
The UK developer Nitrome - the team behind Bomb Chicken and also the upcoming release Shovel Knight Dig - has revealed it once pitched a Sonic the Hedgehog game to Sega and was knocked back.
According to Nitrome, the engine the game was running on was "pretty authentic" and was "very close to the Sonic engine logic". The game itself was a vertical jumping platform-take on the blue blur. There's no proper name attached to this demo, but apparently, Nitrome's latest release Super Leap Day for Apple Arcade borrowed the demo's wall-running mechanic.
Unfortunately for Nitrome the pitch didn't appeal to the "Sega Gods" and so this Sonic mobile game never saw the light of day. The developer is still keen to explore this idea of a "one button" Sonic game, so if you would also like to see it happen. Show your support in the comments and perhaps Sega will reconsider.
On a different but somewhat related note, yesterday a never-before-seen Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood 2D intro cinematic was released publically.
What do you think of Nitrome's Sonic pitch? Think it deserves another shot? Leave a comment down below.
Comments 42
Come on, that actually looks fun, Some sega gods.
Why the hell did this get rejected? Too good?
Yeah, this looks like a lot of fun. I just don't understand Sega sometimes. It's like of Sonic is not running fast it betrays his character or something.
Looks like Sonic Jump with walls and wall jumps.
Genuinely looks fun. Surprised it didn’t go further.
I’m surprised how much the Sonic style works with the Leap Day gameplay. It’s too bad it couldn’t happen. Although the style of Super Leap Day is excellent in its own right, as its colourful and cartoony. Definitely a fair trade off.
I love how pissed off sonic looks
Well, we all know how well versed Sega was at making good decisions :/
@nessisonett @WhiteTrashGuy @Bolt_Strike Probably rejected because it's too much like their own Sonic Jump but this looks far superior to that basic bitch game. 😭
Looks good, they could easily call it Sonic the Climber or Sonic Rise.
@Bolt_Strike OMG imagine if this was a FTP game or a 2$ game on the Eshop?
It would be such a fun time killer!
Felt too slow. Would be better if Sonic was faster
Looks great. He seems a little bit slow, but if they made him go faster depending on how many rings he had it could be better.
Everyone:hates mobile game.
Everyone:seems to like the canned sonic game that’s most likely would have been a mobile game...
Me:audible confusion
I really enjoyed Super Leap Day and I’m genuinely surprised it started off life as a Sonic game. Would definitely recommend people check it out regardless - it’s a really good time waster.
Nitrome is one of the best mobile developers to this day, very disappointing that got rejected.
@Greatluigi Because unlike the 2048 project that we saw the other day, this is an actual functioning version of a game, from devs that highly polish every game they make.
@Greatluigi Ya but, these guys make Polished and fun games.
@Greatluigi Right? That looks like a mobile game if I've ever seen one.
I'd choose that over Super Mario run. The first sonic game that would win me over was rejected... That's kind of sad.
Sega probably felt it made their internal teams look bad.
I mean I’m surprised we’ve yet to see a Sonic Mani sequel.
that actually looks really good. and i'm not even into sonic.
only problem is the colour palette. kinda difficult for colourblind people.
Glad I'm not the only one that thinks this looks fantastic. I hope one day we get to play this somehow it looks incredibly fun.
@Poodlestargenerica Knuckles can climb!
More of a Knuckles thing to climb walls, no?
This tracks Sega has a history of bad decision making. The people in charge definitely aren't gods lol
So... Sega knows what's fun and has potential? Really? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Are you serious? Have they had their heads in the ground this whole time?
@Greatluigi mobile game =/= bad
anyone who says otherwise has not given any of the many great mobile games a chance. Curses 'n' Candies is a fun example imo
@nessisonett I think they are trying to emulate the big N but even they have wavered slightly on their IP. Looks like a money making machine to me (assuming this is a bare bones demo.) Especially for those of us who didn't grow up on a 3d Sonic.
@TheRealMW Yeah, but it wasn't quiet as good as Candies N' Curses.
I'd buy it! They could add other characters.
@UglyCasanova @Greatluigi
The assumption that everyone hates mobile games is a bad one. People don't hate mobile games as a whole. People dont like poorly executed mobile games, mobile games that are shown off at big events like E3, and there's just people who flat out aren't into mobile games.
Mobile games are time killers, not something that have your full attention like a PC or console game. So we'll made mobile games can catch people's attention because of their original and fun concept, like Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja, or the first Angry Birds. They obviously aren't made to be played for hundreds of hours.
@Greatluigi Very True, people wouldn't give this the time of day and I'm wondering how Sega could make profit from this game?
@FX102A The Manis team are working on different projects, Meme on Sega all you want but they started the future of online gaming all the way in 1998.
Looks great I’d play it on console
I would play that...
Sonic Jump or something like that...
@Greatluigi This game is definitely not a mobile game. It had that 16-Bit quality to it, a mobile game is crap like Sonic Dash which feels cheap and low quality.
@Specter_of-the_OLED cough cookie run cough cough
@Greatluigi You sound sick, better go get your vaccine shot.
@Specter_of-the_OLED yeah no thanks.
@Specter_of-the_OLED what a rude, contemptuous, contemptible, and childish reply, and completely unjustifiable when the crime I committed was that I acknowledged that good mobile games exist.
back in the real world (which you are welcome to join the rest of us in if you quit being insufferable), mobile is just another game platform with its fair share of drek, inoffensive offerings, and delightful experiences. I could name great mobile games all day (Total Party Kill, Tomb Toad, Florence, Monument Valley, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Chuchel, Alto Odyssey, Mini Motorways, etc.). mobile is a platform that is best at providing simple experiences, with the best ones showing that mobile gaming can be the most direct modern equivalent to handheld gaming like the Gameboy, DS, etc..
@tseliot what isn't as good as CnC? seems like you're talking about this demo, which... wasn't developed into a full game, for starters, which is a wild thing to expect of a pitched prototype. like, sorry, but not a single one of these kinds of pitches is just a well-respected indie handing a CnC level completed game to SEGA, lol.
secondly... you haven't played this either... again, this is just a pitch demo Nitrome shared cuz they're probably never gonna work with SEGA, so unless your uncle works at SEGA, you wouldn't know if this was a good prototype anyways.
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