New Sonic Mania music – Hard-Boiled Heavies theme
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 1 Comment
SEGA is back with another piece of music from Sonic Mania. After sharing the piece created for Studiopolis Act 1, today’s video is the Hard-Boiled Heavies theme. Listen to the music below.
More: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, SEGA, Sonic Mania, Tantalus
Puyo Puyo Tetris patch coming in August
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 4 Comments
SEGA has announced a new patch for Puyo Puyo Tetris. Upon release, the game will receive balance adjustments as well as stricter penalties for rage-quitters. SEGA intends to have it ready sometime in August.
This August we're releasing a patch for #PuyoPuyoTetris. Updates include balance adjustments & stricter penalties for rage-quitters.
— Puyo Puyo Official (@PuyoOfficial) July 14, 2017
More: Puyo Puyo Tetris, SEGA, title update
SEGA shares first music from Sonic Mania OST – Studiopolis Act 1
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 3 Comments
SEGA has been posting music from Sonic Forces on YouTube as of late. The same treatment has since been extended to Sonic Mania as well. Listen to the music from Studiopolis Act 1 below.
More: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, SEGA, Sonic Mania, Tantalus
Sonic Forces – main theme “Fist Bump” released, vocals included
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 8 Comments
SEGA is giving fans another taste of Sonic Forces’ music with the main theme “Fist Bump”. We’ve heard this track slightly before, but vocals are now included. Listen to the music below.
Vocals and lyrics were done by Douglas Robb (Hoobastank). It was composed and arranged by Tomoya Ohtani. Finally, strings were arranged by Takahito Eguchi.
More: SEGA, Sonic Forces
SEGA will be looking at the reception of Sonic Mania to determine the direction of the series
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 30 Comments
Sonic Mania is a pretty big deal. It’s the first true 2D Sonic game in a very long time.
According to Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka, the reception and reaction to Sonic Mania following launch will help SEGA determine the future direction of the franchise. Iizuka almost views the game as a gamble since the team is unsure if “it’ll be accepted positively in the market.”
Iizuka’s full words are as follows:
“[laughs] In the past two decades Sonic games have been trying to target a broader audience from kids to adults. And Forces has that same idea, so that means a wider range of characters that we know children like. Even if other fans may not be quite as keen.
But for Mania it’s kind of like a new approach. To target specifically 2D fans. So we don’t know whether it’ll be accepted positively in the market. We’ll find out after the game’s released, and we can figure out the direction of future titles after seeing the reaction.”
More: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, SEGA, Sonic Mania, Tantalus
Sonic’s original designer draws new art for Sonic Mania
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 1 Comment
Naoto Ohshima is best known as the original designer for Sonic. Although he’s no longer with SEGA, Ohshima certainly hasn’t forgotten the franchise. And in celebration of Sonic Mania’s launch next month, he’s drawn up some special art, which we have above.
I am grateful to Mr. Iizuka & Mr. Aaron & Sonic Mania team. And I am grateful to everyone who supports Sonic Mania.
Thank you very much!!! https://t.co/EqbqJvfFLJ— Naoto Ohshima (@NaotoOhshima) June 30, 2017
More: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, SEGA, Sonic Mania, Tantalus
Sonic Forces devs on the custom character system, development started before Mania, more
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 3 Comments
A new Sonic Forces interview has gone up on Nintendo UK’s website. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka and producer Shun Nakamura participated in the discussion.
We have some highlights from the interview below. Iizuka and Nakamura spoke about how Sonic Forces isn’t a sequel to Sonic Generations, the custom character system, appealing to all types of players with this game and Mania, and fans comparing New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey to Sonic Adventure.
More: interview, SEGA, Shun Nakamura, Sonic Forces, Takashi Iizuka, top
Sonic Mania – Tails can carry you when playing alone
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 11 Comments
Sonic Mania has a neat little feature that you may not be aware of. When playing alone, if you hold ↑ and press Jump twice, Tails will carry you.
This actually wasn’t in previous Sonic Mania builds, and it was only added in recently. One tester even filed it as a bug, but of course it’s actually just a feature in the game.
Sonic Mania has a really great new feature: when playing alone, hold ↑ and press Jump twice to make Tails carry you! https://t.co/b0hZOiijkL pic.twitter.com/VXNr6khDY5
— Nick Robinson (@Babylonian) June 14, 2017
More: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, SEGA, Sonic Mania, Tantalus
SEGA not worried about splitting the market with Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces launching this year
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 12 Comments
SEGA has two new Sonic games launching this year. Sonic Mania is set for August, followed by Sonic Forces this holiday.
Even though SEGA is bringing out a pair of Sonic titles within just a few months of each other, the company doesn’t view that as an issue. SEGA of Europe vice president John Clark told GamesBeat that there isn’t any concern about splitting the market. Clark believes that Mania could attract the core Sonic fans while Forces has the potential for a broader appeal.
Clark said:
“It’s like asking, ‘Will a Sonic fan only buy one Sonic game?’ We think they both occupy different audiences. Initially we wanted to appeal to the core fan. We want to deliver a strong experience that’s going to immediately give such strong and instant gratification, if you like, from accessing it. And then we want to appeal to a broader audience, which is where Forces comes into it. But who’d have thought that this retro-looking game, developed by Christian Whitehead and the team he’s put together, a community developer, and then Sonic Team developing Sonic Forces — that, for us, is a real step change. It’s something we wouldn’t have expected to see, say, 10 years ago. That, in itself, was very exciting for us, and hopefully for fans as well.”
More: interview, John Clark, SEGA, Sonic Forces, Sonic Mania
Sonic Forces running at 30 FPS on Switch as of now
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 43 Comments
Sonic Forces was finally playable at E3 2017 this week. Multiple versions of the game were playable, including Switch.
Sonic Forces seems to hold up pretty well on Nintendo’s console. However, SEGA did make one technical compromise. While other versions will be 60 frames per second, it’ll drop to 30 on Switch.
It’s possible that things may change before the final game ships. Still, a raise to 60 FPS may not be possible.