Posted on 6 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.”

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Posted on 6 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.

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Posted on 6 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.

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Posted on 6 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.”

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Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 4 Comments

SEGA is celebrating Sonic’s 26th anniversary with a special announcement for Sonic Mania. In partnership with Data Discs, a Sonic Mania Vinyl Album will be released.

Here’s what you can expect:

“Featuring select tracks by Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes, as well as exclusive new gatefold art featuring Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles exploring the lush vistas of Green Hill Zone Act 2, the Vinyl album is a must-have for any fan or Sonic music aficionado, and a gorgeous addition to any Sonic collection.”

Fans can pick up the Vinyl in three variations: Sonic Blue, Classic Black and a Limited Edition version. Pre-orders will be held at data-discs.com in late July.

Source: SEGA PR

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Posted on 6 years ago by Nick in Switch, Videos | 0 comments

Nintendo World Report uploaded footage of Sonic Mania from E3, check it out below.

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Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 1 Comment

IGN has another couple of videos up showing Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania in action. Both can be found below.

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Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 1 Comment

In addition to Sonic Forces, SEGA also showed off Sonic Mania footage during Twitch’s Pre Pre Show at E3 2017. Have a look at the video for gameplay of the Green Hill Zone Act 2 boss battle and more.

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Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 19 Comments

Sonic Mania features a mix of remastered stages from previous entries in the franchise as well as new ones. In its recent reveals though, SEGA has been focusing on the older levels. There is a purpose behind this.

Speaking during an official live stream a couple of days ago, Sonic PR and social media manager Aaron Webber explained that SEGA is showing more of the classic stages so that the new ones will remain a surprise for players. Webber added that they don’t want to spoil the entire game for fans. When we get closer to launch, if there happen to be any unauthorized spoilers, it’ll then be up to each person to decide if they want to spoil things for themselves.

Webber also commented on the length of Sonic Mania during the live stream. Ultimately it’ll come down to how much players explore levels and how fast they go. Similar to early classic Sonic games, “if you’re really good” and “if you know all of the tricks, you can shave off a lot of time.” However, “it will still take awhile if you want to beat the game as Sonic, as Tails, and Knuckles.” Webber also teased “other elements” that can extend gameplay, which we assume will be discussed later. 

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Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 4 Comments

Update: Correction – we’ve now received the official announcement from SEGA. As some have thought, the final name is Chemical Plant Zone. Not Chemical Factory Zone.

Original: Game Informer has a first look at a new Zone in Sonic Mania. View a couple of videos showing off Chemical Factory below.

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