Big Red Button talks more about Sonic Boom
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Siliconera recently caught up with Bob Rafei, creative director and CEO of Big Red Button. Rafei discussed the various character characters in Sonic Boom, how Sonic Team reacted to the game, and more.
You can find a few excerpts from the interview below. The full thing can be read over at Siliconera.
SEGA reveals more details about Sonic Boom games at E3 2014
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
SEGA and Nintendo partner to launch the highly anticipated Sonic Boom videogames exclusively for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS across Europe and in Australia
2nd June 2014 – An all-new Sonic the Hedgehog will be unleashed at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles with the debut of playable versions of new titles exclusively for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS and 2DS systems. Nintendo of Europe will be responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of the games throughout European territories and Australia, with SEGA remaining as publisher. The new games Sonic Boom™: Rise of Lyric for Wii U, developed by Los Angeles-based Big Red Button, and Sonic Boom™: Shattered Crystal for Nintendo 3DS, from San Francisco-based Sanzaru Games, will introduce new gameplay and the most vile and formidable villain in Sonic history — Lyric.
In both games, Sonic and friends – Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and the newest member of the team, Sticks, will work together as they face their most powerful enemy yet. Lyric is a giant and monstrous snake-like creature from an ancient race. An extremely tech-savvy mastermind who uses a sophisticated robotic body of armour to carry out his own nefarious deeds, he is a formidable enemy and a force to be reckoned with. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, the roles of Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks, will be elevated in gameplay that capitalises on each character’s unique talents and abilities. The goal is to prevent Lyric from powering his army of robots and carrying out his plan to destroy the world. The stakes have never been higher, and the only chance to overcome Lyric is to band together and work as a team.
More Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric footage
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii U | 7 Comments
Big Red Button on Sonic’s new look
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 1 Comment
While speaking Kotaku, Big Red Button’s CEO and creative director Bob Rafe touched on Sonic’s new look, the public reaction, and what the character means to the studio. Head past the break for a roundup of Rafe’s comments.
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 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
Rumor: A look at a new Sonic Boom character
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, Images, Wii U | 6 Comments
The image above has been surfacing in various Twitter and Instagram posts. Unfortunately, no one seems to be sure of the original source at the moment.
It was initially thought that the character in question could be Marine. But there are quite a few differences between the two, leading many to believe that it’s a completely new character.
This is all assuming the image above is legitimate, of course!
More: Sonic Boom, top
SEGA on Sonic Boom’s recent silence, more news on the way – including a surprise and 3DS assets
Posted on 10 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.
