Good to have you back, guys!
Sonic the Hedgehog 4- Sega's initial refusal to confirm ANY details about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (Project Needlemouse) left fans preparing for the worst. Then, finally, after 4 months: "Today, we are about to break the trend that has continued on for many years. To the thousands of you out there asking for a game where Sonic is the only playable character - rejoice. As of today, your wish has been granted. In Project Needlemouse, there will be no new characters - playable or otherwise. The focus will remain solely on one blue hedgehog."
- Reasons: 2D, Sonic only for Episode 1, hints of Tails and Knuckles for Episode 2, direct sequel to Sonic 3 & Knuckles, being co-developed by Dimps and the original senior level designer for Sonic 3 & Knuckles, playable Super Sonic in all levels◊, and Sega actually responding to complaints about a leaked beta version by retooling the game and removing what was shaping up to be a Scrappy Mechanic.
- The confirmation that Episode II is completely reworking the physics in response to the complaints about Episode I. Also the confirmation that Episode II will have Tails as a playable character in 2-Player mode.
- New screenshots have been released!
- Online Co-op for Episode 2 confirmed!
- "Lock-On" between Episodes 1 and 2 confirmed. Connecting the Episodes together unlocks a bonus Episode called "Episode Metal", allowing you to play as Metal Sonic in 4 exclusive levels - Specifically, the Episode 1 levels, with updated level designs and physics engine!
- Sonic Colors being marketed to kids? Aww man it's gonna stink — Wait, how many journalists have a good impression of this game? Sonic's VA being replaced by a good voice actor? The same voice actor who did Chris Redfield and Ezio?
- The idea of Tails speaking was initially terrifying, until it was revealed that he no longer sounded like a 5-year-old girl, courtesy of Kate Higgins. And as for the new voice of Knuckles... Travis Willingham.
- That's not even all the new voice actors from this game onward; there's also Cindy Robinson as Amy Rose, Kirk Thornton as Shadow and Orbot (see below), Karen Strassman as Rouge, Michelle Ruff as Cream, Troy Baker as Espio, Keith Silverstein as Vector, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Charmy (and later promoted to a more recurring role as Tails), Laura Bailey as Blaze, Quinton Flynn as Silver, and Vic Mignogna as E-123 Omega! Even Big the Cat got a minor treatment by being voiced by Kyle Hebert one time!
- The return of SA-55, or Ergo, now officially known as Orbot! And he has a yellow cube-shaped companion now...◊
- The yellow robot in question, Cubot, also ended up being voiced by none other than Wally Wingert. Yet another talented voice actor lent to the Sonic series? Sign me up!
- Mike Pollock remaining as Eggman's voice actor.
- The reveal of a stage where Sonic goes into the water, and doesn't die!
- Can't help noticing that the gameplay is an awful lot like the daytime portion of Sonic Unleashed. Also can't help noticing that a full Sonic game consisting of that stellar gameplay with no werehog to bog things down is specifically word-for-word what many, many people wanted to see, so, uh, thanks for listening, Sega. You're a pal.
- The return of old-school Badniks.
- The writers of MadWorld did the actual script. The characters' lip flaps are synced up to the English voicetrack (the version that everybody outside Japan gets).
- Has its own page here.
- Sonic Lost World has been getting this reaction upon the reveal of its teaser trailer, namely due to the new gameplay style that looks like a crossover between the cancelled Sonic X-treme and Super Mario Galaxy. The new gameplay style also has parkour gameplay elements and brings back the fan-favorite spindash gameplay move.
- The revealed designs◊ of the Deadly Six have been well received, but the green female one in particular has received a ton of attention and subsequent fanart.
- Even more voice acting talent is being added via these guys (and girl). It's kinda hard to go wrong with Sam Riegel, Liam O'Brien, Patrick Seitz, and Stephanie Sheh voicing some of your villains.
- Many fans were happy to hear that the 3DS handheld version will also be a 2D/3D platformer like its Wii U cousin. Especially notable since it's the first Sonic handheld to have 3D gameplay. Past handheld Sonic games have been strictly 2D or 2.5D.
- Elements from the Genesis Sonic games have been brought back, such as the "badnik" animal robots and the tiny animals that they contain as well as the return of the spindash and Sonic's Super Peel-Out animation.
- Sonic Lost World Deadly Six Edition? Cause we really need an extra version of the same ga-NiGHTS DLC?!?
- And now that the game is out, it is receiving more DLC support from both Sega and Nintendo in the form of FREE Nintendo-themed stages! The first of these stages? Yoshi's Island!
- The second DLC stage? The Legend of Zelda! Sonic gets to wear Link's signature green tunic, solve puzzles, run around a variation of the Twilight Princess version of Hyrule field, fight stalchildren from Ocarina of Time, explore a dungeon that resembles some of the more tubular levels from the main game, avoid rolling gorons inside of said dungeon, open treasure chests with heart containers (complete with the famous "chest opening" jingle), collect rupees, see cameos of Skyward Sword Link riding atop his loftwing, and even FIND THE TRIFORCE!
- The December 2013 patch. Why would a patch be reason for rejoicing? The patch fixed some of the more common gameplay complaints that many (even from those who love the game) had! Rings now give players one ups again if they collect 100 of them (originally this series-standard feature was mysteriously absent), the controls for various wisp powers have been altered to now allow for more traditional controls for players who found the touch screen controls not precise enough, if one should get a game over then they will restart with 10 lives instead of 5 (alleviating the problem that the game's increased difficulty meant certain players had a harder time getting through levels without "life farming" first), and sometimes special items will randomly appear on the world map to help out players who need them (though of course players looking more a challenge can choose to ignore these if they wish). Last but not least, it also fixed a rather odd graphical bug that might have been harmful to players with epilepsy. Goes to show that even after the game is out, Sega is still listening to the fans in order to make improvements where they can!
- Sonic Lost World got a Steam release! People without Nintendo consoles rejoice!
- In late 2013, SEGA teased a new Sonic TV show with redesigns for the characters. Naturally, everyone was enraged. But then, SEGA revealed, not only the series, but a BRAND NEW WII U AND 3DS PREQUEL GAME FOR IT. And that's only the beginning. The current voice actors reprising their roles? Check. Series standard of great animation and actual humor? Check. The return of Adventure-style character gameplay? Check. Possible 4-Player co-op? Check. And much more to come...
- People still worried about the franchises future can (try to) breathe easy: this show won't affect the main series any more than a show like Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM).
- Sega, I love you baby, but after you failed to put out with Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal, I think we're finished for now. You're gonna need, like, two or three years to recharge- wait up, so you're telling me Fire & Ice is proof you've learned your lesson and have taken personal charge? Hold the phone... you're saying you've given this new 3DS game literal fire- and ice-themed augs to help the characters explore their world, Bot Racing as a functional speed-based multiplayer element, and had the newfound wisdom to have both Amy and Sticks playable together this time around? Never mind, we're back in business!
- Not to mention the fact that Sega actually delayed a game's release for quality control! You can bet some fans were happy for that!
- Well, great, Amy's back. We can hear the pink child squealing for Sonic alrewait a sec. Did she just swing from a horizontal bar with her hammer? Did she land on the ground like a fucking ninja? Did she drop the Minnie Mouse voice?! Did she spend half a level alone with Sonic without once uttering the D- or M-words?!* *grumbling excitedly* Ohhhhh... Houston, we have nooooooo problems.
- And speaking of a welcome change to Amy, Cindy Robinson was finally allowed to use a voice for Amy that wasn't the fake Minnie Mouse voice that Sega originally saddled her with. The fact that this change was carried over into the main series Sonic games starting with Sonic Forces could only be met with positivity.
- Richard Jacques returning on music duty.
- Sonic Team decided to take another shot at making a brand new classic-style game, but this time they're taking a back seat to the Promoted Fanboys... a lot of Promoted Fanboys. Christian "Taxman" Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games are all coming together on this one. When announced at the 25th Birthday event, the audience collectively brought the house down with the trailer.
- The game looks great, but Nintendo fans are left...WAIT!? It's being ported to Nintendo Switch?!
- And don't worry, the collector's edition will be on Switch, too.
- The Egg Robos are back! With a bigger role than what they got in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, to boot.
- We finally get to play as Tails and Knuckles again. It's been five years since Sonic the Hedgehog 4 where Tails was playable in co-op, and over ten years since both characters were Demoted to Extra following Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
- And if that somehow isn't enough? Then how about a playable Mighty and Ray as DLC? The Bus Came Back after over 20 years * !
- Oh, Sega, we're so happy about Mania, but what about the modern franchise. I bet the new game's gonna be more Saturday Morning slapstick and... wait. Does Sonic look angry? He's in a destroyed city, Archie-style! Sure, marketable, but— Is that Classic Sonic? Of course, then again, it's just Sonic & Classic... Join the Resistance? Praise Lord Sega!
- Game after game since Sonic Adventure, Eggman has been a constant victim of being an ineffective villain overthrown by a greater threat, be it a couple of gods, the consequences of his grandfather's actions, or his own creations. And while a couple of games have sought to fix that, it's only now that not only is Eggman not holding back, but for the first time in the series' video game history has finally conquered the world. Needless to say, a lot of Eggman fans roared with applause that he's finally made good on his threats.
- There is also Episode Shadow. A Free DLC allowing anyone who purchases the game to play as Shadow the Hedgehog once again.
Other
- Richard Jacques returning to compose Sonic the Hedgehog music (Cue inevitable Sonic R reference) in Sonic and the Black Knight alongside Jun Senoue but also being joined by Tommy Tallarico? Freaking sweet! And Crush 40 is recording some songs for it, after not recording any for Secret Rings or Sonic Unleashed.
- Meh, Sonic Jump looks like a Doodlejump clone... WAIT? The other characters are playable?
- Sonic fan film? Eh, they're a dime a dozen...oh, it's being directed by Eddie Lebron, of Mega Man fan film fame? Okay, now I'm interest-JALEEL WHITE IS REPRISING HIS ROLE AS SONIC? OH, HELLZ YES!!
- It gets even better: the finished work features such recognizable cameos as... wait for it... the bystander looking at the airships... the anchorman... and the G.U.N. agent; it gets even better with the last one, as Sonic (voiced by Jaleel White, no less) is the one saving his ass!note
- Sonic Unleashed got delayed. Most people would think this was a bad thing, but after having rushed games for the past few years, the delay showed a lot of fans something they had been doubting, which was that SEGA cared enough for the game's quality to hold it back for touch-ups.
- It gets even better: the finished work
- So, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is finally heading over to the iOS and Android by the same people who did Sonic CD's remastering. That's awesome... Wait... Is that...? It is! It's the ORIGINAL HIDDEN PALACE ZONE!
- Even better? You access Hidden Palace Zone via the infamous spike pit of doom! No more frustration with that pit!
- So we have Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 remakes. Surely SEGA will realize we would pay for a Sonic 3 & Knuckles remake? Well, Christian Whitehead seems to love the fan base so much that he'd surely do it again
- Sorry to say, but no S3&K remake.......BUT HOW ABOUT A BRAND NEW 2-D GAME! That's right! SONIC MANIA's Comming next year in spring! With fantasic sprite work, new music, classic levels redone, new zones and 3 CHARACTERS! (Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles!) Welcome back Classic Sonic, we missed ya!
- Straight outta SXSW: a brand new Sonic Game.
- Not necessarily for Team Sonic Racing itself, but fan reception has been overwhelmingly positive for the return of Crush 40 to the franchise with their newest song "Green Light Ride".
- After months of uncertainty over how they would deliver their news during a worldwide crisis, Sega's first Sonic Central stream was a cause for relief and celebration of the blue blur's 30th anniversary:
- Lost Judgment is set to feature a perfect recreation of Sonic the Fighters as an optional arcade mini-game.
- There's a collection for the first three major games and CD coming in 2022, with added content and features to boot. While the specifics are vague, it does seem to mean that Sonic 3 & Knuckles' music rights issues have been cleared up once and for all! What's more is that the version of 1, 2, and CD appear to be based on the Taxman and Stealth Star Engine ports and a Sega community manager has confirmed that Sonic 3 & Knuckles will also get its widescreen treatment in this collection.
- Sonic Colors, one of the most famous modern Sonic games, is coming in September in HD remastered form as Sonic Colors Ultimate, with necessary gameplay adjustments. The best part? It's no longer exclusive to Nintendo's platforms and is showing up on PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch! Also, the physical release comes with a Baby Sonic keychain.
- In relation to the above, there's a two-part cartoon coming, called Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps. Oh, and by the way, Roger Craig Smith is back to voice Sonic, after he was thought to be retired!
- The show got capped off with a tease for the next mainline Sonic game, developed by Sonic Team. Sure, it's not getting released until 2022, but that hopefully means they'll have enough time to make it right.
- After the massive backlash to the movie's first trailer and posters, specially Sonic's incredibly Unintentional Uncanny Valley design, breaths of relief were held when the director announced that the movie would be delayed so Sonic would be redesigned. Months later, a new trailer came out... to reveal to a stunned fandom that his new design was much more faithful to the styles of Sonic they were familiar with.
- The movie itself already offered a moment in The Stinger making it clear Tails was coming. And then it was announced its sequel would also have Knuckles - and for bonus squee points, voiced by Idris Elba!
- The trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and in particular Knuckles' reveal, made such a huge splash in the fandom that within months Sega announced a third movie and a TV series starring Knuckles himself.
- The Stinger for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has G.U.N. uncovering a file dating back 50 years ago. And sure enough, the final scene shows a pod rising up showing a black and red hedgehog inside of it. Shadow the Hedgehog is coming in for the next film!
- The fandom couldn't hold in their excitement when Paramount releases a teaser for the third movie, accompanied by a remix of "Live and Learn" no less!
- And then comes the reveal that Crush 40 are involved with the movie.
- The mad lads did it! They've confirmed it's all ONE WORLD!
- On March 23, 2023, Sonic Origins was announced to receive an expansion pack called Sonic Origins Plus that would come on June 23, 2023. Besides including all the Digital Deluxe content, it adds Knuckles to Sonic CD, finally makes Amy playable in all four mainline classic games, and compiles the 12 Game Gear entries to bolster this collection. What's more, it will also have a physical release with a 20-page artbook.
- Classic Sonic ain't done yet, as the 2023 Summer Game Fest rolled out a trailer for a brand new title: Sonic Superstars, which goes from 2D sprites to 2.5D models, also features a playable Classic Amy, has several new power-ups courtesy of the Chaos Emeralds, 3D sections, 4-player co-op, and the (in-person) return of Fang the Sniper. And to top it all off, series co-creator Naoto Ohshima makes his grand return to the franchise after 1998, having also personally designed the new character, Trip.
