News Articles
Thursday27th Jul 2023
News Sonic Mania 2 Didn't Happen Because Sega Wanted To "Move Beyond" Pixel Art
"You kind of end up targeting a very specific core audience"
Sonic Mania is heralded by many of the blue blur's fans as one of the best Sonic games ever made. A sequel was a dream for many — more classic stages revamped, more brand new levels created, and those buttery smooth physics making a beautiful pixel art return. However, Sonic Mania 2...
Friday5th May 2023
Random 'Sonic 5' Is Trending, And No, It Doesn't Mean 'Sonic 5' Is Definitely A Thing
Running on the rumour mill
If you are a fan of SEGA's blue blur and you have happened to find yourself on Twitter over the past couple of days, then you may have noticed that the phrase 'Sonic 5' popping up. Is this official confirmation of a new game? Absolutely not. Is the rumour thread a little tenuous? Yes, somewhat. Rumours of Sonic 5 can all...
Tuesday16th Aug 2022
News Sega Launches 'Ultimate Sonic Bundle' On Switch eShop, But Something's Missing
Actually, several things are missing
When something is described as 'ultimate', you'd be forgiven for thinking that this essentially means "the best of the best', or "the most complete package". Heck, just look at the cast of Danganronpa; they're the "ultimate" in their respective fields, showcasing talents that no one else could possibly match,...
Monday15th Aug 2022
Anniversary Impossibly, Sonic Mania Is Now Five Years Old
Well, that's gone FAST
It's pretty hard to believe that Sonic Mania is already five years old. It feels like only yesterday that we were getting excited about a return to the classic Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Sonic games of old, and Sega, Christian Whitehead, and everyone involved knocked it out of the park. Sonic Mania was a huge hit, and it...
Thursday21st Jul 2022
News Sega Reflects On Sonic Mania, Says It Was A Defining Moment For The Blue Blur
Can we have a sequel now?
Sonic Origins saw the return of Sonic 1,2, 3 and CD last month, but the modern generation 2D standout is still admittedly Sonic Mania. It was a revival of the classic side-scrolling Sonic series and ended up being an absolute hit thanks to Christian "The Taxman" Whitehead, Headcannon and a number of other talented parties...
Wednesday29th Jun 2022
Video Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Sonic Origins
Sonic boom or Sonic bust?
After what felt like years of having to make do with just a single image to promote the launch of Sonic Origins, the game is finally in the hands of Switch owners. Pooling together the classic 2D Sonic titles, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, the game is...
Monday9th May 2022
Rumour Sonic Team Is Working On A Brand New 2D Sonic Game
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles said to be playable
Stick your tin-foil hats on for this one, folks. A new 2D entry to the long-running Sonic the Hedgehog series is reportedly in development at SEGA. Specifically, Sonic Team is said to be working on the game with "no outside involvement". News of the new entry comes from an insider by the name of Zippo...
Wednesday20th Apr 2022
News Sonic Mania Dev Confirms Involvement With Sonic Origins
Headcannon returns for fourth outing
Headcannon, known for its work on Sonic Mania alongside the mobile versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, has confirmed its involvement with the upcoming Sonic Origins. The compilation, due for release on June 23rd, will include the classic mainline games with various a
Monday16th Aug 2021
News Sonic Mania Is Now 4 Years Old
A game that brought Sonic back to his best
Sonic Mania is now four years old, which may not be a huge landmark but, well, this Sonic-nerd wants to celebrate it anyway. It is the game, after all, that reminds players old and new that, actually, there's more to Sonic than 'alright' 3D platformers. Created by a group of small developers and super-fans...
Thursday15th Jul 2021
News Yep, Tantalus Was Also The Developer Of The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
You might remember its work on Twilight Princess HD
It's becoming increasingly common for Nintendo to lend out its IP and call on the services of external studios to help remake and remaster its classic library of games - so it's no surprise to discover that the company's latest release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, was also handled by...
Tuesday18th May 2021
News Sonic Is Alive And Well, According To Sega Sammy's Sales Data For Fiscal Year 2021
Sonic Generations is still helping out
If anyone has ever told you Sonic is dead, it couldn't be further from the truth. Sega Sammy has posted its latest unit sales data for fiscal year 2021 and it appears the company's longtime mascot is right out in front. Yes, even after 30 years the blue blur is still leading the charge for the Japanese...
Wednesday24th Feb 2021
Random Researchers Visualise How Mario, Luigi, And Dr Eggman Would Look If They'd Actually Aged
Mario and Luigi look ready to claim their plumber pensions
Last year was Mario's 35th birthday, and this year is Link's 35th, yet they still look as young and vibrant as ever. Well, sure, Mario still looks like a plumber who enjoys spaghetti a little too much, but Link's most recent reincarnation in Breath of the Wild emerged from a 100-year sleep...
Tuesday5th Jan 2021
Random A Real-Life Diamond Pickaxe Would Cost £5 Billion, Apparently
Damn! We JUST threw ours into lava
If you're looking for a bit of post-Christmas dosh, perhaps you need to look no further than the video games you've been playing the whole time. According to H&T Pawnbrokers, just one of Sonic the Hedgehog's golden rings would net you £5.8 billion ($7.7 billion) on the market, weighing approximately 256...
Wednesday28th Oct 2020
News Sega's Sonic Double Packs Are Out Now On Nintendo Switch
It's official!
Back in August, two Sega double packs for Nintendo Switch were spotted online. One included Team Sonic Racing and Sonic Mania, and the other featured Sonic Forces and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. Today, Sega of America made it official, and both packs are out now! Readers locate
Sunday23rd Aug 2020
News Another Sonic The Hedgehog Double Pack Appears To Be Coming To Switch
Two games in one
If you need more blue blur in your life, perhaps a Sonic the Hedgehog double game pack for Switch might be of interest. According to a new listing over on Amazon, Sega is releasing a package collection containing Sonic Mania and
Saturday18th Jul 2020
News Sega Wants To Take "Good Care" Of 2D And 3D Sonic In The Future
Takashi Iizuka reassures fans
Can you believe it? Sonic the Hedgehog is almost 30 years old. With this in mind, Sega wants to start looking after the blue blur a little more. This was mentioned by Sega's Aaron Webber earlier this year in May - when he said the company wanted to put "more time" into each of its Sonic video games, rather than rush...
Friday27th Dec 2019
News Sega's Director Of Animation Thinks The World Is Ready For Another Sonic TV Show
"There are several discussions"
If you're a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, you probably already know the official YouTube channel has released multiple animated shorts based on Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing. Since the conclusion of Sonic Boom television series though, this has been the only way to watch Sonic on screen. So what else
Monday18th Nov 2019
News A Sonic Mania-Style 'Drop Dash' Almost Made It Into Sonic 3
New Sonic 3 prototype surfaces
One of Sonic Mania's most unique gameplay features was the addition of a 'drop dash' move which allows characters to roll into a wrecking ball the moment they hit the ground – but it turns out we almost had this move in Sonic 3, which was released decades earlier. A prototype version of the third Sonic game has...
Wednesday13th Nov 2019
News Yes, The Sonic Movie Redesign Was Led By Sonic Mania Animator Tyson Hesse
The fans were right
The revised design of Sonic the Hedgehog in Paramount's upcoming movie has been revealed, and it's been widely praised as a huge, massive, incalculable improvement on the character seen in the original trailer. Following the debacle surrounding the initial reveal (Sonicgate? Hedgehogate? It's always a -gate), it was rumoured that...
Tuesday22nd Oct 2019
"In the end we all just make games"
Once upon a time, the term 'indie' meant you were making games on your own with little outside help or support, and the results were often basic or crude when compared to 'AAA' titles. These days, the distinction has become harder to make, as games that are considered to be 'indie' titles are often as polished and...
Wednesday19th Jun 2019
News The Sonic Anniversary Nintendo eShop Sale Is Now Live (North America)
Discounts on Switch, 3DS and Wii U eShop games
Sega is running a Sonic anniversary sale in North America from now until June 24th. For owners of Nintendo platforms, this sale includes discounted Sonic games on the Switch, 3DS and Wii U eShops. Take a look at the 12 games on sale in the list below which includes Sonic's latest racing game:...
Monday27th May 2019
News The Director Of Sonic Mania Adventures Might Be Working On The Blue Blur's Movie Redesign
Too good to be true?
After ongoing backlash from fans, last week it was revealed the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie had been delayed. The director Jeff Fowler made this announcement over on Twitter with the above image, showing Sonic's gloved hand holding up a sign, with the movie's new release date and a classic logo below it. Compared to what...
Sunday12th May 2019
Better than before
Sonic the Hedgehog has struggled to live up to expectations for a long time now. Unlike Nintendo's mascot, Mario, Sonic's adventures haven't always worked out, mostly because of his "gotta go fast" attitude and take on life. Fortunately, this all changed in 2017, when Christian Whitehead was given free run by Sega and...
Thursday21st Mar 2019
News Cadence Of Hyrule Features The Work Of Two Sonic Mania Artists
It's a small (and wonderful) world
One of the 'wow' moments from yesterday's Nindies Showcase presentation was the reveal of Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer - a new game from the team behind Crypt of the NecroDancer which is set to feature none other th
Sunday17th Mar 2019
News Takashi Iizuka Confirms The Next Sonic Title Is Already In Development
Gotta go fast
If the video clips for Team Sonic Racing weren't already satisfying enough, the head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, has confirmed the next big entry in the mainline Sonic series is officially underway. The announcement was made during a panel at SXSW Gaming 2019. Other than this, no other information is currently known about the new...
Tuesday12th Feb 2019
News Sonic Mania Devs Form New Development Studio, Evening Star
And they're hiring!
Several members of the development team behind Sonic Mania have banded together to form their very own game development studio, Evening Star. The studio has its headquarters based in Los Angeles, with others working across Melbourne and London. It describes itself as a "boutique" studio, with each team member pursuing "a goal to...
Monday24th Dec 2018
Video Sonic Mania Adventures Animation Returns For A Holiday Special
Warm the coldest of hearts
One of the DLC highlights this year was the add-on content for the 2017 release Sonic Mania. The Plus version of the game added new characters, an encore mode and four-player split-screen. As we begin to reflect on all the wonderful games released over the past year, the official Sonic The Hedgehog YouTube Channel
Tuesday24th Jul 2018
News Multiple Cheat Codes For Sonic Mania Have Been Discovered
Just like old times
Back in the '90s when micro-transactions were nowhere to be seen, cheat codes reigned supreme. All you had to do was input a code and you became unstoppable - no monetary transactions required, just a series of button presses. When you think of all the cool games during this era, one of them might be Sonic the Hedgehog. It turns...
Friday20th Jul 2018
News Sonic Mania Lead Talks About The Fan Service Magic That Makes The Game Tick
How do you make a Sonic game for the fans?
With Sonic Mania Plus' recent release on Switch, it feels fitting to allow ourselves another chance to bask in the nostalgia-filled glory the original game presented. Sonic games can be a touchy subject to talk about, with fans of the series liking and disliking different elements of each - and a...
Tuesday10th Jul 2018
Gallery Sonic Mania Plus Is The Version Of Sonic Mania You've Always Wanted
Keeping it physical
When Sonic Mania launched last year it received critical acclaim and restored the faith of many a lapsed Sonic fan. However, as a digital-only affair (no, the collector's edition with a download code doesn't count) it felt very much like a 'bonus' release alongside 2017's full-fat Sonic outing: the much-maligned Sonic...
