Browsing Tag

Nintendo

Game News

UPDATE: Dodge Emerald Coast’s Orca in Generations 3DS


UPDATE: Also a first look at Generations 3DS’ Casino Night Zone.

With one move, all bets are off. Found in the dirty recesses of Sega’s servers and joining Green Hill Zone and Mushroom Hill Zone comes Sonic Adventure‘s iconic first stage Emerald Coast, including the famous whale chase scene.

I almost want to say it could even Sonic 2006‘s Wave Ocean, but it’s basically just Emerald Coast in HD with worse controls. What are the odds that Classic Sonic gets a recycled version of Sonic Advance‘s Neo Green Hill Zone for his Emerald Coast stage, given the track record with his stages so far?

Also found is what looks to be the first shot of the opening cutscene with Sonic’s closest friends celebrating the Blue Blur’s birthday. Noticeably absent is Shadow, who may have been too much of a downer to be invited to the “cool kids” party.

by
111
Game News

[UPDATED] Gamescom 2011: Mushroom Hill, Big Arm 3DS Gameplay and Audio



UPDATE: We also got video of the Big Arm boss included in the demo, now updated after plenty of negative feedback from E3 concerning one aspect of it. Want to see? Hit the jump! Thanks to commenter MarioSonic for the tip off!

By way of YouTube channel NiNTENDOMiNATi0N, take a look at Modern Sonic running through the browning foliage of Mushroom Hill Zone Act 2 including a clear listen to the level’s music.

At least, I would hope that’s a placeholder song while a final one is still being worked on. A straight port of the Genesis Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1 tune? Has to be. The footage also shows some oddities in the gameplay including familiar DIMPS problems of odd object placement, pitfalls, and moonwalking on the roof.

But on the plus side, listen to that Act 1 remix toward the end of the video. That remix is simply goodness.

Continue Reading

by
75
Game News

Gamescom 2011 Superpost: Sonic Generations, Mario and Sonic 2012

Of course we didn’t forget about Gamescom currently going on in Germany, sporting new demos for all three versions of Sonic Generations as well as a new demo for Mario and Sonic’s latest (friendly) battle to the death.

Courtesy of forum member TimmiT, we have a few more details about changes in the games along with extra gameplay videos including a full run of Modern Sonic’s City Escape. With all the tasty morsels of media beginning to spill, we advise not watching the videos if you want to keep the gameplay unspoiled.

Continue Reading

by
40
Game News

Generations 3DS Brings Mushroom Hill, Reminder It Still Exists

With all the hullabaloo about Chemical Plant, Seaside Hill, Spagonia’s Rooftop Run and yet another return of Sonic 2’s Giant Robotnik mecha, it’s understandable that the hype levels for the console version of Sonic Generations are slowly inching toward critical levels.

But then there’s the forgotten black sheep, the 3DS version, pining for attention after a mostly dud performance and reception at this year’s E3. But as a reminder that it’s still alive and kicking and is begging for a home this November, Sega has revealed that 3DS owners will forgo scaling Sky Sanctuary’s heavenly heights in favor of stumping through Mushroom Hill’s seasonal segues.

In this case, Classic Sonic will run through the fungi forest in its Spring time prime while Modern Sonic tackles the level in its waning Autumn form, including an on-rail grinding section and giant flower propellers.

Check out the gallery for full shots of mushroom bouncing goodness.

[Via Sonic Stadium]

Continue Reading

by
50
Game News

The Hard-To-Please Old Fans According To Iizuka

It’s been slow, so why not.

Takashi Iizuka, the long time target for everything older fans perceive wrong with the series, sat down for an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine to talk up the 3DS version of Sonic Generations. He dropped that the fans of the old Mega Drive games are very much hard to please. He hopes that Sonic Generations will fix that.

“Our team are always trying to present new gameplay innovations so it’s hard to please fans who like the gameplay from the older games,” said Iizuka.

“However, we have included the older gameplay as part of Sonic’s 20th Anniversary, so we think the fans of the older games will enjoy it [Generations] as well. We are also looking into continuing the Sonic 4 series which was released on WiiWare, and we’ll keep developing titles so more fans will enjoy the games.”

Easy on the Sonic 4: Episode 2 comments. Lord knows the fire wave it will bring with it will be enough further down the road.

It may not be necessary to keep trying to please the older fan base by trying to recreate a 1:1 variant of the Mega Drive games in a 2.5D environment, as some of the demands (and believe us when we say we are certainly no strangers to seeing some of these on this very site) border the point of just rom-hacking Sonic 1 or 2 and releasing games in that manner.

At the same time, trying to shoe horn in mechanics such as the Werehog, swords, angsty characters with guns, or even shoddily implemented team-based game play isn’t necessarily the way to go. When thinking of “gameplay innovations”, as they call it, the best strategy is to see what can work with the base gameplay instead of throwing darts at post-it notes on the wall and going with it. Knuckles taking the Werehog’s place while keeping similar play style and calling it Sonic and Knuckles 2? Bank.

If Sonic Colors was anything to go by, just release a game that’s charming and genuinely fun to play and everyone will be happy. You could even argue that the formula was within reach as early as 2002.

[Image Credit: Cyrus Parker]

by
75
Community, Humor

Unofficial Poll: Sonic Generations Console/Portable Stages

With Sonic Boom less than a week away and Sega releasing trickles of details about Sonic Generations‘ 3DS iteration, including that StreetPass will be foolishly used for additional unlockable content, you can imagine that news has been rather slow to generate.

Although now there’s rumors that Sonic Generations is also headed to Sony’s upcoming PlayStation Vita (the PSP2) device, those are largely hearsay and it’s before E3, so take that with a truckload of salt.

So, while sitting with the lovely and rabid people of our IRC channel in #retro (drop on by, we won’t bite… hard,) a discussion came up about Generations 3DS stages. It’s likely the modern stages will cause a rift in both versions of the games, so the console version may include levels from Sonic 2006 (prepare the painkillers), Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colo(u)rs, while the 3DS version will tote levels from Sonic Rush, Rush Adventure, and… Sonic Colo(u)rs.

This isn’t limited to that era too. It’s a possibility that Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and Sonic Heroes entries will be replaced with counterparts from Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3 on the 3DS.

So here’s where you guys come in. What stages would you like to see from those games? Unfortunately, both games cannot get Starlight Carnival or Sweet Mountain, so it’s decision time. Sound off in the comments below!

by
126
Game News

Sega Report Hints Sonic Generations for 3DS, PC

[Update: It’s been brought to my attention that PC may not mean Personal Computer, but may stand for Nintendo’s new system codename “Project Cafe.” Stay tuned…]

Sonic’s 20th anniversary flagship title may soon be coming to a 3DS and PC near you.

An earnings report from Sega of Japan certainly claims as much and supports the rumors of a Generations 3DS release as seen on a GameStop pre-order list leaked to the Internet.

Of course, there’s a small chance this could be a simple typo (they happen), but very unlikely.

Much like Sonic Colo(u)rs, the console version was paired with a portable release, though it handled differently from its console counterpart in that instead of focusing on Unleashed-style 2D/3D gameplay, it stuck to the more tried and true Sonic Rush formula on the Nintendo DS. It remains to be seen if a 3DS release would also follow this path.

A PC version would no doubt be extremely appreciated by the modding community, which is making strides in other Sonic games like the old Sonic and Knuckles Collection or the more recent Sonic Adventure DX. But as in the past, the PC version could also fall quietly into the night, as much was the case for the PC port of Sonic The Hedgehog 2006.

A shame, that one. It would have been nice to see fans attempt to clean up that mess.

[Via Andriasang]

by
13
Game News

Rumor Mill: New Sonic Game To Be Announced in Nintendo Power

As Sonic’s 20th Anniversary year chugs on, Sega has shown three titles for the franchise in a tease of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2, the duel of mascots thrice over in Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and an assault of media for the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Sonic Generations.

And yet, it seems that aside from a downloadable game and a collection of mini-games that Wii and 3DS owners are hardly getting any love in the form of a substantial Sonic platformer.

That may all be changing as next month’s Nintendo Power magazine includes a rather substantial teaser for the celebration of Sonic’s 20th Anniversary, featuring an edited version of teaser art for Sonic Generations. Could it mean that Sonic Generations is headed to a Nintendo console?

At the moment, it’s unlikely, but considering that Nintendo’s Project Cafe is set to be demonstrated at next month’s E3, and one of its rumored bits of design allows developers to easily port games from Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it’s certainly a possibility.

Or it could even be a brand new title. This would go against what Sega of America Vice President of Sales and Marketing Alan Pritchard said in an interview with GameInformer last year stating that the company only had three new titles lined up for the franchise, as we already have three titles for the most part announced.

After the warm reception Sonic Colors got on both the Wii and DS in sales, a Sonic title for any of the console giant’s trinity is all but confirmed.

by
17
Game News

Mario And Sonic Go To Mini-Game War Again In London

Sonic Generations has commanded the attention of the fan base since its reveal earlier in the week. That still hasn’t stopped Sega from quietly confirming that Mario and Sonic will continue their bitter rivalry 20 years too late as they compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Excitement.

Although it’s another compilation of mini-games for the Nintendo Wii, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the series’ debut on the Nintendo 3DS. DS owners need not apply, as it looks like there’s no DS version planned.

New events include horseback riding and football (the non-American kind), meaning those still stuck in the ’90s can finally have Mario and Sonic face off for two halves of headbutts and red cards.

While it’s easy to brush the game aside as another collection of mini-games, having the two mascots face off in the Olympics served Sega well, as the games have so far been sleeper hits for the company, selling over 19 million copies globally.

No release date has been penciled in for the title, but it’s safe to assume it will either be by year’s end or certainly before next year’s Olympic ceremonies begin.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

[Via Sonic Stadium]

Continue Reading

by
49