard version of the game are set for release on February 6th, 2009 for PC.