Tons of Sonic Boom details
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 4 Comments
A whole bunch of Sonic Boom details have come in from new press previews. You can find a roundup of the latest information below.
– Demo broken up into different selectable sections
– Level from the campaign, Doctor Eggman boss fight, on-rails level to zoom through
– Each played differently
– Zoomy level had several paths to take
– Each one leads to more or less rings
– Combo system assigns letter grades based on performance
– This seems to be based on number of hits and not variation of moves
– Also in play is some sort of collectible currency (apart from rings) that go toward what might be an upgrade system
– Puzzles are mixed in with combat and exploration
– Eggman fight features him in a giant suit and he shoots rockets which either crash into Sonic and/or Knuckles, or come to rest on the ground
– Need to pick up the undetonated ones and use the EnerBeam to fling them back at the evil doctor
“If you’re a classic Sonic gamer, a 2D fan, you have an appreciation for the platforming. This game has quite a bit of that classic platforming. I think these levels inspire some of that feeling for the old places that Sonic went back in the day.” – Steve Frost
– Game has some hub world interactions
– Most levels will feature a branching path that only one specific character (you’re presented with a choice of two per level) can take
– Select characters on the GamePad
– Hub worlds and speed levels will make use of Sonic Boom’s full roster
– When two local players are in the same game and the time comes to split up, player one runs a character with the GamePad on its screen and player two uses a Wii Remote or Pro controller for their character on the television
– Big Red Button Entertainment thought hard about adding split-screen local multiplayer — either to bring more human players to the game, or to let the Wii U Gamepad perform other functions for them
“We had, for a long time, considered split-screen play. And it just didn’t feel as special. If we’re out in real life, and we’re off exploring, we have our cell phones and cameras out, we’re calling each other and saying, ‘Hey, you should see what I’m seeing.’ We wanted to have that sharing.
“Split screen doesn’t really do that because you’re constantly staring at the other person’s screen. That sense of wonder, of what the other person is doing, is gone.”
– Sonic and his cohort are exploring an ancient, unknown island
– Eggman has sought to exploit an ancient evil being named Lyric,
– It’s turned out to be more than he can handle
– Eggman isn’t supposed to be a bumbler — “he’s still got that fun personality, but his presence overall is more formidable”
– Sonic’s principal concern is exploring the surface and neo-Atlantean ruins and beating up the danger lurking within
– Knuckles can climb rock walls in sections specific to him
– Tails can hover on air currents and ride them to his goal
– Each character comes equipped with an “enerbeam”
– This lets you grapple and move pieces in puzzle levels
– With it, you can also lasso and toss foes into one another
– This will be required in some battles
– Previews mention that the camera isn’t up to snuff
– 3DS version is more of a traditional 2D, scrolling platformer
– No multiplayer in the 3DS version
– Can swap characters on the 3DS touch screen and solve multiple platforming puzzles
– Sonic Boom on 3DS features its own story and another entry point into the canon
– Sega’s strategy is that wherever someone’s interest might be piqued they may find something different in the other two.
“The thought is, we can only show you X amount of the world, and the others can show you even more. By virtue of the cartoon, the toys and the games, you can see this big cohesive world.”
New Sonic Boom details
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
SEGA has shared new details about Sonic Boom for both Wii U and 3DS. Overviews for each can be found below.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric will deliver a different experience than past titles. The detailed levels and emphasis on each character’s unique abilities will showcase the distinctive feel of an action- adventure game, giving players more choice in exploration as they work as a team to stop the deadly snake-like ancient villain, Lyric, before he can power up his army. The gameplay will challenge players with over-the-top speed runs, but the heart of the game will focus on intense combat and brand-new abilities including the Enerbeam. This new feature in the game gives players an energy-charged cord that can be used by characters to navigate the world like never before. Players will be able to swing or zip-line across gaps, explore alternate paths, grab and throw enemies and take away their shields in combat.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal is a standalone adventure that shares key characters, events and lore of the Sonic Boom universe with exclusive environments and characters. For the first time ever, gamers will be able to take on the role of Sticks, the newest member of the team who will play an integral role in the story after her best friend Amy gets kidnapped by the ancient villain Lyric. While the Wii U version is focused on action-adventure and exploration, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal will place a bigger emphasis on platforming and puzzles. Additionally, unique collectibles featured in the Nintendo 3DS version will unlock special content on Wii U via Wi-Fi connectivity.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal – first screenshots (3DS version)
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Screenshots | 1 Comment
Sonic & All-Stars Racing producer on wanting to represent Space Harrier, OutRun, and After Burner
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 7 Comments
4Gamer recently caught up with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed producer Steve Lycett with the game having been released in Japan last month. We already heard that Lycett had hoped to include Ristar as a playable character, but as it turns out, this wasn’t the only franchise he hoped the game would represent.
Lycett stated:
From three big SEGA classics, I think, “Space Harrier”, “OutRun”, and “After Burner”. Because these three are so popular around the world, I was thinking I wanted to find a way for them to work somehow. For “After Burner”, since there is no emerging main character, both it an “OutRun” both got full courses. But unfortunately, “Space Harrier” only got a song in the soundtrack on one of the stages. Even though it wasn’t convenient to include the hero of “Space Harrier”, we just couldn’t abandon the recording.
Lycett continued by elaborating on his interest in featuring Space Harrier one day:
Well, the truth is, I wanted to include the running character riding the dragon. But I won’t give up! If I ever get the opportunity, I absolutely want to see this happen.
New character Sticks revealed for Sonic Boom
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 7 Comments
SEGA has revealed a new “jungle badger” character for the Sonic Boom franchise named “Sticks”.
Here’s an official overview of Sticks:
Sticks is new to Sonic’s circle of friends– actually new to friends in general– and as the most primal character in the Sonic universe, she is a force of nature in every way. Sticks is wilder than the other members of Sonic’s team with unparalleled animal instincts and extremely sharp survival skills. She’s a fearsome combatant and a tenacious hunter who’s armed with handmade weapons at all times, most notably a handmade boomerang that she keeps in tow.
Her wildness means that her social skills need plenty of work and she’s not the most trusting individual. Full of outrageous suspicions, Sticks’ instincts often prove to be accurate. While the concepts of sharing, compassion and friendship are foreign to her, Sticks has a good heart and a genuine desire to get closer to her new friends, particularly Amy, who helps Sticks adapt to civilization. Sticks and Amy quickly become best friends, with Sticks willing to go to extremes to protect her new pal, a quality that will play out through new Sonic Boom content. Her eccentric character adds an endless amount of humor and surprise to the Sonic team.
More: SEGA, Sonic Boom, top
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed producer wanted to include Ristar on the roster
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 4 Comments
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed finally reached Japan very recently. With the game’s arrival, 4Gamer caught up with a couple of the game’s developers, including executive producer Steve Lycett.
One of Lycett’s more interesting comments came about when 4Gamer mentioned how choosing the characters must have been tough. Lycett said in response:
Selecting the characters really was difficult. Basically, one of the premises we wanted to represent in the game was a correct balance between old and new IPs from SEGA. From such a wide range of material, as well as a balance between male and female, animals, and robots, I chose not to be biased.
Lycett followed up by discussing what the criteria was in selecting characters. While talking about this, he revealed how he originally wanted to include Ristar on the roster, but things sadly didn’t work out.
More Puyo Puyo Tetris Wii U footage
Posted on 10 years ago by Jarop(@gamrah) in Videos, Wii U | 4 Comments
Some more Puyo Puyo Tetris footage surfaced today and while it doesn’t highlight too much new content, it gives us a look at some of the in-game menus and some more footage against CPU opponents.
More: Japan, Puyo Puyo Tetris, SEGA
SEGA on Sonic Boom’s recent silence, more news on the way – including a surprise and 3DS assets
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 6 Comments
SEGA’s Stephen Frost recently shared an update about Sonic Boom over on the Sonic Stadium forums, including why there hasn’t been much news about the game since its announcement.
Frost explained that the announcement’s timing took place when it did due to “key reasons”. There are also various partners involved since Sonic Boom involves more areas than just a video game (like the upcoming television show).
Starting at E3 next month, fans can expect regular updates about the Sonic Boom title. We’ll see new screenshots, a first look at the 3DS version, and even “a bit of a surprise”.
Head past the break for Frost’s full comments.
