Because the folks at Amazon are such swell guys, thirty of the most popular apps on the Amazon App Store are free for the next two days. And it turns out that Sonic 2 is a pretty popular game even to this day, because it’s one of those thirty apps. If you’ve wanted to give The Taxman and Stealth‘s remastering of the game a try, this is the best time to do so. You can get it here:
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Game News
It looks like SEGA has reversed their decision to keep Sonic Boom as a Western-only series, as Nintendo Everything reports, the latest issue of Famitsu revealed that the Wii U and 3DS titles will be releasing in Japan under the name of Sonic Toon. No word on whether the TV series will also see release in Japan, but given the new title of Sonic Toon it is possible that the TV show will also be localized and the whole franchise is to be seen as a cartoonish Western branch of the series in Japan. Hey SEGA, as long as you’re sending games Japan’s way, why not localize some of the Japanese SEGA titles for us Westerners, we can consider it a trade.
More news on Sonic Boom Toon as we hear it!
(Thanks to Shigs from our sister-site SEGAbits for providing the write up! Go check them out, they’re classy people.)
Nuckles87 and I have been at odds with the Sonic Boom games at E3. While he was more forgiving of Rise of Lyric on Wii U, I found it a dull and mediocre experience overall. However, for Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal on 3DS, I really enjoyed this platformer while Nux was not as pleased. Surprisingly, I agreed with most of his complaints, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the game. So what’s in this game that makes me not only enjoy it much more than Sonic Boom on Wii U, but might be my favorite Sonic game on 3DS? Read on.
(Thanks to Shigs from our sister-site SEGAbits for providing the write up! Go check them out, they’re classy people.)
While at E3, Nuckles87 and I were invited to a party hosted by SEGA’s mobile division, SEGA Networks, that was dedicated to mingling and showing off SEGA’s mobile titles. It was a great chance to relax after a hard day and to get some free food and drink. Those pretzel bun sandwiches with the roast beef and bacon were out of this world! But mostly, we where there to check out these games that have only been available to the lucky few… million in the Great White North. The one I’ll be talking about in this preview is Sonic Jump Fever, a sequel to the 2012 game that is both harder, easier and more fast-paced than its predecessor. It even has Chao. Yes, Chao are back!
And after seeing the gameplay a couple of days ago, it’s time to check out what the story in Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is like in this trailer with epic music and a narrator with a deep voice telling you what’s happening with Sonic these days. Turns out he has to go up against Lyric, a villain who is over a thousand years old yet recognizes Sonic for some reason. Eggman pops up in the trailer as well, not doing much more than correcting his glorious mustache. The trailer also shows new levels and bosses, along with some cutscenes.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is coming to Wii U this November. Be sure to take a look at the new trailer for Shattered Crystal as well.
As part of E3 2014, Nintendo put up a new trailer for the 3DS’ Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal. Developed by Sanzaru Games, the game more than enough resembles a passing glance to other Sonic handheld titles, namely anything DIMPS developed from Sonic Rush to Sonic Generations (3DS). The game differs from its Wii U counterpart in that it’s an entirely different adventure where the new villain Lyric has kidnapped Amy. Filling her place in the team is series newcomer Not-MarineSticks.
The design of the game is much closer to an exploration style (think a Metroidvania, but not so complex) where using Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Sticks can unlock new areas to explore. The energy whips also prominently feature as a means of combat or progressing through the stage. The game is set to hit this November.
Game News
Sonic Jump Fever releasing to iOS and Android soon – check out the incredibly short announcement trailer!
SEGA has released a trailer for Sonic Jump Fever, a sequel to Hardlight Studio’s Sonic Jump, which was in turn a remake of a 2005 mobile title. Sonic Jump Fever had received a soft launch in Canada this past April to test the game, and it appears all went to plan as the game is set to release to other territories soon! The game’s description is as follows: “Prepare to feel the FEVER in an explosive race against the clock! Join Sonic and friends in high-speed bursts of vertical jumping mayhem. Play for free and rack up huge combos to blast past your friends’ high scores. Use boosters, upgrades, unique character abilities and Chao pets to maximize your score. Then kick your game into overdrive with Fever Mode and hit the top of the Leaderboard! With brand new levels and leaderboards every week, the challenge never ends!”
SEGAbits/Sonic Retro reps will be attending a VIP mobile event this week which will showcase SEGA’s mobile offerings including Sonic Jump Fever, so expect hands-on impressions soon!
Did you for some reason miss the constant dialog in Sonic Heroes? Well do I have some news for you.
Game News, Merchandise
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Soundtrack Available on iTunes and AmazonMP3
SEGA and Sumo Digital have answered the demand for an official release of the soundtrack for Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. While it has featured a physical release in Japan on two CDs, you can buy each CD digitally through your choice of Apple’s iTunes store or on AmazonMP3. Each CD is available for $9.99 USD, (Or $9.49 on Amazon at the time of this writing,) and£7.99 GBP, or you can purchase tracks individually.
For someone like me that’s been listening to this soundtrack in the most cumbersome way possible, (Try hooking up your phone to your car stereo and hoping all four G’s of your data connection can play songs off of YouTube and not stop to buffer every so often,) this could not have come at a better time for me.
Thanks to Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett and Retro Staff Member GerbilSoft for providing links to the soundtrack. If you’d like a complete listing of the songs, head over to VGMDB.
It’s pre-E3 week, meaning that publishers who aren’t sure if their game will get noticed during E3 are revealing their games early. And SEGA is doing this with its two Sonic Boom games, which have suddenly gotten a bit of a name change.
First up is Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for Wii U developed by Big Red Button Entertainment. The video above shows gameplay of normal Adventure-style levels, one speedier stage and boss battles. The normal levels are slower-paced than your usual Sonic game, seemingly playing more like a PS2-era platformer with beat-em-up sections and character switching. There’s also the new Enerbeam which can be used to find alternate paths, grab and throw enemies, and zip-line across gaps. The speedier levels look a bit more like something you’d play in Sonic Unleashed or Generations, though a bit more automated. The boss battles have all four characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy) battling either Eggman or a robot. Like the name suggests, the primary villain isn’t Eggman but rather a cyborg reptilian named Lyric.
Then there’s Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for 3DS developed by Sanzaru Games. Unlike the Wii U game this is a 2D Metroidvania with levels which focus on exploration along with some 3D levels where you use the quickstep and swing around with the new Enerbeam. You’ll be able to switch between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and the recently introduced Sticks, all of whom have unique abilities. Amy couldn’t make it on account of being kidnapped by Lyric. There used to be a video preview with gameplay footage from GameXplain, but apparently SEGA wasn’t so keen on gameplay being out there already. You can still find it along with a bit more Rise of Lyric gameplay footage if you look in the right places though. (*coughforumscough*)
Beyond the jump you can also find screenshots and concept art of both games along with a list of previews from other sites.